Efficacy-based and normative interventions for facilitating the diffusion of conservation behavior through social networks

Research suggests that encouraging motivated residents to reach out to others in their social network is an effective strategy for increasing the scale and speed of conservation action adoption. However, little is known about how to effectively encourage large numbers of residents to reach out to others about conservation causes. We examined the influence of normative and efficacy-based messaging at motivating residents to engage in and to encourage others to participate in native plant gardening in their community. To do so, we conducted a field experiment with messages on mailings and tracked native plant vouchers used. Efficacy messages tended to be more effective than normative messages at increasing residents’ willingness to reach out to others to encourage conservation action, as indicated by a several percentage point increase in native plant voucher use by residents’ friends and neighbors. Messages sometimes had different impacts on residents based on past behaviors and perceptions related to native plant gardening. Among these subgroups, efficacy and combined efficacy and norm messages most effectively encouraged individual and collective actions, as indicated by increased voucher usage. Our findings suggest that interventions that build residents’ efficacy for engaging in a conservation behavior and for reaching out to others may be a promising path forward for outreach. However, given our results were significant at a false discovery rate cutoff of 0.25 but not 0.05, more experimental trials are needed to determine the robustness of these trends.     

Effects of Coastal Lighting on Foraging Behaviorof Beach Mice

Abstract:  Introduction of artificial light into wildlife habitat represents a rapidly expanding form of human encroachment, particularly in coastal systems. Light pollution alters the behavior of sea turtles during nesting; therefore, long-wavelength lights—low-pressure sodium vapor and bug lights—that minimize impacts on turtles are required for beach lighting in Florida (U.S.A.). We investigated the effects of these two kinds of lights on the foraging behavior of Santa Rosa beach mice (  Peromyscus polionotus leucocephalus ). We compared patch use and giving-up densities of mice for experimental food patches established along a gradient of artificial light in the field. Mice exploited fewer food patches near both types of artificial light than in areas with little light and harvested fewer seeds within patches near bug lights. Our results show that artificial light affects the behavior of terrestrial species in coastal areas and that light pollution deserves greater consideration in conservation planning.     

Community evacuation following a chlorine release, Mississippi

On 7th September 1986, four miles north of Collins, Mississippi, a train transporting chlorine derailed. Two cars ruptured and gas escaped. As a result, 100 families were evacuated. To study the evacuation process, we conducted person-to-person interviews with sixty-two families staying in the evacuation center. Only 52.5% of the families received their first directive to evacuate directly from police or other officials. Delays in evacuating tended to be shorter when people were warned by the police and were told the reason for evacuating. Lack of personal transportation and preexisting health problems resulted in delays in evacuation. Concerns about evacuation included fear of looting, lack of a place to go, lack of transportation, difficulty in moving with children and elderly persons, and the need to take care of pets. One third of the interviewees reported feeling panic. Community evacuation procedures would be improved if: (1) officials contact all households directly; (2) the warning message addresses people's concerns; and (3) transportation is provided.     

碘化阶层孔氧化硅纳米球对水中典型有机氯污染物的吸附性能研究

采用共缩聚法,成功地原位合成了碘改性的阶层多孔氧化硅纳米球（SiO₂-I）,研究了其基于卤键作用对典型有机氯污染物六六六的吸附性能,并考察了改性剂I-硅烷含量和pH值对吸附效果的影响.实验结果表明,该纳米材料对六六六表现出优异的吸附富集性能,吸附速率快,60 min内对六六六的去除率为71.6%,240 min内达到吸附平衡,去除率可达98.3%,最大吸附量为178.6 mg·g^-1;吸附动力学符合拟二级动力学模型;碘物种的加入提高了阶层多孔氧化硅的吸附速率和吸附效率.另外,为了便于纳米吸附材料的分离,本研究对SiO₂-I纳米球进行了磁性化.研究发现,磁性化修饰后,SiO₂-I纳米材料仍然保留对六六六优异的吸附富集性能,240 min时的吸附去除率达90.3%.     

酸性紫色水稻土颗粒有机质对镉的吸附特性

采集典型的酸性紫色水稻土（APPS）,从中分离出颗粒有机质（POM）,通过批量试验研究POM及其来源土壤Cd²⁺的吸附动力学、等温吸附和热力学特征,通过扫描电镜-能谱仪、傅里叶红外光谱仪等手段及吸附前后镉的形态变化的测定,研究了POM对Cd²⁺的吸附机制.结果表明：POM对Cd²⁺的亲和力远高于其来源土壤.POM及土壤对Cd²⁺的吸附动力学最优模型均为准二级动力学.Langmuir、Freundlich方程均能较好地描述其等温吸附特征,其中对POM,以Freundlich方程更优,表明POM对Cd²⁺的吸附属于多分子层的非均质吸附.吸附热力学参数△G^θ均小于0、△H^θ和△S^θ均大于0,表明吸附属于自发吸热过程.根据△H^θ值及解吸试验判定POM对Cd²⁺的吸附以化学吸附为主,土壤对Cd²⁺的吸附过程以物理吸附为主.吸附平衡后,土壤中可交换态镉比例提高,而POM中交换态和络合态镉比例增加.综上及吸附前后POM的表征结果说明,POM对Cd²⁺的吸附机制包括含氧官能团的络合、离子交换、阳离子-π键、沉淀作用和静电吸附.     

新冠肺炎疫情期间我国居民洗手行为研究

直接接触和飞沫传播等方式是新型冠状病毒传播的主要途径,合理的洗手行为是切断暴露途径和降低病毒感染风险的有效防控措施,对于新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”）疫情的防控具有重要的作用.该研究于2020年2月25日—3月14日,采用电子问卷的方式调查了覆盖我国31个省（自治区、直辖市）1 728个县（区）18岁及以上的居民,收集共计8 330名成人的洗手情形及洗手时长等信息,分析不同暴露情景下的洗手行为及其影响因素.结果表明:女性、城市地区居民在洗手比例和洗手时长上均分别高于男性、农村地区居民.人群在一般暴露情景下的洗手比例较高,而对于病毒感染风险较高的暴露情景（如咳嗽或打喷嚏后、接触他人后等）的洗手率（分别为73.6%和83.9%）排名靠后,说明人群对病毒的传播途径和防护措施有待深入理解;在洗手时间上,根据WHO规定的洗手时长标准（20 s）,仅有41.7%的人群洗手时长合格（大于20 s）,城区居民洗手时长的合格率（42.0%）显著高于农村地区（39.7%）;总体上,具有外出经历的人群洗手比例较未曾外出的人群高,新冠肺炎疫情期间居住地是否存在新冠肺炎疑似和确诊病例显著影响居民的洗手行为,但是疫情最严重的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（37.2%）最低,反而疫情最轻的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（43.6%）最高,说明居民的洗手行为可能受疫情等多方面的影响.研究显示,相比于非疫情期间而言,疫情期间我国居民洗手行为发生率提高,洗手时长合格率提高,但是仍然水平偏低.应提高居民洗手行为意识,科学地执行洗手这一防护措施,相关政策制定以及个人防护应当进一步关注和重视洗手行为的防疫作用.      

硅胶表面TEOS疏水化改性及吸附VOCs特性

以正硅酸乙酯（TEOS）为疏水改性剂,通过硅胶表面的羟基接枝反应,得到具备一定疏水性的改性硅胶;利用BET、FT-IR、XRD和TG-DTG等手段对改性硅胶的结构及稳定性进行了表征;在此基础上考察了改性硅胶对各类有机废气的吸附性能.结果表明,TEOS成功接枝在了硅胶表面,改性硅胶不仅具备一定的疏水性,而且机械强度增加到原来的66.85%,稳定性也都得到了提高; 550℃空气下焙烧后的改性硅胶仍具有疏水性且吸附容量是焙烧之前的2倍;在高湿度高浓度的废气治理中,TEOS改性硅胶表现出更高的吸附能力和优良的热再生性能.高浓度下改性硅胶的吸附容量是低浓度下的10倍且不受水汽的影响;改性硅胶循环10次的吸附/脱附几乎不变,且在一定条件下,15~30min就达到90%的脱附率.     

磁性有序介孔碳的制备及其对水中双酚A的吸附

采用水热法成功制备了磁性有序介孔碳（Fe-OMC）,用于吸附水中双酚A （BPA）.采用高倍投射电镜、X射线衍射仪、傅里叶红外光谱仪、比表面积分析仪和振动样品磁强计对Fe-OMC进行表征.结果表明,该吸附剂具备较大的比表面积、独特的有序介孔孔道结构、丰富的含氧官能团以及较强的超顺磁性.Fe-OMC能够高效地吸附去除水中的BPA,平衡吸附量可达72.62mg/g,经过外加磁场分离回收后依旧具备较好的吸附性能.随着BPA浓度从1mg/L提高到20mg/L,其平衡吸附量由8.33mg/g增至91.78mg/g.随着pH值的升高呈现出先降低后升高再降低的趋势,最高吸附量出现在pH=8（75.34mg/g）.Fe-OMC对BPA的吸附过程可用准二级吸附动力学模型和Langmuir吸附等温模型进行描述.计算的热力学参数表明,Fe-OMC对BPA的吸附过程是自发进行的放热过程.     

基于铁锰泥的除砷吸附剂性能比较及吸附机理

为解决反冲洗铁锰泥粉末吸附剂（BSPA）使用后难以泥水分离问题,将除铁锰水厂生物滤池产生的反冲洗泥制成颗粒吸附剂（GA）和磁性粉末吸附剂（MPA）,并对BSPA、GA和MPA的除砷性能进行了比较,通过SEM、TED、XRD、BET、FTIR等技术对3种材料进行了表征,寻找3种吸附剂之间除砷性能差异的根源.结果表明,BSPA、GA和MPA对As （V）的最大吸附容量分别为40.980,5.048,8.694mg/g,改性后的吸附材料GA和MPA对砷的吸附能力下降.BSPA是一种以纤铁矿为主的无定形结构混合物,并混有针铁矿和结晶度差的水铁矿,GA的XRD图谱中出现石英晶体和少量赤铁矿晶体的衍射峰,而MPA的主要成分为结晶程度较高的磁赤铁矿.3种材料中均存在有利于吸附的含羟基官能团.BSPA、MPA和GA的比表面积分别为253.150,238.660,43.803m²/g.物相改变且结晶程度增加、表面羟基减少和比表面积降低是导致GA和MPA的砷吸附容量比BSPA低的主要因素.     

Relationship between physicochemical properties and dewaterability of hydrothermal sludge derived from different source

Sewage sludge (SS) and deinking sludge (DS) were used to comparatively study the hydrothermal dewatering of sludge with different components. For a better overview, an insight into the relationship between physicochemical properties and dewaterability of hydrothermal sludge was provided. Results found that not all kinds of sludge were suitably conditioned by hydrothermal treatment (HT) in term of the elevation of dewaterability. Higher hydrothermal temperature tended to enhance the dewaterability of SS rather than DS, which was supported by the variation of their physicochemical properties (including water distribution, bonding energy, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), particles size, acid functional groups and zeta potential in this study). In addition, the changes in surface morphology suggested that the reverse effect of HT on sludge dewaterability was mainly due to their dewatering behavior. For SS, the destruction of EPS structure leaded to the release of bound water, thereby strengthening sludge dewatering. Conversely, “Bridging effect” generated by lignocellulose in DS was beneficial for sludge dewatering; however, the increasing hydrothermal temperature degraded part of lignocellulose and weakened “bridging effect”, finally resulting in worse dewaterability of DS.