Degradation mechanism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene in supercritical water oxidation

The 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene(TNT)is a potential carcinogens and TNT contaminated wastewater,which could not be effectively disposed with conventional treatments.The supercritical water oxidation(SCWO)to treat TNT contaminated wastewater was studied in this article.The TNT concentration in wastewater was measured by high-performance liquid chromatograph(HPLC)and the degraded intermediates were analyzed using GC-MS.The results showed that SCWO could degrade TNT efficiently in the presence of oxygen.The reaction temperature,pressure,residence time and oxygen excess were the main contributing factors in the process.The decomposition of TNT was accelerated as the temperature or residence time increased.At 550℃,24 MPa,120 s and oxygen excess 300%,TNT removal rate could exceed 99.9%.Partial oxidation occured in SCWO without oxygen.It was concluded that supercritical water was a good solvent and had excellent oxidation capability in the existence of oxygen.The main intermediates of TNT during SCWO included toluene,1,3,5-trinitrobenzene,nitrophenol,naphthalene,fluorenone,dibutyl phthalate,alkanes and several dimers based on the intermediate analysis.Some side reactions,such as coupled reaction,hydrolysis reaction and isomerization reaction may take place simultaneously when TNT was oxidized by SCWO.     

Sediment and carbon accumulation in a small tidal basin: Yuehu,Shandong Peninsula,China

A small sedimentary basin (the Yuehu lagoon), located at the eastern tip of Shandong Peninsula, China, was selected to study its filling by sediment and the vertical flux of particulate organic carbon in response to natural/anthropogenic processes. Surficial and short core sediment samples were collected and analyzed to obtain data sets of grain size, organic carbon content, deposition rates and vertical fluxes of sediment and organic carbon. The analytical results show that the lagoon is covered mainly with fine-grained sediments with high deposition rate and particulate organic carbon content being found from the central part of the mud deposit. The sediment balance of the lagoon indicates high denudation rates of the catchment basin, which may be related to soil erosion in response to farming and land use pattern changes. Furthermore, preliminary analysis of the organic carbon fluxes of the Yuehu lagoon and other embayments of the region shows that these coastal systems make an important contribution to the regional shallow sea carbon burial.     

Characterization of coal burning-derived individual particles emitted from an experimental domestic stove

Coal combustion in the domestic stoves, which is common in most parts of the Chinese countryside, can release harmful substances into the air and cause health issues. In this study, particles emitted from laboratory stove combustion of the raw powder coals were analyzed for morphologies and chemical compositions by using transmission electron microscopy(TEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry(EDX). The coal burning-derived individual particles were classified into two groups: carbonaceous particles(including soot aggregates and organic particles) and non-carbonaceous particles(including sulfate, mineral and metal particles). The non-carbonaceous particles, which constituted a majority of the coal burning-derived emissions, were subdivided into Si-rich, S-rich, K-rich,Ca-rich, and Fe-rich particles according to the elemental compositions. The Si-rich, S-rich and K-rich particles are commonly observed in the coal burning emission. The proportions for particles of different types exhibit obvious coal-issue dependence. Burning of coal with high ash yield could emit more non-carbonaceous particles, and burning of coal with high sulfur content can emit more S-rich particles. By comparing the S-rich particles from this coal burning experiment with those in the atmosphere, we draw a conclusion that some S-rich particles in the atmosphere in China could be mainly sourced from coal combustion.     

Single and joint stress of acetochlor and Pb on three agricultural crops in northeast China

In order to evaluate ecological risk of agrochemicals in agricultural environment, single and joint toxic effects of an important herbicide and a typical heavy metal on root elongation of crops were investigated. Seeds of the three crops including wheat （Triticum aestivum）, Chinese cabbage （Brassica pekimensis） and soybean （Glycine max） as the main crops in northeast China were exposed to acetochior as a herbicide and lead （Pb） as a heavy metal using the pot-culture method, and meadow brown soil as one of the main soils distributed in northeast China was applied in the investigation. The results indicated that the interactive effects of the two pollutants on root elongation of the three crops were very complicated although they had markedly significant （P〈0.01） linear interrelationships based on the regression analyses. When the concentration of added Pb^2＋ reached 200 mg/kg, acetochlor and Pb had an antagonistic effect on the inhibition of root elongation of the three crops. However, acetochlor and Pb had significantly （P〈0.05） synergic effects on the inhibition of root elongation when concentration of added Pb^2＋ was up to 1000 mg/kg. At the low concentration of added Pb, joint toxicity of acetochlor and Pb was more dependent on the concentration of Pb. Among the three crops, wheat was the most sensitive to the toxicity of Pb and Chinese cabbage was the most sensitive to the toxicity of acetochlor.     

国Ⅴ公交车燃用生物柴油的颗粒物碳质组分排放特性

以一辆国Ⅴ柴油公交车为研究对象,在重型底盘测功机上运行中国典型城市公交循环,研究了纯柴油（D100）,体积混合比例分别为5%,10%和20%餐厨废弃油脂制生物柴油-柴油混合燃料（即B5,B10,B20）的颗粒物（PM）碳质组分排放特性.结果表明：国Ⅴ柴油公交车尾气颗粒物碳质组分包括有机碳（OC）和元素碳（EC）,OC占73%~82%,OC的主要组分是OC2和OC3,生物柴油对车辆尾气颗粒物OC组成比例没有影响;随着生物柴油混合比例的增加,公交车尾气颗粒物OC和OC+EC排放呈降低的趋势,EC排放增加,且B10的OC排放较高;PM_0.05~0.1,PM_0.1~0.5,PM_0.5~2.5,PM_2.5~18 4个粒径段颗粒物中,PM_0.1~0.5的OC和EC排放最高,PM_2.5~18的EC排放几乎为零,生物柴油可改善公交车尾气超细颗粒（PM_0.05~0.1）的OC排放,对公交尾气颗粒物EC排放基本没有影响;公交使用生物柴油混合燃料尾气颗粒物OC/EC减小,且PM_0.05~0.1和PM_0.5~2.5OC/EC降低幅度明显,对大气二次气溶胶的影响减弱.     

Single and joint effects of pesticides and mercury on soil urease

The influence of two pesticides including chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan and mercury （Hg） on urease activity in 4 soils （meadow burozem and phaeozem） was investigated. The soils were exposed to various concentrations of the two pesticides and Hg individually and simultaneously. Results showed that there was a close relationship between urease activity and organic matter content in soil. Chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan could both activate urease in the 4 soils. The maximum increment of urease activity by chlorimuronethyl was up to 14%-18%. There was almost an equal increase （up to 13%-21%） in the urease activity by furadan. On the contrary, Hg markedly inhibited soil urease activity. A logarithmic equation was used to describe the relationship （P〈0.05） between the concentration of Hg and the activity of soil urease in the 4 tested soils. Semi-effect dose （ED50） values by the stress of Hg based on the inhibition of soil urease in the 4 soils were 88, 5.5, 24 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, according to the calculation of the corresponding equations. The interactive effect of chlorimuron-ethyl or furadan with metal Hg on soil urease was mainly synergic at the highest tested concentrations.     

挥发性有机废气净化技术研究进展

综述了微波催化氧化、膜基吸收净化、生物过滤净化和纳米材料净化对废气中的挥发性有机化合物的研究进展及应用     

Ecological metrics of biomass removed by three methods of purse-seine fishing for tunas in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean

An ecosystem approach to fisheries management is a widely recognized goal, but describing and measuring the effects of a fishery on an ecosystem is difficult. Ecological information on the entire catch (all animals removed, whether retained or discarded) of both species targeted by the fishery and nontarget species (i.e., bycatch) is required. We used data from the well-documented purse-seine fishery for tunas (Thunnus albacares, T. obesus, and Katsuwonus pelamis) in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to examine the fishery's ecological effects. Purse-seine fishing in the eastern tropical Pacific is conducted in 3 ways that differ in the amount and composition of target species and bycatch. The choice of method depends on whether the tunas are swimming alone (unassociated sets), associated with dolphins (dolphin sets), or associated with floating objects (floating-object sets). Among the fishing methods, we compared catch on the basis of weight, number of individuals, trophic level, replacement time, and diversity. Floating-object sets removed 2-3 times as much biomass as the other 2 methods, depending on how removal was measured. Results of previous studies suggest the ecological effects of floating-object sets are thousands of times greater than the effects of other methods, but these results were derived from only numbers of discarded animals. Management of the fishery has been driven to a substantial extent by a focus on reducing bycatch, although discards are currently 4.8% of total catch by weight, compared with global averages of 7.5% for tuna longline fishing and 30.0% for midwater trawling. An ecosystem approach to fisheries management requires that ecological effects of fishing on all animals removed by a fishery, not just bycatch or discarded catch, be measured with a variety of metrics.     

Matching biodiversity indicators to policy needs

At the global scale, biodiversity indicators are typically used to monitor general trends, but are rarely implemented with specific purpose or linked directly to decision making. Some indicators are better suited to predicting future change, others are more appropriate for evaluating past actions, but this is seldom made explicit. We developed a conceptual model for assigning biodiversity indicators to appropriate functions based on a common approach used in economics. Using the model, indicators can be classified as leading (indicators that change before the subject of interest, informing preventative actions), coincident (indicators that measure the subject of interest), or lagging (indicators that change after the subject of interest has changed and thus can be used to evaluate past actions). We classified indicators based on ecological theory on biodiversity response times and management objectives in 2 case studies: global species extinction and marine ecosystem collapse. For global species extinctions, indicators of abundance (e.g., the Living Planet Index or biodiversity intactness index) were most likely to respond first, as leading indicators that inform preventative action, while extinction indicators were expected to respond slowly, acting as lagging indicators flagging the need for evaluation. For marine ecosystem collapse, indicators of direct responses to fishing were expected to be leading, while those measuring ecosystem collapse could be lagging. Classification defines an active role for indicators within the policy cycle, creates an explicit link to preventative decision-making, and supports preventative action.     

Sustainable Development in Jordan

Sustainable development is a process which aims at establishing a harmonious relationship between man, on the one hand, and environmental and natural resources, on the other, capable of coping with ever-increasing changes and challenges over time. This paper investigates, in a conceptual and qualitative manner, the practices and procedures of sustainable development in Jordan and outlines constraints and difficulties facing Jordan in pursuing such development. The paper concludes with a presentation of some prerequisites for the process in the light of the national objectives and suggests recommendations for future action.