Too hot to handle: The effects of high temperatures during pregnancy on adult welfare outcomes

This paper studies the long-term effects of high temperatures during pregnancy on later-life outcomes for Chinese adults. Adults experienced one additional high-temperature day during in utero period, on average, attain 0.02 fewer years of schooling, increase the risk of illiteracy by 0.18%, achieve lower standardized word-test score by 0.48%, and are shorter by 0.02 cm. The impacts are greater in the first and second trimesters. Additionally, we find that income effects represent one important channel to explain the adverse effects of hot weather. Back-of-the-envelope predictions suggest that by the end of the 21st century, a 0.14–0.54 reduction in years of education and a 0.21–0.84 cm reduction in height is likely to result from climate change, ceteris paribus.     

The endowment effect,discounting and the environment

There is a considerable body of evidence showing that our preferences exhibit both reference dependence and loss aversion, a.k.a. the endowment effect. In this paper, we consider the implications of the endowment effect for discounting, with a special focus on discounting future improvements in the environment. We show that the endowment effect modifies the discount rate via (i) an instantaneous endowment effect and (ii) a reference-updating effect. Moreover we show that these two effects often combine to dampen the preference to smooth consumption over time. What this implies for discounting future environmental benefits may then depend critically on whether environmental quality is merely a factor of production of material consumption, or whether it is an amenity. On an increasing path of material consumption, dampened consumption smoothing implies a lower discount rate. But on a declining path of environmental quality and where we derive utility directly from environmental quality, it implies a higher discount rate. On non-monotonic paths, loss aversion specifically can give rise to substantial discontinuities in the discount rate.     

The effect of pollution on crime: Evidence from data on particulate matter and ozone

We estimate the effect of short-term air pollution exposure (PM_2.5 and ozone) on several categories of crime, with a particular emphasis on aggressive behavior. To identify this relationship, we combine detailed daily data on crime, air pollution, and weather for an eight-year period across the United States. Our primary identification strategy employs extremely high dimensional fixed effects and we perform a series of robustness checks to address confounding variation between temperature and air pollution. We find a robust positive effect of increased air pollution on violent crimes, and specifically assaults, but no relationship between increases in air pollution and property crimes. The effects are present in and out of the home, at levels well below Ambient Air Pollution Standards, and PM_2.5 effects are strongest at lower temperatures. The results suggest that a 10% reduction in daily PM_2.5 and ozone could save $1.4 billion in crime costs per year, a previously overlooked cost associated with pollution.     

新型高分子螯合-絮凝剂制备条件的响应面法优化

以壳聚糖为原料,采用化学合成法将二硫代羧基引入到其高分子链上,制备出一种新型高分子螯合-絮凝剂二硫代羧基化壳聚糖(R′-N-(C=S)-SNa,简称DTCTS).以水样中Cd(Ⅱ)的去除率为考察对象,在单因素实验法的基础上,选取了制备DTCTS的主要影响因素,并采用中心复合设计实验和响应面分析法对DTCTS制备条件进行了优化.结果表明,建立的二次多项式模型回归性显著而失拟项不显著,决定系数R2为0.9829,模型拟合性良好;DTCTS最佳制备条件为:反应物CTS/CS2/NaOH摩尔比1:1.5:2、预反应时间30min、主反应温度60℃,此条件下制备的DTCTS对Cd(Ⅱ)的去除率可达99.52%,与模型预测值相对偏差为0.05%,模型可靠.     

响应面法优化硫酸根自由基高级氧化深度处理渗滤液生化尾水

针对垃圾渗滤液生化尾水中仍含有较高浓度的难生物降解COD、NH4+-N和NO2--N,无法满足现行排放标准的问题,采用基于硫酸根自由基的高级氧化技术(SR-AOP)对生化尾水进行深度处理.考察了pH值、温度、FeSO4和过硫酸钠浓度对TOC和TN去除效果的单独作用及交互作用.结果表明,影响因子对于处理效果的贡献排序为:pH值>温度>过硫酸钠浓度,各因素对TOC的去除有显著性影响,而对TN的去除没有显著性影响.各因素的复合效应为:TN去除效果影响:温度+过硫酸钠浓度>pH+过硫酸钠浓度>温度+pH, TOC去除效果影响:温度+pH>pH+过硫酸钠浓度>温度+过硫酸钠浓度.实验最终确定SR-AOP的最佳条件为:pH=5,温度为30℃,过硫酸钠浓度为0.5g/L,催化剂FeSO4剂量为3.8g/L,该条件下TOC去除率为35.5%,TN去除率为16.9%,同时可以显著提高出水BOD5/COD.因此,通过SR-AOP深度处理可以去除生化处理尾水大部分COD和TN,并大幅提高B/C比,为后续与适当的生化处理工艺组合进行达标处理奠定了良好的基础.     

辛基酚聚氧乙烯醚混合菌的构建及响应面优化

为提高辛基酚聚氧乙烯醚（OPnEO）的生物降解效果,在本实验室已筛选出的H1、TXBc10、OPQb11、TXBa23四株OPnEO高效降解菌的基础上,首次从构建OPnEO混合菌的角度,着重探究了四菌株等比例不同组合降解OPnEO的效果.结果表明,混合菌L9（H1：TXBc10：TXBa23为1：1：1）培养7d后对初始浓度500mg/LOPnEO的降解率最高,达到56.44%,比各单一菌株降解效果有较明显提高.运用单因素试验考察了影响L9的相关因素,初步确定L9降解OPnEO的最适外加碳源和氮源分别为葡萄糖和胰蛋白胨,最适初始pH值为7.0,最适温度为28℃,最适接种量为4%.Plackett-Burman试验筛选获得影响OPnEO降解率的3个显著因子为L9接种量、温度及初始pH值.最陡爬坡试验逼近3个显著因子的最大响应区域,采用Box-Behnken试验设计及响应面法分析,确定L9的最优降解条件为50mL反应体系中接种量4.16%、温度28.20℃、初始pH值7.13、葡萄糖与胰蛋白胨浓度均为2%、OPnEO初始浓度500mg/L、180r/min培养7d,该条件下混合菌L9对OPnEO降解率达62.15%,比未优化条件提高了5%左右.     

Leaching toxicity characteristics of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash

The continuously increasing production of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWIBA) has promoted its utilization as construction material and raised environmental concern. The physico-chemical properties and leaching behavior of MSWIBA were studied, and ecotoxicological testing using a luminescent bacterium bioassay was performed to assess the ecological pollution risks associated with its leached constituents. The MSWIBA was leached by two types of leachants, H₂SO₄/HNO₃ and HAc solution, at different liquid to solid ratios and contact times. The concentrations of heavy metals and anions in the leachates were analyzed. Multivariate statistical analyses, including principle component analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, were used to evaluate the contributions of the constituents to the toxicity (EC₅₀) of the MSWIBA leachate. The statistical analyses of the ecotoxicological results showed that the Ba, Cr, Cu, Pb, F⁻ and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations were closely correlated with the EC₅₀ value, and these substances were the main contributors to the ecotoxicity of the MSWIBA leachate. In addition, the cluster of these variables indicated similar leaching behaviors. Overall, the research demonstrated that the ecotoxicological risks resulting from MSWIBA leaching could be assessed before its utilization, which provides crucial information for the adaptation of MSWIBA as alternative materials.     

20种水溶性有机溶剂对发光菌的毒性效应

以新型淡水发光菌——青海弧菌Q67(Vibrio-qinghaiensis sp.Q67)为检测生物,应用VeritasTM微孔板光度计测定了甲醇等20种常见水溶性有机溶剂对Q67的毒性效应.结果表明,乙腈、甲醇、乙醇、丙酮、乙醚、四氢呋喃和异丙醇7种有机溶剂具有非单调J型剂量-效应关系,其他13种为典型S型剂量-效应关系.分别采用Biphasic、Logit和Weibull等非线性函数进行曲线模拟,利用模拟函数可有效估算有机溶剂的各个效应浓度Ecx值.不同组成和结构的有机溶剂对淡水发光菌的毒性效应不同,官能团相同的直链溶剂含碳数越多毒性越大.     

凋落物处理对森林地表CO2通量的影响及其调控机理

全球变化和森林演替可以导致森林地表凋落物数量和质量的变化,从而对森林地表 CO2通量产生影响。本实验对亚热带不同演替阶段的3种,即马尾松林（前期）、混交林（中期）和季风林（后期）进行地表凋落物去除、加倍与置换处理,利用静态箱气相色谱法测定地表CO2通量,并同步测定气温、土壤温度和湿度,分析凋落物质量和数量变化对森林地表CO2通量的影响及其调控机理。结果表明,（1）去除凋落物处理显著降低了不同演替阶段的3种森林地表CO2通量,而加倍凋落物处理可以增加森林地表CO2通量,但不同演替阶段增加的幅度不同,依次为：季风林＞马尾松林＞混交林。（2）置换凋落物对不同演替阶段的森林地表 CO2通量的影响不同,在演替后期的季风林中,置换混交林和马尾松林凋落物处理均增加地表CO2通量;在演替中期的混交林中,置换季风林和马尾松林凋落物均降低地表CO2通量。在演替前期的马尾松林中,置换季风林凋落物增加地表CO2通量,而置换混交林凋落物降低了地表CO2通量（3）结合测定的土壤温度和水分数据分析得出,凋落物处理引起森林地表 CO2通量的变化是通过处理凋落物质量和数量后改变森林地表水热条件来实现的。（4）3个林型的各种处理,地表 CO2通量与土壤温度均呈显著的指数相关关系,但不同处理不同地改变了森林地表土壤 CO2通量对温度的敏感性,即Q10值。     

What floats your boat? Preference revelation from lotteries over complex goods

We examine a type of lottery used to distribute some publicly held resource access rights. The lottery provides participants with the opportunity to choose among a set of simple gambles over multi-attribute goods. Participant choices result in an endogenous distribution of success rates over gambles that reflects tradeoffs between the relative desirability of the available goods and the probability of winning. When lottery winnings are multi-attribute goods, lottery outcomes provide sufficient information to estimate hedonic prices, marginal utility, and marginal rates of substitution among attributes. We develop a model for characterizing preferences from this information set. We apply our model to Idaho?s Four Rivers Whitewater Recreation Lottery, which allows applicants to apply for one permit among a large set of alternative river/day combinations that provide varying river and weather characteristics. This lottery structure shows promise as a foundation for economic experiments for preference revelation.