Comparison of Microscopic and Macroscopic Modeling Approaches for Subsurface Contaminant Transport

The practice of contaminant transport and remediation has shown significant progress in recent years. However, despite the significant progress made, remediation efforts are often delayed by extremely long breakthrough curve tails that render efforts to bring the level of contaminants below the regulatory standards inefficient. One hypothesis is that these long tails are due to the reservoir-like slow diffusive processes in soil micropore zones. This study compares the effects of micropores at macroscopic and microscopic levels and establishes a link between these approaches for validation and calibration purposes. The link between macroscopic and microscopic levels is established through comparisons and testing of the two models while incorporating appropriate scale and boundary effects. Despite the differences in conceptual approaches and simulation time, the two approaches rendered meaningful results. The link helps forecast the effects of micropore zone transport processes in the subsurface efficiently and thus allows development of numerical tools that could contribute towards more efficient remediation design.     

Identification of key parameters controlling dissolved oxygen migration and attenuation in fractured crystalline rocks

In the crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield, geochemical conditions are currently reducing at depths of 500-1000 m. However, during future glacial periods, altered hydrologic conditions could potentially result in enhanced recharge of glacial melt water containing a relatively high concentration of dissolved oxygen (O2). It is therefore of interest to investigate the physical and geochemical processes, including naturally-occurring redox reactions, that may control O2 ingress. In this study, the reactive transport code MIN3P is used in combination with 2k factorial analyses to identify the most important parameters controlling oxygen migration and attenuation in fractured crystalline rocks. Scenarios considered are based on simplified conceptual models that include a single vertical fracture, or a fracture zone, contained within a rock matrix that extends from the ground surface to a depth of 500 m. Consistent with field observations, Fe(II)-bearing minerals are present in the fractures (i.e. chlorite) and the rock matrix (biotite and small quantities of pyrite). For the parameter ranges investigated, results indicate that for the single fracture case, the most influential factors controlling dissolved O2 ingress are flow velocity in the fracture, fracture aperture, and the biotite reaction rate in the rock matrix. The most important parameters for the fracture zone simulations are flow velocity in the individual fractures, pO2 in the recharge water, biotite reaction rate, and to a lesser degree the abundance and reactivity of chlorite in the fracture zone, and the fracture zone width. These parameters should therefore receive increased consideration during site characterization, and in the formulation of site-specific models intended to predict O2 behavior in crystalline rocks.     

老庄道家思想所蕴含的生态伦理观念

中国古代思想家老子、庄子在生态环境伦理方面就如何协调人与自然的关系提出了许多宝贵的思想,如“天人合一”、“道法自然”、“知止”等。这些观点对我们解决二十一世纪所面临的生态环境问题具有重要的启迪意义。     

近十年生态工程在中国的进展

我国生态工程近 1 0多年有进一步发展 ,研究和应用对象扩展为社会 -经济 -自然复合生态系统 ,目标明确为可持续发展 ,从追求一维的经济增长或环境与自然保护 ,走向富裕、健康、文明三维一体的复合生态繁荣。在充实“整体、协调、循环、自生”的生态工程原理和生态控制论的基础上 ,总结出生态工程设计的 8项原则。方法论发展为从物理过程的量化走向生态过程的序化 ,从工程结构的优化走向生态格局的进化 ,从机器的人工智能走向人的生态智能。技术路线发展了硬件、软件、心件耦合 ;多学科、多技术的系统组合 ;调控复合生态系统全生态过程 ;寓环境保护于生产和消费中 ,寓废弃物处理于利用中 ;结构和功能纵横耦合成食物链网式、生命周期式、生态系统式等网络结构     

Evaluation of geometrically personalized THUMS pedestrian model response against sedan–pedestrian PMHS impact test data

Objective: Evaluating the biofidelity of pedestrian finite element models (PFEM) using postmortem human subjects (PMHS) is a challenge because differences in anthropometry between PMHS and PFEM could limit a model's capability to accurately capture cadaveric responses. Geometrical personalization via morphing can modify the PFEM geometry to match the specific PMHS anthropometry, which could alleviate this issue. In this study, the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) PFEM (Ver 4.01) was compared to the cadaveric response in vehicle–pedestrian impacts using geometrically personalized models.

Methods: The AM50 THUMS PFEM was used as the baseline model, and 2 morphed PFEM were created to the anthropometric specifications of 2 obese PMHS used in a previous pedestrian impact study with a mid-size sedan. The same measurements as those obtained during the PMHS tests were calculated from the simulations (kinematics, accelerations, strains), and biofidelity metrics based on signals correlation (correlation and analysis, CORA) were established to compare the response of the models to the experiments. Injury outcomes were predicted deterministically (through strain-based threshold) and probabilistically (with injury risk functions) and compared with the injuries reported in the necropsy.

Results: The baseline model could not accurately capture all aspects of the PMHS kinematics, strain, and injury risks, whereas the morphed models reproduced biofidelic response in terms of trajectory (CORA score = 0.927 ± 0.092), velocities (0.975 ± 0.027), accelerations (0.862 ± 0.072), and strains (0.707 ± 0.143). The personalized THUMS models also generally predicted injuries consistent with those identified during posttest autopsy.

Conclusions: The study highlights the need to control for pedestrian anthropometry when validating pedestrian human body models against PMHS data. The information provided in the current study could be useful for improving model biofidelity for vehicle–pedestrian impact scenarios.     

Rural development and ecological management of endogenous resources: the case of mountain olive groves in Los Pedroches comarca (Spain)

In this paper, we explore the dissemination potential of organic farming in Andalucía, using the case of Olivarera de los Pedroches, a small farmer cooperative. This will be done in the search for an agroecological strategy in the olive tree organic agricultural sector. A comparative analysis of organic and conventional olive oil production is made: both in economic terms, and regarding employment creation, taking into account its environmental benefits. This will permit us to shed light on certain elements necessary in the design of rural policies linked to this economic sector, and in the family farming social stratum. After a brief analysis of the Andalucían inequality structure in rural areas—both historically and at present times—this work presents the following issues: (i) a systematic characterization of European olive cultivation, with special reference to the Spanish and Andalucían situations; (ii) an exploration of the socio-economic impact of the case study within the context of the major actors involved, and their relations in terms of its reproducibility, taking into account their relationships with institutional and policy arrangements. Organic agriculture in Spain has developed slowly since 1995—the year in which aid towards this type of production began to be established—and, at present, begins to show an exponential increase. Many farmers began the transition to ecological handling of olive groves. Consequently, the organic management of the olive groves and the sale of organic olive oil can be a stimulus to farmers to increase their profits. Hence, it can be a fundamental pillar on which to establish rural development in areas with a high level of importance concerning this crop. In this work, data clearly show that, in spite of high costs, organic olive farming has advantages over conventional agriculture in terms of incomes and employment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

低碳沼气工程建设的生态经济效益核算研究——以广西恭城瑶族自治县为例

在全球气候变暖和快速城市化的背景下,农村地区是能源集约消耗的薄弱区域,其经济、社会、生态的可持续发展一直受到制约。沼气工程作为一种清洁用能方式,在优化用能结构、减少环境污染、节约自然资源、增加农民收入和促进农村经济转型等方面具有较大优势。本文选择广西恭城瑶族自治县这一沼气工程建设全国示范县为案例,针对户用8m3沼气池,对施工建设、运营维护和消费利用全生命周期过程中的碳足迹、减排效益、经济收益和生态价值方面进行核算和评价。结果表明在沼气池的建设与正常使用年限内,该县农户通过替代燃煤、柴薪和秸秆等共可减排CO2约1.24×106t。从户用沼气池建设及生产过程的投入产出价值的来看,仅通过节约炊事燃料和沼液沼渣的回收利用就能为每户节约19 877元,为全县带来1.26亿余元的总收益。因此,沼气工程在该地区的建设普及是发展农村低碳经济、走富农之路的有效措施,可为广大西部地区新农村建设提供借鉴。     

矿区生态环境遥感监测数据库系统设计与实现

以肥城矿区为背景,基于Personal Geodatabase模型构建了空间数据库,采用C#作为开发语言,借助ArcGIS Engine的控件开发了矿区生态环境遥感监测数据库系统.根据数据获取方式不同,将空间数据库分为基础地理数据库、专题数据库、实地监测数据库和表格数据库4部分,系统实现了矿区空间数据和属性数据的统一存储和管理,多时相遥感数据的对比分析,水质、土壤湿度的动态监测,矿区各类地物面积的统计分析等功能.     

中国能源生态足迹的时空动态特征及效应分析

运用生态足迹方法计算出1990—2007年中国能源消费的生态足迹。在此基础上,分析了能源足迹强度(EFI)、能源足迹生态压力(EPIEF)的时空动态变化特征。结果表明,近20年来我国能源足迹波动上升,能源消费结构有所改善,但煤炭足迹仍占主导,近几年又有回升趋势;能源足迹强度呈幂指数衰减,能源利用效率不断提高;EPIEF呈上升趋势,说明能源利用对自然生态系统的压力逐渐增大。在空间分布上,各省区能源足迹差异显著,能源足迹强度由西向东逐渐降低,而EPIEF则由西向东呈增大趋势。依据EPIEF指数将中国30个省区划分为能源足迹生态盈余区(EPIEF1)、生态轻度亏损区(1EPIEF5)和生态严重亏损区(EPIEF5)3种类型。     

滨州市沿海防潮工程的生态响应

地处黄河三角洲腹地的滨州沿海为风暴潮多发区,沿海防潮工程建设已取得了显著的经济社会效益,同时也带来了一些负面生态效应,主要表现在:海岸侵蚀、潮滩潮沟退化、贝壳堤岛部分丧失、鱼类回游通道截断和入海河流水质恶化等。建议今后应加强防潮工程生态影响监测与评价,海岸带生态修复和防潮工程技术研究,以充分发挥沿海防潮工程的作用。