Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 and upcoming challenges for exposure assessment of plant protection products--Harmonisation or national modelling approaches?

In the new European Pesticide Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009, the harmonisation of approaches for estimation of the environmental exposure of pesticides is considered a major goal. Several member states currently require their own models for the calculation of predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) in surface water. The variety of methods makes risk evaluations rather time-consuming for both notifiers and evaluating authorities. In the present study we compare surface water concentrations of 19 compounds using EU and country-specific models and risk assessment approaches to evaluate to which extent the resulting estimated exposure concentrations differ. Our results show that EU and country specific approaches and the resulting surface water concentrations differ considerably regarding basic model assumptions and assessment methods. The results indicate that the aimed harmonisation of risk assessment approaches within the EU will be difficult based on current models. New scenarios may help to achieve a harmonisation taking country-specific features into account.     

Assessment of oral bioaccessibility of arsenic in playground soil in Madrid (Spain): a three-method comparison and implications for risk assessment

Three methodologies to assess As bioaccessibility were evaluated using playground soil collected from 16 playgrounds in Madrid, Spain: two (Simplified Bioaccessibility Extraction Test: SBET, and hydrochloric acid-extraction: HCl) assess gastric-only bioaccessibility and the third (Physiologically Based Extraction Test: PBET) evaluates mouth-gastric-intestinal bioaccessibility. Aqua regia-extractable (pseudo total) As contents, which are routinely employed in risk assessments, were used as the reference to establish the following percentages of bioaccessibility: SBET - 63.1; HCl - 51.8; PBET - 41.6, the highest values associated with the gastric-only extractions. For Madrid playground soils - characterised by a very uniform, weakly alkaline pH, and low Fe oxide and organic matter contents - the statistical analysis of the results indicates that, in contrast with other studies, the highest percentage of As in the samples was bound to carbonates and/or present as calcium arsenate. As opposed to the As bound to Fe oxides, this As is readily released in the gastric environment as the carbonate matrix is decomposed and calcium arsenate is dissolved, but some of it is subsequently sequestered in unavailable forms as the pH is raised to 5.5 to mimic intestinal conditions. The HCl extraction can be used as a simple and reliable (i.e. low residual standard error) proxy for the more expensive, time consuming, and error-prone PBET methodology. The HCl method would essentially halve the estimate of carcinogenic risk for children playing in Madrid playground soils, providing a more representative value of associated risk than the pseudo-total concentrations used at present.     

Toxic effects of Hydrilla verticillata exposed to toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene and safety assessment for protecting aquatic macrophytes

Little information is available about the toxicity of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene acting on macrophytes, and their toxicity data are rarely used in regulation and criteria decisions. The results extended the knowledge on toxic effects of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene on aquatic plants. The responses of Hydrilla verticillata to these pollutants were investigated. Chlorophyll levels, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase) showed diverse responses at different concentrations of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. The linear regression analyses were performed respectively, suggesting the concentrations of toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene expected to protect aquatic macrophytes were 7.30 mg L⁻¹, 1.15 mg L⁻¹ and 2.36 mg L⁻¹, respectively. This study emphasized that aquatic plants are also sensitive to organic pollutants as fishes and zooplanktons, indicating that macrophytes could be helpful in predicting the toxicity of these pollutants and should be considered in regulation and criteria decisions for aquatic environment protection.     

基于可变模糊集理论及其模型的水利规划环境影响综合评价

地区水利规划环评处于起步阶段,存在评价形式化、方法单一化以及指标权重确定的主观性较强等问题。针对以往评价中的不足,提出了运用可变模糊集理论及其模型进行综合评价的方法。以江苏省水利发展规划作为研究实例,建立指标体系,采用模糊聚类循环迭代模型进行主客观综合指标权重的计算;从重点工程空间布局角度出发,运用调整后的可变模糊识别模型进行各市环境影响的相对优属度计算。结果表明,全省规划方案的环境影响相对优属度大于现状和零方案,南通市的相对优属度最大,其次是苏州和无锡。与层次分析法进行对比,该理论及其模型适用于地区水利规划环境影响综合评价     

山区沿河公路水毁危险性评价方法的研究

为了预测评价山区沿河公路水毁灾害,通过理论分析和专家系统调查,阐明了沿河公路水毁危险性的含义,确定了其主要危险因子(洪水流量、水位、流速)和次要危险因子(洪水持续时间、河流形态)。运用灰色系统的关联度方法,根据关联序确定了各危险因子的权重;在因子等级划分的基础上,提出了沿河公路水毁危险性指数的计算方法,并在工程中得到了应用。研究成果可供沿河公路水毁易发段危险性点及整个路段的评价参考。     

地震滑坡地形剖面线多重分形特征及其在稳定性判别中的应用

"5.12"汶川地震诱发了大量的滑坡和不稳定斜坡体,这些滑坡和不稳定斜坡体的稳定性影响到灾区社会经济发展和灾后重建。地震滑坡的不同稳定性状态孕育了滑坡地形剖面线的演化特征,并且地震滑坡地形剖面线直接地反映了在地震力作用下坡体的演变过程和演化机制。根据实测的汶川地震诱发的滑坡地形剖面线特征,研究了相对稳定滑坡、蠕滑阶段滑坡和不稳定斜坡的地形剖面线的分布特征,以及地震滑坡不同稳定状态下的地形剖面线的多重分形维数演化特征。研究结果表明相对稳定滑坡的多重分形维数演化特征的具有明显的有序性,处于蠕滑状态的滑坡和不稳定斜坡的多重分形维数演化出现明显的特征性拐点。     

基于GIS和组合赋权法的农村生态功能适宜性评价及管制分区

在村级土地利用规划过程中进行生态功能适宜性评价,以了解农村生态质量状况、明确农村生态功能适宜程度及空间分布,为村级土地利用规划中土地利用方向的确定和空间布局的划分提供科学的生态适宜依据,从而更好地协调农村发展建设和生态环境保护的关系有着至关重要的作用。以岩南村为例,开展了农村生态功能适宜性评价及应用研究。以高分辨率航空影像为数据源,从地形条件、土壤资源、生物资源、水资源、人类干扰5个方面建立了评价指标体系;利用组合赋权法确定各评价因子的权重值,构建了生态功能适宜性评价模型;以栅格为评价单元,在GIS支持下,对岩南村进行生态功能适宜性评价。并根据评价结果划分了生态功能适宜等级,制定了分区管制措施,提出了土地利用建议,旨在为岩南村土地利用规划提供指导     

CLUE-S模型对村镇土地利用变化的模拟与精度评价

利用航片、IKONOS和Quickbird影像得到研究区3期（1991、2001和2009年）土地利用历史数据,运用CLUE S模型,基于1991、2001年的土地利用数据对2009年土地利用格局进行模拟预测,并将模拟结果与2009年真实土地利用数据进行比较。类型水平上,选择ROC曲线统计和偏离度指数分别对各地类的Logistic回归拟合精度和CLUE S模型模拟精度进行评价;景观水平上,采用景观指数和Kappa指数系列方法,从综合预测能力、景观格局、数量和空间位置等方面对CLUE S模型的模拟精度进行全面评估。结果表明:①CLUE S模型对各土地利用类型的模拟精度均较高,各地类的Logistic回归的拟合精度随着模拟分辨率的提高而逐渐增加;②随着模拟时间的缩短,CLUE S模型对整体景观格局的模拟精度提高;③该模型对土地利用数量的模拟精度明显优于其对空间位置的模拟精度。总体而言,CLUE S模型在村镇尺度的模拟效果良好,预测精度较高,但在空间位置和景观格局精度方面还有待提高     

基于层次分析法的未确知测度理论泥石流危险性评价

将未确知测度理论与层次分析方法相结合用于评价泥石流危险性。根据泥石流危险性的影响因素和等级划分标准,选取泥石流规模、泥石流发生频率、流域面积、主沟长度、最大相对高差、流域切割密度、主沟床弯曲系数、泥砂补给长度比、24小时最大降雨量、人口密度等10个指标作为泥石流危险评价因子,利用未确知测度理论建立泥石流危险性评价指标的未确知测度函数,通过层次分析方法确定各评价指标的权重,依据置信度识别准则对泥石流危险性进行评价,并结合实例进行了对比分析。研究结果表明,基于层次分析方法的未确知测度理论的评价方法评价过程合理、置信度高、结果可靠,为泥石流危险性评价提供了一种新的方法     

基于数值模拟的台风危险性分析综述(Ⅱ)——随机抽样模拟与极值风速预测

台风危险性分析是台风损失估计及防灾减灾的基础。对基于数值模拟的台风危险性分析所采用的随机台风概率模型、随机抽样模拟方法和极值风速预测进行了回顾与评述,包括台风关键参数概率模型及其相关性、台风路径模型、台风登陆衰减和海陆风速转换模型以及台风极值风速概率模型,并针对我国东南沿海地区台风危险性分析数值模拟采用的相关模型给出了相关建议。