A Contemporary Assessment of Change in Humid Tropical Forests

Abstract: In recent decades the rate and geographic extent of land‐use and land‐cover change has increased throughout the world's humid tropical forests. The pan‐tropical geography of forest change is a challenge to assess, and improved estimates of the human footprint in the tropics are critical to understanding potential changes in biodiversity. We combined recently published and new satellite observations, along with images from Google Earth and a literature review, to estimate the contemporary global extent of deforestation, selective logging, and secondary regrowth in humid tropical forests. Roughly 1.4% of the biome was deforested between 2000 and 2005. As of 2005, about half of the humid tropical forest biome contained 50% or less tree cover. Although not directly comparable to deforestation, geographic estimates of selective logging indicate that at least 20% of the humid tropical forest biome was undergoing some level of timber harvesting between 2000 and 2005. Forest recovery estimates are even less certain, but a compilation of available reports suggests that at least 1.2% of the humid tropical forest biome was in some stage of long‐term secondary regrowth in 2000. Nearly 70% of the regrowth reports indicate forest regeneration in hilly, upland, and mountainous environments considered marginal for large‐scale agriculture and ranching. Our estimates of the human footprint are conservative because they do not resolve very small‐scale deforestation, low‐intensity logging, and unreported secondary regrowth, nor do they incorporate other impacts on tropical forest ecosystems, such as fire and hunting. Our results highlight the enormous geographic extent of forest change throughout the humid tropics and the considerable limitations of the science and technology available for such a synthesis.     

The nexus between eco-friendly technology and environmental degradation in India: Does the N or inverted N-shape load capacity curve(LCC) hypothesis hold?

This study aims to investigate the impact of eco-friendly technology on environmental degradation indicated using the load capacity factor (LCF) with the framework of the Load Capacity Curve (LCC) hypothesis. In this regard, an environmental degradation function is formed and analyzed using the Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (AARDL) approach during the period spanning from 1975 to 2021 for India. The outcome indicates that eco-friendly technology reduces the LCF, thereby fostering environmental degradation in the long run, but the relationship is not significant in the short run. Further, an N-shaped LCC hypothesis has been observed in both long and short runs. Besides, energy consumption exhibits a LCF reducing or environmental degradation boosting role in the short run and long run. These findings are consistent with other models that are used to check the robustness of AARDL-based results. Thus, the study recommends policies for promoting eco-friendly technology, judicious economic growth, and cautious energy consumption to attain sustainable development by increasing the LCF in India.     

Efficient photocatalysis of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) from pharmaceutical wastewater using AgCl/ZnO/g-C3N4 composite under visible light: Process and mechanisms

AgCl/ZnO/g-C₃N₄, a visible light activated ternary composite catalyst, was prepared by combining calcination, hydrothermal reaction and in-situ deposition processes to treat/photocatalyse tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) from pharmaceutical wastewater under visible light. The morphological, structural, electrical, and optical features of the novel photocatalyst were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible light absorption spectrum (UV–Vis DRS), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transient photocurrent techniques. All analyses confirmed that the formation of heterojunctions between AgCl/ZnO and g-C₃N₄ significantly increase electron-hole transfer and separation compared to pure ZnO and g-C₃N₄. Thus, AgCl/ZnO/g-C₃N₄ could exhibit superior photocatalytic activity during TC-HCl assays (over 90% removal) under visible light irradiation. The composite could maintain its photocatalytic stability even after four consecutive reaction cycles. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and superoxide radical (^·O₂) contributed more than holes (h⁺) and hydroxyl radicals (^·OH) to the degradation process as showed by trapping experiments. Liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) was used for the representation of the TC-HCl potential degradation pathway. The applicability and the treatment potential of AgCl/ZnO/g-C₃N₄ against actual pharmaceutical wastewater showed that the composite can achieve removal efficiencies of 81.7%, 71.4% and 69.0% for TC-HCl, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) respectively. AgCl/ZnO/g-C₃N₄ can be a prospective key photocatalyst in the field of degradation of persistent, hardly-degradable pollutants, from industrial wastewater and not only.     

Fate and degradation of triasulfuron in soil and water under laboratory conditions

The behavior and fate of triasulfuron (TRS) in water and soil systems were examined in laboratory studies. The degradation of TRS in both buffer solution and soil was highly pH-sensitive. The rate of degradation could be described with a pseudo first-order kinetic and was much faster at pH 4 than at pH 7 and 9. Aqueous hydrolysis occurred by cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge to form 2-(2-chloroethoxy) benzenesulfonamide (CBSA) and [(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino] (AMMT). AMMT was unstable in aqueous solutions in any pH condition but it degraded more quickly at pH 4 and 9. CBSA did not degrade in aqueous solutions or in enriched cultures but it underwent a quick degradation in the soil. The rates of TRS degradation in sterile and non-sterile soils were similar, suggesting that microorganisms played a minimal role in the breakdown process. This hypothesis is supported by the results of studies on the degradation of TRS by enriched cultures during which the molecule underwent a prevalently chemical degradation.     

Photochemical degradation of methylparathion in the presence of humic acid

Photochemical degradation of methylparathion (O,O,-dimethyl O-4 nitrophenylphosphorothioate) in the presence of humic acid between pH 2 and 7 was monitored by differential pulse polarography. Humic acid was not electro-active under the experimental conditions used in this study. Only the pesticide and its main degradation product at pH 2 exhibited polarographic signals. Photolysis of methylparathion in acid media was sensitized by humic acid since the pesticide did not degrade in the absence of this compound. Methylparathion degradation in the presence of humic acid was observed at each of the studied pHs. The reaction was first-order with rate constant values ranging from 2 × 10^?3 to 6.3 × 10^?3 min^?1.     

CeO_2-TiO_2复合纳米纤维光催化降解醛酮类污染物的研究

采用同轴静电纺丝法制备了CeO2-TiO2复合纳米纤维,并用X射线衍射仪、扫描电子显微镜、程序升温脱附仪和紫外-可见光谱能谱(UVVis)仪表征了CeO2-TiO2纳米纤维的相组成和微观形貌,分析了CeO2-TiO2纳米纤维对醛酮的吸附强度与光电化学特性.同时,研究了CeO2配比量、光源条件和重复使用性对降解甲醛污染物的影响规律.结果表明,CeO2质量配比为50%的CeO2-TiO2催化剂对甲醛降解效率最高;在无光和可见光条件下,CeO2-TiO2催化剂对甲醛的降解效率分别为13.5%和25.3%,在紫外光下CeO2-TiO2催化剂对甲醛的降解效率为92.5%;随着光催化循环次数的增加,可见光下CeO2-TiO2催化剂对甲醛的降解效率逐渐增高,紫外光下CeO2-TiO2催化剂对甲醛的降解效率维持在92.5%左右.利用催化剂样品CT50对柴油机尾气中醛酮类排放污染物进行光催化降解的应用发现,CeO2-TiO2催化剂对醛类污染物的降解效率为85.4%,酮类污染物的降解效率为81.3%,苯甲醛和甲基苯甲醛的降解效率分别为80.4%和80.3%.表明CeO2-TiO2催化剂具有较强的光催化降解醛酮类污染物的能力.     

泰乐菌素的微生物降解途径及其降解产物研究

研究了越南伯克霍尔德氏菌(Burkholderia vietnamiensis)对泰乐菌素的降解能力,并通过对降解产物的分析,推测了泰乐菌素的微生物降解途径.在自主筛选驯化分离到1株泰乐菌素高效降解菌B.vietnamiensis的基础上,采用高效液相色谱法测定其在不同条件下降解泰乐菌素的能力,并利用制备液相色谱分离纯化降解产物,质谱鉴定其结构.实验结果表明:B.vietnamiensis能高度耐受并快速降解泰乐菌素,用B.vietnamiensis处理初始浓度为50、100、200、300、400或500 mg·L-1的泰乐菌素培养基7 d,泰乐菌素的降解率均达到99%以上.B.vietnamiensis降解泰乐菌素的可能途径是:泰乐菌素A首先脱去碳霉糖转化为泰乐菌素B,然后分子中内酯键和醛基再经水解和还原生成2个新的降解产物.研究结果为泰乐菌素微生物降解机制的研究以及在此基础上降解酶的确定提供有价值的技术参考.     

降解嗪草酮微生物菌剂的制备及稳定性研究

通过富集培养分离出嗪草酮降解菌N1,降解菌在固体平板上培养,菌落大,表面粗糙,扁平,不规则,为质地软、稍有光泽的白色菌落,直径为5～7mm.菌体细胞为杆状,末端方,成短或长链,菌体大小为1.0～ 1.2 μm× 3.0～ 5.0 μm.将N1降解菌制成菌剂,用气楣色谱法进行定量分析,通过单因素试验确定菌剂中载体配比、接种菌液量、加入营养液量、发酵时间、烘干温度等影响因子的优势条件,设计正交试验确定最优菌剂制备条件:m(豆粕):m(麦麸):m(木屑):m(硅藻土)比例为60:20:15:5,接种菌液量为15％,营养液量为10％,发酵时间为48 h,烘干温度为30℃.在上述条件制备的菌剂对嗪草酮的降解率为79％.该菌剂在25℃下保存50d后对嗪草酮仍有较高的降解效果.     

饮用水中卡马西平的臭氧和二氧化氯降解研究

采用臭氧(O3)和二氧化氯(ClO2)2种消毒方式对饮用水中卡马西平(CBZ)进行氧化降解,考察了不同影响因素(pH值、温度)条件下的氧化动力学,并通过对CBZ降解副产物的确定推测了2种消毒条件下CBZ的降解途径.结果表明,序批式条件下O3和ClO2对CBZ的降解均遵循二级反应动力学.pH值的升高对CBZ的O3和ClO2降解有负面效果;在10 ～ 25℃范围内,温度对CBZ的O3降解速率常数影响较小,但CBZ的ClO2降解速率常数随温度升高显著升高.采用UPLC-Q-TOF-MS对CBZ的O3和ClO2降解前后样品溶液进行扫描,均检测到8种降解中间产物,2种氧化方式主要通过环化加成、亲电取代(羟基化和氯取代)及杂环上的重排等途径来实现对CBZ结构的破坏.     

多溴联苯醚好氧降解菌GH10的筛选及降解特性研究

从污水处理厂活性污泥中筛选得到一株多溴联苯醚好氧降解菌,命名为GH10.根据菌株形态特征、生理生化特性、16S rDNA基因序列及系统发育树分析,鉴定为长野雷夫松氏菌(Leifsonia shinshuensis).该菌能够利用十溴联苯醚作为唯一碳源生长,它对十溴联苯醚的降解率用HPLC法测定.十溴联苯醚质量浓度为10～50 mg/L时,降解效果较好,在十溴联苯醚初始质量浓度为50 mg/L、温度为30℃、摇床转速为150 r/min的条件下避光培养5d,菌株GH10对十溴联苯醚的降解率可达到59.24％.降解十溴联苯醚的最适条件为温度30℃,pH值7.0,接种量10％,相同条件下添加外加碳源葡萄糖可提高其降解率到90.08％.通过对十溴联苯醚降解动力学的模拟发现,添加外加碳源葡萄糖可以将十溴联苯醚的半衰期从3.91 d缩短至1.45 d.