Seasonal variation and sources of derivatized phenols in atmospheric fine particulate matter in North China Plain

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of derivatized phenols in Beijing and in Xinglong were performed from 2016 to 2017 using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.The results showed substantially more severe pollution in Beijing.Of the 14 compounds detected,the total average concentration was 100 ng/m~3 in Beijing,compared with 11.6 ng/m~3 in Xinglong.More specifically,concentration of nitro-aromatic compounds(NACs)(81.9 ng/m~3 in Beijing and 8.49 ng/m3 in Xinglong) was the highest,followed by aromatic acids(14.6 ng/m~3 in Beijing and 2.42 ng/m~3 in Xinglong) and aromatic aldehydes(3.62 ng/m~3 in Beijing and 0.681 ng/m~3 in Xinglong).In terms of seasonal variation,the highest concentrations were found for 4-nitrocatechol in winter in Beijing(79.1±63.9 ng/m~3) and 4-nitrophenol in winter in Xinglong(9.72±8.94 ng/m~3).The analysis also revealed diurnal variations across different seasons.Most compounds presented higher concentrations at night in winter because of the decreased boundary layer height and increased heating intensity.While some presented higher levels during the day,which attributed to the photo-oxidation process for summer and more biomass burning activities for autumn.Higher concentrations appeared in winter and autumn than in spring and summer,which resulted from more coal combustions and adverse meteorological conditions.The significant correlations among NACs indicated similar sources of pollution.Higher correlations presented within each subgroup than those between the subgroups.Good correlations between levoglucosan and nitrophenols,nitrocatechols,nitro salicylic acids,with correlation coefficients(r) of 0.66,0.69 and 0.69,respectively,indicating an important role of biomass burning among primary sources.     

2013年1月华北地区重霾污染过程SO2和NOx的CMAQ源同化模拟研究

以2006年中国地区的INTEX-B排放清单为基础,采用CMAQ模式污染源同化方法,反演更新了2013年1月重霾污染过程华北地区的SO₂和NO_x排放源;应用WRF-CMAQ模式以及2006年INTEX-B初始排放源和2013年1月改进的排放源,分别模拟了1月9-15日和28-31日两次持续重霾污染过程的SO₂和NO₂浓度,并与华北地区47个环境监测站点实测值进行对比,重点分析了基于初始源和同化反演源的模拟效果及其改进原因;本文亦采用2012年清华大学编制的东亚地区MEIC排放清单评估了SO₂和NO_x同化反演源的合理性.分析结果表明:①CMAQ模式污染源同化方法可适用于重霾污染过程,即采用同化反演源模拟的SO₂、NO₂浓度时空变化特征与实测值较一致,而且可反映SO₂、NO_x排放源强的动态变化特征;②基于同化反演源的SO₂、NO₂浓度模拟效果明显优于2006年INTEX-B排放源,其时间变化趋势与实测值较一致,而且可模拟重霾污染过程SO₂、NO₂浓度的峰值;③采用反演源模拟的SO₂、NO₂浓度空间区分布特征与实测值较一致,而且可较好反映重污染区的极值分布特征;④经污染源同化改进后SO₂、NO₂模拟浓度与实测值的相关系数有所提高,误差明显减小;SO₂的改进效果略优于NO₂,这与污染源对两种污染物浓度的影响差异有关;⑤初始源中SO₂、NO_x排放源的空间分布和强度与2012年清华大学编制的排放源强差异较大,而同化反演源的空间分布和强度均接近于上述2012年排放源,较好反映出重点地区的高污染源分布特征.本文研究结果将为改进重霾污染过程的空气质量预报、减小自下而上建立的排放源清单不确定性、评估SO₂、NO_x等排放源的影响效应以及不同气象条件下区域排放源的动态调控等提供新技术途径和研究思路.     

Judging adaptive management practices of U.S. agencies

All U.S. federal agencies administering environmental laws purport to practice adaptive management (AM), but little is known about how they actually implement this conservation tool. A gap between the theory and practice of AM is revealed in judicial decisions reviewing agency adaptive management plans. We analyzed all U.S. federal court opinions published through 1 January 2015 to identify the agency AM practices courts found most deficient. The shortcomings included lack of clear objectives and processes, monitoring thresholds, and defined actions triggered by thresholds. This trio of agency shortcuts around critical, iterative steps characterizes what we call AM‐lite. Passive AM differs from active AM in its relative lack of management interventions through experimental strategies. In contrast, AM‐lite is a distinctive form of passive AM that fails to provide for the iterative steps necessary to learn from management. Courts have developed a sophisticated understanding of AM and often offer instructive rather than merely critical opinions. The role of the judiciary is limited by agency discretion under U.S. administrative law. But courts have overturned some agency AM‐lite practices and insisted on more rigorous analyses to ensure that the promised benefits of structured learning and fine‐tuned management have a reasonable likelihood of occurring. Nonetheless, there remains a mismatch in U.S. administrative law between the flexibility demanded by adaptive management and the legal objectives of transparency, public participation, and finality.     

Effectiveness of terrestrial protected areas for conservation of lake fish communities

Freshwater protected areas are rare even though freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled in the world. Conservation actions within terrestrial protected areas (TPAs) such as development or resource extraction regulations may spill over to benefit freshwater ecosystems within their boundaries. Using data from 175 lakes across Ontario, Canada, we compared common indicators of fish‐assemblage status (i.e., species richness, Shannon diversity index, catch per unit effort, and normalized‐length size spectrum slopes) to evaluate whether TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages. Nearest neighbor cluster analysis was used to generate pairs of lakes: inside versus outside, inside versus bordering, and bordering versus outside TPAs based on lake characteristics. The diversity and abundance indicators did not differ significantly across comparisons, but normalized‐length size spectrum slopes (NLSS) were significantly steeper in lakes outside parks. The latter indicated assemblage differences (greater abundances of small‐bodied species) and less‐efficient energy transfer through the trophic levels of assemblages outside parks. Although not significantly different, pollution‐ and turbidity‐tolerant species were more abundant outside parks, whereas 3 of the 4 pollution‐intolerant species were more abundant within parks. Twenty‐one percent of the difference in slopes was related to higher total dissolved solids concentrations and angling pressure. Our results support the hypothesis that TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages and suggest that NLSS slopes are informative indicators for aquatic protected area evaluations because they represent compositional and functional aspects of communities.     

Importance of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska for Aquatic Birds

We used data from aerial surveys (1992–2010) of >100,000 km² and ground surveys (1998–2004) of >150 km² to estimate the density and abundance of birds on the North Slope of Alaska (U.S.A.). In the ground surveys, we used double sampling to estimate detection ratios. We used the aerial survey data to compare densities of birds and Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), the major nest predator of birds, on the North Slope, in Prudhoe Bay, and in nearby areas. We partitioned the Prudhoe Bay oil field into 2 × 2 km plots and determined the relation between density of aquatic birds and density of roads, buildings, and other infrastructure in these plots. Abundance and density (birds per square kilometer) of 3 groups of aquatic birds—waterfowl, loons, and grebes; shorebirds; and gulls, terns, and jaegers—were highest in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPRA) and lowest in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Six other major wetlands occur in the Arctic regions of Canada and Russia, but the largest population of aquatic birds was in the NPRA. Aquatic birds were concentrated in the northern part of the NPRA. For example, an area that covered 18% of the NPRA included 53% of its aquatic birds. The aerial surveys showed that bird density was not lower and fox density was not higher in Prudhoe Bay than in surrounding areas. Density of infrastructure did not significantly affect bird density for any group of species. Our results establish that the NPRA is one of the most important areas for aquatic birds in the Arctic. Our results and those of others also indicate that oil production, as practiced in Prudhoe Bay, does not necessarily lead to substantial declines in bird density or productivity in or near the developed areas. Prioridades para la Conservación de Aves en el Norte de Alaska     

Conservation Assessment of Southern South American Freshwater Ecoregions on the Basis of the Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Crabs from the Genus Aegla

Abstract:  We assessed the conservation priority of 18 freshwater ecoregions in southern South America on the basis of Aegla (genus of freshwater crabs) genetic diversity and distribution. Geographical distributions for 66 Aegla species were taken from the literature and plotted against ecoregions and main river basins of southern South America. Species richness and number of threatened and endemic species were calculated for each area. To assess taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, we generated a molecular phylogeny based on DNA sequences for one nuclear (28S) and 4 mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI, and COII) genes. All species richness and phylogenetic methods agreed, to a large extent, in their rankings of the importance of conservation areas, as indicated by the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient ( p < 0.01); nonetheless, some of the lowest correlations were observed between taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity indices. The 5 ecoregions of the Laguna dos Patos Basin (Eastern Brazil), Central Chile, South Brazilian Coast, Chilean Lakes, and Subtropical Potamic Axis (northern Argentina and southern Uruguay and Paraguay) had the highest biodiversity scores. Conservation of these regions will preserve the largest number of species and the greatest amount of genetic diversity within the South American freshwater Aegla fauna. Biodiversity across rivers and within areas was heterogeneously distributed in the ecoregions of Upper Paraná, Ribeira do Iguape, Upper Uruguay, and South Brazilian Coast (i.e., one river showed significantly more biodiversity than any other river from the same ecoregion), but homogeneously distributed in the other ecoregions. Hence, conservation plans in the former regions will potentially require less effort than plans in the latter regions.     

ELISA AND GC/MS ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN NORTH CAROLINA1

ABSTRACT: Studies were conducted to analyze the presence of 11 pesticide residues in 12 surface waters in the Piedmont and coastal plain regions of North Carolina. Samples were assayed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). All ELISA results of one part per billion (ppb, μg/L) or greater were confirmed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCIMS). ELISA detection limits were approximately an order of magnitude higher than GCJMS methods. Of the 5,035 analytical results from 742 surface water samples, atrazine was detected in approximately 45 percent of the samples, five of which were at or above the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 3‐ppb. Metolachlor was detected in 64 percent of the samples. Aldicarb, 2,4‐D, chlorpyrifos, and chlorothalonil were also detected, and each was found in less than 12 percent of the samples. The remaining pesticides, including carbaryl, acetochior, methomyl, carbofuran, and alachlor, were not detected during the study period.     

南水北调东线水源核心区浮游植物多样性状况与评价研究

分别于2013年4月、8月、10月和2014年1月对南水北调东线水源核心区河流浮游植物群落结构、浮游植物密度进行调查,并利用多样性指数进行水质评价.区域共检出浮游植物5门34科67属118种,春秋两季物种数较多,夏冬两季物种数较少.优势种为蓝藻门小席藻( Phormidium.tenue)、绿藻门小球藻( Chlorella.pyrenoidosa)、硅藻门变异直链藻( Melosira.varians).区域浮游植物密度为3.5 ×105 cells/L,Shannon-wiener指数为2.32,Margalef指数为1.06,Pielou均匀度指数为0.54,水质为寡污-中污水平.     

The impact of privatization approaches on the productivity growth of the water industry: A case study of Chile

The water industry faces the challenge of implementing privatization reforms. This process mainly adopts the following two approaches: the privatization of public water and sewerage services (WSS) and the privatization of water companies’ ownership. This paper investigates the impact of both privatization approaches on changes in productivity in the water industry. In doing so, the Luenberger productivity indicator (LPI) was computed for a sample of Chilean water and sewerage companies (WaSCs) for the period 1997–2013. Unlike the most commonly applied index (Malmquist productivity index), the LPI simultaneously takes into account output expansion and input contraction. The results evidenced that productivity in the Chilean water industry decreased after its privatization. However, in the sub-periods in which the ownership of WaSCs was privatized, the productivity of the water industry increased due to technical improvements. On the other hand, the concession of WWS to private WaSCs involved a regression in productivity. From a policy perspective, regulators and managers of WaSCs at the international level can learn important lessons from the Chilean case to improve the productivity of the water industries in their countries.