Effect-Directed Analysis of Key Toxicants in European River Basins. A Review (9 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Extensive monitoring programs on chemical contamination are run in many European river basins. With respect to the implementation of the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD), these programs are increasingly accompanied by monitoring the ecological status of the river basins. Assuming an impact of chemical contamination on the ecological status, the assignment of effects in aquatic ecosystems to those stressors that cause the effects is a prerequisite for taking political or technical measures to achieve the goals of the WFD. Thus, one focus of present European research is on toxicant identification in European river basins in order to allow for a reduction of toxic pressure on aquatic ecosystems according to the WFD. Main Features: An overview is presented on studies that were performed to link chemical pollution in European river basins to measurable ecotoxic effects. This includes correlation-based approaches as well as investigations that apply effect-directed analysis (EDA) integrating toxicity testing, fractionation and non-target chemical analysis. Effect-based key toxicants that were identified in European surface waters are compiled and compared to EU priority pollutants. Further needs for research are identified. Results: Studies on the identification of effect-based key toxicants focused on mutagenicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated effects, endocrine disruption, green algae, and invertebrates. The identified pollutants include priority pollutants and other well-known environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, furans, and biphenyls, nonylphenol, some pesticides and tributyltin, but also other compounds that were neither considered as environmental pollutants before nor regulated such as substituted phenols, natural or synthetic estrogens and androgens, dinaphthofurans, 2-(2-naphthalenyl)benzothiophene, and N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine. Discussion: Individual studies at specific sites in a European river basin demonstrated the power of combined biological and chemical analytical approaches and, particularly, of effect-directed analysis. However, the available information on effect-based key toxicants is very limited with respect to the entirety of rivers possibly at risk due to chemical contamination and with respect to toxicological endpoints considered at a specific site. A relatively broad basis of information exists only for estrogenicity and aryl hydrocarbon, receptor-mediated effects. Conclusions: The development of tools and strategies for an identification of key toxicants on a broader scale are a challenging task for the next years. Since investigations dealing with toxicant identification are too labor and cost-intensive for monitoring purposes, they have to be focused on the key sites in a river basin. These should include hot spots of contamination, particularly if there is evidence that they might pose a risk for downstream areas, but may also involve accumulation zones in the lower reach of a river in order to get an integrated picture on the contamination of the basin. Perspectives: While EDA is almost exclusively based on measurable effects in in vitro and in vivo biotests to date, an increasing focus in the future should be on the integration of EDA into Ecological Risk Assessment and on the development of tools to confirm EDA-determined key toxicants as stressors in populations, communities and ecosystems. Considering these requirements and applied in a focused way, toxicant identification may significantly help to implement the Water Framework Directive by providing evidence on the main stressors and possible mitigation measures in order to improve the ecological status of a river ecosystem.     

Global climate change and regional sustainable development: the case of Mackenzie Basin in Canada

Cohen et al. [16] suggest that in order to explore ways to bring climate change (CC) and sustainable development (SD) research together, it is necessary to develop more heuristic tools that can involve resource users and other stakeholders. In this respect, this paper focuses on methodological development in research to study climate change impacts and regional sustainable development (RSD). It starts with an introduction of an integrated land assessment framework (ILAF) which is part of the integrated phase of the Mackenzie Basin Impact Study (MBIS) in Canada. The paper then provides some articulation on how the integrated approach was applied in the Mackenzie Basin to show implications of climate change for RSD.     

区域污染治理能力与排污规模的协调性评价

为分析区域排污规模与污染治理的协调性,构建了排污规模与污染治理协调度模型,并以2006、2013年的数据对模型进行实证分析。结果表明,制约排污规模和污染治理协调性的主要矛盾是污染治理能力的落后,全国70%以上地区污染治理能力均滞后于污染物产生规模;国内治理能力在研究期间不断提高,区域差异在不断缩小,治理能力过度滞后的省份由14个减少到2个;除江苏外2013年其余各地区均有1项或多项污染物的治理能力滞后,其中生活废水治理能力滞后的区域最多;经济发展水平是影响协调性的重要因素,2013年协调度与地区人均GDP基本呈线性关系。模型实证计算结果与主观判断也较为吻合,具有一定的推广应用价值。     

江苏省种粮补贴区域差异化理论与实证研究

粮食种植补贴是农业补贴的核心内容。从现行种粮补贴政策出发,构建了差异化情景下种粮补贴效率的理论命题,并认为差异化补贴更体现 “效率优先,兼顾公平”原则;在此基础上,构建了种粮补贴区域差异化指标体系及计算方法并对江苏省进行实证研究。结果发现：江苏省种粮补贴应呈现苏北>苏中>苏南的态势,最高值为总额的182%,分布在苏北地区,最低值为总额的117%,分布在苏南地区;各评价指标空间分布差异显著,补贴政策地区间指向应有所不同;最后提出差异控制系数θ,通过对θ的选择,可以较为有效的控制种粮补贴差异波动范围,为政策的制定提供简便的手段     

基于问卷调查的四川民众地震灾害响应能力分区评价

基于前期对四川省德阳市民众地震灾害认知与响应特点与规律的问卷调查数据及分析结果,构建了以性别、年龄和受教育程度为核心评价参数的县市社会民众地震灾害响应能力的综合评价模型;然后将该评价模型应用于四川省,实现了对四川省社会民众地震灾害响应能力大小的分县市计算与评价。结果表明,四川省东部县市民众的地震灾害响应能力普遍比西部县市民众大,省会成都市周围的区、县(市)居民的地震灾害响应能力普遍较强,西部三个自治州民众的响应能力普遍较差,其中,成都市青羊区民众的响应能力最强,凉山彝族自治州金阳县民众的能力最弱,全省呈现出以成都市各区县(市)为中心向周围地区递减的总体趋势。     

珠江流域干旱事件的多变量区域分析及区域分布特征

区域干旱特征分析会为短期和长期的水资源管理提供关键的信息,因而对珠江流域进行区域干旱特征分析,建立了干旱严重程度-面积-频率曲线(Severity-Area-Frequency,SAF).传统的区域性分析都是单变量的,而水文事件往往具有多个属性,为此采用Chebana等提出的多变量的L-moment均一性检验方法对流域进行均一性检验.研究发现珠江流域可分为4个均一性区域,对各均一性区域进行干旱严重程度-面积-频率分析的基础上,发现珠江流域在发生严重干旱时经常是全流域的,这对整个珠江流域的水资源管理造成很大压力.同时珠江三角洲所在的区域干旱风险相对其他区域更高,珠三角地区城市密集,人口众多,高风险的干旱无疑会对该地区的发展造成重大影响,需引起重视.     

临安区域本底站大气甲烷浓度变化特征

通过分析2006年8月～2009年7月临安区域大气本底站Flask瓶采样获得的CH4浓度特征,结合地面风向、后向轨迹、排放清单,研究了CH4浓度变化特征和长三角地区排放源对CH4浓度的影响作用。结果表明,临安区域大气本底站的CH4浓度分布在1 7584×10-9~1 9700×10-9,具有较明显的季节波动变化特征,浓度季节变化幅度为737×10-9;CH4浓度平均年增幅达176×10-9,增速较快。东北风和东南风时,CH4浓度较高;西南风时CH4浓度较低。导致CH4高浓度分布的气团主要来自临安站的东北、偏东方向;导致CH4低浓度分布的气团集中在西南 偏南     

京津冀区域循环经济发展对策研究

京津冀是我国经济社会发展较快、循环经济开展较早的地区,但由于长期以来相互之间缺乏统筹规划和协同配合,环境污染问题仍比较严重,迫切需要突破行政壁垒,从一体化的高度推进区域循环经济协同发展.从研究该区域循环经济发展现状入手,分析存在的主要问题,提出相应的对策建议.     

简析绿色产业在威海的振兴及其发展的启示

通过剖析绿色产业的概念及科学内涵,系统地阐述了国内外绿色产业体系构建的特点及进展,详细描述了威海市以绿色能源、节能减排、农村环保、循环经济和生态农业为主导的绿色产业体系,总结了威海市利用区位优势及地理条件,将发展绿色产业与环保模范城市、生态市创建等活动相结合,把绿色产业体系建设纳入国民经济与社会发展规划,采取加大关键技术研究推广力度,加速绿色产业工业园创建等一系列举措推进绿色产业发展,为利用绿色产业发展机遇振兴地区经济提供有益借鉴。     

中国区域污染与经济增长实证:基于面板数据联立方程

考虑区域污染与区域经济增长的双向作用机制,构建联立方程模型,利用我国1998-2008年30个地区的面板数据,实证研究了6类区域污染物指标与区域经济增长的内在关系,对环境库兹涅茨曲线假说进行验证,探讨区域污染的主要影响因素。研究结果表明:①仅工业粉尘、工业SO2与GDP存在倒U型曲线关系,符合环境库兹涅茨曲线假说;工业废水、工业固废与GDP存在正的线性关系,工业废水中污染物化学需氧量、工业烟尘与GDP存在负的线性关系,不支持环境库兹涅茨曲线假说。指出并非经济发展到一定水平,区域污染问题就会得到全面解决。②人口规模对区域污染排放影响不显著;科技水平和能源利用率的提高能有效降低区域污染排放;政府环保管制未能有效控制区域污染排放;加大贸易开放程度对污染排放影响有正有负;产业结构不合理会加剧区域污染排放。③工业烟尘、工业SO2污染对区域经济增长有反作用。现阶段,我国区域污染对区域经济增长的反馈机制较弱,给我们敲醒了环保警钟。指出转变经济增长方式,走经济增长与环境保护协调发展的路子是我国今后的必然选择。