Determination of natural and artificial radionuclide materials in the Ma’assel used in hubbly-bubbly (Shisha) in Jordan

In the last decade the habit of smoking the hubbly-bubbly has increased sharply in many regions, including Europe, North America and Australia. Jordan is considered as having one of the highest consumptions of hubbly-bubbly in the world with respect to the general population. Our investigation was initiated due to the increasing trend of cancer cases in the last 10 years. The aim of this study was to determine the radioactive content in tobacco products available in the Jordanian market together with the related supplies. This study showed that all 13 samples investigated contained one or more radionuclides, from ²¹⁰Pb, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸U, and ²²⁶Ra. Most of the samples contained natural potassium ⁴⁰K and uranium ²³⁸U, lead ²¹⁰Pb was found in three samples, while radium ²²⁶Ra was present only in one sample. Five samples contained the anthropogenic ¹³⁷Cs. The estimated daily intake of U was found in the range between 4.4 and 115.8?µg per day (0.05–1.43 Becquerel (Bq) per day ²³⁸U), with geometric mean of 17.3?µg per day (0.2?Bq per day ²³⁸U). The geometric mean of U daily intake found represents 25% of the reference dose (RfD) value, where the highest determined U content represents 165% of the RfD value. This study demonstrated that a water vessel of hubbly-bubbly trapped less than 1.5% of the total U in Ma’assel samples. It is misleading to the public to indicate that a water vessel serves as an active filter for toxic and radiotoxic elements.     

Uranium quantification in groundwater and health risk from its ingestion in Haryana,India

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element which may cause toxicological or radiological hazards to the public if present in drinking water. This study reports the quantification of uranium in groundwater of major towns of the district Fatehabad, Haryana, India. Uranium concentrations ranged between 0.3 and 48 μg L^?1. In 22% of the groundwater samples, uranium concentrations were higher than the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 30 µg L^?1. The radiological dose for males was found to be in the range of 4.8?×?10^?4–7.1?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1 and for females 3.5?×?10^?4–5.2?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1. The results showed that due to the ingestion of groundwater in the study area, radiological cancer risk is in the range of 9.1?×?10^?7–1.3?×?10^?4, lower than the risk limit. Uranium ingestion from groundwater varied from 0.02 to 3.5 µg kg^?1 day^?1, which is within acceptable limit.     

省域旅游发展的错位现象及旅游资源相对效率评价——以中国大陆31省市区2000—2009年面板数据为例

以中国大陆31 个省级区域2000—2009 年的面板数据(因资料有限,未计算香港、澳门和台湾地区)为例,运用熵值法对各地区旅游资源禀赋状况进行评价,进一步构建错位指数,对各地区旅游业发展的“错位(诅咒) ”现象进行定量分析,同时结合旅游资源相对效率,对各地区旅游资源开发提出相应的建议。研究表明,总体上大陆旅游资源存在着一定程度的负向错位现象,正向错位的地区主要位于东部地区,且集中分布在长三角、珠三角、京津地区;发生负向错位现象的地区主要位于广大中西部地区。不同区域效率的驱动模式各不相同,东部地区旅游资源总效率主要受纯技术效率驱动,西部地区旅游资源总效率主要受规模效率驱动。效率排名与错位指数排名表现出很强的正相关性,结合两者的关系为未来省域旅游资源开发利用提供相应的建议。     

我国水资源学术交流十年总结与展望

水资源是基础性的自然资源和战略性的经济资源,是一个国家综合国力的有机组成部分。目前,国家已将水资源列为与粮食、石油资源并列的三大战略资源之一。随着经济社会快速发展,水资源供需矛盾越来越突出,水资源已成为制约国民经济发展的重大"瓶颈"。因此,水资源研究已成为支撑我国可持续发展的重要学科领域。论文在大量文献分析的基础上,阐述了水资源研究发展过程;介绍了近十年来中国自然资源学会水资源专业委员会主办的主要学术交流情况,总结了近期我国水资源研究进展;在以上分析的基础上,对水资源学科发展趋势进行了分析,并对近期水资源研究进行展望,提出未来十年我国水资源学术交流发展方向。     

Comparative aspects of mountain land resources management and sustainability: Case studies from India and Canada

India and Canada share a common heritage in natural resources management. Both have a colonial background, settlers and indigenous peoples; there is a history of management agencies with utilitarian attitudes, and a history of treating public lands as commodities for commerce rather than as resources for local livelihoods. This historical context guided the overall goal of this study, which was policy development for the sustainable use of mountain environments. Interviews, workshops and seminars were held with local people and resource management professionals in a comparative case study in two regions; the Kullu area in Himachal Pradesh, India and the Arrow Lakes area in British Columbia, Canada. The paper is organized around two main objectives of the work relating to the successes and failures of mountain environment resource management policies and the development of criteria for assessing and monitoring sustainability in mountain environments, in particular, criteria for examining relevant crosscultural dimensions of sustainable development in these environments. By way of conclusion the paper considers further ways in which traditional resource policy development and implementation is being challenged by changing values and priorities; ecosystems management with people; and co-management and public participation.     

Characterizing vulnerability to water scarcity: The case of a groundwater-dependent,rapidly urbanizing region

Groundwater overdraft is a resource management issue that poses a threat for the security of communities. Impacts of groundwater overdraft are influenced by the biophysical and social contexts of water management. This paper presents a method for assessing vulnerability to water scarcity in spatial terms using biophysical and social indicators. A geographic information system was used to establish areas of vulnerability based upon hydrologic variability in water resource availability within a groundwater basin, three types of water management systems, and 10 sociodemographic characteristics. Our study area is in the rapidly urbanizing Arizona Central Highlands, located ~150km north of the Phoenix metropolitan region, USA. Results indicate that the most biophysically vulnerable places do not necessarily intersect with the most vulnerable populations and that local differences in vulnerability are interrelated, rather than independent, outcomes in a process of socioenvironmental transformation. Vulnerability is influenced by laws that deny access to local surface waters and lead to dependence on fossil groundwater, and by economic reliance on urbanization. Localities attempt to reduce vulnerability through the development of community water systems and the expansion of water frontiers. While such strategies may reduce local vulnerability, they are not sustainable solutions because they transfer risks to other places, and thus contribute to vulnerability elsewhere.     

中国冰川旅游资源开发模式与对策研究

中国冰川资源规模巨大,形态各异,在国内旅游市场中具有绝对的垄断性地位。然而,我国冰川旅游发展却较为缓慢,景点稀少,与冰川资源禀赋极不相符,与国外冰川旅游发展差距较大。冰川旅游资源的吸引功能并非由冰川旅游单体决定,往往由冰川及周边景观的组合程度大小决定。鉴于此,中国冰川旅游需要改变以往冰川观光和其他单一景点开发模式,进而向冰川、雪山、森林、草甸、湖泊、峡谷与民族文化组团式开发转变,通过冰川与其他景观的组团式开发模式,扩展其冰川旅游类型与内涵,延伸其高山带山地旅游产业链,提升我国冰川旅游产品品牌价值,以此为我国冰川资源优势转变为经济优势提供理论与实践支持。     

基于中国风能资源专业观测网的近地层风切变日变化特征

以中国风能资源专业观测网2009年5至10月10~120 m的梯度风观测数据分析了全国近地层风切变特征,结果表明:①风切变总体呈现规律性变化趋势,即:日出前和日落后切变指数较大,随着近地层温度升高,切变指数逐渐下降,近地层温度达到最高时,切变指数达到最低值,后随着日落、地面温度下降,切变指数逐渐上升,直到次日日出、日落周期;②因局地海(湖)陆分布的差异以及下垫面粗糙程度的不同,切变指数在各地的变化可归纳为如下几种类型:典型陆地型、海陆效应差异型、湖(河)陆效应差异型、特殊地形(峡谷)型、切变指数偏大型和特殊型;③从不同梯度间的风切变特征来看,低层(30 m附近)较为明显,而中高层(50 m和70 m)较小,说明30 m高度为我国近地层风速变化较为明显的层次。该研究资料序列短,可能在反映全国近地层风切变特征的普适性方面还存在一定的不足,但仍可作为我国风能资源丰富区近地层不同梯度间风切变分布和变化特征的重要参考,期望通过该研究的开展为风电场的布设及近地面层风能资源的利用提供技术依据。     

水资源约束下江苏省城镇开发安全预警

城镇规模的扩张离不开水资源的支撑,水资源承载力是影响城镇开发的重要因素。论文提出一种以水资源约束测算城镇开发度阈值及从"状态-趋势-效应"尺度进行开发度预警的方法,并以江苏省为例进行实证探索,最终划分综合预警分区。结果显示:到2020年,苏州、 无锡、 常州、 南京将成为重度预警区;徐州、 连云港为高度预警区;镇江、 扬州、 泰州、 南通为中度预警区;淮安、 宿迁、 盐城为轻度预警区。利用GM(1,1)模型和相关方程,对城镇开发度、 开发容量、 开发临界时点及开发后温度变化与碳汇损益定性定量化,进行整个开发过程的模拟,客观反映城镇开发安全变化的动态性,以期为政府制定差别化的开发政策和预警措施提供科学依据和理论支撑。