Determination of vapor pressure-temperature relationships of current–use pesticides and transformation products

Sub-cooled liquid vapor pressures (P_L ⁰) of current–use organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides (chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos methyl, diazinon, fipronil) and selected transformation products (chlorpyrifos oxon, heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol) were determined at multiple temperatures using the gas chromatography retention time technique. Results were utilized to determine vapor pressure-temperature relationships and to calculate enthalpies of vaporization (ΔH_vap). While results for chlorothalonil and diazinon were comparable with published values, the measured value for fipronil (1.82 × 10^{? 6} Pa) is almost an order of magnitude higher than the reported literature value (3.7 × 10^{? 7} Pa). The availability of vapor pressure temperature relationships for these chemicals will aid in pesticide risk assessment development and improve the effectiveness of mitigation and remediation efforts.     

The Historical Dynamics of Social–Ecological Traps

Environmental degradation is a typical unintended outcome of collective human behavior. Hardin’s metaphor of the “tragedy of the commons” has become a conceived wisdom that captures the social dynamics leading to environmental degradation. Recently, “traps” has gained currency as an alternative concept to explain the rigidity of social and ecological processes that produce environmental degradation and livelihood impoverishment. The trap metaphor is, however, a great deal more complex compared to Hardin’s insight. This paper takes stock of studies using the trap metaphor. It argues that the concept includes time and history in the analysis, but only as background conditions and not as a factor of causality. From a historical–sociological perspective this is remarkable since social–ecological traps are clearly path-dependent processes, which are causally produced through a conjunction of events. To prove this point the paper conceptualizes social–ecological traps as a process instead of a condition, and systematically compares history and timing in one classic and three recent studies of social–ecological traps. Based on this comparison it concludes that conjunction of social and environmental events contributes profoundly to the production of trap processes. The paper further discusses the implications of this conclusion for policy intervention and outlines how future research might generalize insights from historical–sociological studies of traps.     

智慧城市建设的理论思考与战略选择

智慧城市是继数字城市和智能城市后的城市信息化高级形态,是信息化、工业化与城镇化的深度融合,是城市转型与经济发展的转换器。发展智慧城市有助于促进城市经济、社会与环境协调可持续发展,缓解"大城市病",提高城镇化质量。从城市信息化发展阶段看,我国许多信息化先行城市已经初步具备建设智慧城市的信息基础、产业基础和技术基础,同时,不断完善的政策支持体系也为智慧城市建设营造了良好的政策环境。由于尚处于起步阶段,我国智慧城市建设还存在缺乏统一规划、技术标准和法律规范不健全、资金瓶颈等诸多问题。为此,要深入推进智慧城市建设必须正确处理好市场"无形之手"和政府"有形之手"的关系,实现技术创新和金融创新两轮驱动,在基础设施建设中保障信息集成共享和互联互通,重视技术规范和法律规范,在典型示范积累经验基础上全面整体推进。     

利用高频电源提高除尘器除尘效果研究

针对锅炉静电除尘器烟尘排放浓度达不到天津市环保要求的问题,为了提高除尘器的除尘效果,通过采用将除尘器常规工频电源改为高频电源的方案,确保锅炉烟尘排放浓度最终达到30mg/Nm3的环保要求。文章分析了除尘器出口烟尘含量高的原因,阐述了高频电源的优点及在除尘器中的应用,并提出了改造技术方案。     

污泥用量对生活垃圾堆肥氮素转化与损失的影响

为了探讨生活垃圾堆肥的氮素损失问题,对生活垃圾（A组）、污泥和生活垃圾混合B组（w/w=1∶6）、C组（w/w=1∶4）组等3组物料进行高温好氧堆肥,研究污泥用量对生活垃圾堆肥化过程中温度、pH值、各氮素转化与损失的影响。结果表明：投加污泥会影响生活垃圾的通风性能,减慢物料的升温速率,延长堆肥周期。污泥用量对生活垃圾堆...     

Assessment of the abiotic transformation of 17β-estradiol in the presence of vegetable matter

A study using 17β-¹⁴C₄-estradiol (¹⁴C-E2) was performed to confirm and characterize the catalytic transformation of estrogens in the presence of a model vegetable matter (namely rabbit food) as a surrogate material for vegetable wastes found in sewage. Results corroborated the occurrence of an abiotic transformation. Unknown transformation byproduct(s) accounted, respectively, for 38% and 9% of the initial radioactivity in liquid and extractable solid phases after 72 h; on the other hand, only 15% and 7% of this radioactivity corresponded to ¹⁴C-E2 in those same matrices. Mass balance was closed including the radioactivity irreversibly bounded to the solid phase. Formation of ¹⁴C₄-estrone was monitored by Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry detection; negative results were found in all sampling events. This process could be harnessed to optimize sustainable technologies for the removal of phenolic microcontaminants from wastewater.     

基于Voronoi图的居民点空间分布特征研究——以甘肃省为例

采用GIS查询统计与Voronoi图CV值相结合的分析方法,通过计算点状目标的Voronoi多边形面积的变异系数(CV值)方法来分析点状目标的空间分布特征。分析结果表明,甘肃省有9个市、县为随机分布,其余市、县为集群分布,但总体上为集群分布。最近邻指数和CV值通过级差变换后,发现其存在相关性,相关系数为负值,表明两者之间存在负相关关系。     

废轮胎粉等离子体热解过程中硫的分布与转化初步研究

采用等离子体热解法处理废轮胎粉,分析硫在热解过程中的分布与转化。考察了等离子体输入功率、废轮胎粉进料速率、水蒸气以及白云石的加入对硫分布的影响。结果表明,等离子体热解过程中,硫在固体产物中的分布率为79.50%～97.50%,即大部分硫主要分布在固体产物中;气体产物中的硫主要为H2S,且H2S浓度随输入功率的增加、废轮胎粉进料速率的降低而降低,同时,在热解过程中加入外加物料(水蒸气、白云石)也将不同程度地降低气体产物中H2S浓度。废轮胎粉中的碳黑在热解后生成热解碳黑,采用核磁共振和X射线光电子能谱分析热解碳黑,结果显示,热解碳黑除表面性质发生了一些变化外,其主体化学性质与商业碳黑基本一致,硫在热解碳黑中以硫化物的形态存在。     

Animal-related injuries: a population-based study of a five-state region in the upper Midwest: Regional Rural Injury Study II

PROBLEM: While agricultural injury has been identified among the major causes of occupational injury mortality and morbidity, data have been limited pertinent to the magnitude, consequences, and potential risk factors for animal-related injuries -- a major source of morbidity among agricultural operations. METHODS: Demographics, exposure, and injury data were collected for 1999 and 2001 among agricultural households in a five-state region. Causal models facilitated survey design, data analyses, and interpretation of results; directed acyclic graphs guided multivariate modeling. RESULTS: From 7,420 households (84% response of eligible), a total of 5,045 injury events were reported; 1,016 (20.1%) were animal-related. Multivariate analyses revealed increased risks for those <20 years; residents of all states compared to Minnesota; all age groups compared to 0-4 years; >0 hours worked; and prior agricultural injury history. For those 20+ years, increased risks were identified for: South Dakota residents; males; >0 hours worked; and prior agricultural injury history. For those cases <20 and 20+ years of age, 58% and 46%, respectively, resulted in lost work time on their agricultural operations (31% and 50%, one week or more). CONCLUSIONS: Animal-related injury has a major impact on the agricultural industry. Results serve as a basis for interventions and further research. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The impact of animal-related injuries on the agricultural industry appears significant; among age groups <20 and 20+, 85% and 82%, respectively, had some resulting restriction. For all events combined, 29% and 30%, respectively, involved restriction from one week to 3+ months; 12% and 15% involved restriction for one month or more. Among those <20 and 20+ years of age, 58% and 46%, respectively, lost work time on their own agricultural operation as a result of injuries associated with their own operation; 22% and 15% lost one week or more. Moreover, of the non-agriculture-related injuries, 31% and 50% resulted in lost work time on their own operation; 15% and 28%, respectively, lost one week or more. Restrictions such as these can affect the productivity of the operation, resulting in financial impacts, especially on small operations that have few people to manage the required tasks.     

Natural attenuation of diesel aliphatic hydrocarbons in contaminated agricultural soil

A diesel fuel spill at a concentration of 1 L m(-2) soil was simulated on a 12 m(2) plot of agricultural land, and natural attenuation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was monitored over a period of 400 days following the spill after which the aliphatic hydrocarbon concentrations were found to be below the legal contamination threshold for soil. The main fraction of these compounds (95%) remained at the surface layer (0-10 cm). Shortly after the spill (viz. between days 0 and 18), evaporation was the main origin of the dramatic decrease in pollutant concentrations in the soil. Thereafter, soil microorganisms used aliphatic hydrocarbons as sources of carbon and energy, as confirmed by the degradation ratios found. Soil quality indicators, soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase activity, regained their original levels about 200 days after the spill.