Enhancing consultation practices on Air Quality Management in local authorities

Schedule 11 of the Environment Act 1995 underpins the requirement for consultation on air quality issues. The ongoing air quality review and assessment process represents one of the largest locally based science policy and communication initiatives ever undertaken in the UK. This paper outlines the practice of consultation and communication for Air Quality Management (AQM) and reviews the interaction between Environmental Health professionals, as the leading actor in the AQM process and other stakeholders involved in air quality consultation, including the public. Results are presented from a widespread questionnaire survey of English local authorities. Data indicate that the majority of air quality consultation has been carried out with statutory consultees (by sending the review and assessment reports) and the public (via websites and leaflets) in the form of information dissemination.     

不同种植方式对水生植物生长的影响

水生植物恢复是水体生态恢复与重建的一个关键,而人工快速大面积恢复沉水植物存在较大的难度。在淀山湖318国道近岸水域生态带内,运用水泥涵管覆土种植、箩筐覆土种植、纱布包裹覆土种植、编织袋覆土种植和竹签扦插法对水生植物进行种植。通过实验得出,运用水泥涵管覆土种植的芦苇存活率比用箩筐覆土种植的存活率高;运用水泥涵管覆土+竹签扦插法种植的狐尾藻存活率比其他几种种植方法的存活率高,几种种植方式下的生物量无显著差异。     

Metabolic diversity of the heterotrophic microorganisms and potential link to pollution of the Rouge River

The heterotrophic microbial communities of the Rouge River were tracked using Biolog Ecoplates to understand the metabolic diversity at different temporal and spatial scales, and potential link to river pollution. Site less impacted by anthrophogenic sources (site 1), showed markedly lower metabolic diversity. The only substrates that were utilized in the water samples were carbohydrates. Sites more impacted by anthrophogenic sources (sites 8 and 9) showed higher metabolic diversity. Higher functional diversity was linked to the physico-chemical and biological properties of the water samples (i.e. higher concentrations of DO, DOC, chlorophyll, and bacterial density). Biolog analysis was found to be useful in differentiating metabolic diversity between microbial communities; in determining factors that most influence the separation of communities; and in identifying which substrates were most utilized by the communities. It can also be used as an effective ecological indicator of changes in river function attributable to urbanization and pollution.     

泰州市建设用地扩展规律与格局演化研究

以多时相Landsat、TM/ETM卫星影像为数据源,运用GIS软件提取泰州市建设用地1988～2008年5个时相的用地信息,运用扩展强度指数、扩展速度指数、空间自相关等方法分析泰州市建设用地扩展时空特征和演化规律。结果表明:(1)泰州建设用地扩展经历了缓慢扩展、中速扩展、缓慢扩展3个阶段,显示了建设用地逐步走向集约利用的趋势;(2)在分析泰州建设用地不同扩展阶段的基础上,发现泰州建设用地扩展模式正处于从点状扩展向点轴扩展转变阶段,并出现了网络化扩展的端倪;(3)运用空间自相关分析了泰州建设用地扩展热点演化过程,发现扩展热点呈现跳跃迁移的特征,热点区与冷点区出现交替演化,Moran散点图体现了泰州市建设用地扩展处于空间极化的状态,外围城镇受中心城镇增长极带动发展的扩展模式。     

A field study on residues of four insecticides used in strawberry protection

Abstract

In 1986 strawberry plots were treated with dimethoate, malathion, permethrin and cypermethrin at 80% bloom of primary flowers. In 1987 the plots were sprayed with dimethoate, malathion and permethrin at 30% bloom. Residue analysis of these insecticides on the flowers were analyzed using solvent extraction and gas liquid chromatography. Residue analysis at 0 to 18 days on flowers and fruit showed an exponential decrease. Organophosphates tended to degrade more quickly than synthetic pyrethroids. The results are discussed in the context of an integrated pest management program.     

Reducing phosphorus flux from organic soils in surface flow treatment wetlands

Treatment wetlands have a finite period of effective nutrient removal after which treatment efficiency declines. This is due to the accumulation of organic matter which decreases the capacity and hydraulic retention time of the wetland. We investigated four potential solutions to improve the soluble reactive P (SRP) removal of a municipal wastewater treatment wetland soil including; dry down, surface additions of alum or calcium carbonate and physical removal of the accreted organic soil under both aerobic and anaerobic water column conditions. The flux of SRP from the soil to the water column under aerobic conditions was higher for the continuously flooded controls (1.1 ± 0.4 mg P m⁻² d⁻¹), dry down (1.5 ± 0.9 mg P m⁻² d⁻¹) and CaCO₃ (0.8 ± 0.7 mg P m⁻² d⁻¹) treatments while the soil removal and alum treatments were significantly lower at 0.02 ± 0.10 and −0.07 ± 0.02 mg P m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. These results demonstrate that the two most effective management strategies at sequestering SRP were organic soil removal and alum additions. There are difficulties and costs associated with removal and disposal of soils from a treatment wetland. Therefore our findings suggest that alum addition may be the most cost effective and efficient means of increasing the sequestering of P in aging treatment wetlands experiencing reduced P removal rates. However, more research is needed to determine the longer term effects of alum buildup in the organic soil on the wetland biota, in particular, on the macrophytes and invertebrates. Since alum effectiveness is time limited, a longer term solution to P flux may favor the organic soil removal.     

Acetylcholinesterase activity in the terrestrial snail Xeropicta derbentina transplanted in apple orchards with different pesticide management strategies

Apple orchards are highly manipulated crops in which large amounts of pesticides are used. Some of these pesticides lack target specificity and can cause adverse effects in non-target organisms. In order to evaluate the environmental risk of these products, the use of transplanted sentinel organisms avoids side-effects from past events and facilitate comparison of multiple sites in a short time. We released specimens of the terrestrial snail Xeropicta derbentina in each 5 of two kinds of apple orchards with either conventional or organic management strategies plus in a single abandoned orchard. After one month, individuals were retrieved in order to measure acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Mean values of AChE activity were significantly reduced in all conventional apple orchards compared to the others. Results show that the measurement of biomarkers such as AChE inhibition in transplated X. derbentina could be useful in the environmental risk assessment of post-authorized pesticides.     

雅砻江流域湿地景观格局变化分析

应用ArcGIS软件,对雅砻江流域湿地1986和2000年遥感数据进行解译、矢量化处理,用Apack软件进行湿地景观格局指数计算,研究了近15 a雅砻江流域景观空间格局特征及其变化。结果表明：（1）近15 a雅砻江流域湿地景观面积减少,减少量为49404 hm2,占2000年湿地总面积的0506%;（2）两个时期内湿地斑块密度保持不变,湿地景观的聚集度都很高,均在099以上,湿地景观集中分布,破碎化水平低;（3）雅砻江流域湿地景观的多样性指数水平和均匀度水平较低,而且两指数在两个个时期内没有发生太大的变化,且各类湿地景观比例差异相对较大,沼泽湿地景观控制的程度较高;（4）雅砻江流域的5类湿地景观分布质心基本上未发生变化,但总体格局分布质心向南偏移001°,再向西偏移023°,整体上向西南方向偏移了2532 km     

高速铁路影响下的长三角城市群可达性空间格局演变

交通网络体系对城市群空间结构的优化有重要作用,随着“高铁时代”的到来,长三角城市群区域空间结构也将发生深远的变化。引入可达性的概念,以现状2010年与规划2020年的长三角综合交通设施网络为基础,选取长三角各城市之间加权平均最短旅行时间为度量指标,分析了高速铁路系统的发展对长三角区域空间格局未来演化的影响,揭示了高速铁路将全面提升长三角区域可达性水平,大大缩短城市之间的时空距离,推动长三角一体化发展,并通过都市圈、经济轴带的形成与发展,促进区域均衡化空间结构的形成。另一方面,虽然高速铁路将推动多中心空间结构的形成,但对城市可达性水平的影响具有明显的区域差异,城市在新的高铁格局下应探析符合自身特点的发展战略     

中国省际碳排放极化格局研究

温室气体减排是减缓气候变化的重要途径.由于资源、劳动力、资本和技术等要素的差异,我国社会经济发展不平衡,碳减排的潜力也各不同.文章在计算中国雀际碳排放的基础上,运用基尼系数和空间自相关的方法,刻画了1990年到2007年中国省际碳排放时空分布格局和聚集程度,有利于设立合理的长期减排目标和战略,实现碳排放空间的公平分配,促进区域协调发展.研究表明,碳总量和碳强度都呈现正的空间自相关性,在局部空间上出现了高值的聚集现象.碳强度的极化现象比碳总量更加严重.文章最后根据区域经济发展,资源禀赋,碳排放聚集等,因地制宜地提出了碳排放区划方案.区划结果显示出资源丰裕程度与碳强度的关系,有利于实施差异化的减排战略,实现经济发展与碳排放脱钩.