贵阳市一居民区大气颗粒态汞的污染状况

2004年4、7、8、11、12月采用微型捕集管-冷原子荧光光谱法对贵阳市一个居民区大气中的痕量颗粒态总汞(TPM)进行了测定。结果表明:TPM日均浓度范围是0.149~4.853 ng.m-3,平均值是1.091 ng.m-3,显著高于背景参考值1~86 pg.m-3;TPM浓度采暖期大于非采暖期,夜间通常大于白昼;TPM与大气气态总汞(TGM)可能具有同源性;燃煤、垃圾焚烧以及周边工厂排放的含尘烟气可能是居民区大气颗粒态汞的主要人为来源。     

大宝山矿区水体中重金属的行为研究

广东大宝山矿区矿山废水的排放使周边生态环境遭受了严重的破坏。水体中重金属Cu、Zn、Cd和Pb的溶解态浓度分别达到13.82、50.83、0.103和2.91 mg.L-1。Cu、Zn、Cd和Pb的溶解态和悬浮态含量沿河流主干道断面呈相似的空间分布规律,上游都是沿水流方向降低,下游因吸附于悬浮物中的重金属重新释放略有增加。悬浮物中重金属元素的化学形态提取和扫描电镜能谱分析(SEM/EDAX)表明:4种重金属元素都以残渣态为主要存在形态,其次为可还原态,个别断面的Cd可还原态甚至超过了残渣态的含量,说明该水体这4种元素对环境都有一定的潜在威胁性。     

兴仁高砷煤矿区溪流水系环境中砷自然净化的初步研究

为了解矿山环境中砷的自然净化能力及其净化机制,对兴仁典型高砷煤矿区溪流水系环境进行采样分析。结果表明,研究区水体和沉积物中砷含量从上游到下游均呈不断降低的变化趋势,水体显示较强的自净能力。上游水体中砷含量的降低主要是吸附沉淀作用,而溪流的简单稀释作用在下游也显得非常重要。     

昌吉硫磺沟矿区地表沉陷区的土地整治与生态恢复

针对昌吉市硫磺沟矿区煤矿开采引起的地表沉陷及其对矿区地表及环境破坏的影响,以减轻地表沉陷危害程度、恢复矿区所在地的生态功能为目标,按照采矿区塌陷类型、塌陷坑大小及塌陷区地理环境,采用不同的土地整治与生态恢复措施,在防治和控制矿区地表沉陷引起的生态破坏及生态环境保护方面取得很好的成果与经验.     

郑州园林绿化树木低温寒冻害空间分布特征研究

绿化树木是园林景观的主体部分,同样也是园林建设中的目标植物.然而,绿化植物容易受到低温寒冻害的影响,进而影响园林布局美观.基于此,该文提出郑州园林绿化树木低温寒冻害空间分布特征研究方法,统计郑州园林绿化树木类型,对各样本按照乔木层与灌木层进行分类整理,将频度、显著度、密度等作为计算树木多样性的指标,分析比较结果,根据获...     

Genotoxicity detected in wild mice living in a highly polluted wetland area in south western Spain

A field study was carried out in the south of the Iberian Peninsula in an industrial area in the neighbourhood of Huelva city, SW Spain, and in a natural area (Do?ana National Park) for comparison, to estimate the genetic risk induced by environmental pollution in wild mice. Genotoxic effects in a sentinel organism, the Algerian mice (Mus spretus) free living in the industrial area were compared with animals of the same species living in the natural protected area. The single cell gel electrophoresis, or Comet assay, was performed as a genotoxicity test in peripheral blood of mice. Our results clearly show that mice free living in the contaminated area bear a high burden of genetic damage as compared with control individuals. The results suggest that the assessing of genotoxicity levels by the Comet assay in wild mice can be used as a valuable test in pollution monitoring and environmental conservation.     

Implementation of a windblown dust parameterization into MODELS-3/CMAQ: Application to episodic PM events in the US/Mexico border

Windblown dust is known to impede visibility, deteriorate air quality and modify the radiation budget. Arid and semiarid areas with unpaved and unvegetated land cover are particularly prone to windblown dust, which is often attributed to high particulate matter (PM) pollution in such areas. Yet, windblown dust is poorly represented in existing regulatory air quality models. In a study by the authors on modeling episodic high PM events along the US/Mexico border using the state-of-the-art CMAQ/MM5/SMOKE air quality modeling system [Choi, Y.-J., Hyde, P., Fernando, H.J.S., 2006. Modeling of episodic particulate matter events using a 3D air quality model with fine grid: applications to a pair of cities in the US/Mexico border. Atmospheric Environment 40, 5181–5201], some of the observed PM₁₀ NAAQS exceedances were inferred as due to windblown dust, but the modeling system was incapable of dealing with time-dependent episodic dust entrainment during high wind periods. In this paper, a time-dependent entrainment parameterization for windblown dust is implemented in the CMAQ/MM5/SMOKE modeling system with the hope of improving PM predictions. An approach for realizing windblown dust emission flux for each grid cell over the study domain on an hourly basis, which accounts for the influence of factors such as soil moisture content, atmospheric stability and wind speed, is presented in detail. Comparison of model predictions with observational data taken at a pair of US/Mexico border towns shows a clear improvement of model performance upon implementation of the dust emission flux parameterization.     

The impact of the 2004 tsunami on coastal Thai communities: assessing adaptive capacity

The suddenness and scale of the 26 December 2004 tsunami and the challenges posed to affected communities highlighted the benefits of their members having a capacity to confront and adapt to the consequences of such a disaster. Research into adaptive capacity or resilience has been conducted almost exclusively with Western populations. This paper describes an exploratory study of the potential of a measure of collective efficacy developed for Western populations to predict the capacity of members of a collective society, Thai citizens affected by the 2004 tsunami, to confront effectively the recovery demands associated with this disaster. Following a demonstration that this measure could predict adaptive capacity, the role of religious affiliation, ethnicity and place of residence in sustaining collective efficacy is discussed. The implications of the findings for future research on, and intervention to develop, adaptive capacity among Thai citizens in particular and collectivist societies in general are discussed.     

Enhancing community-based disaster preparedness with information technology

A critical component of community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) is a local resource database of suppliers providing physical, information and human resources for use in disaster response. Maintenance of such a database can become a collaborative responsibility among community-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and public and private community organisations. In addition to mobilising resources, this process raises awareness within the community and aids in assessing local knowledge and resources. This paper presents the results of a pilot study on implementing a community-based resource database through collaboration with local American Red Cross chapters and public and private community organisations. The design of the resource database is described. The resource database is accessible via the internet and offline using laptops and handheld Personal Digital Assistants. The study concludes that CBDP is strengthened through a combination of appropriate information technology and collaborative relationships between NGOs and community-based organisations.     

Collaborative emergency management: better community organising, better public preparedness and response

Community coordination requires communication and planning of precautions to take when faced with a severe threat of disaster. The unique case of the four Florida hurricanes of 2004--Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne--is used here to assess community responses to repeated threats of hurricanes. The paper examines how effectiveness in coordinating community disaster response efforts affects future public preparedness. The findings suggest that pre-season planning, open communication between emergency managers and elected officials, and the use of technology all had a significant impact on community responses. The repeated threat scenario indicates that emergency managers must work vigilantly to keep residents informed of the seriousness of a situation. The study describes how emergency managers in Florida countered public complacency during four hurricanes in six weeks. The strategies identified as useful by public managers in the context of hurricanes are applicable to other natural and man-made disasters.