Environmental fate of pesticides used in Australian viticulture IV. Aqueous stability of dithianon

Dithianon formulations are unstable in slightly basic aqueous solutions (pH 9, 20°C, t _½ = 5.6 h) but relatively stable in neutral or acidic solution (pH 4,20°C, t _½ = 6443 h). To ensure the efficacy of this fungicide it is important to prepare the spray mix fresh with neutral or slightly acidic water. Dithianon is unstable towards natural sunlight in the solid and aqueous phase, with half‐lives of approximately 68 and 42 days, respectively. Thermal hydrolysis does not seem to be the preferred degradation pathway when aqueous solutions are heated by the South Australian summer sun. The major aqueous phase photodegradation product has been identified as 2,3‐dihydro‐1,4‐dithiaanthraquinone. These results strongly suggest that should dithianon be accidentally released into basic Australian waters then it is likely to be rapidly chemically hydrolysed and pose little long term environmental threat. However, dithianon is only slowly chemically and photo‐lytically hydrolysed in neutral and acidic waters, and in this case accidentally release may pose a significant short term environmental threat.     

苏南某农业区浅层地下水DDTs污染特征分析

针对苏南某农业区浅层地下水中DDTs的污染特征进行了初步分析,结果表明,浅层地下水中DDTs最大检出质量浓度为1.04 μg·L-1,最大检出率为36.67％.浅层地下水DDTs污染呈散状分布,浓度高值点集中在研究区东北部,污染范围大,且表现出丰水期、平水期和枯水期含量依次递减的季节性变化特征.该地区包气带防污性能良好,黏土矿物和有机碳对DDTs吸附作用较强,可阻滞其向浅层地下水环境中迁移,是造成部分地段浅层地下水未检出DDTs污染的重要原因.受污染地表水体的垂向入渗是导致浅层地下水DDTs污染的直接原因,其侧向补给可能是浅层地下水DDTs污染的重要来源之一,且污染范围往往局限于地表水体附近地带.     

Investigation of stakeholders' awareness and adoption of Inherently Safer Design (ISD) principles in South African utility industry projects

The paper examines the level of awareness of stakeholders in adopting Inherently Safer Design (ISD) principles in the Project Life Cycle Management (PLCM) of South African Energy utility projects. It seeks to understand whether stakeholders in the latter stages of the Project Life Cycle are competent to make design change decisions on these projects. ISD principles are essentially useful for reducing risks and as such, safety experts have acknowledged it as an excellent approach in the design process. However, there are no known efforts to date that attempt to integrate ISD concepts into PLCM. This paper seeks to fill this gap. This study, through the review of extant literature establishes that ISD principles can be used in project procurement, and adopts a quantitative survey approach in obtaining information from stakeholders in the South African utility industry. Findings reveal that the principles of inherent safety are permeating into the management of South African utility projects but the level of awareness and its adoption are below optimal levels. It also emerged that there is a divergent awareness of ISD strategies amongst PLCM stakeholders and that the design engineers are better informed about the ISD approach of eliminating risks and hazards in the industrial systems studied than other stakeholders. The findings also indicate that the level of awareness of stakeholders of ISD principles is greater within earlier project phases. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that the hazards witnessed within the project execution and finalization phases could be as a result of the low levels of awareness, divergent views and lower use of ISD strategies by PLCM stakeholders. It is suggested that the level of awareness of the principles, concepts, basics and benefits of integrating ISD into PLCM be raised amongst stakeholders functioning within utility industry project procurement in South Africa and that design changes be limited to the earlier phases of utility project procurement.     

南海南部海域浮游细菌群落特征及影响因素研究

采用高通量测序技术,对南海南部海域浮游细菌丰度、群落组成和群落多样性的分布特征及与环境因子的关系进行了研究.结果表明,该研究区域浮游细菌丰度为107~108个/L,近岸大于离岸,同一站位不同水层细菌分布差异明显.优势类群为变形菌门、蓝藻门和拟杆菌门,优势亚群为 γ-变形菌纲、α-变形菌纲、蓝藻菌纲和黄杆菌纲,研究区域内不同水体间物种组成存在较大差异,另外该海域还存在大量未被认知的细菌类群.该海域浮游细菌种类丰富,具有较高的多样性指数(H￠)(4.44~7.00),研究区域内表层水体H￠接近,分别为5.26、5.33和5.07,处于上升流的次表层水体中H￠为6.70明显高于其他水层.DOC和磷酸盐是影响该海域浮游细菌丰度的主要因素,同时磷酸盐也是影响其群落多样性的主要因素,表明该海域异养浮游细菌生长主要受P的限制.     

苏南快速城市化地区森林生物量时空变化及影响分析

随着我国城镇化进程的快速推进,城镇密集区城市扩张带来的负面生态环境问题得到广泛关注。森林生态系统具有固碳释氧等多种生态服务功能,对减小城市化的负面效应、改善生态环境具有积极作用。近年来我国植树造林成效明显,森林资源总量和质量持续提升,科学评估森林生物量动态对理解碳源汇变化及制定森林保护政策具有重要的意义,但当前对快速城市化地区长时期生物量变化及影响因素研究较少。苏南地区处于我国最大的城镇密集区长江三角洲的中心,近年来该地区森林面积和质量不断增加,而受中低卫星遥感数据分辨率影响,以往对该地区生态系统生物量研究未探测到这种变化。利用1990、2005年江苏省森林资源调查数据及2010年江苏省森林覆盖监测数据,采用换算因子连续函数法和平均生物量法等计算苏南地区三个时期森林生物量,研究20年来苏南快速城市化地区森林植被生物量的时空变化,并结合社会经济数据探讨了生物量变化与经济人口的关联。结果表明：20年来,苏南地区森林植被面积、生物量和生物量密度总体呈显著增加趋势,生物量从7.15 Tg增长到16.72 Tg,乔木林的生物量密度由29.32 t＆#183;hm-2上升至39.82 t＆#183;hm-2,但远低于同期全国的均值;各市生物量分布不均匀,2010年生物量总量从大到小依次是南京、无锡、镇江、常州和苏州;各市森林生物量总量主要由森林面积和地形决定,森林面积增加是生物量增加的主要因素,阔叶林比例和林龄的增长也促进了生物量增加,随着区域森林林龄不断增长,森林生物量仍将不断增加;政府政策和经济利益等影响下的森林建设是区域森林生物量增加的主要原因,较高的经济发展水平促进了各市森林资源数量增长,而高人口密度未对森林面积和生物量未产生显著负面?     

Looking forward: Disasters at 40

This paper reflects on contemporary studies of and responses to disasters, highlighting the importance of historical, spatial, and intersectional modes of analysis, and draws on the author's ongoing research on Southern‐led and local community responses to displacement in the Middle East. Acknowledging the plurality of ‘international communities of response’, it begins by critiquing the depiction of selected responses to disasters as ‘positive’ ‘paradigm shifts’, including in reference to the ‘localisation of aid, and the United Nations’ Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan for Syria. Next it turns to three key themes that are central to disasters studies: migration; forced displacement; and Southern‐led responses to disasters. Among other things, the paper argues that exploring the principles and modalities of South–South cooperation, rather than promoting the incorporation of Southern actors into the ‘international humanitarian system’ via the localisation agenda, presents a critical opportunity for studies of and responses to disasters.     

Comparative assessment of sustainable development in South American countries on the basis of the Sustainable Society Index

This study reports an overview of the economic, social and environmental performance of the main South American countries (SAC) as measured by the Sustainable Society Index. This is a well-known composite indicator, composed of 21 indicators, grouped in seven categories, covering environmental, social and economic wellbeing dimensions. Thirteen European countries recently incorporated into the European Union (NEUC) are considered as a reference. The study covers the period 2006–2016. The South American Region features significant natural resources and plays an important role in the global economy. However, there is concern about the long-term sustainability of social and economic development, given the high rate of economic growth based on the production of low added-value primary products. Sustainable development requires reasonable balance between economic, social and environmental performance, as well as a sustained and balanced increase in performance associated with those fundamental dimensions. Moreover, it is important to agree on minimum performance levels for all performance indicators, taking into account particular social, economic and environmental realities. SAC feature a clear imbalance in some categories affecting the economic, social and environmental wellbeing dimensions, showing either stagnation or significant decrease in recent years. It can be concluded that in the light of findings reported here, South American countries are far from being on the pathway towards sustainable development.     

我国南海海域渔业环境保护法律问题与对策

我国南海渔业活动及其以外的人类活动产生的环境问题,严重污染了南海海域的水质,威胁着南海渔业资源的可持续发展。我国南海海域渔业环境保护法律体系已形成,提供了较为合理的制度安排。但仍存在一些法律问题,其中以环境影响评价制度、海洋环境监测制度和海水养殖污染防治制度等方面的问题较为突出。因此本文提出以下法律对策:明确渔业部门在环境影响评价制度中的法律地位,加强渔业海域环境监测的协调机制和完善海水养殖污染防治制度,以期依靠法治的力量保护南海渔业资源的可持续发展。     

Aligning Climate Policy with National Interest: Disengagements with Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions in South Africa

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) were proposed as a policy framework that could provide middle ground for meeting both the development and mitigation objectives in developing countries. While South Africa engaged actively with the NAMA terminology in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations, its engagement at the domestic level has been rather lacklustre. This presents an interesting paradox. The paper studies the interplay of international norms embodied in NAMAs with South Africa's domestic policy process. Disengagement and contestation around NAMAs in South Africa is played out at three stages: decision-making stage where the symptoms surrounding this contestation first emerge; policy formulation stage where NAMAs have to not only align with the National Development Plan but also compete with a predilection for domestically familiar terminology of flagships under the national climate policy; and finally the broader agenda-setting stage of policy process, where NAMAs have to prove useful in not only pursuing the developmental state agenda but also in tackling the underlying material factors that represent country's economic dependency on fossil fuels. NAMAs faced combined resistance from ideas and interests in various degrees at all these stages resulting in their disengagement.