Results of An Indoor Size Fractionated PM School Sampling Program in Libby, Montana

Libby, Montana is the only PM_2.5 nonattainment area in the western United States with the exceptions of parts of southern California. During January through March 2005, a particulate matter (PM) sampling program was conducted within Libby’s elementary and middle schools to establish baseline indoor PM concentrations before a wood stove change-out program is implemented over the next several years. As part of this program, indoor concentrations of PM mass, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) in five different size fractions (>2.5, 1.0–2.5, 0.5–1.0, 0.25–0.5, and <0.25 μm) were measured. Total measured PM mass concentrations were much higher inside the elementary school, with particle size fraction (>2.5, 0.5–1.0, 0.25–0.5, and <0.25 μm) concentrations between 2 and 5 times higher when compared to the middle school. The 1.0–2.5 μm fraction had the largest difference between the two sites, with elementary school concentrations nearly 10 times higher than the middle school values. The carbon component for the schools’ indoor PM was found to be predominantly composed of OC. Measured total OC and EC concentrations, as well as concentrations within individual size fractions, were an average of two to five times higher at the elementary school when compared to the middle school. For the ultrafine fraction (<0.25), EC concentrations were similar between each of the schools. Despite the differences in concentrations between the schools at the various fraction levels, the OC/EC ratio was determined to be similar.     

Nitrogen input to the Gulf of Mexico

Historical streamflow and concentration data were used in regression models to estimate the annual flux of nitrogen (N) to the Gulf of Mexico and to determine where the nitrogen originates within the Mississippi Basin. Results show that for 1980-1996 the mean annual total N flux to the Gulf of Mexico was 1,568,000 t yr-1. The flux was about 61% nitrate N, 37% organic N, and 2% ammonium N. The flux of nitrate N to the Gulf has approximately tripled in the last 30 years with most of the increase occurring between 1970 and 1983. The mean annual N flux has changed little since the early 1980s, but large year-to-year variations in N flux occur because of variations in precipitation. During wet years the N flux can increase by 50% or more due to flushing of nitrate N that has accumulated in the soils and unsaturated zones in the basin. The principal source areas of N are basins in southern Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio that drain agricultural land. Basins in this region yield 1500 to more than 3100 kg N km-2 yr-1 to streams, several times the N yield of basins outside this region.     

长江流域径流模拟及其对极端降雨的响应

研究流域径流量变化可为水资源科学调配、利用开发、水旱灾害防治、水环境污染整治和国民经济可持续发展等提供重要依据.但近年来受全球变暖影响,极端气候事件,尤其是极端降雨的发生频率和强度出现了变化,直接或间接影响径流量变化.运用SWAT模型模拟1965~2019年间长江流域径流时空变化规律,分析了不同极端降雨条件下径流对降雨的响应.结果表明,1965~2019年间长江流域径流变化并不显著,流域总径流和中下游径流均经历了"枯-丰-枯-丰"4个阶段.极端降雨情景模拟发现,50 a一遇极端降雨下,长江上、中和下游代表性子流域日均径流变化率分别为6200%、21%和15%,月均径流变化率为355%、5%和1.3%,年均变化率为78%、1%和0.24%.而100 a一遇极端降雨下,3个子流域日均径流变化率分别为8000%、25%和17%,月均径流变化率为437%、7%和1.5%,年均变化率为96%、1.2%和0.28%.研究结果可为流域水资源管理和利用及洪涝灾害预测与防控等提供理论依据.     

跨海桥梁大尺度基础波浪荷载计算方法对比研究∗

波浪荷载是跨海桥梁基础的主要环境荷载之一。为了探究大尺度桥梁基础上各类波浪荷载计算方法的差异,分别采用了当前研究中较常用的Morison方程、规范、基于边界元法的三维绕射理论和基于Navier‐Stokes方程的CFD方法计算了某跨海桥梁大尺度圆端型沉井基础在规则波作用下的波浪荷载,研究了不同结构相对尺度对各方法计算结果的影响,并重点比较分析了后两种数值方法的三维流场分布,三维压力场分布,以及非线性二阶力效应的影响。结果表明,在结构相对尺度为0.2左右时,上述方法的计算结果接近,随着结构相对尺度的增加,边界元与CFD方法依然吻合较好,规范方法给出了较为保守的波浪荷载,Morison方程可能高估了波浪拖曳力的贡献。边界元与CFD方法计算得到的速度场与压力场结果整体趋势一致,但在沉井前端自由液面与物面,沉井侧面的波谷等局部区域会产生明显差异,这可能是由于二者考虑绕射效应与黏性效应的理论不同。在边界元方法中考虑非线性二阶力效应会使其波浪荷载结果小幅度增大,并在频谱中增加差频二阶力及和频二阶力成分,考虑非线性二阶力效应后,边界元与CFD方法的频谱曲线更加吻合,边界元方法能更精确地计算波浪荷载。边界元与CFD方法均能合理地给出大尺度结构物波浪荷载结果,研究结论可为跨海桥梁工程波浪荷载的准确计算提供了依据。     

7.0 m采高综采面回采巷道变形破坏规律研究

针对神东矿区大柳塔煤矿采用7.0 m采高综采面回采5-2煤三盘区时回采巷道出现不同程度的变形破坏现象,采用现场实测的方法对52304及52303工作面回风顺槽之间的区段煤柱进行了巷道变形及应力变化规律的监测,并运用FLAC3D数值模拟软件对不同埋深条件下两工作面之间区段煤柱的应力分布规律进行了模拟,最后总结分析了回采巷道变形破坏的机理,并得出采空区段煤柱的失稳是造成回采巷道变形破坏的根本原因。从而为巷道的合理布置及相应控制对策的提出提供基础数据,以保证矿井安全高效的生产。     

European starling nestling response to chlorpyrifos exposure in a corn agroecosystem

European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) nestlings were used as a surrogate to study the effect of chlorpyrifos application to a corn agroecosystem on songbird reproduction. Chlorpyrifos was applied in a T‐band at 1.3 kg AI/ha, and residues were measured in soil, earthworms, ground‐dwelling insects, and diet items collected from the crop of starling nestlings. Chlorpyrifos levels in soil peaked at 34.2 μg/g, 4 days post‐application, and dissipated to trace levels by 64 days post‐application. Concentrations of chlorpyrifos in earthworms and ground‐dwelling insects reached 0.9 and 0.7 ug/g, respectively. Starling nestling diet items included invertebrates from eight orders with chlorpyrifos concentrations ranging from trace levels to 10.6 μg/g in earthworms. Nestling brain and plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activity and body mass measurements were taken at 3, 8, and 13 days post‐hatch (DPH). Adult starling fecundity was also measured. Body mass differences between treatment and reference site nestlings at 3 and 13 DPH were not significant at α = 0.05. However, 8 DPH nestlings from the Treatment Site had a transient reduction in weight (p = 0.03) when compared with 8 DPH reference nestlings. There were no significant differences in brain or plasma ChE activities of 3, 8, or 13 DPH nestlings. Further, multiple measures of fecundity (i.e., clutch size, hatching percentage, and fledging percentage) indicated that chlorpyrifos application did not affect starling nestling survival to fledging, as the values from the Treatment and Reference Site were nearly identical. This screening‐level study suggests that although one age group of starling nestlings from the Treatment Site weighed less than their Reference Site counterparts, a single T‐band application of chlorpyrifos did not impair starling nesting success.     

Evolution, radiation and chemotaxonomy of Lamellodysidea, a demosponge genus with anti-plasmodial metabolites

Sponges of the family Dysideidae (Dictyoceratida) are renowned for their diversity of secondary metabolites, and its genus Lamellodysidea, particularly Lamellodysidea herbacea, is the most studied taxon biochemically. Despite its importance, the taxonomic status of L. herbacea—whether it is a distinct species or a species complex—has never been assessed. Recent biochemical profiling revealed anti-plasmodial activity of brominated compounds in Lamellodysidea of the Pacific. Here, we present a comparative chemotaxonomic and molecular analysis of selected Dysideidae from the Pacific and the Indian Ocean (New Caledonia, Great Barrier Reef, Fiji, Mayotte, Guam, Palau). We investigated the phylogenetic relationships between the populations and assessed their bioactive (PBDE) compounds in order to unravel the taxonomic status of this commercially important group of sponges and assessed patterns of dispersal and biochemical variation. The molecular phylogeny was based on the internal transcribed ribosomal spacer and compared against a PBDE phylogeny for several specimens. Molecular data revealed a diversity of Indo-Pacific L. herbacea populations, also reflected by different PBDE compound profiles. Molecular and biochemical data also revealed a Lamellodysidea species new to science. Several specimens misidentified as Lamellodysidea were detected based on their position on different clades in the molecular phylogeny and their production of different halogenated compounds (brominated vs. chlorinated). The direct comparison of molecular and biochemical data also provided evidence for the occurrence of a host switch event and support for the theory that abiotic factors, such as sedimentation, affect the chemical constituents produced in L. herbacea.     

Differential use of stored sperm during oviposition in the damselfly Calopteryx splendens xanthostoma (Charpentier)

Female Calopteryx splendens xanthostoma (Charpentier) (Odonata), have two discrete sperm storage organs, the bursa copulatrix and the paired spermathecae. We used the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA(RAPD) profiling technique to determine from which sperm storage organ spermatozoa were used to fertilise eggs during behaviourally distinct oviposition bouts. During oviposition bouts following remating sperm from the bursa copulatrix are largely used to fertilise eggs, but when females avoid remating before an oviposition bout the sperm used to fertilise eggs are derived mainly from the paired spermathecae. Our observations suggest that female C. s. xanthostoma can avoid male paternity assurance mechanisms by a combination of behavioural and anatomical adaptation: the reason(s) they do so is unclear. Received: 28 November 1995/Accepted after revision: 5 August 1996     

综放采空区遗煤厚度的分布规律及模拟研究

鉴于采空区遗煤厚度对其自燃规律影响的重要性,对综放采空区遗煤厚度的分布规律进行了研究.应用松散介质理论、放煤椭球体理论及三维数值模拟方法对综放采空区遗煤的空间分布形态、采空区顶板压力及空隙率分布进行分析,得到采空区遗煤厚度的计算公式及三维分布示意图,采空区顶板压力与遗煤空隙率、遗煤厚度的函数关系及在算例条件下三者的三维分布状态.结果表明:综放采空区遗煤的空间形态受工作面的放煤步距、放煤口间距及顶煤破裂角、采空区顶板压力、遗煤空隙率等因素的影响,采空区遗煤厚度分布的确定应是非连续、非均匀的.     

Factors Determining the Post-consumer Waste Recycling Burden

The environmental burden of collecting recoverables from households is generally omitted from life-cycle analyses comparing the environmental outcome of using secondary material from post-consumer waste (PCW) with virgin feedstock. However, this burden can be considerable, depending upon the characteristics of the collection methods employed. Given that the basic objective of recycling is to secure environmental benefits, it is vital that the burden of collection through both bring/dropoff and kerbside schemes is taken into account if a valid assessment of the environmental balance resulting from PCW recycling is to be made. This paper presents survey data comparing the burden of collection for different types of recycling provision. It describes the site and spatial characteristics determining the amount of transport dedicated to collection at bring/drop-off sites. Predictor variables are identified as measures of these characteristics, and the survey data compared with them. A regression model to assess energy use at bring/drop-off sites with varying characteristics is then developed. The potential uses of the techniques presented include the evaluation of the environmental burdens of recycling provision at the waste collection authority and regional level, allowing more informed choices to be made in the development of recycling provision from an environmental standpoint.