The flux of radionuclides in flowback fluid from shale gas exploitation

This study considers the flux of radioactivity in flowback fluid from shale gas development in three areas: the Carboniferous, Bowland Shale, UK; the Silurian Shale, Poland; and the Carboniferous Barnett Shale, USA. The radioactive flux from these basins was estimated, given estimates of the number of wells developed or to be developed, the flowback volume per well and the concentration of K (potassium) and Ra (radium) in the flowback water. For comparative purposes, the range of concentration was itself considered within four scenarios for the concentration range of radioactive measured in each shale gas basin, the groundwater of the each shale gas basin, global groundwater and local surface water. The study found that (i) for the Barnett Shale and the Silurian Shale, Poland, the 1 % exceedance flux in flowback water was between seven and eight times that would be expected from local groundwater. However, for the Bowland Shale, UK, the 1 % exceedance flux (the flux that would only be expected to be exceeded 1 % of the time, i.e. a reasonable worst case scenario) in flowback water was 500 times that expected from local groundwater. (ii) In no scenario was the 1 % exceedance exposure greater than 1 mSv—the allowable annual exposure allowed for in the UK. (iii) The radioactive flux of per energy produced was lower for shale gas than for conventional oil and gas production, nuclear power production and electricity generated through burning coal.     

Novel low density granular adsorbents - properties of a composite matrix from zeolitisation of vermiculite

This paper reports the preparation and properties of a new low density granular absorbent material based on a zeolite/vermiculite composite. The composite prepared addresses a number of important issues relating to the use of zeolites in environmental and waste management applications. The material prepared has large particle size due to binderless adhesion of zeolite crystals within the protective lamellar matrix provided by the vermiculite granule. Additionally, the porous nature of new material ensures that it outperforms natural zeolite grains in ion-exchange tests. The material was shown to have a low bulk density (0.75 g cm(-3)) adding the benefit that the majority of grains float on water for over 15 h. The conclusion of the study is that the use of composite matrices enable the preparation of materials which show the physical properties of the host, (e.g., granular and low density), whilst maintaining the powder-like properties (e.g., high ion-exchange and small crystal size) of the active component. The resulting material can be easily handled and separated from aqueous waste streams using either flotation or exploiting its granular nature.     

用Autospec-Ultima NT气相色谱-高分辨质谱分析二噁英及相关的持久性有机污染物

"二噁英"是指一类化学结构和生物特征均有某些相似之处的化合物.这些有毒化合物有几百种,可分为相关的三大类:氯代二苯并-对-二噁英(CDDs),氯代二苯并呋喃(CDFs)和某些多氯代联苯(PCBs).CDDs和CDFs并非与生具有,而是由于人类活动不注意而生成的.天然过程也会产生CDDs和CDFs.     

Towards a sustainability criteria and indicators framework for legacy mine land

Sustainable development practices have become an integral part of most major mining companies’ business activities. However, the history of mining and the negative impacts it has had on the natural and social environment mean future mining activities, rightly or wrongly, will be judged against the legacies of the past and current poor performers. Legacy mine land, defined here as land which has been mined and is now being used for another purpose, or is orphaned, abandoned or derelict and in need of remedial work, is one management challenge that will be judged in the context of sustainable development. Globally, millions of such sites exist. Having criteria against which to measure progress toward or away from sustainable development goals is a key to delivering results. The aim of this research was to develop a sustainability criteria and indicators framework to suit the particular needs of legacy mine land. The resulting framework consists of 14 criteria and 72 indicators.     

使用高分辨色质联机AUTOSPEC-ULTIMANT分析二噁英及呋喃

"二噁英"是指具有相似化学结构和生物特征的一族化合物,分别属于三大类别:多氯代二苯并二噁英(PC-DDs),多氯代二苯并呋喃(PCDFs)以及多氯联苯(PCBs).PCDDs和PCDFs无商业目的性生产,而是在大量的人类活动中产生的.自然过程也可以产生PCDDs和PCDFs.在过去的十年里,环境立法机构和企业一起致力于减少二噁英的排放.     

Bird conservation and the land sharing-sparing continuum in farmland-dominated landscapes of lowland England

Empirical evidence from many regions suggests that most species would be least negatively affected if human food demand were met through high-yield agricultural production and conservation of nonfarm ecosystems (land sparing), rather than through wildlife-friendly farming over a larger area (land sharing). However, repeated glaciation and a long history of agriculture may lead to different results in regions such as western Europe. We compared the consequences of land sparing and land sharing on breeding bird species in 2 lowland regions of England, The Fens, with 101 species, and Salisbury Plain, with 83. We derived density–yield responses for each species and then estimated regional population size under regional food production strategies, including land sharing and land sparing, a range of intermediate strategies, and a novel mixed strategy. In both regions, more species achieved maximum regional population size under land sparing than land sharing. In The Fens, the majority of birds were loser species (estimated to have smaller populations under all food production strategies than in the preagricultural baseline scenario), whereas in Salisbury Plain the majority were winners (smaller populations in the preagricultural baseline scenario). Loser species overwhelmingly achieved maximum regional population size under land sparing, whereas winner species achieved maximum regional population size under either land sharing or an intermediate strategy, highlighting the importance of defining which groups of species are the target of conservation. A novel 3-compartment strategy (combining high-yield farming, natural habitat, and low-yield farming) often performed better than either land sharing or land sparing. Our results support intermediate or 3-compartment land-sparing strategies to maximize bird populations across lowland agricultural landscapes. To deliver conservation outcomes, any shift toward land sparing must, however, ensure yield increases are sustainable in the long term, do not entail increased negative effects on surrounding areas, and are linked to allocation of land for nature.     

Monitoring fluvial water chemistry for trend detection: hydrological variability masks trends in datasets covering fewer than 12 years

This paper sub-samples four 35 year water quality time series to consider the potential influence of short-term hydrological variability on process inference derived from short-term monitoring data. The data comprise two time series for nitrate (NO(3)-N) and two for DOC (using water colour as a surrogate). The four catchments were selected not only because of their long records, but also because the four catchments are very different: upland and lowland, agricultural and non-agricultural. Multiple linear regression is used to identify the trend and effects of rainfall and hydrological 'memory effects' over the full 35 years, and then a moving-window technique is used to subsample the series, using window widths of between 6 and 20 years. The results suggest that analyses of periods between six and eleven years are more influenced by local hydrological variability and therefore provide misleading results about long-term trends, whereas periods of longer than twelve years tend to be more representative of underlying system behaviour. This is significant: if such methods for analysing monitoring data were used to validate changes in catchment management, a monitoring period of less than 12 years might be insufficient to demonstrate change in the underlying system.     

Relationships between seston,available food and feeding activity in the common mussel Mytilus edulis

The feeding and metabolic rates of Mytilus edulis L. of different body sizes were measured in response to changes in particle concentrations ranging from 2 to 350 mg l^-1. Rates of oxygen consumption were not significantly affected by changes in seston concentration, whereas clearance rates gradually declined with increasing particle concentration. Pseudofaeces production was initiated at relatively low seston concentrations (<5 mg l^-1). Marked seasonal changes were recorded in the composition of suspended particulates (seston) in an estuary in south-west England. Total seston was sampled at frequent intervals throughout an annual cycle and analysed in terms of: particle size-frequency distributions, total dry weight (mg l^-1), inorganic content, chlorophyll a, carbohydrate, protein and lipid. The particulate carbohydrate, protein and lipid content provided an estimate of the food content of the seston. The results are discussed in terms of the food available to a nonselective suspension feeder, such as M. edulis, during a seasonal cycle. The effect of inorganic silt in suspension was mainly to limit by dilution the amount of food material ingested rather than to reduce the amount of material filtered by the mussel. In winter, the food content of the material ingested was 5%, and this increased to 25% during the spring and summer.