CaCu3Ti4O12, an efficient catalyst for ibuprofen removal by activation of peroxymonosulfate under visible-light irradiation

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Contamination of waters by pharmaceuticals is a major health issue. Therefore, there is a need for efficient techniques to remove pharmaceutical pollutants. Here,...     

Conceptualizing Discourses on Ecological City and Its Planning

Ecological city （eco-city） and its planning approach are emerging concepts in urban study, urban planning, ecological economics, environmental policy and corporate environmental management. However, opinions remain divided over the connotation and denotation of the term ＂ecological city＂, what key issues eco-city planning can solve, and its specific contents. In this study, we present 10 basic propositions that define the eco-city and clarify its key parameters, thereby providing the basis for discussing the assumptions and principles underlying different approaches to sus- tainable urban development. We then summarize the concept and principles of an eco-city, and define the main requirements for eco- city planning. We conclude that an eco-city is a city in which the urban population, scale of land use and intensity of human activities are limited to the regional resource and environmental carrying capacity, which does not cause increasing or irreversible damage to the regional ecosystem＇s structure, functions and processes.     

复合赤泥在高浓度含磷废水处理中的应用

赤泥与石灰粉（CaO和Ca（OH）₂）按不同比例混合制成复合赤泥,通过投加实验考察了复合赤泥的除磷效果。结果证明,对于磷酸盐浓度为45 000 mg/L左右（以P计）的酸性工业废水,复合赤泥（赤泥与Ca（OH）₂按质量比1：1混合）投加量为240 g/L,去除率为99.97%;对于10 mg/L左右的含磷废水,赤泥的最佳投加浓度为15 g/L,上清液磷浓度可降至0.30 mg/L,出水低于0.5 mg/L的排放标准。根据以上研究结果,提出了对高浓度酸性磷酸盐废水的处理宜采用复合赤泥再加原状赤泥的二级处理方法。     

Conceptualizing Discourses on Ecological City and Its Planning

Abstract

Ecological city (eco-city) and its planning approach are emerging concepts in urban study, urban planning, ecological economics, environmental policy and corporate environmental management. However, opinions remain divided over the connotation and denotation of the term “ecological city”, what key issues ecocity planning can solve, and its specific contents. In this study, we present 10 basic propositions that define the eco-city and clarify its key parameters, thereby providing the basis for discussing the assumptions and principles underlying different approaches to sustainable urban development. We then summarize the concept and principles of an eco-city, and define the main requirements for ecocity planning. We conclude that an eco-city is a city in which the urban population, scale of land use and intensity of human activities are limited to the regional resource and environmental carrying capacity, which does not cause increasing or irreversible damage to the regional ecosystem’s structure, functions and processes.     

Statistical Methodologies Used to Calculate Urbanization Rates in China

To analyze China’s actual urbanization level, we iden- tified two statistical approaches: using the population living within the administrative boundaries (administrative-based method) and within the urbanized or built-up areas (infrastructure-based method) of cities and towns as urban population. To illustrate the two approaches and the associated problems, we used data for Tangshan City as a case study. The estimates on the administrative-based method were unreliable and the infrastructurebased method pro...     

Evaluating Beijing’s human carrying capacity from the perspective of water resource constraints

As the demands on limited water resources intensify, concerns are being raised about the human carrying capacity of these resources. However, few researchers have studied the carrying capacity of regional water resources. Beijing, the second-largest city in China, faces a critical water shortage that will limit the city’s future development. We developed a method to quantify the carrying capacity of Beijing’s water resources by considering water-use structures based on the proportions of water used for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes. We defined a reference structure as 45:22:33 (% of total, respectively), an optimized structure as 40:20:40, and an ideal structure as 50:15:35. We also considered four domestic water quotas: 55, 75, 95, and 115 m 3 /(person·yr). The urban carrying capacity of 10–12 million was closest to Beijing’s actual 2003 population for all three water-use structures with urban domestic water use of 75 m 3 /(person·yr). However, after accounting for our underlying assumptions, the adjusted carrying capacity is closer to 5–6 million. Thus, Beijing’s population in 2003 was almost twice the adjusted carrying capacity. Based on this result, we discussed the ecological and environmental problems created by Beijing’s excessive population and propose measures to mitigate these problems.