The importance of temperature in assessing iron pipe corrosion in water distribution systems

Temperature is expected to play a significant role in the corrosion of iron pipes in drinking water distribution systems. Temperature impacts many parameters that are critical to pipe corrosion including biological activity, physical properties of the solution, thermodynamic and physical properties of corrosion scale, and chemical rates. Moreover, variations in temperature and temperature gradients may give rise to new corrosion phenomena worthy of consideration by water treatment personnel.     

Evaluation of the use of bioaccumulation and biological effects tools in caged mussels,within the European Water Framework Directive

Bioaccumulation and biological effects of pollution were assessed in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) caged for one month at three sites in the Oiartzun estuary (south-eastern Bay of Biscay, Spain) with the aim of evaluating their usefulness within the investigative monitoring defined in the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD). The highest concentrations of organic contaminants determined in mussels' tissue were detected towards the inner part of the estuary but no gradient pattern was found for metal bioaccumulation. Population fitness responses measured as condition index, stress on stress and gonad index were similar in all caged mussels and did not follow the organic pollution gradient. However, biomarkers determined at tissue, cell and protein level (histopathology, micronuclei frequency, malondialdehyde levels and vitellogenin-like protein levels) revealed a higher stress syndrome at the inner part of the estuary showing signs of genotoxicity, oxidative stress and endocrine disruption. Overall, the integrated chemical–biological approach in connection with mussel caging technique proved to be a useful tool to assess environmental pollution, allowing a better understanding of the cause–effect relationship within the investigative monitoring defined in the WFD.     

Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ)对小白菜生长及生理效应的影响

用盆栽试验研究了不同含量Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ)对小白菜生长和生理效应的影响.结果表明,不同含量Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ)对小白菜体生长和生理代谢的影响不尽相同.低含量硒（Se(Ⅳ)<10.0 mg·kg-1、Se(Ⅵ)<5.0 mg·kg-1）能够促进小白菜的生长,使其根变粗, 诱导脯氨酸的产生,阻止丙二醛（MDA）的合成,增强白菜的抗逆性,使其生物量明显提高;高含量硒会抑制小白菜的生长,导致植物体内脯氨酸合成下降,MDA含量增加,叶及根系生长受到抑制,地上和地下部干重显著急速下降（p<0.01）.小白菜根长、叶面积等生长指标均随Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ)含量的增大而显著下降（p<0.01）;抑制小白菜根系生长的Se(Ⅳ)含量为60 mg·kg-1,明显高于Se(Ⅵ)含量（20.0 mg·kg-1）.相同硒含量下,Se(Ⅳ)处理的小白菜地上部干重为Se(Ⅵ)的1.1~3.0倍,说明本试验条件下Se(Ⅵ)的生物有效性和毒性均大于Se(Ⅳ).Se(Ⅵ)处理小白菜地上部分的硒含量显著高于地下部分,而Se(Ⅳ)处理小白菜地下部分的硒含量显著高于地上部分,小白菜地上和地下部分对Se(Ⅵ)的吸收量均显著高于Se(Ⅳ).综合生长和生理因子分析表明,地上部分生物量是反映Se(Ⅳ)及Se(Ⅵ)处理土壤上小白菜生长状况的理想指标.     

Potential Negative Ecological Effects of Corridors

Despite many studies showing that landscape corridors increase dispersal and species richness for disparate taxa, concerns persist that corridors can have unintended negative effects. In particular, some of the same mechanisms that underlie positive effects of corridors on species of conservation interest may also increase the spread and impact of antagonistic species (e.g., predators and pathogens), foster negative effects of edges, increase invasion by exotic species, increase the spread of unwanted disturbances such as fire, or increase population synchrony and thus reduce persistence. We conducted a literature review and meta‐analysis to evaluate the prevalence of each of these negative effects. We found no evidence that corridors increase unwanted disturbance or non‐native species invasion; however, these have not been well‐studied concerns (1 and 6 studies, respectively). Other effects of corridors were more often studied and yielded inconsistent results; mean effect sizes were indistinguishable from zero. The effect of edges on abundances of target species was as likely to be positive as negative. Corridors were as likely to have no effect on antagonists or population synchrony as they were to increase those negative effects. We found 3 deficiencies in the literature. First, despite studies on how corridors affect predators, there are few studies of related consequences for prey population size and persistence. Second, properly designed studies of negative corridor effects are needed in natural corridors at scales larger than those achievable in experimental systems. Third, studies are needed to test more targeted hypotheses about when corridor‐mediated effects on invasive species or disturbance may be negative for species of management concern. Overall, we found no overarching support for concerns that construction and maintenance of habitat corridors may result in unintended negative consequences. Negative edge effects may be mitigated by widening corridors or softening edges between corridors and the matrix. Other negative effects are relatively small and manageable compared with the large positive effects of facilitating dispersal and increasing diversity of native species. Efectos Negativos Potenciales de los Corredores     

Thermal decomposition mechanism of 65% lysine sulfate powder and its thermal stability based on thermal analysis

Lysine is widely used in the fields of food, medicine and feed, which generally appears in the form of lysine sulfate or lysine hydrochloride dust because of the high instability of the free L-lysine. The L-lysine Sulfate is in high risk of decomposition, spontaneous ignition and even the dust explosion, because the control temperature in its production process is high up to 90 °C. Thus, the thermal behaviors and its thermal stability of 65% lysine sulfate are experimentally explored in Air and Nitrogen using the simultaneous TG-DSC measurements. Results show: (1) the decomposition of 65% lysine sulfate can be divided into three stages both in the atmospheres of air and nitrogen, and most of the weight loss occurred in the first two stages, which are related with the decarboxylation and deamination process. (2) The effects of atmosphere on the decomposition of 65% lysine sulfate mainly occur at the third stage. In this stage, the weight loss in nitrogen is only 14.2%, which is much lower than that in air (34.3%), which is related to the oxidative degradation at high temperature. Besides, the active energy is slightly increased in nitrogen compared to that in air. (3) The initial temperatures of the decomposition of the 65% lysine sulfate are 145 °C and 155 °C, for the air and nitrogen atmosphere, respectively, which are much lower than that (260 °C) of the pure lysine.     

Health and environmental assessment of mercury exposure in a gold mining community in Western Mindanao, Philippines

The small-scale gold mining activities using mercury began in the late 1980s in Sibutad, Western Mindanao. It is located very near the Murcielagos Bay with tailing ponds directly discharging into bodies of water. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the health and environmental effects of gold mining activities on the community. Residents were randomly selected and classified into two groups, namely, the directly exposed and indirectly exposed populations using a set inclusion criteria. Complete medical and laboratory examinations were performed. Environmental and biologic samples were collected for total mercury and methylmercury determinations. The results showed that the directly exposed group had significantly higher mean blood total mercury and methylmercury levels in comparison with the indirectly exposed population. Although there were no significant differences between hair total mercury and methylmercury levels, there was a trend for higher levels of these biomarkers among the directly exposed residents as compared with the unexposed group. The absence of statistically significant differences may be attributable to the small sample size. Ambient air quality monitoring for mercury exceeded the allowable levels. However, levels of mercury in drinking water and sediments were within allowable limits. Frequency of gastrointestinal complaints was significantly associated with elevated hair methylmercury levels (p=0.02). Also, there appears to be a trend towards higher blood total mercury levels and frequency of gastrointestinal complaints (p=0.09). An interesting finding in this study was the increasing incidence of elevated diastolic blood pressure with elevated hair total mercury levels (p=0.07). Mercury storage at home is a risk factor.     

学龄儿童肺功能水平影响因素的研究

用逐步回归分析方法对与室内、外空气污染和机体状况等有关的因素对广州市学龄儿童肺功能 (FVC、FEV1 、PEFR和 FEF2 5～ 75 )水平的影响进行研究。结果提示 ,影响肺功能水平的主要因素是内因 ,身高的影响最明显 ,呼吸系统疾病或症状发生与肺功能水平下降有关 ;室外空气污染使肺功能水平下降 ,SO2 、NOx 和 PM2 .5 的影响明显 ,PM2 .5 的影响明显大于 PM1 0 和 TSP;居室或厨房通风不良、家庭烹饪用不洁燃料对儿童肺功能的生长不利 ;被动吸烟对女性儿童肺功能有不利影响。对各种影响因素 ,PEFR和 FEF2 5～ 75 比 FVC和 FEV1 更为敏感     

莱特生物强化技术处理高浓度有机废水的中试

采用莱特生物强化技术(LTBR—Littoral BioReactor),对兰州石化公司化工园区高浓度有机废水进行了中试试验,进行了正常运行的常规标定、水量冲击标定、浓度冲击标定。结果表明:采用LTBR生物处理工艺,使用特效微生物和营养基质,可以在高COD、高含盐等不利条件下正常进行有机物降解,达到了必须将废水中的COD降至2000mg/L以下的试验要求,为处理高浓度有机化工废水的工程应用开辟了新思路。     

Within season and carry-over effects following exposure of grassland species mixtures to increasing background ozone

Few studies have investigated effects of increased background ozone in the absence of episodic peaks, despite a predicted increase throughout the northern hemisphere over the coming decades. In this study Leontodon hispidus was grown with Anthoxanthum odoratum or Dactylis glomerata and exposed in the UK to one of eight background ozone concentrations for 20 weeks in solardomes. Seasonal mean ozone concentrations ranged from 21.4 to 102.5 ppb. Ozone-induced senescence of L. hispidus was enhanced when grown with the more open canopy of A. odoratum compared to the denser growing D. glomerata. There was increased cover with increasing ozone exposure for both A. odoratum and D. glomerata, which resulted in an increase in the grass:Leontodon cover ratio in both community types. Carry-over effects of the ozone exposure were observed, including delayed winter die-back of L. hispidus and acceleration in the progression from flowers to seed-heads in the year following ozone exposure.     

生产部门提高能源效率的宏观能耗回弹分析

提高能源效率已成为我国节能减排政策的重点,但是由于经济系统内在的调整机制作用,在宏观层面所能实现的节能效果可能不及微观技术层面能源效率提高的程度,甚至还会诱发更多的能源消耗,该现象被称为“宏观能耗回弹”效应.本文通过构建一个中国环境资源CGE模型,测算生产部门提高能源效率的宏观能耗回弹效应.结果显示,能源效率提高5％后,短期回弹效应为52.38％,节能效果仅达到技术层面预期的一半左右;长期回弹效应达178.61％,在高耗能部门竞争力提高、耗能产品出口扩张和经济增长的推动下,节能效果不但被完全抵消,总能耗还进一步增加.因此,生产部门提高能源效率在短期内确实能够降低我国能源消耗,但是由于回弹效应的存在,长期来看,在技术层面“产量相同投入更少”的努力反映到宏观经济层面则转变成“生产更多投入更多”,并且加剧了我国经济高耗能的偏好,提高能源效率所引发的产出增长和结构调整对能耗增加的刺激作用可能最终会抵消或者超过提高能源效率的节能效果.