Review of present European environmental policies and legislation involving cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is being addressed by a number of charters and conventions and it is clear that its consideration within decision-making processes is progressively becoming a real challenge, both for developers and public authorities. Against this background, this paper reviews the environmental assessment framework developed by the European Community, as this should increasingly influence decision making about cultural heritage in an urban setting. The legislative framework for access to environmental information is also reviewed because of its relevance to the decision-making process.The Directives on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment both require a consideration of cultural heritage in decision making. This requirement can go some way to addressing the paradox in the European Community's position whereby the community wishes to conserve and enhance its own cultural identity whilst, at the same time, cultural heritage is usually defined at a local level. The present paper suggests that, given their flexibility, the two European Community directives on environmental assessment constitute a promising opportunity to address this seeming paradox, but that there is a significant gap between legal obligations and the methodological tools to meet them.     

Evolution of environmental impact assessment as applied to watershed modification projects in Canada

This article reviews the application of environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures and practices to three watershed modification projects situaled in western Canada. These ventures were justified for accelerating regional economic development, and cover the period during which public concerns for protecting the environment rapidly made their way into the national political agenda. An historical account and analysis of the situation, therefore, seems desirable in order to understand the development of EIA processes, practices, and methodologies since the start of construction of the first project in 1961. This study concludes that there has been good progress in predicting and evaluating environmental and related social impacts of watershed modification proposals. However, a number of obstacles need to be overcome before EIA can firmly establish itself as an effective planning tool. These difficulties include jurisdictional confusions and conflicts, division of authority and responsibility in designing and implementing appropriate mitigative and monitoring measures, lack of tested EIA methodologies, and limited availability of qualified human resources. A number of conclusions and suggestions are offered so that future watershed modification proposals may be planned and implemented in a more environmentally sustainable fashion. These include: (1) EIA processes must be completed before irrevocable decisions are made. (2) Any major intrusion into a watershed is likely to impact on some major components of the ecosystem(s). (3) Mitigation costs must form part of the benefit-cost analysis of any project proposal. (4) Interjurisdictional cooperation is imperative where watersheds cross political boundaries. (5) The EIA process is a public process, hence public concerns must be dealt with fairly. (6) The role of science in the EIA process must be at arms length from project proponents and regulators, and allowed to function in the interest of the protection of the environment and public health and safety. The views expressed here are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of FEARO and/or other government agencies and officials involved in the review of these projects.     

An introductory note on the environmental economics of the circular economy

This paper provides an introduction to some of the fundamental principles and approaches in environmental economics which are of significance to achieving an integrated sustainability science. The concept of a circular economy, introduced by the late David Pearce in 1990, addresses the interlinkages of the four economic functions of the environment. The environment not only provides amenity values, in addition to being a resource base and a sink for economic activities, it is also a fundamental life-support system. Environmental economists have suggested that, taking these four functions as an analytical starting point, unpriced or underpriced services should be internalised in the economy. In Europe significant advances have been achieved in the pricing of externalities by means of truly interdisciplinary analysis which accounts in detail for the environmental consequences. The monetary estimates reached as a result of such interdisciplinary research are gradually being applied to the economic analysis of environmental policy priorities. Although such figures provide only a partial and incomplete picture of the environmental costs at stake, they support and inform the analysis of the virtues of a circular economy for individual resources as well as for sustainability as a future trajectory.     

Dynamics and Causation of Environmental Equity, Locally Unwanted Land Uses, and Neighborhood Changes

/ Why are some environmental risks distributed disproportionately in the neighborhoods of the minorities and the poor? A hypothesis was proposed in a recent study that market dynamics contributed to the current environmental inequity. That is, locally unwanted land uses (LULUs) make the host communities home to more poor people and people of color. This hypothesis was allegedly supported by a Houston case study, whereby its author analyzed the postsiting changes of the socioeconomic characteristics of the neighborhoods surrounding solid waste facilities. I argue that such an analysis of postsiting changes alone is insufficient to test the causation hypothesis. Instead, I propose a conceptual framework for analysis of environmental equity dynamics and causation. I suggest that the presiting neighborhood dynamics and the characteristics of control neighborhoods be analyzed as the first test for the causation hypothesis. Furthermore, I present theories of neighborhood change and then examine alternative hypotheses that these theories offer for explaining neighborhood changes and for the roles of LULUs in neighborhood changes. These alternative hypotheses should be examined when analyzing the relationship between LULUs and neighborhood changes in a metropolitan area. Using this framework of analysis, I revisited the Houston case. First, I found no evidence that provided support for the hypothesis that the presence of LULUs made the neighborhoods home to more blacks and poor people, contrary to the conclusion made by the previous study. Second, I examined alternative hypotheses for explaining neighborhood changes-invasion-succession, other push forces, and neighborhood life-cycle; the former two might offer better explanation.KEY WORDS: Environmental equity and justice; Locally unwanted lane uses; Siting; Market dynamics; Invasion-succession; Neighborhood changes     

固定源可凝结颗粒物稀释采样器的设计

固定污染源烟气排放进入大气环境后稀释降温,气相中部分饱和蒸气压较低的组分转化为可凝结颗粒物,这部分颗粒物在固定源烟气颗粒物监测中通常被忽略.为评价固定源可凝结颗粒物的排放情况,本文设计开发并评测了一套稀释采样器.稀释采样器稀释比在10：1~40：1范围内,混合停留时间为5~10 s.实验室评测结果表明,稀释气颗粒物背景值低（（~0.1±0.08） 个·cm^-3）,稀释采样器气密性良好,烟气和稀释气能够均匀混合,颗粒物损失较少,细颗粒物 （PM_2.5）损失在5%以下.本稀释采样器能模拟烟气与环境空气混合降温过程,可用于固定源可凝结颗粒物的测量.     

Dynamic nano-Ag colloids cytotoxicity to and accumulation by Escherichia coli: Effects of Fe3+, ionic strength and humic acid

Released Ag ions or/and Ag particles are believed to contribute to the cytotoxicity of Ag nanomaterials, and thus, the cytotoxicity and mechanism of Ag nanomaterials should be dynamic in water due to unfixed Ag particle:Ag⁺ ratios. Our recent research found that the cytotoxicity of PVP-Ag nanoparticles is attributable to Ag particles alone in 3 hr bioassays, and shifts to both Ag particles and released Ag⁺ in 48 hr bioassays. Herein, as a continued study, the cytotoxicity and accumulation of 50 and 100 nm Ag colloids in Escherichia coli were determined dynamically. The cytotoxicity and mechanisms of nano-Ag colloids are dynamic throughout exposure and are derived from both Ag ions and particles. Ag accumulation by E. coli is derived mainly from extracellular Ag particles during the initial 12 hr of exposure, and thereafter mainly from intracellular Ag ions. Fe³⁺ accelerates the oxidative dissolution of nano-Ag colloids, which results in decreasing amounts of Ag particles and particle-related toxicity. Na⁺ stabilizes nano-Ag colloids, thereby decreasing the bioavailability of Ag particles and particle-related toxicity. Humic acid (HA) binds Ag⁺ to form Ag⁺-HA, decreasing ion-related toxicity and binding to the E. coli surface, decreasing particle-related toxicity. HA in complex conditions showed a stronger relative contribution to toxicity and accumulation than Na⁺ or Fe³⁺. The results highlighted the cytotoxicity and mechanism of nano-Ag colloids are dynamic and affected by environmental factors, and therefore exposure duration and water chemistry should be seriously considered in environmental and health risk assessments.     

过硫酸钠缓释材料的释放性能及其对2, 4-二硝基甲苯的降解效果

针对原位化学氧化技术修复土壤和地下水时氧化剂因释放过快而导致的利用率低等问题,通过熔化成型法制备过硫酸钠缓释材料,分析石蜡、硅砂和过硫酸钠不同配比对材料成型度和释放性能的影响,研究缓释过程中溶液pH的变化,探讨其在水溶液中的缓释行为及其对2,4-二硝基甲苯（2,4-DNT）的降解效果.结果表明:当固定过硫酸钠质量为6 g、硅砂质量为18 g、蜡砂比（石蜡、硅砂质量之比）为1:4~1:8时,过硫酸钠缓释材料成型度适中,且过硫酸钠的累积缓释量随着时间的延长而逐渐增大,第31天时过硫酸钠累积释放百分比为74.67%~88.40%,可实现过硫酸钠的持续可控释放.当硅砂质量为18 g、蜡砂比为1:1~1:6时,过硫酸钠累积释放百分比随着过硫酸钠质量的增加而增大,且溶液中的pH呈先降低后上升的变化规律.缓释材料缓释前后实物图和显微镜分析结果显示,过硫酸钠缓释材料的释放是一个由外到内、速率由快变慢最终趋于平稳的过程.过硫酸钠质量为12 g、硅砂质量为18 g、蜡砂比为1:4的缓释材料对2,4-DNT具有较好的降解效果,第16次置换浓度为0.2 mg/L的2,4-DNT水溶液时,2,4-DNT的降解率为56.38%.研究显示,改变制备材料的配比可有效实现缓释材料中过硫酸钠的缓慢释放及对污染物的有效降解,可为原位化学氧化修复土壤和地下水提供理论支撑.      

废旧阴极-赤泥协同处理烧结熟料的溶出性能

采用XRF,ICP-MS,XRD及SEM-EDS检测手段,研究了废旧阴极-赤泥高温协同处理所得熟料的溶出性能.结果表明,Na₂CO₃浓度,温度,时间及液固比因素对Al₂O₃,Na₂O溶出率TFe₂O₃的富集效果的影响趋势一致.最适宜溶出条件为：Na₂CO₃ 30g/L,温度50℃,时间30min,液固比8.该条件下,熟料中Al₂O₃和Na₂O溶出率分别高达为87.41%和92.51%;相应的SiO₂和CaO溶出率仅为3.02%和0.36%,铁矿物几乎不溶.溶出渣中的TFe₂O₃含量从熟料中23.64%提高到39.89%,研究表明溶出工艺同步实现了熟料中铝、钠的回收和铁的富集.再者,处理后溶出渣较熟料减量近16%（以铝和钠溶出率测算）,且属于非危险性废物.     

普伐他汀的光催化降解性能及机理研究

通过水热法合成Bi₂WO₆,并利用XPS,XRD,BET,UV-Vis和SEM等方法对样品进行了表征;通过光催化性能实验考察了Bi₂WO₆投加量,溶液pH值对普伐他汀（PR）降解效果的影响;通过自由基捕获实验及中间产物的鉴定探明了Bi₂WO₆光催化降解PR过程的主要活性自由基,中间产物及降解机理,并采用发光细菌急性毒性试验评估了PR降解前后的毒性.结果表明,所制备的Bi₂WO₆是由大量纳米片组成的正交晶系花瓣状微球,各元素物质的量比为Bi：W：O=2.5：1：6.7,比表面积为26.67m²/g,带隙能为2.74eV;光催化性能结果表明,对于10mg/L PR,当溶液pH=6.5,Bi₂WO₆投加量为0.4g/L时降解效果最佳,降解率可达80.6%,矿化度为40.2%;自由基捕获实验结果表明降解过程中h⁺起主要的氧化作用,·OH和·O₂^-的氧化起辅助作用.基于活性自由基和中间产物的鉴别结果提出了Bi₂WO₆光催化降解PR的机理,即以h⁺为主,·OH和·O₂^-为辅联合攻击PR分子中C－C键,C＝C双键,酯键等化学键,进而将其分解为易降解小分子有机物.另外,毒性测试结果表明PR经光催化降解后的小分子产物与PR原液相比毒性并没有增强.     

密封组合形式对结构密封性能影响研究

目的研究密封组合形式对结构密封性能的影响。方法开展密封性能试验,从密封形式、装配形式和涂覆形式的3种组合形式开展试验研究,找出结构密封性能影响因素,筛选密封最优组合形式。结果结构密封3种组成形式分别为有无贴合面的密封形式,干涉装配、湿装配形式,部分涂覆、全涂覆形式。开展2种应力水平下8种密封组合形式的密封性能试验,在保证密封工艺质量条件下,按照飞机结构和受载特点选取合理密封组合形式能有效提高结构密封性能。结论在飞机应力较高、不常拆的密封部位应选择贴合面密封、干涉装配、部分涂覆的密封组合形式,在飞机结构设计要求间隙装配、常拆卸的密封部位选择贴合面密封、湿装配、部分涂覆的密封组合形式。