Application of Superabsorbent Polymers for Improving the Ecological Chemistry of Degraded or Polluted Lands

About 3.5 billion ha of land, which amounts to almost 30% of the total solid land of the world, has been degraded by human activities. The ecological restoration of these lands is a major challenge for mankind since they are the only option left for increasing the amount of arable land and producing food for the ever growing worldwide population. One common feature of these degraded lands is the fact that their organic soil matter is degraded also. Rainfall therefore, changes from a blessing to a menace since it is not kept in the soil and therefore causes erosion. A solution for the restoration of these lands could be the application of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) to these soils. These substances are like ‘artificial humus’ as they are hydrophilic and contain carboxylic groups. This enables them to bind cations and water. They have the following advantages for the restoration of degraded lands. They increase the plant available water in the soil which enables the plants to survive longer under water stress. SAP amendment to soils reduces the evapotranspiration rate of the plants. They induce a significantly higher growth rate in plants growing on SAP amended soil. They bind heavy metals and mitigate their action on plants. They mitigate the effects of salinity. The benefits of SAP amendment to soils substantially outweigh their costs.     

南极中山站站区上空气溶胶金属成分特征研究

连续三年(1998-2001年)采集了南极中山站的气溶胶样品,利用中子活化(INAA)分析其元素组成,采用作图法对元素的来源进行分析。结果表明除南极中山站气溶胶中的Na,Cl,Mg,Ca,Sr,Br,I和Rb等8个元素主要来自海洋,Al,Sc,Fe和Mn等4个元素主要来自陆源,而Se,Co,Sb,Zn和Cr等5个元素呈现出高度的富集,属于重金属污染特征元素,这可能与站区发电、垃圾焚烧、污水处理、车辆运行和加工制作等站务活动有关。     

Geology and Gold Mineralization in the Pan-African Rocks of the Adola Area, Southern Ethiopia

Primary and placer gold deposits are mined from the Pan-African Adola volcano-sedimentary sequence, in southern Ethiopia. Two major mineralized belts can be recognized: the Megado (‘Gold Belt’) and the Kenticha Belts. The Kenticha Belt is also known for its rare metal mineralization. Extensive exploration of the area resulted in two most important primary gold deposits of Lega Dembi and Sakaro. The primary gold deposits are classified into four classes based on their geological setting:

- auriferous veins, lodes, stockworks and silicified zones disseminated in schistose rocks

- gold associated with quartzite

- gold mineralization confined to conglomerates and meta-arkoses

- auriferous quartz veins in high grade gneiss rocks

This classification provides a useful guide for future exploration programme     

Soil loss and displacement by heavy equipment in forest road subgrading projects

Forest soil is an important component of the natural environment, and is a primary medium for many biological activities. In this study, soil loss and displacement by excavator and bulldozer （heavy equipments） were measured on cut and fills slopes of forest roads located in Mazandaran province, lran. The volumes of soil losses were estimated by prismoidal analyses of cut and fill slopes deformation between two time treatments （under subgrading and two years later） in slope classes of 30-50% and 50-70%. Weights of soil losses were calculated by multiplying the volumes of soil losses （cm^3） to the general bulk density （1.3g/cm^3）. Soil displaced area by heavy equipment was evaluated according to earth working width. Results indicated that heavy equipment has significant effect on deformation of cut slope gradient and fill slope length （p〈0.0001）. During the two-year period, the cut （p〈0.0002） and fill （p〈0.0001） slope gradients were significantly deformed in different slope classes. The average soil loss by excavator and bulldozer were 160.35 t/ha·yr and 429.09 t/ha·yr, respectively. Moreover, the soil displaced area during the subgrading process by bulldozer was greater than excavator in both two slope classes （p〈0.05）. Soil loss and displacement in forest roads can be rednced by applying powerful excavators in subgrading project, especially in steep terrains.     

临汾市树叶磁性的时空变化特征及其对大气重金属污染的指示

粉煤灰经工厂废气排放进入大气,对人类健康和生态系统都造成了无法弥补的破坏.本文选取具有高空间分辨率优势的树叶作为收集粉煤灰的载体,对临汾市大气中可吸入颗粒物进行磁学参数和重金属含量监测.结果表明,磁化率最大值出现在工厂污染源附近,磁化率空间分布呈现随污染源距离增加而降低的趋势.工业区收集到的磁性颗粒以低矫顽力、粗粒度的磁铁矿为主.夏季磁性矿物来源单一,主要为人为影响.冬季大气中悬浮的磁性颗粒有部分来自于西北风/北风的自然尘降.同一采样点磁化率随时间变化特征表明,树叶的磁学性质可以灵敏和有效地反映较短时期内大气污染的现状.统计分析表明磁化率和重金属元素(铁,铬,镍,铜,铅,钴)之间存在显著相关性.污染负荷指数用于评估研究区域内重金属各元素综合污染的程度.结果显示,在废弃的旧工业区附近无大气污染指示,但在运营中的工厂集中的地区,大气均受到严重污染.污染负荷指数与表征磁性矿物含量的磁化率呈相关性(r2=0.66),因此树叶的磁性参数可以作为大气重金属污染的替代指标.     

一次西南涡暴雨的等熵位涡特征分析

应用常规资料和0.5°×0.5°的GFS再分析资料,对2010年7月19日发生在河北山东的一次西南涡暴雨过程产生的条件及其等熵位涡演变特征进行了分析。结果表明：西南涡、高、低空急流、地面低压是这次暴雨过程的主要影响系统;等熵位涡的演变和形态对冷空气活动有很好的示踪作用;等熵位涡中心两侧气流辐合,利于地面低压发展;高位涡下传,导致了大暴雨产生;等熵位涡大值区及移动方向与降水落区有很好的对应关系。     

地面气旋影响下两次华北暴雪（雨）过程分析

利用GRAPES模式、常规观测和NCEP再分析资料对2010年1月3日和2012年11月3日两次气旋影响华北地区的暴雪（雨）天气过程的形成机理进行对比分析。结果表明：两次暴雪（雨）过程中降水落区与地面气旋的相对位置有较大差别,“0103”过程发生在气旋的东部,“1103”过程发生在气旋的北部。通过检验,GRAPE模式能较好模拟两次降水的落区。通过数值模拟结果分析造成这种落区差异的原因。从热力方面来看,气旋的热力性质不同,“0103”过程一直保持暖心结构,“1103”过程冷空气不断被气旋卷入,使气旋逐渐变为冷心结构,造成冷暖空气相互作用方式不同。另一方面,“0103”过程冷暖空气的交汇发生在气旋与高压系统之间,且在气旋中心附近形成锢囚;而“1103”过程发生在气旋内部,过程的锋面系统由北向南倾斜。另外,“1103”过程水汽是被近地层气旋不断卷入;从风场垂直分布来看,两次过程发生前均有近地面层偏东风的建立,结束时均伴随着中低层系统过境,风向由南风转为北风,但降水过程中风场的演变明显不同。     

上海梅汛期强降水的低频特征及延伸期预报

利用2007-2013年NCEP/NCAR的700 hPa经、纬向风场及水汽场逐日再分析资料和上海市11站逐日降水资料。进行周期分析,提取低频信息,并利用向量场的经验正交函数方法进行分型。结果表明：上海地区梅汛期降水存在30-50 d的显著周期。强降水发生期,低频系统存在4个主要聚集区。贝加尔湖以西至河套地区存在并维持低频反气旋、鄂霍次克海附近多为低频气旋,这两地是中高纬冷空气的主要活动区域;孟加拉湾附近的低频反气旋及热带洋面的低频气旋是水汽的两大源地。这些区域的显著低频系统的生消是延伸预报的主要依据。上海入梅首场强降水发生前,多为偏北气流控制。南北低频气流辐合区向北移动至30°N附近,上海地区梅汛期强降水发生。低频风场及水汽场的北传与梅雨带的移动有较好的对应,当低纬低频水汽稳定北传至30°N附近时,江南北部入梅,随后偏南水汽或继续北进或滞留,对应梅雨带的持续北抬或间歇性停滞。低频经向风及水汽输送的特征是梅汛期延伸期强降水的前兆信号。跟踪监测低频偏南气流的北传进程有助于预报入梅强降水过程。     

Modeling total maximum allocated loads for heavy metals in Jinzhou Bay,China

With the recent development of society and economy in the cities of Huludao and Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China, environment and ecosystem problems have become increasingly serious in Jinzhou Bay, China, because of the increasing amount of heavy metal pollutants being discharged. To solve these problems, a water quality model of heavy metals coupled with a 3D hydrodynamic model is constructed to estimate the environmental capacity (EC) and total maximum allocated loads (TMALs) for Zn and Cd of three river catchments in Jinzhou Bay. According to the model, the ECs for Zn and Cd are approximately 17 and 8 tons per month, respectively, if the criterion obtained from HC₅ values (fifth percentile of the SSD) is set as the control criterion (8.24 μg/L for Zn and 3.83 μg/L for Cd) in Jinzhou Bay, and the TMALs of the three river catchments are 4 and 1.7 tons per month.     

Total and organic mercury concentrations in the muscles of Pacific albacore (Thunnus alalunga) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)

Muscles of 115 North Pacific albacore (ALB, Thunnus alalunga) and 75 Pacific bigeye tuna (BET, Thunnus obesus), collected from 2001 to 2006, were analyzed. No ALB, but 13 large BET had organic mercury (OHg) concentrations exceeding 1 μg g⁻¹ wet weight. For both ALB and BET, total mercury (THg) and OHg concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with fork length (FL) and body weight. The muscle Hg bioaccumulation rates of BET were higher than those of ALB, particularly in the adult fish. Moreover, the lines had crossover points among the two species that imply the young BET (FL < 110 cm) contains lower muscle Hg concentrations than ALB of the same size. The suggested weekly dietary intake of ALB and small-BET meats is 340 g, and of BET meat it is 150 g for a 60-kg person based on the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of methylmercury set by the WHO.