A system dynamics approach for water resources policy analysis in arid land:a model for Manas River Basin

The Manas River Basin in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, similar to other arid regions, is facing water constraints which challenge decision-makers as to how to rationally allocate the available water resources to meet the demands from industries and natural ecosystems. Policies which integrate the supply and demand are needed to address the water stress issues. An object-oriented system dynamics model was developed to capture the interrelationships between water availability and increasing water demands from the growth of industries, agri- cultural production and the population through modeling the decision-making process of the water exploration ex- plicitly, in which water stress is used as a major indicator. The model is composed of four sectors： 1 ） natural surface and groundwater resources; 2） water demand; 3） the water exploitation process, including the decision to build reservoirs, canals and pumps; 4） water stress to which political and social systems respond through increasing the supply, limiting the growth or improving the water use efficiency. The model was calibrated using data from 1949 to 2009 for population growth, irrigated land area, industry output, perceived water stress, groundwater resources availability and the drying-out process of Manas River; and simulations were carried out from 2010 to 2050 on an annual time step. The comparison of results from calibration and observation showed that the model corresponds to observed behavior, and the simulated values fit the observed data and trends accurately. Sensitivity analysis showed that the model is robust to changes in model parameters related to population growth, land reclamation, pumping capacity and capital contribution to industry development capacity. Six scenarios were designed to inves- tigate the effectiveness of policy options in the area of reservoir relocation, urban water recycling, water demand control and groundwater pumping control. The simulation runs demonstrated that the technical solutions for im- proving water availability and water use efficiency are not sustainable. Acknowledging the carrying capacity of water resources and eliminating a growth-orientated value system are crucial for the sustainability of the Manas River Basin.

环境中微塑料研究进展与展望

环境微塑料污染正成为整个地球表层生态系统最严重的威胁之一,受到世界多国政府的严重关切和科技界多学科的广泛研究.本文从地球科学、化学、生物学、管理学等多学科角度,系统综述了水、土、气、沉积物、生物等环境介质中微塑料的丰度分布和来源、分离与分析方法、陆海空迁移与预测、表面变化与吸附特征、生物吸收积累与生态风险、食物链传递与健康风险、降解与削减等方面的国内外研究进展,并展望了环境微塑料未来研究方向与关键科学问题,旨在促进环境微塑料污染的研究与治理.

Removal of antimony from antimony mine flotation wastewater by electrocoagulation with aluminum electrodes

Antimony （Sb） has received increasing environmental concerns due to its potential toxic and carcinogenic properties. In the present work, the electrocoagulation technique was used to treat the flotation wastewater from a heavy antimony polluted area, and the mechanism of removing Sb was also investigated. The study focused on the effect of operation parameters such as current density, initial pH and standing time on the Sb removal efficiency. Antimony concentration of below 1 mg/L in the treated wastewater was achieved, which meets the emission standards established by State Department of Environmental Protection and State Administration of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine of China.

Biosorption of Cu（II） to extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） from Synechoeystis sp.： a fluorescence quenching study

Biosorption of extracellular polymeric substances （EPS） from Synechocystis sp. （cyanobacterium） with Cu（II） was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Three fluorescence peaks were found in the excitation-emission matrix （EEM） fluorescence spectra of EPS. Fluorescence of peak A （Ex/Em = 275/452 nm） and peak C （Ex/Em= 350/452nm） were originated from humic-like substances and fluorescence of peak B （Ex/ Em= 275/338nm） was attributed to protein-like sub- stances. Fluorescence of peaks A, B, and C could be quenched by Cu（II）. The effective quenching constants （lg Ka） were 2.8-5.84 for peak A, 6.4-9.24 for peak B, and 3.48-6.68 for peak C, respectively. The values of lg Ka showed a decreasing trend with increasing temperature, indicating that the quenching processes were static in nature. The binding constants （lg Kb） followed the order of peak A 〉 peak B 〉 peak C, implying that the humic-like substances in EPS have greater Cu（II） binding capacity than the protein-like substances. The binding site number, n, in EPS-Cu（II） complexes for peaks A, B, and C was less than 1. This suggests the negative cooperativity between multiple binding sites and the presence of more than one Cu binding site.

Effects of imazethapyr spraying on plant growth and leaf surface microbial communities in Arabidopsis thaliana

Imazethapyr (IM) is an acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide that has been widely used in recent years.However,IM spraying can lead to the accumulation of herbicide residues in leaves.Here,we determined the effects of IM spraying on the plant growth and leaf surface microbial communities of Arabidopsis thaliana after 7 and 14 days of exposure.The results suggested that IM spraying inhibited plant growth.Fresh weight decreased to 48% and 26% of the control value after 7 and 14 days,respectively,of 0.035 kg/ha IM exposure.In addition,anthocyanin content increased 9.2-fold and 37.2-fold relative to the control content after 7 and 14 days of treatment,respectively.Furthermore,IM spraying destroyed the cell structures of the leaves,as evidenced by increases in the number of starch granules and the stomatal closure rate.Reductions in photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activity were observed after IM spraying,especially after 14 days of exposure.The diversity and evenness of the leaf microbiota were not affected by IM treatment,but the composition of community structure at the genus level was altered by IM spraying.Imazethapyr application increased the abundance of Pseudomonas,a genus that includes species pathogenic to plants and humans,indicating that IM potentially increased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria on leaves.Our findings increase our understanding of the relationships between herbicide application and the microbial community structures on plant leaves,and they provide a new perspective for studying the ecological safety of herbicide usage.

Seasonal variations and characteristics differences in the fluorescent components of extracellular polymeric substances from mixed biofilms in saline lake

Cyanobacteria are the Earth’s oldest oxygenic photoautotrophs and have had major impacts on shaping the biosphere.Their long evolutionary history($3.5 bya)has enabled them to adapt to geochemical and climatic changes and,more recently,anthropogenic modifications of aquatic environments,including nutrient overenrichment(eutrophication),water diversion,withdrawal。

Enantioselective effects of imazethapyr residues on Arabidopsis thaliana metabolic profile and phyllosphere microbial communities

Imazethapyr(IM)is a widely used acetolactate synthase-inhibiting chiral herbicide.It has long-term residuals that may be absorbed by the human body through the edible parts of plants,such as vegetable leaves or fruits.Here,we selected a model plant,Arabidopsis thaliana,to determine the effects of R-IM and S-IM on its leaf structure,photosynthetic efficiency,and metabolites,as well as the structures of microorganisms in the phyllosphere,after 7 days of exposure.Our results indicated enantiomeric differences in plant growth between R-IM and S-IM;133μg/kg R-IM showed heavier inhibition of photosynthetic efficiency and greater changes to subcellular structure than S-IM.R-IM and S-IM also had different effects on metabolism and leaf microorganisms.S-IM mainly increased lipid compounds and decreased amino acids,while R-IM increased sugar accumulation.The relative abundance of Moraxellaceae human pathogenic bacteria was increased by R-IM treatment,indicating that R-IM treatment may increase leaf surface pathogenic bacteria.Our research provides a new perspective for evaluating the harmfulness of pesticide residues in soil,phyllosphere microbiome changes via the regulation of plant metabolism,and induced pathogenic bacterial accumulation risks.