Exploring the combination of biochar‐amended soil and automated irrigation technology for water regulation and preservation in green infrastructure

Biochar is a carbon sink material with the potential to improve water retention in various soils.However,for the long‐term maintenance of green infrastructure,there is an additional need to regulate the water contents in the covers to maintain vegetation growth in semiarid conditions.In this study,biochar‐amended soil was combined with subsurface drip irrigation,and the water preservation characteristics of this treatment were investigated through a series of one‐dimensional soil column tests.To ascertain the best treatment method specific to semiarid climatic conditions,the test soil was amended with 0%,1%,3%,and 5%biochar.Automatic irrigation devices equipped with soil moisture sensors were used to control the subsurface water content with the aim of enhancing vegetation growth.Each soil column test lasted 150 h,during which the volumetric water contents and soil suction data were recorded.The experimental results reveal that the soil specimen amended with 3%biochar is the most water‐saving regardless of the time cost.Soil with a higher biochar content(e.g.,5%)consumes a more significant amount of water due to the enhancement of the water‐holding capacity.Based on the experimental results,it can be concluded that the appropriate ratio can be determined within 1%–3%,which can reduce not only the amount of irrigated/used water but also the time cost.Such technology can be explored for water content regulation in green infrastructure and the development of barriers for protecting the environment around deep underground waste containment.

Brazilian’s Legal Framework and Water Regulation

The legal framework of water regulation can assume different characteristics according to each country’s reality.The preservation and conservation of water and ecosystems depend on rules configuration in the Constitution and legal prescriptions.This manuscript presents the Brazilian legal framework and water regulation.The analysis confirms that in the Brazilian system water is regulated as environmental resource and environmental good.From a descriptive methodology,the article explains how the Brazilian legal system works.The article also remarks on the regulation of multiple uses of water,approaching the legal regulation among industrial,agricultural,and human consumption of water.The aim of the paper is to explain normative regulation of water in Brazil,including the court’s activities in cases of discharges of sewage directly into the rivers.

SOIL SALINITY CONTROL REGARDING SUBSURFACE WATER REGULATION IN NORTH CHINA PLAIN

The North China Plain (NCP) lying along the eastern coastal area withgeogriaphical coordinates 100°to 120°and 30° to 40°W, is one of the mostimportan agncultural ngons in China. A problem in soil salmization has beenfound in vast areas along the lower reaches of the Yellow hiver and north of it. After30 years of work on saline soil amelioration, 2.0 million ha has been improved,accounting for over 60 percen of the total ongnal saline soil area. Ths achievetnenthas ban obtained in close relation to water conservancy work. The author analyzessalthezation amelioration by using measures concerning subsuffoce water regulation.Ih addition to water conservancy measures, thes paper also descnbes acomprehensive way to ameliorate salthezation in northem NCP. Finally, the authorstresses the necessity of combining all measures together into a whole system forsolving salinization problems in northem NCP.

Recent advances in elaborate interface regulation of BiVO_(4)photoanode for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Bismuth vanadate(BiVO_(4))is an excellent photoanode material for photoelectrochemical(PEC)water splitting system,possessing high theoretical photoelectrocatalytic conversion efficiency.However,the actual PEC activity and stability of BiVO_(4)are faced with great challenges due to factors such as severe charge recombination and slow water oxidation kinetics at the interface.Therefore,various interface regulation strategies have been adopted to optimize the BiVO_(4)photoanode.This review provides an in-depth analysis for the mechanism of interface regulation strategies from the perspective of factors affecting the PEC performance of BiVO_(4)photoanodes.These interface regulation strategies improve the PEC performance of BiVO_(4)photoanode by promoting charge separation and transfer,accelerating interfacial reaction kinetics,and enhancing stability.The research on the interface regulation strategies of BiVO_(4)photoanode is of great significance for promoting the development of PEC water splitting technology.At the same time,it also has inspiration for providing new ideas and methods for designing and preparing efficient and stable catalytic materials.

The influence of water regulation on vegetation in the lower Heihe River

Water regulation has been carried out by the Heihe River Bureau since 2000, which aims to address the existing eco-environmental problems in the lower Heihe River. In the past nine years, great changes in spatial-temporal distribution of water resources took place in the lower Heihe River. In order to objectively evaluate the influence of water regulation on the eco-environment, the changes of groundwater table, typical vegetation, landscape types as well as East Juyan Lake have been analyzed in the lower Heihe River, by means of field surveys and remote sensing. These results indicate that there are obvious effects of water regulation on the eco-environment, which has been improved toward sustainability in the lower Heihe River.

Mechanism of Photothermal Energy on the Growth and Yield of Rice under Water Level Regulation

The flooding caused by heavy rainfall in rice irrigation area and the drought caused by the drop of groundwater level are the research focus in the field of irrigation and drainage.Based on the comparative experiment and farmland water level control technology,this paper studied the average soil temperature under different soil layers(TM),the daily temperature change(TDC),the photosynthetic accumulation of single leaf and canopy in rice,and response of photothermal energy to rice root characteristics and growth factors in the paddy field under drought conditions.The results showed that the peak soil temperature under drought treatment was basically synchronous with the conventional irrigation,and the it was delayed by 2–6 h under flooding treatment compared to the drought treatment.Under different water gradients,the temperature decreased according to T_(L)>T_(CK)>T_(H)(L,H and CK represented water flooding,drought and control treatments),and the TDC was opposite.In addition to milky stage,the daily photosynthetic(Pn)accumulation of single leaf and canopy in the flooding and drought treated paddy fields were lower than conventional irrigation,and had a negative impact on leaf area index(LAI)and yield(YR),but did not form fatal damage.The root characteristic factors,RL(root length),RW(root weight),R-CR(root-canopy ratio)were promoted with drought,and YR under light drought was slightly higher than that under heavy drought.There was a strong positive correlation between TM and R-CR in all rice growth stages,while TDC-5 was negatively correlated with effective panicle number,TDC and R-CR in 20 cm soil layer were positively correlated.The correlation between daily Pn accumulation and YR was low,and the correlation between Pn and YR factors was negative or weak positive or negative.The total Pn was positively correlated with yield factors,and the correlation coefficient was higher than that of daily Pn.

Using Rn-222 to Study Human-Regulated River Water-Sediment Input Event in the Estuary

The implementation of the water sediment regulation scheme(WSRS)is a typical example of artificially controlling land-source input.During WSRS,the water discharge of the Yellow River will increase significantly,and so will the input of terri-genous materials.In this study,we used a natural geochemical tracer 222Rn to quantify terrestrial inputs under the influence of the 2014 WSRS in the Yellow River Estuary.The results indicated that during WSRS the concentration of 222Rn in the estuary increased by about four times than in the period before WSRS.The high-level 222Rn plume disappeared quickly after WSRS,indicating that 222Rn has a very short‘memory effect’in the estuary.Based on the investigation conducted from 2015 to 2016,the concentration of 222Rn tended to be stable in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.During WSRS,the concentrations of 222Rn in the river water in-creased sharply at about 3–5 times greater than in the non-WSRS period.Based on the 222Rn mass balance model,the fluxes of 222Rn caused by submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)were estimated to be(3.5±1.7)×10^(3),(11±3.9)×10^(3),and(5.2±1.9)×10^(3)dpm m^(-2)d^(-1)in the periods before,during,and after WSRS,respectively.This finding indicated that SGD was the major source of 222Rn in the Yellow River Estuary,which can be significantly increased during WSRS.Furthermore,the SGD-associated nutrient fluxes were estimated to be 9.8×10^(3),2.5×102,and 1.1×10^(4)μmolm^(-2)d^(-1)for dissolved inorganic nitrogen,phosphorus,and silicon,respectively,during WSRS or about 2–40 times greater than during the non-WSRS period.

Study on the Operation Mechanism and Effect of the Yellow River Water and Sediment Regulation System

In order to scientifically deal with the problems of less water and more sediment in the Yellow River and the uncoordinated relationship between water and sediment,it is necessary to establish a perfect water and sediment regulation system.Through the calculation of the sediment transport capacity of the Yellow River and the application of the water and sediment regulation system,it is found that the sediment transport efficiency of the Yellow River will increase with the increase of water flow,and there will be an obvious inflection point near the flat discharge.The joint regulation of the backbone reservoir group can discharge the large discharge close to the minimum flat discharge of the downstream river,which improves the sediment transport capacity of the river and alleviates the problem of sediment deposition.In this paper,through the introduction of the Yellow River water and sediment regulation project system,regulation indicators and mechanisms,the author discusses in detail the Yellow River water and sediment regulation scheme and its operation effect,hoping to provide help promote the improvement of the Yellow River governance effect.

Assessment and regulation of ocean health based on ecosystem services: Case study in the Laizhou Bay, China

The ecosystem-based management of nearshore waters requires integrated assessment of ocean health and scientific guidance on artificial regulations to promote sustainable development. Quantitative approaches were developed in this paper to assess present and near-term ocean health based on ecosystem services. Results of the case study in the Laizhou Bay of China showed that the index score of ocean health was 0.785 6 out of 1.0 at present and was expected to range from 0.555 1 to 0.804 1 in the near-term future depending on different intensities of artificial regulation of negative pressures. Specifically, the results of ocean health at present mainly indicated that cultural services and provisioning services performed essentially perfectly while supporting services and regulating services functioned less well. It can be concluded that this nearshore ecosystem would partially lose supporting and regulating services in the near-term future if the increasing pressures were not wellregulated but that all of these categories of ecosystem services could be slightly improved if the negative pressures were fully controlled. Additionally, it is recommended that publicity and education on ecosystem services especially on cultural services and regulating services should be further strengthened. The analytical process and resulting quantification provide flexible tools to guide future development of regulations so as to facilitate ecosystem-based management in the coastal zone.

Promoting the production of salinized cotton field by optimizing water and nitrogen use efficiency under drip irrigation

Cotton is the main economically important crop in Xinjiang,China,but soil salinization and shortage of water and nutrients have restricted its production.A field experiment was carried out in the salinity-affected arid area of Northwest China from 2018 to 2019 to explore the effects of nitrogen and water regulation on physiological growth,yield,water and nitrogen use efficiencies,and economic benefit of cotton.The salinity levels were 7.7(SL)and 12.5 dS/m(SM).Drip irrigation was used with low,medium and adequate irrigation levels representing 60%,80%and 100%of cotton crop water demand,respectively,and three nitrogen applications,i.e.,206,275 and 343 kg/hm^(2),accounting for 75%,100%and 125%of local N application,respectively were used.The multi-objective optimization based on spatial analysis showed that,at SL salinity,water use efficiency(WUE),nitrogen use efficiency(NUE),economic benefit and yield simultaneously reached more than 85%of their maxima at 379.18-398.32 mm irrigation and 256.69-308.87 kg/hm^(2).At SM salinity,WUE,yield and economic benefit simultaneously reached more than 85%of their maxima when irrigation was 351.24-376.30 mm and nitrogen application was 230.18-289.89 kg/hm^(2).NUE,yield and economic benefit simultaneously reached their maxima at 428.01-337.72 mm irrigation,and nitrogen application range was 222.14-293.93 kg/hm^(2).The plants at SL salinity had 21.58%-46.59%higher WUE rates,14.91%-34.35%higher NUE rates and 20.71%-35.34%higher yields than those at SM salinity.The results are of great importance for the nutrient and water management in cotton field in the arid saline area.

Effects of water application intensity of microsprinkler irrigation on water and salt environment and crop growth in coastal saline soils

Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of water application intensity（WAI） on soil salinity management and the growth of Festuca arundinacea（festuca） under three stages of water and salt management strategies using microsprinkler irrigation in Hebei Province, North China. The soil water content（è） and salinity of homogeneous coastal saline soils were evaluated under different water application intensities in the laboratory experiment. The results indicated that the WAI of microsprinkler irrigation influenced the è, electrical conductivity（ECe） and p H of saline soils. As the WAI increased, the average values of è and ECe in the 0–40 cm profile also increased, while their average values in the 40–60 cm profile decreased. The p H value also slightly decreased as depth increased, but no significant differences were observed between the different treatments. The time periods of the water redistribution treatments had no obvious effects. Based on the results for è, ECe and p H, a smaller WAI was more desirable. The field experiment was conducted after being considered the results of the technical parameter experiment and evaporation, wind and leaching duration. The field experiment included three stages of water and salt regulation, based on three soil matric potentials（SMP）, in which the SMP at a 20-cm depth below the surface was used to trigger irrigation. The results showed that the microsprinkler irrigation created an appropriate environment for festuca growth through the three stages of water and salt regulation. The low-salinity conditions that occurred at 0–10 cm depth during the first stage（-5 k Pa） continued to expand through the next two stages. The average p H value was less than 8.5. The tiller number of festuca increased as SMP decreased from the first stage to the third stage. After the three stages of water and salt regulation, the highly saline soil gradually changed to a low-saline soil. Overall, based on the salt desalinization, the microsprinkler irrigation and three stages of water and salt regulation could be successfully used to cultivate plants for the reclamation of coastal saline land in North China.

Multiscale cellulose-based fireproof and thermal insulation gel materials with water-regulated forms

Different forms of construction materials(e.g.,paints,foams,and boards)dramatically improve the quality of life.With the increasing environmental requirements for buildings,it is necessary to develop a comprehensive sustainable construction material that is flexible in application and exhibits excellent performance,such as fireproofing and thermal insulation.Herein,an adjustable multiform material strategy by water regulation is proposed to meet the needs of comprehensive applications and reduce environmental costs.Multiform gels are constructed based on multiscale cellulose fibers and hollow glass microspheres,with fireproofing and thermal insulation.Unlike traditional materials,this multiscale cellulose-based gel can change forms from dispersion to paste to dough by adjusting its water content,which can realize various construction forms,including paints,foams,and low-density boards according to different scenarios and corresponding needs.

Quantitative method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals based on odor sensitivity distribution:Illustrated using 2-MIB

Taste and odor （T/O） in drinking water often cause consumer complaints and are thus regulated in many countries. However, people in different regions may exhibit different sensitivities toward WO. This study proposed a method to determine the regional drinking water odorant regulation goals （ORGs） based on the odor sensitivity distribution of the local population. The distribution of odor sensitivity to 2-methylisobomeol （2-MIB） by the local population in Beijing, China was revealed by using a normal distribution function/model to describe the odor complaint response to a 2-MIB episode in 2005, and a 2-MIB concentration of 12.9 ng/L and FPA （flavor profile analysis） intensity of 2.5 was found to be the critical point to cause odor complaints. Thus the Beijing ORG for 2-MIB was determined to be 12.9 ng/L. Based on the assumption that the local FPA panel can represent the local population in terms of sensitivity to odor, and that the critical FPA intensity causing odor complaints was 2.5, this study tried to determine the ORGs for seven other cities of China by performing FPA tests using an FPA panel from the corresponding city. ORG values between 12.9 and 31.6 ng/L were determined, showing that a unified ORG may not be suitable for drinking water odor regulations. This study presents a novel approach for setting drinking water odor regulations.

Effects of water and salt coordinated regulation at the different growth stages on water consumption and yield of tomato

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of different degrees of water and salt stress on the actual water consumption and soil salt accumulation of tomatoes and the salt tolerance characteristics of tomatoes under brackish water combined with regulated deficit irrigation mode.The greenhouse pot experiment was used to set three influencing factors,the irrigation water salinity S1 was 1.1 g/L(local shallow groundwater),S2 was 2.0 g/L,and S3 was 4.0 g/L,respectively,and different degrees of water deficit(W1 ranged from 65%-75%Field Capacity(FC),W2 ranged from 55%-65%FC,W3 ranged from 45%-55%FC)and seedling stage(T1),blossoming and bearing fruits stage(T2)and mature picking stage(T3).The response of fresh fruit weight,stems and leaves weight,yield and water use efficiency of tomato under water and salt stress were monitored and analyzed.The results showed the coordinated regulation of water and salt can significantly reduce the electrical conductivity of the 0-30 cm soil of the tomato root system.The higher the salinity of irrigation water,the better the salt control effects of the coordinated regulation of water and salt;the coordinated regulation of water and salt at different growth stages had significant effects on the weight of fresh tomato fruits,the weight of stems and leaves and the yield.The salinity of irrigation water was in inverse proportion to the yield of tomatoes;In S1 treatment irrigation(irrigation water salinity was 1.1 g/L)under the mildly regulated deficit in the seedling stage(irrigation water was 55%-65%of the field water capacity)can effectively reduce the irrigation water volume during the whole growth stage while ensuring that there was no significant reduction in yield.The research results provided a scientific and reliable theoretical basis for the increase of local tomato production,the improvement of water use efficiency and the formulation of suitable irrigation patterns.

Determination of water environment standards based on water quality criteria in China:Limitations and feasibilities

There is a need to formulate water environment standards（WESs） from the current water quality criteria（WQC） in China.To this end,we briefly summarize typical mechanisms applied in several countries with longer histories of developing WESs,and three limitations to formulating WESs in China were identified.After analyzing the feasibility factors including economic development,scientific support capability and environmental policies,we realized that China is still not ready for a complete change from its current nation-wide unified WES system to a local-standard-based system.Thus,we proposed a framework for transformation from WQC to WESs in China.The framework consists of three parts,including responsibilities,processes and policies.The responsibilities include research authorization,development of guidelines,and collection of information,at both national and local levels;the processes include four steps and an impact factor system to establish water quality standards;and the policies include seven specific proposals.

PEP7 acts as a peptide ligand for the receptor kinase SIRK1 to regulate aquaporin-mediated water influx and lateral root growth

Plant receptors constitute a large protein family that regulates various aspects of development and responses to external cues.Functional characterization of this protein family and the identification of their ligands remain major challenges in plant biology.Previously,we identified plasma membrane-intrinsic sucrose-induced receptor kinase 1(SIRK1)and Qian Shou kinase 1(QSK1)as receptor/co-receptor pair involved in the regulation of aquaporins in response to osmotic conditions induced by sucrose.In this study,we identified a member of the elicitor peptide(PEP)family,namely PEP7,as the specific ligand of th receptor kinase SIRK1.PEP7 binds to the extracellular domain of SIRK1 with a binding constant of 1.44±0.79μM and is secreted to the apoplasm specifically in response to sucrose treatment.Stabilization of a signaling complex involving SIRK1,QSK1,and aquaporins as substrates is mediated by alterations in the external sucrose concentration or by PEP7 application.Moreover,the presence of PEP7 induces the phosphorylation of aquaporins in vivo and enhances water influx into protoplasts.Disturbed water influx,in turn,led to delayed lateral root development in the pep7 mutant.The loss-of-function mutant of SIRK1 is not responsive to external PEP7 treatment regarding kinase activity,aquaporin phosphorylation,water influx activity,and lateral root development.Taken together,our data indicate that the PEP7/SIRK1/QSK1 complex represents a crucial perception and response module that mediates sucrose-controlled water flux in plants and lateral root development.

Self-driven directional dehydration enabled eco-friendly manufacture of chrome-free leather

Manufacture of eco-friendly chrome-free leather is of great significance for realizing sustainable development of leather industry.Conventional tanning theory believes that it is impossible to convert raw hide to leather without the utilization of cross-linking agent(e.g.,chrome salts)among collagen fibers in raw hide.Here,we developed a brand-new leather manufacture strategy that relied on the composite dehydration media enabled self-driven directional dehydration mechanism to accomplish chrome-free leather manufacture for the first time,rather than followed the classic cross-linking mechanism that has been obeyed for more than one century in leather industry.We demonstrated that the essence of leather making is to regulate the water content in raw hide rather than to form cross-linkage among collagen fibers.The composite dehydration media comprised of anhydrous ethanol and molecular sieves(3A activated zeolite powder)successfully guaranteed continuous self-driven directional dehydration of raw hide by establishing stable water concentration gradient between raw hide and ethanol,which significantly increased the dispersity of collagen fibers in raw hide(with the water content reduced from 56.07%to 5.20%),thus obtaining chrome-free leather that is more ecological than chrome-tanned leather due to the elimination of any tanning agent.The as-prepared chrome-free leather exhibited outstanding tear force(174.86 N),tensile strength(24.56 N mm−2),elongation at break(53.28%)and dry-thermal stability,superior to chrome-tanned leather.Notably,the used compos-ite dehydration media was recyclable for chrome-free leather manufacture,therefore facilitating an environmentally benign leather manufacture process.Our investigations are expected to open up a new conceptual leather making strategy that is applicable for realizing substantial manufacture of eco-friendly leather.