Green Approaches to Field Nitrate Analysis: An Electroanalytical Perspective

The different approaches that have been taken in the development of analytical methods for the determination of nitrate within the field are reviewed. The emphasis has been placed on providing a critical appraisal of the chemistry that underpins current commercial systems and the need to remove the dependence on heavy metal and concentrated acid components. The search for more environmentally acceptable and user friendly systems has long been pursued and the present communication seeks to explore the recent development in portable testing technologies and how they might evolve in the future. In particular, the role of electrochemical techniques in the latter are investigated and their potential application compared and contrasted with the more traditional wet chemical detection strategies.     

Integrating neighborhoods in the evaluation of fitness promotes cooperation in the spatial prisoner’s dilemma game

A fundamental question of human society is the evolution of cooperation. Many previous studies explored this question via setting spatial background, where players obtain their payoffs by playing game with their nearest neighbors. Another undoubted fact is that the environment plays an important role in the individual development. Inspired by these phenomena, we reconsider the definition of individual fitness which integrates the environment, denoted by the average payoff of all individual neighbors, with the traditional individual payoffs by introducing a selection parameter u. Tuning u equal to zero returns the traditional version, while increasing u bears the influence of environment. We find that considering the environment, i.e., integrating neighborhoods in the evaluation of fitness, promotes cooperation. If we enhance the value of u, the invasion of defection could be resisted better. We also provide quantitative explanations and complete phase diagrams presenting the influence of the environment on the evolution of cooperation. Finally, the universality of this mechanism is testified for different neighborhood sizes, different topology structures and different game models. Our work may shed light on the emergence and persistence of cooperation in our life.     

Synthetic indicators of mutual funds’ environmental responsibility: An application of the Reference Point Method

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is broadly defined as an investment process that integrates not only financial but also social, environmental, and ethical (SEE) considerations into investment decision making. SRI has grown rapidly around the world in the last decades. In the last years, given the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, ethical, social, environmental and governance concerns have become even more relevant investment decision criteria. However, while a diverse set of models have been developed to support investment decision-making based on financial criteria, models including also social responsibility criteria are rather scarce.     

Raman scattering spectra of Aerosol-OT homologous sodium dialkylsulfosuccinates and the environment of their hydrophobic chains

 A homologous series of sodium dialkylsulfosuccinates (SDAS) has been synthesized with various chain lengths (dibutyl, dihexyl, diheptyl, dioctyl, dinonyl, didecyl, diundecyl and didodecyl). These compounds are straight-chain analogues for Aerosol-OT. Raman scattering spectra have been recordered for these SDAS compounds, both in the solid state and in aqueous solutions. These spectra are analyzed in detail in the CH stretch and CH₂ deformation regions, and the results depend specifically on the length of the hydrocarbon chain. In particular, the longitudinal accordion-like vibrational modes coming from the all-trans n-alkyl chains have been investigated. For the SDAS dihydrates, all hydrocarbon chains take up an extended form, whereas for the monohydrates the tails tend to become disordered at the CH₂-CH₂ single bond close to the terminal methyl groups. It has also been confirmed that for the concentrated aqueous SDAS (sodium dibutylsulfosuccinate – sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate) samples preferential stabilization of the extended conformation of the hydrocarbon chain may occur. Received: 23 February 1999 Accepted: 10 May 1999     

An interval-parameter fuzzy nonlinear optimization model for stream water quality management under uncertainty

Planning for water quality management systems is complicated by a variety of uncertainties and nonlinearities, where difficulties in formulating and solving the resulting inexact nonlinear optimization problems exist. With the purpose of tackling such difficulties, this paper presents the development of an interval-fuzzy nonlinear programming (IFNP) model for water quality management under uncertainty. Methods of interval and fuzzy programming were integrated within a general framework to address uncertainties in the left- and right-hand sides of the nonlinear constraints. Uncertainties in water quality, pollutant loading, and the system objective were reflected through the developed IFNP model. The method of piecewise linearization was developed for dealing with the nonlinearity of the objective function. A case study for water quality management planning in the Changsha section of the Xiangjiang River was then conducted for demonstrating applicability of the developed IFNP model. The results demonstrated that the accuracy of solutions through linearized method normally rises positively with the increase of linearization levels. It was also indicated that the proposed linearization method was effective in dealing with IFNP problems; uncertainties can be communicated into optimization process and generate reliable solutions for decision variables and objectives; the decision alternatives can be obtained by adjusting different combinations of the decision variables within their solution intervals. It also suggested that the linearized method should be used under detailed error analysis in tackling IFNP problems.     

广饶县海(咸)水入侵灾害防治的水文地质环境研究

广饶县咸水入侵灾害的发生在于自然环境的脆弱性和社会经济环境的严峻性。本文分析了引起海(咸)水入侵的基本矛盾, 制定了防治咸水入侵灾害的对策和措施──水文地质环境调整方案。     

南京市地铁工程环境地质评价

地下空间的开发不可避免会对周围的环境造成影响 ,本文通过结合南京工程地质水文地质情况和地铁的施工 ,就地铁工程对环境的影响进行初步研究 ,并提出解决方法     

Multi-residue analysis of drugs of abuse in wastewater and surface water by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-positive electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

A new-multi residue method was developed for the environmental monitoring of 65 stimulants, opiod and morphine derivatives, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, dissociative anaesthetics, drug precursors, human urine indicators and their metabolites in wastewater and surface water. The proposed analytical methodology offers rapid analysis for a large number of compounds, with low limits of quantification and utilises only one solid-phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography-positive electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS) method, thus overcoming the drawbacks of previously published procedures. The method employed solid phase extraction with the usage of Oasis MCX sorbent and subsequent ultra performance liquid chromatography-positive electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry. The usage of a 1.7 μm particle size column (1 mm×150 mm) resulted in very low flow rates (0.04 mLmin(-1)), and as a consequence gave good sensitivity, low mobile phase consumption and short retention times for all compounds (from 2.9 to 23.1 min). High SPE recoveries (>60%) were obtained for the majority of compounds. The mean correlation coefficients of the calibration curves were typically higher than 0.997 and showed good linearity in the range 0-1000 μgL(-1). The method limits of detection ranged from 0.1 ngL(-1) for compounds including cocaine, benzoylecgonine, norbenzoylecgonine and 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD to 100 ngL(-1) for caffeine. Method quantification limits ranged from 0.5 to 154.2 ngL(-1). Intra- and inter-day repeatabilities were on average less than 10%. The method accuracy range was within -33.1 to 30.1%. The new multi-residue method was used to analyse drugs of abuse in wastewater and river water in the UK environment. Of the targeted 65 compounds, 46 analytes were detected at levels above the method quantification limit (MQL) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent, 43 in WWTP effluent and 36 compounds in river water.