The pollution caused by the living, sightseeing and recreational activities of Longtan Large Tourist Pond in Taoyuan has been increasing year by year. Agricultural drainage and domestic sewage from both sides of the bank have been flowing in. In addition, the base flow of the torrent is insufficient, resulting eutrophication gradually become serious in Longtan Large Tourist Pond. The study summarizes the eutrophication improvement strategy proposed by the Taoyuan City Government in Longtan Large Tourist Pond, analyzes the construction method principles and important parameters of the multi-soil-layering system, and explores the multi-soil-layering system through data feedback from actual field operations to improve the efficiency of eutrophication improvement strategy. From the operation data, it can be seen that the average removal rate of the MSL system for suspended solids is 88
This study evaluated the impact of a desalination plant’s waste discharge on the adjacent marine biocoenosis in the Pelo de Oro inlet, Santa Maria Key, Cuba. The research area was divided into eight strata, and sampling was conducted in four stages to measure salinity, species richness of selected megazoobenthos, and variations in Thalassia testudinum coverage. The salinity showed no anthropogenic alterations, and three species of megazoobenthos were identified: Holothuria floridana, Echinaster sp ., and Lytechinus variegatus . The abundance of L. variegatus decreased in the RSDESCARGA stratum due to the plant’s cleaning procedures, while the CONTROL stratum showed higher abundance and stability. No significant differences were observed in Echinaster sp . abundance across strata. H. floridana was most abundant in the RSDESCARGA stratum during the pre-start stage. The study found no evidence of brine discharge impact but provides a baseline for future comparisons as the plant reaches full operational capacity. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution episodes occur frequently in most Chinese metropolises. Because Hong Kong is affected by the East Asian monsoon, its high PM2.5 pollution is potentially contributed to by a combination of local and regional emissions. This study identified the spatial and temporal characteristics and contributing regions of PM2.5 pollution episodes in Hong Kong. We analyzed the hourly monitoring data collected at various monitoring stations in Hong Kong for the year 2014 in addition to spatial distributions of PM2.5 in China in the days preceding high pollution episodes, and we identified the spatial and temporal characteristics of high PM2.5 pollution in Hong Kong. The relative contributions of local and regional sources to high PM2.5 episodes were then quantified. Finally, backward trajectories of air masses arriving in Hong Kong during high PM2.5 episodes were generated to determine the main contributing regions. The results indicated that PM2.5 levels were higher in the northwestern and southeastern parts of Hong Kong and the Yuen Long station observed the most serious pollution, with a highest daily average PM2.5 concentration of 118 µg m−3; other areas noted relatively lower concentrations, with maximum daily average concentrations less than 100 µg m−3. Regional sources accounted for almost 70
Hong Kong is one of the metropolitan cities in the world, with highly concentrated road network system and densely populated developments. At times, it is inevitable to build residential buildings near noisy roads, and traffic noise is one of the environmental problems affecting the locals. The Government strives to pre-empt traffic noise issue through planning new road projects or new residential developments. Concerning traffic noise from existing roads, the Government has implemented noise mitigation measures, for instance, to resurface existing roads with Low Noise Road Surface (LNRS) materials, retrofitting of noise barrier or enclosure, to alleviate traffic noise impact. Moreover, the Government is continuously developing and trialing different LNRS materials such as Polymer Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt (PMSMA6) on roads in Hong Kong, which aims for wider application of LNRS. To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of the wider application of LNRS on local roads, the Government has recently conducted a territory-wide study on the application of LNRS on local roads in Hong Kong. This paper attempts to share the common local road characteristics of applying LNRS material and the latest technical findings, such as the effect on population exposure, of the territory-wide study in Hong Kong.
This study describes a new bioaugmentation alternative based on the application of aqueous aerated extracts from a biomixture acclimated with ibuprofen, diclofenac and triclosan. This bioaugmentation strategy was assayed in biopurification systems (BPS) and in contaminated aqueous solutions to accelerate the removal of these emerging contaminants. Sterilized extracts or extracts from the initial uncontaminated biomixture were used as controls. In BPS, the dissipation of 90% of diclofenac and triclosan required, respectively, 60 and 108 days less than in the controls. The metabolite methyl-triclosan was determined at levels 12 times lower than in controls. In the bioaugmented solutions, ibuprofen was almost completely eliminated (99%) in 21 days and its hydroxylated metabolites were also determined to be at lower levels than in the controls. The plasmidome of acclimated biomixtures and its extract appeared to maintain certain types of plasmids but degradation related genes became less evident. Several dominant OTUs found in the extract identified as Flavobacterium and Fluviicola of the phylum Bacteroidetes, Thermomicrobia (phylum Chloroflexi) and Nonomuraea (phylum Actinobacteria), may be responsible for the enhanced dissipation of these contaminants. This bioaugmentation strategy represents an advantageous tool to facilitate in situ bioaugmentation.
