Fuyang County Research Articles

Future land use prediction and optimization strategy of Zhejiang Greater Bay Area coupled with ecological security multi-scenario pattern.

The land use changes driven by human activities press a incredible menace to zonal ecological security. As the most active urban cluster, the uncontrolled expansion of cities in the bay area exerts enormous pressure on the ecosystem. Therefore, from the perspective of ecological conservation, exploring future land use optimization patterns and spatial structure is extremely essential for the long-term thriving of the bay area. On this basis, this research integrated the System Dynamics model (SD) as the quantity forecast model and the PLUS model as the spatial emulation model and established the Land Use/Cover Change (LUCC) Simulation Framework by setting the constraints of Ecological Security Multi-Scenario Patterns (ESMP). By setting four scenarios in future, that is, Business As Usual (BAU), Priority of Ecological Protection (PEP), Balanced Development Scenario (BD), and Priority of Urban development (PUD), this research predicts LUCC in the Zhejiang Greater Bay Area (ZGBA) in 2035 and explored land use optimization patterns. The results indicate that by 2035, under the scenarios of BAU, BD, and PUD, the construction land will observably grow by 38.86%, 19.63%, and 83.90%, respectively, distributed mainly around the Hangzhou Bay Area, Taizhou Bay Area, and Wenzhou Bay Area, primarily achieved by sacrificing ecologically sensitive lands such as forests to achieve regional high economic growth. Under PEP, the growth of construction land retards, and forest experiences net growth (11.27%), with better landscape connectivity and more cohesive patches compared to other scenarios. Combining regional planning and analysis at the city scale, Hangzhou Bay area (Hangzhou, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Ningbo) can adopt the BD development scenario, while Zhoushan, Taizhou, Wenzhou and Fuyang County of Hangzhou can adopt the PEP development scenario. This research furnishes a novel mechanism for optimizing land use pattern in ecological security perspective and offers scientific guidance for land resource management and spatial planning in ZGBA.

First Report of Leaf Spot of Atractylodes macrocephala Caused by Fusarium commune in Zhejiang province, China.

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz is a very common herbs in China, also famous for its high medicinal value (Lee et al., 2007). In summer of 2019, in Fuyang county of Zhejiang province, the main production area of China, 74 plants of A. macrocephala from a total of about 300 plants, showed black leaf spots . The incidence of the disease was 25% and increased under high temperature and humidity conditions. Initial leaf symptoms appeared as black or tan spots surrounded by brown margins and expanded irregularly. Finally, large blackish brown spots appeared on the leaves, elliptical or irregular, 1.0 to 1.5 cm in diameter, and then lesions turned necrotic. To isolate the pathogen, small pieces (5×5 mm) from the margin of symptomatic leaves were surface-sterilized with 75% ethanol for 30 s and 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, rinsed five times with sterile water, and incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28°C in darkness. Purified colonies were white to pink with densely floccose to fluffy aerial mycelium and peach-orange pigmentation. Macroconidia, usually three-septate, were 26.7 to 43.3×3.1 to 5.3μm (n=50), thin-walled, slightly curved, with apical and basal cells curved when cultured in continuous darkness. Microconidia were mostly aseptate, ovate-oblong, straight to slightly curved, and measuring 5.9 to 14.3×2.3 to 3.9μm in size (n=50). Spherical chlamydospores were produced singly or in pairs from mycelium and spores. These characteristics were consistent with the description of Fusarium spp. (Leslie and Summerell, 2006). To identify the species, the translation elongation factor-1 alpha regions (TEF-1α) and the mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) were amplified using primers EF-3/ EF-22 (Palmore et al.,2010 and O'Donnell et al., 1998) and MS3F/ MS3R (Stenglein et al., 2010), respectively. Sequences were deposited in GenBank (MT263720, OM203177, OM203178, OM203179, OM203180, OM203181 and MN853662, MZ028170.1, MZ028171.1, MZ028172.1, MZ028173.1, MZ028174.1). These six isolates clustered in the Fusarium commune clade with 100% and 98% similarity, respectively. To test pathogenicity of every isolate, five 8-week-old potted A. macrocephalae plants were wound-inoculated and mycelial discs of 5-mm diameter were used to inoculate. As a control, five plants were inoculated with 5-mm PDA plugs. All plants were individually covered with a plastic bag and kept in a greenhouse at 25 ± 2°C with a 12-h photoperiod at 70 to 80% relative humidity. Typical symptoms similar to those of the field appeared only in inoculated plants after five days. In addition, a conidial suspension (1×105 spores/ml) was sprayed onto young leaves of three potted healthy plants. Three plants sprayed with sterile distilled water served as controls. After 7 days, typical symptoms were observed on all inoculated leaves. Experiments were replicated three times. F. commune was successfully re-isolated from diseased plants. Based on morphological and molecular identification, the pathogen was identified as F. commune. In China, Alternaria alternata (Zhuang, 2005), A. longipes (Tan et al., 2012), Phyllosticta commonsii (Sang et al., 2006) and Phoma exigua (Zhang et al., 2018) were reported as causal agents of the leaf spot disease of A. macrocephalae. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot disease on A. macrocephalae caused by F. commune in China. Effective control strategies need to be established to reduce the losses.

Improved Mapping of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil via Integration of Multiple Data Sources and Various Geostatistical Methods

Soil pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) has become a core issue around the world. Knowledge of the spatial distribution of PTEs in soil is crucial for soil remediation. Portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (p-XRF) provides a cost-saving alternative to the traditional laboratory analysis of soil PTEs. In this study, we collected 293 soil samples from Fuyang County in Southeast China. Subsequently, we used several geostatistical methods, such as inverse distance weighting (IDW), ordinary kriging (OK), and empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK), to estimate the spatial variability of soil PTEs measured by the laboratory and p-XRF methods. The final maps of soil PTEs were outputted by the model averaging method, which combines multiple maps previously created by IDW, OK, and EBK, using both lab and p-XRF data. The study results revealed that the mean PTE content measured by the laboratory methods was as follows: Zn (127.43 mg kg−1) > Cu (31.34 mg kg−1) > Ni (20.79 mg kg−1) > As (10.65 mg kg−1) > Cd (0.33 mg kg−1). p-XRF measurements showed a spatial prediction accuracy of soil PTEs similar to that of laboratory analysis measurements. The spatial prediction accuracy of different PTEs outputted by the model averaging method was as follows: Zn (R2 = 0.71) > Cd (R2 = 0.68) > Ni (R2 = 0.67) > Cu (R2 = 0.62) > As (R2 = 0.50). The prediction accuracy of the model averaging method for five PTEs studied herein was improved compared with that of the laboratory and p-XRF methods, which utilized individual geostatistical methods (e.g., IDW, OK, EBK). Our results proved that p-XRF was a reliable alternative to the traditional laboratory analysis methods for mapping soil PTEs. The model averaging approach improved the prediction accuracy of the soil PTE spatial distribution and reduced the time and cost of monitoring and mapping PTE soil contamination.

Prenatal exposure to the herbicide 2,4-D is associated with deficits in auditory processing during infancy

IntroductionDespite widespread use, many herbicides and fungicides are not well studied for neurological effects. Fetal and infant brains are rapidly developing, yet the effects of early-life exposure to these classes of pesticides on visual and auditory function are unknown. Here we examined the effects of prenatal herbicide and fungicide exposure on infant grating visual acuity (VA) and auditory brainstem response (ABR). Methods9 herbicides and 13 fungicides were measured in umbilical cord blood plasma from a cohort of infants in Fuyang County, China (n = 232). Grating VA and ABR latencies for waves I, III, V were measured at 3 time points: 6 weeks, 9 months, and 18 months. Outcomes included VA score, ABR wave V latency and ABR central conduction time (CCT [wave V- wave I]). Pesticides were analyzed as 3-level ordinal (non-detect [ND]/medium/high), or dichotomous (ND/detect), depending on detection rates. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate relations between pesticides and VA and ABR outcomes. Results2,4-dichloroacetic acid (2,4-D), prometryn, simazine, and tetrahydrophthalamide (THPI, a metabolite of captan) were detected in 27%, 81%, 17%, and 16% of samples, respectively. Infants prenatally exposed to 2,4-D had slower auditory response times at 6 weeks. Infants with cord levels of 2,4-D > 1.17 ng/mL had wave V latencies that were 0.12 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.22) ms slower (p = 0.01) and overall CCTs that were 0.15 (95% CI:0.05, 0.25) ms slower (p = 0.003) than infants with non-detectable 2,4-D in their cord blood. No other statistically significant findings were observed for the other herbicides and fungicides or for the grating VA outcome. ConclusionsPrenatal exposure to the herbicide 2,4-D was associated with slower auditory signal transmission in early infancy. ABR latencies reflect auditory pathway maturation and longer latencies may indicate delayed auditory development.

Non-persistent Insecticide Exposure and Auditory Brainstem Response in Infants

Introduction Occupational studies suggest that exposure to insecticides may lead to hearing loss, yet effects of early-life exposure on auditory function are unknown. We examined effects of prenatal organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid (PYR) exposure on infant auditory brainstem response (ABR). Methods 36 OP and PYR and 7 metabolites were measured in umbilical cord blood plasma from a cohort of infants in Fuyang County, China (n=234). ABR latencies for waves I, III, V were measured during unsedated sleep at 3 time points: 6wk, 9m, and18m. ABR outcomes included wave V latency, central conduction time (CCT [wave V- wave I]), and wave III-V interpeak interval (IPI [wave V-wave III]). Higher values indicate slower transmission. Composite variables were created for total OP and PYR detects. Individual insecticides were analyzed as continuous, 3-level ordinal (ND/medium/high), or dichotomous (non-detect [ND]/detect), depending on detection rates. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate relationships between insecticides and ABR. Results are reported as β (95%CI). Results 26 OP and PYR and 5 metabolites were detected. For OP, infants with high methamidophos (vs. ND) had longer CCT at 18m (0.11 [0.01-0.22], p=0.03) and infants with medium trichlorfon (vs. ND) had longer III-V IPI at 18m (0.06 [0.00-0.12], p=0.05). For PYR, log-3-phenoxybenzoic acid was positively associated with III-V IPI at 6wk (0.02 [0.01-0.04]), 9m (0.01 [0.00-0.03]), and 18m (0.01 [0.00-0.03]), p=0.01, 0.05, and 0.05. Infants with high cis-permethrin (vs. ND) had longer III-V IPI at 6wk (0.07 [0.01-0.14], p=0.03). Infants with medium lambda-cyhalothrin (vs. ND) had longer wave V latencies (0.08 [0.00-0.15], p=0.05), CCT (0.12 [0.02-0.22], p=0.02), and III-V IPI (0.07 [0.01-0.13], p=0.02) at 18m. Conclusions Prenatal exposure to certain OP and PYR insecticides was associated with slower auditory signal transmission in infants. Longer III-V IPI may reflect impaired auditory pathway myelination.

Early-Life Insecticide Exposure and Motor Function in Infants

Introduction The neurodevelopmental effects of early-life exposure to non-persistent insecticides are not well understood. Laboratory studies suggest that low dose organophosphate (OP) exposure may inhibit myelination, a process critical to motor development. The aim here was to investigate the effects of prenatal exposure to OP and pyrethroid (PYR) insecticides on infant motor function. Methods 24 OP, 6 OP metabolites (OPm), 12 PYR, and 1 PYRm were measured using GC-tandem MS in umbilical cord blood plasma from a cohort of infants in Fuyang County, China (n=230). Motor function was assessed at 6 wk. and 9 mo. using Peabody Developmental Motor Scales- 2nd Ed. (PDMS-2). Composite variables were created for total OP and PYR detects. Individual insecticides were analyzed as dichotomous (non-detect [ND]/detect), 3-level ordinal (ND/medium/high), or continuous, depending on detection rates. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate relationships between insecticides and PDMS subtests (reflexes, stationary, locomotion, grasping, visual-motor integration), gross motor quotient (GMQ), fine motor quotient (FMQ), and total motor quotient (TMQ). Results 14 OPs, 4 OPm, 12 PYR, and 1 PYRm were detected in at least one sample. For OP analyses, infants with detectable chlorpyrifos (vs. ND) had significantly lower scores at 9 mo: visual-motor integration (β=-1.7 [95%CI: -3.3--0.2], p=0.03), FMQ (β=-2.4 [95%CI: -4.8--0.1], p=0.04), and TMQ (β=-5.8 [95%CI: -10.8--0.8], p=0.02). For PYR analyses, infants with high cypermethrin (vs. ND) also had significantly lower scores at 9 mo: locomotion (β=-3.0 [95%CI: -5.7--0.4], p=0.02), GMQ (β=-4.4 [95%CI: -8.4--0.4], p=0.03), and FMQ (β=-5.9 [95%CI: -11.5--0.3], p=0.04). Conclusions We found evidence of deficits in motor function in 9-month-old infants with prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos or cypermethrin. Neural pathways involved in motor skill acquisition may be vulnerable to the effects of certain commonly used insecticides.

Landsat Imagery-Based Above Ground Biomass Estimation and Change Investigation Related to Human Activities

Forest biomass is a significant indicator for substance accumulation and forest succession, and a spatiotemporal biomass map would provide valuable information for forest management and scientific planning. In this study, Landsat imagery and field data cooperated with a random forest regression approach were used to estimate spatiotemporal Above Ground Biomass (AGB) in Fuyang County, Zhejiang Province of East China. As a result, the AGB retrieval showed an increasing trend for the past decade, from 74.24 ton/ha in 2004 to 99.63 ton/ha in 2013. Topography and forest management were investigated to find their relationships with the spatial distribution change of biomass. In general, the simulated AGB increases with higher elevation, especially in the range of 80–200 m, wherein AGB acquires the highest increase rate. Moreover, the forest policy of ecological forest has a positive effect on the AGB increase, particularly within the national level ecological forest. The result in this study demonstrates that human activities have a great impact on biomass distribution and change tendency. Furthermore, Landsat image-based biomass estimates would provide illuminating information for forest policy-making and sustainable development.

Land Use Changes Induced County-Scale Carbon Consequences in Southeast China 1979–2020, Evidence from Fuyang, Zhejiang Province

Land use change (LUC) is the most dynamic force in terrestrial carbon stock change, and it is imperative to account for the dynamics of LUC in carbon stock change when forming land use policies. This paper explored the impacts of LUCs on carbon (C) stocks at a county scale and detected changes of soil C stocks within a county-scale land use planning policy. The LUCs within 1979–2006 in Fuyang County (eastern China) and Fuyang Land Use Master Planning (FLUMP) (2006–2020) were selected for this pilot study. The estimates of C stock changes were examined by compiling vegetation and soil organic C density data from six land use types, and through literature reviews and field surveys. The results showed that LUCs between 1979 and 2006 already caused a vegetation carbon (VC) decrease of 273.44 Gg and a soil organic carbon (SOC) decrease of 771.01 Gg, mainly due to urbanization processes. Further, the FLUMP (2006–2020) is expected to lead to a potential C loss of 25.93 × 10−3 Mg C ha−1year−1 for vegetation and 27.48 × 10−3 Mg C ha−1year−1 for soil between 2006 and 2020. As the situation stands, it is urgent to devise rational policies and effective measures to reverse the C loss process.

Early-Life Organophosphate Insecticide Exposure And Visual Acuity In Infants

Introduction: Organophosphate insecticides (OPs) are neurotoxic at high doses, however effects of low dose exposure are not well understood. Laboratory studies have shown that OPs at low doses may inhibit neuronal myelination, a process critical to visual pathway development early in life. Grating visual acuity (VA) rapidly improves in infancy, reflecting visual pathway myelination. VA might thus be sensitive to OP exposure. The aim here was to investigate the effect of prenatal OP exposure on infant VA. Methods: 24 OPs and 6 OP metabolites were measured using GC-tandem MS in umbilical cord blood plasma from infants in Fuyang County, China. VA was measured using Teller Acuity Cards at 6 wk (N=300), 9 mo (N=291), and 18 mo (N=288). Composite variables were created for total OP detects and total OP metabolite detects. Individual OPs and metabolites were analyzed as dichotomous (non-detect [ND]/detect), 3-level ordinal (ND/medium/high), or continuous, depending on detection rates. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate relationships between OP variables and VA. Results: 16 OPs and 6 metabolites were detected in at least one sample. Analyses of composite and dichotomous OP variables did not yield significant associations with VA. Chlorpyrifos, methamidophos, and trichlorfon were detected in 40, 66, and 56% of samples, respectively, and analyses as 3-level ordinal variables revealed suggestive, but not statistically significant, inverse associations between chlorpyrifos and trichlorfon and VA at 9 and 18 mo. Naled was detected in 94% of samples and continuous analyses found inverse associations with VA at 6 wk (β=-0.01; 95%CI:-0.02--0.001; p=0.03). Conclusions: VA in infancy may be adversely affected by certain OPs, though our results are largely inconclusive. Visual system development in infancy is critical to later learning processes and altered timing of visual pathway maturation may potentially contribute to poorer developmental outcomes later on.

Early-Life Lead Exposure and Visual Acuity in Infants

Background- Lead (Pb) exposure during childhood has been associated with numerous deficits in neurobehavioral, motor, and cognitive functions. The effects of Pb on sensory function are less well-studied, and only in animals. The rapid increase in visual acuity (VA) in infancy reflects increasing myelination to a large degree and overall maturation of the central nervous system. VA might thus be sensitive to effects of Pb. Aim- To investigate the effect of early life Pb exposure on infant grating VA. Methods- Pb was measured using AAS in umbilical cord blood and infant blood at 9 months and 18 months in a cohort of healthy, full-term infants born in rural Fuyang County near Hangzhou, China between 2008-2011. VA was measured in infants using Teller Acuity Cards at 6 weeks (N=354), 9 months (N=330), and 18 months (N=285) and assigned as the narrowest grid the infant fixated on. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate relationships between cord, 9 month, or 18 month Pb and VA at 6 weeks, 9 months, or 18 months. Results- Means for Pb were 3.1, 4.4, and 3.6 µg/dL, for cord, 9 months, and 18 months, respectively. 9-month VA was lower in infants with higher concurrent blood Pb at 9 months. In adjusted models, VA decreased by 0.12 units (95%CI: 0.02-0.22) per every 1 µg/dL increase in concurrent blood Pb (p=0.02). Further analysis using quartiles revealed a highly linear association (ß= -1.41, -1.03, -0.26, for the upper three quartiles vs. the lowest one, respectively; p-trend=0.0001). No significant associations were observed at the other time points. Conclusions- VA at 9 months was lower in infants with higher concurrent blood Pb. The observed inverse association between VA and blood Pb at 9 months suggests that early life exposure to Pb may adversely affect myelination and visual system development.

First Report of Leaf Blight of Rice Caused by Cochliobolus lunatus in China.

Leaf-streak symptoms were observed on rice (Oryza sativa L.) starting at the booting stage through harvest in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2012. Based on Fuyang County, only 15% of the rice fields were estimated to show these symptoms. However, incidence could be 40 to 80% when the rice got infected. Typical symptoms started as green water-soaked streaks from the tip or edge of leaf blades, similar to bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae. Infected leaves turned yellow, then eventually became wilted and dry. No bacterial streaming was observed and no bacteria were isolated. Pieces of infected leaf tissue were surface sterilized using 0.1% (v/v) mercuric chloride, rinsed with sterilized water, then placed on water agar (WA). After 2 or 3 days on WA at 28°C, only fungal growth was observed from surface sterilized tissues. Fungi were isolated, purified by single spore separation process, and subcultured to potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates. Growing on PDA, the surface of the colony was circular, fluffy, and shiny velvety-black, whereas the under surface was dark Prussian blue. Conidiophores were single or fascicled, brown to dark brown, rarely branched, multiseptate, and straight or often geniculate near the apex. Conidia were brown, smooth, fusiform, geniculate or hook-shaped, 17.5 to 28.5 × 8.5 to 14.0 μm, and 3-septate, with the third cell from the base larger and darker than the others. Molecular identification was performed by analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2). The rDNA-ITS region was amplified with primer pair ITS1 and ITS4 (5), sequenced, and deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KC462186). The sequence of rDNA-ITS (KC462186) showed 100% identity with Cochliobolus lunatus R.R. Nelson & Haasis (JN943422) after BLAST. Based on the results of morphological and molecular analyses, the fungus isolated from infected leaves was identified as C. lunatus (anamorph: Curvularia lunata (Wakk.) Boedijn) (3). Pathogenicity tests were conducted three times by spraying a conidial suspension (1 × 105 spores/ml) with 0.1% (v/v) Tween 20 on 12 healthy rice plants at late tillering stage. The same number of the healthy rice plants sprayed with sterilized water with 0.1% (v/v) Tween 20 were used as control. All plants were kept at 30°C and 75 to 85% relative humidity (RH) under a 12-h light/dark rotation. About 5 to 7 days after inoculation, green water-soaked streaks began to appear on inoculated plants. From 7 to 14 days after inoculation, the lesions developed quickly and the leaves began to wilt. After 14 days, inoculated plants showed symptoms similar to those originally observed in the field, while control plants (sprayed with sterilized water) remained healthy. C. lunatus was re-isolated from all inoculated plants, and re-identified by the same methods (morphological and molecular methods) as described above, thereby satisfying Koch's postulates, and confirming C. lunatus as the cause of the disease. C. lunatus is a pathogen of a wide range of plants and is common in paddy environments. It was reported as one of the causal agents of black kernel of rice (4) and rice spikelet rot disease (SRD) (1,2). The level of incidence observed in the affected fields suggest that this disease could potentially cause major losses under favorable weather conditions if susceptible cultivars are grown. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. lunatus causing leaf blight of rice in China.

Land use changes induced soil organic carbon variations in agricultural soils of Fuyang County, China

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand spatial and temporal variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) under rapid urbanization and support soil and environmental management.

The effects of basic arable land protection planning in Fuyang County, Zhejiang Province, China

The purpose of this study is to determine whether basic arable land protection planning has reduced arable land loss in Fuyang County, Zhejiang Province, China and, if so, to identify how much arable land has been saved by the implementation of land use planning. Land use data covering 10 years, from 1999 to 2008, were collected from Fuyang County for analysis. A logistic discrete-time hazards model was used to model the conversion of arable land, and the effects of basic arable protection planning were estimated. The Youden index was used to determine the cut-off point for predicted probabilities, and the effects were estimated based on the classification with the cut-off point. Furthermore, an analysis framework combining effectiveness-based assessment and goals-based assessment was developed. The results suggest that basic arable land protection planning is effective, with the odds of basic arable land being converted to other uses decreasing by 89 percent compared with arable land outside the basic arable land protection district in Fuyang County, and the conversion of arable land in general decreasing by 72 percent due to basic arable land protection planning. Considering both the effectiveness and goal's achievement, the implementation of basic arable land protection planning is judged to be effective, but not entirely successful. Certain factors made basic arable land protection planning effective, these include the reallocation of approval rights for arable land conversion to the central government from the local government, the application of new technology in the central government's inspections of the local governments' land use regulation and land administration, the raising of compensation standards for arable land expropriation, the creation of a Supervisor of State Land, and the readjustment of the local land and resources administrative system. However, other factors made the implementation of basic arable land protection planning not completely successful, including a top-down administrative system of land use planning, differences of interests regarding land administration between the local and central governments, and the system by which local government cadres' performances are evaluated.

Microbial Community Structure and Enzyme Activities in a Sequence of Copper-Polluted Soils

The microbial community structure and enzyme activities of seven paddy soils with different Cu concentrations were investigated in the vicinity of a Cu smelter in Fuyang County, Zhejiang Province in Southeast China. The microbial community structure was analyzed using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and multiplex-terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (M-TRFLP) techniques. There was no clear dose-response relationship between Cu pollution and soil enzyme activity except for urease. Both PLFA and M-TRFLP methods showed that Cu contamination had a large effect on the soil microbial community structure. PLFA indicators of Gram-positive bacteria (16:0i, 15:0i) and fungi (18:2w6,9) relatively decreased with increasing Cu concentration, whereas indicators of Gram-negative bacteria (19:0cy, 16:1w7) increased. The M-TRFLP results suggested that there was a dose-dependent response between Cu pollution and bacterial community or fungal community. The fungal community was more sensitive to Cu pollution than the bacterial community. There were no significant differences in archaeal community structure between the different Cu pollution plots and archaea might be more tolerant to Cu pollution than both bacteria and fungi.

Spatial Influence of Geographical Factors on Soil Erosion in Fuyang County, China

The effect of geographical factors on soil erosion is an important aspect of the monitoring environment changes. The spatial relationship between soil erosion and its geographical factors was carried out. The results showed that soil erosion exhibited high selectivity of geographical factors. 94.5% of soil erosion occurred in areas less than 500 m, 85.3% presented on the areas between 15°- 35°, 57.2% distributed on southern slope, and 76.8% of strong erosion were found in garden land. It provided a basis for governing soil erosion, which was an important significance to local economic development.

Three group of peoples perceptions of children bicycle injury risks, causes and prevention in the rural southern China: a focus group study

BackgroundRoad traffic injury has been a second leading cause of death in children unintentional injuries in China. Little is known about on bicycle injury in rural China. This study aims...

Identification of soil heavy metal sources from anthropogenic activities and pollution assessment of Fuyang County, China

Understanding regional variations of soil heavy metals and their anthropogenic influence are very important for environmental planning. In this study, 286 surface soil samples were collected in Fuyang county, and the 'total' metals for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) were measured in 2005. Statistic analysis showed that Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd had been added by exterior factors, and Ni was mainly controlled by natural factors. The combination of multivariate statistical and geostatistical analysis successfully grouped three groups (Cu, Zn and Pb; Cd; and Ni) of heavy metals from different sources. Through pollution evaluation, it was found that 15.76% of the study area for Cu, Zn and Pb, and 46.14% for Cd suffered from moderate or severe pollution. Further spatial analysis identified the limestone mining activities, paper mills, cement factory and metallurgic activities were the main sources for the concentration of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in soils, and soil Ni was mainly determined by the parent materials.

The Determinants of Employment Mode in Chinese Rural Labor

Based on a household survey of Anhui Province's Fuyang County in China, this paper investigates the determinants of employment, checks the effect of human capital on income and seeks to identify the main determinants of the off-farm participation trends in rural areas with high population densities. Econometric models were constructed to evaluate the determinants and effects of human capital on circular migration, local wage employment and self-employment. The results obtained from the model demonstrate that education has no positive effect on circular migration of rural labor. However, it was shown that education has a significant effect on rural labor with high wages and steady jobs. Rural laborers always obtain off-farm jobs from family members, relatives or friends rather than on their own, demonstrating the rural labor market is not mature. It is not likely farmers that own only their own labor can get steady income in urban areas by circular migration. Compared to other factors, investment in skill training is presently low so the final solution is to increase skill training in rural areas.JEL Classification: J23, J24, R23

Study on the possibility of hydrogen peroxide pretreatment and plant system to remediate soil pollution

Hydrogen peroxide was widely selected as the chemical oxidant in chemical remediation or as the donor of oxygen in in situ aerobic bioremediation of organic pollutants. In this paper, hydrogen peroxide pretreatment and plant system was done to examine its possibility to remediate the heavy metal contaminated soil or heavy metal–organic combined contaminated soil. Heavy metal contaminated soil was collected from the heavily industrialized area, in Fuyang county, Zhejiang province, China. And heavy metal–organic combined contaminated soil was prepared from the same contaminated soil by spiking 100 μg g −1 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). Results showed that H 2O 2 could improve the dissipation of 2,4-DCP and enhance the availability of Cu and Zn in soil. The greatly increased DOC (dissolved organic carbon) in the oxidation process was probably the main reason for the greatly increased water soluble Cu in higher pH condition. Water soluble Zn, however, easily rebound to soil components with the time being and had no positive relation with dissolved organic carbon. Planting with ryegrass influenced the behavior of pollutants in soil. It was observed that the dissipation of 2,4-DCP could be enhanced by the presence of plant roots and the availability of Cu and Zn in the planted soil was changed due to the mobilization and rebound mechanisms in the rhizosphere. Co-contamination of 2,4-DCP caused the greater availability of Cu and Zn in H 2O 2 pretreatment. But with the ryegrass planting, it was easier to rebound to the less available phase in the rhizosphere. Both Cu and Zn concentration in shoots increased with the H 2O 2 treatment. Therefore our results suggested that H 2O 2 pretreatment was probably a promising way for promoting the dissipation of persistent organic pollutants and enhancing the solubility of Cu and Zn in soil. A combination of H 2O 2 pretreatment and suitable plant might be an efficient alternative for remedying heavy metal or heavy metal–organic contaminated soil.

Behavior of Cu and Zn under combined pollution of 2,4-dichlorophenol in the planted soil

Behavior of heavy metals under combined pollution of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) was investigated using metal contaminated soil which was sampled from the heavily industrialized areas, Fuyang county, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China and pretreated with 100 μg g−1 2,4-DCP for 1 month. Metal complexes were the predominant species for Cu and Zn in the soil solution. The treatment of 2,4-DCP had limited effect on the dissolution of Cu and Zn in the soil without plant root growth. But the metal species might be changed due to the addition of organic pollutant. Planting with rye grass for 1 month, greatly increased both water soluble Cu and Zn. The increase of water soluble Cu and Zn in the presence of 2,4-DCP was much more than that in the absence of 2,4-DCP, which suggested more attention should be paid to the behavior of heavy metals under combined pollution of organic pollutants in the planted soil. The results also indicated that in comparison to Cu, soil planted with ryegrass was more effective in activating Zn from soils, which was consistent with its relative weak chemisorptions on clays, oxides and humus of soils.