Zhang Luo-ping

Persistent organochlorine residues in sediments of Hong Kong Victoria Harbour and Xiamen Western Bay

Samples of surface sediment were collected from Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong (Aug. 1992), and Xiamen Western Bay (Nov. 1993), and analysed for organochlorine (OC) pesticides (HCHs, DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Concentration ranges of HCHs, DDTs and PCBs in the survey area of Victoria Harbour were from undetectable to 9.4 μg/kg, 1.38–97 μg/kg and 3.2–81 μg/kg, respectively; those for Xiamen Western Bay were 0.14–1.12 μg/kg, 4.45–311 μg/kg and 0.05–7.24 μg/kg, respectively. The determined residue levels and distribution patterns of these organochlorines are discussed, and the Harbour and Bay contamination levels are compared. Two sediment cores were collected (Oct. 1994) from Xiamen Western Bay for study on the vertical profiles and pollution history of the above contaminants. The vertical profile characteristics indicated that the inner part of Xiamen Western Bay was once polluted by PCBs moderately and that there are still new inputs of DDT.

Strategic Environmental Assessment: A New Tool for Ecological Urbanization of Coastal Cities in China

Abstract Recently, there has been growing concerns about environmental issues related to urbanization in China. The intense natural resources utilization and increasing population has brought great pressure, especially in coastal areas, consequently affecting the sustainable development of coastal cities. In 2002, Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIA Act) was enacted in China. Environmental impact assessment targeted at planning, one level of strategic environmental assessment (SEA), thus became a legislative requirement. This paper considers SEA to be one of the important approaches not only to control coastal pollution, but also to conserve coastal ecosystems and finally to achieve sustainable development during urbanization, thus it will be a set an example for other areas of China. The experience of SEA in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China, illustrates the potentials of SEA. This paper first briefly introduces the concept and potentials of SEA, then compares two SEA cases and a project EIA case in Xiamen, and finally identifies the key characteristics of SEA.

Review on the Progress of Marine Ecosystem Management

Abstract Along with the industrial development, adverse impacts on the natural environment become more serious, and ecosystem health and ecological security have also been deteriorated. The traditional environment management focused on the short-term and economic benefits. Such managing pattern is not accommodating to the new situation of increasingly global environment problems and large scale marine environment problems. This paper introduces the advance and definition of a new managing pattern—ecosystem management. Meanwhile, the connotation of ecosystem management was summarized as seven points: Sustainability; Human is an important aspect of ecosystem management; Cooperation is the foundation of ecosystem management; Maintain health and security of ecosystem; Ecological diversity protection characters ecosystem management; Maintain the integrity of ecosystem; Ecosystem management must be founded on scientific theories and precise information. Somebody said Ecosystem Management is “a new label of old ideas”. However, there is an essential difference between ecosystem management and traditional environmental management. In the last part of this paper, the differences of the approaches between ecosystem management and traditional environmental management are compared.

THE VERTICAL DISTRIBUTIONS AND SOURCES OF PAHs IN SEDIMENT OF XIAMEN BAY

This study on the vertical distributions and sources of sixteen PAHs in Xiamen Bay after their separation and determination in sediment cores from No. 1 and No. 5 Stations, showed that PAHs concentrations varied from 158 to 337 ng/g dry weight, and that ΣPAHs varied from 1.1 to 6.0 μg/g. The vertical concentration distributions at No. 1 Station varied slightly (average of 16 PAHs, 242 ng/g; ΣPAHs 1.9 μg/g), except for a maximum at the depth of 3–6 cm (317 ng/g and 2.9 μg/g). The vertical concentration distribution at No. 5 Station changed irregularly, and there was also a maximum at the depth of 30–33cm (337 ng/g, 6.0 μg/g). No. 5. Station (in the inner bay) was much more contaminated by PAHs than No. 1 Station (in the inlet of the bay). The concentrations of PAHs in Xiamen Bay were much lower than the average in the coasts of the world. The sources of PAHs in Xiamen Bay were mainly urban discharge, industry and combustion of fuels.