香港一富营养河港内的底泥耗氧和营养盐释放

Tolo Harbour has received massive discharges of municipal sewage, agricultural wastes and cottage industrial effluents, via three river systems, in the past two decades before the mid Eighties. The Harbour is almost land locked and poorly flushed. The soft sediment acted as a sink for nutrients and organic pollutants. After a decade of efforts in establishing and enforcing water pollution control legislations and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, the sediments have turned into sources of nutrients and exert a measurable oxygen demand upon the overlying waters. In vitro measurements showed that the sediments oxygen demand (SOD) was between 17.6 and 54.3 mgo₂ · m^-2 · h^-1. The maximum rates of release of ortho-phosphate phosphorus and ammonia nitrogen were 15.0 and 206.0 mg · m^-2 · h^-1, respectively.     

太湖污染控制及水生态系统的恢复对策

Taihu Lake is a mutiple-function fresh water lake situated in the delta of Yangtze River. Nowadays, the serious pollution mainly created by industry and residents'' life has made the water quality of the lake decline continuously. Eutrophication is the main characteristic of the water pollution. The water pollution not only affect the several functions of the lake, but also cause the changes of the aquatic biological community.The pollution control strategies to be adopted include the treatment of the industrial waste water and residents'' life sewage, as well as the agricultural non-point polluting source. Ecological engineering is the useful measure for diminishing the nutrition salts in water. On the basis of pollution control, the ecological restoration methods include the transplanting of the emerged and/loading anchored aquatic plants at first and the restoration of the submerged plants in the next.     

香港东北部托罗港湾水环境评价

Uncontrolled discharges of municipal sewage, agricultural wastes and industrial effluents in the past decades have upset the ecosystems, caused frequent occurrences of red tides, and resulted in a loss of inland and coastal amenity values of the land-locked embayment of Tolo Harbour and the related river systems. This paper provides a review of the established relevant legislations and sewage management facilities for environmental conservation, and the current status of water environment in the Tolo Harbour Water Control Zone.     

Excessive greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants by using the chemical oxygen demand standard

Chemical oxygen demand(COD)is widely used as an organic pollution indicator in wastewater treatment plants.Large amounts of organic matter are removed during treatment processes to meet environmental standards,and consequently,substantial greenhouse gases(GHGs)such as methane(CH₄)are released.However,the COD indicator covers a great amount of refractory organic matter that is not a pollutant and could be a potential carbon sink.Here,we collected and analysed COD data from 86 worldwide municipal wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)and applied a model published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to estimate the emission of CH₄ due to recalcitrant organic compound processing in China’s municipal wastewater treatment systems.Our results showed that the average contribution of refractory COD to total COD removal was55%in 86 WWTPs.The amount of CH₄ released from the treatment of recalcitrant organic matter in 2018 could have been as high as 38.22 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent,which amounts to the annual carbon sequestered by China’s wetlands.This suggests that the use of COD as an indicator for organic pollution is undue and needs to be revised to reduce the emission of GHG.In fact,leaving nontoxic recalcitrant organic matter in the wastewater may create a significant carbon sink and will save energy during the treatment process,aiming at carbon neutrality in the wastewater treatment industry.     

一种浅水湖耦合模式系统的发展与应用

Growing developments in lake basins in China, have adversely affected, the water quality of lake, in particular, the water bodies of many famous shallow lake are seriously polluted in recent years. Some projects have been built up to improve the water quality, for example, the sewage interception project (i.e. Xiyuan tunnel project) and four sewage treatment plants etc. have been built up in Dianchi Lake. In order to predict and evaluate the effects of projects on the water quality, it is necessary to develop a coupled model system, which should mainly include wind, circulation and water quality parameters. This paper describes the development and application of a coupled modeling system in a shallow lake, which include a 3D micro-meteorology model (3DMM), a 2D hydrodynamic model (2DHM) and a 2D water quality model(2DWM).The coupled modeling system has been applied to predict the ejfects of environmental protection projects on water quality in Dianchi Lake.     

SIMULATION OF POLLUTANTS IN RIVER SYSTEMS USING FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD

1 INTRODUCTION Numerical computation provides an easily extended and user-friendly environment with computer aided programming for the simulation of pollutants in river systems. In the most of water quality assessment and monitoring problems during water pollution control and environmental impact assessment studies of river systems, mathematical modeling has been playing a key role for the last two decades. The majority of existing water quality models are the mechanistic and are based o…     

NUTRIENT LOAD ESTIMATION METHODS FOR RIVERS

Pollutant load estimation is essential for watershed management and water pollution control. For most watersheds, only sparse water quality measurements (e.g. monthly data) are available. The influence of input data on the accuracy of non-point source pollution load estimation is studied using the water quality and stream flow data from a small watershed in Hong Kong. Comparison and analysis of the results using 8 different methods show that the accuracy of stream-flow runoff is the single most important factor for the calculation of pollutant load. Based on the results, the stream flow correction coefficient is advanced to provide a more reliable load estimation. The improved method of pollutant load estimation can be easily applied in practice since the stream-flow runoff can be measured by hydrological station or estimated with various hydrological methods.     

A review of ecological restoration techniques in fluvial rivers

Rivers play an important role in people's living and agricultural production, however, intense human activities have broken the original ecological balance, and affected structures and functions of the river ecosystem. To restore the damaged river ecosystem back to a healthy status, effective ecological restoration measures need to be implemented. The main problems that the damaged rivers face are either the locally altered hydrological processes affected by construction of hydraulic facilities, or the deterioration of water quality resulted from pollution emissions, or both. In this study, ecological restoration techniques of the rivers affected by engineering control or pollution are reviewed respec-tively. In addition, three kinds of methods, i.e. physical, chemical and biological–ecological methods are introduced in details for the rivers affected by water pollution. At present, the development of river restoration techniques shows the following trends: 1) the scale of ecological restoration is becoming larger; 2) ecological restoration measures are required to meet multiple objectives; and 3) the man-agement of water environment is changing from water quality management to aquatic ecosystem management.     

Sediment transferring function of the lower reaches of the Yellow River influenced by drainage basin factors and human activities

Since 1986, with a sharp decrease in water dis-charges, the Yellow River has entered a period charac-terized by low discharges and seasonally occurring dry-ups[1,2]. Since 1999, more strict management of water diversion has been imposed, and therefore the dry-ups have been well under control. However, the lower reaches of the Yellow River is still predominated by low-discharges, and has become a man-induced shrinking river. In the past 40 years, significant effect of soil and water conservat…     

加拿大内陆水的保护

Contrary to general international perception, Canada does not have an unlimited supply of freshwater. However, because Canada has a small population, it does have a generous water allocation on a per capita basis. Nor is Canada immune from water quality problems:its cold continental climate, urbanization and industrial activities all contribute to water quality concerns and deterioration. Generally, the authority to manage water in Canada is held by the country''s provincial governments. The Great Lakes basin is the world''s largest freshwater ecosystem and is located in Canada''s industrial heartland. Water issues, starting with phosphorus in the 1960''s, created international headlines. In the 1970''s toxics became the predominant issue and this led to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement which established the ecosystem approach to water quality management. This approach is now the standard approach to water quality management and has been successfully applied to a number of other lake and river ecosystems in Canada. While there have been improvements in the water quality of the Great Lakes much remains to be done on toxic elimination and the large contaminant stores in the sediments. Atmospheric deposition has become a significant source of chemicals from outside the basin The Canadian prairies, the agricultural heartland of Canada, is one major ecozone that has not been selected to have current and potential water quality problems examined by a federal government program. Both the quantity and quality of water in this region are potentially significant factors limiting economic diversification and sustainable development in this vast and ecologically disturbed region.     

Early experiences in monitoring the effects of Hong Kong's new generation of sewage outfalls on the marine environment

The rapid post war development of Hong Kong as a centre of population, industry and commerce far outstripped the provision of sewers, wastewater treatment and disposal facilities. A legacy of marine pollution remains; the Government is now addressing this problem through the implementation of an ambitious sewage strategy. At the core of the strategy lies a major sewerage programme and the construction of new sewage treatment plants and marine disposal outfalls. The authors outline the background to recent sewerage and related infrastructure development in Hong Kong and discuss the scope and role of an outfall performance verification monitoring programme. This monitoring programme also is intended to identify the need for future improvements to the system in order to ensure that statutory Water Quality Objectives can be achieved and maintained. This work is seen as an essential element in the strategy for providing a cost effective treatment and disposal system. The early stages of a programme to measure the effects of major sewage outfalls on coastal waters is described. Initial work in the north-west New Territories of Hong Kong has focused on understanding the dilution and dispersion of sewage plumes. Ongoing and recently completed plume tracking work, which has made use of innovative tools such as radio-isotope tracers, dye fluorescence, ADCP and other water quality sensors multiplexed to three dimensional positional recording systems is reviewed. The subsequent interpretation of these results and their value in assessing outfall performance is considered. The success of this work is discussed and the lessons for future monitoring programmes are identified.     

The spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals in sediments of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Victoria Harbour has received substantial loadings of pollutants from industrial and municipal wastewater discharged since the 1950s. Inputs of contaminants have declined dramatically during the last two decades as a result of better controls at the source and improved wastewater treatment facilities. To assess the spatial and temporal changes of metal contaminants in sediments in Victoria Harbour, core and grab sediments were collected. The central harbour areas were generally contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of trace metals can probably be attributed to the proximity of major urban and industrial discharge points, and to the effect of tidal flushing in the harbour. In the sediment cores, the highest concentrations of trace metals were observed to have accumulated during the 1950s-1980s, corresponding with the period of rapid urban and industrial development in Hong Kong. From the late 1980s, there has been a major decline in the concentrations of trace metals, due to a reduction in industrial activities and to the enactment of wastewater pollution controls in the territory. The Pb isotopic compositions of the sediments revealed the anthropogenic inputs of Pb to the harbour. The (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios varied from 1.154 to 1.190, which were lower than those of background geological materials in Hong Kong ((206)Pb/(207)Pb: 1.201-1.279). The data also indicated that the Pb in the harbour sediments most likely originated from mixed sources, including the leaded gasoline used in the past and other anthropogenic sources.     

The spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals in sediments of Victoria Harbour,Hong Kong

Victoria Harbour has received substantial loadings of pollutants from industrial and municipal wastewater discharged since the 1950s. Inputs of contaminants have declined dramatically during the last two decades as a result of better controls at the source and improved wastewater treatment facilities. To assess the spatial and temporal changes of metal contaminants in sediments in Victoria Harbour, core and grab sediments were collected. The central harbour areas were generally contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of trace metals can probably be attributed to the proximity of major urban and industrial discharge points, and to the effect of tidal flushing in the harbour. In the sediment cores, the highest concentrations of trace metals were observed to have accumulated during the 1950s–1980s, corresponding with the period of rapid urban and industrial development in Hong Kong. From the late 1980s, there has been a major decline in the concentrations of trace metals, due to a reduction in industrial activities and to the enactment of wastewater pollution controls in the territory. The Pb isotopic compositions of the sediments revealed the anthropogenic inputs of Pb to the harbour. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios varied from 1.154 to 1.190, which were lower than those of background geological materials in Hong Kong (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb: 1.201–1.279). The data also indicated that the Pb in the harbour sediments most likely originated from mixed sources, including the leaded gasoline used in the past and other anthropogenic sources.     

Environmental response to sewage treatment strategies: Hong Kong's experience in long term water quality monitoring

In many coastal cities around the world, marine outfalls are used for disposal of partially treated wastewater effluent. The combined use of land-based treatment and marine discharge can be a cost-effective and environmentally acceptable sewage strategy. Before 2001, screened sewage was discharged into Victoria Harbour through many small outfalls. After 2001, the Hong Kong Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) was implemented to improve the water quality in Victoria Harbour and surrounding waters. Stage I of HATS involved the construction of a 24 km long deep tunnel sewerage system to collect sewage from the densely populated urban areas of Hong Kong to a centralized sewage treatment plant at Stonecutters Island. A sewage flow of 1.4 million m³ d⁻¹ receives Chemically Enhanced Primary Treatment (CEPT) followed by discharge via a 1.2 km long outfall 2 km west of the harbor. The ecosystem recovery in Victoria Harbour and the environmental response to sewage abatement after the implementation of HATS was studied using a 21-year data set from long term monthly water quality monitoring. Overall, the pollution control scheme has achieved the intended objectives. The sewage abatement has resulted in improved water quality in terms of a significant reduction in nutrients and an increase in bottom DO levels. Furthermore, due to the efficient tidal mixing and flushing, the impact of the HATS discharge on water quality in the vicinity of the outfall location is relatively limited. However, Chl a concentrations have not been reduced in Victoria Harbour where algal growth is limited by hydrodynamic mixing and water clarity rather than nutrient concentrations. Phosphorus removal in the summer is suggested to reduce the risk of algal blooms in the more weakly-flushed and stratified southern waters, while nutrient removal is less important in other seasons due to the pronounced role played by hydrodynamic mixing. The need for disinfection of the effluent to reduce bacterial (E. coli) concentrations to acceptable levels is also confirmed and has recently been implemented.     

滇池化学需氧量及营养盐负荷量的预测

本文采用多元线性回归及合田健模型分别对滇池有机污染及富营养化的主要因子COD、TN、TP进行预测,并将污染负荷量分至各点源。定量说明污水处理厂对治理城市污水的积极作用,为流域进行污染治理提供了科学依据。     

Monitoring of toxic substances in the Hong Kong marine environment

A long-term programme for monitoring toxic substances in the marine environment was established in Hong Kong in 2004, focusing on chemicals of potential ecological and health concern. The programme ran on 3-year cycles, with the first two years monitoring marine water, sediment, biota, and the third year monitoring pollution sources. Twenty-four priority chemicals were measured, including dioxins/furans, dioxin-like PCBs, total PCBs, PAHs, DDTs, HCHs, TBTs, phenol, nonylphenol (NP), NP ethoxylates, PBDEs and metals. Results from the first three years of monitoring indicate that toxic substances in the Hong Kong marine environment were within the range reported for the coastal waters in China and other regions, but generally lower than in the Pearl River Estuary. The levels met the standards for protecting aquatic life and human consumption. Sewage effluent, stormwater and river water were possible sources of phenolic compounds; whereas air deposition or regional pollution, rather than local discharges, may contribute to the dioxins/furans, PAHs and PCBs found in the marine environment.     

Monitoring of toxic substances in the Hong Kong marine environment

A long-term programme for monitoring toxic substances in the marine environment was established in Hong Kong in 2004, focusing on chemicals of potential ecological and health concern. The programme ran on 3-year cycles, with the first two years monitoring marine water, sediment, biota, and the third year monitoring pollution sources. Twenty-four priority chemicals were measured, including dioxins/furans, dioxin-like PCBs, total PCBs, PAHs, DDTs, HCHs, TBTs, phenol, nonylphenol (NP), NP ethoxylates, PBDEs and metals. Results from the first three years of monitoring indicate that toxic substances in the Hong Kong marine environment were within the range reported for the coastal waters in China and other regions, but generally lower than in the Pearl River Estuary. The levels met the standards for protecting aquatic life and human consumption. Sewage effluent, stormwater and river water were possible sources of phenolic compounds; whereas air deposition or regional pollution, rather than local discharges, may contribute to the dioxins/furans, PAHs and PCBs found in the marine environment.     

Marine pollution in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, with an exploding population rising from 600,000 in 1945 to over 4 million in 1970, has had to give first priority to housing. It is not surprising that there is heavy pollution of coastal waters. Tolo Harbour, already dangerously polluted, is an area which is scheduled for a great increase in population. This preliminary study of conditions in the bay will aid planning of future sewage treatment.     

Prevalence and diversity of norovirus genogroups I and II in Hong Kong marine waters and detection by real-time PCR

Marine waters from six sites around Hong Kong with varying levels of sewage pollution were examined for noroviruses (NoVs) by PCR cloning and sequencing of a highly-variable N-terminal region of the VP1 capsid gene, at the ORF1-ORF2 junction of NoV. Phylogenetic analysis of genogroups GI- and GII-specific PCR clones obtained from different marine sites indicated that human NoV GI.1 and GII.4 strains are the most prevalent genotypes circulating in Hong Kong waters. GI- and GII-specific TaqMan-based real-time PCR assays targeting the ORF1-ORF2 junction of NoVs were used to quantify NoV particles in marine water samples in parallel with total Escherichia coli counts which were enumerated on TBX medium. No correlation of any significance between NoV and E. coli counts was observed which highlighted the inadequacy in using E. coli as a fecal indicator to predict the level of NoVs in marine waters to protect public health.