Methane variability associated with natural and anthropogenic sources in an Australian context

Coal seam gas (CSG) has the potential to be a low-carbon transition fuel, but CSG fields may be a source of fugitive emissions of methane (CH₄). We use mobile cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) measurements to attribute CH₄ concentrations to sources in southeastern Australia including CSG fields. Our study shows higher CH₄ concentration values associated with both natural and anthropogenic sources other than CSG. These include urban landfills (>320 ppm) and urban infrastructure (>17 ppm), agricultural activities (>20 ppm) and open-pit coal mines (>30 ppm). We confirm reports of increased concentration of CH₄ downwind of some parts of CSG fields (<5 ppm), but elevated concentrations are not endemic and could not be separated from contributions of natural geological seeps (>16 ppm) that form part of the background levels. While CRDS allows direct determination of CH₄ sources, repeat measurements show the strong influence of atmospheric conditions on concentration and highlight the need for methods that quantify flux.     

Practical ecology of sea regions —concepts and implementation

Possibilities of using achievements of modern basic marine sciences in man's activities aimed at environment control are shown. Conceptual foundations of the problem are described, and the practical results of express-diagnosis and short-term prognosis analyzed on the example of some coastal regions of the Black and Azov Seas.     

Systemic analysis of soil microbiome deciphers anthropogenic influence on soil ecology and ecosystem functioning

Soil is a complex ecosystem with defined microbial community signatures, modulated by the interaction between biotic and abiotic factors. Amidst biotic factors, land usage have significant impact onto the soil microbial structure and ecosystem functioning. In the current study, metagenomic approach was used to decipher effect of hospital settings on soil microbiome structure and physiological functions. Physico-chemical properties analysis revealed that key elements for maintenance of soil microflora, such as organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur were relatively diminished within hospital soil, compared to garden soil. Comparative microbial diversity analysis with 97,315 SSU rRNA gene sequences generated from both the soil samples highlight relatively low microbial diversity, with an enrichment for Acidobacteria and Bacteroidetes and decreased Proteobacteria/Acidobacteria ratio. Comparative shotgun metagenome sequence analysis further revealed a shift in the physiological role of soil microbiomes with change in soil usage. Genes for carbohydrate, sulfur, potassium and nitrogen metabolism were significantly (q value <0.05) higher in the garden soil; while the genes for phage, plasmid DNA, transposon and aromatic compound metabolism were significantly enriched within hospital soil. Thus, the current study highlights a correlation between soil biochemistry and microbial ecology based on land usage.     

岩溶管道系统中污染物扩散及地下水自净能力研究——贵州某磷石膏堆场为例

以实验场水文地质勘查、室内外实验为基础,对磷石膏废液中TP（总磷）、F-（游离态氟化物）在岩溶管道系统中扩散和迁移的规律、岩溶管道地下水系统自我净化能力进行了研究。结果表明：污染物主要沿岩溶管道、裂隙的延伸方向扩散和迁移,而在垂直地下水径流方向不明显;TP、F-浓度在迁移的过程中的衰减主要与地下水系统中地下水的稀释有关...     

矿物环境属性与无机界天然自净化功能

本将矿物学研究从岩石圈拓展到水圈、大气圈、生物圈与土壤圈之间交互作用的矿物环境属性范畴，研究表明，矿物可成为记录环境演变信息的载体；防止矿物的破坏与分解有可能减少甚至避免由此所造成的对人体健康的影响与生态环境的破坏；矿物与生物交互作用的研究与天然矿物治理污染物的是建立在充分利用自然规律的基础之上，体现了天然自净化作用的特色。天然矿物对污染物的净化功能主要体现在环境矿物材料基本性能方面。天然铁的硫化物，铁的氧化物，锰的氧化物、钛的氧化物。蛭石，有机蒙脱石和含高价阳离子蒙脱石，以及黄钾铁矾等均在处理无机与有机污染物方面展现出良好效果，矿物与其环境界面原子尺度相互作用过程研究，矿物内部结构缺陷影响矿物表面活性规律研究，矿物晶体结构中不同维次连通性孔道效应研究,矿物化学活性作发化污染物方法研究，以及矿物晶芽与生物细胞层次上交互作用净化污染物机理研究等，将是近期着力开发无机界矿物天然自净化功能的重点研究内容。     

环境矿物材料基本性能：无机界矿物天然自净化功能

重点阐述环境矿物材料基本性能，包括矿物表面吸附、孔道过滤、结构调整、离子交换、化学活性、物理效应、纳米效应及与生物交互作用等，旨在发掘、凝炼并新提出物理方法和化学方法之后与有机界生物同效的无机界矿物天然自净化功能的基础理论与应用方法，以发展和完善无机矿物与有机生物所共同构筑的自然界中存在的天然自净化系统，并就目前笔者在黄铁矿、锰钾矿、金红石、蛭石、蒙脱石、苋铁铁钒等天然矿物方面已经完成和正在开展的一系列环境矿物材料研究工作进行了举例说明。     

Heavy metals in sediments—problems concerning determination of the anthropogenic influence. Study in the Krka River estuary,eastern Adriatic coast,Yugoslavia

Factors that govern heavy metal concentration in sediments were examined by a combined analytical, geochemical, and geological approach. The constrains encountered in the determination of the anthropogenic influence are exposed. The region examined was the Krka River estuary located in the typical karst region of the eastern Adriatic, Yugoslavia.Sedimentological research revealed that: the Krka River (main water supplier) is almost free of suspended terrigenous material; the main supplier of suspended terrigenous matter of flysch origin is a small torrent-type Gudua Creek, and that this fine grained terrigenous material is sedimented mostly in the central enlarged part of the estuary, the Prokljan Lake.Three different groups of heavy metals were identified in recent sediments. Increased concentrations of nickel and zinc were found in estuarine sediments due to strongnatural enrichment in source rocks. Manganese and chromium were found to benaturally enriched and depleted in surface layer respectively, due to the different postdepositional geochemical behavior. Lead and copper concentrations were found to be increased in surface sediments in the central part of the estuary, apparently from anthropogenic source.     

On the uniformity of anthropogenic Venice uplift

A programme of Venice uplift because of seawater injection into a 600–800 m deep brackish aquifer underlying the lagoon has recently been advanced. As the actual spatial variability of the hydro‐geological parameters is to a large extent unknown, a controversial issue concerns the 25–30 cm heave prediction with the possible generation of differential displacements that might jeopardize the integrity of the architectural patrimony. It is shown that significant differential displacements have occurred in Venice in the past and are still presently occurring as evidenced by SAR interferometry. The results of a stochastic analysis addressing the variability of the hydraulic conductivity of the injected formation indicate that even a highly uneven aquifer expansion does not migrate to ground surface because of the smoothing effect exerted by the overburden. The predicted differential displacements are well below the values Venice is experiencing. Any a priori alarmism appears to be unfounded and unjustified.     

Occupational transitions in three coastal villages in Central Java, Indonesia, in the context of sea level rise: a case study

The transition from one system to another as a mechanism of adaptation to an external disturbance is widely discussed in terms of ‘regime shifts’ in resilience research. But occupational transitions by communities due to coastal hazards such as coastal erosion and strong waves have not been studied in depth from a systems perspective. Such a perspective can contribute towards a better understanding of the process and pattern behind transformation among coastal societies. The present case study of coastal occupational communities in Central Java province, Indonesia, includes fishers, brackish pond farmers and labourers. It investigates the historical occupational transitions and the factors that drive them. The study draws on Participatory Rural Appraisal exercises such as historical timeline analysis and participatory discussions along with a socio-economic survey to study the factors and processes that led these communities to transitional pathways. Historical narratives of the community reveal the significance and influence of livelihood capitals such as social, human, financial, physical and natural capital in the transitions. Through the ‘Marble and Cup’ conceptual framework of the systems transitions, the irreversibility of occupational transitions due to the destruction of natural assets is outlined. This depicts a multi-locale and one-dimensional transition to a singular occupational mode (essentially labourers) in the face of a disturbance like sea level rise, necessitating transformation and building of the livelihood capitals across geographical scales.     

Feeding ecology of o-group sea bass,Dicentrarchus labrax, in salt marshes of Mont Saint Michel Bay (France)

0-group sea bass,Dicentrarchus labrax, colonize intertidal marsh creeks of Mont Saint Michel Bay, France, on spring tides (e.g., 43% of the tides) during flood and return to coastal waters during ebb. Most arrived with empty stomachs (33%), and feed actively during their short stay in the creeks (from 1 to 2 h) where they consumed on average a minimum of 8% of their body weight. During flood tide, diet was dominated by mysids,Neomysis integer, which feed on marsh detritus. During ebb, when young sea bass left tidal marsh creeks, the majority had full stomachs (more than 98%) and diet was dominated by the most abundant marsh (including vegetated tidal flats and associated marsh creeks) resident amphipod,Orchestia gammarellus. Temporal and tidal effects on diet composition were shown to be insignificant. Foraging in vegetated flats occurs very rarely since they are only flooded by about 5% of the tides. It was shown that primary and secondary production of intertidal salt marshes play a fundamental role in the feeding of 0-group sea bass. This suggests that the well known nursery function of estuarine systems, which is usually restricted to subtidal and intertidal flats, ought to be extended to the supratidal, vegetated marshes and mainly to intertidal marsh creeks.     

短时间尺度下旅游洞穴空气环境自净能力研究——以绥阳大风洞为例

在2017年9月30日-10月9日对贵州绥阳大风洞洞内的温度、湿度、CO2浓度和洞外的温度、湿度、降雨量等指标进行为期10天的连续自动监测,并结合监测期内游客量和当地降雨情况,利用数理统计方法进行分析,结果发现:洞穴空气环境的自净能力主要取决于洞内气流交换的强弱程度,尤其是在极端天气(主要指夏秋季降雨)下,洞外温度降低,促使通风模式发生转变,进而增强了洞内外气流的交换,提高了洞穴环境的自净能力。但洞穴空气环境的自净能力是有限度的,除温度、湿度外,当游客产生的CO2浓度超过洞穴空气环境的自净能力阈值时,洞内CO2会出现累积效应;反之,洞内CO2浓度又回归至洞穴环境背景值。同时,洞穴空气环境的自净能力反应时间也会因洞腔体积、洞道结构等的不同而有所差异,大风洞1#、2#、3#监测点的自净能力反应时间分别为15 h、18 h、20 h。      

延吉市地下水系统污染现状及包气带自净规律试验研究

对延吉市地下水系统中的污染组分进行了现状分析，得到了4种污染组分的自净规律，同时分析了主要的影响因素，为延吉市的水资源开发利用提供了依据。     

Natural and anthropogenic hazards in the Yellow River Delta,China

Natural Hazards - In China, the Yellow River Delta is a unique region with vulnerable ecosystems, and it is under the largest pressure from various risk sources. In recent years, this region has...     

Assessment of the anthropogenic influx of metallic pollutants in Yarmouk River, Jordan

 Chemical data for 15 elements at depths at 10-cm intervals in 6 cores at two locations along the Yarmouk River as well as the heavy-metal enrichment factors (EFs) and anthropogenic factors (AFs) show that Cd and Ni for all the cores, and Mn, Zn, Cr, Co and Pb for core 3 at location A are anthropogenically enriched. The contents of these elements decrease clearly with depth in the sediment column. The sequence of element enrichment depends on whether the EF and the AF are used to calculate the elements which show no systematic decrease in enrichment with depth in all cores, especially for location A, probably due mainly to a higher sedimentation rate. The results of the present study show that the sediments of the Yarmouk River are uncontaminated with Fe, Cr, and Mn, whereas they are uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with Ni, Co, and Zn, moderately contaminated with Pb, and strongly to extremely contaminated with respect to Cd. Also, the study shows that the EF and AF values are higher than 1, which indicates that all the metals measured in the sediments of the Yarmouk River were enriched by various anthropogenic sources in the catchment area of this river. Heavy metal enrichment reflects the combined effects of agricultural activities, a treatment plant, a landfill site at El-Akader, and small industries in the region. Received: 16 March 2000 · Accepted: 12 August 2000     

Trace elements in groundwater as indicators of anthropogenic impact

The distribution of several minor and trace elements mainly in fresh (dominating TDS 160–400 mg/l) groundwater of Latvia have been investigated by the Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique. An evaluation of results of about 700 analyses leads to the conclusion that concentrations of these elements is influenced by: pH–Eh conditions, groundwater residence time and diffuse contamination, whereas the role of water-bearing sediments is of secondary importance. Most trace elements are characterised by low mobility under alkaline and reducing conditions; concentrations in confined aquifers are much smaller than the Maximum Permissible Values for drinking water. The strongest anomalies of REE, Al and P were found in shallow groundwater around the former agrochemical storehouses.     

Natural and anthropogenic influences in the northeastern coast of the Nile delta,Egypt

Landsat enhanced thematic mapper imagery (ETM) of 2002 and aerial photography of 1955, combined with published charts and field observations were used to interpret coastal changes in the zone between Kitchener drain and Damietta spit in the northeastern Nile delta, previously recognized as a vulnerable zone to the effects of any sea level rise resulting from global warming. The interpretation resulted in recognition of several changes in nine identified geomorphological land types: beach and coastal flat, coastal dunes, agricultural deltaic land, sabkhas, fish farms, Manzala lagoon, saltpans, marshes and urban centers. Reclamation of vast areas of the coastal dunes and of Manzala lagoon added about 420 km2 to the agricultural deltaic land. About 48 km2 of backshore flats, marshes, salt pans and Manzala lagoon have been converted to productive fish farms. The main urban centers have expanded; nearly 12.1 km² have been added to their areas, and new urban centers (Damietta harbor and the New Damietta city) with total area reach of ~35.3 km² have been constructed at the expense of vast areas of Manzala lagoon, coastal dunes, and backshore flats. As a consequence of human activities, the size of Manzala lagoon has been reduced to more than 65%. Shoreline changes have been determined from beach profile survey (1990–2000), and comparison of 1955 aerial photographs and ETM satellite image of 2002 reveal alongshore patterns of erosion versus accretion. The short-term rate of shoreline retreat (1990–2000) has increased in the downdrift side of Damietta harbor (≃14 m/year), whereas areas of accretion exist within the embayment of Gamasa and in the shadow of Ras El Bar detached breakwaters system, with a maximum shoreline advance of ~15 m/year. A sandy spit, 12 km long, has developed southeast of Damietta promontory. These erosion/accretion patterns denote the natural processes of wave-induced longshore currents and sediment transport, in addition, the impact of man-made coastal protection structures.     

Separating anthropogenic from natural anomalies in environmental geochemistry

Environmental geochemistry has attracted increasing interest during the last decade. In Sweden, geochemical mapping is carried out with methods that allow the data to be used in environmental research, including sampling plant roots and mosses from streams, soils and bedrock. These three sample types form an integrated strategy in environmental research, as well as in geochemical exploration. However, one problem that becomes prominent in geochemical mapping is to distinguish the signals derived from natural sources from those derived from anthropogenic sources. So far, this has mostly been done by using different types of samples, for example, different soil horizons. This is both expensive and time-consuming.We are currently developing alternative statistical solutions to this problem. The method used here is PLSR (partial least squares regression analysis). In this paper, we present an initial discussion on the applicability of PLSR in differentiating anthropogenic anomalies from natural contents.PLSR performs a simultaneous, interdependent principal component analysis decomposition in both X- and Y-matrices, in such a way that the information in the Y-matrix is used directly as a guide for optimal decomposition of the X-matrix. PLSR thus performs a generalized multivariate regression of Y on X overcoming the multicollinearity problem of correlated X-variables. The advantage of PLSR is that it gives optimal prediction ability in a strict statistical sense.Bedrock geochemistry from different lithologies in the mapping area in southern Sweden (Y-matrix) is analyzed together with stream or soil data (X-matrix). By modelling the PLS-regression between these two data sets, separate multivariate geochemical models based on the different bedrock types were developed. This step is called the training or modelling stage of the multivariate calibration. These calibrated models are subsequently used for predicting new (X) geochemical samples and estimating the corresponding Y-variable values. Information is obtained on how much of the metal contents in each new geochemical sample correlate with the different modelled bedrock types.By computing the appropriate X-residuals, we obtain information on the anthropogenic impact that is also carried by these new samples. In this way, it is possible from one single geochemical survey to derive both conventional geochemical background data and anthropogenic data, both of which can be readily displayed as maps.The present study concerns development of data analysis methods. Examples of the applications of the methodology are presented using Pb and U. The results show the share of these contents in different sampling media that is derived from bedrock on the one hand, and from anthropogenic sources, on the other.