Trends in extreme rainfall in the state of New South Wales,Australia

The trends in annual maximum rainfall (AMR) intensity data in New South Wales, Australia, were examined. Data from 60 stations were used covering three study periods, 1955–2010, 1965–2010 and 1978–2010. Mann-Kendall (MK) and Spearman’s rho (SR) tests were applied to assess trends at local stations. Pre-whitening (PW), trend-free pre-whitening (TFPW) and the variance correction (VC) tests were used to assess the effects of serial correlation on trend results. For regional trend analysis, the regional MK test was employed. The impacts of climatic variability modes on the observed trends in AMR intensity and seasonal maximum rainfall data were investigated. It was found that positive trends were more frequent than the negative ones. The PW, TFPW and VC tests resulted in a slight reduction in the count of stations exhibiting significant positive trends. The number of stations exhibiting significant trends decreased when the impact of climate variability modes was considered.     

南四湖表层底泥重金属污染及其风险性评价

通过对南四湖表层底泥中的重金属元素浓度分析,揭示出南四湖不同湖区重金属污染物空间分布特征.利用潜在生态风险指数(RI)和地质积累指数(Igeo)两种指标相结合的方法对表层底泥中重金属污染程度进行评价.结果表明,南四湖上级湖的重金属污染主要以汞为主,并依据潜在生态风险指数将南四湖上级湖分为三个生态风险功能区: 昭阳湖轻污染区;独山湖中等污染区和南阳湖重污染区.     

Methyl mercury, total mercury, and selenium in snapper from two areas of the New South Wales coast, Australia

The muscle tissue of snapper (Chrysophrys auratus: Sparidae) from two areas of the New South Wales coast was analysed for methyl mercury, total mercury and selenium concentrations (134 samples from the Sydney area and 186 samples from the Nowra area, about 120 km to the south of Sydney).

The Sydney snapper ranged from 0.08 to 1.66 mg kg⁻¹ total mercury (mean 0.32 mg kg⁻¹), while the Nowra snapper ranged from 0.01 to 0.78 mg kg⁻¹ total Hg (mean 0.11 mg kg⁻¹). These latter results appear anomalously low relative to other studies in Australia and New Zealand.

Methyl mercury averaged 94.7% of the total mercury content of the Sydney snapper, and 91.3% for the Nowra snapper.

The concentrations of selenium in the muscle tissues of snapper from both areas were similar and did not increase with increasing mercury concentrations. The highest selenium concentration was 0.85 mg kg⁻¹.     

基于信息扩散理论的云南省地震风险评估及管理研究

利用信息扩散的方法,从破坏性地震次数风险和震级风险的角度对云南各地区进行了风险评价,并提出相应的风险管理策略。     

Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Metals in Urban Topsoil in Shenyang City,Northeast China

Soil samples are collected from 74 sites in Shenyang city, northeast China, and the concentrations, spatial distribution, enrichment factors (EF), and potential ecological and human health risk (E_r) of potentially toxic metals (Sr, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, and As) are investigated. The mean concentrations of potentially toxic metals in topsoil follow the order Sr > Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > As. Compared with 2011, the contamination magnitude has improved in 2017, but the pollution status still exists, especially for As and Cr. EF and the mean E_r of potentially toxic metals decrease following the order As > Pb > Cu > Ni > Zn > Cr > Sr and As > Cu > Zn > Pb > Sr > Ni > Cr, suggesting that the potentially toxic metals in the topsoil of Shenyang city mainly come from natural sources, and the potential ecological risk for potentially toxic metals is low. There are potentially non‐carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks, but they are not considered significant. For non‐carcinogenic health risks, oral ingestion is the main exposure pathway, and Cr and Pb are the major pollutants. Finally, As is found to be the main carcinogenic contamination metal.     

The character and age structure of valley fills in upper Wolumla Creek catchment,south coast,New South Wales,Australia

Extensive valley fills at the base of the escarpment in upper Wolumla Creek, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, have formed from a combination of ‘cut and fill’ processes. The valley fills comprise series of alternating, horizontally bedded sand and mud units, reflecting reworking of detritus from deeply weathered granites of the Bega Batholith. Sand units are deposited as sand sheets or splays on floodplain surfaces or in floodouts that form atop intact valley fill surfaces downstream of discontinuous gullies. Alternatively, sands are deposited from bedload and form bars or part of the valley floor within channel fills. Organic-rich mud units are deposited from suspension in swamps or in seepage zones at the distal margin of floodouts. Within 5 km of the escarpment, valley deposits grade downstream from sand sheet and splay deposition in floodouts, to mud deposition in swamp and seepage zones. Radiocarbon dates indicate that virtually the entire valley fill of upper Wolumla Creek was excavated prior to 6000 years BP . Remnant terraces are evident at valley margins. The valley subsequently filled between 6000 years BP and 1000 years BP producing valley fills around 12 m deep, but no greater than 300 m wide. Reincision into the valley fill, on a scale smaller than the present incision phase, is indicated at around 1000 years BP , following which the channel refilled. Portion plans dated from 1865 refer to the study area as ‘Wolumla Big Flat’, and show large areas of swampy terrain, suggesting that the valley fill had re-established by this time. Within a few decades of European settlement the valley fill incised once more. Upper Wolumla Creek now has a channel over 10 m deep and 100 m wide in places, draining a catchment area of less than 20 km². © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing Water Quality of Mamasın Dam,Turkey: Using Water Quality Index Method,Ecological and Health Risk Assessments

The water quality of Mamas?n Dam, the drinking water source for Aksaray in Turkey, is investigated for assessment of ecological and health risks according to data between December 2015 and November 2016. Water quality index, ecological risk, and health risk assessments are determined to depend on the intensity of occurrence of parameters and seasonal and spatial distributions at different depth ranges. As a result, some ions such as Al, As, B, Ba, Co, F, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn were found to be exceeding the limit values of the national regulatory standards. Besides, Pb is listed in Priority Substances and Certain Other Pollutants according to Annex II. Because the WQI values of the water quality are low (below 60), the source is suitable for industrial and agricultural usage; however, it cannot be used for drinking water supply without treatment. The trace element levels, especially Ag, Ba, Cu, Cr, and Zn, are potential pollutants for organisms. The non‐carcinogenic health risks of As threaten both adults and children at “medium” and “high” levels through oral ingestion. The B, F, and Pb elements have Hazard Index values above 0.1 and may cause a “low” level risk chronic disease for children by oral ingestion.     

Combining the use of gradients and reference areas to study bioaccumulation in wild oysters in the Hunter River estuary, New South Wales, Australia

Two approaches for measuring the effects of human activities on aquatic biota are gradient studies and comparison of impacted areas to external references. Wild oysters were sampled at 12 sites adjacent to, upstream and downstream of a steelworks in the Hunter River estuary and in two reference estuaries. Regression analyses for the Hunter indicated reduced concentrations with distance from the point source for some metals and PAHs. Data compared from the reference estuaries to the two sites nearest and the two furthest from the point source in the Hunter indicated elevated concentrations of contaminants both near the point source and on an estuary-wide basis. The gradient approach was useful in identifying the industrial effluent as a point source for bioavailable chemicals. Combining this with the use of reference estuaries provided a broad geographic context in which to interpret results from the Hunter and identified estuary-wide effects.     

Effects of wildfire and logging on streamwater chemistry and cation exports of small forested catchments in Southeastern New South Wales,Australia

In January 1979 four experimental catchments in forests of southeastern New South Wales were burnt by wildfire. Logging before the fire had no detectable effect on concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, Na, Cl, NO₃, nor on pH of stream waters. In all burnt catchments mean K concentrations increased by from 20 per cent to 60 per cent for a 12 month period and nitrate concentrations increased by factors of about ten in severely burnt catchments. In one of the catchments (unlogged) Ca also increased. From one year to four years after the fire, concentrations of all ions were either close to or less than levels predicted from the control but, during the fifth and sixth years, concentrations of Mg and Na were higher by 20 per cent to 60 per cent. In all burnt catchments, cation exports increased considerably during the first three years after the fire but major components of these increases were elevated levels of runoff. Exports of Mg and Na were higher than those of the control during the fifth and sixth years after the fire, although runoff had returned to pre-fire levels in the two unlogged catchments and was 10 per cent to 20 per cent greater than the control in the two logged catchments. During this final period, increased ion concentrations were the main factors which contributed to the elevated exports. Post-fire logging in one catchment had no detectable effects on streamwater parameters measured in the study but was associated with a further increase in runoff.     

Spatial variability in the timing,nature and extent of channel response to typical human disturbance along the Upper Hunter River,New South Wales,Australia

Prior to European settlement, the Upper Hunter River near Muswellbrook, New South Wales, was a passively meandering gravel‐bed river of moderate sinuosity and relatively uniform channel width. Analyses of floodplain sedimentology, archival records, parish maps and aerial photographs document marked spatial variability in the pattern of channel change since European settlement in the 1820s. Different types, rates and extents of change are reported for seven zones of adjustment along an 8 km study reach. This variable adjustment reflects imposed antecedent controls (buried terrace material and bedrock), which have significantly influenced local variability in river sensitivity to change, as well as contemporary morphodynamics and geomorphic complexity. Local variability in system responses to disturbance has important implications for future river management and rehabilitation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using OSL to assess hypotheses related to the impacts of land use change with the early nineteenth century arrival of Europeans in south‐eastern Australia: an exploratory case study from Grabben Gullen Creek,New South Wales

A common explanation for intense soil erosion and gullying in SE Australia is the introduction by Europeans of new land use practices following their arrival in Australia in the late 18th century. Eucalyptus woodlands were cleared to introduce farming, and valley bottoms, characterized by chains of ponds with organic‐rich swampy meadow (SM) soils, were subsequently buried by thick deposits of ‘post‐settlement alluvium’ (PSA) generated by erosion in the catchment. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is used to evaluate the source(s) of the PSA in Grabben Gullen Creek (GGC), Australia. We use a portable OSL reader to measure total photon counts on bulk polymineral and polygrain‐size samples from nine profiles along the Creek. We use these luminescence signals as geotracers of sediment source(s) and transport pathways. We obtained higher luminescence signals in the PSA than in the SM sediments, suggesting different sources and fluvial transport conditions for these two widespread sedimentary units. Portable OSL reader data from soils in the GGC catchment that are potential sources for the SM sediments and PSA show that the high luminescence signals recorded in the PSA are similar to those from subsoil samples in granite soils, suggesting that the PSA was derived by gullying of granite subsoils. In the SM sediments, luminescence signals decrease upwards from the base of the profile, as expected in well‐reset fluvial deposits, but with one or more changes in gradient in the profile of photon counts with depth, most likely indicating changes in sediment deposition rates. To calculate deposition rates in the SM sediments, several samples were dated using OSL. The OSL ages produced low scatter in the equivalent doses, confirming the well‐reset nature of the grains composing the SM and indicating a process of sediment transport in dilute flows, as is interpreted from the portable OSL signals. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of faecal contamination and the relationship between pathogens and faecal bacterial indicators in an estuarine environment (Seine, France)

The Seine estuary, one of the largest estuaries of the European northwest continental shelf, is subjected to numerous anthropogenic influences. Here we present an assessment of the microbial faecal contamination of the estuary water. The most vulnerable areas were defined on the basis of the fluxes of indicator organisms and the occurrence of Salmonella and Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia sp. (oo)cysts. The microbial quality of the water changes from upstream to downstream: in the upstream area, contamination by faecal-indicator bacteria and Salmonella occurs during periods of high flow; in the urbanized area, mid-way between the uppermost areas of the estuary and its mouth, discharge from a wastewater treatment plant and a tributary degrade water quality; at the estuary mouth, the accumulation of microorganisms attached to particles in the maximum turbidity zone, particularly Clostridium perfringens spores and oocysts of Cryptosporidium, is accompanied by inputs of ThC and Escherichia coli from tributaries. In some areas, significant strong relations are observed between Salmonella, (oo)cysts of protozoan, and levels of faecal indicators.