Pine (Pinus Eldarica Medw.) needles as indicator for heavy metals pollution

In this study, the pine tree (Pinus Eldarica Medw.) needles were evaluated as the biomonitors of heavy metal contamination in Tehran, Iran. The pine needle samples supplied from the old trees according to the main wind direction (highest wind speed) were obtained from each parts of tree and then were homogeneously mixed. The samples were taken from different locations with different degrees of metal pollution (urban, industrial, highway and control sites). Then, the concentrations of lead, zinc, copper, nickel and chromium were measured using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The result of this study showed that the highest and the lowest metal concentrations were found in the heavy traffic sites and the control site, respectively. However, samples taken from highway sites contained the high concentrations of nickel, copper and lead. Moreover, industrial areas were found to have high contents of zinc and chromium. The variation in heavy metal concentrations between the studied locations is due to changes in traffic density and anthropogenic activities. This research proved significant correlations between the heavy metal concentrations in pine needle samples. Finally, it is concluded that Pinus Eldarica Medw. needles can be applied to monitor polluted sites.     

Practical estimation and distribution of diffuse pollutants arising from a watershed in Turkey

This study presents the diffuse pollution profile of a coastal watershed with respect to the dominating sector of agriculture including forestry. A rough estimation of the diffuse loads expressed by two major nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorous is realized by calculations based on unit loads obtained from the literature for each land-use activity. The key concern is to rank the different diffuse loads arising from the watershed. The major diffuse nitrogen loads are estimated to arise from agricultural activities with 54 %, followed by livestock breeding that contribute to the nitrogen budget by 11 %. Almost 7 % of the nitrogen loads come from meadows and pasture, and 5 % from forests. In the distribution of diffuse phosphorus loads, it is estimated that 48 % of the loads arise from agricultural activities, and 18 % from livestock breeding. Almost 14 % of the phosphorous loads come from septic tank effluents; however, 13 % of the loads are due to rural run-off. The future loads for 2028 and 2039 are also estimated; 30–40 % decrease is foreseen in the agricultural pollutants and animal manure through the stepwise application of ecological agriculture and livestock breeding. The basic aim of this study is to put forth a practical methodology for estimating diffuse loads in a watershed for the decision-makers and local administrative authorities with especially limited available data. Through such, distribution of various diffuse loads becomes available among the administrative units composing the watershed.     

Fabrication of a nanocomposite from an agricultural waste and its application as a biosorbent for organic pollutants

Cellulose/SiO₂ nanocomposite (CSNC) was successively prepared using a banana peel waste as a template for silica. X-rays diffraction confirmed the presence of both cellulosic and silica phases with the silica phase as the primary phase. Electron microscopes images showed a compact hexagonal morphology with an average particle size of 20 nm. The FTIR analysis ascertained the presence of hydroxyl groups, and the thermal analysis showed the high thermal stability of CSNC. The sorption ability of CSNC for methylene blue was examined in both aqueous solutions and a real sample. The adsorption was followed by pseudo-second-order reaction and obeyed Langmuir isotherm. Calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption is spontaneous and exothermic, suggesting a chemisorption mode. The calculated adsorption capacity was 78.75 and 58.81 mg g^?1 in aqueous dye solution and real sample, respectively, suggesting the applicability of CSNC for field uses. The correlation between the composite components and its performance is suggested to be investigated in the future by changing the type of agricultural waste as well as the nanooxide.     

Use of Pyracantha coccinea Roem. as a possible biomonitor for the selected heavy metals

In this study, copper, iron, manganese and nickel levels of branches and leaves of Pyracantha coccinea Roem. (firethorn) were measured for determining the heavy metal pollution in Mugla Province. Plant samples were collected from 34 different localities in four different areas of Mugla Province, during 2006 vegetation period. Unwashed and washed leaf samples and unwashed branch samples were subjected to analysis and copper, iron, manganese and nickel concentrations of samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The obtained data were analyzed with “statistical package for the social sciences” statistics program. As a result of measurements, the highest average and lowest values and their collected stations were as follows; the highest average (5.89 ± 0.04 μg/g dw) and the lowest (5.20 ± 0.03 μtg/g dw) values of copper were measured near highways. The average highest iron value (9.53 ±1.68 μtg/g dw) was in industrial area while the lowest was near highways (1.73 ± 0.54 μtg/g dw). The highest value of magnesium accumulation (1.00 ± 0.16 μtg/gdw) was measured near highways. The lowest value was determined in urban area (0.40 ± 0.14 μtg/g dw). The average highest level of nickel was in industrial area while the lowest was determined in urban area. The values were 14.34 ± 1.59 μtg/g and 4.05 ± 0.51 μtg/g dw. As a result, it was proven that P. coccinea could be used as a biomonitor species for some of these heavy metals especially for copper and nickel.     

Road density as a proxy for population density in regional-scale risk modeling

This paper examines the use of road network data as a proxy for interpreting population density, which is of use in regional-scale qualitative risk assessment for natural hazards. Comparison of available road network and population data at various scales in Ontario and Quebec yields a best-fit relationship of D _P  = 28 D _R ² . Analysis of available high-resolution topographic data for the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia suggests similar power law trends, with expected population density in Saint Lucia roughly half that of Canada for the same road density. Together, these findings suggest that D _P  ~ 10–30 D _R ² may represent a useful range broadly applicable for a wide variety of geographic, climactic and socioeconomic settings. The Canadian relationship has been used to generate a population density model for the lowlands of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, and this model has been compared with the spatial distribution of seismic hazard to develop a qualitative seismic risk map. The seismic risk map, presented primarily for illustrative purposes, shows elevated seismic risk in urban centers in the study area, and along a predominantly rural area east of Quebec City on both shores of the Saint Lawrence River.     

黄河兰州断面半挥发性有机污染物分布特征研究

用固相萃取和液液萃取的方法对黄河兰州断面的水样品进行预处理,再进行气相色谱/质谱联用分析测定,对饮用水源水中的半挥发性有机物进行了测定,并对结果进行了讨论.     

Research progress on aging of organic pollutants in geosorbents: a review

Geosorbents are the main host of anthropogenic organic pollutants and play a vital role in their fate and transport in the natural environment. Soil and sediment are the most common and abundant geosorbents in the natural environment; their interactions with organic pollutants, especially sorption and desorption processes, have been extensively studied from the perspectives of thermodynamics and kinetics. Recently, the aging of organic pollutants in geosorbents has drawn increased attention, leading to an improved understanding of interactions between organic pollutants and geosorbents and informing remediation criteria. Aging has been deemed important in accurately assessing ecologic and health risks of organic pollutants, and both positive and negative impacts have been reported in studies of natural and artificial sorbents. This paper summarizes recent research progress on organic pollutant aging in geosorbents, including related mechanism research, influence factors, bioavailability assessments, and biological and physicochemical remediation of aged organic pollutants. We also discuss issues in the current research and bring forward suggestions for future study.     

人类世的地球化学标志——沉积物中的持久性有机污染物

确定人类世地层标志物是选取全球层型剖面和点（GSSP）的重要前提。目前水系沉积记录作为人类世GSSP的候选表现出显著优越性。水系沉积物中的持久性有机污染物（POPs）可以连续、高分辨率地反映人类活动影响和强度变化,通过横向对比全球POPs历史变化可以获取潜在标志物的高速增长起点。本次研究收集了3类POPs的69套数据,通过分析数据的时间趋势重建其沉积记录,以求获得全球范围内各类POPs的增长特征。全球沉积记录显示20世纪40~60年代间不同类型的POPs开始展现出不同程度的快速增长,其中多环芳烃（PAHs）和多氯联苯（PCBs）可以作为潜在的标志物指示沉积物中化学地层的界限,有机氯农药（OCPs）中只有滴滴涕（DDTs）具备这种特性。同时,这3类POPs的沉积记录可以反映人类能源消耗、农业生产和工业品商品制造等方面活动,作为标志物体现人类多种活动营力在地球系统中留下的证据。

     

Atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge for the remediation of soil contaminated by organic pollutants

The remediation of soil, contaminated by organic pollutants, in a cylinder-to-plane dielectric barrier discharge reactor at atmospheric air pressure was reported. Two model organic pollutants were selected; a solid pollutant (2,6-dichloropyridine) and a liquid pollutant (n-dodecane). The effects of the contaminant’s initial concentration and state, the energy consumption, and the soil type on the pollutant removal efficiency were investigated. To that scope, various contaminated samples of both quartz sand and loamy sandy soil were treated by plasma for various treatment times and initial 2,6-dichloropyridine/n-dodecane concentrations. The results revealed that (1) the removal efficiency of 2,6-dichloropyridine was higher compared to that of n-dodecane at a given plasma treatment time and (2) the removal efficiency increased with the energy density increasing, but decreased as the soil heterogeneity, organic matter and pollutant concentration were enhanced. The main removal mechanism proposed is the evaporation of pollutant molecules coupled with their oxidation by plasma species in the gas and solid/liquid phase.     

A GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making approach for establishing a regional-scale groundwater monitoring

A weighted multi-criteria decision-making framework was designed to identify and prioritize areas for monitoring aquifer hydraulic heads within the Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District. The criteria address salient hydrogeological aspects including groundwater variability, recharge, surface water–groundwater interactions, and groundwater fluxes across district boundaries. Texas water statutes require groundwater conservation districts to quantify these factors and utilize them to manage aquifers. A stakeholder survey instrument was used to prioritize these criteria. A monitoring priority index (MPI), whose value theoretically ranges between 0 and 1 was computed as a weighted average of six mutually exclusive criteria. The MPI value was seen to range between 0.2 and 0.6 within the study area. Lower values of MPI indicate areas where the current level of monitoring is adequate and areas with a higher MPI point to locations where additional monitoring is necessary. In particular, monitoring along district boundaries, particularly along the western and southern sections, is recommended. The developed methodology was seen to provide a transparent and simple-to-use approach to identify and prioritize areas within the district for the purposes of groundwater monitoring. The proposed framework demonstrates the utility of GIS in facilitating a scientifically credible and stakeholder-driven approach for establishing groundwater monitoring networks and can be adapted in other similar applications.     

难降解有机污染物在土壤中释放的动力学模型研究

运用多孔介质溶质运移理论及水力学原理,建立了土壤中难降解有机污染物释放的动力学模型,并对其模型进行了解析求解,运用实验数据对模型进行了验证。计算结果表明：所建动力学模型能很好地反映土壤中难降解有机污染物释放的真实过程,准确地描述土壤固相释放时液相难降解有机污染物浓度变化的规律,为准确预测和预报污染物在土壤中的扩散状况以及环境污染的治理、防止二次污染提供了可靠的理论依据。     

治理地下水有机污染抽出处理技术影响因素分析

抽出处理技术是治理地下水有机污染简便易行的方法,文中的简要介绍抽出处理方法去除污染机制之后,着重分析了讨论了导致该方法去除地下水有机污染耗时及运行费用高昂的原因,在此基础上,对地下水有机污染抽出处理技术作出全面详尽的评述。     

Assessment of organic pollutants in coastal sediments, UAE

Twenty-five stations were selected along the UAE coastal region to delineate the distribution and to determine the source of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total organic carbon (TOC), total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The concentrations of TPH ranged between 46 and 223 mg/kg and the level of TOC was in the range from 0.044 to 17.8 wt%, while TPAHs occupied the range of 5–102.2 μg/kg. On the other hand, TPCBs showed values between 60 and 205 μg/kg and TKN ranged from 104 to 1,073 mg/kg. The present study shows that the distribution of organic compounds in UAE sediments were within safe limits comparing with previous studies. The present study revealed that TOC can be used as an indicator of oil pollution in heavily oiled sediments. The highest values of TOC, TPH, TPAHs and TPCBs related to the stations covered in fine sand due to adsorption properties and the large surface areas of the grains. The evaporation of low-boiling point compounds from surface layers leads to the enrichment of sediments with a thick residual. Al Sharjah-1 exhibited the highest values of TPH and TOC at Ras Al-Khaima-5, Umm Al-Quwen-1 and Dubai-1, while the highest values of TPAHs were at KhorFakkan-9, the highest value of TPCBs was at Ajman-2, and the highest values of TKN were at KhorFakkan-1, KhorFakkan-6 and Dubai-1.     

Baseline and distribution of organic pollutants and heavy metals in tidal creek sediments after Hurricane Sandy in the Meadowlands of New Jersey

The relatively low cost of lands along with a privileged location near an urban center attracted industry to the Meadowlands of New Jersey and the absence of regulations resulted in vast amounts of industrial waste emitted into the air and dumped to nearby estuaries and marshlands. Hurricane Sandy created an unprecedented sea surge that overtopped berms and tide gates and extensively flooded approximately 22.8 km² of a low lying basin that includes Berry’s Creek, a tributary to the Hackensack River and well known for its legacy of high levels of contamination. The sea surge connected Berry’s Creek with eastern creeks that flow into the Hackensack River for several tidal cycles. The objectives of this study were to establish a baseline for organic pollutants and heavy metals post Superstorm Sandy, determine whether contaminants from highly contaminated areas moved to the eastern creeks during the surge and measure contaminant gradients around tide gates. Cadmium, mercury and chromium were the most abundant contaminants in sediments, and pollutants responsible for the highest ecological risk were Hg and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Concentrations of PCBs were higher in the western creeks and contrary to metals did not show concentration gradients from either side of tide gates. Massive export of contaminants from western to eastern creeks due to the surge was not apparent. The abundance of heavy metals in the vicinity of tide gates shows that they play a role in their distribution across the estuary.     

A regional-scale groundwater flow model for the Leon-Chinandega aquifer,Nicaragua

Groundwater flow in the Leon-Chinandega aquifer was simulated using transient and steady-state numerical models. This unconfined aquifer is located in an agricultural plain in northwest Nicaragua. Previous studies were restricted to determining groundwater availability for irrigation, overlooking the impacts of groundwater development. A sub-basin was selected to study the groundwater flow system and the effects of groundwater development using a numerical groundwater flow model (Visual MODFLOW). Hydrological parameters obtained from pumping tests were related to each hydrostratigraphic unit to assign the distribution of parameter values within each model layer. River discharge measurements were crucial for constraining recharge estimates and reducing the non-uniqueness of the model calibration. Steady-state models have limited usefulness because of the major variation of recharge and agricultural pumping during the wet and dry seasons. Model results indicate that pumping induces a decrease in base flow, depleting river discharge. This becomes critical during dry periods, when irrigation is highest. Transient modeling indicates that the response time of the aquifer is about one hydrologic year, which allows the development of management strategies within short time horizons. Considering further development of irrigated agriculture in the area, the numerical model can be a powerful tool for water resources management.     

土壤中持久性有机污染物分析方法研究

通过应用加速溶剂萃取和固相萃取等前处理方式,利用气相色谱双柱和气相色谱-质谱选择离子监测相结合的互补技术,建立了土壤中20种有机氯和多氯联苯同时测定的检测方法.通过对实际样品的分析,该方法具有操作简单、节省试剂和避免了造成二次污染的可能且测定结果准确可靠.     

Statistical estimation of the apex of a sediment distribution system from paleocurrent data

Precise statistical models are proposed for the distribution of paleocurrent directions in distributary systems. These models are based on a von Mises distribution for directions of paleocurrents in a system. The method of maximum likelihood is used to obtain an estimated position and confidence regions for the apex of the system. Both axial data (where only the trend of the paleocurrent is known) and directional data (where the direction of paleoflow is known) can be used. These models have been applied to two fluvial distributary systems in flat-lying Miocene deposits in the Ebro Basin, northern Spain. The estimate of the position of the apex of one of these systems is in good agreement with the position at the basin margin predicted from sedimentary facies information. The estimate of the position of the apex of the second system lies outside of the sedimentary basin; this result is considered to indicate that the distributary system had several feeder points along the basin margin, a situation which is predicted also from facies distributions. This statistical procedure can be used successfully on small data sets of around a hundred paleocurrent readings provided that they are scattered evenly across the area or lie in a wide arc.     

Cluster analysis of a regional-scale soil geochemical dataset in northern California

A regional-scale soil geochemical study was conducted within a 22,000 km² area in northern California including the Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, and northern Coast Range. Over 1300 soil samples were chemically analyzed for 42 elements. The distribution of distinct groups of elements demonstrates the interplay of geologic, hydrologic, geomorphologic and anthropogenic factors; however, it is difficult to fully appreciate the complexity of geochemical transport and weathering processes on a landscape-scale in an area of very complex geology with such a large dataset containing more than 40 variables. To examine the data from a perspective of multi-element groupings, cluster analyses were applied to the dataset. The analysis identified several groups of elements whose spatial patterns could be related to specific geologic sources.