Evaluation and comparison of spatial interpolators II

The performance of several variations on ordinary kriging and inverse distance estimators is evaluated. Mean squared errors (MSE) were calculated for estimates made on multiple resamplings from five exhaustive data bases representing two distinctly different types of estimation problem. Ordinary kriging, when performed with variograms estimated from the sample data, was more robust than inverse-distance methods to the type of estimation problem, and to the choice of estimation parameters such as number of neighbors.Notice: Although the research described in this article has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency through Cooperative Agreement CR818526 to the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, it has not been subjected to Agency review. Therefore it does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.     

The “Sea Diamond” shipwreck: environmental impact assessment in the water column and sediments of the wreck area

In the “Sea Diamond” shipwreck, it is estimated that almost 1.7 tons of batteries/accumulators and approximately 150 cathode ray tube technology televisions have gone to the bottom of the sea. Under these circumstances, all the aforementioned materials will eventually undergo severe accelerated corrosion. Consequently, a variety of heavy metals will either be released in seawater or precipitate in the form of salts resulting in contamination of the sea sediments. According to the ship data, and the aforementioned quantities of batteries and televisions, it is estimated that approximately 75–80 g of mercury, 630–1,050 g of cadmium and 1.14–1.26 tons of lead exist in the wreck only due to the electrical and electronic equipment present in the ship, not to mention the significant amount of heavy metals such as copper, nickel, ferrous and chromium that exist in the hulk. Four series of seawater sampling (n = 85) were conducted in different stations surrounding the wreck area in order to assess the overall impact from the release of heavy metals in the surrounding aquatic environment. The analysis indicated that there were stations where lead, zinc and cadmium were present in concentrations higher than the permissible limits set by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency for seawater. Furthermore, the analysis of three series of sediment sampling (n = 31) from the wreck area showed elevated but expected concentration values for ferrous and manganese, considering the geological background of the area and contamination with lead, copper and cadmium.     

Assessment of variations in benzene concentration produced from vehicles and gas stations in Tehran using GIS

This study investigates the variations of benzene concentration levels in district 1, situated in the north part of Tehran, capital of Iran. Thirty-three stations in five categories, namely roadsides, busy roads, residential areas, traffic intersections, and the vicinity of gas stations, were monitored during the rush hours in the afternoon once a week over a period of 1 year. Accordingly, benzene concentration levels were measured and predicted by inverse distance weight model. The recorded benzene concentration levels were then compared with those reported in other parts of the world. According to the results, the annual concentration levels of benzene was 13.85 ppb for roads with heavy traffic flow, 14.98 ppb for traffic intersections, 29.01 ppb for the vicinity of the gas stations, 3.26 ppb for residential areas, and 9.97 ppb for roadsides. The concentration of benzene in the vicinity of the gas station sampling point was higher than in the other stations, and at all locations was found to be so much more than the standard concentration levels (1.56 ppb) prescribed by Environmental Protection Agency for the ambient air quality. The results of the study revealed that the benzene concentration levels in Tehran are distinctly more than its standard level. This is mainly attributed to the poor quality of fuel and lack of a standard system for controlling petrol vapors in the gas stations.     

Västanå-Järkvissle Sn-Li occurrence found by regional grid sampling of heavy-mineral till concentrates in northern central Sweden

Regional exploration for pegmatite hosted Sn-mineralization in Sweden by LKAB Prospektering has, since the early 1980s, generally been based on the use of heavy-mineral concentrates from till collected by roadside sampling. The average sampling density has been 0.5–1.0 sample/km², but with an uneven distribution of sample points within areas investigated.Planning of the regional sampling grid in this study has been based on a statistical analysis to answer the following question: What sample density and grid-spacing should be used to hit an anomalous target with the highest possible probability.The statistical analysis indicates that using a rectangular grid, 750 × 1,500 m (0.88 sample/km²), the probability of intersecting an anomalous target is 100%. Heavy-mineral till concentrate sampling using this grid design in northern central Sweden in 1981 revealed one single, extremely high sample with 4,622 ppm Sn indicating mineralization in the area north of the village of Järkvissle.In 1982–1983, while boulder tracing up-ice from the anomalous regional sample point, cassiterite and spodumene-bearing boulders and outcrops were found. Two parallel mineralized pegmatites within an area of approximately 5,000 m² with grades of 0.04–0.07% Sn and 0.40–0.92% Li₂O have recently been located NW of Järkvissle.Semi-regional (250 × 500 m) and local (20 × 20–160 m) sampling of till gave some anomalous values of Sn and Li in concentrates, which to some extent could be correlated with mineralized boulders and outcrops, and also indicated new targets for drilling.The results from a simplified sample preparation technique for heavy-mineratl till concentrates show that a new device, named the Goldhound, can be used in future geochemical prospecting for Sn and Li in Sweden.     

Estimation of background levels of contaminants

Samples from hazardous waste site investigations frequently come from two or more statistical populations. Assessment of background levels of contaminants can be a significant problem. This problem is being investigated at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory in Las Vegas. This paper describes a statistical approach for assessing background levels from a dataset. The elevated values that may be associated with a plume or contaminated area of the site are separated from lower values that are assumed to represent background levels. It would be desirable to separate the two populations either spatially by Kriging the data or chronologically by a time series analysis, provided an adequate number of samples were properly collected in space and/or time. Unfortunately, quite often the data are too few in number or too improperly designed to support either spatial or time series analysis. Regulations typically call for nothing more than the mean and standard deviation of the background distribution. This paper provides a robust probabilistic approach for gaining this information from poorly collected data that are not suitable for above-mentioned alternative approaches. We assume that the site has some areas unaffected by the industrial activity, and that a subset of the given sample is from this clean part of the site. We can think of this multivariate data set as coming from two or more populations: the background population, and the contaminated populations (with varying degrees of contamination). Using robust M-estimators, we develop a procedure to classify the sample into component populations. We derive robust simultaneous confidence ellipsoids to establish background contamination levels. Some simulated as well as real examples from Superfund site investigations are included to illustrate these procedures. The method presented here is quite general and is suitable for many geological and biological applications.     

Radiochemical separation and determination of radium-228 in bottled mineral waters by low level gamma spectrometry and its committed effective dose

?The gross beta and ²²⁸Ra radioactivity measurements in mineral waters were performed by proportional counter and gamma spectrometry, respectively, in this study. The natural mineral water samples were collected from various regions of Turkey for this study. Gross beta activities have been determined according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency standard method (EPA 900). In the case that the gross beta activity was determined to be greater than 1 Bq/L, then the ²²⁸Ra activity concentration in the related mineral water sample was specifically measured. ²²⁸Ra activity in mineral water samples was determined by high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The photopeak efficiencies were calculated by modeling the sample geometry and the detector in Canberra software LabSOCS. The gross beta activities in the eight of 32 bottled mineral water samples were greater than 1 Bq/L. ²²⁸Ra activity concentrations in bottled mineral waters were determined within 0.100–1.04 Bq/L. The committed effective doses were calculated for three different scenarios according to mineral water consumption rates.     

松花江哈尔滨段水系沉积物中无机元素环境标准样品的研制

介绍了松花江哈尔滨段水系沉积物环境标准样品的研制方法,对其中21个无机元素进行定值。采集的水系沉积物样品经自然阴干、研磨、筛分、混匀、装瓶和灭菌等加工处理后,分层随机抽取18瓶样品,在0.25 g样品取样量条件下,以铜、铅、锌、砷、汞、铁和铝为代表元素进行均匀性研究,结果表明样品均匀性良好。在室温避光保存条件下,以铜、铅、锌、砷和汞为代表元素,采用线性模型进行稳定性研究,在15个月研制期间样品未观察到不稳定性。由11家协作实验室对水系沉积物标准样品中的21个无机元素进行定值研究,经统计检验分析评定出20个元素的标准值和不确定度,1个元素给出参考值。研制成的标准样品已应用于土壤或水系沉积物样品中无机元素的监测。     

土壤和沉积物中22种有机氯农药和8种多氯联苯的气相色谱分析

近年来地下水、土壤和沉积物等介质中有机氯农药和多氯联苯分析方法的改善主要集中在样品前处理和分析测试条件等方面,而探讨布点、采样等方面的整套方法较少。本文建立了一套适用性较广的气相色谱法同时测定土壤和沉积物中22种有机氯农药和8种多氯联苯,方法检出限为0.09~0.48 ng/g,平均空白回收率为58.7%~133.7%。针对布点、采样、运输、保存、提取、净化、浓缩、仪器测试、数据处理和提交报告整个过程阐述了方法的有效性和实用性;并对提取、净化、测试等多个环节提供了两种或更多的选择,使方法具有更大的灵活性。本文提出,布点前应根据踏勘样品和前人资料考虑采集不同深度的样品;样品的布点、采集和制备均需选择样品,它们共同决定了样品的代表性;分析方法要灵活运用,对于很少检出的目标化合物可采用允许共峰但分析快速的方法,如果有检出再采用针对性的方法分别测定;样品的测定序列不应为了节约分析成本而过于简单。     

An estuarine benthic index of biotic integrity for the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. II. Index development

A benthic index of biotic integrity was developed for use in estuaries of the mid-Atlantic region of the United States (Delaware Bay estuary through Albemarle-Pamlico Sound). The index was developed for the Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment Program (MAIA) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency using procedures similar to those applied previously in Chesapeake Bay and southeastern estuaries, and was based on sampling in July through early October. Data from seven federal and state sampling programs were used to categorize sites as degraded or non-degraded based on dissolved oxygen, sediment contaminant, and sediment toxicity criteria. Various metrics of benthic community structure and function that distinguished between degraded and reference (non-degraded) sites were selected for each of five major habitat types defined by classification analysis of assemblages. Each metric was scored according to thresholds established on the distribution of values at reference sites, so that sites with low scoring metrics would be expected to show signs of degradation. For each habitat, metrics that correctly classified at least 50% of the degraded sites in the calibration data set were selected whenever possible to derive the index. The final index integrated the average score of the combination of metrics that performed best according to several criteria. Selected metrics included measures of productivity (abundance), diversity (number of taxa, Shannon-Wiener diversity, percent dominance), species composition and life history (percent abundance of pollution-indicative taxa, percent abundance of pollution-sensitive taxa, percent abundance of Bivalvia, Tanypodinae-Chironomidae abundance ratio), and trophic composition (percent abundance of deep-deposit feeders). The index correctly classified 82% of all sites in an independent data set. Classification efficiencies of sites were higher in the mesohaline and polyhaline habitats (81–92%) than in the oligohaline (71%) and the tidal freshwater (61%). Although application of the index to low salinity habitats should be done with caution, the MAIA index appeared to be quite reliable with a high likelihood of correctly identifying both degraded and non-degraded conditions. The index is expected to be of great utility in regional assessments as a tool for evaluating the integrity of benthic assemblages and tracking their condition over time.     

Arsenic and fluoride in the upper madison river system: Firehole and gibbon rivers and their tributaries,yellowstone national park,wyoming, and southeast montana

Chemical analyses of 21 water samples from the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers, which combine to form the Madison River, gave arsenic and fluoride values above the Environmental Protection Agency Interim Primary Drinking Water maximum contaminant levels (0.05 mg/l arsenic and 2.0 mg/l fluoride). On 18 October, 1975, during a period of moderate flow (16,600 l/s), the Madison River at West Yellowstone contained 0.23 mg/l arsenic and 6.2 mg/l fluoride. Below Hebgen Lake the Madison River during periods of high flow (56,000 liter/s at West Yellowstone and 708,000 liter/s below Hebgen Lake) would contain 0.05 mg/l arsenic at both stations and 1.5 and 4.0 mg/l fluoride at West Yellowstone and below Hebgen Lake, respectively. The strong correlations of arsenic and fluoride with other chemical constituents of the river water at the sampling sites demonstrate the conservative nature of each element after it reaches the Madison River system. Calculations indicate that water from three sampling sites is above saturation with respect to fluorite.     

Relationship between conductivity and analysed composition in a large set of natural surface-water samples, Queensland, Australia

 The relationship between Total Dissolved Ions (TDI) and conductivity is established in around 34000 samples collected from rivers, streams and dams in Queensland since the 1960s. These data are extremely variable in content, reliability and periodicity of sampling. The data were sorted into useable modules, and their statistical distribution was examined. The median ratios of TDI/Conductivity obtained for different salinity ranges were between 0.59 and 0.72, with normal variability ranging from below 0.35 to greater than 1.00, particularly at lower salinities. The data set used has sufficient sample numbers and areal distribution per increment to give reasonable reliability within the conductivity range of 50–1000 μScm^–1. A table has been developed that enables selection of conversion factors from conductivity to salinity (as TDI) which could be used to predict TDI from future conductivity measurements from the same surface water population. Received: 30 October 1998 · Accepted: 17 May 1999     

太湖流域某地区浅层地下水有机污染特征

对太湖流域某地区浅层地下水有机污染特征进行了总结，并就污染来源、污染途径和典型污染源附近浅层地下水有机污染特征等问题进行了研究。研究结果表明，该地区浅层地下水中各组分的检出率较高，但检出浓度较低，除苯在个别采样点处超出美国环保局（EPA）饮用水标准外，其余卤代烃和单环芳烃组分均没有超标；平面分布上，卤代烃和单环芳烃各组分的浓度高值点大都集中于该地区东南部的工业区内，这种空间分布特征与工业区的分布具有明显的一致性；垂向上有浅部地下水的污染程度相对较重、深部地下水较轻的特点；典型污染源周边浅层地下水的污染程度较重，但随着采样点远离污染源，地下水中各有机污染组分的浓度迅速衰减。     

Méthodologie de l'extraction des hydrocarbures aromatiques polycycliques. Application à des sédiments de la lagune de Bizerte (Tunisie)Methodology of extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Application to sediment from the Bizerte Lagoon (Tunisia)

The marine environment is very complex, with several important chemical, biological, and sedimentological interactions. Sediments constitute a reservoir for numerous pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are known by their mutagenic and/or carcinogenic effect. This study evaluates contamination levels in Bizerte Lagoon with respect to PAHs. The extraction efficiency of PAHs from sediment has been evaluated using Soxhlet or ultrasonic procedures, based on the recovery of an internal standard (9,10-dihydroanthracene). Several PAHs were found, including sixteen that are reported in the priority list of pollutants of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). PAHs analysis was carried out by GC–FID and GC–MS for 16 samples sampled in two seasons: summer and winter. Results permit an assessment of PAHs pollution in the Bizerte Lagoon. To cite this article: N. Mzoughi et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 893–901.     

Using Simultaneous Diagonalization to Identify a Space–Time Linear Coregionalization Model

Although there are multiple methods for modeling matrix covariance functions and matrix variograms in the geostatistical literature, the linear coregionalization model is still widely used. In particular it is easy to check to ensure whether the matrix covariance function is positive definite or that the matrix variogram is conditionally negative definite. One of the difficulties in using a linear coregionalization model is in determining the number of basic structures and the corresponding covariance functions or variograms. In this paper, a new procedure is given for identifying the basic structures of the space–time linear coregionalization model and modeling the matrix variogram. This procedure is based on the near simultaneous diagonalization of the sample matrix variograms computed for a set of spatiotemporal lags. A case study using a multivariate spatiotemporal data set provided by the Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardy, Italy, illustrates how nearly simultaneous diagonalization of the empirical matrix variograms simplifies modeling of the matrix variograms. The new methodology is compared with a previous one by analyzing various indices and statistics.     

In-well time-of-travel approach to evaluate optimal purge duration during low-flow sampling of monitoring wells

A common assumption with groundwater sampling is that low (<0.5 L/min) pumping rates during well purging and sampling captures primarily lateral flow from the formation through the well-screened interval at a depth coincident with the pump intake. However, if the intake is adjacent to a low hydraulic conductivity part of the screened formation, this scenario will induce vertical groundwater flow to the pump intake from parts of the screened interval with high hydraulic conductivity. Because less formation water will initially be captured during pumping, a substantial volume of water already in the well (preexisting screen water or screen storage) will be captured during this initial time until inflow from the high hydraulic conductivity part of the screened formation can travel vertically in the well to the pump intake. Therefore, the length of the time needed for adequate purging prior to sample collection (called optimal purge duration) is controlled by the in-well, vertical travel times. A preliminary, simple analytical model was used to provide information on the relation between purge duration and capture of formation water for different gross levels of heterogeneity (contrast between low and high hydraulic conductivity layers). The model was then used to compare these time–volume relations to purge data (pumping rates and drawdown) collected at several representative monitoring wells from multiple sites. Results showed that computation of time-dependent capture of formation water (as opposed to capture of preexisting screen water), which were based on vertical travel times in the well, compares favorably with the time required to achieve field parameter stabilization. If field parameter stabilization is an indicator of arrival time of formation water, which has been postulated, then in-well, vertical flow may be an important factor at wells where low-flow sampling is the sample method of choice.     

Distribution of heavy metals in the core sediments of a tropical wetland system

Five sediment cores from the fresh water region of the Vembanad wetland system were studied for the trace element contents The average concentration of iron, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, mercury and chromium were determined. The core samples were collected using gravity type corer, digested with a mixture of nitric acid and perchloric acid and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Heavy metals such as iron, copper, nickel and zinc reported enrichment towards the surface of the core sediment sample collected from the centre of the lake. Lead, cadmium and mercury showed uniform distribution through out the core. Quality of the sediments were evaluated based on sediment quality guidelines, pollution load index, sum of toxic units and with effect range low/effect range median and threshold effect level/probable effect level values of Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The degree of contamination for each station was determined. The concentration of different heavy metals has been compared with the world average concentration of shale values. Results of the analysis showed that Vembanad lake is facing serious metal pollution with increased rate of deposition.     

Recognition of areas of anomalous concentration of potentially hazardous elements by means of a subcatchment-based discriminant analysis of stream sediments

The statistical technique of discriminant analysis associated with the calculation of an information coefficient has been applied to the concentrations of 37 chemical elements for calculating the mixing of stream sediments of different origin in the Mignone river basin.Discriminant analysis has been based on sample catchment basins (SCBs), defined as the part of the drainage basin between two consecutive sampling points along the same stream branch, and on the identification of 4 different litho-geochemical groups. This approach, has been used to define the membership probability values for every sample by applying Bayes' rule and calculating posterior probability. The grade of uncertainty for each group assignment has been evaluated by using an information coefficient, based on a classification entropy index, and running a procedure analogue to that used for processing membership values in fuzzy analysis. The maximum theoretical concentration that can be expected in soils near the sampling point (enhanced concentration) has then been calculated from both the measured and the membership values by introducing a specific enhancement function. Theoretical background concentrations at every sampling point have been also calculated by weighting the average value of concentration in each group with the membership values for each sample. These have been successively compared with the measured and enhanced concentrations to identify anomalous areas.The distribution maps of Arsenic and Vanadium in the Mignone River basin (central Italy) have been drawn accordingly to this technique, leading to the identification of areas of potential risk for human health.     

Radon in groundwater in Tumkur district of Karnataka with special reference to sampling sensitivity

Radon is a naturally occurring colourless and odourless radioactive gas that is soluble in water and is the main source of radioactivity of groundwater. Use of radon contaminated groundwater increased the radon levels in the air, especially in poorly ventilated houses, which is hazardous to health. Ingestion of such water for quite long period may lead to stomach cancer. The drinking water standards proposed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) exclude the permissible concentration of radon in drinking water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1991 proposed a Maximum Concentration Level (MCL) of 11.1 Bq/l for public water supply. The water samples from the bore wells in Tumkur district of Karnataka show radon concentrations in the range of 5 to 250 Bq/l. Ninety percentages of the samples show radon levels above the permissible limit as per USEPA. The spatial variation and geological control over radon concentration in groundwater in the area and sampling sensitivity are discussed here. The study was conducted during March 2012.     

An integrated approach to environmental quality assessment in a coastal setting in Campania (Southern Italy)

The coastal region of Southern Italy’s Caserta province, known as the Litorale Domitio (Domitia coast) has been subjected to increasing pressure from unsustainably fast economic and urban growth in the last century, that resulted in a induced serious land degradation. To obtain a comprehensive picture of the ecological status of the Domitia coastal zone (Campania, Southern Italy), a holistic methodology has been applied. Sedimentological, geochemical, and biological analyses of the surface sediments and water samples were performed along the submerged beach. The data were integrated using a geographical information system, together with information on past and present land use and human activities along the coast and in inland regions. Heavy metal concentrations in sediments plus As and Se (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) and their enrichment factors, which are important for identifying polluted areas in countries like Italy (where environmental legislation has not yet established intervention limits), indicate excesses Cd, Cr, Pb, and V of probable anthropogenic origin. A microbiological contamination of marine waters has been detected by the Regional Environmental Protection Agency of Campania. The Bacteriological Quality Index map shows that bathing areas must be classified as “contaminated” and “highly contaminated”. High levels of chemical and biological contamination are particularly common in both bathing seawater and sediments along the coastal zone south of the Volturno River, where the existing wastewater treatment plant is not properly working, to date. Factory farming, which is widespread in the area, is likely to be an additional important source of contamination. In accordance with these conclusions, analyses of the benthic diatom community revealed dominance of eutrophic species.     

Influence of copper mine on surface water quality

Aras water basin is located in northwest of Iran. Sungun mine which is the largest open-cast copper mine of Iran is located in this region and is in the primary stages of extraction. The influence of mining activity on the quality of regional surface water has been taken in to consideration in this study. Accordingly, sampling was done from 5 local streams in the study area. In order to consider the effect of flow quantity on the amount of different parameters, sampling was done in July and November 2005 when the local streams had the minimum and maximum flow rate respectively. The concentrations of major anions and cations as well as As, Mo, Al, Cu, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn and Zn were determined. The results showed that the concentrations of metallic ions like aluminum, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum and iron in samples collected in July are above USEPA (Environmental Protection Agency) limits; however, mentioned concentrations are lessened remarkably in the samples collected in November. This fact is justified considering dilution of ions concentration via more amount of water in November. The chemical characteristics of water compositions on the basis of major ion concentrations were evaluated on a Schoeller and Piper diagram. Accordingly, the dominant type of water in July and November is considered to be Ca-HCO₃ (calcium-bicarbonate type). Regarding Schoeller diagram, despite relatively high concentration of calcium, the current status of local surface water is acceptable for drinking purposes. By commencing mining excavation with designed capacity in near future, the minerals will come in to contact with air and water resulting in dissolution, especially in ponds, which, in turn, increases the concentration of heavy metals in surface water. Considering consequent uses of this water including drinking, irrigation, industrial, etc. precautions must be taken in to consideration.