Mobility and potential bioavailability of traffic-derived trace metals in a ‘wet–dry’ tropical region,Northern Australia

The aqueous mobility and potential bioavailability of metals and metalloids in road runoff in a ‘wet–dry’ tropical location were assessed by analysing metal and metalloid concentrations in particulate, total dissolved and labile dissolved phases in runoff waters. Road-derived Al, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn concentrations were substantially elevated in runoff when compared to receiving creek waters. Median dissolved concentrations in road runoff exceeded those in creek waters by up to an order of magnitude. Leaching experiments of road sediments confirmed that several metals and metalloids were released in high concentrations from road sediments. Labile Zn and Cu concentrations measured by diffusion gradients in thin films (DGT) showed that almost all dissolved Zn and up to half of dissolved Cu in runoff waters and in road sediment leachate were potentially bioavailable. Comparisons of dissolved metal concentrations in receiving waters affected by road runoff with ecosystem guideline levels, indicated a risk of reaching toxic levels of Cu and Zn in the receiving waters in the absence of adequate treatment or dilution. Low dilution rates of road runoff are likely to occur during late ‘dry’ season/early ‘wet’ season storms which have the potential to produce high metal concentrations derived from long periods of accumulation of road sediment at a time when creek flow rates are at their annual minimum.     

A method to reduce the temperature influence on measurements with thermoelectric pyranometers

Summary It is shown that the current of a pyranometer can be made independent of temperature by connecting a resistor of appropriate characteristics in series with the pyranometer. The temperature coefficient of the pyranometer with respect to the electromotive force should be made equal to the temperature coefficient of the resistance of the circuit. A resistor with a semilinear temperature characteristic and a negative temperature coefficient can be constructed by connecting a N.T.C. (Negative Temperature Coefficient) resistor in parallel with a resistor of constant resistance. A complete calculation is carried out for a case where the pyranometer is a Moll-Gorczynski solarimeter and the instrument indicating the current is a potentiometer. It turns out that the temperature influence on the radiation measurement can be almost eliminated.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird gezeigt, daß der Strom eines Pyranometers durch Einbau eines Resistors von geeigneter Charakteristik in Serie mit dem Pyranometer temperaturunabhängig gemacht werden kann. Zu diesem Zweck ist der Temperaturkoeffizient des Pyranometers in bezug auf die elektromotorische Kraft dem Temperaturkoeffizienten des Widerstandes des Stromkreises gleich zu machen. Ein Resistor mit einer semilinearen Temperaturcharakteristik und einem negativen Temperaturkoeffizienten kann durch Verbindung eines resistors mit negativen Temperaturkoeffizienten (N. T. C.) parallel zu einem Resistor von konstantem Widerstand konstruiert werden. Es wird eine vollständige Berechnung für den Fall der Kombination eines Solarimeters Moll-Gorczynski mit einem Potentiometer durchgeführt. Dabei ergibt sich, daß der Temperatureinfluß auf die Strahlungsmessung nahezu eliminiert werden kann.

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Résumé L'auteur démontre que le courant issu d'une pyranomètre peut être rendu indépendant des influences de la température en introduisant dans le circuit une thermistance appropriée placée en série. Le coefficient thermique du pyranomètre—compte tenu de la force électromotrice—doit être égal au coefficient thermique de la résistance du circuit. On peut construire une thermistance avec une caractéristique semi-linéaire de température et un coefficient thermique négatif en connectant en parallèle une résistance N. T. C. (Negative Temperature Coefficient) et une résistance constante. L'auteur présente un calcul complet pour le cas où le pyranomètre est un solarimètre Moll-Gorczynski et l'instrument de mesure un potentiomètre. Il en résulte que l'influence de la tempature sur la mesure du rayonnement peut presque être éliminée.

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With 4 Figures