Incorporation of Heavy Metals Bioavailability into Risk Characterization

The bioavailability of field‐aged Cd and Cu was calculated, and compared to the total concentrations determined by acid digestion. Only 0.60–4.15% for Cd and 0.59–9.43% for Cu were found to be bioavailable when determined by stomach‐phase extraction. The incorporation of bioavailability reduced more than 90% of the calculated risk of the metals at the site of study. It should be noted that such a reduction may not be generalized and the site‐specific bioavailability needs to be determined case by case.     

Hydrochemistry of the Amur River: Weathering in a Northern Temperate Basin

We report the dissolved major element, organic carbon, and δ¹³C_DOC, δ¹³C_POC, δD, δ¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of 19 summer samples from the Amur River. The Amur transported 2.6 Tg C/year of total organic carbon to the Sea of Okhotsk. The physical weathering rate (PWR) based on suspended particulate material was 13 (1.4–14) tons/(km² year), and the chemical weathering rate based on total dissolved solids was 7 (4.3–46) tons/(km² year). We further quantified the sources of the dissolved cations using an inverse model: rain accounted for 2 (0.6–5)%, evaporite 3 (0.7–7)%, carbonate 51 (29–74)%, and silicate 45 (25–64)%. The silicate weathering rate (SWR) in the Amur basin was 23 (15–98) × 10³ mol/(km² year) or 0.67 (0.40–2.81) tons/(km² year), comparable to those of the Siberian rivers and the Mackenzie at higher latitudes. The SWR of the Amur was negatively correlated with elevation and relief, and positively correlated with runoff.     

Effect of highly pervious geological features on ground-water flow into a tunnel

Current practice for estimating water inflow rate relies mostly on analytical solutions which assume a homogeneous, isotropic porous medium around a tunnel. Field measurements indicate that current engineering practice does not consistently make adequate estimate of ground-water flow into a tunnel during excavation due to various factors that analytical solutions do not properly take into account. Among the various factors affecting ground-water flow, the significance of a highly pervious feature located near the tunnel is discussed in this research. The highly pervious feature, which is located near an underground opening and connected to a large source of water, can provide a path for relatively high-head water to the joints intersecting the opening. This paper describes the influence of a highly pervious feature on the ground-water flow regime around a tunnel and the change of inflow rate as the tunnel approaches a highly pervious feature.     

Adsorption of Cu(II) to Bacillus subtilis: A pH-dependent EXAFS and thermodynamic modelling study

Bacteria are very efficient sorbents of trace metals, and their abundance in a wide variety of natural aqueous systems means biosorption plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of many elements. We measured the adsorption of Cu(II) to Bacillus subtilis as a function of pH and surface loading. Adsorption edge and XAS experiments were performed at high bacteria-to-metal ratio, analogous to Cu uptake in natural geologic and aqueous environments. We report significant Cu adsorption to B. subtilis across the entire pH range studied (pH ∼2-7), with adsorption increasing with pH to a maximum at pH ∼6. We determine directly for the first time that Cu adsorbs to B. subtilis as a (CuO₅H_n)ⁿ⁻⁸ monodentate, inner-sphere surface complex involving carboxyl surface functional groups. This Cu-carboxyl complex is able to account for the observed Cu adsorption across the entire pH range studied. Having determined the molecular adsorption mechanism of Cu to B. subtilis, we have developed a new thermodynamic surface complexation model for Cu adsorption that is informed by and consistent with EXAFS results. We model the surface electrostatics using the 1pK basic Stern approximation. We fit our adsorption data to the formation of a monodentate, inner-sphere RCOOCu⁺ surface complex. In agreement with previous studies, this work indicates that in order to accurately predict the fate and mobility of Cu in complex biogeochemical systems, we must incorporate the formation of Cu-bacteria surface complexes in reactive transport models. To this end, this work recommends log K RCOOCu⁺ = 7.13 for geologic and aqueous systems with generally high B. subtilis-to-metal ratio.     

Immobilization of As and Pb in contaminated sediments using waste resources

As and Pb-contaminated sediment obtained from the Nakdong Lake and Yeongsan River in the Republic of Korea was stabilized using a combination of calcined oyster shell (COS), waste cow bone (WCB) and coal mine drainage sludge (CMDS). The effectiveness of the stabilization treatment was evaluated using the Korean Standard Test (KST). The KST tests were performed using 1 N HCl extraction fluid for As and 0.1 N HCl extraction fluid for Pb. Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) analyses were performed to investigate the mechanism responsible for As and Pb immobilization upon treatment. The treatment results showed that effective stabilization of As and Pb-contaminated sediment was obtained. Specifically, 10 wt% COS–5 wt% CMDS was the best treatment for As immobilization and 5 wt% COS–5 wt% WCB was the best treatment for Pb immobilization. The COS–WCB treatment outperformed the COS–CMDS treatment in immobilizing Pb in the contaminated sediment. SEM–EDX results indicated that Pb immobilization was strongly associated with Ca, Si, Al and P while As immobilization was strongly associated with Fe and O. Therefore, utilization of COS, WCB and CMDS is beneficial for the stabilization of contaminated sediment.     

Simultaneous stabilization of arsenic, lead, and copper in contaminated soil using mixed waste resources

In the present study, stabilization treatment using waste resource stabilizers was performed for soil contaminated with As and heavy metals (Pb and Cu). Calcined oyster shell (COS) and coal mine drainage sludge (CMDS) were used as a mixed stabilizing agent for a wet-curing duration of 28 days. After the stabilization treatment, the treatment process efficiency was evaluated by the results of various batch- and column-leaching tests. Neutral and weak acid extraction methods, such as water-soluble extraction and SPLP, did not exhibit satisfactory results for heavy metal stabilization, even if they showed very low leachability. On the other hand, TCLP and 0.1 M HCl extraction showed that the stabilizers significantly reduced the amount of heavy metals leached from the soil, which strongly supports the thesis that the stabilization treatment is efficient in the acidic leaching conditions that were explored. Specifically, in the 0.1 M HCl extraction, the reduction efficiencies of As, Pb, and Cu leachings were more than 90 %, compared with control experiments. This study demonstrates that the application of waste resources for the stabilization of As and heavy metals is feasible. However, some limitations observed in the experiments should be considered in future studies, such as the mobilization of alkali-soluble elements, and in particular, exchangeable fractions of Cu. In addition, the treatment efficiency can be evaluated by different leaching methods, which suggests that multidirectional approaches are required for the proper evaluation of stabilization treatment.     

基于InSAR、GPS形变场的长白山地区火山岩浆囊参数模拟研究

利用差分合成孔径雷达干涉测量技术（DInSAR）获取长白山地区的形变场.结果显示1995~1998年期间,位于长白山东南侧的间白山火山存在6~12 cm的视线向形变,而长白山天池火山处于平静期,没有明显形变.利用2002~2003年的GPS和水准获取的形变数据,分别采用Mogi单源、双源模型反演了长白山地区火山的岩浆囊参数.其中双源模型拟合效果较为理想,两个点源一个位于长白山天池老火山口下方7.9 km处,另一个位于间白山火山下方5.5 km处.对双源模型反演得到的岩浆囊参数进行适当调整,拟合得到与InSAR形变场基本吻合的结果.上述研究结果表明长白山地区火山活动存在时间上的间歇性和空间上的迁移性,为进一步研究长白山地区火山活动机制提供了参考和依据.     

Response of the Changjiang diluted water around Jeju Island to external forcings: A modeling study of 2002 and 2006

The Changjiang diluted water (CDW) around Jeju Island between 2002 and 2006 in response to external forcings, such as wind, tidal forcing and low river discharge, is studied using a three-dimensional model. The model results suggest that wind largely determines spatial differences of CDW and the freshwater export toward Jeju Island between two years. In 2006, when northwestward wind blows during mid June to mid August, the wind-induced Ekman flow causes a broad northeastward extension of CDW and carries a significant amount of freshwater northeastward Jeju Island in August. On the other hand, in 2002 northward wind during mid July to early August drives the CDW to the southwest of Jeju Island, and thereafter the CDW is mainly advected northeastward along the Cheju Current during mid August when the wind becomes weak. Therefore, the amount of freshwater around Jeju Island increases in September, not in August. The response to tidal forcing shows that tide-induced vertical mixing tends to enhance a meander of CDW around Changjiang Bank and shift the CDW flowing into the Yellow Sea southeastward toward Jeju Island. As a result, the amount of freshwater toward Jeju Island becomes larger than that in no-tides case. The summer low river discharge as a flood control scenario has little influence on the spatial behavior of CDW around Jeju Island although the discharge contributes to the amount of freshwater around Jeju Island.     

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination and implication of multiple sources from Hunchun basin, northeastern China

Present concentrations and distributions of heavy metals through profiles, surface soil, and stream sediment samples in the Hunchun area, north-eastern China, were investigated to determine the elemental background values. This study also aims to characterize potentially toxic materials such as pulverized fly ash (PFA) from power stations or ash and slag from coal used domestically in urban areas, agrochemicals applied inappropriately, and urban sewage sludges from Hunchun City, as well as to ascertain the possibility of natural enrichment through site characterization by mineralogical and geochemical investigation. The distribution of contaminants in the alluvial soils (fluvisol) of this area has been influenced by several interacting factors. The parent alluvial materials from weathered products of amphiboles have made coatings such as ferrihydrite, goethite, and hematite. This natural inheritance factor is supported by the fact that the concentrations of weak acid-extractable (plant-available) heavy metals are very low, except for Fe and Mn. However, in agricultural soils and adjacent stream sediments, an anthropogenic input of Cd, Pb, Ni and Cr by agrochemicals is strongly suggested. Also, F contamination by coal combustion and the dissolution of F-bearing minerals could cause some future problems. Wide distribution and significantly high concentrations of Cd, Fe, Mn, and F in soils throughout the combination of pollutants originating from lithogenic and the anthropogenic sources pose potential problems in utilizing water resources. Received: 14 June 1999 · Accepted: 27 December 1999     

Discharge prediction using hydraulic characteristics of mean velocity equation

Discharge is an important factor in river design for water utilization, water control and hydraulic structures; therefore, an accurate estimation of the discharge is required. At present, a rating curve depicting the relationship between a stage and discharge is used to calculate the discharge from river systems. Although the rating curve has an advantage in that it can predict and use the discharge during the flood season in which the measurement is difficult, there is room for improvement as it does not reflect the hydraulic characteristics of rivers. Therefore, in this study, discharge was predicted using the convenient calculation method with empirical mediating variables of the Manning and Chezy equations which were proposed by the author’s previous research as a new methodology for estimating discharge in an open channel. This was proven, based on the data measured in a meandering open channel system in a lab at the Mississippi River in the US and at the Columbia Del Dique Canal, and an accuracy level at a coefficient of 0.8 was demonstrated. Thus, this method, which reflects the hydraulic characteristics and predicts the discharge in a simple manner, is expected to be convenient in practice.