Effects of water use on arsenic release to well water in a confined aquifer

Field-based experiments were designed to investigate the release of naturally occurring, low to moderate (< 50 microg/L) arsenic concentrations to well water in a confined sandstone aquifer in northeastern Wisconsin. Geologic, geochemical, and hydrogeologic data collected from a 115 m2 site demonstrate that arsenic concentrations in ground water are heterogeneous at the scale of the field site, and that the distribution of arsenic in ground water correlates to solid-phase arsenic in aquifer materials. Arsenic concentrations in a test well varied from 1.8 to 22 microg/L during experiments conducted under no, low, and high pumping rates. The quality of ground water consumed from wells under typical domestic water use patterns differs from that of ground water in the aquifer because of reactions that occur within the well. Redox conditions in the well can change rapidly in response to ground water withdrawals. The well borehole is an environment conducive to microbiological growth, and biogeochemical reactions also affect borehole chemistry. While oxidation of sulfide minerals appears to release arsenic to ground water in zones within the aquifer, reduction of arsenic-bearing iron (hydr)oxides is a likely mechanism of arsenic release to water having a long residence time in the well borehole.     

Two-stage aquifer pumping subject to slow desorption and persistent sources

This work focuses on improving pump-and-treat remediation by optimizing a two-stage operational scheme to reduce volumes extracted when confronted with nonequilibrium desorption, low-permeability units, and continuous contaminant sources such as non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL). Q1 and Q2 are the initial short-term high pumping rate and later long-term low pumping rate, respectively. A two-dimensional ground water flow and transport management model was used to test the proposed strategy for plumes developed from finite (NAPL-free) and continuous (NAPL-driven) contaminant sources in homogeneous and nonhomogeneous (zoned) aquifers. Remediation scenarios were simulated over durations of 2000, 6000, and 15,000 d to determine (1) the optimal time to switch from a preset Q1 to Q2 and (2) the value of Q2. The problem was constrained by mass removal requirements, maximum allowable downgradient concentrations, and practical bounds on Q2. Q1 was fixed at preset values 50% to 200% higher than the single-stage pumping rates (i.e., steady pumping rates during entire remediation period) necessary to achieve a desired cleanup level and capture the plume. Results for the NAPL-free homogeneous case under nonequilibrium desorption conditions achieved the same level of cleanup as single-stage pumping, while reducing extracted volumes by up to 36%. Comparable savings were obtained with NAPL-driven sources only when the source concentration was reduced by at least 2 orders of magnitude. For the zoned aquifer, the proposed strategy provided volume savings of up to 24% under NAPL-free and reduced source conditions.     

A sediment quality triad assessment of the impact of copper mine tailings disposal on the littoral sedimentary environment in the Atacama region of northern Chile

A sediment quality triad (SQT) assessment was made of the impact of copper mine tailings disposal on littoral meiofaunal assemblages in the Atacama region of northern Chile. This situation is unusual in that the disposal is direct into the high-energy coastal system and not via a river estuary or other low-energy environment. This situation also allows for the examination of the impact of copper mine tailings in the absence of confounding effects from other pollutants. The three components of the SQT were: 1. an analysis of the bioavailable metals in both the sedimentary porewater and the adjacent seawater, 2. a microcosm bioassay of both sediments and seawaters using meiofaunal assemblages, and 3. quantitative field samples of the meiofaunal assemblages. Twelve study sites with varying degrees of impact were used, including three reference sites. The study identified that both the meiofaunal assemblage densities and taxa diversities decrease with increasing levels of bioavailable copper, that the Foraminifera and Harpacticoida are sensitive to copper, and that otoplanid Turbellaria are often characteristic of impacted sites; tailings also have both chemical and physical impacts on the environment. In some cases the physical impact of tailings is more important in excluding some organisms e.g. the interstitial polychaete, Saccocirrus sonomacus, from a site than is their chemical impact.     

Spatial distribution and ecotoxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments from the Galicia continental shelf (NW Spain) after the Prestige oil spill

The distribution of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons was determined in surface sediments collected at 36 stations along the Galicia continental shelf (NW Spain), following the Prestige oil spill. Sampling was performed in December 2002, just after the accident, and in February and September 2003. Concentrations of PAHs (summation operator 13 parent components) were in the range of 0.9-422 microg/kgdw, the highest values being close to coastal urban areas (e.g. Pontevedra and A Coru?a), whereas in the stations of the area most heavily impacted by the spill (off Costa da Morte) concentrations were in the range of 14.8-89.6 microg/kgdw, with a certain predominance of alkylated compounds, which may suggest a mixture of petrogenic and pyrolytic sources. The detailed study of petrogenic molecular markers (e.g. steranes and triterpanes) showed the occurrence of an old (weathered) petrogenic chronic pollution in the shelf sediments but not of the Prestige oil, with the possible exception of few stations in the area of Costa da Morte. This was attributed to the heavy nature of the spilled oil that was barely dispersed in the water column and mainly stranded on the coast or sedimented in the form of oil patches. The addition of increasing amounts of fuel oil to a representative sediment sample showed that the molecular indices were indicative of the presence of the Prestige oil when the amount was above 1g/kg of sediment. The toxicity of selected samples (showing the higher PAH concentrations) was tested using the bivalve embryogenesis bioassay. Embryogenesis success reached high values in all cases (80-88%, with 86% in the control), indicating a lack of toxicity in the sediments and supporting the conclusion that the patchiness of the fuel eventually reaching the seafloor reduced its impact on the benthic communities of the Galician shelf.     

Influence of the oceanographic conditions during spring 2003 on the transport of the Prestige tanker fuel oil to the Galician coast

Hydrographic data collected during the cruise HIDROPRESTIGE were combined with meteorological and dynamic data provided by remote sensors and drifting/moored buoys, to describe the surface circulation of the Northern Iberian basin in March-April 2003. Sea surface winds transported the floating Prestige oil slicks from the sinking area to the continental slope off the Rías Baixas in 1/2 month: the surface current intensity was 2% of the wind intensity and it was rotated clockwise 5 degrees from the wind direction. Mesoscale cyclonic and anticyclonic structures west of 10 degrees W increased the residence time of oil patches in the Northern Iberian basin, as compared with the expected southwards flow of the Iberian current (IC). On the other hand, the Iberian poleward current (IPC) formed a marked surface front with coastal waters, preventing the entry of fuel oil into the rías. PAHs in the surface layer during the cruise were <0.5 microgL(-1), except in the Galicia bank (approximately 1 microg L(-1); where the Prestige tanker was still leaking) and the vicinity of Cape Fisterra (approximately 1.5 microg L(-1); where the convergence front between the IPC and coastal waters vanished).     

运用地统计学的土壤有机碳含量空间分布研究

运用GIS地统计、缓冲区分析、叠置分析等方法,初步研究了西昌市邛海盆地土壤有机碳空间变异特征及主要影响因素。分析结果表明,研究区土壤样本,呈正态分布,属中等变异强度,高值区位于主城区东南部和邛海海域东南部,低值区位于邛海海域东北部,并向西北方向递增。不同土壤质地其含量显著不同,中性条件下,其含量较高;不同缓冲区范围内,其含量表现出相应的相关性。     

多源遥感影像融合的光谱优化方法

在多源遥感影像融合过程中光谱畸变是常见的问题之一,它主要是因为不同传感器的光谱响应范围不一致造成的。在推导色彩变换理论强度、色度和饱和度三元素之间的数学关系的过程中,通过研究Wallis滤波理论,发现灰度匹配的相似程度是解决光谱畸变的有效途径。因此提出了基于Wallis滤波的HIS变换融合方法。通过了实验验证,效果较好。     

中山站高频雷达观测结果初步分析

中山站高频相干散射雷达于2010年4月建成投入观测,并加盟SuperDARN雷达观测网,成为我国探测电离层对流的重要手段。首先简要介绍中山站高频雷达的工作原理及工作模式,然后利用该雷达第一年的观测数据,给出了每个波束观测的电离层回波总数随距离和回波强度、多普勒速度及谱宽的分布,以及电离层回波发生率随频率的变化特性。观测结果和射线追踪的模拟计算表明,由于波束指向不同,电波波矢方向与地磁场形成正交条件的区域有所不同,因此会造成不同频率下,不同波束观测的电离层回波发生率的差别。     

气候变暖背景下祁连山西部山区水循环要素的变化——以疏勒河干流上游山区为例

根据祁连山区西部托勒气象站与疏勒河上游昌马堡水文站、鱼儿红雨量站的气温、降水、径流等观测数据,对近50年来疏勒河山区流域气温、降水、径流等水循环要素的变化特征与趋势进行了分析.结果表明,近50年来祁连西部山区年平均气温呈持续上升的态势,并在1990年代中期后出现一个突变,突变后气温上升速率较突变前明显加快.从气温的季节变化上看,冬季升温的幅度明显大于其他各季,从气温的区域变化来看,中低山地带的气温升幅要大于中高山地带.分析结果还显示,祁连山区西部年降水量总体上亦呈增长的态势,但年际波动比较剧烈.少雨年主要在1990年代以前,多雨年在近20 a;从季节变化上看,夏季降水量变化比较稳定,增减趋势不明显,其他各季降水量均有明显的上升趋势,冬季降水量增幅明显.受降水与气温加速上升所带来的冰雪融水增加的影响,疏勒河出山径流的年平均与四季流量亦呈显著增加的态势.考虑到山区夏季降水并未增加,故占年径流量比重较大的夏季径流量的增加主要是冰雪融水的贡献.