Towards developing sediment quality assessment guidelines for aquatic systems: An Australian perspective

Sediment at the sediment‐water interface of natural and man‐made waterways forms an integral part of the ecosystem because it is affected by a continuous flux of physical, chemical and biological components between the sediment, interstitial water and the overlying water column. Aquatic sediments contain records of past and present urban and rural runoff, chemical discharges and spills. In recent years sediment quality has received increasing attention following identification of the role of sediment as both a sink for pollutants and as a contaminant source with potential impacts on the quality of receiving waters. Research has indicated that the processes leading to remobilization of contaminated sediments in upstream reaches of a waterway may, through time, exert a significant influence on water quality in the downstream reaches. This, together with the cumulative effects due to contaminant input from point and non‐point source discharges, have dramatic effects on water quality and thus on ecosystem structure and functioning.

The problems associated with elevated concentrations of many hazardous organic and inorganic compounds have resulted in the establishment of aquatic sediment quality criteria and management guidelines in many overseas countries, with the objectives being the reduction and elimination of adverse environmental effects and human health risks associated with contaminated sediments. Whereas more than 70% of the Australian population is clustered around the coastal waterways, little is known about the role of sediments as a repository of environmental pollutants and/or as a source of adverse impacts on water quality and the health of our rivers. The paucity of knowledge on the quality of aquatic sediment highlights the need for the development of coherent guidelines for sediment quality assessment and management of contaminated sites, which are consistent with Australian environmental conditions and land use features.

A comparative evaluation of sediment quality information from eight coastal rivers along the east coast of Australia, presented in this paper, indicates the possibility for establishing a framework for regional sediment quality assessment. This may be achievable by using textural and compositional attributes of bottom sediments in depositional areas to develop databases on the loading and concentration trends of nutrients and contaminants. Regional variability in sediment quality determinants are shown to reflect the influence of catchment hydrology, lithology and land use on nutrient and contaminant concentration trends. Locally, the loading and partitioning behaviour of sediment‐bound contaminants is largely controlled by the nature and the extent of interactions occurring at the sediment‐water interface within individual depositional units.

The concept of ‘Sediment Effect Zone’ is introduced to provide a compartmental approach to the characterization of aquatic sediments and depositional environments in different hydrologic zones. This approach offers a rational basis for follow‐up chemical and biological assessments to establish sediment quality standards and management guidelines. Because of the complex influences of environmental, methodological and statistical factors on defining the sediment variability, the need for implementing proper quality control measures from early stages of design of a sediment quality assessment program is highlighted.     

航空摄影最佳曝光量的选择

分解力是评定影象质量的重要指标。本文介绍利用改进后的国产9 w测微密度仪,测定航空软片静态分解力与曝光量的关系。以最大分解力所相应的曝光量作为确定航摄软片感光度的基准,以此为基础,确定航摄底片的最大密度(D_(max))、最小密度(D_(min))、影象反差(△D)和平均密度(D_R)本文对国产1022T、1022P、柯达2402、2412等航摄软片进行了研究,其试验结果可作为今后修改航摄规范的基础。     

Areal extent of the 1988 flood in Bangladesh: How much did the satellite imagery show?

This paper presents the methods and results of visual interpretation of satellite imagery for estimating areal extent of the 1988 flood in Bangladesh. The main limitation of this method was that cloud-free images were not available for the peak flood period in the first week of September. Relatively cloud-free images on three selected dates in the last three weeks of September showed that areas of inundation on those dates ranged from 44000 to 60000 km² ± 5% (31 to 42% of Bangladesh). The Government of Bangladesh official estimates of the areal extent of flooding were tentative in nature, since these were based on a choropleth map of relative proportions (percentages) of flooding in different parts of the country. The official estimate of the maximum extent of flooding was 82000 km² (57% of Bangladesh), i.e. 15 to 26% larger than the area shown on satellite imagery. The actual extent of flooding was certainly larger than the estimates from satellite imagery but, perhaps, smaller than the official estimates, since a reduction of 15 to 26% of flood area in one to three weeks seemed unlikely. An alternative method of mapping flood-affected areas by using newspaper-interpreted data was attempted, but the method had limited values because of reporting bias.     

平原地下水水质评价方法探讨

本文从平原地下水水质评价标准的确定、评价指标的选择、单项和综合评价方法等方面建立了平原地下水水质评价的完整体系,它既考虑了地下水水体污染的随机性和模糊性,又能保证平原地下水水质评价结果的区域可比性,同时简便明了,适用于平原地下水资源评价面广点多的特点。     

Mercury,arsenic, antimony,and selenium contents of sediment from the Kuskokwim River,Bethel, Alaska,USA

The Kuskokwim River at Bethel, Alaska, drains a major mercury-antimony metallogenic province in its upper reaches and tributaries. Bethel (population 4000) is situated on the Kuskokwim floodplain and also draws its water supply from wells located in river-deposited sediment. A boring through overbank and floodplain sediment has provided material to establish a baseline datum for sediment-hosted heavy metals. Mercury (total), arsenic, antimony, and selenium contents were determined; aluminum was also determined and used as normalizing factor. The contents of the heavy metals were relatively constant with depth and do not reflect any potential enrichment from upstream contaminant sources.     

Coal resources,production, and quality in the Eastern kentucky coal field: Perspectives on the future of steam coal production

The Eastern Kentucky coal field, along with adjacent portions of Virginia and southern West Virginia, is part of the greatest production concentration of high-heating-value, low-sulfur coal in the United States, accounting for over 27% of the 1993 U.S. production of coal of all ranks. Eastern Kentucky's production is spread among many coal beds but is particularly concentrated in a limited number of highquality coals, notably the Pond Creek coal bed and its correlatives, and the Fire Clay coal bed and its correlatives. Both coals are relatively low ash and low sulfur through the areas of the heaviest concentration of mining activity. We discuss production trends, resources, and the quality of in-place and clean coal for those and other major coals in the region.     

白城市地下水质量现状与发展趋势

通过白城市地下水环境地质调查和多年地下水动态监测工作，对白城市１９９３年地下水污染，地下水质量作出评价。并对多年资料作趋势分析。结果表明：白城市地下水受到不同程度污染、地下水质量濒临恶化，化学组分中Ｃｌ￣－、ＳＯ、ＮＯ、总硬度、矿化度呈上升趋势。针对上述问题，提出防治措施。     

感潮河流准动态水质回荡模型的研究

根据感潮河流的水流特性,研制了准动态水质回荡模型,并利用相似的皮尔逊-Ⅲ型分布曲线对其进行求解,提出了模型参数的计算方法。该模型适用于可降解有机污染物浓度的分布变化分析,经黄浦江干流氨氮浓度资料验证,成果比较满意。     

从地洼成矿作用看中国某些优质锰矿的成因与远景

研究发现中国某些优质锰矿,属复成矿床,它们都是地洼成矿作用的产物。福建连城锰矿就是典型实例,类似矿床特别是复成风化锰矿,还见于闽西南-粤东北及湖南。滇东南一些锰矿,例如著名的斗南锰矿与白显锰矿的成因,也可能与地洼成矿作用有一定联系。分析对比了一些优质复成锰矿和一些较贫的复成锰矿的成矿地质条件。从地洼成矿作用可以看出中国某些优质锰矿的成因与远景。提出在中国东南地洼区、南北地洼区南端及云贵地洼区某些地方,寻找优质复成风化锰矿与复成菱锰矿—硫锰矿矿床是较有希望的。