From the Editors

Editorial Introduction

From the Editors     

Mechanistic studies of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation in chlorinated drinking water

Studies were conducted to investigate the hypothesis that N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a potential disinfection by-product specifically produced during chlorination or chloramination. Experiments were conducted using dimethylamine (DMA) as a model precursor. NDMA was formed by the reaction of DMA with free chlorine in the presence of ammonia and also with monochloramine. We proposed a mechanism for NDMA formation in chlorinated or chloraminated water, which does not require nitrite as in N-nitrosation. The critical NDMA formation reactions consist of (i) the formation of monochloramine by combination of free chlorine with ammonia, (ii) the formation of 1,1-dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) intermediate from the reaction of DMA with monochloramine followed by, (iii) the oxidation of UDMH by monochloramine to NDMA, and (iv) the reversible chlorine transfer reaction between free chlorine/monochloramine and DMA which is parallel with (i) and (ii). A kinetic model was also developed to validate the proposed mechanism.     

Novel Polymeric Materials from Biological Oils

A variety of novel polymeric materials ranging from elastomers to tough, rigid plastics have been prepared by the cationic copolymerization of regular soybean oil, low-saturation soybean oil, or conjugated low-saturation soybean oil with various alkene commonomers. Using appropriate compositions and reaction conditions, 70–100% of the soybean oil is covalently incorporated into the cross-linked polymer networks, contributing significantly to cross-linking during copolymerization. The resulting thermosets exhibit thermophysical and mechanical properties that are competitive with those of their petroleum-based counterparts. In addition, good damping and shape memory properties have been obtained by controlling the degree of cross-linking and the rigidity of the polymer backbone. New materials with similar characteristics have also been produced from other biological oils, including tung, and fish oils using the same technique. The new, more valuable properties of these bioplastics suggest numerous promising applications of these novel polymeric materials.     

STREAM RESTORATION IN THE VICINITY OF BRIDGES1

ABSTRACT: The number of stream restoration and enhancement projects being implemented is rapidly increasing. At road crossings, a transition must be created from the restored channel through the bridge or culvert opening. Given conflicting design objectives for a naturalized channel and a bridge opening, guidance is needed in the design of the transition. In this paper we describe the use of vanes, cross vanes, and w‐weirs, commonly used in stream restoration and enhancement projects, that may provide an adequate transition at bridges. Laboratory experiments were conducted on vanes and cross vanes to provide a transition for single span bridge abutments and on w‐weirs to provide a transition for double span bridges which have a pier in mid‐channel. The results of the experiments provided design criteria for transitions using each of the three structures. Prior field experience provided guidance on appropriate applications in terms of the stream and bridge characteristics.     

Sustainability Criteria for Decision Support in the UK Water Industry

The incorporation of sustainability assessment into decision-making processes is a key task for water service providers in the UK and elsewhere. This paper describes the development and application of a set of sustainability criteria, which have been developed and tested with project partners in the UK and Romania. They will be used in a 'guidebook' that will set out a framework to facilitate the inclusion of sustainability in the decision-making process. This work is part of the Sustainable Water Industry Asset Resource Decisions project to develop a multi-criteria analysis decision support system to assist water service providers to assess the relative sustainability of water/wastewater system asset development decisions.     

Environmental regulatory compliance on army lands: A case study

A “finding of no significant impact” (FONSI) resulting from an environmental assessment (EA) was reported by the US Army in June 1986 for the construction and utilization of a multipurpose range complex (MPRC) at the Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii. There was little public response, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service and state agencies were consulted and had few comments concerning the results of the botanical surveys used in the assessment. Construction of the $24 million project was begun in 1988. Near the end of construction in 1989 a lawsuit was filed to halt construction because an environmental impact statement (EIS) had not been done for the project, and the plaintiff thought that significant damage had occurred to several unusual ecosystems. Judgment was against the plaintiff and construction continued. An appeal was filed with the 9th Circuit Court. As MPRC construction was nearly complete, and on advice of Department of Justice lawyers, the Department of Army agreed to settle out of court. The settlement in part called for: (1) the plaintiff to drop the appeal and allow construction to be completed as scheduled, and (2) the Department of Army to prepare an EIS for the operation of the MPRC. A subsequent botanical survey for the EIS discovered one endangered plant species, four category 1 candidate plant species (taxa with sufficient data to support listing as endangered or threatened), three category 2 candidate plant species (taxa with some evidence of vulnerability but insufficient data to support listing at this time), one category 3a species (presumably extinct taxa), and possibly three undescribed species growing within the MPRC boundary. The MPRC case study is an excellent example of why the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) must be modified to require in-depth and thorough environmental surveys.     

Selecting islands and shoals for conservation based on biological and aesthetic criteria

Consideration of biological quality has long been an important component of rating areas for conservation. Often these same areas are highly valued by people for aesthetic reasons, creating demands for housing and recreation that may conflict with protection plans for these habitats. Most methods of selecting land for conservation purposes use biological factors alone. For some land areas, analysis of aesthetic qualities is also important in describing the scenic value of undisturbed land. A method for prioritizing small islands and shoals based on both biological and visual quality factors is presented here. The study included 169 undeveloped islands and shoals ⩽0.8 ha in the Thousand Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River, New York. Criteria such as critical habitat for uncommon plant and animal species were considered together with visual quality and incorporated into a rating system that ranked the islands and shoals according to their priority for conservation management and protection from development. Biological factors were determined based on previous research and a field survey. Visual quality was determined by visual diagnostic criteria developed from public responses to photographs of a sample of islands. Variables such as elevation, soil depth, and type of plant community can be used to classify islands into different categories of visual quality but are unsuccessful in classifying islands into categories of overall biological quality.     

TIDE GATE INFLUENCES ON A TIDAL MARSH1

ABSTRACT: Construction of a tide gate at the mouth of the north channel of the Savannah River in Georgia has resulted in significant changes in salinities influencing marsh community changes. The tide gate is directly responsible for a 2 to 6 mile upstream displacement of salt water in the river. In the marsh, soil salinities ranged from 0.0 ppt at upstream sites to 12 ppt at downstream sites when the tide gate was in operation. Within two months of taking the tide gate out of operation, interstitial salinities at the downstream sites dropped to 4 ppt. Influences of the tide gate on marsh vegetation were modeled in a geographic information system. With the tide gate out of operation, the model predicts that freshwater marsh would increase in area by 340 percent.