Numerical Analyses of Soft Bottom Macroinvertebrates to Diagnose the Pollution in Tropical Coastal Waters

Soft bottom benthic organisms especially polychaetes are known to adapt as r or k selected strategies to different gradients of pollution. This will result in changes of benthic community structure from that of normal structure. There are a number of techniques to assess the impact of pollution on benthic community structure. Hence, to test this hypotheses some of the univariate and multivariate techniques were applied to soft bottom macro-invertebrates data of coastal waters of Mangalore, central west coast of India, a hot-spot area. Univariate techniques such as Pearson Rosenberg Model (PRM), abundance biomass comparison curve (ABC), geometrical class distribution, dominance-diversity curve, benthic community structure indices and multivariate techniques such as cluster classification, multidimensional scaling (MDS) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to discriminate and diagnose the disturbance among the sites. Effectiveness and applicability of some of the above techniques are highlighted and discussed with the present set of data for environmental impact assessment studies.     

Pool of Dust Particles over the Asian Continent: Balloon-borne Optical Particle Counter and Ground-based Lidar Measurements at Dunhuang, China

Measurements of aerosols were made in 2001 and 2002 at Dunhuang (40 degrees 00'N, 94 degrees 30'E), China to understand the nature of atmospheric particles over the desert areas in the Asian continent. Balloon-borne measurements with an optical particle counter suggested that particle size and concentration had noticeable peaks in super micron size range not only in the boundary mixing layer but also in the free troposphere. Super-micron particle concentration largely decreased in the mid tropopause (from 5 to 10 km; above sea level, a.s.l.). Lidar measurements made during August 2002 at Dunhuang suggested the possibility that mixing of dust particles occurred from near the ground to about 6 km even under calm weather conditions, and a large depolarization ratio of particulate matter was found in the aerosol layer. The top of the aerosol layer was found at heights of nearly 6 km (a.s.l.). It is strongly suggested that nonspherical dust particles (Kosa particles) frequently diffused in the free atmosphere over the Taklamakan desert through small-scale turbulences and are possible sources of dust particles of weak Kosa events that have been identified in the free troposphere not only in spring but also in summer over Japanese archipelago. Electron microscopic experiments of the particles collected in the free troposphere confirmed that coarse and nonspherical particles observed by the mineral particle were major components of coarse mode (diameter larger than 1 microm) below about 5 km over Dunhuang, China.     

Assessment of Metal Contamination in Doñana National Park (Spain) using Crayfish (Procamburus Clarkii)

Water quality assessment in the Aznalcollar area was attempted using multivariate methods based on heavy metal concentrations in red swamp crayfish (Procamburus clarkii). Trace levels of four heavy metals, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), were detected in crayfish from eleven different stations. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted a gradient of contamination between the sampling stations. Cluster analysis (CA) distinguished three groups of stations. Discriminant analysis also differentiated three groups. The group centroids of the first discriminant function were used to devise an index that varies according to the source of the crayfish. These standardized values are proposed for use as a water quality index. The ability of this index to successfully predict environmental quality was proved with random samples.     

Monochlorobenzene Marine Risk Assessment with Special Reference to the Osparcom Region: North Sea

This risk assessment on monochlorobenzene was carried out for the marine environment, following methodology given in the EU risk assessment Regulation (1488/94) and Guidance Document of the EU New and Existing Substances Regulation (TGD, 1996). Data from analytical monitoring programmes in large rivers and estuaries in the North Sea area were collected and evaluated for effects and environmental concentrations. Risk is indicated by the ratio of predicted environmental concentration (PEC) to predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) for the marine aquatic environment. In total, 27 data for fish, 24 data for invertebrates and 13 data for algae were evaluated. Acute and chronic toxicity studies were taken into account and appropriate assessment factors used to define a final PNEC value of 32 micro/l. Recent monitoring data indicate that monochlorobenzene levels in surface waters are below determination limits of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 microg/l used in monitoring programs. Assuming that half of the lowest determination (0.1 microg/l) is typical, a PEC of 0.05 microg/l was derived. A worst case of 0.5 microg/l is assumed. PEC/PNEC ratios give safety factors of 60 to over 500, taking no account of dilution in the sea. Monochlorobenzene is not a 'toxic, persistent and liable to bioaccumulate' substance sensu the Oslo and Paris Conventions for the Prevention of Marine Pollution (OSPAR-DYNAMEC) criteria. Environmental fate and effects data indicate that current use of monochlorobenzene poses no unacceptable risk to the aquatic environment.     

A Metamodeling Approach for Integrated Assessment of Air Quality Policies

A method is proposed to build integrated models (also called Metamodels) aimed at quantifying the economic efficiency of air quality policies. This Metamodeling approach is based on the coupling of two complementary models, that operate at different scales in space and time, and which represent the economic and the physical and chemical processes, respectively. The joint consideration of the physico-chemical and techno-economic structure of the pollution control problems permits a comprehensive evaluation of air pollution abatement strategies. The motivating pollution control problems include urban-regional air quality management through efficient energy and traffic control policies. A pilot study, exploiting data collected in the Geneva canton (Switzerland), is used to demonstrate the potential of the approach.     

微波联合消解流动注射光度法测定水中总氮和总磷

利用微波联合消解水样,采用流动注射分析技术,建立了在线测定水中总氮和总磷的快速分析方法.优化了试验条件,在线性范围内,总氮和总磷的工作曲线线性关系良好,检出限分别为0.03 mg/L和0.01 mg/L,相对标准偏差分别为1.5%和1.2%,加标回收率分别为96.7%～103%和98.8%～102%.     

过氧化聚吡咯/聚乙烯吡咯烷酮修饰碳糊电极测定废水中苯酚

建立了过氧化聚吡咯(OPPy)和聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)修饰碳糊电极测定废水中苯酚的方法.优化了试验条件,苯酚的氧化峰电流在1.0×10-5 mol/L～1.0×10-3 mol/L之间线性关系良好,检出限为1.0×10-6 mol/L.该电极制作简单,选择性好,测定灵敏度高,精密度与准确度均符合要求.     

环境监测实验室信息管理系统建设——以上海市环境监测中心为例

简述了实验室信息管理系统(LIMS)的概念和建设LIMS的现实意义,着重介绍了上海市环境监测中心实施LIMS的过程和体会,分析了环境监测实验室在LIMS选型和实施过程中需要注意的问题及LIMS对现行工作的影响,并对需进一步完善的功能提出了建议.     

液相色谱法测定环境空气中酞酸酯类

制作了半挥发性有机物中流量采样装置,使用超细玻璃纤维滤膜采样,反相液相色谱法测定环境空气中酞酸酯类,并对样品净化方式、目标化合物在气相和颗粒物上的分布规律及采样器的捕集效率进行了试验.方法在0.50 mg/L～50.0 mg/L之间线性关系良好,当浓缩体积为1.0 mL、采样体积为144 m3时,目标化合物的检出限为0.4×10-3 μg/m3～6.0×10-3 μg/m3;当采样体积为6 m3时,检出限为0.008 μg/m3～0.145 μg/m3.     

基于GIS空间插值方法的长湖水质评价

通过对各插值方法选择后取反距离加权法与克立格法对长湖的污染现状进行分析,结果表明大部分水域水质处于Ⅴ类和劣Ⅴ类,只有主要出水口习家口和刘岺闸附近的部分水域的水质可以达到Ⅳ类水质标准.同时发现反距离加权法与克立格法均具有较高的精度,但克立格法优于反距离加权法,这两种方法评价湖泊水质都能取得比较好的效果.