Uptake and release of cesium-137 by five plant species as influenced by soil amendments in field experiments

Phytoextraction field experiments were conducted on soil contaminated with 0.39 to 8.7 Bq/g of 137Cs to determine the capacity of five plant species to accumulate 137Cs and the effects of three soil treatments on uptake. The plants tested were redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L. var. aureus); a mixture of redroot pigweed and spreading pigweed (A. graecizans L.); purple amaranth (A. cruteus L.) x Powell's amaranth (A. powellii S. Watson), referred to here as the amaranth hybrid; Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.]; and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata). For control plants, the concentration ratios (CR) of 137Cs were greatest for redroot pigweed and the amaranth hybrid, with average CR values of 1.0 +/- 0.24 and 0.95 +/- 0.14, respectively. The lowest value was for Indian mustard at 0.36 +/- 0.10. The soil treatments included (i) application of NH4NO3 solution to the soil after plants had matured, (ii) addition of composted manure to increase organic matter content of the soil, (iii) combination of the manure and ammonium solution treatments, and (iv) controls. The ammonium solution gave little overall increase in accumulation of 137Cs. The use of composted manure also had little influence, but the combination of the composted manure with application of ammonium solutions had a distinctly negative effect on plant uptake of 137Cs. On average the fraction of 137Cs taken up from the soil was reduced by 57.4 +/- 1.2% compared with controls. This was the result of release of competing ions, primarily Ca, from the manure and was observed across all five plant species tested. The application of ammonium solution took place in the last two weeks before harvest. The reduction of plant 137Cs content, by addition of the ammonium solution, as it interacted with the manure, indicates that substantial quantities 137Cs can be released from the shoots of plants as a result of sudden changes in soil solution chemistry.     

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THREE URBAN RUNOFF MODELS1

ABSTRACT: Three urban runoff models, namely, the Road Research Laboratory Model (RRLM), the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and the University of Cincinnati Urban Runoff Model (UCURM), were examined by comparing the model simulated hydrographs with the hydrographs measured on several instrumented urban watersheds. This comparison was done for the hydrograph peak points as well as for the entire hydrographs using such statistical measures as the correlation coefficient, the special correlation coefficient and the integral square error. The results of the study indicated that, when applying the three selected non-calibrated models on small urban catchments, the SWM model performed marginally better than the RRL model and both these models were more accurate than the UCUR model. On larger watersheds, the comparisons between the SWM model and the other two models would be likely even more favourable for the SWM model, because it has the most advanced flow routing scheme among the studied models.     

FISH RESPONSES TO TEMPERATURE TO ASSESS EFFECTS OF THERMAL DISCHARGE ON BIOLOGICAL INTEGRITY1

ABSTRACT: The applicability of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) water temperature criteria in evaluating the impact of a thermal discharge from the P. H. Glatfelter Paper Company, Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, is analyzed. A review of the literature relative to 11 temperature Criteria was conducted for six fish species designated by the USEPA as “representative important species” (RIS) of the West Branch Codorus Creek, Susquehanna River drainage. The species were: Notemigonus crysolcucas (golden shiner), Notropis analostanus (satinfin shiner), Rhinichthys atratulus (blacknose dace), Catostomus comme-soni (white sucker), Lepomis gibbosus (pumpkinseed). and Micropterous salmoides (largemouth bass). It was found that by applying only USEPA suggested criteria that a complete evaluation was not satisfactory. Temperature behavior data, specifically preference and avoidance information, coupled with field sampliug was needed to properly assess the effects of the thermal effluent. The final analysis indicated that the thermal discharge of the paper company should have minimal effect on the fish community of Codorus Creek.     

Incorporating Uncertainty into Management Models for Marine Mammals

Abstract: Good management models and good models for understanding biology differ in basic philosophy. Management models must facilitate management decisions despite large amounts of uncertainty about the managed populations. Such models must be based on parameters that can be estimated readily, must explicitly account for uncertainty, and should be simple to understand and implement. In contrast, biological models are designed to elucidate the workings of biology and should not be constrained by management concerns. We illustrate the need to incorporate uncertainty in management models by reviewing the inadequacy of using standard biological models to manage marine mammals in the United States. Past management was based on a simple model that, although it may have represented population dynamics adequately, failed as a management tool because the parameter that triggered management action was extremely difficult to estimate for the majority of populations. Uncertainty in parameter estimation resulted in few conservation actions. We describe a recently adopted management scheme that incorporates uncertainty and its resulting implementation. The approach used in this simple management scheme, which was tested by using simulation models, incorporates uncertainty and mandates monitoring abundance and human-caused mortality. Although the entire scheme may be suitable for application to some terrestrial and marine problems, two features are broadly applicable: the incorporation of uncertainty through simulations of management and the use of quantitative management criteria to translate verbal objectives into levels of acceptable risk.     

Incorporating Geological Effects in Modeling of Revegetation Strategies for Salt-Affected Landscapes

The work highlights the difficulties of using standard sampling and statistical techniques to investigate regional phenomena and presents an integrated approach combining small-scale sampling with broad-scale observations to provide input into a modeling exercise. It is suggested that such approaches are vital if landscape- and regional-scale processes are to be understood and managed. The way in which the problem is perceived (holistically or piecemeal) affects the way treatments are designed and their effectiveness: past approaches have failed to integrate the various scales and processes involved. Effective solutions require an integrated holistic response.     

Job involvement as a moderator variable in the life events stress–illness relationship

It is hypothesized that the relationship between life events and reported symptoms of psychological and physical illness is moderated by the extent to which a person is job-involved. Analysis of the data in a sample of employed men shows large correlations between a measure of life events and reported symptoms for men with low job involvement, substantially higher than where the men are highly job-involved.