Aggregation of Adenovirus 2 in Source Water and Impacts on Disinfection by Chlorine

It is generally accepted that viral particles in source water are likely to be found as aggregates attached to other particles. For this reason, it is important to investigate the disinfection efficacy of chlorine on aggregated viruses. A method to produce adenovirus particle aggregation was developed for this study. Negative stain electron microscopy was used to measure aggregation before and after addition of virus particles to surface water at different pH and specific conductance levels. The impact of aggregation on the efficacy of chlorine disinfection was also examined. Disinfection experiments with human adenovirus 2 (HAdV2) in source water were conducted using 0.2 mg/L free chlorine at 5 °C. Aggregation of HAdV2 in source water (≥3 aggregated particles) remained higher at higher specific conductance and pH levels. However, aggregation was highly variable, with the percentage of particles present in aggregates ranging from 43 to 71 %. Upon addition into source water, the aggregation percentage dropped dramatically. On average, chlorination CT values (chlorine concentration in mg/L × time in min) for 3-log₁₀ inactivation of aggregated HAdV2 were up to three times higher than those for dispersed HAdV2, indicating that aggregation reduced the disinfection rate. This information can be used by water utilities and regulators to guide decision making regarding disinfection of viruses in water.     

Vegetation: A Sink for Atmospheric Pollutants

The possibility of vegetation being an important sink for gaseous air pollutants was investigated. Plant pollutant uptake measurements were made utilizing a typical vegetation canopy and chambers that were designed specifically for gaseous exchange studies. The data indicate that an alfalfa canopy removed gases from the atmosphere in the following order: hydrogen fluoride (HF) > sulfur dioxide (SO₂) > chlorine (Cl₂) > nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) > ozone (O₃) > peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) > nitric oxide (NO) > carbon monoxide (CO). The absorption rate of NO was low, and no absorption of CO could be detected with the methods used. In the typical ambient concentration range uptake increased linearly with increasing concentration except for O₃ and Cl₂ which caused partial stomatal closure at the higher concentrations. Wind velocity above the plants, height of the canopy, and light intensity were shown to affect the pollutant removal rate. A relationship between the absorption rate and solubility of the pollutant in water was also shown. It was concluded that vegetation may be an important sink for many gaseous air pollutants.     

Land Use for Military Training in the UK: The Current Situation,Likely Developments and Possible Alternatives

This paper describes the current pattern of land ownership for military training in the UK. The main component-armytraining areas-is considered in detail. Recent historical trends are reviewed in the context of changes in force size and weapons systems.Problems and benefits arising from the primary use of land for military training are defined. Relevant literature is reviewed. Comparisons are made with training systems in other countries, in particular the USA, the Netherlands,Switzerland, France and Australia. Recent developments in government policy are described and analysed. Possible future requirements are explored. This information is used to construct an argument that the current training system in the UK is outmoded and unsustainable. The authors contend that there is a need for a strategic review of military training, encompassing a thorough assessment of alternatives to traditional live firing on dedicated training areas.     

Specific Yield Functions for Estimating Evapotranspiration from Diurnal Surface Water Cycles

The White method has been routinely used to estimate evapotranspiration using diurnal variations in groundwater levels. Applications to surface water systems (e.g., wetlands) are less common. For applications to surface water systems, a stage‐dependent specific yield function must be defined. This is especially important for small wetlands formed in topographic depressions with bowl shaped bathymetries. Existing formulations of the specific yield function include weighting factors that impact the relative importance of the soil and open water specific yields on the composite value. Three formulations of the specific yield function from the literature were compared and found to produce varied results. Based on a comparison with empirical estimates of specific yield based on observed ratios of net precipitation to water level rise, one of the existing formulations is generalized and recommended for general use. The recommended function is dependent on wetland bathymetry, magnitude of the diurnal fluctuation, spatial extent of the equilibration area, and soil‐specific yield. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the relative importance of these variables. The specific yield function is independent of wetland size and is strongly dependent on the basin profile coefficient (p), an indication of wetland shape. For most natural wetlands, bathymetry strongly influences specific yield.     

Indigenous community-based fisheries in Australia

The commercial sea cucumber species known as Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) occurs intertidally and subtidally in the Northern Territory of Australia, on or adjacent to Aboriginal land. A 4-yr program of community-based fisheries research with Aboriginal Australians was implemented to assess the viability of indigenous Australians' involvement in the wild-stock fishery. The research involved extensive and intensive indigenous participation, unusual in Australian biophysical sciences research, during field survey and habitat mapping, complemented by commercial catch data modelling and discussion of its implications. Field surveys produced Sandfish distribution and site-specific density, and revealed some areas that were not commercially fished. Catch data modelling results suggested that no additional effort could be sustained, however commercial fishers increased their effort, expanding their operations into the newly mapped areas. These actions effectively precluded indigenous peoples' aspirations of entry into the commercial fishery. The efficacy and outcomes of participatory program design with indigenous Australians need critique in the absence of the political will and statutory backing to provide equitable access to resources.