Simultaneous measurement of aqueous redox-sensitive elements and their species across the soil-water interface

The redox-sensitive elements, such as iron, manganese, sulfur, phosphorus, and arsenic, shift their speciation every millimeter (mm) across the soil-water interface in the flooded soil environments. Monitoring of element speciation at this high-resolution (HR) within the SWI is still difficult. The key challenge lies in obtaining sufficient porewater samples at specific locations along the soil gradient for downstream analysis. Here with an optimized inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method and a HR porewater sampler, we demonstrate mm-scale element profiles mapping across the SWI in paddy soils. High-concentrations of iron and manganese (> 10 mg/L) were measured by ICP-MS in an extended dynamic range mode to avoid signal overflow. The iron profile along the SWI generated by the ICP-MS method showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to that measured independently using a colorimetric method. Furthermore, four arsenic (arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic and dimethylarsinic acid), two phosphorus (phosphite and phosphate) and two sulfur (sulfide and sulfate) species were separated in 10 min by ion chromatography -ICP-MS with the NH₄HCO₃ mobile phase. We verified the technique using paddy soils collected from the field, and present the mm-scale profiles of iron, manganese, and arsenic, phosphorus, sulfur species (relative standard deviation < 8%). The technique developed in this study will significantly promote the measurement throughput in limited samples (e.g. 100 μL) collected by HR samplers, which would greatly facilitate redox-sensitive elements biogeochemical cycling in saturated soils.     

岩溶区地下水补给型水库表层无机碳时空变化特征及影响因素

为更深入地认识岩溶区地下水补给型水库表层无机碳的循环过程,于2014-07-12~2014-07-20期间,以广西上林县大龙洞岩溶水库表层水体为研究体系,对无机碳循环研究的重要指标进行定点观测和高密度的昼夜监测.结果发现:1从上游到下游DIC含量和水体p CO2值逐渐增加[DIC(平均):122.88 mg·L-1增至172.02 mg·L-1,p CO2(平均):637.91×10-6增至1 399.97×10-6],δ13CDIC值逐渐偏负[δ13CDIC(平均):-4.34‰降至-6.97‰].2库区均为大气CO2的源,CO2交换通量在7.11~335.54 mg·(m2·h)-1之间,平均125.03 mg·(m2·h)-1,上游和下游地区CO2交换通量较大[平均131.73 mg·(m2·h)-1、170.25 mg·(m2·h)-1],中游狭窄地区CO2交换通量较小[平均116.05 mg·(m2·h)-1].3表层水体p CO2值和水-气界面CO2交换通量存在晚上升高,白天降低的昼夜变化规律,且与叶绿素a(Chla)呈负相关关系.分析认为:1大龙洞水库表层水体DIC含量、δ13CDIC值和水体p CO2的空间分布主要受浮游植物浓度、浊度、电导率、水深、透明度等的影响,而水-气界面CO2交换通量除了受浮游植物浓度空间变化的影响外还受风速的影响.2浮游植物昼夜垂向运动及光合作用和呼吸作用昼夜变化控制着水库表层水体溶解性无机碳的昼夜循环过程.     

Vigilance monitoring for operator safety: A simulation study on highway driving

INTRODUCTION: Alertness of individuals operating vehicles, aircrafts, and machinery is a pre-requisite for safety of the individual and for avoiding economic losses. In this paper, we present a new technique for determining the alertness level of the operator and elaborate the methodology for the specific case of highway driving METHOD: Our hypothesis is that the time derivative of force exerted by the driver at the vehicle-human interfaces can be used to construct a signature of individual driving styles and to discern different levels of alertness RESULTS: In this study, we present experimental results corroborating this hypothesis and introduce a parameter, 'spikiness index,' for the time series data of the force derivative to quantify driver alertness IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The low cost, ruggedness, and low-volume data processing requirements of the proposed technique give it a competitive edge over existing predominantly image processing based vigilance monitoring systems.     

固液界面吸附机制与模型——“环境水质学前沿专栏”序言

固液界面吸附是环境水化学及水处理技术研究中的一项重要内容.本文阐述了目前固液界面吸附研究方面取得的主要进展,对吸附剂表面性质、吸附络合物形态、表面反应描述中使用的一些重要实验技术、理论计算方法和模型模拟手段进行了系统的介绍,并展望了固液界面吸附研究的发展趋势.表面表征技术、理论计算及表面络合模型的发展、应用和结合有力地促进了人们对各种固液界面体系吸附机制的深入理解,对于阐明污染物在水环境中迁移转化规律,及开发新型吸附剂有着重要的科学意义.     

九龙江口湿地表层沉积物微观形貌特征与成因分析

基于沉积物N2吸附脱附曲线,通过不同植被沉积物采样、扰动模拟和化学清洗实验,分析河口滨海湿地表层沉积物的微观形貌特征与形成原因.研究表明,光滩(A)的沉积物比表面积最低(17.07m2/g),表面分形维数也是最低(2.5177);互花米草(E)沉积物的比表面积和表面分形维数次之,分别为20.82m2/g、2.5354;而湿地中间的红树(D)、互花米草(B)及其二者混交(C)的3种沉积物的比表面积和表面分形维数较高.其原因可能是光滩(A)和互花米草(E)由于靠近河边,受到河流与潮水影响较大,较其他长有植被且离河流较远的沉积物,更易受到扰动与污染,空间填充能力弱化所致.相关关系分析表明,沉积物比表面积与表面分形分数同沉积物无机氮磷形态显著正相关,这表明沉积物比表面积和表面分形维数较低的沉积物,其表面吸附能力和空间填充能力较弱,而使得吸附的无机氮磷形态污染物减少.另外,受扰动的沉积物具有较低的比表面积和表面分形维数,污染程度较轻的沉积物具有较高的比表面积和表面分形维数.可见,受潮汐、河流扰动和污染程度的不同是九龙江口湿地表层沉积物微观形貌差异形成的主要原因.     

胶粘剂中苯系物的测定

建立了GC-MS联用直接分析粘合剂中挥发性有机化合物的方法。主要研究了利用气相色谱/质谱联用技术测定胶粘剂中苯及二甲苯等苯系物,采用全扫描法分析了其组成,选择离子扫描及内标标准曲线法定量分析了胶粘剂中苯、甲苯、二甲苯。并对苯、甲苯及二甲苯进行定量分析,该方法简便、快速,灵敏、重现性好。     

气相色谱法分离和测定合成革用胶粘剂中的挥发性有机物

对合成革用胶粘剂中的发挥有机成份进行了色谱分离，并测定了胶粘剂中的9种挥发性有机物，方法的加标回收率为89.4%～102.8%，变异系数为1.2%～5.0%。     

Boundary work in climate policy making in Brazil: Reflections from the frontlines of the science-policy interface

Despite challenges to the authority and legitimacy of science as a neutral representation of the world, expert advisors are playing an increasingly central role in environmental policy-making in both the Global North and South. This article explores the science-policy interface, based on the experience of the main author as a scientist and policy-maker at FEAM, a state-level environmental agency in Brazil. Contributing to the literature on boundary objects and organizations, the article details the practices necessary to manage the relationship between political and scientific norms in the development of the regional Climate and Energy Plan (CEP) for the state of Minas Gerais. To sustain the role of FEAM as a boundary organization mediating between political and scientific demands, a team of scientists and policy-makers had to perform different types of boundary work in a closely connected manner. It was necessary to actively frame climate change as an economic problem, and structure its solution in terms of mitigation mechanisms. Responding to changes in the national and international political context, FEAM reframed climate change from mitigation into largely an adaptation issue that could lead to win-win solutions as to attain saliency and avoid insurmountable political obstacles for its approval. Based on this experience, the article argues that the performance of boundary objects and organizations in the science-policy interface not only requires an ability to bring ‘truth to power’ but to also the capacity to sense, anticipate and avoid political obstacles. For this reason even though boundary organizations provide a breeding ground for institutional learning it is an unsuitable location for scientific or political revolutions.     

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF FRESH-SALT WATER INTERFACES USING FINITE ELEMENT AND SIMPLE APPROACHES

ABSTRACT: The fresh-salt water interface in artesian aquifers has been investigated by various techniques on the basis of its analogy to the free surface in earth dams or cores of dams. Although various approximations are used, some more or less exact solutions exist. One of the simple methods, that would appeal to practical workers, was developed by the analysis of hydraulic forces. However, this method has not been checked thoroughly due to the lack of wide ranges of coverage by the more or less exact solutions. In this paper a suggested finite element method is used for the purpose of comparing with the method of hydraulic forces. The presented procedure eliminates some of the difficulties and uncertainties in current finite element procedures. Both methods proved to be in close agreement. Moreover, the hydraulic heads along the upper boundary of the artesian aquifer were found to be in close agreement with Dupuit's equation. The results of this investigation would greatly simplify the more complex management problems when the effects of discharge and/or recharge wells are added to the natural flow effects.     

LARGE AREA HYDROLOGIC MODELING AND ASSESSMENT PART II: MODEL APPLICATION1

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the application of a river basin scale hydrologic model (described in Part I) to Richland and Chambers Creeks watershed (RC watershed) in upper Trinity River basin in Texas. The inputs to the model were accumulated from hydro-graphic and geographic databases and maps using a raster-based GIS. Available weather data from 12 weather stations in and around the watershed and stream flow data from two USGS stream gauge station for the period 1965 to 1984 were used in the flow calibration and validation. Sediment calibration was carried out for the period 1988 through 1994 using the 1994 sediment survey data from the Richland-Chambers lake. Sediment validation was conducted on a subwatershed (Mill Creek watershed) situated on Chambers Creek of the RC watershed. The model was evaluated by well established statistical and visual methods and was found to explain at least 84 percent and 65 percent of the variability in the observed stream flow data for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. In addition, the model predicted the accumulated sediment load within 2 percent and 9 percent from the observed data for the RC watershed and Mill Creek watershed, respectively.