Biosorption of Cr(VI) from wastewater using Sorghastrum Nutans L. Nash

Sorghastrum Nutans L. Nash is used as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater. Adsorption coupled reduction i.e. indirect reduction is the mechanism of Cr(VI) removal by the biomaterial. The adsorbent surface became highly positively charged at lower pH, adsorption rate of Cr(VI) is faster and reduction reaction also accelerates at lower pH since the binding of negatively charged Cr(VI) ion species to the cationic groups is enhanced and protons take part in this reaction. The adsorbent is characterised by using XRD, FTIR, SEM and EDAX analysis. OH bending, CN stretching/bending and NH stretching play a major role in Chromium adsorption. Experimental values follow pseudo-second order reaction and Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Surface diffusion is the rate controlling mechanism for the process. The maximum percentage of Cr(VI) removal obtained is 75.5% with 7?g/L dosage at pH 1.3 and adsorbate concentration was 100?mg/L. From the normal probability, residual, contour, 3D surface, main effect and interaction plot along with t-test, ANOVA, and F-test, it is observed that pH has the most significant effect on the percentage removal followed by adsorbent dosage and time. The adsorbate concentration has the least effects and interaction effects are found to be significant.     

A COMPARISON OF GEOSTATISTICAL METHODOLOGIES USED TO ESTIMATE SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT1

ABSTRACT: The need to monitor and forecast water resources accurately, particularly in the western United States, is becoming increasingly critical as the demand for water continues to escalate. Consequently, the National Weather Service (NWS) has developed a geostatistical model that is used to obtain areal estimates of snow water equivalent (the thtal water content in all phases of the snowpack), a major source of water in the West. The areal snow water equivalent estimates are used to update the hydrologic simulation models maintained by the NWS and designed to produce extended streamflow forecasts for river systems throughout the United States. An alternative geostatistical technique has been proposed to estimate snow water equivalent. In this research, we describe the two methodologies and compare the accuracy of the estimates produced by each technique. We illustrate their application and compare their estimation accuracy using snow data collected in the North Fork Clearwater River basin in Idaho.     

OPTIMAL BATHYMETRY OF TYRRHENIAN SEA BY STOCHASTIC INTERPOLATORS1

ABSTRACT: The analysis of the sea depth in the vicinity of a thermal power plant is important in view of the heat dispersion and transport of the cooling water discharged from the energy production processes. The bathymetry of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the area facing the thermoelectric plant being built at Montalto di Castro, Italy, is reconstructed with the aid of the kriging technique. The large number of measurements (2038) precludes the use of a global interpolation model. At the same time, the steepness of the variogram suggests that the stochastic process is likely non-stationary. The latter problem is managed by detrending the observed records with a fourth-order polynomial drift determined with the least squares method. The global approach is replaced with local models with an influence radius of 70 m and a minimal number of interpolation records equal to 10. The detrended residuals appear to be second-order stationary having an isotropic vaniogram that is fitted equally well by a linear or a spherical function. The average size of the local interpolation models is 28, which ensures a high cemputational efficiency. The bathymetry of the sea area of interest is then reconstructed over a regular grid with a total of 3570 nodes. The estimation standard deviation maps show that the accuracy of the prediction is even greater than the prescribed tolerance (= 0.2 m) and indicate that future data collection campaigns require a less dense and, therefore, less expensive recording network. The redundant measurement profiles are identified. Their elimination still allows for bathymetry estimates affected by interpolation errors that fall within the project specifications.     

Estimating Hydraulic Properties of Volcanic Aquifers Using Constant‐Rate and Variable‐Rate Aquifer Tests1

Abstract: In recent years the ground‐water demand of the population of the island of Maui, Hawaii, has significantly increased. To ensure prudent management of the ground‐water resources, an improved understanding of ground‐water flow systems is needed. At present, large‐scale estimations of aquifer properties are lacking for Maui. Seven analytical methods using constant‐rate and variable‐rate withdrawals for single wells provide an estimate of hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity for 103 wells in central Maui. Methods based on constant‐rate tests, although not widely used on Maui, offer reasonable estimates. Step‐drawdown tests, which are more abundantly used than other tests, provide similar estimates as constant‐rate tests. A numerical model validates the suitability of analytical solutions for step‐drawdown tests and additionally provides an estimate of storage parameters. The results show that hydraulic conductivity is log‐normally distributed and that for dike‐free volcanic rocks it ranges over several orders of magnitude from 1 to 2,500 m/d. The arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and median values of hydraulic conductivity are respectively 520, 280, and 370 m/d for basalt and 80, 50, and 30 m/d for sediment. A geostatistical approach using ordinary kriging yields a prediction of hydraulic conductivity on a larger scale. Overall, the results are in agreement with values published for other Hawaiian islands.     

芜湖市区春季地表灰尘中汞和砷的空间及粒径分布规律

以芜湖市高新技术开发区、中心城区和经济技术开发区为研究区域,于2008年春季对其地表灰尘中汞和砷含量、空间分布特征及其在粒径中的分布规律进行了研究.结果表明:芜湖市区地表灰尘中汞、砷含量范围分别为0.011～1.477mg·kg-1、3.533～169.368mg·kg-1,平均值分别为0.230、15.371mg·kg-1,分别是土壤背景值的1.9和1.5倍,存在一定程度的污染;;灰尘中汞含量在经济技术开发区较高,而砷则在高新技术开发区出现高值区;;汞属于空间中相关,说明其变异主要受随机或人为因素的影响;;砷属于空间强相关,说明其变异主要受土壤母质、土地利用方式等因素影响;;研究区地表灰尘汞和砷含量大体上呈随粒径减小而增加的趋势;;不同粒径上汞和砷含量的富集比例随粒径减小呈增加的趋势,汞和砷在>200目粒径上的平均富集比例分别为63.5%和55.8%,说明汞更容易富集在细小颗粒上.     

普通克里格法在乌梁素海水体富营养化研究中的应用

以位于我国北方半干旱地区的河套灌区中草型浅水湖泊乌梁素海为研究对象,将实测数据与空间数据应用普通克里格法的理论与方法,尝试研究乌梁素海水质参数空间分布特性。结果显示,乌梁素海水质参数的空间结构变异性是客观存在的,各水质参数都具有决金效应;井对乌采素海水质参数进行克立格插值,为进行水体富营养化评价可以提供更为直观的水环境信息。研究表明乌梁素海水体富营养化程度十分严重,属于中、重度富营养化,研究结果对乌梁素海的湖泊水环境管理具有一定的参考价值。     

Multivariate imputation in cross-sectional analysis of health effects associated with air pollution

We demonstrate a recently developed spatial interpolation methodology in a study of the chronic effects of air pollution on respiratory morbidity. Our study uses data from the Ontario Health Study, a large survey of households in Ontario conducted for the province by Statistics Canada. The interpolation procedure imputes unobserved vectors of air pollution concentrations for individual Public Health Units, from those observed at a few fixed air pollution monitoring sites. We use logistic regression methods to assess the significance of air pollution levels based on the imputed values after modelling the relationship between binary health responses and assorted covariates such as measures of life style. Our findings prove negative; no significant relationship between chronic respiratory morbidity and air pollution is found. The imputation methodology is seen to be promising and might well be used in other such analyses.     

A method to combine non-probability sample data with probability sample data in estimating spatial means of environmental variables

In estimating spatial means of environmental variables of a region from datacollected by convenience or purposive sampling, validity of the results canbe ensured by collecting additional data through probability sampling. Theprecision of the estimator that uses the probability sample can beincreased by interpolating the values at the nonprobability sample points tothe probability sample points, and using these interpolated values as anauxiliary variable in the difference or regression estimator. Theseestimators are (approximately) unbiased, even when the nonprobability sampleis severely biased such as in preferential samples. The gain in precisioncompared to the estimator in combination with Simple Random Samplingis controlled by the correlation between the target variable andinterpolated variable. This correlation is determined by the size (density)and spatial coverage of the nonprobability sample, and the spatialcontinuity of the target variable. In a case study the average ratio of thevariances of the simple regression estimator and estimator was 0.68for preferential samples of size 150 with moderate spatial clustering, and0.80 for preferential samples of similar size with strong spatialclustering. In the latter case the simple regression estimator wassubstantially more precise than the simple difference estimator.     

北京东郊污灌土壤重金属含量的克立格插值及重金属污染评价

由于污灌方式、土壤质地等因素的影响,污灌土壤的污染程度可能具有较明显的空间差异。因此,传统的土壤环境质量评价方法难以准确反映土壤的环境质量。本文应用克立格方法对北京东郊污灌土壤表层重金属含量进行了分析,并在此基础上进行了单因子和多因子评价。结果显示,采样区的土壤属于轻度污染或无污染。由于污灌口分布、污泥施用等多种因素的影响,不同地块土壤受到的污染程度不同,形成一定的空间差异。     

Bayesian spatial prediction

This paper presents a complete Bayesian methodology for analyzing spatial data, one which employs proper priors and features diagnostic methods in the Bayesian spatial setting. The spatial covariance structure is modeled using a rich class of covariance functions for Gaussian random fields. A general class of priors for trend, scale, and structural covariance parameters is considered. In particular, we obtain analytic results that allow easy computation of the predictive distribution for an arbitrary prior on the parameters of the covariance function using importance sampling. The computations, as well as model diagnostics and sensitivity analysis, are illustrated with a set of precipitation data.