Heavy metal contamination in the vicinity of an industrial area near Bucharest

BACKGROUND, AIMS AND SCOPE: Chromium enters into the aquatic environment as a result of effluent discharge from steel works, electroplating, leather tanning industries and chemical industries. As the Cr(VI) is very harmful to living organisms, it should be quickly removed from the environment when it happens to be contaminated. Therefore, the aim of this laboratory research was to develop a rapid, simple and adaptable solvent extraction system to quantitatively remove Cr(VI) from polluted waters. METHODS: Aqueous salt-solutions containing Cr(VI) as CrO4(2-) at ppm level (4-6 ppm) were prepared. Equal volumes (5 ml) of aqueous and organic (2-PrOH) phases were mixed in a 10 ml centrifuge tube for 15 min, centrifuged and separated. Concentrations of Cr(VI), in both the aqueous and organic phases, were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The effects of salt and acid concentrations, and phase-contact time on the extraction of Cr(VI) were investigated. In addition, the extraction of Cr(VI) was assessed in the presence of tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC) in 2-PrOH phase. Effects of some other metals, (Cd(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II)), on the extraction of Cr(VI) were also investigated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The Cr(VI) at ppm level was extracted quantitatively by salting-out the homogeneous system of water and 2-propanol(2-PrOH) using chloride salts, namely CaCl2 or NaCl, under acidic chloride media. The extracted chemical species of Cr(VI) was confirmed to be the CrO3Cl-. The ion-pair complex extracted into the organic phase was rationalized as the solvated ion-pair complex of [2-PrOH2+, CrO3Cl-]. The complex was no longer stable. It implied the reaction between extracted species. Studies revealed that salts and acid directly participated in the formation of the above complex. Use of extracting agents (TMAC) didn't show any significant effect on the extraction of Cr(VI) under high salting-out conditions. There is no significant interference effect on the extraction of Cr(VI) by the presence of other metals. The Cr(VI) in the organic phase was back-extracted using an aqueous ammonia solution (1.6 mol dm(-3)) containing 3 mol dm(-3) NaCl. The extraction mechanism of Cr(VI) is also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Salting-out of homogeneous mixed solvent of 2-propanol can be employed to extract Cr(VI) quantitatively, as an ion-pair of [2-PrOH2+ * CrO3Cl-] solvated by 2-PrOH molecules. Then, the complex becomes 'solvent-like' and is readily separated into the organic phase. The increase of Cl- ion concentration in the aqueous phase favors the extraction. The 2-PrOH, salts and acid play important roles in the extraction process. There is no need to use an extracting agent at a high salting-out condition. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Chromium(VI) must be quickly removed before it enters into the natural cycle. As the 2-PrOH is water-miscible in any proportion, ion-pairing between 2-PrOH2+ and CrO3Cl- becomes very fast. As a result, Cr(VI) can easily be extracted. Therefore, the method is recommended as a simple, rapid and adaptable method to quickly separate Cr(VI) from aqueous samples.     

The Impact of Agriculture On Dissolved Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling in Temperate Ecosystems

Although most research has focussed on inorganic nutrient forms of nitrate (NO^-₃) and phosphorus (PO³₄) in runoff and receiving waters, nitrogen loss from agricultural land can also occur in organic and ammonium-nitrogen form; phosphorus losses, although often dominated by particulate transport, may occur in soluble organic and inorganic form. Furthermore, fluxes between different species may take place during transport from the land to the stream and as a result of in-stream, in-river or in-lake transformations. Knowledge of the spatial and temporal variation in all nitrogen species and phosphorus fractions in a drainage basin is therefore essential if the wider environmental significance of elevated nutrient concentrations in natural waters are to be assessed. This paper reviews recent work on N and P losses from agricultural land and presents some results from two intensive agricultural catchments: Slapton, Devon and the river Windrush catchment in the Cotswolds.     

COMPARISON OF STOCHASTIC AND DETERMINISTIC DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING FOR RESERVOIR OPERATING RULE GENERATION1

ABSTRACT: Two dynamic programming models — one deterministic and one stochastic — that may be used to generate reservoir operating rules are compared. The deterministic model (DPR) consists of an algorithm that cycles through three components: a dynamic program, a regression analysis, and a simulation. In this model, the correlation between the general operating rules, defined by the regression analysis and evaluated in the simulation, and the optimal deterministic operation defined by the dynamic program is increased through an iterative process. The stochastic dynamic program (SDP) describes streamflows with a discrete lag-one Markov process. To test the usefulness of both models in generating reservoir operating rules, real-time reservoir operation simulation models are constructed for three hydrologically different sites. The rules generated by DPR and SDP are then applied in the operation simulation model and their performance is evaluated. For the test cases, the DPR generated rules are more effective in the operation of medium to very large reservoirs and the SDP generated rules are more effective for the operation of small reservoirs.     

EFFECTS OF ADJACENT AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS ON STREAM MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES1

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities in streams adjacent to cornfields, streams where cows had unrestricted access, and reference locations without agriculture were compared to examine the effects of local land use and land use/land cover in the watershed. At each local site, macroinvertebrates and a variety of habitat parameters were measured upstream, adjacent, downstream, and farther downstream of the local land use. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to calculate drainage basin area, land use/land cover percentages in each basin, and the distance from sample sites to the stream source. Three‐way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tests with date, site type, and sampling location as main effects were used to explore differences in macroinvertebrate metrics using median substrate size, percent hay/pasture area, and stream depth as covariates. The covariates significantly improved model fit and showed that multiple contributing factors influence community composition. Local impacts were greatest at sites where cows had access, probably because of sedimentation and embeddedness in the substrate. Differences between the upstream and the adjacent and downstream locations were not as great as expected, perhaps because upstream recolonization was reduced by agricultural impacts or because of differences in the intensity or proximity of agriculture to riparian areas in the watershed. The results underscore the importance of both local and watershed factors in controlling stream community composition.     

治污投资的政府最优政策博弈

外部性的存在及制造商治污投资动机不足要求政府对制造商的行为进行相应的规制，政府在制造商的治污投资行为中主要的作用是通过各种措施使得制造裔有动机地去自觉地进行有效的治污投资;政府的主要控制手段包括直接管制及借助市场激励，政府制定环境管理策略的关键因素是“惩罚的力度与激励的强度”。基于社会福利最大化的角度；从制造商的治污投资行为出发研究政府制定环境管理规制的策略，通过一个三阶段的博弈模型分析福利增进量、洽污成本与治污效果等三个因素对“惩罚力度与激励强度”的影响。     

水雾荷电净化空气飘尘与细菌的研究

研究一种高压静电水雾场产生的荷电净化空气中飘尘与细菌的方法。实验结果表明:在静电电压15kV、通风量540m~3/h的工况下,实验装置的一次性除尘效率高于80%、除菌效率达到88%以上;实验装置可以连续运行,能耗低、出风无二次污染。     

黄河流域水资源价值的计算与分析

利用经济杠杆的调节作用促使水资源的高效利用，是缓和水资源供需矛盾的有效措施之一。本文以水资源价值理论为基础，从黄河全流域水资源优化配置角度出发，以利用水资源获得最大经济效益为目标，测算了黄河水资源的理论价值，为制定黄河水资源费的征收标准提供科学的理论依据。     

三峡库区几种林下苔藓的保水功能

通过对三峡库区三种森林类型(松栎混交林、栓皮栎纯林、马尾松纯林)林下苔藓储量调查分析及其持水特性试验，得到不同森林类型林下苔藓储量、最大持水量、吸水速率等水文特征参数。结果表明，马尾松纯林林下苔藓储量最大(12．93t／hm^2)，松栎混交林和栓皮栎纯林林下苔藓储量相同(9．47t／hm^2)。松栎混交林林下苔藓最大持水量为5．36mm，栓皮栎纯林为5．73mm，马尾松纯林为6．26mm。研究结果还表明，三峡库区林下苔藓持水量随时间变化过程与森林类型无关。在只有苔藓覆盖情况下，不同森林类型林内不产生水分下渗和地表径流时的最大降雨量和最大降雨雨强分别为：松栎混交林林地5．36mm，5．820mm／h；马尾松纯林林地6．26mm，7．420mm／h；栓皮栎纯林林地5．73mm，6．060mm／h。     

水资源条件约束下西北农村地区生态经济发展对策

西北地区生态脆弱，社会经济发展相对落后。农业在全区经济中占有重要的地位，所以农村地区可持续发展对于实现西北地区可持续发展具有重要意义。通过分析西北地区水资源现状及特点和本区农村社会、经济发展现状，认为西北地区水资源严重缺乏，干旱化趋势将长期存在；农业结构不合理，乡镇工业污染严重、城镇化进程缓慢是制约本区农村地区可持续发展的主要因素。在此基础上，提出了在水资源严重缺乏条件下西北农村地区实现生态经济可持续发展的具体对策：积极调整农业结构，大力发展节水农业和推进农业产业化；加强小城镇社区生态环境基础设施建设，实施城镇化发展战略和乡镇企业可持续发展；建设生态型的小城镇，建立农村地区新型生态能源结构，加强小流域综合治理是改善农村生态环境和实现农村地区生态经济可持续发展的有效途径。