Occurrence of Primidone,Carbamazepine, Caffeine,and Precursors for N‐Nitrosodimethylamine in Drinking Water Sources Impacted by Wastewater1

Abstract: Wastewater impact on drinking water sources was assessed using several approaches, including analysis of three pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) – primidone, carbamazepine, and caffeine – as indicators, and determination of precursor concentrations for the disinfection byproduct N‐nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) using formation potential (FP) tests. Samples were collected in 2006 and 2007 in rivers impacted by wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges, at drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) intakes upstream or downstream from these discharges, and from two WWTP effluents in two watersheds. The levels [10th percentile ? maximum (median)] of primidone, carbamazepine, caffeine, and NDMAFP were 2‐95 (7) ng/l, 2‐207 (18) ng/l, 7‐687 (78) ng/l, and 12‐321 (35) ng/l, respectively. The highest concentrations of primidone, carbamazepine, and NDMA precursors were from one of the WWTP effluents, whereas the highest concentration of caffeine was detected in a river heavily impacted by treated wastewater discharges. The lowest concentrations of the three PPCPs were from a DWTP influent upstream of a metropolitan urban area with minimum wastewater impact. Temporal variations in PPCP and NDMAFP concentrations and streamflows in two selected watersheds were also observed. Furthermore, correlation analysis between caffeine or carbamazepine and primidone was evaluated. The results show that measurement of the two pharmaceuticals and NDMAFP tests can be used to evaluate wastewater impact in different watersheds, whereas caffeine results were more variable.     

Non-intrusive characterization of the redox potential of landfill leachate plumes from self-potential data

Contaminant plumes (e.g., associated with leakages from municipal landfills) provide a source of natural electrical potentials (or "self-potentials") recordable at the Earth's surface. One contribution to these self-potentials is associated with pore water flow (i.e., the "streaming potential"), and the other is related to redox conditions. A contaminant plume can be regarded as a "geobattery": the source current potentially results from the degradation of the organic matter by micro-organisms, which produces electrons. These electrons are then carried by nanowires that connect bacteria and thorough metallic particles that precipitate in areas of strong redox potential gradient. In the case of the Entressen landfill (South of France), reported here, the hydraulic head differences measured in piezometers outside the contaminant plume is strongly linked to the surface self-potential signals, with a correlation coefficient of -0.94. We used a Bayesian method that combines hydraulic head and self-potential data collected outside the contaminated area to estimate the streaming potential component of the collected self-potential data. Once the streaming potential contribution was removed from the measured self-potentials, the correlation coefficient between the residual self-potentials and the measured redox potentials in the aquifer was 0.92. The slope of this regression curve was close to 0.5, which was fairly consistent with both finite element modelling and the proposed geobattery model.     

Distribution and variability of redox zones controlling spatial variability of arsenic in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer, southeastern Arkansas

Twenty one of 118 irrigation water wells in the shallow (25-30 m thick) Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in the Bayou Bartholomew watershed, southeastern Arkansas had arsenic (As) concentrations (<0.5 to 77 microg/L) exceeding 10 microg/L. Sediment and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed from the sites of the highest, median, and lowest concentrations of As in groundwater in the alluvial aquifers located at Jefferson County, Arkansas. A traditional five-step sequential extraction was performed to differentiate the exchangeable, carbonate, amorphous Fe and Mn oxide, organic, and hot HNO(3)-leachable fraction of As and other compounds in sediments. The Chao reagent (0.25 M hydroxylamine hydrochloride in 0.25 M HCl) removes amorphous Fe and Mn oxides and oxyhydroxides (present as coatings on grains and amorphous minerals) by reductive dissolution and is a measure of reducible Fe and Mn in sediments. The hot HNO(3) extraction removes mostly crystalline metal oxides and all other labile forms of As. Significant total As (20%) is complexed with amorphous Fe and Mn oxides in sediments. Arsenic abundance is not significant in carbonates or organic matter. Significant (40-70 microg/kg) exchangeable As is only present at shallow depth (0-1 m below ground surface). Arsenic is positively correlated to Fe extracted by Chao reagent (r=0.83) and hot HNO(3) (r=0.85). Arsenic extracted by Chao reagent decreases significantly with depth as compared to As extracted by hot HNO(3). Fe (II)/Fe (the ratio of Fe concentration in the extracts of Chao reagent and hot HNO(3)) is positively correlated (r=0.76) to As extracted from Chao reagent. Although Fe (II)/Fe increases with depth, the relative abundance of reducible Fe decreases noticeably with depth. The amount of reducible Fe, as well as As complexed to amorphous Fe and Mn oxides and oxyhydroxides decreases with depth. Possible explanations for the decrease in reducible Fe and its complexed As with depth include historic flushing of As and Fe from hydrous ferric oxides (HFO) by microbially-mediated reductive dissolution and aging of HFO to crystalline phases. Hydrogeochemical data suggests that the groundwater in the area falls in the mildly reducing (suboxic) to relatively highly reducing (anoxic) zone, and points to reductive dissolution of HFO as the dominant As release mechanism. Spatial variability of gypsum solubility and simultaneous SO(4)(2-) reduction with co-precipitation of As and sulfide is an important limiting process controlling the concentration of As in groundwater in the area.     

潜在泥石流的界定与判识——以金沙江流域溪洛渡库区为例

选择在建的溪洛渡库区作为研究区域，通过详细的野外考察，确定金沙江流域溪洛渡库区干流共有现代活动泥石流沟57条。利用Matlab构建SOM神经网络模型，依据这57条泥石流样本，选择流域面积、主沟长度、相对高差、沟床比降、平均坡度、相对切割程度、圆状率和侵蚀程度等8个指标，对干流46条沟谷进行预测。预测结果分为：①非泥石流沟有19条，分布在雷波-永善三角台地上；②低危险潜在泥石流沟有14条，分布在库区尾端；③高危险潜在泥石流沟有13条，分布于库区中间位置。预测结果可以为库区生态修复和工程治理提供依据。     

The impacts of anthropogenic factors on the environment in Nigeria

Generally speaking, there has been a consensus on the primary drivers of anthropogenic induced environmental degradation. However, little progress has been made in determining the magnitude of the impacts, particularly in developing countries. This creates a lacuna that needs to be filled up. The purpose of this study therefore is to ascertain the degree of anthropogenic induced environmental impacts in Nigeria. To achieve the aim, fossil fuel consumption was used as a surrogate for carbon dioxide emissions while the magnitude of the impacts was determined by regression statistics and the STIRPAT model. The results show that only three variables, namely population, affluence and urbanization, were statistically significant and that the regression model accounts for 60% of the variation in the environmental impacts. However, population and affluence, which have ecological elasticities of 1.699 and 2.709, respectively, are the most important anthropogenic drivers of environmental impacts in Nigeria while urbanization, with an elasticity of -0.570, reduces the effect of the impacts. This implies that modernization brings about a reduction in environmental impacts. The paper therefore makes a significant contribution to knowledge by successfully testing the STIRPAT model in this part of the world and by being the first application of the model at political units below the regional or nation states.     

环境库兹涅茨曲线的虚幻性及其对可持续发展的现实影响

生态环境质量真的能够随着经济发展而改善吗？“先污染、后治理”真的是普遍的发展规律吗？既有的理论一般认为．随着经济的发展．生态环境的质量在经过一个时期的恶化之后，将在一定的发展阶段出现好转．其变化过程呈“倒U曲线”状态．这就是环境Kuznets曲线。作者认为这是一个貌似真实的虚幻．生态环境随着经济发展而好转只可能是局部的、而不可能是整体性的．经济发展与生态维护的双赢目标也同样是难以企及的，经济发展与生态维护只能是基于各种利益关系的权衡。文章还对中国长期推行的几种宏观经济政策的生态环境影响进行了分析，并提出了经济利益与生态利益相权衡的现实主张。     

干侵入对"0310"暴雨形成过程的影响

通过位涡、相对湿度与相当位温关系的讨论并结合2003年10月10-12日河北深秋时节在冀中南部发生的特大暴雨,分析了倾斜涡度发展理论.发现此次暴雨过程中存在干侵入现象,且干侵入的发生、发展对暴雨过程具有重要影响;干侵入沿相当位温高值脊向对流层低层伸展,引起对流层低层气旋性涡度的发展,使降水强度加剧.干侵入是暴雨形成的一种重要机制.     

Basic Environmental Requirements for EU Accession: An Impact Study on Hungary

It can be stated in general that (with the exception of agriculture) the Hungarian economy, because of its outdated technologies, is a bigger threat to the environment than countries of Western Europe. However, as the volume of economic output, per capita consumption and the number of motor vehicles is considerably lower than those in more advanced industrial nations, by most indicators low per capita figures put Hungary in a better position. Still, we must remember that the EU's environmental policy puts heavy emphasis on the efficient utilization of resources and environmental efficiency, calculated against pollution generated in the course of creating units of national wealth and the amount of energy and natural resources required to it. By these standards, Hungary lags far behind the West European model.The problem is compounded by the fact that, while nations of Western Europe had created environmental infrastructure (i.e., wastewater disposal and treatment, waste management) in an earlier phase of their economic development, Hungary is only now embarking on a similar project. Indeed, the existing gap between utility services of drinking water and sewage disposal and treatment, and large amounts of untreated and illegally dumped waste lead to serious environmental damage. Although the state of the country's natural environment is considered satisfactory, factors outlined above indicate there are many responsibilities ahead of us if we are to meet western environmental standards.     

环境中氡水平及其对人体健康危害

简介了环境中氡的水平、污染来源、变化规律、对人体的健康危害及防治措施。 并提示，新疆环境中氡的调查研究应引起有关部门的重视，对于氡及子体致癌机理、 多因素的综合 影响及危险估计等都待深入研究以及加紧氡的测量方法的研制。     

四川省境内核工业放射性废物污染的潜在危险及防治对策

本文通过对四川省境内核工业放射性废物污染的潜在危险分析，提出了污染的对策。