Groundwater NO3 and F Contamination Processes in Pushkar Valley, Rajasthan as Reflected from 18O Isotopic Signature and 3H Recharge Studies

Agricultural activity in the Pushkar Valley, Rajasthan is constrained due to limited availability of good quality water. In this context, occurrence of nitrate and fluoride in the groundwater was investigated and reported. Integration of stable isotope (18O) data with recharge characteristics (based on 3H-tracer studies) helps in clearly characterizing the processes controlling contamination by point and non-point sources. High nitrate and fluoride groundwaters are associated with high 18O waters. This indicates that significant quantities of evaporated (isotopically enriched) surface run-off water and rain water infiltrate along with nitrate and fluoride salts in the soil. The applicability of this approach under different hydrometeorological conditions is also confirmed.     

Degradation of poly(β-hydroxyalkanoates) and polyolefin blends in a municipal wastewater treatment facility

Six types of plastics and plastic blends, the latter composed at least partially of biodegradable material, were exposed to aerobically treated wastewater (activated sludge) to ascertain their biodegradability. In one study, duplicate samples of 6% starch in polypropylene, 12% starch in linear low-density polyethylene, 30% polycaprolactone in linear low-density polyethylene, and poly(-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB/V), a microbially produced polyester, were exposed to activated sludge for 5 months, and changes in mass, molecular weight average, and tensile properties were measured. None of the blended material showed any sign of degradation. PHB/V, however, showed a considerable loss of mass and a significant loss of tensile strength. In a second study, PHB/V degraded rapidly, but another type of microbial polymer which forms a thermoplastic elastomer, poly(-hydroxyoctanoate), did not degrade. These results illustrate the potential for disposal and degradation of PHB/V in municipal wastewater.     

An occupancy‐based quantification of the highly imperiled status of desert fishes of the southwestern United States

Desert fishes are some of the most imperiled vertebrates worldwide due to their low economic worth and because they compete with humans for water. An ecological complex of fishes, 2 suckers (Catostomus latipinnis, Catostomus discobolus) and a chub (Gila robusta) (collectively managed as the so‐called three species) are endemic to the U.S. Colorado River Basin, are affected by multiple stressors, and have allegedly declined dramatically. We built a series of occupancy models to determine relationships between trends in occupancy, local extinction, and local colonization rates, identify potential limiting factors, and evaluate the suitability of managing the 3 species collectively. For a historical period (1889–2011), top performing models (AICc) included a positive time trend in local extinction probability and a negative trend in local colonization probability. As flood frequency decreased post‐development local extinction probability increased. By the end of the time series, 47% (95% CI 34‐61) and 15% (95% CI 6‐33) of sites remained occupied by the suckers and the chub, respectively, and models with the 2 species of sucker as one group and the chub as the other performed best. For a contemporary period (2001?2011), top performing (based on AIC_c) models included peak annual discharge. As peak discharge increased, local extinction probability decreased and local colonization probability increased. For the contemporary period, results of models that split all 3 species into separate groups were similar to results of models that combined the 2 suckers but not the chub. Collectively, these results confirmed that declines in these fishes were strongly associated with water development and that relative to their historic distribution all 3 species have declined dramatically. Further, the chub was distinct in that it declined the most dramatically and therefore may need to be managed separately. Our modeling approach may be useful in other situations in which targeted data are sparse and conservation status and best management approach for multiple species are uncertain.     

Minimizing the Cost of Keeping Options Open for Conservation in a Changing Climate

Policy documents advocate that managers should keep their options open while planning to protect coastal ecosystems from climate‐change impacts. However, the actual costs and benefits of maintaining flexibility remain largely unexplored, and alternative approaches for decision making under uncertainty may lead to better joint outcomes for conservation and other societal goals. For example, keeping options open for coastal ecosystems incurs opportunity costs for developers. We devised a decision framework that integrates these costs and benefits with probabilistic forecasts for the extent of sea‐level rise to find a balance between coastal ecosystem protection and moderate coastal development. Here, we suggest that instead of keeping their options open managers should incorporate uncertain sea‐level rise predictions into a decision‐making framework that evaluates the benefits and costs of conservation and development. In our example, based on plausible scenarios for sea‐level rise and assuming a risk‐neutral decision maker, we found that substantial development could be accommodated with negligible loss of environmental assets. Characterization of the Pareto efficiency of conservation and development outcomes provides valuable insight into the intensity of trade‐offs between development and conservation. However, additional work is required to improve understanding of the consequences of alternative spatial plans and the value judgments and risk preferences of decision makers and stakeholders. Minimizando el Costo de Mantener Opciones Abiertas para la Conservación en un Clima Cambiante     

Towards a framework for assessment and management of cumulative human impacts on marine food webs

Effective ecosystem‐based management requires understanding ecosystem responses to multiple human threats, rather than focusing on single threats. To understand ecosystem responses to anthropogenic threats holistically, it is necessary to know how threats affect different components within ecosystems and ultimately alter ecosystem functioning. We used a case study of a Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) food web and expert knowledge elicitation in an application of the initial steps of a framework for assessment of cumulative human impacts on food webs. We produced a conceptual seagrass food web model, determined the main trophic relationships, identified the main threats to the food web components, and assessed the components’ vulnerability to those threats. Some threats had high (e.g., coastal infrastructure) or low impacts (e.g., agricultural runoff) on all food web components, whereas others (e.g., introduced carnivores) had very different impacts on each component. Partitioning the ecosystem into its components enabled us to identify threats previously overlooked and to reevaluate the importance of threats commonly perceived as major. By incorporating this understanding of system vulnerability with data on changes in the state of each threat (e.g., decreasing domestic pollution and increasing fishing) into a food web model, managers may be better able to estimate and predict cumulative human impacts on ecosystems and to prioritize conservation actions.     

水浮莲干体吸附去除水中的锑(Ⅲ)

以水浮莲干体为生物吸附剂,考察不同吸附时间、初始pH、水浮莲干体量、摇床转速和反应温度等因素对废水中锑(Ⅲ)的吸附影响;同时通过FTIR、动力学模型以及等温吸附模型等对吸附机理进行研究。结果表明:Sb3+初始浓度为50 mg/L、溶液初始pH为6.8、水浮莲干体用量为1.0 g/25 mL、于(25±1)℃的恒温振荡摇床中以100 r/min振荡吸附反应120 min后,吸附率可达76.8%。水浮莲干体对Sb3+的吸附是一个快速的过程,前10 min的吸附率为52.7%,60 min达到吸附平衡;初始pH对Sb3+的吸附有显著的影响,适宜pH为6.8;在一定范围内,干体量的增加、摇床转速的增大以及温度的升高都会导致吸附率升高。结合FTIR谱图分析得出吸附为化学、物理吸附;准二级动力学模型比准一级动力学模型能更好地描述水浮莲干体对Sb3+的吸附过程;Langmuir和Freundlich吸附等温模型均适合对吸附过程进行拟合,但Lang-muir模型能更好地反映吸附特性,298 K时最大吸附量为1.394 mg/g。水浮莲干体对Sb3+有良好的吸附效果,可用于处理含锑废水,达到以废治废的目的。     

太湖上空大气气溶胶光学厚度及其特征分析

基于高精度的太阳光度计(CE-318)得到太湖上空气溶胶长期观测数据,获得了太湖上空从2005年9月～2010年10月的气溶胶光学厚度(AOT)以及相应的ngstrm参数α.5 a的观测资料表明,太湖上空AOT的高值区出现在夏季的6～7月,低值区出现在秋冬季节的10月～次年1月;α的低值区和高值区分别出现在春季的3～4月和秋季的9～11月,AOT及对应的α的变化主要与该地区的天气形势有关.从频率分布来看,AOT(500 nm)只有一个峰值,最高频率值为0.4～0.6,约占总样本的26%,年均值为0.80.按照平均AOT(500 nm)计算,气溶胶造成的太阳直射辐射的透过率衰减至少为50%,致使太湖地区的大气较为混浊,形成严重的雾霾天气;ngstrm波长指数α有2个峰值,最高频率区间为1.1～1.3和1.3～1.5,分别占总样本的30%,年平均值为1.17.结果还表明AOT(500 nm)和α的日均值变化范围均较大,表明太湖上空有不同类型的气溶胶粒子共存;当α增大时,AOT(500 nm)的均值呈递减趋势.总体结果分析表明,太湖上空的AOT值随时间变化较大,属于城市-工业型气溶胶类型.     

杭州市大气气溶胶光学特性研究

利用太阳分光光度计（CE-318）对杭州市地面的气溶胶光学特性进行观测,并对卫星反演的中分辨率成像光谱仪（Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer,MODIS）气溶胶产品进行验证.结果表明,MODIS气溶胶产品在杭州地区的精度较高,3个站点全部数据回归曲线的斜率和截距分...     

中国3个AERONET站点气溶胶微物理特性分析及比较

选取中国地区区域代表性较强且观测时间序列较长的3个AERONET站点(SACOL、香河和太湖),分析了其气溶胶微物理参数特征. 香河和太湖多年平均气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)分别为0.67±0.66和0.72±0.44,是SACOL AOD平均值(0.38±0.27)的近2倍,且AOD变化范围较大. SACOL春冬季AOD较大,夏秋季AOD较小;而香河和太湖夏春季较大,秋冬季较小.结合尺度分布、体积浓度等参数特征说明沙尘是SACOL春季最主要的气溶胶类型,香河春季受沙尘的影响也较严重,而太湖受沙尘影响的频率较香河要小的多;香河和太湖AOD最大值出现月份与细模态粒子体积浓度最大值出现月份一致,是由于细模态粒子的消光效率是粗模态粒子的3~4倍.细模态体积比(Vf/Vt)的年变化趋势与?ngstr?m波长指数(?)的年变化趋势相似,Vf/Vt和?均可以用来分析粒子尺度大小的年变化特征.但?1.7时,Vf/Vt大于0.6,以细模态粒子为主;而0.75相似文献   

北京秋季大气气溶胶光学厚度与Angstr?m指数观测研究

利用2010年10~11月CE318太阳光度计观测资料,得出了北京市秋季气溶胶光学厚度(AODλ=500nm),Angstr?m波长指数(α)和浑浊度(β).结果显示,气溶胶AOD,Angstr?m指数,浑浊度平均值分别为0.5(±0.69)、0.95(±0.33)、0.24(±0.31),变异系数分别为139%、35%和132%.非污染天,AOD变化较小,峰值出现在15:00,但大气中细粒子组分相对较高;污染天,AOD波动很大,没有明显的日变化,颗粒物以细粒子为主.非污染天,当α1.0,两者呈现正相关;污染天,两者无明显关系,但当AOD>1.0,α随AOD的增大而变小.当Vmax4m/s,AOD和α均出现小值,α与AOD呈负相关.风向也是影响α和AOD变化的重要因素,尤其ENE为主导风向时,α与AOD呈明显正相关.温度的变化并未对α和AOD的变化造成很大影响.局地扬尘或沙尘气溶胶呈非亲水性,但当α>0.5,AOD随相对湿度(RH)的增大有一定程度的增大.