Environmental Isotopes for Resolution of Hydrology Problems

The use of environmental isotopes as tracers in the hydrosphere is increasing as analytical instrumentation improves and more applications are discovered. There exists still misconceptions on the role of isotopes in resolving hydrology problems. Naturally occurring isotopes in the environment describe hydrological processes, estimate ages, fingerprint sources and pathways, yet are not subject to the regulatory restraints of artificial isotope injections nor the limited extent of many chemical tracers, particularly dyes and particulates. A short review is presented for practicing hydrologists on the basis for employing stable and radioactive isotopes and a synopsis of recent isotope hydrology applications is provided. Special focus is presented on the emergent role of water isopopes (¹⁸O, ²H, ³H) in wet-weather flow research in urban watersheds. A brief technical approach for an experimental site in the Mill Creek Watershed, Ohio is outlined.     

WATER QUALITY AND SOURCE OF FRESHWATER DISCHARGE TO THE CALOOSAHATCHEE ESTUARY,FLORIDA1

ABSTRACT: The Caloosahatchee River has two major sources of freshwater one from its watershed and the other via an artificial connection to Lake Okeechobee. The contribution of each source to the freshwater discharge reaching the downstream estuary varies and either may dominate. Routine monitoring data were analyzed to determine the effects of total river discharge and source of discharge (river basin, lake) on water quality in the downstream estuary. Parameters examined were: color, total suspended solids, light attenuation, chlorophyll a, and total and dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus. In general, the concentrations of color, and total and dissolved inorganic nitrogen increased, and total suspended solids decreased, as total discharge increased. When the river basin was the major source, the concentrations of nutrients (excepting ammonia) and color in the estuary were relatively higher than when the lake was the major source. Light attenuation was greater when the river basin dominated freshwater discharge to the estuary. The analysis indicates that water quality in the downstream estuary changes as a function of both total discharge and source of discharge. Relative to discharge from the river basin, releases from Lake Okeechobee do not detectably increase concentrations of nutrients, color, or TSS in the estuary.     

Migration and natural fate of a coal tar creosote plume: 1. Overview and plume development

A volume of sand containing coal tar creosote was emplaced below the water table at CFB Borden to investigate natural attenuation processes for complex biodegradable mixtures. Coal tar creosote is a mixture of more than 200 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocyclic compounds and phenolic compounds. A representative group of seven compounds was selected for detailed study: phenol, m-xylene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, 1-methylnaphthalene, dibenzofuran and carbazole. Movement of groundwater through the source led to the development of a dissolved organic plume, which was studied over a 4-year period. Qualitative plume observations and mass balance calculations indicated two key conclusions: (1) compounds from the same source can display distinctly different patterns of plume development and (2) mass transformation was a major influence on plume behaviour for all observed compounds.     

基于能位测定和示踪检测法的地下煤火漏风状态研究

应用能位测定法和示踪检测技术联合检测了鸡西老二井火区地下漏风状态。通过测试计算相对总压值得出了火区范围内井巷系统与采空区的风流关系,进而定性确定了火区内老二井与胜利井之间存在的可能漏风路径。在此基础上,利用瞬时释放示踪气体法确定了胜利井和老二井间的漏风方向和漏风速度,计算得出了火区下采空区内平均直线漏风风速为0.13m/s,漏风量为776m3/min。研究结果为矿区采取针对性的防灭火措施提供依据,并为同类问题的解决提供参考。     

基于PLIF的混合气温度和浓度测量及其应用

缸内混合气温度和浓度分布,对发动机稳定运行,保障行车安全、避免发生路上人身伤亡或财物损失有重要影响。为了测量发动机缸内混合气的温度和浓度分布,建立了利用单波长激光诱导双示踪剂产生双荧光的测试系统,并拍摄了不同混合气温度、压力和浓度下的荧光图像,获得了不同示踪剂的荧光强度及其比值随温度、压力和浓度的变化关系,并将标定结果用于光学发动机缸内混合气的温度和浓度测量。结果表明,荧光强度及荧光比值均受到环境的压力、温度和混合气浓度的影响。利用PLIF方法得到的片光源穿过的缸内水平截面内的平均温度与用气缸压力计算的同一曲轴转角下的缸内平均温度变化趋势相同,两者之间的差值随着活塞上行而逐步减小。     

北京市空气污染物对呼吸系统疾病门诊人数的影响

为评价北京市大气污染对居民呼吸系统疾病门诊人数的影响,采用时间序列半参广义相加模型(GAM),在控制了长期趋势、“星期几效应”及气象因素的影响后,分析2009~2011年北京市空气污染物与呼吸系统疾病门诊人数的暴露-反应关系,并按性别和年龄层建立模型.结果表明,3种污染物有一定的滞后效应,PM10在滞后0~3d(avg03)或0~5d(avg05)的移动平均值,SO2和NO2均在滞后0~2d(avg02)的移动平均值使呼吸系统疾病门诊人数的增加百分比(PI%)值达到最大,其中PM10、SO2和NO2浓度每增加10μg/m3,对应的呼吸系统疾病全人群的PI%分别为1.72%、1.34%和2.57%.年龄365岁的老年人群对北京市空气污染物最为敏感,其次为年龄￡14岁的人群;空气污染对女性的影响较男性明显.     

Adsorptive removal of Drimarine Red HF-3D dye from aqueous solution using low-cost agricultural waste: batch and column study

This study involves the utilisation of peanut husk for the removal of Drimarine Red HF-3D dye from aqueous solutions. Batch study experiments were conducted with native, HNO₃-treated and Na-alginate-immobilised peanut husk biomass. Maximum dye removal (95.24 mg/g) was obtained with HNO₃-treated biomass. The experimental data were successfully explained with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model for all types of biosorbents. The equilibrium data fitted well to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. A thermodynamic study was also carried out to check the nature of the adsorption process. A fixed-bed column study for Drimarine Red HF-3D was carried out to optimise the effect of bed height, flow rate and initial dye concentration using peanut husk biomass. The column study showed that biosorption capacity increased with the increase in initial dye concentration and bed height, but decreased with increased flow rate. Data for Drimarine Red HF-3D were in very good agreement with the bed depth service time model. Fourier transform infrared analysis demonstrated the involvement of different functional groups in dye biosorption. These results showed that peanut husk biomass possessed good potential for the removal of Drimarine Red HF-3D from aqueous solution.     

Removal of congo red and basic violet 1 by chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) sawdust,a saw mill waste: batch and column studies

The efficiency of chir pine sawdust (CPS) for adsorptive removal of the dyes, congo red (CR) and basic violet 1 (BV), from aqueous solution was evaluated using batch and column studies. The equilibrium was attained in 60 min for CR and 45 min for BV. The adsorption of BV obeyed the Langmuir isotherm model while the Freundlich isotherm fitted the equilibrium data of CR adsorption. The Langmuir monolayer adsorption capacities (Q_o) of CPS for BV and CR were 11.3 and 5.8 g kg^?1, respectively. The kinetic data for CR were best fitted to the Lagergren pseudo-first-order model and for BV to the pseudo-second-order model. The intra-particle diffusion was found to be the rate-controlling step for CR adsorption, while the adsorption kinetics of BV were controlled by both intra-particle and liquid-film diffusion. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The adsorption activation energy (E_a) for CR (124 kJ mol^?1) implied chemical adsorption while that for BV (5.4 kJ mol^?1) indicated physical adsorption. An increase in the Thomas model constant (K_Th) with increasing flow indicated that for both dyes the mass transport resistance decreased during adsorption. Thus, CPS may be an efficient low-cost adsorbent for decolorization of dye-containing wastewaters.     

The effect of macrophytes on retention times in a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment

Retention times of treated water in a constructed wetland (CW) with horizontal subsurface flow were determined both in the vegetative and non-vegetative periods of 2005. Tracer experiments were performed using fluorescein, an organic compound detectable at extremely low concentrations. Nominal and tracer retention times were determined and compared. Winter tracer retention time (TRT 194 h) and nominal retention time (nHRT 190 h) were nearly exactly equal, while summer TRT (335 h) was approximately twofold higher than nHRT (158 h). Residence time distribution function (RTD) was used to compare retention times obtained for the vegetative and non-vegetative periods. The obtained results document a significant influence of dense common reed vegetation on retention characteristics of the studied system. Common reed can convert a significant volume of water from liquid to gas via evapotranspiration (ET) and thus prolong water retention times in the system. This is very important both technically and ecologically. Longer retention times mean a longer time for microbiological decay of wastewater. Water converted from liquid to gas causes cooling of the microclimate, which is very important, especially in intensively cultivated areas with a lack of water.     

全氟及多氟类化合物在人体分布及其毒性研究进展

全氟和多氟烷酸类化合物(perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFASs)是一类新型持久性有机污染物,目前其在民用和工业产品中得到广泛应用。在环境样品、野生动物以及人类体内都检测到了这类物质。PFASs对哺乳动物和水生生物具有广泛的毒性,其对生态环境和人体健康的影响受到公众关注。目前,PFASs对人类健康的研究还多停留在流行病学研究和体外细胞毒性研究方面,由于人类有复杂的免疫和代谢系统,因此PPASs对人类健康影响的具体机制和安全剂量仍然需要进一步研究。本文针对PFASs在人体的分布、流行病学研究、毒理学效应和作用机制等热点问题进行了总结,并对目前PFASs研究存在的问题及今后的研究方向进行讨论和展望。