Fate of organic contaminants in the redox zones of a landfill leachate pollution plume (Vejen, Denmark)

Samples from 75 sample locations in a landfill leachate pollution plume reveal a significant disappearance of specific organic compounds (SOC's) within the first 100 m of the plume. Only the herbicide Mecoprop® (MCPP) migrates further. Since sorption and dilution cannot account for the decreasing concentrations, degradation is considered to be the governing process. Non-volatile organic carbon shows a corresponding fate probably acting as a substrate for the microbial processes. The first 20 m of the plume are methanogenic/sulfidogenic, judged on the chemistry of the groundwater, followed by a significant ferrogenic zone exhibiting a substantial capacity to degrade the SOC's. The presence of intermediary products (here an oxidized camphor compound) supports the concept of degradation within the ferrogenic zone. This investigation draws the attention to the significant natural attenuation of organic contaminants and to the so far neglected ferrogenic zone in controlling the fate of organic contaminants in leachate plumes.     

Effects on the structure of Arctic ecosystems in the short- and long-term perspectives

Species individualistic responses to warming and increased UV-B radiation are moderated by the responses of neighbors within communities, and trophic interactions within ecosystems. All of these responses lead to changes in ecosystem structure. Experimental manipulation of environmental factors expected to change at high latitudes showed that summer warming of tundra vegetation has generally led to smaller changes than fertilizer addition. Some of the factors manipulated have strong effects on the structure of Arctic ecosystems but the effects vary regionally, with the greatest response of plant and invertebrate communities being observed at the coldest locations. Arctic invertebrate communities are very likely to respond rapidly to warming whereas microbial biomass and nutrient stocks are more stable. Experimentally enhanced UV-B radiation altered the community composition of gram-negative bacteria and fungi, but not that of plants. Increased plant productivity due to warmer summers may dominate food-web dynamics. Trophic interactions of tundra and sub-Arctic forest plant-based food webs are centered on a few dominant animal species which often have cyclic population fluctuations that lead to extremely high peak abundances in some years. Population cycles of small rodents and insect defoliators such as the autumn moth affect the structure and diversity of tundra and forest-tundra vegetation and the viability of a number of specialist predators and parasites. Ice crusting in warmer winters is likely to reduce the accessibility of plant food to lemmings, while deep snow may protect them from snow-surface predators. In Fennoscandia, there is evidence already for a pronounced shift in small rodent community structure and dynamics that have resulted in a decline of predators that specialize in feeding on small rodents. Climate is also likely to alter the role of insect pests in the birch forest system: warmer winters may increase survival of eggs and expand the range of the insects. Insects that harass reindeer in the summer are also likely to become more widespread, abundant and active during warmer summers while refuges for reindeer/caribou on glaciers and late snow patches will probably disappear.     

Ozone uptake by an evergreen forest canopy: temporal variation and possible mechanisms

Patterns of ozone concentration ([O(3)]), O(3) deposition velocity (v(d)) and O(3) flux (F(c)) over an evergreen forest canopy are shown in relation to measuring method, physiological activity of the trees, and time of year. The gradient and eddy correlation methods were compared and showed similar diel v(d) patterns. Daytime F(c) was correlated with CO(2) and water vapour fluxes, while no correlation between [O(3)] in the range 10-70 ppb (nl l(-1)) and F(c) was seen in this study. F(c) was primarily driven by stomatal conductance, reactions with surfaces, particles and gases, and not by [O(3)]. On a monthly basis, [O(3)] was always highest in the afternoon while v(d) was typically higher in the morning, resulting in an equal F(c) over the day. Night-time F(c) was more than half of the daytime O(3) flux. The data reveal the importance of emissions of nitric oxide and terpenes as O(3) removal factors in evergreen forest dominated by Norway spruce.     

The deterrent effect of increasing fixed penalties for traffic offences: the Norwegian experience

PROBLEM: Many motorized countries use fixed penalties to deter the most common traffic violations. Fixed penalties are usually given at the spot by a police officer. If the offender accepts the fixed penalty, no court hearing or trial is held. During the years 1995-2004, the rates for fixed penalties for traffic offences in Norway increased substantially. This paper evaluates the effects on compliance of these increases. METHOD: Regression analysis was performed to determine the effects of increases in fixed penalties. RESULTS: For speeding in general, no effect of increasing fixed penalties can be found. For speeding close to speed camera sites, there is a weak tendency for the violation rate to go down. This tendency is not statistically significant at conventional levels. For seat belt wearing, wearing rates are found to increase as fixed penalties have increased. In recent years, however, enforcement of the seat belt law has stepped up, making it impossible to separate the effect of enforcement from that of fixed penalties. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: It has been suggested that the police may adapt to stricter penalties by reducing enforcement or by adopting larger tolerance margins for violations. Available evidence does not support this hypothesis.     

Geology and sediment geochemistry of a landfill leachate contaminated aquifer (Grindsted, Denmark)

A landfill leachate affected aquifer was investigated with respect to the geology and sediment geochemistry (solid organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, oxidation capacity, reduced iron and sulfur species) involving 185 sediment samples taken along a 305-m-long and 10–12-m-deep transect downgradient from the landfill. The geology showed two distinct sand layers (upper Quaternary, Weichselian and a lower Tertiary, Miocene) sandwiching thin layers of silt/clay deposits, peat and brown coal. The organic carbon content (TOC) and the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the sandy sediments were low (TOC, 100–300 μg C (g DW)⁻¹ ; CEC, 0.1–0.5 meq per 100 g DW) and correlated fairly well with the geology. Processes in the contaminant plume caused depletion of oxidation capacity and precipitation of reduced iron and sulfur species. However, some of these parameters were also affected by the geology, e.g. the oxidation capacity (OXC) was significantly higher in the Quaternary layer (OXC, 14–35 μeq g DW⁻¹) than in the Tertiary sand layer (OXC, <5 μeq g DW⁻¹). The intermediate layers (silt/clay and brown coal) have significantly higher values of most of the parameters investigated. This work demonstrates the need for a small scale geological model and a detailed mapping of the geochemistry of the sediments in order to distinguish impacts caused by the contaminant plumes from natural variations in the aquifer geochemistry.