Ecological Risk Assessment of Abandoned Shrimp Ponds in Southern Thailand

The potential ecological risks associated with contaminants from 15 abandoned shrimp ponds in southern Thailand were assessed at the screening level. Shrimp ponds reported as out of production for more than 2 years were selected as sampling sites. The assessment endpoint was identified as the protection of aquatic life from hazard of multiple agents or stressors in water or sediment from the ponds. The measurement endpoints were amount of toxic phytoplankton species, Yellow Head Viruses, SEMB viruses, oxytetracycline, cadmium, copper, and manganese. Data from field measurements and laboratory analyses obtained primarily from April to June 2003 were used in the risk analysis. The results showed that insignificant amounts of stressors were present, except for the metals. So, only concentration values of the metals were used in the calculation of hazard quotients (HQ) for risk characterization. The highest potential ecological risk characterized by the highest HQ value observed for each metal was 19 for manganese, 4.3 for cadmium, and 1.8 for copper. These findings indicated a need for further ecological risk assessment at a more detailed level to focus on the bioavailability and effects of metals from abandoned shrimp farms, with manganese the highest priority.     

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network Design for Assessing Human Health Impacts from Exposures to Airborne Contaminants

Existing methods of establishing ambientair quality monitoring networks typically evaluateonly parameters related to ambient concentrations ofthe contaminant(s) of interest such as emissionsource characteristics, atmospheric transport anddispersion, secondary reactions, depositioncharacteristics, and local topography. However,adverse health risks from exposures to airbornecontaminants are a function of the contaminant andthe anatomic and physiologic characteristics of theexposed population. Thus, ambient air qualitymonitoring networks designed for the protection ofpublic health or for epidemiological studiesevaluating adverse health impacts from exposures toambient air contaminants should account for bothcontaminant characteristics and human healthparameters. A methodology has been establishedwhich optimizes ambient air quality monitoringnetworks for assessments of adverse human healthimpacts from exposures to airborne contaminants byincorporating human health risk assessmenttechniques. The use of risk assessment techniquesas the basis for designing ambient air qualitymonitoring networks will help to target limitedfinancial and human resources to evaluate humanhealth risks from exposures to airbornecontaminants.     

Climate impact on social systems: the risk assessment approach

A novel approach to the problem of estimating climate impact on social systems is suggested. This approach is based on a risk concept, where the notion of critical events is introduced and the probability of such events is estimated. The estimation considers both the inherent stochasticity of climatic processes and the artificial stochasticity of climate predictions due to scientific uncertainties. The method is worked out in some detail for the regional problem of crop production and the risks associated with global climate change, and illustrated by a case study (Kursk region of the FSU). In order to get local climatic characteristics (weather), a so-called statistical weather generator is used. One interesting finding is that the 3% risk level remains constant up to 1.0–1.1°C rise of mean seasonal temperature, if the variance does not change. On the other hand, the risk grows rapidly with increasing variance (even if the mean temperature rises very slowly). The risk approach is able to separate two problems: (i) assessment of global change impact, and (ii) decision making. The main task for the scientific community is to provide the politicians with different options; the choice of admissible (from the social point of view) critical events and the corresponding risk levels is the business of decision makers.     

RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY FOR KARST AQUIFERS: (2) SOLUTE-TRANSPORT MODELING

Ground-water flow and solute-transport simulation modeling are major components of most exposure and risk assessments of contaminated aquifers. Model simulations provide information on the spatial and temporal distributions of contaminants in subsurface media but are difficult to apply to karst aquifers in which conduit flow is important. Ground-water flow and solute transport in karst conduits typically display rapid-flow velocities, turbulent-flow regimes, concentrated pollutant-mass discharge, and exhibit open-channel or closed-conduit flow. Conventional ground-water models, dependent on the applicability of Darcy`s law, are inappropriate when applied to karst aquifers because of the (1) nonapplicability of Darcian-flow parameters, (2) typically nonlaminar flow regime, and (3) inability to locate the karst conduits through which most flow and contaminant transport occurs. Surface-water flow and solute-transport models conditioned on a set of parameters determined empirically from quantitative ground-water tracing studies may be effectively used to render fate-and-transport values of contaminants in karst conduits. Hydraulic-flow and geometric parameters developed in a companion paper were used in the surface-water model, TOXI5, to simulate hypothetical slug and continuous-source releases of ethylbenzene in a karst conduit. TOXI5 simulation results showed considerable improvement for predicted ethylbenzene-transport rates and concentrations over qualitative tracing and analytical ground-water model results. Ethylbenzene concentrations predicted by TOXI5 simulations were evaluated in exposure and risk assessment models.     

苏南地区农村河塘底泥中重金属污染调查与评价

对苏南地区农村河塘底泥中重金属的污染物状况及分布特征进行了调查,分别在镇江、宜兴和常州采集了农村居民生活区、农田附近和养殖厂周围13个底泥样品,对底泥中的5种重金属Zn、Cu、Cd、Pb、Cr质量比进行了分析研究,并利用Hakason生态风险指数法评价了底泥中5种重金属对其所在水域的污染程度,对水域和周围环境造成的潜在风险影响.结果表明,苏南地区部分农村河塘底泥已受到轻度的重金属污染,部分采样点Cd、Cu和Zn已达到中度污染;不同类型底泥的重金属的污染程度趋势为:居民生活区＞养殖厂周围＞农田附近.     

徐州城市表层土壤中重金属的富积、分布特征与环境风险

研究了徐州城市表层土壤的21个样品中30种元素的富集与分布特征。结果表明,与我国土壤元素的背景值(算术平均值)相比,表层土壤中Zn、Cd、As、Hg、Sb、Sn、Ag等元素富集大;Fe、Se、Sc、Ba、Bi、Pb、Cu、Ni、Cr、Mn、Mo、Be、Ti、Al、Ga、Li、Co等元素的富集较小。污染元素的空间分布特征显示了Zn、Cu、Pb、Cd等元素主要与交通运输等扩散污染源相关,而元素As、Sb的空间分布主要与工业污染源(点源)有关。环境风险指数的计算结果表明,表层土壤中重金属污染具有较大的环境风险,其中属于中等环境风险级别以上的样品占近40%,而且高风险区域主要集中在钢铁厂和化机厂等工业区范围内。     

monitoring bioaccumulation of contaminants in the belted kingfisher (ceryle alcyon)

The belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), acommon piscivore in the eastern United States, hasbecome a common endpoint in ecological riskassessments (ERA) because of their high consumptionof potentially contaminated aquatic prey. Whilebioaccumulation data and biosurveys may be used tosupport conclusions of ERAs for kingfishers, thereare currently no published data on contaminantconcentrations in kingfishers. Additionally,methods available for collecting biological samples(e.g., feathers, eggs, food debris, etc.) fromkingfisher burrows can be detrimental to thereproductive success of the birds. We present amethod for obtaining samples from burrows during orfollowing the nesting season. The method wasapplied to kingfisher burrows on the Oak RidgeReservation (ORR) in eastern Tennessee. Feathers,eggshells, and nestlings were collected from burrows and analyzed. In addition, carcasses ofthree adult kingfishers found dead on the ORR wereanalyzed. Metals and radionuclides were accumulatedby both juvenile and adult birds. Body burdens ofcadmium, lead, and cesium-137 in adult birds were belowlevels associated with toxicity. Concentrations of selenium and mercury were observed at potentiallytoxic levels. Contaminants in eggshells andnestling feathers indicate exposure, however, thereis insufficient information to evaluate thetoxicological significance of this contamination.National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp. under contract DE-AC05-96OR22464     

中国粮食产量不同风险类型的地理分布

论文以中国各省份、各地区历年粮食单产为基本资料,采用统计方法,以风险分析技术为核心,定义粮食产量风险评价指标。在此基础上采用迭代自组织动态聚类分析方法分别对全国地区级和省级粮食生产单元进行了减产风险要素分区和综合风险指数分区,分区的结果反映了粮食生产风险水平的区域分异与各地区孕灾环境、致灾因子性质和生产力水平有密切联系。     

易燃易爆物品环境风险评价及危害范围的计算确定

随着石油化学工业的迅速发展，研究易燃、易爆物品的环境风险，对其进行风险评价，变得越来越重要。而危害范围的确定，对环境风险评价结果及降低风险所采取措施的合理性和可行性，起着决定性作用。现以一实例，通过计算，介绍易燃、易爆物品、如汽、柴油、液化气储罐的环境风险评价中危害范围的确定。     

井工煤矿建设工程对土地破坏的危险性评估

通过改变地表形态和降低土壤质量,井工煤矿生产对土地产生比较严重破坏.影响井工煤矿破坏土地的因素较多,针对所评估煤矿,煤层埋深与开采厚度、水文地质条件通常是主要因素,因此,选用土地利用类型、地表破坏程度和地面积水状况三个评估指标,采用单因素分析和叠加分析的方法进行土地破坏危险性评估.