Differential leaching of nutrients from soluble vs. controlled-release fertilizers

Extremely sandy soils and poorly distributed high annual rainfall in the state of Florida contribute to significant leaching losses of nutrients from routine fertilization practices. A leaching column experiment was conducted to evaluate the leaching losses of nutrients when using currently available N, P, K blend fertilizers for young citrus tree fertilization. Fertilizer blends included NH₄NO₃, Ca(NO₃)₂, IBDU, IBDU plus Escote, Nutralene, Osmocote, and Meister. Following leaching of 1000 ml of water through soil columns, which simulates leaching conditions with 26 cm of rainfall, the amount of NO₃ and NH₄ recovered in the leachate from soil columns amended with an NH₄NO₃ blend accounted for 37% and 88% of the respective nutrients contained in the quantity of blend per column. The corresponding values for soil columns amended with a Ca(NO₃)₂ blend were 48% and 100%. Leraching losses of both NO₃ (<3%) and NH₄ (<4%) were drastically decreased when using controlled-release fertilizers. The recoveries of P and K in 1000 ml of leachate were 1.3% and 8%, respectively, of the nutrients added as Osmocote, which contained coated P and K sources. In the case of the rest of fertilizer blends, the recoveries of P and K in 1000 ml of leachate were as high as 52%–100% and 28%–100%, respectively. Therefore, controlled-release technology offers an important capability for minimizing leaching losses of nutrients.     

Mobilization of arsenic in groundwater of Bangladesh: evidence from an incubation study

The extensive extraction of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwaters for drinking, household and agricultural purposes represents a serious health concern in many districts of Bangladesh. This laboratory-based incubation study investigated the sources and mechanisms of As mobilization in these groundwaters. Several incubation studies were carried out using sediments collected from the Bangladesh aquifer that were supplemented, or not, with different nutrients, followed by an analysis of the sediment suspensions for pH, ORP (oxidation-reduction potential), EC (electrical conductivity) and As and Fe(ΙΙ) concentrations. In the substrate-amended sediment suspensions incubated under anaerobic environment, there was a mobilization of As (maximum: 50–67 μg/l) and Fe(ΙΙ) (maximum: 182 μg/l), while the ORP value decreased immediately and drastically (as much as −468 mV to −560 mV) within 5–6 days. In the sediment suspensions incubated under control and aerobic conditions, no significant As mobilization occurred. The simultaneous mobilization of As and Fe(ΙΙ) from sediments is a strong indication that their mobilization resulted from the reduction of Fe oxyhydroxide by the enhanced activity of indigenous bacteria present in the sediments; this phenomenon also provides insights on the mobilization mechanism of As in groundwater. The concentrations of As in the sediments used in the incubation studies were strongly linked to the gradients of redox potential development that was stimulated by the quantity of organic nutrient (glucose) used. The penetration of surface-derived organic matter into the shallow aquifer may stimulate the activity of microbial communities, thereby leading to a reduction of iron oxyhydroxide and As release.     

响应面法优化预氧化强化混凝处理铁锰地下水

以KMnO_4为氧化剂,Al_2(SO_4)_3·18H_2O为混凝剂,含铁锰离子地下水为模拟用水,考察预氧化强化混凝法的效果。利用响应面设计试验,分析氧化剂投加量、混凝剂投加量和pH值对铁锰去除的交互作用。模型优化结果显示,在氧化剂投加量4.16 mg/L,混凝剂投加量263.68 mg/L,pH值为7.54的最佳工艺参数下,铁锰去除率分别可达98.22%和97.49%。     

地下水开发引起的环境问题与治理

随着社会经济的飞速发展,人民生活对水资源的需求量日益增加,水资源开发已然成为备受社会各界关注的一项话题。而若是未能重视资源开发合理性与适宜性,必然会造成一定的环境污染。本文阐述了我国水资源开发与利用现状,分析了地下水开发引起的环境问题,并探究了新形势下治理地下水开发环境问题的有效对策。     

中国台湾地区土壤及地下水污染整治管理与经验

中国台湾地区土壤及地下水污染整治基金管理会自2001年成立以来,不断完善管理架构和管理体系,发布相关领域的法律法规、行政规则和公告,有效运行污染整治基金的财务筹措和使用等经济管理机制。开展了一系列行之有效的预防、监测、调查、评估等管理工作,为污染场地的识别和筛选奠定了坚实的基础。对于污染场地的整治工作,采用标准和风险评估相结合的验收方式,推行场地可持续利用的绿色修复技术。重点研究台湾地区土壤及地下水污染整治工作的管理政策、模式和措施,总结相关经验,为中国土壤及地下水污染防治工作提供借鉴和参考。     

Hydrogeology of a restored coastal dune system in northeastern Scotland

This paper reports the results of 12 years of hydrological monitoring at the St. Fergus dune system in northeastern Scotland. The site is adjacent to the UK’s largest gas terminal and the dunes are crossed in five places by North Sea gas pipelines which were constructed between 1976 and 1990. These are buried beneath the dune system which was restored after pipeline installation. The dunes include a substantial freshwater wetland which is seasonally flooded and provides an important habitat for waterfowl. The hydrogeology of the site is characterized and the hydrogeological processes that sustain this wetland feature are considered including recent climatic fluctuations. Nomenclature: Names of vascular plants follow Clapham et al. (1962).     

Monitoring of waste deposit derived groundwater contamination with organic tracers

Specific anthropogenic substances derived from seepage and leakage water from a waste deposit landfill were analysed in groundwater and drainage effluents using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Here, we demonstrate the application of an organic marker approach to study lateral and vertical distribution of contamination as well as the long-term emission behaviour. Source-specific and environmentally-stable pesticides, plasticisers and pharmaceuticals, such as N,N-diethyl toluamide, N-butyl benzene sulfonamide, clofibric acid, mecoprop and bisphenol A, were quantitatively analysed. A distinct lateral expansion was detected. Although temporal variations were high, no significant trend was observed.     

Suburban Areas in Developing Countries and Their Relationship to Groundwater Pollution: A Case Study of Mar del Plata, Argentina

2 were sampled in order to verify the impact of these problems on groundwater. All samples were analyzed for major ions, and about 30 of them for fecal coliforms and heavy metals. Nineteen samples were selected for pesticide analyses. The average nitrate content was 80 mg/liter, eight times the regional background value. Fecal coliforms were detected in 60% of the analyzed samples. Zinc content and a high Cl⁻/HCO₃ ⁻ ratio were observed in the surroundings of the solid waste disposal area. Moreover, lindane and heptachlor pesticides were detected in ten samples.     

A hybrid method for inverse characterization of subsurface contaminant flux

The methods presented in this work provide a potential tool for characterizing contaminant source zones in terms of mass flux. The problem was conceptualized by considering contaminant transport through a vertical "flux plane" located between a source zone and a downgradient region where contaminant concentrations were measured. The goal was to develop a robust method capable of providing a statement of the magnitude and uncertainty associated with estimated contaminant mass flux values. In order to estimate the magnitude and transverse spatial distribution of mass flux through a plane, the problem was considered in an optimization framework. Two numerical optimization techniques were applied, simulated annealing (SA) and minimum relative entropy (MRE). The capabilities of the flux plane model and the numerical solution techniques were evaluated using data from a numerically generated test problem and a nonreactive tracer experiment performed in a three-dimensional aquifer model. Results demonstrate that SA is more robust and converges more quickly than MRE. However, SA is not capable of providing an estimate of the uncertainty associated with the simulated flux values. In contrast, MRE is not as robust as SA, but once in the neighborhood of the optimal solution, it is quite effective as a tool for inferring mass flux probability density functions, expected flux values, and confidence limits. A hybrid (SA-MRE) solution technique was developed in order to take advantage of the robust solution capabilities of SA and the uncertainty estimation capabilities of MRE. The coupled technique provided probability density functions and confidence intervals that would not have been available from an independent SA algorithm and they were obtained more efficiently than if provided by an independent MRE algorithm.     

Controlled release, blind test of DNAPL remediation by ethanol flushing

A dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zone was established within a sheet-pile isolated cell through a controlled release of perchloroethylene (PCE) to evaluate DNAPL remediation by in-situ cosolvent flushing. Ethanol was used as the cosolvent, and the main remedial mechanism was enhanced dissolution based on the phase behavior of the water-ethanol-PCE system. Based on the knowledge of the actual PCE volume introduced into the cell, it was estimated that 83 L of PCE were present at the start of the test. Over a 40-day period, 64% of the PCE was removed by flushing the cell with an alcohol solution of approximately 70% ethanol and 30% water. High removal efficiencies at the end of the test indicated that more PCE could have been removed had it been possible to continue the demonstration. The ethanol solution extracted from the cell was recycled during the test using activated carbon and air stripping treatment. Both of these treatment processes were successful in removing PCE for recycling purposes, with minimal impact on the ethanol content in the treated fluids. Results from pre- and post-flushing partitioning tracer tests overestimated the treatment performance. However, both of these tracer tests missed significant amounts of the PCE present, likely due to inaccessibility of the PCE. The tracer results suggest that some PCE was inaccessible to the ethanol solution which led to the inefficient PCE removal rates observed. The flux-averaged aqueous PCE concentrations measured in the post-flushing tracer test were reduced by a factor of 3 to 4 in the extraction wells that showed the highest PCE removal compared to those concentrations in the pre-flushing tracer test.