Fir decline and mortality in the southern Siberian Mountains

Regional Environmental Change - Increased dieback and mortality of “dark needle conifer” (DNC) stands (composed of fir (Abies sibirica), Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) and spruce (Picea...     

An Assessment of the Significance of Mercury Release from Coal Fly Ash

Abstract

Some mercury (Hg) naturally present in coal is retained in the fly ash remaining after combustion. Concern has been raised regarding the potential for release of this Hg to the environment. The exchange of Hg between fly ash and the atmosphere was measured in the laboratory and in situ at a fly ash landfill. All samples of fly ash used in the laboratory study, with the exception of that derived from lignite-type coal, acted as a sink for atmospheric Hg. Deposition rates were found to increase as air Hg concentrations increased and to decrease with incident light and increased temperature. Addition of water to fly ash samples resulted in re-emission of deposited atmospheric Hg. Deposition was the dominant flux measured in situ at a fly ash landfill. Atmospheric Hg was deposited to all samples collected as part of two demonstration projects using carbon injection for enhanced Hg capture. Hg concentrations of extracts derived using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method 1312 (Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure) were ≤14.4 ng/L. Data developed demonstrate that fly ash, including that collected from Hg removal projects, will release little Hg to the air or water, and under certain conditions, absorbs Hg from the air.     

Nutrient dynamics and tree growth of silvopastoral systems: impact of poultry litter

Fertilizing pastures with poultry litter has led to an increased incidence of nutrient-saturated soils, particularly on highly fertilized, well drained soils. Applying litter to silvopastures, in which loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) production are integrated, may be an ecologically desirable alternative for upland soils of the southeastern USA. Integrating subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) into silvopastures may enhance nutrient retention potential. This study evaluated soil nutrient dynamics, loblolly pine nutrient composition, and loblolly pine growth of an annually fertilized silvopasture on a well drained soil in response to fertilizer type, litter application rate, and subterranean clover. Three fertilizer treatments were applied annually for 4 yr: (i) 5 Mg litter ha(-1) (5LIT), (ii) 10 Mg litter ha(-1) (10LIT), and (iii) an inorganic N, P, K pasture blend (INO). Litter stimulated loblolly pine growth, and neither litter treatment produced soil test P concentrations above runoff potential threshold ranges. However, both litter treatments led to accumulation of several nutrients (notably P) in upper soil horizons relative to INO and unfertilized control treatments. The 10LIT treatment may have increased N and P leaching potential. Subterranean clover kept more P sequestered in the upper soil horizon and conferred some growth benefits to loblolly pine. Thus, although these silvopasture systems had a relatively high capacity for nutrient use and retention at this site, litter should be applied less frequently than in this study to reduce environmental risks.     

Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) test of dioxin emission monitors

The performance of four dioxin emission monitors, including two long-term sampling devices, the Dioxin-MonitoringSystem (DMS) and AMESA (the adsorption method for sampling dioxins and furans), and two semireal-time continuous monitors, the resonance ionization with multimirror photon accumulation time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RIMMPA-TOFMS) and the jet resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (jet-REMPI) system were tested. A package boiler burning a simulated chlorinated hazardous waste was used for a total of nine tests. Reference samples were collected during each test and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs/Fs) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The PCDD/F concentrations of the reference samples measured by EPA Method 23 ranged from 0.9 to 6.0 ng toxic equivalence (TEQ)/dry standard cubic meter. The relative accuracies achieved by DMS, AMESA, and jet-REMPI varied from 22.6% to 78.2%, with 100% data completeness. The RIMMPA-TOFMS produced no quantifiable results due to various difficulties associated with the instrument during the testing. The two long-term samplers were easy to install and operate and provided a cumulative, averaged emission for the sampling period. The operations of the two semi-real-time continuous monitors were relatively complex, but one of them provided on-site, real-time data for PCDD/F emissions from measurement of a TEQ correlative indicator compound. This article summarizes results from the individual Environmental Technology Verification reports for the four dioxin monitors. This work was presented, in part, at the Fourth International Conference on Combustion, Incineration/Pyrolysis and Emission Control (i-CIPEC)     

Performance of an aerodynamic particle separator

This compact, high-flow device aerodynamically separates small particles from a gas stream by a series of annular truncated airfoils. The operating concept, design and performance of this novel particle separator are described. Tests results using corn starch and post-cyclone coal fly ash are presented. Particle collection efficiencies of 90% for corn starch and 70% for coal fly ash were measured at inlet velocities of 80 ft s⁻¹ (2700 cfm) and (6 inches) water pressure drop with particle loading up to 4 gr ft⁻³ in air at standard conditions. Results from computer modeling using FLUENT are presented and compared to the tests. The aerodynamic particle separator is an attractive alternative to a cyclone collector.     

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation in plots of rhizoma perennial peanut and bahiagrass grown in elevated carbon dioxide and temperature

Carbon sequestration in soils might mitigate the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Two contrasting subtropical perennial forage species, bahiagrass (BG; Paspalum notatum Flügge; C4), and rhizoma perennial peanut (PP; Arachis glabrata Benth.; C3 legume), were grown at Gainesville, Florida, in field soil plots in four temperature zones of four temperature-gradient greenhouses, two each at CO2 concentrations of 360 and 700 micromol mol(-1). The site had been cultivated with annual crops for more than 20 yr. Herbage was harvested three to four times each year. Soil samples from the top 20 cm were collected in February 1995, before plant establishment, and in December 2000 at the end of the project. Overall mean soil organic carbon (SOC) gains across 6 yr were 1.396 and 0.746 g kg(-1) in BG and PP, respectively, indicating that BG plots accumulated more SOC than PP. Mean SOC gains in BG plots at 700 and 360 micromol mol(-1) CO2 were 1.450 and 1.343 g kg(-1), respectively (not statistically different). Mean SOC gains in PP plots at 700 and 360 micromol mol(-1) CO2 were 0.949 and 0.544 g kg(-1), respectively, an increase caused by elevated CO2. Relative SON accumulations were similar to SOC increases. Overall mean annual SOC accumulation, pooled for forages and CO2 treatments, was 540 kg ha(-1) yr(-1). Eliminating elevated CO2 effects, overall mean SOC accumulation was 475 kg ha(-1) yr(-1). Conversion from cropland to forages was a greater factor in SOC accumulation than the CO2 fertilization effect.     

Forest Management for Greenhouse Gas Benefits: Resolving Monitoring Issues Across Project and National Boundaries

Demand for new environmental services from forests requires improved monitoring of these services at three scales: project-, regional-, and national-level. Most forest management activities are organized at the project scale, while the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) recognizes the nation as the party to the agreement. Hence, measurement and monitoring issues are emerging at the intersections of the project and national scales, referred to here as monitoring-domain edge effects. The following actions are necessary to improve existing monitoring capabilities and to help resolve project/national edge effects: (1) consensus on standard methods and protocols for monitoring mitigation activities, their off-site greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts, the fate of forest products and their relation to national GHG inventories (baselines); (2) a global program for collecting land use, land cover, biomass burning, and other data essential for national baselines; (3) the development of new nested-monitoring-domain methods that allow projects to be identified in national GHG inventories (baselines), and permit tracking of leakage of GHGs and wood product flows outside project boundary and over time; and (4) presentation of a set of credible, carefully designed, and well-documented forest mitigation activities that resolve most of the current issues.