Spatial and Seasonal Response of Municipal Water Use to Weather across the Contiguous U.S.

Weather variability has the potential to influence municipal water use, particularly in dry regions such as the western United States (U.S.). Outdoor water use can account for more than half of annual household water use and may be particularly responsive to weather, but little is known about how the expected magnitude of these responses varies across the U.S. This nationwide study identified the response of municipal water use to monthly weather (i.e., temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration [ET]) using monthly water deliveries for 229 cities in the contiguous U.S. Using city‐specific multiple regression and region‐specific models with city fixed effects, we investigated what portion of the variability in municipal water use was explained by weather across cities, and also estimated responses to weather across seasons and climate regions. Our findings indicated municipal water use was generally well‐explained by weather, with median adjusted R² ranging from 63% to 95% across climate regions. Weather was more predictive of water use in dry climates compared to wet, and temperature had more explanatory power than precipitation or ET. In response to a 1°C increase in monthly maximum temperature, municipal water use was shown to increase by 3.2% and 3.9% in dry cities in winter and summer, respectively, with smaller changes in wet cities. Quantifying these responses allows urban water managers to plan for weather‐driven variability in water use.     

Assessing Spatial, Temporal, and Analytical Variation of Groundwater Chemistry in a Large Nuclear Complex, USA

Statistical analyses were applied at the Hanford Site, USA, to assess groundwater contamination problems that included (1) determining local backgrounds to ascertain whether a facility is affecting the groundwater quality and (2) determining a ‘pre-Hanford' groundwater background to allow formulation of background-based cleanup standards. The primary purpose of this paper is to extend the random effects models for (1) assessing the spatial, temporal, and analytical variability of groundwater background measurements; (2) demonstrating that the usual variance estimate s ², which ignores the variance components, is a biased estimator; (3) providing formulas for calculating the amount of bias; and (4) recommending monitoring strategies to reduce the uncertainty in estimating the average background concentrations. A case study is provided. Results indicate that (1) without considering spatial and temporal variability, there is a high probability of false positives, resulting in unnecessary remediation and/or monitoring expenses; (2) the most effective way to reduce the uncertainty in estimating the average background, and enhance the power of the statistical tests in general, is to increase the number of background wells; and (3) background for a specific constituent should be considered as a statistical distribution, not as a single value or threshold. The methods and the related analysis of variance tables discussed in this paper can be used as diagnostic tools in documenting the extent of inherent spatial and/or temporal variation and to help select an appropriate statistical method for testing purposes.     

Health and environmental assessment of mercury exposure in a gold mining community in Western Mindanao, Philippines

The small-scale gold mining activities using mercury began in the late 1980s in Sibutad, Western Mindanao. It is located very near the Murcielagos Bay with tailing ponds directly discharging into bodies of water. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the health and environmental effects of gold mining activities on the community. Residents were randomly selected and classified into two groups, namely, the directly exposed and indirectly exposed populations using a set inclusion criteria. Complete medical and laboratory examinations were performed. Environmental and biologic samples were collected for total mercury and methylmercury determinations. The results showed that the directly exposed group had significantly higher mean blood total mercury and methylmercury levels in comparison with the indirectly exposed population. Although there were no significant differences between hair total mercury and methylmercury levels, there was a trend for higher levels of these biomarkers among the directly exposed residents as compared with the unexposed group. The absence of statistically significant differences may be attributable to the small sample size. Ambient air quality monitoring for mercury exceeded the allowable levels. However, levels of mercury in drinking water and sediments were within allowable limits. Frequency of gastrointestinal complaints was significantly associated with elevated hair methylmercury levels (p=0.02). Also, there appears to be a trend towards higher blood total mercury levels and frequency of gastrointestinal complaints (p=0.09). An interesting finding in this study was the increasing incidence of elevated diastolic blood pressure with elevated hair total mercury levels (p=0.07). Mercury storage at home is a risk factor.     

基于稳定氢同位素的太原市大气单环芳烃来源

采集太原市城北和城南区域环境空气和5类污染源挥发性有机物样品,测定样品中典型单环芳烃稳定氢同位素（δD）组成,基于同位素质量平衡原理计算单环芳烃从源到环境空气受体的δD初始混合值,探讨单环芳烃来源.结果表明,柴油挥发源、溶剂挥发源、汽油挥发源（97^#）、汽油挥发源（95^#）、机动车尾气（97^#）、机动车尾气（95^#）和民用燃煤源中单环芳烃δD范围依次为：（-138.7‰~-115.5‰）、（-147.0‰~-121.0‰）、（-150.8‰~-117.6‰）、（-131.8‰~-113.8‰）、（-171.2‰~-120.0‰）、（-138.9‰~-102.7‰）和（-168.3‰~-142.3‰）,民用燃煤源中单环芳烃δD显著贫重氢同位素（D）组成,机动车尾气源与汽油挥发源中苯的δD相比显著贫D,可用于探索污染物转化过程;城北和城南环境空气中δD范围为（-131.7‰~-115.1‰）和（-131.9‰~-74.9‰）,δD初始混合值为-138.4‰和-173.9‰,体现了其来源差异.     

基于野外原位抽注试验和同位素技术的含水层反硝化速率研究

反硝化作用是地下水硝酸盐污染去除最重要的过程.由于水文地质条件和水文地球化学环境的复杂性和不确定性,精准测定含水层反硝化速率是反硝化过程的研究难点.选取潮白河冲洪积扇中部中国环境科学研究院地下水创新野外基地作为研究区,基于野外原位试验和15N同位素示踪法提出一种含水层反硝化速率的测定方法.该方法综合体现了研究区实际水文地质条件和水文地球化学环境对反硝化作用的影响,并充分考虑了硝酸盐在含水层中稀释弥散作用对计算结果的影响.结果表明:①潮白河冲洪积扇中部某地地下26~28 m处于还原环境,含水介质以粉细砂为主,ρ（NO₃-N）平均值为2.77 mg/L.②地下26~28 m反硝化速率在349.52~562.99 μg/（kg·d）（以N计,下同）之间,平均值为450.31 μg/（kg·d）.通过与研究区含水介质、采样深度和硝酸盐背景值相似的国内外案例对比研究,初步评估结果处于合理区间.③测试结果具有一定不确定性,主要来自忽略中间产物NO₂-和NO的计算方法、扰动采样方法、N₂O的操作规范程度及采样频率等方面.研究方法为测定含水层硝酸盐速率研究提供了新的思路,研究结果可为地下水中硝酸盐转化过程机理研究、地下水硝酸盐污染修复及风险管控提供关键的理论支撑数据.      

我国能源资源税改革对城乡居民的收入分配效应——基于CGE模型的分析

通过构建包含7个城镇居民组和5个农村居民组的多收入阶层CGE模型,并将劳动力要素分为农业劳动力、技术工人和生产工人3类,在低税率、实际税率和高税率三种情景下模拟了煤炭、石油和天然气资源税改革单独实施和同时实施对城镇和农村居民的收入分配效应,并对税收补偿措施的效果进行分析.结果表明：单独实施煤炭资源税或天然气资源税改革对城镇居民组收入差距有正向的缩小作用,有利于收入分配公平,但对农村居民组收入差距起到负向的扩大作用,不利于收入分配公平;单独实施石油资源税改革则同时缩小了城镇和居民组的收入差距,有利于收入分配公平;同时实施三类能源资源税改革的收入分配效应与税率组合方式有关;将能源资源税收入以补贴的方式返还给农村居民可以缩小其收入差距,有利于收入分配公平.     

北山地区大气降水中水化学及稳定同位素特征

为揭示甘肃北山地区大气降水的水化学及同位素特征,利用2012~2019年度采集的97件大气降水样品,采用相关性分析,富集因子,气团后向轨迹分析等多种方法对北山地区稳定同位素变化特征及其影响因素,降水中主要离子变化特征,不同离子来源及贡献,水汽来源进行了分析.结果表明,北山地区区域降水线的斜率与截距均高于张掖地区大气降水线;该区降水中稳定同位素比率明显受季节性,温度和高程效应的影响,在年尺度下,降雨量效应不明显;该区降水中氘盈余变化较大,雨季降水中氘盈余显著小于旱季降水中氘盈余值;北山地区大气降水的水化学型主要为HCO₃·SO₄-Ca和HCO₃-Ca型,降水中离子浓度具有明显的季节性变化,降雨量的增加对离子浓度具有一定的稀释作用;Na⁺受海源和陆源物质的双重影响;绝大部分的Ca²⁺,K⁺,HCO₃^-和部分Mg²⁺来源于陆源,SO₄^2-与NO₃^-的主要来自于人类活动输入;区内冬夏季水汽来源基本一致,来源于西北方向的季风源是北山地区最主要的水汽来源.研究成果可为我国高放废物地质处置库选址和性能评价以及未来地下处置库建设提供依据,也有助于丰富西北干旱区的水文循环过程研究.     

未来气候变化对武夷山自然保护区毛竹异戊二烯排放速率的影响

采用全球气候模式Nor ESM1-M产生的RCP2.6、RCP4.5、RCP6.0和RCP8.5气候变化情景数据和植物异戊二烯排放计算模型,模拟分析了未来气候变化对武夷山自然保护区毛竹(Phyllostachys pubescens)异戊二烯排放速率的影响.结果显示,气候变化下武夷山自然保护区气温上升,年降水量和辐射强度波动较大,呈增加或下降趋势.毛竹异戊二烯平均日排放速率在未来气候变化情景下比基准情景下高约30μg·g~(-1)·d~(-1),在RCP8.5情景下比基准情景下高约48μg·g~(-1)·d~(-1);毛竹异戊二烯日排放速率在未来气候变化情景与基准情景下的差异在1~90 d和301~365 d较小,在91~300 d差异较大;相比基准情景,未来气候变化情景下毛竹异戊二烯日排放速率在1~190 d(平均增加15%以上)和271~365 d(平均增加20%)增幅较大,在191~270 d增幅较小,在RCP8.5情景下增幅最大(平均增加17%).另外,毛竹异戊二烯年排放速率在未来气候变化情景下比基准情景下约高10000μg·g~(-1)·a~(-1)以上,在RCP8.5情景下比基准情景下约高13%.研究表明,未来气候变化将使毛竹异戊二烯排放速率增加.     

邻苯二甲酸二丁酯降解过程的单体同位素分析

研究对比了邻苯二甲酸二丁酯（DBP）在不同降解过程（水解、UV/H₂O₂光解、直接光解、过硫酸钾光氧化）中的碳、氢同位素组成变化、分馏特征及二维同位素（Δδ²H-Δδ¹³C）的相关性.水解反应中DBP分子产生了显著的碳同位素分馏,未发现氢同位素分馏,而且碳同位素富集因子ε_C为（-2.7±0.4）‰,表明DBP水解时发生C-O键断裂,氢原子不参与反应.而UV/H₂O₂光解和直接光解反应（pH值分别为2、7和10）中,DBP分子呈现了相似的二维同位素相关性Λ值[（9±2）~（11±2）],推测经历了相同的反应过程.过硫酸钾光氧化降解时,明显偏大的Λ值（31±3）说明反应可能发生C-H键断裂.结果表明：二维单体同位素分析（2D-CSIA）技术可以有效区分DBP的水解、光解、光氧化3种不同类型的降解过程,有助于分析其降解路径.     

Effects of Na+ on Cu/SAPO-34 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction

Copper-exchanged chabazite (Cu/CHA) catalysts have been found to be affected by alkali metal and alkaline earth ions. However, the effects of Na⁺ ions on Cu/SAPO-34 for ammonia selective catalytic reduction (NH₃-SCR) are still unclear. In order to investigate the mechanism, five samples with various Na contents were synthesized and characterized. It was observed that the introduced Na⁺ ion-exchanges with H⁺ and Cu^2 + of Cu/SAPO-34. The exchange of H⁺ is easier than that of isolated Cu^2 +. The exchanged Cu^2 + ions aggregate and form “CuAl₂O₄-like” species. The NH₃-SCR activity of Cu/SAPO-34 decreases with increasing Na content, and the loss of isolated Cu^2 + and acid sites is responsible for the activity loss.