Two decision analysis approaches: Choosing a chemical analysis method

This article illustrates how two different decision analysis (DA) methods can be used to assist in making environmental remediation decisions. The two DA methods are Multiattribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). MAUT and AHP differ greatly in their underlying philosophies. MAUT employs an interval scale and constructs utility functions that quantify the total utility to the decision maker of each technology alternative; AHP employs a ratio scale and uses pairwise comparisons to produce a final ranking of the alternatives that reflects the decision maker's comparative preferences. In this study, the same technology was ranked first by both methods; however, the remaining rankings did not agree. Also, statistical analysis indicated that some score differences may be statistically insignificant. These results are presented and discussed along with a comparison of the features, advantages, and disadvantages of these two DA approaches.     

Reflections on the use of Bayesian belief networks for adaptive management

A broad range of tools are available for integrated water resource management (IWRM). In the EU research project NeWater, a hypothesis exists that IWRM cannot be realised unless current management regimes undergo a transition toward adaptive management (AM). This includes a structured process of learning, dealing with complexity, uncertainty etc. We assume that it is no longer enough for managers and tool researchers to understand the complexity and uncertainty of the outer natural system-the environment. It is just as important, to understand what goes on in the complex and uncertain participatory processes between the water managers, different stakeholders, authorities and researchers when a specific tool and process is used for environmental management. The paper revisits a case study carried out 2001-2004 where the tool Bayesian networks (BNs) was tested for groundwater management with full stakeholder involvement. With the participation of two researchers (the authors) and two water managers previously involved in the case study, a qualitative interview was prepared and carried out in June 2006. The aim of this ex-post evaluation was to capture and explore the water managers' experience with Bayesian belief networks when used for integrated and adaptive water management and provide a narrative approach for tool enhancement.     

Activated carbon amendment to sequester PAHs in contaminated soil: a lysimeter field trial

Activated carbon (AC) amendment is an innovative method for the in situ remediation of contaminated soils. A field-scale AC amendment of either 2% powder or granular AC (PAC and GAC) to a PAH contaminated soil was carried out in Norway. The PAH concentration in drainage water from the field plot was measured with a direct solvent extraction and by deploying polyoxymethylene (POM) passive samplers. In addition, POM samplers were dug directly in the AC amended and unamended soil in order to monitor the reduction in free aqueous PAH concentrations in the soil pore water. The total PAH concentration in the drainage water, measured by direct solvent extraction of the water, was reduced by 14% for the PAC amendment and by 59% for GAC, 12 months after amendment. Measurements carried out with POM showed a reduction of 93% for PAC and 56% for GAC. The free aqueous PAH concentration in soil pore water was reduced 93% and 76%, 17 and 28 months after PAC amendment, compared to 84% and 69% for GAC. PAC, in contrast to GAC, was more effective for reducing freely dissolved concentrations than total dissolved ones. This could tentatively be explained by leaching of microscopic AC particles from PAC. Secondary chemical effects of the AC amendment were monitored by considering concentration changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients. DOC was bound by AC, while the concentrations of nutrients (NO(3), NO(2), NH(4), PO(4), P-total, K, Ca and Mg) were variable and likely affected by external environmental factors.     

Sorption of native polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to black carbon and amended activated carbon in soil

Organic pollutants (e.g. polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)) strongly sorb to carbonaceous sorbents such as black carbon and activated carbon (BC and AC, respectively). For a creosote-contaminated soil (Sigma15PAH 5500 mg kg(dry weight(dw))(-1)) and an urban soil with moderate PAH content (Sigma15PAH 38 mg kg(dw)(-1)), total organic carbon-water distribution coefficients (K(TOC)) were up to a factor of 100 above values for amorphous (humic) organic carbon obtained by a frequently used Linear-Free-Energy Relationship. This increase could be explained by inclusion of BC (urban soil) or oil (creosote-contaminated soil) into the sorption model. AC is a manufactured sorbent for organic pollutants with similar strong sorption properties as the combustion by-product BC. AC has the potential to be used for in situ remediation of contaminated soils and sediments. The addition of small amounts of powdered AC (2%) to the moderately contaminated urban soil reduced the freely dissolved aqueous concentration of native PAH in soil/water suspensions up to 99%. For granulated AC amended to the urban soil, the reduction in freely dissolved concentrations was not as strong (median 64%), especially for the heavier PAH. This is probably due to blockage of the pore system of granulated AC resulting in AC deactivation by soil components. For powdered and granulated AC amended to the heavily contaminated creosote soil, median reductions were 63% and 4%, respectively, probably due to saturation of AC sorption sites by the high PAH concentrations and/or blockage of sorption sites and pores by oil.     

Possible causes of temporal fluctuations in primary production of the microphytobenthos in the Danish Wadden Sea

The effects of prior exposure to unlabelled naphthalene on the processes of uptake, tissue distribution and elimination of [1-¹⁴C] naphthalene by mussels (Mytilus edulis) were examined. Mussels collected from Whitsand Bay (S. W. England) in October 1980 were either held unexposed or exposed to unlabelled naphthalene (0.5 μg 1^?1) for 4 wk, prior to receiving a 4 h pulse of [1-¹⁴C] naphthalene in the medium (7 μg 1^?1). After 4 h exposure to [1-¹⁴C] naphthalene, the major tissues (digestive gland, gills, kidneys, mantle and remaining tissue) showed exponential depuration curves which could be resolved into two statistically significant components. The kinetics of elimination and the biological half-times of [1-¹⁴C] naphthalene in the tissues were determined. Mussels pre-exposed to unlabelled naphthalene had a significantly higher rate of elimination of [1-¹⁴C] naphthalene from the gills and kidneys. These results indicate that the toxicant, naphthalene, is actively excreted from the body by the gills and kidneys and the process is enhanced by prior exposure to the toxicant.     

Photodegradation of the synthetic fragrance OTNE and the bactericide triclosan adsorbed on dried loamy sand--results from models and experiments

Fragrances such as OTNE (marketed as Iso-E-Super®) and bactericides such as triclosan (marketed as Igrasan) are present in waste water and thus finally sorbed to sewage sludge. With that sludge they can reach agricultural fields where they potentially can undergo photodegradation processes. In this study the photodegradation of OTNE and triclosan on dried loamy sand was measured under artificial sunlight conditions in laboratory experiments. These compounds were artificially added with concentrations of 1 μg g⁻¹ on pre-rinsed dried loamy sand. The decrease in concentration with light irradiation was measured for 32 d in comparison to soil samples without light irradiation. The estimated light source intensity was 27 W m⁻². Within the experiment, the apparent half-life was 7 and 17 d for OTNE and triclosan respectively. The decrease did not simply follow first-order kinetics. The apparent rate constant decreased in the latter stage of reaction, suggesting that part of the chemicals were inaccessible for degradation. Two models, i.e., a diffusion-limited model, and a light penetration-limited model, were used in comparison to the measured data to explain the observed degradation limitations in the latter stages of the experiments. Comparing the hereby obtained model parameters with estimated physico-chemical parameters for the soil and the two chemical compounds, the light penetration-limited model, in which the degradation in the soil surface layer is assumed to be limited due to the shading effect of light in the upper thin soil layer, showed to be the most realistic in describing the photodegradation.     

PM2.5 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air: a focus on the effect of meteorology

PM(2.5) and VOCs (benzene, toluene, m-p-o-xylenes) concentrations were measured in an urban and a suburban site in Athens, Greece, during the period between April and November 2004. This period, which is considered to be the warmer period in Greece, is characterized by the development of sea-breeze over the Attica Basin. Additionally strong Northern, North-eastern winds called "The Etesians", predominate during the summer months (July-August), acting positively to the dispersion of pollutants. In this campaign, 24 days with sea-breeze development were observed, 15 days with northern winds, 6 days with southern winds while the rest of the days presented no specific wind profile. Maximum concentrations of PM(2.5), VOCs and nitrogen oxides, were detected during the days with sea-breeze, while minimum concentrations during the days with northern winds. Ozone was the only pollutant that appeared to have higher concentrations in the background site and not in the city centre, where benzene presented strong negative correlation with ozone, indicating the photochemical reaction of hydrocarbons that lead to the ozone formation. The BTX ratios were similar for both sites and wind profiles, indicating common sources for those pollutants. T/B ratio ranged in low levels, between 3-5 for site A and 2-5 for site B, suggesting vehicles emissions as the main sources of volatile compounds. Finally, the strong correlations of PM(2.5) and benzene concentrations, between the two sampling sites, indicate that both the city centre and the background site, are affected by the same sources, under common meteorological conditions (sea-breeze, northern winds).