Seasonal variation of total dissolved arsenic and arsenic speciation in a polluted surface waterway

Seasonal differences in the dissolved arsenic concentration and speciation in a contaminated urban waterway in northwest England have been determined using a coupled ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) technique. Waters sampled in the vicinity of an industrial works during relatively dry conditions in April 2000 were found to contain total arsenic concentrations (As) of up to 132 g L^–1, more than an order magnitude greater than the 4 g L^–1 maximum found in December 2000. The difference in As between the April and December sampling periods is speculated to be largely due to the irregular anthropogenic supply of arsenic to the watercourse. For both sampling periods, the dissolved arsenic was exclusively inorganic in nature and had an As(V)/As ratio of between 0.6 and 0.8. Analysis of samples taken downstream of the industrial site, after the confluence with a relatively As-poor stream, revealed that As(III), As(V) and As concentrations were lower than would be expected from conservative mixing. The As(V)/As ratio was also observed to decrease markedly. The loss of arsenic from solution is thought to be due to adsorption on the iron oxyhydroxide-rich sediment observed to coat the riverbed downstream of the confluence. The reduction in the As(V)/As ratio is believed to be due to the more rapid adsorption of As(V) compared to that of As(III). Deviations from conservative behaviour were more marked during the relatively dry April 2000 sampling period and suggest the increased importance of adsorption processes controlling arsenic availability during this time.     

Arsenic mobilization from iron oxyhydroxides is regulated by organic matter carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio

Arsenic (As) is mobilized from delta and floodplain aquifer sediments throughout S.E. Asia via reductive dissolution of As bound to iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides. The reductive driving force is organic carbon, but its source and constitution is uncertain. Here batch incubation experiments were conducted to investigate the role of organic matter (OM) carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio on the mobilization of arsenic, Fe and N from As dosed, Fe oxyhydroxide coated sands. As mobilization into pore waters from the sand was strongly regulated by the C:N ratio of the OM, and also the concentration of OM present. The lower the C:N, the more As released. Fe and ammonium release were similarly dependent on the quality and quantity of OM, but Fe mobilization was more rapid and ammonium release slower than As suggesting that the mobilization of these 3 moieties although interdependent, were not directly linked. It was concluded that low C:N ratios for OM responsible for reducing aquifers were As in groundwater is observed were likely.     

Effect of fasting on the pattern of urinary arsenic excretion

Millions of people in some of the poorest regions of the world are exposed to high levels of arsenic through drinking contaminated water. It has been reported that development of cancer caused by arsenic exposure in such populations is dependent on dietary and nutritional factors which can modulate arsenic metabolism. Many people in arsenic exposed regions of Bangladesh and India practice fasting for at least one month every year when they refrain from consumption of food and fluid during daylight hours. How such practices may modulate arsenic metabolism has not been previously investigated. This study investigated this issue by determining total arsenic and its species in urine samples from a group of 29 unexposed volunteers at the beginning of the fasting and at the end of approximately 12 h of fasting period. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ICP-MS was used to measure the total arsenic and arsenic speciation in the urine samples, respectively. The mean total levels of arsenic at the beginning of fasting (18.3 microg g(-1) creatinine) and at the end of approximately 12 h of fasting (17.7 microg g(-1) creatinine) did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). However, the percentages of urinary arsenic as the methylated arsenic species methylarsonate (MA) were found to be significantly different (p < 0.05) and this species was observed more frequently at the end of fasting, although its overall concentration was similar. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in both the concentrations and percentages of other urinary arsenic species detected, namely arsenobetaine (AB) and dimethylarsinate (DMA). Arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) were also analyzed, but were not detected. We conclude that fasting for a period of 12 h results in a significant increase in the percentage of urinary arsenic as MA, and its frequency of detection in the volunteers at the end of the fasting period is almost nine fold higher. This suggests that metabolism of arsenic is altered by fasting.     

不同施肥处理对水稻根表铁和砷形态的影响

采用XAFS研究盆栽试验砷污染土壤中添加不同肥料后,苗期水稻根表铁膜和砷的矿物学特征.Fe的K边EXAFS谱表明,铁膜主要由2-line水铁矿组成,还有少部分针铁矿和赤铁矿等晶体矿;As的EXAFS谱显示,除了KNO3和K2SO4处理外,其余处理的铁膜中砷以三价砷为主.KNO3处理显著减少了水稻根表铁膜的形成,而且抑制了水稻对砷的吸收.不同的肥料可以影响铁膜中砷的存在形态.     

Spatial and temporal trends in heavy metal concentrations in mussels from Northern Ireland coastal waters

Data are presented on the heavy metal concentrations in mussels, Mytilus edulis (L), sampled over a 1 yr period (August 1980–August 1981) from Northern Ireland coastal waters. The study was aimed at investigating the spatial extent and temporal trends in heavy metal contamination and highlighting any areas with exceptionally high levels of toxic metals. With the exception of two sites with high values for mercury and chromium, respectively, contamination by metals was relatively low. Significant spatial and temporal differences in the concentrations of several metals were found. There were also significant spatial x temporal interactions for all the metals studied. Significant negative correlations between the percentage dry matter content of mussels and the concentrations of several metals were found. There were also significant positive correlations between certain pairs of metals. It is proposed that small variations in contamination of the marine environment can be detected by subtle differences in the concentration of metals in mussels and that mussel condition may be adversely affected by metal contamination.     

A New Open‐Access HUC‐8 Based Downscaled CMIP‐5 Climate Model Forecast Dataset for the Conterminous United States

Watershed‐scale hydrologic simulation models generally require climate data inputs including precipitation and temperature. These climate inputs can be derived from downscaled global climate simulations which have the potential to drive runoff forecasts at the scale of local watersheds. While a simulation designed to drive a local watershed model would ideally be constructed at an appropriate scale, global climate simulations are, by definition, arbitrarily determined large rectangular spatial grids. This paper addresses the technical challenge of making climate simulation model results readily available in the form of downscaled datasets that can be used for watershed scale models. Specifically, we present the development and deployment of a new Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) based database which has been prepared through a scaling and weighted averaging process for use at the level of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)‐8 watersheds. The resulting dataset includes 2,106 virtual observation sites (watershed centroids) each with 698 associated time series datasets representing average monthly temperature and precipitation between 1950 and 2099 based on 234 unique climate model simulations. The new dataset is deployed on a HydroServer and distributed using WaterOneFlow web services in the WaterML format. These methods can be adapted for downscaled General Circulation Model (GCM) results for specific drainage areas smaller than HUC‐8. Two example use cases for the dataset also are presented.     

Modeling the impact of feeding stations on vulture scavenging service efficiency

Vultures, the only vertebrate obligate scavengers, are currently facing a dramatic worldwide decline with over half of vulture species now classified as threatened. To address this widespread decline, the use of feeding stations has been widely advocated in recovery programs. However, providing food that is more predictable in time and space than natural resources could disrupt the ecological scavenging service provided by vultures. In this study, we build a multi-agent system (MAS), which describes the social foraging behavior of Gyps vultures in order to investigate how resource predictability in space and resource management affect scavenging service efficiency. We study the possibility that vultures take into account feeding station location in addition of using local enhancement. Our results show that the efficiency of the scavenging service is heavily affected by the way resources are distributed between feeding stations and natural areas. Nevertheless, it appears possible to minimize a loss in service efficiency by increasing the number of feeding stations while keeping the total amount of resources available constant, thus reducing the predictability of the resources located on the stations. We illustrate our work in the case of European feeding stations that provide supplementary resources in areas where natural ones are scarce. Moreover, we discuss the implications worldwide, in particular in the case of India, where feeding stations for vultures are intended to lure individuals away from potentially harmful natural carrion.