STREAM WASTE ASSIMILATIVE CAPACITY ANALYSIS USING REAERATION COEFFICIENTS MEASURED BY TRACER TECHNIQUES1

Atmospheric reaeration is a natural mechanism of oxygen transfer from the atmosphere to a water body. In practice, stream water quality models are developed with reaeration coefficients (K₂) estimated by predictive equations. This leads to uncertainties in modeling analysis because these equations are empirical in nature and may yield greatly different K₂ values for the same stream. Values of K₂ may be adjusted in model calibration, but unfortunately, values of other model parameters are no less easy to identify and require adjustment in model calibration as well. Therefore, validity of a stream model would be enhanced significantly if K₂ could be determined directly and reliably. In this research, values of K₂ in the Canandaiqua Outlet in Central New York have been measured by using a gas tracer method. A successful modeling analysis was conducted using these K₂ values. As a result, effluent limitations of several waste water discharges into the Outlet were established. It was concluded that field measurements of reaeration rate would improve modeling results significantly, and that the gas tracer method can be easily incorporated into intensive water quality surveys normally required for stream modeling.     

APPLICATION OF A SINGLE RESERVOIR OPERATION POLICY TO A RAIN WATER CISTERN SYSTEM1

The operation policy for a single reservoir is applied to a rain water cistern system because the functions of a cistern are similar to a simple single reservoir. Since the cistern is a closed system, water loss is negligible. In this study, a dynamic programming analysis has been made to study the effects of the probable weekly rainfall and the water storage in the cistern towards the water consumption policy. The result of this study indicates that the water consumption rate should be adjusted into a lower rate when the water storage in the cistern is low and/or when the expected probable weekly rainfall is low if the owner of the cistern does not want to risk the chance of an empty cistern. The demand for a reliable method for forecasting weekly rainfall is evident in this study.     

Fetal methylmercury exposure as measured by cord blood mercury concentrations in a mother-infant cohort in Hong Kong

This study was designed to examine newborn infants in Hong Kong prenatally exposed to levels of methylmercury considered to increase risk of neurotoxic effects and to examine subject characteristics that modify the degree of prenatal mercury exposure. Mercury concentrations in 1057 sets of maternal and cord blood samples and 96 randomly selected maternal hair samples were measured. Subject characteristics were measured or collected by questionnaire. Of the 1057 cord blood samples collected only 21.6% had mercury concentrations less than 29 nmol/L (5.8 micro g/L). Median maternal hair mercury concentration was 1.7 ppm. The geometric mean cord to maternal blood mercury ratio was 1.79 to 1. Increasing maternal fish consumption and maternal age were found to be associated with increased cord blood mercury concentrations. Marine fish consumption increased cord blood mercury concentrations more than freshwater fish (5.09%/kg vs 2.86%/kg). Female babies, maternal alcohol consumption and increasing maternal height were associated with decreased cord blood mercury concentrations. Pregnant women in Hong Kong consume large amounts of fish and as a result, most of their offspring have been prenatally exposed to moderately high levels of mercury. In this population, pregnant women should choose freshwater over marine fish and limit fish consumption.