Chemical trends in background air quality and the ionic composition of precipitation for the period 1980-2004 from samples collected at Valentia Observatory, Co. Kerry, Ireland

A major Irish study, based upon more than 8000 samples collected over the measurement period of 22 years, for sulfur dioxide (SO2-S), sulfate (SO4-S) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2-N) concentrations (microg m(-3)) within air, and the ionic composition of precipitation samples based on sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), chloride (Cl-), sulfate (SO4-S), non-sea salt sulfate (nssSO4-S), ammonium (NH4-N), and nitrate (NO3-N) weighted mean concentrations (mg l(-1)), has been completed. For the air samples, the sulfur dioxide and sulfate concentrations decreased over the sampling period (1980-2004) by 75% and 45%, respectively, whereas no significant trend was observed for nitrogen dioxide. The highest concentrations for sulfur dioxide, sulfate and nitrogen dioxide were associated with wind originating from the easterly and northeasterly directions i.e. those influenced by Irish and European sources. The lowest concentrations were associated with the westerly directions i.e. for air masses originating in the North Atlantic region. This was further verified with the use of backward (back) trajectory analysis, which allowed tracing the movement of air parcels using the European Centre for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) ERA-40 re-analysis data. High non-sea salt sulfate levels were being associated with air masses originating from Europe (easterlies) with lower levels from the Atlantic (westerlies). With the precipitation data, analysis of the non-sea salt sulfate concentrations showed a decrease by 47% since the measurements commenced.     

Comparing the quality of draft environmental impact statements by agencies in the United States since 1998 to 2004

Since the creation of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1970, the United States has required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rate draft environmental statements (DEISs) for both information adequacy and the impact of the preferred alternative on the environment. In a previous study by Tzoumis and Finegold (2000), these ratings were found to be declining from 1970 to 1997. This current study investigates if that trend continued from 1998 to 2004. In addition, the top producing agencies (the Forest Service, the Federal Highway Administration, Army Corp of Engineers, and the Bureau of Land Management) are compared for the achievement of DEIS ratings. The results show that when the ratings are disaggregated for these agencies, the results indicate that there continues to be weak performance. The DEISs continue to have insufficient and sometimes inadequate information. Agencies continue to propose projects that have environmental concerns and sometimes objections. The agencies have some similarities in not being able to achieve the highest ratings on a consistent basis over time. However, more disturbing is the profile of agencies that have episodic peaks of achieving the lowest ratings. Conclusions and recommendations are focused on the agencies who submit that DEISs and EPA. One major conclusion is to better track the ratings and make them collectively available for the public. Agencies are encouraged to develop a best management practice in preparing DEISs to promote agency learning.     

Spatial and temporal estimation of soil loss for the sustainable management of a wet semi-arid watershed cluster

The ungauged wet semi-arid watershed cluster, Seethagondi, lies in the Adilabad district of Telangana in India and is prone to severe erosion and water scarcity. The runoff and soil loss data at watershed, catchment, and field level are necessary for planning soil and water conservation interventions. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a spatial soil loss estimation model for Seethagondi cluster using RUSLE coupled with ARCGIS and was used to estimate the soil loss spatially and temporally. The daily rainfall data of Aphrodite for the period from 1951 to 2007 was used, and the annual rainfall varied from 508 to 1351 mm with a mean annual rainfall of 950 mm and a mean erosivity of 6789 MJ mm ha^?1 h^?1 year^?1. Considerable variation in land use land cover especially in crop land and fallow land was observed during normal and drought years, and corresponding variation in the erosivity, C factor, and soil loss was also noted. The mean value of C factor derived from NDVI for crop land was 0.42 and 0.22 in normal year and drought years, respectively. The topography is undulating and major portion of the cluster has slope less than 10°, and 85.3 % of the cluster has soil loss below 20 t ha^?1 year^?1. The soil loss from crop land varied from 2.9 to 3.6 t ha^?1 year^?1 in low rainfall years to 31.8 to 34.7 t ha^?1 year^?1 in high rainfall years with a mean annual soil loss of 12.2 t ha^?1 year^?1. The soil loss from crop land was higher in the month of August with an annual soil loss of 13.1 and 2.9 t ha^?1 year^?1 in normal and drought year, respectively. Based on the soil loss in a normal year, the interventions recommended for 85.3 % of area of the watershed includes agronomic measures such as contour cultivation, graded bunds, strip cropping, mixed cropping, crop rotations, mulching, summer plowing, vegetative bunds, agri-horticultural system, and management practices such as broad bed furrow, raised sunken beds, and harvesting available water using farm ponds and percolation tanks. This methodology can be adopted for estimating the soil loss from similar ungauged watersheds with deficient data and for planning suitable soil and water conservation interventions for the sustainable management of the watersheds.     

Evaluating forest fragmentation and its tree community composition in the tropical rain forest of Southern Western Ghats (India) from 1973 to 2004

A majority of the research on forest fragmentation is primarily focused on animal groups rather than on tree communities because of the complex structural and functional behavior of the latter. In this study, we show that forest fragmentation provokes surprisingly rapid and profound alterations in tropical tree community. We examine forest fragments in the tropical region using high-resolution satellite imagery taken between 1973 and 2004 in the Southern Western Ghats (India) in relation to landscape patterns and phytosociological datasets. We have distinguished fragmentation in six categories—interior, perforated, edge, transitional, patch, and undetermined—around each forested pixel. Furthermore, we have characterized each of the fragment class in the evergreen and semi-evergreen forest in terms of its species composition and richness, its species similarity and abundance, and its regeneration status. Different landscape metrics have been used to infer patterns of land-use changes. Contiguous patches of >1,000 ha covered 90% of evergreen forest in 1973 with less porosity and minimal plantation and anthropogenic pressures; whereas in 2004, the area had 67% forest coverage and a high level of porosity, possibly due to Ochlandra spread and increased plantations which resulted in the loss of such contiguous patches. Results highlight the importance of landscape metrics in monitoring land-cover change over time. Our main conclusion was to develop an approach, which combines information regarding land cover, degree of fragmentation, and phytosociological inputs, to conserve and prioritize tropical ecosystems.     

2010—2019年台州市市区降水化学组成特征及变化趋势

为了解台州市市区大气降水化学成分组成特征及变化规律,对2010—2019年台州市市区降水监测数据进行了统计分析。结果表明:2010—2019年降水样品pH为4.20～4.84夏高冬低,强酸性降水频率下降显著,电导率平均值为3.16 mS/cm。SO₄^2-和NO₃^-是降水中最主要的阴离子,NH₄⁺和Ca²⁺是降水中最主要的阳离子。Ca²⁺浓度在2018年开始有所抬升,SO₄^2-和NO₃^-浓度整体呈波动下降趋势。SO₄^2-与NO₃^-浓度比均值为1.50,呈下降趋势,同大气中SO₂与NO₂的质量浓度比变化趋势基本一致。SO₄^2-和NO₃<...     

An assessment of the chemical composition of precipitation and throughfall in rural-industrial gradient in wet subtropics (southern Brazil)

The chemical composition of bulk precipitation and throughfall were analyzed, during a 1-year period (2002), in rural-urban-industry gradients with similar forest cover (Eucalyptus spp.) in southern Brazil (Rio Grande and Porto Alegre cities). Values of pH varied from 5.0-5.1 in rural to 5.4-6.1 in industrial sites, and were intermediate in urban sites. The major ions in bulk precipitation were Na(+), Cl(-), [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and concentrations increased in urban and industrial sites. Principal component analysis identified the local main anthropogenic sources. Estimated annual amounts of dry deposition were generally greater in both industrial and urban sites than in rural sites. Areas close to industrial activity showed greater S and N total deposition (10.4-10.9 and 20.2-30.6 kg/ha, respectively) than in urban (3.4-7.3 and 14.6-24.1 kg/ha) and in rural (1.7-2.6 and 8.9-12.1 kg/ha) sites. Annual deposition of Ca and P varied from 0.6 and 3.0 kg/ha in rural to 45.4 and 32.4 kg/ha in industrial sites, maximum values being observed closed to the phosphate fertilizer plant of Rio Grande. Deposition in urban and industrial sites may be balanced by the alkaline cations, as bulk precipitation pH varied from 5.4 to 6.1, and was greater than in rural sites (5.0-5.1).     

Variations in global temperature and precipitation for the period of 1948 to 2010

Climate change has impacts on both natural and human systems. Accurate information regarding variations in precipitation and temperature is essential for identifying and understanding these potential impacts. This research applied Mann–Kendall, rescaled range analysis and wave transform methods to analyze the trends and periodic properties of global and regional surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation (PR) over the period of 1948 to 2010. The results show that 65.34 % of the area studied exhibits significant warming trends (p?<?0.05) while only 3.18 % of the area exhibits significant cooling trends. The greatest warming trends are observed in Antarctica (0.32 °C per decade) and Middle Africa (0.21 °C per decade). Notably, 62.26 % of the area became wetter, while 22.01 % of the area shows drying trends. Northern Europe shows the largest precipitation increase, 12.49 mm per decade. Western Africa shows the fastest drying, ?21.05 mm per decade. The rescaled range analysis reveals large areas that show persistent warming trends; this behavior in SAT is more obvious than that in PR. Wave transform results show that a 1-year period of SAT variation dominates in all regions, while inconsistent 0.5-year bands are observed in East Asia, Middle Africa, and Southeast Asia. In PR, significant power in the wavelet power spectrum at a 1-year period was observed in 17 regions, i.e., in all regions studied except Western Europe, where precipitation is instead characterized by 0.5-year and 0.25-year periods. Overall, the variations in SAT and PR can be consistent with the combined impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors, such as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, the internal variability of climate system, and volcanic eruptions.     

1998—2017年温榆河流域水质变化特征

分析1998—2017年间水质手工监测结果可知,温榆河水质变化大致分为4个阶段:水质恶化-水质改善-水质稳定-水质进一步改善,最后一个阶段,污染凸显以氨氮为主。通过空间分析,温榆河上段化学需氧量主要受南沙河影响,氨氮受北沙河及南沙河影响均较大;下段氨氮主要受清河下段及坝河下段影响,而化学需氧量则受温榆河上段、清河下段、坝河下段3条河段影响。污水处理厂的建成运行、污水处理率的提高,使温榆河整体水质第一次改善,部分直排污水及污水处理厂排水标准宽松,阻碍水质进一步改善。河道清淤,加强污水收集及管网建设,以及污水处理厂提高出水标准后,温榆河水质出现第二次改善,但仍然为劣Ⅴ类。自动站雨季监测发现,非点源污染的影响不可忽略。     

2016-2020年济南市大气降水化学组分变化特征及来源分析

基于2016—2020年济南市城区国控点降水监测数据,应用因子分析、相关分析、富集因子分析以及正定矩阵因子分解模型(PMF)对济南市大气降水化学组分特征及来源进行了综合评价与分析。结果表明:2016—2020年济南市大气降水呈弱碱性,pH值为6.01~8.03,呈波动下降趋势;电导率(EC)为47.6~97.4μS/cm,平均值为70.99μS/cm,远高于我国降水背景点值;济南市降水类型为硫酸、硝酸混合型降水,SO^(2-)_(4)对济南市降水酸化贡献较高;大气降水中各离子组分浓度大小排序为:NH^(+)4>Ca^(2+)>SO^(2-)_(4)>NO^(-)_(3)>Cl->Na^(+)>Mg^(2+)>K^(+)>F^(-),主要阴、阳离子SO^(2-)_(4)和NH^(+)4浓度呈现逐年下降趋势;因子分析和相关性分析显示,各离子之间存在一定的共源性。富集因子分析结果表明,SO 2-4、NO-3和Cl-主要为人为源贡献,Ca^(2+)、Mg^(2+)和K^(+)受土壤源贡献较大;PMF模型结果显示,扬尘源除了是Ca^(2+)的主要贡献源外,也是NO-3的主要贡献源之一。二次污染源是济南大气降水无机离子的主要来源,占比为37.88%,其次为燃煤源和扬尘源,占比分别为23.91%和22.59%。     

2006-2020年上海市闵行区大气降水化学特征及来源分析

为研究上海市闵行区大气降水化学特征及来源,以2006—2020年上海市闵行区大气降水监测数据为依据,对大气降水量、pH值、电导率(EC)和主要离子进行了统计分析。结果表明:2006—2020年上海市闵行区大气降水呈酸性,pH值范围为4.41~5.19,酸雨频率呈下降趋势;EC变化范围为1.26~3.67 mS/m,平均值为2.32 mS/m;夏季pH值最高,酸雨发生频率、EC和总离子浓度最低,冬季pH值最低,总离子浓度最高。大气降水中各离子组分浓度占比大小排序为:SO^(2-)_(4)>NH^(+)4>NO^(-)3>Ca^(2+)>Cl^(-)>Na^(+)>Mg^(2+)>F^(-)>K^(+),主要阴、阳离子SO^(2-)_(4)、Ca^(2+)和NH^(+)4浓度呈明显下降趋势,NO^(-)3浓度变化较平稳;SO 2-4与NO^(-)3的浓度比范围为0.94~3.59,呈波动下降趋势,降雨类型由硫酸型逐步转为混合型。因子分析及相关性分析显示,因子1中所有的离子成分都有较大的载荷,各离子在来源上可能具有一定的共性,Ca^(2+)与Mg^(2+)、K^(+)表现出显著相关,其可能来源于地壳组分;Cl^(-)与K^(+)、Mg^(2+)、Ca^(2+)的相关性显著,Mg^(2+)、K^(+)与Cl^(-)、Na^(+)有强相关性,表明海洋输送及生物质燃烧对大气降水化学组成的影响;NO_(3)^(-)、SO^(2-)_(4)和NH^(+)4在因子2中为高荷载,且有很好的相关性,它们可能有相似的来源或形成化合物共同存在。     

Vegetation NDVI Linked to Temperature and Precipitation in the Upper Catchments of Yellow River

Vegetation in the upper catchment of Yellow River is critical for the ecological stability of the whole watershed. The dominant vegetation cover types in this region are grassland and forest, which can strongly influence the eco-environmental status of the whole watershed. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for grassland and forest has been calculated and its daily correlation models were deduced by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer products on 12 dates in 2000, 2003, and 2006. The responses of the NDVI values with the inter-annual grassland and forest to three climatic indices (i.e., yearly precipitation and highest and lowest temperature) were analyzed showing that, except for the lowest temperature, the yearly precipitation and highest temperature had close correlations with the NDVI values of the two vegetation communities. The value of correlation coefficients ranged from 0.815 to 0.951 (p?<?0.01). Furthermore, the interactions of NDVI values of vegetation with the climatic indicators at monthly interval were analyzed. The NDVI of vegetation and three climatic indices had strong positive correlations (larger than 0.733, p?<?0.01). The monthly correlations also provided the threshold values for the three climatic indictors, to be used for simulating vegetation growth grassland under different climate features, which is essential for the assessment of the vegetation growth and for regional environmental management.     

Conventional, microwave, and ultrasound sequential extractions for the fractionation of metals in sediments within the Petrochemical Industry, Serbia

In this paper, the main objective was fractionation of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Ca, Fe, and K in certificate material and sediment samples gathered from and around the Petrochemical Industry using the conventional, microwave and ultrasonic sequential extraction. Microwave oven and ultrasound bath were used as an energy source for achieving faster extraction. Additional heating and boiling of samples were avoided by using lower power and shorter time for microwave and ultrasound extraction. Precision and accuracy of procedure were evaluated by using certificate material (BCR701). Acceptable accuracy of metals (87.0–111.3 %) was achieved for all three-step sequential of conventional extraction protocol. An accuracy of the fourth step has been verified with two certificate materials: BCR143R and 146R. The range of total extracted metal concentrations from sediments was similar for all three extraction techniques. A significant high percentage of Cd, Cu, and Zn were obtained after extraction of the exchangeable and acid soluble sediment fraction. Principal component analysis of values obtained after determination of risk assessment code using conventional and ultrasound sequential extraction show similarity of these values. Accuracy, recovery, and risk assessment code values imply that ultrasound sequential extraction is a more suitable, accelerated sequential extraction procedure (30 min per extraction step) than microwave extraction in applied conditions.     

Changes in the abundance and composition of zooplankton from the ports of Mumbai, India

Zooplankton abundance, biomass, and composition from the ports of Mumbai, India, were studied by selecting 14 stations in and around the area during three different periods between 2001 and 2002 (Nov 01, Apr 02, and Oct 02). The results are compared with the records available since the 1940s. Copepod species such as Canthocalanus sp., Paracalanus arabiensis, Cosmocalanus sp., Euterpina acutifrons, Nannocalanus minor, and Tortanus sp. which were not reported in the earlier studies were observed during the present investigation. Purely herbivorous forms like Nannocalanus minor, Paracalanus sp., and Temora discaudata were in reduced abundance during Apr 02 sampling which was coupled with reduction in the diatom population. Whereas increased abundance of some carnivorous and omnivorous forms during Apr 02 sampling can be related to the changes in the food web dynamics.     

Analysis of selected biomonitors to evaluate the suitability for their complementary use in monitoring trace element atmospheric deposition

The biomonitoring properties of oak tree bark compared with the epiphytic moss Hypnum cupressiforme and the influence of the tree bark, as its growth substrate, on the content of heavy metals in moss were investigated. Samples of the epiphytic moss H. cupressiforme and oak tree bark (Quercus spp.) were collected in Eastern Romania at a total of 44 sampling sites. Parallel moss and bark samples were collected from the same sides of the trunk circumference. V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, In, Tl, Sn, Pb, and Bi were determined by ICP-MS. Principal component analysis was used to identify possible sources of metals in bark and moss. Six factors explaining 87 % of the total variance in the data set were chosen. The main factors represent long-range atmospheric transport of elements (Zn, Cd, (Pb), Bi, (Mo), (Tl)), local emissions from industrial sources (As, Cr, Ni, V), road traffic (Pb, Zn) and agricultural activities (Cu, (Zn)). The element concentrations in moss and bark samples are of the same order of magnitude. For almost all the elements, higher concentrations were obtained in moss. Significant correlations between concentrations in moss and bark samples were obtained for 7 of the 13 elements: V, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, In, and Bi, all typical anthropogenic pollutants. The use of tree bark for monitoring purposes might be an alternative in areas where there is a scarcity of mosses.     

Spatial distribution and temporal trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Mytilus galloprovincialis from the Iberian Mediterranean coast

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been determined in blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from several Iberian Mediterranean coastal areas through the implementation of a monitoring programme from Spain in the framework of the Mediterranean Pollution Programme (MED POL). The selected areas correspond to sites with differing degrees of exposure to the main pollution sources (hot spots, coastal and reference areas). The sampling campaigns were performed from 2004 to 2009, with samples being taken from May to June, the non-spawning period for mussels in this area. Thirteen PAHs were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with specific fluorescence detection. In general, total PAHs concentration was lower than 50 μg kg^?1 d.w., except in areas close to the principal ports and cities (Barcelona, Tarragona, Valencia and Algeciras) where it varies from 75 to 390 μg kg^?1 d.w. Background concentrations have been proposed for PAHs in mussels (23.8 μg kg^?1 d.w.) from Western Mediterranean area. Temporal trends were not statistically significant for PAHs concentrations from 2004 to 2009. Longer monitoring periods would be required to detect a continuous tendency, especially for PAHs because although the efficiency of combustion engines has reduced PAHs emissions, their increasing use could alter this potential reduction. The predominant PAHs were three and four ring congeners in all cases, with the predominance of phenanthrene in mussels sited far from the main PAHs sources. The phenanthrene/anthracene (lower than 10) and fluoranthene/pyrene (higher than 1) ratios indicate that PAHs detected in Spanish Mediterranean coastal mussels are mainly of pyrolytic origin.     

The relationship of mineral and geochemical composition to artificial radionuclide partitioning in Yenisei river sediments downstream from Krasnoyarsk

Discharges from the Mining-and-Chemical Combine (MCC) of Rosatom, downstream from Krasnoyarsk, resulted in radioactive contamination of sediments of the River Yenisei. The concentration of artificial gamma-emitting radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁵²Eu, and ²⁴¹Am) was determined with the objective to analyze the migration processes leading to the transport of these radionuclides. The content of artificial radionuclides in the surface layers of the study area varied in wide ranges: ¹³⁷Cs—318–1,800 Bq/kg, ⁶⁰Co—87–720 Bq/kg, ¹⁵²Eu—12–287 Bq/kg and ²⁴¹Am—6–76 Bq/kg. There was a sequence of migration of radionuclides investigated in the surface layer of sediments that were collected in the near zone of influence of the MCC: ²⁴¹Am ≈ ¹⁵²Eu > ⁶⁰Co > ¹³⁷Cs. Radionuclide species have been found to be directly related to sediment structure and composition.