Development and operation of a waste management system in Alberta,Canada

The successful hazardous waste treatment facility siting program in the Province of Alberta, Canada, provides an impressive example of comprehensive planning and implementation. Near Swan Hills, 250 km northwest of Edmonton, North America's first integrated Province (or State)- wide treatment and disposal facility, sited by both environmental and social criteria, was officially opened in September of 1987. Alberta's program is unique in that the public was involved from the outset and played a major role in the decision-making process.The $CDN 50M facility receives organic and inorganic wastes from Alberta generators. Treatment by incineration, physical/chemical treatment and stabilization destroys approximately 15,000 tonnes of waste annually. Inert residues are landfilled and treated wastewaters disposed of down a deep well. The facility is fed directly from large industry and indirectly, from small industry and households, via a system of collection and transfer stations located throughout the province.     

Critical Loads of Acidity for Surface Waters in South-Central Ontario, Canada: Regional Application of the First-Order Acidity Balance (FAB) Model

Major sulphur emission control programs have been implemented in North America, resulting in current emissions being ～30% less than those in 1980. However, the level of acidic deposition remaining is still unlikely to promote widespread recovery of aquatic ecosystems. The First-order Acidity Balance (FAB) model has been applied to south-central Ontario (285 lakes in the Muskoka River Catchment) to evaluate the need for further reductions in emissions. As a result of the past decline in deposition, the proportion of lakes with critical loads exceedance has dropped substantially; however, further reductions in sulphur and nitrogen emissions are required to eliminate critical loads exceedance. Based on bulk deposition of sulphate and nitrogen (41.1 mmol_c m^-2 yr^-1 and 62.5 mmol_c m^-2 yr^-1, respectively) for the period 1995–1999, 166 lakes (58.3%) exceedcritical loads. Even with full implementation of SO₂ abatementprograms in Canada (achieved in 1994) and the United States (legislated for 2010), critical loads will be exceeded in a large proportion (46.6%) of the study lakes.     

Deposition Loads of Sulphur and Nitrogen in Germany

High spatial resolution maps of deposition loads in Germanyare produced as an input for abatement strategy research andfor critical loads exceedance calculations on a nationalscale. In this paper methods ofmapping total deposition loads in Germany and preliminarymaps of nitrogen and sulphur deposition loads for the year1993 are presented. A comparison of these mapping resultswith EMEP deposition mapping results has been carried out.The differences in the results of the German national and theEuropean EMEP mapping, due to different databases anddifferent methods, are quantified and discussed. Highresolution maps of deposition loads are compared to Europeanlow resolution maps on the same temporal and spatial scale,assuming that on average both should lead to similar results.However, the average differencescalculated for 23 EMEP 150 × 150 km² grid cells over Germanywere found to be 33% higher for sulphur (S) total depositionby the German method 65% higher for S dry deposition and1% lower for S wet deposition. The German results fornitrogen (N) total deposition are 2% higher than the EMEPresult 22% higher for N dry deposition and 10% lower for Nwet deposition.     

Why Critical Loads of Acidity and N for Soils Should be Based on Pollutant Effective Concentrations Rather Than Deposition Fluxes

Numerous assumptions have been made over the past 17 years when calculating critical loads for soils, both for acidity (based upon base cation steady state mass balances (SMB)) and for N (eutrophication, based upon N mass balances), often without all the assumptions being explicitly stated. The tacit assumptions that the author believes to be implicit in the SMB approach are critically reviewed, with particular reference to upland regions where slope processes are highly significant. It is concluded that many of them cannot be justified, especially those that involve ignoring many key processes known to be important to biogeochemical cycling and soil evolution in upland catchments. The evidence presented suggests that critical loads of acidity and of N for soils should be based upon effective pollutant and, for acidity, also effective base cation deposition concentrations, rather than upon pollutant deposition fluxes. This is because of the dominant role of cation exchange equilibria, rather than weathering rate, in regulation of the pH and base status of the more acidification-sensitive soils, and because of the importance of transport down slope of base cations, alkalinity and N species.     

List of Reviewers for the Critical Loads Conference Copenhagen 1999

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution: Focus -     

European Critical Loads of Cadmium, Lead and Mercury and their Exceedances

Critical loads of cadmium, lead and mercury were computed by 18 countries of the LRTAP Convention. These national data were collated into a single database for the purpose of identifying sensitive areas in Europe. Computing exceedances, i.e. comparing the critical loads to atmospheric deposition, shows that cadmium was not a widespread risk in 2000, that the risk from lead deposition has decreased since 1990 but was still widespread in 2000, and that the risk from mercury remains high without much change from 1990 to 2000 in most of the countries.     

A Novel Method for Mapping Critical Loads Across a River Network: Application to the River Dart,Southwest England

To date, estimates of freshwater critical loads have beenbased on a single sample site within a given area, in theUK the `most sensitive' surface water in each 10 km gridsquare. The critical loads obtained are thus highlydependent on the sites chosen, and at a relatively coarsespatial resolution. To produce a higher resolutioncritical load assessment, the PEARLS (Prediction ofAcidification and Recovery on a Landscape Scale)procedure has been used to estimate critical loads acrossa large (248 km²), partially acid-sensitivecatchment in Southwest England. PEARLS utilises availablesoils and land-use databases, and sampled streamchemistry data, to derive characteristic runoffcompositions for a set of landscape types. Mixingequations are then used to calculate runoff chemistry,and subsequently critical loads, throughout the streamnetwork. Results show major spatial variability, withcritical loads lowest in streams draining peat-moorlandheadwaters, and generally increasing downstream asagricultural land contributes an increasing proportion ofrunoff. The 5th percentile freshwater critical loadfor the catchment is estimated at 0.29 keq H⁺ ha^-1yr^-1,and critical loads are exceeded for around 40% of totalstream length. The PEARLS methodology provides a novelopportunity to assess the spatial variability infreshwater critical loads, and to provide estimates ofexceedance at whole catchment scale. It has potentialapplication in the assessment of surface watersensitivity to acidification across wider areas in the UKand elsewhere.     

Using Multiple Chemical Criteria for Critical Loads of Acidity in Maritime Regions

Critical loads have become a well-establishedpart of the work programme of the UnitedNations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Conventionon Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). Thelinking of ecosystem response to deposition level is thecentral principal of the critical loads approach. Foreach ecosystem, a biological indicator is chosen, asuitable chemical criterion selected and a criticalchemical limit assigned. The Bc:Al ratio is the mostwidely used chemical criterion for setting criticalloads. However, critical loads based on this criterionare very sensitive to marine deposition. In regions whichreceive high depositions of marine-derived base cations,such as the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and the UnitedKingdom (UK), critical loads based on the Bc:Al criterionwill inevitably be high. Therefore, it is proposed thatcritical loads are estimated using multiple chemicalcriteria with appropriate critical limits to protect thechosen biological indicators. The range of publishedchemical criteria have been applied to the ROI and theUK. The chemical criterion corresponding to the mostsensitive critical load have been mapped and thecontribution of each to the final maps investigated. Thesimulations indicate that the most sensitive criteria forsetting critical loads are based on specifying critical Hor Al concentrations. However, the choice of critical limits andmodel parameters will ultimately effect the criticalloads. Therefore, it is important that appropriate criticallimits are chosen to protect the biological indicator andreceptor ecosystem from long-term damage.     

Element Removal in Harvested Tree Biomass: Scenarios for Critical Loads in Wallonia,South Belgium

The critical load concept is nowwidely used as a tool for developing emissioncontrol policies in Europe. As a signatorycountry of the Convention of Long-RangeTransboundary Air Pollution, critical loads foracidity, nutrient nitrogen, nitrogen and sulphurhave been calculated for the Flemish and Walloonregions in Belgium. This paper describes themethodology used for estimating critical loadsfor forest soils in the Walloon region accordingto the Steady-State Mass Balance equations. As anexample the methodology was applied to thecatchment `Waroneu', situated in a sensitive areaof the Haute Ardenne. Main input parameters tothe equations were derived from precipitation andrunoff data of the catchment study. Improvedestimates of nitrogen uptake (Nu) and base cationuptake (BCu) were obtained by intensive samplingof Picea abies and Quercus roburtrees. Nutrient contents (Ca, Mg, K, N) andnutrient to nitrogen ratios of Picea abiesreflected the poor soil quality at a site withhigh N deposition. Quercus robur nutrientcontents increased from stem to higher orderbranches with a high proportion of nutrientslocated in the bark. However the simulation ofstem only harvesting had a minor effect oncritical loads. Measured wood densities werelower than reported literature values with a maineffect on Nu and BCu estimates. The use ofrecommended default values and/or data derivedfrom the experimental site resulted in a widerange of critical loads, some of which werelargely overestimated. Results demonstrated theimportance of site specific data for criticalload calculations.     

Isotopic Assessment of Sources of Surface Water Nitrate within the Oldman River Basin, Southern Alberta, Canada

Concentrations and isotopic compositions of NO₃ ^- from the Oldman River (OMR) and some of its tributaries (Alberta, Canada) have been determined on a monthly basis since December 2000 to assess temporal and spatial variations of riverine NO₃ ^- sources within the OMR basin. For the OMR sites, NO₃ ^--N concentrations reached up to 0.34 mg L^-1, δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- values varied between –0.3 and +13.8‰, and δ¹⁸O-NO₃ ^- values ranged from –10.0 to +5.7‰. For the tributary sites, NO₃ ^--N concentrations were as high as 8.81 mg L^-1, δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- values varied between –2.5 and +23.4‰, and δ¹⁸O-NO₃ ^- values ranged from –15.2 to +3.4‰. Tributaries in the western, relatively pristine forested part of the watershed add predominantlyNO₃ ^- to the OMR with δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- values near +2‰ indicative of soil nitrification. In contrast, tributariesin the eastern agriculturally-urban-industrially-used part of the basin contribute NO₃ ^- with δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- valuesof about +16‰ indicative of manure and/or sewage derived NO₃ ^-. This difference in δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- values of tributaries was found to be independent of the season, but rather indicates a spatial change in the NO₃ ^- source, which correlates with land use changes within the OMR basin. As a consequence of tributary influx, δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- values in the Oldman River increased from <+3‰ to >+6‰ in the downstream direction (W to E), although [NO₃ ^--N] increased only moderately (generally <0.5 mg L^-1). This study demonstrates the usefulness of δ¹⁵N-NO₃ ^- and δ¹⁸O-NO₃ ^- values in identifying the addition of anthropogenic NO₃ ^- to riverine systems.     

Critical Loads Exceedances in Germany and their Dependence on the Scale of Input Data

Critical load exceedances have been used as an effects-related parameter for guiding international air emission control negotiations. High-resolution critical load data are combined with low-resolution deposition data.This article shows that doing so systematicallyunderestimates `true' critical load exceedances as obtainedfrom combining critical load and deposition data of identicalhigh spatial resolution. 95th percentile critical loadexceedances in EMEP grids based on high resolution depositiondata are 60 and 150% higher (mean values for nutrientnitrogen and acidity, respectively) than critical loadexceedances based on the low resolution EMEP depositionmodel. The latter are used in international negotiations. Differences in individual EMEP grid squares vary betweeninsignificantly different from zero and 340%, depending onregional deposition and critical load characteristics andcritical load types (nutrient nitrogen versus acidity).Exceedances based on high-resolution deposition values arealso compared to EMEP grid averages of these values forforests only. This comparison excludes the effect ofsystematically higher depositions to forests. Still, thescale difference of (averaged, low-resolution) deposition and(high-resolution) critical loads data yields underestimatesof the 95th percentiles by on average ca. 20%.These systematic errors due to the scale dependence should beborne in mind when interpreting effects of internationalemission control measures.     

Investigating the Uncertainties in the Simple Mass Balance Equation for Acidity Critical Loads for Terrestrial Ecosystems in the United Kingdom

The Simple Mass Balance (SMB)equation has been developed and used as one ofthe principal methods for calculating criticalloads of acidity for forest ecosystems. Criticalloads have formed the basis for informing policyrelated to the control and abatement of emissionsof acidifying pollutants. The SMB equationrelies on a variety of assumptions and dataderived from a variety of sources. Each of thesecomponent constituents has a potential source oferror depending on the method(s) used for theirderivation and the value(s) assigned. The resultis the possibility of generating a range ofcritical load values for a single ecosystem. This paper summarises the SMB equation, examinesthe uncertainties in deriving input values andreviews other works on the key assumptions.     

The Link Between the Exceedance of Acidity Critical Loads for Freshwaters,Current Chemical Status and Biological Damage: A Re-Interpretation

Critical loads have for several years been employed bypolicymakers to aid in the development of strategies for aciddeposition abatement. They provide an effects-based approachwhereby an acid deposition flux greater than the critical load(known as critical load exceedance) implies that long-termharmful effects on a selected target organism will occur.Implicit in this approach are two assumptions: first, theexceedance of a critical load will harm the target organism,and second, the severity of biological impact is related to themagnitude of exceedance. However, static models give noindication of when the predicted damage might occur. One suchmodel, the Steady-State Water Chemistry (SSWC) model, employs aseries of empirical relationships to derive the pre-industrial,baseline leaching rate of base cations from measured waterchemistry using the so-called `F-factor'. The SSWC model setsthe critical load relative to pre-industrial base cationleaching (a permanent buffer of acid deposition) and a selectedacid neutralizing capacity (ANC) value which corresponds with aknown likelihood of damage to a biological target organism.Here we interpret the meaning of critical load exceedance as aprediction of steady-state ANC, and explore the relationshipbetween exceedance of the critical load and current chemistry. We demonstrate that a critical loadexceedance with the SSWC model does not necessarily indicatethat the critical chemical threshold (zero ANC) has alreadybeen crossed, and there may be no correlation betweenexceedance and biological status. A reformulation of the SSWCmodel is proposed which provides a direct link between currentdeposition and current chemical conditions, and is thereforemore likely to indicate current biological damage. Thereformulation illustrates the discrepancy between currentchemical status and that predicted by the SSWC model atsteady-state, which is a function of the `F-factor'.     

High Immobilization of NH4+ in Danish Heath Soil Related to Succession,Soil and Nutrients: Implications for Critical Loads of N

During recent decades heathlands havechanged into grasslands in regions with high atmosphericnitrogen deposition. In regions with intermediatedeposition level (e.g., Denmark) changes have been lesspronounced which may be due to delay or decrease inresponse of the ecosystem. The mor layer (O horizon) mayplay an important role for this delay due to high sinkstrength for N. In this study, the capacity for netNH₄ ⁺ immobilization and mineralization wasstudied during short- and long-term incubations (2–36 days)of mor samples from Danish dry inland heaths. High short-term capacity for net NH₄ ⁺ immobilization wasfound to be a general characteristic of Danish heath morlayers both under heather (Calluna vulgaris) andcrowberry (Empetrum nigrum ssp nigrum), the latterdominating late stages in heathland succession. The netNH₄ ⁺ immobilization was higher under youngcompared to old or dead vegetation, and higher on lessnutrient poor soils than on extremely nutrient poor soils.The addition of N, P and C stimulated CO₂ productionand net NH₄ ⁺ immobilization, but not net Nmineralization. The immobilization of ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺caused release of dissolved organic N, increased N anddecreased C/N ratio in the microbial biomass, and indicatedgrowth of microorganisms with other metabolic abilitiesthan the indigenous population. No evidence was obtained ofstabilization of immobilized ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺ intosoil organic matter during the experiment. On background ofthe results and current knowledge it was concluded that therecognition of the high capacity for net NH₄ ⁺immobilization in mor layers does not allow for a raiseof critical loads for N for northern dry inland heaths.     

An Analysis of the Structure of the Simple Mass Balance Equation: Implications for Testing National Critical Loads Maps

The critical loads concept is used by the UN-ECEConvention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution(CLRTAP) for setting pollution reduction targets.Increasing numbers of countries are adopting the SimpleMass Balance equation (SMB) to calculate critical loads ofacidifying S and N for forest soils. The equation is madeup of a series of mass balances each of which is used tocalculate a leaching flux. The assumptions in the SMBequation were investigated by testing its ability topredict current sulphur load and by comparing each of thecalculated leaching fluxes to measured rates. It was notpossible to predict current sulphur load at our sites usingthe SMB equation. The leaching tests demonstrated that,primarily due to its steady state assumptions, the SMBequation generates critical loads that are theoretical longterm estimates of risk, and are untestable. Thesimplifying assumptions sometimes lead to illogicalresults. Some of these can be improved by adding a final,simple but dynamic, calculation step to determine theexpected time until effects are observed. Theacceptability of combining annual average data, which bestapproximates steady state, with a biological indicator isquestionable. It is not possible to test critical loadscalculated using the SMB equation when applied with all ofits assumptions but it is possible to test its fundamentalapproach using non steady state data.     

The Importance of Selecting Appropriate Criteria for Calculating Acidity Critical Loads for Terrestrial Ecosystems Using the Simple Mass Balance Equation

The Simple Mass Balance (SMB) equationis commonly used throughout Europe for thecalculation of acidity critical loads for forestsoils. Different criteria can be set in themodel depending on whether the receptor (e.g. treeroots) is more sensitive to the toxic effects ofaluminium or to unfavourable pH conditions. Thispaper examines the effects on critical loadscalculations of using different criteria andcritical limits, and demonstrates the importanceof selecting the most appropriate and justifiablecriteria for the chosen receptor, since they caneffect the critical loads values obtained. Abrief review of the range of different criteriaand limits used throughout Europe is included. In addition, the gibbsite equilibrium constant,used in the SMB equation to represent therelationship between dissolved aluminium andhydrogen ions in soil solution, is discussed. This relationship is not generally described inthe literature as a criterion in the equation,but this work highlights the effects differentgibbsite values have on critical loadcalculations and the importance of applying themost appropriate value for the soil in therooting zone of the receptor.     

The Role of Mineral Weathering Rate Determinations in Generating Uncertainties in the Calculation of Critical Loads of Acidity and their Exceedance

Current legislation within Europe aimed at limitingecosystem damage resulting from inputs of atmosphericpollution is based on the critical load concept. Mineralweathering rates are central to the calculation ofcritical loads (acceptable levels) of acid deposition.The authors have undertaken a number of studies whichillustrate the complications and limitations inherent inpredicting mineral weathering rates and the implicationswhich these have for critical loads calculations andmapping. Calculated weathering rates and critical loadsfor two acid-sensitive parent materials (greywackes andgranites) are presented and are used to illustrate theimpact that uncertainty can have on critical loadexceedances. The results have obvious implications forportraying the uncertainties of critical loads to policy makers.     

Monitoring and Modelling of Ammonia Concentrations and Deposition in Agricultural Areas of The Netherlands

Passive samplers were used from 1996 to 1999 in a dense network to monitorthe concentrations of ammonia in air, in four agricultural areas in The Netherlands. To show representative patterns, sampling was not made within 50 m of livestock buildings and stores. The concentration of ammonia varies typically between 10 and 40 g m^-3 within a few kilometres in these areas. The interpretation of the measurements was supported by calculations with OPS, a Lagrangian dispersion model. Model calculations were based on a high-resolution database that included estimates of the ammonia emission of each farm in the area and emissions from surface application of manure at a 250 × 250 m scale. The model underestimated the observed ammonia concentrations by nearly a factor of two over most of the area. This result was attributed to underestimation of the ammonia emission in the models. And the ammonia emissions from field application of manure seem to be seriously underestimated. A detailed analysis of model results and measurements showed that the observed decrease of the ammonia concentration in the study period was partly due to changes in meteorological conditions during the study period and partly due to the reduced amount of manure applied in 1998.     

Implications of Heterogeneous Chemistry of Nitric Acid for Nitrogen Deposition to Marine Ecosystems: Observations and Modeling

Size resolved particle composition and nitric acid (HNO₃)measurements from the ASEPS'98 experiment conducted in the BalticSea are used to provide observational evidence of substantialgas-particle transfer of oxidized nitrogen (N) compounds in themarine boundary layer. We then focus on the importance ofHNO₃ reactions on sea salt particles in determining spatio-temporal patterns of N dry deposition to marine ecosystems.Modelling results obtained assuming no kinetic or chemical limiton HNO₃ uptake and horizontally homogeneous conditions withnear-neutral stability, indicate that for wind speeds 3.5 – 10 ms^-1 transfer of HNO₃ to the particle phase to formparticle nitrate (NO₃ ^-) may decrease the N depositionvelocity by 50%. We extend this research using the CHEM-COASTmodel to demonstrate that, in a sulphur poor environment undermoderate wind speeds with HNO₃ concentrations representativeof those found in the marine boundary layer, inclusion ofheterogeneous reactions on sea spray significantly reducesmodelled NO₃ ^- deposition in the near coastal zone.     

Critical review on the evolution,properties, and utilization of plasticwastes for construction applications

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Currently, most countries are burdened with the high generation of plastic wastes and the proper disposal of plastic wastes is a major challenge....