实验用水对总氮检测结果的影响

用RO纯水与超纯水分别作为实验用水,通过标准曲线及空白、标准样品、水样等总氮测定对比实验,发现两种实验用水的标准曲线及空白值、标准样品的检测均受控,但两种纯水对比实验显示相对于超纯水而言,RO纯水中有一定浓度的总氮,同时在水样检测中用RO纯水作实验用水测定值明显低于用超纯水作实验用水的测定值,其差值与RO纯水中总氮值相符。实验结果表明总氮检测中不能只以标准曲线、空白值和标准样品测定值作为受控标准,要考虑实验用水中硝酸根离子的影响。     

PRESERVATION OF SAMPLES FOR DISSOLVED MERCURY1

ABSTRACT: Water samples for dissolved mercury require special treatment because of the high chemical mobility and volatility of this element. Widespread use of mercury and its compounds has provided many avenues for contamination of water. Two laboratory tests were done to determine the relative permeabilities of glass and plastic sample bottles to mercury vapor. Plastic containers were confirmed to be quite permeable to airborne mercury, glass containers were virtually impermeable. Methods of preservation include the use of various combinations of acids, oxidants, and complexing agents. The combination of nitric acid and potassium dichromate successfully preserved mercury in a large variety of concentrations and dissolved forms. Because this acid-oxidant preservative acts as a sink for airborne mercury and plastic containers are permeable to mercury vapor, glass bottles are preferred for sample collection. To maintain a healthy work environment and minimize the potential for contamination of water samples, mercury and its compounds are isolated from the atmosphere while in storage. Concurrently, a program to monitor environmental levels of mercury vapor in areas of potential contamination is needed to define the extent of mercury contamination and to assess the effectiveness of mercury clean-up procedures.     

Impact of sampling techniques on measured stormwater quality data for small streams

Science-based sampling methodologies are needed to enhance water quality characterization for setting appropriate water quality standards, developing Total Maximum Daily Loads, and managing nonpoint source pollution. Storm event sampling, which is vital for adequate assessment of water quality in small (wadeable) streams, is typically conducted by manual grab or integrated sampling or with an automated sampler. Although it is typically assumed that samples from a single point adequately represent mean cross-sectional concentrations, especially for dissolved constituents, this assumption of well-mixed conditions has received limited evaluation. Similarly, the impact of temporal (within-storm) concentration variability is rarely considered. Therefore, this study evaluated differences in stormwater quality measured in small streams with several common sampling techniques, which in essence evaluated within-channel and within-storm concentration variability. Constituent concentrations from manual grab samples and from integrated samples were compared for 31 events, then concentrations were also compared for seven events with automated sample collection. Comparison of sampling techniques indicated varying degrees of concentration variability within channel cross sections for both dissolved and particulate constituents, which is contrary to common assumptions of substantial variability in particulate concentrations and of minimal variability in dissolved concentrations. Results also indicated the potential for substantial within-storm (temporal) concentration variability for both dissolved and particulate constituents. Thus, failing to account for potential cross-sectional and temporal concentration variability in stormwater monitoring projects can introduce additional uncertainty in measured water quality data.     

IDENTIFICATION OF AN OPTIMAL SAMPLING STRATEGY FOR A CONSTRUCTED WETLAND1

ABSTRACT: The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of sampling frequency and sampling type on estimates of monthly nutrient loads and flow‐weighted nutrient concentrations in a constructed wetland. Phosphorus and nitrogen loads and concentrations entering and leaving a subtropical wetland (the Everglades Nutrient Removal Project, ENRP) were calculated on the basis of three sampling frequencies. The first frequency included weekly composite samples (three daily samples composited for one week) and grab samples from August 1994 to July 1997, representing a base‐line condition for comparison with results using reduced sampling frequencies. The second and third sampling frequency included three and two composite samples per month, respectively, drawn from the weekly samples. Total phosphorus and nitrogen loads calculated using two and three samples per month were almost identical to results based on four samples per month (least‐squares regression coefficients ranged from 0.96 to 0.98). Results of monthly mean flow‐weighted nutrient concentrations, obtained using reduced sampling frequencies, also were strongly correlated to concentrations calculated using the base‐line sampling frequency (r²ranged from 0.82 to 0.93). Grab samples did not always provide good estimates of loads or concentrations, particularly at the inflow when data were highly variable. From the results of this study, we can recommend that bi‐weekly composite sampling be used to monitor nutrient concentrations and loads discharged from larger‐scale Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) now under construction. Because there are high costs associated with water sample collection and processing, studies to identify optimal sampling frequencies should be a key feature in the design of any comprehensive wetland‐monitoring program.     

Farmyards, an overlooked source for highly contaminated runoff

Summer sampling of storm runoff generated from areas of roofs and hardstanding situated on four dairy/beef farms has provided novel information regarding its microbiological and chemical quality. All farm hardstandings generated runoff that was contaminated with respect to those pollutants (faecal coliforms, FC, and faecal streptococci, FS, major nutrients, organic carbon) that are ubiquitously associated with faecal matter and urine. The separate analysis of roof runoff indicated that these can contribute significant concentrations of FS, phosphorus (P) and potentially toxic elements such as zinc (Zn), and suggests a level of 'background' contamination originating from wash-off of bird droppings and in the case of Zn galvanised surfaces. On average hardstanding runoff showed enhanced concentrations of >4 orders of magnitude for FC and 2-3 for major nutrients and carbon relative to roof runoff. Organic forms of nitrogen (N) and P contributed significantly (averaging >40%) to the total dissolved fraction in both roof and hardstanding runoff. Part of the substantial variability in composition of runoff samples could be attributed to differences between farms as well as the timing of sample collection during individual storms. Where situations allowed, a comparison of water upstream and downstream of the farmyard demonstrated they acted as a source of multiple contaminants not only during hydrologically active storm events but also during dry periods. Contamination pathways included a combination of both point (e.g., septic overflows) and non-point (e.g., seepage from livestock housing) sources. Farmyards situated within intensive livestock farming areas such as SW Scotland, would be expected to have significant local and accumulated downstream impacts on the aquatic environment. Localised impacts would be particularly important for headwaters and low order streams.     

Transport and fate of nitrate in a glacial outwash aquifer in relation to ground water age,land use practices,and redox processes

A combination of ground water modeling, chemical and dissolved gas analyses, and chlorofluorocarbon age dating of water was used to determine the relation between changes in agricultural practices, and NO3- concentrations in ground water of a glacial outwash aquifer in west-central Minnesota. The results revealed a redox zonation throughout the saturated zone with oxygen reduction occurring near the water table, NO3- reduction immediately below it, and then a large zone of ferric iron reduction, with a small area of sulfate (SO4(2-)) reduction and methanogenesis (CH4) near the end of the transsect. Analytical and NETPATH modeling results supported the hypothesis that organic carbon served as the electron donor for the redox reactions. Denitrification rates were quite small, 0.005 to 0.047 mmol NO3- yr(-1), and were limited by the small amounts of organic carbon, 0.01 to 1.45%. In spite of the organic carbon limitation, denitrification was virtually complete because residence time is sufficient to allow even slow processes to reach completion. Ground water sample ages showed that maximum residence times were on the order of 50 to 70 yr. Reconstructed NO3- concentrations, estimated from measured NO3- and dissolved N gas showed that NO3- concentrations have been increasing in the aquifer since the 1940s, and have been above the 714 micromol L(-1) maximum contaminant level at most sites since the mid- to late-1960s. This increase in NO3- has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in agricultural use of fertilizer, identified as the major source of NO3- to the aquifer.     

The short-term effects of prescribed burning on biomass removal and the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in a treatment wetland

Nutrient removal by constructed wetlands can decline over time due to the accumulation of organic matter. A prescribed burn is one of many management strategies used to remove detritus in macrophyte-dominated systems. We quantified the short-term effects on effluent water quality and the amount of aboveground detritus removed from a prescribed burn event. Surface water outflow concentrations were approximately three times higher for P and 1.5 times higher for total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN) following the burn event when compared to the control. The length of time over which the fire effect was significant (P < 0.05), 3 d for TKN and up to 23 d for P fractions. Over time, the concentration of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in the effluent decreased, but was compensated with increases in dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and particulate phosphorus (PP), such that net total P remained the same. Total aboveground biomass decreased by 68.5% as a result of the burn, however, much of the live vegetation was converted to standing dead material. These results demonstrate that a prescribed burn can significantly decrease the amount of senescent organic matter in a constructed wetland. However, short-term nutrient releases following the burn could increase effluent nutrient concentrations. Therefore, management strategies should include hydraulically isolating the burned area immediately following the burn event to prevent nutrient export.     

Grab versus composite sampling: A primer for the manager and engineer

Effluent subsamples are usually aggregated into flow or time proportional samples before analysis. Although this provides information on average process conditions, that on process variability is lost by compositing. Fisher's information is defined and used to estimate the loss due to compositing. The results of simulations based on parameters derived from actual waste streams support the fact that random grabs serve as well as composite samples for monitoring purposes. These findings favor changes in regulatory practice to allow compliance to be demonstrated by grab sample averages. Reporting requirements based on moving averages are shown to be inferior to those based on averages taken over nonoverlapping time periods.     

有机污染物应急监测的样品前处理技术

样品前处理是有机污染物应急监测中的重要环节。介绍了热分离进样杆、分散液液微萃取、搅拌棒吸附萃取、固相微萃取等适合于有机污染物应急监测的样品前处理技术,并概述了它们在环境分析领域的应用进展。如何将这些前处理技术与自身拥有的应急监测设备有效结合是环境监测技术人员亟待解决的问题。     

原子荧光法测定污泥中总汞的不确定度评定

对王水消解-原子荧光法测定污泥中总汞的不确定度进行评定,从测定过程和计算方法的角度,对样品称量、曲线拟合、样品消解、稀释、仪器测量重复性及污泥含水率等影响不确定度的分量进行分析。结果表明：影响原子荧光法测定污泥中总汞的不确定度的主要因素是工作曲线的非线性和样品消解过程造成的损失,其次是样品消解液的稀释和仪器重复测定,而样品称量与污泥含水率的影响较小,可忽略不计。     

Spatial variability of soil carbon in forested and cultivated sites: implications for change detection

The potential to sequester atmospheric carbon in agricultural and forest soils to offset greenhouse gas emissions has generated interest in measuring changes in soil carbon resulting from changes in land management. However, inherent spatial variability of soil carbon limits the precision of measurement of changes in soil carbon and hence, the ability to detect changes. We analyzed variability of soil carbon by intensively sampling sites under different land management as a step toward developing efficient soil sampling designs. Sites were tilled cropland and a mixed deciduous forest in Tennessee, and old-growth and second-growth coniferous forest in western Washington, USA. Six soil cores within each of three microplots were taken as an initial sample and an additional six cores were taken to simulate resampling. Soil C variability was greater in Washington than in Tennessee, and greater in less disturbed than in more disturbed sites. Using this protocol, our data suggest that differences on the order of 2.0 Mg C ha(-1) could be detected by collection and analysis of cores from at least five (tilled) or two (forest) microplots in Tennessee. More spatial variability in the forested sites in Washington increased the minimum detectable difference, but these systems, consisting of low C content sandy soil with irregularly distributed pockets of organic C in buried logs, are likely to rank among the most spatially heterogeneous of systems. Our results clearly indicate that consistent intramicroplot differences at all sites will enable detection of much more modest changes if the same microplots are resampled.     

活性炭纤维在油田采出废水处理中的应用

针对油田采出废水的特点,以粘胶基活性炭纤维为原料,经二次炭化和二次活化方式处理制得ACF样品。以ACF为过滤材料,对延长某采油厂经过沉降、分离处理后的采油废水进行动态吸附实验,实验结果表明:经水蒸汽二次活化得到的ACF样品对选用的油田废水处理效果最佳,其悬浮物颗粒粒径中值0.496μm(<1.0μm)、悬浮物含量为0.77mg/L(<1.0mg/L)。     

土壤有机质测定全程质量控制

质量控制是环境监测赖以生存和发展基础,加强全程质量控制才能确保监测数据的准确性和可靠性。结合环境监测工作实际,应用标准分析方法—重铬酸钾容量法《土壤检测第6部分:土壤有机质的测定》(NY/T 1121.6-2006)对土壤有机质测定进行了全程质量控制技术探讨。简介了方法所需仪器与试剂,深入探讨了运用标准法进行土壤中有机质测定全程质量控制技术问题。指出在标准分析方法基础上,选用有效期内质量合格分析纯以上试剂,全面规范样品采集与保存,有序开展样品制备与称取,严格管控消煮操作与滴定过程,准确进行分析结果数据处理,切实加强结果填报规定程式,能够确保大批量、成分复杂土壤样品有机质测定精密度和准确度。     

Changes in Extractable Metal Concentrations During Storage of Surface Water Samples Containing Sediments1

ABSTRACT: Changes in metal concentrations during storage of acidified water samples were studied. Water samples with high concentrations of suspended sediment were collected from the Fraser River, British Columbia. These samples were analyzed for “extractable” metals, which are defined to be the dissolved metals plus those metals extracted from suspended sediment by dilute mineral acid. Concentrations of extractable Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn, and Cd were determined over time. Metal concentrations in these water samples were not stable and showed significant increases throughout the storage period. These results suggest that the extractable metal technique is inappropriate for the analysis of water samples containing suspended sediment.     

紫外法测定水质中总氮的影响因素研究

结合紫外法测定水质中总氮空白校正吸光度值易偏高、测定结果准确度低的问题,分别从检测试剂含氮量、选择实验用水、清洗玻璃器皿、改进实验操作、改进消解环境等多个方面分析了各影响因素对总氮测定的影响,相应提出了采用测定含氮量的方法筛选试剂、新制备的去离子水作为总氮实验用水、每次总氮实验使用新刷好的器皿、增加颠倒混匀步骤提高测定结果的准确度和精密度、高压蒸汽灭菌器应定时清洗换水等对策与建议。     

A Review on the Present Scenario of Air Quality Associated with Indian Mining Operations

Compositional changes to air quality from coal mining are not only the most visible impact from these activities on the environment, they can also immediately affect the health of mine professionals and adjoining populations. The presence of gases and suspended solids emitted by mining activities affects the human respiratory system and decreases production in mines. This article summarizes a case study of several Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) coal mines with an emphasis on particulate matter (PM) to report the status of air quality connected to coal production and overburden removal. The concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), and suspended particulate matter (SPM) reported in the literature are also summarized in table form to allow comparisons to the permissible standards set by the Indian Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and other standards used around the world. An up‐to‐date status of air quality at coal mines is compared for mines located in different parts of India. Subsequently, all coal mines were divided into different classes in regard to the severity of their emissions. These classes are, in increasing order of severity, green, yellow, red, and black. SPM measurements were tabulated in regard to concentration and composition. Our article concludes with the recommendation that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) to be conducted to better characterize changes in the environment from mining emissions to develop integrated mitigation measures and to identify additional parameters to define air quality at mines.     

Simplified method for detecting tritium contamination in plants and soil

Cost-effective methods are needed to identify the presence and distribution of tritium near radioactive waste disposal and other contaminated sites. The objectives of this study were to (i) develop a simplified sample preparation method for determining tritium contamination in plants and (ii) determine if plant data could be used as an indicator of soil contamination. The method entailed collection and solar distillation of plant water from foliage, followed by filtration and adsorption of scintillation-interfering constituents on a graphite-based solid phase extraction (SPE) column. The method was evaluated using samples of creosote bush [Larrea tridentata (Sessé & Moc. ex DC.) Coville], an evergreen shrub, near a radioactive disposal area in the Mojave Desert. Laboratory tests showed that a 2-g SPE column was necessary and sufficient for accurate determination of known tritium concentrations in plant water. Comparisons of tritium concentrations in plant water determined with the solar distillation-SPE method and the standard (and more laborious) toluene-extraction method showed no significant difference between methods. Tritium concentrations in plant water and in water vapor of root-zone soil also showed no significant difference between methods. Thus, the solar distillation-SPE method provides a simple and cost-effective way to identify plant and soil contamination. The method is of sufficient accuracy to facilitate collection of plume-scale data and optimize placement of more sophisticated (and costly) monitoring equipment at contaminated sites. Although work to date has focused on one desert plant, the approach may be transferable to other species and environments after site-specific experiments.     

样品保存方法对阳极溶出伏安法测定时的影响

对海水中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd的日常监测分析方法进行了调查,结果表明在调查范围内阳极溶出伏安法使用数量最高。通过实验研究了不添加保存剂、加浓HNO3、加浓HClO4对阳极溶出伏安法测定海水Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd的影响。发现不添加保存剂时4种金属峰电位变化范围大、出现频次分散,分析方法灵敏度下降。不同类型酸对阳极溶出伏安法测定Pb、Zn、Cd时的峰电位变化影响不大,加浓HNO3时Cu的峰电位变化小于加浓HClO4。根据实验结果,推荐使用保存剂为浓HNO3。     

测定水样中化学需氧量的不确定度

对化学需氧量测定的不确定度进行合理评定,应充分考虑测定过程中的不确定度来源。建立了重铬酸钾法测定水样中化学需氧量不确定度的数学模型,对组成化学需氧量的各个因子的不确定度分量进行了详尽的分析和计算,得出了本次样品CODCr的测定结果为72.2mg/L,扩展不确定度为3.8mg/L。     

The Effects of Three Chemical Algaecides on Cell Numbers and Toxin Content of the Cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Anabaenopsis sp.

Toxic cyanobacteria blooms are a growing concern for public health and safety, due in part to the production of the hepatotoxin microcystin by certain species, including Microcystis aeruginosa. Management strategies for controlling cyanobacteria blooms include algaecide treatments, often with copper sulfate, and more recently oxidizers such as sodium percarbonate that produce hydrogen peroxide. This study assessed the effects of two copper-containing algaecides and one sodium percarbonate-containing algaecide on mitigating cell numbers and toxin content of cultured M. aeruginosa and summer (July) bloom samples of Anabaenopsis sp. in a brackish stormwater detention pond. Monitoring of the bloom revealed that Anabaenopsis sp. was associated with elevated levels of orthophosphate compared to nitrogen (dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphorus ratios were 0.19–1.80), and the bloom decline (September–October) was likely due to lower autumn water temperatures combined with potential grazing by the dinoflagellate Protoperidinium quinquecorne. Laboratory-based algaecide experiments included three dose levels, and cyanobacteria cell numbers and microcystin concentrations (particulate and dissolved) were evaluated over 7 d. Following exposure, copper-containing treatments generally had lower cell numbers than either sodium percarbonate-containing or control (no algaecide) treatments. Addition of algaecides did not reduce overall microcystin levels, and a release of toxin from the particulate to dissolved phase was observed in most treatments. These findings indicate that algaecide applications may visibly control cyanobacteria bloom densities, but not necessarily toxin concentrations, and have implications for public health and safety.