Transport and retention of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in sandy soils

A series of miscible-displacement experiments was conducted to examine the retention and transport behavior of oocysts in natural porous media. Three soils and a model sand were used that differed in physical and geochemical properties. Transport behavior was examined under various treatment conditions to help evaluate retention mechanisms. Significant retention of oocysts was observed for all media despite the fact that conditions were unfavorable for physicochemical interactions with respect to DLVO theory. The magnitude of retention was not influenced significantly by alterations in solution chemistry (reduction in ionic strength) or soil surface properties (removal of soil organic matter and metal oxides). On the basis of the observed results, it appears that retention by secondary energy minima or geochemical microdomains was minimal for these systems. The porous media used for the experiments exhibited large magnitudes of surface roughness, and it is suggested that this surface roughness contributed significantly to oocyst retention.     

Environmental load of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts from cattle manure in feedlots from the central and western United States

The first step in assessing the risk of water contamination by Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts from feedlot cattle (Bos taurus) production systems is to quantify the number of C. parvum oocysts present in the fecal material deposited by feedlot cattle. Our primary objective for this project was to estimate the daily environmental load of C. parvum oocysts in fecal material deposited by feedlot cattle from across the central and western USA. Our secondary goal was to genotype isolates of C. parvum from feedlot cattle to help facilitate proper identification of mammalian sources of waterborne C. parvum. Based on 5274 fecal samples from 22 feedlots in seven states (California, Washington, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and South Dakota), we estimated a point prevalence of C. parvum of 0.99 to 1.08% in fecal material from feedlot pens from a wide range of climates and a diverse range of feedlot management systems. On average, fresh fecal material from throughout feedlot systems (recent arrivals to nearing slaughter) contained about 1.3 to 3.6 oocysts/g feces, which roughly translates to about 2.8 x 10(4) to 1.4 x 10(5) oocysts/animal per day.     

Resiliency and Continuity: Hurricane Sandy and The City University of New York

Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) managers shoulder additional responsibilities with storm preparedness planning—and play host to storm evacuees     

Estuarine Shoreline Changes in Jamaica Bay, New York City: Implications for Management of an Urban National Park

The Jamaica Bay portion of Gateway National Recreation Area, located next to highly urbanized New York City, faces many challenges to preserve and protect its natural, cultural, and recreational resources. To aid in the management of the park resources, detailed estuarine shoreline analyses of Jamaica Bay were undertaken using imagery taken in 1951, 1974, and 2006. A 15-class land use/land cover (LULC) classification scheme was created after doing an initial examination of the types of LULC in the 2006 orthoimagery and then applied in the analyses of the previous years. By quantifying how and where the shoreline has changed over the past 60 years, park managers can better assess the impact of management practices by comparing LULC of the shoreline within the park boundary to the LULC of the shoreline outside the park boundary before and after the park was created in 1972. Despite the heavy development of New York City and the trend for shoreline modification, the overall shoreline of Jamaica Bay has maintained large percentages of undeveloped vegetation and sandy beaches. Much of the LULC change has occurred in the creeks as a result of dredging and shape modification for residential and commercial uses. Park management has been effective in limiting the alteration of undeveloped shoreline although there have been significant changes in the relative percentages of sand and vegetated beaches between 1974 and 2006.     

Options for management of municipal solid waste in New York City: a preliminary comparison of health risks and policy implications

Landfill disposal and waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration remain the two principal options for managing municipal solid waste (MSW). One critical determinant of the acceptability of these options is the different health risks associated with each. In this analysis relying on published data and exposure modeling, we have performed health risk assessments for landfill disposal versus WTE treatment options for the management of New York City's MSW. These are based on the realistic scenario of using a waste transfer station (WTS) in Brooklyn and then transporting the untreated MSW by truck to a landfill in Pennsylvania or using a WTE facility in Brooklyn and then transporting the resultant ash by truck to a landfill in Pennsylvania. The overall results indicate that the individual cancer risks for both options would be considered generally acceptable, although the risk from landfilling is approximately 5 times greater than from WTE treatment; the individual non-cancer health risks for both options would be considered generally unacceptable, although once again the risk from landfilling is approximately 5 times greater than from WTE treatment. If one considers only the population in Brooklyn that would be directly affected by the siting of either a WTS or a WTE facility in their immediate neighborhood, individual cancer and non-cancer health risks for both options would be considered generally acceptable, but risks for the former remain considerably higher than for the latter. These results should be considered preliminary due to several limitations of this study such as: consideration of risks only from inhalation exposures; assumption that only volume and not composition of the waste stream is altered by WTE treatment; reliance on data from the literature rather than actual measurements of the sites considered, assuming comparability of the sites. However, the results of studies such as this, in conjunction with ecological, socioeconomic and equity considerations, should prove useful to environmental managers, regulators, policy makers, community representatives and other stakeholders in making sound and acceptable decisions regarding the optimal handling of MSW.     

School building condition,school attendance,and academic achievement in New York City public schools: A mediation model

Little is known about how the condition of school facilities affects academic outcomes. This study examines the role of school attendance as a mediator in the relationship between facilities in disrepair and student grades in city and state tests. Data on building condition and results from English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (Math) standardized tests were analyzed using a sample of 95 elementary schools in New York City. Variables relevant to academic achievement such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, teacher quality, and school size were used as covariates. In run-down school facilities students attended less days on average and therefore had lower grades in ELA and Math standardized tests. Attendance was found to be a full mediator for grades in ELA and a partial mediator for grades in Math. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of building quality on academic outcomes and considers the social justice issues related to this phenomenon.     

Status and management of watersheds in the Upper Pokhara Valley,Nepal

Contributing to the debate on the causes of Himalayan environmental degradation, the status and management of four watersheds in the Upper Pokhara Valley were studied using information available from land use analysis, household surveys conducted in 1989 and 1992, deliberations held with villagers, and field observations. Accordingly, areas under forests and grazing lands were found being depleted at relatively high rates between 1957 and 1978 due mainly to the government policy of increasing national revenue by expansion of agricultural lands, nationalization of forests, steadily growing population, and dwindling household economy. Despite the steady growth of population, this process had remarkably slackened since 1978, owing primarily to remaining forests being located in very, steep slopes and implementation of the community forestry program. Forests with relatively sparase tree density, however, and grazing lands in the vicinity of settlements have been undergoing degradation due to fuelwood and fodder collection and livestock grazing. In many instances, this is aggravated by weak resource management institutions. Being particularly aware of the economic implication of land degradation, farmers have adopted assorted land management practices. Still a substantial proportion ofbari lands in the hill slopes is vulnerable to accelerating degradation, as the arable cropping system is being practiced there as well. The perpetuation of the local subsistence economy is certain to lead, to a further deterioration of the socioeconomic and environmental conditions of watersheds. To facilitate environmental conservation and ecorestructuring for sustainable development, a broad watershed management strategy is outlined with focus on alleviating pressure on natural resources.     

An Ecology of Prestige in New York City: Examining the Relationships Among Population Density,Socio-economic Status,Group Identity,and Residential Canopy Cover

Several social theories have been proposed to explain the uneven distribution of vegetation in urban residential areas: population density, social stratification, luxury effect, and ecology of prestige. We evaluate these theories using a combination of demographic and socio-economic predictors of vegetative cover on all residential lands in New York City. We use diverse data sources including the City’s property database, time-series demographic and socio-economic data from the US Census, and land cover data from the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Lab (SAL). These data are analyzed using a multi-model inferential, spatial econometrics approach. We also examine the distribution of vegetation within distinct market categories using Claritas’ Potential Rating Index for Zipcode Markets (PRIZM?) database. These categories can be disaggregated, corresponding to the four social theories. We compare the econometric and categorical results for validation. Models associated with ecology of prestige theory are more effective for predicting the distribution of vegetation. This suggests that private, residential patterns of vegetation, reflecting the consumption of environmentally relevant goods and services, are associated with different lifestyles and lifestages. Further, our spatial and temporal analyses suggest that there are significant spatial and temporal dependencies that have theoretical and methodological implications for understanding urban ecological systems. These findings may have policy implications. Decision makers may need to consider how to most effectively reach different social groups in terms of messages and messengers in order to advance land management practices and achieve urban sustainability.     

白山市发展新型墙体材料现状及分析

介绍了白山市粘土砖生产的基本情况以及利用固体废弃物生产墙体材料的现状,并提出了大力发展新型墙体材料的建议。     

Nitrate levels in shallow groundwater of upstate New York,USA

This paper summarizes research evaluating nitrate levels in shallow groundwater of upstate New York, USA. Water from abandoned dug wells in six different land-use categories was analyzed for nitrate. Findings indicate that regardless of overlying land-use, shallow groundwater is susceptible to high levels of nitrate. Over 60 percent of the water samples tested, including at least one sample from each land-use category, had nitrate levels in excess of the United States drinking water standard of 10 mg 1^–1. Due to the potential threat of elevated nitrate levels, efforts should be made to eliminate abandoned dug wells in shallow groundwater as a source of water supply.Glenn Harris is with the Environmental Studies Programme of St Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Brian Henry is with the Department of Entomology at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Jeffrey Deyette is with the joint International Relations and Resource and Environmental Management Programme at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. This research was performed as a Community Service Project sponsored by the Mergardt Fund while Mr Henry and Mr Deyette were students under the supervision of Dr Harris at St Lawrence University.     

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Fort Edward,New York,water system

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been determined in the water, in the soils and sediments, and in the biota of a small upstate New York public water supply system, which is near the heavily polluted section of the Hudson River and a disposal site for PCB-containing waste. The impounded water exhibits a significant and relatively uniform level of Aroclor 1016, whereas the ground and surface waters supplying the reservoir do not. Rainfall, which exhibits a high level of Aroclor 1016, constitutes a small but significant source of PCB input. Soil and sediment samples exhibit significant median levels of both Aroclor 1016 and Aroclor 1254, but the local concentrations vary widely. The biota exhibit much higher PCB levels than the water or sediments, and show a strong preference for Aroclor 1254. The PCB levels in the macroinvertebrates are particularly high, suggesting that these organisms may provide a useful indicator for monitoring PCB contamination in aquatic systems. Risk assessment indicates that the lifetime incremental risk of cancer associated with the drinking water is below 10^–6. Management of such low levels of PCB contamination is best achieved by reducing the input of PCBs.     

Environmental fate and impacts of sulfometuron on watersheds in the southern United States

Dissipation of sulfometuron (SM), methyl 2-[[[[(4,6-dimethyl-2-pyrimidinyl)amino]carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl] benzoate, in streamflow, sediment, plant tissue, litter, and soil following operational forestry applications at the target rate of 0.42 kg a.i. ha(-1) was monitored. Streamflow samples were collected at a weir on the perimeter and 30, 60, and 150 m downstream from the perimeter of the application site. Sulfometuron was detected in streamflow at low levels up to 29 days after treatment (DAT) on the watershed treated with the 75% dispersible granule formulation (Oust; DuPont Chemical Company, Wilmington, DE) and less than 53 DAT on the watershed treated with the experimental formulation (1% pellet). Twenty-four-hour average SM concentration in water ranged from not detected to a maximum of 49.3 microg L(-1). Sulfometuron was not detected at quantifiable levels (1 microg L(-1)) 150 m downstream. Stream sediment, vegetation, litter, and soil were sampled periodically up to 180 DAT. All samples were analyzed for SM by high performance liquid chromatography. Sulfometuron dissipated from these watersheds with half-lives that ranged from 4 d in plant tissues to 33 d in soil. Acidic soil solution on these treated watersheds contributed to their rapid dissipation. Environmental impacts are discussed for these watersheds in the context of available toxicological data.     

白城市环境保护工作新思路初探

对我国环保事业的发展历程进行了简单的介绍,分析了白城市环保工作面临的形势,并提出了白城市环保工作新思路。     

Should restoration of small western watersheds be public policy in the United States?

Additional research is needed to determine whether restoration of degraded watersheds in the western United States should become large-scale public policy. Numerous small projects have demonstrated that vegetation can be restored, sediment losses halted, and, in some cases, formerly ephemeral streams made perennial. But if all watersheds in a basin were restored, what would be the overall effects both ecologically and economically? For example, if large-scale restoration of small watersheds were conducted in a western river basin, what would be the effects on water yield and quality for the basin as a whole? Would implementing basin-wide watershed restoration be cost-effective? A means of examining this question is to monitor a watershed prior to and during the restoration process and to compare the results to a control watershed. The watersheds would be instrumented such that the ecological processes and water balance could be monitored both instream and within the associated groundwater system. Overall effects would then be subjected to economic and policy analysis, and modeling would be used to extrapolate the new information over the entire basin. These results would then be available to political leaders and government agencies for determining whether large-scale watershed restoration should be public policy.     

Septic systems as potential pollution sources in the Cannonsville Reservoir Watershed, New York

On-site septic systems require appropriate soil characteristics to provide effective wastewater treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate siting practices and treatment efficacy of on-site septic systems within the Cannonsville Reservoir watershed (115900 ha) in the state of New York. Using digital soil survey data, a database of on-site conditions was developed from more than 1100 existing septic system siting records. Soil map units were grouped into four classes based on their suitability to meet common septic system design criteria. A geographic information system was found to be a useful tool for assessment and visual display of septic system and landscape information. Geographic information system analysis indicated that while 80% of soils in the watershed were found to have characteristics that interfere with septic system function, 69% of septic systems installed were of designs suited for soils with no or few restrictive parameters. Since the designs of many septic systems have relied heavily on horizontal distance to streams (mean = 130 m) to provide adequate treatment, potential failures would lead to discharge of compounds of environmental concern, such as phosphorus, with public health implications. The results imply that many septic systems functioning in the watershed are in need of design improvements.     

Use of stream chemistry for monitoring acidic deposition effects in the Adirondack region of New York

Acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) and pH were measured weekly from October 1991 through September 2001 in three streams in the western Adirondack Mountain region of New York to identify trends in stream chemistry that might be related to changes in acidic deposition. A decreasing trend in atmospheric deposition of SO4/2- was observed within the region over the 10-yr period, although most of the decrease occurred between 1991 and 1995. Both ANC and pH were inversely related to flow in all streams; therefore, a trend analysis was conducted on (i) the measured values of ANC and pH and (ii) the residuals of the concentration-discharge relations. In Buck Creek, ANC increased significantly (p < 0.05) over the 10 yr, but the residuals of ANC showed no trend (p > 0.10). In Bald Mountain Brook, ANC and residuals of ANC increased significantly (p < 0.01), although the trend was diatonic-a distinct decrease from 1991 to 1996 was followed by a distinct increase from 1996 to 2001. In Fly Pond outlet, ANC and residuals of ANC increased over the study period (p < 0.01), although the trend of the residuals resulted largely from an abrupt increase in 1997. In general, the trends observed in the three streams are similar to results presented for Adirondack lakes in a previous study, and are consistent with the declining trend in atmospheric deposition for this region, although the observed trends in ANC and pH in streams could not be directly attributed to the trends in acidic deposition.