Characterization of atmospheric contaminant sources using adaptive evolutionary algorithms

The characteristics of an unknown source of emissions in the atmosphere are identified using an Adaptive Evolutionary Strategy (AES) methodology based on ground concentration measurements and a Gaussian plume model. The AES methodology selects an initial set of source characteristics including position, size, mass emission rate, and wind direction, from which a forward dispersion simulation is performed. The error between the simulated concentrations from the tentative source and the observed ground measurements is calculated. Then the AES algorithm prescribes the next tentative set of source characteristics. The iteration proceeds towards minimum error, corresponding to convergence towards the real source.The proposed methodology was used to identify the source characteristics of 12 releases from the Prairie Grass field experiment of dispersion, two for each atmospheric stability class, ranging from very unstable to stable atmosphere. The AES algorithm was found to have advantages over a simple canonical ES and a Monte Carlo (MC) method which were used as benchmarks.     

The application of a simplified method to map the aerobic acetate mineralization rates at the groundwater table of the Netherlands

A simplified method is used to assess the microbial activity of subsoils and soils across a broad geographic scale. Acetate was selected because it is a major intermediate in catabolic biochemical pathways. In order to get minimal disturbance, only a small amount of tritium labelled acetate and water is added to the subsoil material. After an incubation time, the subsoil material is separated from the water by centrifugation and the formed tritium labelled water is separated from the remaining acetate by evaporation. The data of 128 locations in the Netherlands were plotted in a soil map and were also compared with the depth, dry weight, electric conductivity, pH and nitrate concentration. The peat areas consisted of limed meadows with a high groundwater level whereas the sand areas often showed deeper groundwater levels and a lower pH. The subsoils at the groundwater table of the peat areas, which are in contact with soil air, showed a higher mineralization rate compared with the surface soils in our study. In contrast, the mineralization rate of the subsoil at the groundwater table of sandy soils showed on average a factor 30 lower rate. Nevertheless, the self purification capacity of the subsoil can be vital under weather conditions where the surface soil becomes less active.     

Assessment of groundwater vulnerability in coastal zone using SI method and GIS: case study of Bouficha aquifer (northeast Tunisia)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nowadays, groundwater is under stress due to contamination, over-exploitation, seawater intrusion, climate change, etc. The groundwater contamination...     

Developing slow-release persulfate candles to treat BTEX contaminated groundwater

The development of slow-release chemical oxidants for sub-surface remediation is a relatively new technology. Our objective was to develop slow-release persulfate-paraffin candles to treat BTEX-contaminated groundwater. Laboratory-scale candles were prepared by heating and mixing Na₂S₂O₈ with paraffin in a 2.25 to 1 ratio (w/w), and then pouring the heated mixture into circular molds that were 2.38 cm long and either 0.71 or 1.27 cm in diameter. Activator candles were prepared with FeSO₄ or zerovalent iron (ZVI) and wax. By treating benzoic acid and BTEX compounds with slow-release persulfate and ZVI candles, we observed rapid transformation of all contaminants. By using ¹⁴C-labeled benzoic acid and benzene, we also confirmed mineralization (conversion to CO2) upon exposure to the candles. As the candles aged and were repeatedly exposed to fresh solutions, contaminant transformation rates slowed and removal rates became more linear (zero-order); this change in transformation kinetics mimicked the observed dissolution rates of the candles. By stacking persulfate and ZVI candles on top of each other in a saturated sand tank (14 × 14 × 2.5 cm) and spatially sampling around the candles with time, the dissolution patterns of the candles and zone of influence were determined. Results showed that as the candles dissolved and persulfate and iron diffused out into the sand matrix, benzoic acid or benzene concentrations (C_o = 1 mM) decreased by >90% within 7 d. These results support the use of slow-release persulfate and ZVI candles as a means of treating BTEX compounds in contaminated groundwater.     

3(in Chinese)基于随机-模糊耦合的填埋场地下水污染风险评价方法

为分析参数不确定性对填埋场渗漏风险评估结果的影响,构建了填埋场地下水污染风险评价的物理过程模型,在此基础上,分别采用模糊理论和概率理论刻画模糊不确定性参数和随机不确定性参数,同时采用基于随机理论的Monte Carlo方法模拟模糊不确定参数,最终构建了基于模糊随机耦合的填埋场地下水污染风险评价方法。采用该模型对东北某一般工业固废填埋场进行案例研究,结果表明,实测浓度在模型模拟的的浓度区间(10%~90%分位值浓度)之内。说明本模型构建的模糊-随机耦合的地下水污染风险评价模型能较准确地预测地下水中污染物实际浓度,可以用于填埋场地下水污染风险评价.风险评估结果表明,该填埋场地下水的潜在污染物为As和Mn,其中As为主要健康风险物质,其非致癌风险值超过风险可接受水平的概率为22%,致癌风险超过10-4的概率为33%,超过10-5的概率为86%,应该采取措施控制含As填埋废物中As的溶出,降低其环境风险;Mn的非致癌风险值小于风险可接受水平的概率为100%,无风险。     

Analysis of munitions constituents in groundwater using a field-portable GC-MS

The use of munitions constituents (MCs) at military installations can produce soil and groundwater contamination that requires periodic monitoring even after training or manufacturing activities have ceased. Traditional groundwater monitoring methods require large volumes of aqueous samples (e.g., 2-4 L) to be shipped under chain of custody, to fixed laboratories for analysis. The samples must also be packed on ice and shielded from light to minimize degradation that may occur during transport and storage. The laboratory’s turn-around time for sample analysis and reporting can be as long as 45 d. This process hinders the reporting of data to customers in a timely manner; yields data that are not necessarily representative of current site conditions owing to the lag time between sample collection and reporting; and incurs significant shipping costs for samples.The current work compares a field portable Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) for analysis of MCs on-site with traditional laboratory-based analysis using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV absorption detection. The field method provides near real-time (within ∼1 h of sampling) concentrations of MCs in groundwater samples. Mass spectrometry provides reliable confirmation of MCs and a means to identify unknown compounds that are potential false positives for methods with UV and other non-selective detectors.     

Comparison of different groundwater vulnerability evaluation models of typical karst areas in north China: a case of Hebi City

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Groundwater pollution is a serious problem in north China. However, the study on the vulnerability of karst groundwater is mainly in south China, and...     

Predicting natural attenuation of xylene in groundwater using a numerical model.

The aquifer beneath an abandoned refinery in the Lower Rhine area, Germany, was contaminated with a number of different mineral oil products. Groundwater sampling in the area around the former xylene plant revealed that a xylene plume had developed in the underlying groundwater, and moreover, that there is strong evidence for in situ microbial xylene degradation with oxygen, nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron as electron acceptors. In order to prevent further xylene spreading, three pumping wells extracting contaminated water were installed downgradient of the spill zone. The numerical reactive transport code Transport Biochemisty Chemistry (TBC) was applied to this situation to quantify the relation of microbial degradation to xylene removal by the pumping wells. It could be shown that the unamended in situ degradation was an appreciable xylene removal process that contributed to about one-third to the total xylene removal (degradation plus extraction). A further objective of the model application was to predict xylene spreading under regional flow conditions, i.e. without operation of the three pumping wells, to consider the possible effects of natural xylene attenuation. To accomplish this, the model calibrated for the situation with operating wells was transferred to the hydraulic situation of regional flow while retaining the parameters of the biochemical model. It turned out that the xylene plume that is expected to develop downgradient of the source area will be limited to an extension of not more than 1000 m. An interesting feature of the simulations results was that xylene degradation under iron-reducing conditions, which was of minor importance for the situation with operating pumping wells, becomes the dominant degradation mechanism under regional flow conditions. Moreover, iron reduction will be the key process in controlling plume evolution. The model application illustrates that multi-species reactive transport models are needed to adequately transfer reactive processes from one hydraulic situation to another, while single species models are not suited for this predictive task.     

A screening method for preliminary assessment of risk to groundwater from land-applied chemicals

A simple mathematical model for initial screening is presented that can aid in evaluating the relative risk to groundwater from applying nonpolar synthetic organic chemicals to soil. The basic premise is that the magnitude of the quotient of the chemical concentration of the water entering the aquifer and the maximum allowable concentration (as established by EPA or Health Departments) represents the health risk of a chemical. The chemical concentration of the soil water is estimated based on conservative, simplifying assumptions and requires only readily available data such as: basic soil properties (organic matter and saturated hydraulic conductivity), organic chemical properties (octanol-water partition coefficient and degradation rate) and environmental factors (recharge rate and depth to groundwater).The methodology was applied to assess the relative risk of organic chemicals in municipal sewage sludge and pesticides applied to agricultural land. The results are realistic.     

Groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping using GIS, modeling and a fuzzy logic tool

A groundwater vulnerability and risk mapping assessment, based on a source-pathway-receptor approach, is presented for an urban coastal aquifer in northeastern Brazil. A modified version of the DRASTIC methodology was used to map the intrinsic and specific groundwater vulnerability of a 292 km(2) study area. A fuzzy hierarchy methodology was adopted to evaluate the potential contaminant source index, including diffuse and point sources. Numerical modeling was performed for delineation of well capture zones, using MODFLOW and MODPATH. The integration of these elements provided the mechanism to assess groundwater pollution risks and identify areas that must be prioritized in terms of groundwater monitoring and restriction on use. A groundwater quality index based on nitrate and chloride concentrations was calculated, which had a positive correlation with the specific vulnerability index.     

氢自养脱氮法去除污染地下水中硝酸盐氮的模拟研究

针对硝酸盐氮污染地下水,利用含水层介质培养驯化氢自养脱氮菌,借助静态实验,开展氢自养脱氮的室内研究,考察了初始NO3--N浓度、C/N、P/N、溶解氧（DO）和腐殖酸（HA）对脱氮能力的影响。结果表明,当初始NO3--N浓度为11 mg·L-1时,反应7 d后去除率为97.0%;当初始值分别为22和44 mg·L-1时,13 d后去除率为97.9%和60.7%。在C/N ≤ 2：1时,生成的NO2--N峰值达3.45 mg·L-1。当C/N=15：1~20：1时,去除率增加至97.1%~97.8%,NO2--N为0.12~0.35 mg·L-1。当P/N由0.03：1增加至0.29：1时,去除率由76.5%上升至98.1%。当DO≤1.98 mg·L-1时,去除率为93.7%~96.8%;当DO≥3.87 mg·L-1时,去除率降低至84.1%~88.5%。当HA由0.05 mg·L-1增加至38.75 mg·L-1时,去除率为96.8%~98.1%,同时与初始HA相比残留HA呈降低趋势。初始NO3--N浓度、C/N、P/N和DO显著影响氢自养脱氮性能。HA抑制自养脱氮性能,且HA存在时部分NO3--N被异养脱氮去除。     

Linking a one-dimensional pesticide fate model to a three-dimensional groundwater model to simulate pollution risks of shallow and deep groundwater underlying fractured till

The one-dimensional pesticide fate model MACRO was loose-linked to the three-dimensional discrete fracture/matrix diffusion model FRAC3DVS to describe transport of the pesticide mecoprop in a fractured moraine till and local sand aquifer (5-5.5 m depth) overlying a regional limestone aquifer (16 m depth) at Havdrup, Denmark. Alternative approaches to describe the upper boundary in the groundwater model were examined. Field-scale simulations were run to compare a uniform upper boundary condition with a spatially variable upper boundary derived from Monte-Carlo simulations with MACRO. Plot-scale simulations were run to investigate the influence of the temporal resolution of the upper boundary conditions for fluxes in the groundwater model and the effects of different assumptions concerning the macropore/fracture connectivity between the two models. The influence of within-field variability of leaching on simulated mecoprop concentrations in the local aquifer was relatively small. A fully transient simulation with FRAC3DVS gave 20 times larger leaching to the regional aquifer compared to the case with steady-state water flow, assuming full connectivity with respect to macropores/fractures across the boundary between the two models. For fully transient simulations 'disconnecting' the macropores/fractures at the interface between the two models reduced leaching by a factor 24. A fully connected, transient simulation with FRAC3DVS, with spatially uniform upper boundary fluxes derived from a MACRO simulation with 'effective' parameters is therefore recommended for assessing leaching risks to the regional aquifer, at this, and similar sites.     

Application of first-order reliability method to modelling the fate and transport of benzene in groundwater

Parameter uncertainty plays a significant role in decision making regarding groundwater contamination and remediation, especially for non-conservative chemicals. This paper presents a probabilistic screening model to accommodate parameter uncertainty in the aquifer media, and physical–chemical parameters, using the first-order reliability method (FORM). The application of the developed model is illustrated on transport of benzene in groundwater. The results matched those obtained using the Monte Carlo simulation method, with a smaller number of functional evaluations. Parametric studies were conducted to estimate the effect of various parameters on the results.     

可降解餐盒去除地下水硝酸盐的砂槽模拟实验研究

采用室内砂槽实验装置,研究了以可降解餐盒(BMB)为反硝化碳源的生物反应器对于模拟污水中硝酸盐的去除效果及其影响因素。结果表明,以BMB为反硝化碳源的反应器启动时间短。当进水硝酸盐浓度为50 mg/L,水温为25℃,水力停留时间为1.15 d时,硝酸盐的去除率可达92.6%以上,实验过程中出现亚硝酸盐积累,出水TOC浓度上升,但反应稳定后亚硝酸盐浓度均低于0.1 mg/L,且TOC浓度有下降趋势;水力停留时间减小或者进水硝酸盐浓度增加均能使得脱氮效率降低,但当水力停留时间在0.57~1.15 d,进水硝酸盐浓度在50~80 mg/L范围变化时,反应器硝酸盐去除效率仍能达到80%以上;温度对反硝化作用影响较大,当温度为(20±1)℃时,硝酸盐的去除效率仅为62.0%、74.4%和97.5%。     

Prediction of groundwater nitrate concentration in a semiarid region using hybrid Bayesian artificial intelligence approaches

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nitrate is a major pollutant in groundwater whose main source is municipal wastewater and agricultural activities. In the present study, Bayesian...     

Remediation of organic and inorganic arsenic contaminated groundwater using a nanocrystalline TiO2-based adsorbent

A nanocrystalline TiO₂-based adsorbent was evaluated for the simultaneous removal of As(V), As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in contaminated groundwater. Batch experimental results show that As adsorption followed pseudo-second order rate kinetics. The competitive adsorption was described with the charge distribution multi-site surface complexation model (CD-MUSIC). The groundwater containing an average of 329 μg L^?1 As(III), 246 μg L^?1 As(V), 151 μg L^?1 MMA, and 202 μg L^?1 DMA was continuously passed through a TiO₂ filter at an empty bed contact time of 6 min for 4 months. Approximately 11 000, 14 000, and 9900 bed volumes of water had been treated before the As(III), As(V), and MMA concentration in the effluent increased to 10 μg L^?1. However, very little DMA was removed. The EXAFS results demonstrate the existence of a bidentate binuclear As(V) surface complex on spent adsorbent, indicating the oxidation of adsorbed As(III).     

基于时序蒙特卡罗方法的某铬盐场污染地下水泄漏风险

突发性污染地下水泄漏对周围水环境的影响具有重要研究意义。借鉴时序蒙特卡罗(SMC)方法来模拟污染源运行状态,并结合相应的河流水质模型,对污染地下水泄漏后造成的河流水质超标风险概率进行研究;利用健康风险评价模型,对污染物泄漏时水环境造成的人体健康风险进行评价。以某铬盐场为例验证该方法的稳定性和实用性。结果表明,该场地受污染的地下水对人体健康产生的危害程度为中级,其超标风险概率随模拟时间的增加而趋于稳定。     

Simultaneous removal of nitrate and pentachlorophenol from simulated groundwater using a biodenitrification reactor packed with corncob

Both nitrate and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are familiar pollutants in aqueous environment. This research is focused on the simultaneous removal of nitrate and PCP from simulated contaminated groundwater using a laboratory-scale denitrification reactor packed with corncob as both carbon source and biofilm support. The reactor could be started up readily, and the removal efficiencies of nitrate and PCP reached up to approximately 98 % and 40–45 % when their initial concentrations were 50 mg N/L and 5 mg/L, respectively, after 15-day continuous operation at 10 h of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and 25 °C. Approximately 91 % of PCP removal efficiency was achieved, with 2.47 mg/L of chloride ion release at 24 h of HRT. Eighty-two percent of chlorine in PCP removed was ionized. The productions of 3-chlorophenol and phenol and chloride ion release indicate that the reductive dechlorination reaction is a major degradation pathway of PCP under the experimental conditions.     

The lanthanum precipitation method. Part 1: a new method for technetium(IV) speciation in humic rich natural groundwater

A new and quick method for direct speciation of Tc(IV) in humic rich solutions, based on the induced aggregation of humic substances in the presence of the trivalent cation La(3+), is presented. This method (the "La-precipitation method") allows flocculating all the humic substances and also the Tc(IV) associated with humic substances. The method is tested on solutions containing Tc(IV) and Gorleben humic substances. The influence of different parameters (humic substance concentration, Tc concentration, reaction time and pH) is investigated on the observed free Tc(IV) concentration after precipitation of all humic substances. None of these parameters had a (significant) influence on the observed Tc(IV) concentration in solution after addition of La(3+) to Tc(IV)-HS containing solutions. It is therefore proposed that the method can be used to separate the Tc(IV) bound to humic substances from the free inorganic Tc species in solution.     

Developing a method for assessing environmental sustainability based on the Google Earth Engine platform

Environmental sustainability is the foundation and of great significance for the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. Taking the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration as an example, we developed a method to effectively assess long-term regional environmental sustainability based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. We used the GEE to obtain 5206 Landsat remote sensing images in the region from 1983 to 2016 and developed the comprehensive environmental index (CEI) to assess regional environmental sustainability based on the theme-oriented framework proposed by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. We found that the environmental sustainability of the urban agglomeration showed a trend of first rising, then falling, and then rising again in the past 30 years. The average CEI increased from 0.621 to 0.631 from 1985 to 1990, dropped to the lowest value of 0.618 in 2000, and then rose to the highest value of 0.672 in 2015. In particular, the extent of areas in which environmental sustainability improved (56% of the region) was greater than the extent of areas in which environmental deterioration occurred. The environmental sustainability of Hengshui, Xingtai, and Cangzhou in the southeast of the region has been significantly improved. The method proposed in this study provides an automatic, rapid, and extensible way to assess regional environmental sustainability and provides a scientific reference for improving the sustainability of the regional environment.