Mobility of free surface in different liquids and its influence on water striders locomotion

Dynamics of the surface layer in different liquids is examined by means of infrared thermography of the surface and simultaneous velocity fields measurements using surface and infrared Particle Image Velocimetry. This technique allows measurements and comparison of two velocity fields—at the surface and at small depth about 50–200 μm. In distilled water the velocity fields at the surface and at small depth exhibit significant dissimilarity. The flow field below the surface is essentially 3D, whereas the surface flow is characterized by vanishing 2D divergence of velocity, indicating predominantly planar motion. In contrast, in ethanol–butanol mixture two velocity fields are well correlated, both corresponding to 3D flow with continuous surface renewal. Thermal patterns, observed at the surface, and the flow field structure in different liquids are associated with different boundary conditions for velocity at the surface. Water surface is seldom renewed, which inhibits heat and mass exchange between the liquid and atmosphere. However, absence of vertical advection also enables organisms to live within the surface layer, to stand and walk on the free surface. This is illustrated by the difficulties a water strider faces on the surface of ultrapure water, which exhibits Marangoni convection.     

Can we take the pulse of environmental governance the way we take the pulse of nature? Applying the Freshwater Health Index in Latin America

Quantitative assessments have long been used to evaluate the condition of the natural environment, providing information for standard setting, adaptive management, and monitoring. Similar approaches have been developed to measure environmental governance, however, the end result (e.g., numeric indicators) belies the subjective and normative judgments that are involved in evaluating governance. We demonstrate a framework that makes this information transparent, through an application of the Freshwater Health Index in three different river basins in Latin America. Water Governance is measured on a 0–100 scale, using data derived from perception-based surveys administered to stakeholders. Results suggest that water governance is a primary area of concern in all three places, with low overall scores (Guandu-26, Alto Mayo-38, Bogotá-43). We conclude that this approach to measuring governance at the river basin scale provides valuable information to support monitoring and decision making, and we offer suggestions on how it can be improved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01407-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Geochemistry of heavy metal-contaminated sediments from the Four River inlets of Dongting lake,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The concentrations of major and trace elements in the sediments from the Four River inlets of Dongting Lake were analysed. The results show that the...     

Dynamic characteristics of chlorine dispersion process and quantitative risk assessment of pollution hazard

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study was to analyze dispersion behavior characteristics and pollution hazard risk after a release of liquid chlorine. A full-scale...     

Long-term study of heavy metal pollution in the northern Hangzhou Bay of China: temporal and spatial distribution,contamination evaluation,and potential ecological risk

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Coastal ecosystem is vulnerable to heavy metal contamination. The northern Hangzhou Bay is under intensifying impact of anthropogenic activities. To...     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and n-alkane pollution characteristics and structural and functional perturbations to the microbial community: a case-study of historically petroleum-contaminated soil

Characterization of the typical petroleum pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and n-alkanes, and indigenous microbial community structure and function in historically contaminated soil at petrol stations is critical. Five soil samples were collected from a petrol station in Beijing, China. The concentrations of 16 PAHs and 31 n-alkanes were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The total concentrations of PAHs and n-alkanes ranged from 973 ± 55 to 2667 ± 183 μg/kg and 6.40 ± 0.38 to 8.65 ± 0.59 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively, which increased with depth. According to the observed molecular indices, PAHs and n-alkanes originated mostly from petroleum-related sources. The levels of ΣPAHs and the total toxic benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (ranging from 6.41 to 72.54 μg/kg) might exert adverse biological effects. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was employed to investigate the indigenous microbial community structure and function. The results revealed that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the most abundant phyla, and Nocardioides and Microbacterium were the important genera. Based on COG and KEGG annotations, the highly abundant functional classes were identified, and these functions were involved in allowing microorganisms to adapt to the pressure from contaminants. Five petroleum hydrocarbon degradation-related genes were annotated, revealing the distribution of degrading microorganisms. This work facilitates the understanding of the composition, source, and potential ecological impacts of residual PAHs and n-alkanes in historically contaminated soil.

     

Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs): a new cause for concern?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the increasingly serious pollution of plastics, biodegradable plastics (BDPs) have attracted attention as a new material that can replace...     

Mercury uptake by Paspalum distichum L. in relation to the mercury distribution pattern in rhizosphere soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Paspalum distichum L. was tested to evaluate their phytoremediation capacity for Hg contaminated soil through analyzing the dissipation of Hg in soil...     

Complexity of the relationship between 2D/3D urban morphology and the land surface temperature: a multiscale perspective

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Urban morphology is a crucial contributor to urban heat island (UHI) effects. However, few studies have explored the complex effect of 2D/3D urban...     

Effect of straw retention on carbon footprint under different cropping sequences in Northeast China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Inappropriate farm management practices can lead to increased agricultural inputs and changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, impacting...