Multi-Criteria Assessment of Tensions in Resource Use at Continental Scale: A Proof of Concept with Australian Rangelands

The purpose of this study was to help to inform policy development for the Australian rangelands, and provide a proof of concept for application of a multi-criteria analysis approach to assessment of competing resource use at continental scale. The study aimed to identify and locate key natural resource and agricultural production assets in the rangelands, define a number of measures of potentially threatening processes, and use a multi-criteria approach to identify areas where threatening processes, agricultural production problems, or valuable natural resources coincided. The analysis used 35 readily available, continental spatial data layers at 5-km pixel resolution ranked from 1 (low) to 5 (high) under three themed groupings: natural resource base, production base, and threatening processes. These measures were aggregated into composite indicators to define attributes such as environmental sensitivity and total grazing pressure. The composites were then compared in a two-way analysis to explore particular interactions between threatening processes such as pastoralism and mining, and the condition of production and natural resource assets. These interactions were defined as “tensions” for purposes of this analysis. Example “tensions” included the association of high grazing intensity with areas of high environmental sensitivity, indicating a risk of land degradation under adverse climatic conditions. A summary of patterns of tension was obtained by extracting area proportions of high-tension classes for selected Natural Heritage Trust Regions, which are a basis for Australian Government funding of improved environmental management. The study provides a basis for further examination of trade-offs in the use of natural assets, opportunities for improved productivity and sustainability, and social and economic implications.     

Preparation of a highly sensitive enzyme electrode using gold nanoparticles for measurement of pesticides at the ppt level

A highly sensitive enzyme electrode was prepared based on gold nanoparticles for measurement of pesticides. Gold nanoparticles of 25-30 nm were synthesized on a glassy carbon electrode by double-pulse technique while the coverage was controlled by applied potential and time. The gold nanoparticles were modified to form a self-assembled monolayer, followed by covalent binding of tyrosinase. The TYR-AuNP-GC electrode was compared with bare GC, AuNP-GC, and modified AuNP-GC and TYR-Au (plate type) electrodes in terms of cyclic voltammetry. The voltammograms well represent the sensitivity of enzymatic oxidation of catechol, substrates for the enzyme activity. The prepared electrode integrated into a continuous flow system and was tested to detect pesticides, such as 2,4-D, atrazine, and ziram. Under the optimized conditions of the flow system, the electrode performed reasonably according to the inhibition mechanism in the concentration range of 0.001-0.5 ng mL(-1). The enhanced performance was attributed to the favored microenvironment for the enzyme activity provided by SAM on gold nanoparticles.     

Assessment of Wastewater Reuse Effects on Nutrient Loads from Paddy Field Using Field-Scale Water Quality Model

CREAMS-PADDY, a modified version of the field-scale CREAMS model, simulates the hydrologic, sediment, and nutrient cycles in paddy fields. The CREAMS-PADDY model was applied to estimate the effects of using wastewater for irrigation on nutrient loads from paddy fields in Republic of Korea. The model was calibrated and validated using data from two rice paddy fields. The coefficient of determination between observed and simulated total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 0.92 and 0.57, respectively, for the calibration period and 0.84 and 0.73 for the validation period. Simulations showed that when using wastewater for irrigation, the total nitrogen loads increased by 210% and total phosphorus by 1,270% when compared with conventional water irrigation. The total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentration in the ponded water increased by 254 and 534%, respectively, when compared with conventional water irrigation. The effect of reducing N and P fertilizer application rates by 10, 30, and 50% on nutrient loads exiting a paddy field were also simulated using the validated CREAMS-PADDY model. These simulations indicated that total phosphorus loads from the paddy were reduced only slightly by reducing the fertilizer, while total nitrogen loads were reduced by as much as 8.8, 16.6, and 24.4% when N ferlitizer rates were reduced by 10, 30, and 50%, respectively. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Pesticide residues in soils, sediments, and vegetables in the Red River Delta, northern Vietnam

This study assessed pesticide residues in soils, sediments, and vegetables in the Xuan Khe and Hop Ly communes located along the Chau Giang River in the Red River Delta, northern Vietnam. Samples were collected from agricultural areas within and outside of embankments built to prevent flooding. In Xuan Khe, the soils outside of the embankment were more clayey with higher organic matter contents compared with the inside, due to selective deposition during river flooding. Many of the soils contained significant amounts of pesticides including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dicofol, isoprothiolane, and metalaxyl although their levels were below the maximum allowable concentration set by the Vietnamese government. The spectrum of DDT derivatives found suggested that the source of DDTs was not contaminated dicofol. Soils in Hop Ly resembled soils in Xuan Khe but were relatively sandy; one field showed appreciable contents of DDT derivatives. The ratios of (p,p ^′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene + p,p ^′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane)/∑DDT in the surface and subsurface soils in Hop Ly were 0.34 and 0.57, suggesting that the DDTs originated from recent application. Pesticide residues in soils were not likely to translocate into vegetable crops, except for metalaxyl. High concentrations of cypermethrins in kohlrabi leaves could be ascribed to foliar deposition.     

Integrated assessment of brick kiln emission impacts on air quality

This paper presents monitoring results of daily brick kiln stack emission and the derived emission factors. Emission of individual air pollutant varied significantly during a firing batch (7 days) and between kilns. Average emission factors per 1,000 bricks were 6.35–12.3 kg of CO, 0.52–5.9 kg of SO₂ and 0.64–1.4 kg of particulate matter (PM). PM emission size distribution in the stack plume was determined using a modified cascade impactor. Obtained emission factors and PM size distribution data were used in simulation study using the Industrial Source Complex Short-Term (ISCST3) dispersion model. The model performance was successfully evaluated for the local conditions using the simultaneous ambient monitoring data in 2006 and 2007. SO₂ was the most critical pollutant, exceeding the hourly National Ambient Air Quality Standards over 63 km² out of the 100-km² modelled domain in the base case. Impacts of different emission scenarios on the ambient air quality (SO₂, PM, CO, PM dry deposition flux) were assessed.     

Estimation of the rate of increase in nitrogen dioxide concentrations from power plant stacks using an imaging-DOAS

The emission of nitrogen compounds from power plants accounts for a significant proportion of the total emissions of nitrogen to the atmosphere. This study seeks to understand the nature of chemical reactions in the atmosphere involving nitrogen, which is important in undertaking quantitative assessments of the contribution of such reactions to local and regional air pollution. The slant column density (SCD) of power-plant-generated NO(2) was derived using imaging differential optical absorption spectroscopy (I-DOAS) with scattered sunlight as a light source. The vertical structure of NO(2) SCD from power plant stacks was simultaneously probed using a pushbroom sensor. Measured SCDs were converted to mixing ratios in calculating the rate of NO(2) increase at the center of the plume. This study presents quantitative measurements of the rate of NO(2) increase in a rising plume. An understanding of the rate of NO(2) increase is important because SO(2) and NO(x) compete for the same oxidizing radicals, and the amount of NO(x) is related to the rates of SO(2) oxidation and sulfate formation. This study is the first to directly obtain the rate of NO(2) increase in power plant plumes using the I-DOAS technique. NO(2) increase rates of 60 and 70 ppb s(-1) were observed at distances of about 45 m from the two stacks of the Pyeongtaek Power Plant, northwest South Korea.     

Occurrence of disinfection by-products in tap water distribution systems and their associated health risk

The concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs), including chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform, and haloacetic acids (HAAs; monochloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, dibromoacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, and trichloroacetic acid) were measured in tap waters passing through water distribution systems of six water treatment plants in Seoul, Korea, and their associated health risks from exposure to THMs through ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation were estimated using a probabilistic approach. The concentration ranges for total THMs and HAA₅ were 3.9–53.5 and <LOD–49.5 μg/L, respectively. Among DBPs, chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dichloroacetic acid, and trichloroacetic acid were the most frequently detected. Spatial and seasonal variations in concentrations of THMs and HAAs in the six water distribution systems were significant (P?<?0.001).The mean lifetime cancer risks through ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation during showering ranged as 7.23–10.06?×?10^?6, 2.19–3.63?×?10^?6, and 5.22–7.35?×?10^?5, respectively. The major exposure route to THMs was inhalation during showering. Sensitivity analysis showed that shower time and shower frequency had a great impact on the lifetime cancer risk by the exposure to THMs in tap water.     

Characteristics of malodor pollutants and aromatic VOCs around an urban valley in Korea

In this study, the environmental behavior of malodor pollutants (MPs) [including reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs)] and aromatic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) were investigated around urban valley areas during several field campaigns (February through December 2006). The MPs measured in the study area include the RSCs (H(2)S, CH(3)SH, DMS, and DMDS), ammonia (NH(3)), and styrene (STY); the AVOCs include benzene (BEN), toluene (TOL), ethylbenzene (EB), m,p-xylene (MPX), and o-xylene (OX). The variation of most MP concentrations (except for DMDS) was found to be larger than that of AVOCs. It was found that STY (2,346 +/- 4,867 ppbv) was the most dominant MP followed by NH(3) (447 +/- 285), CH(3)SH (16 +/- 41), and the others (<8). The magnitude of AVOCs was found in the following descending order: TOL (1.4 +/- 2.2 ppbv), EB (1.0 +/- 2.1), MPX (0.9 +/- 2.0), and the others (<0.8). The concentration levels of most MPs on industrial (I) and downwind (D) sites were up to an order of magnitude higher than those at non-industrial (N) and upwind (U) sites. For most AVOCs, the former was ~3 times higher than the latter. For malodor intensity in RSCs, CH(3)SH was the dominant contributor. The concentration difference in target compounds between the sites/periods is likely to be caused by the combined effects such as emission sources, geographical features (e.g., semi-closed topography), and meteorological conditions (e.g., wind directions) in and outside the urban valley.     

Columnar aerosol optical and radiative properties according to season and air mass transport pattern over East Asia

The column-integrated optical and radiative properties of aerosols in the downwind area of East Asia were investigated based on sun/sky radiometer measurements performed from February 2004 to June 2005 at Gwangju (35.23° N, 126.84° E) and Anmyeon (36.54° N, 126.33° E), Korea. The observed aerosol data were analyzed for differences among three seasons: spring (March-May), summer (June-August), and autumn/winter (September-February). The data were also categorized into five types depending on the air mass origin in arriving in the measurement sites: (a) from a northerly direction in spring (S(N)), (b) from a westerly direction in spring (S(W)), (c) cases with a low ?ngstr?m exponent (<0.8) in spring (dust), (d) from a northerly direction in autumn/winter (AW(N)), and (e) from a westerly direction during other seasons (AW(W)). The highest ?ngstr?m exponents (α) at Gwangju and Anmyeon were 1.43?±?0.30 and 1.49?±?0.20, respectively, observed in summer. The lowest column-mean single-scattering albedo (ω) at 440 nm observed at Gwangju and Anmyeon were 0.89?±?0.02 and 0.88?±?0.02, respectively, during a period marked by the advection of dust from the Asian continent. The highest ω values at Gwangju and Anmyeon were 0.95?±?0.02 and 0.96?±?0.02, respectively, observed in summer. Variations in the aerosol radiative-forcing efficiency (β) were related to the conditions of the air mass origin. The forcing efficiency in summer was -131.7 and -125.6 W?m(-2) at the surface in Gwangju and Anmyeon, respectively. These values are lower than those under the atmospheric conditions of spring and autumn/winter. The highest forcing efficiencies in autumn/winter were -214.3 and -255.9 W?m(-2) at the surface in Gwangju and Anmyeon, respectively, when the air mass was transported from westerly directions.     

The determination of ambient formaldehyde using a dual coil system and an assessment of dominant factors that influence its abundance in Korea

An enhanced dual coil 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization method (dual coil/DNPH) allowed the quantitative determination of formaldehyde (HCHO) in ambient air. In this method, traceable HCHO was collected using a coil sampler connected in series and lacking a long sampling tube. It was then analyzed using liquid chromatography followed by UV detection of the DNPH derivatives. The method is based on the reaction of formaldehyde with DNPH to produce 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone. The detection limits (3σ) were 0.10–0.40 ppbv with a precision ranging from 0.84 to 4.09% RSD. The results of dual coil/DNPH and conventional DNPH cartridge methods were generally well correlated: HCHO (dual coil/DNPH) = 0.97 (±0.13) vs. HCHO (DNPH Cartridge) + 0.33 (±0.33), r = 0.82. The dual coil/DNPH method was used to measure gaseous HCHO in the atmosphere of Metropolitan Seoul during the summer 2000 and 2001, and in Gwangju during the fall of 2001 and 2002. The daytime mean concentration of HCHO was 4.52 (±5.69) and 3.21 (±1.27) ppbv in Metropolitan Seoul for 10–12 August 2000 and 29–31 May 2001, respectively, and 1.73 (±0.98), 3.04 (±2.25), 2.70 (±1.70), and 2.01 (±2.28) ppbv in Gwangju City during 22–27 September 2001, 17–24 October 2001, 9–13 October 2002, and 28 October to 2 November 2002, respectively. The HCHO in Seoul from 10–12 August 2000 was mainly the result of photochemical processes, while direct emissions from vehicles and long-range transport of air from China contributed during 29–31 May 2001. During 22–27 September 2001, 17–24 October 2001, and 9–13 October 2002 in Gwangju, the HCHO came primarily from photochemical processes, although some air affected by biomass burning admixed in the late afternoon. The increase in the HCHO concentration on 20 October 2001 and from 28 October to 2 November 2002 was attributed mainly to direct emissions from biomass burning in farmland near the measurement site.