SOIL MOISTURE SENSORS FOR CONTINUOUS MONITORING1

ABSTRACT: Certain physical and chemical properties of soil vary with soil water content. The relationship between these properties and water content is complex and involves both the pore structure and constituents of the soil solution. One of the most economical techniques to quantify soil water content involves the measurement of electrical resistance of a dielectric medium that is in equilibrium with the soil water content. The objective of this research was to test the reliability and accuracy of fiberglass soil-moisture electrical resistance sensors (ERS) as compared to gravimetric sampling and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR). The response of the ERS was compared to gravimetric measurements at eight locations on the USDA-ABS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. The comparisons with TDR sensors were made at three additional locations on the same watershed. The high soil rock content (≥45 percent) at seven locations resulted in consistent overestimation of soil water content by the ERS method. Where rock content was less than 10 percent, estimation of soil water was within 5 percent of the gravimetric soil water content. New methodology to calibrate the ERS sensors for rocky soils will need to be developed before soil water content values can be determined with these sensors.     

Morphologie effects of channelization: the case of the Neebing-McIntyre floodway,Thunder Bay,Ontario, Canada

The Neebing-McIntyre floodway in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, has been constructed with a relatively straight and uniform trapezoidal channel, compared with the prechannelized sinuous reaches of the Neebing and the McIntyre rivers. The flow regime of the floodway also contrasts significantly with the prechannelized regime, because of the combination of discharges from these rivers into a new channel and the regulation of flows by a diversion structure. The maximum channel capacity of the floodway is about 284 m³ s^–1 (175-year regional flood), compared with about 40 m³ s^–1 and 60 m³ s^–1, respectively, for the Neebing and the McIntyre. According to regime theories, the construction of a straight and trapezoidal channel has upset the equilibrium of the stream system and therefore should lead to some accelerated erosion and sedimentation processes in the new channel immediately after construction. Erosion potential is particularly high during higher discharge events, when flow velocities are expected to be greater than the prechannelized velocities of the Neebing and the McIntyre. The overall sediment yield of the watershed is low (71t km^–2 yr^–1), compared with other documented watersheds of North America, but the rates of deposition in the floodway are relatively high, mainly due to the backwater effect of Lake Superior. Unless maintained by constant channel work, the floodway will tend to fill up with sediment, until a postconstructional equilibrium is reestablished.     

Environmental performance of urban roadside traders in Jos,Nigeria

In the last ten years official location policy in Nigeria for urban roadside traders, an enterprising group of urban poor operating at the lowest level of the informal sector of the economy has been very negative. Government believes that they should be removed from the streets and tucked away in obscure locations because of their tendency to deface the streets with litter and for causing vehicular and pedestrian traffic congestion. This paper identifies and assesses the magnitude of pollution created by the traders as a prelude to evolving a planning policy and strategy for regulating and formally accommodating street traders in good locations while still ensuring good environmental quality.     

GEOHYDROLOGY AND HYDROCHEMISTRY OF THE DAKOTA AQUIFER,CENTRAL UNITED STATES1

ABSTRACT: The Dakota aquifer, composed of the Dakota Sandstone and stratigraphically equivalent sandstone units of Cretaceous age, is the upper-most regional aquifer underlying the extensively developed High Plains aquifer of the midwestern United States. The concentration of dissolved solids in ground water of the Dakota aquifer ranges from less than 500 milligrams per liter in calcium bicarbonate type water in the eastern outcrop area to more than 100,000 milligrams per liter in sodium chloride type oilfield brine in the Denver Basin to the west. Preliminary maps showing the distribution of dissolved solids confirm the complex nature of the Dakota aquifer as inferred from stratigraphic and hydraulic evidence. Extensive vertical leakage through confining layers, local recharge at the truncated eastern boundary, and a barrier to recharge along the western edge of the Denver Basin are consistent with the distribution of hydraulic head and dissolved solids.     

Remediation of contaminated land and groundwater: experience in England and Wales

Remediation of contaminated land and groundwater is of common international concern. The context and approach taken to the problem are, however, country-specific. A survey of remedial activity occurring within England and Wales over the period 1996-1999 was commissioned by the Environment Agency (for England and Wales) to establish a baseline against which future trends in remedial activity could be judged. This paper: explains the context of contaminated land and groundwater remediation in England and Wales (Britain); provides an overview of the 1996-1999 survey of remedial activity, discussing its findings within its legislative and institutional context; and, discusses the survey results of significance to the management of contaminated land and groundwater internationally. The survey obtained specific data from 367 remediated sites supplemented by general data from a further 1189 contaminated (not necessarily remediated) sites. The survey aimed to be, and was indicative of remediation practice, and did not seek to identify every remediation scheme operating. Previous anecdotal evidences were generally confirmed. Civil engineering-based techniques dominated and were used at 94% of sites with in situ techniques (predominantly vapour extraction-based) on 16% and ex situ on just 5%. Although disposal to landfill was dominant and occurred at over 80% of sites, integrated use of multiple techniques was common. Remediation was predominantly of soil (rather than water), development-based, designed to protect human health and reflected national development-led and 'suitable for use' policies. Lessons of international relevance from the survey and general British experience are drawn concerning remediation technique selection, regulatory and financial support of innovative remediation techniques and demonstration sites, competent use of risk-based approaches to allow pragmatic remediation and effective use of quality guidelines, need for effective guidance to highlight water quality issues, the necessity of post remediation monitoring to prove remediation effectiveness and the keeping of remediation databases.     

Characteristic levels of heavy metals in sediments and dredged sediments of a municipal creek in the Niger delta, Nigeria

Characteristic levels of metal ions in post dredged sediment and dredged sediments materials of a municipal creek in the Niger Delta show that significant concentrations of heavy metals are found to be accumulated more on the surface (0–15cm depth) of the dredged material as compared to the sub surface (15–30cm) and post dredged sediments. The distribution patterns were in the following order Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd and Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cd for the post dredged sediment and dredged sediment materials respectively. The levels of the various metals were far below the EPA screening levels for open water disposal, consequently total levels of heavy metal found in these sediments pose no problem by open-water or upland disposal     

A comparative study of risk perception in small and large communities where chemical industries are present

Opinion polls were conducted to assess the level of risk perceived by the citizens in communities of different sizes where chemical industries were present. The aim of the study was to relate the risk perceived to variables such as the nature of risks, the specific information received regarding the industrial activity and the economic impact of this activity in the community.     

SOIL SALINITY PREDICTION USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS1

ABSTRACT: This study explores the applicability of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) for predicting salt build‐up in the crop root zone. ANN models were developed with salinity data from field lysimeters subirrigated with brackish water. Different ANN architectures were explored by varying the number of processing elements (PEs) (from 1 to 30) for replicate data from a 0.4 m water table, 0.8 m water table, and both 0.4 and 0.8 m water table lysimeters. Different ANN models were developed by using individual replicate treatment values as well as the mean value for each treatment. For replicate data, the models with twenty, seven, and six PEs were found to be the best for the water tables at 0.4 m, 0.8 m and both water tables combined, respectively. The correlation coefficients between observed salinity and ANN predicted salinity of the test data with these models were 0.89, 0.91, and 0.89, respectively. The performance of the ANNs developed using mean salinity values of the replicates was found to be similar to those with replicate data. Not only was there agreement between observed and ANN predicted salinity values, the results clearly indicated the potential use of ANN models for predicting salt build‐up in soil profile at a specific site.