Decomposition of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was investigated over several metal oxides (i.e., MgO, CaO, BaO, La2O3, CeO2, MnO2, Fe2O3, and Co3O4) supported on Al2O3, which was achieved in closed system at a temperature of 300°C. Catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation with different metal oxides loading and impregnating solvents. The decomposition efficiency of different catalysts for this reaction depends on the nature of the metal oxide used, and Al2O3 supported La2O3 was found to be the most active one. Pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), and all tetrachlorobenzene (TeCB), trichlorobenzene (TrCB), and dichlorobenzene (DCB) isomers were detected after the decomposition reaction, indicating that the decomposition was mainly a dechlorination process. The detection of all lower chlorinated benzenes suggested the complexity of decomposition and the presence of more than one dechlorination pathway. 相似文献
Despite being a key zooplankton group, knowledge on krill biology from the Arctic is inadequate. The present study examine the functional biology and evaluate the trophic role of krill in the Godth?bsfjord (64°N, 51°W) SW Greenland, through a combination of fieldwork and laboratory experiments. Krill biomass was highest in the middle fjord and inner fjord, whereas no krill was found offshore. The dominating species Thysanoessa raschii revealed a type III functional response when fed with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. At food saturation, T. raschii exhibited a daily ration of 1% body C d?1. Furthermore, T. raschii was capable of exploiting plankton cells from 5 to 400???m, covering several trophic levels of the pelagic food web. The calculated grazing impact by T. raschii on the fjord plankton community was negligible. However, the schooling and migratory behaviour of krill will concentrate and elevate the grazing in specific areas of the euphotic zone. 相似文献
The behavioral responses of more than 800 mountain goats, comprised of 195 social groups, were recorded during hydroelectric exploration activities (primarily aircraft) in northwestern British Columbia. Four categories of overt response were recorded during case tests, ranging from maintenance activity to severe flight. More than 80 percent (n=667) of the observed goats elicited some form of behavioral stress-response, with 33 percent (n=265) displaying a severe flight response to local rock or plant cover. Multiple regression analysis inferred goat responses to be statistically independent of the time of year, type, and vertical orientation of disturbance and group size. As expected, significant correlations (p≤0.05) existed between distance of disturbance, geographic area, cover availability, and degree of awareness. Responses were stimulated primarily by auditory and secondarily by visual cues. Repeated aerial and ground follow-up surveys documented temporary range abandonment and changing observability indices (habitat use and activity patterns) associated with areas of intense exploration activity. The assessed data offer mitigation possibilities and enable formulation of management guidelines to lessen project impacts during future exploration, construction, and operation phases. 相似文献
Coal mining-related activities result in a degraded landscape and sites associated with large amounts of dumped waste material. The arid soil resulting from acid mine drainage affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and thus, site remediation programs must be implemented to mitigate this sequential deleterious processes. A low-cost alternative material to counterbalance the affected physico-chemical-microbiological aspects of the degraded soil is the amendment with low contaminated and stabilized industrial organic sludge. The content of nutrients P and N, together with stabilized organic matter, makes this material an excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner, fostering biota colonization and succession in the degraded site. However, choice of native plant species to restore a degraded site must be guided by some minimal criteria, such as plant survival/adaptation and plant biomass productivity. Thus, in this 3-month study under environmental conditions, phytoproductivity tests with five native plant species (Surinam cherry Eugenia uniflora L., C. myrianthum–Citharexylum myrianthum, Inga–Inga spp., Brazilian peppertree Schinus terebinthifolius, and Sour cherry Prunus cerasus) were performed to assess these criteria, and additional biochemical parameters were measured in plant tissues (i.e., protein content and peroxidase activity) exposed to different soil/sludge mixture proportions. The results show that three native plants were more adequate to restore vegetation on degraded sites: Surinam cherry, C. myrianthum, and Brazilian peppertree. Thus, this study demonstrates that phytoproductivity tests associated with biochemical endpoint measurements can help in the choice of native plant species, as well as aiding in the choice of the most appropriate soil/stabilized sludge proportion in order to optimize biomass production.
Land-use change, dominated by an increase in urban/impervious areas, has a significant impact on water resources. This includes
impacts on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, which is the leading cause of degraded water quality in the United States. Traditional
hydrologic models focus on estimating peak discharges and NPS pollution from high-magnitude, episodic storms and successfully
address short-term, local-scale surface water management issues. However, runoff from small, low-frequency storms dominates
long-term hydrologic impacts, and existing hydrologic models are usually of limited use in assessing the long-term impacts
of land-use change. A long-term hydrologic impact assessment (L-THIA) model has been developed using the curve number (CN)
method. Long-term climatic records are used in combination with soils and land-use information to calculate average annual
runoff and NPS pollution at a watershed scale. The model is linked to a geographic information system (GIS) for convenient
generation and management of model input and output data, and advanced visualization of model results.
The L-THIA/NPS GIS model was applied to the Little Eagle Creek (LEC) watershed near Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Historical
land-use scenarios for 1973, 1984, and 1991 were analyzed to track land-use change in the watershed and to assess impacts
on annual average runoff and NPS pollution from the watershed and its five subbasins. For the entire watershed between 1973
and 1991, an 18% increase in urban or impervious areas resulted in an estimated 80% increase in annual average runoff volume
and estimated increases of more than 50% in annual average loads for lead, copper, and zinc. Estimated nutrient (nitrogen
and phosphorus) loads decreased by 15% mainly because of loss of agricultural areas. The L-THIA/NPS GIS model is a powerful
tool for identifying environmentally sensitive areas in terms of NPS pollution potential and for evaluating alternative land
use scenarios for NPS pollution management. 相似文献
ABSTRACT: The AGNPS (AGricultural NonPoint Source) model was evaluated for predicting runoff and sediment delivery from small watersheds of mild topography. Fifty sediment yield events were monitored from two watersheds and five nested subwater-sheds in East Central Illinois throughout the growing season of four years. Half of these events were used to calibrate parameters in the AGNPS model. Average calibrated parameters were used as input for the remaining events to obtain runoff and sediment yield data. These data were used to evaluate the suitability of the AGNPS model for predicting runoff and sediment yield from small, mild-sloped watersheds. An integrated AGNPS/GIS system was used to efficiently create the large number of data input changes necessary to this study. This system is one where the AGNPS model was integrated with the GRASS (Geographic Resources Analysis Support System) GIS (Geographical Information System) to develop a decision support tool to assist with management of runoff and erosion from agricultural watersheds. The integrated system assists with the development of input GIS layers to AGNPS, running the model, and interpretation of the results. 相似文献