A uniform fish consumption advisory protocol for the Ohio River

ORSANCO and the six Ohio River main stem states have been working to align states' fish consumption advisories (FCAs) to enhance the value of advice issued to the public. To achieve this goal, ORSANCO worked closely with a panel consisting of state and USEPA representatives. The result of this effort is the Ohio River Fish Consumption Advisory Protocol (ORFCAP). The ORFCAP represents a single set of variables agreed upon by the panel that allows for a standardized protocol to create advisory thresholds to which states can defer to issue consumption advice for the Ohio River. The ORFCAP identifies ORSANCO as a clearinghouse for data which will be distributed to the panel for decision making. Other components include identifying primary contaminants of concern (PCBs and mercury) and dividing the river into four reporting units. The protocol was developed to issue FCAs for the protection of sensitive populations using five advisory groupings for PCBs and four for mercury. Specific variables used in the calculation of advisory thresholds such as health protection values, cooking reductions, average meal sizes, etc., were selected by the panel. Lastly, the protocol calls for FCA decisions to be based on analysis of the most recent 10?years of data for each species in each reporting unit to determine size class needs and advisory groupings. Upon pending implementation of the protocol by the main stem states, these decisions will be made annually through a series of discussions involving ORSANCO, the panel, and other appropriate state personnel.     

Correlation of six anthropogenic markers in wastewater, surface water, bank filtrate, and soil aquifer treatment

Six trace contaminants (acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), carbamazepine (CBZ), diatrizoic acid (DTA), 1H-benzotriazole (BTZ) and its 4-methyl analogue (4-TTri)) were traced from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to receiving waters and further to riverbank filtration (RBF) wells to evaluate their prediction power as potential wastewater markers. Furthermore, the persistence of some compounds was investigated in advanced wastewater treatment by soil aquifer treatment (SAT). During wastewater treatment in four conventional activated sludge WWTPs ACE, SUC, and CBZ showed a pronounced stability expressed by stable concentration ratios in influent (in) and effluent (out) (ACE/CBZ: in45, out40; SUC/CBZ: in1.8, out1.7; and ACE/SUC: in24, out24). In a fifth WWTP, additional treatment with powdered activated carbon led to a strong elimination of CBZ, BTZ, and 4-TTri of about 80% and consequently to a distinctive shift of their ratios with unaffected compounds. Data from a seven month monitoring program at seven sampling locations at the rivers Rhine and Main in Germany revealed the best concentration correlation for ACE and CBZ (r(2) = 0.94) and also a good correlation of ACE and CBZ concentrations to BTZ and 4-TTri levels (r(2) = 0.66 to 0.82). The comparison of ratios at different sampling sites allowed for the identification of a CBZ point source. Furthermore, in Switzerland a higher consumption of SUC compared to Germany can be assumed, as a steadily increasing ACE/SUC ratio along the river Rhine was observed. In RBF wells a good correlation (r(2) = 0.85) was again observed for ACE and CBZ. Both also showed the highest stability at a prolonged residence time in the subsurface of a SAT field. In the most peripheral wells ACE and CBZ were still detected with mean values higher than 36 μg L(-1) and 1.3 μg L(-1), respectively. Although SUC concentrations in wastewater used for SAT decreased by more than 80% from about 18 μg L(-1) to 2.1 μg L(-1) and 3.5 μg L(-1) in these outlying wells, the compound was still adequate to indicate a wastewater impact in a qualitative way.     

Invasive species impacts on ecosystem structure and function: A comparison of Oneida Lake, New York, USA, before and after zebra mussel invasion

Exotic species invasion is widely considered to affect ecosystem structure and function. Yet, few contemporary approaches can assess the effects of exotic species invasion at such an inclusive level. Our research presents one of the first attempts to examine the effects of an exotic species at the ecosystem level in a quantifiable manner. We used ecological network analysis (ENA) and a social network analysis (SNA) method called cohesion analysis to examine the effect of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) invasion on the Oneida Lake, New York, USA, food web. We used ENA to quantify ecosystem function through an analysis of food web carbon transfer that explicitly incorporated flow over all food web paths (direct and indirect). The cohesion analysis assessed ecosystem structure through an organization of food web members into subgroups of strongly interacting predators and prey. Our analysis detected effects of zebra mussel invasion throughout the entire Oneida Lake food web, including changes in trophic flow efficiency (i.e., carbon flow among trophic levels) and alterations of food web organization (i.e., paths of carbon flow) and ecosystem activity (i.e., total carbon flow). ENA indicated that zebra mussels altered food web function by shunting carbon from pelagic to benthic pathways, increasing dissipative flow loss, and decreasing ecosystem activity. SNA revealed the strength of zebra mussel perturbation as evidenced by a reorganization of food web subgroup structure, with a decrease in importance of pelagic pathways, a concomitant rise of benthic pathways, and a reorganization of interactions between top predator fish. Together, these analyses allowed for a holistic understanding of the effects of zebra mussel invasion on the Oneida Lake food web.     

Determination of total volatile organic compound emissions from furniture polishes

In this study, an environmental test chamber with controlled temperature, relative humidity, and airflow rate was developed to evaluate emissions of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) from three different kinds of furniture polish. The time dependence of TVOC concentrations produced from the emissions of furniture polish products in the chamber was tested. TVOC emissions from each furniture polish were compared. The main volatile organic compounds emitted from each polish were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A double-exponential equation was developed to evaluate the characteristics of emissions of TVOCs from these furniture polish products. With this double-exponential model, the physical processes of TVOC emissions can be explained. A variety of emission parameters can be calculated. These emission parameters could be used to estimate real indoor TVOC concentrations.     

种植密度和降水对冬小麦田N2O排放的影响

为研究种植密度对农田N2O排放的影响和探讨N₂O排放季节性波动的原因,于1999～2000年小麦生长季在南京市郊江宁县进行了不同播种量(0、90、180和270kg/hm²)的大田试验.观测分析结果表明:在相同的气象条件和田间管理下,播种～越冬阶段的N₂O排放不受播种量的影响,返青～成熟阶段的N₂O排放通量与播种量成正比.裸地条件下的N₂O排放与播量为90kg/hm²下的排放无明显差异.造成该生长季内N₂O排放季节性波动的主要原因是降水,返青～成熟阶段的N₂O排放通量随观测日前6d的加权平均降水量呈指数增加.     

Ansätze zur regionalen Quantifizierung von Methan aus Pflanzen

Background

Methane as a gas influencing our climate is of high importance according to the Kyoto-Protocol. The more precisely we can determine anthropogenic and biogenic sources, the more effective measures we can take to reduce the gas. Direct emission of methane from plants apparently contributes significantly to the total emission but has not been accounted for in emission balances until now.

Methods

A model was created to calculate methane emission for a short time period in regional resolution for Lower Austria and to relate the results to known literature.

Results and Discussion

First model results suggest that the amount of methane released from plants in relation to emissions from other known sources are of importance.

Perspectives

The uncertainties associated with both measurements and quantification require reduction by further research.     

Retention of estrogenic steroid hormones by selected New Zealand soils

We performed batch sorption experiments for 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 17alpha-ethynylestradiol (EE2) on selected soils collected from dairy farming regions of New Zealand. Isotherms were constructed by measuring the liquid phase concentration and extracting the solid phase with dichloromethane, followed by an exchange step, and analysis by HPLC and UV detection. The corresponding metabolite estrone, (E1) formed during equilibration of E2 with soil was taken into account to estimate the total percentage recoveries for the compounds, which ranged from 47-105% (E2 and E1) and 83-102% (EE2). Measured isotherms were linear, although some deviation from linearity was observed in a few soils, which was attributed to the finer textured particles and/or the allophanic nature of the soils having high surface area. There was a marked difference in K(d)(eff) (effective distribution coefficient) values for E2 and EE2 among the soils, consistent with the soils organic carbon content and ranged from 14-170 L kg(-1) (E2), and 12-40 L kg(-1) (EE2) in the soils common for both compounds. The sorption affinity of hormones in the soils followed an order: EE2相似文献   

The effectiveness of surrogate taxa to conserve freshwater biodiversity

Establishing protected areas has long been an effective conservation strategy and is often based on readily surveyed species. The potential of any freshwater taxa to be a surrogate for other aquatic groups has not been explored fully. We compiled occurrence data on 72 species of freshwater fishes, amphibians, mussels, and aquatic reptiles for the Great Plains, Wyoming (U.S.A.). We used hierarchical Bayesian multispecies mixture models and MaxEnt models to describe species’ distributions and the program Zonation to identify areas of conservation priority for each aquatic group. The landscape‐scale factors that best characterized aquatic species’ distributions differed among groups. There was low agreement and congruence among taxa‐specific conservation priorities (<20%), meaning no surrogate priority areas would include or protect the best habitats of other aquatic taxa. Common, wideranging aquatic species were included in taxa‐specific priority areas, but rare freshwater species were not included. Thus, the development of conservation priorities based on a single freshwater aquatic group would not protect all species in the other aquatic groups.