Benchmarking Optical/Thermal Satellite Imagery for Estimating Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture in Decision Support Tools

Generally, one expects evapotranspiration (ET) maps derived from optical/thermal Landsat and MODIS satellite imagery to improve decision support tools and lead to superior decisions regarding water resources management. However, there is lack of supportive evidence to accept or reject this expectation. We “benchmark” three existing hydrologic decision support tools with the following benchmarks: annual ET for the ET Toolbox developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, predicted rainfall‐runoff hydrographs for the Gridded Surface/Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the average annual groundwater recharge for the Distributed Parameter Watershed Model used by Daniel B. Stephens & Associates. The conclusion of this benchmark study is that the use of NASA/USGS optical/thermal satellite imagery can considerably improve hydrologic decision support tools compared to their traditional implementations. The benefits of improved decision making, resulting from more accurate results of hydrologic support systems using optical/thermal satellite imagery, should substantially exceed the costs for acquiring such imagery and implementing the remote sensing algorithms. In fact, the value of reduced error in estimating average annual groundwater recharge in the San Gabriel Mountains, California alone, in terms of value of water, may be as large as $1 billion, more than sufficient to pay for one new Landsat satellite.     

Source identification and characterization of the accumulating non-biodegradable organics in Korean reservoirs

An increase in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) has been noticed in most Korean reservoirs. Therefore, this research systematically investigated the causes of organic accumulation. Samples of soil affecting the quality of water of reservoirs were collected at various sources and analyzed for their organic characteristics. The COD to biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) ratio was used as the key parameter in the evaluation of non-biodegradable (NBD) organic accumulation in the reservoirs. Soil samples containing plant roots were agitated, with the supernatant showing COD/BOD ratios of less than 2.8, while those of the composted tree leaves were greater than 5.0, suggesting that humic substances produced in forest areas are a major cause of NBD organic accumulation in reservoirs. In addition, the organic fractionation of the leachate from leaching tests showed that of the various types of hydrophobic natural organic matter (NOM), the larger molecular weight humic acid makes a greater contribution than fulvic acid to the increase in the NBD COD in Korean reservoirs.     

信息共享平台在环境管理中的支撑作用

建立环境信息共享平台,使环境管理数据实现共享,实现各类数据及时的关联,是环境管理工作发展的必然趋势,将为环境管理提供强有力的技术支撑.信息共享平台利用了大型数据库在性能、安全性、可靠性、数据一致性、分布式处理等方面的优势,将各主要环境业务部门的统计、收费、审批、监测等数据集中管理起来,数据管理人员、各级领导、业务部门员工通过统一的Web界面进行管理、查询分析大量的环境数据,从而简化环境数据管理的难度,提高环境数据管理的水平,大大方便用户对环保数据的访问,提高了数据利用效率.     

农用地膜废弃物管理中的生产者责任延伸制探讨

针对农田塑料残膜污染的现状,本文提出在农用塑料地膜废弃物管理中引入生产者责任延伸制,通过确立残膜回收处置的责任主体,解决农田"白色污染".针对塑料地膜的特性,以及影响生产者责任延伸制绩效的一些因素,本文提出通过明晰责任主体和责任边界,以及合理的制度建设,将生产者责任延伸制这一先进理念转化为先进制度,使其在农用地膜废弃物管理中发挥积极作用.     

饮用水中高氯酸盐污染现状与去除技术的综述

高氯酸盐作为强氧化剂,在广泛的应用中造成了严重的环境污染,并会在人体富集,当在人体内含量超过0．0007mg／kg人体体重,相当于饮用水中的浓度为24．5μg／L时,就会对健康造成影响,尤其会破环甲状腺机能。美国、日本等国已开始采取措施加强对高氯酸盐的控制,我国许多水源也受到此污染但尚未引起重视。本文分析了饮用水中高氯酸盐的物理化学性质及毒理特性,对环境的污染状况以及目前常用的去除技术,其中以生物处理和离子交换膜生物反应器较为有效。     

高职教育考试方法改革的探索与实践

根据高职教育教学的要求和课程特点,尤其是为适应培养应用型人才的教学模式,打破“高分低能”的现象,充分发挥考试在高职教育中的指导性作用,本文以食品质量与安全专业的课程为例,对考试考核方法的改革进行了探索与实践。高职教育的考试应突出应用能力考核,加强实践技能检验,坚持在实践中学习、在实践中考核,全面推行操作技能考核,施行“考教分离”,考试形式多样化的原则。     

Nationwide monitoring of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in South Korea

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) were measured in ambient air samples collected from different parts of South Korea in 2008, and the measured levels were used for assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric PCDDFs and DL-PCBs in South Korea. The average concentrations of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs among the 37 sites were 28 fg I-TEQ m⁻³ (ND ∼ 617) and 1 fg WHO-TEQ m⁻³ (ND ∼ 0.016). Elevated atmospheric levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs observed at residential/industrial sites and in the north-west of Korea, indicated a potential contribution and impacts of anthropogenic sources of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. These levels were similar or lower than those previously reported in other ambient air surveys. Average concentrations of PCDD/Fs showed small seasonal variations (ANOVA analysis, p = 0.144). The highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs were observed during winter, followed by spring, autumn and summer. Atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in South Korea rapidly decreased during the last 10 years (1998-2008), demonstrating the efficiency of stricter regulations and the application of best available technologies/best environmental practices at emission sources. Comparison of the congener profiles and principal component analysis showed that current atmospheric PCDD/Fs are mostly influenced by industrial sources and PCBs from old commercial PCB uses. Nationwide POPs monitoring will continue and allows an effective evaluation of the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on POPs.     

Biodegradation and bio-sorption of antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs using immobilized cell process

In the present study, the removal mechanisms of four antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, and trimethoprim) and four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen) in immobilized cell process were investigated using batch reactors. This work principally explores the individual or collective roles of biodegradation and bio-sorption as removal routes of the target pharmaceuticals and the results were validated by various experimental and analytical tools. Biodegradation and bio-sorption were found as dominant mechanisms for the drug removal, while volatilization and hydrolysis were negligible for all target pharmaceuticals. The target pharmaceuticals responded to the two observed removal mechanisms in different ways, typically: (1) strong biodegradability and bio-sorption by acetaminophen, (2) strong biodegradability and weak bio-sorption by sulfamethoxazole, sulfadimethoxine, ibuprofen and naproxen, (3) low biodegradability and weak bio-sorption by sulfamethazine and ketoprofen, and (4) low biodegradability and medium bio-sorption by trimethoprim. In the sorption/desorption experiment, acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole and sulfadimethoxine were characterized by strong sorption and weak desorption. A phenomenon of moderate sorption and well desorption was observed for sulfamethazine, trimethoprim and naproxen. Both ibuprofen and ketoprofen were weakly sorbed and strongly desorbed.     

Removal of Rhodamine B under visible irradiation in the presence of Fe⁰, H₂O₂, citrate and aeration at circumneutral pH

A new Vis-Fe⁰-H₂O₂-citrate-O₂ system comprising zero-valent iron, hydrogen peroxide, citrate anion and aeration at circumneutral pH under visible irradiation was studied. 21 μmol L⁻¹ of Rhodamine B (RhB) was chosen as the substrate to be tested. Experiments were conducted under conditions of 2.9 mmol L⁻¹ of H₂O₂, 12.6 g of Fe⁰ and 1.0 mmol L⁻¹ of citrate at pH 7.5. Results showed that, in 1 h reaction, 54% of RhB was removed with corresponding 26% of COD reduced. Meanwhile, the amount of released dissolved irons from Fe⁰ surface was found to be at a very low level as <5.4 μmol L⁻¹. Extinguishing tests with isopropanol suggested that RhB oxidation by hydroxyl radicals was the main process taken place in Vis-Fe⁰-H₂O₂-citrate-O₂ system, which accounted for 75% of substrate removal in 3 h reaction. Control and factor influencing experiments showed that the prohibitive extents of individual factor importance on RhB removal followed a decreasing order of Fe⁰ > H₂O₂ > citrate > Vis > O₂. This study showed an excellent system that could remove refractory organic compounds from water in laboratory researches, and also provided a good idea to reduce secondary contamination by dissolved irons in future investigations.     

Accumulation and maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) from Prince William Sound and the Bering Sea, Alaska

The western stock of the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in the northern Pacific Ocean has declined by approximately 80% over the past 30 years. This led to the listing of this sea lion population as an endangered species in 1997. Chemical pollution is a one of several contributing causes. In the present study, 145 individual PCBs were determined in tissues of male sea lions from Tatitlek (Prince William Sound) and St. Paul Island (Bering Sea), and placentae from the Aleutian Islands. PCBs 90/101, 118, and 153 were abundant in all the samples. The mean toxic equivalents (TEQ) were 2.6, 4.7 and 7.4 pg/g lw in the kidney, liver, and blubber samples, respectively. The mean TEQ in placentae was 8 pg/g lw. Total PCBs concentrations (2.6-7.9 μg/g lw) in livers of some males were within a range known to cause physiological effects. Further suggesting the possibility of adverse effects on this stock.