Active biomonitoring with wet and dry moss: a case study in an urban area

Active biomonitoring of the air quality in Belgrade, Serbia, was performed using the moss Sphagnum girgensohnii. Moss bags were exposed in parallel with and without irrigation for 3 and 6 months, respectively, at three different sites. Twenty-nine elements were determined in the exposed moss samples by INAA. For all exposure periods, higher uptake in the irrigated moss bags was evident for Al, Cr, Fe, Zn and Sr. Elements such as Cl, K, Rb and Cs were depleted in the moss tissue during the time of exposure. For most of the elements the accumulation after 6 months exceeded that observed after 3 months.     

Underwater LNG release: Does a pool form on the water surface? What are the characteristics of the vapor released?

One of the scenarios of concern in assessing the safety issues related to transportation of LNG in a marine environment (ship or underwater pipeline) is the release of LNG underwater. This scenario has not been given the same level of scientific attention in the literature compared to surface releases and assessment of consequences therefrom. This paper addresses questions like, (1) does an LNG spill underwater form a pool on the water surface and subsequently evaporate like an LNG spill “on the surface” producing cold, heavier than air vapors?, and (2) what is the range of expected temperatures of the vapor, generated by LNG release due to heat transfer within the water column, when it emanates from the water surface?Very limited data from two field tests of LNG underwater release are reviewed. Also presented are the results from tests conducted in other related industries (metal casting, nuclear fission and fusion, chemical processing, and alternative fuel vehicles) where a hot (or cold) liquid is injected into a bulk cold (or hot) liquid at different depths.A mathematical model is described which calculates the temperature of vapor emanating at the water surface, and the liquid fraction of released LNG that surfaces, if any, to form a pool on the water surface. The model includes such variables as the LNG release rate, diameter of the jet at release, depth of release and water body temperature. Results obtained from the model for postulated release conditions are presented. Comparison of predicted results with available LNG underwater release test data is also provided.     

Pre-concentration and separation of heavy metal ions by chemically modified waste paper gel

Iminodiacetic acid was immobilized on waste paper by chemical modification in order to develop a new type of adsorption gel for heavy metal ions. Adsorption behavior of the gel was investigated for a number of metal ions, specifically Cu(II), Pb(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cd(II), and Co(II) at acidic pH. From batch adsorption tests, the order of selectivity was found to be as follows: Cu(II)  Fe(III) > Pb(II) > Ni(II)  Co(II) > Cd(II). Column tests were carried out for pairs of metal ions to understand the separation and pre-concentration behavior of the gel. It was found that mutual separation of Ni(II) from Co(II) and that of Pb(II) from Cd(II) can be achieved at pH 3. Similarly, selective separation of Cu(II) from Cu(II)–Fe(III) and Cu(II)–Pb(II) mixtures at pH 1.5 and 2, respectively, was observed by using this new adsorption gel. In all cases, almost complete recovery of the adsorbed metal was confirmed by elution tests with HCl.     

Analysis and optimization on the biodegradable plate making process parameters using RSM-based Box–Behnken Design method

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The present research work focused on fabricating Biodegradable Plate (BD plate) composed of rice husk ash, bagasse and corn starch which is...     

Fluorometric detection of bisphenol A using β-cyclodextrin-functionalized ZnO QDs

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The estrogenic property of bisphenol A (BPA) leads to potential adverse health and ecological effects. A simple, selective, and cost-effective sensor...     

Remote sensing of atmospheric aerosol in the nocturnal boundary layer using lidar

This paper presents the results of the lidar experiments that have been performed during January 1989 through August 1990 to study the aerosol vertical distributions in the nocturnal atmosphere and their comparison with near-simultaneous aerological soundings for environmental monitoring. During the study period, the aerosol distributions showed significant stratified aerosol layer structures in the lower atmosphere throughout the south-west monsoon season (June-September), while these structures appear to be either erratic or absent during remaining months of the year. In addition, the aerosols present in the lowest air layers up to 200 m are found to contribute significantly (about 40%) to the aerosol loading in the nocturnal boundary layer at the lidar site. The pre-monsoon to winter ratio of mixing depth and ventilation coefficient were found to be 1.11 and 1.62, respectively. Thus the height of the mixed layer (around 350 m) and the associated ventilation coefficients suggest that early winter evenings tend to have higher pollution potential at the experimental site. The results indicate that the lidar technique has the potential to yield good information on the structure of the nocturnal atmosphere which is found to be influenced by the atmospheric stability conditions as revealed by aerological observations.     

A Power Law Model for River Flow Velocity in Iowa Basins

This study explores power law relationships to estimate water flow velocity as a function of discharge and drainage area across river networks. We test the model using empirical data from 214 United States (U.S.) Geological Survey gauging stations distributed over the state of Iowa in the U.S. The empirical data are the measurements of the mean cross‐sectional velocity and concurrent discharge. The data are used to estimate parameters for a state‐wide model and to test for spatial variability for 15 large river basins contained within the state. Spatial differences among the basins are small but some parameters significantly differ from the state‐wide model. Using individual station data, the authors also explore a simpler power law model that disregards dependence on the drainage area. Overall, the study shows that including drainage area improves the model. Our study provides parameter values that can be directly incorporated into a regional scale routing model, and provides a framework for developing flow velocity models for hydraulically similar rivers in the U.S. and the world.     

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.