Evaluating microbial purification during soil treatment of wastewater with multicomponent tracer and surrogate tests

Soil treatment of wastewater has the potential to achieve high purification efficiency, yet the understanding and predictability of purification with respect to removal of viruses and other pathogens is limited. Research has been completed to quantify the removal of virus and bacteria through the use of microbial surrogates and conservative tracers during controlled experiments with three-dimensional pilot-scale soil treatment systems in the laboratory and during the testing of full-scale systems under field conditions. The surrogates and tracers employed included two viruses (MS-2 and PRD-1 bacteriophages), one bacterium (ice-nucleating active Pseudomonas), and one conservative tracer (bromide ion). Efforts have also been made to determine the relationship between viruses and fecal coliform bacteria in soil samples below the wastewater infiltrative surface, and the correlation between Escherichia coli concentrations measured in percolating soil solution as compared with those estimated from analyses of soil solids. The results suggest episodic breakthrough of virus and bacteria during soil treatment of wastewater and a 2 to 3 log (99-99.9%) removal of virus and near complete removal of fecal coliform bacteria during unsaturated flow through 60 to 90 cm of sandy medium. Results also suggest that the fate of fecal coliform bacteria may be indicative of that of viruses in soil media near the infiltrative surface receiving wastewater effluent. Concentrations of fecal coliform in percolating soil solution may be conservatively estimated from analysis of extracted soil solids.     

鹿特丹公约:为什么在这里和它试图达到什么目的?

在二十世纪,各种合成化学品的使用有着令人注目的增长,特别是在制造产业和农业中.这些化学品中有许多后来显示出大量的不合乎需要的特性,包括在环境中的持久性,在食物链中生物放大的趋势,对于环境的负面影响.某些化学品也显示导致癌症或出生率下降.有些是非常危险的,即使在非常有限的暴露之后.     

Evaluating The National Land Cover Database Tree Canopy and Impervious Cover Estimates Across the Conterminous United States: A Comparison with Photo-Interpreted Estimates

The 2001 National Land Cover Database (NLCD) provides 30-m resolution estimates of percentage tree canopy and percentage impervious cover for the conterminous United States. Previous estimates that compared NLCD tree canopy and impervious cover estimates with photo-interpreted cover estimates within selected counties and places revealed that NLCD underestimates tree and impervious cover. Based on these previous results, a wall-to-wall comprehensive national analysis was conducted to determine if and how NLCD derived estimates of tree and impervious cover varies from photo-interpreted values across the conterminous United States. Results of this analysis reveal that NLCD significantly underestimates tree cover in 64 of the 65 zones used to create the NCLD cover maps, with a national average underestimation of 9.7% (standard error (SE) = 1.0%) and a maximum underestimation of 28.4% in mapping zone 3. Impervious cover was also underestimated in 44 zones with an average underestimation of 1.4% (SE = 0.4%) and a maximum underestimation of 5.7% in mapping zone 56. Understanding the degree of underestimation by mapping zone can lead to better estimates of tree and impervious cover and a better understanding of the potential limitations associated with NLCD cover estimates.     

The selenium status of sheep in Britain as indicated by wool selenium concentration

A correlation between the selenium concentration in wool and blood erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity (GSHPx) from sheep in W. Derbyshire, a high selenium area and N. Wales and Romney Marsh, low/marginal selenium areas is reported.Soil and herbage selenium concentrations were significantly correlated with wool selenium levels and GSHPx activity.A significant difference was found between wool selenium concentrations and between GSHPx activities from sheep in W. Derbyshire and those animals sampled in N. Wales and Romney Marsh. 90% of wool samples from the low/marginal areas gave concentrations below 0.125 g Se/g. 6.125 g Se/g wool is suggested as a threshold value for selenium in wool from sheep grazing low/marginal areas.Seasonal peaks in wool selenium concentrations and GSHPx activities are found in March and June respectively. Supplementary feeds, which contain added selenium, given to livestock during the winter season may be responsible for these seasonal differences.GSHPx activity data reported in this study records higher sheep selenium levels than those reported in the 1979 survey by Andersonet al. This increase is attributed to the addition since 1979 of selenium to feeds and drenches.Wool is proposed as an accurate and less costly measure of sheep selenium status.