Detection and analysis of xenon isotopes for the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty international monitoring system

The use of the xenon isotopes for detection of nuclear explosions is of great interest for monitoring compliance with the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (CTBT). Recently, the automated radioxenon sampler-analyzer (ARSA) was tested at the Institute for Atmospheric Radioactivity (IAR) in Freiburg, Germany to ascertain its use for the CTBT by comparing its results to laboratory-based analyses, determining its detection sensitivity and analyzing its results in light of historical xenon isotope levels and known reactor operations in the area. Xe-133 was detected nearly every day throughout the test at activity concentrations ranging between approximately 0.1 mBq/m3 to as high as 120 mBq/m3. Xe-133m and 135Xe were also detected occasionally during the test at concentrations of less than 1 to a few mBq/m3.     

Measurement of biosolids compost odor emissions from a windrow, static pile, and biofilter.

A pilot study was conducted to compare odor emissions from a windrow process and an aerated static pile and to determine the odor reduction efficiency of a pilot two-phase biofilter for odor control of biosolids composting. Chemical compounds identified as responsible for odors from biosolids composting include ammonia, dimethyl disulfide, carbon disulfide, formic acid, acetic acid, and sulfur dioxide (or carbonyl sulfide). Aeration was found to reduce the concentration of ammonia, formic acid, and acetic acid by 72, 57, and 11%, respectively, compared with a nearby windrow, while dimethyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and sulfur dioxide (or carbonyl sulfide) concentrations were below detection limits. Using dilution-to-threshold olfactometry, aeration followed by biofiltration was found to reduce the odor from biosolids composting by 98%. Biofiltration also altered the character of odor emissions from biosolids composting, producing a less offensive odor with an earthy character. Biofiltration was found to reduce the concentration of ammonia, dimethyl disulfide, carbon disulfide, formic acid, acetic acid, and sulfur dioxide (or carbonyl sulfide) by 99, 90, 32, 100, 34, and 100%, respectively. The concentrations of those odorants were estimated to be 3700, 110000, 26,37,5, and 1.2 times reported human detection limits before the two-phase biofilter, respectively, and 42,9600,18,0,3, and 0 times human detection limits after the biofilter, respectively.     

TNT particle size distributions from detonated 155-mm howitzer rounds

To achieve sustainable range management and avoid or minimize environmental contamination, the Army needs to know the amount of explosives deposited on ranges from different munitions and how these are degraded and transported under different geological and climatic conditions. The physical form of the deposited explosives has a bearing on this problem, yet the shapes and size distributions of the explosive particles remaining after detonations are not known. We collected residues from 8 high-order and 6 low-order non-tactical detonations of TNT-filled 155-mm rounds. We found significant variation in the amount of TNT scattered from the high-order detonations, ranging from 0.00001 to 2% of the TNT in the original shell. All low-order detonations scattered percent-level amounts of TNT. We imaged thousands of TNT particles and determined the size, mass and surface-area distributions of particles collected from one high-order and one low-order detonation. For the high-order detonation, particles smaller than 1 mm contribute most of the mass and surface area of the TNT scattered. For the low-order detonation, most of the scattered TNT mass was in the form of un-heated, centimeter-sized pieces whereas most of the surface area was again from particles smaller than 1 mm. We also observed that the large pieces of TNT disintegrate readily, giving rise to many smaller particles that can quickly dissolve. We suggest picking up the large pieces of TNT before they disintegrate to become point sources of contamination.     

Use of an indoor air quality model (IAQM) to estimate indoor ozone levels

Currently, outdoor ozone levels in many U.S. cities exceed the primary health-based national ambient air quality standard. While outdoor ozone levels are an important measure of the severity of those exceedances, people typically spend more than 80 percent of their time indoors, where ozone levels are lower. Indoor ozone levels range from 10 to 80 percent of outdoor levels, with many people receiving a substantial portion of their ozone exposure while indoors. This paper uses an indoor air quality model (IAQM) to estimate indoor ozone levels by microenvironment type (home, office, and vehicle) and configuration (windows open, windows closed, older construction, weatherized, and air conditioned). The formulation of IAQM is discussed, along with specification of model parameters for ozone. The multicompartment version of IAQM is described, with a single-compartment version used for the analyses. IAQM-calculated ozone indoor-outdoor ratios compare well with research-reported values. Results indicate that ozone peak-concentration indoor-outdoor ratios range as follows: home--0.65 (windows open), 0.36 (air conditioned), 0.23 (typical construction, windows closed), and 0.05 (energy-efficient construction, windows closed); office--0.82 (heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems supplying 100 percent outdoor air), 0.60 (typical HVAC), and 0.32 (energy-efficient HVAC); and vehicle--0.41 (85 mph), 0.33 (55 mph), and 0.21 (10 mph). Analysis results are presented to characterize IAQM's sensitivity to assumed model parameters.     

Nitrate and water supplies in the United Kingdom

Nitrate concentrations in UK waters are rising, with the highest levels occurring in the south and east of England, particularly Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and East Anglia. The source of the nitrate is arable agriculture where intensification in the last few decades has increased nitrate leaching from soils into both surface and underground waters. Concentrations in underground waters are expected to reach 150 to 200 mg litre(-1) nitrate (i.e. NO(3)) in the future, if agricultural losses remain stable. No widespread environmental deterioration due to nitrate has been observed in rivers or lakes. Excessive concentrations of nitrate in drinking waters can cause methaemoglobinaemia (blue-baby syndrome) in bottle-fed infants and the government Chief Medical Officer has recommended that a maximum concentration of 100 mg litre(-1) is appropriate for public water supplies in the UK. This level has not been exceeded in public water supplies in the UK, but maintaining it has cost approximately 15m pounds in borehole replacement and arrangements to blend high and low nitrate waters. Future capital costs are estimated as 37m pounds over the next 20 years. The European Economic Community (EEC) Drinking Water Directive (80/778/EEC) sets a maximum admissible concentration of 50 mg litre(-1) nitrate. Adherence to this standard will cost 199m pounds over the same period.     

Widespread contribution of methane-cycle bacteria to the diets of lake profundal chironomid larvae

Reports of unexpectedly 13C-depleted chironomid larvae in lakes have led to an hypothesis that significant transfer of detrital organic matter to chironomid larvae may occur via methane-cycle bacteria. However, to date little is known of how such transfer might vary across species and lakes. We gathered data from 87 lakes to determine how widespread this phenomenon might be and to define boundaries for its likely magnitude. Carbon stable isotope values of chironomid larvae varied greatly between taxa. Very marked 13C-depletion was evident only in certain taxa, especially Chironomus plumosus, C. anthracinus, and C. tenuistylus, all characteristic of eutrophic or dystrophic lakes and known to be tolerant of low oxygen conditions. Furthermore, marked 13C-depletion was only found in larvae from lakes in which late-summer hypolimnetic oxygen depletion near the sediment surface was below an apparent threshold concentration of 2-4 mg O2/L. Similarly, application of a two-source mixing model suggested that methanotrophic bacteria made the greatest contribution to profundal chironomid growth (0-70% of larval carbon) when the late-summer oxygen concentration dropped below approximately 2 mg O2/L. Our study demonstrates that methane-derived carbon is an important, but often neglected, contribution to the flux of carbon through the food webs of many productive or dystrophic lakes.     

Septic tank and agricultural non‐point source pollution within a rural watershed

This investigation addresses the problem of Non‐Point Source (NPS) pollution in the rural Lake Weatherford watershed in Parker County, Texas. This reservoir is the primary municipal water supply for the City of Weatherford, Texas. The principal method of wastewater disposal is the on‐site system or septic tanks for the small residential areas surrounding the reservoir.

Sources of NPS pollution of interest in this watershed include agricultural operations as well as the residential areas. These sites were identified with the aid of aerial photography and field investigation. Suspected NPS problems were substantiated through a sampling program involving chemical and biological testing of the reservoir. Results indicate that there is significant NPS pollution contamination of Lake Weatherford from agricultural sources and seepage from on‐site wastewater disposal systems. Excessive fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus counts (>500 bacteria/100 ml) were generally associated with rainfall events and several samples showed values > 100000 bacteria/100 ml. The fecal coliform/fecal streptococcus ratios indicated contamination from human sources, animal sources, and a combination of both. Nutrient concentrations fluctuated from quite low to high with ammonia as the most consistent problem. High ammonia values were also associated with rainfall events.     

Analysis of munitions constituents in groundwater using a field-portable GC-MS

The use of munitions constituents (MCs) at military installations can produce soil and groundwater contamination that requires periodic monitoring even after training or manufacturing activities have ceased. Traditional groundwater monitoring methods require large volumes of aqueous samples (e.g., 2-4 L) to be shipped under chain of custody, to fixed laboratories for analysis. The samples must also be packed on ice and shielded from light to minimize degradation that may occur during transport and storage. The laboratory’s turn-around time for sample analysis and reporting can be as long as 45 d. This process hinders the reporting of data to customers in a timely manner; yields data that are not necessarily representative of current site conditions owing to the lag time between sample collection and reporting; and incurs significant shipping costs for samples.The current work compares a field portable Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) for analysis of MCs on-site with traditional laboratory-based analysis using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV absorption detection. The field method provides near real-time (within ∼1 h of sampling) concentrations of MCs in groundwater samples. Mass spectrometry provides reliable confirmation of MCs and a means to identify unknown compounds that are potential false positives for methods with UV and other non-selective detectors.     

Identifying ozone-sensitive communities of (semi-)natural vegetation suitable for mapping exceedance of critical levels

Using published data on the responses of individual species to ozone, 54 EUNIS (European Nature Information System) level 4 communities with six or more ozone-sensitive species (%OS) and c. 20% or more species tested for ozone sensitivity, were identified as potentially ozone-sensitive. The largest number of these communities (23) was associated with Grasslands, with Heathland, scrub and tundra, and Mires, bogs and fens having the next highest representation at 11 and 8 level 4 communities each respectively. Within the grasslands classification, E4 (Alpine and sub-alpine grasslands), E5 (Woodland fringes and clearings) and E1 (Dry grasslands) were the most sensitive with 68.1, 51.6 and 48.6%OS respectively. It is feasible to map the land-cover for these and other communities at level 2, but it may not be currently possible to map the land-cover for all communities identified to be ozone-sensitive at levels 3 and 4.     

Influence of drought and municipal sewage effluents on the baseflow water chemistry of an upper piedmont river

The Reedy River in South Carolina is affected by the urban area of Greenville, the third most populous city in the state, and by the effluents from two large-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located on the river. Riverine water chemistry was characterized using grab samples collected annually under spring season baseflow conditions. During the 4-year time period associated with this study, climatic variations included two severe drought spring seasons (2001 and 2002), one above-normal precipitation spring season (2003), and one below-normal precipitation spring season (2004). The influence of drought and human activities on the baseflow chemistry of the river was evaluated by comparing concentrations of dissolved anions, total metals, and other important water chemistry parameters for these different years. Concentrations of copper and zinc, common non-point source contaminants related to urban activities, were not substantially elevated in the river within the urban area under baseflow conditions when compared with headwater and tributary samples. In contrast, nitrate concentrations increased from 1.2–1.6 mg/l up to 2.6–2.9 mg/l through the urban stream reach. Concentrations of other major anions (e.g., sulfate, nitrate) also increased along the reach, suggesting that the river receives continuous inputs of these species from within the urban area. The highest concentrations of major cations and anions typically were observed immediately downstream from the two WWTP effluent discharge locations. Attenuation of nitrate downstream from the WWTPs did not always track chloride changes, suggesting that nitrate concentrations were being controlled by biochemical processes in addition to physical processes. The relative trends in decreasing nitrate concentrations with downstream distance appeared to depend on drought versus non-drought conditions, with biological processes presumably serving as a more important control during non-drought spring seasons.