Future implications of urban intensification on residential water demand

Over recent decades Auckland, New Zealand, metropolitan area has vastly expanded as a result of rapid population growth and low-density housing developments. In order to manage the uncontrolled low-density urban sprawl, Auckland Council proposed a compact city model through promoting higher density housing developments. In order to understand the implications of this transition on future residential water demand, this study first evaluated water consumption in three major housing types in Auckland including single houses, low-rise and high-rise apartments. Using the geographic information system, the water consumption information, estimated from a large sample of 60,000 dwellings across Auckland, was subsequently integrated with the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan outlining the future housing composition over different areas in Auckland. Through developing different growth scenarios, the study showed that the housing transition from single houses to more intensified multi-unit houses cannot considerably affect the average per capita water consumption in Auckland.     

Deriving freshwater quality criteria for copper,cadmium, aluminum and manganese for protection of aquatic life in Malaysia

Freshwater quality criteria for copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), aluminum (Al), and manganese (Mn) were developed with particular reference to aquatic biota in Malaysia, and based on USEPA’s guidelines. Acute toxicity tests were performed on eight different freshwater domestic species in Malaysia, which were Macrobrachium lanchesteri (prawn), two fish – Poecilia reticulata and Rasbora sumatrana, Melanoides tuberculata (snail), Stenocypris major (ostracod), Chironomus javanus (midge larvae), Nais elinguis (annelid), and Duttaphrynus melanostictus (tadpole), to determine 96-h LC50 values for Cu, Cd, Al, and Mn. The final acute values (FAVs) for Cu, Cd, Al, and Mn were 2.5, 3.0, 977.8, and 78.3 μg L^?1, respectively. Using an estimated acute-to-chronic ratio (ACR) of 8.3, the value for final chronic value (FCV) was derived. Based on FAV and FCV, a Criterion Maximum Concentration (CMC) and a criterion Continuous Concentration (CCC) for Cu, Cd, Al, and Mn of 1.3, 1.5, 488.9, and 39.1 μg L^?1 and 0.3, 0.36, 117.8, and 9.4 μg L^?1, respectively, were derived. The results of this study provide useful data for deriving national or local water quality criteria for Cu, Cd, Al, and Mn based on aquatic biota in Malaysia. Based on LC50 values, this study indicated that R. sumatrana, M. lanchesteri, C. javanus, and N. elinguis were the most sensitive to Cu, Cd, Al, and Mn, respectively.     

Recovery of a marker strain of Salmonella typhimurium in litter and aerosols from isolation rooms containing infected chickens

Abstract

Screening of poultry flocks for foodborne pathogen Salmonella contamination is critical for Salmonella control in preharvest stages of poultry production. In this study, two sampling methods (litter and air filter) were compared for detection of S. typhimurium from experimentally infected chicks some of which had received either a probiotic competitive exclusion culture or transfer of cecal contents from salmonellae‐free adult birds. At 4, 9, and 11 days after inoculation, S. typhimurium samples were enumerated by selective plating. For both types of sampling, the control birds yielded the greatest levels of environmental contamination followed by the samples from the probiotic inoculated birds with the birds receiving the cecal transfer culture having the lowest levels of contamination. Although the two sampling methods responded in a similar fashion, detection sensitivity needs to be increased for air filter sampling.     

Fate in soil of 14C-sulfadiazine residues contained in the manure of young pigs treated with a veterinary antibiotic

The fate of ¹⁴C-labeled sulfadiazine (¹⁴C-SDZ) residues was studied in time-course experiments for 218 days of incubation using two soils (A_p horizon of loamy sand, orthic luvisol; A_p horizon of silt loam, cambisol) amended with fresh and aged (6 months) ¹⁴C-manure [40 g kg^?1 of soil; 6.36 mg of sulfadiazine (SDZ) equivalents per kg of soil], which was derived from two shoats treated with ¹⁴C-SDZ. Mineralization of ¹⁴C-SDZ residues was below 2% after 218 days depending little on soil type. Portions of extractable ¹⁴C (ethanol-water, 9:1, v/v) decreased with time to 4–13% after 218 days of incubation with fresh and aged ¹⁴C-manure and both soils. Non-extractable residues were the main route of the fate of the ¹⁴C-SDZ residues (above 90% of total recovered ¹⁴C after 218 days). These residues were high immediately after amendment depending on soil type and aging of the ¹⁴C-manure, and were stable and not remobilized throughout 218 days of incubation. Bioavailable portions (extraction using CaCl₂ solution) also decreased with increasing incubation period (5–7% after 218 days). Due to thin-layer chromatography (TLC), 500 μg of ¹⁴C-SDZ per kg soil were found in the ethanol-water extracts immediately after amendment with fresh ¹⁴C-manure, and about 50 μg kg^?1 after 218 days. Bioavailable ¹⁴C-SDZ portions present in the CaCl₂ extracts were about 350 μg kg^?1 with amendment. Higher concentrations were initially detected with aged ¹⁴C-manure (ethanol-water extracts: 1,920 μg kg^?1; CaCl₂ extracts: 1,020 μg kg^?1), probably due to release of ¹⁴C-SDZ from bound forms during storage. Consistent results were obtained by extraction of the ¹⁴C-manure-soil samples with ethyl acetate; portions of N-acetylated SDZ were additionally determined. All soluble ¹⁴C-SDZ residues contained in ¹⁴C-manure contributed to the formation of non-extractable residues; a tendency for persistence or accumulation was not observed. SDZ's non-extractable soil residues were associated with the soluble HCl, fulvic acids and humic acids fractions, and the insoluble humin fraction. The majority of the non-extractable residues appeared to be due to stable covalent binding to soil organic matter.     

工业废水中多金属离子的吸附净化

以含有Si、Al、Ca、C元素的矿物材料作为基质,经特定条件处理后造粒成型加工成轻质多孔Si-Al-Ca-C结构的吸附材料。研究了该吸附材料对工业废水中多种金属离子的吸附性能,探讨了影响吸附性能的因素。研究结果表明,在一定条件下,Si-Al-Ca-C吸附材料对工业废水中Al3+、Ca2+、Mn2+、Cu2+、Fe3+、Mg2+、As3+和Zn2+的净化率分别高达99.34%、99.82%、98.26%、98.16%、97.76%、97.01%、100%和89.09%。金属离子残留浓度分别为0.152、0.07、0.012、0.02、0.119、0.311、0和0.259 mg/L,均低于国家污水综合排放标准(GB8978-1996)一级标准。     

改进的TLI指数法及其在巢湖营养状态评价中的应用

对巢湖2000—2008年的监测数据运用SPSS做统计分析,得出叶绿素a与总氮、总磷和透明度的相关系数。通过得出的权重结果,分析出与26个湖泊的差异性,构建了改进的综合营养状态指数(TLI)评价方法,并提出评价的4个步骤。以巢湖为例,运用该方法对湖泊的营养状态进行评价,且对巢湖的富营养化程度做了年际和年内变化的综合评价,评价结果显示各营养物指标的相关关系在近30年有了较大变化,巢湖的富营养化现象已日益严重,已从轻度富营养化状态转变为中度富营养化状态。     

不同来源高浓度有机废水的集中处理

按照水质情况,将多种来源于不同工业生产过程中的高浓度有机废水划分为高悬浮固体乳化液废水、难生化高浓度有机废水、高悬浮固体不含油有机废水、含铬有机废水和杂质含量较少的乳化液废水5类,分别采用酸化破乳/Fen-ton氧化/混凝/絮凝、Fenton氧化/混凝/絮凝、混凝/絮凝、还原/混凝/絮凝、震动膜过滤技术作为生化预处理技术,并通过小试和中试验证了各技术的效果。实验结果表明,按照上述分类结果,采用不同预处理技术可以得到良好的效果,废水水质明显改善,满足继续生化处理的基本条件。各预处理生产装置处理效果稳定,同时生化系统已经稳定运行120天以上,COD去除率超过90%,出水经过低剂量的Fenton试剂处理后可达到《污水排入城镇下水道水质标准》(CJ343-2012)。     

中原油田开展清洁生产工作的几点体会

中原油田自2008年以来全面推行清洁生产工作,取得了丰硕的成果。文章结合中原油田实施清洁生产的实际,论述了中原油田有效开展清洁生产审核、建立清洁生产长效机制的一些经验和实际做法。中原油田经过努力,油区环境质量得到改善,为构建资源节约型、环境友好型企业奠定了基础。     

Temporal and Spatial Variability of Water Supply Stress in the Haihe River Basin,Northern China1

Ji, Yuhe, Liding Chen, and Ranhao Sun, 2012. Temporal and Spatial Variability of Water Supply Stress in the Haihe River Basin, Northern China. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(5): 999‐1007. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2012.00671.x Abstract: Water resources are becoming increasingly stressed under the influence of climate change and population growth in the Haihe River Basin, Northern China. Assessing the temporal and spatial variability of water supply stress is urgently needed to mitigate water crisis caused by water resource reallocation. Water supply and use data were compiled for the time period of 1998‐2003 in this synthesis study. The Water Supply Stress Index (WSSI) as defined as Water Demand/Water Supply was used to quantitate whether water supply could meet the demand of human activities across the study region. We found a large spatial gradient of water supply stress in the study region, being much higher in the eastern subbasins (ranging from 2.56 to 4.31) than the west subbasins (ranging from 0.56 to 1.92). The eastern plain region not only suffered more serious water supply stress but also had a much higher interannual variability than the western hilly region. The uneven spatial distribution of water supply stress might result from the distribution of land use, population, and climate. Future climate change and rapid economic development are likely to aggravate the existing water crisis in the study region.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of monuron in the suspension of WO3 under the irradiation of UV-visible light

A comprehensive study of the degradation of monuron, one of the phenylurea herbicides, was conducted by UV-Vis/WO₃ process. It was found that hydroxyl radicals played a major role in the decay of monuron while other radicals (e.g. superoxide) and hole might also contribute to the decomposition of monuron. The oxidation path likely plays a major role in the generation of hydroxyl radicals. The effects of initial pH level, initial concentration of monuron, and inorganic oxidants on the performance of UV-Vis/WO₃ process were also investigated and optimized. Comparison between monuron decay pathways by UV-Vis/WO₃ and UV/TiO₂ was conducted. The decay mechanisms, including N-terminus demethylation, dechlorination and direct hydroxylation on benzene ring, were observed to be involved in the oxidation of monuron in these two processes. Sixteen intermediates were identified during the photodegradation of monuron and degradation pathways were proposed accordingly.