Waterfowls habitat modeling: Simulation of nest site selection for the migratory Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) in the Nakdong estuary

This paper aims to find patterns in nest site selection by Little Terns Sterna albifrons, in the Nakdong estuary in South Korea. This estuary is important waterfowl stopover and breeding habitat, located in the middle of the East Asia-Australasian Flyway. The Little Tern is a common species easily observed near the seashore but their number is gradually declining around the world. We investigated their nests and eggs on a barrier islet in the Nakdong estuary during the breeding season (May to June, 2007), and a pattern for the nest site selection was identified using genetic programming (GP). The GP generated a predictive rule-set model for the number of Little Tern nests (training: R² = 0.48 and test: 0.46). The physical features of average elevation, variation of elevation, plant coverage, and average plant height were estimated to determine the influence on nest numbers for Little Tern. A series of sensitivity analyses stressed that mean elevation and vegetation played an important role in nest distribution for Little Tern. The influence of these two variables could be maximized when elevation changed moderately within the sampled quadrats. The study results are regarded as a good example of applying GP to vertebrate distribution patterning and prediction with several important advantages compared to conventional modeling techniques, and can help establish a management or restoration strategy for the species.     

Leachate of fly ash derived from refuse incineration

For highly urbanized cities where there is a scarcity of land available for landfilling, incineration of refuse is a feasible solution for solid waste disposal. After incineration, about 20% by weight of fly ash and other residues are produced and disposed of by landfill. Leachate tests carried out on samples of fly ash show that the heavy metal concentrations of the leachate are in excess of the permissible limits set by WHO. Lime and cement are used to stabilize the fly ash. The concentrations of heavy metals in the leachates of lime and cement treated fly ash are non-detectable. In additional to pollution control, the lime and cement treated fly ash significantly improves the properties of soft clay.     

Effect of vermiculite addition on compost produced from Korean food wastes

To evaluate the effect of vermiculite addition on composting food wastes from Korean households, food wastes were composted in three small bins to which different additives were added. The following three bins were employed: in Case I, only recycled compost was composted; in Case II, food wastes with recycled compost; and in Case III, food wastes with recycled compost and vermiculite. In the experiment performed for 30 days, it was confirmed that the supplementary addition of vermiculite to the composting mixture did not significantly improve the weight loss rate and the decomposition rate of food wastes. Due to dilution through the use of inorganic vermiculite, the vermiculite addition reduced the organic matter concentration of the composting mixtures. Vermiculite addition did not raise the pH value. Weight losses of roughly 70% were observed based on calculating moisture loss as well as dry food waste loss and not considering additives, while dry food waste loss was 29.4% and 35.8% with and without the addition of vermiculite, respectively. For these experiments, the major portion of the weight loss was the loss of water. The results indicate a need to differentiate between weight loss percentages and decomposition percentages, and a need to indicate if either of these percentages includes or excludes the mass of additives.     

Estimation of 222Rn release from the phosphogypsum board used in housing panels

Phosphogypsum board is a popular construction material used for housing panels in Korea. Phosphogypsum often contains (226)Ra which decays into (222)Rn through an alpha transformation. (222)Rn emanated from the (226)Ra-bearing phosphogypsum board has drawn the public concern due to its potential radiological impacts to indoor occupants. The emanation rate of (222)Rn from the board is estimated in this paper. A mathematical model of the emanation rate of (222)Rn from the board is presented and validated through a series of experiments. The back diffusion effect due to accumulation of (222)Rn-laden air was incorporated in the model and found to have a strong impact on the (222)Rn emanation characteristics.     

Fouling coverage of a green tide alga, Ulva pertusa on some antifouling test surfaces exposed to Ayagin harbor waters, east coast of South Korea

Toxic antifouling chemicals released into the seawaters leads to marine environmental degradation. In order to identify a nontoxic antifoulant, an assessment of antifouling (AF) efficacy of some AF candidates was made at Ayagin harbor, east coast of South Korea. In this static panel study conducted during October 2000-March 2001, some commercial antifoulants, seaweed and seagrass extracts were screened. On panel surfaces coated with a seaweed extract, Ishige okamurae exhibited effective AF activity. Ulva pertusa was encountered as a 'monospecific' fouler with fairly high fouling coverage on many of the test panel surfaces. In recent years the increased influx of inorganic pollutants in the coastal waters causes exorbitant growth of fouling marine algae found all along the Korean peninsula. Especially, a cosmopolitan ship fouling alga U. pertusa occur with high abundance. It was largely suggested that the proposed international ban on the toxic antifoulant tributyltin (TBT) had significant effect on the 'green tide' phenomenon occurring in different parts of the world. However, it appears that Korean scenario of 'green tide' is a localized. Antifouling efficacy of some AF coatings and fouling coverage of a green tide alga, U. pertusa are discussed.     

Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of arsenic in an abandoned mine tailings of Korea

The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of As solid phases in arsenic-rich mine tailings from the Nakdong As–Bi mine in Korea was investigated. The tailings generated from the ore roasting process contained 4.36% of As whereas the concentration was up to 20.2% in some tailings from the cyanidation process for the Au extraction. Thin indurated layers and other secondary precipitates had formed at the surfaces of the tailings piles and the As contents of the hardened layers varied from 2.87 to 16.0%. Scorodite and iron arsenate (Fe₃AsO₇) were the primary As-bearing crystalline minerals. Others such as arsenolamprite, bernardite and titanium oxide arsenate were also found. The amorphous As–Fe phases often showed framboidal aggregates and gel type textures with desiccation cracks. Sequential extraction results also showed that 55.7–91.1% of the As in tailings were NH₄-oxalate extractable As, further confirmed the predominance of amorphous As–Fe solid phases. When the tailings were equilibrated with de-ionized water, the solution exhibited extremely acidic conditions (pH 2.01–3.10) and high concentrations of dissolved As (up to 29.5 mg L⁻¹), indicating high potentials for As to be released during rainfall events. The downstream water was affected by drainage from tailings and contained 12.7–522 μg L⁻¹ of As. The amorphous As–Fe phases in tailings have not entirely been stabilized through the long term natural weathering processes. To remediate the environmental harms they had caused, anthropogenic interventions to stabilize or immobilize As in the tailings pile should be explored.     

Reduced viability of F1 egg ropes in Chironomus riparius exposed to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)

The midge (Chironomus riparius), an aquatic invertebrate, was exposed to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) to evaluate the effects on reproductive processes via sediment toxicity. The test endpoints included emergence, sex ratio, fecundity and viability of F1 offspring egg ropes. After exposures of C. riparius to DEHP in this study, a significant result was observed only in the viability test of F1 egg ropes. That is, hatching rates of F1 egg ropes from DEHP exposed adults were decreased significantly. This result provides the evidence that DEHP could lead abnormal egg ropes development by DEHP exposure during larval period. This means that DEHP could effect to Chironomus population density through reduced F1 offspring.     

Conditioning of Oily Sludge with Alum

Sludge dewatering is a process whereby water is removed from sludge so as to reduce its volume and alter its physical state from semisolid to damp solid. This physical change reduces the volume of sludge considerably and therefore the cost of disposal. The degree of reduction of sludge volume or dewatering is a function of the characteristics of sludge and the type of dewatering device. Sludge characteristics such as specific resistance, capillary suction time(CST), filter yield and solid content can be determined in the laboratories. Knowledge of these characteristics with different dosages of sludge conditioners helps in effective dewatering and sludge handling operations.Oil and grease have an affinity for suspended solids. Experiences show that the presence of oil in wastewater results in poor substrate utilization causing less aerobic treatment and subsequently hinder settling and dewatering processes. Sludge samples with different oil contents varying from 1.8% to 8.0% by weight have been examined in the laboratory to find out their specific resistance, capillary suction time and filter yield. Alum was used as a conditioner. Different dosages of alum varying from 2% to 12% by weight were used to determine the optimum chemical dosage for varying oil contents. Buchner funnel apparatus, filter leaf apparatus and capillary suction time test apparatus were used to determine the dewatering characteristics specific resistance, filter yield and capillary suction time respectively.Addition of alum decreases the specific resistances and capillary suction times of oily sludges rapidly upto 4% dosages. Alum dosages beyond 4% only increase the solids content in the sludge cake and increase the sludge volume to be handled. The total suspended solids of filtrate decrease with alum dosage. The correlations between dewatering characteristics were studied. A correlation between CST and specific resistance to filtration was established. CST can be measured easily and quickly in the laboratories. Using the CST and the correlation a quick prediction on dewaterability can be established.     

Practical field application of a novel BOD monitoring system

A biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) monitoring system, based on electrochemically-active bacteria in combination with a microbial fuel cell, has been developed for the purpose of on-site, on-line and real-time monitoring of practical wastewater. A microbial fuel cell that had been enriched with electrochemically-active bacteria was used as the basis of the measurement system. When synthetic wastewater was fed to the system, the current generation pattern and its Coulombic yield were found to be dependent on the BOD5 of the synthetic wastewater. A linear correlation between the Coulombic yields and the BOD5 of the synthetic wastewater were established. Real wastewater obtained from a sewage treatment plant also produced a highly linear correlation between the Coulombic yield and BOD5 in the system. To examine on-site, on-line and real-time monitoring capability, the BOD monitoring system was installed at a sewage treatment plant. Over 60 days, the measurement system was successfully operated with high accuracy and good stability with the measuring period for a sample being 45 min. This application showed that the application of the measurement system was a rapid and practical way for the determination of BOD5 in water industries.