Adapting a geographical information system-based water resource management to the needs of the Romanian water authorities

Background, aim, and scope

The need for global and integrated approaches to water resources management, both from the quantitative and the qualitative point of view, has long been recognized. Water quality management is a major issue for sustainable development and a mandatory task with respect to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive as well as the Swiss legislation. However, data modelling to develop relational databases and subsequent geographic information system (GIS)-based water management instruments are a rather recent and not that widespread trend. The publication of overall guidelines for data modelling along with the EU Water Framework Directive is an important milestone in this area. Improving overall water quality requires better and more easily accessible data, but also the possibility to link data to simulation models. Models are to be used to derive indicators that will in turn support decision-making processes. For this whole chain to become effective at a river basin scale, all its components have to become part of the current daily practice of the local water administration. Any system, tool, or instrument that is not designed to meet, first of all, the fundamental needs of its primary end-users has almost no chance to be successful in the longer term.

Materials and methods

Although based on a pre-existing water resources management system developed in Switzerland, the methodological approach applied to develop a GIS-based water quality management system adapted to the Romanian context followed a set of well-defined steps: the first and very important step is the assessment of needs (on the basis of a careful analysis of the various activities and missions of the water administration and other relevant stakeholders in water management related issues). On that basis, a conceptual data model (CDM) can be developed, to be later on turned into a physical database. Finally, the specifically requested additional functionalities (i.e. functionalities not provided by classical commercial GIS software), also identified during the assessment of needs, are developed. This methodology was applied, on an experimental basin, in the Ialomita River basin.

Results

The results obtained from this action-research project consist of a set of tangible elements, among which (1) a conceptual data model adapted to the Romanian specificities regarding water resources management (needs, data availability, etc.), (2) a related spatial relational database (objects and attributes in tables, links, etc.), that can be used to store the data collected, among others, by the water administration, and later on exploited with geographical information systems, (3) a toolbar (in the ESRI environment) offering the requested data processing and visualizing functionalities. Lessons learned from this whole process can be considered as additional, although less tangible, results.

Discussion

The applied methodology is fairly classical and did not come up with revolutionary results. Actually, the interesting aspects of this work are, on the one hand, and obviously, the fact that it produced tools matching the needs of the local (if not national) water administration (i.e. with a good chance of being effectively used in the day-to-day practice), and, on the other hand, the adaptations and adjustments that were needed both at the staff level and in technical terms.

Conclusions

This research showed that a GIS-based water management system needs to be backed by some basic data management tools that form the necessary support upon which a GIS can be deployed. The main lesson gained is that technology transfer has to pay much attention to the differences in existing situations and backgrounds in general, and therefore must be able to show much flexibility. The fact that the original objectives could be adapted to meet the real needs of the local end-users is considered as a major aspect in achieving a successful adaptation and development of water resources management tools. Time needed to setup things in real life was probably the most underestimated aspect in this technology transfer process.

Recommendations and perspectives

The whole material produced (conceptual data model, database and GIS tools) was disseminated among all river basin authorities in Romania on the behalf of the national water administration (ANAR). The fact that further developments, for example, to address water quantity issues more precisely, as envisaged by ANAR, can be seen as an indication that this project succeeded in providing an appropriate input to improve water quality in Romania on the long term.

     

烟草烟雾对室内空气颗粒物浓度的影响

采用电称冲击低压系统(ELPI)将无烟室和吸烟室内的空气颗粒物(0.03～10.00 μm)分成12级,对其粒子数和质量浓度进行测定.结果表明,吸烟室PM0.03～10.00的日平均粒子数和质量浓度分别是无烟室的1.50、1.13倍.烟草烟雾对室内颗粒物粒子数的影响集中在0.03～1.00 μm粒径段;对室内颗粒物质量浓度的影响表现为双模态结构,峰值分别在0.20～0.70、5.00～8.20 μm粒径段.烟草烟雾颗粒物的粒子数和质量浓度随烟雾消散时间的增加而减少,粒径越小,减小的越明显;烟草烟雾颗粒物在室内消散缓慢,会在长时间内造成影响,应引起足够关注.     

表面活性剂对多壁碳纳米管吸附Pb~(2+)的影响

多壁碳纳米管(MWNT)在吸附有毒气体和重金属离子方面具有极高的应用价值.针对MWNT对水溶液中Pb2+的净化吸附进行了研究,从吸附量,吸附速率、动力学角度考察了表面活性剂、Pb2+浓度对MWNT吸附Pb2+的影响.结果表明,司班-60、吐温-20、阿拉伯树胶等表面活性剂的加入,促进了MWNT在溶液中的分散,导致在Pb2+摩尔浓度为3～18 mmol/L的Lang-muir和Freundlich等温吸附方程中的吸附常数(K)变大,使得MWNT对Pb2+的吸附速率和平衡吸附量都得到提高;随着溶液中Pb2+浓度的增大,MWNT对其吸附量渐至饱和,随后由于Pb2+的位阻作用.吸附量下降;在这3种表面活性剂中,由于司班-60具有相对较小的分子量,其分散的MWNT在Pb2+摩尔浓度为14 mmol/L时,吸附量最大,为230 mg/g.     

城镇杂用再生水的水质安全评价关键指标探讨

污水再生利用是解决中国淡水资源短缺的有效途径,再生水的水质安全问题一直以来受到广泛关注.以城镇杂用再生水的水质安全为目标,从再生水中残留的化学污染物和病原微生物出发,通过全面分析污染物在回用过程中危害人体健康和生态环境的可能途径,结合当前国内外城镇杂用水的水质标准,提出了包括综合毒性指标、生物学指标、可吸附有机卤化物指标、挥发性有机物指标等在内的城镇杂用再生水水质安全评价关键指标.     

Measurement of gas-phase total peroxides at the summit of Mount Tai in China

Measurement of ambient gas-phase total peroxides was performed at the summit of Mount Tai (Mt. Tai, 1534 m above sea level) in central-eastern China during March 22–April 24 and June 16–July 20, 2007. The hourly averaged concentration of peroxides was 0.17 ppbv (± 0.16 ppbv, maximum: 1.28 ppbv) and 0.55 ppbv (± 0.67 ppbv, maximum: 3.55 ppbv) in the spring and summer campaigns, respectively. The average concentration of peroxides at Mt. Tai, which is in a heavily polluted region, was much lower than hydrogen peroxide measurements made at some rural mountain sites, suggesting that significant removal processes took place in this region. An examination of diurnal variation and a correlation analysis suggest that these removal processes could include chemical suppression of peroxide production due to the scavenging of peroxy and hydroxy radicals by high NO_x, wet removal by clouds/fogs rich in dissolved sulfur dioxide which reacts quickly with peroxides, and photolysis. These sinks competed with photochemical sources of peroxides, resulting in different mean concentrations and diurnal pattern of peroxides in the spring and summer. A principal component analysis was conducted to quantify the major processes that influenced the variation of peroxide concentrations. This analysis shows that in the spring photochemical production was an important source of peroxides, and the major sink was scavenging during upslope transport of polluted and humid air from the lower part of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and wet removal by synoptic scale clouds. During the summer, highly polluted PBL air (with high NO_x) was often associated with very low peroxides due to the chemical suppression of HO₂ by high NO_x and wet-removal by clouds/fogs in this sulfur-rich atmosphere, especially during the daytime. Higher concentrations of peroxides, which often appeared at mid-nighttime, were mainly associated with subsidence of air masses containing relatively lower concentrations of NO_y.     

Heterogeneous uptake of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) onto mineral dust aerosol under variable RH conditions

We have carried out kinetic studies to characterize the heterogeneous decay of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D₄) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D₅) in the presence of representative mineral dust aerosol in order to obtain a better understanding of the atmospheric fate of these siloxanes. The heterogeneous chemistry of D₄ and D₅ with various mineral dusts was studied in an environmental aerosol reaction chamber using FTIR absorption spectroscopy to monitor the reaction. The apparent heterogeneous uptake coefficient, γ_app, for D₄ and D₅ with various mineral dusts was measured under dry conditions and as a function of relative humidity (RH). In addition, the effect of initial D₄ and D₅ concentration on the rate and yield of the reaction was examined. The uptake coefficient, γ_app, for D₄ and D₅ was similar for the most reactive aerosols tested, with kaolinite ≈hematite > silica. Limited uptake onto carbon black and calcite surfaces was observed for either siloxane. Reaction with hematite and kaolinite resulted in multilayer coverages, suggesting extensive polymerization of D₄ and D₅ on the aerosol surface.     

A modeling assessment of association between East Asian summer monsoon and fate/outflow of α-HCH in Northeast Asia

Using a dynamic numerical atmospheric transport model for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), the relationship between the East Asian summer monsoon and the fate of α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), a banned OCP, in the atmosphere over Northeast Asia was investigated and assessed. The modeled temporal and spatial patterns and variability of α-HCH air concentrations during the summer months of 2005 revealed a strong link between this chemical in the atmosphere over Northeast Asia and the East Asian summer monsoon. At lower atmospheric levels, easterly and southeasterly winds blowing from relatively cold ocean surface convey α-HCH air concentration from southeast China to northeast China. A monsoon front extending from southeast China to Japan, characterized by a strong wind convergence, carried the air concentration to a high elevation of the atmosphere where it was delivered by southerly monsoon flow to northern China and North Pacific Ocean. This summer monsoon associated northward atmospheric transport caused a reversal of the soil/air exchange from outgassing to net deposition during spring–summer period. The modeled wet deposition fluxes of α-HCH agreed well with the changes in the typical summer monsoon rain bands, designated as Meiyu in China, Changma in Korea, and Baiu in Japan. The major wet deposition flux paralleled with the monsoon front as well as the monsoon rain bands. The temporal change in the fluxes exhibits abrupt northward advances, which is associated with a stepwise northward and northeastward advance of the East Asian summer monsoon. The modeled α-HCH outflow in the atmosphere from China occurs mostly in the summer months and through northeast China, featured strongly by the evolution of the summer month. This study suggests that the East Asian summer monsoon provides a major atmospheric pathway and summer outflows to α-HCH over East Asia.     

Concentrations,seasonal variations,and transport of carbonaceous aerosols at a remote Mountainous region in western China

Carbonaceous aerosol concentrations were determined for total suspended particle samples collected from Muztagh Ata Mountain in western China from December 2003 to February 2006. Elemental carbon (EC) varied from 0.004 to 0.174 μg m^?3 (average = 0.055 μg m^?3) while organic carbon (OC) ranged from 0.12 to 2.17 μg m^?3 and carbonate carbon (CC) from below detection to 3.57 μg m^?3. Overall, EC was the least abundant fraction of carbonaceous species, and the EC concentrations approached those in some remote polar areas, possibly representing a regional background. Low EC and OC concentrations occurred in winter and spring while high CC in spring and summer was presumably due to dust from the Taklimakan desert, China. OC/EC ratios averaged 10.0, and strong correlations between OC and EC in spring–winter suggest their cycles are coupled, but lower correlations in summer–autumn suggest influences from biogenic OC emissions and secondary OC formation. Trajectory analyses indicate that air transported from outside of China brings ～0.05 μg m^?3 EC, ～0.42 μg m^?3 OC, and ～0.10 μg m^?3 CC to the site, with higher levels coming from inside China. The observed EC was within the range of loadings estimated from a glacial ice core, and implications of EC-induced warming for regional climate and glacial ice dynamics are discussed.     

Prediction of the Fate and Transport Processes of Atrazine in a Reservoir

The fate and transport processes of a toxic chemical such as atrazine, an herbicide, in a reservoir are significantly influenced by hydrodynamic regimes of the reservoir. The two-dimensional (2D) laterally-integrated hydrodynamics and mass transport model, CE-QUAL-W2, was enhanced by incorporating a submodel for toxic contaminants and applied to Saylorville Reservoir, Iowa. The submodel describes the physical, chemical, and biological processes and predicts unsteady vertical and longitudinal distributions of a toxic chemical. The simulation results from the enhanced 2D reservoir model were validated by measured temperatures and atrazine concentrations in the reservoir. Although a strong thermal stratification was not identified from both observed and predicted water temperatures, the spatial variation of atrazine concentrations was largely affected by seasonal flow circulation patterns in the reservoir. In particular, the results showed the effect of flow circulation on spatial distribution of atrazine during summer months as the river flow formed an underflow within the reservoir and resulted in greater concentrations near the surface of the reservoir. Atrazine concentrations in the reservoir peaked around the end of May and early June. A good agreement between predicted and observed times and magnitudes of peak concentrations was obtained. The use of time-variable decay rates of atrazine led to more accurate prediction of atrazine concentrations, while the use of a constant half-life (60 days) over the entire period resulted in a 40% overestimation of peak concentrations. The results provide a better understanding of the fate and transport of atrazine in the reservoir and information useful in the development of reservoir operation strategies with respect to timing, amount, and depth of withdrawal.     

The Effect of Water Harvesting Techniques on Runoff,Sedimentation, and Soil Properties

This study addressed the hydrological processes of runoff and sedimentation, soil moisture content, and properties under the effect of different water harvesting techniques (treatments). The study was conducted at three sites, representing environmental condition gradients, located in the southern part of the West Bank. For each treatment, the study evaluated soil chemical and physical properties, soil moisture at 30 cm depth, surface runoff and sedimentation at each site. Results showed that runoff is reduced by 65–85% and sedimentation by 58–69% in stone terraces and semi-circle bunds compared to the control at the semi-humid site. In addition, stone terraces and contour ridges significantly reduced the amount of total runoff by 80% and 73%, respectively, at the arid site. Soil moisture content was significantly increased by water harvesting techniques compared to the control in all treatments at the three study sites. In addition, the difference between the control and the water harvesting structures were higher in the arid and semi-arid areas than in the semi-humid area. Soil and water conservation, via utilization of water harvesting structures, is an effective principle for reducing the negative impact of high runoff intensity and subsequently increasing soil moisture storage from rainfall. Jessour systems in the valley and stone terraces were effective in increasing soil moisture storage, prolonging the growing season for natural vegetation, and decreasing the amount of supplemental irrigation required for growing fruit trees.