Triangulation based inclusion probabilities: a design-unbiased sampling approach

A probabilistic sampling approach for design-unbiased estimation of area-related quantitative characteristics of spatially dispersed population units is proposed. The developed field protocol includes a fixed number of 3 units per sampling location and is based on partial triangulations over their natural neighbors to derive the individual inclusion probabilities. The performance of the proposed design is tested in comparison to fixed area sample plots in a simulation with two forest stands. Evaluation is based on a general approach for areal sampling in which all characteristics of the resulting population of possible samples is derived analytically by means of a complete tessellation of the areal sampling frame. The example simulation shows promising results. Expected errors under this design are comparable to sample plots including a much greater number of trees per plot.     

Effect of Cage Design on Growth of Transplanted Asian Clams: Implications for Assessing Bivalve Responses in Streams

This study was designed to determine whether survivorship and growth of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea [Müller]) differed significantly between two types of field enclosures. Enclosures were either flexible mesh bags or rigid cages (hereto after referred as bioboxes) designed to homogenize substrate among study sites and accommodate Asian clam feeding mechanisms. For 96d, cages remained at 12 Clinch River (CR), Hurricane Fork (HF), and Dump's Creek (DC) sites upstream and downstream of a coal-fired power plant discharge, coal mining effluent, and coal combustion-related disposal facilities in Carbo, Virginia. Although survivorship was not significantly different between cage types, mean growth of clams in bioboxes was significantly greater overall (p = 0.0157). Despite the difference in growth between the two cage types, both confirmed significant reductions of survivorship and growth directly below the power plant discharge. Additionally, coefficient of variance values for biobox growth data were reduced at most study sites (averages of 16% for bioboxes versus 19% for mesh bags). Our results have implications toward strengthening weight-of-evidence approaches used to link impairment of transplanted bivalves to environmental contaminants. More importantly, these results suggest that ecotoxicological impairment of bivalves transplanted downstream of the coal-fired power plant discharge functioned independently of site-specific substrate provisions.     

A comparison of X-ray fluorescence and wet chemical analysis of air filter samples from a scrap lead smelting operation

Personal and area air samples were taken at a scrap lead smelter operation in a bullet manufacturing facility. Samples were taken using the 37-mm styrene-acrylonitrile closed-face filter cassette (CFC, the current US standard device for lead sampling), the 37-mm GSP or "cone" sampler, the 25-mm Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) inhalable sampler, and the 25-mm Button sampler (developed at the University of Cincinnati). Polyvinylchloride filters were used for sampling. The filters were pre- and post-weighed, and analyzed for lead content using a field-portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer. The filters were then extracted with dilute nitric acid in an ultrasonic extraction bath and the solutions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The 25-mm filters were analyzed using a single XRF reading, while three readings on different parts of the filter were taken from the 37-mm filters. The single reading from the 25-mm filters was adjusted for the nominal area of the filter to obtain the mass loading, while the three readings from the 37-mm filters were inserted into two different algorithms for calculating the mass loadings, and the algorithms were compared. The IOM sampler was designed for material collected in the body of the sampler to be part of the collected sample as well as that on the filter. Therefore, the IOM sampler cassettes were rinsed separately to determine if wall-loss corrections were necessary. All four samplers gave very good correlations between the two analytical methods above the limit of detection of the XRF procedure. The limit of detection for the 25-mm filters (5 microg) was lower than for the 37-mm filters (10 microg). The percentage of XRF results that were within 25% of the corresponding ICP results was evaluated. In addition, the bias from linear regression was estimated. Linear regression for the Button sampler and the IOM sampler using single readings and the GSP using all tested techniques for total filter loading gave acceptable XRF readings at loadings equivalent to sampling at the OSHA 8-hour Action Level and Permissible Exposure Limit. However, the CFC only had acceptable results when the center reading corrected for filter area was used, which was surprising, and may be a result of a limited data set. In addition to linear regression, simple estimation of bias indicated reasonable agreements between XRF and ICP results for single XRF readings on the Button sampler filters, (82% of the individual results within criterion), and on the IOM sampler filters (77% or 61%--see text), and on the GSP sampler filters using the OSHA algorithm (78%). As a result of this pilot project, all three samplers were considered suitable for inclusion in further field research studies.     

The longitudinal dependence of black carbon concentration on traffic volume in an urban environment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of traffic volume on ambient black carbon (BC) concentration in an inner-city neighborhood "hot spot" while accounting for modifying effects of weather and time. Continuous monitoring was conducted for 12 months at the Baltimore Traffic Study site surrounded by major urban streets that together carry over 150,000 vehicles per day. Outdoor BC concentration was measured with an Aethalometer; vehicles were counted pneumatically on two nearby streets. Meteorological data were also obtained. Missing data were imputed and all data were normalized to a 5-min observational interval (n = 105,120). Time-series modeling accounted for autoregressively (AR) correlated errors. This study found that outdoor BC was positively correlated at a statistically significant level with neighborhood-level vehicle counts, which contributed at a rate of 66 +/- 10 (SE) ng/m3 per 100 vehicles every 5 min. Winds from the SW-S-SE quarter were associated with the greatest increases in BC (376-612 ng/m3). These winds would have entrained BC from Baltimore's densely trafficked central business district, as well as a nearby interstate highway. The strong influence of wind direction implicates atmospheric transport processes in determining BC exposure. Dew point, mixing height, wind speed, season, and workday were also statistically significant predictors. Background exposure to BC was estimated to be 905 ng/m3. The optimal, statistically significant representation of BC's autocorrelation was AR([1:6]) x 288 x 2016, where the short-term AR factor (lags 1-6) indicated that BC concentrations are correlated for up to 30 min, and the AR factors for lags 288 and 2016 indicate longer-term autocorrelations at diurnal and weekly cycles, respectively. It was concluded that local exposure to BC from mobile sources is substantially modified by meteorological and temporal conditions, including atmospheric transport processes. BC concentration also demonstrates statistically significant autocorrelation at several time scales.     

Cosmogenic exposure dating constraints for coastal landslide evolution on the Island of Malta (Mediterranean Sea)

Landslides affecting the north-western coast of the Island of Malta have been investigated and monitored for 10 years. As a result of a bathymetric survey, it was discovered the deposits continued out onto the seafloor, thus raising questions as to the timing of their development. Furthermore it was uncertain as to which environment they developed in and which factors controlled their movements. The aim of this paper is to investigate representative detachments to chronologically constrain these mass movement events and outline their spatial and temporal evolution. Samples for exposure dating using the cosmogenic nuclide ³⁶Cl were collected from head scarps and blocks located within two long-term monitored landslides characterised by extensive block slides. The results indicate the oldest dated block detachment occurring in a subaerial environment at ca. 21 ka, when the sea level was about 130 m lower than at present. Mass movement possibly accelerated when sea level reached the landslide toe during the post-glacial marine transgression. Considering the timing of block movement, the landslide deposits observed today appear to be related to a first-time failure involving a large part of the slope, though and alternative hypothesis is also taken here into account. This main event is likely to have been followed by secondary movements influenced by toe undercutting and clay saturation due to rising sea level. However, further research on mass movement kinematics is required in order to model their evolution and explore whether this interpretation is widely applicable along the Maltese coast.     

The environment as a factor of production

This paper uses firm-level data about electric utilities to develop an empirical model of how electric utilities use and bank SO₂ pollution permits under the Acid Rain Program. The empirical model considers emissions, fuels, and labor as variable inputs with quasi-fixed stocks of permits and capital. Consequently, substitution possibilities between the environment and other production factors can be measured and tested. The results reveal substantial substitution between emissions, permit stocks, capital, fuel, and labor. The empirical findings also indicate that firms bank permits primarily as a hedge against uncertainty and for other firm-specific reasons. Overall, the results suggest that cap-and-trade approaches can reduce the cost of meeting environmental goals by providing a mechanism for addressing regulatory and market risks and by signaling an appropriate price for factor use, especially irreversible capital investments.     

Detection of scale-specific community dynamics using wavelets

The response of ecological communities to anthropogenic disturbance is of both scientific and practical interest. Communities where all species respond to disturbance in a similar fashion (synchrony) will exhibit large fluctuations in total biomass and dramatic changes in ecosystem function. Communities where some species increase in abundance while others decrease after disturbance (compensation) can maintain total biomass and ecosystem function in the face of anthropogenic change. We examined dynamics of the Little Rock Lake (Wisconsin, USA) zooplankton community in the context of an experimental pH manipulation conducted in one basin of the lake. A novel application of wavelets was used to partition patterns of synchrony and compensation by time scale. We find interestingly that some time series show both patterns of synchrony and compensation depending on the scale of analysis. Within the unmanipulated basin, we found subtle patterns of synchrony and compensation within the community, largely at a one-year time scale corresponding to seasonal variation. Within the acidified lake basin, dynamics shifted to longer time scales corresponding to the pattern of pH manipulation. Comparisons between pairs of species in different functional groups showed both strong compensatory and synchronous responses to disturbance. The strongest compensatory signal was observed for two species of Daphnia whose life history traits lead to synchrony at annual time scales, but whose differential sensitivity to acidification led to compensation at multiannual time scales. The separation of time scales inherent in the wavelet method greatly facilitated interpretation as patterns resulting from seasonal drivers could be separated from patterns driven by pH manipulation.     

Mitigating Impact of Devils Lake Flooding on the Sheyenne River Sulfate Concentration

Devils Lake is a terminal lake located in northeast North Dakota. Because of its glacial origin and accumulated salts from evaporation, the lake has a high concentration of sulfate compared to the surrounding water bodies. From 1993 to 2011, Devils Lake water levels rose by ~10 m, which flooded surrounding communities and increased the chance of an overspill to the Sheyenne River. To control the flooding, the State of North Dakota constructed two outlets to pump the lake water to the river. However, the pumped water has raised concerns about of water quality degradation and potential flooding risk of the Sheyenne River. To investigate these perceived impacts, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed for the Sheyenne River and it was linked to a coupled SWAT and CE‐QUAL‐W2 model that was developed for Devils Lake in a previous study. While the current outlet schedule has attempted to maintain the total river discharge within the confines of a two‐year flood (36 m³/s), our simulation from 2012 to 2018 revealed that the diversion increased the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration from an average of 125 to >750 mg/L. Furthermore, a conceptual optimization model was developed with a goal of better preserving the water quality of the Sheyenne River while effectively mitigating the flooding of Devils Lake. The optimal solution provides a “win–win” outlet management that maintains the efficiency of the outlets while reducing the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration to ≤600 mg/L.     

The collection of PM10 for toxicological investigation: comparisons between different collecting devices

A positive correlation has been established between increased levels of airborne particulate pollution and adverse health effects, the toxicological mechanisms of which are poorly understood. For toxicologists to unambiguously determine thesemechanisms, truly representative samples of ambient PM₁₀ are required. This presents problems, as PM₁₀ collecting equipment commonly employed, such as the Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM®), heat the inflow toexclude moisture or use fibrous filters, resulting in a PM₁₀sample that may have undergone significant chemical change on thefilter surface or is contaminated by filter fibres. Other systems(i.e. Negretti and Partisol) can successfully collect PM₁₀ without chemical alteration or filter contamination. Comparativecollections from Port Talbot, S. Wales suggest that TEOMs and Negretti/Partisol systems collect different PM₁₀'s; the principle difference arising from the TEOM's heating chamber, which precipitates water-soluble ions and volatilises some organic components. This results in both the mass and compositionof the PM₁₀'s being altered. Particle size distributionsfor Negretti and Partisol collections highlighted differences mainly attributed to different flow rates. The results of thiswork demonstrate that simple correlations between PM₁₀ massand adverse health effects are problematic. Furthermore, elucidation of the complex fractionation and chemical changes indifferent collectors is necessary.