GC estimation of organic hydrocarbons that threaten shallow Quaternary sandy aquifer Northwestern Gulf of Suez,Egypt

Soil and groundwater contamination is one of the important environmental problems at petroleum-related sites, which causes critical environmental and health defects. Severe petroleum hydrocarbon contamination from coastal refinery plant was detected in a shallow Quaternary sandy aquifer is bordered by Gulf in the Northwestern Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The overall objective of this investigation is to estimate the organic hydrocarbons in shallow sandy aquifers, released from continuous major point-source of pollution over a long period of time (91 years ago). This oil refinery contamination resulted mainly in the improper disposal of hydrocarbons and produced water releases caused by equipment failures, vandalism, and accidents that caused direct groundwater pollution or discharge into the gulf. In order to determine the fate of hydrocarbons, detailed field investigations were made to provide intensive deep profile information. Eight composite randomly sediment samples from a test plot were selected for demonstration. The tested plot was 50 m long?×?50 m wide?×?70 cm deep. Sediment samples were collected using an American auger around the point 29° 57′ 33″ N and 32° 30′ 40″ E in 2012 and covered an area of 2,500 m² which represents nearly 1/15 of total plant area (the total area of the plant is approximately 3.250 km²). The detected total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) were 2.44, 2.62, 4.54, 4.78, 2.83, 3.22, 2.56, and 3.13 wt%, respectively. TPH was calculated by differences in weight and subjected to gas chromatography (GC). Hydrocarbons were analyzed on Hewlett–Packard (HP-7890 plus) gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). The percentage of paraffine of the investigated TPH samples was 7.33, 7.24, 7.58, 8.25, 10.25, 9.89, 14.77, and 17.53 wt%, respectively.     

中国人类活动源非甲烷挥发性有机物（NMVOC）排放总量及分布

研究了各污染源的NMVOC排放因子,重点分析化工产储源的NMVOC排放因子,估计了1998～2007年中国各地区、各污染源挥发性有机物（NMVOC）排放总量,并研究了各污染源NMVOC各成分的分布特征。研究表明,近年来NMVOC排放总量呈上升趋势,2007年中国人类活动排放NMVOC总量达到2380.24万吨,是1998年的1.8倍。其中固定源燃烧排放958.95万吨（生物质燃料842.27万吨）,交通源478.62万吨,溶剂应用408.23万吨,化工产储源301.11万吨,石油储运和精炼131.84万吨,混杂源101.49万吨。本研究为挥发性有机物（VOC）总量控制提供参考。     

Emerging technologies for removing nonpoint phosphorus from surface water and groundwater: introduction

Coastal and freshwater eutrophication continues to accelerate at sites around the world despite intense efforts to control agricultural P loss using traditional conservation and nutrient management strategies. To achieve required reductions in nonpoint P over the next decade, new tools will be needed to address P transfers from soils and applied P sources. Innovative remediation practices are being developed to remove nonpoint P sources from surface water and groundwater using P sorbing materials (PSMs) derived from natural, synthetic, and industrial sources. A wide array of technologies has been conceived, ranging from amendments that immobilize P in soils and manures to filters that remove P from agricultural drainage waters. This collection of papers summarizes theoretical modeling, laboratory, field, and economic assessments of P removal technologies. Modeling and laboratory studies demonstrate the importance of evaluating P removal technologies under controlled conditions before field deployment, and field studies highlight several challenges to P removal that may be unanticipated in the laboratory, including limited P retention by filters during storms, as well as clogging of filters due to sedimentation. Despite the potential of P removal technologies to improve water quality, gaps in our knowledge remain, and additional studies are needed to characterize the long-term performance of these technologies, as well as to more fully understand their costs and benefits in the context of whole-farm- and watershed-scale P management.     

Living with nuclear power: Sense of place,proximity, and risk perceptions in local host communities

Previous research notes that sense of place may intensify, and that levels of public risk perception may decrease with proximity to an established hazardous or stigmatised site. In addition, the literature suggests that sense of place may act either to mediate or moderate community perceptions of risk in such localities. This study comprised a major household survey (n = 1326) and an interview study (n = 39) and was conducted close to the nuclear power stations at Oldbury and Hinkley Point, both in the UK. It investigated the roles of perceptions of place and hazard proximity in considering (a) perceptions of risk and (b) public attitudes towards the building of a new nuclear power station in the nearby area. In addition, a novel scale was developed to measure the perceived contribution of the nearby nuclear power station to sense of place. The results suggest first, that sense of place mediates (but does not moderate) perceptions of risk in very proximate communities, and second, that public attitudes to new build in communities situated very close to established nuclear sites may be largely dependent on the extent to which the existing facility is perceived to contribute towards sense of place. The implications of these results for existing theory are discussed.     

Comparison of Stream Invertebrate Response Models for Bioassessment Metrics1

Waite, Ian R., Jonathan G. Kennen, Jason T. May, Larry R. Brown, Thomas F. Cuffney, Kimberly A. Jones, and James L. Orlando, 2012. Comparison of Stream Invertebrate Response Models for Bioassessment Metrics. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 570-583. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00632.x Abstract: We aggregated invertebrate data from various sources to assemble data for modeling in two ecoregions in Oregon and one in California. Our goal was to compare the performance of models developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques with models developed using three relatively new techniques: classification and regression trees (CART), random forest (RF), and boosted regression trees (BRT). We used tolerance of taxa based on richness (RICHTOL) and ratio of observed to expected taxa (O/E) as response variables and land use/land cover as explanatory variables. Responses were generally linear; therefore, there was little improvement to the MLR models when compared to models using CART and RF. In general, the four modeling techniques (MLR, CART, RF, and BRT) consistently selected the same primary explanatory variables for each region. However, results from the BRT models showed significant improvement over the MLR models for each region; increases in R² from 0.09 to 0.20. The O/E metric that was derived from models specifically calibrated for Oregon consistently had lower R² values than RICHTOL for the two regions tested. Modeled O/E R² values were between 0.06 and 0.10 lower for each of the four modeling methods applied in the Willamette Valley and were between 0.19 and 0.36 points lower for the Blue Mountains. As a result, BRT models may indeed represent a good alternative to MLR for modeling species distribution relative to environmental variables.     

Is Urban Stream Restoration Worth It?1

Kenney, Melissa A., Peter R. Wilcock, Benjamin F. Hobbs, Nicholas E. Flores, and Daniela C. Martínez, 2012. Is Urban Stream Restoration Worth It? Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 603-615. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00635.x Abstract: Public investment in urban stream restoration is growing, yet little has been done to quantify whether its benefits outweigh its cost. The most common drivers of urban stream projects are water quality improvement and infrastructure protection, although recreational and aesthetic benefits are often important community goals. We use standard economic methods to show that these contributions of restoration can be quantified and compared to costs. The approach is demonstrated with a case study in Baltimore, Maryland, a city with a legal mandate to reduce its pollutant load. Typical urban stream restoration costs of US$500-1,200 per foot are larger than the cost of the least expensive alternatives for management of nitrogen loads from stormwater (here, detention ponds, equivalent to $30-120 per foot of restored stream) and for protecting infrastructure (rip-rap armoring of streambanks, at $0-120 per foot). However, the higher costs of stream restoration can in some cases be justified by its aesthetic and recreational benefits, valued using a contingent valuation survey at $560-1,100 per foot. We do not intend to provide a definitive answer regarding the worth of stream restoration, but demonstrate that questions of worth can be asked and answered. Broader application of economic analysis would provide a defensible basis for understanding restoration benefits and for making restoration decisions.     

A Framework for Responding to Coral Disease Outbreaks that Facilitates Adaptive Management

Predicted increases in coral disease outbreaks associated with climate change have implications for coral reef ecosystems and the people and industries that depend on them. It is critical that coral reef managers understand these implications and have the ability to assess and reduce risk, detect and contain outbreaks, and monitor and minimise impacts. Here, we present a coral disease response framework that has four core components: (1) an early warning system, (2) a tiered impact assessment program, (3) scaled management actions and (4) a communication plan. The early warning system combines predictive tools that monitor the risk of outbreaks of temperature-dependent coral diseases with in situ observations provided by a network of observers who regularly report on coral health and reef state. Verified reports of an increase in disease prevalence trigger a tiered response of more detailed impact assessment, targeted research and/or management actions. The response is scaled to the risk posed by the outbreak, which is a function of the severity and spatial extent of the impacts. We review potential management actions to mitigate coral disease impacts and facilitate recovery, considering emerging strategies unique to coral disease and more established strategies to support reef resilience. We also describe approaches to communicating about coral disease outbreaks that will address common misperceptions and raise awareness of the coral disease threat. By adopting this framework, managers and researchers can establish a community of practice and can develop response plans for the management of coral disease outbreaks based on local needs. The collaborations between managers and researchers we suggest will enable adaptive management of disease impacts following evaluating the cost-effectiveness of emerging response actions and incrementally improving our understanding of outbreak causation.     

九洲江沉积物多环芳烃和抗生素的分布特征与风险评价

利用液相色谱-三重四级杆质谱法(HPLC-MS/MS)以及超高压液相色谱法(HPLC),于2018年1月对九洲江沉积物样品中31种抗生素和16种多环芳烃(PAHs)的分布特征进行研究并评价其生态风险。结果表明,九洲江沉积物检出20种抗生素,其中四环素类(TCs)抗生素质量分数最高,或因其在养殖业用量最大且易被沉积物吸附;滩面镇（S3点位）抗生素的总质量分数（52 ng/g）最高,与附近的滩面镇生猪养殖业发达,也与S3点位正好位于污水处理厂排口下游不远处有关;沉积物中共检出15种PAHs,温泉镇（S1点位）沉积物中PAHs的质量分数最高。沉积物中,4环PAHs占比最高,说明九洲江流域PAHs主要来源于煤和木柴的燃烧。生态风险评价结果表明,TCs抗生素处于高风险水平,且高风险点集中出现在滩面镇河段（S3点位）,需要采取措施减少TCs抗生素的使用;所有点位的PAHs的生态风险均为低风险,但有部分无安全剂量的PAHs组分被检出,对九洲江生态环境存在潜在威胁。     

硬质聚氨酯泡沫和组合聚醚中消耗臭氧层物质的便携式GC-MS测定方法

建立了便携式顶空/气相色谱-质谱法测定硬质聚氨酯泡沫和组合聚醚中一氟三氯甲烷(CFC-11)、二氟二氯甲烷(CFC-12)、二氟一氯甲烷(HCFC-22)及一氟二氯乙烷(HCFC-141b)的定性分析方法,系统考察了色谱柱、顶空体系、顶空温度和顶空时间对测定结果的影响。结果表明,DB-WAX色谱柱对目标物质的分离效果最好,顶空温度为50℃、顶空时间为10 min条件下,目标物质的检测灵敏度最高。在优化条件下,硬质聚氨酯泡沫取样体积为1 cm³时,4种目标物的方法检出限为0.6～0.8μg;组合聚醚取样量为10 mg时,4种目标物的方法检出限为0.5～0.6μg。该方法具有较高的灵敏度,定性准确,适用于实际样品的现场快速定性分析。     

微波协同活性炭处理偶氮染料废水的研究

以粉末活性炭为催化剂,采用微波协同活性炭工艺,对偶氮染料(酸性芷青GGR和酸性嫩黄G)废水进行处理。考察了活性炭用量、微波功率、辐射时间、偶氮染料初始浓度对2种偶氮染料去除率的影响。实验结果表明,酸性芷青GGR初始质量浓度为100mg/L、活性炭用量为12.5g/L、微波辐射时间为10min、微波功率为500W条件下,酸性芷青GGR的去除率可达90.28%;酸性嫩黄G初始质量浓度为100mg/L、活性炭用量为10.0g/L、微波辐射时间为8min、微波功率为500W条件下,酸性嫩黄G的去除率可达95.87%;微波协同活性炭处理2种偶氮染料的反应均呈现一级反应动力学特征。