Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in technical pentachlorophenol - results of a collaborative analytical exercise

Results of analyses of eight samples of technical pentachlorophenol conducted by three different analytical methods are presented and discussed.     

Controls on Leaching of N Species in Upland Moorland Catchments

Spatial and temporal changes in mobility of N species have been studied for three UK upland river networks, the Etherow in the South Pennines, the Nether Beck in the Lake District and the Dee in NE Scotland. The catchments are subject to N deposition at 35.1, 22.0 and 10.8–15.6 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively. TheNH ₄ ⁺ leaching appears to be predominantly regulated by flowpath in more polluted upland catchments. It is greatest where water draining acidified peaty soils contributes more to total discharge. Soluble organic matter may provide the dominant counter anion. In the Etherowand Dee catchments, which are dominated by acid mineral and organic soils, at high discharge NO ₃ ^– also appears to be associated with greater input of water from acidified soils. In contrast, for the Nether Beck, higher NO ₃ ^– concentrations are associated with tributaries draining soils contributingwater with higher alkalinity, suggesting nitrification is important. For the Etherow and Dee, dissolved organic N (DON) appears to originate predominantly from acidified, peaty soils. Spiking experiments with peat soil from the Etherow catchment confirmed the limited capacity of these soils to utilize inorganic N inputs, favouring equilibration with NH ₄ ⁺ inputs and leaching losses of inorganic N throughout the year.     

Preventing collisions involving surface mining equipment: a GPS-based approach

PROBLEM: An average of three workers a year are killed in surface mining operations when a piece of haulage equipment collides with another smaller vehicle or a worker on foot. Another three workers are killed each year when haulage equipment backs over the edge of a dump point or stockpile. Devices to monitor the blind areas of mining equipment are needed to provide a warning to operators when a vehicle, person, or change in terrain is near the equipment. METHOD: A proximity warning system (PWS) based on the global positioning system (GPS) and peer-to-peer communication has been developed to prevent collisions between mining equipment, small vehicles, and stationary structures. RESULTS: A final system was demonstrated using one off-highway haul truck, three smaller vehicles, and various stationary structures at a surface mining operation. The system successfully displayed the location of nearby vehicles and stationary structures and provided visual and audible warnings to the equipment operator when they were within a preset distance. SUMMARY: Many surface mining operations already use GPS technology on their mobile equipment for tracking and dispatch. Our tests have shown that it is feasible to add proximity warning to these existing systems as a safety feature. Larger scale and long-term tests are needed to prove the technology adequately. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: A PWSs that incorporates a combination of technologies could significantly reduce accidents that involve collisions or driving over an edge at surface mining operations.     

A field-based spectrophotometric flow-injection system for automatic determination of chloride in soil water

The use of chloride as a tracer for soil water investigations is discussed. Limitations with laboratory based soil core and field based sampling are considered with respect to the poor suitability of the data for rigorous assessment of mechanistic models. Investigation of water movement in soil has been restricted by limitations in spatial and temporal sampling. Fine resolution sampling generates large numbers of samples which cause problems with post sampling laboratory analysis. This paper describes a field-based system for the analysis of chloride in soil water. There are three component parts to the system, (i) a custom sampling sub-system comprising of ceramic cup suction samplers and sample traps, (ii) a sample routing sub-system to channel sample to (iii) a sample analysis sub-system utilizing a flow injection method for sample analysis using a custom built photo-diode detector. The three sub-systems were controlled by a suitably equipped personal computer. A calibration procedure is described with a third order polynomial equation derived to convert millivolt response from the detector into chloride concentration. Field and laboratory data from a tracer experiment are presented and discussed, and it is concluded that the system is well suited to field-based applications. Finally it is noted that the photo-detector is suitable for colourimetric analysis of any tracer with suitable chemical determination.     

Drain-blocking techniques on blanket peat: A framework for best practice

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in artificial drain-blocking in world peatlands. The UK blanket peatlands have been severely drained over the past few decades but now drains are being blocked in an attempt to improve peatland environments. The drain-blocking has been a disparate process with limited knowledge transfer between organisations and within organisations operating in different geographic areas. Consequently, there has been no compilation of techniques used and their effectiveness. During this study thirty-two drain-blocked sites were surveyed and all the key stakeholders interviewed. Drain-blocking using peat turf was preferred by practitioners and was also the most cost-effective method. Peat turves were successful except on steep slopes, in areas of severe erosion, in very wet or very dry locations, or if the mineral substrate was exposed. A drain-blocking best practice guide is offered by this paper, providing information on the most suitable methods for blocking peatland drains under different circumstances. Additional considerations are provided for practitioners to ensure peatland drain-blocking is as successful as possible.     

A critical review of hydrological data collection for assessing preservation risk for urban waterlogged archaeology: A case study from the City of York, UK

Environmental change caused by urban development, possibly augmented by climate change, may result in accelerated decay of in situ archaeological resources. Damage may be related to changes in hydrological processes. Such archaeological resources have to be considered in environmental planning. In this paper we highlight the need for improved hydrological data from urban archaeological sites using the case study of the City of York, UK, arguably one of the most well studied and well preserved urban archaeological environments globally. We suggest that the quality of hydrological data collected during routine surveys and experimental work must be improved and standardised in order for us to produce reliable archaeological risk models for urban sites.     

Reach and messages of the world's largest ivory burn

Recent increases in ivory poaching have depressed African elephant populations. Successful enforcement has led to ivory stockpiling. Stockpile destruction is becoming increasingly popular, and most destruction has occurred in the last 5 years. Ivory destruction is intended to send a strong message against ivory consumption, both in promoting a taboo on ivory use and catalyzing policy change. However, there has been no effort to establish the distribution and extent of media reporting on ivory destruction events globally. We analyzed media coverage of the largest ivory destruction event in history (Kenya, 30 April 2016) across 11 nation states connected to ivory trade. We used an online‐media crawling tool to search online media outlets and subjected 5 of the largest print newspapers (by circulation) in 5 nations of interest to content analysis. Most online news on the ivory burn came from the United States (81% of 1944 articles), whereas most of the print news articles came from Kenya (61% of 157 articles). Eighty‐six to 97% of all online articles reported the burn as a positive conservation action, whereas 4–50% discussed ivory burning as having a negative impact on elephant conservation. Most articles discussed law enforcement and trade bans as effective for elephant conservation. There was more relative search interest globally in the 2016 Kenyan ivory burn than any other burn in 5 years. Ours is the first attempt to track the reach of media coverage relative to an ivory burn and provides a case study in tracking the effects of a conservation‐marketing event.     

Evaluation of Catalyzed and Electrically Heated Filters for Removal of Particulate Emissions from Diesel-A- and JP-8-Fueled Engines

Abstract

In-service diesel engines are a significant source of particulate matter (PM) emissions, and they have been subjected to increasingly strict emissions standards. Consequently, the wide-scale use of some type of particulate filter is expected. This study evaluated the effect of an Engelhard catalyzed soot filter (CSF) and a Rypos electrically heated soot filter on the emissions from in-service diesel engines in terms of PM mass, black carbon concentration, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration, and size distribution. Both filters capture PM. The CSF relies on the engine's exhaust to reach the catalyst regeneration temperature and oxidize soot, whereas the electrically heated filter contains a heating element to oxidize soot. The filters were installed on several military diesel engines. Particle concentrations and compositions were measured before and after installation of the filter and again after several months of operation. Generally, the CSF removed at least 90% of total PM, and the removal efficiency improved or remained constant after several months of operation. In contrast, the electrical filters removed 44-69% of PM mass. In addition to evaluating the soot filters, the sampling team also compared the results of several real-time particle measurement instruments to traditional filter measurements of total mass.     

Impact of land drainage on peatland hydrology

There is a long history of drainage of blanket peat but few studies of the long-term hydrological impact of drainage. This paper aims to test differences in runoff production processes between intact and drained blanket peat catchments and determine whether there have been any long-term changes in stream flow since drainage occurred. Hillslope runoff processes and stream discharge were measured in four blanket peat catchments. Two catchments were drained with open-cut ditches in the 1950s. Ditching originally resulted in shorter lag times and flashier storm hydrographs but no change in the annual catchment runoff efficiency. In the period between 2002 and 2004, the hydrographs in the drained catchments, while still flashy, were less sensitive to rainfall than in the 1950s and the runoff efficiency had significantly increased. Drains resulted in a distinctive spatial pattern of runoff production across the slopes. Overland flow was significantly lower in the drained catchments where throughflow was more dominant. In the intact peatlands, matrix throughflow produced by peat layers below 10 cm was rare and produced <1% of the runoff. However, in drained peatlands, matrix throughflow in deeper peat layers was common and provided around 23% of the runoff from gauged plots. Macropore flow, the density of soil piping, and pipeflow were significantly greater in drained peatlands than in intact basins. Gradual changes to peat structure could explain the long-term changes in river flow, which are in addition to those occurring in the immediate aftermath of peatland drainage.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in breast milk from the Pacific Northwest

Breast milk samples from 40 first-time mothers from the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Total PBDEs (summation operator PBDEs), calculated by summing values for the 12 PBDEs congeners analyzed, ranged from 6 to 321 ppb (lipid weight) (mean=96 ppb; median=50 ppb). In approximately 40% of the women (15/40), summation operator PBDEs>100 ppb lw in their milk, and four samples had levels >250 ppb lw. PBDE 47 was the dominant congener in most samples, whereas PBDE 153 was predominant in a few (3/40). summation operator PCBs were calculated by summing values for the 82 PCB congeners analyzed, and ranged from 49 to 415 ppb (lipid weight) (mean=147 ppb; median=126 ppb). approximately 30% of the mothers (13/40) have summation operator PBDEs> summation operator PCBs in their milk samples, and approximately 65% (25/40) have BDE 47>PCB 153 in breast milk samples, with BDE 47 averaging 3-fold greater levels than PCB 153. Clearly, the lower brominated PBDEs are surpassing PCBs as a major environmental concern in North America, and are likely affecting significant portions of the populations in these regions. PBDEs have become a major persistent organic pollutant. However, there are no positive correlations between levels of summation operator PBDEs and summation operator PCBs, or between levels of PBDE 47 and PCB 153, suggesting there may be some differences in exposure pathways for PBDEs and PCBs in humans.