Biomonitoring von Stickstoffimmissionen

Background and aim

Air pollution caused by oxidized and reduced nitrogen is distributed over wide areas of Europe at a high level. As an alternative or complement to physical measurements and modelling calculations, biomonitoring with plants provides techniques to assess amounts and effects of pollution from oxidized and reduced nitrogen compounds (depositions and concentrations). Many of the previously implemented techniques are based on well-proven standardised methods, e.g. documented in VDI guidelines, modified more or less for a biomonitoring of atmospheric nitrogen pollution. This paper gives a review of the techniques for a biomonitoring of atmospheric nitrogen pollution, their possibilities as well as their limitations.

Main features

-diversity of the ground vegetation

-nitrogen accumulation in vascular plants

-exposure of vascular plants

-mapping of epiphytic lichens, bryophytes and algae

-nitrogen accumulation in lichens and bryophytes

-exposure of lichens and bryophytes

Results and Discussion

Important response parameters are nitrogen concentrations in plant tissue (shoot, needle, leave) and biodiversity of plant species. These responses of vascular plants in many cases are influenced by other local varying conditions, in particular the soil. The exposure of vascular plants over a short period provides a standardised quantification of the total atmospheric nitrogen input in a model ecosystem. The enrichment of nitrogen in the plant tissue of bryophytes and lichens from the ground vegetation is closely correlated with the amount of nitrogen deposition. The diversity of epiphytic lichens and the response of exposed Hypogymnia physodes is more sensitive to ammonia than to nitrous oxide, whereas with the diversity of epiphytic bryophytes or the abundance of algae no significant correlation with atmospheric N pollution were found.

Conclusions

Some bioindication techniques provide a causeeffect related, partly standardised biomonitoring of nitrogen pollution. In some cases varying experiences with some biomonitors like the biodiversity of the ground vegetation, exposure of lichens, moss bags and grass cultures stress the need for more research in this subject.     

Chemistry and aerosols in the marine boundary layer: 1-D modelling of the three ACE-2 Lagrangian experiments

Three Lagrangian experiments were conducted during IGAC's second aerosol characterization experiment (ACE-2) in the area between Portugal, Tenerife and Madeira in June/July 1997. During each Lagrangian experiment, a boundary layer air mass was followed for about 30 h, and the temporal evolution of its chemical and aerosol composition was documented by a series of vertical profiles and horizontal box pattern flown by the Meteorological Research Flight research aircraft Hercules C130. The wealth of observational data that has been collected during these three Lagrangian experiments is the basis for the development and testing of a one-dimensional Lagrangian boundary layer model with coupled gas, aqueous, and aerosol phase chemistry. The focus of this paper is on current model limitations and strengths. We show that the model is able to represent the dynamical and chemical evolution of the marine boundary layer, in some cases requiring adjustments of the subsidence velocity and of the surface heat fluxes. Entrainment of a layer rich in ozone and carbon monoxide from a residual continental boundary layer into the marine boundary layer as well as in-cloud oxidation of sulphur dioxide by hydrogen peroxide are simulated, and coherent results are obtained, concerning the evolution of the small, presumably sulphate–ammonia aerosol mode.     

Uranium uptake and depuration in the aquatic invertebrate Chironomus tentans

Evaluation of aqueous uranium (U) uptake and depuration in larvae of the midge Chironomus tentans were investigated in two separated experiments. First, a static-renewal experiment was performed with 10-d old C. tentans larvae exposed to 300 μg U/L. The animals steadily accumulated U (K_u = 20.3) approaching steady-state conditions (BAF = 56) in approximately 9-11 d. However, accumulated U was readily depurated (K_d = 0.36) with U tissue concentration decreasing rapidly within 3 d of the larvae being placed in clean water (t_1/2 = 1.9 d). Also, the growth of C. tentans larvae appeared to decrease after 6-11 d of U exposure, probably due to the reallocation of resources into U detoxification mechanisms. However, growth significantly increased once C. tentans were transferred to clean water. A separate short-term experiment was performed to evaluate the possible mechanism of U uptake in this invertebrate. Results suggested a passive mechanism of U uptake coupled with an active mechanism of U depuration but no details related to the type of mechanisms or pathway was investigated.     

Effect of sampling method on contaminant measurement in pore-water and surface water at two uranium operations: can method affect conclusions?

This paper describes a comparison of two methods of sediment pore-water sampling and two methods of surface water sampling that were used in a broader investigation of cause(s) of adverse effects on benthic invertebrate communities at two Saskatchewan uranium operations (Key Lake and Rabbit Lake). Variables measured and compared included pH, ammonia, DOC, and trace metals. The two types of sediment pore-water samples that were compared are centrifuged and 0.45-microm filtered sediment core samples vs. 0.2-microm dialysis (peeper) samples. The two types of surface water samples that were compared are 53-microm filtered Van Dorn horizontal beta samples vs. 0.2-microm dialysis (peeper) samples. Results showed that 62% of the sediment core pore water values were higher than the corresponding peeper pore-water measurements, and that 63% of the Van Dorn surface water measurements were lower than corresponding peeper surface water measurements. Furthermore, only 24% and 14% of surface water and pore-water measurements, respectively, fell within +/-10% range of one another; 73% and 50%, respectively, fell within +/-50%. Although somewhat confounded by differences in filtering method, the observed differences are believed to primarily be related to small, vertical differences in the environment sampled. Despite observed differences in concentrations of toxicologically relevant variables generated by the different sampling methods, the weight of evidence (WOE) conclusions drawn from each set of exposure data on the possible cause(s) of in situ toxicity to Hyalella azteca from a related study were the same at each uranium operation. However, this concurrence was largely due to other dominant lines of evidence. The WOE conclusions at Key Lake were dominated by the toxicity response of H. azteca in relation to exposure chemistry, where as the WOE conclusions at Rabbit Lake were informed by exposure chemistry, the toxicological response of H. azteca, and whole-body contaminant concentrations in the test organisms. Had these multiple lines of evidence not been available, differences in exposure chemistry generated by the different sampling methods could have substantially influenced the identification of potential causes of in situ toxicity.     

Derivation of no-effect and reference-level sediment quality values for application at Saskatchewan uranium operations

To date, the majority of empirical approaches used to derive sediment quality values (SQVs) have focused on metal concentrations in sediment associated with adverse effects on benthic invertebrate communities. Here, we propose the no-effect (NE) approach. This SQV derivation methodology uses metal concentrations in sediment associated with unaffected benthic communities (i.e., from reference sites and lightly contaminated no-effect sites) and accounts for local benthic invertebrate tolerance and potential chemical interactions at no-effect exposure sites. This NE approach was used to propose alternative regional SQVs for uranium operations in northern Saskatchewan. Three different sets of NE values were derived using different combinations of benthic invertebrate community effects criteria (abundance, richness, evenness, Bray–Curtis index). Additionally, reference values were derived based solely on sediment metal concentrations from reference sites. In general, NE values derived using abundance, richness, and evenness (NE1 and NE2 values) were found to be higher than the NE values derived using all four metrics (NE3 values). Derived NE values for Cr, Cu, Pb, and V did not change with the incorporation of additional effects criteria due to a lack of influence from the uranium operations on the concentrations of these metals in sediment. However, a gradient of exposure concentrations was apparent for As, Mo, Ni, Se, and U in sediment which allowed for tolerable exposure levels of these metals in sediment to be defined. The findings from this assessment have suggested a range of new, alternate metal SQVs for use at uranium operations in northern Saskatchewan.     

Investigation of partitioning mechanism for volatile organic compounds in a multiphase system

Laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the partitioning behavior of a set of diverse volatile organic compounds (VOCs). After equilibration at a temperature of 25 °C, the VOC concentrations were measured by headspace method in combination with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The obtained data were used to determine the partition coefficients (K_P) of VOCs in a gas-liguid-solid system. The results have shown that the presence and nature of solid materials in the working solution control the air-water partitioning of dissolved VOCs. The air/solution partitioning of BTEX and C₉-C₁₀ aldehydes was most affected in the presence of diesel soot. K_P values decreased by a factor ranging from 1.5 for toluene to 3.0 for ethylbenzene. The addition of mineral dust in the working solution exhibited greater influence on the partitioning of short aldehydes. K_P values decreased by a factor of 1.8. The experimental partition coefficients were used to develop a predictive model for partitioning of BTEX and n-aldehydes between air, water and solid phases.     

Fluorescence imaging applied to tracer distributions in variably saturated fractured clayey till

The study of mechanisms controlling preferential flow and transport in variably saturated fractured clayey till is often hindered by insufficient spatial resolution or unknown measuring volume. With the objective to study these mechanisms while circumventing the obstacles, tracer experiments with two fluorescent tracers Acid Yellow 7 (AY7) and Sulforhodamine B (SB) were performed at three different rain events for a fall and a summer season. Irrigated areas were excavated down to depths of 2.8 m and the movement of both tracers in the exposed profiles was delineated simultaneously by high spatial resolution apparent concentration maps (pixel approximately 1 mm(2)) obtained with an imaging device. The device consists of a light source and a CCD camera, both equipped with tracer-specific-filters for fluorescent light. The fluorescence images were corrected for nonuniform lighting, changing surface roughness, and varying optical properties of the soil profile. The resulting two-dimensional apparent concentration distribution profiles of the tracers showed that: (i) relative low water content in the upper 10 cm of the irrigated till in summer had a pronounced retardation effect on the AY7-migration and no effect on the SB-migration; (ii) the dead-end biopores were not activated in the fall season; (iii) only 3D fracture-plans connected to hydraulically active 1D-biopores contributed to the leaching; (iv) the tracer migration primary followed macropores during both seasons, though AY7 also followed a topsoil piston transport in summer; (v) the highest tracer pixel apparent concentrations were often found in macropores and most pronounced in the summer season; and (vi) 3D-dilution in fractures seems to play a dominating role in AY7-migration in the fall season.     

Impact of Sodium Chloride, Sucrose and Milk on Heat Stability of the Murine Norovirus and the MS2 Phage

Until now, little is known about the influence of food additives on heat inactivation of noroviruses. Only a few studies have shown a protective or inhibiting effect on virus infectivity caused by the food matrix. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of sodium chloride, sucrose and milk on heat stability of the surrogates murine norovirus (MNV) and MS2 phage at 60 °C for 1–5 min in PBS for MNV and for 5–120 min in suspension medium buffer for MS2 phage. Different concentrations of sodium chloride (5, 10 %) and sucrose (5, 50 %) were added to the respective buffers. In addition, commercially available milk with different fat concentrations (0.3, 1.5, 3.5 %) was investigated in this study. In general, a linear titre reduction for MNV and MS2 phage could be observed, except for the heat treatment of MNV in PBS with 50 % sucrose. A protective effect of PBS with 50 % sucrose and of the matrix milk on MNV could be concluded. All other tested conditions did not show any influence on virus inactivation. However, MS2 phage did show a higher heat resistance throughout the experiments compared to MNV. In future investigations, it should be tested, whether the achieved data may be considered in risk assessments of heat-treated food products with high concentrations of sugar. Furthermore, it should be clarified, whether these results can also be referred to complex food matrices.     

Adaption to Extreme Rainfall with Open Urban Drainage System: An Integrated Hydrological Cost-Benefit Analysis

This paper presents a cross-disciplinary framework for assessment of climate change adaptation to increased precipitation extremes considering pluvial flood risk as well as additional environmental services provided by some of the adaptation options. The ability of adaptation alternatives to cope with extreme rainfalls is evaluated using a quantitative flood risk approach based on urban inundation modeling and socio-economic analysis of corresponding costs and benefits. A hedonic valuation model is applied to capture the local economic gains or losses from more water bodies in green areas. The framework was applied to the northern part of the city of Aarhus, Denmark. We investigated four adaptation strategies that encompassed laissez-faire, larger sewer pipes, local infiltration units, and open drainage system in the urban green structure. We found that when taking into account environmental amenity effects, an integration of open drainage basins in urban recreational areas is likely the best adaptation strategy, followed by pipe enlargement and local infiltration strategies. All three were improvements compared to the fourth strategy of no measures taken.