Evaluation of VOC emission measurement methods for paint spray booths

Interest in regulations to control solvent emissions from automotive painting systems is increasing, especially in ozone nonattainment areas. Therefore, an accurate measurement method for VOC emissions from paint spray booths used in the automotive industry is needed to ascertain the efficiency of the spray booth capture and the total emissions. This paper presents the results of a laboratory study evaluating potential VOC sampling and analytical methods used in estimating paint spray booth emissions, and discusses these results relative to other published data. Eight test methods were selected for evaluation. The accuracy of each sampling and analytical method was determined using test atmospheres of known concentration and composition that closely matched the actual exhaust air from paint spray booths. The solvent mixture to generate the test atmospheres contained a large proportion of polar, oxygenated hydrocarbons such as ketones and alcohols. A series of identical tests was performed for each sampling/analytical method with each test atmosphere to assess the precision of the methods. The study identified significant differences among the test methods in terms of accuracy, precision, cost, and complexity.     

Mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic biota along a salinity gradient in the Saint John River estuary

Although estuaries are critical habitats for many aquatic species, the spatial trends of toxic methylmercury(MeHg) in biota from fresh to marine waters are poorly understood. Our objective was to determine if MeHg concentrations in biota changed along a salinity gradient in an estuary. Fourspine Stickleback(Apeltes quadracus), invertebrates(snails,amphipods, and chironomids), sediments, and water were collected from ten sites along the Saint John River estuary, New Brunswick, Canada in 2015 and 2016, with salinities ranging from 0.06 to 6.96. Total mercury(proxy for MeHg) was measured in whole fish and MeHg was measured in a subset of fish, pooled invertebrates, sediments, and water. Stable sulfur(δ~(34)S), carbon(δ~(13) C), and nitrogen(δ~(15)N) isotope values were measured to assess energy sources(S, C) and relative trophic level(N). There were increases in biotic δ~(13)C and δ~(34)S from fresh to more saline sites and these measures were correlated with salinity.Though aqueous MeHg was higher at the freshwater than more saline sites, only chironomid MeHg increased significantly with salinity. In the Saint John River estuary, there was little evidence that MeHg and its associated risks increased along a salinity gradient.     

Rates and processes affecting As speciation and mobility in lake sediments during aging

Sediments from an arsenic(As) contaminated groundwater vent site were used to investigate As( Ⅲ) binding, transformation and redistribution in native and iron oxide amended lake sediments using aging spiked batch reactions and a sequential extraction procedure that maintains As(V) and As( Ⅲ) speciation. In the native sediments, fractionation analysis revealed that 10% of the spiked As( Ⅲ) remained intact after a 32-day aging experiment and was predominantly adsorbed to the strongly sorbed(NH_4H_2PO_4 extractable) and amorphous Fe oxide bound(H_3PO_4 extractable) fractions. Kinetic modelling of the experimental results allowed identifying the dominant reaction path for depletion of dissolved As( Ⅲ) to As( Ⅲ)absorbed on to the solid phase, followed by oxidation in the solid phase. Arsenite was initially adsorbed primarily to the easily exchangeable fraction((NH_4)_2SO_4 extractable), then rapidly transformed into As(V) and redistributed to the strongly sorbed and amorphous Fe oxide bound fractions. Oxidation of As( Ⅲ) in recalcitrant fractions was less efficient. The iron oxide amendments illustrated the controls that iron oxides can have on As( Ⅲ) binding and transformation rates. In goethite amended samples As( Ⅲ) oxidation was faster and primarily occurred in the strongly sorbed and amorphous Fe oxide bound fractions. In these samples,19.3 μg Mn was redistributed(compared to the native sediment) from the easily exchangeable and crystalline Fe oxide bound fractions to the strongly sorbed and amorphous Fe oxide bound fractions, indicating that goethite may act as a catalyst for Mn(Ⅱ) oxidation, thereby producing sorbed Mn( Ⅲ/Ⅳ ), which then appears to be involved in rapidly oxidizing As( Ⅲ).     

IMPACT OF VARIED DATA RESOLUTION ON HYDRAULIC MODELING AND FLOODPLAIN DELINEATION1

ABSTRACT: Current data collection technologies such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR) produce dense digital terrain data that result in more accurate digital terrain models (DTMs) for engineering applications. However, such data are redundant and often cumbersome for hydrologic and hydraulic modeling purposes. Data filtering provides a means of eliminating redundant points and facilitates model preparation. This paper demonstrates the impact of varied data resolution on a case study completed for a 2.3 mi² area with mild slopes (about 001 ft/ft) along Leith Creek near Laurinburg, North Carolina. For the original data set and seven filtered data sets, filtering induced changes in elevation, area, and hydraulic radius were determined for 10 water depths at 23 cross sections. Water surface elevations resulting from HEC‐RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center‐River Analysis System) models for each data set were then compared. A hydraulic model sensitivity analysis was also conducted to compare filtering error to error introduced by variation in flow rates and roughness values. Finally, automated floodplain delineation was performed for each filter level based on the computed hydraulic model results and the filtered LIDAR elevations. Data filtering results indicate that significant time savings are achieved throughout the modeling process and that filtering to four degrees can be performed without compromising cross‐sectional geometry, hydraulic model results, or floodplain delineation results.     

State-space modeling of the relationship between air quality and mortality

A portion of a population is assumed to be at risk, with the mortality hazard varying with atmospheric conditions including total suspended particulates (TSP). This at-risk population is not observed and the hazard function is unknown; we wish to estimate these from mortality count and atmospheric variables. Consideration of population dynamics leads to a state-space representation, allowing the Kalman Filter (KF) to be used for estimation. A harvesting effect is thus implied; high mortality is followed by lower mortality until the population is replenished by new arrivals. The model is applied to daily data for Philadelphia, PA, 1973-1990. The estimated hazard function rises with the level of TSP and at extremes of temperature and also reflects a positive interaction between TSP and temperature. The estimated at-risk population averages about 480 and varies seasonally. We find that lags of TSP are statistically significant, but the presence of negative coefficients suggests their role may be partially statistical rather than biological. In the population dynamics framework, the natural metric for health damage from air pollution is its impact on life expectancy. The range of hazard rates over the sample period is 0.07 to 0.085, corresponding to life expectancies of 14.3 and 11.8 days, respectively.     

THE EFFECTS OF WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ON ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS1

ABSTRACT. The Texas Water Development Board, the principal water resource planning agency of the State, has been conducting extensive estuarine data collection activities and associated research to determine the required quantity and quality of fresh water inflows necessary to maintain various environmental conditions in Texas estuaries to preserve the estuarine ecosystems. These activities are a consequence of a statutory directive to the Board to make provisions in its State Water Plan for the effects of upstream water resource development on the associated estuaries. This paper reports on the results of the first phase of an extensive estuarine research project. The objectives of the research project are to (1) define the interrelationships between estuarine ecosystems and fresh water and nutrient inflows, and (2) develop and test quantitative simulation techniques which describe these relationships. In order to accomplish the first objective, physical and chemical water quality data and biological data on the estuarine ecosystems are being collected, compiled and analyzed. The second objective is being satisfied by the development of hydrodynamic and ecologic simulation models of the estuarine environment.     

Effects of introducing threatened falcons into vineyards on abundance of passeriformes and bird damage to grapes

Agricultural landscapes are becoming an important focus of animal conservation, although initiatives to conserve predators to date have rarely provided economic benefits to agricultural producers. We examined whether introduction to vineyards of the New Zealand Falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), a species listed as threatened by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, affected the abundance of 4 species of Passeriformes that are considered vineyard pests or affected the amount of economic loss due to grape (Vitis vinifera) damage. Three of the species were introduced and remove whole grapes from bunches (Blackbird [Turdus merula], Song Thrush [Turdus philomelos], and Starling [Sturnus vulgaris]), whereas the one native species (Silvereye [Zosterops lateralis]) pecks holes in grapes. The introduction of falcons to vineyards was associated with a significant decrease in the abundance of introduced passerines and with a 95% reduction in the number of grapes removed relative to vineyards without falcons. Falcon presence was not associated with a change in the number of Silvereyes, but there was a 55% reduction in the number of grapes pecked in vineyards with falcons. Our results indicate that, relative to damage in vineyards without falcons, the presence of a falcon could potentially result in savings of US$234/ha for the Sauvignon Blanc variety of grapes and $326/ha for Pinot Noir variety of grapes.