Emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants in a port and harbour region in India

Ports can generate large quantity of pollutants in the atmosphere due to various activities like loading and unloading,transportation, and construction operations. Determination of the character and quantity of emissions from individual sources is an essential step in any project to control and minimize the emissions.In this study a detailed emission inventory of total suspendedparticulate matter (TSP), particulate matter less than 10 m(PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) for a port and harbour project near Mumbai is compiled. Results show that the total annual average contributions of TSP and PM₁₀ from all the port activitieswere 872 and 221 t yr^-1, respectively. Annual average emissions of gaseous pollutants SO₂ and NO_xwere 56 and 397 t yr^-1, respectively, calculatedby using emission factors for different port activities. The maximum TSP emission (419 t yr ^-1) was from paved roads, while the least (0.4 t yr^-1) was from bulk handling activity. The maximum PM₁₀ emission (123 t yr^-1) was from unpaved roads and minimum (0.2 t yr^-1) from bulk handling operations. Similarly the ratio of TSP and PM₁₀ emission was highest (5.18) from paved roads and least (2.17) from bulk handling operations. Regression relation was derivedfrom existing emission data of TSP and PM₁₀ from variousport activities. Good correlation was observed between TSP andPM₁₀ having regression coefficient >0.8.     

Partitioning of mercury onto suspended sediments in estuaries

Radiochemical partitioning experiments using 203Hg have been undertaken with mixtures of river, seawater and sediment samples taken from three geochemically contrasting UK estuaries: the Plym, Beaulieu and Mersey. Species of dissolved Hg were determined using reversed-phase C18 chelating columns and particulate species were determined by sequential leaching with 1 M NH4OAc and 1 M HCl. Mercury had a high particle reactivity with partition coefficients, KDs, ranging from 10(4) to 5 x 10(5) ml g(-1), depending on salinity, the chemical composition of the end-member waters, and on the physico-chemical characteristics of the sediment. Dissolved organic matter present in the waters (humic substances and/or anthropogenic compounds) was found to be the main factor governing the forms of dissolved Hg and their reactivity. From the spiked 203Hg, up to 95% of the dissolved metal was retained on the C18 columns for the Mersey waters, whereas this fraction was < 60% in the Plym and Beaulieu waters. Quasi-irreversible adsorption of Hg onto particles from each estuary was observed over a time-scale of a few hours and < 20% of total particulate Hg was released by the sequential leach. In this paper, physico-chemical processes are proposed to explain the estuarine behaviour of Hg and the results are discussed in terms of Hg availability in estuarine systems.     

Fate and movement of atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor and selected degradation products in water resources of the deep Loess Hills of Southwestern Iowa, USA

The environmental fate and movement of herbicides widely used for weed control in corn are assessed for a deep loess soil in southwestern Iowa. Beginning in the early 1980s, the herbicide-based weed control program emphasized the application of atrazine (ATR) or cyanazine (CYN) and metolachlor (MET) for both broadleaf and grass control. Between 1992 and 1995, concentrations of ATR, desethylatrazine (DEA), desisopropylatrazine (DIA), CYN and MET were measured in rainwater, both shallow and deep vadose zone water, and well water. Results show that the frequency of herbicide detections and the range and distribution of occurrences are dependent upon both landscape position and temporal inputs of recharge water from rainfall. Generally, DIA was observed more frequently and in higher mean concentration in well water than DEA, while DEA was observed more frequently than DIA in vadose zone groundwater. A chromatographic analogy is suggested to explain the occurrence patterns observed for both parent herbicide and degradation products within the unsaturated zone water. Analysis of rainwater samples collected during this time also revealed low concentrations of ATR, CYN and MET, with the timing of the detections indicative of non-local transport. Results show that the deep loess soil conducts both water and agricultural chemicals relatively rapidly and as such represents a production system which is vulnerable to contamination of shallow groundwater by herbicide-derived chemicals. Results also illustrate the importance of including major herbicide degradation products in water resource impact assessment studies.     

SI-traceable certification of Cu, Cr, Cd and Pb in sediment and fly ash candidate reference materials

Many fields in environmental analytical chemistry deal with very low limits and thresholds as set by governmental legislations or transnational regulations. The need for the accuracy, comparability and traceability of analytical measurements in environmental analytical chemistry has significantly increased and total uncertainties are even asked for by accreditation bodies of environmental laboratories. This paper addresses achieving these goals to guarantee accuracy, quality control, quality assurance or validation of a method by means of certified reference materials. The assessment of analytical results in certified reference materials must be as accurate as possible and every single step has to be fully evaluated. This paper presents the SI-traceable certification of Cu, Cr, Cd and Pb contents in geological and environmentally relevant matrices (three sediments and one fly ash sample). Certification was achieved using isotope dilution (ID) ICPMS as a primary method of measurement. In order to reduce significantly the number of analytical steps and intermediate samples a multiple spiking approach was developed. The full methodology is documented and total uncertainty budgets are calculated for all certified values. A non-element specific sample digestion process was optimised. All wet chemical digestion methods examined resulted in a more or less pronounced amount of precipitate. It is demonstrated that these precipitates originate mainly from secondary formation of fluorides (essentially CaF2) and that their formation takes place after isotopic equilibration. The contribution to the total uncertainty of the final values resulting from the formation of such precipitates was in general < 0.1% for all investigated elements. Other sources of uncertainty scrutinised included the moisture content determination, procedural blank determination, cross-contamination from the different spike materials, correction for spectral interferences, instrumental background and deadtime effects, as well as the use of either certified values or IUPAC data in the IDMS equation. The average elemental content in the sediment samples was 30-130 micrograms g-1 for Pb, 0.5-3 micrograms g-1 for Cd and 50-70 micrograms g-1 for Cu. Cr was measured in one sample and was about 60 micrograms g-1. The concentrations in the fly ash sample were up to 2 orders of magnitude higher. Expanded uncertainty for the investigated elements was about 3% (coverae factor k = 2) except for Cr, (measured by high resolution ICPMS), for which the expanded uncertainty was about 7% (k = 2).     

Insecticide Contamination of Jamaican Environment. V. Island-Wide Rapid Survey of Residues in Surface and Ground Water

Residues of organochlorines and organophosphates were determined by gas chromatography in water and sediment from 26 locations in 17 major rivers, 7 natural springs and 13 wells across Jamaica. Samples were collected on only one occasion between May and July, 1994. Residues of endosulfan were detected in all but three rivers; -endosulfan in 15 samples of sediment (0.9–108.1, mean = 28.93, S.E. = 7.198 g kg-1) and 13 of water (0.01–0.35, mean = 0.11, S.E. = 0.035 g L-1), -endosulfan in 5 sediment (15.29–49.35, mean = 30.56, S.E. = 7.132 g kg-1) and 12 water (0.05–0.31, mean = 0.14, S.E. = 0.031 g L-1) samples, and endosulfan sulphate in waters of three rivers (0.003–0.244 g L-1). Chlorpyrifos was present in 9 sediment (0.423-135.2, mean = 18.38, S.E. = 10.699 g kg-1) and two water (0.001–0.022 g L-1) samples, diazinon and ethoprophos in the sediment of one river each. Mean levels (g L-1) of and isomers and sulphate of endosulfan were 0.16 (S.E. = 0.057), 0.12 (S.E. = 0.036) and 0.15 (S.E. = 0.089), respectively, in four of the seven springs and 0.23 (S.E. = 0.052), 0.11 (S.E. = 0.029) and 0.26 (S.E. = 0.088), respectively, in seven of the thirteen wells monitored.     

Soil properties and crop productivity as influenced by flyash incorporation in soil

Field experiments were carried out during 1996–97at Gulawathi, Muthiani and Salarpur Villages, IARI Farm, NewDelhi and NCPP Campus, Dadri to evaluate changes in soilcharacteristics and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.),mustard (Brassica juncea L.), lentil (Lence esculentaMoench.), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) byvarying amounts of flyash addition (up to 50t ha^-1) in soils atsowing/transplanting time of crops. Flyash addition in areasadjoining NCPP Thermal Power Plant, Dadri, Ghaziabad, U.P.ranged from 5–12 t ha^-1 yr^-1 in 1995–96. Shoot and root growthand yield of test crops at different locations after flyashincorporation resulted in beneficial effects of flyashaddition in most cases. The silt dominant texture of flyashimproved loamy sand to sandy loam textures of the surfacesoils at the farmers' fields. The increased growth in yield ofcrops with flyash incorporation was possibly due tomodifications in soil moisture retention and transmissioncharacteristics, bulk density, physico-chemical characterssuch as pH and EC and organic carbon content. The response offlyash addition in the soil on soil health and cropproductivity needs to be evaluated on long-term sustainableaspects.     

Using environmental stressor information to predict the ecological status of Maryland non-tidal streams as measured by biological indicators

In Maryland, U.S., an interim framework has recentlybeen developed for using biologically based thresholds, or `biocriteria', to assess the health of nontidal streams statewide at watershed scales. The evaluation of impairment is based on indices of biological integrity from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS). We applied logistic regression to quantify how the biotic integrity of streams at a local scale is affected by cumulative effects resulting from catchment land uses, point sources, and nearby transmission line rights-of-way. Indicators for land use were developed from the remote sensing National Land Cover Data and applied at different scales. We determined that the risk of local impairment in nontidal streams rapidly increases with increased urban land use in the catchment area. The average likelihood of failing biocriteria doubled with every 10% points increment in urban land, thus an increase in urban land use from 0 to 20% quadruples the risk of impairment. For the basins evaluated in this study, catchments with more than 40–50% urban land use had greater than 80% probability of failing biocriteria, on average. Inclusion of rights-of-way and point sources in the model did not significantly improve the fit for this data set, most likely because of their low numbers. The overall results indicate that our predictive modeling approach can help pinpoint stream ecosystems experiencing or vulnerable to degradation.     

Using Multiple Antibiotic Resistance and land use characteristics to determine sources of fecal coliform bacterial pollution

Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) analysis and regression modeling techniques were used to identify surface water areas impacted by fecal pollution from human sources, and to determine the effects of land use on fecal pollution in Murrells Inlet, a small, urbanized, high-salinity estuary located between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, South Carolina. MAR analysis was performed to identify areas in the estuary that are impacted by human-source fecal pollution. Additionally, regression analysis was performed to determine if an association exists between land use and fecal coliform densities over the ten-year period from 1989 to 1998. Land-use variables were derived using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and were used in the regression analysis.MAR analyses were conducted by comparing the frequency and patterns of antibiotic resistance found in Escherichia coli isolates derived from surface water samples and from sewage sources in the Murrells Inlet sewage collection system. The MAR results suggest that the majority of the fecal pollution detected in the Murrells Inlet estuary may be from non-human sources, including fecal coliforms isolated from areas in close proximity to high densities of active septic tanks.A MAR Index, which measures the frequency of antibiotic resistance, was calculated for each of twenty-three water samples and nine sewage samples. The antibiotic resistance pattern comparisons were performed using cluster analysis. Although the MAR indices indicated that several surface water sites had potential human-source contamination, the cluster analysis suggests that only one sampling site had MAR patterns that were similar to those found in the sewage samples. This site was in close proximity to several large pleasure boats as well as a sewage collection system lift station, but was not near areas with active septic tanks. The results of the regression analysis also suggest that sewage sources and rainfall runoff from urbanized areas may contribute to fecal pollution in the estuary.     

Biotreatability and kinetics of UASB reactor to mixtures of chlorophenol pollutants

In most natural ecosystems heterotrophic microorganisms encountercomplex mixtures of carbon sources, each of which is present at aconcentration of few micrograms per litre. This study examined the biotreatability and kinetics of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor to complex mixtures of chlorophenols encountered in environmental conditions using on-line and off-line experimental studies. Results indicate that (1) steady-state concentration was quite lower (98.3 mg L^-1) with complex mixture of chlorophenols than steady-state concentration achieved when only 2.4 dichlorophenol (124 mg L^-1) was studied alone on the same reactor; (2) that toxiceffects of chlorophenols increase with increasing concentrationsof toxicant. (Onset of the inhibitory effect occurred at a lowerconcentration in multi-substrate than in single substrate utilization); (3) addition of alternative utilizable substrate can mitigate toxic effects and enhance degradation; (4) the relative concentration of substrate was critical in determiningutilization patterns. HPLC analysis of off-line experimental samples resulted in a steady-state treatment efficiency of68% for COD, 36% for 2-hlorophenol, 40.5% for 4-chlorophenol, 70.7% for 2,4-dichlorophenol, 53.2% for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and 42% for pentachlorophenol in presence of glucose. Kinetic constant in terms of V _max and K _s were determined. K _s for the five chlorophenols ranged between 0.016 and 0.117 kg m^-3 day^-1 while V _max ranged between 0.056 and 0.244 kg m^-3 day^-1.