Treatment of urban stormwater for dissolved pollutants: A comparative study of natural organic filter media

Sorption capacities were evaluated for the dissolved stormwater (SW) pollutants onto two tree mulches and jute fiber. SW spiked with predetermined concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr ⁺⁶), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), naphthalene (NP), fluoranthene (FA), 1,3‐dichlorobenzene (DCB), and butylbenzylphthalate (BBP) were used in this study. Each medium removed close to 100 percent of all the pollutants at the concentrations studied. Sorption capacities (μg/g) of the three organic media were in the order of jute > hardwood mulch > softwood mulch, and on a mole basis, both the heavy metals and the toxic organics were sorbed by the three media in an identical sequence: Cr ⁺⁶ > Cu, Zn > Cd > Pb; and NP > DCB > FA > B[a]P > BBP. Sorption capacities of the hardwood wood mulch and jute fiber for the pollutants were correlated with distinctive physical properties of the pollutants. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The relationship between ecology and the incidence of cooperative breeding in Australian birds

Summary Australia has many cooperatively breeding species of birds. These tend to occur in eucalypt and semi-arid woodlands rather than in rainforests or deserts. They tend to be insectivores that pursue rather than sit and wait for their prey, and tend to forage on the ground rather than above it. We propose that environments where resources do not show marked seasonal fluctuations are those in which cooperative breeding is most likely to evolve. Under these conditions birds might experience difficulty acquiring the extra food necessary to breed, especially if inexperienced. When adult survival was high, young and inexperienced birds could delay breeding. Unpredictable environments may also favor cooperative breeding, but our data do not strongly support this. Groupliving would be favored further if young birds are particularly vulnerable to predators when alone. They should therefore remain in the family group and delay their dispersal unitl a suitable breeding vacancy becomes available. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, but are complementary. Both may be required to ensure that at least some year-old birds do not breed and also do not disperse. We believe that they give rise to predictions, which can be tested in future field studies.     

Assessment of vehicular pollution in Kolkata, India, using CALINE 4 model

Michigan water quality standards for public bathing beaches require local health departments to collect and analyze a minimum of three water samples for Escherichia coli during each sampling event. The geometric mean number of E. coli colonies is then compared to the 300 colonies per 100 ml standard to determine compliance. This article compares the results of the currently mandated procedure to a composite sampling method, whereby the three samples are mixed in equal volumes and analyzed once. This effectively replaces the geometric mean of the individual sample results with an arithmetic mean. Although arithmetic means are more affected by outliers, this sensitivity to high concentrations is more health conservative than the geometric mean. During the 2007 sampling season, nine bathing beaches were monitored once each week. Three individual point samples and a composite sample were analyzed for each sampling event. No statistically significant differences in bacteria concentrations were found between composite sample analysis and the arithmetic mean of individual point sample analyses. No violations were detected in the 2007 sampling season, so using historical data, a retrospective analysis was performed on samples gathered at nine bathing beaches in Kalamazoo County, Michigan during the years 2001–2007. The arithmetic mean of the three samples taken at each site served as a surrogate composite sample. The benefits of compositing the three samples were investigated assuming a 2/3 reduction in analytical costs. In the traditional sampling method, three individual samples were obtained and analyzed once in every 3-week period during the summer season, whereas compositing was simulated by taking the arithmetic mean of each week’s results. The results of this retrospective cost analysis indicates that ten to 14 violations would have been missed using the less frequent traditional sampling and analysis methodology. Composite sampling is a cost-saving alternative to traditional sampling techniques that can be more protective of public health, particularly when the savings are applied to increased numbers of samples in time or space.     

From ideas to market applications: dynamics of knowledge transfer and the role of champions

Technology transfer is a significant effort of the federal government and the intent of this effort is to transfer technologies developed in federal laboratories to the private sector for commercial use. The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer is a clearing-house for technologies developed through federal research laboratories. In addition, universities and other institutions use various mechanisms for transferring the technologies or knowledge to the private sector for civilian use. In this paper, the transfer of experimental and conceptual knowledge from research environment to civilian sector, covering aspects of engineering and social science is emphasized. The engineering examples deal with alleviating the nitrate pollution of rural domestic wells (a conceptual knowledge) and phytoremediation of hazardous wastes (an experimental knowledge). The social science examples deal with a culture assimilator for improving race relations (a conceptual knowledge) and a multimedia assimilator for global managers (an experimental knowledge). In each case, mechanisms and shortcomings involved in transfer-ring the knowledge for civilian use are demonstrated. We present a framework for knowledge transfer, and discuss the role of champions in knowledge transfer. We take the position that, though the attributes of the technology itself are important, knowledge transfer does require champions.     

Effects of Wind Direction on Coarse and Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations in Southeast Kansas

Abstract

Field data for coarse particulate matter ([PM] PM₁₀) and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) were collected at selected sites in Southeast Kansas from March 1999 to October 2000, using portable MiniVol particulate samplers. The purpose was to assess the influence on air quality of four industrial facilities that burn hazardous waste in the area located in the communities of Chanute, Independence, Fredonia, and Coffeyville. Both spatial and temporal variation were observed in the data. Variation because of sampling site was found to be statistically significant for PM₁₀ but not for PM_2.5. PM₁₀ concentrations were typically slightly higher at sites located within the four study communities than at background sites. Sampling sites were located north and south of the four targeted sources to provide upwind and downwind monitoring pairs. No statistically significant differences were found between upwind and downwind samples for either PM₁₀ or PM_2.5, indicating that the targeted sources did not contribute significantly to PM concentrations. Wind direction can frequently contribute to temporal variation in air pollutant concentrations and was investigated in this study. Sampling days were divided into four classifications: predominantly south winds, predominantly north winds, calm/variable winds, and winds from other directions. The effect of wind direction was found to be statistically significant for both PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. For both size ranges, PM concentrations were typically highest on days with predominantly south winds; days with calm/variable winds generally produced higher concentrations than did those with predominantly north winds or those with winds from “other” directions. The significant effect of wind direction suggests that regional sources may exert a large influence on PM concentrations in the area.     

Correction to: Documenting lemming population change in the Arctic: Can we detect trends?

Ambio - In the original published article, some of the symbols in figure 1A were modified incorrectly during the typesetting and publication process. The correct version of the figure is provided...     

Movement of bromacil in a Hawaii soil under pineapple cultivation - a field study

Recent discovery of low concentrations of bromacil in drinking water prompted the State of Hawaii to examine the leaching behavior of bromacil in pineapple fields. This study is a follow up to earlier work on bromacil concentrations in soil profiles in a pineapple field in central Oahu, Hawaii. Soil samples were collected for bromacil analysis at different times prior to and after application from a pineapple field that was previously surveyed by other research workers. The leaching pattern of bromacil was further investigated at two different application rates (2.25 and 1.8 kg ha(-1)). The concentration of bromacil in the topsoil about 100 days after bromacil application (1.8 kg ha(-1)) was substantially higher in 2002 compared to 1999. The distribution profiles were generally consistent with the one presented in the previous study. Residual bromacil was present in the entire sampled zone (3m deep) about 18 months after the previous bromacil application. Over a period of 9 months, there was substantial dissipation of bromacil residue present in the topsoil. The residual concentration of bromacil in the area that received the reduced application rate (1.8 kg ha(-1)) were lower than those receiving the current application rate (2.25 kg ha(-1)) and the depth of penetration of the bromacil front was shallower at the reduced application rate. Because of the common practice of placing plastic mulch around the base of the pineapple plants to retain volatile nematicides, the applied bromacil was found to be concentrated in the areas between the plastic mulch, transported by runoff from the plastic. The study results encourage the use of less than the label led rate of application of bromacil for pineapple fields.     

Phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in tropical coastal soils I. selection of promising woody plants

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: This glasshouse study is aimed at evaluating tropical plants for phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated saline sandy subsurface soils. Tropical plants were selected for their ability to tolerate high salinity and remove No. 2 diesel fuel in coastal topsoil prior to further investigation of the phytoremediation feasibility in deep contaminated soils. The residual petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminant at the John Rogers Tank Farm site, a former petroleum storage facility, at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii, is located in a coastal area. It lies below a layer of silt in the subsurface, in loamy sand characterized by moderate salinity and high pH. Little is known regarding the ability of tropical plants to remediate petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated subsurface soil in Hawaiian and other Pacific Island ecosystems although suitable plants have been identified and utilized for bioremediation in surface soil or marine sediments. METHODS: The experiments were conducted in long narrow pots under glasshouse conditions in two phases. A preliminary experiment was done with nine tropical plants: kiawe (Prosopis pallida), milo (Thespesia populnea), common ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia), kou (Cordia subcordata), tropical coral tree (Erythrina variegata), false sandalwood (Myoporum sandwicense), beach naupaka (Scaevola sericea), oleander (Nerium oleander), and buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). These plants were screened for resistance to high salinity treatment (2% NaCl) and two diesel fuel levels (5 and 10 g No. 2 diesel fuel/kg soil) in separate treatments. Plants that showed good tolerance of both factors were further evaluated in a second phase for their efficacy in the phytoremediation of diesel-fuel petroleum hydrocarbons under moderate salinity treatment (1% NaCl). RESULTS: Tropical coral tree and buffelgrass were susceptible to either 2% NaCl or diesel fuel at 10 g/kg soil, but tolerant of diesel fuel at 5 g/kg soil. Kiawe, milo, kou, common ironwood, N. oleander, beach naupaka and false sandalwood were tolerant of high salinity (2% NaCl) or high diesel fuel level (10 g/kg soil). These seven plants were also tolerant of the combined adverse effects of a moderate salinity (1% NaCl) and 10 g diesel fuel/kg soil. Three trees, kiawe, milo and kou significantly accelerated the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil spiked with 10 g diesel fuel/kg soil under a moderate salinity treatment (1% NaCl). CONCLUSION: Thus the tropical woody plants, kiawe, milo and kou showed potential for use in phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in coastal tropical soils. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Two fast growing trees, milo and kou, appeared promising for further phytoremediation evaluation in experiments that simulate the soil profile at the field site.