Development of the Metropolitan Water Availability Index (MWAI) and short-term assessment with multi-scale remote sensing technologies

Global climate change will influence environmental conditions including temperature, surface radiation, soil moisture, and sea level, and it will also significantly impact regional-scale hydrologic processes such as evapotranspiration (ET), precipitation, runoff, and snowmelt. The quantity and quality of water available for drinking and other domestic usage is also likely to be affected by changes in these processes. Consequently, it is necessary to assess and reflect upon the challenges ahead for water infrastructure and the general public in metropolitan regions. One approach to the problem is to use index-based assessment, forecasting and planning. The drought indices previously developed were not developed for domestic water supplies, and thus are insufficient for the purpose of such an assessment. This paper aims to propose and develop a “Metropolitan Water Availability Index (MWAI)” to assess the status of both the quantity and quality of available potable water sources diverted from the hydrologic cycle in a metropolitan region. In this approach, the accessible water may be expressed as volume per month or week (i.e., m³/month or m³/week) relative to a prescribed historical record, and such a trend analysis may result in final MWAI values ranging from ?1 to +1 for regional water management decision making. The MWAI computation uses data and information from both historical point measurements and spatial remote-sensing based monitoring. Variables such as precipitation, river discharge, and water quality changes at drinking water plant intakes at specific locations are past “point” measurements in MWAI calculations. On the other hand, remote sensing provides information on both spatial and temporal distributions of key variables. Examples of remote-sensing images and sensor network technologies are in-situ sensor networks, ground-based radar, air-borne aircraft, and even space-borne satellites. A case study in Tampa Bay, Florida is described to demonstrate the short-term assessment of the MWAI concept at a practical level. It is anticipated that such a forecasting methodology may be extended for middle-term and long-term water supply assessment.     

Environmentally Friendly Polyurethane Composites: Preparation, Characterization and Mechanical Properties

The waterborne polyurethane (PU) prepolymer was prepared based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polyester polyol (N220), dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA) and hydroxyethyl methyl acrylate (HEMA). The modified waterborne polyurethane–acrylate (PUA) emulsions were obtained with different proportions of acrylate (butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate) and initiating agent by in situ dispersion technique. The structures and thermal properties of prepared PU and PUA were analyzed and characterized with FT-IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and DSC. The PUA hybrid samples had lower glass transition temperature of hard segment and higher decomposition temperatures than PU sample. Performances of the emulsion and film were studied by means of apparent viscidity, particle size and polydispersity, surface tension and mechanical properties. The results indicated that the particle sizes of the PUA dispersions were larger than those of the pure PU and the solvent resistance, mechanical properties of PUA films was improved compare with the unmodified polyurethane film. The film had the biggest hardness and the least water absorption when the BA/MMA mass ratio 5:5 modified PU. The obtained PUA have great potential application such as coatings, leather finishing, adhesives, sealants, plastic coatings and wood finishes.     

Engineered nanoparticles in wastewater and wastewater sludge – Evidence and impacts

Nanotechnology has widespread application in agricultural, environmental and industrial sectors ranging from fabrication of molecular assemblies to microbial array chips. Despite the booming application of nanotechnology, there have been serious implications which are coming into light in the recent years within different environmental compartments, namely air, water and soil and its likely impact on the human health. Health and environmental effects of common metals and materials are well-known, however, when the metals and materials take the form of nanoparticles – consequential hazards based on shape and size are yet to be explored. The nanoparticles released from different nanomaterials used in our household and industrial commodities find their way through waste disposal routes into the wastewater treatment facilities and end up in wastewater sludge. Further escape of these nanoparticles into the effluent will contaminate the aquatic and soil environment. Hence, an understanding of the presence, behavior and impact of these nanoparticles in wastewater and wastewater sludge is necessary and timely. Despite the lack of sufficient literature, the present review attempts to link various compartmentalization aspects of the nanoparticles, their physical properties and toxicity in wastewater and wastewater sludge through simile drawn from other environmental streams.     

中国西南酸雨区降水化学特征研究进展

西南酸雨区为我国主要酸雨沉降区,且是全球三大喀斯特集中分布区之一.本文将该区9个地点的降雨资料进行了总结、整理和分析,数据包括pH值和主离子成分(Cl~-、SO_4~(2-)、NO_3~-、Ca~(2+)、NH_4~+、Mg~(2+)、K~+、Na~+).该地区降雨中的主要阴离子为SO_4~(2-)和NO_3~-,主要阳离子为Ca~(2+)和NH_4~+.与我国其它地区相比,其酸性离子、碱性离子和总离子浓度均普遍高于东南地区、而低于我国北方地区.西南酸雨区主要以pH值为4.5~5.6的弱酸性降雨为主,占总降雨频次的58%左右.根据酸、碱性离子的相关性、中和因子等分析结果,该区雨水中的酸性物质可能受到了碱性离子的中和作用,其中起主要中和作用的离子为Ca~(2+)和NH_4~+.将该区雨水pH值和酸、碱性离子浓度与我国其它地区进行对比研究发现,西南酸雨区降雨受到的中和作用要强于东南地区,但弱于北方地区的降雨.通过对西南酸雨区降雨中主要离子来源的分析和估算,降雨中的酸性离子SO_4~(2-)和NO_3~-主要来自于人为污染;99.7%的Ca~(2+)和84.0%的Mg~(2+)为陆源贡献,这可能与西南地区碳酸盐岩广泛分布有关.     

华北地区乡村站点(曲周)夏季PM2.5中二次无机组分的生成机制与来源解析

利用大气PM2.5水溶性组分及其气态前体物在线测量系统(GAC-IC)于2014年6月9日~7月11日对华北地区乡村站点曲周大气PM2.5中水溶性组分及其气态前体物进行了在线测量,分析了PM2.5中水溶性组分与气态前体物日变化规律及其相互作用,探讨了当地细颗粒物的气粒转化机制并分析了其来源.结果表明夏季曲周大气PM2.5中水溶性无机离子与相关气态前体物的浓度呈现明显的日变化规律.观测期间,PM2.5中SO2-4、NH+4和NO-3的平均浓度分别是26.28、18.08和16.36μg·m-3,是PM2.5中最主要的水溶性无机离子,约占PM2.5质量浓度的76.23%;气态前体物中,NH3浓度明显偏高、平均值为44.85μg·m-3,主要来源于当地的农业活动排放;硫氧化率(SOR)和氮氧化率(NOR)平均值分别是0.60和0.30,表现出明显的二次污染特征.经相关性分析发现:曲周大气PM2.5中NH+4与NO-3、SO2-4有良好的相关性,且表现为富氨状态,NH+4以(NH4)2SO4形式存在,NO-3的生成主要受HNO3的限制.对NH4NO3平衡进行研究发现:与夜间相反,白天曲周大气环境不利于NH4NO3生成和保持.结果也表明,二次转化是曲周夏季细颗粒物的主要来源,堆肥与农田释放的NH3是导致高浓度二次无机颗粒物(SNA)的重要因素.     

北京市典型餐饮企业油烟中醛酮类化合物污染特征

醛酮类化合物作为餐饮油烟的组成物质之一,是挥发性有机物(volatile organic compounds,VOCs)中化学反应活性较强的一类物质.但目前国内还没有针对餐饮源醛酮类化合物的排放特征进行较为系统的研究.为进一步明确餐饮源醛酮类化合物排放水平和控制现状,获取城市群餐饮源VOCs排放控制决策依据,本研究选取北京市8家不同类型的餐饮企业,采用涂布2,4-二硝基苯肼(DNPH)的硅胶采样管进行油烟样品采集,用超高效液相色谱(UPLC)对油烟样品中的醛酮类化合物进行测定.结果表明按基准风量折算后,8家餐饮企业排放的油烟中醛酮类化合物浓度高低依次是:烤鸭中式烧烤家常菜西式快餐学校食堂中式快餐川菜淮扬菜.餐饮企业油烟中醛酮类化合物(C1~C9)浓度水平范围为115.47~1 035.99μg·m-3.不同类型餐饮企业油烟中醛酮类化合物组分构成存在较为明显的差异,中式餐饮企业醛酮类化合物C1~C3物质所占比例均在40%以上.快餐类餐饮企业醛酮类化合物C4~C9所占比例明显高于其他类型餐饮企业.从醛酮类化合物控制现状来看,北京市目前主流高压静电式油烟净化器对醛酮类化合物的去除效果十分有限.     

Simulated reaction of formaldehyde and ambient atmospheric particulate matter using a chamber

The reaction of HCHO with Beijing winter's real ambient particulate matter(PM) inside a 3.3 m~3 Teflon Chamber was conducted in this study. NO_2, O_3 and H_2O gases were removed from the ambient aerosol before entering into the chamber. The decays of HCHO were monitored(acetylacetone spectrophotometry method) during the reactions at different PM number concentrations(N_a) and relative humidities(RHs), and the formed particulate formate was detected by IC and XPS techniques. The results showed that when RH was10%–15%, the decay rate of HCHO in the chamber was higher with the existence of PM from relatively clean days(with number concentration(N_a) 200,000 particle/L, 0.35–22.5 μm)compared to dirty days(N_a 200,000 particle/L, 0.35–22.5 μm). When RH increased to 30%–45%, PM can hardly have significant influences on the decay of HCHO. The formations of formate on the reacted PM were consistent with the HCHO decay rates at different ambient PM N_aand RH conditions. This is a first study related to the "real" ambient PM reacted with HCHO and suggested that in the clean and low RH days, PM could be an effective medium for the conversion of HCHO to formate.     

双台子河口湿地植被修复生境健康评价方法研究

以2014—2015年双台子河口滨海湿地植被修复20个站位调查资料为基础,对湿地修复结构指标、功能指标和环境指标进行研究,结合湿地生态系统健康理论,构建湿地生态环境健康评价指标体系。运用层次分析法(AHP)确定权重,对各个指标赋予权重,将健康评价分为3个等级,确立了生态健康评价方法,对近岸破损湿地翅碱蓬修复生境进行评价。进一步引用评价净影响值(EI)方法判断生境修复前、后的健康对比状态,从而确定翅碱蓬对该破损湿地的修复效果显著。从景观生态学和健康评价角度分析来看,建立此评价方法是可行的,可为今后湿地的管理与保护提供科学依据。