Influence of Meteorological Parameters on Particulates and Atmospheric Pollutants at Taichung Harbor Sampling Site

Atmospheric aerosol particles and metallic concentrations, ionic species were monitored at the Experimental harbor of Taichung sampling site in this study. This work attempted to characterize metallic elements and ionic species associated with meteorological conditions variation on atmospheric particulate matter in TSP, PM_2.5, PM_2.5–10. The concentration distribution trend between TSP, PM_2.5, PM_2.5–10 particle concentration at the TH (Taichung harbor) sampling site were also displayed in this study. Besides, the meteorological conditions variation of metallic elements (Fe, Mg, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn and Pb) and ions species (Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, NH₄ ⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Na⁺) concentrations attached with those particulate were also analyzed in this study. On non-parametric (Spearman) correlation analysis, the results indicated that the meteorological conditions have high correlation at largest particulate concentrations for TSP at TH sampling site in this study. In addition, the temperature and relative humidity of meteorological conditions that played a key role to affect particulate matter (PM) and have higher correlations then other meteorological conditions such as wind speed and atmospheric pressure. The parameter temperature and relative humidity also have high correlations with atmospheric pollutants compared with those of the other meteorological variables (wind speed, atmospheric pressure and prevalent wind direction). In addition, relative statistical equations between pollutants and meteorological variables were also characterized in this study.     

A Pilot Study on Using Urinary 1-Hydroxypyrene Biomarker for Exposure to PAHs in Beijing

To study whether the urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) could be the biomarker of atmospheric PAHs, a small-scale pilot study was carried out on the relation of 1-OHP vs PAHs with the traffic policemen in Beijing of smokers and nonsmokers to be subgroups in both the exposure and control groups. Both the PAHs and 1-OHP were analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ambient concentrations of PAHs were different at the different sites (the average sum of PAHs (TPAH) were 12.36, 16.27, 18.37 ng/m³ at the suburban residential, police station and high traffic area, respectively.), but considerably lower than the personal-exposure concentrations (the average TPAH were 65.84 and 47.28 ng/m³ for patrol cars and inspection station, respectively). Pyrene was correlated well with BaP and the summed PAHs (TPAH), with the correlation coefficients (R) of 0.79, 0.87 for ambient level and 0.92, 0.96 for personal exposure, respectively. The average of 1-hydroxypyrene of smokers and nonsmokers were 0.39, 0.15 μmol/mol creatinine in control group and 0.57, 0.33 μmol/mol creatinine in exposure group, respectively. The better correlation of pyrene to BaP and TPAH especially for personal exposure samples indicated that the probability of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, the metabolite of pyrene, to be the biomarker of total PAH. Nonsmokers in the exposure and control groups had indistinguishable levels of 1-OHP, presumably because the ambient levels of pyrene were so similar (the average were 3.25, 3.20 ng/m³ at the police station and high traffic area, respectively.). Smokers in the control group had significantly higher 1-OHP than that of the nonsmokers, but showed indistinguishable differences in the exposure group. These results suggested that urinary 1-OHP could be a biomarker of PAHs only when the level of PAHs was at a relatively higher level. Smoking as an important influencing factor need to be controlled carefully.     

Occurrence of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water of Taiwan

In this study, water samples were collected from 86 water treatment plants for analysis of haloacetic acids (HAAs) and trihalomethanes (THMs) from February to March, 2007 and from July to August, 2007. Both seasonal and geographical variations of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water of Taiwan were presented. The results showed that the five HAA concentrations (HAA5) were 1.0–38.9 μg/L in the winter and 0.2–46.7 μg/L in the summer; and the total THMs were ND-99.4 μg/L in the winter and ND-133.2 μg/L in the summer. For samples taken from the main Taiwan island, dichloroacetic acid (29.4–31.7%) and trichloroacetic acid (25.3–27.6%) were the two major HAA species, and trichloromethane was the major THM species (49.9–62.2%) in finished water. For water treatment plants located on the offshore islands outside of Taiwan, high bromide concentration was found in raw water, and higher percentage of brominated THMs and HAAs were formed in the overall formation. A statistically significant (P?<?0.005) logarithmic linear regression model was found to be useful to describe the correlations between TTHM and HAA5 or nine HAAs (HAA5?=?1.219 ×TTHM ^0.754, R ²?=?0.658; HAA9?=?1.824 ×TTHM ^0.735, R ²?=?0.678). No apparent difference was observed for DBPs concentrations between finished water and distribution samples in this study.     

The placement strategies of structural best management practices for different moving rainstorms

Hydrological responses and pollutant exports are always highly related to rainfall characteristics. Many studies have demonstrated that the influence of moving rainstorm on flows and mass transport process in hydrologic systems cannot be ignored. Best management practices (BMPs) are popularly applied for controlling water quantity and water quality in a watershed. Since the movements of rainstorm can influence watershed responses, BMP placement strategies should be suitably adjusted in different moving rainstorms. This study designed an intermediate rainfall pattern with varied movement behavior and tried to find the optimal BMP placement strategies, which cannot only satisfy environmental standards but also improve economic benefits, for the rainfall events. The result shows that the control efficiency of pollutant and runoff can highly improve when the BMPs are set near the outlet of a watershed. Since the economic efficiency is always regarded as an important factor, the BMP placement strategy is significant for watershed conservation and management.     

A modified VIKOR method for multiple criteria analysis

The VIKOR method was developed to solve multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problems with conflicting or non-commensurable criteria. This method assumes that compromising is acceptable for conflicting resolution. Although the VIKOR method is a popular method applied in multi-criteria analysis (MCA), it has some problems when solving MCDM problems. This study discussed existing problems in the traditional VIKOR method. The objective of this study was to develop a modified VIKOR method to avoid numerical difficulties in solving problems by the traditional VIKOR method. Several synthetic experiments were designed and assessed to verify the improvement of solution efficiency of the modified VIKOR method in MCA.     

Drainage affects tree growth and C and N dynamics in a minerotrophic peatland

The lowering of the water table resulting from peatland drainage may dramatically alter C and N cycling in peatland ecosystems, which contain one-third of the total terrestrial C. In this study, tree annual ring width and C (delta(13)C) and N (delta(15)N) isotope ratios in soil and plant tissues (tree foliage, growth rings, and understory foliage) in a black spruce-tamarack (Picea mariana-Larix laricina) mixed-wood forest were examined to study the effects of drainage on tree growth and C and N dynamics in a minerotrophic peatland in west-central Alberta, Canada. Drainage increased the delta(15)N of soil NH4+ from a range of +0.6% per hundred to +2.9% per hundred to a range of +4.6% per hundred to +7.0% per hundred most likely through increased nitrification following enhanced mineralization. Plant uptake of 15N-enriched NH4+ in the drained treatment resulted in higher plant delta15N (+0.8% per hundred to +1.8% per hundred in the drained plots and -3.9% per hundred to -5.4% per hundred in the undrained plots), and deposition of litterfall N enriched with 15N increased the delta15N of total soil N in the surface layer in the drained (+2.9% per hundred) as compared with that in the undrained plots (+0.6% per hundred). The effect of drainage on foliar delta(13)C was species-specific, i.e., only tamarack showed a considerably less negative foliar delta(13)C in the drained (-28.1% per hundred) than in the undrained plots (-29.1% per hundred), indicating improved water use efficiency (WUE) by drainage. Tree ring area increments were significantly increased following drainage, and delta(13)C and delta(15)N in tree growth rings of both species showed responses to drainage retrospectively. Tree-ring delta(13)C data suggested that drainage improved WUE of both species, with a greater and more prolonged response in tamarack than in black spruce. Our results indicate that drainage caused the studied minerotrophic peatland to become a more open ecosystem in terms of C and N cycling and loss. The effects of forested peatland drainage or drying on C and N balances deserve further research in order to better understand their roles in future global change.     

Spatial distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils from typical oil-sewage irrigation area, Northeast China

Air pollution is one of the major environmental problems in India, affecting health of thousands of 'urban' residents residing in mega cities. The need of the day is to evolve an 'effective' and 'efficient' air quality management plan (AQMP) encompassing the essential 'key players' and 'stakeholders.' This paper describes the formulation of an AQMP for mega cities like Delhi in India taking into account the aforementioned key 'inputs.' The AQMP formulation methodology is based on past studies of Longhurst et al., (Atmospheric Environment, 30, 3975-3985, 1996); Longhurst & Elsom, ((1997). Air Pollution-II, Vol. 2 (pp. 525-532)) and Beatti et al., (Atmospheric Environment, 35, 1479-1490, 2001). Further, the vulnerability analysis (VA) has been carried out to evaluate the stresses due to air pollution in the study area. The VA has given the vulnerability index (VI) of 'medium to high' and 'low' at urban roadways/intersections and residential areas, respectively.     

Designing environmental monitoring networks to measure extremes

This paper discusses challenges arising in the design of networks for monitoring extreme values over the domain of a random environmental space-time field {X _ij } i = 1, . . . , I denoting site and j = 1, . . . denoting time (e.g. hour). The field of extremes for time span r over site domain i = 1, . . . ,I is given by \(\{Y_{i(r+1)}=\max_{j=k}^{k+n-1} X_{ij}\}\) for k = 1 + rn, r = 0, . . . ,. Such networks must not only measure extremes at the monitored sites but also enable their prediction at the non-monitored ones. Designing such a network poses special challenges that do not seem to have been generally recognized. One of these problems is the loss of spatial dependence between site responses in going from the environmental process to the field of extremes it generates. In particular we show empirically that the intersite covariance Cov(Y _i(r+1),Y _i′(r+1)) can generally decline toward zero as r increases, for site pairs i ≠ i′. Thus the measured extreme values may not predict the unmeasured ones very precisely. Consequently high levels of pollution exposure of a sensitive group (e.g. school children) located between monitored sites may be overlooked. This potential deficiency raises concerns about the adequacy of air pollution monitoring networks whose primary role is the detection of noncompliance with air quality standards based on extremes designed to protect human health. The need to monitor for noncompliance and thereby protect human health, points to other issues. How well do networks designed to monitor the field monitor their fields of extremes? What criterion should be used to select prospective monitoring sites when setting up or adding to a network? As the paper demonstrates by assessing an existing network, the answer to the first question is not well, at least in the case considered. To the second, the paper suggests a variety of plausible answers but shows through a simulation study, that they can lead to different optimum designs. The paper offers an approach that circumvents the dilemma posed by the answer to the second question. That approach models the field of extremes (suitably transformed) by a multivariate Gaussian-Inverse Wishart hierarchical Bayesian distribution. The adequacy of this model is empirically assessed in an application by finding the relative coverage frequency of the predictive credibility ellipsoid implied by its posterior distribution. The favorable results obtained suggest this posterior adequately describes that (transformed) field. Hence it can form the basis for designing an appropriate network. Its use is demonstrated by a hypothetical extension of an existing monitoring network. That foundation in turn enables a network to be designed of sufficient density (relative to cost) to serve its regulatory purpose.     

太湖流域果园种植面源氮磷输出强度及其定量评估方法

以太湖流域上游地区无锡阳山地区果园种植典型区域为研究对象,通过现场试验,调查了果园种植面源氮磷输出动态变化过程,计算并分析了氮磷输出强度,构建了果园种植面源氮磷输出强度定量评估模型。结果表明:取样监测期间,果园种植径流及淋溶氮磷指标变化幅度均超过200%;果园种植面源氮磷径流输出强度与其淋溶输出的变化一致,径流总氮的输出强度最高(13.201 kg/hm²),淋溶硝酸盐输出强度最大(4.077 kg/hm²);所建立的评估方程能较好地反映降雨量等环境因素对果园种植面源氮磷径流及淋溶输出强度的影响情况,模拟方程的复相关系数均在0.9左右。