Comparative statistical study of hourly precipitation determined by radar-based Stage IV and ground-based methods in the North Central United States

Detailed hourly precipitation data are required for long-range modeling of dispersion and wet deposition of particulate matter and water-soluble pollutants using the CALPUFF model. In sparsely populated areas such as the north central United States, ground-based precipitation measurement stations may be too widely spaced to offer a complete and accurate spatial representation of hourly precipitation within a modeling domain. The availability of remotely sensed precipitation data by satellite and the National Weather Service array of next-generation radars (NEXRAD) deployed nationally provide an opportunity to improve on the paucity of data for these areas. Before adopting a new method of precipitation estimation in a modeling protocol, it should be compared with the ground-based precipitation measurements, which are currently relied upon for modeling purposes. This paper presents a statistical comparison between hourly precipitation measurements for the years 2006 through 2008 at 25 ground-based stations in the north central United States and radar-based precipitation measurements available from the National Center for Environmental Predictions (NCEP) as Stage IV data at the nearest grid cell to each selected precipitation station. It was found that the statistical agreement between the two methods depends strongly on whether the ground-based hourly precipitation is measured to within 0.1 in/hr or to within 0.01 in/hr. The results of the statistical comparison indicate that it would be more accurate to use gridded Stage IV precipitation data in a gridded dispersion model for a long-range simulation, than to rely on precipitation data interpolated between widely scattered rain gauges.

Implications:

The current reliance on ground-based rain gauges for precipitation events and hourly data for modeling of dispersion and wet deposition of particulate matter and water-soluble pollutants results in potentially large discontinuity in data coverage and the need to extrapolate data between monitoring stations. The use of radar-based precipitation data, which is available for the entire continental United States and nearby areas, would resolve these data gaps and provide a complete and accurate spatial representation of hourly precipitation within a large modeling domain.     

Volatile Organic Compounds from Coal Tar and Soil Vapor Samples at MGP Sites

This study characterized organic compounds found in New York State manufactured gas plant (MGP) coal tar vapors using controlled laboratory experiments from four separate MGP sites. In addition, a limited number of deep (0.3–1.2 m above coal tar) and shallow (1.2–2.4 m above coal tar) soil vapor samples were collected above the in situ coal tar source at three of these sites. A total of 29 compounds were consistently detected in the laboratory-generated coal tar vapors at 50°C, whereas 24 compounds were detected at 10°C. The compounds detected in the field sample results were inconsistent with the compounds found in the laboratory-generated samples. Concentrations of compounds in the shallow soil vapor sample were either non-detectable or substantially lower than those found in deeper samples, suggesting attenuation in the vadose zone. Laboratory-generated data at 50°C compared the (% non-aromatic)/(% aromatic) ratio and indicated that this ratio may provide good discrimination between coal tar vapor and common petroleum distillates.     

电渗透脱水对污泥热干燥特性的影响

以污水厂机械脱水后的污泥作为研究对象,提出了采用电渗透-热干燥结合进行深度脱水的方法。通过对原泥以及电渗透脱水至不同含水率(67%、71%和76%)的污泥在热干燥过程中含水率和干燥速率的测定,分析电渗透脱水对污泥热干燥特性的改善规律。结果表明,经电渗透脱水至含水率为67%和71%的污泥在热干燥过程中的传热传质速率及干燥速率有明显提高,且干燥温度越高,电渗透后污泥的干燥速率与原泥的干燥速率差距越大。相同电压梯度及相同温度下电渗透至67%后进行热干燥耗能最少。实际应用中应结合能耗分析选择合适的电渗透程度及干燥温度,以达到最优效果。     

Statistical thermodynamics of adsorption of dye DR75 onto natural materials and its modifications: double-layer model with two adsorption energies

In this article, adsorption modelling was presented to describe the sorption of textile dye, Direct Red 75 (DR75), from coloured wastewater onto the natural and modified adsorbent, Posidonia oceanica. The formulation of the double-layer model with two energy levels was based on statistical physics and theoretical considerations. Thanks to the grand canonical ensemble in statistical physics some physico-chemical parameters related to the adsorption process were introduced in the analytical model expression. Fitting results show that the dye molecules are adsorbed in parallel position to the adsorbent surface. The magnitudes of the calculated adsorption energies show that the DR75 dye is physisorbed onto Posidonia. Both Van der Waals and hydrogen interactions are implicated in the adsorption process. Despite its simplicity, the model fits a wide range of experimental data, thereby supporting the underlying data that the grafted groups facilitate the parallel anchorage of the anionic dye molecule. Thermodynamic parameters, such as adsorption energy, entropy, Gibbs free adsorption energy and internal energy were calculated according to the double-layer model. Results suggested that the DR75 adsorption onto Posidonia was a spontaneous and exothermic process.     

Aquatic predicted no-effect concentration for three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and probabilistic ecological risk assessment in Liaodong Bay of the Bohai Sea, China

Predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) is often used in ecological risk assessment to determine low-risk concentrations for chemicals. In the present study, native marine species were selected for toxicity testing. The PNECs for three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), specifically phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were derived from chronic and acute toxicity data with log-normal statistical methods. The achieved PNECs for Phe, Pyr, and BaP were 2.33, 1.09, and 0.011 μg/L, respectively. In Jinzhou Bay and the Shuangtaizi River Estuary of Liaodong Bay in the Bohai Sea, China, the surface water concentrations of the three PAHs were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Based on two probabilistic ecological risk assessment (PERA) methods, namely probabilistic risk quotient and joint probability curve, the potential risk of Phe, Pyr, and BaP in Jinzhou Bay and Shuangtaizi River Estuary was assessed. The same order of ecological risk (BaP > Phe > Pyr) was found by both models. Our study considered regional characteristics of marine biota during the calculation of PNECs, and the PERA methods provided probabilities of potential ecological risks of chemicals. Within the study area, further research on BaP is required due to its high potential ecological risk.     

Bioremediation assessment of diesel–biodiesel-contaminated soil using an alternative bioaugmentation strategy

This study investigated the effectiveness of successive bioaugmentation, conventional bioaugmentation, and biostimulation of biodegradation of B10 in soil. In addition, the structure of the soil microbial community was assessed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The consortium was inoculated on the initial and the 11th day of incubation for successive bioaugmentation and only on the initial day for bioaugmentation and conventional bioaugmentation. The experiment was conducted for 32 days. The microbial consortium was identified based on sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and consisted as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Achromobacter xylosoxidans, and Ochrobactrum intermedium. Nutrient introduction (biostimulation) promoted a positive effect on microbial populations. The results indicate that the edaphic community structure and dynamics were different according to the treatments employed. CO₂ evolution demonstrated no significant difference in soil microbial activity between biostimulation and bioaugmentation treatments. The total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) analysis indicated a biodegradation level of 35.7 and 32.2 % for the biostimulation and successive bioaugmentation treatments, respectively. Successive bioaugmentation displayed positive effects on biodegradation, with a substantial reduction in TPH levels.     

Pathways of rural change: an integrated assessment of metabolic patterns in emerging ruralities

While rural transformations are nothing new in human history, current processes of rural change occur under multiple forces at an unprecedented pace, involving profound and unexpected changes in land use and users, and rapid transformations in the metabolic patterns of rural systems. The present special section aims to shed light on current drivers and pathways of rural change by analyzing, under a common conceptual and theoretical framework, examples of new ruralities that are emerging as responses across different world regions. Within this context, this introduction presents: (1) common research questions of the six presented cases of rural change; (2) the general theoretical and methodological framework of integrated assessment of societal metabolism adopted to analyze rural systems and (3) the main contributions and conclusions that could be drawn from six context-specific case studies from Asia, Latin America and Europe.     

On characteristics of the brown rat,Rattus norvegicus Berk. (1769), in the meadow steppes of the Elbrus variant in the Central Caucasus

The blood system parameters (erythropoiesis in bone marrow, peripheral blood) of brown rat have been studied for the first time in the foothills of the Central Caucasus. Several species-specific features of these parameters have been revealed that distinguishing the brown rat from other representatives of the family Muridae.     

Adaptive properties of the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Wigg. s.l.) under conditions of air pollution by motor vehicle exhausts

Microcalorimetric, gasometric, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods have been used to evaluate heat production, gas exchange, and root membrane permeability in dandelion of different morphological forms from populations exposed to different levels of air pollution. The results show that these forms differ in the level of energy metabolism and that the form with a higher metabolic level (T. off. f. dahlstedtii) is more tolerant of air pollution with motor vehicle exhausts.     

可持续发展新里程:问题与探索——参加“里约+20”联合国可持续发展大会之思考

"里约+20"峰会成果文件《我们憧憬的未来》重申了"共同但有区别的责任"原则;决定启动可持续发展目标讨论进程;肯定绿色经济是实现可持续发展的重要手段之一;决定建立更加有效的可持续发展机制框架;敦促发达国家履行官方发展援助承诺。这是"里约+20"峰会取得的重要成果,这项成果开启了可持续发展的新里程,其理论探索和实践总结将是学术界不懈努力的方向。在《我们憧憬的未来》的框架下,整合现有可持续发展的相关政策,综合考虑各国独特的社会、经济发展和环境保护问题的特殊性,认为可持续发展研究需要在以下6个方面做出努力:①绿色经济的概念、发展模式与政策创新研究,主要包含了绿色经济的内涵;绿色经济与可持续发展之间的关系;绿色经济与就业、脱贫等之间的关系;衡量绿色经济的具体指标体系;对不同区域和不同行业经济发展绿化程度的测度;绿色壁垒的形式以及对我国国际贸易的影响;发展绿色经济对国际政治经济格局的影响;绿色经济的发展模式与政策创新研究等。②自然资本核算、生态补偿机制与政策研究,主要包含了自然资本的内涵;自然资本与可持续发展之间的关系;各种生态服务之间的耦合关系;如何建立基于自然资本核算方法体系的多层次多元化的生态补偿投融资及其运行机制和生态补偿方式;如何从法律、体制、机制、政策等多层面构建一套完整、具有可操作性的生态补偿政策和制度保障体系等。③可持续发展的全球治理机制研究,主要包含了可持续发展领域的国际合作与冲突机制及有效的全球环境治理机制和可持续发展的国际管理体制的研究;中国、巴西、印度等新兴经济体应该如何应对在未来全球可持续发展中面临的压力和责任及经济全球化对于可持续发展的负面影响等。④科技创新与可持续发展研究,主要包含了科技创新对可持续发展的贡献度;各类型产业可持续发展技术(或者是低碳技术、绿色技术等)的识别、评价和预测;可持续发展技术的创新机制研究;如何通过加强可持续技术的研发和应用,促进绿色产业发展和民生改善等。⑤可持续发展的投融资机制研究,主要包含了提高可持续发展中转移支付、生态环境保护专项资金(基金)、生态税、税收差异化等财政手段效率的体制和机制创新问题;如何推进投融资渠道和方式多元化,实现资金供给与资本结构优化的协调互动和资金配置与运作效率的高效互动等。⑥可持续发展利益相关方的有效参与机制研究,主要包含了系统研究可持续发展利益相关者参与机制创新的可行路径,建立中国可持续发展利益相关者参与的分析框架;研究与设计能够在宏观(或共性)层面和微观(或个性)层面有效运行的参与机制;研究可持续发展利益相关者参与机制创新的制度相容性和实践可行性。