Plant and Soil System Responses to Ozone After 3 Years in a Lysimeter Study with Juvenile Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

A lysimeter study was performed to monitor effects of elevated ozone on juvenile trees of Fagus sylvatica L. as well as on the plant–soil system. During a fumigation period over almost three growing seasons, parameters related to plant growth, phenological development and physiology as well as soil functions were studied. The data analyses identified elevated ozone to delay leaf phenology at early and to accelerate it at late developmental stages, to reduce growth, some leaf nutrients (Ca, K) as well as some soluble phenolics (hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, total flavonol glycosides). No or very weak ozone effects were found in mobile carbon pools of leaves (starch, sucrose), and other phenolic compounds (flavans). Altered gene expression related to stress and carbon cycling corresponded well with findings from leaf phenology and chemical composition analyses indicating earlier senescence and oxidative stress in leaves under elevated ozone. Conversely in the soil system, no effects of ozone were detected on soil enzyme activities, rates of litter degradation and lysimeter water balances. Despite the fact that the three reported years 2003–2005 were climatically very contrasting including a hot and dry as well as an extremely wet summer, and also mild as well as cold winters, the influence of ozone on a number of plant parameters is remarkably consistent, further underlining the phytotoxic potential of elevated tropospheric ozone levels.     

The use of the removable thin film coating technique as an alternative to traditional decontamination methods to mitigate and abate hazardous particulates

This article summarizes a study that evaluated a new decontamination technique for the mitigation and abatement of hazardous dust and particulates. Traditional decontamination methods are time‐consuming, expensive, can create airborne hazards, and do not always bring the concentration of the contaminant to acceptable levels. The use of the removable thin film coating will increase efficiency, will not generate airborne hazards, will decrease costs, and, with one application, will bring the hazardous dust concentrations to acceptable levels. Qualitative tests demonstrated that the removable thin film coating reduced the amount of visible luminescent dust (a surrogate for hazardous dust) from various surfaces. It also indicated that wherever there were minute scratches, the coating did not remove all of the dust. However, the qualitative tests showed that this decontamination method worked well as a preventative method, protecting clean areas from becoming contaminated when exposed to the luminescent dust. Further investigation was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and carbon dust. Overall, the SEM experiment demonstrated that there was a statistically significant (p = 0.00007) removal of carbon dust (less than 10 μm in size) from surfaces with crevasses larger than 3 μm. The SEM also revealed that there were some limitations where there were large clusters of carbon dust; in these instances, the coating would tear and remain on the sample surface. One method to resolve this limitation involved adding Kevlar^TM fibers to the removable thin film coating. It was thought that this would increase the strength of the coating and eliminate the coating from tearing when removing large clusters of a contaminant. Unfortunately, this did not alleviate the issue. The use of an engineered textile, saturated with the coating, appeared to eliminate the problem with the coating not being able to remove the contaminant from the minute surface scratches and improved the removal process of the coating. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Odor Control for Land Application of Lime Stabilized Biosolids

Over three million dry metric tons of biosolids produced in the United States are land applied as Class B. Lime stabilization is employed for biosolids treatment at approximately 20% of the wastewater treatment plants because it is a simple and inexpensive process. During lime stabilization, the pH of sewage sludge is raised above 12 for pathogen inactivation and odor reduction. Lime dose and mixing have been found to greatly reduce odor generation from lime stabilized biosolids. A better quality biosolids product is less likely to create public opposition to land application programs. In this study, land application tests using Class B biosolids were conducted in order to determine whether better mixing can reduce odor generation during the land application of lime stabilized biosolids. The mixing quality of a treatment plant’s lime stabilized biosolids was improved by relocating the lime addition point, which prolonged the mixing time and produced a better mixed biosolids product. Based on field observations of land application, the poorly mixed biosolids were more odorous and offensive prior to incorporation. However, once incorporated into the soil, there was no appreciable odor difference between the biosolids. Another land application study was conducted to assess the odor of unincorporated Class A biosolids and compare it with incorporated Class A biosolids with the soil.     

Bacterial pretreatment enhances removal of heavy metals during treatment of post-methanated distillery effluent by Typha angustata L

A combination of bacterial pretreatment followed by free water surface flow through wetland plants was investigated to determine its effect on removal of heavy metals in bioremediation of post-methanated distillery effluent (PMDE). The bacterial pretreatment was intended to transform the metal complexes and organic pollutants into simpler, biologically assimilable molecules. The 10% and 30% v/v concentrations of PMDE favored luxuriant bacterial growth; the 50% concentration supported less growth, whereas the undiluted effluent (i.e., 100%) supported very little bacterial growth. The use of bacterial pretreatment combined with the constructed wetland system greatly increase the overall bioaccumulation of all heavy metals by the plants compared with the control treatment. However, the integration of bacterial pretreatment of PMDE with the Typha angustata resulted in enhanced removal of Cd (34.02–61.50% increase), Cr (35.90–57.60% increase), Cu (32.88–54.22% increase), Fe (32.50–51.26% increase), Mn (35.99–82.85% increase), Ni (35.85–59.24% increase), Pb (33.45–59.51% increase) and Zn (31.95–53.70% increase) compared with a control that lacked this pretreatment. In addition to the bioaccumulation of these heavy metals, several physico-chemical parameters also improved at the 30% effluent concentration: color, BOD, COD, phenol and total nitrogen decreased by 98.33%, 98.89%, 98.50%, 93.75% and 82.39%, respectively, after 7 days of free water surface flow treatment. The results suggest that bacterial pretreatment of PMDE, integrated with phytoremediation will improve the treatment process of PMDE and promote safer disposal of this waste.     

Scenario-visualization for the assessment of perceived green space qualities at the urban-rural fringe

The provision of green space is increasingly being perceived as an important factor for quality of life. However, green spaces often face high developmental pressure. The main objective of this study is to investigate a prospective approach to green space planning by combining three-dimensional (3D) visualization of green space scenarios and survey techniques to facilitate improved participation of the public. Aside from the ‘Status quo’, scenarios ‘Agriculture’, ‘Recreation’, ‘Nature conservation’ and ‘Wind turbines’ are visualized in three dimensions. In order to test responses, a survey was conducted both in print format and on the Internet. Overall, 49 different visualizations that belong to one of the scenarios were available in the survey and were rated according to the perceived esthetic, recreational and ecological values.The highest rated scenes include vegetation elements such as meadows with orchards, single trees, shrubs or forest. The least attractive scenes are those where buildings are highly dominant or where there are no vegetation elements.Based on the ratings for the individual images and on the corresponding scenarios, our study shows that there is high potential for improving the existing landscape. All suggested changes are either rated about equal to or considerably higher than the status quo, with the scenario ‘Nature conservation’ receiving the highest scores.     

Towards a planning support system for environmental management and agri-environmental measures--the Colorfields study

The authors present the beginnings of a planning support system (PSS) for agri-environmental measures exemplified by a virtual implementation of Colorfields and blooming strips on model farms, based on real-world data. This paper starts with an introduction to the Colorfields, a concept for transdisciplinary and sustainable landscape design of set-aside land. Colorfields comprise of blooming strips of flowering annual or biennial plants, which are designed and drilled in pattern on fallow land creating Land Art. The temporary scenic arrangements of the Colorfields combine the advantages of ecological strips, e.g. providing habitats for insects (especially bees), improving soil fertility through the cultivation of intercrops, with improvements of the social recognition of farmers as producers of pleasant landscapes instead of monoculture fields.The prototype of the PSS uses two software tools of different scientific origin, the bio-economic modeling system MODAM and the landscape visualization system Lenné3D, which are linked based on geo-data. The resulting system helps to assess the economic effects and visualizes the effects of the specific landuse patterns under different scenarios.The economic assessment of blooming strips on arable land and of one Colorfield on fallow land shows that these measures prove to be profitable from an economic viewpoint assuming the current area payments for the obligatory European Union set-aside program. Furthermore, the visualizations enable the design to be tested virtually by exploring the resultant scenery. They provide artists, planners and stakeholders including farmers with a tool to virtually wander through landscape scenarios supporting a collaborative design and a shared vision for the community.The results of the two model farms and previous case studies for Colorfields demonstrate how current policy conditions could be used for the improvement of environmental and scenic qualities. Furthermore, the ability of the tools, MODAM and Lenné3D, suggests to support and promote these activities.     

Modeling the Effects of Potential Salinity Shifts on the Recovery of Striped Bass in the Savannah River Estuary,Georgia–South Carolina,United States

Increased salinity in spawning and nursery grounds in the Savannah River estuary was cited as the primary cause of a 97% decrease in adult striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and a concomitant 96% decrease in striped bass egg production. Restoration efforts focused on environmental remediation and stock enhancement have resulted in restored salinity patterns and increased egg and adult abundances. However, future water needs or harbor development may preclude further recovery by reducing freshwater inflow or increasing salinity intrusion. To assess the effect of potential changes in the salinity regime, we developed models relating discharge, tidal phase, and salinity to striped bass egg and early larval survival and re-cast these in a quantitative Bayesian belief network. The model indicated that a small upstream shift (≤1.67 km) in the salinity regime would have the least impact on striped bass early life history survival, whereas shifts >1.67 km would have progressively larger impacts, with a 8.33-km shift potentially reducing our estimated survival probability by >28%. Such an impact could have cumulative and long-term detrimental effects on the recovery of the Savannah River striped bass population. The available salinity data were collected during average and low flows, so our model represents some typical and some extreme conditions during a striped bass spawning season. Our model is a relatively simplistic, “first-order” attempt at evaluating potential effects of changes in the Savannah River estuarine salinity regime and points to areas of concern and potential future research.     

Influence of Na2S on the degradation kinetics of CCl4 in the presence of very pure iron

This paper presents the results of kinetic studies to investigate the effect of FeS film formation on the degradation rate of CCl(4) by 99.99% pure metallic iron. The film was formed by submersing metallic iron grains in an oxygen free HCO(3)(-)/CO(3)(2-) electrolyte solution. When the grains had reached a quasi steady-state value of the corrosion potential, Na(2)S((aq)) was injected. Upon injection, a microm thick poorly crystalline FeS film formed immediately on the iron surface. Over time, the iron became strongly corroded and both the FeS film and the metallic iron grains began to crack leading to exposure of bare metallic iron to the solution. The effect of the surface film on the degradation rate of CCl(4) was investigated following four periods of aging, 1, 10, 30, and 60 days. Relative to the controls, the 1-day sulfide-aged iron showed a substantial decrease in rate of degradation of CCl(4.) However, over time, the rate of degradation increased and surpassed the degradation rate obtained in the controls. It has been proposed that CCl(4) is reduced to HCCl(3) by metallic iron by electron transfer. The FeS film is substantially less conducting than the bulk iron metal or non-stoichiometric magnetite and from the results of this study, greatly decreases the rate of CCl(4) degradation relative to iron that has not been exposed to Na(2)S. However, continued aging of the FeS film results in breakdown and stress-induced cracking of the film, followed by dissolution and cracking of the iron itself. The cracking of the bulk iron is believed to be a consequence of hydrogen embrittlement, which is promoted by sulfide. The increase in CCl(4) degradation rate, as the FeS films age, suggests that the process of hydrogen cracking increases the surface area available for charge transfer.     

Governing the Borderlands: Decoding the Power of Aid

This article examines aid practice, that is, the public-private contractual networks that link donor governments, UN agencies, military establishments, NGOs, private companies and others, as a relation of global liberal governance. In order to fulfil this function, such networks embody what could be called the 'securitisation' of international assistance. Based upon ideas of human security and ameliorating the effects of poverty and vulnerability reduction, aid is now seen as playing a direct security role. Rather than being concerned with relations between states, the primary aim of this security paradigm is to modulate and change the behaviour of populations within them. In doing so, it is able to exploit the opportunities afforded by privatisation. At the same time, however, aid as security is confronted by its own particular problem of 'governing at a distance'; how can calculations made by leading states be transformed into actions at the global edge when a multitude of private and non-government implementors now intervene? The article concludes by examining the contribution of risk analysis to solving this problem and, especially, the development of new contractual regimes based around technical standardisation, benchmarking and performance auditing. Through such technologies, metropolitan states are learning how to manage the public-private networks of aid practice and, as a result, to govern the borderlands in new ways.