The binding of three PCB congeners to dissolved organic carbon in freshwaters

The binding of three polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners to natural levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was measured in 12 lakes and streams using Sep-Pak C₁₈ columns. The association coefficients calculated on the basis of DOC (i.e. K_DOC mL/g C), varied by over an order of magnitude among the different freshwaters and ranged between 2.05 × 10² and 8.86 × 10³ mL/g C for PCB 52 and 1.03 × 10⁴ and 1.70 × 10⁵ mL/g C for PCB 153. In general, there were no significant correlations (p > 0.05) between the K_DOC values and various chemical parameters in the study lakes and streams.

A relationship was derived between the fraction of bound PCB and the octanol-water partition coefficient. While this relationship explained almost 50% of the variation in the observed data, it is apparent that other factors influence K_DOC values and that in natural freshwaters, only a small fraction of the DOC is involved in the binding of PCBs and other hydrophobic pollutants.     

Trends in surface water chemistry of acidified UK freshwaters, 1988-2002

Analysis of water chemistry data from 15 years of monitoring at 22 acid-sensitive lakes and streams in the UK reveals coherent national chemical trends indicative of recovery from acidification. Excess sulphate and base cations exhibit significant decline, often accompanied by an increase in an alkalinity-based determination of acid neutralising capacity (AB-ANC) and, at fewer sites, a decline in hydrogen and labile aluminium. Acid neutralising capacity determined by "charge-balance" (CB-ANC) exhibits few trends, possibly due to compound errors associated with its determination. Trend slopes in excess sulphate correlate with those for base cations, hydrogen ion and AB-ANC, with between-site variability linked to catchment hydrology, sea-salt inputs and forestry. Nitrate concentrations have not changed significantly but show high sensitivity to varying climate. Trends in AB-ANC are influenced by significant increases in dissolved organic carbon, the cause of which it is vital to establish before trends in the former can definitively be attributed to decreasing acidic deposition.     

Accumulation of perchlorate in tobacco plants: development of a plant kinetic model

Previous studies have shown that tobacco plants are tolerant of perchlorate and will accumulate perchlorate in plant tissues. This research determined the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of perchlorate in tobacco plants. Three hydroponics growth studies were completed under greenhouse conditions. Depletion of perchlorate in the hydroponics nutrient solution and accumulation of perchlorate in plant tissues were determined at two-day intervals using ion chromatography. Perchlorate primarily accumulated in tobacco leaves, yielding a substantial storage capacity for perchlorate. Mass balance results show that perchlorate degradation was negligible in plants. Tobacco plants were shown to effectively accumulate perchlorate over a wide range of initial concentrations (10 ppb to 100 ppm) from the hydroponics solution. Results suggest that plants are potential plants for the phytoremediation of perchlorate. A mathematical model was developed to describe the distribution of perchlorate in tobacco plants under rapid growth conditions. The Plant Kinetic (PK) model defined a plant as a set of compartments, described by mass balance differential equations and plant-specific physiological parameters. Data obtained from a separate hydroponics growth study with multiple solution perchlorate concentrations were used to validate predicted root, stem, and leaf concentrations. There was good agreement between model predictions and measured concentrations in the plant. The model, once adequately validated, can be applied to other terrestrial plants and inorganic chemicals currently used for both phytoremediation and ecological risk assessment.     

Practicalities of participation in urban IWRM: Perspectives of wastewater management in two cities in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

As the demand for water in cities increases, the quantity of wastewater being produced is growing at a phenomenal rate. If resources are to be managed effectively, a new paradigm is required for urban wastewater management. This paper reviews the initial findings of a participatory action planning process for managing wastewater for agricultural use. It finds that such processes need considerable facilitation, capacity building and knowledge sharing, but that if a plan can be devised that meets the needs of the stakeholders, even if some compromise is required, then certain stakeholders are likely to take responsibility for specific aspects. This may not meet the entire integrated water resources management (IWRM) vision of the plan but provided the plan is developed in such a way that incremental implementation will be beneficial then this will produce some success and may stimulate further cooperation.     

THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON STREAM FLOW AND NUTRIENT LOADING'

ABSTRACT: This study assesses the potential impact of climate change on stream flow and nutrient loading in six watersheds of the Susquehanna River Basin using the Generalized Watershed Loading Function (GWLF). The model was used to simulate changes in stream flow and nutrient loads under a transient climate change scenario for each watershed. Under an assumption of no change in land cover and land management, the model was used to predict monthly changes in stream flow and nutrient loads for future climate conditions. Mean annual stream flow and nutrient loads increased for most watersheds, but decreased in one watershed that was intensively cultivated. Nutrient loading slightly decreased in April and late summer for several watersheds as a result of early snowmelt and increasing evapotranspiration. Spatial and temporal variability of stream flow and nutrient loads under the transient climate scenario indicates that different approaches for future water resource management may be useful.     

Assessing the demand of solid waste disposal in urban region by urban dynamics modelling in a GIS environment

The twentieth century saw a dramatic increase in the production of urban solid waste, reflecting unprecedented global levels of economic activity. Despite some efforts to reduce and recover the waste, disposal in landfills is still the most usual destination. However, landfill has become more difficult to implement because of its increasing cost, community opposition to landfill siting, and more restrictive environmental regulations regarding the siting and operation of landfills. Moreover, disposal in landfill is the waste destination method with the largest demand for land, while land is a resource whose availability has been decreasing in urban systems. Shortage of land for landfills is a problem frequently cited in the literature as a physical constraint. Nonetheless, the shortage of land for waste disposal has not been fully studied and, in particular, quantified. This paper presents a method to quantify the relationship between the demand and supply of suitable land for waste disposal over time using a geographic information system and modelling techniques. Based on projections of population growth, urban sprawl and waste generation the method can allow policy and decision-makers to measure the dimension of the problem of shortage of land into the future. The procedure can provide information to guide the design and schedule of programs to reduce and recover waste, and can potentially lead to a better use of the land resource. Porto Alegre City, Brazil was used as the case study to illustrate and analyse the approach. By testing different waste management scenarios, the results indicated that the demand for land for waste disposal overcomes the supply of suitable land for this use in the study area before the year 2050.     

A review of: “Comparative Invertebrate Neurochemistry”

Eds. G. G. Lunt and R. W. Olsen, Croom Helm, London.     

Incorporating connectivity into conservation planning for the optimal representation of multiple species and ecosystem services

Conservation planning tends to focus on protecting species’ ranges or landscape connectivity but seldom both—particularly in the case of diverse taxonomic assemblages and multiple planning goals. Therefore, information on potential trade-offs between maintaining landscape connectivity and achieving other conservation objectives is lacking. We developed an optimization approach to prioritize the maximal protection of species’ ranges, ecosystem types, and forest carbon stocks, while also including habitat connectivity for range-shifting species and dispersal corridors to link protected area. We applied our approach to Sabah, Malaysia, where the state government mandated an increase in protected-area coverage of approximately 305,000 ha but did not specify where new protected areas should be. Compared with a conservation planning approach that did not incorporate the 2 connectivity features, our approach increased the protection of dispersal corridors and elevational connectivity by 13% and 21%, respectively. Coverage of vertebrate and plant species’ ranges and forest types were the same whether connectivity was included or excluded. Our approach protected 2% less forest carbon and 3% less butterfly range than when connectivity features were not included. Hence, the inclusion of connectivity into conservation planning can generate large increases in the protection of landscape connectivity with minimal loss of representation of other conservation targets.     

U.S. EPA SITE Demonstration of AWD Technologies’ AquaDetox/SVE System

Under the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program, a technology developed by AWD Technologies, Inc. was demonstrated in September 1990. This paper presents the major results of the SITE demonstration of AWD Technologies’ AquaDetox®ISVE treatment system designed for simultaneous on-site treatment of contaminated groundwater and soil-gas. The groundwater and soil at the demonstration site were contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). The AWD technology was evaluated on the basis of the removal efficiencies of TCE and PCE from the contaminated groundwater and soil-gas. The conclusions drawn from these evaluations are: (1) the system achieved removal efficiencies as high as 99.99percent for groundwater and 99.9 percent for soil-gas; (2) the effluent groundwater was in compliance with the regulatory discharge requirements of 5 fig/L each for TCE and PCE for all test runs; (3) the demonstrated 1,000 gpm system has an estimated capital cost of $4.3 million and annual operating and maintenance cost of approximately $820,000.