Estimation of total sediment load concentration obtained by experimental study using artificial neural networks

Estimation of sediment concentration in rivers is very important for water resources projects planning and managements. The sediment concentration is generally determined from the direct measurement of sediment concentration of river or from sediment transport equations. Direct measurement is very expensive and cannot be conducted for all river gauge stations. However, sediment transport equations do not agree with each other and require many detailed data on the flow and sediment characteristics. The main purpose of the study is to establish an effective model which includes nonlinear relations between dependent (total sediment load concentration) and independent (bed slope, flow discharge, and sediment particle size) variables. In the present study, by performing 60 experiments for various independent data, dependent variables were obtained, because of the complexity of the phenomena, as a soft computing method artificial neural networks (ANNs) which is the powerful tool for input–output mapping is used. However, ANN model was compared with total sediment transport equations. The results show that ANN model is found to be significantly superior to total sediment transport equations.     

Formulation of a soil-pesticide transport model based on a compartmental approach

A semianalytical soil-pesticide transport model is formulated based on a compartmental approach to determine spatial and temporal variations of pesticide residues across a soil profile. The compartmental model is implemented by drawing an analogy between a series of continuous-flow stirred tank reactors and a soil horizon that consists of multiple perfectly mixed compartments. The analogy is strengthened by exploiting a relation between the compartment series and the conventional convective-dispersive equation (CDE) for vertical transport in the soil. Consequently, the number of compartments in the model formulation is not free, but dictated as a function of transport parameters. The model formulation allows consideration of arbitrary boundary value specifications and also, for some cases, spatially varying initial concentration profiles. Sorption kinetics is represented via a two-site model that involves a linear sorption isotherm and a first-order irreversible sorption or a radial diffusive penetrating model. For these three cases, analysis of the compartmental model allows the resultant concentration profiles to be expressed in terms of the Poisson distribution. When a nonlinear kinetic sorption model is used to simulate the sorption processes, an analytical solution is not found and a numerical approach is required.     

Heavy Metal Levels in Biota and Sediments in the Northern Coast of the Marmara Sea

Concentration of Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb and Cu were determinedin biota and sediment samples collected from the Marmara Sea in Turkey. The levels of Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb and Cu in the macroalgae are higher than previous studies in the Marmara Sea. Moreover, Cu and Zn concentrations at the present study are significantly high than Bosphorus and Black Sea algae. The order heavy metal concentrations in the mussel samples was: Fe > Zn > Ni > Mn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Cd > Co. The metal concentrations are generally lower when compared with the Black Sea mussels except Pb. At the same time, concentrations of Pb, Cu and Zn in the mussel species are lower when compared with the results in the Aegean Sea. The ranges of Mn and Cu in the tested fish samples are higher than Black Sea fish. On the other hand, Cd, Co, Cr, Zn and Pb concentrations are lower. The northern coast of the Marmara Sea having the highest metal concentrations in sediments as follows: Co, Cr, Ni, Fe at ?arköy ; Pb, Cu at M. Ere?li; Cd, Zn, Mn at Menek?e. The heavy metal levels in the sediment samples are lower than other areas in the Marmara Sea.     

MODELING NITROGEN UPTAKE AND POTENTIAL NITRATE LEACHING UNDER DIFFERENT IRRIGATION PROGRAMS IN NITROGEN-FERTILIZED TOMATO USING THE COMPUTER PROGRAM NLEAP

Readily available nitrogen (N) sources such as ammonium nitrate with excessive irrigation present a potential hazard for the environment. The computer program Nitrate Leaching and Economic Analysis Package (NLEAP) is a mechanistic model developed for rapid site-specific estimates of nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N) moving below the root zone in agricultural crops and potantial impacts of NO₃-N leaching into groundwater. In this study, the value of NLEAP was tested to simulate N uptake by crops and NO₃-N leaching parameters in large lysimeters under the tomato crop. Three seedlings of tomato variety of H-2274 (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) were transplanted into each lysimeter. N fertilizer at the rate of 140 kg N ha^–1 was sidedressed in two split applications, the first half as ammonium sulphate and the second half as ammonium nitrate. The lysimeters were irrigated based on programs of C 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50, C referring to class A-Pan evaporation coefficients. Parameters such as leaching index (LI), annual leaching risk potential (ALRP), N available for leaching (NAL), amount of NO₃-N leached (NL) and amount of N taken up by the crops (NU) were estimated using the NLEAP computer model. To test the ability of model to simulate N uptake and NL, measured values were compared with simulated values. Significant correlations, R² = 0.92 and P < 0.03 for the first year and R² = 0.86 and P < 0.06 for the second year, were found between measured and simulated values for crop N consumption, indicating that the NLEAP model adequately described crop N uptake under the varied irrigation programs using an optimal N fertilization program for the experimental site. Significant correlations, R² = 0.96 and P < 0.01 for the first year and R² = 0.97 and P < 0.01 for the second year, were also found between measured and simulated values of NL, indicating that the NLEAP model also adequately predicted NL under the varied irrigation programs. Therefore, this computer model can be useful to estimate the NO₃-N moving beyond the root zone under conditions in which the present experiment was carried out. Also, the NLEAP-estimated NAL values and other parameters can also be used to improve N management practices and N fertilizer recommendations that will help to decrease the adverse effect of N fertilizer on groundwater quality and farm profitability.     

中国履行斯德哥尔摩公约淘汰硫丹的社会经济影响

通过构建化学品风险管理SEA(社会经济影响分析)方法学,结合中国硫丹生产、使用及替代技术状况的调研,对中国履约淘汰硫丹的社会经济影响进行了分析. 结果表明:中国5 a淘汰情景下的总成本为5 007.2×104元,其中产业经济成本为4 852.2×104元,管理成本为155.0×104元,沉没成本约为651.0×104元;10 a淘汰情景下的总成本为2 748.5×104元,其中产业经济成本为2 507.6×104元,管理成本为240.9×104元,而沉没成本约为651.0×104元. 硫丹淘汰对现有硫丹原药生产企业会产生一定的经济及化工生产链影响,但总体经济影响不大. 对履约淘汰硫丹的主要利益攸关方、就业影响和消费者福利等因素的分析表明,除对硫丹长期集中使用的棉花种植者构成一定的短期影响外,中国履约淘汰硫丹产生的社会影响较小. 其中,5 a淘汰情景比10 a淘汰情景可减少约2 000 t硫丹环境排放量,具有更显著的环境和健康效益. 因而,建议中国采用5 a淘汰情景履约淘汰硫丹,研究成果可为国家硫丹履约行动计划的制订和实施提供参考.      

Spatial Patterns of Land Use Changes Across a Mediterranean Metropolitan Landscape: Implications for Biodiversity Management

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) is an acknowledged cause of the current biodiversity crisis, but the link between LUCC and biodiversity conservation remains largely unknown at the regional scale, especially due to the traditional lack of consistent biodiversity data. We provide a methodological approach for assessing this link through defining a set of major pressures on biodiversity from LUCC and evaluating their extent, distribution, and association with a set of physical factors. The study was performed in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona (MRB, NE of Spain) between 1956 and 2000. We generated a LUCC map for the time period, which was reclassified into a set of pressures on biodiversity (forestation, deforestation, crop abandonment, and urbanization). We then explored the association of these pressures with a set of physical factors using redundancy analysis (RDA). Pressures encompassed 38.8 % of the MRB area. Urbanization and forestation were the dominating pressures, followed by crop abandonment and deforestation. RDA showed a significant distribution gradient of these pressures in relation to the studied physical factors: while forestation and deforestation are concentrated in remote mountain areas, urbanization mainly occurs in lowlands and especially on the coast, and close to previous urban centers and roads. Unchanged areas are concentrated in rainy and relatively remote mountain areas. Results also showed a dramatic loss of open habitats and of the traditional land use gradient, both featuring Mediterranean landscapes and extremely important for their biodiversity conservation. Implications of these results for biodiversity management are finally discussed.     

Thermal Degradation Mechanism of Low-Density Polyethylene Plastic Wastes in Cyclohexane

The thermal LDPE degradation mechanism harnessing a high-pressure autoclave surrounded by a furnace was investigated in this work. Rates of formation of gas, liquid, and solid during degradation of PE plastic wastes in cyclohexane as solvent at 400 and 425°C have been experimentally determined. Four reaction mechanisms have been proposed and tested to estimates of gas, liquid, and solid. Proposed mechanisms are based on the assumption that the reactions are pseudo-first-order with respect to the reacting species. Pseudo-first-order rate constants for each of the indicated mechanistic steps have been calculated by nonlinear regression analysis. The best fit was obtained by model 2 (pure parallel reaction mechanism), and its activation energy was determined.     

Bee pollens as biological indicators: An ecological assessment of pollution in Northern Turkey via ICP-MS and XPS analyses

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, pollens were collected from 25 different locations of Northern Turkey to investigate pollution monitoring. Surface chemistry of pollen...     

酵母菌生物膜-水解酸化-BAF组合工艺处理高浓度三元驱废水

采用酵母菌生物膜-水解酸化-BAF生物组合工艺处理油田高浓度三元驱废水。实验结果表明:酵母菌生物膜具有降解污染物和调节水质的双重作用,可保障后续生物处理工艺的稳定运行。酵母菌生物膜、水解酸化及二级BAF的最佳HRT分别为18,12,36 h。工艺连续运行25 d,生物组合工艺对废水黏度、HPAM及COD去除率分别为80%、40%和69%。处理后出水ρ(石油类)<1 mg/L,ρ(SS)<5 mg/L,中位粒径<0.3μm,出水水质可达SY/T 5329—2012《碎屑岩油藏注水水质推荐指标及分析方法》回注标准。     

Determination of arsenic levels in the water resources of Aksaray Province, Turkey

Arsenic levels were determined in 62 stations utilized as drinking and potable water resources by local community for Turkey's Aksaray Province (4589 km(2); 980 m above sea level). The samplings were implemented every two months for 1 year. The arsenic values were found to be ranging between 10 and 50 μg/L in 22 points and were found to be >50 μg/L in 5 stations, according to the mean value of the 6 samples. WHO and the Turkish Standards have permitted an arsenic concentration of 10 μg/L in drinking waters. The multivariate statistical technique, cluster analysis (CA), followed by principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to the data on 17 water quality parameters in 47 stations that are used for drinking and other domestic resources. Two significant sampling locations were detected based on the similarity of their water quality. The chemical correlations were observed in the two sub-sampling locations by Principal Component Analysis.