Modeling Sorbent Injection for Mercury Control in Baghouse Filters: I—Model Development and Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract

A two-stage mathematical model for Hg removal using powdered activated carbon injection upstream of a bag-house filter was developed, with the first stage accounting for removal in the ductwork and the second stage accounting for additional removal caused by the retention of carbon particles on the filter. The model shows that removal in the ductwork is minimal, and the additional carbon detention time from the entrapment of the carbon particles in the fabric filter enhances the Hg removal from the gas phase. A sensitivity analysis on the model shows that Hg removal is dependent on the isotherm parameters, the carbon pore radius and tortuosity, the C/Hg ratio, and the carbon particle radius.     

Positive Interactions Between Irrawaddy Dolphins and Artisanal Fishers in the Chilika Lagoon of Eastern India are Driven by Ecology,Socioeconomics, and Culture

In human-dominated landscapes, interactions and perceptions towards wildlife are influenced by multidimensional drivers. Understanding these drivers could prove useful for wildlife conservation. We surveyed the attitudes and perceptions of fishers towards threatened Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) at Chilika Lagoon India. To validate the drivers of fisher perceptions, we : (1) observed dolphin foraging behavior at stake nets, and (2) compared catch per unit effort (CPUE) and catch income of fishers from stake nets in the presence and absence of foraging dolphins. We found that fishers were mostly positive towards dolphins, believing that dolphins augmented their fish catch and using culture to express their perceptions. Foraging dolphins were observed spending half their time at stake nets and were associated with significantly higher catch income and CPUE of mullet (Liza sp.), a locally preferred food fish species. Wildlife conservation efforts should use the multidimensional drivers of human–wildlife interactions to involve local stakeholders in management.     

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to diazinon and its effect on spermatogram and pituitary gonadal hormones in male offspring of rats at puberty and adulthood

The objective of this research is to study the possible reproductive adverse effects of diazinon on rat offspring exposed in utero and during lactation. Twenty-four Sprague–Dawley female rats (10–12 week old) were randomly assigned to four groups, each consisting of six rats. Group 1 served as the control and these rats were given normal saline orally. Rats in groups 2, 3, and 4 were administered diazinon, dissolved in saline at 10, 15, 30 mg/ kg^?1 body weight, per oral, once daily, during mating, pregnancy and lactation. The male offsprings were examined at puberty and adulthood for body weight, testis weight, epididymis weight, sperm count, motility and morphology, pituitary-gonadal hormone levels. At 30 mg kg^?1 dose, the male offsprings showed a decrease in testicular weight, sperm count, motility, with an increase in abnormal sperm percentage and a decline in pituitary-gonadal hormones, at puberty. Upon attaining adulthood, there was a decrease in testicular weight, sperm count and motility with an increase in abnormal sperm percentage and a decrease in pituitary hormone level. There was evidence of some adverse reproductive effects on the male offspring at the 15 mg/ kg^?1 dose. Most of the adverse effects were irreversible and were evident at both puberty and adulthood in the offsprings, although a few parameters reverted to the normal growth pattern. Diazinon is a reproductive toxicant for male offsprings if exposed during prenatal and postnatal phases.     

Current State of Planktonic and Benthic Communities in the Mouth Part of the Northern Dvina River

Russian Journal of Ecology - The Northern Dvina River, one of the largest watercourses in the European northeast of Russia, is exposed to a multifactorial anthropogenic impact, which leads to...     

Adaptive Morphofunctional Transformations of the Mole Vole (Ellobius talpinus Pall.) upon Being Moved to the Northern Border of the Area

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

Effects of geomorphology, habitat, and spatial location on fish assemblages in a watershed in Ohio, USA

In this paper, we evaluate relationships between in-stream habitat, water chemistry, spatial distribution within a predominantly agricultural Midwestern watershed and geomorphic features and fish assemblage attributes and abundances. Our specific objectives were to: (1) identify and quantify key environmental variables at reach and system wide (watershed) scales; and (2) evaluate the relative influence of those environmental factors in structuring and explaining fish assemblage attributes at reach scales to help prioritize stream monitoring efforts and better incorporate all factors that influence aquatic biology in watershed management programs. The original combined data set consisted of 31 variables measured at 32 sites, which was reduced to 9 variables through correlation and linear regression analysis: stream order, percent wooded riparian zone, drainage area, in-stream cover quality, substrate quality, gradient, cross-sectional area, width of the flood prone area, and average substrate size. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and variance partitioning were used to relate environmental variables to fish species abundance and assemblage attributes. Fish assemblages and abundances were explained best by stream size, gradient, substrate size and quality, and percent wooded riparian zone. Further data are needed to investigate why water chemistry variables had insignificant relationships with IBI scores. Results suggest that more quantifiable variables and consideration of spatial location of a stream reach within a watershed system should be standard data incorporated into stream monitoring programs to identify impairments that, while biologically limiting, are not fully captured or elucidated using current bioassessment methods.     

A Stream–Wetland–Riparian (SWR) index for assessing condition of aquatic ecosystems in small watersheds along the Atlantic slope of the eastern U.S.

As part of a regional study by the Atlantic Slope Consortium (ASC) to develop ecological and socioeconomic indicators of aquatic ecosystem condition, we developed and tested a protocol for rapidly assessing condition of the stream, wetland, and riparian components of freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Aspects of hydrology, vegetation, in-stream and wetland characteristics, and on-site stressors were measured in the field. The resulting metrics were used to develop an index of overall condition, termed the Stream–Wetland–Riparian (SWR) Index. Values of this Index were compared to existing biotic indices and chemical measures, and to a Landscape Index created using satellite-based land cover data and a geographic information system (GIS). Comparisons were made at several levels of spatial aggregation and resolution, from site to small watershed. The SWR Index and associated Landscape Indices were shown to correlate highly with biological indicators of stream condition at the site level and for small contributing areas. The landscape patterns prevalent throughout the entire watershed do not necessarily match the patterns found adjacent to the stream network. We suggest a top-down approach that managers can use to sequentially apply these methods, to first prioritize watersheds based on a relative condition measure provided by the Landscape Index, and then assess condition and diagnose stressors of aquatic resources at the subwatershed and site level.     

Developing a National Indicator of Soil Quality on U.S Forestlands: Methods and Initial Results

The Montreal Process was formed in 1994 to develop an internationally agreed upon set of criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. In response to this initiative, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) and Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) programs of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service have implemented soil measurements as part of a national monitoring program to address specific questions related to the conservation of soil and water resources. Integration of soil assessments into the national FIA program provides for systematic monitoring of soil properties across all forested regions of the U.S. using standardized collection, laboratory, and statistical procedures that are compatible with existing forest inventory data. The resulting information will provide quantitative benchmarks for regional, national, and international reporting on sustainable forest management and enhance our understanding of management effects on soil quality. This paper presents an overview of the FIA soil monitoring program, outlines the field and laboratory protocols as currently implemented, and provides examples of how these data may be used to assess indicators of sustainable management as defined by the Montreal Process.