Trust in Sources of Soil and Water Quality Information: Implications for Environmental Outreach and Education

Public trust in organizations focused on improving environmental quality is important for increasing awareness and changing behaviors that have water quality implications. Few studies have addressed trust in soil and water quality information sources, particularly for both agricultural and nonagricultural respondents of the same watersheds. Surveys in 19 watersheds across five states in the Midwest assessed trust in, and familiarity with, soil and water quality information sources. Overall, respondents most trusted University Extension, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, while lawn care companies, environmental groups, and land trusts were less trusted. Significant differences in trusted sources were found between watersheds, and between agricultural and nonagricultural respondents across and within watersheds. Among agricultural respondents, a clear relationship exists between familiarity and trust; as familiarity with an organization increases, so too does level of trust. This relationship is less clear‐cut for nonagricultural respondents in this region. We highlight implications of these findings for soil and water quality outreach efforts.     

Infiltration of PCE in a system containing spatial wettability variations

A two-dimensional infiltration experiment was conducted to investigate and quantify the effect of spatial wettability variations on DNAPL migration and entrapment in saturated sands. Experimental observations of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) infiltration showed that organic-wet sand lenses acted as very effective capillary barriers, retaining PCE and inhibiting its downward migration. A multiphase numerical simulator was used to model this sand box experiment. The simulator incorporates wettability-modified van Genuchten and Brooks-Corey capillary pressure/saturation relationships as well as Burdine and Mualem relative permeability relationships. PCE mass distributions, estimated by image analysis of digital photographs taken during the infiltration event, were compared to simulation results. Although both relative permeability models were qualitatively able to predict the PCE retention in the organic-wet layers, simulations with the Mualem model failed to capture the observed rate of PCE migration. A traditional multiphase simulator, incorporating water-wet capillary retention relations, failed to predict both PCE pathways and retention behavior. This study illustrates the potential influence of subsurface wettability variations on DNAPL migration and entrapment and supports the use of modified capillary relations in conjunction with the Burdine model in multiphase flow simulators.     

贵阳市臭氧浓度变化及与气象因子的关联性

运用2013—2016年贵阳市环境空气自动监测站臭氧(O_3)的监测数据以及气象观测资料,分析该地区近地面O_3浓度的时空变化特征及与气象因子的关联性。结果表明,近年来贵阳市近地面O_3小时浓度均值有逐年升高趋势,增速为1. 1～5. 0μg/(m~3·a)。O_3浓度昼间变化呈明显单峰形分布,08:00左右出现最低值,15:00—16:00达到最大峰值,浓度高值主要分布在12:00—18:00。日照时数每增加1 h,则近地面O_3日最大8 h平均浓度增加8μg/m~3左右,日照时数大于8 h,则近地面O_3日最大8 h平均浓度超过100μg/m~3; O_3小时浓度与温度呈正相关(r=0. 724,α=0. 01),与相对湿度呈负相关(r=-0. 531,α=0. 01)。当日照时数大于8 h、温度超过25℃、相对湿度小于60%时,贵阳市近地面O_3容易出现高浓度值。