Comparing Costs of Onsite Best Management Practices to Nutrient Credits for Stormwater Management: A Case Study in Virginia

Best management practices (BMPs) are widely used to mitigate impacts of increased impervious surfaces on stormwater runoff. However, there is limited detailed and up‐to‐date information available on the cost of designing, constructing, and maintaining BMPs over their lifetime. The objective of this study is to analyze BMPs recently constructed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to quantify their total cost per pound of phosphorus removed annually. A motivating factor for the study is recent changes to regulatory guidelines in Virginia which allow for full or partial substitution of purchased nutrient credits in lieu of constructing onsite BMPs to achieve compliance with stormwater quality regulations. Results of the analysis of nine BMPs found their cost ranged from $20,100 to $74,900, in 2014 dollars, per pound ($44,313‐$165,126 per kg) of phosphorus removed. Based on these results and assuming current credit prices procured by VDOT, purchasing nutrient credits is a cost‐effective option for the agency, especially when factoring in the cost of additional right of way for the BMP. Based on this finding, we expect compliance with stormwater quality regulations through credit purchases to become more widely used in Virginia. Moving forward, we suggest more direct tracking of BMP costs to support comparisons between BMP costs across a range of types and conditions to credit purchases for meeting stormwater regulations.     

Designing and Implementing a Network for Sensing Water Quality and Hydrology across Mountain to Urban Transitions

Water resources are increasingly impacted by growing human populations, land use, and climate changes, and complex interactions among biophysical processes. In an effort to better understand these factors in semiarid northern Utah, United States, we created a real‐time observatory consisting of sensors deployed at aquatic and terrestrial stations to monitor water quality, water inputs, and outputs along mountain to urban gradients. The Gradients Along Mountain to Urban Transitions (GAMUT) monitoring network spans three watersheds with similar climates and streams fed by mountain winter‐derived precipitation, but that differ in urbanization level, land use, and biophysical characteristics. The aquatic monitoring stations in the GAMUT network include sensors to measure chemical (dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, nitrate, and dissolved organic matter), physical (stage, temperature, and turbidity), and biological components (chlorophyll‐a and phycocyanin). We present the logistics of designing, implementing, and maintaining the network; quality assurance and control of numerous, large datasets; and data acquisition, dissemination, and visualization. Data from GAMUT reveal spatial differences in water quality due to urbanization and built infrastructure; capture rapid temporal changes in water quality due to anthropogenic activity; and identify changes in biological structure, each of which are demonstrated via case study datasets.     

Hydrothermal liquefaction phase behavior of microalgae & model compounds in fused silica capillary reactor

A fused silica capillary reactor combined with a heating/cooling stage, a microscope and a digital camera were used to investigate phase behavior during the hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae (Dunaliella tertiolecta) and model compounds, including soya protein and glycine, starch, glucose and xylose, stearic acid and palmitic acid. Bubbles were generated at 246°C and disappeared at 360°C upon heating when Dunaliella tertiolecta used as feedstocks. Moreover, liquid products were generated at 300°C upon heating and oily liquid products began to separate out at 250°C upon cooling. The phase behavior of soya protein was similar to that of the Dunaliella tertiolecta. Meanwhile, there only observed the bubbles generation during hydrothermal liquefaction of glycine. Heating the starch, glucose and xylose above 350°C generated black solids from carbonization. Stearic acid and palmitic acid only had the process of melting, dissolution, dispersion and precipitation.     

Comparison of the daily global solar radiation from different data sources in Northwest China climate

The solar radiation data are of high importance to the solar energy systems. Conventional methods to obtain the solar radiation data are from weather stations, solar radiation models, commercial software databases, and field measurements. In the present study, a new daily global solar radiation model is proposed, by combining the quadratic function of sunshine fraction and sine function of the day of the year. The solar radiation model calculated data are then compared with China Meteorological Data Sharing System (CMDSS) data, TRNSYS data, and field-measured data in Northwest China climate. It is found that the newly proposed solar radiation model has better performance than the other nine solar radiation models in the literature. The solar radiation model calculated data fit well with the CMDSS annually average data. The TRNSYS data are a bit larger than the CMDSS annually average data in summer half year and a little smaller than those in winter half year. The solar radiation model and the CMDSS annually average data have the best correlation, whereas the TRNSYS data and the field-measured data have the worst correlation. The solar radiation model calculated data have the best correlation with the other three data sources.     

Green and compatible industrial development in Western China

Western China has lagged a lot in terms of industrial structure and economic development,compared with the national average.And China announced its target of CO_2 emission reduction,i.e.by 2020,CO_2 emission per GDP will drop by40-45%compared with 2005.The target will be incorporated into China's long-term industrial planning.Against this background,this paper will make a comprehensive examination of the industrial development of Western China,aiming to discover a green and compatible way.First,we analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of regional industrial structure for the period 2000-2010.Second,we try to discover the industrial structure optimization path for Western China by employing the Vector Auto Regression model.Lastly,we try to provide some advice and suggestions for further industrial development in Western China.Our examination shows that further industrial development in Western China should pay full attention to resource conservation and recycling,and develop on a green and compatible path.     

城市道路暴雨径流水质特性及控制对策

由于暴雨径流冲刷引起的城市面源污染已成为受纳水体污染的主要来源。在综合国内外相关文献的基础上,分析了城市道路暴雨径流中污染物的赋存形态,总结了不同环境背景下城市道路暴雨径流污染物的浓度水平,阐述了城市道路暴雨径流水质的影响因素,论述了城市道路暴雨径流污染的控制对策,指出合理确定初期暴雨径流控制量、科学选取/设计控制技术、将暴雨径流控制措施与城市规划有机结合构建调控网络是城市道路暴雨径流污染控制的可行途径。     

铁氧化物复合氧化铝催化臭氧化过程中溴酸盐的生成控制

以市售活性炭、硅藻土和氧化铝小球为载体,考察了负载铁基活性组分对催化臭氧化过程中溴酸盐的控制情况,其中,铁基复合氧化铝小球体现出更好的溴酸盐还原特性和催化剂稳定性,证实催化剂中铁氧化物是溴酸盐得到有效控制的主要活性组分。进一步考察了铁基复合氧化铝小球催化臭氧化处理实际原水过程中对溴酸盐的生成控制,以及反应过程中溶解性有机碳（DOC）的去除情况。结果表明,与单独臭氧化相比,该催化剂既能有效去除水中的溶解性有机物,又能明显抑制溴酸盐的生成,反应50h,其活性并没有明显下降。催化剂失活主要归因于吸附位点数量的下降,可以通过负载铁氧化物来实现催化剂的再生。     

一株抗Cd~（2＋）菌株的筛选及其吸附性能

Cd2＋为一种毒性金属元素,为了实际解决污水中低浓度重金属污染,实现污水达标排放,通过12C6＋重离子束辐照诱变技术筛选到一株耐受Cd2＋的菌株C2,研究其对Cd2＋的抗性和低浓度Cd2＋的吸附性能表明,Cd2＋浓度≤100 mg/L时,C2菌株可以生长繁殖,但随Cd2＋浓度升高受到抑制;SEM分析表明,受到Cd2＋胁迫时,C2产生大量胞外产物与Cd2＋形成络合物;吸附过程中菌粉表面空隙得到填充,形成凸起;红外光谱分析表明,吸附过程中的主要作用基团为醇羟基O—H键、氨基和酰胺基团;C2菌粉和固定化菌球都对Cd2＋有较好的吸附能力,菌粉吸附效果比固定化菌球稍好;菌粉和固定化吸附剂的最佳吸附初始pH值为5~6.0,最佳投加量分别为1.0 g/L和10 g/L（实际含菌量为1.0 g/L）;Cd2＋浓度在2~20mg/L时,在最佳吸附条件下,菌粉和固定化吸附剂对Cd2＋的吸附率均在90%左右;2种吸附剂吸附过程与Langmuir等温模型和拟二级动力学模型拟合最佳;热力学研究表明吸附反应均能自发进行。以上研究结果表明,C2菌粉和固定化吸附剂均可用于污水中低浓度Cd2＋的去除。     

电渗透脱水污泥干燥特性曲线及干燥模型

通过电渗透脱水技术及自然风干技术两种预处理方式降低污泥含水率,当污泥初始含水率相近时,研究经两种方式处理后污泥的干燥特性曲线,并对电渗透脱水污泥干燥特性曲线的优势情况进行探讨。在40—120℃的低温条件下,研究电渗透脱水污泥（泥饼厚度为3．5mm）的干燥特性曲线并分析其干燥特性。通过所得电渗透脱水污泥的干燥特性曲线,引人薄层污泥干燥模型进行数值分析。结果表明,在实验条件下,电渗透脱水污泥的干燥速率要优于自然风干污泥的干燥速率。随着温度的升高,电渗透脱水污泥的干燥速率随之升高,干燥到所需含水率的时间则随之减少。Logarithmic模型比其他模型更适合描述薄层电渗透脱水污泥在低温条件下的干燥特性。     

基于智能优化算法的河流水质模型参数的优化简

为探索河流水质模型参数新的求解方法,根据有限的实测数据,分别应用免疫进化优化算法和免疫进化优选的捕食搜索算法,对河流水质模型计算公式中的多参数进行优化。将优化得到的计算公式用于国内外若干河流的河段中DO浓度值的拟合,并与实测结果进行了比较。结果表明,将免疫进化优化算法或免疫进化优选的捕食搜索算法优化得到的水质模型参数精度不仅较高,而且相对稳定,从而为河流水质模型参数的优化提供了一种新方法。