Assessing water quality of drinking water distribution system in the South Taiwan

This investigation conducted a full-scale survey the drinking water distribution system in Kaohsiung city, Taiwan. The aim was to investigate whether the distribution system was capable of maintaining high water quality from the water treatment facilities through to the end user. The results showed that the distribution system can maintain high water quality, except for suitable chlorine residuals. The authors plotted chlorine residual contour maps to identify areas with low chlorine residuals, helping them prioritize sections that must be flushed or renewal. The contour maps also provide sufficient and clear information for locating booster chlorination stations. Contour maps enable water facilities to identify how water quality decays in the distribution systems and the locations of such decay. Water quality decay can be caused by properties of pipeline materials, hydraulic conditions, and/or biofilm thickness. However, understanding the exact reasons is unnecessary because the contour maps provide sufficient information for trouble-shooting the distribution systems.     

Critical environmental indicators: performance indices and assessment models for sustainable rural development planning

Sustainable development planning must be based on environmental and biophysical baseline indices that effectively define comparative development potential and environmental constraints. As such, indices must define the comparative advantage of the natural resource base and measure the fundamental capacity to sustain production rates of natural resource goods and services used to create societal well being. Complex biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics affect the identification and selection of sustainable development strategies. When derived from effective baseline indicators, indices may be used to define the spatial and temporal distribution of economically viable production opportunities and may be expressed in derived indices that realistically describe basic production opportunities and guide the selection of feasible, long-term development strategies. Specifically, representative indices are critical in the identification of development goals and realistic objectives and can be used to evaluate, select and implement sustainable development strategies and plans. It is stressed that the relevancy and effectiveness of public policies depend on the identification of representative evaluation models and baseline indices to define development strategies that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. In this context, the role of baseline indicators that define natural resource production capacities is discussed. This includes potential resource uses, derived benefits and their economic and environmental impacts. Key thematic indicators are suggested that may be especially useful in identifying development alternatives and impacts. This suggested that clearly defined environmental pollution limits or impact standards be used to define public risk tolerance limits and carrying capacity constraints. It is argued that these measures may be more effective in directing policy choices than economic valuation of non market goods and services that represent environmental externalities associated with resource exploitation options and economic development strategies. To this end, examples of thematic indicators and derived indices are introduced that may prove effective in resource assessment, economic evaluation and strategic development planning.     

The influence of potential reproductive rate and variation in mate quality on male and female choosiness in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus

Recent models of choosiness in mate choice have identified two particularly important factors: the potential reproductive rate (PRR) of the choosing sex relative to that of the chosen sex, and the variation in quality of potential mates. This experimental study tested how these factors affected choosiness in male and female sand gobies, Pomatoschistus minutus. We manipulated relative PRR by means of water temperature, and mate quality by means of body length. The choosing male or female was offered a choice between two mates with either a small or a large difference in body length representing a small or a large variation in mate quality. Choosiness was measured as (1) preference for the larger mate, and (2) as whether or not spawning occurred with the smaller mate, while the larger mate was visible but screened off. We found that females preferred large males, and that their level of choosiness was affected by variation in male quality, but not by their own relative PRR. Males, on the other hand, seemed unselective in all treatments and were in general more likely than females to spawn with their provided partner. This suggests that in the sand goby, variation in male mate quality has a greater influence than relative PRR on facultative changes in female choosiness. However, a general difference in PRR between males and females may be one important factor explaining the observed sex difference in choosiness. Received: 17 April 2000 / Revised: 24 June 2000 / Accepted: 17 July 2000     

家庭生活用水与室内氡浓度研究与进展

文章论述了家庭生活水的氡浓度水平、生活用水对室内氡的贡献、水的使用过程中室内氡行为以及含氡水的使用与辐射照射剂量的关系等问题。指出家庭生活水的氡浓度高时,是室内氡的一个不可忽视的来源。对氡浓度特别高的家庭用水,建议先用活性炭等进行吸附后再使用。     

柚园间种作物及施用不同有机肥对土壤与柚果的影响

柚树间种短期经济作物在提高柚园经济效益的同时,还可提高土壤的有机质和N、P、K养分质量分数,改善柚园小区气候,增加有机肥来源。间种物残余体作为绿肥,可显著地提高柚果产量和质量。     

碱性矿化水淋洗对土壤盐碱化及小麦生长的影响

为探讨不同矿化度的水对土壤盐渍化的影响及相应的淋洗分数,采用土柱模拟方法,以小麦为指示作物,设计1.0 g/L,1.5 g/L两种矿化度,按3750 m3/hm2灌溉量,分一水、二水两种灌次,秋后进行人工淡水淋洗。结果表明,在半干旱气候条件下,开发碱性矿化水灌溉矿化度不宜超过1.5 g/L,否则有引起碱化的危险。干旱期用碱性矿化水灌溉抗旱时,在同等灌水量的情况下,一水灌溉比二水灌溉积盐轻。各种人工淋洗处理比CK洗盐效果好,其中以等量淋洗综合效益最好。     

“十五”期间解决我国工业用水问题的建议

本文针对我国工业用水存在的问题,从六个方面,提出了“十五”期间我国水资源可持续利用的对策。     

湖北水资源现状与可持续利用战略对策

湖北省有十分丰富的过境客水资源,但自产水资源却十分有限,在水资源开发利用中存在许多亟待解决的问题。如地表水污染日趋严重,地下水也存在不容的污染;农业用水占大头,其节水潜力巨大;目前主要是利用地表水,地下水的利用很少;洪涝时时灾害仍然十分严重,并有愈演愈烈的趋势;从长远看,湖北省的水资源问题将主要是污染型短缺的问题;南水北调中线工程将对汉江中下游供水和水质造成不容忽视的影响;在计划体制下形成的水资源     

水质丁基黄原酸测定难点探讨

丁基黄原酸是水质监测的重要项目之一。水中丁基黄原酸的测定,在样品采集保存、前处理及仪器分析各阶段都存在一定的技术难点。实际分析时很容易出现测定结果不理想,甚至定性定量错误等问题。结合实验对丁基黄原酸测定中容易出现的问题及注意事项进行探讨,正确区分丁基黄原酸及其盐,有效保存样品,采用低损失的前处理方法以及选择性好的分析仪器,有利于提高丁基黄原酸测定的准确性。众多丁基黄原酸测定方法中,液相色谱质谱法、离子色谱法以及液相色谱法在选择性和灵敏度方面更具优势,也可用于其他方法检出丁基黄原酸时对测定进行确认。     

日本水环境质量监测管理概述

伴随着日本经济的高速发展,其水环境污染问题十分严峻,防治水污染成为日本政府在20—21世纪的重要工作之一。经过几十年的努力,日本水污染治理取得长足进展。目前日本水环境监测已经形成由水和土壤等方面组成的水循环监测体系,包括地表水、近海、湖泊、地下水和土壤等。在日本的重要环保法律法规中均有涉及水环境监测工作内容的明确法律条文,国家行政机关、地方政府和公立的科研单位在具体实施水环境质量监测过程中的职责和义务不同,水环境质量监测管理的国家行政机关以环境省为主,地方政府根据环境省制定的水环境质量标准、监测技术方法及规范,制定所辖地域的监测方案并实施监测,公立的环境科研机构在环境质量监测工作中起到重要的支撑作用。笔者概述了日本开展水环境质量监测的法律依据和监测管理情况等。