Evaluating Cover Crops (Sudex,Sunn Hemp,Oats) for Use as Vegetative Filters to Control Sediment and Nutrient Loading From Agricultural Runoff in a Hawaiian Watershed1

Abstract: A study was conducted to determine the effects of three land covers (sunn hemp –Crotalaria juncea, sudex, a sorghum‐sudangrass hybrid –Sorghum bicolor x S. bicolor var. sudanese, and common oats –Avena sativa) planted as vegetative filter strips on the reduction of sediment and nutrient loading of surface runoff within the Kaika‐Waialua watershed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Runoff samples were collected and analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), phosphorous, and three forms of nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium, total nitrogen). Study results show that during seven out of 10 runoff events, the three cover crop treatments significantly reduced TSS as compared to the fallow treatment. Average removal efficiencies were 85, 77, and 73% for oats, sunn hemp, and sudex, respectively, as compared to the fallow treatment. Nutrient concentrations were low with phosphorous concentrations, lower than 1 (μg/ml) for all treatments, and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations below 7 (μg/ml) except in the sunn hemp treatment, where TN concentrations were less than 10 (μg/ml). Results of analysis of TDS showed that the cover crop treatments did not decrease dissolved solids concentrations in comparison with the fallow treatment. Analysis of nutrient concentrations in runoff samples did not detect any significant decreases in phosphorous, nitrogen, ammonium, or TN concentrations in comparison to the fallow treatment. However, a significant increase in TN concentrations in the sunn hemp treatment was detected and showed the nitrogen fixing capacity of sunn hemp. No treatment effects on runoff volume were detected, and runoff volumes were directly correlated with rainfall amounts showing no crops significantly impacted soil infiltration rates. These results were attributed to extremely low soil hydraulic conductivities (0.0001‐7 cm/day at the soil surface, 15 and 30 cm below the soil surface). This study showed that cover crops planted as vegetative filters can effectively reduce sediment loads coming from idle and fallow fields on moderately steep volcanically derived highly weathered soils.     

Application of Tabu Search Algorithm With a Coupled AnnAGNPS‐CCHE1D Model to Optimize Agricultural Land Use1

Abstract: A principal contributor to soil erosion and nonpoint source pollution, agricultural activities have a major influence on the environmental quality of a watershed. Impact of agricultural activities on the quality of water resources can be minimized by implementing suitable agriculture land‐use types. Currently, land uses are designed (location, type, and operational schedule) based on field study results, and do not involve a science‐based approach to ensure their efficiency under particular regional, climatic, geological, and economical conditions. At present, there is a real need for new methodologies that can optimize the selection, design, and operation of agricultural land uses at the watershed scale by taking into account environmental, technical, and economical considerations, based on realistic simulations of watershed response. In this respect, the present study proposes a new approach, which integrates computational modeling of watershed processes, fluvial processes in the drainage network, and modern heuristic optimization techniques to design cost effective land‐use plans. The watershed model AnnAGNPS and the channel network model CCHE1D are linked together to simulate the sediment and pollutant transport processes. Based on the computational results, a multi‐objective function is set up to minimize soil losses, nutrient yields, and total associated costs, while the production profits from agriculture are maximized. The selected iterative optimization algorithm uses adaptive Tabu Search heuristic to flip (switching from one alternative to another) land‐change variables. USDA’s Goodwin Creek experimental watershed, located in Northern Mississippi, is used to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed approach. The results show that the optimized land‐use design with BMPs using an integrated approach at the watershed level can provide efficient and cost‐effective conservation of the environmental quality by taking into account both productivity and profitability.     

Comments on "Ion adsorption components in liquid/solid systems"

Recently, Wu et al. (J Environ Sci 18(2006) 1167-1175) published a paper entitled as above. In the paper, the authors proposed a plotting method for describing adsorption isotherm, where adsorption density (q e) was plotted against the ratio of equilibrium concentration/particle concentration (Ce/W0) rather than (Ce) as traditionally defined. The authors claimed that this plot can eliminate the "particle concentration effect" (i.e., adsorption isotherm declines with increasing particle concentration), which may otherwise be inevasible with traditionally defined adsorption isotherms. We think that their conclusion is conceptually flawed and the plot may cause substantial inconstancy problems in practice.     

Comparison of membrane fouling during short-term filtration of aerobic granular sludge and activated sludge

Aerobic granular sludge was cultivated adopting internal-circulate sequencing batch airlift reactor.The contradistinctive experiment about short-term membrane fouling between aerobic granular sludge system and activated sludge system were investigated.The membrane foulants was also characterized by Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy technique.The results showed that the aerobic granular sludge had excellent denitrification ability;the removal efficiency of TN could reach 90%.The aerobic granular sludge could alleviate membrane fouling effectively.The steady membrane flux of aerobic granular sludge was twice as much as that of activated sludge system.In addition,it was found that the aerobic granular sludge could result in severe membrane pore-blocking, however,the activated sludge could cause severe cake fouling.The major components of the foulants were identified as comprising of proteins and polysaccharide materials.     

气候变化对白洋淀湿地的影响

生态系统对气候变化的影响和响应的敏感性研究是全球变化研究的一个重要内容。近年来,华北地区气候以暖干为主,这种趋势在一定程度上加剧了华北地区的水危机。特定的水文条件是湿地形成与维持的驱动因子,因此湿地生态系统对气候变化尤为敏感。以华北地区内陆湖泊白洋淀为研究对象,通过分析白洋淀过去40年气候、水文与生态系统发展变化过程及湿地生态与影响因子之间的相关关系,确定湿地退化的主导生态因子,探寻湿地退化的驱动机制。从而得出以下结论：1960年以来,白洋淀湿地水位降低,水量减少,面积萎缩,干淀频繁,生物多样性减少;气候变化在白洋淀湿地退化中起决定作用,其中降水对湿地的影响最大。气候变化主要通过改变湿地的水文特征,减少湿地水源补给,增加水分消耗,使湿地退化萎缩。人为因素在一定程度上加剧了这种趋势。     

中尺度流域的景观格局分析--以湖北四湖流域为例

以湖北四湖流域为中尺度流域的代表，对流域九种景观类型657个斑块的形状、6种景观类型分离程度、四个分区及全流域的景观异质性进行了分析。结果表明：斑块伸长指数和形状系数是完全相关的，它们与周长／面积各自表达着形状复杂性的不同方面，有必要对其进行综合评价；四湖流域的不同类型的景观斑块形状有较大差异，分区间的斑块形状差异较小；湿地类型的斑块形状趋于简单，其中湖泊斑块形状员简单，非湿地类型的斑块形状趋于复杂，又以林地类型为员。这表明本地区的湿地，特别是湖泊，受到了更大的人类活动影响；湖泊斑块的分布最集中，居民点斑块的分布员分散，这不利于控制流域内的洪涝灾害；从流域的上游到下游，景观多样性和均匀度呈增加的趋势，景观破碎化程度呈下降趋势，这种景观异质性的空间差异反映了流域空间开发历史的长短和人类活动强度的差异。     

我国农业非点源污染成因及解决对策

农业非点源污染目前已成为全球水污染的主要来源。对我国农业非点源污染成因的分析表明:农药、化肥的大量使用,不同灌溉方式、生产生活废弃物和规模化畜禽养殖等与农业非点源污染的形成之间均有密切的关系,应从农田径流控制、小流域综合治理、发展生态农业等方面开展农业非点源污染防治。实施农田养分最佳管理技术、开发农业非点源污染管理应用软件、完善农业生态补偿机制将成为我国农业非点源污染研究的发展趋势。     

三峡库区古夫河小流域氮磷排放特征

本文以三峡库区古夫河小流域为研究对象,在自然降雨条件下,自2014年1月至2014年12月对古夫河小流域出水口断面水质水量进行了连续监测,分析了流域出水口断面污染物氮磷输出浓度、排放负荷随降雨的季节变化特征及其形态组成.结果表明,古夫河小流域年度水流量为0.6×108m3,7~9月丰水期径流量占全年的63.9%,流域出口径流流量与年降雨量间存在极显著(P0.01)的线性相关关系.小流域总氮的年排放负荷为1 432 t·a-1,溶解态氮是氮的主要排放形态,各月份溶解态氮排放负荷占总氮比例的变化范围为55.4%~91.3%,7~9月丰水期总氮排放负荷达853 t·a-1,占全年的59.6%;硝态氮输出浓度与降雨量间存在显著(P0.05)线性相关关系,其他形态氮浓度与降雨量、泥沙量间线性相关关系均不显著.总磷的年排放负荷为563.1 t·a-1,颗粒态是磷的主要排放形态,各月份颗粒态磷排放负荷占总磷比例的变化范围为41.9%~79.5%,丰水期总磷的排放负荷占全年的71.2%,总磷、可溶性总磷和颗粒态磷与降雨量和泥沙流失量之间均存在显著(P0.05)线性相关关系.     

天然气对室内空气污染的卫生评价

对比天然气与煤气、液化石油气在燃烧过程中对室内空气的污染,监测包括Ｂ（ａ）Ｐ的常规污染物,并测定了监测户的代表对象的尿１－羟基芘。对北京天然气从气源厂、中转门站至末端作了一年四季氡的浓度及变化的检测观察。为对３种燃气中有机成分进行分析,特殊设计了大流量采样装置采集了３种燃气的燃烧产物,并对３种燃气燃烧产物中颗粒物上半挥发性有机物进行色质联机分析鉴定。结果表明室内常规污染物中颗粒物和ＣＯ在采暖季节均     

北方强沙尘暴天气过程对广州空气质量影响的个例分析

2009年4月23—25日,我国内蒙古、甘肃、陕西等地区出现了1次强沙尘暴天气过程,沙尘暴产生的浮尘自北南下,于26日开始影响广州.期间,沙尘暴沿途城市的可吸入颗粒物(PM10)浓度先后升高.本文通过对广州4月27日—29日(浮尘时段)和5月12—14日(非浮尘时段)的空气颗粒物进行质量浓度分析,发现浮尘时段PM10的浓度均值为0.231mg·m-3,较非浮尘时段(0.103mg·m-3)大1倍.化学分析结果发现金属元素含量、金属元素富集因子、可溶性阴阳离子含量等在这两个时段也均存在显著差异.浮尘时段颗粒物中金属元素含量的总浓度为53.5μg·m-3,比非浮尘时段的总浓度(28.5μg·m-3)翻了近1倍.浮尘时段的Na、Ti、Zn、Cu、Cr浓度较非浮尘时段的增加幅度在0～100%之间,从富集因子来看,非浮尘时段均高于浮尘时段,说明污染源主要来自广州本地源;浮尘时段的K、Mg、Al、Fe、Mn、V、Co浓度较非浮尘时段的增幅在100%以上,其富集因子均高于非浮尘时段,说明污染源主要来自于外来源;而Ni、Pb、Cd3种元素浓度增幅为负值,说明沙尘携带这3种元素的量可以忽略,且冷空气的稀释作用使得它们在浮尘时段的富集系数远远低于非浮尘时段.另外,通过对水溶性离子的分析发现,浮尘天气时段空气颗粒物中各种水溶性阴阳离子含量都有所升高,但NH4+、NO3-、SO24-3种离子的质量浓度,无论在浮尘还是非浮尘时段,差别均不显著(均占约82%),说明这3种离子都是PM10中最主要的可溶性阴阳离子.并且从浮尘时段的气象场分析和后向轨迹计算表明,此次广州沙尘的源地来自内蒙地区.