WATER MULTIPLIERS - REGIONAL IMPACT ANALYSIS1

A significant research problem is the assessment of impacts associated with growth and/or decline in a regional economy. A relevant method for analyzing such problems is the Leontief input/output model. Associated with these models are economic multipliers measuring total changes in sales, income, and employment. In this paper, the author contends resource multipliers are equally relevant. The specific form of these multipliers are defined. Water multipliers for a two-county region in central Nevada are presented and their uses described.     

SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: For many years, Federal water resources projects have been subjected to benefit-cost analysis to establish their economic feasibility. Several years ago social well-being was added as a consideration. This paper discusses the state-of-the-art in analyzing and evaluating aspects of social well-being. It stresses current short-falls and advocates a direction for further efforts.     

Small cetacean bycatch as estimated from stranding schemes: The common dolphin case in the northeast Atlantic

Death in fishing gear of non-target species (called ‘bycatch’) is a major concern for marine wildlife, and mostly worrying for long-lived species like cetaceans, considering their demographic characteristics (slow population growth rates and low fecundity). In European waters, cetaceans are highly impacted by this phenomenon. Under the Common Fishery Policy, the EC 812/2004 regulation constitutes a legal frame for bycatch monitoring on 5–10% of fishing vessels >15 m. The aim of this work was to compare parameters and bycatch estimates of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) provided by observer programmes in France and UK national reports and those inferred from stranding data, through two approaches. Bycatch was estimated from stranding data, first by correcting effectives from drift conditions (using a drift prediction model) and then by estimating the probability of being buoyant. Observer programmes on fishing vessels allowed us to identify the specificity of the interaction between common dolphins and fishing gear, and provided low estimates of annual bycaught animals (around 550 animals year⁻¹). However, observer programmes are hindered by logistical and administrative constraints, and the sampling scheme seems to be poorly designed for the detection of marine mammal bycatches. The analyses of strandings by considering drift conditions highlighted areas with high levels of interactions between common dolphins and fisheries. Since 1997, the highest densities of bycaught dolphins at sea were located in the southern part of the continental shelf and slope of the Bay of Biscay. Bycatch numbers inferred from strandings suggested very high levels, ranging from 3650 dolphins year⁻¹ [2250–7000] to 4700 [3850–5750] dolphins year⁻¹, depending on methodological choices. The main advantage of stranding data is its large spatial scale, cutting across administrative boundaries. Diverging estimates between observer programmes and stranding interpretation can set very different management consequences: observer programmes suggest a sustainable situation for common dolphins, whereas estimates based on strandings highlight a very worrying and unsustainable process.     

The Role of Headwater Streams in Downstream Water Quality1

Abstract: Knowledge of headwater influences on the water‐quality and flow conditions of downstream waters is essential to water‐resource management at all governmental levels; this includes recent court decisions on the jurisdiction of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) over upland areas that contribute to larger downstream water bodies. We review current watershed research and use a water‐quality model to investigate headwater influences on downstream receiving waters. Our evaluations demonstrate the intrinsic connections of headwaters to landscape processes and downstream waters through their influence on the supply, transport, and fate of water and solutes in watersheds. Hydrological processes in headwater catchments control the recharge of subsurface water stores, flow paths, and residence times of water throughout landscapes. The dynamic coupling of hydrological and biogeochemical processes in upland streams further controls the chemical form, timing, and longitudinal distances of solute transport to downstream waters. We apply the spatially explicit, mass‐balance watershed model SPARROW to consider transport and transformations of water and nutrients throughout stream networks in the northeastern United States. We simulate fluxes of nitrogen, a primary nutrient that is a water‐quality concern for acidification of streams and lakes and eutrophication of coastal waters, and refine the model structure to include literature observations of nitrogen removal in streams and lakes. We quantify nitrogen transport from headwaters to downstream navigable waters, where headwaters are defined within the model as first‐order, perennial streams that include flow and nitrogen contributions from smaller, intermittent and ephemeral streams. We find that first‐order headwaters contribute approximately 70% of the mean‐annual water volume and 65% of the nitrogen flux in second‐order streams. Their contributions to mean water volume and nitrogen flux decline only marginally to about 55% and 40% in fourth‐ and higher‐order rivers that include navigable waters and their tributaries. These results underscore the profound influence that headwater areas have on shaping downstream water quantity and water quality. The results have relevance to water‐resource management and regulatory decisions and potentially broaden understanding of the spatial extent of Federal CWA jurisdiction in U.S. waters.     

Radon exhalation from building materials for decorative use

Long-term exposure to radon increases the risk of developing lung cancer. There is considerable public concern about radon exhalation from building materials and the contribution to indoor radon levels. To address this concern, radon exhalation rates were determined for 53 different samples of drywall, tile and granite available on the Canadian market for interior home decoration. The radon exhalation rates ranged from non-detectable to 312 Bq m⁻² d⁻¹. Slate tiles and granite slabs had relatively higher radon exhalation rates than other decorative materials, such as ceramic or porcelain tiles. The average radon exhalation rates were 30 Bq m⁻² d⁻¹ for slate tiles and 42 Bq m⁻² d⁻¹ for granite slabs of various types and origins. Analysis showed that even if an entire floor was covered with a material having a radon exhalation rate of 300 Bq m⁻² d⁻¹, it would contribute only 18 Bq m⁻³ to a tightly sealed house with an air exchange rate of 0.3 per hour. Generally speaking, building materials used in home decoration make no significant contribution to indoor radon for a house with adequate air exchange.     

Elevated CO2 facilitates C and N accumulation in a rice paddy ecosystem

Elevated CO2 can stimulate wetland carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) exports through gaseous and dissolved pathways, however, the consequent influences on the C and N pools are still not fully known. Therefore, we set up a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment in a paddy field in Eastern China. After five year fumigation, we studied C and N in the plant–water–soil system. The results showed:(1) elevated CO2 stimulated rice aboveground biomass and N accumulations by 19.1% and 12.5%, respectively.(2) Elevated CO2 significantly increased paddy soil TOC and TN contents by 12.5% and 15.5%, respectively in the 0–15 cm layer, and22.7% and 26.0% in the 15–30 cm soil layer.(3) Averaged across the rice growing period,elevated CO2 greatly increased TOC and TN contents in the surface water by 7.6% and 11.4%,respectively.(4) The TOC/TN ratio and natural δ15N value in the surface soil showed a decreasing trend under elevated CO2. The above results indicate that elevated CO2 can benefit C and N accumulation in paddy fields. Given the similarity between the paddies and natural wetlands, our results also suggest a great potential for long-term C and N accumulation in natural wetlands under future climate patterns.     

Hydrograph Separation by Incorporating Climatological Factors: Application to Small Experimental Watersheds 1

Abstract: Evaluating the relative amounts of water moving through the different components of the hydrological cycle is required for precise management and planning of water resources. An important aspect of this evaluation is the partitioning of streamflow into surface (quick flow) and base‐flow components. A prior study evaluated 40 different approaches for hydrograph‐partitioning on a field scale watershed in the Coastal Plain of the Southeastern United States and concluded that the Boughton’s method produced the most consistent and accurate results. However, its accuracy depends upon the proper estimation of: (1) the end of surface runoff, and (2) the fraction factor (α) that is function of many physical and hydrologic characteristics of a watershed. Proper identification of the end of surface runoff was accomplished by using a second derivative approach. Applying this approach to 12 years of separately measured surface and subsurface flow data from a field scale watershed (study area) proved to be accurate for 87% of the time. Estimation of the α value was accomplished in this study using two steps: (1) alpha was fitted to individual hydrographs: and, (2) a regression equation that determines these alpha values based on climatological factors (e.g., rainfall, evapotranspiration) was developed. Using these strategies improved the streamflow partitioning method’s performance significantly.     

磷酸银/树脂复合物的制备及其对亚甲基蓝的光催化降解

以聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)为稳定剂,采用化学沉积法制备了磷酸银/树脂复合物,降解亚甲基蓝,研究其光催化活性,并对样品进行了XRD和SEM表征。探讨了不同的光源、催化剂投加量、PVP含量、p H值等因素对亚甲基蓝降解率的影响。结果表明,在太阳光(夏天早上9点到11点的阳光)下,偏酸介质中,催化剂用量为0.8 g/L,PVP质量分数为0.01%的磷酸银/树脂复合物,液面高度为15 cm的条件下对亚甲基蓝有最佳降解效果。     

聚丙烯基高分子功能材料吸附卷烟烟气中多种有害成分的应用

为了寻找能同时降低卷烟烟气中甲醛、乙醛、巴豆醛和颗粒物有害成分含量的离子交换树脂吸附材料,采用电镜扫描方法观察聚丙烯基阳离子树脂高分子功能材料的表面特征,应用压汞法分析其平均孔径、中值孔径、比孔容和比表面积,并测试了该材料的交换容量,采用环境试验舱检测法对比测试了该材料和活性炭降低卷烟烟气中甲醛、乙醛、巴豆醛和颗粒物有害成分含量的效果.结果表明,聚丙烯基高分子功能材料表面多斑点状突起,凹凸状明显,微孔和缝隙多,平均孔径为0.26 μm,中值孔径为149.3 μm,比孔容为19.23 cm3/g,比表面积为293.42 m2/g,交换容量为5.16 mmol/g,对烟气中甲醛、乙醛、巴豆醛和颗粒物的净化率分别达到79.6％、79.8％、82.8％和64.7％,而活性炭的净化率分别为20.3％、0、6.4％和54.2％.研究表明,该聚丙烯基高分子功能材料具有物理吸附和化学吸附性能,净化卷烟烟气中多种有害成分的效果明显优于活性炭.     

序批式动态膜生物反应器处理低碳氮比废水的试验研究

以序批式动态膜反应器为研究对象,对其处理低碳氮比废水的效果进行了试验研究.试验温度为19 ～ 21℃,MLSS为3～5g/L;好氧阶段溶解氧质量浓度为2 ～4 mg/L,厌氧阶段溶解氧质量浓度为0.2～0.5 mg/L;水力停留时间共12 h,其中好氧阶段8h,厌氧阶段4h.结果表明:当进水COD、TN和NH4+-N质量浓度分别为250～300mg/L、103 ～ 156 mg/L和92～140 mg/L时,反应器对上述污染物表现出较高且稳定的去除效率,COD、TN和NH4+-N平均去除率分别达到76.15％、82.16％和90.13％.同时,反应器系统中污泥的比硝化速率与常规处理装置中的活性污泥相比较高,以NH4+-N的降解量计为0.101 d-1,以NO3--N的积累量计为0.091 d-.