Water Quality Functions of Riparian Forest Buffers in Chesapeake Bay Watersheds

/ Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, USA, have agreed to reduce nutrient loadings to Chesapeake Bay by 40% by the year 2000. This requires control of nonpoint sources of nutrients, much of which comes from agriculture. Riparian forest buffer systems (RFBS) provide effective control of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in some types of agricultural watersheds. Control of NPS pollution is dependent on the type of pollutant and the hydrologic connection between pollution sources, the RFBS, and the stream. Water quality improvements are most likely in areas of where most of the excess precipitation moves across, in, or near the root zone of the RFBS. In areas such as the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont watersheds with thin soils, RFBS should retain 50%-90% of the total loading of nitrate in shallow groundwater, sediment in surface runoff, and total N in both surface runoff and groundwater. Retention of phosphorus is generally much less. In regions with deeper soils and/or greater regional groundwater recharge (such as parts of the Piedmont and the Valley and Ridge), RFBS water quality improvements are probably much less. The expected levels of pollutant control by RFBS are identified for each of nine physiographic provinces of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Issues related to of establishment, sustainability, and management are also discussed.KEY WORDS: Riparian forest buffers; Chesapeake Bay; Nonpoint source pollution; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Sediment     

Fate of nitrogen during composting of chicken litter

Chicken litter (a mixture of chicken manure, wood shavings, waste feed, and feathers) was composted in forced-aeration piles to understand the changes and losses of nitrogen (N) during composting. During the composting process, the chemical [different N fractions, organic matter (OM), organic carbon (C), and C:N ratio], physical, and microbial properties of the chicken litter were examined. Cumulative losses and mass balances of N and organic matter were also quantified to determine actual losses during composting. The changes in total N concentration of the chicken litter piles were essentially equal to those of the organic N. The inorganic N concentrations were low, and that organic N was the major nitrogenous constituent. The ammonium (NH(4)(+))-N concentration decreased dramatically during first 35 days of composting. However, the rapid decrease in NH(4)(+)-N during composting did not coincide with a rapid increase in (NO(3)(-)+NO(2)(-))-N concentration. The concentration of (NO(3)(-)+NO(2)(-))-N was very low (<0.5 g kg(-1)) at day 0, and this level remained unchanged during the first 35 days of composting suggesting that N was lost during composting. Losses of N in this composting process were governed mainly by volatilization of ammonia (NH(3)) as the pile temperatures were high and the pH values were above 7. The narrow C:N ratio (<20:1) have also contributed to losses of N in the chicken litter. The OM and total organic C mass decreased with composting time. About 42 kg of the organic C was converted to CO(2). On the other hand, 18 kg was lost during composting. This loss was more than half (59%) of the initial N mass of the piles. Such a finding demonstrates that composting reduced the value of the chicken litter as N fertilizer. However, the composted chicken contained a more humified (stabilized) OM compared with the uncomposted chicken litter, which would enhance its value as a soil conditioner.     

Density functional and experimental study of NO/O2 on zigzag char

In this paper, quantum chemistry computation (density functional theory) of multi-air-staged combustion was investigated in combination with experiment. It was found that the presence of oxygen in the combustion environment has a great influence on the surface chemistry of coal char. In the reaction pathway, the ring-opening reaction happens first, and is followed by NO adsorption. Afterwards, the ring-closure reaction takes place, leaving the nitrogen atom trapped in the inner char molecule. This reaction route effectively inhibits NO formation and achieves the aim of controlling NO emissions. In the staged combustion experiments, the consumption of O₂/NO was accompanied by an increase in the CO₂ concentration. The quantum chemistry computation successfully interprets the recent experimental trends displayed in multi-air-staged combustion.     

稳定化飞灰填埋场渗滤液产量预测

以南方某稳定化飞灰填埋场为研究对象,通过钻孔获取了新鲜、1、3、6和11个月等5个龄期的试样,并在实验室开展了颗粒分析、含水量、持水量等测试.不均匀系数Cu > 5,曲率系数Cc<1,属于级配不良土,容易形成优势流通道.含水量介于18.6%~46.4%之间,随埋深的增大而减小,随龄期的增长而增大.持水量介于15.0%~52.4%之间,随上覆应力的增大而减小,随龄期的增长而增大,由此建立了持水量计算模型.对于相同龄期和埋深的稳定化飞灰,其含水量要低于持水量2.6%~13.7%,这表明稳定化飞灰整体上未达到持水量状态,由此推测底部导排层收集到的渗滤液主要由雨水入渗后经过稳定化飞灰体内优势通道而进入导排层.在此基础上,建立了考虑填埋进程、降雨入渗量、优势流通道、稳定化飞灰产/吸水量等因素的填埋场渗滤液产量预测模型,并利用现场记录数据对模型进行了参数率定.模型分析结果表明,填埋场开始运营后的9个月内,渗滤液主要来源于降雨入渗量和运输车辆冲洗水量,分别占比约48%和52%.当稳定化飞灰体内优势流通道占总孔隙的比例从0%增至20%,导排层收集到的渗滤液量占渗滤液总收集量的比例从0增至34.1%.因此,建议对稳定化飞灰进行充分压实后再填埋,以减少优势流现象的发生,同时改用节水型车辆冲洗装置,最终降低渗滤液总产量.上述研究成果能够为我国类似稳定化飞灰填埋场中导排系统、调节池等的设计提供重要参考.     

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides over a modified silicoaluminophosphate commercial zeolite

Nitrogen oxides(NO_x:NO,NO_2)are a concern due to their adverse health effects.Diesel engine transport sector is the major emitter of NO_x.The regulations have been strengthened and to comply with them,one of the two methods commonly used is the selective catalytic reduction of NO_xby NH_3(NH_3-SCR),NH_3being supplied by the in-situ hydrolysis of urea.Efficiency and durability of the catalyst for this process are highly required.Durability is evaluated by hydrothermal treatment of the catalysts at temperature above 800°C.In this study,very active catalysts for the NH_3-SCR of NO_xwere prepared by using a silicoaluminophosphate commercial zeolite as copper host structure.Characterizations by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia(NH_3-TPD)showed that this commercial zeolite was hydrothermally stable up to 850°C and,was able to retain some structural properties up to950°C.After hydrothermal treatment at 850°C,the NO_xreduction efficiency into NH_3-SCR depends on the copper content.The catalyst with a copper content of 1.25 wt.%was the most active.The difference in activity was much more important when using NO than the fast NO/NO_2reaction mixture.     

Impact evaluation of agrotechnologies in watersheds

The special project RAISA (Advanced Researches for Innovation in Agricultural Systems) of the National Research Council of Italy concerns the development of new methodologies for the study and evaluation of the impact of agrotechnologies on the environment. In the project, several trans-disciplinary Units have worked together since 1990. The aim of the project is to define systems, using tools such as remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems, for decision making support in land planning and land use management, with particular attention to groudwater table pollution. The fundamental steps for evaluation of the impact of agrotechnologies on the Po river watershed, 75,000 km² in northern Italy, and Tevere (Tiber) river watershed, 17.169 km² in Central Italy are described here. The study concerns particular areas located in the western part of the Po River plain, where flooded rice is the main crop, and in the central plain of the Tevere basin where the risk of water pollution is considerable, due to small and medium sized swine breeding farms. The aspects considered were water pollution due to mineral nitrogen used to fertilize the rice crop and the nitrogen contained in the waste water from pig farms. For the Po river basin the methodology developed was based on the integration of satellite remote sensing images, and the available cartography, such as topographic and thematic maps, together with the hydrological and the toxicological data of the chemical fertilizers employed, summarized in maps of the groundwater table pollution hazard. A simpler evaluation was obtained in the Tevere river basin: the thematic layers were crossed in bi-directional matrices and the result merged with the map of the territorial distributionof the swine. In both cases the selected information was integrated and processed in Integrated sub-basin scale. The GISs led to the development of a user-friendly system for formalizing our knowledge of the degree of pollution hazard in simple and readable maps.Research supported by National Research Council of Italy, Special Project RAISA, sub-project N. 1 Paper N.     

氮氧化物生态环境中的转化及危害

在对氮氧化物污染引起奶牛亚硝酸中毒事件的调查基础上，通过室内模拟实验研究氮氧化物的转化过程及测定方法，探讨氮氧化物的生态环境中的转化规律，分析其危害途径和机理，研究表明氮氧化物中的二氧化氮遇水迅速反应生成硝酸和亚硝酸，而对生态环境和人畜产生危害。     

氮和磷对铜山源水库优势藻生长影响实验研究

分别研究了N、P等对铜山源水库优势藻类（绿球藻和舟形硅藻）生长的影响。结果表明，当N／P比为25时，绿球藻生长量最高，其限制因子是磷。绿球藻生长最适pH范围为6－8，生长过程中培养基pH没有显著变化。绿球藻和舟形硅藻混合培养时，绿球藻占优，而硅盐浓度对硅藻生长有明显促进作用。     

城市空气中氮氧化物污染预报模型的探讨

本文着重介绍了适合城市空气中氮氧化物预报的五种模型 :统计模型中的MOBILE模式、时间序列分析法、投影回归技术和数值预报模型中的高斯模式及箱模式 .并在此基础上推荐了组合预报 .