PREDICTING FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA LEVELS IN THE CHARLES RIVER,MASSACHUSETTS, USA1

In Massachusetts, the Charles River Watershed Association conducts a regular water quality monitoring and public notification program in the Charles River Basin during the recreational season to inform users of the river's health. This program has relied on laboratory analyses of river samples for fecal coliform bacteria levels, however, results are not available until at least 24 hours after sampling. To avoid the need for laboratory analyses, ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regression models were developed to predict fecal coliform bacteria concentrations and the probabilities of exceeding the Massachusetts secondary contact recreation standard for bacteria based on meteorological conditions and streamflow. The OLS models resulted in adjusted R²s ranging from 50 to 60 percent. An uncertainty analysis reveals that of the total variability of fecal coliform bacteria concentrations, 45 percent is explained by the OLS regression model, 15 percent is explained by both measurement and space sampling error, and 40 percent is explained by time sampling error. Higher accuracy in future bacteria forecasting models would likely result from reductions in laboratory measurement errors and improved sampling designs.     

Water sharing agreements sustainable to reduced flows

By signing a water sharing agreement (WSA), countries agree to release an amount of river water in exchange for a negotiated compensation. We examine the vulnerability of such agreements to reduced water flows. Among all WSAs that are acceptable to riparian countries, we find out the one which is self-enforced under the most severe drought scenarios. The so-called upstream incremental WSA assigns to each country its marginal contribution to its followers in the river. Its mirror image, the downstream incremental WSA, is not sustainable to reduced flow at the source. Self-enforcement problems can be solved by setting water releases and compensations contingent to water flow. We apply our analysis to the Aral Sea Basin. We compute the upstream incremental compensations for the Bishkek agreement and asses its vulnerability with historical flows.     

Determination of 27 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in water: The benefit of isotope dilution

• Isotope dilution method was developed for the determination of 27 PPCPs in water. • The established method was successfully applied to different types of water samples. • The correction effect of corresponding 27 ILSs over 70 d was investigated. • Benefit of isotopic dilution method was illustrated for three examples. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a unique group of emerging and non-persistent contaminants. In this study, 27 PPCPs in various water samples were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE), and determined by isotope dilution method using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem triple quadruple mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). A total of 27 isotopically labeled standards (ILSs) were applied to correct the concentration of PPCPs in spiked ultrapure water, drinking water, river, effluent and influent sewage. The corrected recoveries were 73%–122% with the relative standard deviation (RSD)<16%, except for acetaminophen. The matrix effect for all kinds of water samples was<22% and the method quantitation limits (MQLs) were 0.45–8.6 ng/L. The developed method was successfully applied on environmental water samples. The SPE extracts of spiked ultrapure water, drinking water, river and wastewater effluent were stored for 70 days, and the ILSs-corrected recoveries of 27 PPCPs were obtained to evaluate the correction ability of ILSs in the presence of variety interferences. The recoveries of 27 PPCPs over 70 days were within the scope of 72%–140% with the recovery variation<37% in all cases. The isotope dilution method seems to be of benefit when the extract has to be stored for long time before the instrument analysis.     

平原河网地区非点源污染风险差异化分区防控研究

土地利用优化和空间防控策略对非点源污染风险控制及水环境质量的改善具有重要意义。本文以太湖流域典型平原河网地区-上海市青浦区为研究对象,将灰色线性规划模型与最小累积阻力模型相结合,以控制非点源污染风险和增加经济效益、生态效益为目标,进行土地利用结构优化与空间分区防控研究,在空间上划设了水资源保育区、水资源重点防护区、非点源污染一般阻控区、非点源污染中等阻控区及非点源污染重点阻控区,并针对不同分区提出具有针对性的防控措施。与2012年相比,预测2020年优化防控方案下,可减少总氮、总磷的输出10.96%和41.33%。由此表明,优化土地利用结构和构建空间差异化防控机制是有效调控非点源污染风险,实现区域可持续土地利用,促进经济发展和保证生态环境安全的有效途径。     

Mowers versus growers: Riparian buffer management in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains,USA

Despite long-standing knowledge of the benefits of riparian buffers for mitigating nonpoint source pollution, many streams are unprotected by buffers. Even landowners who understand ecological values of buffers mow riparian vegetation to the streambank. Do trends in rural riparian conditions reflect the development of riparian forest science? What motivates residential riparian management actions? Using high-resolution orthoimagery, we quantified riparian conditions and trends between 1998 and 2015 in the rural upper Little Tennessee River basin in Macon County, North Carolina and explored how landowners view riparian zone management and riparian restoration programs. Buffer composition in 2015 was as follows: no buffer (32.5%), narrow (19.3%), forested (26.7%), shrub (7.2%), and intermediate (7.0%). Relative to 1998, the greatest decrease occurred in the no buffer class (−17.7%, 46 km) and the largest increases occurred in the shrub (+72.5%, 20 km) and narrow (12.6%, 14 km) classes. Forested buffer marginally increased. Semi-structured interview data suggest that landowners prioritize recreational and scenic aspects of riparian buffers over ecological functions such as filtration and bank stabilization. Riparian restoration programs might be made more enticing to non-adopters if outreach language appealed to landowner priorities, design elements demonstrated intentional management, and program managers highlighted areas where ecological goals and landowner values align.     

Targeted Application of Seasonal Load Duration Curves Using Multivariate Analysis in Two Watersheds Flowing Into Lake Houston1

Teague, Aarin, Philip B. Bedient, and Birnur Guven, 2011. Targeted Application of Seasonal Load Duration Curves Using Multivariate Analysis in Two Watersheds Flowing Into Lake Houston. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(3):620‐634. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00529.x Abstract: Water quality is a problem in Lake Houston, the primary source of drinking water for the City of Houston, Texas, due to pollutant loads coming from the influent watersheds, including Spring Creek and Cypress Creek. Statistical analysis of the historic water quality data was developed to understand the source characterization and seasonality of the watershed. Multivariate analysis including principal component, cluster, and discriminant analysis provided a custom seasonal assessment of the watersheds so that loading curves may be targeted for season specific pollutant source characterization. The load duration curves have been analyzed using data collected by the U.S. Geologic Survey with corresponding City of Houston water quality data at the sites to characterize the behavior of the pollutant sources and watersheds. Custom seasons were determined for Spring Creek and Cypress Creek watersheds and pollutant source characterization compared between the seasons and watersheds.     

Effect of water washing on the thermal behavior of rice straw

Rice straw can be used as a renewable fuel for heat and power generation. It is a viable mean of replacing fossil fuels and preventing pollution caused by open burning, especially in the areas where this residual biomass is generated. Nevertheless, the thermal conversion of rice straw can cause some operating problems such as slag formation, which negatively affects thermal conversion systems. So, the main objective of this research is studying the combustion behavior of rice straw samples collected from various regions by applying thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, the thermal behavior of ashes from rice straw was also analyzed in order to detect their melting points, and ash sintering was detected at different temperatures within the range between 550 and 1000 °C. Since washing rice straw with water could reduce the content of undesirable inorganic compounds related to the ash fusibility, samples of washed rice straw were analyzed under combustion conditions to investigate its differences regarding the thermal behavior of rice straw. The results showed that rice straw washing led to a significant improvement in its thermal behavior, since it reduced the ash contents and sintering formation.     

Can we take the pulse of environmental governance the way we take the pulse of nature? Applying the Freshwater Health Index in Latin America

Quantitative assessments have long been used to evaluate the condition of the natural environment, providing information for standard setting, adaptive management, and monitoring. Similar approaches have been developed to measure environmental governance, however, the end result (e.g., numeric indicators) belies the subjective and normative judgments that are involved in evaluating governance. We demonstrate a framework that makes this information transparent, through an application of the Freshwater Health Index in three different river basins in Latin America. Water Governance is measured on a 0–100 scale, using data derived from perception-based surveys administered to stakeholders. Results suggest that water governance is a primary area of concern in all three places, with low overall scores (Guandu-26, Alto Mayo-38, Bogotá-43). We conclude that this approach to measuring governance at the river basin scale provides valuable information to support monitoring and decision making, and we offer suggestions on how it can be improved.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01407-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

南京北郊黑碳气溶胶的来源解析

利用七波段黑碳仪对2015年1~12月南京北郊地区黑碳(black carbon,BC)气溶胶实时监测,并结合黑碳仪模型对该期间内BC进行来源解析,探讨化石燃料排放产生BC(BCff)与生物质燃烧产生BC(BCbb)各自的贡献大小.结果表明,观测期间BC的吸收波长指数(α)和生物质燃烧对BC的贡献百分比(BB)的变化范围都较大但趋势较为一致;冬季α值偏高而夏季α值较低,表明不同季节时间BC来源和强度的差异性.BCff在各季节BC总浓度中占比略有不同但均高于75%;BC、BCff和BCbb的日变化趋势均呈双峰特征,在07:00~09:00和18:00~21:00左右浓度有最大值;全天中,BCff对BC贡献最大,浓度值约为BCbb的3~5倍;夜晚BC浓度普遍高于白天,其平均浓度值是白天的1.2倍.由浓度权重轨迹分析的结果可知,影响南京北郊地区高浓度BC的源区主要集中在浙江、安徽以及江西和福建等地区.     

模拟排水沟渠非点源溶质氮迁移实验研究

农田排水沟渠是由水-底泥-植物组成的复合生态结构,其间非点源溶质的迁移转化对研究沟渠拦截、控制和管理农业非点源污染具有重要意义.本研究以模拟排水沟渠静态实验为基础,以典型非点源溶质氮素为例,分析了实验期内水体、底泥及芦苇不同介质内氮含量变化过程,分析了底泥吸附与解析、芦苇生长与衰败等年内不同时期对水体中氮素浓度的影响,探讨了水-底泥-芦苇复合生态体内氮迁移及对水体中氮浓度的影响机制.结果表明,底泥的吸附与解吸、芦苇生长的吸收和同化对水体中氮素浓度均有影响,10月之前这种影响表现为促使水体中氮素浓度降低,是水体的氮净化过程;10月之后这种净化作用开始降低,11月之后表现为促使水体中氮素浓度升高.同时,模拟沟渠水-底泥-芦苇生态体内氮迁移联系密切,任一介质内或介质间氮素迁移转化都会引起水体中氮素浓度相应调整.