Distribution of some trace metals and their fluxes in the Genesee River,NY

Total and particulate metal concentrations, measured during intensive synoptic studies of the Genesee River, NY, correlated with suspended-sediment concentration and river discharge. Dissolved metal concentrations, on the other hand, showed little systematic variation over the length of the river. Metal and sediment fluxes for two elevated-discharged periods peaked at a midbasin sampling site. For most metals at most sampling sties particulate materials comprised over one-half of the total material. Comparison of particulate material metal concentrations, normalized to the measured suspended-sediment concentrations had with basinwide average values shows that sites having low suspended-sediment concentrations had high particulate material metal contents relative to the basin averages, while sites with high suspended-sediment concentration had low metal contents. These results are consistent with a metal transport mechanism in the Genesee River involving (1) a nearly constant dissolved component, (2) a fine acid-soluble component, and (3) a coarse component that is effectively a neutral diluent in the sediment. Chemical factors, such as sediment organic content, also appear to affect metal transport in the Genesee River.     

PEAK PERIOD DESIGN STANDARDS FOR SMALL WESTERN U.S. WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS1

ABSTRACT: In order to determine design capacities for various components of municipal and rural domestic water supply systems, engineers must estimate water requirements for an entire year (water rights), for the peak season (reservoir storage), for the peak day (pump or treatment plant size), and for peak hour (pipeline sizes). Historically, per capita water use rates have varied greatly between systems, particularly in semiarid regions where outdoor demands are large. The resulting uncertainty in design capacity estimates can cause either inadequate capacities or premature investment. In order to minimize that uncertainty multiple regression and frequency analyses were made of the various water demand parameters mentioned above for 14 systems in Utah and Colorado. Specifically, demand functions are reported for average month, peak month, and peak day. Peak hour demands were also studied but are reported in a different paper. The independent variables which were significant for monthly and daily demands were price of water and an outdoor use index which includes the effect of variation in landscaped area and accounts for use of supplementary ditch or pressure irrigation systems. The demand functions were developed with data from systems varying in size from very small low density rural systems to Salt Lake City's water system. The correlation coefficients (R²) vary from 0.80 to 0.95.     

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF STATISTICAL METHODS FOR WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING1

ABSTRACT: While the correlation coefficient and standard error of estimate are frequently used when comparing models of seasonal water yield, the following criteria may be more important in selecting one model from among several alternatives: rationality of the regression coefficients, the distribution of the residual errors, and the correctness of indicators of the relative importance of the predictor variables. These criteria were used to compare seasonal water yield models that were calibrated using multiple regression, stepwise regression, principal components regression, polynomial regression using a principal components rotation, and constrained pattern search. Hydrologic data from the Upper Sevier River basin in southern Utah were used to illustrate the comparative analysis process. The prediction equations used the April-July streamflow volume as the criterion variable.     

WATER RESOURCES OF MEXICO1

The aim of this paper, based fundamentally on the experiences and data obtained by staff members of the Secretaria de Recursos Hidráulicos, is to present a general view of the water resources of the Mexican territory. Unfortunately, there does not exist a rational and adequate distribution of those resources, due to a great number of factors, mainly natural, which we must control to attain a convenient rationalization to meet the requirements of a growing population and industry.     

1985-2005年中国城市水源地突发污染事件不完全统计分析

对1985-2005年中国城市水源地突发污染事件进行了统计分析,以从总体上揭示这些事件的发生规律及其对城市水源地和供水安全的危害.采用文献检索方法,通过对1985-2005年<中国环境报>、<人民日报>、新华网等报刊和网络的检索,从发生日期、地点、污染物种类、事件简况4个方面统计中国城市水源地突发污染事件,经整理和筛选后共列出102起.这些突发污染事件的分析结果表明:1)中国城市水源地突发污染事件总体上呈数量逐年增多,危害增大的趋势;2)化学品和污水是主要污染物;3)河道交通事故和工厂泄漏事故是主要风险源;4)突发污染事件一般都造成了比较严重的经济社会影响,但缺乏相应的应急管理机制和应急部门;5)3个典型突发污染事件造成重大经济社会损失并引发社会高度关注,凸现了构建中国城市水源地突发污染事件应急机制的重要性和迫切性.     

Spatial and temporal variability of water repellency in a sandy soil contaminated with tar oil and heavy metals

Water repellency can induce preferential flow and thus affect water flow and contaminant transport at hazardous waste sites. Since the spatial patterns of water repellency are mostly unknown, it is problematic to use numerical transport models to predict leachate composition. In this study, the spatial variability of soil water repellency was studied at an industrial site contaminated with tar oil, chromium, copper and arsenic. The persistence of water repellency was assessed by the water drop penetration time (WDPT), and the degree of water repellency was quantified by the ethanol percentage (EP) test. Measurements were made at the soil surface along 3.5-12.1 m long transects at different times between March and October 2002. The spatial variability of WDPT, EP, water content, and organic matter content was quantified by variogram analyses. Both the persistence and the degree of water repellency varied seasonally, with the highest water repellency during the summer months. The correlation lengths of WDPT values ranged between 16 and 406 cm, whereas EP values showed no spatial correlation. For field-moist samples, a critical soil water threshold, below which water repellency prevails, was estimated to be 2.5-4%. For oven dry samples, the WDPT values were dependent on the water content prior to drying. The wide range of correlation lengths and the temporal dynamics of spatial repellency patterns suggest that simulations of solute leaching must consider the spatial and temporal variability of soil hydrophobic properties.     

Risks posed by climate change to the delivery of Water Framework Directive objectives in the UK

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is novel because it integrates water quality, water resources, physical habitat and, to some extent, flooding for all surface and groundwaters and takes forward river basin management. However, the WFD does not explicitly mention risks posed by climate change to the achievement of its environmental objectives. This is despite the fact that the time scale for the implementation process and achieving particular objectives extends into the 2020s, when climate models project changes in average temperature and precipitation. This paper begins by reviewing the latest UK climate change scenarios and the wider policy and science context of the WFD. We then examine the potential risks of climate change to key phases of the River Basin Management Process that underpin the WFD (such as characterisation of river basins and their water bodies, risk assessments to identify pressures and impacts, programmes of measures (POMs) options appraisal, monitoring and modelling, policy and management activities). Despite these risks the WFD could link new policy and participative mechanisms (being established for the River Basin Management Plans) to the emerging framework of national and regional climate change adaptation policy. The risks are identified with a view to informing policy opportunities, objective setting, adaptation strategies and the research agenda. Key knowledge gaps have already been identified during the implementation of the WFD, such as the links between hydromorphology and ecosystem status, but the overarching importance of linking climate change to these considerations needs to be highlighted. The next generation of (probabilistic) climate change scenarios will present new opportunities and challenges for risk analysis and policy-making.     

某城市建筑泥浆污染现状调查研究

以某城市为例,研究城市建筑泥浆的污染现状,并分析泥浆受到污染的原因.结果表明:对照《地表水环境质量标准》(GB 3838-2002)中的Ⅳ类标准限值,调研的4个工地泥浆水全部超标;该城市地层土壤中的有机质、总氮、总磷含量高是泥浆水超标的重要原因,工地制浆使用的地表水和污水也不能满足Ⅳ类水质的要求.在建筑工地的管理中,应...     

建筑应急照明的设计与施工探讨

应急照明是现代建筑安全保障的重要设施之一,它同人身安全和建筑物安全紧密相关。根据建筑电气设计规范对应急照明的具体规定,对应急照明的设计要求做了进一步探讨和归纳总结,并结合具体问题对应急照明设置场所、供电时间、电源供电方式、控制方式、施工设计及设计要点等方面进行了阐述,对应急照明的设计和实践应用中出现的问题进行了分析,并提出了整改措施。     

Ammonium nitrate thermal decomposition with additives

Runaway reactions present a potentially serious threat to the chemical process industry and the community; such reactions occur time and time again often with devastating consequences. The main objective of this research is to study the root causes associated with ammonium nitrate (AN) explosions during storage. The research focuses on AN fertilizers and studies the effects of different types of fertilizer compatible additives on AN thermal decomposition. Reactive Systems Screening Tool (RSST) has been used for reactivity evaluation and to better understand the mechanisms that result in explosion hazards. The results obtained from this tool have been reported in terms of parameters such as “onset” temperature, rate of temperature and pressure rise and maximum temperature. The runaway behavior of AN has been studied as a solid and solution in water. The effect of additives such as sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) and potassium chloride (KCl) has also been studied. Multiple tests have been conducted to determine the characteristics of AN decomposition accurately. The results show that the presence of sodium sulfate can increase the “onset” temperature of AN decomposition thus acting as AN thermal decomposition inhibitor, while potassium chloride tends to decrease the “onset” temperature thus acting as AN thermal decomposition promoter.