Development and Testing of a Physically Based Model of Streambank Erosion for Coupling with a Basin‐Scale Hydrologic Model SWAT

A comprehensive streambank erosion model based on excess shear stress has been developed and incorporated in the hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). It takes into account processes such as weathering, vegetative cover, and channel meanders to adjust critical and effective stresses while estimating bank erosion. The streambank erosion model was tested for performance in the Cedar Creek watershed in north‐central Texas where streambank erosion rates are high. A Rapid Geomorphic field assessment (RAP‐M) of the Cedar Creek watershed was done adopting techniques developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the stream segments were categorized into various severity classes. Based on the RAP‐M field assessment, erosion pin sites were established at seven locations within the severely eroding streambanks of the watershed. A Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to assess the sensitivity of different parameters that control streambank erosion such as critical shear stress, erodibility, weathering depth, and weathering duration. The sensitive parameters were adjusted and the model was calibrated based on the bank erosion severity category identified by the RAP‐M field assessment. The average observed erosion rates were in the range 25‐367 mm year^?1. The SWAT model was able to reasonably predict the bank erosion rates within the range of variability observed in the field (R² = 0.90; E = 0.78). Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

Gaseous mercury emissions from unsterilized and sterilized soils: The effect of temperature and UV radiation

Mercury (Hg) emissions from the soils taken from two different sites (deciduous and coniferous forests) in the Adirondacks were measured in outdoor and laboratory experiments. Some of the soil samples were irradiated to eliminate biological activity. The result from the outdoor measurements with different soils suggests the Hg emission from the soils is partly limited by fallen leaves covering the soils which helps maintain relatively high soil moisture and limits the amount of heat and solar radiation reaching the soil surface. In laboratory experiments exposure to UV-A (365 nm) had no significant effect on the Hg emissions while the Hg emissions increased dramatically during exposure to UV-B (302 nm) light suggesting UV-B directly reduced soil-associated Hg. Overall these results indicate that for these soils biotic processes have a relatively constant and smaller influence on the Hg emission from the soil than the more variable abiotic processes.     

The formation and fate of chlorinated organic substances in temperate and boreal forest soils

Background, aim and scope  Chlorine is an abundant element, commonly occurring in nature either as chloride ions or as chlorinated organic compounds (OCls). Chlorinated organic substances were long considered purely anthropogenic products; however, they are, in addition, a commonly occurring and important part of natural ecosystems. Formation of OCls may affect the degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) and thus the carbon cycle with implications for the ability of forest soils to sequester carbon, whilst the occurrence of potentially toxic OCls in groundwater aquifers is of concern with regard to water quality. It is thus important to understand the biogeochemical cycle of chlorine, both inorganic and organic, to get information about the relevant processes in the forest ecosystem and the effects on these from human activities, including forestry practices. A survey is given of processes in the soil of temperate and boreal forests, predominantly in Europe, including the participation of chlorine, and gaps in knowledge and the need for further work are discussed. Results  Chlorine is present as chloride ion and/or OCls in all compartments of temperate and boreal forest ecosystems. It contributes to the degradation of SOM, thus also affecting carbon sequestration in the forest soil. The most important source of chloride to coastal forest ecosystems is sea salt deposition, and volcanoes and coal burning can also be important sources. Locally, de-icing salt can be an important chloride input near major roads. In addition, anthropogenic sources of OCls are manifold. However, results also indicate the formation of chlorinated organics by microorganisms as an important source, together with natural abiotic formation. In fact, the soil pool of OCls seems to be a result of the balance between chlorination and degradation processes. Ecologically, organochlorines may function as antibiotics, signal substances and energy equivalents, in descending order of significance. Forest management practices can affect the chlorine cycle, although little is at present known about how. Discussion  The present data on the apparently considerable size of the pool of OCls indicate its importance for the functioning of the forest soil system and its stability, but factors controlling their formation, degradation and transport are not clearly understood. It would be useful to estimate the significance and rates of key processes to be able to judge the importance of OCls in SOM and litter degradation. Effects of forest management processes affecting SOM and chloride deposition are likely to affect OCls as well. Further standardisation and harmonisation of sampling and analytical procedures is necessary. Conclusions and perspectives  More work is necessary in order to understand and, if necessary, develop strategies for mitigating the environmental impact of OCls in temperate and boreal forest soils. This includes both intensified research, especially to understand the key processes of formation and degradation of chlorinated compounds, and monitoring of the substances in question in forest ecosystems. It is also important to understand the effect of various forest management techniques on OCls, as management can be used to produce desired effects.     

Inexact rough-interval two-stage stochastic programming for conjunctive water allocation problems

An inexact rough-interval two-stage stochastic programming (IRTSP) method is developed for conjunctive water allocation problems. Rough intervals (RIs), as a particular case of rough sets, are introduced into the modeling framework to tackle dual-layer information provided by decision makers. Through embeding upper and lower approximation intervals, rough intervals are capable of reflecting complex parameters with the most reliable and possible variation ranges being identified. An interactive solution method is also derived. A conjunctive water-allocation system is then structured for characterizing the proposed model. Solutions indicate a detailed optimal allocation scheme with a rough-interval form; a total of [[1048.83, 2078.29]:[1482.26, 2020.60]] would be obtained under the pre-regulated inputs. Comparisons of the proposed model to a conventional and an interval two-stage stochastic programming model are also conducted. The results indicate that the optimal objective function values of TSP and ITSP always fall into the range of , while they are sometimes out of the range of ; the optimal solutions of decision variables also present this feature. This implies the reliability of IRTSP in handling conjunctive water allocation problems.     

Review of pollutants removed by electrocoagulation and electrocoagulation/flotation processes

The word “electrocoagulation” (EC) will be sometimes used with “electroflotation” (EF) and can be considered as the electrocoagulation/flotation (ECF) process. Through the process of electrolysis, coagulating agents such as metal hydroxides are produced. When aluminium electrodes are used, the aluminium dissolves at the anode and hydrogen gas is released at the cathode. The coagulating agent combines with the pollutants to form large size flocs. As the bubbles rise to the top of the tank they adhere to particles suspended in the water and float them to the surface. In fact, a conceptual framework of the overall ECF process is linked to coagulant generation, pollutant aggregation, and pollutant removal by flotation and settling when it has been applied efficiently to various water and wastewater treatment processes. This review paper considers a significant number of common applications of EC and ECF processes which have been published in journal and conference papers.     

城市土地生态适宜性分区划分研究

在新型城镇化与生态文明建设背景下,城市发展迫切需要合理布局以实现城市土地的节约集约利用,降低城市化过程中因建设用地肆意蔓延所导致的土地资源浪费与生态环境破坏影响。以常州市武进区为例,采用地形地貌、生态环境、交通设施、建设密度4类因子建立景观过程阻力赋值体系,结合GIS空间分析技术,以垂直生态过程的多因素多因子综合判别得到的生态保护用地扩张和城镇用地扩张阻力基面为基础,再以描述水平生态过程的最小累积阻力模型计算两种扩张过程的最小累积阻力值,并依据二者的最小累积阻力差值表面,从空间上将武进区划分为4个等级的城市土地生态适宜性分区,分别为优先建设区118.39 km²、适宜建设区233.60 km²、生态缓冲区777.91 km²、生态控制区115.90 km²,明确指出了各分区的空间布局,提出了相应的发展建议,以期为武进区未来城市发展提供科学合理的空间布局参考。同时考虑了垂直生态过程和水平生态过程,一定程度上弥补了传统方法只从景观单元垂直过程研究的不足之处,为生态适宜性分区划分的方法研究提供了有益的尝试和补充。     

环境评价Petri网理论可移植性的方法学研究

从复杂系统、开放式巨系统仿真的角度分析,环境影响评价工程分析项目的系统属性为离散事件动态系统,而污染物的产生、排放过程属于随机过程,所以,需要采用复杂系统分析的方法对现有的环评工程分析理论进行改进。Petri网理论是分析离散事件动态系统的方法之一,其特点也非常适合对现今的环评工程分析方法进行改进。将Petri网的基础理论与环评理论相融合,使Petri网理论拥有了系统的环评学释义,进而为将Petri网理论引入环评科学开辟了道路。     

Laboratory-scale study of the suppression of PCDD/F emission during coal and MSW co-incineration

The experimental test of co-incinerating Chinese raw municipal solid waste （MSW） and coal in a laboratory-scale tubular reactor was first reported in present study, and the emission of normal gas components and the effects of the S/Cl molar ratio or coal mixing percentages on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans （PCDDs/Fs） emission were investigated and discussed. The results indicated that OCDD was the only PCDD homologues since others like TCDD-HpCDD was hardly detected, while as the categories of PCDF homologues were comparatively much more general. The amount of PCDD was much larger than that of PCDF in all operating conditions. Since ZPCDF/∑PCDD〈〈1, the dominant role of the precursor formation was proven in our experimental conductions. With increasing the coal addition to MSW （from 0 to 16%）, PCDD and PCDF were reduced considerably. Coal and MSW may suppress the PCDD/F emissions efficiently （over 95%） during the MSW incineration process. The PCDD/F suppression results of the present study could be helpful guidance to the industrial application of Chinese MSW and auxiliary coal co-incineration processes. The PCDD/F stack emission data of two industrial incinerators using co-incineration technology in China seem to have a great positive reduction of PCDDs/Fs.     

臭氧高级氧化法处理化工废水的进展研究

单独臭氧氧化降解化工废水的效率较低,为提高降解效率,研究者们开发了O3/UV、O3/H2O2、O3催化氧化等组合工艺,不仅能够对难降解有机物进行降解,而且最终生成无害的氧气.关于O3/UV、O3/H2O2、O3催化氧化这三种臭氧高级氧化法处理化工废水的协同机理及一些研究进展取得了一定成效,分别阐述了研究者们对各方法一些应用研究,对臭氧高级氧化在化工废水处理领域的应用前景进行了概述.     

Effect of carbon source and nitrate concentration on denitrifying phosphorus removal by DPB sludge

Effect of added carbon source and nitrate concentration on the denitrifying phosphorus removal by DPB sludge was systematically studied using batch experiments, at the same time the variation of ORP was investigated.Results showed that the denitrifying and phosphorus uptake rate in anoxic phase increased with the high initial anaerobic carbon source addition. However once the initial COD concentration reached a certain level, which was in excess to the PHB saturation of poly-P bacteria, residual COD carried over to anoxic phase inhibited the subsequent denitrifying phosphorus uptake. Simultaneously, phosphate uptake continued until all nitrate was removed, following a slow endogenous release of phosphate. High nitrate concentration in anoxic phase increased the initial denitrffying phosphorus rate. Once the nitrate was exhausted, phosphate uptake changed to release. Moreover, the time of this turning point occurred later with the higher nitrate addition. On the other hand, through on-line monitoring the variation of the ORP with different initial COD concentration, it was found ORP could be used as a control parameter for phosphorus release, but it is impossible to utilize ORP for controlling the denitrificaion and anoxic phosphorus uptake operations.