Geographic Variability in Radon Exhalation at a Rehabilitated Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory, Australia

In this study, dry season radon flux densities and radon fluxes have been determined at the rehabilitated Nabarlek uranium mine in northern Australia using conventional charcoal canisters. Environmental background levels amounted to 31± 15 milli Becquerel per m² per second (mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). Radon flux densities within the fenced rehabilitated mine area showed large variations with a maximum of 6500 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹ at an area south of the former pit characterised by a disequilibrium between ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁸U. Radon flux densities were also high above the areas of the former pit (mean 971 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹) and waste rock dump (mean 335 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). The lower limit for the total pre-mining radon flux from the fenced area (140 ha) was estimated to 214 kBq s⁻¹, post-mining radon flux amounted to 174 kBq s⁻¹.Our study highlights that the results of radon flux studies are vitally dependant on the selection of individual survey points. We suggest the use of a randomised system for both the selection of survey points and the placement of charcoal canisters at each survey point, to avoid over estimation of radon flux densities. It is also important to emphasize the significance of having reliable pre-mining radiological data available to assess the success of rehabilitation of a uranium mine site.2006 Springer. The Australian Government's right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Evaluation of Carbon Uptake and Emissions by Forests in Korea During the Last Thirty Years (1973–2002)

The contribution of Korean forests to carbon sequestration for anthropogenic carbon emissions was evaluated. In addition, monitoring of carbon species released from forest fires was conducted. Despite a high carbon uptake by Korean forests, a tremendous increase in fossil fuel burning resulted in a small contribution by forests to carbon removal. The removal efficiency had a 5–31% range with an average of 12% during the period 1973–2002. In 2000, the amount of carbon released from burned trees corresponded to 1.6% of carbon uptake by forests. The distribution of surface CO concentration (ppb) derived from MOPITT (Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere) showed high CO levels over the East/Japan Sea on April 10, 2000 when the largest forest fires occurred along the east coast of Korea. Trajectory analysis and ground CO measurements also indicated that CO levels over the East/Japan Sea were influenced by forest fires. This study suggests that continuous monitoring of carbon emissions from forest fires is needed for a more reliable estimate of carbon flux in the environment.     

Distribution of radionuclides in the guano sediments of Xisha Islands, South China Sea and its implication

Several natural and anthropogenic radionuclides (²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra and ¹³⁷Cs) in guano-phosphatic coral sediments and pure guano particles collected from Ganquan, Guangjin, Jinqing and Jinyin Islands of the Xisha archipelago, South China Sea, were analyzed. The Constant Initial Concentration (CIC) model and the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model were applied for age calculation. The average supply rate of ²¹⁰Pb was 126 Bq m⁻² a⁻¹, very close to the flux of northern hemisphere average (125 Bq m⁻² a⁻¹). The activities of anthropogenic radionuclides in the sediments were very low, indicating that human nuclear tests did not notably impact this region. The main source of radionuclides in the sediments was from atmospheric precipitation, and the organic matter derived from plant and produced by nutrient-rich guano could further enhance them.     

Inverse modeling of Asian Rn flux using surface air Rn concentration

When used with an atmospheric transport model, the ²²²Rn flux distribution estimated in our previous study using soil transport theory caused underestimation of atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations as compared with measurements in East Asia. In this study, we applied a Bayesian synthesis inverse method to produce revised estimates of the annual ²²²Rn flux density in Asia by using atmospheric ²²²Rn concentrations measured at seven sites in East Asia. The Bayesian synthesis inverse method requires a prior estimate of the flux distribution and its uncertainties. The atmospheric transport model MM5/HIRAT and our previous estimate of the ²²²Rn flux distribution as the prior value were used to generate new flux estimates for the eastern half of the Eurasian continent dividing into 10 regions.The ²²²Rn flux densities estimated using the Bayesian inversion technique were generally higher than the prior flux densities. The area-weighted average ²²²Rn flux density for Asia was estimated to be 33.0 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹, which is substantially higher than the prior value (16.7 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). The estimated ²²²Rn flux densities decrease with increasing latitude as follows: Southeast Asia (36.7 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹); East Asia (28.6 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹) including China, Korean Peninsula and Japan; and Siberia (14.1 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). Increase of the newly estimated fluxes in Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the southern part of Eastern Siberia from the prior ones contributed most significantly to improved agreement of the model-calculated concentrations with the atmospheric measurements. The sensitivity analysis of prior flux errors and effects of locally exhaled ²²²Rn showed that the estimated fluxes in Northern and Central China, Korea, Japan, and the southern part of Eastern Siberia were robust, but that in Central Asia had a large uncertainty.     

Combining sap flow and eddy covariance approaches to derive stomatal and non-stomatal O3 fluxes in a forest stand

Stomatal O₃ fluxes to a mixed beech/spruce stand (Fagus sylvatica/Picea abies) in Central Europe were determined using two different approaches. The sap flow technique yielded the tree-level transpiration, whereas the eddy covariance method provided the stand-level evapotranspiration. Both data were then converted into stomatal ozone fluxes, exemplifying this novel concept for July 2007. Sap flow-based stomatal O₃ flux was 33% of the total O₃ flux, whereas derivation from evapotranspiration rates in combination with the Penman-Monteith algorithm amounted to 47%. In addition to this proportional difference, the sap flow-based assessment yielded lower levels of stomatal O₃ flux and reflected stomatal regulation rather than O₃ exposure, paralleling the daily courses of canopy conductance for water vapor and eddy covariance-based total stand-level O₃ flux. The demonstrated combination of sap flow and eddy covariance approaches supports the development of O₃ risk assessment in forests from O₃ exposure towards flux-based concepts.     

南通地区冰后期泥沙沉积量和环境变化的初步研究

南通地区位于长江三角洲北翼,其冰后期的环境变化以最大海侵时期为界,之前为海侵期,表现为海水入侵,陆地面积减少。之后海面趋于稳定,长江泥沙在河口地区持续沉积的作用下,表现为南通地区的逐渐成陆过程。利用收集的84个分布于南通地区及附近的钻孔剖面资料,将其按不同厚度的沉积相进行整理,结合前人研究成果,根据不同的数据基础运用IDW（Inverse Distance Weighted）插值对南通地区冰后期沉积厚度分布和环境变化过程分别进行了初步研究。结果表明：南通地区古河谷区是冰后期主要的泥沙沉积区,沉积物厚度、体积和重量大于北翼地区,北翼前缘沉积要大于后缘。冰后期古河谷区沉积泥沙4 8922×108 t,北翼地区沉积泥沙1 0453×108 t,二者之比约为47〖DK〗∶10,泥沙沉积强度之比约2〖DK〗∶1。从冰后期海侵初期到最大海侵时期,再到南通成陆的晚期,南通地区水域面积比例先由622%上升到95%,再缩减到331%,陆地面积比例先由378%缩减到5%,而后又上升至669%。尽管钻孔资料可以为南通地区有历史记载之前的时期提供宏观的环境变化框架,但由于钻孔资料在测年数据及沉积相的划分方面分辨率较低,在表现南通地区历史时期的环境变化方面存在不足,需要结合考古、文物等历史资料和土壤分布等自然地理信息进行更为详细的研究     

三峡库区香溪河流域非点源营养盐输出变化的试验研究

综合三峡库区香溪河流域土地利用结构和水系特点,在三大支流出口处设置常规水质监测断面,于干流响滩处设置水文控制断面,通过断面水质水量监测,利用数字滤波法解析径流多源和污染多源,研究上游来流点源和非点源营养盐输出负荷变化。结果表明：受农业非点源污染影响,TN是高岚河（0788 mg/L）＞古夫河（0712 mg/L）＞南阳河（0567 mg/L）;南阳河受磷矿企业点源输入的影响,TP是南阳河（0323 mg/L）＞高岚河（0074 mg/L）＞古夫河（0053 mg/L）;断面流量与降雨量的相关系数〖WTBX〗R〖WTBZ〗2=0720 2;TN和TP非点源年负荷输出分别占总量的61%和40%的, 20100607次降雨径流监测分析发现此次降雨汇流期间营养盐TN和TP输出的非点源贡献率分别达752%和709%;营养盐负荷主要受径流量影响,TN和TP输出负荷与流量的相关系数分别是0963 6和0978 9     

Simulated management effects on ammonia emissions from field applied manure

A need exists to improve the utilization of manure nutrients by minimizing NH₃ emissions from land application of manure. Management strategies to reduce NH₃ emissions are available; however, few have been validated under Canadian conditions. A well tested and accurate simulation model, however, can help overcome this challenge by determining appropriate management strategies for a given set of field conditions.     

Processes affecting the movement of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) between soil and air in an industrial site in Turkey

Soil and atmospheric concentrations, dry deposition and soil-air gas exchange of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were investigated at an industrial site in Aliaga, Izmir, Turkey. Current-use pesticides, endosulfan and chlorpyrifos, had the highest atmospheric levels in summer and winter. Summertime total (gas + particle) OCP concentrations in air were higher, probably due to increased volatilization at higher temperatures and seasonal local/regional applications of current-use pesticides. Particle deposition fluxes were generally higher in summer than in winter. Overall average dry particle deposition velocity for all the OCPs was 4.9 ± 4.1 cm s⁻¹ (average ± SD). ΣDDXs (sum of p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDD, and p,p′-DDE) were the most abundant OCPs in Aliaga soils (n = 48), probably due to their heavy historical use and persistence. Calculated fugacity ratios and average net gas fluxes across the soil-air interface indicated volatilization for α-CHL, γ-CHL, heptachlorepoxide, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, and p,p′-DDT in summer, and for α-CHL, γ-CHL, trans-nonachlor, endosulfan sulfate, and p,p′-DDT in winter. For the remaining OCPs, soil acted as a sink during both seasons. Comparison of the determined fluxes showed that dry particle, gas-phase, and wet deposition are significant OCP input mechanisms to the soil in the study area.     

Influence of temporally variable groundwater flow conditions on point measurements and contaminant mass flux estimations

Monitoring of contaminant concentrations, e.g., for the estimation of mass discharge or contaminant degradation rates, often is based on point measurements at observation wells. In addition to the problem, that point measurements may not be spatially representative, a further complication may arise due to the temporal dynamics of groundwater flow, which may cause a concentration measurement to be not temporally representative. This paper presents results from a numerical modeling study focusing on temporal variations of the groundwater flow direction. “Measurements” are obtained from point information representing observation wells installed along control planes using different well frequencies and configurations. Results of the scenario simulations show that temporally variable flow conditions can lead to significant temporal fluctuations of the concentration and thus are a substantial source of uncertainty for point measurements. Temporal variation of point concentration measurements may be as high as the average concentration determined, especially near the plume fringe, even when assuming a homogeneous distribution of the hydraulic conductivity. If a heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity field is present, the concentration variability due to a fluctuating groundwater flow direction varies significantly within the control plane and between the different realizations. Determination of contaminant mass fluxes is also influenced by the temporal variability of the concentration measurement, especially for large spacings of the observation wells. Passive dosimeter sampling is found to be appropriate for evaluating the stationarity of contaminant plumes as well as for estimating average concentrations over time when the plume has fully developed. Representative sampling has to be performed over several periods of groundwater flow fluctuation. For the determination of mass fluxes at heterogeneous sites, however, local fluxes, which may vary considerably along a control plane, have to be accounted for. Here, dosimeter sampling in combination with time integrated local water flux measurements can improve mass flux estimates under dynamic flow conditions.