Landscape Planning for Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Reduction III: Assessing Phosphorus and Sediment Reduction Potential

Riparian buffers have the potential to improve stream water quality in agricultural landscapes. This potential may vary in response to landscape characteristics such as soils, topography, land use, and human activities, including legacies of historical land management. We built a predictive model to estimate the sediment and phosphorus load reduction that should be achievable following the implementation of riparian buffers; then we estimated load reduction potential for a set of 1598 watersheds (average 54 km²) in Wisconsin. Our results indicate that land cover is generally the most important driver of constituent loads in Wisconsin streams, but its influence varies among pollutants and according to the scale at which it is measured. Physiographic (drainage density) variation also influenced sediment and phosphorus loads. The effect of historical land use on present-day channel erosion and variation in soil texture are the most important sources of phosphorus and sediment that riparian buffers cannot attenuate. However, in most watersheds, a large proportion (approximately 70%) of these pollutants can be eliminated from streams with buffers. Cumulative frequency distributions of load reduction potential indicate that targeting pollution reduction in the highest 10% of Wisconsin watersheds would reduce total phosphorus and sediment loads in the entire state by approximately 20%. These results support our approach of geographically targeting nonpoint source pollution reduction at multiple scales, including the watershed scale.     

Heavy metal content and distribution in surface sediments of the Seyhan River, Turkey

Chemical fractionation of seven heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) was studied using a modified three-step sequential procedure to assess their impacts in the sediments of the Seyhan River, Turkey. Samples were collected from six representative stations in two campaigns in October 2009 and June 2010, which correspond to the wet and dry seasons, respectively. The total metal concentrations in the sediments demonstrated different distribution patterns at the various stations. Cadmium was the only metal that was below detection at all stations during both sampling periods. Metal fractionation showed that, except for Mn and Pb, the majority of metals were found in the residual fraction regardless of sampling time, indicating that these metals were strongly bound to the sediments. The potential mobility of the metals (non-residual fractions) is reflected in the following ranking: Pb > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr in October 2009 and Mn > Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr in June 2010. The second highest proportion of metals was bound to organic matter/sulfides, originating primarily from anthropogenic activities. Non-residual metal fractions for all stations were highest in June 2010, which may be linked to higher organic matter concentrations in the sediment samples with 1.40% and 15.1% in October 2009 and June 2010, respectively. Potential sediment toxicity was evaluated using the Risk Assessment Code (RAC). Based on RAC classification, Cd and Cr pose no risk, Cu and Ni pose low risk, Pb and Zn were classified as medium risk metals, while the environmental risk from Mn was high. In addition, based on the sediment quality guidelines (SQG), the Seyhan River can be classified as a river with no, to moderate, toxicological risks, based on total metal concentrations.     

平流式沉淀池流场的计算及探讨

计算了平流式沉淀池的流场，并和理想沉淀池关于速度分布假定进行了比较，指出关于理想沉淀池的速度假定并不一定十分符合实际，这可能是造成我国沉淀池处理效果不理想的重要因素。最后提出了一些合理的建议。     

Arsenic fractionation and contamination assessment in sediments of thirteen lakes from the East Plain and Yungui Plateau Ecoregions, China

Arsenic（As） fractions in the sediments of seven lakes from East Plain Ecoregion and six lakes from Yungui Plateau Ecoregion, China, were investigated. Results indicated that the total As concentrations in sediment samples of lakes of the East Plain Lake Ecoregion are higher than those of Yungui Plateau Lake Ecoregion. Residual As is the main fraction in sediment samples of lakes from both ecoregions, followed by reducible As and soluble or oxidizable As. The total As is correlated to oxidizable As and residual As in sediment samples from both lake ecoregions. As distribution in sediment samples of lakes of the East Plain Ecoregion appears to be affected by human activity, while the As origin mainly comes from natural sources in sediment samples of lakes in the Yungui Plateau Ecoregion. The potential ecological risk index and geoaccumulation index values suggest ＂low to moderate＂ risk degree and ＂unpolluted to moderately polluted＂ for As in the studied lake sediments.     

湖库底泥疏浚工程环评技术要点

底泥疏浚是治理污染水体的重要手段之一,通过对污染底泥的疏浚,可清除内污染源。作为环境治理工程,在水资源和水环境保护方面具有重要作用,但是工程实施过程中将不可避免地要产生一些污染物,同时也会造成水体水生生态系统的破坏。本文结合国内已完成的滇池、巢湖、太湖底泥疏浚工程的环境影响报告,对此类项目环境影响评价的技术要点进行探索和分析,为开展类似项目环评提供借鉴。     

松花江表层沉积物有毒重金属污染的潜在生物毒性风险评价

采用地累积指数模型(Igeo)及一致性沉积物质量基准(CBSQGs)对第二松花江、松花江干流以及4条代表性支流12个断面表层沉积物Hg、Cd、Cr、As和Pb 5种有毒重金属的污染特征及其潜在生物毒性风险进行深入探讨.研究结果表明:1松花江表层沉积物中5种重金属含量平均值由大到小顺序为CrPbAsCdHg;除Hg外,其余4种重金属均表现为一定的富集现象,但富集系数不超过1.2;2地累积指数表明松花江表层沉积物中5种有毒重金属污染较轻,基本属于无污染或无污染-轻污染状态,只有Cr和As在10号断面达到了轻污染程度;3重金属之间Pearson相关系数表明Cr和As(0.896)、Cr和Pb(0.708)呈极显著相关,As和Pb呈显著相关(0.639),揭示Cr、As和Pb极可能具有相似的来源;4各断面毒性单位和∑TUs1.8,不同重金属毒性效应顺序为CrCdPbAsHg.     

Assessing estrogenic activity in surface water and sediment of the Liao River system in northeast China using combined chemical and biological tools

This paper investigated some selected estrogenic compounds (4-t-octylphenol: 4-t-OP; 4-nonylphenols: 4-NP; bisphenol-A: BPA; diethylstilbestrol: DES; estrone: E1; 17β-estradiol: E2; 17α-Ethinylestradiol: EE2; triclosan: TCS) and estrogenicity in the Liao River system using the combined chemical and in vitro yeast screen bioassay and assessed their ecological risks to aquatic organisms. The estrogenic compounds 4-t-OP, 4-NP, BPA, E1, E2 and TCS were detected in most of the samples, with their concentrations up to 52.1 2065.7, 755.6, 55.8, 7.4 and 81.3 ng/L in water, and up to 8.6, 558.4, 33.8, 7.9, <LOQ and 33.9 ng/g in sediment, respectively. However, DES and EE2 were not detected in the Liao River. The estrogen equivalents (EEQ) of the water and sediment samples were also measured by the bioassay. High estrogenic risks to aquatic organisms were found in the river sections of metropolitan areas and the lower reach of the river system.     

Inconsistency and comprehensiveness of risk assessments for heavy metals in urban surface sediments

Numerous indices have been developed to assess environmental risk of heavy metals in surface sediments, including the total content based geoaccumulation index (I_geo), exchangeable fraction based risk assessment code (RAC), and biological toxicity test based sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). In this study, the three indices were applied to freshwater surface sediments from 10 sections along an urbanization gradient of the Grand Canal, China to assess the environmental risks of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr) and to understand discrepancies of risk assessment indices and urbanization effects regarding heavy metal contamination. Results showed that Cd, Zn, and Pb were the most enriched metals in urban sections assessed by I_geo and over 95% of the samples exceeded the Zn and Pb thresholds of the effect range low (ERL) of SQGs. According to RAC, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Cr had high risks of adversely affecting the water quality of the Grand Canal due to their remarkable portions of exchangeable fraction in surface sediment. However, Pb showed a relative low risk, and was largely bounded to Fe/Mn oxides in the urban surface sediments. Obviously, the three assessment indices were not consistent with each other in terms of predicting environmental risks attributed to heavy metals in the freshwater surface sediments of this study. It is recommended that risk assessment by SQGs should be revised according to availability and site specificity. However, the combination of the three indices gave us a comprehensive understanding of heavy metal risks in the urban surface sediments of the Grand Canal.     

Sediment-associated aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal British Columbia, Canada: concentrations, composition, and associated risks to protected sea otters

Sediment-associated hydrocarbons can pose a risk to wildlife that rely on benthic marine food webs. We measured hydrocarbons in sediments from the habitat of protected sea otters in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Alkane concentrations were dominated by higher odd-chain n-alkanes at all sites, indicating terrestrial plant inputs. While remote sites were dominated by petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), small harbour sites within sea otter habitat and sites from an urban reference area reflected weathered petroleum and biomass and fossil fuel combustion. The partitioning of hydrocarbons between sediments and adjacent food webs provides an important exposure route for sea otters, as they consume ∼25% of their body weight per day in benthic invertebrates. Thus, exceedences of PAH sediment quality guidelines designed to protect aquatic biota at 20% of the sites in sea otter habitat suggest that sea otters are vulnerable to hydrocarbon contamination even in the absence of catastrophic oil spills.     

A chemical and toxicological profile of Dutch North Sea surface sediments

Chemical and toxicological profiles were assessed in surface sediments (fraction <63 μm) from the southern North Sea. In extracts of freeze-dried samples, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), Irgarol 1051 and phthalate concentrations were below the respective detection limits (except di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, which was between 170 and 3300 μg kg⁻¹ dry weight (dw)). Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) concentrations were between 0.8 and 6.9 μg kg⁻¹ dw, with highest concentrations at river mouths. Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) concentrations were 0.4–0.6 μg kg⁻¹ dw, decabromodiphenylether (BDE209) 1–32 μg kg⁻¹ dw. The ratio BDE209/PCB153 was used as a tracer for recent emissions, and pointed towards a BDE209 source in the Western Scheldt’s upper estuary. PCBs and PAHs were between 0.19–4.7 and 2.6–200 μg kg⁻¹ dw respectively and generally had highest concentrations at near-shore locations and river mouths.

Responses in the Microtox broad-spectrum and the Mutatox genotoxicity assays were generally low, with near-shore locations giving higher responses. The umu-C genotoxicity and the ER-CALUX assay for estrogenicity showed no response, with the exception of one near-shore location (IJmuiden outer harbour, ER-CALUX).

Highest dioxin-like toxicity (DR-CALUX) was found at near-shore locations, in the outflow of the Rhine/Meuse estuary including a dumping site of harbour sludge. At the Oyster Grounds, DR-CALUX responses appeared to be linked to the occurrence of larger PAHs (4–6 rings). A new, non-destructive clean up procedure resulted in significantly higher DR-CALUX responses than the current protocol. The Dutch legislation on disposal of harbour sludge at sea, dictates the use of the conventional clean up procedure. Our results therefore indicate that probably more dioxin-like toxicity associated with harbour sludge is disposed off at sea than assumed.