Mapping nitrate leaching to upper groundwater in the sandy regions of The Netherlands, using conceptual knowledge

The European Community asks its Member States to provide a comprehensive and coherent overview of their groundwater chemical status. It is stated that simple conceptual models are necessary to allow assessments of the risks of failing to meet quality objectives. In The Netherlands two monitoring networks (one for agriculture and one for nature) are operational, providing results which can be used for an overview. Two regression models, based upon simple conceptual models, link measured nitrate concentrations to data from remote sensing images of land use, national forest inventory, national cattle inventory, fertiliser use statistics, atmospheric N deposition, soil maps and weather monitoring. The models are used to draw a nitrate leaching map and to estimate the size of the area exceeding the EU limit value in the early 1990s. The 95% confidence interval for the fraction nature and agricultural areas where the EU limit value for nitrate (50 mg/l) was exceeded amounted to 0.77–0.85 while the lower 97.5% confidence limit for the fraction agricultural area where the EU limit value was exceeded amounted to 0.94. Although the two conceptual models can be regarded as simple, the use of the models to give an overview was experienced as complex.     

Heavy metal pollution in surface sediment and mussel samples in the Gulf of Gemlik

Different sources of pollution in Karasu Creek were investigated to obtain the water quality and ratio of contamination in this region. To achieve the main objectives of the present study, water samples were collected from Karasu Creek, starting from flow pattern at the upstream site of Akkaya Dam to the end of the dam, crossing the place where the Creek drains into. Dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, temperature and maximum/minimum pH were measured systematically for 12 months in the stations, where the water samples were collected. Chemical analyses of the water samples were carried out by using Cadas 50 S brand UV spectrometer to find out the Pb, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, S, F and Cn concentrations. These concentration were determined in μg/lt as 80–850; 180–4,920; 10–6,100; 440–25,530; 130–2,400; 120–280; 20–150; 214,250–1,113,580; 1,560–4,270 and 40–690, respectively. To determine metal levels of the water samples, multivariate analyses (element coefficient correlation, coefficient correlation dendrogram, hierarchical cluster analysis dendrogram, model summary and ANOVA) were used. The analyses yielded highly accurate results. There were positive correlations between some elements and their possible sources were the same. The stations which resembled each other along the creek were divided into three groups. The water quality of the creek was low and had toxic qualities. Eutrophication developed in Akkaya Dam along the creek. The source of pollution was thought to be industrial and residential wastes. Absolute (0–100 m), short distance (100–500 m) and medium distance (500–2,000 m) conservation areas should be determined in pollution areas along Karasu Creek and they should be improved.     

Application and evaluation of kriging and cokriging methods on groundwater depth mapping

Groundwater and water resources management play a key role in conserving the sustainable conditions in arid and semi-arid regions. Applying some techniques that can reveal the critical and hot conditions of water resources seem necessary. In this study, kriging and cokriging methods were evaluated for mapping the groundwater depth across a plain in which has experienced different climatic conditions (dry, wet, and normal) and consequently high variations in groundwater depth in a 12 year led in maximum, minimum, and mean depths. During this period groundwater depth has considerable fluctuations. Results obtained from geostatistical analysis showed that groundwater depth varies spatially in different climatic conditions. Furthermore, the calculated RMSE showed that cokriging approach was more accurate than kriging in mapping the groundwater depth though there was not a distinct difference. As a whole, kriging underestimated the real groundwater depth for dry, wet, and normal conditions by 5.5, 2.2, and 5.3%, while cokriging underestimations were 3.3, 2, and 2.2%, respectively; which showed the unbiasedness in estimations. Results implied that in the study area farming and cultivation in dry conditions needs more attention due to higher variability in groundwater depth in short distances compared to the other climate conditions. It is believed that geostatistical approaches are reliable tools for water resources managers and water authorities to allocate groundwater resources in different environmental conditions.     

Classification and mapping forest sites using geographic information system (GIS): a case study in Artvin Province

The productivity of forest sites has been indirectly determined with solo wood production objective in forest management. Forest site productivity should, however, be determined directly in order to implement ecosystem based multipurpose forest management philosophy. This article tackles the problem in distinguishing and mapping forest sites using both direct method and indirect method in Genya Mountain located in central of Artvin State Forest Enterprise. About 112 sample plots were designed and distributed over the area. In each sample plot, soil samples were collected and the classical timber inventory measurements were taken. According to direct method, Soil Moisture Regime (SMR) method is preferred due to a water deficiency in the study area. Water holding capacity was used as an essential criterion for the classification of the forest site. Forest site classifications were assigned regarding the physiographic factors such as landform, aspect, and slope. Five different forest sites classes; dry, moderate fresh, fresh, humid and hygric were determined. According to direct method, the guiding curve was used to generate anamorphic site index (SI) equations and three site index classes; good (SI=I–II), medium (SI=III) and low (SI=IV–V) were determined. Some important differences between the methods were realized. The forest sites determined with site index estimation method indicate that site index I and II is 505.99 ha, III 1095.79 ha and IV and V 992.95 ha, whereas forest sites determined with direct method related to dry site of 937.58 ha, moderate fresh site of 931.90 ha, fresh site of 1,797.71 ha, humid site of 80.48 ha and hygric site of 356.55 ha. The forest site maps of both methods were created using GIS functions. The forest sites of open and degraded areas should be determined according to direct method.     

张家口市洋河、桑干河流域水环境健康风险评价

张家口市洋河、桑干河流域近几年来水质持续改善,为逐步恢复流域水质和下游官厅水库饮用水备用水源功能提供了条件.文章利用水环境健康风险评价模型,选取了2006年该流域水质监测数据,对流域内10个监测断面由饮水途径引起的水环境健康风险进行了评价.结果表明,该流域水体对人体健康危害最大的是化学致癌物Cr(VI),在各个监测断面中Cr(VI)的个人年风险均超过ICRP推荐的标准.同时,化学致癌物对人体健康危害的个人年风险超过非致癌物的个人年风险;因此对该流域水体的含化学致癌物Cr(VI)和As废水进行控制和治理是降低水环境健康风险的有效途径.     

六道沟小流域主要灌木林地土壤干化研究

本文通过野外定位试验研究了黄土高原水蚀风蚀交错带典型区域陕西神木县六道沟小流域沙柳、柠条林地土壤水分状况。该区域主要灌木林地土壤水分亏缺严重。在沙柳林地，天然降水的补给深度约为0—100cm土层．土壤干层范围为0—480cm，在柠条林地，天然降水的补给深度约为0—200cm土层，土壤干层超过600cm，土壤质地、坡位等也影响灌木林地土壤干化层分布。     

安全工程专业部分课程内容的划分

鉴于国内安全工程专业教材内容、教学内容交叉严重的现状及其导致的教学组织困难等问题,笔者根据安全教育实践、安全管理实务的需要以及国内外的安全科学研究进展,对安全系统工程、安全评价、安全管理学、安全学原理、安全经济学、风险管理、安全法律法规等目前各高等学校安全工程专业普遍开设的专业课程的内容进行了划分.该划分的见解,可供国内安全工程专业的专业课程教学组织以及教学改革作为参考.     

消防工程专业本科课程体系的结构研究

在分析讨论国内外消防工程专业教育现状与课程体系研究进展的基础上,针对消防工程专业所涉及的学科领域,运用系统论的观点和方法,分析消防工程专业本科课程体系的结构层次特点。从课程体系的结构与功能的相互关系出发,按照培养目标、知识范围和应用领域的要求,构建出"课程体系→课程群→主干课程群→主干课程"的消防工程本科课程体系的结构模式,初步给出了课程群、主干课程群的结构与组成以及主干课程群的基本内容和教学要求。     

Flowrate targeting for threshold problems and plant-wide integration for water network synthesis

Water reuse/recycle has gained much attention in recent years for environmental sustainability reasons, as well as the rising costs of fresh water and effluent treatment. Process integration techniques for the synthesis of water network have been widely accepted as a promising tool to reduce fresh water and wastewater flowrates via in-plant water reuse/recycle. To date, the focus in this area has been on water network synthesis problems, with little attention dedicated to the rare but realistic cases of so-called threshold problems. In this work, targeting for threshold problems in a water network is addressed using the recently developed numerical tool of water cascade analysis (WCA). Targeting for plant-wide integration is then addressed. By sending water sources across different geographical zones in plant-wide integration, the overall fresh water and wastewater flowrates are reduced simultaneously.     

Performance Criteria, Compliance Success, and Vegetation Development in Compensatory Mitigation Wetlands

The US Army Corps of Engineers often requires wetland creation or restoration as compensation for wetlands damaged during development. These wetlands are typically monitored postconstruction to determine the level of compliance with respect to site-specific performance standards. However, defining appropriate goals and measuring success of restorations has proven difficult. We reviewed monitoring information for 76 wetlands constructed between 1992 and 2002 to summarize the performance criteria used to measure progress, assess compliance with those criteria, and, finally, to evaluate the appropriateness of those criteria. Goals were overwhelmingly focused on plant communities. Attributes used to assess the quality of restored plant communities, including percent native species and the Floristic Quality Index, increased over time but were apparently unrelated to the number of species planted. Compliance frequencies varied depending on site goals; sites often failed to comply with criteria related to survival of planted vegetation or requirements that dominant plant species should not be exotic or weedy, whereas criteria related to the establishment of cover by vegetation or by wetland-dependent plants were often met. Judgment of a site’s success or failure was largely a function of the goals set for the site. Some performance criteria were too lenient to be of value in distinguishing failed from successful sites, whereas other criteria were unachievable without more intensive site management. More appropriate goals could be devised for restored wetlands by basing performance standards on past performance of similar restorations, identifying consistent temporal trends in attributes of restored sites, and using natural wetlands as references.