The role of personal experience in frequency of rainwater tank maintenance and policy implications

Domestic rainwater tanks have a long history in Australia, although more recently they have been common only in remote and rural areas. However, in some urban areas, recent drought conditions have led to the promotion of rainwater tanks to supplement domestic water supplies. Evidence suggests that water tank maintenance may be insufficient in many cases, leading to problems with water quality and the potential spread of vector-borne disease. Drawing on research into the impact of personal experience (i.e. procedural knowledge) relating to pro-environmental behaviour, a survey of urban residents with mandated rainwater tanks (N?=?746) was conducted. The study assessed whether past personal history of living with a tank influenced the frequency of tank maintenance behaviours. Analyses indicated that both childhood and prior adult experience with rainwater tanks were important in predicting adequate tank maintenance behaviour, particularly among males. The results also showed that attitudinal perceptions of water culture did not influence maintenance behaviour, whereas direct past experiences did, suggesting an important role for procedural knowledge. These results are discussed with reference to the promotion of tank maintenance and other pro-environmental behaviours through the development of future environmental policies designed to foster the development of pro-environmental skills to empower citizens.     

模拟生态种植槽对雨水径流的净化

为减少环湖公路路面径流对洱海水质的影响,该研究选用土壤、锯末、沙子、砾石分层装填的生态型的路面径流收集、净化和输送系统-生态种植槽(其中混合填料层锯末与沙子的配比设置3种比例1∶3、1∶4、1∶5),研究该装置对模拟雨水的净化效果,并寻求最佳填充方式.结果表明,3组种植槽适合植物移栽、自然挂膜、低污染负荷启动方式;能稳定有效地去除COD、SS.运行期COD的平均出水水质优于地表水Ⅴ类水质,SS的平均去除率均高于80％.不同混合填料比种植槽对污水中COD的净化效果从高到低排序依次为:1∶5(锯末∶沙子)＞1∶4(锯末∶沙子)＞1∶3(锯末∶沙子),方差分析显示,3组种植槽系统间COD、SS去除率无差异(P＞0.05),考虑到锯末∶沙子为1∶5时的渗透效果差,故推荐锯末∶沙子为1∶4的种植槽供后续示范工程选用.     

Use pattern of pesticides and their predicted mobility into shallow groundwater and surface water bodies of paddy lands in Mahaweli river basin in Sri Lanka

Pesticides applied on agricultural lands reach groundwater by leaching, and move to offsite water bodies by direct runoff, erosion and spray drift. Therefore, an assessment of the mobility of pesticides in water resources is important to safeguard such resources. Mobility of pesticides on agricultural lands of Mahaweli river basin in Sri Lanka has not been reported to date. In this context, the mobility potential of 32 pesticides on surface water and groundwater was assessed by widely used pesticide risk indicators, such as Attenuation Factor (AF) index and the Pesticide Impact Rating Index (PIRI) with some modifications. Four surface water bodies having greater than 20% land use of the catchment under agriculture, and shallow groundwater table at 3.0 m depth were selected for the risk assessment. According to AF, carbofuran, quinclorac and thiamethoxam are three most leachable pesticides having AF values 1.44 × 10^?2, 1.87 × 10^?3 and 5.70 × 10^?4, respectively. Using PIRI, offsite movement of pesticides by direct runoff was found to be greater than with the erosion of soil particles for the study area. Carbofuran and quinclorac are most mobile pesticides by direct runoff with runoff fractions of 0.01 and 0.08, respectively, at the studied area. Thiamethoxam and novaluron are the most mobile pesticides by erosion with erosion factions of 1.02 × 10^?4 and 1.05 × 10^?4, respectively. Expected pesticide residue levels in both surface and groundwater were predicted to remain below the USEPA health advisory levels, except for carbofuran, indicating that pesticide pollution is unlikely to exceed the available health guidelines in the Mahaweli river basin in Sri Lanka.     

Cultivated land – a scarce commodity in a densely populated rural area in South Wollo,Ethiopia

Cultivated and settlement areas were studied in a small area (14 km2) in South Wollo, Ethiopia, by aerial photos, satellite images, field observations and interviews. Areas for cultivation/rural settlement decreased a few per cent between 1958 and 2013. Cultivated land per household slowly decreased in 1958–2003 but in 2003–2013 the annual decrease was 3–4 times higher. New farm buildings are often built on cultivated land, and abandoned buildings areas return to cultivation. Rainwater harvesting ponds have increased the areas with perennial crops that are important as a source of income. Tin roofed buildings are signs of improved livelihood. Very small farm size and rain-dependent agriculture combined with climate variability make food security vulnerable. Land-use inventories including remote sensing and local knowledge would be a valuable approach to assess livelihood needs. Further, it should involve decision makers at different levels, but local agricultural extension officers may play a central role.     

Annual Estimates of Recharge,Quick‐Flow Runoff,and Evapotranspiration for the Contiguous U.S. Using Empirical Regression Equations

This study presents new data‐driven, annual estimates of the division of precipitation into the recharge, quick‐flow runoff, and evapotranspiration (ET) water budget components for 2000‐2013 for the contiguous United States (CONUS). The algorithms used to produce these maps ensure water budget consistency over this broad spatial scale, with contributions from precipitation influx attributed to each component at 800 m resolution. The quick‐flow runoff estimates for the contribution to the rapidly varying portion of the hydrograph are produced using data from 1,434 gaged watersheds, and depend on precipitation, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, and surficial geology type. Evapotranspiration estimates are produced from a regression using water balance data from 679 gaged watersheds and depend on land cover, temperature, and precipitation. The quick‐flow and ET estimates are combined to calculate recharge as the remainder of precipitation. The ET and recharge estimates are checked against independent field data, and the results show good agreement. Comparisons of recharge estimates with groundwater extraction data show that in 15% of the country, groundwater is being extracted at rates higher than the local recharge. These maps of the internally consistent water budget components of recharge, quick‐flow runoff, and ET, being derived from and tested against data, are expected to provide reliable first‐order estimates of these quantities across the CONUS, even where field measurements are sparse.     

Application of encapsulation (pH-sensitive polymer and phosphate buffer macrocapsules): a novel approach to remediation of acidic ground water

Macrocapsules, composed of a pH-sensitive polymer and phosphate buffer, offer a novel remediation alternative for acidic ground waters. To test their potential effectiveness, laboratory experiments were carried out followed by a field trial within a coal pile runoff (CPR) acidic contaminant plume. Results of traditional limestone and macrocapsule treatments were compared in both laboratory and field experiments. Macrocapsules were more effective than limestone as a passive treatment for raising pH in well water from 2.5 to 6 in both laboratory and field experiments. The limestone treatments had limited impact on pH, only increasing pH as high as 3.3, and armoring by iron was evident in the field trial. Aluminum, iron and sulfate concentrations remained relatively constant throughout the experiments, but phosphate increased (0.15-32 mg/L), indicating macrocapsule release. This research confirmed that macrocapsules may be an effective alternative to limestone to treat highly acidic ground water.     

Mitigation of two pyrethroid insecticides in a Mississippi Delta constructed wetland

Constructed wetlands are a suggested best management practice to help mitigate agricultural runoff before entering receiving aquatic ecosystems. A constructed wetland system (180 m × 30 m), comprising a sediment retention basin and two treatment cells, was used to determine the fate and transport of simulated runoff containing the pyrethroid insecticides lambda-cyhalothrin and cyfluthrin, as well as suspended sediment. Wetland water, sediment, and plant samples were collected spatially and temporally over 55 d. Results showed 49 and 76% of the study's measured lambda-cyhalothrin and cyfluthrin masses were associated with vegetation, respectively. Based on conservative effects concentrations for invertebrates and regression analyses of maximum observed wetland aqueous concentrations, a wetland length of 215 m × 30 m width would be required to adequately mitigate 1% pesticide runoff from a 14 ha contributing area. Results of this experiment can be used to model future design specifications for constructed wetland mitigation of pyrethroid insecticides.     

近四十年来长江源区河流水沙量的变化

长江源区是指直门达水文站以上长江干支流的广大集水区域，是长江的重要水源涵养区。通过统计分析直门达站1957－1999年的43a间年径流量和年输沙量的变化情况，得出几个基本结论：长江源区年径流的变化主要受气候等自然因素的影响，年径流周期性变化较为明显，径流丰水年，偏丰水年出现最多的年份是20世纪60年代和80年代，枯水年和偏枯年出现最多的年份是70和90年代，总体上看40年间节径流基本稳定，但90年代比80年代有趋向偏枯的现象；年输沙量与年径流量的变化基本同步，年输沙量的变化主要取决于年径流量的变化，年输沙量也呈弱周期性变化状态，并有趋向减少的势头，近10a直门达站年径流量呈递减的趋势导致了年输沙量呈相应的变化；长江源区径流量和输沙量年内主要集中在5－10月，分别占年径流量和年输沙量的87．3％和99％；沱沱河由于径流以冰川补给为主，径流量与输沙量的变化呈现出不同的特征。     

Study on Management and Control of Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Surface Runoff

Urbanization is the dominant form of land-use change in terms of impacts on water quality, hydrology, physical properties of watersheds and their nonpoint source （NPS） pollution po-tential at present. Urbanization has changed the source, process and sink of urban NPS pollution, especially raised the pollution load of urban runoff NPS in receiving water. Urban runoff pollution is a hot spot of research on NPS. This paper analyzed type, source and harm of the NPS pollutants of urban runoff and its influence on the receiving water. Through estimating NPS pollution load of urban runoff and summarizing the law and characteristics of urban runoff NPS systemically, study on management and control of urban runoff NPS pollution was focused on the application of BMPs （best management practices）. It is a fresh methodology that management and control on NPS pollution from urban surface runoff was analyzed by methods of landscape ecology, environmental economics and environmental management. The paper provided a scientific reference for mitigating urban water environment pressure and an effective method for management and control of NPS pollution from urban surface runoff.     

重庆市汞污染的观测研究

为研究重庆市区汞污染状况,2004年9~11月,同步观测了重庆市近郊铁山坪小流域（TSP）和观音桥(GYQ)两个区域的全沉降、穿透水、地表径流和土壤中的总汞含量,估算了小流域中汞的输入输出通量,分析了城区和郊区的大气汞沉降和分布特征。结果表明,重庆已在一定程度上受到汞污染。在TSP,湿沉降是汞输入的主要方式,也就是说,在TSP,细颗粒是大气汞的主要来源,表层土则是大气汞的一个主要的汇。GYQ区域的汞污染比TSP相对严重。在GYQ,除了湿沉降以外,干沉降是汞来源的重要形式,表明在GYQ,粗颗粒可能对大气汞有很大的贡献。因此,本地源的排放对城区的影响比对郊区的影响大,尤其是城区火电站附近的土壤样品比郊区土壤的汞含量高很多,说明火电站是大气汞的重要来源之一。