Determining straining of Escherichia coli from breakthrough curves

Though coliform bacteria are used world wide as an indication of faecal pollution, the parameters determining the transport of Escherichia coli in aquifers are relatively unknown, especially for the period after the clean bed collision phase brought about by prolonged infiltration of waste water. In this research, the breakthrough curves of E. coli after total flushing of 50-200 pore volumes were studied for various influent concentrations in various sediments at different pore water flow velocities. The results indicated that straining in Dead End Pores (DEPs) was an important process that dominated bacteria breakthrough in fine-grained sediment (0.06-0.2 mm). The filling of the DEP space with bacteria took 5-65 pore volumes and was dependent on concentration. Column breakthrough curves were modelled and from this the DEP volumes were determined. These volumes (0.21-0.35% of total column volume) corresponded well with values calculated with a formula based on purely geometrical considerations and also with values calculated with a pore size density function. For this function the so-called Van Genuchten parameters of the sediments used in the experiments were determined. The results indicate that straining might be a dominant process affecting colloid transport in the natural environment and therefore it is concluded that proper knowledge of the pore size distribution is crucial to an understanding of the retention of bacteria.     

Numerical methods for improving sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation of virus transport simulated using sorptive-reactive processes

Using one- and two-dimensional homogeneous simulations, this paper addresses challenges associated with sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation for virus transport simulated using sorptive-reactive processes. Head, flow, and conservative- and virus-transport observations are considered. The paper examines the use of (1) observed-value weighting, (2) breakthrough-curve temporal moment observations, and (3) the significance of changes in the transport time-step size. The results suggest that (1) sensitivities using observed-value weighting are more susceptible to numerical solution variability, (2) temporal moments of the breakthrough curve are a more robust measure of sensitivity than individual conservative-transport observations, and (3) the transport-simulation time step size is more important than the inactivation rate in solution and about as important as at least two other parameters, reflecting the ease with which results can be influenced by numerical issues. The approach presented allows more accurate evaluation of the information provided by observations for estimation of parameters and generally improves the potential for reasonable parameter-estimation results.     

Long-range transport potential of semivolatile organic chemicals in coupled air-water systems

Ongoing deliberations on the regulation of semivolatile organic chemicals require the assessment of chemical transport in atmospheric and marine systems. The characteristic travel distance was proposed as a measure for the transport potential in air and water. However, the existing definition treats the transport processes separately. It is shown that combined transport in coupled air-ocean systems can accelerate the overall transport into remote regions. Concentration ratios in air and water change with distance from sources depending on the initial concentration ratio and on the difference between the transport velocities. A measure is suggested facilitating the chemical screening with respect to transport potentials in such air-ocean systems. A case study for alpha and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane shows that the suggested measure qualitatively reveals the transport potentials of these chemicals and exemplifies possible concentration patterns.     

Variable-density groundwater flow and solute transport in heterogeneous porous media: approaches, resolutions and future challenges

In certain hydrogeological situations, fluid density variations occur because of changes in the solute or colloidal concentration, temperature, and pressure of the groundwater. These include seawater intrusion, high-level radioactive waste disposal, groundwater contamination, and geothermal energy production. When the density of the invading fluid is greater than that of the ambient one, density-driven free convection can lead to transport of heat and solutes over larger spatial scales and significantly shorter time scales than compared with diffusion alone. Beginning with the work of Lord Rayleigh in 1916, thermal and solute instabilities in homogeneous media have been studied in detail for almost a century. Recently, these theoretical and experimental studies have been applied in the study of groundwater phenomena, where the assumptions of homogeneity and isotropy rarely, if ever, apply. The critical role that heterogeneity plays in the onset as well as the growth and/or decay of convective motion is discussed by way of a review of pertinent literature and numerical simulations performed using a variable-density flow and solute transport numerical code. Different styles of heterogeneity are considered and range from continuously "trending" heterogeneity (sinusoidal and stochastic permeability distributions) to discretely fractured geologic media. Results indicate that both the onset of instabilities and their subsequent growth and decay are intimately related to the structure and variance of the permeability field. While disordered heterogeneity tends to dissipate convection through dispersive mixing, an ordered heterogeneity (e.g., sets of vertical fractures) allows instabilities to propagate at modest combinations of fracture aperture and separation distances. Despite a clearer understanding of the processes that control the onset and propagation of instabilities, resultant plume patterns and their migration rates and pathways do not appear amenable to prediction at present. The classical Rayleigh number used to predict the occurrence of instabilities fails, in most cases, when heterogeneous conditions prevail. The incorporation of key characteristics of the heterogeneous permeability field into relevant stability criteria and numerical models remains a challenge for future research.     

Arsenic uptake and transport of Pteris vittata L.as influenced by phosphate and inorganic arsenic species under sand culture

In order to understand the similarity or difference of inorganic As species uptake and transport related to phosphorus in As-hyperaccumulator,uptake and transport of arsenate(As(V))and arsenite(As(III))were studied using Pteris vittata L.under sandculture.Higher concentrations of phosphate were found to inhibit accumulation of arsenate and arsenite in the fronds of P.vittata.The reduction in As accumulation was greater in old fronds than in young fronds,and relatively weak in root and rhizome.Moderateincreases,from 0.05 to 0.3 mmol/L,in phosphate reduced uptake of As(III)more than As(V),while the reverse was observed at highconcentrations of phosphate(1.0 mmol/L).Phosphate apparently reduced As transport and the proportion of As accumulated in frondsof P.vittata when As was supplied as As(V).It may in part be due to competition between phosphorus and As(V)during transport.Incontrast,phosphate had a much smaller effect on As transport when the As was supplied as As(III).Therefore,the results from presentexperiments indicates that a higher concentration of phosphate suppressed As accumulation and transport in P.vittata,especially inthe fronds,when exposed to As(V);but the suppression of phosphate to As transport may be insignificant when P.vittata exposed toAs(III)under sand culture conditions.The finding will help to understand the interaction of P and As during their uptake process in P.vittata.     

黄青线高、低凝点原油混输时出站油温的确定

黄青线输送的油品种类较多,既有高凝油也有低凝油,温度控制不当会出现"凝管"等事故,出站油温是保证管线安全运行的重要参数,文章结合黄青线油品输送进行了计算分析.     

纳污港湾污染物质的有限水体混合迁移模式——Ⅱ.厦门港Cu、Pb迁移模式探讨

本文在河口、港湾环境污染物质的单纯混合迁移模式的基础上,进一步讨论了厦门港Cu、Pb的迁移过程和特点,估算了Cu、Pb的输出输入通量,用模式计算了水体中的Cu、Pb分布。计算结果与现场调查值接近。计算结果表明,悬浮物对重金属的吸附迁移,特别是颗粒态有机物以及浮游生物对生物活性元素的作用,是影响重金属迁移的重要因素。     

利用TaPL3模型计算p,p''-DDTDDT在天津地区的长距离传输潜力

利用TaPL3(Version 3．00)模型计算了天津地区p，p’-DDT通过大气和水体的长距离传输潜力(LRTP)．通过灵敏度分析，确定了模型的关键参数．利用蒙特卡罗方法对模型结果进行了不确定性分析．结果表明，天津地区p，p’-DDT通过大气的LRlP为473～762km，均值为579km；通过水体的LRTP为940～10958km，均值为2254km．通过大气的LRTP的结果分布比通过水体的LRTP更集中．与国外同类结果比较，通过大气的LRTP略低，而通过水体的LRTP则明显偏低．     

地幔流体的迁移及影响因素

地幔交代作用实质上是地幔流体与围岩的作用结果 ,对地幔流体迁移方式的研究有助于对地幔交代现象的理解。地幔流体的迁移以平衡孔隙流动 (equilibrium porousflow)和扩散作用为主 ,本文探讨了其迁移的动力学过程 ,温度和压力是最重要的外界控制因素。     

Simulation study on vertical transport of atrazine in soil column

A simulation experiment on vertical transport of herbicide atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) in soil column was conducted using lysimeter system. The atrazine concentrations in leaching water and soil samples in column at 8 layers with 10 cm thick of each layer were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography. The results show total atrazine amount in leaching water increases nonlinearly with the leaching time and the herbicide application rate, and the atrazine concentrations in column soil decrease with the vertical depth after water leaching. The distribution of atrazine mass in the system after 154 days were that among the applied atrazine, 0.3 ％ is out through leaching water, 1％ is methanol extractable residues in soil, 46 ％ is methanol nonextractable residues in soil, and 52 ％ is other loss (including volatilization and degradation). The study indicates movement of atrazine in agriculture soil may not only have relation to the properties of herbicide, but also to the herbicide application history.