Application of the benthic index of biotic integrity to environmental monitoring in Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) was developed to assess benthic community health and environmental quality in Chesapeake Bay. The B-IBI provides Chesapeake Bay monitoring programs with a uniform tool with which to characterize bay-wide benthic community condition and assess the health of the Bay. A probability-based design permits unbiased annual estimates of areal degradation within the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries with quantifiable precision. However, of greatest interest to managers is the identification of problem areas most in need of restoration. Here we apply the B-IBI to benthic data collected in the Bay since 1994 to assess benthic community degradation by Chesapeake Bay Program segment and water depth. We used a new B-IBI classification system that improves the reliability of the estimates of degradation. Estimates were produced for 67 Chesapeake Bay Program segments. Greatest degradation was found in areas that are known to experience hypoxia or show toxic contamination, such as the mesohaline portion of the Potomac River, the Patapsco River, and the Maryland mainstem. Logistic regression models revealed increased probability of degraded benthos with depth for the lower Potomac River, Patapsco River, Nanticoke River, lower York River, and the Maryland mainstem. Our assessment of degradation by segment and water depth provided greater resolution of relative condition than previously available, and helped define the extent of degradation in Chesapeake Bay.     

Seasonal characteristics of haze observed by continuous visibility monitoring in the urban atmosphere of Kwangju, Korea

Continuous visibility monitoring has been carried out inKwangju, Korea since May 1999. The total light extinctioncoefficient b _ext measured by a transmissometer andreveals seasonal trends in urban visual air quality,especially under hazy conditions with a visual range of lessthan 15 km. Seasonal atmospheric visibility under lowrelative humidity during the winter was observed to be betterthan during any other seasons. Summertime visibility wasseverely degraded due to highly increased light scattering byhygroscopic particles under high humidity atmosphericconditions. Visibility during spring and fall was alsomoderate. However, yellow sand in spring caused the lowestvisibility conditions over the measurement area for a fewdays. With continuous monitoring using the transmissometer,the daily average seasonal visual range was measured to be13.1, 9.2, 11.0, and 13.9 km in spring, summer, falland winter, respectively. Under the atmospheric humiditycondition less than 60%, visual range was observed tobe 16.1, 13.9, 15.1, and 16.6 km in spring, summer,fall, and winter, respectively. The mean light extinctionbudget by sulfate and nitrate aerosols was determined to bethe highest value of 63.71% during the summer and thelowest value of 27.08% during spring. During the `yellow sand dust' period, a mean light extinction budget by soil particles was estimated to be at an unusually high value of 44.22%.     

Assessment of the Heavy Metal Pollution Effects on the Soil Respiration in the Baix Llobregat (Catalonia, NE Spain)

A main goal of investigations is to determine could a soilrespiration be an indicator of the soil pollution. In this case a measured levelof the soil oxygen consumption depends of its pollution. It alsomeans that the pollution reduces biological processes in edaphon.Investigated soil samples were taken from polluted andnon-polluted places in the Baix Llobregat near Barcelona (Catalonia, NE Spain). Soil samples were taken from the top ofsoil (0–5 cm) without a litter. Soil analysis were done, determining percentage shares of coarsefragments, coarse sand, fine sand, coarse silt, fine silt, clay,CaCO₃, organic matter as well as water pH and conductivityCE (1:5 [mS cm^-1]). Also were determined (in mg kg^-1)quantities of heavy metals, as Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Cr, Ni, V, Cu, Cd, Pb.The soil respiration was investigated in temperatures15 and 30 °C and with controlled humidity.The respiration in 30 °C is number of times greater thenin 15 °C both for polluted and non-polluted soils.Particularly high coefficients of correlation between the soilrespiration and soil pollution in polluted soils were obtainedfor Pb: r = 0.75 in 15 °C and r = 0.98 in30 °C; for Ba: 0.90 and 0.57; for V: 0.99 and 0.81. In non-polluted soils highest correlation coefficients are for Pb: r = 0.70 in 15 °C; Fe: 0.60 and 0.72; Al: 0.68 and0.64; Mn: 0.51 and 0.66; Ba: 0.63 and 0.61; Cr: 0.94 and0.70; Ni: 0.64 and 0.65; Cu: 0.69 and 0.48; as well as V: 0.62in 15 °C; and Cd: 0.69 in 15 °C.This way the soil respiration could be a good indicator of the soil pollution.     

Kinetics of photoelectrocatalytic degradation of humic acid using B_2O_3·TiO_2/Ti photoelectrode

IntroductionEightypercentoforganicsubstancesinthesourcewaterisfromcrudehumicacidthatisacrudeorganiccompoundcreatedbyrottinganddecomposinginnaturalcycle ,thehighercontentofhumicacidis ,theworsequalityofthewateris,notonlycanitcausechrominance,offensiveodor,…     

Assessment of China's economic loss resulting from the degradation of agricultural land in the end of 20th century

Land degradation is a consequence stemming from both natural processes and social economic activities. On the bases of analyzing general situation of agricultural land degradation in China, the monetary estimating methods such as market value method and shadow engineering method were used to quantitatively assess the economic loss resulting from land deterioration. Results showed that the economic loss in 1999 was 326.8l billion RMB Yuan, which accounted for 4.1% of GDP in the same year of China. If taking five items namely farmland conversion, soil erosion, salinization, decline in reservoir functions, and siltation in waterways and, comparing with that in 1992, the percentage of economic loss to GDP has increased by 1.5 in the only 7 years.     

猪场粪便微生物处理技术研究

猪场粪便是重要污染源，但又是一类尚未充分利用的资源。采用生态工程与资源化综合技术处理猪场粪便，固态粪经堆肥发酵后转化成优质有机肥，粪水经厌氧产沼、光合细菌液肥化、水生植物氧化塘多级处理和资源化利用，出水可达排放标准，为猪场粪便的处置提供了一种可供选用的技术。     

高级氧化技术机理及在水处理中的应用进展

综述了近年来发展迅速的高级氧化技术，主要包括Fenton法、臭氧氧化法、湿式氧化技术、超临界水氧化法、纳米光催化氧化法电化学催化降解法及超声降解法等。介绍了各种高级氧化技术的基本原理及在废水处理中的应用进展，并对其特点进行了评述。     

生物质气化洗焦废水的预处理和微生物降解

为了对生物质气化洗焦废水进行深度处理,达到废水排放标准,采用物理过滤和微生物降解相结合的方法,对洗焦废水的原液进行处理。实验结果表明,用木屑、颗粒活性碳、微生物降解的连续步骤处理生物质气化洗焦废水,可达到理想的生物质气化洗焦废水COD的去除效果。     

Al_2O_3光催化降解染料性能研究

液相加热法制备了Al2O3作为光催化剂,研究了不同光源、光照时间、催化剂用量和溶液酸度等条件对常见有机染料光催化降解性能影响。结果表明,用太阳光作为光源照射3h,50mL染料溶液中加入Al2O3 30mg,溶液pH8～10,孔雀石绿,酚藏花红,甲基紫等染料脱色率达93%以上。将使用过的Al2O3经过简单处理,孔雀石绿溶液脱色率仍达到94.1%,催化性能稳定,可以重复利用。通过紫外可见光谱分析,表明染料分子在催化剂和光照条件下发生了降解。     

治理催化超临界水氧化处理1,5-萘二磺酸

采用Mn2O3γAl2O3和V2O5γAl2O3为催化剂,在一连续流固定床反应器中进行了超临界水氧化1,5萘二磺酸实验。实验结果表明,在380～440℃,24MPa条件下,Mn2O3γAl2O3和V2O5γAl2O3催化剂对1,5萘二磺酸的氧化降解具有显著的促进作用,TOC去除率达到90%以上;催化剂的催化效果随反应温度的升高而增强,随pH值的降低而增强,随停留时间的延长先增强后趋于平缓。