Assessment of Environmental Water Demands (EWD) of Forests for Two Distinct Indian Ecosystems

Sustainable use of water and land resources requires that these scarce resources be appropriately allocated among various competing human activities. Worldwide, there is a realization now that sustainable river basin management should be accorded the highest priority, because it deals not only with technical, but also with ecological and socioeconomic aspects, and thus calls for a multidisciplinary and integrated approach. However, most of the policy and planning documents have either remained silent, or have made only implicit reference to the importance of environmental water demand (EWD) and its quantification. Therefore, in the light of its importance, a methodology has been evolved in this article for quantifying EWD for various forested areas in two distinctly different Indian river basins: Brahmani (humid zone) and Sabarmati (dry zone). The article analyzes and discusses EWD estimates at three different spatial levels: river basins, states, and districts within them, and finally presents a comparative analysis of all these results. Findings of the present study will be immensely useful in understanding various ecological issues connected with water resource projects and proposals in these river basins.     

Reducing groundwater pollution by toxic substances: Procedures and policies

One major source of water-related health problems is the improper disposal of toxic substances in the environment. Toxic materials leaching from unregulated and unlined pits, ponds, lagoons, and landfills have created a widespread environmental nightmare in the United States and many other parts of the world. At present, there are two major and interrelated components of this problem in the United States. The first is the issue of cleaning up abandoned disposal sites that pose actual or potential threats to water supplies. The second aspect of the problem concerns the necessity of siting proper management, treatment, or disposal facilities in the future. Priorities must be set to allow efficient, effective, and equitable allocation of the scarce resources that are available for accomplishing these tasks.This article examines a number of the issues involved in setting these priorities, and presents the results obtained from a study of risk estimation and evaluation in the context of groundwater contamination by toxic substances. The article introduces a new concept of risk estimation, which is shown to produce more accurate and credible risk analyses. Finally, the relationships between risk credibility and public perceptions of procedural fairness and equity are examined as these factors bear on the institutional aspects of implementing policies for site cleanup and/or facility siting.     

纹缟虾虎鱼对Cu~(2+)、Cd~(2+)和氨氮的毒性响应和敏感性分析

以纹缟虾虎鱼为受试生物,分别进行了Cu~(2+)、Cd~(2+)和氨氮为环境因子的急性毒性实验和氨氮慢性暴露实验,结合文献数据分析纹缟虾虎鱼对3种污染物的敏感性。结果表明,Cu~(2+)、Cd~(2+)和氨氮对纹缟虾虎鱼的EC50分别为4.527、40.408和63.182mg·L~(-1)。组织切片结果显示,氨氮暴露能够引起纹缟虾虎鱼肝组织结构退化,组织细胞畸变,其损伤程度随着氨氮浓度的升高而加剧。氨氮暴露对肠管未见明显影响。敏感性分析结果表明,纹缟虾虎鱼对Cu~(2+)、Cd~(2+)和氨氮的累积概率分别为83.33%、96.27%和90.48%,均表现为不敏感。在Cu~(2+)、Cd~(2+)和氨氮对海洋生物的敏感性排名中,纹缟虾虎鱼分别在第31/35、32/32和19/20位。在8~12种海洋鱼类中,纹缟虾虎鱼对上述3种污染物的敏感性都处在较低水平。     

生物电化学措施下SBBR中的亚硝酸盐累积性能及微生物学特征

针对常温下生活污水短程硝化难以实现且稳定性差的难题,探究了生物电化学措施对序批式生物膜反应器(SBBR)中NO₂⁻-N的累积性能及微生物学特征的影响。对SBBR施加生物电化学措施后,通过调控外加电极电势可实现其中电极氨氧化作用的发生及强化,且不同的外加阳极电势会显著影响系统中NH₄⁺-N的转化效果、氧化产物类型及菌群结构。随着外加阳极电势由0.00增至0.50 V,SBBR中电极氨氧化作用的强度逐步提高,系统的NH₄⁺-N氧化效率(AOE)与NO₂⁻-N累积效率(NiAE)分别增至(97.07±1.20)%和(92.79±2.12)%;当外加阳极电势≥0.80 V后,SBBR中NH₄⁺-N的氧化产物因工作电极上的析氧反应转而以NO₃⁻-N为主,电极氨氧化作用的强度因电势不断升高而受到抑制,系统的AOE随之恶化。将外加阳极电势恒定为0.50 V,生物电化学强化型SBBR在常温下处理生活污水时可取得理想的NH₄⁺-N转化效率(AOE=(99.33±0.11)%)与较高水平的亚硝酸盐累积量(NiAE=(88.08±2.07)%),此时系统中的电极氨氧化作用可得到较大程度的强化,其电活性生物膜中的优势菌属包括Nitrosomonas(33.54%)、Geobacter(15.24%)和Empodebacter(16.88%),三者在NH₄⁺-N厌氧氧化过程中起关键作用。     

Minimizing disruptions caused by damming and ensuring the health of downstream ecosystems

In view of the Brazilian Ten‐Year Energy Expansion Plan 2021, this article presents a discussion on environmental flow (e‐flow). The authors analyze the literature to show the evolution of publications concerning e‐flow releases from the perspective of ecosystems services preservation considering results from different case studies from throughout the world. Finally, two main recommendations are drawn regarding e‐flow are: (1) performing a holistic approach to e‐flow planning, including hydrological, hydraulic, water quality, habitat, and riparian zone considerations; and (2) installing in new structures adequate bottom outlets to allow a range of adjustable e‐flow from reservoir dams to reproduce natural flow variations.     

化工园区地下水环境状况调查监测布点研究

借鉴环境风险源目标管理的理念,按照“分区、分类、分级”监测的原则,建立了化工园区地下水环境状况调查监测布点方法体系,并以某化工园区为示例展开应用研究。结果显示,该方法能对化工园区不同区域、不同类型、不同级别的地下水污染源构建差异化监测网络,解决化工园区地下水污染多元化监测布点问题,可为化工园区地下水环境状况调查监测布点方案的拟定或优化调整提供工作参考。     

Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: Monitoring metal content and toxicity of soil runoff and groundwater

The aim of the present work is the assessment of metal toxicity in runoff, in their contaminated soils and in the groundwater sampled from two mining areas in the region of Marrakech using a microbial bioassay MetPLATE™. This bioassay is based on the specific inhibition of the β-galactosidase enzyme of a mutant strain of Escherichia coli, by the metallic pollutants. The stream waters from all sampling stations in the two mines were all very toxic and displayed percent enzyme inhibition exceeding 87% except SWA₄ and SWB₁ stations in mine C. Their high concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) confirm the acute toxicity shown by MetPLATE. The pH of stream waters from mine B and C varied between 2.1 and 6.2 and was probably responsible for metal mobilization, suggesting a problem of acid mine drainage in these mining areas. The bioassay MetPLATE™ was also applied to mine tailings and to soils contaminated by the acidic waters. The results show that the high toxicity of these soils and tailings was mainly due to the relatively concentration of soluble Zn and Cu. The use of MetPLATE™ in groundwater toxicity testing shows that, most of the samples exhibited low metal toxicity (2.7–45.5% inhibition) except GW3 of the mine B (95.3% inhibition during the wet season and 82.9% inhibition during the dry season). This high toxicity is attributed to the higher than usual concentrations of Cu (189 μg Cu l⁻¹) and Zn (1505 μg Zn l⁻¹). These results show the potential risk of the contamination of different ecosystems situated to the vicinity of these two metalliferous sites. The general trend observed was an increase in metal toxicity measured by the MetPLATE with increasing total and mobile metal concentrations in the studied matrices. Therefore, the MetPLATE bioassay is a reliable and fast bioassay to estimate the metals toxicity in the aquatic and solids samples.     

海河流域草地生态系统服务功能及其价值评估

草地生态系统为人类提供了畜产品和生命支持两个方面的多种服务功能,但人们常关注产品提供功能而忽视生命支持功能。研究采用联合国千年生态系统评估框架,构建了海河流域草地生态系统服务功能的评估指标体系,并以2005年为基准年,运用市场价值法、影子价格法等多种方法对海河流域草地生态系统进行经济价值评估。结果表明,海河流域草地面积为6.67×10¹⁰ m²,提供产品、固碳、保持土壤、净化环境等8项服务功能的总价值为2 216.28×10⁸元,单位面积价值为3.32元/(m²·a)。其中,提供产品的价值量最大,占总价值的31.3%,其次是固碳和营养物质保持功能的价值,分别占总价值的26.8%、22.2%。海河流域草地生态系统除了具有重要的产品提供功能外,固碳、营养物质保持等生命支持功能的巨大经济价值也不容忽视,平衡兼顾草地生态系统的产品提供功能和生命支持功能有助于促进海河流域经济社会发展与生态保护的协调。     

Electrogeneration of H(2) for Pd-catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol in groundwater

A novel electrolytic groundwater remediation process, which used the H₂ continuously generated at cathode to achieve in situ catalytic hydrodechlorination, was developed for the treatment of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in groundwater. Catalytic hydrodechlorination using Pd supported on bamboo charcoal and external H₂ showed that 2,4-DCP was completely dechlorinated to phenol within 30 min at pH ? 5.5. In a divided electrolytic system, the catalytic hydrodechlorination of 2,4-DCP in cathodic compartment by H₂ generated at the cathode under 20 and 50 mA reached 100% at 120 and 60 min, respectively. Two column experiments with influent pHs of 5.5 (unconditioned) and 2 were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of this process. The 2,4-DCP removal efficiencies were about 63% and nearly 100% at influent pHs of 5.5 and 2, respectively. Phenol was solely produced by 2,4-DCP hydrodechlorination, and was subsequently degraded at the anode. A low pH could enhance the hydrodechlorination, but was not necessarily required. This study provides the preliminary results of a novel effective electrolytic process for the remediation of groundwater contaminated by chlorinated aromatics.     

ECOSYSTEM DYNAMICS AND POLLUTION EFFECTS IN AN OZARK CAVE STREAM1

ABSTRACT: Subterranean ecosystems harbor globally rare fauna and important water resources, but ecological processes are poorly understood and are threatened by anthropogenic stresses. Ecosystem analyses were conducted from 1997 to 2000 in Cave Springs Cave, Arkansas, situated in a region of intensive land use, to determine the degree of habitat degradation and viability of endangered fauna. Organic matter budgeting quantified energy flux and documented the dominant input as dissolved organic matter and not gray bat guano (Myotis grisescens). Carbon/nitrogen stable isotope analyses described a trophic web of Ozark cavefish (Amblyopsis rosae) that primarily consumed cave isopods (Caecidotea stiladactyla), which in turn appeared to consume benthic matter originating from a complex mixture of soil, leaf litter, and anthropogenic wastes. Septic leachate, sewage sludge, and cow manure were suspected to augment the food web and were implicated in environmental degradation. Water, sediment, and animal tissue analyses detected excess nutrients, fecal bacteria, and toxic concentrations of metals. Community assemblage may have been altered: sensitive species‐grotto salamanders (Typhlotriton spelaeus) and stygobro‐mid amphipods—were not detected, while more resilient isopods flourished. Reduction of septic and agricultural waste inputs may be necessary to restore ecosystem dynamics in this cave ecosystem to its former undisturbed condition.