Observations and modelling of thoron and its progeny in the soil-atmosphere-plant system

Samples of pasture vegetation, mainly Trifolium pratensis, were collected at the Botanic Garden of the University of Bologna during the period 1998-2000 and measured by gamma-spectrometry for determining thoron progeny. Concentrations of ²¹²Pb were between 1.5 and 20 Bq m⁻², with individual peaks up to 70 Bq m⁻². Soil samples were collected at the same location and physically characterised. Their chemical composition (particularly Th and U) was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Lead-212 on plants mainly originates from dry and wet deposition of this isotope generated in the lower atmosphere by the decay of its short-lived precursor ²²⁰Rn, which is produced in the upper soil layers as a member of the natural thorium decay chain and exhales into the atmosphere. Concentrations of ²²⁰Rn in the atmosphere depend on (1) the amount of Th present in soil, (2) the radon fraction which escapes from the soil minerals into the soil pore space, (3) its transport into the atmosphere, and (4) its redistribution within the atmosphere. The mobility of radon in soil pore space can vary by orders of magnitude depending on the soil water content, thus being the main factor for varying concentrations of ²²⁰Rn and ²¹²Pb in the atmosphere. We present a simple model to predict concentrations of thoron in air and its progeny deposited from the atmosphere, which takes into account varying soil moisture contents calculated by the OPUS code. Results of this model show close agreement with our observations.     

溪洛渡水电站雨水温度骤降分析与预报

对溪洛渡水电站坝址自动气象站进行了改造,在常规遥测雨量筒中加装了雨水温度传感器,得到了2010 - 2011年雨季地面雨水温度资料.在此基础上,对溪洛渡水电站大坝浇筑时碰到的降雨过程雨水温度骤降进行了分析及预报.结果如下:①2010-2011年溪洛渡水电站雨季降雨天气过程所引发的雨水温度骤降出现概率为37％,雨温骤降高值主要集中在7-8月;过程降雨量的大小并不能直接决定雨水降温的幅度,引起雨水温度骤降的因素较多.②利用90次降雨过程的历史数据建立了溪洛渡坝址站雨水温度变化最优子集回归方程,雨水温度骤降回代准确率为73％.该方程对雨水温度骤降的预报准确率达到75％,预报值与实测值的符号一致率达94.4％,表明该方程对溪洛渡坝址站雨水温度骤降预测效果较好.     

大渡河长河坝水电站区域泥石流特征及危险性评价

2009年7月23日,四川省甘孜州康定县舍联乡长河坝水电站施工区响水沟发生特大泥石流灾害,造成重大人员伤亡和财产损失。响水沟是大渡河上游段右岸一级支沟,近百年来泥石流活动不明显。由于之前近一个月的连续降雨,沟谷内的不稳定堆积物已基本处于饱水状态,当日的强降雨直接诱发了此次泥石流灾害。本文根据现场调查资料,就该沟泥石流的形成条件、灾害成因及特征进行分析,并应用灰色系统理论关联分析方法和沟谷泥石流危险度计算分析综合评价其危险性。结果表明,在极端气象条件下,响水沟仍有可能发生中等至大规模暴雨型粘性泥石流。     

Effect of incineration on the removal of key offensive odorants released from a landfill leachate treatment station (LLTS)

As a basic means to control odorants released from a landfill leachate treatment station (LLTS), effluents venting from this station were treated via incineration with methane rich landfill gas (at 750 °C). A list of the key offensive odorants covering 22 chemicals was measured by collecting those gas samples both before and after the treatment. Upon incineration, the concentration levels of most odorants decreased drastically below threshold levels. The sum of odorant intensities (SOIs), if compared between before and after incineration, decreased from 6.94 (intolerable level) to 3.45 (distinct level). The results indicate that the thermal incineration method can be used as a highly efficient tool to remove most common odorants (e.g., reduced sulfur species), while it is not so for certain volatile species (e.g., carbonyls, fatty acids, etc.).     

Using native epiphytic ferns to estimate the atmospheric mercury levels in a small-scale gold mining area of West Java, Indonesia

Mercury pollution is caused by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) operations along the Cikaniki River (West Java, Indonesia). The atmosphere is one of the primary media through which mercury can disperse. In this study, atmospheric mercury levels are estimated using the native epiphytic fern Asplenium nidus complex (A. nidus) as a biomonitor; these estimates shed light on the atmospheric dispersion of mercury released during mining.Samples were collected from 8 sites along the Cikaniki Basin during September-November, 2008 and September-November, 2009.The A. nidus fronds that were attached to tree trunks 1-3 m above the ground were collected and measured for total mercury concentration using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) after acid-digestion. The atmospheric mercury was collected using porous gold collectors, and the concentrations were determined using double-amalgam CVAAS.The highest atmospheric mercury concentration, 1.8 × 10³ ± 1.6 × 10³ ng m⁻³, was observed at the mining hot spot, and the lowest concentration of mercury, 5.6 ± 2.0 ng m⁻³, was observed at the remote site from the Cikaniki River in 2009. The mercury concentrations in A. nidus were higher at the mining village (5.4 × 10³ ± 1.6 × 10³ ng g⁻¹) than at the remote site (70 ± 30 ng g⁻¹). The distribution of mercury in A. nidus was similar to that in the atmosphere; a significant correlation was observed between the mercury concentrations in the air and in A. nidus (r = 0.895, P < 0.001, n = 14). The mercury levels in the atmosphere can be estimated from the mercury concentration in A. nidus using a regression equation: log (Hg_A.nidu/ng g⁻¹) = 0.740 log (Hg_Air/ng m⁻³) − 1.324.     

长江流域水电站施工区生活垃圾特性及处理处置决策模型研究

随着中国长江流域水电开发进入高峰期,大量的建设人员进入水电站施工营地,导致施工区的生活垃圾处理处置问题日益凸显。通过对金沙江HPS1水电站、雅砻江HPS2水电站和HPS3水电站、大渡河HPS4水电站施工区生活垃圾状况的调查表明,水电站施工生活区生活垃圾人均产量平均值约为0.68kg/d;以厨余、渣土、纸类塑料和橡胶为主,电池等危险废物含量甚微;容重、低位热值、生物可降解物质量分数的平均值分别为358kg/m3、5 234kJ/kg、43.22%。结合施工区所处的环境条件和周围的市政设施现状,采用层次分析法和最小成本法,构建了长江流域水电站施工区生活垃圾处理处置决策模型,可为大型水电站开发过程中施工区生活垃圾全过程管理提供指导。根据决策模型计算得出,HPS1、HPS2、HPS4水电站施工区生活垃圾最优处理处置技术为卫生填埋,HPS3水电站以外运综合处理最优。     

四川省农村空气自动站布点密度分析

建立起农村地区空气自动站布点分布的综合指标评价体系。以城市污染扩散效应、土地利用、人口和地面粗糙度4类指标作为评价因子,选取5个主要属性指标参数,采用指标属性值与整个研究区域此属性加权平均值组合频率的方式量化属性值,并利用层次分析法得出5个属性指标的权值分布,最终在arcgis平台下利用格栅计算工具得出综合量化值,从而直观描绘出农村空气自动站布点密度空间分布图。本研究以四川省遂宁地区为对象,分析出了综合影响指标分布情况,并初步确定了遂宁地区农村空气自动站布点的代表性区域划分和布置点位个数。     

移动通信基站景观影响评价方法与实践

为保护景区景观资源,降低对景观的影响,有必要开展风景区移动通信基站建设项目的景观影响评价。针对其建设特点,梳理了移动通信基站景观影响评价思路,探讨了评价方法。以南京玄武湖公园梁州基站为例,在景观敏感度和景观阚值评价的基础上,对3处基站拟建址的景观影响进行评价,给出评价结论和建议,对开展景观影响定量评价具有很好的参考价值。     

Consequence of altered nitrogen cycles in the coupled human and ecological system under changing climate: The need for long-term and site-based research

Anthropogenically derived nitrogen (N) has a central role in global environmental changes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, greenhouse gas emission, water pollution, as well as food production and human health. Current understanding of the biogeochemical processes that govern the N cycle in coupled human–ecological systems around the globe is drawn largely from the long-term ecological monitoring and experimental studies. Here, we review spatial and temporal patterns and trends in reactive N emissions, and the interactions between N and other important elements that dictate their delivery from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems, and the impacts of N on biodiversity and human society. Integrated international and long-term collaborative studies covering research gaps will reduce uncertainties and promote further understanding of the nitrogen cycle in various ecosystems.     

Atmospheric partitioning and the air–water exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a large shallow Chinese lake (Lake Chaohu)

The residual levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmosphere and in dissolved phase from Lake Chaohu were measured by (GC–MS). The composition and seasonal variation were investigated. The diffusive air–water exchange flux was estimated by a two-film model, and the uncertainty in the flux calculations and the sensitivity of the parameters were evaluated. The following results were obtained: (1) the average residual levels of all PAHs (PAH16) in the atmosphere from Lake Chaohu were 60.85 ± 46.17 ng m⁻³ in the gaseous phase and 14.32 ± 23.82 ng m⁻³ in the particulate phase. The dissolved PAH16 level was 173.46 ± 132.89 ng L⁻¹. (2) The seasonal variation of average PAH16 contents ranged from 43.09 ± 33.20 ng m⁻³ (summer) to 137.47 ± 41.69 ng m⁻³ (winter) in gaseous phase, from 6.62 ± 2.72 ng m⁻³ (summer) to 56.13 ± 22.99 ng m⁻³ (winter) in particulate phase, and 142.68 ± 74.68 ng L⁻¹ (winter) to 360.00 ± 176.60 ng L⁻¹ (summer) in water samples. Obvious seasonal trends of PAH16 concentrations were found in the atmosphere and water. The values of PAH16 for both the atmosphere and the water were significantly correlated with temperature. (3) The monthly diffusive air–water exchange flux of total PAH16 ranged from −1.77 × 10⁴ ng m⁻² d⁻¹ to 1.11 × 10⁵ ng m⁻² d⁻¹, with an average value of 3.45 × 10⁴ ng m⁻² d⁻¹. (4) The results of a Monte Carlo simulation showed that the monthly average PAH fluxes ranged from −3.4 × 10³ ng m⁻² d⁻¹ to 1.6 × 10⁴ ng m⁻² d⁻¹ throughout the year, and the uncertainties for individual PAHs were compared. (5) According to the sensitivity analysis, the concentrations of dissolved and gaseous phase PAHs were the two most important factors affecting the results of the flux calculations.