Risk-Based Analysis of Environmental Monitoring Data: Application to Heavy Metals in North Carolina Surface Waters

The state of North Carolina's Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) conducts routine water quality monitoring throughout the state to assess the health of aquatic systems. The current study reports the results of a retrospective (1990–2000) ecological risk assessment of six heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc) in 17 North Carolina basins that was conducted to estimate the risk of heavy metal toxicity to freshwater organisms and assess the sufficiency of NCDENR's monitoring data to identify water-quality-related ecological threats. Acute and chronic ecotoxicological thresholds (ETs) were calculated for each metal based upon the 10th percentile of species sensitivity distributions and were normalized for water hardness. Statewide probabilities (expressed as percentages) of a random sample exceeding acute or chronic ETs among the six metals ranged from 0.01% to 12.19% and 0.76% to 21.21%, respectively, with copper having the highest and arsenic and mercury the lowest risk. Basin-specific probabilities varied significantly depending upon water hardness and presumably watershed development. Although the majority of specific sites where data were collected were at low risk for metal toxicity, some specific sites had a high probability of toxic events associated with one or more metals. Analytical detection limits for metals were frequently higher than estimated chronic ET, limiting the ability to assess the risk of chronic toxicity in soft-water basins. Results suggest risk-based criteria may be useful for assessing and validating the sufficiency of monitoring programs and prioritizing management goals.     

Plant Community Composition and Biomass in Gulf Coast Chenier Plain Marshes: Responses to Winter Burning and Structural Marsh Management

Many marshes in the Gulf Coast Chenier Plain, USA, are managed through a combination of fall or winter burning and structural marsh management (i.e., levees and water control structures; hereafter SMM). The goals of winter burning and SMM include improvement of waterfowl and furbearer habitat, maintenance of historic isohaline lines, and creation and maintenance of emergent wetlands. Although management practices are intended to influence the plant community, effects of these practices on primary productivity have not been investigated. Marsh processes, such as vertical accretion and nutrient cycles, which depend on primary productivity may be affected directly or indirectly by winter burning or SMM. We compared Chenier Plain plant community characteristics (species composition and above- and belowground biomass) in experimentally burned and unburned control plots within impounded and unimpounded marshes at 7 months (1996), 19 months (1997), and 31 months (1998) after burning. Burning and SMM did not affect number of plant species or species composition in our experiment. For all three years combined, burned plots had higher live above-ground biomass than did unburned plots. Total above-ground and dead above-ground biomasses were reduced in burned plots for two and three years, respectively, compared to those in unburned control plots. During all three years, belowground biomass was lower in impounded than in unimpounded marshes but did not differ between burn treatments. Our results clearly indicate that current marsh management practices influence marsh primary productivity and may impact other marsh processes, such as vertical accretion, that are dependent on organic matter accumulation and decay.     

A holistic evaluation of a typical coast nourishment on the Danish West Coast

The case described in this article regards 4.7 km of beach in Ferring, situated approx. 5 km south to the mouth of the Limfjord strait on the west coast of Denmark. In 2005, this section of the beach was nourished with 721,000 m³ of material in order to protect backshore properties, natural heritages and the recreational value of the beach. After the nourishment, the beach was monitored by levelling profiles on four dates to monitor and track the evolution of the nourished material. Furthermore, laboratory tests involving different gradations of nourishment material are shown which indicate solutions to different kinds of coastal protection strategies, estimate the time in between two nourishments and evaluate the cost of maintaining a beach with a high recreational value for the public.     

北运河下游流域典型设施农田非点源污染负荷定量化研究

为定量研究北运河下游流域设施农业非点源污染负荷情况,选择北辰双街大棚葡萄示范园为研究对象,通过对降雨径流污染负荷模型(SCS模型,USLE模型,吸附态N、P污染负荷模型以及溶解态N、P污染负荷模型)和灌溉污染负荷模型(改进的输出系数法模型)进行研究与修正,对径流和灌溉过程进行模拟分析,估算大棚种植区的污染负荷.结果显示,研究区雨季吸附态N、P输出负荷分别为40.98和1.42 kg·a-1,溶解态N、P输出负荷分别为628.77和4.57 kg· a-1,灌溉期TN、TP、NH4+-N和NO3--N输出负荷分别为182.15、2.56、60.49和62.82kg·a-1.示例验证表明所建模型具有较好的模拟效果,可进一步推广应用.     

沈北新区土壤中多环芳烃污染特征及源解析

采用均匀网格布点法采集沈阳市沈北新区不同土地利用类型101个表层(0~20 cm)土壤样品,开展土壤中美国环保署优先控制的16种多环芳烃(PAHs)的含量空间分布特征、成分谱分析和污染物来源解析研究.结果表明,沈北新区土壤中16种PAHs(ΣPAHs)总含量为123.7~932.5μg·kg~(-1);PAHs组分以3~4环的中、低环组分为主,其中3环PAHs比例最高;ΣPAHs的空间分布特征明显,呈现出由南向北、自东向西逐渐递减的趋势.在研究区域所涉及的5种土地利用类型土壤中,土壤ΣPAHs含量的高值主要集中在城区绿地和人工绿化林地,其次为设施菜地,水稻田和玉米田中ΣPAHs含量相对较低且无明显空间分布差异.利用特征比值分析和因子分析/多元线性回归分析进行土壤中PAHs的污染源解析,初步确定沈北新区表土中PAHs的主要污染源为燃烧源和石油源的混合源,其中,工业燃煤和机动车尾气是PAHs的主要污染源,其贡献率达79.6%,石油泄漏和焦炉排放贡献率约为16.2%,生物质燃料的燃烧贡献率占4.2%.     

华北平原地下水重金属山前至滨海空间分布特征与规律

结合华北平原水文地质条件,从山前至滨海选取"保定-沧州"、"石家庄-衡水-德州"两个剖面,通过野外采集地下水样品,分别测定了Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、As、Cr、Se等9种重金属元素含量及其他相关指标。结果表明,调查剖面地下水中出现Fe、Mn、Se、Cr超标现象,其中Fe超标严重。本文首次在区域尺度上对华北平原地下水重金属的空间分布进行了分析,分别阐述了两个剖面地下水重金属的横向与垂向分布特征。总体上,随着地下水埋藏深度的增加,重金属离子总量降低,尤其是对人体有害的重金属元素含量降低显著。通过回归分析对地下水中重金属空间变化规律进行了定量分析,其中Cd、As、Zn、Mn元素含量与空间变量呈现显著相关性。本研究结果可为华北平原地下水质量评价与防控提供一定的依据。     

2008~2011年夏季京津冀区域背景大气污染变化分析

2008～2011年夏季京津冀区域大气背景兴隆站大气污染观测结果表明,4 a夏季NOx的平均浓度分别为(9.1±5.1)、(5.9±2.6)、(12.2±4.6)、(14.1±5.0)μg·m-3,O3日小时最大浓度平均分别为(163.3±42.7)、(175.2±48.8)、(199.6±52.6)、(207.2±62.1)μg·m-3,PM2.5的平均浓度分别为(59.8±44.6)、(44.4±28.0)、(58.1±34.2)、(52.5±36.7)μg·m-3;其中,2010年污染物上升的幅度最大,NOx、O3、PM2.5平均浓度比2009年分别上升了106%、14%、31%.2010年京津冀地区机动车保有量的激增以及工业的快速发展,使得京津冀地区背景大气污染物浓度显著上升.区域大气氧化性同样显著升高,2010年Ox比2009年上升了20%,达到(155.3±40.2)μg·m-3,区域高浓度臭氧与高浓度细粒子大气复合污染正在进一步加剧.     

华北平原不同农田管理措施对于土壤碳库的影响

华北平原是我国重要的粮食生产基地,土壤碳氮水平直接作用于区域的土壤肥力和粮食生产.通过长期定位实验,研究了包括自然恢复(F)、清茬翻耕(N)、秸秆还田免耕(S)和秸秆还田翻耕(TS)这4个处理下土壤有机碳(SOC)、无机碳(SIC)、全碳(TS)、全氮(TN)含量和储量以及13C和15N分布状况.结果表明,与F相比,在0~20 cm土层,N、S和TS的土壤有机碳储量分别降低21.6%、12.3%和3.4%,土壤无机碳储量变化不显著.在20~40 cm土层,土壤有机碳储量变化不显著,而3个农田耕作处理的土壤无机碳储量较F分别增加4.1%(N)、7.3%(S)和5.0%(TS),无机碳增加主要是次生碳酸盐的贡献,农田土壤PIC增加了97%~261%.与自然恢复地相比,农田土壤表层δ15N、δ13CSIC、δ13CSOC偏高且δ13CSOC达显著差异,20~40 cm土层δ15N、δ13CSIC偏低而δ13CSOC偏高.该地区农田土壤中原生碳酸盐以分解作用为主,土壤-作物系统通过增加CO_2含量促进次生碳酸盐的形成,秸秆还田是恢复农田耕作引起土壤碳库储存下降的有效措施.对于华北平原,今后应加强关于秸秆还田和耕作措施对土壤有机碳和无机碳影响的综合研究,对于表层以下层次土壤的碳转化和变化规律需要更多的长期观测.     

Land Degradation Evaluation in North Hebei Province Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Land degradation is one of the serious environmental problems that can lead to poverty, and is especially prominent in eco-fragile areas in developing countries and increases the risk of environmental safety. North Hebei Province belongs to an ecologically fragile region in North China, which has great impact on the eco-safety of Beijing and Tianjin. Using Landsat TM data and GIS, this paper evaluates land degradation in North Hebei province of China from the the 1960＇s to 1987 and 2000. Land use/cover change pattern from 1987 to 2000, its regional difference and forest change characteristics will also be analyzed; soil erosion intensity and arable land suitability were also evaluated. Results revealed that land use/cover pattern in this study area did not change greatly from 1987 to 2000. The structure and function of regional land ecosystem was at a level of local improvement and integral deterioration. Land above medium soil erosion intensity reached 21 percent, which was also the area with a serious soil erosion and land degradation problem. Soil erosion and land degradation intensity of grassland was the biggest. For the present arable land, the proportion of high suitability was 13 percent.     

DROUGH TREND IN NORTH CHINA IN RECENT FIFTY YEARS

Inrecentseveralyears ,abnormaldroughtoccursinthepartnorthernofChina .Itex ertssomeinfluenceonChina’snationaleconomyandhasarousedwideattentionfromallwalksoflife .Muchresearchindrought wetindexhasbeendonebothathomeandabroad .Theresultcanbeclassifiedintotwocategories:first,droughtindexdirectlyisdefinedbyprecipitationorothermeteorologicalfactors;second ,droughtindexisidentifiedbycalculatinggainingandlos ingoflocalwaterinaccordancewithequationofwaterbalance ,andsomealsoconsidertheim pactofdrought…