Multiple-proxy lacustrine record of moisture transport over western North America from 24,000 to 12,000 YBP, Lake Estancia, New Mexico [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Pluvial Lake Estancia in central New Mexico experienced large and rapid fluctuations in surface area and elevation during the build-up to and termination of the last glacial maximum (LGM). Due to continuous groundwater discharge, a minimum pool covering about 400 square kilometers was maintained in the central basin until about 12,000 years ago, ensuring a continuous depositional sequence even during low stands of the lake. ... The sensitive response to fluctuations in climate by several independent proxies at Estancia show that transport of Pacific moisture over western North America changed dramatically during the last Ice Age, perhaps comparable to the large and rapid changes in climate documented from high-latitude ice and North Atlantic marine sediments for the LCM and its transitions.

塔里木河下游植被和景观格局变化及其驱动力分析

利用RS和GIS手段相结合的方法研究了塔里木河下游的植被和景观变化，并分析了由于历史时期塔里木河水流量的变化而导致的地下水位变化、环境因子和人类活动对植被及景观格局的影响。 对环境因子与植被覆盖变化关系的分析结果发现： ⑴在1987年至2004年占研究区总面积26％的景观发生变化；而植被和水体的变化最大；植被的变化中荒漠化和转化为农田是其主要的变化类型。1987年至2004年，仅有占总面积39％的植被没有发生变化，而发生荒漠化和盐碱化的植被仅有少数能够恢复。 ⑵在选取的环境因子中，植被缀块的起始NDVI和植被缀块距河道的距离对植被变化的影响最大，其次为海拔、坡度、缀块形状和缀块距离居民点的距离；而坡向和缀块面积与植被变化的关系较小。发生荒漠化的植被缀块距离河道较远且自身的NDVI较低，表明这些植被缀块的变化主要是受到水资源的限制；而转化为农田的植被缀块自身的NDVI较高且距河道较近，表明人类的开垦活动主要在植被生长较好的地区进行。研究期间内能够保持的植被距河道较近且NDVI较低，这与能够保留的植被主要是较稀疏的胡杨林有关。 ⑶植被缀块距河道的距离在1987年至1999年间与植被的变化显著相关，而在1999年至2004年相关不显著，这表明影响植被变化的影响环境因子随时间变化。 ⑷虽然所选取的环境因子对植被变化的解释力偏低，但在某些时间段对植被变化的解释力可以达到40％。如果增加环境因子，使用梯度分析的方法可以较好的解释环境及其它因子对植被变化的影响。 对地下水位变化对植被及景观时空格局变化的研究结果发现： ⑴在地下水水位剧烈下降的1986年至1999年，植被面积减少30％，距离河道最近的区域减少最多，植被占总面积的比例和植被的减少随距离河道距离的增加而减小；平均NDVI降低；荒漠面积增加4.8％，年均增加1338公顷；盐碱地面积增加。由于生态应急输水工程的实施，1999年至2004年期间沿塔里木河道地下水位回升，植被面积增加48％，距离河道最近的区域面积增加最明显，植被面积增加的增幅随距离河道距离的增加而减小；荒漠面积减少8.3％，年均减少6280公顷；平均NDVI升高；荒漠面积减少；盐碱地面积在某些区段增加，某些区段减少。 ⑵1986年至1999年胡杨林、柽柳灌丛和盐生草甸缀块密度增加，植被趋于破碎化；总体上胡杨林、柽柳灌丛和盐生草甸的缀块形状变得规则，而盐生草甸在某些区段趋于不规则；景观的聚集度在河道左侧增加而右侧减小；景观多样性和均匀性均下降。1999年至2004年，总体上胡杨林、柽柳灌丛和盐生草甸的缀块密度减小，植被趋于整合；胡杨林、柽柳灌丛和盐生草甸缀块形状变得不规则，但盐生草甸在某些区段变得相对规则；景观聚集度指数变化没有明显的规律；景观多样性和均匀性均增加。 ⑶除植被占总面积的比例在沿河道由上段到中断到下段方向上呈现减少的趋势，其它植被及景观特性在沿河道纵向上变化规律不明显；而在沿河道垂直方向上，植被及景观特性的变化表现出与距离河道的距离相关，表明该地区的植被及景观特性是受到地下水控制的。 ⑷在塔里木河实施的生态应急输水工程对当地植被的恢复起到了一定的作用，但主要局限在沿河道附近的区域。对于干旱区植物的保护，合理使用径流水资源，保证水资源的供应畅通是更好和更长远的发展策略。 对人类活动对景观的影响的研究发现： ⑴1987年至1999年，农田面积增加4240公顷，年均增加353公顷；植被面积减少4884公顷，年均减少407公顷。1999年至2004年，农田面积增加4568公顷，年均增加913公顷；植被面积减少8487公顷，年均减少1697公顷，远大于农田面积的增加。 ⑵农田平均缀块面积和农田最大缀块面积从1987年至1999年至2004年增加；聚集度指数在1987年至1999年降低，而1999年至2004年升高。最大植被缀块面积、平均形状指数和聚集指数从1987年至1999年至2004年均下降；其它植被及农田景观指数在1987年至1999年和1999年至2004年间变化不一致。在距河道1km的范围内，农田缀块数、农田面积、最大农田缀块面积、平均缀块面积、平均形状指数以及聚集度指数在从1987年至1999年至2004年一直升高；距河道1km范围内的景观多样性和均匀度指数和平均形状指数在1987年至1999年至2004年增加，而聚集度指数和最大缀块指数在1987年至1999年至2004年一直减小。 ⑶研究结果表明人类活动-主要是开垦农田-导致了当地植被面积的减少，并导致植被破碎化。受到径流来水量减少的影响，人类开垦活动正在逐渐向距离河道近的区域转移，并导致植被向退化的方向发展，河道附近的区域是塔里木河下游植被分布的主要区域，这对该地区植被的维持和保护非常不利。 在塔里木河下游，地下水位的下降和人类活动都导致植被趋于退化，人工输水虽然能够恢复植被，但其效应主要集中在河道附近的地区，对于该生态关键地区植被的保护，合理的使用水资源并适当的进行人类活动才是植被及生态保护的根本。

Chemical analyses of some Ceylon fishes - 2

Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Many varieties of marine species of fishes are caught in waters surrounding the island. The catches vary from coast to coast with the monsoonal fluctuations. The island is geographically situated in the tropical latitudes of high rainfall. The topographical landscape presents a central cluster of peaks surrounded by vistas of plains. Hence inland water bodies rise and meander in different directions of the country resulting in heterogeneous habitats yielding a host of freshwater fishes. As the different types of marine and freshwater fishes are manifold, an investigation into the nature and constituents of various species from a chemical standpoint was initiated by Lantz and Gunasekera (1957). Their paper was with a view to rendering possible a better commercial utilization of fishes. The present work is an extension of the above with necessary deviations. Lantz and Gunasekera (1957) had published results of 30 species of Sri Lanka fishes. The present paper introduces results of 5 species and investigations are being continued to cover other species. Investigations appearing in this paper were on fish samples obtained from different sales points in Colombo.

Hydrobiological status of a lesser Himalayan river

It is generally observed that a variety of physical and chemical variables have considerable impact on the biological life in a mountain river which include plankton, benthic algae, benthic invertebrate and finally the fishery resources. They are often subjected to extreme hydrological disturbances particularly during rainy seasons when increased volume of water create 'Wash Off' situation for existing fauna and flora. A case study of a lesser Himalayan river - the Gaula, which drains the south-central part of Kumaon region in Uttaranchal is presented here. Since this river does not get snow-melt water, it mainly depends on steady flow of the groundwater round the year. The climate of the area is characterized with long winters, short summer and good amount of rain during monsoon months. The infiltrated groundwater which seeps into the surface soil layers during monsoon seasons is the chief source of discharge of water during winter and summer season

Metal Retention Experiments for the Design of Soil-Mix Technology Permeable Reactive Barriers

Soil-mix technology is effective for the construction of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for in situ groundwater treatment. The objective of this study was to perform initial experiments for the design of soil-mix technology PRBs according to (i) sorption isotherm, (ii) reaction kinetics and (iii) mass balance of the contaminants. The four tested reactive systems were: (i) a granular zeolite (clinoptilolite-GZ), (ii) a granular organoclay (GO), (iii) a 1:1-mixture GZ and model sandy clayey soil and (iv) a 1:1:1-mixture of GZ, GO and model soil. The laboratory experiments consisted of batch tests (volume 900mL and sorbent mass 18g) with a multimetal solution of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd and Ni. For the adsorption experiment, the initial concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.5mM (2.5 to 30mg/L). The maximum metal retention was measured in a batch test (300mg/L for each metal, volume 900mL, sorbent mass 90-4.5g). The reactive material efficiency order was found to be GZ>GZ-soil mix>GZ-soil-GO mix>GO. Langmuir isotherms modelled the adsorption, even in presence of a mixed cations solution. Adsorption was energetically favourable and spontaneous in all cases. Metals were removed according to the second order reaction kinetics; GZ and the 1:1-mix were very similar. The maximum retention capacity was 0.1-0.2mmol/g for Pb in the presence of clinoptilolite; for Cu, Zn, Cd and Ni, it was below 0.05mmol/g for the four reactive systems. Mixing granular zeolite, organoclay and model soil increased the chemisorption. Providing that GZ is reactive enough for the specific conditions, GZ can be mixed to obtain the required sorption. Granular clinoptilolite addition to soil is recommended for PRBs for metal contaminated groundwater. The laboratory experiments consisted of batch tests with a multimetal solution of Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd and Ni. The four reactive materials chosen were granular zeolite, clinoptilolite and model sandy clayey soil, granular organoclay and a mix of clinoptilolite, model soil and organoclay. The reactive material efficiency order was found to be granular clinoptilolite>clinoptilolite-soil mix>clinoptilolite-soil-organoclay mix>granular organoclay. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact assessment of Farakka barrage on environmental issues at Bheramara Upazila, Bangladesh

Different problems have been created on the downstream territory, especially on Bheramara on the bank of mighty river Padma. The study is preferred to assess the impacts on river flow of Ganges water, and on fisheries, agriculture, irrigation, groundwater, livelihood, and biodiversity because of Farakka Barrage. Information were collected from various respondents among which 42% is farmer, 12% is fisherman, 36% is businessman and 10% is service holder. It is evident from this study that 65% of crops production were directly affected by Farakka Barrage, in which 34% crops were damaged due to scarcity of water, lowering the ground water level, less access to rainwater, etc. and 66% crops were invent for increasing char land, increasing soil fertility for the use of agrochemicals. Irrigation has been adversely affected because of 35% insufficient flow of water and 65% lowering the ground water level.

Adopt sustainable development principle in aquaculture

The inadequate planning and inefficient management of coastal aquaculture has resulted into serious socioeconomic consequences. These are the displacement of rural communities which traditionally depended on mangroves due to large-scale mangrove conversion for shrimp and fish farming, land subsidence caused by excessive pumping of groundwater for use in aquaculture, financial losses due to disease outbreaks, and public health consequences due to red tide. In order to maximize the socioeconomic benefits of coastal aquaculture the adoption of the principles of sustainable development is recommended. Sustainable development is the management and conservation of natural resource base and the orientation of technological and institutional change in such a manner to ensure the attainment and continued satisfaction of human needs for present and future generations.

Managing water resources and their connection to land and energy

Effective management is a key to ensuring the current and future sustainability of land, water and energy resources. Identifying the complexities of such management is not an easy task, especially since past studies have focussed on studying these resources in isolation from one another. However, with rapid population growth and an increase in the awareness of a potential change in climatic conditions that may affect the demand for and supply of food, water and energy, there has been a growing need to integrate the planning decisions relating to these three resources. The paper shows the visualisation of linked resources by drawing a set of interconnected Sankey diagrams for energy, water and land. These track the changes from basic resource (e.g. coal, surface water, groundwater and cropland) through transformations (e.g. fuel refining and desalination) to final services (e.g. sustenance, hygiene and transportation). The focus here is on the water analysis aspects of the tool, which uses California as a detailed case study. The movement of water in California is traced from its source to its services by mapping the different transformations of water from when it becomes available, through its use, to further treatment, to final sinks (including recycling and reuse of that resource). The connections that water has with energy and land resources for the state of California are highlighted. This includes the amount of energy used to pump and treat water, and the amount of water used for energy production and the land resources which create a water demand to produce crops for food. By mapping water in this way, policy-makers and resource managers can more easily understand the competing uses of water (environment, agriculture and urban use) through the identification of the services it delivers (e.g. sanitation, agriculture, landscaping), the potential opportunities for improving the management of the resource (e.g. building new desalination plants, reducing the demand for services), and the connections with other resources which are often overlooked in a traditional sector-based management strategy.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Challenges for Data Sensing and Analysis

The objective of this study was to identify challenges in civil and environmental engineering that can potentially be solved using data sensing and analysis research. The challenges were recognized through extensive literature review in all disciplines of civil and environmental engineering. The literature review included journal articles, reports, expert interviews, and magazine articles. The challenges were ranked by comparing their impact on cost, time, quality, environment and safety. The result of this literature review includes challenges such as improving construction safety and productivity, improving roof safety, reducing building energy consumption, solving traffic congestion, managing groundwater, mapping and monitoring the underground, estimating sea conditions, and solving soil erosion problems. These challenges suggest areas where researchers can apply data sensing and analysis research.

Comparison between granular pillared, organo- and inorgano-organo-bentonites for hydrocarbon and metal ion adsorption

Granular reactive materials have higher permeability and are therefore desirable for in situ groundwater pollution control. Three granular bentonites were prepared: an Al-pillared bentonite (PBg), an organo-bentonite (OBg) using a quaternary ammonium cation (QAC), and an inorgano-organo-bentonite (IOBg), using both the pillaring agent and the QAC. Powdered IOB (IOBp) was also prepared to test the effect of particle size. The modified bentonites were characterised with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and uniaxial compression tests. The d-spacing increased only with QAC intercalation. The Young's modulus of IOBg was twice as high as OBg. Batch adsorption tests were performed with aqueous multimetal solutions of Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+ ions, with liquid dodecane and with aqueous dodecane solutions. Metal adsorption fit the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption occurred within 30min for PBg, while the granular organo-bentonite needed at least 12h to reach equilibrium. IOBp had the maximum adsorption capacity at higher metal concentration and lower adsorbent content (Cu2+: 2.2, Ni2+: 1.7, Zn2+: 1.4, Cd2+: 0.9 and Pb2+: 0.7 all in mmolg-1). The dual pillaring of the QAC and Al hydroxide increased the adsorption. The adsorption of liquid dodecane was in the order IOBg>OBg>PBg (3.2>2.7>1.7mmolg-1). Therefore IOBg has potential for the removal of toxic compounds found in soil, groundwater, storm water and wastewater. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Numerical study of soil heterogeneity effects on contaminant transport in unsaturated soil (model development and validation)

The movement of chemicals through soil to groundwater is a major cause of degradation of water resources. In many cases, serious human and stock health implications are associated with this form of pollution. The study of the effects of different factors involved in transport phenomena can provide valuable information to find the best remediation approaches. Numerical models are increasingly being used for predicting or analyzing solute transport processes in soils and groundwater. This article presents the development of a stochastic finite element model for the simulation of contaminant transport through soils with the main focus being on the incorporation of the effects of soil heterogeneity in the model. The governing equations of contaminant transport are presented. The mathematical framework and the numerical implementation of the model are described. The comparison of the results obtained from the developed stochastic model with those obtained from a deterministic method and some experimental results shows that the stochastic model is capable of predicting the transport of solutes in unsaturated soil with higher accuracy than deterministic one. The importance of the consideration of the effects of soil heterogeneity on contaminant fate is highlighted through a sensitivity analysis regarding the variance of saturated hydraulic conductivity as an index of soil heterogeneity. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Permeability of aged grout around tunnels in London

Prediction of the long-term settlement of clay soils over tunnels requires a knowledge of the permeability of the soil and of the tunnel lining; however, determination of the lining permeability in the field is difficult. An important contributor to this problem is the lack of knowledge concerning the permeability of the grout between the lining and the soil. This paper presents the results of tests to characterise the properties of grout samples from London Underground tunnels, investigating permeability, porosity, micro structure and composition. The tests revealed that the newer grout was impermeable relative to the surrounding clay. However, the older samples showed much greater permeabilities and an altered grout composition, suggesting that degradation had taken place. Exposure to groundwater appeared to have caused carbonation and sulfate reaction. The combination of chemical reaction and leaching of cementitious and degradation products appears to have made these grouts more permeable, so that the grout could act as a drainage path rather than a barrier. This challenges the typical assumption that the grout acts as an impermeable barrier.

Biotransfer of persistent organic pollutants from a large site in China used for the disassembly of electronic and electrical waste

Samples of groundwater, river water, river sediment, paddy soil, rice seeds, hen eggs, fish, umbilical cord blood, and newborn meconium were collected from October 2002 to October 2003 near a large site in China used for the disassembly of obsolete transformers and other electronic or electrical waste. Six indicator PCB congeners, three non-ortho dioxin-like PCB congeners, and six organochlorine pesticides were determined in the samples by GC with electron capture detector. The results demonstrated that the local environment and edible foods had been seriously polluted by toxic PCBs and organochlorine pesticides. The actual daily intakes (ADIs) of these pollutants were estimated for local residents living in the area. The intake data showed that the contents of PCBs in these local residents were substantial, as the ADI estimates greatly exceed the reference doses set by the World Health Organization and the United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The presence of the indicator PCB congeners in the cord blood and the meconium samples, as well as significant correlations (r(2) > 0.80, p < 0.05) between these levels, suggests a potential biotransfer of these indicators from mothers to their newborns. This preliminary study showed that obsolete transformers and other electronic or electrical waste can be an important source for the emission of persistent organic pollutants into the local environment, such as through leakage, evaporation, runoff, and leaching. Contamination from this source appears to have reached the level considered to be a serious threat to environmental and human health around the disassembly site.

The adoption of sustainable remediation behaviour in the US and UK: a cross country comparison and determinant analysis.

The sustainable remediation concept, aimed at maximizing the net environmental, social, and economic benefits in contaminated site remediation, is being increasingly recognized by industry, governments, and academia. However, there is limited understanding of actual sustainable behaviour being adopted and the determinants of such sustainable behaviour. The present study identified 27 sustainable practices in remediation. An online questionnaire survey was used to rank and compare them in the US (n=112) and the UK (n=54). The study also rated ten promoting factors, nine barriers, and 17 types of stakeholders' influences. Subsequently, factor analysis and general linear models were used to determine the effects of internal characteristics (i.e. country, organizational characteristics, professional role, personal experience and belief) and external forces (i.e. promoting factors, barriers, and stakeholder influences). It was found that US and UK practitioners adopted many sustainable practices to similar extents. Both US and UK practitioners perceived the most effectively adopted sustainable practices to be reducing the risk to site workers, protecting groundwater and surface water, and reducing the risk to the local community. Comparing the two countries, we found that the US adopted innovative in-situ remediation more effectively; while the UK adopted reuse, recycling, and minimizing material usage more effectively. As for the overall determinants of sustainable remediation, the country of origin was found not to be a significant determinant. Instead, organizational policy was found to be the most important internal characteristic. It had a significant positive effect on reducing distant environmental impact, sustainable resource usage, and reducing remediation cost and time (p<0.01). Customer competitive pressure was found to be the most extensively significant external force. In comparison, perceived stakeholder influence, especially that of primary stakeholders (site owner, regulator, and primary consultant), did not appear to have as extensive a correlation with the adoption of sustainability as one would expect.

Environmental threats to children's health in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific

The Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions contain half of the world's children and are among the most rapidly industrializing regions of the globe. Environmental threats to children's health are widespread and are multiplying as nations in the area undergo industrial development and pass through the epidemiologic transition. These environmental hazards range from traditional threats such as bacterial contamination of drinking water and wood smoke in poorly ventilated dwellings to more recently introduced chemical threats such as asbestos construction materials; arsenic in groundwater; methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, India; untreated manufacturing wastes released to landfills; chlorinated hydrocarbon and organophosphorous pesticides; and atmospheric lead emissions from the combustion of leaded gasoline. To address these problems, pediatricians, environmental health scientists, and public health workers throughout Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific have begun to build local and national research and prevention programs in children's environmental health. Successes have been achieved as a result of these efforts: A cost-effective system for producing safe drinking water at the village level has been devised in India; many nations have launched aggressive antismoking campaigns; and Thailand, the Philippines, India, and Pakistan have all begun to reduce their use of lead in gasoline, with resultant declines in children's blood lead levels. The International Conference on Environmental Threats to the Health of Children, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2002, brought together more than 300 representatives from 35 countries and organizations to increase awareness on environmental health hazards affecting children in these regions and throughout the world. The conference, a direct result of the Environmental Threats to the Health of Children meeting held in Manila in April 2000, provided participants with the latest scientific data on children's vulnerability to environmental hazards and models for future policy and public health discussions on ways to improve children's health. The Bangkok Statement, a pledge resulting from the conference proceedings, is an important first step in creating a global alliance committed to developing active and innovative national and international networks to promote and protect children's environmental health.