Model Analysis of PM10 Concentration Variations Over a Mineral Products Industrial Area in Saraburi,Thailand

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - Air pollution associated with particulate matters is a serious problem in the mineral products industrial area (MPIA) in Saraburi, central Thailand. PM10...     

The Influence of Discharge,pH, Dissolved Organic Carbon,and Suspended Solids on the Variability of Concentration and Partitioning of Metals in a Rural Catchment

The study of atmospheric concentration levels at a local scale is one of the most important topics in environmental sciences. Multivariate analysis, fuzzy logic, and neural networks have been introduced in forecasting procedures in order to elaborate operational techniques for level characterization of specific atmospheric pollutants at different spatial and temporal scales. Particularly, approaches based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been proposed and successfully applied for forecasting concentration levels of PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO, and O₃. The present study explores the development and application of ANN models for forecasting, 24 h ahead, not only the daily concentration levels of PM₁₀ but also the number of hours exceeding the PM₁₀ concentration threshold during the day in five different regions within the greater Athens area (GAA). The ANN modeling was based on measurements and estimates of the mean daily PM₁₀ concentration, the maximum hourly NO₂ concentration, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and the mode daily value of wind direction from five different monitoring stations for the period 2001–2005. The evaluation of the model performance showed the risk of daily PM₁₀ concentration levels exceeding certain thresholds as well as the duration of the exceedances can be successfully predicted. Despite the limitations of the model, the results indicate that ANNs, when adequately trained, have considerable potential to be used for 1 day ahead PM₁₀ concentration forecasting and the duration within the GAA.     

Simultaneous Absorption of SO2 and NO in a Stirred Tank Reactor with NACLO2/NAOH Solutions

The wet scrubbing combined SO_x/NO removal system is one ofthe advanced air pollution control devices. This study tries tounderstand the kinetics of the absorption in the system. The absorption of SO₂ and simultaneous absorption of SO₂ and NO, whose concentrations are typical for flue gases emittedfrom coal-fired power plants, in a stirred tank reactor with NaClO₂/NaOH solutions were carried out at 50 °C.The liquid-side and gas-side mass transfer coefficients of the system were determined. The results indicate that the absorptionof SO₂ is completely gas-film controlled if the NaOH concentration is greater than 0.1 M or the NaClO₂ concentration is greater than 0.2 M. Adding SO₂ would decrease the absorption rate of NO; however, the addition of NO has no effect on the absorption rate of SO₂. The existence of O₂ has no significant effect on the absorption rate of SO₂ and NO in the combined SO_x/NO removal tests.     

Phosphorus Fractionation and Short-term Mobility in the Surface Sediment of a Polymictic Shallow Lake Treated with a Low Dose of Alum (Courtille Lake,France)

Lake Courtille was a polymictic eutrophic lake prone to large pH variations and sediment resuspension. Short term P release (96 hr) under laboratory resuspension conditions for two sedimentsample types, surface sediments which represent sediment accumulated over several years and trap sediments which representcurrent year sediment, was studied. The experiments were carriedout in oxic conditions at different pH values. According to phosphorus fractionation, Fe-bound-P, Al-bound-P and Organic-bound-P comprised the largest phosphorus pool (80% of Total Phosphorus). Phosphorus release was from the Fe-P, Al-P and organic fractions. These represent 35% of the total phosphorus content at pH 10. At circumneutral pH, in oxic conditions, a lower quantity of P was released (roughly 4% of total P sediment content) than at pH 10. The organic matter mineralization occurring at the end of summer can also influenceP release as illustrated by the difference in total phosphoruscontent between sediment samples of 2000 and of the last five years. This type of P release was observed in Lake Courtille. High soluble reactive phosphorus content was measured in the water column at the end of summer. Aluminium treatment was thus not efficient in preventing P release. Moreover, a higher alum dose was needed to reduce P content in the water column in order to decrease primary productivity and subsequent organic matter sedimentation.     

Development of a Multi-Residue Method for Monitoring 44 Pharmaceuticals in Slovene Surface Water by SPE-LC-MS/MS

The article describes a novel analytical method based on solid-phase extraction and LC-MS/MS for detection of a high number (n?=?44) of selected pharmaceuticals in surface waters. The validated method showed suitable accuracy, precision, and linearity. The extraction efficiency for pharmaceuticals was mostly above 90% and the determined LOQs were generally below 5 ng/L and even down to 0.03 ng/L. The matrix effect was successfully minimized with isotopically labeled internal standards. Six river and lake samples from Slovene regions were afterwards analyzed. Forty-two of the 44 target pharmaceuticals were detected in at least two water samples; 66% of them were detected in all samples. Three analytes were present above the LOQ in all samples: caffeine (1.1–3.1 ng/L), irbesartan (0.2–9.3 ng/L), and valsartan (0.8–47 ng/L). The highest concentration was measured for valsartan. Comprehensive comparison with the literature data showed that the found concentrations of pharmaceuticals were notably lower in our study and that a number of the pharmaceuticals had not been reported previously. Comparison of the measured and predicted (calculated) environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals in surface waters showed high discrepancy between the two approaches, clearly indicating the need for comprehensive analytical methods for routine monitoring of these newly emerging pollutants. In conclusion, our method was proven to be adequately sensitive to reliably quantify the majority of pharmaceutical contaminants even though they were found in notably lower concentrations in Slovenian surface waters than it was predicted from their consumption and from the literature.     

Removal and Transformation of Pollutants in a Two-Line Denitrifying Phosphorus Removal Process Treating Low C/N Municipal Wastewater: Influence of Hydraulic Retention Time

A two-line denitrifying phosphorus removal process (2L-DPR) was established treating low C/N municipal wastewater efficiently in our previous studies, while hydraulic retention time (HRT) is one of the most important factors determining the substrate loading, contact time for biomass, and pollutants and further affect performance of the whole system. Removal and transformation mechanism of organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) were investigated together with mass balance under various HRTs (6, 9, and 18 h) in the established 2L-DPR process. The results showed that in anaerobic units, the concentration of the main storage products in activated sludge such as poly-hydroxyvalerate (PHV) and poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) at HRT of 9 h was higher than that under other HRTs. The highest TN and TP removal efficiency was also achieved under the HRT of 9 h with removal rates of 55.9% and 84.6% respectively. Increasing HRT from 6 to 9 h greatly enhanced TN removal in anoxic and aerobic units; however, HRTs had little influence on COD removal with effluent concentration of 48.6, 49.1, and 48.9 mg/L, respectively. HRT affected phosphorus up-taken in anoxic and aerobic units rather than on the release of phosphorus processes in anaerobic units.     

西南喀斯特小流域地表、地下河流细粒泥沙来源的137Cs和磁化率双指纹示踪研究

在黔中喀斯特高原农林复合生态系统峰丛谷地小流域,利用¹³⁷Cs和磁化率双指纹因子对碳酸盐岩表层土壤(坡地和坝地)、深层土壤(沟道和洞穴/裂隙)以及碎屑岩夹层岩屑3类来源开展指纹特征分析,通过多元混合模型对流域暴雨过程侵蚀悬移质泥沙进行指纹复合示踪,并计算小流域地表及地下出口输出泥沙的主要来源及相对贡献率。结果表明:¹³⁷Cs和磁化率在碳酸盐岩表层土壤、深层土壤以及碎屑岩夹层岩屑3类来源存在显著差异,流域内表层土壤、深层土壤和碎屑岩夹层岩屑的¹³⁷Cs和磁化率平均含量分别为3.39 Bq/kg和310.07×10^-8 m^3/kg、0.50 Bq/kg和180.69×10^-8 m^3/kg、0 Bq/kg和7.02×10^-8 m^3/kg。表层土壤、深层土壤和碎屑岩夹层岩屑对流域地表出口泥沙的相对贡献分别为16.2%,4.3%和79.5%,拟合优度为99.97%;表层土壤、深层土壤和碎屑岩夹层岩屑对流域地下出口泥沙的相对贡献分别为<0.1%,37.9%和62.1%,拟合优度为83.80%。喀斯特流域泥沙来源区别于其他碎屑岩流域具有的特点为:(1)碳酸盐岩风化表层土壤来源少,对河流泥沙贡献小,主要贡献于地表河流。(2)无论流域地表出口还是地下出口,河流泥沙来源主要为流域中碳酸盐岩所夹的少量(地面物质组成<10%)的碎屑岩夹层岩屑。(3)深层土壤略有贡献,地下河流贡献比例高于地表河流。另外,¹³⁷Cs和磁化率可作为双指纹示踪物较好地示踪喀斯特小流域地表、地下河流泥沙来源和确定相对贡献率。