Characterization of Critical Load Exceedances in Europe

The excess of acidic and eutrophying depositions over critical loads (critical load exceedances) is considered a measure for the risk of harmful effects on sensitive elements of the environment. The magnitude and the geographical distribution of critical load exceedances over Europe vary with the extent to which national emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and ammonia are reduced. The scientific support of negotiations on emission reductions in the framework of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) of the UN Economic Commission for Europe has been based on the integrated assessment of sources, including abatement costs, and risks to receptors (e.g. forests, lakes) using critical load exceedances. The shift from a single-pollutant (sulfur) protocol in 1994 to a multi-pollutant protocol in 1999 necessitated an extension of the methods by which critical load exceedances are computed and mapped. The focus changed from the protection of the most sensitive ecosystem against excessive deposition of one pollutant, to an assessment of the accumulated exceedance by more pollutants of all ecosystems. This paper presents and compares the different characterisations ("gap-closure methods") used in those negotiations. It is shown that the approach finally used has several appealing features, but treats the exceedance as a linear damage function, thus going beyond the critical load definition as a simple on-off limit value.     

Selection of Species Suitable for Derelict Mine Site Rehabilitation in New South Wales,Australia

Approximately 2000 derelict (abandoned) mine sites exist in New South Wales (Australia) from mining and prospecting activities that date back to the mid 1800s. The major objective of this study was to identify a range of native species suitable for use in the rehabilitation of three major derelict mine sites identified in New South Wales namely Howell (Zn, Cu, Ag, Pb), Mole River (As) and Woodsreef (asbestos) through glasshouse pot trials. Waste rock material from each of the three sites was subject to four treatments namely a control, tailings, mulch and tailings/mulch treatment, with 13 species (trees, shrubs and grasses) and four replicates (total of 624 pots).The Mole River and Howell waste rock and tailings provided a similar chemical environment for plants at the start of the experiment (deficient nitrate-N, low pH, high EC) compared to the Woodsreef substrates (deficient nitrate-N, high pH, low available P, high Mg). At the completion of the experiment, Mole River generally had the least favourable chemical environment for plants (highest Zn, Fe, Mn), Howell was intermediate and Woodsreef the best (highest Ca, Mg, pH and lowest metals). Two grass species, Cynodon dactylon and Dicanthium sericeum, exhibited the highest emergence rate (40%), although the emergence of 11 out of 13 species was greater than 12%. In general, mean annual height growth and cover of all species was higher in the mulch and tailings/mulch treatments than the control and tailings treatments. Cynodon dactylon recorded the highest mean annual height increase across the species (66 cm yr^-1), with the tree species,Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Casuarina cunninghamiana, also exhibiting relatively good growth. Mean percentage mortality of all species was generally lowest in the Woodsreef substrate, intermediate in the Howell and highest in the Mole River materials. Mulch treated pots recorded the lowest mortality at all sites. With the exception of Dicanthium sericeum, Aristida ramosa and Casuarina cunninghamiana, mean biomass estimates for all species were significantly higher in the mulch and tailings/mulch treatments compared to the control and tailings treatments. Cynodon dactylon yielded more biomass (mean = 5 t ha^-1) in comparison to the other species. The direct implications of these results to the rehabilitation of derelict mines in the New England Tablelands are also discussed.     

Effects of Environmental Stress on Forest Crown Condition in Europe. Part III: Estimation of Critical Deposition and Concentration Levels and Their Exceedances

The stress by air pollution at the systematicPan-European 16 × 16 km² forest (crown) condition monitoring network, is discussed by comparingsite-specific estimates of critical and presentconcentration and deposition levels for S and Ncompounds and ozone. Results indicate that theexceedance of critical levels, related to directabove-ground impacts, decrease going from O₃ >SO₂ > N compounds. Critical N loads related toeffects on the forest understorey are exceeded atapproximately 25% of the plots, located mainly inWestern and Central Europe. Critical N loads relatedto effects on trees are hardly ever exceeded, but mostlikely, this is an under estimate. Critical aciddeposition levels are exceeded at approximately 30%of the plots with a low base saturation, where acidinputs may release toxic Al. This is especially thecase in Central and Eastern Europe, where presentloads are high and in boreal forest in SouthernScandinavia where critical loads are low. Although theuncertainties in the calculated exceedances is large,the spatial pattern, which is most important for acorrelative study, seems reliable, implying that thecritical load concept is suitable for regional risk assessments.     

Point Pattern Analysis of Spatial Deformation and Blurring Effects on Exceedances

Structural characteristics of random field threshold exceedance sets (e.g., size, connectivity, and boundary regularity) are used in practice for definition of different indicators in spatial and spatio-temporal risk analysis. In this work, point process techniques are applied to study the structural changes derived from random field deformations and blurring transformations, meaningful from both physical and methodological points of view in a variety of contexts. Specifically, based on simulations from a flexible random field model class, features such as aggregation/inhibition of patterns defined by centroids of connected components, as well as by boundary A-exit points, are investigated in relation to the local contraction/dilation effects of deformation and the smoothing properties of blurring. Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online.     

Determination and Mapping Critical Loads of Acidity and Exceedances for Upland Forest Soils in Eastern Canada

Critical loads of acidity were estimated for upland forests in Eastern Canada using the steady-state Simple Mass Balance (SMB) Model. A consistent methodology was applied to the entire region, although critical loads were estimated separately for the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland), Quebec and Ontario using different data sources. In this project, critical load estimates and steady-state exceedance values did not include the effect of forest fire and forest harvesting, which could have a considerable impact on critical loads in Eastern Canada. The observed soil pH – base saturation relationship for forest soils indicated that the constants used into the calculation of alkalinity leaching should be set to 10 (M/M) for the molar Bc/Al ratio in soil leachate and 10⁹ (mol L^?1)² for the gibbsite dissolution constant. The area-weighted median critical load for each province varied between 519 (Quebec) and 2063 eq ha^?1 y^?1 (Prince Edward Island), with a median critical load value for Eastern Canada of 559 eq ha^?1 y^?1. It is estimated that approximately 52% of the mapped area is exceeded in terms of acidity according to the 1994–1998 average total (wet + dry) atmospheric deposition. Greatest exceedances occurred in Ontario and Quebec and in the south of Nova Scotia, due to low critical loads and high loads of acid deposition.     

Effects of Data Uncertainty in the Swedish Critical Load Assessment for Forest Soils

The effects of input data uncertainty on the critical loads andexceedance estimates for Swedish forest soils was assessed usingMonte Carlo simulations of the PROFILE model. The study focuseson the effects of data uncertainty on the 5%-ile critical loadat 150 × 150 km resolution and the 95%-ile exceedance at150 × 150 km and 50 × 50 km resolution.The results indicate that datauncertainty limits the possibility to differentiate grid cellson 150 × 150 km resolution. The confidence interval for agiven percentile can generally be reduced if the uncertaintiesin calculated critical loads are addressed simultaneously forall sites in a grid cell. The resulting best estimates of the5%-ile critical load were found to be lowered, therebyadvocating larger deposition reductions to comply with a givengap closure of exceedance. The results further indicate that thenumber of sites within the grid cells is important for the rangeof the confidence interval for a given percentile.Re-aggregation of exceedance estimate in 50 × 50 km gridcells showed that differentiation may be improved as compared to150 × 150 km resolution. For 70% of the grid cells on 50× 50 km resolution, the confidence interval forcalculated exceedance covers both negative and positive values.     

Quantifying Uncertainty in Critical Loads: (B) Acidity Mass Balance Critical Loads on a Sensitive Site

This paper reports an uncertainty analysis of critical loads for acid deposition for a site in southern England, using the Steady State Mass Balance Model. The uncertainty bounds, distribution type and correlation structure for each of the 18 input parameters was considered explicitly, and overall uncertainty estimated by Monte Carlo methods. Estimates of deposition uncertainty were made from measured data and an atmospheric dispersion model, and hence the uncertainty in exceedance could also be calculated. The uncertainties of the calculated critical loads were generally much lower than those of the input parameters due to a “compensation of errors” mechanism – coefficients of variation ranged from 13% for CL_maxN to 37% for CL(A). With 1990 deposition, the probability that the critical load was exceeded was > 0.99; to reduce this probability to 0.50, a 63% reduction in deposition is required; to 0.05, an 82% reduction. With 1997 deposition, which was lower than that in 1990, exceedance probabilities declined and uncertainties in exceedance narrowed as deposition uncertainty had less effect. The parameters contributing most to the uncertainty in critical loads were weathering rates, base cation uptake rates, and choice of critical chemical value, indicating possible research priorities. However, the different critical load parameters were to some extent sensitive to different input parameters. The application of such probabilistic results to environmental regulation is discussed.     

Acid Deposition and Critical Load Map of Tokyo

Acid deposition has been monitored in the natural vegetation of the western part of Tokyo, especially in the Okutama Mountains and surrounding areas. However, it is difficult to grasp the condition of acid deposition and the possible impacts on the vegetation in the whole area. Therefore, we attempted to make gridded acidic deposition maps and critical load maps. The grid size was 30 seconds latitude and 45 seconds longitude. Monthly wet deposition in the fiscal year of 1997 was calculated by multiplying concentration of wet deposition and precipitation. Concentration of wet deposition was estimated by averaging the data monitored at the nearest three stations with the inverse of distance as the weight. Precipitation was estimated by step-wise multiple regression with geographical factors as explanatory variables. Critical loads were estimated using the steady-state mass balance model with some modifications. As result, it was found that sulfur deposition had exceeded in most of the western part of Tokyo.     

Latent Process Modelling of Threshold Exceedances in Hourly Rainfall Series

Two features are often observed in analyses of both daily and hourly rainfall series. One is the tendency for the strength of temporal dependence to decrease when looking at the series above increasing thresholds. The other is the empirical evidence for rainfall extremes to approach independence at high enough levels. To account for these features, Bortot and Gaetan (Scand J Stat 41:606–621, 2014) focus on rainfall exceedances above a fixed high threshold and model their dynamics through a hierarchical approach that allows for changes in the temporal dependence properties when moving further into the right tail. It is found that this modelling procedure performs generally well in analyses of daily rainfalls, but has some inherent theoretical limitations that affect its goodness of fit in the context of hourly data. In order to overcome this drawback, we develop here a modification of the Bortot and Gaetan model derived from a copula-type technique. Application of both model versions to rainfall series recorded in Camborne, England, shows that they provide similar results when studying daily data, but in the analysis of hourly data the modified version is superior.     

Estimation of the Maximum Critical Load for Sulfur in South Korea

The maximum critical load of sulfur and its exceedance by the sulfur deposition of 1994–1997 were mapped for South Korea with a spatial resolution of 11 × 14 km using the steady-state mass balance method. The Korean soil and geological maps were used as basis for the estimations of the critical alkalinity leaching and the weathering rate of base cations. The normalized difference vegetation index data obtained from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) together with the observed primary productivity of plants were used for the estimation of the critical uptake of base cations. Wet deposition of the non-sea-salt base cations was derived from measured base cation concentrations in precipitation, precipitation rate and air concentration of total suspended particulate while dry deposition of base cations was estimated using the inferential technique using scavenging ratios. The predominant ranges of base cation weathering, uptake and deposition were estimated to be of 200 – 600 eq ha^?1 yr^?1, 200 – 400 eq ha^?1 yr^?1 and 400 – 600 eq ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively. Critical alkalinity leaching was mainly in the range of 1000 – 2000 eq ha^?1 yr^?1 due to relatively high value of precipitation runoff. Exceedance of sulfur critical load was found at 40 % of the ecosystems considered mainly in the southeastern part of Korea, and about 60 % of Korea ecosystems were sustainable against sulfur acidity loadings.     

Predicting Freshwater Critical Loads of Acidification at the Catchment Scale: An Empirical Model

Current applications of the critical loads concept are geared primarily toward targeting emission control strategies at a national and international level. Maps of critical loads for freshwaters have been produced in grid form based on water samples of representative sites within each grid square. However, the water chemistry data required to calculate freshwater critical loads are not always readily available at a national level and maps are therefore limited to catchments where such data exist. This paper describes the development of an approach that uses nationally available secondary data to predict freshwater critical loads for catchments lacking the appropriate water chemistry information. An empirical statistical model is calibrated using data from 78 catchments throughout Scotland. Water chemistry for each catchment has been determined. Each catchment is characterized according to a number of attributes. Redundancy analysis of these data shows clear relationships between catchment attributes and the critical load derived from the water chemistry. The key variables that explain most of the variation in critical load relate to soil, geology and land use within the catchment. Using these variables as predictors in a regression analysis, the critical load can be predicted across a broad gradient of sensitivity (R² _adj=0.81). The predictive power of the model was maintained when different combinations of explanatory variables were used. This accords the approach a degree of flexibility in that model parameterization can be geared toward availability of secondary data. There are limitations with the model as presently calibrated. However, the approach offers considerable scope for environmental managers to undertake national inventories of catchment sensitivity and specific assessments of individual catchments.     

Comparing the Effects of Aquatic Stressors on Model Temperate Freshwater Aquatic Communities

Nuisance odors generation from waste and wastewater treatment plants are a cause of public discomfort and complaints. This situation impairs the air quality and represents a growing social and public health problem, especially in developing countries. Several modeling approaches have been developed and successfully implemented in the frame of a wastewater treatment plant for both the biological treatment and physicochemical processes. The mathematical modeling of the odor generation process is still considered a quite complex issue, mainly due to the fact that olfactory nuisance can be caused by many different chemical compounds and the perception of odors is influenced by subjective thresholds. Moreover, the impact of odor sources on air quality is highly conditioned by complex atmospheric dispersion processes. This review presents a critical state-of-art and assessment where information related to odor emissions impact studies as well as modeling applications are compiled and discussed.     

烹饪方式对野生与养殖青虾营养价值的影响

为提高青虾的食用营养价值,以不同处理(生鲜、蒸制、煮制)后的野生和养殖青虾为原料,以尾部肌肉和虾黄的基本营养成分、脂肪酸和矿物质含量为评价指标,采用相关国家标准进行检测与分析。结果表明,野生青虾中碳水化合物含量显著高于养殖虾(P<0.05),虾黄中粗脂肪含量(96 mg·g^-1)低于养殖虾(135 mg·g^-1)。脂肪酸主要贮存在虾黄中,尤其是单不饱和脂肪酸(MUFA)。青虾中富含钙、锶等多种矿物质;有害元素汞和镉主要在虾黄中富集,但含量均低于国家安全标准。蒸制或煮制后肌肉中粗灰分和碳水化合物含量上升,水分含量下降。相较于蒸制,煮制流失更多脂肪酸和矿物质。综合比较,养殖青虾肌肉中蛋白质和脂肪酸与野生青虾相比差异不显著,但虾黄中脂肪酸含量更加丰富、重金属富集量低,食用安全更高。烹饪方法中,与煮制相比蒸制能保留更多的营养成分。本研究为青虾的合理食用以及食用安全提供了一定的理论依据。     

Effects of Freshwater and Nutrient Input on Chemical Concentrations in Spartina alterniflora (Loisel)

Spartina alterniflora (loisel) is critical to wetland structure, productivity, and vertical accretion in marshes worldwide. Previous studies along the Atlantic coast have addressed responses of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sodium (Na), and phosphorous (P) concentrations and ratios in S. alterniflora tissue to variation in salinity and nutrient availability, but data are lacking from Louisiana wetlands. Spartina alterniflora were collected from sites with a range of freshwater and nutrient availability along Louisiana’s coast and measured chemical contents in leaf tissue. The C/N ratios in leaf tissue of S. alterniflora in Louisiana were unaffected by salinity, but the researchers also failed to detect a relationship between Na and salinity. There was no evidence found of P limitation. These results indicate that Spartina alterniflora responds similarly on both coasts, but that salinity and nutrient availability differ between coasts.     

Effects of Water Hardness and Metal Concentration on a Freshwater Tubifex Tubifex Muller

The present investigation was designed to determine the effectsof water hardness and heavy metals concentrations on a freshwaterTubifex tubifex. Very few data concerning the effect of water hardness on the acute toxicity of heavy metals are available on T. tubifex, which has been proposed as a testorganism for ecotoxicological studies. The effect of water hardness on the toxicity of heavy metals is discussed. The acutetoxicity of selected heavy metals to a freshwater T. tubifex Muller was determined in very soft, soft, hard and veryhard (12, 45, 170 and 300 mg CaCO₃ L^-1 total hardness,respectively) water. Percentage mortality of T. tubifex as influenced by heavy metals was studied in water of variable hardness. Water hardness had a significant effect on heavy metalstoxicity. The concentrations of metals necessary to immobilize 50% of the test animals at 24, 48, 72, 96 hr were significantlydifferent in soft and hard water. The 96 hr EC₅₀ valuesfor T. tubifex were higher in hard and very hard watercompared with soft and very soft water. Median effectiveconcentrations (EC₅₀) and their 95% confidence limits weredetermined for cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and zinc during exposure for 24, 48,72 and 96 hr in four different water hardness. Hardness has a muchsmaller effect upon the acute toxicity of mercury than the otherheavy metals tested. The results indicate that Cu, Cd, Hg and Zninduced autotomy of the caudal region and mucus production. It isconcluded that water hardness parameters should be considered inestablishing appropriate water quality criteria and standards forthe protection of aquatic fauna and flora, and ultimately human health.     

Toxic and Sublethal Effects of Ammonium Chloride on a Freshwater Fish Oreochromis mossambicus

The effects of ammonium chloride on survival and feeding energetics of the freshwater fish Oreochromis mossambicus were studied. At a concentration of 600 mg L^-1 ammonium chloride, 100% mortality was observed within 24 h; no mortality occurred at 400 mg L^-1 within 96 h; Concentration of 450 mg L^-1 ammonium chloride was found as median lethal concentration at 96 h exposure. Rearing the fish in increasing sublethal concentrations of ammonium chloride, it was found that the feeding rate decreased from 20.309 ± 0.506 mg g live fish^-1 day^-1 (mg g^-1 d^-1 (control) to 11.594 ± 0.479 mg g^-1 d^-1 at the highest sublethal concentration (100 mg L^-1. Growth rate was drastically reduced.     

Variation in Freshwater Critical Loads Across Two Upland Catchments in the UK: Implications for Catchment Scale Management

In the UK the "critical loads" approach has been used to derive maps based on the 10km × 10km national grid. However, this grid based approach is inappropriate for catchment scale management and these maps cannot be used for "stock at risk" assessments of the number of water bodies or lengths of streams in a given area that may be vulnerable to acidification. Critical loads are determined across two large river catchments in England (The Duddon) and Wales (The Glaslyn). High resolution, digital datasets are used to characterise the attributes of each subcatchment in terms of land cover, soil, geology, topography and topology. Empirical models used to examine the relationship between these attributes and critical loads indicate that the former can be used to account for significant variation in the latter. However, these relationships can vary from catchment to catchment. Thus, although this approach provides the potential for identifying sensitive surface waters on a catchment wide basis, it is likely that models will need to be parameterised on a catchment specific basis.     

Identifying Potentials for Reducing Uncertainty in Critical Load Calculations using the PROFILE Model

A sensitivity analysis was performed testingweathering rates, critical loads andexceedances for Swedish forest soils using Monte Carlosimulations of the PROFILE model. Different subsetsof input data were investigated with respect to theirpotential to reduce data uncertainty at site level butalso for modified estimates of the 5%-ile critical load andthe 95%-ile exceedance on 150×150 kmresolution. Physical soil properties were of dominantimportance for all sites and yield up to 62%reduction of the output standard deviation in weathering rate.The study showed that the critical ratio ofbase cations to inorganic aluminium (Bc/Al ratio) in the soilsolution was of major importance for reducingdata uncertainty in critical loads and exceedance estimates.The critical Bc/Al ratio was found to beimportant for reducing data uncertainties in modifiedestimates of the 5%-ile critical load and the95%-ile exceedance, in particular in the northern part ofSweden. Atmospheric deposition, uptake andlitterfall were more important for reducing data uncertaintyin the southern part. Physical soil propertiesand especially mineral content were found to be less importantfor reducing data uncertainties in criticalloads and exceedance estimates. The greatest scope forreducing data uncertainties in an applied perspectiveis to improve estimates of atmospheric deposition of anionsand cations as well as uptake and litterfall ofbase cations and nitrogen.     

贵州山区渣场选址关注点刍议

水土保持法赋予了生产建设项目水土保持方案所选渣场的合法地位,确定渣场时必须慎重。各类渣场选址在确保安全的前提下,不能破坏区域原有的生态功能,不得逾越或破坏生态红线。贵州地处西南岩溶区,属典型的喀斯特地貌类型区,山高坡陡,受地形条件限制,渣场选择困难,各类型渣场选址的关注点各有侧重。