Thermal co-treatment of combustible hazardous waste and waste incineration fly ash in a rotary kiln.

PubMed

Huber, Florian; Blasenbauer, Dominik; Mallow, Ole; Lederer, Jakob; Winter, Franz; Fellner, Johann

2016-12-01

As current disposal practices for municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash are either associated with significant costs or negative environmental impacts, an alternative treatment was investigated in a field scale experiment. Thereto, two rotary kilns were fed with hazardous waste, and moistened MSWI fly ash (water content of 23%) was added to the fuel of one kiln with a ratio of 169kg/Mg hazardous waste for 54h and 300kg/Mg hazardous waste for 48h while the other kiln was used as a reference. It was shown that the vast majority (>90%) of the inserted MSWI fly ash was transferred to the bottom ash of the rotary kiln. This bottom ash complied with the legal limits for non-hazardous waste landfills, thereby demonstrating the potential of the investigated method to transfer hazardous waste (MSWI fly ash) into non-hazardous waste (bottom ash). The results of a simple mixing test (MSWI fly ash and rotary kiln bottom ash have been mixed accordingly without thermal treatment) revealed that the observed transformation of hazardous MSWI fly ash into non-hazardous bottom ash during thermal co-treatment cannot be referred to dilution, as the mixture did not comply with legal limits for non-hazardous waste landfills. For the newly generated fly ash of the kiln, an increase in the concentration of Cd, K and Pb by 54%, 57% and 22%, respectively, was observed. In general, the operation of the rotary kiln was not impaired by the MSWI fly ash addition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uranium Stable Isotopes: A Proxy For Productivity Or Ocean Oxygenation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severmann, S.

2015-12-01

Uranium elemental abundances in sediments have traditionally been used to reconstruct primary productivity and carbon flux in the ocean. 238U/235U isotope compositions, in contrast, are currently understood to reflect the extent of bottom water anoxia in the ocean. A review of our current understanding of authigenic U enrichment mechanism into reducing sediments suggests that a revision of this interpretation is warranted. Specifically, the current interpretation of U isotope effects in suboxic vs. anoxic deposits has not taken into account the well-documented linear relationship with organic C burial rates. Although organic C rain rates (i.e., surface productivity) and bottom water oxygenation are clearly related, distinction between these two environmental controls is conceptually important as it relates to the mechanism of enhanced C burial and ultimately the strength of the biological pump. Here we will review new and existing data to test the hypothesis that the isotope composition of authigenic U in reducing sediments are best described by their relationship with parameters related to organic carbon delivery and burial, rather than bottom water oxygen concentration.

Environmental Conditions Outweigh Geographical Contiguity in Determining the Similarity of nifH-Harboring Microbial Communities in Sediments of Two Disconnected Marginal Seas

PubMed Central

Zhou, Haixia; Dang, Hongyue; Klotz, Martin G.

2016-01-01

Ecological evidence suggests that heterotrophic diazotrophs fueled by organic carbon respiration in sediments play an important role in marine nitrogen fixation. However, fundamental knowledge about the identities, abundance, diversity, biogeography, and controlling environmental factors of nitrogen-fixing communities in open ocean sediments is still elusive. Surprisingly, little is known also about nitrogen-fixing communities in sediments of the more research-accessible marginal seas. Here we report on an investigation of the environmental geochemistry and putative diazotrophic microbiota in the sediments of Bohai Sea, an eutrophic marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. Diverse and abundant nifH gene sequences were identified and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were found to be the dominant putative nitrogen-fixing microbes. Community statistical analyses suggested bottom water temperature, bottom water chlorophyll a content (or the covarying turbidity) and sediment porewater Eh (or the covarying pH) as the most significant environmental factors controlling the structure and spatial distribution of the putative diazotrophic communities, while sediment Hg content, sulfide content, and porewater SiO32−-Si content were identified as the key environmental factors correlated positively with the nifH gene abundance in Bohai Sea sediments. Comparative analyses between the Bohai Sea and the northern South China Sea (nSCS) identified a significant composition difference of the putative diazotrophic communities in sediments between the shallow-water (estuarine and nearshore) and deep-water (offshore and deep-sea) environments, and sediment porewater dissolved oxygen content, water depth and in situ temperature as the key environmental factors tentatively controlling the species composition, community structure, and spatial distribution of the marginal sea sediment nifH-harboring microbiota. This confirms the ecophysiological specialization and niche differentiation between the shallow-water and deep-water sediment diazotrophic communities and suggests that the in situ physical and geochemical conditions play a more important role than geographical contiguity in determining the community similarity of the diazotrophic microbiota in marginal sea sediments. PMID:27489551

Statistical comparison of leaching behavior of incineration bottom ash using seawater and deionized water: Significant findings based on several leaching methods.

PubMed

Yin, Ke; Dou, Xiaomin; Ren, Fei; Chan, Wei-Ping; Chang, Victor Wei-Chung

2018-02-15

Bottom ashes generated from municipal solid waste incineration have gained increasing popularity as alternative construction materials, however, they contains elevated heavy metals posing a challenge for its free usage. Different leaching methods are developed to quantify leaching potential of incineration bottom ashes meanwhile guide its environmentally friendly application. Yet, there are diverse IBA applications while the in situ environment is always complicated, challenging its legislation. In this study, leaching tests were conveyed using batch and column leaching methods with seawater as opposed to deionized water, to unveil the metal leaching potential of IBA subjected to salty environment, which is commonly encountered when using IBA in land reclamation yet not well understood. Statistical analysis for different leaching methods suggested disparate performance between seawater and deionized water primarily ascribed to ionic strength. Impacts of leachant are metal-specific dependent on leaching methods and have a function of intrinsic characteristics of incineration bottom ashes. Leaching performances were further compared on additional perspectives, e.g. leaching approach and liquid to solid ratio, indicating sophisticated leaching potentials dominated by combined geochemistry. It is necessary to develop application-oriented leaching methods with corresponding leaching criteria to preclude discriminations between different applications, e.g., terrestrial applications vs. land reclamation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analyses of native water, bottom material, and elutriate samples of southern Louisiana waterways, 1977-78

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dupuy, Alton J.; Couvillion, Nolan P.

1979-01-01

From March 1977 to July 1978 the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a series of elutriate studies to determine water quality in selected reaches of major navigable waterways of southern Louisiana. Sample were collected from the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet areas; Mississippi River, South Pass; Baptiste Collette Bayou; Tiger Pass area; Baou Long; Bayou Barataria and Barataria Bay Waterway area (gulf section); Bayou Segnette Waterway, Lake Pontchartrain near Tangipahoa River mouth; Bayou Grand Caillou; Bayou la Carpe at Homa; Houma Navigation Canal and Terrebonne Bay; Bayou Boeuf, Bayou Chene, and Baou Black, Atchafalaya River Channel, Atchafalaya Bay; Old River Lock tailbay; Red River below mouth of Black River; Freshwaer Canal; Mermentau River and Lake Arthur Mermentau River outlet; and Calcasieu Ship Channel. The studies were initiated at the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate possible environmental effects of proposed dredging activities in those waterways. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Geological Survey collected 189 samples of native water and 172 samples of bottom (bed) material from 163 different sites. A total of 117 elutriates (Mixtures of native water and bottom material) were prepared. The native water and elutriate samples were analyzed for selected metals, pesticides, nutrients organics, and pysical constituents. Particle-size determinations were made on bottom-material samples. (Kosco-USGS)

Dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current as seen by GRACE (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, M.; Dobslaw, H.; Bergmann, I.

2010-12-01

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, being the strongest and longest ocean current on Earth, connects the three great ocean basins and contributes substantially to the global re-distribution of water masses, with a significant impact on global climate. Observational coverage from in-situ measurements is sparse due to the harsh environmental conditions, and satellite altimetry does not capture the full extent of the current due to seasonal sea-ice coverage. Ocean bottom pressure variations as sensed with the satellite gravity mission GRACE provide a promising way to broaden our observational basis. Besides monthly mean gravity fields that provide ocean bottom pressure variations averaged over 30 days, several alternative GRACE products with higher temporal resolution have been developed during the most recent years. These include 10-day solutions from GRGS Toulouse, weekly solutions from the GFZ Potsdam as well as constrained daily solutions from the University of Bonn which have been obtained by means of a Kalman filtering approach. In this presentation, ocean bottom pressure derived from these alternative GRACE releases will be contrasted against both in-situ observations and output from a numerical ocean model, highlighting the additional information contained in these GRACE solutions with respect to the standard monthly fields. By means of statistical analyses of ocean bottom pressure variations and barotropic transports it will be demonstrated how these new GRACE releases are contributing to our understanding of this highly dynamic great ocean conveyor.

A probabilistic model for analysing the effect of performance levels on visual behaviour patterns of young sailors in simulated navigation.

PubMed

Manzanares, Aarón; Menayo, Ruperto; Segado, Francisco; Salmerón, Diego; Cano, Juan Antonio

2015-01-01

The visual behaviour is a determining factor in sailing due to the influence of the environmental conditions. The aim of this research was to determine the visual behaviour pattern in sailors with different practice time in one star race, applying a probabilistic model based on Markov chains. The sample of this study consisted of 20 sailors, distributed in two groups, top ranking (n = 10) and bottom ranking (n = 10), all of them competed in the Optimist Class. An automated system of measurement, which integrates the VSail-Trainer sail simulator and the Eye Tracking System(TM) was used. The variables under consideration were the sequence of fixations and the fixation recurrence time performed on each location by the sailors. The event consisted of one of simulated regatta start, with stable conditions of wind, competitor and sea. Results show that top ranking sailors perform a low recurrence time on relevant locations and higher on irrelevant locations while bottom ranking sailors make a low recurrence time in most of the locations. The visual pattern performed by bottom ranking sailors is focused around two visual pivots, which does not happen in the top ranking sailor's pattern. In conclusion, the Markov chains analysis has allowed knowing the visual behaviour pattern of the top and bottom ranking sailors and its comparison.

Reconstructing Holocene palaeo-environmental conditions in the Baltic: A multi-proxy comparison from the Little Belt (IODP Expedition 347, Site M0059)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotthoff, Ulrich; Andrén, Elinor; Andrén, Thomas; Ash, Jeanine; Bauersachs, Thorsten; Fanget, Anne-Sophie; Granoszewski, Wojciech; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Krupinski, Nadine; Peyron, Odile; Slomp, Caroline; Stepanova, Anna; Warnock, Jonathan; van Helmond, Niels; Expedition 347 Science Party

2016-04-01

Some of the largest marine environmental impacts from ongoing global climate change are occurring in continental shelf seas and enclosed basins, including severe oxygen depletion, intensifying stratification, and increasing temperatures. In order to predict future changes in water mass conditions, it is essential to reconstruct how these conditions have changed in the past against the background of climate changes. The brackish Baltic Sea is one of the largest semi-enclosed basins worldwide, and its sediment records provide a unique opportunity to analyse palaeo-environmental and climate change in central and northern Europe. IODP Expedition 347 recovered an exceptional set of sediment cores from the Baltic Sea which allow high-resolution reconstructions in unprecedented quality. We present a comparison of commonly-used proxies to reconstruct palaeoecosystems, -temperatures, and -salinity from IODP Site M0059 in the Little Belt over the past ˜8000 years. Our aim is to reconstruct the development of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the research area and the related environmental conditions, and to identify potential limitations of individual proxies. The age model for Site M0059 is based on 14Cdating, biostratigraphic correlation with neighbouring terrestrial pollen records, and sediment stratigraphy. Sedimentary organic carbon content and the bulk elemental composition have been measured, and can be used to determine the depositional environment and degree of oxygen depletion (e.g., Mo, Corg/Ptot). Pollen is used as proxy for vegetation development in the hinterland of the southern Baltic Sea and as a land/air-temperature proxy. Comparison with dinoflagellate cysts, insect remains, and green algae remains from the same samples provides a direct land-sea comparison. The application of the modern analogues technique to pollen assemblages has previously yielded precise results for late Pleistocene and Holocene datasets, including specific information on seasonality, but pollen-based reconstructions for Northern Europe may be hampered by plant migration effects. Palynomorph analyses are therefore complemented with analyses of lipid palaeothermometers, such as TEX86 and the long chain diol index (LDI), to reconstruct variations in Baltic Sea surface temperatures (SST). In addition, the MBT/CBT proxy is used to infer past changes in mean annual air temperatures (MAAT). Benthic foraminiferal δ18O and δ13C measurements (monospecific) and foraminifera and ostracod faunal assemblage analyses allow us to estimate bottom water salinity and environmental changes qualitatively and quantitatively. Low bottom water salinity (˜23 in bottom waters) and varying diagenesis in the Little Belt's organic-rich sediments complicates the application of benthic foraminiferal Mg/Ca as a palaeotemperature proxy. Reliable bottom water temperatures, however, are reconstructed using clumped isotope analyses of mollusc material. In addition, diatoms and the diol index (DI) are analysed to determine variation in salinity of the Baltic Sea's surface waters over the investigated time period. The results of this inter-proxy comparison study will be used to reconstruct gradients between different settings, e.g. how water column stratification developed, possibly if and how changes in seasonality occurred, and to identify the circumstances under which specific proxies may be affected by secondary impacts.

Characterization of organic contaminants in environmental samples associated with mount St. Helens 1980 volcanic eruption

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pereira, W.E.

1982-01-01

Volcanic ash, surface-water, and bottom-material samples obtained in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens after the May 18, 1980, eruption were analyzed for organic contaminants by using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-computer techniques. Classes of compounds identified include n-alkanes, fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids, aromatic acids and aldehydes, phenols, resin acids, terpenes, and insect juvenile hormones. The most probable source of these compounds is from pyrolysis of plant and soil organic matter during and after the eruption. The toxicity of selected compounds and their environmental significance are discussed.

Solid residues from Italian municipal solid waste incinerators: A source for "critical" raw materials.

PubMed

Funari, Valerio; Braga, Roberto; Bokhari, Syed Nadeem Hussain; Dinelli, Enrico; Meisel, Thomas

2015-11-01

The incineration of municipal solid wastes is an important part of the waste management system along with recycling and waste disposal, and the solid residues produced after the thermal process have received attention for environmental concerns and the recovery of valuable metals. This study focuses on the Critical Raw Materials (CRM) content in solid residues from two Italian municipal waste incinerator (MSWI) plants. We sampled untreated bottom ash and fly ash residues, i.e. the two main outputs of common grate-furnace incinerators, and determined their total elemental composition with sensitive analytical techniques such as XRF and ICP-MS. After the removal of a few coarse metallic objects from bottom ashes, the corresponding ICP solutions were obtained using strong digestion methods, to ensure the dissolution of the most refractory components that could host significant amounts of precious metals and CRM. The integration of accurate chemical data with a substance flow analysis, which takes into account the mass balance and uncertainties assessment, indicates that bottom and fly ashes can be considered as a low concentration stream of precious and high-tech metals. The magnesium, copper, antimony and zinc contents are close to the corresponding values of a low-grade ore. The distribution of the elements flow between bottom and fly ash, and within different grain size fractions of bottom ash, is appraised. Most elements are enriched in the bottom ash flow, especially in the fine grained fractions. However, the calculated transfer coefficients indicate that Sb and Zn strongly partition into the fly ashes. The comparison with available studies indicates that the CRM concentrations in the untreated solid residues are comparable with those residues that undergo post-treatment beneficiations, e.g. separation between ferrous and non-ferrous fractions. The suggested separate collection of "fresh" bottom ash, which could be processed for further mineral upgrading, can constitute an attractive option of the waste management system, when physical-mechanical devices are not available or could not be implemented in old MSWI systems. The suggested procedure may lead to the improvement of recovery efficiency up to 83% for CRM and 94% for other valuable metals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the quality of bottom water temperatures from the Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) in the Northwest Atlantic Shelf region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bai; Tanaka, Kisei R.; Chen, Yong; Brady, Damian C.; Thomas, Andrew C.

2017-09-01

The Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) is an advanced coastal circulation model widely utilized for its ability to simulate spatially and temporally evolving three-dimensional geophysical conditions of complex and dynamic coastal regions. While a body of literature evaluates model skill in surface fields, independent studies validating model skill in bottom fields over large spatial and temporal scales are scarce because these fields cannot be remotely sensed. In this study, an evaluation of FVCOM skill in modeling bottom water temperature was conducted by comparison to hourly in situ observed bottom temperatures recorded by the Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps (eMOLT), a program that attached thermistors to commercial lobster traps from 2001 to 2013. Over 2 × 106 pairs of FVCOM-eMOLT records were evaluated by a series of statistical measures to quantify accuracy and precision of the modeled data across the Northwest Atlantic Shelf region. The overall comparison between modeled and observed data indicates reliable skill of FVCOM (r2 = 0.72; root mean squared error = 2.28 °C). Seasonally, the average absolute errors show higher model skill in spring, fall and winter than summer. We speculate that this is due to the increased difficulty of modeling high frequency variability in the exact position of the thermocline and frontal zones. The spatial patterns of the residuals suggest that there is improved similarity between modeled and observed data at higher latitudes. We speculate that this is due to increased tidal mixing at higher latitudes in our study area that reduces stratification in winter, allowing improved model accuracy. Modeled bottom water temperatures around Cape Cod, the continental shelf edges, and at one location at the entrance to Penobscot Bay were characterized by relatively high errors. Constraints for future uses of FVCOM bottom water temperature are provided based on the uncertainties in temporal-spatial patterns. This study is novel as it is the first skill assessment of a regional ocean circulation model in bottom fields at high spatial and temporal scales in the Northwest Atlantic Shelf region.

Potential Environmental Factors Affecting Oil-Degrading Bacterial Populations in Deep and Surface Waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

PubMed Central

Liu, Jiqing; Bacosa, Hernando P.; Liu, Zhanfei

2017-01-01

Understanding bacterial community dynamics as a result of an oil spill is important for predicting the fate of oil released to the environment and developing bioremediation strategies in the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the roles of temperature, water chemistry (nutrients), and initial bacterial community in selecting oil degraders through a series of incubation experiments. Surface (2 m) and bottom (1537 m) waters, collected near the Deepwater Horizon site, were amended with 200 ppm light Louisiana sweet crude oil and bacterial inoculums from surface or bottom water, and incubated at 4 or 24°C for 50 days. Bacterial community and residual oil were analyzed by pyrosequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The results showed that temperature played a key role in selecting oil-degrading bacteria. Incubation at 4°C favored the development of Cycloclasticus, Pseudoalteromonas, Sulfitobacter, and Reinekea, while 24°C incubations enhanced Oleibacter, Thalassobius, Phaeobacter, and Roseobacter. Water chemistry and the initial community also had potential roles in the development of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities. Pseudoalteromonas, Oleibacter, and Winogradskyella developed well in the nutrient-enriched bottom water, while Reinekea and Thalassobius were favored by low-nutrient surface water. We revealed that the combination of 4°C, crude oil and bottom inoculum was a key factor for the growth of Cycloclasticus, while the combination of surface inoculum and bottom water chemistry was important for the growth of Pseudoalteromonas. Moreover, regardless of the source of inoculum, bottom water at 24°C was a favorable condition for Oleibacter. Redundancy analysis further showed that temperature and initial community explained 57 and 19% of the variation observed, while oil and water chemistry contributed 14 and 10%, respectively. Overall, this study revealed the relative roles of temperature, water chemistry, and initial bacterial community in selecting oil degraders and regulating their evolution in the northern Gulf of Mexico. PMID:28119669

Comparative ontogenetic behavior and migration of kaluga, Huso dauricus, and Amur sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii, from the Amur River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhuang, P.; Kynard, B.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, T.; Cao, W.

2003-01-01

We conducted laboratory experiments with kaluga, Huso dauricus, and Amur sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii, to develop a conceptual model of early behavior. We daily observed embryos (first life phase after hatching) and larvae (period initiating exogenous feeding) to day-30 (late larvae) for preference of bright habitat and cover, swimming distance above the bottom, up- and downstream movement, and diel activity. Day-0 embryos of both species strongly preferred bright, open habitat and initiated a strong, downstream migration that lasted 4 days (3 day peak) for kaluga and 3 days (2 day peak) for Amur sturgeon. Kaluga migrants swam far above the bottom (150 cm) on only 1 day and moved day and night; Amur sturgeon migrants swam far above the bottom (median 130 cm) during 3 days and were more nocturnal than kaluga. Post-migrant embryos of both species moved day and night, but Amur sturgeon used dark, cover habitat and swam closer to the bottom than kaluga. The larva period of both species began on day 7 (cumulative temperature degree-days, 192.0 for kaluga and 171.5 for Amur sturgeon). Larvae of both species preferred open habitat. Kaluga larvae strongly preferred bright habitat, initially swam far above the bottom (median 50-105 cm), and migrated downstream at night during days 10-16 (7-day migration). Amur sturgeon larvae strongly avoided illumination, had a mixed response to white substrate, swam 20-30 cm above the bottom during most days, and during days 12-34 (most of the larva period) moved downstream mostly at night (23-day migration). The embryo-larva migration style of the two species likely shows convergence of non-related species for a common style in response to environmental selection in the Amur River. The embryo-larva migration style of Amur sturgeon is unique among Acipenser yet studied.

Potential Environmental Factors Affecting Oil-Degrading Bacterial Populations in Deep and Surface Waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Liu, Jiqing; Bacosa, Hernando P; Liu, Zhanfei

2016-01-01

Understanding bacterial community dynamics as a result of an oil spill is important for predicting the fate of oil released to the environment and developing bioremediation strategies in the Gulf of Mexico. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the roles of temperature, water chemistry (nutrients), and initial bacterial community in selecting oil degraders through a series of incubation experiments. Surface (2 m) and bottom (1537 m) waters, collected near the Deepwater Horizon site, were amended with 200 ppm light Louisiana sweet crude oil and bacterial inoculums from surface or bottom water, and incubated at 4 or 24°C for 50 days. Bacterial community and residual oil were analyzed by pyrosequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The results showed that temperature played a key role in selecting oil-degrading bacteria. Incubation at 4°C favored the development of Cycloclasticus, Pseudoalteromonas , Sulfitobacter , and Reinekea , while 24°C incubations enhanced Oleibacter, Thalassobius, Phaeobacter, and Roseobacter. Water chemistry and the initial community also had potential roles in the development of hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial communities. Pseudoalteromonas , Oleibacter , and Winogradskyella developed well in the nutrient-enriched bottom water, while Reinekea and Thalassobius were favored by low-nutrient surface water. We revealed that the combination of 4°C, crude oil and bottom inoculum was a key factor for the growth of Cycloclasticus , while the combination of surface inoculum and bottom water chemistry was important for the growth of Pseudoalteromonas . Moreover, regardless of the source of inoculum, bottom water at 24°C was a favorable condition for Oleibacter. Redundancy analysis further showed that temperature and initial community explained 57 and 19% of the variation observed, while oil and water chemistry contributed 14 and 10%, respectively. Overall, this study revealed the relative roles of temperature, water chemistry, and initial bacterial community in selecting oil degraders and regulating their evolution in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Co-gasification of municipal solid waste and material recovery in a large-scale gasification and melting system.

PubMed

Tanigaki, Nobuhiro; Manako, Kazutaka; Osada, Morihiro

2012-04-01

This study evaluates the effects of co-gasification of municipal solid waste with and without the municipal solid waste bottom ash using two large-scale commercial operation plants. From the viewpoint of operation data, there is no significant difference between municipal solid waste treatment with and without the bottom ash. The carbon conversion ratios are as high as 91.7% and 95.3%, respectively and this leads to significantly low PCDD/DFs yields via complete syngas combustion. The gross power generation efficiencies are 18.9% with the bottom ash and 23.0% without municipal solid waste bottom ash, respectively. The effects of the equivalence ratio are also evaluated. With the equivalence ratio increasing, carbon monoxide concentration is decreased, and carbon dioxide and the syngas temperature (top gas temperature) are increased. The carbon conversion ratio is also increased. These tendencies are seen in both modes. Co-gasification using the gasification and melting system (Direct Melting System) has a possibility to recover materials effectively. More than 90% of chlorine is distributed in fly ash. Low-boiling-point heavy metals, such as lead and zinc, are distributed in fly ash at rates of 95.2% and 92.0%, respectively. Most of high-boiling-point heavy metals, such as iron and copper, are distributed in metal. It is also clarified that slag is stable and contains few harmful heavy metals such as lead. Compared with the conventional waste management framework, 85% of the final landfill amount reduction is achieved by co-gasification of municipal solid waste with bottom ash and incombustible residues. These results indicate that the combined production of slag with co-gasification of municipal solid waste with the bottom ash constitutes an ideal approach to environmental conservation and resource recycling. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

18. VIEW OF EAST SIDE INTERIOR OF MST AT STATIONS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

18. VIEW OF EAST SIDE INTERIOR OF MST AT STATIONS 3 AND 12, FACING WEST. COMPRESSED AIR TANK AND GENERATOR AT STATION 3. CURTAIN FOR NORTH ENVIRONMENTAL DOOR VISIBLE ON LEFT SIDE OF PHOTOGRAPH; RAIL VISIBLE AT BOTTOM OF PHOTOGRAPH. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Quality from a Toddler's Perspective: A Bottom-Up Examination of Classroom Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallam, Rena; Fouts, Hillary; Bargreen, Kaitlin; Caudle, Lori

2009-01-01

Defining and measuring quality in group care settings has become a central issue in the field of early care and education in the United States, particularly as states develop systems to improve child care quality. Most research and policy definitions of quality rely on a top-down perspective focusing on structural and environmental features of the…

76 FR 13363 - Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Port of Gulfport Expansion Project...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... application filed on March 17, 2010, proposed filling approximately 700 acres of open-water benthic habitat... filling of up to 400 acres of open-water bottom in the Mississippi Sound, the construction of wharfs... the USACE in deciding whether to issue a Department of the Army permit. The purpose of this Notice of...

Large Cargo Containers

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-09-20

shipping and handling; environmental performance tests including high and low temperatures , DO,: FORM(1473 EDITION OF I MOW SS IS OBSO>.ETE I...maintaining Internal temperature . e. Refrigerated Container. An Insulated container that uses either mechanical or other means to lower and...maintain cold internal temperature . Refrigeration equipment may be either fixed or removable. f. Open Top Container. With bottom, side, and end walls, but

Environmental Statement for Lavon Dam and Reservoir Modification and East Fork Channel Improvement - Pertaining to East Fork Channel and Levee Improvement Increment I. Supplement.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

are capable of adapting to turbid conditions will probably be the dominant fish in the oxbows. The stream bottom dwelling population will not be much...the structure of the benthic conmunity. Snails ( gastropods ) and bivalve mollusks (pelecypods) are most abundant in the shallows areas. Stable gravel

An Experiential Learning Approach to Teaching Social Entrepreneurship, Triple Bottom Line, and Sustainability: Modifying and Extending Practical Organizational Behavior Education (PROBE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gundlach, Michael J.; Zivnuska, Suzanne

2010-01-01

When teaching social entrepreneurship and sustainability, using an experiential learning approach can be more effective than a traditional lecture approach. Social and environmental entrepreneurs often have a deep passion for their work that is important for students to develop early in their careers. Experiential learning enables students to…

Forests, shrubs, and terrain: top-down and bottom-up controls on forest structure

Treesearch

Paul V. Bolstad; Katherine J. Elliott; Chelcy F. Miniat

2018-01-01

Overstory forest structure responds to terrain‐related abiotic factors and to biotic interactions among overstory and understory plants. Unlike species abundance, tree height, biomass, and leaf area in many regions have been poorly quantified in relation to terrain‐driven environmental gradients. In addition, the magnitude of understory influences on overstory...

Identifying water-quality trends in the Trinity River, Texas, USA, 1969-1992, using sediment cores from Lake Livingston

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, P.C.; Callender, E.

1996-01-01

Chemical analyses were done on cores of bottom sediment from three locations in Lake Livingston, a reservoir on the Trinity River in east Texas to identify trends in water quality in the Trinity River using the chemical record preserved in bottom sediments trapped by the reservoir. Sediment cores spanned the period from 1969, when the reservoir was impounded, to 1992, when the cores were collected. Chemical concentrations in reservoir sediment samples were compared to concentrations for 14 streambed sediment samples from the Trinity River Basin and to reported concentrations for soils in the eastern United States and shale. These comparisons indicate that sediments deposited in Lake Livingston are representative of the environmental setting of Lake Livingston within the Trinity River Basin. Vertical changes in concentrations within sediment cores indicate temporal trends of decreasing concentrations of lead, sodium, barium, and total DDT (DDT plus its metabolites DDD and DDE) in the Trinity River. Possible increasing temporal trends are indicated for chlordane and dieldrin. Each sediment-derived trend is related to trends in water quality in the Trinity River or known changes in environmental factors in its drainage basin or both.

Factors controlling bacteria and protists in selected Mazurian eutrophic lakes (North-Eastern Poland) during spring

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The bottom-up (food resources) and top-down (grazing pressure) controls, with other environmental parameters (water temperature, pH) are the main factors regulating the abundance and structure of microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems. It is still not definitively decided which of the two control mechanisms is more important. The significance of bottom-up versus top-down controls may alter with lake productivity and season. In oligo- and/or mesotrophic environments, the bottom-up control is mostly important in regulating bacterial abundances, while in eutrophic systems, the top-down control may be more significant. Results The abundance of bacteria, heterotrophic (HNF) and autotrophic (ANF) nanoflagellates and ciliates, as well as bacterial production (BP) and metabolically active cells of bacteria (CTC, NuCC, EST) were studied in eutrophic lakes (Mazurian Lake District, Poland) during spring. The studied lakes were characterized by high nanoflagellate (mean 17.36 ± 8.57 × 103 cells ml-1) and ciliate abundances (mean 59.9 ± 22.4 ind. ml-1) that were higher in the euphotic zone than in the bottom waters, with relatively low bacterial densities (4.76 ± 2.08 × 106 cells ml-1) that were lower in the euphotic zone compared to the profundal zone. Oligotrichida (Rimostrombidium spp.), Prostomatida (Urotricha spp.) and Scuticociliatida (Histiobalantium bodamicum) dominated in the euphotic zone, whereas oligotrichs Tintinnidium sp. and prostomatids Urotricha spp. were most numerous in the bottom waters. Among the staining methods used to examine bacterial cellular metabolic activity, the lowest percentage of active cells was recorded with the CTC (1.5–15.4%) and EST (2.7–14.2%) assay in contrast to the NuCC (28.8–97.3%) method. Conclusions In the euphotic zone, the bottom-up factors (TP and DOC concentrations) played a more important role than top-down control (grazing by protists) in regulating bacterial numbers and activity. None of the single analyzed factors controlled bacterial abundance in the bottom waters. The results of this study suggest that both control mechanisms, bottom-up and top-down, simultaneously regulated bacterial community and their activity in the profundal zone of the studied lakes during spring. In both lake water layers, food availability (algae, nanoflagellates) was probably the major factor determining ciliate abundance and their composition. In the bottom waters, both groups of protists appeared to be also influenced by oxygen, temperature, and total phosphorus. PMID:23566491

Calculation of parameters of technological equipment for deep-sea mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yungmeister, D. A.; Ivanov, S. E.; Isaev, A. I.

2018-03-01

The actual problem of extracting minerals from the bottom of the world ocean is considered. On the ocean floor, three types of minerals are of interest: iron-manganese concretions (IMC), cobalt-manganese crusts (CMC) and sulphides. The analysis of known designs of machines and complexes for the extraction of IMC is performed. These machines are based on the principle of excavating the bottom surface; however such methods do not always correspond to “gentle” methods of mining. The ecological purity of such mining methods does not meet the necessary requirements. Such machines require the transmission of high electric power through the water column, which in some cases is a significant challenge. The authors analyzed the options of transportation of the extracted mineral from the bottom. The paper describes the design of machines that collect IMC by the method of vacuum suction. In this method, the gripping plates or drums are provided with cavities in which a vacuum is created and individual IMC are attracted to the devices by a pressure drop. The work of such machines can be called “gentle” processing technology of the bottom areas. Their environmental impact is significantly lower than mechanical devices that carry out the raking of IMC. The parameters of the device for lifting the IMC collected on the bottom are calculated. With the use of Kevlar ropes of serial production up to 0.06 meters in diameter, with a cycle time of up to 2 hours and a lifting speed of up to 3 meters per second, a productivity of about 400,000 tons per year can be realized for IMC. The development of machines based on the calculated parameters and approbation of their designs will create a unique complex for the extraction of minerals at oceanic deposits.

Enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons in petroleum tank bottom oil sludge and characterization of biocatalysts and biosurfactants.

PubMed

Suganthi, S Hepziba; Murshid, Shabnam; Sriram, Sriswarna; Ramani, K

2018-08-15

Petroleum hydrocarbon removal from tank bottom oil sludge is a major issue due to its properties. Conventional physicochemical treatment techniques are less effective. Though the bioremediation is considered for the hydrocarbon removal from tank bottom oil sludge, the efficiency is low and time taking due to the low yield of biocatalysts and biosurfactants. The focal theme of the present investigation is to modify the process by introducing the intermittent inoculation for the enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the tank bottom oil sludge by maintaining a constant level of biocatalysts such as oxidoreductase, catalase, and lipase as well as biosurfactants. In addition, the heavy metal removal was also addressed. The microbial consortia comprising Shewanalla chilikensis, Bacillus firmus, and Halomonas hamiltonii was used for the biodegradation of oil sludge. One variable at a time approach was used for the optimum of culture conditions. The bacterial consortia degraded the oil sludge by producing biocatalysts such as lipase (80 U/ml), catalase (46 U/ml), oxidoreductase (68 U/ml) along with the production of lipoprotein biosurfactant (152 mg/g of oil sludge) constantly and achieved 96% reduction of total petroleum hydrocarbon. The crude enzymes were characterized by FT-IR and the biosurfactant was characterized by surface tension reduction, emulsification index, FT-IR, TLC, and SDS-PAGE. GC-MS and NMR also revealed that the hydrocarbons present in the oil sludge were effectively degraded by the microbial consortia. The ICP-OES result indicated that the microbial consortium is also effective in removing the heavy metals. Hence, bioremediation using the hydrocarbonoclastic microbial consortium can be considered as an environmentally friendly process for disposal of tank bottom oil sludge from petroleum oil refining industry. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovative eco-friendly bio- solvent for combating sea surface and sedimented oil pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theodorou, Paraskevas

2017-04-01

The combating of oil spill at sea surface by chemical dispersants accelerates the evaporation and disperse the oil into the water column, where it is broken down by natural processes and/or is sedimented at the sea bottom, especially at near coastal shallow areas, ports and marinas. The usual methodology for cleaning the sedimented oil from the sea bottom is mainly carried out via excavation and dumping of the polluted sediment into deeper sea areas, where the contamination is transferred from one area to another. The eco-friendly bio-solvent MSL Aqua 250 is an innovative new solution based mainly on natural constituents. The action mechanism and the effectiveness of this eco-friendly solvent is based on the high surface tension process. Organic compounds, including hydrocarbons upon coming in contact with MSL Aqua 250 solvent generate a significant surface tension reaction, which is able to alter the organic compounds to liquid form and then to drastically evaporate it. The use of MSL Aqua 250 solvent, both at sea surface and at the bottom, has the following advantages compared to the dispersants: • Efficient solution without transferring the pollution from sea surface to the water column and to the bottom or disturbing the Aquatic Eco System. • Non-Toxic. • Environmentally friendly with a restoration of marine life in the Eco System. • Cost effective. The MSL Aqua 250 solvent has been tested in cooperation with the Cyprus Department of Fisheries and Marine Research and the Technological University of Cyprus and used during the years 2015 and 2016 in marinas and fishing shelters in Cyprus faced oil pollution, with high concentration in the sea water and at the sea bottom of chemical parameters (BOD5, COD, FOG, TKN, TP, TPH), with excellent results.

First deployment of a Multiparameter Ocean Bottom System in the Mediterranean sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hello, Y.; Charvis, P.; Yegikyan, M.; Rivet, D.; Deschamps, A.

2016-12-01

Continuous monitoring of oceans is the next great scientific and technical challenge. Recently several cabled sea bottom observatories were developed in Canada (Neptune), in Japan (DONET) and in France (Antares) for real time monitoring of seismic activity, dynamics of the water column, global environmental changes, observation of marine life, the detection of neutrinos, etc. Nevertheless, these initiatives are costly to install and to maintain and it is unlikely that we can deploy many similar observatories in the near future. Among the most recent alternative we developed a 3-years autonomy system equipped with a Nanometrics Trillium 120 s, a triaxial accelerometer, a differential and an absolute pressure gauge, and a hydrophone. MUG-OBS (Multiparameter Geophysical Ocean Bottom system) is a free falling instrument rated down to 6000 m for the monitoring of geophysical signals (earthquakes, submarine landslides, other transient signals, …). The major innovation is that it is possible to recover the data any time on demand (regularly every 6-months or after a crisis) using one of the 6 data-shuttles released from the surface by acoustic command. The MUG-OBS prototype was tested in situ twice for a short period of one week in the bay of Villefranche-sur-mer (French Riviera) in November 2015 and March 2016. During these periods we were lucky to record several teleseismic events with an excellent signal to noise ratio. In September 2016 the instrument will be deployed in the Ligurian sea, 35 miles offshore the city of Nice, for a three-years period, to extend offshore the regional land seismic network. We will present the first seismic signals available from this new instrument. MUG-OBS is a user friendly design and once installed can be maintained by non-specialists to recover data using ship of opportunity. This make it a good challenger to be deployed along the subduction of South America in the frame of the future Subduction Zone Observatory. Such a sea bottom system could also be equipped with other sensors (ADCP, underwater Methane sensor, CO2 flow-through sensor,…) and could be used as a multidisciplinary platform for the environmental monitoring of the deep Ocean.

Bottom trawling and oxygen minimum zone influences on continental slope benthic community structure off Vancouver Island (NE Pacific)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Leo, Fabio C.; Gauthier, Maéva; Nephin, Jessica; Mihály, Steven; Juniper, S. Kim

2017-03-01

Understanding responses of benthic ecosystems to cumulative impacts of natural stressors, long-term ocean change and increasing resource exploitation is an emerging area of interest for marine ecologists and environmental managers. Few, if any, studies have quantitatively addressed cumulative effects in the deep sea. We report here on a study from the continental slope off Vancouver Island (Canada) in the northeast Pacific Ocean, where the Oxygen Minimum Zone impinges on seabed habitats that are subjected to widespread bottom trawling, primarily by the fishery for thornyhead (Sebastolobus ssp.). We examined how the benthic megafauna in this area was influenced by varying levels of dissolved oxygen and trawling activity, along a depth gradient that was also likely to shape community composition. Continuous video and sonar records from two ROV surveys (50 linear km total; depth range 300-1400 m) respectively provided data on faunal attributes (composition, abundance and diversity) and the frequency of trawl door marks on the seabed. Faunal and trawl data were compiled in a geo-referenced database along with corresponding dissolved oxygen data, and pooled into 500 m segments for statistical analysis. Trawl mark occurrence peaked between 500 and 1100 m, corresponding to areas of slope subjected to hypoxia (<1.4 ml l-1) and severe hypoxia (<0.5 ml l-1). A combined total of 266,251 megafauna organisms from 87 taxa were enumerated in the two transects. Significant megafaunal assemblages according to depth, trawling intensity and bottom water dissolved oxygen concentration were identified by PERMANOVA analyses, with characterizing taxa identified for all three factors. Depth, dissolved oxygen and trawl mark density accounted for 21% to 52% of the variability in benthic community structure according to multiple regression (DISTLM) models. Species richness was highest at intermediate depths and in areas subject to intermediate levels of trawling, and higher under hypoxia than under severe hypoxia. These statistically significant trends demonstrate that the structuring influences of bottom trawling on deep-sea benthic communities can be observed even where communities are being shaped by strong environmental gradients.

Benthic foraminifera (Protista) as tools in deep-water palaeoceanography: environmental influences on faunal characteristics.

PubMed

Gooday, Andrew J

2003-01-01

Foraminiferal research lies at the border between geology and biology. Benthic foraminifera are a major component of marine communities, highly sensitive to environmental influences, and the most abundant benthic organisms preserved in the deep-sea fossil record. These characteristics make them important tools for reconstructing ancient oceans. Much of the recent work concerns the search for palaeoceanographic proxies, particularly for the key parameters of surface primary productivity and bottom-water oxygenation. At small spatial scales, organic flux and pore-water oxygen profiles are believed to control the depths at which species live within the sediment (their 'microhabitats'). Epifaunal/shallow infaunal species require oxygen and labile food and prefer relatively oligotrophic settings. Some deep infaunal species can tolerate anoxia and are closely linked to redox fronts within the sediment; they consume more refractory organic matter, and flourish in relatively eutrophic environments. Food and oxygen availability are also key factors at large (i.e. regional) spatial scales. Organic flux to the sea floor, and its seasonality, strongly influences faunal densities, species compositions and diversity parameters. Species tend to be associated with higher or lower flux rates and the annual flux range of 2-3 g Corg m-2 appears to mark an important faunal boundary. The oxygen requirements of benthic foraminifera are not well understood. It has been proposed that species distributions reflect oxygen concentrations up to fairly high values (3 ml l-1 or more). Other evidence suggests that oxygen only begins to affect community parameters at concentrations < 0.5 ml l-1. Different species clearly have different thresholds, however, creating species successions along oxygen gradients. Other factors such as sediment type, hydrostatic pressure and attributes of bottom-water masses (particularly carbonate undersaturation and current flow) influence foraminiferal distributions, particularly on continental margins where strong seafloor environmental gradients exist. Epifaunal species living on elevated substrata are directly exposed to bottom-water masses and flourish where suspended food particles are advected by strong currents. Biological interactions, e.g. predation and competition, must also play a role, although this is poorly understood and difficult to quantify. Despite often clear qualitative links between environmental and faunal parameters, the development of quantitative foraminiferal proxies remains problematic. Many of these difficulties arise because species can tolerate a wide range of non-optimal conditions and do not exhibit simple relationships with particular parameters. Some progress has been made, however, in formulating proxies for organic fluxes and bottom-water oxygenation. Flux proxies are based on the Benthic Foraminiferal Accumulation Rate and multivariate analyses of species data. Oxygen proxies utilise the relative proportions of epifaunal (oxyphilic) and deep infaunal (low-oxygen tolerant) species. Yet many problems remain, particularly those concerning the calibration of proxies, the closely interwoven effects of oxygen and food availability, and the relationship between living assemblages and those preserved in the permanent sediment record.

Current status of emerging hypoxia in a eutrophic estuary: The lower reach of the Pearl River Estuary, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Wei; Gan, Jianping; Liu, Jinwen; He, Biyan; Lu, Zhongming; Guo, Xianghui; Wang, Deli; Guo, Liguo; Huang, Tao; Dai, Minhan

2018-05-01

We examine the current status of dissolved oxygen (DO) and its trend over the past 25 years in the lower Pearl River Estuary, a large eutrophic estuary located in Southern China and surrounded by large cities including Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Monthly cruises conducted from April 2010 to March 2011 clearly show that DO depletion began to emerge in the bottom layer of the lower estuary off Hong Kong in June, and became fully developed in July and August when oxygen-deficient water occupied ∼1000 km2 before gradually becoming re-oxygenated in September and October. The development of the low oxygen zone was closely coupled with phytoplankton blooms in the surface water, which was supersaturated with respect to DO suggesting the importance of autochthonous organic matter in fueling bottom DO consumption after settling through the pycnocline. Long-term monitoring data collected in the study area adjacent to Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department showed a decreasing trend of ∼2 ± 0.9 μmol kg-1 yr-1 in the annual minimum DO concentration in bottom water over the past 25 years. Associated with the decrease in DO was an increase in the annual maximum surface concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) at a rate of ∼1.4 ± 0.3 μmol kg-1 yr-1, suggesting again that eutrophication is the most plausible driver of oxygen deficiency in this region. Therefore, our monthly cruises, along with the decadal monitoring data, reveal a large low oxygen zone, likely developing into a large hypoxic zone driven primarily by anthropogenic eutrophication. This new development suggests environmental stressors such as eutrophication may have a cascading effect, with important and expensive consequences for the regional environment.

Strong Effects of a Shelfbreak Jet on Microbial Enzyme Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoarfrost, A.; Balmonte, J. P.; Ziervogel, K.; Ghobrial, S.; Gawarkiewicz, G.; Arnosti, C.

2016-02-01

The activities of extracellular enzymes are critical in initiating microbial cycling of organic carbon, yet the dynamics of heterotrophic enzyme activities in marine environments are still poorly understood. Variations at a given site in rates of activity and the spectrum of organic substrates hydrolyzed may depend upon environmental context. We measured the extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis of 13 high- and low-molecular-weight organic substrates in surface and bottom waters along a closely spaced 4-station transect at 71 W on the North Atlantic continental shelf, in the vicinity of the shelfbreak front. This transect intersects a robust upwelling cell that typically shows high biologic productivity, and is locatable by changes in T/S profiles and chl a concentrations along sharp spatial gradients. At the time of sampling, cold pool waters over the continental shelf were relatively cold, 3.5 Deg. C, compared to 12 Deg. C over the upper continental slope. Satellite thermal imagery indicated that shelf water extended offshore and interacted with a large crest of the Gulf Stream. The surface and bottom waters associated with the upwelling jet were characterized by enzyme activities a factor of 20 more rapid than closer inshore waters, and surface water chl a concentrations that were two to three times higher than the inshore waters. The spectrum of enzyme activities also differed markedly between surface and bottom waters both within the jet and at near-shore stations. Microbial extracellular enzymatic activities were strongly influenced by differences in their environmental context along the continental slope and shelfbreak front. Constraining the factors controlling heterotrophic activity across the diverse marine environment is an important step in understanding microbial controls on carbon cycling.

Leaching characteristics of solid wastes from thermal power plants of western Turkey and comparison of toxicity methodologies.

PubMed

Baba, Alper; Kaya, Abidin

2004-11-01

Use of lignite in power generation has led to increasing environmental problems associated not only with gaseous emissions, but also with the disposal of ash residues. In particular, use of low quality coals with high ash content results in huge quantities of both fly and bottom ashes to be disposed of. A main problem related to coal ash disposal is the heavy metal content of the residue. In this regard, experimental results of numerous studies indicate that toxic trace metals may leach when fly and bottom ashes are in contact with water. In this study, fly and bottom ash samples obtained from thermal power plants, namely Yenikoy, Kemerkoy and Yatagan, located at the southwestern coast of Turkey, were subjected to toxicity tests such as the extraction (EP) and toxicity characteristic leaching (TCLP) procedures of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the so-called 'Method A' extraction procedure of the American Society of Testing and Material (ASTM). The geochemical composition of ash samples showed variations depending on the coal burned in the plants. Furthermore, the EP, TCLP and ASTM toxicity tests showed variations such that the ash samples were classified as 'toxic waste' based on EP and TCLP results whereas they were classified as 'non-toxic' based on ASTM results, indicating test results are pH dependent. When the extraction results were compared with the chemical composition of water samples obtained in the vicinity of the thermal power plants, it was found that the results obtained using the ASTM procedure cannot be used to predict subsurface contamination whereas the EP and TCLP procedures can be used.

MHD program plan, FY 1991

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1990-10-01

The current magnetohydrodynamic MHD program being implemented is a result of a consensus established in public meetings held by the Department of Energy in 1984. The public meetings were followed by the formulation of a June 1984 Coal-Fired MHD Preliminary Transition and Program Plan. This plan focused on demonstrating the proof-of-concept (POC) of coal-fired MHD electric power plants by the early 1990s. MHD test data indicate that while there are no fundamental technical barriers impeding the development of MHD power plants, technical risk remains. To reduce the technical risk three key subsystems (topping cycle, bottoming cycle, and seed regeneration) are being assembled and tested separately. The program does not require fabrication of a complete superconducting magnet, but rather the development and testing of superconductor cables. The topping cycle system test objectives can be achieved using a conventional iron core magnet system already in place at a DOE facility. Systems engineering-derived requirements and analytical modeling to support scale-up and component design guide the program. In response to environmental, economic, engineering, and utility acceptance requirements, design choices and operating modes are tested and refined to provide technical specifications for meeting commercial criteria. These engineering activities are supported by comprehensive and continuing systems analyses to establish realistic technical requirements and cost data. Essential elements of the current program are to: develop technical and environmental data for the integrated MHD topping cycle and bottoming cycle systems through POC testing (1000 and 4000 hours, respectively); design, construct, and operate a POC seed regeneration system capable of processing spent seed materials from the MHD bottoming cycle; prepare conceptual designs for a site specific MHD retrofit plant; and continue supporting research necessary for system testing.

Resource-limited heterotrophic prokaryote production and its potential environmental impact associated with Mn nodule exploitation in the northeast equatorial pacific.

PubMed

Hyun, Jung-Ho

2006-08-01

Shipboard enrichment incubation experiments were performed to elucidate the limiting resources for heterotrophic prokaryotic production and to discuss the potential impact of bottom water and sediment discharges in relation to manganese (Mn) nodule exploitation on the heterotrophic prokaryotes in the oligotrophic northeast equatorial Pacific. Compared to an unamended control, the production of heterotrophic prokaryotes increased 25-fold in water samples supplemented with amino acids (i.e., organic carbon plus nitrogen), whereas the production increased five and two times, respectively, in samples supplemented with either glucose or ammonium alone. These results indicate that heterotrophic prokaryote production in the northeast equatorial Pacific was co-limited by the availability of dissolved organic carbon and inorganic nitrogen. In samples from the nutrient-depleted surface mixed layer (10-m depth), the addition of a slurry of bottom water and sediment doubled heterotrophic prokaryote production compared to an unamended control, whereas sonicating the slurry prior to addition quadrupled the production rate. However, little difference was observed between an unamended control and slurry-amended samples in the subsurface chlorophyll a (Chl a) maximum (SCM) layer. Thus, the impact of slurry discharge is more significant at the nutrient-depleted surface mixed layer than at the high-nutrient SCM layer. The greatly enhanced prokaryote production resulting from the addition of sonicated slurry further suggests that dissociated organic carbon may directly stimulate heterotrophic prokaryote production in the surface mixed layer. Overall, the results suggest that the surface discharge of bottom water and sediments during manganese nodule exploitation could have a significant environmental impact on the production of heterotrophic prokaryotes that are currently resource limited.

Developing a Web-Based Ppgis, as AN Environmental Reporting Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranjbar Nooshery, N.; Taleai, M.; Kazemi, R.; Ebadi, K.

2017-09-01

Today municipalities are searching for new tools to empower locals for changing the future of their own areas by increasing their participation in different levels of urban planning. These tools should involve the community in planning process using participatory approaches instead of long traditional top-down planning models and help municipalities to obtain proper insight about major problems of urban neighborhoods from the residents' point of view. In this matter, public participation GIS (PPGIS) which enables citizens to record and following up their feeling and spatial knowledge regarding problems of the city in the form of maps have been introduced. In this research, a tool entitled CAER (Collecting & Analyzing of Environmental Reports) is developed. In the first step, a software framework based on Web-GIS tool, called EPGIS (Environmental Participatory GIS) has been designed to support public participation in reporting urban environmental problems and to facilitate data flow between citizens and municipality. A web-based cartography tool was employed for geo-visualization and dissemination of map-based reports. In the second step of CAER, a subsystem is developed based on SOLAP (Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing), as a data mining tools to elicit the local knowledge facilitating bottom-up urban planning practices and to help urban managers to find hidden relations among the recorded reports. This system is implemented in a case study area in Boston, Massachusetts and its usability was evaluated. The CAER should be considered as bottom-up planning tools to collect people's problems and views about their neighborhood and transmits them to the city officials. It also helps urban planners to find solutions for better management from citizen's viewpoint and gives them this chance to develop good plans to the neighborhoods that should be satisfied the citizens.

Environmental footprints of brick kiln bottom ashes: Geostatistical approach for assessment of metal toxicity.

PubMed

Mondal, Ananya; Das, Subhasish; Sah, Rajesh Kumar; Bhattacharyya, Pradip; Bhattacharya, Satya Sundar

2017-12-31

Coal fired brick kiln factories generate significant of brick kiln bottom ash (BKBA) that contaminate soil and water environments of areas near the dumping sites through leaching of toxic metals (Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Mn, and Cu). However, characteristics and environmental effects of BKBAs are yet unknown. We collected BKBA samples from 32 strategic locations of two rapidly developing States (West Bengal and Assam) of India. Scanning electron microscope images indicated spherical and granular structures of BKBAs produced in West Bengal (WBKBA) and Assam (ABKBA) respectively; while energy dispersive spectroscopy and analytical assessments confirmed substantial occurrence of total organic C and nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) in both the BKBAs. FTIR analysis revealed greater predominance of organic matter in ABKBAs than WBKBAs. Occurrence of toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Cu) was higher in ABKBAs than in WBKBAs; while organic and residual fractions of metals were highly predominant in most of the BKBAs. Principal component analysis showed that metal contents and pH were the major distinguishing characteristics of the BKBAs generated in the two different environmental locations. Human health risk associated with BKBAs generated in Assam is of significant concern. Finally, geo-statistical tools enabled to predict the spatial distribution patterns of toxic metals contributed by the BKBAs in Assam and West Bengal respectively. Assessment of contamination index, geo-accumulation index, and ecological risk index revealed some BKBAs to be more toxic than others. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Combined effects of levels of protection and environmental variables at different spatial resolutions on fish assemblages in a marine protected area.

PubMed

Claudet, Joachim; García-Charton, José Antonio; Lenfant, Philippe

2011-02-01

The links between species-environment relations and species' responses to protection are unclear, but the objectives of marine protected areas (MPAs) are most likely to be achieved when those relations are known and inform MPA design. The components of a species' habitat vary with the spatial resolution of the area considered. We characterized areas at two resolutions: 250 m(2) (transect) and approximately 30,000 m(2) (seascape). We considered three categories of environmental variables: substrate type, bottom complexity, and depth. We sought to determine at which resolution habitat characteristics were a better predictor of abundance and species composition of fishes and whether the relations with environmental variables at either resolution affected species' responses to protection. Habitat features accounted for a larger proportion of spatial variation in species composition and abundances than differences in protection status. This spatial variation was explained best by habitat characteristics at the seascape level than at the transect level. Species' responses to protected areas were specific to particular seascape characteristics, primarily depth, and bottom complexity. Our method may be useful for prioritizing marine areas for protection, designing MPAs, and monitoring their effectiveness. It identified areas that provided natural shelter, areas acting as buffer zones, and areas where fish species were most responsive to protection. The identification of such areas is necessary for cost-effective establishment and monitoring of MPAs. ©2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

Vertical structure of larval fish assemblages during diel cycles in summer and winter in the southern part of Bahía de La Paz, México

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aceves-Medina, Gerardo; Saldierna-Martínez, Ricardo; Hinojosa-Medina, Alejandro; Jiménez-Rosenberg, Sylvia P. A.; Hernández-Rivas, Martín E.; Morales-Ávila, Raúl

2008-03-01

The effect of environmental variables on the vertical structure of larval fish assemblages in a tropical coastal lagoon was analyzed. Ichthyoplankton samples were collected from the near-bottom and surface strata near the mouth of a subtropical lagoon during contrasting seasonal conditions of temperature, photoperiod, light intensity, and tidal heights. During summer, larval fish assemblages had high species richness ( R) and were dominated by tropical species. During winter, assemblages had lower R values and were dominated by subtropical and temperate species. Vertical distribution patterns of the taxa were determined by the interaction of environmental variables and behavior of each species to maintain their position in a stratum in the water column, or to achieve vertical migrations induced by environmental stimuli that, in this case, were thermal gradient, column water stratification, and intensity of light. Depth position and vertical migration of fish larvae, coupled with the flood and ebb tide conditions, played an important role in their retention and displacement toward the lagoon. Fish larvae with distribution restricted to the inner part of the inlet, such as Achirus mazatlanus, Etropus sp., and several gobies, were more abundant in the near-bottom stratum during the ebb tide, allowing them to avoid exportation, whereas those that could spawn outside, but depended on the inlet as a nursery area, were more abundant near the surface during flood tide, such as Abudefduf troschelii and Stegastes rectifraenum.

An Overview of Ecological Footprinting and Other Tools and Their Application to the Development of Sustainability Process: Audit and Methodology at Holme Lacy College, UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawe, Gerald F. M.; Vetter, Arnie; Martin, Stephen

2004-01-01

A sustainability audit of Holme Lacy College is described. The approach adopted a "triple bottom line" assessment, comprising a number of key steps: a scoping review utilising a revised Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors project appraisal tool; an environmental impact assessment based on ecological footprinting and a social and…

Environmental and Water Quality Operational Studies. General Guidelines for Monitoring Contaminants in Reservoirs

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-01

espacially trte for the topics of sampling and analytical methods, statistical considerations, and the design of general water quality monitoring networks. For...and to the establishment and habitat differentiation of biological populations within reservoirs. Reservoir operatirn, esp- cially the timing...8217 % - - % properties of bottom sediments, as well as specific habitat associations of biological populations of reservoirs. Thus, such heterogeneities

Global compilation of marine varve records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schimmelmann, Arndt; Lange, Carina B.; Schieber, Juergen; Francus, Pierre; Ojala, Antti E. K.; Zolitschka, Bernd

2017-04-01

Marine varves contain highly resolved records of geochemical and other paleoceanographic and paleoenvironmental proxies with annual to seasonal resolution. We present a global compilation of marine varved sedimentary records throughout the Holocene and Quaternary covering more than 50 sites worldwide. Marine varve deposition and preservation typically depend on environmental and sedimentological conditions, such as a sufficiently high sedimentation rate, severe depletion of dissolved oxygen in bottom water to exclude bioturbation by macrobenthos, and a seasonally varying sedimentary input to yield a recognizable rhythmic varve pattern. Additional oceanographic factors may include the strength and depth range of the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) and regional anthropogenic eutrophication. Modern to Quaternary marine varves are not only found in those parts of the open ocean that comply with these conditions, but also in fjords, embayments and estuaries with thermohaline density stratification, and nearshore 'marine lakes' with strong hydrologic connections to ocean water. Marine varves have also been postulated in pre-Quaternary rocks. In the case of non-evaporitic laminations in fine-grained ancient marine rocks, such as banded iron formations and black shales, laminations may not be varves but instead may have multiple alternative origins such as event beds or formation via bottom currents that transported and sorted silt-sized particles, clay floccules, and organic-mineral aggregates in the form of migrating bedload ripples. Modern marine ecosystems on continental shelves and slopes, in coastal zones and in estuaries are susceptible to stress by anthropogenic pressures, for example in the form of eutrophication, enhanced OMZs, and expanding ranges of oxygen-depletion in bottom waters. Sensitive laminated sites may play the important role of a 'canary in the coal mine' where monitoring the character and geographical extent of laminations/varves serves as a diagnostic tool to judge the environmental conditions and longer-term trends of benthic ecosystems. Analyses of modern varve records will gain importance for simultaneously providing high-resolution and longer-term perspectives. Especially in regions with limited resources or at remote sites, the comparatively low cost of high-resolution sediment analyses for environmental monitoring is an essential advantage over continuous monitoring of oceanographic conditions in the water column.

Towards a new paradigm: Activity level balanced sustainability reporting.

PubMed

Samudhram, Ananda; Siew, Eu-Gene; Sinnakkannu, Jothee; Yeow, Paul H P

2016-11-01

Technoeconomic paradigms based economic growth theories suggest that waves of technological innovations drove the economic growth of advanced economies. Widespread economic degradation and pollution is an unintended consequence of such growth. Tackling environmental and social issues at firm levels would help us to overcome such issues at macro-levels. Consequently, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) reporting approach promotes firm level economic, environmental and social performances. Incorporating Zink's (2014) 3-pillar presentation model, this paper indicates that economic, social and environmental performances tend to be reported at firm level. All three pillars are not covered evenly at the activity levels. Thus, a loophole is identified whereby excellent environmental performance at activity levels could potentially leave poor social performance undisclosed. A refinement of the TBL paradigm, whereby all three pillars are covered at the activity level, is suggested, to enhance sustainability reporting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Exploited Groundfish Species Assemblages Faced to Environmental and Fishing Forcings: Insights from the Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone

PubMed Central

Kidé, Saïkou Oumar; Manté, Claude; Dubroca, Laurent; Demarcq, Hervé; Mérigot, Bastien

2015-01-01

Environmental changes and human activities can have strong impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This study investigates how, from a quantitative point of view, simultaneously both environmental and anthropogenic factors affect species composition and abundance of exploited groundfish assemblages (i.e. target and non-target species) at large spatio-temporal scales. We aim to investigate (1) the spatial and annual stability of groundfish assemblages, (2) relationships between these assemblages and structuring factors in order to better explain the dynamic of the assemblages’ structure. The Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone (MEEZ) is of particular interest as it embeds a productive ecosystem due to upwelling, producing abundant and diverse resources which constitute an attractive socio-economic development. We applied the multi-variate and multi-table STATICO method on a data set consisting of 854 hauls collected during 14-years (1997–2010) from scientific trawl surveys (species abundance), logbooks of industrial fishery (fishing effort), sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration as environmental variables. Our results showed that abiotic factors drove four main persistent fish assemblages. Overall, chlorophyll a concentration and sea surface temperature mainly influenced the structure of assemblages of coastal soft bottoms and those of the offshore near rocky bottoms where upwellings held. While highest levels of fishing effort were located in the northern permanent upwelling zone, effects of this variable on species composition and abundances of assemblages were relatively low, even if not negligible in some years and areas. The temporal trajectories between environmental and fishing conditions and assemblages did not match for all the entire time series analyzed in the MEEZ, but interestingly for some specific years and areas. The quantitative approach used in this work may provide to stakeholders, scientists and fishers a useful assessment for the spatio-temporal dynamics of exploited assemblages under stable or changing conditions in fishing and environment. PMID:26505198

75 FR 38082 - Solicitation of Applications for the Research and Evaluation Program: FY 2010 Triple Bottom Line...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-01

...Pursuant to the Research and Evaluation program, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) seeks applications to research, develop, and disseminate metrics to enable policymakers and practitioners to more effectively understand how to assess the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, and social impacts) of various economic development activities. EDA's mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Through its Research and Evaluation program, EDA works towards fulfilling its mission by funding research and technical assistance projects to promote competitiveness and innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories. By working in conjunction with its research partners, EDA will help States, local governments, and community-based organizations to achieve their highest economic potential.

Climate Change, Nutrition, and Bottom-Up and Top-Down Food Web Processes.

PubMed

Rosenblatt, Adam E; Schmitz, Oswald J

2016-12-01

Climate change ecology has focused on climate effects on trophic interactions through the lenses of temperature effects on organismal physiology and phenological asynchronies. Trophic interactions are also affected by the nutrient content of resources, but this topic has received less attention. Using concepts from nutritional ecology, we propose a conceptual framework for understanding how climate affects food webs through top-down and bottom-up processes impacted by co-occurring environmental drivers. The framework integrates climate effects on consumer physiology and feeding behavior with effects on resource nutrient content. It illustrates how studying responses of simplified food webs to simplified climate change might produce erroneous predictions. We encourage greater integrative complexity of climate change research on trophic interactions to resolve patterns and enhance predictive capacities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recovery of MSWI and soil washing residues as concrete aggregates.

PubMed

Sorlini, Sabrina; Abbà, Alessandro; Collivignarelli, Carlo

2011-02-01

The aim of the present work was to study if municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) residues and aggregates derived from contaminated soil washing could be used as alternative aggregates for concrete production. Initially, chemical, physical and geometric characteristics (according to UNI EN 12620) of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ashes and some contaminated soils were evaluated; moreover, the pollutants release was evaluated by means of leaching tests. The results showed that the reuse of pre-treated MSWI bottom ash and washed soil is possible, either from technical or environmental point of view, while it is not possible for the raw wastes. Then, the natural aggregate was partially and totally replaced with these recycled aggregates for the production of concrete mixtures that were characterized by conventional mechanical and leaching tests. Good results were obtained using the same dosage of a high resistance cement (42.5R calcareous Portland cement instead of 32.5R); the concrete mixture containing 400 kg/m(3) of washed bottom ash and high resistance cement was classified as structural concrete (C25/30 class). Regarding the pollutants leaching, all concrete mixtures respected the limit values according to the Italian regulation. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of Mn(II) from the acid mine wastewaters using coal fired bottom ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahidin, M.; Sulaiman, T. N.; Muslim, A.; Gani, A.

2017-06-01

Acid mine wastewater (AMW), the wastewater from mining activities which has low pH about 3-5 and contains hazardous heavy metals such as Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, etc. Those heavy metals pollution is of prime concern from the environmental view point. Among the heavy metals, Mn occupies the third position in the AMW from one the iron ore mining company in Aceh, Indonesia. In this study, the possibility use of bottom ash from coal fired boiler of steam power plants for the removal of Mn(II) in AMW has been investigated. Experimental has been conducted as follows. Activation of bottom ash was done both by physical and chemical treatments through heating at 270 °C and washing with NaOH activator 0.5 and 1 M. Adsorption test contains two parts observation; preliminary and primary experiments. Preliminary study is addressed to select the best condition of three independent variables i.e.: pH of AMW (3 & 7), bottom ash particle size (40, 60 & 100 mesh) and initial Mn(II) concentrations (100 & 600 mg/l). AMW used was synthetics wastewater. It was found that the best value for NaOH is 1 M, pH is 7, particle size is 100 meshes and initial Mn(II) concentration is 600 mg/l from the adsorption efficiency point of view. The maximum adsorption capacity (q e) is 63.7 mg/g with the efficiency of 85%.

Short-term environmental impact of clam dredging in coastal waters (south of Portugal): chemical disturbance and subsequent recovery of seabed.

PubMed

Falcão, M; Gaspar, M B; Caetano, M; Santos, M N; Vale, C

2003-12-01

The physical and chemical changes in sediment and near bottom water caused by clam dredging were examined during July and September 1999, at two locations Vilamoura (VL) and Armona (AR), south coast of Portugal. Sediment cores and near bottom water were collected simultaneously before dredging (control samples) and within short time intervals (min-h) after dredging. After dredging operations, microphytobenthos coming from the path were accumulated in the re-worked sediment (ridge). Chlorophyll a in superficial sediment increased from 1.2 microg x g(-1) before dredging to 1.7 microg x g(-1) after dredging and these higher values remained for a few hours. However, the expected increase of chlorophyll a in near bottom water due to re-suspension was not observed. After sediment disturbance an instantaneous sorption of phosphorus onto iron oxides occurred in the upper sediment layers (from 2 to 3 micromol x g(-1) before dredging to 4-5 micromol x g(-1) after dredging). A microcosm experiment showed that after sediment disturbance HPO(4)(2-) dissolved in pore water decreased from 40 to 10 microM being simultaneously sorbed onto iron oxides formed in the top layer of sediment. The ammonium, nitrates, organic nitrogen, phosphate and silicate dissolved in pore water decreased immediately after dredging activity and simultaneously an increase in near bottom water was sporadically observed. Generally, the re-establishment of seabed was reached within a short time (min-h), at both stations (VL and AR).

Implementation of the new hydrographic technologies for bottom topography and seafloor gas venting investigations in the russian northern seas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koloskov, Evgenii

2017-04-01

The report examines modern hydrographic technologies for the Russian northern seas investigations. The new hydro acoustics methods for seabed study are discussed. It presents stages of seafloor relief studies in the Russian Arctic seas since the 1950s and the obtained results. At the beginning of the 21st century an entirely new phase of bathymetric investigations began with the use of Multibeam Echosounders (MB) and modern hydrographic software. The software tools to process and analyze the bathymetry, and more recently to characterize the seabed from the backscatter, are available in a majority of modern sonar systems. Besides the bathymetry and sonar data, modern MB can produce water column images. These hydrographic technologies provide the possibility to achieve a high level of the seafloor topography. The latest generation of hydrographic MB now has the ability to provide the water column images along with the seafloor. The gas seeps from multibeam water column data can be distantly discerned against the seabed relief background with the aid of the Fledermause software package ("FMMidwater" module). The ability to integrate the water column data with the seafoor and other information,in an integrated geospatial and temporal environment, enhanced the analysis and interpretation of the data which is essential for marine geological research and investigations. The modern hydrographic equipment presents the ability to integrate the MB digital relief models (DTM) and sub bottom profiler data. This provide the possibility to obtain not only the detailed seabed topography, but also the additional information concerning the structure of under bottom soil layers and presence of the endogenous objects in near bottom environment. The importance of the hydrographic software tools needed to process and analyze the bathymetry and water column data are emphasized. The practical importance of the water column and bottom profiler data processing for the submarine gas-hydrates survey is stated. The attention is paid to the implementation of the parametric sub bottom profilers - the low frequency sonar for the sea bottom vertical section investigation. The ability for the integrated presentation of the multibeam bathymetry and vertical curtains in the 3D environment are discussed. As an example of the modern swath survey results achieved with Kongsberg EM2040CD MB and hydrographic information technology QINSy/ Fledermause, are discussed and presented. This survey was performed for the RosNeft company in the Kara sea. Recommendations for the implementation of the multi beam echo sounder and parametric sub bottom profiler for the combined hydrographic and submarine gas-hydrates survey in the Russian northern seas are delivered.The gas-hydrate survey guidelines using MB and QINSy/Fledermause software are provided. The hydrographic software tools used to process and analyze the bathymetry can create the seafloor DTM with the high degree of resolution and provide 3D visualization.These new possibilities provide such realistic view of the sea bottom relief and environment that can be characterized as the marine landscapes. Thus it became possible to investigate the relief morphological peculiarities and obtain the information about the relief genesis. This opens the new opportunities for using the acoustic techniques for varies types of marine activity including the bottom environmental study. The appearance of the bottom thermokarst activity derived from the high resolution DTM generated from the real time MB data is presented. The bottom thermokarst provides the potential threat for underwater pipelines and other submarine communications. The arctic bottom relief peculiarities are also covered including grounded hummock traces and dome-shaped elevations. The investigation of such bottom land forms has become possible recently as the result of implementing the wide swath survey methods. Such unique relief features are in general related to seabed gas venting in the form of the submarine gas-hydrates seeps. The opportunities for investigation of the morphological relief peculiarities and getting the new information is mportant also for varies types of marine activity including the marine ecology study. The arctic sea specific microrelief images are provided to show the abnormality of the bottom surface. The main attention is paid to specific and bottom features such as trenches the grounded hummock traces and dome-shaped elevations of the Pingo-type-unique forms of microrelief usually confined to the bottom gas flow in the form of methane emissions. The attention is also paid to the consequences of the global climate change and its influence on the bottom sole. Key words: hydrographic technologies, hydro acoustics methods, swathe survey, sea bottom vertical section, submarine gas-hydrates, submarine permafrost, seafloor gas venting,multi beam echo sounder, parametric sub bottom profiler.

Intercomparison of a 'Bottom-up' and 'Top-down' Modeling Paradigm for estimating carbon and latent heat fluxes over a variety of vegetative regimes across the U.S., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biophysical models intended for routine applications at a range of scales should attempt to balance the competing demands of generality and simplicity and be capable of realistically simulating the response of CO2 and energy fluxes to environmental and physiological forcings. At the same time they m...

Mercury concentrations in estuarine sediments, Lavaca and Matagorda bays, Texas, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, David S.; Snyder, Grant L.; Taylor, R. Lynn

1998-01-01

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method 7471 (Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption) was an acceptable analytical method for determining the total mercury concentrations in the Lavaca-Matagorda Bays estuarine sediment samples. Measurement of additional trace metals would aid in the characterization of total mercury concentrations and in the identification of concentrator/collector relations that are principally responsible for the adsorption of mercurous compounds to particulates in the bottom sediments.

Lake Mohave Geophysical Survey 2002: GIS Data Release

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cross, VeeAnn A.; Foster, David S.; Twichell, David C.

2005-01-01

This CD-ROM contains sidescan-sonar imagery, sub-bottom reflection profiles, and an interpretive map derived from these data. These data were collected in Lake Mohave, a reservoir behind the Davis Dam and below the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. These data are veiwable within an Environmental system Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) Geographic Information system (GIS) ArcView 3.2 project file stored on this CD-ROM

Smokes and Obscurants: A Guidebook of Environmental Assessment. Volume 1. Method of Assessment and Appended Data

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-04

phytoplankton (microscopic, free-floating algae ), periphyton (microscopic algae that grow attached to rocks or other material), or pigmented bacteria that can...spontaneously with air when released from munitions. Consequently, white phosphorus is often combined with other materials that slow down smoke propagation . A...consumers, typically benthic crganisms (bottom-dwellers, such as mud worms and clams), which consume the primary consumers; and tertiary consumers

Management of Bottom Sediments Containing Toxic Substances: Proceedings of the U.S./Japan Experts Meeting (10th) Held at Kyoto, Japan on 30-31 October 1984.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-10-01

potential for bioaccumulation of cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, silver, pesticides, PCBs, petroleum hydrocarbons , and organotins. The concentration...the dredging projects indicated environmentally significant mortality poten- tial to benthic life. Bioaccumulation analyses for petroleum hydrocarbons ...ocean disposal, bioaccumulation analysis is conducted for total petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), DDT, mercury (Hg), and

Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hebbeln, D.; Wienberg, C.; Wintersteller, P.; Freiwald, A.; Becker, M.; Beuck, L.; Dullo, C.; Eberli, G. P.; Glogowski, S.; Matos, L.; Forster, N.; Reyes-Bonilla, H.; Taviani, M.

2014-04-01

With an extension of > 40 km2 the recently discovered Campeche cold-water coral province located at the northeastern rim of the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico belongs to the largest coherent cold-water coral areas discovered so far. The Campeche province consists of numerous 20-40 m-high elongated coral mounds that are developed in intermediate water depths of 500 to 600 m. The mounds are colonized by a vivid cold-water coral ecosystem that covers the upper flanks and summits. The rich coral community is dominated by the framework-building Scleractinia Enallopsammia profunda and Lophelia pertusa, while the associated benthic megafauna shows a rather scarce occurrence. The recent environmental setting is characterized by a high surface water production caused by a local upwelling center and a dynamic bottom-water regime comprising vigorous bottom currents, obvious temporal variability, and strong density contrasts, which all together provide optimal conditions for the growth of cold-water corals. This setting - potentially supported by the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Campeche area - controls the delivering of food particles to the corals. The Campeche cold-water coral province is, thus, an excellent example highlighting the importance of the oceanographic setting in securing the food supply for the development of large and vivid cold-water coral ecosystems.

Environmental forcing of the Campeche cold-water coral province, southern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hebbeln, D.; Wienberg, C.; Wintersteller, P.; Freiwald, A.; Becker, M.; Beuck, L.; Dullo, C.; Eberli, G. P.; Glogowski, S.; Matos, L.; Forster, N.; Reyes-Bonilla, H.; Taviani, M.; MSM 20-4 shipboard scientific party, the

2013-11-01

With an extension of >40 km2 the recently discovered Campeche cold-water coral province located at the northeastern rim of the Campeche Bank in the southern Gulf of Mexico belongs to the largest coherent cold-water coral areas discovered so far. The Campeche province consists of numerous 20 to 40 m high coral ridges that are developed in intermediate water depths of 500 to 600 m. The ridges are colonized by a vivid cold-water coral ecosystem that covers the upper flanks and summits. The rich coral community is dominated by the framework-building scleractinia Enallopsammia profunda and Lophelia pertusa while the associated benthic megafauna shows a rather scarce occurrence. The recent environmental setting is characterized by a high surface water production caused by a local upwelling center and a dynamic bottom water regime comprising vigorous bottom currents, internal waves and strong density contrasts, which all together provide optimal conditions for the growth of cold-water corals. The strong hydrodynamics - potentially supported by the diel vertical migration of zooplankton in the Campeche area - drive the delivering of food particles to the corals. The Campeche cold-water coral province is, thus, an excellent example highlighting the importance of the hydrographic setting in securing the food supply for the development of large and vivid cold-water coral ecosystems.

Pilot-scale road subbase made with granular material formulated with MSWI bottom ash and stabilized APC fly ash: environmental impact assessment.

PubMed

del Valle-Zermeño, R; Formosa, J; Prieto, M; Nadal, R; Niubó, M; Chimenos, J M

2014-02-15

A granular material (GM) to be used as road sub-base was formulated using 80% of weathered bottom ash (WBA) and 20% of mortar. The mortar was prepared separately and consisted in 50% APC and 50% of Portland cement. A pilot-scale study was carried on by constructing three roads in order to environmentally evaluate the performance of GM in a real scenario. By comparing the field results with those of the column experiments, the overestimations observed at laboratory scale can be explained by the potential mechanisms in which water enters into the road body and the pH of the media. An exception was observed in the case of Cu, whose concentration release at the test road was higher. The long-time of exposure at atmospheric conditions might have favoured oxidation of organic matter and therefore the leaching of this element. The results obtained showed that immobilization of all heavy metals and metalloids from APC is achieved by the pozzolanic effect of the cement mortar. This is, to the knowledge of the authors, the only pilot scale study that is considering reutilization of APC as a safe way to disposal. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity And Abundance Of Deep-Water Coral Mounds In The Straits Of Florida: A Result of Adaptability To Local Environments?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa, T. B.; Grasmueck, M.; Eberli, G.; Viggiano, D. A.; Rosenberg, A.; Reed, J. K.

2007-12-01

To improve the understanding of the Florida-Bahamas deep-water coral mound ecosystem, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) surveys were conducted on five coral mound fields throughout the Straits of Florida (three sites at the base of slope of Great Bahama Bank (GBB), one in the middle of the Straits (MS) and one at the base of the Miami Terrace (MT)) in water depths of 590 to 860 m. The AUV provides high-resolution bathymetric maps, sub-bottom profiles and oceanographic data. The AUV survey sites were subsequently groundtruthed via sample collection and video transects, using the Johnson Sealink submersible. Contrary to previous surveys, we found a high diversity in coral mound morphology between sites separated by 15 to 80 km. The MT site is characterized by sinusoidal coral mound ridges, while the MS site contains densely clustered small coral mounds. Meanwhile, mounds of the GBB region are better developed, with some individual mounds reaching up to 90 m in height. Benthic coverage of live corals also differs between sites; the GBB sites are characterized by mounds densely covered by large thickets of live corals, while small thickets of mostly dead corals dominate the MT and MS sites. Several environmental factors may explain these differences. For example, bottom current patterns change between sites. The MT and the MS sites have a unidirectional regime (southward or northward flow, respectively), whereas the GBB sites have a tidal current regime. Sedimentation patterns as depicted by sub-bottom profiles also vary between the sites; coral mounds in the GBB area appear to receive higher sediment input, which can significantly enhance mound growth rates as the reef framework baffles and traps mobile sediments. However, coral mounds that cannot keep-up with the sedimentation rate are buried. Therefore, in the high sedimentation areas of GBB, flourishing live coral mounds are limited to elevated positions (i.e. plateaus, ridges crests) where sediment accumulation is lessened. Corals in these raised locations also benefit from increased exposure to nutrient-rich tidal currents, supporting a denser live coral coverage. Sub-bottom profiles of the MT site show undulating coral ridges developed on top of a relatively flat sub-surface, indicating that antecedent topography is not the only factor determining mound distribution. The integrated AUV data suggest that variable environmental factors, such as sedimentation and current patterns, contribute to the high diversity between coral mound sites of the Straits of Florida. Environmental conditions change over distances of only a few kilometers creating localized and diverse deep-water coral habitats. The deepwater fauna adapts to the local oceanographic and geological conditions. This results in an unexpectedly high abundance of deep-water coral communities with diverse expressions.

Common variations in the pretest environment influence genotypic comparisons in models of anxiety.

PubMed

Izídio, G S; Lopes, D M; Spricigo, L; Ramos, A

2005-10-01

The behavioral characterization of rodent strains in different studies and laboratories can provide unreplicable results even when genotypes are kept constant and environmental control is maximized. In the present study, the influence of common laboratory environmental variables and their interaction with genotype on the results of behavioral tests of anxiety/emotionality were investigated. To this end, the inbred rat strains Lewis (LEW) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), which are known to differ for numerous emotionality-related behaviors, were tested in the open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM) and black/white box (BWB), while three environmental factors were systematically controlled and analyzed: (1) the experimenter handling the animal (familiar or unfamiliar); (2) the position of the home cage (top or bottom shelf of the rack) and (3) the behavioral state of the animal immediately before the test (arousal or rest). Experimenter familiarity did not alter the behavior of rats in the OF. Cage position, on the other hand, influenced the behavior in the OF and BWB, with rats housed in top cages appearing less anxious than those housed in the bottom. In the BWB (but not in the OF), these effects were genotype dependent. Finally, the behavioral state of the animals prior to testing altered the results of the EPM in a strain-dependent manner, with some anxiety-related genotypic differences being found only among rats that were aroused in their home cages. This study showed that common variations in the laboratory environment interact with genotype in behavioral tests of anxiety/emotionality. Recognizing and understanding such variations can help in the design of more effective experiments.

AQS-20 through-the-sensor environmental data sharing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steed, Chad A.; Sample, John; Harris, Mike; Avera, Will; Bibee, L. Dale

2005-05-01

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed an advanced architecture for connecting many maturing Through-The-Sensor (TTS) efforts for an end-to-end demonstration using the AQS-20 mine hunting sensor. The goal of TTS technologies is to exploit tactical sensors to characterize the battlespace environment for Navy Fleet Tactical Decision Aids (TDAs) with minimal impact on tactical systems. The AQS-20 Rapid Transition Process (RTP) will utilize the AQS-20 to demonstrate sensor data collection, processing, fusion, storage, distribution and use in a tactical decision aid. In recent years, NRL has shown that the AQS-20 can be used to obtain swath bathymetry and bottom sediment information in a single flight. In the AQS-20 RTP, these data will be processed and fused with historical databases to provide an improved environmental picture. The RTP will also utilize the Geophysical Data Base Variable resolution (GDBV) dynamic format for storing local datasets. The GDBV dynamic has been developed in prior years to provide an extensible, efficient data storage format for TTS systems. To provide the interconnectivity that is critical to Network Centric Warfare (NCW), the GDBV will be connected to the SPAWAR funded Tactical Environmental Data Services (TEDServices). To complete the flow of information from sensor to user, the RTP will transmit information to the MEDAL TDA through existing connections in The Naval Oceanographic Office"s (NAVOCEANO) Bottom Mapping Workstation (BMW). In addition, TEDServices will handle transmission of the AQS-20 data to NAVOCEANO who serves as the domain authority for oceanographic datasets in the U.S. Navy.

Socio-environmental cooperation and conflict? A discursive understanding and its application to the case of Israel and Palestine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ide, T.; Fröhlich, C.

2015-10-01

The existing literature faces difficulties when accounting for the simultaneity of socio-environmental conflict and cooperation. We suggest that this puzzle can be solved by more recent constructivist works, which argue that conflictive or cooperative behavior is driven by discursively constructed interests, identities and situation assessments. Based on a literature review and field interviews, we analyze and compare the dominant water discourses in Israel and Palestine with the discourse dominant among the activists of a water cooperation project between communities from Israel and the West Bank. Our main result is that discourses are indeed crucial for understanding water-related conflict and cooperation. This finding highlights the relevance of constructivist approaches in the study of socio-environmental conflict and cooperation as well as of practices of bottom-up discursive conflict transformation.

Latest Paleocene benthic extinction event on the southern Tethyan shelf (Egypt): Foraminiferal stable isotopic (δ13C, δ18O) records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitz, B.; Speijer, R. P.; Aubry, M.-P.

1996-04-01

The dramatic global extinction of 35% 50% of benthic foraminifera species in the deep sea in the latest Paleocene and associated negative excursions in δ13C and δ18O may be related to spreading of warm, saline bottom water from subtropical Tethyan shallow regions over the sea floor worldwide. Our study of neritic sections in Egypt shows that in the southern shallow Tethys, a prominent long-term change in bottom-water chemistry, sedimentation, and benthic foraminifera fauna was initiated at the time when the deep-sea benthic extinction event (BEE) took place. Bottom-water δ13C values on the Tethyan shelf show a sudden 3.0‰ negative shift at this event; however, contrary to the deep sea, in which the δ13C excursion was of short duration, Tethyan δ13C values did not fully return to preboundary values, but remained depressed by ˜1.5‰ for at least 1 m.y. The δ13C values at the Egyptian shelf during the BEE are much lower than would be expected if this was a source region for global deep water. The δ18O values indicate no significant change in bottom-water salinity or temperature at the BEE. The long-lasting environmental changes that began on the Egyptian shelf at the BEE may be related to, for example, gateway reorganization along the Tethyan seaway. Paleogeographic changes possibly also triggered a change in the loci of global deep-water formation; however, these loci must be sought in another part of the Tethys.

Contaminant distribution and accumulation in the surface sediments of Long Island Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mecray, E.L.; Buchholtz ten Brink, Marilyn R.

2000-01-01

The distribution of contaminants in surface sediments has been measured and mapped as part of a U.S. Geological Survey study of the sediment quality and dynamics of Long Island Sound. Surface samples from 219 stations were analyzed for trace (Ag, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V, Zn and Zr) and major (Al, Fe, Mn, Ca, and Ti) elements, grain size, and Clostridium perfringens spores. Principal Components Analysis was used to identify metals that may covary as a function of common sources or geochemistry. The metallic elements generally have higher concentrations in fine-grained deposits, and their transport and depositional patterns mimic those of small particles. Fine-grained particles are remobilized and transported from areas of high bottom energy and deposited in less dynamic regions of the Sound. Metal concentrations in bottom sediments are high in the western part of the Sound and low in the bottom-scoured regions of the eastern Sound. The sediment chemistry was compared to model results (Signell et al., 1998) and maps of sedimentary environments (Knebel et al., 1999) to better understand the processes responsible for contaminant distribution across the Sound. Metal concentrations were normalized to grain-size and the resulting ratios are uniform in the depositional basins of the Sound and show residual signals in the eastern end as well as in some local areas. The preferential transport of fine-grained material from regions of high bottom stress is probably the dominant factor controlling the metal concentrations in different regions of Long Island Sound. This physical redistribution has implications for environmental management in the region.

Investigation of impact phenomena on the marine structures: Part I - On the behaviour of thin-walled double bottom tanker during rock-structure interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabowo, A. R.; Cho, H. J.; Byeon, J. H.; Bae, D. M.; Sohn, J. M.

2018-01-01

Predicted loads, such as crew, cargo, and structure have been applied as main inputs during ship design and analysis. However, unexpected events on the sea has high possibility to deliver remarkable losses for ship, industry, and environment. Previous oil spill incident by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska is the perfect example which an environmental damage and industry loss are initiated by an impact phenomenon on the ship, i.e. grounding. Even though hull arrangement has adopted double hull system, grounding may threaten ship safety in various scenarios. This situation pushes society to demand sustainable investigation for impact phenomena on water transportation mode to update understanding in the phenomenon and ensure structural safety during ship operation. This work aimed to study structural behaviour of chemical tanker as a marine structure under impact, namely ship grounding. Bottom raking case was considered to be calculated by virtual experiment. The study was performed using nonlinear finite element (FE) method and an idealised geometry of seabed rock would be deployed to be hard obstruction. Observation on the selected crashworthiness criteria, i.e. internal energy and crushing force indicated that as advanced penetration occurred on the ship structure, the absorbed strain energy continued to increase, while major fluctuation appeared during the initial contact between obstruction and ship happened. Damage extent of several structural members during the crushing process was shown, which concluded that the bottom plating had the largest severity in forms of tearing mode among of all members on the bottom structure.

THE SM-1 ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM, NOVEMBER 1954- DECEMBER 1960

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pressman, M; Pruett, P B

1961-08-31

BS>An environmental radiological monitoring program was conducted. All data obtained during a period extending from l 1/2 years prior to SM-1 reactor start-up through more than 3 years of reactor operation are summarized. The period extended from November 1954 through December 1960. Samples assayed for radioactivity include river water and bottom silt, SM-1 condenser cooling water, subsurface ground water, rain and snow, atmospheric particles obtained by air filtration and fallout, and biota. The report concludes that after more than 3 years of SM-1 reactor operation, no significant increase has been noted in the radiological background level in the Fort Belvoirmore » area.« less

Iceberg ploughmark features on bottom surface of the South-Eastern Baltic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorokhov, Dmitry; Sivkov, Vadim; Dorokhova, Evgenia; Krechik, Viktor

2016-04-01

A detail swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar and acoustic profiling combined with sediment sampling during the 64th cruise of RV "Academic Mstislav Keldysh" (October 2015) allowed to identify new geomorphological features of the South-Eastern Baltic Sea bottom surface. The extended chaotic ploughmarks (furrows) in most cases filled with thin layer of mud were discovered on surface of the Gdansk-Gotland sill glacial deposits. They are observed on the depth of more than 70 m and have depth and width from 1 to 10 m. Most of them are v- or u-shaped stepped depressions. The side-scan records of similar geomorpholoical features are extensively reported from Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica (Goodwin et al., 1985; Dowdeswell et al., 1993). Ploughmarks are attributed to the action of icebergs scouring into the sediment as they touch bottom. We are suggest that furrows discovered in the South-Eastern Baltic Sea are also the result of iceberg scouring during the Baltic Ice Lake stage (more than 11 600 cal yr BP (Bjorck, 2008)). This assumption confirmed by occurrence of fragmental stones and boulders on the sea bottom surface which are good indicators of iceberg rafting (Lisitzin, 2003). Ice ploughmarks at sea bottom surface were not occurred before in the South-Eastern Baltic Sea. The study was financed by Russian Scientific Fund, grant number 14-37-00047. References Bjorck S. The late Quaternary development of the Baltic Sea Basin. In: The BACC Author Team (eds) Assessment of climate change for the Baltic Sea Basin. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. 2008. Dowdeswell J. A., Villinger H., Whittington R. J., Marienfeld P. Iceberg scouring in Scoresby Sund and on the East Greenland continental shelf // Marine Geology. V. 111. N. 1-2. 1993. P. 37-53. Goodwin C. R., Finley J. C., Howard L. M. Ice scour bibliography. Environmental Studies Revolving Funds Report No. 010. Ottawa. 1985. 99 pp. Lisitzin A. P. Sea-Ice and Iceberg Sedimentation in the Ocean: Recent and Past. Springer, Heidelberg, Germany. 2003.

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change – Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamson, Thomas

2016-01-01

Landsat recorded the devastation and continues to monitor the region’s wetlands. New Orleans, Louisiana, is near the bottom of the images along the Mississippi River. The city lies just south of Lake Pontchartrain. Hundreds of square miles of wetlands were lost after Katrina. Some marshlands became permanent water bodies. Some projects now aim to bring back marshlands because of their value in defending the coastline from storms.

Sound Propagation in Shallow Water. Volume 2. Unclassified Papers

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-11-15

and 22°. The component of the sound pressure normal to the sea-bottom has been received by a movable, motor -driven hydrophone (LC 10...the motor , the operation-status of which was controlled by magnetic relays. The total measuring interval was 44.5 cm. 16 NATO UNCLASSIFIED jmm...Then one may hope to learn , which criteria make different sea areas acoustically similar. To estimate the hierarchy of the environmental influences, a

Environmental Fate and tTransport of a New Energetic Material CL-20

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

the study suggest indirectly that availability of their respective food sources, bacteria and fungi, were also unaffected, or increased in soil CL-20...was placed inside each pot at the bottom in order to prevent soil loss during testing. Alfalfa seeds were inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria ...prior to sowing (Southern States Alfalfa-Clover Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria , lot no. 3092002, expiration date 07/2004 [Alfalfa toxicity tests were

Environmental Assessment of the Trinity River Discharge on Productivity in Trinity Bay.

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-09-15

3 Metallic Ion Concentrations ...... .................. ... 33 Mercury ........... .......................... 36 Arsenic...TB 25 SE 8-10 27.0 -- 35 TB 26 SE 12 27.0 -- 25 TB 27 SE 10-12 30.0 -- 37 TB 28 SE 6-10 -- 28 18 TABLE I (continued) Eh* H2S Mg Ca Mg/Ca Mercury ...the Houston Ship Channel. Metallic ion Concentrations Concentrations of mercury , arsenic, calcium, and magnesium ions were determined for each bottom

Sonar Detection and Classification of Underwater UXO and Environmental Parameters

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-09

For these targets, representations like those in Figs. 10 and 11 may be more useful because they focus on properties of the isolated target signal ... using time-frequency phenomena extracted from strong ROIs in target scattering data. In general, backscattered signals contain specular as well as...database of sonar target signals useful for developing and evaluating C/ID algorithms that separate UXO from bottom clutter and to look for and

Green Buildings: Benefits to Health, the Environment, and the Bottom Line. US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing, Washington, DC, May 15, 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Claire L.

2007-01-01

This paper presents a transcript of the speech delivered by the author at the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing, Washington, DC, May 15, 2007. The author talked about how the Healthy Schools Network works to ensure that every child will have an environmentally healthy school that is clean and in good repair. The organization…

Aquatic disposal field investigations Galveston, Texas, offshore disposal site. Evaluative summary. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, T.D.; Mathis, D.B.; Brannon, J.M.

This study was part of an investigation to determine the environmental effects of offshore dredged material disposal at Galveston, Texas. The biological portion of the study was conducted in two phases: a pilot survey of the dredged material disposal site (DMDS) to determine the areal distribution of the biota and sediments; and an experimental study to assess the effect of dredged material disposal on the biota at selected sites in the DMDS. Three experimental sites were investigated: a sandy bottom that received sand, shell, and silt-clay dredged material; a muddy bottom that received sand and shell dredged material; and amore » muddy bottom that received silt-clay dredged material. The magnitude of the effect on the benthic populations could not be accurately assessed because adequate predisposal data on natural sediment and benthic population changes were not available. Dredged material deposits had no apparent effect on feeding habits of fish or on the distribution of nekton, although some nektonic species may have congregated in the turbid water following dredged material disposal. Zooplankton and phytoplankton studies detected no population changes during disposal that could not have been due to sampling error. It is probable that sudden abiotic changes and commercial fishing activities cause more destruction of biota than dredging-related activities.« less

Groundfish overfishing, diatom decline, and the marine silica cycle: Lessons from Saanich Inlet, Canada, and the Baltic Sea cod crash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Timor; Yahel, Gitai; Yahel, Ruthy; Tunnicliffe, Verena; Herut, Barak; Snelgrove, Paul; Crusius, John; Lazar, Boaz

2009-12-01

In this study, we link groundfish activity to the marine silica cycle and suggest that the drastic mid-1980s crash of the Baltic Sea cod (Gadus morhua) population triggered a cascade of events leading to decrease in dissolved silica (DSi) and diatom abundance in the water. We suggest that this seemingly unrelated sequence of events was caused by a marked decline in sediment resuspension associated with reduced groundfish activity resulting from the cod crash. In a study in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada, we discovered that, by resuspending bottom sediments, groundfish triple DSi fluxes from the sediments and reduce silica accumulation therein. Using these findings and the available oceanographic and environmental data from the Baltic Sea, we estimate that overfishing and recruitment failure of Baltic cod reduced by 20% the DSi supply from bottom sediments to the surface water leading to a decline in the diatom population in the Baltic Sea. The major importance of the marginal ocean in the marine silica cycle and the associated high population density of groundfish suggest that groundfish play a major role in the silica cycle. We postulate that dwindling groundfish populations caused by anthropogenic perturbations, e.g., overfishing and bottom water anoxia, may cause shifts in marine phytoplankton communities.

A new seepage site south of Svalbard? Results from Eurofleets-2 BURSTER cruise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giulia Lucchi, Renata; Morigi, Caterina; Sabbatini, Anna; Mazzini, Adriano; Krueger, Martin; de Vittor, Cinzia; Kovacevic, Vedrana; Deponte, Davide; Stefano, Graziani; Bensi, Manuel; Langone, Leonardo; Eurofleets2-Burster*, Scientific Party Of

2017-04-01

The oceanographic and environmental characteristics of the Kveithola Glacial Trough, located south of Svalbard, have been investigated during the Eurofleets2-BURSTER project onboard the German icebreaker Polarstern (expedition PS99-1a, June, 19-20, 2016). The inner part of the glacial trough contains a complex sediment drift that deposited under persistent bottom currents, active in the area after Last Glacial Maximum. Notwithstanding the highly dynamic environment depicted from the morphological and structural characteristics of the Kveithola sediment drift, previous studies indicated the presence of an apparently "stagnant" environment with black anoxic sediments and absence of bottom current related sediment features. We present the preliminary results from the new dataset that includes micropaleontological, geochemical and microbial analyses of multi-core sediments; morphological analyses of sea floor sediments with benthic camera (Ocean Floor Observatory System); acoustic analyses of the sub-bottom record, and oceanographic analyses of CTD-Rosette sampling, all together indicating the possible presence of a new seepage site in the Arctic area south of 75°N Latitude. *Bazzaro, M., Biebow, N., Carbonara, K., Caridi, F., Dominiczak, A., Gamboa Sojo, V.M., Laterza R., Le Gall, C., Musco, M.E., Povea, P., Relitti, F., Ruggiero, L., Rui, L., Sánchez Guillamón, O., Tagliaferro, M., Topchiy, M., Wiberg, D., Zoch, D.

Pumping bottom water to prevent Korean red tide damage caused by Cochlodinium polykrikoides Margalef.

PubMed

Cho, Eun Seob; Moon, Seong Yong; Shu, Young Sang; Hwang, Jae Dong; Youn, Seok Hyun

2015-09-01

Cochlodinium polykrikoides Margalef produces annual massive blooms in Korean coastal waters which cause great damage to aquaculture and fisheries. Although various methods have been developed to remove the red tide of C. polykrikoides, release of yellow loess has been regarded as the most desirable technique for mitigation for over 10 years. Each August, strong irradiation generates water column stratification separating warm surface from colder bottom waters. Water from a distance of 0 (St. 1), 5 (St. 2), 10 (St. 3), and 15 m (St. 4) was pumped by running a pump for 0, 10, 30 and 90 min and characterized water temperature, salinity collected, suspended solids, Chl-a, and phytoplankton including C. polykrikoides. After running for 30 min, was temperature and salinity in surface water was similar to those of bottom water, and water column stratification completely reversed after 90 min. Likewise, suspended solids, Chl-a, and total phytoplankton cell density decreased after 30 min, but C. polykrikoides did not show strong removal because of low cell density during sampling. However, the number of C. polykrikoides was significantly diluted (80%) after 90 min. These results suggested that pumping device was as an environmentally-friendly method convenient to be install in fish cages and effective to remove C. polykrikoides stratified water column conditions.

The effects of environmental factors on daytime sandeel distribution and abundance on the Dogger Bank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Kooij, Jeroen; Scott, Beth E.; Mackinson, Steven

2008-10-01

Spring distribution and abundance of lesser sandeels during the day were linked to zooplankton densities, seabed substrate and various hydrographic factors using small scale empirical data collected in two areas on the Dogger Bank in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The results of a two-step generalized additive model (GAM) suggested that suitable seabed substrate and temperature best explain sandeel distribution (presence/absence) and that sandeel abundance (given presence) was best described by a model that included bottom temperature, difference between surface and bottom temperature and surface salinity. The current study suggests that suitable seabed substrate explains sandeel distribution in the water column. Bottom temperature and surface salinity also played an important role in explaining distribution and abundance, and we speculate that sandeels favour hydrographically dynamic areas. Contrary to our hypothesis sandeels were not strongly associated with areas of high zooplankton density. We speculate that in early spring on the western Dogger Bank plankton is still patchily distributed and that sandeels only emerge from the seabed when feeding conditions near their night-time burrowing habitat are optimal. The results also suggested that when abundance is over a threshold level, the number of sandeel schools increased rather than the schools becoming bigger. This relationship between patchiness and abundance has implications for mortality rates and hence fisheries management.

Metals accumulations during thermal processing of sewage sludge - characterization of bottom ash and air pollution control (APC) residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasina, Monika; Kowalski, Piotr R.; Michalik, Marek

2016-04-01

Due to increasing mass of sewage sludge, problems in its management have appeared. Over years sewage sludge was landfilled, however due to EU directives concerning environmental issues this option is no longer possible. This type of material is considered hazardous due to highly concentrated metals and harmful elements, toxic organic substances and biological components (e.g. parasites, microbes). Currently in Europe, incineration is considered to be the most reasonable method for sewage sludge treatment. As a result of sludge incineration significant amount of energy is recovered due to high calorific value of sewage sludge but bottom ash and APC residues are being produced. In this study we show the preliminary results of chemical and mineral analyses of both bottom ash and APC residues produced in fluidized bed boiler in sewage sludge incineration plant in Poland, with a special emphasis on metals which, as a part of incombustible fraction can accumulate in the residual materials after thermal processing. The bottom ash was a SiO2-P2O5-Fe2O3-CaO-Al2O3 dominated material. Main mineral phases identified in X-ray diffraction patterns were: quartz, feldspar, hematite, and phosphates (apatite and scholzite). The bottom ash was characterized by high content of Zn - 4472 mg kg-1, Cu - 665.5 mg kg-1, Pb - 138 mg kg-1, Ni - 119.5 mg kg-1, and interestingly high content of Au - 0.858 mg kg-1 The APC residues composition was dominated by soluble phases which represent more than 90% of the material. The XRD patterns indicated thenardite, halite, anhydrite, calcite and apatite as main mineral phases. The removal of soluble phases by dissolution in deionised water caused a significant mass reduction (ca. 3% of material remained on the filters). Calcite, apatite and quartz were main identified phases. The content of metals in insoluble material is relatively high: Zn - 6326 mg kg-1, Pb - 514.3 mg kg-1, Cu - 476.6 mg kg-1, Ni - 43.3 mg kg-1. The content of Cd, As, Se and Hg was noted also what can be a reason of potential environmental concerns. A significant reduction of sludge volume after incineration causes concentration of numerous elements in both types of residues. The removal of soluble fraction from APC residues caused almost a 30-fold additional concentration of elements what makes this material interesting in terms of metals recovery. A detailed identification of metals occurrences and their distribution within mineral phases will be of a great importance in determination of possibilities of their recovery. Acknowledgment: The study was supported by Polish Nacional Science Centre NCN grant No UMO-2014/15/B/ST10/04171

Ship breaking or scuttling? A review of environmental, economic and forensic issues for decision support.

PubMed

Devault, Damien A; Beilvert, Briac; Winterton, Peter

2017-11-01

In a globalized world, the world trade fleet plays a pivotal role in limiting transport costs. But, the management of obsolete ships is an acute problem, with most Ship Recycling Facilities (SRF) situated in developing countries. They are renowned for their controversial work and safety conditions and their environmental impact. Paradoxically, dismantlement is paid for by the shipowners in accordance with international conventions therefore it is more profitable for them to sell off ships destined for scrapping. Scuttling, the alternative to scrapping, is assessed in the present review to compare the cost/benefit ratios of the two approaches. Although scrapping provides employment and raw materials - but with environmental, health and safety costs - scuttling provides fisheries and diving tourism opportunities but needs appropriate management to avoid organic and metal pollution, introduction of invasive species and exacerbation of coastal erosion. It is also limited by appropriate bottom depth, ship type and number. The present review inventories the environmental, health, safety, economic, and forensic aspects of each alternative.

ENVRI PLUS: European initiative towards technical and research cultural solutions for across-disciplines accessible Research Infrastructure products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asmi, A.; Kutsch, W. L.

2015-12-01

Environmental Research Infrastructures are often built as bottom-up initiatives to provide products for specific target group, which often is very discipline specific. However, the societal or environmental challenges are typically not concentrated on specific disciplines, and require usage of data sets from many RIs. ENVRI PLUS is an initiative where the European environmental RIs work together to provide common technical background (in physical observation technologies and in data products and descriptions) to make the RI products more usable to user groups outside of the original RI target groups. ENVRI PLUS also includes many policy and dissemination concentrated actions to make the RI operations coherent and understandable to both scientists and other potential users. The actions include building common technological capital of the RIs (physical and data-oriented), creating common access procedures (especially for cross-diciplinary access), developing ethical guidelines and related policies, distributing know-how between RIs and building common communication and collaboration system for European environmental RIs. All ENVRI PLUS products are free to use, e.g. for use of new or existing environmental RIs worldwide.

Reconnaissance-level assessment of water and bottom-sediment quality, including pesticides and mercury, in Yankton Sioux Tribe wetlands, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, June-July 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaap, Bryan D.; Bartholomay, Roy C.

2006-01-01

During June and July 2005, water and bottom-sediment samples were collected from selected Yankton Sioux Tribe wetlands within the historic Reservation area of eastern Charles Mix County as part of a reconnaissance-level assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey and Yankton Sioux Tribe. The water samples were analyzed for pesticides and mercury species. In addition, the water samples were analyzed for physical properties and chemical constituents that might help further characterize the water quality of the wetlands. The bottom-sediment samples were analyzed for mercury species. During June 2005, water samples were collected from 19 wetlands and were analyzed for 61 widely used pesticide compounds. Many pesticides were not detected in any of the water samples and many others were detected only at low concentrations in a few of the samples. Thirteen pesticides were detected in water samples from at least one of the wetlands. Atrazine and de-ethyl atrazine were detected at each of the 19 wetlands. The minimum, maximum, and median dissolved atrazine concentrations were 0.056, 0.567, and 0.151 microgram per liter (?g/L), respectively. Four pesticides (alachlor, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, and dicamba) were detected in only one wetland each. The number of pesticides detected in any of the 19 wetlands ranged from 3 to 8, with a median of 6. In addition to the results for this study, recent previous studies have frequently found atrazine in Lake Andes and the Missouri River, but none of the atrazine concentrations have been greater than 3 ?g/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Level for atrazine in drinking water. During June and July 2005, water and bottom-sediment samples were collected from 10 wetlands. Water samples from each of the wetlands were analyzed for major ions, organic carbon, and mercury species, and bottom-sediment samples were analyzed for mercury species. For the whole-water samples, the total mercury concentrations ranged from 1.11 to 29.65 nanograms per liter (ng/L), with a median of 10.56 ng/L. The methylmercury concentrations ranged from 0.45 to 14.03 ng/L, with a median of 2.28 ng/L. For the bottom-sediment samples, the total mercury concentration ranged from 21.3 to 74.6 nanograms per gram (ng/g), with a median of 54.2 ng/g. The methylmercury concentrations ranged from <0.11 to 2.04 ng/g, with a median of 0.78 ng/g. The total mercury concentrations in the water samples were all much less than 2 ?g/L (2,000 ng/L), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Level for mercury in drinking water. However, water samples from four of the wetlands had concentrations larger than 0.012 ?g/L (12 ng/L), the State of South Dakota's chronic standard for surface waters, including wetlands. Maximum methylmercury concentrations for this study are larger than reported concentrations for wetlands in North Dakota and concentrations reported for the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

View Points of an Ecologist on Practical Environmental Ethic: Socioecology, Common-Pool Resources and Conservation.

PubMed

Castilla, Juan Carlos

2016-01-01

The paper centers on environmental practical ethic point of views according to a professional ecologist. Ecology and the science of Socio-ecology are defined. The framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment initiative (MA 2003), including the use of ecosystems as the environmental unit of analysis, ecosystem services and human well-being as the center for assessment are discussed. Common-pool resources (CPR) and the allegory of the tragedy of the commons are used to illustrate main scientific and ethical environmental approaches, and above all to highlight the case of climate change, considering ″air-atmosphere″ as a CPR. The need to adopt practical personal environmental ethical positions is highlighted. Furthermore, on climate change, a discussion on the need to develop environmental and socio-ecological polycentric approaches: top-down and bottom-up, is included. An updated discussion on the concept of conservation, including main scientific and ethic points of view, is presented. Pope Francis's Encyclical, Laudato Si', is used to highlight environmental, socio-ecological and ethical aspects behind the comprehensive concept of Integral Ecology. The paper ends with a short synthesis on Earth modern unseen and astonishing environmental and socio-ecological rates of changes, and identifying the main barriers for personal environmental engagement. A call is done regarding the urgent need for socio-environmental ethic personal engagement and collective actions.

Hydrodynamics and water quality models applied to Sepetiba Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunha, Cynara de L. da N.; Rosman, Paulo C. C.; Ferreira, Aldo Pacheco; Carlos do Nascimento Monteiro, Teófilo

2006-10-01

A coupled hydrodynamic and water quality model is used to simulate the pollution in Sepetiba Bay due to sewage effluent. Sepetiba Bay has a complicated geometry and bottom topography, and is located on the Brazilian coast near Rio de Janeiro. In the simulation, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) are used as indicators for the presence of organic matter in the body of water, and as parameters for evaluating the environmental pollution of the eastern part of Sepetiba Bay. Effluent sources in the model are taken from DO and BOD field measurements. The simulation results are consistent with field observations and demonstrate that the model has been correctly calibrated. The model is suitable for evaluating the environmental impact of sewage effluent on Sepetiba Bay from river inflows, assessing the feasibility of different treatment schemes, and developing specific monitoring activities. This approach has general applicability for environmental assessment of complicated coastal bays.

Prospects for land-use sustainability on the agricultural frontier of the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Galford, Gillian L; Soares-Filho, Britaldo; Cerri, Carlos E P

2013-06-05

The Brazilian Amazon frontier shows how remarkable leadership can work towards increased agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability without new greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to initiatives among various stakeholders, including national and state government and agents, farmers, consumers, funding agencies and non-governmental organizations. Change has come both from bottom-up and top-down actions of these stakeholders, providing leadership, financing and monitoring to foster environmental sustainability and agricultural growth. Goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land-cover and land-use change in Brazil are being achieved through a multi-tiered approach that includes policies to reduce deforestation and initiatives for forest restoration, as well as increased and diversified agricultural production, intensified ranching and innovations in agricultural management. Here, we address opportunities for the Brazilian Amazon in working towards low-carbon rural development and environmentally sustainable landscapes.

Prospects for land-use sustainability on the agricultural frontier of the Brazilian Amazon

PubMed Central

Galford, Gillian L.; Soares-Filho, Britaldo; Cerri, Carlos E. P.

2013-01-01

The Brazilian Amazon frontier shows how remarkable leadership can work towards increased agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability without new greenhouse gas emissions. This is due to initiatives among various stakeholders, including national and state government and agents, farmers, consumers, funding agencies and non-governmental organizations. Change has come both from bottom-up and top-down actions of these stakeholders, providing leadership, financing and monitoring to foster environmental sustainability and agricultural growth. Goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land-cover and land-use change in Brazil are being achieved through a multi-tiered approach that includes policies to reduce deforestation and initiatives for forest restoration, as well as increased and diversified agricultural production, intensified ranching and innovations in agricultural management. Here, we address opportunities for the Brazilian Amazon in working towards low-carbon rural development and environmentally sustainable landscapes. PMID:23610175

Global environmental change research: empowering developing countries.

PubMed

Nobre, Carlos A; Lahsen, Myanna; Ometto, Jean P H B

2008-09-01

This paper discusses ways to reconcile the United Nations Millennium Development Goals with environmental sustainability at the national and international levels. The authors argue that development and better use of sustainability relevant knowledge is key, and that this requires capacity building globally, and especially in the less developed regions of the world. Also essential is stronger integration of high-quality knowledge creation and technology--and policy--development, including, importantly, the creation of centers of excellence in developing regions which effectively use and produce applications-directed high quality research and bring it to bear on decision making and practices related to environmental change and sustainable management of natural resources. The authors argue that Southern centers of excellence are a necessary first step for bottom-up societal transformation towards sustainability, and that such centers must help design innovative ways to assess and place value on ecosystem services.

Environmental control technology (ECT) for geothermal processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Katz, G.

1982-01-01

The objectives of the environmental control technology (ECT) program are to develop research priorities, research new and alternative technologies and to improve economics and performance of ECT systems. The Interagency Geothermal Coordinating Council, Environmental Control Panel developed priorities and obtained industry input during 1980. H/sub 2/S controls, injection monitoring, solid waste characterization and control and subsidence were reviewed as high priority while noise controls were considered low priority. Since geothermal technology is still developing there is a need to continue researching new and alternative ECT. Often ECT systems must be designed for site specific applications and need modification for usemore » of other sites. Most of the US geothermal experience is found at the Geysers, California where H/sub 2/S abatement is required. Various systems have been tested with mixed results. The bottom line is that the economics and performance of H/sub 2/S abatement systems are less than desirable.« less

Soybean-derived biofuels and home heating fuels.

PubMed

Mushrush, George W; Wynne, James H; Willauer, Heather D; Lloyd, Christopher L

2006-01-01

It is environmentally enticing to consider replacing or blending petroleum derived heating fuels with biofuels for many reasons. Major considerations include the soaring worldwide price of petroleum products, especially home heating oil, the toxicity of the petroleum-derived fuels and the environmental damage that leaking petroleum tanks afford. For these reasons, it has been suggested that domestic renewable energy sources be considered as replacements, or at the least, as blending stocks for home heating fuels. If recycled soy restaurant cooking oils could be employed for this purpose, this would represent an environmental advantage. Renewable plant sources of energy tend to be less toxic than their petroleum counterparts. This is an important consideration when tank leakage occurs. Home fuel oil storage tanks practically always contain some bottom water. This water environment has a pH value that factors into heating fuel stability. Therefore, the question is: would the biofuel help or exacerbate fuel stability and furnace maintenance issues?

The present environmental scenario of the Nador Lagoon (Morocco).

PubMed

Ruiz, F; Abad, M; Olías, M; Galán, E; González, I; Aguilá, E; Hamoumi, N; Pulido, I; Cantano, M

2006-10-01

In this paper, we present a multivariate approach (waters, sediments, microfauna) concerning the environmental state of the Nador Lagoon (NE Morocco). The normal water quality parameters (salinity, pH, nutrients) of the dominant marine flows are altered by local fecal water effluents, urban discharges, sewages derived from a water treatment station, and residues originated in a slaughterhouse. The geochemical analyses carried out in surficial sediment samples show very high concentrations of all metals studied near an old iron mine and moderate contents between Nador and its treatment station. Ostracods are good bioindicators of these environmental impacts, with the presence of a highly brackish assemblage in the quieter, more confined areas or the appearance of opportunistic species under hypoxic conditions. In addition, these microcrustaceans are absent in polluted bottom sediments or areas with high hydrodynamic gradients, whereas they decrease in both density and diversity if the subaerial exposure increases.

Sedimentation and Occurrence and Trends of Selected Chemical Constituents in Bottom Sediment, Empire Lake, Cherokee County, Kansas, 1905-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, Kyle E.

2006-01-01

For about 100 years (1850-1950), the Tri-State Mining District in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma was one of the primary sources of lead and zinc ore in the world. The mining activity in the Tri-State District has resulted in substantial historical and ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment including Empire Lake in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas. The environmental contamination caused by the decades of mining activity resulted in southeast Cherokee County being listed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priority List as a superfund hazardous waste site in 1983. To provide some of the information needed to support efforts to restore the ecological health of Empire Lake, a 2-year study was begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. A combination of sediment-thickness mapping and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sediment deposition and the occurrence of cadmium, lead, zinc, and other selected constituents in the bottom sediment of Empire Lake. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment in Empire Lake were 44 million cubic feet and 2,400 million pounds, respectively. Most of the bottom sediment was located in the main body and the Shoal Creek arm of the reservoir. Minimal sedimentation was evident in the Spring River arm of the reservoir. The total mass of cadmium, lead, and zinc in the bottom sediment of Empire Lake was estimated to be 78,000 pounds, 650,000 pounds, and 12 million pounds, respectively. In the bottom sediment of Empire Lake, cadmium concentrations ranged from 7.3 to 76 mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram) with an overall median concentration of 29 mg/kg. Compared to an estimated background concentration of 0.4 mg/kg, the historical mining activity increased the median cadmium concentration by about 7,200 percent. Lead concentrations ranged from 100 to 950 mg/kg with an overall median concentration of 270 mg/kg. Compared to an estimated background concentration of 33 mg/kg, the median lead concentration was increased by about 720 percent as a result of mining activities. The range in zinc concentrations was 1,300 to 13,000 mg/kg with an overall median concentration of 4,900 mg/kg. Compared to an estimated background concentration of 92 mg/kg, the median zinc concentration was increased by about 5,200 percent. Within Empire Lake, the largest sediment concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc were measured in the main body of the reservoir. Within the Spring River arm of the reservoir, increased concentrations in the downstream direction likely were the result of tributary inflow from Short Creek, which drains an area that has been substantially affected by historical lead and zinc mining. Compared to nonenforceable sediment-quality guidelines, all Empire Lake sediment samples (representing 21 coring sites) had cadmium concentrations that exceeded the probable-effects guideline (4.98 mg/kg), which represents the concentration above which toxic biological effects usually or frequently occur. With one exception, cadmium concentrations exceeded the probable-effects guideline by about 180 to about 1,400 percent. With one exception, all sediment samples had lead concentrations that exceeded the probable-effects guideline (128 mg/kg) by about 10 to about 640 percent. All sediment samples had zinc concentrations that exceeded the probable-effects guideline (459 mg/kg) by about 180 to about 2,700 percent. Overall, cadmium, lead, and zinc concentrations in the bottom sediment of Empire Lake have decreased over time following the end of lead and zinc mining in the area. However, the concentrations in the most recently deposited bottom sediment (determined for 4 of 21 coring sites) still exceeded the probable-effects guideline by about 440 to 640 percent for cadmium, about 40 to 80 percent for lead, and about 580

Environmental Equity through Negotiation: A Case Study on Urban Landfills and the Roma Community.

PubMed

Petrescu-Mag, Ruxandra Mălina; Petrescu, Dacinia Crina; Oroian, Ioan Gheorghe; Safirescu, Ovidiu Călin; Bican-Brișan, Nicoleta

2016-06-14

The paper discusses the necessity to bring environmental equity within the Pata Rât Roma community in Northwest Romania, relying on the answers to three questions: "Does environmental equity exist in Pata Rât?", "How can it be attained?", and "To what extent can it be brought to the targeted people?" It was shown how a trio of factors tailors the destiny of Roma inhabitants: being a minority, their ethnicity, and the fact they are living on and off what society rejects and dumps-a landfill. The framing of the environmental equity concerns within a vision considering negotiation as the most adequate means to attain it is a novel approach. Further on, the results of the study can fuel win-win solutions in environmental equity. The information abstracted from a set of indicators, assessed through an evaluation matrix, represents a beneficial platform for future bottom-up decisions concerning landfill residents. Three action options were analyzed: on-site living opportunities-that resulted to be preferred, off-site living opportunities, and "Do nothing". The analysis provides qualitative evidence that the evaluation of environmental equity is largely subjective, because of its complexity and specificity related to geographical, historical, cultural characteristics, and political interests.

Environmental regulations: their impact on the battery and lead industries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ainley, John R.

This paper presents a general overview of the past and current position of the lead industry in relation to environmental legislation and its impact. The lead industry has watched environmental lead levels being steadily reduced down to levels that, ten years ago, would have been considered unachievable. Nevertheless, the industry has managed to survive the effect of the ever-increasing demands of environmental controls. During the last ten to twenty years, lead producers and users have had to assess their future positions, as the cost implications of environmental laws have had a significant impact on their bottom lines. Without doubt, this consideration most definitely affected the viability of many plants. The need to be aware of the existence of new and proposed legislation is of paramount importance, as the threat from the vast array of EEC legislation is ever apparent. Lead companies have all considered environmental legislation to have no more than a nuisance value, but it is of vital importance to the future of the industry that such legislation is approached in a positive and sensible way in order to demonstrate a full commitment to protecting both employees and the general environment. Lead must receive the credit that it so richly deserves.

Final Environmental Assessment, Conversion of Forest Land to Road Right-of-Way, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

birds overwinter in western parts of the state, particularly at Reelfoot Lake , and at Dale Hollow Reservoir. However, bald eagles may occur on almost...Department of Agriculture [USDA] Soil Conservation Service [SCS], 1949). 3.3.2 Hydrology Hydrological features consist of surface waters ( lakes ...in water resulting from erosion. Sediment from runoff causes cloudy water and covers the bottom of streams and lakes . These conditions limit the

General Design Memorandum, Gulfport Harbor, Mississippi. Design Memorandum Number 1. Appendix D. Environmental Documentation

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

thousands of acres of wetlands have been lost as a result of rapid coastal development. In view of their important ecological functions, it becomes... ecological roles: 1. trap sediment and stabilize bottom sediments; 2. carry on basic productivity that, in the eastern gulf, may considerably exceed the...be different, depending on the ecological attributes of the replacement habitat. This would result in no net loss of total habitat value, but might

Laboratory and Field Studies of the Acoustics of Multiphase Ocean Bottom Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-30

data from this measurement campaign is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The statistical nature of this data will be assesed and comparison to models... environmental regulations limiting sound levels in the water, even for this source, which is intended to replace SUS. We conducted an engineering...Finally, a full listing of all grant-related activities is shown in the Fiscal Year Publications section below. IMPACT /APPLICATIONS The Biot-based

Release of man-made radionuclides into seawater from dumped and sunken nuclear- and radiation-hazardous objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vysotsky, V. L.; Sivintsev, Yu. V.; Sotnikov, V. A.; Khokhlov, V. N.

2014-12-01

The methodology and results of a weighted average evaluation of the release of man-made radio-nuclides into seawater out of nuclear- and radiation-hazardous objects located on the sea bottom over a long period of time (from dumping/sinking to complete destruction of their structural elements) are presented in the paper. The expected radio-ecological implications of environmental contamination are estimated for the main stages of destruction.

Analyses of Impacts of Bottom Sediments from Grand Calumet River and Indiana Harbor Canal on Water Quality

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

use of such commercial products . The D-sernes of reports includes publications of the Environmental Effects of Dredging Programs Dredging Operations...many, toxic contaminants are now seen to be a more important factor limit- ing biological productivity than more conventional contaminants such as...principal product of the HydroQual WLA study was a mathematical WLA model of the GCR/IHC system. To collect data necessary for calibration and

Maps showing textural characteristics of benthic sediments in the Corpus Christi Bay estuarine system, south Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shideler, Gerald L.; Stelting, Charles E.; McGowen, Joseph H.

1981-01-01

Corpus Christi Bay is a heavily used estuary on the south Texas coast in the northwest Gulf of Mexico (fig. 1).  The Bay is stressed by diverse activities which could substantially affect its ecosystem.  Such activities include shipping, resource production (oil, gas, and construction aggregate), commercial and sport fishing, and recreation.  Shipping activities alone have had a substantial impact on the bay.  For example, the past maintenance of navigation channels has required extensive dredging and spoil disposal within the estuarine system.  Numerous subaqueous spoil disposal sites and subaerial spoil banks are present throughout the bay (fig. 1), and the selection of future spoil disposal sites is becoming a critical local problem.  As activities in the bay increase, the need for effective environmental management becomes increasingly important, and effective management necessitates a good understanding of the bay's physical characteristics.  The objective of this study is to provide detailed information about the textural composition of bottom sediments within the estuarine system, information which could be used in making environmental-management decisions.  Visual descriptions of bottom sediments in Corpus Christi Bay and adjacent areas have been presented by McGowen and Morton (1979).  Additionally, a study of the textures of sediments on the Inner Continental Shelf adjacent to the bay has been presented by Shideler and Berryhill (1977).

Deep-sea benthic habitats modeling and mapping in a NE Atlantic seamount (Galicia Bank)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serrano, A.; González-Irusta, J. M.; Punzón, A.; García-Alegre, A.; Lourido, A.; Ríos, P.; Blanco, M.; Gómez-Ballesteros, M.; Druet, M.; Cristobo, J.; Cartes, J. E.

2017-08-01

This study presents the results of seafloor habitat identification and mapping of a NE Atlantic deep seamount. An ;assemble first, predict later; approach has been followed to identify and map the benthic habitats of the Galicia Bank (NW Iberian). Biotic patterns inferred from the survey data have been used to drive the definition of benthic assemblages using multivariate tools. Eight assemblages, four hard substrates and four sedimentary ones, have been described from a matrix of structural species. Distribution of these assemblages was correlated with environmental factors (multibeam and backscatter data) using binomial GAMs. Finally, the distribution model of each assemblage was applied to produce continuous maps and pooled in a final map with the distribution of the main benthic habitats. Depth and substrate type are key factors when determining soft bottom communities, whereas rocky habitat distribution is mainly explained by rock slope and orientation. Enrichment by northern water masses (LSW) arriving to GB and possible zooplankton biomass increase at vertical-steep walls by ;bottom trapping; can explain the higher diversity of habitat providing filter-feeders at slope rocky breaks. These results concerning vulnerable species and habitats, such as Lophelia and Madrepora communities and black and bamboo coral aggregations were the basis of the Spanish proposal of inclusion within the Natura 2000 network. The aim of the present study was to establish the scientific criteria needed for managing and protecting those environmental values.

Modelling the dispersion of treated wastewater in a shallow coastal wind-driven environment, Geographe Bay, Western Australia: implications for environmental management.

PubMed

Dunn, Ryan J K; Zigic, Sasha; Shiell, Glenn R

2014-10-01

Numerical models are useful for predicting the transport and fate of contaminants in dynamic marine environments, and are increasingly a practical solution to environmental impact assessments. In this study, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model and field data were used to validate a far-field dispersion model that, in turn, was used to determine the fate of treated wastewater (TWW) discharged to the ocean via a submarine ocean outfall under hypothetical TWW flows. The models were validated with respect to bottom and surface water current speed and direction, and in situ measurements of total nitrogen and faecal coliforms. Variations in surface and bottom currents were accurately predicted by the model as were nutrient and coliform concentrations. Results indicated that the ocean circulation was predominately wind driven, evidenced by relatively small oscillations in the current speeds along the time-scale of the tide, and that dilution mixing zones were orientated in a predominantly north-eastern direction from the outfall and parallel to the coastline. Outputs of the model were used to determine the 'footprint' of the TWW plume under a differing discharge scenario and, particularly, whether the resultant changes in TWW contaminants, total nitrogen and faecal coliforms would meet local environmental quality objectives (EQO) for ecosystem integrity, shellfish harvesting and primary recreation. Modelling provided a practical solution for predicting the dilution of contaminants under a hypothetical discharge scenario and a means for determining the aerial extent of exclusion zones, where the EQOs for shellfish harvesting and primary recreation may not always be met. Results of this study add to the understanding of regional discharge conditions and provide a practical case study for managing impacts to marine environments under a differing TWW discharge scenario, in comparison to an existing scenario.

Macrobenthic molluscs from a marine - lagoonal environmental transition in Lesvos Island (Greece).

PubMed

Evagelopoulos, Athanasios; Koutsoubas, Drosos; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Katsiaras, Nikolaos

2016-01-01

This paper describes an occurence dataset, also including numerical abundance and biomass data, pertaining to the macrobenthic molluscan assemblages from a marine - lagoonal environmental transition. The study system was the soft-substrate benthoscape of the area of the Kalloni solar saltworks (Lesvos Island, Greece). Specifically, the study area extended from the infralittoral zone of the inner Kalloni Gulf (marine habitat) to the bottoms of the first two evaporation ponds of the Kalloni solar saltworks (lagoonal habitat). Bottom sediment samples (3 replicates) were collected with a Van Veen grab sampler (0.1 m 2 ) at four sampling sites, along a 1.5 km long line transect that spanned the marine - lagoonal environmental transition. A total of four surveys were carried out seasonally in 2004.  A total of 39,345 molluscan individuals were sorted out of the sediment samples and were identified to 71 species, belonging to the Gastropoda (36), Bivalvia (34) and Scaphopoda (1) classes. Numerical abundance and wet biomass (with shells) data are included in the dataset. The dataset described in the present paper partially fills a significant gap in the scientific literature: Because ecological research of coastal lagoons has seldom explicitly considered the marine - lagoonal habitats interface, there are no openly accessible datasets pertaining to the particular structural component of the transitional waters benthoscapes of the Mediterranean Sea. Such datasets could prove valuable in the research of the structure and functioning of transitional waters benthoscapes. The present dataset is available as a supplementary file (Suppl. material 1) and can also be accessed at http://ipt.medobis.eu/resource?r=kalloni_saltworks_phd.

Correlated evolution between mode of larval development and habitat in muricid gastropods.

PubMed

Pappalardo, Paula; Rodríguez-Serrano, Enrique; Fernández, Miriam

2014-01-01

Larval modes of development affect evolutionary processes and influence the distribution of marine invertebrates in the ocean. The decrease in pelagic development toward higher latitudes is one of the patterns of distribution most frequently discussed in marine organisms (Thorson's rule), which has been related to increased larval mortality associated with long pelagic durations in colder waters. However, the type of substrate occupied by adults has been suggested to influence the generality of the latitudinal patterns in larval development. To help understand how the environment affects the evolution of larval types we evaluated the association between larval development and habitat using gastropods of the Muricidae family as a model group. To achieve this goal, we collected information on latitudinal distribution, sea water temperature, larval development and type of substrate occupied by adults. We constructed a molecular phylogeny for 45 species of muricids to estimate the ancestral character states and to assess the relationship between traits using comparative methods in a Bayesian framework. Our results showed high probability for a common ancestor of the muricids with nonpelagic (and nonfeeding) development, that lived in hard bottoms and cold temperatures. From this ancestor, a pelagic feeding larva evolved three times, and some species shifted to warmer temperatures or sand bottoms. The evolution of larval development was not independent of habitat; the most probable evolutionary route reconstructed in the analysis of correlated evolution showed that type of larval development may change in soft bottoms but in hard bottoms this change is highly unlikely. Lower sea water temperatures were associated with nonpelagic modes of development, supporting Thorson's rule. We show how environmental pressures can favor a particular mode of larval development or transitions between larval modes and discuss the reacquisition of feeding larva in muricids gastropods.

Plankton assembly in an ultra-oligotrophic Antarctic lake over the summer transition from the ice-cover to ice-free period: A size spectra approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rochera, Carlos; Quesada, Antonio; Toro, Manuel; Rico, Eugenio; Camacho, Antonio

2017-03-01

Lakes from the Antarctic maritime region experience climate change as a main stressor capable of modifying their plankton community structure and function, essentially because summer temperatures are commonly over the freezing point and the lake's ice cap thaws. This study was conducted in such seasonally ice-covered lake (Lake Limnopolar, Byers Peninsula, Livingston Is., Antarctica), which exhibits a microbial dominated pelagic food web. An important feature is also the occurrence of benthic mosses (Drepanocladus longifolius) covering the lake bottom. Plankton dynamics were investigated during the ice-thawing transition to the summer maximum. Both bacterioplankton and viral-like particles were higher near the lake's bottom, suggesting a benthic support. When the lake was under dim conditions because of the snow-and-ice cover, autotrophic picoplankters dominated at deep layers. The taxa-specific photopigments indicated dominance of picocyanobacteria among them when the light availability was lower. By contrast, larger and less edible phytoplankton dominated at the onset of the ice melting. The plankton size spectra were fitted to the continuous model of Pareto distribution. Spectra evolved similarly at two sampled depths, in surface and near the bottom, with slopes increasing until mid-January. However, slopes were less steep (i.e., size classes more uniformly distributed) at the bottom, thus denoting a more efficient utilization of resources. These findings suggest that microbial loop pathways in the lake are efficiently channelized during some periods to the metazoan production (mainly the copepod Boeckella poppei). Our results point to that trophic interactions may still occur in these lakes despite environmental harshness. This results of interest in a framework of increasing temperatures that may reduce the climatic restrictions and therefore stimulate biotic interactions.

The analysis of mechanical properties of non autoclaved aerated concrete with the substitution of fly ash and bottom ash

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karolina, R.; Muhammad, F.

2018-02-01

Based on PP. No.85 of 1999 on the management of hazardous and toxic (B3), fly ash and bottom ash wastes are categorized into B3 waste because there are heavy metal oxide contents that can pollute the environment. One form of environmental rescue that can be applied is to utilize waste fly ash and bottom ash in the manufacture of concrete. In this research, fly ash and bottom ash waste are used as substitution of cement and fine aggregate to make lightweight concrete. The purpose of this research is to know the mechanical properties of non-autoclaved aerated lightweight concrete (NAAC) with FA and BA substitution to cement and fine aggregate which is expected to improve the quality of concrete. The NAAC lightweight concrete in this study is divided into 4 categories: normal NAAC lightweight concrete, NAAC lightweight NAAC substituted concrete with FA, NAAC lightweight concrete substituted with BA, and NAAC combined light weight from FA and BA with variations of 10%, 20% And 30%. The test specimen used in cylindrical shape, which was tested at the age of 28 days, amounted to 90 pieces and consisted of 10 variations. Each variation amounted to 9 samples. Based on the test results with FA and BA substitutions of 10%, 20%, and 30%, the highest compressive strength was achieved in samples with FA 30% of 12.687 MPa, maximum tensile strength achieved in samples with FA 30% of 1,540 MPa, The highest absorption was achieved in normal NAAC of 5.66%. Based on the weight of the contents of all samples, samples can be categorized in lightweight concrete, since the weight of the contents is less than 1900 kg / m3.

Systems Analysis Approach for the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimmel, William M.

2011-01-01

This conference paper describes the current systems analysis approach being implemented for the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project within the Integrated Systems Research Program under the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The scope and purpose of these systems studies are introduced followed by a methodology overview. The approach involves both top-down and bottoms-up components to provide NASA s stakeholders with a rationale for the prioritization and tracking of a portfolio of technologies which enable the future fleet of aircraft to operate with a simultaneous reduction of aviation noise, emissions and fuel-burn impacts to our environment. Examples of key current results and relevant decision support conclusions are presented along with a forecast of the planned analyses to follow.

Lake Pontchartrain Basin: bottom sediments and related environmental resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manheim, Frank T.; Hayes, Laura

2002-01-01

Lake Pontchartrain is the largest estuary southern Louisiana. It is an important recreational, commercial, and environmental resource for New Orleans and southwestern Louisiana. This publication is part of a 5-year cooperative program led by the USGS on the geological framework and sedimentary processes of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.This presentation is divided into two main parts:- Scientific Research and Assessments- Multimedia Tools and Regional ResourcesThe scientific sections include historical information on the area; shipboard, field, and remote sensing studies; and a comprehensive sediment database with geological and chemical discussions of the region.The multimedia and resources sections include Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and data, a video demonstrating vibracore sampling techniques in Lake Pontchartrain, and abstracts from four Basics of the Basin symposia.

Environmental impact assessment of coal power plants in operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartan, Ayfer; Kucukali, Serhat; Ar, Irfan

2017-11-01

Coal power plants constitute an important component of the energy mix in many countries. However, coal power plants can cause several environmental risks such as: climate change and biodiversity loss. In this study, a tool has been proposed to calculate the environmental impact of a coal-fired thermal power plant in operation by using multi-criteria scoring and fuzzy logic method. We take into account the following environmental parameters in our tool: CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, fly ash, bottom ash, the cooling water intake impact on aquatic biota, and the thermal pollution. In the proposed tool, the boundaries of the fuzzy logic membership functions were established taking into account the threshold values of the environmental parameters which were defined in the environmental legislation. Scoring of these environmental parameters were done with the statistical analysis of the environmental monitoring data of the power plant and by using the documented evidences that were obtained during the site visits. The proposed method estimates each environmental impact factor level separately and then aggregates them by calculating the Environmental Impact Score (EIS). The proposed method uses environmental monitoring data and documented evidence instead of using simulation models. The proposed method has been applied to the 4 coal-fired power plants that have been operation in Turkey. The Environmental Impact Score was obtained for each power plant and their environmental performances were compared. It is expected that those environmental impact assessments will contribute to the decision-making process for environmental investments to those plants. The main advantage of the proposed method is its flexibility and ease of use.

Argonne National Laboratory-East site environmental report for calendar year 1998.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golchert, N.W.; Kolzow, R.G.

1999-08-26

This report discusses the results of the environmental protection program at Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) for 1998. To evaluate the effects of ANL-E operations on the environment, samples of environmental media collected on the site, at the site boundary, and off the ANL-E site were analyzed and compared with applicable guidelines and standards. A variety of radionuclides were measured in air, surface water, on-site groundwater, and bottom sediment samples. In addition, chemical constituents in surface water, groundwater, and ANL-E effluent water were analyzed. External penetrating radiation doses were measured, and the potential for radiation exposure to off-site population groups wasmore » estimated. Results are interpreted in terms of the origin of the radioactive and chemical substances (i.e., natural, fallout, ANL-E, and other) and are compared with applicable environmental quality standards. A US Department of Energy dose calculation methodology, based on International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations and the US Environmental Protection Agency's CAP-88 (Clean Air Act Assessment Package-1988) computer code, was used in preparing this report. The status of ANL-E environmental protection activities with respect to the various laws and regulations that govern waste handling and disposal is discussed, along with the progress of environmental corrective actions and restoration projects.« less

Detection to the DepositFan Occurring in the Sun Moon Lake Using Geophysical Sonar Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mimi, L.

2014-12-01

Located in central Taiwan, the Sun Moon Lake is an U-shaped basin with the waters capacity for 138.68 × 106m³. The water is input through two underground tunnels from the Wu-Jie dam in the upstream of the Zhuo-shui river. Although the Wu-Jie dam has been trying to keep the tunnels transporting clean water into the lake, the water is still mixed with muds. The silty water brings the deposits accumulating outwards from positions of the tunnel outlets resulting in a deposit fan formed in the lake. To monitor how the fan is accumulated is then very important in terms of environmental issue, tourism and electric power resources. Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University therefore conducted projects to use the multi-beam echo sounders to collect bathymetric data, and used the Chirp sub-bottom profiler to explore silted pattern inside the deposit fan. With these data, underwater topographic maps were plotted to observe the shape and internal structure of the fan. Moreover, two sets of data obtained in 2006 and 2012 were used to estimate the siltation magnitude and pattern in the six years period.The multi-beam sounder is Resons Seabat 9001s model; it collects 60 values in each of the swaths positioned by the DGPS method.The sub-bottom profiler is the EdgeTech 3100P Chirp Sonar, its acoustic wave frequency is in 2 ~ 16kHz. The data give the siltation amount in the Sun Moon Lake was around 3× 106 m³, which gives annual siltation rate at 5× 105 m³. The leading edge of the deposit fan has been expanded westwards 2 km from the water outlet since the tunnel was built 70 years ago; however, outside the deposit fan, the siltation shows insignificant amount on the water bottom.In the past few years the siltation mainly occurs outside in the east side of lake, more closer to the water outlets, the terrain had been increased from 744 m to 746 m (748.5 meters is stranded level of the lake).Observing sub-bottom profiler data, we can clearly see the location of the paleo-hard- bottom of the lake before the siltation occurred. These sub-bottom profiles can be used to check or to analyze episodic deposition behavior in producing the deposit fan.

Technological Innovations of Carbon Dioxide Injection in EAF-LF Steelmaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Guangsheng; Zhu, Rong; Wu, Xuetao; Dong, Kai; Yang, Lingzhi; Liu, Runzao

2018-06-01

In this study, the recent innovations and improvements in carbon dioxide (CO2) injection technologies for electric arc furnace (EAF)-ladle furnace (LF) steelmaking processes have been reviewed. The utilization of CO2 in the EAF-LF steelmaking process resulted in improved efficiency, purity and environmental impact. For example, coherent jets with CO2 and O2 mixed injection can reduce the amount of iron loss and dust generation, and submerged O2 and powder injection with CO2 in an EAF can increase the production efficiency and improve the dephosphorization and denitrification characteristics. Additionally, bottom-blowing CO2 in an EAF can strengthen molten bath stirring and improve nitrogen removal, while bottom-blowing CO2 in a LF can increase the rate of desulfurization and improve the removal of inclusions. Based on these innovations, a prospective process for the cyclic utilization of CO2 in the EAF-LF steelmaking process is introduced that is effective in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the steelmaking shop.

Introduction of a functionally novel consumer to a low diversity system: Effects of the mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii on meiobenthos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lokko, Külli; Kotta, Jonne; Orav-Kotta, Helen; Nurkse, Kristiina; Pärnoja, Merli

2018-02-01

The Harris mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii recently expanded into much of the Baltic Sea. This invasion is expected to have significant effects on the structure and functioning of benthic ecosystems due to the lack of native crabs. Habitat type potentially modulates the effects as crabs are expected to behave differently in different habitats. In this study we experimentally evaluated the effect of R. harrisii on the species composition and dominance structure of shallow water meiobenthos within common habitat types of the north-eastern Baltic Sea. Among the studied environmental variables R. harrisii had by far the strongest effects on meiobenthos. The effects of R. harrisii varied among different habitats with the crab mostly modifying taxonomic composition and species abundances of meiobenthic communities on unvegetated soft bottom sediments. Our experiment also showed that boulders provided shelter for R. harrisii and thereby reduced their burrowing activity and effects on the adjacent soft bottom meiobenthos.

Chemicals of emerging concern in water and bottom sediment in the Great Lakes Basin, 2012: collection methods, analytical methods, quality assurance, and study data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Kathy E.; Langer, Susan K.; Menheer, Michael A.; Hansen, Donald S.; Foreman, William T.; Furlong, Edward T.; Jorgenson, Zachary G.; Choy, Steven J.; Moore, Jeremy N.; Banda, JoAnn; Gefell, Daniel J.

2015-01-01

During this study, 53 environmental samples, 4 field duplicate samples, and 8 field spike samples of bottom sediment and laboratory matrix-spike samples were analyzed for a wide variety of CECs at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory using laboratory schedule 5433 for wastewater indicators; research method 6434 for steroid hormones, sterols, and bisphenol A; and research method 9008 for human-use pharmaceuticals and antidepressants. Forty of the 57 chemicals analyzed using laboratory schedule 5433 had detectable concentrations ranging from 1 to 49,000 micrograms per kilogram. Fourteen of the 20 chemicals analyzed using research method 6434 had detectable concentrations ranging from 0.04 to 24,940 nanograms per gram. Ten of the 20 chemicals analyzed using research method 9008 had detectable concentrations ranging from 0.59 to 197.5 micrograms per kilogram. Five of the 11 chemicals analyzed using research method 9008 had detectable concentrations ranging from 1.16 to 25.0 micrograms per kilogram.

Technological Innovations of Carbon Dioxide Injection in EAF-LF Steelmaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Guangsheng; Zhu, Rong; Wu, Xuetao; Dong, Kai; Yang, Lingzhi; Liu, Runzao

2018-03-01

In this study, the recent innovations and improvements in carbon dioxide (CO2) injection technologies for electric arc furnace (EAF)-ladle furnace (LF) steelmaking processes have been reviewed. The utilization of CO2 in the EAF-LF steelmaking process resulted in improved efficiency, purity and environmental impact. For example, coherent jets with CO2 and O2 mixed injection can reduce the amount of iron loss and dust generation, and submerged O2 and powder injection with CO2 in an EAF can increase the production efficiency and improve the dephosphorization and denitrification characteristics. Additionally, bottom-blowing CO2 in an EAF can strengthen molten bath stirring and improve nitrogen removal, while bottom-blowing CO2 in a LF can increase the rate of desulfurization and improve the removal of inclusions. Based on these innovations, a prospective process for the cyclic utilization of CO2 in the EAF-LF steelmaking process is introduced that is effective in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the steelmaking shop.

Integral recycling of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash fines (0-2mm) and industrial powder wastes by cold-bonding pelletization.

PubMed

Tang, P; Brouwers, H J H

2017-04-01

The cold-bonding pelletizing technique is applied in this study as an integrated method to recycle municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash fines (BAF, 0-2mm) and several other industrial powder wastes. Artificial lightweight aggregates are produced successfully based on the combination of these solid wastes, and the properties of these artificial aggregates are investigated and then compared with others' results reported in literature. Additionally, methods for improving the aggregate properties are suggested, and the corresponding experimental results show that increasing the BAF amount, higher binder content and addition of polypropylene fibres can improve the pellet properties (bulk density, crushing resistance, etc.). The mechanisms regarding to the improvement of the pellet properties are discussed. Furthermore, the leaching behaviours of contaminants from the produced aggregates are investigated and compared with Dutch environmental legislation. The application of these produced artificial lightweight aggregates are proposed according to their properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Currents and water characteristics around the West Flower Garden Bank. [West Flower Garden Bank, coral reef, Texas continental shelf

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horne, D.J.

1986-01-01

The West Flower Garden Bank is a coral reef on the Texas Continental shelf. The corals on the bank are vulnerable to sediment contamination and to excess turbidity in the overlying water column. Concern for the environmental impact on this and other banks in the region exposed to nearby hydrocarbon production prompted the Bureau of Land Management to fund a data collection effort on the Texas/Louisiana shelf which provided the data analyzed here. Data analyzed includes profiles of velocity, temperature and salinity taken around the Bank in Oct., 1980 and March, 1981. Fixed current meter moorings and a dye experimentmore » conducted in the bottom boundary layer provided additional input. The data reveals a very complicated flow regime around the bank, with some intensification of flow around and over the bank but no movement of water from the bottom of the surrounding shelf up onto the bank.« less

Effects of the thermal discharge from an offshore power plant on plankton and macrobenthic communities in subtropical China.

PubMed

Lin, Jie; Zou, Xinqing; Huang, Faming

2018-06-01

The ecological impact of thermal discharge has become an important issue in the field of marine and environmental protection. We focused on the effects of thermal discharge on seawater temperature and biological communities based on data from before (2006) and after (2013-2014) the construction of a power plant. The thermal discharge induced stratification, which resulted in changes in the vertical hydrodynamic conditions. Stratification combined with elevated temperatures significantly affected the phytoplankton abundance and community structure. Elevated seawater temperatures decreased the chlorophyll-a concentrations by 34% and 63%, at the surface and bottom, respectively. The elevated seawater temperature at the bottom might not be high enough to significantly affect the macrobenthos, but significantly affected the phytoplankton and zooplankton communities. Because these communities serve as food for the macrobenthic community, their changes resulted in growth of the macrobenthos. Furthermore, this effect induced macrobenthic community succession, resulting in decreased species diversity and increased dominance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Free energy, precision and learning: the role of cholinergic neuromodulation

PubMed Central

Moran, Rosalyn J.; Campo, Pablo; Symmonds, Mkael; Stephan, Klaas E.; Dolan, Raymond J.; Friston, Karl J.

2014-01-01

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neuromodulatory transmitter implicated in perception and learning under uncertainty. This study combined computational simulations and pharmaco-electroencephalography in humans, to test a formulation of perceptual inference based upon the free energy principle. This formulation suggests that acetylcholine enhances the precision of bottom-up synaptic transmission in cortical hierarchies by optimising the gain of supragranular pyramidal cells. Simulations of a mismatch negativity paradigm predicted a rapid trial-by-trial suppression of evoked sensory prediction error (PE) responses that is attenuated by cholinergic neuromodulation. We confirmed this prediction empirically with a placebo-controlled study of cholinesterase inhibition. Furthermore – using dynamic causal modelling – we found that drug-induced differences in PE responses could be explained by gain modulation in supragranular pyramidal cells in primary sensory cortex. This suggests that acetylcholine adaptively enhances sensory precision by boosting bottom-up signalling when stimuli are predictable, enabling the brain to respond optimally under different levels of environmental uncertainty. PMID:23658161

Similar diversity-disturbance responses to different physical impacts: three cases of small-scale biodiversity increase in the Belgian part of the North Sea.

PubMed

De Backer, Annelies; Van Hoey, Gert; Coates, Delphine; Vanaverbeke, Jan; Hostens, Kris

2014-07-15

Human activities at sea are still increasing. As biodiversity is a central topic in the management of our seas, it is important to understand how diversity responds to different disturbances related with physical impacts. We investigated the effects of three impacts, i.e. sand extraction, dredge disposal and offshore wind energy exploitation, on the soft-bottom macrobenthic assemblages in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We found similar diversity-disturbance responses, mainly related to the fact that different impacts caused similar environmental changes. We observed a sediment refinement which triggered a shift towards a heterogenic, dynamic (transitional) soft-bottom macrobenthic assemblage, with several species typically associated with muddy sands. This led to a local unexpected biodiversity increase in the impacted area. On a wider regional scale, the ever increasing human impacts might lead to a homogenization of the sediment, resulting in a more uniform, yet less diverse benthic ecosystem. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Propagation modeling for sperm whale acoustic clicks in the northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorovskaia, Natalia A.; Udovydchenkov, Ilya A.; Rypina, Irina I.; Ioup, George E.; Ioup, Juliette W.; Caruthers, Jerald W.; Newcomb, Joal; Fisher, Robert

2004-05-01

Simulations of acoustic broadband (500-6000 Hz) pulse propagation in the northern Gulf of Mexico, based on environmental data collected as a part of the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center (LADC) experiments in the summers of 2001 and 2002, are presented. The results of the modeling support the hypothesis that consistent spectrogram interference patterns observed in the LADC marine mammal phonation data cannot be explained by the propagation effects for temporal analysis windows corresponding to the duration of an animal click, and may be due to a uniqueness of an individual animal phonation apparatus. The utilization of simulation data for the development of an animal tracking algorithm based on the acoustic recordings of a single bottom-moored hydrophone is discussed. The identification of the bottom and surface reflected clicks from the same animal is attempted. The critical ranges for listening to a deep-water forging animal by a surface receiving system are estimated. [Research supported by ONR.

The ideological divide and climate change opinion: "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches.

PubMed

Jacquet, Jennifer; Dietrich, Monica; Jost, John T

2014-01-01

The United States wields disproportionate global influence in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and international climate policy. This makes it an especially important context in which to examine the interplay among social, psychological, and political factors in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to climate change. In this article, we review the emerging literature addressing the liberal-conservative divide in the U.S. with respect to thought, communication, and action concerning climate change. Because of its theoretical and practical significance, we focus on the motivational basis for skepticism and inaction on the part of some, including "top-down" institutional forces, such as corporate strategy, and "bottom-up" psychological factors, such as ego, group, and system justification. Although more research is needed to elucidate fully the social, cognitive, and motivational bases of environmental attitudes and behavior, a great deal has been learned in just a few years by focusing on specific ideological factors in addition to general psychological principles.

The ideological divide and climate change opinion: “top-down” and “bottom-up” approaches

PubMed Central

Jacquet, Jennifer; Dietrich, Monica; Jost, John T.

2014-01-01

The United States wields disproportionate global influence in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and international climate policy. This makes it an especially important context in which to examine the interplay among social, psychological, and political factors in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to climate change. In this article, we review the emerging literature addressing the liberal-conservative divide in the U.S. with respect to thought, communication, and action concerning climate change. Because of its theoretical and practical significance, we focus on the motivational basis for skepticism and inaction on the part of some, including “top-down” institutional forces, such as corporate strategy, and “bottom-up” psychological factors, such as ego, group, and system justification. Although more research is needed to elucidate fully the social, cognitive, and motivational bases of environmental attitudes and behavior, a great deal has been learned in just a few years by focusing on specific ideological factors in addition to general psychological principles. PMID:25566136

Final Environmental Assessment Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range (EGTTR) Precision Strike Weapons (PSW) Test (5-Year Plan) Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-11-01

Bottom Areas near Target Areas in the EGTTR, Florida.......................3-41 Figure 4-1. Safety Footprint Around Target Area...Thus, at many deep-water locations, it is not unusual for the low-frequency noise field to be influenced by contributions from tens or even... field at some range. Oilrigs, on the other hand, produce noise throughout the frequency domain. Recently, economic and political factors have not been

STS-134 crew during food tasting session in JSC Food Lab.

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-05-25

JSC2010-E-087710 (25 May 2010) --- STS-134 crew members and dieticians are pictured during a food tasting session in the Habitability and Environmental Factors Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Crew members pictured counter-clockwise (from bottom left) are NASA astronauts Gregory H. Johnson, pilot; Greg Chamitoff and Michael Fincke, both mission specialists; Mark Kelly, commander; European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori and NASA astronaut Andrew Feustel, both mission specialists. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Onondaga Lake Inner Harbor Dredging Design Project, Syracuse, New York: Finding of No Significant Impact and Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-11-01

and has determined a finding of no significant impact (FONSI). The selected Syracuse Inner Harbor dredging plan would allow the New York State Canal...Facility (CDF) UDS 5-19. The proposed plan calls for a 60 foot bottom wide channel, 10 feet deep, 3H (height): 1 (vertical) side slopes, with only the...sediments in an urban environment. The selected Syracuse Inner Harbor dredging plan would allow the New York State Canal Corporation to dredge the

Environmental Impact Study of the Northern Section of the Upper Mississippi River. Pool 5A.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-11-01

the 1930’s the river bottoms were primarily wooded islands separated by deep sloughs. Hundreds of lakes and ponds were scattered through the wooded ...and the old condition of deep sloughs and wooded islands is found. In the middle of each pool, water backs up over the islands and old hay meadows...Each impoundment consists of three distinct ecological areas. The tailweter areas just downstream from the dams show the river in relatively unmodified

Material Science

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-12

The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing (CAMMP), a NASA-sponsored Research Partnership Center, is working to improve zeolite materials for storing hydrogen fuel. CAMMP is also applying zeolites to detergents, optical cables, gas and vapor detection for environmental monitoring and control, and chemical production techniques that significantly reduce by-products that are hazardous to the environment. Shown here are zeolite crystals (top) grown in a ground control experiment and grown in microgravity on the USML-2 mission (bottom). Zeolite experiments have also been conducted aboard the International Space Station.

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (South Atlantic) Hard Clam,

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

C.E., and R.F. Srna. 1975 Shallow-water marine benthic macro- Toxicity of ammonia, n itite ion, invertebrates of South Carolina: nitrate ion, anI...to iden- Proc. Gulf Caribb. Fish. Inst. 26: tification of marine and estuarine 59-74. invertebrates : Cape Hatteras to the Bay of Fundy. Wiley...Ma is. Mileikovsky, S.A. 1973. Speed of 7;-pWT-ihtsville Beach. 17 pp. active movement of pelagic larvae of marine bottom invertebrates and Pearse

MX: Milestone II. Final Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 6. Public Comments

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-10-06

bottom of the San Antonio Valley are river channel and alluvial deposits c. , , of Holocene age, underlain by the Paso Robles Formation and Careaga...outlined aros contain approx. 8,000 sq. miles. This is the estimated White Sands missile Rang. :as-78,500except for Kies. River proper, land It * -? mainly...deleterious impact of this new demand on the standard of living of low and fixed income >-14 individuals. The bulk of the demand for employment will be

Utilization of waste materials, non-refined materials, and renewable energy in in situ remediation and their sustainability benefits.

PubMed

Favara, Paul; Gamlin, Jeff

2017-12-15

In the ramp-up to integrating sustainability into remediation, a key industry focus area has been to reduce the environmental footprint of treatment processes. The typical approach to integrating sustainability into remediation projects has been a top-down approach, which involves developing technology options and then applying sustainability thinking to the technology, after it has been conceptualized. A bottom-up approach allows for systems thinking to be included in remedy selection and could potentially result in new or different technologies being considered. When using a bottom-up approach, there is room to consider the utilization of waste materials, non-refined materials, and renewable energy in remediation technology-all of which generally have a smaller footprint than processed materials and traditional forms of energy. By integrating more systems thinking into remediation projects, practitioners can think beyond the traditional technologies typically used and how technologies are deployed. To compare top-down and bottom-up thinking, a traditional technology that is considered very sustainable-enhanced in situ bioremediation-is compared to a successful, but infrequently deployed technology-subgrade biogeochemical reactors. Life Cycle Assessment is used for the evaluation and shows the footprint of the subgrade biogeochemical reactor to be lower in all seven impact categories evaluated, sometimes to a significant degree. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Warming shifts top-down and bottom-up control of pond food web structure and function

PubMed Central

Shurin, Jonathan B.; Clasen, Jessica L.; Greig, Hamish S.; Kratina, Pavel; Thompson, Patrick L.

2012-01-01

The effects of global and local environmental changes are transmitted through networks of interacting organisms to shape the structure of communities and the dynamics of ecosystems. We tested the impact of elevated temperature on the top-down and bottom-up forces structuring experimental freshwater pond food webs in western Canada over 16 months. Experimental warming was crossed with treatments manipulating the presence of planktivorous fish and eutrophication through enhanced nutrient supply. We found that higher temperatures produced top-heavy food webs with lower biomass of benthic and pelagic producers, equivalent biomass of zooplankton, zoobenthos and pelagic bacteria, and more pelagic viruses. Eutrophication increased the biomass of all organisms studied, while fish had cascading positive effects on periphyton, phytoplankton and bacteria, and reduced biomass of invertebrates. Surprisingly, virus biomass was reduced in the presence of fish, suggesting the possibility for complex mechanisms of top-down control of the lytic cycle. Warming reduced the effects of eutrophication on periphyton, and magnified the already strong effects of fish on phytoplankton and bacteria. Warming, fish and nutrients all increased whole-system rates of net production despite their distinct impacts on the distribution of biomass between producers and consumers, plankton and benthos, and microbes and macrobes. Our results indicate that warming exerts a host of indirect effects on aquatic food webs mediated through shifts in the magnitudes of top-down and bottom-up forcing. PMID:23007089

Variation of the phytotoxicity of municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed germination with leaching conditions.

PubMed

Phoungthong, Khamphe; Zhang, Hua; Shao, Li-Ming; He, Pin-Jing

2016-03-01

Municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash (MSWIBA) has long been regarded as an alternative building material in the construction industry. However, the pollutants contained in the bottom ash could potentially leach out and contaminate the local environment, which presents an obstacle to the reuse of the materials. To evaluate the environmental feasibility of using MSWIBA as a recycled material in construction, the leaching derived ecotoxicity was assessed. The leaching behavior of MSWIBA under various conditions, including the extractant type, leaching time, liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio, and leachate pH were investigated, and the phytotoxicity of these leachates on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seed germination was determined. Moreover, the correlation between the germination index and the concentrations of various chemical constituents in the MSWIBA leachates was assessed using multivariate statistics with principal component analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis. It was found that, heavy metal concentrations in the leachate were pH and L/S ratio dependent, but were less affected by leaching time. Heavy metals were the main pollutants present in wheat seeds. Heavy metals (especially Ba, Cr, Cu and Pb) had a substantial inhibitory effect on wheat seed germination and root elongation. To safely use MSWIBA in construction, the potential risk and ecotoxicity of leached materials must be addressed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bridging environmental and financial cost of dairy production: A case study of Irish agricultural policy.

PubMed

Chen, Wenhao; Holden, Nicholas M

2018-02-15

The Irish agricultural policy 'Food Harvest 2020' is a roadmap for sectoral expansion and Irish dairy farming is expected to intensify, which could influence the environmental and economic performance of Irish milk production. Evaluating the total environmental impacts and the real cost of Irish milk production is a key step towards understanding the possibility of sustainable production. This paper addresses two main issues: aggregation of environmental impacts of Irish milk production by monetization, to understand the real cost of Irish milk production, including the environmental costs; and the effect of the agricultural policy 'Food Harvest 2020' on total cost (combining financial cost and environmental cost) of Irish milk production. This study used 2013 Irish dairy farming as a baseline, and defined 'bottom', 'target' and 'optimum' scenarios, according to the change of elementary inputs required to meet agricultural policy ambitions. The study demonstrated that the three monetization methods, Stepwise 2006, Eco-cost 2012 and EPS 2000, could be used for aggregating different environmental impacts into monetary unit, and to provide an insight for evaluating policy related to total environmental performance. The results showed that the total environmental cost of Irish milk production could be greater than the financial cost (up to €0.53/kg energy corrected milk). The dairy expansion policy with improved herbage utilization and fertilizer application could reduce financial cost and minimize the total environmental cost of per unit milk produced. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sediment deposition and occurrence of selected nutrients and other chemical constituents in bottom sediment, Tuttle Creek Lake, Northeast Kansas, 1962-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, K.E.; Mau, D.P.

2002-01-01

A combination of bathymetric surveying and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sediment deposition and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus), 44 metals and trace elements, 15 organochlorine compounds, and 1 radionuclide in bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited from 1962 through 1999 in the original conservation-pool area of the lake was 6,170 million cubic feet (142,000 acre-feet) and 292,400 million pounds (133,000 million kilograms), respectively. The volume of sediment occupies about 33 percent of the original conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the lake. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1962 was estimated to be 7,900 million pounds (3,600 million kilograms). Mean annual net sediment yield from the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin was estimated to be 821,000 pounds per square mile (1,440 kilograms per hectare). The estimated mean annual net loads of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake were 6,350,000 pounds per year (2,880,000 kilograms per year) and 3,330,000 pounds per year (1,510,000 kilograms per year), respectively. The estimated mean annual net yields of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus from the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin were 657 pounds per square mile per year (1.15 kilograms per hectare per year) and 348 pounds per square mile per year (0.61 kilograms per hectare per year), respectively. No statistically significant trend for total phosphorus deposition in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake was indicated (trend analysis for total ammonia plus organic nitrogen was not performed). On the basis of available sediment-quality guidelines, the concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, silver, and zinc in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake frequently or typically exceeded the threshold-effects levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sediment concentrations of metals and trace elements were relatively uniform over time. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or were detected at concentrations generally less than the threshold-effects levels. Following an initial positive trend, a statistically significant negative depositional trend was indicated for DDE (degradation product of DDT), which was consistent with the history of DDT use. Other organochlorine compounds detected included aldrin, DDD, and dieldrin. Notable changes in human activity within the basin included a substantial increase in the production of grain corn and soybeans from the 1960s to the 1990s. This increase in production was accompanied by a pronounced increase in the number of irrigated acres. Also, during the same time period, there was an overall increase in hog production. These changes in human activity have not had a discernible effect on the deposition of chemical constituents in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake.

Acoustic Propagation Studies For Sperm Whale Phonation Analysis During LADC Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorovskaia, Natalia A.; Ioup, George E.; Ioup, Juliette W.; Caruthers, Jerald W.

2004-11-01

The Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center (LADC) conducted a series of passive acoustic experiments in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and the Ligurian Sea in 2001 and 2002. Environmental and acoustic moorings were deployed in areas of large concentrations of marine mammals (mainly, sperm whales). Recordings and analysis of whale phonations are among the objectives of the project. Each mooring had a single autonomously recording hydrophone (Environmental Acoustic Recording System (EARS)) obtained from the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office after modification to record signals up to 5,859 Hz in the Gulf of Mexico and up to 12,500 Hz in the Ligurian Sea. Self-recording environmental sensors, attached to the moorings, and concurrent environmental ship surveys provided the environmental data for the experiments. The results of acoustic simulations of long-range propagation of the broad-band (500-6,000 Hz) phonation pulses from a hypothetical whale location to the recording hydrophone in the experimental environments are presented. The utilization of the simulation results for an interpretation of the spectral features observed in whale clicks and for the development of tracking algorithms from single hydrophone recordings based on the identification of direct and surface and bottom reflected arrivals are discussed. [Research supported by ONR.

Seasonal dynamics of biomarkers in infaunal clam Macoma balthica from the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barda, Ieva; Purina, Ingrida; Rimsa, Elina; Balode, Maija

2014-01-01

Biomarkers are often regarded as “early warning” signals of environmental pollution; however seasonal changes are mentioned as one of the most important factor that influences the activity of biomarkers. The aim of our study was to assess the importance of seasonal variation of selected contaminant biomarkers in Macoma balthica to provide background information for further environmental surveys in the Gulf of Riga. Seasonal variation of biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) was measured in infaunal clam M. balthica from the southern part of the Gulf of Riga. The majority of biomarkers (GST, CAT and GR) showed strong seasonal variability; however only CAT and GR were found to be significantly related to environmental factors (near-bottom oxygen, salinity and temperature). Integrated biomarker response (IBR) index indicated that the most stressed condition of M. balthica is during August and May. The highest values of IBR were found near the mouth of the River Daugava, suggesting the impact of environmental pollution on the benthic animals.

A dynamic agent-based analysis for the environmental impacts of conventional and novel book retailing.

PubMed

Xu, Ming; Allenby, Braden; Kim, Junbeum; Kahhat, Ramzy

2009-04-15

The dynamics of an e-commerce market and the associated environmental impacts from a bottom-up perspective using an agent-based model is explored. A conceptual meta-theory from psychology is adopted to form the behavioral rules of artificial consumers choosing different methods of buying a book, including conventional bookstores, e-commerce, and a proposed self-pick-up option. Given the energy and emissions savings that result from a shift to e-commerce from bookstore purchase, it appears that reductions in environmental impacts are relatively probable. Additionally, our results suggest that the shift to e-commerce is mainly due to the growth of Internet users, which ties energy and emissions savings to Internet penetration. Moreover, under any scenario, the energy and emissions savings will be provided by the introduction of the proposed self-pick-up option. Our model thus provides insights into market behaviors and related environmental impacts of the growing use of e-commerce systems at the retail level, and provides a basis for the development and implementation of more sustainable policies and practices.

Latitudinal trends and temporal shifts in the catch composition of bottom trawls conducted on the eastern Bering Sea shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, Duane E.; Lauth, Robert R.

2012-06-01

Latitudinal species diversity gradients are well known in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems throughout the world. However, trends in relative abundance and other shifts in community structure with latitude, which can be more sensitive to environmental shifts such as climate change, have received less attention. Here we investigate latitudinal trends in the seafloor community of the eastern Bering Sea using catches of fishes and epibenthic invertebrates in bottom trawl surveys conducted from 1982 to 2010. Our results indicate that the overall biomass of the epibenthic community declines with increasing latitude in the eastern Bering Sea. This latitudinal trend is primarily driven by declining fish catches in the northern Bering Sea, which in turn reflects changes in the structure of the fish community. The fish fauna in northern latitudes is increasingly dominated by gadids, though the species composition of the gadid fauna also changes with latitude, with smaller species becoming more common in the north. The biomass of the invertebrate megafauna remains relatively consistent throughout the eastern Bering Sea, but invertebrates make up a larger proportion of the catch in bottom trawls conducted at higher latitudes. The epibenthic invertebrate megafauna in the eastern Bering Sea is composed primarily of sea stars (Asteriidae) and oregoniid crabs (Chionoecetes and Hyas), though no clear latitudinal trends in the invertebrate community are evident. Limited trawl data from the eastern Chukchi Sea indicate that the fish community farther north is even more heavily dominated by gadids, and the epibenthic invertebrate community is dominated by asteriid sea stars. Temperature data from bottom trawl surveys in the southeastern Bering Sea over the past decade indicate that there was a distinct temperature shift around 2005, and the relatively warm years of 2001-2005 were followed by five relatively cold years. This shift in the summer temperature regime of the Bering Sea has resulted in lower fish catches, particularly in the "cold pool" region (58-61°N), and a higher proportion of epibenthic invertebrates in the bottom trawl catches of the past 5 years.

Environmental Equity through Negotiation: A Case Study on Urban Landfills and the Roma Community

PubMed Central

Petrescu-Mag, Ruxandra Mălina; Petrescu, Dacinia Crina; Oroian, Ioan Gheorghe; Safirescu, Ovidiu Călin; Bican-Brișan, Nicoleta

2016-01-01

The paper discusses the necessity to bring environmental equity within the Pata Rât Roma community in Northwest Romania, relying on the answers to three questions: “Does environmental equity exist in Pata Rât?”, “How can it be attained?”, and “To what extent can it be brought to the targeted people?” It was shown how a trio of factors tailors the destiny of Roma inhabitants: being a minority, their ethnicity, and the fact they are living on and off what society rejects and dumps—a landfill. The framing of the environmental equity concerns within a vision considering negotiation as the most adequate means to attain it is a novel approach. Further on, the results of the study can fuel win-win solutions in environmental equity. The information abstracted from a set of indicators, assessed through an evaluation matrix, represents a beneficial platform for future bottom-up decisions concerning landfill residents. Three action options were analyzed: on-site living opportunities—that resulted to be preferred, off-site living opportunities, and “Do nothing”. The analysis provides qualitative evidence that the evaluation of environmental equity is largely subjective, because of its complexity and specificity related to geographical, historical, cultural characteristics, and political interests. PMID:27314371

Determination of current loads of floating platform for special purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Guang-ying; Yao, Yun-long; Zhao, Chen-yao

2017-08-01

This article studied a new floating offshore platform for special purposes, which was assembled by standard floating modules. The environmental load calculation of the platform is an important part of the research of the ocean platform, which has always been paid attention to by engineers. In addition to wave loads, the wind loads and current loads are also important environmental factors that affect the dynamic response of the offshore platform. The current loads on the bottom structure should not be ignored. By Fluent software, the hydrostatic conditions and external current loads of the platform were calculated in this paper. The coefficient which is independent of the current velocity, namely, current force coefficient, can be fitted through current loads, which can be used for the consequent hydrodynamic and mooring analyses.

Eco-efficiency assessment of options for metal recovery from incineration residues: a conceptual framework.

PubMed

Meylan, Grégoire; Spoerri, Andy

2014-01-01

Residues from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration in Switzerland have been a hot topic in recent years, both in the research and practice communities. Regarded by many as an economically and environmentally sound solution to this issue, technological retrofitting of existing grate incinerators has the dual purpose of enhancing the metal recovery of bottom and fly ashes and improving the inertization of residues to be landfilled. How does context influence the economic and environmental performance of this particular technological option? Under which conditions would this technological option be implemented nationwide in the future? What are stakeholders' views on sustainable transitions of MSW incineration? We propose a three-stage methodological procedure to address these questions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The magnetohydrodynamics coal-fired flow facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1995-01-01

In this quarterly technical progress report, UTSI reports on the status of a multitask contract to develop the technology for the steam bottoming portion of a MHD Steam Combined Cycle Power Plant. The report describes the facility maintenance and environmental work completed, status of completing technical reports and certain key administrative actions occurring during the quarter. With program resources at a minimum to closeout the MHD program, no further testing occurred during the quarter, but the DOE CFFF facility was maintained in a standby status with winterization, preventive maintenance and repairs accomplished as needed. Plans and preparations progressed for environmental actions needed at the site to investigate and characterize the groundwater and for removal/disposal of asbestos in the cooling tower. Work continued to progress on archiving the results of the MHD program.

Analysis of native water, bed material, and elutriate samples of major Louisiana waterways, 1975

USGS Publications Warehouse

Demas, Charles R.

1976-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted a series of elutriate studies in selected reaches of major navigable waterways of Louisiana. As defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an elutriate is the supernatant resulting from the vigorous 30-minute shaking of one part bottom sediment from the dredging site with four parts water (vol/vol) collected from the dredging site followed by one hour settling time and appropriate centrifugation and a 0.45-micron filtration. The elutriate studies were initiated to evaluate possible environmental effects of proposed dredging activities in selected reaches of Louisiana waterways. The waterways investigated were the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, Breton Sound, Mississippi River downstream from Baton Rouge, Bayou Long, Intracoastal Waterway (east and west of the Harvey Canal), Three Rivers area, Ouachita River, Barataria Bay, Houma Navigation Canal, Atchafalaya Bay (Ship Channel), Berwick Bay, Intracoastal Waterway (Port Allen to Morgan City), Petite Anse area, and Calcasieu River and Ship Channel. The Geological Survey collected 227 samples of native water and bed (bottom) material from 130 different sites. These samples (as well as elutriates prepared from mixtures of native water and bed material) were analyzed for selected metal, pesticide, nutrient, and organic constituents. An additional 116 bed samples collected at 58 sites were analyzed for selected pesticides; and 4 additional native-water samples from 2 sites were analyzed for selected metal pesticide, nutrient, and organic constituents. (Woodard-USGS)

Microbial community diversity patterns are related to physical and chemical differences among temperate lakes near Beaver Island, MI

PubMed Central

Hengy, Miranda H.; Horton, Dean J.; Uzarski, Donald G.

2017-01-01

Lakes are dynamic and complex ecosystems that can be influenced by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Additionally, individual lakes are often chemically and physically distinct, even within the same geographic region. Here we show that differences in physicochemical conditions among freshwater lakes located on (and around) the same island, as well as within the water column of each lake, are significantly related to aquatic microbial community diversity. Water samples were collected over time from the surface and bottom-water within four freshwater lakes located around Beaver Island, MI within the Laurentian Great Lakes region. Three of the sampled lakes experienced seasonal lake mixing events, impacting either O2, pH, temperature, or a combination of the three. Microbial community alpha and beta diversity were assessed and individual microbial taxa were identified via high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Results demonstrated that physical and chemical variability (temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH) were significantly related to divergence in the beta diversity of surface and bottom-water microbial communities. Despite its correlation to microbial community structure in unconstrained analyses, constrained analyses demonstrated that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration was not strongly related to microbial community structure among or within lakes. Additionally, several taxa were correlated (either positively or negatively) to environmental variables, which could be related to aerobic and anaerobic metabolisms. This study highlights the measurable relationships between environmental conditions and microbial communities within freshwater temperate lakes around the same island. PMID:29062609

Nested Global Inversion for the Carbon Flux Distribution in Canada and USA from 1994 to 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J. M.; Deng, F.; Ishizawa, M.; Ju, W.; Mo, G.; Chan, D.; Higuchi, K.; Maksyutov, S.

2007-12-01

Based on TransCom inverse modeling for 22 global regions, we developed a nested global inversion system for estimating carbon fluxes of 30 regions in North America (2 of the 22 regions are divided into 30). Irregular boundaries of these 30 regions are delineated based on ecosystem types and provincial/state borders. Synthesis Bayesian inversion is conducted in monthly steps using CO2 concentration measurements at 88 coastal and continental stations of the globe for the 1994-2003 period (NOAA GlobalView database). Responses of these stations to carbon fluxes from the 50 regions are simulated using the transport model of National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan and reanalysis wind fields of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Terrestrial carbon flux fields modeled using BEPS and Biome-BGC driven by NCEP reanalysis meteorological data are used as two different a priori to constrain the inversion. The inversion (top- down) results are compared with remote sensing-based ecosystem modeling (bottom-up) results in Canada's forests and wetlands. There is a broad consistency in the spatial pattern of the carbon source and sink distributions obtained using these two independent methods. Both sets of results also indicate that Canada's forests and wetlands are carbon sinks in 1994-2003, but the top-down method produces consistently larger sinks than the bottom-up results. Reasons for this discrepancy may lie in both methods, and several issues are identified for further investigation.

Sustainability assessment and prioritisation of bottom ash management in Macao.

PubMed

Sou, W I; Chu, Andrea; Chiueh, P T

2016-12-01

In Macao, about 7200 t yr -1 of bottom ash (BA) is generated and conventionally landfilled with construction waste. Because the properties of BA are similar to those of natural aggregates, it is suitable to be recycled as construction material. However, pre-treatment processes for BA reuse may require more resource input and may generate additional environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment, multi-media transport model analysis, cost-benefit analysis and the analytical hierarchy process were conducted to evaluate the impacts of current and potential BA management scenarios regarding environmental, economic, social and regulatory aspects. The five analysed scenarios are as follows: (0) BA buried with construction and demolition waste (current system); (1) pre-treated BA used to replace 25% of the natural aggregate in asphalt concrete; (2) pre-treated BA used to replace 25% of the natural aggregate in cement concrete; (3) pre-treated BA used to replace 25% of cement in cement concrete; and (4) pre-treated BA sent to China, blended with municipal solid waste for landfill. The results reveal the following ranking of the scenarios: 3 > 2 > 0 > 1 > 4. Scenario 3 shows the best conditions for BA recycling, because the quantity of cement concrete output is the highest and this brings the greatest economic benefits. Our use of integrated analysis provides multi-aspect investigations for BA management systems, particularly in accounting for site-specific characteristics. This approach is suitable for application in other non-western regions. © The Author(s) 2016.

A comparison of top-down and bottom-up approaches to benthic habitat mapping to inform offshore wind energy development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaFrance, Monique; King, John W.; Oakley, Bryan A.; Pratt, Sheldon

2014-07-01

Recent interest in offshore renewable energy within the United States has amplified the need for marine spatial planning to direct management strategies and address competing user demands. To assist this effort in Rhode Island, benthic habitat classification maps were developed for two sites in offshore waters being considered for wind turbine installation. Maps characterizing and representing the distribution and extent of benthic habitats are valuable tools for improving understanding of ecosystem patterns and processes, and promoting scientifically-sound management decisions. This project presented the opportunity to conduct a comparison of the methodologies and resulting map outputs of two classification approaches, “top-down” and “bottom-up” in the two study areas. This comparison was undertaken to improve understanding of mapping methodologies and their applicability, including the bottom-up approach in offshore environments where data density tends to be lower, as well as to provide case studies for scientists and managers to consider for their own areas of interest. Such case studies can offer guidance for future work for assessing methodologies and translating them to other areas. The traditional top-down mapping approach identifies biological community patterns based on communities occurring within geologically defined habitat map units, under the concept that geologic environments contain distinct biological assemblages. Alternatively, the bottom-up approach aims to establish habitat map units centered on biological similarity and then uses statistics to identify relationships with associated environmental parameters and determine habitat boundaries. When applied to the two study areas, both mapping approaches produced habitat classes with distinct macrofaunal assemblages and each established statistically strong and significant biotic-abiotic relationships with geologic features, sediment characteristics, water depth, and/or habitat heterogeneity over various spatial scales. The approaches were also able to integrate various data at differing spatial resolutions. The classification outputs exhibited similar results, including the number of habitat classes generated, the number of species defining the classes, the level of distinction of the biological communities, and dominance by tube-building amphipods. These results indicate that both approaches are able to discern a comparable degree of habitat variability and produce cohesive macrofaunal assemblages. The mapping approaches identify broadly similar benthic habitats at the two study sites and methods were able to distinguish the differing levels of heterogeneity between them. The top-down approach to habitat classification was faster and simpler to accomplish with the data available in this study when compared to the bottom-up approach. Additionally, the top-down approach generated full-coverage habitat classes that are clearly delineated and can easily be interpreted by the map user, which is desirable from a management perspective for providing a more complete assessment of the areas of interest. However, a higher level of biological variability was noted in some of the habitat classes created, indicating that the biological communities present in this area are influenced by factors not captured in the broad-scale geological habitat units used in this approach. The bottom-up approach was valuable in its ability to more clearly define macrofaunal assemblages among habitats, discern finer-scale habitat characteristics, and directly assess the degree of macrofaunal assemblage variability captured by the environmental parameters. From a user perspective, the map is more complex, which may be perceived as a limitation, though likely reflects natural gradations in habitat structure and likely presents a more ecologically realistic portrayal of the study areas. Though more comprehensive, the bottom-up approach in this study was limited by the reliance on full-coverage data to create full-coverage habitat classes. Such classes could only be developed when sediment data was excluded, since this point-sample dataset could not be interpolated due to high spatial heterogeneity of the study areas. Given a higher density of bottom samples, this issue could be rectified. While the top-down approach was more appropriate for this study, both approaches were found to be suitable for mapping and classifying benthic habitats. In the United States, objectives for mapping and classification for renewable energy development have not been well established. Therefore, at this time, the best-suited approach primarily depends on mapping objectives, resource availability, data quality and coverage, and geographical location, as these factors impact the types of data included, the analyses and modeling that can be performed, and the biotic-abiotic relationships identified.

The Canadian experience in frontier environmental protection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, G.H.

1991-03-01

Early Canadian frontier exploration (from 1955 onshore and from 1966 for offshore drilling) caused insignificant public concern. The 1967-1968 Torrey Canyon Tanker and Santa Barbara disasters roused public opinion and governments. In Canada, 1969-1970 Arctic gas blowouts, a tanker disaster, and damage to the 'Manhattan' exacerbated concerns and resulted in new environmental regulatory constraints. From 1970, the Arctic Petroleum Operations Association learned to operate safely with environmental responsibility. It studied physical environment for design criteria, and the biological and human environment to ameliorate impact. APOA's research projects covered sea-ice, permafrost, sea-bottom, oil-spills, bird and mammal migration, fish habitat, food chains,more » oceanography, meteorology, hunters'/trappers' harvests, etc. In 1971 Eastcoast Petroleum Operators' Association and Alaska Oil and Gas Association followed APOA's cooperative research model. EPOA stressed icebergs and fisheries. Certain research was handled by the Canadian Offshore Oil Spill Research Association. By the mid-1980s these associations had undertaken $70,000,000 of environmental oriented research, with equivalent additional work by member companies on specific needs and similar sums by Federal agencies often working with industry on complementary research. The frontier associations then merged with the Canadian Petroleum Association, already active environmentally in western Canada. Working with government and informing environmental interest groups, the public, natives, and local groups, most Canadian frontier petroleum operations proceeded with minimal delay and environmental disturbance.« less

Multi-biomarker approach using the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis L.) to assess the quality of marine environments: season and habitat-related impacts.

PubMed

Brenner, M; Broeg, K; Frickenhaus, S; Buck, B H; Koehler, A

2014-04-01

Using a comprehensive approach, intertidal, near- and offshore sites in the German Bight were analysed for their environmental quality by assessing the health of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). During a ten month sampling period mussels were studied with a set of biomarkers comprising lysosomal membrane stability and accumulation of lipofuscin, supplemented by biomarkers indicating nutritional status such as neutral lipids and glycogen in the cells of the digestive gland. Data were analysed in relation to sex, gonadal status, condition index and for the presence of parasites, to determine the overall health status of mussels at the respective sites. Mussels from all sites showed clear signs of stress, indicating an inferior environmental quality throughout the southern German Bight. Further, habitat characteristics such as inundation time and growing on- or off-bottom, as well as seasonal factors, can clearly influence the response of biomarkers in mussels exposed to similar levels of chemical environmental stress. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turnover of plant lineages shapes herbivore phylogenetic beta diversity along ecological gradients.

PubMed

Pellissier, Loïc; Ndiribe, Charlotte; Dubuis, Anne; Pradervand, Jean-Nicolas; Salamin, Nicolas; Guisan, Antoine; Rasmann, Sergio

2013-05-01

Understanding drivers of biodiversity patterns is of prime importance in this era of severe environmental crisis. More diverse plant communities have been postulated to represent a larger functional trait-space, more likely to sustain a diverse assembly of herbivore species. Here, we expand this hypothesis to integrate environmental, functional and phylogenetic variation of plant communities as factors explaining the diversity of lepidopteran assemblages along elevation gradients in the Swiss Western Alps. According to expectations, we found that the association between butterflies and their host plants is highly phylogenetically structured. Multiple regression analyses showed the combined effect of climate, functional traits and phylogenetic diversity in structuring butterfly communities. Furthermore, we provide the first evidence that plant phylogenetic beta diversity is the major driver explaining butterfly phylogenetic beta diversity. Along ecological gradients, the bottom up control of herbivore diversity is thus driven by phylogenetically structured turnover of plant traits as well as environmental variables. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Environmental influences on food security in high-income countries.

PubMed

Gorton, Delvina; Bullen, Chris R; Mhurchu, Cliona Ni

2010-01-01

Food security is a fundamental human right yet many people are food insecure, even in high-income countries. Reviewed here is the evidence for the physical, economic, sociocultural, and political environmental influences on household food security in high-income countries. The literature was evaluated using the ANGELO framework, which is a lens developed for understanding the environmental factors underpinning the obesity pandemic. A review of the literature identified 78 articles, which mostly reported on cross-sectional or qualitative studies. These studies identified a wide range of factors associated with food security. Foremost among them was household financial resources, but many other factors were identified and the complexity of the issue was highlighted. Few studies were prospective and even fewer tested the use of interventions other than the supplemental nutrition assistance program to address food security. This indicates a solution-oriented research paradigm is required to identify effective interventions and policies to enhance food security. In addition, comprehensive top-down and bottom-up interventions at the community and national levels are urgently needed.

Fishes of Missouri River, chute, and flood plain habitats: Chapter 4 in Initial biotic survey of Lisbon Bottom, Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grady, Joanne; Milligan, Jim; Chapman, Duane C.; Ehrhardt, Ellen A.; Dieterman, Douglas J.; Galat, David L.; Hooker, John; Kubisiak, John; DeLonay, Aaron; Little, Edward E.; Robinson, Jack; Tibbs, John

1999-01-01

The Lisbon Bottom Unit of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is approximately 2,200 acres and is the first complete unit of the Refuge. Primary objectives of the Refuge are to create and restore diverse riverine aquatic habitats and reconnect the Missouri River to its flood plain where feasible. Management seeks to accomplish these objectives by encouraging natural processes of erosion, deposition, and succession to the greatest extent possible.One of the most salient aquatic features of the Lisbon Bottom Unit is a newly created 2-mile-long free-flowing chute, or side channel (Fig. 1). This chute began forming as a levee breech scour hole during the Great Flood of 1993. The chute continued to develop during the 1995 flood and finally cut through to a flowing side channel during the 1996 flood. Extensive erosion and bank sluffing continued during 1997 due to sustained high flows that occurred throughout most of the year. The chute has progressively become wider and deeper with a developing meander pattern and channel bars have begun to form. Lisbon Bottom also contains several seasonal and permanent wetlands and is subject to periodic flooding at high Missouri River stages.Eight studies have been completed or are ongoing to evaluate Missouri River fishes associated with various habitat components of Lisbon Bottom and adjacent Missouri River reaches (Table 1). Several are part of much larger investigations to evaluate fish use of flood-created habitat features, basinwide fish assessment, and endangered or candidate species concerns.At the Lisbon Bottom Unit or in the Missouri River adjacent to the unit 54 fish species were collected (Table 2). Eight of these species have either a protected status under State or Federal laws or biologists consider them to potentially qualify for protected status. The status of the following fish is listed in Table 2: pallid sturgeon x shovelnose sturgeon hybrid, paddlefish, northern pike, sturgeon chub, sicklefin chub, ghost shiner, western silvery minnow, plains minnow, and blue sucker. Equally important to note are fish species that were not collected. The flathead chub, currently listed as State endangered and proposed for Federal listing, were not collected in any of the studies.Common fish species, collected in all seven sampling studies, included gizzard shad, common carp, river carpsucker, and freshwater drum. Paddlefish, skipjack herring, silver carp, white sucker, redfin shiner, western silvery minnow, bullhead minnow, and black bullhead were each collected in only one of the seven studies.Pflieger (1971) developed a guild system for the fishes of Missouri based on distribution patterns and centers of abundance. Fish were assigned to one of four primary faunal groups: Ozark, Big River, Lowland, and Prairie. Two secondary groups (Ozark-prairie and Ozark-lowland) were defined for species equally abundant and distributed in two of the primary areas. Two Ozark-prairie species, shorthead redhorse and white sucker, were collected on or near the Lisbon Bottom Unit.Big River species are found primarily in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The environmental factors controlling fish distribution in these rivers appear to be substrate, current velocity, and turbidity. On or near the Lisbon Bottom Unit 18 Big River species were collected (Table 2).Lowland species are intolerant of siltation and high turbidity. They inhabit standing or slow-moving water with sand, fine gravel, and organic debris substrates. Two Lowland species, bullhead minnow and mosquitofish, were collected in connected scours on the Lisbon Bottom Unit.Prairie species have broader ecological tolerances than the Ozark and Lowland species. They are largely absent in high gradient streams and cool, clear waters. Prairie species make up a significant proportion of Missouri and Mississippi River fishes. Seven Prairie species were collected on or near the Lisbon Bottom Unit (Table 2).The last group, Wide-ranging, was defined as the species more widespread than the other faunal groups with broader environmental tolerances. Most Wide-ranging species occur at least occasionally in all sections of the state. Nineteen Wide-ranging species were collected on or near the Lisbon Bottom Unit (Table 2).Kubisiak (1997) found that isolated scours in the Lower Missouri River were dominated by Wide-ranging species. Connected scours also held Wideranging species but they contained Prairie species and were dominated by Big River species. Faunal group diversity and species richness were compared between isolated (Study l) and connected (Studies 4, 5, 7, and 8) scours of the Lisbon Bottom Unit. Species richness was similar with 22 species collected in isolated scours and an average of 24.8 species collected in connected scours. Isolated scour fish catches were dominated by Wide-ranging fish (59%) with 14% Big River fishes and 14% Prairie fishes. Connected scours had a larger percentage of Big River fish (32%) and fewer Wide-ranging (36%) and Prairie (13%) species than the isolated scours. In the combined studies, Wide-ranging fish dominated the connected scours.A similar comparison was made of fish from chute habitats and the Missouri River. Chute habitats include the Lisbon Bottom Chute, the chute between the right bank and island located at river mile 219, and a shallow channel running between a large sandbar complex and the channel border adjacent to Lisbon Bottom. Species richness in the chutes (35 species) was greater than that of the adjacent river (23 species). Big River species (40%) dominated the chute samples, followed by Wide-ranging at 31% Cand Prairie Cut 14%.The river samples contained equal numbers of Wide-ranging species (35%) and Big River species (35%) with 17% Prairie species. Differences in fish guild diversity and species richness may be due to numerous factors including sampling effort and sampling season. River samples were collected only in Study 3 in October; chute samples were collected in July, August, and October. Fish may have been using the chute in July and August to spawn, feed, or escape high river levels.The Lisbon Bottom Chute is a truly unique feature of the Lower Missouri River. It is the first naturally created side channel to develop since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tamed the river. The Corps eliminated 89% of the islands in the Missouri River between 1879 and 1954 (Funk and Robinson 1974). The chutes between the islands and the shore were shallower with less current than the main channel. These areas provided diversity to the Missouri River fish habitat, serving as nursery and feeding areas. The Lisbon Bottom Unit of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge will continue to be studied in an effort to understand the complex role these areas play in river systems.

Salmon on the Edge: Growth and Condition of Juvenile Chum and Pink Salmon in the Northeastern Bering Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McPhee, M. V.

2016-02-01

As the Arctic and Subarctic regions warm, Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are expected to expand their range northward during ice-free periods in the Bering and Chukchi seas. The oscillating control hypothesis, which describes energetic differences of primary consumers between ice-associated and pelagic production phases, provides a framework for understanding how juvenile salmon might respond to changing conditions at the northern edge of their marine range. Additionally, relationships between growth/condition and temperature, salinity and bottom depth will help identify marine habitats supporting growth at the Arctic-Subarctic interface. In this study, we used survey data from NOAA and Arctic Ecosystem Integrated Survey project to 1) compare growth and condition of juvenile pink (O. gorbuscha) and chum (O. keta) salmon in the NE Bering Sea between warm and cool spring phases, and 2) describe relationships between summer environmental conditions and juvenile salmon growth and condition from 2006 - 2010. Chum and pink salmon were shorter, and chum salmon exhibited greater energy density, in years with cool springs; however, no other aspects of size and condition differed significantly between phases. Over all years, longer and more energy dense individuals of both species were caught at stations with greater bottom depths and in cooler sea-surface temperatures. We found little evidence that chlorophyll-a explained much of the variation in size or condition. We used insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration as an indicator of relative growth rate for fishes sampled in 2009-2012 and that found juvenile salmon exhibited higher IGF-1 concentrations in 2010-2012 than in 2009. IGF-1 concentrations tended to increase with SST in chum salmon and with bottom depth (a proxy for distance from shore) in pink salmon, but more years of data are needed to adequately describe the relationship of IGF with environmental conditions. This study, although descriptive in nature, provides a starting point for developing a mechanistic understanding of how Pacific salmon will respond to warming at the Arctic-Subarctic interface.

Summary of regional geology, petroleum potential, resource assessment and environmental considerations for oil and gas lease sale area No. 56

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.; Klitgord, Kim D.; Paull, Charles K.; Grow, John A.; Ball, Mahlon M.; Dolton, Gordon L.; Powers, Richard B.; Khan, Abdul S.; Popenoe, Peter; Robb, James M.; Dillon, William P.

1980-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the petroleum potential, as well as problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources in the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 56. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from the North Carolina-Virginia border south to approximately Cape Canaveral, Florida and from three miles from shore, seaward to include the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales is shown in figure 1; major physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2.No wells have been drilled for petroleum within this proposed lease area and no significant commercial production has been obtained onshore in the Southeast Georgia Embayment. The COST GE-1 stratigraphic test well, drilled on the Continental Shelf off Jacksonville, Fla. (fig- 1), reached basement at 3,300 m. The bottom third of the section consists of dominantly continental rocks that are typically poor sources of petroleum (Scholle, 1979) and the rocks that contain organic carbon adequate for generation of petroleum at the well are seen in seismic profiles always at shallow subbottom depths, so they probably have not reached thermal maturity. However, seismic profiles indicate that the sedimentary deposits thicken markedly in a seaward direction where more of the section was deposited under marine conditions; therefore, commercial accumulations of petroleum offshore are more likely.Several potential sources of environmental hazard exist. Among the most important are hurricanes, the Gulf Stream, and earthquakes. The potential danger from high wind, waves, storm surges, and storm-driven currents associated with hurricanes is obvious. Evidence for significant bottom scour by the Gulf Stream is abundant; such scour is a threat to the stability of bottom-mounted structures. The fast-flowing water also will hamper floating drill rigs and control of drill strings. A major earthquake of about magnitude 6.8 struck Charleston in 1886; it may have been associated with a zone of active seismicity that crosses South Carolina. The likelihood of a repetition of the 1886 event is presently not predictable but a seismic hazard must be assumed to exist.

A new multispectral imaging instrument for in-situ characterization of flocs and colloidal aggregates in natural waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostater, Charles R.

2016-05-01

In-situ sampling, characterization and quantification of colloidal aggregates and flocs in ambient water is complex but needed in order to understand their role in development and maintenance of moving fluid muds, muck, bottom boundary lutocline layers and nephelometric interfaces in aquatic systems. These bottom boundary interfaces and associated processes contribute to sedimentation, particle deposition and resuspension of total particulate matter and associated nutrients. Increasing the scientific understanding of the above requires advances in environmental sensing instrumentation (passive and active) to successfully understand these aquatic interfaces. Standalone in-situ sensors that automatically perform multiple steps including sampling, separation, and detection have the potential to greatly advance analytical science. A new in-situ multispectral optical camera system for environmental monitoring and surveillance of delicate flocs and related aggregate structures is described. Results of the system show that flocs - 0.1 mm -10.2 mm diameter (mean diameter of 2.77 mm), with a variance of 5.952 mm and a median effective cross-section area of 30 mm2 can be measured using the passive multispectral optical imaging system. The system is lightweight, compact and suitable for shallow or deep water deployment. When combined with fixed station acoustic echogram instruments, nephelometric (turbidity) waves can be easily observed. Time sequential analysis of imagery allows the system to be used as an optical particle velocimetry system (OPVS). Initial shallow water testing resulted in Lagrangian particle velocities of 0.3 to 3 cm sec-1 to be measured. Similar results were obtained from an acoustic velocity current meter (MAVS3) and a Marsh McBirney 201D electromagnetic current meters. When combined with results from direct methods using sondes for estimating sediment mass fluxes, the combined systems provide data necessary for sediment and water quality modeling. The new optical sensor system will help address analytical needs reported in past studies and provides a new standard method and protocol for measuring the movement of sediment and particulates in the aquatic bottom boundary layers.

Assessing Fish and Motile Fauna around Offshore Windfarms Using Stereo Baited Video

PubMed Central

Griffin, Ross A.; Robinson, Gary J.; West, Ashley; Gloyne-Phillips, Ian T.; Unsworth, Richard K. F.

2016-01-01

There remains limited knowledge of how offshore windfarm developments influence fish assemblages, particularly at a local scale around the turbine structures. Considering the existing levels of anthropogenic pressures on coastal fish populations it is becoming increasingly important for developers and environmental regulators to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing fish assemblages. Improving our ability to assess such fish populations in close proximity to structures will assist in increasing this knowledge. In the present study we provide the first trial use of Baited Remote Underwater Stereo-Video systems (stereo BRUVs) for the quantification of motile fauna in close proximity to offshore wind turbines. The study was conducted in the Irish Sea and finds the technique to be a viable means of assessing the motile fauna of such environments. The present study found a mixture of species including bottom dwellers, motile crustaceans and large predatory fish. The majority of taxa observed were found to be immature individuals with few adult individuals recorded. The most abundant species were the angular crab (Goneplax rhomboides) and the small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula). Of note in this study was the generally low abundance and diversity of taxa recorded across all samples, we hypothesise that this reflects the generally poor state of the local fauna of the Irish Sea. The faunal assemblages sampled in close proximity to turbines were observed to alter with increasing distance from the structure, species more characteristic of hard bottom environments were in abundance at the turbines (e.g. Homarus gammarus, Cancer pagarus, Scyliorhinus spp.) and those further away more characteristic of soft bottoms (e.g. Norwegian Lobster). This study highlights the need for the environmental impacts of offshore renewables on motile fauna to be assessed using targeted and appropriate tools. Stereo BRUVs provide one of those tools, but like the majority of methods for sampling marine biota, they have limitations. We conclude our paper by providing a discussion of the benefits and limitations of using this BRUV technique for assessing fauna within areas close to offshore windfarms. PMID:26934587

Sediment unmixing using detrital geochronology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sharman, Glenn R.; Johnstone, Samuel

2017-01-01

Sediment mixing within sediment routing systems can exert a strong influence on the preservation of provenance signals that yield insight into the influence of environmental forcings (e.g., tectonism, climate) on the earth’s surface. Here we discuss two approaches to unmixing detrital geochronologic data in an effort to characterize complex changes in the sedimentary record. First we summarize ‘top-down’ mixing, which has been successfully employed in the past to characterize the different fractions of prescribed source distributions (‘parents’) that characterize a derived sample or set of samples (‘daughters’). Second we propose the use of ‘bottom-up’ methods, previously used primarily for grain size distributions, to model parent distributions and the abundances of these parents within a set of daughters. We demonstrate the utility of both top-down and bottom-up approaches to unmixing detrital geochronologic data within a well-constrained sediment routing system in central California. Use of a variety of goodness-of-fit metrics in top-down modeling reveals the importance of considering the range of allowable mixtures over any single best-fit mixture calculation. Bottom-up modeling of 12 daughter samples from beaches and submarine canyons yields modeled parent distributions that are remarkably similar to those expected from the geologic context of the sediment-routing system. In general, mixture modeling has potential to supplement more widely applied approaches in comparing detrital geochronologic data by casting differences between samples as differing proportions of geologically meaningful end-member provenance categories.

Microfossils, a Key to Unravel Cold-Water Carbonate Mound Evolution through Time: Evidence from the Eastern Alboran Sea

PubMed Central

Stalder, Claudio; Vertino, Agostina; Rosso, Antonietta; Rüggeberg, Andres; Pirkenseer, Claudius; Spangenberg, Jorge E.; Spezzaferri, Silvia; Camozzi, Osvaldo; Rappo, Sacha; Hajdas, Irka

2015-01-01

Cold-water coral (CWC) ecosystems occur worldwide and play a major role in the ocean's carbonate budget and atmospheric CO2 balance since the Danian (~65 m.y. ago). However their temporal and spatial evolution against climatic and oceanographic variability is still unclear. For the first time, we combine the main macrofaunal components of a sediment core from a CWC mound of the Melilla Mounds Field in the Eastern Alboran Sea with the associated microfauna and we highlight the importance of foraminifera and ostracods as indicators of CWC mound evolution in the paleorecord. Abundances of macrofauna along the core reveal alternating periods dominated by distinct CWC taxa (mostly Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata) that correspond to major shifts in foraminiferal and ostracod assemblages. The period dominated by M. oculata coincides with a period characterized by increased export of refractory organic matter to the seafloor and rather unstable oceanographic conditions at the benthic boundary layer with periodically decreased water energy and oxygenation, variable bottom water temperature/density and increased sediment flow. The microfaunal and geochemical data strongly suggest that M. oculata and in particular Dendrophylliidae show a higher tolerance to environmental changes than L. pertusa. Finally, we show evidence for sustained CWC growth during the Alleröd-Younger-Dryas in the Eastern Alboran Sea and that this period corresponds to stable benthic conditions with cold/dense and well oxygenated bottom waters, high fluxes of labile organic matter and relatively strong bottom currents PMID:26447699

Reconciling divergent estimates of oil and gas methane emissions

PubMed Central

Zavala-Araiza, Daniel; Lyon, David R.; Alvarez, Ramón A.; Davis, Kenneth J.; Harriss, Robert; Herndon, Scott C.; Karion, Anna; Kort, Eric Adam; Lamb, Brian K.; Lan, Xin; Marchese, Anthony J.; Pacala, Stephen W.; Robinson, Allen L.; Shepson, Paul B.; Sweeney, Colm; Talbot, Robert; Townsend-Small, Amy; Yacovitch, Tara I.; Zimmerle, Daniel J.; Hamburg, Steven P.

2015-01-01

Published estimates of methane emissions from atmospheric data (top-down approaches) exceed those from source-based inventories (bottom-up approaches), leading to conflicting claims about the climate implications of fuel switching from coal or petroleum to natural gas. Based on data from a coordinated campaign in the Barnett Shale oil and gas-producing region of Texas, we find that top-down and bottom-up estimates of both total and fossil methane emissions agree within statistical confidence intervals (relative differences are 10% for fossil methane and 0.1% for total methane). We reduced uncertainty in top-down estimates by using repeated mass balance measurements, as well as ethane as a fingerprint for source attribution. Similarly, our bottom-up estimate incorporates a more complete count of facilities than past inventories, which omitted a significant number of major sources, and more effectively accounts for the influence of large emission sources using a statistical estimator that integrates observations from multiple ground-based measurement datasets. Two percent of oil and gas facilities in the Barnett accounts for half of methane emissions at any given time, and high-emitting facilities appear to be spatiotemporally variable. Measured oil and gas methane emissions are 90% larger than estimates based on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory and correspond to 1.5% of natural gas production. This rate of methane loss increases the 20-y climate impacts of natural gas consumed in the region by roughly 50%. PMID:26644584

Bottom-Up and Top-Down Solid-State NMR Approaches for Bacterial Biofilm Matrix Composition

PubMed Central

Cegelski, Lynette

2015-01-01

The genomics and proteomics revolutions have been enormously successful in providing crucial “parts lists” for biological systems. Yet, formidable challenges exist in generating complete descriptions of how the parts function and assemble into macromolecular complexes and whole-cell assemblies. Bacterial biofilms are complex multicellular bacterial communities protected by a slime-like extracellular matrix that confers protection to environmental stress and enhances resistance to antibiotics and host defenses. As a non-crystalline, insoluble, heterogeneous assembly, the biofilm extracellular matrix poses a challenge to compositional analysis by conventional methods. In this Perspective, bottom-up and top-down solid-state NMR approaches are described for defining chemical composition in complex macrosystems. The “sum-of-theparts” bottom-up approach was introduced to examine the amyloid-integrated biofilms formed by E. coli and permitted the first determination of the composition of the intact extracellular matrix from a bacterial biofilm. An alternative top-down approach was developed to define composition in V. cholerae biofilms and relied on an extensive panel of NMR measurements to tease out specific carbon pools from a single sample of the intact extracellular matrix. These two approaches are widely applicable to other heterogeneous assemblies. For bacterial biofilms, quantitative parameters of matrix composition are needed to understand how biofilms are assembled, to improve the development of biofilm inhibitors, and to dissect inhibitor modes of action. Solid-state NMR approaches will also be invaluable in obtaining parameters of matrix architecture. PMID:25797008

Bottom-up and top-down solid-state NMR approaches for bacterial biofilm matrix composition.

PubMed

Cegelski, Lynette

2015-04-01

The genomics and proteomics revolutions have been enormously successful in providing crucial "parts lists" for biological systems. Yet, formidable challenges exist in generating complete descriptions of how the parts function and assemble into macromolecular complexes and whole-cell assemblies. Bacterial biofilms are complex multicellular bacterial communities protected by a slime-like extracellular matrix that confers protection to environmental stress and enhances resistance to antibiotics and host defenses. As a non-crystalline, insoluble, heterogeneous assembly, the biofilm extracellular matrix poses a challenge to compositional analysis by conventional methods. In this perspective, bottom-up and top-down solid-state NMR approaches are described for defining chemical composition in complex macrosystems. The "sum-of-the-parts" bottom-up approach was introduced to examine the amyloid-integrated biofilms formed by Escherichia coli and permitted the first determination of the composition of the intact extracellular matrix from a bacterial biofilm. An alternative top-down approach was developed to define composition in Vibrio cholerae biofilms and relied on an extensive panel of NMR measurements to tease out specific carbon pools from a single sample of the intact extracellular matrix. These two approaches are widely applicable to other heterogeneous assemblies. For bacterial biofilms, quantitative parameters of matrix composition are needed to understand how biofilms are assembled, to improve the development of biofilm inhibitors, and to dissect inhibitor modes of action. Solid-state NMR approaches will also be invaluable in obtaining parameters of matrix architecture. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated Urban Travel Interpretation: A Bottom-up Approach for Trajectory Segmentation.

PubMed

Das, Rahul Deb; Winter, Stephan

2016-11-23

Understanding travel behavior is critical for an effective urban planning as well as for enabling various context-aware service provisions to support mobility as a service (MaaS). Both applications rely on the sensor traces generated by travellers' smartphones. These traces can be used to interpret travel modes, both for generating automated travel diaries as well as for real-time travel mode detection. Current approaches segment a trajectory by certain criteria, e.g., drop in speed. However, these criteria are heuristic, and, thus, existing approaches are subjective and involve significant vagueness and uncertainty in activity transitions in space and time. Also, segmentation approaches are not suited for real time interpretation of open-ended segments, and cannot cope with the frequent gaps in the location traces. In order to address all these challenges a novel, state based bottom-up approach is proposed. This approach assumes a fixed atomic segment of a homogeneous state, instead of an event-based segment, and a progressive iteration until a new state is found. The research investigates how an atomic state-based approach can be developed in such a way that can work in real time, near-real time and offline mode and in different environmental conditions with their varying quality of sensor traces. The results show the proposed bottom-up model outperforms the existing event-based segmentation models in terms of adaptivity, flexibility, accuracy and richness in information delivery pertinent to automated travel behavior interpretation.

Automated Urban Travel Interpretation: A Bottom-up Approach for Trajectory Segmentation

PubMed Central

Das, Rahul Deb; Winter, Stephan

2016-01-01

Understanding travel behavior is critical for an effective urban planning as well as for enabling various context-aware service provisions to support mobility as a service (MaaS). Both applications rely on the sensor traces generated by travellers’ smartphones. These traces can be used to interpret travel modes, both for generating automated travel diaries as well as for real-time travel mode detection. Current approaches segment a trajectory by certain criteria, e.g., drop in speed. However, these criteria are heuristic, and, thus, existing approaches are subjective and involve significant vagueness and uncertainty in activity transitions in space and time. Also, segmentation approaches are not suited for real time interpretation of open-ended segments, and cannot cope with the frequent gaps in the location traces. In order to address all these challenges a novel, state based bottom-up approach is proposed. This approach assumes a fixed atomic segment of a homogeneous state, instead of an event-based segment, and a progressive iteration until a new state is found. The research investigates how an atomic state-based approach can be developed in such a way that can work in real time, near-real time and offline mode and in different environmental conditions with their varying quality of sensor traces. The results show the proposed bottom-up model outperforms the existing event-based segmentation models in terms of adaptivity, flexibility, accuracy and richness in information delivery pertinent to automated travel behavior interpretation. PMID:27886053

Sediment unmixing using detrital geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharman, Glenn R.; Johnstone, Samuel A.

2017-11-01

Sediment mixing within sediment routing systems can exert a strong influence on the preservation of provenance signals that yield insight into the effect of environmental forcing (e.g., tectonism, climate) on the Earth's surface. Here, we discuss two approaches to unmixing detrital geochronologic data in an effort to characterize complex changes in the sedimentary record. First, we summarize 'top-down' mixing, which has been successfully employed in the past to characterize the different fractions of prescribed source distributions ('parents') that characterize a derived sample or set of samples ('daughters'). Second, we propose the use of 'bottom-up' methods, previously used primarily for grain size distributions, to model parent distributions and the abundances of these parents within a set of daughters. We demonstrate the utility of both top-down and bottom-up approaches to unmixing detrital geochronologic data within a well-constrained sediment routing system in central California. Use of a variety of goodness-of-fit metrics in top-down modeling reveals the importance of considering the range of allowable that is well mixed over any single best-fit mixture calculation. Bottom-up modeling of 12 daughter samples from beaches and submarine canyons yields modeled parent distributions that are remarkably similar to those expected from the geologic context of the sediment-routing system. In general, mixture modeling has the potential to supplement more widely applied approaches in comparing detrital geochronologic data by casting differences between samples as differing proportions of geologically meaningful end-member provenance categories.

Bottom-up and top-down solid-state NMR approaches for bacterial biofilm matrix composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cegelski, Lynette

2015-04-01

The genomics and proteomics revolutions have been enormously successful in providing crucial "parts lists" for biological systems. Yet, formidable challenges exist in generating complete descriptions of how the parts function and assemble into macromolecular complexes and whole-cell assemblies. Bacterial biofilms are complex multicellular bacterial communities protected by a slime-like extracellular matrix that confers protection to environmental stress and enhances resistance to antibiotics and host defenses. As a non-crystalline, insoluble, heterogeneous assembly, the biofilm extracellular matrix poses a challenge to compositional analysis by conventional methods. In this perspective, bottom-up and top-down solid-state NMR approaches are described for defining chemical composition in complex macrosystems. The "sum-of-the-parts" bottom-up approach was introduced to examine the amyloid-integrated biofilms formed by Escherichia coli and permitted the first determination of the composition of the intact extracellular matrix from a bacterial biofilm. An alternative top-down approach was developed to define composition in Vibrio cholerae biofilms and relied on an extensive panel of NMR measurements to tease out specific carbon pools from a single sample of the intact extracellular matrix. These two approaches are widely applicable to other heterogeneous assemblies. For bacterial biofilms, quantitative parameters of matrix composition are needed to understand how biofilms are assembled, to improve the development of biofilm inhibitors, and to dissect inhibitor modes of action. Solid-state NMR approaches will also be invaluable in obtaining parameters of matrix architecture.

Dredging Operations Technical Support Program: Engineering Design and Environmental Assessment of Dredged Material Overflow from Hydraulically Filled Hopper Barges in Mobile Bay, Alabama

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

turbid estuarine habitats such as Mobile Bay are very tolerant of moderately high concentrations of suspended sediments and thin layers of sediment...GULF OF MEXIC BAYOU 4M 2CAE SI2LTK Fiur 3. DsrbuinoAedmnTyesi oie a fo IsphordingLT anCLmb190 PART III: DREDGING EQUIPMENT AND OPERATIONAL TECHNIQUES...increase in ambient turbidity was noted. Water samples were collected at surface, middepth, and bottom. The sampling boats proceeded across their

Mitigating climate change through managing constructed-microbial communities in agriculture

DOE PAGES

Hamilton, Cyd E.; Bever, James D.; Labbe, Jessy; ...

2015-10-27

The importance of increasing crop production while reducing resource inputs and land-use change cannot be overstated especially in light of climate change and a human population growth projected to reach nine billion this century. Here, mutualistic plant microbe interactions offer a novel approach to enhance agricultural productivity while reducing environmental costs. In concert with other novel agronomic technologies and management, plant-microbial mutualisms could help increase crop production and reduce yield losses by improving resistance and/or resilience to edaphic, biologic, and climatic variability from both bottom-up and top-down perspectives.

ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY AT ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY. Report for the Year 1958

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sedlet, J.

1959-08-01

Data are tabulated on the radioactive content of samples of surface water, lake and stream bottom silt, soil, plants, and air filters from the environs of the Argonne National Laboratory. Results are compared with those for similar samples collected from the area from 1952 through 1958. Fission prcduct activity from nuclear detocations was found in most samples from all locations. Fall-out activity was greatest during the spring and fall, and was particularly noticeable in air, precipitation, and plant samples. (For preceding period see ANL-5934.) (C.H.)

Draft Environmental Impact Statement. MX Deployment Area Selection and Land Withdrawal/Acquisition DEIS. Volume 3. Part 1. Affected Environment.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

above the U.S. average), it ranked behind growth in Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho . More than half of the state’s population reside in Salt Lake and...Rocky Silt bottoms Petts .,amoaus~a K anwanii notb;.s E Resident Sinkholes , Sprinos Known from localities) 1 Lidanaered * Threatened "teeds west cf...Ute Ute Res. Quay Canadian (50 mi) Tucumcari Lake Hudson Lake Conchas Canal Plaza Largo Frio La Tule Lake Curry Lewiston Lake Roosevelt Salt Lake

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change – Lake Urmia, Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamson, Thomas

2015-01-01

The lake’s southern basin is shallower than its northern basin, so recent images show the water disappearing from the southern basin first. These Landsat images use the shortwave-infrared, near-infrared, and green wavelengths of light. Because water absorbs infrared light, water (dark blue to black) contrasts with the surrounding land areas. As the water becomes shallower, light is reflected off of the lakebed in shades of light blue. Lighter blue and bright areas immediately surrounding the lake are where the receding shoreline has exposed the lake bottom.

Transplanting of the Seagrasses Zostera marina and Halodula wrightii for Sediment Stabilization and Habitat Development on the East Coast of the United States.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

term basis (2-3 yr) do not account for substantial accretion or retention of • sediments (only 1 -3 cm above the natural bottom) in open-water areas...ND-Al6 224 TRANSPLANTING OF THE SEAGRASSES ZOSTERA MARINA AND 1 / 1 HALODULR MRIGHTII FOR..(U) ARMY ENGINEER NATERNAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG MS...11.8 un1.051.41. NAIOA SU ____ OFSTN .,.- 1 ,3 ....... ...... ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT RESEARCH PROGRAM * Re TECHNICAL REPORT EL-85-9 N TRANSPLANTING OF THE

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mineral Resource Management Plan. Potential Exploration, Development, and Production of Oil and Gas Resources; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

this acreage represents good hydrocarbon potential). As a matter of fact, it is Newhall Resources’ intention to actively market its acreage for leasing...gas market conditions were such that they exceeded the assumed "most likely" volumes of oil production over the next 40 years identified in Table 2-1 of...years aqo and the bottom floor housed Perozzi Hardware until it went out of business this year, 1986. Appropriately, there is an antique market there

Mitigating climate change through managing constructed-microbial communities in agriculture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, Cyd E.; Bever, James D.; Labbe, Jessy

The importance of increasing crop production while reducing resource inputs and land-use change cannot be overstated especially in light of climate change and a human population growth projected to reach nine billion this century. Here, mutualistic plant microbe interactions offer a novel approach to enhance agricultural productivity while reducing environmental costs. In concert with other novel agronomic technologies and management, plant-microbial mutualisms could help increase crop production and reduce yield losses by improving resistance and/or resilience to edaphic, biologic, and climatic variability from both bottom-up and top-down perspectives.

Zeolite Crystal Growth in Microgravity and on Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

The Center for Advanced Microgravity Materials Processing (CAMMP), a NASA-sponsored Research Partnership Center, is working to improve zeolite materials for storing hydrogen fuel. CAMMP is also applying zeolites to detergents, optical cables, gas and vapor detection for environmental monitoring and control, and chemical production techniques that significantly reduce by-products that are hazardous to the environment. Shown here are zeolite crystals (top) grown in a ground control experiment and grown in microgravity on the USML-2 mission (bottom). Zeolite experiments have also been conducted aboard the International Space Station.

Long-Term Effects of Dredging Operations Program. Design of an Improved Column Leaching Apparatus for Sediments and Dredged Material

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

Wastes and Flue Gas Desulfurization Sludgas, Interim Report," EPA-600/2-76-182, Municipal Environ- mental Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency...Kinman, R. N. 1979. "Leachate and Gas Production Under Controlled Moisture Condition," "Municipal Solid Waste: Land Disposal" EPA- 600/9-79-029a, M. P...includes upflow mode with distribution disks at both the top and bottom of the column. Pore water velocity is controlled to be less than 1 E-05 cm/sec

Steel refining possibilities in LF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumitru, M. G.; Ioana, A.; Constantin, N.; Ciobanu, F.; Pollifroni, M.

2018-01-01

This article presents the main possibilities for steel refining in Ladle Furnace (LF). These, are presented: steelmaking stages, steel refining through argon bottom stirring, online control of the bottom stirring, bottom stirring diagram during LF treatment of a heat, porous plug influence over the argon stirring, bottom stirring porous plug, analysis of porous plugs disposal on ladle bottom surface, bottom stirring simulation with ANSYS, bottom stirring simulation with Autodesk CFD.

LCA of management strategies for RDF incineration and gasification bottom ash based on experimental leaching data.

PubMed

Di Gianfilippo, Martina; Costa, Giulia; Pantini, Sara; Allegrini, Elisa; Lombardi, Francesco; Astrup, Thomas Fruergaard

2016-01-01

The main characteristics and environmental properties of the bottom ash (BA) generated from thermal treatment of waste may vary significantly depending on the type of waste and thermal technology employed. Thus, to ensure that the strategies selected for the management of these residues do not cause adverse environmental impacts, the specific properties of BA, in particular its leaching behavior, should be taken into account. This study focuses on the evaluation of potential environmental impacts associated with two different management options for BA from thermal treatment of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF): landfilling and recycling as a filler for road sub bases. Two types of thermal treatment were considered: incineration and gasification. Potential environmental impacts were evaluated by life-cycle assessment (LCA) using the EASETECH model. Both non-toxicity related impact categories (i.e. global warming and mineral abiotic resource depletion) and toxic impact categories (i.e. human toxicity and ecotoxicity) were assessed. The system boundaries included BA transport from the incineration/gasification plants to the landfills and road construction sites, leaching of potentially toxic metals from the BA, the avoided extraction, crushing, transport and leaching of virgin raw materials for the road scenarios, and material and energy consumption for the construction of the landfills. To provide a quantitative assessment of the leaching properties of the two types of BA, experimental leaching data were used to estimate the potential release from each of the two types of residues. Specific attention was placed on the sensitivity of leaching properties and the determination of emissions by leaching, including: leaching data selection, material properties and assumptions related to emission modeling. The LCA results showed that for both types of BA, landfilling was associated with the highest environmental impacts in the non-toxicity related categories. For the toxicity related categories, the two types of residues behaved differently. For incineration BA the contribution of metal leaching to the total impacts had a dominant role, with the highest environmental loads resulting for the road scenario. For the gasification BA, the opposite result was obtained, due to the lower release of contaminants observed for this material compared to incineration BA. Based on the results of this study, it may be concluded that, depending on the type of BA considered, its leaching behavior may significantly affect the results of a LCA regarding its management strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tactical Competency Survey PRETEST Data Base.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

8217 TOP 5 0 1 ’D’ BOTTOM 501 tE’ BOTTOm 251 ’F’ BOTTOM 10/IRSRK (’A’ TOP 10 (’B’ TOP 251 ’C’ TOP 509 1 D’) BOTTOM 50w lEt BOTTOM 25 (’F’ BOTTOm. 1Q%/* IRSN

Sediment transport in Norton Sound, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drake, D.E.; Cacchione, D.A.; Muench, R.D.; Nelson, C.H.

1980-01-01

The Yukon River, the largest single source of Bering Sea sediment, delivers >95% of its sediment load at the southwest corner of Norton Sound during the ice-free months of late May through October. During this period, surface winds in the northern Bering Sea area are generally light from the south and southwest, and surface waves are not significant. Although wind stress may cause some transport of low-density turbid surface water into the head of Norton Sound, the most significant transport of Yukon River suspended matter occurs within advective currents flowing north across the outer part of the sound. The thickest accumulations of modern Yukon silt and very fine sand occur beneath this persistent current. We monitored temporal variations in bottom currents, pressure, and suspended-matter concentrations within this major transport pathway for 80 days in the summer of 1977 using a Geological Processes Bottom Environmental (GEOPROBE) tripod system. The record reveals two distinctive periods of bottom flow and sediment transport: an initial 59 days (July 8-September 5) of fair-weather conditions, characterized by tidally dominated currents and relatively low, stable suspended-matter concentrations; and a 21-day period (September 5-September 26) during which several storms traversed the northern Bering Sea, mean suspended-matter concentrations near the bottom increased by a factor of five, and the earlier tidal dominance was overshadowed by wind-driven and oscillatory wave-generated currents. Friction velocities (u*) at the GEOPROBE site were generally subcritical during the initial fair-weather period. In contrast, the 21-day stormy period was characterized by u* values that exceeded the critical level of 1.3 cm/s more than 60% of the time. The GEPROBE data suggest that the very fine sand constituting about 50% of the sediment on the outer part of the Yukon prodelta is transported during a few late-summer and fall storms each year. A conservative estimate shows that suspended-matter transport during the storms in September 1977 was equal to four months of fair-weather transport. ?? 1980.

Fine-Scale Cartography of Human Impacts along French Mediterranean Coasts: A Relevant Map for the Management of Marine Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Holon, Florian; Mouquet, Nicolas; Boissery, Pierre; Bouchoucha, Marc; Delaruelle, Gwenaelle; Tribot, Anne-Sophie; Deter, Julie

2015-01-01

Ecosystem services provided by oceans and seas support most human needs but are threatened by human activities. Despite existing maps illustrating human impacts on marine ecosystems, information remains either large-scale but rough and insufficient for stakeholders (1 km² grid, lack of data along the coast) or fine-scale but fragmentary and heterogeneous in methodology. The objectives of this study are to map and quantify the main pressures exerted on near-coast marine ecosystems, at a large spatial scale though in fine and relevant resolution for managers (one pixel = 20 x 20 m). It focuses on the French Mediterranean coast (1,700 km of coastline including Corsica) at a depth of 0 to 80 m. After completing and homogenizing data presently available under GIS on the bathymetry and anthropogenic pressures but also on the seabed nature and ecosystem vulnerability, we provide a fine modeling of the extent and impacts of 10 anthropogenic pressures on marine habitats. The considered pressures are man-made coastline, boat anchoring, aquaculture, urban effluents, industrial effluents, urbanization, agriculture, coastline erosion, coastal population and fishing. A 1:10 000 continuous habitat map is provided considering 11 habitat classes. The marine bottom is mostly covered by three habitats: infralittoral soft bottom, Posidonia oceanica meadows and circalittoral soft bottom. Around two thirds of the bottoms are found within medium and medium high cumulative impact categories. Seagrass meadows are the most impacted habitats. The most important pressures (in area and intensity) are urbanization, coastal population, coastal erosion and man-made coastline. We also identified areas in need of a special management interest. This work should contribute to prioritize environmental needs, as well as enhance the development of indicators for the assessment of the ecological status of coastal systems. It could also help better apply and coordinate management measures at a relevant scale for biodiversity conservation. PMID:26266542

Understanding solute transport at catchment scales by using a synthesis of bottom-up and top-down modelling approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selle, Benny; Schwientek, Marc; Osenbrück, Karsten

2013-04-01

The understanding of flow paths and travel times of water and solutes in catchments can be substantially improved by a combination of bottom-up and top-down modelling approaches. This hypothesis was tested for the 180 km² Ammer catchment in south-western Germany in which the landuse is dominated by agricultural and urban areas. The Ammer River with a mean discharge of 1 m³/s is mainly fed by springs from karstified and fractured aquifers. A limestone aquifer is extensively used for groundwater production. As a first step, we analysed measured concentrations of major ions, selected organic micro-pollutants and environmental tracers for surface water, springs and deep groundwater from wells using typical top-down approaches such as principal component analysis and lumped parameter models. From these approaches, we gained an initial understanding of water and solute fluxes in the catchment. The initial hypotheses on subsurface flow paths and travel times were subsequently tested using a numerical, 3-D groundwater model as a typical bottom-up approach. Our synthesis of top-down and bottom-up approaches provided us with a reliable picture of the dominant processes governing water and solute fluxes in the Ammer catchment. Several spring waters indicated mixing with wastewater. These contaminations were indentified to be caused by either recharge of surface water or leaky sewer systems. Deep percolation below the plant root zone polluted with agrochemicals was found to affect most springs and surface waters resulting in nitrate concentrations of approximately 30 mg/l. This process also influenced some of the drinking-water wells, although water quality for most of these wells is still relatively high due to some attenuation of pollutants but - above all - due to a significant proportion of groundwater with ages > 50 years. However, water quality will likely decrease if contaminants break through and/or conditions for microbiological attenuation process will deteriorate, for example due to depletion of suitable electron donors.

Fine-Scale Cartography of Human Impacts along French Mediterranean Coasts: A Relevant Map for the Management of Marine Ecosystems.

PubMed

Holon, Florian; Mouquet, Nicolas; Boissery, Pierre; Bouchoucha, Marc; Delaruelle, Gwenaelle; Tribot, Anne-Sophie; Deter, Julie

2015-01-01

Ecosystem services provided by oceans and seas support most human needs but are threatened by human activities. Despite existing maps illustrating human impacts on marine ecosystems, information remains either large-scale but rough and insufficient for stakeholders (1 km² grid, lack of data along the coast) or fine-scale but fragmentary and heterogeneous in methodology. The objectives of this study are to map and quantify the main pressures exerted on near-coast marine ecosystems, at a large spatial scale though in fine and relevant resolution for managers (one pixel = 20 x 20 m). It focuses on the French Mediterranean coast (1,700 km of coastline including Corsica) at a depth of 0 to 80 m. After completing and homogenizing data presently available under GIS on the bathymetry and anthropogenic pressures but also on the seabed nature and ecosystem vulnerability, we provide a fine modeling of the extent and impacts of 10 anthropogenic pressures on marine habitats. The considered pressures are man-made coastline, boat anchoring, aquaculture, urban effluents, industrial effluents, urbanization, agriculture, coastline erosion, coastal population and fishing. A 1:10 000 continuous habitat map is provided considering 11 habitat classes. The marine bottom is mostly covered by three habitats: infralittoral soft bottom, Posidonia oceanica meadows and circalittoral soft bottom. Around two thirds of the bottoms are found within medium and medium high cumulative impact categories. Seagrass meadows are the most impacted habitats. The most important pressures (in area and intensity) are urbanization, coastal population, coastal erosion and man-made coastline. We also identified areas in need of a special management interest. This work should contribute to prioritize environmental needs, as well as enhance the development of indicators for the assessment of the ecological status of coastal systems. It could also help better apply and coordinate management measures at a relevant scale for biodiversity conservation.

Habitat-Forming Bryozoans in New Zealand: Their Known and Predicted Distribution in Relation to Broad-Scale Environmental Variables and Fishing Effort

PubMed Central

Wood, Anna C. L.; Rowden, Ashley A.; Compton, Tanya J.; Gordon, Dennis P.; Probert, P. Keith

2013-01-01

Frame-building bryozoans occasionally occur in sufficient densities in New Zealand waters to generate habitat for other macrofauna. The environmental conditions necessary for bryozoans to generate such habitat, and the distributions of these species, are poorly known. Bryozoan-generated habitats are vulnerable to bottom fishing, so knowledge of species’ distributions is essential for management purposes. To better understand these distributions, presence records were collated and mapped, and habitat suitability models were generated (Maxent, 1 km2 grid) for the 11 most common habitat-forming bryozoan species: Arachnopusia unicornis , Cellaria immersa , Cellaria tenuirostris , Celleporariaagglutinans , Celleporinagrandis , Cinctipora elegans , Diaperoecia purpurascens , Galeopsis porcellanicus , Hippomenella vellicata , Hornerafoliacea , and Smittoideamaunganuiensis . The models confirmed known areas of habitat, and indicated other areas as potentially suitable. Water depth, vertical water mixing, tidal currents, and water temperature were useful for describing the distribution of the bryozoan species at broad scales. Areas predicted as suitable for multiple species were identified, and these ‘hotspots’ were compared to fishing effort data. This showed a potential conflict between fishing and the conservation of bryozoan-generated habitat. Fishing impacts are known from some sites, but damage to large areas of habitat-forming bryozoans is likely to have occurred throughout the study area. In the present study, spatial error associated with the use of historic records and the coarse native resolution of the environmental variables limited both the resolution at which the models could be interpreted and our understanding of the ecological requirements of the study species. However, these models show species distribution modelling has potential to further our understanding of habitat-forming bryozoan ecology and distribution. Importantly, comparisons between hotspots of suitable habitat and the distribution of bottom fishing in the study area highlight the need for management measures designed to mitigate the impact of seafloor disturbance on bryozoan-generated habitat in New Zealand waters. PMID:24086460

Distribution patterns of wintering sea ducks in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and local environmental characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zipkin, Elise F.; Gardner, Beth; Gilbert, Andrew T.; O'Connell, Allan F.; Royle, J. Andrew; Silverman, Emily D.

2010-01-01

Twelve species of North American sea ducks (Tribe Mergini) winter off the eastern coast of the United States and Canada. Yet, despite their seasonal proximity to urbanized areas in this region, there is limited information on patterns of wintering sea duck habitat use. It is difficult to gather information on sea ducks because of the relative inaccessibility of their offshore locations, their high degree of mobility, and their aggregated distributions. To characterize environmental conditions that affect wintering distributions, as well as their geographic ranges, we analyzed count data on five species of sea ducks (black scoters Melanitta nigra americana, surf scoters M. perspicillata, white-winged scoters M. fusca, common eiders Somateria mollissima, and long-tailed ducks Clangula hyemalis) that were collected during the Atlantic Flyway Sea Duck Survey for ten years starting in the early 1990s. We modeled count data for each species within ten-nautical-mile linear survey segments using a zero-inflated negative binomial model that included four local-scale habitat covariates (sea surface temperature, mean bottom depth, maximum bottom slope, and a variable to indicate if the segment was in a bay or not), one broad-scale covariate (the North Atlantic Oscillation), and a temporal correlation component. Our results indicate that species distributions have strong latitudinal gradients and consistency in local habitat use. The North Atlantic Oscillation was the only environmental covariate that had a significant (but variable) effect on the expected count for all five species, suggesting that broad-scale climatic conditions may be directly or indirectly important to the distributions of wintering sea ducks. Our results provide critical information on species-habitat associations, elucidate the complicated relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation, sea surface temperature, and local sea duck abundances, and should be useful in assessing the impacts of climate change on seabirds.

First High-Resolution Record of Late Quaternary Environmental Changes in the Amundsen Sea, West Antarctica, Revealed by Multi-proxy Analysis of Drift Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horrocks, J.; Ó Cofaigh, C.; Lloyd, J. M.; Hillenbrand, C. D.; Kuhn, G.; Smith, J.; Ehrmann, W. U.; Esper, O.

2015-12-01

The Amundsen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is experiencing rapid mass loss and there is a pressing need to place the contemporary ice-sheet changes into a longer term context. The continental rise in this region is characterised by large sediment mounds that are shaped by westward flowing bottom currents and that resemble contouritic drifts existing offshore from the Antarctic Peninsula. Similar to the Antarctic Peninsula drifts, marine sediment cores from the poorly studied sediment mounds in the Amundsen Sea have the potential to provide reliable records of dynamical ice-sheet behaviour in West Antarctica and palaeoceanographic changes in the Southern Ocean during the Late Quaternary that can be reconstructed from their terrestrial, biogenic and authigenic components. Here we use multi-proxy data from three sediment cores recovered from two of the Amundsen Sea mounds to present the first high-resolution study of environmental changes on this part of the West Antarctic continental margin over the glacial-interglacial cycles of the Late Quaternary. Age constraints for the records are derived from biostratigraphy, AMS 14C dates and lithostratigraphy. We focus on the investigation of processes for drift formation, thereby using grain size and sortable silt data to reconstruct changes in bottom current speed and to identify episodes of current winnowing. Data on geochemical and mineralogical sediment composition and physical properties are used to infer both changes in terrigenous sediment supply in response to the advance and retreat of the WAIS across the Amundsen Sea shelf and changes in biological productivity that are mainly controlled by the duration of annual sea-ice coverage. We compare our data sets from the Amundsen Sea mounds to those from the well-studied Antarctic Peninsula drifts, thereby highlighting similarities and discrepancies in depositional processes and climatically-driven environmental changes.

Distribution patterns of wintering sea ducks in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and local environmental characteristics.

PubMed

Zipkin, Elise F; Gardner, Beth; Gilbert, Andrew T; O'Connell, Allan F; Royle, J Andrew; Silverman, Emily D

2010-08-01

Twelve species of North American sea ducks (Tribe Mergini) winter off the eastern coast of the United States and Canada. Yet, despite their seasonal proximity to urbanized areas in this region, there is limited information on patterns of wintering sea duck habitat use. It is difficult to gather information on sea ducks because of the relative inaccessibility of their offshore locations, their high degree of mobility, and their aggregated distributions. To characterize environmental conditions that affect wintering distributions, as well as their geographic ranges, we analyzed count data on five species of sea ducks (black scoters Melanitta nigra americana, surf scoters M. perspicillata, white-winged scoters M. fusca, common eiders Somateria mollissima, and long-tailed ducks Clangula hyemalis) that were collected during the Atlantic Flyway Sea Duck Survey for ten years starting in the early 1990s. We modeled count data for each species within ten-nautical-mile linear survey segments using a zero-inflated negative binomial model that included four local-scale habitat covariates (sea surface temperature, mean bottom depth, maximum bottom slope, and a variable to indicate if the segment was in a bay or not), one broad-scale covariate (the North Atlantic Oscillation), and a temporal correlation component. Our results indicate that species distributions have strong latitudinal gradients and consistency in local habitat use. The North Atlantic Oscillation was the only environmental covariate that had a significant (but variable) effect on the expected count for all five species, suggesting that broad-scale climatic conditions may be directly or indirectly important to the distributions of wintering sea ducks. Our results provide critical information on species-habitat associations, elucidate the complicated relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation, sea surface temperature, and local sea duck abundances, and should be useful in assessing the impacts of climate change on seabirds.

Trophic cascades following the disease-induced decline of an apex predator, the Tasmanian devil.

PubMed

Hollings, Tracey; Jones, Menna; Mooney, Nick; McCallum, Hamish

2014-02-01

As apex predators disappear worldwide, there is escalating evidence of their importance in maintaining the integrity and diversity of the ecosystems they inhabit. The largest extant marsupial carnivore, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened with extinction from a transmissible cancer, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). The disease, first observed in 1996, has led to apparent population declines in excess of 95% in some areas and has spread to more than 80% of their range. We analyzed a long-term Tasmania-wide data set derived from wildlife spotlighting surveys to assess the effects of DFTD-induced devil decline on populations of other mammals and to examine the relative strength of top-down and bottom-up control of mesopredators between 2 regions with different environmental conditions. Collection of the data began >10 years before DFTD was first observed. A decrease in devil populations was immediate across diseased regions following DFTD arrival, and there has been no indication of population recovery. Feral cats (Felis catus) increased in areas where the disease was present the longest, and feral cat occurrence was significantly and negatively associated with devils. The smallest mesopredator, the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), declined rapidly following DFTD arrival. This result suggests the species was indirectly protected by devils through the suppression of larger predators. Rainfall deficiency was also a significant predictor of their decline. Environmental variables determined the relative importance of top-down control in the population regulation of mesopredators. In landscapes of low rainfall and relatively higher proportions of agriculture and human settlement, top-down forces were dampened and bottom-up forces had the most effect on mesopredators. For herbivore prey species, there was evidence of population differences after DFTD arrival, but undetected environmental factors had greater effects. The unique opportunity to assess population changes over extensive temporal and spatial scales following apex predator loss further demonstrated their role in structuring ecosystems and of productivity in determining the strength of top-down control. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Environmental DNA from Seawater Samples Correlate with Trawl Catches of Subarctic, Deepwater Fishes.

PubMed

Thomsen, Philip Francis; Møller, Peter Rask; Sigsgaard, Eva Egelyng; Knudsen, Steen Wilhelm; Jørgensen, Ole Ankjær; Willerslev, Eske

2016-01-01

Remote polar and deepwater fish faunas are under pressure from ongoing climate change and increasing fishing effort. However, these fish communities are difficult to monitor for logistic and financial reasons. Currently, monitoring of marine fishes largely relies on invasive techniques such as bottom trawling, and on official reporting of global catches, which can be unreliable. Thus, there is need for alternative and non-invasive techniques for qualitative and quantitative oceanic fish surveys. Here we report environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of seawater samples from continental slope depths in Southwest Greenland. We collected seawater samples at depths of 188-918 m and compared seawater eDNA to catch data from trawling. We used Illumina sequencing of PCR products to demonstrate that eDNA reads show equivalence to fishing catch data obtained from trawling. Twenty-six families were found with both trawling and eDNA, while three families were found only with eDNA and two families were found only with trawling. Key commercial fish species for Greenland were the most abundant species in both eDNA reads and biomass catch, and interpolation of eDNA abundances between sampling sites showed good correspondence with catch sizes. Environmental DNA sequence reads from the fish assemblages correlated with biomass and abundance data obtained from trawling. Interestingly, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) showed high abundance of eDNA reads despite only a single specimen being caught, demonstrating the relevance of the eDNA approach for large species that can probably avoid bottom trawls in most cases. Quantitative detection of marine fish using eDNA remains to be tested further to ascertain whether this technique is able to yield credible results for routine application in fisheries. Nevertheless, our study demonstrates that eDNA reads can be used as a qualitative and quantitative proxy for marine fish assemblages in deepwater oceanic habitats. This relates directly to applied fisheries as well as to monitoring effects of ongoing climate change on marine biodiversity-especially in polar ecosystems.

Habitat-forming bryozoans in New Zealand: their known and predicted distribution in relation to broad-scale environmental variables and fishing effort.

PubMed

Wood, Anna C L; Rowden, Ashley A; Compton, Tanya J; Gordon, Dennis P; Probert, P Keith

2013-01-01

Frame-building bryozoans occasionally occur in sufficient densities in New Zealand waters to generate habitat for other macrofauna. The environmental conditions necessary for bryozoans to generate such habitat, and the distributions of these species, are poorly known. Bryozoan-generated habitats are vulnerable to bottom fishing, so knowledge of species' distributions is essential for management purposes. To better understand these distributions, presence records were collated and mapped, and habitat suitability models were generated (Maxent, 1 km(2) grid) for the 11 most common habitat-forming bryozoan species: Arachnopusia unicornis, Cellaria immersa, Cellaria tenuirostris, Celleporaria agglutinans, Celleporina grandis, Cinctipora elegans, Diaperoecia purpurascens, Galeopsis porcellanicus, Hippomenella vellicata, Hornera foliacea, and Smittoidea maunganuiensis. The models confirmed known areas of habitat, and indicated other areas as potentially suitable. Water depth, vertical water mixing, tidal currents, and water temperature were useful for describing the distribution of the bryozoan species at broad scales. Areas predicted as suitable for multiple species were identified, and these 'hotspots' were compared to fishing effort data. This showed a potential conflict between fishing and the conservation of bryozoan-generated habitat. Fishing impacts are known from some sites, but damage to large areas of habitat-forming bryozoans is likely to have occurred throughout the study area. In the present study, spatial error associated with the use of historic records and the coarse native resolution of the environmental variables limited both the resolution at which the models could be interpreted and our understanding of the ecological requirements of the study species. However, these models show species distribution modelling has potential to further our understanding of habitat-forming bryozoan ecology and distribution. Importantly, comparisons between hotspots of suitable habitat and the distribution of bottom fishing in the study area highlight the need for management measures designed to mitigate the impact of seafloor disturbance on bryozoan-generated habitat in New Zealand waters.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rintoul, B.

Humble Oil and Refining Co. has developed a bottom-tension boom which successfully contained oil in 6 to 8-ft waves and 20-kn winds, against an imposed current of approx. 1-1/2 kn during a test program in the Santa Barbara Channel. In addition to oil swept up in the Coal Oil Point area near Santa Barbara, an area of natural oil seepage, the device has been used to sweep up popcorn--as many as fifty 3-cu-ft bags per test--purposely spilled in the channel for field test purposes. The boom was designed to operate in the vicinity of a continuous spill source, in heavymore » seas, and to remain in service for a long period of time. Humble says it is designed to survive in an environmental condition of 20-ft waves, 2-kn currents, and 60-kn winds, although claims are not made for effective containment under such severe circumstances. The boom may be towed by fishing-fleet vessels--one on each end of a bottom-tension tow cable--to sweep the sea, or it may be attached to anchors to provide a nt level technology.« less

[Development of a microenvironment test chamber for airborne microbe research].

PubMed

Zhan, Ningbo; Chen, Feng; Du, Yaohua; Cheng, Zhi; Li, Chenyu; Wu, Jinlong; Wu, Taihu

2017-10-01

One of the most important environmental cleanliness indicators is airborne microbe. However, the particularity of clean operating environment and controlled experimental environment often leads to the limitation of the airborne microbe research. This paper designed and implemented a microenvironment test chamber for airborne microbe research in normal test conditions. Numerical simulation by Fluent showed that airborne microbes were evenly dispersed in the upper part of test chamber, and had a bottom-up concentration growth distribution. According to the simulation results, the verification experiment was carried out by selecting 5 sampling points in different space positions in the test chamber. Experimental results showed that average particle concentrations of all sampling points reached 10 7 counts/m 3 after 5 minutes' distributing of Staphylococcus aureus , and all sampling points showed the accordant mapping of concentration distribution. The concentration of airborne microbe in the upper chamber was slightly higher than that in the middle chamber, and that was also slightly higher than that in the bottom chamber. It is consistent with the results of numerical simulation, and it proves that the system can be well used for airborne microbe research.

Global analysis of depletion and recovery of seabed biota after bottom trawling disturbance.

PubMed

Hiddink, Jan Geert; Jennings, Simon; Sciberras, Marija; Szostek, Claire L; Hughes, Kathryn M; Ellis, Nick; Rijnsdorp, Adriaan D; McConnaughey, Robert A; Mazor, Tessa; Hilborn, Ray; Collie, Jeremy S; Pitcher, C Roland; Amoroso, Ricardo O; Parma, Ana M; Suuronen, Petri; Kaiser, Michel J

2017-08-01

Bottom trawling is the most widespread human activity affecting seabed habitats. Here, we collate all available data for experimental and comparative studies of trawling impacts on whole communities of seabed macroinvertebrates on sedimentary habitats and develop widely applicable methods to estimate depletion and recovery rates of biota after trawling. Depletion of biota and trawl penetration into the seabed are highly correlated. Otter trawls caused the least depletion, removing 6% of biota per pass and penetrating the seabed on average down to 2.4 cm, whereas hydraulic dredges caused the most depletion, removing 41% of biota and penetrating the seabed on average 16.1 cm. Median recovery times posttrawling (from 50 to 95% of unimpacted biomass) ranged between 1.9 and 6.4 y. By accounting for the effects of penetration depth, environmental variation, and uncertainty, the models explained much of the variability of depletion and recovery estimates from single studies. Coupled with large-scale, high-resolution maps of trawling frequency and habitat, our estimates of depletion and recovery rates enable the assessment of trawling impacts on unprecedented spatial scales.

Complex numerical responses to top-down and bottom-up processes in vertebrate populations.

PubMed Central

Sinclair, A R E; Krebs, Charles J

2002-01-01

Population growth rate is determined in all vertebrate populations by food supplies, and we postulate bottom-up control as the universal primary standard. But this primary control system can be overridden by three secondary controls: top-down processes from predators, social interactions within the species and disturbances. Different combinations of these processes affect population growth rates in different ways. Thus, some relationships between growth rate and density can be hyperbolic or even have multiple nodes. We illustrate some of these in marsupial, ungulate and rabbit populations. Complex interactions between food, predators, environmental disturbance and social behaviour produce the myriad observations of population growth in nature, and we need to develop generalizations to classify populations. Different animal groups differ in the combination of these four processes that affect them, in their growth rates and in their vulnerability to extinction. Because conservation and management of populations depend critically on what factors drive population growth, we need to develop universal generalizations that will relieve us from the need to study every single population before we can make recommendations for management. PMID:12396514

Effects of regional climate changes on the planktonic ecosystem and water environment in the frozen Notoro Lagoon, northern Japan.

PubMed

Katsuki, Kota; Seto, Koji; Noguchi, Takuro; Sonoda, Takeshi; Kim, JuYong

2012-10-01

Diatom fossils from core sediments and living diatoms from water samples of Notoro Lagoon in northern Japan were examined to evaluate natural climate effects on lagoon environmental changes. In 1974, the artificial inlet was excavated. Immediately after, the anoxic bottom water in Notoro Lagoon began to disappear due to an increasing water exchange rate. However, chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the bottom water of Notoro Lagoon gradually increased, with fluctuations, during the last 30 years. In addition, the dominant diatom assemblages in Notoro Lagoon shifted to ice-related and spring bloom taxa after the excavation. The dominant taxa of each year in the sediment core were also strongly related to the timing of lagoon ice melting. This is because the COD in Notoro Lagoon was affected by the deposited volume of blooming diatoms, which was controlled by the duration of ice cover and the timing of ice discharge to the Okhotsk Sea likely due to an air pressure pattern change over the northern North Pacific like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hidden plastics of Lake Ontario, Canada and their potential preservation in the sediment record.

PubMed

Corcoran, Patricia L; Norris, Todd; Ceccanese, Trevor; Walzak, Mary Jane; Helm, Paul A; Marvin, Chris H

2015-09-01

Microplastics are a source of environmental pollution resulting from degradation of plastic products and spillage of resin pellets. We report the amounts of microplastics from various sites of Lake Ontario and evaluate their potential for preservation in the sediment record. A total of 4635 pellets were sampled from the Humber Bay shoreline on three sampling dates. Pellet colours were similar to those from the Humber River bank, suggesting that the river is a pathway for plastics transport into Lake Ontario. Once in the lake, high density microplastics, including mineral-polyethylene and mineral-polypropylene mixtures, sink to the bottom. The minerals may be fillers that were combined with plastics during production, or may have adsorbed to the surfaces of the polymers in the water column or on the lake bottom. Based on sediment depths and accumulation rates, microplastics have accumulated in the offshore region for less than 38 years. Their burial increases the chance of microplastics preservation. Shoreline pellets may not be preserved because they are mingled with organic debris that is reworked during storm events. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxygenation variability off Northern Chile during the last two centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Ochoa, J. A.; Pantoja, S.; de Lange, G. J.; Lange, C. B.; Sánchez, G. E.; Acuña, V. R.; Muñoz, P.; Vargas, G.

2010-07-01

The Peru Chile Current ecosystem is characterized by high biological productivity and important fisheries. Although this system is likely to be severely affected by climate change, its response to current global warming is still uncertain. In this paper we analyze 10-166 year old sediments in two cores collected in Mejillones Bay, an anoxic sedimentary setting favorable for preservation of proxies. Based on a 166 year chronology we used indicators of bottom water oxygenation proxies (Mo, V, S, and the (lycopane+n-C35)/n-C31) ratio) and surface water productivity (biogenic opal, counts of diatom valves, biogenic Ba, organic carbon and chlorins) to reconstruct environmental variations in Mejillones Bay. We find that at decadal scales, and during the last two centuries, a shift in the coastal marine ecosystem off Northern Chile took place which was characterized by intense ENSO-like activity and large fluctuations in biological export productivity, in bottom water oxygenation, and increased eolic activity (inferred from Ti/Al and Zr/Al). On top of this short-term variability, a gradual increase of sulfidic conditions has occurred being even more intensified since the early 1960s.

Oxygenation variability in Mejillones Bay, off northern Chile, during the last two centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Ochoa, J. A.; Pantoja, S.; de Lange, G. J.; Lange, C. B.; Sánchez, G. E.; Acuña, V. R.; Muñoz, P.; Vargas, G.

2011-01-01

The Peru Chile Current ecosystem is characterized by high biological productivity and important fisheries. Although this system is likely to be severely affected by climate change, its response to current global warming is still uncertain. In this paper, we analyze 10-166 year-old sediments in two cores collected from Mejillones Bay, an anoxic sedimentary setting favorable for the preservation of proxies. Based on a 166-year chronology, we used proxies of bottom-water oxygenation (Mo, V, S, and the (lycopane + n-C35)/n-C31 ratio) and surface water productivity (biogenic opal, counts of diatom valves, biogenic Ba, organic carbon, and chlorins) to reconstruct environmental variations in Mejillones Bay. During the last two centuries, a shift took place in the coastal marine ecosystem of Bahia Mejillones at decadal scales. This shift was characterized by intense ENSO-like activity, large-scale fluctuations in biological export productivity and bottom water oxygenation, and increased eolian activity (inferred from Ti/Al and Zr/Al). This short-term variability was accompanied by a gradual increase of sulfidic conditions that has intensified since the early 1960s.

Clay minerals in sediments of Portuguese reservoirs and their significance as weathering products from over-eroded soils: a comparative study of the Maranhão, Monte Novo and Divor Reservoirs (South Portugal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonseca, Rita M. F.; Barriga, Fernando J. A. S.; Conceição, Patrícia I. S. T.

2010-12-01

The Southern region of Portugal is subjected to several forms of over-erosion. Most leached products, mainly composed of fine particles containing nutrients, metals or pesticides, are easily transported by river flows. When these are hindered by a physical barrier such as a dam, the particulate load accumulates on the bottom of the reservoirs, often leading to a pronounced decrease of water quality. Bottom sediments from three reservoirs were subjected to grain-size analysis and a study of clay minerals by X-ray diffraction. Most sediments contain a diverse set of clay minerals, mostly illites, smectites, chlorites and kaolinites. The nature of the clay minerals reflects the nature of the parent rocks. During the cycles of transport and temporary deposition, they may undergo significant chemical and physical transformations, which lead to an increase of expandable properties and therefore, to a higher cationic exchange capacity, determining its important role as vehicles of environmental pollutants.

The organizational and operational boundaries of triple bottom line reporting: a survey.

PubMed

Archel, Pablo; Fernández, Manuel; Larrinaga, Carlos

2008-01-01

This article responds to Gray's (2002) call for normative research on social and environmental accounting (SEA) and Parker's (2005) call for active engagement in the process of designing SEA systems. More specifically, our investigation focuses on the study of boundary setting for triple bottom line (TBL) reporting, an issue that has been given more attention by practitioners than by researchers. The study reviews the consequences of boundary setting for the discharge of organizational accountability, from which it develops a framework to investigate TBL reporting boundaries and then reports on an empirical survey of best practice. It concludes that organizations are strategically setting and disclosing their boundaries instead of discharging their accountability and argues that such strategies have far-reaching consequences, because reporting boundaries are not only reflective of organizations but also have a constitutive role in their definition. A further consequence is that it calls into question the use of voluntary labeling, such as "in accordance" with Global Reporting Initiative; one implication being that further research into technical developments in TBL reporting could contribute to the discharge of organizational accountability.

Properties of cold-bonded lightweight artificial aggregate containing bottom ash with different curing regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad Ibrahim, Norlia; Nizar Ismail, Khairul; Che Amat, Roshazita; Mohamad Ghazali, Mohamad Iqbal

2018-03-01

Cold-bonded pelletizing technique is frequently used in aggregate manufacturing process as it can minimise the energy consumption. It has contributed to both economical and environmental advantages because it helps to reduce the gas emissions problems. Bottom ash collected from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plant was selected as raw material in this study and was utilised as a partial replacement for cement for artificial aggregate production. Several percentage of ash replacement was selected ranged from 10 to 50%. Aggregate pellets were subjected to different types of curing condition which is room-water (RW), room-room (RR), oven-room (OR) and oven-water (OW) condition. Properties of aggregate pellets were examined to obtain its density, water absorption, aggregate impact value (AIV) and specific gravity (SG). The results indicated that the most efficient curing regime is by exposing the aggregate in RW condition. The optimum aggregate was selected at 20% where it has satisfied the required density of 739.5kg/m3, and classified as strong aggregate with AIV 14. However, the water absorption of aggregate increased proportionately with the increment of ash content.

Global analysis of depletion and recovery of seabed biota after bottom trawling disturbance

PubMed Central

Hiddink, Jan Geert; Jennings, Simon; Sciberras, Marija; Szostek, Claire L.; Hughes, Kathryn M.; Ellis, Nick; Rijnsdorp, Adriaan D.; McConnaughey, Robert A.; Mazor, Tessa; Hilborn, Ray; Collie, Jeremy S.; Pitcher, C. Roland; Amoroso, Ricardo O.; Parma, Ana M.; Suuronen, Petri; Kaiser, Michel J.

2017-01-01

Bottom trawling is the most widespread human activity affecting seabed habitats. Here, we collate all available data for experimental and comparative studies of trawling impacts on whole communities of seabed macroinvertebrates on sedimentary habitats and develop widely applicable methods to estimate depletion and recovery rates of biota after trawling. Depletion of biota and trawl penetration into the seabed are highly correlated. Otter trawls caused the least depletion, removing 6% of biota per pass and penetrating the seabed on average down to 2.4 cm, whereas hydraulic dredges caused the most depletion, removing 41% of biota and penetrating the seabed on average 16.1 cm. Median recovery times posttrawling (from 50 to 95% of unimpacted biomass) ranged between 1.9 and 6.4 y. By accounting for the effects of penetration depth, environmental variation, and uncertainty, the models explained much of the variability of depletion and recovery estimates from single studies. Coupled with large-scale, high-resolution maps of trawling frequency and habitat, our estimates of depletion and recovery rates enable the assessment of trawling impacts on unprecedented spatial scales. PMID:28716926

The Challenges of Bottom-up Approach of Natural-Social Integration in China Highland Pasture Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, Likun

2017-04-01

The pasture land covers two fifth of total Chinese land area, which is mainly distributed in western highland of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan Provinces. China pasture land is not only in charge of providing food resource to regional people, but also plays important role in highland ecosystem services and biodiversity. Along with global warming and enhanced grazing activity, 90% of China pasture land is facing the threat of land degradation. From middle 1990's, Chinese government has released a series of pasture land conservation policies to prevent further environmental degradation. In the same time, lots of pasture ecosystem and environment change researches are supported by national and regional funding agencies. In this study, by monitoring and investigating this top-down approach of pasture land research and policy making processes, we would like to find out the gaps and problems of current research and policy making on China pasture land conservation, especially focusing on the possibility of establishing the bottom-up approach of natural-social sciences integration to support the pasture land conservation and sustainable pasture land management in highland China.

Dissolved Oxygen decrease near the bottom of the Inner Saronikos Gulf affected by the Athens Sewage Outfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlidou, A.; Hatzianestis, I.; Psillidou-Giouranovits, R.

2012-04-01

In this work, the depletion of dissolved oxygen near the bottom of the Inner Saronikos Gulf caused by the sewage discharges from the Psittalia Sewage Treatment Plant of Athens is studied. Evidence of the sewage plume diffusion is given by examining the distribution of the concentrations of coprostanol, a common fecal sterol, in the surface sediments of the area. The environmental quality of Saronikos Gulf has been studied since 1987 within the framework of monitoring programs of Hellenic Center for Marine Research, providing important evidence of environmental change, especially after the operation of the Sewage Treatment Plant on the Psittalia Island. Since 1994, the sewage generated by the city of Athens (population approx. four millions) has been primarily treated in Psittalia Treatment Plant, diverting the effluent from the untreated shoreline discharged to sea-surface, to primarily treated deepwater by using multi-port diffusers at the depth of 63 m. Since the end of 2004, the sewage of Athens city has been secondary treated. An approximate of 800.000 m3 d-1 of treated waste is discharged into the inner Saronikos Gulf, carrying ~100 x 106gC d-1. This area is practically flat with a mean depth of ~90 m, and a volume of ~14 km3. Apart from the treated sewage, no other potential sources of anthropogenic inputs exist in the area of the Inner Gulf. Low Dissolved Oxygen (DO) values (< 3.00 mL/L) were detected near the bottom of the Inner Saronikos Gulf, as the biochemical result of the oxidation of the organic matter which is carried by the wastewater effluents into the Inner Saronikos Gulf. It seems that there is a systematic variation pattern of the DO values throughout a year, with a significant increase during February -March, due to the homogenization of the water column and the oxygenation of the deep layers. The lowest DO concentrations were recorded at the stations located southwest and also in a distance from the Psitallia Sewage Plant (~6-14Km), indicating that the organic matter which is carried by the wastewater plume, follows the prevailing circulation and finally decomposes in a distance from the pipe, resulting to the DO decrease. The investigation of fecal sterols in the sediments (coprostanol values, coprostanol/cholesterol and coprostanol/coprostanol+cholestanol rations) confirms the sewage dispersion pathways. According to these results, although the whole area in a distance ~14 km from the outlet is contaminated by human wastes, the sediments in a direction southwest of Psittalia were more seriously affected than in the southeast direction. Additionally, historical data for the period 1992-2009 showed decreasing trend of the DO concentrations also near the bottom of the stations located southeast of Psittalia Sewage outfall. Consequently, the sewage plume from Psittalia Treatment Plant affects the DO concentrations near the bottom of the Inner Saronikos Gulf and the area within a circle of ~ 14Km diameter is assumed to be sensitive, with relatively lower DO values that potentially can affect the zoobenthic and the benthopelagic communities.

Walt Disney World`s utility efficiency awards and environmental circles of excellence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, P.J.; Kivler, W.B.

1996-05-01

This paper describes an innovative approach to energy conservation that has been started at WALT DISNEY WORLD. The program that was established was designed to heighten the awareness of energy usage in our Management and Cast Members, establish a method for recognizing and rewarding positive energy conservation efforts and, most importantly, keeping the effort simple and fun. Two programs work together to meet this goal: Utility Efficiency Awards and the Environmental Circles of Excellence. The Utility Efficiency Awards are given to the top areas that have demonstrated a reduction in utility consumption relative to the same period in prior years.more » More importantly, a report is generated that shows a best-to-worst ranking. Relying on the idea that {open_quotes}nobody wants to be on the bottom of the list{close_quotes}, conservation is enhanced by focusing attention on improving efficiency. To encourage direct cast member involvement in our environmental program, the Environmental Circles of Excellence were created. These groups, made up of hourly and salaried cast members, discuss their location`s environmental commitments, set goals and implement programs. This paper describes these initiatives in detail and presents some initial results that have heightened the awareness of energy conservation at WALT DISNEY WORLD.« less

Study on the criterion to determine the bottom deployment modes of a coilable mast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Haibo; Huang, Hai; Han, Jianbin; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Xinsheng

2017-12-01

A practical design criterion that allows the coilable mast bottom to deploy in local coil mode was proposed. The criterion was defined with initial bottom helical angle and obtained by bottom deformation analyses. Discretizing the longerons into short rods, analyses were conducted based on the cylinder assumption and Kirchhoff's kinetic analogy theory. Then, iterative calculations aiming at the bottom four rods were carried out. A critical bottom helical angle was obtained while the angle changing rate equaled to zero. The critical value was defined as a criterion for judgement of bottom deployment mode. Subsequently, micro-gravity deployment tests were carried out and bottom deployment simulations based on finite element method were developed. Through comparisons of bottom helical angles in critical state, the proposed criterion was evaluated and modified, that is, an initial bottom helical angle less than critical value with a design margin of -13.7% could ensure the mast bottom deploying in local coil mode, and further determine a successful local coil deployment of entire coilable mast.

Environmentally friendly use of non-coal ashes in Sweden.

PubMed

Ribbing, C

2007-01-01

The Swedish Thermal Engineering Research Institute (Värmeforsk) initiated an applied research program "Environmentally friendly use of non-coal ashes", in 2002. The program aims at increasing knowledge on the by-products of energy production and their application. The goal of formulating technical and environmental guidelines and assessments is a major point of the program, which is supported by about forty authorities and private organisations. The programme has been divided into four areas: recycling of ashes to forests, geotechnical applications, use in landfilling, and environmental aspects and chemistry. Among all results obtained, the following progress is shown: *Evidence for the positive effects of spreading ashes on forest growth. *A proposal for environmental guidelines on the utilisation of ashes in construction. *A handbook for using non-coal fly ashes in unpaved roads. *Technical and environmental assessments of MSWI bottom ashes in road construction. *Development of the use of ashes with municipal wastewater sludge as a cover for landfills and mine tailings. *Use of ashes from bio-fuels in concrete and replacement of cement in stoop mining. *A method to classify those by-products from combustion that have mirror entries in the EWC as a hazardous or non-hazardous compound. The Ash Programme has also made it possible to increase knowledge on ashes as valuable materials, on quality assurance and on markets for recovered materials.

Valuing environmental health for informed policy-making.

PubMed

Máca, Vojtěch; Melichar, Jan; Ščasný, Milan; Kohlová, Markéta Braun

2017-03-01

Monetized environmental health impact assessments help to better evaluate the environmental burden of a wide range of economic activities. Apart from the limitations and uncertainties in physical and biological science used in such assessments, assumptions taken from economic valuation may also substantially influence subsequent policy-making considerations. This study attempts to demonstrate the impact of normative policy assumptions on quantified external costs using a case study of recently discussed variants of future coal mining and use of extracted coal in electricity and heat generation in the Czech Republic. A bottom-up impact-pathway approach is used for quantification of external costs. Several policy perspectives are elaborated for aggregating impacts that differ in geographic coverage and in how valuation of quantified impacts is adjusted in a particular perspective. We find that the fraction of monetized external impacts taken into policy-making considerations may vary according to choice of decision perspective up to a factor of 10. At present there are virtually no hard rules for defining geographical boundaries or adjusting values for a summation of monetized environmental impacts. We, however, stress that any rigorous external cost assessment should, for instance in a separate calculation, take account of impacts occurring beyond country borders.

Hyperspectral remote sensing of coral reefs: Deriving bathymetry, aquatic optical properties and a benthic spectral unmixing classification using AVIRIS data in the Hawaiian Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, James Ansell

My research focuses on the development and application of hyperspectral remote sensing as a valuable component in the assessment and management of coral ecosystems. Remote sensing provides an important quantitative ability to investigate the spatial dynamics of coral health and evaluate the impacts of local, regional and global change on this important natural resource. Furthermore, advances in detector capabilities and analysis methods, particularly with respect to hyperspectral remote sensing, are also increasing the accuracy and level of effectiveness of the resulting data products. Using imagery of Kaneohe Bay and French Frigate Shoals in the Hawaiian Islands, acquired in 2000 by NASA's Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS), I developed, applied and evaluated algorithms for analyzing coral reefs using hyperspectral remote sensing data. Research included developing methods for acquiring in situ underwater reflectance, collecting spectral measurements of the dominant bottom components in Kaneohe Bay, applying atmospheric correction and sunglint removal algorithms, employing a semianalytical optimization model to derive bathymetry and aquatic optical properties, and developing a linear unmixing approach for deriving bottom composition. Additionally, algorithm development focused on using fundamental scientific principles to facilitate the portability of methods to diverse geographic locations and across variable environmental conditions. Assessments of this methodology compared favorably with available field measurements and habitat information, and the overall analysis demonstrated the capacity to derive information on water properties, bathymetry and habitat composition. Thus, results illustrated a successful approach for extracting environmental information and habitat composition from a coral reef environment using hyperspectral remote sensing.

The legacy of leaded gasoline in bottom sediment of small rural reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, K.E.; Ziegler, A.C.

2006-01-01

The historical and ongoing lead (Pb) contamination caused by the 20th-century use of leaded gasoline was investigated by an analysis of bottom sediment in eight small rural reservoirs in eastern Kansas, USA. For the reservoirs that were completed before or during the period of maximum Pb emissions from vehicles (i.e., the 1940s through the early 1980s) and that had a major highway in the basin, increased Pb concentrations reflected the pattern of historical leaded gasoline use. For at least some of these reservoirs, residual Pb is still being delivered from the basins. There was no evidence of increased Pb deposition for the reservoirs completed after the period of peak Pb emissions and (or) located in relatively remote areas with little or no highway traffic. Results indicated that several factors affected the magnitude and variability of Pb concentrations in reservoir sediment including traffic volume, reservoir age, and basin size. The increased Pb concentrations at four reservoirs exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency threshold-effects level (30.2 mg kg-1) and frequently exceeded a consensus-based threshold-effects concentration (35.8 mg kg-1) for possible adverse biological effects. For two reservoirs it was estimated that it will take at least 20 to 70 yr for Pb in the newly deposited sediment to return to baseline (pre-1920s) concentrations (30 mg kg-1) following the phase out of leaded gasoline. The buried sediment with elevated Pb concentrations may pose a future environmental concern if the reservoirs are dredged, the dams are removed, or the dams fail. ?? ASA, CSSA, SSSA.

How could a freshwater swamp produce a chemical signature characteristic of a saltmarsh?

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCloskey, Terrence; Smith, Christopher G.; Liu, Kam-biu; Marot, Marci E.; Haller, Christian

2018-01-01

Reduction–oxidation (redox) reaction conditions, which are of great importance for the soil chemistry of coastal marshes, can be temporally dynamic. We present a transect of cores from northwest Florida wherein radical postdepositional changes in the redox regime has created atypical geochemical profiles at the bottom of the sedimentary column. The stratigraphy is consistent along the transect, consisting of, from the bottom upward, carbonate bedrock, a gray clay, an organic mud section, a dense clay layer, and an upper organic mud unit representing the current saltwater marsh. However, the geochemical signature of the lower organic mud unit suggests pervasive redox reactions, although the interval has been identified as representing a freshwater marsh, an unlikely environment for such conditions. Analyses indicate that this discrepancy results from postdepositional diagenesis driven by millennial-scale environmental parameters. Rising sea level that led to the deposition of the capping clay layer, created anaerobic conditions in the freshwater swamp interval, and isolated it hydrologically from the rest of the sediment column. The subsequent infiltration of marine water into this organic material led to sulfate reduction, the buildup of H2S and FeS, and anoxic conditions. Continued sulfidation eventually resulted in euxinic conditions, as evidenced by elevated levels of Fe, S, and especially Mo, the diagnostic marker of euxinia. Because this chemical transformation occurred long after the original deposition the geochemical signature does not reflect soil chemistry at the time of deposition and cannot be used to infer syn-depositional environmental conditions, emphasizing the importance of recognizing diagenetic processes in paleoenvironmental studies.

Biomonitoring of marine vertebrates in Monterey Bay using eDNA metabarcoding.

PubMed

Andruszkiewicz, Elizabeth A; Starks, Hilary A; Chavez, Francisco P; Sassoubre, Lauren M; Block, Barbara A; Boehm, Alexandria B

2017-01-01

Molecular analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to assess vertebrate biodiversity in aquatic systems, but limited work has applied eDNA technologies to marine waters. Further, there is limited understanding of the spatial distribution of vertebrate eDNA in marine waters. Here, we use an eDNA metabarcoding approach to target and amplify a hypervariable region of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene to characterize vertebrate communities at 10 oceanographic stations spanning 45 km within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). In this study, we collected three biological replicates of small volume water samples (1 L) at 2 depths at each of the 10 stations. We amplified fish mitochondrial DNA using a universal primer set. We obtained 5,644,299 high quality Illumina sequence reads from the environmental samples. The sequence reads were annotated to the lowest taxonomic assignment using a bioinformatics pipeline. The eDNA survey identified, to the lowest taxonomic rank, 7 families, 3 subfamilies, 10 genera, and 72 species of vertebrates at the study sites. These 92 distinct taxa come from 33 unique marine vertebrate families. We observed significantly different vertebrate community composition between sampling depths (0 m and 20/40 m deep) across all stations and significantly different communities at stations located on the continental shelf (<200 m bottom depth) versus in the deeper waters of the canyons of Monterey Bay (>200 m bottom depth). All but 1 family identified using eDNA metabarcoding is known to occur in MBNMS. The study informs the implementation of eDNA metabarcoding for vertebrate biomonitoring.

50 kHz bottom backscattering measurements from two types of artificially roughened sandy bottoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Su-Uk; Cho, Sungho; Choi, Jee Woong

2016-07-01

Laboratory measurements of 50 kHz bottom backscattering strengths as a function of grazing angle were performed on the sandy bottom of a water tank; two types of bottom roughnesses, a relatively smooth interface and a rough interface, were created on the bottom surface. The roughness profiles of the two interface types were measured directly using an ultrasound arrival time difference of 5 MHz and then were Fourier transformed to obtain the roughness power spectra. The measured backscattering strengths increased from -29 to 0 dB with increasing grazing angle from 35 to 86°, which were compared to theoretical backscattering model predictions. The comparison results implied that bottom roughness is a key factor in accurately predicting bottom scattering for a sandy bottom.

The Impact of Soil Properties on Valley-Bottom Gully Form, Northwest Highlands of Ethiopia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amare, S. D.; Langendoen, E. J.; Keesstra, S.; van der Ploeg, M. J.; Steenhuis, T. S.; Tilahun, S. A.

2017-12-01

Gully erosion is an important environmental and food security challenge facing the world. Despite the immense damages resulting from gully erosion, comprehensive studies on the processes of gully formation and its management strategies are limited. This is especially true for valley-bottom gullies, which form under different conditions and are caused by different processes than hillslope gullies. A recent review on valley-bottom gully erosion causes and controlling factors identified that gully geomorphological processes, particularly related to gully bank retreat, governed gully occurrence and reclamations. However, most valley-bottom gully erosion studies do not consider gully bank stability and how it is impacted by soil hydrology and soil intrinsic properties. The aim is to analyze these impacts on gully bank retreat in the Koga river watershed, Ethiopia, for Nitisol and Vertisols, using field and numerical modeling approaches. Field observations showed gully network in Vertisols were greater than those in Nitisols. On the other hand, Nitisol gullies are wider and deeper than Vertisols. Monitoring of hydro-meteorological and soil data was started in June 2017 and will continue until the end of the 2017 rainy season (September) and for 2018 rainy periods as well. Thirty-six piezometers were installed at 4m average depth covering an area of 20 km2 near the gully reaches. Ground anchors were used to measure soil swelling and shrinkage. Soil moisture content and potential were measured using GS1 Soil Moisture sensors and MPS-6 Water Potential sensors. Gully bank soil physicochemical and engineering properties have been sampled and analyzed. Preliminary results from the early portion of the rainy season showed that most piezometers were already filled up with water. However, relatively deep (2m) water tables were recorded in piezometers located near the gully banks. The soil matric potential dropped from the onset of the rainy season (-6800 kPa ) towards the middle (-6 kPa), while soil moisture content increased from 30% to 50%.The field data will be used as input for the BSTEM bank erosion model. BSTEM will be used to evaluate and quantify the effects of soil physical properties on gully form. The modeling results will be presented and will serve to develop improved reclamation strategies of valley-bottom gullies.

Reprint of Mechanisms of maintaining high suspended sediment concentration over tide-dominated offshore shoals in the southern Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Jilian; Wang, Xiao Hua; Wang, Ya Ping; Chen, Jingdong; Shi, Benwei; Gao, Jianhua; Yang, Yang; Yu, Qian; Li, Mingliang; Yang, Lei; Gong, Xulong

2018-06-01

An understanding of the dynamics and behaviors of suspended sediments is vital in analysis of morphological, environmental, and ecological processes occurring in coastal marine environments. To study the mechanisms of maintaining high suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) on a tide-dominated offshore shoal, we measured water depths, current velocities, SSCs, wave parameters and bottom sediment compositions in the southern Yellow Sea. These data were then used to calculate bottom shear stresses generated by currents (τc), waves (τw), and wave-current interactions (τcw). SSCs time series exhibited strong quarter-diurnal peaks during spring tides, in contrast to the semidiurnal signal during neap tides. A Fourier analysis showed that suspended sediment variations within tidal cycles was mainly controlled by resuspension in most stations. There existed relatively stable background SSCs (maintaining high SSCs among tidal cycles) values at all four stations during both windy (wind speed > 9.0 m/s) and normal weather conditions (wind speed < 3.0 m/s). The background SSCs had strong relationship with spring/neap-averaged τcw, indicating background SSCs were mainly controlled by mean bottom shear stress, with a minimum value of 0.21 N/m2. On account of the strong tidal currents, background SSCs of spring tides were greater than that of neap tides. In addition, on the base of wavelet, statistics analyses and turbulence dissipation parameter, background SSCs during slack tide in the study area may be maintained by intermittent turbulence events induced by a combined tidal current and wave action.

Phylogenetic shifts of bacterioplankton community composition along the Pearl Estuary: the potential impact of hypoxia and nutrients

PubMed Central

Liu, Jiwen; Fu, Bingbing; Yang, Hongmei; Zhao, Meixun; He, Biyan; Zhang, Xiao-Hua

2015-01-01

The significance of salinity in shaping bacterial communities dwelling in estuarine areas has been well documented. However, the influences of other environmental factors such as dissolved oxygen and nutrients in determining distribution patterns of both individual taxa and bacterial communities inhabited local estuarine regions remain elusive. Here, bacterioplankton community structures of surface and bottom waters from eight sites along the Pearl Estuary were characterized with 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. The results showed significant differences of bacterioplankton community between freshwater and saltwater sites, and further between surface and bottom waters of saltwater sites. Synechococcus dominated the surface water of saltwater sites while Oceanospirillales, SAR11 and SAR406 were prevalent in the bottom water. Betaproteobacteria was abundant in freshwater sites, with no significant difference between water layers. Occurrence of phylogenetic shifts in taxa affiliated to the same clade was also detected. Dissolved oxygen explained most of the bacterial community variation in the redundancy analysis targeting only freshwater sites, whereas nutrients and salinity explained most of the variation across all samples in the Pearl Estuary. Methylophilales (mainly PE2 clade) was positively correlated to dissolved oxygen, whereas Rhodocyclales (mainly R.12up clade) was negatively correlated. Moreover, high nutrient inputs to the freshwater area of the Pearl Estuary have shifted the bacterial communities toward copiotrophic groups, such as Sphingomonadales. The present study demonstrated that the overall nutrients and freshwater hypoxia play important roles in determining bacterioplankton compositions and provided insights into the potential ecological roles of specific taxa in estuarine environments. PMID:25713564

Mechanisms of maintaining high suspended sediment concentration over tide-dominated offshore shoals in the southern Yellow Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Jilian; Wang, Xiao Hua; Wang, Ya Ping; Chen, Jingdong; Shi, Benwei; Gao, Jianhua; Yang, Yang; Yu, Qian; Li, Mingliang; Yang, Lei; Gong, Xulong

2017-05-01

An understanding of the dynamics and behaviors of suspended sediments is vital in analysis of morphological, environmental, and ecological processes occurring in coastal marine environments. To study the mechanisms of maintaining high suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) on a tide-dominated offshore shoal, we measured water depths, current velocities, SSCs, wave parameters and bottom sediment compositions in the southern Yellow Sea. These data were then used to calculate bottom shear stresses generated by currents (τc), waves (τw), and wave-current interactions (τcw). SSCs time series exhibited strong quarter-diurnal peaks during spring tides, in contrast to the semidiurnal signal during neap tides. A Fourier analysis showed that suspended sediment variations within tidal cycles was mainly controlled by resuspension in most stations. There existed relatively stable background SSCs (maintaining high SSCs among tidal cycles) values at all four stations during both windy (wind speed > 9.0 m/s) and normal weather conditions (wind speed < 3.0 m/s). The background SSCs had strong relationship with spring/neap-averaged τcw, indicating background SSCs were mainly controlled by mean bottom shear stress, with a minimum value of 0.21 N/m2. On account of the strong tidal currents, background SSCs of spring tides were greater than that of neap tides. In addition, on the base of wavelet, statistics analyses and turbulence dissipation parameter, background SSCs during slack tide in the study area may be maintained by intermittent turbulence events induced by a combined tidal current and wave action.

Device for thermal transfer and power generation

DOEpatents

Weaver, Stanton Earl [Northville, NY; Arik, Mehmet [Niskayuna, NY

2011-04-19

A system is provided. The system includes a device that includes top and bottom thermally conductive substrates positioned opposite to one another, wherein a top surface of the bottom thermally conductive substrate is substantially atomically flat and a thermal blocking layer disposed between the top and bottom thermally conductive substrates. The device also includes top and bottom electrodes separated from one another between the top and bottom thermally conductive substrates to define a tunneling path, wherein the top electrode is disposed on the thermal blocking layer and the bottom electrode is disposed on the bottom thermally conductive substrate.

Long-term observations of bottom conditions and sediment movement on the Atlantic continental shelf; time-lapse photography from instrumented tripod

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butman, Bradford; Bryden, Cynthia G.; Pfirman, Stephanie L.; Strahle, William J.; Noble, Marlene A.

1984-01-01

An instrument system that measures bottom current, temperature, light transmission, and pressure, and that photographs the bottom at 2- to 6-hour intervals has been developed to study sediment transport on the Atlantic Continental Shelf. Instruments have been deployed extensively along the United States East Coast Continental Shelf for periods of from 2 to 6 months to study the frequency, direction, and rate of bottom sediment movement, and the processes causing movement. The time-lapse photographs are used to (1) characterize the bottom benthic community and surface microtopography; (2) monitor changes in the bottom topography and near-bottom water column caused by currents and storms (for example, ripple generation and migration, sediment resuspension); and (3) monitor seasonal changes in the bottom benthic community and qualitative effects of this community on the bottom sediments.

Anoxic monimolimnia: Nutrients devious feeders or bombs ready to explode?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gianni, Areti; Zacharias, Ierotheos

2015-04-01

Coastal regions are under strong human influence and its environmental impact is reflected into their water quality. Oligotrophic estuaries and coastal systems have changed in mesotrophic and/or eutrophic, shown an increase in toxic algal blooms, hypoxic/anoxic events, and massive mortalities of many aquatic and benthic organisms. In strongly stratified and productive water basins, bottom water dissolved oxygen is depleted due to the excessive organic matter decomposition in these depths. Distribution and recycling of nutrients in their water column is inextricably dependent on oxygenation and redox conditions. Bottom water anoxia accelerates PO43-, NH4+ and H2S recycling and accumulation from organic matter decomposition. The anoxic, H2S, PO43- and NH4+ rich bottom water constitutes a toxic layer, threatening the balance of the entire ecosystem. In permanently stratified water basins, storm events could result in stratification destruction and water column total mixing. The turnover brings large amounts of H2S to the surface resulting in low levels of oxygen and massive fish kills. PO43- and NH4+ are released to the interface and surface waters promoting algal blooms. Μore organic matter is produced fueling anoxia. The arising question is, whether the balance of an anoxic water ecosystem is under the threat of its hypolimnetic nutrient and sulfide load, only in the case of storm events and water column total mixing. In polymictic water basins it is clear that the accumulated, in the bottom layer, nutrients will supply surface waters, after the pycnocline overturn. Besides this mechanism of basins' water quality degradation is nowadays recognized as one of the biggest obstacles in eutrophic environments management and restoration efforts. The role of internal load, in permanently stratified water basins, is not so clear. In the present study the impact of storm events on water column stability and bottom water anoxia of meromictic coastal basins, is investigated. The importance of internal load is emerged, presenting the disturbance on the main nutrients, dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulfide and chlorophyll distribution, caused by the total water column mixing. Additionally, the relationship between temporal nutrients variations in surface layers, of permanent anoxic coastal basins with a) changes on the physicochemical characteristics of their water column, b) changes on the bottom water phosphorus and nitrogen concentration and c) their effect on the basin's primary productivity, is sought. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, two different sets of Aitoliko basin's (western Greece) data were used. The first one includes measurements of physicochemical parameters, nutrients, chlorophyll and hydrogen sulfide, four days after a storm event and the consequent anoxic crisis in Aitoliko basin on 4th of December 2008. The second one contains respective data obtained from a biennial (May 2006-May 2008) basin's monitoring. The changes in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics, of Aitoliko basin water column, after its total mixing, highlighted the importance of the accumulated nutrients and sulfides in the bottom layer. In addition, turned out that bottom layer can supply with nutrients the surface waters, even during periods of high water column stratification. Small scale, subtle, changes in physicochemical and hydrological basin's characteristics promoted this supply, affecting both quantitative and qualitative the ecosystem's primary productivity and shifting its quality character.

Molecular simulations for energy, environmental and pharmaceutical applications of nanoporous materials: from zeolites, metal-organic frameworks to protein crystals.

PubMed

Jiang, Jianwen; Babarao, Ravichandar; Hu, Zhongqiao

2011-07-01

Nanoporous materials have widespread applications in chemical industry, but the pathway from laboratory synthesis and testing to practical utilization of nanoporous materials is substantially challenging and requires fundamental understanding from the bottom up. With ever-growing computational resources, molecular simulations have become an indispensable tool for material characterization, screening and design. This tutorial review summarizes the recent simulation studies in zeolites, metal-organic frameworks and protein crystals, and provides a molecular overview for energy, environmental and pharmaceutical applications of nanoporous materials with increasing degree of complexity in building blocks. It is demonstrated that molecular-level studies can bridge the gap between physical and engineering sciences, unravel microscopic insights that are otherwise experimentally inaccessible, and assist in the rational design of new materials. The review is concluded with major challenges in future simulation exploration of novel nanoporous materials for emerging applications.

The effects of season and sand mining activities on thermal regime and water quality in a large shallow tropical lake.

PubMed

Sharip, Zati; Zaki, Ahmad Taqiyuddin Ahmad

2014-08-01

Thermal structure and water quality in a large and shallow lake in Malaysia were studied between January 2012 and June 2013 in order to understand variations in relation to water level fluctuations and in-stream mining activities. Environmental variables, namely temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, chlorophyll-A and transparency, were measured using a multi-parameter probe and a Secchi disk. Measurements of environmental variables were performed at 0.1 m intervals from the surface to the bottom of the lake during the dry and wet seasons. High water level and strong solar radiation increased temperature stratification. River discharges during the wet season, and unsustainable sand mining activities led to an increased turbidity exceeding 100 NTU, and reduced transparency, which changed the temperature variation and subsequently altered the water quality pattern.

Multi Objective Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm of a Pneumatic Connector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salaam, HA; Taha, Zahari; Ya, TMYS Tuan

2018-03-01

The concept of sustainability was first introduced by Dr Harlem Brutland in the 1980’s promoting the need to preserve today’s natural environment for the sake of future generations. Based on this concept, John Elkington proposed an approach to measure sustainability known as Triple Bottom Line (TBL). There are three evaluation criteria’s involved in the TBL approach; namely economics, environmental integrity and social equity. In manufacturing industry the manufacturing costs measure the economic sustainability of a company in a long term. Environmental integrity is a measure of the impact of manufacturing activities on the environment. Social equity is complicated to evaluate; but when the focus is at the production floor level, the production operator health can be considered. In this paper, the TBL approach is applied in the manufacturing of a pneumatic nipple hose. The evaluation criteria used are manufacturing costs, environmental impact, ergonomics impact and also energy used for manufacturing. This study involves multi objective optimization by using genetic algorithm of several possible alternatives for material used in the manufacturing of the pneumatic nipple.

Resilience and sustainability: Similarities and differences in environmental management applications.

PubMed

Marchese, Dayton; Reynolds, Erin; Bates, Matthew E; Morgan, Heather; Clark, Susan Spierre; Linkov, Igor

2018-02-01

In recent years there have been many disparate uses of the terms sustainability and resilience, with some framing sustainability and resilience as the same concept, and others claiming them to be entirely different and unrelated. To investigate similarities, differences, and current management frameworks for increasing sustainability and resilience, a literature review was undertaken that focused on integrated use of sustainability and resilience in an environmental management context. Sustainability was defined through the triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic system considerations. Resilience was viewed as the ability of a system to prepare for threats, absorb impacts, recover and adapt following persistent stress or a disruptive event. Three generalized management frameworks for organizing sustainability and resilience were found to dominate the literature: (1) resilience as a component of sustainability, (2) sustainability as a component of resilience, and (3) resilience and sustainability as separate objectives. Implementations of these frameworks were found to have common goals of providing benefits to people and the environment under normal and extreme operating conditions, with the best examples building on similarities and minimizing conflicts between resilience and sustainability. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mesoscale Variation of Mechanisms Contributing to Stability in Rocky Shore Communities

PubMed Central

Valdivia, Nelson; González, Andrés E.; Manzur, Tatiana; Broitman, Bernardo R.

2013-01-01

Environmental fluctuations can generate asynchronous species’ fluctuations and community stability, due to compensatory dynamics of species with different environmental tolerances. We tested this hypothesis in intertidal hard-bottom communities of north-central Chile, where a persistent upwelling centre maintains a mosaic in sea surface temperatures (SST) over 10s of kilometres along the shore. Coastal upwelling implies colder and temporally more stable SST relative to downstream sites. Uni- and multivariate analyses of multiyear timeseries of SST and species abundances showed more asynchronous fluctuations and higher stability in sites characterised by warmer and more variable SST. Nevertheless, these effects were weakened after including data obtained in sites affected by less persistent upwelling centres. Further, dominant species were more stable in sites exposed to high SST variability. The strength of other processes that can influence community stability, chiefly statistical averaging and overyielding, did not vary significantly between SST regimes. Our results provide observational evidence supporting the idea that exogenously driven compensatory dynamics and the stabilising effects of dominant species can determine the stability of ecosystems facing environmental fluctuations. PMID:23326592

Environmental controls on micro fracture processes in shelf ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sammonds, Peter

2013-04-01

The recent retreat and collapse of the ice shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula has been associated with regional atmospheric warming, oceanic warming, increased summer melt and shelf flexure. Although the cause of collapse is a matter of active discussion, the process is that of fracture of a creep-brittle material, close to its melting point. The environmental controls on how fracturing initiates, at a micro-scale, strongly determine the macroscopic disintegration of ice shelves. In particular the shelf temperature profile controls the plasticity of the ice shelf; the densification of shelf ice due to melting and re-freezing affects the crack tip stress intensity; the accretion of marine ice at the bottom of the shelf imposes a thermal/mechanical discontinuity; saline environments control crack tip stress corrosion; cyclic loading promotes sub-critical crack propagation. These strong environmental controls on shelf ice fracture means that assessing shelf stability is a non-deterministic problem. How these factors may be parameterized in ice shelf models, through the use of fracture mechanisms maps, is discussed. The findings are discussed in relation to the stability of Larsen C.

Sustainability assessment of shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkahla, Ibrahim; Pervaiz, Salman

2017-09-01

Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process is one of the most commonly employed material joining processes utilized in the various industrial sectors such as marine, ship-building, automotive, aerospace, construction and petrochemicals etc. The increasing pressure on manufacturing sector wants the welding process to be sustainable in nature. The SMAW process incorporates several types of inputs and output streams. The sustainability concerns associated with SMAW process are linked with the various input and output streams such as electrical energy requirement, input material consumptions, slag formation, fumes emission and hazardous working conditions associated with the human health and occupational safety. To enhance the environmental performance of the SMAW welding process, there is a need to characterize the sustainability for the SMAW process under the broad framework of sustainability. Most of the available literature focuses on the technical and economic aspects of the welding process, however the environmental and social aspects are rarely addressed. The study reviews SMAW process with respect to the triple bottom line (economic, environmental and social) sustainability approach. Finally, the study concluded recommendations towards achieving economical and sustainable SMAW welding process.

Shallow Water Imaging Sonar System for Environmental Surveying Final Report CRADA No. TC-1130-95

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ng, L. C.; Rosenbaum, H.

The scope of this research is to develop a shallow water sonar system designed to detect and map the location of objects such as hazardous wastes or discarded ordnance in coastal waters. The system will use high frequency wide-bandwidth imaging sonar, mounted on a moving platform towed behind a boat, to detect and identify objects on the sea bottom. Resolved images can be obtained even if the targets are buried in an overlayer of silt. Reference 1 ( also attached) summarized the statement of work and the scope of collaboration.

An improved control system for a remotely operated vessel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachnak, Rafic; Mendez, Marc; Esparza, Jack; Fahed, Oliver

2006-05-01

Collecting environmental data in coastal bays presents several challenges to the scientist. One of the most pressing issues is how to efficiently and reliably gather data in shallow water areas-environments that often preclude the use of traditional boats. Obstacles that are encountered in such environments include difficulty in covering large territories and the presence of inaccessible areas due to a variety of reasons, such as soft bottoms or contamination. There is also a high probability of disturbing the test area while placing the sensors. This paper outlines the development of a remotely operated boat and its real-time control system.

Panama City 2003 Acoustic Coherence Experiments: Low Frequency Bottom Penetration Fluctuation Measurements in a Multipath Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meredith, Roger W.; Kennedy, E. Ted; Malley, Dexter; Fisher, Robert A.; Brown, Robert; Stanic, Steve

2004-11-01

This paper is part of a series of papers describing acoustic coherence and fluctuations measurements made by the Naval Research Laboratory in the Gulf of Mexico near Panama City Beach, FL during June 2003. This paper presents low frequency (1-10 kHz) buried hydrophone measurements and preliminary results for two source-receiver ranges with grazing angles less than two degrees (realtive to the direct-path to the seafloor at the receiver location). Results focus on fluctuations after acoustic penetration into the sediment. These fluctuations are correlated with environmental influences.

Cold-water coral growth under extreme environmental conditions, the Cape Lookout area, NW Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mienis, F.; Duineveld, G. C. A.; Davies, A. J.; Lavaleye, M. M. S.; Ross, S. W.; Seim, H.; Bane, J.; van Haren, H.; Bergman, M. J. N.; de Haas, H.; Brooke, S.; van Weering, T. C. E.

2014-05-01

The Cape Lookout cold-water coral area off the coast of North Carolina forms the shallowest and northernmost cold-water coral mound area on the Blake Plateau in the NW Atlantic. Cold-water coral habitats near Cape Lookout are occasionally bathed in the Gulf Stream, which is characterised by oligotrophic warm water and strong surface currents. Here, we present the first insights into the mound distribution and morphology, sedimentary environment and coral cover and near-bed environmental conditions as recorded by bottom landers from this coral area. The mounds occur between 320 and 550 m water depth and are characterised by high acoustic backscatter indicating the presence of hard structure. Three distinct mound morphologies were observed: (1) a mound with a flattened top at 320 m, (2) multi-summited mounds with a teardrop shape in the middle part of the area and (3) a single mound at 540 m water depth. Echosounder profiles show the presence of a strong reflector underneath all mound structures that forms the base of the mounds. This reflector cropped out at the downstream side of the single mound and consists of carbonate slabs. Video analysis revealed that all mounds are covered by Lophelia pertusa and that living colonies only occur close to the summits of the SSW side of the mounds, which is the side that faces the strongest currents. Off-mound areas were characterised by low backscatter and sediment ripples, indicating the presence of relatively strong bottom currents. Two bottom landers were deployed amidst the coral mounds between December 2009 and May 2010. Both landers recorded prominent events, characterised by large fluctuations in environmental conditions near the seabed as well as in the overlying water column. The period between December and April was characterised by several events of increasing temperature and salinity, coinciding with increased flow and near-bed acoustic backscatter. During these events temperature fluctuated by up to 9 °C within a day, which is the largest temperature variability as measured so far in a cold-water coral habitat. Warm events, related to Gulf Stream meanders, had the duration of roughly 1 week and the current during these events was directed to the NNE. The consequences of such events must be significant given the strong effects of temperature on the metabolism of cold-water corals. Furthermore, elevated acoustic backscatter values and high mass fluxes were also recorded during these events, indicating a second stressor that may affect the corals. The abrasive nature of sand in combination with strong currents might sand blast the corals. We conclude that cold-water corals near Cape Lookout live under extreme conditions that limit mound growth at present.

An overview of a free-market approach to climate change and conservation.

PubMed

Sandor, Richard L; Bettelheim, Eric C; Swingland, Ian R

2002-08-15

This paper describes the convergence of environmental and financial markets, reviews the evolution of market-based environmental programmes as an example of the seven-stage evolutionary process witnessed in a variety of markets and summarizes the emergence of greenhouse-gas-mitigation markets and their potential role in advancing land stewardship, biodiversity and other environmental services. Emissions trading has been developed to meet the demand to reduce pollution while avoiding economic disruption. Consistent with the seven-stage pattern of market evolution, the US programme to reduce the damage from acid rain established a standardized environmental commodity, developed 'evidence of ownership' necessary for financial instruments and provided the infrastructure to efficiently transfer title. The success of the system in reducing pollution at low cost has provided a model for other market-based environmental protection initiatives. The demand for cost-effective action to reduce the threat of climate change has initiated the same evolutionary process for markets to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Many of the land- and forest-management practices that can capture and store atmospheric CO(2) can also provide other environmental benefits, such as biodiversity preservation and enhanced water quality. The presence of a carbon-trading market will introduce a clear financial value for capture and mitigation of CO(2) emissions, thus introducing a new source of funding for land stewardship and forest rehabilitation. The market is now emerging through a variety of 'bottom-up' developments being undertaken through governmental, multilateral, private-sector and non-governmental-organization initiatives. The extension of markets to other emerging environmental issues is now underway, and the linkages between environmental sustainability and capital markets are being more deeply understood. The early evidence indicates that environmental sustainability can be compatible with maximization of shareholder value.

Spectroscopy of singly, doubly, and triply bottom baryons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Ke-Wei; Chen, Bing; Liu, Na; Wang, Qian-Qian; Guo, Xin-Heng

2017-06-01

Recently, some singly bottom baryons have been established experimentally, but none of the doubly or triply bottom baryons have been observed. Under the Regge phenomenology, the mass of an unobserved ground-state doubly or triply bottom baryon is expressed as a function of masses of the well-established light baryons and singly bottom baryons. Then, the values of Regge slopes and Regge intercepts for baryons containing one, two, or three bottom quarks are calculated. After that, the masses of the orbitally excited singly, doubly, and triply bottom baryons are estimated. Our predictions may be useful for the discovery of these baryons and their JP assignments.

Fluidized bed combustion bottom ash: A better and alternative geo-material resource for construction.

PubMed

Mandal, A K; Paramkusam, Bala Ramudu; Sinha, O P

2018-04-01

Though the majority of research on fly ash has proved its worth as a construction material, the utility of bottom ash is yet questionable due to its generation during the pulverized combustion process. The bottom ash produced during the fluidized bed combustion (FBC) process is attracting more attention due to the novelty of coal combustion technology. But, to establish its suitability as construction material, it is necessary to characterize it thoroughly with respect to the geotechnical as well as mineralogical points of view. For fulfilling these objectives, the present study mainly aims at characterizing the FBC bottom ash and its comparison with pulverized coal combustion (PCC) bottom ash, collected from the same origin of coal. Suitability of FBC bottom ash as a dike filter material in contrast to PCC bottom ash in replacing traditional filter material such as sand was also studied. The suitability criteria for utilization of both bottom ash and river sand as filter material on pond ash as a base material were evaluated, and both river sand and FBC bottom ash were found to be satisfactory. The study shows that FBC bottom ash is a better geo-material than PCC bottom ash, and it could be highly recommended as an alternative suitable filter material for constructing ash dikes in place of conventional sand.

Web services for ecosystem services management and poverty alleviation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buytaert, W.; Baez, S.; Veliz Rosas, C.

2011-12-01

Over the last decades, near real-time environmental observation, technical advances in computer power and cyber-infrastructure, and the development of environmental software algorithms have increased dramatically. The integration of these evolutions is one of the major challenges of the next decade for environmental sciences. Worldwide, many coordinated activities are ongoing to make this integration a reality. However, far less attention is paid to the question of how these developments can benefit environmental services management in a poverty alleviation context. Such projects are typically faced with issues of large predictive uncertainties, limited resources, limited local scientific capacity. At the same time, the complexity of the socio-economic contexts requires a very strong bottom-up oriented and interdisciplinary approach to environmental data collection and processing. Here, we present the results of two projects on integrated environmental monitoring and scenario analysis aimed at poverty alleviation in the Peruvian Andes and Amazon. In the upper Andean highlands, farmers are monitoring the water cycle of headwater catchments to analyse the impact of land-use changes on stream flow and potential consequences for downstream irrigation. In the Amazon, local communities are monitoring the dynamics of turtle populations and their relations with river levels. In both cases, the use of online databases and web processing services enable real-time analysis of the data and scenario analysis. The system provides both physical and social indicators to assess the impact of land-use management options on local socio-economic development.

Public participation GIS for improving wood burning emissions from residential heating and urban environmental management.

PubMed

López-Aparicio, Susana; Vogt, Matthias; Schneider, Philipp; Kahila-Tani, Maarit; Broberg, Anna

2017-04-15

A crowdsourcing study supported by a public participation GIS tool was designed and carried out in two Norwegian regions. The aim was to improve the knowledge about emissions from wood burning for residential heating in urban areas based on the collection of citizens' localized insights. We focus on three main issues: 1) type of dwelling and residential heating source; 2) wood consumption and type of wood appliances; and 3) citizens' perception of the urban environment. Our study shows the importance of wood burning for residential heating, and of the resulted particle emissions, in Norwegian urban areas. Citizens' localized insights on environmental perception highlight the areas in the city that require particular attention as part of clean air strategies. Information about environmental perception is combined with existing environmental data showing certain correlation. The results support the urban environmental management based on co-benefit approaches, achieving several outcomes from a single policy measure. Measures to reduce urban air pollution will have a positive impact on the citizens' environmental perception, and therefore on their quality of life, in addition to reducing the negative consequences of air pollution on human health. The characterization of residential heating by fuelwood is still a challenging activity. Our study shows the potential of a crowdsourcing method as means for bottom-up approaches designed to increase our knowledge on human activities at urban scale that result on emissions. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A risk-informed decision framework for setting environmental windows for dredging projects.

PubMed

Suedel, Burton C; Kim, Jongbum; Clarke, Douglas G; Linkov, Igor

2008-09-15

Sediment dredging is necessary to sustain navigation infrastructure in ports and harbor areas. In the United States alone between 250 and 300 million cubic yards of sediment are dredged annually. Dredging activities may cause stress on aquatic biota by locally increasing turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations, physically disturbing habitat by elevated sedimentation rates, interfering in migratory behaviors, and hydraulically entraining bottom dwelling organisms. Environmental windows are a management practice used to alleviate such stresses on resident and transient biota by placing temporal restrictions on the conduct of dredging operations. Adherence to environmental windows can significantly inflate costs for project sponsors and local stakeholders. Since their inception following passage of NEPA in 1969 the process for setting environmental windows has not followed structured procedures and represents an example of the difficulty inherent in achieving a balance between biological resource protection and cost-effective construction and maintenance of navigation infrastructure. Recent developments in the fields of risk assessment for non-chemical stressors as well as experience in implementing structured risk-informed decision-making tools for sediment and natural resource management are summarized in this paper in relation to setting environmental windows. Combining risk assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis allows development of a framework for an objective process consistent with recommendations by the National Academy of Sciences for setting environmental windows. A hypothetical application of the framework for protection of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in San Francisco Bay is discussed.

Citizen-sensor-networks to confront government decision-makers: Two lessons from the Netherlands.

PubMed

Carton, Linda; Ache, Peter

2017-07-01

This paper presents one emerging social-technical innovation: The evolution of citizen-sensor-networks where citizens organize themselves from the 'bottom up', for the sake of confronting governance officials with measured information about environmental qualities. We have observed how citizen-sensor-networks have been initiated in the Netherlands in cases where official government monitoring and business organizations leave gaps. The formed citizen-sensor-networks collect information about issues that affect the local community in their quality-of-living. In particular, two community initiatives are described where the sensed environmental information, on noise pollution and gas-extraction induced earthquakes respectively, is published through networked geographic information methods. Both community initiatives pioneered in developing an approach that comprises the combined setting-up of sensor data flows, real-time map portals and community organization. Two particular cases are analyzed to trace the emergence and network operation of such 'networked geo-information tools' in practice: (1) The Groningen earthquake monitor, and (2) The Airplane Monitor Schiphol. In both cases, environmental 'externalities' of spatial-economic activities play an important role, having economic dimensions of national importance (e.g. gas extraction and national airport development) while simultaneously affecting the regional community with environmental consequences. The monitoring systems analyzed in this paper are established bottom-up, by citizens for citizens, to serve as 'information power' in dialogue with government institutions. The goal of this paper is to gain insight in how these citizen-sensor-networks come about: how the idea for establishing a sensor network originated, how their value gets recognized and adopted in the overall 'system of governance'; to what extent they bring countervailing power against vested interests and established discourses to the table and influence power-laden conflicts over environmental pressures; and whether or not they achieve (some form of) institutionalization and, ultimately, policy change. We find that the studied-citizen-sensor networks gain strength by uniting efforts and activities in crowdsourcing data, providing factual, 'objectivized data' or 'evidence' of the situation 'on the ground' on a matter of local community-wide concern. By filling an information need of the local community, a process of 'collective sense-making' combined with citizen empowerment could grow, which influenced societal discourse and challenged prevailing truth-claims of public institutions. In both cases similar, 'competing' web-portals were developed in response, both by the gas-extraction company and the airport. But with the citizen-sensor-networks alongside, we conclude there is a shift in power balance involved between government and affected communities, as the government no longer has information monopoly on environmental measurements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bottom friction models for shallow water equations: Manning’s roughness coefficient and small-scale bottom heterogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyakonova, Tatyana; Khoperskov, Alexander

2018-03-01

The correct description of the surface water dynamics in the model of shallow water requires accounting for friction. To simulate a channel flow in the Chezy model the constant Manning roughness coefficient is frequently used. The Manning coefficient nM is an integral parameter which accounts for a large number of physical factors determining the flow braking. We used computational simulations in a shallow water model to determine the relationship between the Manning coefficient and the parameters of small-scale perturbations of a bottom in a long channel. Comparing the transverse water velocity profiles in the channel obtained in the models with a perturbed bottom without bottom friction and with bottom friction on a smooth bottom, we constructed the dependence of nM on the amplitude and spatial scale of perturbation of the bottom relief.

To fractionate municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash: Key for utilisation?

PubMed

Sormunen, Laura Annika; Rantsi, Riina

2015-11-01

For the past decade, the Finnish waste sector has increasingly moved from the landfilling of municipal solid waste towards waste incineration. New challenges are faced with the growing amounts of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash, which are mainly landfilled at the moment. Since this is not a sustainable or a profitable solution, finding different utilisation applications for the municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash is crucial. This study reports a comprehensive analysis of bottom ash properties from one waste incineration plant in Finland, which was first treated with a Dutch bottom ash recovery technique called advanced dry recovery. This novel process separates non-ferrous and ferrous metals from bottom ash, generating mineral fractions of different grain sizes (0-2 mm, 2-5 mm, 5-12 mm and 12-50 mm). The main aim of the study was to assess, whether the advanced bottom ash treatment technique, producing mineral fractions of different grain sizes and therefore properties, facilitates the utilisation of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash in Finland. The results were encouraging; the bottom ash mineral fractions have favourable behaviour against the frost action, which is especially useful in the Finnish conditions. In addition, the leaching of most hazardous substances did not restrict the utilisation of bottom ash, especially for the larger fractions (>5 mm). Overall, this study has shown that the advanced bottom ash recovering technique can be one solution to increase the utilisation of bottom ash and furthermore decrease its landfilling in Finland. © The Author(s) 2015.

Depth distributions of uranium-236 and cesium-137 in the Japan/East Sea; toward the potential use as a new oceanic circulation tracer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaguchi, A.; Kadokura, A.; Steier, P.; Takahashi, Y.; Shizuma, K.; Yamamoto, M.

2012-04-01

137Cs (T1/2=30.2 y) has been spread all over the world as a fission product of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the 1960s. This nuclide has been used as a powerful tool for oceanography due to the well-defined origin and conservative behaviour in water . However, the number of atoms has decayed already to one thirds compared with its initial levels, and it will become more difficult to measure. In this situation, we focus on 236U (T1/2=2.342-107 y) as a candidate for a new isotopic tracer for oceanography. The detection of 236U in the environment has become possible only recently, by the development of measuring techniques with high sensitivity based on AMS. Our group showed that global fallout from bomb tests contains 236U, which might be produced as nuclear reactions of 235U(n,γ) and/or 238U(n,3n). So 236U has been therefore globally distributed in the surface environment. Thus, 236U has a similar potential as a tracer for environmental dynamics as 137Cs, especially for oceanography. In this study, a comprehensive attempt was made to measure the concentration of 236U in marine samples such as water, suspended solid and bottom sediments to clarify the environmental behaviour of this isotope. Furthermore, the discussion of the circulation of deep and bottom water in "Miniature Ocean", the Japan Sea, has been attempted. Bottom sediments (4 sites) and seawater samples (7 sites) were collected from the Japan Sea. The sediment core was cut into 1 cm segments from the surface to 5 cm in depth within a few hours after the sampling. About 20 L of seawater samples were collected from some depths in each site, and immediately after the sampling, the water was filtered with 0.45 μm pore-size membrane-filters. After the appropriate pre-treatment for each sample, uranium isotope and 137Cs were measured with AMS and Ge-detector, respectively. 236U was successfully detected for all seawater samples, and 236U/238U atom ratios in seawater were in the range of (0.19-1.75)-10-9. The dissolved 236U concentration showed a subsurface maximum and decreased steeply with depth. The minimum value was found at a depth of 2500 m and bottom (about 3000 m in depth) in the northern and the southern areas, respectively. These profiles are markedly different from that of natural 238U which is nearly constant over the depth, suggesting that 236U has not yet reached steady state. For the SS sample, 236U could not be detected in significant levels. The total 236U inventory of the water column was estimated at 1012-1013 atom/m2. This value is nearly the same as the global fallout level (17.8-1012 atom/m2). 236U was also found in the bottom sediments, and the inventory was about 1/40 compared with that in water column. All above characters are comparable with 137Cs which is anthropogenic conservative nuclide in ocean. Actually, the diffusion coefficients for both nuclides show the nearly same value. The detail discussion including the circulation of deep-water in the Japan Sea will be given in our presentation.

Bottom head assembly

DOEpatents

Fife, A.B.

1998-09-01

A bottom head dome assembly is described which includes, in one embodiment, a bottom head dome and a liner configured to be positioned proximate the bottom head dome. The bottom head dome has a plurality of openings extending there through. The liner also has a plurality of openings extending there through, and each liner opening aligns with a respective bottom head dome opening. A seal is formed, such as by welding, between the liner and the bottom head dome to resist entry of water between the liner and the bottom head dome at the edge of the liner. In the one embodiment, a plurality of stub tubes are secured to the liner. Each stub tube has a bore extending there through, and each stub tube bore is coaxially aligned with a respective liner opening. A seat portion is formed by each liner opening for receiving a portion of the respective stub tube. The assembly also includes a plurality of support shims positioned between the bottom head dome and the liner for supporting the liner. In one embodiment, each support shim includes a support stub having a bore there through, and each support stub bore aligns with a respective bottom head dome opening. 2 figs.

The Reddy maker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nof, Doron; Paldor, Nathan; Gorder, Stephen Van

2002-09-01

A new mechanism for the formation of high-amplitude anticyclonic eddies (lenses) from outflows emptying into the ocean at mid-depth is proposed. The essence of the new mechanism is that, in order for an inviscid outflow to exist as a continuous (uninterrupted) current, the condition g' S/ f> α( g' H) 1/2 [where g' is the "reduced gravity", S the bottom slope, f the Coriolis parameter, α a coefficient of order unity whose value depends on the outflow's potential vorticity (it is 2 for a zero potential vorticity outflow and unity for a uniform potential vorticity) and H the maximum thickness] must hold. When the above condition is not met, i.e., when g' S/ f< α( g' H) 1/2, the outflow can only exist as a chain of propagating lenses. Nonlinear analytical considerations leading to the above conclusion are (successfully) compared to numerical simulations which we have conducted (using a reduced gravity layer-and-a-half model). The experiments show that an outflow situated on a bottom whose (uniform) slope gradually varies in the downstream direction is continuous (i.e., is not broken into eddies) where the slope is supercritical [ g' S/ f> α( g' H) 1/2] and discontinuous (i.e., constitutes a chain of eddies) where the slope is subcritical [ g' S/ f< α( g' H) 1/2]. Hence, the eddies are generated by the gradual reduction in the bottom slope rather than by an instability process. Namely, the eddies are not formed by the breakdown of a known steady solution because such a steady solution does not exist. We note that after reaching its "balanced depth", an outflow usually continues to (slowly) descend toward the bottom of the ocean due to frictional effects associated with an energy loss. [Note that the "balanced depth" is the depth at which the outflow has completed its initial adjustment in the sense that it has adjusted to a state where it no longer flows primarily offshore but rather propagates primarily along the isobaths. This depth needs to be distinguished from the (sometimes significantly greater) equilibrium depth corresponding to the point where the outflow's density equals the environmental density.] Most of the time, the outflow descent is accompanied by a reduction in the bottom slope S, and an entrainment which causes both a reduction in g' and an increase in H. All of these alterations bring the outflow closer and closer to the critical condition and it is, therefore, argued that all outflows ultimately reach the critical point (unless diffusion and mixing destroy them prior to that stage). It is suggested that Reddies (i.e., isolated lenses containing Red Sea water) are formed by the above processes. Namely, we propose that the "Reddy maker" is a combination of three processes, the natural reduction in the bottom slope which the outflow senses as it approaches the bottom of the ocean, the entrainment-induced increase in the outflow's thickness, and the entrainment-induced decrease in the outflow's density. An animation of the eddy generation process can be viewed at http://doronnof.net/features.html#video (click on "Reddy maker video").

Exposure to pesticides and diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Evangelou, Evangelos; Ntritsos, Georgios; Chondrogiorgi, Maria; Kavvoura, Fotini K; Hernández, Antonio F; Ntzani, Evangelia E; Tzoulaki, Ioanna

2016-05-01

Diabetes mellitus has a multifactorial pathogenesis with a strong genetic component as well as many environmental and lifestyle influences. Emerging evidence suggests that environmental contaminants, including pesticides, might play an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that assessed the association between exposure to pesticides and diabetes and we examined the presence of heterogeneity and biases across available studies. A comprehensive literature search of peer-reviewed original research pertaining to pesticide exposure and diabetes, published until 30st May 2015, with no language restriction, was conducted. Eligible studies were those that investigated potential associations between pesticides and diabetes without restrictions on diabetes type. We included cohort studies, case-control studies and cross-sectional studies. We extracted information on study characteristics, type of pesticide assessed, exposure assessment, outcome definition, effect estimate and sample size. We identified 22 studies assessing the association between pesticides and diabetes. The summary OR for the association of top vs. bottom tertile of exposure to any type of pesticide and diabetes was 1.58 (95% CI: 1.32-1.90, p=1.21×10(-6)), with large heterogeneity (I(2)=66.8%). Studies evaluating Type 2 diabetes in particular (n=13 studies), showed a similar summary effect comparing top vs. bottom tertiles of exposure: 1.61 (95% CI 1.37-1.88, p=3.51×10(-9)) with no heterogeneity (I(2)=0%). Analysis by type of pesticide yielded an increased risk of diabetes for DDE, heptachlor, HCB, DDT, and trans-nonachlor or chlordane. The epidemiological evidence, supported by mechanistic studies, suggests an association between exposure to organochlorine pesticides and Type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bacterial community structure across environmental gradients in permafrost thaw ponds: methanotroph-rich ecosystems

PubMed Central

Crevecoeur, Sophie; Vincent, Warwick F.; Comte, Jérôme; Lovejoy, Connie

2015-01-01

Permafrost thawing leads to the formation of thermokarst ponds that potentially emit CO2 and CH4 to the atmosphere. In the Nunavik subarctic region (northern Québec, Canada), these numerous, shallow ponds become well-stratified during summer. This creates a physico-chemical gradient of temperature and oxygen, with an upper oxic layer and a bottom low oxygen or anoxic layer. Our objective was to determine the influence of stratification and related limnological and landscape properties on the community structure of potentially active bacteria in these waters. Samples for RNA analysis were taken from ponds in three contrasting valleys across a gradient of permafrost degradation. A total of 1296 operational taxonomic units were identified by high throughput amplicon sequencing, targeting bacterial 16S rRNA that was reverse transcribed to cDNA. β-proteobacteria were the dominant group in all ponds, with highest representation by the genera Variovorax and Polynucleobacter. Methanotrophs were also among the most abundant sequences at most sites. They accounted for up to 27% of the total sequences (median of 4.9% for all samples), indicating the importance of methane as a bacterial energy source in these waters. Both oxygenic (cyanobacteria) and anoxygenic (Chlorobi) phototrophs were also well-represented, the latter in the low oxygen bottom waters. Ordination analyses showed that the communities clustered according to valley and depth, with significant effects attributed to dissolved oxygen, pH, dissolved organic carbon, and total suspended solids. These results indicate that the bacterial assemblages of permafrost thaw ponds are filtered by environmental gradients, and are complex consortia of functionally diverse taxa that likely affect the composition as well as magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions from these abundant waters. PMID:25926816

Historical Fluxes of Toxic Trace Elements and Associated Implications in the Salton Sea Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odigie, K. O.; Hardisty, D. S.; Geraci, J. B.; Lyons, T. W.

2017-12-01

The Salton Sea is a polymictic, hypersaline lake that is predominantly sustained by wastewater and agricultural runoff from Mexico and the United States. It is a terminal lake that acts as a net sink for toxicants, which in addition to nutrients and increasing salinity, have dramatically transformed the lake over the past century. However, the impacts of these changes on the cycling and bio-accessibility of toxic elements and compounds and their associated human and environmental health implications are not well understood. This project aims to measure and model the fluxes of toxic elements, including selenium, lead, and mercury, in the lake over temporal and spatial scales by using geochemical data from the analysis of sediment cores, a pervasive salt crust, and the water column. The project also aims to elucidate the bio-accessibility and depositional environments of these elements. Preliminary results highlight two different oxygen concentration regimes in the lake: an increasingly anoxic condition in the bottom of the northern lobe and a seasonally variable oxygen deficiency in the bottom of the southern lobe. The deteriorating conditions at the lake could be exacerbated by a receding shoreline, which has already exposed several square kilometres of lake bed and is expected to continue as future inflows are diverted under the Quantification Settlement Agreement. Continued water conservation by Imperial Valley farmers and the increasing reuse of reclaimed water by Mexico are also expected to contribute to reduced inflows to the lake. Therefore, improved understanding of the cycling of toxic elements and their potential remobilization, including via wind entrainment (dust) associated with lake desiccation, will be valuable in protecting human and environmental health within the Salton Sea basin.

Impacts of environmental and anthropogenic stresses on macrozoobenthic communities in Jinhae Bay, Korea.

PubMed

Bae, Hanna; Lee, Jung-Ho; Song, Sung Joon; Park, Jinsoon; Kwon, Bong-Oh; Hong, Seongjin; Ryu, Jongseong; Choi, Kyungsik; Khim, Jong Seong

2017-03-01

In this study, spatiotemporal dynamics of macrofaunal assemblages and their associations with environmental conditions were examined in Jinhae Bay (10 sites), where the obvious sources of pollution including industries, oyster farms (hanging cultures), and municipal discharges has surrounded. The survey had performed over five consecutive seasons in 2013-2014. Target sedimentary variables included grain size, organic content, C/N ratio, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios, and some heavy metals. Five ecological quality indices (EcoQ) were calculated from the benthic community data to evaluate ecological qualities in site-specific manner. Jinhae Bay is a shallow (depths range, 11-24 m) and typical semi-enclosed bay. The benthic environments represented mud dominated bottoms (>70%) with fairly substantial organic content levels (>2%) over all five seasons. Seasonal patterns were observed with peak abundances in the spring and distinctive macrozoobenthos species shifts in the summer. The spring bloom could be explained by drastic increases of some polychaetes, mainly Capitella sp., at certain site, particularly near the shore. The oyster farms situated in the innermost locations seem to provide organic-rich bottoms being dominated by opportunistic species and/or organic pollution indicator species, such as Lumbrineris longifolia, Capitella sp., and Paraprionospio patiens. In general, the EcoQ indicators indicated that Jinhae Bay was moderately polluted, with exceptionally poor EcoQ in a few locations during the specific season(s). Overall, adverse effects on benthic community was broadly attributable to contaminations of heavy metals and nearby aquatic farm activities in Jinhae Bay, which requires a prompt action toward ecosystem-based management practice in the given area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, Jingjing, E-mail: Jingjing@plan.aau.dk; Christensen, Per; Kørnøv, Lone

In the last decades, China has introduced a set of indicators to guide the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) practice. The most recent indicator system proposed in 2009 is based on sector-specific guidelines and it found its justification in past negative experiences with more general guidelines (from 2003), which were mostly inspired by, or copied from, international experiences. Based on interviews with practitioners, researchers and administrators, we map and analyse the change in the national guidelines. This analysis is based on a description of the indicators that makes it possible to discern different aggregation levels of indicators and then trace themore » changes occurring under two sets of guidelines. The analysis also reveals the reasons and rationales behind the changes found in the guidelines. This analysis is inspired by implementation theory and a description of some of the more general trends in the development of SEA and other environmental policies in a recent Chinese context. Beside a more top-down, intentional approach specifying indicators for different sectors based on Chinese experiences from the preceding years, another significant change, following the new guidelines, is a more bottom-up approach which gives more discretion to practitioners. This entails a call for practitioners to make decisions on indicators, which involves an interpretation of the ones present in sector guidance. Highlights: • Focusing on the new Chinese national SEA guidelines proposed in 2009 • Mapping and analysing the most recent change in the indicator system • Revealing the reasons and rationales behind the changes found in the new guidelines • A top-down intention specifying indicators for different sectors • A bottom-up effect in giving discretion and interpretation of using indicators.« less

Evaluating the ability of artificial neural network and PCA-M5P models in predicting leachate COD load in landfills.

PubMed

Azadi, Sama; Amiri, Hamid; Rakhshandehroo, G Reza

2016-09-01

Waste burial in uncontrolled landfills can cause serious environmental damages and unpleasant consequences. Leachates produced in landfills have the potential to contaminate soil and groundwater resources. Leachate management is one of the major issues with respect to landfills environmental impacts. Improper design of landfills can lead to leachate spread in the environment, and hence, engineered landfills are required to have leachate monitoring programs. The high cost of such programs may be greatly reduced and cost efficiency of the program may be optimized if one can predict leachate contamination level and foresee management and treatment strategies. The aim of this study is to develop two expert systems consisting of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Principal Component Analysis-M5P (PCA-M5P) models to predict Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) load in leachates produced in lab-scale landfills. Measured data from three landfill lysimeters, including rainfall depth, number of days after waste deposition, thickness of top and bottom Compacted Clay Liners (CCLs), and thickness of top cover over the lysimeter, were utilized to develop, train, validate, and test the expert systems and predict the leachate COD load. Statistical analysis of the prediction results showed that both models possess good prediction ability with a slight superiority for ANN over PCA-M5P. Based on test datasets, the mean absolute percentage error for ANN and PCA-M5P models were 4% and 12%, respectively, and the correlation coefficient for both models was greater than 0.98. Developed models may be used as a rough estimate for leachate COD load prediction in primary landfill designs, where the effect of a top and/or bottom liner is disputed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Linking Environmental Forcing and Trophic Supply to Benthic Communities in the Vercelli Seamount Area (Tyrrhenian Sea)

PubMed Central

Covazzi Harriague, Anabella; Bavestrello, Giorgio; Bo, Marzia; Borghini, Mireno; Castellano, Michela; Majorana, Margherita; Massa, Francesco; Montella, Alessandro; Povero, Paolo; Misic, Cristina

2014-01-01

Seamounts and their influence on the surrounding environment are currently being extensively debated but, surprisingly, scant information is available for the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, although the deep Tyrrhenian Sea is characterised by a complex bottom morphology and peculiar hydrodynamic features, which would suggest a variable influence on the benthic domain, few studies have been carried out there, especially for soft-bottom macrofaunal assemblages. In order to fill this gap, the structure of the meio-and macrofaunal assemblages of the Vercelli Seamount and the surrounding deep area (northern Tyrrhenian Sea – western Mediterranean) were studied in relation to environmental features. Sediment was collected with a box-corer from the seamount summit and flanks and at two far-field sites in spring 2009, in order to analyse the metazoan communities, the sediment texture and the sedimentary organic matter. At the summit station, the heterogeneity of the habitat, the shallowness of the site and the higher trophic supply (water column phytopigments and macroalgal detritus, for instance) supported a very rich macrofaunal community, with high abundance, biomass and diversity. In fact, its trophic features resembled those observed in coastal environments next to seagrass meadows. At the flank and far-field stations, sediment heterogeneity and depth especially influenced the meiofaunal distribution. From a trophic point of view, the low content of the valuable sedimentary proteins that was found confirmed the general oligotrophy of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and exerted a limiting influence on the abundance and biomass of the assemblages. In this scenario, the rather refractory sedimentary carbohydrates became a food source for metazoans, which increased their abundance and biomass at the stations where the hydrolytic-enzyme-mediated turnover of carbohydrates was faster, highlighting high lability. PMID:25343621

Land use and land cover changes and spatiotemporal dynamics of anopheline larval habitats during a four-year period in a highland community of Africa.

PubMed

Munga, Stephen; Yakob, Laith; Mushinzimana, Emmanuel; Zhou, Guofa; Ouna, Tom; Minakawa, Noboru; Githeko, Andrew; Yan, Guiyun

2009-12-01

Spatial and temporal variations in the distribution of anopheline larval habitats and land use and land cover (LULC) changes can influence malaria transmission intensity. This information is important for understanding the environmental determinants of malaria transmission heterogeneity, and it is critical to the study of the effects of environmental changes on malaria transmission. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations in the distribution of anopheline larval habitats and LULC changes in western Kenya highlands over a 4-year period. Anopheles gambiae complex larvae were mainly confined to valley bottoms during both the dry and wet seasons. Although An. gambiae larvae were located in man-made habitats where riparian forests and natural swamps had been cleared, Anopheles funestus larvae were mainly found in permanent habitats in pastures. The association between land cover type and occurrence of anopheline larvae was statistically significant. The distribution of anopheline positive habitats varied significantly between months, during the survey. In 2004, the mean density of An. gambiae was significantly higher during the month of May, whereas the density of An. funestus peaked significantly in February. Over the study period, major LULC changes occurred mostly in the valley bottoms. Overall, farmland increased by 3.9%, whereas both pastures and natural swamps decreased by 8.9% and 20.9%, respectively. The area under forest cover was decreased by 5.8%. Land-use changes in the study area are favorable to An. gambiae larval development, thereby risking a more widespread distribution of malaria vector habitats and potentially increasing malaria transmission in western Kenya highlands.

The Role of Geophysics/Geology in the Environmental Discourse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfannkuch, H. O.

2013-12-01

Environmental problems are created by interaction between the Anthroposphere and Geosphere. Principles and laws governing behavior and interaction between them have to be fully understood to properly address environmental problems. A particular problem arises by inadequate communication between practitioners and/or decision makers in each sphere. A perfect analysis or solution in the Geosphere based solely on geophysical, geochemical principles will go nowhere if institutional, socio economic principles are ignored, or vice versa: no matter how well socio-economic relations are used in the Anthroposphere if they violate basic laws of physics . Two conceptual representations of the environment system are: Nöosphere with three domains: Physical, Institutional, Symbolic and their interactions. It is where environmental problems arise, decisions are made and implemented. The Physical Domain comprises physical, chemical, biological, geopsphere realities. Problems are treated by the scientific method. The Institutional Domain with economy, sociology, administration and political institutions, solves by negotiation (vote, ballot). The elements of the Symbolic Domain. spiritual, moral, religious, esthetic principles are revealed. All are intimately connected and interdependent. Activity in one affects the state of the others. A particularly strong and effective interactive relation exists between the Physical and the Institutional domains with regards to environmental problem definition, analysis and resolution. Hierarchic structure of interaction pyramid. Geosphere, Biosphere and Anthroposphere are open systems and are organized in successive levels forming a pyramid shape or aspect. The Geosphere forms the bottom level, the Anthroposphere the top. One fundamental attribute is that level (n) is limited by the restrictions obtaining in level (n-1), and conversely, level (n) represents the restrictions and limitations for level (n+1). In the environmental discourse this structural aspect is often overlooked which leads to two major sets of fallacies: 1. Discourse takes place across hierarchic levels with the unstated assumption that from the viewpoint of level (n) the same conditions, rules, equations and models hold in level (n-1) as on level (n) and are similarly compatible and follow the same rules. This leads to misunderstanding or misrepresentation of what analysis, modeling and solution methods at this level would be appropriate. 2. The fact that the bottom Geosphere level is the base level onto which all other levels are stacked including the topmost Anthroposphere. Each of the successive layers is restricted by the limitations of the Geosphere layer. Institutional and physical scientific realities both have to realize that solutions or redress are not solely within their domain. No matter what the economic or socio-political preferences might be, they cannot be implemented by violating fundamental physical, geological geo-ecological principles, nor can the physical world ignore currently acceptable principles of the institutional and symbolic realities. The role of Geophysics/Geology in the environmental discourse is to clearly state and apply the physical and thermodynamic principles to the Geosphere and Noösphere.

Sarcoptic mange breaks up bottom-up regulation of body condition in a large herbivore population.

PubMed

Carvalho, João; Granados, José E; López-Olvera, Jorge R; Cano-Manuel, Francisco Javier; Pérez, Jesús M; Fandos, Paulino; Soriguer, Ramón C; Velarde, Roser; Fonseca, Carlos; Ráez, Arian; Espinosa, José; Pettorelli, Nathalie; Serrano, Emmanuel

2015-11-06

Both parasitic load and resource availability can impact individual fitness, yet little is known about the interplay between these parameters in shaping body condition, a key determinant of fitness in wild mammals inhabiting seasonal environments. Using partial least square regressions (PLSR), we explored how temporal variation in climatic conditions, vegetation dynamics and sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) severity impacted body condition of 473 Iberian ibexes (Capra pyrenaica) harvested between 1995 and 2008 in the highly seasonal Alpine ecosystem of Sierra Nevada Natural Space (SNNS), southern Spain. Bottom-up regulation was found to only occur in healthy ibexes; the condition of infected ibexes was independent of primary productivity and snow cover. No link between ibex abundance and ibex body condition could be established when only considering infected individuals. The pernicious effects of mange on Iberian ibexes overcome the benefits of favorable environmental conditions. Even though the increase in primary production exerts a positive effect on the body condition of healthy ibexes, the scabietic individuals do not derive any advantage from increased resource availability. Further applied research coupled with continuous sanitary surveillance are needed to address remaining knowledge gaps associated with the transmission dynamics and management of sarcoptic mange in free-living populations.

Toxicity assessment of polluted sediments using swimming behavior alteration test with Daphnia magna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikitin, O. V.; Nasyrova, E. I.; Nuriakhmetova, V. R.; Stepanova, N. Yu; Danilova, N. V.; Latypova, V. Z.

2018-01-01

Recently behavioral responses of organisms are increasingly used as a reliable and sensitive tool in aquatic toxicology. Behavior-related endpoints allow efficiently studying the effects of sub-lethal exposure to contaminants. At present behavioural parameters frequently are determined with the use of digital analysis of video recording by computer vision technology. However, most studies evaluate the toxicity of aqueous solutions. Due to methodological difficulties associated with sample preparation not a lot of examples of the studies related to the assessment of toxicity of other environmental objects (wastes, sewage sludges, soils, sediments etc.) by computer vision technology. This paper presents the results of assessment of the swimming behavior alterations of Daphnia magna in elutriates from both uncontaminated natural and artificially chromium-contaminated bottom sediments. It was shown, that in elutriate from chromium contaminated bottom sediments (chromium concentration 115±5.7 μg l-1) the swimming speed of daphnids was decreases from 0.61 cm s-1 (median speed over the period) to 0.50 cm s-1 (median speed at the last minute of the experiment). The relocation of Daphnia from the culture medium to the extract from the non-polluted sediments does not essential changes the swimming activity.

The New Radiobiology: Returning to Our Roots

PubMed Central

Ulsh, Brant A.

2012-01-01

In 2005, two expert advisory bodies examined the evidence on the effects of low doses of ionizing radiation. The U.S. National Research Council concluded that current scientific evidence is consistent with the linear no-threshold dose-response relationship (NRCNA 2005) while the French National Academies of Science and Medicine concluded the opposite (Aurengo et al. 2005). These contradictory conclusions may stem in part from an emphasis on epidemiological data (a “top down” approach) versus an emphasis on biological mechanisms (a “bottom up” approach). In this paper, the strengths and limitations of the top down and bottom up approaches are discussed, and proposals for strengthening and reconciling them are suggested. The past seven years since these two reports were published have yielded increasing evidence of nonlinear responses of biological systems to low radiation doses delivered at low dose-rates. This growing body of evidence is casting ever more doubt on the extrapolation of risks observed at high doses and dose-rates to estimate risks associated with typical environmental and occupational exposures. This paper compares current evidence on low dose, low dose-rate effects against objective criteria of causation. Finally, some questions for a post-LNT world are posed. PMID:23304107

Environmental assessment of applicability of mineral-organic composite for landfill area rehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizerna, Kamila; Król, Anna; Mróz, Adrian

2017-10-01

This paper undertakes an assessment of the impact of a mineral-organic composite on the environment as well as the potential for its application for land rehabilitation purposes. The analysis involves the release of the leachable contaminations from the material subjected to testing. This material was formed by a composite manufactured on the basis of communal bottom ash and stabilized sewage sludge. The sludge resulting from wastewater treatment was subjected to stabilization and dehydration in waste pounds at the phase of pre-watering until 20% of dry mass is obtained. Subsequently, they were mixed with bottom ash, which was obtained from selective waste collection, in a 1:1 mass ratio. The analysis involved the leaching of inorganic contaminants in the form of heavy metals, sulphates (VI), chlorides, and fluorides as well as organic compounds in the form of organic carbon solution under the effect of leachant with a various level of pH. The analysed components were characterized by various leaching behaviour depending on the leachant pH. On the basis of the results, it was able to assess the potential hazard posed by the examined material on the environment as a consequence of its application for landfill area rehabilitation.

Studying the effect of the Semipalatinsk Test Site on radionuclide and elemental composition of water objects in the Irtysh River.

PubMed

Solodukhin, V; Аidarkhanov, A; Lukashenko, S; Gluchshenko, V; Poznyak, V; Lyahova, O

2015-06-01

The results of the field and laboratory studies of radiation and environmental state at the specific area of Irtysh River adjacent to the Semipalatinsk Test Site are provided. It was found that the radiation situation in this area is normal: equivalent dose of γ-radiation = (0.11-0.13) µSv h(-1). Determination of radionuclide composition of soil, bottom sediment and water samples was performed by the methods of instrumental γ-spectrometry, radiochemical analysis and the liquid scintillation β-spectrometry. It was found that concentrations of the studied natural and artificial radionuclides in these objects are very low; no contamination with radionuclides was detected in this segment of Irtysh River. The article provides the results of elemental composition determination for samples of soil and bottom sediment (by X-ray fluorescence method) and water samples (by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method). It is shown that the content of some elements (Li, Be, B, V, Cu, Sr, Mo) in the water of Irtysh River increases downstream. The additional studies are required to explain this peculiarity. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Occurrence and distribution of bacterial indicators and pathogens in canal communities along the Texas coast.

PubMed

Goyal, S M; Gerba, C P; Melnick, J L

1977-08-01

Increased construction of residential canal communities along the southern coastline of the United States has led to a concern about their impact on water quality. Pollution of such dead-end canals is potentially hazardous because of their heavy usage for recreational activities. Coliforms, fecal coliforms, and salmonellae in the surface water and bottom sediments of six selected residential coastal canals were monitored over a period of 17 months. No statistically significant relationship was observed between the organism concentrations and temperature, pH, turbidity, and suspended solids content of water. An inverse relationship between the concentration of indicator organism and salinity of water was found, however, to occur at a 99.9% level of significance. All of the microorganisms studied were found to be present in greater numbers in sediments than in the overlying water, often by a factor of several logs. Heavy rainfall resulted in large increases in the number of organisms in both water and sediment samples. Our results indicate that bottom sediments in the shallow canal systems can act as reservoirs of enteric bacteria, which may be resuspended in response to various environmental factors and recreational activities.

Greenhouse gas emissions control in integrated municipal solid waste management through mixed integer bilevel decision-making.

PubMed

He, Li; Huang, G H; Lu, Hongwei

2011-10-15

Recent studies indicated that municipal solid waste (MSW) is a major contributor to global warming due to extensive emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, most of them focused on investigating impacts of MSW on GHG emission amounts. This study presents two mixed integer bilevel decision-making models for integrated municipal solid waste management and GHG emissions control: MGU-MCL and MCU-MGL. The MGU-MCL model represents a top-down decision process, with the environmental sectors at the national level dominating the upper-level objective and the waste management sectors at the municipal level providing the lower-level objective. The MCU-MGL model implies a bottom-up decision process where municipality plays a leading role. Results from the models indicate that: the top-down decisions would reduce metric tonne carbon emissions (MTCEs) by about 59% yet increase about 8% of the total management cost; the bottom-up decisions would reduce MTCE emissions by about 13% but increase the total management cost very slightly; on-site monitoring and downscaled laboratory experiments are still required for reducing uncertainty in GHG emission rate from the landfill facility. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing and Enhancing Environmental Sustainability: A Conceptual Review.

PubMed

Little, John C; Hester, Erich T; Carey, Cayelan C

2016-07-05

While sustainability is an essential concept to ensure the future of humanity and the integrity of the resources and ecosystems on which we depend, identifying a comprehensive yet realistic way to assess and enhance sustainability may be one of the most difficult challenges of our time. We review the primary environmental sustainability assessment approaches, categorizing them as either being design-based or those that employ computational frameworks and/or indicators. We also briefly review approaches used for assessing economic and social sustainability because sustainability necessitates integrating environmental, economic, and social elements. We identify the collective limitations of the existing assessment approaches, showing that there is not a consistent definition of sustainability, that the approaches are generally not comprehensive and are subject to unintended consequences, that there is little to no connection between bottom-up and top-down approaches, and that the field of sustainability is largely fragmented, with a range of academic disciplines and professional organizations pursuing similar goals, but without much formal coordination. We conclude by emphasizing the need for a comprehensive definition of sustainability (that integrates environmental, economic, and social aspects) with a unified system-of-systems approach that is causal, modular, tiered, and scalable, as well as new educational and organizational structures to improve systems-level interdisciplinary integration.

When can a green entrepreneur manage the local environment?

PubMed

Brandt, Urs Steiner; Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard

2016-12-01

How do we deal with environmental management issues at the local level? Traditionally, the approach proposed from an environmental management perspective has involved various kinds of "top-down" regulatory measures, such as defining a standard that must be satisfied or a tax on pollution. Conversely, there has been less focus on the analysis of local, bottom-up approaches, as for example the effectiveness of various ways of organizing a local environmental transition process. Our focus is on analyzing of under what conditions it is possible for a "green entrepreneur" (GE) to manage a transition from brown to green energy? Theoretically, we consider four entrepreneurial skills, at least two of which must be present for the GE to succeed. In the case of the Danish island of Samsø and its rapid introduction of renewable energy, three of these skills are found to be present: profits, communication, and trustworthiness. The GE, however, failed to activate the fourth skill concerning the ability to persuade local non-green actors regarding the value of the green component. Thus, a main result is that it is crucial to convince non-green locals about the profitability of local environmental management rather than its potentially green components. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Macrobenthos in the Han River Estuary, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Ok Hwan; Lee, Hyung-Gon; Lee, Jae-Hac

2012-12-01

We compared environmental effects on the macrobenthic community of the Han River Estuary in summer, when freshwater input from the Han River increased, and in spring, when freshwater input decreased. Field samples were taken from the upper region of the Shingok reservoir to the southern area of Ganghwado at 18 sampling sites after rainy (August 2006) and dry (March 2007) seasons. Macrobenthic fauna were collected using a Van Veen Grab (0.025 m2 and 0.1 m2) and environmental factors were measured simultaneously. Dominant species of macrobenthic fauna and the macrobenthic community were divided into two areas, the area of the Han River with no salinity (< 0.1 psu) and the southern part of Ganghwado with salinity (> 20 psu). The dominant species Byblis japonicus appeared at Junruri in the dry season. The distributions of two polychaetes, Hediste japonica and Nephtys caeca, were divided into the lower and upper areas of the Singok submerged weir. BIO-ENV (the matching of biotic to environmental patterns) analysis revealed that salinity was the most important factor affecting macrobenthic communities in the Han River Estuary, with other factors such as sediment grain size, bottom dissolved oxygen, and total organic carbon of sediment being secondary.

Evaluation of concrete incorporating bottom ash as a natural aggregates replacement.

PubMed

Andrade, L B; Rocha, J C; Cheriaf, M

2007-01-01

A study on the incorporation of coal bottom ash from thermoelectric power stations as a substitute material for natural sand in the production of concrete is here presented. The normally coarse, fused, glassy texture of bottom ash makes it an ideal substitute for natural aggregates. The use of bottom ash in concrete presents several technical challenges: the physical and mineralogical characteristics of the bottom ash; the effect on water demand and the participation on cements hydratation. In the production of the concrete, substitutions in volume were used. Two different ways to employ bottom ash were used to make up the mix proportions: one considering the natural humidity present in the porous particles and the other not considering it, seeking to maintain the same strength. These considerations are fundamental given that the process of bottom ash extraction is carried out through moisture. Mechanical tests by compressive strength were performed and the elastic modulus was determined. An analysis of the influence of bottom ash in the formation of pores was carried out through tests for the water loss by air drying and water uptake by capillary absorption. The results show that the higher the bottom ash contents in the concrete, the worse the performance regarding moisture transport. However, for one bottom ash concrete type, the mechanical properties were maintained.

Habitat selection models for Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) in Prince William Sound, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ostrand, William D.; Gotthardt, Tracey A.; Howlin, Shay; Robards, Martin D.

2005-01-01

We modeled habitat selection by Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) by examining their distribution in relation to water depth, distance to shore, bottom slope, bottom type, distance from sand bottom, and shoreline type. Through both logistic regression and classification tree models, we compared the characteristics of 29 known sand lance locations to 58 randomly selected sites. The best models indicated a strong selection of shallow water by sand lance, with weaker association between sand lance distribution and beach shorelines, sand bottoms, distance to shore, bottom slope, and distance to the nearest sand bottom. We applied an information-theoretic approach to the interpretation of the logistic regression analysis and determined importance values of 0.99, 0.54, 0.52, 0.44, 0.39, and 0.25 for depth, beach shorelines, sand bottom, distance to shore, gradual bottom slope, and distance to the nearest sand bottom, respectively. The classification tree model indicated that sand lance selected shallow-water habitats and remained near sand bottoms when located in habitats with depths between 40 and 60 m. All sand lance locations were at depths <60 m and 93% occurred at depths <40 m. Probable reasons for the modeled relationships between the distribution of sand lance and the independent variables are discussed.

Functional Gene Diversity and Metabolic Potential of the Microbial Community in an Estuary-Shelf Environment

PubMed Central

Wang, Yu; Zhang, Rui; He, Zhili; Van Nostrand, Joy D.; Zheng, Qiang; Zhou, Jizhong; Jiao, Nianzhi

2017-01-01

Microbes play crucial roles in various biogeochemical processes in the ocean, including carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling. Functional gene diversity and the structure of the microbial community determines its metabolic potential and therefore its ecological function in the marine ecosystem. However, little is known about the functional gene composition and metabolic potential of bacterioplankton in estuary areas. The East China Sea (ECS) is a dynamic marginal ecosystem in the western Pacific Ocean that is mainly affected by input from the Changjiang River and the Kuroshio Current. Here, using a high-throughput functional gene microarray (GeoChip), we analyzed the functional gene diversity, composition, structure, and metabolic potential of microbial assemblages in different ECS water masses. Four water masses determined by temperature and salinity relationship showed different patterns of functional gene diversity and composition. Generally, functional gene diversity [Shannon–Weaner’s H and reciprocal of Simpson’s 1/(1-D)] in the surface water masses was higher than that in the bottom water masses. The different presence and proportion of functional genes involved in C, N, and P cycling among the bacteria of the different water masses showed different metabolic preferences of the microbial populations in the ECS. Genes involved in starch metabolism (amyA and nplT) showed higher proportion in microbial communities of the surface water masses than of the bottom water masses. In contrast, a higher proportion of genes involved in chitin degradation was observed in microorganisms of the bottom water masses. Moreover, we found a higher proportion of nitrogen fixation (nifH), transformation of hydroxylamine to nitrite (hao) and ammonification (gdh) genes in the microbial communities of the bottom water masses compared with those of the surface water masses. The spatial variation of microbial functional genes was significantly correlated with salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll based on canonical correspondence analysis, suggesting a significant influence of hydrologic conditions on water microbial communities. Our data provide new insights into better understanding of the functional potential of microbial communities in the complex estuarine-coastal environmental gradient of the ECS. PMID:28680420

Distribution and geochemical composition of suspended particulate material in the shallow embayment of northern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsompanoglou, K.; Anagnostou, Ch.; Krasakopoulou, E.; Pagou, K.; Karageorgis, A. P.; Pavlidou, A.; Albanakis, K.; Tsirambides, A.

2017-07-01

The distribution and the chemical composition of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), in the northern Thermaikos Gulf, were studied during an annual experiment, carried out from June 2004 to June 2005. Water samples were collected at three depths (1 m below surface, 10 m depth, and 2 m above bottom) and filtered to obtain SPM, particulate organic carbon (POC), total particulate nitrogen (PNtot) and particulate phosphorus (PP) concentrations. SPM and POC concentrations exhibited strong spatial and temporal variations, related to the different environmental characteristics in the study area such as river network, biological productivity, anthropogenic interferences, wind regime, and resuspension of the bottom sediments. The highest SPM concentrations were recorded at the surface (mean = 1.45 ± 0.75 mg/l, maximum value = 11.60 mg/l) and close to the bottom (mean = 1.49 ± 0.67 mg/l, maximum value = 11.72 mg/l), creating surface and bottom nepheloid layers (SNL and BNL), respectively. The maximum values were recorded close to the river mouths; the rivers are identified as the major sources of SPM. The Axios and Aliakmon rivers supplied the gulf with particulate matter, during the entire sampling period. Chemical analysis has revealed the significant correlation among the elements Al, Si, Fe, Ti, K, V, Mg and Ba suggesting the presence of terrigenous aluminosilicate minerals. Silica and Ca have terrigenous origin, but also come from autochthonous biogenic fraction. Chromium, Ni and Co, are of natural origin and derived from mafic and ultramafic rocks of the Axios and Aliakmon watersheds. Copper and Zn are correlated with each other and their distributions follow that of POC; these two metals are derived from partially treated domestic and industrial effluents. The vertical distribution of organic matter implies increased primary production within the upper layer of the water column. Phosphorus is present mainly in an organic form. During the sampling period, the water column was well-oxygenated. Early diagenesis only affected the concentrations of Mn and to a lesser extent Fe in the recently deposited seabed sediment.

Magnetic Mineral diagenesis in changing water environments in the Black Sea since ˜41.6 ka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jiabo; Nowaczyk, Norbert; Frank, Ute; Arz, Helge

2017-04-01

Magnetic mineral diagenesis plays a key role in the global iron cycle. To understand the authigenic magnetic mineral formation by diagenesis is also fundamentally important for the interpretation of environmental magnetic as well as paleomagnetic signals. Core MSM33-55-1, recovered from the SW Black Sea, was subjected to rock-magnetic and SEM studies. The results demonstrate that four different magnetic mineral assemblages associated to specific water conditions can be observed. Between ˜41.6 ka and ˜19 ka, magnetite and greigite are alternatively in dominance in the sediment. Due to low organic matter input during the late MIS 3 and the last glacial maximum (LGM), oxygenated bottom water in the Black Sea was favourable for preserving detrital magnetite. Greigite in this interval have irregular shapes and assemble in spots, which were formed in a micro environment with limited sulfate availability. Between ˜19 ka and ˜16.5 ka, black layers were deposited as a result of organic matter accumulation induced by productivity blooming and riverine discharge soaring after the LGM. Hence less oxygenated bottom water conditions developed, and more fine grained greigite was formed. After melt-water pulse (MWP) events (˜16.5 ka), both primary productivity and the sea level were continuously rising until ˜8.3 ka, leading to the depletion of oxygen in bottom water. In addition to greigite, pyrite was also formed and gradually in dominance as approaching the Holocene. The influx of salt water masses from the Mediterranean Sea after ˜8.3 ka contributed to the establishment of the anoxic Black Sea, which resulted in the formation of ubiquitous frambiods of pyrite. Additionally, bacterial magnetic minerals are likely present in the sediment younger than ˜8.3 ka as indicated by rock magnetic results. In this paper, four different magnetic mineral assemblages, reflecting gradual changes from an oxic to an anoix Black Sea, were identified, yielding insights into the relation between magnetic minerals diagenesis and bottom water conditions.

Monitoring of coastal coral reefs near Dahab (Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea) indicates local eutrophication as potential cause for change in benthic communities.

PubMed

Naumann, Malik S; Bednarz, Vanessa N; Ferse, Sebastian C A; Niggl, Wolfgang; Wild, Christian

2015-02-01

Coral reef ecosystems fringing the coastline of Dahab (South Sinai, Egypt) have experienced increasing anthropogenic disturbance as an emergent international tourism destination. Previous reports covering tourism-related impacts on coastal environments, particularly mechanical damage and destructive fishing, have highlighted the vital necessity for regular ecosystem monitoring of coral reefs near Dahab. However, a continuous scientific monitoring programme of permanent survey sites has not been established to date. Thus, this study conducted in situ monitoring surveys to investigate spatio-temporal variability of benthic reef communities and selected reef-associated herbivores along with reef health indicator organisms by revisiting three of the locally most frequented dive sites during expeditions in March 2010, September 2011 and February 2013. In addition, inorganic nutrient concentrations in reef-surrounding waters were determined to evaluate bottom-up effects of key environmental parameters on benthic reef community shifts in relation to grazer-induced top-down control. Findings revealed that from 2010 to 2013, live hard coral cover declined significantly by 12 % at the current-sheltered site Three Pools (TP), while showing negative trends for the Blue Hole (BH) and Lighthouse (LH) sites. Hard coral cover decline was significantly and highly correlated to a substantial increase in turf algae cover (up to 57 % at TP) at all sites, replacing hard corals as dominant benthic space occupiers in 2013. These changes were correlated to ambient phosphate and ammonium concentrations that exhibited highest values (0.64 ± 0.07 μmol PO4 (3-) l(-1), 1.05 ± 0.07 μmol NH4 (+) l(-1)) at the degraded site TP. While macroalgae appeared to respond to both bottom-up and top-down factors, change in turf algae was consistent with expected indications for bottom-up control. Temporal variability measured in herbivorous reef fish stocks reflected seasonal impacts by local fisheries, with concomitant changes in macroalgal cover. These findings represent the first record of rapid, localised change in benthic reef communities near Dahab, consistent with indications for bottom-up controlled early-stage phase shifts, underlining the necessity for efficient regional wastewater management for coastal facilities.

Reconstruction of climate and environmental changes in the Bornholm Basin during the last 6000 years, based on foraminiferal assemblages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binczewska, Anna; Polovodova Asteman, Irina; Moros, Matthias; Sławińska, Joanna

2016-04-01

The Baltic Sea is the largest brackish sea in the world connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the narrow and shallow Danish Straits. The hydrography of the Baltic Sea is strongly dependent on inflows from the North Sea and its environmental conditions are influenced by meteorological and anthropogenic factors. To improve our understanding of the natural variability and forcing factors driving changes in the Baltic ecosystem, detailed analyses of palaeoecological archives are needed. Here we present a high-resolution study of foraminiferal assemblages together with sediment geochemistry (LOI, TOC, TIC, CNS) from a 8-m long gravity core (GC) and a 42-cm long multi core (MUC) taken in the Bornholm Basin in 2013. Both cores were investigated in order to reconstruct bottom water mass variability during the mid- and late Holocene. Cores were dated by AMS 14C (mostly on Macoma balthica shells), 210Pb and 137Cs. Age-model allowed us to place variability of foraminiferal assemblages in time and link them with the Holocene climate extremes and the Major Baltic Inflows (MBIs). High absolute abundances (ind./g wet sed.) of foraminifera are found within a core interval corresponding to the Dark Ages and the Medieval Warm Period (~AD 400-1200). The Little Ice Age is represented by rare to absent foraminiferal shells, while significant changes of foraminiferal abundances occur in the lower part of core(~ BC 2050-2995). The dominant species found in both cores are Cribroelphidium excavatum, C. excavatum f. clavatum, C. albiumbilicatum and C. incertum, all adapted to an ecologically unstable environment with high fluctuations of salinity and oxygen. The arenaceous species Reophax dentaliniformis strongly occurs at ~ AD 1450-1600, where calcareous species were rare. Presence of agglutinated foraminifera and prevailing small size of individuals in all studied material suggest bottom water undersaturation with respect to calcium carbonate. In the Baltic Sea, bottom waters characterized by long-term hypoxic to anoxic conditions, low salinity and organic-rich sediments create unfavourable environment for benthic fauna and affect their preservation state in fossil record. In our study we observed different stages of carbonate dissolution: from completely intact tests to opaque individuals, loss of two chambers and test deformations. Foraminiferal tests with different state of preservation were treated and counted separately. Upon poor shell preservation, remaining inner organic linings (IOLs) were useful to obtain information about assemblages and to improve interpretation of past changes in the study area. Peaks in abundance of foraminiferal shells and IOLs were linked to saline water inflows and increased ventilation of the Bornholm basin bottom waters. This suggest a strong effect of saline and well oxygenated water inflows from the Atlantic Ocean on the Baltic Sea ecosystem, which might be linked to the major climate transitions over the last 6 millennia.

Development of an accelerated leaching method for incineration bottom ash correlated to toxicity characteristic leaching protocol.

PubMed

Lin, Shengxuan; Zhou, Xuedong; Ge, Liya; Ng, Sum Huan; Zhou, Xiaodong; Chang, Victor Wei-Chung

2016-10-01

Heavy metals and some metalloids are the most significant inorganic contaminants specified in toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) in determining the safety of landfills or further utilization. As a consequence, a great deal of efforts had been made on the development of miniaturized analytical devices, such as Microchip Electrophoresis (ME) and μTAS for on-site testing of heavy metals and metalloids to prevent spreading of those pollutants or decrease the reutilization period of waste materials such as incineration bottom ash. However, the bottleneck lied in the long and tedious conventional TCLP that requires 18 h of leaching. Without accelerating the TCLP process, the on-site testing of the waste material leachates was impossible. In this study, therefore, a new accelerated leaching method (ALM) combining ultrasonic assisted leaching with tumbling was developed to reduce the total leaching time from 18 h to 30 min. After leaching, the concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids were determined with ICP-MS or ICP-optical emission spectroscopy. No statistical significance between ALM and TCLP was observed for most heavy metals (i.e., cobalt, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, silver, strontium, and tin) and metalloids (i.e., arsenic and selenium). For the heavy metals with statistical significance, correlation factors derived between ALM and TCLP were 0.56, 0.20, 0.037, and 0.019 for barium, cadmium, chromium, and lead, respectively. Combined with appropriate analytical techniques (e.g., ME), the ALM can be applied to rapidly prepare the incineration bottom ash samples as well as other environmental samples for on-site determination of heavy metals and metalloids. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Energy Consumption in Copper Smelting: A New Asian Horse in the Race

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coursol, P.; Mackey, P. J.; Kapusta, J. P. T.; Valencia, N. Cardona

2015-05-01

After a marked improvement in energy consumption in copper smelting during the past few decades, technology development has been slowing down in the Americas and in Europe. Innovation, however, is still required to further reduce energy consumption while complying with stringent environmental regulations. The bottom blowing smelting technology being developed in China shows success and promise. The general configuration of the bath smelting vessel, the design of high-pressure injectors, and the concentrate addition system are described and discussed in this article with respect to those used in other technologies. The bottom blowing technology is shown to be operating at a temperature in the range of 1160-1180°C, which is the lowest reported temperature range for a modern copper smelting process. In this article, it is suggested that top feeding of filter cake concentrate, which is also used in other technologies, has a positive effect in reducing the oxidation potential of the slag ( p(O2)) while increasing the FeS solubility in slag. This reduction in p(O2) lowers the magnetite liquidus of the slag, while the increased solubility of FeS in slag helps toward reaching very low copper levels in flotation slag tailings. The application of high-pressure injectors allows for the use of high levels of oxygen enrichment with no requirements for punching. Using a standard modeling approach from the authors' previous studies, this article discusses these aspects and compares the energy consumption of the bottom blowing technology with that of other leading flash and bath smelting technologies, namely: flash smelting, Noranda/Teniente Converter, TSL (Isasmelt [Glencore Technology Pty. Ltd., Brisbane, Queensland, Australia]/Outotec), and the Mitsubishi Process (Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Tokyo, Japan).

The Evolutionary Ecology of Biotic Association in a Megadiverse Bivalve Superfamily: Sponsorship Required for Permanent Residency in Sediment

PubMed Central

Li, Jingchun; Ó Foighil, Diarmaid; Middelfart, Peter

2012-01-01

Background Marine lineage diversification is shaped by the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors but our understanding of their relative roles is underdeveloped. The megadiverse bivalve superfamily Galeommatoidea represents a promising study system to address this issue. It is composed of small-bodied clams that are either free-living or have commensal associations with invertebrate hosts. To test if the evolution of this lifestyle dichotomy is correlated with specific ecologies, we have performed a statistical analysis on the lifestyle and habitat preference of 121 species based on 90 source documents. Methodology/Principal Findings Galeommatoidea has significant diversity in the two primary benthic habitats: hard- and soft-bottoms. Hard-bottom dwellers are overwhelmingly free-living, typically hidden within crevices of rocks/coral heads/encrusting epifauna. In contrast, species in soft-bottom habitats are almost exclusively infaunal commensals. These infaunal biotic associations may involve direct attachment to a host, or clustering around its tube/burrow, but all commensals locate within the oxygenated sediment envelope produced by the host’s bioturbation. Conclusions/Significance The formation of commensal associations by galeommatoidean clams is robustly correlated with an abiotic environmental setting: living in sediments (). Sediment-dwelling bivalves are exposed to intense predation pressure that drops markedly with depth of burial. Commensal galeommatoideans routinely attain depth refuges many times their body lengths, independent of siphonal investment, by virtue of their host’s burrowing and bioturbation. In effect, they use their much larger hosts as giant auto-irrigating siphon substitutes. The evolution of biotic associations with infaunal bioturbating hosts may have been a prerequisite for the diversification of Galeommatoidea in sediments and has likely been a key factor in the success of this exceptionally diverse bivalve superfamily. PMID:22905116

The occurrence and distribution of high-arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony in bottom sediments of Burullus lagoon and its effects on human health, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Badry, Abd El-Monsef Ahmed; Khalifa, Moataz M.

2017-12-01

Burullus lagoon is one of four natural water bodies known as northern Egyptian delta lakes. The lagoon extended maximum long of 53 km long and maximum width 13 km with an area about 420 km2. The pollution of bottom sediment of the Burullus lagoon is indicative of both water and food web quality in general. A few research were carried out related to study of arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony. The main objective of this study is assessment of environmental effects of arsenic, selenium, tin and antimony metals, twenty-one samples were collect from bottom sediments sample among sites covering the Burullus Lagoon during summer 2014, and analyzed by using simultaneous inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer. The contamination with these metals was evaluate by applying index of contamination factor (CF) and geoaccumulation (Igeo). The relative order of abundance of the potentially toxic metals in the lagoon's sediment is Se > Sn > Sb > As The territory around inlet and southeastern drain show considerable pollution by the studied toxic metals. The main reason for such pollution resulting from industrial activities and agricultural drains. The disregards of the anthropogenic activities are the main reason of pollution in the studied lagoon. Construction of special units for treatment and purification of all types of drainage and wastewater (agricultural, industrial). Successive analysis of lake water to assess the amount of pollutants to make suitable decisions. Take an action to prohibit throwing of wastes in the lagoon. Consumption of the lake water for agricultural and industrial must be under control in order to decrease water pollution.

Oyster Larvae Settle in Response to Habitat-Associated Underwater Sounds

PubMed Central

Lillis, Ashlee; Eggleston, David B.; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R.

2013-01-01

Following a planktonic dispersal period of days to months, the larvae of benthic marine organisms must locate suitable seafloor habitat in which to settle and metamorphose. For animals that are sessile or sedentary as adults, settlement onto substrates that are adequate for survival and reproduction is particularly critical, yet represents a challenge since patchily distributed settlement sites may be difficult to find along a coast or within an estuary. Recent studies have demonstrated that the underwater soundscape, the distinct sounds that emanate from habitats and contain information about their biological and physical characteristics, may serve as broad-scale environmental cue for marine larvae to find satisfactory settlement sites. Here, we contrast the acoustic characteristics of oyster reef and off-reef soft bottoms, and investigate the effect of habitat-associated estuarine sound on the settlement patterns of an economically and ecologically important reef-building bivalve, the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Subtidal oyster reefs in coastal North Carolina, USA show distinct acoustic signatures compared to adjacent off-reef soft bottom habitats, characterized by consistently higher levels of sound in the 1.5–20 kHz range. Manipulative laboratory playback experiments found increased settlement in larval oyster cultures exposed to oyster reef sound compared to unstructured soft bottom sound or no sound treatments. In field experiments, ambient reef sound produced higher levels of oyster settlement in larval cultures than did off-reef sound treatments. The results suggest that oyster larvae have the ability to respond to sounds indicative of optimal settlement sites, and this is the first evidence that habitat-related differences in estuarine sounds influence the settlement of a mollusk. Habitat-specific sound characteristics may represent an important settlement and habitat selection cue for estuarine invertebrates and could play a role in driving settlement and recruitment patterns in marine communities. PMID:24205381

APC fly ashes stabilized with Portland cement for further development of road sub-base aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formosa, J.; Giro-Paloma, J.; Maldonado-Alameda, A.; Huete-Hernández, S.; Chimenos, J. M.

2017-10-01

Although waste-to-energy plants allow reducing the mass and volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerated, an average around 30 % of the total content remains as bottom ash (BA) and air pollution control (APC) ashes at the end of combustion process. While weathered bottom ash (WBA) is considered a non-hazardous residue that can be revalorized as a secondary aggregate, APC fly ashes generated during the flue gas treatment are classified as hazardous waste and are handled in landfill disposal after stabilization, usually with Portland cement (OPC). However, taking into account the amount of APC residues produced and the disposing cost in landfill, their revalorization is an important issue that could be effectively addressed. As MSW can be incinerated producing bottom ashes (BA) or air pollutant control (APC) residues, the development of a mortar formulated with APC fly ash as secondary building material is a significant risk to the environment for their content of heavy metals. In this way, Design of Experiment (DoE) was used for the improvement of granular material (GM) formulation composed by APC and OPC for further uses as road sub-base aggregate. DoE analysis was successful in the modelling and optimization the formulation as function of the mechanical properties and APC amount. Consequently, an optimal mortar formulation (OMF) of around 50 wt.% APC and 50 wt.% OPC was considered. The OMF leachates and abrasion resistance have been analyzed. These results have demonstrated the viability of OMF as non-hazardous material feasible to be used as secondary aggregate. Moreover, it would be possible to consider the environmental assessment of a GM composed by ≈20 wt.% of OMF and ≈80 wt.% of WBA in order to improve mechanical properties and heavy metals stabilization.

Oyster larvae settle in response to habitat-associated underwater sounds.

PubMed

Lillis, Ashlee; Eggleston, David B; Bohnenstiehl, DelWayne R

2013-01-01

Following a planktonic dispersal period of days to months, the larvae of benthic marine organisms must locate suitable seafloor habitat in which to settle and metamorphose. For animals that are sessile or sedentary as adults, settlement onto substrates that are adequate for survival and reproduction is particularly critical, yet represents a challenge since patchily distributed settlement sites may be difficult to find along a coast or within an estuary. Recent studies have demonstrated that the underwater soundscape, the distinct sounds that emanate from habitats and contain information about their biological and physical characteristics, may serve as broad-scale environmental cue for marine larvae to find satisfactory settlement sites. Here, we contrast the acoustic characteristics of oyster reef and off-reef soft bottoms, and investigate the effect of habitat-associated estuarine sound on the settlement patterns of an economically and ecologically important reef-building bivalve, the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). Subtidal oyster reefs in coastal North Carolina, USA show distinct acoustic signatures compared to adjacent off-reef soft bottom habitats, characterized by consistently higher levels of sound in the 1.5-20 kHz range. Manipulative laboratory playback experiments found increased settlement in larval oyster cultures exposed to oyster reef sound compared to unstructured soft bottom sound or no sound treatments. In field experiments, ambient reef sound produced higher levels of oyster settlement in larval cultures than did off-reef sound treatments. The results suggest that oyster larvae have the ability to respond to sounds indicative of optimal settlement sites, and this is the first evidence that habitat-related differences in estuarine sounds influence the settlement of a mollusk. Habitat-specific sound characteristics may represent an important settlement and habitat selection cue for estuarine invertebrates and could play a role in driving settlement and recruitment patterns in marine communities.

Review of Oceanographic and Geochemical Data Collected in Massachusetts Bay during a Large Discharge of Total Suspended Solids from Boston's Sewage-Treatment System and Ocean Outfall in August 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bothner, Michael H.; Butman, Bradford; Casso, Michael A.

2010-01-01

During the period August 14-23, 2002, the discharge of total suspended solids (TSS) from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority sewage-treatment plant ranged from 32 to 132 milligrams per liter, causing the monthly average discharge to exceed the limit specified in the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit. Time-series monitoring data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in western Massachusetts Bay were examined to evaluate changes in environmental conditions during and after this exceedance event. The rate of sediment trapping and the concentrations of near-bottom suspended sediment measured near the outfall in western Massachusetts Bay increased during this period. Because similar increases in sediment-trapping rate were observed in the summers of 2003 and 2004, however, the increase in 2002 cannot be definitively attributed to the increased TSS discharge. Concentrations of copper and silver in trapped sediment collected 10 and 20 days following the 2002 TSS event were elevated compared to those in pre-event samples. Maximum concentrations were less than 50 percent of toxicity guidelines. Photographs of surficial bottom sediments obtained before and after the TSS event do not show sediment accumulation on the sea floor. Concentrations of silver, Clostridium perfringens, and clay in surficial bottom sediments sampled 10 weeks after the discharge event at a depositional site 3 kilometers west of the outfall were unchanged from those in samples obtained before the event. Simulation of the TSS event by using a coupled hydrodynamic-wave-sediment-transport model could enhance understanding of these observations and of the effects of the exceedance on the local marine environment.

Novel incineration technology integrated with drying, pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion of MSW and ashes vitrification.

PubMed

Liu, Yangsheng; Liu, Yushan

2005-05-15

The conventional mass burn systems for municipal solid waste (MSW) emit large amount of acidic gases and dioxins as well as heavy metals due to the large excess air ratio. Additionally, the final process residues, bottom ash with potential leachability of heavy metals and fly ash with high level of heavy metals and dioxins, also constitute a major environmental problem. To deal with these issues more effectively, a novel MSW incineration technology was developed in this study. MSW drying, pyrolysis, gasification, incineration, and ash vitrification were achieved as a spectrum of combustion by the same equipment (primary chamber) in one step. In practice, the primary chamber of this technology actually acted as both gasifier for organic matter and vitrifying reactor for ashes, and the combustion process was mainly completed in the secondary chamber. Experiments were carried outto examine its characteristics in an industrial MSW incineration plant, located in Taiyuan, with a capability of 100 tons per day (TPD). Results showed that (1) the pyrolysis, gasification, and vitrification processes in the primary chamber presented good behaviors resulting in effluent gases with high contents of combustibles (e.g., CO and CH4) and bottom ash with a low loss-on-ignition (L.o.l), low leachability of heavy metals, and low toxicity of cyanide and fluoride. The vitrified bottom ash was benign to its environment and required no further processing for its potential applications. (2) Low stack emissions of dioxins (0.076 ng of TEQ m(-3)), heavy metals (ranging from 0.013 to 0.033 mg m(-3)), and other air pollutants were achieved. This new technology could effectively dispose Chinese MSW with a low calorific value and high water content; additionally, it also had a low capital and operating costs compared with the imported systems.

Cascadia Initiative Ocean Bottom Seismograph Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evers, B.; Aderhold, K.

2017-12-01

The Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool (OBSIP) provided instrumentation and operations support for the Cascadia Initiative community experiment. This experiment investigated geophysical processes across the Cascadia subduction zone through a combination of onshore and offshore seismic data. The recovery of Year 4 instruments in September 2015 marked the conclusion of a multi-year experiment that utilized 60 ocean-bottom seismographs (OBSs) specifically designed for the subduction zone boundary, including shallow/deep water deployments and active fisheries. The new instruments featured trawl-resistant enclosures designed by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) for shallow deployment [water depth ≤ 500 m], as well as new deep-water instruments designed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). Existing OBSIP instruments were also deployed along the Blanco Transform Fault and on the Gorda Plate through complementary experiments. Station instrumentation included weak and strong motion seismometers, differential pressure gauges (DPG) and absolute pressure gauges (APG). All data collected from the Cascadia, Blanco, and Gorda deployments is available through the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC). The Cascadia Initiative is the largest amphibious seismic experiment undertaken to date, encompassing a diverse technical implementation and demonstrating an effective structure for community experiments. Thus, the results from Cascadia serve as both a technical and operational resource for the development of future community experiments, such as might be contemplated as part of the SZ4D Initiative. To guide future efforts, we investigate and summarize the quality of the Cascadia OBS data using basic metrics such as instrument recovery and more advanced metrics such as noise characteristics through power spectral density analysis. We also use this broad and diverse deployment to explore other environmental and configuration factors that can impact sensor and network performance and inform the design of future deployments.

Modeled long-term changes of DIN:DIP ratio in the Changjiang River in relation to Chl-α and DO concentrations in adjacent estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianing; Yan, Weijin; Chen, Nengwang; Li, Xinyan; Liu, Lusan

2015-12-01

In the past four decades (1970-2013), nitrogen and phosphorous inputs to the Changjiang River basin, mainly from human activities, have increased 3-fold and 306-fold, respectively. The riverine nutrient fluxes to the estuary have also grown exponentially. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorous (DIP) fluxes of the Changjiang River increased by 338% and 574% during 1970-2013 period, and red tides and benthic hypoxia have been observed in the outflow region of the Changjiang River in the East China Sea (ECS). We assumed that time series changes in the DIN:DIP ratio from the Changjiang River could have a significant impact on Chlorophyll-α (Chl-α) concentration in the surface sea water and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the bottom sea water of the Changjiang estuary. Our study showed that the DIN:DIP ratio from the Changjiang River increased from 76 to 384 between 1970 and 1985, and decreased from 255 to 149 between 1986 and 2013. The observed Chl-α concentration increased by 146% from 1992 to 2010 in the Changjiang estuary, and was negatively related to the DIN:DIP ratio in 1992-2010. Bottom sea water DO concentration decreased by 24.6% during 1992-2010 and a "low oxygen zone" (122°∼123°E, 32°∼33°N) was observed during summer since 1999. The anthropogenically enhanced nutrient inputs dominated river DIN and DIP fluxes and influenced Chl-α concentrations as well as bottom DO concentrations in the estuary. Scenarios emphasizing global collaboration and proactive environmental problem-solving may result in reductions in the river nutrient exports and in Chl-α and DO concentration in the Changjiang estuary by 2050.

The changes in the composition of Cladocera community in bottom sediments of Lake Maloye Shibrozero (Zaonezhsky Peninsula) as a consequence of shifts of environmental and climatic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibragimova, A. G.; Frolova, L. A.; Subetto, D. A.; Belkina, N. A.; Potakhin, M. S.

2018-01-01

The study aims to explore the evolution of lakes of the boreal zone during the late- and postglacial time on the south-eastern periphery of the Fennoscandian crystalline shield since the last deglaciation. In order to reconstruct the past for virgin territories of the Zaonezhsky Peninsula current investigation on bottom sediments of Lake Maloye Shibrozero was conducted. Analyzes were performed using the new paleoindicator - subfossil remains of Cladocera (Cladocera, Branchiopoda). The 28 samples of bottom sediments were analyzed. It has been determined that discovered Cladocera remains belong to representatives of 6 families and 38 taxa. Species inhabiting Palaearctic zone are predominant in lake deposits; most of the identified subfossil remains are related to the pelagic species inhabiting the open part of the lake. According to the Lubarsky scale the dominant of Cladocera community is Bosmina (Eubosmina) cf. longispina. Secondary taxa are Chydorus sphaericus, Bosmina coregoni, Alonella nana, Alona guadrangularis, A. affinis, Chydorus gibbus. At a depth of 650-653 cm, a partial replacement of Bosmina (Eubosmina) cf. longispina by Bosmina coregoni takes place with a simultaneous increase in the significance of Chydorus sphaericus, which is used to be an indicator of eutrophication and increasing trophic status of the reservoir. Changes in Cladocera community could be attributed to decreasing the level of periglacial lake, as a result of which the Lake Maloye Shibrozero became a small isolated lake with the trend to trophic status increasing. Cold-water species were replaced by thermophilic ones with a further return to a cold-water fauna. In the upper layers of the column an increase of the number of phytophilous species is noted.

Specific expression of the vacuolar iron transporter, TgVit, causes iron accumulation in blue-colored inner bottom segments of various tulip petals.

PubMed

Momonoi, Kazumi; Tsuji, Toshiaki; Kazuma, Kohei; Yoshida, Kumi

2012-01-01

Several flowers of Tulipa gesneriana exhibit a blue color in the bottom segments of the inner perianth. We have previously reported the inner-bottom tissue-specific iron accumulation and expression of the vacuolar iron transporter, TgVit1, in tulip cv. Murasakizuisho. To clarify whether the TgVit1-dependent iron accumulation and blue-color development in tulip petals are universal, we analyzed anthocyanin, its co-pigment components, iron contents and the expression of TgVit1 mRNA in 13 cultivars which show a blue color in the bottom segments of the inner perianth accompanying yellow- and white-colored inner-bottom petals. All of the blue bottom segments contained the same anthocyanin component, delphinidin 3-rutinoside. The flavonol composition varied with cultivar and tissue part. The major flavonol in the bottom segments of the inner perianth was rutin. The iron content in the upper part was less than that in the bottom segments of the inner perianth. The iron content in the yellow and white petals was higher in the bottom segment of the inner perianth than in the upper tissues. TgVit1 mRNA expression was apparent in all of the bottom tissues of the inner perianth. The result of a reproduction experiment by mixing the constituents suggests that the blue coloration in tulip petals is generally caused by iron complexation to delphinidin 3-rutinoside and that the iron complex is solubilized and stabilized by flavonol glycosides. TgVit1-dependent iron accumulation in the bottom segments of the inner perianth might be controlled by an unknown system that differentiated the upper parts and bottom segments of the inner perianth.

The Role of Rough Topography in Mediating Impacts of Bottom Drag in Eddying Ocean Circulation Models.

PubMed

Trossman, David S; Arbic, Brian K; Straub, David N; Richman, James G; Chassignet, Eric P; Wallcraft, Alan J; Xu, Xiaobiao

2017-08-01

Motivated by the substantial sensitivity of eddies in two-layer quasi-geostrophic (QG) turbulence models to the strength of bottom drag, this study explores the sensitivity of eddies in more realistic ocean general circulation model (OGCM) simulations to bottom drag strength. The OGCM results are interpreted using previous results from horizontally homogeneous, two-layer, flat-bottom, f-plane, doubly periodic QG turbulence simulations and new results from two-layer β -plane QG turbulence simulations run in a basin geometry with both flat and rough bottoms. Baroclinicity in all of the simulations varies greatly with drag strength, with weak drag corresponding to more barotropic flow and strong drag corresponding to more baroclinic flow. The sensitivity of the baroclinicity in the QG basin simulations to bottom drag is considerably reduced, however, when rough topography is used in lieu of a flat bottom. Rough topography reduces the sensitivity of the eddy kinetic energy amplitude and horizontal length scales in the QG basin simulations to bottom drag to an even greater degree. The OGCM simulation behavior is qualitatively similar to that in the QG rough bottom basin simulations in that baroclinicity is more sensitive to bottom drag strength than are eddy amplitudes or horizontal length scales. Rough topography therefore appears to mediate the sensitivity of eddies in models to the strength of bottom drag. The sensitivity of eddies to parameterized topographic internal lee wave drag, which has recently been introduced into some OGCMs, is also briefly discussed. Wave drag acts like a strong bottom drag in that it increases the baroclinicity of the flow, without strongly affecting eddy horizontal length scales.

Characterizing Microbial Mat Morphology with Structure from Motion Techniques in Ice-Covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackey, T. J.; Leidman, S. Z.; Allen, B.; Hawes, I.; Lawrence, J.; Jungblut, A. D.; Krusor, M.; Coleman, L.; Sumner, D. Y.

2015-12-01

Structure from Motion (SFM) techniques can provide quantitative morphological documentation of otherwise inaccessible benthic ecosystems such as microbial mats in Lake Joyce, a perennially ice-covered lake of the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV). Microbial mats are a key ecosystem of MDV lakes, and diverse mat morphologies like pinnacles emerge from interactions among microbial behavior, mineralization, and environmental conditions. Environmental gradients can be isolated to test mat growth models, but assessment of mat morphology along these gradients is complicated by their inaccessibility: the Lake Joyce ice cover is 4-5 m thick, water depths containing diverse pinnacle morphologies are 9-14 m, and relevant mat features are cm-scale. In order to map mat pinnacle morphology in different sedimentary settings, we deployed drop cameras (SeaViewer and GoPro) through 29 GPS referenced drill holes clustered into six stations along a transect spanning 880 m. Once under the ice cover, a boom containing a second GoPro camera was unfurled and rotated to collect oblique images of the benthic mats within dm of the mat-water interface. This setup allowed imaging from all sides over a ~1.5 m diameter area of the lake bottom. Underwater lens parameters were determined for each camera in Agisoft Lens; images were reconstructed and oriented in space with the SFM software Agisoft Photoscan, using the drop camera axis of rotation as up. The reconstructions were compared to downward facing images to assess accuracy, and similar images of an object with known geometry provided a test for expected error in reconstructions. Downward facing images identify decreasing pinnacle abundance in higher sedimentation settings, and quantitative measurements of 3D reconstructions in KeckCAVES LidarViewer supplement these mat morphological facies with measurements of pinnacle height and orientation. Reconstructions also help isolate confounding variables for mat facies trends with measurements of lake bottom slope and underlying relief that could influence pinnacle growth. Comparison of 3D reconstructions to downward-facing drop camera images demonstrate that SFM is a powerful tool for documenting diverse mat morphologies across environmental gradients in ice-covered lakes.

Environmental DNA from Seawater Samples Correlate with Trawl Catches of Subarctic, Deepwater Fishes

PubMed Central

Thomsen, Philip Francis; Møller, Peter Rask; Sigsgaard, Eva Egelyng; Knudsen, Steen Wilhelm; Jørgensen, Ole Ankjær; Willerslev, Eske

2016-01-01

Remote polar and deepwater fish faunas are under pressure from ongoing climate change and increasing fishing effort. However, these fish communities are difficult to monitor for logistic and financial reasons. Currently, monitoring of marine fishes largely relies on invasive techniques such as bottom trawling, and on official reporting of global catches, which can be unreliable. Thus, there is need for alternative and non-invasive techniques for qualitative and quantitative oceanic fish surveys. Here we report environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of seawater samples from continental slope depths in Southwest Greenland. We collected seawater samples at depths of 188–918 m and compared seawater eDNA to catch data from trawling. We used Illumina sequencing of PCR products to demonstrate that eDNA reads show equivalence to fishing catch data obtained from trawling. Twenty-six families were found with both trawling and eDNA, while three families were found only with eDNA and two families were found only with trawling. Key commercial fish species for Greenland were the most abundant species in both eDNA reads and biomass catch, and interpolation of eDNA abundances between sampling sites showed good correspondence with catch sizes. Environmental DNA sequence reads from the fish assemblages correlated with biomass and abundance data obtained from trawling. Interestingly, the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) showed high abundance of eDNA reads despite only a single specimen being caught, demonstrating the relevance of the eDNA approach for large species that can probably avoid bottom trawls in most cases. Quantitative detection of marine fish using eDNA remains to be tested further to ascertain whether this technique is able to yield credible results for routine application in fisheries. Nevertheless, our study demonstrates that eDNA reads can be used as a qualitative and quantitative proxy for marine fish assemblages in deepwater oceanic habitats. This relates directly to applied fisheries as well as to monitoring effects of ongoing climate change on marine biodiversity—especially in polar ecosystems. PMID:27851757

Intelligent Evaluation Method of Tank Bottom Corrosion Status Based on Improved BP Artificial Neural Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Feng; Dai, Guang; Zhang, Ying

According to the acoustic emission information and the appearance inspection information of tank bottom online testing, the external factors associated with tank bottom corrosion status are confirmed. Applying artificial neural network intelligent evaluation method, three tank bottom corrosion status evaluation models based on appearance inspection information, acoustic emission information, and online testing information are established. Comparing with the result of acoustic emission online testing through the evaluation of test sample, the accuracy of the evaluation model based on online testing information is 94 %. The evaluation model can evaluate tank bottom corrosion accurately and realize acoustic emission online testing intelligent evaluation of tank bottom.

Properties of perpendicular-anisotropy magnetic tunnel junctions fabricated over the bottom electrode contact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Sadahiko; Honjo, Hiroaki; Kinoshita, Keizo; Tokutome, Keiichi; Koike, Hiroaki; Ikeda, Shoji; Endoh, Tetsuo; Ohno, Hideo

2015-04-01

Perpendicular-anisotropy magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) were prepared on four substrate geometries, i.e., directly on the axis of the bottom electrode contact, directly off the axis of the bottom electrode contact, on the axis of the bottom electrode contact with a polished bottom electrode, and off the axis of the bottom electrode contact with a polished bottom electrode. Electrical shorts were observed for direct on-axis geometry at a certain extent, whereas there were no electrical shorts for the other three geometries. The MR ratio/σR, JC0, and thermal stability factor of the devices for polish on-axis geometry were almost the same as those for polish off-axis geometry. From TEM observations of the polish on-axis device, the interface between the bottom contact and the base electrode was determined to be rough, whereas the MgO barrier layer was determined to be smooth, indicating that the polish process was effective for smooth magnetic tunnel junction fabrication over the bottom contact. MTJs for polish on-axis geometry eliminated the base electrode resistance and increased the magnetoresistance ratio. This technology contributes to the higher density of spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory.

Trace element analysis of coal by neutron activation.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheibley, D. W.

1973-01-01

The irradiation, counting, and data reduction scheme is described for an analysis capability of 1000 samples per year. Up to 56 elements are reported on each sample. The precision and accuracy of the method are shown for 25 elements designated as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The interference corrections for selenium and ytterbium on mercury and ytterbium on selenium are described. The effect of bromine and antimony on the determination of arsenic is also mentioned. The use of factorial design techniques to evaluate interferences in the determination of mercury, selenium, and arsenic is shown. Some typical trace element results for coal, fly ash, and bottom ash are given.

Trace element analysis of coal by neutron activation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheibley, D. W.

1973-01-01

The irradiation, counting, and data reduction scheme is described for an analysis capability of 1000 samples per year. Up to 56 elements are reported on each sample. The precision and accuracy of the method are shown for 25 elements designated as hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The interference corrections for selenium and ytterbium on mercury and ytterbium on selenium are described. The effect of bromine and antimony on the determination of arsenic is also mentioned. The use of factorial design techniques to evaluate interferences in the determination of mercury, selenium, and arsenic is shown. Some typical trace element results for coal, fly ash, and bottom ash are given.

Herbicide Orange Site Treatment and Environmental Monitoring: Summary Report and Recommendations for Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

Aspergillus spp. X X Penicillium spp. X X X X Cunninghamella spp. X X Zygorhynchus sp . X X Alternaria sp . X X Mycelial Molds X X Candida spp. X X...itermined if a technique could he used t dtrmn , ’ old s 1 from new sp i 11 . 12 it was not leaving the base and most likely was being held in the bottom...Rhodotorula sp . X X X Geotrichum sp . X X Trichoderma spp. X X X Mucor spp. X X X Rhizopus sp . X X Absidia sp . X X aMicrobial analyses conducted by Department

The intergenerational transmission of inequality: Maternal disadvantage and health at birth

PubMed Central

Aizer, Anna; Currie, Janet

2015-01-01

Health at birth is an important predictor of long-term outcomes, including education, income, and disability. Recent evidence suggests that maternal disadvantage leads to worse health at birth through poor health behaviors; exposure to harmful environmental factors; worse access to medical care, including family planning; and worse underlying maternal health. With increasing inequality, those at the bottom of the distribution now face relatively worse economic conditions, but newborn health among the most disadvantaged has actually improved. The most likely explanation is increasing knowledge about determinants of infant health and how to protect it along with public policies that put this knowledge into practice. PMID:24855261

76 FR 32142 - Bottom Mount Combination Refrigerator-Freezers From the Republic of Korea: Postponement of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-580-866] Bottom Mount Combination... Department) initiated the countervailing duty investigation of bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers from the Republic of Korea. See Bottom Mount Combination Refrigerator-Freezers From the Republic of...

40 CFR 721.10531 - Distillation bottoms from manufacture of brominated cycloalkanes (generic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Distillation bottoms from manufacture... SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10531 Distillation bottoms from... reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as distillation bottoms from manufacture of...

40 CFR 721.10531 - Distillation bottoms from manufacture of brominated cycloalkanes (generic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Distillation bottoms from manufacture... SUBSTANCES Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.10531 Distillation bottoms from... reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as distillation bottoms from manufacture of...

40 CFR 408.200 - Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.200 Section 408.200 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Alaskan Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.200 Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable...

40 CFR 408.200 - Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.200 Section 408.200 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Alaskan Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.200 Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable...

40 CFR 408.200 - Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.200 Section 408.200 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Alaskan Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.200 Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable...

40 CFR 408.200 - Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.200 Section 408.200 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Alaskan Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.200 Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable...

40 CFR 408.200 - Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.200 Section 408.200 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Alaskan Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.200 Applicability; description of the Alaskan bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of this subpart are applicable...

Variability at Multiple Scales: Using an Array of Current and Pressure Sensor Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders to Measure the Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-29

travel time between the seafloor and the sea surface; bottom pressure and temperature; and near-bottom horizontal currents hourly for up to 5 years...pressure and current sensors (CPIESs). CPIESs (Figure 1) are moored instruments that measure (1) the round-trip acoustic travel time between the...measurements of surface-to-bottom round-trip acoustic- travel time (’c), bottom pressure and temperature, and near-bottom horizontal currents

Variability at Multiple Scales: Using an Array of Current- and Pressure-Sensor Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders to Measure the Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-29

travel time between the seafloor and the sea surface; bottom pressure and temperature; and near-bottom horizontal currents hourly for up to 5 years...pressure and current sensors (CPIESs). CPIESs (Figure 1) are moored instruments that measure (1) the round-trip acoustic travel time between the...measurements of surface-to-bottom round-trip acoustic- travel time (’c), bottom pressure and temperature, and near-bottom horizontal currents

The impact on floats or hulls during landing as affected by bottom width

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mewes, E

1936-01-01

For floats and hulls having V bottoms the impact force does not necessarily increase with increasing width. Therefore, the weight of the float landing gear, side walls, and other parts, and of the fuselage construction need not be increased with increasing bottom width, but the weight of the bottom construction itself, on the other hand, does not increase with increase in bottom width and is largely determined by the type of construction.

Search for scalar bottom quark pair production with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7  TeV.

PubMed

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Sinervo, P; Sinev, N B; Sipica, V; Siragusa, G; Sircar, A; Sisakyan, A N; Sivoklokov, S Yu; Sjölin, J; Sjursen, T B; Skinnari, L A; Skottowe, H P; Skovpen, K; Skubic, P; Skvorodnev, N; Slater, M; Slavicek, T; Sliwa, K; Sloper, J; Smakhtin, V; Smirnov, S Yu; Smirnova, L N; Smirnova, O; Smith, B C; Smith, D; Smith, K M; Smizanska, M; Smolek, K; Snesarev, A A; Snow, S W; Snow, J; Snuverink, J; Snyder, S; Soares, M; Sobie, R; Sodomka, J; Soffer, A; Solans, C A; Solar, M; Solc, J; Soldatov, E; Soldevila, U; Solfaroli Camillocci, E; Solodkov, A A; Solovyanov, O V; Soni, N; Sopko, V; Sopko, B; Sosebee, M; Soualah, R; Soukharev, A; Spagnolo, S; Spanò, F; Spighi, R; Spigo, G; Spila, F; Spiwoks, R; Spousta, M; Spreitzer, T; Spurlock, B; St Denis, R D; Stahl, T; Stahlman, J; Stamen, R; Stanecka, E; Stanek, R W; Stanescu, C; Stapnes, S; Starchenko, E A; Stark, J; Staroba, P; Starovoitov, P; Staude, A; Stavina, P; Stavropoulos, G; Steele, G; Steinbach, P; Steinberg, P; Stekl, I; Stelzer, B; Stelzer, H J; Stelzer-Chilton, O; Stenzel, H; Stern, S; Stevenson, K; Stewart, G A; Stillings, J A; Stockton, M C; Stoerig, K; Stoicea, G; Stonjek, S; Strachota, P; Stradling, A R; Straessner, A; Strandberg, J; Strandberg, S; Strandlie, A; Strang, M; Strauss, E; Strauss, M; Strizenec, P; Ströhmer, R; Strom, D M; Strong, J A; Stroynowski, R; Strube, J; Stugu, B; Stumer, I; Stupak, J; Sturm, P; Styles, N A; Soh, D A; Su, D; Subramania, H S; Succurro, A; Sugaya, Y; Sugimoto, T; Suhr, C; Suita, K; Suk, M; Sulin, V V; Sultansoy, S; Sumida, T; Sun, X; Sundermann, J E; Suruliz, K; Sushkov, S; Susinno, G; Sutton, M R; Suzuki, Y; Suzuki, Y; Svatos, M; Sviridov, Yu M; Swedish, S; Sykora, I; Sykora, T; Szeless, B; Sánchez, J; Ta, D; Tackmann, K; Taffard, A; Tafirout, R; Taiblum, N; Takahashi, Y; Takai, H; Takashima, R; Takeda, H; Takeshita, T; Takubo, Y; Talby, M; Talyshev, A; Tamsett, M C; Tanaka, J; Tanaka, R; Tanaka, S; Tanaka, S; Tanaka, Y; Tanasijczuk, A J; Tani, K; Tannoury, N; Tappern, G P; Tapprogge, S; Tardif, D; Tarem, S; Tarrade, F; Tartarelli, G F; Tas, P; Tasevsky, M; Tassi, E; Tatarkhanov, M; Tayalati, Y; Taylor, C; Taylor, F E; Taylor, G N; Taylor, W; Teinturier, M; Teixeira Dias Castanheira, M; Teixeira-Dias, P; Temming, K K; Ten Kate, H; Teng, P K; Terada, S; Terashi, K; Terron, J; Testa, M; Teuscher, R J; Thadome, J; Therhaag, J; Theveneaux-Pelzer, T; Thioye, M; Thoma, S; Thomas, J P; Thompson, E N; Thompson, P D; Thompson, P D; Thompson, A S; Thomson, E; Thomson, M; Thun, R P; Tian, F; Tibbetts, M J; Tic, T; Tikhomirov, V O; Tikhonov, Y A; Timoshenko, S; Tipton, P; Tique Aires Viegas, F J; Tisserant, S; Toczek, B; Todorov, T; Todorova-Nova, S; Toggerson, B; Tojo, J; Tokár, S; Tokunaga, K; Tokushuku, K; Tollefson, K; Tomoto, M; Tompkins, L; Toms, K; Tong, G; Tonoyan, A; Topfel, C; Topilin, N D; Torchiani, I; Torrence, E; Torres, H; Torró Pastor, E; Toth, J; Touchard, F; Tovey, D R; Trefzger, T; Tremblet, L; Tricoli, A; Trigger, I M; Trincaz-Duvoid, S; Trinh, T N; Tripiana, M F; Trischuk, W; Trivedi, A; Trocmé, B; Troncon, C; Trottier-McDonald, M; Trzebinski, M; Trzupek, A; Tsarouchas, C; Tseng, J C-L; Tsiakiris, M; Tsiareshka, P V; Tsionou, D; Tsipolitis, G; Tsiskaridze, V; Tskhadadze, E G; Tsukerman, I I; Tsulaia, V; Tsung, J-W; Tsuno, S; Tsybychev, D; Tua, A; Tudorache, A; Tudorache, V; Tuggle, J M; Turala, M; Turecek, D; Turk Cakir, I; Turlay, E; Turra, R; Tuts, P M; Tykhonov, A; Tylmad, M; Tyndel, M; Tzanakos, G; Uchida, K; Ueda, I; Ueno, R; Ugland, M; Uhlenbrock, M; Uhrmacher, M; Ukegawa, F; Unal, G; Underwood, D G; Undrus, A; Unel, G; Unno, Y; Urbaniec, D; Usai, G; Uslenghi, M; Vacavant, L; Vacek, V; Vachon, B; Vahsen, S; Valenta, J; Valente, P; Valentinetti, S; Valkar, S; Valladolid Gallego, E; Vallecorsa, S; Valls Ferrer, J A; van der Graaf, H; van der Kraaij, E; Van der Leeuw, R; van der Poel, E; van der Ster, D; van Eldik, N; van Gemmeren, P; van Kesteren, Z; van Vulpen, I; Vanadia, M; Vandelli, W; Vandoni, G; Vaniachine, A; Vankov, P; Vannucci, F; Varela Rodriguez, F; Vari, R; Varnes, E W; Varouchas, D; Vartapetian, A; Varvell, K E; Vassilakopoulos, V I; Vazeille, F; Vegni, G; Veillet, J J; Vellidis, C; Veloso, F; Veness, R; Veneziano, S; Ventura, A; Ventura, D; Venturi, M; Venturi, N; Vercesi, V; Verducci, M; Verkerke, W; Vermeulen, J C; Vest, A; Vetterli, M C; Vichou, I; Vickey, T; Vickey Boeriu, O E; Viehhauser, G H A; Viel, S; Villa, M; Villaplana Perez, M; Vilucchi, E; Vincter, M G; Vinek, E; Vinogradov, V B; Virchaux, M; Virzi, J; Vitells, O; Viti, M; Vivarelli, I; Vives Vaque, F; Vlachos, S; Vladoiu, D; Vlasak, M; Vlasov, N; Vogel, A; Vokac, P; Volpi, G; Volpi, M; Volpini, G; von der Schmitt, H; von Loeben, J; von Radziewski, H; von Toerne, E; Vorobel, V; Vorobiev, A P; Vorwerk, V; Vos, M; Voss, R; Voss, T T; Vossebeld, J H; Vranjes, N; Vranjes Milosavljevic, M; Vrba, V; Vreeswijk, M; Vu Anh, T; Vuillermet, R; Vukotic, I; Wagner, W; Wagner, P; Wahlen, H; Wakabayashi, J; Walbersloh, J; Walch, S; Walder, J; Walker, R; Walkowiak, W; Wall, R; Waller, P; Wang, C; Wang, H; Wang, H; Wang, J; Wang, J; Wang, J C; Wang, R; Wang, S M; Warburton, A; Ward, C P; Warsinsky, M; Watkins, P M; Watson, A T; Watson, I J; Watson, M F; Watts, G; Watts, S; Waugh, A T; Waugh, B M; Weber, M; Weber, M S; Weber, P; Weidberg, A R; Weigell, P; Weingarten, J; Weiser, C; Wellenstein, H; Wells, P S; Wen, M; Wenaus, T; Wendler, S; Weng, Z; Wengler, T; Wenig, S; Wermes, N; Werner, M; Werner, P; Werth, M; Wessels, M; Weydert, C; Whalen, K; Wheeler-Ellis, S J; Whitaker, S P; White, A; White, M J; Whitehead, S R; Whiteson, D; Whittington, D; Wicek, F; Wicke, D; Wickens, F J; Wiedenmann, W; Wielers, M; Wienemann, P; Wiglesworth, C; Wiik-Fuchs, L A M; Wijeratne, P A; Wildauer, A; Wildt, M A; Wilhelm, I; Wilkens, H G; Will, J Z; Williams, E; Williams, H H; Willis, W; Willocq, S; Wilson, J A; Wilson, M G; Wilson, A; Wingerter-Seez, I; Winkelmann, S; Winklmeier, F; Wittgen, M; Wolter, M W; Wolters, H; Wong, W C; Wooden, G; Wosiek, B K; Wotschack, J; Woudstra, M J; Wozniak, K W; Wraight, K; Wright, C; Wright, M; Wrona, B; Wu, S L; Wu, X; Wu, Y; Wulf, E; Wunstorf, R; Wynne, B M; Xella, S; Xiao, M; Xie, S; Xie, Y; Xu, C; Xu, D; Xu, G; Yabsley, B; Yacoob, S; Yamada, M; Yamaguchi, H; Yamamoto, A; Yamamoto, K; Yamamoto, S; Yamamura, T; Yamanaka, T; Yamaoka, J; Yamazaki, T; Yamazaki, Y; Yan, Z; Yang, H; Yang, U K; Yang, Y; Yang, Y; Yang, Z; Yanush, S; Yao, Y; Yasu, Y; Ybeles Smit, G V; Ye, J; Ye, S; Yilmaz, M; Yoosoofmiya, R; Yorita, K; Yoshida, R; Young, C; Youssef, S; Yu, D; Yu, J; Yu, J; Yuan, L; Yurkewicz, A; Zabinski, B; Zaets, V G; Zaidan, R; Zaitsev, A M; Zajacova, Z; Zanello, L; Zarzhitsky, P; Zaytsev, A; Zeitnitz, C; Zeller, M; Zeman, M; Zemla, A; Zendler, C; Zenin, O; Ženiš, T; Zinonos, Z; Zenz, S; Zerwas, D; Zevi della Porta, G; Zhan, Z; Zhang, D; Zhang, H; Zhang, J; Zhang, X; Zhang, Z; Zhao, L; Zhao, T; Zhao, Z; Zhemchugov, A; Zheng, S; Zhong, J; Zhou, B; Zhou, N; Zhou, Y; Zhu, C G; Zhu, H; Zhu, J; Zhu, Y; Zhuang, X; Zhuravlov, V; Zieminska, D; Zimmermann, R; Zimmermann, S; Zimmermann, S; Ziolkowski, M; Zitoun, R; Živković, L; Zmouchko, V V; Zobernig, G; Zoccoli, A; Zolnierowski, Y; Zsenei, A; zur Nedden, M; Zutshi, V; Zwalinski, L

2012-05-04

The results of a search for pair production of the scalar partners of bottom quarks in 2.05  fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7  TeV using the ATLAS experiment are reported. Scalar bottom quarks are searched for in events with large missing transverse momentum and two jets in the final state, where both jets are identified as originating from a bottom quark. In an R-parity conserving minimal supersymmetric scenario, assuming that the scalar bottom quark decays exclusively into a bottom quark and a neutralino, 95% confidence-level upper limits are obtained in the b(1) - χ(1)(0) mass plane such that for neutralino masses below 60 GeV scalar bottom masses up to 390 GeV are excluded.

Distributed downhole drilling network

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Fox, Joe; Pixton, David S.

2006-11-21

A high-speed downhole network providing real-time data from downhole components of a drilling strings includes a bottom-hole node interfacing to a bottom-hole assembly located proximate the bottom end of a drill string. A top-hole node is connected proximate the top end of the drill string. One or several intermediate nodes are located along the drill string between the bottom-hole node and the top-hole node. The intermediate nodes are configured to receive and transmit data packets transmitted between the bottom-hole node and the top-hole node. A communications link, integrated into the drill string, is used to operably connect the bottom-hole node, the intermediate nodes, and the top-hole node. In selected embodiments, a personal or other computer may be connected to the top-hole node, to analyze data received from the intermediate and bottom-hole nodes.

Concentrations, loads, and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls, Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary, eastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.

2011-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to contaminate the Neponset River, which flows through parts of Boston, Massachusetts, and empties into the Neponset River Estuary, an important fish-spawning area. The river is dammed and impassable to fish. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration, Riverways Program, collected, analyzed, and interpreted PCB data from bottom-sediment, water, and (or) fish-tissue samples in 2002, 2004-2006. Samples from the Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary were analyzed for 209 PCB congeners, PCB homologs, and Aroclors. In order to better assess the overall health quality of river-bottom sediments, sediment samples were also tested for concentrations of 31 elements. PCB concentrations measured in the top layers of bottom sediment ranged from 28 nanograms per gram (ng/g) just upstream of the Mother Brook confluence to 24,900 ng/g measured in Mother Brook. Concentrations of elements in bottom sediment were generally higher than background concentrations and higher than levels considered toxic to benthic organisms according to freshwater sediment-quality guidelines defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of dissolved PCBs in water samples collected from the Neponset River (May 13, 2005 to April 28, 2006) averaged about 9.2 nanograms per liter (ng/L) (annual average of monthly values); however, during the months of August (about 16.5 ng/L) and September (about 15.6 ng/L), dissolved PCB concentrations were greater than 14 ng/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's freshwater continuous chronic criterion for aquatic organisms. Concentrations of PCBs in white sucker (fillets and whole fish) were all greater than 2,000 ng/g wet wt, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guideline for safe consumption of fish: PCB concentrations measured in fish-tissue samples collected from the Tileston and Hollingsworth and Walter Baker Impoundments were 3,490 and 2,450 ng/g wet wt (filleted) and 6,890 and 4,080 ng/g wet wt (whole fish). Total PCB-congener concentrations measured in the whole bodies of estuarine bait fish (common mummichog) averaged 708 ng/g wet wt. PCBs that pass from the Neponset River to the Neponset River Estuary are either dissolved or associated with particulate matter (including living and nonliving material) suspended in the water column. A small proportion of PCBs may also be transported as part of the body burden of fish and wildlife. During the period May 13, 2005 to April 28, 2006, about 5,100 g (3.8 L or 1 gal) of PCBs were transported from the Neponset River to the Neponset River Estuary. Generally, about one-half of these PCBs were dissolved in the water column and the other half were associated with particulate matter; however, the proportion that was either dissolved or particulate varied seasonally. Most PCBs transported from the river to the estuary are composed of four or fewer chlorine atoms per biphenyl molecule. The data suggest that widespread PCB contamination of the lower Neponset River originated from Mother Brook, a Neponset River tributary, starting sometime around the early 1950s or earlier. In 1955, catastrophic dam failure caused by flooding likely released PCB-contaminated sediment downstream and into the Neponset River Estuary. PCBs from this source area likely continued to be released after the flood and during subsequent rebuilding of downstream dams. Today (2007), PCBs are mostly trapped behind these dams; however, some PCBs either diffuse or are entrained back into the water column and are transported downstream by river water into the estuary or volatilize into the atmosphere. In addition to the continuing release of PCBs from historically contaminated bottom sediment, PCBs are still (2007) originating from source areas along Mother and Meadow Brook as well as other sources along the river and Boston Harbor. PCBs from the river (transported by river water) and from the harbor (transported by tidal action) appear to have contaminated parts of the Neponset River Estuary.

50 CFR 665.605 - Gear restrictions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Gear restrictions. 665.605 Section 665.605... § 665.605 Gear restrictions. (a) Bottom trawls and bottom set gillnets. Fishing for PRIA bottomfish MUS with bottom trawls and bottom set gillnets is prohibited. (b) Possession of gear. Possession of a...

40 CFR 408.210 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.210 Section 408.210 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Conventional Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.210 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.210 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.210 Section 408.210 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Conventional Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.210 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.220 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.220 Section 408.220 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Mechanized Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.220 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.210 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.210 Section 408.210 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Conventional Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.210 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.210 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.210 Section 408.210 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Conventional Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.210 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.220 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.220 Section 408.220 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Mechanized Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.220 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.220 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.220 Section 408.220 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Mechanized Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.220 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.220 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.220 Section 408.220 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Mechanized Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.220 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.220 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.220 Section 408.220 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Mechanized Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.220 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan mechanized bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

40 CFR 408.210 - Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. 408.210 Section 408.210 Protection of Environment... PROCESSING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Non-Alaskan Conventional Bottom Fish Processing Subcategory § 408.210 Applicability; description of the non-Alaskan conventional bottom fish processing subcategory. The provisions of...

3. Aerial view southeast, State Route 92 bottom left, Adams ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. Aerial view southeast, State Route 92 bottom left, Adams Dam Road center, Brandywine Creek State Park and J. Chandler Farm in center left, duck pond bottom right and reservoir bottom left. - Winterthur Farms, Intersection State Routes 92 & 100, Intersection State Routes 92 & 100, Winterthur, New Castle County, DE

Coal liquefaction with subsequent bottoms pyrolysis

DOEpatents

Walchuk, George P.

1978-01-01

In a coal liquefaction process wherein heavy bottoms produced in a liquefaction zone are upgraded by coking or a similar pyrolysis step, pyrolysis liquids boiling in excess of about 1000.degree. F. are further reacted with molecular hydrogen in a reaction zone external of the liquefaction zone, the resulting effluent is fractionated to produce one or more distillate fractions and a bottoms fraction, a portion of this bottoms fraction is recycled to the reaction zone, and the remaining portion of the bottoms fraction is recycled to the pyrolysis step.

Environmental restoration and waste management five year plan, fiscal years 1994--1998

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

In March 1989, Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins outlined his vision for a changed Department of Energy (DOE) culture. This culture is one of envirorunental responsibility, increased knowledge and involvement in environmental management, a new openness to public input, and overall accountability to the Nation for its actions. Secretary Watkins also requested all the near-term activities necessary to bring DOEactivities into compliance with all applicable environmental requirements to be detailed in one plan. The Five-Year Plan was to be based on a bottom up'' approach to planning by using Activity Data Sheets to collect financial and technical information atmore » the installation level. Over the past three years, the Five-Year Plan has evolved into the primary planning tool for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program, looking beyond the current three-year Federal budget horizon. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan demonstrates DOE's commitment to a culture based on the principles of openness, responsiveness, and accountability; reports on the progress made in carrying out DOE's environmental mission; identifies what must be accomplished during a five-year planning period; and describes strategies for achieving critical program objectives. This plan represents another step towards the implementation of the culture change Secretary Watkins envisioned. The Five-Year Plan is not exclusively focused on near-term activities. Italso expresses the DOE commitment to a 30-year goal for the cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan reiterates the DOE commitment to meeting this and other important environmental goals.« less

Environmental restoration and waste management five year plan, fiscal years 1994--1998. Executive summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

In March 1989, Secretary of Energy James D. Watkins outlined his vision for a changed Department of Energy (DOE) culture. This culture is one of envirorunental responsibility, increased knowledge and involvement in environmental management, a new openness to public input, and overall accountability to the Nation for its actions. Secretary Watkins also requested all the near-term activities necessary to bring DOEactivities into compliance with all applicable environmental requirements to be detailed in one plan. The Five-Year Plan was to be based on a ``bottom up`` approach to planning by using Activity Data Sheets to collect financial and technical information atmore » the installation level. Over the past three years, the Five-Year Plan has evolved into the primary planning tool for the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program, looking beyond the current three-year Federal budget horizon. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan demonstrates DOE`s commitment to a culture based on the principles of openness, responsiveness, and accountability; reports on the progress made in carrying out DOE`s environmental mission; identifies what must be accomplished during a five-year planning period; and describes strategies for achieving critical program objectives. This plan represents another step towards the implementation of the culture change Secretary Watkins envisioned. The Five-Year Plan is not exclusively focused on near-term activities. Italso expresses the DOE commitment to a 30-year goal for the cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites. The FY 1994--1998 Five-Year Plan reiterates the DOE commitment to meeting this and other important environmental goals.« less

Toxicity assessment of individual ingredients of synthetic-based drilling muds (SBMs).

PubMed

Bakhtyar, Sajida; Gagnon, Marthe Monique

2012-09-01

Synthetic-based drilling muds (SBMs) offer excellent technical characteristics while providing improved environmental performance over other drilling muds. The low acute toxicity and high biodegradability of SBMs suggest their discharge at sea would cause minimal impacts on marine ecosystems, however, chronic toxicity testing has demonstrated adverse effects of SBMs on fish health. Sparse environmental monitoring data indicate effects of SBMs on bottom invertebrates. However, no environmental toxicity assessment has been performed on fish attracted to the cutting piles. SBM formulations are mostly composed of synthetic base oils, weighting agents, and drilling additives such as emulsifiers, fluid loss agents, wetting agents, and brine. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of exposure to individual ingredients of SBMs on fish health. To do so, a suite of biomarkers [ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, biliary metabolites, sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, DNA damage, and heat shock protein] have been measured in pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) exposed for 21 days to individual ingredients of SBMs. The primary emulsifier (Emul S50) followed by the fluid loss agent (LSL 50) caused the strongest biochemical responses in fish. The synthetic base oil (Rheosyn) caused the least response in juvenile fish. The results suggest that the impact of Syndrill 80:20 on fish health might be reduced by replacement of the primary emulsifier Emul S50 with an alternative ingredient of less toxicity to aquatic biota. The research provides a basis for improving the environmental performance of SBMs by reducing the environmental risk of their discharge and providing environmental managers with information regarding the potential toxicity of individual ingredients.