Groundwater contaminants in the deep benthic zone of urban streams in Canada (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, J. W.; Bickerton, G.

2010-12-01

There is little information available on the potential threat that groundwater containing land-based contaminants poses to aquatic ecosystems in urban environments. In this study, a rapid screening approach was applied at the stream reach-scale for eight urban streams (reaches from 100 to < 1000 m). The objective was to determine what types of groundwater contaminants could be detected in the deeper benthic zone of these streams, if any, to start to address questions of whether such contaminants are a concern and which types are the most problematic. The benthic community may be especially at risk since it may experience higher contaminant concentrations than the stream itself due to fewer losses from sorption, degradation and volatilization processes. For each stream, groundwater samples from below the stream bed (typically 25-75 cm) were collected using a drive-point mini-profiler at intervals of 10-15 m along the stream and were subsequently analysed for general chemistry and a wide range of common and emerging urban contaminants. For a few test streams with known contamination, the area of contamination was identified with this technique. In addition, previously unknown contaminants or areas of contamination were identified at all nine streams. Identified contaminants included benzene and other petroleum hydrocarbons, fuel oxygenates (e.g. MTBE), perchlorate, pesticides, artificial sweeteners, and various chlorinated solvent compounds. In addition, elevated levels of nitrate, phosphate, some heavy metals, including cadmium and arsenic, and elevated chloride (likely indicating road salt) were detected. Most streams had many different types of contaminants, often overlapping over small stretches, and together often covering substantial portions of the monitored reach. The findings provide support for this screening approach for delineating areas of potential ecological concern and identifying possible sources of groundwater contamination, for urban settings. They also suggest that the presence of multiple groundwater contaminants may be a more common threat to the benthic community of urban streams than currently perceived.

[Street-vendor foods: quality of ice creams, sherbets and sorbets sold in the urban agglomeration of Antananarivo].

PubMed

Ravaonindrina, N; Rasolomandimby, R; Rajaomiarisoa, E; Rakotoarisoa, R; Andrianantara, L; Rasolofonirina, N; Roux, J F

1996-01-01

A survey of selling conditions and bacteriological examinations of ice-cream was carried-out in Antananarivo from June 1996 to May 1997. The way of investigation by vendors and of bacteriological examinations were widely described. Sellers had classic features of a street-vended food vendor: uneducated, no having professional training and mishandling foodstuffs. 202 samples of ice-cream were collected. The contamination prevalence rate was of 95% +/- 3.7%. Salmonella typhimurium was isolated from one sample. Immediate and rigourous measures ought to be put into effect by authorities to right this alarming situation.

MANAGING MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION IN URBAN WATERSHEDS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents different approaches for controlling pathogen contamination in urban watersheds for contamination resulting from point and diffuse sources. Point sources of pathogens can be treated by a disinfection technology of known effectiveness, and a desired reduction ...

MANAGING MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION IN URBAN WATERSHEDS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents different approaches for controlling pathogen contamination in urban watersheds for contamination resulting from point and diffuses sources. Point sources of pathogens can be treated by a disinfection technology of known effectiveness, and a desired reduction ...

Weathering of radiocaesium contamination on urban streets, walls and roofs.

PubMed

Andersson, K G; Roed, J; Fogh, C L

2002-01-01

Recent investigations in Russia have emphasised the significance of dose contributions from contamination on urban streets and roof pavings, and, typically to a lesser extent, walls in the urban environment. The crucial factor determining the magnitude of these contributions is the retention of the contamination by the different types of urban surface. Since the Chernobyl accident, a series of long-term field studies has been carried out on urban streets, walls and roofs, to examine the weathering processes of 137Cs on the various surface types. The derived time-functions are applied to estimate resultant long-term doses to inhabitants of an urban centre. The paper highlights the effect on caesium retention of surface material characteristics.

Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Cahn, Michael

2017-05-15

Urban stormwater and agriculture irrigation runoff contain a complex mixture of contaminants that are often toxic to adjacent receiving waters. Runoff may be treated with simple systems designed to promote sorption of contaminants to vegetation and soils and promote infiltration. Two example systems are described: a bioswale treatment system for urban stormwater treatment, and a vegetated drainage ditch for treating agriculture irrigation runoff. Both have similar attributes that reduce contaminant loading in runoff: vegetation that results in sorption of the contaminants to the soil and plant surfaces, and water infiltration. These systems may also include the integration of granulated activated carbon as a polishing step to remove residual contaminants. Implementation of these systems in agriculture and urban watersheds requires system monitoring to verify treatment efficacy. This includes chemical monitoring for specific contaminants responsible for toxicity. The current paper emphasizes monitoring of current use pesticides since these are responsible for surface water toxicity to aquatic invertebrates.

Contaminants in stream sediments from seven United States metropolitan areas: part I: distribution in relation to urbanization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nowell, Lisa H.; Moran, Patrick W.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.; Kemble, Nile E.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Phillips, Patrick J.

2013-01-01

Organic contaminants and trace elements were measured in bed sediments collected from streams in seven metropolitan study areas across the United States to assess concentrations in relation to urbanization. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, the pyrethroid insecticide bifenthrin, and several trace elements were significantly related to urbanization across study areas. Most contaminants (except bifenthrin, chromium, nickel) were significantly related to the total organic carbon (TOC) content of the sediments. Regression models explained 45–80 % of the variability in individual contaminant concentrations using degree of urbanization, sediment-TOC, and study-area indicator variables (which represent the combined influence of unknown factors, such as chemical use or release, that are not captured by available explanatory variables). The significance of one or more study-area indicator variables in all models indicates marked differences in contaminant levels among some study areas, even after accounting for the nationally modeled effects of urbanization and sediment-TOC. Mean probable effect concentration quotients (PECQs) were significantly related to urbanization. Trace elements were the major contributors to mean PECQs at undeveloped sites, whereas organic contaminants, especially bifenthrin, were the major contributors at highly urban sites. Pyrethroids, where detected, accounted for the largest share of the mean PECQ. Part 2 of this series (Kemble et al. 2012) evaluates sediment toxicity to amphipods and midge in relation to sediment chemistry.

Urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of soil contaminant risks.

PubMed

Kim, Brent F; Poulsen, Melissa N; Margulies, Jared D; Dix, Katie L; Palmer, Anne M; Nachman, Keeve E

2014-01-01

Although urban community gardening can offer health, social, environmental, and economic benefits, these benefits must be weighed against the potential health risks stemming from exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals that may be present in urban soils. Individuals who garden at or eat food grown in contaminated urban garden sites may be at risk of exposure to such contaminants. Gardeners may be unaware of these risks and how to manage them. We used a mixed quantitative/qualitative research approach to characterize urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of risks related to soil contaminant exposure. We conducted surveys with 70 gardeners from 15 community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, and semi-structured interviews with 18 key informants knowledgeable about community gardening and soil contamination in Baltimore. We identified a range of factors, challenges, and needs related to Baltimore community gardeners' perceptions of risk related to soil contamination, including low levels of concern and inconsistent levels of knowledge about heavy metal and organic chemical contaminants, barriers to investigating a garden site's history and conducting soil tests, limited knowledge of best practices for reducing exposure, and a need for clear and concise information on how best to prevent and manage soil contamination. Key informants discussed various strategies for developing and disseminating educational materials to gardeners. For some challenges, such as barriers to conducting site history and soil tests, some informants recommended city-wide interventions that bypass the need for gardener knowledge altogether.

Urban Community Gardeners' Knowledge and Perceptions of Soil Contaminant Risks

PubMed Central

Kim, Brent F.; Poulsen, Melissa N.; Margulies, Jared D.; Dix, Katie L.; Palmer, Anne M.; Nachman, Keeve E.

2014-01-01

Although urban community gardening can offer health, social, environmental, and economic benefits, these benefits must be weighed against the potential health risks stemming from exposure to contaminants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals that may be present in urban soils. Individuals who garden at or eat food grown in contaminated urban garden sites may be at risk of exposure to such contaminants. Gardeners may be unaware of these risks and how to manage them. We used a mixed quantitative/qualitative research approach to characterize urban community gardeners' knowledge and perceptions of risks related to soil contaminant exposure. We conducted surveys with 70 gardeners from 15 community gardens in Baltimore, Maryland, and semi-structured interviews with 18 key informants knowledgeable about community gardening and soil contamination in Baltimore. We identified a range of factors, challenges, and needs related to Baltimore community gardeners' perceptions of risk related to soil contamination, including low levels of concern and inconsistent levels of knowledge about heavy metal and organic chemical contaminants, barriers to investigating a garden site's history and conducting soil tests, limited knowledge of best practices for reducing exposure, and a need for clear and concise information on how best to prevent and manage soil contamination. Key informants discussed various strategies for developing and disseminating educational materials to gardeners. For some challenges, such as barriers to conducting site history and soil tests, some informants recommended city-wide interventions that bypass the need for gardener knowledge altogether. PMID:24516570

Driving mechanism and sources of groundwater nitrate contamination in the rapidly urbanized region of south China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qianqian; Sun, Jichao; Liu, Jingtao; Huang, Guanxing; Lu, Chuan; Zhang, Yuxi

2015-11-01

Nitrate contamination of groundwater has become an environmental problem of widespread concern in China. We collected 899 groundwater samples from a rapidly urbanized area, in order to identify the main sources and driving mechanisms of groundwater nitrate contamination. The results showed that the land use has a significant effect on groundwater nitrate concentration (P < 0.001). Landfill leakage was an important source of nitrate in groundwater in the PRD (Pearl River Delta) region, since landfill yielded the highest nitrate concentration (38.14 mg/L) and the highest ratio of exceeded standard (42.50%). In this study, the driving mechanism of groundwater nitrate contamination was determined to be urban construction and the secondary and tertiary industrial development, and population growth. This study revealed that domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater were the main sources of groundwater nitrate pollution. Therefore, the priority method for relieving groundwater nitrate contamination is to control the random discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater in regions undergoing rapid urbanization. Capsule abstract. The main driving mechanism of groundwater nitrate contamination was determined to be urban construction and the secondary and tertiary industrial development, and population growth.

Driving mechanism and sources of groundwater nitrate contamination in the rapidly urbanized region of south China.

PubMed

Zhang, Qianqian; Sun, Jichao; Liu, Jingtao; Huang, Guanxing; Lu, Chuan; Zhang, Yuxi

2015-11-01

Nitrate contamination of groundwater has become an environmental problem of widespread concern in China. We collected 899 groundwater samples from a rapidly urbanized area, in order to identify the main sources and driving mechanisms of groundwater nitrate contamination. The results showed that the land use has a significant effect on groundwater nitrate concentration (P<0.001). Landfill leakage was an important source of nitrate in groundwater in the PRD (Pearl River Delta) region, since landfill yielded the highest nitrate concentration (38.14 mg/L) and the highest ratio of exceeded standard (42.50%). In this study, the driving mechanism of groundwater nitrate contamination was determined to be urban construction and the secondary and tertiary industrial development, and population growth. This study revealed that domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater were the main sources of groundwater nitrate pollution. Therefore, the priority method for relieving groundwater nitrate contamination is to control the random discharge of domestic and industrial wastewater in regions undergoing rapid urbanization. Capsule abstract. The main driving mechanism of groundwater nitrate contamination was determined to be urban construction and the secondary and tertiary industrial development, and population growth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in soils in the Region of Valasske Mezirici, the Czech Republic

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination of urban, agricultural and forest soil samples was investigated from samples obtained in the surroundings of Valasske Mezirici. Valasske Mezirici is a town located in the north-east mountainous part of the Czech Republic, where a coal tar refinery is situated. 16 PAHs listed in the US EPA were investigated. Organic oxidizable carbon was also observed in the forest soils. The PAH concentrations ranged from 0.86-10.84 (with one anomalous value of 35.14) and 7.66-79.39 mg/kg dm in the urban/agricultural and forest soils, respectively. While the PAH levels in the urban/agricultural soils are within the range typically found in industrialized areas, the forest soils showed elevated PAH concentrations compared to other forest soils in Western and Northern Europe. The PAH concentrations and their molecular distribution ratios were studied as functions of the sample location and the meteorological history. The soils from localities at higher altitudes above sea level have the highest PAH concentrations, and the PAH concentrations decrease with increasing distance from the town. PMID:20003407

Contaminated sites: the Canadian situation in an international context.

PubMed

De Sousa, C

2001-06-01

Over the last 2 decades, policy-makers have been giving increasing attention to the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites, especially those located in urban areas commonly referred to as brownfields. Traditionally, private developers have tended to ignore these sites on account of a series of obstacles of a structural-political nature, including variability in regulatory processes, lack of information on soil quality, impractical clean up standards, fear of liability, and limited funding resources for clean ups. This paper examines the types of policy-making measures that are currently being taken in Canada to overcome these obstacles, comparing them to those being taken in the US and Europe. It is argued that the contaminated site-related policies and programs employed to overcome each obstacle, both within Canada and internationally, are converging in style and content as governments are becoming more aware of the types of costs and risks they must share in order to solve the problem effectively. It is also argued that this trend is unfolding in a relatively predictable way, and that policy-making in Canada is evolving more slowly than it is in the other jurisdictions examined.

PCDD/Fs atmospheric deposition fluxes and soil contamination close to a municipal solid waste incinerator.

PubMed

Vassura, Ivano; Passarini, Fabrizio; Ferroni, Laura; Bernardi, Elena; Morselli, Luciano

2011-05-01

Bulk depositions and surface soil were collected in a suburban area, near the Adriatic Sea, in order to assess the contribution of a municipal solid waste incinerator to the area's total contamination with polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs). Samples were collected at two sites, situated in the area most affected by plant emissions (according to the results of the Calpuff air dispersion model), and at an external site, considered as a reference. Results show that the studied area is subject to low contamination, as far as these compounds are concerned. Deposition fluxes range from 14.3 pg m(-2)d(-1) to 89.9 pg m(-2)d(-1) (0.75 pg-TEQ m(-2)d(-1) to 3.73 pg-TEQ m(-2)d(-1)) and no significant flow differences are observed among the three monitored sites. Total soil concentration amounts to 93.8 ng kg(-1) d.w. and 1.35 ng-TEQ kg(-1)d.w, on average, and confirms a strong homogeneity in the studied area. Furthermore, from 2006 to 2009, no PCDD/Fs enrichment in the soil was noticed. Comparing the relative congener distributions in environmental samples with those found in stack emissions from the incineration plant, significant differences are observed in the PCDD:PCDF ratio and in the contribution of the most chlorinated congeners. From this study we can conclude that the incineration plant is not the main source of PCDD/Fs in the studied area, which is apparently characterized by a homogeneous and widespread contamination situation, typical of an urban area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Exposure of Children to Toxic Trace Elements (Hg, Cr, As) in an Urban Area of Yucatan, Mexico: Water, Blood, and Urine Levels.

PubMed

Arcega-Cabrera, F; Fargher, L; Quesadas-Rojas, M; Moo-Puc, R; Oceguera-Vargas, I; Noreña-Barroso, E; Yáñez-Estrada, L; Alvarado, J; González, L; Pérez-Herrera, N; Pérez-Medina, S

2018-05-01

Merida is the largest urban center in the Mexican State of Yucatan. Here domestic sewage is deposited in poorly built septic tanks and is not adequately treated. Because of contamination from such waste, water from the top 20 m of the aquifer is unsuitable for human consumption. Given this situation and because children are highly vulnerable to environmental pollution, including exposure to toxic trace elements, this study focused on evaluating the exposure of children to arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and mercury (Hg) in water. It also evaluated the relationship between the levels of these elements in water and their concentrations in urine and blood. Among the 33 children monitored in the study, arsenic surpassed WHO limits for blood in 37% of the cases, which could result from the ingestion of poultry contaminated with organoarsenic compounds. In the case of WHO limits for Mercury, 65% of the water samples analyzed, 28% of urine samples, and 12% of blood samples exceeded them. Mercury exposure was correlated with biological sex, some lifestyle factors, and the zone in Merida in which children live. These data suggest that the levels of some toxic metals in children may be affected by water source, socioeconomic factors, and individual behavior.

Assessment of urban and industrial contamination levels in the bay of Cádiz, SW Spain.

PubMed

Carrasco, M; López-Ramírez, J A; Benavente, J; López-Aguayo, F; Sales, D

2003-03-01

Measuring the amount of pollution is of particular importance in assessing the quality and general condition of an ecosystem. In this paper, some of the results obtained as a consequence of the specific agreement between the Environmental Agency (Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andalucía) and the University of Cadiz to assess the environmental condition of the marine bottom and waters are showed. Physical and chemical analyses in water and sediments were undertaken at various sampling sites close to urban and industrial locations. Later on, these results were studied under statistical analysis to reveal any possible relationships between the parameters employed, and to identify any analogous behaviour between the sampling sites. Physical-chemical data revealed that sediments and waters analysed were moderately contaminated and, in addition, no great differences were found between in rising and ebbing tide conditions. Finally, considering only the pollution level, from the cluster analysis of sediments two major groups appear, one of which corresponded to those sites located in the outer bay, and the other to those situated in the inner bay. However, number 6 and 14 sampling sites cannot be associated to those groups due to be related to points with important local discharges.

When Vacant Lots Become Urban Gardens: Characterizing the Perceived and Actual Food Safety Concerns of Urban Agriculture in Ohio.

PubMed

Kaiser, Michelle L; Williams, Michele L; Basta, Nicholas; Hand, Michelle; Huber, Sarah

2015-11-01

This study was intended to characterize the perceived risks of urban agriculture by residents of four low-income neighborhoods in which the potential exists for further urban agriculture development and to provide data to support whether any chemical hazards and foodborne pathogens as potential food safety hazards were present. Sixty-seven residents participated in focus groups related to environmental health, food security, and urban gardening. In addition, soils from six locations were tested. Residents expressed interest in the development of urban gardens to improve access to healthy, fresh produce, but they had concerns about soil quality. Soils were contaminated with lead (Pb), zinc, cadmium (Cd), and copper, but not arsenic or chromium. Results from our study suggest paint was the main source of soil contamination. Detectable polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) levels in urban soils were well below levels of concern. These urban soils will require further management to reduce Pb and possibly Cd bioavailability to decrease the potential for uptake into food crops. Although the number of locations in this study is limited, results suggest lower levels of soil contaminants at well-established gardens. Soil tillage associated with long-term gardening could have diluted the soil metal contaminants by mixing the contaminants with clean soil. Also, lower PAH levels in long-term gardening could be due to enhanced microbial activity and PAH degradation, dilution, or both due to mixing, similar to metals. No foodborne pathogen targets were detected by PCR from any of the soils. Residents expressed the need for clearness regarding soil quality and gardening practices in their neighborhoods to consume food grown in these urban areas. Results from this study suggest long-term gardening has the potential to reduce soil contaminants and their potential threat to food quality and human health and to improve access to fresh produce in low-income urban communities.

SEMINAR PUBLICATION - NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON URBAN RUNOFF MANAGEMENT: ENHANCING URBAN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AT THE LOCAL, COUNTY, AND STATE LEVELS

EPA Science Inventory

As stormwater and snowmelt flow across the urban landscape, countless contaminants are carried into our rivers, lakes, and estuaries. The effects of these contaminant discharges on the environment can be severe. Water quality and sediment characteristics can be degraded, threaten...

Assessment of Fecal Exposure Pathways in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana: Rationale, Design, Methods, and Key Findings of the SaniPath Study

PubMed Central

Robb, Katharine; Null, Clair; Teunis, Peter; Yakubu, Habib; Armah, George; Moe, Christine L.

2017-01-01

Abstract. Rapid urbanization has contributed to an urban sanitation crisis in low-income countries. Residents in low-income, urban neighborhoods often have poor sanitation infrastructure and services and may experience frequent exposure to fecal contamination through a range of pathways. There are little data to prioritize strategies to decrease exposure to fecal contamination in these complex and highly contaminated environments, and public health priorities are rarely considered when planning urban sanitation investments. The SaniPath Study addresses this need by characterizing pathways of exposure to fecal contamination. Over a 16 month period, an in-depth, interdisciplinary exposure assessment was conducted in both public and private domains of four neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana. Microbiological analyses of environmental samples and behavioral data collection techniques were used to quantify fecal contamination in the environment and characterize the behaviors of adults and children associated with exposure to fecal contamination. Environmental samples (n = 1,855) were collected and analyzed for fecal indicators and enteric pathogens. A household survey with 800 respondents and over 500 hours of structured observation of young children were conducted. Approximately 25% of environmental samples were collected in conjunction with structured observations (n = 441 samples). The results of the study highlight widespread and often high levels of fecal contamination in both public and private domains and the food supply. The dominant fecal exposure pathway for young children in the household was through consumption of uncooked produce. The SaniPath Study provides critical information on exposure to fecal contamination in low-income, urban environments and ultimately can inform investments and policies to reduce these public health risks. PMID:28722599

Characterization and Low-Cost Remediation of Soils Contaminated by Timbers in Community Gardens.

PubMed

Heiger-Bernays, W; Fraser, A; Burns, V; Diskin, K; Pierotti, D; Merchant-Borna, K; McClean, M; Brabander, D; Hynes, H P

2009-01-01

Urban community gardens worldwide provide significant health benefits to those gardening and consuming fresh produce from them. Urban gardens are most often placed in locations and on land in which soil contaminants reflect past practices and often contain elevated levels of metals and organic contaminants. Garden plot dividers made from either railroad ties or chromated copper arsenate (CCA) pressure treated lumber contribute to the soil contamination and provide a continuous source of contaminants. Elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from railroad ties and arsenic from CCA pressure treated lumber are present in the gardens studied. Using a representative garden, we 1) determined the nature and extent of urban community garden soil contaminated with PAHs and arsenic by garden timbers; 2) designed a remediation plan, based on our sampling results, with our community partner guided by public health criteria, local regulation, affordability, and replicability; 3) determined the safety and advisability of adding city compost to Boston community gardens as a soil amendment; and 4) made recommendations for community gardeners regarding healthful gardening practices. This is the first study of its kind that looks at contaminants other than lead in urban garden soil and that evaluates the effect on select soil contaminants of adding city compost to community garden soil.

Examining the influence of urban definition when assessing relative safety of drinking-water in Nigeria.

PubMed

Christenson, Elizabeth; Bain, Robert; Wright, Jim; Aondoakaa, Stephen; Hossain, Rifat; Bartram, Jamie

2014-08-15

Reducing inequalities is a priority from a human rights perspective and in water and public health initiatives. There are periodic calls for differential national and global standards for rural and urban areas, often justified by the suggestion that, for a given water source type, safety is worse in urban areas. For instance, initially proposed post-2015 water targets included classifying urban but not rural protected dug wells as unimproved. The objectives of this study were to: (i) examine the influence of urban extent definition on water safety in Nigeria, (ii) compare the frequency of thermotolerant coliform (TTC) contamination and prevalence of sanitary risks between rural and urban water sources of a given type and (iii) investigate differences in exposure to contaminated drinking-water in rural and urban areas. We use spatially referenced data from a Nigerian national randomized sample survey of five improved water source types to assess the extent of any disparities in urban-rural safety. We combined the survey data on TTC and sanitary risk with map layers depicting urban versus rural areas according to eight urban definitions. When examining water safety separately for each improved source type, we found no significant urban-rural differences in TTC contamination and sanitary risk for groundwater sources (boreholes and protected dug wells) and inconclusive findings for piped water and stored water. However, when improved and unimproved source types were combined, TTC contamination was 1.6 to 2.3 times more likely in rural compared to urban water sources depending on the urban definition. Our results suggest that different targets for urban and rural water safety are not justified and that rural dwellers are more exposed to unsafe water than urban dwellers. Additionally, urban-rural analyses should assess multiple definitions or indicators of urban to assess robustness of findings and to characterize a gradient that disaggregates the urban-rural dichotomy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative Analysis of Households Solid Waste Management in Rural and Urban Ghana

PubMed Central

Appiah, Divine Odame; Poku, Adjoa Afriyie; Garsonu, Emmanuel Kofi

2016-01-01

The comparative analysis of solid waste management between rural and urban Ghana is largely lacking. This study investigated the solid waste situation and the organisation of solid waste management in both urban and rural settings from the perspective of households. The study employed cross-sectional survey covering both rural and urban districts in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana. The study systematically sampled houses from which 400 households and respondents were randomly selected. Pearson's Chi square test was used to compare demographic and socioeconomic variables in rural and urban areas. Multivariate Test, Tests of Between-Subjects Effects, and Pair-Wise Comparisons were performed through one-way MANOVA to determine whether or not solid waste situations in rural and urban areas are significantly different. The results revealed that location significantly affects solid waste management in Ghana. Urban communities had lower mean scores than rural communities for poor solid waste situation in homes. However, urban communities had higher mean scores than rural communities for poor solid waste situation in principal streets and dumping sites. The study recommends that the local government authorities implement very comprehensive policies (sanitary inspection, infrastructure development, and community participation) that will take into consideration the specific solid waste management needs of both urban and rural areas. PMID:27807453

Comparative Analysis of Households Solid Waste Management in Rural and Urban Ghana.

PubMed

Boateng, Simon; Amoako, Prince; Appiah, Divine Odame; Poku, Adjoa Afriyie; Garsonu, Emmanuel Kofi

2016-01-01

The comparative analysis of solid waste management between rural and urban Ghana is largely lacking. This study investigated the solid waste situation and the organisation of solid waste management in both urban and rural settings from the perspective of households. The study employed cross-sectional survey covering both rural and urban districts in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana. The study systematically sampled houses from which 400 households and respondents were randomly selected. Pearson's Chi square test was used to compare demographic and socioeconomic variables in rural and urban areas. Multivariate Test, Tests of Between-Subjects Effects, and Pair-Wise Comparisons were performed through one-way MANOVA to determine whether or not solid waste situations in rural and urban areas are significantly different. The results revealed that location significantly affects solid waste management in Ghana. Urban communities had lower mean scores than rural communities for poor solid waste situation in homes. However, urban communities had higher mean scores than rural communities for poor solid waste situation in principal streets and dumping sites. The study recommends that the local government authorities implement very comprehensive policies (sanitary inspection, infrastructure development, and community participation) that will take into consideration the specific solid waste management needs of both urban and rural areas.

Biomarker responses and PAH ratios in fish inhabiting an estuarine urban waterway.

PubMed

Duarte, Rafael Mendonça; Sadauskas-Henrique, Helen; de Almeida-Val, Vera Maria Fonseca; Val, Adalberto Luis; Nice, Helen Elizabeth; Gagnon, Marthe Monique

2017-10-01

Many cities worldwide are established adjacent to estuaries and their catchments resulting in estuarine contamination due to intense anthropogenic activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate if fish living in an estuarine urban waterway were affected by contamination, via the measurement of a suite of biomarkers of fish health. Black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) were sampled in a small urban embayment and a suite of biomarkers of fish health measured. These were condition factor (CF), liver somatic index (LSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), hepatic EROD activity, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) biliary metabolites, serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (s-SDH) and branchial enzymes cytochrome C oxidase (CCO), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities. The biomarkers of exposure EROD activity, and pyrene- and B(a)P-type biliary metabolites confirmed current or recent exposure of the fish and that fish were metabolizing contaminants. Relative to a reference site, LSI was higher in fish collected in the urban inlet as was the metabolic enzyme LDH activity. CF, GSI, s-SDH, CCO, and naphthalene-type metabolites were at similar levels in the urban inlet relative to the reference site. PAH biliary metabolite ratios of high-molecular-weight to low-molecular-weight suggest that fish from the urban inlet were exposed to pyrogenic PAHs, likely from legacy contamination and road runoff entering the embayment. Similarly, the sediment PAH ratios and the freshness indices suggested legacy contamination of a pyrogenic source, likely originating from the adjacent historic gasworks site and a degree of contamination of petrogenic nature entering the inlet via storm water discharge. Biomarkers of exposure and effect confirmed that black bream collected in the Claisebrook Cove inlet, Western Australia, are currently exposed to contamination and are experiencing metabolic perturbations not observed in fish collected at a nearby reference site. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lead in Urban Soils: A Real or Perceived Concern for Urban Agriculture?

PubMed

Brown, Sally L; Chaney, Rufus L; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M

2016-01-01

Urban agriculture is growing in cities across the United States. It has the potential to provide multiple benefits, including increased food security. Concerns about soil contamination in urban areas can be an impediment to urban agriculture. Lead is the most common contaminant in urban areas. In this paper, direct (soil ingestion via outdoor and indoor exposure) and indirect (consumption of food grown in Pb-contaminated soils) exposure pathways are reviewed. It is highly unlikely that urban agriculture will increase incidences of elevated blood Pb for children in urban areas. This is due to the high likelihood that agriculture will improve soils in urban areas, resulting in reduced bioavailability of soil Pb and reduced fugitive dust. Plant uptake of Pb is also typically very low. The exceptions are low-growing leafy crops where soil-splash particle contamination is more likely and expanded hypocotyl root vegetables (e.g., carrot). However, even with higher bioaccumulation factors, it is not clear that the Pb in root vegetables or any other crops will be absorbed after eating. Studies have shown limited absorption of Pb when ingested with food. Best management practices to assure minimal potential for exposure are also common practices in urban gardens. These include the use of residuals-based composts and soil amendments and attention to keeping soil out of homes. This review suggests that benefits associated with urban agriculture far outweigh any risks posed by elevated soil Pb. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A GIS-based human health risk assessment for urban green space planning--an example from Grugliasco (Italy).

PubMed

Poggio, Laura; Vrscaj, Borut

2009-11-15

The need to develop approaches for risk-based management of soil contamination, as well as the integration of the assessment of the human health risk (HHR) due to the soil contamination in the urban planning procedures has been the subject of recent attention of scientific literature and policy makers. The spatial analysis of environmental data offers multiple advantages for studying soil contamination and HHR assessment, facilitating the decision making process. The aim of this study was to explore the possibilities and benefits of spatial implementation of a quantitative HHR assessment methodology for a planning case in a typical urban environment where the soil is contaminated. The study area is located in the city of Grugliasco a part of the Turin (Italy) metropolitan area. The soils data were derived from a site specific soil survey and the land-use data from secondary sources. In the first step the soil contamination data were geo-statistically analysed and a spatial soil contamination data risk modelling procedure designed. In order to spatially assess the HHR computer routines were developed using GIS raster tools. The risk was evaluated for several different land uses for the planned naturalistic park area. The HHR assessment indicated that the contamination of soils with heavy metals in the area is not sufficient to induce considerable health problems due to typical human behaviour within the variety of urban land uses. An exception is the possibility of direct ingestion of contaminated soil which commonly occurs in playgrounds. The HHR evaluation in a planning case in the Grugliasco Municipality confirms the suitability of the selected planning option. The construction of the naturalistic park presents one solution for reducing the impacts of soil contamination on the health of citizens. The spatial HHR evaluation using GIS techniques is a diagnostic procedure for assessing the impacts of urban soil contamination, with which one can verify planning options, and provides an important step in the integration of human health protection within urban planning procedures.

Establishing a link between vehicular PM sources and PM measurements in urban street canyons.

PubMed

Eisner, Alfred D; Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Wiener, Russell W; Hahn, Intaek; Drake-Richman, Zora E; Ellenson, William D

2009-12-01

The Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion (B-TRAPPED) study, conducted in Brooklyn, NY, USA, in 2005, was designed with multiple goals in mind, two of which were contaminant source characterization and street canyon transport and dispersion monitoring. In the portion of the study described here, synchronized wind velocity and azimuth as well as particulate matter (PM) concentrations at multiple locations along 33rd Street were used to determine the feasibility of using traffic emissions in a complex urban topography as a sole tracer for studying urban contaminant transport. We demonstrate in this paper that it is possible to link downwind concentrations of contaminants in an urban street canyon to the vehicular traffic cycle using Eigen-frequency analysis. In addition, multivariable circular histograms are used to establish directional frequency maxima for wind velocity and contaminant concentration.

Alkylphenolic compounds and bisphenol A contamination within a heavily urbanized area: case study of Paris.

PubMed

Cladière, Mathieu; Gasperi, Johnny; Lorgeoux, Catherine; Bonhomme, Céline; Rocher, Vincent; Tassin, Bruno

2013-05-01

This study evaluates the influence of a heavily urbanized area (Paris Metropolitan area), on receiving water contamination by both bisphenol A (BPA) and alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) biodegradation product. The study began by investigating concentrations within urban sources. In addition to the more commonly studied wastewater treatment plant effluent, wet weather urban sources (including combined sewer overflows, urban runoff, and total atmospheric fallout) were considered. The initial results highlight a significant contamination of all urban sources (from a few nanograms per liter in atmospheric fallout to several micrograms per liter in the other sources) with clearly distinguishable distribution patterns. Secondly, concentration changes along the Seine River from upstream of the Paris Metropolitan area to downstream were investigated. While the concentrations of BPA and nonylphenoxy acetic acid (NP₁EC) increase substantially due to urban sources, the 4-nonylphenol concentrations remain homogeneous along the Seine. These results suggest a broad dissemination of 4-nonylphenol at the scale of the Seine River basin. Moreover, the relationship between pollutant concentrations and Seine River flow was assessed both upstream and downstream of the Paris conurbation. Consequently, a sharp decrease in dissolved NP1EC concentrations relative to Seine River flow underscores the influence of single-point urban pollution on Seine River contamination. Conversely, dissolved 4-nonylphenol concentrations serve to reinforce the hypothesis of its widespread presence at the Seine River basin scale.

Potential for use of optical measurements to understand the fate of urban contaminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergamaschi, B. A.; Downing, B. D.; Fleck, J.; Kraus, T. E.; Pellerin, B. A.; Corsi, S. R.

2012-12-01

Contamination associated with urban environments can dramatically affect aquatic ecosystems, yet our ability to gage its impact is hampered by the fact that contamination occurs episodically and we are often most interested in the effects in highly dynamic environments; ephemeral and dynamic systems require large numbers of samples to monitor, and the cost associated with characterizing the contribution of urban contaminants in an individual sample using conventional tracers can be prohibitively expensive. We propose that optical measurements may be used to help characterize urban contaminant fluxes in dynamic systems using in situ instruments as well as to assess the contribution of urban material to individual water samples using inexpensive lab-based measurements. We have used measurements of optical properties both in the laboratory and in situ at high temporal and spatial resolution to differentiate among sources of water, and as proxies for contaminants such as mercury (Hg), methylmercury, pharmaceuticals, and wastewater. These measurements include determination of spectral properties of absorbance, attenuation, fluorescence, and scatter in aqueous samples. We present examples of how such measurements can serve as tracers of urban-derived water sources, and provide information about source and biogeochemical processing. One example demonstrates how in situ fluorescence and scattering measurements were used to track the transport of Hg contamination into the San Francisco Estuary. We measured the tidally-driven exchange of Hg between the estuary and a tidal wetland over spring-neap in three different seasons. In situ measurements of scatter (turbidity) and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) were highly related to total mercury concentrations, and we used these measurements to calculate flux into and out of the wetland. Another example in a dynamic river system illustrates how data collected at a high spatial resolution, again using in situ optical instrumentation, allowed us to differentiate water sources and identify wastewater. Finally, we will show examples of how laboratory optical measurements may be used to screen for the presence of urban material related to, for example, treated wastewater, untreated wastewater, urban runoff, aircraft deicers, storm drainage, etc.. Such measurements may be used to screen samples prior to submission for more expensive analyses such as pharmaceutical content, pathogen content, and industrial compounds?

MANAGING URBAN WATERSHED PATHOGEN CONTAMINATION

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation is a summary of the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) publication entitled Managing Urban Watershed Pathogen Contamination, EPA/600/R-03/111 (September 2003). It is available on the internet at http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/repository/water...

Problematic Situations in the Lives of Urban African American Middle School Students: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Albert D.; Erwin, Elizabeth H.; Allison, Kevin W.; Meyer, Aleta; Sullivan, Terri; Camou, Suzanne; Kliewer, Wendy; Esposito, Layla

2007-01-01

Qualitative methods were used to identify problem situations encountered by adolescents in urban middle schools serving a predominantly African American student population. Interviews focusing on identifying problem situations and the context in which they occur were conducted with 60 adolescents including students and peer mediators at middle…

MANAGING URBAN WATERSHED PATHOGEN CONTAMINATION

EPA Science Inventory

This document is written as a resource for state and local watershed managers who have the responsibility of managing pathogen contamination in urban watersheds. In addition it can be an information source for members of the public interested in watershed mitigation efforts aime...

Heavy metal(loid)s and organic contaminants in groundwater in the Pearl River Delta that has undergone three decades of urbanization and industrialization: Distributions, sources, and driving forces.

PubMed

Huang, Guanxing; Zhang, Ming; Liu, Chunyan; Li, Liangping; Chen, Zongyu

2018-09-01

Urbanization and industrialization have increased groundwater resource demands, and may drive the change of heavy metal(loid)s and organic chemicals in groundwater in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), southern China. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the distributions, sources, and driving forces of heavy metal(loid)s and organic chemicals in groundwater in the PRD is vital for water resource management in this region. In this study, eight heavy metal(loid)s and fifty-five organic chemicals in groundwater across the PRD were investigated. The results show that undrinkable groundwater related to heavy metal(loid)s was mainly due to high concentrations of Fe (19.3%) and As (6.8%). Eighteen organic contaminants were detected in groundwater in the PRD, where the most frequently detected organic contaminant was naphthalene, and its detection rate was 2.51%. In 5.3% of all groundwater samples, one or more organic contaminants were found. All detected organic contaminants, except ones without allowable limits, in groundwater were at concentrations below allowable limits of China. The mean concentrations of heavy metal(loid)s in granular aquifers were higher than those in fissured and karst aquifers, especially for Fe and As. Except Se, the mean concentrations of other heavy metal(loid)s and the frequency of detection of organic contaminants in groundwater in urbanized and peri-urban areas were higher than those in non-urbanized areas, especially for Hg, Co, and organic contaminants. Fe, As, and Se in groundwater mainly originated from the release of Fe/As/Se rich sediments. The former two were driven by reduction reactions, while the latter was driven by oxidation resulting from the infiltration of NO 3 - . In contrast, other five heavy metal(loid)s and organic contaminants in groundwater mainly originated from the anthropogenic sources, such as the infiltration of industrial sewage. It is evident that urbanization and industrialization are two powerful driving forces for heavy metal(loid)s and organic contaminants in groundwater in the PRD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenges of urban planning in Palestine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghayer, Taher J. T.; Tesmamma Daget, Yidnekachew; Wang, Xingping

2017-08-01

For the last two centuries, Palestinian territory had faced several changes. This is due to historical precedents and the unstable political situation in the area. This has resulted in mutli-faced challenges in Palestine. The objective of this paper is to analyse and understand the major factors that had impacted the urban planning, urban form and urban development of the Palestinian territory. The findings showed that the lack of available land, rapid urban population growth, failure in urban planning policy decisions, the unstable political situation on the ground, fragmented urban developments in the west bank area, and also diffusion of urban sprawls within the landscapes and around the cities are the major factors that caused challenges in Palestine’s cities.

Temporal dynamics of urbanization-driven environmental changes explored by metal contamination in surface sediments in a restoring urban wetland park.

PubMed

Ma, Jun; Liu, Yi; Yu, Guangbin; Li, Hongbo; Yu, Shen; Jiang, Yueping; Li, Guilin; Lin, Jinchang

2016-05-15

Spatial patterns of metal distribution along urban-rural or multi-city gradients indicate that the urbanization process directly lead to metal enrichment and contamination in the environments. However, it has not yet looked at homogenization dynamics of an urban-rural gradient pattern over time with urbanization process in an area. This study monitored anthropogenic metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in surface sediments from channels of a newly-opened National Wetland Park to elucidate the urbanization-driven dissolution of urban-rural gradient pattern between 2008 and 2011. Sixty-eight surface sediment samples were taken from these channels in July of both 2008 and 2011. Results showed that a spatial distribution pattern of total metal contents along the gradient of urbanization influence, evident in 2008, was homogenized in 2011 with the area development. The lead stable isotope ratio analysis identified anthropogenic Pb origins from vehicular exhausts, cements, and coal flying ashes, which elevated metal contents in the inner channels via atmospheric deposition. Specific hazard quotients of the metal contamination in surface sediment were also assessed and enhanced over time in the study wetland park. These findings suggest that emissions from traffic, construction, and energy generation contribute metal loadings in the urbanizing environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urban and agricultural contribution of annual loads of glyphosate and AMPA towards surface waters at the Orge River catchment scale (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botta, Fabrizio; Chevreuil, Marc; Blanchoud, Hélène

2010-05-01

The general use of pesticides in the Orge Basin, located in the southern part of the Paris suburb (France), is damaging surface water quality. Consequently, an increase in the water supply costs is registered by the water supply agencies that are situated downstream the Orge confluence with the Seine River. In this catchment, high uses of glyphosate are registered for fallow fields (upstream part) and for roadway weed control (downstream part). The proportion of glyphosate coming from these two zones was not well known, along with the double source of its metabolite AMPA originated from the degradation of some detergent phosphonates. The aim of this work was firstly to identify the potential sources of glyphosate and AMPA in urban sectors (such as sewerage system inputs) and in agricultural areas and to quantify the origins of urban pesticides pathways towards surface waters at the basin scale. The new approach of this project was to collect information at three different scales to establish a first step of modeling. At the basin scale, 1 year of surface water monitoring at the outlet of the Orge River was useful to establish the inputs towards the Seine River. At the urban catchment scale, the investigations have permitted to record glyphosate and AMPA loads transferred by storm waters and by wastewaters. Loads were estimated during and out of application calendar, in different hydrological conditions such as rainfall with high intensity or dry conditions. Impact of WWTP on surface water was also demonstrated. The third phase of this work was the interpretation of agricultural inputs from two different agricultural catchments of the Orge River. The results showed the impact of urban uses of glyphosate upon the Orge River contamination with annual loads from 100 times higher from the urban zone than from the agricultural one. Storm sewers were recognized to be the main way for glyphosate transfer towards surface waters. A budget of glyphosate and AMPA inputs and exported amounts was carried out at the River scale. Different origins (agricultural zones, urban areas and wastewater treatment plants) were assessed to determine the contribution of each usage. These investigations showed the high impact of storm waters and wastewaters upon the Orge River contamination (90%), whereas the agricultural zone contributed to only 10 % of the glyphosate contamination of the River. Glyphosate contaminates the river by direct flow of rainfall sewers towards surface waters. AMPA in the Orge river originates from both degradation of glyphosate in agricultural soils (29%) and from urban sewers (79%). Glyphosate amount transferred via overflows between sewers is the main source (more than 95%) in wastewaters during application period and rainfall events, but represents only 50% of the annual load in wastewaters that reach treatment plants (WWTP). AMPA, always detected in wastewaters and WWTP, is partly related to domestic wastewaters (18 to 23% of the total load). A difference between glyphosate and AMPA load inputs in the Orge River and outputs load at the outlet was registered: Glyphosate load is decreasing downstream as AMPA is increasing, suggesting a degradation of glyphosate into the river. The rule of sediments could have a significant influence of the dynamic transport of glyphosate. The results of the budget calculation are supported by a strong and logical data collection, coupled with detailed spatial information and consciousness of estimation accuracy. Keywords: Catchment, glyphosate, AMPA, inputs, budget

Are streams in agricultural and urban areas contaminated by pesticides?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimbrough, R.A.

1995-01-01

To answer this question, a study of pesticides in streams in a small agricultural area and a small urban area in Colorado was conducted in 1993 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The results indicate that pesticides are present in streams, and both agricultural and urban areas are probable sources of the contamination. In the agricultural area, 30 pesticides were detected and in the urban area, 26 pesticides were detected at least once during the thirteen month study. In the agricultural area, the herbicides alachlor (two samples) and cyanazine (four samples) and the insecticide diazinon (one sample) were the only pesticides that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) or health advisory levels (HALs) for drinking water. No pesticides exceeded MCLs or HALs in the urban area.

Real or perceived: the environmental health risks of urban sack gardening in Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya.

PubMed

Gallaher, Courtney Maloof; Mwaniki, Dennis; Njenga, Mary; Karanja, Nancy K; WinklerPrins, Antoinette M G A

2013-03-01

Cities around the world are undergoing rapid urbanization, resulting in the growth of informal settlements or slums. These informal settlements lack basic services, including sanitation, and are associated with joblessness, low-income levels, and insecurity. Families living in such settlements may turn to a variety of strategies to improve their livelihoods and household food security, including urban agriculture. However, given the lack of formal sanitation services in most of these informal settlements, residents are frequently exposed to a number of environmental risks, including biological and chemical contaminants. In the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya, households practice a form of urban agriculture called sack gardening, or vertical gardening, where plants such as kale and Swiss chard are planted into large sacks filled with soil. Given the nature of farming in slum environments, farmers and consumers of this produce in Kibera are potentially exposed to a variety of environmental contaminants due to the lack of formal sanitation systems. Our research demonstrates that perceived and actual environmental risks, in terms of contamination of food crops from sack gardening, are not the same. Farmers perceived exposure to biological contaminants to be the greatest risk to their food crops, but we found that heavy metal contamination was also significant risk. By demonstrating this disconnect between risk perception and actual risk, we wish to inform debates about how to appropriately promote urban agriculture in informal settlements, and more generally about the trade-offs created by farming in urban spaces.

[A comparison of soil contamination with Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati eggs in rural and urban areas of Wielkopolska district in 2000-2005].

PubMed

Mizgajska-Wiktor, Hanna; Jarosz, Wojciech

2007-01-01

The aim of the studies was to compare the degree of soil contamination with Toxocara canis and T. cati eggs in rural and urban areas depending on time of sampling and type of places examined. Material and methods. Over 2000-2005 a total of 538 soil samples from 3 villages and 368 from Poznań city (Poland) areas were examined for Toxocara spp. eggs. In spring 418 samples in rural areas and 184 samples in urban areas were collected and in autumn 120 and 184 respectively. The samples were examined using flotation technique in saturated sodium nitrate. The discrimination of T. canis and T. cati eggs was based on the size of eggs and transparency of shell layers. Results. The contamination of soil with Toxocara eggs was higher in the urban areas (19.8% positive samples) than in the rural ones (15.6% positive samples) and city or village-backyards were most heavily contaminated. Both, in the villages and in the city, the degree of soil contamination with eggs in spring and autumn was similar (17.6 and 14.8% positive samples respectively). T. cati eggs were much more prevalent in urban areas (97% of all eggs recovered) while T. canis in rural areas (84% of all recovered eggs). The share of T. canis and T. cati eggs in soil contamination did not depend on the time of sampling.

Municipal biosolid applications: Improving ecosystem services across urban, agricultural, and wildlife interfaces in Austin, Texas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our project encompasses emerging contaminants, ecosystem services, and urban-agriculture-wildlife interfaces. This seminal research collaboration between USDA-ARS Grassland, Soil, and Water Research Laboratory, The City of Austin Water Utility, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Environmental Contaminant...

Reversible and irreversible sorption of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) by sediments of an urban reservoir.

PubMed

Chen, Huiting; Reinhard, Martin; Nguyen, Viet Tung; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

2016-02-01

Uncertainty about the extent to which contaminant sorption by suspended solids and bed sediments is irreversible is a major impediment for modeling and managing the water quality of surface water resources. This study examined reversible and irreversible sorption of several perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) to bed sediments from an urban reservoir. PFCs investigated include C4, C6, C8, C9 and C10 perfluoroalkanoate homologues (PFBA, PFHxA, PFOA, PFNA and PFDA, respectively) and perfluorooctane and hexane sulfonate (PFOS and PFHxS, respectively). Although sorption branches of the PFOS, PFNA and PFDA isotherms were nearly linear (implying a partitioning-like process), desorption experiments indicated that a fraction of the sorbed PFCs were entrapped and resistant to desorption. The hysteretic desorption branches were approximately linear. Irreversibility increased with chain length and was nearly complete for PFDA (thermodynamic irreversibility index (TII) 0.98). For the weakly sorbing PFOA and PFHxS, sorption was largely reversible. Data suggest that (1) for the strongly sorbing PFCs, e.g. PFNA, PFDA and PFOS, bed sediments acted predominantly as irreversible sinks, (2) aqueous concentrations of the moderately sorbing PFCs (PFOA and PFHxS) are buffered by reversibly sorbing suspended solids, and (3) the short-chain PFCs (PFBA and PFHxA) are not significantly sorbed and therefore not expected to be significantly influenced by sediment transport. Situations in which highly contaminated particles entering relatively clean water bodies, equilibrium is approached from the reverse (desorption) direction. For irreversibly sorbed contaminants field-based K(D) values will be higher than the K(D) values derived from laboratory sorption data obtained from forward sorption experiments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do outdoor environmental noise and atmospheric NO2 levels spatially overlap in urban areas?

PubMed

Tenailleau, Quentin M; Bernard, Nadine; Pujol, Sophie; Parmentier, Anne-Laure; Boilleaut, Mathieu; Houot, Hélène; Joly, Daniel; Mauny, Frédéric

2016-07-01

The urban environment holds numerous emission sources for air and noise pollution, creating optimum conditions for environmental multi-exposure situations. Evaluation of the joint-exposure levels is the main obstacle for multi-exposure studies and one of the biggest challenges of the next decade. The present study aims to describe the noise/NO2 multi-exposure situations in the urban environment by exploring the possible discordant and concordant situations of both exposures. Fine-scale diffusion models were developed in the European medium-sized city of Besançon (France), and a classification method was used to evaluate the multi-exposure situations in the façade perimeter of 10,825 buildings. Although correlated (Pearson's r = 0.64, p < 0.01), urban spatial distributions of the noise and NO2 around buildings do not overlap, and 30% of the buildings were considered to be discordant in terms of the noise and NO2 exposure levels. This discrepancy is spatially structured and associated with variables describing the building's environment. Our results support the presence of several co-existing, multi-exposure situations across the city impacted by both the urban morphology and the emission and diffusion/propagation phases of each pollutant. Identifying the mechanisms of discrepancy and convergence of multi-exposure situations could help improve the health risk assessment and public health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engrained experience--a comparison of microclimate perception schemata and microclimate measurements in Dutch urban squares.

PubMed

Lenzholzer, Sanda

2010-03-01

Acceptance of public spaces is often guided by perceptual schemata. Such schemata also seem to play a role in thermal comfort and microclimate experience. For climate-responsive design with a focus on thermal comfort it is important to acquire knowledge about these schemata. For this purpose, perceived and "real" microclimate situations were compared for three Dutch urban squares. People were asked about their long-term microclimate perceptions, which resulted in "cognitive microclimate maps". These were compared with mapped microclimate data from measurements representing the common microclimate when people stay outdoors. The comparison revealed some unexpected low matches; people clearly overestimated the influence of the wind. Therefore, a second assumption was developed: that it is the more salient wind situations that become engrained in people's memory. A comparison using measurement data from windy days shows better matches. This suggests that these more salient situations play a role in the microclimate schemata that people develop about urban places. The consequences from this study for urban design are twofold. Firstly, urban design should address not only the "real" problems, but, more prominently, the "perceived" problems. Secondly, microclimate simulations addressing thermal comfort issues in urban spaces should focus on these perceived, salient situations.

Influence of stormwater runoff on macroinvertebrates in a small urban river and a reservoir.

PubMed

Gołdyn, Ryszard; Szpakowska, Barbara; Świerk, Dariusz; Domek, Piotr; Buxakowski, Jan; Dondajewska, Renata; Barałkiewicz, Danuta; Sajnóg, Adam

2018-06-01

The impact of stormwater on benthic macroinvertebrates was studied in two annual cycles. Five small catchments drained by stormwater sewers to a small urban river and a small and shallow reservoir situated in its course were selected. These catchments were located in residential areas with single-family houses or blocks of flats as well as industrial areas, i.e., a car factory, a glassworks and showroom as well as the parking lots of a car dealer and servicing company. In addition to the five stations situated in the vicinity of the stormwater outlets, three stations not directly influenced by stormwater were also established. Macroinvertebrates were sampled in every season, four times per year. Both abundance and biomass were assessed. Stormwater from industrial areas associated with cars, whose catchments showed a high percentage of impervious areas, had the greatest impact on benthic macroinvertebrates. This was due to a large amount of stormwater and its contamination, including heavy metals. Stormwater outflow from residential multi-family houses exerted the least influence. Macroinvertebrates in the water reservoir were found to undergo more extensive changes than those in the river. The cascade of four reservoirs resulted in a marked improvement of water quality in the river, which was confirmed by species composition, abundance and biomass of macroinvertebrates and indicators calculated on their basis for the stations below the cascade in comparison to the stations above and in the first reservoir. These reservoirs replaced constructed wetlands or other measures, which should be undertaken for stormwater management prior to its discharge into urban rivers and other water bodies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal trends of short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in sediments off the urbanized coastal zones in China and Japan: A comparison study.

PubMed

Zeng, Lixi; Lam, James C W; Horii, Yuichi; Li, Xiaolin; Chen, Weifang; Qiu, Jian-Wen; Leung, Kenneth M Y; Yamazaki, Eriko; Yamashita, Nobuyoshi; Lam, Paul K S

2017-05-01

To examine the impacts of urbanization and industrialization on the coastal environment, and assess the effectiveness of control measures on the contamination by chlorinated paraffins (CPs) in East Asia, surface and core sediments were sampled from the urbanized coastal zones in China and Japan (i.e., Pearl River Delta (PRD), Hong Kong waters and Tokyo Bay) and analyzed for short-chain (SCCPs) and medium-chain CPs (MCCPs). Much higher concentrations of CPs were found in the industrialized PRD than in adjacent Hong Kong waters. Significant correlation between CP concentration and population density in the coastal district of Hong Kong was observed (r 2  = 0.72 for SCCPs and 0.55 for MCCPs, p < 0.05), highlighting the effect of urbanization. By contrast, a relatively lower pollution level of CPs was detected in Tokyo Bay. More long-chain groups within SCCPs in the PRD than in Hong Kong waters and Tokyo Bay implied the effect of industrialization. Comparison of temporal trends between Hong Kong outer harbor with Tokyo Bay shows the striking difference in historical deposition of CPs under different regulatory situations in China and Japan. For the first time, the declining CP concentrations in Tokyo Bay, Japan, attest to the effectiveness of emissions controls. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing Microbial Water Quality of Extreme Tide Floodwaters Discharged from an Urbanized Subtropical Beach: Case Study of Miami Beach with Implications for Sea Level Rise and Public Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidley, M. L.

2016-02-01

With the advent of rising sea levels and increasing incidents of extreme tidal flooding events and stormwater flooding events, there is increasing probability of mobilization of land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) from highly urbanized beach environments and potential transport of these contaminants to coastal waters where they may have negative impacts on ecosystems and public health. A case in point is the situation facing the City of Miami Beach, where urban tidal flooding has become routine for extreme tidal events such as King Tide. To deal with the increasing problem of tidal flooding and other potential sources of coastal inundation, the City of Miami Beach has installed a system of floodwater/stormwater pumping stations to collect and discharge such floodwaters. This system appears to control the extent and duration of coastal inundation, however, the floodwater is discharged directly into Biscayne Bay without any treatment , which may potentially carry a variety of pollutants acquired during inundation of this urbanized coast. We report a case study examining the microbial water quality of floodwaters discharged by this pumping system back into Biscayne Bay following the inundation by King Tide floodwaters from September 2014 and 2015. The presence and abundance of both general and host-specific fecal indicating bacteria (FIB), including enterococci and human-host Bacteriodales were measured by traditional culture methods and by molecular microbial source tracking (MST) qPCR methods. While the results from different locations did vary substantially, several discharge samples demonstrated high elevations of fecal indicator bacteria and high levels of human fecal marker by MST. This study suggests that while such flood control measures may improve resiliency of urbanized coastal communities to tidal flooding and/or stormwater, the water quality of such floodwater discharges need to be monitored and potentially treated to mediate the transport of LBSP contaminants to the coastal zone, thus better protecting both ecosystem and public health in an era of sea level rise and more frequent inundation events.

Phyt'Eaux Cités: application and validation of a programme to reduce surface water contamination with urban pesticides.

PubMed

Botta, Fabrizio; Fauchon, Nils; Blanchoud, Hélène; Chevreuil, Marc; Guery, Bénédicte

2012-01-01

This paper presents first results of Phyt'Eaux Cités, a program put in place by the local water supply agency, the SEDIF (Syndicat des Eaux d'Ile-de-France), in collaboration with 73 local authorities, private societies and institutional offices (365 km(2)). The challenges included: measurement of the previous surface water contamination, control of urban pesticide applications, prevention of pesticide hazard on users and finally a overall reduction of surface water contamination. An inquiry on urban total pesticide amount was coupled with a surface water bi-weekly monitoring to establish the impact of more than 200 molecules upon the Orge River. For 2007, at least 4400 kg and 92 type of pesticides (essentially herbicides) were quantified for all urban users in the Phyt'Eaux Cités perimeter. At the outlet of the Orge River (bi-weekly sampling in 2007), 11 molecules were always detected above 0.1 μg L(-1). They displayed the mainly urban origin of pesticide surface water contamination. Amitrole, AMPA (Aminomethyl Phosphonic Acid), demethyldiuron, diuron, glyphosate and atrazine were quantified with a 100% of frequency in 2007 and 2008 at the Orge River outlet. During the year, peaks of contamination were also registered for MCCP, 2,4 MCPA, 2,4 D, triclopyr, dichlorprop, diflufènican, active substances used in large amount in the urban area. However, some other urban molecules, such as isoxaben or flazasulfuron, were detected with low frequency. During late spring and summer, contamination patterns and load were dominated by glyphosate, amitrole and diuron, essentially applied by cities and urban users. Both isoproturon and chlortoluron were quantified during autumn and winter months according to upstream agricultural practices. In conclusion, 3 years after the beginning of this programme, the cities reduced the use of 68% of the total pesticide amount. An improvement on surface water quality was found from 2008 and during 2009 for all pesticides. In particular, glyphosate showed a decrease of the load above 60% in 2008, partly related to the Phyt'Eaux Cités action. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The atmosphere as a source/sink of polychlorinated biphenyls to/from the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site.

PubMed

Apell, Jennifer N; Gschwend, Philip M

2017-08-01

Waterbodies polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may cause the air in the surrounding area to become PCB-contaminated. Conversely, when a waterbody is located in or near an urban area, the deposition of atmospheric PCBs may act as a low-level, ongoing source of PCB contamination to that water. Distinguishing these situations is necessary to be protective of human populations and to guide efforts seeking to cleanup such aquatic ecosystems. To assess the situation at the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) Superfund site, low-density polyethylene passive samplers were deployed in the summer of 2015 to quantify freely dissolved water and gaseous air concentrations of PCBs thereby enabling estimates of the direction and magnitude of air-water exchange of PCB congeners. For the sum of the 27 PCB congeners, average concentrations were 220 pg/m 3 (95% C.I.: 80-610) in the air and 320 pg/L (95% C.I.: 110-960) in the water. The sum of air-water exchange fluxes of these PCB congeners was estimated to be 68 ng/m 2 /day (95% C.I.: 30-148) into the lower atmosphere, contrasting with the reported wet and dry depositional flux of only 5.5 ng/m 2 /day (95% C.I.: 1-38) from the air into the water. Therefore, the atmosphere was ultimately a sink of PCBs from the LDW Superfund site, at least under 2015 summertime conditions. However, we conclude that air-water exchange of PCBs is likely only a minor sink of PCBs from the LDW and only a minor source of contamination to the region's local atmosphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-term gas dispersion in idealised urban canopy in street parallel with flow direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaloupecká, Hana; Jaňour, Zbyněk; Nosek, Štěpán

2016-03-01

Chemical attacks (e.g. Syria 2014-15 chlorine, 2013 sarine or Iraq 2006-7 chlorine) as well as chemical plant disasters (e.g. Spain 2015 nitric oxide, ferric chloride; Texas 2014 methyl mercaptan) threaten mankind. In these crisis situations, gas clouds are released. Dispersion of gas clouds is the issue of interest investigated in this paper. The paper describes wind tunnel experiments of dispersion from ground level point gas source. The source is situated in a model of an idealised urban canopy. The short duration releases of passive contaminant ethane are created by an electromagnetic valve. The gas cloud concentrations are measured in individual places at the height of the human breathing zone within a street parallel with flow direction by Fast-response Ionisation Detector. The simulations of the gas release for each measurement position are repeated many times under the same experimental set up to obtain representative datasets. These datasets are analysed to compute puff characteristics (arrival, leaving time and duration). The results indicate that the mean value of the dimensionless arrival time can be described as a growing linear function of the dimensionless coordinate in the street parallel with flow direction where the gas source is situated. The same might be stated about the dimensionless leaving time as well as the dimensionless duration, however these fits are worse. Utilising a linear function, we might also estimate some other statistical characteristics from datasets than the datasets means (medians, trimeans). The datasets of the dimensionless arrival time, the dimensionless leaving time and the dimensionless duration can be fitted by the generalized extreme value distribution (GEV) in all sampling positions except one.

Hydrochemical profiles in urban groundwater systems: New insights into contaminant sources and pathways in the subsurface from legacy and emerging contaminants.

PubMed

White, D; Lapworth, D J; Stuart, M E; Williams, P J

2016-08-15

It has long been known that groundwaters beneath urban areas carry a fingerprint from urban activities but finding a consistent tracer for anthropogenic influence has proved elusive. The varied sources of urban contaminants means that a single consistent and inexpensive means of tracing the fate of urban contaminants is not generally possible and multiple tracers are often required to understand the contaminant sources and pathways in these complex systems. This study has utilized a combination of micro-organic (MO) contaminants and inorganic hydrochemistry to trace recharge pathways and quantify the variability of groundwater quality in multi-level piezometers in the city of Doncaster, UK. A total of 23 MOs were detected during this study, with more compounds consistently detected during higher groundwater table conditions highlighting the importance of sampling under different hydrological conditions. Four of the compounds detected are EU Water Framework Directive priority substances: atrazine, simazine, naphthalene and DEHP, with a maximum concentration of 0.18, 0.03, 0.2, 16μg/l respectively. Our study shows that the burden of the banned pesticide atrazine persists in the Sherwood Sandstone and is detected at two of the three study sites. Emerging contaminants are seen throughout the borehole profiles and provide insights into transient pathways for contaminant migration in the sub-surface. Long term changes in inorganic hydrochemistry show possible changes in contaminant input or the dissolution of minerals. Nitrate was detected above 50mg/l but on the whole nitrate concentrations have declined in the intervening years either due to a reduction of nitrate application at the surface or a migration of peak nitrate concentrations laterally or to greater depth. This study shows that multiple tracers together with multi-level piezometers can give a better resolution of contaminant pathways and variable flow regimes within the relatively uncomplicated aquifer of the Sherwood Sandstone compared with single long screened wells. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence and bioaccumulation of chemical contaminants in lettuce grown in peri-urban horticulture.

PubMed

Margenat, Anna; Matamoros, Víctor; Díez, Sergi; Cañameras, Núria; Comas, Jordi; Bayona, Josep M

2018-05-14

Peri-urban horticulture performs environmental and socio-economic functions and provides ecological services to nearby urban areas. Nevertheless, industrialization and water pollution have led to an increase in the exposure of peri-urban vegetables to contaminants such as trace elements (TEs) and organic microcontaminants (OMCs). In this study, the occurrence of chemical contaminants (i.e., 16 TEs, 33 OMCs) in soil and lettuce leaves from 4 farm fields in the peri-urban area of the city of Barcelona was assessed. A rural site, outside the peri-urban area of influence, was selected for comparison. The concentration of TEs and OMCs ranged from non-detectable to 803 mg/kg dw and from non-detectable to 397 μg/kg dw respectively in the peri-urban soil, and from 6 · 10 -5 to 4.91 mg/kg fw and from non-detectable to 193 μg/kg fw respectively in lettuce leaves. Although the concentration of Mo, Ni, Pb, and As in the soil of the peri-urban area exceeded the environmental quality guidelines, their occurrence in lettuce complied with human food standards (except for Pb). The many fungicides (carbendazim, dimetomorph, and methylparaben) and chemicals released by plastic pipelines (tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate, bisphenol F, and 2-mercaptobenzothiazole) used in agriculture were prevalent in the soil and the edible parts of the lettuce. The occurrence of these chemical pollutants in the peri-urban area did not affect the chlorophyll, lipid, or carbohydrate content of the lettuce leaves. PCA (Principal Component Analysis) showed that soil pollution, fungicide application, and irrigation water quality are the most relevant factors determining the presence of contaminants in crops. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Elemental Concentrations in Urban Green Stormwater Infrastructure Soils

Treesearch

Michelle C. Kondo; Raghav Sharma; Alain F. Plante; Yunwen Yang; Igor Burstyn

2016-01-01

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is designed to capture stormwater for infiltration, detention, evapotranspiration, or reuse. Soils play a key role in stormwater interception at these facilities. It is important to assess whether contamination is occurring in GSI soils because urban stormwater drainage areas often accumulate elements of concern. Soil contamination...

Comparison of contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts including hypoxia and harmful algal blooms. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport from a subsurface-drain...

Pharmaceuticals and organochlorine pesticides in sediments of an urban river in Florida, United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Purpose Sediments from a rural to urban gradient along the Alafia River in Florida, United States were investigated to determine the risk of environmental contamination with legacy (organochlorine pesticides, OCPs) and new contaminants (pharmaceuticals). Materials and methods Bed sediments (0-10 cm)...

Factors affecting the presence of human-associated and fecal indicator real-time quantitative PCR genetic markers in urban-impacted recreational beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Urban runoff can carry a variety of pollutants into recreational beaches, often including bacterial pathogens and indicators of fecal contamination. To develop complete recreational criteria and risk assessments, it is necessary to understand conditions under which human contamin...

Urbane Hydrogeologie - Herausforderungen für Forschung und Praxis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schirmer, M.; Strauch, G.; Reinstorf, F.; Schirmer, K.

2007-09-01

Urban areas are a focus of increasing conflict with regard to water use and water protection. Half of the world’s population and about 73 % of Europeans live in cities. Currently, about 82 % of the total population growth of the world occurs in the cities of the developing countries (UN 2004). As a direct and/or indirect consequence of human activity, urban water systems are frequently polluted with organic contaminants. Many of these contaminants are related to human behaviour and activity, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products (collectively PPCPs) and endocrine-active substances, and are increasingly found in urban water systems. However, the behaviour and the effects of these contaminants in the environment have been widely unknown until now. Consequently, it is important to pay more attention to such substances and to explore new integrated methodologies (including flux calculations as well as chemical and biological investigations) for determining the impact of human activities on urban water systems and on processes within the urban watershed. The overall goal is to assess the risks to humans and the ecosystem, and to support the development of suitable management strategies.

Irrigated urban vegetable production in Ghana: microbiological contamination in farms and markets and associated consumer risk groups.

PubMed

Amoah, P; Drechsel, P; Henseler, M; Abaidoo, R C

2007-09-01

Ghana is a typical low-income sub-Saharan African country facing significant sanitation challenges. In Ghana, fresh salads are not part of the normal diet, but have become a common supplement to urban fast food served in streets, canteens and restaurants. In Accra, about 200 000 people consume from such supplements every day. The figure also describes the size of the risk group from contamination, which comprises all income classes including the poor and children. The purpose of this study was to investigate widespread water pollution in urban and peri-urban areas, where 95% of the lettuce consumed in the city is produced. Over 12 months (April 2004-June 2005), lettuce samples from the same production sites in two cities were followed and analyzed along the "farm to fork" pathway for total and faecal coliform (FC) and helminth egg numbers. Questionnaire surveys were conducted among producers, sellers and consumers to quantify lettuce flows to the final risk group. The study identified the farm as the main point of lettuce contamination. Besides the irrigation water, contamination was also attributed to manure application and already contaminated soil. Despite poor sanitary conditions in markets, post-harvest handling and marketing did not further increase the farm-gate contamination levels. To reduce the health risk associated with the consumption of contaminated lettuce; safer farming and irrigation practices are required while the remaining risk could best be addressed where lettuce is prepared for consumption.

Urban legacies and soil management affect the concentration and speciation of trace metals in Los Angeles community garden soils.

PubMed

Clarke, Lorraine Weller; Jenerette, G Darrel; Bain, Daniel J

2015-02-01

Heavy metals in urban soils can compromise human health, especially in urban gardens, where gardeners may ingest contaminated dust or crops. To identify patterns of urban garden metal contamination, we measured concentrations and bioavailability of Pb, As, and Cd in soils associated with twelve community gardens in Los Angeles County, CA. This included sequential extractions to partition metals among exchangeable, reducible, organic, or residual fractions. Proximity to road increased all metal concentrations, suggesting vehicle emissions sources. Reducible Pb increased with neighborhood age, suggesting leaded paint as a likely pollutant source. Exchangeable Cd and As both increased with road proximity. Only cultivated soils showed an increase in exchangeable As with road proximity, potentially due to reducing humic acid interactions while Cd bioavailability was mitigated by organic matter. Understanding the geochemical phases and metal bioavailability allows incorporation of contamination patterns into urban planning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling Urban diffuse pollution in groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jato, Musa; Smith, Martin; Cundy, Andrew

2017-04-01

Diffuse urban pollution of surface and ground waters is a growing concern in many cities and towns. Traffic-derived pollutants such as salts, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may wash off road surfaces in soluble or particulate forms which later drain through soils and drainage systems into surface waters and groundwater. In Brighton, about 90% of drinking water supply comes from groundwater (derived from the Brighton Chalk block). In common with many groundwater sources the Chalk aquifer has been relatively extensively monitored and assessed for diffuse rural contaminants such as nitrate, but knowledge on the extent of contamination from road run-off is currently lacking. This project examines the transfer of traffic-derived contaminants from the road surface to the Chalk aquifer, via urban drainage systems. A transect of five boreholes have been sampled on a monthly basis and groundwater samples analysed to examine the concentrations of key, mainly road run-off derived, hydrocarbon and heavy metal contaminants in groundwater across the Brighton area. Trace concentrations of heavy metals and phenols have been observed in groundwater. Electrical conductivity changes in groundwater have also been used to assess local changes in ionic strength which may be associated with road-derived contaminants. This has been supplemented by systematic water and sediment sampling from urban gully pots, with further sampling planned from drainage and settlement ponds adjacent to major roads, to examine initial road to drainage system transport of major contaminants.

Contaminants in urban waters—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jastram, John D.; Hyer, Kenneth E.

2016-04-29

Streams and estuaries with urban watersheds commonly exhibit increased streamflow and decreased base flow; diminished stream-channel stability; excessive amounts of contaminants such as pesticides, metals, industrial and municipal waste, and combustion products; and alterations to biotic community structure. Collectively, these detrimental effects have been termed the “urban-stream syndrome.” Water-resource managers seek to lessen the effects on receiving water bodies of new urban development and remediate the effects in areas of existing urbanization. Similarly, the scientific community has produced extensive research on these topics, with researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) leading many studies of urban streams and the processes responsible for the urban-stream syndrome. Increasingly, USGS studies are evaluating the effects of management and restoration activities to better understand how urban waters respond to the implementation of management practices. The USGS has expertise in collecting and interpreting data for many physical, chemical, and ecological processes in urban waters and, thus, provides holistic assessments to inform managers of urban water resources.

High-Iron Biosolids Compost-Induced Changes in Lead and Arsenic Speciation and Bioaccessibility in Co-contaminated Soils

EPA Science Inventory

The safety of urban farming has been questioned due to the potential for contamination in urban soils. A laboratory incubation, a field trial, and a second laboratory incubation were conducted to test the ability of high-Fe biosolids–based composts to reduce the bioaccessibil...

Legacy and emerging organohalogenated contaminants in wild edible aquatic organisms: Implications for bioaccumulation and human exposure.

PubMed

Sun, Runxia; Luo, Xiaojun; Li, Qing X; Wang, Tao; Zheng, Xiaobo; Peng, Pingan; Mai, Bixian

2018-03-01

Highly industrialized and urbanized watersheds may receive various contaminants from anthropogenic activities. In this study, legacy and emerging organohalogenated contaminants (OHCs) were measured in edible wild aquatic organisms sampled from the Pearl River and Dongjiang River in a representative industrial and urban region in China. High concentrations of target contaminants were observed. The Pearl River exhibited higher concentrations of OHCs than the Dongjiang River due to high industrialization and urbanization. Agrochemical inputs remained an important source of OHCs in industrialized and urbanized watershed in China, but vigilance is needed for recent inputs of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) originated from e-waste recycling activities. Bioaccumulation of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), PCBs, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and Dechlorane Plus (DP) was biological species- and compound-specific, which can be largely attributed to metabolic capability for xenobiotics. No health risk was related to the daily intake of DDTs, HCHs, and PBDEs via consumption of wild edible species investigated for local residents. However, the current exposure to PCBs through consuming fish is of potential health concern. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Occurrence, trends, and sources in particle-associated contaminants in selected streams and lakes in Fort Worth, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, Peter C.; Wilson, Jennifer T.; Harwell, Glenn R.; Gary, Marcus O.; Heitmuller, Franklin T.; Mahler, Barbara J.

2003-01-01

Several lakes and stream segments in Fort Worth, Texas, have fish consumption bans because of elevated levels of chlordane, dieldrin, DDE, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This study was undertaken to evaluate current loading, trends, and sources in these long-banned contaminants and other particle-associated contaminants commonly found in urban areas. Sampling included suspended sediments at 11 sites in streams and bottom-sediment cores in three lakes. Samples were analyzed for chlorinated hydrocarbons, major and trace elements, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). All four legacy pollutants responsible for fish consumption bans were detected frequently. Concentrations of chlordane, lead, and PAHs most frequently exceeded sediment-quality guidelines. Trends in DDE and PCBs since the 1960s generally are decreasing; and trends in chlordane are mixed with a decreasing trend in Lake Como, no trend in Echo Lake, and an increasing trend in Fosdic Lake. All significant trends in trace elements are decreasing, and most significant trends in PAHs are increasing. Sedimentation surveys were conducted on each of the three lakes and used in combination with sediment core data to compute sediment mass balances for the lakes, to estimate long-term-average loads and yields of sediment, and to estimate recent loads and yields of selected contaminants.Concentrations of most trace elements in suspended sediments were similar to those at the tops of cores, but concentrations of many hydrophobic organic contaminants were two to three times larger. As a result, for these fluvial systems, sediment cores probably provide a historical record of trace element contamination but could underestimate historical concentrations of organic contaminants. However, down-core profiles suggest that relative concentration histories are preserved in these sediment cores for many organic contaminants (such as chlordane and total DDT) but not for all (such as dieldrin).Percent urban land use correlates strongly with selected contaminant concentrations in sediments. Organochlorine pesticides had significant correlations to residential land use, whereas PCBs, cadmium, lead, zinc, and PAHs more often correlate significantly with commercial and industrial land uses, which suggests different urban sources for different contaminants. The amount of enrichment in these contaminants associated with urban land use predicted from regression equations, expressed as the ratio of concentrations predicted for 100 percent urban to 30 percent urban, ranges from 3.6 to 6.9 for PCBs and heavy metals to about 15 for chlordane, total DDT, and PAHs. These data indicate that urbanization is having a substantial negative effect on sediment and water quality and that legacy pollutants are being actively transported to streams and lakes 13 to 30 years after their use was restricted or banned. They further suggest that fish in the lakes and these water bodies will continue to be exposed to legacy pollutants in sediment for many years to come.

Perceived Benefits of Participation and Risks of Soil Contamination in St. Louis Urban Community Gardens.

PubMed

Wong, Roger; Gable, Leah; Rivera-Núñez, Zorimar

2018-06-01

Community gardens are credited for promoting health within neighborhoods, by increasing healthy food intake and exercise frequency. These benefits, however, are potentially undermined as urban soils are often contaminated from industrial legacies. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived benefits of participation and risks of soil contamination within urban community gardens, and factors associated with soil contamination concerns. Ninety-three gardeners were interviewed across 20 community gardens in St. Louis, Missouri between June and August 2015. Surveys included questions on demographics, gardening practices, and perceptions of community gardening. Multilevel logistic models assessed how gardener demographics, gardening practices, and garden characteristics were associated with soil contamination concerns. Common perceived benefits of community gardening were community building (68.8%), healthy and fresh food (35.5%), and gardening education (18.3%). Most gardeners (62.4%) were not concerned about soil contamination, but nearly half (48.4%) stated concerns about heavy metals. Black race was significantly associated with soil contamination concerns (OR 5.47, 95% CI 1.00-30.15, p = .04). Community gardens offer numerous social and health benefits. Although most gardeners were not concerned about soil contamination, black gardeners were more likely to have concerns. Garden leaders should provide resources to gardeners to learn about soil contamination and methods to manage their risk, particularly in minority neighborhoods.

Human Health Risks Associated with Metals from Urban Soil and Road Dust in an Oilfield Area of Southeastern Algeria.

PubMed

Benhaddya, Mohammed Lamine; Boukhelkhal, Abdelaziz; Halis, Youcef; Hadjel, Mohammed

2016-04-01

Hassi Messaoud town is a recent city that is situated inside the oil field, which hosts an important petroleum extraction field and refinery. Large-scale and long-term oil refinery and corresponding industrial activities may contaminate the surrounding soil/dust and could lead to pollution levels that can affect human health. The soil and road dust samples were analysed for different trace elements: copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). Geo-accumulation index (I(geo)), pollution index (PI), and integrated pollution index (IPI) were calculated to evaluate the heavy metal contamination level of urban soil and road dust. The I(geo) values indicate unpolluted to moderate polluted of investigated metals in the soil samples. The assessment results of PI support the results of I(geo), and IPI indicates heavy metals in road dust polluted seriously. The noncarcinogenic health risk assessment shows that ingestion of soil/dust particles is the route for exposure to heavy metals, followed by dermal adsorption. The human exposure risk assessment based on different exposure pathways showed that the hazard index (HI) was <1.0 for all of the elements. The relative exposure risk (noncarcinogenic) was greater for toddlers. Although the overall risk was within the acceptable limit of 1.00, the HI of Pb from the soil (0.103) and road dust (0.132) was close to the threshold limits, which over the long-term may pose a health risk.

COPING WITH CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS AND SOILS IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

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

JONES,K.W.; VAN DER LELIE,D.; MCGUIGAN,M.

2004-05-25

Soils and sediments contaminated with toxic organic and inorganic compounds harmful to the environment and to human health are common in the urban environment. We report here on aspects of a program being carried out in the New York/New Jersey Port region to develop methods for processing dredged material from the Port to make products that are safe for introduction to commercial markets. We discuss some of the results of the program in Computational Environmental Science, Laboratory Environmental Science, and Applied Environmental Science and indicate some possible directions for future work. Overall, the program elements integrate the scientific and engineeringmore » aspects with regulatory, commercial, urban planning, local governments, and community group interests. Well-developed connections between these components are critical to the ultimate success of efforts to cope with the problems caused by contaminated urban soils and sediments.« less

Modelling drivers and distribution of lead and zinc concentrations in soils of an urban catchment (Sydney estuary, Australia).

PubMed

Johnson, L E; Bishop, T F A; Birch, G F

2017-11-15

The human population is increasing globally and land use is changing to accommodate for this growth. Soils within urban areas require closer attention as the higher population density increases the chance of human exposure to urban contaminants. One such example of an urban area undergoing an increase in population density is Sydney, Australia. The city also possesses a notable history of intense industrial activity. By integrating multiple soil surveys and covariates into a linear mixed model, it was possible to determine the main drivers and map the distribution of lead and zinc concentrations within the Sydney estuary catchment. The main drivers as derived from the model included elevation, distance to main roads, main road type, soil landscape, population density (lead only) and land use (zinc only). Lead concentrations predicted using the model exceeded the established guideline value of 300mgkg -1 over a large portion of the study area with concentrations exceeding 1000mgkg -1 in the south of the catchment. Predicted zinc did not exceed the established guideline value of 7400mgkg -1 ; however concentrations were higher to the south and west of the study area. Unlike many other studies we considered the prediction uncertainty when assessing the contamination risk. Although the predictions indicate contamination over a large area, the broadness of the prediction intervals suggests that in many of these areas we cannot be sure that the site is contaminated. More samples are required to determine the contaminant distribution with greater precision, especially in residential areas where contamination was highest. Managing sources and addressing areas of elevated lead and zinc concentrations in urban areas has the potential to reduce the impact of past human activities and improve the urban environment of the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Retention of contaminants in constructed and semi-natural wetland soils in urban river systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinski, Kira; Gröngröft, Alexander; Eschenbach, Annette

2017-04-01

The retention of floods is one of the most relevant ecosystem function of urban floodplains, which is often improved by the construction of retention ponds and other water management measures. Retention ponds are connected to the river in a direct or a parallel arrangement and can be constructed as dry or wet retention pond under normal run-off conditions. Further important ecosystem functions provided by the floodplains soils are carbon sequestration, nutrient and contaminant regulation and recreation. However, with ongoing urbanization these ecosystem functions are significantly endangered. In our study we analyze the soil-based ecosystem functions of two river catchments in the City of Hamburg. The presentation will focus on the retention of contaminants in soils and sediments of eleven retention ponds within one catchment. The amount and concentrations of contaminants will be analyzed for controlling factors like grain size distribution, land-use within the headwaters and others.

Lifetime excess cancer risk due to carcinogens in food and beverages: Urban versus rural differences in Canada.

PubMed

Cheasley, Roslyn; Keller, C Peter; Setton, Eleanor

2017-09-14

To explore differences in urban versus rural lifetime excess risk of cancer from five specific contaminants found in food and beverages. Probable contaminant intake is estimated using Monte Carlo simulations of contaminant concentrations in combination with dietary patterns. Contaminant concentrations for arsenic, benzene, lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and tetrachloroethylene (PERC) were derived from government dietary studies. The dietary patterns of 34 944 Canadians from 10 provinces were available from Health Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2, Nutrition (2004). Associated lifetime excess cancer risk (LECR) was subsequently calculated from the results of the simulations. In the calculation of LECR from food and beverages for the five selected substances, two (lead and PERC) were shown to have excess risk below 10 per million; whereas for the remaining three (arsenic, benzene and PCBs), it was shown that at least 50% of the population were above 10 per million excess cancers. Arsenic residues, ingested via rice and rice cereal, registered the greatest disparity between urban and rural intake, with LECR per million levels well above 1000 per million at the upper bound. The majority of PCBs ingestion comes from meat, with values slightly higher for urban populations and LECR per million estimates between 50 and 400. Drinking water is the primary contributor of benzene intake in both urban and rural populations, with LECR per million estimates of 35 extra cancers in the top 1% of sampled population. Overall, there are few disparities between urban and rural lifetime excess cancer risk from contaminants found in food and beverages. Estimates could be improved with more complete Canadian dietary intake and concentration data in support of detailed exposure assessments in estimating LECR.

Effects of seasonal climatic variability on several toxic contaminants in urban lakes: Implications for the impacts of climate change.

PubMed

Wu, Qiong; Xia, Xinghui; Mou, Xinli; Zhu, Baotong; Zhao, Pujun; Dong, Haiyang

2014-12-01

Climate change is supposed to have influences on water quality and ecosystem. However, only few studies have assessed the effect of climate change on environmental toxic contaminants in urban lakes. In this research, response of several toxic contaminants in twelve urban lakes in Beijing, China, to the seasonal variations in climatic factors was studied. Fluorides, volatile phenols, arsenic, selenium, and other water quality parameters were analyzed monthly from 2009 to 2012. Multivariate statistical methods including principle component analysis, cluster analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed to study the relationship between contaminants and climatic factors including temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and sunshine duration. Fluoride and arsenic concentrations in most urban lakes exhibited a significant positive correlation with temperature/precipitation, which is mainly caused by rainfall induced diffuse pollution. A negative correlation was observed between volatile phenols and temperature/precipitation, and this could be explained by their enhanced volatilization and biodegradation rates caused by higher temperature. Selenium did not show a significant response to climatic factor variations, which was attributed to low selenium contents in the lakes and soils. Moreover, the response degrees of contaminants to climatic variations differ among lakes with different contamination levels. On average, temperature/precipitation contributed to 8%, 15%, and 12% of the variations in volatile phenols, arsenic, and fluorides, respectively. Beijing is undergoing increased temperature and heavy rainfall frequency during the past five decades. This study suggests that water quality related to fluoride and arsenic concentrations of most urban lakes in Beijing is becoming worse under this climate change trend. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The influence of industrial and agricultural waste on water quality in the Água Boa stream (Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil).

PubMed

da Rocha, Monyque Palagano; Dourado, Priscila Leocadia Rosa; de Souza Rodrigues, Mayara; Raposo, Jorge Luiz; Grisolia, Alexeia Barufatti; de Oliveira, Kelly Mari Pires

2015-07-01

Water quality monitoring is used to determine the impact of human activities on the environment. We evaluated water quality in the Água Boa stream, located within the municipality of Dourados, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, by analyzing physico-chemical, chemical, and microbiological parameters, as well as chlorophyll concentrations. Five sets of water samples were collected between December 2012 and November 2013 from three locations within the stream. The results showed the presence of Escherichia coli and antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas spp. strains and high concentrations of organic matter (total dissolved solids), inorganic species (Mg, Ca, and Fe), and agrochemical residues (thiamethoxam). The main stream water contaminants are derived from urban, industrial, and agricultural activities within the watershed. Given the presence of contaminants, it is important that such findings are disseminated in order to highlight the risks that contact with this water may pose to human health. To preserve the environment and improve site conditions, people would need to participate by demanding that normative national and international standards be respected and that the situation be supervised by the competent governmental agencies; this would make it possible to reverse or minimize contamination problems within the Água Boa stream.

Identifying the role of historical anthropogenic activities on urban soils: geochemical impact and city scale mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Guern, Cecile; Baudouin, Vivien; Conil, Pierre

2017-04-01

Recently, European cities have faced several changes including deindustrialization and population increase. To limit urban sprawl, urban densification is preferred. It conducts to (re)develop available areas such as brownfields. Although these areas can be attractive for housing due to their location (in proximity to the city centre or to a riverside), their soils and subsoils are often contaminated. They are therefore potentially harmful for human health and the environment, and potentially costly to remediate. Currently, in case of contamination suspicion, depth geochemical characterization of urban soil and subsoil are carried out at site scale. Nevertheless, large redevelopment project occur at quarter to city scale. It appears therefore useful to acquire the preliminary knowledge on the structure and quality of soil and subsoils, as well as on the potential sources of contamination at quarter to city scale. In the frame of the Ile de Nantes (France) redevelopment project, we considered more particularly anthropogenic deposits and former industrial activities as main sources of contamination linked to human activities. To face the low traceability of the use of anthropogenic deposits and the lack of synthesis of former industrial activities, we carried out a historical study, synthetizing the information spread in numerous archive documents to spatialize the extent of the deposits and of the former activities. In addition we developed a typology of made grounds according to their contamination potential to build a 3D geological model with a geochemical coherence. In this frame, we valorized existing borehole descriptions coming mainly from pollution diagnosis and geotechnical studies. We also developed a methodology to define urban baseline compatibility levels using the existing analytical data at depth from pollution diagnosis. These data were previously gathered in a local geodatabase towards with borehole descriptions (more than 2000 borehole descriptions, more than 1800 analyzed samples, almost 100 000 analyzed parameters). The potential quality of soil and subsoil was spatialized in 2D and 3D on the basis of anthropogenic deposits structure and typology as well as of the potential sources of contamination linked to former industrial activities. Volumes were also calculated to help the developer anticipating the management of excavated materials. Comparison with effective soil and subsoil quality (existing chemical data) shows fairly good anticipation of contamination problems, confirming the interest of spatializing the historical anthropogenic activities to anticipate the quality of urban soil and subsoil and guide city scale mapping. Urban geochemical compatibility levels will be used operationally to enhance the reuse of excavated materials. A better knowledge of soils and subsoils at depth is very useful to optimize urban redevelopment projects, anticipating contamination problems, and managing excavated materials (e.g. local reuse possibilities, disposal costs etc.). The potential economic, environmental and social consequences render it essential for urban sustainable development. 3D geochemical characterization of soil and subsoil for urban (re)development is an ambitious task. Rarely carried out until now, it needs improved development of acquisition, management, visualisation and use of data.

Geochemical study of urban soils in public areas of an industrialized town (Ajka, western Hungary)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacháry, D.; Jordán, Gy.; Szabó, Cs.

2012-04-01

Soil is one of the most essential parts of urban ecosystem contributing to the biogeochemical cycles along the rock-soil-plant-animal and human pathway. Soil plays a fundamental role in plant nutrient uptake and groundwater filtration, too. Urban soils differ from non-urban soils in many aspects, including their origin, and they may also concentrate contaminants in large quantities due to intensive human activities. The pollution sources are industry, traffic, fertilizer, tailing and waste. In addition to the increasing rate of urban areas, urban soils are under growing interest and their pollution have received significant attention in the past few decades. This work focuses on the toxic element (As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni) content of soils and their spatial distribution in order to find a link between contamination sources and the receiving urban soils at sensitive receptor locations such as children's playgrounds and parks. Ajka town is located in western Hungary. It has an old-established industrial history with multiple contamination sources of heavy alumina industry and coal-based power plants supplied by the nearby bauxite and coal mines. At 44 locations 46 soil samples have been collected at a depth of 0-10 cm along a 1x1 km grid. The whole grid covers an area of 48 km2. In each grid cell a sampling site was selected at public areas. Sample preparation included drying at 40 C°, thorough homogenization and sieving to 2 mm fine earth before chemical analysis. Grain size distribution and soil pH were also determined. Samples were analyzed with ICP-OES and SEM methods. The As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd and Ni concentrations range from 2.07 ppm to 9.48 ppm, 0.02 ppm to 2.84 ppm, 5.08 ppm to 35.74 ppm, 2.55 ppm to 47.78 ppm, 17.00 ppm to 91.00 ppm, 0.07 ppm to 0.61 ppm and 5.57 ppm to 32.09 ppm, respectively. The results revealed the contaminated areas associated with past industrial sites. This study also identified locations with considerable contamination at sensitive receptors in urban public areas, thus supporting contamination risk assessment for environmental decisions.

Management of victims of urban chemical attack: the French approach.

PubMed

Laurent, J F; Richter, F; Michel, A

1999-10-01

Since the early 1980s several disasters involving mass release of toxic substances have focused the attention of different administrations and the fire services into producing protocols and guidelines for action in civilian situations. The bomb attack in the Tokyo subway, in March 1995, made it clear that a terrorist attack using highly toxic agents is now feasible. Management of disasters in the civil sector in France is based upon two interlinked plans: the Red Plan, which covers on-site organisation, and the White Plan, which concerns the interface with hospital services. Special procedures have been developed to adapt the Red and White Plans for use in the event of toxic attack and concern the deployment of emergency responding personnel, the provision of life support and antidotes in the contaminated zone, the prevention of secondary contamination and the transport and reception of victims at the hospital. Based on the established principle of pre-hospital resuscitation and well-tried assistance plans, this doctrine allows a safe and effective response to terrorist attacks as well as to other toxic release incidents.

Availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to earthworms in urban soils and its implications for risk assessment.

PubMed

Cachada, A; Coelho, C; Gavina, A; Dias, A C; Patinha, C; Reis, A P; da Silva, E Ferreira; Duarte, A C; Pereira, R

2018-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a global problem, and in urban soils they can be found at potentially hazard levels. Nevertheless, the real risks that these contaminants pose to the environment are not well known, since the bioavailability of PAHs in urban soils has been poorly studied. Therefore, the bioavailability of PAHs in some selected urban soils from Lisbon (Portugal) was evaluated. Moreover, the applicability of a first screening phase based on total contents of PAHs was assessed. Results show that bioavailability of PAHs is reduced (low levels in earthworms, low accumulation percentages, and low biota-to-soil accumulation factors values), especially in more contaminated soils. The aging of these compounds explains this low availability, and confirms the generally accepted assumption that accumulation of PAHs in urban areas is mostly related with a long-term deposition of contaminated particles. The comparison of measured PAHs concentrations in earthworm tissues with the ones predicted based on theoretical models, reinforce that risks based on total levels are overestimated, but it can be a good initial approach for urban soils. This study also highlights the need of more reliable ecotoxicological data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the microbial quality of a tropical watershed with an urbanization gradient using traditional and alternate fecal indicators.

PubMed

Santiago-Rodriguez, Tasha M; Toranzos, Gary A; Arce-Nazario, Javier A

2016-10-01

Urbanization affects the microbial loading into tropical streams, but its impact on water quality varies across watersheds. Rainfall in tropical environments also complicates microbial dynamics due to high seasonal and annual variations. Understanding the dynamics of fecal contamination in tropical surface waters may be further hindered by limitations from the utilization of traditional microbial indicators. We measured traditional (Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli), as well as alternate (enterophages and coliphages) indicators of fecal contamination in a tropical watershed in Puerto Rico during a 1-year period, and examined their relationship with rainfall events across an urbanization gradient. Enterococcus spp. and E. coli concentrations were 4 to 5 logs higher in non-urbanized or pristine sites when compared to enterophages and coliphages, suggesting that traditional fecal indicator bacteria may be natural inhabitants of pristine tropical waters. All of the tested indicators were positively correlated with rainfall and urbanization, except in the most urbanized sites, where rainfall may have had a dilution effect. The present study indicates that utilizing novel indicators of microbial water quality may improve the assessment of fecal contamination and pathogen risk for tropical watersheds.

Situating Educational Leaders as Prophetic Critics in Black Popular Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prier, Darius D.

2017-01-01

This article situates educational leaders as prophetic critics in Black popular culture. These leaders merge cultural criticism with moral and political judgment, analyzing urban youths' lived experiences and representational practices as well as analyzing counter-narrative texts in Black popular culture that have implications for urban education.…

Effectiveness of remediation of metal-contaminated mangrove sediments (Sydney estuary, Australia).

PubMed

Birch, Gavin; Nath, Bibhash; Chaudhuri, Punarbasu

2015-04-01

Industrial activities and urbanization have had a major consequence for estuarine ecosystem health and water quality globally. Likewise, Sydney estuary has been significantly impacted by widespread, poor industrial practices in the past, and remediation of legacy contaminants have been undertaken in limited parts of this waterway. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effectiveness of remediation of a former Pb-contaminated industrial site in Homebush Bay on Sydney estuary (Australia) through sampling of inter-tidal sediments and mangrove (Avicennia marina) tissue (fine nutritive roots, pneumatophores, and leaves). Results indicate that since remediation 6 years previously, Pb and other metals (Cu, Ni and Zn) in surficial sediment have increased to concentrations that approach pre-remediation levels and that they were considerably higher than pre-settlement levels (3-30 times), as well as at the reference site. Most metals were compartmentalized in fine nutritive roots with bio-concentration factors greater than unity, while tissues of pneumatophores and leaves contained low metal concentrations. Lead concentrations in fine nutritive root, pneumatophore, and leaf tissue of mangroves from the remediated site were similar to trees in un-remediated sites of the estuary and were substantially higher than plants at the reference site. The situation for Zn in fine nutritive root tissue was similar. The source of the metals was either surface/subsurface water from the catchment or more likely remobilized contaminated sediment from un-remediated parts of Homebush Bay. Results of this study demonstrate the problems facing management in attempting to reduce contamination in small parts of a large impacted area to concentrations below local base level.

The Trauma Patient Tracking System: implementing a wireless monitoring infrastructure for emergency response.

PubMed

Maltz, Jonathan; C Ng, Thomas; Li, Dustin; Wang, Jian; Wang, Kang; Bergeron, William; Martin, Ron; Budinger, Thomas

2005-01-01

In mass trauma situations, emergency personnel are challenged with the task of prioritizing the care of many injured victims. We propose a trauma patient tracking system (TPTS) where first-responders tag all patients with a wireless monitoring device that continuously reports the location of each patient. The system can be used not only to prioritize patient care, but also to determine the time taken for each patient to receive treatment. This is important in training emergency personnel and in identifying bottlenecks in the disaster response process. In situations where biochemical agents are involved, a TPTS may be employed to determine sites of cross-contamination. In order to track patient location in both outdoor and indoor environments, we employ both Global Positioning System (GPS) and Television/ Radio Frequency (TVRF) technologies. Each patient tag employs IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi)/TCP/IP networking to communicate with a central server via any available Wi-Fi basestation. A key component to increase TPTS fault-tolerance is a mobile Wi-Fi basestation that employs redundant Internet connectivity to ensure that tags at the disaster scene can send information to the central server even when local infrastructure is unavailable for use. We demonstrate the robustness of the system in tracking multiple patients in a simulated trauma situation in an urban environment.

Parking lot sealcoat: An unrecognized source of urban polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, B.J.; Van Metre, P.C.; Bashara, T.J.; Wilson, J.T.; Johns, D.A.

2005-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a ubiquitous contaminant in urban environments. Although numerous sources of PAHs to urban runoff have been identified, their relative importance remains uncertain. We show that a previously unidentified source of urban PAHs, parking lot sealcoat, may dominate loading of PAHs to urban water bodies in the United States. Particles in runoff from parking lots with coal-tar emulsion sealcoat had mean concentrations of PAHs of 3500 mg/kg, 65 times higher than the mean concentration from unsealed asphalt and cement lots. Diagnostic ratios of individual PAHs indicating sources are similar for particles from coal-tar emulsion sealed lots and suspended sediment from four urban streams. Contaminant yields projected to the watershed scale for the four associated watersheds indicate that runoff from sealed parking lots could account for the majority of stream PAH loads.

Sources and contamination rate of port sediments: evidences from dimensional, mineralogical, and chemical investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucchetti, Gabriella; Cutroneo, Laura; Carbone, Cristina; Consani, Sirio; Vagge, Greta; Canepa, Giuseppe; Capello, Marco

2017-04-01

Ports are complex environments due to their complicated geometry (quays, channels, and piers), the presence of human activities (vessel traffic, yards, industries, and discharges), and natural factors (stream and torrent inputs, sea action, and currents). Due to the many activities that take place in a port, sediments and waters are often contaminated by different kinds of chemicals, such as hydrocarbons, dioxins, pesticides, nutrients, and metals. The contamination rate of a port basin is site specific and depends on the sources of contamination in the nearby urban system as well as the port system itself, such as city discharges and sewers, river intake, vessel traffic, factories (Taylor and Owens, 2009). Moreover, two important sources and vehicles of contaminants are: a) anthropogenic road deposited sediments derived from the runoff of the port and city area, and natural road deposited sediments derived from rivers and torrents, and b) airborne particulate matter and sediments (Taylor and Owens, 2009). The Port of Genoa is situated at the apex of the Ligurian Sea in the north western Mediterranean Sea and is characterised by the presence of several commercial activities that have contributed, over the years, and still contribute today, to the contaminant accumulation in both the water column and the bottom sediments. This port basin includes the mouth of several streams and the mouth of the Bisagno and the Polcevera Torrents, along the banks of which can be found several small towns, quarries, factories, and the suburbs of the city of Genoa, a ferry terminal, different container terminals, marinas, dry docks, the coal power plant of Genoa, and different wastewater treatment plant discharges. Starting from these considerations, we have examined the marine environment of a port from the point of view of the water mass circulation, hydrological characteristics, distribution of the sediment grain size, mineralogical characteristics, and metal concentrations of the bottom sediments. Our results show that, in the case of the Port of Genoa (north western Italy), both the impact of the human activities (such as coal power plant, oil depots, yards, dredging of the bottom sediments, etc.) and the natural processes (such as currents, fresh water and sediment inputs from the torrents), together with the morphology of the basin, are important factors in sediment, water and metal distributions and give rise to a complex environment. Taylor, K.G., Owens, P.N., 2009. Sediments in urban river basins: a review of sediment contaminant dynamics in an environmental system conditioned by human activities. Journal of Soils and Sediments 9: 281-303.

Predicting runoff induced mass loads in urban watersheds: Linking land use and pyrethroid contamination.

PubMed

Chinen, Kazue; Lau, Sim-Lin; Nonezyan, Michael; McElroy, Elizabeth; Wolfe, Becky; Suffet, Irwin H; Stenstrom, Michael K

2016-10-01

Pyrethroid pesticide mass loadings in the Ballona Creek Watershed were calculated using the volume-concentration method with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to explore potential relationships between urban land use, impervious surfaces, and pyrethroid runoff flowing into an urban stream. A calibration of the GIS volume-concentration model was performed using 2013 and 2014 wet-weather sampling data. Permethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin were detected as the highest concentrations; deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin and cyfluthrin were the most frequently detected synthetic pyrethroids. Eight neighborhoods within the watershed were highlighted as target areas based on a Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) in GIS. Water phase concentration of synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) were calculated from the reported usage. The need for stricter BMP and consumer product controls was identified as a possible way of reducing the detections of pyrethroids in Ballona Creek. This model has significant implications for determining mass loadings due to land use influence, and offers a flexible method to extrapolate data for a limited amount of samplings for a larger watershed, particularly for chemicals that are not subject to environmental monitoring. Offered as a simple approach to watershed management, the GIS-volume concentration model has the potential to be applied to other target pesticides and is useful for simulating different watershed scenarios. Further research is needed to compare results against other similar urban watersheds situated in mediterranean climates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Ecological Risk of Heavy Metal Contamination in Coastal Municipalities of Montenegro.

PubMed

Mugoša, Boban; Đurović, Dijana; Nedović-Vuković, Mirjana; Barjaktarović-Labović, Snežana; Vrvić, Miroslav

2016-03-31

Assessment of heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples of urban parks and playgrounds is very important for the evaluation of potential risks for residents, especially children. Until recently, there has been very little data about urban parks pollution in Montenegro. To evaluate the sources of potential contamination and concentration of heavy metals, soil samples from coastal urban parks and kindergartens of Montenegro were collected. Based on the heavy metal concentrations, multivariate analysis combined with geochemical approaches showed that soil samples in coastal areas of Montenegro had mean Pb and Cd concentrations that were over two times higher than the background values, respectively. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), soil pollution with Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn is contributed by anthropogenic sources. Results for Cr in the surface soils were primarily derived from natural sources. Calculation of different ecological contamination factors showed that Cd is the primary contribution to ecological risk index (RI) origins from anthropogenic, industry, and urbanization sources. This data provides evidence about soil pollution in coastal municipalities of Montenegro. Special attention should be paid to this problem in order to continue further research and to consider possible ways of remediation of the sites where contamination has been observed.

Reversing urban sprawl : a reclaimability index approach for reviving downtown brownfields.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

A key step to promoting urban revitalization is the reclamation of abandoned or underutilized contaminated sites, also known as brownfields. : Effective brownfield redevelopment approaches require environmental, socio-economic and urban planning dime...

Ways to say no: refusal skill strategies among urban adolescents.

PubMed

Nichols, Tracy R; Graber, Julia A; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Botvin, Gilbert J

2006-01-01

To examine associations among adolescents' generated verbal strategies (ie, Simple No, Declarative Statements, Excuse, Alternatives) and underlying nonverbal assertiveness in 2 refusal situations: smoking and shoplifting. Sixth-grade urban minority students (N = 454) participated in videotaped role-play assessments of peer refusal skills. Differences were found by situation with students demonstrating greater use of Simple No in the smoking refusal and Alternatives in the shoplifting refusal. Nonverbal assertiveness was similar across situations and was associated with Declarative Statements, but only in the smoking refusal. Prevention programs should tailor refusal skills practice to cover multiple situations.

[Distribution characteristic and current situation of soil rare earth contamination in the Bayan Obo mining area and Baotou tailing reservoir in Inner Mongolia].

PubMed

Guo, Wei; Fu, Rui-ying; Zhao, Ren-xin; Zhao, Wen-jing; Guo, Jiang-yuan; Zhang, Jun

2013-05-01

The pollution status and distribution characteristic of rare earth elements in soil were analyzed around Bayan Obo mining area and Baotou tailing reservoir located in Inner Mongolia grassland ecosystem, aiming at grasping the overall situation of grassland ecosystem pollution caused by rare earth elements and providing basic information as well as theoretical basis. The results indicated that seven rare earth elements in soils from different directions of Baotou tailing reservoir accumulated to a certain extent compared to the soil background value of Inner Mongolia. The pollution degree was Ce > La > Nd > Pr > Sm > Y > Eu. Within 50 m from the edge of tailing reservoir, soil rare earth contamination was the most serious, with the concentrations of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Y reaching 11,45.0 mg x kg(-1), 23,636.0 mg x kg(-1), 4568.16 mg x kg(-1) , 6855.51 mg x kg(-1), 582.18 mg x kg(-1), 94.21 mg x kg(-1)), and 136.25 mg x kg(-1), respectively. Owing to the dominant wind direction of northwest, soils from the southeast were contaminated most seriously. For Bayan Obo mining area, the concentrations of seven rare earth elements in soil from the mining area were significantly higher than those of other areas investigated, with the concentrations of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Y reaching 3112.56 mg x kg(-1), 7142.12 mg x kg(-1), 1467.12 mg x kg(-1), 2552.80 mg x kg(-1), 210.80 mg x kg(-1), 36.20 mg x kg(-1) and 63.22 mg x kg(-1), respectively. The soils of six areas of Bayan Obo mining area were all contaminated by rare earth elements, and the contamination degree was in the order of mining area > outside the dump > east side of the railway > the dump > outside the urban area > west side of the railway. Besides, the transportation of rare earth ore led to the soil rare earth contamination along the railway, and the distribution characteristic of rare earth elements in soils along the railway was affected by the dominant wind direction of northwest. Baotou tailing reservoir and Bayan Obo mining area had the same contamination characteristic, and the concentrations of rare earth elements were in accordance with those in the tailings. The health and stabilization of local grassland ecosystem are being threatened by excessive soil rare earth elements.

Urban Middle School Students Responses to Anger Situations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosworth, Kris; Hammer, Ronen

The situations in which young adolescents identify anger and the strategies they use in response to anger were studied with students from a midwestern urban middle school health class. The sample included 53 sixth graders, 41 seventh graders, and 41 eighth graders. Responses to a one-page survey indicated that students reported more anger…

Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of emerging organic chemicals in urban rivers: Guangzhou as a case study in China.

PubMed

Peng, Feng-Jiao; Pan, Chang-Gui; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Nai-Sheng; Windfeld, Ronja; Salvito, Daniel; Selck, Henriette; Van den Brink, Paul J; Ying, Guang-Guo

2017-07-01

Urban rivers may receive contamination from various sources including point sources like domestic sewage and nonpoint sources (e.g., runoff), resulting in contamination with various chemicals. This study investigated the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants (3 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), and 17 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)) in six urban rivers of a representative subtropical city, Guangzhou (southern China). Our results showed that EDCs and personal care products were frequently detected in the water phase and sediment phase. 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) was the most predominant compound with the highest concentration of 5050ng/L in the water phase and 14,400ng/g dry weight (dw) in the sediment. Generally, higher total concentrations of EDCs and PPCPs were detected in the four urban streams compared to the main stream Zhujiang River and the Liuxi River at the suburb area. A screening-level risk assessment showed that 4-nonylphenol and triclosan (TCS) pose potential risks to aquatic organisms in most sampling sites. For individual taxa, 4-NP may pose risks to various groups of aquatic organisms, while TCS only might pose high risks to algae. Higher contamination of EDCs and PPCPs was observed in rivers in urban area; 4-nonylphenol and triclosan showed RQs>1 in >70% of the reported area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EFFECTS OF A HIGHLY-CONTAMINATED URBAN HARBOR ON AN ESTUARINE FISH SPECIES: ADAPTIVE CHANGES AT SPECIFIC LOCI

EPA Science Inventory

Fundulus heteroclitus populations indigenous to certain highly contaminated sites demonstrate an inherited tolerance to the toxic effects of local chemical contaminants. Our initial studies examining populations of F. heterclitus indigenous to a PCB-contaminated Superfund site at...

EFFECTS OF A HIGHLY-CONTAMINATED URBAN HARBOR ON AN ESTUARINE FISH SPECIES: NEUTRAL MARKERS OF POPULATION GENETIC STRUCTURE

EPA Science Inventory

Fundulus heteroclitus populations indigenous to certain highly contaminated sites demonstrate an inherited tolerance to the toxic effects of local chemical contaminants. Our initial studies examining populations of F. heterclitus indigenous to a PCB-contaminated Superfund site at...

Parking lot sealcoat: an unrecognized source of urban polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

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

Barbara J. Mahler; Peter C. Van Metre; Thomas J. Bashara

2005-08-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a ubiquitous contaminant in urban environments. Although numerous sources of PAHs to urban runoff have been identified, their relative importance remains uncertain. The authors show that a previously unidentified source of urban PAHs, parking lot sealcoat, may dominate loading of PAHs to urban water bodies in the United States. Particles in runoff from parking lots with coal-tar emulsion sealcoat had mean concentrations of PAHs of 3500 mg/kg, 65 times higher than the mean concentration from unsealed asphalt and cement lots. Diagnostic ratios of individual PAHs indicating sources are similar for particles from coal-tar emulsion sealedmore » lots and suspended sediment from four urban streams. Contaminant yields projected to the watershed scale for the four associated watersheds indicate that runoff from sealed parking lots could account for the majority of stream PAH loads. 35 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Groundwater contamination in relation with the increasing urbanization rate in Africa. Case of Cotonou and Porto Novo (Benin).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odeloui, Diane; Celle-Jeanton, Hélène; Huneau, Frédéric; Boukari, Moussa; Alassane, Abdelkarim; Garel, Emilie; Lavastre, Véronique; Bertrand, Guillaume

2016-04-01

More than one billion people in the world still have no access to sufficient resources in drinking water (United Nation, 2014). In particular, large cities in Africa have to face several problems: 1) population growth associated with the strongest urbanization rate increase (5% per year) of the world leading to a dramatic increase in good-quality water needs, 2) low levels of solid waste management and sanitation services, 3) insufficient or disconnected water supply services, 4) low knowledge of water resources availabilities. The situation in Benin is a relevant illustration of the problems that Africa has to face to. As many other coastal urban areas in Africa (Showers, 2002; Re et al., 2011), Cotonou and Porto Novo cities have seen a rapid increase of their population as these towns constitute a corridor of transit for the imports and the exports in the nearby countries. Hence, they are very attractive for job hunters, and constitute the administrative centers for the whole country. This rapid population growth amplifies the problem of water supply and may generate serious impacts on groundwater resources: depletion due to overexploitation, salinization due to seawater intrusion and pollution linked to human activities. In order to insure a safe water supply in the context of increasing urbanization and population in the coastal area of Cotonou and Porto Novo, the identification of the main sources of pollution is essential for the implementation of long-term water management procedures. Based on two field campaigns carried out in January-2012 (dry season) and August-2012 (rainy season), hydrochemical analysis have been realized on groundwater sampled from boreholes drilled in the CTA (Continental Terminal Aquifer) and wells dug in the QCA (Quaternary Coastal Aquifer) in order to investigate the origin of salinization and the present time extension of the nitrate contamination. Historical data have also been collected from previous studies in order to investigate the evolution of the saline intrusion within both aquifers and to propose managerial schemes for the sustainable exploitation of the groundwater resources.

Fecal contamination of drinking water within peri-urban households, Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Oswald, William E; Lescano, Andrés G; Bern, Caryn; Calderon, Maritza M; Cabrera, Lilia; Gilman, Robert H

2007-10-01

We assessed fecal contamination of drinking water in households in 2 peri-urban communities of Lima, Peru. We measured Escherichia coli counts in municipal source water and, within households, water from principal storage containers, stored boiled drinking water, and water in a serving cup. Source water was microbiologically clean, but 26 (28%) of 93 samples of water stored for cooking had fecal contamination. Twenty-seven (30%) of 91 stored boiled drinking water samples grew E. coli. Boiled water was more frequently contaminated when served in a drinking cup than when stored (P < 0.01). Post-source contamination increased successively through the steps of usage from source water to the point of consumption. Boiling failed to ensure safe drinking water at the point of consumption because of easily contaminated containers and poor domestic hygiene. Hygiene education, better point-of-use treatment and storage options, and in-house water connections are urgently needed.

Nitrate source identification in groundwater of multiple land-use areas by combining isotopes and multivariate statistical analysis: A case study of Asopos basin (Central Greece).

PubMed

Matiatos, Ioannis

2016-01-15

Nitrate (NO3) is one of the most common contaminants in aquatic environments and groundwater. Nitrate concentrations and environmental isotope data (δ(15)N-NO3 and δ(18)O-NO3) from groundwater of Asopos basin, which has different land-use types, i.e., a large number of industries (e.g., textile, metal processing, food, fertilizers, paint), urban and agricultural areas and livestock breeding facilities, were analyzed to identify the nitrate sources of water contamination and N-biogeochemical transformations. A Bayesian isotope mixing model (SIAR) and multivariate statistical analysis of hydrochemical data were used to estimate the proportional contribution of different NO3 sources and to identify the dominant factors controlling the nitrate content of the groundwater in the region. The comparison of SIAR and Principal Component Analysis showed that wastes originating from urban and industrial zones of the basin are mainly responsible for nitrate contamination of groundwater in these areas. Agricultural fertilizers and manure likely contribute to groundwater contamination away from urban fabric and industrial land-use areas. Soil contribution to nitrate contamination due to organic matter is higher in the south-western part of the area far from the industries and the urban settlements. The present study aims to highlight the use of environmental isotopes combined with multivariate statistical analysis in locating sources of nitrate contamination in groundwater leading to a more effective planning of environmental measures and remediation strategies in river basins and water bodies as defined by the European Water Frame Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC).

Air contaminants and litter fall decomposition in urban forest areas: The case of São Paulo - SP, Brazil.

PubMed

Lamano Ferreira, Maurício; Portella Ribeiro, Andreza; Rodrigues Albuquerque, Caroline; Ferreira, Ana Paula do Nascimento Lamano; Figueira, Rubens César Lopes; Lafortezza, Raffaele

2017-05-01

Urban forests are usually affected by several types of atmospheric contaminants and by abnormal variations in weather conditions, thus facilitating the biotic homogenization and modification of ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling. Peri-urban forests and even natural forests that surround metropolitan areas are also subject to anthropogenic effects generated by cities, which may compromise the dynamics of these ecosystems. Hence, this study advances the hypothesis that the forests located at the margins of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil, have high concentrations of atmospheric contaminants leading to adverse effects on litter fall stock. The production, stock and decomposition of litter fall in two forests were quantified. The first, known as Guarapiranga forest, lies closer to the urban area and is located within the MRSP, approximately 20km from the city center. The second, Curucutu forest, is located 70km from the urban center. This forest is situated exactly on the border of the largest continuum of vegetation of the Atlantic Forest. To verify the reach of atmospheric pollutants from the urban area, levels of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu) adsorbed on the litter fall deposited on the soil surface of the forests were also quantified. The stock of litter fall and the levels of heavy metals were generally higher in the Guarapiranga forest in the samples collected during the lower rainfall season (dry season). Non-metric multidimensional scaling multivariate analysis showed a clear distinction of the sample units related to the concentrations of heavy metals in each forest. A subtle difference between the units related to the dry and rainy seasons in the Curucutu forest was also noted. Multivariate Analysis of Variance revealed that both site and season of the year (dry or rainy) were important to differentiate the quantity of heavy metals in litter fall stock, although the analysis did not show the interaction between these two factors. Precipitation appeared to be an important factor to disperse air pollutants; one method to better regulate this process is the development and integration of green infrastructure at city level, which might contribute to nature-based solutions. Results suggest that although the Curucutu forest is not very far from the MRSP, which could result in heavy metal levels similar to those observed in the Guarapiranga forest, the weather conditions, geographic location and rainfall rates might act as efficient physical barriers against the dispersion of pollutants in the urban area. However, it is important to highlight that in the period studied (2012-2013), MRSP presented unusual features during the winter period marked by the highest levels of precipitation which was due to several numbers of frontal systems and also due to their permanence for a couple days in the region. Thus, it is recommended to continue this study in order to obtain a database for characterizing the seasonal variation of air pollution levels in the litter fall and their adverse effects on ecosystem processes in these remnants of the Atlantic Forest. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Effecting Parameters on Optimum Arrangement of Urban Land Uses and Assessment of Their Compatibility Using Adjacency Matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaezi, S.; Mesgari, M. S.; Kaviary, F.

2015-12-01

Todays, stability of human life is threatened by a set of parameters. So sustainable urban development theory is introduced after the stability theory to protect the urban environment. In recent years, sustainable urban development gains a lot of attraction by different sciences and totally becomes a final target for urban development planners and managers to use resources properly and to establish a balanced relationship among human, community, and nature. Proper distribution of services for decreasing spatial inequalities, promoting the quality of living environment, and approaching an urban stability requires an analytical understanding of the present situation. Understanding the present situation is the first step for making a decision and planning effectively. This paper evaluates effective parameters affecting proper arrangement of land-uses using a descriptive-analytical method, to develop a conceptual framework for understanding of the present situation of urban land-uses, based on the assessment of their compatibility. This study considers not only the local parameters, but also spatial parameters are included in this study. The results indicate that land-uses in the zone considered here are not distributed properly. Considering mentioned parameters and distributing service land-uses effectively cause the better use of these land-uses.

Dispersal and fallout simulations for urban consequences management (u)

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

Grinstein, Fernando F; Wachtor, Adam J; Nelson, Matt

2010-01-01

Hazardous chemical, biological, or radioactive releases from leaks, spills, fires, or blasts, may occur (intentionally or accidentally) in urban environments during warfare or as part of terrorist attacks on military bases or other facilities. The associated contaminant dispersion is complex and semi-chaotic. Urban predictive simulation capabilities can have direct impact in many threat-reduction areas of interest, including, urban sensor placement and threat analysis, contaminant transport (CT) effects on surrounding civilian population (dosages, evacuation, shelter-in-place), education and training of rescue teams and services. Detailed simulations for the various processes involved are in principle possible, but generally not fast. Predicting urban airflowmore » accompanied by CT presents extremely challenging requirements. Crucial technical issues include, simulating turbulent fluid and particulate transport, initial and boundary condition modeling incorporating a consistent stratified urban boundary layer with realistic wind fluctuations, and post-processing of the simulation results for practical consequences management. Relevant fluid dynamic processes to be simulated include, detailed energetic and contaminant sources, complex building vortex shedding and flows in recirculation zones, and modeling of particle distributions, including particulate fallout, as well as deposition, re-suspension and evaporation. Other issues include, modeling building damage effects due to eventual blasts, addressing appropriate regional and atmospheric data reduction.« less

The legacy of chlorinated solvents in the Birmingham aquifer, UK: Observations spanning three decades and the challenge of future urban groundwater development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivett, Michael O.; Turner, Ryan J.; Glibbery (née Murcott), Penny; Cuthbert, Mark O.

2012-10-01

Licensed abstraction well data collected during 1986-2008 from a total of 77 wells mainly located at industrial sites combined with historic land use data from 1975 has allowed insight into the legacy of chlorinated solvent contamination in the Birmingham aquifer that underlies the UK's second largest city. This legacy, expected to be reasonably symptomatic of those occurring in other urban aquifers, was characterised by: dominance of parent solvents, particularly TCE (trichloroethene) that widely exceeded drinking-water quality criteria; greater TCE occurrence in wells in proximity to increased historic land use by the metal/engineering solvent-user industry (the relationship providing a first-pass indicator of future resource development potential); regional groundwater vulnerability controls; well abstraction changes (over months to decades) influential of observed concentration transients and anticipated plume capture or release; persistence of contamination over decades (with less soluble PCE (perchloroethene) showing increased persistence relative to TCE) that was reasonably ascribed to slow contaminant release from DNAPL (dense non-aqueous phase liquid) sources and, or low permeability layers; presence of dechlorination products arising from solvent (bio)degradation, although this key attenuation process appeared to have moderate to weak influence regionally on plumes; and, inadvertent, but significant solvent mass removal from the aquifer by industrial abstractions. Key challenges to realising future urban groundwater development were identified based on the observed legacy and well capture zone simulations. Despite the extensive contamination of the aquifer, it should still be possible to develop wells of high (several megalitres per day) capacity for drinking water supply (or other lower grade uses) without the requirement for solvent treatment. In those areas with higher risk of contamination, our dataset, together with application of emergent risk assessment approaches (that our dataset may serve to validate), could be used to inform potential abstractors as to whether solvent treatment is likely to be required at a particular abstraction site with time. Challenges identified that were relevant to the future development of Birmingham and urban aquifers more generally include the adequacy of groundwater quality monitoring data and uncertainties in contaminant source terms, abstraction well capture zone predictions and plume natural attenuation, in particular degradation rates. The study endorses that despite significant solvent contamination encountered, strategies can, and need, to be increasingly found to reclaim urban aquifer resources and more sustainably meet urban water demands.

Determinants of Parental Monitoring and Preadolescent Sexual Risk Situations among African American Families Living in Urban Public Housing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baptiste, Donna R.; Tolou-Shams, Marina; Miller, Scott R.; Mcbride, Cami K.; Paikoff, Roberta L.

2007-01-01

We investigated determinants of parental monitoring and the association between parental monitoring and preadolescent sexual risk situations among low-income, African American families living in urban public housing. Preadolescents and their parents or caregivers who participated in a longitudinal study of familial and contextual influences on…

Urban stormwater harvesting and reuse: a probe into the chemical, toxicology and microbiological contaminants in water quality.

PubMed

Chong, Meng Nan; Sidhu, Jatinder; Aryal, Rupak; Tang, Janet; Gernjak, Wolfgang; Escher, Beate; Toze, Simon

2013-08-01

Stormwater is one of the last major untapped urban water resources that can be exploited as an alternative water source in Australia. The information in the current Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling relating to stormwater harvesting and reuse only emphasises on a limited number of stormwater quality parameters. In order to supply stormwater as a source for higher value end-uses, a more comprehensive assessment on the potential public health risks has to be undertaken. Owing to the stochastic variations in rainfall, catchment hydrology and also the types of non-point pollution sources that can provide contaminants relating to different anthropogenic activities and catchment land uses, the characterisation of public health risks in stormwater is complex, tedious and not always possible through the conventional detection and analytical methods. In this study, a holistic approach was undertaken to assess the potential public health risks in urban stormwater samples from a medium-density residential catchment. A combined chemical-toxicological assessment was used to characterise the potential health risks arising from chemical contaminants, while a combination of standard culture methods and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods was used for detection and quantification of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogens in urban stormwater. Results showed that the concentration of chemical contaminants and associated toxicity were relatively low when benchmarked against other alternative water sources such as recycled wastewater. However, the concentrations of heavy metals particularly cadmium and lead have exceeded the Australian guideline values, indicating potential public health risks. Also, high numbers of FIB were detected in urban stormwater samples obtained from wet weather events. In addition, qPCR detection of human-related pathogens suggested there are frequent sewage ingressions into the urban stormwater runoff during wet weather events. Further water quality monitoring study will be conducted at different contrasting urban catchments in order to undertake a more comprehensive public health risk assessment for urban stormwater.

Nitrate contamination risk assessment in groundwater at regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniela, Ducci

2016-04-01

Nitrate groundwater contamination is widespread in the world, due to the intensive use of fertilizers, to the leaking from the sewage network and to the presence of old septic systems. This research presents a methodology for groundwater contamination risk assessment using thematic maps derived mainly from the land-use map and from statistical data available at the national institutes of statistic (especially demographic and environmental data). The potential nitrate contamination is considered as deriving from three sources: agricultural, urban and periurban. The first one is related to the use of fertilizers. For this reason the land-use map is re-classified on the basis of the crop requirements in terms of fertilizers. The urban source is the possibility of leaks from the sewage network and, consequently, is linked to the anthropogenic pressure, expressed by the population density, weighted on the basis of the mapped urbanized areas of the municipality. The periurban sources include the un-sewered areas, especially present in the periurban context, where illegal sewage connections coexist with on-site sewage disposal (cesspools, septic tanks and pit latrines). The potential nitrate contamination map is produced by overlaying the agricultural, urban and periurban maps. The map combination process is very easy, being an algebraic combination: the output values are the arithmetic average of the input values. The groundwater vulnerability to contamination can be assessed using parametric methods, like DRASTIC or easier, like AVI (that involves a limited numbers of parameters). In most of cases, previous documents produced at regional level can be used. The pollution risk map is obtained by combining the thematic maps of the potential nitrate contamination map and the groundwater contamination vulnerability map. The criterion for the linkages of the different GIS layers is very easy, corresponding to an algebraic combination. The methodology has been successfully applied in a large flat area of southern Italy, with high concentrations in NO3.

THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS OF DRINKING WATER

EPA Science Inventory

A number of chemical contaminants have been identified in drinking water. These contaminants reach drinking water supplies from various sources, including municipal and industrial discharges, urban and rural run-off, natural geological formations, drinking water distrib...

Rooftop Runoff as a Source of Contamination: A Review

EPA Science Inventory

Scientific reports concerning chemical and microbiological contaminant levels of rainwater runoff from rooftop collection in both urban and rural areas are reviewed. This alternative source of water has been documented to often contain substantial amounts of contaminants. Studi...

Microplastic contamination of river beds significantly reduced by catchment-wide flooding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurley, Rachel; Woodward, Jamie; Rothwell, James J.

2018-04-01

Microplastic contamination of the oceans is one of the world's most pressing environmental concerns. The terrestrial component of the global microplastic budget is not well understood because sources, stores and fluxes are poorly quantified. We report catchment-wide patterns of microplastic contamination, classified by type, size and density, in channel bed sediments at 40 sites across urban, suburban and rural river catchments in northwest England. Microplastic contamination was pervasive on all river channel beds. We found multiple urban contamination hotspots with a maximum microplastic concentration of approximately 517,000 particles m-2. After a period of severe flooding in winter 2015/16, all sites were resampled. Microplastic concentrations had fallen at 28 sites and 18 saw a decrease of one order of magnitude. The flooding exported approximately 70% of the microplastic load stored on these river beds (equivalent to 0.85 ± 0.27 tonnes or 43 ± 14 billion particles) and eradicated microbead contamination at 7 sites. We conclude that microplastic contamination is efficiently flushed from river catchments during flooding.

Understanding the Impacts of Land Uses on the Source Apportionment of Atmospheric Contamination By Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons throughout a Small State in the Northeast United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schifman, L. A.; Boving, T. B.

2014-12-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are ubiquitous contaminants that enter the environment through combustion processes and are often found in higher concentration of urban areas. However, once released, these compounds can travel long distances via transport through the atmosphere and can be deposited on the landscape far away from their original source. This PAH deposition pattern can slowly lead to the diffuse contamination of whole landscapes. Since most of the air masses entering the northeastern United States originate from the Midwest where coal burning power plants are plentiful, several atmospheric pollutants are introduced to the region in addition to local sources. Here, atmospheric deposition of PAHs in six different locations throughout Rhode Island was measured using passive bulk-deposition samplers for 3 years. The data were analyzed statistically by principal component analysis and factor analysis to identify the source of contamination and respective apportionment. The data clearly show that an urban-to- rural gradient exists where deposition rates are significantly higher in urban areas (up to 12325 ng/d m2 ∑PAH) compared to rural areas (as low as 11 ng/d m2 ∑PAH) and also follow seasonal trends that show higher deposition rates in the fall and winter compared to the summer and spring time. Further, based on PAH source apportionment ratios, contamination origins differ spatially. For example, fossil fuel, coal, and vehicle combustion is present in all samples; however fossil fuel combustion is dominant in urban samples. In Rural areas biomass combustion is much more prevalent and is not as greatly represented in urban or suburban areas. Therefore, even in a small state such as Rhode Island airborne PAH contamination can be fingerprinted readily for different sampling areas, indicating that distant emission sources have a widespread impact on regional air quality.

Quantification of human-associated fecal indicators reveal sewage from urban watersheds as a source of pollution to Lake Michigan.

PubMed

Templar, Hayley A; Dila, Deborah K; Bootsma, Melinda J; Corsi, Steven R; McLellan, Sandra L

2016-09-01

Sewage contamination of urban waterways from sewer overflows and failing infrastructure is a major environmental and public health concern. Fecal coliforms (FC) are commonly employed as fecal indicator bacteria, but do not distinguish between human and non-human sources of fecal contamination. Human Bacteroides and human Lachnospiraceae, two genetic markers for human-associated indicator bacteria, were used to identify sewage signals in two urban rivers and the estuary that drains to Lake Michigan. Grab samples were collected from the rivers throughout 2012 and 2013 and hourly samples were collected in the estuary across the hydrograph during summer 2013. Human Bacteroides and human Lachnospiraceae were highly correlated with each other in river samples (Pearson's r = 0.86), with average concentrations at most sites elevated during wet weather. These human indicators were found during baseflow, indicating that sewage contamination is chronic in these waterways. FC are used for determining total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) in management plans; however, FC concentrations alone failed to prioritize river reaches with potential health risks. While 84% of samples with >1000 CFU/100 ml FC had sewage contamination, 52% of samples with moderate (200-1000 CFU/100 ml) and 46% of samples with low (<200 CFU/100 ml) FC levels also had evidence of human sewage. Load calculations in the in the Milwaukee estuary revealed storm-driven sewage contamination varied greatly among events and was highest during an event with a short duration of intense rain. This work demonstrates urban areas have unrecognized sewage inputs that may not be adequately prioritized for remediation by the TMDL process. Further analysis using these approaches could determine relationships between land use, storm characteristics, and other factors that drive sewage contamination in urban waterways. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantification of human-associated fecal indicators reveal sewage from urban watersheds as a source of pollution to Lake Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olds, Hayley T.; Dila, Deborah K.; Bootsma, Melinda J.; Corsi, Steven; McLellan, Sandra L.

2016-01-01

Sewage contamination of urban waterways from sewer overflows and failing infrastructure is a major environmental and public health concern. Fecal coliforms (FC) are commonly employed as fecal indicator bacteria, but do not distinguish between human and non-human sources of fecal contamination. Human Bacteroides and humanLachnospiraceae, two genetic markers for human-associated indicator bacteria, were used to identify sewage signals in two urban rivers and the estuary that drains to Lake Michigan. Grab samples were collected from the rivers throughout 2012 and 2013 and hourly samples were collected in the estuary across the hydrograph during summer 2013. Human Bacteroides and human Lachnospiraceae were highly correlated with each other in river samples (Pearson’s r = 0.86), with average concentrations at most sites elevated during wet weather. These human indicators were found during baseflow, indicating that sewage contamination is chronic in these waterways. FC are used for determining total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) in management plans; however, FC concentrations alone failed to prioritize river reaches with potential health risks. While 84% of samples with >1000 CFU/100 ml FC had sewage contamination, 52% of samples with moderate (200–1000 CFU/100 ml) and 46% of samples with low (<200 CFU/100 ml) FC levels also had evidence of human sewage. Load calculations in the in the Milwaukee estuary revealed storm-driven sewage contamination varied greatly among events and was highest during an event with a short duration of intense rain. This work demonstrates urban areas have unrecognized sewage inputs that may not be adequately prioritized for remediation by the TMDL process. Further analysis using these approaches could determine relationships between land use, storm characteristics, and other factors that drive sewage contamination in urban waterways.

[Survey on pinworm infection and egg contamination among urban, suburban and rural pupils in Shangqiu City].

PubMed

Cui, Jin-Huan; Wang, Chenl; Xu, Ying; Man, Na; Cui, Yue; Yang, Xia; Cui, Yan-Mei

2012-12-30

Seven hundred and ninety-eight preschool children and grade one pupils from three schools in the city of Shangqiu were sampled randomly in urban, suburban and rural areas. The transparent tape method was used to examine the infection of pinworm and the contamination of pinworm eggs on the environments. The average infection rate of pinworm was 9.9% (79/798). The prevalence of pinworm infection among the pupils of urban(4.6%) was statistically lower than those of suburban (11.2%) and rural (13.8%) (P < 0.01). The contamination rate of pinworm eggs from armor, fingers, bedclothes, briefs,and stationery in infected pupils are 23.8% (5/21), 18.0% (9/50), 15.8% (3/19), 12.9% (4/31) and 5.0% (2/40), respectively, which showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05).

Emerging contaminants of public health significance as water quality indicator compounds in the urban water cycle.

PubMed

Pal, Amrita; He, Yiliang; Jekel, Martin; Reinhard, Martin; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

2014-10-01

The contamination of the urban water cycle (UWC) with a wide array of emerging organic compounds (EOCs) increases with urbanization and population density. To produce drinking water from the UWC requires close examination of their sources, occurrence, pathways, and health effects and the efficacy of wastewater treatment and natural attenuation processes that may occur in surface water bodies and groundwater. This paper researches in details the structure of the UWC and investigates the routes by which the water cycle is increasingly contaminated with compounds generated from various anthropogenic activities. Along with a thorough survey of chemicals representing compound classes such as hormones, antibiotics, surfactants, endocrine disruptors, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, X-ray contrast media, pesticides and metabolites, disinfection-by-products, algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds, this paper provides a comprehensive and holistic review of the occurrence, fate, transport and potential health impact of the emerging organic contaminants of the UWC. This study also illustrates the widespread distribution of the emerging organic contaminants in the different aortas of the ecosystem and focuses on future research needs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fractional bio-accessibility: A new tool for Pb risk assessment from urban garden soils and superfund sites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pb contamination of urban soils and its strong association with elevated blood Pb concentrations, especially in children, has raised concerns about whether gardens should be recommended for urban areas. Reliable evaluation of the potential hazard to the public from exposure to urban garden soils gr...

The Urban Scene--Part 1, Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Ida Frances; Duel, Ward

1978-01-01

Describes the Environmental Control policies and legislation in Chicago, Illinois concerning air, water, noise, solid waste management, urban life, and food protection. This article is the first of a series dealing with urban environmental health situations. (MA)

HISTORICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF CONTAMINANT AND ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN AN URBAN SETTING

EPA Science Inventory

One problem encountered when trying to establish goals for remediation or restoration of contaminated waterways is the determination of appropriate reference conditions. As an alternative to comparison of reference sites with contaminated waterways, historical reconstruction of p...

Assessment of Ecological Risk of Heavy Metal Contamination in Coastal Municipalities of Montenegro

PubMed Central

Mugoša, Boban; Đurović, Dijana; Nedović-Vuković, Mirjana; Barjaktarović-Labović, Snežana; Vrvić, Miroslav

2016-01-01

Assessment of heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples of urban parks and playgrounds is very important for the evaluation of potential risks for residents, especially children. Until recently, there has been very little data about urban parks pollution in Montenegro. To evaluate the sources of potential contamination and concentration of heavy metals, soil samples from coastal urban parks and kindergartens of Montenegro were collected. Based on the heavy metal concentrations, multivariate analysis combined with geochemical approaches showed that soil samples in coastal areas of Montenegro had mean Pb and Cd concentrations that were over two times higher than the background values, respectively. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), soil pollution with Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn is contributed by anthropogenic sources. Results for Cr in the surface soils were primarily derived from natural sources. Calculation of different ecological contamination factors showed that Cd is the primary contribution to ecological risk index (RI) origins from anthropogenic, industry, and urbanization sources. This data provides evidence about soil pollution in coastal municipalities of Montenegro. Special attention should be paid to this problem in order to continue further research and to consider possible ways of remediation of the sites where contamination has been observed. PMID:27043601

Unravelling a 'miner's myth' that environmental contamination in mining towns is naturally occurring.

PubMed

Kristensen, Louise Jane; Taylor, Mark Patrick

2016-08-01

Australia has a long history of metal mining and smelting. Extraction and processing have resulted in elevated levels of toxic metals surrounding mining operations, which have adverse health effects, particularly to children. Resource companies, government agencies and employees often construct 'myths' to down play potential exposure risks and responsibility arising from operating emissions. Typical statements include: contaminants are naturally occurring, the wind blows emissions away from residential areas, contaminants are not bioavailable, or the problem is a legacy issue and not related to current operations. Evidence from mining and smelting towns shows that such 'myths' are exactly that. In mining towns, the default and primary defence against contamination is that elevated metals in adjacent urban environments are from the erosion and weathering of the ore bodies over millennia-hence 'naturally occurring'. Not only is this a difficult argument to unravel from an evidence-based perspective, but also it causes confusion and delays remediation work, hindering efforts to reduce harmful exposures to children. An example of this situation is from Broken Hill, New South Wales, home to one of the world's largest lead-zinc-silver ore body, which has been mined continuously for over 130 years. Environmental metal concentration and lead isotopic data from soil samples collected from across Broken Hill are used to establish the nature and timing of lead contamination. We use multiple lines of evidence to unravel a 'miner's myth' by evaluating current soil metal concentrations and lead isotopic compositions, geological data, historical environmental assessments and old photographic evidence to assess the impacts from early smelting along with mining to the surface soils in the city.

Impact of urbanization coupled with drought situations on groundwater quality in shallow (basalt) and deeper (granite) aquifers with special reference to fluoride in Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation, Nanded District, Maharashtra (India).

PubMed

Pandith, Madhnure; Kaplay, R D; Potdar, S S; Sangnor, H; Rao, A D

2017-09-01

Rapid expansion in urbanization and industrialization coupled with recent drought conditions has triggered unplanned groundwater development leading to severe stress on groundwater resources in many urban cities of India, particularly cities like Nanded, Maharashtra. In the quest of tapping drinking water requirement, due to recent drought conditions, people from the city are piercing through entire thickness of shallow basalt aquifers to reach productive deeper granite aquifers. Earlier reports from Nanded and surrounding districts suggest that deeper granite aquifer is contaminated with fluoride (geogenic). The study aimed to find out variations in fluoride concentration in shallow basalt (10-167 m) and deeper granite aquifers (below 167 m) and to find out the relationship between fluoride and other ions. Study suggests that concentration of fluoride in shallow basalt aquifer is within maximum permissible limits of Bureau of Indian Standards and deeper granite aquifer contains as high as 4.9 mg/l of fluoride and all samples from granite aquifers are unfit for human consumption. The groundwater from basalt aquifer is mainly Ca-HCO 3- Cl type, and from granite aquifer, it is Ca-Na-Cl type. The correlation plot between F - vs. pH, Na + and HCO 3 - shows a positive correlation and an inverse relationship with Ca 2+ in both aquifers. As recommendations, it is suggested that granite aquifers should not be tapped for drinking purposes; however, in drought situations, water from this aquifer should be blended with treated surface water before supplying for drinking purposes. Efforts may be made to utilize 1.35 MCM of rainwater from available rooftop, which is sufficient to cater for the needs of ~40,800 people annually. Most effective defluoridation techniques like electrolytic de-fluoridation (EDF), ion exchange and reverse osmosis may be adopted along with integrated fluorosis mitigation measures.

Rapid decadal evolution in the groundwater arsenic content of Kolkata, India and its correlation with the practices of her dwellers.

PubMed

Malakar, Arindam; Islam, Samirul; Ali, Md Ashif; Ray, Sugata

2016-10-01

Increasing arsenic contamination in the groundwater is one of the biggest environmental challenges that the Bengal delta is facing today. Groundwater is still the main source of water for a large number of population in this region and therefore, significant presence of toxic arsenic has a direct consequence on human lives here. Moreover, arsenic also enters into the food chain through the consumed agricultural products grown in this area. Therefore, acquiring knowledge about the ever-changing map of arsenic contamination and employing adequate protective measures are of utmost importance. Here, we present a comprehensive municipal ward-wise map of the arsenic content of the shallow groundwater table of Kolkata-the most important and highly population dense city of the delta. Comparison with previously available data reveals a rapid change and the grim situation for the city. Our study suggests that it should be an immediate task of the administration to extend treated water service to the whole population of the city for direct consumption, and artificial recharge and maximum rainwater replenishment need to be taken up with utmost urgency to avoid intrusion of toxicity in biological food chains via agricultural products. We hope our study would drive the city planners to reconsider the existing urbanization and development plans of all the cities, placed over arsenic-contaminated groundwater aquifers.

URBAN MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS FOR MESOSCALE METEOROLOGICAL AND DISPERSION MODELING APPLICATIONS: CURRENT ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

Representing urban terrain characteristics in mesoscale meteorological and dispersion models is critical to produce accurate predictions of wind flow and temperature fields, air quality, and contaminant transport. A key component of the urban terrain representation is the charac...

A combined hydrochemical - isotopic approach for assessing the regional pollution of an alluvial aquifer in a urbanized environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gesels, Julie; Orban, Philippe; Popescu, Cristina; Knöller, Kay; Brouyère, Serge

2014-05-01

The alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River is contaminated at regional scale in the urbanized and industrialized area of Liège in Belgium with different types of contaminants, in particular inorganics such as sulfate, nitrate and ammonium. The sources of those contaminants are numerous: brownfields, urban waste water, subsurface acid mine drainage from former coal mines, atmospheric deposits related to pollutants emissions in the atmosphere... Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium are both typical pollutants of the aquifer and tracers of the possible pollution sources. According to the European legislation on water, groundwater resources should reach a good quality status before 2015. However, an exemption can be obtained if it may be unfeasible or unreasonably expensive to achieve good status. In this case, groundwater quality objectives and management plans can be adapted to these specific conditions. To obtain such an exemption for the Meuse alluvial aquifer, it is required to demonstrate that the poor qualitative status is caused by acid mine drainage, or by widespread historical atmospheric deposition from industries, and not by recent anthropogenic contamination from the urban and industrial context. In this context, a detailed hydrogeochemical characterization of groundwater has been performed, with the aim of determining the origin of the inorganic contaminations and the main processes contributing to poor groundwater quality. A large hydrochemical sampling campaign was performed, based on 71 selected representative sampling locations, to better characterize the different vectors (end-members) of contamination of the alluvial aquifer and their respective contribution to groundwater contamination in the area. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for major and minor compounds and metallic trace elements. The analyses also include stable isotopes in water, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, boron and strontium. Different hydrogeochemical approaches are combined to obtain a global understanding of the hydrogeochemical processes at regional scale. Hydrochemical interpretations are based on classical diagrams (e.g. Piper), spatial distribution maps, geochemical equations, multivariate statistics and isotopic analyses. With this combined approach, the location of the contaminant sources and most contaminated sectors of the alluvial aquifer together with a better understanding of geochemical processes involved are obtained.

The Role of MDMA (Ecstasy) in Coping with Negative Life Situations Among Urban Young Adults

PubMed Central

Moonzwe, Lwendo S.; Schensul, Jean J.; Kostick, Kristin M.

2011-01-01

This article examines the role of Ecstasy (MDMA or 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) as a drug used for self-medication and coping with both short- and long-term negative life situations. We show that urban youth who do not have a specific diagnosed mental illness are more likely than those who have been diagnosed and have received treatment to use Ecstasy to cope with both situational stress and lifetime trauma. Diagnosed and treated youth sometimes self-medicate with other drugs, but do not choose Ecstasy for mediation of their psychological stress. We discuss the implications of self-medication with Ecstasy for mental health services to urban youth experiencing mental health disparities, and for the continued testing and prescription of MDMA for therapeutic use in controlled clinical settings. PMID:22111403

Remanence of lead pollution in an urban river system: a multi-scale temporal and spatial study in the Seine River basin, France.

PubMed

Ayrault, S; Le Pape, P; Evrard, O; Priadi, C R; Quantin, C; Bonté, P; Roy-Barman, M

2014-03-01

Total lead (Pb) concentration and Pb isotopic ratio ((206)Pb/(20)7Pb) were determined in 140 samples from the Seine River basin (France), covering a period of time from 1945 to 2011 and including bed sediments (bulk and size fractionated samples), suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediment cores, and combined sewer overflow (CSO) particulate matter to constrain the spatial and temporal variability of the lead sources at the scale of the contaminated Seine River basin. A focus on the Orge River subcatchment, which exhibits a contrasted land-use pattern, allows documenting the relation between hydrodynamics, urbanization, and contamination sources. The study reveals that the Pb contamination due to leaded gasoline that peaked in the 1980s has a very limited impact in the river nowadays. In the upstream Seine River, the isotopic ratio analysis suggests a pervasive contamination which origin (coal combustion and/or gasoline lead) should be clarified. The current SPM contamination trend follows the urbanization/industrialization spatial trend. Downstream of Paris, the lead from historical use originating from the Rio Tinto mine, Spain ((206)Pb/(207)Pb=1.1634 ± 0.0001) is the major Pb source. The analysis of the bed sediments (bulk and grain size fractionated) highlights the diversity of the anthropogenic lead sources in relation with the diversity of the human activities that occurred in this basin over the years. The "urban" source, defined by waste waters including the CSO samples ((206)Pb/(207)Pb=1.157 ± 0.003), results of a thorough mixing of leaded gasoline with "historical" lead over the years. Finally, a contamination mixing scheme related to hydrodynamics is proposed.

Phytoscreening for chlorinated solvents using rapid in vitro SPME sampling: Application to urban plume in Verl, Germany

USGS Publications Warehouse

Limmer, M.A.; Balouet, J.-C.; Karg, F.; Vroblesky, D.A.; Burken, J.G.

2011-01-01

Rapid detection and delineation of contaminants in urban settings is critically important in protecting human health. Cores from trees growing above a plume of contaminated groundwater in Verl, Germany, were collected in 1 day, with subsequent analysis and plume mapping completed over several days. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) analysis was applied to detect tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) to below nanogram/liter levels in the transpiration stream of the trees. The tree core concentrations showed a clear areal correlation to the distribution of PCE and TCE in the groundwater. Concentrations in tree cores were lower than the underlying groundwater, as anticipated; however, the tree core water retained the PCE:TCE signature of the underlying groundwater in the urban, populated area. The PCE:TCE ratio can indicate areas of differing degradation activity. Therefore, the phytoscreening analysis was capable not only of mapping the spatial distribution of groundwater contamination but also of delineating zones of potentially differing contaminant sources and degradation. The simplicity of tree coring and the ability to collect a large number of samples in a day with minimal disruption or property damage in the urban setting demonstrates that phytoscreening can be a powerful tool for gaining reconnaissance-level information on groundwater contaminated by chlorinated solvents. The use of SPME decreases the detection level considerably and increases the sensitivity of phytoscreening as an assessment, monitoring, and phytoforensic tool. With rapid, inexpensive, and noninvasive methods of detecting and delineating contaminants underlying homes, as in this case, human health can be better protected through screening of broader areas and with far faster response times. ?? 2011 American Chemical Society.

[Urban shrinkage and challenges for the public health-care service].

PubMed

Kabisch, S

2007-10-01

In the 21st century, urban development is facing new challenges caused by the simultaneous growing and shrinking of cities and urban regions. Whilst the development patterns and instruments of urban growth are well-known and widely accepted, the processes of shrinkage with its broad consequences, sphere of impact and speed need intensive investigation. In particular, urban restructuring including housing demolition brings about psychological stress situations for the affected inhabitants. Until the present time public services, including health-care, are poorly prepared to cope with the new situation. To take account of these new challenges, the adaptation of tasks, instruments and targets is urgently needed. To be successful, a continuous cooperation and communication between municipal institutions and housing enterprises responsible for urban and housing development is indispensable. Furthermore, appropriately focussed scientific research results can support the creation of adequate strategies and instruments.

Trace element concentrations along a gradient of urban pressure in forest and lawn soils of the Paris region (France).

PubMed

Foti, Ludovic; Dubs, Florence; Gignoux, Jacques; Lata, Jean-Christophe; Lerch, Thomas Z; Mathieu, Jérôme; Nold, François; Nunan, Naoise; Raynaud, Xavier; Abbadie, Luc; Barot, Sébastien

2017-11-15

The concentration, degree of contamination and pollution of 7 trace elements (TEs) along an urban pressure gradient were measured in 180 lawn and wood soils of the Paris region (France). Iron (Fe), a major element, was used as reference element. Copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) were of anthropogenic origin, while arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) were of natural origin. Road traffic was identified as the main source of anthropogenic TEs. In addition, the industrial activity of the Paris region, especially cement plants, was identified as secondary source of Cd. Soil characteristics (such as texture, organic carbon (OC) and total nitrogen (tot N) contents) tell the story of the soil origins and legacies along the urban pressure gradient and often can explain TE concentrations. The history of the land-use types was identified as a factor that allowed understanding the contamination and pollution by TEs. Urban wood soils were found to be more contaminated and polluted than urban lawns, probably because woods are much older than lawns and because of the legacy of the historical management of soils in the Paris region (Haussmann period). Lawn soils are similar to the fertile agricultural soils and relatively recently (mostly from the 1950s onwards) imported from the surrounding of Paris, so that they may be less influenced by urban conditions in terms of TE concentrations. Urban wood soils are heavily polluted by Cd, posing a high risk to the biological communities. The concentration of anthropogenic TEs increased from the rural to the urban areas, and the concentrations of most anthropogenic TEs in urban areas were equivalent to or above the regulatory reference values, raising the question of longer-term monitoring. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fecal sludge management in developing urban centers: a review on the collection, treatment, and composting.

PubMed

Odey, Emmanuel Alepu; Li, Zifu; Zhou, Xiaoqin; Kalakodio, Loissi

2017-10-01

The problems posed by fecal sludge (FS) are multidimensional because most cities rapidly urbanize, which results in the increase in population, urban settlement, and waste generation. Issues concerning health and waste treatment have continued to create alarming situations. These issues had indeed interfered with the proper steps in managing FS, which contaminates the environment. FS can be used in agriculture as fertilizer because it is an excellent source of nutrients. The recent decline in crop production due to loss of soil organic component, erosion, and nutrient runoff has generated interest in the recycling of FS into soil nutrients through stabilization and composting. However, human feces are considerably liable to spread microorganisms to other persons. Thus, sanitation, stabilization, and composting should be the main objectives of FS treatment to minimize the risk to public and environmental health. This review presents an improved FS management (FSM) and technology option for soil amendment that is grouped into three headings, namely, (1) collection, (2) treatment, and (3) composting. On the basis of the literature review, the main problems associated with the collection and treatment of FS, such as inadequate tools and improper treatment processes, are summarized, and the trends and challenges that concern the applicability of each of the technologies in developing urban centers are critically reviewed. Stabilization during pretreatment before composting is suggested as the best method to reduce pathogens in FS. Results are precisely intended to be used as a support for decisions on policies and strategies for FSM and investments for improved treatment facilities.

Potential genotoxic effects of melted snow from an urban area revealed by the Allium cepa test.

PubMed

Blagojević, Jelena; Stamenković, Gorana; Vujosević, Mladen

2009-09-01

The presence of well-known atmospheric pollutants is regularly screened for in large towns but knowledge about the effects of mixtures of different pollutants and especially their genotoxic potential is largely missing. Since falling snow collects pollutants from the air, melted snow samples could be suitable for evaluating potential genotoxicity. For this purpose the Allium cepa anaphase-telophase test was used to analyse melted snow samples from Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Samples of snow were taken at two sites, characterized by differences in pollution intensity, in three successive years. At the more polluted site the analyses showed a very high degree of both toxicity and genotoxicity in the first year of the study corresponding to the effects of the known mutagen used as the positive control. At the other site the situation was much better but not without warning signals. The results showed that standard analyses for the presence of certain contaminants in the air do not give an accurate picture of the possible consequences of urban air pollution because the genotoxic potential remains hidden. The A. cepa test has been demonstrated to be very convenient for evaluation of air pollution through analyses of melted snow samples.

Modelling total suspended solids, E. coli and carbamazepine, a tracer of wastewater contamination from combined sewer overflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pongmala, Khemngeun; Autixier, Laurène; Madoux-Humery, Anne-Sophie; Fuamba, Musandji; Galarneau, Martine; Sauvé, Sébastien; Prévost, Michèle; Dorner, Sarah

2015-12-01

Urban source water protection requires knowledge of sources of fecal contamination upstream of drinking water intakes. Combined and sanitary sewer overflows (CSOs and SSOs) are primary sources of microbiological contamination and wastewater micropollutants (WWMPs) in urban water supplies. To quantify the impact of sewer overflows, predictive simulation models are required and have not been widely applied for microbial contaminants such as fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in urban drainage networks. The objective of this study was to apply a simulation model to estimate the dynamics of three contaminants in sewer overflows - total suspended solids, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and carbamazepine, a WWMP. A mixed combined and pseudo-sanitary drainage network in Québec, Canada was studied and modelled for a total of 7 events for which water quality data were available. Model results were significantly correlated with field water quality data. The model confirmed that the contributions of E. coli from runoff and sewer deposits were minor and their dominant source was from sewage. In contrast, the main sources of total suspended solids were stormwater runoff and sewer resuspension. Given that it is not present in stormwater, carbamazepine was found to be a useful stable tracer of sewage contributions to total contaminant loads and also provided an indication of the fraction of total suspended solids originating from sewer deposits because of its similar response to increasing flowrates.

Application of groundwater residence time tracers and broad screening for micro-organic contaminants in the Indo-Gangetic aquifer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapworth, Dan; Das, Prerona; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Petersen, Jade; Gooddy, Daren; Krishan, Gopal

2017-04-01

Groundwater abstracted from aquifers underlying urban centres across India provide a vital source of domestic water. Abstraction from municipal and private supplies is considerable and growing rapidly with ever increasing demand for water from expanding urban populations. This trend is set to continue. The vulnerability of deeper aquifers (typically >100 m below ground) used for domestic water to contamination migration from often heavily contaminated shallow aquifer systems has not been studies in detail in India. This paper focusses on the occurrence of micro-organic contaminants within sedimentary aquifers beneath urban centres which are intensively pumped for drinking water and domestic use. New preliminary results from a detailed case study undertaken across Varanasi, a city with an estimated population of ca. 1.5 million in Uttar Pradesh. Micro -organic groundwater quality status and evolution with depth is investigated through selection of paired shallow and deep sites across the city. These results are considered within the context of paired groundwater residence time tracers within the top 150m within the sedimentary aquifer system. Groundwater emerging contaminant results are compared with surface water quality from the Ganges which is also used for drinking water supply. Broad screening for >800 micro-organic compounds was undertaken. Age dating tools were employed to constrain and inform a conceptual model of groundwater recharge and contaminant evolution within the sedimentary aquifer system.

Lead contamination and source in Shanghai in the past century using dated sediment cores from urban park lakes.

PubMed

Li, H B; Yu, S; Li, G L; Deng, H

2012-08-01

Lead contamination becomes of importance to urban resident health worldwide, especially for child health and growth. Undisturbed lake sediment cores are increasingly employed as a useful tool to backdate environmental contamination history. Five intact sediment cores collected from lakes in five urban parks were dated using (210)Pb and analyzed for total Pb content and isotope ratio to reconstruct the Pb contamination history over the last century in Shanghai, China. Total Pb content in the sediment cores increased by about 2- to 3-fold since 1900s. The profile of Pb flux in each sediment core revealed a remarkable increase of Pb contamination in Shanghai over the past century, especially in the latest three decades when China was experiencing a rapid economic and industrial development. Significant correlations were found between Pb fluxes in sediment cores and Pb emission from coal combustion in Shanghai. Coal combustion emission dominated anthropogenic Pb sources during the past century contributing from 52% to 69% of total Pb in cores, estimated by a three-end member model of Pb isotope ratios. Leaded gasoline emission generally contributed <30% of total Pb, which was banned by 1997 in the Shanghai region. Our results implicate that coal combustion-based energy consumption should be replaced, or at least partially replaced, to reduce health risks of Pb contamination in Shanghai. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ecological Risk Assessment of Metals Contamination in the Sediments of Natural Urban Wetlands in Dry Tropical Climate.

PubMed

Rana, Vivek; Maiti, Subodh Kumar; Jagadevan, Sheeja

2016-09-01

The pollution load due to metal contamination in the sediments of urban wetlands (Dhanbad, India) due to illegal release of domestic and industrial wastewater was studied by using various geochemical indices, such as contamination factor (Cf), degree of contamination (Cd), modified degree of contamination (mCd), pollution load index (PLI) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) for Cu, Co, Cd, Cr and Mn. Cluster analysis (CA) and Principal component analysis (PCA) of metals present in wetland sediments were carried out to assess their origin and relationship with each other. The Cf values for different metals in the wetlands under investigation indicated low to very high level of pollution (Cf ranged between 0.02 and 14.15) with highest Cf (14.15) for Cd. The wetland receiving both domestic and industrial wastewater had the highest values of Cd, mCd and PLI as 17.48, 3.49 and 1.03 respectively.

Assessment of Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Phthalates in Two Urban Rivers of the Northeast of Puerto Rico

PubMed Central

Ortiz-Colón, Ana I; Piñero-Santiago, Luis E; Rivera, Nilsa M; Sosa, María A

2016-01-01

Urbanization adjacent to rivers has increased in recent years and is considered a source of environmental contamination. The resulting increase in number of urban rivers in highly populated areas, such as the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, has led to the appearance of synthetic as well as naturally occurring chemicals not previously observed nor regularly monitored in freshwater habitats. Some of these chemicals, such as heavy metals and plasticizers, have been shown to affect endocrine, respiratory, and nervous system function in animals and humans, even at relatively low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of such emergent contaminants on rivers of urbanized areas on the northeast of Puerto Rico, as one element in the assessment of the impact of urbanism on water quality in these communities. To accomplish this, we used Inductively Coupled Plasma and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry to measure amounts of heavy metals and phthalates, respectively, in superficial water of three rivers of Puerto Rico: Mameyes (non-urban), Río Piedras (urban river without a dam), and La Plata (urban river with a dam). The urban rivers had significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals arsenic, barium, cadmium, manganese, and antimony, when compared with the reference non-urban river. Manganese was the only metal found in concentrations higher than limits established by the EPA for drinking water. Of eight phthalates amenable to measurement with the chosen protocol and instrumentation, only dibutyl phthalate was detected, only in the La Plata river, and at concentrations ranging from 3 to 8 parts-per-billion. These findings suggest that urbanism close to rivers of Puerto Rico is likely having an impact on water quality and thus further study to identify the potential sources, as well as the inclusion of these emergent contaminants on the list of chemicals regularly monitored by government agencies is justified. PMID:27148470

Assessment of Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Phthalates in Two Urban Rivers of the Northeast of Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Ortiz-Colón, Ana I; Piñero-Santiago, Luis E; Rivera, Nilsa M; Sosa, María A

2016-03-20

Urbanization adjacent to rivers has increased in recent years and is considered a source of environmental contamination. The resulting increase in number of urban rivers in highly populated areas, such as the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, has led to the appearance of synthetic as well as naturally occurring chemicals not previously observed nor regularly monitored in freshwater habitats. Some of these chemicals, such as heavy metals and plasticizers, have been shown to affect endocrine, respiratory, and nervous system function in animals and humans, even at relatively low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of such emergent contaminants on rivers of urbanized areas on the northeast of Puerto Rico, as one element in the assessment of the impact of urbanism on water quality in these communities. To accomplish this, we used Inductively Coupled Plasma and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry to measure amounts of heavy metals and phthalates, respectively, in superficial water of three rivers of Puerto Rico: Mameyes (non-urban), Río Piedras (urban river without a dam), and La Plata (urban river with a dam). The urban rivers had significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals arsenic, barium, cadmium, manganese, and antimony, when compared with the reference non-urban river. Manganese was the only metal found in concentrations higher than limits established by the EPA for drinking water. Of eight phthalates amenable to measurement with the chosen protocol and instrumentation, only dibutyl phthalate was detected, only in the La Plata river, and at concentrations ranging from 3 to 8 parts-per-billion. These findings suggest that urbanism close to rivers of Puerto Rico is likely having an impact on water quality and thus further study to identify the potential sources, as well as the inclusion of these emergent contaminants on the list of chemicals regularly monitored by government agencies is justified.

Occurrence of organic wastewater-indicator compounds in urban streams of the Atlanta area, Georgia, 2003-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lawrence, Stephen J.; LaFontaine, Jacob H.

2010-01-01

The similarity in the pattern and distribution of OWICs in samples at sites upstream and downstream from known CSO outfalls indicates that CSOs were not the dominant source of OWICs during the study period. Other sources may include non-sewage discharges-both permitted, permitted but out of compliance, and non-permitted, contaminated groundwater from leaking sewer lines or septic systems, sanitary-sewer overflows, or dry-weather runoff from outdoor water use. These OWICs may be better suited for identifying sewage-contaminated groundwater than sewage-contaminated surface water because groundwater is not typically affected by the OWICs that are more common in urban runoff.

Urban development results in stressors that degrade stream ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, Amanda H.; Coles, James F.; McMahon, Gerard; Woodside, Michael D.

2012-01-01

In 2003, eighty-three percent of Americans lived in metropolitan areas, and considerable population increases are predicted within the next 50 years. Nowhere are the environmental changes associated with urban development more evident than in urban streams. Contaminants, habitat destruction, and increasing streamflow flashiness resulting from urban development have been associated with the disruption of biological communities, particularly the loss of sensitive aquatic biota. Every stream is connected downstream to other water bodies, and inputs of contaminants and (or) sediments to streams can cause degradation downstream with adverse effects on biological communities and on economically valuable resources, such as fisheries and tourism. Understanding how algal, invertebrate, and fish communities respond to physical and chemical stressors associated with urban development can provide important clues on how multiple stressors may be managed to protect stream health as a watershed becomes increasingly urbanized. This fact sheet highlights selected findings of a comprehensive assessment by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of the effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in nine metropolitan study areas.

Leukoproliferative response of splenocytes from English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus) exposed to chemical contaminants

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

Arkoosh, M.R.; Clemons, E.; Huffman, P.

The leukoproliferative (LP) response of splenic leukocytes from the marine benthic fish English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus) stimulated with the mitogens lipopolysaccharide (LPS), convanavalin A (Con A), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was examined as a biomarker of immunotoxic effects. English sole were exposed to contaminants, either by injection of an organic-solvent extract of a sediment containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) or placed for up to 5 weeks on a reference sediment containing 0.15 to 1.5% (v/v) of the PAC-contaminated sediment. English sole either injected with the contaminated extract or held on PAC-contaminated sediment had an augmented response to Con A. Themore » LP response to LPS showed no relationship to PAC exposure in laboratory-exposed fish, while PWM showed no consistent relationship to exposure to PACs. In a field study, English sole captured from an urban area in Puget Sound, Washington, USA, contaminated with PACs and other chemical contaminants had a significantly augmented LP response to Con A and PWM in comparison to the LP response in fish from a nonurban reference site. Fish from another nonurban site also had an augmented LP response to Con A, indicating that the elevation of the Con A LP response can also result from factors other than chemical contaminant exposure. In addition, English sole from this site also had an augmented LP response to LPS, whereas fish from urban sites did not exhibit an augmented LP response to LPS. Overall, the results demonstrated that although the LP response in splenic leukocytes of English sole to Con A was linked to contaminant exposure, the LP response to Con A did not exhibit high specificity as an indicator of chemical contaminant exposure. However, the concerted use of Con A, LPS, and PWM allowed for identification of apparent chemical contaminant-induced alterations of the LP response in English sole from an urban area of Puget Sound.« less

EVALUATION OF CONSTRUCTED WETLAND AND RETENTION POND BMPS FOR ATTENUATING MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS IN URBAN STORMWATER RUNOFF

EPA Science Inventory

This project investigated the use of constructed wetlands and retention ponds for decreasing microbial concentrations from urban stormwater runoff. Increased urbanization has resulted in a larger percentage of impervious areas which cause large quantities of stormwater runoff an...

Tolerance to road salt deicers in chronically exposed urban pond communities

EPA Science Inventory

Freshwater salinization is a concern in urban aquatic ecosystems that receive road salt runoff from vast expanses of impervious surface cover. Our study was designed to evaluate the effects of chloride contamination on urban stormwater pond food webs and to assess the tolerance o...

Fecal contamination of drinking water supplies in and around Chandigarh and correlation with acute gastroenteritis.

PubMed

Neelam, Taneja; Malkit, Singh; Pooja, Rao; Manisha, Biswal; Shiva, Priya; Ram, Chander; Meera, Sharma

2012-12-01

Acute gastroenteritis due to Vibrio cholerae and Enterotoxigenic E. coli is a common problem faced in the hot and humid summer months in north India. The study was undertaken to evaluate drinking water supplies for fecal coliforms, V. cholerae and Enterotoxigenic E. coli in urban, semiurban and rural areas in and around Chandigarh and correlate with occurrence of acute gastroenteritis occurring from the same region. Drinking water sample were collected from various sources from April to October 2004 from a defined area. Samples were tested for fecal coliforms and E. coli count. E. coli were screened for heat labile toxin (LT) also. Stool samples from cases of acute gastroenteritis from the same region and time were collected and processed for V. cholerae, Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and others like Salmonella, Shigella and Aeromonas spp. A total of 364 water samples were collected, (251 semi urban, 41 rural and 72 from urban areas). 116 (31.8%) samples were contaminated with fecal coliforms (58.5% rural, 33.4% semiurban and 11.1% of samples from urban areas). E. coli were grown from 58 samples. Ninety two isolates of E. coli were tested for enterotoxins of which 8 and 24 were positive for LT and ST respectively. V. cholerae were isolated from 2 samples during the outbreak investigation. Stored water samples showed a significantly higher level of contamination and most of Enterotoxigenic E. coli were isolated from stored water samples. A total of 780 acute gastroenteritis cases occurred; 445 from semiurban, 265 rural and 70 from urban areas. Out of 189 stool samples submitted, ETEC were the commonest (30%) followed by V. cholerae (19%), Shigellae (8.4%), Salmonellae (2.1%) and Aeromonas (2.6%). ST-ETEC (40/57) were commoner than LT-ETEC (17/57). In the present study, high levels of contamination of drinking water supplies (32.1%) correlated well with cases of acute gastroenteritis. Majority of cases of acute gastroenteritis occurred in the semi urban corresponding with high level of contamination (33.4%). The highest level of water contamination was seen in rural areas (58.5%) but the number of acute gastroenteritis cases were lesser (33.9%) as ponds were infrequently used for drinking purpose. Safer household water storage and treatment is recommended to prevent acute gastroenteritis, together with point-of-use water quality monitoring.

A new method for modelling roofing materials emissions on the city scale: application for zinc in the City of Créteil (France).

PubMed

Sellami-Kaaniche, Emna; de Gouvello, Bernard; Gromaire, Marie-Christine; Chebbo, Ghassan

2014-04-01

Today, urban runoff is considered as an important source of environmental pollution. Roofing materials, in particular, the metallic ones, are considered as a major source of urban runoff metal contaminations. In the context of the European Water Directive (2000/60 CE), an accurate evaluation of contaminant flows from roofs is thus required on the city scale, and therefore the development of assessment tools is needed. However, on this scale, there is an important diversity of roofing materials. In addition, given the size of a city, a complete census of the materials of the different roofing elements represents a difficult task. Information relating roofing materials and their surfaces on an urban district do not currently exist in urban databases. The objective of this paper is to develop a new method of evaluating annual contaminant flow emissions from the different roofing material elements (e.g., gutter, rooftop) on the city scale. This method is based on using and adapting existing urban databases combined with a statistical approach. Different rules for identifying the materials of the different roofing elements on the city scale have been defined. The methodology is explained through its application to the evaluation of zinc emissions on the scale of the city of Créteil.

Designing a New Urban Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Lauren

2002-01-01

Discusses Web site design and information architecture in light of principles of New Urbanism that are being applied in urban planning situations. Topics include networked electronic environment design; user-centered network design; multidisciplinary approaches; knowledge access and collaboration; and the Global Information Infrastructure…

Capitalizing on Crisis: Venture Philanthropy's Colonial Project to Remake Urban Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipman, Pauline

2015-01-01

This article focuses on the increased power of venture philanthropy to shape education in urban communities of color in the USA. The author situates venture philanthropy's expanded influence in urban school districts in the nexus of urban disinvestment, neoliberal governance, wealth concentration, and economic crisis. The author argues that…

Source apportionment of organic pollutants of a highway-traffic-influenced urban area in Bayreuth (Germany) using biomarker and stable carbon isotope signatures.

PubMed

Glaser, Bruno; Dreyer, Annekatrin; Bock, Michael; Fiedler, Stefan; Mehring, Marion; Heitmann, Tobias

2005-06-01

Traffic- and urban-influenced areas are prone to enhanced pollution with products of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass such as black carbon or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Black carbon is composed of aromatic and graphitic structures and may act as a carrier for pollutants such as PAHs and heavy metals. However, little is known about possible contributions of traffic-derived black carbon to the black carbon inventory in soils. Similar uncertainties exist regarding the contribution of different pollutant sources to total PAH and black carbon contents. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify the importance of traffic pollution to black carbon and PAH inventories in soils. PAH contamination of soils adjacent to a major German highway in the urban area of Bayreuth with about 50,000 vehicles per day was in the same order of magnitude compared to highway-close soils reported in other studies. Using molecular (black carbon and PAHs) and compound-specific stable carbon isotope evidence (PAHs) it was demonstrated that this contamination originated not only from automobile exhausts, here primarily diesel, but also from tire abrasion and tailpipe soot which significantly contributed to the traffic-caused black carbon and PAH contamination. Low molecular weight PAHs were more widely transported than their heavy molecular counterparts (local distillation), whereas highway-traffic-caused black carbon contamination was distributed to at least 30 m from the highway. On the other hand, urban fire exhausts were distributed more homogeneously among the urban area.

Microbiological quality of complementary foods and its association with diarrhoeal morbidity and nutritional status of Bangladeshi children.

PubMed

Islam, M A; Ahmed, T; Faruque, A S G; Rahman, S; Das, S K; Ahmed, D; Fattori, V; Clarke, R; Endtz, H P; Cravioto, A

2012-11-01

To examine the bacteriological quality of complementary foods (CF) and to correlate the results with diarrhoeal morbidity and nutritional status of Bangladeshi children aged 6-24 months. A total of 212 CF samples were tested, of which 72 were collected immediately before the first time of feeding (≤ 1 h of food preparation) and 140 were collected at second/third time of feeding from 140 households located in urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Anthropometry, food frequency data and demographic information of the children were collected. Of the first time feeding samples, 3% from each of urban and rural areas were found to be contaminated with faecal coliforms (FC) at ≥ 100 CFU/g. E. coli was isolated from 11% and 6% of samples, and B. cereus from 8% and 6% of samples from urban and rural areas, respectively. In contrast, 33% of the second/third time feeding samples from urban areas and 19% from rural areas were contaminated with FC at ≥ 100 CFU/g (P<0.05). E. coli was isolated from 40% and 39% of samples, and B. cereus from 33% and 26% of samples from urban and rural areas, respectively. Significantly high numbers of wasted rural children had CF with a high aerobic plate count, which was also significantly associated with diarrhoeal morbidity in children. Around 40% of CF samples were contaminated with E. coli, which was mainly attributable to food preparation practices. Consumption of contaminated CF appeared to be associated with a higher frequency of diarrhoea and malnutrition in children.

Contribution of treated wastewater to the microbiological quality of Seine River in Paris.

PubMed

Moulin, Laurent; Richard, Fanny; Stefania, Sabrina; Goulet, Marion; Gosselin, Sylvie; Gonçalves, Alexandre; Rocher, Vincent; Paffoni, Catherine; Dumètre, Aurélien

2010-10-01

Urban part of Seine River serving as drinking water supply in Paris can be heavily contaminated by Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis. In the absence of agricultural practice in this highly urbanized area, we investigated herein the contribution of treated wastewater to the microbiological quality of this river focusing on these two parasites. Other microorganisms such as faecal bacterial indicators, enteroviruses and oocysts of Toxoplasma gondii were assessed concurrently. Raw wastewaters were heavily contaminated by Cryptosporidium and Giardia (oo)cysts, whereas concentrations of both protozoa in treated wastewater were lower. Treated wastewater, flowed into Seine River, had a parasite concentration closed to the one found along the river, in particular at the entry of a drinking water plant (DWP). Even if faecal bacteria were reliable indicators of a reduction in parasite concentrations during the wastewater treatment, they were not correlated to protozoal contamination of wastewater and river water. Oocysts of T. gondii were not found in both raw and treated wastewater, or in Seine River. Parasitic contamination was shown to be constant in the Seine River up to 40 km upstream Paris. Altogether, these results strongly suggest that treated wastewater does not contribute to the main parasitic contamination of the Seine River usually observed in this urbanized area. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxidation of organic contaminants by manganese oxide geomedia for passive urban stormwater treatment systems.

PubMed

Grebel, Janel E; Charbonnet, Joseph A; Sedlak, David L

2016-01-01

To advance cost-effective strategies for removing trace organic contaminants from urban runoff, the feasibility of using manganese oxides as a geomedia amendment in engineered stormwater infiltration systems to oxidize organic contaminants was evaluated. Ten representative organic chemicals that have previously been detected in urban stormwater were evaluated for reactivity in batch experiments with birnessite. With respect to reactivity, contaminants could be classified as: highly reactive (e.g., bisphenol A), moderately reactive (e.g., diuron) and unreactive (e.g., tris(2-chloro-1-propyl)phosphate). Bisphenol A and diuron reacted with birnessite to produce a suite of products, including ring-cleavage products for bisphenol A and partially dechlorinated products for diuron. Columns packed with manganese oxide-coated sand were used evaluate design parameters for an engineered infiltration system, including necessary contact times for effective treatment, as well as the impacts of stormwater matrix variables, such as solution pH, concentration of natural organic matter and major anions and cations. The manganese oxide geomedia exhibited decreased reactivity when organic contaminants were oxidized, especially in the presence of divalent cations, bicarbonate, and natural organic matter. Under typical conditions, the manganese oxides are expected to retain their reactivity for 25 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban tree crown health assessment system: a tool for communities and citizen foresters

Treesearch

Matthew F. Winn; Sang-Mook Lee; Philip A. Araman

2007-01-01

Trees are important assets to urban communities. In addition to the aesthetic values that urban trees provide, they also aid in such things as erosion control, pollution removal, and rainfall interception. The urban environment, however, can often produce stresses to these trees. Soil compaction, limited root growth, and groundwater contamination are just a few of the...

Is there an urban advantage in child survival in sub-saharan Africa? Evidence from 18 countries in the 1990s.

PubMed

Bocquier, Philippe; Madise, Nyovani Janet; Zulu, Eliya Msiyaphazi

2011-05-01

Evidence of higher child mortality of rural-to-urban migrants compared with urban nonmigrants is growing. However, less attention has been paid to comparing the situation of the same families before and after they migrate with the situation of urban-to-rural migrants. We use DHS data from 18 African countries to compare child mortality rates of six groups based on their mothers' migration status: rural nonmigrants; urban nonmigrants; rural-to-urban migrants before and after they migrate; and urban-to-rural migrants before and after they migrate. The results show that rural-to-urban migrants had, on average, lower child mortality before they migrated than rural nonmigrants, and that their mortality levels dropped further after they arrived in urban areas. We found no systematic evidence of higher child mortality for rural-to-urban migrants compared with urban nonmigrants. Urban-to-rural migrants had higher mortality in the urban areas, and their move to rural areas appeared advantageous because they experienced lower or similar child mortality after living in rural areas. After we control for known demographic and socioeconomic correlates of under-5 mortality, the urban advantage is greatly reduced and sometimes reversed. The results suggest that it may not be necessarily the place of residence that matters for child survival but, rather, access to services and economic opportunities.

Effects of byproducts amended lead contaminated urban soils on collard yield

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lead (Pb) has been used to produce materials and manufactured products for many years. In urban areas and industrial centers atmospheric lead deposition could be very high. Urban environments in general received high deposition of lead due to leaded gasoline use, industrial activity and abandoned ...

Remediation following Man-made or Natural Disasters -Homeland Security Research

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA develops procedures mitigate contamination and to remediate the environment following public health and environmental incidents and disasters. Contamination incidents involving urban areas could require the decontamination of

Towards the determination of an optimal scale for stormwater quality management: micropollutants in a small residential catchment.

PubMed

Bressy, A; Gromaire, M-C; Lorgeoux, C; Saad, M; Leroy, F; Chebbo, G

2012-12-15

Stormwater and atmospheric deposits were collected on a small residential urban catchment (0.8 ha) near Paris in order to determine the levels of certain micropollutants (using a preliminary scan of 69 contaminants, followed by a more detailed quantification of PAHs, PCBs, alkylphenols and metals). Atmospheric inputs accounted for only 10%-38% of the stormwater contamination (except for PCBs), thus indicating substantial release within the catchment. On this small upstream catchment however, stormwater contamination is significantly lower than that observed downstream in storm sewers on larger adjacent urban catchments with similar land uses. These results likely stem from cross-contamination activity during transfers inside the sewer system and underscore the advantages of runoff management strategies at the source for controlling stormwater pollutant loads. Moreover, it has been shown that both contamination levels and contaminant speciation evolve with the scale of the catchment, in correlation with a large fraction of dissolved contaminants in upstream runoff, which differs from what has been traditionally assumed for stormwater. Consequently, the choice of treatment device/protocol must be adapted to the management scale as well as to the targeted type of contaminant. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishing the importance of human health risk assessment for metals and metalloids in urban environments.

PubMed

Peña-Fernández, A; González-Muñoz, M J; Lobo-Bedmar, M C

2014-11-01

Rapid development, industrialisation, and urbanisation have resulted in serious contamination of soil by metals and metalloids from anthropogenic sources in many areas of the world, either directly or indirectly. Exponential urban and economic development has resulted in human populations settling in urban areas and as a result being exposed to these pollutants. Depending on the nature of the contaminant, contaminated urban soils can have a deleterious effect on the health of exposed populations and may require decontamination, recovery, remediation and restoration. Therefore, human health risk assessments in urban environments are very important. In the case of Spain, there are few studies regarding risk assessment of trace elements in urban soils, and those that exist have been derived mainly from areas potentially exposed to industrial contamination or in the vicinity of point pollution. The present study analysed Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Ti, Tl, V and Zn soil concentrations in and around the city of Alcalá de Henares (35 km NE of Madrid). Soil samples were collected in public parks and recreation areas within the city and in an industrial area on the periphery of the city. From these results, an assessment of the health risk for the population was performed following the methodology described by the US EPA (1989). In general, it was observed that there could be a potential increased risk of developing cancer over a lifetime from exposure to arsenic (As) through ingestion of the soils studied (oral intake), as well as an increased risk of cancer due to inhalation of chromium (Cr) present in re-suspended soils from the industrial area. Our group has previously reported (Granero and Domingo, 2002; Peña-Fernández et al., 2003) that there was an increased risk of developing cancer following exposure to As in the same soils in a previous study. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the levels of contaminants in these soils, especially As and Cr as these have been found to exceed safe levels for human health. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coliform Contamination of Peri-urban Grown Vegetables and Potential Public Health Risks: Evidence from Kumasi, Ghana.

PubMed

Abass, Kabila; Ganle, John Kuumuori; Adaborna, Eric

2016-04-01

Peri-urban vegetable farming in Ghana is an important livelihood activity for an increasing number of people. However, increasing quality and public health concerns have been raised, partly because freshwater availability for irrigation purposes is a major constraint. This paper investigated on-farm vegetable contamination and potential health risks using samples of lettuce, spring onions and cabbage randomly selected from 18 vegetable farms in peri-urban Kumasi, Ghana. Vegetable samples were tested for total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. bacteria contamination using the Most Probable Number method. Results show high contamination levels of total and fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli bacteria in all 18 vegetable samples. The mean total coliform/100 ml concentration for spring onions, lettuce and cabbage were 9.15 × 10(9), 4.7 × 10(7) and 8.3 × 10(7) respectively. The mean fecal coliform concentration for spring onions, lettuce and cabbage were also 1.5 × 10(8), 4.15 × 10(7) and 2.15 × 10(7) respectively, while the mean Escherichia coli bacteria contamination for spring onions, lettuce and cabbage were 1.4 × 10(8), 2.2 × 10(7) and 3.2 × 10(7) respectively. The level of total coliform, fecal coliform and Escherichia coli bacteria contamination in all the vegetable samples however declined as the distance between the main water source (Wiwi River) and farms increases. Nonetheless, all contamination levels were well above acceptable standards, and could therefore pose serious public health risks to consumers. Increased education and supervision of farmers, as well as public health and food hygiene education of consumers, are critical to reducing on-farm vegetable contamination and the health risks associated with consumption of such vegetables.

Assessing Organic Contaminant Fluxes from Contaminated Sediments Following Dam Removal in an Urbanized River

EPA Science Inventory

In this study, methods and approaches were developed and tested to assess changes in contaminant fluxes resulting from dam removal in a riverine system. Sediment traps and passive samplers were deployed to measure particulate and dissolved PAHs and PCBs in the water column prior...

BLACK SKIMMERS (RYNCHOPS NIGER) IN AN URBAN LANDSCAPE: CONTAMINANT AND DIET INFLUENCES ON REPRODUCTIVE OUTPUT IN SAN DIEGO BAY

EPA Science Inventory

The project addresses an applied ecological question through interdisciplinary and innovative analytical methods. By combining stable isotope and contaminant analyses, this project will provide a comprehensive perspective of how contaminants and diet vary within an organism...

Bioavailability Assessment of a Contaminated Field Sediment from Patrick Bayou, Texas, USA: Toxicity Identification Evaluation and Equilibrium Partitioning

EPA Science Inventory

Contaminated sediments are commonly found in urbanized harbors. At sufficiently high contaminant levels, sediments can cause toxicity to aquatic organisms and impair benthic communities. As a result, remediation is necessary and diagnosing the cause of sediment toxicity become...

Bioavailability evaluation, uptake of heavy metals and potential health risks via dietary exposure in urban-industrial areas.

PubMed

Yousaf, Balal; Liu, Guijian; Wang, Ruwei; Imtiaz, Muhammad; Zia-Ur-Rehman, Muhammad; Munir, Mehr Ahmed Mujtaba; Niu, Zhiyuan

2016-11-01

A verity of human activities i.e. urbanization and industrialization have been resulted serious environmental contaminations by heavy metals in all over the world. The settlement of populations in urban and nearby industrial areas for economic development has significant share in their exposure to these metallic contaminants. Depending on the nature and type of the pollutants, targeted urban-industrial environments can have harmful and chronic health risk impacts on exposed local inhabitants and may require detoxification, healing and remedial therapy. Consequently, environmental monitoring as well as human health risk assessments of urban environments under industrial influence are key dominant features. We believe this work will provide new insights into the studies of metals exposure and associated health risks in emerging industrials cities of developing countries. Present study aimed to study the bioavailability of metals, quantify the changeability in soil and vegetable metal concentrations and estimation of human health risks via dietary exposure, focusing on urban-industrial environment. Soil and vegetable samples were collected in six random sites within the urban, periurban and industrial areas and analyzed for metal concentrations. In addition, risk assessment model proposed by US-EPA was employed to estimate the potential health risk of heavy metals via dietary intake. Results indicated that the heavy metal concentrations were noteworthy in periurban and urban-industrial areas. However, contamination levels varied with the type of vegetable, and the point source pollution such as traffic, urban wastes and industrial effluent. According to the estimated THQ and HI values for non-carcinogenic risk, little or no negative impact of heavy metals was observed on local inhabitants. However, the concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni were nearly closed to the permissible limits described by US-EPA in urban-industrial areas. Conclusively, some efficient remedial strategies should be focus to overcome the increasing levels of Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni in this study area to protect the health of local inhabitants.

The effects of urbanization on the hydrochemistry of base flow within the Chattahoochee River Basin (Georgia, USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, Seth

2007-07-01

SummaryA comprehensive network of stream data ( n = 50) was used to assess the effects of urbanization upon the hydrochemical variation within base flow in the Chattahoochee River Basin (CRB), Georgia (USA). Base flow solute concentrations (particularly sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate alkalinity, and sodium) increase with the degree of urbanization and any degree of urbanization within the Atlanta Metropolitan Region (AMR) results in elevated base flow solute concentrations. This suggests that there are pervasive low-level non-point sources of contamination such as septic tanks systems and leaky sewer lines affecting the chemistry of shallow groundwater throughout much of the AMR and CRB. Six groups or subsets representing the "rural-to-urban gradient" were defined, characterized by the following order of increasing solute concentrations: rural basins < Chattahoochee River. semi-urbanized basins < urbanized basins < urban basins with main sewer trunk lines < urbanized basins directly receiving treated effluent and combined sewer overflow (CSO) basins. There is a strong and unusual basin-wide correlation ( r2 values >0.79) between Na-K-Cl within the CRB that likely reflects the widespread input of electrolytes present in human wastes and wastewater. The most likely source and pathway for contaminant input involves the mobilization of salts, originally present in waste water, within the riparian or hypoheric zone.

PBDEs and other POPs in urban birds of prey partly explained by trophic level and carbon source.

PubMed

Elliott, John E; Brogan, Jason; Lee, Sandi L; Drouillard, Ken G; Elliott, Kyle H

2015-08-15

As urban sprawl and agricultural intensification continue to invade prime wildlife habitat, some animals, even apex predators, are managing to adapt to this new environment. Chemical pollution is one of many stressors that wildlife encounter in urban environments. Predators are particularly sensitive to persistent chemical pollutants because they feed at a high trophic level where such pollution is biomagnified. To examine levels of pollution in urban birds of prey in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, we analyzed persistent organic contaminants in adult birds found dead of trauma injury. The hepatic geometric mean concentration of sum polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑PBDEs) in 13 Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) from Greater Vancouver was 1873 ng/g (lipid weight) with one bird reaching 197,000n g/g lipid weight, the highest exposure reported to date for a wild bird. Concentrations of ∑PBDEs, ∑PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and, surprisingly, cyclodiene insecticides were greatest in the urban environment while those of DDE (1,1-dichloroethylene bis[p-chlorophenyl) were highest in a region of intensive agriculture. The level of most chlorinated and brominated contaminants increased with trophic level (δ(15)N). The concentrations of some contaminants, PBDEs in particular, in these birds of prey may have some toxicological consequences. Apex predators in urban environments continue to be exposed to elevated concentrations of legacy pollutants as well as more recent brominated pollutants. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Rick Demmer; John Drake; Ryan James, PhD

Over the last 50 years, the study of radiological contamination and decontamination has expanded significantly. This paper addresses the mechanisms of radiological contamination that have been reported and then discusses which methods have recently been used during performance testing of several different decontamination technologies. About twenty years ago the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC) at the INL began a search for decontamination processes which could minimize secondary waste. In order to test the effectiveness of these decontamination technologies, a new simulated contamination, termed SIMCON, was developed. SIMCON was designed to replicate the types of contamination found on stainless steel,more » spent fuel processing equipment. Ten years later, the INL began research into methods for simulating urban contamination resulting from a radiological dispersal device (RDD). This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and included the initial development an aqueous application of contaminant to substrate. Since 2007, research sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has advanced that effort and led to the development of a contamination method that simulates particulate fallout from an Improvised Nuclear Device (IND). The IND method diverges from previous efforts to create tenacious contamination by simulating a reproducible “loose” contamination. Examining these different types of contamination (and subsequent decontamination processes), which have included several different radionuclides and substrates, sheds light on contamination processes that occur throughout the nuclear industry and in the urban environment.« less

STUDY ON SUPPORTING FOR DRAWING UP THE BCP FOR URBAN EXPRESSWAY NETWORK USING BY TRAFFIC SIMULATION SYSTEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamawaki, Masashi; Shiraki, Wataru; Inomo, Hitoshi; Yasuda, Keiichi

The urban expressway network is an important infrastructure to execute a disaster restoration. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up the BCP (Business Continuity Plan) to enable securing of road user's safety and restoration of facilities, etc. It is important that each urban expressway manager execute decision and improvement of effective BCP countermeasures when disaster occurs by assuming various disaster situations. Then, in this study, we develop the traffic simulation system that can reproduce various disaster situations and traffic actions, and examine some methods supporting for drawing up the BCP for an urban expressway network. For disaster outside assumption such as tsunami generated by a huge earthquake, we examine some approaches securing safety of users and cars on the Hanshin Expressway Network as well as on general roads. And, we aim to propose a tsunami countermeasure not considered in the current urban expressway BCP.

Influence of the land use pattern on the concentrations and fluxes of priority pollutants in urban stormwater.

PubMed

Zgheib, S; Moilleron, R; Chebbo, G

2011-01-01

This paper presents the results of the concentrations (μg/L) and fluxes (g/ha) of priority substances in stormwater from three watersheds with different land use patterns (namely, residential, urban dense, high urban density). Samples were collected at the outlet of these watersheds. Thirteen chemical groups were investigated corresponding to 88 individual substances before treatment. Results showed that stormwater discharges contained 55 substances, among them some metals, organotins, PAHs, PCBs, alkylphenols, pesticides, phthalates, cholorophenols and volatile organic compounds. Therefore, stormwater was highly contaminated. However, this contamination was often comparable from site to site, since no significant difference of the pollutant load was observed between the land use patterns.

The 2016 Ft. McMurray Wildfire: Déjà vu or re-thinking the scope wildland and urban-wildland interface fires on water supplies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silins, U.; Emelko, M.; Cooke, C. A.; Charrois, J. W. A.; Stone, M.

2016-12-01

A growing number of large severe wildfires have impacted drinking water supplies of both small and larger municipalities in western North America over the past 20 years. While some of these fires include components of wildland-urban interface fire impacts to water or water treatment infrastructure, the vast majority have been wildland fires in critical source water supply regions serving these municipalities. A large body of research has provided key insights on magnitude, variability, and longevity of post-wildfire impacts on erosion, sediment production, and water quality, however assessing the impact of wildfires on water supplies often requires measuring or predicting the downstream propagation of upstream wildfire impacts to water supplies and this remains a comparatively less well explored area of wildfire-water research. The 2016 Horse River wildfire during May-June burned 590,000 ha. forcing the evacuation of the entire City of McMurray ( 90,000 residents) and represents the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history ($3.6 billion in insurable losses alone). While the wildfire impacted extensive source water supply regions in the area surrounding Ft. McMurray, this fire serves to illustrate a broader range of challenging wildfire-water science and engineering research issues that are needed to assess the impacts of this and potentially other large wildfires on water supplies. Unlike wildfires in headwaters regions, these include unique challenges in assessing impacts of burned tributaries adjacent sources from a large wildfire situated immediately surrounding a very large river system (Athabasca River), post-fire contaminant dilution, mixing, and transport, and contaminant runoff from severely burned residential and commercial/industrial regions of the city on downstream water supplies among others.

Modeling and identifying the sources of radiocesium contamination in separate sewerage systems.

PubMed

Pratama, Mochamad Adhiraga; Yoneda, Minoru; Yamashiki, Yosuke; Shimada, Yoko; Matsui, Yasuto

2018-05-01

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident released radiocesium in large amounts. The released radionuclides contaminated much of the surrounding environment, including sewers in urban areas of Fukushima prefecture. In this study we attempted to identify and quantify the sources of radiocesium contamination in separate sewerage systems and developed a compartment model based on the Radionuclide Migration in Urban Environments and Drainage Systems (MUD) model. Measurements of the time-dependent radiocesium concentration in sewer sludge combined with meteorological, demographic, and radiocesium dietary intake data indicated that rainfall-derived inflow and infiltration (RDII) and human excretion were the chief contributors of radiocesium contamination in a separate sewerage system. The quantities of contamination derived from RDII and human excretion were calculated and used in the modified MUD model to simulate radiocesium contamination in sewers in three urban areas in Fukushima prefecture: Fukushima, Koriyama, and Nihonmatsu Cities. The Nash efficiency coefficient (0.88-0.92) and determination coefficient (0.89-0.93) calculated in an evaluation of our compartment model indicated that the model produced satisfactory results. We also used the model to estimate the total volume of sludge with radiocesium concentrations in excess of the clearance level, based on the number of months elapsed after the accident. Estimations by our model suggested that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Fukushima, Koriyama, and Nihonmatsu generated about 1,750,000m 3 of radioactive sludge in total, a level in good agreement with the real data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioswales reduce contaminants associated with toxicity in urban storm water.

PubMed

Anderson, Brian S; Phillips, Bryn M; Voorhees, Jennifer P; Siegler, Katie; Tjeerdema, Ronald

2016-12-01

Contamination and toxicity associated with urban storm water runoff are a growing concern because of the potential impacts on receiving systems. California water regulators are mandating implementation of green infrastructure as part of new urban development projects to treat storm water and increase infiltration. Parking lot bioswales are low impact development practices that promote filtering of runoff through plants and soil. Studies have demonstrated that bioswales reduce concentrations of suspended sediments, metals, and hydrocarbons. There have been no published studies evaluating how well these structures treat current-use pesticides, and studies have largely ignored whether bioswales reduce toxicity in surface water. Three storms were monitored at 3 commercial and residential sites, and reductions of contaminants and associated toxicity were quantified. Toxicity testing showed that the majority of untreated storm water samples were toxic to amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and midges (Chironomus dilutus), and toxicity was reduced by the bioswales. No samples were toxic to daphnids (Ceriodaphnia dubia) or fish (Pimephales promelas). Contaminants were significantly reduced by the bioswales, including suspended solids (81% reduction), metals (81% reduction), hydrocarbons (82% reduction), and pyrethroid pesticides (74% reduction). The single exception was the phenypyrazole pesticide fipronil, which showed inconsistent treatment. The results demonstrate these systems effectively treat contaminated storm water associated with surface water toxicity but suggest that modifications of their construction may be required to treat some contaminant classes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:3124-3134. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Spatial and seasonal patterns in stream water contamination across mountainous watersheds: Linkage with landscape characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, L.; Shi, Z. H.; Yin, W.; Huang, X.

2015-04-01

Landscape characteristics are widely accepted as strongly influencing stream water quality in heterogeneous watersheds. Understanding the relationships between landscape and specific water contaminant can greatly improve the predictability of potential contamination and the assessment of contaminant export. In this work, we examined the combined effects of watershed complexity, in terms of land use and physiography, on specific water contaminant across watersheds close to the Danjiangkou Reservoir. The land use composition, land use pattern, morphometric variables and soil properties were calculated at the watershed scale and considered potential factors of influence. Due to high co-dependence of these watershed characteristics, partial least squares regression was used to elucidate the linkages between some specific water contaminants and the 16 selected watershed characteristic variables. Water contaminant maps revealed spatial and seasonal heterogeneity. The dissolved oxygen values in the dry season were higher than those in the wet season, whereas the other contaminant concentrations displayed the opposite trend. The studied watersheds which are influenced strongly by urbanization, showed higher levels of ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, potassium permanganate index and petroleum, and lower levels of dissolved oxygen. The urban land use, largest patch index and the hypsometric integral were the dominant factors affecting specific water contaminant.

Towards a Food Safety Knowledge Base Applicable in Crisis Situations and Beyond

PubMed Central

Falenski, Alexander; Weiser, Armin A.; Thöns, Christian; Appel, Bernd; Käsbohrer, Annemarie; Filter, Matthias

2015-01-01

In case of contamination in the food chain, fast action is required in order to reduce the numbers of affected people. In such situations, being able to predict the fate of agents in foods would help risk assessors and decision makers in assessing the potential effects of a specific contamination event and thus enable them to deduce the appropriate mitigation measures. One efficient strategy supporting this is using model based simulations. However, application in crisis situations requires ready-to-use and easy-to-adapt models to be available from the so-called food safety knowledge bases. Here, we illustrate this concept and its benefits by applying the modular open source software tools PMM-Lab and FoodProcess-Lab. As a fictitious sample scenario, an intentional ricin contamination at a beef salami production facility was modelled. Predictive models describing the inactivation of ricin were reviewed, relevant models were implemented with PMM-Lab, and simulations on residual toxin amounts in the final product were performed with FoodProcess-Lab. Due to the generic and modular modelling concept implemented in these tools, they can be applied to simulate virtually any food safety contamination scenario. Apart from the application in crisis situations, the food safety knowledge base concept will also be useful in food quality and safety investigations. PMID:26247028

Towards a Food Safety Knowledge Base Applicable in Crisis Situations and Beyond.

PubMed

Falenski, Alexander; Weiser, Armin A; Thöns, Christian; Appel, Bernd; Käsbohrer, Annemarie; Filter, Matthias

2015-01-01

In case of contamination in the food chain, fast action is required in order to reduce the numbers of affected people. In such situations, being able to predict the fate of agents in foods would help risk assessors and decision makers in assessing the potential effects of a specific contamination event and thus enable them to deduce the appropriate mitigation measures. One efficient strategy supporting this is using model based simulations. However, application in crisis situations requires ready-to-use and easy-to-adapt models to be available from the so-called food safety knowledge bases. Here, we illustrate this concept and its benefits by applying the modular open source software tools PMM-Lab and FoodProcess-Lab. As a fictitious sample scenario, an intentional ricin contamination at a beef salami production facility was modelled. Predictive models describing the inactivation of ricin were reviewed, relevant models were implemented with PMM-Lab, and simulations on residual toxin amounts in the final product were performed with FoodProcess-Lab. Due to the generic and modular modelling concept implemented in these tools, they can be applied to simulate virtually any food safety contamination scenario. Apart from the application in crisis situations, the food safety knowledge base concept will also be useful in food quality and safety investigations.

Urban sprawl leaves its PAH signature

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, P.C.; Mahler, B.J.; Furlong, E.T.

2000-01-01

The increasing vehicle traffic associated with urban sprawl in the United States is frequently linked to degradation of air quality, but its effect on aquatic sediment is less well-recognized. This study evaluates trends in PAHs, a group of contaminants with multiple urban sources, in sediment cores from 10 reservoirs and lakes in six U.S. metropolitan areas. The watersheds chosen represent a range in degree and age of urbanization. Concentrations of PAHs in all 10 reservoirs and lakes increased during the past 20-40 years. PAH contamination of the most recently deposited sediment at all sites exceeded sediment-quality guidelines established by Environment Canada, in some cases by several orders of magnitude. These results add a new chapter to the story told by previous coring studies that reported decreasing concentrations of PAHs after reaching highs in the 1950s. Concurrent with the increase in concentrations is a change in the assemblage of PAHs that indicates the increasing trends are driven by combustion sources. The increase in PAH concentrations tracks closely with increases in automobile use, even in watersheds that have not undergone substantial changes in urban land-use levels since the 1970s.The increasing vehicle traffic associated with urban sprawl in the United States is frequently linked to degradation of air quality, but its effect on aquatic sediment is less well-recognized. This study evaluates trends in PAHs, a group of contaminants with multiple urban sources, in sediment cores from 10 reservoirs and lakes in six U.S. metropolitan areas. The watersheds chosen represent a range in degree and age of urbanization. Concentrations of PAHs in all 10 reservoirs and lakes increased during the past 20-40 years. PAH contamination of the most recently deposited sediment at all sites exceeded sediment-quality guidelines established by Environment Canada, in some cases by several orders of magnitude. These results add a new chapter to the story told by previous coring studies that reported decreasing concentrations of PAHs after reaching highs in the 1950s. Concurrent with the increase in concentrations is a change in the assemblage of PAHs that indicates the increasing trends are driven by combustion sources. The increase in PAH concentrations tracks closely with increases in automobile use, even in watersheds that have not undergone substantial changes in urban land-use levels since the 1970s.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Situation in Kenya's Urban Slums.

PubMed

Kamau, Njoroge; Njiru, Haron

2018-01-01

Kenya has undergone rapid urbanization as people migrate to the cities in search of economic opportunities. This has given rise to informal settlements characterized by overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and inadequate social amenities. A cross-sectional study on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) status was carried out in Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi. A random sample of 380 households was used. The average household size was five people, and 26% of the household heads had completed secondary or higher level of education. The main source of income (70%) was self-employment with 41% of the households living on less than 1.5 USD per day. The WASH situation in the urban slums is below the minimum standard recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). There is need to improve the situation by improving and installing basic infrastructure including water, sanitation, and solid waste collection.

Micropollutant loads in the urban water cycle.

PubMed

Musolff, Andreas; Leschik, Sebastian; Reinstorf, Frido; Strauch, Gerhard; Schirmer, Mario

2010-07-01

The assessment of micropollutants in the urban aquatic environment is a challenging task since both the water balance and the contaminant concentrations are characterized by a pronounced variability in time and space. In this study the water balance of a central European urban drainage catchment is quantified for a period of one year. On the basis of a concentration monitoring of several micropollutants, a contaminant mass balance for the study area's wastewater, surface water, and groundwater is derived. The release of micropollutants from the catchment was mainly driven by the discharge of the wastewater treatment plant. However, combined sewer overflows (CSO) released significant loads of caffeine, bisphenol A, and technical 4-nonylphenol. Since an estimated fraction of 9.9-13.0% of the wastewater's dry weather flow was lost as sewer leakages to the groundwater, considerable loads of bisphenol A and technical 4-nonylphenol were also released by the groundwater pathway. The different temporal dynamics of release loads by CSO as an intermittent source and groundwater as well as treated wastewater as continuous pathways may induce acute as well as chronic effects on the receiving aquatic ecosystem. This study points out the importance of the pollution pathway CSO and groundwater for the contamination assessments of urban water resources.

Trace metal concentrations in forest and lawn soils of Paris region (France) along a gradient of urban pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludovic, Foti

2017-04-01

Urban soils differ greatly from natural ones as they are located in areas of intense anthropogenic activity (e.g. pollution, physical disturbance, surface transformation). Urban soils are a crucial component of urban ecosystems, especially in public green spaces, and contribute to many ecosystem services from the mitigation of urban heat island to recreational services. In the last decade, the study of urban soils has emerged as an important frontier in environmental research, at least because of their impact on the quality of life of urban populations, because of the services they deliver and because they are more and more recognized as a valuable resource. One of the key issues is the pollution of urban soils because they receive a variety of deposits from local (vehicle emissions, industrial discharges, domestic heating, waste incineration and other anthropogenic activities) and from remote sources (through atmospheric transport). Typical contaminants include persistent toxic substances, such as trace metals (TMs) that have drawn wide attention due to their long persistence in the environment, their tendency to bioaccumulate in the food chain and their toxicity for humans and other organisms. Concentrations, spatial distributions, dynamics, impacts and sources of TMs (e.g. industry or fossil fuels combustion) have attracted a global interest in urban soils and are the subject of ongoing research (e.g. ecotoxicological urban ecology). Some studies have already documented soil pollution with TMs at both the town and regional scales. So far, several monitoring programs (e.g. National Network for the long term Monitoring of Forest Ecosystem, Regional Monitoring Quality of Soil in France) and studies have been carried out on a national scale to measure the ranges of TM concentrations and natural background values in French soils. These studies have focused on French agricultural and forest soils and have not tackled urban soils. No study has described TM concentrations and subsequent risks in soils of Paris and Paris region (Île-de-France). Our study aims at filling this knowledge gap, focusing on contamination and pollution by TMs in lawns and forests that constitute the main types of vegetation in urban areas of Paris region. Considering the rational described above, the aims of the present study were (i) to examine the concentration of eight selected TMs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn) in soils of two land-uses (public lawns and woods) along an urban pressure gradient in Paris region, (ii) to distinguish origins and sources of contamination or pollution, (iii) to evaluate the individual and overall TM contamination degree as well as the individual and overall TM pollution degree, (iiii) to use soil characteristics to better understand soil origins and histories along the urban pressure gradient and the relationship between these characteristics and TM concentrations. Ultimately, this study provides a baseline TM assessment for the long-term monitoring of the evolution of TM soil contents in urban area of the Paris region.

Assessing the Impact of Urban Runoff in Recreational Beaches in South Carolina and Florida Using Culturable and QPCR Fecal Indicator

EPA Science Inventory

Urban/suburban runoff carries a variety of pollutants that often includes bacterial pathogens and indicators of fecal contamination. The objective of this study was to assess the microbial water quality of recreational beaches impacted solely by urban runoff through the use of cu...

Comparison of MTBE concentrations in groundwater of urban and nonurban areas in Germany.

PubMed

Kolb, Axel; Püttmann, Wilhelm

2006-11-01

The occurrence of the gasoline oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in groundwater samples from known fuel-contaminated sites (n=29 samples), nonurban (n=74) and urban sites (n=67) in Germany was investigated. The analyses revealed detection frequencies of 58% (contaminated sites), 24% (nonurban sites) and 63% (urban sites) at a detection limit of 0.01 microgL(-1). Median (maximum) MTBE concentrations were calculated for nonurban and urban samples as 0.18 microgL(-1) (2.2 microgL(-1)) and 0.06 microgL(-1) (48 microg L(-1)). The data from nonurban samples revealed MTBE detections mainly at public supply wells with higher pumping rates than monitoring wells. MTBE was more frequently detected in urban samples, most probably due to the higher atmospheric input and direct liquid emissions from motorways or gas stations. Higher concentrations above 1.0 microgL(-1) in urban areas were found in wells located at industrial sites, where also a MTBE plume was accidentally detected during the study. The prevalence of MTBE in shallow aquifers was comparable to those in the USA.

GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL FROM STORMWATER INFILTRATION

EPA Science Inventory

Prior to urbanization, ground water recharge resulted from infiltration of precipitation through pervious surfaces, including grasslands and woods. This infiltration water was relatively uncontaminated. With urbanization, the permeable soil surface area through which recharge by...

Evaluation of targeted and untargeted effects-based monitoring tools to assess impacts of contaminants of emerging concern on fish in the South Platte River, CO

EPA Science Inventory

Rivers in the arid Western United States face increasing influences from anthropogenic contaminants due to population growth, urbanization, and drought. To better understand and more effectively track the impacts of these contaminants, biologically-based monitoring tools are incr...

Accumulation and environmental risk assessment of heavy metals in soil and plants of four different ecosystems in a former polymetallic ores mining and smelting area (Slovakia).

PubMed

Demková, Lenka; Árvay, Július; Bobuľská, Lenka; Tomáš, Ján; Stanovič, Radovan; Lošák, Tomáš; Harangozo, Luboš; Vollmannová, Alena; Bystrická, Judita; Musilová, Janette; Jobbágy, Ján

2017-04-16

Heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in soils and plants of four different ecosystems (forest, grassland, agro and urban ecosystem) at different distances from the source of the pollution were analyzed in order to assess and compare soil contamination in the various ecosystems and determine the potential accumulation of plants depending on the place they inhabit. Correlation relationships among heavy metals in soils differ depending on the ecosystem, and between soil and plant, the heavy metals showed significant correlation for Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Contamination factor (C f ), degree of contamination (C d ) and pollution load index (PLI) were used in order to determine the level of environmental contamination of the study area. All studied ecosystems were rated as moderately contaminated (except agroecosystem, which was found as low contamination ecosystem) according to C d and extremely polluted according to PLI. The highest pollution in both cases was found in urban ecosystem, and Cd, Cu and Fe were determined as the biggest pollutants.

Complex Controls on Groundwater Quality in Growing Mid-sized Cities: A Case Study Focused on Nitrate and Emerging Contaminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohr, C. A.; Godsey, S.; Welhan, J. A.; Larson, D. M.; Lohse, K. A.; Finney, B.; Derryberry, D.

2015-12-01

Many regions rely on quality groundwater to support urban growth. Groundwater quality often responds in a complex manner to stressors such as land use change, climate change, or policy decisions. Urban growth patterns in mid-sized cities, especially ones that are growing urban centers in water-limited regions in the western US, control and are controlled by water availability and its quality. We present a case study from southeastern Idaho where urban growth over the past 20 years has included significant ex-urban expansion of houses that rely on septic systems rather than city sewer lines for their wastewater treatment. Septic systems are designed to mitigate some contaminants, but not others. In particular, nitrates and emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, are not removed by most septic systems. Thus, even well-maintained septic systems at sufficiently high densities can impact down gradient water quality. Here we present patterns of nitrate concentrations over the period from 1985-2015 from the Lower Portneuf River Valley in southeastern Idaho. Concentrations vary from 0.03 to 27.09 nitrate-nitrogen mg/L, with average values increasing significantly over the 30 year time period from 3.15 +/- 0.065 to 3.57 +/- 0.43 mg/L. We examine temporal changes in locations of nitrate hotspots, and present pilot data on emerging contaminants of concern. Initial results suggest that high nitrate levels are generally associated with higher septic densities, but that this pattern is influenced by legacy agricultural uses and strongly controlled by underlying aquifer properties. Future work will include more detailed hydrological modeling to predict changes in hotspot locations under potential climate change scenarios.

Phytoremediation of urban soils contaminated with trace metals using Noccaea caerulescens: comparing non-metallicolous populations to the metallicolous 'Ganges' in field trials.

PubMed

Jacobs, Arnaud; Drouet, Thomas; Sterckeman, Thibault; Noret, Nausicaa

2017-03-01

Urban soil contamination with trace metals is a major obstacle to the development of urban agriculture as crops grown in urban gardens are prone to accumulate trace metals up to toxic levels for human consumption. Phytoextraction is considered as a potentially cost-effective alternative to conventional methods such as excavation. Field trials of phytoextraction with Noccaea caerulescens were conducted on urban soils contaminated with Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn (respectively around 2, 150-200, 400-500, and 400-700 μg g -1 of dry soil). Metallicolous (Ganges population) and non-metallicolous (NMET) populations were compared for biomass production and trace metal uptake. Moreover, we tested the effect of compost and fertilizer addition. Maximal biomass of 5 t ha -1 was obtained with NMET populations on some plots. Compared to Ganges- the high Cd-accumulating ecotype from South of France often used in phytoextraction trials- NMET populations have an advantage for biomass production and for Zn accumulation, with an average Zn uptake of 2.5 times higher. The addition of compost seems detrimental due to metal immobilization in the soil with little or no effect on plant growth. In addition to differences between populations, variations of growth and metal accumulation were mostly explained by soil Cd and Zn concentrations and texture. Our field trials confirm the potential of using N. caerulescens for both Cd and Zn remediation of moderately contaminated soils-with uptake values of up to 200 g Cd ha -1 and 47 kg Zn ha -1 -and show the interest of selecting the adequate population according to the targeted metal.

Progress and challenges in the development of physically-based numerical models for prediction of flow and contaminant dispersion in the urban environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lien, F. S.; Yee, E.; Ji, H.; Keats, A.; Hsieh, K. J.

2006-06-01

The release of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agents by terrorists or rogue states in a North American city (densely populated urban centre) and the subsequent exposure, deposition and contamination are emerging threats in an uncertain world. The modeling of the transport, dispersion, deposition and fate of a CBRN agent released in an urban environment is an extremely complex problem that encompasses potentially multiple space and time scales. The availability of high-fidelity, time-dependent models for the prediction of a CBRN agent's movement and fate in a complex urban environment can provide the strongest technical and scientific foundation for support of Canada's more broadly based effort at advancing counter-terrorism planning and operational capabilities.The objective of this paper is to report the progress of developing and validating an integrated, state-of-the-art, high-fidelity multi-scale, multi-physics modeling system for the accurate and efficient prediction of urban flow and dispersion of CBRN (and other toxic) materials discharged into these flows. Development of this proposed multi-scale modeling system will provide the real-time modeling and simulation tool required to predict injuries, casualties and contamination and to make relevant decisions (based on the strongest technical and scientific foundations) in order to minimize the consequences of a CBRN incident in a populated centre.

Occurrence of chemical contaminants in peri-urban agricultural irrigation waters and assessment of their phytotoxicity and crop productivity.

PubMed

Margenat, Anna; Matamoros, Víctor; Díez, Sergi; Cañameras, Núria; Comas, Jordi; Bayona, Josep M

2017-12-01

Water scarcity and water pollution have increased the pressure on water resources worldwide. This pressure is particularly important in highly populated areas where water demand exceeds the available natural resources. In this regard, water reuse has emerged as an excellent water source alternative for peri-urban agriculture. Nevertheless, it must cope with the occurrence of chemical contaminants, ranging from trace elements (TEs) to organic microcontaminants. In this study, chemical contaminants (i.e., 15 TEs, 34 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)), bulk parameters, and nutrients from irrigation waters and crop productivity (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Bodar and Lactuca sativa L. cv. Batavia) were seasonally surveyed in 4 farm plots in the peri-urban area of the city of Barcelona. A pristine site, where rain-groundwater is used for irrigation, was selected for background concentrations. The average concentration levels of TEs and CECs in the irrigation water impacted by treated wastewater (TWW) were 3 (35±75μgL -1 ) and 13 (553±1050ngL -1 ) times higher than at the pristine site respectively. Principal component analysis was used to classify the irrigation waters by chemical composition. To assess the impact of the occurrence of these contaminants on agriculture, a seed germination assay (Lactuca sativa L) and real field-scale study of crop productivity (i.e., lettuce and tomato) were used. Although irrigation waters from the peri-urban area exhibited a higher frequency of detection and concentration of the assessed chemical contaminants than those of the pristine site (P1), no significant differences were found in seed phytotoxicity or crop productivity. In fact, the crops impacted by TWW showed higher productivity than the other farm plots studied, which was associated with the higher nutrient availability for plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SATURN (Situational Awareness Tool for Urban Responder Networks)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

timeline. SATURN is applicable to a broad set of law enforcement, security, and counterterrorism missions typically addressed by urban responders...Keywords-video analytics; sensor fusion; video; urban responders I. INTRODUCTION Urban authorities have a broad set of missions . Duties vary in...both the frequency of occurrence and in the complexity of execution. They include everyday public safety missions such as traffic enforcement as

Potentially toxic elements contamination in urban soils: a comparison of three European cities.

PubMed

Biasioli, M; Grcman, H; Kralj, T; Madrid, F; Díaz-Barrientos, E; Ajmone-Marsan, F

2007-01-01

Studies on several cities around the world confirm that urban soils are subject to heavy anthropogenic disturbance. However, these surveys are difficult to compare due to a lack of common sampling and analytical protocols. In this study the soils of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Sevilla (Spain), and Torino (Italy) were extensively sampled and analyzed using common procedures. Results highlighted similarities across the cities, despite their differences in geography, size, climate, etc. Potentially toxic elements (PTE) showed a wide range in concentration reflecting a diffuse contamination. Among the "urban" elements Pb exceeded the legislation threshold in 45% of Ljubljana, 43% of Torino, and 11% of Sevilla samples while Zn was above the limits in 20, 43, and 2% of the soils of Ljubljana, Torino, and Sevilla, respectively. The distribution of PTE showed no depth-dependant changes, while general soil properties seemed more responsive to anthropogenic influences. Multivariate statistics revealed similar associations between PTE in the three cities, with Cu, Pb, and Zn in a group, and Ni and Cr in another, suggesting an anthropogenic origin for the former group and natural one for the latter. Chromium and Ni were unaffected by land use, except for roadside soils, while Cu, Pb, and Zn distribution appeared to be more dependent on the distance from emission sources. Regardless of the location, climate, and size, the "urban" factor--integrating type and intensity of contaminant emission and anthropogenic disturbance--seems to prevail in determining trends of PTE contamination.

Citizen Participation in Urban Development. Volume 2. Cases and Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiegel, Hans B.C., Ed.

The successor to a volume on concepts and issues in urban citizen participation, this work documents selected patterns of participation, issues that trigger participation (school decentralization, housing needs, a proposed highway, and other crisis situations), and outside assistance as embodied in urban planning advocates, community development…

The Complexities of Systems Change in Creating Equity for Students with Disabilities in Urban Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozleski, Elizabeth B.; Smith, Anne

2009-01-01

This article explores the complexities of urban school improvement and systems change through the lens of educational equity policy initiatives. The authors situate urban schools within a critical context where contested identity politics, sociopolitical agendas, and economic stratification marginalize culturally and linguistically diverse…

Urban Options for Psychological Restoration: Common Strategies in Everyday Situations.

PubMed

Staats, Henk; Jahncke, Helena; Herzog, Thomas R; Hartig, Terry

2016-01-01

Given the need for knowledge on the restorative potential of urban settings, we sought to estimate the effects of personal and contextual factors on preferences and restoration likelihood assessments for different urban activities-in-environments. We also sought to study the generality of these effects across different countries. We conducted a true experiment with convenience samples of university students in the Netherlands (n = 80), Sweden (n = 100), and the USA (n = 316). In each country, the experiment had a mixed design with activities-in-environments (sitting in a park, sitting in a cafe, walking in a shopping mall, walking along a busy street) manipulated within-subjects and the need for restoration (attentional fatigue, no attentional fatigue) and immediate social context (in company, alone) manipulated between-subjects. The manipulations relied on previously tested scenarios describing everyday situations that participants were instructed to remember and imagine themselves being in. For each imagined situation (activity-in-environment with antecedent fatigue condition and immediate social context), subjects provided two criterion measures: general preference and the likelihood of achieving psychological restoration. The settings received different preference and restoration likelihood ratings as expected, affirming that a busy street, often used in comparisons with natural settings, is not representative of the restorative potential of urban settings. Being with a close friend and attentional fatigue both moderated ratings for specific settings. Findings of additional moderation by country of residence caution against broad generalizations regarding preferences for and the expected restorative effects of different urban settings. Preferences and restoration likelihood ratings for urban activity-environment combinations are subject to multiple personal and contextual determinants, including level of attentional fatigue, being alone versus in company, and broader aspects of the urban context that vary across cities and countries. Claims regarding a lack of restorative quality in urban environments are problematic.

Engineering Hyporheic Zones to Attenuate Heavy Metals in Constructed Urban Streams: Performance Data from Constructed Stream Flumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpin, B. N.; Portmann, A. C.; Herzog, S.; Higgins, C.; McCray, J. E.

2017-12-01

Urban stormwater runoff is a major cause of water quality impairment along ocean shorelines and in rivers, lakes and estuaries across the United States. In addition to pathogens, nutrients, and organic contaminants, a variety of heavy metals are commonly found at elevated concentrations in urban runoff. Although such metals occur in both dissolved and particulate-bound phases, conventional stormwater controls are typically designed to remove suspended solids, while dissolved phase contaminants remain largely untreated. To address this gap in available stormwater controls, a novel technology, termed Biohydrochemical Enhancements for Streamwater Treatment (BEST), has been developed based on inspiration from the natural hyporheic zone (HZ). BEST utilizes a series of alternating streambed permeabilities to drive efficient surface water-HZ exchange. This is combined with reactive and/or sorptive streambed geomedia designed to remove dissolved phase contaminants from constructed urban drainage channels. Previous research at the Colorado School of Mines has shown that a 15-meter flume modified with BEST exhibits greater hyporheic exchange than an all-sand control flume, though both flumes provided greater contaminant attenuation than a selection of actual urban streams. This study again utilized the 15-meter flumes at Colorado School of Mines to evaluate two configurations of BEST for removal of heavy metals commonly found in stormwater runoff, including cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc. In both BEST configurations, the geomedia consisted of a 30/70 (v/v) mix of woodchips and sand, with one configuration using coarse sand (K=0.48 cm/s) and the other using finer sand (K=0.16 cm/s). Both configurations were compared to an all-sand control. To evaluate metals removal, a suite of aqueous metals solution was spiked into each flume, and aqueous concentrations of the five metals of interest were monitored in both the surface and pore water over 24 hours. Differences in hyporheic exchange and residence times, as well as redox conditions, between the BEST configurations and the control impacted heavy metals retention in the engineered streambeds. Overall, engineered hyporheic zones in small urban drainage channels may be a promising option for retaining heavy metals collected by urban stormwater runoff.

Geomorphological assessment of sediment contamination in an urban stream system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rhoads, B.L.; Cahill, R.A.

1999-01-01

Little is known about the influence of fluvial-geomorphological features on the dispersal of sediment-related contaminants in urban drainage systems. This study investigates the relation between reach-scale geomorphological conditions and network-scale patterns of trace-element concentrations in a partially urbanized stream system in East-Central Illinois, USA Robust statistical analysis of bulk sediment samples reveals levels of Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn exceed contamination thresholds in the portion of the watershed in close proximity to potential sources of pollution-in this case storm-sewer outfalls. Although trace-element concentrations decrease rapidly downstream from these sources, substantial local variability in metal levels exists within contaminated reaches. This local variability is related to reach-scale variation in fluvial-geomorphic conditions, which in turn produces variation in the degree of sorting and organic-matter content of bed material. Metal concentrations at contaminated sites also exhibit considerable variability over time. Analytical tests on specific size fractions of material collected at a highly contaminated site indicate that Cr and Ni are concentrated in the 0.063 to 0.250 mm fraction of the sediment. This fraction also has elevated concentration of Zr. SEM analysis shows that the fine sand fraction contains shards of stainless steel within a matrix of zircon sand, an industrial material associated with a nearby alloy casting operation. Samples of suspended load and bedload at the contaminated site also have elevated amounts of trace metals, but concentrations of Ni and Cr in the bedload are less than concentrations in the bed material, suggesting that these trace elements are relatively immobile. Off the other hand, amounts of CU and Zn in the bedload exceed concentrations in the bed material, implying that these trace metals are preferentially mobilized during transport events.

Urban population growth and urbanization in the Caribbean.

PubMed

Hope, K R

1985-01-01

The structure, sources, consequences, and policy implications of urbanization and of the rapid growth of the urban population in the Caribbean are examined. In particular, a comparative analysis of the situation in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago is presented. Data are from a variety of secondary sources, including those published by the United Nations and the World Bank. The need to reorient policies to favor rural rather than urban areas in order to reduce rural-urban migration is noted.

Renewable Energy Production and Urban Remediation: Modeling the biogeochemical cycle at contaminated urban brownfields and the potential for renewable energy production and mitigation of greenhouse gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopalakrishnan, G.

2014-12-01

Brownfields or urban sites that have been contaminated as a result of historic practices are present throughout the world. In the United States alone, the National Research Council has estimated that there are approximately 300,000 to 400,000 sites which have been contaminated by improper use and disposal of chemicals (NRC 1993). The land available at these sites is estimated at several million acres; however, the presence of high levels of contamination in the soil and groundwater makes it difficult to utilize these sites for traditional purposes such as agriculture. Further, the time required to remediate these contaminants to regulated levels is in the order of decades, which often results in long-term economic consequences for the areas near these sites. There has been significant interest in developing these sites as potential sources of renewable energy production in order to increase the economic viability of these sites and to provide alternative land resources for renewable energy production (EPA 2012). Solar energy, wind energy, and bioenergy from lignocellulosic biomass production have been identified as the main sources of renewable energy that can be produced at these locations. However, the environmental impacts of such a policy and the implications for greenhouse gas emissions, particularly resulting from changes in land-use impacting the biogeochemical cycle at these sites, have not been studied extensively to date. This study uses the biogeochemical process-based model DNDC to simulate carbon sequestration, nitrous oxide emissions and methane emissions from typical urban brownfield systems in the United States, when renewable energy systems are deployed. Photovoltaic solar energy and lignocellulosic biomass energy systems are evaluated here. Plants modeled include those most widely used for both bioenergy and remediation such as woody trees. Model sensitivity to soil conditions, contaminant levels and local weather data and the resulting impacts on greenhouse gas emissions are explored. Tradeoffs between renewable energy production,contaminant removal, and mitigation of greenhouse gases are also evaluated. Results indicate that a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 29-43% is possible, together with an estimated increase in renewable energy production of 7-22%.

Sustainable oil and grease removal from synthetic stormwater runoff using bench-scale bioretention studies.

PubMed

Hong, Eunyoung; Seagren, Eric A; Davis, Allen P

2006-02-01

One of the principal components of the contaminant load in urban stormwater runoff is oil and grease (O&G) pollution, resulting from vehicle emissions. A mulch layer was used as a contaminant trap to remove O&G (dissolved and particulate-associated naphthalene, dissolved toluene, and dissolved motor oil hydrocarbons) from a synthetic runoff during a bench-scale infiltration study. Approximately 80 to 95% removal of all contaminants from synthetic runoff was found via sorption and filtration. Subsequently, approximately 90% of the sorbed naphthalene, toluene, oil, and particulate-associated naphthalene was biodegraded within approximately 3, 4, 8, and 2 days after the event, respectively, based on decreases in contaminant concentrations coupled with increases of microbial populations. These results indicate the effectiveness and sustainability of placing a thin layer of mulch on the surface of a bioretention facility for reducing O&G pollution from urban stormwater runoff.

Microplastic contamination in natural mussel beds from a Brazilian urbanized coastal region: Rapid evaluation through bioassessment.

PubMed

Santana, M F M; Ascer, L G; Custódio, M R; Moreira, F T; Turra, A

2016-05-15

Microplastic pollution (particles <5mm) is a widespread marine threat and a trigger for biological effects, especially if ingested. The mussel Perna perna, an important food resource, was used as bioindicator to investigate the presence of microplastic pollution on Santos estuary, the most urbanized area of the coast of São Paulo State, Brazil. A simple and rapid assessment showed that 75% of sampled mussels had ingested microplastics, an issue of human and environmental concern. All sampling points had contaminated mussels and this contamination had no clear pattern of distribution along the estuary. This was the first time that microplastic bioavailability was assessed in nature for the southern hemisphere and that wild P. perna was found contaminated with this pollutant. This is an important issue that should be better assessed due to an increase in seafood consumption and culture in Brazil and worldwide. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban Runoff Impact on the qPCR Signal of Enterococci and Other Alternative Fecal Indicators in a Tropical Beach

EPA Science Inventory

In order to effectively control inputs of contamination to coastal recreational waters, an improved understanding of the impact of both point and non-point sources of urban runoff is needed. In this study, we focused on the effect of non-point source urban runoff on the enterococ...

Patterns of Home and School Behavior Problems in Rural and Urban Settings

PubMed Central

Hope, Timothy L; Bierman, Karen L

2009-01-01

This study examined the cross-situational patterns of behavior problems shown by children in rural and urban communities at school entry. Behavior problems exhibited in home settings were not expected to vary significantly across urban and rural settings. In contrast, it was anticipated that child behavior at school would be heavily influenced by the increased exposure to aggressive models and deviant peer support experienced by children in urban as compared to rural schools, leading to higher rates of school conduct problems for children in urban settings. Statistical comparisons of the patterns of behavior problems shown by representative samples of 89 rural and 221 urban children provided support for these hypotheses, as significant rural-urban differences emerged in school and not in home settings. Cross-situational patterns of behavior problems also varied across setting, with home-only patterns of problems characterizing more children at the rural site and school-only, patterns of behavior problems characterizing more children at the urban sites. In addition, whereas externalizing behavior was the primary school problem exhibited by urban children, rural children displayed significantly higher rates of internalizing problems at school. The implications of these results are discussed for developmental models of behavior problems and for preventive interventions. PMID:19834584

New regulations for radiation protection for work involving radioactive fallout emitted by the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi APP accident--disposal of contaminated soil and wastes.

PubMed

Yasui, Shojiro

2014-01-01

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Atomic Power Plant that accompanied the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, released a large amount of radioactive material. To rehabilitate the contaminated areas, the government of Japan decided to carry out decontamination work and manage the waste resulting from decontamination. In the summer of 2013, the Ministry of the Environment planned to begin a full-scale process for waste disposal of contaminated soil and wastes removed as part of the decontamination work. The existing regulations were not developed to address such a large amount of contaminated wastes. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), therefore, had to amend the existing regulations for waste disposal workers. The amendment of the general regulation targeted the areas where the existing exposure situation overlaps the planned exposure situation. The MHLW established the demarcation lines between the two regulations to be applied in each situation. The amendment was also intended to establish provisions for the operation of waste disposal facilities that handle large amounts of contaminated materials. Deliberation concerning the regulation was conducted when the facilities were under design; hence, necessary adjustments should be made as needed during the operation of the facilities.

Heavy metal contamination in an urban stream fed by contaminated air-conditioning and stormwater discharges.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Aisling; Wicke, Daniel; Cochrane, Tom

2012-03-01

Urban waterways are impacted by diffuse stormwater runoff, yet other discharges can unintentionally contaminate them. The Okeover stream in Christchurch, New Zealand, receives air-conditioning discharge, while its ephemeral reach relies on untreated stormwater flow. Despite rehabilitation efforts, the ecosystem is still highly disturbed. It was assumed that stormwater was the sole contamination source to the stream although water quality data were sparse. We therefore investigated its water and sediment quality and compared the data with appropriate ecotoxicological thresholds from all water sources. Concentrations of metals (Zn, Cu and Pb) in stream baseflow, stormwater runoff, air-conditioning discharge and stream-bed sediments were quantified along with flow regimes to ascertain annual contaminant loads. Metals were analysed by ICP-MS following accredited techniques. Zn, Cu and Pb concentrations from stormflow exceeded relevant guidelines for the protection of 90% of aquatic species by 18-, 9- and 5-fold, respectively, suggesting substantial ecotoxicity potential. Sporadic copper (Cu) inputs from roof runoff exceeded these levels up to 3,200-fold at >4,000 μg L⁻¹ while Cu in baseflow from air-conditioning inputs exceeded them 5.4-fold. There was an 11-fold greater annual Cu load to the stream from air-conditioning discharge compared to stormwater runoff. Most Zn and Cu were dissolved species possibly enhancing metal bioavailability. Elevated metal concentrations were also found throughout the stream sediments. Environmental investigations revealed unsuspected contamination from air-conditioning discharge that contributed greater Cu annual loads to an urban stream compared to stormwater inputs. This discovery helped reassess treatment strategies for regaining ecological integrity in the ecosystem.

Meddling with "Drama Class", Muddling "Urban": Imagining Aspects of the Urban Feminine Self through an Experimental Theatre Process with Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Mia; Rogers, Theresa

2011-01-01

This paper addresses how the urban is imagined and troubled through performances of youth engaged in a devised theatre project. These youth, situated next to a particular and storied urban place, reshaped the discourses of "The Downtown Eastside" (DTES) in a classroom-based performance project. Drawing on the work of Elizabeth Ellsworth, who…

[Urban and rural mycozoonoses].

PubMed

Arrese, J E; Martalo, O; Piérard-Franchimont, C; Piérard, G E

2000-11-01

The main mycozoonoses are due to specific dermatophytes which are pathogens for man and animals. Contamination occurs most often after close contact with the animal showing clinical lesions or with inapparent carriage only. The contaminated environment also participates to the mycozoonotic epidemics. Interhuman transmission is more rarely encountered. Young children before puberty are most receptive to the disease. The main urban mycozoonosis is due to Microsporum canis transmitted by dogs and cats. Rural mycozoonoses due to Trichophyton ochraceum can be contracted from bovines. Zoophilic dermatophytes induce lesions which are most often quite inflammatory in humans.

DANWEI AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN CONTEMPORARY URBAN CHINA

PubMed Central

Xie, Yu; Lai, Qing; Wu, Xiaogang

2009-01-01

Prior research showed that danwei, the work unit, was very important in determining workers’ social, economic, and political lives in pre-reform urban China. In this paper, we argue that danwei continues to be an agent of social stratification in contemporary urban China. Using data from a 1999 survey we conducted in three large Chinese cities, Wuhan, Shanghai, and Xi’an, we assess the extent to which workers’ socioeconomic well-being depends on the financial conditions of their danwei. Results show that the financial situation of danwei remains one of the most important determinants of earnings and benefits. However, the explanatory power of danwei’s financial situation is much greater for earnings than for benefits. PMID:20191102

A multi-metric assessment of environmental contaminant exposure and effects in an urbanized reach of the Charles River near Watertown, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Stephen B.; Anderson, Patrick J.; Baumann, Paul C.; DeWeese, Lawrence R.; Goodbred, Steven L.; Coyle, James J.; Smith, David S.

2012-01-01

The Charles River Project provided an opportunity to simultaneously deploy a combination of biomonitoring techniques routinely used by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program, the Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Project, and the Contaminant Biology Program at an urban site suspected to be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition to these standardized methods, additional techniques were used to further elucidate contaminant exposure and potential impacts of exposure on biota. The purpose of the study was to generate a comprehensive, multi-metric data set to support assessment of contaminant exposure and effects at the site. Furthermore, the data set could be assessed to determine the relative performance of the standardized method suites typically used by the National Water Quality Assessment Program and the Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Project, as well as the additional biomonitoring methods used in the study to demonstrate ecological effects of contaminant exposure. The Contaminant Effects Workgroup, an advisory committee of the U.S. Geological Survey/Contaminant Biology Program, identified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as the contaminant class of greatest concern in urban streams of all sizes. The reach of the Charles River near Watertown, Massachusetts, was selected as the site for this study based on the suspected presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination and the presence of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni). All of these fish have extensive contaminant-exposure profiles related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other environmental contaminants. This project represented a collaboration of universities, Department of the Interior bureaus including multiple components of the USGS (Biological Resources Discipline and Water Resources Discipline Science Centers, the Contaminant Biology Program, and the Status and Trends of Biological Resources Program), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Samples for analyzing water chemistry, sediment chemistry and toxicity, fish community structure, tissue chemistry, and fish (20 carp, 20 bass, and 40 white sucker) and invertebrate pathology were collected in late August, 2005. This report provides results from the analyses of fish pathology, biomarkers of exposure and effects (reproductive, carcinogenic, genotoxic, and immunologic), sediment chemistry, toxicity, and fish and invertebrate community structure.

Effect of land use activities on PAH contamination in urban soils of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.

PubMed

Ud Din, Ikhtiar; Rashid, Audil; Mahmood, Tariq; Khalid, Azeem

2013-10-01

Urbanization can increase the vulnerability of soils to various types of contamination. Increased contamination of urban soils with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) could relate to increased number of petrol pump stations and mechanical workshops-a phenomenon that needs to be constantly monitored. This study was undertaken to explore the soil PAH levels in Rawalpindi and Islamabad urban areas in relation to land use activities. Composite soil samples from petrol pump stations and mechanical workshops (n = 32) areas were evaluated for five PAHs--naphthalene, phenanthrene, pyrene, benzo[a]pyrene, and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene-and compared with control area locations with minimum petroleum-related activity (n = 16). Surface samples up to 3 cm depth were collected and extraction of analytes was carried out using n-hexane and dichloromethane. Prior to running the samples, standards (100 μg ml(-1)) were run on HPLC to optimize signal to noise ratio using acetonitrile as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.25 ml/min at 40 °C. Significant differences between petrol pump stations and mechanical workshop areas were observed for individual PAH as well as with control area soil samples. Naphthalene was found to be the most abundant PAH in soil, ranging from 2.47 to 24.36 mg kg(-1). Correlation between the benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) level in soil and the total PAH concentration (r = 0.82, P < 0.0001) revealed that BaP can be used as a potential marker for PAH pollution. A clear segregation between petrogenic and pyrogenic sources of contamination was observed when low molecular weight PAHs detected in soil was plotted against high molecular weight PAHs. The former source comprised lubricants and used engine oil found at mechanical workshops, whereas the latter could be mostly attributed to vehicular emission at petrol pumps. The results indicate that PAH contamination in urban areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad has direct relevance with land use for petroleum activity. We conclude that in order to reduce the soil PAH exposure in urban environment, petrol pumps and mechanical workshops must be shifted to less densely populated areas because of their role as important point sources for PAH emission.

Urban Elementary Single-Sex Math Classrooms: Mitigating Stereotype Threat for African American Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowe, Anica G.; Desjardins, Christopher D.; Covington Clarkson, Lesa M.; Lawrenz, Frances

2017-01-01

This study utilized a mixed-methods approach to holistically examine single-sex and coeducational urban elementary mathematics classes through situated cognitive theory. Participants came from two urban low-income Midwestern elementary schools with a high representation of minority students (n = 77 sixth graders, n = 4 teachers, n = 2 principals).…

Assessment of streambed sediment contamination by heavy metals: The case of the Gabes Catchment, South-eastern Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahri, Noura; Atoui, Abdelfattah; Ellouze, Manel; Abida, Habib

2018-04-01

This study deals with the assessment of the behaviour of seven heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr and As) in streambed sediments within the Gabes Catchment, located in South-eastern Tunisia. To understand the effect of intense human activities in the Gabes Basin on the quality of the environment, 22 sediment samples, spread all over the study basin, were taken and analyzed for heavy metals. Heavy metal concentrations were shown to vary in the following order: Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd > As. Sediment quality was assessed based on the evaluation of various indices. A total of 27% of the sampling stations are characterised by sediment Enrichment Factors (EF) exceeding 40, reflecting extremely severe pollution. This result was also confirmed by different indices, including Sediment Pollution Index (SPI), Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Geo-accumulation index. The calculation of Mean Effect Range-Median Quotient (M-ERM-Q) indicated that in stream discharge, all metals have a probability of 21% to be toxic. The ecological toxicity risk of heavy metals increases close to urban (traffic activity) and industrial activities (industrial complex of Gabes). Close to Gabes City, the situation and the degree of contamination that may be transferred into marine ecosystems is worrisome and requires immediate intervention.

Sorbitol-fermenting Bifidobacteria are indicators of very recent human faecal pollution in streams and groundwater habitats in urban tropical lowlands

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Sorbitol-fermenting Bifidobacteria (SFB) proved to be an excellent indicator of very recent human faecal pollution (hours to days) in the investigated tropical stream and groundwater habitats. SFB were recovered from human faeces and sources potentially contaminated with human excreta. SFB were undetectable in animal faeces and environmental samples not contaminated with human faeces. Microcosm studies demonstrated a rapid die-off rate in groundwater (T90 value 0.6 days) and stream water (T90 value 0.9–1.7 days). Discrimination sensitivity analysis, including E. coli, faecal coliforms, total coliforms and Clostridium perfringens spores, revealed high ability of SFB to distinguish differing levels of faecal pollution especially for streams although high background levels of interfering bacteria can complicate its recovery on the used medium. Due to its faster die-off, as compared to many waterborne pathogens, SFB cannot replace microbiological standard parameters for routine water quality monitoring but it is highly recommendable as a specific and complementary tool when human faecal pollution has to be localized or verified. Because of its exclusive faecal origin and human specificity it seems also worthwhile to include SFB in future risk evaluation studies at tropical water resources in order to evaluate under which situations risks of infection may be indicated. PMID:20375476

A flexible framework for process-based hydraulic and water ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background Models that allow for design considerations of green infrastructure (GI) practices to control stormwater runoff and associated contaminants have received considerable attention in recent years. While popular, generally, the GI models are relatively simplistic. However, GI model predictions are being relied upon by many municipalities and State/Local agencies to make decisions about grey vs. green infrastructure improvement planning. Adding complexity to GI modeling frameworks may preclude their use in simpler urban planning situations. Therefore, the goal here was to develop a sophisticated, yet flexible tool that could be used by design engineers and researchers to capture and explore the effect of design factors and properties of the media used in the performance of GI systems at a relatively small scale. We deemed it essential to have a flexible GI modeling tool that is capable of simulating GI system components and specific biophysical processes affecting contaminants such as reactions, and particle-associated transport accurately while maintaining a high degree of flexibly to account for the myriad of GI alternatives. The mathematical framework for a stand-alone GI performance assessment tool has been developed and will be demonstrated.Framework Features The process-based model framework developed here can be used to model a diverse range of GI practices such as green roof, retention pond, bioretention, infiltration trench, permeable pavement and

Context-Aided Sensor Fusion for Enhanced Urban Navigation

PubMed Central

Martí, Enrique David; Martín, David; García, Jesús; de la Escalera, Arturo; Molina, José Manuel; Armingol, José María

2012-01-01

The deployment of Intelligent Vehicles in urban environments requires reliable estimation of positioning for urban navigation. The inherent complexity of this kind of environments fosters the development of novel systems which should provide reliable and precise solutions to the vehicle. This article details an advanced GNSS/IMU fusion system based on a context-aided Unscented Kalman filter for navigation in urban conditions. The constrained non-linear filter is here conditioned by a contextual knowledge module which reasons about sensor quality and driving context in order to adapt it to the situation, while at the same time it carries out a continuous estimation and correction of INS drift errors. An exhaustive analysis has been carried out with available data in order to characterize the behavior of available sensors and take it into account in the developed solution. The performance is then analyzed with an extensive dataset containing representative situations. The proposed solution suits the use of fusion algorithms for deploying Intelligent Transport Systems in urban environments. PMID:23223080

Context-aided sensor fusion for enhanced urban navigation.

PubMed

Martí, Enrique David; Martín, David; García, Jesús; de la Escalera, Arturo; Molina, José Manuel; Armingol, José María

2012-12-06

 The deployment of Intelligent Vehicles in urban environments requires reliable estimation of positioning for urban navigation. The inherent complexity of this kind of environments fosters the development of novel systems which should provide reliable and precise solutions to the vehicle. This article details an advanced GNSS/IMU fusion system based on a context-aided Unscented Kalman filter for navigation in urban conditions. The constrained non-linear filter is here conditioned by a contextual knowledge module which reasons about sensor quality and driving context in order to adapt it to the situation, while at the same time it carries out a continuous estimation and correction of INS drift errors. An exhaustive analysis has been carried out with available data in order to characterize the behavior of available sensors and take it into account in the developed solution. The performance is then analyzed with an extensive dataset containing representative situations. The proposed solution suits the use of fusion algorithms for deploying Intelligent Transport Systems in urban environments.

Studies on urban drinking water quality in a tropical zone.

PubMed

Mudiam, Mohana Krishna Reddy; Pathak, S P; Gopal, K; Murthy, R C

2012-01-01

Anthropogenic activities associated with industrialization, agriculture and urbanization have led to the deterioration in water quality due to various contaminants. To assess the status of urban drinking water quality, samples were collected from the piped supplies as well as groundwater sources from different localities of residential, commercial and industrial areas of Lucknow City in a tropical zone of India during pre-monsoon for estimation of coliform and faecal coliform bacteria, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metals. Bacterial contamination was found to be more in the samples from commercial areas than residential and industrial areas. OCPs like α,γ-hexachlorocyclohexane and 1,1 p,p-DDE {dichloro-2, 2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethene)} were found to be present in most of the samples from study area. The total organochlorine pesticide levels were found to be within the European Union limit (0.5 μg/L) in most of the samples. Most of the heavy metals estimated in the samples were also found to be within the permissible limits as prescribed by World Health Organization for drinking water. Thus, these observations show that contamination of drinking water in urban areas may be mainly due to municipal, industrial and agricultural activities along with improper disposal of solid waste. This is an alarm to safety of public health and aquatic environment in tropics.

Environmental monitoring and analysis of faecal contamination in an urban setting in the city of Bari (Apulia region, Italy): health and hygiene implications.

PubMed

Tarsitano, Elvira; Greco, Grazia; Decaro, Nicola; Nicassio, Francesco; Lucente, Maria Stella; Buonavoglia, Canio; Tempesta, Maria

2010-11-01

Few studies have been conducted in Italy to quantify the potential risk associated with dynamics and distribution of pathogens in urban settings. The aim of this study was to acquire data on the environmental faecal contamination in urban ecosystems, by assessing the presence of pathogens in public areas in the city of Bari (Apulia region, Italy). To determine the degree of environmental contamination, samples of dog faeces and bird guano were collected from different areas in the city of Bari (park green areas, playgrounds, public housing areas, parkways, and a school). A total of 152 canine faecal samples, in 54 pools, and two samples of pigeon guano from 66 monitored sites were examined. No samples were found in 12 areas spread over nine sites. Chlamydophila psittaci was detected in seven canine and two pigeon guano samples. Salmonella species were not found. On the other hand, four of 54 canine faecal samples were positive for reovirus. Thirteen canine faecal samples were positive for parasite eggs: 8/54 samples contained Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina eggs and 5/54 samples contained Ancylostoma caninum eggs. Our study showed that public areas are often contaminated by potentially zoonotic pathogens.

Impact of wastewater-irrigation on in-household water contamination. A cohort study among urban farmers in Ahmedabad, India.

PubMed

Falkenberg, Timo; Saxena, Deepak; Kistemann, Thomas

2018-10-15

This cohort study explores the contribution of wastewater irrigation, in the context of WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene), on in-household water contamination among urban farming households in Ahmedabad, India. Drinking water samples of 204 households in four peri-urban farming communities were collected from the point-of-source (PoS) and point-of-use (PoU) of each household four times over the 12-month follow-up period. Next to the quantification of E. coli, three household surveys (baseline, hygiene and farm) were conducted. Additionally, an observational spot-check was undertaken in bi-monthly intervals throughout the follow-up period. Significant positive differences in water quality between PoS and PoU samples were identified in 78% of households. During the monsoon, the peak of contamination, only 6% of households had access to safe drinking water at PoU. The Average Treatment Effect (ATE) of wastewater irrigation indicates an adverse effect on in-household water contamination, larger in effect size than the mitigation effect of access to sanitation or personal hygiene. To control transmission of fecal pathogens, effective barriers are required for wastewater irrigation similar to the necessity of ensuring access to sanitation and practicing adequate hygiene behavior. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chlorinated organic compounds in urban river sediments

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

Soma, Y.; Shiraishi, H.; Inaba, K.

1995-12-31

Among anthropogenic chemicals, many chlorinated organic compounds have been used as insecticides and detected frequently as contaminants in urban river sediments so far. However, the number and total amount of chemicals produced commercially and used are increasing year by year, though each amount of chemicals is not so high. New types of contaminants in the environment may be detected by the use of newly developed chemicals. Chlorinated organic compounds in the urban river sediments around Tokyo and Kyoto, large cities in Japan, were surveyed and recent trends of contaminants were studied. Contaminants of the river sediments in industrial areas hadmore » a variety, but PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) was detected in common in industrial areas. Concentration of PCB related well to the number of factories on both sides of rivers, although the use of PCB was stopped 20 years ago. In domestic areas, Triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-phenol) and Triclocarban (3,4,4{prime}-trichlorocarbanilide)(both are contained in soap or shampoo for fungicides), p-dichlorobenzene (insecticides for wears) and TCEP(tris-chloroethyl phosphate) were detected. EOX(extracted organic halogen) in the sediments was 5 to 10 times of chlorinated organic compounds detected by GC/MS. Major part of organic halogen was suggested to be included in chlorinated organics formed by bleaching or sterilization.« less

Total and Bioaccessible Soil Arsenic and Lead Levels and Plant Uptake in Three Urban Community Gardens in Puerto Rico

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) are two contaminants of concern associated with urban gardening. In Puerto Rico, data currently is limited on As and Pb levels in urban garden soils, soil metal (loid) bioaccessibility, and uptake of As and Pb in soil by edible plants grown in the regio...

Using a watershed-centric approach to identify potentially impacted beaches

EPA Science Inventory

Beaches can be affected by a variety of contaminants. Of particular concern are beaches impacted by human fecal contamination and urban runoff. This poster demonstrates a methodology to identify potentially impacted beaches using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Since h...

Micropollutants in urban watersheds : substance flow analysis as management tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossi, L.; Copin, P. J.; Barry, A. D.; Bader, H.-P.; Scheidegger, R.; Chèvre, N.

2009-04-01

Micropollutants released by cities into water are of increasing concern as they are suspected of inducing long-term effects on both aquatic organisms and humans (eg., hormonally active substances). Substances found in the urban water cycle have different sources in the urban area and different fates in this cycle. For example, the pollutants emitted from traffic, like copper or PAHs get to surface water during rain events often without any treatment. Pharmaceuticals resulting from human medical treatments get to surface water mainly through wastewater treatment plants, where they are only partly treated and eliminated. One other source of contamination in urban areas for these compounds are combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Once in the receiving waters (lakes, rivers, groundwater), these substances may re-enter the cycle through drinking water. It is therefore crucial to study the behaviour of micropollutants in the urban water cycle and to get flexible tools for urban water management. Substance flow analysis (SFA) has recently been proposed as instrument for water pollution management in urban water systems. This kind of analysis is an extension of material flow analysis (MFA) originally developed in the economic sector and later adapted to regional investigations. In this study, we propose to test the application of SFA for a large number of classes of micropollutants to evaluate its use for urban water management. We chose the city of Lausanne as case study since the receiving water of this city (Lake Geneva) is an important source of drinking water for the surrounding population. Moreover a profound system-knowledge and many data were available, both on the sewer system and the water quality. We focus our study on one heavy metal (copper) and four pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, ibuprofen, carbamazepine and naproxen). Results conducted on copper reveals that around 1500 kg of copper enter the aquatic compartment yearly. This amount contributes to sediment enrichment, which may pose a long-term risk for the benthic organisms. The major sources (total of 73%) of copper in receiving surface water are roofs and contact lines of trolleybuses. Thus technical solutions have to be found to manage this specific source of contamination. Application of SFA approach to four pharmaceuticals reveals that CSOs represent an important source of contamination: Between 14% (carbamazepine) and 61% (ibuprofen) of the total annual loads of Lausanne city to the Lake are due to CSOs. These results will help in defining the best management strategy to limit Lake Geneva contamination. SFA is thus a promising tool for integrated urban water management.

Monitoring for Pesticides in Groundwater and Surface Water in Nevada, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thodal, Carl E.; Carpenter, Jon; Moses, Charles W.

2009-01-01

Commercial pesticide applicators, farmers, and homeowners apply about 1 billion pounds of pesticides annually to agricultural land, non-crop land, and urban areas throughout the United States (Gilliom and others, 2006, p. 1). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) defines a pesticide as any substance used to kill or control insects, weeds, plant diseases, and other pest organisms. Although there are important benefits from the proper use of pesticides, like crop protection and prevention of human disease outbreaks, there are also risks. One risk is the contamination of groundwater and surface-water resources. Data collected during 1992-2001 from 51 major hydrologic systems across the United States indicate that one or more pesticide or pesticide breakdown product was detected in more than 50 percent of 5,057 shallow (less than 20 feet below land surface) wells and in all of the 186 stream sites that were sampled in agricultural and urban areas (Gilliom and others, 2006, p. 2-4). Pesticides can contaminate surface water and groundwater from both point sources and non-point sources. Point sources are from specific locations such as spill sites, disposal sites, pesticide drift during application, and application of pesticides to control aquatic pests. Non-point sources represent the dominant source of surface water and groundwater contamination and may include agricultural and urban runoff, erosion, leaching from application sites, and precipitation that has become contaminated by upwind applications. Pesticides typically enter surface water when rainfall or irrigation exceeds the infiltration capacity of soil and resulting runoff then transports pesticides to streams, rivers, and other surface-water bodies. Contamination of groundwater may result directly from spills near poorly sealed well heads and from pesticide applications through improperly designed or malfunctioning irrigation systems that also are used to apply pesticides (chemigation; Carpenter and Johnson, 1997). Groundwater contamination also may come indirectly by the percolation of agricultural and urban irrigation water through soil layers and into groundwater and from pesticide residue in surface water, such as drainage ditches, streams, and municipal wastewater. To protect surface water and groundwater from pesticide contamination, the USEPA requires that all states establish a pesticide management plan. The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDOA), with assistance from the USEPA, developed a management program of education (Hefner and Donaldson, 2006), regulation (Johnson and others, 2006), and monitoring (Pennington and others, 2001) to protect Nevada's water resources from pesticide contaminants. Sampling sites are located in areas where urban or agricultural pesticide use may affect groundwater, water bodies, endangered species, and other aquatic life. Information gathered from these sites is used by NDOA to help make regulatory decisions that will protect human and environmental health by reducing and eliminating the occurrence of pesticide contamination. This fact sheet describes current (2008) pesticide monitoring of groundwater and streams by the NDOA in Nevada and supersedes Pennington and others (2001).

State of the Science Review: Potential for Beneficial Use of Waste By-Products for In-situ Remediation of Metal-Contaminated Soil and Sediment

EPA Science Inventory

Metal and metalloid contamination of soil and sediment is a widespread problem both in urban and rural areas throughout the United States (U.S. EPA, 2014). Beneficial use of waste by-products as amendments to remediate metal-contaminated soils and sediments can provide major eco...

78 FR 69376 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List 19 Species and 3...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

... observed concentrations of contaminants in sharks, with those sharks found in contamination hot spots (such... of Hg contamination due to urban, industrial, and natural source inputs (Storelli et al., 2003; Mull... that appears to be found exclusively off Sarawak, Malaysia on Borneo. It is a small shark, with an...

A Study of Urban 4-H Club Programs in Thirty Cities of the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownell, Joseph C.

This report covers a six-month sabbatical travel study of urban 4-H programs in 30 United States cities. The purpose of the study was to search for 4-H programs and methods which were being used successfully with urban boys and which might be adapted for use in other urban situations. Interviews with professional 4-H personnel, aides, and leaders…

EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON DIFFICULTY OF EVACUATION FROM UNDERGROUND SPACES UNDER INUNDATED SITUATIONS USING REAL SCALE MODELS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baba, Yasuyuki; Ishigaki, Taisuke; Toda, Keiichi; Nakagawa, Hajime

Many urbanized cities in Japan are located in alluvial plains, and the vulnerability of urbanized areas to flood disaster is highlighted by flood attacks due to heavy rain fall or typhoons. Underground spaces located in the urbanized area are flood-prone areas, and the intrusion of flood watar into underground space inflicted severe damages on urban functions and infrastructures. In a similar way, low-lying areas like "bowl-shaped" depression and underpasses under highway and railroad bridges are also prone to floods. The underpasses are common sites of accidents of submerged vehicles, and severe damage including human damage occasionally occurs under flooding conditions. To reduce the damage due to inundation in underground space, needless to say, early evacuation is one of the most important countermeasures. This paper shows some experimental results of evacuation tests from underground spaces under inundated situations. The difficulities of the evacuation from underground space has been investigated by using real scale models (door, staircase and vehicle), and the limit for safety evacuation is discussed. From the results, it is found that water depth of 0.3 - 0.4m would be a critical situation for the evacuation from underground space through staircases and door and that 0.7 - 0.8m deep on the ground would be also a critical situation for safety evacuation though the doors of the vehicle. These criteria have some possibility to vary according to different inundated situations, and they are also influenced by the individual variation like the difference of physical strength. This means that these criteria requires cautious stance to use although they show a sort of an index of the limitation for saftty evacuation from underground space.

Human factors and tidal influences on water quality of an urban river in Can Tho, a major city of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

PubMed

Ozaki, Hirokazu; Co, Thi Kinh; Le, Anh Kha; Pham, Viet Nu; Nguyen, Van Be; Tarao, Mitsunori; Nguyen, Huu Chiem; Le, Viet Dung; Nguyen, Hieu Trung; Sagehashi, Masaki; Ninomiya-Lim, Sachi; Gomi, Takashi; Hosomi, Masaaki; Takada, Hideshige

2014-02-01

In this study, we focused on water quality in an urban canal and the Mekong River in the city of Can Tho, a central municipality of the Mekong Delta region, southern Vietnam. Water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, BOD5, CODCr, Na(+), Cl(-), NH4 (+)-N, SO4 (2-)-S, NO3 (-)-N, and NO2 (-)-N for both canal and river, and tide level of the urban canal, were monitored once per month from May 2010 to April 2012. The urban canal is subject to severe anthropogenic contamination, owing to poor sewage treatment. In general, water quality in the canal exhibited strong tidal variation, poorer at lower tides and better at higher tides. Some anomalies were observed, with degraded water quality under some high-tide conditions. These were associated with flow from the upstream residential area. Therefore, it was concluded that water quality in the urban canal changed with a balance between dilution effects and extent of contaminant supply, both driven by tidal fluctuations in the Mekong River.

Oxidative stress markers in fish (Astyanax sp. and Danio rerio) exposed to urban and agricultural effluents in the Brazilian Pampa biome.

PubMed

Costa-Silva, D G; Nunes, M E M; Wallau, G L; Martins, I K; Zemolin, A P P; Cruz, L C; Rodrigues, N R; Lopes, A R; Posser, T; Franco, J L

2015-10-01

Aquatic ecosystems are under constant risk due to industrial, agricultural, and urban activities, compromising water quality and preservation of aquatic biota. The assessment of toxicological impacts caused by pollutants to aquatic environment using biomarker measurements in fish can provide reliable data to estimate sublethal effects posed by chemicals in contaminated areas. In this study, fish (Astyanax sp. and Danio rerio) exposed to agricultural and urban effluents at the Vacacaí River, Brazil, were tested for potential signs of aquatic contamination. This river comprehends one of the main watercourses of the Brazilian Pampa, a biome with a large biodiversity that has been neglected in terms of environmental and social-economic development. Sites S1 and S2 were chosen by their proximity to crops and wastewater discharge points, while reference site was located upstream of S1 and S2, in an apparently non-degraded area. Fish muscle and brain tissues were processed for determination of acetylcholinesterase as well as oxidative stress-related biomarkers. The results showed signs of environmental contamination, hallmarked by significant changes in cholinesterase activity, expression of metallothionein, antioxidant enzymes, glutathione levels, and activation of antioxidant/cell stress response signaling pathways in fish exposed to contaminated sites when compared to reference. Based on these results, it is evidenced that urban and agricultural activities are posing risk to the environmental quality of water resources at the studied area. It is also demonstrated that cell stress biomarkers may serve as important tools for biomonitoring and development of risk assessment protocols in the Pampa biome.

Environmental Contamination by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato Eggs in Relation to Slaughterhouses in Urban and Rural Areas in Tunisia.

PubMed

Chaâbane-Banaoues, Raja; Oudni-M'rad, Myriam; M'rad, Selim; Mezhoud, Habib; Babba, Hamouda

2016-02-01

Hydatidosis has become a real concern for health care institutions and animal rearers in Tunisia. The Tunisian endemicity is aggravated by the growing number of dogs and the difficulty of getting rid of contaminated viscera because of the lack of equipment in most slaughterhouses. Therefore, microscopic and molecular tools were applied to evaluate the role of slaughterhouses in canine infection and Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) egg dissemination. Exposure risk to E. granulosus s. l. eggs in urban and rural areas was explored in order to implant preventive and adapted control strategies. Microscopic examinations detected taeniid eggs in 152 amongst 553 fecal samples. The copro-PCR demonstrated that 138 of 152 taeniid samples analyzed were positive for E. granulosus s. l. DNA. PCR-RFLP demonstrated that all isolated samples belonged to E. granulosus sensu stricto (s. s.). An important environmental contamination index (25.0%) by E. granulosus s. l. eggs was demonstrated. The average contamination index from the regions around slaughterhouses (23.3%; 95% CI: 17.7-28.9%) was in the same range as detected in areas located far from slaughterhouses (26.0%, 95% CI: 21.3-30.8%). Echinococcosis endemic areas were extended in both rural (29.9%, 95% CI: 24.8-34.9%) and urban locations (18.1%, 95% CI: 13.0-22.9%). The pathogen dissemination is related neither to the presence/absence of slaughterhouses nor to the location in urban or rural areas, but is probably influenced by human activities (home slaughtering) and behavior towards the infected viscera.

Comparison of Contaminant Transport in Agricultural Drainage Water and Urban Stormwater Runoff

PubMed Central

Ranaivoson, Andry Z.; Feyereisen, Gary W.; Rosen, Carl J.; Moncrief, John F.

2016-01-01

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff. We measured flow rate and contaminant concentration in stormwater runoff from Willmar, Minnesota, USA, and in drainage water from subsurface-drained fields with surface inlets, namely, Unfertilized and Fertilized Fields. Commercial fertilizer and turkey litter manure were applied to the Fertilized Field based on agronomic requirements. Results showed that the City Stormwater transported significantly higher loads per unit area of ammonium, total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) than the Fertilized Field, but nitrate load was significantly lower. Nitrate load transport in drainage water from the Unfertilized Field was 58% of that from the Fertilized Field. Linear regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in flow depth resulted in a 1.05% increase of TSS load from the City Stormwater, a 1.07% increase in nitrate load from the Fertilized Field, and a 1.11% increase in TP load from the Fertilized Field. This indicates an increase in concentration with a rise in flow depth, revealing that concentration variation was a significant factor influencing the dynamics of load transport. Further regression analysis showed the importance of targeting high flows to reduce contaminant transport. In conclusion, for watersheds similar to this one, management practices should be directed to load reduction of ammonium and TSS from urban areas, and nitrate from cropland while TP should be a target for both. PMID:27930684

Comparison of Contaminant Transport in Agricultural Drainage Water and Urban Stormwater Runoff.

PubMed

Ghane, Ehsan; Ranaivoson, Andry Z; Feyereisen, Gary W; Rosen, Carl J; Moncrief, John F

2016-01-01

Transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural and urban landscapes to surface water bodies can cause adverse environmental impacts. The main objective of this long-term study was to quantify and compare contaminant transport in agricultural drainage water and urban stormwater runoff. We measured flow rate and contaminant concentration in stormwater runoff from Willmar, Minnesota, USA, and in drainage water from subsurface-drained fields with surface inlets, namely, Unfertilized and Fertilized Fields. Commercial fertilizer and turkey litter manure were applied to the Fertilized Field based on agronomic requirements. Results showed that the City Stormwater transported significantly higher loads per unit area of ammonium, total suspended solids (TSS), and total phosphorus (TP) than the Fertilized Field, but nitrate load was significantly lower. Nitrate load transport in drainage water from the Unfertilized Field was 58% of that from the Fertilized Field. Linear regression analysis indicated that a 1% increase in flow depth resulted in a 1.05% increase of TSS load from the City Stormwater, a 1.07% increase in nitrate load from the Fertilized Field, and a 1.11% increase in TP load from the Fertilized Field. This indicates an increase in concentration with a rise in flow depth, revealing that concentration variation was a significant factor influencing the dynamics of load transport. Further regression analysis showed the importance of targeting high flows to reduce contaminant transport. In conclusion, for watersheds similar to this one, management practices should be directed to load reduction of ammonium and TSS from urban areas, and nitrate from cropland while TP should be a target for both.

Water-quality observations of the San Antonio segment of the Edwards aquifer, Texas, with an emphasis on processes influencing nutrient and pesticide geochemistry and factors affecting aquifer vulnerability, 2010–16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Opsahl, Stephen P.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Mahler, Barbara J.; Lambert, Rebecca B.

2018-06-07

As questions regarding the influence of increasing urbanization on water quality in the Edwards aquifer are raised, a better understanding of the sources, fate, and transport of compounds of concern in the aquifer—in particular, nutrients and pesticides—is needed to improve water management decision-making capabilities. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, performed a study from 2010 to 2016 to better understand how water quality changes under a range of hydrologic conditions and in contrasting land-cover settings (rural and urban) in the Edwards aquifer. The study design included continuous hydrologic monitoring, continuous water-quality monitoring, and discrete sample collection for a detailed characterization of water quality at a network of sites throughout the aquifer system. The sites were selected to encompass a “source-to-sink” (that is, from aquifer recharge to aquifer discharge) approach. Network sites were selected to characterize rainfall, recharging surface water, and groundwater; groundwater sites included wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer (unconfined wells) and in the confined part of the aquifer (confined wells) and a major discharging spring. Storm-related samples—including rainfall samples, stormwater-runoff (surface-water) samples, and groundwater samples—were collected to characterize the aquifer response to recharge.Elevated nitrate concentrations relative to national background values and the widespread detection of pesticides indicate that the Edwards aquifer is vulnerable to contamination and that vulnerability is affected by factors such as land cover, aquifer hydrogeology, and changes in hydrologic conditions. Greater vulnerability of groundwater in urban areas relative to rural areas was evident from results for urban groundwater sites, which generally had higher nitrate concentrations, elevated δ15N-nitrate values, a greater diversity of pesticides, and higher pesticide concentrations. The continuum of water quality from unconfined rural groundwater sites (least affected by anthropogenic contamination) to unconfined urban groundwater sites (most affected by anthropogenic contamination) demonstrates enhanced vulnerability of urban versus rural land cover. Differences in contaminant occurrences and concentration among unconfined urban wells indicate that the urban parts of the aquifer are not uniformly vulnerable, but rather are affected by spatial differences in the sources of nutrients and pesticides. In urban areas, the shallow, unconfined groundwater sites showed greater temporal variability in both nutrient and pesticide concentrations, as well as a greater degree of contamination, than did deeper, confined groundwater sites. In comparison to that of the shallow, unconfined groundwater sites, the water quality of the deeper, confined groundwater sites was relatively invariant during this multiyear study. Although aquifer hydrogeology is an important factor related to aquifer vulnerability, land cover likely has a greater influence on pesticide contamination of groundwater. Temporal variability in hydrologic conditions for the Edwards aquifer is apparent in data for surface water as a source of groundwater recharge, water-level altitude in wells, spring discharge, and groundwater quality. This temporal variability affects recharge sources, recharge amounts, groundwater traveltimes, flow routing, water-rock interaction processes, dilution, mixing, and, in turn, water quality. Relations of land cover, aquifer hydrogeology, and changing hydrologic conditions to water quality are complex but provide insight into the vulnerability of Edwards aquifer groundwater—a vital drinking-water resource.

Priority pollutants in urban stormwater: part 1 - case of separate storm sewers.

PubMed

Zgheib, Sally; Moilleron, Régis; Chebbo, Ghassan

2012-12-15

Organic and mineral pollutants have become part of today's urban environment. During a rain event, stormwater quality as well as the corresponding contaminant loads is affected by both atmospheric deposition and the various types of impervious surfaces (roads, rooftops, parking lots etc.) on which runoff occurs. This study provides results on stormwater pollution in Paris and its suburbs from three separate storm sewers (n=20 samples). These results show that the stormwater had been contaminated by 55 chemical substances out of the 88 investigated. A particular attention was given to stormwater particle contamination. Concentrations are provided for: metals, PAHs, PCBs, organotins, alkylphenols, phthalates, pesticides, and VOCs. Our findings are among the first available in the literature since the relevant analyses were all conducted on both the particulate (P) and dissolved (D) phases. For most substances, particles from the three storm sewers were more heavily contaminated than dredged sediments and settleable particles from the Seine River. As a consequence of this finding, the release of untreated stormwater discharges may impact the receiving waters and contribute to sediment contamination. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

URBAN WET-WEATHER FLOW POLLUTION MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

One of the challenges in protecting urban watersheds lies in effectively controlling the contaminants in both overland runoff and sewerage system overflows during wet-weather events. Abatement of wet-weather flow (WWF) pollution can be implemented at the source by land managemen...

Fungicide and Nutrient Transport with Runoff from Creeping Bentgrass Turf

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The detection of pesticides and excess nutrients in surface waters of urban watersheds has lead to increased environmental concern and suspect of contaminant contributions from residential, urban, and recreational sources. Highly managed biotic systems such as golf courses and commercial landscapes ...

Using phytotechnologies to remediate brownfields, landfills, and other urban areas

Treesearch

R.S. Zalesny Jr.; Jill Zalesny

2010-01-01

Urban areas requiring remedial work has prompted the use of phytotechnologies to improve water quality, soil health, and biodiversity, as well as to achieve sustainable social and economic goals. Phytotechnologies directly use plants to clean up contaminated groundwater, soil, and sediment.

Geochemical legacies and the future health of cities: A tale of two neurotoxins in urban soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fillipelli, Gabriel M.; Risch, Martin R.; Laidlaw, Mark A. S.; Nichols, Deborah E.; Crewe, Julie

2015-01-01

Acute exposure to lead (Pb), a powerful neurotoxin to which children are particularly susceptible, has largely been eliminated in the U.S. and other countries through policy-based restrictions on leaded gasoline and lead-based paints. But the legacy of these sources remains in the form of surface soil Pb contamination, a common problem in cities and one that has only recently emerged as a widespread chronic exposure mechanism in cities. Some urban soils are also contaminated with another neurotoxin, mercury (Hg). The greatest human exposure to Hg is through fish consumption, so eating fish caught in urban areas presents risks for toxic Hg exposure. The potential double impact of chronic exposure to these two neurotoxins is pronounced in cities. Overall, there is a paradigmatic shift from reaction to and remediation of acute exposures towards a more nuanced understanding of the dynamic cycling of persistent environmental contaminants with resultant widespread and chronic exposure of inner-city dwellers, leading to chronic toxic illness and disability at substantial human and social cost.

Organic contaminants in Great Lakes tributaries: Identification of watersheds and chemicals of greatest concern

EPA Science Inventory

Trace organic contaminant concentrations in some Great Lakes tributaries indicate potential for adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Chemicals used in agriculture, industry, and households enter surface waters via variety of sources, including urban and agricultural runoff, sewa...

Metal Immobilization Influence On Bioavailability And Remediation For Urban Environments

EPA Science Inventory

Immobilization of soil contaminants, such as lead, via phosphate amendments to alter the chemical environment of metals into highly insoluble forms is a well established process. The literature has documented numerous examples of highly contaminated Pb sites at shooting ranges, b...

Contaminant transport in two central Missouri karst recharge areas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Karst watersheds with significant losing streams represent a particularly vulnerable setting for ground water contamination because of the direct connection to surface water. Because of the existing agricultural land-use and future likelihood of urbanization, two losing stream karst basins were chos...

Racial Diversity Sounds Nice; Systems Transformation? Not So Much: Developing Urban Teachers of Color

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers-Ard, Rachelle; Knaus, Christopher B.; Epstein, Kitty Kelly; Mayfield, Kimberly

2013-01-01

This article argues that economic exclusion, standardized testing, and racially biased definitions of teacher quality continue the exclusion of teachers of color from the urban teaching force. The authors highlight two urban programs designed to address such barriers and situate such efforts within a critical race theory framework that identifies…

Pedagogical Context Knowledge: Revelations from a Week in the Life of Itinerant Urban Music Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Julia T.

2018-01-01

This instrumental case study explored the contextual knowledge urban music educators hold about their particular learners and the school, community, and broader cultural contexts in which they are situated. The two urban choral music educators who participated in the study represented unusual cases in that they were employed by a children's choir…

The Urban School Reform Opera: The Obstructions to Transforming School Counseling Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Militello, Matthew; Janson, Christopher

2014-01-01

Over the past 20 years, there have been numerous calls to reform the practices of school counselors. Some have situated these calls for school counseling reform within the context of urban schooling. This study examined the practices of school counselors in one urban school district, and how those practices aligned with the school district's…

Critical Small Schools: Beyond Privatization in New York City Urban Educational Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hantzopoulos, Maria, Ed.; Tyner-Mullings, Alia R., Ed.

2012-01-01

Critical Small Schools: Beyond Privatization in New York City Urban Educational Reform features the most current empirical research about the successes and challenges of the small schools movement and the implications of such for urban public educational policy. Situated in a climate of hierarchical reform, many of the principles of the original…

Biology of the Coarse Aerosol Mode: Insights Into Urban Aerosol Ecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dueker, E.; O'Mullan, G. D.; Montero, A.

2015-12-01

Microbial aerosols have been understudied, despite implications for climate studies, public health, and biogeochemical cycling. Because viable bacterial aerosols are often associated with coarse aerosol particles, our limited understanding of the coarse aerosol mode further impedes our ability to develop models of viable bacterial aerosol production, transport, and fate in the outdoor environment, particularly in crowded urban centers. To address this knowledge gap, we studied aerosol particle biology and size distributions in a broad range of urban and rural settings. Our previously published findings suggest a link between microbial viability and local production of coarse aerosols from waterways, waste treatment facilities, and terrestrial systems in urban and rural environments. Both in coastal Maine and in New York Harbor, coarse aerosols and viable bacterial aerosols increased with increasing wind speeds above 4 m s-1, a dynamic that was observed over time scales ranging from minutes to hours. At a New York City superfund-designated waterway regularly contaminated with raw sewage, aeration remediation efforts resulted in significant increases of coarse aerosols and bacterial aerosols above that waterway. Our current research indicates that bacterial communities in aerosols at this superfund site have a greater similarity to bacterial communities in the contaminated waterway with wind speeds above 4 m s-1. Size-fractionated sampling of viable microbial aerosols along the urban waterfront has also revealed significant shifts in bacterial aerosols, and specifically bacteria associated with coarse aerosols, when wind direction changes from onshore to offshore. This research highlights the key connections between bacterial aerosol viability and the coarse aerosol fraction, which is important in assessments of production, transport, and fate of bacterial contamination in the urban environment.

Using Microbial Source Tracking Markers to Predict Occurrence of Waterborne Pathogens in Urban and Agricultural Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Runoff from agricultural fields and urban landscapes may carry a variety of microbial contaminants that compromises water quality and increases the possibility of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. Establishing the relationship between microbial source tracking (MST) ma...

SUSTAINABLE REUSE AND REVITALIZATION OF POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATED SITES CD

EPA Science Inventory

The goal of this CD is to demonstrate and discuss principles of sustainable reuse and revitalization through examples of sustainable practices as applied to redevelopment in both the USA and Germany, emphasizing urban development and sites at the urban/rural fringe or interface.

Temporal-Spatial Evolution of Groundwater Nitrogen Pollution Over Seven Years in a Highly Urbanized City in the Southern China.

PubMed

He, Xiaorui; Qian, Jiazhong; Liu, Zufa; Lu, Yuehan; Ma, Lei; Zhao, Weidong; Kang, Bo

2017-12-01

Understanding the temporospatial variation in nitrogen pollution in groundwater and the associated controlling factors is important to establish management practices that ensure sustainable use of groundwater. In this study, we analyzed inorganic nitrogen content (nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium) in 1164 groundwater samples from shallow, middle-deep, and deep aquifers in Zhanjiang, a highly urbanized city in the southern China. Our data span a range of 7 years from 2005 to 2011. Results show that shallow aquifers had been heavily contaminated by nitrate and ammonium. Temporal patterns show that N contamination levels remained high and relatively stable over time in urban areas. This stability and high concentration is hypothesized as a result of uncontrolled, illicit sewer discharges from nearby business facilities. Groundwater in urban land and farmland displays systematic differences in geochemical characteristics. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the importance of continuously monitoring groundwater quality and strictly regulating sewage discharges in Zhanjiang.

A tiered approach for the human health risk assessment for consumption of vegetables from with cadmium-contaminated land in urban areas.

PubMed

Swartjes, Frank A; Versluijs, Kees W; Otte, Piet F

2013-10-01

Consumption of vegetables that are grown in urban areas takes place worldwide. In developing countries, vegetables are traditionally grown in urban areas for cheap food supply. In developing and developed countries, urban gardening is gaining momentum. A problem that arises with urban gardening is the presence of contaminants in soil, which can be taken up by vegetables. In this study, a scientifically-based and practical procedure has been developed for assessing the human health risks from the consumption of vegetables from cadmium-contaminated land. Starting from a contaminated site, the procedure follows a tiered approach which is laid out as follows. In Tier 0, the plausibility of growing vegetables is investigated. In Tier 1 soil concentrations are compared with the human health-based Critical soil concentration. Tier 2 offers the possibility for a detailed site-specific human health risk assessment in which calculated exposure is compared to the toxicological reference dose. In Tier 3, vegetable concentrations are measured and tested following a standardized measurement protocol. To underpin the derivation of the Critical soil concentrations and to develop a tool for site-specific assessment the determination of the representative concentration in vegetables has been evaluated for a range of vegetables. The core of the procedure is based on Freundlich-type plant-soil relations, with the total soil concentration and the soil properties as variables. When a significant plant-soil relation is lacking for a specific vegetable a geometric mean of BioConcentrationFactors (BCF) is used, which is normalized according to soil properties. Subsequently, a 'conservative' vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor is calculated as basis for the Critical soil concentration (Tier 1). The tool to perform site-specific human health risk assessment (Tier 2) includes the calculation of a 'realistic worst case' site-specific vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of climate change on runoff pollution in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coutu, S.; Kramer, S.; Barry, D. A.; Roudier, P.

2012-12-01

Runoff from urban environments is generally contaminated. These contaminants mostly originate from road traffic and building envelopes. Facade envelopes generate lead, zinc and even biocides, which are used for facade protection. Road traffic produces particles from tires and brakes. The transport of these pollutants to the environment is controlled by rainfall. The interval, duration and intensity of rainfall events are important as the dynamics of the pollutants are often modeled with non-linear buildup/washoff functions. Buildup occurs during dry weather when pollution accumulates, and is subsequently washed-off at the time of the following rainfall, contaminating surface runoff. Climate predictions include modified rainfall distributions, with changes in both number and intensity of events, even if the expected annual rainfall varies little. Consequently, pollutant concentrations in urban runoff driven by buildup/washoff processes will be affected by these changes in rainfall distributions. We investigated to what extent modifications in future rainfall distributions will impact the concentrations of pollutants present in urban surface runoff. The study used the example of Lausanne, Switzerland (temperate climate zone). Three emission scenarios (time horizon 2090), multiple combinations of RCM/GCM and modifications in rain event frequency were used to simulate future rainfall distributions with various characteristics. Simulated rainfall events were used as inputs for four pairs of buildup/washoff models, in order to compare future pollution concentrations in surface runoff. In this way, uncertainty in model structure was also investigated. Future concentrations were estimated to be between ±40% of today's concentrations depending on the season and, importantly, on the choice of the RCM/GCM model. Overall, however, the dominant factor was the uncertainty inherent in buildup/washoff models, which dominated over the uncertainty in future rainfall distributions. Consequently, the choice of a proper buildup/washoff model, with calibrated site-specific coefficients, is a major factor in modeling future runoff concentrations from contaminated urban surfaces.

24 CFR 35.1345 - Occupant protection and worksite preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard Evaluation and Hazard Reduction Activities § 35.1345 Occupant... occupants and the environment from contamination from lead-contaminated or lead-containing materials during...

24 CFR 35.1345 - Occupant protection and worksite preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard Evaluation and Hazard Reduction Activities § 35.1345 Occupant... occupants and the environment from contamination from lead-contaminated or lead-containing materials during...

24 CFR 35.1345 - Occupant protection and worksite preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard Evaluation and Hazard Reduction Activities § 35.1345 Occupant... occupants and the environment from contamination from lead-contaminated or lead-containing materials during...

24 CFR 35.1345 - Occupant protection and worksite preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard Evaluation and Hazard Reduction Activities § 35.1345 Occupant... occupants and the environment from contamination from lead-contaminated or lead-containing materials during...

24 CFR 35.1345 - Occupant protection and worksite preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Housing and Urban Development LEAD-BASED PAINT POISONING PREVENTION IN CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES Methods and Standards for Lead-Paint Hazard Evaluation and Hazard Reduction Activities § 35.1345 Occupant... occupants and the environment from contamination from lead-contaminated or lead-containing materials during...

Contaminant transport in two central Missouri karst recharge areas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Karst watersheds with significant losing streams represent a particularly vulnerable setting for ground water contamination because of the direct connection to surface water. Because of the existing agricultural land-use and future threat of heavy urbanization, two losing stream karst basins were ch...

Contaminant Transport in Two Central Missouri Karst Recharge Areas

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Karst watersheds with significant losing streams represent a particularly vulnerable setting for ground water contamination because of the direct connection to surface water. Because of the existing agricultural land-use and future threat of heavy urbanization, two losing stream karst basins were ch...

Bioavailability Assessment of a Contaminated Field Sediemtn from Patrick Bayou, Texas: TIE and Equilibrium Partitioning

EPA Science Inventory

Contaminated sediments are commonly found in urbanized harbors. Remediation is often necessary and diagnosing the cause of sediment toxicity becomes imperative. In the present study, sediments from Patrick Bayou, Texas were subjected to initial toxicity testing. All sediments ...

Evaluation of organochlorine pesticides in serum from students in Coimbra, Portugal: 1997-2001

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

Lino, Celeste Matos; Silveira, M. Irene Noronha da

2006-11-15

In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2001, in an attempt to evaluate the contamination level of a Portuguese population, organochlorine pesticide residues were evaluated in human serum from students of the University of Coimbra. Concentrations of selected organochlorine pollutants ({alpha}-, {beta}-, and {gamma}-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, HE, HCB, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD) and endosulfan sulfate was measured with gas chromatography-electron capture detector. Our objective is to point out the general levels of pesticide contamination and the differences between the four populations; and together with this, if a connection could be established with gender or the residence area of the subjects. Endosulfan sulfate,more » p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDD were the most frequently identified residues. Endosulfan sulfate present the highest concentrations for all subjects, 42.6 {mu}g/l, with concentrations ranging from undetected to 1295.5 {mu}g/l. Between DDT, isomers, and analogues, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT presented the highest levels, 24.8 and 21.9 {mu}g/l, respectively. Mean total DDT levels were higher than mean total HCH levels. For {sigma}-DDT, the highest levels were found among female gender and urban samples. An opposite situation was found in {sigma}-HCH: males presented higher levels than females. The mean concentration of organochlorine pesticide residues, present in the student populations, showed that it is among the highest levels of contamination, when compared with others from Europe, Asia, and America.« less

Lead (Pb) and other metals in New York City community garden soils: factors influencing contaminant distributions

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Rebecca G.; Spliethoff, Henry M.; Ribaudo, Lisa N.; Lopp, Donna M.; Shayler, Hannah A.; Marquez-Bravo, Lydia G.; Lambert, Veronique T.; Ferenz, Gretchen S.; Russell-Anelli, Jonathan M.; Stone, Edie B.; McBride, Murray B.

2014-01-01

Urban gardens provide affordable fresh produce to communities with limited access to healthy food but may also increase exposure to lead (Pb) and other soil contaminants. Metals analysis of 564 soil samples from 54 New York City (NYC) community gardens found at least one sample exceeding health-based guidance values in 70% of gardens. However, most samples (78%) did not exceed guidance values, and medians were generally below those reported in NYC soil and other urban gardening studies. Barium (Ba) and Pb most frequently exceeded guidance values and along with cadmium (Cd) were strongly correlated with zinc (Zn), a commonly measured nutrient. Principal component analysis suggested that contaminants varied independently from organic matter and geogenic metals. Contaminants were associated with visible debris and a lack of raised beds; management practices (e.g., importing uncontaminated soil) have likely reduced metals concentrations. Continued exposure reduction efforts would benefit communities already burdened by environmental exposures. PMID:24502997

Lead (Pb) and other metals in New York City community garden soils: factors influencing contaminant distributions.

PubMed

Mitchell, Rebecca G; Spliethoff, Henry M; Ribaudo, Lisa N; Lopp, Donna M; Shayler, Hannah A; Marquez-Bravo, Lydia G; Lambert, Veronique T; Ferenz, Gretchen S; Russell-Anelli, Jonathan M; Stone, Edie B; McBride, Murray B

2014-04-01

Urban gardens provide affordable fresh produce to communities with limited access to healthy food but may also increase exposure to lead (Pb) and other soil contaminants. Metals analysis of 564 soil samples from 54 New York City (NYC) community gardens found at least one sample exceeding health-based guidance values in 70% of gardens. However, most samples (78%) did not exceed guidance values, and medians were generally below those reported in NYC soil and other urban gardening studies. Barium (Ba) and Pb most frequently exceeded guidance values and along with cadmium (Cd) were strongly correlated with zinc (Zn), a commonly measured nutrient. Principal component analysis suggested that contaminants varied independently from organic matter and geogenic metals. Contaminants were associated with visible debris and a lack of raised beds; management practices (e.g., importing uncontaminated soil) have likely reduced metals concentrations. Continued exposure reduction efforts would benefit communities already burdened by environmental exposures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling of spatial contaminant probabilities of occurrence of chlorinated hydrocarbons in an urban aquifer.

PubMed

Greis, Tillman; Helmholz, Kathrin; Schöniger, Hans Matthias; Haarstrick, Andreas

2012-06-01

In this study, a 3D urban groundwater model is presented which serves for calculation of multispecies contaminant transport in the subsurface on the regional scale. The total model consists of two submodels, the groundwater flow and reactive transport model, and is validated against field data. The model equations are solved applying finite element method. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to perform parameter identification of flow, transport and reaction processes. Coming from the latter, stochastic variation of flow, transport, and reaction input parameters and Monte Carlo simulation are used in calculating probabilities of pollutant occurrence in the domain. These probabilities could be part of determining future spots of contamination and their measure of damages. Application and validation is exemplarily shown for a contaminated site in Braunschweig (Germany), where a vast plume of chlorinated ethenes pollutes the groundwater. With respect to field application, the methods used for modelling reveal feasible and helpful tools to assess natural attenuation (MNA) and the risk that might be reduced by remediation actions.

Relative cancer risks of chemical contaminants in the great lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bro, Kenneth M.; Sonzogni, William C.; Hanson, Mark E.

1987-08-01

Anyone who drinks water or eats fish from the Great Lakes consumes potentially carcinogenic chemicals. In choosing how to respond to such pollution, it is important to put the risks these contaminants pose in perspective. Based on recent measurements of carcinogens in Great Lakes fish and water, calculations of lifetime risks of cancer indicate that consumers of sport fish face cancer risks from Great Lakes contaminants that are several orders of magnitude higher than the risks posed by drinking Great Lakes water. But drinking urban groundwater and breathing urban air may be as hazardous as frequent consumption of sport fish from the Great Lakes. Making such comparisons is difficult because of variation in types and quality of information available and in the methods for estimating risk. Much uncertainty pervades the risk assessment process in such areas as estimating carcinogenic potency and human exposure to contaminants. If risk assessment is to be made more useful, it is important to quantify this uncertainty.

The degradation behaviour of nine diverse contaminants in urban surface water and wastewater prior to water treatment.

PubMed

Cormier, Guillaume; Barbeau, Benoit; Arp, Hans Peter H; Sauvé, Sébastien

2015-12-01

An increasing diversity of emerging contaminants are entering urban surface water and wastewater, posing unknown risks for the environment. One of the main contemporary challenges in ensuring water quality is to design efficient strategies for minimizing such risks. As a first step in such strategies, it is important to establish the fate and degradation behavior of contaminants prior to any engineered secondary water treatment. Such information is relevant for assessing treatment solutions by simple storage, or to assess the impacts of contaminant spreading in the absence of water treatment, such as during times of flooding or in areas of poor infrastructure. Therefore in this study we examined the degradation behavior of a broad array of water contaminants in actual urban surface water and wastewater, in the presence and absence of naturally occurring bacteria and at two temperatures. The chemicals included caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, atrazine, 17β-estradiol, ethinylestradiol, diclofenac, desethylatrazine and norethindrone. Little information on the degradation behavior of these pollutants in actual influent wastewater exist, nor in general in water for desethylatrazine (a transformation product of atrazine) and the synthetic hormone norethindrone. Investigations were done in aerobic conditions, in the absence of sunlight. The results suggest that all chemicals except estradiol are stable in urban surface water, and in waste water neither abiotic nor biological degradation in the absence of sunlight contribute significantly to the disappearance of desethylatrazine, atrazine, carbamazepine and diclofenac. Biological degradation in wastewater was effective at transforming norethindrone, 17β-estradiol, ethinylestradiol, caffeine and sulfamethoxazole, with measured degradation rate constants k and half-lives ranging respectively from 0.0082-0.52 d(-1) and 1.3-85 days. The obtained degradation data generally followed a pseudo-first-order-kinetic model. This information can be used to model degradation prior to water treatment.

Contaminants in tropical island streams and their biota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buttermore, Elissa N.; Cope, W. Gregory; Kwak, Thomas J.; Cooney, Patrick B.; Shea, Damian; Lazaro, Peter R.

2018-01-01

Environmental contamination is problematic for tropical islands due to their typically dense human populations and competing land and water uses. The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico (USA) has a long history of anthropogenic chemical use, and its human population density is among the highest globally, providing a model environment to study contaminant impacts on tropical island stream ecosystems. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, historic-use chlorinated pesticides, current-use pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and metals (mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, and selenium) were quantified in the habitat and biota of Puerto Rico streams and assessed in relation to land-use patterns and toxicological thresholds. Water, sediment, and native fish and shrimp species were sampled in 13 rivers spanning broad watershed land-use characteristics during 2009–2010. Contrary to expectations, freshwater stream ecosystems in Puerto Rico were not severely polluted, likely due to frequent flushing flows and reduced deposition associated with recurring flood events. Notable exceptions of contamination were nickel in sediment within three agricultural watersheds (range 123–336 ppm dry weight) and organic contaminants (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides) and mercury in urban landscapes. At an urban site, PCBs in several fish species (Mountain Mullet Agonostomus monticola [range 0.019–0.030 ppm wet weight] and American Eel Anguilla rostrata [0.019–0.031 ppm wet weight]) may pose human health hazards, with concentrations exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consumption limit for 1 meal/month. American Eel at the urban site also contained dieldrin (range < detection-0.024 ppm wet weight) that exceeded the EPA maximum allowable consumption limit. The Bigmouth Sleeper Gobiomorous dormitor, an important piscivorus sport fish, accumulated low levels of organic contaminants in edible muscle tissue (due to its low lipid content) and may be most suitable for human consumption island-wide; only mercury at one site (an urban location) exceeded EPA's consumption limit of 3 meals/month for this species. These results comprise the first comprehensive island-wide contaminant assessment of Puerto Rico streams and biota and provide natural resource and public health agencies here and in similar tropical islands elsewhere with information needed to guide ecosystem and fisheries conservation and management and human health risk assessment.

Contaminants in tropical island streams and their biota.

PubMed

Buttermore, Elissa N; Cope, W Gregory; Kwak, Thomas J; Cooney, Patrick B; Shea, Damian; Lazaro, Peter R

2018-02-01

Environmental contamination is problematic for tropical islands due to their typically dense human populations and competing land and water uses. The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico (USA) has a long history of anthropogenic chemical use, and its human population density is among the highest globally, providing a model environment to study contaminant impacts on tropical island stream ecosystems. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, historic-use chlorinated pesticides, current-use pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and metals (mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc, and selenium) were quantified in the habitat and biota of Puerto Rico streams and assessed in relation to land-use patterns and toxicological thresholds. Water, sediment, and native fish and shrimp species were sampled in 13 rivers spanning broad watershed land-use characteristics during 2009-2010. Contrary to expectations, freshwater stream ecosystems in Puerto Rico were not severely polluted, likely due to frequent flushing flows and reduced deposition associated with recurring flood events. Notable exceptions of contamination were nickel in sediment within three agricultural watersheds (range 123-336ppm dry weight) and organic contaminants (PCBs, organochlorine pesticides) and mercury in urban landscapes. At an urban site, PCBs in several fish species (Mountain Mullet Agonostomus monticola [range 0.019-0.030ppm wet weight] and American Eel Anguilla rostrata [0.019-0.031ppm wet weight]) may pose human health hazards, with concentrations exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consumption limit for 1 meal/month. American Eel at the urban site also contained dieldrin (range < detection-0.024ppm wet weight) that exceeded the EPA maximum allowable consumption limit. The Bigmouth Sleeper Gobiomorous dormitor, an important piscivorus sport fish, accumulated low levels of organic contaminants in edible muscle tissue (due to its low lipid content) and may be most suitable for human consumption island-wide; only mercury at one site (an urban location) exceeded EPA's consumption limit of 3 meals/month for this species. These results comprise the first comprehensive island-wide contaminant assessment of Puerto Rico streams and biota and provide natural resource and public health agencies here and in similar tropical islands elsewhere with information needed to guide ecosystem and fisheries conservation and management and human health risk assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Urban Options for Psychological Restoration: Common Strategies in Everyday Situations

PubMed Central

Staats, Henk; Jahncke, Helena; Herzog, Thomas R.; Hartig, Terry

2016-01-01

Objectives Given the need for knowledge on the restorative potential of urban settings, we sought to estimate the effects of personal and contextual factors on preferences and restoration likelihood assessments for different urban activities-in-environments. We also sought to study the generality of these effects across different countries. Methods We conducted a true experiment with convenience samples of university students in the Netherlands (n = 80), Sweden (n = 100), and the USA (n = 316). In each country, the experiment had a mixed design with activities-in-environments (sitting in a park, sitting in a cafe, walking in a shopping mall, walking along a busy street) manipulated within-subjects and the need for restoration (attentional fatigue, no attentional fatigue) and immediate social context (in company, alone) manipulated between-subjects. The manipulations relied on previously tested scenarios describing everyday situations that participants were instructed to remember and imagine themselves being in. For each imagined situation (activity-in-environment with antecedent fatigue condition and immediate social context), subjects provided two criterion measures: general preference and the likelihood of achieving psychological restoration. Results The settings received different preference and restoration likelihood ratings as expected, affirming that a busy street, often used in comparisons with natural settings, is not representative of the restorative potential of urban settings. Being with a close friend and attentional fatigue both moderated ratings for specific settings. Findings of additional moderation by country of residence caution against broad generalizations regarding preferences for and the expected restorative effects of different urban settings. Conclusions Preferences and restoration likelihood ratings for urban activity-environment combinations are subject to multiple personal and contextual determinants, including level of attentional fatigue, being alone versus in company, and broader aspects of the urban context that vary across cities and countries. Claims regarding a lack of restorative quality in urban environments are problematic. PMID:26731272

Radiological protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations resulting from a nuclear accident.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Daisuke; Hattori, Takatoshi

2013-01-01

In environmental remediation after nuclear accidents, radioactive wastes have to be appropriately managed in existing exposure situations with contamination resulting from the emission of radionuclides by such accidents. In this paper, a framework of radiation protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations for application to the practical and reasonable waste management in contaminated areas, referring to related ICRP recommendations was proposed. In the proposed concept, intermediate reference levels for waste management are adopted gradually according to the progress of the reduction in the existing ambient dose in the environment on the basis of the principles of justification and optimisation by taking into account the practicability of the management of radioactive waste and environmental remediation. It is essential to include the participation of relevant stakeholders living in existing exposure situations in the selection of reference levels for the existing ambient dose and waste management.

Radiological protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations resulting from a nuclear accident

PubMed Central

Sugiyama, Daisuke; Hattori, Takatoshi

2013-01-01

In environmental remediation after nuclear accidents, radioactive wastes have to be appropriately managed in existing exposure situations with contamination resulting from the emission of radionuclides by such accidents. In this paper, a framework of radiation protection from radioactive waste management in existing exposure situations for application to the practical and reasonable waste management in contaminated areas, referring to related ICRP recommendations was proposed. In the proposed concept, intermediate reference levels for waste management are adopted gradually according to the progress of the reduction in the existing ambient dose in the environment on the basis of the principles of justification and optimisation by taking into account the practicability of the management of radioactive waste and environmental remediation. It is essential to include the participation of relevant stakeholders living in existing exposure situations in the selection of reference levels for the existing ambient dose and waste management. PMID:22719047

Rethinking Educational Spaces: A Review of Literature on Urban Youth and Social Media

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Terry T.; Carpenter, B. Stephen, II

2014-01-01

This paper serves as an exploration into the landscape of social media use in educational research as it relates to urban youth in the United States. Initially, a social and learning context is provided that situates the implications social media may have for urban youth within formal and informal educational spaces. The paper offers a discussion…

Urban Working Children: A Comparison of Four Surveys from South America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, William E.

1989-01-01

The results of four field surveys of urban working children in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru are compared. The article focuses on children working in the streets, discussing their occupations, earnings, family situation, education, aspirations, and needs. (SK)

Fish Assemblages in Three Northwest Florida Urbanized Bayous before and after Two Hurricanes

EPA Science Inventory

A six-year survey (1993 - 1998) is summarized for fish collected from chemically-contaminated, urbanized bayous in northwest Florida. Fifty-two monthly collections (January - November) were conducted by trawls and seines at 22 sites located in three adjacent bayous associated wi...

Off site transport of fungicides with snowmelt and rainfall runoff from golf course fairway turf

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pesticides associated with the turfgrass industry have been detected in storm runoff and surface waters of urban watersheds; inferring contaminant contributions from residential, urban, and recreational sources. Golf course turf often requires multiple applications of pesticides at rates that exceed...

Eutrophication of an Urban Forest Ecosystem: Causes and Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednova, O. V.; Kuznetsov, V. A.; Tarasova, N. P.

2018-01-01

The combined use of methods of passive dosimetry of the status of atmospheric air, phytoindication, and cartographic visualization of data made it possible to elaborate and substantiate approaches to evaluation of the effect of atmospheric air contamination on the eutrophication of forest ecosystems under urban conditions.

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

Demmer, Rick; Boxall, Colin

Radiological decontamination is an essential enterprise that has become more important over the last four decades due to unfortunate accidents and the threat of terrorist actions. Decontamination can be an effective, beneficial alternative for the cleanup of radiological contamination events; however, the costs and benefits need to be balanced against those for complete removal and demolition of contaminated areas or facilities. Demolition and removal are often the first options considered in such circumstances as decontamination may be thought of as slow and costly. Decontamination has advantages, including significant waste reduction over demolition. In areas with buildings of cultural or societalmore » importance, demolition may not be an option. Three decontamination evaluation test series are the focus of this article: SIMCON 1 and 2 (i.e., simulated contamination), and Urban RDD (radiological dispersal device, i.e., a dirty bomb detonation). These test series revealed that different contaminants respond differently during decontamination. This was found to be true with both SIMCON and Urban RDD simulant tests. SIMCON 2 especially demonstrated that chemically different contaminants respond differently to different decontamination methods: cesium appears to be less tenacious (more easily removed) than zirconium using chemical methods. These differences were underscored by the Urban RDD tests where americium and cobalt tended to precipitate on high pH surfaces (such as concrete), making them easier to remove, while cesium and strontium were essentially unaffected by surface pH and were imbibed more strongly into the substrate pore structure. While authorities argue over the contributions of contaminant chemistry and substrate morphology, the clear answer is that each has a contribution to the tenacity of a contaminant. Knowing how these characteristics interact will make us better at decontamination in the field. This knowledge refutes the efforts of perhaps well-meaning marketers to define our decontamination problems by what products they are trying to sell; often a “one size fits all” type approach. Knowing even a little bit about the character of the decontamination problem will save time and money and increase the efficacy of decontamination.« less

Do Contaminants Originating from State-of-the-Art Treated Wastewater Impact the Ecological Quality of Surface Waters?

PubMed Central

Stalter, Daniel; Magdeburg, Axel; Quednow, Kristin; Botzat, Alexandra; Oehlmann, Jörg

2013-01-01

Since the 1980s, advances in wastewater treatment technology have led to considerably improved surface water quality in the urban areas of many high income countries. However, trace concentrations of organic wastewater-associated contaminants may still pose a key environmental hazard impairing the ecological quality of surface waters. To identify key impact factors, we analyzed the effects of a wide range of anthropogenic and environmental variables on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community. We assessed ecological water quality at 26 sampling sites in four urban German lowland river systems with a 0–100% load of state-of-the-art biological activated sludge treated wastewater. The chemical analysis suite comprised 12 organic contaminants (five phosphor organic flame retardants, two musk fragrances, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, octylphenol, diethyltoluamide, terbutryn), 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 12 heavy metals. Non-metric multidimensional scaling identified organic contaminants that are mainly wastewater-associated (i.e., phosphor organic flame retardants, musk fragrances, and diethyltoluamide) as a major impact variable on macroinvertebrate species composition. The structural degradation of streams was also identified as a significant factor. Multiple linear regression models revealed a significant impact of organic contaminants on invertebrate populations, in particular on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera species. Spearman rank correlation analyses confirmed wastewater-associated organic contaminants as the most significant variable negatively impacting the biodiversity of sensitive macroinvertebrate species. In addition to increased aquatic pollution with organic contaminants, a greater wastewater fraction was accompanied by a slight decrease in oxygen concentration and an increase in salinity. This study highlights the importance of reducing the wastewater-associated impact on surface waters. For aquatic ecosystems in urban areas this would lead to: (i) improvement of the ecological integrity, (ii) reduction of biodiversity loss, and (iii) faster achievement of objectives of legislative requirements, e.g., the European Water Framework Directive. PMID:23593263

Do contaminants originating from state-of-the-art treated wastewater impact the ecological quality of surface waters?

PubMed

Stalter, Daniel; Magdeburg, Axel; Quednow, Kristin; Botzat, Alexandra; Oehlmann, Jörg

2013-01-01

Since the 1980s, advances in wastewater treatment technology have led to considerably improved surface water quality in the urban areas of many high income countries. However, trace concentrations of organic wastewater-associated contaminants may still pose a key environmental hazard impairing the ecological quality of surface waters. To identify key impact factors, we analyzed the effects of a wide range of anthropogenic and environmental variables on the aquatic macroinvertebrate community. We assessed ecological water quality at 26 sampling sites in four urban German lowland river systems with a 0-100% load of state-of-the-art biological activated sludge treated wastewater. The chemical analysis suite comprised 12 organic contaminants (five phosphor organic flame retardants, two musk fragrances, bisphenol A, nonylphenol, octylphenol, diethyltoluamide, terbutryn), 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 12 heavy metals. Non-metric multidimensional scaling identified organic contaminants that are mainly wastewater-associated (i.e., phosphor organic flame retardants, musk fragrances, and diethyltoluamide) as a major impact variable on macroinvertebrate species composition. The structural degradation of streams was also identified as a significant factor. Multiple linear regression models revealed a significant impact of organic contaminants on invertebrate populations, in particular on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera species. Spearman rank correlation analyses confirmed wastewater-associated organic contaminants as the most significant variable negatively impacting the biodiversity of sensitive macroinvertebrate species. In addition to increased aquatic pollution with organic contaminants, a greater wastewater fraction was accompanied by a slight decrease in oxygen concentration and an increase in salinity. This study highlights the importance of reducing the wastewater-associated impact on surface waters. For aquatic ecosystems in urban areas this would lead to: (i) improvement of the ecological integrity, (ii) reduction of biodiversity loss, and (iii) faster achievement of objectives of legislative requirements, e.g., the European Water Framework Directive.

The Research and Evaluation of Road Environment in the Block of City Based on 3-D Streetscape Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, L.; Ding, Y.; Ge, J.; Yang, H.; Feng, X.; Chen, P.

2018-04-01

This paper focus on the problem of the street environment of block unit, based on making clear the acquisition mode and characteristics of 3D streetscape data, the paper designs the assessment model of regional block unit based on 3D streetscape data. The 3D streetscape data with the aid of oblique photogrammetry surveying and mobile equipment, will greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of urban regional assessment, and expand the assessment scope. Based on the latest urban regional assessment model, with the street environment assessment model of the current situation, this paper analyzes the street form and street environment assessment of current situation in the typical area of Beijing. Through the street environment assessment of block unit, we found that in the megacity street environment assessment model of block unit based on 3D streetscape data has greatly help to improve the assessment efficiency and accuracy. At the same time, motor vehicle lane, green shade deficiency, bad railings and street lost situation is still very serious in Beijing, the street environment improvement of the block unit is still a heavy task. The research results will provide data support for urban fine management and urban design, and provide a solid foundation for the improvement of city image.

Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Response to Contaminated Sediment Remediation in a Lacustuary System

EPA Science Inventory

Degradation of benthos is a common beneficial use impairments (BUI) at Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs), including the Maumee River, northeastern Ohio. Ottawa River is part of the Maumee River AOC, and has been altered by urban and industrial activities. Contaminated sediment ...

Speciation and bioaccessibility of mercury in adobe bricks and dirt floors in Huancavelica, Peru

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Huancavelica, Peru, a historic cinnabar refining site, is one of the most mercury (Hg) contaminated urban areas in the world. Residents’ exposures are amplified because residents build their adobe brick homes from contaminated soil. Objectives: The objectives of th...

Bioaccumulation of human pharmaceuticals in fish across habitats of a tidally influenced urban bayou.

PubMed

Du, Bowen; Haddad, Samuel P; Luek, Andreas; Scott, W Casan; Saari, Gavin N; Burket, S Rebekah; Breed, Christopher S; Kelly, Martin; Broach, Linda; Rasmussen, Joseph B; Chambliss, C Kevin; Brooks, Bryan W

2016-04-01

Though pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern are increasingly observed in inland water bodies, the occurrence and bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals in estuaries and coastal ecosystems are poorly understood. In the present study, bioaccumulation of select pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of emerging concern was examined in fish from Buffalo Bayou, a tidally influenced urban ecosystem that receives effluent from a major (∼200 million gallons per day) municipal wastewater treatment plant in Houston, Texas, USA. Using isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, various target analytes were observed in effluent, surface water, and multiple fish species. The trophic position of each species was determined using stable isotope analysis. Fish tissue levels of diphenhydramine, which represented the only pharmaceutical detected in all fish species, did not significantly differ between freshwater and marine fish predominantly inhabiting benthic habitats; however, saltwater fish with pelagic habitat preferences significantly accumulated diphenhydramine to the highest levels observed in the present study. Consistent with previous observations from an effluent-dependent freshwater river, diphenhydramine did not display trophic magnification, which suggests site-specific, pH-influenced inhalational uptake to a greater extent than dietary exposure in this tidally influenced urban ecosystem. The findings highlight the importance of understanding differential bioaccumulation and risks of ionizable contaminants of emerging concern in habitats of urbanizing coastal systems. © 2015 SETAC.

Long-term airborne contamination studied by attic dust in an industrial area: Ajka, Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Völgyesi, P.; Jordan, G.; Szabo, Cs.

2012-04-01

Heavy industrial activities such as mining, metal industry, coal fired power plants have produced large amount of by-products and wide-spread pollution, particularly in the period of centrally dictated economy after WWII, in Hungary. Several studies suggest that significant amount of these pollutants have been deposited in the urban environment. Nowadays, more than half of the world's population is living in urban areas and people spend almost 80% of their lives indoors in developed countries increasing human health risk due to contamination present in urban dwellings. Attic dust sampling was applied to determine the long-term airborne contamination load in the industrial town of Ajka (Hungary). There has been a high industrial activity in Ajka since the end of the 19th century. In addition to aluminum and alumina industry, coal mining, coal fired power plant and glass industry sites, generated numerous waste heaps which act as multi-contamination sources in the area. In October 2010 the Ajka red mud tailings pond failed and caused an accidental regional contamination of international significance. The major objective of this research was to study and map the spatial distribution of heavy metal contamination in airborne attic dust samples. At 27 sampling sites 30 attic dust samples were collected. Sampling strategy followed a grid-based stratified random sampling design. In each cell a house for attic dust sample collection was selected that was located the closest to a randomly generated point in the grid cell. The project area covers a 8x8 grid of 1x1 km cells with a total area of 64 km2. In order to represent long-term industrial pollution, houses with attics kept intact for at least 30-40 years were selected for sampling. Sampling included the collection of background samples remotely placed from the industrialized urban area. The concentration of the major and toxic elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, and As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Sr, Ti, V, Zn) were measured with ICP-OES and the mercury content was measured with atom absorption spectrometry. Our results show a good spatial correlation of contamination sources and attic dust sampling locations reveal spatial trends as well. Attic dust seems to be an efficient and cheep sampling medium to study long-term airborne contamination and possibly associated human health risk in an industrial area.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) contamination of fish in urban lakes: a prioritization methodology for lake management.

PubMed

Xiao, Feng; Gulliver, John S; Simcik, Matt F

2013-12-15

The contamination of urban lakes by anthropogenic pollutants such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a worldwide environmental problem. Large-scale, long-term monitoring of urban lakes requires careful prioritization of available resources, focusing efforts on potentially impaired lakes. Herein, a database of PFOS concentrations in 304 fish caught from 28 urban lakes was used for development of an urban-lake prioritization framework by means of exploratory data analysis (EDA) with the aid of a geographical information system. The prioritization scheme consists of three main tiers: preliminary classification, carried out by hierarchical cluster analysis; predictor screening, fulfilled by a regression tree method; and model development by means of a neural network. The predictive performance of the newly developed model was assessed using a training/validation splitting method and determined by an external validation set. The application of the model in the U.S. state of Minnesota identified 40 urban lakes that may contain elevated levels of PFOS; these lakes were not previously considered in PFOS monitoring programs. The model results also highlight ongoing industrial/commercial activities as a principal determinant of PFOS pollution in urban lakes, and suggest vehicular traffic as an important source and surface runoff as a primary pollution carrier. In addition, the EDA approach was further compared to a spatial interpolation method (kriging), and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling the catchment-scale environmental impacts of wastewater treatment in an urban sewage system for CO₂ emission assessment.

PubMed

Mouri, Goro; Oki, Taikan

2010-01-01

Water shortages and water pollution are a global problem. Increases in population can have further acute effects on water cycles and on the availability of water resources. Thus, wastewater management plays an important role in mitigating negative impacts on natural ecosystems and human environments and is an important area of research. In this study, we modelled catchment-scale hydrology, including water balances, rainfall, contamination, and urban wastewater treatment. The entire water resource system of a basin, including a forest catchment and an urban city area, was evaluated synthetically from a spatial distribution perspective with respect to water quantity and quality; the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) technique was applied to optimize wastewater treatment management with the aim of improving water quality and reducing CO₂ emissions. A numerical model was developed to predict the water cycle and contamination in the catchment and city; the effect of a wastewater treatment system on the urban region was evaluated; pollution loads were evaluated quantitatively; and the effects of excluding rainwater from the treatment system during flooding and of urban rainwater control on water quality were examined. Analysis indicated that controlling the amount of rainwater inflow to a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in an urban area with a combined sewer system has a large impact on reducing CO₂ emissions because of the load reduction on the urban sewage system.

Variations in the Rate of Infestations of Dogs with Zoonotic Nematodes and the Contamination of Soil in Different Environments

PubMed Central

Demkowska-Kutrzepa, Marta; Borecka, Anna; Meisner, Michał; Tomczuk, Krzysztof; Roczeń-Karczmarz, Monika; Kłapeć, Teresa; Abbass, Zahrai; Cholewa, Alicja

2017-01-01

Companion animals are an important aspect in human life. However, they may also be considered a source of pathogens. An example of zoonotic parasitoses is toxocarosis or cutaneous larva migrans (CLM). The aim of the study was to detect zoonotic nematodes of dogs living in different areas and the intensity of contamination in parasite polluted environments that are hazardous to human health. The fecal samples were examined using standard flotation and decantation methods as well as McMaster’s quantitative technique. The soil samples in urban and rural areas were examined using a modified flotation method as described by Quinn et al. Statistical analyses were performed by IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23. The overall prevalence of parasites in dogs was 38%, 17.02% and 56.60% from urban and rural areas, respectively. The percentage values of nematodes important for human health (Toxocara canis, Ancylostomatidae, Trichuris vulpis) remained at the same level (16%). The infected dogs were dominated by a single parasite species, the main was T. canis (28.95%). In total, 54.30% of the soil samples were contaminated with parasite eggs. The contamination of urban and rural sandpits was 40% and 60%, respectively. The molecular examinations of soil samples using LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) confirmed the presence of nematode eggs of the species T. canis in all samples previously classified as positive PMID:28862690

Diversity of ndo Genes in Mangrove Sediments Exposed to Different Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution▿

PubMed Central

Gomes, Newton C. Marcial; Borges, Ludmila R.; Paranhos, Rodolfo; Pinto, Fernando N.; Krögerrecklenfort, Ellen; Mendonça-Hagler, Leda C. S.; Smalla, Kornelia

2007-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutants originating from oil spills and wood and fuel combustion are pollutants which are among the major threats to mangrove ecosystems. In this study, the composition and relative abundance in the sediment bacterial communities of naphthalene dioxygenase (ndo) genes which are important for bacterial adaptation to environmental PAH contamination were investigated. Three urban mangrove sites which had characteristic compositions and levels of PAH compounds in the sediments were selected. The diversity and relative abundance of ndo genes in total community DNA were assessed by a newly developed ndo denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach and by PCR amplification with primers targeting ndo genes with subsequent Southern blot hybridization analyses. Bacterial populations inhabiting sediments of urban mangroves under the impact of different sources of PAH contamination harbor distinct ndo genotypes. Sequencing of cloned ndo amplicons comigrating with dominant DGGE bands revealed new ndo genotypes. PCR-Southern blot analysis and ndo DGGE showed that the frequently studied nah and phn genotypes were not detected as dominant ndo types in the mangrove sediments. However, ndo genotypes related to nagAc-like genes were detected, but only in oil-contaminated mangrove sediments. The long-term impact of PAH contamination, together with the specific environmental conditions at each site, may have affected the abundance and diversity of ndo genes in sediments of urban mangroves. PMID:17905873

Variations in the Rate of Infestations of Dogs with Zoonotic Nematodes and the Contamination of Soil in Different Environments.

PubMed

Studzińska, Maria Bernadeta; Demkowska-Kutrzepa, Marta; Borecka, Anna; Meisner, Michał; Tomczuk, Krzysztof; Roczeń-Karczmarz, Monika; Kłapeć, Teresa; Abbass, Zahrai; Cholewa, Alicja

2017-09-01

Companion animals are an important aspect in human life. However, they may also be considered a source of pathogens. An example of zoonotic parasitoses is toxocarosis or cutaneous larva migrans (CLM). The aim of the study was to detect zoonotic nematodes of dogs living in different areas and the intensity of contamination in parasite polluted environments that are hazardous to human health. The fecal samples were examined using standard flotation and decantation methods as well as McMaster's quantitative technique. The soil samples in urban and rural areas were examined using a modified flotation method as described by Quinn et al. Statistical analyses were performed by IBM SPSS Statistics Version 23. The overall prevalence of parasites in dogs was 38%, 17.02% and 56.60% from urban and rural areas, respectively. The percentage values of nematodes important for human health ( Toxocara canis , Ancylostomatidae, Trichuris vulpis ) remained at the same level (16%). The infected dogs were dominated by a single parasite species, the main was T. canis (28.95%). In total, 54.30% of the soil samples were contaminated with parasite eggs. The contamination of urban and rural sandpits was 40% and 60%, respectively. The molecular examinations of soil samples using LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) confirmed the presence of nematode eggs of the species T. canis in all samples previously classified as positive.

The contribution of particles washed from rooftops to contaminant loading to urban streams.

PubMed

Van Metre, P C; Mahler, B J

2003-09-01

Rooftops are both a source of and a pathway for contaminated runoff in urban environments. To investigate the importance of particle-associated contamination in rooftop runoff, particles washed from asphalt shingle and galvanized metal roofs at sites 12 and 102 m from a major expressway were analyzed for major and trace elements and PAHs. Concentrations and yields from rooftops were compared among locations and roofing material types and to loads monitored during runoff events in the receiving urban stream to evaluate rooftop sources and their potential contribution to stream loading. Concentrations of zinc, lead, pyrene, and chrysene on a mass per mass basis in a majority of rooftop samples exceeded established sediment quality guidelines for probable toxicity of bed sediments to benthic biota. Fallout near the expressway was greater than farther away, as indicated by larger yields of all contaminants investigated, although some concentrations were lower. Metal roofing was a source of cadmium and zinc and asphalt shingles a source of lead. The contribution of rooftop washoff to watershed loading was estimated to range from 6 percent for chromium and arsenic to 55 percent for zinc. Estimated contributions from roofing material to total watershed load were greatest for zinc and lead, contributing about 20 and 18 percent, respectively. The contribution from atmospheric deposition of particles onto rooftops to total watershed loads in stormwater was estimated to be greatest for mercury, contributing about 46 percent.

Urban land-use study plan for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Squillace, P.J.; Price, C.V.

1996-01-01

This study plan is for Urban Land-Use Studies initiated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. There are two Urban Land-Use Study objectives: (1) Define the water quality in recharge areas of shallow aquifers underlying areas of new residential and commercial land use in large metropolitan areas, and (2) determine which natural and human factors most strongly affect the occurrence of contaminants in these shallow aquifers. To meet objective 1, each NAWQA Study Unit will install and collect water samples from at least 30 randomly located monitoring wells in a metropolitan area. To meet objective 2, aquifer characteristics and land-use information will be documented. This includes particle-size analysis of each major lithologic unit both in the unsaturated zone and in the aquifer near the water table. The percentage of organic carbon also will be determined for each lithologic unit. Geographic information system coverages will be created that document existing land use around the wells. These data will aid NAWQA personnel in relating natural and human factors to the occurrence of contaminants. Water samples for age dating also will be collected from all monitoring wells, but the samples will be stored until the occurrence of contaminants has been determined. Age-date analysis will be done only on those samples that have no detectable concentrations of anthropogenic contaminants.

Riparian swallows as integrators of landscape change in a multiuse river system: implications for aquatic-to-terrestrial transfers of contaminants.

PubMed

Alberts, Jeremy M; Sullivan, S Mažeika P; Kautza, A

2013-10-01

Recent research has highlighted the transfer of contaminants from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems via predation of aquatic emergent insects by riparian consumers. The influence of adjacent land use and land cover (LULC) on aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transfer, however, has received limited attention. From 2010 to 2012, at 11 river reaches in the Scioto River basin (OH, USA), we investigated the relationships between LULC and selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) concentrations in four species of riparian swallows. Hg concentrations in swallows were significantly higher at rural reaches than at urban reaches (t=-3.58, P<0.001, df=30), whereas Se concentrations were positively associated with adjacent land cover characterized by mature tree cover (R(2)=0.49, P=0.006). To an extent, these relationships appear to be mediated by swallow reliance on aquatic emergent insects. For example, tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at urban reaches exhibited a higher proportion of aquatic prey in their diet, fed at a higher trophic level, and exhibited elevated Se levels. We also found that both Se and Hg concentrations in adult swallows were significantly higher than those observed in nestlings at both urban and rural reaches (Se: t=-2.83, P=0.033, df=3; Hg: t=-3.22, P=0.024, df=3). Collectively, our results indicate that riparian swallows integrate contaminant exposure in linked aquatic-terrestrial systems and that LULC may strongly regulate aquatic contaminant flux to terrestrial consumers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urban wet-weather flows: sources of fecal contamination impacting on recreational waters and threatening drinking-water sources.

PubMed

Marsalek, Jiri; Rochfort, Quintin

Discharges of urban stormwater and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) contribute to fecal contamination of urban waters and need to be considered in planning the protection of recreational waters and sources of drinking water. Stormwater characterization indicates that Escherichia coli counts in stormwater typically range from 103 to 104 units per 100 ml. Higher counts (10(5) units/100 ml) suggest the presence of cross-connections with sanitary sewers, and such connections should be identified and corrected. Fecal contamination of stormwater may be attenuated prior to discharge into surface waters by stormwater management measures, which typically remove suspended solids and attached bacteria. Exceptionally, stormwater discharges in the vicinity of swimming beaches are disinfected. The levels of indicator bacteria in CSOs can be as high as 10(6) E. coli per 100 ml. Consequently, the abatement of fecal contamination of CSOs is now considered in the design of CSO control and treatment, as for example stipulated in the Ontario Procedure F-5-5. CSO abatement options comprise combin ations of storage and treatment, in which the CSO treatment generally includes disinfection by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Finally, indicator bacteria data from Sarnia (Ontario) were used to demonstrate some fecal contamination impacts of wet-weather flows. In wet weather, the microbiological quality of riverine water worsened as a result of CSO and stormwater discharges, and the recreational water guidelines for indicator organisms were exceeded most of the time. Local improvements in water quality were feasible by source controls and diversion of polluted water.

Pre- and post-fire pollutant loads in an urban fringe watershed in Southern California.

PubMed

Burke, M P; Hogue, T S; Kinoshita, A M; Barco, J; Wessel, C; Stein, E D

2013-12-01

Post-fire runoff has the potential to be a large source of contaminants to downstream areas. However, the magnitude of this effect in urban fringe watersheds adjacent to large sources of airborne contaminants is not well documented. The current study investigates the impacts of wildfire on stormwater contaminant loading from the upper Arroyo Seco watershed, burned in 2009. This watershed is adjacent to the Greater Los Angeles, CA, USA area and has not burned in over 60 years. Consequently, it acts as a sink for regional urban pollutants and presents an opportunity to study the impacts of wildfire. Pre- and post-fire storm samples were collected and analyzed for basic cations, trace metals, and total suspended solids. The loss of vegetation and changes in soil properties from the fire greatly increased the magnitude of storm runoff, resulting in sediment-laden floods carrying high concentrations of particulate-bound constituents. Post-fire concentrations and loads were up to three orders of magnitude greater than pre-fire values for many trace metals, including lead and cadmium. A shift was also observed in the timing of chemical delivery, where maximum suspended sediment, trace metal, and cation concentrations coincided with, rather than preceded, peak discharge in the post-fire runoff, amplifying the fire's impacts on mass loading. The results emphasize the importance of sediment delivery as a primary mechanism for post-fire contaminant transport and suggest that traditional management practices that focus on treating only the early portion of storm runoff may be less effective following wildfire. We also advocate that watersheds impacted by regional urban pollutants have the potential to pose significant risk for downstream communities and ecosystems after fire.

Urban Stormwater Quality: Linking Pesticide Variability To Our Sustainable Water Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rippy, M.; Deletic, A.; Gernjak, W.

2015-12-01

Climate change and global population growth demand creative, multidisciplinary, and multi-benefit approaches for sustaining adequate fresh water resources and protecting ecosystem health. Currently, a driving factor of aquatic ecosystem degradation (stormwater) is also one of the largest untapped urban freshwater resources. This suggests that ecosystem protection and potable water security might both be achieved via treating and capturing stormwater for human use (e.g., potable substitution). The viability of such a scheme, however, depends on 1) initial stormwater quality (e.g., the contaminants present and their associated human/environmental health risks), 2) the spatial and temporal variability of contaminants in stormwater, and 3) the capacity of existing technologies to treat those contaminants to fit for purpose standards. Here we present results from a four year study of urban stormwater conducted across ten catchments and four states in Australia that addresses these three issues relative to stormwater pesticides. In total, 19 pesticides were detected across all sites and times. In general, pesticide concentrations were lower than has been reported in other countries, including the United States, Canada and Europe. This is reflected in few exceedences of public health (< 1%) and aquatic ecosystem standards (0% for invertebrates and fish, < 1% for algae and plants). Interestingly, pesticide patterns were found to be stable across seasons, and years, but varied across catchments. These catchment-specific fingerprints may reflect preferential commercial product use, as they map closely to co-occurrence patterns in registered Australian products. Importantly, the presence of catchment-specific pesticide variability has clear management implications; namely, urban stormwater must be managed at the catchment level and target local contaminant suites in order to best achieve desired human use and environmental protection standards.

Heavy Metals in Soils and Vegetables Irrigated with Urban Grey Waste Water in Fagge, Kano, Nigeria.

PubMed

Chiroma, T M; Ebewele, R O; Hymore, F K

2014-01-01

There is currently an increased consumption of vegetables within the local urban community. However, contamination of these vegetables with heavy metals poses a potential health hazard. Consequently, the potential contamination problem due to the effect of levels of some heavy metals (Fe, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu and Cr) in soils and vegetables irrigated with drainage urban grey waste water were investigated. The maximum levels of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu and Cr in the urban grey waste waters were respectively 2.8, 2.1, 19.5, 2.3 and 143.1 times, higher than the maximum recommended concentrations of these metals: 5.0 μg/mL, 2.0 μg/mL, 0.2 μg/mL, 0.2 μg/mL and 0.1 μg/mL, respectively, for irrigation waters. The soils were found to be contaminated with these metals to levels that range between 24 to 84 percent contaminations. Although the heavy metals concentration ranking in vegetable parts vary with plant specie, the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu and Cr in most parts of the vegetables were above their critical concentrations of 750 - 1000 μg/g, 100 - 400 μg/g, 300 - 500 μg/g, 20 - 100 μg/g and 5 - 30 μg/g, respectively, in plants. This suggests potential toxicity of these parts of vegetables. It was however found that over 40 percent of the concentrations of Fe, Mg, Zn and Cu in Onions, Fe in Okro, Cr in Bushgreen, Cu in Roselle and Zn, Cu in Carrot leaves can be easily removed by washing the leaves with water. However, only Cu concentration in Onions and Bushgreen leaves met the acceptable permissible level in plants after washing.

Return to normality after a radiological emergency.

PubMed

Lochard, J; Prêtre, S

1995-01-01

Some preliminary considerations from the management of post-accident situations connected to large scale and high land contamination are presented. The return to normal, or at least acceptable living conditions, as soon as reasonably achievable, and the prevention of the possible emergence of a post-accident crisis is of key importance. A scheme is proposed for understanding the dynamics of the various phases after an accident. An attempt is made to characterize some of the parameters driving the acceptability of post-accident situations. Strategies to return to normal living conditions in contaminated areas are considered.

Spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for urban soil contaminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brook, Anna; Kopel, Daniella

2014-05-01

Urbanization has become one of the major forces of change around the globe. Land use transformation, especially urbanization has the most profound influences of human activities because it affects so many of the planet's physical and biological systems. Land use changes directly impact the ability of the earth to continue to provide ecological services to human society and the other occupants of the ecosystems. The urban process gradually degrades and transforms agricultural and natural ecosystems into built environments. The urban environment includes cities, suburbs, peri-urban areas and towns. Urban ecosystems are highly heterogeneous due to the variety of land covers and land purposes. Thus, the choices on managing the extent and arranging the land cover patches (e.g., lawns) assist to shape the emergent structure and function of the urban ecosystems. As a result of ecological conditions and current management status the urban soils show substantial spatial heterogeneity. Whereas, adverse effects of pollutants on ecosystems have been demonstrated, one important need for environmental impact assessment have been defined as maintenance of long-term monitoring systems, which can enable to improve monitoring, modelling and assessment of various stressors in agriculture environment. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy across visible-near- short- mid- and long- wave infrared (0.4-14μm) has the potential to meet this demand. Relationships between spectral reflectance and soil properties, such as grain size distribution, moisture, iron oxides, carbonate content, and organic matter, have already been established in many studies (Krishnan et al. 1980, Ben-Dor and Banin 1995, Jarmer et al. 2008, Richter et al. 2009). The aims of this study are to develop diagnostic tool for heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, asbestos and other anthropogenic contaminants in urban soil using spectroscopy across 0.4-14μm spectral range. To examine the potential of the above-mentioned technique on contaminated and uncontaminated urban areas in Northern Israel, we propose to use both portable field spectrometers across 0.4-2.5μm and laboratory FTIR system across 3-14μm testing selected bare soil samples and integrate the obtained knowledge into the expert prototype system. The significances and contributions of the proposed work are expected in: 1) estimate morphological and biochemical characteristics of urban soils, 2) examine the possibility to detect early soil response to stress before damage occurs, 3) study the concentration of pollution on urban soils, 4) design and develop the methodology for a near real-time expert monitoring system. The present research will focus on spectral identification and characterization of urban soils toward quality assessment of the urban ecosystem.

Widespread occurrence and potential for biodegradation of bioactive contaminants in Congaree National Park, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, Paul M.; Battaglin, William A.; Clark, Jimmy M.; Henning, Frank; Hladik, Michelle L.; Iwanowicz, Luke R.; Journey, Celeste A.; Riley, Jeffrey W.; Romanok, Kristin

2017-01-01

Organic contaminants with designed molecular bioactivity, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, originate from human and agricultural sources, occur frequently in surface waters, and threaten the structure and function of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Congaree National Park in South Carolina (USA) is a vulnerable park unit due to its location downstream of multiple urban and agricultural contaminant sources and its hydrologic setting, being composed almost entirely of floodplain and aquatic environments. Seventy-two water and sediment samples were collected from 16 sites in Congaree National Park during 2013 to 2015, and analyzed for 199 and 81 targeted organic contaminants, respectively. More than half of these water and sediment analytes were not detected or potentially had natural sources. Pharmaceutical contaminants were detected (49 total) frequently in water throughout Congaree National Park, with higher detection frequencies and concentrations at Congaree and Wateree River sites, downstream from major urban areas. Forty-seven organic wastewater indicator chemicals were detected in water, and 36 were detected in sediment, of which approximately half are distinctly anthropogenic. Endogenous sterols and hormones, which may originate from humans or wildlife, were detected in water and sediment samples throughout Congaree National Park, but synthetic hormones were detected only once, suggesting a comparatively low risk of adverse impacts. Assessment of the biodegradation potentials of 8 14C-radiolabeled model contaminants indicated poor potentials for some contaminants, particularly under anaerobic sediments conditions.

Canadian Vehicle Protection Program (EO considerations)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-09

HFI); EO and Acoustic Sensing. – Situational Awareness Technologies Evaluation (SITUATE). – Urban Gated Laser Retro -reflection Scanner (UGLARES...llery Rockets Terminal Defeat of VSRBM 1 Destroy Soft Destroy Soft UAVs Destroy In-Flight Artillery Shells UAVs at at Long Range Short Range

Contaminant transport pathways between urban sewer networks and water supply wells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water supply wells and sanitary sewers are critical components of urban infrastructure, but sewer leakage threatens the quality of groundwater in sewered areas. Previous work by our group has documented the presence of human enteric viruses in deep public supply wells. Our current research uses such...

ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY IN RAPIDLY URBANIZING WATERSHEDS: EVALUATING STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO MITIGATE IMPACTS ON STREAM ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Urbanization has profound impacts on the hydrology and ecology of streams via alteration in water temperatures, peak and base flows, and nutrient, sediment, and contaminant inputs. Storm water management (SWM) is commonly used to reduce these impacts; however, comprehensive w...

Relationship Between Total and Bioaccessible Lead on Children’s Blood Lead Levels in Urban Residential Philadelphia Soils

EPA Science Inventory

Relationships between total soil or bioaccessible lead (Pb), measured using an in vitro bioaccessibility assay, and children’s blood lead levels (BLL) were investigated in an urban neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, with a history of soil Pb contamination....

Legacy of a Chemical Factory Site: Contaminated Groundwater Impacts Stream Macroinvertebrates.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Jes J; McKnight, Ursula S; Sonne, Anne Th; Wiberg-Larsen, Peter; Bjerg, Poul L

2016-02-01

Legislative and managing entities of EU member states face a comprehensive task because the chemical and ecological impacts of contaminated sites on surface waters must be assessed. The ecological assessment is further complicated by the low availability or, in some cases, absence of ecotoxicity data for many of the compounds occurring at contaminated sites. We studied the potential impact of a contaminated site, characterised by chlorinated solvents, sulfonamides, and barbiturates, on benthic macroinvertebrates in a receiving stream. Most of these compounds are characterised by low or unknown ecotoxicity, but they are continuously discharged into the stream by way of a long-lasting source generating long-term chronic exposure of the stream biota. Our results show that taxonomical density and diversity of especially sediment dwelling taxa were reduced by >50 % at the sampling sites situated in the primary inflow zone of the contaminated GW. Moreover, macroinvertebrate communities at these sampling sites could be distinguished from those at upstream control sites and sites situated along a downstream dilution gradient using multidimensional scaling. Importantly, macroinvertebrate indices currently used did not identify this impairment, thus underpinning an urgent need for developing suitable tools for the assessment of ecological effects of contaminated sites in streams.

Relations between Behavior Problems in Classroom Social and Learning Situations and Peer Social Competence in Head Start and Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J.; Dominguez, Ximena; Bell, Elizabeth R.; Rouse, Heather L.; Fantuzzo, John W.

2010-01-01

The relations between early emotional and behavioral problems in classroom situations and peer social competence were examined for a representative sample of urban Head Start children. Behavior problems were assessed within the context of routine peer, teacher, and structured learning classroom situations early in the preschool year. Two path…

The Distribution of and Factors Associated with Intimate Terrorism and Situational Couple Violence among a Population-Based Sample of Urban Women in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frye, Victoria; Manganello, Jennifer; Campbell, Jacquelyn C.; Walton-Moss, Benita; Wilt, Susan

2006-01-01

It has been proposed that two distinct forms of intimate partner violence exist: intimate terrorism and situational couple violence. This article describes the distribution of factors that characterize intimate terrorism and situational couple violence, including controlling behaviors, violence escalation, and injury, among a representative sample…

The effects of de-icing in Helsinki urban streams, southern Finland.

PubMed

Ruth, O

2003-01-01

The environmental effects of road salt have been studied in Finland mainly in order to monitor and reduce groundwater contamination. In urban areas the road salt used for road maintenance in winter ends up in the storm water drains and receiving water bodies. We report here on water samples taken in 1998-1999 from three urban streams with catchments varying in area 1.7 to 24.4 km2 in different parts of the City of Helsinki. Despite efforts to reduce the amount of road salt, high concentrations were found in the urban stream water. Sudden variations in water quality were very marked during the spring flood period, with sodium and chloride concentrations varying over nine-fold within one day. Some 35-50% of the salt used on the roads in Helsinki passes into natural streams and from there into the sea. The significant positive correlation between NaCl and dissolved zinc in stream water was observed. The results show that it is important to monitor water quality, especially at the beginning of the spring flood period, when road salt and other contaminant levels are markedly high in urban streams.

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

Scott, G.; Daugomah, J.; Devane, J.

Urbanization of coastal regions has resulted in the increased discharge of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons trace metals and habitat changes/modifications in adjacent upland areas which may affect grass shrimp populations. A study was conducted comparing larval abundance and adult grass shrimp biomass, abundance, size structure and sex ratios in an urbanized estuary, Murrells Inlet with pristine North Inlet, a NOAA national estuarine research reserve and sanctuary site. A total of 60 sites were sampled during the peak of grass shrimp abundance and compared in terms of spatial distributions and other relevant ancillary information. Factors such as sediment contaminant levels, physico-chemical parametersmore » and land-use habitat modification were statistically compared using a Geographical Information Processing (GIP) techniques and appropriate spatial statistical methods. GIP results indicated similar levels of larval abundance in both estuaries and identified specific nursery ground regions in both estuaries. Adult grass shrimp abundances were greatly reduced in urban areas and grass shrimp desert regions were identified. These areas were correlated with regions having high levels of chemical contaminants and greatest physical disturbances. The mortality rate between larval and adult stages was much higher in urban areas suggesting that urbanization had a profound impact on grass shrimp.« less

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF PHOSPHATE-BASED REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGY IN METAL CONTAMINATED URBAN AND MINING AREAS IN A SELECTED MISSOURI SUPERFUND SITE

EPA Science Inventory

This project provided important data on fundamental processes responsible for health and environmental risk reductions and environmental safety of the phosphate-based treatments in metal, specifically Pb, contaminated soils. By an integrated approach of environmental risk asse...

Effects of climate and sewer condition on virus transport to groundwater

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pathogen contamination from leaky sanitary sewers poses a threat to groundwater quality in urban areas, yet the spatial and temporal dimensions of this contamination are not well understood. In this study, 16 monitoring wells and six municipal wells were repeatedly sampled for human enteric viruses....

Evaluation of the Reference Envelope Approach for Assessing Toxicity in Contaminated Surficial Urban Freshwater Sediments

EPA Science Inventory

The reference envelope (RE) has been proposed as an alternative approach to assess sediment toxicity to overcome limitations imposed by the use of control sediments including differences in non-contaminant characteristics and low statistical power when many test sediments are com...

Assessing Changes to Organic Contaminant Fluxes from Contaminated Sediments Following Dam Removal in an Urbanized River

EPA Science Inventory

Restoration of rivers and their associated ecosystems is a growing priority for government agencies (e.g., NOAA, USDA), as well as conservation organizations. Dam removal is a major component of many restoration projects credited with reintroducing fish species, improving water ...

Comparison of enterococci and cow-specific qPAR markers in streams impacted by farms under different management practices

EPA Science Inventory

Nonpoint Sources (NPS) of pollution (e.g., agriculture, wildlife, urban runoff) are major contributors of microbial contaminants to surface waters. However, little is known about the behavior and the effect of environmental determinants on molecular markers of fecal contamination...

Organochlorine compounds in streambed sediment and in biological tissue from streams and their relations to land use, central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gebler, Joseph B.

2000-01-01

Streambed-sediment samples from 13 sites and biological-tissue samples from 11 sites in the Gila River Basin in central Arizona were analyzed for 32 organochlorine compounds in streambed sediment and 28 compounds in biological tissue during 1996 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. The objectives of the study were to determine the occurrence and distribution of organochlorine compounds and their relation to land use. Sampling sites were categorized on the basis of major land uses in the basin or the source of water in the stream. Because land uses were mixed or had changed over time, some land-use categories were combined. Sites were categorized as forest/rangeland (6), forest/urban (1), urban (4), or agricultural/urban (2). Thirteen organochlorine compounds were detected in streambed-sediment samples, and 10 were detected in tissue samples. The number of compounds found in streambed-sediment samples from individual sites ranged from 0 to 10, and the range for individual tissue samples was 0 to 7. Comparison of the number of detections in streambed-sediment samples to the number of detections in tissue samples from particular sites where both were sampled yielded five instances where more compounds were detected in streambed sediment, six instances where more compounds were detected in tissue, and five instances where the number of detections in streambed sediment and tissue were equal. The frequency of detection of particular compounds for sites where both streambed sediment and tissue were sampled resulted in five compounds being detected more frequently in streambed sediment, five more frequently in tissue, and three compounds that were equally frequent in streambed sediment and in tissue. Few contaminants were detected in samples from the forest/rangeland sites; greater numbers of compounds were detected at the urban sites and at the forest/urban site. The greatest number of compounds and the highest concentrations of many contaminants were detected at agriculture/urban sites. The compound detected most frequently in streambed-sediment and tissue samples was p,p'-DDE. Streambed-sediment guideline values for the protection of aquatic life for p,p'-DDE and total DDT were exceeded at both agricultural/urban sites, The streambed-sediment guideline value for the protection of aquatic life for total chlordane was exceeded at one agricultural/urban site, one urban site, and the forest/urban site. The streambed-sediment guideline value for the protection of aquatic life for total PCB’s was exceeded at one agricultural/urban site. Guideline values for the protection of fish-eating wildlife for total DDT and for toxaphene were exceeded only in samples from the two agricultural/urban sites. The guideline value for the protection of fish-eating wildlife for total PCB’s was equaled or exceeded in samples from two sites—one urban and one agricultural/urban site. Screening values established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the protection of human health for edible portions of fish were exceeded by total DDT and by toxaphene in fish-tissue samples from both agricultural/urban sites. The human-health criterion for total PCB’s was exceeded in two fish-tissue samples from an agricultural site and from an urban site. Tissue samples analyzed in this study were for whole fish, and thus, concentration data are not entirely comparable to the screening values of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because these exceedences were an order of magnitude above the criteria, however, it is possible that concentrations in the edible portions of fish from these locations could present a human- health risk. Analyses of samples of edible portions of fish from these locations would be needed to adequately assess the presence or absence of a human-health risk. The similarity of the results of this study to the results of other studies of organochlorine compounds in the environment suggests that there is a correlation between contaminants in sediment and biological-tissue samples and land uses. As with other studies of the occurrence and distribution of organochlorine contaminants in streambed sediments and biological tissue, this study shows that many organochlorine compounds continue to persist in the environment and thus could pose a threat to aquatic life, fish-eating wildlife, and possibly to humans who consume contaminated fish.

Assessing demand for improved sustainable sanitation in low-income informal settlements of urban areas: a critical review.

PubMed

Okurut, Kenan; Kulabako, Robinah Nakawunde; Chenoweth, Jonathan; Charles, Katrina

2015-01-01

Sanitation improvement is crucial in saving lives that are lost due to water contamination. Progress towards achieving full sanitation coverage is still slow in low-income informal settlements in most developing countries. Furthermore, resources are being wasted on installing facilities that are later misused or never used because they do not meet the local demand. Understanding demand for improved sanitation in the local context is critical if facilities are to be continually used. Various approaches that attempt to change peoples' behaviours or create demand have been reviewed to identify what they are designed to address. A multi-disciplinary research team using mixed methods is re-emphasised as a comprehensive approach for assessing demand for improved sanitation in low-income informal settlements, where the sanitation situation is more challenging than in other areas. Further research involving a multi-disciplinary research team and use of mixed methods to assess sanitation demand in informal settlements is needed.

Riparian spiders indicate the magnitude and sources of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination at a large contaminated sediment site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walters, David M.; Otter, Ryan R.; Kraus, Johanna M.; Mills, Marc A.

2018-01-01

We investigated PCB contamination at the Ashtabula River Area of Concern (AOC) following remedial dredging using araneid and tetragnathid spiders. PCB concentrations remain elevated in the AOC compared to reference conditions. Patterns of contamination were strikingly similar between taxa, but were higher in tetragnathids at the most contaminated sites. Spider PCB homolog distributions identified two PCB sources to the AOC. Based on these findings, we recommend situations where these taxa can be used singularly, in concert, or combined into a composite “spider” sample to assess environmental contamination. 

Using Sediment Records to Reconstruct Historical Inputs Combustion-Derived Contaminants to Urban Airsheds/Watersheds: A Case Study From the Puget Sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louchouarn, P. P.; Kuo, L.; Brandenberger, J.; Marcantonio, F.; Wade, T. L.; Crecelius, E.; Gobeil, C.

2008-12-01

Urban centers are major sources of combustion-derived particulate matter (e.g. black carbon (BC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), anhydrosugars) and volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere. Evidence is mounting that atmospheric emissions from combustion sources remain major contributors to air pollution of urban systems. For example, recent historical reconstructions of depositional fluxes for pyrogenic PAHs close to urban systems have shown an unanticipated reversal in the trends of decreasing emissions initiated during the mid-20th Century. Here we compare a series of historical reconstructions of combustion emission in urban and rural airsheds over the last century using sedimentary records. A complex suite of combustion proxies (BC, PAHs, anhydrosugars, stable lead concentrations and isotope signatures) assisted in elucidating major changes in the type of atmospheric aerosols originating from specific processes (i.e. biomass burning vs. fossil fuel combustion) or fuel sources (wood vs. coal vs. oil). In all studied locations, coal continues to be a major source of combustion-derived aerosols since the early 20th Century. Recently, however, oil and biomass combustion have become substantial additional sources of atmospheric contamination. In the Puget Sound basin, along the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S., rural locations not impacted by direct point sources of contamination have helped assess the influence of catalytic converters on concentrations of oil-derived PAH and lead inputs since the early 1970s. Although atmospheric deposition of lead has continued to drop since the introduction of catalytic converters and ban on leaded gasoline, PAH inputs have "rebounded" in the last decade. A similar steady and recent rise in PAH accumulations in urban systems has been ascribed to continued urban sprawl and increasing vehicular traffic. In the U.S., automotive emissions, whether from gasoline or diesel combustion, are becoming a major source of combustion-derived PM and BC to the atmosphere and have started to replace coal as the major source in some surficial reservoirs. This increased urban influence of gasoline and diesel combustion on BC emissions was also observed in Europe both from model estimates as well as from measured fluxes in recent lake sediments.

Source or Sink: Investigating the role of storm water retention ponds in the urban landscape (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lev, S.; Casey, R.; Ownby, D.; Snodgrass, J.

2009-12-01

The impact of human activities on surface water, groundwater and soil is nowhere more apparent than in urban and suburban systems. Dramatic changes to watersheds in urbanizing areas have led to changes in hydrology and an associated increase in the flux of sediment and contaminants to surface and ground waters. In an effort to mediate these impacts, Best Management Practices (BMP) have been established in order to increase infiltration of runoff and trap sediment and particulates derived from impervious surfaces before they enter surface waters. Perhaps the most ubiquitous BMP are storm water retention ponds. While these structures are designed to reduce runoff and particulate loading to urban streams, their addition to the urban landscape has created a large number of new wetland habitats. In the Red Run watershed, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland, 186 discrete natural or man-made wetland areas have been identified. Of these 186 wetland areas, 165 were created to manage stormwater and most were specifically designed as stormwater management ponds (i.e., human-created basins or depressions that hold runoff for some period during the annual hydrological year). Despite their abundance in the landscape, very little is known about how these systems impact the flux of stormwater pollutants or affect the organisms using these ponds as habitat. Results from a series of related projects in the Red Run watershed are presented here in an effort to summarize the range of issues associated with stormwater management ponds. The Red Run watershed is situated inside the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line (URDL) around Baltimore City and has been identified as a smart growth corridor by Baltimore County. This region is one of two areas in Baltimore County where new development is focused. In a series of investigations of soils, surface and ground waters, and amphibian and earthworm use of 68 randomly selected stormwater retention ponds from the Red Run watershed, a range of hydrologic, ecologic, and geochemical conditions have been identified. Results from these investigations suggest that pollutant conditions, specifically trace metals and chloride, limit the use of these ponds by amphibians and effect the distribution of earthworms within ponds. The soils in ponds associated with high use roadways contain elevated levels of PAHs, Zn and Cu and the groundwater beneath these same ponds tends to have elevated chloride levels year round. Pond and associated flood plain soils in these systems have been altered and exhibit elevated Na+ or Ca2+ concentrations suggesting years of interaction with road salt contaminated discharge. These Na+ and Ca2+ form soils affect the retention of dissolved trace metals with Ca-enriched soils potentially increasing the dissolved metal concentrations of surface and pore waters and enabling the transport of roadway derived metals to surface waters and Na-enriched soils scavenging trace metals from incoming runoff. The increase in dissolved metals may also increase the toxicity to amphibians and other organisms inhabiting the storm water ponds and ultimately, streams fed by ground water recharge from ponds. Our results to date suggest both the intended and unintended function of storm water ponds in urban landscapes are complicated and deserving of more attention.

Ways to Say No: Refusal Skill Strategies among Urban Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Tracy R.; Graber, Julia A.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Botvin, Gilbert J.

2006-01-01

Objectives: To examine associations among adolescents' generated verbal strategies (ie, Simple No, Declarative Statements, Excuse, Alternatives) and underlying nonverbal assertiveness in 2 refusal situations: smoking and shoplifting. Methods: Sixth-grade urban minority students (N = 454) participated in videotaped role-play assessments of peer…

Water quality decline in coastal aquifers under anthropic pressure: the case of a suburban area of Dakar (Senegal).

PubMed

Re, Viviana; Cissé Faye, Seynabou; Faye, Abdoulaye; Faye, Serigne; Gaye, Cheikh Becaye; Sacchi, Elisa; Zuppi, Gian Maria

2011-01-01

In recent years, the unregulated increase of the population in coastal areas of developing countries has become source of concern for both water supply and quality control. In the region of Dakar (Senegal), approximately 80% of water resources come from groundwater reservoirs, which are increasingly affected by anthropogenic pressures. The identification of the main sources of pollution, and thus the aquifer vulnerability, is essential to provide a sound basis for the implementation of long-term geochemically based water management plans in this sub-Saharan area. With this aim, a hydrochemical and isotopic survey on 26 wells was performed in the so-called Peninsula of Cap-Vert. Results show that seawater intrusion represents the main process affecting groundwater chemical characteristics. Nitrates often exceed the World Health Organization drinking water limits: stable isotopes of dissolved nitrate (δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O) indicate urban sewage and fertilizers as a major source of contamination. Results depict a complex situation in which groundwater is affected by direct and indirect infiltration of effluents, mixing with seawater and freshening processes from below. Besides the relevance of the investigation at a regional level, it represents a basis for decision-making processes in an integrated water resources management and in the planning of similar monitoring strategies for other urban coastal regions.

Methodology for the Detection of Residential Vulnerable Areas - the Case of Barcelona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornado, Cossima; Garcia-Almirall, Pilar; Vima, Sara; Vila Busqued, Gemma; Uzqueda, Angel

2017-10-01

In a context of a shifting environmental, economic and social paradigm, European cities face a situation that is at the same time challenge and opportunity: the need for urban rehabilitation of the vulnerable degraded socio residential fabric. Public administrations in big cities and metropolitan areas are confronted with both the undercurrent need of actualization of the built stock and the rise of urban residential vulnerability. The city of Barcelona, as many others, is the result of multiple phenomena with high urban and social consequences. The socio spatial integration of immigrant population, the touristic rise and gentrification processes are current situations simultaneously taking place in the city. In parallel, a framework of economic crisis in which public investments in urban and social matters decrease, provides a temporal juncture that results into an increase of social polarization and socio economic inequality that becomes evident and expressed in the territory. This research focuses in the case of Barcelona, and presents a methodology based on a system of indicators elaborated through the exploitation of statistical data complemented with very specific data supplied by the Barcelona City Council. The accurate knowledge of socio demographic, socioeconomic and residential and urban characteristics is crucial in order to define the very complex urban dynamics that describe in the city neighbourhoods and areas. Residential vulnerability is defined as an assembly of objective conditions that relate to residential space and indicate situations of social discrimination and structural disadvantage of the population, related to a specific time and context. Thus, it is relevant to analyse the concentration of certain indicators of vulnerability in specific places or neighbourhoods, to contrast its effect on the socio-residential situation and its temporal evolution in order to identify tendencies. The present study contributes to the identification of data sources and a system to calculate the purposed indicators, the elaboration of a GIS analysis in order to determine the characterization of neighbourhoods and census sections according to each indicator, and the identification of areas with a higher degree of problematic based on synthetic analysis. A very relevant knowledge basis that can be used by public policy makers in order to establish measures that define vulnerable areas where to carry out actions that foster urban equality.

Outlier identification in urban soils and its implications for identification of potential contaminated land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chaosheng

2010-05-01

Outliers in urban soil geochemical databases may imply potential contaminated land. Different methodologies which can be easily implemented for the identification of global and spatial outliers were applied for Pb concentrations in urban soils of Galway City in Ireland. Due to its strongly skewed probability feature, a Box-Cox transformation was performed prior to further analyses. The graphic methods of histogram and box-and-whisker plot were effective in identification of global outliers at the original scale of the dataset. Spatial outliers could be identified by a local indicator of spatial association of local Moran's I, cross-validation of kriging, and a geographically weighted regression. The spatial locations of outliers were visualised using a geographical information system. Different methods showed generally consistent results, but differences existed. It is suggested that outliers identified by statistical methods should be confirmed and justified using scientific knowledge before they are properly dealt with.

Storm water contamination and its effect on the quality of urban surface waters.

PubMed

Barałkiewicz, Danuta; Chudzińska, Maria; Szpakowska, Barbara; Świerk, Dariusz; Gołdyn, Ryszard; Dondajewska, Renata

2014-10-01

We studied the effect of storm water drained by the sewerage system and discharged into a river and a small reservoir, on the example of five catchments located within the boundaries of the city of Poznań (Poland). These catchments differed both in terms of their surface area and land use (single- and multi-family housing, industrial areas). The aim of the analyses was to explain to what extent pollutants found in storm water runoff from the studied catchments affected the quality of surface waters and whether it threatened the aquatic organisms. Only some of the 14 studied variables and 22 chemical elements were important for the water quality of the river, i.e., pH, TSS, rain intensity, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, organic matter content, Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd, Ni, Se, and Tl. The most serious threat to biota in the receiver came from the copper contamination of storm water runoff. Of all samples below the sewerage outflow, 74% exceeded the mean acute value for Daphnia species. Some of them exceeded safe concentrations for other aquatic organisms. Only the outlet from the industrial area with the highest impervious surface had a substantial influence on the water quality of the river. A reservoir situated in the river course had an important influence on the elimination of storm water pollution, despite the very short residence time of its water.

Seasonal hazards and health risks in lower-income countries: field testing a multi-disciplinary approach.

PubMed

Few, Roger; Lake, Iain; Hunter, Paul R; Tran, Pham Gia; Thien, Vu Trong

2009-12-21

Understanding how risks to human health change as a result of seasonal variations in environmental conditions is likely to become of increasing importance in the context of climatic change, especially in lower-income countries. A multi-disciplinary approach can be a useful tool for improving understanding, particularly in situations where existing data resources are limited but the environmental health implications of seasonal hazards may be high. This short article describes a multi-disciplinary approach combining analysis of changes in levels of environmental contamination, seasonal variations in disease incidence and a social scientific analysis of health behaviour. The methodology was field-tested in a peri-urban environment in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where poor households face alternate seasonal extremes in the local environment as the water level in the Delta changes from flood to dry season. Low-income households in the research sites rely on river water for domestic uses, including provision of drinking water, and it is commonly perceived that the seasonal changes alter risk from diarrhoeal diseases and other diseases associated with contamination of water. The discussion focuses on the implementation of the methodology in the field, and draws lessons from the research process that can help in refining and developing the approach for application in other locations where seasonal dynamics of disease risk may have important consequences for public health.

The quality of our Nation's waters: groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain basin-fill and basaltic-rock aquifers and the Hawaiian volcanic-rock aquifers, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii, 1993-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rupert, Michael G.; Hunt, Charles D.; Skinner, Kenneth D.; Frans, Lonna M.; Mahler, Barbara J.

2015-01-01

The Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Hawaii are large volcanic areas in the western United States and mid-Pacific ocean that contain extensive regional aquifers of a hard, gray, volcanic rock called basalt. Residents of the Columbia Plateau, the Snake River Plain, and the island of Oahu depend on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. Although the depth to the water table can be several hundred feet, the groundwater is highly vulnerable to contamination because the permeable sediments and rocks allow contaminants to move readily down to the water table. Intense agricultural and urban activities occur above the drinking-water supply and are increasing in some areas. Contaminants, such as nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds, associated with agricultural and urban activities, have adversely affected groundwater quality.

Distribution and transport of sediment-bound metal contaminants in the rio grande de tarcoles, costa rica (Central America)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuller, C.C.; Davis, J.A.; Cain, D.J.; Lamothe, P.J.; Fries Fernandez, T.L.G.; Vargas, J.A.; Murillo, M.M.

1990-01-01

A reconnaissance survey of the extent of metal contamination in the Rio Grande de Tarcoles river system of Costa Rica indicated high levels of chromium (Cr) in the fine-grain bed sediments (83 times Cr background or 3000->5000 ??g/g). In the main channel of the river downstream of the San Jose urban area, Cr contamination in sediments was 4-6 times background and remained relatively constant over 50 km to the mouth of the river. Sediment from a mangrove swamp at the river mouth had Cr levels 2-3 times above background. Similar patterns of dilution were observed for lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) sediment contamination, although the contamination levels were lower. The high affinity of Cr towards particulate phases, probably as Cr(III), allows the use of Cr contamination levels for delineating regions of deposition of fine-grained sediments and dilution of particle associated contaminants during transport and deposition.A reconnaissance survey of the extent of metal contamination in the Rio Grande de Tarcoles river system of Costa Rica indicated high levels of chromium (Cr) in the fine-grain bed sediments (83 times Cr background or 3000->5000 ??g/g). In the main channel of the river downstream of the San Jose urban area, Cr contamination in sediments was 4-6 times background and remained relatively constant over 50 km to the mouth of the river. Sediments from a mangrove swamp at the river mouth had Cr levels 2-3 times above background. Similar patterns of dilution were observed for lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) sediment contamination, although the contamination levels were lower. The high affinity of Cr towards particulate phases, probably as Cr(III), allows the use of Cr contamination levels for delineating regions of deposition of fine-grained sediments and dilution of particle associated contaminants during transport and deposition.

Epidemic cholera in a crowded urban environment, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

PubMed

Dunkle, Stacie E; Mba-Jonas, Adamma; Loharikar, Anagha; Fouché, Bernadette; Peck, Mireille; Ayers, Tracy; Archer, W Roodly; De Rochars, Valery M Beau; Bender, Thomas; Moffett, Daphne B; Tappero, Jordan W; Dahourou, George; Roels, Thierry; Quick, Robert

2011-11-01

We conducted a case-control study to investigate factors associated with epidemic cholera. Water treatment and handwashing may have been protective, highlighting the need for personal hygiene for cholera prevention in contaminated urban environments. We also found a diverse diet, a possible proxy for improved nutrition, was protective against cholera.

Brownfield redevelopment: a hidden opportunity for conservation biology

Treesearch

Lynne M. Westphal; Jeffery M. Levengood; Alaka Wali; David Soucek; Douglas F. Stotz

2005-01-01

Brownfields - lands that are idle due to concerns about contamination - are often prominent features of urban areas. Conservation in an urbanizing world must take brownfields into consideration because regions of heavy industry can harbor areas of ecological significance. The Calumet region of northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois is one such place, where the...

Using Rapid Indicators for Enterococcus to assess the Risk of Illness after Exposure to Urban Runoff Contaminated Marine Water

EPA Science Inventory

BACKGROUND: Traditional fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) measurement is too slow (>18 h) for timely swimmer warnings. OBJECTIVES: Assess relationship of rapid indicator methods (qPCR) to illness at a marine beach impacted by urban runoff. METHODS: We measured baseline and two...

Canopy carbon net assimilation of an urban, naturally assembled brownfield forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schafer, K. V.; Wadhwa, S.; Tripathee, R.; Gallagher, F. J.

2010-12-01

In this study, we have been investigating an urban brownfield at Liberty State Park that has been abandoned approximately for 40 years. Natural colonization has taken place that allowed a pioneer forest to grow with primarily Betula populifera and Populus spec. Despite soil metal contamination this urban forest exhibits moderate annual productivity and serves as a carbon sink. Diameters at breast height (DBH, 1.35 m above ground) of all trees in a study plot were measured. Aboveground biomass equations were determined for both species through destructive sampling. Aboveground net primary production was about 770 gC m-2 a-1 in 2009. Canopy net assimilation (AnC) was modeled with the canopy conductance constrained assimilation (4CA) model using measured sapflux derived conductance and photosynthetic parameters measured with a LICOR 6400. Annual AnC in 2009 was approximately 1500 gC m-2 a-1 thus with a partitioning of biomass and respiration in the same range of most natural forest with less anthropogenic induced stress. Urban brownfields thus can serve as C sinks and provide phytostabilization of contaminants.

Biological responses to contaminants in darters (Etheostoma spp.) collected from rural and urban regions of the Grand River, ON, Canada.

PubMed

Diamond, Sam R; Sultana, Tamanna; Servos, Mark R; Metcalfe, Chris D

2016-09-01

Urban and agricultural activities may introduce chemical stressors, including contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and current use pesticides (CUPs) into riverine systems. The objective of this study was to determine if fish collected from various sites in the Grand River, ON, Canada show biomarkers of exposure to these classes of contaminants, and if the biomarker patterns vary in fish collected from urbanized and agricultural sites. Female rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) and female fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare) were collected from the Grand River in June, 2014 for biomarker analysis from two urbanized sites and three agricultural sites. Over the same period of time, Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCIS) were deployed for 2weeks at each site to monitor for the presence of CUPs and CECs. Data on the liver somatic index for darters indicate site-specific differences in this condition factor (p<0.05). Significant differences in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in gill tissue (p<0.05) of darters collected from the various sites indicate site-specific differences in oxidative stress. The activities of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) in the liver tissue of rainbow darters were significantly different between sites (p<0.05), indicating differences in exposure to chemicals that induce or inhibit CYP450 1A metabolic activity. Finally, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in brain tissue was significantly different between rainbow darters collected from rural and urban sites (p<0.05). These data showing different impacts from chemical inputs related to land uses in the watershed may be useful in developing mitigation strategies to reduce impacts on fish and other aquatic organisms in receiving environments. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Analysis of river health variation under the background of urbanization based on entropy weight and matter-element model: A case study in Huzhou City in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

PubMed

Pan, Guangbo; Xu, Youpeng; Yu, Zhihui; Song, Song; Zhang, Yuan

2015-05-01

Maintaining the health of the river ecosystem is an essential ecological and environmental guarantee for regional sustainable development and one of the basic objectives in water resource management. With the rapid development of urbanization, the river health situation is deteriorating, especially in urban areas. The river health evaluation is a complex process that involves various natural and social components; eight eco-hydrological indicators were selected to establish an evaluation system, and the variation of river health status under the background of urbanization was explored based on entropy weight and matter-element model. The comprehensive correlative degrees of urban river health of Huzhou City in 2001, 2006 and 2010 were then calculated. The results indicated that river health status of the study area was in the direction of pathological trend, and the impact of limiting factors (such as Shannon's diversity index and agroforestry output growth rate) played an important role in river health. The variation of maximum correlative degree could be classified into stationary status, deterioration status, deterioration-to-improvement status, and improvement-to-deterioration status. There was a severe deterioration situation of river health under the background of urbanization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards Aquifer outcrop, Comal County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Small, T.A.; Hanson, J.A.

1994-01-01

In Comal County, the Edwards aquifer is probably most vulnerable to surface contamination in the rapidly urbanizing areas on the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Possible contamination can result from spills, leakage of hazardous materials, or runoff onto the intensely faulted and fractured, karstic limestone outcrops characteristic of the recharge zone.

SEDIMENT TOXICITY AND STORMWATER RUNOFF IN A CONTAMINATED RECEIVING SYSTEM: CONSIDERATION OF DIFFERENT BIOASSAYS IN THE LABORATORY AND FIELD. (R823873)

EPA Science Inventory

Several field and laboratory assays were employed below an urban storm sewer outfall to define the relationship between stormwater runoff and contaminant effects. Specifically, two bioassays that measure feeding rate as a toxicological endpoint were employed in the field and in t...

In Vitro And In Vivo Approaches For The Measurement Of Oral Bioavailability Of Lead (Pb) In Contaminated Soils: A Review

EPA Science Inventory

We reviewed the published evidence of lead (Pb) contamination of urban soils, soil Pb risk to children through hand-to-mouth activity, reduction of soil Pb bioavailability due to soil amendments, and methods to assess bioaccessibility which correlate with bioavailability of soil ...

Eco-bio-social research on dengue in Asia: a multicountry study on ecosystem and community-based approaches for the control of dengue vectors in urban and peri-urban Asia.

PubMed

Sommerfeld, Johannes; Kroeger, Axel

2012-12-01

This article provides an overview of methods and cross-site insights of a 5-year research and capacity building initiative conducted between 2006 and 2011 in six countries of South Asia (India, Sri Lanka) and South-East Asia (Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand).The initiative managed an interdisciplinary investigation of ecological, biological, and social (i.e., eco-bio-social) dimensions of dengue in urban and peri-urban areas, and developed community-based interventions aimed at reducing dengue vector breeding and viral transmission. The multicountry study comprised interdisciplinary research groups from six leading Asian research institutions. The groups conducted a detailed situation analysis to identify and characterize local eco-bio-social conditions, and formed a community-of-practice for EcoHealth research where group partners disseminated results and collaboratively developed site-specific intervention tools for vector-borne diseases. In sites where water containers produced more than 70% of Aedes pupae, interventions ranged from mechanical lid covers for containers to biological control. Where small discarded containers presented the main problem, groups experimented with solid waste management, composting and recycling schemes. Many intervention tools were locally produced and all tools were implemented through community partnership strategies. All sites developed socially and culturally appropriate health education materials. The study also mobilised and empowered women's, students' and community groups and at several sites organized new volunteer groups for environmental health. The initiative's programmes showed significant impact on vector densities in some sites. Other sites showed varying effect - partially attributable to the 'contamination' of control groups - yet led to significant outcomes at the community level where local groups united around broad interests in environmental hygiene and sanitation. The programme's findings are relevant for defining efficient, effective and ecologically sound vector control interventions based on local evidence and in accordance with WHO's strategy for integrated vector management.

Comparative Analysis of the Possibility to Use Urban Organic Waste for Compost or Biogas Productions. Application to Rosario City, Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piacentini, Rubén D.; Vega, Marcelo

2017-10-01

The city waste is one of the main urban problems to be solved, since they generate large impacts on the environment, like use of land, contamination of the soil, water and air, and human diseases, among others. In Rosario city, placed in the Argentina Humid Pampa and having about 1 million inhabitants, the Municipality is developing different strategies in order to reduce the waste impact (295 000 Tons in 2016). One of the most important actions was the construction of the Bella Vista compost plant in 2012 (within the largest in South America). In the present work we analysed the possibility to use urban organic waste (that for Rosario city represents about 58% of the total waste in the last years) for: a) compost production and b) biogas production, with compost as a by-product. We determined the produced compost and biogas and the corresponding greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, considering three possible scenarios: A reference scenario (Sr ) where 24 100 Tons of urban solid waste per year is transported from the city houses and buildings to a transfer landfill and then to the a final disposal landfill; a scenario number one (S1 ) in which the same fraction of waste is transported to the Compost plant and transformed to compost and a scenario number two (S2 ) where the same quantity of waste is used for the production of biogas (and compost). Applying the IPCC 2006 Model, we compare the results of the annual GHG emissions, in order to select the best alternative: to expand the Compost plant or to build a Biogas (plus compost) plant. We also discussed the extension of the present analysis to the situation in which all the capability of the Compost plant (25% of the 2016 waste production of the city) is used and the impact these plants are having for a better quality of life of persons involved in the informal waste activity.

Annual and seasonal variability of metals and metalloids in urban and industrial soils in Alcalá de Henares (Spain).

PubMed

Peña-Fernández, A; Lobo-Bedmar, M C; González-Muñoz, M J

2015-01-01

Contamination of urban and industrial soils with trace metals has been recognized as a major concern at local, regional and global levels due to their implication on human health. In this study, concentrations of aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), tin (Sn), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) were determined in soil samples collected in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid, Spain) in order to evaluate the annual and seasonal variation in their levels. The results show that the soils of the industrial area have higher metals concentrations than the urban area. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the two principal sources of trace metal contamination, especially Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the urban soils of Alcalá can be attributed to traffic emissions, while As, Ni and Be primarily originated from industrial discharges. The seasonal variation analysis has revealed that the emission sources in the industrial area remain constant with time. However, in urban areas, both emissions and emission pathways significantly increase over time due to ongoing development. Currently, there is no hypothesis that explains the small seasonal fluctuations of trace metals in soils, since there are many factors affecting this. Owing to the fact that urban environments are becoming the human habitat, it would therefore be advisable to monitor metals and metalloids in urban soils because of the potential risks to human health. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends in hydrophobic organic contaminants in urban and reference lake sediments across the United States, 1970-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Metre, P.C.; Mahler, B.J.

2005-01-01

A shift in national policy toward stronger environmental protection began in the United States in about 1970. Conversely, urban land use, population, energy consumption, and vehicle use have increased greatly since then. To assess the effects of these changes on water quality, the U.S. Geological Survey used sediment cores to reconstruct water-quality histories for38 urban and reference lakes across the United States. Cores were age-dated, and concentration profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and chlorinated hydrocarbons were tested statistically. Significant trends in total DDT, p,p???-DDE, and total PCBs were all downward. Trends in chlordane were split evenly between upward and downward, and trends in PAHs were mostly upward. Significant trends did not occur in about one-half of cases tested. Concentrations of p,p???-DDE, p,p???-DDD, and PCBs were about one-half as likely to exceed the probable effect concentration (PEC), a sediment quality guideline, in sediments deposited in the 1990s as in 1965-1975, whereas PAHs were twice as likely to exceed the PEC in the more recently deposited sediments. Concentrations of all contaminants evaluated correlated strongly with urban land use. Upward trends in PAH concentrations, the strong association of PAH with urban settings, and rapid urbanization occurring in the United States suggest that PAHs could surpass chlorinated hydrocarbons in the threat they pose to aquatic biota in urban streams and lakes.

Multielement geochemistry identifies the spatial pattern of soil and sediment contamination in an urban parkland, Western Australia.

PubMed

Rate, Andrew W

2018-06-15

Urban environments are dynamic and highly heterogeneous, and multiple additions of potential contaminants are likely on timescales which are short relative to natural processes. The likely sources and location of soil or sediment contamination in urban environment should therefore be detectable using multielement geochemical composition combined with rigorously applied multivariate statistical techniques. Soil, wetland sediment, and street dust was sampled along intersecting transects in Robertson Park in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Samples were analysed for near-total concentrations of multiple elements (including Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Gd, La, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pb, Y, and Zn), as well as pH, and electrical conductivity. Samples at some locations within Robertson Park had high concentrations of potentially toxic elements (Pb above Health Investigation Limits; As, Ba, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn above Ecological Investigation Limits). However, these concentrations carry low risk due to the main land use as recreational open space, the low proportion of samples exceeding guideline values, and a tendency for the highest concentrations to be located within the less accessible wetland basin. The different spatial distributions of different groups of contaminants was consistent with different inputs of contaminants related to changes in land use and technology over the history of the site. Multivariate statistical analyses reinforced the spatial information, with principal component analysis identifying geochemical associations of elements which were also spatially related. A multivariate linear discriminant model was able to discriminate samples into a-priori types, and could predict sample type with 84% accuracy based on multielement composition. The findings suggest substantial advantages of characterising a site using multielement and multivariate analyses, an approach which could benefit investigations of other sites of concern. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Household- and Community-Level Sanitation and Fecal Sludge Management on Urban Fecal Contamination in Households and Drains and Enteric Infection in Children

PubMed Central

Berendes, David; Kirby, Amy; Clennon, Julie A.; Raj, Suraja; Yakubu, Habib; Leon, Juan; Robb, Katharine; Kartikeyan, Arun; Hemavathy, Priya; Gunasekaran, Annai; Ghale, Ben; Kumar, J. Senthil; Mohan, Venkata Raghava; Kang, Gagandeep; Moe, Christine

2017-01-01

Urban sanitation necessitates management of fecal sludge inside and outside the household. This study examined associations between household sanitation, fecal contamination, and enteric infection in two low-income neighborhoods in Vellore, India. Surveys and spatial analysis assessed the presence and clustering of toilets and fecal sludge management (FSM) practices in 200 households. Fecal contamination was measured in environmental samples from 50 households and household drains. Enteric infection was assessed from stool specimens from children under 5 years of age in these households. The two neighborhoods differed significantly in toilet coverage (78% versus 33%) and spatial clustering. Overall, 49% of toilets discharged directly into open drains (“poor FSM”). Children in households with poor FSM had 3.78 times higher prevalence of enteric infection when compared with children in other households, even those without toilets. In the neighborhood with high coverage of household toilets, children in households with poor FSM had 10 times higher prevalence of enteric infection than other children in the neighborhood and drains in poor FSM clusters who had significantly higher concentrations of genogroup II norovirus. Conversely, children in households with a toilet that contained excreta in a tank onsite had 55% lower prevalence of enteric infection compared with the rest of the study area. Notably, households with a toilet in the neighborhood with low toilet coverage had more fecal contamination on floors where children played compared with those without a toilet. Overall, both toilet coverage levels and FSM were associated with environmental fecal contamination and, subsequently, enteric infection prevalence in this urban setting. PMID:28719269

Decision support for water quality management of contaminants of emerging concern.

PubMed

Fischer, Astrid; Ter Laak, Thomas; Bronders, Jan; Desmet, Nele; Christoffels, Ekkehard; van Wezel, Annemarie; van der Hoek, Jan Peter

2017-05-15

Water authorities and drinking water companies are challenged with the question if, where and how to abate contaminants of emerging concern in the urban water cycle. The most effective strategy under given conditions is often unclear to these stakeholders as it requires insight into several aspects of the contaminants such as sources, properties, and mitigation options. Furthermore the various parties in the urban water cycle are not always aware of each other's requirements and priorities. Processes to set priorities and come to agreements are lacking, hampering the articulation and implementation of possible solutions. To support decision makers with this task, a decision support system was developed to serve as a point of departure for getting the relevant stakeholders together and finding common ground. The decision support system was iteratively developed in stages. Stakeholders were interviewed and a decision support system prototype developed. Subsequently, this prototype was evaluated by the stakeholders and adjusted accordingly. The iterative process lead to a final system focused on the management of contaminants of emerging concern within the urban water cycle, from wastewater, surface water and groundwater to drinking water, that suggests mitigation methods beyond technical solutions. Possible wastewater and drinking water treatment techniques in combination with decentralised and non-technical methods were taken into account in an integrated way. The system contains background information on contaminants of emerging concern such as physical/chemical characteristics, toxicity and legislative frameworks, water cycle entrance pathways and a database with associated possible mitigation methods. Monitoring data can be uploaded to assess environmental and human health risks in a specific water system. The developed system was received with great interest by potential users, and implemented in an international water cycle network. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ricinus communis L. (castor bean) as a potential candidate for revegetating industrial waste contaminated sites in peri-urban Greater Hyderabad: remarks on seed oil.

PubMed

Boda, Ravi Kiran; Majeti, Narasimha Vara Prasad; Suthari, Sateesh

2017-08-01

Ricinus communis L. (castor bean or castor oil plant) was found growing on metal-contaminated sites (4) of peri-urban Greater Hyderabad comprises of erstwhile industrial areas viz Bollaram, Patancheru, Bharatnagar, and Kattedan industrial areas. During 2013-2017, about 60 research papers have appeared focusing the role of castor bean in phytoremediation of co-contaminated soils, co-generation of biomaterials, and environmental cleanup, as bioenergy crop and sustainable development. The present study is focused on its use as a multipurpose phytoremediation crop for phytostabilization and revegetation of waste disposed peri-urban contaminated soils. To determine the plant tolerance level, metal accumulation, chlorophyll, protein, proline, lipid peroxidation, oil content, and soil properties were characterized. It was noticed that the castor plant and soils have high concentration of metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). The soils have high phosphorous (P), adequate nitrogen (N), and low concentration of potassium (K). Iron (Fe) concentrations ranged from1672±50.91 to 2166±155.78 mg kg -1 in the soil. The trend of metal accumulation Fe>Zn>Mn>Pb>Cd was found in different plant parts at polluted sites. The translocation of Cd and Pb showed values more than one in industrial areas viz Bollaram, Kattedan, and Bharatnagar indicating the plants resistance to metal toxicity. Chlorophyll and protein content reduced while proline and malondialdehyde increased due to its tolerance level under metal exposure. The content of ricinoleic acid was higher, and the fatty acids composition of polluted areas was almost similar to that of the control area. Thus, R. communis L. can be employed for reclamation of heavy metal contaminated soils.

Continuous low-level aquatic monitoring (CLAM) samplers for pesticide contaminant screening in urban runoff: Analytical approach and a field test case.

PubMed

Ensminger, Michael P; Vasquez, Martice; Tsai, Hsing-Ju; Mohammed, Sarah; Van Scoy, A; Goodell, Korena; Cho, Gail; Goh, Kean S

2017-10-01

Monitoring of surface waters for organic contaminants is costly. Grab water sampling often results in non-detects for organic contaminants due to missing a pulse event or analytical instrumentation limitations with a small sample size. Continuous Low-Level Aquatic Monitoring (CLAM) samplers (C.I.Agent ® Solutions) continually extract and concentrate organic contaminants in surface water onto a solid phase extraction disk. Utilizing CLAM samplers, we developed a broad spectrum analytical screen for monitoring organic contaminants in urban runoff. An intermediate polarity solid phase, hydrophobic/lipophilic balance (HLB), was chosen as the sorbent for the CLAM to target a broad range of compounds. Eighteen urban-use pesticides and pesticide degradates were targeted for analysis by LC/MS/MS, with recoveries between 59 and 135% in laboratory studies. In field studies, CLAM samplers were deployed at discrete time points from February 2015 to March 2016. Half of the targeted chemicals were detected with reporting limits up to 90 times lower than routine 1-L grab samples with good precision between field replicates. In a final deployment, CLAM samplers were compared to 1-L water samples. In this side-by-side comparison, imidacloprid, fipronil, and three fipronil degradates were detected by the CLAM sampler but only imidacloprid and fipronil sulfone were detected in the water samples. However, concentrations of fipronil sulfone and imidacloprid were significantly lower with the CLAM and a transient spike of diuron was not detected. Although the CLAM sampler has limitations, it can be a powerful tool for development of more focused and informed monitoring efforts based on pre-identified targets in the field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site: a first assessment of the radiological situation and the test-related radiation doses in the surrounding territories.

PubMed

Gusev, B I; Abylkassimova, Z N; Apsalikov, K N

1997-09-01

As a result of atmospheric nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site 'Polygon', adjacent territories were contaminated by radionuclide fallout. The population of some districts in the Semipalatinsk oblast were exposed to elevated levels of radiation. Contamination and exposure mostly resulted from early atmospheric tests. The radiological situation of the Semipalatinsk oblast is described. Effective dose estimates due to external and internal exposure attributable to the 1949 and 1953 tests in villages near the Polygon range from 70 mSv to 4470 mSv.

Effect of land use and urbanization on hydrochemistry and contamination of groundwater from Taejon area, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Chan Ho

2001-11-01

Taejon Metropolitan City located in the central part of South Korea has grown and urbanized rapidly. The city depends heavily on groundwater as a water resource. Because of ubiquitous pollution sources, the quality and contamination have become important issues for the urban groundwater supply. This study has investigated the chemical characteristics and the contamination of groundwater in relation to land use. An attempt was made to distinguish anthrophogenic inputs from the influence of natural chemical weathering on the chemical composition of groundwater at Taejon. Groundwater samples collected at 170 locations in the Taejon area show very variable chemical composition of groundwater, e.g. electrical conductance ranges from 65 to 1,290 μS/cm. Most groundwater is weakly acidic and the groundwater chemistry is more influenced by land use and urbanization than by aquifer rock type. Most groundwater from green areas and new town residential districts has low electrical conductance, and is of Ca-HCO3 type, whereas the chemical composition of groundwater from the old downtown and industrial district is shifted towards a Ca-Cl (NO3+SO4) type with high electrical conductance. A number of groundwater samples in the urbanized area are contaminated by high nitrate and chlorine, and exhibit high hardness. The EpCO2, that is the CO2 content of a water sample relative to pure water, was computed to obtain more insight into the origin of CO2 and bicarbonate in the groundwater. The CO2 concentration of groundwater in the urbanized area shows a rough positive relationship with the concentration of major inorganic components. The sources of nitrate, chlorine and excess CO2 in the groundwater are likely to be municipal wastes of unlined landfill sites, leaky latrines and sewage lines. Chemical data of commercial mineral water from other Jurassic granite areas were compared to the chemical composition of the groundwater in the Taejon area. Factor analysis of the chemical data shows that the HCO3- and NO3- concentrations have the highest factor loadings on factor 1 and factor 2, respectively. Factors 1 and 2 represent major contributions from natural processes and human activities, respectively. The results of the factor analysis indicate that the levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, Cl- and SO42- derive from both pollution sources and natural weathering reactions.

Contamination characteristics and source apportionment of heavy metals in topsoil from an area in Xi'an city, China.

PubMed

Chen, Xiuduan; Lu, Xinwei

2018-04-30

As soil-extractable elements potentially pose ecological and health risks, identifying their contamination characteristics and sources is crucial. Therefore, to understand topsoil trace elements in the urban ring zone from the Second Ring Road to the Third Ring of Xi'an city in China, we determined the concentrations of Zn, Co, V, As, Cu, Mn, Ba, Ni and Pb, and analyzed the sources of the contamination. The results showed that the individual pollution indices of Pb, Co, Cu, Zn, Ba, Ni, Mn, As, and V were 1.79, 1.48, 1.41, 1.33, 1.20, 1.07, 1.04, 0.99, and 0.99, respectively. Evaluation with the aid of the pollution load index (PLI) indicated slight soil contamination by these elements in the study area. Using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) method, we identified four sources of contamination, namely (1) a natural source, (2) traffic emission source, (3) industrial emission source, and (4) mixed source. PMF is an effective tool for source apportionment of heavy metals in topsoil. The contribution rates of the natural source, traffic source, mixed source, and industrial source to the heavy metal contamination were specified as 25.04%, 24.71%, 24.99%, and 25.26%, respectively. Considering the above, any attempt to reduce the soil environmental cost of urban development, has to take into account the heavy metal contamination of the topsoil from industries, traffic, and other activities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fingerprinting groundwater pollution in catchments with contrasting contaminant sources using microorganic compounds.

PubMed

Stuart, Marianne E; Lapworth, Dan J; Thomas, Jenny; Edwards, Laura

2014-01-15

Evaluating the occurrence of microorganics helps to understand sources and processes which may be controlling the transport and fate of emerging contaminants (ECs). A study was carried out at the contrasting instrumented environmental observatory sites at Oxford, on the peri-urban floodplain gravel aquifer of the River Thames and Boxford, in the rural valley of the River Lambourn on the chalk aquifer, in Southern England to explore the use of ECs to fingerprint contaminant sources and flow pathways in groundwater. At Oxford compounds were typical of a local waste tip plume (not only plasticisers and solvents but also barbiturates and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)) and of the urban area (plasticisers and mood-enhancing drugs such as carbamazepine). At Boxford the results were different with widespread occurrence of agricultural pesticides, their metabolites and the solvent trichloroethene, as well as plasticisers, caffeine, butylated food additives, DEET, parabens and trace polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Groups of compounds used in pharmaceuticals and personal care products of different provenance in the environment could be distinguished, i) historical household and medical waste, ii) long-term household usage persistent in groundwater and iii) current usage and contamination from surface water. Co-contaminant and degradation products can also indicate the likely source of contaminants. A cocktail of contaminants can be used as tracers to provide information on catchment pathways and groundwater/surface water interactions. A prominent feature in this study is the attenuation of many EC compounds in the hyporheic zone. © 2013.

Reconnaissance Assessment of the Potential for Roadside Dry Wells to Affect Water Quality on the Island of Hawai'i

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izuka, Scot K.; Senter, Craig A.; Johnson, Adam G.

2009-01-01

The County of Hawai'i Department of Public Works (DPW) uses dry wells to dispose of stormwater runoff from roads. Recently, concern has been raised that water entering the dry wells may transport contaminants to groundwater and affect the quality of receiving waters. The DPW operates 2,052 dry wells. Compiling an inventory of these dry wells and sorting it on the basis of presence or absence of urbanization in the drainage area, distance between the bottom of the dry well and the water table, and proximity to receiving waters helps identify the dry wells having greatest potential to affect the quality of receiving waters so that future studies or mitigation efforts can focus on a smaller number of dry wells. The drainage areas of some DPW dry wells encompass urbanized areas, which could be a source of contaminants. Some dry wells penetrate close to or through the water table, eliminating or substantially reducing opportunities for contaminant attenuation between the ground surface and water table. Dry wells that have drainage areas that encompass urbanization, penetrate to near the water table, and are near the coast have the highest potential to affect the quality of coastal waters (this study did not consider specific sections of coastline that may be of greater concern than others). Some DPW dry wells, including a few that have drainage areas that encompass urbanization, lie within the areas contributing recharge (ACR) to drinking-water wells. Numerical groundwater modeling studies by previous investigators indicate that water infiltrating those dry wells could eventually be pumped at drinking-water wells. Dry wells that have a high potential for affecting coastal receiving waters or drinking-water wells can be the focus of studies to further understand the effect of the dry wells on the quality of receiving waters. Possible study approaches include sampling for contaminants at the dry well and receiving water, injecting and monitoring the movement of tracers, and numerical modeling. To fully assess whether dry wells actually pose a significant contamination threat to receiving waters, results from modeling or monitoring must be compared to limits for contaminant concentration at receiving waters. These limits are usually established by the agencies tasked with protecting those waters.

Recurrent Die-Offs of Adult Coho Salmon Returning to Spawn in Puget Sound Lowland Urban Streams

PubMed Central

Scholz, Nathaniel L.; Myers, Mark S.; McCarthy, Sarah G.; Labenia, Jana S.; McIntyre, Jenifer K.; Ylitalo, Gina M.; Rhodes, Linda D.; Laetz, Cathy A.; Stehr, Carla M.; French, Barbara L.; McMillan, Bill; Wilson, Dean; Reed, Laura; Lynch, Katherine D.; Damm, Steve; Davis, Jay W.; Collier, Tracy K.

2011-01-01

Several Seattle-area streams in Puget Sound were the focus of habitat restoration projects in the 1990s. Post-project effectiveness monitoring surveys revealed anomalous behaviors among adult coho salmon returning to spawn in restored reaches. These included erratic surface swimming, gaping, fin splaying, and loss of orientation and equilibrium. Affected fish died within hours, and female carcasses generally showed high rates (>90%) of egg retention. Beginning in the fall of 2002, systematic spawner surveys were conducted to 1) assess the severity of the adult die-offs, 2) compare spawner mortality in urban vs. non-urban streams, and 3) identify water quality and spawner condition factors that might be associated with the recurrent fish kills. The forensic investigation focused on conventional water quality parameters (e.g., dissolved oxygen, temperature, ammonia), fish condition, pathogen exposure and disease status, and exposures to metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and current use pesticides. Daily surveys of a representative urban stream (Longfellow Creek) from 2002–2009 revealed premature spawner mortality rates that ranged from 60–100% of each fall run. The comparable rate in a non-urban stream was <1% (Fortson Creek, surveyed in 2002). Conventional water quality, pesticide exposure, disease, and spawner condition showed no relationship to the syndrome. Coho salmon did show evidence of exposure to metals and petroleum hydrocarbons, both of which commonly originate from motor vehicles in urban landscapes. The weight of evidence suggests that freshwater-transitional coho are particularly vulnerable to an as-yet unidentified toxic contaminant (or contaminant mixture) in urban runoff. Stormwater may therefore place important constraints on efforts to conserve and recover coho populations in urban and urbanizing watersheds throughout the western United States. PMID:22194802

Brownfields to green fields: Realising wider benefits from practical contaminant phytomanagement strategies.

PubMed

Cundy, A B; Bardos, R P; Puschenreiter, M; Mench, M; Bert, V; Friesl-Hanl, W; Müller, I; Li, X N; Weyens, N; Witters, N; Vangronsveld, J

2016-12-15

Gentle remediation options (GROs) are risk management strategies or technologies involving plant (phyto-), fungi (myco-), and/or bacteria-based methods that result in a net gain (or at least no gross reduction) in soil function as well as effective risk management. GRO strategies can be customised along contaminant linkages, and can generate a range of wider economic, environmental and societal benefits in contaminated land management (and in brownfields management more widely). The application of GROs as practical on-site remedial solutions is still limited however, particularly in Europe and at trace element (typically metal and metalloid) contaminated sites. This paper discusses challenges to the practical adoption of GROs in contaminated land management, and outlines the decision support tools and best practice guidance developed in the European Commission FP7-funded GREENLAND project aimed at overcoming these challenges. The GREENLAND guidance promotes a refocus from phytoremediation to wider GROs- or phyto-management based approaches which place realisation of wider benefits at the core of site design, and where gentle remediation technologies can be applied as part of integrated, mixed, site risk management solutions or as part of "holding strategies" for vacant sites. The combination of GROs with renewables, both in terms of biomass generation but also with green technologies such as wind and solar power, can provide a range of economic and other benefits and can potentially support the return of low-level contaminated sites to productive usage, while combining GROs with urban design and landscape architecture, and integrating GRO strategies with sustainable urban drainage systems and community gardens/parkland (particularly for health and leisure benefits), has large potential for triggering GRO application and in realising wider benefits in urban and suburban systems. Quantifying these wider benefits and value (above standard economic returns) will be important in leveraging funding for GRO application and soft site end-use more widely at vacant or underutilized sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathotyping of Escherichia coli isolated from community toilet wastewater and stored drinking water in a slum in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Harada, H; Fujimori, Y; Gomi, R; Ahsan, Md N; Fujii, S; Sakai, A; Matsuda, T

2018-06-01

This study investigated the occurrence of Escherichia coli pathotypes in sanitary wastewater and drinking water in a Bangladeshi urban slum and the potential associations between these sources. We examined 621 E. coli isolates from sanitary wastewater and stored drinking water by multiplex PCR and dual-index sequencing, classifying them into eight pathotypes based on 14 virulence genes and additionally evaluating the possession of the human-specific E. coli genetic biomarker H8. The proportions of pathogenic E. coli were significantly different (P < 0·001) between wastewater (18·6%) and drinking water (1·7%). StIb-positive enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) were predominant in wastewater, indicating that people in the site carried ETEC. In contrast, no ETEC was present in drinking water and the proportion of H8-positive isolates was significantly smaller (7·8%) than that in wastewater (16·3%) (P = 0·001). Our findings indicate that sanitary wastewater from the slum was heavily contaminated with pathogenic E. coli, posing a great health risk. Furthermore, E. coli contamination of drinking water could be derived from not only human but also other sources. Sanitary wastewater from an urban slum was heavily contaminated with pathogenic Escherichia coli. It is worth noting a great health risk of accidental exposure to pathogenically contaminated wastewater improperly discharged in and around urban slums. The distinct difference in pathotypes between wastewater and drinking water and the significantly smaller positive proportion of the human-specific E. coli genetic biomarker (H8) in drinking water indicate that drinking water contamination could be derived from not only human but also other sources. This highlights that pathotyping in association with the H8 marker provides an indication of pathogen contamination sources of environmental transmission media. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Comparative tissue distribution of metals in birds in Sweden using ICP-MS and laser ablation ICP-MS.

PubMed

Ek, Kristine H; Morrison, Gregory M; Lindberg, Peter; Rauch, Sébastien

2004-08-01

Cadmium, copper, lead, palladium, platinum, rhodium, and zinc profiles were investigated along feather shafts of raptor and other bird species by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The distribution of external versus internal metal contamination of feathers was investigated. The species examined were peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), sparrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus), willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), and house sparrow (Passer domesticus) in Sweden. For habitat comparisons, total Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd concentrations were analyzed by ICP-MS in feathers of the examined species as well as captive peregrine falcon. For investigation of metal distribution and correlation in different biological materials of raptors, total concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn were also investigated by ICP-MS in feathers, eggs, blood, feces, liver, and kidney of wild peregrine falcon from southwestern Sweden. Laser ablation of feathers revealed that Pb contamination is both external and internal, Zn contamination is internal, and Cd and Cu contamination is predominantly internal, with a few externally attached particles of high concentration. Pb, Cu, and Cd signal intensities were highest in urban habitats and contamination was mainly external in feathers. The background signal intensity of Zn was also higher in birds from urban habitats. The laser ablation profile of PGE (Pt, Pd, Rh) demonstrated that PGE contamination of feathers consists almost exclusively of externally attached PGE-containing particles, with little evidence of internally deposited PGE.Generally, total metal concentrations in feathers were highest in sparrowhawk and house sparrow due to their urban habitat. Total Cu, Zn, and Cd concentrations were highest in liver and kidney due to binding to metallothionein, while the total Pb concentration was highest in feces due to the high excretion rate of Pb. A decreasing temporal trend for Pb in feathers, showing that Pb levels in feathers have decreased since the introduction of nonleaded petrol, is also discussed.

Mass balance of emerging contaminants in the water cycle of a highly urbanized and industrialized area of Italy.

PubMed

Castiglioni, Sara; Davoli, Enrico; Riva, Francesco; Palmiotto, Marinella; Camporini, Paolo; Manenti, Angela; Zuccato, Ettore

2017-12-22

The occurrence of several classes of emerging contaminants (ECs) was assessed in the River Lambro basin, one of the most urbanized and industrialized areas of Italy. The study aims were to identify the main sources of ECs, quantify their amounts circulating in the water cycle, and study their fate in the aquatic environment. More than 80 ECs were selected among pharmaceuticals (PHARM), personal care products (PCPs), disinfectants (DIS), illicit drugs (IDs), perfluorinated compounds (PERF), alkylphenols and bisphenol A (Alk-BPA), and anthropogenic markers (AM). Specific analytical methods were developed for quantitative analysis based on solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. ECs were measured in rivers upstream and downstream of the main city (Milan), and in untreated and treated wastewater from Milan to assess the contribution to river contamination, and in superficial and deep groundwater in the city area to study the relationship between river and groundwater contamination. Samples were collected in a two-year monitoring campaign. Almost all ECs were ubiquitous in untreated wastewater, at concentrations up to the μg/L range, and the most abundant classes were PHARM and AM. Removals during different wastewater treatment processes were studied and the most stable substances were PHARM, PCPs and PERF. The mass loads increased for all the classes of ECs along the River Lambro basin. A mass balance was done in the river basin and allowed to identify the main sources of contamination, which were domestic, from treated or untreated wastewater, for PHARM, PCPs and IDs, mainly industrial for PERF, and both industrial and domestic for Alk-BPA. The study of AM helped to identify direct discharges of untreated wastewater. A substantial contribution of surface water to groundwater contamination was observed. This study improves the knowledge on occurrence, sources and fate of multiple classes of ECs in a highly urbanized area providing useful information to help the establishment of EU regulations for ECs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Nonpoint-Source Contamination, Wisconsin: Selected Topics for Water Year 1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owens, D.W.; Corsi, Steven R.; Rappold, K.F.

1997-01-01

The objective of the watershed-management evaluation monitoring program in Wisconsin is to evaluate the effectiveness of best-management practices (BMP's) for controlling nonpoint-source contamination in eight rural and four urban watersheds. This report, the fourth in an annual series of reports, presents a summary of the data collected for the program by the U.S. Geological Survey and the results of several detailed analyses of the data. To complement assessments of water quality, a land-use and BMP inventory is ongoing for 12 evaluation monitoring projects to track nonpoint sources of contamination in each watershed and to document implementation of BMP's that were designed to cause changes in the water quality of streams. Each year, updated information is gathered, mapped, and stored in a geographic-information-system data base. Summaries of land-use, BMP implementation, and water-quality data collected during water years 1989-95 are presented. Storm loads, snowmelt-period loads, and annual loads of suspended sediment and total phosphorus are summarized for eight rural sites. Storm-load data for suspended solids, total phosphorus, total recoverable lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium are summarized for four urban sites. Quality-assurance and quality-control (QA/QC) samples were collected at the eight rural sites to evaluate inorganic sample contamination and at one urban site to evaluate sample-collection and filtration techniques for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAR's). Some suspended solids and fecal coliform contamination was detected at the rural sites. Corrective actions will be taken to address this contamination. Evaluation of PAR sample-collection techniques did not uncover any deficiencies, but the small amount of data collected was not sufficient to draw any definite conclusions. Evaluation of PAR filtration techniques indicate that water-sample filtration with O.7-um glass-fiber filters in an aluminum filter unit does not result in significant loss of PAR.

Contextualized Support for Urban Teachers Implementing Writer's Workshop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaiser, Eileen

2013-01-01

Gladwell (2000) describes context as "the tipping point" for leveraging change. This paper explores how differentiated learning opportunities situated in the school context supported changes in practice for urban elementary teachers during the implementation of Writer's Work-shop (Calkins, 2003 & 2006). The teachers in this…

Main Street: Teaching Elementary School Students Standards-Based Urban Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurt, Douglas A.

1997-01-01

Describes a lesson plan that uses Main Street images of three towns to encourage students to recognize and compare human and physical characteristics of places. The lesson teaches the geographic concepts of site (absolute location) and situation (relative location) as well as introducing students to urban geography. (MJP)

Rapid urbanisation in the third world, with special reference to Tropical Africa: social impact and perspectives.

PubMed

Ankerl, G

1983-01-01

A review of current urbanization trends around the world is presented, with particular reference to the situation in Tropical Africa. Topics considered include overurbanization, development, and migration. The elements of both short- and long-term policies concerning urbanization are outlined.

Distributed Mentoring: Preparing Preservice Resident Teachers for High Needs Urban High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leon, Marjorie Roth

2014-01-01

A distributed mentoring model was implemented to scaffold preservice teachers completing a residency in high needs urban turnaround high schools. In this situated learning context, expert faculty and peer mentors contributed confirmatory insights for promoting engaged evidence-based pedagogy, instructional differentiation, homework completion,…

Applying a Resilience Systems Framework to Urban Environmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krasny, Marianne E.; Tidball, Keith G.

2009-01-01

A growing body of literature on community gardening, watershed restoration, and similar "civic ecology" practices suggests avenues for integrating social and ecological outcomes in urban natural resources management. In this paper, we argue that an environmental education programme in which learning is situated in civic ecology practices…

Teacher Retention: An Appreciative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pesavento-Conway, Jennifer Jean

2010-01-01

Nationally, the problem of teacher retention compounds the unstable nature of the educational situation, especially in urban, high-needs schools. Much of the instability of urban schools is due to teacher movement, the migration of teachers from school to another school within or between school districts, particularly from high-needs schools.…

A stable isotope approach for source apportionment of chlorinated ethene plumes at a complex multi-contamination events urban site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nijenhuis, Ivonne; Schmidt, Marie; Pellegatti, Eleonora; Paramatti, Enrico; Richnow, Hans Hermann; Gargini, Alessandro

2013-10-01

The stable carbon isotope composition of chlorinated aliphatic compounds such as chlorinated methanes, ethanes and ethenes was examined as an intrinsic fingerprint for apportionment of sources. A complex field site located in Ferrara (Italy), with more than 50 years history of use of chlorinated aliphatic compounds, was investigated in order to assess contamination sources. Several contamination plumes were found in a complex alluvial sandy multi-aquifer system close to the river Po; sources are represented by uncontained former industrial and municipal dump sites as well as by spills at industrial areas. The carbon stable isotope signature allowed distinguishing 2 major sources of contaminants. One source of chlorinated aliphatic contaminants was strongly depleted in 13C (<-60‰) suggesting production lines which have used depleted methane for synthesis. The other source had typical carbon isotope compositions of >-40‰ which is commonly observed in recent production of chlorinated solvents. The degradation processes in the plumes could be traced interpreting the isotope enrichment and depletion of parent and daughter compounds, respectively. We demonstrate that, under specific production conditions, namely when highly chlorinated ethenes are produced as by-product during chloromethanes production, 13C depleted fingerprinting of contaminants can be obtained and this can be used to track sources and address the responsible party of the pollution in urban areas.

A stable isotope approach for source apportionment of chlorinated ethene plumes at a complex multi-contamination events urban site.

PubMed

Nijenhuis, Ivonne; Schmidt, Marie; Pellegatti, Eleonora; Paramatti, Enrico; Richnow, Hans Hermann; Gargini, Alessandro

2013-10-01

The stable carbon isotope composition of chlorinated aliphatic compounds such as chlorinated methanes, ethanes and ethenes was examined as an intrinsic fingerprint for apportionment of sources. A complex field site located in Ferrara (Italy), with more than 50years history of use of chlorinated aliphatic compounds, was investigated in order to assess contamination sources. Several contamination plumes were found in a complex alluvial sandy multi-aquifer system close to the river Po; sources are represented by uncontained former industrial and municipal dump sites as well as by spills at industrial areas. The carbon stable isotope signature allowed distinguishing 2 major sources of contaminants. One source of chlorinated aliphatic contaminants was strongly depleted in ¹³C (<-60‰) suggesting production lines which have used depleted methane for synthesis. The other source had typical carbon isotope compositions of >-40‰ which is commonly observed in recent production of chlorinated solvents. The degradation processes in the plumes could be traced interpreting the isotope enrichment and depletion of parent and daughter compounds, respectively. We demonstrate that, under specific production conditions, namely when highly chlorinated ethenes are produced as by-product during chloromethanes production, ¹³C depleted fingerprinting of contaminants can be obtained and this can be used to track sources and address the responsible party of the pollution in urban areas. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 214.5 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... SUPPLIES OF DRINKING WATER § 214.5 Policy. Emergency work under this authority will be applied to situations in which the source of water has become contaminated. The contamination may be accidental... the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to Pub. L. 93-523. However, loss of the water source or...

Removal of Dissolved Salts and Particulate Contaminants from Seawater: Village Marine Tec., Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier, Generation 1

EPA Science Inventory

The EUWP was developed to treat challenging water sources with variable turbidity, chemical contamination, and very high total dissolved solids (TDS), including seawater, during emergency situations when other water treatment facilities are incapacitated. The EUWP components incl...

Developing an integration tool for soil contamination assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anaya-Romero, Maria; Zingg, Felix; Pérez-Álvarez, José Miguel; Madejón, Paula; Kotb Abd-Elmabod, Sameh

2015-04-01

In the last decades, huge soil areas have been negatively influenced or altered in multiples forms. Soils and, consequently, underground water, have been contaminated by accumulation of contaminants from agricultural activities (fertilizers and pesticides) industrial activities (harmful material dumping, sludge, flying ashes) and urban activities (hydrocarbon, metals from vehicle traffic, urban waste dumping). In the framework of the RECARE project, local partners across Europe are focusing on a wide range of soil threats, as soil contamination, and aiming to develop effective prevention, remediation and restoration measures by designing and applying targeted land management strategies (van Lynden et al., 2013). In this context, the Guadiamar Green Corridor (Southern Spain) was used as a case study, aiming to obtain soil data and new information in order to assess soil contamination. The main threat in the Guadiamar valley is soil contamination after a mine spill occurred on April 1998. About four hm3 of acid waters and two hm3 of mud, rich in heavy metals, were released into the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers affecting more than 4,600 ha of agricultural and pasture land. Main trace elements contaminating soil and water were As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Tl and Zn. The objective of the present research is to develop informatics tools that integrate soil database, models and interactive platforms for soil contamination assessment. Preliminary results were obtained related to the compilation of harmonized databases including geographical, hydro-meteorological, soil and socio-economic variables based on spatial analysis and stakeholder's consultation. Further research will be modellization and upscaling at the European level, in order to obtain a scientifically-technical predictive tool for the assessment of soil contamination.

Sources and Pathways of Bacterial Contamination in Urban Streams and Ocean Beaches, Santa Barbara, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. D.; Mendez, G. O.; La, J. X.; Izbicki, J. A.

2005-12-01

Streams and ocean beaches in Santa Barbara, California, occasionally have concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria that exceed public health standards for recreational water, forcing temporary beach closures. Possible sources of fecal bacteria contamination include transient human populations, animal populations, and leaking sewer lines. The purpose of this three-year study is to identify important sources of fecal bacteria affecting the urban streams and beaches and to identify important pathways of transport. Contamination may enter streams and beaches directly by surface runoff, but also may be transmitted short distances through shallow ground water. Our analysis of existing historical data shows that fecal indicator bacteria concentrations are higher in near-shore ocean water following extreme high tides. The possible role of near shore ground water in supplying contaminants to the sea will be investigated by sampling water from an array of shallow wells installed for this study between an older city sewer line and the ocean. The ground water flux to the ocean will be inferred from water levels in these wells, and further tested by radium isotope values in near shore ocean samples. Two additional well arrays will be installed to test for leakage from residential sewage hookups and measure associated exchanges between ground water, streams, and ocean. Preliminary data collected by this study show fecal indicator bacteria concentrations in urban reaches of Mission Creek and its tributaries, the principle drainage through the city, are higher during low flow periods than during periods of higher flow. Analysis of preliminary data also shows short-term temporal variations in bacterial concentrations during twenty-four hour periods. Human enterovirus has been detected in our sample from one urban-drain tributary to Mission Creek. In order to identify the origins of fecal indicator bacteria water samples from Mission Creek, its tributaries, urban drains, and associated shallow ground water will be analyzed for nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (including optical properties to characterize the composition of the organic carbon), fecal sterols, DNA (using Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Poylmorphism), and phospholipid fatty acids.

Biodegradation of Phenolic Contaminants: Current Status and Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Lin; Wu, Qi; Ma, Aijin

2018-01-01

Phenolic compounds, a class of toxic pollutants in water, come mainly from a variety of industrial processes. The industrial application for biodegradation has become an important topic in recent years. In this review, we discuss the present situation, properties, and pollution characteristics of phenolic contaminants, factors affecting the degradation of phenols, microbial species and biodegradation methods. The challenges and opportunities in developing biodegradation processes of phenolic contaminants are also discussed.

Public health assessment for Rockwool Industries, Belton, Bell County, Texas, Region 6, CERCLIS number TXD066379645. Final report

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

NONE

1999-08-03

The Rockwool Industries, Inc. (RWI) National Priorities List site is a 100 acre site one-mile east of downtown Belton in Bell County, Texas. The Facility manufactured two types of mineral wool insulation: Blow wool and batt wool. Three main contaminant source areas have been identified at the site. Source 1, in the middle portion of the site, includes contaminated soil associated with the South Shot Pile. Source 2, in the northern portion of the site, includes contaminated soils associated with the Cemetery Shot Pile. Source 3, in the northwest portion of the site includes contaminated soils associated with the Cemeterymore » Shot Pile. The primary waste types at the site include spent iron shot and baghouse dust. Secondary waste types include boiler blowdown water, stormwater runoff, recovered groundwater, and bricks. The Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) evaluated the environmental information available for the site and identified several exposure situations for evaluation. These exposure situations include possible contact with site contaminants in the soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater. The potential for exposure to site contaminants through the food chain was also examined. A brief review of the evaluation, organized by hazard category, is presented.« less

Rural-urban migration and urban employment opportunities in Nigeria.

PubMed

Okpara, E E

1986-01-01

The author suggests that most studies of rural-urban migration in the third world today are based on the European experience during the Industrial Revolution. He contends that the assumption that most migrants find wage employment in a rapidly growing modern industrial sector is not valid, particularly in Western Africa, where the pace of industrialization lags behind the rate of urbanization. Data from Nigeria are used to show that many potential migrants are aware of this situation and migrate seeking self-employment in informal sector trading activities.

Organic waste compounds as contaminants in Milwaukee-area streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldwin, Austin K.; Corsi, Steven R.; Magruder, Christopher; Magruder, Matthew; Bruce, Jennifer L.

2015-09-22

Organic waste compounds (OWCs) are ingredients and by-products of common agricultural, industrial, and household substances that can contaminate our streams through sources like urban runoff, sewage overflows, and leaking septic systems. To better understand how OWCs are affecting Milwaukee-area streams, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, conducted a three-year study to investigate the presence and potential toxicity of 69 OWCs in base flow, stormflow, pore water, and sediment at 14 stream sites and 3 Milwaukee harbor locations. This fact sheet summarizes the major findings of this study, including detection frequencies and concentrations, potential toxicity, the prevalence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the influence of urbanization.

Source identification and apportionment of heavy metals in urban soil profiles.

PubMed

Luo, Xiao-San; Xue, Yan; Wang, Yan-Ling; Cang, Long; Xu, Bo; Ding, Jing

2015-05-01

Because heavy metals (HMs) occurring naturally in soils accumulate continuously due to human activities, identifying and apportioning their sources becomes a challenging task for pollution prevention in urban environments. Besides the enrichment factors (EFs) and principal component analysis (PCA) for source classification, the receptor model (Absolute Principal Component Scores-Multiple Linear Regression, APCS-MLR) and Pb isotopic mixing model were also developed to quantify the source contribution for typical HMs (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in urban park soils of Xiamen, a representative megacity in southeast China. Furthermore, distribution patterns of their concentrations and sources in 13 soil profiles (top 20 cm) were investigated by different depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-20 cm). Currently the principal anthropogenic source for HMs in urban soil of China is atmospheric deposition from coal combustion rather than vehicle exhaust. Specifically for Pb source by isotopic model ((206)Pb/(207)Pb and (208)Pb/(207)Pb), the average contributions were natural (49%)>coal combustion (45%)≫traffic emissions (6%). Although the urban surface soils are usually more contaminated owing to recent and current human sources, leaching effects and historic vehicle emissions can also make deep soil layer contaminated by HMs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endocrine disrupting alkylphenolic chemicals and other contaminants in wastewater treatment plant effluents, urban streams and fish in the Great Lakes Region and Upper Mississippi River

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Urban streams are an integral part of the municipal wastewater treatment process by providing a point of discharge for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and additional attenuation through dilution and transformation processes. The receiving surface waters also are a conduit for contaminan...

The Major Environmentally-Based Land Use Issues on the Urban Fringe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hordon, Robert M.

Types of land-use issues which form current problems in urban areas are discussed in this paper. The majority of these environmentally based issues revolve around the management of water. The five most often encountered water-oriented issues are denoted in rank order of importance. First, an ample water supply which is free from contamination must…

Effects of byproducts amended lead contaminated urban soils on carrot yield and lead uptake

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lead (Pb) has been used to produce a large number of materials and manufactured products. In areas with a history of lead paint use, high vehicular traffic and/or areas close to urban and industrial centers, atmospheric lead deposition may be very high. Consequently, a high deposition of lead in u...

Using the Mehlich-3 Soil Test as an Inexpensive Screening Tool to Estimate Total and Bioaccessible Lead in Urban Soils

EPA Science Inventory

In cities nationwide, urban agriculture has been put on hold because of the high costs of soil testing for historical contaminants such as lead (Pb). The Mehlich-3 soil test is commonly used to determine plant available nutrients, is inexpensive, and has the potential to estimate...

Technical Report for the Demonstration of Wide Area ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security conducted the “Wide-Area Urban Radiological Contaminant, Mitigation, and Cleanup Technology Demonstration” in Columbus, Ohio on June 22-25, 2015. Five wide-area radiological decontamination technologies (including strippable coatings, gels, and chemical foam technologies) were demonstrated on an urban building.

ECONOMICS ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS FOR REMEDIATION OF CONTAMINATED GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents an analysis of the cost of using permeable reactive barriers to remediate contaminated ground water. When possible, these costs are compared with the cost of pump-and-treat technology for similar situations. Permeable reactive barriers are no longer perceiv...

Assessing remediation of contaminated sediments using multiple biological endpoints: sediment toxicity, food web tissue contamination, biotic condition and DNA damage.

EPA Science Inventory

The Ottawa River is a component of the Maumee River Area of Concern (AOC) as defined by the International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. A sediment remediation project took place in the lower 14.2 km of the river where urban and industrial activitie...

Characterization of preferential flow pathways in a siliciclastic aquifer system using human enteric viruses and groundwater geochemistry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Human enteric viruses have been recognized as an emerging groundwater contaminant and are found only in human waste. In urban environments the most likely source of human waste is from sanitary sewers. Determining the travel time for near-surface contaminants to reach deep public supply wells is i...

Calculating Confidence, Uncertainty, and Numbers of Samples When Using Statistical Sampling Approaches to Characterize and Clear Contaminated Areas

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

Piepel, Gregory F.; Matzke, Brett D.; Sego, Landon H.

2013-04-27

This report discusses the methodology, formulas, and inputs needed to make characterization and clearance decisions for Bacillus anthracis-contaminated and uncontaminated (or decontaminated) areas using a statistical sampling approach. Specifically, the report includes the methods and formulas for calculating the • number of samples required to achieve a specified confidence in characterization and clearance decisions • confidence in making characterization and clearance decisions for a specified number of samples for two common statistically based environmental sampling approaches. In particular, the report addresses an issue raised by the Government Accountability Office by providing methods and formulas to calculate the confidence that amore » decision area is uncontaminated (or successfully decontaminated) if all samples collected according to a statistical sampling approach have negative results. Key to addressing this topic is the probability that an individual sample result is a false negative, which is commonly referred to as the false negative rate (FNR). The two statistical sampling approaches currently discussed in this report are 1) hotspot sampling to detect small isolated contaminated locations during the characterization phase, and 2) combined judgment and random (CJR) sampling during the clearance phase. Typically if contamination is widely distributed in a decision area, it will be detectable via judgment sampling during the characterization phrase. Hotspot sampling is appropriate for characterization situations where contamination is not widely distributed and may not be detected by judgment sampling. CJR sampling is appropriate during the clearance phase when it is desired to augment judgment samples with statistical (random) samples. The hotspot and CJR statistical sampling approaches are discussed in the report for four situations: 1. qualitative data (detect and non-detect) when the FNR = 0 or when using statistical sampling methods that account for FNR > 0 2. qualitative data when the FNR > 0 but statistical sampling methods are used that assume the FNR = 0 3. quantitative data (e.g., contaminant concentrations expressed as CFU/cm2) when the FNR = 0 or when using statistical sampling methods that account for FNR > 0 4. quantitative data when the FNR > 0 but statistical sampling methods are used that assume the FNR = 0. For Situation 2, the hotspot sampling approach provides for stating with Z% confidence that a hotspot of specified shape and size with detectable contamination will be found. Also for Situation 2, the CJR approach provides for stating with X% confidence that at least Y% of the decision area does not contain detectable contamination. Forms of these statements for the other three situations are discussed in Section 2.2. Statistical methods that account for FNR > 0 currently only exist for the hotspot sampling approach with qualitative data (or quantitative data converted to qualitative data). This report documents the current status of methods and formulas for the hotspot and CJR sampling approaches. Limitations of these methods are identified. Extensions of the methods that are applicable when FNR = 0 to account for FNR > 0, or to address other limitations, will be documented in future revisions of this report if future funding supports the development of such extensions. For quantitative data, this report also presents statistical methods and formulas for 1. quantifying the uncertainty in measured sample results 2. estimating the true surface concentration corresponding to a surface sample 3. quantifying the uncertainty of the estimate of the true surface concentration. All of the methods and formulas discussed in the report were applied to example situations to illustrate application of the methods and interpretation of the results.« less

Characteristics of peri-urbanization of a secondary city: a challenge in recent urban development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu, P.; Mardiansjah, F. H.

2018-03-01

Urbanization process creates a tremendous spatial phenomenon since the last century. Especially for the country of the South, the phenomenon is still relevant to the situation today and the processes will still going until the foreseeable future. The metropolitan-based of urbanization process involves the development of peri-urban areas, which could be defined as transitional zones between city and rural areas characterized by integrated mixed-structures of agricultural and non-agricultural activities. This article reveals the characteristics of periurbanization process of an emerging secondary city in Java, which uses Surakarta, the second largest city in Central Java Province based on the population size, as the case. During the last ten years, there have been significant changes in peri-urban areas regarding urban population, land use, and urban activities that strengthening the contribution of the urban component into peri-urban system.

Urban African American Pre-Adolescent Social Problem Solving Skills: Family Influences and Association with Exposure to Situations of Sexual Possibility

PubMed Central

Traube, Dorian E.; Chasse, Kelly Taber; McKay, Mary M.; Bhorade, Anjali M.; Paikoff, Roberta; Young, Stacie D.

2010-01-01

SUMMARY The results of two studies focusing on the social problem solving skills of African American preadolescent youth are detailed. In the first study data from a sample of 150 African American children, ages 9 to 11 years, was used to examine the association between type of youth social problem solving approaches applied to hypothetical risk situations and time spent in unsupervised peer situations of sexual possibility. Findings revealed that children with more exposure to sexual possibility situations generated a wider range of social problem solving strategies, but these approaches tended to be unrealistic and ambiguous. Further, there was a positive association between the amount of time spent unsupervised and youth difficulty formulating a definitive response to hypothetical peer pressure situations. Children with less exposure to sexual possibility situations tended to be more aggressive when approaching situations of peer pressure. In the second study, data from a non-overlapping sample of 164 urban, African American adult caregivers and their 9 to 11 year old children was examined in order to explore the associations between child gender, family-level factors including family communication frequency and intensity, time spent in situations of sexual possibility, and youth social problem solving approaches. Results revealed that children were frequently using constructive problem solving and help seeking behaviors when confronted by difficult social situations and that there was a significant relationship between the frequency and intensity of parent child communication and youth help seeking social problem solving approaches. Implications for research and family-based interventions are highlighted. PMID:20871790

Managing hydroclimatological risk to water supply with option contracts and reservoir index insurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Casey; Carriquiry, Miguel

2007-11-01

This paper explores the performance of a system of economic instruments designed to facilitate the reduction of hydroclimatologic variability-induced impacts on stakeholders of shared water supply. The system is composed of bulk water option contracts between urban water suppliers and agricultural users and insurance indexed on reservoir inflows. The insurance is designed to cover the financial needs of the water supplier in situations where the option is likely to be exercised. Insurance provides the irregularly needed funds for exercising the water options. The combined option contract - reservoir index insurance system creates risk sharing between sectors that is currently lacking in many shared water situations. Contracts are designed for a shared agriculture - urban water system in Metro Manila, Philippines, using optimization and Monte Carlo analysis. Observed reservoir inflows are used to simulate contract performance. Results indicate the option - insurance design effectively smooths water supply costs of hydrologic variability for both agriculture and urban water.

Urban development and stream ecosystem health—Science capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reilly, Pamela A.; Szabo, Zoltan; Coles, James F.

2016-04-29

Urban development creates multiple stressors that can degrade stream ecosystems by changing stream hydrology, water quality, and physical habitat. Contaminants, habitat destruction, and increasing streamflow variability resulting from urban development have been associated with the disruption of biological communities, particularly the loss of sensitive aquatic biota. Understanding how algal, invertebrate, and fish communities respond to these physical and chemical stressors can provide important clues as to how streams should be managed to protect stream ecosystems as a watershed becomes increasingly urbanized. The U.S. Geological Survey continues to lead monitoring efforts and scientific studies on the effects of urban development on stream ecosystems in metropolitan areas across the United States.

Soil bioindicators as a usefull tools for land management and spatial planning processes: a case-study of prioritization of contaminated soil remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grand, Cécile; Pauget, Benjamin; Villenave, Cécile; Le Guédard, Marina; Piron, Denis; Nau, Jean-François; Pérès, Guénola

2017-04-01

When setting up new land management, contaminated site remediation or soil use change are sometimes necessary to ensure soil quality and the restoration of the ecosystem services. The biological characterization of the soil can be used as complementary information to chemical data in order to better define the conditions for operating. Then, in the context of urban areas, elements on the soil biological quality can be taken into consideration to guide the land development. To assess this "biological state of soil health", some biological tools, called bioindicators, could provide comprehensive information to understand and predict the functioning of the soil ecosystem. In this context, a city of 200 thousand inhabitants has decided to integrate soil bioindicators in their soil diagnostic for their soil urban management. This city had to elaborate a spatial soil management in urban areas which presented soil contamination linked to a complex industrial history associated with bad uses of gardens not always safe for the environment. The project will lead to establish a Natural Urban Park (PNU) in order to develop recreational and leisure activities in a quality environment. In order to complete the knowledge of soil contamination and to assess the transfer of contaminants to the terrestrial ecosystem, a biological characterization of soils located in different areas was carried out using six bioindicators: bioindicators of accumulation which allowed to evaluate the transfers of soil contaminants towards the first 2 steps of a trophic chain (plants and soil fauna, e.g. snails), bioindicators of effects (Omega 3 index was used to assess the effects of soil contamination and to measure their impact on plants), bioindicators of soil functioning (measurement of microbial biomass, nematodes and earthworm community) ; the interest of these last bioindicators is that they also act on the functioning of ecosystems as on the dynamics of organic matter (mineralization) but also on the structuring of the soils. The results from 14 measurement points demonstrated the relatively low average transfers towards the plants and soil fauna although the transfers can be changing a lot in relation to heterogeneity of soil contamination. Results obtained from other bioindicators (nematodes, earthworms and bacterial biomass) showed that the different soils are on average of good biological quality and can benefit from a diversity and abundance of communities of soil organisms. The data obtained in this program underline that these tools can be used to evaluate soil functions (habitat for biodiversity, soil capacity to store contaminants, etc.) and, consequently, the services that the soil can give to humans. Moreover, these biological tools allowed to assess the biological quality of soils and their compatibility with the soil use and the necessity of soil remediation (excavation of hot-spots, surface cover etc ..).Taking into account not only the behavior of soil contaminants but also the environmental factors that influence the biological functioning of the soil, these tools can be useful for land management of large-scale sites and for brownfield conquest.

Urban-Serving Research Universities: Institutions for the Public Good

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zerquera, Desiree

2016-01-01

This manuscript seeks to situate access to higher education as part of the public good of universities, and connect that specifically to the mission of institutions that are charged with carrying this out more than others. One such institution--the Urban-Serving Research University (USRUs)--has a distinct mission that emphasizes not just location…

After-School Programs: A Resource for Young Black Males and Other Urban Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodland, Malcolm H.

2016-01-01

While after-school programs are plentiful, they are often developed arbitrarily with little attention given to theoretical underpinnings that may inform program interventions. In this article, after-school programs are situated in resilience theory as protective factors, which encourage resilience among young Black males and other urban youth. The…

Conditions and Decisions of Urban Elementary Teachers Regarding Instruction of STEM Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Erica L.; Parker, Carolyn A.; McKinney, David; Grigg, Jeffrey

2018-01-01

The study was situated in a National Science Foundation supported Math Science Partnership between a private university and an urban school district. This study sought to understand the decision-making process of elementary teachers as they implement an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in their…

Demographic and Situational Variables Influencing Substance Use among Urban Black Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody-Thomas, Sarah; And Others

This study reports grade, gender, and environmental (school structure) differences in self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana among urban black adolescents. Among the results are the following: (1) an equal percentage of males and females reported having "tried" cigarettes and alcohol; (2) males reportedly smoked more cigarettes…

State Housing Policy and Urban School Segregation. ECS Working Paper LEC-83-13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orfield, Gary

Urban school desegregation can be achieved through more sensible housing policies. Review of the current situation shows that some States (New York, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Minnesota, for example) have been able to integrate their schools by fostering the development of low and moderate income housing in particular urban…

Role of the sedimentary structure of the urban vadose zone (URVAZO) on the transfer of heavy metals of an urban stormwater basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angulo-Jaramillo, R.; Winiarski, T.; Goutaland, D.; Lassabatere, L.

2009-12-01

Stormwater infiltration basins have become a common alternative practice to traditional stormwater pipe networks in urban areas. They are often built in permeable subsurface soils (Urban Vadose Zone, URVAZO), such as alluvial deposits. These sedimentary deposits are highly heterogeneous and generate preferential flow paths that may cause either rapid or non-uniform transport of contaminants at great depths. The understanding of how subsurface vadose zone heterogeneities transfer contaminant and fluid flow to the aquifer still remains a challenge in urban hydrology. Indeed, urban stormwater may contain pollutants that can contaminate either soil or groundwater. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of the lithological heterogeneity of a glaciofluvial deposit underlying an urban infiltration basin on the link between water flow and heavy metals retention. A trench wall (14m length x 3m depth) was exposed by excavating the glaciofluvial formation. By a hydrogeophysical approach based on a sedimentary structural units and in situ hydraulic characterization (Beerkan tests), a realistic hydrostratigraphic 2D model was defined. The trench was sampled on nine vertical sections of 1.5m length, with ten samples per vertical section following each lithofacies. A total of 90 samples were analyzed. Coarse (mechanical sieving) and fine (laser diffraction) particle size distribution analysis, as well as the concentration of three replicates of Pb, Cu, Zn and organic matter (OM) was measured for each sample. The principal component analysis shows a strong correlation between metal concentration and the lithofacies. This hydrostratigraphic model was implemented in the finite element program Hydrus2D. The soil heterogeneity exerts an impact on the heterogeneity of the water content field under slightly saturated conditions, as they induce capillary barrier effects. These capillary barrier effects may generate water accumulation in some lithofacies overlying matrix-free gravel; they lead to lateral flow patterns known as funneled flows. Knowledge of the geometry (orientation, dip) at the structural scale is therefore a prerequisite for evaluating the preferential flow paths. They can explain that the silt fraction may come from colloidal migration through the vadose zone. The use of coupled water-geochemical transfer models enables us to advance assumptions helping the comprehension of principal hydrogeochemical process in the urban vadose zone.

Soil in the City: Sustainably Improving Urban Soils.

PubMed

Kumar, Kuldip; Hundal, Lakhwinder S

2016-01-01

Large tracts of abandoned urban land, resulting from the deindustrialization of metropolitan areas, are generating a renewed interest among city planners and community organizations envisioning the productive use of this land not only to produce fresh food but to effectively manage stormwater and mitigate the impact of urban heat islands. Healthy and productive soils are paramount to meet these objectives. However, these urban lands are often severely degraded due to anthropogenic activities and are generally contaminated with priority pollutants, especially heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Characterizing these degraded and contaminated soils and making them productive again to restore the required ecosystem services was the theme of the "Soil in the City- 2014" conference organized by W-2170 Committee (USDA's Sponsored Multi-State Research Project: Soil-Based Use of Residuals, Wastewater, & Reclaimed Water). This special section of comprises 12 targeted papers authored by conference participants to make available much needed information about the characteristics of urban soils. Innovative ways to mitigate the risks from pollutants and to improve the soil quality using local resources are discussed. Such practices include the use of composts and biosolids to grow healthy foods, reclaim brownfields, manage stormwater, and improve the overall ecosystem functioning of urban soils. These papers provide a needed resource for educating policymakers, practitioners, and the general public about using locally available resources to restore fertility, productivity, and ecosystem functioning of degraded urban land to revitalize metropolitan areas for improving the overall quality of life for a large segment of a rapidly growing urban population. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Runoff of particle bound pollutants from urban impervious surfaces studied by analysis of sediments from stormwater traps.

PubMed

Jartun, Morten; Ottesen, Rolf Tore; Steinnes, Eiliv; Volden, Tore

2008-06-25

Runoff sediments from 68 small stormwater traps around the harbor of urban Bergen, Norway, were sampled and the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined in addition to grain size. Our study provides empirical data from a large area in the interface between the urban and marine environment, studying the active transport of pollutants from land-based sources. The results of the analyses clearly demonstrate the importance of the urban environment representing a variety of contamination sources, and that stormwater runoff is an important dispersion mechanism of toxic pollutants. The concentrations of different pollutants in urban runoff sediments show that there are several active pollution sources supplying the sewage systems with PCBs, PAHs and heavy metals such as lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). The concentration of PCB7 in the urban runoff sediments ranged between < 0.0004 and 0.704 mg/kg. For PAH16, the concentration range was < 0.2-80 mg/kg, whereas the concentration ranges of Pb, Zn and Cd were 9-675, 51.3-4670 and 0.02-11.1 mg/kg respectively. Grain size distribution in 21 selected samples varied from a median particle diameter of 13 to 646 microm. However, several samples had very fine-grained particles even up to the 90 percentile of the samples, making them available for stormwater dispersion in suspended form. The sampling approach proposed in this paper will provide environmental authorities with a useful tool to examine ongoing urban contamination of harbors and similar recipients.

Innovative urban forestry governance in Melbourne?: Investigating "green placemaking" as a nature-based solution.

PubMed

Gulsrud, Natalie Marie; Hertzog, Kelly; Shears, Ian

2018-02-01

A nature-based approach to climate resilience aims to challenge and re-frame conventional environmental management methods by refocusing solutions from technological strategies to socio-ecological principles such as human well-being and community-based governance models, thereby improving and legitimizing the delivery of ecosystem services (ES). There are, however, many challenges to applying a socio-ecological agenda to urban climate resilience and thereby re-framing ES delivery as community and people focused, a knowledge gap extensively outlined in the environmental governance literature. In this paper, we aim to contribute to this re-assesment of urban environmental governance by examining the City of Melbourne's approach to urban re-naturing governance from a place-based perspective. Here we focus on the city's internationally-acclaimed urban forest strategy (UFS), investigating how and to which extent the governance arrangements embedded within the UFS draw strength from diverse perspectives and allow for institutional arrangements that support "situated" reflexive decision making and co-creation. We find that Melbourne's UFS governance process fosters green placemaking by re-focusing climate adaptation solutions from technological strategies to situated socio-ecological principles such as human well-being and community-based decision making. In this sense, this case provides valuable insight for the broader UGI governance field regarding the opportunities and challenges associated with a socio-cultural approach to urban re-naturing and ES delivery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of toxic metal contamination using a regional lithogenic geochemical background, Pampean area river basin, Argentina.

PubMed

Castro, Liliana Norma; Rendina, Alicia Elena; Orgeira, Maria Julia

2018-06-15

Contamination assessment in riverbed sediments depends on the accurate determination of the background values. The aim of this study is to assess the degree of contamination and to evaluate the most adequate background for the determination of anthropogenic contamination in Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in bed sediments of the Pampean area river basin (Matanza-Riachuelo River and tributary streams), Argentina. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values were calculated using selected lithogenic backgrounds (loess, loessoid sediments and paleosoils), the metal concentrations in the residual fraction (F4) in riverbed sediments and a global average shale often applied in the estimation of toxic metal Igeo. The IgeoF4, IgeoLZB and most of the others Igeos, indicated that in land areas used mainly for agriculture and cattle grazing, the superficial sediments were uncontaminated with Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn, and slightly contaminated with Ni and Pb. Conversely, in those areas dedicated to urban and industrial use, the metal contamination was greater. Overall, the relatively significant anthropogenic contamination of Cr > Pb ≥ Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd in the Riachuelo River area was associated with metallurgic activities, tanning and industrial waste. The comparative analysis of different values suggested that Buenos Aires' "pristine" loess could be recommended to evaluate the Igeo index of riverbed sediments in the Pampean area. To enhance the use of the selected background, the normalized enrichment factor using Al. In this study case, the Igeo and the EF using LZB background display the same trend, showing the greatest degree of contamination, as would be expected, in Riachuelo samples (RIA 1 and RIA 2) located in the urban/industrial area. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anthropogenic contaminants as tracers in an urbanizing karst aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, B.; Massei, N.

2007-01-01

Karst aquifers are uniquely vulnerable to contamination. In the Barton Springs segment of the karstic Edwards aquifer (Texas, U.S.A.), urban contaminants such as pesticides and volatile organic compounds frequently are detected in spring base flow. To determine whether contaminant concentrations change in response to storms, and if they therefore might act as tracers of focused recharge, samples were collected from Barton Springs at closely spaced intervals following three storms. Two herbicides (atrazine and simazine), two insecticides (carbaryl and diazinon), and a solvent (tetrachloroethene) described breakthrough curves over a 1-week period following one or more storms. The breakthrough curves were decomposed into two to five log-normal subcurves, which were interpreted as representing pulses of contaminants moving through the aquifer. Each subcurve could be used in the same way as an artificial tracer to determine travel time to and recovery at the spring. The contaminants have several advantages over artificial tracers: they represent the actual compounds of interest, they are injected essentially simultaneously at several points, and they are injected under those conditions when transport is of the most interest, i.e., following storms. The response of storm discharge, specific conductance, and contaminant loading at the spring depended on initial aquifer flow conditions, which varied from very low (spring discharge of 0.48??m3/s) to high (spring discharge of 2.7??m3/s): concentrations and recovery were the highest when initial aquifer flow conditions were low. This behavior provides information about aquifer structure and the influence of aquifer flow condition on transport properties. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Road traffic impact on urban water quality: a step towards integrated traffic, air and stormwater modelling.

PubMed

Fallah Shorshani, Masoud; Bonhomme, Céline; Petrucci, Guido; André, Michel; Seigneur, Christian

2014-04-01

Methods for simulating air pollution due to road traffic and the associated effects on stormwater runoff quality in an urban environment are examined with particular emphasis on the integration of the various simulation models into a consistent modelling chain. To that end, the models for traffic, pollutant emissions, atmospheric dispersion and deposition, and stormwater contamination are reviewed. The present study focuses on the implementation of a modelling chain for an actual urban case study, which is the contamination of water runoff by cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the Grigny urban catchment near Paris, France. First, traffic emissions are calculated with traffic inputs using the COPERT4 methodology. Next, the atmospheric dispersion of pollutants is simulated with the Polyphemus line source model and pollutant deposition fluxes in different subcatchment areas are calculated. Finally, the SWMM water quantity and quality model is used to estimate the concentrations of pollutants in stormwater runoff. The simulation results are compared to mass flow rates and concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn measured at the catchment outlet. The contribution of local traffic to stormwater contamination is estimated to be significant for Pb and, to a lesser extent, for Zn and Cd; however, Pb is most likely overestimated due to outdated emissions factors. The results demonstrate the importance of treating distributed traffic emissions from major roadways explicitly since the impact of these sources on concentrations in the catchment outlet is underestimated when those traffic emissions are spatially averaged over the catchment area.

Integrated analysis of numerical weather prediction and computational fluid dynamics for estimating cross-ventilation effects on inhaled air quality inside a factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murga, Alicia; Sano, Yusuke; Kawamoto, Yoichi; Ito, Kazuhide

2017-10-01

Mechanical and passive ventilation strategies directly impact indoor air quality. Passive ventilation has recently become widespread owing to its ability to reduce energy demand in buildings, such as the case of natural or cross ventilation. To understand the effect of natural ventilation on indoor environmental quality, outdoor-indoor flow paths need to be analyzed as functions of urban atmospheric conditions, topology of the built environment, and indoor conditions. Wind-driven natural ventilation (e.g., cross ventilation) can be calculated through the wind pressure coefficient distributions of outdoor wall surfaces and openings of a building, allowing the study of indoor air parameters and airborne contaminant concentrations. Variations in outside parameters will directly impact indoor air quality and residents' health. Numerical modeling can contribute to comprehend these various parameters because it allows full control of boundary conditions and sampling points. In this study, numerical weather prediction modeling was used to calculate wind profiles/distributions at the atmospheric scale, and computational fluid dynamics was used to model detailed urban and indoor flows, which were then integrated into a dynamic downscaling analysis to predict specific urban wind parameters from the atmospheric to built-environment scale. Wind velocity and contaminant concentration distributions inside a factory building were analyzed to assess the quality of the human working environment by using a computer simulated person. The impact of cross ventilation flows and its variations on local average contaminant concentration around a factory worker, and inhaled contaminant dose, were then discussed.

Identifying sources of emerging organic contaminants in a mixed use watershed using principal components analysis.

PubMed

Karpuzcu, M Ekrem; Fairbairn, David; Arnold, William A; Barber, Brian L; Kaufenberg, Elizabeth; Koskinen, William C; Novak, Paige J; Rice, Pamela J; Swackhamer, Deborah L

2014-01-01

Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to identify sources of emerging organic contaminants in the Zumbro River watershed in Southeastern Minnesota. Two main principal components (PCs) were identified, which together explained more than 50% of the variance in the data. Principal Component 1 (PC1) was attributed to urban wastewater-derived sources, including municipal wastewater and residential septic tank effluents, while Principal Component 2 (PC2) was attributed to agricultural sources. The variances of the concentrations of cotinine, DEET and the prescription drugs carbamazepine, erythromycin and sulfamethoxazole were best explained by PC1, while the variances of the concentrations of the agricultural pesticides atrazine, metolachlor and acetochlor were best explained by PC2. Mixed use compounds carbaryl, iprodione and daidzein did not specifically group with either PC1 or PC2. Furthermore, despite the fact that caffeine and acetaminophen have been historically associated with human use, they could not be attributed to a single dominant land use category (e.g., urban/residential or agricultural). Contributions from septic systems did not clarify the source for these two compounds, suggesting that additional sources, such as runoff from biosolid-amended soils, may exist. Based on these results, PCA may be a useful way to broadly categorize the sources of new and previously uncharacterized emerging contaminants or may help to clarify transport pathways in a given area. Acetaminophen and caffeine were not ideal markers for urban/residential contamination sources in the study area and may need to be reconsidered as such in other areas as well.

Using slow-release permanganate candles to remediate PAH-contaminated water.

PubMed

Rauscher, Lindy; Sakulthaew, Chainarong; Comfort, Steve

2012-11-30

Surface waters impacted by urban runoff in metropolitan areas are becoming increasingly contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Slow-release oxidant candles (paraffin-KMnO(4)) are a relatively new technology being used to treat contaminated groundwater and could potentially be used to treat urban runoff. Given that these candles only release permanganate when submerged, the ephemeral nature of runoff events would influence when the permanganate is released for treating PAHs. Our objective was to determine if slow-release permanganate candles could be used to degrade and mineralize PAHs. Batch experiments quantified PAH degradation rates in the presence of the oxidant candles. Results showed most of the 16 PAHs tested were degraded within 2-4 h. Using (14)C-labled phenanthrene and benzo(a)pyrene, we demonstrated that the wax matrix of the candle initially adsorbs the PAH, but then releases the PAH back into solution as transformed, more water soluble products. While permanganate was unable to mineralize the PAHs (i.e., convert to CO(2)), we found that the permanganate-treated PAHs were much more biodegradable in soil microcosms. To test the concept of using candles to treat PAHs in multiple runoff events, we used a flow-through system where urban runoff water was pumped over a miniature candle in repetitive wet-dry, 24-h cycles. Results showed that the candle was robust in removing PAHs by repeatedly releasing permanganate and degrading the PAHs. These results provide proof-of-concept that permanganate candles could potentially provide a low-cost, low-maintenance approach to remediating PAH-contaminated water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

24 CFR 902.44 - Adjustment for physical condition and neighborhood environment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Adjustment for physical condition... Operations Indicator § 902.44 Adjustment for physical condition and neighborhood environment. (a) General. In... situations outside the control of the project. These situations are related to the poor physical condition of...

General Urban Warfare Amphibious Logistics Applications. Volume 4. Operational Plans.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-23

region. b. Enemy Forces (1) Enem Situation. Survivors and stragglers from the MRB (Rein) that originally defended SYN City are still present in the city in...requirements and priorities in this region. b. Enemy Forces (1) Enem Situation. Survivors and stragglers from the MRB (Rein) that originally defended SYN City

The relationship between historical development and potentially toxic element concentrations in urban soils.

PubMed

McIlwaine, Rebekka; Doherty, Rory; Cox, Siobhan F; Cave, Mark

2017-01-01

Increasing urbanisation has a direct impact on soil quality, resulting in elevated concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils. This research aims to assess if soil PTE concentrations can be used as an 'urbanisation tracer' by investigating geogenic and anthropogenic source contributions and controls, and considering PTE enrichment across historical urban development zones. The UK cities of Belfast and Sheffield are chosen as study areas, where available shallow and deep concentrations of PTEs in soil are compared to identify geogenic and anthropogenic contributions to PTEs. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis are used to elucidate the main controls over PTE concentrations. Pollution indices indicate that different periods of historical development are linked to enrichment of different PTEs. Urban subdomains are identified and background values calculated using various methodologies and compared to generic site assessment criteria. Exceedances for a number of the PTEs considered suggest a potential human health risk could be posed across subdomains of both Belfast and Sheffield. This research suggests that airborne diffuse contamination from often historical sources such as traffic, domestic combustion and industrial processes contribute greatly to soil contamination within urban environments. The relationship between historical development and differing PTEs is a novel finding, suggesting that PTEs have the potential for use as 'urbanisation tracers'. The investigative methodology employed has potential applications for decision makers, urban planners, regulators and developers of urban areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In-vitro and In-vivo approaches for the measurement of oral bioavailability of lead (Pb) in soil: A critical review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Urban soils are commonly contaminated by Pb and some other elements from house paint, automotive emissions, and general urban emissions. Soil Pb near painted houses can exceed 10,000 mg/kg, while commonly ranging from 500 to 1000 mg/kg. Such high soil Pb levels raise concerns about exposure of chi...

Legacy source of mercury in an urban stream-wetland ecosystem in central North Carolina, USA.

PubMed

Deonarine, Amrika; Hsu-Kim, Heileen; Zhang, Tong; Cai, Yong; Richardson, Curtis J

2015-11-01

In the United States, aquatic mercury contamination originates from point and non-point sources to watersheds. Here, we studied the contribution of mercury in urban runoff derived from historically contaminated soils and the subsequent production of methylmercury in a stream-wetland complex (Durham, North Carolina), the receiving water of this runoff. Our results demonstrated that the mercury originated from the leachate of grass-covered athletic fields. A fraction of mercury in this soil existed as phenylmercury, suggesting that mercurial anti-fungal compounds were historically applied to this soil. Further downstream in the anaerobic sediments of the stream-wetland complex, a fraction (up to 9%) of mercury was converted to methylmercury, the bioaccumulative form of the metal. Importantly, the concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury were reduced to background levels within the stream-wetland complex. Overall, this work provides an example of a legacy source of mercury that should be considered in urban watershed models and watershed management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outlier identification and visualization for Pb concentrations in urban soils and its implications for identification of potential contaminated land.

PubMed

Zhang, Chaosheng; Tang, Ya; Luo, Lin; Xu, Weilin

2009-11-01

Outliers in urban soil geochemical databases may imply potential contaminated land. Different methodologies which can be easily implemented for the identification of global and spatial outliers were applied for Pb concentrations in urban soils of Galway City in Ireland. Due to its strongly skewed probability feature, a Box-Cox transformation was performed prior to further analyses. The graphic methods of histogram and box-and-whisker plot were effective in identification of global outliers at the original scale of the dataset. Spatial outliers could be identified by a local indicator of spatial association of local Moran's I, cross-validation of kriging, and a geographically weighted regression. The spatial locations of outliers were visualised using a geographical information system. Different methods showed generally consistent results, but differences existed. It is suggested that outliers identified by statistical methods should be confirmed and justified using scientific knowledge before they are properly dealt with.

The impact of an urban-industrial region on the magnitude and variability of persistent organic pollutant deposition to Lake Michigan.

PubMed

Hornbuckle, Keri C; Green, Mark L

2003-09-01

A predictive model for gas-phase PCBs and trans-nonachlor over Lake Michigan has been constructed and the resulting data examined for trends. In this paper, we describe the model results to show how the magnitude and variability of a plume of contaminants from the Chicago area contributes to a highly variable region of net contaminant deposition over the entire lake. For the whole lake, gross annual deposition of PCBs is approximately 3200 kg, although the net annual gas exchange is not significantly different from zero. The data-driven model illustrates that on a daily basis, the net exchange of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can change from net deposition to net volatilization depending on the area of plume impact. These findings suggest that i) control of urban areas can accelerate the rate of volatilization from lakes; and ii) release of POPs from urban areas is largely a result of volatilization processes.

Seasonal Drivers of Dissolved Metal Transport During Infiltration of Road Runoff in an Urban Roadside Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullins, A.; Bain, D.

2017-12-01

Infiltration-based green infrastructure (GI) is being increasingly applied in urban areas, systems characterized by substantial legacy contamination and complicated hydrology. However, it is not clear how the application of green infrastructure changes the geochemistry of urban roadside environments. Most current research on GI focuses on small sets of chemical parameters (e.g. road salt, nitrogen and phosphorous species) over relatively short time periods, limiting comprehensive understanding of geochemical function. This work measures changes in groundwater infiltration rate and dissolved metal concentrations in two infiltration trenches in Pittsburgh, PA to evaluate function and measure dissolved metal transport from the system over time. Two distinct geochemical regimes seem to be driven by seasonality: road de-icer exchange and microbial driven summer reducing conditions. Interactions between these geochemical regimes and variability in infiltration rate control the flux of different metals, varying with metal chemistry. These findings suggest the adoption of infiltration based green infrastructure will likely create complicated patterns of legacy contamination transport to downstream receptors.

Influence of heavy metal leaf contaminants on the in vitro growth of urban-tree phylloplane-fungi

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

Smith, W.H.

1977-01-01

The surfaces of urban woody vegetation are contaminated with varying amounts of numerous metallic compounds, including Cd, Cu, Mn, Al, Cr, Ni, Fe, Pb, Na, and Zn. To examine the possibility that these metals may affect phylloplane fungi, the above cations were tested in vitro for their ability to influence the growth of numerous saprophytic and parasitic fungi isolated from the leaves of London plane trees. Considerable variation in growth inhibition by the metals was observed. Generally Aureobasidium pullulans, Epicoccum sp., and Phialophora verrucosa were relatively tolerant; Gnomonia platani, Cladsporium sp., and Pleurophomella sp. were intermediate; and Pestalotiopsis and Chaetomiummore » sp. were relatively sensitive to the incorporation of certain metals into solid and liquid media. If similar growth inhibitions occur in nature, competitive abilities or population structures of plant surface microbes may be altered by surface metal contamination. Metals causing the greatest and broadest spectrum growth suppression included Ni, Zn, Pb, Al, Fe, and Mn. 25 references, 4 figures.« less

Does consumption of leafy vegetables grown in peri-urban agriculture pose a risk to human health?

PubMed

Nabulo, G; Black, C R; Craigon, J; Young, S D

2012-03-01

Concentrations of potentially toxic elements were measured in soils and five contrasting tropical leafy vegetables grown in a replicated field trial at five contaminated urban agriculture sites in Kampala City, Uganda. Soil contamination at each site could be tentatively ascribed to known waste disposal practices. There was considerable variation in metal uptake between vegetable types. Washing leafy vegetables reduced chromium and lead concentrations but exogenous contamination of leaves also depended on vegetable type, with Gynandropsis gynandra L. showing a marked tendency to accumulate Pb and Cr. For the worst case scenario of children consuming unwashed vegetables, some metal 'hazard quotient' (HQ) limits (1.0) were violated at four of the five sites studied. For the 25 'site-vegetable' combinations assessed, the HQ for Pb exceeded 1.0 in 36% of cases. A vegetable-specific site screening tool based on soil extraction with 0.01 M CaCl(2) and extrapolation to provide HQ values was assessed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts on groundwater recharge areas of megacity pumping: analysis of potential contamination of Kolkata, India, water supply

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sahu, Paulami; Michael, Holly A.; Voss, Clifford I.; Sikdar, Pradip K.

2013-01-01

Water supply to the world's megacities is a problem of quantity and quality that will be a priority in the coming decades. Heavy pumping of groundwater beneath these urban centres, particularly in regions with low natural topographic gradients, such as deltas and floodplains, can fundamentally alter the hydrological system. These changes affect recharge area locations, which may shift closer to the city centre than before development, thereby increasing the potential for contamination. Hydrogeological simulation analysis allows evaluation of the impact on past, present and future pumping for the region of Kolkata, India, on recharge area locations in an aquifer that supplies water to over 13 million people. Relocated recharge areas are compared with known surface contamination sources, with a focus on sustainable management of this urban groundwater resource. The study highlights the impacts of pumping on water sources for long-term development of stressed city aquifers and for future water supply in deltaic and floodplain regions of the world.

Heavy metal levels in dune sands from Matanzas urban resorts and Varadero beach (Cuba): Assessment of contamination and ecological risks.

PubMed

Díaz Rizo, Oscar; Buzón González, Fran; Arado López, Juana O; Denis Alpízar, Otoniel

2015-12-30

Concentrations of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) in dune sands from six urban and suburban Matanzas (Cuba) resorts and Varadero beach were estimated by X-ray fluorescence analysis. Ranges of metal contents in dune sands show a strong variation across the studied locations (in mg/kg(-1)): 20-2964 for Cr, 17-183 for Ni, 17-51 for Cu, 18-88 for Zn and 5-29 for Pb. The values of contamination factors and contamination degrees how that two of the studied Matanzas's resorts (Judio and Chirry) are strongly polluted. The comparison with Sediment Quality Guidelines shows that dune sands from Judio resort represent a serious risk for humans, due to polluted Cr and Ni levels, while sands from the rest of the studied resorts, including Varadero beach, do not represent any risk for public use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microplastic contamination in the San Francisco Bay, California, USA.

PubMed

Sutton, Rebecca; Mason, Sherri A; Stanek, Shavonne K; Willis-Norton, Ellen; Wren, Ian F; Box, Carolynn

2016-08-15

Despite widespread detection of microplastic pollution in marine environments, data describing microplastic abundance in urban estuaries and microplastic discharge via treated municipal wastewater are limited. This study presents information on abundance, distribution, and composition of microplastic at nine sites in San Francisco Bay, California, USA. Also presented are characterizations of microplastic in final effluent from eight wastewater treatment plants, employing varying treatment technologies, that discharge to the Bay. With an average microplastic abundance of 700,000particles/km(2), Bay surface water appears to have higher microplastic levels than other urban waterbodies sampled in North America. Moreover, treated wastewater from facilities that discharge into the Bay contains considerable microplastic contamination. Facilities employing tertiary filtration did not show lower levels of contamination than those using secondary treatment. As textile-derived fibers were more abundant in wastewater, higher levels of fragments in surface water suggest additional pathways of microplastic pollution, such as stormwater runoff. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of Inorganic, Microbial, and Particulate Contaminants from Secondary Treated Wastewater - Village Marine Tec. Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier, Generation 1 at Gallup, NM

EPA Science Inventory

The EUWP was developed to treat challenging water sources with variable turbidity, chemical contamination, and very high total dissolved solids (TDS) including seawater, during emergency situations when other water treatment facilities are incapacitated. The EUWP components are ...

Assessing potential removal of low-head dams in urban settings: an example from the Ottawa River, NW Ohio.

PubMed

Roberts, Sheila J; Gottgens, Johan F; Spongberg, Alison L; Evans, James E; Levine, Norman S

2007-01-01

This is a study of the scientific component of an effort to restore an urban river by removing a low-head dam. The Secor Dam is owned by a local government entity near Toledo, Ohio. The proposed removal of the last structure impeding flow on the Ottawa River has broad appeal, but the owner is concerned about liability issues, particularly potential changes to the flood regime, the presence of contaminated sediments behind the dam, and possible downstream transport of reservoir sediments. Assessing sediment contamination involved sediment sampling and analysis of trace metals and organic contaminants. Forecasting sediment transport involved field methods to determine the volume and textural properties of reservoir and upstream sediment and calculations to determine the fate of reservoir sediments. Forecasting changes in the flood regime involved HEC-RAS hydrological models to determine before and after dam removal flood scenarios using LiDAR data imported into an ArcGIS database. The resulting assessment found potential sediment contamination to be minor, and modeling showed that the removal of the dam would have minimal impacts on sediment transport and flood hazards. Based on the assessment, the removal of the dam has been approved by its owners.

Adsorption of mixtures of nutrients and heavy metals in simulated urban stormwater by different filter materials.

PubMed

Reddy, Krishna R; Xie, Tao; Dastgheibi, Sara

2014-01-01

In recent years, several best management practices have been developed for the removal of different types of pollutants from stormwater runoff that lead to effective stormwater management. Filter materials that remove a wide range of contaminants have great potential for extensive use in filtration systems. In this study, four filter materials (calcite, zeolite, sand, and iron filings) were investigated for their adsorption and efficiency in the removal of nutrients and heavy metals when they exist individually versus when they co-exist. Laboratory batch experiments were conducted separately under individual and mixed contaminants conditions at different initial concentrations. Adsorption capacities varied under the individual and mixed contaminant conditions due to different removal mechanisms. Most filter materials showed lower removal efficiency under mixed contaminant conditions. In general, iron filings were found effective in the removal of nutrients and heavy metals simultaneously to the maximum levels. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were used to model the batch adsorption results and the former better fitted the experimental results. Overall, the results indicate that the filter materials used in this study have the potential to be effective media for the treatment of nutrients and heavy metals commonly found in urban stormwater runoff.

Results of detailed analyses performed on boring cores extracted from the concrete floors of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant reactor buildings

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

Maeda, Koji; Sasaki, S.; Kumai, M.

Due to the massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, and the following severe accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, concrete surfaces within the reactor buildings were exposed to radioactive liquid and vapor phase contaminants. In order to clarify the situation of this contamination in the reactor buildings of Units 1, 2 and 3, selected samples were transported to the Fuels Monitoring Facility in the Oarai Engineering Center of JAEA where they were subjected to analyses to determine the surface radionuclide concentrations and to characterize the radionuclide distributions in the samples. In particular, penetration of radiocesium inmore » the surface coatings layer and sub-surface concrete was evaluated. The analysis results indicate that the situation of contamination in the building of Unit 2 was different from others, and the protective surface coatings on the concrete floors provided significant protection against radionuclide penetration. The localized penetration of contamination in the concrete floors was found to be confined within a millimeter of the surface of the coating layer of some millimeters. (authors)« less

Distributions of typical contaminant species in urban short-term storm runoff and their fates during rain events: a case of Xiamen City.

PubMed

Wei, Qunshan; Zhu, Gefu; Wu, Peng; Cui, Li; Zhang, Kaisong; Zhou, Jingjing; Zhang, Wenru

2010-01-01

The pollutants in urban storm runoff, which lead to an non-point source contamination of water environment around cities, are of great concerns. The distributions of typical contaminants and the variations of their species in short term storm runoff from different land surfaces in Xiamen City were investigated. The concentrations of various contaminants, including organic matter, nutrients (i.e., N and P) and heavy metals, were significantly higher in parking lot and road runoff than those in roof and lawn runoff. The early runoff samples from traffic road and parking lot contained much high total nitrogen (TN 6-19 mg/L) and total phosphorus (TP 1-3 mg/L). A large proportion (around 60%) of TN existed as total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) species in most runoff. The percentage of TDN and the percentage of total dissolved phosphorus remained relatively stable during the rain events and did not decrease as dramatically as TN and TP. In addition, only parking lot and road runoff were contaminated by heavy metals, and both Pb (25-120 microg/L) and Zn (0.1-1.2 mg/L) were major heavy metals contaminating both runoff. Soluble Pb and Zn were predominantly existed as labile complex species (50%-99%), which may be adsorbed onto the surfaces of suspended particles and could be easily released out when pH decreased. This would have the great impact to the environment.

Possible Applications of Soil Remediation Technologies in Latvia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burlakovs, Juris; Vircavs, Magnuss

2011-01-01

Increasing public concern about deleterious effects of contamination on the environment and human health has led to legislative actions aimed at controlling and regulating the emission of potential contaminants into the environment, but there is still a plethora of territories historically contaminated with different contaminants within the territory of Latvia. The purpose of the present study is to give an overview of the formerly and presently contaminated areas and give some recommendations for remediation. 242 first category contaminated territories (the contamination exceeds the acceptable normative 10 times or more) are mentioned in the National Register of Contaminated Territories, a lot of them are known as contaminated with hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals, oil products, organic compounds and other contaminants in different amounts and concentrations. An overview of soil contamination in Latvia is provided, the planned and recommended research, as well as the planned remediation in pilot case studies, are described, giving a review of the historical contamination situation and of applications of the planned remediation technologies.

Spatial and temporal variability of contaminants within estuarine sediments and native Olympia oysters: A contrast between a developed and an undeveloped estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granek, Elise F.; Conn, Kathleen E.; Nilsen, Elena B.; Pillsbury, Lori; Strecker, Angela L.; Rumrill, Steve; Fish, William

2016-01-01

Chemical contaminants can be introduced into estuarine and marine ecosystems from a variety of sources including wastewater, agriculture and forestry practices, point and non-point discharges, runoff from industrial, municipal, and urban lands, accidental spills, and atmospheric deposition. The diversity of potential sources contributes to the likelihood of contaminated marine waters and sediments and increases the probability of uptake by marine organisms. Despite widespread recognition of direct and indirect pathways for contaminant deposition and organismal exposure in coastal systems, spatial and temporal variability in contaminant composition, deposition, and uptake patterns are still poorly known. We investigated these patterns for a suite of persistent legacy contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and chemicals of emerging concern including pharmaceuticals within two Oregon coastal estuaries (Coos and Netarts Bays). In the more urbanized Coos Bay, native Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) tissue had approximately twice the number of PCB congeners at over seven times the total concentration, yet fewer PBDEs at one-tenth the concentration as compared to the more rural Netarts Bay. Different pharmaceutical suites were detected during each sampling season. Variability in contaminant types and concentrations across seasons and between species and media (organisms versus sediment) indicates the limitation of using indicator species and/or sampling annually to determine contaminant loads at a site or for specific species. The results indicate the prevalence of legacy contaminants and CECs in relatively undeveloped coastal environments highlighting the need to improve policy and management actions to reduce contaminant releases into estuarine and marine waters and to deal with legacy compounds that remain long after prohibition of use. Our results point to the need for better understanding of the ecological and human health risks of exposure to the diverse cocktail of pollutants and harmful compounds that will continue to leach from estuarine sediments over time.

Cooperative urban mining in Brazil: Collective practices in selective household waste collection and recycling.

PubMed

Gutberlet, J

2015-11-01

Solid waste is a major urban challenge worldwide and reclaiming the resources embedded in waste streams, involving organized recyclers, is a smart response to it. Informal and organized recyclers, mostly in the global south, already act as important urban miners in resource recovery. The paper describes the complex operations of recycling cooperatives and draws attention to their economic, environmental, and social contributions. A detailed discussion based on empirical data from the recycling network COOPCENT-ABC in metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil, contextualizes this form of urban mining. The analysis is situated within Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) and Ecological Economy (EE) theory. Current challenges related to planning, public policy, and the implementation of cooperative recycling are analysed on the level of individual recyclers, cooperatives, municipalities and internationally. There are still many hurdles for the informal, organized recycling sector to become recognized as a key player in efficient material separation and to up-scale these activities for an effective contribution to the SSE and EE. Policies need to be in place to guarantee fair and safe work relations. There is a win-win situation where communities and the environment will benefit from organized urban mining. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trace elements and nitrogen content in naturally growing moss Hypnum cupressiforme in urban and peri-urban forests of the Municipality of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

PubMed

Berisha, S; Skudnik, M; Vilhar, U; Sabovljević, M; Zavadlav, S; Jeran, Z

2017-02-01

We monitored trace metals and nitrogen using naturally growing moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. in urban and peri-urban forests of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in atmospheric deposition of trace metals and nitrogen between urban and peri-urban forests. Samples were collected at a total of 44 sites in urban forests (forests within the motorway ring road) and peri-urban forests (forests outside the motorway ring road). Mosses collected in urban forests showed increased trace metal concentrations compared to samples collected from peri-urban forests. Higher values were significant for As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and V. Within the motorway ring road, the notable differences in element concentrations between the two urban forests were significant for Cr, Ni and Mo. Factor analysis showed three groups of elements, highlighting the contribution of traffic emissions, individual heating appliances and the resuspension of contaminated soils and dust as the main sources of trace elements in urban forests.

Novice, Urban, High School, Special Education Teachers' Reports Regarding Initiating Instructional Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maule, Jay

2017-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory research study was to investigate novice, urban, high school, special education teachers' reports of how they initiate instructional change in an inclusive environment and the instructional change situations they feel ill-equipped to address. This qualitative study was designed to fill a gap in the literature by…

Indians Weaving in Cyberspace Indigenous Urban Youth Cultures, Identities and Politics of Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez Quispe, Luz

2013-01-01

This study is aimed at analyzing how contemporary urban Aymara youth hip hoppers and bloggers are creating their identities and are producing discourses in texts and lyrics to contest racist and colonial discourses. The research is situated in Bolivia, which is currently engaged in a cultural and political revolution supported by Indigenous…

Mathematics Performance and Principal Effectiveness: A Case Study of Some Coastal Primary Schools in Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egodawatte, Gunawardena

2012-01-01

This mixed method research study is situated in the school effectiveness research paradigm to examine the correlation between the effectiveness of urban, primary school principals and their students' performance in mathematics. Nine, urban, primary schools from Negombo, a coastal fishing area in Sri Lanka, were selected; their student achievements…

Organizing Partnerships for Sustainable Community Economic Development: Lessons Learned from the University of Illinois-Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Atanacio; Ramasubramanian, Laxmi; Ali, Asma M.; Eichelkraut, Amanda J.

2005-01-01

Urban universities are often characterized as economic engines--directly and indirectly serving the needs of the communities within which they are situated. However, the relationship between urban universities and their neighbors is often strained. Reflecting on the University of Illinois at Chicago's Neighborhoods Initiative (UICNI) and its…

From Access to Quality: Migrant Children's Education in Urban China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Jing; Jacob, W. James

2013-01-01

An increasing number of migrant children are involved in public education due largely to the policy for migrant children education outlined by the Government of China from the late 1990s. In this article, we describe the unique and often difficult situation rural migrant children face after they enter urban public schools. Drawing from the Theory…

Whose Heartland? The Politics of Place in a Rural-Urban Interface

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masuda, Jeffrey R.; Garvin, Theresa

2008-01-01

This article advances a conceptualization of the rural-urban interface that is centred on a historically and spatially informed politics of place situated within local-global connections. The research is a case study of an inter-municipal development plan called Alberta's Industrial Heartland. Located near the City of Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada,…

African American Males in Urban Schools: No Excuses-Teach and Empower

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milner, H. Richard, IV

2007-01-01

The author outlines five promising principles, emerging from his research, on teaching that can empower teachers and Black male students in urban school contexts. In particular, teachers and students (a) envision life beyond their present situations, (b) come to know themselves in relation to others, (c) speak possibility and not destruction, (d)…

"This Is Not Representation!": A Study of Urbanization, Alienation, and Tolerance through a Vietnamese Heritage Language and Culture Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguy?n, Thu Suong Th?; Anderson, Jantina

2017-01-01

This case centers on a Vietnamese language and culture program situated within an urban context. It illustrates how sociohistorical and geopolitical contexts interplay in understanding relations within schools as well as school-community relations. A new ethnoburb creates both opportunities and challenges for the Vietnamese community related to…

The Meaning(s) of Teacher Leadership in an Urban High School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scribner, Samantha M. Paredes; Bradley-Levine, Jill

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning of teacher leadership from teachers' perspectives. The authors examine teachers' practice of and talk about legitimate sources of power and influence in the context of an urban high school reform. Design: This is an interpretive study of teacher leadership situated in one small high…

Beyond "Traditional Geographies": Integrating Urban Political Ecology and Cultural Sustainability into Undergraduate Geographical Education in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nzeadibe, Augustina Chinyere; Uchem, Rose Nkechi; Nzeadibe, Thaddeus Chidi

2018-01-01

This study utilized qualitative methods and the urban political ecology (UPE) framework to situate changes in scope and content of undergraduate geography curriculum in Nigeria within the domain of education for sustainability. It was stimulated by significant curriculum-related events in the geography department of the University of Nigeria, and…

Requirements for estimation of doses from contaminants dispersed by a 'dirty bomb' explosion in an urban area.

PubMed

Andersson, K G; Mikkelsen, T; Astrup, P; Thykier-Nielsen, S; Jacobsen, L H; Hoe, S C; Nielsen, S P

2009-12-01

The ARGOS decision support system is currently being extended to enable estimation of the consequences of terror attacks involving chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological substances. This paper presents elements of the framework that will be applied in ARGOS to calculate the dose contributions from contaminants dispersed in the atmosphere after a 'dirty bomb' explosion. Conceptual methodologies are presented which describe the various dose components on the basis of knowledge of time-integrated contaminant air concentrations. Also the aerosolisation and atmospheric dispersion in a city of different types of conceivable contaminants from a 'dirty bomb' are discussed.

Using a Web-Based Diary Method to Estimate Risks and Benefits from Fish Consumption.

PubMed

Connelly, Nancy A; Lauber, T Bruce; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Knuth, Barbara A

2018-06-01

Accurate estimates of the amount and type of fish people eat are necessary to determine the health benefits and risks of consuming fish, and to assess compliance with fish consumption guidelines issued for fish affected by chemical contaminants. We developed a web-based and mobile-phone-enabled diary methodology to collect detailed fish consumption information for two 16-week periods in the summers of 2014 and 2015. We recruited study participants from two populations living in the Great Lakes region-women of childbearing age (WCBA) and urban residents who had purchased fishing licenses. In this article, we describe the methodology in detail and provide evidence related to participation rates, the representativeness of our sample over time, and both convergent validity and reliability of the data collection methods. Overall, 56% of WCBA and 50% of urban anglers provided complete data across both data collection periods. Among those who provided information at the beginning of Year 2, 97% of both audiences provided information throughout the entire 16-week period. Those who participated throughout the two-year period were slightly older on average (1.9-2.5 years) than other members of our original samples. We conclude that using diaries with web and smartphone technology, combined with incentives and persistent communication, has strong potential for assessing fish consumption in other areas of the country or for situations where the potential risks associated with fish consumption are substantial and the cost can be justified. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

A new technique for fire risk estimation in the wildland urban interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dasgupta, S.; Qu, J. J.; Hao, X.

A novel technique based on the physical variable of pre-ignition energy is proposed for assessing fire risk in the Grassland-Urban-Interface The physical basis lends meaning a site and season independent applicability possibilities for computing spread rates and ignition probabilities features contemporary fire risk indices usually lack The method requires estimates of grass moisture content and temperature A constrained radiative-transfer inversion scheme on MODIS NIR-SWIR reflectances which reduces solution ambiguity is used for grass moisture retrieval while MODIS land surface temperature emissivity products are used for retrieving grass temperature Subpixel urban contamination of the MODIS reflective and thermal signals over a Grassland-Urban-Interface pixel is corrected using periodic estimates of urban influence from high spatial resolution ASTER

Research on the Development and Enlightenment of Urban Environmental Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Mingjing; Li, Guanglou; Zhang, Lu; Shou, Youping; Li, Yajuan; Ye, Wei; Xu, Jing

2018-04-01

In recent years, under the promotion of reform and opening up, China's economic development has greatly accelerated, urbanization is also gradually accelerated. In the process of urbanization, there are many problems. The development of environmental engineering is one of the most important points. While building our living environment; we should also pay attention to the implementation of sustainable development strategies. First of all, This paper describes basic situation of environmental engineering, and finally provided some measures to promote the strengthening of China's environmental engineering

Urban Combat Advanced Training Technology Architecture (Architecture de technologie avancee pour l’entrainement au combat urbain)

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-01

REPORT TR-MSG-098 Urban Combat Advanced Training Technology Architecture (Architecture de technologie avancée pour l’entraînement au combat urbain...REPORT TR-MSG-098 Urban Combat Advanced Training Technology Architecture (Architecture de technologie avancée pour l’entraînement au combat...3 1-2 1.3 Illustration of the Need for UCATT by Contemporary Example Situations 1-3 1.3.1 RNLA: Connection of NLD Mobile Combat Training Centre to

Ontology-aided feature correlation for multi-modal urban sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Archan; Lantra, Zaman; Jayarajah, Kasthuri

2016-05-01

The paper explores the use of correlation across features extracted from different sensing channels to help in urban situational understanding. We use real-world datasets to show how such correlation can improve the accuracy of detection of city-wide events by combining metadata analysis with image analysis of Instagram content. We demonstrate this through a case study on the Singapore Haze. We show that simple ontological relationships and reasoning can significantly help in automating such correlation-based understanding of transient urban events.

Urban Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Deliberative Democracy

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Urban sprawl is an increasingly common feature of the built environment in the United States and other industrialized nations. Although there is considerable evidence that urban sprawl has adverse affects on public health and the environment, policy frameworks designed to combat sprawl—such as smart growth—have proven to be controversial, making implementation difficult. Smart growth has generated considerable controversy because stakeholders affected by urban planning policies have conflicting interests and divergent moral and political viewpoints. In some of these situations, deliberative democracy—an approach to resolving controversial public-policy questions that emphasizes open, deliberative debate among the affected parties as an alternative to voting—would be a fair and effective way to resolve urban-planning issues. PMID:20724685

Urban sprawl, smart growth, and deliberative democracy.

PubMed

Resnik, David B

2010-10-01

Urban sprawl is an increasingly common feature of the built environment in the United States and other industrialized nations. Although there is considerable evidence that urban sprawl has adverse affects on public health and the environment, policy frameworks designed to combat sprawl-such as smart growth-have proven to be controversial, making implementation difficult. Smart growth has generated considerable controversy because stakeholders affected by urban planning policies have conflicting interests and divergent moral and political viewpoints. In some of these situations, deliberative democracy-an approach to resolving controversial public-policy questions that emphasizes open, deliberative debate among the affected parties as an alternative to voting-would be a fair and effective way to resolve urban-planning issues.

Improving surface-subsurface water budgeting for Brownfield study sites using high resolution satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dujardin, J.; Boel, S.; Anibas, C.; Batelaan, O.; Canters, F.

2009-04-01

Countries around the world have problems with contaminated brownfield sites as resulting from a relatively anarchic economical and industrial development during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since a few decades policy makers and stakeholders have become more aware of the risk posed by these sites because some of these sites present direct public hazards. Water is often the main vector of the mobility of contaminants. In order to propose remediation measures for the contaminated sites, it is required to describe and to quantify as accurately as possible the surface and subsurface water fluxes in the polluted site. In this research a modelling approach with integrated remote sensing analysis has been developed for accurately calculating water and contaminant fluxes on the polluted sites. Groundwater pollution in urban environments is linked to patterns of land use, so to identify the sources of contamination with great accuracy in urban environments it is essential to characterize the land cover in a detailed way. The use of high resolution spatial information is required because of the complexity of the urban land use. An object-oriented classification approach applied on high resolution satellite data has been adopted. Cluster separability analysis and visual interpretation of the image objects belonging to each cluster resulted in the selection of 8 land-cover categories (water, bare soil, meadow, mixed forest, grey urban surfaces, red roofs, bright roofs and shadow).To assign the image objects to one of the 8 selected classes a multiple layer perceptron (MLP) approach was adopted, using the NeuralWorks Predict software. After a post-classification shadow removal and a rule-based classification enhancement a kappa-value of 0.86 was obtained. Once the land cover was characterized, the groundwater recharge has been simulated using the spatially distributed WetSpass model and the subsurface water flow was simulated with GMS 6.0 in order to identify and budget the water fluxes on the brownfield. The obtained land use map shows to have a strong impact on the groundwater recharge, resulting in a high spatial variability. Simulated groundwater fluxes from brownfield to a receiving river where independently verified by measurements and simulation of groundwater-surface water interaction based on thermal gradients in the river bed. It is concluded that in order to better quantify total fluxes of contaminants from brownfields in the groundwater, remote sensing imagery can be operationally integrated in a modelling procedure. The developed methodology is applied to a case site in Vilvoorde, Brussels (Belgium).

A pilot exercise on comparative risk assessment in Mexico

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

Cebrian, M.E.; Albores, A.; Sierra, A.

1996-12-31

Concern in the Mexican government and academic institutions about human health problems derived from exposure to environmental contaminants has been increasing. This interest prompted us to perform a pilot study to identify and rank potentially problematic environmental situations. We were given access to files from the Instituto Nacional de Ecologia. We screened about 2,500 documents and selected about 200 reports for further analysis. We adapted methodologies developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1993) and ATSDR (1992) to analyze environmental data. San Luis Potosi City and Region Lagunera were the areas posing greater risks. We chose San Luis Potosimore » City to perform a more detailed study, since here a smelting complex is located within an urban zone. The high levels of As, Pb, and Cd in environmental media resulted in a higher body burden in exposed children than children living 7 km away. Multiple regression analysis suggested that alterations in sensorial nerve transmission were mainly related to As in urine (AsU), whereas those in motor nerves were mainly related to Pb in blood (PbB). No apparent relationships associated with CdU were found. Slower auditory nerve conduction was associated with both AsU and PbB. These findings suggest that exposed children are also at high risk of suffering other adverse health effects. This exercise illustrates the need to perform studies aimed at identifying and ranking environmental contamination problems in industrializing countries. 5 refs., 1 tab.« less

Sources and fate of perfluorinated compounds in the aqueous environment and in drinking water of a highly urbanized and industrialized area in Italy.

PubMed

Castiglioni, Sara; Valsecchi, Sara; Polesello, Stefano; Rusconi, Marianna; Melis, Manuela; Palmiotto, Marinella; Manenti, Angela; Davoli, Enrico; Zuccato, Ettore

2015-01-23

Perfluorinated substances are listed among emerging contaminants because they are globally distributed, environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative and potentially harmful. In a three-year monitoring campaign (2010-2013) we investigated the occurrence, sources and fate of nine perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids and three perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids, in the most industrialized region of Italy. Composite samples were collected in influents and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in the main rivers flowing through the basin, and in raw groundwater and finished drinking water. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Perfluorinated substances were not removed in WWTPs and those receiving industrial wastes discharged up to 50 times the loads of WWTPs receiving municipal wastes. The mass balance of the emissions in the River Lambro basin showed continuously increasing contamination from north to south and differences in the composition of homologues in the west and east sides of the basin. Ground and drinking water were contaminated in industrial areas, but these substances were removed well in Milan. Contamination from industrial sources was prevalent over urban sources, contributing to 90% of the loads measured at the closure of the basin. The River Lambro was confirmed as one of the main sources of contamination in the Po River. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Floors and Toilets: Association of Floors and Sanitation Practices with Fecal Contamination in Peruvian Amazon Peri-Urban Households.

PubMed

Exum, Natalie G; Olórtegui, Maribel Paredes; Yori, Pablo Peñataro; Davis, Meghan F; Heaney, Christopher D; Kosek, Margaret; Schwab, Kellogg J

2016-07-19

Over two billion people worldwide lack access to an improved sanitation facility that adequately retains or treats feces. This results in the potential for fecal material containing enteric pathogens to contaminate the environment, including household floors. This study aimed to assess how floor type and sanitation practices impacted the concentration of fecal contamination on household floors. We sampled 189 floor surfaces within 63 households in a peri-urban community in Iquitos, Peru. All samples were analyzed for colony forming units (CFUs) of E. coli, and households were evaluated for their water, sanitation, and hygiene characteristics. Results of multivariate linear regression indicated that households with improved sanitation and cement floors in the kitchen area had reduced fecal contamination to those with unimproved sanitation and dirt floors (Beta: -1.18 log10 E. coli CFU/900 cm(2); 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.77, -0.60). Households that did not versus did share their sanitation facility also had less contaminated kitchen floors (Beta: -0.65 log10 E. coli CFU/900 cm(2); 95% CI: -1.15, -0.16). These findings suggest that the sanitation facilities of a home may impact the microbial load found on floors, contributing to the potential for household floors to serve as an indirect route of fecal pathogen transmission to children.

Determination and occurrence of phthalates, alkylphenols, bisphenol A, PBDEs, PCBs and PAHs in an industrial sewage grid discharging to a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant.

PubMed

Sánchez-Avila, Juan; Bonet, Jordi; Velasco, Gemma; Lacorte, Silvia

2009-06-15

Industrial and urban discharges release organic contaminants which might affect the quality of receiving waters if not properly eliminated in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). This study is aimed to evaluate the source, transport and fate of contaminants of industrial origin in a sewage grid discharging to a WWTP and finally to the sea. The sampling network covered an industrial and urban area and wastewaters, influents and effluents of a WWTP were analyzed using a newly developed multiresidual method to capture a wide range contaminants (phthalates, alkylphenols, bisphenol A, PBDEs, PCBs and PAHs). Alkylphenols and phthalates followed by PAHs were the main compounds detected at levels between 0.01 to 698 microg l(-1) in the sewage pipelines. At the WWTP influent they were detected at concentrations up to 345 microg l(-1). The contaminant load was eliminated in a 64-92% during the primary and secondary treatment of the plant. However, alkylphenols, phthalates bisphenol A and traces of PAHs were discharged with the effluent, producing a total net input of 825 g d(-1) to the sea. The study of wastewaters herein proposed can be used to better predict the loads into WWTP to improve treatment conditions according to specific sewage inputs and to assess the risks associated with the continuous discharge of contaminants to receiving plants.

New approaches to the estimation of the geosystem properties transformation in technogenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarapulova, G.; Fedotov, K.

2013-03-01

A new approach to the estimation of environmental situation of the urbanized territories of a large city is offered. The approach is based on a complex of physical and chemical parameters adequately describing transformation of soil properties, with the use of landscape-geochemical method and GIS technologies. The pollution of soil horizons by heavy metals (HM) and mineral oil (MO) in a zone of influence of dangerous industrial objects exceeds by orders the maximum permissible concentration (MPC). Sharp deterioration of a nitric and carbon mode, increase of the alkalinity and the decrease in buffer activity of ground were revealed. The dynamics of technogenic streams and aureole of the contaminants migration in soils can result not only in the further transformation of their properties, but in closing the migration cycles of MO and HM. As a rule this is accompanied by the formation of secondary local sites of toxic substances accumulation and abnormal geochemical fields - laterally technogenic module. The revision of approaches to the analysis of soils under technogenesis and the development of new system of ecological monitoring represent a challenging goal.

Patient and partner perspectives on patient-delivered partner screening: acceptability, benefits, and barriers.

PubMed

McBride, Kimberly R; Goldsworthy, Richard C; Fortenberry, J Dennis

2010-10-01

The study examined willingness to engage in patient-delivered partner screening (PDPS) and preferences for expedited partner services (EPS). Forty urban U.S. sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic patients participated in individual mixed-methods interviews exploring EPS preferences and PDPS willingness. Most participants selected PDPS and PDPT together and uptake varied by patient–partner relationship closeness. For PDPS, several potentially important barriers and benefits were identified. Perceived benefits included improved sexual health for patients and their sexual partner(s) as well as convenience, privacy, and the potential to enhance trust between sexual partners. Perceived barriers included concerns about PDPS processes (e.g., time it would take to receive the result, risk of sample contamination), the accuracy of results, STI stigma and associated blame, lack of trust for a sexual partner, and the packaging/appearance of the screening kit. PDPS affords benefits and may overcome treatment barriers in some situations; however, it shares common PDPT barriers and has its own unique challenges. There are also concerns regarding how the offer of PDPS may interact with PDPT utilization.

A SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL CONCEPT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GRAMBS, JEAN D.

THE IDEA OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL IS STRONGLY ENTRENCHED IN THE MINDS OF MOST PARENTS IN URBAN AREAS. THE IDEA IS MAINTAINED BY RECOLLECTIONS OF PAST SITUATIONS WHICH NO LONGER EXIST. RURAL AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS HAVE CONSOLIDATED, DRAWING PUPILS FROM WIDE AREAS OF DISPERSED POPULATION. IN A CITY SITUATION THERE IS LIKELY TO BE NO TRUE NEIGHBORHOOD…

Gender Inequality in Biology Classes in China and Its Effects on Students' Short-Term Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ning; Neuhaus, Birgit

2014-07-01

This study investigated gender inequality in biology lessons and analysed the effects of the observed inequality on students' short-term knowledge achievement, situational interest and students' evaluation of teaching (SET). Twenty-two biology teachers and 803 7th-grade students from rural and urban classrooms in China participated in the study. Each teacher was videotaped for 1 lesson on the topic blood and circulatory system. Before and after the lessons, the students completed tests and questionnaires. Chi-square analysis was conducted to compare the boys' and girls' participation rates of answering teachers' questions in the lessons. The findings revealed that in the urban classrooms the boys had a significantly higher rate of participation than did the girls, and hence also a higher situational interest. However, no such gender inequity was found among the rural students. The study also revealed that urban students answered more complicated questions compared with the rural students in general. The findings of this study suggest that the teachers should try to balance boys' and girls' participation and involve more students in answering questions in their lessons. The study also raises questions about long-term effects of students' participation in answering teachers' questions on their outcomes-knowledge achievement, situational interest and SET.

The Role of Urban Primary and Secondary Schools in Minimizing Disease Outbreak Caused by Environmental Contamination: A Case of Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mutungwe, Edlight; Tsvere, Maria; Dondo, Beauty; Munikwa, Simbarashe

2011-01-01

Waste management is a major challenge facing urban councils in Zimbabwe and Chinhoyi Municipality is no exception. Lack of resources and technical and administrative know-how is hindering proper waste management. Raw sewage and industrial waste flow into streams and rivers and uncollected rubbish bins and strewn litter is a common feature in the…

Megacities and the Proposed Urban Intervention Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organization xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would first like to thank our advisors, Dr. Heather Gregg and Dr...resources such as fresh food and potable water has placed many of the urban poor on the brink of starvation.8 Increasing traffic has caused widespread...effective distribution of resources and services.9 Governments also struggle with waste disposal, which has contaminated already strained water

Geochemical Legacies and the Future Health of Cities: An Analysis of two Neurotoxins in Urban Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippelli, G. M.; Risch, M.

2015-12-01

The past and future of cities are inextricably linked, a linkage that can be seen clearly in the long-term impacts of urban geochemical legacies. As loci of population as well as the means of employment and industry to support these populations, cities have a long history of co-locating contaminating practices and people, sometimes with negative implications for human health. Working at the intersection between geochemical processes, communities, and human health is critical to grapple with environmental legacies and to support healthy, sustainable, and growing urban populations. An emerging area of environmental health research is to understand the impacts of chronic exposures and exposure mixtures—these impacts are very poorly studied, yet have materialized as perhaps the greatest threat to large-scale population health. Acute exposure to lead (Pb), a powerful neurotoxin to which children are particularly susceptible, has largely been eliminated in the U.S. and other countries through policy-based restrictions on leaded gasoline and lead-based paints. But these legacy Pb sources are still around in the form of surface soil Pb contamination, a common problem in cities and one that has only recently emerged as a pernicious and widespread chronic exposure mechanism in cities. Some urban soils are also contaminated with another neurotoxin, mercury (Hg), although very little work has been done to understand human exposures to low levels of this element in soils. The most documented human exposure to Hg is through fish consumption, so eating fish caught in urban areas presents risks for above average dietary Hg exposure. The potential double impact of chronic exposure to these two neurotoxins is pronounced in cities. Many aspects of the dose-response curves for individual elements and mixtures are poorly understood, especially at lower levels, leaving unanswered several interesting and provocative questions about environmental impacts on neurological and developmental disorders.

Storm water runoff-a source of emerging contaminants in urban streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, K.; Chen, C.; FitzGerald, K.; Badgley, B.

2016-12-01

Emerging contaminants (ECs) that refers to prescription, over-the-counter, veterinary, and illicit drugs in addition to products intended to have primary effects on the human body, such as sunscreens and insect repellants. Historically municipal wastewater treatment effluent has been considered to be the main source of ECs in aquatic environment. However, recent investigations have suggested urban storm water runoff as an important source of ECs in the environment. The objective of this multi-year study was to investigate the occurrence of a wide range of ECs and the special and temporal change of 4-Nonlyphenol (4-NP), an endocrine disruptor, in a stream solely impacted by the storm water runoff from Blacksburg, VA. Urban land cover has doubled during the past 15 years surrounding this. Water and sediment samples were collected periodically along the stream during a 3-year period and analyzed for 4-NP using a gas chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and for EC screening using an ultra- performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, human-associated Bacteroides sp. (HF183) was analyzed to explore possible cross contamination between the sewer system and storm water collection system of the city. Fifteen ECs were detected in water samples from various locations along the stream at estimated levels ranging from low ppt to low ppb. The levels of 4-NP in the storm water sediment samples, ranging from 30-1500 µg/kg (d.w.), positively correlated with the levels of Human-associated Bacteroides sp. (HF183) in the storm water. Our study suggested: 1) collective urban activity and leaky urban sewer systems are significant sources of ECs in storm water runoff that are often untreated or with minimum treatment before flowing into urban streams; and 2) sediment transport and re-suspension can further releases accumulated ECs back into stream water during rain events, resulting in occurrence of ECs downstream and possibly in the receiving river. This study demonstrated that urband storm water runoff could be a significant source, in addition to WWTP effluent, contributing to the widespread occurrence of ECs in aquatic environment.

Concentrations, loads, and yields of particle-associated contaminants in urban creeks, Austin, Texas, 1999-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, B.J.; Van Metre, P.C.; Wilson, J.T.; Guilfoyle, A.L.; Sunvison, M.W.

2006-01-01

Concentrations, loads, and yields of particle-associated (hydrophobic) contaminants (PACs) in urban runoff in creeks in Austin, Texas, were characterized using an innovative approach: large-volume suspended-sediment sampling. This approach isolates suspended sediment from the water column in quantities sufficient for direct chemical analysis of PACs. During 1999-2004, samples were collected after selected rain events from each of five stream sites and Barton Springs for a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Austin. Sediment isolated from composited samples was analyzed for major elements, metals, organochlorine compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In addition, at the Shoal Creek and Boggy Creek sites, individual samples for some events were analyzed to investigate within-event variation in sediment chemistry. Organochlorine compounds detected in suspended sediment included chlordane, dieldrin, DDD, DDE, DDT, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Concentrations of PACs varied widely both within and between sites, with higher concentrations at the more urban sites and multiple nondetections at the least-urban sites. Within-site variation for metals and PAHs was smaller than between-site variation, and concentrations and yields of these and the organochlorine compounds correlated positively to the percentage of urban land use in the watershed. Loads of most PACs tested correlated significantly with suspended-sediment loads. Concentrations of most PACs correlated strongly with three measures of urban land use. Variation in suspended-sediment chemistry during runoff events was investigated at the Shoal and Boggy Creek sites. Five of the eight metals analyzed, dieldrin, chlordane, PCBs, and PAHs were detected at the highest concentrations in the first sample collected at the Shoal Creek site, a first-flush effect, but not at the Boggy Creek site. Temporal patterns in concentrations of DDT and its breakdown products varied from one event to the next. In spite of the first-flush effect in concentrations at the Shoal Creek site, most of the contaminant load was transported at peak discharge, when suspended-sediment concentration and load are maximum.

Tracking enteric viruses in green vegetables from central Argentina: potential association with viral contamination of irrigation waters.

PubMed

Prez, V E; Martínez, L C; Victoria, M; Giordano, M O; Masachessi, G; Ré, V E; Pavan, J V; Colina, R; Barril, P A; Nates, S V

2018-05-11

Consumption of green vegetable products is commonly viewed as a potential risk factor for infection with enteric viruses. The link between vegetable crops and fecally contaminated irrigation water establishes an environmental scenario that can result in a risk to human health. The aim of this work was to analyze the enteric viral quality in leafy green vegetables from Córdoba (Argentina) and its potential association with viral contamination of irrigation waters. During July-December 2012, vegetables were collected from peri-urban green farms (n = 19) and its corresponding urban river irrigation waters (n = 12). Also, urban sewage samples (n = 6) were collected to analyze the viral variants circulating in the community. Viruses were eluted and concentrated by polyethylene glycol precipitation and then were subject to Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction to assess the genome presence of norovirus, rotavirus and human astrovirus. The concentrates were also inoculated in HEp-2 (Human Epidermoid carcinoma strain #2) cells to monitor the occurrence of infective enterovirus. The frequency of detection of the viral groups in sewage, irrigation water and crops was: norovirus 100%, 67% and 58%, rotavirus 100%, 75% and 5%, astrovirus 83%, 75% and 32% and infective enterovirus 50%, 33% and 79%, respectively. A similar profile in sewage, irrigation water and green vegetables was observed for norovirus genogroups (I and II) distribution as well as for rotavirus and astrovirus G-types. These results provide the first data for Argentina pointing out that green leafy vegetables are contaminated with a broad range of enteric viruses and that the irrigation water would be a source of contamination. The presence of viral genomes and infective particles in food that in general suffer minimal treatment before consumption underlines that green crops can act as potential sources of enteric virus transmission. Public intervention in the use of the river waters as irrigation source is needed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Null-space Monte Carlo particle tracking to assess groundwater PCE (Tetrachloroethene) diffuse pollution in north-eastern Milan functional urban area.

PubMed

Alberti, Luca; Colombo, Loris; Formentin, Giovanni

2018-04-15

The Lombardy Region in Italy is one of the most urbanized and industrialized areas in Europe. The presence of countless sources of groundwater pollution is therefore a matter of environmental concern. The sources of groundwater contamination can be classified into two different categories: 1) Point Sources (PS), which correspond to areas releasing plumes of high concentrations (i.e. hot-spots) and 2) Multiple-Point Sources (MPS) consisting in a series of unidentifiable small sources clustered within large areas, generating an anthropogenic diffuse contamination. The latter category frequently predominates in European Functional Urban Areas (FUA) and cannot be managed through standard remediation techniques, mainly because detecting the many different source areas releasing small contaminant mass in groundwater is unfeasible. A specific legislative action has been recently enacted at Regional level (DGR IX/3510-2012), in order to identify areas prone to anthropogenic diffuse pollution and their level of contamination. With a view to defining a management plan, it is necessary to find where MPS are most likely positioned. This paper describes a methodology devised to identify the areas with the highest likelihood to host potential MPS. A groundwater flow model was implemented for a pilot area located in the Milan FUA and through the PEST code, a Null-Space Monte Carlo method was applied in order to generate a suite of several hundred hydraulic conductivity field realizations, each maintaining the model in a calibrated state and each consistent with the modelers' expert-knowledge. Thereafter, the MODPATH code was applied to generate back-traced advective flowpaths for each of the models built using the conductivity field realizations. Maps were then created displaying the number of backtracked particles that crossed each model cell in each stochastic calibrated model. The result is considered to be representative of the FUAs areas with the highest likelihood to host MPS responsible for diffuse contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential effects of groundwater and surface water contamination in an urban area, Qus City, Upper Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdalla, Fathy; Khalil, Ramadan

2018-05-01

The potential effects of anthropogenic activities, in particular, unsafe sewage disposal practices, on shallow groundwater in an unconfined aquifer and on surface water were evaluated within an urban area by the use of hydrogeological, hydrochemical, and bacteriological analyses. Physicochemical and bacteriological data was obtained from forty-five sampling points based on33 groundwater samples from variable depths and 12 surface water samples. The pollution sources are related to raw sewage and wastewater discharges, agricultural runoff, and wastewater from the nearby Paper Factory. Out of the 33 groundwater samples studied, 17 had significant concentrations of NO3-, Cl- and SO42-, and high bacteria counts. Most of the water samples from the wells contained high Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr. The majority of surface water samples presented high NO3- concentrations and high bacteria counts. A scatter plot of HCO3- versus Ca indicates that 58% of the surface water samples fall within the extreme contamination zone, while the others are within the mixing zone; whereas 94% of groundwater samples showed evidence of mixing between groundwater and wastewater. The bacteriological assessment showed that all measured surface and groundwater samples contained Escherichia coli and total coliform bacteria. A risk map delineated four classes of contamination, namely, those sampling points with high (39.3%), moderate (36.3%), low (13.3%), and very low (11.1%) levels of contamination. Most of the highest pollution points were in the middle part of the urban area, which suffers from unmanaged sewage and industrial effluents. Overall, the results demonstrate that surface and groundwater in Qus City are at high risk of contamination by wastewater since the water table is shallow and there is a lack of a formal sanitation network infrastructure. The product risk map is a useful tool for prioritizing zones that require immediate mitigation and monitoring.

Endocrine disrupting alkylphenolic chemicals and other contaminants in wastewater treatment plant effluents, urban streams, and fish in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River Regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, Larry B.; Loyo-Rosales, Jorge E.; Rice, Clifford P.; Minarik, Thomas A.; Oskouie, Ali K.

2015-01-01

Urban streams are an integral part of the municipal water cycle and provide a point of discharge for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, allowing additional attenuation through dilution and transformation processes, as well as a conduit for transporting contaminants to downstream water supplies. Domestic and commercial activities dispose of wastes down-the-drain, resulting in wastewater containing complex chemical mixtures that are only partially removed during treatment. A key issue associated with WWTP effluent discharge into streams is the potential to cause endocrine disruption in fish. This study provides a long-term (1999-2009) evaluation of the occurrence of alkylphenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and other contaminants discharged from WWTPs into streams in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River Regions (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio). The Greater Metropolitan Chicago Area Waterways, Illinois, were evaluated to determine contaminant concentrations in the major WWTP effluents and receiving streams, and assess the behavior of EDCs from their sources within the sewer collection system, through the major treatment unit processes at a WWTP, to their persistence and transport in the receiving stream. Water samples were analyzed for alkylphenolic EDCs and other contaminants, including 4-nonylphenol (NP), 4-nonylphenolpolyethoxylates (NPEO), 4-nonylphenolethoxycarboxylic acids (NPEC), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), 4-tert-octylphenolpolyethoxylates (OPEO), bisphenol A, triclosan, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and trace elements. All of the compounds were detected in all of the WWTP effluents, with EDTA and NPEC having the greatest concentrations. The compounds also were detected in the WWTP effluent dominated rivers. Multiple fish species were collected from river and lake sites and analyzed for NP, NPEO, NPEC, OP, and OPEO. Whole-body fish tissue analysis indicated widespread occurrence of alkylphenolic compounds, with the highest concentrations occurring in streams with the greatest WWTP effluent content. Biomarkers of endocrine disruption in the fish indicated long-term exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the wastewater impacted urban waterways.

Assessment of Drywells as Effective Tools for Stormwater Management and Aquifer Recharge: Results of a Two-Year Field and Numerical Modeling Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, E.; Washburn, B.; Harter, T.; Fogg, G. E.; Nelson, C.; Lock, B.; Li, X.

2016-12-01

Drywells are gravity-fed, excavated pits with perforated casings used to facilitate stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge in areas with low permeability soils or cover. Stormwater runoff that would otherwise be routed to streams or drains in urban areas can be used as a source of aquifer recharge, potentially mitigating the effects of drought and harm to natural water bodies. However, the potential for groundwater contamination caused by urban runoff bypassing surface soil and near surface sediment attenuation processes has prevented more widespread use of drywells as a recharge mechanism. A field study was conducted in Elk Grove, CA, to determine the effects of drywell-induced stormwater infiltration on the local hydrogeologic system. Two drywells 13.5 meters in depth were constructed for the project: one in a preexisting drainage basin fed by residential lots, and one at an industrial site. Both sites were outfitted with vegetated pretreatments, and upgradient and downgradient groundwater monitoring wells. Site stormwater and groundwater were sampled between November, 2014, and May, 2016, and analyzed for contaminants. Results of water quality sampling have been statistically analyzed for trends and used to determine the contaminants of interest and the concentrations of these contaminants in influent stormwater. The fate and transport of these contaminants have been simulated using a 1D variably saturated flow and transport model and site specific parameters to predict long-term effects of stormwater infiltration on the surrounding hydrogeologic system. The potential for remobilization of geogenic heavy metals from changes in subsurface hydrochemistry caused by drywell infiltration have also been assessed. The results of the field study and numerical modeling assessment indicate that the study's drywells do not pose a long-term threat to groundwater quality and may be an effective source of aquifer recharge and tool for urban stormwater management.

Changes in contaminant loading and hydro-chemical storm behavior after the Station Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, M. P.; Hogue, T. S.; Barco, J.; Wessel, C. J.

2010-12-01

The 2009 Station Fire, currently noted as the largest fire in Los Angeles County history, consumed over 650 square kilometers of National Forest land in the San Gabriel Mountain Range. These mountains, located on the east side (leeward) of the Los Angeles basin, are known to have some of the highest deposition rates of atmospheric pollutants in the nation. Even pre-fire, urban-fringe basins in this mountain range serve as an upstream source of contaminants to downstream urban streams. Burned watersheds undergo significant physical and chemical changes that dramatically alter hydrologic flowpaths, erosion potential, surface soil chemistry, and pollutant delivery. Much of the degradation in water quality is attributed to the extensive soil erosion during post-fire runoff events which carry large sediment loads, mobilizing and transporting contaminants to and within downstream waters. High resolution storm samples collected from a small front range watershed provide a unique opportunity to investigate the impacts of wildfire contaminant loading in a watershed that is significantly impacted by high atmospheric deposition of urban contaminates. Data includes four events from WY 2009 (pre-fire) and WY 2010 (post-fire), along with inter-storm grab samples from each storm season. Samples were analyzed for basic anions, nutrients, trace metals, and total suspended solids. Following the fire, storms with similar precipitation patterns yielded loads up to three orders of magnitude greater than pre-fire for some toxic metals, including lead and cadmium. Dramatic increases were also observed in trace metal concentrations typically associated with particulates, while weathering solute concentrations decreased. Post fire intra-storm dynamics exhibited a shift back toward pre-fire behavior by the end of the first rainy season for most of the measured constituents. Additionally, some unexpected behaviors were observed; specifically mercury loads continued to increase throughout the first post-fire rainy season regardless of storm size.

Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards aquifer outcrop (Barton Springs segment), northeastern Hays and southwestern Travis Counties, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Small, Ted A.; Hanson, John A.; Hauwert, Nico M.

1996-01-01

In the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer, the aquifer probably is most vulnerable to surface contamination in the rapidly urbanizing areas on the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Contamination can result from spills or leakage of hazardous materials; or runoff on the intensely faulted and fractured, karstic limestone outcrops characteristic of the recharge zone.

A novel tool for specific detection and quantification of chicken/turkey parvoviruses to trace poultry fecal contamination in the environment.

PubMed

Carratalà, Anna; Rusinol, Marta; Hundesa, Ayalkibet; Biarnes, Mar; Rodriguez-Manzano, Jesus; Vantarakis, Apostolos; Kern, Anita; Suñen, Ester; Girones, Rosina; Bofill-Mas, Sílvia

2012-10-01

Poultry farming may introduce pathogens into the environment and food chains. High concentrations of chicken/turkey parvoviruses were detected in chicken stools and slaughterhouse and downstream urban wastewaters by applying new PCR-based specific detection and quantification techniques. Our results confirm that chicken/turkey parvoviruses may be useful viral indicators of poultry fecal contamination.

Weekly variations of discharge and groundwater quality caused by intermittent water supply in an urbanized karst catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimmeisen, Felix; Zemann, Moritz; Goeppert, Nadine; Goldscheider, Nico

2016-06-01

Leaky sewerage and water distribution networks are an enormous problem throughout the world, specifically in developing countries and regions with water scarcity. Especially in many arid and semi-arid regions, intermittent water supply (IWS) is common practice to cope with water shortage. This study investigates the combined influence of urban activities, IWS and water losses on groundwater quality and discusses the implications for water management. In the city of As-Salt (Jordan), local water supply is mostly based on groundwater from the karst aquifer that underlies the city. Water is delivered to different supply zones for 24, 48 or 60 h each week with drinking water losses of around 50-60%. Fecal contamination in groundwater, mostly originating from the likewise leaky sewer system is a severe challenge for the local water supplier. In order to improve understanding of the local water cycle and contamination dynamics in the aquifer beneath the city, a down gradient spring and an observation well were chosen to identify contaminant occurrence and loads. Nitrate, Escherichia coli, spring discharge and the well water level were monitored for 2 years. Autocorrelation analyses of time series recorded during the dry season revealed weekly periodicity of spring discharge (45 ± 3.9 L s-1) and NO3-N concentrations (11.4 ± 0.8 mg L-1) along with weekly varying E. coli levels partly exceeding 2.420 MPN 100 mL-1. Cross-correlation analyses demonstrate a significant and inverse correlation of nitrate and discharge variations which points to a periodic dilution of contaminated groundwater by freshwater from the leaking IWS being the principal cause of the observed fluctuations. Contaminant inputs from leaking sewers appear to be rather constant. The results reveal the distinct impact of leaking clean IWS on the local groundwater and subsequently on the local water supply and therefore demonstrate the need for action regarding the mitigation of groundwater contamination and reduction of network losses from sewer leakage. Furthermore, these investigations contribute to an improved understanding of urban water cycle systems in the Middle-East which may help water managers in the region to conserve precious resources.

Investigating antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes, and microbial contaminants in groundwater in relation to the proximity of urban areas.

PubMed

Szekeres, Edina; Chiriac, Cecilia Maria; Baricz, Andreea; Szőke-Nagy, Tiberiu; Lung, Ildiko; Soran, Maria-Loredana; Rudi, Knut; Dragos, Nicolae; Coman, Cristian

2018-05-01

Groundwater is an essential public and drinking water supply and its protection is a goal for global policies. Here, we investigated the presence and prevalence of antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and microbial contamination in groundwater environments at various distances from urban areas. Antibiotic concentrations ranged from below detection limit to 917 ng/L, being trimethoprim, macrolide, and sulfonamide the most abundant antibiotic classes. A total of eleven ARGs (aminoglycoside, β-lactam, chloramphenicol, Macrolide-Lincosamide-Streptogramin B - MLSB, sulfonamide, and tetracycline), one antiseptic resistance gene, and two MGEs were detected by qPCR with relative abundances ranging from 6.61 × 10 -7 to 2.30 × 10 -1 copies/16S rRNA gene copies. ARGs and MGEs were widespread in the investigated groundwater environments, with increased abundances not only in urban, but also in remote areas. Distinct bacterial community profiles were observed, with a higher prevalence of Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes in the less-impacted areas, and that of Firmicutes in the contaminated groundwater. The combined characteristics of increased species diversity, distinct phylogenetic composition, and the possible presence of fecal and/or pathogenic bacteria could indicate different types of contamination. Significant correlations between ARGs, MGEs and specific taxa within the groundwater bacterial community were identified, revealing the potential hosts of resistance types. Although no universal marker gene could be determined, a co-selection of int1, qacEΔ1 and sulI genes, a proxy group for anthropogenic pollution, with the tetC, tetO, tetW resistance genes was identified. As the tet group was observed to follow the pattern of environmental contamination for the groundwater samples investigated in this study, our results strongly support the proposal of this group of genes as an environmental tracer of human impact. Overall, the present study investigated several emerging contaminants in groundwater habitats that may be included in monitoring programs to enable further regulatory and protection measures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste stream recycling: Its effect on water quality

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

Cornwell, D.A.; Lee, R.G.

1994-11-01

Waste streams recycled to the influent of a water treatment plant typically contain contaminants at concentrations that are of concern. These contaminants may include giardia and Cryptosporidium, trihalomethanes, manganese, and assimilable organic carbon. This research shows that proper management--treatment, equalization, and monitoring--of the waste streams can render them suitable for recycling in many situations.

Quality of ground water in the Biscayne Aquifer in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, Florida, 1996-1998, with emphasis on contaminants

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradner, Anne; McPherson, Benjamin F.; Miller, Ronald L.; Kish, George; Bernard, Bruce

2005-01-01

The high permeability of the sand and limestone sediments and shallow water table of the Biscayne aquifer make ground water vulnerable to contamination by human activities. To assess potential contamination in the aquifer, untreated ground water was sampled from 30 public-supply wells (40-165 feet deep) in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties, 32 shallow wells (10-50 feet deep) in a recently urbanized (residential and light commercial) part of Broward County, and 3 shallow reference wells in Broward County. Results from sample analyses indicate that major ions, pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and trace element concentrations were generally within the range indicative of background concentrations, except for: (1) substantially higher bromide concentrations in water from public-supply wells in southern Miami-Dade County; (2) a few relatively high (greater than 2 milligrams per liter) concentrations of nitrate in water from public-supply wells near agricultural lands in Miami-Dade and southern Broward Counties; and (3) a few relatively high concentrations of arsenic (greater than 10 micrograms per liter) in water from some shallow urban wells near golf courses. Pesticides were detected in every public-supply well, in most of the shallow, urban monitoring wells (78 percent), and in one reference well; however, no pesticide concentration exceeded any drinking-water standard. Fifteen different pesticides or their degradation products were detected. The most frequently detected pesticides were atrazine and tebuthiuron; less frequently detected were the herbicides diuron, fenuron, prometon, metolachlor, simazine, and 2,6-diethylaniline. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in most of the public-supply wells (77 percent) and shallow, urban wells (91 percent) and in two of the three reference wells. Thirty-two different VOCs were detected in ground water in the Biscayne aquifer, with cis-1,2-dichloroethene the most frequently detected VOC in the public-supply wells, followed by methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), 1,4-dichlorobenzene, and chloroform. Toluene, p-isopropyltoluene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene were the most frequently detected VOCs in the shallow, urban wells. Concentrations of all VOCs were less than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for public drinking water, except in two samples from public-supply wells near industrialized areas that had vinyl chloride concentrations (3 and 5 micrograms per liter) above the MCL of 1 microgram per liter.

A tiered approach for the human health risk assessment for consumption of vegetables from with cadmium-contaminated land in urban areas

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

Swartjes, Frank A., E-mail: frank.swartjes@rivm.nl; Versluijs, Kees W.; Otte, Piet F.

Consumption of vegetables that are grown in urban areas takes place worldwide. In developing countries, vegetables are traditionally grown in urban areas for cheap food supply. In developing and developed countries, urban gardening is gaining momentum. A problem that arises with urban gardening is the presence of contaminants in soil, which can be taken up by vegetables. In this study, a scientifically-based and practical procedure has been developed for assessing the human health risks from the consumption of vegetables from cadmium-contaminated land. Starting from a contaminated site, the procedure follows a tiered approach which is laid out as follows. Inmore » Tier 0, the plausibility of growing vegetables is investigated. In Tier 1 soil concentrations are compared with the human health-based Critical soil concentration. Tier 2 offers the possibility for a detailed site-specific human health risk assessment in which calculated exposure is compared to the toxicological reference dose. In Tier 3, vegetable concentrations are measured and tested following a standardized measurement protocol. To underpin the derivation of the Critical soil concentrations and to develop a tool for site-specific assessment the determination of the representative concentration in vegetables has been evaluated for a range of vegetables. The core of the procedure is based on Freundlich-type plant–soil relations, with the total soil concentration and the soil properties as variables. When a significant plant–soil relation is lacking for a specific vegetable a geometric mean of BioConcentrationFactors (BCF) is used, which is normalized according to soil properties. Subsequently, a ‘conservative’ vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor is calculated as basis for the Critical soil concentration (Tier 1). The tool to perform site-specific human health risk assessment (Tier 2) includes the calculation of a ‘realistic worst case’ site-specific vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor. -- Highlights: • A scientifically-based and practical procedure has been developed for assessing the human health risks from the consumption of vegetables. • Uptake characteristics of cadmium in a series of vegetables is represented by a vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor. • Calculations and measurement steps are combined.« less

Macrophytes: ecosystem engineers in UK urban rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibbs, H.; Gurnell, A.; Heppell, K.; Spencer, K.

2012-04-01

Macrophytes act as ecosystem engineers within river channels in that they have the ability to cause geomorphological and ecological change. They induce reductions in flow velocity and associated sediment accumulation, and their system of underground roots and rhizomes also reinforces the accumulated sediment reducing sediment erosion and resuspension and creating habitats. As sediments, particularly finer-grained, store contaminants including metals, this engineering means that in the specific context of urban rivers where sediments are more likely to be contaminated, macrophytes trap and hold contaminated sediments creating a potentially important sink of metals. However, depending on the ability for the macrophyte to reinforce the sediment and reduce erosion and resuspension, there is the potential for the sink to turn in to a source and metals to be released in to the overlying water. This research therefore looks at the ecosystem engineering ability of common macrophytes in UK urban rivers by looking at: (i) the effect upon flow velocity and sediment accumulation of Sparganium erectum (branched bur-reed); (ii) the sediment reinforcement ability of both S. erectum, Typha latifolia (bulrush) and Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass); and, (iii) the storage of metals within the sediment, overlying water and the macrophytes. Research was undertaken on the River Blackwater, an urban river in Surrey, UK which has extensive macrophyte growth. Flow velocity measurements and fine sediment depths were recorded both within and outside of dense stands of S. erectum. The uprooting resistance (as an indicator of sediment reinforcement) was measured for three species: S. erectum, T. latifolia and P. arundinacea. Additionally, some preliminary sampling was undertaken of the sediment, overlying water and the macrophytes to determine metal storage. Lower flow velocities and greater volumes of fine sediment were recorded within the stands of S. erectum as opposed to the adjacent areas of open channel with minimal macrophyte growth. Uprooting resistances were considerable and differences were found both between species and over the annual growth cycle. T. latifolia showed the greatest uprooting resistance and P. arundinacea the lowest uprooting resistance. Maximum uprooting resistance for all species was in June. The sampled sediments were found to be a store of metals. For all macrophyte species, the below-ground tissues (roots and rhizomes) generally had greater metal concentrations than above-ground tissues (stem and leafs). The results from this research will help inform the use of macrophytes in the management of sediment-contaminated urban rivers.

Active and legacy mining in an arid urban environment: challenges and perspectives for Copiapó, Northern Chile.

PubMed

Carkovic, Athena B; Calcagni, Magdalena S; Vega, Alejandra S; Coquery, Marina; Moya, Pablo M; Bonilla, Carlos A; Pastén, Pablo A

2016-08-01

Urban expansion in areas of active and legacy mining imposes a sustainability challenge, especially in arid environments where cities compete for resources with agriculture and industry. The city of Copiapó, with 150,000 inhabitants in the Atacama Desert, reflects this challenge. More than 30 abandoned tailings from legacy mining are scattered throughout its urban and peri-urban area, which include an active copper smelter. Despite the public concern generated by the mining-related pollution, no geochemical information is currently available for Copiapó, particularly for metal concentration in environmental solid phases. A geochemical screening of soils (n = 42), street dusts (n = 71) and tailings (n = 68) was conducted in November 2014 and April 2015. Organic matter, pH and elemental composition measurements were taken. Notably, copper in soils (60-2120 mg/kg) and street dusts (110-10,200 mg/kg) consistently exceeded international guidelines for residential and industrial use, while a lower proportion of samples exceeded international guidelines for arsenic, zinc and lead. Metal enrichment occurred in residential, industrial and agricultural areas near tailings and the copper smelter. This first screening of metal contamination sets the basis for future risk assessments toward defining knowledge-based policies and urban planning. Challenges include developing: (1) adequate intervention guideline values; (2) appropriate geochemical background levels for key metals; (3) urban planning that considers contaminated areas; (4) cost-effective control strategies for abandoned tailings in water-scarce areas; and (5) scenarios and technologies for tailings reprocessing. Assessing urban geochemical risks is a critical endeavor for areas where extreme events triggered by climate change are likely, as the mud flooding that impacted Copiapó in late March 2015.

Metal and Nutrient Distribution and Fractionation in Managed Urban Watersheds Across the US Southwest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papelis, C.; Williams, A. C.; Boettcher, T. M.

2008-12-01

Metals, metalloids, and nutrients are common contaminants of concern in arid and semi-arid watersheds in the Southwestern U.S. Because of the dramatic population growth in this part of the U.S., the potential for contamination of urban watersheds has also increased over the last few decades. Streams in urban watersheds receive storm water, urban runoff, shallow groundwater, and treated wastewater, among other sources. In addition, urban watersheds are often heavily managed to mitigate flood events and sediment- related impacts. Sediment transport can have a profound effect on the water quality of affected bodies of water. However, differences in geology, hydrogeology, and land use may have dramatic effects on the distribution of nutrients and metals in different urban watersheds. To test these effects, aqueous and sediment samples were collected above and below erosion control and other structures along two heavily managed urban watersheds, namely the Las Vegas Wash in the Las Vegas Valley Watershed, Nevada, and the Rio Salado (Salt River) in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, Arizona. The construction of such control structures has the potential to alter the distribution of metals and metalloids in bodies of water used by wildlife. In this study, all sediments were characterized by particle size distribution, specific surface area, mineralogical composition, and scanning electron microscopy. The results of total arsenic, boron, and phosphorus extractions will be discussed, as a function of sediment characteristics. Significant differences exist between the two U.S. Southwest watersheds studied, including land use, water sources, sediment characteristics, nutrient and metal distribution, and overall system complexity. These differences lead to significant variations in metalloid and nutrient distributions in the two watersheds. Differences and similarities in the two systems will be explained as a function of sediment characteristics and watershed properties.

Interspecies variation in the susceptibility of adult Pacific salmon to toxic urban stormwater runoff.

PubMed

McIntyre, Jenifer K; Lundin, Jessica I; Cameron, James R; Chow, Michelle I; Davis, Jay W; Incardona, John P; Scholz, Nathaniel L

2018-07-01

Adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) prematurely die when they return from the ocean to spawn in urban watersheds throughout northwestern North America. The available evidence suggests the annual mortality events are caused by toxic stormwater runoff. The underlying pathophysiology of the urban spawner mortality syndrome is not known, and it is unclear whether closely related species of Pacific salmon are similarly at risk. The present study co-exposed adult coho and chum (O. keta) salmon to runoff from a high traffic volume urban arterial roadway. The spawners were monitored for the familiar symptoms of the mortality syndrome, including surface swimming, loss of orientation, and loss of equilibrium. Moreover, the hematology of both species was profiled by measuring arterial pH, blood gases, lactate, plasma electrolytes, hematocrit, and glucose. Adult coho developed behavioral symptoms within a few hours of exposure to stormwater. Various measured hematological parameters were significantly altered compared to coho controls, indicating a blood acidosis and ionoregulatory disturbance. By contrast, runoff-exposed chum spawners showed essentially no indications of the mortality syndrome, and measured blood hematological parameters were similar to unexposed chum controls. We conclude that contaminant(s) in urban runoff are the likely cause of the disruption of ion balance and pH in coho but not chum salmon. Among the thousands of chemicals in stormwater, future forensic analyses should focus on the gill or cardiovascular system of coho salmon. Because of their distinctive sensitivity to urban runoff, adult coho remain an important vertebrate indicator species for degraded water quality in freshwater habitats under pressure from human population growth and urbanization. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Brownfields vs greenfields -- Considerations for facility siting

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

Hale, D.W.; Kaiding, D.C.; DeMaria, M.J.

Since the promulgation of the ``Superfund`` component of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980, the sale and acquisition of industrial properties (brownfields) have been sluggish at best or non-existent where significant environmental contamination has been detected. As a result, many urban areas contain numerous brownfield sites that lie vacant due to the presence or the potential existence of contaminants. Wary of the potential remedial costs associated with brownfield sites, industry has focused its development on greenfield areas -- undeveloped areas where the potential for previous environmental contamination is remote. This paper evaluates the impact ofmore » the development of these brownfield areas from both an environmental and economic perspective. Critical to this evaluation is the impact of brownfield development as it relates to urban areas. Mature, heavily developed urban areas are usually unable to offer substantial greenfield areas, and as a result, have suffered a declining tax base, as employment opportunities are shifted beyond city limits. This paper also explores the advantages and disadvantages of developing brownfield versus greenfield areas, including issues such as: infrastructure, proximity to public transportation, public acceptance, and zoning and permitting. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of current and pending legislation from both the federal government and various state agencies with regard to incentives being offered for the development of brownfield sites.« less

Fluvial geomorphology and aquatic-to-terrestrial Hg export are weakly coupled in small urban streams of Columbus, Ohio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, S. Mažeika P.; Boaz, Lindsey E.; Hossler, Katie

2016-04-01

Although mercury (Hg) contamination is common in stream ecosystems, mechanisms governing bioavailability and bioaccumulation in fluvial systems remain poorly resolved as compared to lentic systems. In particular, streams in urbanized catchments are subject to fluvial geomorphic alterations that may contribute to Hg distribution, bioaccumulation, and export across the aquatic-to-terrestrial boundary. In 12 streams of urban Columbus, Ohio, we investigated the influence of fluvial geomorphic characteristics related to channel geometry, streamflow, and sediment size and distribution on (1) Hg concentrations in sediment and body burdens in benthic larval and adult emergent aquatic insects and (2) aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transfer to common riparian spiders of the families Pisauridae and Tetragnathidae via changes in aquatic insect Hg body burdens as well as in aquatic insect density and community composition. Hydrogeomorphic characteristics were weakly related to Hg body burdens in emergent insects (channel geometry) and tetragnathid spiders (streamflow), but not to Hg concentrations in sediment or benthic insects. Streamflow characteristics were also related to emergent insect density, while wider channels were associated with benthic insect community shifts toward smaller-bodied and more tolerant taxa (e.g., Chironomidae). Thus, our results provide initial evidence that fluvial geomorphology may influence aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant Hg transfer through the collective effects on emergent insect body burdens as well as on aquatic insect community composition and abundance.

Application of a water quality model in the White Cart water catchment, Glasgow, UK.

PubMed

Liu, S; Tucker, P; Mansell, M; Hursthouse, A

2003-03-01

Water quality models of urban systems have previously focused on point source (sewerage system) inputs. Little attention has been given to diffuse inputs and research into diffuse pollution has been largely confined to agriculture sources. This paper reports on new research that is aimed at integrating diffuse inputs into an urban water quality model. An integrated model is introduced that is made up of four modules: hydrology, contaminant point sources, nutrient cycling and leaching. The hydrology module, T&T consists of a TOPMODEL (a TOPography-based hydrological MODEL), which simulates runoff from pervious areas and a two-tank model, which simulates runoff from impervious urban areas. Linked into the two-tank model, the contaminant point source module simulates the overflow from the sewerage system in heavy rain. The widely known SOILN (SOIL Nitrate model) is the basis of nitrogen cycle module. Finally, the leaching module consists of two functions: the production function and the transfer function. The production function is based on SLIM (Solute Leaching Intermediate Model) while the transfer function is based on the 'flushing hypothesis' which postulates a relationship between contaminant concentrations in the receiving water course and the extent to which the catchment is saturated. This paper outlines the modelling methodology and the model structures that have been developed. An application of this model in the White Cart catchment (Glasgow) is also included.

The association between domestic animal presence and ownership and household drinking water contamination among peri-urban communities of Kisumu, Kenya.

PubMed

Barnes, Amber N; Anderson, John D; Mumma, Jane; Mahmud, Zahid Hayat; Cumming, Oliver

2018-01-01

Household drinking water can be contaminated by diarrheagenic enteropathogens at numerous points between the source and actual consumption. Interventions to prevent this contamination have focused on preventing exposure to human waste through interventions to improve drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). In many cases though, the infectious agent may be of zoonotic rather than human origin suggesting that unsafely managed animal waste may contribute to the contamination of household drinking water and the associated diarrheal disease burden. A cross-sectional household survey of 800 households was conducted across three informal peri-urban neighborhoods of Kisumu, Kenya, collecting stored drinking water samples, administering a household survey including water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure and behaviors, and recording domestic animal presence and ownership. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of traditional WASH factors and domestic animal presence and ownership on microbial contamination of household drinking water. The majority of households sampled had fecally contaminated drinking water (67%), defined by the presence of any colony forming units of the fecal indicator bacteria enterococci. After adjustment for potential confounders, including socio-economic status and water and sanitation access, both household animal ownership (aOR 1.31; CI 1.00-1.73, p = 0.05) and the presence of animal waste in the household compound (aOR 1.38; CI 1.01, 1.89, p = 0.04) were found to be significantly associated with household drinking water contamination. None of the conventional WASH variables were found to be significantly associated with household drinking water contamination in the study population. Water, sanitation, and hygiene strategies to reduce diarrheal disease should consider the promotion of safe animal contact alongside more traditional interventions focusing on the management of human waste. Future research on fecal contamination of unsafe household drinking water should utilize host-specific markers to determine whether the source is human or animal to prepare targeted public health messages.

The association between domestic animal presence and ownership and household drinking water contamination among peri-urban communities of Kisumu, Kenya

PubMed Central

Mumma, Jane; Mahmud, Zahid Hayat

2018-01-01

Introduction Household drinking water can be contaminated by diarrheagenic enteropathogens at numerous points between the source and actual consumption. Interventions to prevent this contamination have focused on preventing exposure to human waste through interventions to improve drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). In many cases though, the infectious agent may be of zoonotic rather than human origin suggesting that unsafely managed animal waste may contribute to the contamination of household drinking water and the associated diarrheal disease burden. Methods A cross-sectional household survey of 800 households was conducted across three informal peri-urban neighborhoods of Kisumu, Kenya, collecting stored drinking water samples, administering a household survey including water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure and behaviors, and recording domestic animal presence and ownership. We used multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of traditional WASH factors and domestic animal presence and ownership on microbial contamination of household drinking water. Results The majority of households sampled had fecally contaminated drinking water (67%), defined by the presence of any colony forming units of the fecal indicator bacteria enterococci. After adjustment for potential confounders, including socio-economic status and water and sanitation access, both household animal ownership (aOR 1.31; CI 1.00–1.73, p = 0.05) and the presence of animal waste in the household compound (aOR 1.38; CI 1.01, 1.89, p = 0.04) were found to be significantly associated with household drinking water contamination. None of the conventional WASH variables were found to be significantly associated with household drinking water contamination in the study population. Conclusions Water, sanitation, and hygiene strategies to reduce diarrheal disease should consider the promotion of safe animal contact alongside more traditional interventions focusing on the management of human waste. Future research on fecal contamination of unsafe household drinking water should utilize host-specific markers to determine whether the source is human or animal to prepare targeted public health messages. PMID:29874284

Associations of urban environmental pollution with health-related physiological traits in a free-living bird species.

PubMed

Bauerová, Petra; Vinklerová, Jitka; Hraníček, Jakub; Čorba, Vojtěch; Vojtek, Libor; Svobodová, Jana; Vinkler, Michal

2017-12-01

Urban environmental pollution results in contamination of the tissues of synanthropic organisms by toxic trace elements with potential impacts on human health. Passerine birds may serve as convenient indicators of such contamination. In this study we investigated the effect of blood and plumage contamination with heavy metals (lead Pb, cadmium Cd, copper Cu, chromium Cr) and arsenic metalloid (As) on condition, health and ornamental colour in free-living great tit (Parus major) males from 13 cities across the Czech Republic (EU), mist netted during the early breading season (April-May). Our results showed a significant association of heavy metal tissue contamination with immune function, namely leukocyte composition in the avian blood circulation. High heavy metal contamination in bird feathers was linked to a high heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, indicating long-term stress in individuals inhabiting heavily polluted environments. In contrast, males with higher concentrations of heavy metals in blood had a lower H/L ratio, assumingly due to the direct toxicity of heavy metals in certain cell types. This is also supported by traits indicative of anaemia-like haemolytic conditions (decreased absolute erythrocyte count) and increased haematopoiesis (a tendency for increased frequencies of immature erythrocytes). We did not find any association of heavy metal contamination with the bacteriolytic activity of plasma complement, feather growth or ornamentation (black breast stripe area and yellow colouration). There was no significant relationship between heavy metal contamination in blood or feathers and PM 10 pollution at the study sites. Our correlational study is the first to show on a large geographic scale that despite strict European air pollution regulations and regular monitoring that have allowed general improvements in atmospheric contamination, non-degradable heavy metals persistently contaminate animal blood and feathers in anthropogenic environments at levels that may have subclinical yet physiological effects with varied influence on health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mineral Adsorbents for Removal of Metals in Urban Runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjorklund, Karin; Li, Loretta

2014-05-01

The aim of this research was to determine the capacity of four different soil minerals to adsorb metals frequently detected in urban runoff. These are low-cost, natural and commercially available soil minerals. Contaminated surface runoff from urban areas is a major cause of concern for water quality and aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Pollution in urban areas is generated by a wide array of non-point sources, including vehicular transportation and building materials. Some of the most frequently detected pollutants in urban runoff are metals. Exhaust gases, tire wear and brake linings are major sources of such metals as Pb, Zn and Cu, while impregnated wood, plastics and galvanized surfaces may release As, Cd, Cr and Zn. Many metals have toxic effects on aquatic plants and animals, depending on metal speciation and bioavailability. The removal efficiency of pollutants in stormwater depends on treatment practices and on the properties the pollutant. The distribution of metals in urban runoff has shown, for example, that Pb is predominantly particle-associated, whereas Zn and Cd are present mainly in dissolved form. Many metals are also attached to colloids, which may act as carriers for contaminants, thereby facilitating their transport through conventional water treatment processes. Filtration of stormwater is one of the most promising techniques for removal of particulates, colloidal and truly dissolved pollutants, provided that effective filtration and adsorption media are used. Filtration and infiltration are used in a wide array of stormwater treatment methods e.g. porous paving, infiltration drains and rain gardens. Several soil minerals were investigated for their potential as stormwater filter materials. Laboratory batch tests were conducted to determine the adsorption capacity of these minerals. A synthetic stormwater was tested, with spiked concentrations corresponding to levels reported in urban runoff, ranging from 50-1,500 µg/L for Zn; 5-250 µg/L for Cu, 2-20 µg/L for Cd and 10-150 µg/L for Ni and Pb. Humic acids were used to imitate natural stormwater contaminated with natural organic matter. The adsorption kinetics was also investigated through a sequence (10-120 min) of batch tests. By studying the capacity of a range of sorbents in batch tests under identical conditions, the most promising sorbent can be identified. The research is ongoing. Preliminary results will be presented.

Sources, interactions, and ecological impacts of organic contaminants in water, soil, and sediment: an introduction to the special series.

PubMed

Pignatello, Joseph J; Katz, Brian G; Li, Hui

2010-01-01

Agricultural and urban activities result in the release of a large number of organic compounds that are suspected of impacting human health and ecosystems: herbicides, insecticides, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, natural and synthetic hormones, personal care products, surfactants, plasticizers, fire retardants, and others. Sorbed reservoirs of these compounds in soil represent a potentially chronic source of water contamination. This article is an introduction to a series of technical papers stemming from a symposium at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America 2008 Annual Meeting, which was held jointly with The Geological Society of America, The Gulf Coast Association of Geological Scientists, and the Houston Geological Society, under one of the Joint Meeting's overarching themes: Emerging Trace Contaminants in Surface and Ground Water Generated from Waste Water and Solid Waste Application. The symposium emphasized the role of soils as sources, sinks, and reaction catalysts for these contaminants and the occurrence and fate of these contaminants in surface and underground water supplies. Topics covered included novel advances in analytical techniques, transport of infectious agents, occurrence and fate of veterinary pharmaceuticals, characterization of sorption mechanism, biotic and abiotic transformation reactions, the role of soil components, occurrence and fate in wastewater treatment systems, transport of engineered nanoparticles, groundwater contamination resulting from urban runoff, and issues in water reuse. Overviews of the reports, trends, gaps in our knowledge, and topics for further research are presented in this special series of papers. The technical papers in this special series reflect current gains in knowledge and simultaneously underscore how poorly we are able to predict the fate and, hence, the associated risk to ecological and human receptors of these contaminants.

Widespread occurrence and potential for biodegradation of bioactive contaminants in Congaree National Park, USA.

PubMed

Bradley, Paul M; Battaglin, William A; Clark, Jimmy M; Henning, Frank P; Hladik, Michelle L; Iwanowicz, Luke R; Journey, Celeste A; Riley, Jeffrey W; Romanok, Kristin M

2017-11-01

Organic contaminants with designed molecular bioactivity, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, originate from human and agricultural sources, occur frequently in surface waters, and threaten the structure and function of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Congaree National Park in South Carolina (USA) is a vulnerable park unit due to its location downstream of multiple urban and agricultural contaminant sources and its hydrologic setting, being composed almost entirely of floodplain and aquatic environments. Seventy-two water and sediment samples were collected from 16 sites in Congaree National Park during 2013 to 2015, and analyzed for 199 and 81 targeted organic contaminants, respectively. More than half of these water and sediment analytes were not detected or potentially had natural sources. Pharmaceutical contaminants were detected (49 total) frequently in water throughout Congaree National Park, with higher detection frequencies and concentrations at Congaree and Wateree River sites, downstream from major urban areas. Forty-seven organic wastewater indicator chemicals were detected in water, and 36 were detected in sediment, of which approximately half are distinctly anthropogenic. Endogenous sterols and hormones, which may originate from humans or wildlife, were detected in water and sediment samples throughout Congaree National Park, but synthetic hormones were detected only once, suggesting a comparatively low risk of adverse impacts. Assessment of the biodegradation potentials of 8 14 C-radiolabeled model contaminants indicated poor potentials for some contaminants, particularly under anaerobic sediments conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3045-3056. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America. © 2017 SETAC.

A Risk-Based Characterization of Sediment Contamination by Legacy and Emergent Contaminants of Concern in Coastal British Columbia, Canada.

PubMed

Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Desforges, Jean-Pierre W; Dangerfield, Neil; Ross, Peter S

2017-08-01

Sediments have long been used to help describe pollution sources, contaminated sites, trends over time, and habitat quality for marine life. We collected surficial sediments from 12 sites at an average seawater depth of 25 m in three near-urban areas of the Salish Sea (British Columbia, Canada) to investigate habitat quality for marine life, including heavily contaminated killer whales. Samples were analyzed using high-resolution instrumentation for a wide variety of congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), polybrominated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). The top six contaminant classes detected in sediments were ∑PCB > ∑PBDE > ∑PCDD/F > DDT > ∑HBCDD > ∑PCN. Near-urban harbor sediments had up to three orders of magnitude higher concentrations of contaminants than more remote sites. With limited tools available to characterize biological risks associated with complex mixtures in the real world, we applied several available approaches to prioritize the pollutant found in our study: (1) sediment quality guidelines from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment where available; (2) US NOAA effects range low and other international guidelines; (3) total TEQ for dioxin-like PCBs for the protection of mammals; and (4) the calculation of risk quotients. Our findings provide an indication of the state of contamination of coastal environments in British Columbia and guidance for chemical regulations and priority setting, as well as management actions including best-practices, dredging, disposal at sea, and source control. In this regard, the legacy PCB and the emergent PBDEs should command continued priority monitoring.

Multipathway Quantitative Assessment of Exposure to Fecal Contamination for Young Children in Low-Income Urban Environments in Accra, Ghana: The SaniPath Analytical Approach

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuke; Moe, Christine L.; Null, Clair; Raj, Suraja J.; Baker, Kelly K.; Robb, Katharine A.; Yakubu, Habib; Ampofo, Joseph A.; Wellington, Nii; Freeman, Matthew C.; Armah, George; Reese, Heather E.; Peprah, Dorothy; Teunis, Peter F. M.

2017-01-01

Abstract. Lack of adequate sanitation results in fecal contamination of the environment and poses a risk of disease transmission via multiple exposure pathways. To better understand how eight different sources contribute to overall exposure to fecal contamination, we quantified exposure through multiple pathways for children under 5 years old in four high-density, low-income, urban neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana. We collected more than 500 hours of structured observation of behaviors of 156 children, 800 household surveys, and 1,855 environmental samples. Data were analyzed using Bayesian models, estimating the environmental and behavioral factors associated with exposure to fecal contamination. These estimates were applied in exposure models simulating sequences of behaviors and transfers of fecal indicators. This approach allows us to identify the contribution of any sources of fecal contamination in the environment to child exposure and use dynamic fecal microbe transfer networks to track fecal indicators from the environment to oral ingestion. The contributions of different sources to exposure were categorized into four types (high/low by dose and frequency), as a basis for ranking pathways by the potential to reduce exposure. Although we observed variation in estimated exposure (108–1016 CFU/day for Escherichia coli) between different age groups and neighborhoods, the greatest contribution was consistently from food (contributing > 99.9% to total exposure). Hands played a pivotal role in fecal microbe transfer, linking environmental sources to oral ingestion. The fecal microbe transfer network constructed here provides a systematic approach to study the complex interaction between contaminated environment and human behavior on exposure to fecal contamination. PMID:29031283

National benthic surveillance project: Pacific coast. Fish histopathology and relationships between toxicopathic lesions and exposure to chemical contaminants for cycles 1 to 5 (1984-88). Technical memo

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

Myers, M.S.; Stehr, C.M.; Olson, O.P.

1993-02-01

The report presents and interprets the results of histopathology studies conducted on 17 species of bottomfish captured at 45 sites between 1984 and 1988 as part of the Pacific Coast portion of the National Benthic Surveillance Program (NBSP) in conjunction with NOAA's National Status and Trends Program (NS T). The location of sampling sites ranged from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to San Diego Bay in California, and incorporated sites. Twenty-three were located in or near urban embayments, and the 22 remaining sites were in nonurban embayments, five of which served as comparison or reference sites on the basis of minimalmore » levels of sediment contaminants detected (Kamishak Bay, AK; Nisqually Reach, WA; and Bodega Bay, Dana Point, and outer Mission Bay, CA). These comparison sites were selected so that the same fish species could be collected from minimally contaminated environments as opposed to those obtained at urban or more contaminated sites. Six primary target species were identified for statistical analyses that examined the relationships between occurrence of particular toxicopathic diseases or lesions in the liver and kidney and levels of potential or actual exposure to contaminants. These species were selected because they were broadly distributed geographically and were abundant among the sampling sites, they had previously documented significant prevalences of contaminant-associated diseases, or the geographic distribution of similar diseases among the sites suggested an association with contaminant exposure. These primary target species were flathead sole, English sole, starry flounder, hornyhead turbot, white croaker, and black croaker. All specimens were examined for the presence of necrotic, sclerotic and proliferative lesions in the kidney, as well as lesions.« less

Effect of Parachute Jump in the Psychophysiological Response of Soldiers in Urban Combat.

PubMed

Sánchez-Molina, Joaquín; Robles-Pérez, José J; Clemente-Suárez, Vicente J

2017-06-01

The study of organic and psychological response during combat situations has been poorly reported despite its importance for soldiers training and specific instruction, so it was proposed as aim of the present investigation to analyze the effect of a tactical parachute simulated jump in psycho-physiological response of paratroopers' warfighters during an urban combat simulation. 19 male paratroopers (31.9 ± 6.2 year old; 173.6 ± 5.3 cm; 73.8 ± 8.3 Kg) of the Spanish Army were divided in two groups: parachute jump group (n:11) that conducted a simulated parachute jump and a urban combat maneuver and a non-parachute jump group (n:8) that only conducted an urban combat maneuver. We analyzed before and after the maneuver the rated perceived exertion, legs strength manifestation, blood lactate, cortical activation, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation and pressure, skin temperature, fine motor skills, and anxiety state. A tactical parachute simulated jump prior to an urban combat maneuver produce significantly (p < 0.05) higher heart rate and decrease in specific fine motor skills in comparison with no jump situation in professional Army paratroopers. Independently of the parachute jump, an urban combat maneuver produces a significant increase in rated perceived exertion, blood lactate, heart rate, legs strength, sympathetic modulation and anxiety response as well as a significant decrease in blood oxygen saturation and parasympathetic modulation.

Assessing the Use of Dry Wells as a Tool for Stormwater Management and Groundwater Recharge in Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, E.; Harter, T.; Fogg, G. E.; Washburn, B.; Bryson, R.; Meirovitz, C.; Fawcett, J.; Kretsinger Grabert, V. J.; Bowles, C.; Carr, M.; Nelson, C.

2014-12-01

Dry wells are gravity-fed, excavated pits with perforated casings used to facilitate stormwater infiltration and groundwater recharge in areas comprised primarily of impermeable surfaces or low permeability soils. Stormwater runoff that would otherwise be routed to streams or drains in urban areas is used as a source of aquifer recharge. However, the potential for groundwater contamination caused by urban runoff bypassing surface soil filtration has prevented more widespread use of dry wells as a recharge mechanism. We present the results of a literature survey to assess the potential of dry wells for safe stormwater recharge. Dry wells have been inculpated in groundwater contamination events, although accusations were typically not backed by scientific data. In 1989 groundwater in Modesto, CA, was contaminated with tetrachloroethylene from a dry cleaning facility. The city had been using dry wells to manage stormwater for more than 50 years without detrimental impacts before the contamination. A USGS monitoring study proved that the contamination was from sewer system leakage, and did not involve the dry wells. Some areas of the country have used dry wells with positive results. The Underground Injection Control system (UICs) study in Portland, OR, has been active for ten years, and currently operates over 9,000 UICs. Initially, a ten foot separation distance was enforced between the seasonal high water table and the bottom perforation of the UIC; however, due to monitoring and modeling results that indicate the protectiveness of groundwater, this distance has been reduced to zero feet. Future work will include a comparative pilot study involving a residential and an industrial site in Elk Grove, CA. The study will use modeling tools to assess the recharge potential and groundwater protectiveness of dry wells. Both sites are outfitted with four monitoring wells each: an upgradient monitoring well, two downgradient monitoring wells, and a vadose zone monitoring well. The results of water quality sampling will determine the contaminants of interest, and a model of the fate and transport of these contaminants in the vadose zone will be coupled with hydraulic models to estimate the response of the hydrogeologic system to dry well recharge, with the goal of creating a tool that can be used to evaluate future dry well locations.

The Political Economy of Market-Based Educational Policies: Race and Reform in Urban School Districts, 1915 to 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Janelle; Holme, Jennifer Jellison

2016-01-01

The authors situate the emergence and effects of contemporary market-based reforms within a framework of urban political economy that centers on racial inequality. They discuss how and why market-based reforms have evolved alongside racialized political and economic trends that have transformed cities over the past century, and they critically…

A Model of Solid Waste Management Based Multilateral Co-Operation in Semi-Urban Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanchanabhandhu, Chanchai; Woraphong, Seree

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to construct a model of solid waste management based on multilateral cooperation in semi-urban community. Its specific objectives were to 1) study the solid waste situation and involvement of community in the solid waste management in Wangtaku Sub-district, Muang District, Nakhon Pathom Province; 2) construct a…

High School Physical Educators' Beliefs about Teaching Differently Abled Students in an Urban Public School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hersman, Bethany L.; Hodge, Samuel R.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine general physical education (GPE) teachers' beliefs about teaching differently abled students in inclusive classes.The participants were 5 GPE teachers from a large urban school district. The research method was explanatory multiple-case study situated in planned behavior theory. Data were gathered using a…

Reform Stall: An Ecological Analysis of the Efficacy of an Urban School Reform Initiative to Improve Students' Reading and Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Marlon C.; Rupley, William H.; Hall, Kristin Kistner; Nichols, Janet Alys; Rasinski, Timothy V.; Harmon, Willie C.

2016-01-01

This article examines the efficacy of the implementation of a program titled Consensus Initiative [pseudonym] in an urban school district that served 20,000 linguistically, economically, and racially diverse students situated in the northeast region of the United States. Using a research derived ecological framework from the school reform…

Culturally Responsive Peace Education: A Case Study at One Urban Latino K-8 Catholic School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buck, Brandon

2016-01-01

This paper presents a case study of a yearlong research-based peace education program at one urban K-8 private Catholic school situated in a community plagued by structural violence in an enclave of a large Midwestern city. To frame the analysis, the author employs concepts central to culturally responsive pedagogy (including cultural competence,…