Documentation of archaeological sites in northern iraq using remote sensing methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoušková, E.; Pavelka, K.; Nováček, K.; Starková, L.

2015-08-01

The MULINEM (The Medieval Urban Landscape in Northeastern Mesopotamia) project is aiming to investigate a Late Sasanian and Islamic urban network in the land of Erbil, historic province of Hidyab (Adiabene) that is located in the northern Iraq. The research of the hierarchical urban network in a defined area belongs to approaches rarely used in the study of the Islamic urbanism. The project focuses on the cluster of urban sites of the 6th-17th centuries A.D. This paper focuses on remote sensing analysis of historical sites with special interest of FORMOSAT-2 data that have been gained through a research announcement: Free FORMOSAT-2 satellite Imagery. Documentation of two archaeological sites (Makhmúr al-Qadima and Kushaf) are introduced. FORMOSAT-2 data results have been compared to historic CORONA satellite data of mentioned historical sites purchased earlier by the University of West Bohemia. Remote sensing methods were completed using in-situ measurements.

Concentrations and source apportionment of PM10 and associated elemental and ionic species in a lignite-burning power generation area of southern Greece.

PubMed

Argyropoulos, G; Grigoratos, Th; Voutsinas, M; Samara, C

2013-10-01

Ambient concentrations of PM10 and associated elemental and ionic species were measured over the cold and the warm months of 2010 at an urban and two rural sites located in the lignite-fired power generation area of Megalopolis in Peloponnese, southern Greece. The PM10 concentrations at the urban site (44.2 ± 33.6 μg m(-3)) were significantly higher than those at the rural sites (23.7 ± 20.4 and 22.7 ± 26.9 μg m(-3)). Source apportionment of PM10 and associated components was accomplished by an advanced computational procedure, the robotic chemical mass balance model (RCMB), using chemical profiles for a variety of local fugitive dust sources (power plant fly ash, flue gas desulfurization wet ash, feeding lignite, infertile material from the opencast mines, paved and unpaved road dusts, soil), which were resuspended and sampled through a PM10 inlet onto filters and then chemically analyzed, as well as of other common sources such as vehicular traffic, residential oil combustion, biomass burning, uncontrolled waste burning, marine aerosol, and secondary aerosol formation. Geological dusts (road/soil dust) were found to be major PM10 contributors in both the cold and warm periods of the year, with average annual contribution of 32.6 % at the urban site vs. 22.0 and 29.0 % at the rural sites. Secondary aerosol also appeared to be a significant source, contributing 22.1 % at the urban site in comparison to 30.6 and 28.7 % at the rural sites. At all sites, the contribution of biomass burning was most significant in winter (28.2 % at the urban site vs. 14.6 and 24.6 % at the rural sites), whereas vehicular exhaust contribution appeared to be important mostly in the summer (21.9 % at the urban site vs. 11.5 and 10.5 % at the rural sites). The highest contribution of fly ash (33.2 %) was found at the rural site located to the north of the power plants during wintertime, when winds are favorable. In the warm period, the highest contribution of fly ash was found at the rural site located to the south of the power plants, although it was less important (7.2 %). Moderate contributions of fly ash were found at the urban site (5.4 and 2.7 % in the cold and the warm period, respectively). Finally, the mine field was identified as a minor PM10 source, occasionally contributing with lignite dust and/or deposited wet ash dust under dry summer conditions, with the summertime contributions ranging between 3.1 and 11.0 % among the three sites. The non-parametric bootstrapped potential source contribution function analysis was further applied to localize the regions of sources apportioned by the RCMB. For the majority of sources, source regions appeared as being located within short distances from the sampling sites (within the Peloponnesse Peninsula). More distant Greek areas of the NNE sector also appeared to be source regions for traffic emissions and secondary calcium sulfate dust.

Geospatial strategy for sustainable management of municipal solid waste for growing urban environment.

PubMed

Pandey, Prem Chandra; Sharma, Laxmi Kant; Nathawat, Mahendra Singh

2012-04-01

This paper presents the implementation of a Geospatial approach for improving the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal suitability site assessment in growing urban environment. The increasing trend of population growth and the absolute amounts of waste disposed of worldwide have increased substantially reflecting changes in consumption patterns, consequently worldwide. MSW is now a bigger problem than ever. Despite an increase in alternative techniques for disposing of waste, land-filling remains the primary means. In this context, the pressures and requirements placed on decision makers dealing with land-filling by government and society have increased, as they now have to make decisions taking into considerations environmental safety and economic practicality. The waste disposed by the municipal corporation in the Bhagalpur City (India) is thought to be different from the landfill waste where clearly scientific criterion for locating suitable disposal sites does not seem to exist. The location of disposal sites of Bhagalpur City represents the unconsciousness about the environmental and public health hazards arising from disposing of waste in improper location. Concerning about urban environment and health aspects of people, a good method of waste management and appropriate technologies needed for urban area of Bhagalpur city to improve this trend using Multi Criteria Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing for selection of suitable disposal sites. The purpose of GIS was to perform process to part restricted to highly suitable land followed by using chosen criteria. GIS modeling with overlay operation has been used to find the suitability site for MSW.

Quantifying the ozone "weekend effect" at various locations in Phoenix, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atkinson-Palombo, Carol M.; Miller, James A.; Balling, Robert C.

Analysis of pollution data from a network of monitors in Maricopa County, Arizona, reveals considerable variation in the magnitude of the ozone "weekend effect" depending on how and where it is measured. We used four separate methods to calculate the weekend effect, all of which showed that the phenomenon is stronger in the urban core, where ozone is produced. Spatial linear regressions show that the magnitude of the weekend effect and the goodness of fit of weekly harmonic cycles in ozone is a function of urbanization, described quantitatively using an index of traffic counts, population, and employment within a 4 km buffer zone of monitoring sites. Analysis of diurnal patterns of ozone as well as oxides of nitrogen (NO x) at a representative site in the urban core supports the hypothesis that lower levels of NO x on Sundays reduce the degree to which ozone is titrated, resulting in a higher minimum and hence mean for that day of the week (DOW). Fringe sites, where ozone concentrations are higher in absolute terms than in the urban core, show almost no "weekend effect," regardless of which of the four individual methods we used. Alternative quantification methods show statistically significant DOW differences in ozone levels in urban fringe locations, albeit out of phase with the weekly cycling of ozone in the urban core. Our findings suggest that multiple metrics need to be used to test for the weekend effect and that the causes of DOW differences in ozone concentrations may be location specific.

Urban Enhancement of PM10 Bioaerosol Tracers Relative to Background Locations in the Midwestern United States

PubMed Central

Rathnayake, Chathurika M.; Metwali, Nervana; Baker, Zach; Jayarathne, Thilina; Kostle, Pamela A.; Thorne, Peter S.; O’Shaughnessy, Patrick T.; Stone, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Bioaerosols are well-known immune-active particles that exacerbate respiratory diseases. Human exposures to bioaerosols and their resultant health impacts depend on their ambient concentrations, seasonal and spatial variation, and co-pollutants, which are not yet widely characterized. In this study, chemical and biological tracers of bioaerosols were quantified in respirable particulate matter (PM10) collected at three urban and three background sites in the Midwestern United States across four seasons in 2012. Endotoxins from gram negative bacteria (and a few gram positive bacteria), water-soluble proteins, and tracers for fungal spores (fungal glucans, arabitol and mannitol) were ubiquitous and showed significant seasonal variation and dependence on temperature. Fungal spores were elevated in spring and peaked in summer, following the seasonal growing cycle, while endotoxins peaked in autumn during the row crop harvesting season. Paired comparisons of bioaerosols in urban and background sites revealed significant urban enhancements in PM10, fungal glucans, endotoxins and water-soluble proteins relative to background locations, such that urban populations have a greater outdoor exposure to bioaerosols. These bioaerosols contribute, in part, to the urban excesses in PM10. Higher bioaerosol mass fractions in urban areas relative to background sites indicate that urban areas serve as a source of bioaerosols. Similar urban enhancements in water-soluble calcium and its correlation with bioaerosol tracers point towards wind-blown soil as an important source of bioaerosols in urban areas. PMID:27672535

Urban Enhancement of PM10 Bioaerosol Tracers Relative to Background Locations in the Midwestern United States.

PubMed

Rathnayake, Chathurika M; Metwali, Nervana; Baker, Zach; Jayarathne, Thilina; Kostle, Pamela A; Thorne, Peter S; O'Shaughnessy, Patrick T; Stone, Elizabeth A

2016-05-16

Bioaerosols are well-known immune-active particles that exacerbate respiratory diseases. Human exposures to bioaerosols and their resultant health impacts depend on their ambient concentrations, seasonal and spatial variation, and co-pollutants, which are not yet widely characterized. In this study, chemical and biological tracers of bioaerosols were quantified in respirable particulate matter (PM 10 ) collected at three urban and three background sites in the Midwestern United States across four seasons in 2012. Endotoxins from gram negative bacteria (and a few gram positive bacteria), water-soluble proteins, and tracers for fungal spores (fungal glucans, arabitol and mannitol) were ubiquitous and showed significant seasonal variation and dependence on temperature. Fungal spores were elevated in spring and peaked in summer, following the seasonal growing cycle, while endotoxins peaked in autumn during the row crop harvesting season. Paired comparisons of bioaerosols in urban and background sites revealed significant urban enhancements in PM 10 , fungal glucans, endotoxins and water-soluble proteins relative to background locations, such that urban populations have a greater outdoor exposure to bioaerosols. These bioaerosols contribute, in part, to the urban excesses in PM 10 . Higher bioaerosol mass fractions in urban areas relative to background sites indicate that urban areas serve as a source of bioaerosols. Similar urban enhancements in water-soluble calcium and its correlation with bioaerosol tracers point towards wind-blown soil as an important source of bioaerosols in urban areas.

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.

Observed trends in ambient concentrations of C 2-C 8 hydrocarbons in the United Kingdom over the period from 1993 to 2004

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dollard, G. J.; Dumitrean, P.; Telling, S.; Dixon, J.; Derwent, R. G.

Hourly measurements of up to 26 C 2-C 8 hydrocarbons have been made at eight urban background sites, three urban-industrial sites, a kerbside and a rural site in the UK from 1993 onwards up until the end of December 2004. Average annual mean benzene and 1,3-butadiene concentrations at urban background locations have declined at about -20% per year and the observed declines have exactly mimicked the inferred declines in benzene and 1,3-butadiene emissions over the same period. Ninety-day rolling mean concentrations of ethylene, propylene, n- and i-butane, n- and i-pentane, isoprene and propane at urban and rural sites have also declined steadily by between -10% and -30% per year. Rolling mean concentrations of acetylene, 2- and 3-methylpentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, cis- and trans-but-2-ene, cis- and trans-pent-2-ene, toluene, ethylbenzene and o-, m- and p-xylene at a roadside location in London have all declined at between -14% and -21% per year. These declines demonstrate that motor vehicle exhaust catalysts and evaporative canisters have effectively and efficiently controlled vehicular emissions of hydrocarbons in the UK. Urban ethane concentrations arising largely from natural gas leakage have remained largely unchanged over this same period.

Urban Climate Station Site Selection Through Combined Digital Surface Model and Sun Angle Calculations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kidd, Chris; Chapman, Lee

2012-01-01

Meteorological measurements within urban areas are becoming increasingly important due to the accentuating effects of climate change upon the Urban Heat Island (UHI). However, ensuring that such measurements are representative of the local area is often difficult due to the diversity of the urban environment. The evaluation of sites is important for both new sites and for the relocation of established sites to ensure that long term changes in the meteorological and climatological conditions continue to be faithfully recorded. Site selection is traditionally carried out in the field using both local knowledge and visual inspection. This paper exploits and assesses the use of lidar-derived digital surface models (DSMs) to quantitatively aid the site selection process. This is acheived by combining the DSM with a solar model, first to generate spatial maps of sky view factors and sun-hour potential and second, to generate site-specific views of the horizon. The results show that such a technique is a useful first-step approach to identify key sites that may be further evaluated for the location of meteorological stations within urban areas.

SPATIAL VARIATION OF THE EVOLUTION AND STRUCTURE OF THE URBAN BOUNDARY LAYER

EPA Science Inventory

The spatial variation of the nocturnal urban boundary layer structure and the time variation of the mixing height, the nocturnal inversion top and strength after sunrise are presented for urban sites located upwind, downwind, and near the center of the heat island and for upwind ...

A benthic-macroinvertebrate index of biotic integrity and assessment of conditions in selected streams in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1998-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reif, Andrew G.

2012-01-01

The Stream Conditions of Chester County Biological Monitoring Network (Network) was established by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Chester County Water Resources Authority in 1969. Chester County encompasses 760 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania and has a rapidly expanding population. Land-use change has occurred in response to this continual growth, as open space, agricultural lands, and wooded lands have been converted to residential and commercial lands. In 1998, the Network was modified to include 18 fixed-location sites and 9 flexible-location sites. Sites were sampled annually in the fall (October-November) during base-flow conditions for water chemistry, instream habitat, and benthic macroinvertebrates. A new set of 9 flexible-location sites was selected each year. From 1998 to 2009, 213 samples were collected from the 18 fixed-location sites and 107 samples were collected from the 84 flexible-location sites. Eighteen flexible-location sites were sampled more than once over the 12-year period; 66 sites were sampled only once. Benthic-macroinvertebrate data from samples collected during 1998-2009 were used to establish the Chester County Index of Biotic Integrity (CC-IBI). The CC-IBI was based on the methods and metrics outlined in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's "A Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for Wadeable Freestone Streams in Pennsylvania." The resulting CC-IBI consists of scores for benthic-macroinvertebrate samples collected from sites in the Network that related to reference conditions in Chester County. Mean CC-IBI scores for 18 fixed-location sites ranged from 37.21 to 88.92. Thirty-nine percent of the 213 samples collected at the 18 fixed-location sites had a CC-IBI score less than 50; 33 percent, 50 to 70; 28 percent, greater than 70. CC-IBI scores from the 107 flexible-location samples ranged from 23.48 to 99.96. Twenty-five percent of the 107 samples collected at the flexible-location sites had a CC-IBI score less than 50; 33 percent, 50 to 70; and 42 percent, greater than 70. Factors that were found to affect CC-IBI scores are nutrient concentrations, habitat conditions, and percent of wooded and urban land use. A positive relation was determined between mean CC-IBI scores and mean total habitat scores for the 18 fixed-location sites. CC-IBI scores were most strongly affected by stream bank vegetative protection, embeddedness, riparian zone width, and sediment deposition. The highest CC-IBI scores were associated with sites that had greater than 28 percent wooded-wetland-water land use, less than 5 percent urban land use, and no municipal wastewater discharges within 10 miles upstream from the sampling site. The lowest CC-IBI scores were associated with sites where urban land use was greater than 15 percent or a municipal wastewater discharge was within 10 miles upstream from the sampling reach. The Mann Kendall test for trends was used to determine trends in CC-IBI scores and concentrations of nitrate, orthophosphate, and chloride for the 18 fixed-location sites. A positive trend in CC-IBI was determined for six sites, and a negative trend was determined for one site. Positive trends in nitrate concentrations were determined for 4 of the 18 fixed-location sites, and a negative trend in orthophosphate concentrations was determined for 1 of the 18 fixed-location sites. Positive trends in chloride concentrations were determined for 16 of the 18 fixed-location sites.

Using Remotely Sensed Data for Documentation of Archaeological Sites in Northeastern Mesopotamia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoušková, E.; Starková, L.; Pavelka, K.; Nováček, K.; Šedina, J.; Faltýnová, M.; Housarová, E.

2016-06-01

This paper introduces two archaeological sites documented during the MULINEM (The Medieval Urban Landscape in Northeastern Mesopotamia) project. This project investigates the Late Sasanian and Islamic urban network in the land of Erbil, a historic province of Hidyab (Adiabene) that is located in northern Iraq. The investigated sites are the two deserted cities of Makhmúr al-Quadíma and Al-Hadítha. It is assumed that these two sites used to form large cities with high business and cultural importance in the medieval period. The archaeological locations are endangered by various threats.The Al-Hadítha site seems to be under the control of the „Islamic state" at the moment and Makhmúr al-Quadíma is located just next to the town of new Makhmúr that expands rapidly and without complex urban plans. Documentation of the archaeological sites has been done by using remotely sensed methods together with in-situ measurements (where available). FORMOSAT-2 data that has been gained through a research announcement: Free FORMOSAT-2 satellite imagery and when combined with other sources (recent and historical data) it provides a powerful documentation tool. In-situ RPAS measurements and a DTM creation furnish a new source of highly valuable information. Influence of the political and security situation in Al-Hadítha will be analysed.

A comparison of speciated atmospheric mercury at an urban center and an upwind rural location

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutter, A.P.; Schauer, J.J.; Lough, G.C.; Snyder, D.C.; Kolb, C.J.; Von Klooster, S.; Rudolf, T.; Manolopoulos, H.; Olson, M.L.

2008-01-01

Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate mercury (PHg) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were measured every other hour at a rural location in south central Wisconsin (Devil's Lake State Park, WI, USA) between April 2003 and March 2004, and at a predominantly downwind urban site in southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI, USA) between June 2004 and May 2005. Annual averages of GEM, PHg, and RGM at the urban site were statistically higher than those measured at the rural site. Pollution roses of GEM and reactive mercury (RM; sum of PHg and RGM) at the rural and urban sites revealed the influences of point source emissions in surrounding counties that were consistent with the US EPA 1999 National Emission Inventory and the 2003-2005 US EPA Toxics Release Inventory. Source-receptor relationships at both sites were studied by quantifying the impacts of point sources on mercury concentrations. Time series of GEM, PHg, and RGM concentrations were sorted into two categories; time periods dominated by impacts from point sources, and time periods dominated by mercury from non-point sources. The analysis revealed average point source contributions to GEM, PHg, and RGM concentration measurements to be significant over the year long studies. At the rural site, contributions to annual average concentrations were: GEM (2%; 0.04 ng m-3); and, RM (48%; 5.7 pg m-3). At the urban site, contributions to annual average concentrations were: GEM (33%; 0.81 ng m-3); and, RM (64%; 13.8 pg m-3). ?? The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Geographic patterns of cigarette butt waste in the urban environment.

PubMed

Marah, Maacah; Novotny, Thomas E

2011-05-01

This reports the initial phase of a study to quantify the spatial pattern of cigarette butt waste in an urban environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to create a weighted overlay analysis model which was then applied to the locations of businesses where cigarettes are sold or are likely to be consumed and venues where higher concentrations of butts may be deposited. The model's utility was tested using a small-scale litter audit in three zip codes of San Diego, California. We found that cigarette butt waste is highly concentrated around businesses where cigarettes are sold or consumed. The mean number of butts for predicted high waste sites was 38.1 (SD 18.87), for predicted low waste sites mean 4.8 (SD 5.9), p<0.001. Cigarette butt waste is not uniformly distributed in the urban environment, its distribution is linked to locations and patterns of sales and consumption. A GIS and weighted overlay model may be a useful tool in predicting urban locations of greater and lesser amounts of cigarette butt waste. These data can in turn be used to develop economic cost studies and plan mitigation strategies in urban communities.

Geographic patterns of cigarette butt waste in the urban environment

PubMed Central

Novotny, Thomas E

2011-01-01

Background This reports the initial phase of a study to quantify the spatial pattern of cigarette butt waste in an urban environment. Methods Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to create a weighted overlay analysis model which was then applied to the locations of businesses where cigarettes are sold or are likely to be consumed and venues where higher concentrations of butts may be deposited. The model's utility was tested using a small-scale litter audit in three zip codes of San Diego, California. Results We found that cigarette butt waste is highly concentrated around businesses where cigarettes are sold or consumed. The mean number of butts for predicted high waste sites was 38.1 (SD 18.87), for predicted low waste sites mean 4.8 (SD 5.9), p<0.001. Conclusions Cigarette butt waste is not uniformly distributed in the urban environment, its distribution is linked to locations and patterns of sales and consumption. A GIS and weighted overlay model may be a useful tool in predicting urban locations of greater and lesser amounts of cigarette butt waste. These data can in turn be used to develop economic cost studies and plan mitigation strategies in urban communities. PMID:21504924

36 CFR Appendix 2 to Part 801 - Special Procedures for Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OF THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACTION GRANT PROGRAM Pt. 801, App. 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801—Special...-urban natural environment, which would have had an effect on the location of prehistoric sites; b... Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban Context 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801 Parks...

36 CFR Appendix 2 to Part 801 - Special Procedures for Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... OF THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACTION GRANT PROGRAM Pt. 801, App. 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801—Special...-urban natural environment, which would have had an effect on the location of prehistoric sites; b... Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban Context 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801 Parks...

36 CFR Appendix 2 to Part 801 - Special Procedures for Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... OF THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACTION GRANT PROGRAM Pt. 801, App. 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801—Special...-urban natural environment, which would have had an effect on the location of prehistoric sites; b... Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban Context 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801 Parks...

36 CFR Appendix 2 to Part 801 - Special Procedures for Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... OF THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACTION GRANT PROGRAM Pt. 801, App. 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801—Special...-urban natural environment, which would have had an effect on the location of prehistoric sites; b... Identification and Consideration of Archeological Properties in an Urban Context 2 Appendix 2 to Part 801 Parks...

A method for locating potential tree-planting sites in urban areas: a case study of Los Angeles, USA

Treesearch

Chunxia Wua; Qingfu Xiaoa; Gregory E. McPherson

2008-01-01

A GIS-based method for locating potential tree-planting sites based on land cover data is introduced. Criteria were developed to identify locations that are spatially available for potential tree planting based on land cover, sufficient distance from impervious surfaces, a minimum amount of pervious surface, and no crown overlap with other trees. In an ArcGIS...

Multisite study of particle number concentrations in urban air.

PubMed

Harrison, Roy M; Jones, Alan M

2005-08-15

Particle number concentration data are reported from a total of eight urban site locations in the United Kingdom. Of these, six are central urban background sites, while one is an urban street canyon (Marylebone Road) and another is influenced by both a motorway and a steelworks (Port Talbot). The concentrations are generally of a similar order to those reported in the literature, although higher than those in some of the other studies. Highest concentrations are at the Marylebone Road site and lowest are at the Port Talbot site. The central urban background locations lie somewhere between with concentrations typically around 20 000 cm(-3). A seasonal pattern affects all sites, with highest concentrations in the winter months and lowest concentrations in the summer. Data from all sites show a diurnal variation with a morning rush hour peak typical of an anthropogenic pollutant. When the dilution effects of windspeed are accounted for, the data show little directionality at the central urban background sites indicating the influence of sources from all directions as might be expected if the major source were road traffic. At the London Marylebone Road site there is high directionality driven by the air circulation in the street canyon, and at the Port Talbot site different diurnal patterns are seen for particle number count and PM10 influenced by emissions from road traffic (particle number count) and the steelworks (PM10) and local meteorological factors. Hourly particle number concentrations are generally only weakly correlated to NO(x) and PM10, with the former showing a slightly closer relationship. Correlations between daily average particle number count and PM10 were also weak. Episodes of high PM10 concentration in summer typically show low particle number concentrations consistent with transport of accumulation mode secondary aerosol, while winter episodes are frequently associated with high PM10 and particle number count arising from poor dispersion of local primary emissions.

Pesticides in the atmosphere of the Mississippi River Valley, part II - Air

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foreman, W.T.; Majewski, M.S.; Goolsby, D.A.; Wiebe, F.W.; Coupe, R.H.

2000-01-01

Weekly composite air samples were collected from early April through to mid-September 1995 at three paired urban and agricultural sites along the Mississippi River region of the Midwestern United States. The paired sampling sites were located in Mississippi, Iowa, and Minnesota. A background site, removed from dense urban and agricultural areas, was located on the shore of Lake Superior in Michigan. Each sample was analyzed for 49 compounds; of these, 21 of 26 herbicides, 13 of 19 insecticides, and 4 of 4 related transformation products were detected during the study, with most pesticides detected in more than one sample. The maximum number of pesticides detected in an air sample was 18. Herbicides were the predominant type of pesticide detected at every site. Detection frequencies of most herbicides were similar at the urban and agricultural sites in Iowa and Minnesota. In Mississippi, herbicides generally were detected more frequently at the agricultural site. The insecticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and carbaryl, which are used in agricultural and non-agricultural settings, were detected more frequently in urban sites than agricultural sites in Mississippi and Iowa. Methyl parathion was detected in 70% of the samples from the Mississippi agricultural site and at the highest concentration (62 ng/m3 air) of any insecticide measured in the study. At the background site, dacthal (100%), atrazine (35%), cyanazine (22%), and the (primarily atrazine) triazine transformation products CIAT (35%) and CEAT (17%) were detected most frequently, suggesting their potential for long-range atmospheric transport. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.

Stream Phosphorus Dynamics Along a Suburbanizing Gradient in Southern Ontario, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duval, T. P.

2017-12-01

While it is well known that urban streams are subject to impaired water quality relative to natural analogues, far less research has been directed at stream water quality during the process of (sub-) urbanization. This study determines the role of housing construction activities in Brampton, Canada on the concentration and flux of phosphorus (P) of a headwater stream. Prior to development the stream was engineered with a riffle-pool sequence, riparian plantings, and a floodplain corridor that was lined with sediment fencing. Stream sites were sampled daily over a period of six months at locations representing varying stages of subdivision completion (upper site -active construction; middle site -finished construction and natural vegetation; lower site -finished construction and active construction). A nearby urban stream site developed ten years prior to this study was selected as a reference site. There were no differences in total phosphorus (TP) levels or flux between the suburbanizing and urban streams; however, the forms of P differed between sites. The urban stream TP load was dominated by particulate phosphorus (PP) while suburbanizing stream P was mainly in the dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) form. The importance of DOP to TP flux increased with the onset of the growing season. TP levels in all stream segments frequently exceeded provincial water quality guidelines during storm events but were generally low during baseflow conditions. During storm events PP and total suspended solid levels in the suburbanizing stream reached levels of the urban stream due to sediment fence failure at several locations along the construction-hillslope interface. Along the suburbanizing gradient, the hydrological connection to a mid-reach zone of no-construction activity / fallow field and native forest resulted in significantly lower P levels than the upper suburbanizing stream site. This suggests that stream channel design features as well as timing of construction activities and the hydrological connection between the stream and construction projects all contribute to downstream export of nutrients and ultimately stream water quality.

Human interest meets biodiversity hotspots: A new systematic approach for urban ecosystem conservation.

PubMed

Kasada, Minoru; Matsuba, Misako; Miyashita, Tadashi

2017-01-01

Creating a win-win relationship between biodiversity and human well-being is one of the major current challenges for environmental policy. One way to approach this challenge is to identify sites with both high biodiversity and high human interest in urban areas. Here, we propose a new systematic approach to identify such sites by using land prices and biodiversity indexes for butterflies and birds from a nationwide perspective. As a result, we found sites that are valuable to humans and to other organisms, including national red-list species, and they are located in sites with cultural heritages and near seaside. By referencing the habitat features and landscape characteristics of these sites, we can establish high quality environments that provide a benefit to both humans and biodiversity in urban landscapes.

Microbial Communities in the Vertical Atmosphere: Effects of Urbanization and the Natural Environment in Four North American Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Docherty, K. M.; Lemmer, K. M.; Domingue, K. D.; Spring, A.; Kerber, T. V.; Mooney, M. M.

2017-12-01

Airborne transport of microbial communities is a key component of the global ecosystem because it serves as a mechanism for dispersing microbial life between all surface habitats on the planet. However, most of our understanding of airborne microbial distribution is derived from samples collected near the ground. Little is understood about how the vertical layers of the air may act as a habitat filter or how local terrestrial ecosystems contribute to a vast airborne microbial seedbank. Specifically, urbanization may fundamentally alter the terrestrial sources of airborne microbial biodiversity. To address this question, we conducted airborne sampling at minimally disturbed natural sites and paired urban sites in 4 different North American ecosystems: shortgrass steppe, desert scrub, eastern deciduous forest, and northern mesic forest. All natural area sites were co-located with NEON/Ameriflux tower sites collecting atmospheric data. We developed an airborne sampling platform that uses tethered helikites at 3 replicate locations within each ecosystem to launch remote-controlled sampler payloads. We designed sampler payloads to collect airborne bacteria and fungi from 150, 30 and 2 m above the ground. Payload requirements included: ability to be disinfected and remain contaminant-free during transport, remote open/close functionality, payload weight under 6 lbs and automated collection of weather data. After sampling for 6 hours at each location, we extracted DNA collected by the samplers. We also extracted DNA from soil and plant samples collected from each location, and characterized ground vegetation. We conducted bacterial 16S amplicon-based sequencing using Mi-Seq and sequence analysis using QIIME. We used ArcGIS to determine percent land use coverage. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial ecosystem type is the most important factor contributing to differences in airborne bacterial community composition, and that communities differed by ecosystem. The signature of the specific ecosystem, and whether it was located in a natural or urban area, was evident in both near-surface and higher altitude samples. This suggests that continued urbanization and increases in impervious surface area can fundamentally change sources of atmospheric biodiversity and distribution patterns.

Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Nu-Soils Incorporated in Newark, New Jersey

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Nu-Soils, Inc. site is located at 55 Virginia Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. The site is situated in an urban, mixed industrial, commercial and residential area. The site occupies Block 3773, Lot Nos. 15, 41, 43 and 53. The site is bound to

The Effects of Urbanization on Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition and Nitrate Removal Capacity of Urban Wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stander, E. K.; Ehrenfeld, J. G.

2006-12-01

Wetlands are increasingly being used as management tools to combat the widespread problem of excess nitrogen in surface waters of the United States. This is particularly true in urban or urbanizing watersheds. However, due to hypothesized higher rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and altered hydrology in the urban context, urban wetlands may actually be acting as sources of nitrate to receiving bodies of water. Fourteen palustrine, forested wetlands in northeastern New Jersey, the most urban part of the state, were sampled for hydrology and rates of nitrogen cycling processes. One autowell in each site recorded water table measurements four times daily. In situ rates of net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification were measured monthly during the same time period using the static core technique. Denitrification rates were measured monthly in laboratory incubations using the acetylene block technique. Additionally, in nine of the 14 sites, which represent a gradient of urban intensity from very urban to less urban, we measured inorganic nitrogen in throughfall and leachate on a weekly basis. Throughfall collectors and lysimeters to 50cm depth were installed in three locations in each of the nine sites. Throughfall and leachate samples were analyzed for 15N and 18O isotopes to distinguish between atmospheric versus nitrification sources of nitrate in soil leachate. Hydrographs demonstrated that many sites have water table depths below 30 cm (i.e., below the biologically active zone) for long periods of time. Many wetlands display uncharacteristically flashy hydrographs. Wetlands with dry or flashy hydrographs had higher rates of nitrification and lower rates of denitrification than wetlands with more normal hydrology. Rates of atmospheric N deposition were higher in wetlands located in municipalities with higher population densities. Population density, however, was not a good predictor of nitrification or denitrification rates. Results from the isotopic analysis are forthcoming.

Oxidized Nitrogen Balance over 15 Months at Rural and Urban New York State Locations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwab, J. J.; Ninneman, M.; Marto, J.; Edgerton, E. S.; Blanchard, C. L.; Shaw, S. L.

2017-12-01

Continuous measurements of oxidized nitrogen species (NO, NO2, and HNO3), families of species (NOy, alkyl nitrates [or ANs], and peroxyacetyl nitrates [or PANs]), and particle nitrate (pNO3) were carried out for a fifteen-month period from August 2016 through October 2017 at two locations in New York State. The two sites were a rural research station at Pinnacle State Park in Addison, NY and an urban research station at Queens College in New York City. Four different chemiluminescence analyzers with various converters and denuders were employed to make these measurements. Instrumentation used for the study will be described, as well as some of the challenges created by combining data from these independent analyzers to address the oxidized nitrogen budget at the two sites. The Pinnacle State Park site often experiences quite clean air with low ppb levels of total NOy and a greater fraction of oxidized nitrogen products (NOz species). This contrasts with the urban Queens College location, which experiences stronger NOx sources. Seasonal differences in the NOx/NOy and NOz/NOy ratios, and the makeup of the NOz species, are also significant and will be explored in the presentation.

Airborne volatile organic compounds in urban and industrial locations in four developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Do, Duc Hoai; Walgraeve, Christophe; Amare, Abebech Nuguse; Barai, Krishna Rani; Parao, Amelia Estigoy; Demeestere, Kristof; van Langenhove, Herman

2015-10-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) represent an important class of air pollutants, however their concentration levels in developing countries have scarcely been reported in literature. Therefore, concentration levels of 60 VOCs were determined at 27 urban and industrial locations in seven different cities in Ethiopia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Bangladesh between 2011 and 2014. Active sampling using Tenax TA as a sorbent was employed followed by TD-GC-MS analysis using internal standard calibration. It was found that TVOCs concentration levels in Dhaka, Bangladesh (arithmetic mean: 343 and 399 μg/m3 for urban and industrial campaign, respectively) were more than 10 times higher when compared to TVOCs levels observed in Mekelle, Ethiopia. ∑BTEX concentration at street sites ranges from 36 μg/m3 in Mekelle, to 100 and 250 μg/m3 in Hanoi, Vietnam and Dhaka, Bangladesh, respectively. The indoor to outdoor concentration ratios were found to be dependent on the country, type of environment, VOC compound and outdoor reference location. The highest Ozone Formation Potential (OFP, 2150 μg/m3), calculated from the same set of seven aromatic VOCs, was obtained at the street site in Dhaka. This OFP value is a factor three and four times higher than the OFP value observed at the street sites in Hanoi, and Manila, respectively. Finally, the Cumulative Cancer Risk (CCR) calculated for four carcinogenic VOCs ranged from 97 × 10-6 in urban Mekelle to 299 × 10-6 in urban Dhaka. This work provides for the first time comparisons of CCR in urban and industrial environments in the selected developing countries.

External contribution to urban air pollution.

PubMed

Grima, Ramon; Micallef, Alfred; Colls, Jeremy J

2002-02-01

Elevated particulate matter concentrations in urban locations have normally been associated with local traffic emissions. Recently it has been suggested that such episodes are influenced to a high degree by PM10 sources external to urban areas. To further corroborate this hypothesis, linear regression was sought between PM10 concentrations measured at eight urban sites in the U.K., with particulate sulphate concentration measured at two rural sites, for the years 1993-1997. Analysis of the slopes, intercepts and correlation coefficients indicate a possible relationship between urban PM10 and rural sulphate concentrations. The influences of wind direction and of the distance of the urban from the rural sites on the values of the three statistical parameters are also explored. The value of linear regression as an analysis tool in such cases is discussed and it is shown that an analysis of the sign of the rate of change of the urban PM10 and rural sulphate concentrations provides a more realistic method of correlation. The results indicate a major influence on urban PM10 concentrations from the eastern side of the United Kingdom. Linear correlation was also sought using PM10 data from nine urban sites in London and nearby rural Rochester. Analysis of the magnitude of the gradients and intercepts together with episode correlation analysis between the two sites showed the effect of transported PM10 on the local London concentrations. This article also presents methods to estimate the influence of rural and urban PM10 sources on urban PM10 concentrations and to obtain a rough estimate of the transboundary contribution to urban air pollution from the PM10 concentration data of the urban site.

The central city site: an urban underserved family medicine training track.

PubMed

Bade, Elizabeth; Baumgardner, Dennis; Brill, John

2009-01-01

We describe the development of an urban track in family medicine residency designed to recruit a high percentage of minority students and promote their future practice in urban, underserved areas of Milwaukee. We report here on the residents and their first practice location and compared this information to what occurred in our original "main" residency program. Information about the program's development was obtained through testimonials from faculty and residency graduates and review of the original accreditation application to the Residency Review Committee. Information about the residents and their practice locations was obtained from the National Resident Matching Program and graduate placement data. The goal of training more minority doctors in Milwaukee was met, with eight of 16 (50%) residents at our urban-track site from minority groups. This compared to only 12% at our main program. Thirty-eight percent of graduates stayed to practice in an underserved area, compared to only 21% in our main program. Development of an urban track for our family medicine residency increased the number of minority physicians trained and the number of physicians practicing in underserved areas after graduation.

Capacitated location of collection sites in an urban waste management system

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

Ghiani, Gianpaolo, E-mail: gianpaolo.ghiani@unisalento.it; Itaca S.r.l., via P. Bucci 41C, 87036 Rende; Lagana, Demetrio, E-mail: dlagana@deis.unical.it

2012-07-15

Urban waste management is becoming an increasingly complex task, absorbing a huge amount of resources, and having a major environmental impact. The design of a waste management system consists in various activities, and one of these is related to the location of waste collection sites. In this paper, we propose an integer programming model that helps decision makers in choosing the sites where to locate the unsorted waste collection bins in a residential town, as well as the capacities of the bins to be located at each collection site. This model helps in assessing tactical decisions through constraints that forcemore » each collection area to be capacitated enough to fit the expected waste to be directed to that area, while taking into account Quality of Service constraints from the citizens' point of view. Moreover, we propose an effective constructive heuristic approach whose aim is to provide a good solution quality in an extremely reduced computational time. Computational results on data related to the city of Nardo, in the south of Italy, show that both exact and heuristic approaches provide consistently better solutions than that currently implemented, resulting in a lower number of activated collection sites, and a lower number of bins to be used.« less

Human interest meets biodiversity hotspots: A new systematic approach for urban ecosystem conservation

PubMed Central

Kasada, Minoru; Matsuba, Misako; Miyashita, Tadashi

2017-01-01

Creating a win-win relationship between biodiversity and human well-being is one of the major current challenges for environmental policy. One way to approach this challenge is to identify sites with both high biodiversity and high human interest in urban areas. Here, we propose a new systematic approach to identify such sites by using land prices and biodiversity indexes for butterflies and birds from a nationwide perspective. As a result, we found sites that are valuable to humans and to other organisms, including national red-list species, and they are located in sites with cultural heritages and near seaside. By referencing the habitat features and landscape characteristics of these sites, we can establish high quality environments that provide a benefit to both humans and biodiversity in urban landscapes. PMID:28235020

Siting Background Towers to Characterize Incoming Air for Urban Greenhouse Gas Estimation: A Case Study in the Washington, DC/Baltimore Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, K.; Yadav, V.; Lopez-Coto, I.; Karion, A.; Gourdji, S.; Martin, C.; Whetstone, J.

2018-03-01

There is increased interest in understanding urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To accurately estimate city emissions, the influence of extraurban fluxes must first be removed from urban greenhouse gas (GHG) observations. This is especially true for regions, such as the U.S. Northeastern Corridor-Baltimore/Washington, DC (NEC-B/W), downwind of large fluxes. To help site background towers for the NEC-B/W, we use a coupled Bayesian Information Criteria and geostatistical regression approach to help site four background locations that best explain CO2 variability due to extraurban fluxes modeled at 12 urban towers. The synthetic experiment uses an atmospheric transport and dispersion model coupled with two different flux inventories to create modeled observations and evaluate 15 candidate towers located along the urban domain for February and July 2013. The analysis shows that the average ratios of extraurban inflow to total modeled enhancements at urban towers are 21% to 36% in February and 31% to 43% in July. In July, the incoming air dominates the total variability of synthetic enhancements at the urban towers (R2 = 0.58). Modeled observations from the selected background towers generally capture the variability in the synthetic CO2 enhancements at urban towers (R2 = 0.75, root-mean-square error (RMSE) = 3.64 ppm; R2 = 0.43, RMSE = 4.96 ppm for February and July). However, errors associated with representing background air can be up to 10 ppm for any given observation even with an optimal background tower configuration. More sophisticated methods may be necessary to represent background air to accurately estimate urban GHG emissions.

Alternative Locations for School Buildings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earthman, Glen I.

1999-01-01

School systems in urbanized or built-up areas have difficulties locating suitable sites for new buildings. Examples of the use of space in alternative locations include the Parkway Program in Philadelphia; the Work Place School in Alberta, Canada; the Metropolitan Learning Alliance in Minnesota; and the Schoolhouse Boat in Vienna, Austria. (MLF)

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...

EVOLUTION OF THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION LAYER AT AN URBAN AND NONURBAN LOCATION

EPA Science Inventory

The evolutionary cycle of the nocturnal radiation inversion layer from formation until dissipation under fair weather conditions was investigated by time-series analyses of observations of inversion base and top heights, and inversion strength at an urban and a nonurban site in S...

THE USE OF SPATIAL ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL BROWNFIELDS SITES

EPA Science Inventory

Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underutilized properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Most Brownfields sites are located in urban, commercial, and industrial areas. Under the Brownfields Program, the United...

Effects of urban green infrastructure (UGI) on local outdoor microclimate during the growing season.

PubMed

Wang, Yafei; Bakker, Frank; de Groot, Rudolf; Wörtche, Heinrich; Leemans, Rik

2015-12-01

This study analyzed how the variations of plant area index (PAI) and weather conditions alter the influence of urban green infrastructure (UGI) on microclimate. To observe how diverse UGIs affect the ambient microclimate through the seasons, microclimatic data were measured during the growing season at five sites in a local urban area in The Netherlands. Site A was located in an open space; sites B, C, and D were covered by different types and configurations of green infrastructure (grove, a single deciduous tree, and street trees, respectively); and site E was adjacent to buildings to study the effects of their façades on microclimate. Hemispherical photography and globe thermometers were used to quantify PAI and thermal comfort at both shaded and unshaded locations. The results showed that groves with high tree density (site B) have the strongest effect on microclimate conditions. Monthly variations in the differences of mean radiant temperature (∆Tmrt) between shaded and unshaded areas followed the same pattern as the PAI. Linear regression showed a significant positive correlation between PAI and ∆Tmrt. The difference of daily average air temperature (∆T a ) between shaded and unshaded areas was also positively correlated to PAI, but with a slope coefficient below the measurement accuracy (±0.5 °C). This study showed that weather conditions can significantly impact the effectiveness of UGI in regulating microclimate. The results of this study can support the development of appropriate UGI measures to enhance thermal comfort in urban areas.

Urban Field Experiences for Undergraduate Liberal Arts Students: Using Compromised Environments as Living Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; Knee, K.

2015-12-01

While urban environments may lack the beauty of relatively pristine field sites, they can be used to deliver an effective demonstration of actual environmental damage. Students demanding applied field experiences from their undergraduate environmental science programs can be well served in urban settings. Here, we present strategies for integrating degraded urban systems into the undergraduate field experience. Urban locations provide an opportunity for a different type of local "field-work" than would otherwise be available. In the upper-level undergraduate Environmental Methods class, we relied on a National Park area located a 10-minute walk from campus for most field exercises. Activities included soil analysis, measuring stream flow and water quality parameters, dendrochronology, and aquatic microbe metabolism. In the non-majors class, we make use of our urban location to contrast water quality in parks and highly channelized urban streams. Students spend labs immersed in streams and wetlands heavily impacted by the urban runoff their city generates. Here we share lesson plans and budgets for field activities that can be completed during a class period of 2.5 hours with a $75 course fee, show how these activities help students gain quantitative competency.

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.

The hydrogeology of urbanization: The lost springs of Washington, D.C., late Tertiary and Quaternary sediments of D.C., and the Baltimore Long Term Ecological Research site (LTER): Chapter

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bhaskar, Aditi; Pavich, Milan J.; Sharp, John M.

2015-01-01

Urbanization is a major process now shaping the environment. This field trip looks at the hydrogeology of the general Washington, D.C., area and focuses on the city's lost springs. Until 150 years ago, springs and shallow dug wells were the main source of drinking water for residents of Washington, D.C. Celebrating the nation's bicentennial, Garnett P. Williams of the U.S. Geological Survey examined changes in water supply and water courses since 1776. He examined old newspaper files to determine the location of the city's springs. This field trip visits sites of some of these springs (few of which are now flowing), discusses the hydrologic impacts of urbanization and the general geological setting, and finishes with the Baltimore Long Term Ecological Research site at Dead Run and its findings. The field trip visits some familiar locations in the Washington, D.C., area, and gives insights into their often hidden hydrologic past and present.

Study of geographical trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using pine needles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amigo, José Manuel; Ratola, Nuno; Alves, Arminda

2011-10-01

In this work, pine needles were used as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) markers to study the PAHs distribution over several geographical locations in Portugal and over time. Four pine needle sampling campaigns (winter, spring, summer and autumn 2007) were carried out in 29 sites, covering the major urban centres, some industrial points, smaller cities, rural areas and remote locations. Needles from Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus pinea L. trees were collected from 2005 and 2006 shoots, corresponding to one up to three years of exposure. Spatial trends of the incidence of PAHs indicate an increase from the remote to the urban and industrial sites. The mean values for the sum of 16 PAHs ranged from 96 ± 30 ng g -1 (dry weight) for remote sites to 866 ± 304 ng g -1 (dw) for industrial sites for P. pinaster needles and from 188 ± 117 ng g -1 (dw) for rural sites to 337 ± 153 ng g -1 (dw) for urban sites for P. pinea. Geographic information system tools and principal component analysis revealed that the contamination patterns of PAHs are somehow related to several socio-geographic parameters of the sampling sites. The geographical trend for the PAHs is similar between seasons in terms of PAH levels, but some diverse behaviour is found on the separation of lighter and heavier PAHs. Differences between P. pinaster and P. pinea needles are stronger in terms of PAH uptake loads than in the site type fingerprints.

Organic compounds in aerosols from selected European sites - Biogenic versus anthropogenic sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Célia; Vicente, Ana; Pio, Casimiro; Kiss, Gyula; Hoffer, Andras; Decesari, Stefano; Prevôt, André S. H.; Minguillón, María Cruz; Querol, Xavier; Hillamo, Risto; Spindler, Gerald; Swietlicki, Erik

2012-11-01

Atmospheric aerosol samples from a boreal forest (Hyytiälä, April 2007), a rural site in Hungary (K-puszta, summer 2008), a polluted rural area in Italy (San Pietro Capofiume, Po Valley, April 2008), a moderately polluted rural site in Germany located on a meadow (Melpitz, May 2008), a natural park in Spain (Montseny, March 2009) and two urban background locations (Zurich, December 2008, and Barcelona, February/March 2009) were collected. Aliphatics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbonyls, sterols, n-alkanols, acids, phenolic compounds and anhydrosugars in aerosols were chemically characterised by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, along with source attribution based on the carbon preference index (CPI), the ratios between the unresolved and the chromatographically resolved aliphatics, the contribution of wax n-alkanes, n-alkanols and n-alkanoic acids from plants, diagnostic ratios of individual target compounds and source-specific markers to organic carbon ratios. In spite of transboundary pollution episodes, Hyytiälä registered the lowest levels among all locations. CPI values close to 1 for the aliphatic fraction of the Montseny aerosol suggest that the anthropogenic input may be associated with the transport of aged air masses from the surrounding industrial/urban areas, which superimpose the locally originated hydrocarbons with biogenic origin. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in samples from San Pietro Capofiume reveal that fossil fuel combustion is a major source influencing the diel pattern of concentrations. This source contributed to 25-45% of the ambient organic carbon (OC) at the Po Valley site. Aerosols from the German meadow presented variable contributions from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources. The highest levels of vegetation wax components and biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) products were observed at K-puszta, while anthropogenic SOA compounds predominated in Barcelona. The primary vehicular emissions in the Spanish city accounted for around 25-30% of the OC in aerosols. Besides the traffic input (10% of OC), residential wood burning was found to be another dominant emission source contributing to the atmospheric aerosol (up to 38% of OC) at the Swiss urban location. It was estimated that around 10% of the OC mass in the urban sites originates from cooking emissions. Aerosols from the urban area of Zurich presented a much higher PAH content, and benzo(a)pyrene equivalent concentrations sometimes exceeding the mandatory limit.

Evaluation of reproductive endocrine status in hornyhead turbot sampled from Southern California's urbanized coastal environments.

PubMed

Reyes, Jesus A; Vidal-Dorsch, Doris E; Schlenk, Daniel; Bay, Steven M; Armstrong, Jeffrey L; Gully, Joseph R; Cash, Curtis; Baker, Michael; Stebbins, Timothy D; Hardiman, Gary; Kelley, Kevin M

2012-12-01

As part of a regionwide collaboration to determine the occurrence of contaminants and biological effects in coastal ecosystems offshore of urban southern California, the present study characterized the reproductive endocrinology of an indigenous flatfish, the hornyhead turbot (Pleuronichthys verticalis), and compared groups sampled from different study sites representing varying degrees of pollution to screen for potential endocrine disruptive effects. Turbot were sampled from locations near the coastal discharge sites of four large municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located between Los Angeles and San Diego, California, USA, and were compared with fish sampled from three far-field reference locations in the region. Despite environmental presence of both legacy contaminants and contaminants of emerging concern and evidence for fish exposure to several classes of contaminants, both males and females generally exhibited coordinated seasonal reproductive cycles at all study sites. Patterns observed included peaks in sex steroids (17β-estradiol, testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone) in the spring and low levels in the fall, changes corresponding to similarly timed gonadal changes and plasma vitellogenin concentrations in females. Comparisons between fish captured at the different study sites demonstrated some regional differences in plasma levels of estrogens and androgens, indicative of location-associated effects on the endocrine system. The observed differences, however, could not be linked to the ocean discharge locations of four of the largest WWTPs in the world. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Factors Contributing to Urban Malaria Transmission in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

De Silva, Prathiba M.; Marshall, John M.

2012-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa suffers by far the greatest malaria burden worldwide and is currently undergoing a profound demographic change, with a growing proportion of its population moving to urban areas. Urbanisation is generally expected to reduce malaria transmission; however the disease still persists in African cities, in some cases at higher levels than in nearby rural areas. Objective. This paper aims to collate and analyse risk factors for urban malaria transmission throughout sub-Saharan Africa and to discuss their implications for control. Methods. A systematic search on malaria and urbanisation was carried out focusing on sub-Saharan Africa. Particular interest was taken in vector breeding sites in urban and periurban areas. Results. A variety of urban vector breeding sites were catalogued, the majority of which were artificial, including urban agriculture, tyre tracks, and ditches. Natural breeding sites varied according to location. Low socioeconomic status was a significant risk factor for malaria, often present in peri-urban areas. A worrying trend was seen in the adaptation of malaria vector species to the urban environment. Urban malaria is highly focused and control programs should reflect this. Conclusion. As urbanisation continues and vector species adapt, continued monitoring and control of urban malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is essential. PMID:23125863

The future of long-term USDA Forest Service research sites in the Northeast

Treesearch

Michael T. Rains

2006-01-01

The mission of the Northeastern Research Station is "Improving Lives and Protecting Our Earth Through Research." Our nine experimental sites are the keystone of this mission. Our experimental sites are located in major forest types from West Virginia to Maine, and in Baltimore, Maryland, where we have a long-term ecological research site representing urban...

Decreasing Abundance, Increasing Diversity and Changing Structure of the Wild Bee Community (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) along an Urbanization Gradient

PubMed Central

Fortel, Laura; Henry, Mickaël; Guilbaud, Laurent; Guirao, Anne Laure; Kuhlmann, Michael; Mouret, Hugues; Rollin, Orianne; Vaissière, Bernard E.

2014-01-01

Background Wild bees are important pollinators that have declined in diversity and abundance during the last decades. Habitat destruction and fragmentation associated with urbanization are reported as part of the main causes of this decline. Urbanization involves dramatic changes of the landscape, increasing the proportion of impervious surface while decreasing that of green areas. Few studies have investigated the effects of urbanization on bee communities. We assessed changes in the abundance, species richness, and composition of wild bee community along an urbanization gradient. Methodology/Principal Findings Over two years and on a monthly basis, bees were sampled with colored pan traps and insect nets at 24 sites located along an urbanization gradient. Landscape structure within three different radii was measured at each study site. We captured 291 wild bee species. The abundance of wild bees was negatively correlated with the proportion of impervious surface, while species richness reached a maximum at an intermediate (50%) proportion of impervious surface. The structure of the community changed along the urbanization gradient with more parasitic species in sites with an intermediate proportion of impervious surface. There were also greater numbers of cavity-nesting species and long-tongued species in sites with intermediate or higher proportion of impervious surface. However, urbanization had no effect on the occurrence of species depending on their social behavior or body size. Conclusions/Significance We found nearly a third of the wild bee fauna known from France in our study sites. Indeed, urban areas supported a diverse bee community, but sites with an intermediate level of urbanization were the most speciose ones, including greater proportion of parasitic species. The presence of a diverse array of bee species even in the most urbanized area makes these pollinators worthy of being a flagship group to raise the awareness of urban citizens about biodiversity. PMID:25118722

Decreasing abundance, increasing diversity and changing structure of the wild bee community (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) along an urbanization gradient.

PubMed

Fortel, Laura; Henry, Mickaël; Guilbaud, Laurent; Guirao, Anne Laure; Kuhlmann, Michael; Mouret, Hugues; Rollin, Orianne; Vaissière, Bernard E

2014-01-01

Wild bees are important pollinators that have declined in diversity and abundance during the last decades. Habitat destruction and fragmentation associated with urbanization are reported as part of the main causes of this decline. Urbanization involves dramatic changes of the landscape, increasing the proportion of impervious surface while decreasing that of green areas. Few studies have investigated the effects of urbanization on bee communities. We assessed changes in the abundance, species richness, and composition of wild bee community along an urbanization gradient. Over two years and on a monthly basis, bees were sampled with colored pan traps and insect nets at 24 sites located along an urbanization gradient. Landscape structure within three different radii was measured at each study site. We captured 291 wild bee species. The abundance of wild bees was negatively correlated with the proportion of impervious surface, while species richness reached a maximum at an intermediate (50%) proportion of impervious surface. The structure of the community changed along the urbanization gradient with more parasitic species in sites with an intermediate proportion of impervious surface. There were also greater numbers of cavity-nesting species and long-tongued species in sites with intermediate or higher proportion of impervious surface. However, urbanization had no effect on the occurrence of species depending on their social behavior or body size. We found nearly a third of the wild bee fauna known from France in our study sites. Indeed, urban areas supported a diverse bee community, but sites with an intermediate level of urbanization were the most speciose ones, including greater proportion of parasitic species. The presence of a diverse array of bee species even in the most urbanized area makes these pollinators worthy of being a flagship group to raise the awareness of urban citizens about biodiversity.

Public Library Site Evaluation and Location: Past and Present Market-Based Modelling Tools for the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koontz, Christine M.

1992-01-01

Presents a methodology for construction of location modeling for public library facilities in diverse urban environments. Historical and current research in library location is reviewed; and data collected from a survey of six library systems are analyzed according to population, spatial, library use, and library attractiveness variables. (48…

The influence of urban, suburban, or rural locale on survival from refractory prehospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Vukmir, Rade B

2004-03-01

There are many variables that can have an effect on survival in cardiopulmonary arrest. This study examined the effect of urban, suburban, or rural location on the outcome of prehospital cardiac arrest as a secondary end point in a study evaluating the effect of bicarbonate on survival. The proportion of survivors within a type of EMS provider system as well as response times were compared. This prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical intervention trial enrolled 874 prehospital cardiopulmonary arrest patients encountered by prehospital urban, suburban, and rural regional EMS area. Population density (patients per square mile) calculation allowed classification into urban (>2000/mi2), suburban (>400/mi2), and rural (0-399/mi2) systems. This group underwent standard advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) intervention with or without early empiric administration of bicarbonate in a 1-mEq/kg dose. A group of demographic, diagnostic, and therapeutic variables were analyzed for their effect on survival. Times were measured from collapse until onset of medical intervention and survival measured as the presence of ED vital signs on arrival. Data analysis used chi-squared with Pearson correlation for survivorship and Student t test comparisons for response times. The overall survival rate was approximately 13.9% (110 of 793), ranging from 9% rural, 14% for suburban, and 23% for urban sites for 372 patients (P=.007). Survival differences were associated with classification of arrest locale in this sample-best for urban, suburban, followed by rural sites. There was no difference in time to bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but medical response time (basic life support) was decreased for suburban or urban sites, and intervention (ACLS) and transport times were decreased for suburban sites alone. Although response times were differentiated by location, they were not necessarily predictive of survival. Factors other than response time such as patient population or resuscitation skill could influence survival from cardiac arrest occurring in diverse prehospital service areas.

Studying the urban thermal environment under a human-biometeorological point of view: The case of a large coastal metropolitan city, Athens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katavoutas, George; Georgiou, Giorgos K.; Asimakopoulos, Dimosthenis N.

2015-01-01

The thermal environment in modern cities has become potentially unfavorable and harmful for its residents, as a result of urbanization and industrialization. Exposure to these extreme thermal conditions increases the heat stress of people in cities considerably. In this context, the present study aims to investigate the urban thermal environment of the large coastal metropolitan city of Athens, in a human-biometeorologically significant way, utilizing the thermo-physiological assessment index PET. The analysis was based on three hour measurements derived from three-year datasets (2006-2009), at 12 monitoring sites located in the urban complex of Athens, on its boundaries and beyond them. The differences of PET values have been investigated in order to attribute urban and exurban thermal characteristics to the considered sites. The frequency and spatial distribution of PET as well as the urban/rural differences of PET have also been analyzed. Finally, a trend analysis has been applied in order to detect possible PET trends by employing long-term recording data (1985-2008). In terms of thermal human-biometeorological conditions, the analysis reveals that among the considered stations, those located inside the urban complex and the industrialized area present urban thermal characteristics, regardless the fact that they are installed either in a park and on a hill or at an open field. The spatial distribution of PET, at 0200 LST, shows a difference of about 3 to 4 °C, on the main axis of the city (SSW-NNE) in the summer period, while the difference exceeds 2.5 °C in the winter period. In general, cooler (less warm) thermal perception is observed at the north/northeast sites of the city as well as at the areas beyond the eastern boundaries of it. The PET differences between urban and rural sites hold a positive sign, except of those at 0500 LST and at 0800 LST. The highest differences are noted at 1400 LST and the most intense of them is noticed in the summer period (exceeds 5 °C). The trend analysis reveals statistically significant increasing heat stress for certain stations and months.

Evaluating Water and Energy Fluxes across Three Land Cover Types in a Desert Urban Environment through a Mobile Eddy Covariance Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierini, N.; Vivoni, E. R.; Schreiner-McGraw, A.; Lopez-Castrillo, I.

2015-12-01

The urbanization process transforms a natural landscape into a built environment with many engineered surfaces, leading to significant impacts on surface energy and water fluxes across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Nevertheless, the effects of different urban land covers on energy and water fluxes has been rarely quantified across the large varieties of construction materials, landscaping and vegetation types, and industrial, commercial and residential areas in cities. In this study, we deployed a mobile eddy covariance tower at three different locations in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area to capture a variety of urban land covers. The three locations each represent a common urban class in Phoenix: 1) a dense, xeric landscape (gravel cover and native plants with drip-irrigation systems near tall buildings); 2) a high-density urban site (asphalt-paved parking lot near a high-traffic intersection); and 3) a suburban mesic landscape (sprinkler-irrigated turf grass in a suburban neighborhood). At each site, we measured meteorological variables, including air temperature and relative humidity at three heights, precipitation and pressure, surface temperature, and soil moisture and temperature (where applicable), to complement the eddy covariance measurements of radiation, energy, carbon dioxide and water vapor fluxes. We evaluated the tower footprint at each site to characterize the contributing surface area to the flux measurements, including engineered and landscaping elements, as a function of time for each deployment. The different sites allowed us to compare how turbulent fluxes of water vapor and carbon dioxide vary for these representative urban land covers, in particular with respect to the role of precipitation events and irrigation. While the deployments covered different seasons, from winter to summer in 2015, the variety of daily conditions allowed quantification of the differential response to precipitation events during the winter, pre-monsoon, and monsoon seasons in relation to irrigation input or lack thereof. As desert urban areas continue to grow worldwide, it is essential to gain an improved understanding of how the energy and water balances vary across the built environment and their implications on urban climate, energy, hydrologic conditions, and air quality.

Site Planning: Auraria Higher Education Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auraria Higher Education Center, Denver, CO.

This book presents the site master plan for the Auraria Higher Education Center, which is dedicated to the offering of an urban-oriented program in higher education and is made up of three institutions -- the Denver Center of the University of Colorado, Metropolitan State College, and the Community College of Denver located on a single site in the…

Landscape stability and water management around the ancient city Jerash, Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holdridge, Genevieve; Simpson, Ian; Lichtenberger, Achim; Raja, Rubina; Kristiansen, Søren

2017-04-01

Reduced vulnerability to environmental fluctuations by increasing food and water security increases the resilience of a human society. In the Middle East, there is much archaeological evidence of steady developments and abrupt disasters in cities that have occurred over the millennia, while paleoenvironmental and landscape studies have provided much needed insight into the changes of a citýs surroundings. However, more in-depth urban archaeological studies of soils and sediments on-site, and the interaction of processes on- and off-site are needed to provide new information on human impact and adaptation through time in this region. The present city of Jerash is the location of one of the major Roman urban centers of the Syrian Decapolis. The city was continuously occupied from the Hellenistic period (2nd century BC) to the Umayyad period in the 8th century AD. The city is located along the Wadi Dayr, which feeds into the Zarqa River, and the area is affected by the tectonic activity of the Dead Sea Rift zone. Since the Roman period, various structures were built to manage surface water including rock-cut and plastered channels, water reservoirs and cisterns. Also, during the city's long occupation, slopes were managed by constructing terraces on- and off-site. We have examined the urban and extra-urban fluvial record along the Wadi Dayr in order to better understand urban adaptation and environmental impact of on- and off-site water and land management. By engaging an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates archaeological, paleoclimatic, and geomorphological information, our objective is to discern natural and anthropogenic influences on land and water management. In order to explore human adaptation and impact, we have examined both on- and off-site urban stratigraphy, and are currently analyzing sediments and soils at both landscape and intra-site scales. Profiles in key locations of the wadi offer insight into slope stability (upstream), site land use (midstream) and overall impacts on the wadi system (downstream). Analyses include soil geochemistry, micromorphology and physical properties. We have also applied both relative and absolute dating techniques (i.e., optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating) to constrain short-term events, and to better understand long-term change. Paleoclimatic proxies including stalagmites and sea cores from the eastern Mediterranean are used as a source for regional paleoclimatic trends. We will present early results from this interdisciplinary approach, which offer insight into how on- and off-site land and water use of an ancient city reflect adaptation over centuries of occupational history. In addition, these early results provide much needed information on the beneficial and adverse impacts this adaptation had on the surrounding landscape and local dryland fluvial system.

Carbon dioxide and methane measurements from the Los Angeles Megacity Carbon Project - Part 1: calibration, urban enhancements, and uncertainty estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhulst, Kristal R.; Karion, Anna; Kim, Jooil; Salameh, Peter K.; Keeling, Ralph F.; Newman, Sally; Miller, John; Sloop, Christopher; Pongetti, Thomas; Rao, Preeti; Wong, Clare; Hopkins, Francesca M.; Yadav, Vineet; Weiss, Ray F.; Duren, Riley M.; Miller, Charles E.

2017-07-01

We report continuous surface observations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) from the Los Angeles (LA) Megacity Carbon Project during 2015. We devised a calibration strategy, methods for selection of background air masses, calculation of urban enhancements, and a detailed algorithm for estimating uncertainties in urban-scale CO2 and CH4 measurements. These methods are essential for understanding carbon fluxes from the LA megacity and other complex urban environments globally. We estimate background mole fractions entering LA using observations from four extra-urban sites including two marine sites located south of LA in La Jolla (LJO) and offshore on San Clemente Island (SCI), one continental site located in Victorville (VIC), in the high desert northeast of LA, and one continental/mid-troposphere site located on Mount Wilson (MWO) in the San Gabriel Mountains. We find that a local marine background can be established to within ˜ 1 ppm CO2 and ˜ 10 ppb CH4 using these local measurement sites. Overall, atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane levels are highly variable across Los Angeles. Urban and suburban sites show moderate to large CO2 and CH4 enhancements relative to a marine background estimate. The USC (University of Southern California) site near downtown LA exhibits median hourly enhancements of ˜ 20 ppm CO2 and ˜ 150 ppb CH4 during 2015 as well as ˜ 15 ppm CO2 and ˜ 80 ppb CH4 during mid-afternoon hours (12:00-16:00 LT, local time), which is the typical period of focus for flux inversions. The estimated measurement uncertainty is typically better than 0.1 ppm CO2 and 1 ppb CH4 based on the repeated standard gas measurements from the LA sites during the last 2 years, similar to Andrews et al. (2014). The largest component of the measurement uncertainty is due to the single-point calibration method; however, the uncertainty in the background mole fraction is much larger than the measurement uncertainty. The background uncertainty for the marine background estimate is ˜ 10 and ˜ 15 % of the median mid-afternoon enhancement near downtown LA for CO2 and CH4, respectively. Overall, analytical and background uncertainties are small relative to the local CO2 and CH4 enhancements; however, our results suggest that reducing the uncertainty to less than 5 % of the median mid-afternoon enhancement will require detailed assessment of the impact of meteorology on background conditions.

A national-scale review of air pollutant concentrations measured in the U.S. near-road monitoring network during 2014 and 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeWinter, Jennifer L.; Brown, Steven G.; Seagram, Annie F.; Landsberg, Karin; Eisinger, Douglas S.

2018-06-01

In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for NO2 to include a primary health-based standard for hourly NO2, and required air quality monitoring next to major roadways in urban areas in the U.S. Requirements for near-road measurements also include carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5). We performed a national-scale assessment of air pollutants measured at 81 sites in the near-road environment during the first two years (2014 and 2015) of the new measurement program. We evaluated how concentrations at these locations compared to the NAAQS, to concentrations measured at other sites within the same urban areas, and when considering their site characteristics (distance of monitor to road, traffic volume, and meteorology). We also estimated the contribution of emissions from adjacent roadways at each near-road site to the PM2.5 concentrations above the local urban background concentrations, i.e., the near-road "increment." Hourly values of CO reached a maximum of 4.8 ppm across 31 sites in 2014 and 9.6 ppm across 47 sites in 2015, and were well below the NAAQS levels for both the 1-hr (35 ppm) and 8-hr (9 ppm) standards. Hourly concentrations of near-road NO2 reached 258 ppb across 40 sites in 2014; however, there were only two occurrences of a daily 1-hr maximum NO2 concentration above 100 ppb (the level of the hourly NO2 standard). In 2015, hourly concentrations of near-road NO2, monitored at 61 sites in 55 urban areas, reached 154 ppb. Only 0.0015% (n = 5) of hourly NO2 observations in 2015 exceeded 100 ppb. The highest annual NO2 average recorded in 2015 (29.9 ppb) occurred at the Ontario site located along I-10 in the Los Angeles, California, area and was below the level of the NO2 annual standard (53 ppb); in 2014, the highest annual mean NO2 was also observed in Los Angeles at the Anaheim site (27.1 ppb). In 2014, sites in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Louisville recorded annual average PM2.5 concentrations at or above 12 μg/m3 (the level of the annual standard). There were 15 occurrences in 2014 of 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations above the NAAQS level of 35 μg/m3. Annual average PM2.5 exceeded 12 μg/m3 at near-road sites in five urban areas in 2015, and there were 33 days across 12 near-road locations with 24-hr PM2.5 concentrations above 35 μg/m3. Across the near-road monitoring network, annual average PM2.5 concentrations did not have a significant relationship with traffic volume or distance between the monitor and the adjacent roadway; rather, variations in PM2.5 were mostly driven by urban-scale PM2.5, with a typically small "increment" above urban-scale concentrations due to a site's proximity to the roadway. We estimated this increment, i.e., the difference between near-road PM2.5 concentrations and the concentrations at sites in the urban area of each near-road monitor, to be on average 1.2 μg/m3 (σ = 0.3 μg/m3), with a range of -1.2 μg/m3 to 3.1 μg/m3 across the 26 sites (four of which had a negative increment). The near-road increment is on average 13% of the near-road PM2.5, and 15% of the near-road PM2.5 for sites within 20 m of the roadway.

Prioritizing preferable locations for increasing urban tree canopy in New York City

Treesearch

Dexter Locke; J. Morgan Grove; Jacqueline W.T. Lu; Austin Troy; Jarlath P.M. O' Neil-Dunne; Brian Beck

2010-01-01

This paper presents a set of Geographic Information System (GIS) methods for identifying and prioritizing tree planting sites in urban environments. It uses an analytical approach created by a University of Vermont service-learning class called "GIS Analysis of New York City's Ecology" that was designed to provide research support to the MillionTreesNYC...

Quantifying Neighborhood-Scale Spatial Variations of Ozone at Open Space and Urban Sites in Boulder, Colorado Using Low-Cost Sensor Technology.

PubMed

Cheadle, Lucy; Deanes, Lauren; Sadighi, Kira; Gordon Casey, Joanna; Collier-Oxandale, Ashley; Hannigan, Michael

2017-09-10

Recent advances in air pollution sensors have led to a new wave of low-cost measurement systems that can be deployed in dense networks to capture small-scale spatio-temporal variations in ozone, a pollutant known to cause negative human health impacts. This study deployed a network of seven low-cost ozone metal oxide sensor systems (UPods) in both an open space and an urban location in Boulder, Colorado during June and July of 2015, to quantify ozone variations on spatial scales ranging from 12 m between UPods to 6.7 km between open space and urban measurement sites with a measurement uncertainty of ~5 ppb. The results showed spatial variability of ozone at both deployment sites, with the largest differences between UPod measurements occurring during the afternoons. The peak median hourly difference between UPods was 6 ppb at 1:00 p.m. at the open space site, and 11 ppb at 4:00 p.m. at the urban site. Overall, the urban ozone measurements were higher than in the open space measurements. This study evaluates the effectiveness of using low-cost sensors to capture microscale spatial and temporal variation of ozone; additionally, it highlights the importance of field calibrations and measurement uncertainty quantification when deploying low-cost sensors.

Composition and sources of fine particulate matter across urban and rural sites in the Midwestern United States

PubMed Central

Kundu, Shuvashish; Stone, Elizabeth. A.

2014-01-01

The composition and sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were investigated in rural and urban locations in Iowa, located in the agricultural and industrial Midwestern United States from April 2009 to December 2012. Major chemical contributors to PM2.5 mass were sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and organic carbon. Non-parametric statistical analyses demonstrated that the two rural sites had significantly enhanced levels of crustal materials (Si, Al) driven by agricultural activities and unpaved roads. Meanwhile, the three urban areas had enhanced levels of secondary aerosol (nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium) and combustion (organic and elemental carbon). The heavily industrialized Davenport site had significantly higher levels of PM2.5 and trace metals (Fe, Pb, Zn), demonstrating the important local impact of industrial point sources on air quality. Sources of PM2.5 were evaluated by the multi-variant positive matrix factorization (PMF) source apportionment model. For each individual site, seven to nine factors were identified: secondary sulfate (accounting for 29–30% of PM2.5), secondary nitrate (17–24%), biomass burning (9–21%), gasoline combustion (6–16), diesel combustion (3–9%), dust (6–11%), industry (0.4–5%) and winter salt (2–6%). Source contributions demonstrated a clear urban enhancement in PM2.5 from gasoline engines (by a factor of 1.14) and diesel engines (by a factor of 2.3), which is significant due to the well-documented negative health impacts of vehicular emissions. This study presents the first source apportionment results from the state of Iowa and is broadly applicable to understanding the differences in anthropogenic and natural sources in the urban-rural continuum of particle air pollution. PMID:24736797

Effects of Siberian wildfires on the chemical composition and acidity of atmospheric aerosols of remote urban, rural and background territories.

PubMed

Smolyakov, Boris S; Makarov, Valeriy I; Shinkorenko, Marina P; Popova, Svetlana A; Bizin, Mikhail A

2014-05-01

Extensive forest fires occurred during the summer of 2012 in Siberia. This work presents the influence of long-range atmospheric smoke on the aerosol properties at urban, suburban and background sites, which are located 400-800 km from the fire source. The higher levels of submicron particles (PM1), organic (OC), secondary organic (SOC) and elemental (EC) carbon were observed at all sampling sites, whereas an increase in ionic species HCOO(-), K(+), NO3(-), and Cl(-) and a decrease in pH was higher at the background and suburban sites in comparison with the urban site. Other natural and anthropogenic factors appear to be more significant for ions Ca(2+) + Mg(2+), HCO3(-), NH4(+), SO4(2-) and Na(+). The present study indicates that the impact of remote fires on the aerosol characteristics depends on their background (without fires) levels at the sampling sites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of age and gender on skin-associated microbial communities in urban and rural human populations

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

Ying, Shi; Zeng, Dan -Ning; Chi, Liang

Differences in the bacterial community structure associated with 7 skin sites in 71 healthy people over five days showed significant correlations with age, gender, physical skin parameters, and whether participants lived in urban or rural locations in the same city. While body site explained the majority of the variance in bacterial community structure, the composition of the skin-associated bacterial communities were predominantly influenced by whether the participants were living in an urban or rural environment, with a significantly greater relative abundance of Trabulsiella in urban populations. Adults maintained greater overall microbial diversity than adolescents or the elderly, while the intragroupmore » variation among the elderly and rural populations was significantly greater. Lastly, skin-associated bacterial community structure and composition could predict whether a sample came from an urban or a rural resident ~ 5x greater than random.« less

The influence of age and gender on skin-associated microbial communities in urban and rural human populations

DOE PAGES

Ying, Shi; Zeng, Dan -Ning; Chi, Liang; ...

2015-10-28

Differences in the bacterial community structure associated with 7 skin sites in 71 healthy people over five days showed significant correlations with age, gender, physical skin parameters, and whether participants lived in urban or rural locations in the same city. While body site explained the majority of the variance in bacterial community structure, the composition of the skin-associated bacterial communities were predominantly influenced by whether the participants were living in an urban or rural environment, with a significantly greater relative abundance of Trabulsiella in urban populations. Adults maintained greater overall microbial diversity than adolescents or the elderly, while the intragroupmore » variation among the elderly and rural populations was significantly greater. Lastly, skin-associated bacterial community structure and composition could predict whether a sample came from an urban or a rural resident ~ 5x greater than random.« less

The Biogeochemistry of Seattle's Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yonemura, R.

2016-12-01

Urban development is underway at an unprecedented pace in the city of Seattle, WA. What were once productive salmon spawning ecosystems are now highly altered ecosystems that reflect the impacts of human land-use change. However, the impact that these changes have had on the carbon biogeochemistry have not been studied. We investigate the biogeochemical properties over time of two urban streams in Seattle; Ravenna Creek, an urban park and closed network, and Thornton Creek, a recently day-lighted and restored stream network. We conducted a longitudinal sampling along each of these creeks from their headwaters down to their confluences with Lake Washington. Our data suggest that these systems are supersaturated in both dissolved carbon dioxide and dissolved methane. Preliminary results reveal that carbon dioxide and methane are both highest at the end of Ravenna Creek located on the surface of a preexisting landfill. The highest carbon dioxide and methane levels on Thornton Creek are located at the uppermost site and the site directly below a golf course. These findings suggest that local land-use has an impact on the concentrations of dissolved gases in the surrounding water bodies with implications for urban streams as localized sources of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Additional data on nutrients and stream metabolism will highlight the consistency of these gas concentrations over time, and provide an additional indicator into the health of these urban systems.

Vertical and horizontal variability of PM10 source contributions in Barcelona during SAPUSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brines, Mariola; Dall'Osto, Manuel; Amato, Fulvio; Cruz Minguillón, María; Karanasiou, Angeliki; Alastuey, Andrés; Querol, Xavier

2016-06-01

During the SAPUSS campaign (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies) PM10 samples at 12-hour resolution were simultaneously collected at four monitoring sites located in the urban agglomerate of Barcelona (Spain). A total of 221 samples were collected from 20 September to 20 October 2010. The Road Site (RS) site and the Urban Background (UB) site were located at street level, whereas the Torre Mapfre (TM) and the Torre Collserola (TC) sites were located at 150 m a.s.l. by the sea side within the urban area and at 415 m a.s.l. 8 km inland, respectively. For the first time, we are able to report simultaneous PM10 aerosol measurements, allowing us to study aerosol gradients at both horizontal and vertical levels. The complete chemical composition of PM10 was determined on the 221 samples, and factor analysis (positive matrix factorisation, PMF) was applied. This resulted in eight factors which were attributed to eight main aerosol sources affecting PM10 concentrations in the studied urban environment: (1) vehicle exhaust and wear (2-9 µg m-3, 10-27 % of PM10 mass on average), (2) road dust (2-4 µg m-3, 8-12 %), (3) mineral dust (5 µg m-3, 13-26 %), (4) aged marine (3-5 µg m-3, 13-20 %), (5) heavy oil (0.4-0.6 µg m-3, 2 %), (6) industrial (1 µg m-3, 3-5 %), (7) sulfate (3-4 µg m-3, 11-17 %) and (8) nitrate (4-6 µg m-3, 17-21 %). Three aerosol sources were found to be enhanced at the ground levels (confined within the urban ground levels of the city) relative to the upper levels: (1) vehicle exhaust and wear (2.8 higher), (2) road dust (1.8 higher) and (3) local urban industries/crafts workshops (1.6 higher). Surprisingly, the other aerosol sources were relatively homogeneous at both horizontal and vertical levels. However, air mass origin and meteorological parameters also played a key role in influencing the variability of the factor concentrations. The mineral dust and aged marine factors were found to be a mixture of natural and anthropogenic components and were thus further investigated. Overall, three types of dust were identified to affect the urban study area: road dust (35 % of the mineral dust load, 2-4 µg m-3 on average), Saharan dust (28 %, 2.1 µg m-3) and background mineral dust (37 %, 2.8 µg m-3). Our results evidence that although the city of Barcelona broadly shows a homogeneous distribution of PM10 pollution sources, non-exhaust traffic, exhaust traffic and local urban industrial activities are major coarse PM10 aerosol sources.

Vertical and horizontal variability of PM10 source contributions in Barcelona during SAPUSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brines, M.; Dall'Osto, M.; Amato, F.; Minguillón, M. C.; Karanasiou, A.; Alastuey, A.; Querol, X.

2015-11-01

During the SAPUSS campaign (Solving Aerosol Problems by Using Synergistic Strategies) PM10 samples at twelve hours resolution were simultaneously collected at four monitoring sites located in the urban agglomerate of Barcelona (Spain). A total of 221 samples were collected from 20 September to 20 October 2010. The Road Site (RS) site and the Urban Background (UB) site were located at street level, whereas the Torre Mapfre (TM) and the Torre Collserola (TC) sites were located at 150 m a.s.l. by the sea side within the urban area and at 415 m a.s.l. 8 km inland, respectively. For the first time, we are able to report simultaneous PM10 aerosol measurements allowing us to study aerosol gradients at both horizontal and vertical levels. The complete chemical composition of PM10 was determined on the 221 samples, and factor analysis (Positive Matrix Factorisation, PMF) was applied. This resulted in eight factors which were attributed to eight main aerosol sources affecting PM10 concentrations in the studied urban environment: (1) vehicle exhaust and wear (2-9 μg m-3, 10-27 % of PM10 mass on average), (2) road dust (2-4 μg m-3, 8-12 %), (3) mineral dust (5 μg m-3, 13-26 %), (4) aged marine (3-5 μg m-3, 13-20 %), (5) heavy oil (0.4-0.6 μg m-3, 2 %), (6) industrial (1 μg m-3, 3-5 %), (7) sulphate (3-4 μg m-3, 11-17 %) and (8) nitrate (4-6 μg m-3, 17-21 %). Three aerosol sources were found enhanced at the ground levels (confined within the urban ground levels of the city) relative to the upper levels: (1) vehicle exhaust and wear (2.8 higher), (2) road dust (1.8 higher) and (3) local urban industries/crafts workshops (1.6 higher). Surprisingly, the other aerosol sources were relatively homogeneous at both horizontal and vertical levels. However, air mass origin and meteorological parameters also played a key role in influencing the variability of the factors concentrations. The mineral dust and aged marine factors were found to be a mixture of natural and anthropogenic components and were thus further investigated. Overall, three types of dust were identified to affect the urban study area: road dust (35 % of the mineral dust load, 2-4 μg m-3 on average), Saharan dust (28 %, 2.1 μg m-3) and background mineral dust (37 %, 2.8 μg m-3). Our results evidence that although the city of Barcelona broadly shows a homogeneous distribution of PM10 pollution sources, non-exhaust traffic, exhaust traffic and local urban industrial activities are major coarse PM10 aerosol sources.

Identifying Green Infrastructure from Social Media and Crowdsourcing- An Image Based Machine-Learning Approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, A.; Minsker, B. S.

2016-12-01

In this work we introduce a novel dataset GRID: GReen Infrastructure Detection Dataset and a framework for identifying urban green storm water infrastructure (GI) designs (wetlands/ponds, urban trees, and rain gardens/bioswales) from social media and satellite aerial images using computer vision and machine learning methods. Along with the hydrologic benefits of GI, such as reducing runoff volumes and urban heat islands, GI also provides important socio-economic benefits such as stress recovery and community cohesion. However, GI is installed by many different parties and cities typically do not know where GI is located, making study of its impacts or siting new GI difficult. We use object recognition learning methods (template matching, sliding window approach, and Random Hough Forest method) and supervised machine learning algorithms (e.g., support vector machines) as initial screening approaches to detect potential GI sites, which can then be investigated in more detail using on-site surveys. Training data were collected from GPS locations of Flickr and Instagram image postings and Amazon Mechanical Turk identification of each GI type. Sliding window method outperformed other methods and achieved an average F measure, which is combined metric for precision and recall performance measure of 0.78.

Effects of urbanization on groundwater evolution in an urbanizing watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyes, D.; Banner, J. L.; Bendik, N.

2011-12-01

The Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae), a candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act, is endemic to springs and caves within the Bull Creek Watershed of Austin, Texas. Rapid urbanization endangers known populations of this salamander. Conservation strategies lack information on the extent of groundwater contamination from anthropogenic sources in this karst watershed. Spring water was analyzed for strontium (Sr) isotopes and major ions from sites classified as "urban" or "rural" based on impervious cover estimates. Previous studies have shown that the 87Sr/86Sr value of municipal water is significantly higher than values for natural streamwater, which are similar to those for the Cretaceous limestone bedrock of the region's watersheds. We investigate the application of this relationship to understanding the effects of urbanization on groundwater quality. The use of Sr isotopes as hydrochemical tracers is complemented by major ion concentrations, specifically the dominant ions in natural groundwater (Ca and HCO3) and the ions associated with the addition of wastewater (Na and Cl). To identify high priority salamander-inhabited springs for water quality remediation, we explore the processes controlling the chemical evolution of groundwater such as municipal water inputs, groundwater-soil interactions, and solution/dissolution reactions. 87Sr/86Sr values for water samples from within the watershed range from 0.70760 to 0.70875, the highest values corresponding to sites located in the urbanized areas of the watershed. Analyses of the covariation of Sr isotopes with major ion concentrations help elucidate controls on spring water evolution. Springs located in rural portions of the watershed have low 87Sr/86Sr, high concentrations of Ca and HCO3, and low concentrations of Na and Cl. This is consistent with small inputs of municipal water. Three springs located in urban portions of the watershed have high 87Sr/86Sr, low Ca and HCO3, and high Na and Cl. This is consistent with large inputs of municipal water. The other five springs located in urban portions have low 87Sr/86Sr, low concentrations of Ca and HCO3, and high concentrations of Na and Cl. This is reflects a process other than an input of municipal water. Groundwater interaction with soils generally results in higher Na concentrations relative to Ca. 87Sr/86Sr values in this scenario may increase or decrease, depending on the Sr isotope variability of the local soils. Alternatively, precipitation of calcite from groundwater would decrease the concentration of Ca without necessarily decreasing 87Sr/86Sr values. The results suggest more anthropogenic water in urban springs than rural springs. These data serve to identify sources of spring recharge, including better constraints on the location(s) of urban leakage.

Food availability and foraging near human developments by black bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merkle, Jerod A.; Robinson, Hugh S.; Krausman, Paul R.; Alaback, Paul B.

2013-01-01

Understanding the relationship between foraging ecology and the presence of human-dominated landscapes is important, particularly for American black bears (Ursus americanus), which sometimes move between wildlands and urban areas to forage. The food-related factors influencing this movement have not been explored, but can be important for understanding the benefits and costs to black bear foraging behavior and the fundamental origins of bear conflicts. We tested whether the scarcity of wildland foods or the availability of urban foods can explain when black bears forage near houses, examined the extent to which male bears use urban areas in comparison to females, and identified the most important food items influencing bear movement into urban areas. We monitored 16 collared black bears in and around Missoula, Montana, during 2009 and 2010, while quantifying the rate of change in green vegetation and the availability of 5 native berry-producing species outside the urban area, the rate of change in green vegetation, and the availability of apples and garbage inside the urban area. We used parametric time-to-event models in which an event was a bear location collected within 100 m of a house. We also visited feeding sites located near houses and quantified food items bears had eaten. The probability of a bear being located near a house was 1.6 times higher for males, and increased during apple season and the urban green-up. Fruit trees accounted for most of the forage items at urban feeding sites (49%), whereas wildland foods composed <10%. Black bears foraged on human foods near houses even when wildland foods were available, suggesting that the absence of wildland foods may not influence the probability of bears foraging near houses. Additionally, other attractants, in this case fruit trees, appear to be more important than the availability of garbage in influencing when bears forage near houses.

A multi-model approach to monitor emissions of CO2 and CO from an urban-industrial complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Super, Ingrid; Denier van der Gon, Hugo A. C.; van der Molen, Michiel K.; Sterk, Hendrika A. M.; Hensen, Arjan; Peters, Wouter

2017-11-01

Monitoring urban-industrial emissions is often challenging because observations are scarce and regional atmospheric transport models are too coarse to represent the high spatiotemporal variability in the resulting concentrations. In this paper we apply a new combination of an Eulerian model (Weather Research and Forecast, WRF, with chemistry) and a Gaussian plume model (Operational Priority Substances - OPS). The modelled mixing ratios are compared to observed CO2 and CO mole fractions at four sites along a transect from an urban-industrial complex (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) towards rural conditions for October-December 2014. Urban plumes are well-mixed at our semi-urban location, making this location suited for an integrated emission estimate over the whole study area. The signals at our urban measurement site (with average enhancements of 11 ppm CO2 and 40 ppb CO over the baseline) are highly variable due to the presence of distinct source areas dominated by road traffic/residential heating emissions or industrial activities. This causes different emission signatures that are translated into a large variability in observed ΔCO : ΔCO2 ratios, which can be used to identify dominant source types. We find that WRF-Chem is able to represent synoptic variability in CO2 and CO (e.g. the median CO2 mixing ratio is 9.7 ppm, observed, against 8.8 ppm, modelled), but it fails to reproduce the hourly variability of daytime urban plumes at the urban site (R2 up to 0.05). For the urban site, adding a plume model to the model framework is beneficial to adequately represent plume transport especially from stack emissions. The explained variance in hourly, daytime CO2 enhancements from point source emissions increases from 30 % with WRF-Chem to 52 % with WRF-Chem in combination with the most detailed OPS simulation. The simulated variability in ΔCO :  ΔCO2 ratios decreases drastically from 1.5 to 0.6 ppb ppm-1, which agrees better with the observed standard deviation of 0.4 ppb ppm-1. This is partly due to improved wind fields (increase in R2 of 0.10) but also due to improved point source representation (increase in R2 of 0.05) and dilution (increase in R2 of 0.07). Based on our analysis we conclude that a plume model with detailed and accurate dispersion parameters adds substantially to top-down monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions in urban environments with large point source contributions within a ˜ 10 km radius from the observation sites.

Evolution of Multispectral Aerosol Absorption Properties in a Biogenically-Influenced Urban Environment during the CARES Campaign

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

Gyawali, Madhu; Arnott, W.; Zaveri, Rahul

We present the evolution of multispectral optical properties as urban aerosols aged and interacted with biogenic emissions resulting in stronger short wavelength absorption and formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols. Ground-based aerosol measurements were made during June 2010 within the Sacramento urban area (site T0) and at a 40-km downwind location (site T1) in the forested Sierra Nevada foothills area. Data on black carbon and non-refractory aerosol mass and composition were collected at both sites. In addition, photoacoustic (PA) instruments with integrating nephelometers were used to measure spectral absorption and scattering coefficients for wavelengths ranging from 355 to 870more » nm. The daytime absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) indicated a modest wavelength-dependent enhancement of absorption at both sites throughout the study. From the 22nd to the 28th of June, secondary organic aerosol mass increased significantly at both sites due to increased biogenic emissions coupled with intense photochemical activity and air mass recirculation in the area. During this period, the median BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC) values for 405 nm and 532 nm at T1 increased by ~23% and ~35%, respectively, compared to the relatively less aged urban emissions at the T0 site. In contrast, the average MAC values for the 870 nm wavelength were similar for both sites. These results suggest formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols in biogenically-influenced urban air.« less

Evolution of Multispectral Aerosol Absorption Properties in a Biogenically-Influenced Urban Environment during the CARES Campaign

DOE PAGES

Gyawali, Madhu; Arnott, W.; Zaveri, Rahul; ...

2017-11-13

We present the evolution of multispectral optical properties through urban aerosols that have aged and interacted with biogenic emissions, resulting in stronger short wavelength absorption and the formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols. Ground-based aerosol measurements were made in June 2010 within the Sacramento urban area (site T0) and at a 40-km downwind location (site T1) in the forested Sierra Nevada foothills area. Data on black carbon (BC) and non-refractory aerosol mass and composition were collected at both sites. In addition, photoacoustic (PA) instruments with integrating nephelometers were used to measure spectral absorption and scattering coefficients for wavelengths rangingmore » from 355 to 870 nm. The daytime absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) indicated a modest wavelength-dependent enhancement of absorption at both sites throughout the study. From 22 to 28 June 2010, secondary organic aerosol mass increased significantly at both sites, which was due to increased biogenic emissions coupled with intense photochemical activity and air mass recirculation in the area. During this period, the median BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC) values for 405 nm and 532 nm at T1 increased by ~23% and ~35%, respectively, compared with the relatively less aged urban emissions at the T0 site. In contrast, the average MAC values for the 870 nm wavelength were similar for both sites. These results suggest the formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols in biogenically-influenced urban air.« less

Evolution of Multispectral Aerosol Absorption Properties in a Biogenically-Influenced Urban Environment during the CARES Campaign

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

Gyawali, Madhu; Arnott, W.; Zaveri, Rahul

We present the evolution of multispectral optical properties through urban aerosols that have aged and interacted with biogenic emissions, resulting in stronger short wavelength absorption and the formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols. Ground-based aerosol measurements were made in June 2010 within the Sacramento urban area (site T0) and at a 40-km downwind location (site T1) in the forested Sierra Nevada foothills area. Data on black carbon (BC) and non-refractory aerosol mass and composition were collected at both sites. In addition, photoacoustic (PA) instruments with integrating nephelometers were used to measure spectral absorption and scattering coefficients for wavelengths rangingmore » from 355 to 870 nm. The daytime absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) indicated a modest wavelength-dependent enhancement of absorption at both sites throughout the study. From 22 to 28 June 2010, secondary organic aerosol mass increased significantly at both sites, which was due to increased biogenic emissions coupled with intense photochemical activity and air mass recirculation in the area. During this period, the median BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC) values for 405 nm and 532 nm at T1 increased by ~23% and ~35%, respectively, compared with the relatively less aged urban emissions at the T0 site. In contrast, the average MAC values for the 870 nm wavelength were similar for both sites. These results suggest the formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols in biogenically-influenced urban air.« less

The relationship between airborne small ions and particles in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Xuan; Jayaratne, Rohan; Morawska, Lidia

2013-11-01

Ions play an important role in affecting climate and particle formation in the atmosphere. Small ions rapidly attach to particles in the air and, therefore, studies have shown that they are suppressed in polluted environments. Urban environments, in particular, are dominated by motor vehicle emissions and, since motor vehicles are a source of both particles and small ions, the relationship between these two parameters is not well known. In order to gain a better understanding of this relationship, an intensive campaign was undertaken where particles and small ions of both signs were monitored over two week periods at each of three sites A, B and C that were affected to varying degrees by vehicle emissions. Site A was close to a major road and reported the highest particle number and lowest small ion concentrations. Precursors from motor vehicle emissions gave rise to clear particle formation events on five days and, on each day this was accompanied by a suppression of small ions. Observations at Site B, which was located within the urban airshed, though not adjacent to motor traffic, showed particle enhancement but no formation events. Site C was a clean site, away from urban sources. This site reported the lowest particle number and highest small ion concentration. The positive small ion concentration was 10%-40% higher than the corresponding negative value at all sites. These results confirm previous findings that there is a clear inverse relationship between small ions and particles in urban environments dominated by motor vehicle emissions.

Source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in major urban Greek agglomerations using a hybrid source-receptor modeling process.

PubMed

Argyropoulos, G; Samara, C; Diapouli, E; Eleftheriadis, K; Papaoikonomou, K; Kungolos, A

2017-12-01

A hybrid source-receptor modeling process was assembled, to apportion and infer source locations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in three heavily-impacted urban areas of Greece, during the warm period of 2011, and the cold period of 2012. The assembled process involved application of an advanced computational procedure, the so-called Robotic Chemical Mass Balance (RCMB) model. Source locations were inferred using two well-established probability functions: (a) the Conditional Probability Function (CPF), to correlate the output of RCMB with local wind directional data, and (b) the Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF), to correlate the output of RCMB with 72h air-mass back-trajectories, arriving at the receptor sites, during sampling. Regarding CPF, a higher-level conditional probability function was defined as well, from the common locus of CPF sectors derived for neighboring receptor sites. With respect to PSCF, a non-parametric bootstrapping method was applied to discriminate the statistically significant values. RCMB modeling showed that resuspended dust is actually one of the main barriers for attaining the European Union (EU) limit values in Mediterranean urban agglomerations, where the drier climate favors build-up. The shift in the energy mix of Greece (caused by the economic recession) was also evidenced, since biomass burning was found to contribute more significantly to the sampling sites belonging to the coldest climatic zone, particularly during the cold period. The CPF analysis showed that short-range transport of anthropogenic emissions from urban traffic to urban background sites was very likely to have occurred, within all the examined urban agglomerations. The PSCF analysis confirmed that long-range transport of primary and/or secondary aerosols may indeed be possible, even from distances over 1000km away from study areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pesticides in surface water measured at select sites in the Sacramento River basin, California, 1996-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.

2000-01-01

Pesticides were measured in one urban stream, one agricultural stream, one site on the Sacramento River, and one large flood control channel over a period of 18 months during 1996-1998. All sites were located within the Sacramento River Basin of California. Measurements were made on 83 pesticides or pesticide transformation products by either gas chromatography/mass spectrometry or by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet light spectrometry. Some pesticides were detected frequently at the agricultural stream and downstream in the Sacramento River and at the flood control channel of the Sacramento River. These were pesticides related to rice farming (molinate, carbofuran, thiobencarb, and bentazon); herbicides used both agriculturally or for roadside maintenance (diuron, simazine, and metolachlor); or insecticides used on orchards and row corps (diazinon and chlorpyrifos). No pesticide concen-trations above enforceable water quality criteria were measured at either the agricultural site or the Sacramento River sites. In contrast to the agricul-tural site, insecticides used for household, lawn, or garden maintenance were the most frequently detected pesticides at the urban site. Diazinon, an organophosphate insecticide, exceeded recom-mended criteria for the protection of aquatic life, and the diazinon levels were frequently above known toxic levels for certain zooplankton species at the urban site. Because of the low discharge of the urban stream, pesticide concentrations were greatly diluted upon mixing with Sacramento River water.

Evaluation of Green Roof Water Quantity and Quality Performance in an Urban Climate

EPA Science Inventory

In this report we present an analysis of water benefits from an array of observed green roof and control (non-vegetated) roof project sites throughout NYC. The projects are located on a variety of building sites and represent a diverse set of available extensive green roof instal...

Urban Environmental Excursions: Designing field trips to demonstrate sustainable connections between natural and engineered systems in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemke, L. D.

2012-12-01

Field trips are a proven and effective instructional tool to connect students with the world around them. In most communities, opportunities abound to allow students to make connections between concepts introduced in classroom or lab activities and the urban environment that surrounds them. Potential destinations include solid and liquid waste disposal sites, brownfield redevelopment sites, hazardous waste sites, industrial complexes, or sites with ongoing environmental restoration efforts. Each of these locations presents opportunities to explore sustainable aspects of anthropogenic activities in relation to the natural systems that they seek to modify or exploit. Early planning is essential, however, because it can sometimes take several months lead time to arrange for a large group tour of industrial or municipal sites. Several practices may be employed to design effective learning experiences for students when visiting such sites. These include: 1) choose local sites to keep trips relevant and practical; 2) balance sites of environmental concern with those where significant progress is being made in environmental restoration or stewardship; 3) connect sites with a pertinent theme (e.g., air quality, water quality, economic development, environmental justice, etc.); 4) develop a sense of location among student participants by providing a map showing the relationship between campus and the field sites; 5) prepare a guidebook containing one-page descriptions of each stop along with a list of questions to stimulate discussion and promote active engagement among all participants; 6) employ expert guides to maximize students' access to authoritative information; 7) tie each field experience to your curriculum; and 8) model active learning by asking genuine questions and engaging in open discussions with experts and student participants. In this presentation, urban field trip design will be illustrated with examples from trips run in conjunction with freshman-level introductory courses in Physical and Environmental Geology, as well as a junior-level course in Environmental Systems Analysis at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Ties to environmental systems and sustainability, emphasizing systems boundaries, fluxes, and transformations of systems components, will be described along with logistical tips to help instructors prepare meaningful and memorable field trips.

Atmospheric concentrations and air-soil gas exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in remote, rural village and urban areas of Beijing-Tianjin region, North China.

PubMed

Wang, Wentao; Simonich, Staci; Giri, Basant; Chang, Ying; Zhang, Yuguang; Jia, Yuling; Tao, Shu; Wang, Rong; Wang, Bin; Li, Wei; Cao, Jun; Lu, Xiaoxia

2011-07-01

Forty passive air samplers were deployed to study the occurrence of gas and particulate phase PAHs in remote, rural village and urban areas of Beijing-Tianjin region, North China for four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter) from 2007 to 2008. The influence of emissions on the spatial distribution pattern of air PAH concentrations was addressed. In addition, the air-soil gas exchange of PAHs was studied using fugacity calculations. The median gaseous and particulate phase PAH concentrations were 222 ng/m³ and 114 ng/m³, respectively, with a median total PAH concentration of 349 ng/m³. Higher PAH concentrations were measured in winter than in other seasons. Air PAH concentrations measured at the rural villages and urban sites in the northern mountain region were significantly lower than those measured at sites in the southern plain during all seasons. However, there was no significant difference in PAH concentrations between the rural villages and urban sites in the northern and southern areas. This urban-rural PAH distribution pattern was related to the location of PAH emission sources and the population distribution. The location of PAH emission sources explained 56%-77% of the spatial variation in ambient air PAH concentrations. The annual median air-soil gas exchange flux of PAHs was 42.2 ng/m²/day from soil to air. Among the 15 PAHs measured, acenaphthylene (ACY) and acenaphthene (ACE) contributed to more than half of the total exchange flux. Furthermore, the air-soil gas exchange fluxes of PAHs at the urban sites were higher than those at the remote and rural sites. In summer, more gaseous PAHs volatilized from soil to air because of higher temperatures and increased rainfall. However, in winter, more gaseous PAHs deposited from air to soil due to higher PAH emissions and lower temperatures. The soil TOC concentration had no significant influence on the air-soil gas exchange of PAHs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Endocrine disrupting compounds in the atmosphere of the urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salapasidou, M.; Samara, C.; Voutsa, D.

2011-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in a complex urban atmosphere. Target compounds were alkylphenols (NP, tOP, nOP), nonylphenol monoethoxylate (NP1EO), bisphenol A (BPA), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), and phthalates (DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, DEHP, DNOP). EDCs were determined in ambient PM10 from two sampling sites, one urban-traffic and one urban-industrial, located in the city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. At both sites, DEHP and NP were found to be the predominant EDCs in airborne PM10. Concentrations of NP did not exhibit any spatial difference, whereas concentrations of DEHP were significantly higher at the urban-traffic site. Wind direction was not found to have any significant effect on ambient EDCs concentrations suggesting impact from local sources rather than transport; however some peak concentrations might be attributed to short-distance sources. The gas/particle partition coefficient, Kp, and the gaseous phase of EDCs were calculated by employing two approaches based on literature data (a) for the subcooled liquid vapor pressure ( PL0) and (b) the octanol-air partition coefficient ( KOA). It appeared that the g/ p partition of phthalates estimated by the KOA approach is in better agreement with experimental partition data reported by other investigators. Absorption in organic matter was found to be significant partition mechanism at the urban-traffic site.

Passerine migrant stopover duration and spatial behaviour at an urban stopover site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seewagen, Chad L.; Slayton, Eric J.; Guglielmo, Christopher G.

2010-09-01

Migration routes of many Nearctic-Neotropical landbirds pass through the most urbanized regions of North America. Migrants are known to use urban habitats as stopover sites and often occur in cities at exceptional density; yet knowledge of migrant behaviour and ecology in such places is surprisingly limited. We radio-tracked ovenbirds ( Seiurus aurocapillus) during stopovers in a New York City park to obtain some of the first detailed information on how landbird migrants utilize an urban habitat as a stopover site. We examined fine-scale movement patterns, home range sizes, stopover durations, and how arrival condition affected each of these metrics. During both seasons, most birds moved widely throughout the site upon presumed arrival and then either continued migration that night or settled into a more defined area on subsequent days. Area usage varied markedly among individuals during both seasons, ranging 1-16 ha. Stopover durations averaged 3.0 days (range = 1-10 days) during spring and 2.9 days (range = 1-14 days) during autumn. Spatial behaviours and stopover durations were not influenced by arrival condition during spring, and during autumn only movement rates and displacement distances were significantly (negatively) condition-related. Our findings do not support previous assumptions that urban stopover habitats are only used by migrants briefly in times of urgency when alternatives are unavailable. At least half of the birds we studied stopped over for multiple days during both seasons, and bird movements were indicative of an ability to search for, locate, and occupy suitable micro-sites. Ovenbird behaviour in our study site was similar in many ways to what has been observed in recent telemetry studies of ovenbirds and other passerine migrants at various non-urban stopover sites.

Next-generation sequencing showing potential leachate influence on bacterial communities around a landfill in China.

PubMed

Rajasekar, Adharsh; Sekar, Raju; Medina-Roldán, Eduardo; Bridge, Jonathan; Moy, Charles K S; Wilkinson, Stephen

2018-04-10

The impact of contaminated leachate on groundwater from landfills is well known, but the specific effects on bacterial consortia are less well-studied. Bacterial communities in a landfill and an urban site located in Suzhou, China, were studied using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. A total of 153 944 good-quality reads were produced and sequences assigned to 6388 operational taxonomic units. Bacterial consortia consisted of up to 16 phyla, including Proteobacteria (31.9%-94.9% at landfill, 25.1%-43.3% at urban sites), Actinobacteria (0%-28.7% at landfill, 9.9%-34.3% at urban sites), Bacteroidetes (1.4%-25.6% at landfill, 5.6%-7.8% at urban sites), Chloroflexi (0.4%-26.5% at urban sites only), and unclassified bacteria. Pseudomonas was the dominant (67%-93%) genus in landfill leachate. Arsenic concentrations in landfill raw leachate (RL) (1.11 × 10 3 μg/L) and fresh leachate (FL2) (1.78 × 10 3 μg/L) and mercury concentrations in RL (10.9 μg/L) and FL2 (7.37 μg/L) exceeded Chinese State Environmental Protection Administration standards for leachate in landfills. The Shannon diversity index and Chao1 richness estimate showed RL and FL2 lacked richness and diversity when compared with other samples. This is consistent with stresses imposed by elevated arsenic and mercury and has implications for ecological site remediation by bioremediation or natural attenuation.

Measurements of OC and EC in coarse particulate matter in the southeastern United States

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

Edgerton, E.S.; Casuccio, G.S.; Saylor, R.D.

The organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) content of filter-based, 24-hr integrated particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters between 2.5 and 10 {mu}m (PM10-2.5) was measured at two urban and two rural locations in the southeastern United States. On average, total carbon (OC + EC) comprised approximately 30% of PM10-2.5 mass at these four sites. Carbonate carbon was measured on a subset of samples from three sites and was found to be undetectable at a rural site in central Alabama, less than 2% of PM10-2.5 at an urban site in Georgia, and less than 10% of PM10-2.5 at an urban-industrialmore » site in Alabama. Manual scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and computer-controlled SEM (CCSEM) along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to identify individual carbonaceous particles in a selected subset of samples collected at one rural site and one urban-industrial site in Alabama. CCSEM results showed that biological material (e.g., fungal spores, pollen, and vegetative detritus) accounted for 60-70% of the carbonaceous mass in PM10-2.5 samples with concentrations in the range of 2-16 {mu}g/m{sup 3}. Samples with higher PM10-2.5 concentrations (25-42 {mu}g/m{sup 3}) at the urban-industrial site were found by manual SEM to have significant amounts of unidentified carbonaceous material, likely originating from local industrial activities. Both filter-based OC and EC concentrations and SEM-identified biological material tended to have higher concentrations during warmer months. Upper limits for organic mass (OM) to OC ratios (OM/OC) are estimated for PM10-2.5 samples at 2.1 for urban sites and 2.6-2.7 for rural sites. 40 refs., 12 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Atmospheric transport of pesticides in the Sacramento, California, metropolitan area, 1996-1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Majewski, Michael S.; Baston, David S.

2002-01-01

Weekly composite, bulk air was sampled with respect to wind speed and direction from January 1996 through December 1997 in one urban and two agricultural locations in Sacramento County, California. The sampling sites were located along a north-south transect, the dominant directions of the prevailing winds. The samples were analyzed for a variety of current-use pesticides, including dormant orchard spray insecticides and rice herbicides. A variety of pesticides were detected throughout the year, predominantly chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and trifluralin. The data obtained during the winter and spring suggest that some pesticides used in agricultural areas become airborne and may be transported into the urban area. Confirmation of this drift is difficult, however, because these three predominant pesticides, as well as other detected pesticides, also are heavily used in the urban environment. The spring data clearly show that molinate and thiobencarb, two herbicides used only in rice production, do drift into the urban environment.

Stochastic rainfall synthesis for urban applications using different regionalization methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callau Poduje, A. C.; Leimbach, S.; Haberlandt, U.

2017-12-01

The proper design and efficient operation of urban drainage systems require long and continuous rainfall series in a high temporal resolution. Unfortunately, these time series are usually available in a few locations and it is therefore suitable to develop a stochastic precipitation model to generate rainfall in locations without observations. The model presented is based on an alternating renewal process and involves an external and an internal structure. The members of these structures are described by probability distributions which are site specific. Different regionalization methods based on site descriptors are presented which are used for estimating the distributions for locations without observations. Regional frequency analysis, multiple linear regressions and a vine-copula method are applied for this purpose. An area located in the north-west of Germany is used to compare the different methods and involves a total of 81 stations with 5 min rainfall records. The site descriptors include information available for the whole region: position, topography and hydrometeorologic characteristics which are estimated from long term observations. The methods are compared directly by cross validation of different rainfall statistics. Given that the model is stochastic the evaluation is performed based on ensembles of many long synthetic time series which are compared with observed ones. The performance is as well indirectly evaluated by setting up a fictional urban hydrological system to test the capability of the different methods regarding flooding and overflow characteristics. The results show a good representation of the seasonal variability and good performance in reproducing the sample statistics of the rainfall characteristics. The copula based method shows to be the most robust of the three methods. Advantages and disadvantages of the different methods are presented and discussed.

UV Radiation in an Urban Canyon in Southeast Queensland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinley, A. R.; Moore, M. R.; Kimlin, M. G.

2006-12-01

Ultraviolet radiation (UV) has the possibility to both harm and to benefit human beings when unprotected exposure occurs. After receiving small amounts of UV our bodies begin to synthesise vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining healthy bones, however excessive UV exposure can result in a variety of damaging outcomes ranging from sunburn to skin cancer and cataracts. For this reason it is very important to understand the different environments in which people encounter UV so as to better prepare the public to make smart and healthy sun exposure decisions. Each day more and more people are moving into large cities around the world and spending their time inside the urban canyon, however UV measurements are generally taken at scientific stations in open areas or on top of tall buildings, meaning that at times the environmental characteristics measured may not accurately represent those found at street-level in these highly urbanized areas. Urban canyons are home to both very tall buildings and tropospheric air pollution, each of which reduces the amount of UV reaching street-level. This study measured the varying difference between UV measurements taken at street-level and at a standard UV monitoring site on top of a building outside of the urban canyon. Investigation was conducted in the central business district (CBD) of Brisbane, Australia, which models the CBDs of large cities around the world in that it boasts a great number of tall buildings, including many skyscrapers. Data was collected under clear sky conditions at five different street-level sites in the CBD (on either side of two streets running perpendicular to one another (four sites) and in a public square) and then compared to that obtained on the same day at the Queensland University of Technology's Australian Sun and Health Research Laboratory (ASHRL), which is located 2.5 kilometres outside Brisbane's CBD. Minimum erythemal dose (MED) data was collected at each location and it was found that throughout the day the intensity of erythemal UV measured in the city was significantly lower than that measured at the ASHRL site. On average the amount of erythemal UV measured in the urban canyon was approximately 33% of that measured at the ASHRL site. Based upon these findings we hope to conduct further study regarding UV exposure in the urban canyon.

Can hunting of translocated nuisance Canada geese reduce local conflicts?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holevinski, R.A.; Malecki, R.A.; Curtis, P.D.

2006-01-01

Resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis) nest or reside in the temperate latitudes of North America. In past years, translocation-the capture and subsequent release of geese at distant locations-has been used to establish resident goose populations and to reduce nuisance problems. However, with new special hunting seasons designed to target resident Canada geese, we can now evaluate translocation as a management tool when hunting is allowed at release sites. We selected 2 study sites, representative of urban and suburban locations with nuisance resident geese, in central and western New York, USA. In June 2003, we translocated 80 neck-banded adult geese, 14 radiomarked adult females, and 83 juveniles 150 km east and southwest from urban and suburban problem sites in western New York to state-owned Wildlife Management Areas. At these same capture sites, we used 151 neck-banded adult geese, 12 radiomarked females, and 100 juveniles as controls to compare dispersal movements and harvest vulnerability to translocated geese. All observations (n = 45) of translocated radiomarked geese were <20 km from release sites, in areas where hunting was permitted. Only 25 of 538 observations (4.6%) of radiomarked geese at control sites were in areas open to hunting. The remainder of observations occurred at nonhunting locations within 10 km of control sites. More translocated adult geese (23.8%) were harvested than control geese (6.6%; ??2 = 72.98, P = 0.0009). More translocated juvenile geese were harvested (22.9%) than juvenile controls (5.0%; ??2 = 72.30, P = 0.0005). Only 7 (8.8%) translocated adult geese returned to the original capture sites during Canada goose hunting seasons. Translocation of adult and juvenile geese in family groups may alleviate nuisance problems at conflict sites through increased harvest, reducing the number of birds returning in subsequent years.

Outdoor comfort study in Rio de Janeiro: site-related context effects on reported thermal sensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krüger, E.; Drach, P.; Broede, P.

2017-03-01

Aimed at climate-responsive urban design for tropical areas, the paper attempts to answer the question whether the site-related context affects in some way the perceptual assessment of the microclimate by users of outdoor spaces. Our hypothesis was that visual cues resulting from urban design are important components of the outdoor thermal perception. Monitoring was carried out alongside the administration of standard comfort questionnaires throughout summer periods in 2012-2015 in pedestrian areas of downtown Rio de Janeiro (22° 54 10 S, 43° 12 27 W), Brazil. Campaigns took place at different points, pre-defined in respect of urban geometry attributes. For the measurements, a Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station was employed to which a gray globe thermometer was attached. Two thermal indices were used for assessing the overall meteorological conditions and comfort levels in the outdoor locations: physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and universal thermal climate index (UTCI). Our results suggest that thermal sensation in Rio depends to a large extent on the thermal environment as described by air temperature, PET, or UTCI, and that urban geometry (expressed by the sky-view factor (SVF)) may modify this relationship with increased building density associated to warmer sensation votes under moderate heat stress conditions. This relationship however reverses under strong heat stress with warmer sensations in less obstructed locations, and disappears completely under still higher heat stress, where meteorological conditions, and not the site's SVF, will drive thermal sensation.

Outdoor comfort study in Rio de Janeiro: site-related context effects on reported thermal sensation.

PubMed

Krüger, E; Drach, P; Broede, P

2017-03-01

Aimed at climate-responsive urban design for tropical areas, the paper attempts to answer the question whether the site-related context affects in some way the perceptual assessment of the microclimate by users of outdoor spaces. Our hypothesis was that visual cues resulting from urban design are important components of the outdoor thermal perception. Monitoring was carried out alongside the administration of standard comfort questionnaires throughout summer periods in 2012-2015 in pedestrian areas of downtown Rio de Janeiro (22° 54 10 S, 43° 12 27 W), Brazil. Campaigns took place at different points, pre-defined in respect of urban geometry attributes. For the measurements, a Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station was employed to which a gray globe thermometer was attached. Two thermal indices were used for assessing the overall meteorological conditions and comfort levels in the outdoor locations: physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and universal thermal climate index (UTCI). Our results suggest that thermal sensation in Rio depends to a large extent on the thermal environment as described by air temperature, PET, or UTCI, and that urban geometry (expressed by the sky-view factor (SVF)) may modify this relationship with increased building density associated to warmer sensation votes under moderate heat stress conditions. This relationship however reverses under strong heat stress with warmer sensations in less obstructed locations, and disappears completely under still higher heat stress, where meteorological conditions, and not the site's SVF, will drive thermal sensation.

In Situ Carbon Dioxide and Methane Measurements from a Tower Network in Los Angeles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhulst, K. R.; Karion, A.; Kim, J.; Sloop, C.; Salameh, P.; Yadav, V.; Mueller, K.; Pongetti, T.; Newman, S.; Wong, C.; Hopkins, F. M.; Rao, P.; Miller, J. B.; Keeling, R. F.; Weiss, R. F.; Miller, C. E.; Duren, R. M.; Andrews, A. E.

2016-12-01

Urbanization has concentrated a significant fraction of the world's anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into a relatively small fraction of the earth's land surface. Concern about rising GHG levels has motivated many nations to begin regulating and/or mitigating emissions, motivating the need for robust, consistent, traceable GHG observation methods in complex urban domains. The Los Angeles Megacity Carbon Project involves continuous and flask sampling of GHGs, trace gases, and isotopes at surface sites situated throughout the greater Los Angeles (LA) area. There are three signals of interest for utilizing urban GHG measurements in local or regional inverse modeling studies: (1) changes in the measured mole fraction at one location within a 24-hour period, (2) gradients in the measured mole fraction between locations within the surface measurement network, (3) local enhancements, or the difference between a measurement at one location and an inferred local "background" mole fraction. We report CO2 and CH4 measurements collected from eleven wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down analyzers (Picarro, Inc.). All sites use an internally consistent sampling protocol and calibration strategy. We show that the LA observation sites exhibit significant GHG enhancements relative to background, with evidence of systematic diurnal, weekly, and monthly variability. In Los Angeles, the "ideal" background sampling location could vary substantially depending on the time of year and local meteorology. Use of a single site for background determination may not be sufficient for reliable determination of GHG enhancements. We estimate the total uncertainty in the enhancement and examine how the choice of background influences the GHG enhancement signal. Uncertainty in GHG enhancements will ultimately translate into uncertainty in the fluxes derived from inverse modeling studies. In future work, the LA surface observations will be incorporated into an inverse-modeling framework to provide "top down," spatially-resolved GHG flux estimates, constrained by observations, for comparison with inventory-based ("bottom-up") estimates.

Spatial distribution of source locations for particulate nitrate and sulfate in the upper-midwestern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Weixiang; Hopke, Philip K.; Zhou, Liming

Two back-trajectory analysis methods designed to be used with multiple site data, simplified quantitative transport bias analysis (SQTBA) and residence time weighted concentration (RTWC), were applied to nitrate and sulfate concentration data from two rural sites (the Mammoth Cave National Park and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park) and five urban sites (Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, and St. Louis) for an intensive investigation on the spatial patterns of origins for these two species in the upper-midwestern area. The study was made by dividing the data into five categories: all sites and all seasons, rural sites in summer, rural sites in winter, urban sites in summer, and urban sites in winter. A general conclusion was that the origins of the nitrate in these seven sites were mainly in the upper-midwestern areas, while the sulfate in these seven sites were mainly from the Ohio and Tennessee River Valley areas. The upper-midwestern areas are regions of high ammonia emissions rather than high NO x emissions. In the winter, metropolitan areas showed the highest nitrate emission potential suggesting the importance of local NO x emissions. In the summer, ammonia emissions from fertilizer application in the lower midwestern area made a significant contribution to nitrate in the rural sites of this study. The impact of the wind direction prevalence on the source spatial patterns was observed by comparing the urban and rural patterns of the summer. The differences between the results of two methods are discussed and suggestions for applying these methods are also provided.

Apis mellifera ligustica, Spinola 1806 as bioindicator for detecting environmental contamination: a preliminary study of heavy metal pollution in Trieste, Italy.

PubMed

Giglio, Anita; Ammendola, Anna; Battistella, Silvia; Naccarato, Attilio; Pallavicini, Alberto; Simeon, Enrico; Tagarelli, Antonio; Giulianini, Piero Giulio

2017-01-01

Honeybees have become important tools for the ecotoxicological assessment of soil, water and air metal contamination due to their extraordinary capacity to bioaccumulate toxic metals from the environment. The level of heavy metal pollution in the Trieste city was monitored using foraging bees of Apis mellifera ligustica from hives owned by beekeepers in two sites strategically located in the suburban industrial area and urban ones chosen as control. The metal concentration in foraging bees was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The chemical analysis has identified and quantified 11 trace elements accumulated in two different rank orders: Zn> Cu > Sr > Bi > Ni > Cr > Pb = Co > V > Cd > As in foraging bees from the suburban site and Zn > Cu > Sr > Cr > Ni > Bi > Co = V > Pb > As > Cd in bees from urban site. Data revealed concentrations of Cr and Cu significantly higher and concentration of Cd significantly lower in bees from urban sites. The spatial difference and magnitude order in heavy metal accumulation along the urban-suburban gradient are mainly related to the different anthropogenic activity within sampled sites and represent a risk for the human health of people living in the city. We discussed and compared results with the range of values reported in literature.

Selecting optimal monitoring site locations for peak ambient particulate material concentrations using the MM5-CAMx4 numerical modelling system.

PubMed

Sturman, Andrew; Titov, Mikhail; Zawar-Reza, Peyman

2011-01-15

Installation of temporary or long term monitoring sites is expensive, so it is important to rationally identify potential locations that will achieve the requirements of regional air quality management strategies. A simple, but effective, numerical approach to selecting ambient particulate matter (PM) monitoring site locations has therefore been developed using the MM5-CAMx4 air pollution dispersion modelling system. A new method, 'site efficiency,' was developed to assess the ability of any monitoring site to provide peak ambient air pollution concentrations that are representative of the urban area. 'Site efficiency' varies from 0 to 100%, with the latter representing the most representative site location for monitoring peak PM concentrations. Four heavy pollution episodes in Christchurch (New Zealand) during winter 2005, representing 4 different aerosol dispersion patterns, were used to develop and test this site assessment technique. Evaluation of the efficiency of monitoring sites was undertaken for night and morning aerosol peaks for 4 different particulate material (PM) spatial patterns. The results demonstrate that the existing long term monitoring site at Coles Place is quite well located, with a site efficiency value of 57.8%. A temporary ambient PM monitoring site (operating during winter 2006) showed a lower ability to capture night and morning peak aerosol concentrations. Evaluation of multiple site locations used during an extensive field campaign in Christchurch (New Zealand) in 2000 indicated that the maximum efficiency achieved by any site in the city would be 60-65%, while the efficiency of a virtual background site is calculated to be about 7%. This method of assessing the appropriateness of any potential monitoring site can be used to optimize monitoring site locations for any air pollution measurement programme. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of bacterial pathogens in rural and urban irrigation water.

PubMed

Aijuka, Matthew; Charimba, George; Hugo, Celia J; Buys, Elna M

2015-03-01

The study aimed to compare the bacteriological quality of an urban and rural irrigation water source. Bacterial counts, characterization, identification and diversity of aerobic bacteria were determined. Escherichia coli isolated from both sites was subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing, virulence gene (Stx1/Stx2 and eae) determination and (GTG)5 Rep-PCR fingerprinting. Low mean monthly counts for aerobic spore formers, anaerobic spore formers and Staphylococcus aureus were noted although occasional spikes were observed. The most prevalent bacterial species at both sites were Bacillus spp., E. coli and Enterobacter spp. In addition, E. coli and Bacillus spp. were most prevalent in winter and summer respectively. Resistance to at least one antibiotic was 84% (rural) and 83% (urban). Highest resistance at both sites was to cephalothin and ampicillin. Prevalence of E. coli possessing at least one virulence gene (Stx1/Stx2 and eae) was 15% (rural) and 42% (urban). All (rural) and 80% (urban) of E. coli possessing virulence genes showed antibiotic resistance. Complete genetic relatedness (100%) was shown by 47% of rural and 67% of urban E. coli isolates. Results from this study show that surface irrigation water sources regardless of geographical location and surrounding land-use practices can be reservoirs of similar bacterial pathogens.

Air ion concentrations in various urban outdoor environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Xuan; Jayaratne, Rohan; Morawska, Lidia

2010-06-01

Atmospheric ions are produced by many natural and anthropogenic sources and their concentrations vary widely between different environments. There is very little information on their concentrations in different types of urban environments, how they compare across these environments and their dominant sources. In this study, we measured airborne concentrations of small ions, particles and net particle charge at 32 different outdoor sites in and around a major city in Australia and identified the main ion sources. Sites were classified into seven groups as follows: park, woodland, city centre, residential, freeway, power lines and power substation. Generally, parks were situated away from ion sources and represented the urban background value of about 270 ions cm -3. Median concentrations at all other groups were significantly higher than in the parks. We show that motor vehicles and power transmission systems are two major ion sources in urban areas. Power lines and substations constituted strong unipolar sources, while motor vehicle exhaust constituted strong bipolar sources. The small ion concentration in urban residential areas was about 960 cm -3. At sites where ion sources were co-located with particle sources, ion concentrations were inhibited due to the ion-particle attachment process. These results improved our understanding on air ion distribution and its interaction with particles in the urban outdoor environment.

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.

Photochemical processing of organic aerosol at nearby continental sites: contrast between urban plumes and regional aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slowik, J. G.; Brook, J.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; Evans, G. J.; Hayden, K.; Jeong, C.-H.; Li, S.-M.; Liggio, J.; Liu, P. S. K.; McGuire, M.; Mihele, C.; Sjostedt, S.; Vlasenko, A.; Abbatt, J. P. D.

2010-10-01

As part of the BAQS-Met 2007 field campaign, Aerodyne time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometers (ToF-AMS) were deployed at two sites in southwestern Ontario from 17 June to 11 July, 2007. One instrument was located at Harrow, ON, a rural, agriculture-dominated area approximately 40 km southeast of the Detroit/Windsor/Windsor urban area and 5 km north of Lake Erie. The second instrument was located at Bear Creek, ON, a rural site approximately 70 km northeast of the Harrow site and 50 km east of Detroit/Windsor. Positive matrix factorization analysis of the combined organic mass spectral dataset yields factors related to secondary organic aerosol (SOA), direct emissions, and uptake processes. This is the first application of PMF to simultaneous AMS measurements at different sites, an approach which allows for self-consistent, direct comparison of the datasets. Case studies are utilized to investigate processing of SOA from (1) fresh emissions from Detroit/Windsor and (2) regional aerosol during periods of inter-site flow. A strong correlation is observed between SOA/excess CO and photochemical age as represented by the NOx/NOy ratio for Detroit/Windsor outflow. Although this correlation is not evident for more aged air, measurements at the two sites during inter-site transport nevertheless show evidence of continued atmospheric processing by SOA production.

Seasonal variations of dissolved organic carbon in precipitation over urban and forest sites in central Poland.

PubMed

Siudek, Patrycja; Frankowski, Marcin; Siepak, Jerzy

2015-07-01

Spatial and temporal variability of carbon species in rainwater (bulk deposition) was studied for the first time at two sites located in urban area of Poznań City and protected woodland area (Jeziory), in central Poland, between April and December 2013. The mean concentration of total carbon (TC) for the first site was 5.86 mg L(-1), whereas for the second, 5.21 mg L(-1). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration accounted for, on average, 87 and 91 % of total carbon in precipitation at urban and non-urban sites, respectively. Significant changes in TC concentrations in rainwater were observed at both sites, indicating that atmospheric transformation, transport, and removal mechanisms of carbonaceous particles were affected by seasonal fluctuations in biogenic/anthropogenic emission and meteorological conditions (i.e., precipitation height and type, atmospheric transport). During the warm season, the DOC concentration in rainwater was mostly influenced by mixed natural and anthropogenic sources. In contrast, during the cold season, the DOC concentration significantly increased mainly as a result of anthropogenic activities, i.e., intensive coal combustion, domestic wood burning, high-temperature processes, etc. In addition, during the winter measurements, significant differences in mean DOC concentration (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.05) were determined for rain, mixed rain-snow, and snow samples. It was found that rainwater TOC concentration measured in Poznań and Jeziory reflected a combination of local, regional, and distant sources. Backward trajectory analysis showed that air masses advected from polluted regions in western Europe largely affect the DOC amount in rainwater, both at urban and non-urban sites. These data imply that carbonaceous compounds are of crucial importance in atmospheric chemistry and should be considered as an important parameter while considering wet deposition, reactions with different substances, especially over polluted environments.

In vitro and in vivo toxicity of urban and rural particulate matter from California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirowsky, Jaime E.; Jin, Lan; Thurston, George; Lighthall, David; Tyner, Tim; Horton, Lori; Galdanes, Karen; Chillrud, Steven; Ross, James; Pinkerton, Kent E.; Chen, Lung Chi; Lippmann, Morton; Gordon, Terry

2015-02-01

Particulate matter (PM) varies in chemical composition and mass concentration based on location, source, and particle size. This study sought to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of coarse (PM10-2.5) and fine (PM2.5) PM samples collected at 5 diverse sites within California. Coarse and fine PM samples were collected simultaneously at 2 rural and 3 urban sites within California during the summer. A human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell line (HPMEC-ST1.6R) was exposed to PM suspensions (50 μg/mL) and analyzed for reactive oxygen species (ROS) after 5 h of treatment. In addition, FVB/N mice were exposed by oropharyngeal aspiration to 50 μg PM, and lavage fluid was collected 24 h post-exposure and analyzed for total protein and %PMNs. Correlations between trace metal concentrations, endotoxin, and biological endpoints were calculated, and the effect of particle size range, locale (urban vs. rural), and location was determined. Absolute principal factor analysis was used to identify pollution sources of PM from elemental tracers of those sources. Ambient PM elicited an ROS and pro-inflammatory-related response in the cell and mouse models, respectively. These responses were dependent on particle size, locale, and location. Trace elements associated with soil and traffic markers were most strongly linked to the adverse effects in vitro and in vivo. Particle size, location, source, and composition of PM collected at 5 locations in California affected the ROS response in human pulmonary endothelial cells and the inflammatory response in mice.

Characterization of atmospheric black carbon and co-pollutants in urban and rural areas of Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becerril-Valle, M.; Coz, E.; Prévôt, A. S. H.; Močnik, G.; Pandis, S. N.; Sánchez de la Campa, A. M.; Alastuey, A.; Díaz, E.; Pérez, R. M.; Artíñano, B.

2017-11-01

A one-year black carbon (BC) experimental study was performed at three different locations (urban traffic, urban background, rural) in Spain with different equivalent BC (eBC) source characteristics by means of multi-wavelength Aethalometers. The Aethalometer model was used for the source apportionment study, based on the difference in absorption spectral dependence of emissions from biomass burning (bb) and fossil fuel (ff) combustion. Most studies use a single bb and ff absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) pair (AAEbb and AAEff), however in this work we use a range of AAE values associated with fossil fuel and biomass burning based on the available measurements, which represents more properly all conditions. A sensitivity analysis of the source specific AAE was carried out to determine the most appropriate AAE values, being site dependent and seasonally variable. Here we present a methodology for the determination of the ranges of AAEbb and AAEff by evaluating the correlations between the source apportionment of eBC using the Aethalometer model with four biomass burning tracers measured at the rural site. The best combination was AAEbb = [1.63-1.74] and AAEff = [0.97-1.12]. Mean eBC values (±SD) obtained during the period of study were 3.70 ± 3.73 μg m-3 at the traffic urban site, 2.33 ± 2.96 μg m-3 at the urban background location, and 2.61 ± 5.04 μg m-3 in the rural area. High contributions of eBC to the PM10 mass were found (values up to 21% in winter), but with high eBC/PM10 variability. The hourly mean eBCff and eBCbb concentrations varied from 0 to 51 μg m-3 and from 0 to 50 μg m-3 at the three sites, respectively, exhibiting distinct seasonal and daily patterns. The fossil fuel combustion was the dominant eBC source at the urban sites, while biomass burning dominated during the cold season (88% of eBCbb) in the rural area. Daily PM2.5 and PM10 samples were collected using high-volume air samplers and analyzed for OC and EC. Analysis of biomass burning tracers and organic (OC) and elemental (EC) carbon in the rural area indicate that biomass combustion is the main source, while OC and EC indicate a lower influence of this source at the urban site.

Heavy - metal biomonitoring by using moss bags in Florence urban area, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellizzaro, Grazia; Canu, Annalisa; Arca, Angelo; Duce, Pierpaolo

2013-04-01

In the last century, pollution has become one of the most important risks for environment. In particular, heavy metal presence in air, water and soil induces toxic effects on ecosystems and human health. Monitoring airborne trace element over large areas is a task not easy to reach since the concentrations of pollutants are variable in space and time. Data from automatic devices are site-specific and very limited in number to describe spatial-temporal trends of pollutants. In addition, especially in Italy, trace elements concentrations are not often recorded by most of the automated monitoring stations. In the last decades, development of alternative and complementary methods as bio-monitoring techniques, allowed to map deposition patterns not only near single pollution sources, but also over relatively large areas at municipal or even regional scale. Bio-monitoring includes a wide array of methodologies finalised to study relationships between pollution and living organisms. Mosses and lichens have been widely used as bio-accumulators for assessing the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in natural ecosystems and urban areas. In this study bio-monitoring of airborne trace metals was made using moss bags technique. The moss Hypnum cupressiforme was used as bio-indicator for estimating atmospheric traces metal deposition in the urban area of Florence. Moss carpets were collected in a forested area of central Sardinia (municipality of Bolotana - Nuoro), which is characterised by absence of air pollution. Moss bags were located in the urban area of Florence close to three monitoring air quality stations managed by ARPAT (Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente Toscana). Two stations were located in high-traffic roads whereas the other one was located in a road with less traffic density. In each site moss bags were exposed during three campaigns of measurement conducted during the periods March-April, May-July, and August-October 2010. Two moss bags, used as control, were not exposed. After exposure periods, moss bags were removed and moss samples were analyzed for As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry. Results show differences between mean concentration of trace metals in moss bags after-exposure and the respective blanks in the three sample sites of Florence during the three campaigns of measurement. The highest concentrations for almost all elements were recorded at high-traffic road sites. Whereas lower values were detected in site located in a road with less traffic density In conclusion, Hypnum cupressiforme, for his high ability to accumulate trace metals, can be efficiently used as bio-indicator to estimate the trend of air pollution in a urban area during a period time.

Urban and Suburban Influences on Water Chemistry in Washington DC: Impervious Surfaces and Urban Stream Syndrome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; Petersen, E.

2015-12-01

Among the challenges facing urban rivers are water stormwater runoff problems and changing water chemistry, not only from air and water pollution sources, but also from altered geology with the development of "urban karst". Seventy five percent of the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. is urban or impervious. The Anacostia River experiences environmental challenges similar to those of other urban industrial rivers (heavy metal, PCB and PAH contamination). It also has Ca/Sr ratios above 200, and Na concentrations higher than Ca, and elevated ionic strength, all associated with extended chemical interaction with concrete. While these chemical characteristics have been documented in the urban areas within DC, they have not been examined in the largely suburban/mixed development tributaries of the Anacostia. Here we examine the base-flow geochemistry of the Anacostia River and its suburban tributaries (6 locations) over a year (November 2014- August 2015), concentrating on the following water chemistry variables: pH, hardness, SAR, alkalinity, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, Al, Ba, Ni, total P, S, Sr, NO3-, NH4+, PO43-. NO3- and NH4+ were generally lowest in at all sites in January, but rose to between 0.5 and 2.4 mg/L in June, with highest NO3- concentrations in suburban areas. Na and Cl concentrations were 5x higher in suburban areas than urban areas during the winter months. Ca/Sr concentration ratios, were between 120 and 200 for suburban sites but increased as the sites became more urban (to a high of 240 for the most urban site). These trends have been observed in other urban streams, and correlate with percent impervious area. The data follow patterns expected for "urban stream syndrome" and dissolution of concrete. Suburban areas, with their relatively small streams, show greater winter salting effects than more urban areas down stream. Suburban areas also show higher NO3- (and occasionally higher NH4+) than urban areas except in winter. The data presented here demonstrates that the geochemistry of highly urbanized systems may be significantly altered and should be better understood in order to assess urban impacts on water quality.

Source Apportionment of the Size-Fractionated Urban Aerosols in and around Kolkata, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Ujjaini; Haque, Monirul; Roy, Rajdeep; Chakraborty, Sanjoy

Our main objective was to estimate the heavy metals like the Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Aluminium, and Iron, in addition to ammonium, chloride, nitrate, and sulphate ions, by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and Ion Chromatography and apportion the most probable sources using the Chemical Mass Balance Model. The three urban locations of Behala Chowrasta, Rabindra Sadan, and Shyam Bazaar Five Points were chosen within the city of Kolkata. One rural location was chosen at the Indian Institute of Technology campus, Kharagpur, a rural site in the Midnapur District of the state of West Bengal, India. The results look quite encouraging.

Use of an urban intensity index to assess urban effects on streams in three contrasting environmental settings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tate, C.M.; Cuffney, T.F.; McMahon, G.; Giddings, E.M.P.; Coles, J.F.; Zappia, H.

2005-01-01

To assess the effects of urbanization on assemblages (fish, invertebrate, and algal), physical habitat, and water chemistry, we investigated the relations among varying intensities of basin urbanization and stream ecology in three metropolitan areas: the humid northeastern United States around Boston, Massachusetts; the humid southeastern United States around Birmingham, Alabama; and the semiarid western United States around Salt Lake City, Utah. A consistent process was used to develop a multimetric urban intensity index (UII) based on locally important variables (land-use/land-cover, infrastructure, and socioeconomic variables) in each study area and a common urban intensity index (CUII) based on a subset of five variables common to all study areas. The UII was used to characterize 30 basins along an urban gradient in each metropolitan area. Study basins were located within a single ecoregion in each of the metropolitan areas. The UII, ecoregions, and site characteristics provided a method for limiting the variability of natural landscape characteristics while assessing the magnitude of urban effects. Conditions in Salt Lake City (semiarid climate and water diversions) and Birmingham (topography) required nesting sites within the same basin. The UII and CUII facilitated comparisons of aquatic assemblages response to urbanization across different environmental settings. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

High Spatial Resolution of Atmospheric Particle Mixing State and Its Links to Particle Evolution in a Metropolitan Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Q.; Gu, P.; Li, H.; Robinson, E. S.; Apte, J.; Sullivan, R. C.; Robinson, A. L.; Presto, A. A.; Donahue, N.

2017-12-01

Traditional air quality studies in urban areas have mostly relied on very few monitoring locations either at urban background sites or at roadside sites.However, air pollution is highly complex and dynamic and will undergo complicated transformations. Therefore, results from one or two monitoring sites may not be sufficient to address the spatial gradients of pollutants and their evolution after atmosphere processing on a local scale. Our study, as part of the Center for Air, Climate, and Energy Solutions, performed stratified mobile sampling of atmospheric particulate matter with high spatial resolution to address intra-city variability of atmospheric particle composition and mixing state. A suite of comprehensive real-time instrumentations including a state-of-the-art aerosol mass spectrometer with single particle measurement capability are deployed on the mobile platform. Our sampling locations covered a wide variety of places with substantial differences in emissions and land use types including tunnels, inter-state highways, commercial areas, residential neighborhood, parks, as well as locations upwind and downwind of the city center. Our results show that particles from traffic emissions and restaurant cookings are two major contributors to fresh particles in the urban environment. In addition, there are large spatial variabilities of source-specific particles and we identify the relevant physicochemical processes governing transformation of particle composition, size and mixing state. We also combine our results with demographic data to study population exposure to particles of specific sources. This work will help evaluate the performance of existing modeling tools for air quality and population exposure studies.

Micromorphology of past urban soils: method and results (France, Iron Age - Middle Age)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cammas, Cécilia

2014-05-01

Urban soils in French protohistoric and Roman towns and present-day towns of roman origin are several meters thick accumulations, with great spatial and vertical variability due to long duration of occupation. In order to improve our knowledge of both sedimentary and pedological characteristics as well as formation processes of urban soils, micromorphological analysis was carried out on buried towns. The studied sites include Iron Age towns (floodplain sites: Lattes or Lattara, Le Cailar; oppidum: Pech-Maho in the south of France), a roman buried town (Famars or Fanum Martis, North of France), and various towns occupied from the Roman period until now (urban and periurban sites in Paris, Strasbourg, Mâcon… North and East of France). Original method and sampling strategy were elaborated in order to try to encompass both spatial and vertical variability as well as the "mitage" of the present-day cities. In Lattes, representative elementary urban areas such as streets, courtyard, and houses were sampled for micromorphology during extensive excavation. These analyses revealed specific microscopic features related to complex anthropogenic processes (craft and domestic activities discarding, trampling, backfill, building), moisture and heat, and biological activity, which defined each kind of area. Comparison between well preserved buried town and current cities of roman origin, where the sequence of past urban soils is preserved in few place ("mitage") help to identify past activities, building rhythms as well as specific building materials. For example, in Paris, compacted sandy backfills alternate with watertight hardfloors during the Roman period (soils similar to Technosols). At the opposite, various kinds of loose bioturbated laminated dark earth resulting from activities such as craft refuses, backfills, compost or trampled layers were discriminated for Early Medieval Period (soils similar to Cumulic Anthroposol). Moreover, biological activity is usually considered destructive and an evidence of abandonment of the towns during Early Medieval Period by the archaeologists. These results show that in the studied sites the nature, location and intensity of biological activity (Lumbricidae, Enchytraeidae) is dependent on human activities (moisture, organic input) and is an evidence of human presence in town. Thus, the methodology allows identifying past activities and their location in the town, as well as their evolution with time. It highlights cultural and micro-local conditions specificities of each period, and it helps to elucidate urban site formation processes. It shows that soils and sub-soils of present-day cities are composed of a succession of different kinds of urban soils, and that micromorphology is a powerful tool to identify their characteristics such as their physical and biological properties and their discontinuities as well as their functioning. Key words: site formation processes, Iron Age towns, Roman towns, dark earth, biological activity, Enchytraeidae, Lumbricidae, Technosols, cumulic soils.

Computer Program for Point Location And Calculation of ERror (PLACER)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, Gregory E.

1999-01-01

A program designed for point location and calculation of error (PLACER) was developed as part of the Quality Assurance Program of the Federal Highway Administration/U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Data and Methodology Synthesis (NDAMS) review process. The program provides a standard method to derive study-site locations from site maps in highwayrunoff, urban-runoff, and other research reports. This report provides a guide for using PLACER, documents methods used to estimate study-site locations, documents the NDAMS Study-Site Locator Form, and documents the FORTRAN code used to implement the method. PLACER is a simple program that calculates the latitude and longitude coordinates of one or more study sites plotted on a published map and estimates the uncertainty of these calculated coordinates. PLACER calculates the latitude and longitude of each study site by interpolating between the coordinates of known features and the locations of study sites using any consistent, linear, user-defined coordinate system. This program will read data entered from the computer keyboard and(or) from a formatted text file, and will write the results to the computer screen and to a text file. PLACER is readily transferable to different computers and operating systems with few (if any) modifications because it is written in standard FORTRAN. PLACER can be used to calculate study site locations in latitude and longitude, using known map coordinates or features that are identifiable in geographic information data bases such as USGS Geographic Names Information System, which is available on the World Wide Web.

Robotic Telepresence: Perception, Performance, and User Experience

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

defined as “a human-computer-machine condition in which a user receives sufficient information about a remote, real-world site through a machine so...that the user feels physically present at the remote, real-world site ” (Aliberti and Bruen, 2006). Telepresence often includes capabilities for a more...outdoor route reconnaissance course (figures 4 and 5) was located at the Molnar MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) site in Fort Benning, GA. It

Evaluation of water quality index for River Sabarmati, Gujarat, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Kosha A.; Joshi, Geeta S.

2017-06-01

An attempt has been made to develop water quality index (WQI), using six water quality parameters pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, electrical conductivity, nitrate nitrogen and total coliform measured at three different stations along the Sabarmati river basin from the year 2005 to 2008. Rating scale is developed based on the tolerance limits of inland waters and health point of view. Weighted arithmetic water quality index method was used to find WQI along the stretch of the river basin. It was observed from this study that the impact of human activity and sewage disposal in the river was severe on most of the parameters. The station located in highly urban area showed the worst water quality followed by the station located in moderately urban area and lastly station located in a moderately rural area. It was observed that the main cause of deterioration in water quality was due to the high anthropogenic activities, illegal discharge of sewage and industrial effluent, lack of proper sanitation, unprotected river sites and urban runoff.

Issues in the Development of Children's Centres on Nursery and Primary School Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Jane; Finnegan, Cathy; West, Anne

2011-01-01

This paper explores the development of children's centres in England between 2004 and 2008, focusing on the newly created centres that have been located on primary and nursery school sites. Using both an analysis of policy documents and interview data from three urban local authorities, we examine the use of premises and the differing priorities…

Assessing Metal Mobilization from Industrially Lead-Contaminated Soils Located at an Urban Site

EPA Science Inventory

A series of leaching and partitioning tests (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP), Controlled Acidity Leaching Protocol (CALP), Acid Neutralization Capacity (ANC), and sequential extraction) were applied to three dif...

Change in mean temperature as a predictor of extreme temperature change in the Asia-Pacific region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffiths, G. M.; Chambers, L. E.; Haylock, M. R.; Manton, M. J.; Nicholls, N.; Baek, H.-J.; Choi, Y.; della-Marta, P. M.; Gosai, A.; Iga, N.; Lata, R.; Laurent, V.; Maitrepierre, L.; Nakamigawa, H.; Ouprasitwong, N.; Solofa, D.; Tahani, L.; Thuy, D. T.; Tibig, L.; Trewin, B.; Vediapan, K.; Zhai, P.

2005-08-01

Trends (1961-2003) in daily maximum and minimum temperatures, extremes and variance were found to be spatially coherent across the Asia-Pacific region. The majority of stations exhibited significant trends: increases in mean maximum and mean minimum temperature, decreases in cold nights and cool days, and increases in warm nights. No station showed a significant increase in cold days or cold nights, but a few sites showed significant decreases in hot days and warm nights. Significant decreases were observed in both maximum and minimum temperature standard deviation in China, Korea and some stations in Japan (probably reflecting urbanization effects), but also for some Thailand and coastal Australian sites. The South Pacific convergence zone (SPCZ) region between Fiji and the Solomon Islands showed a significant increase in maximum temperature variability.Correlations between mean temperature and the frequency of extreme temperatures were strongest in the tropical Pacific Ocean from French Polynesia to Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and southern Japan. Correlations were weaker at continental or higher latitude locations, which may partly reflect urbanization.For non-urban stations, the dominant distribution change for both maximum and minimum temperature involved a change in the mean, impacting on one or both extremes, with no change in standard deviation. This occurred from French Polynesia to Papua New Guinea (except for maximum temperature changes near the SPCZ), in Malaysia, the Philippines, and several outlying Japanese islands. For urbanized stations the dominant change was a change in the mean and variance, impacting on one or both extremes. This result was particularly evident for minimum temperature.The results presented here, for non-urban tropical and maritime locations in the Asia-Pacific region, support the hypothesis that changes in mean temperature may be used to predict changes in extreme temperatures. At urbanized or higher latitude locations, changes in variance should be incorporated.

Origins and trends in ethane and propane in the United Kingdom from 1993 to 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derwent, R. G.; Field, R. A.; Dumitrean, P.; Murrells, T. P.; Telling, S. P.

2017-05-01

Continuous, high frequency in situ observations of ethane and propane began in the United Kingdom in 1993 and have continued through to the present day at a range of kerbside, urban background and rural locations. Whilst other monitored C2 - C8 hydrocarbons have shown dramatic declines in concentrations by close to or over an order of magnitude, ethane and propane levels have remained at or close to their 1993 values. Urban ethane sources appear to be dominated by natural gas leakage. Background levels of ethane associated with long range transport are rising. However, natural gas leakage is not the sole source of urban propane. Oil and gas operations lead to elevated propane levels in urban centres when important refinery operations are located nearby. Weekend versus weekday average diurnal curves for ethane and propane at an urban background site in London show the importance of natural gas leakage for both ethane and propane, and road traffic sources for propane. The road traffic source of propane was tentatively identified as arising from petrol-engined motor vehicle refuelling and showed a strong downwards trend at the long-running urban background and rural sites. The natural gas leakage source of ethane and propane in the observations exhibits an upwards trend whereas that in the UK emission inventory trends downwards. Also, inventory emissions for natural gas leakage appeared to be significantly underestimated compared with the observations. In addition, the observed ethane to propane ratio found here for natural gas leakage strongly disagreed with the inventory ratio.

Atmospheric concentrations and air–soil gas exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in remote, rural village and urban areas of Beijing–Tianjin region, North China

PubMed Central

Wang, Wentao; Simonich, Staci; Giri, Basant; Chang, Ying; Zhang, Yuguang; Jia, Yuling; Tao, Shu; Wang, Rong; Wang, Bin; Li, Wei; Cao, Jun; Lu, Xiaoxia

2013-01-01

Forty passive air samplers were deployed to study the occurrence of gas and particulate phase PAHs in remote, rural village and urban areas of Beijing–Tianjin region, North China for four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter) from 2007 to 2008. The influence of emissions on the spatial distribution pattern of air PAH concentrations was addressed. In addition, the air–soil gas exchange of PAHs was studied using fugacity calculations. The median gaseous and particulate phase PAH concentrations were 222 ng/m3 and 114 ng/m3, respectively, with a median total PAH concentration of 349 ng/m3. Higher PAH concentrations were measured in winter than in other seasons. Air PAH concentrations measured at the rural villages and urban sites in the northern mountain region were significantly lower than those measured at sites in the southern plain during all seasons. However, there was no significant difference in PAH concentrations between the rural villages and urban sites in the northern and southern areas. This urban–rural PAH distribution pattern was related to the location of PAH emission sources and the population distribution. The location of PAH emission sources explained 56%–77% of the spatial variation in ambient air PAH concentrations. The annual median air–soil gas exchange flux of PAHs was 42.2 ng/m2/day from soil to air. Among the 15 PAHs measured, acenaphthylene (ACY) and acenaphthene (ACE) contributed to more than half of the total exchange flux. Furthermore, the air–soil gas exchange fluxes of PAHs at the urban sites were higher than those at the remote and rural sites. In summer, more gaseous PAHs volatilized from soil to air because of higher temperatures and increased rainfall. However, in winter, more gaseous PAHs deposited from air to soil due to higher PAH emissions and lower temperatures. The soil TOC concentration had no significant influence on the air–soil gas exchange of PAHs. PMID:21669328

Monitoring the Presence of 13 Active Compounds in Surface Water Collected from Rural Areas in Northwestern Spain

PubMed Central

Iglesias, Alejandra; Nebot, Carolina; Vázquez, Beatriz I.; Coronel-Olivares, Claudia; Franco Abuín, Carlos M.; Cepeda, Alberto

2014-01-01

Drug residues are considered environmental contaminants, and their occurrence has recently become a matter of concern. Analytical methods and monitoring systems are therefore required to control the continuous input of these drug residues into the environment. This article presents a suitable HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous extraction, detection and quantification of residues of 13 drugs (antimicrobials, glucocorticosteroids, anti-inflammatories, anti-hypertensives, anti-cancer drugs and triphenylmethane dyes) in surface water. A monitoring study with 549 water samples was carried out in northwestern Spain to detect the presence of drug residues over two sampling periods during 2010, 2011 and 2012. Samples were collected from rural areas with and without farming activity and from urban areas. The 13 analytes were detected, and 18% of the samples collected showed positive results for the presence of at least one analyte. More collection sites were located in rural areas than in urban areas. However, more positive samples with higher concentrations and a larger number of analytes were detected in samples collected from sites located after the discharge of a WWTP. Results indicated that the WWTPs seems to act as a concentration point. Positive samples were also detected at a site located near a drinking water treatment plant. PMID:24837665

Monitoring the presence of 13 active compounds in surface water collected from rural areas in northwestern Spain.

PubMed

Iglesias, Alejandra; Nebot, Carolina; Vázquez, Beatriz I; Coronel-Olivares, Claudia; Abuín, Carlos M Franco; Cepeda, Alberto

2014-05-15

Drug residues are considered environmental contaminants, and their occurrence has recently become a matter of concern. Analytical methods and monitoring systems are therefore required to control the continuous input of these drug residues into the environment. This article presents a suitable HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous extraction, detection and quantification of residues of 13 drugs (antimicrobials, glucocorticosteroids, anti-inflammatories, anti-hypertensives, anti-cancer drugs and triphenylmethane dyes) in surface water. A monitoring study with 549 water samples was carried out in northwestern Spain to detect the presence of drug residues over two sampling periods during 2010, 2011 and 2012. Samples were collected from rural areas with and without farming activity and from urban areas. The 13 analytes were detected, and 18% of the samples collected showed positive results for the presence of at least one analyte. More collection sites were located in rural areas than in urban areas. However, more positive samples with higher concentrations and a larger number of analytes were detected in samples collected from sites located after the discharge of a WWTP. Results indicated that the WWTPs seems to act as a concentration point. Positive samples were also detected at a site located near a drinking water treatment plant.

Microbiological quality of Puget Sound Basin streams and identification of contaminant sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Embrey, S.S.

2001-01-01

Fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and somatic coliphages were detected in samples from 31 sites on streams draining urban and agricultural regions of the Puget Sound Basin Lowlands. Densities of bacteria in 48 and 71 percent of the samples exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's freshwater recreation criteria for Escherichia coli and enterococci, respectively, and 81 percent exceeded Washington State fecal coliform standards. Male-specific coliphages were detected in samples from 15 sites. Male-specific F+RNA coliphages isolated from samples taken at South Fork Thornton and Longfellow Creeks were serotyped as Group II, implicating humans as potential contaminant sources. These two sites are located in residential, urban areas. F+RNA coliphages in samples from 10 other sites, mostly in agricultural or rural areas, were serotyped as Group I, implicating non-human animals as likely sources. Chemicals common to wastewater, including fecal sterols, were detected in samples from several urban streams, and also implicate humans, at least in part, as possible sources of fecal bacteria and viruses to the streams.

European starlings ( Sturnus vulgaris ) suggest that landfills are an important source of bioaccumulative flame retardants to Canadian terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

Chen, Da; Martin, Pamela; Burgess, Neil M; Champoux, Louise; Elliott, John E; Forsyth, Douglas J; Idrissi, Abde; Letcher, Robert J

2013-01-01

Landfills are used as the primary means for the disposal of municipal solid waste in Canada. In the present study, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other flame retardants (FRs) were determined in fresh European starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ) eggs collected in 2009, 2010, and 2011 from nest boxes established within, adjacent to, and 10 and 40 km distant to five major urban centers across Canada, i.e., Vancouver, British Columbia (BC); Calgary, Alberta (AB); Hamilton, Ontario (ON); Montréal, Québec (QC); and Halifax, Nova Scotia (NS). Nest boxes were located in several land use types: urban industrial areas (districts of industrial activity within city limits), landfill sites (adjacent to cities), and rural (agricultural) sites located 10 and 40 km distant from the major urban centers, as well as a national reference site. Of the 14 PBDE congeners and 16 non-PBDE FR substances determined in the starling eggs, BDE-17, -28, -47, -49, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, -183, and -209, Dechlorane Plus isomers (anti and syn), and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (BEHTBP) were most frequently quantifiable. The data revealed orders of magnitude greater PBDE concentrations in eggs from starlings nesting in landfill sites (median: 28-280 ng/g wet weight) relative to those from urban industrial and rural environments. However, the percent fractional composition of the PBDE congener patterns did not vary significantly between the types of land uses or between years. Additionally, the median ∑PBDE concentration in eggs from landfill sites and the human population density of the metropolitan region that the landfill serves were highly correlated (r(2) = 0.998, p < 0.001). As the first transcontinental effort in assessing FR contamination in Canadian terrestrial ecosystems, the present study strongly suggest that landfills are an important FR source to starlings nesting nearby and that other terrestrial organisms could also be similarly exposed.

Thermal bioclimate in Strasbourg - the 2003 heat wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matzarakis, Andreas; de Rocco, Manuela; Najjar, Georges

2009-10-01

This case study highlights the implications of the 2003 heat wave for the city of Strasbourg, France. The urban centers of France and other European countries were particularly affected by the heat wave. In some urban areas, the mortality rate was 60% above the expected value (Institute de Veille Sanitaire, 2003). The 2003 heat wave demonstrated once again that populations in urban centers are much more affected by extreme meteorological events than people living in rural areas. The aim of this analysis is to explore differences in thermal comfort conditions of (a) the city center of Strasbourg, and (b) its hinterland. The differences in thermal conditions existing between rural and urban areas are quantified by using a bio-climatological index termed physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). This index is based on the human energy balance and builds a relevant index for the quantification of the thermal environment of humans. We calculate the PET for the years 2003 and 2004 to highlight the temporal changes in the severity of climate extremes. The spatial scope of this study is improved compared to previous works in the field through the inclusion of PET calculations for five different sites on a central place in Strasbourg (Place Kléber). The calculations are characterized by different sky view factors and are compared to the reference site, which is located in a rural area. In the rural hinterland (Entzheim), the analysis of PET indicates a strong cold thermal stress during the winter months but no significant stress in summer. In 2003, summer temperatures were sensed as warmer compared to other years, but did not reach the extreme temperatures that may cause severe heat stress. For both the rural and the urban study sites PET was higher in the summer of 2003 than in 2004, which reflects the inferior thermal conditions in the urban area during the heat wave in 2003. For the entire study period, urban and rural day-time PET reached similar maximal values. Strong differences in PET, however, were observed between the rural and urban areas at night-time. The study of PET for several study sites on a central place in the city (Place Kléber) of Strasbourg for the years 2003 and 2004 showed that the sites with a higher sky view factor present higher values than sites with a lower sky view factor. The comparison of these PET values (Place Kléber) to the results for the rural area showed that during the day and the night the rural city of Entzheim has the lowest PET. During the day, the site at Place Kléber, which is located under a tree, has the lowest PET. The comparison of PET for the years 2003 and 2004 shows that PET in 2003 was about 5 to 7 K higher.

A GIS-BASED MULTI-CRITERIA EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR SELECTION OF LANDFILL SITES: a case study from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issa, S. M.; Shehhi, B. Al

2012-07-01

Landfill sites receive 92% of total annual solid waste produced by municipalities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In this study, candidate sites for an appropriate landfill location for the Abu Dhabi municipal area are determined by integrating geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) analysis. To identify appropriate landfill sites, eight input map layers including proximity to urban areas, proximity to wells and water table depth, geology and topography, proximity to touristic and archeological sites, distance from roads network, distance from drainage networks, and land slope are used in constraint mapping. A final map was generated which identified potential areas showing suitability for the location of the landfill site. Results revealed that 30% of the study area was identified as highly suitable, 25% as suitable, and 45% as unsuitable. The selection of the final landfill site, however, requires further field research.

Observation and modelling of urban dew

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, Katrina

Despite its relevance to many aspects of urban climate and to several practical questions, urban dew has largely been ignored. Here, simple observations an out-of-doors scale model, and numerical simulation are used to investigate patterns of dewfall and surface moisture (dew + guttation) in urban environments. Observations and modelling were undertaken in Vancouver, B.C., primarily during the summers of 1993 and 1996. Surveys at several scales (0.02-25 km) show that the main controls on dew are weather, location and site configuration (geometry and surface materials). Weather effects are discussed using an empirical factor, FW . Maximum dew accumulation (up to ~ 0.2 mm per night) is seen on nights with moist air and high FW , i.e., cloudless conditions with light winds. Favoured sites are those with high Ysky and surfaces which cool rapidly after sunset, e.g., grass and well insulated roofs. A 1/8-scale model is designed, constructed, and run at an out-of-doors site to study dew patterns in an urban residential landscape which consists of house lots, a street and an open grassed park. The Internal Thermal Mass (ITM) approach is used to scale the thermal inertia of buildings. The model is validated using data from full-scale sites in Vancouver. Patterns in the model agree with those seen at the full-scale, i.e., dew distribution is governed by weather, site geometry and substrate conditions. Correlation is shown between Ysky and surface moisture accumulation. The feasibility of using a numerical model to simulate urban dew is investigated using a modified version of a rural dew model. Results for simple isolated surfaces-a deciduous tree leaf and an asphalt shingle roof-show promise, especially for built surfaces.

Characterization of VOCs Across Pennsylvania: Assessing Emissions from Rural, Forested, Agricultural and Natural Gas Drilling-Impacted Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grannas, A. M.; Fuentes, J. D.; Ramos-Garcés, F.; Wang, D. K.; Martins, D. K.

2012-12-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of both biogenic and anthropogenic origin are important to troposphere chemistry, particularly the formation of photochemical smog and secondary organic aerosol. There is concern that increased natural gas exploration may lead to increased emissions of certain VOCs during well development and due to fugitive emissions from operational well sites and pipelines. For a six-day period in June 2012, a variety of VOCs were measured using canister sampling from a mobile measurement platform. Transects from southwestern to northeastern Pennsylvania were studied, with samples obtained in rural, forested, urban, farm-impacted and gas well-impacted sites. As expected, biogenic VOCs and isoprene oxidation products were enhanced in forested regions, while anthropogenic non-methane hydrocarbons were enhanced in urban areas. BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) was enhanced in urban areas, but the concentrations of BTEX measured near developing and existing natural gas sites were similar to rural and forested sites. Halogenated hydrocarbons and Freon compounds were consistent at all site locations. We will discuss the specific concentrations and signatures of these compounds and assess the potential impact of agricultural activities and gas well development on the observed VOC concentrations and variability.

Trace element content and molecular biodiversity in the epiphytic moss Leptodon smithii: two independent tracers of human disturbance.

PubMed

Spagnuolo, Valeria; Terracciano, Stefano; Giordano, Simonetta

2009-03-01

This paper focuses on chemical composition of the epiphytic moss Leptodon smithii, gathered on Quercus ilex bark, assessed in seven sites located in urban and extra-urban/remote areas of southern Italy, a poorly surveyed geographic area. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in moss tissue are generally more abundant in moss gathered in the urban sites; among extra-urban/remote sites Valle delle Ferriere showed the highest metal concentrations, mostly related to an industrial activity occurred in the past. L. smithii chemistry seems influenced by airborne dust locally enhanced by erosion phenomena, long-range transport of pollutants and marine aerosols. Element content in moss is compared with genetic variability of L. smithii estimated in the same sites. Pearson's correlation coefficient between gene diversity and total element load (r=-0.851; p=0.03) suggests that anthropogenic pressure, determining habitat disturbance and fragmentation, leads both to genetic impoverishment consequent to population shrink, and to a higher accumulation in moss tissues, as a consequence of increased airborne major/trace elements. Thus, the coupled evaluation of chemical composition in mosses and gene diversity may prove a useful tool to highlight environmental disturbance in a gradient of land use.

A validated methodology for the prediction of heating and cooling energy demand for buildings within the Urban Heat Island: Case-study of London

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

Kolokotroni, Maria; Bhuiyan, Saiful; Davies, Michael

2010-12-15

This paper describes a method for predicting air temperatures within the Urban Heat Island at discreet locations based on input data from one meteorological station for the time the prediction is required and historic measured air temperatures within the city. It uses London as a case-study to describe the method and its applications. The prediction model is based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modelling and it is termed the London Site Specific Air Temperature (LSSAT) predictor. The temporal and spatial validity of the model was tested using data measured 8 years later from the original dataset; it was found thatmore » site specific hourly air temperature prediction provides acceptable accuracy and improves considerably for average monthly values. It thus is a very reliable tool for use as part of the process of predicting heating and cooling loads for urban buildings. This is illustrated by the computation of Heating Degree Days (HDD) and Cooling Degree Hours (CDH) for a West-East Transect within London. The described method could be used for any city for which historic hourly air temperatures are available for a number of locations; for example air pollution measuring sites, common in many cities, typically measure air temperature on an hourly basis. (author)« less

Quantifying Water and Energy Fluxes Over Different Urban Land Covers in Phoenix, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Templeton, Nicole P.; Vivoni, Enrique R.; Wang, Zhi-Hua; Schreiner-McGraw, Adam P.

2018-02-01

The impact of urbanization on water and energy fluxes varies according to the characteristics of the urban patch type. Nevertheless, urban flux observations are limited, particularly in arid climates, given the wide variety of land cover present in cities. To help address this need, a mobile eddy covariance tower was deployed at three locations in Phoenix, Arizona, to sample the surface energy balance at a parking lot, a xeric landscaping (irrigated trees with gravel) and a mesic landscaping (irrigated turf grass). These deployments were compared to a stationary eddy covariance tower in a suburban neighborhood. A comparison of the observations revealed key differences between the mobile and reference sites tied to the urban land cover within the measurement footprints. For instance, the net radiation varied substantially among the sites in manners consistent with albedo and shallow soil temperature differences. The partitioning of available energy between sensible and latent heat fluxes was modulated strongly by the presence of outdoor water use, with the irrigated turf grass exhibiting the highest evaporative fraction. At this site, we identified a lack of sensitivity of turbulent flux partitioning to precipitation events, which suggests that frequent outdoor water use removes water limitations in an arid climate, thus leading to mesic conditions. Other urban land covers with less irrigation, however, exhibited sensitivity to the occurrence of precipitation, as expected for an arid climate. As a result, quantifying the frequency and magnitude of outdoor water use is critical for understanding evapotranspiration losses in arid urban areas.

Compound Specific Isotope Analysis of Fatty Acids in Southern African Aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billmark, K. A.; Macko, S. A.; Swap, R. J.

2003-12-01

This study, conducted as a part of the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000), applied compound specific isotope analysis to describe aerosols at source regions and rural locations. Stable carbon isotopic compositions of individual fatty acids were determined for aerosol samples collected at four sites throughout southern Africa. Mongu, Zambia and Skukuza, South Africa were chosen for their location within intense seasonal Miombo woodland savanna and bushveld savanna biomass burning source regions, respectively. Urban aerosols were collected at Johannesburg, South Africa and rural samples were collected at Sua Pan, Botswana. Fatty acid isotopic compositions varied temporally. Urban aerosols showed significant isotopic enrichment of selected short chain fatty acids (C < 20) compared to aerosols produced during biomass combustion. Sua Pan short chain fatty acid signatures were significantly different from the other non-urban sites, which suggests that sources other than biomass combustion products, such as organic eolian material, impact the Sua Pan aerosol profile. However, a high degree of correlation between Sua Pan and Skukuza long chain fatty acid δ 13C values confirm atmospheric linkages between the two areas and that isotopic signatures of combusted fatty acids are unaltered during atmospheric transport highlighting their potential for use as a conservative tracer.

Monitoring of airborne particulate matter at mountainous urban sites.

PubMed

Dai, Jun; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Dutta, Tanushree; Park, Wha Me; Hong, Jong-Ki; Jung, Kweon; Brown, Richard J C

2016-08-01

Concentrations of various size fractions (TSP, PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0) of particulate matter (PM) were measured at two mountainous sites, Buk Han (BH) and Gwan AK (GA), along with one ground reference site at Gwang Jin (GJ), located in Seoul, South Korea for the 4 years from 2010 to 2013. The daily average concentrations of TSP, PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0 at BH were 47.9 ± 32.5, 37.0 ± 24.6, 20.6 ± 12.9, and 15.3 ± 9.53 μg m(-3), respectively. These values were slightly larger than those measured at GA while much lower than those measured at the reference site (GJ). Seasonal variations in PM concentrations were consistent across all locations with a relative increase in concentrations observed in spring and winter. Correlation analysis showed clear differences in PM concentrations between the mountainous sites and the reference site. Analysis of these PM concentrations indicated that the distribution of PM in the mountainous locations was affected by a number of manmade sources from nearby locations, including both traffic and industrial emissions.

A neighborhood revealed by geophysical prospection: An example of urbanization at the Phoenician-Punic settlement of Mozia (western Sicily, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Mauro, D.; Alfonsi, L.; Sapia, V.; Urbini, S.

2014-05-01

The archaeological site of Mozia, a small island in front of the western coast of Sicily (Italy), is one of the most important Phoenician-Punic settlements in the Mediterranean; it preserves important vestiges and remains, located in an uncontaminated site, inhabited and car-free. The remains are still partially hidden under vegetation and vineyards.

Trends of atmospheric black carbon concentration over the United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Vikas; Ravindra, Khaiwal; Sahu, Lokesh; Sokhi, Ranjeet

2018-04-01

The continuous observations over a period of 7 years (2009-2016) available at 7 locations show declining trend of atmospheric BC in the UK. Among all the locations, the highest decrease of 8 ± 3 percent per year was observed at the Marylebone road in London. The detailed analysis performed at 21 locations during 2009-2011 shows that average annual mean atmospheric BC concentration were 0.45 ± 0.10, 1.47 ± 0.58, 1.34 ± 0.31, 1.83 ± 0.46 and 9.72 ± 0.78 μgm-3 at rural, suburban, urban background, urban centre and kerbside sites respectively. Around 1 μgm-3 of atmospheric BC could be attributed to urban emission, whereas traffic contributed up to 8 μg m-3 of atmospheric BC near busy roads. Seasonal pattern was also observed at all locations except rural and kerbside location, with maximum concentrations (1.2-4 μgm-3) in winter. Further, minimum concentrations (0.3-1.2 μgm-3) were observed in summer and similar concentrations in spring and fall. At suburban and urban background locations, similar diurnal pattern were observed with atmospheric BC concentration peaks (≈1.8 μg m-3) in the morning (around 9 a.m.) and evening (7-9 p.m.) rush hours, whereas minimum concentrations were during late night hours (peak at 5 a.m.) and the afternoon hours (peak at 2 p.m.). The urban centre values show a similar morning pattern (peak at 9 a.m.; concentration - 2.5 μgm-3) in relation to background locations but only a slight decrease in concentration in the afternoon which remained above 2 μgm-3 till midnight. It is concluded that the higher flow of traffic at urban centre locations results in higher atmospheric BC concentrations throughout the day. Comparison of weekday and weekend daily averaged atmospheric BC showed maximum concentrations on Friday, having minimum levels on Sunday. This study will help to refine the atmospheric BC emission inventories and provide data for air pollution and climate change models evaluation, which are used to formulate air pollution mitigation policies.

Variability in carbon dioxide fluxes for dense urban, suburban and woodland environments in southern England

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Helen; Kotthaus, Simone; Grimmond, C. Sue; Bjorkegren, Alex; Wilkinson, Matt; Morrison, Will; Evans, Jon; Morison, James; Christen, Andreas

2014-05-01

The net exchange of carbon dioxide between the surface and atmosphere can be measured using the eddy covariance technique. Fluxes from a dense urban environment (central London), a suburban landscape (Swindon) and a woodland ecosystem (Alice Holt) are compared. All sites are located in southern England and experience similar climatic and meteorological conditions, yet have very different land cover. The signatures of anthropogenic and biogenic processes are explored at various (daily, seasonal and annual) timescales. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying the mixture of controls that determine the flux. In summer, there are clear similarities between the suburban and woodland sites, as the diurnal behaviour is dominated by photosynthetic uptake. In winter, however, vegetation is largely dormant and human activity determines the pattern of fluxes at the urban and suburban sites. Emissions from building heating augment the net release of carbon dioxide in cold months. Road use is a major contributor to the total emissions, and the diurnal cycle in the observed fluxes reflects this: in central London roads are busy throughout the day, whereas in Swindon a double-peaked rush-hour signal is evident. The net exchange of carbon dioxide is estimated for each site and set in context with other studies around the world. Central London has the smallest proportion of vegetation and largest emissions amongst study sites in the literature to date. Although Swindon's appreciable vegetation fraction helps to offset the anthropogenic emissions, even in summertime the 24h total flux is usually positive, indicating carbon release. Comparison of these three sites in a similar region demonstrates the effects of increasing urban density and changing land use on the atmosphere. Findings are relevant in terms of characterising the behaviour of urban surfaces and for quantifying the impact of anthropogenic activities.

Relative contributions of gaseous oxidized mercury and fine and coarse particle-bound mercury to mercury wet deposition at nine monitoring sites in North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Irene; Zhang, Leiming; Mao, Huiting

2015-08-01

Relative contributions to mercury wet deposition by gaseous oxidized mercury (%GOM) and fine and coarse particle-bound mercury (%FPBM and %CPBM) were estimated making use of monitored FPBM air concentration and mercury wet deposition at nine North American locations. Scavenging ratios of particulate inorganic ions (K+ and Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+) were used as a surrogate for those of FPBM and CPBM, respectively. FPBM and CPBM were estimated to contribute 8-36% and 5-27%, respectively, depending on the location, to total wet deposition. The rest of the 39-87% was attributed to the contribution of GOM. The average %GOM, %FPBM and %CPBM among all locations were 65%, 17%, and 18%, respectively. The relative distributions of %GOM, %FPBM, and %CPBM were influenced by Hg(II) gas-particle partitioning, urban site characteristics, and precipitation type. At the regional scale, %GOM dominated over %FPBM and %CPBM. However, the sum of FPBM and CPBM contributed to nearly half of the total Hg wet deposition in urban areas, which was greater than other site categories and is attributed to higher FPBM air concentrations. At four locations, %FPBM exceeded %GOM during winter in contrast to summer, suggesting the efficient snow scavenging of aerosols. The results from this study are useful in improving mercury transport models since most of these models do not estimate CPBM, but frequently use monitored mercury wet deposition data for model evaluation.

Atmospheric behaviour of particulate oxalate at UK urban background and rural sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laongsri, Bunthoon; Harrison, Roy M.

2013-06-01

Oxalic acid is widely reported in the literature as one of the major components of organic aerosol. It has been reported as both a product of primary emissions from combustion processes and as a secondary product of atmospheric chemistry. Concentrations of particulate oxalate have been measured at a UK urban site (500 daily samples) and for a more limited period simultaneously at a rural site (100 samples) in the fine (less than 2.5 μm) and coarse (2.5-10 μm) size fractions. Full size distributions have also been measured by sampling with a MOUDI cascade impactor. Average concentrations of oxalate sampled over different intervals in PM10 are 0.04 ± 0.03 μg m-3 at the rural site and 0.06 ± 0.05 μg m-3 at the urban background site, broadly comparable with measurements from other European locations. During the period of simultaneous sampling at the urban and rural site, concentrations were very similar and the inter-site correlation in the PM2.5 fraction for oxalate (r = 0.45; p < 0.001) was appreciably weaker than that for sulphate and nitrate (r = 0.82 and 0.84, respectively). Nonetheless, the data clearly point to a predominantly secondary source of oxalate at these sites. Possible contributions from road traffic and woodsmoke appear to be very small. In the larger urban dataset, oxalate in PM2.5 was correlated significantly (p < 0.01) with sulphate (r = 0.60), nitrate (r = 0.48) and secondary organic carbon (r = 0.25). Clustering of air mass back trajectories demonstrates the importance of advection from mainland Europe. The size distribution of oxalate at the urban site showed a major mode at around 0.55 μm and a minor mode at around 1.5 μm in the mass distribution. The former mode is similar to that for sulphate suggesting either a similar in-cloud formation mechanism, or cloud processing of oxalate and sulphate after formation in homogeneous reaction processes.

Freshwater mussels in an urban watershed: Impacts of anthropogenic inputs and habitat alterations on populations.

PubMed

Gillis, Patricia L; McInnis, Rodney; Salerno, Joseph; de Solla, Shane R; Servos, Mark R; Leonard, Erin M

2017-01-01

The substantial increase in urbanization worldwide has resulted in higher emissions of wastewater to riverine systems near urban centers, which often impairs aquatic populations and communities. This study examined the effect of urbanization on freshwater mussel populations, including Species at Risk in two rivers receiving wastewater. The influence of anthropogenic activities was assessed in a watershed in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, one that historically supported one of the most diverse mussel faunas in Canada. In the Grand River (ON), four sites along a 60km reach spanning from an upstream reference site to an urban-impacted downstream area were examined. In the Speed River, mussel populations at six sites along a 10km reach, selected to bracket specific anthropogenic inputs and structures were assessed. A semi-quantitative visual search method revealed that catch per unit effort in the Grand River declined by >60% from the upstream reference site to the area downstream of an urban center. The size (length) frequency distribution of the most abundant species, Lasmigona costata, was significantly (p≤0.008) different upstream of the majority of urban inputs (45-130mm) compared to downstream of the cities (85-115mm). In the Speed River, impoundments and wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) reduced both the diversity and catch per effort. Most striking were 84 and 95% changes in the number of mussels found on either side of two impoundments, and a 98% drop in mussels immediately downstream of a WWTP outfall. These population level effects of decreased abundance and underrepresentation of smaller mussels downstream of the urban area correspond to previously documented impacts at the biochemical and whole organism level of biological organization in wild mussels at this location. Our results demonstrate that poor water quality and physical barriers in urban environments continue to impair susceptible populations and communities of aquatic animals. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Exploring factors controlling the variability of pesticide concentrations in the Willamette River Basin using tree-based models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qian, S.S.; Anderson, Chauncey W.

1999-01-01

We analyzed available concentration data of five commonly used herbicides and three pesticides collected from small streams in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon to identify factors that affect the variation of their concentrations in the area. The emphasis of this paper is the innovative use of classification and regression tree models for exploratory data analysis as well as analyzing data with a substantial amount of left-censored values. Among variables included in this analysis, land-use pattern in the watershed is the most important for all but one (simazine) of the eight pesticides studied, followed by geographic location, intensity of agriculture activities in the watershed (represented by nutrient concentrations in the stream), and the size of the watershed. The significant difference between urban sites and agriculture sites is the variability of stream concentrations. While all 16 nonurban watersheds have significantly higher variation than urban sites, the same is not necessarily true for the mean concentrations. Seasonal variation accounts for only a small fraction of the total variance in all eight pesticides.We analyzed available concentration data of five commonly used herbicides and three pesticides collected from small streams in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon to identify factors that affect the variation of their concentrations in the area. The emphasis of this paper is the innovative use of classification and regression tree models for exploratory data analysis as well as analyzing data with a substantial amount of left-censored values. Among variables included in this analysis, land-use pattern in the watershed is the most important for all but one (simazine) of the eight pesticides studied, followed by geographic location, intensity of agriculture activities in the watershed (represented by nutrient concentrations in the stream), and the size of the watershed. The significant difference between urban sites and agriculture sites is the variability of stream concentrations. While all 16 nonurban watersheds have significantly higher variation than urban sites, the same is not necessarily true for the mean concentrations. Seasonal variation accounts for only a small fraction of the total variance in all eight pesticides.

Site selection model for new metro stations based on land use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Nan; Chen, Xuewu

2015-12-01

Since the construction of metro system generally lags behind the development of urban land use, sites of metro stations should adapt to their surrounding situations, which was rarely discussed by previous research on station layout. This paper proposes a new site selection model to find the best location for a metro station, establishing the indicator system based on land use and combining AHP with entropy weight method to obtain the schemes' ranking. The feasibility and efficiency of this model has been validated by evaluating Nanjing Shengtai Road station and other potential sites.

Reconsidering brownfield redevelopment strategy in China's old industrial zone: a health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination.

PubMed

Ren, Wanxia; Geng, Yong; Ma, Zhixiao; Sun, Lina; Xue, Bing; Fujita, Tsuyoshi

2015-02-01

Urban environmental quality in brownfield redevelopment sites is of vital importance after most of former industrial areas were replanned or changed into residential and recreational areas. Hence, it is necessary to rethink if those brownfield redevelopment sites have been cleaned up so that there will be no negative health impacts to local residents. Under such a circumstance, this paper aims to evaluate the contamination level of heavy metals within a brownfield redevelopment site in China, namely, the Tiexi old industrial zone in Shenyang. Surface soil and dust samples were collected from local industrial sites, residential/commercial sites, traffic sites, and recreational sites, respectively. Our analysis results revealed that although the soils in the brownfield redevelopment sites had been treated and remediated, heavy metal pollution still exists in certain sites, especially in the current industrial sites that will be planned into residential/commercial or recreational zones, and the current residential sites where the former industrial sites located, showing that past industrial activities did and will continue to influence the soil quality. Further health risk assessment indicates that As and Pb generated from industrial sites and traffic sites has a potential to pose serious health risks to local residents, especially children. The hotspots with more serious health risks to children are mainly concentrated in the areas close to the former Shenyang Smelting Plant. After one decade of redevelopment, the Tiexi old industrial zone has become a new urban area which is not suitable for large-scaled soil remediation efforts. Thus, the phytoremediation by trees or herbs in heavy-metal-contaminated land is more appropriate and should be embedded into urban green land planning. This study provides innovative policy insights on urban brownfield redevelopment to both governmental officials and related stakeholders so that they can make appropriate remediation actions.

Isocyanatocyclohexane and isothiocyanatocyclohexane levels in urban and industrial areas and possible emission-related activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallego, E.; Roca, F. X.; Perales, F.; Ribes, A.; Carrera, G.; Guardino, X.; Berenguer, M. J.

Isocyanatocyclohexane and isothiocyanatocyclohexane are becoming relevant compounds in urban and industrial air, as they are used in important amounts in automobile industry and building insulation, as well as in the manufacture of foams, rubber, paints and varnishes. Glass multi-sorbent tubes (Carbotrap, Carbopack, Carboxen) were connected to LCMA-UPC pump samplers for the retention of iso- and isothiocyanatocyclohexanes. The analysis was performed by automatic thermal desorption (ATD) coupled with capillary gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry detector (MSD). TD-GC/MS was chosen as analytical method due to its versatility and the possibility of analysis of a wide range of volatility and polarity VOC in air samples. The method was satisfactory sensitive, selective and reproducible for the studied compounds. The concentrations of iso- and isothioisocyanatocyclohexanes were evaluated in different urban, residential and industrial locations from extensive VOC air quality and odour episode studies in several cities in the Northeastern edge of Spain. Around 200-300 VOC were determined qualitatively in each sample. Higher values of iso- and isothiocyanatocyclohexane were found in industrial areas than in urban or residential locations. The concentrations ranged between n.d.-246 and n.d.-29 μg m -3 for isocyanatocyclohexane and isothiocyanatocyclohexane, respectively, for industrial areas. On the other hand, urban and residential locations showed concentrations ranging between n.d.-164 and n.d.-29 μg m -3 for isocyanatocyclohexane and isothiocyanatocyclohexane, respectively. The site location (urban or industrial), the kind and nearness of possible iso- and isothiocyanatocyclohexane emission activities (industrial or building construction) and the changes of wind regimes throughout the year have been found the most important factors influencing the concentrations of these compounds in the different places.

Monitoring Physicochemical and Nutrient Dynamics Along a Development Gradient in Maine Ephemeral Wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podzikowski, L. Y.; Capps, K. A.; Calhoun, A.

2014-12-01

Vernal pools are ephemeral wetlands in forested landscapes that fill with snowmelt, precipitation, and/or groundwater in the spring, and characteristically dry down through the summer months. Typically, vernal pool research has focused on the population and community ecology of pool-breeding organisms (amphibians and macroinvertebrates) conducted during their relatively short breeding season. Yet, little is known about the temporal variability of biogeochemical processes within and among vernal pools in urbanizing landscapes. In this study, we monitored physicochemical characteristics and nutrient dynamics in 22 vernal pools in central Maine post thaw in 2014. Four pristine pools were sampled weekly in five locations within the pool for ambient nutrient concentrations (SRP, NH4, NOx) and at three locations for physicochemical characteristics (DO, pH, temperature, conductivity). In the remaining 18 pools, we sampled one location for nutrients and three locations for physicochemical characteristics at least monthly to estimate the influence of increasing urbanization on the physical and chemical environment. Our data suggest most pools found in urbanizing areas have higher conductivity (developed sites ranging 18.52 - 1238 μS cm-1 compared to pristine between 14.08 - 58.4 μS cm-1). Previous work suggests forested pools exhibit dystrophic conditions with high coloration from DOC limiting primary production due to increased light attenuation in pools. However, both pristine and urban pools experienced spikes in DO (>100% saturation) throughout the day, suggesting that high productivity is not a reliable indicator of the effects of urbanization on vernal pools. We argue that continued monitoring of vernal pools along a gradient of urbanization could give insight into the role of ephemeral wetlands as potential biogeochemical hotspots and may also indicate how human development may alter biogeochemical cycling in ephemeral wetlands.

The effect of long-term spatiotemporal variations in urbanization-induced eutrophication on a benthic ecosystem, Osaka Bay, Japan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yasuhara, Moriaki; Yamazaki, Hideo; Tsujimoto, Akira; Hirose, K.

2007-01-01

Detailed spatiotemporal patterns of the influence of urbanization-induced eutrophication on a metazoan benthic community in Osaka Bay were determined using sediment cores and fossil ostracode assemblages from the last 200 yr. Results suggest that total abundance of ostracodes increased in the middle part of the bay as a result of the increase of food supply by eutrophication. Conversely, abundance decreased in the inner bay, likely because of bottom-water hypoxia by eutrophication. The variation in species composition among sites within the bay may have decreased because of the effect of eutrophication, i.e., the dominance of species that prefer food-rich environments throughout all sites. These eutrophication-induced changes occurred around 1900 as a result of Japan's industrial revolution and around 1960 as a result of rapid urbanization, depending upon location. ?? 2007, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.

Survey of atmospheric total gaseous mercury in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de la Rosa, D. A.; Volke-Sepúlveda, T.; Solórzano, G.; Green, C.; Tordon, R.; Beauchamp, S.

2004-09-01

While sources of gaseous mercury (natural and anthropogenic) are well known, studies on atmospheric mercury concentrations in Mexico are new. In order to assess the total gaseous mercury (TGM) levels at some characteristic Mexican sites, four locations were selected to start an exploratory survey and begin to asses the TGM behavior. This paper presents data obtained at an urban site (Mexico City), a rural site (Huejutla, Hidalgo), a coastline site (Puerto Angel, Oaxaca) and a closed mining site (Zacatecas City, Zacatecas). The highest TGM average values were found at this last site (71.82 ng m-3) together with the urban site (9.81 ng m-3). At the rural and coast line sites the lowest TGM values (1.32 and 1.46 ng m-3, respectively) were found. According to the ANOVA test, there were significant differences for the TGM values among all the studied sites, except between the coastline and the rural place. A multiple correlation test performed between TGM and some meteorological parameters showed that in sites without anthropogenic mercury sources influence (rural and coast line), the TGM levels are correlated with the temperature and relative humidity, while for the other two sites no clear correlation was found.

Effects of Urban Development on Water-Quality in the Piedmont of North Carolina-- The NAWQA Urban Land-Use Gradient Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harned, D. A.; Cuffney, T. F.; Giddings, E. M.; McMahon, G.

2004-12-01

A study of urban basins located in the Piedmont of North Carolina is underway as part of the U. S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) to determine the relation between level of urban development and water quality. Data were collected from 30 basins on water chemistry (nutrient, pesticide, and ion concentrations), geomorphic and habitat characteristics, hydrologic stage, discharge, water temperature, pH, dissolved-oxygen concentration, specific conductance, benthic algae, invertebrate communities, and fish communities. Collection frequency for water chemistry ranged from 2 samples (at 20 sites) to 6 samples (at 10 sites). Biological data were collected in each basin twice. Investigation of the effects of urbanization on water quality must control for the effects of natural factors, while varying the degree of urbanization between study basins. A regional framework was used to control variability in natural factors that influence water-quality. The urban intensity in each basin was measured by using an index to integrate information on human influences. The Urban Index includes information about land cover, infrastructure, population, and socioeconomic characteristics. Sites were selected to represent the full gradient of undeveloped to fully urbanized basins. A preliminary review of the stream water-chemistry data indicates distinct relations between ionic composition and the Urban Index. Mean specific conductance was positively correlated with the Urban Index (Spearman correlation coefficient (r) = 0.77; 95-percent confidence limits (95CL) 0.61 - 0.93; probability (pr) <0.0001; N=30). Specific conductance ranged from 56 microsiemens (uS) at the least developed site to 607 uS at the most developed site. Dissolved sulfate (r=0.74; 95CL 0.57 - 0.91; pr <0.0001) and chloride (r=0.71; 95CL 0.52 - 0.90; pr <0.0001) were also positively correlated with the Urban Index. Sulfate ranged from 2.3 to 66 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and chloride ranged from 3.5 to 96 mg/L. Urban sources of sulfate include domestic sewage and emissions from the combustion of automotive and diesel fuels. Sources of chloride include sewage and road salting. pH was positively correlated with the Urban Index (r=0.60; 95CL 0.38 - 0.84; pr= 0.0005) with a range from 6.5 at the least urban site to 7.5 at the most urban site. The increase in pH may be due in part to conversion of organic forest soils to less acidic soils of urban lawns. The overall trend of increasing total dissolved nitrogen (r=0.46; 95CL 0.12 - 0.80; pr=0.0103) and nitrite plus nitrate (r=0.46; 95CL 0.09 - 0.83; pr=0.0109) concentrations, with increasing Urban Index may reflect sources such as sewage and lawn fertilizer use in the more urban basins. However, some of the least urban basins also had elevated nitrogen concentrations reflecting possible agricultural influences such as fertilizer use and animal waste. Total nitrogen concentration ranged from 0.31 to 14 mg/L. Unit-area stream discharge during low-flow periods was negatively correlated with the Urban Index (r= -0.56; 95CL -0.74 - -0.37; pr=0.0014). Reduced discharge with greater urban development may be a result of reduced infiltration caused by impervious surfaces. Unit discharge ranged from 0.47 to 2.27 cubic feet per second per square mile of drainage area.

A bioarcheological study of maxillary sinusitis.

PubMed

Roberts, Charlotte A

2007-06-01

Maxillary sinusitis was studied as an indicator of poor air quality. Seven skeletal samples were examined from North America, England, and Nubia, and selected to represent different geographic locations, environments, and subsistence economies. Frequency rates varied from 17.2 to 51.5% of individuals affected with one or both sinuses preserved. Hardin Village had the highest frequency (51.5%), followed by the Aleuts (42.9%), "Illinois" (38.6%), Indian Knoll (38.5%), Kulubnarti (21.8%), Christchurch, Spitalfields (18.0%), and "South Dakota" (17.2%). Male frequencies ranged from 16.7 to 36.7%, but the female frequency ranged more widely from 18.0 to 76.5%. At most sites female rates exceeded male. The effect of urban and rural environment on sinusitis occurrence, and also subsistence economy, biological sex, and social status were explored, and comparative sites also considered; urban agricultural sites had a mean frequency of 48.5%, rural agricultural sites had a mean frequency of 45.0%, and hunter-gatherer sites had a mean frequency of 40.0%. In the urban sites male and female frequencies were near equal, but in the rural agricultural and hunter-gatherer sites female frequencies exceeded male frequencies. Dental disease was not found to have much impact on sinusitis frequency. The importance of the link between poor air quality and respiratory health is highlighted in clinical studies in both developed and developing countries, but also in bioarcheological studies.

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.

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

Prendez, M.; Ortiz, J.L.; Cortes, E.

In Chile, the State Public Health Office (Ministerio de Salud Publica) is responsible for pollution control and for air quality. This office has been monitoring only toxic gases and total suspended particulate matter. The present work is the first study in Chile designed to determine trace elements and their concentrations in particulate matter in the air. By use of enrichment factors, 25 trace elements were classified according to natural or anthropogenic origin. There were two sampling periods: July (winter) and September (spring) 1976. Four sites were studied, located about 6 km north, south, west and east of downtown Santiago. Themore » south, north and west sites are urban and 55 m above sea level. The east site is suburban and approximately 270 m higher than the others. Twenty-four-hour samples were collected on Whatman-41 cellulose filter paper, in a modified stainless steel Buchner funnel. Approximately 10 m/sup 3/ were used at the urban sites and 200 m/sup 3/ at the suburban site. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) was used as the analytical technique.« less

A study of risk in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara through dense GPS geodesy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marquez-Azua, B.; Saldana-Hernandez, F.; Medina de La Pena, H.

2007-05-01

Geodesic measurements from the Global Positioning System (GPS) are used extensively for basic earth science research into natural hazards and seismic risk. In the private sector, GPS technology is additionally used for cadastral and photogrammetric mapping surveys, definition of political-administrative limits, space analysis with thematic cartography, GIS, and land-use planning, with a wide variety of applied social, economic, and political purposes, including conservation of the environment. The city of Guadalajara and its surrounding urban area has expanded greatly in the last three decades as a result of industrial, commercial and housing activity that have substantially changed in their urban morphology. This period of unprecedented growth has occurred primarily in an unplanned and sometimes disarticulated and unbalanced manner, incongruous with the development of the most important city in western Mexico. The Department of Geography of the University of Guadalajara and the Institute of Territorial Information of the State of Jalisco (IITJ) have initiated a study of 89 geodetic sites that are located in the metropolitan zone of Guadalajara to assist in future planning and regulation of urban development, including urban and rural cadastral surveys and the establishment of diverse public services. Our work includes careful examination and evaluation of the quality and distribution of these geodetic sites with regard to anticipated growth of the metropolitan municipalities, and the vulnerability of urban zones to ground subsidence or landslides. Guadalajara is also located in a seismic zone, making precise continuous GPS measurements useful for identifying rates of strain accumulation and aseismic strain events that cannot be measured by seismographs.

Social equity and environmental risk

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

Zimmerman, R.

1993-12-01

Social equity has become an important concern of the environmental movement over the past decade. The equity issue is analyzed here for practically all of the inactive hazardous waste disposal sites on the National Priorities List (NPL) regulated under the Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act and its 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (CERCLA/SARA). Two dimensions of equity are emphasized, namely, site location relative to the location of minority population and the distribution of cleanup plans or Records of Decision (ROD) across communities with NPL sites that have different socioeconomic characteristics. With respect to site location, the percentage ofmore » Blacks and Hispanics aggregated at the Census Place or MCD level in communities with NPL sites was greater than is typical nationwide (largely attributable to the concentration of minority populations in a few large urban areas with NPL sites). The percentage of the population below the poverty line in communities with NPL sites largely matched that of the nation as a whole. With respect to site cleanup, communities with relatively higher percentages of racial minority population have fewer cleanup plans than other communities with NPL site. Whether a ROD exists is influenced by when the site was designated for the NPL: sites designated earlier are more likely to have RODs and less likely to have high proportions of racial minority populations than sites designated later. This implies that initially the designation process may have resulted in NPL sites being located disproportionately in minority areas, but this pattern seems to be reversing itself in more recently designated sites. Racial and ethnic disproportionalities with respect to inactive hazardous waste site location seem to be concentrated in a relatively few areas. 35 refs., 12 tabs.« less

Understanding Anthropogenic Impacts on Air Quality at Rural Locations Using High Time Resolution Particle Composition Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collett, J. L.; Lee, T.; Yu, X.; Sullivan, A.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; Malm, W.

2006-12-01

Many of our nation's National Parks, wilderness areas and other visually protected environments are located in regions where urban, agricultural, and other anthropogenic emissions periodically exert strong impacts on local air quality. In this presentation we will use high time resolution (15 min) measurements of particle composition to examine the frequency and magnitude of these impacts and to elucidate changes in aerosol chemistry occurring during transitions between periods of strong anthropogenic impact and periods when atmospheric composition is more strongly influenced by natural emissions and/or regional air quality. Highlights will be drawn from a series of field campaigns at locations around the U.S., including Yosemite National Park (downwind of the Central Valley of California), San Gorgonio Wilderness Area (downwind of the Los Angeles basin), Bondville, Illinois (a rural Midwestern site), Great Smoky Mountains National Park (a rural, mountain location in the polluted southeast U.S.), Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey (a coastal site on the U.S. eastern seaboard), and Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (located in the mountains west of the Colorado Front Range urban corridor). Particle composition measurements were made using a Particle Into Liquid Sampler (PILS) coupled to two on-line ion chromatographs. We will demonstrate how air quality at these locations is strongly influenced by local and regional transport phenomena and illustrate the influence of anthropogenic emissions on both fine and coarse particle concentrations and speciation.

Urban Underground Pipelines Mapping Using Ground Penetrating Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaw, S. W.; M, Hashim

2014-02-01

Underground spaces are now being given attention to exploit for transportation, utilities, and public usage. The underground has become a spider's web of utility networks. Mapping of underground utility pipelines has become a challenging and difficult task. As such, mapping of underground utility pipelines is a "hit-and-miss" affair, and results in many catastrophic damages, particularly in urban areas. Therefore, this study was conducted to extract locational information of the urban underground utility pipeline using trenchless measuring tool, namely ground penetrating radar (GPR). The focus of this study was to conduct underground utility pipeline mapping for retrieval of geometry properties of the pipelines, using GPR. In doing this, a series of tests were first conducted at the preferred test site and real-life experiment, followed by modeling of field-based model using Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD). Results provide the locational information of underground utility pipelines associated with its mapping accuracy. Eventually, this locational information of the underground utility pipelines is beneficial to civil infrastructure management and maintenance which in the long term is time-saving and critically important for the development of metropolitan areas.

Returning home to die or leaving home to seek health care? Location of death of urban and rural residents in Burkina Faso and Senegal

PubMed Central

Lankoandé, Bruno; Duthé, Géraldine; Soura, Abdramane; Pison, Gilles

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, the literature on end of life is limited and focuses on place of death as an indicator of access and utilization of health-care resources. Little is known about population mobility at the end of life. Objective: To document the magnitude, motivations and associated factors of short-term mobility before death among adults over 15 years of age in Burkina Faso and Senegal. Methods: The study was based on deaths of adult residents reported in three Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites in urban (Ouagadougou) and semi-rural areas (Kaya) of Burkina Faso, and rural areas of Senegal (Mlomp). After excluding deaths from external causes, the analysis covered, respectively, 536 and 695 deaths recorded during the period 2012–2015 in Ouagadougou and Kaya. The period was extended to 2000–2015 in Mlomp, with a sample of 708 deaths. Binary logistic regressions were used to examine the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on place of death (health facility or not) and location of death (within or outside the HDSS). Results: In Mlomp, Kaya and Ouagadougou, respectively 20.6%, 5.3% and 5.9% of adults died outside the HDSS site. In Mlomp and Kaya, these deaths were more likely to occur in a health facility than deaths that occurred within the site. The reverse situation was found in Ouagadougou. Age is the strongest determinant of mobility before death in Mlomp and Kaya. In Mlomp, young adults (15–39) were 10 times more likely to die outside the site than adults in the 60–79 age group. In Ouagadougou, non-natives were three times more likely to die outside the city than natives. Conclusions: At the end of life, some rural residents move to urban areas for medical treatment while some urban dwellers return to their village for supportive care. These movements of dying individuals may affect the estimation of urban/rural mortality differentials. PMID:29869949

Organochlorine compounds in bed sediment and fish tissue in the South Platte River Basin, USA, 1992-1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tate, C.M.; Heiny, J.S.

1996-01-01

Bed-sediment and fish-tissue samples were collected in the South Platte River Basin to determine the occurrence and distribution of organochlorine compounds in the basin. During August-November 1992 and August 1993, bed sediment (23 sites) and fish tissue (subset of 19 sites) were sampled and analyzed for 32 organochlorine compounds in bed sediment and 27 compounds in fish tissue. More types of organochlorine compounds were detected in fish tissue than in bed sediment. Total DDT, p,p???-DDE, o,p???-DDE, p,p???-DDD, total PCS, Dacthal??, dieldrin, cis-chlordane, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, and p,p???-DDT were detected in fish tissue at >25% of the sites; p,p???-DDE, total DDT, cis-chlordane, and trans-chlordane were detected in bed sediment at >25% of the sites. Organochlorine concentrations in bed sediment and fish tissue were related to land-use settings. Few organochlorine compounds were detected at minimally impacted sites located in rangeland, forest, and built-up land-use settings. Chlordane-related compounds and p,p???-methoxychlor in bed sediment and fish tissue, endrin in fish tissue, and endosulfan I in bed sediment were associated with urban and mixed (urban and agricultural) sites. Dacthal?? in bed sediment and fish tissue was associated with agricultural sites. The compounds HCB, ??-HCH, PCA, and toxaphene were detected only at mixed land-use sites. Although DDT and DDT-metabolites, dieldrin, and total PCB were detected in urban, mixed, and agricultural land-use settings, highest mean concentrations were detected at mixed land-use sites. Mixed land-use sites had the greatest number of organochlorine compounds detected in fish tissue, whereas urban and mixed sites had the greatest number of organochlorine compounds detected in bed sediment. Measuring concentrations of organochlorine compounds in bed sediment and fish tissue at the same site offers a more complete picture of the persistence of organochlorine compounds in the environment and their relation to land-use settings.

Multi-criteria GIS-based siting of transfer station for municipal solid waste: The case of Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana.

PubMed

Bosompem, Christian; Stemn, Eric; Fei-Baffoe, Bernard

2016-10-01

The increase in the quantity of municipal solid waste generated as a result of population growth in most urban areas has resulted in the difficulty of locating suitable land areas to be used as landfills. To curb this, waste transfer stations are used. The Kumasi Metropolitan Area, even though it has an engineered landfill, is faced with the problem of waste collection from the generation centres to the final disposal site. Thus in this study, multi-criteria decision analysis incorporated into a geographic information system was used to determine potential waste transfer station sites. The key result established 11 sites located within six different sub-metros. This result can be used by decision makers for site selection of the waste transfer stations after taking into account other relevant ecological and economic factors. © The Author(s) 2016.

Ancient Urban Ecology Reconstructed from Archaeozoological Remains of Small Mammals in the Near East

PubMed Central

Weissbrod, Lior; Malkinson, Dan; Cucchi, Thomas; Gadot, Yuval; Finkelstein, Israel; Bar-Oz, Guy

2014-01-01

Modern rapidly expanding cities generate intricate patterns of species diversity owing to immense complexity in urban spatial structure and current growth trajectories. We propose to identify and uncouple the drivers that give rise to these patterns by looking at the effect of urbanism on species diversity over a previously unexplored long temporal frame that covers early developments in urbanism. To provide this historical perspective we analyzed archaeozoological remains of small mammals from ancient urban and rural sites in the Near East from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BCE, and compared them to observations from modern urban areas. Our data show that ancient urban assemblages consistently comprised two main taxa (Mus musculus domesticus and Crocidura sp.), whereas assemblages of contemporaneous rural sites were significantly richer. Low species diversity also characterizes high-density core areas of modern cities, suggesting that similar ecological drivers have continued to operate in urban areas despite the vast growth in their size and population densities, as well as in the complexity of their technologies and social organization. Research in urban ecology has tended to emphasize the relatively high species diversity observed in low-density areas located on the outskirts of cities, where open and vegetated patches are abundant. The fact that over several millennia urban evolution did not significantly alter species diversity suggests that low diversity is an attribute of densely-populated settlements. The possibility that high diversity in peripheral urban areas arose only recently as a short-term phenomenon in urban ecology merits further research based on long-term data. PMID:24622726

Ancient urban ecology reconstructed from archaeozoological remains of small mammals in the Near East.

PubMed

Weissbrod, Lior; Malkinson, Dan; Cucchi, Thomas; Gadot, Yuval; Finkelstein, Israel; Bar-Oz, Guy

2014-01-01

Modern rapidly expanding cities generate intricate patterns of species diversity owing to immense complexity in urban spatial structure and current growth trajectories. We propose to identify and uncouple the drivers that give rise to these patterns by looking at the effect of urbanism on species diversity over a previously unexplored long temporal frame that covers early developments in urbanism. To provide this historical perspective we analyzed archaeozoological remains of small mammals from ancient urban and rural sites in the Near East from the 2nd to the 1st millennium BCE, and compared them to observations from modern urban areas. Our data show that ancient urban assemblages consistently comprised two main taxa (Mus musculus domesticus and Crocidura sp.), whereas assemblages of contemporaneous rural sites were significantly richer. Low species diversity also characterizes high-density core areas of modern cities, suggesting that similar ecological drivers have continued to operate in urban areas despite the vast growth in their size and population densities, as well as in the complexity of their technologies and social organization. Research in urban ecology has tended to emphasize the relatively high species diversity observed in low-density areas located on the outskirts of cities, where open and vegetated patches are abundant. The fact that over several millennia urban evolution did not significantly alter species diversity suggests that low diversity is an attribute of densely-populated settlements. The possibility that high diversity in peripheral urban areas arose only recently as a short-term phenomenon in urban ecology merits further research based on long-term data.

A Method for Estimating Urban Background Concentrations in Support of Hybrid Air Pollution Modeling for Environmental Health Studies

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure studies rely on detailed characterization of air quality, either from sparsely located routine ambient monitors or from central monitoring sites that may lack spatial representativeness. Alternatively, some studies use models of various complexities to characterize local...

Towards a network of Urban Forest Eddy Covariance stations: a unique case study in Naples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidolotti, Gabriele; Pallozzi, Emanuele; Esposito, Raffaela; Mattioni, Michele; Calfapietra, Carlo

2015-04-01

Urban forests are by definition integrated in highly human-made areas, and interact with different components of our cities. Thanks to those interactions, urban forests provide to people and to the urban environment a number of ecosystem services, including the absorption of CO2 and air pollutants thus influencing the local air quality. Moreover, in urban areas a relevant role is played by the photochemical pollution which is strongly influenced by the interactions between volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). In several cities, a high percentage of VOC is of biogenic origin mainly emitted from the urban trees. Despite their importance, experimental sites monitoring fluxes of trace gases fluxes in urban forest ecosystems are still scarce. Here we show the preliminary results of an innovative experimental site located in the Royal Park of Capodimonte within the city of Naples (40°51'N-14°15'E, 130 m above sea level). The site is mainly characterised by Quercus ilex with some patches of Pinus pinea and equipped with an eddy-covariance tower measuring the exchange of CO2, H2O, N2O, CH4, O3, PM, VOCs and NOx using state-of-the art instrumentations; it is running since the end of 2014 and it is part of the large infrastructural I-AMICA project. We suggest that the experience gained with research networks such as Fluxnet and ICOS should be duplicated for urban forests. This is crucial for carbon as there is now the ambition to include urban forests in the carbon stocks accounting system. This is even more important to understand the difficult interactions between anthropogenic and biogenic sources that often have negative implications for urban air quality. Urban environment can thus become an extraordinary case study and a network of such kind of stations might represent an important strategy both from the scientific and the applicative point of view.

Habitat characterization and spatial distribution of Anopheles sp. mosquito larvae in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) during an extended dry period

PubMed Central

Sattler, Michael A; Mtasiwa, Deo; Kiama, Michael; Premji, Zul; Tanner, Marcel; Killeen, Gerry F; Lengeler, Christian

2005-01-01

Introduction By 2030, more than 50% of the African population will live in urban areas. Controlling malaria reduces the disease burden and further improves economic development. As a complement to treated nets and prompt access to treatment, measures targeted against the larval stage of Anopheles sp. mosquitoes are a promising strategy for urban areas. However, a precise knowledge of the geographic location and potentially of ecological characteristics of breeding sites is of major importance for such interventions. Methods In total 151 km2 of central Dar es Salaam, the biggest city of Tanzania, were systematically searched for open mosquito breeding sites. Ecologic parameters, mosquito larvae density and geographic location were recorded for each site. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the key ecological factors explaining the different densities of mosquito larvae. Results A total of 405 potential open breeding sites were examined. Large drains, swamps and puddles were associated with no or low Anopheles sp. larvae density. The probability of Anopheles sp. larvae to be present was reduced when water was identified as "turbid". Small breeding sites were more commonly colonized by Anopheles sp. larvae. Further, Anopheles gambiae s.l. larvae were found in highly organically polluted habitats. Conclusions Clear ecological characteristics of the breeding requirements of Anopheles sp. larvae could not be identified in this setting. Hence, every stagnant open water body, including very polluted ones, have to be considered as potential malaria vector breeding sites. PMID:15649333

Sub-micron particle number size distribution characteristics at two urban locations in Leicester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hama, Sarkawt M. L.; Cordell, Rebecca L.; Kos, Gerard P. A.; Weijers, E. P.; Monks, Paul S.

2017-09-01

The particle number size distribution (PNSD) of atmospheric particles not only provides information about sources and atmospheric processing of particles, but also plays an important role in determining regional lung dose. Owing to the importance of PNSD in understanding particulate pollution two short-term campaigns (March-June 2014) measurements of sub-micron PNSD were conducted at two urban background locations in Leicester, UK. At the first site, Leicester Automatic Urban Rural Network (AURN), the mean number concentrations of nucleation, Aitken, accumulation modes, the total particles, equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations were 2002, 3258, 1576, 6837 # cm-3, 1.7 μg m-3, respectively, and at the second site, Brookfield (BF), were 1455, 2407, 874, 4737 # cm-3, 0.77 μg m-3, respectively. The total particle number was dominated by the nucleation and Aitken modes, with both consisting of 77%, and 81% of total number concentrations at AURN and BF sites, respectively. This behaviour could be attributed to primary emissions (traffic) of ultrafine particles and the temporal evolution of mixing layer. The size distribution at the AURN site shows bimodal distribution at 22 nm with a minor peak at 70 nm. The size distribution at BF site, however, exhibits unimodal distribution at 35 nm. This study has for the first time investigated the effect of Easter holiday on PNSD in UK. The temporal variation of PNSD demonstrated a good degree of correlation with traffic-related pollutants (NOX, and eBC at both sites). The meteorological conditions, also had an impact on the PNSD and eBC at both sites. During the measurement period, the frequency of NPF events was calculated to be 13.3%, and 22.2% at AURN and BF sites, respectively. The average value of formation and growth rates of nucleation mode particles were 1.3, and 1.17 cm-3 s-1 and 7.42, and 5.3 nm h-1 at AURN, and BF sites, respectively. It can suggested that aerosol particles in Leicester originate mainly from traffic and domestic heating emissions.

Nutrients in Streams and Rivers Across the Nation -- 1992-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, David K.; Spahr, Norman E.

2006-01-01

Nutrient compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus were investigated in streams and rivers sampled as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Nutrient data were collected in 20 NAWQA study units during 1992-95, 16 study units during 1996-98, and 15 study units during 1999-2001. To facilitate comparisons among sampling sites with variable sampling frequency, daily loads were determined by using regression models that relate constituent transport to streamflow and time. Model results were used to compute mean annual loads, yields, and concentrations of ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus, which were compared among stream and river sampling sites. Variations in the occurrence and distribution of nutrients in streams and rivers on a broad national scale reflect differences in the sources of nutrient inputs to the upstream watersheds and in watershed characteristics that affect movement of those nutrients. Sites were classified by watershed size and by land use in the upstream watershed: agriculture, urban, and undeveloped (forest or rangeland). Selection of NAWQA urban sites was intended to avoid effects of major wastewater-treatment plants and other point sources, but in some locations this was not feasible. Nutrient concentrations and yields generally increased with anthropogenic development in the watershed. Median concentrations and yields for all constituents at sites downstream from undeveloped areas were less than at sites downstream from agricultural or urban areas. Concentrations of ammonia, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus at agricultural and urban sites were not significantly different; however, concentrations of nitrate and total nitrogen were higher at agricultural than at urban sites. Total nitrogen concentrations at agricultural sites were higher in areas of high nitrogen input or enhanced transport, such as irrigation or artificial drainage that can rapidly move water from cropland to streams (Midwest, Northern Plains, and western areas of the United States). Concentrations were lower in the Southeast, where more denitrification occurs during transport of nitrogen compounds in shallow ground water. At urban sites, high concentrations of ammonia and orthophosphate were more prevalent downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. At sites with large watersheds and high mean-annual streamflow ('large-watershed' sites), concentrations of most nutrients were significantly less than at sites downstream from agricultural or urban areas. Total nitrogen concentrations at large-watershed sites were higher in Midwest agricultural areas and lower in the Western United States, where agricultural and urban development is less extensive. Total phosphorus concentrations at large-watershed sites were higher in areas of greater potential erosion and low overall runoff such as the arid areas in the West. Although not as distinct as seasonal patterns of streamflow, geographic patterns of seasonally high and low concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were identified in the data. Seasonal patterns in concentrations of total nitrogen generally mirror seasonal patterns in streamflow in the humid Eastern United States but are inverse to seasonal patterns in streamflow in the semiarid interior West. Total phosphorus concentrations typically have the opposite regional relation with streamflow; high concentrations coincide with high streamflows in the interior West. In the NAWQA Program, sites downstream from relatively undeveloped areas were selected to provide a baseline for comparison to sites with potential effects of urban development and agriculture. Concentrations of nitrate, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus at NAWQA undeveloped sites were found to be greater than values reported by other studies for conditions of essentially no development (background conditions). Concentrations at NAWQA undeveloped sites represent conditions

Inclusive city: Vallcarca – Space extension idea for social and urban housing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maharani, A.; Gaxioala, A.

2018-03-01

The neighborhood of Vallcarca, Barcelona - Spain, is located near the valley formed by the three hills called El Putxet, Creueta del Coll and Muntanya Pelada adjacent to the back area of Park Guell. Vallcarca first urbanized at the XIX century as a place to spend summer for the nearby inhabitants of the city of Barcelona. Since the end of XX century, the area has been under the pressure of different urban plannings and economic speculations that have just erase a big portion of its original physiognomy, without being able to organize a new area of town. The empty land that located at the former center and across Vallcarca becoming part of research to produce an outcome for compatible housing within the area. The data gives a focus on the social and urban rehabilitation of the neighborhood that introducing a program of social housing with communal facilities using an approach of connection and topography that existed on the site as a catalyst to change this fragmented part of the city into inclusive neighborhood.

Atmospheric mercury accumulation and washoff processes on impervious urban surfaces

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eckley, C.S.; Branfireun, B.; Diamond, M.; Van Metre, P.C.; Heitmuller, F.

2008-01-01

The deposition and transport of mercury (Hg) has been studied extensively in rural environments but is less understood in urbanized catchments, where elevated atmospheric Hg concentrations and impervious surfaces may efficiently deliver Hg to waterways in stormwater runoff. We determined the rate at which atmospheric Hg accumulates on windows, identified the importance of washoff in removing accumulated Hg, and measured atmospheric Hg concentrations to help understand the relationship between deposition and surface accumulation. The main study location was Toronto, Ontario. Similar samples were also collected from Austin, Texas for comparison of Hg accumulation between cities. Windows provided a good sampling surface because they are ubiquitous in urban environments and are easy to clean/blank allowing the assessment of contemporary Hg accumulation. Hg Accumulation rates were spatially variable ranging from 0.82 to 2.7 ng m-2 d-1 in Toronto and showed similar variability in Austin. The highest accumulation rate in Toronto was at the city center and was 5?? higher than the rural comparison site (0.58 ng m-2 d-1). The atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations were less than 2?? higher between the rural and urban locations (1.7 ?? 0.3 and 2.7 ?? 1.1 ng m-3, respectively). The atmospheric particulate bound fraction (HgP), however, was more than 3?? higher between the rural and urban sites, which may have contributed to the higher urban Hg accumulation rates. Windows exposed to precipitation had 73 ?? 9% lower accumulation rates than windows sheltered from precipitation. Runoff collected from simulated rain events confirmed that most Hg accumulated on windows was easily removed and that most of the Hg in washoff was HgP. Our results indicate that the Hg flux from urban catchments will respond rapidly to changes in atmospheric concentrations due to the mobilization of the majority of the surface accumulated Hg during precipitation events. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND SITE MANAGEMENT FOR PRIMENET AND URBAN ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION RESEARCH MONITORING PROGRAM.

EPA Science Inventory

Because exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an ecosystem stressor and poses a human health risk, the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) has undertaken a research program to measure the intensity of UV-B radiation at various locations throughout the U.S. In Septem...

Human and bovine viruses in the Milwaukee river watershed: hydrologically relevant representation and relations with environmental variables

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To examine the occurrence, hydrologic variability, and seasonal variability of human and bovine viruses in surface water, three stream locations were monitored in the Milwaukee River watershed in Wisconsin, USA, from February 2007 through June 2008. Monitoring sites included an urban subwatershed, ...

Spatial variation of ultrafine particles and black carbon in two cities: results from a short-term measurement campaign.

PubMed

Klompmaker, Jochem O; Montagne, Denise R; Meliefste, Kees; Hoek, Gerard; Brunekreef, Bert

2015-03-01

Recently, short-term monitoring campaigns have been carried out to investigate the spatial variation of air pollutants within cities. Typically, such campaigns are based on short-term measurements at relatively large numbers of locations. It is largely unknown how well these studies capture the spatial variation of long term average concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the within-site temporal and between-site spatial variation of the concentration of ultrafine particles (UFPs) and black carbon (BC) in a short-term monitoring campaign. In Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) measurements of number counts of particles larger than 10nm as a surrogate for UFP and BC were performed at 80 sites per city. Each site was measured in three different seasons of 2013 (winter, spring, summer). Sites were selected from busy urban streets, urban background, regional background and near highways, waterways and green areas, to obtain sufficient spatial contrast. Continuous measurements were performed for 30 min per site between 9 and 16 h to avoid traffic spikes of the rush hour. Concentrations were simultaneously measured at a reference site to correct for temporal variation. We calculated within- and between-site variance components reflecting temporal and spatial variations. Variance ratios were compared with previous campaigns with longer sampling durations per sample (24h to 14 days). The within-site variance was 2.17 and 2.44 times higher than the between-site variance for UFP and BC, respectively. In two previous studies based upon longer sampling duration much smaller variance ratios were found (0.31 and 0.09 for UFP and BC). Correction for temporal variation from a reference site was less effective for the short-term monitoring campaign compared to the campaigns with longer duration. Concentrations of BC and UFP were on average 1.6 and 1.5 times higher at urban street compared to urban background sites. No significant differences between the other site types and urban background were found. The high within to between-site concentration variances may result in the loss of precision and low explained variance when average concentrations from short-term campaigns are used to develop land use regression models. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Night-sky brightness monitoring in Hong Kong: a city-wide light pollution assessment.

PubMed

Pun, Chun Shing Jason; So, Chu Wing

2012-04-01

Results of the first comprehensive light pollution survey in Hong Kong are presented. The night-sky brightness was measured and monitored around the city using a portable light-sensing device called the Sky Quality Meter over a 15-month period beginning in March 2008. A total of 1,957 data sets were taken at 199 distinct locations, including urban and rural sites covering all 18 Administrative Districts of Hong Kong. The survey shows that the environmental light pollution problem in Hong Kong is severe-the urban night skies (sky brightness at 15.0 mag arcsec(- 2)) are on average ~ 100 times brighter than at the darkest rural sites (20.1 mag arcsec(- 2)), indicating that the high lighting densities in the densely populated residential and commercial areas lead to light pollution. In the worst polluted urban location studied, the night-sky at 13.2 mag arcsec(- 2) can be over 500 times brighter than the darkest sites in Hong Kong. The observed night-sky brightness is found to be affected by human factors such as land utilization and population density of the observation sites, together with meteorological and/or environmental factors. Moreover, earlier night skies (at 9:30 p.m. local time) are generally brighter than later time (at 11:30 p.m.), which can be attributed to some public and commercial lightings being turned off later at night. On the other hand, no concrete relationship between the observed sky brightness and air pollutant concentrations could be established with the limited survey sampling. Results from this survey will serve as an important database for the public to assess whether new rules and regulations are necessary to control the use of outdoor lightings in Hong Kong.

Environmental impacts of urban snow management--the alpine case study of Innsbruck.

PubMed

Engelhard, C; De Toffol, S; Lek, I; Rauch, W; Dallinger, R

2007-09-01

In regions with colder climate, snow at roads can accumulate significant amounts of pollutant chemicals. In northern countries various efforts have been made to face this problem, but for the alpine region little is known about the pollution of urban snow. The present case study was carried out in the city of Innsbruck (Austria). It aimed at measuring pollution of roadside snow and estimating the impact of snow management practises on environmental quality. Concentrations of copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, suspended solids and chloride were determined during a series of sampling events. Various locations with low and high traffic densities and in different distances from a highway have been investigated. The concentrations of copper were generally higher at sites with high traffic density compared to locations with low traffic impact. In contrast to this, the concentrations of zinc and lead remained almost unvaried irrespective of traffic density at the different sampling sites. For cadmium, the picture was more diverse, showing moderately elevated concentrations of this metal also at the urban reference site not polluted by traffic. This indicates that there may be also other important sources for cadmium besides traffic. Suspended solids accumulated in the roadside snow, the highest concentrations were found at the sites with high traffic density. The chloride concentrations were considerable in the snow, especially at the highway. Based on the results of the present measurement campaign, the environmental impact of snow disposal in rivers was also estimated. A negative impact on rivers from snow disposal seems likely to occur, although the discharged loads could only be calculated with substantial uncertainty, considering the high variability of the measured pollutant concentrations. For a more accurate evaluation of this management practise on rivers, further investigations would be necessary.

Modeling subjective evaluation of soundscape quality in urban open spaces: An artificial neural network approach.

PubMed

Yu, Lei; Kang, Jian

2009-09-01

This research aims to explore the feasibility of using computer-based models to predict the soundscape quality evaluation of potential users in urban open spaces at the design stage. With the data from large scale field surveys in 19 urban open spaces across Europe and China, the importance of various physical, behavioral, social, demographical, and psychological factors for the soundscape evaluation has been statistically analyzed. Artificial neural network (ANN) models have then been explored at three levels. It has been shown that for both subjective sound level and acoustic comfort evaluation, a general model for all the case study sites is less feasible due to the complex physical and social environments in urban open spaces; models based on individual case study sites perform well but the application range is limited; and specific models for certain types of location/function would be reliable and practical. The performance of acoustic comfort models is considerably better than that of sound level models. Based on the ANN models, soundscape quality maps can be produced and this has been demonstrated with an example.

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

Effectively using urban landscapes to teach biodiversity and ecohydrology to introductory environmental science classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; van Doorn, A.; Pondell, C.

2016-12-01

Urban environments offer students interesting opportunities to explore and examine how human modified landscapes influence biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and water quality. Students demanding applied field experiences from their undergraduate environmental science (ENVS) programs can be well served in urban settings. Here, we present strategies for integrating urban areas into the undergraduate field experience. Urban locations provide an opportunity for a different type of local "field-work" than would otherwise be available. In the intro level undergraduate ENVS class, we use our campus, the surrounding neighborhood and city as well as a nearby National Park for field exercises. Activities include: assessing water quality from multiple sites, observing species composition and ecological succession using fallen logs, assessing biodiversity using biocubes and camera traps, investigating conservation strategies through the local zoo, and walking one mile transects through local urban ecosystems to observe and collect data on the animals, buildings, roads, litter and/or light sources in the surrounding area. These labs provide inspiration and hands on skills that students apply to their own self-selected projects at the end of the semester. In the second level majors class, we make use of our urban location to contrast water quality in parks and highly channelized urban streams, monitor populations of urban wildlife, and investigate the application of urban greening methods to reduce environmental impacts. Students spend labs immersed in streams and wetlands heavily impacted by the urban runoff their city generates to better understand the extent of human impact in an urban environment. Here we share lesson plans for field activities that can be completed with incoming undergraduate students, and show how these activities help students gain quantitative and investigative competency.

Sensitivities Affecting Heat and Urban Heat Island Effect on Local Scale Projected to Neighborhood Scale in Baltimore, Maryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sze, C.; Zaitchik, B. F.; Scott, A.

2015-12-01

Urban regions are often impacted more by heat than adjacent rural areas, which is a phenomenon known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Urban areas are also highly heterogeneous and notoriously difficult to monitor using standard meteorological protocols—the hottest microclimates within a city often occur in locations that lack open, representative installation sites that are an adequate distance from buildings and direct heat sources. To investigate the challenges of monitoring urban heat, this study examines the sensitivity of temperature and humidity sensors currently used in a Baltimore UHI monitoring network to differences in sun exposure, material on which the data collecting instrument is attached, and land cover class of the vicinity. Sensitivity to sun exposure and attachment site can be interpreted as sources of uncertainty for urban heat monitoring, while sensitivity to land cover may reflect a true source of local temperature and humidity variability. In this study, we present results from a test deployment designed to assess the sensitivity of heat measurements to each of these three factors. We then apply these results to interpret measurements taken across the entire Baltimore UHI monitoring network. These results can then be used to improve heat measurements and more accurately represent and quantify the UHI effect on a broader scale, such as in neighborhoods or urban centers.

Utilizing patient geographic information system data to plan telemedicine service locations.

PubMed

Soares, Neelkamal; Dewalle, Joseph; Marsh, Ben

2017-09-01

To understand potential utilization of clinical services at a rural integrated health care system by generating optimal groups of telemedicine locations from electronic health record (EHR) data using geographic information systems (GISs). This retrospective study extracted nonidentifiable grouped data of patients over a 2-year period from the EHR, including geomasked locations. Spatially optimal groupings were created using available telemedicine sites by calculating patients' average travel distance (ATD) to the closest clinic site. A total of 4027 visits by 2049 unique patients were analyzed. The best travel distances for site groupings of 3, 4, 5, or 6 site locations were ranked based on increasing ATD. Each one-site increase in the number of available telemedicine sites decreased minimum ATD by about 8%. For a given group size, the best groupings were very similar in minimum travel distance. There were significant differences in predicted patient load imbalance between otherwise similar groupings. A majority of the best site groupings used the same small number of sites, and urban sites were heavily used. With EHR geospatial data at an individual patient level, we can model potential telemedicine sites for specialty access in a rural geographic area. Relatively few sites could serve most of the population. Direct access to patient GIS data from an EHR provides direct knowledge of the client base compared to methods that allocate aggregated data. Geospatial data and methods can assist health care location planning, generating data about load, load balance, and spatial accessibility. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Dating Caral, a preceramic site in the Supe Valley on the central coast of Peru.

PubMed

Solis, R S; Haas, J; Creamer, W

2001-04-27

Radiocarbon dates from the site of Caral in the Supe Valley of Peru indicate that monumental corporate architecture, urban settlement, and irrigation agriculture began in the Americas by 4090 years before the present (2627 calibrated years B.C.) to 3640 years before the present (1977 calibrated years B.C.). Caral is located 23 kilometers inland from the Pacific coast and contains a central zone of monumental, residential, and nonresidential architecture covering an area of 65 hectares. Caral is one of 18 large preceramic sites in the Supe Valley.

Water quality in Reedy Fork and Buffalo Creek basins in the Greensboro area, North Carolina, 1986-87

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davenport, M.S.

1989-01-01

Water and bottom-sediment samples were collected from April 1986 through September 1987 at 19 sites in Guilford County and the City of Greensboro, North Carolina. Sampling locations included 13 stream sites, two lakes that supply the City of Greensboro with drinking water, two City of Greensboro finished drinking-water filtration plants, and effluent from the two municipal wastewater plants prior to outfall into receiving streams. Water sampling consisted of six surveys during various stages of steady ground-water flow at all sites and high-flow-event sampling during two storms at six sites. Bottom-sediment samples were collected at three sites during two routine sampling surveys. A summary of nearly 22, 000 separate chemical or physical analyses of water samples or bottom sediment is presented and discussed as individual values, ranges of values, or median values with respect to the locations of sampling sites, streamflow conditions, or other information bearing on water-quality conditions under discussion. The results include discussions of general water-quality indicators; major ion, nutrient, and trace-element concentrations; acid and base/neutral extractable organic compounds; volatile organic compounds; and organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides detected at each sampling site. Loadings of selected constituents are also estimated on a yearly and daily basis. The quality of the raw and finished water, municipal effluents, and streams in the Greensboro area are characterized by using State and Federal water-quality standards. Inorganic constituents most commonly found in excess of standards were iron, copper, zinc, arsenic, phosphorus, manganese, cyanide, and mercury. Relatively few organic compounds were detected; however, those consistently reported were phthalate, thihalomethane, organophosphorus pesticide, benzol, and phenolic compounds. Selected inorganic, physical, and total organic carbon data are used in a Wilcoxon test for two independent variables to statistically compare water-quality characteristics in selected rural, semideveloped and urban basins. During low-flow sampling, the constituents that differed significantly among all sites were calcium, magnesium, and chloride. During low flows, concentrations of orthophosphate, fluoride, sulfate, and TOC differed at the urban site from the rural and semideveloped and urban sites. There were no significant differences among sites in concentrations of sodium, suspended sediment, nickel, zinc, copper, and mercury during low flows. The Wilcoxon test performed on high-flow data indicated that concentrations of TOC, chloride, sulfate, suspended sediment, and nickel were not significantly different among the sites.

Assessment of trace metal air pollution in Paris using slurry-TXRF analysis on cemetery mosses.

PubMed

Natali, Marco; Zanella, Augusto; Rankovic, Aleksandar; Banas, Damien; Cantaluppi, Chiara; Abbadie, Luc; Lata, Jean -Christophe

2016-12-01

Mosses are useful, ubiquitous accumulation biomonitors and as such can be used for biomonitoring surveys. However, the biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution can be compromised in urban contexts if the targeted biomonitors are regularly disturbed, irregularly distributed, or are difficult to access. Here, we test the hypothesis that cemeteries are appropriate moss sampling sites for the evaluation of air pollution in urban areas. We sampled mosses growing on gravestones in 21 urban and peri-urban cemeteries in the Paris metropolitan area. We focused on Grimmia pulvinata (Hedwig) Smith, a species abundantly found in all studied cemeteries and very common in Europe. The concentration of Al, As, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, V, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sr, Ti, and Zn was determined by a total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique coupled with a slurry sampling method (slurry-TXRF). This method avoids a digestion step, reduces the risk of sample contamination, and works even at low sample quantities. Elemental markers of road traffic indicated that the highest polluted cemeteries were located near the highly frequented Parisian ring road and under the influence of prevailing winds. The sites with the lowest pollution were found not only in the peri-urban cemeteries, adjoining forest or farming landscapes, but also in the large and relatively wooded cemeteries located in the center of Paris. Our results suggest that (1) slurry-TXRF might be successfully used with moss material, (2) G. pulvinata might be a good biomonitor of trace metals air pollution in urban context, and (3) cemetery moss sampling could be a useful complement for monitoring urban areas. Graphical abstract We tested the hypothesis that cemeteries are appropriate moss sampling sites for the evaluation of air pollution in urban areas. We sampled 110 moss cushions (Grimmia pulvinata) growing on gravestones in 21 urban and peri-urban cemeteries in the Paris metropolitan area. The concentration of 20 elements in mosses was determined by a total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique coupled with a slurry sampling method. Statistical analysis revealed that: - Urbanized Parisian areas crossed by traffic roads have the highest polluted cemeteries with a strong influence of main wind direction on the distribution of air pollutants - As expected, small cemeteries with low tree density were heavily polluted - Less obvious, large green spaces such as large cemeteries (Père Lachaise, Montmartre, Montparnasse) in the center of a dense metropolis like Paris present the same level of atmospheric trace metal pollution as cemeteries in less urbanized areas or nearing a very large forest. This suggests that even in densely urbanized areas, there is more spatial variability in pollution distribution than usually assumed and that large urban areas with low traffic and green filters such as trees are likely to intercept air pollutants.

District-level local measuring program of the urban environment in Budapest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dian, Csenge; Pongrácz, Rita; Dezsö, Zsuzsanna; Bartholy, Judit

2016-04-01

The natural environment and thus, the climatic conditions are modified by the concentrated human presence of urban areas. In our research we aim to analyze the resulting urban climatic effects in a downtown district of Budapest, Hungary. For this purpose, we have started a measuring program of in-situ measurements in the southern central located district called Ferencváros, which can be found near the river Danube, and mainly consists of 3- and 4-storey older and newly built buildings. The newly built buildings are mainly the results of the Ferencváros local government's efforts to improve the environment for the citizens. Within the framework of the block rehabilitation program, inner parts of the old house blocks were demolished, and inside the blocks common green areas have been created. In our urban climate measurement program air temperature and relative humidity are recorded along a pre-defined path consisting of 22 measuring points, which covers the studied area. The measuring sites are located in different characteristical points of the district, such as green parks, narrow streets, paved squares and roads. In order to calculate the urban heat island intensity, temperature measurements are compared to the hourly recorded data of the Budapest synoptic station (ID number: 12843) located in the southeastern suburb district of the city. After completing an entire year of measurements, the seasonal cycle of temperature and relative humidity differences are analyzed as well, as the diurnal changes and the spatial structure within the study area.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Current-Use Pesticides in Atmospheric Particulate Matter in Houston, Texas.

PubMed

Clark, Adelaide E; Yoon, Subin; Sheesley, Rebecca J; Usenko, Sascha

2016-12-01

The atmospheric concentrations of seven current-use pesticides in particulate matter were determined at four locations throughout the Houston metropolitan area in TSP and PM 2.5 samples from September 2013. Atmospheric concentrations in both TSP and PM 2.5 ranged from below method detection limits (MDLs) to nearly 1100 pg m -3 . The three compounds most frequently detected above MDLs were chlorothalonil, bifenthrin, and λ-cyhalothrin. Atmospheric chlorothalonil concentrations were above 800 pg m -3 in several TSP samples, but

Spatio-temporal variability of streamwater chemistry within a Peri-urban Mediterranean catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Carla S. S.; Walsh, Rory P. D.; Ferreira, António J. D.; Coelho, Celeste O. A.

2015-04-01

The complex landscape of peri-urban areas, characterized by a mosaic of land-uses and urban fabric, provides different sources of runoff and pollutants which affect stream ecosystems. This study investigates the impact of land-uses and their location within catchments on streamwater quality in a peri-urban Mediterranean catchment, including temporal variations driven by antecedent weather and rainstorm characteristics. The study is based in Ribeira dos Covões, a small (6 km2) catchment in the city of Coimbra, central Portugal. Land-use is dominated by woodland (56%) and urban cover (40%), with a small agriculture area (4%). Streamwater was monitored at the catchment outlet (ESAC) and three upstream locations: Espírito Santo and Porto Bordalo, with similar urban cover (42% and 49%) but different imperviousness (27% and 15%) and lithologies (sandstone versus limestone), and Quinta with lower urban extent (25%) but including a construction site covering 10% of the area. Samples collected throughout ten rainfall events between October 2011 and March 2013 were analysed for natural water chemistry and major pollutants (notably ammonium, nitrates, total phosphorus, COD and metals). In the paper, temporal variations in water quality are explored via hysteresis loop and correlation analysis. Hydrological regime exerted a major influence on water quality. Major nutrients declined within and after the dry summer than in winter events, because of limited dilution by the low stream baseflow. Through the wet season, increasing baseflow led to increased concentrations of major cations (Na, Mg and Ca) because of reduced dilution by solute-poor stormflow. Espírito Santo, the most urbanized sub-catchment, displayed higher concentrations of COD and NO3 (tended to peak with stormflow), but the latter was thought to result from agricultural fields located adjacent the tributary. At the catchment outlet (ESAC), the high Nk and NH4 concentrations exceeded water quality standards (2 mg/l and 1 mg/l) at summer baseflow and at peak flow during late winter storms. Zn, Cu and Cd also attained pollutant levels in late winter storms. When clear-felled areas were located close to tributary watercourses they supplied high suspended sediment concentrations into streamflow, whereas when they were located upslope the impact was minor, due to enhanced opportunities for overland flow retention and infiltration. Artificial drainage systems, however, increase the connectivity between the sources and the stream channel; this explained the greatest turbidity in the Quinta sub-catchment, where sediment was derived from an upslope construction site. Specific loads of water quality parameters (except for suspended sediment) increased with percentage impervious area, but linear relationships were only significant for NO3 and major cations (Na, Mg, Ca and K), possibly due to cement chemical composition. Sources of contaminants include bare surfaces (turbidity), untreated sewage (COD, TP, NH4, Fe and Zn), manure (NH4), industrial pollution (Fe and Zn) and vehicles (metals). The identification of pollutant sources and knowledge about seasonal and within-storm variations are important to establish spatially- and temporally-explicit water management strategies to improve local water quality. Moreover, a better understanding of the potential sources and sinks of pollutants should guide stakeholders to design more sustainable peri-urban areas.

Landfill site selection using geographic information system and analytical hierarchy process: A case study Al-Hillah Qadhaa, Babylon, Iraq.

PubMed

Chabuk, Ali; Al-Ansari, Nadhir; Hussain, Hussain Musa; Knutsson, Sven; Pusch, Roland

2016-05-01

Al-Hillah Qadhaa is located in the central part of Iraq. It covers an area of 908 km(2) with a total population of 856,804 inhabitants. This Qadhaa is the capital of Babylon Governorate. Presently, no landfill site exists in that area based on scientific site selection criteria. For this reason, an attempt has been carried out to find the best locations for landfills. A total of 15 variables were considered in this process (groundwater depth, rivers, soil types, agricultural land use, land use, elevation, slope, gas pipelines, oil pipelines, power lines, roads, railways, urban centres, villages and archaeological sites) using a geographic information system. In addition, an analytical hierarchy process was used to identify the weight for each variable. Two suitable candidate landfill sites were determined that fulfil the requirements with an area of 9.153 km(2) and 8.204 km(2) These sites can accommodate solid waste till 2030. © The Author(s) 2016.

Understanding the behavior of carbon dioxide and surface energy fluxes in semiarid Salt Lake Valley, Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramamurthy, Prathap

This dissertation reports the findings from the Salt Lake Valley flux study. The Salt Lake Valley flux study was designed to improve our understanding of the complex land-atmosphere interactions in urban areas. The flux study used the eddy covariance technique to quantify carbon dioxide and surface energy budget in the semiarid Salt Lake Valley. Apart from quantifying fluxes, the study has also added new insight into the nature of turbulent scalar transport in urban areas and has addressed some of the complications in using Eddy Covariance technique in urban areas. As part of this experiment, eddy fluxes of CO2 and surface energy fluxes were measured at two sites, with distinct urban landforms; One site was located in a suburban neighborhood with substantial vegetative cover, prototypical of many residential neighborhoods in the valley. The other CO2 site was in a preurban surrounding that resembled the Salt Lake Valley before it was urbanized. The two sites were intentionally chosen to illustrate the impact of urbanization on CO 2 and surface energy flux cycles. Results indicate that the suburban site acted as a sink of CO2 during the midday period due to photosynthesis and acted as a source of CO2 during the evening and nighttime periods. The vegetative cover around the suburban site also had a significant impact on the surface energy fluxes. Contribution from latent heat flux was substantially high at the suburban site during the summer months compared to sensible heat. The turbulence investigation found that the general behavior of turbulence was very much influenced by local factors and the statistics did not always obey Monin-Obukhov Similarity parameters. This investigation also found that the scalar (co)spectra observed at the suburban site were characterized by multiple peaks and were different compared to (co)spectra reported over forest and crop canopies. The study also observed multiscale CO2 transport at the suburban site during the convective period. While the suburban site acted as a net sink of CO2 during the midday periods, CO2 was transported positively at lower frequencies. Also, during the evening transition period, when the site switched from a sink of CO2 to a source, the net upward transport of CO2 was cancelled by the net downward transport of CO2. This balance caused the total net transport reduce to zero. Overall this research, apart from characterizing the behavior of scalar fluxes at a suburban site in a semiarid desert city has also added some valuable insight on the complex nature of urban scalar transport.

Intra-urban and street scale variability of BTEX, NO 2 and O 3 in Birmingham, UK: Implications for exposure assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vardoulakis, Sotiris; Solazzo, Efisio; Lumbreras, Julio

2011-09-01

Automatic monitoring networks have the ability of capturing air pollution episodes, as well as short- and long-term air quality trends in urban areas that can be used in epidemiological studies. However, due to practical constraints (e.g. cost and bulk of equipment), the use of automatic analysers is restricted to a limited number of roadside and background locations within a city. As a result, certain localised air pollution hotspots may be overlooked or overemphasised, especially near heavily trafficked street canyons and intersections. This has implications for compliance with regulatory standards and may cause exposure misclassification in epidemiological studies. Apart from automatic analysers, low cost passive diffusion tubes can be used to characterise the spatial variability of air pollution in urban areas. In this study, BTEX, NO 2 and O 3 data from a one-year passive sampling survey were used to characterise the intra-urban and street scale spatial variability of traffic-related pollutants in Birmingham (UK). In addition, continuous monitoring of NO 2, NO x, O 3, CO, SO 2, PM 10 and PM 2.5 from three permanent monitoring sites was used to identify seasonal and annual pollution patterns. The passive sampling measurements allowed us to evaluate the representativeness of a permanent roadside monitoring site that has recorded some of the highest NO 2 and PM 10 concentrations in Birmingham in recent years. Dispersion modelling was also used to gain further insight into pollutant sources and dispersion characteristics at this location. The strong spatial concentration gradients observed in busy streets, as well as the differences between roadside and urban background levels highlight the importance of appropriate positioning of air quality monitoring equipment in cities.

Fossil and contemporary sources of organic and elemental carbon at a rural and an urban site in the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusek, U.; Monaco, M.; Weijers, E.; Röckmann, T.

2012-04-01

Measurement of the radioactive carbon isotope 14C in aerosols can provide a direct estimate of the contribution of fossil fuel sources to aerosol carbon. In aerosol science, measurements of 14C/12C ratios are usually reported as fraction modern (fm), relative to an oxalic acid standard that, by definition, has fm=1. The radiocarbon signature gives a clear distinction between 'modern' carbon sources (fm around 1.1-1.2 for biomass burning and around 1.05 for biogenic secondary organic aerosol) and 'fossil' carbon sources (fm =0 for primary and secondary formation from fossil fuel combustion). High volume filter samples have been collected since February 2011 at Cabauw, a rural location in the Netherlands, and additionally in May and June at two suburban locations around Rotterdam. We report measurements of fm for total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), water insoluble OC (WIOC) and thermally refractory carbon (RC) as a proxy for elemental carbon. The carbon fractions are isolated by combusting TC at 650 °C, OC and WIOC at 360 °C. Refractory carbon is defined as the carbon remaining on the filter after water extraction, combustion at 360 °C for 15 min and at 450 °C for 2 minutes. The method has been tested with test substances and real aerosol filters and shows little charring for water-extracted filters. First results of 7 filter samples taken from February - Mai 2011 show fm(OC) generally larger than 0.86 at the rural site, except for one case, when a strongly polluted air mass originating in Eastern Europe reached the site. This indicates a strong contribution of natural sources to OC, even in the Netherlands, a very densely populated country with one of the highest levels of aerosol pollution in Western Europe. In particular, WSOC in the rural springtime aerosol seems to originate almost entirely from contemporary sources. Refractory carbon also showed relatively high fm, generally between 0.3-0.5, except in two cases, when marine air masses reached the site from the West and fm(RC) dropped to around 0.1. This could mean that biomass combustion plays a significant role around the Netherlands even in springtime. It is also possible that there exists a biogenic, organic component of the aerosol that evolves at such high temperatures that it is virtually inseparable from elemental carbon. Both hypotheses are consistent with low fM(RC) in marine aerosol. One urban sample was taken concurrently with one of the samples analyzed so far from the rural site. For both OC and RC, fM values were roughly 10-15% lower in the urban area than at the rural sites, which shows only a moderate influence of the urban fossil emissions on fm. A more detailed comparison between the rural and urban location as well as fm values in other seasons will be presented, as more samples from the rural site become available.

Volatile organic compound fluxes and concentrations in London (ClearfLo)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valach, Amy; Langford, Ben; Nemitz, Eiko; MacKenzie, Rob; Hewitt, Nick

2014-05-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from anthropogenic sources such as fuel combustion or evaporative emissions can directly and indirectly affect human health. Some VOCs, such as benzene and 1,3- butadiene are carcinogens. These and other VOCs contribute to the formation of ozone (O3) and aerosol particles, which have effects on human health and the radiative balance of the atmosphere. Although in the UK VOC emissions are subject to control under European Commission Directive 2008/50/EC and emission reducing technologies have been implemented, urban air pollution remains a concern. Urban air quality is likely to remain a priority since currently >50% of the global population live in urban areas with trends in urbanization and population migration predicted to increase. The ClearfLo project is a large multi-institutional consortium funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and provides integrated measurements of meteorology, gas phase and particulate composition of the atmosphere over London. Both long term and IOP measurements were made at street and elevated locations at a range of sites across London and its surroundings during 2011 and 2012. Mixing ratios of a selection of nine VOCs were measured using a high sensitivity proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) at a ground level urban background (North Kensington) and kerbside (Marylebone Road) site during the winter IOP. VOC fluxes were measured by virtually disjunct eddy covariance (vDEC) at an elevated urban site (King's College Strand) in Aug-Dec 2012. Our results for the first IOP showed that most of the selected compound concentrations depended on traffic emissions, although there was a marked difference between the urban background and kerbside sites. We identified some temperature effects on VOC concentrations. We also present the first analyses of VOC flux measurements over London. Preliminary analyses indicate most compounds associated with vehicle emissions closely followed diurnal traffic counts. Fluxes of isoprene and methanol appear to be controlled by light intensity and temperature, consistent with a predominantly biogenic source of these compounds.

Urbanization is a main driver for the larval ecology of Aedes mosquitoes in arbovirus-endemic settings in south-eastern Côte d'Ivoire.

PubMed

Zahouli, Julien B Z; Koudou, Benjamin G; Müller, Pie; Malone, David; Tano, Yao; Utzinger, Jürg

2017-07-01

Failure in detecting naturally occurring breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes can bias the conclusions drawn from field studies, and hence, negatively affect intervention outcomes. We characterized the habitats of immature Aedes mosquitoes and explored species dynamics along a rural-to-urban gradient in a West Africa setting where yellow fever and dengue co-exist. Between January 2013 and October 2014, we collected immature Aedes mosquitoes in water containers in rural, suburban, and urban areas of south-eastern Côte d'Ivoire, using standardized sampling procedures. Immature mosquitoes were reared in the laboratory and adult specimens identified at species level. We collected 6,159, 14,347, and 22,974 Aedes mosquitoes belonging to 17, 8, and 3 different species in rural, suburban, and urban environments, respectively. Ae. aegypti was the predominant species throughout, with a particularly high abundance in urban areas (99.374%). Eleven Aedes larval species not previously sampled in similar settings of Côte d'Ivoire were identified: Ae. albopictus, Ae. angustus, Ae. apicoargenteus, Ae. argenteopunctatus, Ae. haworthi, Ae. lilii, Ae. longipalpis, Ae. opok, Ae. palpalis, Ae. stokesi, and Ae. unilineatus. Aedes breeding site positivity was associated with study area, container type, shade, detritus, water turbidity, geographic location, season, and the presence of predators. We found proportionally more positive breeding sites in urban (2,136/3,374, 63.3%), compared to suburban (1,428/3,069, 46.5%) and rural areas (738/2,423, 30.5%). In the urban setting, the predominant breeding sites were industrial containers (e.g., tires and discarded containers). In suburban areas, containers made of traditional materials (e.g., clay pots) were most frequently encountered. In rural areas, natural containers (e.g., tree holes and bamboos) were common and represented 22.1% (163/738) of all Aedes-positive containers, hosting 18.7% of the Aedes fauna. The predatory mosquito species Culex tigripes was commonly sampled, while Toxorhynchites and Eretmapodites were mostly collected in rural areas. In Côte d'Ivoire, urbanization is associated with high abundance of Aedes larvae and a predominance of artificial containers as breeding sites, mostly colonized by Ae. aegypti in urban areas. Natural containers are still common in rural areas harboring several Aedes species and, therefore, limiting the impact of systematic removal of discarded containers on the control of arbovirus diseases.

Effects of urbanization on the magnitude and frequency of floods on small streams in Tennessee; basic data report no. 2

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robbins, Clarence H.

1982-01-01

Peak stages, discharges, and rainfall recorded at 22 gaging stations on streams draining small (less than 25 mi super 2) urbanized basins across Tennessee are presented. The gaged basins are in 17 different municipalities with populations ranging between 5,000 and 100,000. The report gives a description of each gaged site along with a data sheet on which peak stages, discharges, and corresponding rainfall are listed. The description gives the station location, type of gage, basin characteristics, and general remarks. (USGS)

Importance of latrine communication in European rabbits shifts along a rural-to-urban gradient.

PubMed

Ziege, Madlen; Bierbach, David; Bischoff, Svenja; Brandt, Anna-Lena; Brix, Mareike; Greshake, Bastian; Merker, Stefan; Wenninger, Sandra; Wronski, Torsten; Plath, Martin

2016-06-14

Information transfer in mammalian communication networks is often based on the deposition of excreta in latrines. Depending on the intended receiver(s), latrines are either formed at territorial boundaries (between-group communication) or in core areas of home ranges (within-group communication). The relative importance of both types of marking behavior should depend, amongst other factors, on population densities and social group sizes, which tend to differ between urban and rural wildlife populations. Our study is the first to assess (direct and indirect) anthropogenic influences on mammalian latrine-based communication networks along a rural-to-urban gradient in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) living in urban, suburban and rural areas in and around Frankfurt am Main (Germany). The proportion of latrines located in close proximity to the burrow was higher at rural study sites compared to urban and suburban ones. At rural sites, we found the largest latrines and highest latrine densities close to the burrow, suggesting that core marking prevailed. By contrast, latrine dimensions and densities increased with increasing distance from the burrow in urban and suburban populations, suggesting a higher importance of peripheral marking. Increased population densities, but smaller social group sizes in urban rabbit populations may lead to an increased importance of between-group communication and thus, favor peripheral over core marking. Our study provides novel insights into the manifold ways by which man-made habitat alterations along a rural-to-urban gradient directly and indirectly affect wildlife populations, including latrine-based communication networks.

Wet deposition and sources of inorganic nitrogen in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, China.

PubMed

Wang, Huanbo; Shi, Guangming; Tian, Mi; Chen, Yang; Qiao, Baoqing; Zhang, Liuyi; Yang, Fumo; Zhang, Leiming; Luo, Qiong

2018-02-01

Precipitation samples were collected at five rural and one urban sites in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGR), China from March 2014 to February 2016. The inorganic reactive nitrogen (Nr) contents were analysed to investigate their wet deposition flux, budget, and sources in the area. Annual Nr wet deposition varied from 7.1 to 23.4 kg N ha -1 yr -1 over the six sites during the two-year study campaign. The six-site average Nr wet deposition flux was 17.1 and 11.7 kg N ha -1 yr -1 in 2014 and 2015, respectively, with 71% from NH 4 + and 29% from NO 3 - . Dry deposition flux was estimated using the inferential method, which combined the measured ambient concentrations and modelled dry deposition velocities. The total (dry + wet) Nr deposition fluxes were estimated to be 21.4 kg N ha -1 yr -1 in 2014 and 16.0 kg N ha -1 yr -1 in 2015 at rural sites, and 31.4 and 25.3 kg N ha -1 yr -1 at the urban site. Annual average volume weighted mean (VWM) concentrations in precipitation at all the six sites differed little for NO 3 - but up to a factor of 2.0 for NH 4 + with the highest value at the urban site. Industrial emissions, agricultural emissions, soil dust, and biomass burning were identified as potential sources of the major inorganic ions in precipitation using factor analysis and correlation analysis. Conditional probability function (CPF) analysis indicated that the urban site was predominantly affected by industrial emissions from a power plant, cement manufactory, and salt chemical facility located ∼13 km southeast of the sampling site. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Near-Surface Shear Wave Velocity Versus Depth Profiles, VS30, and NEHRP Classifications for 27 Sites in Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Odum, Jack K.; Williams, Robert A.; Stephenson, William J.; Worley, David M.; von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Christa; Asencio, Eugenio; Irizarry, Harold; Cameron, Antonio

2007-01-01

In 2004 and 2005 the Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN), Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program (PRSMP) and the Geology Department at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM) collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey to study near-surface shear-wave (Vs) and compressional-wave (Vp) velocities in and around major urban areas of Puerto Rico. Using noninvasive seismic refraction-reflection profiling techniques, we acquired velocities at 27 locations. Surveyed sites were predominantly selected on the premise that they were generally representative of near-surface materials associated with the primary geologic units located within the urbanized areas of Puerto Rico. Geologic units surveyed included Cretaceous intrusive and volcaniclastic bedrock, Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic units, and Quaternary unconsolidated eolian, fluvial, beach, and lagoon deposits. From the data we developed Vs and Vp depth versus velocity columns, calculated average Vs to 30-m depth (VS30), and derived NEHRP (National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program) site classifications for all sites except one where results did not reach 30-m depth. The distribution of estimated NEHRP classes is as follows: three class 'E' (VS30 below 180 m/s), nine class 'D' (VS30 between 180 and 360 m/s), ten class 'C' (VS30 between 360 and 760 m/s), and four class 'B' (VS30 greater than 760 m/s). Results are being used to calibrate site response at seismograph stations and in the development of regional and local shakemap models for Puerto Rico.

Shallow P- and S-wave velocities and site resonances in the St. Louis region, Missouri-Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, R.A.; Odum, J.K.; Stephenson, W.J.; Herrmann, Robert B.

2007-01-01

As part of the seismic hazard-mapping efforts in the St. Louis metropolitan area we determined the compressional and shear-wave velocities (Vp and Vs) to about a 40-m depth at 17 locations in this area. The Vs measurements were made using high-resolution seismic refraction and reflection methods. We find a clear difference in the Vs profiles between sites located on the river floodplains and those located in the upland urban areas of St. Louis. Vs30 (average Vs to 30-m depth) values in floodplain areas range from 200 to 290 m/s (NEHRP category D) and contrast with sites on the upland areas of St. Louis, which have Vs30 values ranging from 410 to 785 m/s (NEHRP categories C and B). The lower Vs30 values and earthquake recordings in the floodplains suggest a greater potential for stronger and more prolonged ground shaking in an earthquake. Spectral analysis of a M3.6 earthquake recorded on the St. Louis-area ANSS seismograph network indicates stronger shaking and potentially damaging S-wave resonant frequencies at NEHRP category D sites compared to ground motions at a rock site located on the Saint Louis University campus. ?? 2007, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.

Hydrologic data from urban watersheds in the Tampa Bay area, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lopez, Miguel A.; Michaelis, D.M.

1979-01-01

Hydrologic data are being collected in 10 urbanized watersheds located in the Tampa Bay area, Florida. The gaged watersheds have impervious areas that range from 19 percent for a residential watershed in north Tampa to nearly 100 percent for a downtown Tampa watershed. Land-use types, including roads, residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, recreational , and open space, have been determined for each watershed. Rainfall and storm runoff data collected since 1971 for one site and since 1975 for six other sites through September 1976, have been processed. These data are recorded at 5-minute intervals and are stored in the U. S. Geological Survey WATSTORE unit values file. Daily rainfall at 12 sites and daily pan evaporation at one site have been stored in the WATSTORE daily values file. Chemical and biological analyses of storm runoff for six sites, base flow for seven sites, and analyses of bottom material for seven sites are also stored in the WATSTORE water-quality files. Rainfall and storm runoff for selected storms, daily rainfall, and daily pan-evaporation data are summarized in this report. Water-quality analyses of all water-quality samples also are listed. (Woodard-USGS).

Aromatic hydrocarbons at urban, sub-urban, rural (8°52'N; 67°19'W) and remote sites in Venezuela

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holzinger, R.; Kleiss, B.; Donoso, L.; Sanhueza, E.

Using the novel on-line proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technique, atmospheric concentrations of benzene, toluene, xylenes, and C 9-benzenes were measured in Caracas (urban), Altos de Pipe (sub-urban), Calabozo (rural) and Parupa (remote), during various campaigns in 1999 and 2000. Average daytime mixing ratios measured in Caracas are 1.1, 3.2, 3.7, and 2.7 nmol/mol for benzene, toluene, xylenes, and C 9-benzenes. At the sub-urban site, located only few km from Caracas, relatively low levels (˜20% of the levels measured in Caracas) of these aromatic hydrocarbons were observed. At the rural site during the dry season, higher concentrations of benzene (0.15 nmol/mol) were recorded, whereas those of toluene (0.08 nmol/mol) were lower during that time. The aromatic hydrocarbon ratios in the wet season (benzene: 0.08 nmol/mol; toluene: 0.09 nmol/mol) are consistent with an aged urban plume, whereas biomass burning emissions dominate during the dry season. From rural and urban [benzene]/[toluene] ratios a mean HO concentration of 2.6×10 6 molecules/cm 3 was estimated during the wet season. This value must be considered an overestimate because it does not account for background concentrations which are likely for benzene and toluene. At the remote "La Gran Sabana" region (Parupa) very low mixing ratios (0.031 and 0.015 nmol/mol for benzene and toluene) are showing the pristine region to be unaffected by local sources. From the [benzene]/[toluene] ratio we deduced, that "urban" air arriving from the coastline (350 km) is likely mixed with air containing some background of benzene and toluene. Urban emissions (automobiles) should be the major source of aromatic compounds, however, during the dry season biomass burning seems to make an important contribution.

Development of a biorefinery optimized biofuel supply curve for the western United States

Treesearch

Nathan Parker; Peter Tittmann; Quinn Hart; Richard Nelson; Ken Skog; Anneliese Schmidt; Edward Gray; Bryan Jenkins

2010-01-01

A resource assessment and biorefinery siting optimization model was developed and implemented to assess potential biofuel supply across the Western United States from agricultural, forest, urban, and energy crop biomass. Spatial information including feedstock resources, existing and potential refinery locations and a transportation network model is provided to a mixed...

RECEPTOR MODEL COMPARISONS AND WIND DIRECTION ANALYSES OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND SUBMICROMETER PARTICLES IN AN ARID, BINATIONAL, URBAN AIRSHED

EPA Science Inventory

The relationship between continuous measurements of volatile organic compounds sources and particle number was evaluated at a Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station Network (PAMS) site located near the U.S.-Mexico Border in central El Paso, TX. Sources of volatile organic...

Comparison of different methods of estimating the mean radiant temperature in outdoor thermal comfort studies.

PubMed

Krüger, E L; Minella, F O; Matzarakis, A

2014-10-01

Correlations between outdoor thermal indices and the calculated or measured mean radiant temperature T(mrt) are in general of high importance because of the combined effect on human energy balance in outdoor spaces. The most accurate way to determine T(mrt) is by means of integral radiation measurements, i.e. measuring the short- and long-wave radiation from six directions using pyranometers and pyrgeometers, an expensive and not always an easily available procedure. Some studies use globe thermometers combined with air temperature and wind speed sensors. An alternative way to determine T(mrt) is based on output from the RayMan model from measured data of incoming global radiation and morphological features of the monitoring site in particular sky view factor (SVF) data. The purpose of this paper is to compare different methods to assess the mean radiant temperature T(mrt) in terms of differences to a reference condition (T(mrt) calculated from field measurements) and to resulting outdoor comfort levels expressed as PET and UTCI values. The T(mrt) obtained from field measurements is a combination of air temperature, wind speed and globe temperature data according to the forced ventilation formula of ISO 7726 for data collected in Glasgow, UK. Four different methods were used in the RayMan model for T(mrt) calculations: input data consisting exclusively of data measured at urban sites; urban data excluding solar radiation, estimated SVF data and solar radiation data measured at a rural site; urban data excluding solar radiation with SVF data for each site; urban data excluding solar radiation and including solar radiation at the rural site taking no account of SVF information. Results show that all methods overestimate T(mrt) when compared to ISO calculations. Correlations were found to be significant for the first method and lower for the other three. Results in terms of comfort (PET, UTCI) suggest that reasonable estimates could be made based on global radiation data measured at the urban site or as a surrogate of missing SR data or globe temperature data recorded at the urban area on global radiation data measured at a rural location.

Pb isotopes as an indicator of the Asian contribution to particulate air pollution in urban California.

PubMed

Ewing, Stephanie A; Christensen, John N; Brown, Shaun T; Vancuren, Richard A; Cliff, Steven S; Depaolo, Donald J

2010-12-01

During the last two decades, expanding industrial activity in east Asia has led to increased production of airborne pollutants that can be transported to North America. Previous efforts to detect this trans-Pacific pollution have relied upon remote sensing and remote sample locations. We tested whether Pb isotope ratios in airborne particles can be used to directly evaluate the Asian contribution to airborne particles of anthropogenic origin in western North America, using a time series of samples from a pair of sites upwind and downwind of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our results for airborne Pb at these sites indicate a median value of 29% Asian origin, based on mixing relations between distinct regional sample groups. This trans-Pacific Pb is present in small quantities but serves as a tracer for airborne particles within the growing Asian industrial plume. We then applied this analysis to archived samples from urban sites in central California. Taken together, our results suggest that the analysis of Pb isotopes can reveal the distribution of airborne particles affected by Asian industrial pollution at urban sites in northern California. Under suitable circumstances, this analysis can improve understanding of the global transport of pollution, independent of transport models.

Pb Isotopes as an Indicator of the Asian Contribution to Particulate Air Pollution in Urban California

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

Ewing, Stephanie A.; Christensen, John N.; Brown, Shaun T.

2010-10-25

During the last two decades, expanding industrial activity in east Asia has led to increased production of airborne pollutants that can be transported to North America. Previous efforts to detect this trans-Pacific pollution have relied upon remote sensing and remote sample locations. We tested whether Pb isotope ratios in airborne particles can be used to directly evaluate the Asian contribution to airborne particles of anthropogenic origin in western North America, using a time series of samples from a pair of sites upwind and downwind of the San Francisco Bay Area. Our results for airborne Pb at these sites indicate amore » median value of 29 Asian origin, based on mixing relations between distinct regional sample groups. This trans-Pacific Pb is present in small quantities but serves as a tracer for airborne particles within the growing Asian industrial plume. We then applied this analysis to archived samples from urban sites in central California. Taken together, our results suggest that the analysis of Pb isotopes can reveal the distribution of airborne particles affected by Asian industrial pollution at urban sites in northern California. Under suitable circumstances, this analysis can improve understanding of the global transport of pollution, independent of transport models.« less

Evolution of multispectral aerosol optical properties in a biogenically-influenced urban environment during the CARES campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyawali, M.; Arnott, W. P.; Zaveri, R. A.; Song, C.; Pekour, M.; Flowers, B.; Dubey, M. K.; Setyan, A.; Zhang, Q.; Harworth, J. W.; Radney, J. G.; Atkinson, D. B.; China, S.; Mazzoleni, C.; Gorkowski, K.; Subramanian, R.; Jobson, B. T.; Moosmüller, H.

2013-03-01

Ground-based aerosol measurements made in June 2010 within Sacramento urban area (site T0) and at a 40-km downwind location (site T1) in the forested Sierra Nevada foothills area are used to investigate the evolution of multispectral optical properties as the urban aerosols aged and interacted with biogenic emissions. Along with black carbon and non-refractory aerosol mass and composition observations, spectral absorptio (βabs), scattering (βsca), and extinction (βext) coefficients for wavelengths ranging from 355 to 1064 nm were measured at both sites using photoacoustic (PA) instruments with integrating nephelometers and using cavity ring-down (CRD) instruments. The daytime average Ångström exponent of absorption (AEA) was ~1.6 for the wavelength pair 405 and 870 nm at T0, while it was ~1.8 for the wavelength pair 355 and 870 nm at T1, indicating a modest wavelength-dependent enhancement of absorption at both sites throughout the study. The measured and Mie theory calculations of multispectral βsca showed good correlation (R2=0.85-0.94). The average contribution of supermicron aerosol (mainly composed of sea salt particles advected in from the Pacific Ocean) to the total scattering coefficient ranged from less than 20% at 405 nm to greater than 80% at 1064 nm. From 22 to 28 June, secondary organic aerosol mass increased significantly at both sites due to increased biogenic emissions coupled with intense photochemical activity and air mass recirculation in the area. During this period, the short wavelength scattering coefficients at both sites gradually increased due to increase in the size of submicron aerosols. At the same time, BC mass-normalized absorption cross-section (MAC) values for ultraviolet wavelengths at T1 increased by ~60% compared to the relatively less aged urban emissions at the T0 site. In contrast, the average MAC values for 870 nm wavelength were identical at both sites. These results suggest formation of moderately brown secondary organic aerosols formed in biogenically-influenced urban air.

Concentrations and co-occurrence correlations of 88 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient air of 13 semi-rural to urban locations in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pankow, J.F.; Luo, W.; Bender, D.A.; Isabelle, L.M.; Hollingsworth, J.S.; Chen, C.; Asher, W.E.; Zogorski, J.S.

2003-01-01

The ambient air concentrations of 88 volatile organic compounds were determined in samples taken at 13 semi-rural to urban locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Louisiana, and California. The sampling periods ranged from 7 to 29 months, yielding a large data set with a total of 23,191 individual air concentration values, some of which were designated "ND" (not detected). For each compound at each sampling site, the air concentrations (ca, ppbV) are reported in terms of means, medians, and means of the detected values. The analytical method utilized adsorption/thermal desorption with air-sampling cartridges. The analytes included numerous halogenated alkanes, halogenated alkenes, ethers, alcohols, nitriles, esters, ketones, aromatics, a disulfide, and a furan. At some sites, the air concentrations of the gasoline-related aromatic compounds and the gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether were seasonally dependent, with concentrations that maximized in the winter. For each site studied here, the concentrations of some compounds were highly correlated one with another (e.g., the BTEX group (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylenes). Other aromatic compounds were also all generally correlated with one another, while the concentrations of other compound pairs were not correlated (e.g., benzene was not correlated with CFC-12). The concentrations found for the BTEX group were generally lower than the values that have been previously reported for urbanized and industrialized areas of other nations. ?? 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of a wide range of organic micropollutants on the Portuguese coast using plastic resin pellets.

PubMed

Mizukawa, Kaoruko; Takada, Hideshige; Ito, Maki; Geok, Yeo Bee; Hosoda, Junki; Yamashita, Rei; Saha, Mahua; Suzuki, Satoru; Miguez, Carlos; Frias, João; Antunes, Joana Cepeda; Sobral, Paula; Santos, Isabelina; Micaelo, Cristina; Ferreira, Ana Maria

2013-05-15

We analyzed polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethane and its metabolites, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and hopanes, in plastic resin pellets collected from nine locations along the Portuguese coast. Concentrations of a sum of 13 PCBs were one order of magnitude higher in two major cities (Porto: 307 ng/g-pellet; Lisboa: 273 ng/g-pellet) than in the seven rural sites. Lower chlorinated congeners were more abundant in the rural sites than in the cities, suggesting atmospheric dispersion. At most of the locations, PAH concentrations (sum of 33 PAH species) were ∼100 to ∼300 ng/g-pellet; however, three orders of magnitude higher concentrations of PAHs, with a petrogenic signature, were detected at a small city (Sines). Hopanes were detected in the pellets at all locations. This study demonstrated that multiple sample locations, including locations in both urban and remote areas, are necessary for country-scale pellet watch. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurements of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN) at selected urban, rural and remote sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Hanwant B.; Salas, Louis J.

1989-01-01

PAN and PPN were measured in a series of eight field studies performed at urban, rural and remote locations in the contiguous U.S. during 1983-1985. Seven of the eight studies were performed in the winter/spring period, a period of sparsely available data. Nearly 2000 air samples were analyzed during these studies. Mean PAN and PPN levels in the range of 45-1600 ppt (max. 7.9 ppb) and 5-230 ppt (max. 0.9 ppb), respectively, were measured. Despite a great deal of observed variability, PAN and PPN showed virtually identical behavior at all sites and in all seasons, supporting the view that these nitrogenous compounds are produced and destroyed by very similar mechanisms. On the average PPN concentrations were about 8 percent (range 3-14 percent) of PAN values. It is inferred that PPN/PAN ratio is highest in urban areas and declines as polluted air masses are transported over long distances.

Metallic elements and isotope of Pb in wet precipitation in urban area, South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migliavacca, Daniela Montanari; Teixeira, Elba Calesso; Gervasoni, Fernanda; Conceição, Rommulo Vieira; Raya Rodriguez, Maria Teresa

2012-04-01

The atmosphere of urban areas has been the subject of many studies to show the atmospheric pollution in large urban centers. By quantifying wet precipitation through the analysis of metallic elements (ICP/AES) and Pb isotopes, the wet precipitation of the Metropolitan Area of the Porto Alegre (MAPA), Brazil, was characterized. The samples were collected between July 2005 and December 2007. Zn, Fe and Mn showed the highest concentration in studied sites. Sapucaia do Sul showed the highest average for Zn, due to influence by the steel plant located near the sampling site. The contribution of anthropogenic emissions from vehicular activity and steel plants in wet precipitation and suspended particulate matter in the MAPA was identified by the isotopic signatures of 208Pb/207Pb and 206Pb/207Pb. Moreover the analyses of the metallic elements allowed also to identify the contribution of other anthropic sources, such as steel plants and oil refinery.

Dust Concentrations and Composition During African Dust Incursions in the Caribbean Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayol-Bracero, O. L.; Santos-Figueroa, G.; Morales-Garcia, F.

2016-12-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that exposure to PM10 concentrations higher than 50 µg/m³ 24-hour mean in both developed and developing countries could have an adverse impact on public health. Recent studies showed that in the Caribbean region the PM10 concentrations often exceed the WHO guidelines for PM10. These exceedances are largely driven by the presence of African Dust particles that reach the Caribbean region every year during the summer months. These dust particles also influence the Earth's radiative budget directly by scattering solar radiation in the atmosphere and indirectly by affecting cloud formation and, thus, cloud albedo. In order to have a better understanding of the impacts of African Dust on public health and climate, we determine the concentration of dust particles, the carbonaceous fraction (total, elemental and organic carbon: TC, EC, and OC) and water-soluble ions (e.g., Na+, Cl-, Ca+2, NH4+, SO4-2) of aerosol samples in the presence and absence of African Dust. Samples were collected using a Hi-Vol and Stacked-Filter Units for the sampling of total suspended particles (TSP) at two stations in Puerto Rico: a marine site located at Cabezas de San Juan (CSJ) Nature Reserve, in Fajardo, and an urban site located at the University of Puerto Rico, in San Juan. The presence of African Dust was supported with Saharan Air Layer (SAL) imagery and with the results from the air mass backward trajectories calculated with the NOAA Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT). Preliminary results showed that the total mass concentration of aerosols obtained at the urban site is about two times that at the marine site for SFU samples during African Dust incursions. The average dust concentration obtained at CSJ for Hi Vol samples was 22 µg/m³ during the summer 2015. African Dust concentrations, TC, EC, OC, and ionic speciation results for the marine and urban sites will be presented at the conference.

Valuing urban open space using the travel-cost method and the implications of measurement error.

PubMed

Hanauer, Merlin M; Reid, John

2017-08-01

Urbanization has placed pressure on open space within and adjacent to cities. In recent decades, a greater awareness has developed to the fact that individuals derive multiple benefits from urban open space. Given the location, there is often a high opportunity cost to preserving urban open space, thus it is important for both public and private stakeholders to justify such investments. The goals of this study are twofold. First, we use detailed surveys and precise, accessible, mapping methods to demonstrate how travel-cost methods can be applied to the valuation of urban open space. Second, we assess the degree to which typical methods of estimating travel times, and thus travel costs, introduce bias to the estimates of welfare. The site we study is Taylor Mountain Regional Park, a 1100-acre space located immediately adjacent to Santa Rosa, California, which is the largest city (∼170,000 population) in Sonoma County and lies 50 miles north of San Francisco. We estimate that the average per trip access value (consumer surplus) is $13.70. We also demonstrate that typical methods of measuring travel costs significantly understate these welfare measures. Our study provides policy-relevant results and highlights the sensitivity of urban open space travel-cost studies to bias stemming from travel-cost measurement error. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rural-urban disparities in child abuse management resources in the emergency department.

PubMed

Choo, Esther K; Spiro, David M; Lowe, Robert A; Newgard, Craig D; Hall, Michael Kennedy; McConnell, Kenneth John

2010-01-01

To characterize differences in child abuse management resources between urban and rural emergency departments (EDs). We surveyed ED directors and nurse managers at hospitals in Oregon to gain information about available abuse-related resources. Chi-square analysis was used to test differences between urban and rural EDs. Multivariate analysis was performed to examine the association between a variety of hospital characteristics, in addition to rural location, and presence of child abuse resources. Fifty-five Oregon hospitals were surveyed. A smaller proportion of rural EDs had written abuse policies (62% vs 95%, P= .006) or on-site child abuse advocates (35% vs 71%, P= .009). Thirty-two percent of rural EDs had none of the examined abuse resources (vs 0% of urban EDs, P= .01). Of hospital characteristics studied in the multivariate model, only rural location was associated with decreased availability of child abuse resources (OR 0.19 [95% CI, 0.05-0.70]). Rural EDs have fewer resources than urban EDs for the management of child abuse. Other studied hospital characteristics were not associated with availability of abuse resources. Further work is needed to identify barriers to resource utilization and to create resources that can be made accessible to all ED settings. © 2010 National Rural Health Association.

Determination of the Presence of Three Antimicrobials in Surface Water Collected from Urban and Rural Areas

PubMed Central

Iglesias, Alejandra; Nebot, Carolina; Miranda, Jose M.; Vázquez, Beatriz I.; Abuín, Carlos M. Franco; Cepeda, Alberto

2013-01-01

Due to the continuous release of antimicrobials into the environment, the aim of this study was to compare the frequency of detection of sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxypyridazine and trimethoprim in surface water collected from urban and rural areas in Northwestern Spain. A monitoring study was conducted with 314 river water samples analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The results indicated that 37% of the samples contained residues of at least one of the investigated antimicrobials, and every sampling site yielded positive samples. At sites located near the discharge points of wastewater treatment plants and near the collection point of a drinking-water treatment plant, more than 6% of the samples were positive for the presence of antimicrobial residues. PMID:27029291

Evidence of latitudinal fractionation of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners along the Baltic Sea region

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

Agrell, C.; Okla, L.; Larsson, P.

Annual cycles of the atmospheric concentrations of PCBs were determined at 16 (mostly rural) stations around the Baltic Sea between 1990 and 1993. The concentration levels of individual congeners were found to be influenced by their physical-chemical properties, ambient temperature, and geographical location. Median levels of PCBs were similar at all stations except at one urban site near Riga. A latitudinal gradient with higher levels in the south was found for the sum of PCB as well as for individual congeners, and the gradient was more pronounced for the low volatility congeners. As a result, the high volatility congeners increasedmore » in relative importance with latitude. Generally, PCB concentrations increased with temperature, but slopes of the partial pressure in air versus reciprocal temperature were different between congeners and between stations. In general, the low volatility congeners were more temperature dependent than the high volatility PCB congeners. Steep slopes at a sampling location indicate that the concentration in air is largely determined by diffusive exchange with soils. Lack of a temperature dependence may be due to the influence of long-range transported air masses at remote sites and due to the episodic or random nature of PCB sources at urban sites.« less

Learning primary care in medical school: does specialty or geographic location of the teaching site make a difference?

PubMed

Irigoyen, M M; Kurth, R J; Schmidt, H J

1999-05-01

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education mandates a core curriculum in primary care but does not specify its content or structure. In this study, we explored the question of whether primary care specialty or geographic location affects student learning and satisfaction. From 1994 to 1996, 294 third-year medical students at one medical school in New York state were randomly assigned to multiple teaching sites for a required 5-week primary care clerkship. Independent predictor variables were primary care specialty of the preceptor (family medicine, medicine, pediatrics, or joint medicine and pediatrics) and geographic location of the site (urban, suburban, rural). Outcome measures included four areas of student satisfaction, one of patient volume, and two of student performance. Primary care specialty had no detectable association with the outcome measures, except for a lower rating of patient diversity in pediatric experiences (P <0.001). Geographic location of the site had a significant association with all measures of student satisfaction and patient volume (all P values <0.001). Students at rural sites rated the experience more highly and saw on average 15 more patients per rotation. Ratings of student satisfaction remained high after adjusting for patient volume. Primary care specialty and geographic location did not influence student performance in the clerkship or scores on standardized patient examination. Rural geographic location of teaching site, but not primary care specialty, was associated with higher student satisfaction. However, higher student satisfaction ratings did not correspond to better student performance. Provided that all sites meet the screening criteria for inclusion in a teaching program, these findings support the continued development of high-quality, heterogeneous, interdisciplinary, primary care experiences.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in Great Lakes air: assessing spatial trends and combustion inputs using PUF disk passive air samplers

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

Tom Harner; Mahiba Shoeib; Todd Gouin

2006-09-01

Passive air samplers made from polyurethane foam (PUF) disks housed in stainless steel chambers were deployed over four seasons during 2002-2003, at 15 sites in the Laurentian Great lakes, to assess spatial and temporal trends of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). Sampling rates, determined using depuration compounds pre-spiked into the PUF disk prior to exposure, were, on average, 2.9 {+-} 1.1 m{sup 3} d{sup -1}, consistent with previous studies employing these samplers. PCN air concentrations exhibited strong urban-rural differences - typically a few pg m{sup 3} at rural sites and an order of magnitude higher at urban sites (Toronto, 12-31 pg m{supmore » -3} and Chicago, 13-52 pg m{sup -3}). The high concentrations at urban sites were attributed to continued emissions of historically used technical PCN. Contributions from combustion-derived PCNs seemed to be more important at rural locations where congeners 24 and 50, associated with wood and coal burning, were elevated. Congener 66/67, associated with incineration and other industrial thermal processes, was elevated at two sites and explained by nearby and/or upwind sources. Probability density maps were constructed for each site and for every integration period were shown to be a useful complement to seasonally integrated passive sampling data to resolve source-receptor relationship for PCNs and other pollutants. 25 refs., 7 figs., 1 tabs.« less

Formaldehyde Source Attribution in Houston during TexAQS II and TRAMP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guven, B.; Olaguer, E. P.

2010-12-01

To determine the relative importance of primary vs secondary formaldehyde in Houston, source apportionment was performed on continuous online measurements of VOCs, formaldehyde (HCHO), CO, SO2, and HONO at one urban and two industrial sites. The results of source apportionment were used in conjunction with the meteorological, emission inventory, emission event, and back trajectory data catalogued in Air Research Information Infrastructure (ARII) to determine the dominant source regions and evaluate the accuracy of reported regular and upset emissions from industrial facilities. The contribution of industrial sources such as flares from petrochemical plants and refineries to total atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations at the urban site is estimated to be 17% compared to 23% for mobile sources, amounting to 40% for the total contribution of primary HCHO sources. The relative contribution of industrial sources to HCHO concentration at the urban site increased to about 66% on some mornings coinciding with the HCHO peak concentrations. Secondary formation of HCHO during the day and night resulted from the reactions of industrial olefins and other VOCs with OH or ozone was a significant contributor to HCHO concentrations at the urban site. An analysis of emission event, back trajectory and ambient concentration data in ARII showed that a large percentage of emission events were associated with trajectories that passed through the two industrial sites when peaks in concentrations were detected at those sites. Some peak HCHO concentrations can also be linked to emission events of other VOCs, while a significant portion remained unexplained by the reported events. It is likely, based on the results from the SHARP campaign and our analysis, that some episodic emission events containing HCHO are unreported to the TCEQ. Overlaid CPF plots for nighttime (green) and daytime (red) HCHO concentrations measured at three sites and the locations of the largest emitting point sources around the sites. Average contributions to formaldehyde concentrations.

Commensal ecology, urban landscapes, and their influence on the genetic characteristics of city-dwelling Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).

PubMed

Gardner-Santana, L C; Norris, D E; Fornadel, C M; Hinson, E R; Klein, S L; Glass, G E

2009-07-01

Movement of individuals promotes colonization of new areas, gene flow among local populations, and has implications for the spread of infectious agents and the control of pest species. Wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are common in highly urbanized areas but surprisingly little is known of their population structure. We sampled individuals from 11 locations within Baltimore, Maryland, to characterize the genetic structure and extent of gene flow between areas within the city. Clustering methods and a neighbour-joining tree based on pairwise genetic distances supported an east-west division in the inner city, and a third cluster comprised of historically more recent sites. Most individuals (approximately 95%) were assigned to their area of capture, indicating strong site fidelity. Moreover, the axial dispersal distance of rats (62 m) fell within typical alley length. Several rats were assigned to areas 2-11.5 km away, indicating some, albeit infrequent, long-distance movement within the city. Although individual movement appears to be limited (30-150 m), locations up to 1.7 km are comprised of relatives. Moderate F(ST), differentiation between identified clusters, and high allelic diversity indicate that regular gene flow, either via recruitment or migration, has prevented isolation. Therefore, ecology of commensal rodents in urban areas and life-history characteristics of Norway rats likely counteract many expected effects of isolation or founder events. An understanding of levels of connectivity of rat populations inhabiting urban areas provides information about the spatial scale at which populations of rats may spread disease, invade new areas, or be eradicated from an existing area without reinvasion.

Water vapor and aerosol lidar measurements within an atmospheric instrumental super site to study the aerosols and the tropospheric trace gases in rome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dionisi, D.; Iannarelli, A. M.; Scoccione, A.; Liberti, G. L.; Cacciani, M.; Argentini, S.; Baldini, L.; Barnaba, F.; Campanelli, M.; Casasanta, G.; Diémoz, H.; Di Liberto, L.; Gobbi, G. P.; Petenko, I.; Siani, A. M.; Von Bismarck, J.; Casadio, S.

2018-04-01

A joint instrumental Super Site, combining observation in urban ("Sapienza" University) and semi-rural (ESA-ESRIN and CNR-ISAC) environment, for atmospheric studies and satellites Cal/Val activities, has been set-up in the Rome area (Italy). Ground based active and passive remote sensing instruments located in both sites are operating in synergy, offering information for a wide range of atmospheric parameters. In this work, a comparison of aerosol and water vapor measurements derived by the Rayleigh-Mie-Raman (RMR) lidars, operating simultaneously in both experimental sites, is presented.

Assessment of indoor and outdoor particulate air pollution at an urban background site in Iran.

PubMed

Mohammadyan, Mahmoud; Ghoochani, Mahboobeh; Kloog, Itai; Abdul-Wahab, Sabah Ahmed; Yetilmezsoy, Kaan; Heibati, Behzad; Godri Pollitt, Krystal J

2017-05-01

The relationship between indoor and outdoor particulate air pollution was investigated at an urban background site on the Payambar Azam Campus of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Sari, Northern Iran. The concentration of particulate matter sized with a diameter less than 1 μm (PM 1.0 ), 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ), and 10 μm (PM 10 ) was evaluated at 5 outdoor and 12 indoor locations. Indoor sites included classrooms, corridors, and office sites in four university buildings. Outdoor PM concentrations were characterized at five locations around the university campus. Indoor and outdoor PM measurements (1-min resolution) were conducted in parallel during weekday mornings and afternoons. No difference found between indoor PM 10 (50.1 ± 32.1 μg/m 3 ) and outdoor PM 10 concentrations (46.5 ± 26.0 μg/m 3 ), indoor PM 2.5 (22.6 ± 17.4 μg/m 3 ) and outdoor PM 2.5 concentration (22.2 ± 15.4 μg/m 3 ), or indoor PM 1.0 (14.5 ± 13.4 μg/m 3 ) and outdoor mean PM 1.0 concentrations (14.2 ± 12.3 μg/m 3 ). Despite these similar concentrations, no correlations were found between outdoor and indoor PM levels. The present findings are not only of importance for the potential health effects of particulate air pollution on people who spend their daytime over a period of several hours in closed and confined spaces located at a university campus but also can inform regulatory about the improvement of indoor air quality, especially in developing countries.

Local Optical Closure Using Single Particle Mixing State Observations during the 2010 DOE CARES Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaveri, R. A.; Arnott, W. P.; Atkinson, D. B.; Barnard, J.; Beranek, J.; Cappa, C. D.; Chand, D.; Dubey, M. K.; Easter, R. C.; Flowers, B. A.; Gyawali, M. S.; Jobson, B. T.; Pekour, M. S.; Riemer, N. S.; Subramanian, R.; Song, C.; Zelenyuk, A.

2011-12-01

Atmospheric black carbon (BC) particles readily absorb both upwelling and downwelling broadband radiation and are thought to be second only to CO2 in contributing to global warming. However large uncertainties still exist in the global estimates of BC radiative forcing, which depend not only on our ability to accurately simulate the global loading and distribution of BC, but also on the precise knowledge of the mixing state and morphology of BC particles due to aging. To this end, one of the objectives of the Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) conducted in Sacramento, CA, during June 2010 was to investigate the evolution of urban BC particles and the associated optical properties, with the overarching goal of improving their process-level model representations. The daytime Sacramento urban plume was routinely transported to the northeast into the Sierra Nevada foothills area rich in biogenic emissions, and the aged aerosols were often recirculated back into the urban area the next morning. The CARES campaign observational strategy was designed to take advantage of this flow pattern by setting up two observation supersites - one located within the Sacramento urban area, referred to as the "T0 site," and another located about 24 km to the northeast in Cool, CA, a small town in the rural foothills area, referred to as the "T1 site." BC size distribution and mixing state were measured at both the sites with single particle soot photometry (SP2). The single particle mass spectrometer SPLAT II was also deployed at the T0 site to characterize the size, composition (mixing state), density, and morphology of BC and non-BC containing particles. Non-refractory aerosol species were measured by Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS). Aerosol light absorption and scattering (or extinction) at multiple wavelengths were measured using several techniques, including photoacoustic, cavity ring-down, nephelometer as well as the filter-based particle/soot absorption photometer (PSAP). Other supporting measurements include aerosol size distribution and key trace gases (NOx, NOy, O3, and volatile organic compounds). The combined data thus provides a unique opportunity to characterize BC aging and its effect on optical properties. In this paper, we will present results from a local optical closure study for selected 10-minute samples at the T0 urban site using the particle-resolved version of the comprehensive aerosol model MOSAIC coupled to a shell/core Mie code. Sensitivity of the predicted optical properties to various measurements and model representations of particle composition, mixing state, size bin resolution, and refractive indices will be examined.

Characterisation of PM(10), PM(2.5) and benzene soluble organic fraction of particulate matter in an urban area of Kolkata, India.

PubMed

Gupta, A K; Nag, Subhankar; Mukhopadhyay, U K

2006-04-01

In this study, the relationship between inhalable particulate (PM(10)), fine particulate (PM(2.5)), coarse particles (PM(2.5 - 10)) and meteorological parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed were statistically analyzed and modelled for urban area of Kolkata during winter months of 2003-2004. Ambient air quality was monitored with a sampling frequency of twenty-four hours at three monitoring sites located near traffic intersections and in an industrial area. The monitoring sites were located 3-5 m above ground near highly trafficked and congested areas. The 24 h average PM(10) and PM(2.5) samples were collected using Thermo-Andersen high volume samplers and exposed filter papers were extracted and analysed for benzene soluble organic fraction. The ratios between PM(2.5) and PM(10) were found to be in the range of 0.6 to 0.92 and the highest ratio was found in the most polluted urban site. Statistical analysis has shown a strong positive correlation between PM(10) and PM(2.5) and inverse correlation was observed between particulate matter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) and wind speed. Statistical analysis of air quality data shows that PM(10) and PM(2.5) are showing poor correlation with temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation. Regression equations for PM(10) and PM(2.5) and meteorological parameters were developed. The organic fraction of particulate matter soluble in benzene is an indication of poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration present in particulate matter. The relationship between the benzene soluble organic fraction (BSOF) of inhalable particulate (PM(10)) and fine particulate (PM(2.5)) were analysed for urban area of Kolkata. Significant positive correlation was observed between benzene soluble organic fraction of PM(10) (BSM10) and benzene soluble organic fraction of PM(2.5) (BSM2.5). Regression equations for BSM10 and BSM2.5 were developed.

Imaging Shallow Aquitard Breaches with P waves: Results from a Walk-away test and a Reflection Survey at two Sites in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, J.; Magnani, M.; Waldron, B. A.

2006-12-01

We present the results of two seismic reflection experiments conducted in the Great Memphis area in April and July 2006. The two experiments consisted in a walk-away test and in the acquisition of a 1 km seismic reflection profile. The acquisition of the seismic data is part of a larger effort aimed at imaging the lateral continuity of the Upper Claiborne confining clay that separates the Memphis aquifer, the region's primary drinking water source, from the upper unconfined aquifer and protects the drinking aquifer from exposure to potential contamination. During the walk-away test, four P-wave sources, a 7.5 kg sledge hammer, a 20 kg weight drop, a 12-gauge Buffalo gun, and a Minivibe source were tested at two sites with the goal of selecting the best P-wave seismic source and acquisition parameters for shallow reflection surveys. Boreholes nearby both sites encountered the Upper Claiborne unit at a depth ranging from 10 m to 40 m. One site is located within a 100-meter length of road median that can be considered an urban environment. The second site is located at Shelby Farms within the City of Memphis yet reflects a rural setting with minimal noise and no subsurface infrastructure. Performing identical walk-away tests at both sites, the results indicate that the energy source selection is site dependent. At the urban site, the energy generated by the weight drop source is more coherent and can be interpreted with more confidence on the recorded data. However the Shelby Farms site the 12-gauge shotgun produced the strongest recorded energy, the highest dominant frequency and the broadest frequency band (6- 110 Hz). Strong attenuations are observed at both sites with a much higher attenuation in the urban road median site, where the near surface materials consisted of gravels, sands, clays, and pebbles. For both sites, surface waves and refractions dominate the seismic recordings. Filtering and gain of the data revealed the presence of shallow reflections related to the targeted clay layer. Based on the results of the walk-away test and on additional supporting data such as water table measurements, neotectonic structural mapping and borehole data, the location for a 1 km long, north-south trending seismic reflection profile was chosen at Shelby Farms extending south to the Wolf River. Based on the walk-away testing the 12-gauge Buffalo gun was selected as the energy source, used to detonate a single 200 g black powder shell in a 0.6 m deep water filled hole with a 1 m source interval and a 0.25 m geophone interval. Preliminary analysis of the data indicates dominating surface waves and refractions. Upon filtering, consistent reflections can be observed. Correlation of reflections at the start of the seismic line to nearby boreholes evidenced the signature of the Upper Claiborne confining clay at a depth of 18 m.

Impact of Extreme Climatic Events on the Temperature Regimes in Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parchem, C.; Stewart, I. T.

2016-12-01

Urban streams provide important aquatic and riparian habitat close to population centers, as well as other ecosystem services such as flood protection, storm water drainage and recreational functions. Yet, they are already greatly impacted by human action through water management, channel modifications, destruction of riparian habitat, and pollution. This has potentially rendered them more vulnerable to the climatic extremes projected from climatic changes. From 2012 - 2016, California has experienced to date the most severe drought since the beginning of weather recordings. The combination of the resulting extremely low stream flows exacerbated by low precipitation, high evaporation rates, and greater human demand on water, with high temperature have increased the temperature regime in urban streams. However, the extent to which urban stream temperatures are impacted by extreme climatic conditions and what role stream morphology, stream flow characteristics, and riparian vegetation play, are not sufficiently understood. For this project, we monitored stream temperature, dissolved oxygen, and flow depth along a network of 18 sites in the Los Gatos Creek, Guadalupe River, and Coyote Creek, located in the urban regions of the southern San Francisco Bay Area. Monitoring sites were distributed from stream headwaters to flood plains and represented a variety of stream environments. We examined the variation in stream temperature and dissolved oxygen with extreme air temperature, extremely low flow conditions, riparian shading, and channel morphology. Our results show that during the recent drought, hourly stream temperatures rose up to 34°C during summer heat waves for sites in the lower stream reaches without riparian shading. By contrast, shaded sites with deeper flows, and minimally affected by water management were able to maintain lower temperatures by several degrees. Understanding the conditions driving the response of urban streams to climatic extremes can aid in the protection of aquatic ecosystems under climatic change.

Shifts in leaf litter breakdown along a forest-pasture-urban gradient in Andean streams.

PubMed

Iñiguez-Armijos, Carlos; Rausche, Sirkka; Cueva, Augusta; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Aminael; Espinosa, Carlos; Breuer, Lutz

2016-07-01

Tropical montane ecosystems of the Andes are critically threatened by a rapid land-use change which can potentially affect stream variables, aquatic communities, and ecosystem processes such as leaf litter breakdown. However, these effects have not been sufficiently investigated in the Andean region and at high altitude locations in general. Here, we studied the influence of land use (forest-pasture-urban) on stream physico-chemical variables (e.g., water temperature, nutrient concentration, and pH), aquatic communities (macroinvertebrates and aquatic fungi) and leaf litter breakdown rates in Andean streams (southern Ecuador), and how variation in those stream physico-chemical variables affect macroinvertebrates and fungi related to leaf litter breakdown. We found that pH, water temperature, and nutrient concentration increased along the land-use gradient. Macroinvertebrate communities were significantly different between land uses. Shredder richness and abundance were lower in pasture than forest sites and totally absent in urban sites, and fungal richness and biomass were higher in forest sites than in pasture and urban sites. Leaf litter breakdown rates became slower as riparian land use changed from natural to anthropogenically disturbed conditions and were largely determined by pH, water temperature, phosphate concentration, fungal activity, and single species of leaf-shredding invertebrates. Our findings provide evidence that leaf litter breakdown in Andean streams is sensitive to riparian land-use change, with urban streams being the most affected. In addition, this study highlights the role of fungal biomass and shredder species (Phylloicus; Trichoptera and Anchytarsus; Coleoptera) on leaf litter breakdown in Andean streams and the contribution of aquatic fungi in supporting this ecosystem process when shredders are absent or present low abundance in streams affected by urbanization. Finally, we summarize important implications in terms of managing of native vegetation and riparian buffers to promote ecological integrity and functioning of tropical Andean stream ecosystems.

Screening for Groundwater Contaminants Discharging to Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, J. W.; Bickerton, G.; Voralek, J.

2009-05-01

Groundwater contaminated with urban pollutants can adversely affect freshwater aquatic ecosystems where it discharges to streams, lakes or wetlands. Generally such occurrences have been revealed following the discovery of contaminated groundwater plumes at a particular site or from wells in the area. Thus, this contaminant pathway tends to be dealt with on a site-specific and aquifer-focused basis. In contrast, surface water contaminant monitoring typically relies on bulk water concentrations from one or a small set of locations, thus ignoring the spatial variation in contaminant loading, potential losses to sediment or the atmosphere, and the full range of benthic components of the aquatic ecosystem. There are few studies outlining the extent of this contamination from the perspective of the surface water body's deeper benthic community, which might be expected to experience the greatest contaminant concentrations, on more than a local-scale. In this study, we report on an approach to stream-reach-screening for urban contaminants in discharging groundwater, with the focus on detection rather than accurate quantification. The methodology consists of a drive-point technique for sampling groundwater from below the stream bed (e.g. typically 50 cm) along a chosen reach at intervals of about 10 m. Groundwater samples were then analyzed for a wide range of common urban contaminants and general chemistry. This screening method was performed in three urban settings in Canada with known groundwater contamination, covering sections of about 140 to >500 m. The known contaminant plumes at each site were detected and roughly delineated. In addition, potential areas of previously-unknown groundwater contamination were also identified at each site. Contaminants included BTEX and other petroleum hydrocarbons, various chlorinated solvent compounds, nitrate, 1,4-dioxane, MTBE and elevated chloride (likely indicating road salt). These preliminary findings suggest that this approach may be useful for quickly assessing the cumulative threat to aquatic ecosystems of potentially multiple groundwater contaminant sources discharging to surface water bodies in urban settings.

Increasing incidence of malaria in the Negro River basin, Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Cabral, A C; Fé, N F; Suárez-Mutis, M C; Bóia, M N; Carvalho-Costa, F A

2010-08-01

Malaria in Brazil is virtually restricted to the Amazon Region, where it has a heterogeneous geographic distribution. We reviewed secondary data in order to describe the regional and temporal distribution of 8018 malaria cases seen between 2003 and 2007 in Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, a municipality in the northwest Brazilian Amazon. A significant rise in malaria incidence, mainly in the Yanomami Indian reservation, was observed during this time. Anopheline breeding sites were also mapped and entomological data were obtained through the capture of larval and adult mosquitoes. Thirty-three potential breeding sites were identified in the urban and periurban areas, 28 of which were positive for anopheline larvae. Anopheles darlingi specimens were captured in both intra- and peridomicile locations in the urban areas. Demographic data were also assessed via a sectional survey, revealing that the majority of dwellings were vulnerable to mosquitoes. This study suggests that urban and periurban areas of this municipality are highly susceptible to epidemic malaria, which is endemic in the Yanomami Indian reservation near the city. In addition, transmission can be perpetuated autochthonously in the urban area, drawing attention to the continuous need for preventative measures such as controlling adult and aquatic stages of mosquitoes and improving housing.

The Settlements Growth in Mijen District, Suburb of Semarang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pigawati, B.; Yuliastuti, N.; Mardiansjah, F. H.

2018-02-01

Semarang is one of metropolitan cities in Indonesia. As common in metropolitan cities, Semarang has problems regarding the availability of urban space, especially for settlements. This is related to the increase of population in Semarang. The selection of settlements should consider the suitability of space usage. This study aimed to analyze the growth of Semarang settlements in 2006-2015, distribution patterns, characteristics, directions and factors affecting growth. The location of the research is Mijen District located in Suburb of Semarang. This research used a quantitative descriptive spatial approach by using remote sensing technique and Geographic Information System (GIS). The results showed that some of the growth sites of settlements in Mijen District, the suburb of Semarang are located in areas which not suitable for settlements. There are several types of settlement patterns in Mijen District. Accessibility is the major factor driving the growth of settlements. An integrated development policy is needed to maintain a sustainable balance of urban settlement development.

Industrial strength herons: The Black-crowns of Baltimore

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erwin, R.M.; Anders, V.P.; Miles-Iverson, K.

1990-01-01

The largest night-heron colony in Maryland is located at the foot of the Key Bridge in Dundalk, Maryland, in an industrial area. Foraging herons were followed from the colony during May-July, . Most birds followed landed near industrial/urban sites. Availability of perches and lights (at night) may serve to enhance the heron's prey capture success.

Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive samplers derived polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) concentrations in the ambient air of Bursa-Turkey: Spatial and temporal variations and health risk assessment.

PubMed

Birgül, Aşkın; Kurt-Karakus, Perihan Binnur; Alegria, Henry; Gungormus, Elif; Celik, Halil; Cicek, Tugba; Güven, Emine Can

2017-02-01

Polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers were employed to assess air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in background, agricultural, semi-urban, urban and industrial sites in Bursa, Turkey. Samplers were deployed for approximately 2-month periods from February to December 2014 in five sampling campaign. Results showed a clear rural-agricultural-semi-urban-urban-industrial PCBs concentration gradient. Considering all sampling periods, ambient air concentrations of Σ 43 PCBs ranged from 9.6 to 1240 pg/m 3 at all sites with an average of 24.1 ± 8.2, 43.8 ± 24.4, 140 ± 190, 42.8 ± 24.6, 160 ± 280, 84.1 ± 105, 170 ± 150 and 280 ± 540 pg/m 3 for Mount Uludag, Uludag University Campus, Camlica, Bursa Technical University Osmangazi Campus, Hamitler, Agakoy, Kestel Organised Industrial District and Demirtas Organised Industrial District sampling sites, respectively. The ambient air PCB concentrations increased along a gradient from background to industrial areas by a factor of 1.7-11.4. 4-Cl PCBs (31.50-81.60%) was the most dominant homologue group at all sampling sites followed by 3-Cl, 7-Cl, 6-Cl and 5-Cl homologue groups. Sampling locations and potential sources grouped in principal component analysis. Results of PCA plots highlighted a large variability of the PCB mixture in air, hence possible related sources, in Bursa area. Calculated inhalation risk levels in this study indicated no serious adverse health effects. This study is one of few efforts to characterize PCB composition in ambient air seasonally and spatially for urban and industrial areas of Turkey by using passive samplers as an alternative sampling method for concurrent monitoring at multiple sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water-quality data from storm runoff after the 2007 fires, San Diego County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mendez, Gregory O.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey collected water-quality samples during the first two storms after the Witch and Harris Fires (October 2007) in southern California. The sampling locations represent an urban area (two residential sites in Rancho Bernardo that were affected by the Witch Fire; a drainage ditch and a storm drain) and a rural area (Cotton-wood Creek, which was downstream of a mobile home park destroyed by the Harris Fire). Fires produce ash and solid residues that contain soluble chemicals that can contaminant runoff. The contaminants, whether sorbed to soil and ash or dissolved, can seriously affect the quality of water supplies and sensitive ecosystems. Stormflow water samples were analyzed for field parameters, optical properties, and for a variety of constituents, including nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), suspended sediment, and metals. pH values for storm runoff from the urban areas (7.6 to 8.5) were less than pH values for ash and burned soil from previous studies (12.5 to 13). pH values for storm runoff from the rural area (about 7.7) also were less than pH values for ash and burned soil collected from the rural area (8.6 to 11.8), but were similar to pH values for wildland burned soil from previous studies. Turbidity values were much lower for the urban area than for the rural area. Nitrate concentrations in stormflow samples from all sites were less than a quarter of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (2006) maximum allowable contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (as nitrogen). Phosphorus concentrations were half as much in filtered samples and two orders of magnitude smaller in unfiltered samples at the urban sites than at the rural site. DOC concentrations in stormflow samples were one order of magnitude lower at the urban sites than at the rural site. Ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 254 nanometers (UV254) in samples ranged from 0.145 to 0.782 per centimeter (cm-1). UV-absorbance data at the urban sites indicate that the composition of DOC remained similar during both storms even though the DOC concentration changed. Total suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.24 mg/L at the urban area, and were 12 and 45 mg/L at the rural area. Trace metals analyzed in unfiltered water samples had lower concentrations in the urban area than in the rural area. No concentrations of arsenic or mercury measured in the samples were above aquatic-life criteria. In the urban area, most concentrations of aluminum, iron, and lead exceeded aquatic-life criteria. In the rural area, aluminum, cadmium, iron, lead, and zinc exceeded aquatic-life criteria. Concentrations of aluminum and iron were two orders of magnitude larger in the rural area than in the urban area.

Controls on Biogeochemical Cycling of Nitrogen in Urban Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Templer, P. H.; Hutyra, L.; Decina, S.; Rao, P.; Gately, C.

2017-12-01

Rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition are declining across much of the United States and Europe, yet they remain substantially elevated by almost an order of magnitude over pre-industrial levels and occur as hot spots in urban areas. We measured atmospheric inputs of inorganic and organic nitrogen in multiple urban sites around the Boston Metropolitan area, finding that urban rates are substantially elevated compared to nearby rural areas, and that the range of these atmospheric inputs are as large as observed urban to rural gradients. Within the City of Boston, the variation in deposition fluxes can be explained by traffic intensity, vehicle emissions, and spring fertilizer additions. Throughfall inputs of nitrogen are approximately three times greater than bulk deposition inputs in the city, demonstrating that the urban canopy amplifies rates of nitrogen reaching the ground surface. Similar to many other metropolitan areas of the United States, the City of Boston has 25% canopy cover; however, 25% of this tree canopy is located above impervious pavement. Throughfall inputs that do not have soil below the canopy to retain excess nitrogen may lead to greater inputs of nitrogen into nearby waterways through runoff. Most measurement stations for atmospheric nitrogen deposition are intentionally located away from urban areas and point sources of pollution to capture regional trends. Our data show that a major consequence of this network design is that hotspots of nitrogen deposition and runoff into urban and coastal waterways is likely underestimated to a significant degree. A more complete determination of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its fate in urban ecosystems is critical for closing regional nitrogen budgets and for improving our understanding of biogeochemical nitrogen cycling across multiple spatial scales.

Integrating emergency services in an urban health system.

PubMed

Radloff, D; Blouin, A S; Larsen, L; Kripp, M E

2000-03-01

When planning for growth and management efficiency across urban health systems, economic and market factors present significant service line challenges and opportunities. This article describes the evolutionary integration of emergency services in St John Health System, a large, religious-sponsored health care system located in Detroit, Michigan. Critical business elements, including the System's vision, mission, and economic context, are defined as the framework for site-specific and System-wide planning. The impact of managed care and market changes prompted St John's clinicians and executives to explore how integrating emergency services could create a competitive market advantage.

Size-resolved source apportionment of carbonaceous particulate matter in urban and rural sites in central California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ham, Walter A.; Kleeman, Michael J.

2011-08-01

Very little is currently known about the relationship between exposure to different sources of ambient ultrafine particles (PM 0.1) and human health effects. If human health effects are enhanced by PM 0.1's ability to cross cell membranes, then more information is needed describing the sources of ultrafine particles that are deposited in the human respiratory system. The current study presents results for the source apportionment of airborne particulate matter in six size fractions smaller than 1.8 μm particle diameter including ultrafine particles (PM 0.1) in one of the most polluted air basins in the United States. Size-resolved source apportionment results are presented at an urban site and rural site in central California's heavily polluted San Joaquin Valley during the winter and summer months using a molecular marker chemical mass balance (MM-CMB) method. Respiratory deposition calculations for the size-resolved source apportionment results are carried out with the Multiple Path Particle Dosimetry Model ( MPPD v 2.0), including calculations for ultrafine (PM 0.1) source deposition. Diesel engines accounted for the majority of PM 0.1 and PM 1.8 EC at both the urban and rural sampling locations during both summer and winter seasons. Meat cooking accounted for 33-67% and diesel engines accounted for 15-21% of the PM 0.1 OC at Fresno. Meat cooking accounted for 22-26% of the PM 0.1 OC at the rural Westside location, while diesel engines accounted for 8-9%. Wood burning contributions to PM 0.1 OC increased to as much as 12% of PM 0.1 OC during the wintertime. The modest contribution of wood smoke reflects the success of emissions control programs over the past decade. In contrast to PM 0.1, PM 1.8 OC had a higher fraction of unidentified source contributions (68-85%) suggesting that this material is composed of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) or primary organic aerosol (POA) that has been processed by atmospheric chemical reactions. Meat cooking was the largest identified source of PM 1.8 organic carbon (OC) at the Fresno site (12-13%) while diesel engines were the largest identified PM 1.8 OC source at the rural site (5-8%). Wood burning contributions to PM 1.8 OC increased during the wintertime at both sites (6-9%) but were relatively small during the summertime (˜1%). As expected, diesel engines were the dominant source of PM 0.1 EC respiratory deposition at both the urban and rural site in both summer and winter (0.01-0.03 μg PM 0.1 EC deposited per m 3 air inhaled). Meat cooking accounted for 0.01-0.025 μg PM 0.1 OC deposited per m 3 air inhaled while diesel fuel accounted for 0.005-0.013 μg PM 0.1 OC deposited per m 3 air inhaled. Minor contributions from wood burning, motor oil, and gasoline fuel were calculated at levels <0.005 μg PM 0.1 OC deposited per m 3 air inhaled at both urban and rural locations during winter and summer seasons. If the burden of PM 0.1 deposited in the respiratory system is relevant for human health effects, then future toxicology studies should be carried out at PM 0.1 concentrations and source mixtures equivalent to those measured in the current study.

Fracture trauma in a medieval British farming village.

PubMed

Judd, M A; Roberts, C A

1999-06-01

Farming is among the three most hazardous occupations in modern society and perhaps also held a similar position during the medieval period. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in frequencies and patterns of longbone fracture trauma observed between rural and urban activity bases that distinguish farming as a particularly dangerous occupation during the medieval period. The longbones of 170 individuals excavated from Raunds, a rural medieval British site (10th-12th centuries AD) were examined for fractures and compared to data collected from four contemporary British medieval sites, one rural and three urban. The fracture frequency for the Raunds individuals (19.4%) was significantly different from the urban sites (4.7-5.5%). Female fractures were characterized by injury to the forearm, while the males were predisposed to diverse fracture locations. Clinical research provided a source of documented farm-related trauma from North America and Europe where the crops and animals raised, the manual chores performed, and the equipment used in traditional or small-scale farms have changed little in form or function since the medieval period. Nonmechanized causes of injury contribute to approximately 40% of all modern farm-related injuries and are attributed to falls from lofts and ladders, animal assaults and bites, and falls from moving vehicles. These hazardous situations were also present in the medieval period and may explain some of the fracture trauma from the rural sites. A high fracture frequency for both medieval males and females is significantly associated with farming subsistence when compared to craft-orientated urban dwellers.

Endotoxins in urban air in Stockholm, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, S.; Merritt, A. S.; Bellander, T.

2011-01-01

Endotoxins, i.e. components originating from the outer membrane in the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, activate the human immune system, which may result in airway symptoms such as shortness of breath and airway inflammation. Endotoxins are present in the environment, both outdoors and indoors, and stay airborne for a long time. In order to investigate the levels of endotoxins in urban air and the influence of traffic and meteorological factors, particles (PM 10 and PM 2.5) were collected at five sites in Stockholm, Sweden on four occasions per site between May and September 2009. Endotoxins were extracted from the filters and analysis was conducted with the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL)-assay. Endotoxins were present in urban air in Stockholm, albeit in low levels, and were similar to levels found in urban areas outside Sweden. To our knowledge, this is the northernmost location where endotoxins have been measured. The endotoxin levels found in PM 10 ranged from 0.020 to 0.107 EU m -3 with a geometric mean of 0.050 EU m -3 and the levels found in PM 2.5 ranged from 0.005 to 0.064 EU m -3 with a geometric mean of 0.015 EU m -3. No obvious effects of traffic or meteorological factors on endotoxin levels were observed, although a moderate correlation could be seen with soot. The small number of sampling sites is however a shortcoming of the present study. In future studies, more sites and sampling during all seasons would be preferable in order to get a better picture of the influence of different sources on endotoxin levels.

Observations of Aerosol Optical Properties over 15 AERONET Sites in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, J. D.; Lagrosas, N.; Uy, S. N.; Holben, B. N.; Dorado, S.; Tobias, V., Jr.; Anh, N. X.; Po-Hsiung, L.; Janjai, S.; Salinas Cortijo, S. V.; Liew, S. C.; Lim, H. S.; Lestari, P.

2014-12-01

Mean column-integrated optical properties from ground sun photometers of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) are studied to provide an overview of the characteristics of aerosols over the region as part of the 7 Southeast Asian Studies (7-SEAS) mission. The 15 AERONET sites with the most available level 2 data products are selected from Thailand (Chiang Mai, Mukdahan, Songkhla and Silpakorn University), Malaysia (University Sains Malaysia), Laos (Vientiane), Vietnam (Bac Giang, Bac Lieu and Nha Trang), Taiwan (National Cheng Kung University and Central Weather Bureau Taipei), Singapore, Indonesia (Bandung) and the Philippines (Manila Observatory and Notre Dame of Marbel University). For all 15 sites, high angstrom exponent values (α>1) have been observed. Chiang Mai and USM have the highest mean Angstrom exponent indicating the dominance of fine particles that can be ascribed to biomass burning and urbanization. Sites with the lowest Angstrom exponent values include Bac Lieu (α=1.047) and Manila Observatory (α=1.021). From the average lognormal size distribution curves, Songkhla and NDMU show the smallest annual variation in the fine mode region, indicating the observed fine aerosols are local to the sites. The rest of the sites show high variation which could be due to large scale forcings (e.g., monsoons and biomass burnings) that affect aerosol properties in these sites. Both high and low single scattering albedo at 440 nm (ω0440) values are found in sites located in major urban areas. Silpakorn University, Manila Observatory and Vientiane have all mean ω0440 < 0.90. Singapore and CWB Taipei have ω0440 > 0.94. The discrepancy in ω0 suggests different types of major emission sources present in urban areas. The absorptivity of urban aerosols can vary depending on the strength of traffic emissions, types of fuel combusted and automobile engines used, and the effect of biomass burning aerosols during the dry season. High aerosol optical depth values (τa550 > 0.4) are mainly found over inland sites north of Songkhla and south of China on mainland Asia. Major pollution types in the region include biomass burning smoke and urban aerosols. The highest average τa550 is measured in Bac Giang, which has been studied to be greatly affected by aerosol sources from Eastern China during the later parts of the year.

Bat use of a high-plains urban wildlife refuge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Everette, A.L.; O'Shea, T.J.; Ellison, L.E.; Stone, L.A.; McCance, J.L.

2001-01-01

Bats are significant components of mammalian diversity and in many areas are of management concern. However, little attention has been given to bats in urban or prairie landscapes. In 1997 and 1998, we determined species richness, relative abundance, roosting habits, and echolocation activity of bats at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMA), the largest urban unit in the United States refuge system, located on the high plains near Denver, Colorado. An inventory using mist nets revealed 3 species foraging at this site: big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus), and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans). Big brown bats comprised 86% of captures (n=176). This pattern was consistent with continental-scale predictions of bat species richness and evenness based on availability of potential roosts. Relative abundance based on captures was similar to that revealed by echolocation detector surveys, except that the latter revealed the likely presence of at least 2 additional species (Myotis spp. and red bats [Lasiurus borealis]). Echolocation activity was significantly greater (P=0.009) in areas with tree or water habitat edges than in open prairie, suggesting that maintaining such features is important for bats. Big brown bats commuted greater distances (9.2-18.8 km) from roosts in urban core areas to foraging sites on the refuge than typically reported for this species elsewhere, emphasizing the value of the site to these bats. Urban refuges can provide habitat of importance to bat populations, but may be characterized by abundant bats that roost in buildings if a variety of other kinds of roosting habitats are unavailable.

Development of a confined water sensitive urban design (WSUD) system using engineered soils.

PubMed

Dunphy, A; Beecham, S; Vigneswaran, S; Ngo, H H; McLaughlan, R; Collins, A

2007-01-01

Innovative Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) systems are being investigated at three locations to the north and south of Sydney, Australia. These systems contain porous concrete pipes that are designed so that stormwater exfiltrates through the permeable walls of the pipes into the surrounding substrate media material. The porous pipes and media material treat the passing stormwater. The primary aim of the overall project is to develop a model to describe the treatment effectiveness of confined WSUD systems. This paper focuses on the system located at the Weathertex Industrial Site, Heatherbrae. Due to wood processing operations that occur at this site, it is recognised that the surface runoff will carry a heavy organics loading. Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) is recognised for its ability to reduce the concentration of dissolved organics present in both wastewater and stormwater. GAC was therefore chosen as a filtration medium to be investigated at this site. To maximise the effectiveness of the GAC, extensive laboratory batch studies were undertaken prior to the field system being constructed to determine the optimum GAC/sand ratio. The purpose of the experimental work was to assess the dissolved organic removal potential through sorption of various concentrations of GAC. The aim of this paper is to describe these laboratory experiments and discuss how they related to the field system. Through these experiments it was determined that a sand/GAC ratio of 25:1 was ideal for the media material at the Heatherbrae site.

Controlling Factors of the Surface Energy and Water Balances in cities located in cold climate regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Järvi, L.; Grimmond, S. B.; Christen, A.; McFadden, J. P.; Strachan, I. B.

2016-12-01

Urban effects on climate are often pronounced in winter due to large anthropogenic heat releases and differences in snow cover between urban and surrounding rural areas. In this study, we simulate energy and water balances in cities characterized by cold winter climates with snow. Eleven urban sites from Helsinki (Finland), Basel (Switzerland), Montreal (Canada) and Minneapolis (USA) are analysed. The sites were selected based on the availability of either measured turbulent fluxes (from eddy covariance) or surface runoff to be used for model evaluation. The sites vary with respect to land cover fractions, irrigation habits and population densities. For example, the plan area fraction of impervious surface varies from 5% in Minneapolis to 84% in Basel. To simulate urban energy and water balances, we use the Surface Urban Energy and Water balance Scheme (SUEWS) model, which has been designed to minimize the number of required input variables and model parameters. For each site, the model is run in an offline mode using measured hourly meteorological data with a time step of 5-min. As the modelled time periods range from one (Basel) to 7.5 years (Helsinki), a wide range of meteorological conditions occur. Our results show how both evaporation and surface runoff are highly dependent on the fraction of impervious surface cover (r > |0.8|) during snow-free periods. However, high year-to-year variability in simulated evaporation and runoff indicates that climatological factors are also important. In winter, the amount and duration of snow cover become import controlling factor in determining the two components of water balance. The shorter the snow cover period is, the larger the cumulative runoff tends to be. Thus, our results suggest that warmer winters with less snow will increase the stress on drainage systems and modify the urban ecosystem via changes in evaporation and Bowen ratio. Also, our results indicate that simply using the fraction of impervious or pervious surfaces when estimating the surface runoff at different sites is not sufficient, but rather inter-annual variability in climatology also needs to be considered.

Urbanization is a main driver for the larval ecology of Aedes mosquitoes in arbovirus-endemic settings in south-eastern Côte d'Ivoire

PubMed Central

Koudou, Benjamin G.; Müller, Pie; Malone, David; Tano, Yao; Utzinger, Jürg

2017-01-01

Background Failure in detecting naturally occurring breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes can bias the conclusions drawn from field studies, and hence, negatively affect intervention outcomes. We characterized the habitats of immature Aedes mosquitoes and explored species dynamics along a rural-to-urban gradient in a West Africa setting where yellow fever and dengue co-exist. Methodology Between January 2013 and October 2014, we collected immature Aedes mosquitoes in water containers in rural, suburban, and urban areas of south-eastern Côte d’Ivoire, using standardized sampling procedures. Immature mosquitoes were reared in the laboratory and adult specimens identified at species level. Principal findings We collected 6,159, 14,347, and 22,974 Aedes mosquitoes belonging to 17, 8, and 3 different species in rural, suburban, and urban environments, respectively. Ae. aegypti was the predominant species throughout, with a particularly high abundance in urban areas (99.374%). Eleven Aedes larval species not previously sampled in similar settings of Côte d’Ivoire were identified: Ae. albopictus, Ae. angustus, Ae. apicoargenteus, Ae. argenteopunctatus, Ae. haworthi, Ae. lilii, Ae. longipalpis, Ae. opok, Ae. palpalis, Ae. stokesi, and Ae. unilineatus. Aedes breeding site positivity was associated with study area, container type, shade, detritus, water turbidity, geographic location, season, and the presence of predators. We found proportionally more positive breeding sites in urban (2,136/3,374, 63.3%), compared to suburban (1,428/3,069, 46.5%) and rural areas (738/2,423, 30.5%). In the urban setting, the predominant breeding sites were industrial containers (e.g., tires and discarded containers). In suburban areas, containers made of traditional materials (e.g., clay pots) were most frequently encountered. In rural areas, natural containers (e.g., tree holes and bamboos) were common and represented 22.1% (163/738) of all Aedes-positive containers, hosting 18.7% of the Aedes fauna. The predatory mosquito species Culex tigripes was commonly sampled, while Toxorhynchites and Eretmapodites were mostly collected in rural areas. Conclusions/significance In Côte d’Ivoire, urbanization is associated with high abundance of Aedes larvae and a predominance of artificial containers as breeding sites, mostly colonized by Ae. aegypti in urban areas. Natural containers are still common in rural areas harboring several Aedes species and, therefore, limiting the impact of systematic removal of discarded containers on the control of arbovirus diseases. PMID:28704434

[Location selection for Shenyang urban parks based on GIS and multi-objective location allocation model].

PubMed

Zhou, Yuan; Shi, Tie-Mao; Hu, Yuan-Man; Gao, Chang; Liu, Miao; Song, Lin-Qi

2011-12-01

Based on geographic information system (GIS) technology and multi-objective location-allocation (LA) model, and in considering of four relatively independent objective factors (population density level, air pollution level, urban heat island effect level, and urban land use pattern), an optimized location selection for the urban parks within the Third Ring of Shenyang was conducted, and the selection results were compared with the spatial distribution of existing parks, aimed to evaluate the rationality of the spatial distribution of urban green spaces. In the location selection of urban green spaces in the study area, the factor air pollution was most important, and, compared with single objective factor, the weighted analysis results of multi-objective factors could provide optimized spatial location selection of new urban green spaces. The combination of GIS technology with LA model would be a new approach for the spatial optimizing of urban green spaces.

Spatiotemporal Association of Real-Time Concentrations of Black Carbon (BC) with Fine Particulate Matters (PM2.5) in Urban Hotspots of South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sungroul; Yu, Sol; Yun, Dongmin

2017-11-06

We evaluated the spatiotemporal distributions of black carbon (BC) and particulate matters with aerodynamic diameters of less than 2.5 m (PM 2.5 ) concentrations at urban diesel engine emission (DEE) hotspots of South Korea. Concentrations of BC and PM 2.5 were measured at the entrance gate of two diesel bus terminals and a train station, in 2014. Measurements were conducted simultaneously at the hotspot (Site 1) and at its adjacent, randomly selected, residential areas, apartment complex near major roadways, located with the same direction of 300 m (Site 2) and 500 m (Site 3) away from Site 1 on 4 different days over the season, thrice per day; morning ( n = 120 measurements for each day and site), evening ( n = 120), and noon ( n = 120). The median (interquartile range) PM 2.5 ranged from 12.6 (11.3-14.3) to 60.1 (47.0-76.0) μg/m³ while those of BC concentrations ranged from 2.6 (1.9-3.7) to 6.3 (4.2-10.3) μg/m³. We observed a strong relationship of PM 2.5 concentrations between sites (slopes 0.89-0.9, the coefficient of determination 0.89-0.96) while the relationship for BC concentrations between sites was relatively weak (slopes 0.76-0.85, the coefficient of determination 0.54-0.72). PM 2.5 concentrations were changed from 4% to 140% by unit increase of BC concentration, depending on site and time while likely supporting the necessity of monitoring of BC as well as PM 2.5 , especially at urban DEE related hotspot areas.

Near surface geophysics techniques and geomorphological approach to reconstruct the hazard cave map in historical and urban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazzari, M.; Loperte, A.; Perrone, A.

2009-04-01

This work, carried out with an integrated methodological approach, focuses on the use of near surface geophysics techniques, such as ground penetrating radar GPR and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and geomorphological analysis, in order to reconstruct the cave distribution and geometry in a urban context and, in particular, in historical centres. In fact, there are a lot of historical Mediterranean sites born on an original rupestrian settlement, of which often the new generations forgot the memory and new urban areas built on them burying any marks. The interaction during recent centuries between human activity (caves excavation, birth and growth of an urban area) and the characters of the natural environment were the reasons of a progressive increase in hazard and vulnerability levels of several sites. The reconstruction of a detailed cave map distribution is the first step to define the anthropic and geomorphological hazard in urban areas, fundamental basis for planning and assessing the risk. The integrated near surface geophysics and geomorphological techniques have been applied to the case study of Tursi hilltop town and its older nucleus called Rabatana, located in the south-western sector of the Basilicata (southern Italy), representing an interesting example of the deep bond between natural and man-made environments such as precious cultural heritage. The history of this settlement has always been deeply connected with the characteristics of the neighbouring environment and it seems possible that the first settlement was built by excavating the slopes of the sandy relief. It was a typical rupestrian settlement, where meteoric water was stored inside some cisterns excavated on the slopes. During recent centuries, the increase in territory development by humans produced an increase in cave excavation in the Tursi-Rabatana urban area. To reconstruct the extremely complex near-surface hypogeal environment excavated in the sandy layers, a geophysical investigation has been carried out, integrating the method of ERT (a multielectrode system with a Wenner-Schlumberger array layout) with the GPR (profiles were obtained using a SIR 2000-GSSI system equipped with two antennas of 400 and 200 MHz, connected by fiber-optic cables to the control unit) profiling. During the field survey, four ERT measurements and eight GPR profiles were carried out along the road network of Rabatana. The field survey permitted to evidence, for the Rabatana historical site, about 100 caves for which it is possible to see clear entrances, while at least 300 other caves are located in Tursi urban area and surroundings. This survey excludes all the caves and cisterns not directly ispectionable, but well showed in geophysical data. Since 1973, this site was subjected to the evacuation of its inhabitants in a new urban site due to catastrophic landslides caused by intense rainfalls that occurred on January 1972. Starting from 1974, the Rabatana has been almost completely deserted. Recently, a renewed interest for this site has been developed to recover the historical center, removing the current constraint of total evacuation. However at present, the site is still characterized by a particular morphological history and environmental factors that generate widespread risk conditions for the inhabitants and built-up areas. Morphological evolution of the sandy hillslopes on which Tursi town rises is characterized by very intense erosive phenomena such as landslides, deep gullies, rills, and piping, which affect the whole perimeter of urban settlements and threaten the conservation of these sites. From the point of view of the process of physical degradation, the sandy facies are characterized by desiccation cracks to which the piping erosion and detachment blocks along the slopes are closely linked. In some cases large voids do not develop, but seepage erosion and running sand cause morphologically similar surface collapse phenomena (sinkholes). Outlets spreading can cause landslide phenomena (rockfall and toppling) along the steep sandy-clayey slopes. The secular multilevel cave excavation, developed along several fronts beneath the urban area, accelerated the pre-existing morphological processes acting on this site, favouring the water infiltration and subsurface erosional phenomena, characterized by widespread surface piping erosion of sandy bodies. Moreover, climate analysis carried out for the last century showed an increasing trend in rainfall intensity over short durations, which also induced an increase in hazard conditions of the slopes. All the natural and anthropic conditions described above show as a deep knowledge of cave distribution and their geometry is the basis for a good urban planning to apply in historical site particularly vulnerable; it shows also as the integrated near surface geophysics techniques can powerfully contribute to acquire useful information to mitigate the anthropic risk and preserve the historical-monumental heritage.

Limited Influence of Urban Stormwater Runoff on Salt Marsh Platform and Marsh Creek Oxygen Dynamics in Coastal Georgia.

PubMed

Savidge, William B; Brink, Jonathan; Blanton, Jackson O

2016-12-01

Oxygen concentrations and oxygen utilization rates were monitored continuously for 23 months on marsh platforms and in small tidal creeks at two sites in coastal Georgia, USA, that receive urban stormwater runoff via an extensive network of drainage canals. These data were compared to nearby control sites that receive no significant surface runoff. Overall, rainfall and runoff per se were not associated with differences in the oxygen dynamics among the different locations. Because of the large tidal range and long tidal excursions in coastal Georgia, localized inputs of stormwater runoff are rapidly mixed with large volumes of ambient water. Oxygen concentrations in tidal creeks and on flooded marsh platforms were driven primarily by balances of respiration and photosynthesis in the surrounding regional network of marshes and open estuarine waters. Local respiration, while measurable, was of relatively minor importance in determining oxygen concentrations in tidal floodwaters. Water residence time on the marshes could explain differences in oxygen concentration between the runoff-influenced and control sites.

Limited Influence of Urban Stormwater Runoff on Salt Marsh Platform and Marsh Creek Oxygen Dynamics in Coastal Georgia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savidge, William B.; Brink, Jonathan; Blanton, Jackson O.

2016-12-01

Oxygen concentrations and oxygen utilization rates were monitored continuously for 23 months on marsh platforms and in small tidal creeks at two sites in coastal Georgia, USA, that receive urban stormwater runoff via an extensive network of drainage canals. These data were compared to nearby control sites that receive no significant surface runoff. Overall, rainfall and runoff per se were not associated with differences in the oxygen dynamics among the different locations. Because of the large tidal range and long tidal excursions in coastal Georgia, localized inputs of stormwater runoff are rapidly mixed with large volumes of ambient water. Oxygen concentrations in tidal creeks and on flooded marsh platforms were driven primarily by balances of respiration and photosynthesis in the surrounding regional network of marshes and open estuarine waters. Local respiration, while measurable, was of relatively minor importance in determining oxygen concentrations in tidal floodwaters. Water residence time on the marshes could explain differences in oxygen concentration between the runoff-influenced and control sites.

Evaluation of the source area of rooftop scalar measurements in London, UK using wind tunnel and modelling approaches.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocklehurst, Aidan; Boon, Alex; Barlow, Janet; Hayden, Paul; Robins, Alan

2014-05-01

The source area of an instrument is an estimate of the area of ground over which the measurement is generated. Quantification of the source area of a measurement site provides crucial context for analysis and interpretation of the data. A range of computational models exists to calculate the source area of an instrument, but these are usually based on assumptions which do not hold for instruments positioned very close to the surface, particularly those surrounded by heterogeneous terrain i.e. urban areas. Although positioning instrumentation at higher elevation (i.e. on masts) is ideal in urban areas, this can be costly in terms of installation and maintenance costs and logistically difficult to position instruments in the ideal geographical location. Therefore, in many studies, experimentalists turn to rooftops to position instrumentation. Experimental validations of source area models for these situations are very limited. In this study, a controlled tracer gas experiment was conducted in a wind tunnel based on a 1:200 scale model of a measurement site used in previous experimental work in central London. The detector was set at the location of the rooftop site as the tracer was released at a range of locations within the surrounding streets and rooftops. Concentration measurements are presented for a range of wind angles, with the spread of concentration measurements indicative of the source area distribution. Clear evidence of wind channeling by streets is seen with the shape of the source area strongly influenced by buildings upwind of the measurement point. The results of the wind tunnel study are compared to scalar concentration source areas generated by modelling approaches based on meteorological data from the central London experimental site and used in the interpretation of continuous carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration data. Initial conclusions will be drawn as to how to apply scalar concentration source area models to rooftop measurement sites and suggestions for their improvement to incorporate effects such as channeling.

Does vapor pressure deficit drive the seasonality of δ 13 C of the net land-atmosphere CO 2 exchange across the United States?: The Influence of VPD on δ 13 C of NEE

DOE PAGES

Raczka, B.; Biraud, S. C.; Ehleringer, J. R.; ...

2017-08-10

The seasonal pattern of the carbon isotope content (δ 13C) of atmospheric CO 2 depends on local and nonlocal land-atmosphere exchange and atmospheric transport. Previous studies suggested that the δ13C of the net land-atmosphere CO 2 flux (δsource) varies seasonally as stomatal conductance of plants responds to vapor pressure deficit of air (VPD). We studied the variation of δ source at seven sites across the United States representing forests, grasslands, and an urban center. Using a two-part mixing model, we calculated the seasonal δsource for each site after removing background influence and, when possible, removing δ 13C variation of nonlocalmore » sources. Compared to previous analyses, we found a reduced seasonal (March–September) variation in δ source at the forest sites (0.5‰variation). We did not find a consistent seasonal relationship between VPD and δ source across forest (or other) sites, providing evidence that stomatal response to VPD was not the cause of the global, coherent seasonal pattern in δsource. In contrast to the forest sites, grassland and urban sites had a larger seasonal variation in δ source (5‰) dominated by seasonal transitions in C 3/C 4 grass productivity and in fossil fuel emissions, respectively. Our findings were sensitive to the location used to account for atmospheric background variation within the mixing model method that determined δsource. Special consideration should be given to background location depending on whether the intent is to understand site level dynamics or regional scale impacts of land-atmosphere exchange. The seasonal amplitude in δ 13C of land-atmosphere CO 2 exchange (δ source) varied across land cover types and was not driven by seasonal changes in vapor pressure deficit. The largest seasonal amplitudes of δsource were at grassland and urban sites, driven by changes in C 3/C 4 grass productivity and fossil fuel emissions, respectively. Mixing model approaches may incorrectly calculate δs ource when background atmospheric observations are remote and/or prone to anthropogenic influence.« less

Does vapor pressure deficit drive the seasonality of δ 13 C of the net land-atmosphere CO 2 exchange across the United States?: The Influence of VPD on δ 13 C of NEE

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

Raczka, B.; Biraud, S. C.; Ehleringer, J. R.

The seasonal pattern of the carbon isotope content (δ 13C) of atmospheric CO 2 depends on local and nonlocal land-atmosphere exchange and atmospheric transport. Previous studies suggested that the δ13C of the net land-atmosphere CO 2 flux (δsource) varies seasonally as stomatal conductance of plants responds to vapor pressure deficit of air (VPD). We studied the variation of δ source at seven sites across the United States representing forests, grasslands, and an urban center. Using a two-part mixing model, we calculated the seasonal δsource for each site after removing background influence and, when possible, removing δ 13C variation of nonlocalmore » sources. Compared to previous analyses, we found a reduced seasonal (March–September) variation in δ source at the forest sites (0.5‰variation). We did not find a consistent seasonal relationship between VPD and δ source across forest (or other) sites, providing evidence that stomatal response to VPD was not the cause of the global, coherent seasonal pattern in δsource. In contrast to the forest sites, grassland and urban sites had a larger seasonal variation in δ source (5‰) dominated by seasonal transitions in C 3/C 4 grass productivity and in fossil fuel emissions, respectively. Our findings were sensitive to the location used to account for atmospheric background variation within the mixing model method that determined δsource. Special consideration should be given to background location depending on whether the intent is to understand site level dynamics or regional scale impacts of land-atmosphere exchange. The seasonal amplitude in δ 13C of land-atmosphere CO 2 exchange (δ source) varied across land cover types and was not driven by seasonal changes in vapor pressure deficit. The largest seasonal amplitudes of δsource were at grassland and urban sites, driven by changes in C 3/C 4 grass productivity and fossil fuel emissions, respectively. Mixing model approaches may incorrectly calculate δs ource when background atmospheric observations are remote and/or prone to anthropogenic influence.« less

How noisy does a noisy miner have to be? Amplitude adjustments of alarm calls in an avian urban 'adapter'.

PubMed

Lowry, Hélène; Lill, Alan; Wong, Bob B M

2012-01-01

Urban environments generate constant loud noise, which creates a formidable challenge for many animals relying on acoustic communication. Some birds make vocal adjustments that reduce auditory masking by altering, for example, the frequency (kHz) or timing of vocalizations. Another adjustment, well documented for birds under laboratory and natural field conditions, is a noise level-dependent change in sound signal amplitude (the 'Lombard effect'). To date, however, field research on amplitude adjustments in urban environments has focused exclusively on bird song. We investigated amplitude regulation of alarm calls using, as our model, a successful urban 'adapter' species, the Noisy miner, Manorina melanocephala. We compared several different alarm calls under contrasting noise conditions. Individuals at noisier locations (arterial roads) alarm called significantly more loudly than those at quieter locations (residential streets). Other mechanisms known to improve sound signal transmission in 'noise', namely use of higher perches and in-flight calling, did not differ between site types. Intriguingly, the observed preferential use of different alarm calls by Noisy miners inhabiting arterial roads and residential streets was unlikely to have constituted a vocal modification made in response to sound-masking in the urban environment because the calls involved fell within the main frequency range of background anthropogenic noise. The results of our study suggest that a species, which has the ability to adjust the amplitude of its signals, might have a 'natural' advantage in noisy urban environments.

Big Pharma on the Farm: Students Are Exposed to Pharmaceutical Marketing More Often in Rural Clinics.

PubMed

Evans, David V; Keys, Toby; Desnick, Laurel; A Andrilla, C Holly; Bienz, Danielle; Rosenblatt, Roger

2016-07-01

Pharmaceutical marketing techniques are effective in changing the behavior of health care providers in ways that deviate from evidence-based practices. To mitigate the influence of pharmaceutical marketing on learners, academic medical centers (AMCs) have adopted policies to limit student/industry interaction. Many clinical experiences occur outside of the AMC. The purpose of this study was to compare medical students' exposure to pharmaceutical marketing in off-campus rural and urban underserved clinical sites. The University of Washington School of Medicine Rural and Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) places rising second-year medical students in underserved clinical sites in five northwestern states. We surveyed RUOP students to evaluate their exposure to pharmaceutical marketing. Of 120 students, 86 (72%) completed surveys. Sixty-five (76%) did their RUOP rotation in rural areas. Students in rural locations were more likely to report exposure to pharmaceutical marketing. Distribution of free drug samples was reportedly three times higher in rural than urban sites (54% versus 15%). Doctors meeting with sales representatives were reported as four times higher in rural clinics (40% versus 10%). Students at rural sites reported exposure to pharmaceutical marketing more than those in urban settings. Rural medical educators should provide faculty development for community clinicians on the influences of pharmaceutical marketing on learners. Medical schools must review local clinic and institution-wide policies to limit pharmaceutical marketing exposure to learners in the rural learning environment.

Surface-water quality at fixed sites in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages, Wisconsin and Michigan, and the effects of natural and human factors, 1993-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richards, K.D.; Sullivan, D.J.; Stewart, J.S.

1998-01-01

Streamwater samples were collected from April 1993 through July 1995 at 11 fixed sites in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages Study Unit of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Water samples were collected monthly at all Fixed Sites, and an additional two to four samples were collected each year during periods of high flow. Streamflow was monitored continuously at the Fixed Sites for the duration of the study period. This report describes field techniques used to collect the water samples, and the analytical methods used for laboratory analyses, statistical analyses of the data, and an attempt to determine the effect of natural and anthropogenic factors on concentrations of nutrients and selected major ions and suspended solids. Locations of eight of the Fixed Sites were selected to represent areas with unique combinations of land use/land cover, surficial deposits, and bedrock geology and are referred to as 'indicator sites.' The remaining three sites were located near the mouths of major rivers and are referred to as 'integrator sites.' The integrator sites represent a large part of the total flow from the Study Unit to Green Bay and western Lake Michigan, and drain various combinations of land use, bedrock, and surficial deposits. These data indicate that land use and surficial deposits may be the primary factors affecting nitrate and total phosphorus concentrations in this Study Unit. Median concentrations of nitrate at the forested sites were less than the National Median Concentration (NMC), and those at urban fixed sites were similar to the NMC. Median nitrate concentrations at the Tomorrow River, North Branch Milwaukee River, and Duck Creek agricultural indicator sites were twice the NMC, but median concentrations at the remaining agricultural indicator sites were similar to the NMC. Nitrate concentrations at one agricultural indicator site exceeded the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level in three run-off samples in the growing seasons of 1994 and 1995. Median concentrations of total phosphorus at the forested indicator sites were below the NMC. Tomorrow River was the only agricultural indicator site where the median total-phosphorus concentration was less than the NMC; median concentrations at the remaining agricultural Fixed Sites were similar to the NMC and exceeded 0.1 mg/L, the USEPA suggested total-phosphorus concentration in flowing water. The USEPA recommends that total-phosphorus concentration not exceed this limit to discourage excessive aquatic plant growth in flowing waters. Median total-phosphorus concentration at the urban indicator site was less than the urban NMC. Median concentrations for both nitrate and total phosphorus at the mouth of the Fox River and the Milwaukee River integrator sites were similar to the NMC for the dominant land use, agriculture, within their basins, and were lower than that at the Menominee River integrator site with a dominant forest land use. During this study, potassium concentrations were generally highest in areas of clay-dominated surficial deposits, silica was generally highest in areas of sandy surficial deposits, iron generally highest in areas of igneous/metamorphic bedrock, and calcium generally highest in areas of carbonate bedrock. The highest median fluoride concentration occurred at an urban site that receives treated water.

Geophysical Investigations Over the Archaeological site of Rirha (Morocco)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senechal, G.; Rousset, D.; Callegarin, L.; Kbiri Alaoui, M.

2007-05-01

The roman site of Rirha has been evidenced in the 1920's and loosely studied until nowadays. Archeaological evidences show a pre-roman to medieval occupation of the site. Excavations have revealed thermae and other buildings while their context, rural villa or urban domus was still unknown. A new survey began in 2004, focusing on the pre-roman occupation of the site, as well as the characterization of the roman occupation. The zone of interest, a hill in a river loop, is about 11hectares. A comprehensive geophysical survey was out of reach, so geophysical tests have been carried on with two goals. The first one was to identify the suitable methods adapted to this, the second one was to use these preliminary results to distinguish between rural or urban settings for the roman site. The first survey has been conducted in April 2005, using conductivitymeter (Geonics EM38) in order to get informations about the spatial organization of the site. The selected zone was located in an unsurveyed part of the site. Resistivity maps show orthogonal structures, far from the known roman remains. This result supports the hypothesis of the site being a roman town and not a large farm or a villa. The second survey has been carried on in February 2006 and involved GPR and DC tomography, in very wet conditions. DC survey aimed at constraining the geological context of the site and at finding the remains of a large wall described by early authors. GPR experiment was primarily a test of the tool there and has been conducted on the previously studied area to get some depth information. The geological context has been studied by carrying on a 2D vertical section, 330 m long and 25 meters deep. showing a substratum of river deposit (sand, gravel, pebbles with possible clay layers) located at 8 to 10 m deep. Above this formation, we observe a very conductive layer interpreted as a clay formation (3 to 6 m thick) and finally, just below the surface, a laterally heterogeneous formation with rocks and adobe masonry. 2D DC sections succesfully located the remains of the surrounding wall of the site supporting even more the town hypothesis. GPR 3D results (250 MHz) are in agreement with conductivity maps but are of poor quality due to the very low resistivity of the soil.

Modeling Air Temperature/Water Temperature Relations Along a Small Mountain Stream Under Increasing Urban Influence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedders, E. R.; Anderson, W. P., Jr.; Hengst, A. M.; Gu, C.

2017-12-01

Boone Creek is a headwater stream of low to moderate gradient located in Boone, North Carolina, USA. Total impervious surface coverage in the 5.2 km2 catchment drained by the 1.9 km study reach increases from 13.4% in the upstream half of the reach to 24.3% in the downstream half. Other markers of urbanization, including culverting, lack of riparian shade vegetation, and bank armoring also increase downstream. Previous studies have shown the stream to be prone to temperature surges on short timescales (minutes to hours) caused by summer runoff from the urban hardscaping. This study investigates the effects of urbanization on the stream's thermal regime at daily to yearly timescales. To do this, we developed an analytical model of daily average stream temperatures based on daily average air temperatures. We utilized a two-part model comprising annual and biannual components and a daily component consisting of a 3rd-order Markov process in order to fit the thermal dynamics of our small, gaining stream. Optimizing this model at each of our study sites in each studied year (78 total site-years of data) yielded annual thermal exchange coefficients (K) for each site. These K values quantify the strength of the relationship between stream and air temperature, or inverse thermal stability. In a uniform, pristine catchment environment, K values are expected to decrease downstream as the stream gains discharge volume and, therefore, thermal inertia. Interannual average K values for our study reach, however, show an overall increase from 0.112 furthest upstream to 0.149 furthest downstream, despite a near doubling of stream discharge between these monitoring points. K values increase only slightly in the upstream, less urban, half of the reach. A line of best fit through these points on a plot of reach distance versus K value has a slope of 2E-6. But the K values of downstream, more urbanized sites increase at a rate of 2E-5 per meter of reach distance, an order of magnitude greater. This indicates a possible tipping point in the stream temperature-water temperature relationship at which increased urbanization overpowers increasing stream thermal inertia.

Recycling of construction debris as aggregate in the Mid-Atlantic Region, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, G.R.; Menzie, W.D.; Hyun, H.

2004-01-01

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and portland cement concrete (RPCC) are abundant and available substitutes for natural aggregate in many areas. This paper presents an overview of factors that affect recycled aggregate cost, availability, and engineering performance, and the results of a survey of business practices in the Mid-Atlantic region. For RAP, processing costs are less than those for virgin natural aggregate. Use of efficient asphalt pavement stripping technology, on-site reclamation, and linked two-way transport of asphalt debris and processed asphalt paving mix between asphalt mix plants and paving sites has led to extensive recycling of asphalt pavement in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Most of the sites that recycle asphalt pavement (RAP) are located in or near urban areas close to important transportation corridors. RPCC is a viable aggregate source in urban settings where unit costs for processed aggregate from RPCC and natural aggregate are comparable. Disposal fees charged at RPCC recycling sites help defray processing costs and the significantly lower tipping fees at recycling sites versus landfill disposal sites encourage recycling of construction debris as aggregate. Construction contractors and construction debris recycling centers, many of which have the ability to crush and process concrete debris at the job site, produce most RPCC. Production of RPCC aggregate from construction debris that is processed on site using portable equipment moved to the construction site eliminates transportation costs for aggregate and provides an economic incentive for RPCC use. Processing costs, quality and performance issues, and lack of large quantities where needed limit RPCC use. Most RPCC suppliers in the Mid-Atlantic area are located in counties with population densities greater than 400 people/km2 (1036 people/mile2) and that have high unit-value costs and limited local availability of natural aggregate. ?? 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Surface seismic measurements of near-surface P-and S-wave seismic velocities at earthquake recording stations, Seattle, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, R.A.; Stephenson, W.J.; Frankel, A.D.; Odum, J.K.

1999-01-01

We measured P-and S-wave seismic velocities to about 40-m depth using seismic-refraction/reflection data on the ground surface at 13 sites in the Seattle, Washington, urban area, where portable digital seismographs recently recorded earthquakes. Sites with the lowest measured Vs correlate with highest ground motion amplification. These sites, such as at Harbor Island and in the Duwamish River industrial area (DRIA) south of the Kingdome, have an average Vs in the upper 30 m (V??s30) of 150 to 170 m/s. These values of V??s30 place these sites in soil profile type E (V??s30 < 180 m/s). A "rock" site, located at Seward Park on Tertiary sedimentary deposits, has a V??S30 of 433 m/s, which is soil type C (V??s30: 360 to 760 m/s). The Seward Park site V??s30 is about equal to, or up to 200 m/s slower than sites that were located on till or glacial outwash. High-amplitude P-and S-wave seismic reflections at several locations appear to correspond to strong resonances observed in earthquake spectra. An S-wave reflector at the Kingdome at about 17 to 22 m depth probably causes strong 2-Hz resonance that is observed in the earthquake data near the Kingdome.

Study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric particulate matter of an urban area with iron and steel mills.

PubMed

Menezes, Helvécio C; Cardeal, Zenilda L

2012-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed from ambient air particulate matter <10 µm (PM(10) ) and the total suspended particulate (TSP) phase continuously for a period of six months (May-October 2010) at five sampling sites located in the urban area of Divinópolis (Minas Gerais), southeastern Brazil, near iron and steel mills. The carcinogenic potency of priority PAHs relative to benzo[a]pyrene was estimated for a period of six months. Benzo[a]pyrene equivalents were 7.52 ng/m(3) for the study period. The estimated risk of lifetime lung cancer was 6.5 × 10(-4) . A model based on the diagnostic ratio and principal component analysis was applied for source apportionment. Considering the entire study period, the burning of biomass and fuel oil accounted for about 70% of the PAH profile. An inventory was performed during the monitoring period, with 37 companies representing major industries located in the urban area. The observations were consistent with the distribution of sources and indicated that the iron and steel sector was the largest contributor. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Racial Prejudice and Locational Equilibrium in an Urban Area.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yinger, John

Racial prejudice is said to influence strongly the locational decisions of households in urban areas. This paper introduces racial prejudice into a model of an urban area and derives several results about residential location. A previously developed long-run model of an urban area adds a locational dimension to a model of the housing market under…

Assessing levels and seasonal variations of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in the Tuscan atmosphere, Italy, using polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers.

PubMed

Estellano, Victor H; Pozo, Karla; Efstathiou, Christos; Pozo, Katerine; Corsolini, Simonetta; Focardi, Silvano

2015-10-01

Polyurethane foam disks (PUF) passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed over 4 sampling periods of 3-5-months (≥ 1 year) at ten urban and rural locations throughout the Tuscany Region. The purpose was to assess the occurrence and seasonal variations of ten current-use pesticides (CUPs). PUF disk extracts were analyzed using GC-MS. The organophosphates insecticides; chlorpyrifos (3-580 pg m(-3)) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (below detection limit - to 570 pg m(-3)) presented the highest levels in air, and showed seasonal fluctuation coinciding with the growing seasons. The relative proportion urban/(urban + rural) ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 showing no differences between urban and rural concentrations. Air back trajectories analysis showed air masses passing over agricultural fields and potentially enhancing the drift of pesticides into the urban sites. This study represents the first information regarding CUPs in the atmosphere of Tuscany region using PAS-PUF disk. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban Land Cover Type Influences CO2 Fluxes within Phoenix, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez-Ruiz, E. R.; Vivoni, E. R.; Templeton, N. P.

2017-12-01

Urbanization is accompanied by the modification of land surface characteristics that should have an impact on local energy, water and carbon cycles. For instance, despite their relative small land area, cities are responsible for more than 70% of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, relatively little is known on the dynamics of urban carbon fluxes or net ecosystem exchange (NEE), in particular over the multitude of land cover patches present within cities. In this study, we present a comparison of NEE measurements in four urban patches in the Phoenix metropolitan area. A mobile eddy covariance (EC) tower was deployed at a xeric landscaping, a parking lot and a mesic landscaping during consecutive, short-term ( 40 days) sampling periods and compared to a reference site (REF) in a suburban neighborhood over a longer deployment ( 9 months). Based on the datasets, we analyze the diurnal cycle and the daily and seasonal variations of NEE in the context of the measured meteorological conditions, including the surface energy budget. EC observations were then related to vegetation conditions through a satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and to anthropogenic activities through local traffic counts. All deployment sites showed important differences in NEE with respect to the REF location due to the influence of the urban patch area sampled within the EC footprint. Daily NEE values at all sites exhibited differences among days of the week that were linked to traffic conditions, with higher values during weekdays and lower values during weekends. The diurnal behavior of NEE showed different trends depending on the amount of vegetation and the proximity to nearby roads. Minimum midday (around noon) values of NEE were noted where urban plants absorbed CO2, while maximum peaks of NEE occurred during rush hours (around 8 am and 6 pm) where the traffic influence was high. Overall, three of the four sites with low to moderate vegetation acted as a net source of CO2 during the respective deployments, while one site with a well-irrigated mesic landscaping acted as a net sink of CO2 during the summer. Thus, the characteristics and function of urban patches should have a strong control on the CO2 fluxes within cities, which can be reliably measured using the EC method.

Bordering on (In)Visibility: The Mobility and Containment of Haitian Migrant Women in the Dominican Republic's Linea Noroeste

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoaff, Jennifer Lynn

2009-01-01

This research sterns from twelve months of ethnographic research with Haitian migrant women who reside in "Batey Sol", a former sugar-company labor camp located along the "Linea Noroeste" (northwest line) linking the Dominican Rebulic's border town of Dajabon with the urban center of Santiago. The multi-sited study considers…

A Logic Model for Coaching Experienced Rural Leaders: Lessons from Year One of a Pilot Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindle, Jane Clark; Della Sala, Matthew R.; Reese, Kenyae L.; Klar, Hans W.; Knoeppel, Robert Charles; Buskey, Frederick C.

2017-01-01

Rural schools dominate the United States, yet scant research exists on rural school leaders' development. Urban districts can transfer leaders to different locations, but rural districts, with few school sites, need leaders who stay and adapt to changing conditions. Mid-career rural leaders require a refreshed set of skills to carry school…

Droplet Characterization and Penetration of an Ultra-Low Volume Mosquito Adulticide Spray Targeting the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus, within Urban and Suburban Environments of Northeastern USA

PubMed Central

Faraji, Ary; Unlu, Isik; Crepeau, Taryn; Healy, Sean; Crans, Scott; Lizarraga, Griffith; Fonseca, Dina; Gaugler, Randy

2016-01-01

Adult control of Aedes albopictus via ultra-low volume is difficult because this species occurs primarily in peridomestic habitats where obstacles such as buildings and vegetation can disrupt spray plumes and droplet dispersion. We determined droplet penetration and characterization of a pyrethroid adulticide applied from the ground at mid (46.77 ml/ha) and maximum (93.53 ml/ha) label rates within cryptic habitats of urban and suburban environments. Droplets were collected from all habitats, with no significant differences detected between locations within the same application rate or collection method. No differences were detected in droplet densities (drops per mm2) between rates within urban environments, but more droplets were collected in urban (149.93 ± 11.07 SE) than suburban sites (114.37 ± 11.32) at the maximum label rate (P = 0.003). The excellent penetration of aerosols into cryptic habitats of an urban site was likely due to the shorter spray paths afforded by our network of roads and alleys. Mid label rates displayed similar droplet density values as maximum label rates in urban areas, indicating that lower rates may be used effectively to reduce costs, lessen non-target effects, and increase environmental stewardship. Advances in formulations and technology are driving changes in adulticide applications, leading to use of the minimum effective dose for maximum efficacy, precision, and accountability. PMID:27116103

Multiple approaches to microbial source tracking in tropical northern Australia

PubMed Central

Neave, Matthew; Luter, Heidi; Padovan, Anna; Townsend, Simon; Schobben, Xavier; Gibb, Karen

2014-01-01

Microbial source tracking is an area of research in which multiple approaches are used to identify the sources of elevated bacterial concentrations in recreational lakes and beaches. At our study location in Darwin, northern Australia, water quality in the harbor is generally good, however dry-season beach closures due to elevated Escherichia coli and enterococci counts are a cause for concern. The sources of these high bacteria counts are currently unknown. To address this, we sampled sewage outfalls, other potential inputs, such as urban rivers and drains, and surrounding beaches, and used genetic fingerprints from E. coli and enterococci communities, fecal markers and 454 pyrosequencing to track contamination sources. A sewage effluent outfall (Larrakeyah discharge) was a source of bacteria, including fecal bacteria that impacted nearby beaches. Two other treated effluent discharges did not appear to influence sites other than those directly adjacent. Several beaches contained fecal indicator bacteria that likely originated from urban rivers and creeks within the catchment. Generally, connectivity between the sites was observed within distinct geographical locations and it appeared that most of the bacterial contamination on Darwin beaches was confined to local sources. PMID:25224738

Assessment of urban soundscapes with the focus on an architectural installation with musical features.

PubMed

Jambrošić, Kristian; Horvat, Marko; Domitrović, Hrvoje

2013-07-01

Urban soundscapes at five locations in the city of Zadar were perceptually assessed by on-site surveys and objectively evaluated based on monaural and binaural recordings. All locations were chosen so that they would display auditory and visual diversity as much as possible. The unique sound installation known as the Sea Organ was included as an atypical music-like environment. Typical objective parameters were calculated from the recordings related to the amount of acoustic energy, spectral properties of sound, the amount of fluctuations, and tonal properties. The subjective assessment was done on-site using a common survey for evaluating the properties of sound and visual environment. The results revealed the importance of introducing the context into soundscape research because objective parameters did not show significant correlation with responses obtained from interviewees. Excessive values of certain objective parameters could indicate that a sound environment will be perceived as unpleasant or annoying, but its overall perception depends on how well it agrees with people's expectations. This was clearly seen for the case of Sea Organ for which the highest values of objective parameters were obtained, but, at the same time, it was evaluated as the most positive sound environment in every aspect.

Sustainable Urban Forestry Potential Based Quantitative And Qualitative Measurement Using Geospatial Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosli, A. Z.; Reba, M. N. M.; Roslan, N.; Room, M. H. M.

2014-02-01

In order to maintain the stability of natural ecosystems around urban areas, urban forestry will be the best initiative to maintain and control green space in our country. Integration between remote sensing (RS) and geospatial information system (GIS) serves as an effective tool for monitoring environmental changes and planning, managing and developing a sustainable urbanization. This paper aims to assess capability of the integration of RS and GIS to provide information for urban forest potential sites based on qualitative and quantitative by using priority parameter ranking in the new township of Nusajaya. SPOT image was used to provide high spatial accuracy while map of topography, landuse, soils group, hydrology, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and soil series data were applied to enhance the satellite image in detecting and locating present attributes and features on the ground. Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique provides structural and pair wise quantification and comparison elements and criteria for priority ranking for urban forestry purpose. Slope, soil texture, drainage, spatial area, availability of natural resource, and vicinity of urban area are criteria considered in this study. This study highlighted the priority ranking MCDM is cost effective tool for decision-making in urban forestry planning and landscaping.

Mechanisms Involved in the Mitigation of Urban Heat Islands through Vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montalto, F. A.; Smalls-Mantey, L.

2016-12-01

Urban heat islands are one of many challenges presented by today's unprecedented patterns of urbanization. At higher densities, urban populations are more vulnerable to the increased temperatures that accompany urban landscape change. Though in the US it is funded principally as a means of stormwater management, urban green infrastructure (GI) actually alters hydrologic, energetic, and thermal budgets of urban environments, with a suite of potential co-benefits related to the health of people and ecosystems. Recent research has underscored the roles that vegetation plays in such processes, for example by facilitating evapotranspiration, and regulating air temperature and water availability. While the magnitude of these and other impacts is determined in part by the size, type, location, and configuration of GI facilities, few studies have attempted to characterize and to quantify how various vegetation-mediated processes in GI systems impact the energy and thermal properties of their surroundings. Using data collected at rooftop and ground level GI facilities including green roofs and bioretention areas monitored by Drexel University, this research illustrates the role that processes such as evapotranspiration play in the individual GI site cooling potential, reducing neighborhood vulnerability to the urban heat island effect.

Epidemiology of canine distemper and canine parvovirus in domestic dogs in urban and rural areas of the Araucanía region in Chile.

PubMed

Acosta-Jamett, G; Surot, D; Cortés, M; Marambio, V; Valenzuela, C; Vallverdu, A; Ward, M P

2015-08-05

To assess whether the seroprevalence of canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) in domestic dogs is higher in urban versus rural areas of the Araucanía region in Chile and risk factors for exposure, a serosurvey and questionnaire survey at three, urban-rural paired sites was conducted from 2009 to 2012. Overall, 1161 households were interviewed of which 71% were located in urban areas. A total of 501 blood samples were analysed. The overall CDV and CPV seroprevalences were 61% (CI 90%: 58-70%) and 47% (CI 90%: 40-49%), and 89% (CI 90%: 85-92%) and 72% (CI 90%: 68-76%) in urban and rural areas, respectively. The higher seroprevalence in domestic dogs in urban areas suggests that urban domestic dogs might be a maintenance host for both CDV and CPV in this region. Due to the presence of endangered wild canids populations in areas close to these domestic populations, surveillance and control of these pathogens in urban dog populations is needed a priority. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal and spatial variation of organic tracers for biomass burning in PM1 aerosols from highly insolated urban areas.

PubMed

van Drooge, B L; Fontal, M; Bravo, N; Fernández, P; Fernández, M A; Muñoz-Arnanz, J; Jiménez, B; Grimalt, J O

2014-10-01

PM1 aerosol characterization on organic tracers for biomass burning (levoglucosan and its isomers and dehydroabietic acid) was conducted within the AERTRANS project. PM1 filters (N = 90) were sampled from 2010 to 2012 in busy streets in the urban centre of Madrid and Barcelona (Spain) at ground-level and at roof sites. In both urban areas, biomass burning was not expected to be an important local emission source, but regional emissions from wildfires, residential heating or biomass removal may influence the air quality in the cities. Although both areas are under influence of high solar radiation, Madrid is situated in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, while Barcelona is located at the Mediterranean Coast and under influence of marine atmospheres. Two extraction methods were applied, i.e. Soxhlet and ASE, which showed equivalent results after GC-MS analyses. The ambient air concentrations of the organic tracers for biomass burning increased by an order of magnitude at both sites during winter compared to summer. An exception was observed during a PM event in summer 2012, when the atmosphere in Barcelona was directly affected by regional wildfire smoke and levels were four times higher as those observed in winter. Overall, there was little variation between the street and roof sites in both cities, suggesting that regional biomass burning sources influence the urban areas after atmospheric transport. Despite the different atmospheric characteristics in terms of air relative humidity, Madrid and Barcelona exhibit very similar composition and concentrations of biomass burning organic tracers. Nevertheless, levoglucosan and its isomers seem to be more suitable for source apportionment purposes than dehydroabietic acid. In both urban areas, biomass burning contributions to PM were generally low (2 %) in summer, except on the day when wildfire smoke arrive to the urban area. In the colder periods the contribution increase to around 30 %, indicating that regional biomass burning has a substantial influence on the urban air quality.

Unique Construction and Social Experiences in Residential Remediation Sites - 13423

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

Jung, Paul; Scarborough, Rebecca

2013-07-01

Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc., (Sevenson) has performed several radiological remediation projects located in residential urban areas. Over the course of these projects, there has been a wide variety of experiences encountered from construction related issues to unique social situations. Some of the construction related issues included the remediation of interior basements where contaminated material was located under the footers of the structure or was used in the mortar between cinder block or field stone foundations. Other issues included site security, maintaining furnaces or other utilities, underpinning, backfilling and restoration. In addition to the radiological hazards associated with this work theremore » were occupational safety and industrial hygiene issues that had to be addressed to ensure the safety and health of neighboring properties and residents. The unique social situations at these job sites have included arson, theft/stolen property, assault/battery, prostitution, execution of arrest warrants for residents, discovery of drugs and paraphernalia, blood borne pathogens, and unexploded ordnance. Some of these situations have become a sort of comical urban legend throughout the organization. One situation had historical significance, involving the demolition of a house to save a tree older than the Declaration of Independence. All of these projects typically involve the excavation of early 20. century items such as advertisement signs, various old bottles (milk, Listerine, perfume, whisky) and other miscellaneous common trash items. (authors)« less

Exploring the roles of temperature and NOx on ozone production in the Sacramento urban plume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lafranchi, B. W.; Cohen, R. C.

2009-12-01

We investigate the role of temperature and NOx (NOx = NO+NO2) on ozone (O3) production in the Sacramento urban plume over a stretch of seven years (2001-2007) using data collected at UC Blodgett Forest Research Station (a forested site in the Sierra Nevadas about 80 km downwind of Sacramento, CA) and at a series of California Air Resources Board (CARB) sites along the Sacramento-Blodgett transect. The consistent daytime wind patterns between the Central Valley of California and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains permits the assumption of plume transport from downtown Sacramento, over the CARB monitoring sites in the eastern suburbs, and past the Blodgett Forest research site. While NOx emissions are limited primarily to the urban and suburban regions of the transect, biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions are significant throughout the transect, thus there is a fast transition from VOC-limited to NOx-limited as the plume travels away from the urban center, and we have the opportunity to analyze the differences in ozone production across these two chemical regimes. For this analysis, the Sacramento-Blodgett transect is separated into three segments: urban, suburban, and rural, defined by the locations of selected monitoring sites. Ozone concentrations across each segment are controlled by chemical production (Pchem) and loss (Lchem), deposition to surfaces (Ldep), and mixing with background air (Lmix). At an assumed deposition rate, mixing rate, and background O3 concentration, the net chemical flux of ozone (Pchem - Lchem) can be inferred from differences in ozone concentrations between adjacent monitoring sites. We show that ozone production rates, in general, increase with temperature. We also show that decreases in NOx emissions over the period from 2001-2007 have been effective at reducing ozone production at all points along the transect, but only on days where temperatures are highest. At low temperatures, this decrease is less apparent, and in the urban transect, ozone production is observed to increase as NOx concentrations decrease. This is attributed to the high NOx/VOC ratio that results from reduced biogenic emissions and strong local inputs of NOx, thus driving the chemical environment into a NOx-saturated regime. From these results, we give predictions of future ozone exceedences for various emissions and climate scenarios.

Characterizing the Effects of Stormwater Mitigation on Nutrient Export and Stream Concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Colin D.; McMillan, Sara K.; Clinton, Sandra M.; Jefferson, Anne J.

2017-04-01

Urbanization increases nutrient loading and lowers residence times for processing of reactive solutes, including nitrate, total dissolved nitrogen, orthophosphate, and dissolved organic carbon), which leads to increased stream concentrations and mass export. Stormwater control measures mitigate the impacts of urbanization, and have the potential to improve stream water quality, however the net effect instream is not well understood. We monitored two urban and two suburban watersheds in Charlotte, NC to determine if mitigation controlled the fraction of total mass export during storm, if development classification as either urban or suburban (defined by the age, density and distribution of urban development) controlled storm nutrient and carbon dynamics, and if stormwater control measures were able to change stream water chemistry. While average concentrations during stormflow were generally greater than baseflow, indicating that storms are important times of solute export, the fraction of storm-derived export was unrelated to mitigation by stormwater control measures. Development classification was generally not an important control on export of N and dissolved organic carbon. However, event mean concentrations of orthophosphate were higher at the suburban sites, possibly from greater fertilizer application. Stormwater control measures influenced instream water chemistry at only one site, which also had the greatest mitigated area, but differences between stormwater control measure outflow and stream water suggest the potential for water quality improvements. Together, results suggest stormwater control measures have the potential to decrease solute concentrations from urban runoff, but the type, location, and extent of urban development in the watershed may influence the magnitude of this effect.

Optimization of hydrometric monitoring network in urban drainage systems using information theory.

PubMed

Yazdi, J

2017-10-01

Regular and continuous monitoring of urban runoff in both quality and quantity aspects is of great importance for controlling and managing surface runoff. Due to the considerable costs of establishing new gauges, optimization of the monitoring network is essential. This research proposes an approach for site selection of new discharge stations in urban areas, based on entropy theory in conjunction with multi-objective optimization tools and numerical models. The modeling framework provides an optimal trade-off between the maximum possible information content and the minimum shared information among stations. This approach was applied to the main surface-water collection system in Tehran to determine new optimal monitoring points under the cost considerations. Experimental results on this drainage network show that the obtained cost-effective designs noticeably outperform the consulting engineers' proposal in terms of both information contents and shared information. The research also determined the highly frequent sites at the Pareto front which might be important for decision makers to give a priority for gauge installation on those locations of the network.

Productivity and breeding habitat of loggerhead shrikes in a southwestern urban environment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boal, C.W.; Estabrook, T.S.; Duerr, A.E.

2003-01-01

Declines in loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) populations have been associated in part with habitat loss and degradation, including that resulting from urbanization. We monitored the productivity and examined nesting habitat of loggerhead shrikes nesting in an urban environment in Tucson, Arizona. We located 22 breeding pairs in 1997 and 26 breeding pairs in 1998, with a 72% breeding area reoccupancy between years. Mean fledgling numbers were 2.28/ nesting attempt and 3.11/successful nest. Although some pairs initially failed and renested, 91% and 73% of shrike pairs successfully fledged young in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Mayfield estimates of nesting success were 78% in 1997 and 65% in 1998. Nest sites were characterized by more trees >3 m in height, taller nest trees than those randomly available, and a greater proportion of bare ground surface than at random sites. Shrike breeding territories had lower proportions of residential and commercial development and greater proportions of open areas with low-growing vegetation than randomly available. Some shrikes nested in school playgrounds, residential front yards, and parking lots, if adjacent open space was available.

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements at urban and forest sites in central Poland - Insight into seasonal variability and sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siudek, Patrycja; Frankowski, Marcin

2017-12-01

This paper includes the results of chemical composition of bulk deposition samples collected simultaneously at urban (Poznań city) and forest (Jeziory) sites in central Poland, between April 2013 and October 2014. Rainwater samples were analyzed for trace elements (As, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd) and physicochemical parameters. Overall, three metals, i.e. Zn, Pb and Cu were the most abundant anthropogenic constituents of rainwater samples from both locations. In Poznań city, the rainwater concentrations of trace elements did not differ significantly between spring and summer. However, they were elevated and more variable during the cold season (fall and winter), suggesting strong contribution from local high-temperature processes related to coal combustion (commercial and residential sector). In contrast to the urban site, relatively low variability in concentrations was found for Cu, Ni, Zn at the forest site, where direct impact of emission from vehicle traffic and coal-fired combustion (power plants) was much lower. The bulk deposition fluxes of Ni, As, Pb and Zn at this site exhibited a clear trend, with higher values during the cold season (fall and winter) than in spring and summer. At the urban site, the sums of total bulk deposition fluxes of Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, As, Cr, Cd were as follows: 8460.4, 4209.2, 2247.4, 1882.1, 606.6, 281.6 and 31.4 μg m- 2. In addition, during the winter season, a significantly higher deposition fluxes of Cu and Zn were observed for rain (on average 103.8 and 129.4 μg m- 2, respectively) as compared to snow (19.7 μg Cu m- 2 and 54.1 μg Zn m- 2). This suggests that different deposition pattern of trace elements for rain, mixed and snow was probably the effect of several factors: precipitation type, changes in emission and favorable meteorological situation during rain events.

Diurnal and seasonal variation of mercury species at coastal-suburban, urban, and rural sites in the southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, Udaysankar S.; Wu, Yuling; Walters, Justin; Jansen, John; Edgerton, Eric S.

2012-02-01

Observations for the 2005-2008 time period from three Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH) air quality monitoring sites are examined for diurnal and seasonal variation in concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and particle bound mercury (HgP < 2.5 μm). The sites are located at 1) a suburban-coastal location near Pensacola, Florida (OLF), 2) an urban location in Birmingham, Alabama (BHM), and 3) a rural location west-northwest of Atlanta, Georgia (YRK). Average concentrations of GEM at both OLF and YRK are 1.35 ng m -3, whereas at BHM it is 2.12 ng m -3. All sites show increase in GEM concentration during the morning hours (0.023 and 0.011 ng m -3hr -1 at OLF and YRK between 6 and 10 AM, 0.038 ng m -3hr -1 at BHM between 5 and 10 AM) due to downward mixing of higher concentrations from the residual layer, after which OLF and YRK show negligible variation compared to decrease in concentration at BHM (2.3-1.9 ng m -3 from 10 AM to 6 PM). All sites show seasonal variation of GEM with enhanced concentrations found in winter and spring. Average GOM concentrations are 4.26, 8.55, and 78.2 pg m -3 at OLF, YRK, and BHM, respectively. Seasonally, GOM values are enhanced during fall and spring. All sites undergo a sinusoidal daytime variation of GOM that peaks in the afternoon, while BHM additionally exhibits an early morning enhancement likely caused by vertical mixing. The average HgP concentrations at OLF, YRK, and BHM are 2.49, 4.43, and 39.5 pg m -3, respectively. At OLF, vertical mixing causes an early morning increase in HgP concentration followed by an afternoon decline during all seasons. A daytime increase in HgP is found at YRK for all seasons, while at BHM, nocturnal accumulation followed by a daytime decline is also found for most seasons except winter. In winter, concentrations increase due to vertical mixing in the morning and then decline as the boundary layer grows. Boundary layer processes appear to play an important role in the seasonal and diurnal variation of Hg species and further investigation utilizing a boundary layer process model is warranted.

Availability of healthy snack foods and beverages in stores near high-income urban, low-income urban, and rural elementary and middle schools in Oregon.

PubMed

Findholt, Nancy E; Izumi, Betty T; Nguyen, Thuan; Pickus, Hayley; Chen, Zunqiu

2014-08-01

Food stores near schools are an important source of snacks for children. However, few studies have assessed availability of healthy snacks in these settings. The aim of this study was to assess availability of healthy snack foods and beverages in stores near schools and examine how availability of healthy items varied by poverty level of the school and rural-urban location. Food stores were selected based on their proximity to elementary/middle schools in three categories: high-income urban, low-income urban, and rural. Audits were conducted within the stores to assess the presence or absence of 48 items in single-serving sizes, including healthy beverages, healthy snacks, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. Overall, availability of healthy snack foods and beverages was low in all stores. However, there was significant cross-site variability in availability of several snack and fruit items, with stores near high-income urban schools having higher availability, compared to stores near low-income urban and/or rural schools. Stores near rural schools generally had the lowest availability, although several fruits were found more often in rural stores than in urban stores. There were no significant differences in availability of healthy beverages and fresh vegetables across sites. Availability of healthy snack foods and beverages was limited in stores near schools, but these limitations were more severe in stores proximal to rural and low-income schools. Given that children frequent these stores to purchase snacks, efforts to increase the availability of healthy products, especially in stores near rural and low-income schools, should be a priority.

Carbonaceous content of atmospheric aerosols in Lisbon urban atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirante, Fátima; Oliveira, C.; Martins, N.; Pio, C.; Caseiro, A.; Cerqueira, M.; Alves, C.; Oliveira, C.; Oliveira, J.; Camões, F.; Matos, M.; Silva, H.

2010-05-01

Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal with about 565,000 residents and a population density of 6,600 inhabitants per square kilometre. The town is surrounded by satellite cities, forming together a region known as "Lisbon Metropolitan Area" with about 3 million inhabitants. It is estimated that more than one million citizens come into the Lisbon area every day from the outskirts, leading to elevated traffic densities and intense traffic jams. Airborne particulate matter limit values are frequently exceeded, with important consequences on air pollution levels and obvious negative impacts on human health. Atmospheric aerosols are known to have in their structure significant amounts of carbonaceous material. The knowledge of the aerosols carbon content, particularly on their several carbon forms (as TC, EC and OC, meaning respectively Total, Elemental and Organic carbon) is often required to provide information for source attribution. In order to assess the vehicles PM input, two sampling campaigns (summer and winter periods) were carried out in 2008 in Lisbon in two contrasting sites, a roadside and an urban background site. Particulate matter was collected in two fractions on quartz fibre filters using Hi-Vol samplers (coarse fraction, 2.5µm

Intra-urban spatial variability of PM2.5-bound carbonaceous components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Mingjie; Coons, Teresa L.; Dutton, Steven J.; Milford, Jana B.; Miller, Shelly L.; Peel, Jennifer L.; Vedal, Sverre; Hannigan, Michael P.

2012-12-01

The Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) study was designed to evaluate associations between PM2.5 species and sources and adverse human health effects. The DASH study generated a five-year (2003-2007) time series of daily speciated PM2.5 concentration measurements from a single, special-purpose monitoring site in Denver, CO. To evaluate the ability of this site to adequately represent the short term temporal variability of PM2.5 concentrations in the five county Denver metropolitan area, a one year supplemental set of PM2.5 samples was collected every sixth day at the original DASH monitoring site and concurrently at three additional sites. Two of the four sites, including the original DASH site, were located in residential areas at least 1.9 km from interstate highways. The other two sites were located within 0.3 km of interstate highways. Concentrations of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and 58 organic molecular markers were measured at each site. To assess spatial variability, site pairs were compared using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and coefficient of divergence (COD), a statistic that provides information on the degree of uniformity between monitoring sites. Bi-weekly co-located samples collected from July 2004 to September 2005 were also analyzed and used to estimate the uncertainty associated with sampling and analytical measurement for each species. In general, the two near-highway sites exhibited higher concentrations of EC, OC, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and steranes than did the more residential sites. Lower spatial heterogeneity based on r and COD was inferred for all carbonaceous species after considering their divergence and lack of perfect correlations in co-located samples. Ratio-ratio plots combined with available gasoline- and diesel-powered motor vehicle emissions profiles for the region suggested a greater impact to high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs from diesel-powered vehicles at the near-highway sites and a more uniformly distributed impact to ambient hopanes from gasoline-powered motor vehicles at all four sites.

Photochemical processing of organic aerosol at nearby continental sites: contrast between urban plumes and regional aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slowik, J. G.; Brook, J.; Chang, R. Y.-W.; Evans, G. J.; Hayden, K.; Jeong, C.-H.; Li, S.-M.; Liggio, J.; Liu, P. S. K.; McGuire, M.; Mihele, C.; Sjostedt, S.; Vlasenko, A.; Abbatt, J. P. D.

2011-03-01

As part of the BAQS-Met 2007 field campaign, Aerodyne time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometers (ToF-AMS) were deployed at two sites in southwestern Ontario from 17 June to 11 July 2007. One instrument was located at Harrow, ON, a rural, agriculture-dominated area approximately 40 km southeast of the Detroit/Windsor/Windsor urban area and 5 km north of Lake Erie. The second instrument was located at Bear Creek, ON, a rural site approximately 70 km northeast of the Harrow site and 50 km east of Detroit/Windsor. Positive matrix factorization analysis of the combined organic mass spectral dataset yields factors related to secondary organic aerosol (SOA), direct emissions, and a factor tentatively attributed to the reactive uptake of isoprene and/or condensation of its early generation reaction products. This is the first application of PMF to simultaneous AMS measurements at different sites, an approach which allows for self-consistent, direct comparison of the datasets. Case studies are utilized to investigate processing of SOA from (1) fresh emissions from Detroit/Windsor and (2) regional aerosol during periods of inter-site flow. A strong correlation is observed between SOA/excess CO and photochemical age as represented by the NOx/NOy ratio for Detroit/Windsor outflow. Although this correlation is not evident for more aged air, measurements at the two sites during inter-site transport nevertheless show evidence of continued atmospheric processing by SOA production. However, the rate of SOA production decreases with airmass age from an initial value of ~10.1 μg m-3 ppmvCO-1 h-1 for the first ~10 h of plume processing to near-zero in an aged airmass (i.e. after several days). The initial SOA production rate is comparable to the observed rate in Mexico City over similar timescales.

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%.

Chemical characteristics of soluble aerosols over the central Himalayas: insights into spatiotemporal variations and sources.

PubMed

Tripathee, Lekhendra; Kang, Shichang; Rupakheti, Dipesh; Cong, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Qianggong; Huang, Jie

2017-11-01

In order to investigate the spatial and temporal variations of aerosols and its soluble chemical compositions of the data gap zone in the central Himalayan region, aerosol samples were collected at four sites. The sampling location were characterized by four different categories, such as urban (Bode), semi-urban site in the northern Indo-Gangetic Plain (Lumbini), rural (Dhunche), and semiarid rural (Jomsom). A total of 230 aerosol samples were collected from four representative sites for a yearlong period and analyzed for water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs). The annual average aerosol mass concentration followed the sequence as Bode (238.24 ± 162.24 μg/m 3 )> Lumbini (161.14 ± 105.95 μg/m 3 )> Dhunche (112.40 ± 40.30 μg/m 3 )> Jomsom (78.85 ± 34.28 μg/m 3 ), suggesting heavier particulate pollution in the urban and semi-urban sites. The total soluble ions contributed to 12.61-28.19% of TSP aerosol mass. The results revealed that SO 4 2- and NO 3 - were the major anion and Ca 2+ and NH 4 + were the major cation influencing the aerosol composition over the central Himalayas. Calcium played a major role in neutralizing aerosol acidity followed by NH 4 + at all the sites. The major compound of aerosol was (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and NH 4 HSO 4 in the central Himalayas. Clear seasonality was observed at three observation sites, with higher concentrations during non-monsoon (dry periods) and lower during monsoon (wet period), suggesting washing out of aerosol particles by heavy precipitation during monsoon. In contrast, semiarid sites did not show the clear seasonal trend due to limited precipitation. Stationary sources were predominant over the mobile sources mostly in the remote sites. Principal component analysis confirmed that the major sources of WSIIs in the region were industrial emissions, fossil fuel and biomass burning, and crustal fugitive dusts. Nevertheless, transboundary aerosol transport over the region from polluted cities from south Asia could not be ignored as indicated by the clusters of air mass backward trajectory analysis.

[Urban industrial contaminated sites: a new issue in the field of environmental remediation in China].

PubMed

Liao, Xiao-Yong; Chong, Zhong-Yi; Yan, Xiu-Lan; Zhao, Dan

2011-03-01

Contamination of urban industrial lands is a new environmental problem in China during the process of upgrade of industrial structure and adjustment of urban layout. It restricts the safe re-use of urban land resources, and threatens the health of surrounding inhabitants. In the paper, the market potential of contaminated-site remediation was known through analysis of spatial distribution of urban industrial sites in China. Remediation technologies in the Occident which were suitable for urban industrial contaminated sites were discussed and compared to evaluate their superiority and inferiority. And then, some advices of remediation technologies for urban industrial contaminated sites in China were proposed.

An experimental study of the impact of trees and urban form on the turbulent dispersion of heavy particles from near ground point sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoll, R., II; Christen, A.; Mahaffee, W.; Salesky, S.; Therias, A.; Caitlin, S.

2016-12-01

Pollution in the form of small particles has a strong impact on a wide variety of urban processes that play an important role in the function of urban ecosystems and ultimately human health and well-being. As a result, a substantial body of research exists on the sources, sinks, and transport characteristics of urban particulate matter. Most of the existing experimental work examining point sources employed gases (e.g., SF6) as the working medium. Furthermore, the focus of most studies has been on the dispersion of pollutants far from the source location. Here, our focus is on the turbulent dispersion of heavy particles in the near source region of a suburban neighborhood. To this end, we conducted a series of heavy particle releases in the Sunset neighborhood of Vancouver, Canada during June, 2017. The particles where dispersed from a near ground point source at two different locations. The Sunset neighborhood is composed mostly of single dwelling detached houses and has been used in numerous previous urban studies. One of the release points was just upwind of a 4-way intersection and the other in the middle of a contiguous block of houses. Each location had a significant density of trees. A minimum of four different successful release events were conducted at each site. During each release, fluorescing micro particles (mean diameter approx. 30 micron) were released from ultrasonic atomizer nozzles for a duration of approximately 20 minutes. The particles where sampled at 50 locations (1.5 m height) in the area downwind of the release over distances from 1-15 times the mean canopy height ( 6 m) using rotating impaction traps. In addition to the 50 sampler locations, instantaneous wind velocities were measured with eight sonic anemometers distributed horizontally and vertically throughout the release area. The resulting particle plume distributions indicate a strong impact of local urban form in the near source region and a high degree of sensitivity to the local wind direction measured from the sonic anemometers. In addition to presenting the experimental data, initial comparisons to a Lagrangian particle dispersion model driven by a mass consistent diagnostic wind field will be presented.

An experimental study of the impact of trees and urban form on the turbulent dispersion of heavy particles from near ground point sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoll, R., II; Christen, A.; Mahaffee, W.; Salesky, S.; Therias, A.; Caitlin, S.

2017-12-01

Pollution in the form of small particles has a strong impact on a wide variety of urban processes that play an important role in the function of urban ecosystems and ultimately human health and well-being. As a result, a substantial body of research exists on the sources, sinks, and transport characteristics of urban particulate matter. Most of the existing experimental work examining point sources employed gases (e.g., SF6) as the working medium. Furthermore, the focus of most studies has been on the dispersion of pollutants far from the source location. Here, our focus is on the turbulent dispersion of heavy particles in the near source region of a suburban neighborhood. To this end, we conducted a series of heavy particle releases in the Sunset neighborhood of Vancouver, Canada during June, 2017. The particles where dispersed from a near ground point source at two different locations. The Sunset neighborhood is composed mostly of single dwelling detached houses and has been used in numerous previous urban studies. One of the release points was just upwind of a 4-way intersection and the other in the middle of a contiguous block of houses. Each location had a significant density of trees. A minimum of four different successful release events were conducted at each site. During each release, fluorescing micro particles (mean diameter approx. 30 micron) were released from ultrasonic atomizer nozzles for a duration of approximately 20 minutes. The particles where sampled at 50 locations (1.5 m height) in the area downwind of the release over distances from 1-15 times the mean canopy height ( 6 m) using rotating impaction traps. In addition to the 50 sampler locations, instantaneous wind velocities were measured with eight sonic anemometers distributed horizontally and vertically throughout the release area. The resulting particle plume distributions indicate a strong impact of local urban form in the near source region and a high degree of sensitivity to the local wind direction measured from the sonic anemometers. In addition to presenting the experimental data, initial comparisons to a Lagrangian particle dispersion model driven by a mass consistent diagnostic wind field will be presented.

Validation and results of a scale model of dew deposition in urban environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, K.; Oke, T. R.

2002-12-01

There is growing interest in urban dew and its significance in questions of urban climate and air pollution deposition, but little research has been undertaken to study it. In this study, a generic, urban residential neighbourhood is modelled out-of-doors at a scale of 0.125, using three wooden houses (1.08 m tall), a concrete pavement (1.0 m in width), a grassed park (7.5 m in half-width) and several small trees (up to 1.5 m tall). The thermal inertia of each house is inflated, according to the internal thermal mass (ITM) approach, so that nocturnal surface temperatures are conserved. First-order validation was achieved through comparison with data collected at nearby full-scale sites in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Moisture accumulation (measured by blotting on grass and by lysimetry) is found to be primarily controlled by nocturnal weather conditions and the intrinsic nature of each substrate, e.g. dewfall is abundant on nights with few clouds and light winds, and on surfaces such as grass and asphalt-shingle roofs, which cool rapidly after sunset. However, these responses are modified by location effects related to the net radiation balance of the surface, which itself is strongly linked to site geometry as expressed by sky view factor and whether surfaces are isolated from heat sources. The dominant mechanism is argued to be the systematic increase in longwave radiation loss that is associated with increased sky view. Results agree with those observed at the full scale and suggest that maps of sky view factor, and knowledge of dew at an open site, can potentially be used to create maps of dew distribution in urban and other complex environments.

Anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in urban and rural areas.

PubMed

Bará, Salvador

2016-10-01

The growing emissions of artificial light to the atmosphere are producing, among other effects, a significant increase of the night sky brightness (NSB) above its expected natural values. A permanent sensor network has been deployed in Galicia (northwest of Iberian peninsula) to monitor the anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in a countrywide area. The network is composed of 14 detectors integrated in automated weather stations of MeteoGalicia, the Galician public meteorological agency. Zenithal NSB readings are taken every minute and the results are openly available in real time for researchers, interested stakeholders and the public at large through a dedicated website. The measurements allow one to assess the extent of the loss of the natural night in urban, periurban, transition and dark rural sites, as well as its daily and monthly time courses. Two metrics are introduced here to characterize the disruption of the night darkness across the year: the significant magnitude ( m 1/3 ) and the moonlight modulation factor ( γ ). The significant magnitude shows that in clear and moonless nights the zenithal night sky in the analysed urban settings is typically 14-23 times brighter than expected from a nominal natural dark sky. This factor lies in the range 7-8 in periurban sites, 1.6-2.5 in transition regions and 0.8-1.6 in rural and mountain dark sky places. The presence of clouds in urban areas strongly enhances the amount of scattered light, easily reaching amplification factors in excess of 25, in comparison with the light scattered in the same places under clear sky conditions. The periodic NSB modulation due to the Moon, still clearly visible in transition and rural places, is barely notable at periurban locations and is practically lost at urban sites.

Urban Streams as Transporters or Transformers of Carbon and Nutrients: Does Size Matter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, K. L.; Kaushal, S.

2017-12-01

Urbanization degrades water quality, channel form/ function, and related ecosystem services. Biological and hydrological responses to urbanization vary between sites potentially due to watershed size, channel size, and geomorphology along the broader urban watershed continuum. We investigated if/when the size of a stream can influence water quality in urban watersheds. We conducted high-frequency sampling of a small polluted headwater stream and a large restored stream in the Anacostia watershed, Washington D.C. metro area. Temperature, pH, conductivity, discharge, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were measured 2-3 times a week at two locations near the University of Maryland campus. DOC showed strong positive linear relationships with discharge at both sites, but TDN showed significant but contrasting linear relationships in the small polluted headwater site vs. the larger restored stream. In the larger restored stream, TDN significantly decreased with increasing water temperatures, which potentially suggested biological uptake. In the headwater stream, TDN concentrations significantly increased with increasing temperature, which suggests a possible seasonal input from terrestrial or in-stream sources. Interestingly, there were significant relationships between DIC and DOC in the larger restored stream, which suggested that there may have been a biological coupling of carbon forms due to stream ecosystem metabolism. Differences in relationships between TDN, DIC, and DOC and discharge, pH, and water temperatures may indicate the effects of stream size and floodplain restoration on water chemistry responses to human inputs. Larger streams may show greater potential for biogeochemical transformations, and stream size may need to be better evaluated in efforts to prioritize restoration strategies.

Anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in urban and rural areas

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The growing emissions of artificial light to the atmosphere are producing, among other effects, a significant increase of the night sky brightness (NSB) above its expected natural values. A permanent sensor network has been deployed in Galicia (northwest of Iberian peninsula) to monitor the anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in a countrywide area. The network is composed of 14 detectors integrated in automated weather stations of MeteoGalicia, the Galician public meteorological agency. Zenithal NSB readings are taken every minute and the results are openly available in real time for researchers, interested stakeholders and the public at large through a dedicated website. The measurements allow one to assess the extent of the loss of the natural night in urban, periurban, transition and dark rural sites, as well as its daily and monthly time courses. Two metrics are introduced here to characterize the disruption of the night darkness across the year: the significant magnitude (m1/3) and the moonlight modulation factor (γ). The significant magnitude shows that in clear and moonless nights the zenithal night sky in the analysed urban settings is typically 14–23 times brighter than expected from a nominal natural dark sky. This factor lies in the range 7–8 in periurban sites, 1.6–2.5 in transition regions and 0.8–1.6 in rural and mountain dark sky places. The presence of clouds in urban areas strongly enhances the amount of scattered light, easily reaching amplification factors in excess of 25, in comparison with the light scattered in the same places under clear sky conditions. The periodic NSB modulation due to the Moon, still clearly visible in transition and rural places, is barely notable at periurban locations and is practically lost at urban sites. PMID:27853572

Effects of atmospheric stability and urban morphology on daytime intra-urban temperature variability for Glasgow, UK.

PubMed

Drach, Patricia; Krüger, Eduardo L; Emmanuel, Rohinton

2018-06-15

This study investigates the joint effect of atmospheric conditions and urban morphology, expressed as the Sky View Factor (SVF), on intra-urban variability. The study has been carried out in Glasgow, UK, a shrinking city with a maritime temperate climate type, and findings could guide future climate adaptation plans in terms of morphology and services provided by the municipality to overcome thermal discomfort in outdoor settings. In this case, SVF has been used as an indicator of urban morphology. The modified Pasquill-Gifford-Turner (PGT) classification system was adopted for classifying the temperature monitoring periods according to atmospheric stability conditions. Thirty two locations were selected on the basis of SVF with a wide variety of urban shapes (narrow streets, neighbourhood green spaces, urban parks, street canyons and public squares) and compared to a reference weather station during a total of twenty three transects during late spring and summer in 2013. Maximum daytime intra-urban temperature differences were found to be strongly correlated with atmospheric stability classes. Furthermore, differences in air temperature are noticeable in urban canyons, with a direct correlation to the site's SVF (or sky openness) and with an inverse trend under open-air conditions. Copyright © 2018 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.

Ozone in remote areas of the Southern Rocky Mountains

Treesearch

Robert C. Musselman; John L. Korfmacher

2014-01-01

Ozone (O3) data are sparse for remote, non-urban mountain areas of the western U.S. Ozone was monitored 2007e2011 at high elevation sites in national forests in Colorado and northeastern Utah using a portable battery-powered O3 monitor. The data suggest that many of these remote locations already have O3 concentrations that would contribute to exceedance of the current...

Developing Community-Level Policy and Practice to Reduce Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposure

PubMed Central

Brugge, Doug; Patton, Allison P.; Bob, Alex; Reisner, Ellin; Lowe, Lydia; Bright, Oliver-John M.; Durant, John L.; Newman, Jim; Zamore, Wig

2016-01-01

The literature consistently shows associations of adverse cardiovascular and pulmonary outcomes with residential proximity to highways and major roadways. Air monitoring shows that traffic-related pollutants (TRAP) are elevated within 200–400 m of these roads. Community-level tactics for reducing exposure include the following: 1) HEPA filtration; 2) Appropriate air-intake locations; 3) Sound proofing, insulation and other features; 4) Land-use buffers; 5) Vegetation or wall barriers; 6) Street-side trees, hedges and vegetation; 7) Decking over highways; 8) Urban design including placement of buildings; 9) Garden and park locations; and 10) Active travel locations, including bicycling and walking paths. A multidisciplinary design charrette was held to test the feasibility of incorporating these tactics into near-highway housing and school developments that were in the planning stages. The resulting designs successfully utilized many of the protective tactics and also led to engagement with the designers and developers of the sites. There is a need to increase awareness of TRAP in terms of building design and urban planning. PMID:27413416

How Noisy Does a Noisy Miner Have to Be? Amplitude Adjustments of Alarm Calls in an Avian Urban ‘Adapter’

PubMed Central

Lowry, Hélène; Lill, Alan; Wong, Bob B. M.

2012-01-01

Background Urban environments generate constant loud noise, which creates a formidable challenge for many animals relying on acoustic communication. Some birds make vocal adjustments that reduce auditory masking by altering, for example, the frequency (kHz) or timing of vocalizations. Another adjustment, well documented for birds under laboratory and natural field conditions, is a noise level-dependent change in sound signal amplitude (the ‘Lombard effect’). To date, however, field research on amplitude adjustments in urban environments has focused exclusively on bird song. Methods We investigated amplitude regulation of alarm calls using, as our model, a successful urban ‘adapter’ species, the Noisy miner, Manorina melanocephala. We compared several different alarm calls under contrasting noise conditions. Results Individuals at noisier locations (arterial roads) alarm called significantly more loudly than those at quieter locations (residential streets). Other mechanisms known to improve sound signal transmission in ‘noise’, namely use of higher perches and in-flight calling, did not differ between site types. Intriguingly, the observed preferential use of different alarm calls by Noisy miners inhabiting arterial roads and residential streets was unlikely to have constituted a vocal modification made in response to sound-masking in the urban environment because the calls involved fell within the main frequency range of background anthropogenic noise. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that a species, which has the ability to adjust the amplitude of its signals, might have a ‘natural’ advantage in noisy urban environments. PMID:22238684

High-frequency measurements reveal spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter in an urban water conveyance.

PubMed

Mihalevich, Bryce A; Horsburgh, Jeffery S; Melcher, Anthony A

2017-10-30

Stormwater runoff in urban areas can contribute high concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to receiving waters, potentially causing impairment to the aquatic ecosystem of urban streams and downstream water bodies. Compositional changes in DOM due to storm events in forested, agricultural, and urban landscapes have been well studied, but in situ sensors have not been widely applied to monitor stormwater contributions in urbanized areas, leaving the spatial and temporal characteristics of DOM within these systems poorly understood. We deployed fluorescent DOM (FDOM) sensors at upstream and downstream locations within a study reach to characterize the spatial and temporal changes in DOM quantity and sources within an urban water conveyance that receives stormwater runoff. Baseflow FDOM decreased over the summer season as seasonal flows upstream transported less DOM. FDOM fluctuated diurnally, the amplitude of which also declined as the summer season progressed. During storms, FDOM concentrations were rapidly elevated to values orders of magnitude greater than baseflow measurements, with greater concentrations at the downstream monitoring site, revealing high contributions from stormwater outfalls between the two locations. Observations from custom, in situ fluorometers resembled results obtained using laboratory methods for identifying DOM source material and indicated that DOM transitioned to a more microbially derived composition as the summer season progressed, while stormwater contributions contributed DOM from terrestrial sources. Deployment of a mobile sensing platform during varying flow conditions captured spatial changes in DOM concentration and composition and revealed contributions of DOM from outfalls during stormflows that would have otherwise been unobserved.

Ozone profiles from tethered balloon measurements in an urban plume experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngbluth, O., Jr.; Storey, R. W.; Clendenin, C. G.; Jones, S.; Leighty, B.

1981-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center used two tethered balloon systems to measure ozone in the general area of Norfolk, Va. The large balloon system which has an altitude range of 1,500 meters was located at Wallops Island, Va., and the smaller balloon which has an altitude range of 900 meters was located at Chesapeake, Va. Each balloon system measured ozone, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction from ground to its maximum altitude. From these measurements and from the location of the balloon sites, areas of ozone generation and ozone transport may be inferred. The measurements which were taken during August 1979 are discussed as well as the measurement techniques.

24 CFR 203.40 - Location of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Location of property. 203.40 Section 203.40 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... § 203.40 Location of property. The mortgaged property shall be located within the United States, Puerto...

24 CFR 203.38 - Location of dwelling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Location of dwelling. 203.38 Section 203.38 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... § 203.38 Location of dwelling. At the time a mortgage is insured there must be located on the mortgaged...

Transpiration of urban forests in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

PubMed

Pataki, Diane E; McCarthy, Heather R; Litvak, Elizaveta; Pincetl, Stephanie

2011-04-01

Despite its importance for urban planning, landscape management, and water management, there are very few in situ estimates of urban-forest transpiration. Because urban forests contain an unusual and diverse mix of species from many regions worldwide, we hypothesized that species composition would be a more important driver of spatial variability in urban-forest transpiration than meteorological variables in the Los Angeles (California, USA) region. We used constant-heat sap-flow sensors to monitor urban tree water use for 15 species at six locations throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area. For many of these species no previous data on sap flux, water use, or water relations were available in the literature. To scale sap-flux measurements to whole trees we conducted a literature survey of radial trends in sap flux across multiple species and found consistent relationships for angiosperms vs. gymnosperms. We applied this relationship to our measurements and estimated whole-tree and plot-level transpiration at our sites. The results supported very large species differences in transpiration, with estimates ranging from 3.2 +/- 2.3 kg x tree(-1) x d(-1) in unirrigated Pinus canariensis (Canary Island pine) to 176.9 +/- 75.2 kg x tree(-1) x d(-1) in Platanus hybrida (London planetree) in the month of August. Other species with high daily transpiration rates included Ficus microcarpa (laurel fig), Gleditsia triacanthos (honeylocust), and Platanus racemosa (California sycamore). Despite irrigation and relatively large tree size, Brachychiton populneas (kurrajong), B. discolor (lacebark), Sequoia sempervirens (redwood), and Eucalyptus grandis (grand Eucalyptus) showed relatively low rates of transpiration, with values < 45 kg x tree(-1) x d(-1). When scaled to the plot level, transpiration rates were as high as 2 mm/d for sites that contained both species with high transpiration rates and high densities of planted trees. Because plot-level transpiration is highly dependent on tree density, we modeled transpiration as a function of both species and density to evaluate a likely range of values in irrigated urban forests. The results show that urban forests in irrigated, semi-arid regions can constitute a significant use of water, but water use can be mitigated by appropriate selection of site, management method, and species.

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).

A 2-yr Mosquito Survey Focusing on Aedes koreicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Northern Italy and Implications for Adult Trapping.

PubMed

Baldacchino, F; Montarsi, F; Arnoldi, D; Barategui, C; Ferro Milone, N; Da Rold, G; Capelli, G; Rizzoli, A

2017-05-01

Aedes koreicus (Edwards) is an invasive mosquito species, like Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald), that has already colonized a large part of northeastern Italy and other European countries. Despite its rapid expansion, information about adult distribution and trapping is lacking. Here, we conducted a 2-yr longitudinal survey using adult traps to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of Ae. koreicus and evaluated the effectiveness of three trapping devices in Latin square experiments conducted in an urban site and a forested site. The following three different traps were compared: a CO2-baited Biogents (BG) Sentinel trap, a CO2-baited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light trap (CDC trap), and a grass infusion-baited gravid trap.In northern Italy, Ae. koreicus was collected from late April to early November, with peak of abundance observed in August. Aedes koreicus was more abundant in 2015 than in 2014 because of higher temperatures during summer. Unlike Ae. albopictus, the abundance of Ae. koreicus was not related to the altitude of the sampling locations in the range 241-660 m above sea level. The BG Sentinel and gravid traps collected significantly more Ae. koreicus than the CDC trap in the urban site, whereas there was no significant difference between the three traps in the forested site. In the urban site, the BG Sentinel trap and the gravid trap were the most effective for collecting Ae. albopictus and Culex pipiens L., respectively. In the forested site, Cx. pipiens was primarily collected by the CDC trap. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Where to deliver baits for deworming urban red foxes for Echinococcus multilocularis control: new protocol for micro-habitat modeling of fox denning requirements.

PubMed

Ikeda, Takako; Yoshimura, Masashi; Onoyama, Keiichi; Oku, Yuzaburo; Nonaka, Nariaki; Katakura, Ken

2014-08-06

Deworming wild foxes by baiting with the anthelmintic praziquantel is being established as a preventive technique against environmental contamination with Echinococcus multilocularis eggs. Improvement of the cost-benefit performance of baiting treatment is required urgently to raise and maintain the efficacy of deworming. We established a spatial model of den site selection by urban red foxes, the definitive host, to specify the optimal micro-habitats for delivering baits in a new modeling approach modified for urban fox populations. The model was established for two cities (Obihiro and Sapporo) in Hokkaido, Japan, in which a sylvatic cycle of E. multilocularis is maintained. The two cities have different degrees of urbanization. The modeling process was designed to detect the best combination of key environmental factors and spatial scale that foxes pay attention to most (here named 'heeding range') when they select den sites. All possible models were generated using logistic regression analysis, with "presence" or "absence" of fox den as the objective variable, and nine landscape categories customized for urban environments as predictor variables to detect the best subset of predictors. This procedure was conducted for each of ten sizes of concentric circles from dens and control points to detect the best circle size. Out of all models generated, the most parsimonious model was selected using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) inspection. Our models suggest that fox dens in Obihiro are located at the center of a circle with 500 m radius including low percentages of wide roads, narrow roads, and occupied buildings, but high percentages of green covered areas; the dens in Sapporo within 300 m radius with low percentages of wide roads, occupied buildings, but high percentages of riverbeds and green covered areas. The variation of the models suggests the necessity of accumulating models for various types of cities in order to reveal the patterns of the model. Our denning models indicating suitable sites for delivering baits will improve the cost-benefit performance of the campaign. Our modeling protocol is suitable for the urban landscapes, and for extracting the heeding range when they select the den sites.

Using diatom assemblages to assess urban stream conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, C.E.; Pan, Y.

2006-01-01

We characterized changes in diatom assemblages along an urban-to-rural gradient to assess impacts of urbanization on stream conditions. Diatoms, water chemistry, and physical variables of riffles at 19 urban and 28 rural stream sites were sampled and assessed during the summer base flow period. Near stream land use was characterized using GIS. In addition, one urban and one rural site were sampled monthly throughout a year to assess temporal variation of diatom assemblages between the urban and rural stream sites. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the 1st ordination axis distinctly separated rural and urban sites. This axis was correlated with conductivity (r = 0.75) and % near-stream commercial/industrial land use (r = 0.55). TWINSPAN classified all sites into four groups based on diatom assemblages. These diatom-based site groups were significantly different in water chemistry (e.g., conductivity, dissolved nutrients), physical habitat (e.g., % stream substrate as fines), and near-stream land use. CCA on the temporal diatom data set showed that diatom assemblages had high seasonal variation along the 2nd axis in both urban and rural sites, however, rural and urban sites were well separated along the 1st ordination axis. Our results suggest that changes in diatom assemblages respond to urban impacts on stream conditions. ?? Springer 2006.

Magnitude and Frequency of Floods on Nontidal Streams in Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Kernell G.; Dillow, Jonathan J.A.

2006-01-01

Reliable estimates of the magnitude and frequency of annual peak flows are required for the economical and safe design of transportation and water-conveyance structures. This report, done in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and the Delaware Geological Survey (DGS), presents methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods on nontidal streams in Delaware at locations where streamgaging stations monitor streamflow continuously and at ungaged sites. Methods are presented for estimating the magnitude of floods for return frequencies ranging from 2 through 500 years. These methods are applicable to watersheds exhibiting a full range of urban development conditions. The report also describes StreamStats, a web application that makes it easy to obtain flood-frequency estimates for user-selected locations on Delaware streams. Flood-frequency estimates for ungaged sites are obtained through a process known as regionalization, using statistical regression analysis, where information determined for a group of streamgaging stations within a region forms the basis for estimates for ungaged sites within the region. One hundred and sixteen streamgaging stations in and near Delaware with at least 10 years of non-regulated annual peak-flow data available were used in the regional analysis. Estimates for gaged sites are obtained by combining the station peak-flow statistics (mean, standard deviation, and skew) and peak-flow estimates with regional estimates of skew and flood-frequency magnitudes. Example flood-frequency estimate calculations using the methods presented in the report are given for: (1) ungaged sites, (2) gaged locations, (3) sites upstream or downstream from a gaged location, and (4) sites between gaged locations. Regional regression equations applicable to ungaged sites in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain Physiographic Provinces of Delaware are presented. The equations incorporate drainage area, forest cover, impervious area, basin storage, housing density, soil type A, and mean basin slope as explanatory variables, and have average standard errors of prediction ranging from 28 to 72 percent. Additional regression equations that incorporate drainage area and housing density as explanatory variables are presented for use in defining the effects of urbanization on peak-flow estimates throughout Delaware for the 2-year through 500-year recurrence intervals, along with suggestions for their appropriate use in predicting development-affected peak flows. Additional topics associated with the analyses performed during the study are also discussed, including: (1) the availability and description of more than 30 basin and climatic characteristics considered during the development of the regional regression equations; (2) the treatment of increasing trends in the annual peak-flow series identified at 18 gaged sites, with respect to their relations with maximum 24-hour precipitation and housing density, and their use in the regional analysis; (3) calculation of the 90-percent confidence interval associated with peak-flow estimates from the regional regression equations; and (4) a comparison of flood-frequency estimates at gages used in a previous study, highlighting the effects of various improved analytical techniques.

Water-quality assessment of part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin: Organochlorine compounds in streambed sediments and fish tissues, 1995-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNellis, R.P.; Fallon, J.D.; Lee, K.E.

2001-01-01

Streambed sediments and fish tissues were collected in part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin to assess the presence and distribution of organochlorine compounds (OCs) including PCBs. A total of 13 OCs were detected among 14 of 27 streambed sediment sampling locations. In fish tissues analyzed, 9 OCs were detected among 17 of 24 sites sampled. Eight OCs were detected in both fish and streambed sediment samples, they were: cis-chlordane, o,p'-DDD; p,p'-DDD; p,p'-DDE; p,p'-DDT; hexachlorobenzene; transnonachlor; and PCBs. The most frequently detected OCs were: p,p'-DDE; and p,p'-DDD in streambed sediment and p,p'-DDE and PCBs in fish tissues. No OCs were detected in streambed sediment at agricultural sites; however, the agricultural sites had 17 detections of OCs in fish tissue. Urban streams had concentrations of total DDT and metabolites in streambed sediment that exceed guidelines for classification of sites with high probabilities of adverse effects to aquatic organisms. Total DDT was the only OC within an urban land use that exceeded guidelines for piscivorous wildlife.

Atmospheric impacts of a natural gas development within the urban context of Morgantown, West Virginia.

PubMed

Williams, Philip J; Reeder, Matthew; Pekney, Natalie J; Risk, David; Osborne, John; McCawley, Michael

2018-10-15

The Marcellus Shale Energy and Environment Laboratory (MSEEL) in West Virginia provides a unique opportunity in the field of unconventional energy research. By studying near-surface atmospheric chemistry over several phases of a hydraulic fracturing event, the project will help evaluate the impact of current practices, as well as new techniques and mitigation technologies. A total of 10 mobile surveys covering a distance of approximately 1500 km were conducted through Morgantown. Our surveying technique involved using a vehicle-mounted Los Gatos Research gas analyzer to provide geo-located measurements of methane (CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The ratios of super-ambient concentrations of CO 2 and CH 4 were used to separate well-pad emissions from the natural background concentrations over the various stages of well-pad development, as well as for comparisons to other urban sources of CH 4 . We found that regional background methane concentrations were elevated in all surveys, with a mean concentration of 2.699 ± 0.006 ppmv, which simply reflected the complexity of this riverine urban location. Emissions at the site were the greatest during the flow-back phase, with an estimated CH 4 volume output of 20.62 ± 7.07 g/s, which was significantly higher than other identified urban emitters. Our study was able to successfully identify and quantify MSEEL emissions within this complex urban environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal and spatial variation of the bacterial mutagenicity of fine organic aerosol in southern california.

PubMed Central

Hannigan, M P; Cass, G R; Lafleur, A L; Busby, W F; Thilly, W G

1996-01-01

The bacterial mutagenicity of a set of 1993 urban particulate air pollution samples is examined using the Salmonella typhimurium TM677 forward mutation assay. Amibent fine particulate samples were collected for 24 hr every sixth day throughout 1993 at four urban sites, including Long Beach, central Los Angeles, Azusa, and Rubidoux, California, and at an upwind background site on San Nicolas Island. Long Beach and central Los Angeles are congested urban areas where air quality is dominated by fresh emissions from air pollution sources; Azuasa and Rubidoux are located farther downwind and receive transported air pollutants plus increased quantities of the products of atmospheric chemical reactions. Fine aerosol samples from Long Beach and Los Angeles show a pronounced seasonal variation in bacterial mutagenicity per cubic meter of- ambient air, with maximum in the winter and a minimum in the summer. The down-wind smog receptor site at Rubidoux shows peak mutagenicity (with postmitochondrial supernatant but no peak without postmitochondrial supernatant) during the September-October periods when direct transport from upwind sources can be expected. At most sites the mutagenicity per microgram of organic carbon from the aerosol is not obviously higher during the summer photochemical smog period than during the colder months. Significant spatial variation in bacterial mutagenicity is observed: mutagenicity per cubic meter of ambient air, on average, is more than an order of magnitude lower at San Nicolas Island than within the urban area. The highest mutagenicity values per microgram of organics supplied to the assay are found at the most congested urban sites at central Los Angeles and Long Beach. The highest annual average values of mutagenicity per cubic meter of air sampled occur at central Los Angeles. These findings stress the importance of proximity to sources of direct emissions of bacterial mutagens and imply that if important mutagen-forming atmospheric reactions occur, they likely occur in the winter and spring seasons as well as the photochemically more active summer and early fall periods. Images Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 3. Figure 4. Figure 5. Figure 6. PMID:8732954

Overview of Ground Air Quality Measurements and Their Links to Airborne, Remote Sensing and Model Studies during the KORUS-AQ Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, G.; Ahn, J. Y.; Chang, L. S.; Kim, J.; Park, R.

2017-12-01

During the KORUS-AQ, extensive sets of chemical measurements for reactive gases and aerosol species were made at 3 major sites on upwind island (Baengyeong Island), urban (Olympic Park in Seoul) and downwind rural forest location (Taewha Forest). Also, intensive aerosol size and composition observations from 5 NIER super sites, 3 NIMR monitoring sites, and 5 other university sites were currently facilitated in the KORUS-AQ data set. In addition, air quality criteria species data from 264 nation-wide ground monitoring sites with 5 minute temporal resolution during the whole campaign period were supplemented to cover mostly in densely populated urban areas, but sparsely in rural areas. The specific objectives of these ground sites were to provide highly comprehensive data set to coordinate the close collaborations among other research platforms including airborne measurements, remote sensing, and model studies. The continuous measurements at ground sites were well compared with repetitive low-level aircraft observations of NASA's DC-8 over Olympic Park and Taewha Forest site. Similarly, many ground measurements enabled the validation of chemical transport models and the remote sensing observations from ground and NASA's King Air. The observed results from inter-comparison studies in many reactive gases and aerosol compositions between different measurement methods and platforms will be presented. Compiling data sets from ground sites, source-wise analysis for ozone and aerosol, their in-situ formations, and transport characteristics by local/regional circulation will be discussed, too.

Estimating urban trees and carbon stock potentials for mitigating climate change in Lagos: Case of Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, P. O.; Faderin, A.

2014-12-01

Urban trees are a component of the urban infrastructure which offers diverse services including environmental, aesthetic and economic. The accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere resulting from the indiscriminate distribution of human populations and urban activities with the unsustainable consumption of natural resources contributes to global environmental change especially in coastal cities like Lagos. Carbon stocks and sequestration by urban trees are increasingly recognized to play significant roles for mitigating climate change. This paper focuses on the estimation of carbon stock and sequestration through biomass estimation and quantification in Ikeja GRA, Lagos. Ikeja possesses a characteristic feature as a microcosm of Lagos due to the wide range of land uses. A canopy assessment of tree population was carried out using itree canopy software. A GPS survey was used to collect an inventory of all trees showing their location, spatial distribution and other attributes. The analysis of the carbon storage and sequestration potential of both actual and potential tree planting sites involved biomass estimations from tree allometry equations. Trees were identified at species level and measurements of their dendrometric values were recorded and integrated into the GIS database to estimate biomass of trees and carbon storage. The trees in the study area were estimated to have a biomass of 441.9 mg and carbon storage of 221.395 kg/tree. By considering the potential tree planting sites the estimated carbon stored increased to 11,352.73 kg. Carbon sequestration value in the study area was found to be 1.6790 tonnes for the existing trees and 40.707 tonnes for the potential tree planting sites (PTPS). The estimation of carbon storage and sequestration values of trees are important incentives for carbon accounting/footprints and monitoring of climate change mitigation which has implications for evaluation and monitoring of urban ecosystem.

Response of Stream Chemistry During Base Flow to Gradients of Urbanization in Selected Locations Across the Conterminous United States, 2002-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sprague, Lori A.; Harned, Douglas A.; Hall, David W.; Nowell, Lisa H.; Bauch, Nancy J.; Richards, Kevin D.

2007-01-01

During 2002-2004, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program conducted a study to determine the effects of urbanization on stream water quality and aquatic communities in six environmentally heterogeneous areas of the conterminous United States--Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Milwaukee-Green Bay, Wisconsin; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon. This report compares and contrasts the response of stream chemistry during base flow to urbanization in different environmental settings and examines the relation between the exceedance of water-quality benchmarks and the level of urbanization in these areas. Chemical characteristics studied included concentrations of nutrients, dissolved pesticides, suspended sediment, sulfate, and chloride in base flow. In three study areas where the background land cover in minimally urbanized basins was predominantly forested (Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, and Portland), urban development was associated with increased concentrations of nitrogen and total herbicides in streams. In Portland, there was evidence of mixed agricultural and urban influences at sites with 20 to 50 percent urban land cover. In two study areas where agriculture was the predominant background land cover (Milwaukee-Green Bay and Dallas-Fort Worth), concentrations of nitrogen and herbicides were flat or decreasing as urbanization increased. In Denver, which had predominantly shrub/grass as background land cover, nitrogen concentrations were only weakly related to urbanization, and total herbicide concentrations did not show any clear pattern relative to land cover - perhaps because of extensive water management in the study area. In contrast, total insecticide concentrations increased with increasing urbanization in all six study areas, likely due to high use of insecticides in urban applications and, for some study areas, the proximity of urban land cover to the sampling sites. Phosphorus concentrations increased with urbanization only in Portland; in Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham, leachate from septic tanks may have increased phosphorus concentrations in basins with minimal urban development. Concentrations of suspended sediment were only weakly associated with urbanization, probably because this study analyzed only base-flow samples, and the bulk of sediment loads to streams is transported in storm runoff rather than base flow. Sulfate and chloride concentrations increased with increasing urbanization in four study areas (Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Milwaukee-Green Bay, and Portland), likely due to increasing contributions from urban sources of these constituents. The weak relation between sulfate and chloride concentrations and urbanization in Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver was likely due in part to high sulfate and chloride concentrations in ground-water inflow, which would have obscured any pattern of increasing concentration with urbanization. Pesticides often were detected at multiple sites within a study area, so that the pesticide 'signature' for a given study area - the mixtures of pesticides detected, and their relative concentrations, at streams within the study area - tended to show some pesticides as dominant. The type and concentrations of the dominant pesticides varied markedly among sites within a study area. There were differences between pesticide signatures during high and low base-flow conditions in five of the six study areas. Normalization of absolute pesticide concentrations by the pesticide toxicity index (a relative index indicating potential toxicity to aquatic organisms) dramatically changed the pesticide signatures, indicating that the pesticides with the greatest potential to adversely affect cladocerans or fish were not necessarily the pesticides detected at the highest concentrations. In a screening-level assessment, measured contaminant concentrations in individual base-flow water samples were compared with various water-qual

Use of a handheld low-cost sensor to explore the effect of urban design features on local-scale spatial and temporal air quality variability.

PubMed

Miskell, Georgia; Salmond, Jennifer A; Williams, David E

2018-04-01

Portable low-cost instruments have been validated and used to measure ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) at multiple sites over a small urban area with 20min time resolution. We use these results combined with land use regression (LUR) and rank correlation methods to explore the effects of traffic, urban design features, and local meteorology and atmosphere chemistry on small-scale spatio-temporal variations. We measured NO 2 at 45 sites around the downtown area of Vancouver, BC, in spring 2016, and constructed four different models: i) a model based on averaging concentrations observed at each site over the whole measurement period, and separate temporal models for ii) morning, iii) midday, and iv) afternoon. Redesign of the temporal models using the average model predictors as constants gave three 'hybrid' models that used both spatial and temporal variables. These accounted for approximately 50% of the total variation with mean absolute error±5ppb. Ranking sites by concentration and by change in concentration across the day showed a shift of high NO 2 concentrations across the central city from morning to afternoon. Locations could be identified in which NO 2 concentration was determined by the geography of the site, and others as ones in which the concentration changed markedly from morning to afternoon indicating the importance of temporal controls. Rank correlation results complemented LUR in identifying significant urban design variables that impacted NO 2 concentration. High variability across a relatively small space was partially described by predictor variables related to traffic (bus stop density, speed limits, traffic counts, distance to traffic lights), atmospheric chemistry (ozone, dew point), and environment (land use, trees). A high-density network recording continuously would be needed fully to capture local variations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Meteorological and chemical impacts on ozone formation: A case study in Hangzhou, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Kangwei; Chen, Linghong; Ying, Fang; White, Stephen J.; Jang, Carey; Wu, Xuecheng; Gao, Xiang; Hong, Shengmao; Shen, Jiandong; Azzi, Merched; Cen, Kefa

2017-11-01

Regional ozone pollution has become one of the most challenging problems in China, especially in the more economically developed and densely populated regions like Hangzhou. In this study, measurements of O3, CO, NOx and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), together with meteorological data, were obtained for the period July 1, 2013-August 15, 2013 at three sites in Hangzhou. These sites included an urban site (Zhaohui ;ZH;), a suburban site (Xiasha ;XS;) and a rural site (Qiandaohu ;QDH;). During the observation period, both ZH and XS had a higher ozone level than QDH, with exceeding rates of 41.3% and 47.8%, respectively. Elevated O3 levels in QDH were found at night, which could be explained by less prominent NO titration effect in rural area. Detailed statistical analysis of meteorological and chemical impacts on ozone formation was carried out for ZH, and higher ozone concentration was observed when the wind direction was from the east. This is possibly due to emissions of VOCs from XS, a typical chemical industrial park located in 30 km upwind area of ZH. A comprehensive comparison between three ozone episode periods and one non-episode period were made in ZH. It was concluded that elevated concentrations of precursors and temperatures, low relative humidity and wind speed and easterly-dominated wind direction contribute to urban ozone episodes in Hangzhou. VOCs reactivity analysis indicated that reactive alkenes like isoprene and isobutene contributed most to ozone formation. Three methods were applied to evaluate O3-VOCs-NOx sensitivity in ZH: VOCs/NOx ratio method, Smog Production Model (SPM) and Relative Incremental Reactivity (RIR). The results show that summer ozone in urban Hangzhou mostly presents VOCs-limited and transition region alternately. Our study implies that the increasing automobiles and VOCs emissions from upwind area could result in ozone pollution in urban Hangzhou, and synergistic reduction of VOCs and NOx will be more effective.

The relevance of rooftops: Analyzing the microscale surface energy balance in the Chicago region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khosla, Radhika

Spatial structure in climate variables often exist over very short length scales within an urban area, and this structure is a result of various site-specific features. In order to analyze the seasonal and diurnal energy flows that take place at a microclimatic surface, this work develops a semi-empirical energy balance model. For this, radiation fluxes and meteorological measurements are determined by direct observation; sensible heat and latent heat fluxes by parameterizations; and the heat storage flux by a 1-D mechanistic model that allows analysis of the temperature profile and heat storage within an underlying slab. Two sites receive detailed study: an anthropogenic site, being a University of Chicago building rooftop, and a natural site, outside Chicago in the open country. Two identical sets of instruments record measurements contemporaneously from these locations during June-November 2007, the entire period for which analyses are carried out. The study yields seasonal trends in surface temperature, surface-to-air temperature contrast and net radiation. At both sites, a temporal hysteresis between net radiation and heat storage flux indicates that surplus energy absorbed during daylight is released to the atmosphere later in the evening. The surface energy balance model responds well to site specific features for both locations. An analysis of the surface energy balance shows that the flux of sensible heat is the largest non-radiative contributor to the roof's surface cooling, while the flux of latent heat (also referred to as evaporative cooling) is the largest heat sink for the soil layer. In the latter part of the study, the surface energy balance model is upgraded by adding the capability to compute changes in surface temperature and non-radiative fluxes for any specified set of thermal and reflective roof properties. The results of this analysis allow an examination of the relationship between the roof temperature, the heat flux entering the building interior through the roof, and the physical properties of the surface. These results hold particular relevance for urban heat island mitigation strategies. Based on the results of this work, recommendations are proposed for widespread adoption of various techniques that enhance building energy efficiency (particularly targeting rooftops), mitigate the negative impacts of the urban heat island, and overcome the current barriers to transforming the market.

Model documentation for relations between continuous real-time and discrete water-quality constituents in Indian Creek, Johnson County, Kansas, June 2004 through May 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Mandy L.; Graham, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

Johnson County is the fastest growing county in Kansas, with a population of about 560,000 people in 2012. Urban growth and development can have substantial effects on water quality, and streams in Johnson County are affected by nonpoint-source pollutants from stormwater runoff and point-source discharges such as municipal wastewater effluent. Understanding of current (2014) water-quality conditions and the effects of urbanization is critical for the protection and remediation of aquatic resources in Johnson County, Kansas and downstream reaches located elsewhere. The Indian Creek Basin is 194 square kilometers and includes parts of Johnson County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri. Approximately 86 percent of the Indian Creek Basin is located in Johnson County, Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Johnson County Wastewater, operated a series of six continuous real-time water-quality monitoring stations in the Indian Creek Basin during June 2011 through May 2013; one of these sites has been operating since February 2004. Five monitoring sites were located on Indian Creek and one site was located on Tomahawk Creek. The purpose of this report is to document regression models that establish relations between continuously measured water-quality properties and discretely collected water-quality constituents. Continuously measured water-quality properties include streamflow, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and nitrate. Discrete water-quality samples were collected during June 2011 through May 2013 at five new sites and June 2004 through May 2013 at a long-term site and analyzed for sediment, nutrients, bacteria, and other water-quality constituents. Regression models were developed to establish relations between discretely sampled constituent concentrations and continuously measured physical properties to estimate concentrations of those constituents of interest that are not easily measured in real time because of limitations in sensor technology and fiscal constraints. Regression models for 28 water-quality constituents were developed and documented. The water-quality information in this report is important to Johnson County Wastewater because it allows the concentrations of many potential pollutants of interest, including nutrients and sediment, to be estimated in real time and characterized during conditions and time scales that would not be possible otherwise.

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.

Impact of anxiety and depressive symptoms on perceptions of stigma in persons living with HIV disease in rural versus urban North Carolina.

PubMed

Costelloe, Stephanie; Kemppainen, Jeanne; Brion, John; MacKain, Sally; Reid, Paula; Frampton, Art; Rigsbee, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

This analysis examined the relationships between HIV-related stigma, depression, and anxiety in rural and urban sites. Participants were HIV-positive urban (n = 100) and rural (n = 100) adult residents of a US southern state, drawn from a sample for a larger international study of self-esteem and self-compassion. Measures included demographic and health information, the HIV Stigma Scale, the Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-R-90) anxiety scale. Independent sample t-tests showed no significant differences between urban/rural groups on measures of HIV-related stigma, anxiety, or depression, except that rural participants reported greater disclosure concerns (t = 2.11, df = 196, p = .036). Both groups indicated high levels of depression and anxiety relative to published norms and clinically relevant cut-off scores. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for the HIV Stigma Scale including its four subscales and total stigma scores. Block 1 (control) contained health and demographic variables known to predict HIV-related stigma. Block 2 included the CES-D and the SCL-R-90, and Block 3 was urban/rural location. Mental health symptom scores contributed a significant amount to explained variance in total stigma scores (5.5%, FΔ = 6.020, p < .01), personalized stigma (4.8%, FΔ = 5.035, p < .01), negative self-image (9.7%, FΔ = 12.289, p < .001), and concern with public attitudes (4.9%, FΔ = 5.228, p < .01), but not disclosure concerns. Urban/rural location made significant additional contributions to the variance for total stigma (1.7%, FΔ = 3.899, p < .05), disclosure concerns (2.6%, FΔ = 5.446, p < .05), and concern with public attitudes (1.9%, FΔ = 4.169, p < .05) but not personalized stigma or negative self-image. Depression scores consistently and significantly predicted perceived stigma total and subscale scores. Findings suggest that mental health symptoms and urban/rural location play important roles in perceived stigma, and treatment implications are presented.

Development of a multimetric index based on benthic macroinvertebrates for the assessment of urban stream health in Jinan City, China.

PubMed

Liu, Linfei; Xu, Zongxue; Yin, Xuwang; Li, Fulin; Dou, Tongwen

2017-05-01

Assessment of the health of urban streams is an important theoretical and practical topic, which is related to the impacts of physiochemical processes, hydrological modifications, and the biological community. However, previous assessments of the urban water quality were predominantly conducted by measuring physical and chemical factors rather than biological monitoring. The purpose of this study was to develop an urban stream multimetric index (USMI) based on benthic macroinvertebrates to assess the health of aquatic ecosystem in Jinan City. Two hundred and eighty-eight samples were collected during two consecutive years (2014-2015) from 48 sites located within the city. Metrics related to the benthic macroinvertebrate richness, diversity, composition and abundance, and functional feeding groups were selected by using box-plots and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The final index derived from selected metrics was divided into five river quality classes (excellent, good, moderate, poor, and bad). A validation procedure using box-plots and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test showed that the USMI was useful to assess the health of urban streams.

Urbanization impact on sulfur content of groundwater revealed by the study of urban speleothem-like deposits: Case study in Paris, France.

PubMed

Pons-Branchu, E; Roy-Barman, M; Jean-Soro, L; Guillerme, A; Branchu, P; Fernandez, M; Dumont, E; Douville, E; Michelot, J L; Phillips, A M

2017-02-01

Speleothem-like deposits that develop underground in urban areas are an archive of the environmental impact of anthropic activities that has been little studied so far. In this paper, the sulfate content in shallow groundwater from northern Paris (France) is compared with the sulfur content in two 300-year-old urban carbonate deposits that grew in a historical underground aqueduct. The present-day waters of the aqueduct have very high sulfur and calcium contents, suggesting pollution from gypsum dissolution. However, geological gypsum levels are located below the water table. Sulfur content was measured by micro-X-ray fluorescence in these very S-rich carbonate deposits (0.5 to 1% of S). A twofold S increase during the second half of the 1800s was found in both samples. These dates correspond to two major periods of urbanization above the site. We discus three possible S sources: anthropic sources (industries, fertilizers…), volcanic eruptions and input within the water through gypsum brought for urbanization above the studied site (backfill with quarry waste) since the middle of the 19th century. For the younger second half of the studied section, S input from gypsum brought during urbanization was confirmed by the study of isotopic sulfur composition (δ 34 S=+15.2‰ at the top). For the oldest part, several sulfur peaks could be related to early industrial activity in Paris, that caused high local air pollution, as reported in historical archives but also to historical gypsum extraction. This study provides information on the origin and timing of the very high SO 4 2- levels measured nowadays within the shallow groundwater, thus demonstrating the interest in using carbonate deposits in urban areas as a proxy for the history of urbanization or human activities and their impact on water bodies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of West Nile virus illness and urban landscapes in Chicago and Detroit.

PubMed

Ruiz, Marilyn O; Walker, Edward D; Foster, Erik S; Haramis, Linn D; Kitron, Uriel D

2007-03-12

West Nile virus infection in humans in urban areas of the Midwestern United States has exhibited strong spatial clustering during epidemic years. We derived urban landscape classes from the physical and socio-economic factors hypothesized to be associated with West Nile Virus (WNV) transmission and compared those to human cases of illness in 2002 in Chicago and Detroit. The objectives were to improve understanding of human exposure to virus-infected mosquitoes in the urban context, and to assess the degree to which environmental factors found to be important in Chicago were also found in Detroit. Five urban classes that partitioned the urban space were developed for each city region. The classes had many similarities in the two settings. In both regions, the WNV case rate was considerably higher in the urban class associated with the Inner Suburbs, where 1940-1960 era housing dominates, vegetation cover is moderate, and population density is moderate. The land cover mapping approach played an important role in the successful and consistent classification of the urban areas. The analysis demonstrates how urban form and past land use decisions can influence transmission of a vector-borne virus. In addition, the results are helpful to develop hypotheses regarding urban landscape features and WNV transmission, they provide a structured method to stratify the urban areas to locate representative field study sites specifically for WNV, and this analysis contributes to the question of how the urban environment affects human health.

Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.

PubMed

Halliday, Jo E B; Knobel, Darryn L; Agwanda, Bernard; Bai, Ying; Breiman, Robert F; Cleaveland, Sarah; Njenga, M Kariuki; Kosoy, Michael

2015-03-01

Several rodent-associated Bartonella species are human pathogens but little is known about their epidemiology. We trapped rodents and shrews around human habitations at two sites in Kenya (rural Asembo and urban Kibera) to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infection. Bartonella were detected by culture in five of seven host species. In Kibera, 60% of Rattus rattus were positive, as compared to 13% in Asembo. Bartonella were also detected in C. olivieri (7%), Lemniscomys striatus (50%), Mastomys natalensis (43%) and R. norvegicus (50%). Partial sequencing of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene of isolates showed that Kibera strains were similar to reference isolates from Rattus trapped in Asia, America, and Europe, but that most strains from Asembo were less similar. Host species and trapping location were associated with differences in infection status but there was no evidence of associations between host age or sex and infection status. Acute febrile illness occurs at high incidence in both Asembo and Kibera but the etiology of many of these illnesses is unknown. Bartonella similar to known human pathogens were detected in small mammals at both sites and investigation of the ecological determinants of host infection status and of the public health significance of Bartonella infections at these locations is warranted.

The Impact of Public Hospital Closure on Medical and Residency Education: Implications and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Walker, Kara Odom; Calmes, Daphne; Hanna, Nancy; Baker, Richard

2010-01-01

Background Challenges around safety-net hospital closure have impacted medical student and resident exposure to urban public healthcare sites that may influence their future practice choices. Objective To assess the impact of the closure of a public safety-net teaching hospital for the clinical medical education of Charles Drew University medical students and residents. Method Retrospective cohort study of medical students’ and residents’ and clinical placement into safety-net experiences after the closure of the primary teaching hospital. Results The hospital closure impacted both medical student and residency training experiences. Only 71% (17/24) of medical student rotations and 13% (23/180) of residents were maintained at public safety-net clinical sittings. The closure of the public safety-net hospital resulted in the loss of 36% of residency training spots sponsored by historically black medical schools in the United States and an even larger negative impact on the number of physicians training in underserved urban areas of Los Angeles County. Conclusion While the medical educational program changes undertaken in the wake of hospital closure have negatively affected the immediate clinical educational experiences of medical students and residents, it remains to be seen whether the training site location changes will alter their long-term preferences in specialty choice and practice location. PMID:19110905

The impact of public hospital closure on medical and residency education: implications and recommendations.

PubMed

Walker, Kara Odom; Calmes, Daphne; Hanna, Nancy; Baker, Richard

2008-12-01

Challenges around safety-net hospital closure have impacted medical student and resident exposure to urban public healthcare sites that may influence their future practice choices. To assess the impact of the closure of a public safety-net teaching hospital for the clinical medical education of Charles Drew University medical students and residents. Retrospective cohort study of medical students' and residents' and clinical placement into safety-net experiences after the closure of the primary teaching hospital. The hospital closure impacted both medical student and residency training experiences. Only 71% (17/24) of medical student rotations and 13% (23/180) of residents were maintained at public safety-net clinical sittings. The closure of the public safety-net hospital resulted in the loss of 36% of residency training spots sponsored by historically black medical schools in the United States and an even larger negative impact on the number of physicians training in underserved urban areas of Los Angeles County. While the medical educational program changes undertaken in the wake of hospital closure have negatively affected the immediate clinical educational experiences of medical students and residents, it remains to be seen whether the training site location changes will alter their long-term preferences in specialty choice and practice location.

Quercus rubra-associated ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of disturbed urban sites and mature forests.

PubMed

Karpati, Amy S; Handel, Steven N; Dighton, John; Horton, Thomas R

2011-08-01

The presence and quality of the belowground mycorrhizal fungal community could greatly influence plant community structure and host species response. This study tests whether mycorrhizal fungal communities in areas highly impacted by anthropogenic disturbance and urbanization are less species rich or exhibit lower host root colonization rates when compared to those of less disturbed systems. Using a soil bioassay, we sampled the ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) communities associating with Quercus rubra (northern red oak) seedlings in soil collected from seven sites: two mature forest reference sites and five urban sites of varying levels of disturbance. Morphological and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of fungi colonizing root tips revealed that colonization rates and fungal species richness were significantly lower on root systems of seedlings grown in disturbed site soils. Analysis of similarity showed that EMF community composition was not significantly different among several urban site soils but did differ significantly between mature forest sites and all but one urban site. We identified a suite of fungal species that occurred across several urban sites. Lack of a diverse community of belowground mutualists could be a constraint on urban plant community development, especially of late-successional woodlands. Analysis of urban EMF communities can add to our understanding of urban plant community structure and should be addressed during ecological assessment before pragmatic decisions to restore habitats are framed.

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.

Prevalence of chronic maxillary sinusitis in children from rural and urban skeletal populations in Poland.

PubMed

Krenz-Niedbała, Marta; Łukasik, Sylwia

2016-12-01

Maxillary sinuses of 100 subadults from Cedynia, an early-urban site (stronghold), dated to the 10th-14th centuries AD, and of 28 subadults from Słaboszewo, a rural site, dated to the 14th-17th centuries AD, were examined for bone formation indicative of chronic sinusitis in order to explore the effect of urban and rural environments on the occurrence of upper respiratory tract infections in the past. We expected a higher prevalence of sinusitis in subadults from a stronghold than from a village, because of such factors as crowding, rapid spread of infections, and pollution from workshops located in the streets. We found a statistically non-significant tendency toward a higher prevalence of the condition in Cedynia compared to Słaboszewo (18.0% and 7.1%, respectively). The majority of maxillary lesions were classified as spicules. Changes to bone morphology suggestive of sinusitis of dental origin were not found. The development of observed osseous lesions may be attributed to culturally determined risk factors such as low quality of housing, air pollution caused by smoke from the household hearth and street workshops, poor levels of hygiene, and water contamination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sediment-associated pesticides in an urban stream in Guangzhou, China: implication of a shift in pesticide use patterns.

PubMed

Li, Huizhen; Sun, Baoquan; Lydy, Michael J; You, Jing

2013-04-01

Pesticide use patterns in China have changed in recent years; however, the study of the environmental fate of current-use pesticides (CUPs) and their ecotoxicological significance in aquatic ecosystems is limited. In the present study, sediments were collected from an urban stream in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Sediment-associated legacy organochlorine pesticides and CUPs-including organophosphates, pyrethroids, fipronil, and abamectin-were analyzed. Additionally, the relative toxicity of the sediments was evaluated with 10-d bioassays using Chironomus dilutus. Fifteen of 16 sediments collected from the stream were acutely toxic to C. dilutus, with 81% of the samples causing 100% mortality. Abamectin, fipronil, and pyrethroids (mainly cypermethrin) were identified as the principal contributors to the noted toxicity in the midges, with median predicted toxic units of 1.63, 1.63, and 1.03, respectively. Sediments taken from downstream sites, where residential and industrial regions were located, had elevated CUP concentrations and sediment toxicity compared with upstream sites. The present study is the first of its kind to link sediment CUPs, fipronil, and abamectin concentrations with toxicity in urban streams in China with a focus on shifting pesticide usage patterns. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

24 CFR 234.63 - Location of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Location of property. 234.63 Section 234.63 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development... CONDOMINIUM OWNERSHIP MORTGAGE INSURANCE Eligibility Requirements-Individually Owned Units § 234.63 Location...

Urban Watershed Forestry Manual Part 3: Urban Tree Planting Guide

Treesearch

Karen Cappiella; Tom Schueler; Tiffany Wright; Jennifer Tomlinson

2006-01-01

This is the third in a three-manual series on using trees to protect and restore urban watersheds. A brief description of each part follows. Part 3. Urban Tree Planting Guide provides detailed guidance on urban tree planting that is applicable at both the development site and the watershed scales. Topics covered include site assessment, planting design, site...

24 CFR 941.202 - Site and neighborhood standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Site and neighborhood standards. 941.202 Section 941.202 Housing and Urban Development REGULATIONS RELATING TO HOUSING AND URBAN... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PHA Eligibility and Program Requirements § 941.202 Site and...

24 CFR 941.202 - Site and neighborhood standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Site and neighborhood standards. 941.202 Section 941.202 Housing and Urban Development REGULATIONS RELATING TO HOUSING AND URBAN... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PHA Eligibility and Program Requirements § 941.202 Site and...

Childhood leukemia and residential proximity to industrial and urban sites

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

García-Pérez, Javier, E-mail: jgarcia@isciii.es; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública; López-Abente, Gonzalo, E-mail: glabente@isciii.es

Background: Few risk factors for the childhood leukemia are well established. While a small fraction of cases of childhood leukemia might be partially attributable to some diseases or ionizing radiation exposure, the role of industrial and urban pollution also needs to be assessed. Objectives: To ascertain the possible effect of residential proximity to both industrial and urban areas on childhood leukemia, taking into account industrial groups and toxic substances released. Methods: We conducted a population-based case–control study of childhood leukemia in Spain, covering 638 incident cases gathered from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors and for those Autonomous Regions withmore » 100% coverage (period 1990-2011), and 13,188 controls, individually matched by year of birth, sex, and autonomous region of residence. Distances were computed from the respective subject’s residences to the 1068 industries and the 157 urban areas with ≥10,000 inhabitants, located in the study area. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to industrial and urban pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for matching variables. Results: Excess risk of childhood leukemia was observed for children living near (≤2.5 km) industries (OR=1.31; 95%CI=1.03–1.67) – particularly glass and mineral fibers (OR=2.42; 95%CI=1.49–3.92), surface treatment using organic solvents (OR=1.87; 95%CI=1.24–2.83), galvanization (OR=1.86; 95%CI=1.07–3.21), production and processing of metals (OR=1.69; 95%CI=1.22–2.34), and surface treatment of metals (OR=1.62; 95%CI=1.22–2.15) – , and urban areas (OR=1.36; 95%CI=1.02–1.80). Conclusions: Our study furnishes some evidence that living in the proximity of industrial and urban sites may be a risk factor for childhood leukemia. - Highlights: • We studied proximity to both industrial and urban sites on childhood leukemia. • We conducted a case–control study in Spain, with 638 cases and 13,188 controls. • We found excess risk near industries (especially, production of metals and glass). • We found excess risk near urban areas with more than 10,000 inhabitants. • We found excess risk near industries releasing As, Cd, Cr, Ni, PAHS, and benzene.« less

Birmingham Urban Climate Laboratory (BUCL): Experiences, Challenges and Applications of an Urban Temperature Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Catherine; Chapman, Lee; Young, Duick; Grimmond, Sue; Cai, Xiaoming

2013-04-01

The Birmingham Urban Climate Laboratory (BUCL) has recently been established by the University of Birmingham. BUCL is an in-situ, real-time urban network that will incorporate 3 nested networks - a wide-array of 25 weather stations, a dense array of 131 low-cost air temperature sensors and a fine-array of temperature sensor across the city-centre (50/km^2) - with the primary aim of monitoring air temperatures across a morphologically-heterogeneous urban conurbation for a variety of applications. During its installation there have been a number of challenges to overcome, including siting equipment in suitable urban locations, ensuring that the measurements were 'representative' of the local-scale climate, managing a large, near real-time data set and implementing QA/QC procedures. From these experiences, the establishment of a standardised urban meteorological network metadata protocol has been proposed in order to improve data quality, to ensure the end-user has access to all the supplementary information they would require for conducting valid analyses and to encourage the adequate recording and documentation of any changes to in-situ urban networks over time. This paper will provide an introduction to the BUCL in-situ network, give an overview of the challenges and experiences gained from its implementation, and finally discuss the proposed applications of the network, including its use in remote sensing observations of urban temperatures, as well as health and infrastructure applications.

24 CFR 585.204 - Locational considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM Youthbuild Planning Grants § 585.204... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Locational considerations. 585.204 Section 585.204 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development...

24 CFR 585.204 - Locational considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES YOUTHBUILD PROGRAM Youthbuild Planning Grants § 585.204... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Locational considerations. 585.204 Section 585.204 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development...

Aquatic assemblages of the highly urbanized Santa Ana River Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; Burton, Carmen; Belitz, Kenneth

2005-01-01

We assessed the structure of periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrate, and fish assemblages and their associations with environmental variables at 17 sites on streams of the highly urbanized Santa Ana River basin in Southern California. All assemblages exhibited strong differences between highly urbanized sites in the valley and the least-impacted sites at the transition between the valley and undeveloped mountains. Results within the urbanized area differed among taxa. Periphyton assemblages were dominated by diatoms (>75% of total taxa). Periphyton assemblages within the urbanized area were not associated with any of the measured environmental variables, suggesting that structure of urban periphyton assemblages might be highly dependent on colonization dynamics. The number of Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Plecoptera (EPT) taxa included in macroinvertebrate assemblages ranged from 0 to 6 at urbanized sites. Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages had significant correlations with several environmental variables within the urban area, suggesting that stream size and permanence were important determinants of distribution among the species able to survive conditions in urban streams. Only 4 of 16 fish species collected were native to the drainage. Fish assemblages of urbanized sites included two native species, arroyo chub Gila orcuttii and Santa Ana sucker Catostomus santaanae, at sites that were intermediate in coefficient of variation of bank-full width, depth, bed substrate, and water temperature. Alien species dominated urbanized sites with lesser or greater values for these variables. These results suggest that urban streams can be structured to enhance populations of native fishes. Continued study of urban streams in the Santa Ana River basin and elsewhere will contribute to the basic understanding of ecological principles and help preserve the maximum ecological value of streams in highly urbanized areas.

Meteorologically-adjusted trend analysis of surface observed ozone at three monitoring sites in Delhi, India: 2007-2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, J.; Farooqui, Z.; Guttikunda, S. K.

2012-12-01

It is well known that meteorological parameters have significant impact on surface ozone concentrations. Therefore it is important to remove the effects of meteorology on ozone concentrations to correctly estimate long-term trends in ozone levels due to the alterations in precursor emissions. This is important for the development of effectual control strategies. In this study surface observed ozone trends in New Delhi are analyzed using Komogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter, US EPA ozone adjustment due to weather approach and the classification and regression tree method. The statistical models are applied to the ozone data at three observational sites in New Delhi metropolitan areas, 1) Income Tax Office (ITO) 2) Sirifort and 3) Delhi College of Engineering (DCE). The ITO site is located adjacent to a traffic crossing, Sirifort is an urban site and the DCE site is located in a residential area. The ITO site is also influenced by local industrial emissions. DCE has higher ozone levels than the other two sites. It was found that ITO has lowest ozone concentrations amongst the three sites due to ozone titrating due to industrial and on-road mobile NOx emissions. The statistical methods employed can assess ozone trends at these sites with a high degree of confidence and the results can be used to gauge the effectiveness of control strategies on surface ozone levels in New Delhi.

Influence of Land Use, Discharge and Impervious Surfaces on the Geochemistry of the Anacostia River, Washington DC.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAvoy, S. E.; De Filippis, N.

2016-12-01

Challenges facing urban rivers include water stormwater runoff and changing water chemistry, not only from air and water pollution, but also from altered geology with the development of "urban karst" (concrete). The Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. has 75% of its watershed classified as urban or impervious, and is among the 10 most contaminated rivers in the USA. In addition to its relatively well-documented organic contamination problems, we hypothesize that concrete could be substantially altering its geochemistry. Here we report findings from 6 locations along the Anacostia River and its tributaries that indicate both seasonally elevated Na and Cl (becoming brackish, 2000-3000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids, in a suburban creek), and elevated cations in low flow suburban tributaries. Concentrations of all major cations (Ca, Mg, K, Na) strongly, and positively, covaried (factor scores (FC) >0.88). However Ca/Sr ratios negatively covaried with major cations (FC -0.64). This suggests the weathering of low Sr minerals, such as those in concrete. In urbanized portions of the river, Ca/Sr was >200, which is a concrete weathering indicator in areas with silica mineral bedrock (Anacostia bedrock consists of Precambrian phyllits, sericite, chlorite, quartzite, slate and schist). Mean ± SE Sr was 0.13 ± 0.02 mg/L in the most urban area, but 0.37 ± 0.03 mg/L in the most suburban. This supports the hypothesis that the source of elevated cations in the urban areas is concrete weathering, not bedrock mineral weathering. Inorganic N was not correlated strongly with cations. Mean NO3- was highest at the most suburban site (1.8 ± 0.2 mg/L), but rose above 3 mg/L in some samples at all sites. Elevated NO3- did not appear to vary with season or discharge rate at time of sampling. NH4+ was generally lower than 1 mg/L but spiked to 3.4 mg/L at the most urban site. These data follow patterns expected for "urban stream syndrome". Suburban areas, with their relatively small streams, show greater winter salting effects than more urban areas down stream. Suburban areas also show higher NO3- (and occasionally higher NH4+) than urban areas except in winter. The geochemistry of highly urbanized systems may be significantly altered and understanding this effect will help in the development of plans for more effective watershed rehabilitation.

Influence of landscape structure and human modifications on insect biomass and bat foraging activity in an urban landscape.

PubMed

Threlfall, Caragh G; Law, Bradley; Banks, Peter B

2012-01-01

Urban landscapes are often located in biologically diverse, productive regions. As such, urbanization may have dramatic consequences for this diversity, largely due to changes in the structure and function of urban communities. We examined the influence of landscape productivity (indexed by geology), housing density and vegetation clearing on the spatial distribution of nocturnal insect biomass and the foraging activity of insectivorous bats in the urban landscape of Sydney, Australia. Nocturnal insect biomass (g) and bat foraging activity were sampled from 113 sites representing backyard, open space, bushland and riparian landscape elements, across urban, suburban and vegetated landscapes within 60 km of Sydney's Central Business District. We found that insect biomass was at least an order of magnitude greater within suburban landscapes in bushland and backyard elements located on the most fertile shale influenced geologies (both p<0.001) compared to nutrient poor sandstone landscapes. Similarly, the feeding activity of bats was greatest in bushland, and riparian elements within suburbs on fertile geologies (p = 0.039). Regression tree analysis indicated that the same three variables explained the major proportion of the variation in insect biomass and bat foraging activity. These were ambient temperature (positive), housing density (negative) and the percent of fertile shale geologies (positive) in the landscape; however variation in insect biomass did not directly explain bat foraging activity. We suggest that prey may be unavailable to bats in highly urbanized areas if these areas are avoided by many species, suggesting that reduced feeding activity may reflect under-use of urban habitats by bats. Restoration activities to improve ecological function and maintain the activity of a diversity of bat species should focus on maintaining and restoring bushland and riparian habitat, particularly in areas with fertile geology as these were key bat foraging habitats.

Influence of Landscape Structure and Human Modifications on Insect Biomass and Bat Foraging Activity in an Urban Landscape

PubMed Central

Threlfall, Caragh G.; Law, Bradley; Banks, Peter B.

2012-01-01

Urban landscapes are often located in biologically diverse, productive regions. As such, urbanization may have dramatic consequences for this diversity, largely due to changes in the structure and function of urban communities. We examined the influence of landscape productivity (indexed by geology), housing density and vegetation clearing on the spatial distribution of nocturnal insect biomass and the foraging activity of insectivorous bats in the urban landscape of Sydney, Australia. Nocturnal insect biomass (g) and bat foraging activity were sampled from 113 sites representing backyard, open space, bushland and riparian landscape elements, across urban, suburban and vegetated landscapes within 60 km of Sydney's Central Business District. We found that insect biomass was at least an order of magnitude greater within suburban landscapes in bushland and backyard elements located on the most fertile shale influenced geologies (both p<0.001) compared to nutrient poor sandstone landscapes. Similarly, the feeding activity of bats was greatest in bushland, and riparian elements within suburbs on fertile geologies (p = 0.039). Regression tree analysis indicated that the same three variables explained the major proportion of the variation in insect biomass and bat foraging activity. These were ambient temperature (positive), housing density (negative) and the percent of fertile shale geologies (positive) in the landscape; however variation in insect biomass did not directly explain bat foraging activity. We suggest that prey may be unavailable to bats in highly urbanized areas if these areas are avoided by many species, suggesting that reduced feeding activity may reflect under-use of urban habitats by bats. Restoration activities to improve ecological function and maintain the activity of a diversity of bat species should focus on maintaining and restoring bushland and riparian habitat, particularly in areas with fertile geology as these were key bat foraging habitats. PMID:22685608

Modeling particle number concentrations along Interstate 10 in El Paso, Texas

PubMed Central

Olvera, Hector A.; Jimenez, Omar; Provencio-Vasquez, Elias

2014-01-01

Annual average daily particle number concentrations around a highway were estimated with an atmospheric dispersion model and a land use regression model. The dispersion model was used to estimate particle concentrations along Interstate 10 at 98 locations within El Paso, Texas. This model employed annual averaged wind speed and annual average daily traffic counts as inputs. A land use regression model with vehicle kilometers traveled as the predictor variable was used to estimate local background concentrations away from the highway to adjust the near-highway concentration estimates. Estimated particle number concentrations ranged between 9.8 × 103 particles/cc and 1.3 × 105 particles/cc, and averaged 2.5 × 104 particles/cc (SE 421.0). Estimates were compared against values measured at seven sites located along I10 throughout the region. The average fractional error was 6% and ranged between -1% and -13% across sites. The largest bias of -13% was observed at a semi-rural site where traffic was lowest. The average bias amongst urban sites was 5%. The accuracy of the estimates depended primarily on the emission factor and the adjustment to local background conditions. An emission factor of 1.63 × 1014 particles/veh-km was based on a value proposed in the literature and adjusted with local measurements. The integration of the two modeling techniques ensured that the particle number concentrations estimates captured the impact of traffic along both the highway and arterial roadways. The performance and economical aspects of the two modeling techniques used in this study shows that producing particle concentration surfaces along major roadways would be feasible in urban regions where traffic and meteorological data are readily available. PMID:25313294

Non-methane hydrocarbons source apportionment at different sites in Mexico City during 2002-2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vega, E.; Sanchez, G.; Molina, L.

2007-09-01

The atmospheric concentrations of a variety of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) collected at different sites, representing urban and rural environments within Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) during 1997, 2002 and 2003 field campaigns, were compared and used as an input for the Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) receptor model to determine the source contribution of NMHC to the atmosphere. A common feature at all the locations was the dominance of alkenes (59%), aromatics (16%) and olefins (9%) in the average NMHC burden. At the urban sites the interquartile range of NMHC concentrations showed stabilization over this period with a slight increase in the concentrations of propane and butanes in the southwest site of the MCMA in 2003 due to the increased use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The receptor model CMB version 8.0 was used to apportion the NMHC sources at six locations within the MCMA, representing the heavily industrialized, commercial, residential and rural areas. For the 2003 field campaign, the contribution of vehicular emissions dominated the NMHC concentrations (19.7%±7.1% for gasoline vehicles and 35.4%±17.5% for diesel vehicles) followed by the emissions of marketing and handling of LPG (29.9%±8.0%). The NMHC concentrations showed a weekly cycle with the highest levels towards the end of the week and lowest at weekend and beginning of the week, suggesting that both emissions and accumulations process play a key role in building up NMHC levels. The toluene to benzene ratio was used to determine photochemical ageing of the air samples during the 2003 field campaign. The database was divided into periods with similar wind circulation pattern; the results suggest that ageing process within the MCMA is generally suppressed by the amount of fresh emissions.

Ozone levels in European and USA cities are increasing more than at rural sites, while peak values are decreasing.

PubMed

Paoletti, Elena; De Marco, Alessandra; Beddows, David C S; Harrison, Roy M; Manning, William J

2014-09-01

Ground-level ozone (O3) levels are usually lower in urban centers than nearby rural sites. To compare trends in O3 levels during the period 1990-2010, we obtained monitoring data from paired urban and rural sites from the European Environment Agency and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Ozone peaks decreased at both station types, with no significant differences between urban and rural stations. Ozone annual averages increased at both urban and rural sites, with a faster rate of increase for urban centers. The overall trend was for convergence between urban and rural O3 data. Ozone levels exceeded the criteria established for the protection of human and vegetation health at both urban and rural sites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

24 CFR 110.15 - Location of posters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Location of posters. 110.15 Section 110.15 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF... HOUSING POSTER Requirements for Display of Posters § 110.15 Location of posters. All fair housing posters...

24 CFR 110.15 - Location of posters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Location of posters. 110.15 Section 110.15 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF... HOUSING POSTER Requirements for Display of Posters § 110.15 Location of posters. All fair housing posters...

24 CFR 110.15 - Location of posters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Location of posters. 110.15 Section 110.15 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF... HOUSING POSTER Requirements for Display of Posters § 110.15 Location of posters. All fair housing posters...

24 CFR 110.15 - Location of posters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Location of posters. 110.15 Section 110.15 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF... HOUSING POSTER Requirements for Display of Posters § 110.15 Location of posters. All fair housing posters...

24 CFR 110.15 - Location of posters.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Location of posters. 110.15 Section 110.15 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development OFFICE OF... HOUSING POSTER Requirements for Display of Posters § 110.15 Location of posters. All fair housing posters...

Tampa Bay Integrated Science Pilot Study: Baseline mapping, land surface dynamics and predictive modeling, and hazards vulnerability studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crane, Michael; Yates, Kimberly; Clark, Robert; Gesch, Dean; Hess, Kurt; Koehmstedt, John; Milbert, Dennis; Parker, Bruce; Sechrist, Dan; Tilley, Janet; Wilson, Robert

2001-01-01

Tampa Bay and its environs have experienced phenomenal urban growth and significant changes in land cover and land-use practices over the past 50 years. This trend is expected to continue, with the impact of human activity broadening geographically and intensifying throughout the region.One of the immediate impacts of urban growth is the creation of additional impervious surfaces, which in turn, generate increased urban runoff that contributes to higher levels of nutrient loading in water bodies throughout the area.To better understand these and other anthropogenic affects on the ecology of the natural environment of the region, this component of the Tampa Bay Pilot Study took a broad basin-wide view. This regional view was intended to provide geographic and temporal context for the smaller intensely studied sample field site locations within the estuarine environment.

Urban soil exploration through multi-receiver electromagnetic induction and stepped-frequency ground penetrating radar.

PubMed

Van De Vijver, Ellen; Van Meirvenne, Marc; Vandenhaute, Laura; Delefortrie, Samuël; De Smedt, Philippe; Saey, Timothy; Seuntjens, Piet

2015-07-01

In environmental assessments, the characterization of urban soils relies heavily on invasive investigation, which is often insufficient to capture their full spatial heterogeneity. Non-invasive geophysical techniques enable rapid collection of high-resolution data and provide a cost-effective alternative to investigate soil in a spatially comprehensive way. This paper presents the results of combining multi-receiver electromagnetic induction and stepped-frequency ground penetrating radar to characterize a former garage site contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. The sensor combination showed the ability to identify and accurately locate building remains and a high-density soil layer, thus demonstrating the high potential to investigate anthropogenic disturbances of physical nature. In addition, a correspondence was found between an area of lower electrical conductivity and elevated concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons, suggesting the potential to detect specific chemical disturbances. We conclude that the sensor combination provides valuable information for preliminary assessment of urban soils.

Tropical Rainforest and Human-Modified Landscapes Support Unique Butterfly Communities That Differ in Abundance and Diversity.

PubMed

Sambhu, Hemchandranauth; Northfield, Tobin; Nankishore, Alliea; Ansari, Abdullah; Turton, Stephen

2017-12-08

Tropical forests account for at least 50% of documented diversity, but anthropogenic activities are converting forests to agriculture and urban areas at an alarming rate, with potentially strong effects on insect abundance and diversity. However, the questions remain whether insect populations are uniformly affected by land conversion and if insect conservation can occur in agricultural margins and urban gardens. We compare butterfly populations in tropical secondary forests to those found in sugarcane and urban areas in coastal Guyana and evaluate the potential for particular butterfly communities to inhabit human-modified landscapes. Butterflies were sampled for 1 yr using fruit-baited traps in three separated geographical locations on the coast. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling to assess differences in species assemblages and a generalized linear mixed model to evaluate abundance, species richness, evenness, and diversity. The secondary forests in all three locations supported higher butterfly abundance and diversity than other human-modified areas, although the magnitude of this effect varied by season and location. However, each land use supported its own type of butterfly community, as species composition was different across the three land uses. Sugarcane field margins and urban gardens supported populations of butterflies rarely found in our tropical secondary forest sites. Land management practices that encourage forest conservation along with butterfly-friendly activities in human settlements and agricultural areas could improve butterfly conservation. To this end, butterfly conservation in Guyana and other tropical landscapes would benefit from a shift from inadvertently to actively making the landscape attractive for butterflies. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

41 CFR 102-83.110 - When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false When an agency's mission... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.110 When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are Executive agencies required...

41 CFR 102-83.110 - When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false When an agency's mission... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.110 When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are Executive agencies required...

41 CFR 102-83.110 - When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false When an agency's mission... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.110 When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are Executive agencies required...

41 CFR 102-83.110 - When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false When an agency's mission... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.110 When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are Executive agencies required...

41 CFR 102-83.110 - When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false When an agency's mission... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.110 When an agency's mission and program requirements call for the location in an urban area, are Executive agencies required...

Spatio-temporal patterns of high summer ozone events in the Madrid Basin, Central Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reche, C.; Moreno, T.; Amato, F.; Pandolfi, M.; Pérez, J.; de la Paz, D.; Diaz, E.; Gómez-Moreno, F. J.; Pujadas, M.; Artíñano, B.; Reina, F.; Orio, A.; Pallarés, M.; Escudero, M.; Tapia, O.; Crespo, E.; Vargas, R.; Alastuey, A.; Querol, X.

2018-07-01

Complex spatial and temporal patterns of ground-level O3 and NO2 concentrations have been revealed across an important southern European O3 exceedance area (Madrid Basin, central Spain). Data were obtained from 102 diffusion tube sites and 49 monitoring stations (25 urban/suburban, 12 urban/suburban-traffic, 7 remote, 3 rural, 2 urban-industrial) located through a wide area inside and beyond the city. This new, high-density database confirms that current locations of monitoring stations in the Madrid networks are well positioned to record representative levels of O3 across the area. Two air quality monitoring stations were identified as reference measurement points, based on their lower O3 and NO2 concentrations, and used as a proxy for regional and hemispheric background levels. Although a main regional contribution was evidenced, emissions of local precursors within the Madrid urban plume play a key role in the generation of O3 exceedances, which are higher and occur earlier near the city than at rural sites, where the effect of NO titration is lower. Despite the fact that weekend emissions of O3 precursors in Madrid are typically lower than on weekdays, mainly due to fewer road traffic emissions, there is little difference in average values of weekday and weekend O3. However, more subtle "weekend effect" differences are revealed by probability density analysis, with high O3 and low NO2 at the highest temperature range (30-35° C) at weekends reflecting lower NO titration. This analysis highlights the importance of NO timing with respect to the photochemical activity timing. The complexity of these O3 pollution patterns in and around the city is dependent on an ever-changing interplay between weather conditions, emission sources, and the timescale required for pollutant transport, chemical processing and recirculation in an evolving contaminated airmass.

Compliance with the annual NO 2 air quality standard in Athens. Required NO x levels and expected health implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaloulakou, A.; Mavroidis, I.; Gavriil, I.

Recent risk assessment studies have shown that high outdoor NO 2 levels observed in residential areas contribute to increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Detailed information on present NO 2 levels as well as predictions of NO 2 concentrations corresponding to reduced NO x levels in urban areas are very useful to decision and policy makers in order to protect the public health. In the present paper, monitoring stations of the Athens network are initially classified into two main groups, traffic affected and urban background, using effectively a criterion based on the ratio of annual mean NO:NO 2 concentrations. Two empirical methodologies are then considered and compared for assessing the effect of different NO x levels on the attainment of the annual NO 2 air quality standard at urban-background locations in the Athens area. An interesting finding is that these two methodologies, one more general and one both year and site dependent, give similar results for the specific study area and can be applied alternatively based on the length of available concentration time series. The results show that in order to meet the EU annual mean NO 2 objective at all the urban-background locations of the Athens area, annual NO x concentrations should be reduced to approximately 60 μg m -3, requiring NO x emission reductions of up to 30%. An analysis of the health implications of the currently observed NO 2 levels is conducted, based on a dose-response relationship, and is coupled with available health-related data for the Athens area. This analysis suggests that if NO 2 concentrations were reduced to the levels of the annual EU air quality standard, then a decrease of hospital admissions of up to 2.6% would be observed, depending on the levels of NO 2 measured at different monitoring sites of the Athens conurbation.

Identification and characterisation of local aerosol sources using high temporal resolution measurements.

PubMed

Contini, D; Donateo, A; Cesari, D; Belosi, F; Francioso, S

2010-09-01

Aerosol and gaseous pollution measurements were carried out at an urban background site in the south of Italy located near an industrial complex. Collection of 24 h samples of PM10 and PM2.5 and successive chemical quantification of metals were performed. Data were compared with measurements taken at a suburban background site, located at 25 km distance. The comparison showed the presence of an industrial contribution with a well defined chemical emission profile, similar, in terms of metals content, to urban emissions. As this made difficult the quantitative characterisation of the contribution of the two sources to atmospheric PM, a statistical method based on the treatment of data arising from high temporal resolution measurements was developed. Data were taken with a micrometeorological station based on an integrating nephelometer (Mie pDR-1200) for optical detection of PM2.5 concentration, with successive evaluation of vertical turbulent fluxes using the eddy-correlation method. Results show that the contribution from the two sources (urban emissions and industrial releases) have a very different behaviour, with the industrial contribution being present at high wind velocity with short concentration peaks (average duration 4 min) associated to strong positive and negative vertical fluxes. The estimated contribution to PM2.5 is 2.3% over long-term averages. The urban emissions are mainly present at low wind velocity, with longer concentration peaks in the morning and late evening hours, generally associated to small positive vertical fluxes. The characterisation of the contribution was performed using deposition velocity V(d) that is on average -3.5 mm s(-1) and has a diurnal pattern, with negligible values during the night and a minimum value of around -9 mm s(-1) late in the afternoon. Results show a correlation between V(d), friction velocity and wind velocity that could be the basis for a parameterisation of V(d) to be used in dispersion codes.

Understanding Biogenic and Anthropogenic Trace Gas Variations Measured Near Cool, CA in June 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, B. Z.; Flowers, B. A.; Gorkowski, K.; Dubey, M. K.; Knighton, W. B.; Floerchinger, C.; Herndon, S. C.; Fast, J. D.; Zaveri, R. A.

2011-12-01

Trace gas signatures produced by forested and urban areas differ greatly. Forested areas are dominated by gases produced during photosynthesis and respiration: CO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including terpenes and isoprene. Urban areas are heavily influenced by vehicle exhaust emissions and have elevated levels of CO, NOx and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene. Ozone is produced as a byproduct of both of these sources; it is produced when NOx from urban areas reacts with either anthropogenic or biogenic hydrocarbons. The Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) campaign was conducted during June 2010, in part to observe the evolution of urban air masses as they mix into rural locations and to better understand anthropogenic-biogenic photochemical interactions. The campaign included two ground-based sampling sites, one in Sacramento, CA (T0) and one downwind, approximately 70km NE, rurally located near Cool, CA (T1). In situ measurements of CO2, CO, O3, NO and multiple different VOCs were performed at the T1 site during the study, and are analyzed here to gain insights into the chemistry and transport of these trace gases. Comparisons between these trace gases coupled with transport modeling is used to delineate biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Additionally, comparisons between trace gases produced predominately by biogenic sources provide valuable information on how meteorology affects their production. Two atmospheric models (HYSPLIT back-trajectories and WRF forecasts) are used to predict transport episodes, where polluted air masses from the Sacramento or more distant San Francisco areas are transported to Cool. The two models display significant overlap for eleven different transport episodes during the study period. Both models also agree on two transport-free multiple-day periods. By examining the periods during which the models are in agreement, we are able to characterize with high certainty the trace gas signatures of local biogenic sources and also the significance of short-range transported anthropogenic trace gases.

40 CFR 63.775 - Reporting requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... source is located in an urban cluster with 10,000 people or more; the distance in miles to the nearest urbanized area boundary if the source is not located in an urban cluster with 10,000 people or more; and the names of the nearest urban cluster with 10,000 people or more and nearest urbanized area. (ii...

Urban air quality measurements using a sensor-based system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ródenas, Mila; Hernández, Daniel; Gómez, Tatiana; López, Ramón; Muñoz, Amalia

2017-04-01

Air pollution levels in urban areas have increased the interest, not only of the scientific community but also of the general public, and both at the regional and at the European level. This interest has run in parallel to the development of miniaturized sensors, which only since very recently are suitable for air quality measurements. Certainly, their small size and price allows them to be used as a network of sensors capable of providing high temporal and spatial frequency measurements to characterize an area or city and with increasing potential, under certain considerations, as a complement of conventional methods. Within the frame of the LIFE PHOTOCITYTEX project (use of photocatalytic textiles to help reducing air pollution), CEAM has developed a system to measure gaseous compounds of importance for urban air quality characterization. This system, which allows an autonomous power supply, uses commercial NO, NO2, O3 and CO2 small sensors and incorporates measurements of temperature and humidity. A first version, using XBee boards (Radiofrequency) for communications has been installed in the urban locations defined by the project (tunnel and school), permitting the long-term air quality characterization of sites in the presence of the textiles. An improved second version of the system which also comprises a sensor for measuring particles and which uses GPRS for communications, has been developed and successfully installed in the city center of Valencia. Data are sent to a central server where they can be accessed by citizens in nearly real time and online and, in general, they can be utilized in the air quality characterization, for decision-making related to decontamination (traffic regulation, photocatalytic materials, etc.), in air quality models or in mobile applications of interest for the citizens. Within this work, temporal trends obtained with this system in different urban locations will be shown, discussing the impact of the characteristics of the selected sites and the seasonal variability on the air quality levels observed. Acknowledgements EUPHORE staff is acknowledged. PHOTOCITYTEX project (LIFE13 ENV/ES/000603) is acknowledged for supporting this work. Fundación CEAM is partly supported by Generalitat Valenciana - Spain.

NMOC, ozone, and organic aerosol in the southeastern United States, 1999-2007: 3. Origins of organic aerosol in Atlanta, Georgia, and surrounding areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchard, C. L.; Hidy, G. M.; Tanenbaum, S.; Edgerton, E. S.

2011-02-01

Carbonaceous compounds constitute a major fraction of the fine particle mass at locations throughout North America; much of the condensed-phase organic carbon (OC) is produced in the atmosphere from NMOC reactions as "secondary" OC (SOC). Ten years of particulate carbon and speciated non-methane organic compound (NMOC) data combined with other measurements from Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH) and other sites provide insight into the association between elemental carbon (EC), OC and NMOCs. Data are analyzed to characterize the OC and SOC contrasts between urban Atlanta, Georgia, and nearby non-urban conditions in the Southeast. Analysis of the monitoring record indicates that the mean Atlanta urban excess of total carbon (TC) is 2.1-2.8 μg m -3. The OC/EC ratio of the Atlanta urban excess is in the range 1.3 to 1.8, consistent with OC/EC ratios observed in motor vehicle emissions and a fossil carbon source of urban excess TC. Carbon isotope analysis of a subset of particle samples demonstrates that the urban excess is mainly fossil in origin, even though the majority of the TC is modern at both urban and non-urban sites. Temperature-dependent partitioning of OC between gas and condensed phases cannot explain the observed diurnal and seasonal variations of OC/CO, EC/CO, and OC/EC ratios. Alternatively, a hypothesis involving vertical mixing of OC-enriched air from aloft is supported by the seasonal and diurnal OC, isopentane, aromatic and isoprene observations at the ground. A statistical model is applied to indicate the relative significance of aerometric factors affecting OC and EC concentrations, including meteorological and pollutant associations. The model results demonstrate strong linkages between fine particle carbon and pollutant indicators of source emissions compared with meteorological factors; the model results show weaker dependence of OC on meteorological factors than is the case for ozone (O 3) concentrations.

Functional Use Change in Green Spaces: A Case Study of Kirklareli Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sat Gungor, Beyza; Culha Ozanguc, Kadiriye

2017-10-01

Green spaces which are one of the most important public spaces in urban design have an important role on qualified daily urban life. People escape from intense work pressure and traffic jam of metropoles to those urban green areas to take a breath even they cover a small size. In time, people’s expectations from green spaces as functional and quantitative needs are changing. This change occurs due to increasing population and as the character of the urban life. This study examines the functional use and quantitative change of urban green spaces of Kırklareli Province from past to present. Kırklareli is a border city to Bulgaria which is located in north-west part of Turkey and this gives a transitional and a multicultural character to the city. The population is about 67360. In the course of time; green space needs have increased by the increasing population. In addition to this, green spaces’ functional use change has been identified. According to the results of the study; from the aspect of the green space standards, Kırklareli found above standards with 17.5 m2 per capita, but on the other hand, sport and playground areas found insufficient. The Oldest and the newest city plans of Kırklareli (1940s and 2012s cadastral plans) have been compared and site surveys implemented as the methodology. In site survey, current green spaces’ functional uses as sport or playground are observed and determined and also current quantitative measure of the green spaces are verified. Urban green spaces in Kırklareli Province evaluated through considering world’s most populated urban green space standards and Turkey’s standards. This study utilizes to compose a substructure of the urban green space. Determined deficiencies and inadequacies of green spaces and functional needs in this study, can guide to further studies and implementations of Kırklareli Municipality.

Association between degradation of pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds and microbial communities along a treated wastewater effluent gradient in Lake Mead

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blunt, Susanna M.; Sackett, Joshua D.; Rosen, Michael R.; Benotti, Mark J.; Trenholm, Rebecca A.; Vanderford, Brett J.; Hedlund, Brian P.; Moser, Duane P.

2018-01-01

The role of microbial communities in the degradation of trace organic contaminants in the environment is little understood. In this study, the biotransformation potential of 27 pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds was examined in parallel with a characterization of the native microbial community in water samples from four sites variously impacted by urban run-off and wastewater discharge in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA. Samples included relatively pristine Colorado River water at the upper end of the lake, nearly pure tertiary-treated municipal wastewater entering via the Las Vegas Wash, and waters of mixed influence (Las Vegas Bay and Boulder Basin), which represented a gradient of treated wastewater effluent impact. Microbial diversity analysis based on 16S rRNA gene censuses revealed the community at this site to be distinct from the less urban-impacted locations, although all sites were similar in overall diversity and richness. Similarly, Biolog EcoPlate assays demonstrated that the microbial community at Las Vegas Wash was the most metabolically versatile and active. Organic contaminants added as a mixture to laboratory microcosms were more rapidly and completely degraded in the most wastewater-impacted sites (Las Vegas Wash and Las Vegas Bay), with the majority exhibiting shorter half-lives than at the other sites or in a bacteriostatic control. Although the reasons for enhanced degradation capacity in the wastewater-impacted sites remain to be established, these data are consistent with the acclimatization of native microorganisms (either through changes in community structure or metabolic regulation) to effluent-derived trace contaminants. This study suggests that in urban, wastewater-impacted watersheds, prior exposure to organic contaminants fundamentally alters the structure and function of microbial communities, which in turn translates into greater potential for the natural attenuation of these compounds compared to more pristine sites.

Association between degradation of pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds and microbial communities along a treated wastewater effluent gradient in Lake Mead.

PubMed

Blunt, Susanna M; Sackett, Joshua D; Rosen, Michael R; Benotti, Mark J; Trenholm, Rebecca A; Vanderford, Brett J; Hedlund, Brian P; Moser, Duane P

2018-05-01

The role of microbial communities in the degradation of trace organic contaminants in the environment is little understood. In this study, the biotransformation potential of 27 pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds was examined in parallel with a characterization of the native microbial community in water samples from four sites variously impacted by urban run-off and wastewater discharge in Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona, USA. Samples included relatively pristine Colorado River water at the upper end of the lake, nearly pure tertiary-treated municipal wastewater entering via the Las Vegas Wash, and waters of mixed influence (Las Vegas Bay and Boulder Basin), which represented a gradient of treated wastewater effluent impact. Microbial diversity analysis based on 16S rRNA gene censuses revealed the community at this site to be distinct from the less urban-impacted locations, although all sites were similar in overall diversity and richness. Similarly, Biolog EcoPlate assays demonstrated that the microbial community at Las Vegas Wash was the most metabolically versatile and active. Organic contaminants added as a mixture to laboratory microcosms were more rapidly and completely degraded in the most wastewater-impacted sites (Las Vegas Wash and Las Vegas Bay), with the majority exhibiting shorter half-lives than at the other sites or in a bacteriostatic control. Although the reasons for enhanced degradation capacity in the wastewater-impacted sites remain to be established, these data are consistent with the acclimatization of native microorganisms (either through changes in community structure or metabolic regulation) to effluent-derived trace contaminants. This study suggests that in urban, wastewater-impacted watersheds, prior exposure to organic contaminants fundamentally alters the structure and function of microbial communities, which in turn translates into greater potential for the natural attenuation of these compounds compared to more pristine sites. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Quantile regression of microgeographic variation in population characteristics of an invasive vertebrate predator

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siers, Shane R.; Savidge, Julie A.; Reed, Robert

2017-01-01

Localized ecological conditions have the potential to induce variation in population characteristics such as size distributions and body conditions. The ability to generalize the influence of ecological characteristics on such population traits may be particularly meaningful when those traits influence prospects for successful management interventions. To characterize variability in invasive Brown Treesnake population attributes within and among habitat types, we conducted systematic and seasonally-balanced surveys, collecting 100 snakes from each of 18 sites: three replicates within each of six major habitat types comprising 95% of Guam’s geographic expanse. Our study constitutes one of the most comprehensive and controlled samplings of any published snake study. Quantile regression on snake size and body condition indicated significant ecological heterogeneity, with a general trend of relative consistency of size classes and body conditions within and among scrub and Leucaena forest habitat types and more heterogeneity among ravine forest, savanna, and urban residential sites. Larger and more robust snakes were found within some savanna and urban habitat replicates, likely due to relative availability of larger prey. Compared to more homogeneous samples in the wet season, variability in size distributions and body conditions was greater during the dry season. Although there is evidence of habitat influencing Brown Treesnake populations at localized scales (e.g., the higher prevalence of larger snakes—particularly males—in savanna and urban sites), the level of variability among sites within habitat types indicates little ability to make meaningful predictions about these traits at unsampled locations. Seasonal variability within sites and habitats indicates that localized population characterization should include sampling in both wet and dry seasons. Extreme values at single replicates occasionally influenced overall habitat patterns, while pooling replicates masked variability among sites. A full understanding of population characteristics should include an assessment of variability both at the site and habitat level.

Quantile regression of microgeographic variation in population characteristics of an invasive vertebrate predator

PubMed Central

Siers, Shane R.; Savidge, Julie A.; Reed, Robert N.

2017-01-01

Localized ecological conditions have the potential to induce variation in population characteristics such as size distributions and body conditions. The ability to generalize the influence of ecological characteristics on such population traits may be particularly meaningful when those traits influence prospects for successful management interventions. To characterize variability in invasive Brown Treesnake population attributes within and among habitat types, we conducted systematic and seasonally-balanced surveys, collecting 100 snakes from each of 18 sites: three replicates within each of six major habitat types comprising 95% of Guam’s geographic expanse. Our study constitutes one of the most comprehensive and controlled samplings of any published snake study. Quantile regression on snake size and body condition indicated significant ecological heterogeneity, with a general trend of relative consistency of size classes and body conditions within and among scrub and Leucaena forest habitat types and more heterogeneity among ravine forest, savanna, and urban residential sites. Larger and more robust snakes were found within some savanna and urban habitat replicates, likely due to relative availability of larger prey. Compared to more homogeneous samples in the wet season, variability in size distributions and body conditions was greater during the dry season. Although there is evidence of habitat influencing Brown Treesnake populations at localized scales (e.g., the higher prevalence of larger snakes—particularly males—in savanna and urban sites), the level of variability among sites within habitat types indicates little ability to make meaningful predictions about these traits at unsampled locations. Seasonal variability within sites and habitats indicates that localized population characterization should include sampling in both wet and dry seasons. Extreme values at single replicates occasionally influenced overall habitat patterns, while pooling replicates masked variability among sites. A full understanding of population characteristics should include an assessment of variability both at the site and habitat level. PMID:28570632

Quantile regression of microgeographic variation in population characteristics of an invasive vertebrate predator.

PubMed

Siers, Shane R; Savidge, Julie A; Reed, Robert N

2017-01-01

Localized ecological conditions have the potential to induce variation in population characteristics such as size distributions and body conditions. The ability to generalize the influence of ecological characteristics on such population traits may be particularly meaningful when those traits influence prospects for successful management interventions. To characterize variability in invasive Brown Treesnake population attributes within and among habitat types, we conducted systematic and seasonally-balanced surveys, collecting 100 snakes from each of 18 sites: three replicates within each of six major habitat types comprising 95% of Guam's geographic expanse. Our study constitutes one of the most comprehensive and controlled samplings of any published snake study. Quantile regression on snake size and body condition indicated significant ecological heterogeneity, with a general trend of relative consistency of size classes and body conditions within and among scrub and Leucaena forest habitat types and more heterogeneity among ravine forest, savanna, and urban residential sites. Larger and more robust snakes were found within some savanna and urban habitat replicates, likely due to relative availability of larger prey. Compared to more homogeneous samples in the wet season, variability in size distributions and body conditions was greater during the dry season. Although there is evidence of habitat influencing Brown Treesnake populations at localized scales (e.g., the higher prevalence of larger snakes-particularly males-in savanna and urban sites), the level of variability among sites within habitat types indicates little ability to make meaningful predictions about these traits at unsampled locations. Seasonal variability within sites and habitats indicates that localized population characterization should include sampling in both wet and dry seasons. Extreme values at single replicates occasionally influenced overall habitat patterns, while pooling replicates masked variability among sites. A full understanding of population characteristics should include an assessment of variability both at the site and habitat level.

Analysis of land suitability for urban development in Ahwaz County in southwestern Iran using fuzzy logic and analytic network process (ANP).

PubMed

Malmir, Maryam; Zarkesh, Mir Masoud Kheirkhah; Monavari, Seyed Masoud; Jozi, Seyed Ali; Sharifi, Esmail

2016-08-01

The ever-increasing development of cities due to population growth and migration has led to unplanned constructions and great changes in urban spatial structure, especially the physical development of cities in unsuitable places, which requires conscious guidance and fundamental organization. It is therefore necessary to identify suitable sites for future development of cities and prevent urban sprawl as one of the main concerns of urban managers and planners. In this study, to determine the suitable sites for urban development in the county of Ahwaz, the effective biophysical and socioeconomic criteria (including 27 sub-criteria) were initially determined based on literature review and interviews with certified experts. In the next step, a database of criteria and sub-criteria was prepared. Standardization of values and unification of scales in map layers were done using fuzzy logic. The criteria and sub-criteria were weighted by analytic network process (ANP) in the Super Decision software. Next, the map layers were overlaid using weighted linear combination (WLC) in the GIS software. According to the research findings, the final land suitability map was prepared with five suitability classes of very high (5.86 %), high (31.93 %), medium (38.61 %), low (17.65 %), and very low (5.95 %). Also, in terms of spatial distribution, suitable lands for urban development are mainly located in the central and southern parts of the Ahwaz County. It is expected that integration of fuzzy logic and ANP model will provide a better decision support tool compared with other models. The developed model can also be used in the land suitability analysis of other cities.

Role of levoglucosan as a tracer of wood combustion in an alpine region.

PubMed

Rada, Elena Cristina; Ragazzi, Marco; Malloci, Elisa

2012-01-01

Wood is the most used renewable energy source in the Italian Alpine regions but is one of the major sources of particulate matter too. In order to contribute to the assessment of the role of wood combustion in atmospheric pollution, some measurements of the concentration of a specific wood combustion tracer, levoglucosan, were performed and are presented and discussed in this paper, in the frame of a multi-step approach useful for decision makers. The experimental study presented in this paper was conducted in two urban sites, located in the same alpine town, during summer and winter, and in three mountain sites, where wood was expected to be widely used for domestic heating, during winter. Results showed differences between rural and urban areas and between winter and summer seasons. As explained in this paper, these analyses are useful when the role of wood combustion has to be studied and strategies for air quality improvement have to be planned and monitored.

Urban Monitoring Based on SENTINEL-1 Data Using Permanent Scatterer Interferometry and SAR Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosetto, M.; Budillon, A.; Johnsy, A.; Schirinzi, G.; Devanthéry, N.; Monserrat, O.; Cuevas-González, M.

2018-04-01

A lot of research and development has been devoted to the exploitation of satellite SAR images for deformation measurement and monitoring purposes since Differential Interferometric Synthetic Apertura Radar (InSAR) was first described in 1989. In this work, we consider two main classes of advanced DInSAR techniques: Persistent Scatterer Interferometry and Tomographic SAR. Both techniques make use of multiple SAR images acquired over the same site and advanced procedures to separate the deformation component from the other phase components, such as the residual topographic component, the atmospheric component, the thermal expansion component and the phase noise. TomoSAR offers the advantage of detecting either single scatterers presenting stable proprieties over time (Persistent Scatterers) and multiple scatterers interfering within the same range-azimuth resolution cell, a significant improvement for urban areas monitoring. This paper addresses a preliminary inter-comparison of the results of both techniques, for a test site located in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain), where interferometric Sentinel-1 data were analysed.

Atmospheric aerosols in Rome, Italy: sources, dynamics and spatial variations during two seasons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Struckmeier, Caroline; Drewnick, Frank; Fachinger, Friederike; Gobbi, Gian Paolo; Borrmann, Stephan

2016-12-01

Investigations on atmospheric aerosols and their sources were carried out in October/November 2013 and May/June 2014 consecutively in a suburban area of Rome (Tor Vergata) and in central Rome (near St Peter's Basilica). During both years a Saharan dust advection event temporarily increased PM10 concentrations at ground level by about 12-17 µg m-3. Generally, in October/November the ambient aerosol was more strongly influenced by primary emissions, whereas higher relative contributions of secondary particles (sulfate, aged organic aerosol) were found in May/June. Absolute concentrations of anthropogenic emission tracers (e.g. NOx, CO2, particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, traffic-related organic aerosol) were generally higher at the urban location. Positive matrix factorization was applied to the PM1 organic aerosol (OA) fraction of aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) data to identify different sources of primary OA (POA): traffic, cooking, biomass burning and (local) cigarette smoking. While biomass burning OA was only found at the suburban site, where it accounted for the major fraction of POA (18-24 % of total OA), traffic and cooking were more dominant sources at the urban site. A particle type associated with cigarette smoke emissions, which is associated with a potential characteristic marker peak (m/z 84, C5H10N+, a nicotine fragment) in the mass spectrum, was only found in central Rome, where it was emitted in close vicinity to the measurement location. Regarding secondary OA, in October/November, only a very aged, regionally advected oxygenated OA was found, which contributed 42-53 % to the total OA. In May/June total oxygenated OA accounted for 56-76 % of the OA. Here a fraction (18-26 % of total OA) of a fresher, less oxygenated OA of more local origin was also observed. New particle formation events were identified from measured particle number concentrations and size distributions in May/June 2014 at both sites. While they were observed every day at the urban location, at the suburban location they were only found under favourable meteorological conditions, but were independent of advection of the Rome emission plume. Particles from sources in the metropolitan area of Rome and particles advected from outside Rome contributed 42-70 and 30-58 % to the total measured PM1, respectively. Apart from the general aerosol characteristics, in this study the properties (e.g. emission strength) and dynamics (e.g. temporal behaviour) of each identified aerosol type is investigated in detail to provide a better understanding of the observed seasonal and spatial differences.

Urbanization and Spatial Organization: Hospital and Orphanage Location in Chicago, 1848-1916

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britton, Marcus; Ocasio, William

2007-01-01

What factors affect where organizations locate facilities in local communities? This paper examines how urban development influenced the neighborhood location of two very different types of facilities, general hospitals and orphanages, over the 70-year period during which Chicago emerged as an urban metropolis. Our results suggest that the human…

Contemporary Land Change Alters Fish Communities in a San Francisco Bay Watershed, California, U.S.A.

PubMed Central

Cervantes-Yoshida, Kristina; Leidy, Robert A.; Carlson, Stephanie M.

2015-01-01

Urbanization is one of the leading threats to freshwater biodiversity, and urban regions continue to expand globally. Here we examined the relationship between recent urbanization and shifts in stream fish communities. We sampled fishes at 32 sites in the Alameda Creek Watershed, near San Francisco, California, in 1993–1994 and again in 2009, and we quantified univariate and multivariate changes in fish communities between the sampling periods. Sampling sites were classified into those downstream of a rapidly urbanizing area (“urbanized sites”), and those found in less impacted areas (“low-impacted sites”). We calculated the change from non-urban to urban land cover between 1993 and 2009 at two scales for each site (the total watershed and a 3km buffer zone immediately upstream of each site). Neither the mean relative abundance of native fish nor nonnative species richness changed significantly between the survey periods. However, we observed significant changes in fish community composition (as measured by Bray-Curtis dissimilarity) and a decrease in native species richness between the sampling periods at urbanized sites, but not at low-impacted sites. Moreover, the relative abundance of one native cyprinid (Lavinia symmetricus) decreased at the urbanized sites but not at low-impacted sites. Increased urbanization was associated with changes in the fish community, and this relationship was strongest at the smaller (3km buffer) scale. Our results suggest that ongoing land change alters fish communities and that contemporary resurveys are an important tool for examining how freshwater taxa are responding to recent environmental change. PMID:26580560

Measurements of Carbon Dioxide in the Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostrom, G. A.; Rice, A. L.

2009-12-01

Urban centers provide large sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere through intensive use of fossil fuels. Due to a lack of federal regulatory framework in the United States, a patchwork of regional and statewide approaches to reducing CO2 emissions has emerged. The City of Portland together with Multnomah County established itself as an early frontier in this regard by creating greenhouse gas emissions inventories in 1990 and adopting a regional plan to reduce emissions in 1993. Most recent emissions inventories suggest that County-wide emissions of CO2 are near 1990 levels, despite a growing population, with an ambitious goal of reducing emissions 80% by 2050. However, there has been no validation of either emissions inventories or their trends in time. Here, we detail preliminary results of a study aimed at testing regional CO2 emissions inventories through measurements of CO2 concentrations and its 13C isotopic composition. In collaboration with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality three test sites were established: a downtown Portland location on the campus of Portland State University; a residential Southeast Portland location; and at Sauvie Island, located ~30km northwest (upwind, rural) of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge. Continuous measurements of summertime CO2 concentrations since late July, 2009 range from approximately 370ppm to 420ppm (±2.7σ) for downtown and residential sites, and 360ppm to 420ppm for Sauvie Island, while maximum outlier levels at all three sites exceed 480ppm. Measurements at all three sites show a marked diurnal cycle averaging 25-35ppm. Maximum CO2 concentrations typically occur 6-8 am and minimum concentrations 5-7 pm. The two dominant forcing mechanisms of this strong diurnal cycle are varying biological sources and sinks and the dynamics of the planetary boundary layer. There is also a significant enhancement of ~7ppm in the average measured concentrations at the two urban sites (~395ppm) compared with the upwind Sauvie Island site (~388ppm). We interpret these results in terms of CO2 emissions inventories and sinks of CO2 in the Portland region. We also present preliminary measurements of the 13C isotopic composition of CO2 as a means of source apportionment with which to better refine emissions inventories.

Differences in the impacts of formal and informal recreational trails on urban forest loss and tree structure.

PubMed

Ballantyne, Mark; Pickering, Catherine Marina

2015-08-15

Recreational trails are one of the most common types of infrastructure used for nature-based activities such as hiking and mountain biking worldwide. Depending on their design, location, construction, maintenance and use, these trails differ in their environmental impacts. There are few studies, however, comparing the impacts of different trail types including between formal management-created trails and informal visitor-created trails. Although both types of trails can be found in remote natural areas, dense networks of them often occur in forests close to cities where they experience intense visitor use. To assess the relative impacts of different recreational trails in urban forests, we compared the condition of the trail surface, loss of forest strata and changes in tree structure caused by seven types of trails (total network 46.1 km) traversing 17 remnants of an endangered urban forest in Australia. After mapping and classifying all trails, we assessed their impact on the forest condition at 125 sites (15 sites per trail type, plus 15 control sites within undisturbed forest). On the trail sites, the condition of the trail surface, distance from the trail edge to four forest strata (litter, understory, midstorey and tree cover) and structure of the tree-line were assessed. Informal trails generally had poorer surface conditions and were poorly-designed and located. Per site, formal and informal trails resulted in similar loss of forest strata, with wider trails resulting in greater loss of forest. Because there were more informal trails, however, they accounted for the greatest cumulative forest loss. Structural impacts varied, with the widest informal trails and all formal hardened trails resulting in similar reductions in canopy cover and tree density but an increase in saplings. These structural impacts are likely a function of the unregulated and intense use of large informal trails, and disturbance from the construction and maintenance of formal trails. The results demonstrate that different types of recreational trails vary in the type and range of impacts they cause to forests. They highlight the importance of careful consideration towards management options when dealing with trail networks especially in areas of high conservation value. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the genotoxicity of waters impacted by domestic and industrial effluents of a highly industrialized region of São Paulo State, Brazil, by the comet assay in HTC cells.

PubMed

Manzano, Bárbara Cassu; Roberto, Matheus Mantuanelli; Hoshina, Márcia Miyuki; Menegário, Amauri Antônio; Marin-Morales, Maria Aparecida

2015-01-01

The problems that most affect the quality of the waters of rivers and lakes are associated with the discharges performed in these environments, mainly industrial and domestic effluents inappropriately treated or untreated. The comet assay is a sensitive tool and is recommended for studies of environmental biomonitoring, which aim to determine the genotoxicity potential of water pollutants. This study aimed to assess the genotoxic potential of the Ribeirão Tatu waters, region of Limeira, São Paulo (SP), by the comet assay with mammalian cells (hepatoma tissue culture (HTC)). Water samples were collected along the Ribeirão Tatu at three distinct periods: November 2008, February 2009 and August 2009, and five collection sites were established: P1, source of the stream; P2, site located downstream the urban perimeter of the municipality of Cordeirópolis and after receiving the pollution load of this city; P3, collection site located upstream the urban perimeter of the city of Limeira; P4, urban area of Limeira; and P5, rural area of Limeira, downstream the discharges of the city sewage. The results showed that for the November 2008 collection, there was no water sample-induced genotoxicity; for the February 2009 collection, the sites P1 and P2 were statistically significant in relation to the negative control (NC), and for the August 2009 collection, the site P5 was statistically significant. These results could be explained by the content of different metals during the different seasons that are under the influence of domestic, industrial and agricultural effluents and also due to the seasonality, since the water samples collected in the period of heavy rain (February 2009) presented a higher genotoxicity possibly due to the entrainment of contaminants into the bed of the stream promoted by the outflow of rainwaters. The comet assay showed to be a useful and sensitive tool in the evaluation of hydric resources impacted by pollutants of diverse origins, and a constant monitoring should be done in order to verify the influence of different factors (season, amount of contaminants) in the water quality.

Optimizing Wind Power Generation while Minimizing Wildlife Impacts in an Urban Area

PubMed Central

Bohrer, Gil; Zhu, Kunpeng; Jones, Robert L.; Curtis, Peter S.

2013-01-01

The location of a wind turbine is critical to its power output, which is strongly affected by the local wind field. Turbine operators typically seek locations with the best wind at the lowest level above ground since turbine height affects installation costs. In many urban applications, such as small-scale turbines owned by local communities or organizations, turbine placement is challenging because of limited available space and because the turbine often must be added without removing existing infrastructure, including buildings and trees. The need to minimize turbine hazard to wildlife compounds the challenge. We used an exclusion zone approach for turbine-placement optimization that incorporates spatially detailed maps of wind distribution and wildlife densities with power output predictions for the Ohio State University campus. We processed public GIS records and airborne lidar point-cloud data to develop a 3D map of all campus buildings and trees. High resolution large-eddy simulations and long-term wind climatology were combined to provide land-surface-affected 3D wind fields and the corresponding wind-power generation potential. This power prediction map was then combined with bird survey data. Our assessment predicts that exclusion of areas where bird numbers are highest will have modest effects on the availability of locations for power generation. The exclusion zone approach allows the incorporation of wildlife hazard in wind turbine siting and power output considerations in complex urban environments even when the quantitative interaction between wildlife behavior and turbine activity is unknown. PMID:23409117

Bullying among adolescents in a Brazilian urban center – “Health in Beagá” Study

PubMed Central

da Costa, Michelle Ralil; Xavier, César Coelho; Andrade, Amanda Cristina de Souza; Proietti, Fernando Augusto; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence of bullying and its associated factors in Brazilian adolescents. METHODS Data were used from a population-based household survey conducted by the Urban Health Observatory (OSUBH) utilizing probability sampling in three stages: census tracts, residences, and individuals. The survey included 598 adolescents (14-17 years old) who responded questions on bullying, sociodemographic characteristics, health-risk behaviors, educational well-being, family structure, physical activity, markers of nutritional habits, and subjective well-being (body image, personal satisfaction, and satisfaction with their present and future life). Univariate and multivariate analysis was done using robust Poisson regression. RESULTS The prevalence of bullying was 26.2% (28.0% among males, 24.0% among females). The location of most bullying cases was at or on route to school (70.5%), followed by on the streets (28.5%), at home (9.8%), while practicing sports (7.3%), at parties (4.6%), at work (1.7%), and at other locations (1.6%). Reports of bullying were associated with life dissatisfaction, difficulty relating to parents, involvement in fights with peers and insecurity in the neighborhood. CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of bullying among participating adolescents was found, and the school serves as the main bullying location, although other sites such as home, parties and workplace were also reported. Characteristics regarding self-perception and adolescent perceptions of their environment were also associated with bullying, thus advancing the knowledge of this type of violence, especially in urban centers of developing countries. PMID:26274869

Bullying among adolescents in a Brazilian urban center - "Health in Beagá" Study.

PubMed

da Costa, Michelle Ralil; Xavier, César Coelho; Andrade, Amanda Cristina de Souza; Proietti, Fernando Augusto; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira

2015-01-01

To analyze the prevalence of bullying and its associated factors in Brazilian adolescents. Data were used from a population-based household survey conducted by the Urban Health Observatory (OSUBH) utilizing probability sampling in three stages: census tracts, residences, and individuals. The survey included 598 adolescents (14-17 years old) who responded questions on bullying, sociodemographic characteristics, health-risk behaviors, educational well-being, family structure, physical activity, markers of nutritional habits, and subjective well-being (body image, personal satisfaction, and satisfaction with their present and future life). Univariate and multivariate analysis was done using robust Poisson regression. The prevalence of bullying was 26.2% (28.0% among males, 24.0% among females). The location of most bullying cases was at or on route to school (70.5%), followed by on the streets (28.5%), at home (9.8%), while practicing sports (7.3%), at parties (4.6%), at work (1.7%), and at other locations (1.6%). Reports of bullying were associated with life dissatisfaction, difficulty relating to parents, involvement in fights with peers and insecurity in the neighborhood. A high prevalence of bullying among participating adolescents was found, and the school serves as the main bullying location, although other sites such as home, parties and workplace were also reported. Characteristics regarding self-perception and adolescent perceptions of their environment were also associated with bullying, thus advancing the knowledge of this type of violence, especially in urban centers of developing countries.

Optimizing wind power generation while minimizing wildlife impacts in an urban area.

PubMed

Bohrer, Gil; Zhu, Kunpeng; Jones, Robert L; Curtis, Peter S

2013-01-01

The location of a wind turbine is critical to its power output, which is strongly affected by the local wind field. Turbine operators typically seek locations with the best wind at the lowest level above ground since turbine height affects installation costs. In many urban applications, such as small-scale turbines owned by local communities or organizations, turbine placement is challenging because of limited available space and because the turbine often must be added without removing existing infrastructure, including buildings and trees. The need to minimize turbine hazard to wildlife compounds the challenge. We used an exclusion zone approach for turbine-placement optimization that incorporates spatially detailed maps of wind distribution and wildlife densities with power output predictions for the Ohio State University campus. We processed public GIS records and airborne lidar point-cloud data to develop a 3D map of all campus buildings and trees. High resolution large-eddy simulations and long-term wind climatology were combined to provide land-surface-affected 3D wind fields and the corresponding wind-power generation potential. This power prediction map was then combined with bird survey data. Our assessment predicts that exclusion of areas where bird numbers are highest will have modest effects on the availability of locations for power generation. The exclusion zone approach allows the incorporation of wildlife hazard in wind turbine siting and power output considerations in complex urban environments even when the quantitative interaction between wildlife behavior and turbine activity is unknown.

Quantifying loading, toxic concentrations, and systemic persistence of chloride in a contemporary mixed-land-use watershed using an experimental watershed approach.

PubMed

Hubbart, J A; Kellner, E; Hooper, L W; Zeiger, S

2017-03-01

A nested-scale experimental watershed study was implemented to quantify loading and persistence of chloride in an urbanizing, mixed-land-use watershed. A Midwest USA (Missouri) watershed was partitioned into five sub-basins with contrasting dominant land use. Streamwater was tested for chloride concentration four days per week from October 2009 through May 2014 at each site. Monitoring sites included co-located gauging and climate stations recording variables at 30-minute intervals. Results indicate significant (p<0.01) differences in chloride concentrations and loading between sites. Loading consistently increased from the forested headwaters (average=507kgday -1 ) to primarily urban watershed terminus (average=7501kgday -1 ). Chloride concentrations were highest (average=83.9mgL -1 ) with the greatest frequency of acutely toxic conditions (i.e. 860mgL -1 ) mid-watershed. This finding is in-part attributable to the ratio of chloride application to streamflow volume (i.e. increasing flow volume with stream distance resulted in chloride dilution, offsetting increased percent urban land use with stream distance). Results highlight the important, yet often confounding, interactions between pollutant loading and flow dynamics. Chloride peaks occurred during late winter/early spring melting periods, implicating road salt application as the primary contributor to the chloride regime. Floodplain groundwater analysis indicated seasonal sink/source relationships between the stream and floodplain, which could contribute to chronic toxicity and persistent low Cl - concentrations in streamwater year-round. Results hold important implications for resource managers wishing to mitigate water quality and aquatic habitat degradation, and suggest important water quality limitations to stream restoration success in complex urban aquatic ecosystems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlating bioaerosol load with PM2.5 and PM10cf concentrations: a comparison between natural desert and urban-fringe aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boreson, Justin; Dillner, Ann M.; Peccia, Jordan

2004-11-01

Seasonal allergies and microbial mediated respiratory diseases, can coincide with elevated particulate matter concentrations, often when dry desert soils are disturbed. In addition to effects from the allergens, allergic and asthmatic responses may be enhanced when chemical and biological constituents of particulate matter (PM) are combined together. Because of these associations and also the recent regulatory and health-related interests of monitoring PM2.5, separately from total PM10, the biological loading between the fine (dp<2.5 μm) and coarse (2.5 μm

Seasonal Differences in Determinants of Time Location Patterns in an Urban Population: A Large Population-Based Study in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Sewon; Lee, Kiyoung

2017-06-22

Time location patterns are a significant factor for exposure assessment models of air pollutants. Factors associated with time location patterns in urban populations are typically due to high air pollution levels in urban areas. The objective of this study was to determine the seasonal differences in time location patterns in two urban cities. A Time Use Survey of Korean Statistics (KOSTAT) was conducted in the summer, fall, and winter of 2014. Time location data from Seoul and Busan were collected, together with demographic information obtained by diaries and questionnaires. Determinants of the time spent at each location were analyzed by multiple linear regression and the stepwise method. Seoul and Busan participants had similar time location profiles over the three seasons. The time spent at own home, other locations, workplace/school and during walk were similar over the three seasons in both the Seoul and Busan participants. The most significant time location pattern factors were employment status, age, gender, monthly income, and spouse. Season affected the time spent at the workplace/school and other locations in the Seoul participants, but not in the Busan participants. The seasons affected each time location pattern of the urban population slightly differently, but overall there were few differences.

[Analysis of perfluoroalkyl substances precursors in human milk from 12 provinces of China].

PubMed

Yang, Lin; Yu, Xinping; Wang, Meng; Li, Jingguang; Wang, Yuxin; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

2015-06-01

To explore the level of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) precursors in Chinese human milk samples. The human milk samples were collected during the performance of Stockholm convention on survey of human milk in China in 2007. Based on the geographical location and dietary habits, China was divided into the south area and north area which 6 provinces were chosen from each area and there were 12 provinces in all. In each province, one urban site and two rural sites were selected to collect 80-110 samples. Mothers were randomly selected in each site to collect their breast milk. There were 1 237 individual human milk samples in all. For each province, the individual samples from the urban areas and the rural areas were pooled separately resulting in 24 pooled human milk samples. 11 PFAS precursors were measured in pooled samples by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadruple mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The dietary exposure assessment of newborns was made. Three PFAS precursors were found above the detection limits, namely, 6:2 FTS, FHUEA, and 6:2 diPAP. Their concentration ranges were < Limit of determination (LOD) -47.46 pg/ml, < LOD -70.68 pg/ml and < LOD -35.08 pg/ml, respectively. The highest total PFAS precursor concentration 77.70 pg/ml was found in urban area samples from Shannxi Province. Rural area samples from Hubei had the lowest total PFAS precursor concentration, which was below the LOD. There were significant differences between rural and urban areas in many provinces, such as Shannxi (rural: 1.51 pg/ml; urban: 77.70 pg/ml), Shanghai (rural: 1.13 pg/ml; urban: 71.88 pg/ml), Jiangxi (rural: 65.39 pg/ml; urban: 0.55 pg/ml) and so on. The ranges estimated daily intake of 6:2 FTS, FHUEA and 6:2 diPAP of the samples from 12 provinces were 0.05-4.51, 1.13-6.72 and 1.15-3.34 ng · kg⁻¹ · d⁻¹. The results suggested the human exposure of PFAS precursors in China and the potential health impact of postnatal exposure through breastfeeding to infants. The level of PFAS precursors showed differences in regions, rural and urban places.

Pharmaceuticals in settleable particulate material in urban and non-urban waters.

PubMed

Lahti, Marja; Oikari, Aimo

2011-10-01

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are important sources of settleable particulate material (SPM), heading to sediments with natural suspended solids. To date, there is little information about the fate of pharmaceuticals in sediment systems. In this study, the objective was to determine if pharmaceuticals are detected in SPM at locations near WWTPs or even in rural areas, thus being susceptible for sedimentation. SPM samples were collected from 10 sites in Finland, grouped as reference, rural and wastewater effluent sites. SPM collectors were placed about 35 cm above bottom for about 2 months during summer. After extraction, a set of 17 pharmaceuticals was analyzed. Several pharmaceuticals were detected in SPM accumulated at sites next to WWTPs. The concentration of citalopram was notably high (300-1350 ng g⁻¹ dw). Also bisoprolol and ciprofloxacin were detected at high concentrations (6-325 and 9-390 ng g⁻¹ dw, respectively). In contrast, none of the pharmaceuticals were detected from reference sites and only two were found from a single rural site. There is no previous information about the presence of pharmaceuticals in SPM. The results showed that pharmaceuticals are sorbed to particles in WWTP and nearby, eventually ending up in sediments. These results also indicate that pharmaceuticals are not markedly contaminating sediments of rural areas in Finland. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of moss and pine needles as bioindicators of transboundary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in central Japan.

PubMed

Oishi, Yoshitaka

2018-03-01

Atmospheric pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has become a serious problem, especially in Asia, as PAHs can severely affect ecologically important mountainous areas. Using pine needles and mosses as bio-indicators, this study examined PAH pollution in a mountainous study area and evaluated the influence of transboundary PAHs. PAHs in urban areas were also evaluated for comparison. The study sites were alpine areas and urban areas (inland or coastal cities) across central Japan, in the easternmost part of Asia where atmospheric pollutants are transported from mainland Asia. The mean PAH concentrations of pine needles and mosses were 198.9 ± 184.2 ng g -1 dry weight (dw) and 131.8 ± 60.7 ng g -1 dw (mean ± SD), respectively. Pine needles preferentially accumulated PAHs with low molecular weights (LMW PAHs) and exhibited large differences in both PAH concentration and isomer ratios between alpine and urban sites. These differences can be explained by the strong influence of LMW PAHs emitted from domestic sources, which decreased and changed during transport from urban to alpine sites due to dry/wet deposition and photodegradation. In contrast, mosses accumulated a higher ratio of PAHs with high molecular weight (HMW PAHs). A comparison of isomer ratios showed that the PAH source for alpine moss was similar to that for northern coastal cities, which are typically influenced by long-transported PAHs from East Asia. Thus, these results indicate that alpine moss can also be strongly affected by the transboundary PAHs. It is likely that the uptake characteristics of moss, alpine climate, and alpine locations far from urban areas can strengthen the influence of transboundary pollution. Based on these results, the limitations and most effective use of bioindicators of PAH pollution for preserving alpine ecosystems are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement and analysis of ambient atmospheric particulate matter in urban and remote environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagler, Gayle S. W.

Atmospheric particulate matter pollution is a challenging environmental concern in both urban and remote locations worldwide. It is intrinsically difficult to control, given numerous anthropogenic and natural sources (e.g. fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning, dust, and seaspray) and atmospheric transport up to thousands of kilometers after production. In urban regions, fine particulate matter (particles with diameters under 2.5 mum) is of special concern for its ability to penetrate the human respiratory system and threaten cardiopulmonary health. A second major impact area is climate, with particulate matter altering Earth's radiative balance through scattering and absorbing solar radiation, modifying cloud properties, and reducing surface reflectivity after deposition in snow-covered regions. While atmospheric particulate matter has been generally well-characterized in populated areas of developed countries, particulate pollution in developing nations and remote regions is relatively unexplored. This thesis characterizes atmospheric particulate matter in locations that represent the extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of air pollution-the rapidly-developing and heavily populated Pearl River Delta Region of China, the pristine and climate-sensitive Greenland Ice Sheet, and a remote site in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. In China, fine particles were studied through a year-long field campaign at seven sites surrounding the Pearl River Delta. Fine particulate matter was analyzed for chemical composition, regional variation, and meteorological impacts. On the Greenland Ice Sheet and in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the carbonaceous fraction (organic and elemental carbon) of particulate matter was studied in the atmosphere and snow pack. Analyses included quantifying particulate chemical and optical properties, assessing atmospheric transport, and evaluating post-depositional processing of carbonaceous species in snow.

Psychosocial factors associated with early initiation and frequency of antenatal care (ANC) visits in a rural and urban setting in South Africa: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Muhwava, Lorrein Shamiso; Morojele, Neo; London, Leslie

2016-01-25

Late booking and infrequent antenatal care (ANC) are common but avoidable patient-related risk factors for maternal deaths in South Africa. The aim of the study was to examine the association of psychosocial factors with early initiation of ANC and adequate frequency of attendance of ANC clinics among women in an urban and rural location in South Africa. Data from a 2006 cross-sectional household survey of 363 women from the rural Western Cape and 466 women from urban Gauteng provinces of South Africa for risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancy were analysed. We examined associations between psychosocial variables (self-esteem, cultural influences, religiosity, social capital, social support, pregnancy desire (wanted versus unwanted pregnancy), partner characteristics and mental health) and both early ANC first visit (before 16 weeks) and adequate frequency of ANC visits (4 or more visits) for respondents' last pregnancy. Overall prevalence among urban women of early ANC initiation was 46% and 84% for adequate ANC frequency. Overall prevalence among rural women of early ANC initiation was 45% and 78% for adequate ANC frequency. After adjusting for clustering, psychosocial factors associated with early ANC initiation in the urban site were being employed (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.5) and wanted pregnancy (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-3.0). For the rural site, early ANC initiation was significantly associated with being married (OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.0-3.6) but inversely associated with high religiosity (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.3-0.8). Adequate frequency of ANC attendance in the rural site was associated with wanted pregnancy (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.9-9.3) and the father of the child being present in the respondent's life (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.0-9.0) but inversely associated with having a previous miscarriage (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.2-0.8). There were no significant associations between adequate ANC attendance and the psychosocial factors in the urban site. The majority of women from both sites attended ANC frequently but less than 50% initiated ANC before the recommended 16 weeks gestational age. Interventions to reduce prevalence of late ANC booking and inadequate ANC attendance should engage religious leaders, address unintended pregnancy through family planning education and involve male partners in women's reproductive health.

Analysis of the potential of near ground measurements of CO2 and CH4 in London, UK for the monitoring of city-scale emissions using an atmospheric transport model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boon, A.; Broquet, G.; Clifford, D. J.; Chevallier, F.; Butterfield, D. M.; Pison, I.; Ramonet, M.; Paris, J. D.; Ciais, P.

2015-11-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) mole fractions were measured at four near ground sites located in and around London during the summer of 2012 in view to investigate the potential of assimilating such measurements in an atmospheric inversion system for the monitoring of the CO2 and CH4 emissions in the London area. These data were analysed and compared with simulations using a modelling framework suited to building an inversion system: a 2 km horizontal resolution South of England configuration of the transport model CHIMERE driven by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) meteorological forcing, coupled to a 1 km horizontal resolution emission inventory (the UK National Atmospheric Emission Inventory). First comparisons reveal that local sources have a large impact on measurements and these local sources cannot be represented in the model at 2 km resolution. We evaluate methods to minimise some of the other critical sources of misfits between the observation data and the model simulation that overlap the signature of the errors in the emission inventory. These methods should make it easier to identify the corrections that should be applied to the inventory. Analysis is supported by observations from meteorological sites around the city and a three-week period of atmospheric mixing layer height estimations from lidar measurements. The difficulties of modelling the mixing layer depth and thus CO2 and CH4 concentrations during the night, morning and late afternoon led us to focus on the afternoon period for all further analyses. The misfits between observations and model simulations are high for both CO2 and CH4 (i.e., their root mean square (RMS) is between 8 and 12 parts per million (ppm) for CO2 and between 30 and 55 parts per billion (ppb) for CH4 at a given site). By analysing the gradients between the urban sites and a suburban or rural reference site, we are able to decrease the impact of uncertainties in the fluxes and transport outside the London area and in the model domain boundary conditions, and to better focus attention on the signature of London urban CO2 and CH4 emissions. This considerably improves the statistical agreement between the model and observations for CO2 (model-data RMS misfit of between 3 and 7 ppm) and to a lesser degree for CH4 (model-data RMS misfit of between 29 and 38 ppb). Between one of the urban sites and either reference site, selecting the gradients during periods wherein the reference site is upwind of the urban site further decreases the statistics of the misfits in general even though not systematically. In a final attempt to focus on the signature of the city anthropogenic emission in the mole fraction measurements, we use a theoretical ratio of gradients of CO to gradients of CO2 from fossil fuel emissions in the London area to diagnose observation based fossil fuel CO2 gradients, and compare them with the modelled ones. This estimate increases the consistency between the model and the measurements when considering one of the urban sites, but not when considering the other. While this study evaluates different approaches for increasing the consistency between the mesoscale model and the near ground data, and manages to decrease the random component of the analysed model data misfits to an extent that should not be prohibitive to extracting the signal from the London urban emissions, large biases remain in the final misfits. These biases are likely to be due to local emissions, to which the urban near ground sites are highly sensitive. This questions our current ability to exploit urban near ground data for the atmospheric inversion of city emissions based on models at spatial resolution coarser than 2 km.

Characterization of environmental quality of forest fragments changes in Jundiaí-Mirim river basin-Brazil using the Markov Chain model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasimoto Fengler, Felipe; Leite de Moraes, Jener Fernando; Irio Ribeiro, Admilson; Peche Filho, Afonso; Araujo de Medeiros, Gerson; Baldin Damame, Desirée; Márcia Longo, Regina

2015-04-01

In Brazil is common practice the concurrency of large urban centers water catchment in distant sites. There's no policy to preserve strategic springs in the urban territory. Thus, rural areas, located in the surrounds of municipals, usually provide water and others environment services to the population that reside on cities. The Jundiaí-Mirim river basin, located in the most urbanized state in Brazil, São Paulo, composes an interesting example of this situation. It is located in a rural area near large urban centers, with large industrial parks, near the capital of state. As result of expansion of the cities on its surrounds their lands have had a historic of monetary valorization, making its territories attractive to the housing market. Consequently, the region has an intense process of urbanization that resulted in an increasing environmental disturbance in the areas of natural vegetation. In the other hand, the watershed is the principal water supplier of Jundiaí city, and houses forest remaining of an important Biome in Brazil, the Atlantic Rain Forest. Given the need to preserve its water production capacity and the forest remnants there, this study modeled the environmental quality of forest fragments through indicators of disturbance and evaluated the changes that occur between 1972 and 2013 using the Markov Chain model. The environment quality was determined by nine indicators of environmental disturbance (distance of urban areas, roads, edge land use, size, distance of others forest fragments, land capacity of use, watershed forest cover, number of forest fragments in the watersheds, shape of the forest fragment), obtained by techniques of Geoprocessing, and integrated by Multicriteria Analysis. The Markov Chain model showed a constant tendency of deteriorating in natural vegetation environmental quality, attributed to the intense process of occupation of the river basin. The results showed a historical trend of transformation in forest fragments with very low environmental quality to others uses and a static behavior of forest fragments with high environmental quality. It was explained by the tendency of occupation in forest fragments near urban areas, roads, with small size and high perturbation, and difficulties in occupation of forest fragments with high size, isolated from urban areas end roads. It was concluded that: (a) urbanization and deforestation of natural vegetation were primarily responsible for changes in environmental quality; (b) there is a need to create public policies to preserve the natural vegetation in the Jundiaí-Mirim river basin.

Barriers to Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand.

PubMed

Yukalang, Nachalida; Clarke, Beverley; Ross, Kirstin

2017-09-04

This study focused on determining the barriers to effective municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in a rapidly urbanizing area in Thailand. The Tha Khon Yang Subdistrict Municipality is a representative example of many local governments in Thailand that have been facing MSWM issues. In-depth interviews with individuals and focus groups were conducted with key informants including the municipality staff, residents, and external organizations. The major influences affecting waste management were categorized into six areas: social-cultural, technical, financial, organizational, and legal-political barriers and population growth. SWOT analysis shows both internal and external factors are playing a role in MSWM: There is good policy and a reasonably sufficient budget. However, there is insufficient infrastructure, weak strategic planning, registration, staff capacity, information systems, engagement with programs; and unorganized waste management and fee collection systems. The location of flood prone areas has impacted on location and operation of landfill sites. There is also poor communication between the municipality and residents and a lack of participation in waste separation programs. However, external support from government and the nearby university could provide opportunities to improve the situation. These findings will help inform municipal decision makers, leading to better municipal solid waste management in newly urbanized areas.

Barriers to Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand

PubMed Central

Yukalang, Nachalida; Clarke, Beverley

2017-01-01

This study focused on determining the barriers to effective municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in a rapidly urbanizing area in Thailand. The Tha Khon Yang Subdistrict Municipality is a representative example of many local governments in Thailand that have been facing MSWM issues. In-depth interviews with individuals and focus groups were conducted with key informants including the municipality staff, residents, and external organizations. The major influences affecting waste management were categorized into six areas: social-cultural, technical, financial, organizational, and legal-political barriers and population growth. SWOT analysis shows both internal and external factors are playing a role in MSWM: There is good policy and a reasonably sufficient budget. However, there is insufficient infrastructure, weak strategic planning, registration, staff capacity, information systems, engagement with programs; and unorganized waste management and fee collection systems. The location of flood prone areas has impacted on location and operation of landfill sites. There is also poor communication between the municipality and residents and a lack of participation in waste separation programs. However, external support from government and the nearby university could provide opportunities to improve the situation. These findings will help inform municipal decision makers, leading to better municipal solid waste management in newly urbanized areas. PMID:28869572

Chemical composition and source apportionment of size fractionated particulate matter in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

PubMed

Kim, Yong Ho; Krantz, Q Todd; McGee, John; Kovalcik, Kasey D; Duvall, Rachelle M; Willis, Robert D; Kamal, Ali S; Landis, Matthew S; Norris, Gary A; Gilmour, M Ian

2016-11-01

The Cleveland airshed comprises a complex mixture of industrial source emissions that contribute to periods of non-attainment for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and are associated with increased adverse health outcomes in the exposed population. Specific PM sources responsible for health effects however are not fully understood. Size-fractionated PM (coarse, fine, and ultrafine) samples were collected using a ChemVol sampler at an urban site (G.T. Craig (GTC)) and rural site (Chippewa Lake (CLM)) from July 2009 to June 2010, and then chemically analyzed. The resulting speciated PM data were apportioned by EPA positive matrix factorization to identify emission sources for each size fraction and location. For comparisons with the ChemVol results, PM samples were also collected with sequential dichotomous and passive samplers, and evaluated for source contributions to each sampling site. The ChemVol results showed that annual average concentrations of PM, elemental carbon, and inorganic elements in the coarse fraction at GTC were ∼2, ∼7, and ∼3 times higher than those at CLM, respectively, while the smaller size fractions at both sites showed similar annual average concentrations. Seasonal variations of secondary aerosols (e.g., high NO 3 - level in winter and high SO 4 2- level in summer) were observed at both sites. Source apportionment results demonstrated that the PM samples at GTC and CLM were enriched with local industrial sources (e.g., steel plant and coal-fired power plant) but their contributions were influenced by meteorological conditions and the emission source's operation conditions. Taken together the year-long PM collection and data analysis provides valuable insights into the characteristics and sources of PM impacting the Cleveland airshed in both the urban center and the rural upwind background locations. These data will be used to classify the PM samples for toxicology studies to determine which PM sources, species, and size fractions are of greatest health concern. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unraveling the impact of built-environmental self-modification of the local inhabitants in their attempt to reduce the urban flood impact in Grogol, Sukoharjo*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanabakti, M. J.; Susilo, C. R.; Nathania, M.; Putri, C. Y.

2018-05-01

Due in part to climate change impact and the lack of environmental awareness of urban societies, urban flood disasters have increased in both frequency and impacted areas. The inevitable destructive impact is also experienced by urban inhabitants within Grogol District, Sukoharjo, Central Java. Situated within the fast-growing peri-urban area of Surakarta, the geographical condition of the district, which is located in the convergence of Bengawan Solo River and four different streamlet rivers is undoubtedly critical to flood. Since the position of the peri-urban area is along the border of Surakarta City and Sukoharjo Regency, the site is a strategic locus of the main city’s urban expansion. However, its border location has made flood-reduction programs challenging to be implemented, due to unclear territorial admiration and distribution. Because of the absence of flood-reduction programs in the area, local inhabitants have been independently developing physical and built environmental modification of their settlements. By analyzing the two-months built environmental fieldwork research in Grogol Sukoharjo, this paper unravels both the success and the conflicting impact of local self-initiative modification in Grogol Sukoharjo. By combining the two-month field observation with the semi-structured interviews in three sub-districts of Grogol, this paper finds that the very pragmatic self-modification taken by the inhabitants results in short-term reductions of flood impact and increases the secure feelings of inhabitants to continue living in their neighborhoods. However, the lack of proper technical supervision from experts and the absence of inter-neighborhood coordination leads to future additional damage on the flood-prone areas of Grogol. The paper also reveals that one pragmatic physical self-modification solution taken by one neighborhood may lead to an extra flood-threat to other neighborhoods.

On the origin of the highest ozone episodes in Spain.

PubMed

Querol, X; Alastuey, A; Reche, C; Orio, A; Pallares, M; Reina, F; Dieguez, J J; Mantilla, E; Escudero, M; Alonso, L; Gangoiti, G; Millán, M

2016-12-01

The 2000-2015 occurrences of the highest ozone (O 3 ) pollution episodes in Spain were evaluated to investigate their origin. To this end, data series available for urban and regional background (UB and RB), traffic (TR) and industrial (IN) sites were analysed separately and intercompared. Results evidenced that during these 16years mean O 3 levels in the RB sites did not change significantly, and remained constantly high. However, there is a clear increase at the TR and UB sites. Although sensitivity analysis is needed to interpret the cause of this increasing trend, this might be caused probably by the lower O 3 titration intensity due to the preferential abatement of NO vs NO 2 , as supported from the neutral trend of O X (NO 2 +O 3 ) at these sites. We found that the exceedances of the hourly information threshold for O 3 (>180μg/m 3 ) are recorded mostly at UB and IN sites located in seven areas of Spain (specific hotspots or at the tail end of large urban plumes), and that these increased during summer heatwaves (i.e. 2003 and 2015). Although the external contribution of regional-to-subcontinental transported O 3 might be relevant during the highest O 3 episodes in the Western Mediterranean, our results evidenced that in the above specific areas, regional-local O 3 production decisively contributes to the exceedances of the information threshold. Also that the human protection threshold and the AOT40 are more frequently exceeded in the Central, Southern and Mediterranean sides of the Iberian Peninsula. The design of effective episode abatement measures is quite complex in those conditions, due to both the nonlinearity of the chemical processes of O 3 formation and destruction, and to the interplay with the complex meteorological setting, causing frequent recirculation and in situ aging of air masses. However, the combination of meteorological forecasting of the main recirculation processes and sensitivity analysis of NO X /VOC emission abatement measures might be powerful tools to evaluate the effectiveness of potential O 3 mitigation strategies. Finally we would like to highlight that the current UB, RB, IN and TR classification (somewhat subjective) is not adequate to interpret the origin of O 3 exceedances in complex areas of Southern Europe. Thus, a UB station recording exceedances, and located in a small city in the tail end of an urban plume of a large city, receives not only the contribution from its own UB, but mainly from the specific high O 3 RB caused by the urban plume transport. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial analyses identify the geographic source of patients at a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.

PubMed

Su, Shu-Chih; Kanarek, Norma; Fox, Michael G; Guseynova, Alla; Crow, Shirley; Piantadosi, Steven

2010-02-01

We examined the geographic distribution of patients to better understand the service area of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, a designated National Cancer Institute (NCI) comprehensive cancer center located in an urban center. Like most NCI cancer centers, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center serves a population beyond city limits. Urban cancer centers are expected to serve their immediate neighborhoods and to address disparities in access to specialty care. Our purpose was to learn the extent and nature of the cancer center service area. Statistical clustering of patient residence in the continental United States was assessed for all patients and by gender, cancer site, and race using SaTScan. Primary clusters detected for all cases and demographically and tumor-defined subpopulations were centered at Baltimore City and consisted of adjacent counties in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey and New York, and the District of Columbia. Primary clusters varied in size by race, gender, and cancer site. Spatial analysis can provide insights into the populations served by urban cancer centers, assess centers' performance relative to their communities, and aid in developing a cancer center business plan that recognizes strengths, regional utility, and referral patterns. Today, 62 NCI cancer centers serve a quarter of the U.S. population in their immediate communities. From the Baltimore experience, we might project that the population served by these centers is actually more extensive and varies by patient characteristics, cancer site, and probably cancer center services offered.

Understanding and mitigating the challenge of bioaerosol emissions from urban community composting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pankhurst, L. J.; Akeel, U.; Hewson, C.; Maduka, I.; Pham, P.; Saragossi, J.; Taylor, J.; Lai, K. M.

2011-01-01

Within the UK, local and regional government drives to reduce the quantity of waste being sent to landfill have led to an increase in small-scale composting schemes, instigated by local councils and not-for-profit organisations. The composting process relies upon the proliferation of microorganisms, leading to their emission into the ambient environment. In this investigative study, total bacteria and Aspergillus fumigatus emitted from a small-scale composting facility in central London were measured in different spatial and temporal dimensions. Bioaerosols did not disperse in concentrations significantly higher than those measured at 'background' locations, where maximum geometric mean was 55 × 10 2 Colony Forming Units (CFU) per m -3. Concentrations on-site and at the nearest potential receptor were comparable to those found at commercial facilities, reaching 25 × 10 4 and 29 × 10 3 CFU m -3 for total bacteria and A. fumigatus respectively. The room housing the facility was contaminated by moulds; likely to result from high relative humidity of the air (consistently above 80% during this study), building material, and the generation of organic dust. The complex diurnal meteorological variations of urban environments are likely to influence bioaerosol dispersal, and consequent exposure risk for sensitive receptors. Site planning tools including Geographical Information Systems (GIS) mapping with buffer zones around schools and hospitals, and use of computerised models for the design of rooms housing urban composting facilities are proposed as methods for reducing the risk of occupational and off-site receptor exposure.

41 CFR 102-83.75 - What is Executive Order 13006?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.75 What is Executive Order 13006? Executive Order 13006, entitled “Locating... that have a mission requirement to locate in an urban area to give first consideration to locating...

41 CFR 102-83.75 - What is Executive Order 13006?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space Urban Areas § 102-83.75 What is Executive Order 13006? Executive Order 13006, entitled “Locating... that have a mission requirement to locate in an urban area to give first consideration to locating...

Increases in wintertime PM2.5 sodium and chloride linked to snowfall and road salt application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolesar, Katheryn R.; Mattson, Claire N.; Peterson, Peter K.; May, Nathaniel W.; Prendergast, Rashad K.; Pratt, Kerri A.

2018-03-01

The application of salts and salty brines to roads is common practice during the winter in many urban environments. Road salts can become aerosolized, thereby injecting sodium and chloride particulate matter (PM) into the atmosphere. Here, data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Chemical Speciation Monitoring Network were used to assess temporal trends of sodium and chloride PM2.5 (PM < 2.5 μm) at 25 locations across the United States to investigate the ubiquity of road salt aerosols. Sodium and chloride PM2.5 concentrations were an average of three times higher in the winter, as compared to the summer, for locations with greater than 25 cm of average annual snowfall. Winter urban chloride PM2.5 concentrations attributed to road salt can even sometimes rival those of coastal sea spray aerosol-influenced sites. In most snow-influenced cities, chloride and sodium PM2.5 concentrations were positively correlated with snowfall; however, this relationship is complicated by differences in state and local winter maintenance practices. This study highlights the ubiquity of road salt aerosols in the United States and their potential impact on wintertime urban air quality, particularly due to the potential for multiphase reactions to liberate chlorine from the particle-phase. Since road salt application is a common practice in wintertime urban environments across the world, it is imperative that road salt application emissions, currently not included in inventories, and its impacts be investigated through measurements and modeling.

Urban growth in Korea, 1970-1980: an application of the human ecological perspective.

PubMed

Ko, S H

1994-07-01

This study supports the ecological perspective proposed by Duncan (population, environment, organization, and technology) explaining urban population growth. Data were obtained from the 1970 and 1980 Korean Population Census and Korean Municipal Yearbook on cities with a minimum size of 20,000-50,000 people (108 cities and towns). Urban growth is most strongly influenced by indigenous labor surplus and the population potential of the city to be in contact with another city. Nine multiple regression variables explained just under 66% of the variance in urban growth. Net migration was influential among those aged 15-24 years. The extent of differentiation of industry affected net migration only among those aged 15-24 years and those aged 35-44 years. Population redistribution was more affected directly by changes in industrial organization, and migration was affected indirectly by environmental and technological effects on organization. Urban growth through migration of older age groups was affected by government expenditure on public works. Urban growth was not much affected by transportation/communication concentration, manufacturing concentration, urban labor surplus, population size, and site. Urban growth was viewed as the interaction between the unemployment rate and the urban wage, following Todaro's equilibrium models. In Korea, larger cities only grew faster during the 1960s. By the 1970s, upper middle-sized cities grew faster. Location was not a significant factor in explaining urban growth, but growth was rapid along a corridor within 100 km from Seoul and 50 km from Pusan, the second largest city in Korea. Caution was urged in interpreting Korea's ecological urban growth patterns as indicative of developing countries.

Comparison of urban and rural general surgeons: motivations for practice location, practice patterns, and education requirements.

PubMed

Heneghan, Steven J; Bordley, James; Dietz, Patrick A; Gold, Michael S; Jenkins, Paul L; Zuckerman, Randall J

2005-11-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the differences between rural and urban surgeons with regard to practice patterns, factors in choosing a practice location, and educational needs. A list of surgeons obtained from the American Medical Association was examined using the Office of Management and Budget definition of rural. Seventeen hundred rural surgeons were mailed surveys; 421 responded. One hundred fourteen urban surgeons were contacted by telephone. Questions were designed to measure job and community satisfaction, factors influencing their decision to practice in their current location, spectrum and volume of cases, and their perceived educational needs. Age distribution did not differ markedly between urban and rural surgeons. Motivation to practice in their current location varied considerably between urban and rural surgeons. Both groups equally rated quality of life as the leading factor influencing their current practice location. Urban surgeons rated other factors, such as income, practice growth, hospital facilities, and proximity to family, higher than rural surgeons. Practice patterns and educational needs also varied between the two groups. Rural surgeons performed more procedures per year with more variety in procedure type. Both groups felt that additional training in advanced laparoscopic techniques would be helpful, and rural surgeons felt that additional training in the surgical subspecialty areas was important. Although rural and urban surgeons do not differ in age or the importance of lifestyle in deciding career location, different factors do impact their choice of location. Practice pattern and educational needs varied markedly between rural and urban general surgeons.

Diurnal variations of airborne pollen concentration and the effect of ambient temperature in three sites of Mexico City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ríos, B.; Torres-Jardón, R.; Ramírez-Arriaga, E.; Martínez-Bernal, A.; Rosas, I.

2016-05-01

Pollen is an important cause of allergic respiratory ailments in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA). However, very little is known if ambient air temperature correlates with the early blooming of plants observed in other urban areas around the world. A research study was conducted during the dry season of 2012-2013 at three representative sites of the MCMA with different urban characteristics with the aim to understand the relationships between the profusion and diversity of pollen against temperature and other meteorological variables and degree of urbanization. Pollen samples were collected using a Hirst-type trap sampler in the sites: Merced (highly urbanized), Iztapalapa (medium-high urbanized) and Coyoacan (moderately urbanized). Urbanization levels were determined using a composite index based on population density, proportion of surface covered by construction and asphalt, and urban heat island intensity. A set of representative pollen sampling tapes were assayed under a light microscope at magnification of ×1,000 and converted to grains per cubic meter. The most representative pollen types found in the three sites were, regardless of urbanization levels were: Fraxinus, Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae, Casuarina, Alnus, Myrtaceae, and Pinus. Total pollen concentration was greatest in the moderately urbanized area, although earlier blooming took place at the highly urbanized zone. Total pollen concentration in the medium-high urbanized site has the lowest because the green areas in this zone of MCMA are few. In a diurnal basis, the most abundant pollen types peaked near midday or in the afternoon evening at the three sites. A Spearman test showed a positive correlation among bihourly pollen concentrations, temperature and relative humidity in all sites, but wind speed just correlated in Iztapalapa and Coyoacan. The results obtained suggest that Urban Heat Island Intensity can disturb flowering periods and pollen concentrations, largely in the highly urbanized areas. A principal components analysis established that the concentrations of each pollen type differed across the urbanization gradients. Additionally, it was found that a large number of allergenic pollens are produced by ornamental trees, some only recently introduced by urban planners.

Opinions of Latino outdoor recreation visitors at four urban national forests

Treesearch

Deborah J. Chavez; David D. Olson

2009-01-01

It is important to evaluate use of urban-proximate outdoor recreation sites by diverse groups and obtain visitor viewpoints about those sites. Of particular importance are day-use sites, which receive a large amount of use but little research emphasis. Managers of urban-proximate day-use sites can better manage with detailed specific information about participation...

Effects of nonpoint and selected point contaminant sources on stream-water quality and relation to land use in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, October 2002 through June 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Casey J.; Mau, D.P.; Rasmussen, T.J.

2005-01-01

Water and sediment samples were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 12 watersheds in Johnson County, northeastern Kansas, to determine the effects of nonpoint and selected point contaminant sources on stream-water quality and their relation to varying land use. The streams studied were located in urban areas of the county (Brush, Dykes Branch, Indian, Tomahawk, and Turkey Creeks), developing areas of the county (Blue River and Mill Creek), and in more rural areas of the county (Big Bull, Captain, Cedar, Kill, and Little Bull Creeks). Two base-flow synoptic surveys (73 total samples) were conducted in 11 watersheds, a minimum of three stormflow samples were collected in each of six watersheds, and 15 streambed-sediment sites were sampled in nine watersheds from October 2002 through June 2004. Discharge from seven wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) were sampled during base-flow synoptic surveys. Discharge from these facilities comprised greater than 50 percent of streamflow at the farthest downstream sampling site in six of the seven watersheds during base-flow conditions. Nutrients, organic wastewater-indicator compounds, and prescription and nonprescription pharmaceutical compounds generally were found in the largest concentrations during base-flow conditions at sites at, or immediately downstream from, point-source discharges from WWTFs. Downstream from WWTF discharges streamflow conditions were generally stable, whereas nutrient and wastewater-indicator compound concentrations decreased in samples from sites farther downstream. During base-flow conditions, sites upstream from WWTF discharges had significantly larger fecal coliform and Escherichia coli densities than downstream sites. Stormflow samples had the largest suspended-sediment concentrations and indicator bacteria densities. Other than in samples from sites in proximity to WWTF discharges, stormflow samples generally had the largest nutrient concentrations in Johnson County streams. Discharge from WWTFs with trickling-filter secondary treatment processes had the largest concentrations of many potential contaminants during base-flow conditions. Samples from two of three trickling-filter WWTFs exceeded Kansas Department of Health and Environment pH- and temperature-dependent chronic aquatic-life criteria for ammonia when early-life stages of fish are present. Discharge from trickling-filter facilities generally had the most detections and largest concentrations of many organic wastewater-indicator compounds in Johnson County stream-water samples. Caffeine (stimulant), nonylphenol-diethoxylate (detergent surfactant), and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (floor polish, flame retardant, and plasticizer) were found at concentrations larger than maximum concentrations in comparable studies. Land use and seasonality affected the occurrence and magnitude of many potential water-quality contaminants originating from nonpoint sources. Base-flow samples from urban sites located upstream from WWTF discharges had larger indicator bacteria densities and wastewater-indicator compound concentrations than did base-flow samples from sites in nonurban areas. Dissolved-solids concentrations were the largest in winter stormflow samples from urban sites and likely were due to runoff from road-salt application. One sample from an urban watershed had a chloride concentration of 1,000 milligrams per liter, which exceeded the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's acute aquatic-life use criterion (860 milligrams per liter) likely due to effects from road-salt application. Pesticide concentrations were the largest in spring stormflow samples collected in nonurban watersheds. Although most wastewater-indicator compounds were found at the largest concentrations in samples from WWTF discharges, the compounds 9-10, anthraquinone (bird repellent), caffeine (stimulant), carbazole (component of coal tar, petroleum products), nonylphenol-diethoxylate (detergent surfactant),

The role of open-air inhalatoria in the air quality improvement in spa towns.

PubMed

Burkowska-But, Aleksandra; Kalwasińska, Agnieszka; Brzezinska, Maria Swiontek

2014-08-01

The present study was aimed at evaluating microbiological contamination of air in Ciechocinek and Inowrocław - Polish lowland spa towns. Additionally, the impact of open-air inhalatoria on the quality of air was evaluated. Air samples were collected seasonally in the urban areas, in the recreation areas and in the vicinity of inhalatoria in both towns using impaction. The numbers of mesophilic bacteria, staphylococci, hemolytic bacteria and actinomycetes were determined on media according to the Polish Standard PN-86/Z-04111/02. The number of moulds was determined on media according to the Polish Standard PN-86/Z-04111/03. While the highest numbers of microorganisms were noted at the sites located in the urban areas, the lowest numbers were noted in the vicinity of the open-air inhalatoria. In all the investigated air samples the values of bioaerosol concentrations were below the recommended TLVs (≤ 5000 CFU×m(-3) for both bacteria and fungi in outdoor environments). Location of the sampling site was invariably a decisive factor in determining the number of microorganisms in the air. The aerosol which is formed in the open-air inhalatoria has a positive influence on microbiological air quality. Owing to a unique microclimate and low air contamination, Ciechocinek and Inowrocław comply with all necessary requirements set for health resorts specializing in treating upper respiratory tract infections.

Nitrogen trends in rivers of the conterminous U.S. in the context of land use and sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stets, E.; Sprague, L. A.

2017-12-01

Tremendous efforts have been undertaken to improve the quality of water throughout the United States over the past several decades. The goal of decreasing nitrogen concentrations and fluxes from U.S. rivers has had mixed success and the results are often difficult to quantify. The U.S. Geological Survey has undertaken a study to describe trends in water quality at hundreds of river and stream locations in the conterminous U.S. using a broad data set from national, state, local, and tribal entities. This study represents the largest and most comprehensive analysis of trends in water quality in the U.S. to date. During the period 1992-2012, nitrate (NO3) decreased at 132 sites and increased at 88 sites. Total nitrogen (TN) decreased at 91 sites and increased at 55 sites. The median trend for both NO3 and TN was slightly downward, at -0.04 and -0.11 mg N L-1, respectively. For both NO3 and TN, downward trends were more common in agricultural and urban sites while upward trends were more common at undeveloped sites. Decreases in TN were largest in rivers for which NO3 was a large proportion of TN, which is indicative of significant anthropogenic nitrogen inputs. Across all sites and land use types, trends in TN were highly correlated with trends in NO3, suggesting that changes in NO3 have been a large contributor to TN trends. While overall the largest decreases in NO3 and TN primarily occurred in heavily agricultural areas, decreases were also common in watersheds with higher percentage urban development. Likewise, the largest decreases in NO3 deposition were found in more developed watersheds, suggesting that decreasing atmospheric deposition may be related to NO3 trends at the more developed locations. Despite these improvements, fluxes of nitrogen to the coastal ocean have been largely static over the past several decades, underscoring the continuing need for nutrient management in many parts of the conterminous U.S.

The Concept of Historical Landscape Design at Watugong Archaeological Site Area in Malang City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setyabudi, I.; Alfian, R.; Hastutiningtyas, W. R.

2017-10-01

Malang city has the high historical value. It showed by many archaeological situses found, such as: The Dutch Colonial Building until kingdom era on classical history period. Generally, it could be seen at urban affairs like government building even the ancient house. But the last kingdom archaeological site only found at the village. The oldest archaeological site in Malang city was found on Kanjuruhan Kingdom, which is concentrated in Tlogomas. The Watu Gong Hamlet that was located in Tlogomas Political District had an archaeological site. It was a big stone in which the stone looked like a traditional music instrument, it was called Gong. As the archaeological site in megalithicum, before the Hindu and Budha came in from India, that stone was predicted as the foundation structure of the big building. The Watu Gong Hamlet was located in Tlogomas archeological site area, also Merjosari and Karang Besuki. Three of them are the archeological sites for Kanjuruhan Kingdom at eigth century, until Kahuripan Kingdom around the eleventh century, as the heir of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom. The urban government has a program to improve the village required to their region potential and it was possible to revitalize the Tlogomas village, so that the historical character can be seen well. The modernity of a hamlet has impact on the local identity blured. In which, they did not think about economic only and it can be minimized, also the hamlet will be a characterized tourism object. The revitalization purposed to continuing the past, then it’s connected to present. It’s performed as corridored garden planning. The landscape development appropriated to promote about the characters of Kacapiring flower, Rose, Jasmine and Puring. They are the special plants from Kanjuruhan Kingdom, beside the other furniture street model. This research was descriptive explorative and discussed about the concept with architecture design approach, started from data collecting, precedent study, programming until the developing concept of the historical landscape. The historical landscape concept for Tlogomas at present is recommended to Watu Gong as the village tourism object.

Larval breeding sites of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) in visceral leishmaniasis endemic urban areas in Southeastern Brazil.

PubMed

Casanova, Cláudio; Andrighetti, Maria T M; Sampaio, Susy M P; Marcoris, Maria L G; Colla-Jacques, Fernanda E; Prado, Angelo P

2013-01-01

The scarcity of information on the immature stages of sand flies and their preferred breeding sites has resulted in the focus of vectorial control on the adult stage using residual insecticide house-spraying. This strategy, along with the treatment of human cases and the euthanasia of infected dogs, has proven inefficient and visceral leishmaniasis continues to expand in Brazil. Identifying the breeding sites of sand flies is essential to the understanding of the vector's population dynamic and could be used to develop novel control strategies. In the present study, an intensive search for the breeding sites of Lutzomyia longipalpis was conducted in urban and peri-urban areas of two municipalities, Promissão and Dracena, which are endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in São Paulo State, Brazil. During an exploratory period, a total of 962 soil emergence traps were used to investigate possible peridomiciliary breeding site microhabitats such as: leaf litter under tree, chicken sheds, other animal sheds and uncovered debris. A total of 160 sand flies were collected and 148 (92.5%) were L. longipalpis. In Promissão the proportion of chicken sheds positive was significantly higher than in leaf litter under trees. Chicken shed microhabitats presented the highest density of L. longipalpis in both municipalities: 17.29 and 5.71 individuals per square meter sampled in Promissão and Dracena respectively. A contagious spatial distribution pattern of L. longipalpis was identified in the emergence traps located in the chicken sheds. The results indicate that chicken sheds are the preferential breeding site for L. longipalpis in the present study areas. Thus, control measures targeting the immature stages in chicken sheds could have a great effect on reducing the number of adult flies and consequently the transmission rate of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi.

Larval Breeding Sites of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Visceral Leishmaniasis Endemic Urban Areas in Southeastern Brazil

PubMed Central

Casanova, Cláudio; Andrighetti, Maria T. M.; Sampaio, Susy M. P.; Marcoris, Maria L. G.; Colla-Jacques, Fernanda E.; Prado, Ângelo P.

2013-01-01

Background The scarcity of information on the immature stages of sand flies and their preferred breeding sites has resulted in the focus of vectorial control on the adult stage using residual insecticide house-spraying. This strategy, along with the treatment of human cases and the euthanasia of infected dogs, has proven inefficient and visceral leishmaniasis continues to expand in Brazil. Identifying the breeding sites of sand flies is essential to the understanding of the vector's population dynamic and could be used to develop novel control strategies. Methodology/Principal finding In the present study, an intensive search for the breeding sites of Lutzomyia longipalpis was conducted in urban and peri-urban areas of two municipalities, Promissão and Dracena, which are endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in São Paulo State, Brazil. During an exploratory period, a total of 962 soil emergence traps were used to investigate possible peridomiciliary breeding site microhabitats such as: leaf litter under tree, chicken sheds, other animal sheds and uncovered debris. A total of 160 sand flies were collected and 148 (92.5%) were L. longipalpis. In Promissão the proportion of chicken sheds positive was significantly higher than in leaf litter under trees. Chicken shed microhabitats presented the highest density of L. longipalpis in both municipalities: 17.29 and 5.71 individuals per square meter sampled in Promissão and Dracena respectively. A contagious spatial distribution pattern of L. longipalpis was identified in the emergence traps located in the chicken sheds. Conclusion The results indicate that chicken sheds are the preferential breeding site for L. longipalpis in the present study areas. Thus, control measures targeting the immature stages in chicken sheds could have a great effect on reducing the number of adult flies and consequently the transmission rate of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi. PMID:24069494

Counter-intuitive influence of Himalayan river morphodynamics on Indus Civilisation urban settlements.

PubMed

Singh, Ajit; Thomsen, Kristina J; Sinha, Rajiv; Buylaert, Jan-Pieter; Carter, Andrew; Mark, Darren F; Mason, Philippa J; Densmore, Alexander L; Murray, Andrew S; Jain, Mayank; Paul, Debajyoti; Gupta, Sanjeev

2017-11-28

Urbanism in the Bronze-age Indus Civilisation (~4.6-3.9 thousand years before the present, ka) has been linked to water resources provided by large Himalayan river systems, although the largest concentrations of urban-scale Indus settlements are located far from extant Himalayan rivers. Here we analyse the sedimentary architecture, chronology and provenance of a major palaeochannel associated with many of these settlements. We show that the palaeochannel is a former course of the Sutlej River, the third largest of the present-day Himalayan rivers. Using optically stimulated luminescence dating of sand grains, we demonstrate that flow of the Sutlej in this course terminated considerably earlier than Indus occupation, with diversion to its present course complete shortly after ~8 ka. Indus urban settlements thus developed along an abandoned river valley rather than an active Himalayan river. Confinement of the Sutlej to its present incised course after ~8 ka likely reduced its propensity to re-route frequently thus enabling long-term stability for Indus settlements sited along the relict palaeochannel.

Hydrologic data for urban storm runoff in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gibbs, Johnnie W.; Doefer, John T.

1982-01-01

Urban storm-runoff data collected from April through September 1981 from nine Denver Nationwide Urban Runoff Program sites, urban storm-runoff data collected from April 1980 through September 1981 from ten South Platte River Study sites, and rainfall-runoff simulation data from two sites for June 1980 and May 1981 are presented in this report. The Denver Nationwide Urban Runoff Program sites were two single-family residential areas, two multifamily residential areas, one commercial area (shopping center), one mixed commercial and multifamily residential area, one natural area (open space), and two detention ponds. The South Platte River Study sites were six tributaries of the South Platte River and four instream sites on the South Platte River. The tributary sites were Bear Creek at mouth, at Sheridan; Harvard Gulch at Harvard Park, at Denver; Sanderson Gulch at mouth, at Denver; Weir Gulch at mouth, at Denver; Lakewood Gulch at mouth, at Denver; and Cherry Creek at Denver. The instream sites were South Platte River at Littleton; South Platte River at Florida Avenue, at Denver; South Platte River at Denver; and South Platte River at 50th Avenue, at Denver. The rainfall-runoff simulation sites were North Avenue at Denver Federal Center, at Lakewood and Rooney Gulch at Rooney Ranch, near Morrison. Precipitation, rainfall-runoff, water-quality data, and basin characteristics were collected at the urban storm-runoff sites. The urban storm-runoff data may be used to characterize runoff loading for various land-use types in Denver and other semiarid regions. (USGS)

Analysing the daily cycles of temperature and humidity differences between downtown and suburban environment in Budapest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pongracz, Rita; Bartholy, Judit; Dezso, Zsuzsanna; Dian, Csenge; Incze, Dora; Kurcsics, Mate

2017-04-01

Urban areas evidently results in a substantial modification of natural environment including the local climatic conditions, which fundamentally influence everyday life. That is why it is important to address urban climatic issues, e.g. the urban heat island effect and its consequences. Due to the strong centralised structure of Hungary the most affected region in Hungary is the capital (Budapest) and its agglomeration area. In this research we aim to analyze the urban climatic effects in a downtown district of Budapest relative to the southeastern suburb district of the city where the synoptic station of Budapest is located. For this purpose, we started a measuring program of in-situ measurements in the spring of 2015 in the southern central located district (district IX), which can be found near the river Danube, and mainly consists of 3- and 4-storey older and newly built buildings. The newly built buildings are mainly the results of the local government's efforts to improve the environment for the citizens. Within the framework of the block rehabilitation program, inner parts of the old house blocks were demolished, and inside the blocks common green areas have been created. In our urban climate measurement program the resulting climatic conditions are evaluated with air temperature and relative humidity data recorded along a pre-defined path, which consists of 24 measuring points within the studied area. The measuring sites are located in different characteristical points of the district, such as green parks, narrow streets, paved squares and roads. In order to calculate the urban heat island intensity, temperature measurements are compared to the hourly recorded data of the synoptic station (ID number: 12843). Our relative humidity measurements are also compared to the humidity in the suburbs. Prior to the summer measuring campaign in 2016, measurements were recorded only in the daytime periods. The measuring period has been extended for 24 hours, thus, continuous 3-day-long temperature and humidity measurements were recorded during 4-6 July 2016. Moreover, new measuring instruments were used during this summer measurements with more accurate sensors and data loggers. After the summer measuring campaign the whole measurement program continued in autumn (6 days starting at 14 pm Thursdays and lasting 24 hours). Thus, summer and autumn daily cycles can be compared in the different types of the urban environment.

Predicting summer site occupancy for an invasive species, the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), in an urban environment.

PubMed

Adams, Amy L; Dickinson, Katharine J M; Robertson, Bruce C; van Heezik, Yolanda

2013-01-01

Invasive species are often favoured in fragmented, highly-modified, human-dominated landscapes such as urban areas. Because successful invasive urban adapters can occupy habitat that is quite different from that in their original range, effective management programmes for invasive species in urban areas require an understanding of distribution, habitat and resource requirements at a local scale that is tailored to the fine-scale heterogeneity typical of urban landscapes. The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is one of New Zealand's most destructive invasive pest species. As brushtail possums traditionally occupy forest habitat, control in New Zealand has focussed on rural and forest habitats, and forest fragments in cities. However, as successful urban adapters, possums may be occupying a wider range of habitats. Here we use site occupancy methods to determine the distribution of brushtail possums across five distinguishable urban habitat types during summer, which is when possums have the greatest impacts on breeding birds. We collected data on possum presence/absence and habitat characteristics, including possible sources of supplementary food (fruit trees, vegetable gardens, compost heaps), and the availability of forest fragments from 150 survey locations. Predictive distribution models constructed using the programme PRESENCE revealed that while occupancy rates were highest in forest fragments, possums were still present across a large proportion of residential habitat with occupancy decreasing as housing density increased and green cover decreased. The presence of supplementary food sources was important in predicting possum occupancy, which may reflect the high nutritional value of these food types. Additionally, occupancy decreased as the proportion of forest fragment decreased, indicating the importance of forest fragments in determining possum distribution. Control operations to protect native birds from possum predation in cities should include well-vegetated residential areas; these modified habitats not only support possums but provide a source for reinvasion of fragments.

Delineation of soil and groundwater contamination using geophysical methods at a waste disposal site in Canakkale, Turkey.

PubMed

Kaya, M Ali; Ozürlan, Gülçin; Sengül, Ebru

2007-12-01

Direct current (DC) resistivity, self potential (SP) and very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) measurements are carried out to detect the spread of groundwater contamination and to locate possible pathways of leachate plumes, that resulted from an open waste disposal site of Canakkale municipality. There is no proper management of the waste disposal site in which industrial and domestic wastes were improperly dumped. Furthermore, because of the dumpsite is being located at the catchment area borders of a small creek and is being topographically at a high elevation relative to the urban area, the groundwater is expected to be hazardously contaminated. Interpretations of DC resistivity geoelectrical data showed a low resistivity zone (<5 ohm-m), which appears to be a zone, that is fully saturated with leachate from an open dumpsite. The VLF-EM and SP method, support the results of geoelectrical method relating a contaminated zone in the survey area. There is a good correlation between the geophysical investigations and the results of previously collected geochemical and hydrochemical measurements.

Development of a local-scale urban stream assessment method using benthic macroinvertebrates: An example from the Santa Clara Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, J.L.; Purcell, A.H.; Fend, S.V.; Resh, V.H.

2009-01-01

Research that explores the biological response to urbanization on a site-specific scale is necessary for management of urban basins. Recent studies have proposed a method to characterize the biological response of benthic macroinvertebrates along an urban gradient for several climatic regions in the USA. Our study demonstrates how this general framework can be refined and applied on a smaller scale to an urbanized basin, the Santa Clara Basin (surrounding San Jose, California, USA). Eighty-four sampling sites on 14 streams in the Santa Clara Basin were used for assessing local stream conditions. First, an urban index composed of human population density, road density, and urban land cover was used to determine the extent of urbanization upstream from each sampling site. Second, a multimetric biological index was developed to characterize the response of macroinvertebrate assemblages along the urban gradient. The resulting biological index included metrics from 3 ecological categories: taxonomic composition ( Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera), functional feeding group (shredder richness), and habit ( clingers). The 90th-quantile regression line was used to define the best available biological conditions along the urban gradient, which we define as the predicted biological potential. This descriptor was then used to determine the relative condition of sites throughout the basin. Hierarchical partitioning of variance revealed that several site-specific variables (dissolved O2 and temperature) were significantly related to a site's deviation from its predicted biological potential. Spatial analysis of each site's deviation from its biological potential indicated geographic heterogeneity in the distribution of impaired sites. The presence and operation of local dams optimize water use, but modify natural flow regimes, which in turn influence stream habitat, dissolved O2, and temperature. Current dissolved O2 and temperature regimes deviate from natural conditions and appear to affect benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages. The assessment methods presented in our study provide finer-scale assessment tools for managers in urban basins. ?? North American Benthological Society.

Site Transfer Functions of Three-Component Ground Motion in Western Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozgur Kurtulmus, Tevfik; Akyol, Nihal; Camyildiz, Murat; Gungor, Talip

2015-04-01

Because of high seismicity accommodating crustal deformation and deep graben structures, on which have, urbanized and industrialized large cities in western Turkey, the importance of site-specific seismic hazard assessments becomes more crucial. Characterizing source, site and path effects is important for both assessing the seismic hazard in a specific region and generation of the building codes/or renewing previous ones. In this study, we evaluated three-component recordings for micro- and moderate-size earthquakes with local magnitudes ranging between 2.0 and 5.6. This dataset is used for site transfer function estimations, utilizing two different spectral ratio approaches 'Standard Spectral Ratio-(SSR)' and 'Horizontal to Vertical Spectral Ratio-(HVSR)' and a 'Generalized Inversion Technique-(GIT)' to highlight site-specific seismic hazard potential of deep basin structures of the region. Obtained transfer functions revealed that the sites located near the basin edges are characterized by broader HVSR curves. Broad HVSR peaks could be attributed to the complexity of wave propagation related to significant 2D/3D velocity variations at the sediment-bedrock interface near the basin edges. Comparison of HVSR and SSR estimates for the sites located on the grabens showed that SSR estimates give larger values at lower frequencies which could be attributed to lateral variations in regional velocity and attenuation values caused by basin geometry and edge effects. However, large amplitude values of vertical component GIT site transfer functions were observed at varying frequency ranges for some of the stations. These results imply that vertical component of ground motion is not amplification free. Contamination of HVSR site transfer function estimates at different frequency bands could be related to complexities in the wave field caused by deep or shallow heterogeneities in the region such as differences in the basin geometries, fracturing and fluid saturation along different propagation paths. The results also show that, even if the site is located on a horst, the presence of weathered zones near the surface could cause moderate frequency dependent site effects.

[Spatial tendency of urban land use in new Yinzhou Town of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province of East China].

PubMed

Jiang, Wen-Wei; Guo, Hui-Hui; Mei, Yan-Xia

2012-03-01

By adopting gradient analysis combining with the analysis of urban land use degree, this paper studied the spatial layout characteristics of residential and industrial lands in new Yinzhou Town, and explored the location characters of various urban land use by selecting public green land, public facilities, and road as the location advantage factors. Gradient analysis could effectively connect with the spatial layout of urban land use, and quantitatively depict the spatial character of urban land use. In the new town, there was a new urban spatial center mostly within the radius of 2 km, namely, the urban core area had obvious location advantage in the cross-shaft direction urban development. On the south of Yinzhou Avenue, the urban hinterland would be constructed soon. In the future land use of the new town, the focus would be the reasonable vicissitude of industrial land after the adjustment of industrial structure, the high-efficient intensive use of the commercial land restricted by the compulsive condition of urban core area, and the agricultural land protection in the southeastern urban-rural fringe.

Sources and chemical composition of atmospheric fine and coarse particles in the Helsinki area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakkanen, Tuomo A.; Loukkola, Kati; Korhonen, Christina H.; Aurela, Minna; Mäkelä, Timo; Hillamo, Risto E.; Aarnio, Päivi; Koskentalo, Tarja; Kousa, Anu; Maenhaut, Willy

During April 1996-June 1997 size-segregated atmospheric aerosol particles were collected at an urban and a rural site in the Helsinki area by utilising virtual impactors (VI) and Berner low-pressure impactors (BLPI). In addition, VI samples were collected at a semi-urban site during October 1996-May 1997. The average PM 2.3 (fine particle) concentrations at the urban and rural sites were 11.8 and 8.4 μg/m 3, and the PM 2.3-15 (coarse particle) concentrations were 12.8 and about 5 μg/m 3, respectively. The difference in fine particle mass concentrations suggests that on average, more than one third of the fine mass at the urban site is of local origin. Evaporation of fine particle nitrate from the VI Teflon filters during sampling varied similarly at the three sites, the average evaporation being about 50-60%. The average fine particle concentrations of the chemical components (25 elements and 13 ions) appeared to be fairly similar at the three sites for most components, which suggests that despite the long-range transport, the local emissions of these components were relatively evenly distributed in the Helsinki area. Exceptions were the average fine particles Ba, Fe, Sb and V concentrations that were clearly highest at the urban site pointing to traffic (Ba, Fe, Sb) and to combustion of heavy fuel oil (V) as the likely local sources. The average coarse particle concentrations for most components were highest at the urban site and lowest at the rural site. Average chemical composition of fine particles was fairly similar at the urban and rural sites: non-analysed fraction (mainly carbonaceous material and water) 43% and 37%, sulphate 21% and 25%, crustal matter 12% and 13%, nitrate 12% and 11%, ammonium 9% and 10% and sea-salt 2.5% and 3.2%, respectively. At the semi-urban site also, the average fine particle composition was similar. At the urban site, the year round average composition of coarse particles was dominated by crustal matter (59%) and the non-analysed components (28%, mainly carbonaceous material and water), while the other contributions were much lower: sea-salt 7%, nitrate 4% and sulphate 2%. At the rural site, the coarse samples were collected in spring and summer and the percentage was clearly lower for crustal matter (37%) and sea-salt (3%) but higher for the not-analysed fraction (51%). At the semi-urban site, the average composition of coarse particles was nearly identical to that at the urban site. Correlations between the chemical components were calculated separately for fine and coarse particles. In urban fine particles sulphate, ammonium, Tl, oxalate and PM 2.3 mass correlated with each other and originated mainly from long-range transport. The sea-salt ions Na +, Cl - and Mg 2+ formed another group and still another group was formed by the organic anions oxalate, malonate, succinate, glutarate and methane sulphonate. Ni and V correlated strongly pointing to combustion of heavy fuel oil as the likely source. In addition, some groups with lower correlations were detected. At the rural and semi-urban sites, the correlating components were rather similar to those at the urban site, although differences were also observed.

Impact of vegetable crop agriculture on anopheline agressivity and malaria transmission in urban and less urbanized settings of the South region of Cameroon.

PubMed

Akono, Patrick Ntonga; Mbida, Jean Arthur Mbida; Tonga, Calvin; Belong, Philippe; Ngo Hondt, Odette Etoile; Magne, Gaëlle Tamdem; Peka, Marie Florence; Lehman, Leopold Gustave

2015-05-28

The use of inland valley swamps for vegetable crop agriculture contributes to food security in urban and less urbanized settings in Africa. The impact of this agriculture on aggressive mosquitoes' diversity and malaria transmission in central Africa is poorly documented. This study is aimed at assessing the impact of vegetable crop agriculture on these entomological parameters in urban and less urbanized settings of the forest area, south of Cameroon. The human bait technique was used for the capture of aggressive mosquitoes from January to December 2012. For three consecutive days each month, captures were performed on volunteers in hydro-agricultural and river bank sites of Akonolinga and Yaoundé. Physico-chemical characteristics of mosquito breeding sites were recorded. Molecular alongside morpho-taxonomic techniques were used for the identification of mosquito species; ELISA test was used to reveal Plasmodium falciparum infected mosquitoes through the detection of CSP. Mosquito diversity, aggressivity and malaria transmission in sites and settings were determined and compared. Biting rates were higher in hydro-agricultural sites of less urbanized and urban settings (31.8 b/p/n and 28.6 b/p/n respectively) than in river banks sites (6.83 b/p/n and 3.64 b/p/n respectively; p < 0.0001). Physico-chemical parameters of breeding sites were not fundamentally different. Five anopheline species were identified; An. gambiae, An. funestus s.s., An. moucheti s.s., An. hancocki and An. nili s.s. In hydro-agricultural sites 2 species were captured in the urban setting versus 4 in the less urbanized setting, meanwhile in river bank sites, 3 species were captured in the urban setting versus 4 species in the less urbanized setting. An. nili s.s. was found in river banks only. An. hancocki was not found to insure Plasmodium falciparum Welch transmission. EIR in hydro-agricultural sites varied from 1.86 ib/p/n (urban area) to 2.13 ib/p/n (less urbanized area) with higher rates in April/May and August. Overall, EIR was higher in less urbanized areas (p < 0.0001) but the difference was nullified with the practice of vegetable crop agriculture (p = 0.2). These results highlight the need for specific preventive measures that take into account the ecological peculiarities related to vegetable crop agriculture on hydro-agricultural lands, in order to protect inhabitants from malaria.

A Tale of two Cities: Photoacoustic and Aethalometer Measurements Comparisons of Light Absorption in Mexico City and Las Vegas, NV, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paredes-Miranda, G.; Arnott, W. P.; Marley, N. A.; Gaffney, J. S.

2007-05-01

As part of the Megacity Impacts on Regional and Global Environments, MIRAGE-Mex deployment to Mexico City in the period of 30 days, March 2006, a suite of photoacoustic spectrometers (PAS; W. Arnott & G. Paredes), nephelometer scattering, and aetholemeter absorption instruments (N. Marley & J.Gaffney) were installed to measure at ground level the light absorption and scattering by aerosols at the urban site at Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo (Mexican Oil Institute, denoted by IMP). This IMP site gave in-situ characterization of the Mexico City plume under favorable wind conditions. The PAS used at IMP operates at 532 nm, and conveniently allowed for characterization of gaseous absorption at this wavelength as well. Light scattering measurements are accomplished within the PAS by the reciprocal nephelometery method. In the urban site the aerosol absorption coefficient typically varies between 20 and 180 Mm-1 during the course of the day and significant diurnal variation of the aerosol single scattering albedo was observed. The Las Vegas, NV site was located at East Charleston Street on January-February, 2003. In east Las Vegas typical westerly winds carry the city plume across the site. Comparisons of PAS aerosol light absorption and aetholemeter absorption measurements at 521 nm at both Las Vegas NV and Mexico City sites will be presented. We will also present a broad overview of the diurnal variation of the scattering and absorption as well as the single scattering albedo and fraction of absorption due to gases at the sites in relation to secondary aerosol formation.

Variation in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance among red maple (Acer rubrum) urban planted cultivars and wildtype trees in the southeastern United States.

PubMed

Lahr, Eleanor C; Dunn, Robert R; Frank, Steven D

2018-01-01

Photosynthesis is a fundamental process that trees perform over fluctuating environmental conditions. This study of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) characterizes photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency in planted cultivars relative to wildtype trees. Red maple is common in cities, yet there is little understanding of how physiological processes affect the long-term growth, condition, and ecosystem services provided by urban trees. In the first year of our study, we measured leaf-level gas exchange and performed short-term temperature curves on urban planted cultivars and on suburban and rural wildtype trees. In the second year, we compared urban planted cultivars and urban wildtype trees. In the first year, urban planted trees had higher maximum rates of photosynthesis and higher overall rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance throughout the summer, relative to suburban or rural wildtype trees. Urban planted trees again had higher maximum rates of photosynthesis in the second year. However, urban wildtype trees had higher water use efficiency as air temperatures increased and similar overall rates of photosynthesis, relative to cultivars, in mid and late summer. Our results show that physiological differences between cultivars and wildtype trees may relate to differences in their genetic background and their responses to local environmental conditions, contingent on the identity of the horticultural variety. Overall, our results suggest that wildtype trees should be considered for some urban locations, and our study is valuable in demonstrating how site type and tree type can inform tree planting strategies and improve long-term urban forest sustainability.

A Site to Behold: Creating Curricula about Local Urban Environmental Art.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurber, Frances E.

1997-01-01

Describes "Site Omaha" an interactive public arts project designed to explore alternative art venues in the urban environment and to create a common link between artists and other community members. "Site Omaha" initiated innovative community arts projects. Provides a brief overview of urban environmental art. (MJP)

Variation at the DRD4 locus is associated with wariness and local site selection in urban black swans.

PubMed

van Dongen, Wouter F D; Robinson, Randall W; Weston, Michael A; Mulder, Raoul A; Guay, Patrick-Jean

2015-12-11

Interactions between wildlife and humans are increasing. Urban animals are often less wary of humans than their non-urban counterparts, which could be explained by habituation, adaptation or local site selection. Under local site selection, individuals that are less tolerant of humans are less likely to settle in urban areas. However, there is little evidence for such temperament-based site selection, and even less is known about its underlying genetic basis. We tested whether site selection in urban and non-urban habitats by black swans (Cygnus atratus) was associated with polymorphisms in two genes linked to fear in animals, the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) and serotonin transporter (SERT) genes. Wariness in swans was highly repeatable between disturbance events (repeatability = 0.61) and non-urban swans initiated escape from humans earlier than urban swans. We found no inter-individual variation in the SERT gene, but identified five DRD4 genotypes and an association between DRD4 genotype and wariness. Individuals possessing the most common DRD4 genotype were less wary than individuals possessing rarer genotypes. As predicted by the local site selection hypothesis, genotypes associated with wary behaviour were over three times more frequent at the non-urban site. This resulted in moderate population differentiation at DRD4 (FST = 0.080), despite the sites being separated by only 30 km, a short distance for this highly-mobile species. Low population differentiation at neutrally-selected microsatellite loci and the likely occasional migration of swans between the populations reduces the likelihood of local site adaptations. Our results suggest that wariness in swans is partly genetically-determined and that wary swans settle in less-disturbed areas. More generally, our findings suggest that site-specific management strategies may be necessary that consider the temperament of local animals.

Concentrations of dissolved solids and nutrients in water sources and selected streams of the Santa Ana Basin, California, Octoger 1998 - September 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kent, Robert; Belitz, Kenneth

2004-01-01

Concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and nutrients in selected Santa Ana Basin streams were examined as a function of water source. The principal water sources are mountain runoff, wastewater, urban runoff, and stormflow. Rising ground water also enters basin streams in some reaches. Data were collected from October 1998 to September 2001 from 6 fixed sites (including a mountain site), 6 additional mountain sites (including an alpine indicator site), and more than 20 synoptic sites. The fixed mountain site on the Santa Ana River near Mentone appears to be a good representative of reference conditions for water entering the basin. TDS can be related to water source. The median TDS concentration in base-flow samples from mountain sites was 200 mg/L (milligrams per liter). Base-flow TDS concentrations from sites on the valley floor typically ranged from 400 to 600 mg/L; base flow to most of these sites is predominantly treated wastewater, with minor contributions of rising ground water and urban runoff. Sparse data suggest that TDS concentrations in urban runoff are about 300 mg/L. TDS concentrations appear to increase on a downstream gradient along the main stem of the Santa Ana River, regardless of source inputs. The major-ion compositions observed in samples from the different sites can be related to water source, as well as to in-stream processes in the basin. Water compositions from mountain sites are categorized into two groups: one group had a composition close to that of the alpine indicator site high in the watershed, and another group had ionic characteristics closer to those in tributaries on the valley floor. The water composition at Warm Creek, a tributary urban indicator site, was highly variable but approximately intermediate to the compositions of the upgradient mountain sites. Water compositions at the Prado Dam and Imperial Highway sites, located 11 miles apart on the Santa Ana River, were similar to one another and appeared to be a mixture of the waters of the upstream sites, Santa Ana River at MWD Crossing, Cucamonga Creek, and Warm Creek. Rainfall usually dilutes stream TDS concentrations. The median TDS concentration in all storm-event discrete samples was 260 mg/L. The median flow-weighted average TDS concentration for stormflow, based on continuous measurement of specific conductance and hydrograph separation of the continuous discharge record, was 190 mg/L. However, stormflow TDS concentrations were variable, and depended on whether the storm was associated with a relatively small or large rainfall event. TDS concentrations in stormflow associated with relatively small events ranged from about 50 to 600 mg/L with a median of 220 mg/L, whereas concentrations in stormflow associated with relatively large events ranged from about 40 to 300 mg/L with a median of 100 mg/L. From the perspective of water managers, the nutrient species of highest concern in Santa Ana Basin streams is nitrate. Most mountain streams had median base-flow concentrations of nitrate below 0.3 mg/L as nitrogen. Nitrate concentrations in both urban runoff and stormflow were near 1 mg/L, which is close to the level found in rainfall for the region. In fact, results from this study suggest that much of the nitrate load in urban storm runoff comes from rainwater. Nitrate concentrations in the Santa Ana River and its major tributaries are highest downstream from wastewater inputs, where median base-flow concentrations of nitrite+nitrate ranged from about 5 to 7 mg/L. About 4 percent of samples collected from sites receiving treated wastewater had nitrate concentrations greater than 10 mg/L. Rising ground water also appears to have high nitrate concentrations (greater than 10 mg/L) in some reaches of the river. Concentrations of other nitrogen species were much lower than nitrate concentrations in base-flow samples. However, storm events increased concentrations and the proportion of organic nitro

Environmental risk assessment in five rivers of Parana River basin, Southern Brazil, through biomarkers in Astyanax spp.

PubMed

Barros, Ivaldete Tijolin; Ceccon, Juliana Parolin; Glinski, Andressa; Liebel, Samuel; Grötzner, Sonia Regina; Randi, Marco Antonio Ferreira; Benedito, Evanilde; Ortolani-Machado, Claudia Feijó; Filipak Neto, Francisco; de Oliveira Ribeiro, Ciro Alberto

2017-07-01

In the current study, water quality of five river sites in Parana River basin (Brazil), utilized for public water supply, was assessed through a set of biomarkers in fish Astyanax spp. Population growth and inadequate use of land are challenges to the preservation of biodiversity and resources such as water. Some physicochemical parameters as well as somatic indexes, gills and liver histopathology, genotoxicity, and biochemical biomarkers were evaluated. The highest gonadosomatic index (GSI) and antioxidant parameters (catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities, non-protein thiols), as well as the lowest damage to biomolecules (lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, DNA damage) were observed in site 0 (Piava River), which is located at an environmental protected area. Site 1, located in the same river, but downstream site 0 and outside the protection area, presents some level of impact. Fish from site 2 (Antas River), which lack of riparian forest and suffer from silting, presented the highest micronucleus incidence and no melanomacrophages. Differently, individuals from site 3 (Xambrê River) and site 4 (Pinhalzinho River) which receive surface runoff from Umuarama city, urban and industrial sewage, have the highest incidences of liver and gill histopathological alterations, including neoplasia, which indicated the worst health conditions of all sites. In particular, site 4 had high levels of total nitrogen and ammonia, high turbidity, and very low oxygen levels, which indicate important chemical impact. Comparison of the biomarkers in fish allowed classification of the five sites in terms of environmental impact and revealed that sites 3 and 4 had particular poor water quality.

Tropospheric ozone over the North Pacific from ozonesonde observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oltmans, S. J.; Johnson, B. J.; Harris, J. M.; Thompson, A. M.; Liu, H. Y.; Chan, C. Y.; VöMel, H.; Fujimoto, T.; Brackett, V. G.; Chang, W. L.; Chen, J.-P.; Kim, J. H.; Chan, L. Y.; Chang, H.-W.

2004-08-01

As part of the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) mission, ozonesondes were used to make ozone vertical profile measurements at nine locations in the North Pacific. At most of the sites there is a multiyear record of observations. From locations in the western Pacific (Hong Kong; Taipei; Jeju Island, Korea; and Naha, Kagoshima, Tsukuba, and Sapporo, Japan), a site in the central Pacific (Hilo, Hawaii), and a site on the west coast of the United States (Trinidad Head, California) both a seasonal and event specific picture of tropospheric ozone over the North Pacific emerges. Ozone profiles over the North Pacific generally show a prominent spring maximum throughout the troposphere. This maximum is tied to the location of the jet stream and its influence on stratosphere-troposphere exchange and the increase in photochemical ozone production through the spring. Prominent layers of enhanced ozone in the middle and upper troposphere north of about 30°N seem to be more closely tied to stratospheric intrusions while biomass burning leads to layers of enhanced ozone in the lower and upper troposphere at Hong Kong (22°N) and Taipei (25°N). The lower free tropospheric layers at Hong Kong are associated with burning in SE Asia, but the upper layer may be associated with either equatorial Northern Hemisphere burning in Africa or SE Asian biomass burning. In the boundary layer at Taipei very high mixing ratios of ozone were observed that result from pollution transport from China in the spring and local urban pollution during the summer. At the ozonesonde site near Tokyo (Tsukuba, 36°N) very large enhancements of ozone are seen in the boundary layer in the summer that are characteristic of urban air pollution. At sites in the mid and eastern Pacific the signature of transport of polluted air from Asia is not readily identifiable from the ozonesonde profile. This is likely due to the more subtle signal and the fact that from the ozone profile and meteorological data by themselves it is difficult to identify such a signal. During the TRACE-P intensive campaign period (February-April 2001), tropospheric ozone amounts were generally typical of those seen in the long-term records of the stations with multiyear soundings. The exception was the upper troposphere over Hong Kong and Taipei where ozone amounts were lower in 2001.

The siting of UK nuclear reactors.

PubMed

Grimston, Malcolm; Nuttall, William J; Vaughan, Geoff

2014-06-01

Choosing a suitable site for a nuclear power station requires the consideration and balancing of several factors. Some 'physical' site characteristics, such as the local climate and the potential for seismic activity, will be generic to all reactors designs, while others, such as the availability of cooling water, the area of land required and geological conditions capable of sustaining the weight of the reactor and other buildings will to an extent be dependent on the particular design of reactor chosen (or alternatively the reactor design chosen may to an extent be dependent on the characteristics of an available site). However, one particularly interesting tension is a human and demographic one. On the one hand it is beneficial to place nuclear stations close to centres of population, to reduce transmission losses and other costs (including to the local environment) of transporting electricity over large distances from generator to consumer. On the other it is advantageous to place nuclear stations some distance away from such population centres in order to minimise the potential human consequences of a major release of radioactive materials in the (extremely unlikely) event of a major nuclear accident, not only in terms of direct exposure but also concerning the management of emergency planning, notably evacuation.This paper considers the emergence of policies aimed at managing this tension in the UK. In the first phase of nuclear development (roughly speaking 1945-1965) there was a highly cautious attitude, with installations being placed in remote rural locations with very low population density. The second phase (1965-1985) saw a more relaxed approach, allowing the development of AGR nuclear power stations (which with concrete pressure vessels were regarded as significantly safer) closer to population centres (in 'semi-urban' locations, notably at Hartlepool and Heysham). In the third phase (1985-2005) there was very little new nuclear development, Sizewell B (the first and so far only PWR power reactor in the UK) being colocated with an early Magnox station on the rural Suffolk coast. Renewed interest in nuclear new build from 2005 onward led to a number of sites being identified for new reactors before 2025, all having previously hosted nuclear stations and including the semi-urban locations of the 1960s and 1970s. Finally, some speculative comments are made as to what a 'fifth phase' starting in 2025 might look like.

Variation in characteristics of ambient particulate matter at eight locations in the Netherlands - The RAPTES project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strak, Maciej; Steenhof, Maaike; Godri, Krystal J.; Gosens, Ilse; Mudway, Ian S.; Cassee, Flemming R.; Lebret, Erik; Brunekreef, Bert; Kelly, Frank J.; Harrison, Roy M.; Hoek, Gerard; Janssen, Nicole A. H.

2011-08-01

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown health effects related to short- and long-term exposure to elevated levels of ambient particulate matter (PM). It is not clear however which specific characteristics (e.g., size, components) or sources of PM are responsible for the observed effects. The aim of RAPTES (Risk of Airborne Particles: a Toxicological-Epidemiological hybrid Study) was to investigate which specific physical, chemical or oxidative characteristics of ambient PM are associated with adverse effects of PM on health. This was done by performing experimental exposure of human volunteers to air pollution at several real-world settings that had high contrast and low correlation between several PM characteristics. For this goal, eight sites in the Netherlands that differed in local PM emission sources were chosen for extensive air pollution characterization. Measurement sites included an underground train station, three different road traffic sites, an animal farm, a sea harbor, a site located in the vicinity of steelworks, and an urban background site. Five- to six-hours average concentration measurements at each site were made between June 2007 and October 2009. We measured PM 10, PM 2.5, particle number concentration (PNC), oxidative potential of PM, absorbance, endotoxin content, as well as elemental and chemical composition of PM, and gaseous pollutants concentrations. This paper presents a detailed characterization of particulate air pollution at the sampling sites. We found significant differences in all PM characteristics between the sites. The underground train station, compared to each outdoor location, had substantially higher concentrations of nearly all PM characteristics. The average PM 10 and PM 2.5 mass concentrations at the underground train station were 394 μg m -3 and 137 μg m -3, respectively, which was 14.1 and 7.6 times higher than the urban background. The sum of the concentrations of trace metals in fine and coarse PM was nearly 20 times above the outdoor levels. Elemental carbon (EC) was elevated at the underground site in the fine but also in the coarse mode, in contrast to the traffic sites where EC was predominantly found in fine PM. The highest concentrations and contrasts in PNC were at the traffic sites (between 45,000 and 80,000 particles cm -3), which was several times higher than measured at any other site. Correlations of PNC with metals, PM 10, PM 2.5 and absorbance were low to moderate, while correlations between PM 10, PM 2.5 and the metals Cu and Fe were high. After excluding the underground train station data, correlations between PM10, EC and metals decreased whereas the correlation between PNC and EC increased. We conclude that we were able to successfully identify and characterize real-world situations with very different particle characteristics. High contrast and low correlations between PM characteristics, as well as consistency of these differences across sampling campaigns, provide a good basis for identifying health relevant PM characteristics in the upcoming analysis.

Does urbanization influence the spatial ecology of Gila monsters in the Sonoran Desert?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kwiatkowski, M.A.; Schuett, G.W.; Repp, R.A.; Nowak, E.M.; Sullivan, B.K.

2008-01-01

To assess whether urbanization influences the spatial ecology of a rare and protected venomous reptilian predator, the Gila monster Heloderma suspectum, we compared home range (HR) size and movement parameters at three sites varying in degree of urbanization in the Sonoran Desert. We predicted that the urban population of H. suspectum would exhibit smaller HRs, avoid human structures and show less movement. Multivariate analysis indicated that males generally exhibited larger HRs and had higher movement rates and activity levels than females at all three sites. Contrary to our predictions, however, HR size and movement parameters did not vary across the sites in relation to the level of urbanization. At the urban site, individuals often crossed narrow roads and regularly used artificial structures as refuges for extended periods. Furthermore, the population sex ratio at the urban site was female-biased, consistent with the expectation that occupation of larger HRs and higher movement rates results in higher mortality for males in urbanized areas. Gila monsters did not appear to alter certain aspects of their spatial ecology in response to low levels of human activity but additional work will be required to assess population viability and possible effects in the long term and with higher levels of urbanization.

24 CFR 891.320 - Site and neighborhood standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Site and neighborhood standards. 891.320 Section 891.320 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban... OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (SECTION 8 HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, SECTION 202 DIRECT LOAN...

Urban Marine Habitat Use by Waterbirds in Narragansett Bay

EPA Science Inventory

We examined patterns of habitat use by waterbirds (waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds) at a series of urban and non-urban marine habitats in Narragansett Bay during 2005-2007. Average waterbird abundance at urban sites was significantly higher than at rural sites (304 ± 59.7...

A progress report on the ARRA-funded geotechnical site characterization project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, A. J.; Yong, A.; Stokoe, K.; Di Matteo, A.; Diehl, J.; Jack, S.

2011-12-01

For the past 18 months, the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has funded geotechnical site characterizations at 189 seismographic station sites in California and the central U.S. This ongoing effort applies methods involving surface-wave techniques, which include the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique and one or more of the following: spectral analysis of surface wave (SASW), active and passive multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW) and passive array microtremor techniques. From this multi-method approach, shear-wave velocity profiles (VS) and the time-averaged shear-wave velocity of the upper 30 meters (VS30) are estimated for each site. To accommodate the variability in local conditions (e.g., rural and urban soil locales, as well as weathered and competent rock sites), conventional field procedures are often modified ad-hoc to fit the unanticipated complexity at each location. For the majority of sites (>80%), fundamental-mode Rayleigh wave dispersion-based techniques are deployed and where complex geology is encountered, multiple test locations are made. Due to the presence of high velocity layers, about five percent of the locations require multi-mode inversion of Rayleigh wave (MASW-based) data or 3-D array-based inversion of SASW dispersion data, in combination with shallow P-wave seismic refraction and/or HVSR results. Where a strong impedance contrast (i.e. soil over rock) exists at shallow depth (about 10% of sites), dominant higher modes limit the use of Rayleigh wave dispersion techniques. Here, use of the Love wave dispersion technique, along with seismic refraction and/or HVSR data, is required to model the presence of shallow bedrock. At a small percentage of the sites, surface wave techniques are found not suitable for stand-alone deployment and site characterization is limited to the use of the seismic refraction technique. A USGS Open File Report-describing the surface geology, VS profile and the calculated VS30 for each site-will be prepared after the completion of the project in November 2011.

Comparison of macroinvertebrate-derived stream quality metrics between snag and riffle habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stepenuck, K.F.; Crunkilton, R.L.; Bozek, Michael A.; Wang, L.

2008-01-01

We compared benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure at snag and riffle habitats in 43 Wisconsin streams across a range of watershed urbanization using a variety of stream quality metrics. Discriminant analysis indicated that dominant taxa at riffles and snags differed; Hydropsychid caddisflies (Hydropsyche betteni and Cheumatopsyche spp.) and elmid beetles (Optioservus spp. and Stenemlis spp.) typified riffles, whereas isopods (Asellus intermedius) and amphipods (Hyalella azteca and Gammarus pseudolimnaeus) predominated in snags. Analysis of covariance indicated that samples from snag and riffle habitats differed significantly in their response to the urbanization gradient for the Hilsenhoff biotic index (BI), Shannon's diversity index, and percent of filterers, shredders, and pollution intolerant Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) at each stream site (p ??? 0.10). These differences suggest that although macroinvertebrate assemblages present in either habitat type are sensitive to detecting the effects of urbanization, metrics derived from different habitats should not be intermixed when assessing stream quality through biomonitoring. This can be a limitation to resource managers who wish to compare water quality among streams where the same habitat type is not available at all stream locations, or where a specific habitat type (i.e., a riffle) is required to determine a metric value (i.e., BI). To account for differences in stream quality at sites lacking riffle habitat, snag-derived metric values can be adjusted based on those obtained from riffles that have been exposed to the same level of urbanization. Comparison of nonlinear regression equations that related stream quality metric values from the two habitat types to percent watershed urbanization indicated that snag habitats had on average 30.2 fewer percent EPT individuals, a lower diversity index value than riffles, and a BI value of 0.29 greater than riffles. ?? 2008 American Water Resources Association.

Bottomland Hardwood Forest Influence on Floodplain Hydrology and Stream Bank Stability in an Urbanizing Watershed of the Central U.S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbart, J. A.; Zell, C.; Huang, D.

2012-12-01

Conversion of bottomland hardwood forest (BHF) to agricultural and urban land uses in the 19th and 20th centuries altered the hydrology of streams, floodplains, and remnant BHF. Broadened and steepened stream channels lead to increased channel instability, accelerated erosion, and reduced floodplain hydrologic connectivity. A case study was implemented to investigate floodplain and stream hydrogeomorphological processes comparing a remnant BHF and Ag site (sites = 0.90 km apart). 120 m2 grids were established to estimate canopy cover (LAI = 3.1), soil characteristics by the soil core method at depths of 0, 15, 30, 50, 75 and 100 cm (n = 302), and surface soil infiltration capacity (n = 42). 80 m2 grids (each site) were implemented with nine equally spaced piezometers to estimate shallow groundwater depth and flow. Stream bank erosion study sites were located adjacent to BHF and agricultural floodplain study sites using the erosion pin method (10 pin plots, n = 342 pins). Results indicate average porosity (n = 150) of 0.56 (SD = 0.04) and 0.59 (SD = 0.04) in agricultural and BHF sites, respectively. Average infiltration capacity was 44 cm/hr (SD = 38 cm/hr) and 59 cm/hr (SD = 54 cm/hr) in agricultural and BHF sites, respectively. Depth integrated calculations of equivalent depth of soil water (EDSW) were significantly different (CI = 99%) 33.3 cm/m (SD = 2.24 cm/m) and 36.9 cm/m (SD = 2.68 cm/m) between Ag and BHF sites, respectively. Shallow groundwater analyses (Water Year 2011) indicated that average head at the BHF and Ag sites increased by approximately 0.25 m, and 0.50 m, respectively 90 m inland from the streambank. Stream bank erosion results showed that during a drier (762 mm) than average (10yr avg = 1077 mm) rainfall year (Water Year 2011), 15.7 and 177.8 tonnes of soil erosion occurred on the right side (facing downstream) stream banks of the BHF and Ag sites, respectively. Average bank erosion depth measured at the BHF and Ag sites was 18 and 112 mm/yr respectively. The greatest average depth of erosion occurred during the winter season (44.7 mm), followed by summer (13.1 mm) and spring (6.3 mm) and fall with the lowest average erosion depth (1.1 mm). Results demonstrate the potential benefit of sustaining or re-establishing floodplain forests to enhance soil infiltration capacity, soil storage capacity, floodwave attenuation, and consumptive water use, thereby reducing flooding and mitigating stormwater runoff problems in rapidly developing urban environments. In addition, results hold important implications for land-use managers wishing to reduce bank erosion and improve land-use practices, water quality and aquatic natural resource sustainability in dynamic urbanizing watersheds.

Social Impacts of McClellan-Kerr Navigation System: A Study of Public Sector Response to Water Resource Development,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-01

results are disappointing as tonnage for 1976 is the lowest of the five ports. Muskogee has not produced results commensurate with investment, both...the waterway. At the time of writing, no plants that need to use the waterway have been built at the industrial site. This situation results in part...c.b.d. originally was located near the river, growth results in decreasing accessibility for residents of the urban area. Efforts are underway in each

Analysis of Radar Images of Angkor, Cambodia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freeman, Anthony; Hensley, Scott; Moore, Elizabeth

2000-01-01

During the 1996 AIRSAR Pacific Rim Deployment, data were collected over Angkor in Cambodia. The temples of Angkor date the succession of cities to the 9th-13th century AD, but little is known of its prehistoric habitation. A related area of archaeological debate has been the origin, spiritual meaning and use of the hydraulic constructions in the urban zone. The high resolution, multi-channel capability of AIRSAR, together with the unprecedentedly accurate topography provided by TOPSAR, offer identification and delineation of these features. Examples include previously unrecorded circular earthworks around circular village sites, detection of unrecorded earthwork dykes, reservoirs and canal features, and of temple sites located some distance from the main temple complex at Angkor.

24 CFR 92.202 - Site and neighborhood standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Site and neighborhood standards. 92.202 Section 92.202 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM Program Requirements § 92.202 Site and neighborhood standards. (a) General. A participating...

Analyses of ozone in urban and rural sites in Málaga (Spain).

PubMed

Dueñas, C; Fernández, M C; Cañete, S; Carretero, J; Liger, E

2004-08-01

Ozone concentrations were measured at two (urban and a rural) sites near the city of Málaga (Spain). The aim of this study was to determine the daily, monthly and seasonal variation patterns of ozone concentrations at both sites and to study the possible regional influences. The daily variations mostly have the usual features with the afternoon maximum and the night minimum being more pronounced in the urban area. The average monthly concentrations throughout the year start to increase in March reaching their maximum values in July for the urban site. However, in the rural area, the monthly variations are smaller reaching their maximum value in June. The hourly evolution of the ozone concentrations in both sampling sites is well defined in spring and summer and not so well defined in autumn and winter. Taking into account the four seasons, the rural concentrations are higher than the urban ones. Summer is the season when there are similar concentrations at both sampling sites. Average hourly summer afternoon ozone for the hours 12:00-20:00 LST exceeded the 110 microg m(-3) European Union guidelines for human health for 8 h ozone exposure at the urban and rural sites.

Foliar phenolics in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) as a potential indicator of tropospheric ozone pollution.

PubMed

Sager, E P S; Hutchinson, T C; Croley, T R

2005-06-01

Tropospheric O3 has been implicated in the declining health of forest ecosystems in Europe and North America and has been shown to have negative consequences on human health. We have measured tropospheric ozone (O3) in the lower canopy through the use of passive monitors located in five woodlots along a 150 km urban-rural transect, originating in the large urban complex of Toronto, Canada. We also sampled foliage from 10 mature sugar maple trees in each woodlot and measured the concentration of a number of phenolic compounds and macronutrients. O3 concentrations were highest in the two rural woodlots, located approximately 150 km downwind of Toronto, when compared to the woodlots found within the Greater Toronto Area. Foliar concentrations of three flavonoids, avicularin, isoquercitrin, and quercitrin, were significantly greater and nitrogen concentrations significantly lower at these same rural woodlots, suggesting some physiological disruption is occurring in those sites where exposure to tropospheric O3 is greater. We suggest that foliar phenolics of sugar maple may be a biochemical indicator of tropospheric ozone exposure.

Environmental geology of ancient Greek cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crouch, D. P.

1996-04-01

Man-environment relations in the ancient Greek world, as now, were complex interactions. To understand them, we need to study a range of physical features and man's impact on the setting. The underlying geological reality of this area is karst, which is widely distributed, dominating Greece, the southern half of Turkey, and southern Italy and Sicily, where the Greco-Roman cities that we study were located. Year-round water from karst springs was important because of scarce rainfall, intense evaporation, and infertile soil—none under human control. Examples from the Greek mainland (Corinth), an Aegean island (Rhodes), Turkey (Priene), and Sicily (Syracuse) are selected and described to suggest the way that karst water potential played an important role in site selection and development. A wider look at criteria for urban location and a new classification of urban patterns help to revise conventional understandings of these ancient cities. In conclusion, some modern findings about the interaction between city and setting suggest new research agendas for geologists and engineers, ancient historians and archaelogists, and water policy makers—preferrably working together.

Real-estate lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rickert, David A.; Spieker, Andrew Maute

1971-01-01

Since the dawn of civilization waterfront land has been an irresistible attraction to man. Throughout history he has sought out locations fronting on oceans, rivers, and lakes. Originally sought for proximity .to water supply and transportation, such locations are now sought more for their esthetic qualities and for recreation. Usable natural waterfront property is limited, however, and the more desirable sites in many of our urban areas have already been taken. The lack of available waterfront sites has led to the creation of many artificial bodies of water. The rapid suburbanization that has characterized urban growth in America since the end of World War II, together with increasing affluence and le-isure time, has created a ready market for waterfront property. Accordingly, lake-centered subdivisions and developments dot the suburban landscape in many of our major urban areas. Literally thousands of lakes surrounded by homes have materialized during this period of rapid growth. Recently, several "new town" communities have been planned around this lake-centered concept. A lake can be either an asset or a liaoility to a community. A clean, clear, attractively landscaped lake is a definite asset, whereas a weed-choked, foul-smelling mudhole is a distinct liability. The urban environment poses both problems and imaginative opportunities in the development of lakes. Creation of a lake causes changes in all aspects of the environment. Hydrologic systems and ecological patterns are usually most severely altered. The developer should be aware of the potential changes; it is not sufficient merely to build a dam across a stream or to dig a hole in the ground. Development of Gl a successful lake requires careful planning for site selection and design, followed by thorough and cc ntinual management. The purpose of this report is to describe the characteristics of real-estate lakes, to pinpoint potential pmblems, and to suggest possible planning and management guidelines for their solution. It is not intended as a construction manual nor is it intended to supplant on-site engineering planning. Rather, the report is an a'lpraisal of the wide range of potential water and water-related problems that arise in making real-estate lakes attractive visually and functional environmentally. It is wr:tten to acquaint developers, property owners, and citizen groups with these problems so that they may be more knowledgeable in seeking adequate planning. and engfneering advice. The report should also be useful to vario·.ts regulatory agencies because it relates lake problems to basic hydrologic components. Most of the general information in this rep'lrt was obtained from the 47 district offices of the: Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey. Detailed information on specific hydrologic problems came largely from a continuing study of the effects urbanization has had on real-estate lakes. Additional detailed info .. mation was provided by several short-term studies conducted by local Survey offices expressly for this report.

Long-term cloud condensation nuclei number concentration, particle number size distribution and chemical composition measurements at regionally representative observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmale, Julia; Henning, Silvia; Decesari, Stefano; Henzing, Bas; Keskinen, Helmi; Sellegri, Karine; Ovadnevaite, Jurgita; Pöhlker, Mira L.; Brito, Joel; Bougiatioti, Aikaterini; Kristensson, Adam; Kalivitis, Nikos; Stavroulas, Iasonas; Carbone, Samara; Jefferson, Anne; Park, Minsu; Schlag, Patrick; Iwamoto, Yoko; Aalto, Pasi; Äijälä, Mikko; Bukowiecki, Nicolas; Ehn, Mikael; Frank, Göran; Fröhlich, Roman; Frumau, Arnoud; Herrmann, Erik; Herrmann, Hartmut; Holzinger, Rupert; Kos, Gerard; Kulmala, Markku; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos; Nenes, Athanasios; O'Dowd, Colin; Petäjä, Tuukka; Picard, David; Pöhlker, Christopher; Pöschl, Ulrich; Poulain, Laurent; Prévôt, André Stephan Henry; Swietlicki, Erik; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Artaxo, Paulo; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Ogren, John; Matsuki, Atsushi; Yum, Seong Soo; Stratmann, Frank; Baltensperger, Urs; Gysel, Martin

2018-02-01

Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) constitute the single largest uncertainty in anthropogenic radiative forcing. To reduce the uncertainties and gain more confidence in the simulation of ACI, models need to be evaluated against observations, in particular against measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Here we present a data set - ready to be used for model validation - of long-term observations of CCN number concentrations, particle number size distributions and chemical composition from 12 sites on 3 continents. Studied environments include coastal background, rural background, alpine sites, remote forests and an urban surrounding. Expectedly, CCN characteristics are highly variable across site categories. However, they also vary within them, most strongly in the coastal background group, where CCN number concentrations can vary by up to a factor of 30 within one season. In terms of particle activation behaviour, most continental stations exhibit very similar activation ratios (relative to particles > 20 nm) across the range of 0.1 to 1.0 % supersaturation. At the coastal sites the transition from particles being CCN inactive to becoming CCN active occurs over a wider range of the supersaturation spectrum. Several stations show strong seasonal cycles of CCN number concentrations and particle number size distributions, e.g. at Barrow (Arctic haze in spring), at the alpine stations (stronger influence of polluted boundary layer air masses in summer), the rain forest (wet and dry season) or Finokalia (wildfire influence in autumn). The rural background and urban sites exhibit relatively little variability throughout the year, while short-term variability can be high especially at the urban site. The average hygroscopicity parameter, κ, calculated from the chemical composition of submicron particles was highest at the coastal site of Mace Head (0.6) and lowest at the rain forest station ATTO (0.2-0.3). We performed closure studies based on κ-Köhler theory to predict CCN number concentrations. The ratio of predicted to measured CCN concentrations is between 0.87 and 1.4 for five different types of κ. The temporal variability is also well captured, with Pearson correlation coefficients exceeding 0.87. Information on CCN number concentrations at many locations is important to better characterise ACI and their radiative forcing. But long-term comprehensive aerosol particle characterisations are labour intensive and costly. Hence, we recommend operating migrating-CCNCs to conduct collocated CCN number concentration and particle number size distribution measurements at individual locations throughout one year at least to derive a seasonally resolved hygroscopicity parameter. This way, CCN number concentrations can only be calculated based on continued particle number size distribution information and greater spatial coverage of long-term measurements can be achieved.

Evaluation of drinking quality of groundwater through multivariate techniques in urban area.

PubMed

Das, Madhumita; Kumar, A; Mohapatra, M; Muduli, S D

2010-07-01

Groundwater is a major source of drinking water in urban areas. Because of the growing threat of debasing water quality due to urbanization and development, monitoring water quality is a prerequisite to ensure its suitability for use in drinking. But analysis of a large number of properties and parameter to parameter basis evaluation of water quality is not feasible in a regular interval. Multivariate techniques could streamline the data without much loss of information to a reasonably manageable data set. In this study, using principal component analysis, 11 relevant properties of 58 water samples were grouped into three statistical factors. Discriminant analysis identified "pH influence" as the most distinguished factor and pH, Fe, and NO₃⁻ as the most discriminating variables and could be treated as water quality indicators. These were utilized to classify the sampling sites into homogeneous clusters that reflect location-wise importance of specific indicator/s for use to monitor drinking water quality in the whole study area.

Visual object recognition for mobile tourist information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paletta, Lucas; Fritz, Gerald; Seifert, Christin; Luley, Patrick; Almer, Alexander

2005-03-01

We describe a mobile vision system that is capable of automated object identification using images captured from a PDA or a camera phone. We present a solution for the enabling technology of outdoors vision based object recognition that will extend state-of-the-art location and context aware services towards object based awareness in urban environments. In the proposed application scenario, tourist pedestrians are equipped with GPS, W-LAN and a camera attached to a PDA or a camera phone. They are interested whether their field of view contains tourist sights that would point to more detailed information. Multimedia type data about related history, the architecture, or other related cultural context of historic or artistic relevance might be explored by a mobile user who is intending to learn within the urban environment. Learning from ambient cues is in this way achieved by pointing the device towards the urban sight, capturing an image, and consequently getting information about the object on site and within the focus of attention, i.e., the users current field of view.

Three-dimensional geological modelling of anthropogenic deposits at small urban sites: a case study from Sheepcote Valley, Brighton, UK.

PubMed

Tame, C; Cundy, A B; Royse, K R; Smith, M; Moles, N R

2013-11-15

Improvements in computing speed and capacity and the increasing collection and digitisation of geological data now allow geoscientists to produce meaningful 3D spatial models of the shallow subsurface in many large urban areas, to predict ground conditions and reduce risk and uncertainty in urban planning. It is not yet clear how useful this 3D modelling approach is at smaller urban scales, where poorly characterised anthropogenic deposits (artificial/made ground and fill) form the dominant subsurface material and where the availability of borehole and other geological data is less comprehensive. This is important as it is these smaller urban sites, with complex site history, which frequently form the focus of urban regeneration and redevelopment schemes. This paper examines the extent to which the 3D modelling approach previously utilised at large urban scales can be extended to smaller less well-characterised urban sites, using a historic landfill site in Sheepcote Valley, Brighton, UK as a case study. Two 3D models were generated and compared using GSI3D™ software, one using borehole data only, one combining borehole data with local geological maps and results from a desk study (involving collation of available site data, including ground contour plans). These models clearly delimit the overall subsurface geology at the site, and allow visualisation and modelling of the anthropogenic deposits present. Shallow geophysical data collected from the site partially validate the 3D modelled data, and can improve GSI3D™ outputs where boundaries of anthropogenic deposits may not be clearly defined by surface, contour or borehole data. Attribution of geotechnical and geochemical properties to the 3D model is problematic without intrusive investigations and sampling. However, combining available borehole data, shallow geophysical methods and site histories may allow attribution of generic fill properties, and consequent reduction of urban development risk and uncertainty. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urbanization drives community shifts towards thermophilic and dispersive species at local and landscape scales.

PubMed

Piano, Elena; De Wolf, Katrien; Bona, Francesca; Bonte, Dries; Bowler, Diana E; Isaia, Marco; Lens, Luc; Merckx, Thomas; Mertens, Daan; van Kerckvoorde, Marc; De Meester, Luc; Hendrickx, Frederik

2017-07-01

The increasing conversion of agricultural and natural areas to human-dominated urban landscapes is predicted to lead to a major decline in biodiversity worldwide. Two conditions that typically differ between urban environments and the surrounding landscape are increased temperature, and high patch isolation and habitat turnover rates. However, the extent and spatial scale at which these altered conditions shape biotic communities through selection and/or filtering on species traits are currently poorly understood. We sampled carabid beetles at 81 sites in Belgium using a hierarchically nested sampling design wherein three local-scale (200 × 200 m) urbanization levels were repeatedly sampled across three landscape-scale (3 × 3 km) urbanization levels. First, we showed that communities sampled in the most urbanized locations and landscapes displayed a distinct species composition at both local and landscape scale. Second, we related community means of species-specific thermal preferences and dispersal capacity (based on European distribution and wing morphology, respectively) to the urbanization gradients. We showed that urban communities consisted on average of species with a preference for higher temperatures and with better dispersal capacities compared to rural communities. These shifts were caused by an increased number of species tolerating higher temperatures, a decreased richness of species with low thermal preference, and an almost complete depletion of species with very low-dispersal capacity in the most urbanized localities. Effects of urbanization were most clearly detected at the local scale, although more subtle effects could also be found at the scale of entire landscapes. Our results demonstrate that urbanization may fundamentally and consistently alter species composition by exerting a strong filtering effect on species dispersal characteristics and favouring replacement by warm-dwelling species. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

24 CFR 570.309 - Restriction on location of activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Restriction on location of activities. 570.309 Section 570.309 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF...

24 CFR 570.301 - Activity locations and float-funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Activity locations and float-funding. 570.301 Section 570.301 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF...

24 CFR 570.309 - Restriction on location of activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Restriction on location of activities. 570.309 Section 570.309 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF...

24 CFR 570.301 - Activity locations and float-funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Activity locations and float-funding. 570.301 Section 570.301 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF...

COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN URBAN SETTINGS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MAYHEW, LEWIS B.

A CONFERENCE OF ARCHITECTS, URBAN PLANNERS, COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENTS, AND EDUCATIONAL THEORISTS MET TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCATING JUNIOR COLLEGES IN CENTRAL CITIES. THE JUNIOR COLLEGE CAN MEET URBAN NEEDS FOR RETRAINING, FOR ADULT EDUCATION, FOR TRANSFER, AND FOR CREATING AN INFORMED ELECTORATE. THE COLLEGE LOCATION SHOULD ASSIST IT…

Physical and Chemical Aerosol Properties At An Urban and A Rural Site During An Episode of Strong Photochemical Activity During Escompte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dingenen, R.; Putaud, J. P.; dell'Acqua, A.; Martins-Dos Santos, S.; Viidanoja, J.; Raes, F.

During the ESCOMPTE campaign (10 June to 14 July, 2001), JRC mobile laboratories for aerosol physical and chemical measurements were deployed at two ground-based sites: Vallon Dol, located at the Northern edge of the Marseille agglomeration and Vi- non, a rural site about 80 km North-East of Marseille. Both sites were equipped with on-line instrumentation for number size distributions in the diameter size range 6nm to 10µm (10 minute time resolution), equivalent black carbon (15 minute time reso- lution), major anions and cations (15 minute time resolution). Time-integrated filter sampling at each site with a time resolution of 6-12 hours was performed with 2 sets of virtual impactors, separating the fine and coarse aerosol fraction. One set, loaded with quartz filters, was analyzed off-line using the `evolved gas analysis` technique for organic and elemental carbon. The second set, loaded with paper filters, was analyzed for dust (by ashing) and ionic composition. On top of the common instrumentation, the urban site was additionally performing on-line PM10 measurements (TEOM with sample equilibration system, 10 minute time resolution) and, during intensive obser- vation periods (IOP), size-segregated sampling with a 8 stage low-pressure Berner im- pactor (6-12 hours time resolution). In this presentation we will focus on data obtained during the second IOP (20-6 to 26-6). During this episode, the sea-breeze transported Marseille pollution plume was clearly observed at the Vinon rural site. Comparison of the aerosol properties at both sites will allow to evaluate the processes that contribute to the (trans)formation of particulate matter in the particular conditions of a marine air mass, mixed with local pollution and undergoing strong photochemical processes during in-land transport.

Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in southern Chesapeake Bay surface water: Evaluation of three methods for determining freely dissolved water concentrations

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

Gustafson, K.E.; Dickhut, R.M.

1997-03-01

Gas sparging, semipermeable-membrane devices (SPMDs), and filtration with sorption of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to XAD-2 resin were evaluated for determining the concentrations of freely dissolved PAHs in estuarine waters of southern Chesapeake Bay at sites ranging from rural to urban and highly industrialized. Gas sparging had significant sampling artifacts due to particle scavenging by rising bubbles, and SPMDs were kinetically limited for four-ring and larger PAHs relative to short-term temporal changes in water concentrations. Filtration with sorption of the dissolved contaminant fraction to XAD-2 resin was found to be the most accurate and feasible method for determining concentrationsmore » of freely dissolved PAHs in estuarine water. Concentrations and distribution coefficients of dissolved and particulate PAHs were measured using the filtration/XAD-2 method. Concentrations of PAHs in surface waters of southern Chesapeake Bay were higher than those reported for the northern bay; concentrations in the Elizabeth River were elevated relative to all other sites. A gradient for particulate PAHs was observed from urban to remote sites. No seasonal trends were observed in dissolved or particle-bound PAH fractions at any site. Distributions of dissolved and particulate PAHs in surface waters of the Chesapeake Bay are near equilibrium at all locations and during all seasons.« less

National Characteristics of Lymphatic Malformations in Children: Inpatient Estimates and Trends in the United States, 2000 to 2009.

PubMed

Cheng, Jeffrey; Liu, Beiyu; Farjat, Alfredo E; Routh, Jonathan

2018-04-01

With ever increasing demands to manage finite resources for health care utilization, we performed an investigation to identify inpatient clinical characteristics and trends in children with lymphatic malformations using the Kids' Inpatient Database, years 2000 to 2009, to help identify populations best suited for resource deployment. Subjects included children 18 years and below with International Classification of Diseases (ICD), ninth revision code: 228.1-lymphangioma, any site. In the United States, between 2000 and 2009, inpatient pediatric patients with lymphatic malformations most commonly affected children aged 3 years and younger, urban hospital locations, and the South and West regions. There was no significant change in age of children with lymphatic malformations or the distribution of their age from year to year, P=0.948 and 0.4223, respectively. No significant evidence for seasonal variation or effect on inpatient admission was identified, P=0.7071. A great majority of admissions (>96%) were in urban locations across each year. There was also no significant change in breakdown of admissions by geographic location, P=0.7133. Further investigation may help to elucidate how to improve access to multidisciplinary vascular anomalies teams to optimize care for these children with unique and complex lymphatic malformations.

Characterization of particle number size distribution and new particle formation in Southern China.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Chuan; Peng, Jianfei; He, Lingyan; Cao, Liming; Zhu, Qiao; Cui, Jie; Wu, Zhijun; Hu, Min

2017-01-01

Knowledge of particle number size distribution (PND) and new particle formation (NPF) events in Southern China is essential for mitigation strategies related to submicron particles and their effects on regional air quality, haze, and human health. In this study, seven field measurement campaigns were conducted from December 2013 to May 2015 using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) at four sites in Southern China, including three urban sites and one background site. Particles were measured in the size range of 15-615nm, and the median particle number concentrations (PNCs) were found to vary in the range of 0.3×10 4 -2.2×10 4 cm -3 at the urban sites and were approximately 0.2×10 4 cm -3 at the background site. The peak diameters at the different sites varied largely from 22 to 102nm. The PNCs in the Aitken mode (25-100nm) at the urban sites were up to 10 times higher than they were at the background site, indicating large primary emissions from traffic at the urban sites. The diurnal variations of PNCs were significantly influenced by both rush hour traffic at the urban sites and NPF events. The frequencies of NPF events at the different sites were 0%-30%, with the highest frequency occurring at an urban site during autumn. With higher SO 2 concentrations and higher ambient temperatures being necessary, NPF at the urban site was found to be more influenced by atmospheric oxidizing capability, while NPF at the background site was limited by the condensation sink. This study provides a unique dataset of particle number and size information in various environments in Southern China, which can help understand the sources, formation, and the climate forcing of aerosols in this quickly developing region, as well as help constrain and validate NPF modeling. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

REASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL LOCATION PROBLEM--A MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ROLE FOR THE SCHOOL IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DOST, JEANNE

RISING PRESSURES OF COMPETITION FOR LAND IN URBAN AREAS SUGGEST THE NEED FOR NOVEL APPROACHES TO PLANNING PUBLIC LAND USE FOR FOSTERING HIGHER LEVELS OF LIVING DESIRABILITY OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN BOTH ECONOMIC AND NON-ECONOMIC DISCIPLINES SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR A BROADER CONCEPT OF THE URBAN SCHOOL LOCATION PROBLEM.…

Observations of fine and coarse particle nitrate at several rural locations in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Taehyoung; Yu, Xiao-Ying; Ayres, Benjamin; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Malm, William C.; Collett, Jeffrey L.

Nitrate comprises an important part of aerosol mass at many non-urban locations during some times of the year. Little is known, however, about the chemical form and size distribution of particulate nitrate in these environments. While submicron ammonium nitrate is often assumed to be the dominant species, this assumption is rarely tested. Properties of aerosol nitrate were characterized at several IMPROVE monitoring sites during a series of field studies. Study sites included Bondville, Illinois (February 2003), San Gorgonio Wilderness Area, California (April and July 2003), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (May 2003), Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey (November 2003), and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee (July/August 2004). Nitrate was found predominantly in submicron ammonium nitrate particles during the Bondville and San Gorgonio (April) campaigns. Coarse mode nitrate particles, resulting from reactions of nitric acid or its precursors with sea salt or soil dust, were more important at Grand Canyon and Great Smoky Mountains. Both fine and coarse mode nitrate were important during the studies at Brigantine and San Gorgonio (July). These results, which complement earlier findings about the importance of coarse particle nitrate at Yosemite and Big Bend National Parks, suggest a need to more closely examine common assumptions regarding the importance of ammonium nitrate at non-urban sites, to include pathways for coarse mode nitrate formation in regional models, and to consider impacts of coarse particle nitrate on visibility. Because coarse particle nitrate modes often extend well below 2.5 μm aerodynamic diameter, measurements of PM 2.5 nitrate in these environments should not automatically be assumed to contain only ammonium nitrate.

Examining differences in types and location of recruitment venues for young males and females from urban neighborhoods: findings from a multi-site HIV prevention study.

PubMed

Chutuape, Kate S; Ziff, Mauri; Auerswald, Colette; Castillo, Marné; McFadden, Antionette; Ellen, Jonathan

2009-01-01

Finding and accessing members of youth subpopulations, such as young men who have sex with men (YMSM) of color or young females of color, for behavioral or disease surveillance or study recruitment, pose particular challenges. Venue-based sampling strategies--which hinge on where individuals congregate or "hang out" rather than where they live--appear to be effective alternatives. Methods used to identify venues focus on engaging members of social networks to learn where targeted populations congregate. However, it is not always clear if and how these methods differ according to gender, whether the youth accessed at a venue are actually from neighborhoods in which the venues are found, and whether the location of venues relative to neighborhoods of residence is different for young men and young women. This study illustrates the gender differences in venue type and venue location where eligible youth study participants from high-risk neighborhoods could be accessed for HIV research across 15 research sites (sites). The findings indicate that the study's method led to identifying venues where one quarter or more of the youth were eligible study participants and from the high-risk neighborhoods. Sites targeting young women of color had a higher proportion of eligible study participants who were also from the high-risk neighborhoods than sites targeting YMSM. Clubs were most commonly identified by sites targeting YMSM as recruitment venues, whereas neighborhood-based service or commercial centers were more common venues for young women of color. This study reveals how venue-based recruitment strategies can be tailored and resources maximized by understanding the key differences in the types of venues preferred by males and females and by recognizing that female-preferred venues are more likely to be closer to home.

Geospatial Technologies and i-Tree Echo Inventory for Predicting Climate Change on Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sriharan, S.; Robinson, L.; Ghariban, N.; Comar, M.; Pope, B.; Frey, G.

2015-12-01

Urban forests can be useful both in mitigating climate change and in helping cities adapt to higher temperatures and other impacts of climate change. Understanding and managing the impacts of climate change on the urban forest trees and natural communities will help us maintain their environmental, cultural, and economic benefits. Tree Inventory can provide important information on tree species, height, crown width, overall condition, health and maintenance needs. This presentation will demonstrate that a trees database system is necessary for developing a sustainable urban tree program. Virginia State University (VSU) campus benefits from large number and diversity of trees that are helping us by cleaning the air, retaining water, and providing shade on the buildings to reduce energy cost. The objectives of this study were to develop campus inventory of the trees, identify the tree species, map the locations of the trees with user-friendly tools such as i-Tree Eco and geospatial technologies by assessing the cost/benefit of employing student labor for training and ground validation of the results, and help campus landscape managers implement adaptive responses to climate change impacts. Data was collected on the location, species, and size of trees by using i-Tree urban forestry analysis software. This data was transferred to i-Tree inventory system for demonstrating types of trees, diameter of the trees, height of the trees, and vintage of the trees. The study site was mapped by collecting waypoints with GPS (Global Positioning System) at the trees and uploading these waypoints in ArcMap. The results of this study showed that: (i) students make good field crews, (ii) if more trees were placed in the proper area, the heating and cooling costs will reduce, and (iii) trees database system is necessary for planning, designing, planting, and maintenance, and removal of campus trees Research sponsored by the NIFA Grant, "Urban Forestry Management" (2012-38821-20153).

Indoor/outdoor relationships, sources and cancer risk assessment of NPAHs and OPAHs in PM2.5 at urban and suburban hotels in Jinan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yanyan; Yang, Lingxiao; Chen, Xiangfeng; Jiang, Pan; Gao, Ying; Zhang, Junmei; Yu, Hao; Wang, Wenxing

2018-06-01

Paired indoor and outdoor measurements of 16 NPAHs and 5 OPAHs in PM2.5 were conducted at urban and suburban sites during January 2016 in Jinan, China. The concentrations of both indoor and outdoor NPAHs and OPAHs were higher at the urban site compared with the suburban site. 9N-ANT (16-42%), 2+3N-FLA (15-51%), 2N-PYR (6-20%), and 1N-PYR (4-6%) were the dominant NPAHs at all sites, and 9-FO (61-81%) was the most abundant OPAHs. Solid fuel combustion, motor vehicle exhausts, and secondary generation were the main sources of the PAH derivatives in this study area. The I/O ratios of 90% of NPAHs and OPAHs at the first urban indoor site (abbreviated as URI1, Green Tree Inn) and the suburban indoor site (abbreviated as SUI, the Seven Star Hotel) were <1.00 indicating that many of the compounds measured indoors originated from outdoor sources. At the second urban indoor site (abbreviated as URI2, Shandong University Hotel), the I/O ratios of 2- and 3-ring NPAHs and OPAHs were >1.00, which was likely due to cooking activities occurring near the measurement site. Measurements of outdoor 2+3N-FLA/1N-PYR revealed mainly primary emission at the urban site and secondary sources at the suburban site, the average ratios were 3.76 and 12.22, respectively. The average ratio of 2+3N-FLA/2N-PYR at all sites was 3.3, indicating that the OH-initiated reaction was the dominant secondary formation pathway. Nighttime ratios of 2+3N-FLA/1N-PYR were significantly higher than the daytime ratios at all sites. The difference was especially pronounced during heavily polluted conditions at the suburban site, which suggests that heavy pollution and nighttime conditions promote secondary production. Additionally, the cancer risk was highest in urban outdoor (abbreviated as URO) when the population expose to the level as the outdoor air in the urban. The risk suggested that adults may be at a higher cancer risk.

Growth rates of fine aerosol particles at a site near Beijing in June 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Chuanfeng; Li, Yanan; Zhang, Fang; Sun, Yele; Wang, Pucai

2018-02-01

Growth of fine aerosol particles is investigated during the Aerosol-CCN-Cloud Closure Experiment campaign in June 2013 at an urban site near Beijing. Analyses show a high frequency (˜ 50%) of fine aerosol particle growth events, and show that the growth rates range from 2.1 to 6.5 nm h-1 with a mean value of ˜ 5.1 nm h-1. A review of previous studies indicates that at least four mechanisms can affect the growth of fine aerosol particles: vapor condensation, intramodal coagulation, extramodal coagulation, and multi-phase chemical reaction. At the initial stage of fine aerosol particle growth, condensational growth usually plays a major role and coagulation efficiency generally increases with particle sizes. An overview of previous studies shows higher growth rates over megacity, urban and boreal forest regions than over rural and oceanic regions. This is most likely due to the higher condensational vapor, which can cause strong condensational growth of fine aerosol particles. Associated with these multiple factors of influence, there are large uncertainties for the aerosol particle growth rates, even at the same location.

Impact of urban land use on the bacterial phyllosphere of ivy (Hedera sp.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smets, Wenke; Wuyts, Karen; Oerlemans, Eline; Wuyts, Sander; Denys, Siegfried; Samson, Roeland; Lebeer, Sarah

2016-12-01

The surface of the aerial parts of the plant, also termed the phyllosphere, is a selective habitat for microbes. The bacterial composition of the phyllosphere depends on host plant species, leaf characteristics, season, climate, and geographic location of the host plant. In this study, we investigated the effect of an urban environment on the bacterial composition of phyllosphere communities. We performed a passive biomonitoring experiment in which leaves were sampled from ivy (Hedera sp.), a common evergreen climber species, in urban and non-urban locations. Exposure to traffic-generated particulate matter was estimated using leaf biomagnetic analyses. The bacterial community composition was determined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq. The phyllosphere microbial communities of ivy differed greatly between urban and non-urban locations, as we observed a shift in several of the dominant taxa: Beijerinckia and Methylocystaceae were most abundant in the non-urban phyllosphere, whereas Hymenobacter and Sphingomonadaceae were dominating the urban ivy phyllosphere. The richness, diversity and composition of the communities showed greater variability in the urban than in the non-urban locations, where traffic-generated PM was lower. Interestingly, the relative abundances of eight of the ten most dominant taxa correlated well with leaf magnetism, be it positive or negative. The results of this study indicate that an urban environment can greatly affect the local phyllosphere community composition. Although other urban-related factors cannot be ruled out, the relative abundance of most of the dominant taxa was significantly correlated with exposure to traffic-generated PM.

Preferred features of urban parks and forests

Treesearch

Herbert W. Schroeder

1982-01-01

To make the most efficient use of scarce recreation resources, urban forest managers need to know what features of recreation sites are the most important for creating high-quality recreation environments. In this study, observers viewed photographs of urban forest sites in the Chicago area and described the features of the sites that they liked and disliked. Natural...

Environmental impact of an urban landfill on a coastal aquifer (El Jadida, Morocco)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chofqi, Amina; Younsi, Abedelkader; Lhadi, El Kbir; Mania, Jacky; Mudry, Jacques; Veron, Alain

2004-06-01

The El Jadida landfill is one among many uncontrolled dumping sites in Morocco with no bottom liner. About 150 tons/day of solid wastes from mixed urban and industrial origins are placed directly on the ground. At the site of this landfill, the groundwaters circulate deeply (10-15 m) in the Cenomanian rock (calcareous-marl), which is characterised by an important permeability from cracks. The soil is sand-clay characterized by a weak coefficient of retention. The phreatic water ascends to the bottom of three quarries, which are located within the landfill. These circumstances, along with the lack of a leachate collection system, worsen the risks for a potential deterioration of the aquifer. To evaluate groundwater pollution due to this urban landfill, piezometric level and geochemical analyses have been monitored since 1999 on 60 wells. The landfill leachate has been collected from the three quarries that are located within the landfill. The average results of geochemical analyses show an important polluant charge vehiculed by landfill leachate (chloride = 5680 mg l -1, chemical oxygen demand = 1000 mg l -1, iron = 23 000 μg l -1). They show also an important qualitative degradation of the groundwater, especially in the parts situated in the down gradient area and in direct proximity to the landfill. In these polluted zones, we have observed the following values: higher than 4.5 mS cm -1 in electric conductivity, 1620 and 1000 mg l -1 respectively in chlorides and sulfate ( SO42-), 15-25 μg l -1 in cadmium, and 60-100 μg l -1 in chromium. These concentrations widely exceed the standard values for potable water. Several determining factors in the evolution of groundwater contamination have been highlighted, such as (1) depth of the water table, (2) permeability of soil and unsaturated zone, (3) effective infiltration, (4) humidity and (5) absence of a system for leachate drainage. So, to reduce the pollution risks of the groundwater, it is necessary to set a system of collection, drainage and treatment of landfill leachates and to emplace an impermeable surface at the site of landfill, in order to limit the infiltration of leachate.

Is part-night lighting an effective measure to limit the impacts of artificial lighting on bats?

PubMed

Azam, Clémentine; Kerbiriou, Christian; Vernet, Arthur; Julien, Jean-François; Bas, Yves; Plichard, Laura; Maratrat, Julie; Le Viol, Isabelle

2015-12-01

As light pollution is currently considered to be a major threat to biodiversity, different lighting management options are being explored to mitigate the impact of artificial lighting on wildlife. Although part-night lighting schemes have been adopted by many local authorities across Europe to reduce the carbon footprint and save energy, their effects on biodiversity are unknown. Through a paired, in situ experiment, we compared the activity levels of 8 bat species under unlit, part-night, and full-night lighting treatments in a rural area located 60 km south of Paris, France. We selected 36 study locations composed of 1 lit site and a paired unlit control site; 24 of these sites were located in areas subject to part-night lighting schemes, and 12 sites were in areas under standard, full-night lighting. There was significantly more activity on part-night lighting sites compared to full-night lighting sites for the late-emerging, light-sensitive Plecotus spp., and a similar pattern was observable for Myotis spp., although not significant. In contrast, part-night lighting did not influence the activity of early emerging bat species around streetlights, except for Pipistrellus pipistrellus for which there was significantly less activity on part-night lighting sites than on full-night lighting sites. Overall, no significant difference in activity between part- and full-night lighting sites were observed in 5 of the 8 species studied, suggesting that current part-night lighting schemes fail to encompass the range of activity of most bat species. We recommend that such schemes start earlier at night to effectively mitigate the adverse effects of artificial lighting on light-sensitive species, particularly along ecological corridors that are especially important to the persistence of biodiversity in urban landscapes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A multiobjective modeling approach to locate multi-compartment containers for urban-sorted waste

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

Tralhao, Lino, E-mail: lmlrt@inescc.p; Coutinho-Rodrigues, Joao, E-mail: coutinho@dec.uc.p; Alcada-Almeida, Luis, E-mail: alcada@inescc.p

2010-12-15

The location of multi-compartment sorted waste containers for recycling purposes in cities is an important problem in the context of urban waste management. The costs associated with those facilities and the impacts placed on populations are important concerns. This paper introduces a mixed-integer, multiobjective programming approach to identify the locations and capacities of such facilities. The approach incorporates an optimization model in a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based interactive decision support system that includes four objectives. The first objective minimizes the total investment cost; the second one minimizes the average distance from dwellings to the respective multi-compartment container; the last twomore » objectives address the 'pull' and 'push' characteristics of the decision problem, one by minimizing the number of individuals too close to any container, and the other by minimizing the number of dwellings too far from the respective multi-compartment container. The model determines the number of facilities to be opened, the respective container capacities, their locations, their respective shares of the total waste of each type to be collected, and the dwellings assigned to each facility. The approach proposed was tested with a case study for the historical center of Coimbra city, Portugal, where a large urban renovation project, addressing about 800 buildings, is being undertaken. This paper demonstrates that the models and techniques incorporated in the interactive decision support system (IDSS) can be used to assist a decision maker (DM) in analyzing this complex problem in a realistically sized urban application. Ten solutions consisting of different combinations of underground containers for the disposal of four types of sorted waste in 12 candidate sites, were generated. These solutions and tradeoffs among the objectives are presented to the DM via tables, graphs, color-coded maps and other graphics. The DM can then use this information to 'guide' the IDSS in identifying additional solutions of potential interest. Nevertheless, this research showed that a particular solution with a better objective balance can be identified. The actual sequence of additional solutions generated will depend upon the objectives and preferences of the DM in a specific application.« less

The impact of anthropogenic emissions on the otherwise pristine Amazonian rainforest: Insights on aerosol dynamics as observed during GoAmazon2014/5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbone, S.; Ferreira De Brito, J.; Cirino, G. G.; Rizzo, L. V.; Holanda, B. A.; Barbosa, H. M.; Ditas, F.; Pöhlker, C.; Chi, X.; Krüger, M. L.; Moran, D.; Saturno, J.; Andreae, M. O.; de Sá, S. S.; Liu, Y.; Martin, S. T.; Souza, R. A. F. D.; Wang, J.; Palm, B. B.; Jimenez, J. L.; Artaxo, P.

2015-12-01

The Amazon Basin during the wet season has one of the lowest aerosol concentrations worldwide, with air masses with negligible human impact covering thousands of kilometers of pristine forest. The natural environment is strongly modified near urbanized areas, in particular Manaus, a city of nearly two million people. This unique location provides the ideal laboratory to study isolated urban emissions as well the pristine environment by perturbing it in a relatively known fashion. The GoAmazon2014/5 experiment was designed with these questions in mind, combining remote sensing, in situ, and airborne measurements. This manuscript describes the measurements taken at the T0 site, upwind of Manaus, (the Amazonian Tall Tower Observatory, ATTO site), at the T2 site, near Manaus, frequently impacted by relatively fresh emissions from the city and at T3, 60 km downwind of Manaus. This work relates the aerosol dynamics of the mixture of anthropogenic emissions from Manaus and the biogenic air masses, and how it evolves from T2 to T3 under different atmospheric conditions. Focus is on the aerosol size distribution, supported by aerosol mass spectrometry and gas-phase composition, in particular at the T2 site. At T0, the aerosol number concentration has been observed to increase from an average of 380 cm-3 to 1750 cm-3 from the wet to the dry season. The mean geometric diameter increased as well, from 95 nm to 145 nm. Interestingly, at the T2 site no significant difference was observed in number concentration between wet and dry seasons (approximately 4300 cm-3) with an average diameter of 60 nm during the former and 97 nm in the latter. Such measurements provide a unique dataset to understand the aerosol life cycle and the impact of urban emissions in the heart of the Amazon Forest.

Urban agriculture and Anopheles habitats in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

PubMed

Dongus, Stefan; Nyika, Dickson; Kannady, Khadija; Mtasiwa, Deo; Mshinda, Hassan; Gosoniu, Laura; Drescher, Axel W; Fillinger, Ulrike; Tanner, Marcel; Killeen, Gerry F; Castro, Marcia C

2009-05-01

A cross-sectional survey of agricultural areas, combined with routinely monitored mosquito larval information, was conducted in urban Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to investigate how agricultural and geographical features may influence the presence of Anopheles larvae. Data were integrated into a geographical information systems framework, and predictors of the presence of Anopheles larvae in farming areas were assessed using multivariate logistic regression with independent random effects. It was found that more than 5% of the study area (total size 16.8 km2) was used for farming in backyard gardens and larger open spaces. The proportion of habitats containing Anopheles larvae was 1.7 times higher in agricultural areas compared to other areas (95% confidence interval = 1.56-1.92). Significant geographic predictors of the presence of Anopheles larvae in gardens included location in lowland areas, proximity to river, and relatively impermeable soils. Agriculture-related predictors comprised specific seedbed types, mid-sized gardens, irrigation by wells, as well as cultivation of sugar cane or leafy vegetables. Negative predictors included small garden size, irrigation by tap water, rainfed production and cultivation of leguminous crops or fruit trees. Although there was an increased chance of finding Anopheles larvae in agricultural sites, it was found that breeding sites originated by urban agriculture account for less than a fifth of all breeding sites of malaria vectors in Dar es Salaam. It is suggested that strategies comprising an integrated malaria control effort in malaria-endemic African cities include participatory involvement of farmers by planting shade trees near larval habitats.

Storm Water Retention on Three Green Roofs with Distinct Climates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breach, P. A.; Sims, A.; O'Carroll, D. M.; Robinson, C. E.; Smart, C. C.; Powers, B. S. C.

2014-12-01

As urbanization continues to increase the impact of cities on their surrounding environments, the feasibility of implementing low-impact development such as green roofs is of increasing interest. Green roofs retain and attenuate storm water thereby reducing the load on urban sewer systems. In addition, green roofs can provide insulation and lower roof surface temperature leading to a decrease in building energy load. Green roof technology in North American urban environments remains underused, in part due to a lack of climate appropriate green roof design guidelines. The capacity of a green roof to moderate runoff depends on the storage capacity of the growing medium at the start of a rainfall event. Storage capacity is finite, which makes rapid drainage and evapotranspiration loss critical for maximizing storage capacity between subsequent storms. Here the retention and attenuation of storm events are quantified for experimental green roof sites located in three representative Canadian climates corresponding to; semiarid conditions in Calgary, Alberta, moderate conditions in London, Ontario, and cool and humid conditions in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The storage recovery and storm water retention at each site is modelled using a modified water balance approach. Components of the water balance including evapotranspiration are predicted using climate data collected from 2012 to 2014 at each of the experimental sites. During the measurement period there were over 300 precipitation events ranging from small, frequent events (< 2 mm) to a storm with a 250 year return period. The modeling approach adopted provides a tool for planners to assess the feasibility of implementing green roofs in their respective climates.

Elevated mixing ratios and sources of methyl chloride: Results from a survey in the Yangtze River Delta region of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Ping; Chan, Chuen-Yu; Geng, Fuhai; Yu, Qiong; Guo, Yifei; Yu, Lingwei

2012-02-01

Measurements of air samples collected at four urban sites in Shanghai, Taizhou, Liyang and Lin'an and a rural site in Chongming Island of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China revealed noticeably elevated mixing ratios of methyl chloride (CH3Cl). Median CH3Cl mixing ratios reached 0.9-3.9 ppbv at the five sampling locations, significantly higher than most of those reported for other regions in the world. Especially at Liyang site and Taizhou site, CH3Cl exhibited quite high levels with mixing ratios ranging from 0.9 up to 25.9 ppbv (n = 28) and 0.7 up to 17.3 ppbv (n = 29), respectively. With good correlation with methylene chloride (CH2Cl2) and ethylene dichloride (EDC), abundant CH3Cl in urban Shanghai, was mainly associated with industrial activities, although biomass burnings exist widely in rural areas of east China. The high concentrations and large variation of CH3Cl and EDC simultaneously appeared at Liyang site. Spikes of CH3Cl and EDC concentrations as well as toluene/benzene (T/B) ratios frequently present in easterly airflows indicated an important contribution from emissions of chemical plants clustering in the east of Liyang. Different emission sources may contribute to ambient CH3Cl at Taizhou site, which was suggested by the two kinds of linear regressions of CH3Cl to some other compounds detected. The substantially elevated CH3Cl levels suggest significant influence of intensive industrial activities on the YRD atmosphere.

Genetic Diversity of Escherichia coli Isolated from Urban Rivers and Beach Water

PubMed Central

McLellan, Sandra L.

2004-01-01

Repetitive element anchored PCR was used to evaluate the genetic profiles of Escherichia coli isolated from surface water contaminated with urban stormwater, sanitary sewage, and gull feces to determine if strains found in environmental samples reflect the strain composition of E. coli obtained from host sources. Overall, there was less diversity in isolates collected from river and beach sites than with isolates obtained from human and nonhuman sources. Unique strain types comprised 28.8, 29.2, and 15.0% of the isolate data sets recovered from stormwater, river water, and beach water, respectively. In contrast, 50.4% of gull isolates and 41.2% of sewage isolates were unique strain types. River water, which is expected to contain E. coli strains from many diffuse sources of nonpoint source pollution, contained strains most closely associated with other river water isolates that were collected at different sites or on different days. However, river sites impacted by sewage discharge had approximately 20% more strains similar to sewage isolates than did sites impacted by stormwater alone. Beach sites with known gull fecal contamination contained E. coli most similar to other beach isolates rather than gull isolates collected at these same sites, indicating underrepresentation of possible gull strains. These results suggest large numbers of strains are needed to represent contributing host sources within a geographical location. Additionally, environmental survival may influence the composition of strains that can be recovered from contaminated waters. Understanding the ecology of indicator bacteria is important when interpreting fecal pollution assessments and developing source detection methodology. PMID:15294799

The Effectiveness of Asian Bush Mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus) Control Actions in Colonised Peri-urban Areas in the Netherlands

PubMed Central

Ibañez-Justicia, A; Teekema, S; den Hartog, W; Jacobs, F; Dik, M; Stroo, A

2018-01-01

Abstract The Asian bush mosquito (Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald)) is an invasive mosquito species in Europe. In 2012, it was for the first time detected in the Netherlands, in the municipality of Lelystad. After further research, thousands of specimens were found in the surrounding peri-urban areas of the city. A targeted mosquito control campaign began in 2015 with the objective of reducing populations in locations with the highest concentrations of Ae. japonicus breeding sites: allotment garden complexes. Mosquito control consisted of source reduction combined with application of the larvicide Vectomax in breeding sites. At eight complexes, mosquito control effectiveness has been systematically measured by sampling larvae from breeding sites. Six measurements were performed between 2015 and 2016. Results show that the effectiveness of mosquito control actions was similar in all treated allotment gardens and resulted in a significant reduction in Ae. japonicus larval abundance. Rain barrels at the allotments represent the most frequent breeding site in Lelystad, but every water filled artificial container is a potential breeding site for the species. Ae. japonicus was not found in the samples taken in other allotment gardens in the province of Flevoland; however, the collection methodology used proven to be effective in detecting this species when it has newly colonized surrounding areas. Targeted mosquito control actions at the breeding sites are crucial for successful reduction of populations of an invasive mosquito species, and systematic measurements of the effectiveness, is in this case, the base to understand the dynamics of Ae. japonicus populations after mosquito control. PMID:29452383

Risk and type of crash among young drivers by rurality of residence: findings from the DRIVE Study.

PubMed

Chen, H Y; Ivers, R Q; Martiniuk, A L C; Boufous, S; Senserrick, T; Woodward, M; Stevenson, M; Williamson, A; Norton, R

2009-07-01

Most previous literature on urban/rural differences in road crashes has a primary focus on severe injuries or deaths, which may be largely explained by variations of medical resources. Little has been reported on police-reported crashes by geographical location, or crash type and severity, especially among young drivers. DRIVE is a prospective cohort study of 20,822 drivers aged 17-24 in NSW, Australia. Information on risk factors was collected via online questionnaire and subsequently linked to police-reported crashes. Poisson regression was used to analyse risk of various crash types by three levels of rurality of residence: urban, regional (country towns and surrounds) and rural. Compared to urban drivers, risk of crash decreased with increasing rurality (regional adjusted RR: 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9; rural adjusted RR: 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.7). Among those who crashed, risk of injurious crash did not differ by geographic location; however, regional and rural drivers had significantly higher risk of a single versus multiple vehicle crash (regional adjusted RR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.5; rural adjusted RR: 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.6), which was explained by speeding involvement and road alignment at the time or site of crash. Although young urban drivers have a higher crash risk overall, rural and regional residents have increased risk of a single vehicle crash. Interventions to reduce single vehicle crashes should aim to address key issues affecting such crashes, including speeding and specific aspects of road geometry.

24 CFR 891.680 - Site and neighborhood standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Site and neighborhood standards. 891.680 Section 891.680 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOUSING-FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (SECTION 8...

24 CFR 891.840 - Site and neighborhood standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Site and neighborhood standards. 891.840 Section 891.840 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOUSING-FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (SECTION 8...

In vitro toxicity of particulate matter (PM) collected at different sites in the Netherlands is associated with PM composition, size fraction and oxidative potential - the RAPTES project

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Ambient particulate matter (PM) exposure is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. To what extent such effects are different for PM obtained from different sources or locations is still unclear. This study investigated the in vitro toxicity of ambient PM collected at different sites in the Netherlands in relation to PM composition and oxidative potential. Method PM was sampled at eight sites: three traffic sites, an underground train station, as well as a harbor, farm, steelworks, and urban background location. Coarse (2.5-10 μm), fine (< 2.5 μm) and quasi ultrafine PM (qUF; < 0.18 μm) were sampled at each site. Murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) were exposed to increasing concentrations of PM from these sites (6.25-12.5-25-50-100 μg/ml; corresponding to 3.68-58.8 μg/cm2). Following overnight incubation, MTT-reduction activity (a measure of metabolic activity) and the release of pro-inflammatory markers (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, TNF-α; Interleukin-6, IL-6; Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-2, MIP-2) were measured. The oxidative potential and the endotoxin content of each PM sample were determined in a DTT- and LAL-assay respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the relationship between the cellular responses and PM characteristics: concentration, site, size fraction, oxidative potential and endotoxin content. Results Most PM samples induced a concentration-dependent decrease in MTT-reduction activity and an increase in pro-inflammatory markers with the exception of the urban background and stop & go traffic samples. Fine and qUF samples of traffic locations, characterized by a high concentration of elemental and organic carbon, induced the highest pro-inflammatory activity. The pro-inflammatory response to coarse samples was associated with the endotoxin level, which was found to increase dramatically during a three-day sample concentration procedure in the laboratory. The underground samples, characterized by a high content of transition metals, showed the largest decrease in MTT-reduction activity. PM size fraction was not related to MTT-reduction activity, whereas there was a statistically significant difference in pro-inflammatory activity between Fine and qUF PM. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant negative association between PM oxidative potential and MTT-reduction activity. Conclusion The response of RAW264.7 cells to ambient PM was markedly different using samples collected at various sites in the Netherlands that differed in their local PM emission sources. Our results are in support of other investigations showing that the chemical composition as well as oxidative potential are determinants of PM induced toxicity in vitro. PMID:21888644

Sustainable Improvement of Urban River Network Water Quality and Flood Control Capacity by a Hydrodynamic Control Approach-Case Study of Changshu City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Chen; Yang, Fan; Liu, Guoqing; Liu, Yang; Wang, Long; Fan, Ziwu

2017-01-01

Water environment of urban rivers suffers degradation with the impacts of urban expansion, especially in Yangtze River Delta. The water area in cites decreased sharply, and some rivers were cut off because of estate development, which brings the problems of urban flooding, flow stagnation and water deterioration. The approach aims to enhance flood control capability and improve the urban river water quality by planning gate-pump stations surrounding the cities and optimizing the locations and functions of the pumps, sluice gates, weirs in the urban river network. These gate-pump stations together with the sluice gates and weirs guarantee the ability to control the water level in the rivers and creating hydraulic gradient artificially according to mathematical model. Therefore the flow velocity increases, which increases the rate of water exchange, the DO concentration and water body self-purification ability. By site survey and prototype measurement, the river problems are evaluated and basic data are collected. The hydrodynamic model of the river network is established and calibrated to simulate the scenarios. The schemes of water quality improvement, including optimizing layout of the water distribution projects, improvement of the flow discharge in the river network and planning the drainage capacity are decided by comprehensive Analysis. Finally the paper introduces the case study of the approach in Changshu City, where the approach is successfully implemented.

Magnetic surveys for locating abandoned wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

Abandoned and unrecorded wells may act as conduits for the contamination of groundwater supplies by oil field brines and other pollutants. The casings of abandoned wells eventually develop leaks, which, if not properly plugged, can allow pollutants to reach freshwater aquifers that supply drinking water. Sources of pollutants include brine ponds, landfill sites, agricultural activities, industrial activities, illegal disposal sites, or accidental spills. The problem is particularly acute in regions where there are old petroleum fields or where water wells have been extensively used for agricultural irrigation. Even urban areas can contain wells that were abandoned and concealed during development. Carefully designed ground magnetic or aeromagnetic surveys can be used to locate abandoned wells by mapping the magnetic disturbances or "anomalies" produced by their steel well casings. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) can, at the request of other Federal, State, or local agencies, conduct, process, and interpret such surveys, or it can aid in the design and monitoring of contracts for such surveys.

Analysis of chemical contamination within a canal in a Mexican border colonia.

PubMed

Owens, Janel E; Niemeyer, Emily D

2006-04-01

This study examines urban pollution within Derechos Humanos, a colonia popular in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. General water quality indicators (coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, ecologically relevant cations and anions), heavy metals (copper, lead, nickel, zinc, iron and cadmium), and volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and dichlorobenzene and xylene isomers) were quantified within a wastewater canal running adjacent to the community. Water samples were collected at multiple sites along the banks of the canal and evidence of anthropogenic emissions existed at each sampling location. Sample site 2, approximately 10 m upstream of the colonia, contained both the widest range of hazardous pollutants and the greatest number exceeding US Environmental Protection Agency surface water standards. At each sampling location, high concentrations of total coliform (> 10(4) colonies/100 mL sample), lead (ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 mg/L), nickel (levels from 0.21 to 1.45 mg/L), and benzene (up to 9.80 mg/L) were noted.

Is Traffic Still an Important Emitter of Monoaromatic Organic Compounds in European Urban Areas?

PubMed

Borbon, Agnès; Boynard, Anne; Salameh, Thérèse; Baudic, Alexia; Gros, Valérie; Gauduin, Julie; Perrussel, Olivier; Pallares, Cyril

2018-01-16

Trends of long-term observations and emission inventories suggest that traffic emissions will no longer dominate the concentrations of monoaromatic compounds (i.e., TEX - toluene, xylenes, and ethylbenzene) in European urban areas. But the split limit between traffic and other emission sector contributions such as solvent use remains tenuous. Here long-term observations of an extensive set of hydrocarbons, including TEX, at traffic and urban background sites in London, Paris and Strasbourg were combined to estimate the relative importance of traffic emissions on TEX in every city. When analyzing the urban enhancement emission ratios of TEX-to-benzene on a seasonal basis, two potential source signatures other than traffic could be differentiated in all cities (1) summertime evaporation from fuel and/or solvent and (2) wintertime domestic heating. However, traffic emissions still unambiguously dominate the concentration levels of TEX in every city despite the reduction of their emissions at exhaust pipe over the last two decades. Traffic explains between 60% and 96% (at ±20%) of TEX levels while it is less clear for xylenes at some locations. Our results provide a basis to evaluate regional emission inventories. The method is applicable at any urban area where speciated hydrocarbon monitoring is available.

Using multivariate techniques to assess the effects of urbanization on surface water quality: a case study in the Liangjiang New Area, China.

PubMed

Luo, Kun; Hu, Xuebin; He, Qiang; Wu, Zhengsong; Cheng, Hao; Hu, Zhenlong; Mazumder, Asit

2017-04-01

Rapid urbanization in China has been causing dramatic deterioration in the water quality of rivers and threatening aquatic ecosystem health. In this paper, multivariate techniques, such as factor analysis (FA) and cluster analysis (CA), were applied to analyze the water quality datasets for 19 rivers in Liangjiang New Area (LJNA), China, collected in April (dry season) and September (wet season) of 2014 and 2015. In most sampling rivers, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and fecal coliform exceeded the Class V guideline (GB3838-2002), which could thereby threaten the water quality in Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. FA clearly identified the five groups of water quality variables, which explain majority of the experimental data. Nutritious pollution, seasonal changes, and construction activities were three key factors influencing rivers' water quality in LJNA. CA grouped 19 sampling sites into two clusters, which located at sub-catchments with high- and low-level urbanization, respectively. One-way ANOVA showed the nutrients (total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrite), fecal coliform, and conductivity in cluster 1 were significantly greater than in cluster 2. Thus, catchment urbanization degraded rivers' water quality in Liangjiang New Area. Identifying effective buffer zones at riparian scale to weaken the negative impacts of catchment urbanization was recommended.

Human Activity Determines the Presence of Integron-Associated and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Southwestern British Columbia.

PubMed

Uyaguari-Díaz, Miguel I; Croxen, Matthew A; Luo, Zhiyao; Cronin, Kirby I; Chan, Michael; Baticados, Waren N; Nesbitt, Matthew J; Li, Shaorong; Miller, Kristina M; Dooley, Damion; Hsiao, William; Isaac-Renton, Judith L; Tang, Patrick; Prystajecky, Natalie

2018-01-01

The dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria from anthropogenic sources into the environment poses an emerging public health threat. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and gene-capturing systems such as integron-associated integrase genes ( intI ) play a key role in alterations of microbial communities and the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. In order to assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on watersheds in southwestern British Columbia, the presence of putative antibiotic resistance and integrase genes was analyzed in the microbiome of agricultural, urban influenced, and protected watersheds. A metagenomics approach and high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT qPCR) were used to screen for elements of resistance including ARGs and intI . Metagenomic sequencing of bacterial genomic DNA was used to characterize the resistome of microbial communities present in watersheds over a 1-year period. There was a low prevalence of ARGs relative to the microbial population (<1%). Analysis of the metagenomic sequences detected a total of 60 elements of resistance including 46 ARGs, intI1 , and groEL/ intI1 genes and 12 quaternary ammonium compounds ( qac ) resistance genes across all watershed locations. The relative abundance and richness of ARGs was found to be highest in agriculture impacted watersheds compared to urban and protected watersheds. A downstream transport pattern was observed in the impacted watersheds (urban and agricultural) during dry months. Similar to other reports, this study found a strong association between intI1 and ARGs (e.g., sul1 ), an association which may be used as a proxy for anthropogenic activities. Chemical analysis of water samples for three major groups of antibiotics was below the detection limit. However, the high richness and gene copy numbers (GCNs) of ARGs in impacted sites suggest that the effects of effluents on microbial communities are occurring even at low concentrations of antimicrobials in the water column. Antibiotic resistance and integrase genes in a year-long metagenomic study showed that ARGs were driven mainly by environmental factors from anthropogenized sites in agriculture and urban watersheds. Environmental factors such as land-use and water quality parameters accounted for 45% of the variability observed in watershed locations.

Human Activity Determines the Presence of Integron-Associated and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Southwestern British Columbia

PubMed Central

Uyaguari-Díaz, Miguel I.; Croxen, Matthew A.; Luo, Zhiyao; Cronin, Kirby I.; Chan, Michael; Baticados, Waren N.; Nesbitt, Matthew J.; Li, Shaorong; Miller, Kristina M.; Dooley, Damion; Hsiao, William; Isaac-Renton, Judith L.; Tang, Patrick; Prystajecky, Natalie

2018-01-01

The dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria from anthropogenic sources into the environment poses an emerging public health threat. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and gene-capturing systems such as integron-associated integrase genes (intI) play a key role in alterations of microbial communities and the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. In order to assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on watersheds in southwestern British Columbia, the presence of putative antibiotic resistance and integrase genes was analyzed in the microbiome of agricultural, urban influenced, and protected watersheds. A metagenomics approach and high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT qPCR) were used to screen for elements of resistance including ARGs and intI. Metagenomic sequencing of bacterial genomic DNA was used to characterize the resistome of microbial communities present in watersheds over a 1-year period. There was a low prevalence of ARGs relative to the microbial population (<1%). Analysis of the metagenomic sequences detected a total of 60 elements of resistance including 46 ARGs, intI1, and groEL/intI1 genes and 12 quaternary ammonium compounds (qac) resistance genes across all watershed locations. The relative abundance and richness of ARGs was found to be highest in agriculture impacted watersheds compared to urban and protected watersheds. A downstream transport pattern was observed in the impacted watersheds (urban and agricultural) during dry months. Similar to other reports, this study found a strong association between intI1 and ARGs (e.g., sul1), an association which may be used as a proxy for anthropogenic activities. Chemical analysis of water samples for three major groups of antibiotics was below the detection limit. However, the high richness and gene copy numbers (GCNs) of ARGs in impacted sites suggest that the effects of effluents on microbial communities are occurring even at low concentrations of antimicrobials in the water column. Antibiotic resistance and integrase genes in a year-long metagenomic study showed that ARGs were driven mainly by environmental factors from anthropogenized sites in agriculture and urban watersheds. Environmental factors such as land-use and water quality parameters accounted for 45% of the variability observed in watershed locations. PMID:29765365

Diesel vehicle and urban burning contributions to black carbon concentrations and size distributions in Tijuana, Mexico, during the Cal-Mex 2010 campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahama, S.; Russell, L. M.; Shores, C. A.; Marr, L. C.; Zheng, J.; Levy, M.; Zhang, R.; Castillo, E.; Rodriguez-Ventura, J. G.; Quintana, P. J. E.; Subramanian, R.; Zavala, M.; Molina, L. T.

2014-05-01

Black carbon (BC) was characterized by three complementary techniques - incandescence (single particle soot photometer, SP2, at Parque Morelos), light absorption (cavity ringdown spectrometer with integrating nephelometer, CRDS-Neph, at Parque Morelos and Aethalometers at seven locations), and volatility (volatility tandem differential mobility analyzer, V-TDMA) during the Cal-Mex 2010 campaign. SP2, CRDS-Neph, and Aethalometer measurements characterized the BC mass, and SP2 and V-TDMA measurements also quantified BC-containing particle number, from which mass-mean BC diameters were calculated. On average, the mass concentrations measured in Tijuana (1.8 ± 2.6 μg m-3 at Parque Morelos and 2.6 μg m-3 in other regions of Tijuana) were higher than in San Diego or the international border crossing (0.5 ± 0.6 μg m-3). The observed BC mass concentrations were attributable to nighttime urban burning activities and diesel vehicles, both from the local (Baja California) and transported (Southern California) diesel vehicle fleets. Comparisons of the SP2 and co-located Aethalometers indicated that the two methods measured similar variations in BC mass concentrations (correlation coefficients greater than 0.85), and the mass concentrations were similar for the BC particles identified from nighttime urban burning sources. When the BC source changed to diesel vehicle emissions, the SP2 mass concentrations were lower than the Aethalometer mass concentrations by about 50%, likely indicating a change in the mass absorption efficiency and quantification by the Aethalometers. At Parque Morelos there were up to three different-sized modes of BC mass in particles: one mode below 100 nm, one near 100 nm, and another between 200 and 300 nm. The mode between 200 and 300 nm was associated with urban burning activities that influenced the site during evening hours. When backtrajectories indicated that airmasses came from the south to the Parque Morelos site, BC mass in particles was also larger (mass median diameter of 170 nm rather than 155 nm), consistent with the higher fraction of older diesel vehicles in the Tijuana fleet compared to the vehicles found in southern California.

Are associations between the perceived home and neighbourhood environment and children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour moderated by urban/rural location?

PubMed

Salmon, Jo; Veitch, Jenny; Abbott, Gavin; ChinAPaw, Mai; Brug, Johannes J; teVelde, Saskia J; Cleland, Verity; Hume, Clare; Crawford, David; Ball, Kylie

2013-11-01

Associations between parental perceived home and neighbourhood environments and children's physical activity (PA), and sedentary time (ST) and screen time and moderating effects according to urban/rural location were examined. Data were collected (2007-2008) from a cohort of women (aged 18-45 years) and their children (5-12 years) participating in the Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality (READI) study. A total of 613 children (47% boys; mean age 9.4±2.2 years) and their mothers were included in the study. Urban children had higher screen time than rural children. Mothers in rural areas reported greater access to physical activity equipment in the home, higher levels of descriptive norms for physical activity, greater knowledge of the neighbourhood, a stronger social network, and higher personal safety than urban mothers. There were five significant interactions between the home and neighbourhood environment and PA/ST according to urban/rural location. Among urban children, the importance of doing PA together as a family was positively associated with ST. Interventions targeting PA and ST may need to target different factors according to urban/rural location. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in Benthic Biota between Mountain and Urban Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Iijima, A.

2016-12-01

It is well known that the benthic biota in the river ecosystem changes drastically between the mountain and urban streams. However, there are few studies demonstrating the changes in biota by using quantitative techniques. In this study, field research on benthic species (mainly aquatic insects) was carried out at 6 different sites in the Kanna River in Japan. After that, we compared the biota quantitatively by using an EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) index and a pollution index (Pantle-Buck Method). Moreover, we applied a cluster analysis to determine the statistical difference in the benthic biota among the sites. The monitoring stations (St.1-St.6 in order from the upper stream) were placed in the reaches of the Kanna River that is one of the headstreams flowing into the Tone River (fig.1-a). In those monitoring stations, St.1-3 are located in the mountain area, and St.4-6 are in the urban area. Field research was carried out every other month during February 2012 to January 2013 by a Beck-Tsuda β method. In total, we identified 7879 benthos of 153 species (fig.1-b). The EPT index tended to decrease toward the lower reaches (fig.1-c). Moreover, there were significant changes in the composition of EPT species between the mountain (St.1-3) and urban (St.4-6) area. In particular, Plecoptera species which has no pollution tolerance decreased drastically in the urban stream. The values of pollution index tended to increase toward the lower reaches (fig.1-d). In fact, the lower reaches of the Kanna River has a large population who has insufficient sewage treatment system. This is consistent with the changes in the EPT species. Cluster analysis demonstrated that the benthic biota in the Kanna River has been divided between St.3 and 4. Consequently, the water contamination in the urban stream is supposed to be the main cause of significant changes in benthic biota in the Kanna River's ecosystem.