Search results for " pollution"
showing 10 items of 1010 documents
Role of Modeling Uncertainty in the Estimation of Climate and Socioeconomic Impact on River Water Quality
2012
AbstractClimate is one of the most important factors leading to changes in the hydrologic and environmental characteristics of river basins. When considering water quality, the natural factors should be weighed against anthropogenic factors (such as urbanization, increased population, and higher water demand) that may increase or decrease the effect of climatic modifications. Any prediction of future climatic and anthropogenic scenarios is affected by uncertainty and the modelling tools that are used for evaluating their impact on receiving water bodies. The present paper is aimed at investigating the complexity of such analyses and the uncertainty related to future impact predictions based…
Apparent discrepancy in contamination history of a sub-tropical estuary evaluated through 210Pb profile and chronostratigraphical markers.
2005
Abstract Zn and Cd concentrations, stable lead isotopes and 210 Pb-derived chronology were determined in a sediment core sampled at Sepetiba Bay (South-eastern Brazil). During the last decades, the bay’s watershed has been modified by the increase of industrial activities and human interventions. In particular, Zn and Cd ore treatment plants were built near the coast in 1960 and 1970, respectively, and water has been diverted from the adjacent Paraiba do Sul River watershed since 1950. The core collected at shallow depth near the industrial area exhibits four successive events: (i) at 50 cm depth, a change in the 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratio from about 1.162 to more than 1.18 might be the result of…
Distribution pattern of river blennies in the Júcar River basin (eastern Spain)
2000
Salaria fluviatilis in the Jucar river basin was found only in the Jucar River itself, the tributaries Cabriel and Escalona, and the irrigation channel Acequia Real. Blenny density varied from 0.2 to 3.1 ind m -2 Sites with blennies had significantly lower coliform counts than those without blennies.
Element Inputs by Litterfall to the Soil in Pine Forest Ecosystems
2006
Within the framework of the litterfall chemistry subprogram of the integrated monitoring program, litterfall was collected, and the concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, Pb, and Zn were measured during 1999–2003 at the Taurene and Rucava monitoring stations in Latvia. The results showed that at Rucava there was higher production of litterfall than at Taurene due to a higher tree density. The mean annual litterfall was 3630.42 kg/ha−1 in Rucava and 3022.11 kg/ha−1 in Taurene, with maximum production in autumn at both sites. The litterfall production among the catchments varied seasonally because length of growing period, composition of tree species, and density of snow cover. The higher Ca, Mg, and K…
Uncertainty assessment of an integrated urban drainage model
2009
Over the last few years, the use of mathematical models has gained importance in urban drainage system management; indeed, such models enable the combined analysis of different components that constitute a drainage system; the sewer system, wastewater treatment plant and the receiving water body. The effectiveness of an integrated approach has been widely demonstrated in the past and is presented in the EU Water Framework Directive, which also introduces a new point of view regarding the water quality management of the whole system, requiring a global analysis at the river basin scale for pollutant sources. However, integrated urban drainage models introduce several uncertain factors that a…
Trois modes de production comparés en Bourgogne viticole. Indicateurs environnementaux, d'utilisation des produits phytos, d'état sanitaire de la vig…
2010
International audience; Un essai viticole de moyenne durée a été mis en place en Bourgogne en 2005 afin de comparer trois modes de production: viticulture de référence, viticulture biologique, viticulture « Ecophyto 2018 » (avec réduction d'intrants). Pour chaque mode de production, les principaux paramètres agronomiques quantitatifs et qualitatifs sur la plante et le sol sont déterminés. Les aspects environnementaux sont appréhendés à travers la biocénose du sol et des critères définis dans le cadre du Grenelle de l'Environnement (nombre de passages, quantités de substances actives, IFT). Les incidences économiques sont évaluées. Les premiers résultats montrentque leschoixd'itinéraire tech…
Economic and environmental sustainability of submerged anaerobic MBR-based (AnMBR-based) technology as compared to aerobic-based technologies for mod…
2015
[EN] The objective of this study was to assess the economic and environmental sustainability of submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) in comparison with aerobic-based technologies for moderate-/high-loaded urban wastewater (UWW) treatment. To this aim, a combined approach of steady-state performance modelling, life cycle analysis (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) was used, in which AnMBR (coupled with an aerobic-based post-treatment) was compared to aerobic membrane bioreactor (AeMBR) and conventional activated sludge (CAS). AnMBR with CAS-based post-treatment for nutrient removal was identified as a sustainable option for moderate-/high-loaded UWW treatment: low energy consump…
Assessment of the integrated urban water quality model complexity through identifiability analysis
2010
Urban sources of water pollution have often been cited as the primary cause of poor water quality in receiving water bodies (RWB), and recently many studies have been conducted to investigate both continuous sources, such as wastewater-treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, and intermittent sources, such as combined sewer overflows (CSOs). An urban drainage system must be considered jointly, i.e., by means of an integrated approach. However, although the benefits of an integrated approach have been widely demonstrated, several aspects have prevented its wide application, such as the scarcity of field data for not only the input and output variables but also parameters that govern intermediate st…
Heavy metal pollution disturbs immune response in wild ant populations
2005
Concern about the effects of environmental contaminants on immune function in both humans and wildlife is growing and practically nothing is known about this impact on terrestrial invertebrates, even though they are known to easily accumulate pollutants. We studied the effect of industrial heavy metal contamination on immune defense of a free-living wood ant (Formica aquilonia). To find out whether ants show an adapted immune function in a polluted environment, we compared encapsulation responses between local and translocated colonies. Local colonies showed higher heavy metal levels than the translocated ones but the encapsulation response was similar between the two groups, indicating tha…
On-Line and In-Situ Identification of Air Pollution
2002
The elemental, iron-phase, and oxidation state analysis of urban aerosol samples, collected from different sites in Vitoria metropolitan region, ES, Brazil, was carried out using Mossbauer (MB) Spectroscopy (MBS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. A portable XRF spectrometer for elemental analysis from Na to Fe, and the miniaturized MB spectrometer MIMOS-II have been installed together using a 100 mCi 57 Co(Rh) MB source for XRF excitation. Both measurements can be performed simultaneously. For continuous and fast characterization purposes a software package was developed for Mossbauer and XRF analysis. The software is based on genetic algorithm, fuzzy logic and artificial neural netw…