Assessment of environmental impact of open burning of scrap tyres on ambient air quality

Open burning of scrap (bicycle, motorcycle, car and truck) tyres (OBST) was simulated in the laboratory to investigate their impact on the ambient air quality. The tyre samples were burnt in combustion chamber, and gaseous pollutants (CO, NO₂ and SO₂) emitted were quantified, while concentrations and elemental compositions of emitted total suspended particulates (TSP) were determined. Emission level of SO₂ from all the tyre samples exceeded USEPA allowable (156.74 µg/m³) limit. CO due to car and truck tyres exceeded USEPA allowable (10,285.71 µg/m³) limit, while NO₂ concentration was below the allowable limit (56.33 µg/m³) only in bicycle tyre. 25% of all the gaseous pollutants emitted are within the Air Quality Index range of 101–150. TSP concentrations from all the tyre samples were higher than the Federal Ministry of Environment standard (250 µg/m³) for ambient TSP. There is strong correlation (R) of 0.885, 0.949 and 0.802 among all the gaseous (CO/NO₂, CO/SO₂ and NO₂/SO₂) pollutants, respectively, while the highest (0.999) and lowest (0.079) positive correlations were observed between Mg and Mn as well as Cd and Zn, respectively. The results of this study show that OBST emits hazardous pollutants, which pose serious threat to human health and environment.     

Coarse and fine particulates, Hg(p)-bound particulate concentrations and compositions study at Sha-Lu, central Taiwan

Ambient air and coarse, fine and particulate-bound mercury (Hg(p)) pollutants were collected and analyzed from March 17 to May 22 and September 3, 2009 to March 5, 2010 at a highway traffic site located in Sha-Lu, central Taiwan. This study has the following objectives: (1) to measure the coarse and fine particulates concentrations and the particulate-bound mercury Hg(p) which was attached to these particulate; (2) to determine the average Hg(p) compositions in coarse and fine particulates and (3) to compare the Hg(p) concentrations and compositions particulate in this study to the those obtained in other studies. The results obtained in this study indicated that the average ambient air PM_2.5, PM_2.5–10 and PM₁₀ were 18.79 ± 6.71, 11.22 ± 4.93 and 30.01 ± 10.27 μg/m³, respectively. The ranges of concentrations for Hg(p) in PM_2.5 were from 0.0016 to 0.0557 ng/m³, from 0.0006 to 0.0364 ng/m³ in PM_2.5–10 and from 0.0022 to 0.0862 ng/m³ in PM₁₀. In addition, the highest particle-bound mercury compositions in PM_2.5 were 16.85 ng/g and the lowest particle-bound mercury concentrations were 0.55 ng/g. The highest particle-bound mercury compositions in PM_2.5–10 were 13.88 ng/g and the lowest particle-bound mercury in PM_2.5–10 were 0.22 ng/g.     

Chemical characterization and sources of PM2.5 at 12-h resolution in Guiyang,China

The increasing emission of primary and gaseous precursors of secondarily formed atmospheric particulate matter due to continuing industrial development and urbanization are leading to an increased public awareness of environmental issues and human health risks in China. As part of a pilot study, 12-h integrated fine fraction particulate matter (PM_2.5) filter samples were collected to chemically characterize and investigate the sources of ambient particulate matter in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, southwestern China. Results showed that the 12-h integrated PM_2.5 concentrations exhibited a daytime average of 51 ± 22 µg m^?3 (mean ± standard deviation) with a range of 17–128 µg m^?3 and a nighttime average of 55 ± 32 µg m^?3 with a range of 4–186 µg m^?3. The 24-h integrated PM_2.5 concentrations varied from 15 to 157 µg m^?3, with a mean value of 53 ± 25 µg m^?3, which exceeded the 24-h PM_2.5 standard of 35 µg m^?3 set by USEPA, but was below the standard of 75 µg m^?3, set by China Ministry of Environmental Protection. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) was applied to determine PM_2.5 chemical element concentrations. The order of concentrations of heavy metals in PM_2.5 were iron (Fe) > zinc (Zn) > manganese (Mn) > lead (Pb) > arsenic (As) > chromium (Cr). The total concentration of 18 chemical elements was 13 ± 2 µg m^?3, accounting for 25% in PM_2.5, which is comparable to other major cities in China, but much higher than cities outside of China.     

Measurement of ambient air particulate pollutant concentrations and dry depositions for PS-1 combined with dry deposition plate at a wetland site

In this study, the concentrations of ambient total suspended particulates (TSP) and their dry deposition were measured using a PS-1 sampler with dry deposition plates at a wetland sampling site in central Taiwan during a sampling period from October 2016 to December 2016. The PS-1 sampler was fixed at set distances (1.5 and 2 m) from a dry deposition plate, and sampled particulate pollutants were sampled to determine their concentrations and dry deposition rates simultaneously. A dry deposition plate 3 m from the PS-1 sampler was also used to collect dry deposition particulate. This plate was also used to compare dry depositions from ambient air, collected from new device. The results thus obtained indicated that the average dry deposition rates on the dry deposition plates that were 1.5 and 2 m from the sampler were 103.15 and 103.94 µg/m² min, respectively, in October, 83.36 and 100.18 µg/m² min in November, and 171.2 and 157.5 µg/m² min in December. These dry deposition rates were compared with that 3 m away from the PS-1 sampler. The statistical t test revealed no significant differences between the dry depositions on dry deposition plates at 1.5 and 2 m from the sampler. The dry deposition rates at 1.5 and 2 m from the sampler did not differ significantly from that at 3 m from the PS-1 sampler. This study proves that a PS-1 sampler can be combined with a dry deposition plate to measure TSP concentrations and dry depositions simultaneously using a single device.     

Elimination of natural organic matter by electrocoagulation using bipolar and monopolar arrangements of iron and aluminum electrodes

The aim of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of electrocoagulation (EC) for the removal of natural organic matter (NOM) by using iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) electrodes. The effects of several operational parameters such as initial pH (3–10), time of electrolysis (5–30 min), initial concentration of organic matter (10–50 mg NOM/L), current density (0.25–1.25 mA/cm²), type of electrode material (n = 4, 2 sides × 11 cm × 10 cm, wall thickness = 2 mm, distance between each electrode = 5 mm), and type of connection of electrodes (bipolar and monopolar configurations) were explored for the removal of NOM from synthetic humic acid solution in a 2 L laboratory-scale EC cells (A _s/V = 0.110 cm^?1). The optimum conditions for the process were identified as pH = 3 and 7, electrolysis time = 20 and 10 min for Fe and Al electrodes, respectively. Using both electrodes at current density = 0.25 mA/cm² and initial concentration of organic matter = 50 mg/L, a NOM removal efficiency of almost 100% could be achieved in the bipolar mode. Based on the optimum conditions, specific reactor electrical energy consumptions were 14.90 kWh/kg Al (or 0.092 kWh/m³) and 2.88 kWh/kg Fe (or 0.11 kWh/m³). Specific electrode consumptions were obtained to be 0.0062 and 0.0382 kg/m³, and operating costs of the EC system were preliminary estimated at 0.057 and 0.119 $/m³ for Al and Fe electrodes, respectively.     

Effect of empty bed residence time on biotrickling filter performance: case study—triethylamine

In this study, a laboratory-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) is used to remove Triethylamine (TEA) from gaseous wastes. The BTF is made of stainless steel with a height of 210 cm and an internal diameter of 21 cm packed with lava rocks. TEA elimination pattern was evaluated by changing empty bed residence times (EBRTs). The maximum elimination capacity (EC) has been determined to be 87 g/m³/h. At all EBRTs 52, 31, 20, and 10 s, contaminant transferring from gas phase to liquid was more than the EC. Also, the removal efficiency was 100 % for a mass loading of 100 g/m³/h. While the liquid recirculation velocity of 3.466 m³/m²/h was maintained, the flow rate was adjusted to 60, 100, 156, and 312 L/min. The results show that due to the high solubility of TEA in water for all the EBRTs, TEA can be solved in the circulated liquid and then be degraded gradually by microorganisms. Therefore, the least EBRT of 10 s is more appropriate.     

Assessment of carbonaceous aerosol over Delhi in the Indo-Gangetic Basin: characterization, sources and temporal variability

Semi-continuous measurements of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) and continuous measurements of black carbon (BC) and PM_2.5 aerosols were conducted simultaneously during the winter period of 2010–2011 at Delhi, one of the polluted urban megacities in western part of the Indo-Gangetic Basin region. The average mass concentrations of OC, EC, BC and PM_2.5 were about 54 ± 39, 10 ± 5, 12 ± 5 and 210 ± 146 μg m^?3, respectively. Contribution of total carbonaceous aerosol mass to PM_2.5 mass was found to be ~46 %. Average OC/EC ratio was found to be 5 ± 2 during the study period, suggesting the presence of secondary organic aerosols in the atmosphere over Delhi. Estimated mean secondary organic aerosol mass concentration was found to be 25 μg m^?3 and varied between 14.6 (February) and 37.0 μg m^?3 (December). A diurnal variation of OC and EC shows lower values during the day time and higher during the morning and night, which are highly associated with the corresponding variability in mixing layer heights. OC and EC were also found to be significantly correlated (r = 0.71) to each other, indicating their common sources. Concentrations of OC and EC were about 45 and 13 % higher during weekdays than weekends, respectively. Higher OC (67 %) and EC (53 %) were observed in the late evening during weekdays than those on weekends, which could be due to different emission sources during these two periods. The night/day ratio of EC and OC was found to be larger than 1.0, suggesting the relative accumulation of EC and OC near the surface at night hours.     

Experimental and numerical analyses of particulate matter concentrations in underground subway station

The purpose of this paper was to perform the experimental and numerical analyses of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations in Imam Khomeini (IKH) underground subway station in Tehran. The aim was to provide fundamental data in order to fulfill workers and passengers respiratory health necessities. Experimental measurements was done at three different locations (entrance, middle and exit) inside the platform and also outdoor ambient of the station. The Dust-Trak was applied to measure continuous PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations at a logging interval of 30 s. The measurements were recorded during rush hours (8:00 am–12:00 pm) for one week per each season from June 2015–June 2016.Moreover, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation was done for the platform of the above station and the necessary boundary conditions were provided through field measurements. Those basic parameters which were considered for numerical analysis of particulate matters concentrations included air velocity, air pressure and turbulence. Furthermore, the piston effect caused by train movement inside the station provided natural ventilation in the platform. The results showed that seasonal measured PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ indoor concentrations had a variety range from 40–98 µg/m³ to 33–102 µg/m³, respectively, and were much higher than national indoor air quality standard levels. Meanwhile, PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations in the IKH underground subway station were approximately 2.5–2.9 times higher than those in outdoor ambient, respectively. Numerical simulation indicated that the predicted concentrations were underestimated by a factor of 8% in comparison with the measured ones.     

Performance of activated carbon-impregnated cellulose filters for indoor VOCs and dust control

An activated carbon-impregnated cellulose filter was fabricated, and the capacity to remove dust and volatile organic compounds was evaluated in a laboratory. The adsorption capacities for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and m-xylene gases were compared by an adsorption isotherm test conducted as a preliminary test, showing that m-xylene and benzene were the most and least favorable for adsorption onto activated carbon, respectively. Cellulose filters were made with four levels of activated carbon contents, and dust removal was performed with all of the filters showing 99 % and higher efficiencies stable with a small variation during the experiment. Activated carbon content of 5 g in the unit filter area (125 g/m²) was found optimum for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene removal, as it appeared that higher than 5 g activated carbon content was unnecessary for the improvement of its capacity. With increasing benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene loading, the highest removal rates were determined as 0.33–0.37 mg/cm² s for as short as 0.0046 s of air filter residence time. The rapid removal was possible because of the high surface area of the activated carbon-impregnated cellulose filter provided by powdered activated carbon, which is distinguished from the granular form in conventional activated carbon towers. As fixed within a cellulose scaffolding structure, the powdered activated carbon performed excellent benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene adsorption (98.9–100 %), and at the same time, particular matters were removed in average 99.7 % efficiency after being filtered through the cellulose filter sheet.     

The effects of Typhoon Morakot on concentration of airborne particulates derived from unvegetated riverbanks

Landslides frequently occur during large earthquakes and storms in Taiwan, supplying large volumes of sediment to downslope areas. When coupled with the intense northeast monsoon over Taiwan in the dry winter season, this can lead to high concentrations of airborne particulates that are hazardous to human health. Air quality monitoring stations near unvegetated riverbanks recorded high concentrations of particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM₁₀) after Typhoon Morakot in 2009. The objective of this study was, therefore, to analyze the effects on air quality of sediment caused by the typhoon. A deflation module was simulated, and the resulting estimates were compared with observed data from the Taitung monitoring station for 2004 and 2005. The relationship of dust flux to average atmospheric dust concentration was analyzed for October to December 2001–2010. Analysis showed that the 2001–2008 data are highly correlated (0.78) with the average concentration. The intercept of 28.07 represented the background concentration with no dust emission, from October to December of 2001–2008. Based on the dust flux potential in 2009, the average yearly PM₁₀ concentration would be 37.98 µg/m³; however, the measured concentration was 61.67 µg/m³ from October to December. This suggests the strong influence of dust re-suspended from unvegetated riverbanks by Typhoon Morakot.     

Development of low-cost passive sampler from cow bone char for sampling of volatile organic compounds

A simple and low-cost passive sampler for collection of volatile organic compounds, specifically benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX), from the ambient air has been developed by using cow bone char (CBC) as an adsorbent with desorption by solvent extraction prior to analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The laboratory-made CBC was prepared by calcination process in a partially oxidative atmosphere. The developed passive sampler was tested for a suitable amount of CBC used, diffusion tube type and size, and sampling duration, in a closed chamber saturated with each of the BTEX vapors. With the optimum amount of 250 mg CBC packed in a glass bottle (82.6 mm height × 11.1 mm i.d.) and the exposure time of 168 h, detection limits (µg/m³) for BTEX determination using this developed sampler together with GC–MS were 0.28 (benzene), 0.79 (toluene), 0.58 (ethylbenzene), 0.28 (p-xylene) and 0.54 (o-xylene). The proposed method was applied to sampling BTEX from selected petrol stations, traffic congestion areas and a rural area in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The BTEX concentrations detected were well correlated with their sources as they were the highest at the petrol station sites, lower at the traffic congestion area sites and the lowest at the rural area site. The laboratory-made passive sampler containing CBC has thus opened up a possibility of having a simple and effective device for sampling of BTEX in the ambient air.     

Distribution and risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the remote air and soil of Manipur,India

∑₂₅PCB congeners including dioxin-like compounds were analyzed at three sites of Manipur India to assess the level of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air and soil. The ∑₂₅PCBs were higher in urban air (average 2,454 pg/m³), followed by the mountain air (average 2,109 pg/m³) and rural air (average 1,756 pg/m³). PCB levels observed in urban air were higher compared to PCB levels reported in major Indian metropolitan cities especially along the coastal region and were comparable with the pristine sites of India and also with some pockets of China and Europe. The heavier congeners (tetra, penta, tri and hexa) were dominant in both air and soil samples and show significant correlation with the ambient temperature. Emission of PCB congeners was investigated from soil surface. The total organic carbon present in soil shows the significant correlation (r ² = 0.8; p < 0.05) with the PCBs could indicate that the PCBs originated from the similar sources. Principal component analysis revealed that the sources of higher chlorinated PCB congeners are local emissions while long-range atmospheric transport process is responsible behind elevated levels of lower chlorinated PCBs. Total calculated toxic equivalent (TEQ) levels in soil (37.17–160.5 pg/g) were superior to reported TEQ level of agricultural soil in Delhi, India (0.01–105.40 pg/g). Back trajectory analysis showed that the observed high levels of PCB at Manipur may due to movement of air masses, mostly from the Northern and Southern India and to some extent from Myanmar.     

The Dynamics of Benthic Respiration at a Mid-Shelf Station Off Oregon

Mid-shelf sediments off the Oregon coast are characterized as fine sands that trap and remineralize phytodetritus leading to the consumption of significant quantities of dissolved oxygen. Sediment oxygen consumption (SOC) can be delayed from seasonal organic matter inputs because of a transient buildup of reduced constituents during periods of quiescent physical processes. Between 2009 and 2013, benthic oxygen exchange rates were measured using the noninvasive eddy covariance (EC) method five separate times at a single 80-m station. Ancillary measurements included in situ microprofiles of oxygen at the sediment–water interface, and concentration profiles of pore water nutrients and trace metals, and solid-phase organic C and sulfide minerals from cores. Sediment cores were also incubated to derive anaerobic respiration rates. The EC measurements were made during spring, summer, and fall conditions, and they produced average benthic oxygen flux estimates that varied between ?2 and ?15 mmol m^?2 d^?1. The EC oxygen fluxes were most highly correlated with bottom-sensed, significant wave heights (H _s). The relationship with H _s was used with an annual record of deepwater swell heights to predict an integrated oxygen consumption rate for the mid-shelf of 1.5 mol m^?2 for the upwelling season (May–September) and 6.8 mol m^?2 y^?1. The annual prediction requires that SOC rates are enhanced in the winter because of sand filtering and pore water advection under large waves, and it counters budgets that assume a dominance of organic matter export from the shelf. Refined budgets will require winter flux measurements and observations from cross-shelf transects over multiple years.     

Fast,green and effective chromium bio-speciation using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sepia pharaonis</Emphasis> endoskeleton nano-powder

The development of a fast, effective, simple and low-cost procedure for chromium speciation is an analytical challenge. In this work, a new and simple method for speciation and determination of chromium species in different matrices was developed. Sepia pharaonis endoskeleton nano-powder was used as an adsorbent for the dispersive micro-solid-phase extraction. Finally, the desorbed chromium was determined using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. The experimental results showed that Cr(III) could be quantitatively extracted by the adsorbent, while Cr(VI) adsorption was negligible. Concentrated H₂SO₄ and ethanol reduced Cr(VI)–Cr(III), and total chromium content was assessed as Cr(III). Then, the Cr(VI) concentration in the sample was calculated as the difference. The optimum conditions were obtained in terms of pH, adsorbent amount, contact time, and type, concentration and volume of eluent. Under the optimum conditions that involved the speciation of chromium ions from 25 mL of the water samples at pH 7.0 using 0.025 g of the adsorbent with contact time of 5 min, the method was validated in terms of linearity, precision and accuracy. The calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 0.01–25.00 μg L^?1 for Cr(III). The obtained limit of detection for the proposed method was 0.003 µg L^?1. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent was found to be 995.57 mg g^?1. The proposed method was validated by the speciation of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in different real water and wastewater samples with satisfactory results.     

Nitrous oxide (N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O) emissions from a mesotrophic reservoir on the Wujiang River,southwest China

Aquatic ecosystems have been identified as a globally significant source of nitrous oxide (N₂O) due to continuous active nitrogen involvement, but the processes and influencing factors that control N₂O production are still poorly understood, especially in reservoirs. For that, monthly N₂O variations were monitored in Dongfeng reservoir (DFR) with a mesotrophic condition. The dissolved N₂O concentration in DFR displayed a distinct spatial–temporal pattern but lower than that in the eutrophic reservoirs. During the whole sampling year, N₂O saturation ranging from 144% to 640%, indicating that reservoir acted as source of atmospheric N₂O. N₂O production is induced by the introduction of nitrogen (NO₃ ^?, NH₄ ⁺) in mesotrophic reservoirs, and is also affected by oxygen level and water temperature. Nitrification was the predominate process for N₂O production in DFR due to well-oxygenated longitudinal water layers. Mean values of estimated N₂O flux from the air–water interface averaged 0.19 µmol m^?2 h^?1 with a range of 0.01–0.61 µmol m^?2 h^?1. DFR exhibited less N₂O emission flux than that reported in a nearby eutrophic reservoir, but still acted as a moderate N₂O source compared with other reservoirs and lakes worldwide. Annual emissions from the water–air interface of DFR were estimated to be 0.32 × 10⁵ mol N–N₂O, while N₂O degassing from releasing water behind the dam during power generation was nearly five times greater. Hence, N₂O degassing behind the dam should be taken into account for estimation of N₂O emissions from artificial reservoirs, an omission that historically has probably resulted in underestimates. IPCC methodology should consider more specifically N₂O emission estimation in aquatic ecosystems, especially in reservoirs, the default EF5 model will lead to an overestimation.     

Crystal nucleation and growth produced by continuous decompression of Pinatubo magma

High-temperature decompression experiments demonstrate that crystal textures preserve a record of the style and rate of magmatic ascent. To reinforce this link, we performed a suite of isothermal decompression experiments using starting material from the climactic 1991 Pinatubo eruption. We decompressed experiments from 220 MPa to final, quench pressures of 75 or 30 MPa using continuous decompression rates of 100, 30, 10, 3, 1, and 0.3 MPa h^?1. Amphibole, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase crystallized during the experiments, with plagioclase microlites dominating the assemblage. Total microlite number densities range from 10^7.6±0.4 up to 10^8.2±0.2 cm^?3, with plagioclase accounting for up to 65% of the total number. Plagioclase microlite area increased systematically from 19?±?8 to 937?±?487 µm² with increasing experiment duration. Our textures provide time-integrated records of crystal kinetics. Average nucleation and areal growth rates of plagioclase are highest in the fastest decompressions (~?10^7.5 cm^?3 h^?1 and 10.1?±?4.1 µm² h^?1, respectively) and more than an order of magnitude lower in the slowest experiments (~?10^5.5 cm^?3 h^?1 and 0.8?±?0.2 µm² h^?1, respectively). Both nucleation and growth rates are highest at high degrees of disequilibrium. We find that peak supersaturation-dependent instantaneous rates are generally more than an order of magnitude faster than average rates. We use those instantaneous nucleation and growth rates to introduce an iterative model to evaluate the effects of different decompression rates, decompression paths (continuous, single-step or multistep), and the presence of phenocrysts on final crystallinity and microlite size distribution.     

Environmental risk assessment of platinum cytotoxic drugs: a focus on toxicity characterization of hospital effluents

Platinum-based cytotoxic drugs are complexes of Pt used in 50–70% of cancer patients. This study was performed during 2015, in two oncology wards of Qom hospitals in Iran. Sampling was carried out using effluent of the oncology wards for measurement of total Pt concentration. Analysis was performed by ICP–OES, and limit of detection was determined (LODs = 1 µg/L). During the sampling days, the total Pt concentration in the wastewater effluent oncology ward ranged from 5 to 762 µg/L at Shahid Beheshti Hospital and from 3 to 629 µg/L at Hazrat Masoumeh Hospital. According to the results from concentration of cytotoxic drugs, the predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) (ng/L) in wastewater treatment plant effluent and river for cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin were determined. Calculated RQ_hww showed that \(\sum {\text{RQ}}_{\text{hww}} = 1.19\). Thus, the total platinum compound drug could have potential toxicity effect on aquatic organisms. It was concluded that monitoring of cytotoxic drugs residue in hospital effluent must be considered because of their toxicity and impact on aquatic pollution. The results also revealed that PEC < 10 ng/L for all the platinum compound drugs and sum of the PEC calculation (\(\sum {\text{PEC}}_{{{\text{cis}},{\text{carbo}},{\text{oxali}}}}\)).     

Soil radon in winter months under snowpack in Hokkaido, Japan

Soil radon (²²²Rn) has been monitored during winter months under cool-temperate deciduous stands of different surface geology in Tomakomai and in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Radon level was lower in Tomakomai of immature soil of porous volcanic ash emitted from an active volcano (Mt. Tarumae), compared with those in Sapporo of alluvial sediments. In Tomakomai, mean value of the ²²²Rn activity concentration was higher in winter (570 Bq m^?3) than in summer (350 Bq m^?3) at a depth of 1 m, which is consistent with the results in cold and dry winter reported in the literature. In contrast, soil radon decreasing with decreasing soil temperature from mid-September (5.0 kBq m^?3) remained low (2.6 kBq m^?3) under persistent snow in Sapporo, which had already been observed in the same location. Measurements of the activity concentrations of ²²²Rn in snow and in snow air as well as in soil air indicate that the small amount of ²²²Rn is released from the ground surface to the overlying snowpack with a ²²²Rn flux density of 0.4 mBq m^?2 s^?1 under thick snow cover in Sapporo.     

In situ estimation of the effective chemical diffusion coefficient of a rock matrix in a fractured aquifer

An in situ method of estimating the effective diffusion coefficient for a chemical constituent that diffuses into the primary porosity of a rock is developed by abruptly changing the concentration of the dissolved constituent in a borehole in contact with the rock matrix and monitoring the time-varying concentration. The experiment was conducted in a borehole completed in mudstone on the campus of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Numerous tracer tests were conducted at this site, which left a residual concentration of sodium chloride in boreholes that diffused into the rock matrix over a period of years. Fresh water was introduced into a borehole in contact with the mudstone, and the time-varying increase of chloride was observed by monitoring the electrical conductivity (EC) at various depths in the borehole. Estimates of the effective diffusion coefficient were obtained by interpreting measurements of EC over 34 d. The effective diffusion coefficient at a depth of 36 m was approximately 7.8×10^?6 m²/d, but was sensitive to the assumed matrix porosity. The formation factor and mass flux for the mudstone were also estimated from the experiment.     

Geological Characteristics and Stability Evaluation of Wanjia Middle School Slope in Wenchuan Earthquake Area

To investigate the formation mechanism and the stability of Wanjia middle school slope in Wenchuan Earthquake Area, the macroscopic geological characteristics and the failure process of the landslide are researched by engineering geology analysis method, limit equilibrium method, and finit element method. The results show that after the Wenchuan Earthquake, retaining walls, houses and other infrastructure on the foot of Wanjia middle school slope were severely destroyed, 10 cm wide tension fracture appeared at the trailing edge of the slope. Wanjia middle school slope is a type of medium-sized soil landslide. The area of the deformation body is about 19,314 m², the total volume of the deformation body is about 23 × 10⁴ m³. There may be two potential sliding surfaces in the unstable slope: shallow and deep landslide. The analysis results of the limit equilibrium method and the finite element method show that: under dead weight, dead weight + rainstorm, dead weight + earthquake conditions, the plastic zone occurs mainly at the middle part or the trailing edge of the slope, and it doesn’t fully cut through the deep landslide body, so the deep landslide is stable. However, under rainstorm or earthquake conditions, the plastic zone almost completely cut thorough the shallow landslide body, it shows that the shallow landslide is in the understable–basic stable state. It is found that the results of finite element method is concordant with the results of the limit equilibrium method (F _s = 1.06–1.29, the shallow landslide is in the basic stable–stable state). The calculation results show that shallow landslides are likely to occur in Wanjia middle school slope during a rainstorm or an earthquake, so monitoring and control of the slope should be strengthened. The shallow landslide should be managed by some measures, such as anti slide pile retaining structures and drainage works, and the dangerous rock bodies on the slope surface should be cleaned up.