ALBERT

Description: The feasibility of the industrial application of kapok fiber for the removal of lead (II) ions from aqueous stream was evaluated in this study. The fiber was modified using NaOH solution and also was oxidized with NaClO 2 solution. Both of the chemically enhanced kapok fibers showed a high adsorption efficiency, which was 23.4 and 34.6 mg/g, respectively, while unmodified kapok fibers had 4.70 mg/g. Kinetic reactions and their rate constants exhibited that the removal of lead was linearly correlated with adsorption capacity of the modified and oxidized kapok fibers. Adsorption isotherm of the experiment fitted very well with the Langmuir model for the chemically enhanced kapok fibers. Adsorption capacity decreased with a decrease in the pH. The recycling process of the used kapok fibers was also carried out and the results found that kapok fibers were reusable with relatively high regeneration rate.

Description: This study was conducted to identify the influence of three principal parameters constituting topography (slope inclination, soil depth, and slope length) on hillslope instability in a small catchment, known as Higashifukubegawa of Shikoku Island, western Japan. The typhoon rainfall of 19–20 October 2004 was significant in causing a total of seven slope failures in the catchment, though other rainfall events of various intensities in the same year did not cause failure. To understand the influence of the three principal parameters, numerical modeling of seepage and slope stability was performed in slope profiles constructed by varying the three parameters across their permissible range prepared from the seven slope failures of Higashifukubegawa in GeoStudio (GeoStudio Tutorials includes student edition lessons, Geo-Slope International Ltd., Calgary, 2005 v.4). The change in porewater pressure and slope mass weight due to variation in values of principal parameters was used to interpret the change in factor of safety or instability. The results showed that (1) instability increases with increase in the values of all three selected parameters across their range in Higashifukubegawa with remarkable decreasing trend in factors of safety, (2) slope inclination and soil depth were observed to affect instability through change in both unsaturated zone moisture content and mobilizing force of slope mass, (3) but with slope length, the unsaturated zone moisture content was not found to change considerably which implies that the instability due to slope length is mainly governed by change in slope mass weight. Overall, this study has dealt in great detail with how hillslope instability changes with principal parameters of topography under the same simulating conditions of hydrological and geo-mechanical parameters.

Description: The paper presents results of geothermal projects carried out in the last 23 years by the interdisciplinary research team at the AGH University of Science and Technology, in cooperation with numerous scientific institutions, published in the form of geothermal atlases in different parts of Poland. For many years, the Department of Fossil Fuels at the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, has conducted the fundamental research and implementation work, aiming at the selection of optimum areas for utilization of geothermal waters and energy. Over the years, a methodology of estimation of geothermal resources with use of advanced techniques and numerical modeling has been developed. Recapitulation of the studies of the occurrence and utilization of geothermal waters and energy within geological units of the Polish Lowlands, Carpathians and Carpathian Foredeep has been reflected in seven Atlases. The Atlases represent a result of interdisciplinary, constructive cooperation of specialists from various, often remote fields of knowledge, fundamental and technological in nature, including: geologists, geophysicists, hydrogeologists, geochemists, drilling engineers, heat engineers, and many other specialists. The Atlases enable the selection of the most promising areas for utilization of geothermal waters and energy in Poland. The best geothermal conditions are predicted in the Polish Lowlands and Podhale region although in many areas of the Carpathians and the Carpathian Foredeep favorable geothermal conditions also occur.

Description: In the present work, remediation of lead-containing solution using raw and modified kaolinite has been presented. The micro and nanostructure of samples has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Laser diffraction and scattering (LDS), was analyzed by particle size analyzer based on laser diffraction and particle size distribution (PSD) was done. The degree of metal adsorption was evaluated analyzing the Pb(II) contaminated samples by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (micro- and nanostructure on immobilization efficiency correlCP AES). The results show the impact of immobilization efficiency and ation between micro- and nanostructure. The thermodynamic data (Δ H °, Δ S °, Δ G °) are calculated from the temperature-dependent sorption isotherms. The results suggest sorption process of Pb(II) on kaolinite as spontaneous and endothermic.

Description: This study compares various immunomagnetic separation (IMS) protocols. The average recovery efficiency of IMS for different Salmonella concentrations (between 10 2 and 10 5 CFU/ml) was 53.5 ± 12.9 % ( n  = 24). When turbidity was less than 1,000 NTU, altering the debris ratio of water samples produced no significant changes in the recovery efficiency of IMS. Prolonging the incubation time or increasing the amount of immunomagnetic beads increased the recovery efficiency of IMS. This study also compares processes in which water samples were filtered, eluted/concentrated, and then processed by the IMS and non-IMS methods before PCR. Results indicate that IMS can effectively eliminate these inhibitors prior to polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The detection limit of Salmonella analysis process with IMS separation before enrichment was superior to IMS separation after enrichment. The proposed Salmonella analysis process, which included IMS to concentrate and purify the Salmonella , improves the sensitivity and the detection efficiency of the entire analysis process.

Description: The study of the stability of rock slope is very important because its instability can cause large disasters. Because the main influence factor of the stability of rock slope is the geological environment, the engineering experience analogy method is a practical and extensively applied method. The main feature of the engineering analogy method is the cluster. Based on the analysis of a dataset of rock slope samples and using the engineering analogy method in relation to the abstraction ant colony clustering algorithm, a new method for rock slope stability analysis is proposed. Using this method, rock slopes can be automatically clustered to obtain the stability status of rock slopes in one class. Therefore, the class rating can represent the stability status of rock slopes. Some real engineering examples are used to verify the computing effect of the new algorithm. Engineering applications prove that this new algorithm can automatically estimate the stability of rock slope with high validity. Its robustness surpasses the robustness of traditional algorithms, and its application is more convenient than that of traditional algorithms. However, as a heuristic algorithm, the selection of algorithm parameters is sometimes challenging, and the computation effect for a highly complex problem is not satisfactory. Therefore, this practical method of slope stability analysis should be popularized.

Description: Earthquakes can directly trigger multiple simultaneous slope failures in mountainous regions. Among these slope failures, flow-like landslides with high velocities and long run-outs can result in damage that is more destructive than other types of landslides. Timely and accurate recognition of the locations and magnitudes of flow-like landslides is essential for post-disaster relief. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors are suitable for deformation monitoring because of their capability to operate at day or night and in all weather conditions. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) is an advanced technique that extracts three-dimensional terrain and changes information from the radar images at a regional scale. The focus of this study is the Donghekou landslide-debris flow that was triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. ALOS/PALSAR remote satellite images were interpreted by InSAR to generate digital surface elevation models. A comparison of data from a typical InSAR configuration with field survey data proves that the former is an effective method for rapidly detecting flow-like landslides in a mountainous area. The comparison also shows that the accuracy of the results is closely related to the correlation between the satellite radar images used, and further that the study accuracy would improve with the inclusion of better correlation. In this way, representations of pre- and post-landslide terrains could be generated for use in numerical simulations. The InSAR method has particular significance for areas without terrain data prior to slope failure, and can provide basic data for landslide hazard assessments.

Description: The origin of the high salinity in the groundwater of a coastal wetland in an arid climate was studied in the Playa Fracasso marsh, located on the northwest coast of the extra-Andean Patagonia. Research was carried out by means of the design of a network of soil pits and short piezometers in the marsh and the surrounding landforms. Continuous fluctuations of the water table, in situ physical and chemical properties, major ions (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , Cl − , SO 4 2− , HCO 3 − ) and stable isotopes ( 18 O and 2 H) in groundwater, as well as soil salinity, were measured. The combined analysis of the hydrodynamics, the ion ratios rCa 2+ /rCl − and rMg 2+ /rCa 2+ vs. rCl − and the isotopic composition made it possible to recognize an area within the high marsh in which the origin of groundwater is mainly marine and another in which the contributions are of mixed origin. By means of the analysis of rCl − vs. δ 18 O, a salinization process with no change in isotopic composition was identified. Its interpretation, together with those of the soil salinity profiles and the records of the fluctuations in electrical conductivity associated with extraordinary tides, was used to define a conceptual model of salinization which could be useful to understand other coastal wetlands under similar arid climatic conditions. It consists in a cyclical mechanism of evapotranspiration, precipitation, dissolution and transport of salts during tides.

Description: Hydrologic response of a catchment with the most common expression through runoff coefficient reflects a complex response of interaction between the rainfall and catchment physical properties. In this study, an attempt has been made through the mean rainfall–runoff polygon method to explore the impact of land use change on the mean monthly runoff coefficient estimated from 27 years of the hydrology and land use records of a tropical catchment located in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Specifically, the land use and flow records are divided into three intervals: (1982–1990), (1992–2000) and (2002–2010). The mean monthly rainfall–runoff polygon plotted is rendered to the three time intervals. The results have shown that contrasting shapes were computed which demonstrate the significant variability in the rainfall–runoff response characteristics under the linkage of land use changes. Ample information describing the hydrological responses of the study area has been attained through the quantitative approaches. The study has concluded that the rainfall–runoff polygon method can be used as a simple alternative method for assessing the impact of land use changes on the hydrological response.

Description: A study was carried out across 86 locations of the country to investigate iodine supply potential of soils, grains and underground waters for onward design of an environmental intervention in Pakistan. Wheat crops were the principal crop in this study since it supplies 75 % of calorific energy in an average Pakistani diet. TMAH-extractable iodine in soils provided a geometric mean of 0.66 µg g −1 , far lower than the worldwide mean of 3.0 µg g −1 for soil iodine. Bioavailable (water-extractable) iodine concentration had a geometric mean of 2.4 % (of TMAH-extractable iodine). Median iodine concentrations in tube well sourced waters were 7.3 µg L −1 . Median wheat grain-iodine concentrations were 0.01 µg g −1 . In most of the grain samples, TMAH-extractable iodine was below detection limit of 0.01 µg g −1 . The highest wheat grain iodine was measured on a soil having highest TMAH-extractable iodine. An iodine intake of 25.4 µg a day has been estimated based on median wheat grain iodine measured and groundwater consumption compared to world health organisation (WHO) recommendations of iodine intake of 150 µg a day. This nominal intake of iodine is alarming since 60 % of Pakistani households do not consume iodised salt.

Description: Streambed sediments collected from the Shade River Watershed within the Western Allegheny Plateau in Meigs and Athens counties (Ohio, USA) were analyzed for trace elements. Different pollution indices and statistical techniques were used to evaluate the relationship between the trace elements and determine their levels of contamination. The watershed was once mined for coal and has history of acid mine drainage (AMD). Treatment of this contamination is still being addressed by federal and local organizations. Sediment analyses indicated that iron, aluminum, and manganese, which are primary AMD species, are dominant within the sediments. Pollution indices indicated that the sediments were moderately to extremely polluted, with iron dominating. Relatively low trace element concentrations in the Middle Shade River can be attributed to the intense remediation or treatment of mine drainage. Although trace elements’ concentration in the Shade River Watershed was greater than their respective background values, the relationship between iron and other trace elements indicates that alkaline pH and redox conditions can influence the neutralization of AMD, and also result in the precipitation of iron and manganese oxide/hydroxides. This may have caused the contamination of the streambed sediment apart from factors including local geology, erosion of agricultural soil, mine discharge, and other anthropogenic input into the watershed.

Description: As the region of Eastern Herzegovina and the Boka Kotorska (Kotor Bay) area is one of the most highly karstified areas in the world, its hydrogeological properties, typical for karst, are extremely exposed. The main erosion base-levels for surface and underground waters of that region are: the Neretva River valley in the west, the Adriatic Sea and Dubrovnik littoral in the south and Boka Kotorska in the east. At the same time it belongs to one of the most investigated karst regions in the world known as the Dinaric Karst. The basic theories related to the nature of karst are based on the multidisciplinary and long-lasting investigation of this particular region. World famous karstologists such as Cvijić, Grund, Katzer and many others created crucial theories of karstology based on investigations and analysis of the Dinaric Karst. Many large and successfully constructed structures (dams, reservoirs and tunnels) of the region also became the basis for the development of engineering karstology. Massive karst investigation works were also performed during the twentieth century. The accumulated data and knowledge have been presented at many scientific conferences and has also appeared in many publications. The text below presents in brief, the general natural properties of the region and represents only a small part of the available data.

Description: Peatlands are widely distributed throughout northeast China and form a large carbon (C) pool. The main types include plain wetlands and alpine peatlands. Compared to the former, the historical development and C dynamics of the alpine peatlands are still not well understood. In this study, a total of nine peat cores from the Great Hinggan, Changbai and Fenghuang Mountains were collected and dated by 210 Pb and 137 Cs techniques. All samples were analysed for organic matter content through loss on ignition (LOI) and three core samples from Motianling peatland were further analysed for total organic carbon (TOC) by elemental analysis. A linear model between LOI and TOC was established as TOC = 0.405 × LOI + 0.968 ( R 2  = 0.7828, P  〈 0.0001) which is recommended for estimating organic C content and assessing C accumulation in the peatlands of northeast China. This conversion equation could lead to a 17.8 % overestimate of RERCA compared to elemental C determination, but it is preferable to using a conversion coefficient of 0.5, which could result in a 36.3 % overestimate than elemental analysis. The recent rate of C accumulation (RERCA) in the alpine peatlands is estimated between 128.85 and 203.73 g C m −2 year −1 and the average C storage per unit area is calculated as 31 ± 9 kg C m −2 over the past 200 years. These are significant additions to the plain wetlands and this knowledge is helpful in forming a complete picture of C sequestration in wetlands of this region. Within-site difference for average RERCA reflects the need for a multi-core study of C accumulation in peatlands and between-site comparison of RERCA shows that the average RERCA increases towards the higher latitude. This pattern is mainly controlled by the peatland types. Results here will be useful to evaluate the C sequestration potential in peatlands and improve our understanding the response of alpine peatland ecosystems to projected climate change.

Description: Representative source area of turbulent fluxes measured by eddy covariance stations is an important issue which has not yet been fully investigated. In particular, the validation of the analytical footprint models is generally based on the comparison with Lagrangian model predictions, while experimental results are not largely diffused in literature. In this work, spatial distribution of carbon dioxide, latent and sensible heat fluxes across two different maize fields in Po Valley, is used to validate two theoretical footprint models. Experiments are performed in two totally different scenarios at bare and vegetated soils using two eddy covariance systems: one fixed station which is located about in the middle of the field and a mobile station which is placed at various distances from the field edge to investigate the horizontal variation of the vertical scalar fluxes. The first objective of this work is to provide detailed information about the spatial distribution of turbulent fluxes across Po Valley characteristic fields at bare and vegetated soils, highlighting peculiarities and uniqueness. The second objective consists in the comparison between mobile measurements of carbon dioxide, latent and sensible heat fluxes and the predictions of two analytical footprint models widely used in literature. Contemporaneously, the latter objective will permit to understand what is the best footprint model which, under typical Po Valley atmospheric turbulent conditions, describes a representative source area compatible with the field dimensions and the turbulent flux distributions. The results show that both models are in good agreement with experimental measurements. The results also show that the spatial distribution of turbulent fluxes is strongly influenced by the presence of vegetation in the field. Moreover, the representative source area is different for different scalar fluxes. Another result is about 10:1 fetch-to-height obtained for both field situations.

Description: Interactions of mercury (Hg) with different molecular weight fractions of humic substances (HS) play an important role in controlling distribution, diffusion, speciation, and bioavailability of Hg in natural systems. This study suggests that Hg prefers to associate with higher molecular weight fractions of HS and this association particularly predominates at low pH and high ionic strengths of the medium. The concentrations of aggregated HS (with higher molecular weight) become high at lower pH (acidic condition) and high ionic strength. Molecular weight of HS gradually decreases with the increasing pH (basic condition) and low ionic strength of the medium. The disaggregation property of HS which involves the release of monomers from the surface of the aggregates produces HSs of different intermediate molecular weight with different Hg complexing capacity. Distribution of Hg in different molecular weight fractions of HS is dependent on aggregational and disaggregational properties of HS in aquatic medium. Association of Hg with high molecular weight fraction of HS may alter distribution and bioavailability of Hg in a system as the bioreactivity of organic matter decrease along a continuum of size in aquatic medium.

Description: The integrated use of isotopic and hydrochemical tracers is an effective approach for investigating complex hydrological processes of groundwater. The stable isotope composition and hydrochemistry of the groundwater around Qinghai Lake were investigated to study the sources and recharge areas. Most of the groundwater points lie close to the local meteoric water line, indicating that the ground waters were recharged primarily from precipitation in the basin, though it had undergone varying degrees of evaporation. The hydrochemical analysis showed that the groundwater was mainly freshwater and that the hydrochemical type was Ca–Mg–HCO 3 ; the results of the boomerang envelope model and solutes calculated indicated that the groundwater chemistry was mainly controlled by carbonate dissolution around Qinghai Lake. The recharge altitudes of groundwater were relatively low (at 3,400 m.a.s.l) on the northern shore of Qinghai Lake (locations G1 and G5), relatively high (above 3,900 m.a.s.l) on the southern shore (locations G3 and G4), and approximately 3,700 m.a.s.l on the western shore (location G2). Furthermore, groundwater samples from the fault zone (e.g., G3) would be recharged in part from fissure or inter-basin water. High salinity of groundwater on the western shore (location G2) was related with the evaporite dissolution, the groundwater is unsuitable for drinking, and the drinking water should be improved and enhanced in this area. Knowledge of our research can promote effective management of water resources in this cold and semiarid region and add new data to global groundwater database.

Description: Previous studies have shown that island karst could successfully indicate paleoclimate change in the Quaternary Period. However, because of the relative inaccessibility of carbonate islands and their rural settings, the exploration of island karst features has been limited. To enhance future research, remote sensing and geospatial modeling were used in this study to improve the island karst exploration record. The results showed that fuzzy-based spatial modeling could successfully predict the island karst distributions on a simple carbonate island. The accuracy of the model was above 90 %. This method could apply to other coastal karst regions and carbonate islands in the future.

Description: Wavelet-based methods have been widely used for compression of remotely sensed images and data. Recently, second generation of wavelets which is based on a method called lifting has proven to be more effective than traditional wavelets as it provides lossless compression, lowers the memory usage, and is computationally faster. This study explores the literature related to applying second-generation wavelets for the compression of remote sensing data. Nevertheless, in order to compare the results of two wavelet types, some applications of traditional wavelets are also presented.

Description: Surface albedo plays a crucial role in the energy balance of soils. The surface albedo and surface soil moisture of bare sand and biological soil crusts (BSCs) were concurrently observed on field plots of shifting sand dune and in revegetated desert ecosystems at Shapotou, northwestern China, to study relationships between surface albedo, solar elevation angle, and surface soil moisture. Results indicated that rainfall exerted a remarkable lowering effect on the variation of surface albedo by increasing surface soil moisture. Surface albedo was an exponential function of solar elevation angle, and the normalized surface albedo (solar elevation angle effect was removed) decreased exponentially with the increase of surface soil moisture. Sand surface had a higher albedo (0.266) than BSCs (0.226) when the surfaces were very dry. However, sand surface albedo became increasingly lower than that of BSCs when the surfaces were in wet conditions and when the soil moisture exceeded a critical value. The changes in soil surface albedo from sand dune to BSCs after revegetation in shallow soil profiles associated with the variation of the surface soil moisture can be seen as an indicator of the degree of sand dune stabilization when compared with the original shifting sand dune soil.

Description: The relationship of atrazine-degrading bacteria Arthrobacter sp. HB-5 and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer to atrazine degradation and detoxification in soil was investigated in a microcosm pot experiment. Treatments of soil containing atrazine (AW) with atrazine plus strain HB-5 alone (A), together with atrazine and strain HB-5 plus nitrogen alone (AN), phosphate alone (AP), and nitrogen and phosphate together (ANP) were used to investigate atrazine degradation and ecotoxicity. Atrazine residues in the soils were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, while soil ecotoxicity was tested by micronucleus (MN) assay of Vicia faba root tip cells. The results showed that degradation of atrazine in soil could be facilitated by the treatment of strain HB-5 as well as strain HB-5 application with the addition of nitrogenous and/or phosphorus fertilizers. The degradation rates varied as the following: ANP 〉 AP 〉 AN 〉 A 〉 AW in different treatments. At 10 days post treatment, degradation efficiency of over 90 % was achieved in all strain HB-5 treatments except AW, but with no statistically significant differences found between treatments. Soil ecotoxicity was significantly reduced along with the degradation of atrazine by strain HB-5, and the ecotoxicity of soils with applied fertilizer was below that of treatments without fertilizer. On the seventh day and later, the MN frequencies of all treatments were decreased in the control levels except for AW. Thus, adjusting soil nutrient contents not only promoted strain HB-5 to remove atrazine in soil but also mitigated soil ecotoxicity effects caused by atrazine. These results are important keystones for future remediation of atrazine-contaminated soils.

Description: Water content is an important physical parameter for soil, vadose zone, and porous aquifer. Accurate measurement of water content in oil-contaminated porous media is critical for the research on oil pollution process and remediation in soil and groundwater systems. In this study, an improved water content calculation formula for oil-contaminated porous media was proposed based on the theory of oven-drying method, and laboratory experiments were conducted to test the applicability and accuracy of the formula for several types of manually prepared oil-contaminated porous media with different water contents. Furthermore, the measuring method and calculation formula, which can be used to determine the water content of porous media sampled from the oil-contaminated sites, were proposed for the first time in this study based on the improved formula. The experimental results showed that the improved formula was very accurate when used to calculate the water contents of diesel-contaminated sand, gasoline-contaminated mild clay, and engine oil-contaminated sand, indicating that it was widely applicable to oils with different volatile ability as well as porous media with different texture. This study meets the urgent need for accurate determination of water content in oil-contaminated porous media, and it solves the technical problem that the existing water content measuring methods cannot be applied directly in the field study.

Description: Antibiotics have been commonly used to prevent animal diseases and promote livestock productivity. However, its release into the surrounding environments leads to ecological disturbance and risks to human health. This study was conducted to monitor the occurrence and seasonal variations of antibiotics in water, sediment, and soil close to a swine manure composting facility, Korea. Various types of antibiotics such as tetracyclines (TCs) including tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline, and sulfonamides (SAs) including sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfathiazole were measured by the high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry via a solid-phase extraction. In the results it was identified that the variations of measured antibiotics’ concentrations in water, sediment, and soil are depending on the season. The observed concentration levels of TCs were higher in winter than in summer season, indicating that the low temperature is a parameter attributing to interruption of its degradation in water, sediment, and soil. The concentration levels of SAs were significantly higher than those of TCs and in general, all measured antibiotics’ concentrations were also in general higher in Korea when compared to those in other countries. The long-term monitoring of antibiotics’ residues in aquatic and terrestrial environments is necessary.

Description: In a coastal zone an understanding of the distance of the fresh water–salt water interface and its extension inland is important for prevention of sea water intrusion. In this article estimating methods are described for calculating the distance of a fresh water–salt water interface in a coastal confined aquifer based on the submarine fresh groundwater discharge. This groundwater discharge is controlled not only by the aquifer properties and hydraulic head difference, but also by the position of the fresh water–salt water interface in the coastal zone. A homogeneous and isotropic coastal confined aquifer is considered and fresh groundwater flow in the confined aquifer is thought to be at a steady state. Two observation wells at different distances in a profile perpendicular to the coastline are required in calculation of the distance of the interface toe in the coastal zone. Four coastal confined aquifers with horizontal and sloping confining beds and with varying thickness are also considered. Reasonable results are obtained when examples are used to illustrate the application of the methods. The methods require hydraulic head data at the two wells and thickness of the confined aquifers, but the hydraulic conductivity and fresh groundwater flow rate of the confined aquifers are not needed.

Description: Groundwater availability depends on its accessibility, as well as on its quality. Factor analysis (FA) has been used to analyze quality problems and provide strategies for water resources exploitation. The present study demonstrated the use of factor analysis to evaluate temporal variations in groundwater quality and find latent sources of water pollution in coastal areas of Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu, India. The data set included data of eleven water quality parameters viz., pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total hardness, chloride and fluoride for two different seasons (pre- and post-monsoon) in 2012. FA of the two seasons resulted in two latent factors accounting for 80.38 % of total variance for pre-monsoon (summer) and 73.03 % for post-monsoon (winter) in the water quality data sets. The results obtained from FA prove that the groundwater quality in winter is better than that of summer. Langelier Saturation Index was used to find out scaling and corrosive tendency of the groundwater samples for the study area. Karl Pearson correlation matrix was used to study the correlation between the studied water quality parameters. Hence, the analysis suggests that FA techniques are useful tools for identification of influence of various quality parameters on overall nature of the groundwater.

Description: Vertical deformation was measured at 14 benchmarks within the urban area of Jocotepec Mexico using first-order leveling methods and then spatially analyzed in relation to land subsidence and soil discontinuity patterns. The study area is located within the western portion of the Chapala basin, middle-west Mexico. Observations of vertical surficial deformation were made at each benchmark (September and November 2012) relative to a fixed station and compared to an initial survey of each benchmark (April 2012). Results indicate that a maximum subsidence of 7.16 cm over the 8-month measurement interval occurs near downtown coincident with the largest levels of drawdown and translates to a maximum subsidence rate of 0.89 cm/month for the sampling period. Two benchmarks located northwest and southeast of the urban area exhibited uplift of 2.8 and 0.76 cm, respectively, suggesting a complex mechanical response between the sedimentary soil units and the factors causing deformation. A potential spatial relationship exists between subsidence patterns and soil discontinuities. Four separate cones of groundwater depression were observed with two being coincident with subsidence bowls downtown and south of the urban area; however, there is no clear relationship between drawdown and subsidence in the remaining areas. Hydrogeologic reconstructions reveal alternating sequences of alluvial aquifers and highly deformable lacustrine aquitards. An analysis of the soil discontinuities reveals that they are directly aligned with the patterns of vertical deformation.

Description: The Green Corridor in the lower reaches of Tarim River in northwestern China has an extreme hot and dry climate. Vegetation here, consisting of arbor, shrub and grass, relies on groundwater exceedingly. However, the increasing anthropogenic activities of large-scale agricultural reclamation and unreasonable water utilization in the upper and middle reaches caused the 321-km riverway in the lower reaches to dry up completely in 1972 and resulted in the sharp decline of groundwater, followed by the ruin of desert riparian vegetation on a large scale. The Green Corridor is on the verge of shrinking. Water has a key role in maintaining ecological balance and socioeconomic development. This paper, focused on the relationship between vegetation and groundwater, discusses (1) the change of groundwater table caused by the ecological water delivery carried out in the lower reaches of Tarim River; (2) the appropriate groundwater depth meeting the vegetation’s survival; (3) the minimum ecological flux and ecological water requirement for the growth of natural vegetation. It was shown that (1) based on the analysis of the monitoring data from the groundwater level of ten times water delivery, such an extensive artificial watering takes positive effect on raising the groundwater level along the two sides of the river; (2) a groundwater table depth of 2–4 m is probably the appropriate ecological water table level for the lower reaches of the Tarim River, and 6 m is the threshold for the local vegetation; (3) at the lower Tarim River, 1.157 × 10 8  m 3 of water flow is needed for itself. The longer the duration of water releases, the greater would be the groundwater rise and the larger the range of vegetation influenced. It was found that the duration and volume of water delivery was closely related to restoration of vegetation in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. The goal of this paper is to offer scientific evidences for water delivery in the rigorous areas to maintain an ecological balance.

Description: Alpine grassland ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) are vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances, which may have significant effects on the QTP’s carbon budgets. In this study, vegetation and soil characteristics were compared among alpine grassland ecosystems in a semi-arid basin on the northeast ridge of the QTP (1) among alpine swamp meadow, meadow, steppe meadow and steppe soils, which represent the direction of succession under climate-warming conditions, and (2) among alpine, degraded and tilled meadow soils to investigate the effects of human disturbance. The results showed that (1) if the alpine grassland ecosystems succeed in this direction, climate warming will cause a loss of carbon, and (2) tilling activity also results in carbon loss. Therefore, these results indicate that anthropogenic disturbance regimes that change more rapidly than climate may exert a more profound influence on carbon dynamics and balance. However, the plots that were set in the present study represented only part of the basin due to road accessibility. Relationships between leaf area index (biomass and soil carbon) and fractional vegetation cover × vegetation height from this study are fairly good, which can be applied at regional scale to estimate carbon pools. In combination with detailed information of grassland types, climate and human activities, the effects of climate change and disturbances can be estimated using remote sensing datasets.

Description: Radon, thoron, and their progeny are largest contributors to the radiation dose received by human beings present in the natural environment. The indoor radon depends upon many factors such as building materials, meteorology, ventilation, and occupant’s behavior. This paper presents the measurements of indoor radon, thoron, and their progeny in four villages in rural area of district Kanshiram Nagar (Kasganj) in the state of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. The concentration of indoor radon and thoron varies from 10.32 to 72.24 and 11.61 to 84.49 Bq m −3 with a geometric mean (GM) of 29.49 and 31.20 Bq m −3 , respectively. The concentration of radon and thoron daughters was found to vary from 1.11 to 7.80 and 0.31 to 2.28 mWL, respectively. The annual exposure due to radon and thoron mainly vary from 0.05 to 0.30 WLM. The preliminary results (i.e., bare mode exposure of the LR-115 detectors fixed on cards) of this study have been separately published and compared this recent data with those results.

Description: Toxicity of heavy metals adversely affects environment and human health. Organic materials derived from natural matters or wastes have been applied to soils to reduce the mobility of contaminants such as heavy metals. However, the application of cow bone powder (CB), biochar (BC), and eggshell powder (ES) is rarely investigated for the reduction of Pb bioavailability in soils irrigated with saline water. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of CB, BC, and ES additions as immobilizing substances on Pb bioavailability in shooting range soil irrigated with deionized and saline water. Each additive of CB, BC, and ES at 5 % (w/w) was mixed with soils and then the deionized and saline water were irrigated for 21 days. With deionized water irrigation, the soils treated with CB, BC, and ES exhibited higher pH when compared with saline water irrigation. With saline water irrigation, the electrical conductivity, water-soluble anions, and cations were significantly increased in soils treated with CB, BC, and ES. The water-soluble Pb in soils treated with CB, BC, and ES was significantly decreased with saline water irrigation. On the other hand, the water-soluble Pb in soil treated with CB was increased with deionized water irrigation. Only BC with saline water irrigation decreased the Pb concentration in maize shoots.

Description: Flooding can have catastrophic effects on human lives and livelihoods and thus comprehensive flood management is needed. Such management requires information on the hydrologic, geotechnical, environmental, social, and economic aspects of flooding. The number of flood events that took place in Busan, South Korea, in 2009 exceeded the normal situation for that city. Mapping the susceptible areas helps us to understand flood trends and can aid in appropriate planning and flood prevention. In this study, a combination of bivariate probability analysis and multivariate logistic regression was used to produce flood susceptibility maps of Busan City. The main aim of this research was to overcome the weakness of logistic regression regarding bivariate probability capabilities. A flood inventory map with a total of 160 flood locations was extracted from various sources. Then, the flood inventory was randomly split into a testing dataset 70 % for training the models and the remaining 30 %, which was used for validation. Independent variables datasets included the rainfall, digital elevation model, slope, curvature, geology, green farmland, rivers, slope, soil drainage, soil effect, soil texture, stream power index, timber age, timber density, timber diameter, and timber type. The impact of each independent variable on flooding was evaluated by analyzing each independent variable with the dependent flood layer. The validation dataset, which was not used for model generation, was used to evaluate the flood susceptibility map using the prediction rate method. The results of the accuracy assessment showed a success rate of 92.7 % and a prediction rate of 82.3 %.

Description: Researchers wish to study the potential impact of sea level rise from climate change, and visual analytic tools can allow scientists to visually examine and explore different possible scenarios from simulation runs. In particular, hydrodynamic flux is calculated to understand the net movement of water; but typically this calculation is tedious and is not easily achieved with traditional visualization and analytic tools. We present a visual analytic method that incorporates a transect profiler and flux calculator. The analytic software is incorporated into our visual analytics tool Vinca, and generates multiple transects, which can be visualized and analysed in several alternative visualizations; users can choose specific transects to compare against real-world data; users can explore how flux changes within a domain. In addition, we report how ocean scientists have used our tool to display multiple-view views of their data and analyse hydrodynamic flux for the coastal zone.

Description: Tertiary fractured permeable confined aquifer, which covered about 70 % of the studying area, played an important role in alleviating drinking water shortages. However, about 58 and 79 % of the groundwater samples exceeded the desirable limits for fluoride (1.5 mg/L) and TDS (1,000 mg/L). Two multivariate statistical methods, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA), were applied to a subgroup of the dataset in terms of their usefulness for groundwater classification, as well as to identify the key processes controlling groundwater geochemistry. In the PCA, two principal factors have been extracted, which could explain 73 % of the total data variability. Among them, factor 1 revealed the source of groundwater salinity and factor 2 explained the elevated fluoride. Two major groups were classified by HCA and Group 1 was near the groundwater recharge zone and Group 2 was mainly distributed over the groundwater discharge zone. Inverse modeling (NETPATH) results indicated that the hydrochemical evolution was primarily controlled by (1) the dissolution of mirabilite, gypsum and halite for the source of groundwater salinity; (2) the release of the adsorbed fluoride through desorption or through competition with HCO 3 − under alkalinity condition for the elevated fluoride in the groundwater.

Description: Nowadays, selection of the suitable disposal site in municipal solid waste (MSW) management has become a challenge task for the municipal authorities, especially in fast-growing areas. Site selection can be viewed as a complicated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem requiring consideration of multiple alternative solutions and conflicting quantitative and qualitative criteria. In this paper, linguistic variables, which can be expressed as trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, are used to assess the ratings and weights for the selection criteria. The ordered weighted averaging operator is utilized to transform the fuzzy decision matrix into crisp values considering the decision maker’s attitudinal character. For selecting the best site, the extended VIsekriterijumska optimizacija i KOmpromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method is applied to determine the priority ranking of alternatives. As a result, a hierarchy MCDM model based on fuzzy set theory and VIKOR method is proposed to deal with the site selection problems in the MSW management system. An empirical study in Shanghai, China, is provided and comparison with the existing approach is conducted to illustrate the applicability and benefits of the proposed method.

Description: Surfactant-modified natural zeolites (SMNZs) with different coverage types were prepared by loading cetylpyridinium bromide onto the surface of natural zeolites. The resulting SMNZs were characterized and used as adsorbents to remove bisphenol A (BPA) from aqueous solution. The monolayer and bilayer SMNZs were effective for removing BPA from aqueous solution. The BPA adsorption capacity for the monolayer SMNZ increased slightly with increasing pH from 4 to 9, but decreased significantly with increasing pH from 9 to 11. The BPA adsorption capacity for the bilayer SMNZ was relatively high at pH 9–10, but decreased with decreasing pH from 9 to 4 or increasing pH from 10 to 11. The equilibrium adsorption data of BPA on the monolayer and bilayer SMNZs under the experimental condition could be well described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption kinetics of BPA on the monolayer and bilayer SMNZs followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption of BPA on the monolayer and bilayer SMNZs took place in three different stages: a fast external surface adsorption, a gradual adsorption controlled by both the external mass transfer and the intra-particle diffusion, and a final equilibrium stage. The adsorption of BPA on the monolayer and bilayer SMNZs is spontaneous and exothermic. The mechanisms for BPA adsorption onto the monolayer SMNZ at pH 4–11 include the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding. The mechanisms for BPA adsorption onto the bilayer SMNZ at pH 4–8 include the organic partitioning and hydrogen bonding. The mechanisms for BPA adsorption onto the bilayer SMNZ at pH 8–11 include the organic partitioning, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction.

Description: This study aimed at investigating the first flush phenomenon from residential, commercial and industrial catchments. Stormwater was grab sampled and the flow rate was measured during 52 storm events. The dimensionless cumulative pollutant mass and runoff volume were used to determine the runoff volume needed to transport 50 and 80 % of total pollutant mass. Almost all the constituents did not satisfy this first flush definition except for total suspended solids (TSS) in the commercial catchment. The averages first runoff volume required to remove 50 and 80 % of the total pollutant mass were 37 and 67, 35 and 65, and 36 and 64 % for the residential, commercial and industrial catchments, respectively. It seemed that less runoff is required to transport the same amount of pollutant loadings in tropical urban catchments than in temperate regions. BOD, COD, NH 3 -N, SRP and TP consistently showed strong first flush effects in all catchments. The first flush strengths of TSS, BOD, COD, NH 3 -N and TP in the commercial catchment were strongly correlated with total rainfall, rainfall duration, max 5 min intensity, runoff volume and peak flow, but not with antecedent dry days. Management of the first 10 mm runoff depth would be able to capture about half of the total pollutant mass in stormwater runoff that would otherwise goes to drains.

Description: Reclaimed neutral saline sulphate soils constitute a large part of the eastern part of Po Plain lowlands, where intensive agricultural activities take place. The knowledge of their geochemical features is essential to develop the best management practices capable to preserve this threatened environment. With this aim, three boreholes were drilled in an agricultural field and a typical reclaimed soil profile has been characterized for major and trace element, pH, electrical conductivity, redox conditions and water-soluble anions and ammonium. Statistical analysis (cluster analysis and principal component analysis) has been used to understand the relationship between elements and grain size. The soil profile is characterized by high salinity and high organic matter contents responsible for high chloride, sulphate, and ammonium concentrations. Heavy metal content is naturally high, since Po Plain sediments are the result of ultramafic rocks erosion; in addition, organic matter tends to concentrate heavy metals by adsorption, mainly in peaty horizons. As a consequence of chemical and zootechnical fertilization, high NO 3 − contents have been found in the top soil, thus enhancing the risk of nitrate discharge in the water system, especially in relation to extreme climatic events.

Description: Increasing demand on infrastructures has led to increased attention to shallow soft ground tunneling methods in urbanized areas. Especially in metro tunnel excavations, it is important to control the surface settlements which are observed before and after excavation, which may cause damage to surface structures. Unlike motorway, sewage and other infrastructure tunnels, metro tunnels generally have to be excavated as twin tunnels and must have a larger diameter. Metro tunnels also have shallow depth. Due to their shallow depth, metro tunnels generally have been constructed in weak rocks or weak soils in cities. The construction of twin tunnels will generate ground movements which have the potential to cause damage to existing surface and subsurface structures. To solve this settlement problem, experts have used the Earth pressure balance machine (EPBM) and the slurry balance machine. In such excavations, especially in twin tunnels, the main challenges for constructers are estimating the maximum surface settlement, controlling the interaction of transverse surface settlement and shaping the settlement curve. Incorrect estimation of these parameters can lead to significant problems above the tunnels and in nearby structures. This paper focuses on surface settlement measurements, on the interaction of twin tunnel transverse surface settlement and on the relationship between shield parameters and transverse surface settlement for parallel tunnels using EPBM shields in clay and sand soils in shallow depth. Also, a new equation is proposed for estimating the transverse settlement curve of twin tunnels. The results from this proposed equation are compared with the results of field observations. The transverse settlement curve values obtained from the proposed equation have good agreement with the actual results for the Otogar–Kirazli metro case studies.

Description: Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and erosion in South China at the regional scale in the past decades remains far from being understood. This paper calculated the SOC density, storage and erosion in 14 soil classes in Guangdong Province, South China, based on statistical data from the soil survey and soil erosion survey of Guangdong, which was performed in the 1990s. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationships between soil classes and SOC erosion at the regional scale. The results indicated that the SOC density in the soils of Guangdong varied from 12.7 to 144.9 Mg ha −1 over the entire profile and from 12.6 to 68.4 Mg ha −1 in the top 20-cm soil layer. The average area-weighted SOC density in the topsoil (0–20 cm) and the entire profile was 32 ± 3 and 86 ± 4 Mg ha −1 , respectively. The total SOC storage was 1.27 ± 0.06 Pg, with 35.6 % (0.46 ± 0.04 Pg) located in the topsoil. The average area-weighted strength of the SOC erosion in the 1990s was 20.6 ± 0.8 Mg km −2  year −1 . The results indicated that SOC erosion was strongly related to soil class.

Description: Incidence of high fluoride (F − ) in groundwater (〉1.5 mg/L) in two tribal belts of eastern India, one around Chukru in the Palamau district of Jharkhand and the other around Karlakot in the Nuapada district of Odisha, has been studied. The maximum concentration of F − in groundwater from dug wells and tube wells is 10.30 mg/L in Chukru and 4.62 mg/L in Karlakot. The groundwaters are mildly alkaline with pH ranges of 7.52–8.22 and 7.33–8.20 in Chukru and Karlakot, respectively. The F − concentration is positively correlated with pH, electrical conductivity and SO 4 2− in both areas. The high F − in groundwater resulted mainly from dissolution of biotite and fluorapatite in quartzofeldspathic gneiss. The ionic dominance pattern (in meq/L) is mostly in the order Ca 2+  〉 Na +  〉 Mg 2+  〉 K + among cations and HCO 3 −  〉 SO 4 2−  〉 〈 Cl −  〉 F − among anions in the Karlakot groundwater. Preliminary adsorption experiments were conducted on natural haematite iron ore and synthetic magnetite to evaluate their potential for F − removal from water. Effects of different parameters such as contact time, pH, adsorbent dose and initial F − concentration on the adsorption capacity of these materials were investigated. Strong dependence of F − removal on pH was observed for both the adsorbents. With natural haematite iron ore, the maximum F − removal of 66 % occurred at an initial pH of 3.2 for a solution with F − concentration of 3 mg/L, adsorbent dose of 7 g/L and overnight contact time. The haematite iron ore was observed to increase the pH of the F − solution. Adsorption equilibrium was not achieved with this adsorbent even after a contact time of 45.2 h. In the case of synthetic magnetite, 84 % F − removal was achieved after 2 min of contact time for a solution with F − concentration of 6 mg/L, adsorbent dose of 10 g/L and initial pH of 7. The results indicate high potential of both natural haematite iron ore and synthetic magnetite as adsorbents of F − in water.

Description: As established in the European Water Framework Directive, the development of groundwater numerical models is fundamental for adopting water management plans aimed at preserving the water resource and reducing environmental risks. In this paper, authors present a methodology for the estimation of groundwater resource of an alluvial valley, in an urban area characterized by a complex hydrostratigraphic setting and scarcity of hydrogeological data; the study area is the urban and sub-urban area of Rome (Italy). A previous, elaborated hydrostratigraphic model set the base for the development of 3D, steady state, sub-basin scale numerical model, implemented by the finite-difference code MODFLOW 2000 ® ; the water system components were derived by elaboration of available data. The alluvial aquifer of the Tiber River Valley, which runs in the middle of the City in a NNW–SE direction, has been analyzed in detail, since it is covered by a densely populated area hosting most of Rome’s historical heritage, and it is characterized by low quality geotechnical parameters. Results suggest that in areas with high hydrostratigraphic complexity and scarcity of hydrogeological data, a sub-basin scale, and steady-state numerical model can be very helpful to verify the conceptual model and reduce the uncertainty on the water budget components. The proposed steady-state model constitutes the base for future applications of transient state and local scale models, required for sustainable water management.

Description: Caldas de Moledo thermal (27–46 °C) spring and borehole waters issue in the region of the famous Port Wine vineyards, in the Douro River valley (Northern Portugal). The most abundant lithotypes are lower Cambrian metasedimentary rocks, Variscan granitoids and aplite-pegmatitic veins. The thermal waters are characterised by pH ≈ 9.0, TDS ranging from 200 to 350 mg/L, and belong to the HCO 3 –Na facies indicating that the reservoir rock should be mainly granite. Since the local Spa is strongly dependent on water quality, the effects of mixing between local shallow cold groundwaters and deep thermal waters have been properly investigated. In the SO 4 2− (mg/L) versus δ 18 O (‰ vs. V-SMOW) diagram we can observe that some of the thermal springs show evidences of mixing (higher SO 4 2− concentrations) with local meteoric waters infiltrated at lower altitude sites (enriched δ 18 O signatures), showing the “altitude effect” in the isotopic composition of the recharge waters. Similar trends can be found in the K + , NO 3 − , Ca 2+ and Na + (mg/L) versus δ 18 O (‰ vs. V-SMOW) diagrams. It should be stated that SO 4 2− , K + and Ca 2+ are present in the fertilizers and fungicides used in the vineyards in the northern part of the country. Up to now, the thermal waters from boreholes used in the local Spa do not show evidences of mixing with shallow groundwaters contaminated with agrochemicals. The results obtained so far indicate that in the near future, special attention should be put on the possible occurrence of diffuse agricultural contamination (related to the Port Wine vineyards) in the thermal spring waters.

Description: This article reflects discussions German and South African Earth scientists, statisticians and risk analysts had on occasion of two bilateral workshops on Data Integration Technologies for Earth System Modelling and Resource Management. The workshops were held in October 2012 at Leipzig, Germany, and April 2013 at Pretoria, South Africa, and were attended by about 70 researchers, practitioners and data managers of both countries. Both events were arranged as part of the South African-German Year of Science 2012/2013. The South African National Research Foundation (NRF, UID 81579) has supported the two workshops as part of the South African–German Year of Science activities 2012/2013 established by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the South African Department of Science and Technology.

Description: As one of the most important properties of compacted bentonite used as buffer/backfill materials, hydraulic conductivity is influenced by various factors including temperature, microstructure and suction (or degree of saturation), etc. Based on the readily available results of both temperature-controlled water-retention tests and unsaturated infiltration tests under confined (constant volume) conditions, influences of temperature and microstructure variations on unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the compacted Gaomiaozi (GMZ01) bentonite were analyzed. Then, a revised unsaturated hydraulic conductivity model considering temperature effects and microstructure changes was developed. With this proposed model, prediction and comparison were made on the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the compacted GMZ01 bentonite at 20 °C. Results show that water-retention capacity of compacted GMZ01 bentonite decreases as temperature increases and the degree of the temperature influence depends on suction. Under confined conditions, influence of hydration on microstructure of compacted GMZ01 bentonite depends on pore size. The proposed model can well describe the variations of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity with suction at different temperatures. However, further improvement of the proposed model is needed to account for the phenomenon of inter-aggregate pores clogging that occurred at the initial stage of hydration of compacted GMZ01 bentonite under confined conditions.

Description: Salt decay is a very destructive mechanism that affects frequently the porous building materials of our architectural heritage. Sodium sulfate is one of the salts found in this context. It usually demonstrates high destructive power in salt crystallization tests because it can crystallize not only during evaporative processes but also when the temperature drops or when the salt solution comes into contact with pre-existing crystals. However, the use of extreme temperatures or successive wet/dry cycles also makes these tests unrepresentative of reality. To verify whether sodium sulfate can also be so destructive in field conditions, we have performed crystallization tests consisting of a single isothermal drying event. Three natural stones, relevant for the architectural heritage, were used for the purpose: Bentheimer sandstone, Ançã limestone, and a current Portuguese limestone of low porosity. The stones gave rise to distinct salt decay patterns: efflorescence, multilayer delamination and unilayer delamination, respectively. These morphological alterations were characterized at the micrometer scale by a new method based on what we have called the alteration kinetics curve. Such curve is calculated from topographic profiles obtained by a non-contact optical technique. The multilayer and unilayer delamination decay were also monitored by time-lapse photography. The work led us to conclude that sodium sulfate can indeed be also very destructive in field-representative conditions. Moreover, it showed that the optical method can be a valuable aid in the development of more realistic salt crystallization tests.

Description: Regional-scale variations in soil geochemistry were investigated with special reference to differences among soil groups and lithology in an area of 9,699 km 2 in Medak district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The concentrations of 29 elements (major: Si, Al, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti, P and trace: As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Th, U, V, Y, Zn, Zr) in 878 soil samples collected (557-topsoil, 321-subsoil) at a sampling density of 1 site/17 km 2 from 557 sites representative of all the soil types present in studied area were determined, and their elemental composition are discussed. The baseline levels of these elements in soils are determined over different lithological units for the identification of anomalous values relative to these. For the first time, geochemical maps for Medak district are prepared on 1:50,000 scale and the lithogeochemical database generated provides information on the lateral and vertical distribution of elements in soil. The spatial variations in the distribution of elements reflect underlying geologic characteristics. Box-plots reveal that the concentration of most of the elements in soils were not strongly dependent on the soil group but the soil-geochemistry abruptly changes with the change in the soil parent materials indicating that the distribution of elements is mostly influenced by the bedrock lithology and other natural processes acting on them. For instance, the concentrations of Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ti, V and Zn are high in soils developed on basaltic terrain while the soils developed on granitic and gneissic terrain exhibit high elemental concentrations of K, Pb, Rb, Si, Th and Y. Alfisols had relatively high contents of elements while entisols had lower concentrations of most of the elements. The database can be used in the chemical characterisation of different geological units as well as applications in various environmental and agricultural fields. The results indicate that regional geology is an important determinant of soil geochemical baselines for soil pollution assessment and further emphasizes the importance of determining background levels locally. The defined baselines can be used to establish background values for future soil surveys.

Description: CO 2 injection in saline aquifers induces temperature changes owing to processes such as Joule–Thomson cooling, endothermic water vaporization, exothermic CO 2 dissolution besides the temperature discrepancy between injected and native fluids. CO 2 leaking from the injection zone, in addition to initial temperature contrast due to the geothermal gradient, undergoes similar processes, causing temperature changes in the above zone. Numerical simulation tools were used to evaluate temperature changes associated with CO 2 leakage from the storage aquifer to an above-zone monitoring interval and to assess the monitorability of CO 2 leakage on the basis of temperature data. The impact of both CO 2 and brine leakage on temperature response is considered for three cases (1) a leaky well co-located with the injection well, (2) a leaky well distant from the injector, and (3) a leaky fault. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine key operational and reservoir parameters that control the temperature signal in the above zone. Throughout the analysis injection-zone parameters remain unchanged. Significant pressure drop upon leakage causes expansion of CO 2 associated with Joule–Thomson cooling. However, brine may begin leaking before CO 2 breakthrough at the leakage pathway, causing heating in the above zone. Thus, unlike the pressure which increases in response to both CO 2 and brine leakage, the temperature signal may differentiate between the leaking fluids. In addition, the strength of the temperature signal correlates with leakage velocity unlike pressure signal whose strength depends on leakage rate. Increasing leakage conduit cross-sectional area increases leakage rate and thus increases pressure change in the above zone. However, it decreases leakage velocity, and therefore, reduces temperature cooling and signal. It is also shown that the leakage-induced temperature change covers a small area around the leakage pathway. Thus, temperature data will be most useful if collected along potential leaky wells and/or wells intersecting potential leaky faults.

Description: Samples were collected at 71 sites in the Yellow River Delta Natural Reserve in December 2010 to represent soil conditions before and after the Yellow River (YR) diversion. The As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni concentrations were measured to determine metal contamination levels. Results suggest that Cd concentrations were significantly higher after the YR diversion than before. The As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn soil contamination indices did not exceed contamination levels, although the heavy metal content increased after the YR diversion. The mean concentrations of these heavy metals were lower than the Class I criteria. Correlation analysis shows significant correlations between As and Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations both before and after the YR diversion. However, no significant correlations were observed between heavy metal concentration and pH before the diversion, and no heavy metal concentration was correlated with salinity. The principal component analysis indicates that these trace elements, including As, were closely correlated with each other and therefore likely originated from shared pollution sources before the diversion. These results are useful for assessing the heavy metal contamination and proposing feasible suggestions to improve soil quality.

Description: This paper presents a study on the Wular Lake which is the largest fresh water tectonic lake of Kashmir Valley, India. One hundred and ninety-six (196) water samples and hundred (100) sediment samples ( n  = 296) have been collected to assess the weathering and Anthropogenic impact on water and sediment chemistry of the lake. The results showed a significant seasonal variability in average concentration of major ions being highest in summer and spring and lower in winter and autumn seasons. The study revealed that lake water is alkaline in nature characterised by medium total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity. The concentration of the major ion towards the lake central showed a decreasing trend from the shore line. The order of major cations and anions was Ca 2+  〉 Mg 2+  〉 Na +  〉 K + and HCO 3 −  〉 SO 4 2−  〉 Cl − , respectively. The geochemical processes suggested that the chemical composition lake water is mostly influenced by the lithology of the basin (carbonates, silicates and sulphates) which had played a significant role in modifying the hydrogeochemical facies in the form of Ca–HCO 3 , Mg–HCO 3 and hybrid type. Chemical index of alteration values of Wular Lake sediments reflect moderate weathering of the catchment area. Compared to upper continental crust and the post-Archean Shale, the sediments have higher Si, Ti, Mg and Ca contents and lower Al, Fe, Na, K, P, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu content. Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and US Environmental Protection Agency sediment quality standards indicated that there is no pollution effect of heavy metals (Zn, Mn, Pb, Ni and Co).The study also suggested that Wular Lake is characterised by both natural and anthropogenic influences.

Description: Our “News in Brief” series, which examines the various areas and topics in the earth sciences, takes a look at recent emerging research in glaciology and focuses on its progress with the uncertainties in ice-mass change. Martin Sharp from Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta describes the efforts that have been undertaken in the glaciology community to produce “reconciled” estimates of the mass balance of the world’s land ice using a range of field-based and remote sensing techniques.

Description: The distribution and bioavailability of Hg in vegetable-growing soils collected from the estuary areas of Jiulong River, China, were studied. Concentrations of Hg in top-soils, soil profiles and plant samples were measured with the method of hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry after microwave digestion. Mercury species in soils were determined with the sequential extraction procedures based on Kingston method. Results showed that Hg concentrations in top-soils ranged from 49.8 to 1,685 ng g −1 , with an average of 510 ng g −1 which was more than twice higher than the mercury limit (250 ng g −1 at pH 〈 6.5) of soil quality set for edible agricultural products in China (HJ 332-2006). High levels of Hg were found to mainly distribute in the top-soils from the northern, western and southern part of the estuary areas. Hg concentrations decreased with the increases of profile depths, except for one sample (S15) in which Hg level in the depth of 0–20 cm was found lower than that in the 20–40 cm. Hg in most of soil samples in non-mobile forms accounted for 46–82 % of total Hg in soils, while Hg in the mobile forms only 0.6–8.7 %. No significant correlation of Hg concentrations between the vegetables and the soils was observed in the studied areas, which indicates that the transfer factors could only reflect the abilities of Hg uptake and accumulation in a specific plant, but they are unsuitable to be used as the general indexes for the mobility and bioavailability of Hg in soils.

Description: The study area is one of the most important mineral provinces of the Rio Grande do Norte State (NE Brazil), which has been extensively exploited since 1940. This article presents a geochemical investigation of stream sediments taken in the drainage system between the Brejuí and Barra Verde scheelite mines, and the Gargalheiras municipal reservoir, in Acari city. In addition to the major elements, the trace elements V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Sn, Ba, W were analyzed and compared to metal levels reported in the literature for the same area. The elements W, Mo, Cu, Sn and in part Zn are enriched in sediments of rivulets forming the drainage system close to the mining district. This is due to emission from uncovered mine waste dumps. Dispersion of elements is controlled by both, aeolian as well as fluvial transport. The concentration of Cu in stream sediments close to the mines reaches toxic levels. At the mouth of the drainage system to the reservoir, the elements W and Mo are still enriched in the stream sediments relative to the geogenic background by factors of 15 and 11, respectively. This indicates the probable influence of mining activity to the reservoir sediments, and mobilization of W and Mo in the reservoir water cannot be ruled out.

Description: The major aim of the present study is to identify the relationship of physiological parameters of the photosynthetic system with the elemental content of the naturally growing lichen Pyxine cocoes . The epiphytic foliose lichen P. cocoes was used as biomonitoring indicator and effect of atmospheric pollutants on physiological integrity was examined. Potential quantum yield of Photosystem II (fluorescence ratio Fv/Fm), chlorophyll degradation ratio and quantitative estimation of Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Fe and Zn contained in the lichen thallus were ascertained. Statistical analysis revealed significantly positive correlations between Fv/Fm and element contents (Al and Cr). The chlorophyll degradation as well as alteration in the pigment content was found to be the most sensitive parameters to assess the vitality of lichen thallus against polluted environment. The species accumulated higher amounts of elements (Al, As, Cu, Fe and Zn) in the polluted sites as compared to the non polluted sites. It was also evident from this study that vehicular emission played a significant role in the release of elements as pollutants in the surrounding environment. The effectiveness of this lichen could be further investigated by comparing this species with other biomonitors.

Description: Groundwater from 47 wells were analyzed on the basis of hydrochemical parameters like pH, electric conductivity, total dissolved solids, Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , Cl − , CO 3 2− , HCO 3 − , NO 3 − , PO 4 3− and F − in the Cauvery delta of Vedaraniyam coast. Further, water quality index (WQI), sodium percentage (Na %), sodium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, permeability index and Kelley’s ratio were evaluated to understand the suitability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. The result shows significant difference in the quality of water along the coastal stretch. The order of dominance of major ions is as follows: Na +  ≥ Mg 2+  ≥ Ca 2+  ≥ K + and Cl −  ≥ HCO 3 −  ≥ CO 3 2−  ≥ PO 4 3−  ≥ F − . Na/Cl, Cl/HCO 3 ratio and Revelle index confirmed that 60–70 % of the samples were affected by saline water intrusion. WQI showed that 36 % of the samples were good for drinking and the remaining were poor and unsuitable for drinking purpose. The degradation of groundwater quality was found to be mainly due to over-exploitation, brackish aquaculture practice, fertilizer input from agriculture and also due to domestic sewage.

Description: This work investigated the freshening time and hydrochemical evolution of coastal groundwater in two brackish aquifers in Shenzhen, China. One was the brackish aquifer that resulted from heavy pumping, and the other was the aquifer reclaimed from the coastal sea. Freshening time and hydrochemical evolution of brackish aquifers were quantitatively evaluated using PHREEQC 2.0, a one-dimensional reactive-transport model. Freshening time was shown to mainly depend on pore water velocity, while the chemical composition of groundwater was determined by the cation exchange capacity of the aquifer. It was shown that after heavy pumping ceased, the freshening time for the original coastal aquifer ranged from 20 to over 80 years. While for the coastal reclaimed aquifer, the freshening time was from 85 to 140 years, which depended on the hydraulic conductivity of the fill materials in the reclaimed site. During aquifer freshening, groundwater evolved from Na–Cl type to Ca–Mg–HCO 3 or Na–HCO 3 type. A sensitivity analysis showed that the freshening time was most sensitive to the pore water velocity in the aquifer, while the groundwater chemical composition was most sensitive to the values of cation exchange capacity of the aquifer. As for the dispersivity, it had almost no effect on the freshening time and the chemical composition of groundwater.

Description: Mineral processing operation at the Sarcheshmeh porphyry copper mine has produced huge quantities of tailings materials containing sulphide minerals in particular pyrite. These tailings materials were geochemically and mineralogically characterised to assess pyrite and chalcopyrite oxidation, acid mine drainage generation, and trace element mobility to lead development of a proper remediation plan. Five vertical trenches up to 4.2 m deep were excavated from the tailings surface, and 70 solid samples were taken in 0.3 m intervals. The samples were first mineralogically analysed. Pyrite was the main sulphide mineral found in the tailings. The gangue minerals include quartz ± muscovite–illite ± chlorite ± albite ± orthoclase ± halite. The samples were geochemically analysed for total concentrations of 62 elements, paste pH, SO 4 2− , CO 3 2− , and HCO 3 − . The maximum concentrations of SO 4 2− (1,300, 1,170, 1,852, 1,960 and 837 mg/L) were observed at a depth of 0.9 m in profiles A, B, C, D and E, respectively. The tailings have a high acid-producing potential and low acid-neutralising potential (pyrite 4–6 wt %, calcite 1 wt %). Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , CuSO 4 , MgSO 4 and MnSO 4 were the dominant secondary sulphate minerals in the tailings. The lowest pH values (2.9, 3 and 3) were measured at a depth of 0.3 m in the profiles A, B and C, 3.9 at a depth of 0.6 m in the profile D and 3 at a depth of 0.9 m in the profile E. The upper portions of the profiles C (1.8 m) and D (2.1 m) were moderately oxidised, while oxidation in the profiles A, B and E did not extend more than 1.2, 1.2 and 1.5 m beneath the tailings surface. Zn, Pb, Rb, U, Hf, Nd, Zr and Ga show almost a constant trend with depth. Cd, Sr, Th, La and Ce increased with increasing depth of the tailings materials while, Co, V, Ti, Cr, Cu, As, Mn, Ag, Mo and Ni exhibit initially a decreasing trend from tailings surface to the depths that vary between 0.9 and 1.2. They then remained constant with the depth. The results show pyrite and chalcopyrite oxidation at surface layers of the tailings and subsequent leaching of the oxidation products and trace elements by infiltrated atmospheric precipitation.

Description: The concentrations of metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, Fe and Mn) in the 〈2.5 μm fraction of surface soils (0–5 cm) from highly industrialized areas in Xuzhou (China) were determined. All analyzed metals with the exception of Mn and Co in the present study showed elevated concentrations in the 〈2.5 μm fraction of soils compared to background concentrations, particularly for Zn. Metal enrichment was positively correlated with carbonate complexation constants (but not bulk solubility products) as well as the first stability constants of metal-citrate, likely suggesting that both metal–organic complexation and/or precipitation of carbonate surfaces that subsequently adsorb metals are likely responsible for these metal enrichment on these samples. Sequential extraction analysis shows the metals Pb, Cu, Zn, Co and Mn were largely associated with the reducible fraction, whereas Ni was largely associated with the oxidisable fraction. Manganese is the only metal showing significant association with the exchangeable fraction (up to 33 %), suggesting that it may be the most susceptible metal to mobilization. Mineral magnetic analysis indicates that ferrimagnetic SSD + SP (stable single domain + superparamagnetic) minerals dominated the 〈2.5 μm fraction of Xuzhou surface soils. Lead, Cu and Zn were found to show significant correlations with χ lf ( p  〈 0.01), suggesting that magnetic technique might be beneficially used as a rapid and inexpensive method to estimate these metal contaminations in the 〈2.5 μm fraction of surface soils.

Description: It is important to understand the effect of freeze–thaw cycles on the mechanical properties of rocks. In this paper, the variation of the uniaxial compressive strength, peak strain, elastic modulus and stress–strain curves of granite subjected to freeze–thaw cycles with different heating temperatures were studied experimentally and the relationships were derived. As the number of freeze–thaw cycles increases, the compressive strength and elastic modulus decrease, while the peak strain decreases. In addition, an increased temperature increases the peak strain while decreasing the compressive strength and elastic modulus. An expression for the initial damage for the adopted rock material due to freeze–thaw cycling was proposed based on the Loland model. The current research has established a solid foundation for further experimental studies on the fatigue behavior of granite after freeze–thaw cycling.

Description: This issue’s “News in Brief” article takes a look at recent emerging research in neutrino geoscience. Geochemist William F. McDonough and geophysicist Ondřej Šrámek from the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland provide considerable insight into the research work and advancements on Earth’s heat budget and interior using geoneutrino measurements and models.

Description: How to evaluate reasonably the stability of a soil slope reinforced with piles (SSRP) still is an urgent problem. At present, the three-dimensional (3D) finite element strength reduction method has been used for the soil slope stability analysis. However, to accurately determine the global instability of soil slopes is the key to implementing the strength reduction finite element method. In this paper, the 3D finite element strength reduction algorithm (FESRA), based on Hill’s model theory, is proposed to assess the stability of SSRP and study on the relationship between the safety coefficients of SSRP and the displacements of slope mass. The results show that: (1) the relationship between the safety coefficients of SSRP and the displacements of slope mass agrees with the Hill’s model; (2) the proposed method (3D FESRA based on Hill’s model theory) in this study may take into account simultaneously the pile response and slope stability, and makes the results of SSRP stability analysis reasonable and reliable, which could be used as a reference for the evaluation of stability of the same type of slope; and (3) further study should be done to confirm whether the proposed method in this study is suitable for other types of slopes.

Description: Time-series MODIS data were used to extract and characterize algal blooms from the Taihu Lake study area. Water quality data including total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen; local meteorology data; and global climate trends were examined to reveal the factors influencing the formation of the algal blooms. Results for the 2000–2011 study period show that the annual algal bloom typically begins between March and May in Taihu Lake. All large-scale blooms originate from northern Taihu Lake (Meiliang Bay and Zhushan Bay). Some small-scale blooms originate from southwestern Taihu Lake, but the duration of these blooms is very brief because of episodes of turbulent mixing due to high wind speed. Nutrient supply is the main factor influencing algal mass propagation during bloom periods, and temperature changes may trigger algal recovery. The algal bloom area significantly decreased when wind speed is greater than 4 m/s, causing turbulence and changes in algal buoyancy. A strong East Asian summer monsoon transporting warm air to the lake is shown to extend the duration of algal blooms in Taihu Lake, as occurred in 2007.

Description: After construction of the Qinghai–Xizang Railway, the resultant heat exchange between soil and atmosphere caused changes in the thermal and mechanical stability of permafrost beneath the railway embankment. Monitoring from 2005 to 2010 indicated 12 sections of embankment that experienced more than 5 cm of settlement, with three showing deformations of more than 10 cm and signs of continuing settlement. Embankment stability is closely related to permafrost changes beneath the embankment. Large-scale deformations have contributed to permafrost thaw and artificial permafrost table deepening, and this deformation has not stabilized over the short term. In contrast, small-scale deformations have contributed to a warming of the permafrost that has gradually stabilized as soil temperature decreases. Only three sections of the Qinghai–Xizang Railway have exhibited settlement deformation that exceeds 10 cm, through a deepening of the artificial permafrost table and a gradual increase in permafrost thawing result in embankment settlement deformation. However, with climate warming trends and the long-term operation of the railway, the long-term thermal and mechanical stability of the embankment needs to be carefully monitored to ensure the safe operation of the Qinghai–Xizang Railway.

Description: The paper deals with a frequent and known problem of suffusion type of sinkhole formation in soil, due to water level oscillations above karstified bedrock. The authors measured groundwater pressure oscillations caused by pumping groundwater from the excavated tunnel to determine the reliable indicators for prediction of sudden soil collapse based on risk assessment. The statistical analysis was performed to determine suspicious values, which reliably predict the soil collapse. The results of analysis of monitored values indicate very good time correlation coefficients with the failures. The work comprises the following main parts: (1) survey of the geologic environment; (2) monitoring of hydrodynamic conditions; and (3) acquisition of a forecasting criterion based on the statistical analysis of anomalous monitoring data. From this research, it might be concluded that the appearance time of sinkholes and the abnormal values were strongly linearly dependent with a correlation coefficient of over 99 %. This conclusion will be a contribution to estimate the risk of karst collapse in a similar environment.

Description: Geophysical techniques such as gravity, magnetic and seismology are perfect tools for detecting subsurface structures of local, regional as well as of global scales. The study of the earthquake records can be used for differentiating the active and non-active fault elements. In the current study, more than 2,200 land magnetic stations have been measured using two proton magnetometers. The data are corrected for diurnal variations and then reduced by the International Geomagnetic Reference Field. The corrected data have been interpreted by different techniques after filtering the data to separate shallow sources (basaltic sheet) from the deep sources (basement complex). Both Euler deconvolution and 3-D magnetic modeling were carried out. The results of interpretation indicate that the depth to the upper surface of basaltic sheet ranges from 〈10 to 600 m, depth to the lower surface ranges from 60 to 750 m, while the thickness of the basaltic sheet varies from 〈10 to 450 m. Moreover, gravity measurements are conducted at 2,250 stations using a CG-3 gravimeter. The measured values are corrected to construct a Bouger anomaly map. The least squares technique is then applied for regional–residual separation. The third order of least squares is found to be the most suitable to separate the residual anomalies from the regional one. The resultant third-order residual gravity map is used to delineate the structural fault systems of different characteristic trends. The trends show an NW–SE trend parallel to that of Gulf of Suez, an NE–SW trend parallel to the Gulf of Aqaba and an E–W trend parallel to that of the Mediterranean Sea. Taking seismological records into consideration, it is found that most of the 24 earthquake events recorded in the study area are located on fault elements. This gives an indication that the delineated fault elements are active.

Description: Acidic groundwater resulting from the poorly planned use of acid sulfate soils has become a major environmental issue in coastal Australia over the last several years. Use of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) designed to generate alkalinity by promoting sulfate reduction has recently become popular as an alternative solution to this problem. However, recent studies have also revealed that the long-term performance of such PRBs can be significantly undermined by chemical precipitation and clogging of pore space, which would decrease the buffer capacity and hydraulic conductivity of the reactive material. This study seeks to explore the feasibility of using bentonite in addition to lime and fly ash to form mixtures with a high buffer capacity and permeability that would enable groundwater flow through PRBs over a substantial period of time. A series of laboratory experiments, including buffer capacity and leaching tests, were performed on different mixtures of fly ash with lime and bentonite using acidic fluids of low pH. It was found that the ability of such mixtures to neutralize acidic fluids was mostly controlled by the content of lime. Laboratory data also showed that an addition of bentonite to lime—fly ash mixtures could decrease the buffer capacity of soil. Compaction tests indicated that the presence of bentonite would increase the dry density of mixtures at the optimum moisture content. A series of hydraulic conductivity tests were carried out to study changes in the coefficient of permeability of lime—fly ash mixtures with different contents of bentonite permeated with acidic liquids. The obtained results revealed that the coefficient of permeability of the specimens tended to increase over a period of time, likely due to the changes in the diffuse double layer of bentonite particles.

Description: This study describes the geochemistry of the topsoils from an arsenic (As)-affected area of the Datong Basin and identifies the possible sources and the enrichment mechanisms of As in groundwater. A total of 122 soil samples were collected from the study area. Analytical results indicate that soil As is higher than the average value of the Shanxi province topsoils. Fertilizer application and weathering of the bedrock both contributed to the presence of elements, including As, in the soil of the area. Furthermore, these elements may be strongly bound to Fe and Mn oxides/hydroxides. In addition, the depletion of K indicates that this element is readily leached into the groundwater rather than being retained in the soils. A groundwater area with high As levels corresponding spatially to soil samples with no As accumulation clearly shows the effects of irrigation or salt flushing on the soil compositions. Arsenic can be mobilized under reducing condition due to organic matter input or changes in redox conditions induced by irrigation or salt flushing and can be transported with vertically recharged water into shallow, unconfined aquifers, thus elevating the As concentration in groundwater.

Description: Arsenic contamination of well water is a serious issue in the Nawalparasi District of the Terai region in Nepal. A local investigation was carried out on 137 tube wells in 24 communities of the district in December 2011. The investigation revealed that the average arsenic concentration in the tube wells was 350 μg/L, and that nearly 98 % of the wells exceeded the WHO guideline arsenic level limit of 10 μg/L. Highly contaminated well water, with more than 400 μg/L of arsenic, was found within the limited depth ranges of 18–22 and 50–80 m. High arsenic levels exceeding 500 μg/L were detected in shallower wells at Patkhauli, Mahuawa, Thulokunwar, and Goini located between 27.517° and 27.543°N and between 83.648° and 83.748°E. Boring sampling at five communities of Kashiya, Goini, Sanokunwar, Thulokunwar, and Mahuawa revealed two aquifers located at the two depths around 14–22 and 41–50 m in each community. Dark gray or black-colored peaty clay layers rich in organic matter were distributed at depths of 18–21 m beside the upper aquifers with high arsenic concentration in each community. Positive correlations were shown between iron and arsenic in the sediments from the five communities. It can be inferred that these results were caused by dissolution of iron-oxyhydroxide molecules with arsenic from solid phases. Microbial metabolisms have a great potential to induce the dissolution and release arsenic attached on the solid phases into aqueous phases depending on the level of redox potential and pH.

Description: A geomorphologic and morphometric analysis was performed to determine the characteristics of the de La Flecha river basin, located in the southwest of San Juan province (31°50′S, 68°57′W), Precordillera of San Juan. The drainage networks were derived from shuttle radar topographic mission (SRTM), satellite imageries (Landsat TM and Spot image) and field works. The paper also addresses a preliminary evaluation of the flood hazard responsible for severe damage to people and infrastructure in the downstream region. The study area covers about 300 km 2 , comprising of six sub-watersheds, ranging from 31.7 to 81.8 km 2 . The irregular morphology of the basin and the diversity of alluvial deposits found along the de La Flecha river allow the authors to infer that it is in an active tectonic environment with strong lithological and structural controls. One feature common to all analyzed sub-basins is their elongated shape, which allows for a rapid concentration of water that intensifies the power of the flash floods. The drainage network in the different sub-basins has, in general, two predominant patterns; one is parallel to sub-parallel to the headers and foothill areas; and the other, in the alluvial zone, is divergent. Los Berros, Cañada Honda and Media Agua towns, located downstream of the basin, are the most affected by flash floods coming from the mountainous area.

Description: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, in Kazakhstan, as in the other Central Asian republics, significant changes in both the water and agricultural sectors have emerged; water management shifted from a purely technical issue to a sociopolitical and economic one leading to several institutional and organizational changes. To address this transitional context and its issues, since the 1990s international donors have supported the establishment of Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) and the Water Users Associations (WUAs), both initiatives sponsored and related to the IWRM framework. This paper discusses these processes in the South-Kazakhstan Province, 10 years since the enactment of the law formalizing WUAs; three districts were selected for the analysis. The paper concludes that the IMT has been implemented in different and ambiguous methods and times, reflecting specific district dynamics and issues; furthermore, government support of IMT has decreased, leading to unexpected changes in its role in local water management and a reconsideration of the future scenario.

Description: A set of 46 springs located in the north flank of Fogo volcano (São Miguel, Azores) were sampled to characterize groundwater chemistry. The majority of the discharge from volcanic rocks with acidic character (95 %), at an elevation range of 200–400 m a.s.l., and the average discharge are usually not higher than 2 L/s. Nevertheless, the discharge in a few springs from trachytic lava flows can be higher (21.3 L/s). A group of 12 surface water samples were also collected twice along the Ribeira Grande River. Groundwater average temperature ranges between 19.6 and 20.7 °C, and it is possible to depict two groups of discharges: thermal waters (16.7 %), with a temperature range from 27.8 to 71.2 °C, and cold waters, with temperature under 20 °C. In this latter group, temperature is inversely proportional to elevation. The average pH and conductivity range, respectively, between 5.7 and 7.8 and 291–425 μS/cm. Nevertheless, higher conductivity values were measured in boiling pools. Groundwater mainly belongs to the Na–HCO 3 to Na–Cl types. The major-ion relative composition of the cold springs shows a decreasing order for cations as Na 〉 Ca 〉 K 〉 Mg and for anions HCO 3  〉 Cl 〉 SO 4 . In thermal discharges the relative composition is, respectively, Na 〉 Ca 〉 K 〉 Mg and SO 4  〉 HCO 3  〉 Cl. The average nitrate content ranges from 2.09 to 2.57 mg/L comparing all the sampling periods, and the cumulative probability plot shows that about 75 % of the samples present values lower than 1.98 mg/L. Results show clearly that the higher nitrate measurements are observed in river waters and springs sampled in areas where pasture lands are dominant.

Description: Deterioration of grottoes induced by the negative impacts of the variable temperature and moisture conditions has been an important issue in the conservation of heritage sites in China. In this case study, the spatial distributions and varying patterns of moisture and temperature in the caves of Yungang Grottoes, China, were investigated. The relative air humidity was approximately 100 % in the deep zone of the unsaturated surrounding rocks of the grottoes where the temperature remained almost steady at around 9.4 °C. However, the indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and rock surface temperature in the caves varied significantly because of the active exchange of the air with the outside atmosphere. The condensation water appeared on cave walls in the summer when the dew point in the air was higher than the rock surface temperature. Preliminary assessments with a special collection device indicated that the thickness of the transient condensation water could reach 0.03–0.10 mm on the back wall of a cave. The occurrence of this condensation water is expected to worsen salt deterioration of the sculptures in the grottoes. As revealed by long-term observations, a wooden building in front of a cave can weaken the indoor air temperature fluctuation and reduce the condensation water, and consequently, prevent the negative effects of the microclimate for the sculptures.

Description: The Yanqi basin is the most productive agricultural area of Xinjiang province, China. However, the intensive agriculture has led to several environmental problems in the Yanqi basin during the last 60 years, especially in soil salinization. Over-irrigation has led to riparian ecological degradation of Tarim River downstream and decline of crop yield and quality. To achieve sustainable development in the Yanqi basin oasis, a major challenge of this scheme is how to determinate the parameter between groundwater and river water applied to irrigation. In the paper, the flow of groundwater in the Yanqi basin is simulated in steady-state and transient using a finite-difference approximation of the three-dimensional partial differential equation for horizontal groundwater flow in an aquifer. Geological, hydrological and climate data are used to generate the input data necessary for the calibration of the steady-state and transient models. The focus in this paper is on the steady-state and transient model calibration and parameterisation procedures and an assessment of the accuracy of results of the model simulations. In particular, the aims of this modeling procedure are to explain both the spatial and temporal variations in groundwater levels across the Yanqi basin, estimate the groundwater balance components, and assess the effect of water management alternatives. As a result, a reasonable groundwater exploitation quantity is confirmed in different situations for achieving effective controlling of water table and reducing of surface water. The sustainable yield of groundwater is 338 × 10 6 m 3 /year under this situation and within the framework of reasonable control of the water table in study region, soil salinization for the prevention and treatment to reduce the null void evaporation and the optimal allocation of water resources in the region, and to provide a useful reference for inland areas.

Description: Dongping Lake is an important regulator for the Eastern Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China, and the water quality assurance of it is of great importance. To investigate the distribution characteristics and burial process of phosphorus (P) in Dongping Lake as well as their relationship with regional economic development and human activities, 33 spatially distributed surface sediment samples and one lake sediment core were extracted from Dongping Lake. A harmonized procedure for the P forms in freshwater sediments developed by the European Programme, Standards, Measurements, and Testing was used in this paper. The results show that NaOH–P (P bound to Al, Fe, Mn oxides or hydroxides), HCl–P (Ca-bound P), inorganic phosphorus (IP), organic phosphorus (OP), and total phosphorus (TP) in the surface sediments show a strong spatial variability. The highest NaOH–P and OP concentrations were observed in the eastern and south-eastern region of the lake and decreased gradually away from the mouth area of Dawen River. We deduced that anthropogenic input via the Dawen River is the main contributor. The higher concentration of HCl–P occurred in the north-west region of the lake and increased in a gradient away from the mouth area of Dawen River, and this pattern of distribution could be related to grain-size effects and higher transport energies close to riverine inlets. Pollution reflected by phosphorus in the core sediments of Dongping Lake is well consistent with the economic development history of Dongping County. From the beginning of the 20th century to the middle 1970s, the concentrations of each P speciation did not vary largely and runoff of the Yellow River mainly contributed to the P accumulation in the sediment, which might reflect the background values of them in the lake in pre-industrial period. The stable Mz (mean grain size), low loss-on-ignition (LOI), and high sedimentary flux also support this. The rapid increase of NaOH–P and OP at 10–0 cm (especially 5–0 cm) indicates the enhancing anthropogenic eutrophication since the middle 1970s. The LOI peak period and a coarsening of particle size also support this interpretation. However, the decreasing of TP and HCl–P was attributed to the change in sediment supply. As due to construction of dams around the lake, runoff of the Dawen River mainly contributed to the P accumulation in the sediment during this period.

Description: Heavy metal contamination is prevalent in urban areas where soil represents a significant sink. Urban topsoil samples were collected and metal concentrations including Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni and Co were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. All analyzed metals showed elevated concentrations compared to local background concentrations with the exception of Co. Cadmium was the metal most enriched in the analyzed area, presenting enrichment factor, on average, of 16.5. Mineral magnetic concentration parameters (χlf and SIRM) exhibited significant relationships with Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively. Zinc, Co and Ni exhibited a substantial build-up in the finest particles (〈28 μm). Enrichment was positively correlated with carbonate complexation constants (but not bulk solubility products) and suggests that the dominant mechanism controlling metal enrichment in these samples is a precipitation of carbonate surfaces that subsequently adsorb metals.

Description: The stakeholders involved in a dredging operation are many and varied, some specifically involved in the technical aspects (client and dredging operators, organisations involved in legislative matters and/or environmental monitoring), and others less so (general public).These different kinds of stakeholders need different information and consequently different kind of data need to be produced (description of dredging objectives and scope, technical dredges characteristics, related legislation, environmental monitoring data, work progress, etc.) that need to be managed to share dredging information and knowledge. Here, we illustrate two examples of communication strategy adopted in the case of the dredging of the Port of Genoa (Italy) to ensure the correct data dissemination among the project partners and to the public. The first realized with a WebGIS (MArine Coastal Information SysTEm—Port Section, MACISTE-PS), a technology composed of data handling tools for storage, recovery, management and analysis of spatial data, and the second with a set of different communication products (posters, article publications, congress participations, website, etc.). The adoption of these two strategies assures us the dissemination of dredging information to a broad spectrum of people.

Description: Investigation of the temperature effects on the water retention properties of compacted bentonite is of great importance in the context of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) based on the multi-barrier concept. Gaomiaozi (GMZ) bentonite, collected from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, has been selected as a potential buffer/backfill material for the construction of Chinese HLW deep geological repository. In this study, soil water retention curves (SWRCs) of both confined and unconfined compacted GMZ01 bentonite specimens with an initial dry density of 1.70 g/cm 3 were investigated at temperatures 20, 40, 60 and 80 °C. Results indicate that the water content decreases as temperature rises, even though the temperature effects on the water retention capacity of compacted GMZ01 bentonite depend on constraint-conditions. The influence of constraint conditions is more significant at relatively low suctions. Under unconfined conditions, the temperature effect is insignificant. However, under confined conditions, the influence on the water retention capacity is found to be significantly suction dependent. The hysteresis behavior of unconfined compacted bentonite becomes less significant as temperature increases. Based on the corresponding results obtained, a modified model was developed for describing the SWRCs of confined compacted GMZ01 bentonite with consideration of temperature effects. It appears that the calculated SWRCs agree well with the experimental ones, indicating that the modified model can satisfactorily describe the effect of temperature on the water retention properties of confined compacted GMZ01 bentonite.

Description: The role of surface runoff from forested areas in chemical cycling and freshwater ecology is still not completely understood. Changes in total precipitation and increase in heavy rainfalls may, however, in some regions promote the effect of runoff in aquatic environments. In this study, we aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties of the surface runoff occurring within the wooded catchment area of a through-flow lake (Poland, Europe). Samples were collected over a 2-year period from slopes overgrown by the monoculture of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) or mixed forest dominated by European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) and Scots pine. At the same time, the chemical properties of littoral and pelagic zones were analysed. Waters overflowing both slopes were found to have low pH, high colour and relatively high content of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients. Compared to coniferous site, the runoff from mixed forest was represented by significantly higher concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium ions. The greatest changes of the studied chemical parameters were noted in runoff occurring during heavy rainfall and snow melting (coniferous slope) or after shedding of leaves (the mixed forest slope). Surface runoff was revealed to be less important source of chemical loads in basins with direct river inflow but for more isolated basins it may be a significant factor affecting water quality.

Description: Rainfall is the most important physical process responsible for the landslide triggering in Portugal. Results obtained worldwide have shown that control of rainfall on landslides differs substantially depending upon landslide depth and kinematics and the affected material. Therefore, the critical rainfall conditions for failure are not the same for different types of landslides, and may be strongly influenced by regional geologic and geomorphologic conditions. Rapid debris flows are typically triggered by very intense showers concentrated in just a few hours, and shallow translational soil slips are usually triggered by intense precipitation falling within the 1–15 days long range. On the contrary, activity of deep-seated landslides of rotational, translational and complex types is related to periods of nearly constant rainfall, lasting from several weeks to several months. The different rainfall intensity–duration conditions are associated with different hydrologic mechanisms for slope failure. The generation of surface run-off and high peak discharges in first-order mountain catchments is a critical triggering mechanism for debris flows. The intense rainfall allows the rapid growth of pore water pressure and the drop of capillarity forces that sustain the apparent cohesion of thin soils. As a consequence, shallow soil slips occur within the soil material or at the contact with the underlying less permeable bedrock. Long lasting rainfall episodes enable the steady rise of the groundwater table and the development of positive pore water pressures into the soil. Consequently, deep-seated failures occur in relation to the reduction of shear strength of affected materials. In this work, we present the state of the art concerning the proposition of empirical rainfall thresholds in Portugal for different types of landslides observed in different zones of the country: the Lisbon region, the Douro Valley and the NW Mountains, and the Povoação Municipality in São Miguel Island (Azores). The empirical thresholds applied in Portugal are based on the identification of past landslide events and include (i) the computation of antecedent rainfall threshold defined by linear regression, (ii) the normalization of rainfall by the mean annual precipitation, (iii) the definition of lower limit and upper limit rainfall thresholds and (iv) the definition of combined rainfall thresholds, which integrates the rainfall event and the antecedent rainfall for different time periods.

Description: Isotope geochemistry of precipitation, river water, well water and spring water in the Babao River basin, China, during different seasons showed that regional runoff was dominated by precipitation in summer and autumn and by underground water in winter and spring. The δ 18 O and δD values of precipitation and spring water displayed a clear altitude effect. Water from the main stream and tributaries displayed a converse altitude effect in the summer-wet season. The isotopic composition of the various water sources was not well correlated with elevation during the winter-dry season. The spatial distribution of the stable isotope signals of river water demonstrated the influence of rainfall inputs, evaporation and variable flow. An end-member mixing model used for hydrograph separation indicated that in the summer-wet season, the Babao River water was recharged by precipitation (71.9 %), spring water (11.7 %) and well water (16.4 %), whereas the winter-dry season recharge was sourced from spring water (28.2 %) and well water (71.8 %).

Description: Interflow is the shallow sub-horizontal water flow through the saturated/unsaturated zone generally of a short transit time. It is the main component of the water balance in mountain regions. The study of interflow requires the development of appropriate conceptual models. Its quantification involves challenges due to: (1) the lack of methods to detect and measure it; (2) the possibility of mistaking interflow with local short-time groundwater flow. Therefore, the estimation of interflow is subjected to uncertainties, which in turn lead to errors in the evaluation of other hydrological components. A physically based semi-empirical model of interflow is presented here. It has been implemented in the water balance codes VISUAL-BALAN and GIS-BALAN and tested in three Iberian mountain basins: (1) the Valiñas river basin in the NW of Spain; (2) the Bernesga basin in the North of Spain; and (3) the Zêzere river basin at the Serra da Estrela in central Portugal. Model results show that the mean annual interflow in these mountain basins ranges from 34 to 55 % of the annual precipitation. These basins share the following features, which favour interflow: steep slopes and low-permeability layers in the soil. It can be concluded from this study that the evaluation of groundwater resources in mountain basins requires the proper estimation of interflow.

Description: Spreading of leachates to soil, surface and groundwater aquifers is a prevailing problem with unlined landfills, causing many problems with adverse impacts on the surrounding environment. The impact of leachate contamination on groundwater quality was investigated from unlined ex-landfill site at Taman Beringin in Malaysia to identify the characteristics of the groundwater, and the possible impacts on the environment. Various physico-chemical parameters including: temperature, pH, color, TDS, TSS, BOD, COD, S 2− , F − , Cl − , NH 3 -N, \({\text{SO}}_{4}^{2 - }\) , \({\text{NO}}_{3}^{ - }\) , and heavy metals: Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Cr 3+ , Cr 6+ , Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, B, Se, Sn and Ba, were collected from four (4) monitoring wells and six (6) surface raw leachate points between December 2012 and January 2013. Physico-chemical analyses of sampled leachates and groundwater followed standard analytical methods. The results showed considerable impact of leachates on groundwater with high concentration of most chemical parameters in groundwater samples: COD (101.75 ± 99.42), BOD (28 ± 30.99), NH 3 -N (31.10 ± 19.12), F − (0.72 ± 0.32) and heavy metal; Pb (0.042 ± 0.045), Ni (0.016 ± 0.006), Fe (0.41 ± 0.68) have exceeded the Malaysian National Drinking Water Quality Standard and National Water Quality Standards CLASS II A. Remedial measures are suggested to prevent further spreading of leachates into rivers via groundwater flow. In addition, combined process of routine chemical treatment prior to biological treatment is necessary to improve the existing leachate quality to minimize the effects on the surrounding environment.

Description: Salinization of coastal groundwater systems causes a severe deterioration both in amount and quality of fresh groundwater resources. To support the sustainable use and management of fresh groundwater, quantification and characterization of these coastal resources are important in view of the population growth anticipated in many African countries. Analytical methods were used to determine: (1) the shape and volume of the freshwater lens, (2) the elevation of the water table, (3) the depth of the freshwater/saltwater interface in the Shela aquifer, and (4) the expected change of volume resulting from change of recharge and sea level rise driven by climate change. The results of the analytical modelling have shown that the average hydraulic conductivity is 0.755 m/d, the average water table elevation is 2 m above sea level and the average depth of the freshwater/saltwater interface is -80 m.a.s.l. The volume of the aquifer is ≈124 × 10 6  m 3 when discharge from the Shela well field is factored in. Climate change is expected to have an impact on the recharge and ultimately the aquifer’s volume; under the A1b conditions, the volume is expected to increase to 199 × 10 6  m 3 whereas in the A2 scenario it is expected to decrease to 27 × 10 6  m 3 . The saltwater intrusion indicator M for today’s conditions (0.004) decreases to 0.5  M in the A1b scenario by 2100 whilst it increases to 24.9  M in the A2 scenario for the same time period, indicating an extremely higher vulnerability to saltwater intrusion in the latter scenario. A simple linear correlation with the expected population growth of 1.25 million people by 2050 shows the aquifer failing as a water source by 2033.

Description: Akumal is one of the few locations where subsurface flow constructed wetland systems can be compared directly without major differences in environmental setting. These systems in Akumal have highly variable geotechnical properties and performance and most systems are not well functioning. A basic water quality survey indicates SFCW effluent in no case meets UNEP or USEPA guidelines for ammonia or phosphate for sensitive waters. Systems are undersized and many are planted with less than optimal vegetation. Aggregate is generally too coarse and pores are commonly occluded with organic matter. The mineralogy of the locally sourced aggregate used in the systems is dominated by calcite, aragonite, quartz, boehmite and chlorite and is generally beneficial for improving the water quality of the systems; however, dissolution is observed and is of some concern. Major systematic retrofit efforts to improve these systems are warranted and should focus on better vegetation choices, use of locally sourced smaller and less soluble aggregate, exclusive use of the local limestone source containing boehmite, more frequent exchange of the aggregate, and an increase of overall cell size. The systems in Akumal are a classic example of a technological solution to an environmental problem caused by human development that has outpaced the designed capacity for wastewater treatment. This investigation serves as a baseline for numerous future interdisciplinary investigations and outlines challenges facing coastal communities attempting to use subsurface flow constructed wetlands.

Description: This paper gives a comprehensive explanation of the hydrogeological and hydrological characteristics of different water occurrence, which exists in the extremely complex Dinaric karst system. The area and boundaries of the Dinaric karst have never been precisely determined. It covers about 60,000 km 2 stretching the length of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, from the Bay of Trieste in the north, to the Drim River basin in the south, and the Western Morava River valley in the east. Due to very high infiltration rates, overland and surface flows are rare in comparison with non-karst terrains. The Dinaric karst is an extremely heterogeneous medium which can be explained only by the use of a great number of measurements points and by continuously monitoring and measuring different parameters. The hydrogeological and hydrological regime of all water phenomena in the Dinaric karst depends mostly upon the interaction between groundwater and surface water. The dominant flow of the groundwater contained in the Dinaric karst is towards the Adriatic Sea through rivers and many permanent and intermittent coastal and submarine springs. The paper presents many examples of karst water phenomena from the Dinaric karst: (1) springs (Jadro, Ombla and Crnojevića Springs); (2) open streamflows (Ljubljanica, Pazinčica, Dobra, Lika, Gacka, Krka, Zrmanja and Cetina Rivers); (3) lakes and wetlands (Cerknica, Vrana, Plitvice, Vransko, Red and Blue Lakes); and (4) coastal and island karst (Brač Island).

Description: Mining activities and resulting wastes can be considered one of the most important sources of toxic metals and metalloids in the environment. To assess environmental risk in the surrounding areas of old abandoned W-Sn and Pb–Zn mines and resulting tailings and rejected materials, 333 samples were collected in stream sediments under the influence of abandoned mines. Samples were prepared and analyzed for Fe, Ba, P, Cu, Cr, Ag, B, Zn, Be, Y, Nb, Pb, Ni, V, Mn, Mo, As, W, Co, Cd, Sn and U. The inexistence of Portuguese legislation concerning parametric values for stream sediments led to the application of a quantitative index for progressive contamination on stream sediments, the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), as variables to create risk maps. A first exploratory multivariate statistical analysis, using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), applied to the obtained Igeos, shows a first factor (F1) explaining the dependence of P and B (positive correlation with the axis) and the inverse correlation of these two elements with the cluster formed by Cr, Ni and V (negative correlation with the axis); the second factor (F2) explains Ni, Fe, Zn and As; Cd and U Igeos are not explained in the new factorial space and, therefore, are characterized individually. The variographic studies showed the existence of spatial structure for the new synthesis variables (F1, F2) as well as for Cd and U Igeos. The experimental point-support data was then interpolated using ordinary kriging within a narrow search window as shown in the fitted variogram models. The obtained maps show extremely high levels of pollution in Cd and W and strongly high levels of pollution in Cr, B, Ag, Zn and Pb. The accumulation of these elements in the studied stream sediments is higher on the abandoned mining areas and in their vicinity.

Description: This study was performed to identify the individual and combined effects of the most important parameters that control mercury (Hg) emissions from soil surfaces: temperature, UV-B exposure, and soil water content. Both soil temperature and UV-B exposure positively affected Hg emissions; however, the increment in Hg emissions was significantly different between wet and dry soils. Mercury emissions from wet soil were more sensitive to an increase in soil temperature than dry soil; however, at constant temperature dry soil emissions were more sensitive than wet soil to changes in UV-B exposure. It was also observed that even after the relative humidity in the soil pores (RH sp ) dropped to nearly 0, the Hg emissions were still higher for initially wet soil than for dry soil, suggesting that initially high water content continued to promote Hg reduction mechanisms for an extended period. These results show the interacting effects of soil moisture with other important parameters. At constant water content, Hg emissions increased the most when the soil was exposed to UV-B radiation, followed by UV-A radiation. With UV-C exposure, atmospheric Hg deposition and O 3 destruction were simultaneously observed.

Description: The critical area around an oasis where desertification occurs determines the ecological security and stability of the oasis. In this study, the soil quality in the critical area of desertification surrounding the Ejina Oasis was evaluated by using a soil quality index (SQI). The soil surface moisture content was related to vegetation cover; it remained high to a distance of 600 m from the oasis, decreased at distances of 600 to 1,700 m, and then gradually increased to a distance of 1,900 m. The sand content and soil bulk density gradually decreased to a distance of 300 m from the oasis; however, the silt and clay contents, soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and total and available nutrients increased away from the oasis. From 300 to 1,900 m, the sand content and soil bulk density increased; however, values of other soil properties decreased. Thus, a distance of 300 m from the edge of the oasis represents an obvious demarcation point for soil properties. SOM and the clay content were the key factors that determined soil quality. SQI increased from 0.284 at the edge of the oasis to 0.793 at 300 m, decreased to 0.262 at 1,400 m, and then decreased further to 0.142 at 1,900 m. SQI was lowest at distances of 1,400–1,900 m. The area beyond 300 m from the oasis was most vulnerable to desertification, and is thus the area where desertification control measures should be strengthened.

Description: The ever-increasing and rapidly growing volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment has become a serious threat to the environment in many countries. The inevitability of e-waste management and the development of a holistic system to deal with it has become an indispensable socio-economic and environmental issue for the sustainable development of Malaysia. However, no comprehensive research has yet been carried out, and only a few works in a discreet manner have been begun. In view of the above, and as a small endeavor towards achieving the country’s Vision 2020, this study explores the present status and future perspectives of the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Malaysia. This article presents an overview of e-waste management practices around the world, including the generation of e-waste, the implementation of management strategies, and collection and recovery activities in Malaysia. It also presents the corresponding responses adopted so far with respect to legislation and other infrastructural development. Finally, through the use of structured and semi-structured interviews, it reveals the barriers and challenges, as well as future perspectives and sustainability issues related to the e-waste management system in this fast developing country.

Description: In the present study, the enrichment, availability, speciation of heavy metals including Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni and Sb and magnetic properties of urban soils of Xuzhou (China) were investigated. All analyzed metals showed elevated concentrations compared to local background concentrations. Cadmium and Sb are the metals most enriched in the analyzed area, presenting enrichment factor, on average, of 16.5 and 8.3, respectively. By self-organizing map in combination with diagnostic ratios, the source of Sb, Cd, Cu and Pb in soils might be mainly from traffic emissions. Sequential extractions indicate that metals were primarily associated with the reducible fraction with the exception of Ni. The order of extraction efficiency of various metals was SBET (simplified physiologically based extraction test) 〉 DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) 〉 CaCl 2 . The magnetic results show that soil samples were dominated by a strong ferrimagnetic mineral component with multi- and single-domain magnetic grains. Only CaCl 2 extractable Sb was found to show significant correlations with χlf and SIRM. For both DTPA and SBET extractions, all metals investigated showed significant associations with both χlf and SIRM (saturation isothermal remanent magnetization).

Description: The Narippara area, which is nestled in the Banasuramala of Wayanad district, witnessed initiation of landslide, which was manifested in the form of curvilinear cracks running for a length of 170 m. In the event of continuous rainfall, these cracks may get reactivated, leading to a major landslide. This could affect the life and livelihood of a large number of families living downslope and could cause extensive damage to property. Extensive mining for building stones in this area has been a cause for much concern amongst the local population. This study aims at understanding the impact of quarrying on slope stability through geotechnical, geophysical and environmental impact assessment (EIA). Geotechnical analysis shows that the area is stable under dry condition but parts of the area are critical under wet and saturated conditions. Moreover, resistivity studies revealed that the cracks that had developed extend up to the bedrock and the suspected mechanism of failure will be translational in nature. EIA reveal that due to quarrying and mining operations, the possibility of land disturbances cannot be ruled out during the monsoon season. In the present study, an attempt is also made to suggest management strategies for mitigating further effects of landslides in this area.

Description: During leachate recirculation, a bioreactor landfill will experience more rapid and complete settlement, which is mainly attributed to the weight of municipal solid waste (MSW) and its biodegradation. The settlement of MSW may cause the decrease of void ratio of MSW, which will influence the permeability of MSW and the leachate quantity that can be held in bioreactor landfills. In this study, a new one-dimensional model of leachate recirculation using infiltration pond is developed. The new method is not only capable of describing leachate flow considering the effect of MSW settlement, but also accounting separately leachate flow in saturated and unsaturated zones. Moreover, the effects of operating parameters are evaluated with a parametric study. The analyzing results show that the influence depth of leachate recirculation considering the effect of MSW settlement is smaller than the value without considering the effect. The influence depth and leachate recirculation volume increase with the increase of infiltration pond pressure head and MSW void ratio. This indicates that the field compaction of MSW has a great influence on the leachate recirculation.

Description: While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change classifies coal as anthracite, bituminous coal, and sub-bituminous coal, Korea only distinguishes coal as anthracite and bituminous coal while sub-bituminous coal is considered bituminous coal. As a result, Korea conducted research in the CO 2 emission factors of anthracite and bituminous coal, but largely ignored sub-bituminous coal. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop the CO 2 emission factor of sub-bituminous coal by classifying sub-bituminous coal from resources of bituminous coal activities collected in Korea between 2007 and 2011. The 2007–2011 average carbon content of sub-bituminous coal was analyzed to be 69.63 ± 3.11 %, the average hydrogen content 4.97 ± 0.37 %, the inherent moisture 12.60 ± 4.33 %, the total moisture 21.91 ± 5.45 %, and the dry-based gross calorific value was analyzed to be 5,914 ± 391 kcal/kg; using these analyzed values, the as-received net calorific value was found to be 20.75 ± 7.59 TJ/Gg and the CO 2 emission factor was found to be 96,241 ± 4,064 kg/TJ. In addition, the 62.7 million ton amount for the 2009 greenhouse gas emission from sub-bituminous coal as estimated with the analyzed value of this study is an amount that is equivalent to 11.1 % of the 2009 total greenhouse gas emission amount of 564.7 million tons, and this amount is larger than the 9.3 % for the industrial processes sector, 3.3 % for the agricultural sector and 2.5 % for the waste sector. Therefore, it is important to reflect the realities of Korea when estimating the greenhouse gas emission from such sub-bituminous coals.

Description: Irrigated agriculture is a clear source of non-point pollution by salts and nitrogen species. The impact of such pollution should be quantified according to specific cases. The case of the Malfarás creek basin, a sprinkler irrigation district located in the semiarid Ebro valley in northeast Spain, has been evaluated. The main crops in the district were corn, barley and alfalfa, occupying 93 % of the irrigated area. The fate of water, salts and nutrients was evaluated by a daily water balance developed at a field scale for the natural year 2010. The yearly data of the whole set of 101 irrigated fields plus the non-irrigated area compared to the measured drainage produced a basin water balance with a low degree of error. The basin consumed 90 % of the total water input of which 68 % was used for crop evapotranspiration and the rest was lost due to non-productive uses. 16 % of the incoming water left the irrigation area as drainage water. The irrigated area was responsible for 87 % of the drainage. The average volume of drained water was 152 mm year −1 for the whole basin area. The irrigated area drained 183 mm year −1 . The basin exported 473 kg of salt per hectare during 2010. This value was the lowest of the sprinkler irrigation areas in the Ebro valley, mainly due to the lower soil salinity. All the crops except barley received a nitrogen surplus of 10–50 % above their needs. The extra nitrogen entered the water cycle increasing the nitrate concentration in the aquifer water (150 mg L −1 ) and drainage water (98 mg L −1 ). In 2010 the mass of nitrogen exported by drainage was 49 kg per irrigated hectare. This value is too high for this type of irrigation system and implies that 17 % of nitrogen applied as a fertilizer was lost to drainage water. The key to decreasing the nitrogen leaching and pollution that it causes could be appropriate time-controlled fertigation along with better irrigation scheduling.

Description: Chemical composition of 24 elements for sediments and suspended solids, water parameters and the diatoms from Yatsushiro Bay tidal flat, Kuma River, and Arase Dam have been determined to examine changes from 2002 to 2013. In 2002, sediment delivered to the bay by the Kuma River was restricted by the Arase Dam; however, in April 2010 two gates were opened and also repeated seasonal flushing allowing resumption of natural sediment transport. Bulk chemical composition of the tidal flat sediments has changed since 2002, with marked decreases in concentrations of As, Zn, Pb and total sulfur. Decreased heavy metal contents in 2012 and 2013 for bay sediments after opening the dam and repeated flushing is attributed to dilution by previously impounded quartz and feldspar. Restoration of natural sediment transport by opening the dam and repeated flushing has thus brought about a recovery in the Yatsushiro marine environment.

Description: Some of the world’s deepest goldmines operate below dolomitic karst aquifers in the Far West Rand (FWR) goldfield, South Africa. Associated impacts include the continuous dewatering of karst aquifers for over six decades and irreversible changes of the hydrogeological setting. Affecting an area of approximately 400 km 2 by drawing down the water table up to 700 m, these impacts, and the large amounts of data generated in the process, are used as unique research opportunities to better understand the complex karst hydrology. The focus of this study is on predicting final water table elevations in rewatered aquifers after mining ceases taking the fact that mines hydraulically linked previously disconnected aquifers into account. While part 1 of this series develops the conceptual model, this second part utilises large sets of pertinent data to calculate actual flow rates for predicting the fate of dried up springs after mine closure. Following a Darcy-based approach first applied by Swart et al. (Environ Geol 44:751–770, 2003a ) it is not only predicted that the springs will flow again but also shown that linear relationships exist between flow rates through a combined system of karst-fractured aquifers overlying the mine void and the associated hydraulic head driving them. This suggests that—at this scale—porous media-based equations can be meaningfully used to predict flow in non-porous media.

Description: Groundwater is an important resource for drinking water. Although it is a relatively stable and protected water resource, its quality, especially in highly urbanized catchments, is vulnerable to pollution related to unusual events or accidents causing releases of hazardous substances. To ensure the safe supply of drinking water in these cases, prompt actions must be taken and solutions must be delivered under time constraints. This paper describes a decision support system for emergency groundwater management that was developed to improve activities after the discovery of pollution in the catchments of drinking water abstraction wells in the Ljubljansko polje aquifer. It is a system based on a monitoring network and the integration of numerical modeling techniques with expert knowledge. The integration of logically interlinked activities, including the detection of pollution in the groundwater, the simulation of pollution propagation and decision making, into a common system provides a basis for proactive water resource management. The user-friendly interface enables water managers to utilize modeling tools and rapidly access information for mitigating pollution of groundwater resource, which in the presented case significantly contributes to a safer drinking water supply.