Epidemiological surveillance of human enteric viruses by monitoring of different environmental matrices.

In the aim of studying possible relations between viruses detected in clinical specimens and the ones found in different environmental matrices, in the period May 2004 to April 2005, the collection of faecal samples from gastroenteritis cases and the monthly monitoring of raw and treated wastewater, river water, seawater and mussels were carried out. The viruses considered for environmental monitoring were adenovirus, rotavirus, enterovirus, norovirus, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Torque teno virus (TTV): they were searched for with PCR and RT-PCR and confirmed by gene sequencing. Faecal coliforms and somatic coliphages' counts were also determined. The surveillance of case detected 45 positive faecal samples out of 255 (17.6%) while 35 of 56 environmental samples (62.5%) resulted positive for at least one of the considered viruses. The detection of the same viral strain in the faeces of gastroenteritis cases and in water was possible for adenovirus and rotavirus, which were also predominant in environmental matrices; thus they could be considered as a reference for risk assessment.     

The Rhine rift valley ground water—river interactions: Evolution of their susceptibility to pollution

The exchange processes between the Rhine river and the alluvial aquifer were analysed in the upper part of the rift valley (upstream of Strasbourg). Hydraulic works, and the consequent suppression of flooding, along the Alsace Rhine floodplain greatly modified these processes. The transfer of persistent toxic micropollutants (organochlorine compounds, mercury), and non-persistent pollutants (organophosphorous compounds: Sandoz spill) from the Rhine to the groundwater-fed streams was exhibited by pollutant bioaccumulation in fish (particularly in the eel) and eutrophication of these streams near the canalized river. Comparison of the hydrological functioning of the two main river floodplains (the Rhine and its tributary, the Ill in the Alsace Rhine plain) shows two completely different exchange processes: in the case of the canalized Rhine, the groundwater is affected by direct transfer of pollutants through the channel bed. In the other case, that of the river Ill, where the floodplain is still widely flooded each year, the self-purification of the floodwaters transferred to the groundwater is very effective: the soil-root system of alluvial forest and meadow apparently having a high purification capacity.     

Detection of infectious pathogenic viruses in water and wastewater samples from urbanised areas.

Regardless of the remarkable improvement in sanitary conditions in urbanised areas, infectious diseases caused by pathogenic viruses in water have been reported year after year. The actual situation for the behaviour of pathogenic viruses in urbanised society should be understood. In this study, infectious enteroviruses and adenoviruses in water and wastewater samples from urbanised areas were investigated. Infectious enteroviruses were continuously detected from sewage and sewage sludge during the summer season. The detection of infectious viruses in sewage and sewage sludge was facilitated by the enzymatic virus elution (EVE) method. The concentration of infectious enteroviruses in positive samples of sewage and sewage sludge was >400 virions/L. Infectious viruses were also detected from water samples at levels >4 virions/L.     

Interrelationships between Hydrology and Ecology in Fire Degraded Tropical Peat Swamp Forests

Interrelationships between hydrology and ecology are established for the Air Hitam Laut watershed in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. The developed relational diagram shows how modelled regional groundwater levels and flooding patterns are related to the occurrence of different vegetation types in this endangered peatland watershed. In dry conditions when groundwater levels are deeper than 1 m below soil surface, fire disasters are unavoidable. When areas susceptible to fire actually burn and both vegetation and peat disappear, the total inundated area will expand with a factor five. In wet conditions with groundwater levels of more than 1 m above soil surface for a prolonged period of time, flooding creates lakes where no plant species can regrow. In the intermediate range, rehabilitation of different plant species is promising and is related to the actual hydrological regime.     

资源环境约束下的后套平原地下水可持续性综合评价

后套平原地下水资源分布不均,人口和经济集中于城镇,地表水漫灌导致了土壤盐渍化,对地区社会经济可持续发展造成了严重影响。因此,评价地下水可持续性已经成为该地区发展规划首先要解决的问题。地下水可持续性可以直观有效地反映一个地区地下水利用程度,对地下水资源管理具有重要参考价值。以后套平原地区地下水开采面临的问题为出发点来选择评价指标,利用综合评价方法计算了评价单元上的地下水可持续性水平。结果显示,黄河南岸和东北部地区可持续性最差,中部北部地区可持续较好,地下水资源的开发潜力较大的行政区位于杭锦后旗和五原县北部,而磴口县和乌拉特前旗大部分地区地下水可持续性差,荒漠化严重,不宜再继续发展耗水产业。     

Groundwater Rise Problem and Risk Evaluation in Major Cities of Arid Lands – Jedddah Case in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Arid lands are in the need of additional water supply but water transportation from outside of the natural hydrological cycle causes the groundwater to rise within the urban areas. Additional water supply from surrounding areas or through the desalination plants provides comfort in domestic activities but after the usage, its disposition is necessary in an efficient manner. Unfortunately, arid region cities have neither sufficient nor efficient sewage system. Consequently, the water returned to surface cesspools and leakages from insufficient sewage system makes internal groundwater recharge within the urban area. Additionally, water supply system leakages further raise the groundwater level. Deterioration in water quality becomes a potential danger for the infrastructure and foundations. Surface depressions in the city may be flooded due to groundwater level rise and at times bed smells occur at various parts of the city. In this paper, a quantitative method is followed to assess groundwater level rise risks in addition to the few chemical risks associated with sulfate and chloride solids. It is observed that each one of these variables has different probability distribution function and expose risk maps with different features.     

Long-time risk of groundwater/drinking water pollution with sulphuric compounds beneath burned peatlands in Indonesia.

Smoke-haze episodes caused by vegetation and peat fires affect parts of Indonesia every year with significant impacts on human health and climate. The forest fires 1997/1998 were by far the largest in Indonesian history, burning between 5 and 8 million hectares before they were stopped by the monsoon rains in December 1997. Fires sprang up again in 1998 on Kalimantan when monsoon rain paused. Peat forests and peatlands are in particular severely affected. In the 1997/1998 haze event, 2.1-2.5 million hectare of peat swamp forest burnt in Indonesia. The remaining ash contains high concentrations of sulphur and sulphuric compounds which eventually leach into the groundwater, thus polluting groundwater and drinking water. The thicker the peat layer is and the higher the number of fires in the respective area the more sulphuric compounds will leach into the groundwater. Risk areas for the sulphur loads of the ash are identified.     

Waterborne gastroenteritis outbreak in Albania.

Three different studies are reported concerning the environmental pollution caused by viruses in Albania. The first study describes an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the capital city, involving 2,722 children attending the Paediatric Unit of Tirana Hospital. The age group with the highest morbidity was 0-5 years, with 89.5%; no fatalities were recorded during the outbreak. Rotavirus was detected in 26/28 faecal samples by RT-PCR, although astrovirus, adenovirus and calicivirus were also present. The second study describes an outbreak of hepatitis A virus involving the city of Lac. Two hundred cases were recorded, with the highest incidence in the age-group 5-9 years. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP1/2A region showed the presence of a unique sequence: genotype IA. Rotavirus was identified in drinking-water samples collected during the outbreak. The third study describes the prevalence of HAV and HEV in 202 sera randomly collected from 12 different cities in Albania. HAV showed a high incidence (66.2%), whereas none was positive for HEV. The genomic analysis of the VP1/2A junction revealed the presence of only one genotype (IA) with few point mutations and just two amino acid substitutions at codons 22 and 34. Additionally, two potential antigenic variants were detected, the first at position 46 of VP3 and the second at position 23 of VP1.     

Potential effects of a major navigation project (Paraguay–Paraná Hidrovía) on inundation in the Pantanal floodplains

The Pantanal wetland of Brazil, a vast complex of seasonally inundated floodplains along the Paraguay River, is renowned for its outstanding biological resources. A proposed navigation project known as the Paraguay–Paraná Waterway (or Hidrovía) would deepen the Paraguay River channel to facilitate year‐round navigation through the Pantanal. The possibility of decreases in river levels (stage) has aroused concerns in relation to the potential environmental impacts, however the poor understanding of the hydrological relationships between rivers and floodplains has hampered evaluation of these impacts. The present study evaluates the potential impact of river modifications on adjacent floodplains by examining the relationship between the Paraguay River stage and the extent of floodplain inundation. Satellite observations of flooded area (from passive microwave emission; monthly data for 1979–1987) are plotted against river stage from several stations throughout the region to show the stage–inundation relationships for eight subregions along the Paraguay River. Scenarios in which the Paraguay River stage is decreased from the 20th and 80th percentile values reveal large potential impacts on inundation. For stage decreases of 0.10 and 0.25 m, the total flooded area is reduced by 1430 and 3830 km² at low‐water, and by 2410 and 5790 km² at high‐water, respectively. The floodplains of the two northernmost subregions appear to be most susceptible to reductions in flooding, losing more than half of their flooded area with a 0.25‐m decrease in the low‐water stage. The ecological impacts of these reductions in flooded area may be particularly severe at low water, when the few areas that typically remain flooded throughout the dry season serve as important refuges for aquatic animals. These results underscore the need for better understanding of the hydrology of the integrated river floodplain systems in the Pantanal before river channel modifications are carried out. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of flood damage cost for Bangkok

Bangkok, located on a low lying alluvial deposit, is flooded almost every year by tide, river flow, and direct precipitation. Due to land subsidence caused by pumping of groundwater, the flooding is now more severe and more frequent than ever before. Various proposals have been presented to alleviate the flooding; however, selection of these alternatives would require cost-benefit analysis. The objective of this research is to estimate the cost of flood damage by first estimating the flood damage cost function in terms of depth and duration using the multiple regression analysis technique. In the case of Bangkok, results indicate that flood depth and flood duration are significant factors explaining flood damage in the residential and industrial areas. On the other hand, only flood depth was found to be an important factor affecting damage to the commercial and agricultural areas. The estimated cost functions served as a useful aid in the systematic computation of flood damage for 1983 which amounted to over 7.8 billion baht (US$ 1.00 baht 25.5).     

Spatiotemporal Surface-Groundwater Interaction Simulation in South Florida

South Florida ecosystem is dictated by a large wetland, karst hydrogeology and extended coastal boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. The risks related to the ecosystem include: disruption of groundwater flow as a result of frequent sinkhole formation; flooding in urban areas as a result of the shallow water table; saltwater intrusion from the ocean; and excessive nutrient load to surficial water bodies and subsequently eutrophication because of the intensive utilization of wetlands for nutrient removal. Attempts to understand eco-hydrological processes primarily focus on extensive monitoring and use of distributed hydrological models. However, the relatively flat nature of the region and also the extended coastal boundary with the ocean, makes watershed-based approaches less realistic. A regional spatiotemporal groundwater level modeling approach was attempted using a Dynamic Factor Analysis (DFA) method. The daily water levels of 13 monitoring well sites from major hydrogeologic regions and different land uses were used to conduct the DFA analysis, and six dynamic factors were identified using minimum Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Further exploratory analysis to relate the dynamic factors with physically attributable explanatory variables has helped to identify five of the major factors that govern the groundwater dynamics in south Florida. Three of the factors were attributable to the Lake Kissimmee water level in the north, Caloosahatchee River water level in the west, and Hillsboro canal in the east. The other two factors identified were the regional averaged rainfall and soil moisture. The spatiotemporal simulation involved interpolation of the loadings of the dynamic factors using an inverse distance weighted method and convoluting with the dynamic factors. The result has shown a good fit with the maximum RMSE of 0.12?m. Retrieval of rainfall, soil moisture, and surface water level from satellite imagery makes spatiotemporal modeling of the groundwater level achievable.     

Deoxygenation potential of the Richmond River Estuary floodplain,northern NSW,Australia

Periodic deoxygenation events (DO < 1 mg/L) occur in the Richmond River Estuary on the east coast of Australia following flooding and these events may be accompanied by total fish mortality. This study describes the deoxygenation potential of different types of floodplain vegetation in the lower Richmond River catchment and provides a catchment scale estimate of the relative contribution of floodplain vegetation decomposition to deoxygenation of floodwaters. Of the major vegetation types on the floodplain slashed pasture was initially (first 5 to 7 h) the most oxygen demanding vegetation type after inundation (268 ± mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1), followed by dropped tea tree cuttings (195 ± 18 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1) and harvested cane trash (110 ± 8 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1). However, 10 h after inundation the oxygen consumption rates of slashed pasture (105 ± 5 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1) and tea tree cuttings (59 ± 7 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1) had decreased to a rate less than the harvested cane trash (110 ± 8 mg O₂ m^?2 h^?1). The oxygen demands of the different floodplain vegetation types when inundated were highly correlated with their nitrogen content (r² = 0.77) and molar C:N ratio (r² = 0.82) reflecting the dependence of oxygen demand of vegetation types on their labile carbon content. The floodplain of the lower Richmond River (as flooded in February 2001) has the potential to deoxygenate about 12.5 × 10³ mL of saturated freshwater at 25°C per day which is sufficient to completely deoxygenate floodwater stored on the floodplain with 3 to 4 days. In addition, oxidation of Fe²⁺ mobilized during the decomposition of floodplain vegetation via iron reduction and discharged from groundwater and surface runoff in acid sulfate soil environments could account for about 10% of the deoxygenation of floodwater stored on the floodplain. Management options to reduce floodplain deoxygenation include removing cuttings from slashed pasture and transporting off‐site, reducing slashed pasture windrow loads by using comb‐type mowers, returning areas of the floodplain to wetlands to allow the establishment of inundation tolerant vegetation and retaining deoxygenated floodwaters in low lying areas of the floodplain to allow oxygen consumption process to be completed before releasing this water back to the estuary. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Immediate downstream effects of the Petit-Saut dam on young neotropical fish in a large tributary of the Sinnamary River (French Guiana,South America)

The effects of artificially low runoffs in the Sinnamary River, French Guiana, South America, on flow patterns and on richness and abundance of young fish in Venus Creek, one of its main downstream tributaries were examined. After Petit-Saut dam's gates were closed, the areas adjacent to this tributary were never once flooded for the entire duration of the rainy season. The daily maximal averages of water speed at the tributary's mouth were found to be significantly increased. Young fish sampled using light-traps were less abundant and less diverse after dam closure. Young Characiformes appeared to be the most affected by these flow disturbances. These findings enabled us to develop a conceptual model of the consequences of impoundment on young fish assemblages through the modifications of tributaries and associated floodplains hydrology. Because of flow reduction in the river during the first year of impoundment, young fish that previously had a tendency of being trapped in tributaries and flooded areas were then at risk of being flushed away. The pattern of flow release by dam operations is known to be very different from natural flow variations. The consequences for downstream tributaries will be similar to those of channelization: lack of adjacent flooding areas and higher rates of downstream water transfer. How the recovery of downstream fish assemblages will occur is discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of annual flooding on terrestrial arthropod assemblages of a Rio Grande riparian forest

Terrestrial arthropod communities remain poorly described for riparian ecosystems of the arid southwestern United States, and the effects of extensive river regulation and habitat alteration on these potentially important invertebrates are largely unknown. Beginning in 1991, surface‐active arthropods were trapped at two riparian sites along the Rio Grande, in central New Mexico, for 2 years. One site was then experimentally flooded from mid‐May to mid‐June for each of the next 3 years to simulate historic, low intensity flooding, after which arthropod collections were continued. These primary sites, located outside the riverside levee, and isolated from flooding for about 50 years prior to the experiment, were compared with a naturally flooded site and a second non‐flooded reference. Experimental flooding and observations of the naturally flooded site indicated that flooding did not affect total taxonomic richness, nor richness of spiders, beetles or ants. However, flooding may have slightly increased the number of carabid beetle taxa present. Flooding altered the overall composition for all taxa, insects, beetles and carabid beetles. Spider taxa composition may be insensitive to flooding, while ant responses were not clear. Abundance of terrestrial isopods and spiders decreased after flooding, while overall beetle abundance did not change. Abundance of crickets and carabid beetles increased, but the response was delayed until after the second flood. Changes in taxa composition and abundance after experimental flooding were generally consistent with arthropod community structure observed at a nearby naturally flooded site. This similarity suggests that reorganization of the terrestrial arthropod community may follow restoration of flooding to this riparian ecosystem. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

干旱区植物用水对水文条件的响应——以额济纳三角洲胡杨为例

植物用水对水文条件的响应是干旱区生态水文学的重点研究内容。本研究以额济纳三角洲为研究区,选取水文条件不同的典型河岸带植物胡杨(Populus euphratica)为研究对象,同步采集其根茎及可能为植物提供水分的土壤并真空抽提水分,同时采集河水和地下水水样,通过δ18 O分析潜在供水水源(河水、地下水)-土壤水-植物水之间的水分响应关系。研究发现,对于距离过水河道75m(地下水位埋深2.0m)的胡杨,其主要土壤供水层在1.0~2.0m,植物水分有93.7%来自河水;而距离过水主河道2km以外(地下水位埋深3.3m)的胡杨,主要吸收1.4~3.2m的土壤层水分,地下水(由河水补给,但在含水层停留时间较长的河水)对胡杨水分的贡献比例达到80.0%。可见,胡杨用水策略与模式受其距过水河道远近、地下水位深浅影响明显。     

东港溪流域淹水潜势分析与应用

东港溪流域之下游及低洼地区在豪雨期间常造成严重积水情形,为能有效解决洪患灾情,充分的掌握防灾信息是非常重要之工作,因此,透过淹水潜势分析,可有效掌握淹水情形。本研究利用FLO-2D模式针对2005年0612豪雨及2006年之碧利斯台风两场降雨事件进行东港溪流域之淹水模拟,并与实际淹水调查情形结果比较。并依模式率定结果分析24小时降雨150 mm、300 mm、450 mm及600 mm四种情境之淹水情形,以作为灾害应变时之决策参考。     

基于二维水动力学过程的洪泛区避难逃生路线优化模型及应用

在洪水风险管理中,通常认为逃生距离与淹没水深是灾民避难迁移的控制因素,而洪水泛滥过程以及人员所在位置的时空分布对避难逃生时机与路径选择会产生较大影响。在构建的洪泛区避难逃生路线优化模型中,采用二维水动力学模型,模拟洪泛区的洪水演进过程;采用Dijkstra算法推求最短路线,考虑水流对逃生速度的影响,根据洪水中人体的稳定程度及最迟逃生时刻确定最优避难逃生路线。该模型计算结果能为指导洪泛区灾民逃生及路网选址提供参考依据。以1958年7月和1982年8月兰考东明滩区漫滩洪水为例,分析了漫滩洪水中人体危险程度变化情况,比较了2场洪水中3个受灾点最优避难逃生路线的位置及最迟逃生时刻。计算结果表明:根据最优路线开展逃生将为灾民赢得3~6 h的逃生时间;2场洪水中灾民逃生的最优路线位置相同,可据此适当调整已建路网或规划逃生专用的通道;因1958年洪水的洪峰及水量均较大,所以最迟逃生时间较1982年提前2~3 h。     

淹没与非淹没植被作用下复式河槽流速最大值分布

本文收集了不同系列的淹没与非淹没植被作用下复式河槽的流速资料并对复式河槽中流速最大值的横向分布进行了探讨。结果发现滩地流速最大值基本保持在水面附近而主槽中的流速最大值都在水面以下;当滩地种有非淹没植被时;主槽中的流速最大值分布与无植被时几乎一致,滩地流速最大值在植被密度较小时仍在水面,但当植被密度较大时,最大值会向床面靠近;当滩地种植淹没植被时,流速最大值的位置会随着植被淹没度的增加而逐渐上升,最终保持在水面附近。     

A spatial assessment of riverine ecosystems and water supply in a semi‐arid environment

A spatial assessment was conducted in the semi‐arid area of South Africa, to: (1) identify priority areas for the conservation of river and groundwater ecosystems; (2) examine surface and groundwater quality for human consumption and (3) investigate the rehabilitation of degraded areas to highlight ‘win‐win’ situations for both environmental and human use. A systematic conservation plan was produced, highlighting river conservation areas (river types, fish species and connectivity areas), moderate‐impact management areas (groundwater‐surface water interaction and recharge areas) and river rehabilitation areas. The proposed river selections would achieve the biodiversity targets of 33 (66%) of the 50 river types; feasible rehabilitation would increase this to 92%. The greatest groundwater‐surface water interaction and recharge (30 to > 50 mm^?1) values are concentrated around the mountainous regions of the Little Karoo. This is because the main aquifers in the mountains, table mountain group (TMG) quartzites, yield naturally good quality water for human consumption. River reaches of unacceptable surface water quality were classified as degraded water resource delivery areas where the poor water quality was primarily due to saline return flows from irrigation and the impacts of other anthropogenic activities including abstraction of freshwater which otherwise would have diluted the return flows. Only the middle reaches of the Gouritz and Groot Rivers represent a possible win–win situation for both the environment and human use. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

毕节地区岩溶地下水水化学特征与水质评价

贵州毕节地区岩溶地下水资源丰富。由于母岩碳酸盐岩的特殊地球化学背景,地下水化学特征和水质特殊,为了查明该区地下水资源能否开采作为饮用水资源,开展毕节地区岩溶地下水水化学特征与水质评价研究。根据研究区所取22组水样的水化学测试结果,运用水化学软件AqQA做Piper三线图,分析研究区地下水水化学特征,并对水样进行了舒卡列夫分类。运用单因子评价和模糊综合评价2种方法分别对研究区的岩溶地下水质量进行评价。研究结果表明:①研究区水化学类型主要为HCO₃-Ca·Mg型,主要分布在研究区的西部和南部,且大部分区域碳酸盐硬度>50%;②单因子评价结果显示研究区的地下水质量能够满足饮用水标准的占59.1%;③模糊综合评价的结果表明研究区的地下水质量能够满足饮用水标准的水样点占81.8%。从总体来看,研究区地下水资源可以开采作为饮用水资源。该研究结果为今后在该区开采岩溶地下水资源提供技术指导。