Atmospheric nitrogen in the Mississippi River Basin--emissions, deposition and transport

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen has been cited as a major factor in the nitrogen saturation of forests in the north-eastern United States and as a contributor to the eutrophication of coastal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Sources of nitrogen emissions and the resulting spatial patterns of nitrogen deposition within the Mississippi River Basin, however, have not been fully documented. An assessment of atmospheric nitrogen in the Mississippi River Basin was therefore conducted in 1998-1999 to: (1) evaluate the forms in which nitrogen is deposited from the atmosphere; (2) quantify the spatial distribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition throughout the basin; and (3) relate locations of emission sources to spatial deposition patterns to evaluate atmospheric transport. Deposition data collected through the NADP/NTN (National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network) and CASTNet (Clean Air Status and Trends Network) were used for this analysis. NOx Tier 1 emission data by county was obtained for 1992 from the US Environmental Protection Agency (Emissions Trends Viewer CD, 1985-1995, version 1.0, September 1996) and NH3 emissions data was derived from the 1992 Census of Agriculture (US Department of Commerce. Census of Agriculture, US Summary and County Level Data, US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Geographic Area series, 1995:1b) or the National Agricultural Statistics Service (US Department of Agriculture. National Agricultural Statistics Service Historical Data. Accessed 7/98 at URL, 1998. http://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/hisdata++ +.htm). The highest rates of wet deposition of NO3- were in the north-eastern part of the basin, downwind of electric utility plants and urban areas, whereas the highest rates of wet deposition of NH4+ were in Iowa, near the center of intensive agricultural activities in the Midwest. The lowest rates of atmospheric nitrogen deposition were on the western (windward) side of the basin, which suggests that most of the nitrogen deposited within the basin is derived from internal sources. Atmospheric transport eastward across the basin boundary is greater for NO3- than NH4+, but a significant amount of NH4+ is likely to be transported out of the basin through the formation of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 particles--a process that greatly increases the atmospheric residence time of NH4+. This process is also a likely factor in the atmospheric transport of nitrogen from the Midwest to upland forest regions in the North-East, such as the western Adirondack region of New York, where NH4+ constitutes 38% of the total wet deposition of N.     

Occurrence and load of selected herbicides and metabolites in the lower Mississippi River

Analyses of water samples collected from the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during 1991-1997 indicate that hundreds of metric tons of herbicides and herbicide metabolites are being discharged annually to the Gulf of Mexico. Atrazine, metolachlor, and the ethane-sulfonic acid metabolite of alachlor (alachlor ESA) were the most frequently detected herbicides and, in general, were present in the largest concentrations. Almost 80% of the annual herbicide load to the Gulf of Mexico occurred during the growing season from May to August. The concentrations and loads of alachlor in the Mississippi River decreased dramatically after 1993 in response to decreased use in the basin. In contrast, the concentrations and loads of acetochlor increased after 1994, reflecting its role as a replacement for alachlor. The peak annual herbicide load occurred in 1993, when approximately 640 metric tons (t) of atrazine, 320 t of cyanazine, 215 t of metolachlor, 53 t of simazine, and 50 t of alachlor were discharged to the Gulf of Mexico. The annual loads of atrazine and cyanazine were generally 1-2% of the amount annually applied in the Mississippi River drainage basin; the annual loads of acetochlor, alachlor, and metolachlor were generally less than 1%. Despite a reduction in atrazine use, historical data do not indicate a long-term downward trend in the atrazine load to the Gulf of Mexico. Although a relation (r2 = 0.62) exists between the atrazine load and stream discharge during May to August, variations in herbicide use and rainfall patterns within subbasins can have a large effect on herbicide loads in the Mississippi River Basin and probably explain a large part of the annual variation in atrazine load to the Gulf of Mexico.     

Pesticides in the atmosphere of the Mississippi River Valley, part I--rain

Lysosomal responses are widely accepted cellular effect biomarkers of general stress. Up to now, these biomarkers have been analysed by means of conventional techniques based on enzyme histochemical methods, where lysosomal enzymes such as acid phosphatase and beta-glucuronidase (beta-GUS) have been employed as markers of lysosomes. The aim of the present work was to develop more advanced and sensitive methods based on the use of polyclonal antibodies to measure lysosomal enzymes in different sentinel organisms. For this purpose, we have studied the cross-reactivity of two commercial polyclonal antibodies against the lysosomal enzymes acid phosphatase and beta-GUS with molluscan digestive gland by means of immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. The antibody against acid phosphatase cross-reacted specifically with the lysosomal fraction of the digestive gland, while unspecific immunoreaction occurred with digestive gland whole homogenates and tissue sections. The antibody against beta-GUS cross-reacted specifically with digestive gland whole homogenates and tissue sections. The cross-reactivity of this antibody was tested also in crab hepatopancreas and mullet liver where the same successful results were obtained. The second aim of the present study was to test if the immuno-based approach was sensitive enough to detect lysosomal alterations provoked by contaminants. For this purpose two experiments were carried out with mussels treated with cadmium in two ways: in vivo treatment by injection and in vitro treatment using digestive gland explants. Afterwards immunoblotting studies with the antibody against beta-GUS were applied and immunoreactive bands were quantified by means of a gel analysis programme. We found that beta-GUS protein levels were higher in treated mussels when compared with controls in either in vivo or in vitro treatments. All these data suggest that the polyclonal antibody against beta-GUS is adequate to be used in immuno-based approaches to detect contaminant-induced lysosomal alterations.     

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

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

Herbicide concentrations in the Mississippi River Basin-the importance of chloroacetanilide herbicide degradates

The proportion of chloroacetanilide herbicide degradates, specifically the ethane sulfonic (ESA) and oxanilic (OA) acids, averaged 70% of the total herbicide concentration in samples from the Upper Mississippi River. In samples from the Missouri River and the Ohio River, the proportion of chloroacetanilide degradates in the total herbicide concentration was much less, 24% and 41%, respectively. The amount of tile drainage throughout the Mississippi River Basin appeared to be related to the occurrence and distribution of chloroacetanilide degradates in water samples. Pesticide concentrations in streams of the Mississippi River Basin have been well characterized. However, recent research demonstrates that in order to more fully understand the fate and transport of pesticides, the major pesticide degradates need to be included in the analysis. From March 1999 through May 2001, water samples from four major junctures of the Mississippi River Basin were collected and analyzed for a suite of herbicides and their degradate compounds. Each sampling site was selected to represent a major part of the Mississippi River: upper and lower Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers. Each basin has unique landscape variables, geology, hydrology, precipitation, and land use, which is reflected in the pesticide content at the most downstream sample site near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Atrazine was the most frequently detected herbicide (detected in 97% of the samples), followed by metolachlor (60%), and acetochlor (31%). The most frequently detected degradates were metolachlor ESA (69%), followed by deethylatrazine (62%), metolachlor OA (37%), and alachlor ESA (37%). Metolachlor ESA was detected more frequently than its parent compound (69 vs. 60%), as was alachlor ESA (37 vs. 9%). After an improvement was made in the analytical method, metolachlor ESA was detected in every sample, metolachlor OA in 89% of the samples, alachlor ESA in 84%, acetochlor ESA in 71%, and acetochlor OA in 66%.     

Fish tissue quality in the lower Mississippi River and health risks from fish consumption

Between 1990 and 1994, samples of three shellfish species (i.e. blue crab, Callinectes sapidus;crayfish, Procambarus acutis; and river shrimp, Macrobrachium ohionii) and 16 fish species and were collected at six sites along the lower Mississippi River by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Water Resources in coordination with the US Environmental Protection Agency. The fish species included: bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyanellus); blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus); carp (Cyprinus carpio); channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus); cobia (Rachycentron canadum); flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris); freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens); largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides); long nose gar (Lepisosteus osseus); red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus); red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus); smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus); spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus); striped bass (Morone saxatilis); white bass (Morone chrysops); and white crappie (Pomoxis annularis). Organic compound and heavy metal concentrations were measured in 161 composite fish tissue samples where each composite included three to 10 individual fish. Nineteen chemicals, found at measurable levels in sample tissues, were used in calculations of lifetime excess cancer and non-cancer risks due to fish consumption. We calculated: 574 chemical-specific cancer risks; 41 total cancer risks; and 697 margins of exposure based on a consumption rate of one 8-ounce meal per week (0.032 kg/day), a body weight of 70 kg and reported cancer potency factors and reference doses. We identified nine species of concern (blue catfish, carp, channel catfish, cobia, crayfish, flathead catfish, red drum, spotted gar and striped bass) based on total cancer risk greater than 10(-4) or margin of exposure greater than 1, and whether or not samples collected in subsequent years resulted in lower risks. The compounds primarily responsible for the elevated risks were aldrin, dieldrin, alpha-benzene hexachloride, gamma-benzene hexachloride, heptachlor epoxide, arsenic and mercury.     

Development in the Upper Mississippi Basin: 10 years after the Great Flood of 1993

Flooding in the Upper Mississippi River Basin during the summer of 1993 caused between US$ 12 and 16 billion worth of damage. Since 1993, millions of dollars of new development have poured into the flood-impacted areas contrary to the recommendations of Interagency Floodplain Management Review Committee, among others. Tracking development has been difficult. A diverse set of regulations and land use controls have caused varying amounts of development in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, with Missouri leading the way with over 17.31 km² of new development. This study documents the changes in the basin affected by the 1993 floods 10 years after the event by conducting an analysis to identify new development within the 500-year floodplain and in the floodwater inundated areas. This study used Landsat satellite data to identify areas experiencing development.     

子牙河—海河流域浅层地下水矿化度分布及成因

对天津地区子牙河—海河干流流域浅层地下水矿化度及水化学类型分布进行了调查,发现地下水矿化度由低到高、从微咸水到咸水再到盐卤水渐变特征明显,对其形成原因进行了分析,认为地下水补给不足以及深层地下水开采形成降落漏斗和渤海湾风暴潮等引起的海水入侵是导致该分布特征的主要原因。     

Modeling the contribution of point sources and non-point sources to Thachin River water pollution

Major rivers in developing and emerging countries suffer increasingly of severe degradation of water quality. The current study uses a mathematical Material Flow Analysis (MMFA) as a complementary approach to address the degradation of river water quality due to nutrient pollution in the Thachin River Basin in Central Thailand. This paper gives an overview of the origins and flow paths of the various point- and non-point pollution sources in the Thachin River Basin (in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus) and quantifies their relative importance within the system. The key parameters influencing the main nutrient flows are determined and possible mitigation measures discussed.The results show that aquaculture (as a point source) and rice farming (as a non-point source) are the key nutrient sources in the Thachin River Basin. Other point sources such as pig farms, households and industries, which were previously cited as the most relevant pollution sources in terms of organic pollution, play less significant roles in comparison. This order of importance shifts when considering the model results for the provincial level. Crosschecks with secondary data and field studies confirm the plausibility of our simulations. Specific nutrient loads for the pollution sources are derived; these can be used for a first broad quantification of nutrient pollution in comparable river basins. Based on an identification of the sensitive model parameters, possible mitigation scenarios are determined and their potential to reduce the nutrient load evaluated.A comparison of simulated nutrient loads with measured nutrient concentrations shows that nutrient retention in the river system may be significant. Sedimentation in the slow flowing surface water network as well as nitrogen emission to the air from the warm oxygen deficient waters are certainly partly responsible, but also wetlands along the river banks could play an important role as nutrient sinks.     

三工河流域地下水资源与可持续利用

三工河流域地处新疆天山北坡经济带,流域发源于天山博格达峰,是独立的小流域。而流域的自然景观和地貌单元的完整性,具有大流域的分布规律。目前流域供水水源以河道来水和开采地下水为主,由于长期的超采地下水,已经造成该流域地下水位持续下降。本文在系统地阐述流域地质条件以及含水层组特征的基础上,利用流域多年基础资料,采用水均衡方法,对现状进行水资源平衡分析、地下水平衡分析、耗水量平衡分析,构建出合理地下水数值模型,并进行了地下水水位、水量远景预报,确定出合理的地下水资源量以及合理的地下水可开采量。根据流域的不同地貌单元,制定出不同的地下水开发利用模式与保护区,按照限制开采、调蓄开采、调控开采和禁止开采等四个区域确定地下水利用模式。     

长江流域住宅夏季通风降温方式探讨

认为全天持续自然通风对于长江流域住宅夏季降温效果很差，不应继续采用。推荐白天限制通风，夜间强化通风的间歇机械通风方式。实测结果表明，这种方式可取得相当满意的降温效果，而３７０砖墙住宅又优于２４０砖墙住宅。提出了预测间歇通风效果的回归方程。     

Methylmercury input to the Mississippi River from a large metropolitan wastewater treatment plant

Methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg) inputs to the Mississippi River from a large metropolitan wastewater treatment plant were measured to characterize the relative contribution of the treatment plant to in-stream loads of these contaminants. Concentrations of MeHg and THg were determined in filtered and unfiltered whole water samples collected weekly from the treatment plant effluent stream and from the river upstream of the plant discharge. Unfiltered MeHg concentrations in the plant effluent ranged from 0.034 to 0.062 ng L(-1) and were always less than those in the river (range: 0.083-0.227 ng L(-1)). The MeHg loading to the river from the treatment plant ranged from 0.026 to 0.051 g d(-1) and averaged 0.037 g d(-1) over the 13-week sampling period. The in-stream MeHg load in the river upstream varied widely depending on hydrologic conditions, ranging from 0.91 to 18.8 g d(-1) and averaging 4.79 g d(-1). The treatment plant discharge represented 1.6%, on average, of the in-stream MeHg load, ranging from 0.2 to 3.5% depending on flow conditions in the river. MeHg in treatment plant effluent was primarily in the filtered phase (mean: 57%, <0.2 microm), but in the river the filtered/unfiltered ratio (F/UF) was typically less than 30% except during a major precipitation runoff event, when F/UF increased to 78%. The MeHg/THg ratio in unfiltered treatment plant effluent varied little (range: 1.6-1.9%), suggesting that THg concentration can serve as a relatively accurate proxy for MeHg concentration in this effluent stream. Supplemental sampling of the treatment plant influent stream showed that removals of MeHg and THg across the treatment process averaged 97% and 99%, respectively. These results show the treatment plant to be effective in removing MeHg and THg from wastewater and in minimizing its impact on Hg levels in the receiving water.     

The Watershed Architecture of the Mekong River Basin

In this project, I suggest an alternative, speculative future in counterpoint to the recent construction and planned development of large-scale, water-based infrastructural transformations in Southeast Asia. Critical of massive hydropower dam constructions that tend to prioritize certain interests over others, I question the future viability of such actions when weighed in the context of possible negative effects that such dams may have across the entire river basin. Additionally, the current forecast of climate change stressors, especially in regards to freshwater availability, positions the future of the basin as uncertain. The focus of this essay is part of my multiyear project titled “Way Beyond Bigness: The Need for a Watershed Architecture,” which studies the Mekong, Mississippi, and Rhine River Basins in relation to water-based infrastructure and design challenges.     

长江流域降水的季节变化对流域水资源的影响研究

通过分析1961—2005年长江流域降水的季节变化与旱涝分布,发现45年来长江流域春季、秋季降水下降,而夏季、冬季降水增加,其中上游秋季和中下游夏季、冬季降水变化都通过了95%显著性检验.近年来,长江流域降水的季节分配不均,长江流域洪涝较多的时期,夏季降水一般显著增加;而干旱发生时,秋季降水一般下降显著.20世纪80年代中期以来,长江上游干旱化趋势加重,而中下游洪涝增多,这种旱涝并存的格局加剧了长江流域的旱涝灾害.     

Nitrogen pollution and source identification in the Haicheng River basin in Northeast China

A survey was conducted in the Haicheng River near Liaodong Bay to analyze the characteristics and sources of the in-stream nitrogen pollution throughout the year 2010. The results indicated that the total nitrogen (TN) concentrations in the river water all exceeded the GB3838-2002 standard for Class V guideline of 2.0 mg/l at all sampling sites during the sampling seasons. Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N) dominated TN during the spring season, while nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) dominated during the summer and autumn seasons. Different forms of nitrogen had significant seasonal variations (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). Only NH₃-N and NO₃-N displayed distinct spatial differences at p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively. Most forms of nitrogen were interrelated with physicochemical parameters during different seasons, displaying nitrification and denitrification processes that occurred in the river rather than seasonal biological demand. Based on the nitrogen parameters, the 30 sampling sites were divided into three clusters, by which the pollution sources from chemical nitrogen fertilizers, animal wastes, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater were identified. Generally, the Haicheng River basin provided about 700 tons of the annual TN flux, contributing to the eutrophication of the Liaodong Bay and Bohai Sea.     

海河流域地面沉降分析

本文根据海河流域三个阶段高等级水准测量的成果数据比对,分析流域内地面沉降情况,并提出建立稳定可靠的区域性深层基岩水准网对地面表变化敏感区进行统一沉降监测.     

流域城乡水系景观问题及规划设想

水景观在人居环境中的地位与作用日益受到重视,站在全流域的视角,审视工业社会以来,尤其是城市化浪潮之下,流域城乡人居环境中的水系景观出现的问题,将其概括为3类:1)流域水系景观破碎化问题;2)流域水系景观破碎化连带引发的问题;3)与流域水系景观破碎化互为因果的流域国土景观破碎化问题。从3个方面:1)流域水系景观规划配合水利规划解决洪涝干旱;2)流域水系景观规划与区域保水;3)流域水系景观规划与水建设生态化,论述了景观规划与水利规划协作,开展流域城乡水系规划的意义,提出3个步骤:1)以恢复和改造流域水系结构和形态为重点,梳理流域大地景观脉络;2)依托流域水系结构,规划建设流域水系景观;3)以流域水系景观为基础,规划建设流域国土景观安全格局的流域水系景观规划的初步设想。