In this study, we evaluated the relative contribution of atmospheric particulate mercury (Hg(p)) and divalent reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) to mercury dry deposition in Japan. The dry deposition fluxes (on a water surface sampler) and atmospheric PM concentrations of Hg, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and V, which were measured concurrently from April 2004 to March 2006 at 10 sites across the nation, were used in this evaluation. We considered that Hg(p) and RGM, but not Hg⁰, are deposited on the water surface, and that our method of sampling Hg(p) without the use of KCl-coated annular denuders enables the exclusion of a significant amount of RGM artifact. The monthly average dry deposition velocities (= deposition flux/atmospheric PM concentration) of Cd and Pb were found to be similar to each other (Cd/Pb deposition velocities = 1.06 ± 0.58). It was assumed that the deposition velocity of Hg(p) is identical to the mean deposition velocity of Cd and Pb, because the particle size distribution of Hg(p) is likely similar to those of both elements. Using this deposition velocity, the monthly dry deposition flux of Hg(p) was calculated. The average contribution (±1σ) of Hg(p) to the annual deposition flux at ten sites was 26 ± 15%. The mercury dry deposition flux increased generally from spring to early summer, which was attributed mostly to the deposition of RGM. This seasonal change correlated to that in photochemical oxidant (primarily O₃) concentration in air at most sites. These suggest that mercury dry deposition in Japan is predominantly deposition of RGM, which was formed via oxidation of Hg⁰ by O₃ in the atmosphere.

The enrichment factor, multivariate analysis and metal speciation studies were used to identify degree, source and dispersal of metal contamination in Khli Ti watershed, Thailand. Topsoil samples were collected throughout the watershed, analyzed for total metal concentration. Sequential extraction was also carried out to determine geochemical phases of metals which were identified as exchangeable and bound to carbonates, Fe–Mn oxides, organic matter and residuals. Soil characteristics including pH, total organic carbon, redox potential, cation exchange capacity and texture were also analyzed. Principal component analysis yielded three metal groups which explained 83% of the variance. The concentrations of metals which were derived from lithogenic origin, such as Co, Cr, Fe, Ni and V were in natural background levels and were mostly bound to the residual phase. The remaining elements (i.e. Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn) were associated with the contamination from previous activities of the Pb-ore concentrator and Zn–Pb mining. Anthropogenic contamination mainly increased Pb and Zn bound to Fe–Mn oxides at the expense of residual fraction. Even though low exchangeable Pb contents in Khli Ti soils indicated low availability to plants, Pb bound to Fe–Mn oxides fraction might increase its mobility under reducing conditions.

Istanbul, housing a population over ten million and with population increase rate of approximately twice that of Turkey, is one of the greatest metropolitan cities of the world. As a consequence of rapid population growth and industrial development, Omerli watershed is highly affected by wastewater discharges from the residential areas and industrial plants. The main objective of this study is to investigate the temporal assessment of the land-use/cover of the Omerli Watershed and the water quality changes in the Reservoir. The study is mainly focused on the acquisition and analysis of the Satellite Probatoire de l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) (1993), Indian Remote Sensing satellite (IRS) (1996 and 2000) and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) (2004, 2005, and 2006) satellite images that reflect the drastic land-use/cover changes utilizing the ground truth measurements. The rapid, uncontrolled, and illegal urbanization coupled with insufficient infrastructure has caused the deterioration of the water quality within the past two decades in the Omerli watershed. The water quality analysis of the drinking water Reservoir within the watershed is investigated using 2006 dated Landsat TM satellite digital data. The results are compiled and compared with the water quality measurements of parameters like total nitrogen (TN), the total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (CL) and total dissolved solids (TDS). The observed reflectance shows a strong relationship with the water quality parameters and thus, the satellite data proved to provide a useful index of TN, TP, CL and TDS. Moreover, the linkage between the water quality parameters and the individual band reflectance values are supported by multiple regression analysis.

The phytoremediation potential of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, was examined in two independent studies under nitrogen (N) rates of 0, 40, 80, 100, 150, 200, and 300 ppm. A modified Hoagland solution was added to ponds containing water hyacinths which were rated and measured weekly for 4 weeks. The hyacinths accounted for 60–85% of the N removed from solution. Net productivity, as measured by dry matter gain, increased with an increase in N rate until 80 ppm. Above that level dry matter productivity was similar. Tissue N increased linearly with dry matter gain, but total nitrogen removal from the water increased exponentially with net dry matter gain or with an increase in canopy cover. The relation between total N in plant tissue and N removal from the water was similar for the two experiments.

Different nitrogen (N) fractions from 14 sediments from the shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River area before and after N release experiments were investigated, and the content of different N fractions, and contribution of different N fractions to the N released from sediments were also studied. Ion-exchangeable form (IEF-N), carbonate form (CF-N), iron-manganese oxide form (IMOF-N) and organic matter-sulfide form (OSF-N) accounted for 2.72~17.67%, 0.47~4.43%, 1.18~3.49% and 31.05 to 71.61% to total N, respectively. The N released was higher than 50% from IEF-N, approximately 35% from OSF-N, 6 and 8% from CF-N and IMOF-N on the average. Approximately 27.32~70.02% of IEF-N, 10.37~32.11% of CF-N, 11.37~33.43% IMOF-N and 2.02~8.19% OSF-N were released. For the sediments that were slightly polluted, IEF-N was the main N fraction that may be released and its contribution to total N released was more than 63.07%, for the sediments that TN was higher than 3,540.27 mg·kg-¹, OSF-N would become the main N fraction that can be released and its contribution to total N released was more than 45%.

This study investigated particulate matter (PM) granulometry delivered in source area runoff as a function of hydrologic transport and settling. At a Baton Rouge, LA paved urban watershed, event runoff volume and PM load were “fully captured” and recovered in settling tanks. Events were differentiated as mass-limited (ML) or flow-limited (FL) and PM differentiated into suspended (1 to ~25 μm), settleable (~25 to 75 μm), sediment (75 to 4,750 μm) fractions; and also particle size distributions (PSDs). Suspended sediment concentration (SSC)-turbidity relationships were unique for FL events compared to ML events; while 60 min of quiescent settling produced a single distinct relationship across all events. ML events transported higher proportions of settleable and sediment mass compared to higher suspended mass for FL events. Event-based ratios of settled and unsettled turbidity as well as SSC mass were statistically different for ML and FL events. For the same settling conditions, treatment of ML and FL events were statistically different. Results demonstrated that PM separation by a unit operation was a deterministic function of granulometry, hydrodynamics, unit operation mechanisms and loads, but significantly influenced by the indeterminate nature of local climate; and hydrology which drives PM delivery and is not known a priori. Combining the influences of scour and lack of maintenance, unit operation performance is non-stationary and cannot be described by a single value. Treatment should be tied to an effluent concentration; granulometry and load.

Sandstorms which distribute a great number of particles are a special atmospheric occurrence and are uncommon in northern China. This study was conducted to determine, for the first time, the concentration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in sandstorm depositions. Samples were collected from urban areas of Beijing and a total of eight OCPs were measured. All samples contained OCP residues. The total hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) concentration ranged from 20.6 to 59.8ng g⁻¹ and the total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) concentration ranged from 12.0 to 14.3ng g⁻¹. Furthermore, increasing HCH contamination was observed from the northwest to the southeast and a uniform distribution of DDT contamination was discovered in Beijing. Analysis of the sources of contamination showed that HCHs in the sandstorm depositions were derived from a relatively old source of lindane, and DDTs mainly originated from an old source of dicofol in Beijing. The preliminary pollution assessment of the samples indicated that HCH levels might be categorized as low pollution and DDT levels might be categorized as no pollution. The present study suggests that sandstorm depositions may not produce the special risk of adverse health effect from OCPs for the residents of Beijing, China.

Metal (Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Fe) concentrations in marine sediment and zooplankton were investigated in Izmir Bay of the Eastern Aegean Sea, Turkey. The study aimed to assess the levels of metal in different environmental compartments of the Izmir Bay. Metal concentrations in the sediment (dry weight) ranged between 4.26-70.8 μg g-¹ for Cu, 233-923 μg g-¹ for Mn, 14.9-127 μg g-¹ for Ni, 25.6-295 μg g-¹ for Zn, 12,404-76,899 μg g-¹ for Fe and 38,226-91,532 μg g-¹ for Al in the Izmir Bay. Maximum metal concentrations in zooplankton were observed during summer season in the inner bay. Significant relationships existed between the concentrations of certain metals (Al, Fe, Mn and Ni) in sediment, suggesting similar sources and/or similar geochemical processes controlling such metals. Higher concentrations of Cu, Zn and percent organic matter contents were found in the middle-inner bays sediments. Based on the correlation matrix obtained for metal data, organic matter was found to be the dominant factor controlling Cu and Zn distributions in the sediment. In general, mean Cu and Zn levels in the bay were above background concentrations in Mediterranean sediments. Zooplankton metal concentrations were similar to sediment distributions.

The bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soil was investigated using a laboratory scale aerated reactor. The Indigenous bacteria, Stenotrophomonas multophilia, were isolated from the contaminated sites near to Jordan Petroleum Refinery and used further in the bioremediation experiments. First order kinetic equation has been proven to satisfactorily describe the biodegradation of petroleum contained in soil in the presence of the isolated bacteria. The results also showed that the first order kinetic constants for the different bioreactors vary between 0.041 and 0.0071/day. The overall kinetic constant k' was determined based on food-to-microorganisms ratio and found to be 0.02/day.

In order to investigate the Urias Coastal Lagoon (UCL) hydrodynamics, a vertically integrated semi-implicit, non-linear, finite difference model, has been applied. The flow dynamics in this model has been described by the depth integrated shallow water equations and has been forced by prescribed free surface elevations at the open boundary in the inlet of the lagoon. The predicted instantaneous tidal elevation and the vector field of tidal velocities, reflect reasonably well the flood and ebb conditions in the coastal lagoon. Maximum tidal velocities of 0.6 m/s at the navigation channel of the lagoon and tidal ranges of 1.2 m were predicted for spring tides. Residual current of 0.01–0.06 m/s have also been predicted. The advection-diffusion process of a hypothetical pollutant released at two discrete points in the UCL depended on the intensity of water circulation; sites with slow instantaneous tidal velocities and residual currents of small magnitude presented slow advection and diffusion of the pollutant and may be considered vulnerable to the contamination, specifically the head of the lagoon where the pollutant was difficult to be removed by the tidal currents. The main channel, where the tidal currents exceed 0.6 m/s and the residual currents reached 0.06 m/s, behaved as a natural conduct for the pollutant motion. The forces involved in water circulation within the channel would be the best driving mechanism to flush contaminants from the UCL into the Ocean.