Application of geostatistics to expedited site characterization

This thesis develops geostatistical methods for use in the USDOE Expedited Site Characterization (ESC) process with focus on application to sites with contaminated soil and groundwater. Statistical methods for on-site sample location selection for geological and environmental sampling, characterizing uncertainty in the geologic and contaminant models, modeling the spatial distribution of contamination in the presence of non-detect data, determining when sufficient data have been collected, and post investigation analysis of geological and environmental data are given. These statistical methods are applied to data from an ESC demonstration at a former manufactured gas plant where soils were contaminated with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and an ESC project at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to characterize metal, pesticide, and volatile organic contamination in groundwater. A recommended approach to the use of geophysical methods and direct push technologies, in conjunction with geostatistical methods, for the characterization of the geologic environment and contaminant spatial distribution is developed. A summary of the USEPA Data Quality Objectives process, the USDOE Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration, and the USEPA Site Accelerated Cleanup Model is given, with focus on how ESC fits into the environmental restoration process

Water and Nutrient Research: In-field and Offsite Strategies—2005 Annual Report

Much of Iowa is characterized by relatively flat, poorly-drained soils which, with extensive artificial subsurface drainage, have became some of the most valuable, productive lands in the State. In 2002, the average land value for the 22-county area making up most of the Des Moines Lobe was $2,436 an acre, and 80.5% of that area was in row-crops (42.9% in corn and 37.6% soybeans). However, this drained land has also become a source of significant NO3 loss because of the changes in land-use and hydrology brought about by tile drainage. While surface runoff is decreased with subsurface drainage (resulting in decreased losses of sediment, ammonium-nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and micro-organisms), subsurface flow and leaching losses of NO3 are increased. This is due mostly to an increase in volume and the “short-circuiting” of subsurface flow, but also in part to the increased aeration of organic-rich soils with potentially increased mineralization and formation of NO3 (and less denitrification) in the soil profile. The problem of excess nutrient loads can probably be ameliorated by a combination of in field and off site practices, but the limitations and appropriateness of alternative practices must be understood and outcomes must be measurable. Promising in field practices include nutrient management, drainage management, and alternative cropping systems. Nitrate-removal wetlands are a proven edge-of-field practice for reducing nitrate loads to downstream water bodies and are a particularly promising approach in tile drained landscapes. Strategies are needed that can achieve measurable and predictable reductions in the export of nutrients from tile drained landscapes. The principal objectives of this project are (1) to evaluate the performance of nutrient management, drainage management, and alternative cropping systems with respect to profitability and export of water and nutrients (nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus) from tile drained systems and (2) to evaluate the performance of nitrate-removal wetlands in reducing nitrate export from tile drained systems. This annual report describes activities related to objectives 1 and 2 along with outreach activities that were directly related to this project. Results for crop year 2005 are described

Studies on the Influence of Ultraviolet Light on Initiation in Skin Tumorigenesis

The effect of shortwave ultraviolet (UV) light applied once or 10 times on initiation by 7, 12-dimethtybenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in two-stage skin carcinogenesis was studied croton oil was used as promoter. The results showed that a single UV treatment increased the formation of benign tumors when given prior to initiation-promotion. The incidence of benign tumors decreased significantly when 10 doses of UV light were given after initiation, although a few carcinomas and sarcomas occurred, suggesting a summative effect of both agents

Motivations for dairy farmers in Dalarna

Detta kandidatarbete syftar till att beskriva vad som driver mjölkbönder i Dalarna. I ett land där många mjölkbönder lägger ner sin verksamhet väcks nyfikenhet på vad som driver de kvarvarande. Vid fem intervjuer med bönder har tre teman växt fram, vilka är entreprenörskap, gårdstyp och social hållbarhet. Temana knyts samman och jämförs med tidigare forskning. Studien har samhällsvetenskaplig inriktning och är kvalitativ. Den har ett fokus på just mjölkbönder i Dalarna och är således inte generaliserbar för alla mjölkbönder i Sverige. Dock är resultatet talande för den lite mindre mjölkbonden i skogsbygden

The taste of mountains : a study of Sami food production for future challenges

Genom regeringens satsning Matlandet Sverige har Sametinget fått medel för att satsa på den samiska maten. Satsningarna har bidragit till att placera den samiska maten på den svenska matkartan, men en tydlig och gemensamt förankrad framtidsstrategi för den samiska maten har saknats. Denna examensuppsats för Agronomprogrammet med landsbygdsutveckling som inriktning ämnar skapa en bild av vad den samiska maten är för samerna, samt hur samerna i framtiden ska marknadsföra och profilera maten. Samer är Europas enda ursprungsbefolkning och en stor del av deras identitet kretsar kring rennäringen och den traditionella kulturen kring renen. Exploateringar och det instrumentella samhället hotar rennäringen och samernas traditionella leverne. Sápmi är en gastronomisk region med stark terroir i maten, vilket betyder att maten bär på ursprung, historia, platsbundenhet och kultur. Egenskaper som gör maten eftertraktad bland utvalda grupper i samhället. Att hitta dessa grupper som inom sitt kulturella kapital får smak för den samiska maten och marknadsföra maten med de starka mervärden den bär på är de viktigaste kanalerna för att arbeta vidare med spridandet av samisk mat.By the Swedish government initiative Matlandet Sverige got Sametinget funds to initiative the Sami food. The initiatives have put the Sami food on the Swedish foodmap, but a clear and common strategy for the future was missing. This essay intends to create a picture of what the Sami food is for Sami people, and how the Sami people in the future will promote and profile the food. Sami is the only indigenous people in Europe and the Reindeer herding and traditional culture is an important part of their identity. Exploitations and the instrumental society are threatening the Reindeer herding and the Sami traditional living. The Sami food is strongly pervade by tradition and culture, which makes the food a carrier of great added value. Sápmi is a gastronomic region with terroir in the Sami food, the food carries origin, history, place and culture, values that makes the food vulnerable for special groups in the society. To find these groups, that through their culture capital got taste for the Sami food and advertise the food through the strong added value that’s in it is the most important canals for further work with the Sami food

Water and Nutrient Research: In-field and Offsite Strategies—2005/2006 Annual Report

Much of Iowa is characterized by relatively flat, poorly-drained soils which, with extensive artificial subsurface drainage, have became some of the most valuable, productive lands in the state. In 2002, the average land value for the 22-county area making up most of the Des Moines Lobe was $2,436 an acre, and 80.5% of that area was in row-crops (42.9% in corn and 37.6% soybeans). However, this drained land has also become a source of significant NO3 loss because of the changes in land-use and hydrology brought about by tile drainage. While surface runoff is decreased with subsurface drainage (resulting in decreased losses of sediment, ammoniumnitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and micro-organisms), subsurface flow and leaching losses of NO3 are increased. This is due mostly to an increase in volume and the “short-circuiting” of subsurface flow, but also in part to the increased aeration of organic-rich soils with potentially increased mineralization and formation of NO3 (and less denitrification) in the soil profile. The problem of excess nutrient loads can probably be ameliorated by a combination of in field and off site practices, but the limitations and appropriateness of alternative practices must be understood and outcomes must be measurable. Promising in field practices include nutrient management, drainage management, and alternative cropping systems. Nitrate-removal wetlands are a proven edge-of-field practice for reducing nitrate loads to downstream water bodies and are a particularly promising approach in tile drained landscapes. Strategies are needed that can achieve measurable and predictable reductions in the export of nutrients from tile drained landscapes. The principal objectives of this project are (1) to evaluate the performance of nutrient management, drainage management, and alternative cropping systems with respect to profitability and export of water and nutrients (nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus) from tile drained systems and (2) to evaluate the performance of nitrate-removal wetlands in reducing nitrate export from tile drained systems. This annual report describes activities related to objectives 1 and 2 along with outreach activities that were directly related to this project. For objective 1, both crop year 2005 and 2006 are presented

Water and Nutrient Research: In-field and Offsite Strategies—2010 Annual Report

Much of Iowa is characterized by relatively flat, poorly-drained areas which with extensive subsurface drainage, have became some of the most valuable, productive land in the State. However, this drained land has also become a source of significant NO3 loss because of the changes in land-use and hydrology brought about by tile drainage. While surface runoff is decreased with subsurface drainage (resulting in decreased losses of sediment, ammoniumnitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and micro-organisms), subsurface flow and leaching losses of NO3 are increased. This is due mostly to an increase in volume and the “short-circuiting” of subsurface flow, but also in part to the increased aeration of organic-rich soils with potentially increased mineralization and formation of NO3 (and less denitrification) in the soil profile. The problem of excess nutrient loads can probably be ameliorated by a combination of in field and off site practices, but the limitations and appropriateness of alternative practices must be understood and outcomes must be measurable. Promising in field practices include nutrient management, drainage management, and alternative cropping systems. Nitrate-removal wetlands are a proven edge-of-field practice for reducing nitrate loads to downstream water bodies and are a particularly promising approach in tile drained landscapes. Strategies are needed that can achieve measurable and predictable reductions in the export of nutrients from tile drained landscapes. The principal objectives of this project are (1) to evaluate the performance of nutrient management, drainage management, and alternative cropping systems with respect to profitability and export of water and nutrients (nitrate-nitrogen and total phosphorus) from tile drained systems and (2) to evaluate the performance of nitrate-removal wetlands in reducing nitrate export from tile drained systems. This annual report describes activities related to objectives 1 and 2 along with outreach activities that were directly related to this project. Results for crop year 2010 are described

Potential Benefits of Wetland Filters for Tile Drainage Systems: Impact on Nitrate Loads to Mississippi River Subbasins

The primary objective of this project was to estimate the nitrate reduction that could be achieved using restored wetlands as nitrogen sinks in tile-drained regions of the upper Mississippi River (UMR) and Ohio River basins. This report provides an assessment of nitrate concentrations and loads across the UMR and Ohio River basins and the mass reduction of nitrate loading that could be achieved using wetlands to intercept nonpoint source nitrate loads. Nitrate concentration and stream discharge data were used to calculate stream nitrate loading and annual flow-weighted average (FWA) nitrate concentrations and to develop a model of FWA nitrate concentration based on land use. Land use accounts for 90% of the variation among stations in long term FWA nitrate concentrations and was used to estimate FWA nitrate concentrations for a 100 ha grid across the UMR and Ohio River basins. Annual water yield for grid cells was estimated by interpolating over selected USGS monitoring station water yields across the UMR and Ohio River basins. For 1990 to 1999, mass nitrate export from each grid area was estimated as the product of the FWA nitrate concentration, water yield and grid area. To estimate potential nitrate removal by wetlands across the same grid area, mass balance simulations were used to estimate percent nitrate reduction for hypothetical wetland sites distributed across the UMR and Ohio River basins. Nitrate reduction was estimated using a temperature dependent, area-based, firstorder model. Model inputs included local temperature from the National Climatic Data Center and water yield estimated from USGS stream flow data. Results were used to develop a nonlinear model for percent nitrate removal as a function of hydraulic loading rate (HLR) and temperature. Mass nitrate removal for potential wetland restorations distributed across the UMR and Ohio River basin was estimated based on the expected mass load and the predicted percent removal. Similar functions explained most of the variability in per cent and mass removal reported for field scale experimental wetlands in the UMR and Ohio River basins. Results suggest that a 30% reduction in nitrate load from the UMR and Ohio River basins could be achieved using 210,000-450,000 ha of wetlands targeted on the highest nitrate contributing areas

Integrated Drainage-Wetland Systems for Reducing Nitrate Loads from Des Moines Lobe Watersheds

The main subject area for this project is the Des Moines Lobe in north-central Iowa drained mostly by the Des Moines, Raccoon, Iowa, and Skunk Rivers. The Des Moines Lobe represents the southernmost extent of the Prairie Pothole Region and is a relatively flat landscape with very poor natural drainage. However, as a result of extensive subsurface ―tile drainage,‖ the Des Moines Lobe has become some of the most valuable and productive land in the world. In 2011, the average land value in north-central Iowa was $7,356 an acre, and 80.5% of that area was in row-crops (42.9% in corn and 37.6% soybeans). Unfortunately, the Des Moines Lobe has also become a source of significant NO3- loading to downstream waters. The elevated nitrate loads from the Des Moines Lobe are largely a result of the changes in land-use and hydrology brought about by subsurface ―tile drainage‖. Tile drainage has historically been treated and continues today as a conservation practice because it decreases surface runoff, thus reducing surface transported contaminants such as phosphorus, sediment, ammonium-nitrogen, pesticides and pathogens. However, tile drainage also increases subsurface flow and leaching losses of NO3-. This is due mostly to an increase in the subsurface fraction of the total annual discharge and the short-circuiting of subsurface flow, but also in part to the increased aeration of organic-rich soils with potentially increased mineralization and nitrification and decreased denitrification in the soil profile. Iowa and the other Corn Belt states contribute a large share of the N and P loads transported by the Mississippi River and these have been identified as primary drivers of Gulf hypoxia. The Hypoxia Action Plan calls for 45% reductions in both N and P loads. Although some alternative cropping systems, such as small grains, alfalfa, or other sod-based crops/rotations, can substantially reduce both N and P losses, these alternatives have major economic implications as well as environmental concerns of increasing row crop production pressure on more highly erosive and environmentally sensitive lands. Improved N management has the potential to reduce NO3- leaching, but that potential is much less than needed to address the problem of Gulf hypoxia. It is clear that a combination of approaches is needed, but it would be a mistake to approach practices on a piece meal basis, especially since some practices that reduce N loads can substantially increase P loads. In this project, we evaluated a structural approach integrating nitrate-removal wetlands with the emerging technologies of drainage modification. In combination with in field management, the integration of drainage and wetland systems will provide a dual nutrient strategy with potential to reduce N loads, reduce P loads and increase crop production. We evaluated the effects of drainage systems designed to reduce subsurface flow (controlled drainage and shallow drainage), drainage systems designed to reduce surface runoff, and targeted wetland restoration. The integration of drainage and wetland systems has the potential to simultaneously increase the number of wetland sites, push those sites closer to the NO3- source, and enhance wetland performance by increasing the average residence time in the wetlands. The integration of these approaches also provides opportunities for developing market-based solutions. Private and public interests coincide if we are able to couple increased water-use efficiency and crop yield due to drainage modification with improved water quality due to integrating drainage and wetland systems. This opens an array of possible strategies for leveraging funds, capabilities and activities of private and public sources

A single-cell platform for reconstituting and characterizing fatty acid elongase component enzymes

Fatty acids of more than 18-carbons, generally known as very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are essential for eukaryotic cell viability, and uniquely in terrestrial plants they are the precursors of the cuticular lipids that form the organism’s outer barrier to the environment. VLCFAs are synthesized by fatty acid elongase (FAE), which is an integral membrane enzyme system with multiple components. The genetic complexity of the FAE system, and its membrane association has hampered the biochemical characterization of FAE. In this study we computationally identified Zea mays genetic sequences that encode the enzymatic components of FAE and developed a heterologous expression system to evaluate their functionality. The ability of the maize components to genetically complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae lethal mutants confirmed the functionality of ZmKCS4, ZmELO1, ZmKCR1, ZmKCR2, ZmHCD and ZmECR, and the VLCFA profiles of the resulting strains were used to infer the ability of each enzyme component to determine the product profile of FAE. These characterizations indicate that the product profile of the FAE system is an attribute shared among the KCS, ELO, and KCR components of FAE