Acta Universitatis Carolinae
Environmentalica 20 (2006): 7–57
Dissolved Chemical Transport in Rivers of Papua New Guinea
T. PETR
Súdánská 596, CZ-160 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
Accepted May 15, 2006
Abstract: The requirement of the Papua New Guinea Government that every major development
programme in the country be preceded by a feasibility study, including environment, provided a unique
opportunity to collect information on the dissolved chemical transport in catchments of the five major PNG
rivers: Purari, Ramu, Sepik, Fly and Kikori. The estimated total annual discharge of the five rivers into the
seas is 607.3 km3, and the Fly and the Sepik, with their estimated discharge rates of 7400 m3/s and 7000
m3/s, respectively, deliver most of it. The rivers have a rock-dominated type of water chemistry as defined
by Gibbs (1970), and belong to the 98 per cent of surface waters, the chemistry of which is dominated by
calcium and bicarbonate ions. While the chemical denudation products mainly originate from sedimentary
rocks, the chemistry of streams and rivers of high mountains shows affinity with volcanic, plutonic and
metamorphic rocks. Details are given on rivers and streams of some sub-catchments, and where possible,
an attempt is made to relate the results to catchment geology. The total dissolved transport of Papua New
Guinea riversis in conformity with mean values calculated for the morphoclimatic type of high rainfall
tropical montane rivers as characterised by Meybeck (1979). Comparison is made with some other world
rivers with similar discharges.
Key words: total dissolved transport, conductivity, changes with altitude and discharge rates
Acta Universitatis Carolinae
Environmentalica 20 (2006): 59–72
Mobility of Heavy Metals and Sediment Geochemistry of Urban Streams in Prague
PETRA HNAŤUKOVÁ, LIBUŠE BENEŠOVÁ
Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague,
Benátska 2, CZ-128 01, Prague 2, Czech Republic
hnatukova@post.cz, lbenes@natur.cuni. cz
Accepted May 15, 2006
Abstract: Forms of six trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the grain size fraction < 63 m of bottom
sediment of two Prague streams – Botic and Kunraticky stream were analyzed in this paper. These urban
streams that discharge into Moldau River accumulates organic matter and metals that are mainly derived
from urban runoff. The modified BCR sequential extraction procedure was applied in order to assess
heavy metal mobility and distribution. Total metal contents were assessed after microwave digestion (EPA
3052) and simplex were characterised in terms of pH, grain size, loss of ignition (LOI) and water content.
The heavy metal contamination was evaluated by the enrichment factor (EF). EFs suggest that Botic is
moderately contaminated with Cd, Cu and Zn, while Kunraticky stream is significantly contaminated by
Cd. The relationship between total metal content and LOI and the metal distribution suggest that organic
matter is a major controlling factor for the metal content in the sediment of both streams.
Key words: stream sediments, trace elements, fractionation, sequential extraction
Acta Universitatis Carolinae
Environmentalica 20 (2006): 73–99
Applications of Spatial Modelling in Environmental Studies
LUBOŠ MATĚJÍČEK, EVA VÁVROVÁ, JANA KONRÁDOVÁ, TOMÁŠ GÖRNER
Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague Benátská 2, CZ-128
01, Prague 2, Czech Republic
lmatejic@natur.cuni.cz
Accepted May 15, 2006
Abstract: Spatial modelling focused on the integration of relationships into statistical analysis and numeric
modelling is demonstrated in the framework of three environmental case studies. Each study is
represented by specific environmental methodology and results that take advantage of GIS methods
implemented in ArcGIS developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
The first study is focused on succession dynamics of floor vegetation dominants in a declining mountain
Norway spruce forest. The digitized maps of particular soil coverage types together with floor vegetation
for the years 1995 and 2002 indicate that the diminishing canopy cover of Norway spruce stands resulted
firstly in successive expansion of Vaccinium myrtillus, subsequently in expansion of Calamagrostis villosa
and finally of Avenella fl exuosa. In some cases, Vaccinium myrtillus species can spread again under specific
conditions. These findings correspond well with the concept of herb layer succession in declining
mountain Norway spruce ecosystems presented by other authors.
The second study deals with the creation of digital maps representing meadows and pastures, their
management, and occurrence of protected plants and animals. The study is extended by digital elevation
models with flight visualization above the areas of interest and by GPS measurements. The maps of
meadows and pastures include GIS classification according to water content (89 mezic, 77 permanent
wet, 49 humid, 21 ruderal, 21 subxerophyte, 2 extremely wet) and to the content of nutrients (188
mesotropic, 50 oligotrophic, 31 ruderal). The map management is classified into four categories of
meadows (40% scythed, 34% without management, 14% pastured, 12% scythed and pastured). Meadows
with no management are indicated as the most frequent category. In the map of protected plants and
animals, Dactylorhyza majalis is the most frequent botanical species, and Lacerta
vivipara is the most frequent animal species.
The third study includes spatial processing of gamma spectrometric maps, geologic maps, a map of radon
risk, the results of indoor radon measurements and selected medical diagnoses (ioduria in children and
lung cancers). The measurements of indoor radon concentrations in 275 houses were estimated at an
average level of 274 Bq/m3. Furthermore, the measurements of ioduria (children 4–17 year old, 505
instances) are not significantly related to the geological layers and to the radioactivity of the road
pavements. Also, in the framework of the available measurements, no relationship was found between
incidences of lung cancer and their geographic locations. Even though the selected case studies
represented different research areas, the achieved results carried out in the GIS environment can be
integrated together to support more complex research on the level of risk assessment analysis.
Key words: spatial modelling, GIS, GPS, succession dynamics, management, radon risk
Acta Universitatis Carolinae
Environmentalica 20 (2006): 101–108
Biodegradation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls on Soft Coal Slag
JIŘÍ PALATÝA, JIŘÍ BURKHARDB, JAN KOLLERA, JAN BINDZARA, AND LUCIE KOCHÁNKOVÁB
A – Department of Water Technology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology,
Prague, Technická 5 CZ-166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic
B – Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Technická 5 CZ166 28, Prague 6, Czech Republic
Accepted May 15, 2006
Abstract: The use of soft coal slag for biodegradation of two commercial mixtures of PCBs (DELOR 103,
DELOR 106) was evaluated. A glass column was filled with 2 to 7 mm particles of slag. Model solutions
were sprinkled on the top of the 115 cm high column. The PCBs were assayed by the AOX (adsorbable
organic halogen compounds) method and gas chromatography. After adaptation of the micro-organisms
on the slag to the PCBs structure, passage through the column removed over 97% of DELOR 103, an
analogue of AROCLOR 1242, from its saturated aqueous solution. Similar efficiency was achieved when
the total concentration of DELOR 103 in the influent was increased by Slovasol O, a non-ionic
biodegradable detergent. DELOR 106, an equivalent of AROCLOR 1260, was degraded equally
effectively. Passage of the influent through a U-shaped pre-column filled with slag slurry depleted the
dissolved oxygen, but it did not affect the performance of the main aerobic column.
Key words: DELOR 103, DELOR 106, Detergent Slovasol O, detergent and anoxia effect
Acta Universitatis Carolinae
Environmentalica 20 (2006): 109–120
Methodology and Results of Bathymetric Measurements of the Selected High Tatras Glacial Lakes
MIROSLAV ŠOBR1), JULIUS ČESÁK2)
Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague,
Albertov 6, CZ-128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic
1) e-mail: sobr@natur.cuni.cz 2) e-mail: julekc@natur.cuni.cz
Accepted May 15, 2006
Abstract: The article presents results of bathymetric measurements of nine High Tatras lakes. The method
of measuring lake plan and depth was identical with all surveyed lakes. Plan measurement was carried
out by orthogonal method with the use of closed polygonal traverse and rectangular coordinates. The plan
bearing is followed by depth measuring, which was performed from a rubber boat with the use of an echo
sounder. With the use of Surfer software (Kriging method), the depths were interpolated and the
bathymetric map plotted. MapInfo and Surfer software was used for determination of morphometrical
characteristics.
Keywords: glacial lakes, High Tatras, metodology of bathymetric measurements, morphometry