A simple approach to assess water scarcity integrating water quantity and quality

Water scarcity has become widespread all over the world. Current methods for water scarcity assessment are mainly based on water quantity and seldom consider water quality. Here, we develop a simple approach for assessing water scarcity considering both water quantity and quality. In this approach, a new water scarcity index is used to describe the severity of water scarcity in the form of a water scarcity meter, which may help to communicate water scarcity to a wider audience. To illustrate the approach, we analyzed the historical trend of water scarcity for Beijing city in China during 1995–2009. The results show that Beijing made a huge progress in mitigating water scarcity, and that from 1999 to 2009 the blue and grey water scarcity index decreased by 59% and 62%, respectively. These achievements were made through great efforts of water-saving measures and wastewater treatment. Despite this progress, we demonstrate that Beijing is still characterized by serious water scarcity due to both water quantity and quality. The water scarcity index remained at a high value of 3.5 with a blue and grey water scarcity index of 1.2 and 2.3 in 2009 (exceeding the thresholds of 0.4 and 1, respectively). As a result of unsustainable water use and pollution, groundwater levels continue to decline, and water quality shows a continuously deteriorating trend. To curb this trend, future water policies should further decrease water withdrawal from local sources (in particular groundwater) within Beijing, and should limit the grey water footprint below the total amount of water resources.     

科尔沁沙地4种植物抗旱性的比较研究

对科尔沁沙地小叶锦鸡儿,紫穗槐,差巴嘎蒿和胡枝子4种植物的若干水分生理生态指标进行了测定。结果表明,小叶锦鸡儿具有低水势,高水力和束缚水／自由水比及水分利用效率,抗旱性强;紫穗槐的各项指标与小叶锦鸡儿相反,抗旱性最差;差巴嘎蒿虽然水势较高,但它的持水力高,束缚水／自由水比和水分利用效率都较高,抗旱性也较强,但次于小叶锦鸡儿;胡枝子的水势和持水力较低,束缚水／自由水比及水分利用效率一般,它的抗旱性强于紫穗槐,但比差巴嘎蒿差。     

Inferring foliar water uptake using stable isotopes of water

A growing number of studies have described the direct absorption of water into leaves, a phenomenon known as foliar water uptake. The resultant increase in the amount of water in the leaf can be important for plant function. Exposing leaves to isotopically enriched or depleted water sources has become a common method for establishing whether or not a plant is capable of carrying out foliar water uptake. However, a careful inspection of our understanding of the fluxes of water isotopes between leaves and the atmosphere under high humidity conditions shows that there can clearly be isotopic exchange between the two pools even in the absence of a change in the mass of water in the leaf. We provide experimental evidence that while leaf water isotope ratios may change following exposure to a fog event using water with a depleted oxygen isotope ratio, leaf mass only changes when leaves are experiencing a water deficit that creates a driving gradient for the uptake of water by the leaf. Studies that rely on stable isotopes of water as a means of studying plant water use, particularly with respect to foliar water uptake, must consider the effects of these isotopic exchange processes.     

Water mites as indicators of natural aquatic ecosystems of the coastal dunes of the Netherlands and northwestern France

A large number of coastal dune waters in the Netherlands and northwestern France have been investigated for the occurrence of water mites. Dune waters turned out to be very rich in water mite species. In the Dutch dunes, 110 species of water mites have been found; this is 50 % of the total number of water mite species present in the Netherlands. In the French dunes 64 species have been found. The water mites most characteristic of the coastal dunes are the temporary water species. Dune areas with a high-lying hinterland have a water mite composition much different from dune areas with a low-lying hinterland. This can be explained by the existence of a very different hydrology. During the last century human activity affected the ground water of dunes. Afforestation and extraction of ground water for drinking water purposes caused a lowering of the ground water table. As a result, many dune slacks dried out. Moreover, the infiltration of river water caused an eutrophication of the ground water. Nowadays, the dunes most rich in typical water mite species are the dunes in which neither infiltration of river water nor extraction for drinking water purposes, occur. It can be concluded that water mites are good indicators for dune areas with a natural hydrology.     

Effects of slightly acidic electrolysed drinking water on mice

Slightly acidic electrolysed (SAE) water is a sanitizer with strong bactericidal activity due to hypochlorous acid. We assessed the safety of SAE water as drinking water for mice at a 5 ppm total residual chlorine (TRC) concentration to examine the possibility of SAE water as a labour- and energy-saving alternative to sterile water. We provided SAE water or sterile water to mice for 12 weeks, during which time we recorded changes in body weight and weekly water and food intakes. At the end of the experiment, all of the subject animals were sacrificed to assess serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels and to examine the main organs histopathologically under a light microscope. In addition, we investigated the bacteria levels of both types of water. We found no difference in functional and morphological health condition indices between the groups. Compared with sterile water, SAE water had a relatively higher ability to suppress bacterial growth. We suggest that SAE water at 5 ppm TRC is a safe and useful alternative to sterile water for use as drinking water in laboratory animal facilities.     

基于投入产出方法的甘肃省水足迹及虚拟水贸易研究

随着社会化进程的加快,地处西北内陆的甘肃省正面临日益严峻的水资源短缺危机,社会经济发展受到一定程度的制约,水生态环境也呈现出恶化的趋势。水足迹是近年来提出的衡量人类活动对于水生态系统影响的指标,能够帮助决策者制定水资源管理及保护的政策,从而实现地区水资源的可持续利用。运用单区域投入产出方法计算并分析了甘肃省1997、2002和2007年第一产业、第二产业和第三产业部门的虚拟水强度、水足迹以及虚拟水贸易情况。结果显示:(1)甘肃省第一产业的虚拟水强度最高,但呈现出逐年下降的趋势,水足迹也因此有所下降;(2)虚拟水贸易方面,甘肃省以虚拟水净出口为主,尤其是第一产业,每年虚拟水净出口量约全省总水资源量的10%。建议甘肃省继续巩固已有的节水成果,调整产业结构,大力发展节水型产业和高新技术产业。同时建议适当调整贸易格局,合理控制虚拟水出口,以缓解当地水资源短缺危机,保障地区水安全与生态安全。     

飞来峡水库水质现状及其向广州供水能力的探讨

水库供水(特别是对城市的供水)已成为缓解全球水资源供给不足的重要途径。于2001年至2003年的丰水期和枯水期调查分析了新建河流型水库-飞来峡水库的水质、浮游植物群落特征和营养状态。结果表明飞来峡水库水质良好,多数水质指标为地表水Ⅱ水质标准,其营养盐浓度、浮游植物的密度均较低,属于贫中营养。从近几年的水质变化来看,建库后,水质改善明显。通过对广州市饮用水源水水质现状及存在问题的分析,从水质和水量两方面探讨了飞来峡水水库作为广州优质水源地的优势。由于来水量大,水库水质净化能力强,飞来峡水库水质和水量均有保证,可作为广州市重要水源地之一。但今后,在流域管理和水土保持工作更应重视和加强。     

Knot formation reduces water exchange by adult males of the hairworm,Paragordius varius (Nematomorpha: Gordioidea)

To examine how aggregation by hairworms may enhance survival in freshwater, we determined water balance characteristics of Paragordius varius in groups of different sizes. P. varius is hyperosmotic resulting in high body water content and functions down to one-half of water stores. Absence of a critical transition temperature implies a watertight, low-porosity cuticle. Aggregated worms lose water slowly, as a physiological consequence of reduced motor activity. The water balance strategy shifts from a reliance on high dehydration tolerance for isolated individuals, affording high water loss rates, to suppressed activation energy when aggregated, wherein blocking water gain is important when water loss is slower. Low water loss rate derives from stillness and aggregating that facilitate mating or anti-predator defense, rather than as a behavior to regulate water loss. Presence of hairworms in streams is an indicator of high-quality water that is necessary to maintain water balance.     

Attraction of slimy sculpins to chemical cues of brook charr eggs

In a laboratory study to examine the responses of slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus to chemical cues of brook charr Salvelinus fontinalis eggs, water that held freshly laid eggs (<20 min old), water-hardened eggs (i.e. eggs >4 h old) or injured eggs was collected and used in a series of two-choice tests. Slimy sculpin were exposed to paired stimuli of (1) hard egg water v . control water, (2) fresh egg water v . control water, (3) hard egg water v . injured egg water or (4) hard egg water v . fresh egg water. Sculpin spent considerably more time on the side of the tank with hard egg water and fresh egg water v . control water and injured egg water v . hard egg water. Sculpin did not show a preference for hard egg water v . fresh egg water. In a field study, brook charr were attracted to chemical cues from brook charr eggs, suggesting that brook charr eggs produce sufficient odour to attract some species under natural conditions.     

Interaction of water with egg lecithin in benzene solution

Benzene solutions of purified egg lecithin, with small amounts of water added, have been examined by 60 MHz and 100 MHz NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectrophotometry and phase contrast microscopy. The transverse relaxation times of the water, N-methyl and OH protons are dependent on water concentration. This dependence changes sharply for the water proton at a level of one water molecule per lecithin monohydrate molecule. These results do not fully agree with those reported by other workers. Four mathematical models are examined which could account for the behaviour of the water protons. Models which assume a constant transverse relaxation time for water protons above a level of one water molecule per lecithin molecule cannot predict the behaviour observed. It is sufficient to assume that water protons above this concentration have a single relaxation time which is a linear function of water concentration. The added water associates primarily with the phosphate in the lecithin head group. Above nine water molecules per lecithin monohydrate molecule free water is present in the system.     

基于多区域投入产出分析的京津冀地区虚拟水核算

通过贸易与消费调控实现区域水资源优化配置已成为缓解地区水资源压力的途径之一。跨区域投入产出分析可为地区间虚拟水贸易战略提供依据。基于2012年京津冀地区投入产出表与生产用水量构建了跨地区虚拟水核算模型,计算了隐含在经济贸易中的虚拟水总量及各地区各部门的直接用水系数、完全用水系数和拉动系数,分析了各部门虚拟水进出口情况,识别了重点耗水部门。结果表明:京津冀地区呈现虚拟水净出口状态,其中净出口部门主要为北京的服务与交通业,河北的农业和制造业。京津冀的农业、矿业和水供应业在生产过程中直接消耗水量大,应注重提升用水效率及节水技术的开发;三地制造业、建筑业和服务与交通业的平均拉动系数较大,这说明其他部门生产活动对该部门依赖性较大,其单位产出的提高将带动整个地区更多虚拟水量的投入。此外,河北的农业和制造业为京津冀各部门输送了大量虚拟水,为各部门生产提供了支撑,是节水的重点部门,应着重调整其产业结构,并从直接和间接用水两方面入手减少水资源消耗。计算了京津冀地区不同部门的直接、间接水资源消耗、水资源消耗拉动系数,以及部门间的虚拟水贸易情况,结果可为该地区部门间水资源配置和虚拟水战略的制定提供基础。     

基于水足迹理论的煤制油产业布局评价

煤制油是我国应对石油危机的重要途径之一,但其高耗水的特点使其备受争议。利用水足迹理论对全国五大煤炭基地2015年规划的煤制油产业进行了蓝水足迹和灰水足迹的测算,分析了煤制油产业对这些区域水资源的耗用情况及冲击程度。结果显示,神东、晋东和新疆伊犁3个基地的煤制油产业蓝水足迹超过了1亿t、灰水足迹超过了3亿t,其中神东地区作为最大的煤制油产地两项数值分别达到1.9亿t和4.1亿t与当地水资源总量对比,宁东地区煤制油耗水冲击最大,占当地水资源总量的28.2%;新疆伊犁地区比例最小,为0.36%。通过对这5个煤炭基地以区域为尺度的水足迹结构分析和评价比较,得出了两种煤制油工艺的水资源消耗差异,并且为煤制油产业在五大基地的合理布局给出了依据,与此同时为接下来煤制油产业的技术革新和流程优化也提出了相应的建议。     

Heats of fusion of various amounts of absorbed water in wool keratin

Wool–water systems, at water contents above a threshold value of 22.7 g of water per 100 g of wool keratin, yielded curves of specific heat against temperature showing peaks that are ascribed to the fusion of the absorbed water. Integral and incremental heats of fusion were obtained. Integral heats increase as the square of the water content above the threshold, and incremental heats follow a linear relationship. The incremental heat reaches a value of 55 cal/absorbed water, at the saturation water content, at 0°C of 33.9 g of water per 100 g of keratin. The state of the absorbed water is discussed. Clustering of water molecules takes place only above the threshold water content.     

The influence of shade and clouds on soil water potential: The buffered behavior of hydraulic lift

In the sagebrush/bunchgrass steppe of the North American Great Basin soil water potential has been shown to exhibit diel fluctuations with water potential increasing during the night as a result of water loss from roots in relatively dry soil layers. We hypothesized that environmental conditions promoting low transpiration rates (shading, cloudiness) would cause a net increase in soil water potential as a result of reduced soil water depletion during the day and continuing water efflux from roots during the night. We examined the response of soil water potential to artificial shading in sagebrush/bunchgrass plantings and used a simple model to predict how soil water potential should respond to reduced transpiration. Field measurements of soil water potential indicated that shading reduced daytime soil water depletion, but that the magnitude of the soil water potential increase during the night was related to the magnitude of the soil water potential decline during the preceding day. As a result, shading had little net effect on soil water potential. This behavior was consistent with model results and appears to result from the fact that soil water depletion during the day is largely responsible for creating the water potential gradients that drive nocturnal recharge of the shallow soil layers. The overall effect of such behavior is to buffer the seasonal course of soil water depletion in the rooting zone against day-to-day fluctuations in evapotranspiration. Despite the buffered behavior of soil water potential change, reduced evapotranspiration during light summer rains, and resulting soil water redistribution in the rooting zone, may enhance plant water status to a greater extent that would be expected on the basis of the rainfall received.     

水足迹研究进展

水为生命之源,水资源的合理分配与科学管理是区域可持续发展与流域综合管理的核心环节;水足迹作为一种全面核算人类活动对水资源真实占用的综合指标,将人类消费终端与水资源利用密切关联,为维护流域水资源安全、提高区域水资源利用效率提供了重要的科学依据,已成为当前国际水资源管理的前沿研究领域。在明确水足迹及水资源生态足迹相关概念的基础上,对比分析了水足迹与生态足迹、水资源生态足迹模型的异同,明晰了过程、产品及区域等不同研究对象的水足迹核算方法,系统梳理了产品和区域水足迹评价、基于水足迹的区域水资源安全研究、区域水足迹可持续性分析等水足迹主要研究内容的近今进展,并展望了进一步的重点研究方向,即水足迹综合研究、水足迹评价不确定性分析、水足迹与物质流核算的关联研究,以及基于足迹整合的可持续发展多维测度等。     

Responses of Methanotrophic Activity in Soils and Cultures to Water Stress

Diffusive gas transport at high water contents and physiological water stress at low water contents limited atmospheric methane consumption rates during experimental manipulations of soil water content and water potential. Maximum rates of atmospheric methane consumption occurred at a soil water content of 25% (grams per gram [dry weight]) and a water potential of about -0.2 MPa. In contrast, uptake rates were highest at a water content of 38% and a water potential of -0.03 MPa when methane was initially present at 200 ppm. Uptake rates of atmospheric and elevated methane decreased when water potentials were reduced by adding either ionic or nonionic solutes to soils with a fixed water content. Uptake rates during these manipulations were lower when sodium chloride or potassium chloride was used to adjust water potential rather than sucrose. The response of methane consumption by soils to water potential was somewhat less pronounced than the response of methanotrophic cultures (e.g., Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, Methylomonas rubra [= M. methanica], an isolate from a freshwater peat, and an isolate from an intertidal marine mudflat). However, unlike soils, methanotrophic cultures exhibited a stronger adverse response to nonionic solutes than to sodium chloride.     

Analysis of cellular water content in T cells reveals a switch from slow metabolic water gain to rapid water influx prior to cell division

Cell growth is driven by the acquisition and synthesis of both dry biomass and water mass. In this study, we examine the increase of water mass in T cell during cell growth. We found that T-cell growth is characterized by an initial phase of slow increase in cellular water, followed by a second phase of rapid increase in water content. To study the origin of the water gain, we developed a novel methodology we call cold aqua trap-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, which allows analysis of the isotope composition of intracellular water. Applying cold aqua trap-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, we discovered that glycolysis-coupled metabolism of water accounts on average for 11 fl out of the 20 fl of water gained per cell during the initial slow phase. In addition, we show that at the end of the rapid phase before initiation of cell division, a water influx occurs, increasing the cellular water mass by threefold. Thus, we conclude that activated T cells switch from metabolizing water to rapidly taking up water from the extracellular medium prior to cell division. Our work provides a method to analyze cell water content as well as insights into the ways cells regulate their water mass.     

Tracing water sources of terrestrial animal populations with stable isotopes: laboratory tests with crickets and spiders

Fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water between ecosystem components and organisms have great impacts across levels of biological organization. Although much progress has been made in tracing carbon and nitrogen, difficulty remains in tracing water sources from the ecosystem to animals and among animals (the "water web"). Naturally occurring, non-radioactive isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water provide a potential method for tracing water sources. However, using this approach for terrestrial animals is complicated by a change in water isotopes within the body due to differences in activity of heavy and light isotopes during cuticular and transpiratory water losses. Here we present a technique to use stable water isotopes to estimate the mean mix of water sources in a population by sampling a group of sympatric animals over time. Strong correlations between H and O isotopes in the body water of animals collected over time provide linear patterns of enrichment that can be used to predict a mean mix of water sources useful in standard mixing models to determine relative source contribution. Multiple temperature and humidity treatment levels do not greatly alter these relationships, thus having little effect on our ability to estimate this population-level mix of water sources. We show evidence for the validity of using multiple samples of animal body water, collected across time, to estimate the isotopic mix of water sources in a population and more accurately trace water sources. The ability to use isotopes to document patterns of animal water use should be a great asset to biologists globally, especially those studying drylands, droughts, streamside areas, irrigated landscapes, and the effects of climate change.     

A critique on the water-scarcity weighted water footprint in LCA

The water footprint (WF) has been developed within the water resources research community as a volumetric measure of freshwater appropriation. The concept is used to assess water use along supply chains, sustainability of water use within river basins, efficiency of water use, equitability of water allocation and dependency on water in the supply chain. With the purpose of integrating the WF in life cycle assessment of products, LCA scholars have proposed to weight the original volumetric WF by the water scarcity in the catchment where the WF is located, thus obtaining a water-scarcity weighted WF that reflects the potential local environmental impact of water consumption. This paper provides an elaborate critique on this proposal. The main points are: (1) counting litres of water use differently based on the level of local water scarcity obscures the actual debate about water scarcity, which is about allocating water resources to competing uses and depletion at a global scale; (2) the neglect of green water consumption ignores the fact that green water is scarce as well; (3) since water scarcity in a catchment increases with growing overall water consumption in the catchment, multiplication of the consumptive water use of a specific process or activity with water scarcity implies that the resultant weighted WF of a process or activity will be affected by the WFs of other processes or activities, which cannot be the purpose of an environmental performance indicator; (4) the LCA treatment of the WF is inconsistent with how other environmental footprints are defined; and (5) the Water Stress Index, the most cited water scarcity metric in the LCA community, lacks meaningful physical interpretation. It is proposed to incorporate the topic of freshwater scarcity in LCA as a “natural resource depletion” category, considering depletion from a global perspective. Since global freshwater demand is growing while global freshwater availability is limited, it is key to measure the comparative claim of different products on the globe's limited accessible and usable freshwater flows.     

A comprehensive analysis of blue water scarcity from the production,consumption, and water transfer perspectives

The issue of growing water scarcity has been increasingly perceived as a global systemic risk. To solve it, an integrated approach considering different perspectives of water scarcity is at a premise. In this study, we developed an approach to calculate the blue water scarcity (BWS) and integrated the production, consumption, and water transfer perspectives into a single framework. The results are as follows: The average BWS in the Hetao irrigation district was 0.491 during the 2001–2010 year period, which was much larger than the threshold of 0.30, indicating a high water stress level. From the production perspective, the agricultural sector was the largest contributor to regional water scarcity and the average BWS was as high as 0.479. From the consumption perspective, BWS related to virtual water export was much larger than that related to water consumption for making products to be consumed locally and the values were 0.422 and 0.069, respectively. Under the influence of physical and virtual water transfer, BWS changed from 0.242 (medium to high water stress level) to 0.491 (high water stress level). Strategies for reducing agricultural water consumption, such as increasing crop water productivity, improving irrigation efficiency, and promoting more reasonable irrigation water price, could be adopted in the Hetao irrigation district to alleviate regional BWS. Compared with physical and virtual water import, the virtual water export played a more important role in influencing the regional water scarcity, and the increase in crop water productivity, decrease in crop export volume, or adjustment of trade pattern from water-intensive crops to water-extensive ones could be feasible measures to decrease virtual water export for lower water stress, while the trade-offs in the product-consuming regions should be considered.