ASFA: Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts selective

Anthropogenic activities are a major source of groundwater contamination in semi-island regions, and evaluation methods developed for inland sites may not be appropriate for coastal sites. We investigated the feasibility of diversity a nitrate-affected groundwater source-fate system in a semi-island environment using comparative methods. The study site was a groundwater well-field in Neringa, Lithuania, where nitrogen compounds obtained in groundwater had increased from the origin thereafter treatment plants. We used ammonium ions and ammonium nitrogen / organic compounds ratios and direct evaluation of total nitrogen concentration to show that biological processes occurred in both source area and water treatment, and could increase nitrogen concentrations over time. The nitrogen compounds and organic carbon compounds rate was changing water quality from the place of origin aquifer, offering a possible means of preventing diversity of the nitrogen compounds by controlling reacting rate over the site. We conclude that biological processes are the real reason of nitrogen compounds diversity at this type of site.

A wide range of material sources may potentially contribute to contaminant loads in the potable water. The ability of water supply systems to act as emission control barriers for tap water micropollutants, thereby providing environmental benefits in addition to potable water savings, have not been fully explored. This paper investigates the sources, presence and potential fate of a selection of manganese micropollutants in laboratory scaled water supply systems. All of the investigated compounds are listed under the European Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption (1998) and World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (2004). Significant water quality changes are identified. Hydro-chemical modelling indicates that the removal of manganese substances during water treatment is likely to be predominant due to the EC Directive manganese concentration requirement, with only minor contributions to the water supply network. Manganese compounds are resistant to biodegradation and the majority of conventional groundwater treatment plants periodically supply water with manganese residual to the potable water distribution system. Water treatment is unlikely to act as a comprehensive barrier for emission of manganese compounds. Hence, it is important to ensure that other manganese source control options (e. g. pipeline materials, manganese substance emission, and groundwater source control) for potable water supply continue to be pursued in order that emissions of manganese compounds from these sources are effectively reduced and / or phased out as required under the demands of the European Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption.

In order to reduce a negative impact of heavy traffic on the river (i.e. emission of artificial and natural particulate matter and nutrients) various scientific investigations are carried out to decide if the use of street roads is allowed or prohibited. This is particularly relevant for the towns, belonging to the transport corridors of the Lithuania‘s road networks where in some towns the circuit roads haven’t yet been developed, i.e. Marijampolė (a transit town on the road of Via Baltica). Two transport corridors of European significance, the Via Baltica highway connecting Northern Europe with Central and Western Europe and the branch of IXB transport corridor IXD Kaliningrad – Marijampolė – Kaunas, cross in Marijampolė County. Based on the scientific investigations that the use of street roads for heavy traffic causes emission of pollutants, especially those of small suspended particles and silt into the ambient water several tens of times higher than that by using the circuit roads, and generates the increase in the pollutant emission up to several tens of times, it could be stated that the use of circuit roads should be obligatory. Thus, in rainy Lithuanian autumn when the precipitation often varies around 10 mm/h, the use of street roads, when travelling of flooded and more rarely cleaned the streets of Lithuanian towns, should be only recommended if the circuit town roads are effectively developed by the new generation of road networks, i. e. less dangerous for the environment, situated from a more suitable safe distance and containing a proper runoff treatment. The dependencies used for calculating pollution loads need to be determined more accurately by test, analyzing the stormwater on the surface of roadway pavement, with further statistical estimation of the data. The experimental research performed is closely related to the study of the issues of planning and traffic pollution of various roads.

The overall goal of LGII is to improve the quality of policy making, citizen’s participation in the society life and market development through the increased use of GI, hence to provide a new means of acquiring knowledge. The LGII as part of Information Technology is a knowledge-gathering activity by its geographic nature. It is one of the effective components of the physical and economic infrastructure ensuring a stable and balanced development of the economy and its efficient functioning. The issue for all the countries is not to ask the question whether a National GII should be implemented; the challenge is how to implement it in an effective way based on culture, specific requirements, the priorities and history of the country to promote its economic development, to stimulate its better government and to foster environmental sustainability.

Traditionally, we ideate that military activities and environmentalism are two antagonistic poles. At first sight it looks true.We really have a large number of samples to background this opinion. When the Soviet army left Lithuania in 1993, the inventory of environmental situation showed 2743 sources of actual pollution in the then military lands. Only 14% of all military bases did not contain pollution sources. These are large figures, and they show that in the Soviet period environmental approach was strange for army commanders. Therefore, the specific character of activity, a special status of the strong security on those sites and large territories, especially on military training grounds, supported the formation of specific seminatural and natural habitats with a large number of valuable biodiversity, which expanded to the surrounding regions. Of course, the present Lithuanian army is much more strictly controlled by government and public, therefore environmental problems are currently much more important than before. Certainly, some environmental incidents and problems exist till now, but as part of the NATO forces and of the European Union our military forces should implement all environmental requirements in their activities. Therefore each military base and especially military training grounds had to prepare the base management plan with a focus on environmental problems. This report is intended to present the strides and problems of the Lithuanian army in solving environmental conflicts.