In order to assess the influence of various abiotic and biotic factors on metal accumulation in peatlands, insects were collected from bogs, mineral poor fens and circumneutral fens located in Central Ontario. The peatlands represented a gradient in alkalinity from 0 (acid bogs) to 200 $\mu$eq$\cdot$L$\sp{-1}$ (circumneutral fens). Further, the peatlands had important hydrological differences with no obvious inflows in the bogs and inflow/outflow streams in the fens. Given these contrasting environments, it was hypothesized that there would also be differences in metal accumulation in the associated biota. The results of this study indicate that the acidification of peatlands, whether natural or anthropogenic, will not lead to greater availability of metals such as Zn, Cu, Al, and Mn. High organic matter levels may serve to mitigate the effects of acidification on metal availability in such peatlands. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Axenic batch cultures of twelve freshwater phytoplankton species were used to study the molecular, cellular and population effects of the organophosphorus insecticide fenitrothion (O,O-Dimethyl-O-nitro-m-tolyl phosphorothioate) on algae. The unicellular chlorophytes Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Chlamydomonas segnis, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgaris, Cosmarium sp., Pediastrum sp., Scenedesmus obliquus, Selenastrum capricomutum and Staurastrum sp., the bacillariophyte Navicula sp., and the cyanophyte Anabaena sp. were exposed to three treatment levels of fenitrothion. Differential algistasis was observed among the species exposed to fenitrothion over short and long-term durations. Effects on growth included an extension in lag-phase and/or alterations in growth rate and/or final standing crop. At the molecular level, alterations in the fatty acid composition of total lipids suggest that fenitrothion disrupts lipid synthesis and membrane structure. We hypothesize that fenitrothion prevented normal mitotic divisional processes from occurring. Uninhibited biomolecular synthesis resulted in an accumulation of macromolecules and subsequent cell weight augmentation. The ecological implications of the observed effects were discussed. In addition to effects studies, selected properties of the test algae (cell size functions, lipid content and fenitrothion bioaccumulation capacity) were measured and examined for their relationship to fenitrothion sensitivity. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

A basic conundrum associated with evaluating the quality of municipal plans involves the range of interests---public, special, vested---that are either supported or confounded by the plan. Traditionally, comprehensive plan evaluation has proceeded by attaching weights to the evaluation criteria. Yet, such a procedure is inherently flawed since it is self-evident that interested parties are unlikely to fully agree with any weighting scheme that places a lower weight on their own specific priorities. Other factors also challenge the origin and applicability of evaluation criteria that characterize good plans and planning, including the lack of a codified theoretical foundation for both planning in general and planning frameworks in particular (e.g., ecosystem-based planning). These factors make the search for a methodologically-grounded and theoretically-oriented basis for judging plan quality a priority for both planning theory and practice. Currently, the theories of, in or for planning provide little guidance about how to resolve these issues. Using the ecosystem approach to planning as the field of inquiry, this study investigates the attributes (i.e., the necessary and sufficient conditions) of good ecosystem-based plans, and then explores and interprets these attributes using hierarchy theory. What are the attributes of good ecosystem-based municipal plans? The Primary relationship under investigation is between ecosystem-based plans and their quality (i.e., their goodness). The central research question seeks a descriptive answer and is stated as follows: What are the attributes of good ecosystem-based municipal plans? The subsequent research question seeks explanative content and is stated as follows: How can hierarchy theory be used to explore and interpret the attributes of good ecosystem-based municipal plans? In order to address these two questions, the research process consists of four general phases. First, after a comprehensive and systematic literature review, a tentative plan evaluation framework for ecosystem-based municipal plans is posited. Second, the Delphi survey technique is employed to build on the tentative evaluation framework in order to determine which plan form, plan content and planning process conditions are necessary and sufficient for the evaluation of ecosystem-based plan quality. In the Delphi survey design, individual response stability testing is undertaken before level of consensus criteria are applied. Third, the results of the Delphi exercise are then critically examined in terms of meta-criteria analysis. Fourth, the research results are explored and interpreted by employing hierarchy theory, and then made operational for subsequent field work. The primary results of the research include the following: (1) Contribution to methodology. A methodologically-grounded and theoretically-oriented evaluation instrument suitable for judging the quality of ecosystem-based municipal plans is derived; (2) Contribution to theory. Hierarchy theory is synthesized into a framework of objects and implications suitable for applicability to ecosystem-based planning. In other words, the applicability of hierarchy theory is extended to include ecosystem-based planning, and ecosystem-based planning is simultaneously grounded in theory; and, (3) Contribution to identification of needed research directions. Potential directions for future research are recorded throughout the investigation.

Although an essential micronutrient, boron becomes toxic at concentrations slightly above the optimum range. The use of an engineered wetland system consisting of a peat filter and a surface water wetland for treatment of landfill leachate was investigated. Laboratory tests showed that boron is mainly present in inorganic form. Adsorption of boron by peat was a fast process and virtually complete within 2.5 hours. Drying of peat (at 105°C, 90°C, 75°C, and air drying), pH, temperature, and solution composition had a significant effect on boron adsorption while shaking and solution-to-soil ratio did not have any significant effect on boron adsorption by peat. Also, the presence of other anions such as SO4 -, Cl- or combination of both in synthetic solution made from boric acid had no significant effect on boron adsorption by peat. Maximum adsorption of boron on peat occurred at a pH around 9. Addition of lime, optimum ratio being 1 g lime to a 100 g peat, enhanced boron adsorption capacity of peat by 50--100%. Adsorption of boron decreased with temperature increase. Boron desorption showed hysteresis as only 24% to 45% of adsorbed boron was released into the solution when subjected to desorption test. A second-order design model for adsorption of boron by peat was developed, which incorporates the effect of pH and temperature. Adsorption capacity of peat was directly related to organic matter content and showed a positive effect, i.e. boron adsorption increased with organic matter content increase. Amberlite resin was far superior to peat and other organic material in adsorbing and removing of boron from leachate. Peat also proved to be effective in removing metals such as iron, lead, and zinc from landfill leachate. A new transport code (in Fortran), SOLTRAN, was developed which has the capability of handling non-linear adsorption isotherms. An engineered wetland system consisting of a peat filter followed by a free water surface wetland at Huneault Waste Management landfill, Ontario, was used as a case study. It was demonstrated that peat filter can effectively treat landfill leachate. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Animal manure management practices, principally in regions where there is a surplus of manure are often detrimental to the environment and also represent a potential hazard to human and animal health. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of psychrophilic anaerobic digestion (PAD) in sequencing batch reactors (SBR) as a low cost and easy to operate process to: (a) reduce the pollution potential of swine manure slurry; (b) recover energy; and (c) reduce odours of swine manure slurry. Experiments were carried out in 12 40-Litre SBRs operated under different conditions. Experimental results indicated that PAD of swine manure slurry at 20$\sp\circ$C in intermittently fed SBR: (1) reduced the pollution potential of swine manure slurry by removing 85 to 95% of the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD); (2) produced biogas at rates from 0.48 to 0.66 L of CH$\sb4$ per gram of volatile solids (VS) fed; and (3) successfully reduced odours. In all experimental runs, the PAD of swine manure slurry in SBR was found very stable. Other interesting findings were that PAD in SBR process does not require mixing and can be intermittently fed only once and three times a week without affecting the SBR stability and performance. The second objective of this study was to model PAD of swine manure slurry in SBR in order to: (1) increase knowledge of PAD in SBR; and (2) predict process performance. Existing mathematical models of anaerobic digestion formed the basis for the two models proposed in this study for PAD in SBR. These two models were: (1) a simple model that considered only two populations of bacteria as well as particulate solubilization rate; and (2) an advanced model that considered six populations of bacteria as well as the interaction between the biological, liquid (physico-chemical) and gas phases. The simple model predicted reasonably well the trend in VA, SCOD accumulation as well as methane production. The advanced model which made use of a large number of kinetic constants also predicted reasonably well the methane production as well as the trend in accumulation in acetic, propionic and butyric acids, dissolved and gaseous hydrogen and SCOD.

An engineered bioreactor system was designed and constructed to bioremediate approximately 1,800 m$\sp3$ of petroleum-contaminated soil at CFB Petawawa, Petawawa, Ontario. The bioremediation facility operated between May-November 1993. The facility consists of four above ground bioreactors each incorporating aeration piping and a water/nutrient delivery system. The aeration piping is connected to a central vacuum pump which draws air through the bioreactor leachate collection system enables the leachate to be amended. The bioreactors are covered with an opaque vapour barrier. Monitoring involved the collection of soil, water and air samples on a weekly and bi-weekly basis and various field measurements. A detailed microbial monitoring program was also implemented. Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in the bioreactor soils were found to have been reduced by 97%. Temperature had an effect on the rate of petroleum biodegradation. Little or no evidence suggested that the continuous addition of nutrients to the soil had a significant effect on the rate of biodegradation. The estimated treatment cost for this project was 70-$90 per tonne. This facility however, is reusable and hence the potential exists to lower the net treatment cost to 20--\$40 per tonne. This project has shown that diesel contaminated soil can be efficiently and effectively treated to meet the most stringent federal and/or provincial criteria in a cost effective manner over a typical Canadian summer. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Abstract not available.

The effect of sulfur dioxide on epiphytes was investigated by methods comprising field studies, transplantation and laboratory experiments. In the field studies, an inventory of the epiphytic flora for the region of Wawa, Ontario, was made on the basis of the investigation of 48 sites. A total of 110 epiphytic species (71 lichens, 29 mosses and 10 liverworts) were recorded. The distribution of sulfur dioxide emitted by an iron sintering plant in the area, as well as the pH and sulfate content of surface-water, soil and vegetation, were determined. The fallout pattern of SO2 and the chemical indices (pH & SO4-) of water and soil were correlated with the epiphytic flora of the region. With a rise in the concentration of SO2 in air and of SO4 - in water and soil, a marked reduction in the epiphytes, both as to the number of species and their abundance, was noted. There was also a significant decrease in the sulfur content of the vegetation with an increase in the distance from the center of pollution. According to the pattern of pollution, the investigated region can be delineated into five zones, corresponding with the epiphytic flora. From this survey it has become apparent that there are various degrees of toxiphoby among epiphytes (from highly toxitolerant to highly toxisensitive species), and that there are several species of lichens and mosses, the absence of which can serve as indicators of, SO2-pollution. In the transplant experiments, forty-two circular discs (diam. 4.8 cm), bearing 19 species of mosses and lichens, were cut from the bark of trees growing in unpolluted areas near Ottawa, Ontario. These discs were transplanted onto trees in the region of Sudbury, Ontario, where the atmosphere is heavily polluted by sulfur dioxide. After one year, the majority of the epiphytes growing on these transplanted discs were either dead or seriously damaged, and only a few species such as Bacidia chlorococca and Parmelia sulcata appeared to be toxitolerant. Thalli of Parmelia caperata and P. sulcata, collected from such discs, showed abnormal features on microscopic examination such as: (i) marked reduction in the thickness of the thallus; (ii) formation of a thin layer of a whitish, crystalline, water-insoluble and acetone-soluble substance on the upper surface of the thallus; (iii) plasmolysis, chloroplast damage, and formation of oil-globules in Trebouxia cells, the algal symbiont; and (iv) formation of chlamydospore-like bodies by the fungal symbiont, especially in the lower cortex of the thallus. From these observations it is evident that the epiphytes are affected to various degrees, both externally and internally, by SO2-pollution. In the laboratory experiments, thalli of Xanthoria fallax, X. parietina, Parmelia caperata and Physcia millerana were exposed to 5 ppm sulfur dioxide for 24 hours under various conditions of humidity. Abnormalities such as bleaching of the chlorophyll, permanent plasmolysis, and the formation of sporadic brown spots on the chloroplasts were observed in the algal cells. Sulfurous acid and Mg++ were detected in the extracts of the SO2-exposed thalli. Sulfate concentration increased in thalli exposed to SO2 in increased humidity. The absorption spectrum of chlorophyll extracted from SO2-exposed thalli showed a maximum absorption at 667 mmu characteristic of phaeophytin-a, thus indicating the degradation of chlorophyll-a into phaeophytin-a under the influence of SO2. These observations are of interest with regard to the well known sensitivity of lichens to atmospheric pollution.

Using ion-specific electrode and atomic absorption spectroscopy the heavy metal (HM) binding capacities of four Ottawa area natural water systems supporting algal blooms were examined, and the effects of HM ions and Anabaena 7120 on each other were studied. The HM binding capacities of the natural water systems studied during 1975 were much higher than those reported previously for Ottawa River water. The HM binding capacities of at least two systems had not decreased several months after the blooms disappeared. Ultrafiltration of the water did not decrease the HM binding capacities of the waters indicating that the HM binding substrate had a molecular weight of less than 500. Complete aching of the water samples removed the Hg 2+ binding capacity, indicating that organic carbon compounds formed the predominant HM binding substrate in the four water systems. Concentrations of 10-3M and 10-4M Cu(NO3)2 and Cd(NO3)2 completely inhibited growth of Anabaena 7120 in GO medium. Copper and cadmium concentrations below 10-4M produced an elongated lag phase compared to cultures with no HM ions present in the medium. When 10-5M nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) was added to the medium with equal concentrations of Cu(NO3)2 or Cd(NO 3)2 the lag phase was further elongated. An elongated lag phase in Anabaena 7120 cultures was produced by 10-5M to 10-7M Pb(NO 3)2. Growth was not inhibited by 10-3, 10-4 or 10-8M Pb(NO3) 2 in GO medium. A heavy white precipitate formed in GO medium containing 10-3M and 10-4M Pb(NO3) 2. Atomic absorption analysis of Anabaena 7120 culture grown in GO medium containing 10-5 Cd(NO3) 2 had the same cadmium concentration associated with the cell fraction after the lag phase as at the beginning. In contrast, copper was almost completely released from the cells at the end of the lag phase.

ArcGIS Desktop, one the most well known GIS packages, is designed as a scalable system that can be deployed in every organization, from an individual desktop to a globally distributed network of people. Since ArcGIS is built using Microsoft's component object model (COM) technology, it is customizable and possible to extend using any COM-compliant development language. In the present study, ArcMap v8.2, a component of ArcGIS Desktop, is customized using the built-in Microsoft Visual Basic for applications (VBA) language, to create a user-friendly toolbar, called landfill site selection (LSS) toolbar, specifically designed for preliminary landfill site selection. Such a tailored ArcMap environment will enable engineers with different level of knowledge of GIS, to investigate and compare results of applying different criteria, constraints and scoring schemes on the final suitability map for a landfill site in an area.* (Abstract shortened by UMI.) *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Microsoft Office.