In sediments that contain iron monosulfide, cadmium, nickel, lead, zinc, and silver(I) form insoluble metal sulfides that lower the metal ion activity in the sediment-pore water system, thereby reducing toxicity. However, metal sulfides are susceptible to oxidation by molecular oxygen resulting in metal solubilization. To better understand the sources and sinks of metal sulfides in sediments, iron monsulfide-rich freshwater sediments were spiked with cadmium, nickel, lead, zinc, or silver(I) and placed into cylindrical cores with an overlying layer of oxygen-saturated water. Measurements of the dissolved metal concentration in the overlying water were made as a function of time and the vertical profiles of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) were measured after 150 d. A one-dimensional reactive and transport model has been employed to help elucidate processes controlling the fate of metals in sediments. The model incorporates metal-sulfide formation, metal-sulfide oxidation, and metal partitioning onto sediment organic carbon and iron oxyhydroxide to simulate the vertical transport of metals throughout the sediment core.

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Urban heat islands (UHIs) and the vegetation that mitigates them vary across space and time, but little research has investigated this coupled natural–human system using both spatial and temporal analyses. Focusing on semiarid, water‐scarce Tucson, Arizona, we examined whether outdoor water use by residents of single‐family homes (a practice that uses close to half of residential water supplies) contributes to urban “greenness” and the mitigation of UHI effects. Specifically, we investigated how different types of residential development mediate vegetation–water use–temperature interactions. Our data sets include Landsat‐derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and surface temperatures, parcel‐level zoning and assessor data, and residential water use records at the quarter section level (0.63 km2). We analyzed these data at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Spatial analysis results demonstrate that cooling from vegetative evapotranspiration is mediated by development factors as well as by topography and wind patterns. Findings also suggest that outdoor water use aside from irrigation, particularly the use of swimming pools, promotes cooling without elevating the NDVI. Temporal analysis reveal that most residential areas maintained or increased greenness despite declining 1995–2008 water use due most likely to long‐term regional climate cycles. Only high‐density developments with little undeveloped ground cover and few natural drainage channels exhibit a strong relationship between household water use and NDVI trends. These results suggest that the preservation of natural drainage channels and limitation of impervious surfaces, as well as the siting of development in naturally cooled microclimates, may be sustainable strategies for UHI mitigation in water‐scarce regions. Análisis multi‐escalar de los impactos de riego en residencias unifamiliares: la correlación entre la vegetación, el uso del agua y la temperatura superficial en un área urbana semiárida Las islas de calor urbano (urban heat islands‐UHIs) y las áreas con vegetación que ayudan a mitigarlas varían en su distribución especial y temporal. Sin embargo, existe relativamente poca investigación dedicada al análisis espacio‐temporal de este sistema acoplado humano‐ambiental urbano. El artículo examina la medida en la cual el uso de agua al aire libre por parte de residentes de viviendas unifamiliares (practica que consume mas de la mitad de los recursos hídricos) contribuye al “verdor” de áreas urbanas y a la mitigación de los efectos de las UHs. El área de estudio es Tucson, Arizona, una ciudad ubicada en un ambiente semiárido que sufre de escasez hídrica. En términos más concretos, los autores investigan cómo los diferentes tipos de desarrollos urbanos residenciales sirven de mediadores en las interacciones entre la vegetación, la temperatura y el uso del agua. Como datos se utilizaron índices de vegetación (Normalized difference vegetation index‐NDVI) y temperaturas superficiales derivados de imágenes Landsat. Así mismo se usaron datos ...

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