Quantification of pesticide residues on plastic mulching films in typical farmlands of the North China

• Pesticide residuals on mulching film of Shandong, Tianjin and Hebei. • Detected 29 pesticides in soil and 30 in mulching film. • Pesticides on plastic films: 86.4‒22213.2 ng/g and in soil: 9.3‒535.3 ng/g. • Pesticides on plastic films 20 times higher than in soil. Plastic debris as new pollutants attracts much attention in the recent years. The plastic mulching films is one of the most important plastic debirs source in the environment. The aim of this work was to investigate the current status of pesticide residues on the plastic mulching films. Based on the QuEChERS method, multi-residue methods for detection of pesticide residues with gas chromatography tandem mass spectrum (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrum (HPLC-MS) were developed for the analysis of the pesticides residues in plastic film and soil samples from Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong. The total concentrations of pesticide residues were in the range of 86.4‒22213.2 ng/g in plastic film debris, which was about 20 times higher than that in soil (9.3‒535.3 ng/g). Residual level of pesticides varied greatly in different samples. The historical usage and recent application of pesticides were the main sources for pesticide residues on plastic films and soil. In short, plastic mulching films could act as a sink for pesticides in farmland and the ubiquitous pesticide residues on plastic films should draw more attention.     

Adapting to new policy environment – past pattern and future trend in us-sino waste plastic trade flow

Plastics are one of the most used materials in human activities, where consumer consumption and industrial production together has imposed vast rise in demand for this material in last century. While plastic is ideally derived from crude oil as a primary source from manufacturers’ perspective, varying crude oil prices are driving manufacturers economically to seek for alternative sources for plastics production. Waste plastic recovered from obsolete consumer products thus becomes an economic substitution for virgin plastics, which is further intensified with the possibility of international waste plastic trading. This study focuses on waste plastic trade between the US and mainland China by performing a correlation analysis of trade data. It is suggested in this study that although waste plastics are traded from the US to mainland China in general, as many of us believes, the route is gradually shifting in the past years. With tightening Chinese customs regulations, waste plastic from the US now tends to take a transit in a third destination (Hong Kong SAR for instance) for preliminary treatment to bypass Chinese customs inspection. Such phenomenon is worth noting, as a complication in waste plastic trading route hinders waste plastic transboundary movement monitoring. Furthermore, it will have adverse consequent consumer, industrial, and environmental impacts. It is thus necessary for national competent authorities to strengthen cooperative study and communication capacity in the future as a response to the changing waste plastic trade pattern.     

Bag leakage: The effect of disposable carryout bag regulations on unregulated bags

Leakage occurs when partial regulation of consumer products results in increased consumption of these products in unregulated domains. This article quantifies plastic leakage from the banning of plastic carryout bags. Using quasi-random policy variation in California, I find the elimination of 40 million pounds of plastic carryout bags is offset by a 12 million pound increase in trash bag purchases—with small, medium, and tall trash bag sales increasing by 120%, 64%, and 6%, respectively. The results further reveal 12–22% of plastic carryout bags were reused as trash bags pre-regulation and show bag bans shift consumers towards fewer but heavier bags. With a substantial proportion of carryout bags already reused in a way that avoided the manufacture and purchase of another plastic bag, policy evaluations that ignore leakage effects overstate the regulation's welfare gains.     

Tetrabromobisphenol A recovery from computer housing plastic by a new solvothermal process

Brominated flame retardants contained in electrical and electronic waste plastic are toxic to both humans and the environment. Most disposal technologies for brominated flame retardants are environmentally unfriendly. Here, a novel solvothermal process was designed to recover tetrabromobisphenol A, a typical brominated flame retardant, from waste computer housing plastic. The plastic waste was treated by the solvothermal process followed by vacuum rotary evaporation. Results show a tetrabromobisphenol A recovery efficiency of 78.9 %, and a purity of 95.6 %. The stability of tetrabromobisphenol A during the solvothermal process was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance. Kinetics showed that diffusion across the polymer layer controlled recovery. We conclude that the novel solvothermal process is a promising green way to recover tetrabromobisphenol A from electrical and electronic waste plastic.     

Microbial biodegradation of plastics: Challenges,opportunities, and a critical perspective

● Health hazards of plastic waste on environment are discussed. ● Microbial species involved in biodegradation of plastics are being reviewed. ● Enzymatic biodegradation mechanism of plastics is outlined. ● Analytical techniques to evaluate the plastic biodegradation are presented. The abundance of synthetic polymers has increased due to their uncontrolled utilization and disposal in the environment. The recalcitrant nature of plastics leads to accumulation and saturation in the environment, which is a matter of great concern. An exponential rise has been reported in plastic pollution during the corona pandemic because of PPE kits, gloves, and face masks made up of single-use plastics. The physicochemical methods have been employed to degrade synthetic polymers, but these methods have limited efficiency and cause the release of hazardous metabolites or by-products in the environment. Microbial species, isolated from landfills and dumpsites, have utilized plastics as the sole source of carbon, energy, and biomass production. The involvement of microbial strains in plastic degradation is evident as a substantial amount of mineralization has been observed. However, the complete removal of plastic could not be achieved, but it is still effective compared to the pre-existing traditional methods. Therefore, microbial species and the enzymes involved in plastic waste degradation could be utilized as eco-friendly alternatives. Thus, microbial biodegradation approaches have a profound scope to cope with the plastic waste problem in a cost-effective and environmental-friendly manner. Further, microbial degradation can be optimized and combined with physicochemical methods to achieve substantial results. This review summarizes the different microbial species, their genes, biochemical pathways, and enzymes involved in plastic biodegradation.     

济南市土壤中酞酸酯的分析与分布

本文对济南市土壤中酞酸酯污染的重点地区进行了比较详细的研究，初步掌握了酞酸酯在土壤中分布状况及分布规律。     

基于分子发光的新型多孔塑料光纤传感探头的研究

1　IntroductionOpticalfiberchemicalsensor,whichisdevelopedfromthecombinationofoptical fiberwave guidetechniqueandhighlysensitivemolecularluminescentanalyticalmethod ,hasshownagoodapplicationprospectinenvironmentalauto monitoring .Thefabricationofsensingprobeisthekeytechniqueforopticalfiberchemicalsensor.Althoughconventionalopticalfiberprobes,suchassensingmembraneetal.[1 ]hadbeengreatlydevelopedrecently ,therearestillmanyvitalproblemsneedstobesolved .Suchas (1)theamountofphotosensitiveindicator…     

Induced responses to competition and herbivory: natural selection on multi-trait phenotypic plasticity

Herbivory and competition are two of the most common biotic stressors for plants. When occurring simultaneously, responses to one interaction can constrain the induction of responses to the other interaction due to resource limitation and other interactive effects. Thus, to maximize fitness when interacting with competitors and herbivores, plants are likely to express particular combinations of plastic responses. This study reports the interactive effects of herbivory and competition on responses induced in Tithonia tubaeformis plants and describes how natural selection acts on particular plastic responses and on their different combinations. Competition induced a stem elongation response, expressed through an increase in height and mean internode length, together with a decrease in basal diameter. Interestingly, realized resistance increased in both competition and herbivory treatments, suggesting a plastic response in both constitutive and induced resistance traits. Particular combinations of plastic responses defined three plant phenotypes: vigorous, elongated, and resistant plants. The ecological context in which plants grew modified the traits and the particular combinations of plastic responses that were favored by selection. Vigorous plants were favored by selection in all environments, except when they were damaged by herbivores in the absence of neighbors. The combination of responses defining an elongated plant phenotype was favored by selection in crowded conditions. Resistance was negatively selected in the absence of competition and herbivory but favored in the presence of both interactions. In addition, contextual analyses detected that population structure in heterogeneous environments can also influence the outcomes of selection. These findings suggest that natural selection can act on particular combinations of plastic responses, which may allow plants to adjust their phenotypes to those that promote greater fitness under particular ecological conditions.     

塑料地膜对小麦种子萌发及幼苗抗氧化酶系统的影响

研究了中国北方地区常用的塑料地膜对小麦Triticum aestivum L.种子发芽率,芽长根长及幼苗抗氧化酶系的影响以探明塑料地膜的毒性。结果显示500~2 500 mg.kg-1两种质量分数的塑料地膜处理对小麦种子的发芽率几乎不产生影响,在高质量分数（≥5 000 mg.kg-1）处理下小麦的发芽率有所下降。500~5 000 mg.kg-1的塑料地膜能促进小麦叶和根的伸长,但在高质量分数情况下则显著抑制了根和芽的延伸,其中15 000 mg.kg-1添加量下,叶和根的抑制率分别达到了16.70%和15.07%。小麦根系抗氧化酶活性对两种塑料地膜的敏感程度大于叶片。在高质量分数条件下,根系中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性随暴露时间的延长明显受到了抑制。在经地膜1和地膜2处理后,小麦叶片中过氧化物酶（POD）及过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性在不同暴露时间和不同质量分数下没有显著差异,但地膜1处理后的小麦根系中的POD随暴露时间的延长呈先降低后增加的趋势,而CAT活性变化不大。地膜2处理后的小麦根系中的POD和CAT活性随暴露时间的延长而降低。结果表明,高质量分数塑料地膜的处理会对小麦早期幼苗的抗氧化酶系统产生毒害作用。     

Current scenario and challenges of plastic pollution in Bangladesh: a focus on farmlands and terrestrial ecosystems

● A global snapshot of plastic waste generation and disposal is analysed. ● Effect of plastic pollution on environment and terrestrial ecosystem is reviewed. ● Ecotoxicity and food security from plastic pollution is discussed. Plastic is considered one of the most indispensable commodities in our daily life. At the end of life, the huge ever-growing pile of plastic waste (PW) causes serious concerns for our environment, including agricultural farmlands, groundwater quality, marine and land ecosystems, food toxicity and human health hazards. Lack of proper infrastructure, financial backup, and technological advancement turn this hazardous waste plastic management into a serious threat to developing countries, especially for Bangladesh. A comprehensive review of PW generation and its consequences on environment in both global and Bangladesh contexts is presented. The dispersion routes of PW from different sources in different forms (microplastic, macroplastic, nanoplastic) and its adverse effect on agriculture, marine life and terrestrial ecosystems are illustrated in this work. The key challenges to mitigate PW pollution and tackle down the climate change issue is discussed in this work. Moreover, way forward toward the design and implementation of proper PW management strategies are highlighted in this study.     

A decision framework for estimating the cost of marine plastic pollution interventions

Marine plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Although there has been a surge in global investment for implementing interventions to mitigate plastic pollution, there has been little attention given to the cost of these interventions. We developed a decision support framework to identify the economic, social, and ecological costs and benefits of plastic pollution interventions for different sectors and stakeholders. We calculated net cost as a function of six cost and benefit categories with the following equation: cost of implementing an intervention (direct, indirect, and nonmonetary costs) minus recovered costs and benefits (monetary and nonmonetary) produced by the interventions. We applied our framework to two quantitative case studies (a solid waste management plan and a trash interceptor) and four comparative case studies, evaluating the costs of beach cleanups and waste-to-energy plants in various contexts, to identify factors that influence the costs of plastic pollution interventions. The socioeconomic context of implementation, the spatial scale of implementation, and the time scale of evaluation all influence costs and the distribution of costs across stakeholders. Our framework provides an approach to estimate and compare the costs of a range of interventions across sociopolitical and economic contexts.     

覆膜对土壤-青菜体系Cu和Zn迁移特性的影响

地膜覆盖(覆膜)是一种国际上广泛采用的农作物栽培方式,极大地改变了土壤的水热生态效应,从而影响土壤中重金属元素的生物有效性.通过田间对比试验,研究覆膜对土壤-青菜体系中Cu和Zn迁移及分布特征的影响.结果表明:覆膜栽培方式在促进青菜生长的同时,显著地改变了土壤的理化性质.覆膜地块中土壤pH值和SO2-4含量比不覆膜地块分别降低12.77%和33.90%,差异达到显著水平(P＜0.05).覆膜对Cu形态分布和迁移影响很小,对Zn影响则大得多.土壤中Zn的BCR(community bureau of reference)3步提取态含量分别降低25.87%、35.80%和28.17%.覆膜地块青菜根和叶中Zn含量分别较不覆膜地块增加130.9%和13.6%,但茎中减少了23.7%.覆膜栽培对土壤中Zn有一定活化作用,释放出来的Zn大部分被青菜根吸收,因此覆膜地块中青菜根对Zn的吸收量远远大于不覆膜地块.     

Monitoring of total volatile organic compound emissions from plastic runway surfaces

Abstract

Simulated with small environmental chambers, the emission characteristics of total volatile organic compounds from plastic runway surfaces were investigated by thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. This quantitative approach was validated using a dynamic recovery experiment, and the variation of emission factors from mixed-type plastic surfaces was determined. Also, the photodegradation of volatile organic compounds in chambers was introduced to decrease the background interference.     

黄土高原半干旱区覆膜玉米土壤温度的变异特征

黄土高原半干旱丘陵山区受特殊的地理、地形以及水文气象条件的影响,造成农业生产播种难、出苗率低等问题,严重制约着农业的发展,但通过覆膜坐水技术能够起到抗旱保墒、提高地温、改善土壤肥效等作用。以哲单7号玉米Zea maysL为供试品种,在设置对比试验小区(覆膜与不覆膜)的基础上,通过分析覆膜玉米土壤温度变异特征,描述了覆膜后增温、提墒、增产的过程,研究结果表明:覆膜处理与不覆膜处理相比,增温最明显的时期出现在出苗到拔节阶段,且10cm和20cm处的温差表现为最大,可增温2.5℃左右,而后期增温减慢,播种后覆膜增温为玉米发芽生长提供了良好的生长环境,大大提高了出苗率,为作物节水增产提供了必要条件。     

Microplastic sources,formation, toxicity and remediation: a review

Microplastic pollution is becoming a major issue for human health due to the recent discovery of microplastics in most ecosystems. Here, we review the sources, formation, occurrence, toxicity and remediation methods of microplastics. We distinguish ocean-based and land-based sources of microplastics. Microplastics have been found in biological samples such as faeces, sputum, saliva, blood and placenta. Cancer, intestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, infectious and inflammatory diseases are induced or mediated by microplastics. Microplastic exposure during pregnancy and maternal period is also discussed. Remediation methods include coagulation, membrane bioreactors, sand filtration, adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, electrocoagulation and magnetic separation. Control strategies comprise reducing plastic usage, behavioural change, and using biodegradable plastics. Global plastic production has risen dramatically over the past 70 years to reach 359 million tonnes. China is the world's top producer, contributing 17.5% to global production, while Turkey generates the most plastic waste in the Mediterranean region, at 144 tonnes per day. Microplastics comprise 75% of marine waste, with land-based sources responsible for 80–90% of pollution, while ocean-based sources account for only 10–20%. Microplastics induce toxic effects on humans and animals, such as cytotoxicity, immune response, oxidative stress, barrier attributes, and genotoxicity, even at minimal dosages of 10 μg/mL. Ingestion of microplastics by marine animals results in alterations in gastrointestinal tract physiology, immune system depression, oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, differential gene expression, and growth inhibition. Furthermore, bioaccumulation of microplastics in the tissues of aquatic organisms can have adverse effects on the aquatic ecosystem, with potential transmission of microplastics to humans and birds. Changing individual behaviours and governmental actions, such as implementing bans, taxes, or pricing on plastic carrier bags, has significantly reduced plastic consumption to 8–85% in various countries worldwide. The microplastic minimisation approach follows an upside-down pyramid, starting with prevention, followed by reducing, reusing, recycling, recovering, and ending with disposal as the least preferable option.

     

超高效液相色谱法对塑料玩具中16种环境雌激素的同时测定

含有环境雌激素的塑料玩具及儿童用品有可能被小孩放进口中,如果放置的时间足够长,就会导致雌激素的溶出量超过安全水平,危害儿童的肝脏和肾脏,也可引起儿童性早熟。采用超高效液相色谱法,对塑料玩具中16种环境雌激素类化合物进行检测,建立了超高效液相色谱法同时测定塑料玩具中16种环境雌激素的方法。采用超生萃取法进行提取,使用乙醇作为提取溶剂,在前处理过程中对样品进行无水硫酸钠脱水处理,使杂质显著降低;以乙腈-水为流动相,考察了5种具有不同选择性的UPLC色谱柱对16种环境雌激素的分离效果,结果表明,16种环境雌激素在ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18色谱柱上获得了最为理想的分离效果。该方法的回收率为93.6%～98.8%,RSD为0.5%～2.3%,检出限达0.11～0.76 ng。采用本方法对市售的28种儿童塑料玩具进行了检测,检出的环境雌激素有DEHP、DCHP、DMP、DNOP,其它未检出,其中DEHP、DCHP和DMP检出率相对较高,分别占32.8%、24.5%、19.5%,DNOP则最小,检出率为10.4%。此方法简便、易行、分离度较好,可作为测定塑料玩具中增塑剂环境雌激素类化合物的方法。     

Distribution and sources of phthalate esters in the topsoils of Beijing,China

Phthalate esters in the topsoil samples collected from Beijing were determined by derivatization and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry techniques. The results showed that diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate ester (DIBP), dibutyl phthalate ester (DBP), dibutyl (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and dimethyl phthalate (DMP) were found in the topsoils. The total concentrations of the five phthalate esters varied from 2.30 to 24.71 μg g^?1. According to phthalate esters (PAEs) control standards in soil of the USA, the standard exceeding rates of DMP, DBP, and DEHP were 100 %, 100 %, and 4.84 % in soils of Beijing, respectively. The rate of DBP exceeding soil remediation standard was 12.9 %. Overall, concentrations of PAEs in Beijing were at a high level in China. The concentrations of DBP, DEHP, and DIBP were high, and the total concentrations of all the phthalate esters were higher in the areas with intensive human activities than in the other areas, which may be related to the use of phthalate compounds (such as the use of plastic products). The total and individual concentrations of phthalate compounds were relatively low in the areas that used plastic films compared with other samples due to the diffusion of atmospheric motion, categories, and amounts of plastic products and other factors. The greatest contributor may be the usage amount of plastic products in people’s daily lives.     

Moving policy and regulation forward for single-use plastic alternatives

Single-use plastics are often used once or cannot be reused for extended periods. They are widely consumed with the rapid development of social economy. The waste generated by single-use plastics threatens ecosystem health by entering the environment and ultimately restricts sustainable human development. The innovation of sustainable and environmentally friendly single-use plastic alternative materials and the joint participation of governments, enterprises and the public are promising technologies and management approaches that can solve the problem of single-use plastics wastes. The development of single-use plastic alternative products can be promoted fundamentally only by improving relevant legislation and standards, providing differentiated industrial policies, encouraging scientific and technological innovation and expanding public participation.     

环境中微/纳米塑料的污染现状、分析方法、毒性评价及健康效应研究进展

微塑料是粒径小于5 mm的塑料颗粒,纳米塑料是粒径小于1 μm的塑料颗粒.微/纳米塑料广泛存在于各种环境介质中,由于其粒径小、比表面积大,很容易被直接吸入、经口食入或皮肤浸入至体内,造成毒害作用,危害健康.本文主要总结了环境中微/纳米塑料在水、大气、土壤和食品中的污染现状,阐述了其对生物体可能产生的毒性效应,探讨了其对...