Activities of different metal oxide catalysts on NO reduction and CO oxidation

A series of transition metal oxide catalysts (Zn, Ti, Cu, Ni, Fe and V) supported on Al₂O₃ and SiO2 were prepared using the incipient wetness impregnation method. Their performances on NO reduction and CO oxidation followed the sequence of TiO₂ > CuO/ZnO > CuO > ZnO. TiO₂ supported on SiO₂ was more active than that on Al₂O₃, while ZnO had the opposite performances. The activities of CuO/Al₂O₃ and ZnO/SiO₂ were both decreased with the calcination temperature increasing because the sintering and agglomerations of catalysts were occurred at high temperature.     

Alumina-supported oxime for the degradation of sarin and diethylchlorophosphate

1-(4-Chlorophenyl))-N-hydroxymethanimine and cyclohexyl-N-hydroxymethanimine were synthesized and a well-established oxime, i.e., 2-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]-1-methylpyridinium chloride was purchased. Thereafter; all were loaded over Al₂O₃ using incipient wetness technique. The prepared systems were characterized using surface area analyzer, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer and thermogravimetric analyzer. Kinetics of the degradation of sarin (GB) and simulant, i.e. diethylchlorophosphate (DEClP) was studied over synthesized oxime impregnated Al₂O₃ and results were compared with well reported oxime impregnated Al₂O₃. Kinetics of reaction was found to be following the pseudo first order reaction kinetics. The order of reactivity of the prepared systems was found to be cyclohexyl-N-hydroxymethanimine/Al₂O₃ > 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-N-hydroxymethanimine/Al₂O₃ > 2-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]-1-methylpyridinium chloride/Al₂O₃ > Al₂O₃. From the reaction kinetics it was observed that the reaction with DEClP was faster than with GB. Cyclohexyl-N-hydroxymethanimine/Al₂O₃ was found to be the most reactive system with half-life of 0.94 and 15 h for DEClP and GB respectively.     

Oxidation of methane over palladium catalysts: effect of the support

This work is focused on the deep catalytic oxidation of methane over supported palladium catalysts. The influences of the metal loading, oxidation state of palladium, nature of supports, presence of promoters in the supports (for zirconia-based supports), and thermal stability have been studied experimentally. Catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness of commercially available supports with aqueous solutions of palladium nitrate. For gamma-alumina support, it was observed that the optimal amount of palladium is between 0.5% and 2%, with higher amounts leading to a loss in specific activity. Concerning the oxidation state of the catalyst, it is concluded that for all the supports tested in the present work, a reduction of the catalyst is not needed, yielding the same conversion at steady state catalysts reduced and oxidised. The thermal stability of various supported catalysts were also studied, zirconia supports being the most active. These supports, specially Y-modified zirconia support, do not suffer appreciable deactivation below 500 degrees C.     

Co3O4/介孔分子筛催化剂对苯催化完全氧化的研究

分别以介孔分子筛MCM-41、MCM-48、SBA-15为载体,采用等体积浸渍法制备了氧化钴/介孔分子筛催化剂,利用N₂吸附、X射线衍射、程序升温还原等技术对催化剂进行了表征,考察了Co₃O₄的负载量及载体的孔结构对催化剂完全催化氧化苯的性能的影响。结果表明,Co₃O₄的负载量为20%时,催化剂的催化活性最好;载体的孔径和催化剂的可还原性能是影响催化活性的主要因素,催化剂活性顺序为Co₃O₄ /SBA-15> Co₃O₄ /MCM41> Co₃O₄ /MCM-48。     

Regulated and speciated hydrocarbon emissions from a catalyst equipped internal combustion engine

In the present work, the effect of engine operating conditions on its exhaust emissions and on catalytic converter operation is studied. A 4-cylinder OPEL 1.6 l internal combustion engine equipped with a hydraulic brake dynamometer was used in all the experiments. For exhaust emissions treatment a typical three-way catalyst was used. The highest hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide engine-out emissions were observed at engine power 2–4 HP. These emissions were decreased as the engine power was increased up to 20 HP. Among the various compounds detected in exhaust emissions, the following ones were monitored at engine and catalyst outlet: methane, hexane, ethylene, acetaldehyde, acetone, benzene, toluene and acetic acid. The concentration of each compound in the catalytic converter effluent was in the range 45–132, 5–12, 10–125, 15–22, 3–7, 3–12, 2–9, 0–6 ppm, respectively. After the required temperature for catalyst operation had been achieved, carbon monoxide tailpipe emissions were dramatically decreased and the observed hydrocarbon conversions were also high. Methane was the most resistant compound to oxidation while ethylene was the most degradable compound over the catalyst. The order from the easiest to the most resistant to oxidation compound was: Alkene>Aromatic>Aldehyde>Ketone>Alkane.     

Phytoremedial assessment of flora tolerant to heavy metals in the contaminated soils of an abandoned Pb mine in Central Portugal

Significant accumulation of heavy metals in soils and flora exists around the abandoned Barbadalhos Pb mine in Central Portugal. Soil and plant samples [49 species] were collected from two line transects, LT 1 and LT 2, in the mineralized and non-mineralized area, respectively to gain a comprehensive picture of heavy metals in soils and flora to assess its potential for phytoremediation. Phytosociological inventories of the vegetation were made using the Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale. Metal concentrations in soil ranged from (in mg kg^?1): 98–9330 [Pb], 110–517 [Zn], 7.1–50 [Co], 69–123 [Cr], 31–193 [Cu], 33 400–98 500 [Fe], 7.7–51 [Ni], 0.95–13 [Ag], 2.8–208 [As], and 71–2220 [Mn] along LT 1; and 24–93 [Pb], 30–162 [Zn], 3.7–34 [Co], 61–196 [Cr], 21–46 [Cu], 24 100–59 400 [Fe], 17–87 [Ni], 0.71–1.9 [Ag], 4.3–12 [As], and 44–1800 [Mn] along LT 2. Plant metal content ranged from (in mg kg^?1): 1.11–548 [Pb], 7.06–1020 [Zn], 0.08–2.09 [Co], 0.09–2.03 [Cr], 2.63–38.5 [Cu], 10.4–4450 [Fe], 0.38–8.9 [Ni], and 0.03–1.9 [Ag] along LT 1; and 0.94–11.58 [Pb], 2.83–96.5 [Zn], 0.12–1.44 [Co], 0.21–1.49 [Cr], 1.61–22.7 [Cu], 4.6–2050 [Fe], 0.51–4.81 [Ni], and 0.02–0.31 [Ag] along LT 2. Plants with highest uptake of metals were: Cistus salvifolius (548 mg Pb kg^?1), Digitalis purpurea (1017 mg Zn kg^?1 and 4450 mg Fe kg^?1). Mentha suavolens and Ruscus ulmifolius were seen to hyperaccumulate Ag (1.9 and 1 mg Ag kg^?1, respectively). More metals and higher concentrations were traced in plants from LT 1, especially for Pb and Zn.     

Metal mobilization in soil by two structurally defined polyphenols

Polyphenols including tannins comprise a large percentage of plant detritus such as leaf litter, and affect soil processes including metal dynamics. We tested the effects of tannins on soil metal mobilization by determining the binding stoichiometries of two model polyphenols to Al(III) and Fe(III) using micelle-mediated separation and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). By fitting the data to the Langmuir model we found the higher molecular weight polyphenol (oenothein B) was able to bind more metal than the smaller polyphenol (epigallocatechin gallate, EGCg). For example, oenothein B bound 9.43 mol Fe mol^?1, while EGCg bound 4.41 mol of Fe mol^?1. Using the parameters from the binding model, we applied the Langmuir model for competitive binding to predict binding for mixtures of Al(III) and Fe(III). Using the parameters from the single metal experiments and information about polyphenol sorption to soils we built a model to predict metal mobilization from soils amended with polyphenols. We tested the model with three natural soils and found that it predicted mobilization of Fe and Al with r² = 0.92 and r² = 0.88, respectively. The amount of metal that was mobilized was directly proportional to the maximum amount of metal bound to the polyphenol. The secondary parameter in each model was the amount of weak organically chelated Fe or Al that was in the soil. This study provides the first compound-specific information about how natural polyphenols interact with metals in the environment. We propose a model that is applicable to developing phytochelation agents for metal detoxification, and we discuss how tannins may play a role in metal mobilization from soils.     

V2O5-TiO2-AlF3/Al2O3催化臭氧化2,4-滴丙酸的氧化效能

为了提高有机物的臭氧化降解效率,工作中利用浸渍法制备了一种新型的三组分催化剂(记为V2O5-TiO2-AlF3/Al2O3)。催化臭氧化降解2,4-滴丙酸的实验结果表明,该催化剂能有效提高臭氧化的效率,体系可能遵循羟基自由基的作用机理。利用相对法计算结果表明,与单独臭氧化相比,V2O5-TiO2-AlF3/Al2O3催化臭氧化体系具有更大的Rct值。重复实验结果表明,该催化剂具有相对较好的稳定性。以上研究结果对推广催化臭氧化技术在实际废水处理中的应用具有重要的实际意义。     

Dechlorination of hexachlorobenzene using lead–iron bimetallic particles

Synthesized lead–iron (Pb/Fe) bimetallic particles were applied to dechlorinate hexachlorobenzene (HCB) under various conditions (e.g. bimetal amount, initial pH value, reaction temperature, and reaction duration). The results showed that adding Pb onto Fe benefited the dechlorination of HCB and the bimetal with 1.4% Pb content performed best. The degradation rate decreased regularly as the initial pH value of the aqueous increased from 1.9 to 11.1 except for pH 7.0 where the fastest dechlorination rate emerged. The dechlorination could be enhanced by increasing the amount of Pb/Fe or the reaction temperature. The dechlorination ratio of HCB within 15 min increased from 24.3% to 81.3% when Pb/Fe amount increased from 0.1 g to 0.8 g. The dechlorination followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the dechlorination rate constants were 0.0027, 0.0064, 0.0157, and 0.0321 min^?1 at 25, 50, 70, and 85 °C, respectively, and the activation energy (E_a) of the dechlorination by Pb/Fe was 37.86 kJ mol^?1.     

Biomonitoring of air quality in the Cologne Conurbation using pine needles as a passive sampler – Part III: Major and trace elements

We here report complementary trace element (Fe, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni and sulfur) concentrations and ratios in pine needles collected in the urban area of Cologne, Germany. Potential element sources are discussed in conjunction with enviromagnetic and PAH data to evaluate air quality. Foliar trace element concentrations of Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni and sulfur are close to essential nutrient levels. Median concentrations of foliar Fe, Pb and Cd in Cologne are 132, 1.1, and 0.06 μg g^?1, respectively. Thus these elements are enhanced over biogenic background levels and show significant accumulation with needle exposure time. Foliar sulfur concentrations vary between 868 and 2076 μg g^?1 with a median value of 1409 μg g^?1, except for two locations where 2370 and 2379 μg g^?1 were observed. Cadmium serves as an indicator for local industrial emissions with short transport distances of only a few kilometres in Cologne City. Elevated Fe, Pb and Zn concentrations mark areas with higher traffic loads and agree with enhanced PAH burdens and magnetic susceptibility intensities of pine needles. Isopleths mapping and source differentiation of atmospheric pollutants using foliar trace elements is feasible. For temporal or spatial high-resolution studies more cost-effective environmental magnetics is recommended, which may guide in design of detailed studies aiming at identification and allocation of emission sources. Hereby, a combination of organic tracers (PAH), magnetic properties, and trace metals is considered most reliable.     

Mass levels,crustal component and trace elements in PM10 in Palermo,Italy

Results concerning the levels and elemental compositions of daily PM₁₀ samples collected at four air quality monitoring sites in Palermo (Italy) are presented. The highest mean value of PM₁₀ concentrations (46 μg m⁻³, with a peak value of 158 μg m⁻³) was recorded at the Di Blasi urban station, and the lowest at Boccadifalco station (25 μg m⁻³), considered as a sub-urban background station. Seventeen elements (Al, As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, U, V, Zn) were measured by ICP-MS. Al and Fe showed the highest concentrations, indicating the significant contribution of soil and resuspended mineral particles to atmospheric PM₁₀. Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V and Zn had higher concentrations at the three urban sampling sites than at the sub-urban background station. Besides soil-derived particles, an R-mode cluster analysis revealed a group of elements, Mo, Cu, Cr, Sb and Zn, probably related to non-exhaust vehicle emission, and another group, consisting of Ba, As and Ni, which seemed to be associated both with exhaust emissions from road traffic, and other combustion processes such as incinerators or domestic heating plants. The results also suggest that Sb, or the association Sb–Cu–Mo, offers a way of tracing road traffic emissions.     

Impact of mineral components and selected trace metals on ambient PM10 concentrations

PM10 levels of the mineral components Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg and some trace metals were measured at three different sites in the urban area of Vienna (Austria). Observed trace metal concentrations varied between less than 0.1 ng m^?3 (Cd) and approximately 200 ng m^?3 (Zn), mineral components showed enhanced concentrations ranging from 0.01 μg m^?3 (Ca) to 16.3 μg m^?3 (Si). The contribution of the respective mineral oxides to PM10 mass concentrations accounted on average for 26.4 ± 16% (n = 1090) of the PM10 mass, with enhanced rates in spring and autumn (monthly averages of up to 40%) and decreased contributions in the cold season (monthly averages below 10%). The atmospheric occurrence of Al, Ti and Sr could be assigned to crustal sources, whereas for the elements Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn and V an increased contribution of non-crustal origin was observed. PM10 levels of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn were predominantly derived from man-made emissions. Intersite comparison indicated that urban PM10 mass concentrations and PM10 levels of As, Pb and Zn were predominantly influenced from the transport of aerosols from outside into the city, whereas for the elements Ba, Mg, Ca, Cu and Fe a distinctly increased impact of local emissions was observed. The contribution of these urban emissions to total PM10 concentrations was estimated by calculating the so-called “urban impact”, which was found to be 32.7 ± 18% (n = 392) in the case of PM10 mass concentrations. The investigated elements accounted on average for 31.3 ± 19% (n = 392) of the observed PM10 mass increase. The mean values for the “urban impacts” of individual elements varied between 25.5% (As) and 77.0% (Ba).     

Lead,mercury, cadmium,chromium, nickel,copper, zinc,calcium, iron,manganese and chromium (VI) levels in Nigeria and United States of America cement dust

This study was aimed at investigating the relative abundance of heavy metals in cement dust from different cement dust factories in order to predict their possible roles in the severity of cement dust toxicity. The concentrations of total mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), iron (Fe) and chromium (VI) (Cr (VI)) levels in cement dust and clinker samples from Nigeria and cement dust sample from the United States of America (USA) were determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAAS), while Zn and Ca were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS), and Cr (VI) by colorimetric method. Total Cu, Ni and Mn were significantly higher in cement dust sample from USA (p < 0.05), also, both total Cr and Cr (VI) were 5.4–26 folds higher in USA cement dust compared with Nigeria cement dust or clinker (p < 0.001). Total Cd was higher in both Nigeria cement dust and clinker (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001), respectively. Mercury was more in both Nigeria cement dust and clinker (p < 0.05), while Pb was only significantly higher in clinker from Nigeria (p < 0.001). These results show that cement dust contain mixture of metals that are known human carcinogens and also have been implicated in other debilitating health conditions. Additionally, it revealed that metal content concentrations are factory dependent. This study appears to indicate the need for additional human studies relating the toxicity of these metals and their health impacts on cement factory workers.     

Size distribution and sources of trace metals and n-alkanes in the Athens urban aerosol during summer

Size-resolved, 24-h aerosol samples were collected from June–July 2001 by means of an Andersen high-volume cascade impactor. Sampling was conducted in a central avenue (Patission) characterised by heavy traffic, 21 m above street level, in the Athens city centre. Samples were analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry and gas chromatography to determine the size distribution of nine metallic elements (Cd, Pb, V, Ni, Mn, Cr, Cu, Fe, Al) and n-alkanes (with carbon numbers in the range 18–35). The aerosol mass median diameter (MMD) was calculated by means of probit analysis on the cumulative mass concentration size distribution for each metals and n-alkane. The total n-alkane mass concentration (TNA) in total suspended particles (TSP) ranged from 72 to 1506 ng m⁻³ while the total metal concentration ranged from 5.6 to 28.6 μg m⁻³. The results showed that metals such as Cd, V and Ni are characterised by a MMD <1 μm, while the MMD for Pb and Mn are ∼1 μm. Such metals are generally considered to have anthropogenic emission sources. Other metals such as Al, Fe, Cu and Cr were found to have MMD=2–6 μm, which generally originate from soil dust or mechanical abrasion processes. The Carbon number profile of n-alkane compounds showed a strong anthropogenic source with only a minor biogenic influence. The concentration of most n-alkanes was characterised by high variability during the sampling period, in contrast to the concentration of most trace metals. Most n-alkanes had a unimodal size distribution with MMD=1–2 μm similar to those of some trace metals (Pb, Mn), which originate mostly from vehicle emissions. This is a strong indication that these species have a common source. Finally, gas–particle partitioning of n-alkanes was also examined for different particle sizes by means of the relationship between the partition constant K_p and saturation vapour pressure (p_L⁰) as proposed by current sorption models.     

Trace elements in aerosol and precipitation at New Castle,NH, USA

Concentrations of a suite of trace elements (Al, Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn) were measured in aerosol and precipitation samples collected at a coastal site in New Castle, NH, from August 1996, through July 1997. Metal concentrations in aerosol and precipitation exhibit a high degree of temporal variability over the annual cycle, varying by approximately one order of magnitude or less for aerosol metals and by ∼2–3 orders of magnitude in precipitation. Estimates of the total annual atmospheric deposition of metals to the Gulf of Maine range from ∼10³ kg yr⁻¹ for Ag, ∼10⁴–10⁵ kg yr⁻¹ for the majority of metals, and ∼10⁶ kg yr⁻¹ for the crustal elements Al and Fe.     

Heavy metal distribution in dust from elementary schools in Hermosillo,Sonora, México

The city of Hermosillo, Sonora in northern Mexico was investigated for its heavy metals content. Samples of sedimented dust in roofs from 25 elementary schools were analyzed for their contents of Ni, Cr, Zn, Cd, Co, Ba, V, Pb, Fe and Cu after digestion with nitric acid. The results of the analysis were used to determine spatial distribution and magnitude of heavy metals pollution. The results of this study reveal that heavy metals distribution is different in two areas of the city. The southern area contains higher concentrations of heavy metals than the northcentral area. The mean level of Cd in exterior dust is 5.65 mg kg⁻¹ in the southern area whereas the mean level of Cd is 2.83 mg kg⁻¹ in the northcentral area. Elevated concentrations of Zn (2012 mg kg⁻¹), Pb (101.88 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (38.13 mg kg⁻¹) and Cd (28.38 mg kg⁻¹) in roof dust were found in samples located near industrial areas. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the data matrix to evaluate the analytical results and to identify the possible pollution sources of metals. PCA shows two main sources: (1) Pb, Cd, Cr and Zn are mainly derived from industrial sources, combined with traffic sources; (2) Fe, Co and Ba are mainly derived from natural sources. V and Ni are highly correlated and possibly related to fuel combustion processes. Enrichment factors were calculated, which in turn further confirms the source identification. Ba and Co are dominantly crustal. Anthropogenically added Cd, Pb, Zn and Cr show maximum enrichment relative to the upper continental crustal component. The distribution of the heavy metals in dust does not seem to be controlled only by the topography of the city, but also by the location of the emission sources.     

Simultaneous reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of As(III) by Bacillus firmus TE7 isolated from tannery effluent

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and arsenite [As(III)] are the most toxic forms of chromium and arsenic respectively, and reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and oxidation of As(III) to As(V) has great environmental implications as they affect toxicity and mobility of these toxic species. Bacillus firmus strain TE7, resistant to chromium and arsenic was isolated from tannery effluent. The strain exhibited ability to reduce Cr(VI) and oxidize As(III). It reduced 100 mg L^?1 Cr(VI) within 60 h in nutrient broth and oxidized 150 mg L^?1 As(III) within 10 h in minimal medium. It also completely reduced 15 mg L^?1 Cr(VI) and oxidized 50 mg L^?1 of As(III) simultaneously in minimal medium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first bacterial strain showing simultaneous reduction of Cr(VI) and oxidation of As(III) and is a potential candidate for bioremediation of environments contaminated with these toxic metal species.     

Urban and rural ultrafine (PM0.1) particles in the Helsinki area

In June 1996–June 1997 Berner low-pressure impactors were used at an urban and at a rural site in the Helsinki area for sampling ultrafine particles (UFP, PM_0.1). Ten sample pairs, each pair measured simultaneously, were collected in the size range of 0.03–15 μm of particle aerodynamic diameter. More than 40 chemical components were measured. Surprisingly, the average UFP mass concentration was higher at the rural site (520 ng/m³) than at the urban site (490 ng/m³). The average chemical composition of UFP was similar at the two sites. The most abundant of the measured components were sulphate (32 and 40 ng/m³ for the urban and rural sites, respectively), ammonium (22 and 25 ng/m³), nitrate (4 and 11 ng/m³) and the Ca²⁺ ion (5 and 7 ng/m³). The most important metals at both sites were Ca, Na, Fe, K and Zn with concentrations between 0.7 and 5 ng/m³. Of the heavy metals, Ni, V, Cu, and Pb were important with average ultrafine concentrations between about 0.1 and 0.2 ng/m³. Also the organic anions oxalate (urban 2.1 ng/m³ and rural 1.9 ng/m³) and methanesulphonate (1.3 and 1.7 ng/m³) contributed similarly at both sites. The measured species accounted for only about 15–20% of the total ultrafine mass. The fraction that was not measured includes mainly carbonaceous material and water. It was estimated that the amount of water was about 10% (50 ng/m³) and that of carbonaceous material about 70% (350 ng/m³) at both sites. Aitken modes were observed for most components with the average mass mean mode diameters being between about 0.06 and 0.12 μm. The average concentrations in the Aitken mode differed clearly from those in the UFP for several components.The average contribution of ultrafine mass to the fine particle mass (PM_2.5) was about 7% at the urban site and 8.5% at the rural site. At both sites the contribution of ultrafine to fine was especially high for Se, Ag, B, and Ni (10–20%) and at the rural site also for Co (20%), Ca²⁺ (16%) and Mo (11%). Enrichment in the ultrafine particles suggests that local sources may exist for these elements.Aitken modes turned out to be useful indicators of local sources for several components. The Aitken modes of Ba, Ca, Mg and Sr were similar in several samples, suggesting a common local combustion source for these elements, possibly traffic exhaust. Co, Fe, Mo and Ni formed another group of elements often having similar Aitken modes, the likely source being combustion of heavy fuel oil.     

High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants including PCBs,DDT, PBDEs and PFOS in little brown bats with white-nose syndrome in New York,USA

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a condition associated with white fungal growth on ears, wings, and nose of hibernating bats; this condition has recently resulted in high bat mortality in the northeastern United States. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis of morbidity and mortality are still unknown. Elevated exposure to toxic contaminants could be a contributing factor via the consequent immunosuppression and endocrine disruption. In this study, diseased little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) were collected from several hibernacula in eastern New York State in 2008. Fat tissues of bats were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs; DDT, chlordanes, HCB, and HCH), and liver was analyzed for perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). A reference population of little brown bats, not affected by WNS, was also collected from a cave in Kentucky for the analysis of trace organic contaminants. Concentration of PCBs in fat tissues of bats from New York ranged from 1900 ng g^?1 to 35 000 ng g^?1, lipid wt, with the highest concentrations found in bats collected from caves in Albany County. High concentrations of PCBs were also found in bats from Kentucky (17 100–18 400 ng g^?1, lipid wt). Total PBDE concentrations in fat tissues ranged from 520 ng g^?1 to 10 900 ng g^?1, lipid wt, in bats from New York and from 4300 ng g^?1 to 13 000 ng g^?1, lipid wt, in bats from Kentucky. High concentrations of DDT (26 900 ng g^?1, lipid wt), chlordanes (6350 ng g^?1, lipid wt), and HCB (260 ng g^?1, lipid wt) were found in bats from New York. Concentrations of hexabromobiphenyl congener 153 (PBB 153) in bats from New York ranged from 8.6 ng g^?1 to 12 4000 ng g^?1, lipid wt. Concentrations of PFCs were on the order of a few tens to a few hundreds of nanograms per gram liver, on a wet weight basis. Overall, high concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs, DDT, and chlordanes were found in fat tissues of diseased bats from New York, although the concentrations in bats from non-diseased, reference population, from Kentucky were also high.     

Coarse atmospheric aerosol: size distributions of trace elements

A sampler, employing nine single stage impactors placed in parallel within a portable wind tunnel, has been used to determine the metal content of coarse atmospheric aerosol. The wind tunnel maintains a constant flow environment for the collectors housed inside it, so that representative sampling conditions are achieved compared to the varied ambient wind conditions. At a flow rate of 8 m s⁻¹ the 50% cut-off diameters of the impactors ranged from 7.8 to 38.8 μm. Measurements were conducted at a rural and urban site near Colchester in south east England. The samplers were analysed by PIXE for P, K, Ca, Fe, Ti, Mn, Cu, V, Co, Cr, Br, Zn, Ni, Sc and Pb. It is found that the sampler can be employed to quantitatively characterise the elemental mass size distribution for aerosol larger than 10 μm. The results indicate that a small fraction of the above earth and trace elements’ metal mass is present in particles greater than 10 μm. This fraction for earth metals (Ca, K, Ti) is comparatively greater in the rural site than the urban site, while for trace metals (Mn, V, Cu, Cr) this fraction constitutes a more significant part of the coarse mass at the urban site. Trace element concentrations were of a similar order of magnitude to earlier literature reports. Although the number of measurements was limited it can be concluded that the size distributions obtained were characteristic of an unpolluted area.