Decontamination of anaerobically digested slurry in a paddy field ecosystem in Jiaxing region of China

Anaerobic digestion has become increasing popular for managing biowastes in rural China as it has the advantage of generating biogas, a renewable energy. A new challenge, however, is minimizing the environmental pollution resulting from the anaerobically digested slurry (ADS). The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using a paddy field to remediate ADS while simultaneously cultivating rice. A field experiment was trialed using six treatments based on varying nitrogen loadings over the period of a rice-growing season. These treatments were adjusted to the content of the N within the ADS and had loadings of 270, 405, 540 and 1080 kg N ha⁻¹. These treatments were compared to a negative control (no fertilizer) and a positive control (chemical fertilizer) that consisted of urea applied at 270 kg N ha⁻¹. The effects of these N sources and slurry remediation were monitored using standard methods to measure water quality, soil properties and changes in rice production. Rice grain yields were generally higher for all ADS treatments than for the urea N treatment. Standing water quality in the field could reach national discharge standards for all treatments within 7-8 days after each ADS irrigation. Groundwater quality and heavy metal concentrations in both soil and the rice grain were not affected by the ADS treatments. We suggest that the quantities of ADS irrigated in 867-1734 m³ ha⁻¹ was not only safe for food quality (rice grain) and the receiving environment (water and soil), but also beneficial to soil fertility and rice grain yield.     

Denitrification on Andosols in an intensive dairy farming region of central Japan

Evaluation of denitrification capacities is necessary to develop a sustainable manure management system in order to reduce NO₃⁻ leaching and N₂O emissions from agricultural soils. Denitrification rates were measured using the acetylene inhibition technique on intact soil cores from eight Andosols under three different cropping systems in an intensive livestock catchment of central Japan. The N application rates ranged from 200 to 800 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. The denitrification rates were highly variable across fields, and were influenced significantly by land uses and manure forms. Compared with upland fields, paddy rice fields had a greater denitrification rate up to 1380 and 85 mg N m⁻² day⁻¹ in the top 30-cm soil layer during flooding and non-flooding periods, respectively. In upland fields, the maximum value for the top 30-cm soils was 44 mg N m⁻² day⁻¹ and most of the rates were less than 10 mg N m⁻² day⁻¹. The greater denitrification rates were often associated with slurry application rather than composted dry manure. Overall, denitrification from Andosols in this study displayed a lower capacity than that of non-Andosols.     

Mechanism and kinetics of aluminum dissolution during copper sorption by acidity paddy soil in South China

Soil aggregates were prepared from a bulk soil collected from paddy soil in the Taihu Lake region and aluminum (Al) dissolution, solution pH changes during copper (Cu^2 +) sorption were investigated with static sorption and magnetic stirring. Kinetics of Cu^2 + sorption and Al dissolution were also studied by magnetic stirring method. No Al dissolution was observed until Cu^2 + sorption was greater than a certain value, which was 632, 450, 601 and 674 mg/kg for sand, clay, silt, and coarse silt fractions, respectively. Aluminum dissolution increased with increasing Cu^2 + sorption and decreasing solution pH. An amount of dissolved Al showed a significant positive correlation with non-specific sorption of Cu^2 + (R² > 0.97), and it was still good under different pH values (R² > 0.95). Copper sorption significantly decreased solution pH. The magnitude of solution pH decline increased as Cu^2 + sorption and Al dissolution increased. The sand and clay fraction had a less Al dissolution and pH drop due to the higher ferric oxide, Al oxide and organic matter contents. After sorption reaction for half an hour, the Cu^2 + sorption progress reached more than 90% while the Al dissolution progress was only 40%, and lagged behind the Cu^2 + sorption. It indicated that aluminum dissolution is associated with non-specific sorption.     

Water quality in rice-growing watersheds in a Mediterranean climate

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) agriculture is estimated to cover 161 million ha of land on Earth, with 10% grown in temperate regions. Currently there are strong concerns about surface water nutrient pollution, and the purpose of this study was to determine the impacts of temperate rice cultivation on nutrient dynamics at the small watershed scale. Over the course of the 2008 growing season (May through September), bi-weekly grab samples were collected from outlets of 11 agricultural subwatersheds in California. Samples were analyzed for NO₃-N, NH₄-N, PO₄-P, K, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations, and the average values across all subwatersheds and sampling dates were 0.22, 0.031, 0.047, 1.36, and 0.32 mg L⁻¹, respectively. Linear mixed effects analysis was used to evaluate the magnitude of relationships between nutrient concentration and flux and subwatershed characteristics (i.e. percent soil clay and organic matter, percent rice area, irrigation water reuse, subwatershed discharge, irrigated area, and time, measured as the day in the growing season). For all nutrients, flux decreased over time and increased with discharge. Concentrations of K and DON were highest at the start and end of the growing season. Concentrations of NH₄-N were near non-detect levels, with the exception of a peak in mid-July, which corresponds to when many growers top-dress rice fields with N fertilizer. Nitrate-N concentration and flux decreased with percent rice area, whereas PO₄-P concentrations increased with percent rice area, indicating that rice area should be considered in future watershed-scale studies of nutrient discharge. In all subwatersheds, the discharge loads of K were smaller than surface water input loads, while NO₃-N, NH₄-N, PO₄-P, and DON discharge loads exceeded input loads when total growing season discharge was greater than 3500-6600 m³ ha⁻¹. This implies that the management of subwatershed discharge can be used to control nutrient export from rice-growing areas.     

Quantitative determination of AI-2 quorum-sensing signal of bacteria using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Autoinducer 2(AI-2), an important bioactive by-product of the Lux S-catalyzed S-ribosylhomocysteine cleavage reaction in the activated-methyl-cycle, has been suggested to serve as a universal intra- and inter-species signaling molecule. The development of reliable and sensitive methods for quantitative determination of AI-2 is highly desired.However, the chemical properties of AI-2 cause difficulty in its quantitative analysis.Herein, we report a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method that enables reproducible and sensitive measurement of AI-2 concentrations in complex matrixes. 4,5-Dimethylbenzene-1,2-diamine(DMBDM), an easy-to-obtain commercial reagent, was used for the derivatization treatment. The assay was linear in the concentration range of 1.0–1000 ng/m L(R~2= 0.999) and had a lower limit of quantification of0.58 ng/m L. The method exhibited several advantages, e.g., high selectivity, wide linear response range, and good sensitivity. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the method was further validated through measuring AI-2 concentrations in the cell-free culture supernatant from Escherichia coli wild type.     

Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature on the soil profile methane distribution and diffusion in rice–wheat rotation system

The aim of this experiment was to determine the impacts of climate change on soil profile concentrations and diffusion effluxes of methane in a rice–wheat annual rotation ecosystem in Southeastern China. We initiated a field experiment with four treatments: ambient conditions (CKs), CO₂ concentration elevated to ~ 500 μmol/mol (FACE), temperature elevated by ca. 2°C (T) and combined elevation of CO₂ concentration and temperature (FACE + T). A multilevel sampling probe was designed to collect the soil gas at four different depths, namely, 7 cm, 15 cm, 30 cm and 50 cm. Methane concentrations were higher during the rice season and decreased with depth, while lower during the wheat season and increased with depth. Compared to CK, mean methane concentration was increased by 42%, 57% and 71% under the FACE, FACE + T and T treatments, respectively, at the 7 cm depth during the rice season (p < 0.05). Mean methane diffusion effluxes to the 7 cm depth were positive in the rice season and negative in the wheat season, resulting in the paddy field being a source and weak sink, respectively. Moreover, mean methane diffusion effluxes in the rice season were 0.94, 1.19 and 1.42 mg C/(m²·hr) in the FACE, FACE + T and T treatments, respectively, being clearly higher than that in the CK. The results indicated that elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentration and temperature could significantly increase soil profile methane concentrations and their effluxes from a rice–wheat field annual rotation ecosystem (p < 0.05).     

Potential ammonia emission from flag leaves of paddy rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Koshihikari)

The present study aimed to investigate the potential ammonia (NH₃) emission from flag leaves of paddy rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Koshihikari). The study was conducted at a paddy field in central Japan that was designed as a free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) facility for paddy rice. A dynamic chamber method was used to measure the potential NH₃ emissions. The air concentrations of NH₃ at two heights (2 and 6 m from the ground surface) were measured using a filter-pack method, and the exchange fluxes of NH₃ of the whole paddy field were calculated using a gradient method. The flag leaves showed potential NH₃ emissions of 25-38 ng N cm⁻² h⁻¹ in the daytime from the heading to the maturity stages, and they showed potentials of approximately 22 ng N cm⁻² h⁻¹, even in the nighttime, at the heading and mid-ripening stages. The exchange fluxes of NH₃ of the whole paddy field in the daytime were net emissions of 0.9-3.9 g N ha⁻¹ h⁻¹ whereas the exchange fluxes of NH₃ in the nighttime were approximately zero.     

Soil emissions of NO, N2O and CO2 from croplands in the savanna region of central Brazil

In the last 40 years, a large area of savanna vegetation in Central Brazil (Cerrado) has been converted to agriculture, with intensive use of fertilizers, irrigation and management practices. Currently, the Cerrado is the main region for beef and grain production in Brazil. However, the consequences of these agricultural practices on NO, N₂O and CO₂ emissions from soil to atmosphere are still poorly investigated. The objectives of this study were to quantify soil emissions of NO-N, N₂O-N and CO₂-C in different no-till cultivation systems in comparison with native savanna vegetation. The agricultural areas included: (a) the maize and Brachiaria ruzizienses intercropping system followed by irrigated bean in rotation; (b) soybean followed by natural fallow; and (c) cotton planting over B. ruzizienses straw. The study was performed from August 2003 to October 2005 and fluxes were measured before and after planting, after fertilizations, during the growing season, before and after harvesting. NO-N fluxes in the soybean field were similar to those measured in the native vegetation. In the cornfield, higher NO-N fluxes were measured before planting than after planting and pulses were observed after broadcast fertilizations. During Brachiaria cultivation NO-N fluxes were lower than in native vegetation. In the irrigated area (bean cultivation), NO-N fluxes were also significantly higher after broadcast fertilizations. Most of the soil N₂O-N fluxes measured under cultivated and native vegetation were very low (<0.6 ng N₂O-N cm⁻² h⁻¹) except during bean cultivation when N₂O-N fluxes increased after the first and second broadcast fertilization with irrigation and during nodule senescence in the soybean field. Soil respiration values from the soybean field were similar to those in native vegetation. The CO₂-C fluxes during cultivation of maize and irrigated bean were twice as high as in the native vegetation. During bean cultivation with irrigation, an increase in CO₂-C fluxes was observed after broadcast fertilization followed by a decrease after the harvest. Significantly lower soil C stocks (0-30 cm depth) were determined under no-tillage agricultural systems in comparison with the stocks under savanna vegetation. Fertilizer-induced emission factors of N oxides calculated from the data were lower than those indicated by the IPCC as default.     

Deficit irrigation: An option to mitigate arsenic load of rice grain in West Bengal, India

Farmers in arsenic (As) contaminated areas of West Bengal, India grow rice during dry months (January to April) and use underground water for irrigation with As concentration above WHO defined critical (0.01 mg l⁻¹) limit. In each season they add 50-150 mg As per m² soil area. Thus growing rice under deficit irrigation in these areas will reduce As load in soil-root-shoot-leaf-grain continuum of rice ecosystem. Suitable deficit irrigation system has to be screened so that As load will decrease with insignificant reduction in grain yield. With this objective, rice grown under four irrigation regimes (i) continuous ponding (CP), (ii) intermittent ponding (IP), (iii) saturation (SAT) and (iv) aerobic (AER) was tested to assess the arsenic load in soil and various parts of rice on 45 and 80 days after transplanting (DAT). Conditions described in treatments ii, iii and iv were imposed during 15-45 DAT. Highest value (18.18 and 18.74 mg kg⁻¹) of soil arsenic was attained under CP followed by IP, SAT and AER. Root arsenic content under AER at 45 and 80 DAT was at the lowest level (6.14 and 20.54 mg kg⁻¹) and this was 31 and 7.0% lower as compared to CP. As content in leaf and grain attained the lowest values under IP. Grain yield insignificantly differed under IP (4.33 Mg ha⁻¹) over CP (4.69 Mg ha⁻¹). Compared to soil As, As added through irrigation showed stronger relationship with As status of various plant parts. Imposition of IP only during vegetative stage was found to be optimum in terms of reduction of As content in straw and grain respectively by 23 and 33% over farmers irrigation practice with insignificant decrease in grain yield.     

Effects of fluoride on the removal of cadmium and phosphate by aluminum coagulation

This study focuses on the effects of pH and fluoride at different molar ratios of fluoride to Al (R_F:Al) on the removal of cadmium (Cd²⁺) and phosphate by Al coagulation. Fluoride at R_F:Al ≥ 3:1 inhibits the removal of Cd over wide Al dose ranges from 5 to 10 mg/L as Al. The removal of phosphate decreases significantly at high R_F:Al of 10:1 whereas at lowered R_F:Al (i.e., ≤ 6:1), an adverse effect is observed only at insufficient Al doses below 2 mg/L. Fluoride shows inhibitive effects towards the removal of Cd at pH 7 and 8 and that of phosphate at pH 6. Fluoride decreases the ζ-potential in both systems, and the decreasing extent is positively correlated to the elevated R_F:Al. The Al fluoride interactions include the formation of Al–F complexes and the adsorption of fluoride onto Al(OH)₃ precipitates, i.e., the formation of Al(OH)_nF_m. Al–F complex formation inhibits Al hydrolysis and increases residual Al levels, and a more significant increase was observed at lower pH. Al–F complexes at high R_F:Al complicate the coagulation behavior of Al towards both negative and positive ionic species. Moreover, fluoride at low R_F:Al shows little effect on Al coagulation behavior towards Cd^2 + and phosphate, and the spent defluoridation adsorbent, i.e., aluminum (Al) hydro(oxide) with adsorbed fluoride at R_F:Al of below 0.1:1, may be reclaimed as a coagulant after being dissolved.     

Entry and toxicity of organic pesticides and copper in vineyard streams: Erosion rills jeopardise the efficiency of riparian buffer strips

The present study was performed to characterise in-stream pesticide exposure within the Palatinate vineyard region in south-west Germany, evaluate the influence of buffer strip widths and identify mitigation measures for the relevant entry pathways. In-stream water and sediment samples that were taken at nine sampling sites of different buffer widths following intense rainfall, and edge-of-field runoff that were sampled in erosion rills were analysed regarding 28 active ingredients of pesticides including copper. In-stream samples contained a mix of 8 ± 4 pesticide compounds, resulting in total pesticide concentrations of 1.4-8.9 μg l⁻¹ for water and 16-670 μg kg⁻¹ dw for sediment. Following an exceptional rainfall event with a previous 34-day drought period, pesticide concentrations reached 7.0-83.4 μg l⁻¹. Fungicides were the most important pesticides found and were significantly correlated with the pesticide application frequency and rate. The calculated toxicity values per sample (TU_max) indicated that both organic pesticides and copper concentrations likely cause ecotoxicological effects in the field. The buffer strip width was of little importance for pesticide in-stream concentrations because pesticide entry occurred mainly via the field path network and erosion rills. Pesticide in-stream concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with the concentrations detected in erosion rills (R² = 0.56). As possible risk mitigation measures, we suggest the implementation of grassed field paths and vegetated ditches or wetlands.     

Responses of soil ammonia oxidizers to a short-term severe mercury stress

The responses of soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB) to mercury(Hg) stress were investigated through a short-term incubation experiment.Treated with four different concentrations of Hg(CK,Hg25,Hg50,and Hg100,denoting 0,25,50,and 100 mg Hg/kg dry soil,respectively),samples were harvested after 3,7,and 28 day incubation.Results showed that the soil potential nitrification rate(PNR) was significantly inhibited by Hg stress during the incubation.However,lower abundances of AOA(the highest in CK: 9.20 × 10~7 copies/g dry soil; the lowest in Hg50: 2.68 × 10~7 copies/g dry soil) and AOB(the highest in CK: 2.68 × 10~7 copies/g dry soil; the lowest in Hg50:7.49 × 10~6 copies/g dry soil) were observed only at day 28 of incubation(P 0.05).Moreover,only the community structure of soil AOB obviously shifted under Hg stress as seen through DGGE profiles,which revealed that 2–3 distinct AOB bands emerged in the Hg treatments at day 28.In summary,soil PNR might be a very useful parameter to assess acute Hg stress on soil ecosystems,and the community structure of soil AOB might be a realistic biological indicator for the assessment of heavy metal stress on soil ecosystems in the future.     

Pseudomonas sp. ZXY-1, a newly isolated and highly efficient atrazine-degrading bacterium, and optimization of biodegradation using response surface methodology

Atrazine, a widely used herbicide, is increasing the agricultural production effectively, while also causing great environmental concern. Efficient atrazine-degrading bacterium is necessary to removal atrazine rapidly to keep a safe environment. In the present study, a new atrazine-degrading strain ZXY-1, identified as Pseudomonas, was isolated. This new isolated strain has a strong ability to biodegrade atrazine with a high efficiency of 9.09 mg/L/hr.Temperature, p H, inoculum size and initial atrazine concentration were examined to further optimize the degradation of atrazine, and the synthetic effect of these factors were investigated by the response surface methodology. With a high quadratic polynomial mathematical model(R~2= 0.9821) being obtained, the highest biodegradation efficiency of 19.03 mg/L/hr was reached compared to previous reports under the optimal conditions(30.71°C, pH 7.14, 4.23%(V/V) inoculum size and 157.1 mg/L initial atrazine concentration).Overall, this study provided an efficient bacterium and approach that could be potentially useful for the bioremediation of wastewater containing atrazine.     

Uptake of radioiodide by Paenibacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Burkholderia sp. and Rhodococcus sp. isolated from a boreal nutrient-poor bog

Radionuclides, like radioiodine(~(129)I), may escape deep geological nuclear waste repositories and migrate to the surface ecosystems. In surface ecosystems, microorganisms can affect their movement. Iodide uptake of six bacterial strains belonging to the genera Paenibacillus,Pseudomonas, Burkholderia and Rhodococcus isolated from an acidic boreal nutrient-poor bog was tested. The tests were run in four different growth media at three temperatures. All bacterial strains removed iodide from the solution with the highest efficiency shown by one of the Paenibacillus strains with 99% of iodide removed from the solution in one of the used growth media. Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and one of the two Paenibacillus strains showed highest iodide uptake in 1% yeast extract with maximum values for the distribution coefficient(K_d) ranging from 90 to 270 L/kg DW. The Burkholderia strain showed highest uptake in 1% Tryptone(maximum K_d170 L/kg DW). The Paenibacillus strain V0-1-LW showed exceptionally high uptake in 0.5% peptone + 0.25% yeast extract broth(maximum K_d 1,000,000 L/kg DW). Addition of 0.1% glucose to the 0.5% peptone + 0.25% yeast extract broth reduced iodide uptake at 4℃ and 20℃ and enhanced iodide uptake at 37℃ compared to the uptake without glucose. This indicates that the uptake of glucose and iodide may be competing processes in these bacteria. We estimated that in in situ conditions of the bog,the bacterial uptake of iodide accounts for approximately 0.1%–0.3% of the total sorption of iodide in the surface, subsurface peat, gyttja and clay layers.     

Nitrogen fertilizer reduction in rice production for two consecutive years in the Taihu Lake area

Agricultural activities are the main source of non-point pollution in the Taihu Lake region, and therefore reduction of nitrogen (N) fertilizer is imperative in this area. A two-year experiment was carried out in a paddy field of summer rice-winter wheat rotation in the Taihu Lake area, and the rice growing seasons were mainly concerned in this research. Grain yield, N accumulation at rice crucial stages, N use efficiency, as well as N losses via run off during rice growing season were determined under different N application rates. No significant differences were observed in grain yield under N fertilizer application rates of 135-270 kg N ha⁻¹ (50-100% of the conventional N application rate). Nitrogen accumulation before the heading stage (Pre-NA) accounted for 61-95% of total nitrogen absorption in mature rice, and was positively correlated with straw dry matter at harvest. Positive correlations were found between Pre-NA and straw (0.53, p < 0.05), and between grain yield and N accumulation after the heading stage (Post-NA) (0.58, p < 0.05), suggesting that increasing nitrogen accumulation after the heading stage is crucial for grain yield improvement. Poor agronomic efficiency of applied N (AE_N), partial factor productivity of applied N (PFP_N) and internal utilization efficiency of applied N (IE_N) were observed for the higher soil fertility and a higher N fertilizer input; a simple N fertilizer reduction could significantly increase the nitrogen use efficiency in this region. Nitrogen loss via runoff was positively linearly related to N application rates and severely affected by rainfall events. The highest-yielding N rates were around 232-257 kg N ha⁻¹, accounting for 86-95% of the conventional N application rates for the rice season. To reduce N losses and enhance N use efficiency, the recommendable N fertilization rate should be lower than that of the highest yield rate for rice season. Our findings indicated that nitrogen fertilizer reduction in the Taihu Lake area is feasible and necessary for maintaining grain yield, enhancing nitrogen use efficiency, and reducing environmental impact. However, the longer-term yield sustainability for the proper N application rate needs to be further investigated.     

Using a novel adsorbent macrocyclic compound cucurbit[8]uril for Pb removal from aqueous solution

In this study, cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) was utilized as a kind of new adsorbent to remove Pb^2 + ions from aqueous solution. With the solution pH increased from 2 to 6, the removal efficiency of adsorption increased from 55.6% to 74.5%correspondingly. The uptake of Pb^2 + increased rapidly in the initial 30 min, and then the adsorption rate became slower. The Pseudo-second order model could be used to interpret the adsorption kinetics satisfactorily; and the rate determining step in Pb^2 + adsorption onto CB[8] was the external mass transfer step. Equilibrium isotherm study reveals that the Langmuir model gave a better fitting result than Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir model was 152.67 mg/g for 298 K, 149.70 mg/g for 313 K and 136.42 mg/g for 323 K, respectively. The adsorption is a spontaneous process of exothermic nature. The effect of the adsorbent dosage and the influences of solution pH and co-existing cations were also investigated. The CB[8] was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, IR, ESI-MS spectra, SEM-EDAX, Zeta-potential and BET-analysis. The adsorption mechanism was due to the coordination between CB[8] molecule and Pb^2 + ions.     

BP网络框架下MODIS气溶胶光学厚度产品估算中国东部PM2.5

近年来随着中国经济的快速发展,中国区域的大气污染情况日趋严重,大气污染监测与治理已刻不容缓.由于卫星遥感具有较广的空间覆盖、成本低等优点,卫星遥感反演气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)产品被普遍认为是地面PM2.5浓度的重要指标,且已被广泛地应用于地面PM2.5遥感监测.利用2007～2008年的MODIS/Terra气溶胶光学厚度产品,考虑中国东部地区5个大气成分站点风速、风向、温度、湿度和边界层高度等气象数据,构建后向(BP)神经网络,提出了基于MODIS AOD产品估算PM2.5的模型.利用5个大气成分站点PM2.5观测数据对模型进行散点拟合和时间序列拟合验证,结果表明:①从PM2.5观测值与估算值的散点回归分析来看,PM2.5估算值与观测值相关系数最好的为庐山站(R=0.6),其它4个站次之,但其相关系数均在0.4(中强相关)以上;②从PM2.5观测值与估算值的时间序列比对分析来看,PM2.5估算值和观测值差值随时间变化而变化,且存在明显的日际振荡现象,但经相邻5 d滑动平均处理,5个站点的PM2.5估算值与观测值相关系数得到普遍提升,滑动后的相关系数RMA均在0.7以上(除郑州外),庐山RMA达到0.83.结果表明在BP网络框架下,基于MODIS AOD产品估算PM2.5的模型能较好地应用于PM2.5监测.     

Pollution levels and characteristics of phthalate esters in indoor air of offices

The pollution status and characteristics of PAEs (phthalate esters) were investigated in indoor air of offices, and PAEs of both gas-phase and particulate-phase were detected in all the samples. The concentration (sum of the gas phase and the particulate phase) was 4748.24 ng/m³, ranging between 3070.09 and 6700.14 ng/m³. Diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were the most abundant compounds, together accounting for 70% of the ∑ 6PAEs. Dividing the particulate-phase PAEs into four size ranges (< 2.5, 2.5–5, 5–10, > 10 μm), the result indicated that PAEs in PM_2.5 were the most abundant, with the proportion of 72.64%. In addition, the PAE concentration in PM_2.5 correlated significantly with the total particulate-phase PAEs (R² = 0.85). Thus, the amount of PAEs in PM_2.5 can be estimated from the total amount of particulate-phase PAEs using this proportion. In a comparison between the offices and a newly decorated study room, it was found that pollution characteristics were similar between these two places. Thus, it is implied that the PAE concentration decreased by 50% 2 yr after decorating.     

Roles of SO2 oxidation in new particle formation events

The oxidation of SO₂ is commonly regarded as a major driver for new particle formation (NPF) in the atmosphere. In this study, we explored the connection between measured mixing ratio of SO₂ and observed long-term (duration > 3 hr) and short-term (duration <1.5 hr) NPF events at a semi-urban site in Toronto. Apparent NPF rates (J₃₀) showed a moderate correlation with the concentration of sulfuric acid ([H₂SO₄]) calculated from the measured mixing ratio of SO₂ in long-term NPF events and some short-term NPF events (Category I) (R² = 0.66). The exponent in the fitting line of J₃₀ ~ [H₂SO₄]ⁿ in these events was 1.6. It was also found that SO₂ mixing ratios varied a lot during long-term NPF events, leading to a significant variation of new particle counts. In the SO₂-unexplained short-term NPF events (Category II), analysis showed that new particles were formed aloft and then mixed down to the ground level. Further calculation results showed that sulfuric acid oxidized from SO₂ probably made a negligible contribution to the growth of >10 nm new particles.     

Roles of SO2 oxidation in new particle formation events

The oxidation of SO₂ is commonly regarded as a major driver for new particle formation (NPF) in the atmosphere. In this study, we explored the connection between measured mixing ratio of SO₂ and observed long-term (duration > 3 hr) and short-term (duration < 1.5 hr) NPF events at a semi-urban site in Toronto. Apparent NPF rates (J₃₀) showed a moderate correlation with the concentration of sulfuric acid ([H₂SO₄]) calculated from the measured mixing ratio of SO₂ in long-term NPF events and some short-term NPF events (Category I) (R² = 0.66). The exponent in the fitting line of J₃₀ ~ [H₂SO₄]ⁿ in these events was 1.6. It was also found that SO₂ mixing ratios varied a lot during long-term NPF events, leading to a significant variation of new particle counts. In the SO₂-unexplained short-term NPF events (Category II), analysis showed that new particles were formed aloft and then mixed down to the ground level. Further calculation results showed that sulfuric acid oxidized from SO₂ probably made a negligible contribution to the growth of > 10 nm new particles.