异丙醇增感电感耦合等离子体质谱法直接测定土壤和沉积物中硒

提出了沸水浴混合酸法消解,以异丙醇为增感剂,电感耦合等离子体质谱直接测定土壤和沉积物中硒的方法。实验表明2mol/L硝酸-4mol/L盐酸混酸能有效溶出土壤和沉积物中各种形态的硒。相对于1%硝酸基体,4%(V/V)异丙醇基体中硒的ICP-MS响应值提高了12.1倍;而且4%(V/V)异丙醇基体可有效抑制硒的质谱干扰。ICP发射功率和雾化气流速是影响异丙醇在ICP-MS测定过程增敏效应的主要因素。以78硒为测定同位素,方法检出限为0.005mg/kg,实际样品测定精密度均小于5%。用于测定土壤和沉积物国家标准样品并对其消解液进行加标回收实验,结果令人满意。     

水浴消解-原子荧光法测定土壤中的砷汞

建立了王水水浴消解-原子荧光法测定土壤中砷汞的方法,确定还原剂为硼氢化钾,测砷和汞时硼氢化钾的最优质量分数分别为2%和0.05%,载流为5%盐酸。该法砷和汞分别在质量浓度0.0~40.0μg/L和0.00~4.00μg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数均0.999 5,砷和汞的检出限分别为0.009和0.001 mg/kg,相对标准偏差分别为3.90%和2.67%,加标回收率分别为94.1%~107.6%和92.0%~104.0%。采用本法对国家标准土壤样品和东海县部分农田土壤样品进行测定分析,结果良好,表明该法操作简单、灵敏度高、实用性好,适用于土壤中砷和汞的测定。     

超声提取-电感耦合等离子体质谱法分析土壤中重金属化学形态

采用超声提取处理土壤样品,用ICP-MS分析样品中Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd、Ni、Cr等6种重金属元素形态,通过试验分析超声提取时土壤样品粒径、超声提取时间对提取效率的影响。方法在0.500μg/L~100μg/L之间线性良好,检出限为0.007μg/L~0.8μg/L,实际样品测定结果的RSD为4.7%~22.7%。土壤中重金属4种形态之和的总量与全量的相对偏差为11.0%~36.4%。将该方法与连续振荡法的试验结果比对,表明两方法对土壤样品的提取效率无显著性差异。     

微波消解-氢化物发生-原子荧光法测定土壤中的砷

以微波消解的方法处理土壤样品,采用硝酸—盐酸作为消解体系,设定最佳的样品前处理条件,使用水浴温恒加速砷的还原速率,同时利用仪器自动配置标准曲线。同时设定仪器最优测定条件,再用双道原子荧光光谱法测定土壤样品中的砷。通过国家标准参考物质和加标回收试验,对方法进行验证。结果表明,采用该方法,砷的浓度范围在2.00～20.00μg/L时校正曲线呈线性,检出限为0.003mg/Kg,测定土壤标准物质,砷测定结果均在标准值允差范围内, RSD范围为1.31%,测定土壤中砷的回收率为106.6%。说明该方法稳定性好、精密度高、操作简便、成本低,适用于高效测定大量土壤样品中砷含量。     

全自动石墨消解-原子荧光法测定土壤中砷和汞

采用全自动石墨消解仪代替水浴锅加热王水消解法处理土壤样品,用原子荧光法测定消解液中的砷和汞。该方法在0μg/L~20.0μg/L范围内线性良好,测定有证标准土壤样品的结果均在标准值允许范围内,砷、汞测定结果的RSD分别为2.5%~4.8%、2.9%~5.4%,比王水消解法的测定结果更靠近标准值,实际土壤样品的加标回收率分别为94.6%~104%、92.6%~105%。     

超声波萃取-红外分光光度法测定土壤中石油类

采用超声波萃取-红外分光光度法测定土壤中石油类,并对超声波机的功率、水浴温度和萃取时间进行优化.试验表明：方法在0mg/L～80.0mg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数r为0.9997;方法检出限为6.00μg/L,当取土壤样品10.0g时,方法检出限为0.03mg/kg;空白土壤的加标回收率为97.4% ～103%;测定实际土壤样品的RSD为3.0% ～3.9%.通过比较超声波萃取、四氯化碳热浸法和快速溶剂萃取法的前处理效果,显示出超声波萃取法的优越性.     

微波消解-ICP-MS测定土壤和底泥中的12种金属元素

以20.0μg/L铟作内标,采用硝酸-氢氟酸-过氧化氢体系微波消解,ICP-MS(电感耦合等离子体质谱法)同时测定土壤和底泥中的12种金属元素,各元素方法检出限为0.003～0.2μg/g,相对标准偏差小于6.1%,土壤标准样品的测定值与标准值吻合。方法简便快捷,灵敏度高,重现性好,是分析大批量土壤和底泥样品中多元素的可靠、高效方法。     

土壤重金属监测过程及其质量控制

重点探讨了土壤中典型重金属含量监测过程中样品制备、含水率、预处理等因素对分析结果的影响。实验结果表明,充分风干土壤的含水率在2%～3%左右,200目土壤颗粒度可满足分析精度的要求。硝酸-氢氟酸-高氯酸的多元混酸消解体系可实现对土壤重金属的充分溶解,对标准土壤样品中各元素的回收率可达84%～98%。批次内平行样品以及批次间质控样品各元素的相对标准偏差大都小于10%,符合《土壤环境监测技术规范》的要求,表明该研究建立的系统土壤重金属检测方法结果准确可靠。     

微波消解-石墨炉原子吸收分光光度法测定海洋沉积物中镉和铬

以硝酸作为消解液,采用微波消解仪对海洋沉积物进行消解,用石墨炉原子吸收分光光度法测定消解液中的Cd和Cr。该方法在0μg/L~10.0μg/L范围内线性良好,Cd和Cr的方法检出限分别为0.04 mg/kg和2.0 mg/kg,实际样品的加标回收率在96.0%~100%之间,RSD为0.3%~5.2%。用该方法与国标法同时测定北部湾海域海洋沉积物实际样品,结果无明显差异,而该方法处理样品更为省时省力。     

全自动石墨消解-原子荧光法测定土壤总汞

采用全自动石墨消解-原子荧光光度法对土壤总汞进行测定,确定最佳消解时间为1 h,消解液最佳用量为8.0 m L。方法在总汞质量浓度为0.2~2.0μg/L范围内具有良好的线性,相关系数为0.999 9,当取样量为0.500 0 g时,检出限为0.002 mg/kg;测定不同标准土壤样品总汞的结果均在保证值范围内,精密度为4.0%~7.0%,加标回收率为95.0%~108.5%;对甘肃省实际土壤及沉积物样品测定进一步验证了方法的适用性。该法适合大批量样品分析,对于提高工作效率有重要意义。     

A New Mathematical Approach in Environmental and Life Sciences: Gene–Environment Networks and Their Dynamics

An important research area in life sciences is devoted to modeling, prediction, and dynamics of gene-expression patterns. As clearly understood in these days, this enterprise cannot become satisfactory without acknowledging the role of the environment. To a representation of past, present, and most likely future states, we also encounter measurement errors and uncertainties. This paper surveys and improves recent advances in understanding the foundations and interdisciplinary implications of the newly introduced gene–environment networks, and it integrates the important theme of carbon dioxide emission reduction into the networks and dynamics. We also introduce some operational and managerial issues of practical working and decision making, expressed in terms of sliding windows, quadrants (modules) of parametric effects, and navigating (controlling) between such effects and directing them. Given data from DNA microarray experiments and environmental records, we extract nonlinear ordinary differential equations that contain parameters that have to be determined. For this, we employ modern (Chebychevian) approximation and (generalized semi-infinite) optimization. After this is provided, time- discretized dynamical systems are studied. A combinatorial algorithm with polyhedra sequences allows to detect the region of parametric stability. Finally, we analyze the topological landscape of gene–environment networks with its structural (in)stability. By embedding as a module and investigating CO₂ emission control and figuring out game theoretical aspects, we conclude. This pioneering work is theoretically elaborated, practically devoted to health care, medicine, education, living conditions, and environmental protection, and it invites the readers to future research.      

An investigation on biological stability of product water generated by lab-scale and pilot-scale distillation systems

Material Disposal Area G is the primary low-levelradioactive waste disposal site at Los Alamos NationalLaboratory, New Mexico, and is adjacent to Pueblo of SanIldefonso lands. Pueblo residents and Los Alamos scientists areconcerned about radiological doses resulting from uptake of AreaG radionuclides by mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) andRocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus), then consumption ofdeer and elk meat by humans. Tissue samples were collected fromdeer and elk accidentally killed near Area G and were analyzedfor ³H, ⁹⁰Sr, total U, ²³⁸Pu, ^{239, 240}Pu,²⁴¹Am, and ¹³⁷Cs. These data were used to estimatehuman doses based on meat consumption of 23 kg y^-1. Humandoses were also modeled using RESRAD, and dose rates to deer andelk were estimated with a screening model. Dose estimates tohumans from tissue consumption were 2.9 × 10^-3 mSv y^-1and 1.6 × 10^-3 mSv y^-1 from deer and elk, respectively,and RESRAD dose estimates were of the same order of magnitude. Estimated dose rates to deer and elk were 2.1 × 10^-4 mGyd^-1 and 4.7 × 10^-4 mGy d^-1, respectively. Allestimated doses were significantly less than established exposurelimits or guidelines.     

Assessing health consequences in an environmental impact assessment: The case of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

In this article a comprehensive approach for the evaluation of possible health effects in an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is described, illustrated with the example of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Unlike many EIAs, we estimated quantitatively the impact of aircraft-related pollution in terms of the number of affected people for aircraft noise annoyance, odour annoyance and hypertension. In addition, an analysis of health registry data on cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and a short survey on annoyance and risk perception were carried out. The scope of a health impact assessment depends on the situation, available knowledge and data, concern in the population about the impact and the number of people concerned. It is important to pay attention to the perception of risks and concerns from all parties involved. Moreover, the results demonstrate that far more people outside the area for which standards apply were affected than inside.     

Contaminant Profiles of Two Species of Shorebirds Foraging Together at Two Neighboring Sites in South San Francisco Bay, California

The San Francisco Bay estuary isused by over one million shorebirds during springmigration and is home to several hundred thousandduring the winter. Most shorebird use occurs in thesouthern reach of the estuary (South Bay). Thereduced water circulation and discharge fromindustrial sources in the South Bay are responsiblefor the highest levels of some trace elements in theestuary. Wintering shorebirds have been found to havestrong site fidelity to areas as small as a fewkilometers in the South Bay, which may increase theirexposure to contaminants near local point sources. Inaddition, different shorebird species foraging at thesame site have been shown to have differentcontaminant burdens. Thus, our objectives were totest whether contaminant burdens differed by species,or whether contaminant burdens differed in shorebirdscollected at adjacent sites. We examined thecontaminant profiles of two species of shorebirds,long-billed dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus)and western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) thatforage together at two sites, Hayward and Newark,separated by 8 km in the South Bay. We usedmultivariate analysis of variance tests to compare thecomposition of 14 elemental analytes in their livertissues and estimated their molar ratios of Hg and Se. Composite samples were used for contaminant analysesbecause of the small body size of the shorebirds. Seven elemental analytes (Ag, Ba, Be, Cr, Ni, Pb, V)were below detection limits in a majority of thesamples so statistical analyses were precluded. Inthe measurable analytes (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Se, Zn),we found no significant intra-site differences ofcontaminant profiles for the two species. We pooledthe samples to examine inter-site differences andfound significant differences in contaminant profilesbetween shorebirds at the neighboring sites (P = 0.03). Shorebirds at Newark had higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of As, Cd, and Se than those at Hayward. Dowitchers at Newark had concentrations of Hg and Se which were highly correlated (P < 0.003) in a mean molar ratio of 1:19, similar tothat reported in other birds. In the larger dowitcherspecies, we also examined exposure to 20organochlorine compounds. Organic analyses showedthat the dowitchers had been exposed to DDE, PCBs,dieldrin and trans-nonachlor, but with no significantdifferences in concentrations between Hayward andNewark (P > 0.05).     

土壤和底泥中砷、铬、锰测定的前处理技术

试验了土壤和底泥中砷的前处理技术，其目的是能对土壤、底泥中砷、铬、锰在一次前处理中制备成试液，比色法分析。试验表明，用Ｈ２ＳＯ４－Ｈ３ＰＯ４－Ｈ２Ｏ２进行前处理是可行的。方法简单、挥发酸雾少，用标准参考物质检验证明，分解完全，数据准确，有粒较好一致性。     

Metal concentrations in deciduous tree leaves from urban areas in Poland

Accumulation of metals in deciduous tree foliage fromurban areas in western-south Poland was monitored duringthe vegetation season of 2000 year. Concentrations of Al,Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti and Znwere measured in birch, willow, linden and maple leavesusing the ICP-AES method. Seasonal variations of metalconcentrations and their relations with sampling sitewere investigated. The most dynamic accumulation of Al,Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb was observed for examined species. Thehighest differences in element concentrations forinvestigated sites were found for Ba, Cd, Mn and Ni.Interelement correlations were investigated. In allfoliar samples synergistic relationships between Al–Crand Ca-Sr were found. Statistically significant negativecorrelations were observed only for Cd and Ti in birch leaves.     

Varying Stable Nitrogen Isotope Ratios of Different Coastal Marsh Plants and Their Relationships with Wastewater Nitrogen and Land Use in New England, USA

The stable nitrogen isotope ratios of some biota have been used as indicators of sources of anthropogenic nitrogen. In this study the relationships of the stable nitrogen isotope ratios of marsh plants, Iva frutescens (L.), Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex Steud, Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl, Spartina alterniflora Loisel, Ulva lactuca (L.), and Enteromorpha intestinalis (L.) with wastewater nitrogen and land development in New England are described. Five of the six plant species (all but U. lactuca) showed significant relationships of increasing δ ¹⁵N values with increasing wastewater nitrogen. There was a significant (P < 0.0001) downward shift in the δ ¹⁵N of S. patens (6.0 ± 0.48‰) which is mycorrhizal compared with S. alterniflora (8.5 ± 0.41‰). The downward shift in δ ¹⁵N may be caused by the assimilation of fixed nitrogen in the roots of S. patens. P. australis within sites had wide ranges of δ ¹⁵N values, evidently influenced by the type of shoreline development or buffer at the upland border. In residential areas, the presence of a vegetated buffer (n = 24 locations) significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the δ ¹⁵N (mean = 7.4 ± 0.43‰) of the P. australis compared to stands where there was no buffer (mean = 10.9 ± 1.0‰; n = 15). Among the plant species, I. frutescens located near the upland border showed the most significant (R ² = 0.64; P = 0.006) inverse relationship with the percent agricultural land in the watershed. The δ ¹⁵N of P. australis and I. frustescens is apparently an indicator of local inputs near the upland border, while the δ ¹⁵N of Spartina relates with the integrated, watershed-sea nitrogen inputs.     

Geochemical assessment of metal transport in glacial till during electrokinetic remediation

This paper presents the chemical speciation and retention behavior of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) prior to and after the electrokinetic remediation in glacial till soil. The speciation of the metals was predicted using the chemical speciation program MINEQL⁺. The simulations were performed for single-contaminant with only Cr(VI) or Ni, and multi-contaminants consisting of: (1) Cr(VI), Ni, and Cd; (2) Cr(III), Ni and Cd; (3) Cr(VI), Cr(III), Ni and Cd; (4) Cr(VI), Ni, and Cd with reducing agents; and (5) Cr(III), Ni, and Cd with oxidizing agent (Mn). The results showed that the speciation and distribution of cationic metals [Ni, Cd, and Cr(III)] in glacial till soil remain unaffected or slightly affected during electrokinetics. This is attributed to the high pH buffering capacity of the glacial till, leading the metals to precipitate in the soil prior to and after electrokinetics. This study showed that during electrokinetics, Cr(VI) existed as anionic complex and migrated towards the anode and the migration is maximum in case of a single-contaminant system. The study also showed that near the anode in the absence of any reducing and oxidizing agent, Cr(VI) mostly adsorbed, and some of Cr(VI) reduced to Cr(III) and migrated towards the cathode and finally precipitated due to high pH conditions. Ni and Cd remain adsorbed or precipitated due to the high pH conditions throughout the soil. Among the reducing agents, the sulfide had significant effect on the migration of metals compared to ferrous ions. While in the presence of oxidizing agent (Mn), no noticeable Cr(VI) was found in the soil sample indicating the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and the predominance of reducing conditions due to the presence of naturally occurring iron in the glacial till soil. Overall, this study provides a reasonable explanation of the speciation and distribution of chromium, nickel and cadmium during the electrokinetic remediation of glacial till soil.     

Biomonitoring of Lead, Zinc, and Cadmium in Streams Draining Lead-Mining and Non-Mining Areas, Southeast Missouri, USA

We evaluated exposure of aquatic biota to lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) in streams draining a Pb-mining district in southeast Missouri. Samples of plant biomass (detritus, periphyton, and filamentous algae), invertebrates (snails, crayfish, and riffle benthos), and two taxa of fish were collected from seven sites closest to mining areas (mining sites), four sites further downstream from mining (downstream sites), and eight reference sites in fall 2001. Samples of plant biomass from mining sites had highest metal concentrations, with means 10- to 60-times greater than those for reference sites. Mean metal concentrations in over 90% of samples of plant biomass from mining sites were significantly greater than those from reference sites. Mean concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cd in most invertebrate samples from mining sites, and mean Pb concentrations in most fish samples from mining sites, were also significantly greater than those from reference sites. Concentrations of all three metals were lower in samples from downstream sites, but several samples of plant biomass from downstream sites had metal concentrations significantly greater than those from reference sites. Analysis of supplemental samples collected in the fall of 2002, a year of above-average stream discharge, had lower Pb concentrations and higher Cd concentrations than samples collected in 2001, near the end of a multi-year drought. Concentrations of Pb measured in fish and invertebrates collected from mining sites during 2001 and 2002 were similar to those measured at nearby sites in the 1970s, during the early years of mining in the Viburnum Trend. Results of this study demonstrate that long-term Pb mining activity in southeast Missouri has resulted in significantly elevated concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Zn in biota of receiving streams, compared to biota of similar streams without direct influence of mining. Our results also demonstrate that metal exposure in the study area differed significantly among sample types, habitats, and years, and that these factors should be carefully considered in the design of biomonitoring studies.     

Effect of heavy metal contaminated shooting range soils on mycorrhizal colonization of roots and metal uptake by leek

We grew leek (Allium porrum) in soils of two shooting ranges heavily contaminated with heavy metals in the towns of Zuchwil and Oberuzwil in Switzerland as a bioassay to test theactivity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in these soils.Soil samples were taken from (1) front of the shooting house(HOUSE), (2) the area between house and target (FIELD) and (3) the berm (BACKSTOP). Samples of Ribwort plantain (Plantagolanceolata) growing naturally within the shooting ranges werealso collected and the colonization of its roots by mycorrhizalfungi was measured. The number of AM spores in the soils wassignificantly reduced concomitant with the increase in thedegree of soil contamination with metals. In Zuchwil,mycorrhizal fungi equally colonized roots of Ribwort plantainsampled from BACKSTOP and HOUSE. In Oberuzwil, however, plantsfrom BACKSTOP had lower colonization when compared with thosesampled from HOUSE. Colonization of leek was strongly reducedin the BACKSTOP soil of Zuchwil and slightly reduced in theBACKSTOP soil of Oberuzwil when compared with plants grown inrespective HOUSE soil. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb andZn in the leaves of leek grown in the BACKSTOP soil was withinthe range considered toxic for human consumption. This pointsto the high degree of bio-availability of these metal in thesesoils. Significant decrease in the number of mycorrhizal sporesin the BACKSTOP soils in Zuchwil and the low colonization ofleek roots grown in these soils point to possible changes inthe species diversity of mycorrhizal fungi in these soils.