Impacts of lead/zinc mining and smelting on the environment and human health in China

Mining and smelting are important economic activities. However, mining-related industries are also some of the largest sources of environmental pollution from heavy metals. China is one of the largest producers and consumers of lead and zinc in the world. A large amount of lead, zinc, and related elements, such as cadmium, have been released into the environment due to mineral processing activities and have impacted water resources, soils, vegetables, and crops. In some areas, this pollution is hazardous to human health. This article reviews studies published in the past 10 years (2000–2009), on the environmental and human health consequences of lead/zinc mineral exploitation in China. Polluted areas are concentrated in the following areas: the junction of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, west-central Hunan province, central Guangxi province, northern Guangdong, northwestern Henan province, the border between Shanxi and Gansu provinces, and the region of Liaoning province near Bohai. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are the main pollutants and are associated with human health effects such as high lead blood levels in children, arthralgia, osteomalacia, and excessive cadmium in urine.     

Occurrence of selected pharmaceuticals in river water in Japan and assessment of their environmental risk

The existence of pharmaceuticals in the water environment is thought to be a potential problem for aquatic organisms. In this study, we conducted a nationwide survey to clarify the occurrence of 24 selected pharmaceuticals in major Japanese rivers and evaluated their environmental risk to aquatic organisms. We found a total of 22 substances in river waters at concentrations from several nanograms per liter to several micrograms per liter. We found the highest, which was 2.4 μg/L of caffeine, followed by 1.5 μg/L of crotamiton and 1.4 μg/L of sulpiride. We conducted an environmental risk assessment of the 22 pharmaceuticals detected in river water, for which predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) values for crustacea and algae had been obtained. The measured environmental concentration/PNEC values of four substances, caffeine, carbamazepine, clarithromycin, and ketoprofen, exceeded 0.1 with the maximum value of 9.0 for clarithromycin. As clarithromycin exhibits a high environmental risk to aquatic organisms, particular attention is required.     

基于不同方法的水生态健康评估 ——以北京市典型水体为例

在北京选择密云水库、昆明湖、福海和北运河水系河流等9个典型水体,利用基于不同水生生物的多样性指数法和综合指数法开展水生态健康评价.结果表明,基于浮游植物和底栖动物的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数所指示的水生态状况分别对应轻污染～中污染和中污染～重污染等级,而结合生境、水质和水生生物指标的两项综合指数反映出的水生...     

Water quality planning and management for Dapeng bay,China

The pollution sources around the Dapeng bay and the current water quality of the bay are presented. Two-dimensional mathematical models for modelling the tidal flow and pollutant concentration fields have been developed and used to predict the water quality impact generated by coastal economic development of the area. Water quality planning for the bay is conducted and some managerial measures for environmental protection are put forward. The results show that at present there is minimal pollution, and the water quality is good. If the region around the bay is to be developed as proposed, it would have minor impact on the marine water quality. The aim is to have the water quality higher than that of Class II standard in National Marine Water Quality Standard of China (NMWQSC). In order to maintain the present condition of the bay, the ecological equilibrium around the bay must be preserved.     

Use of Sediment Quality Guidelines and pollution indicators for the assessment of heavy metal and PAH contamination in Greek surficial sea and lake sediments

Eight different surface sediment samples (K1–K8) were collected from two separate areas of Lake Koumoundourou and two samples (E1 and E2) from one area of Elefsis Bay, Athens, Greece. The level of pollution attributed to heavy metals was evaluated using several pollution indicators. Degree of Contamination, Modified Contamination Degree and Geoaccumulation Indexes were applied in order to determine and assess the anthropogenic contribution of the selected six elements (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As and Pb). Moreover, the adverse effects of the sediments to aquatic organisms, from both heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were determined by using Sediment Quality Guidelines. The results indicated that Lake Koumoundourou is contaminated with heavy metals in a moderate degree and almost 50 % of the sediments are associated with frequent observation of adverse effects, when it comes to Ni and occasional observation of adverse effects, when it comes to Cu, Zn and Pb. As far as PAHs are concerned, around 60 % of the samples can be occasionally associated to toxic biological effects according to the effect-range classification for phenanthrene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene and pyrene. Finally, samples taken from the north side of the lake are more contaminated with PAHs than the ones taken from the east side probably due to the existence of the water barrier which acts as a reservoir of PAHs.     

南海油田开发环境影响实例分析

陆丰22-1是中国第一个正式弃置的海上油田,处于南海330m深水区.分析开发前期、中期及末期油田附近海域表层海水、表层沉积物和底栖甲壳类体内石油烃含量数据,结果表明油田附近海域环境质量较好,油田开发对环境的主要污染影响是表层海水和底栖生物体内石油类污染物质含量有所升高,尚未见生活污水和食品废弃物的排放对环境造成影响的迹...     

Benthic communities of streams related to different land uses in a hydrographic basin in southern Brazil

Different land uses affect the characteristics of a hydrographic basin, reflected in the river water quality, and consequently affecting the aquatic biota. The benthic community closely reflects the alterations caused by different human activities. In this study, the effects of different land uses were evaluated by analysis of the benthic community structure in streams with urban, agricultural and pasturage influences, as well as areas in better-conserved regions. The abiotic parameters showed distinct seasonal variability, which did not occur with the benthic organisms. A degradation gradient was observed among the study sites, in the headwaters-agriculture-pasture-urban direction. By the CCA its possible to observe that the density of organisms tended to increase along this gradient, whereas richness, diversity, evenness, and EPT families decreased. The most intense effects of land use on the benthic community composition, richness, and diversity were observed in urban areas (F (1,4) = 16.0, p = 0.01; F (1,4) = 8.97, p = 0.04; respectively). In conclusion a trend in the benthic community is observed in to predict alterations caused for the different land uses, mainly, when the source point pollution, as the case of urban area.     

水环境中抗生素的分布、累积及生态毒理效应

抗生素持续大量使用带来的环境污染和潜在的生态风险已经引起广泛关注。总结了国内外相关研究成果,对水环境中抗生素的污染源及残留水平进行了分析,对抗生素在水生生物体内的累积规律给予了评述,同时对抗生素的生态毒理效应进行了探讨。鉴于我国水环境中抗生素的污染现状,建议未来加强环境相关浓度下抗生素在生物体内的分布与转化、食物链迁移与放大,以及多种抗生素联合效应等方面的研究。     

农业面源污染对我国农村地表水的影响与对策研究

基于2015—2021年我国农村地表水环境质量监测数据,分析了农村地表水环境质量状况特征;选取农业农村社会经济活动相关参数,与农村地表水中主要超标因子的超标比例进行了相关性分析;以2020年为基准年,对全国31个行政区,涵盖农村地表水水质状况、农业农村活动水平和污染压力、环境容量3个方面的9个指标进行了聚类分析。结果表明,我国农村地表水的变化趋势、季节特点和主要超标因子等表现出明显的农业面源污染特征;乡村人口、农业投入品使用量和经济作物种植比例等参数与主要超标指标具有较强的相关性（R＞0.9）;聚类分析将全国31个行政区划分为7种不同的农业面源污染类型。提出,应根据不同地区农业面源污染特点,因地制宜地推进标准化规模养殖、畜禽粪污资源化利用、化肥减量行动、高效低风险农药推广等农业面源污染治理措施,进一步加大农村生活污水处理设施建设,同时,完善农村环境质量监测网络,加强农业面源污染监测和评估。     

长江流域水生态评价指标初步研究

通过调研20世纪90年代以来国外主流水生态评价项目中采用的生境指标,统计了14个类型生境指标的使用频率,并针对不同的河流类型,筛选出物理形态特征、河岸带状况、生境组成、生境复杂性、人类干扰和水质状况等6个类型的11项评价指标,推荐作为长江流域河流生境评价指标.随后,利用层次分析法对国外水生生物评价指标进行了统计分析,并...     

Monitoring the drastic growth of ship breaking yards in Sitakunda: a threat to the coastal environment of Bangladesh

The vast coastal and marine resources that occur along the southern edge of Bangladesh make it one of the most productive areas of the world. However, due to growing anthropogenic impacts, this area is under considerable environmental pressure from both physical and chemical stress factors. Ship breaking, or the dismantling and demolition of out-of-service ocean-going vessels, has become increasingly common in many coastal areas. To investigate the extent of ship breaking activities in Bangladesh along the Sitakunda coast, various spatial and non-spatial data were obtained, including remote sensing imagery, statistical records and published reports. Impacts to coastal and marine life were documented. Available data show that ship breaking activities cause significant physical disturbance and release toxic materials into the environment, resulting in adverse effects to numerous marine taxonomic groups such as fish, mammals, birds, reptiles, plants, phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic invertebrates. Landsat imagery illustrates that the negatively impacted coastal area has grown 308.7 % from 367 ha in 1989 to 1,133 ha in 2010. Physicochemical and biological properties of coastal soil and water indicate substantially elevated pollution that poses a risk of local, regional and even global contamination through sea water and atmospheric transport. While damage to the coastal environment of Bangladesh is a recognized hazard that must be addressed, the economic benefits of ship breaking through job creation and fulfilling the domestic demand for recycled steel must be considered. Rather than an outright ban on beach breaking of ships, the enterprise must be recognized as a true and influential industry that should be held responsible for developing an economically viable and environmentally proactive growth strategy. Evolution of the industry toward a sustainable system can be aided through reasonable and enforceable legislative and judicial action that takes a balanced approach, but does not diminish the value of coastal conservation.     

望虞河西岸河网区沉积物营养盐和重金属污染时空分布特征

以无锡市望虞河西岸河网区为研究区域,于2018年12月—2019年9月分冬、春、夏、秋4个季节采集了上覆水和沉积物样本,研究氮磷营养因子在沉积物-上覆水界面的释放规律,探究主要水质指标、沉积物氮磷和重金属含量的时空分布特征。结果表明:研究区域内的水质状况不佳,主要是氮含量超标,污染严重的点位集中在人类活动较为密集的市区和工业区;受上覆水氮磷浓度、溶解氧浓度等变化的影响,沉积物营养盐含量季节变化明显,污染状况较为严重,75%的点位属于中度和重度污染;沉积物重金属含量季节变化不显著,部分重金属的空间分布特征相似,污染程度排序为Zn>Cd>Cu>Pb>Ni>Cr>As。     

A multivariate examination of ‘artificial mussels’ in conjunction with spot water tests in freshwater ecosystems

Metal pollution in aquatic systems is considered a serious environmental issue globally due to their ability to accumulate in aquatic environments. Wetlands are vulnerable to this pollution as they are known to trap toxins, removing them from the water. Artificial mussel technology, originally developed for marine environments, was applied to this freshwater system and spot water samples were collected. The Nyl River floodplain (Ramsar classified) is one of the largest and most ecologically significant wetlands in South Africa. The aims of this study were to determine metal contamination along the Nyl River system by means of artificial mussels (AM) and water ICP-MS analysis and to determine whether the use of AMs in conjunction with spot water testing could give more insight into the pollution in freshwater wetlands. The concentrations of Al, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined at seven sites. It was determined that the levels accumulated by the AMs differed in spatial and temporal trends when compared to spot water samples. It was determined that there were high levels of some metals found in the spot water tests that were not corroborated by the AMs results, which could indicate isolated pollution events. The use of AMs in conjunction with spot water testing was determined to be beneficial in gaining deeper insight into water metal conditions in dynamic freshwater systems.     

Contaminants-Induced Oxidative Damage on the Carp Cyprinus carpio Collected from the Upper Yellow River, China

The Yellow River, the second largest river in China, is the most important resource of water supply in North China. In the last 40 years, even in the upper Yellow River, with the development of industry and agriculture, more and more contaminants have been discharged into this river and greatly polluted the water. Although a routine chemical component analysis has been performed, little is known about the real toxic effects of the polluted water on organisms at environmental level. To explore whether the pollutants induced oxidative stress and damage to aquatic organisms, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in hepatopancreas, kidney and intestine of the field-collected carp Cyprinus carpio from a mixed polluted (Lanzhou Region, LZR) and a relatively unpolluted (Liujiaxia Region, LJXR) sites of the upper Yellow River were measured. The results showed that when the values of LZR compared with those of LJXR, SOD and GST activities increased and GPx activity decreased significantly in all the three organs (P < 0.05–0.01); CAT activity decreased but MDA level increased significantly (P < 0.05–0.01) only in kidney and intestine. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the pollutants can induce obvious oxidative damage in the carp, and the SOD, GST and GPx might be better indicators for the oxidative damage in aquatic organisms.     

Cadmium and Lead Levels in Fish (Tilapia Nilotica) Tissues as Biological Indicator for Lake Water Pollution

Cadmium and lead were determined in different tissues (muscle,gill, stomach, intestine, liver, vertebral column and scales) of Tilapia nilotica from the High Dam Lake, Aswan (Egypt) to assess the lake water pollution with those toxic metals. Fish samples were chosen from different ages and weights to be analyzed along with samples of the aquatic plant(Najas armeta), sediment and lake water.The results showed that cadmium and lead concentrations were higher in fish scales and vertebral column than in the other parts of the fish. Cadmium and lead levels in High Dam lake water and fish (Tilapia nilotica) were a result of the pollution which uptakes from aquatic plants, sediments andgasoline containing lead that leaks from fishery boats. Tilapia nilotica fish was used as a good bio-assay indicator for the lake pollution with cadmium and lead. The fish musclesin this study were in the safety baseline levels for man consumption.     

Heavy metal concentrations in water, sediment, and tissues of two fish species (Triplohysa pappenheimi, Gobio hwanghensis) from the Lanzhou section of the Yellow River, China

In order to assess the condition of heavy metal pollution in the Yellow River, Lanzhou section, China, and to quantify heavy metal (copper, lead, zinc, and cadmium) contents in tissues (liver, kidney, gills, and muscles) of two fish species (Triplophysa pappenheimi and Gobio hwanghensis), levels of these four metals in the water body, sediment, and tissues of the two fish were measured using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The metal levels from this study were compared with the threshold values in the guidelines of water, sediment, and food given by the National Environmental Protection Agency of China, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of America, and the National Standards Management Department of China. We found the mean concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in THE water body, sediment, and muscles of two fish species were far below the values in guidelines. We also found that the type of metals present and their concentrations varied in different tissues and species. The results suggested that (1) Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd did not contaminate the aquatic ecosystem severely and did not threaten the safety of human consumption in the Yellow River, Lanzhou section, and (2) organs that are sensitive to accumulating heavy metals may be useful to develop bioindicators for monitoring metal contamination. Considering environmental variables, further study is necessary before deciding which fish species or tissue could be the ideal bioindicators for aquatic pollution.     

Ecological principles of World Ocean monitoring

Anthropogenic effect on the World Ocean in the course of exploiting its resources has led to a significant contamination of some ocean areas in the latest decades and to diminution of the natural capacity of marine ecosystems to reproduction and self-regulation. Thus, the most urgent problem of today has become evident: the problem of the World Ocean pollution and its negative ecological effects. Local pollutions and their ecological effects on the World Ocean go on acquiring large-scale regional and even global character since the elements of ocean ecosystems and the ocean properties are interrelated and interconditioned. Looking into pollutant transfer and transformation in the marine environment we can distinguish four subsystems: ocean-land, ocean-atmosphere, and water-bottom sediments interfaces as well as ocean water mass. Ocean-atmosphere and water-floor subsystems require special consideration since their coefficients of pollutant accumulation are much greater than that of the water mass. Besides water exchange, the processes of pollutant transfer in the water mass effect the interference between the solute and suspended matter on the one hand, and water mass-biota interaction on the other. Atmospheric transport and deposition of chemical toxicants are considerable sources of the World Ocean pollution; their share in the total balance of the anthropogenic pollution influx into marine environment is commensurable with the river runoff. The most dangerous, among various pollutants entering the World Ocean, are oil, hydrocarbon chlorides (pesticides, polychloride bifenyls), toxic metals (mercury, cadmium, lead), i.e. globally occurring chemical compounds continuously entering the marine environment and effecting marine organisms and their populations. Still new and new pollutants are being discovered now in the oceans: chloride and polychloride terpenes, nitrosamines, chlordane, etc. The problems of eutrophication and microbiological contamination of the inland seas and ocean coastal zones are becoming still more urgent. Accumulation of aromatic polycyclic carcinogenous hydrocarbons. BaP in particular, is pregnant with unexpected ecological effects. The highest PAH concentrations have been observed in the sea coast areas and in the zones of intensive navigation. Rather high coefficients (10²–10⁴) of BaP accumulation in the sea biota and bottom sediments are marked. Ecological and biological effects of changes in the chemical composition of the ocean make up the chain of interrelated reactions; transformation of natural biogeocenoses, disturbance of the cycle of carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and other elements, reduction of biological productivity and cell genome affection present the most essential effects of these reactions. Stresses in the abiotic component of the ecosystem are expressed through disturbances in the chemical balance, changes in the evaporation from the sea surface, oil aggregate formation (floatable biocenoses), disturbances in reducing reactions of biogenous elements, salinity and temperature variation, and so on. Population-biocenotic effects of the man-made impact, actually important for the level of ecosystem stability, include the following processes of the structural and functional character:

1. alteration of the mean biomass of plankton and benthos populations, in particular in semi-enclosed seas and off-shore ocean areas;
2. alteration of the number of higher taxons-genera or families of the sea organisms, in particular replacement of the dominant populations of mass species, and emergence of hydrobionts new for the marine environment;
3. alteration of the relations between the numbers of some taxonomic groups of hydrobionts and abundant development of indicator species of the sea biota, e.g. BaP and PCB oxidizing microorganisms;
4. disturbances in production/destruction processes of organic substances;
5. energy flux changes in the marine ecosystem.

Analysis of the current knowledge on the ocean environment pollution and its negative effects has enabled to formulate the main directions of the World Ocean ecological monitoring. Investigations of the biogeochemical cycles of pollutants and elements in the marine environment, identification of the effect of pollutants abundant in the ocean on the Earth's climate and hydrochemical regime as well as major geophysical processes in the ocean and atmosphere make up integral parts of the ocean monitoring together with the studies of pollutant impact on the ocean biota which leads to biological regime alterations and affection of the sea organisms genofond.     

生物监测技术在工业废水监测领域的应用研究

生物监测可以系统反映污染物对生物生长的影响及其在生物体内的转化和迁移,在水环境监测与生态健康管理中的重要性日益突出。伴随着工业化的快速发展,中国水环境污染问题依然严峻,工业废水治理和排放问题仍旧突出。为进一步保障工业废水出水及受纳水体水质安全,迫切需要在工业废水监测中引入生物监测技术。对传统微生物群落监测法、水生生物毒性监测法和基于分子生物学技术的微生群落监测法等在工业废水监测领域的研究及应用进行了综述,并对存在的问题进行了总结。建议后续进一步完善工业废水生物监测体系时,参考国外成熟经验,制定出符合国内需求及特征的工业废水生物监测方法与评价标准,以便更好地掌握工业区整体环境健康及污染状况。     

Stability of lysosomal membrane in Carcinus maenas acts as a biomarker of exposure to pharmaceuticals

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is now a major concern given their potential adverse effects on organisms, particularly human beings. Because the feeding style and habitat of the crab Carcinus maenas make this species vulnerable to organic contaminants, it has been used previously in ecotoxicological studies. Lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) in crabs is a general indicator of cellular well-being and can be visualized by the neutral red retention (NRR) assay. LMS in crab hemolymph has been evaluated as a cellular biomarker of adverse effects produced by exposure to pharmaceutical compounds. Crabs were exposed in the laboratory to four different pharmaceuticals for 28 days in a semistatic 24-h renewal assay. Filtered seawater was spiked every 2 days with various concentrations (from 0.1 to 50 μg·L^?1) of caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, and novobiocin. Results showed that NRR time, measured at day 28, was significantly reduced (p?<?0.05) after exposure to environmental concentrations of each pharmaceutical (caffeine?=?15 μg·L^?1; carbamazepine?=?1 μg·L^?1; ibuprofen?=?5 μg·L^?1; and novobiocin?=?0.1 μg·L^?1) when compared with control organisms. The predicted “no environmental effect” concentration/measured environmental concentration results showed that the selected pharmaceuticals are toxic at environmental concentrations and need further assessment. LMS monitoring in crabs is a sensitive tool for evaluating exposure to concentrations of selected drugs under laboratory conditions and provides a robust tier 1 testing approach (screening biomarker) for rapid assessment of marine pollution and environmental impact assessments for analyzing pharmaceutical contamination in aquatic environments.     

Environmental impact of coal mining and coal seam gas production on surface water quality in the Sydney basin,Australia

The extraction of coal and coal seam gas (CSG) will generate produced water that, if not adequately treated, will pollute surface and groundwater systems. In Australia, the discharge of produced water from coal mining and related activities is regulated by the state environment agency through a pollution licence. This licence sets the discharge limits for a range of analytes to protect the environment into which the produced water is discharged. This study reports on the impact of produced water from coal mine activities located within or discharging into high conservation environments, such as National Parks, in the outer region of Sydney, Australia. The water samples upstream and downstream from the discharge points from six mines were taken, and 110 parameters were tested. The results were assessed against a water quality index (WQI) which accounts for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and E .coli. The water quality assessment based on the trace metal contents against various national maximum admissible concentration (MAC) and their corresponding environmental impacts was also included in the study which also established a base value of water quality for further study. The study revealed that impacted water downstream of the mine discharge points contained higher metal content than the upstream reference locations. In many cases, the downstream water was above the Australia and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council and international water quality guidelines for freshwater stream. The major outliers to the guidelines were aluminium (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn). The WQI of surface water at and downstream of the discharge point was lower when compared to upstream or reference conditions in the majority of cases. Toxicology indices of metals present in industrial discharges were used as an additional tool to assess water quality, and the newly proposed environmental water quality index (EWQI) lead to better trend in the impact of coal and coal seam gas mining activities on surface water quality when compared to the upstream reference water samples. Metal content limits were based on the impact points assigned by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, USA. For environmental and health impact assessment, the approach used in this study can be applied as a model to provide a basis to assess the anthropogenic contribution from the industrial and mining activities on the environment.