Lead and cadmium in urban allotment and garden soils and vegetables in the United Kingdom

In order to assess the intake of lead and cadmium by consumers of home grown vegetables in urban areas, replicated experimental plots of uniform size, comprising summer and winter crops, were established in 94 gardens and allotments in nine towns and cities in England.The geometric mean lead and cadmium concentrations for the soils (n = 94) were 217 g g^–1 (ranging from 27 to 1,676 g g^–1) and 0.53 g g^–1 (<0.2–5.9 g g^–1), respectively. Compared with agricultural soils, the garden and allotment soils contained elevated levels of lead but not cadmium.Lead concentrations in the vegetables ranged from <0.25 g g^–1 to 16.7 g g^–1 dry weight and cadmium concentrations ranged from <0.025 g g^–1 to 10.4 g g^–1 dry weight. Lead concentrations were higher than reported background levels, although <1% exceeded the statutory limit for saleable food in the UK (1 g g^–1 fresh weight). Cadmium concentrations were generally similar to background levels.     

Nanosensors and nanobiosensors in food and agriculture

The food and agriculture sector controls the economic growth of a developing country. The food industries have practices of growing crops, raising livestock and sea foods, food processing and packaging, regulating production and distribution with quality and safety. The process control and monitoring quality are crucial steps. Here we review nanosensors and nanobiosensors as alternative of classical quantification methods. Nanoscale dimensions of metal nanoparticles, metal nanoclusters, metal oxide nanoparticles, metal and carbon quantum dots, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and nanocomposites expand the sensitivity by signal amplification and integrate several novel transduction principles such as enhanced electrochemical, optical, Raman, enhanced catalytic activity, and superparamagnetic properties into the nanosensors. The electrochemical nanosensors, optical nanosensors, electronic nose and electronic tongue, nanobarcode technology, and wireless nanosensors have revolutionized the sensing in food and agriculture sectors with multiplex and real-time sensing capabilities. Despite previous success stories of the remunerative health sector, the approaches are transferred subsequently to food and agriculture sector; with potential application in detection of food contaminants such as preservatives, antibiotics, heavy metal ions, toxins, microbial load, and pathogens along with the rapid monitoring of temperature, traceability, humidity, gas, and aroma of the food stuff.     

南京市蔬菜中滴滴涕和六六六的残留及摄食暴露分析

为研究有机氯农药在食物中的残留及人群的摄食暴露,在2015年5月采集了南京市居民普遍食用的10种蔬菜,利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)进行检测。研究表明滴滴涕(DDTs)和六六六(HCHs)在蔬菜中均有检出,∑DDTs的残留量为1.78~5.29 ng·g~(-1),∑HCHs的残留量为0.21~4.77 ng·g~(-1),其中∑10OCPs(有机氯农药)含量最高的蔬菜是藕(10.07 ng·g~(-1)),含量最低的是青菜(2.32 ng·g~(-1))。通过来源分析发现,蔬菜中DDTs可能有新的输入,而HCHs则主要源于历史残留。通过对不同人群的每日摄取量(EDI)进行摄食暴露分析发现,儿童的摄食暴露量要高于同性别其他年龄段人群,在儿童和未成年阶段,男性的暴露量普遍高于女性,而在成年和老年阶段,男性的暴露量低于女性。平均而言,各年龄段人群对γ-HCH和DDTs的日均口摄暴露量(EDI)值远低于联合国粮农组织和世界卫生组织(FAO/WHO)所规定的ADI值,表明在目前蔬菜消费量下,南京市居民通过摄入蔬菜引起的健康风险水平较低。     

Recent advances in pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the surface water and sediments in China

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been regarded as an emerging problem in the surface water environment in the past few decades. In China, although related studies were initiated several years ago, an increasing number of studies on this topic have been conducted in recent years. These studies have expanded knowledge of their occurrence, behavior and associated risk in the surface water environment in China. This review compiles the most recent literature related to the studies of PPCPs in the surface water environment in China. It includes PPCP occurrence in surface water and sediments, their geographical distribution, and outcomes of the associated risk assessment. It shows that antibiotics have received much more attention in both surface water and sediments than other PPCPs. Compared to other countries; most antibiotics in the collected sediments in China showed higher contamination levels. Many more study areas have been covered in recent years; however, attention has been given to only specific areas. Environmental risk assessment based on risk quotients indicated that sulfamethoxazole presents the most significant environmental risk to relevant aquatic organisms; followed by ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, 17α-ethynylestradiol, ibuprofen and diclofenac. Despite limited research on the environmental risk assessment of PPCPs in sediments, higher risks posed by PPCPs in the sediments rather than surface water were identified highlighting the need for further risk assessment of PPCPs in sediment samples.

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Occurrence and removal of N-nitrosodimethylamine and its precursors in wastewater treatment plants in and around Shanghai

Six wastewater treatment plants （WWTPs） were investigated to evaluate the occurrence and removal of N-nitrosodimethylamine （NDMA）, NDMA formation potential （FP） and four specific NDMA precursors, dimethylamine （DMA）, trimethylamine （TMA）, dimethyl- formamide （DMFA） and dimethylaminobenzene （DMAB）. DMA and tertiary amines with DMA functional group commonly existed in municipal wastewater. Chemically enhanced primary process （CEPP） had no effect on removal of either NDMA or NDMA FP. In WWTPs with secondary treatment processes, considerable variability was observed in the removal of NDMA （19%-85%） and NDMA FP （16%-76%）, moreover, there was no definite relationship between the removal of NDMA and NDMA FP. DMA was well removed in all the six surveyed WWTPs; its removal efficiency was greater than 97%. For the removal of tertiary amines, biologic treatment processes with nitrification and denitrification had better removal efficiency than conventional activated sludge process. The best removal efficiencies for TMA, DMFA and DMAB were 95%, 68% and 72%, respectively. CEPP could remove 73% of TMA, 23% of DMFA and 36% of DMAB. After UV disinfection, only 17% of NDMA was removed due to low dosage of UV was applied in WWTP. Although chlorination could reduce NDMA precursors, NDMA concentration was actually increased after chlorination.     

Changes in chemical forms of lead in temperate and semiarid soils in sterile and unsterile conditions

Sequential extraction has been used as a suitable method for fractionation of chemical forms of trace elements and study of their plant availability. Surface soils were sampled from Guilan and Hamadan provinces in north and northwest of Iran with temperate and semiarid climates. The chemical forms of Pb in the Pb(NO₃)₂-treated (400 μg Pb g⁻¹) soils have been studied in solid state incubation (FC) at 27°C in sterile and unsterile conditions. After 20 min and 3600 h a sequential extraction scheme was also used to fractionate Pb of incubated samples into soluble-exchangeable (Sol-Exch), carbonates associated (ACar), organic matter associated (AOM), Mn oxide associated (AMnOx), Fe oxide associated (AFeOx), and residual (Res) forms. Temperate soil samples had higher clay content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), dichromate oxidable organic carbon (OC), total Kjeldahl-nitrogen (TN), biological activity, amorphous and crystalline Fe and Al, but semiarid soil samples had higher sand content, pH, equivalent calcium carbonate (ECC), available P and K. Soil lead fractionation revealed that in both groups of soils Pb largely changed to exchangeable, carbonates associated and organic associated forms after 20 min. The chemical forms of Pb differed widely among soils after 3600-h incubation. The conversion rate of Pb from more available forms to less available forms was higher in temperate soils with higher Fe–Mn oxides and OM contents compared to semiarid soils. In temperate soils after 3600-h incubation, greater content of Pb was observed in Res (68%), AOM (14%), ACar (7%), and AMnOx (5%) fractions. However, in semiarid soils greater content of Pb was observed in Res (61%), ACar (16%), Sol-Exch (8%), and AOM (8%) fractions. The sum of AMnOx and AFeOx chemical forms for Pb in semiarid soils compared to temperate soils was lower. It was only 7% against 9% in temperate soils. Soil microorganisms in unsterile soils had significant effect on AOM, AFeOx and Res fractions of Pb. They not only increased AOM and AFeOx fractions of Pb in soils but also decreased Res fraction of Pb significantly.     

中小企业财务管理存在的问题与战略对策

中小企业是国民经济中一支重要的经济力量，在我国发展社会主义市场经济中发挥着重要的作用．财务问题是所有企业成败的关键，对中小企业尤其如此．本文从简述我国现阶段中小企业财务管理现状人手，揭示当前中小企业财务管理存在的问题．结合实际，分析其发生、存在的原因，并为解决这些问题，提出了相应的战略对策．     

Gut pigment accumulation and destruction by arctic copepods in vitro and in situ

The results presented here were obtained at six locations during three cruises in 1985 (off the coast of Labrador), 1986 (at the eastern end of Viscount Melbourne Sound) and 1988 (off the coast of Labrador). In situ chlorophyll maximum concentrations were >7 gl^-1 at depths of between 0 and 30 m in all sampling areas. In feeding experiments copepods attained higher gut pigment concentrations the longer they had been previously starved and higher concentrations when fed in the dark than when fed in the light. Community ingestion rates calculated from changes in particulate chlorophyll were higher than estimates derived from gut pigment data except when copepods had been starved for 24 h. Differences between estimates by the two methods suggested pigment destruction. In feeding experiments pigment: biogenic silica ratios in food and faecal pellets suggested that the length of starvation period affected the degree of pigment destruction differently at different stations and that feeding in the light greatly increased pigment destruction. A comparison of pigment: silica ratios in the water column, and in faecal pellets collected from copepods which had fed there, suggested that pigment destruction may occur in situ sometimes and that the degree to which it occurs may be affected by feeding history, light, diel feeding behaviour and species composition.     

H and O isotopic differences in typhon and urban-induced heavy rain in Tokyo

Stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen of water are useful tracers of the hydrological cycle. For example, isotopes monitor the evapotranspiration in vegetated areas, local snow ice processes and stream water flow processes. δ¹⁸O and δD in rainwater reflect the processes of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. Heavy rains thus modify the stable isotope ratio of ground water, stream water and transpiration water vapor. However, the controlling factors of δ¹⁸O and δD are not clear. Here we analyzed the inorganic ion concentration and stable isotope ratio in 38 normal rainwater and 15 heavy rainwater samples were collected in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, during four years from October 2012 to December 2015. Results show a decrease in δ¹⁸O and δD values with the total rainfall amount, thus highlighting the amount effect. δ¹⁸O and δD volume-weighted mean values in typhoon heavy rain were higher than the values estimated from amount effect, whereas δ¹⁸O and δD volume-weighted mean values in urban-induced heavy rain were lower. Typhoon heavy rain has high Na⁺ ratio and stable isotope ratios, while urban-induced heavy rain has low Na⁺ ratio and stable isotope ratio.     

Spatial and temporal pattern in seagrass community composition and productivity in south Florida

We document the distribution and abundance of seagrasses, as well as the intra-annual temporal patterns in the abundance of seagrasses and the productivity of the nearshore dominant seagrass (Thalassia testudinum) in the south Florida region. At least one species of seagrass was present at 80.8% of 874 randomly chosen mapping sites, delimiting 12,800 km² of seagrass beds in the 17,000-km² survey area. Halophila decipiens had the greatest range in the study area; it was found to occur over 7,500 km². The range of T. testudinum was almost as extensive (6,400 km²), followed by Syringodium filiforme (4,400 km²), Halodule wrightii (3,000 km²) and Halophila engelmanni (50 km²). The seasonal maxima of standing crop was about 32% higher than the yearly mean. The productivity of T. testudinum was both temporally and spatially variable. Yearly mean areal productivity averaged 0.70 g m⁻²day⁻¹, with a range of 0.05–3.29 g m⁻² day⁻¹. Specific productivity ranged between 3.2 and 34.2 mg g⁻¹ day⁻¹, with a mean of 18.3 mg g⁻¹ day⁻¹. Annual peaks in specific productivity occurred in August, and minima in February. Integrating the standing crop for the study area gives an estimate of 1.4 × 1011 g T. testudinum and 3.6 × 10¹⁰ g S. filiforme, which translate to a yearly production of 9.4 × 10¹¹ g T. testudinum leaves and 2.4 × 10¹¹ g S. filiforme leaves. We assessed the efficacy of rapid visual surveys for estimating abundance of seagrasses in south Florida by comparing these results to measures of leaf biomass for T. testudinum and S. filiforme. Our rapid visual surveys proved useful for quantifying seagrass abundance, and the data presented in this paper serve as a benchmark against which future change in the system can be quantified. Received: 30 January 2000 / Accepted: 24 July 2000     

Metals in agricultural soils and plants in Egypt

Since analysis of both soil and plants are useful to assess contamination of a geographic area, concentrations of five representative metals: copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and iron (Fe) in soil and associated plants were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Samples were collected from four different Egyptian regions (El-mehala El-kobra, Kafr El-Sheikh, Kafr El-zayat, and Al-fayoum) during spring and summer 2010. Concentrations of the selected metals in agricultural soils were significantly different among locations and seasons. Concentrations of Cd and Fe in soils at the four locations exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations for Cd (8 mg/kg, dry mass (dm)) and Fe (1000 mg/kg, dm). Accumulation was different for clover and cotton. Clover blossoms grown in soil from Kafr El-zayat contained the greatest concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Fe. Cotton flowers from El-mehala El-kobra accumulated the highest levels of Cd. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in both clover and cotton flowers from the four locations exceeded maximum allowable concentrations (3 mg/kg, dm) for both Cd and Pb. Using such agricultural soils for cultivation of edible crops for consumption may result in chronic hazards to human health.     

中部城市秋冬季PM2.5水溶性离子的化学特征及来源

PM2.5是影响空气质量、引发灰霾污染发生的关键污染物.本研究以南昌为主要采样对象,分析了南昌市2017-1018年秋、冬季PM2.5和水溶性无机离子(WSIIs)的化学组成及其来源,并同时期采样和对比分析了中部城市(武汉和长沙)秋冬季(10月和1月)PM2.5及WSIIs化学特征及其来源.结果 表明,南昌市采样期间W...     

天津地区鱼塘水、悬浮物、沉积物和鱼体中的DDT

采样测定了天津地区2典型鱼塘鲫鱼、鲢鱼、水、悬浮物、沉积物和鱼塘周边表土中的DDT及其代谢产物含量。结果发现,2鱼塘各主要介质以及鱼体肌肉和器官中都富集了较高浓度的DDT。鲫鱼和鲢鱼肌肉中DDT的含量分别为(66.4±2.7)ng·g-1和(24.3±23.4)ng·g-1。肝胰脏、肠和鱼鳃中DDT含量一般高于肌肉,其中肠的富集量最大,是肌肉的3倍以上。生物富集系数(lgBCF)分别为3.7和3.3。2鱼塘鱼体和各相含量有较大差别,鱼塘介质中悬浮物富集浓度最高。表土污染相对严重地区的鱼塘中各介质和鱼体DDT含量均高于另一污染较轻的鱼塘。污染严重鱼塘的DDE/ΣDDT含量比值也相对较高,反映早期污染残留的重要特征。尽管如此,仍然较高的DDT含量以及悬浮物中很低的DDE/ΣDDT含量比值说明很可能还有污染源存在。     

武汉地区水环境中全氟化合物污染水平及其分布特征

武汉作为中国氟化工行业的主要生产基地之一,其水环境中全氟及多氟类化合物(PFASs)污染情况对评估该地区水环境生态安全至关重要。采集了武汉城区10个污水处理厂进、出口污水和19个地表水样品,利用HPLC-ESI-MS/MS技术分析研究该区域水环境中PFASs污染水平及其分布特征。结果发现,武汉地区的污水和地表水样品中,PFASs污染均以短链同系物全氟丁酸(PFBA)和全氟丁基磺酸(PFBS)为主。污水处理厂进、出口污水中PFASs总浓度分别为11.8~12 700 ng·L~(-1)和19.1~9 970 ng·L~(-1)。在城区15个湖水样品中,PFASs总浓度为21.0~10 900 ng·L~(-1);在流经城区的4个江水样品中,PFASs总浓度为4.11~4.77 ng·L~(-1),比湖水样品中PFASs浓度水平低1~2个数量级。与污水中PFASs空间分布趋势一致,各湖泊水样中PFASs总体水平呈现汉口汉阳武昌的趋势,表明城市工业布局与人口密度程度直接影响城市PFASs污染空间分布。值得注意的是,与以往水环境中PFASs污染以全氟辛酸(PFOA)和全氟辛基磺酸(PFOS)为主不同,武汉地区水环境中PFASs污染以短链同系物为主,表明短链替代效应已经渐渐在中国化工领域出现,中国全氟行业在响应国际组织规范和建议的基础上做出了实质性进展。然而,对于短链PFASs的污染特征、迁移运输以及生态风险等科学问题,还需要更进一步的研究。     

Arsenic,antimony and bismuth in soil and pasture herbage in some old metalliferous mining areas in England

Soil and pasture herbage samples from some historical metalliferous mining and smelting areas in England were analysed for As, Sb and Bi by ICP-AES using a hydride generation method after ashing with Mg(NO₃)₂. The results showed that As, Sb and Bi concentrations in soils were elevated because of their associations with the Pb-Zn mineralisation in Derbyshire and Somerset, and Sn-Cu mineralisation in Cornwall. The distribution of As, Sb and Bi in soils reflected the chemical nature of different mine waste materials, and on a regional basis clearly reflected the geochemistry of the three mineral provinces. Historical smelting and calcination have caused intensive contamination in soils in the immediate vicinity of these activities. Antimony was highly elevated in soils at an old Pb smelter site in Derbyshire. Although the concentrations of As, Sb and Bi were generally low in the pasture herbage samples examined, the concentrations of As and Sb in herbage often reflected those of the corresponding soils. Soil pH had a large effect on the plant uptake of Bi from soils. The pasture herbage contaminated by soil can be an important exposure pathway of these elements to livestock grazing on contaminated land.     

Metallothioneins and lysosomes in metal toxicity and accumulation in marine mussels: the effect of cadmium in the presence and absence of phenanthrene

It has been confirmed that metallothioneins play an important role in the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the digestive gland cells of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam.). The content of Cd in the tissue of mussels exposed for 9 d to the metal (estimated dosage of 180 g Cd mussel^-1 d^-1) was 66.2 ppm. This value is about the same as the metal content found in the digestive gland of Cd-exposed mussels kept in clean water for a recovery period of 28 d. At the end of the recovery period, however, the Cd bound to thionein had increased by approximately 250%. Our data demonstrate that the stability of lysosomes, a biological parameter adopted as a cellular stress index, is extremely low in mussels exposed to Cd for 9 d, but returns to control values in the digestive gland cells of mussels allowed to recover for 28 d in uncontaminated sea water. At this point most of the Cd present in the cytosol is bound to thionein. These data demonstrate the importance of metallothionein induction in the reduction of the cytotoxic effects exerted by high levels of Cd accumulation. The results of tests designed to clarify the reasons for the long biological half-life of Cd demonstrated that, in the digestive gland of mussels, the lysosomes are not able to eliminate Cd either bound to insoluble thionein polymers or to lipid peroxidation products such as lysosomal lipofuscin, both of which are apparently involved in the elimination of copper. The absence of these two mechanisms of metal sequestration and elimination via excretion of residual bodies (tertiary lysosomes) is in agreement with the persistence of cadmium in the digestive gland of mussels. Finally, the results also demonstrate that simultaneous exposure of mussels to Cd and phenanthrene, an established lysosomal membrane destabilizer, did not significantly alter the accumulation of Cd or the kinetics of the metal in mussels.     

长治市秋冬季PM2.5组分特征及来源解析

采集了2017—2018年秋冬季长治市审计局站、监测站、清华站等3个监测站点的大气PM_(2.5)样品,分析了其元素、水溶性离子及碳质组分特征,并利用化学质量平衡模型(CMB)对PM_(2.5)进行来源解析.结果表明,采样期间长治市PM_(2.5)浓度为67.9μg·m~(-3),其中审计局站PM_(2.5)浓度最高(70.6μg·m~(-3)),其次为监测站(70.0μg·m~(-3))和清华站(63.0μg·m~(-3));二次无机离子(SO_4~(2-)、NO~-_3、NH~+_4)平均浓度(20.7μg·m~(-3))占PM_(2.5)浓度的30.5%,与大量排放到大气中的SO_2、NO_2二次生成有关;OC(12.6μg·m~(-3))和EC(6.6μg·m~(-3))分别占PM_(2.5)的18.6%和9.7%;OC/EC为2.06,且SOC(5.9μg·m~(-3))在OC中占比高达63.1%,表明长治市秋冬季二次污染较重;典型地壳元素Si和Ca占元素组分平均浓度的29.8%和22.8%,说明扬尘污染对长治市PM_(2.5)的有一定影响;源解析结果表明,长治市秋冬季PM_(2.5)主要来源为:机动车源17.0%、燃煤源16.5%、扬尘源14.6%、二次硝酸盐13.9%、二次硫酸盐11.0%、二次有机气溶胶10.8%、工艺过程源9.3%、生物质燃烧源1.9%、其他源5.0%.因此,为进一步降低长治市环境空气中PM_(2.5)的污染,需在加强管控机动车,燃煤和扬尘等一次排放源的基础上,降低一次污染物SO_2、NO_2等的排放,从而实现对二次污染源前体物的控制.     

Cd,Pb, and Cu in water and sediments and their bioaccumulation in freshwater fish of some lakes in Hanoi,Vietnam

The seasonal variations of Cd, Pb, and Cu in the water, sediments, and freshwater fish (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Cirrhinus molitorella, and Oreochromis mossambicus) of four lakes in Hanoi, Vietnam, were investigated. Samples for analysis were taken four times from April 2010 to March 2011. The levels in water were lower than the Vietnamese standards, except for Pb, but they were all much higher than the Canadian standards for protection of aquatic life; in the sediments, they were higher than world average levels. Bioaccumulation of the three metals in fish was site-dependent and species-dependent, but correlations of their levels in fish to those in water and sediments were weak. Levels of Pb in fish exceeded those of the UK and the WHO standards, and the recommended values of Vietnam for human consumption. Overall, the results show that the lakes are polluted with these metals, and consumption of high quantities of fish from them may be problematic. The outcome of this research helps to establish background data for future monitoring.