A novel approach for VOC source apportionment combining characteristic factor and pattern recognition technology in a Chinese industrial area

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emission control and source apportionment in small-scale industrial areas have become key topics of air pollution control in China. This study proposed a novel characteristic factor and pattern recognition (CF-PR) model for VOC source apportionment based on the similarity of characteristic factors between sources and receptors. A simulation was carried out in a typical industrial area with the CF-PR model involving simulated receptor samples. Refined and accurate source profiles were constructed through in situ sampling and analysis, covering rubber, chemicals, coating, electronics, plastics, printing, incubation and medical treatment industries. Characteristic factors of n-undecane, styrene, o-xylene and propane were identified. The source apportionment simulation results indicated that the predicted contribution rate was basically consistent with the real contribution rate. Compared to traditional receptor models, this method achieves notable advantages in terms of refinement and timeliness at similar accuracy, which is more suitable for VOC source identification and apportionment in small-scale industrial areas.     

Source identification, contamination status and health risk assessment of heavy metals from road dusts in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In this study, concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were determined in road dusts collected from different locations in Dhaka to assess source, contamination status and health risk. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to determine Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb and their mean concentrations were 162.27 ± 29.46, 721.18 ± 180.14, 35.65 ± 12.55, 104.56 ± 128.33, 515.32 ± 321.90, BDL, and 342.82 ± 591.20 mg/kg, respectively. Among the heavy metals, highest concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb were found at urban sites-7 (municipal waste dumping) and 8 (medical waste incineration). Highest concentration of Cr followed by Cu and Zn was found at site-5 (Tejgaon, urban). Principal component analysis revealed that anthropogenic activities are the potential sources for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb while earth crust for Mn. Pollution index and pollution load index results suggested that all the sites were contaminated and/or degraded by Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb except sites-9 (urban), 10 (sub-urban), 11 (rural) while sites-7 and 8 (urban) were extremely degraded. For noncarcinogenic health risk, hazard quotient values for dermal were higher compared to that of inhalation/ingestion. Though hazard index values were less than 1 at all the sites, these were at least one order of magnitude higher for children group than that of adult group, thus the children group may face more noncarcinogenic health risk at sites-7 and 8. Values of incremental lifetime cancer risk were from 10⁻⁹ to 10⁻¹¹ showed no carcinogenic health risk by road dusts contaminated with the heavy metals.     

An integrative analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression in the brains of Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice after real-world PM2.5 exposure

Fine particulatematter (PM2.5) is associated with increased risks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD),yet the toxicologicalmechanisms of PM2.5 promoting AD remain unclear. In this study,wildtype and APP/PS1 transgenic mice (AD mice) were exposed to either filtered air (FA) or PM2.5 for eight weeks with a real-world exposure system in Taiyuan, China (mean PM2.5 concentration in the cage was 61 μg/m3). We found that PM2.5 exposure could remarkably aggravate AD mice’s ethological and brain ultrastructural damage, along with the elevation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), Aβ-42 and AChE levels and the decline of ChAT levels in the brains. Based on high-throughput sequencing results, some differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs and DE miRNAs in the brains of AD mice after PM2.5 exposure were screened.Using RT-qPCR, seven DEmiRNAs (mmu-miR-193b-5p, 122b-5p, 466h-3p, 10b-5p, 1895, 384–5p, and 6412) and six genes (Pcdhgb8, Unc13b, Robo3, Prph, Pter, and Tbata) were evidenced the and verified. Two miRNA-target gene pairs (miR-125b-Pcdhgb8 pair and miR-466h-3p-IL-17Rα/TGF-βR2/Aβ-42/AChE pairs) were demonstrated that they were more related to PM2.5-induced brain injury. Results of Gene Ontology (GO) pathways and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways predicted that synaptic and postsynaptic regulation, axon guidance, Wnt, MAPK, and mTOR pathways might be the possible regulatory mechanisms associated with pathological response. These revealed that PM2.5- elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and PM2.5-altered neurotransmitter levels in AD mice could be the important causes of brain damage and proposed the promising miRNA andmRNA biomarkers and potentialmiRNA-mRNA interaction networks of PM2.5-promoted AD.     

Recovery of Cu and Fe from Printed Circuit Board waste sludge by ultrasound: Evaluation of industrial application

The paper presents a novel cleaner process for metal recovery from the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) waste sludge by assistance of ultrasound. The process can effectively recover heavy metals at low cost with high separation and recovery efficiency, produce high quality products and also achieve zero waste discharge with operation at industrial scale. With the PCB waste sludge containing (wet content) 3.14–4.85% copper and 3.71–4.23% iron, copper recovery efficiency of 95.2–97.5% and iron recovery efficiency of 97.1–98.5% were achieved, while the purity of copper sulfate produced by the process was 98.0% and the produced ferric chloride had a satisfied quality for using as a coagulant material for the plant on-site wastewater treatment. The process had been successfully scaled up to the industrial scaled applications in a heavy metal recovery plant in city of Huizhou, China for more than two years. The novel cleaner heavy metal recovery process has a great prospect on the applications of resources recovery and environmental protection practices.     

清江流域自然旅游资源调查与评价方法

根据清江流域自然旅游资源的特色，首先提出了一套对其进行详细系统的调查方法：（１）利用遥感数字图象处理技术及航、卫片解译结果，圈出潜在景区及潜在景点；（２）详细调查、收集及整理清江流域各市、镇已有资料，填写旅游资源调查登记卡片；（３）在（１），（２）基础上，对主要潜在景区及景点进行野外现场调研。然后，以调查结果为前提，提出了采用综合评分法，模糊数学评价方法，信息量评价方法，神经网络评价方法及地理信息     

中国石灰生产和能源消耗分析

基于全国涉及石灰生产的企业全口径统计数据,分析中国2007年石灰生产的基本特征,探讨了石灰产量统计的不确定性和来源。2007年,中国石灰生产的企业共6 154家,涉及9 327座石灰窑。总产能为2.27亿t,共生产石灰1.06亿t,企业平均产量为4 000 t/a,企业生产每吨石灰平均能耗水平为163 kg标准煤。中国约有两千八百多万吨的石灰生产很难通过正规渠道统计上来,也意味着这些产量很可能是基于非常简易和高能耗的石灰土窑生产的。     

湖北省湖泊水环境化学特征及其与人类活动的关系

通过对湖北省近３０个湖泊水环境化学的分析，探讨了湖北省湖泊水质状况和湖水的化学稳定性，指出远离工业区和居民生活区的湖泊水质一般较好，城区或城效型湖泊在不同程度上受到了工业废水和生活污水的影响。控制，消除湖泊污染是今后经济、社会和环境建设不可忽视的重要工作。     

锌对增强玉米耐涝抗渍的作用及其机理初探

在缺锌的砂姜黑土上研究锌对玉米增产效应的田间试验中发现，在严重渍涝高温时，锌有显著的增强玉米耐涝抗渍的作用。其机理与锌能明显降低植株体内氮磷含量，提高钾素含量，从而增强玉米的抗渍涝与高温的能力有关。统计结果表明，玉米秸杆中氮磷含量占整株氮磷含量的百分数与死亡率呈显著的正相关，而秸杆中的含钾量与死亡率呈一定的负相关。     

Determination of gas phase adsorption isotherms--a simple constant volume method

Single and ternary solute gas phase adsorption isotherms were conducted in this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a simple constant volume method, which was utilized by using Tedlar gas sampling bags as a constant volume batch reactor. For this purpose, gas phase adsorption of toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) on two types of activated carbons, BPL-bituminous base and OVC--coconut base, were investigated. For the single solute adsorption, the experimental adsorption data were found to be well correlated with Freundlich and Myers adsorption equations. The pore size distribution of adsorbents was found to affect their adsorption capacities; its effect was dependant on the solute concentration. The ternary adsorption experimental isotherms were accurately predicted by using the well-known model, i.e., ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST).