Megacities and atmospheric pollution

About half of the world's population now lives in urban areas because of the opportunity for a better quality of life. Many of these urban centers are expanding rapidly, leading to the growth of megacities, which are defined as metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 10 million inhabitants. These concentrations of people and activity are exerting increasing stress on the natural environment, with impacts at urban, regional and global levels. In recent decades, air pollution has become one of the most important problems of megacities. Initially, the main air pollutants of concern were sulfur compounds, which were generated mostly by burning coal. Today, photochemical smog--induced primarily from traffic, but also from industrial activities, power generation, and solvents--has become the main source of concern for air quality, while sulfur is still a major problem in many cities of the developing world. Air pollution has serious impacts on public health, causes urban and regional haze, and has the potential to contribute significantly to climate change. Yet, with appropriate planning, megacities can efficiently address their air quality problems through measures such as application of new emission control technologies and development of mass transit systems. This review is focused on nine urban centers, chosen as case studies to assess air quality from distinct perspectives: from cities in the industrialized nations to cities in the developing world. While each city--its problems, resources, and outlook--is unique, the need for a holistic approach to the complex environmental problems is the same. There is no single strategy in reducing air pollution in megacities; a mix of policy measures will be needed to improve air quality. Experience shows that strong political will coupled with public dialog is essential to effectively implement the regulations required to address air quality problems.     

Laboratory evidence of MTBE biodegradation in Borden aquifer material

Mainly due to intrinsic biodegradation, monitored natural attenuation can be an effective and inexpensive remediation strategy at petroleum release sites. However, gasoline additives such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) can jeopardize this strategy because these compounds often degrade, if at all, at a slower rate than the collectively benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylene (BTEX) compounds. Investigation of whether a compound degrades under certain conditions, and at what rate, is therefore important to the assessment of the intrinsic remediation potential of aquifers. A natural gradient experiment with dissolved MTBE-containing gasoline in the shallow, aerobic sand aquifer at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden (Ontario, Canada) from 1988 to 1996 suggested that biodegradation was the main cause of attenuation for MTBE within the aquifer. This laboratory study demonstrates biologically catalyzed MTBE degradation in Borden aquifer-like environments, and so supports the idea that attenuation due to biodegradation may have occurred in the natural gradient experiment. In an experiment with batch microcosms of aquifer material, three of the microcosms ultimately degraded MTBE to below detection, although this required more than 189 days (or >300 days in one case). Failure to detect the daughter product tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in the field and the batch experiments could be because TBA was more readily degradable than MTBE under Borden conditions.     

Air and soil dioxin levels at three sites in Italy in proximity to MSW incineration plants

Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) in both air and soil samples were measured at three different sites in Italy, in proximity to three municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) to determine baseline contamination and the contributory role of incinerator emissions. At the first site, located in an agricultural, cattle-breeding, typically flattish area of the Po Valley, the dioxin concentrations had already been measured before the start-up of the new MSWI. These dioxin concentrations were then again measured after two years of continual operation of the incinerator. Despite the presence of the plant, the PCDD/Fs concentrations appear not to have been affected and were found to be in a range of 22-125 fg I-TEQ m(-3) in the air samples and 0.7-1.5 pg I-TEQ g(-1) in the soil samples. The second site is located in an industrial district of the Veneto Region, in the surroundings of an old MSWI that is not equipped with Best Available Technology (BAT) dioxin removal system. The PCDD/Fs concentrations in the air samples were between 144 and 337 fg I-TEQ m(-3). This is a typical range of values for industrial areas, while the soil samples showed contamination levels between 1.1 and 1.4 pg I-TEQ g(-1). The third site lies in the Adige Valley, near a MSWI that has been equipped with BAT for flue gas cleaning. The observed values ranged from 10 to 67 fg I-TEQ m(-3) for the air samples and 0.08-1.2 pg I-TEQ g(-1) for the soil samples. The contributory factors of the varying characteristics of the different areas together with the types of technology adopted at each MSWI plant are discussed. The PCDD/Fs levels are subsequently compared with established values from previous studies.     

Natural forest regrowth as a proxy variable for agricultural land abandonment in the Swiss mountains: a spatial statistical model based on geophysical and socio-economic variables

In many European mountain regions, natural forest regrowth on abandoned agricultural land and the related consequences for the environment are issues of increasing concern. We developed a spatial statistical model based on multiple geophysical and socio-economic variables to investigate the pattern of natural forest regrowth in the Swiss mountain area between the 1980s and 1990s. Results show that forest regrowth occurred primarily in areas with low temperature sum, intermediate steepness and soil stoniness as well as close to forest edges and relatively close to roads. Model results suggest that regions with weak labor markets are favored in terms of land abandonment and forest regrowth. We could not find an effect of population change on land abandonment and forest regrowth. Therefore, we conclude that decision makers should consider non-linearities in the pattern of forest regrowth and the fact that labor markets have an effect on land abandonment and forest regrowth when designing measures to prevent agricultural land abandonment and natural forest regrowth in the Swiss mountains.     

南水北调江苏段沿线大型底栖动物群落结构及水生物评价

于2015年3月和7月,在南水北调江苏段沿线布设10个监测点,采集底栖动物30个分类单元,进行水生物学评价。结果表明,10个监测点底栖动物密度平均值为369个/m~2,优势种为霍甫水丝蚓、苏氏尾鳃蚓、克拉泊水丝蚓、梨形环棱螺、河蚬、铜锈环棱螺和方格短沟蜷,香农多样性指数均值为2. 14,BMWP指数均值为18,BI指数均值为7. 20。RDA分析结果显示,影响底栖动物的主要环境因子是DO、pH值和TN。指出,研究区总体水生态质量较好。     

Assessment of workers' exposure to palladium in a catalyst production plant

Airborne particulate matter was collected and biomonitoring of workers was performed by sampling blood, urine and hair of 84 exposed subjects, 17 occasionally exposed employees, 21 controls from administrative offices and 25 unexposed people (external controls). Determination of Pd was performed using Quadrupole and High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The Production of Catalysts Department and the Refining Service presented the highest levels of Pd in airborne matter collected by means of an area sampler. The highest level of soluble Pd (1.66 microg m(-3)) was found in the Production of Catalysts Department. The highest concentration of Pd in airborne matter, collected by means of personal devices (7.90 microg m(-3)) was found in the Refining Service. Hair showed a clear distribution pattern among departments, with values ranging from 0.60 to 5.54 microg g(-1). Administrative workers presented blood levels of Pd between 2 and 500 times higher than external controls. Only urine levels correlated with the measurements of airborne Pd collected with personal devices. A very strong association between airborne Pd collected by personal devices and Pd levels in hair (r(2)= 0.569, with p< or = 0.01) and urine (r(2)= 0.684, with p< or = 0.01) was found. On the basis of these findings: (i) blood results appear to be an unsuitable biological marker for occupational exposure to Pd; (ii) urine could be considered as a satisfactorily responsive bio-marker for occupational monitoring; and (iii) hair cannot be considered a good index of time-related exposure.     

造纸中段废水与生活污水合并深度处理工艺

采用水解酸化＋CAST＋混凝＋复合滤池与水解酸化＋接触氧化＋混凝＋复合滤池2种组合工艺对造纸中段废水与生活污水进行合并处理对照试验.结果表明,两种工艺都是切实可行的,二级出水均可达到《污水综合排放标准》（GB8978-1996）二级标准,深度处理出水可达中水水质要求.其中以水解酸化＋CAST＋混凝＋复合滤池组合工艺效果最好.     

卷烟包装材料及滤嘴的生物降解性能研究

本研究以目前几种常见的卷烟包装用商标纸、卡纸、铝箔内衬纸、透明塑料薄膜以及卷烟滤嘴为实验材料，采用ATSMD-5338标准方法，进行了为期25天实验。结果表明商标纸、铝箔纸内衬纸和卡纸的生物降解性能比较好，而滤嘴和透明塑料薄膜的生物降解性能比较差。今后研究开发可降解卷烟包装材料应该把重点放在滤嘴和透明塑料薄膜上面。     

Feeding and reproductive behaviour in fallow bucks (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dama dama</Emphasis>)

Observations on individually marked fallow deer (Dama dama) in central Italy were performed over 2 years in order to analyse time budgets of four age and sex classes. The aim was to test whether feeding activity was influenced by mating activity, forage quality or physiological constraints during the rut. Only adult males (bucks) completely ceased feeding during the rutting season, well before the actual start of mating behaviour and concurrently with the phenomenon of scent-urination, and spending most of their daily time completely inactive. All other age and sex classes were unaffected in their feeding behaviour by the rutting season. Indeed, females and young males showed a marked increase in grazing in response to an improvement in forage quality from summer to autumn. These results seem to confirm the hypothesis that hypophagia, displayed only by bucks, may be of no adaptive value in itself. On the other hand, it may be a by-product of other physiological processes occurring during the rut, inducing scent-urination, which plays an important role in intraspecific recognition and sexual attraction.