Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in house dust in Singapore

The use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as flame retardants in Singapore is not strictly regulated; therefore these compounds can be readily found in furniture, electronic devices, and building materials. This study was the first of its kind to be conducted in Singapore to measure concentrations of PBDEs in house dust. Samples were collected from 31 homes in various locations across the island-state of Singapore, and a total eight PBDEs congeners were measured. PBDEs were detected in all 31 dust samples and the number of BDE congener detected per home ranged between 3 and 8. The most abundant BDE congeners found were BDE 47, 99 and 209, with a median value of 20 ng g(-1) dust, 24 ng g(-1) dust and 1000 ng g(-1) dust, respectively. BDE 209 contributed 88% to the median of all the congeners, and BDE 47 and 99 contributed 1.8% and 3.5%, respectively. Different congener profiles were observed between this and studies conducted elsewhere, which is consistent with the use of different commercial PBDE around the world. No significant correlations between PBDE dust levels and residential characteristics (number of TVs and computers, floor area or flooring material) were observed. The daily intake of PBDEs via the inhalation pathway was estimated. House dust may be regarded as the most important exposure route of PBDEs for children.     

Selected organochlorine pesticide and polychlorinated biphenyl residues in house dust in Singapore

Although the use of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been prohibited in Singapore since 1980, OCPs and PCBs still can be detected in the environment and represent a potential threat to public health. In this study, OCPs and PCBs were measured in house dust samples collected from 31 homes across the island-state of Singapore. Organochlorine pesticides, such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordanes and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) were tested, with a range of 相似文献   

美国EPA地表水质监测与评估的点位设计介绍

介绍了美国EPA地表水质监测与评估的点位设计。首先,指导性文件《基本水质监测方案》中的环境监测计划要求建立1个不少于1 000个点位的国家地表水质环境监测网,并提出了点位设计的标准,包括4点基本要求和针对每一类水域的具体要求。其次,另一指导性文件《准备州综合水质评估(305b报告)和电子升级:报告内容的准则》提出了1种新的对水质的综合性评估技术,要求在传统的判断点位设计的基础上增加概率统计点位设计方法。最后,全国一致的概率统计点位设计是相当有效的获知全国范围的水质情况及变化趋势的方法,EPA完全支持通过这种概率统计点位设计的方法来评估更多的水质状况。概率统计点位设计是EPA地表水质监测与评估的点位设计的发展趋势。     

Extinction rate of discovered and undiscovered plants in Singapore

Extinction is a key issue in the assessment of global biodiversity. However, many extinction rate measures do not account for species that went extinct before they could be discovered. The highly developed island city–state of Singapore has one of the best-documented tropical floras in the world. This allowed us to estimate the total rate of floristic extinctions in Singapore since 1822 after accounting for sampling effort and crypto extinctions by collating herbaria records. Our database comprised 34,224 specimens from 2076 native species, of which 464 species (22%) were considered nationally extinct. We assumed that undiscovered species had the same annual per-species extinction rates as discovered species and that no undiscovered species remained extant. With classical and Bayesian algorithms, we estimated that 304 (95% confidence interval, 213–414) and 412 (95% credible interval, 313–534) additional species went extinct before they could be discovered, respectively; corresponding total extinction rate estimates were 32% and 35% (range 30–38%). We detected violations of our 2 assumptions that could cause our extinction estimates, particularly the absolute numbers, to be biased downward. Thus, our estimates should be treated as lower bounds. Our results illustrate the possible magnitudes of plant extirpations that can be expected in the tropics as development continues.     

浅析绿色制造的战略环境评价

绿色制造的战略环境评价是实现可持续发展的关键技术 ,是协调环境与社会经济发展的重要手段。它要求在绿色制造初期———绿色设计阶段就考虑整个制造过程的环境影响 ,从决策源头上控制环境污染的产生和生态环境的破坏。本文从绿色制造的广义内涵入手 ,分析了绿色制造战略环境评价的理论基础和综合集成特性 ,并提出了战略环境评价的指标体系和综合集成评价方法。     

Subarachnoid cyst with hydrocephalus–a complication of mid-trimester amniocentesis

We report a child with a subarachnoid cyst with hydrocephalus following a mid-trimester amniocentesis. Although fetal trauma is a rare complication, it is important to stress the need to perform amniocentesis under ultrasound control. Children with neurological disease or convulsions of unknown origin in early infancy who are born to mothers who have had midtrimester amniocentesis should have a CT scan as part of the investigations to exclude this rare but nevertheless important complication.     

水土化学体系中钙镁对土体结构强度贡献的试验研究

城市区域的土体环境一般是处在常态即常温、常压、缓变异的水化学环境中,在这种环境中,影响土体稳定的要素-土体中的化学组份扮演着重要的角色,而其对诸如地面沉降、土洞的产生都有重要影响。土体稳定受其结构强度控制,钙镁是土体结构构成中重要组成部分,理论与实践分析表明,在常态水环境下,其对结构往往起着控制作用,在常态水环境中,土结构的破裂面并不是通过颗粒本身,而是通过颗粒、颗粒集合体与集合体之间粒间连结。设计的常态水环境下的化学组份变异与CO2分压增高水环境下的室内模拟试验,揭示了化学组份钙镁对土体结构的贡献与对宏观强度的作用。     

土地利用改造规划的多因子空间分析

以福清市土地利用分布为例 ,在完成土地利用状况和土地适宜性参评因子空间数据库基础上 ,集成土地适宜性综合指数模型和地块紧凑度模型 ,开发了基于地理信息系统的土地适宜性评价和土地利用控制决策支持系统。通过土地适宜性多因子空间分析 ,模拟大农业 (耕地、林地、园地 )各目标用地条件下各地块土地使用适宜度 ,并结合土地利用现状 ,得到单目标土地改造方案 ;再经模型优化和综合比较得出多目标土地利用改造规划可选方案。计算结果表明 ,福清市土地资源中开发改造为新耕地的潜力极有限 ,而用于开发改造新林地和园地的土地尚有226 80km₂ 和36 34km₂ ,为福清市土地利用改造规划和总体规划的制定和调整提供了定量依据。     

Lead contamination in tea garden soils and factors affecting its bioavailability

The consumption of heavy metals is detrimental to human health and most countries restrict the concentration of metals such as lead (Pb) in food and beverages. Recent tests have detected high Pb concentrations in certain commercial brands of tea leaves and this finding has raised concerns for both producers and consumers. To investigate what factors may be contributing to the increase in Pb accumulation in the tea leaves we collected tea leaves and soils from tea producing areas and analyzed them for Pb concentration, pH and organic matter content. The result showed the Pb concentration of 47% investigated tea leaves samples was beyond 2 mg kg(-1), the permissible levels given by China. The total Pb concentration in the surface and subsurface soil layers averaged 36.4 and 32.2 mg kg(-1), respectively which fall below of the 60 mg kg(-1) limit provided for organic tea gardens in China. The pH of the tea garden soils was severely acidic with the lowest pH of 3.37. Soils under older tea gardens tended to have a lower pH and a higher Pb bioavailability which was defined as the amount of lead extracted by CaCl2 solution than those under younger tea gardens. We found that the concentration of bioavailable Pb and the percentage of bioavailable Pb (bioavailable Pb relative to total Pb concentration) were positively correlated with soil H+ activity and soil organic matter content, and the organic matter accumulation contribute more effects on Pb bioavailability in these two factors. We conclude that soil acidification and organic matter accumulation could contribute to increasing Pb bioavailability in soil and that these could increase Pb uptake and accumulation in the tea leaves.