Factors affecting the distribution of trace elements in harbour sediments

A large number of data (n=488) were acquired from 2003 to 2006 for five Italian harbours and three control areas to determine trace element (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Cr, and Ni) levels in sediments. Results were utilised to evaluate, on a multivariate statistical basis, pollution levels, significant relationships between observed levels and specific factors, and enrichment factors. Of the factors tested, main human use of harbour, was best able to determine segregations in the observed trace element fingerprints. Compared with the concentration limit approach, the evaluation of enrichment factors, even if affected by mathematical approximations, represented a useful tool for environmental studies, allowing evaluation of the presence of sediments enriched by human activities and reducing the occurrence of both false positives and false negatives due to natural differences in aluminosilicate levels.     

Level,pattern, and risk assessment of the selected soil trace metals in the calcareous-cultivated Vertisols

Dynamics and distribution pattern of trace metals in agricultural lands are an increasing concern due to potential risks to the environment and human health. To ascertain more knowledge of this aspect, the fractions of total and available Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Cd belonging to Vertisols under intensive cultivation and adjoining uncultivated soils were investigated. The order of abundance of metals in both cultivated and uncultivated soils was Fe?>?Mn?>?Cu?>?Zn?>?Cd and Fe?>?Mn?>?Zn?>?Cu?>?Cd for both available and total fraction, respectively. A relative enrichment was observed in the value of diethylene-triamine pentaacetic acid-extractable Fe (1.2–201%), Mn (2–31%), Cu (1–40%), and Cd (21–45%) as well as total fraction of Zn (3–17%), Cu (12–32%), and Cd (42–108%) after intensive cropping, which can be contributed to repeated application of agrochemical inputs and manure over long time. The values of RI (potential ecological risk) showed that cultivation caused a low potential ecological risk (33.3% of the soil samples) to moderate potential ecological risk (66.7% of the soil samples) in the study region and that cadmium made up 88%, on average, of the RI value.     

Roe and red deer as bioindicators of heavy metals contamination in north-western Poland

The present paper examines the degree of environmental contamination in areas covered by the Natura 2000 programme, located in north-western Poland, with selected heavy metals based on their concentration in target organs of roe and red deer. Lead, cadmium, copper, iron, and zinc concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry. Residues of lead and cadmium were found in most of the analysed samples of roe and red deer organs The concentration of cadmium in the organs of the animals studied was much higher than that of lead. The median for Pb in liver and kidneys was 0.055 and 0.092 μg/g dry weight (d.w.) in roe deer, and 0.067 and 0.081 μg/g d.w. in red deer, respectively. The median for liver and kidney cadmium was 0.770 and 6.139 μg/g d.w. in roe deer, and 0.422 and 6.365 μg/g d.w. in red deer, respectively. Our study has demonstrated that this area is laden with lead and cadmium. This is evidenced by the fact that maximum permissible levels of these elements in the organs of red and roe deer, which were used as bioindicators of environmental contamination, were exceeded.     

Trace Element Contaminants in Sediments From the Noaa National Status and Trends Programme Compared to Data From Throughout the World

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Status and Trends (NS&T) Programme has analyzed samples of surface sediment collected at almost 300 coastal and estuarine sites throughout the United States since 1984. the overall distributions for concentrations of each element are approximately lognormal allowing a definition of geometric means and of “high” concentrations as those exceeding the mean plus one standard deviation of the lognormal distribution. Those mean and “high” concentrations should be useful for comparing the NS&T data set and with other reports on sediment contamination. A world-wide data set, constructed from data in the literature, was summarized in an identical manner. It was found, after excluding locally extreme values, that the NS&T and world-wide data sets yielded very similar mean and “high” concentrations for Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Chromium was the sole element showing higher summary statistics in the NS&T data set, a result attributed to NS&T sampling in areas of naturally (not contaminated) elevated Cr content. It remains undetermined, however, why the world-wide data set, even with exclusion of “hot spots”, yielded higher means and “highs” for Cd, Hg, As, and Ag.     

镉对籽粒苋耐性生理及营养元素吸收积累的影响

初步阐明了镉对籽粒苋耐性生理及营养元素吸收积累的影响,为进一步揭示籽粒苋的镉耐性与镉富集机理奠定了基础。通过对生物量的监测,对叶绿素、蛋白质、游离氨基酸、大量元素及微量元素等的含量的测定,阐明镉胁迫对籽粒苋生长生理、抗胁迫耐性、营养元素吸收分配的影响。研究结果显示,镉胁迫对籽粒苋的生长抑制作用不明显,植株生物量随着镉浓度的提高而轻微降低。随着镉处理浓度的提高,叶绿素含量下降幅度显著;蛋白质和游离氨基酸含量变化幅度不明显;钾含量无大幅变化;镉、磷、钙、镁、锌、铁、锰、铜含量变化幅度较显著。镉、钾、磷、锰的迁移系数随着镉处理浓度的提高无显著变化;钙的迁移系数呈上升趋势;镁、锌、铁、铜的迁移系数均呈下降趋势。这些结果表明：镉胁迫降低籽粒苋叶绿素含量,抑制植株光合作用,继而抑制了植株的生长,但其程度不明显;镉胁迫条件启动活性氧防御机制;引起植株体内部分养分代谢紊乱。结论：低浓度镉处理条件下,籽粒苋受镉离子影响,抗氧化能力下降。在高浓度镉处理条件下,籽粒苋调节了营养元素的吸收和分配,启动了一系列活性氧防御机制,提高了抗胁迫能力。     

Co对腈纶废水厌氧处理效果的影响

利用厌氧反应装置,以腈纶废水为处理对象,通过2组试验,对比了微量金属(Co)投加前后废水中有机物降解情况、累积产气量、三维荧光光谱图以及微生物生长情况,研究了微量Co对腈纶废水厌氧处理效果的影响.结果表明:当Co的投加浓度〔以ρ(CoCl2)计〕为1.0 mg/L时,CODCr去除率达71.7%,累积产气量达到22.5 mL;当Co的投加浓度超过10 mg/L时,CODCr去除率为20%左右,累积产气量8.5 mL,未投加Co元素的空白对照组CODCr去除率为43.1%,累积产气量为10 mL.显示微量Co对腈纶废水厌氧生物降解具有一定的促进作用.      

甘肃省陇东塬区土壤及农作物中微量元素的分布特征

通过测定甘肃省陇东塬区马岭、西峰和华庆油田区土壤以及小麦、苹果、油菜中Cu、Ni、Cd、Pb、Cr、Zn等6种微量金属元素质量分数,研究塬区土壤中微量元素的空间分布特征及其在植物体内的转移、富集能力.结果表明:塬区土壤中w(Zn)明显高于其他5种元素,其平均值达111.64 mg/kg;w(Cd)最小,在1.64～3.38 mg/kg之间;其余4种元素(Cr、Pb、Ni、Cu)质量分数在20～70 mg/kg之间.当地主要农作物对土壤中微量元素的富集系数均小于1,富集能力一般,其中根部的富集能力相对较大,地上部位均较小.      

乙酰丙酮荧光法在线监测环境空气中的甲醛

我国现行环境空气中甲醛的标准测定方法普遍难以满足当前大气监测中对痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测需要。在乙酰丙酮分光光度法的基础上改进得到的乙酰丙酮荧光法具有更低的检出限和更高的灵敏度,适用于大气中痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测。基于乙酰丙酮荧光法设计了甲醛在线监测系统,并对其主要性能指标进行了评估测试。测试结果显示,该系统的吸收效率为98.9%~100.1%,检出限为0.045 4×10^-9,精密度为0.44%,线性误差为-0.55%,线性范围为0.0~80.0×10^-9,响应时间为282 s,单日零点漂移为-0.04×10^-9~1.33×10^-9,单日跨度漂移为-0.90×10^-9~3.45×10^-9。测试结果表明,其各项性能指标均能满足当前对大气环境中痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测需求。     

Adaptive flood hazard management strategy and its effect on settlements in the lower Yellow River area in Ming–Qing China: a case study of Kaifeng Prefecture

This paper examines the settlements and embankments of the Yellow River in central China in late imperial China (late fourteenth century to the early twentieth century) through the approach of historical geographical information system. The Yellow River frequently flooded and changed paths in the lower Yellow River area, creating a disaster-prone environment in the populous capital city, Kaifeng in Henan Province. The official policies of constructing embankments in the alluvial fan for the sake of both preventing flood and ensuring canal transportation for grains were important factors in shaping the settlements of the region. Historical data from some counties in Kaifeng Prefecture indicate that people took shelter along the embankments during floods and, as a consequence, villages steadily developed along the embankments. This is in despite official restrictions on the use of the bottomlands along the Yellow River. This historical case not only illustrates the operating modes of official flood prevention strategies in dynastic China, but also shows how archaic settlement patterns and landscapes have shaped the geography of contemporary China.     

厌氧系统中酵母浸出物提高Co、Fe生物有效性的研究

采用半连续实验,研究中、低温条件下酵母浸出物对厌氧系统中Co、Fe溶解性能和生物有效性的改善作用.结果表明,酵母浸出物对提高纯水中和投加不同有机基质的水中溶解态Co、Fe浓度有明显效果,能显著提高低温下厌氧系统中Co、Fe的生物有效性.在15℃和35℃下,投加酵母浸出物后,水中溶解态Co、Fe浓度均有上升,其中Fe浓度升高明显.啤酒废水等含有酵母浸出物的废水对这种提升作用也有帮助.在15℃厌氧系统中移除酵母浸出物、Co、Fe之后,COD去除率由91.6%下降到58%;重新投加Co、Fe后效果有所回升,其中同时添加酵母浸出物的系统,其COD去除率回升明显,升幅达31.6%,产甲烷速率也呈上升趋势,证实了同时投加酵母浸出物和Co、Fe可有效促进低温下厌氧生物系统的处理效能.