Formaldehyde in China: Production, consumption, exposure levels, and health effects

Formaldehyde, an economically important chemical, is classified as a human carcinogen that causes nasopharyngeal cancer and probably leukemia. As China is the largest producer and consumer of formaldehyde in the world, the Chinese population is potentially at increased risk for cancer and other associated health effects. In this paper we review formaldehyde production, consumption, exposure, and health effects in China. We collected and analyzed over 200 Chinese and English documents from scientific journals, selected newspapers, government publications, and websites pertaining to formaldehyde and its subsequent health effects.Over the last 20 years, China's formaldehyde industry has experienced unprecedented growth, and now produces and consumes one-third of the world's formaldehyde. More than 65% of the Chinese formaldehyde output is used to produce resins mainly found in wood products — the major source of indoor pollution in China. Although the Chinese government has issued a series of standards to regulate formaldehyde exposure, concentrations in homes, office buildings, workshops, public places, and food often exceed the national standards. In addition, there have been numerous reports of formaldehyde-induced health problems, including poisoning and cancer. The lack of quality epidemiological studies and basic data on exposed populations emphasizes the need for more extensive studies on formaldehyde and its related health effects in China.     

Defining Acceptable Levels for Ecological Indicators: An Approach for Considering Social Values

Ecological indicators can facilitate an adaptive management approach, but only if acceptable levels for those indicators have been defined so that the data collected can be interpreted. Because acceptable levels are an expression of the desired state of the ecosystem, the process of establishing acceptable levels should incorporate not just ecological understanding but also societal values. The goal of this research was to explore an approach for defining acceptable levels of ecological indicators that explicitly considers social perspectives and values. We used a set of eight indicators that were related to issues of concern in the Lake Champlain Basin. Our approach was based on normative theory. Using a stakeholder survey, we measured respondent normative evaluations of varying levels of our indicators. Aggregated social norm curves were used to determine the level at which indicator values shifted from acceptable to unacceptable conditions. For seven of the eight indicators, clear preferences were interpretable from these norm curves. For example, closures of public beaches because of bacterial contamination and days of intense algae bloom went from acceptable to unacceptable at 7–10 days in a summer season. Survey respondents also indicated that the number of fish caught from Lake Champlain that could be safely consumed each month was unacceptably low and the number of streams draining into the lake that were impaired by storm water was unacceptably high. If indicators that translate ecological conditions into social consequences are carefully selected, we believe the normative approach has considerable merit for defining acceptable levels of valued ecological system components.     

Impact of the Saharan dust outbreaks on the ambient levels of total suspended particles (TSP) in the marine boundary layer (MBL) of the Subtropical Eastern North Atlantic Ocean

Six years (1998–2003) of measurements of ambient air concentrations of total suspended particulate (TSP) measured at a rural background monitoring station in Tenerife (Canary Islands), the El Río station (ER, 28°08′35″N, 16°39′20″W, 500 m a.s.l.) were studied. African dust outbreaks were objectively identified using a new quantitative tool, called the African Index. This index indicates the percentage of time that an air mass remained over an African region at one of three possible height intervals of the lower troposphere. After identifying these episodes, a study of the background TSP levels at the ER station and of direct and indirect (those which cause vertical deposition of dust) African air mass intrusion impacts was performed. Taking into account both direct and indirect episodes, a total of 322 days of African dust intrusion were objectively identified (a mean of 54 episodes per year) in the period 1998–2003, some of them caused by “transition episodes” or “return African air masses”. A subjective method confirmed that 256 of these days were caused by direct impacts of African dust on the ER station. A mean TSP value of 21.6 μg m⁻³ was found at the station during this period. All the episodes occurred when the TSP concentration was >28.5 μg m⁻³. The TSP background (14 μg m⁻³) can be assumed to be representative of the MBL of the Eastern North Atlantic subtropical region. The highest number of dust gravitational settlement (or indirect) episodes occurs in summer, but the highest contribution of these episodes to the TSP levels is in March with a monthly mean TSP contribution of up to 30.5 μg m⁻³.     

上海市稻米中有机氯农药残留水平及健康风险评价

中国作为农药的生产和使用大国,曾大量使用滴滴涕(DDTs)、六六六(HCHs)等有机氯农药.水稻是上海市的主要粮食作物,青浦和崇明区是其重要的水稻种植基地.本研究检测了上海市青浦和崇明区稻米样品中24种有机氯农药的残留水平,分析了OCPs的组成特征并对上海地区稻米中的OCPs残留进行了健康风险评价.结果表明,研究区稻米中OCPs以DDTs和HCHs为主要残留物.青浦和崇明稻米中24种OCPs的总平均残留量分别为6.53 ng·g-1和4.70 ng·g-1,低于食品安全国家标准中对应OCPs的再残留限值.青浦区稻米中4,4-DDE和β-HCH的残留水平最高,崇明区稻米则以2,4-DDT和β-HCH为主要成分.来源解析显示,上海市区域内近期可能仍有三氯杀螨醇和林丹的使用.健康风险评价结果表明,食用本研究区稻米因OCPs所产生的致癌与非致癌风险较低,处于可接受水平.     

绿潮硬毛藻分解对天鹅湖水体氮磷水平的影响

为了解绿潮硬毛藻衰亡分解对上覆水体营养水平的影响,以荣成天鹅湖不同湖区的沉积物和暴发的硬毛藻为试材,通过室内模拟研究了藻类分解过程中水体氮磷水平及理化性质的变化,并评价了不同湖区沉积物中氮磷的释放潜力.结果表明:硬毛藻衰亡分解使上覆水体中ρ(TN)和ρ(NH₄+-N)均明显上升,并且前期(0~16 d)上升较快,ρ(TN)和ρ(NH₄+-N)最高分别可达12.40和7.98 mg/L;水体中ρ(TP)和ρ(SRP)表现为前期变化不大,19 d后大幅增加,含量变幅分别为0.02~1.14和0.01~0.40 mg/L.在试验中后期(约16 d后),不同湖区沉积物处理的水体中ρ(TN)、ρ(NH₄+-N)、ρ(TP)、ρ(SRP)均表现为有沉积物含藻处理>无沉积物含藻处理>有沉积物无藻处理.在藻分解的条件下,不同湖区沉积物的氮磷释放能力存在很大差异,氮释放量的顺序为湖中心>西北部>南部,而磷表现为西北部>湖中心>南部.在硬毛藻绿潮的衰亡阶段,由于初期藻体营养盐的直接释放和后期促进沉积物内源释放的间接影响,水体中ρ(TN)和ρ(TP)均明显增加,进而加重了天鹅湖水体的富营养化水平.      

遵义市PM10和PM2.5污染水平时间分布及其与气象条件的关系研究

对遵义市2014年1月1日-12月31日大气颗粒物在线监测数据分析结果表明,全年PM10和PM2.5质量浓度的变化幅度较大,但变化趋势相似,且具有较好的相关性,其中冬季>春季>秋季>夏季;日变化呈双峰特征分布,夜间峰值比中午峰值大,且夜间PM2.5浓度呈区域性变化特征.选取日平均气温、相对湿度及风速等气象因子,利用Spearman秩相关分析表明遵义市全年PM10和PM2.5质量浓度与气温、相对湿度及风速等气象条件均呈负相关.     

不同空气质量等级下环境空气颗粒物及其碳组分变化特征

为研究不同空气质量等级下环境空气颗粒物及其碳组分变化特征,于2016年3月在廊坊市对环境空气中PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)和PM1质量浓度及PM_(2.5)中碳组分质量浓度进行了在线监测.结果表明,监测期间廊坊市PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)和PM1质量浓度较高,其分别为204.1、107.9和87.8μg·m~(-3),日变化趋势呈双峰型分布.总体来说,当空气质量越好,PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)、PM1及其碳组分(OC、EC、SOC和POC)质量浓度越低,PM1/PM_(2.5)、PM1/PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)/PM_(10)比值越小.但"中度污染"时,PM_(10)质量浓度最高,且PM1/PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)/PM_(10)达到谷底值;同时OC质量浓度比"轻度污染"略低,而明显低于"重度污染",且主要出现在13:00~23:00,表明"中度污染"时细颗粒物和超细颗粒物占比下降,与其对应的首要污染物相一致.此外,OC/EC比值大于2.0,通过最小OC/EC比值法估算PM_(2.5)中SOC和POC,其浓度均值分别为12.2μg·m~(-3)和5.0μg·m~(-3).     

Lead and cadmium concentrations in shorebirds from the Yeongjong Island, Korea

This study presents concentration levels of pollutants (lead, and cadmium) in tissues (livers, kidneys, muscles, and bones) of shorebirds (Kentish Plovers (n = 5), Mongolian Plovers (n = 2), Dunlins (n = 6), Great Knots (n = 10), Terek Sandpipers (n = 10)) from Yeongjong Island, Korea in the East Asian–Australian migration flyways during the autumn migration in 1994–1995. Lead concentrations in livers, in kidneys, in muscles, and in bones were significantly different among shorebird species. Lead concentrations in livers of Kentish Plovers (4.76 ± 2.72 μg/wet g), Mongolian Plovers (2.05 μg/wet g), Dunlins (3.77 ± 1.07 μg/wet g), and Great Knots (4.27 ± 3.19 μg/wet g) were less than the toxic level, and lead concentrations in livers of Terek Sandpipers (1.20 ± 0.94 μg/wet g) were at the background level. Cadmium concentrations in livers, in kidneys, in muscles, and in bones did not vary among shorebirds, and concentrations of cadmium in livers and in kidneys were at background level (respectively, approximate 1 μg/wet g, approximate 2.67 μg/wet g) in all shorebird species. We suggest that interspecific differences of lead and cadmium concentrations were attributed to differences in exposure time and differences of diet, microhabitats in wintering ground. In livers and kidney of shorebirds from Yeongjong Island, lead and cadmium concentrations were higher than other locations previously reported.     

Atmospheric Deposition and Ozone Levels in Swiss Forests: Are Critical Values Exceeded?

Air pollution affects forest health through atmospheric deposition of acidic and nitrogen compounds and elevated levels of tropospheric ozone (O₃). In 1985, a monitoring network was established across Europe and various research efforts have since been undertaken to define critical values. We measured atmospheric deposition of acidity and nitrogen as well as ambient levels of O₃ on 12, 13, and 14 plots, respectively, in the framework of the Swiss Long-Term Forest Ecosystem Research (LWF) in the period from 1995 to 2002. We estimated the critical loads of acidity and of nitrogen, using the steady state mass balance approach, and calculated the critical O₃ levels using the AOT40 approach. The deposition of acidity exceeded the critical loads on 2 plots and almost reached them on 4 plots. The median of the measured molar ratio of base nutrient cations to total dissolved aluminium (Bc/Al) in the soil solution was higher than the critical value of 1 for all depths, and also at the plots with an exceedance of the critical load of acidity. For nitrogen, critical loads were exceeded on 8 plots and deposition likely represents a long-term ecological risk on 3 to 10 plots. For O₃, exceedance of critical levels was recorded on 12 plots, and led to the development of typical O₃-induced visible injury on trees and shrubs, but not for all plots due to (1) the site specific composition of O₃ sensitive and tolerant plant species, and (2) the influence of microclimatic site conditions on the stomatal behaviour, i.e., O₃ uptake.