太湖西部河湖氮污染物来源及转化途径分析

通过2014年枯水、丰水两期监测,综合分析了太湖西部入湖河流与湖区水体及其沉积物的无机氮形态与同位素特征,并利用δ~(15)N识别了太湖西部上游区氮污染来源及转化途径的生物化学作用机制.结果表明:NO_3~--N与NH_4~+-N为研究区域入湖河流无机氮的主要形态,而NO_3~--N为西部湖区水体无机氮的主要形态;δ~(15)N-NO_3~-的数值范围揭示了西部入湖河流在枯水季NO_3~--N主要来源于农用化肥,有少量矿化土壤有机氮,而丰水季则以生活污水为主,有少量矿化土壤有机氮及农用化肥;δ~(15)N-NH_4~+的数值范围说明了生活污水是河流水体NH_4~+-N的主要来源;通过水体及沉积物样品NO_3~--N、NH_4~+-N、δ~(15)N-NO_3~-、δ~(15)N-NH_4~+的协同分析可知,湖区氮的赋存形态主要受湖区水体硝化作用及沉积物内反硝化作用的影响.     

雄黄矿区不同砷污染土壤中微生物群落结构及碳源利用特征

土壤砷污染是我国乃至世界范围内比较严重的环境问题.有关砷污染的生态毒理效应有很多研究,但对砷污染土壤中微生物群落的关注相对较少.本文以我国湖南省石门县雄黄矿地区长期砷污染土壤为例,采用PLFA及BIOLOG微平板技术考察了7个砷(As)污染程度不同的样点以及一个对照样点土壤微生物群落结构及碳源利用特征.结果发现,雄黄矿区存在多种重金属复合污染,除As含量较高以外,镉(Cd)和镍(Ni)的含量也超过了国家土壤环境质量三级标准.雄黄矿区土壤微生物的群落结构受到土壤有机碳(SOC)、有效磷(AP)、p H以及镁(Mg)、Cd、铁(Fe)、铜(Cu)含量的显著影响.各样点土壤微生物群落均以细菌为主,占微生物总量的71.54%~80.66%,真菌次之,放线菌最少.雄黄矿区土壤中的有效砷对微生物造成了较严重的胁迫.严重砷污染降低了微生物对于碳源利用的多样性以及均匀度.各样点微生物对于碳源的利用也表现出明显的差异.31种碳源中微生物利用较多的只有7类,分别属于糖类、胺类、羧酸类与多聚物,并且以糖类为主.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, photodegradation kinetics and photocatalytic activity of novel photocatalyst ZnBiYO4

ZnBiYO₄ was synthesized by a solid-state reaction method for the first time. The structural and photocatalytic properties of ZnBiYO₄ were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance. ZnBiYO₄ crystallized with a tetragonal spinel structure with space group I41/A. The lattice parameters for ZnBiYO₄ were a = b = 11.176479 Å and c= 10.014323 Å. The band gap of ZnBiYO₄ was estimated to be 1.58 eV. The photocatalytic activity of ZnBiYO₄ was assessed by photodegradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The results showed that ZnBiYO₄ had higher catalytic activity compared with N-doped TiO₂ under the same experimental conditions using visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange with ZnBiYO₄ or N-doped TiO₂ as catalyst followed first-order reaction kinetics, and the first-order rate constant was 0.01575 and 0.00416 min^-1 for ZnBiYO₄ and N-doped TiO₂, respectively. After visible light irradiation for 220 min with ZnBiYO₄ as catalyst, complete removal and mineralization of methyl orange were observed. The reduction of total organic carbon, formation of inorganic products, SO₄^2- and NO₃^-, and evolution of CO₂ revealed the continuous mineralization of methyl orange during the photocatalytic process. The intermediate products were identified using liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry. The ZnBiYO₄/(visible light) photocatalysis system was found to be suitable for textile industry wastewater treatment and could be used to solve other environmental chemical pollution problems.     

Assessment of lead pollution in topsoils of a southern Italy area: Analysis of urban and peri-urban environment

Exposure to lead (Pb) may affect adversely human health. Mapping soil Pb contents is essential to obtain a quantitative estimate of potential risk of Pb contamination. The main aim of this paper was to determine the soil Pb concentrations in the urban and peri-urban area of Cosenza–Rende to map their spatial distribution and assess the probability that soil Pb concentration exceeds a critical threshold that might cause concern for human health. Samples were collected at 149 locations from residual and non-residual topsoil in gardens, parks, flower-beds, and agricultural fields. Fine earth fraction of soil samples was analyzed by X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry. Stochastic images generated by the sequential Gaussian simulation were jointly combined to calculate the probability of exceeding the critical threshold that could be used to delineate the potentially risky areas. Results showed areas in which Pb concentration values were higher to the Italian regulatory values. These polluted areas were quite large and likely, they could create a significant health risk for human beings and vegetation in the near future. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach can be used to study soil contamination to produce geochemical maps, and identify hot-spot areas for soil Pb concentration.     

New insights into disruption of iron homeostasis by environmental pollutants

Among the numerous health conditions environmental pollutants can cause, chronic exposure to pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals has been shown to disturb a specific biological homeostatic process, the iron metabolism in human body. Disorders of iron metabolism are among the common diseases of humans and encompass a broad spectrum of diseases with different clinical manifestations, ranging from anemia to iron overload, and possibly to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hepcidin–ferroportin (FPN) signaling is one of the key mechanisms responsible for iron supply, utilization, recycling, and storage, and recent studies demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants including POPs and heavy metals could lead to disruption of the hepcidin–FPN axis along with disordered systemic iron homeostasis and diseases. This article introduces and highlights the accompanying review article by Drs. Xu and Liu in this journal, which elaborates in detail the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on iron metabolism, and the mechanisms responsible for these toxicological outcomes. It also points out the knowledge gaps still existing in this subject matter. Research that will fill these gaps will improve our understanding of the issue and provide useful information to prevent or treat diseases induced by environmental pollutants.     

Pollution levels and characteristics of phthalate esters in indoor air in hospitals

The concentrations of phthalate esters(PAEs) in Chinese hospitals were investigated by simultaneously determining concentrations of gas- and particle-phase PAEs. PAEs were detected in two third-class first-grade hospitals, two second-class first-grade hospitals, and a community health service center. Hospital drugstores had the highest concentration(24.19 μg/m3), which was 1.54 times that of newly decorated houses. The second highest concentration was found in the transfusion rooms, averaging 21.89 μg/m3; this was followed by the concentrations of PAEs in the nurse's workstations, the wards, and the doctor's offices, with mean concentrations of 20.66, 20.0, and 16.92 μg/m3, respectively. The lowest concentrations were found in the hallways(16.30 μg/m3). Of the six different kinds of PAEs found, major pollutants included diethyl phthalates, dibutyl phthalates, butylbenzyl phthalates and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates, comprising more than 80% of all PAEs present.Meanwhile, a comparison between different wards showed that PAE concentrations in the maternity wards were 1.63 times higher than in the main wards. Based on known health hazards, our results suggest that the PAEs seriously influence the health of the pregnant women and babies; therefore, it is of great importance to take the phthalate concentrations in hospitals into consideration. In addition, hospital indoor air was more seriously contaminated than the air of newly decorated houses.     

噪声污染侵权责任中“噪声污染”的界定

判定是否承担噪声污染侵权责任首先是对噪声污染的概念的界定,现行法律对该概念的界定主要采用“超标+干扰”的主客观相结合要件,实践中出现了扰民但噪声不超标的情况,由于不符合“环境噪声污染”概念而难以得到救济.对噪声污染概念的重构需要考虑到行政法中和侵权法中该概念的不同,其蕴含的价值区别.参考国外立法并结合我国实际应将超过忍受限度作为对噪声污染概念界定的标准之一,在保护人身的同时将对财产的保护也纳入保护范围之内.在环境噪声污染侵权中,法院在适用法律裁判案件时,不应运用《环境噪声污染防治法》中关于环境噪声污染概念的界定.     

城市空气污染影响因素的灰色斜率关联度分析研究

城市空气污染严重影响着城市的发展和人民的健康,为了研究城市空气污染的影响因素对于污染的影响程度和类型,采用了灰色系统理论中灰色关联分析方法的斜率关联度模型.以广州、西安和乌鲁木齐为研究对象,选取了几个具有典型的空气污染因素.结果表明:对于这三个城市而言,燃煤都是空气污染的最主要污染因素,而对于不同的城市,其他污染因素对于不同污染物有着不同的影响,在污染治理的时候要分析城市具体所存在的首要污染物以对症下药.     

钢铁工业氮氧化物污染防治途径研究

针对钢铁工业氮氧化物减排的紧迫形势,首先介绍了钢铁工业氮氧化物主要排放源,提出了烧结工序和自备电厂是氮氧化物排放的主要污染源,其烟气中氮氧化物控制是钢铁企业氮氧化物减排的重点;其次对钢铁工业氮氧化物生成机理,热力型、燃料型、快速型进行了分析;在此基础上,总结了钢铁工业烧结、自备电厂、焦化、炼铁、轧钢工序氮氧化物污染防治技术途径,为钢铁工业进一步开展氮氧化物减排工作提供了技术支撑.     

桂林市公共场所空气污染的检测与分析

采用甲醛检测仪、有机气体检测仪等测试分析了桂林市宾馆、商场、候车室、家具城、文化娱乐场等公共场所的甲醛和TVOC浓度。结果显示:候车室和文化娱乐场所的甲醛、TVOC合格率均为100%;宾馆、商场、家具城的TVOC合格率分别为98.7%、98.9%、95.0%,甲醛合格率分别为78.8%、91.1%、85.0%;皮革制品、家具板材等为主要的甲醛和TVOC污染源。