Correlation of ambient inhalable bioaerosols with particulate matter and ozone: a two-year study

In this study, we have examined the relationships between the concentrations of ambient inhalable airborne fungi and pollen with PM10, PM2.5, ozone, organic carbon, selected trace metals (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc), temperature, and relative humidity. The database was collected in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, during two consecutive years. Measurements of all environmental variables were performed at the same site continuously 5 days a week except during winter months. The airborne concentrations of biological and non-biological pollutants ranged as follows: total fungi: 184-16 979 spores m(-3); total pollen: 0-6692 pollen m(-3); PM10: 6.70-65.38 microg m(-3); PM2.5: 5.04-45.02 microg m(-3); and ozone: 2.54-64.17 ppb. Higher levels of total inhalable fungi and particulate matter were found during fall and summer months. In contrast, total pollen concentration showed elevated levels in spring. Peak concentrations of ozone were observed during summer and beginning of fall. Our study concluded that several types of inhalable airborne fungi and pollen, particulate matter, and ozone could be positively correlated as a result of the atmospheric temperature influence.     

Sampling over time: developing a cost effective and precise exposure assessment program

Studies requiring ambient exposure assessments invariably ask: How often should measurements be taken? Answer to such questions is dictated by budgetary considerations as well as spatial and temporal variability in the data. For example, do we obtain measurements during all seasons, all months within seasons, weeks within months and days within weeks? On one hand, we can obtain a one-time snapshot sample and regard it as representing the "true" mean exposure. On the other hand, we may obtain a large number of measurements over time and then average these in order to represent this "true" mean exposure. The former estimate is the least expensive but may also be the least precise while the latter, may be very precise but prohibitively costly. In this paper, we demonstrate how a pilot study can be undertaken with a potentially promising and feasible sampling plan for the full-scale study. By applying the statistical methodology of variance component analysis (VCA) to the pilot study data and exploiting mathematical relationship between the variance of the overall mean exposure and posited variance components, we can develop a sampling design with decreased sampling costs and/or increased precision of the mean exposure. Our approach was applied to determine sampling design choices for an on-going study that aimed at assessing ambient particulate matter exposure. We conclude that a pilot study followed by the VCA analysis may often lead to sampling design choices that offer considerable cost savings and, at the same time, promise to provide relatively precise estimates of the mean exposure for the subsequent full-scale study.     

生物炭与土壤调理剂对滨海荒芜重盐碱地的改良效应

以土壤改良剂对荒芜重盐碱地生物改良和开发利用为研究目标,在华北低平原区滨海荒芜重盐碱地开展了施用生物炭（B）和调理剂（C）种植先锋作物油葵的大田试验.生物炭用量设2个水平（0和1.25 kg ·m^-2）调理剂施用量设3个水平,分别为0、0.83和1.66 kg ·m^-2,共6个处理.油葵收获后按照每30 cm一层采至90 cm搜集土样.结果表明,施用生物炭提高0~30 cm和60~90 cm土层含盐量,而土壤调理剂则显著降低0~30 cm土壤含盐量.没有发现生物炭或调理剂对土壤pH有显著影响.生物炭处理显著抑制土壤硝化作用,导致0~90 cm土层NO₃^--N含量显著下降,NH₄⁺-N含量提高,对有机质（SOM）含量没有显著影响.施用土壤调理剂提高0~30 cm土壤SOM含量,调理剂施用量为1.66 kg ·m^-2时0~90 cm土层的NO₃^--N含量显著增加.单施生物炭与调理剂或者二者组合均显著增加0~90 cm土壤NH₄⁺-N含量、有效磷（Olsen-P）含量和有效钾（K_ex）含量,但生物炭对这3种养分含量的提升效果更显著,土壤调理剂则在增加0~30 cm土壤有机质和降盐方面更有效.施用高量调理剂促进土壤硝化作用,而施用生物炭恰恰起到硝化抑制剂的作用,因此,将生物炭与土壤调理剂结合施用,是滨海荒芜重盐碱地防止NO₃^--N淋失、减少环境污染、增肥降盐并保障耐盐先锋作物高肥低盐生长环境的有效措施.     

黄河包头段不同粒径沉积物分形校正下重金属的吸附研究

推导了分粒级的表面分形维数计算公式,根据推导公式计算了分粒级沉积物的分维值.应用已有的表面分形分维计算公式分别计算了黄河包头段沉积物整体的表面分形分维(1.91)及＜63 μm粒级的分维值(1.36),揭示出黄河水环境的磨蚀和分选2个原因引起黄河包头段沉积物低的分维值.用分形校正吸附模型、Freundlich和Langmuir吸附模型对黄河包头段重金属分粒级沉积物吸附进行了拟合,表明分形校正吸附模型具有较好的适用性,同时揭示分形校正吸附模型与MEA理论结合能更好的对热力学吸附结果进行描述;由吸附结果分析得出4种重金属因粒径引起的吸附量变化程度序列为Cu＞Pb＞Zn≈Cd,初始浓度高的吸附量曲线变化较初始浓度低的曲线变化明显,同时指出Cu、Pb的吸附主要与矿物组成有关,而Zn、Cd的吸附则与吸附剂沉积物空间几何性质(或沉积物表面物理特征)有关.     

宁夏生态移民社区生活空间融合与重构的影响因素及机理——以宁夏闽宁镇为例

生态移民的空间位移引致了迁入区多因素的相互作用及长期演化,成为多学科深入探究的重要问题之一。以闽宁镇生态移民社区为例,采用主成分分析法和地理探测器分析法,对生态移民社区生活空间融合的影响因素和机理进行了研究,结果发现：（1）生态移民社区生活空间融合与重构受多种因素影响,生活基础设施、经济收入增长、移民社区环境、邻里关系、政府政策、民族生活六个主成分对生态移民社区生活空间融合的影响可以起到解释作用。（2）影响生态移民社区生活空间的因子解释力由强到弱依次排序为：X₁生活基础设施>X₂经济收入增长>X₃邻里关系>X₄政府政策>X₅民族生活>X₆移民社区环境;交互探测结果表明社区各要素因子交互后因子解释力呈双线性增强,即任意两个因子交互作用对于生态移民社区生活空间融合的影响强度都大于单个因子的独自作用强度。（3）各影响因素之间的互动影响,共同促进生态移民社区固有的生活方式、文化习惯、社会交往关系的演化,进而形成了生活空间的融合与重构。     

不同草地资源水平牧户对气候变化的感知与偏差途径

人群感知是气候变化适应行为形成的重要信息基础,基于对中国北方草地草甸草原、典型草原、荒漠草原、草原化荒漠、沙地、农牧交错带等地区1292个牧户的问卷访谈,分2轮调查研究了不同草地类型地区牧民对气候变化的感知,与气候实值比较分析,并研究了牧民气候变化感知的偏差途径,结果表明:1980~2009年间研究区温度变化倾向率为0.63℃/10a(P0.05);温度较强的趋势性与牧民对其感知的分歧存在偏差,降水无明显变化与不同地区牧民感知明确的趋势性判断存在偏差;受草场变化等环境信息的传导是气候变化感知偏差形成的重要原因,其中,降水感知与环境感知之间具有较强的关系,存在明显的传导过程,而温度感知的传导性不明显;通过Probit模型分析显示,气候变化传导感知与否主要与牧户距离行政中心距离、户主年龄、教育背景、载畜水平、草畜资源等因素有关.     

Influence of home characteristics on airborne and dustborne endotoxin and β-D-glucan

The aim of this study was to assess the associations between airborne and dustborne microbial contaminants (endotoxin and β-D-glucan) and estimate the effects of home characteristics on exposure levels of these microbial contaminants. Endotoxin and β-D-glucan concentrations in airborne inhalable particles, airborne PM1 (<1 μm) and vacuumed dust from 184 residential homes were determined using specific Limulus amebocyte assays. Home characteristics were recorded by visual inspection and questionnaires. Linear regression and correlation analyses were performed. Inhalable endotoxin correlated with dust endotoxin (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) and PM1 endotoxin (r = 0.33, p < 0.001). Inhalable β-D-glucan correlated with dust β-D-glucan (r = 0.18, p < 0.01), but not with PM1 β-D-glucan. Significant correlation was also found between PM1 and dust concentrations for endotoxin (r = 0.26, p < 0.001), but not for β-D-glucan. Multivariate regression analyses showed only one significant association between airborne contaminants and environmental characteristics: inhalable β-D-glucan was positively associated with relative humidity with an effect size (change in the dependent variable corresponding to a unit increase in the independent variable) of 2.32 and p < 0.05. In contrast, several associations were found between dust concentrations and environmental characteristics. Dust endotoxin was positively associated with temperature (2.87, p < 0.01) and number of inhabitants (2.76, p < 0.01), whereas dust β-D-glucan was inversely associated with the presence of dogs (-2.24, p < 0.05) and carpet (-3.05, p < 0.01) in the home. In conclusion, dustborne contaminants were more strongly affected by home characteristics than airborne contaminants. Furthermore, even though statistically significant, the correlations between airborne and dustborne contaminants were weak. This indicates that airborne concentrations cannot be reliably predicted based on dustborne concentrations.     

UNMIX modeling of ambient PM(2.5) near an interstate highway in Cincinnati, OH, USA

The "Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study (CCAAPS)" is underway to determine if infants who are exposed to diesel engine exhaust particles are at an increased risk for atopy and atopic respiratory disorders, and to determine if this effect is magnified in a genetically at risk population. In support of this study, a methodology has been developed to allocate local traffic source contributions to ambient PM(2.5) in the Cincinnati airshed. As a first step towards this allocation, UNMIX was used to generate factors for ambient PM(2.5) at two sites near at interstate highway. Procedures adopted to collect, analyze and prepare the data sets to run UNMIX are described. The factors attributed to traffic sources were similar for the two sites. These factors were also similar to locally measured truck engine-exhaust enriched ambient profiles. The temporal variation of the factors was analyzed with clear differences observed between factors attributed to traffic sources and combustion-related regional secondary sources.     

青岛理工大学安全工程专业课程体系设置模式

介绍了我国安全工程专业发展概况、存在的问题及青岛理工大学安全工程专业现状.重点介绍了青岛理工大学安全工程专业课程体系设置情况,提出了2006年安全工程专业课程体系设置调整的构想.     

利用彗星实验检测丙烯酰胺对小鼠两种细胞的DNA损伤和修复

为了研究丙烯酰胺致小鼠睾丸细胞和外周血淋巴细胞DNA的损伤及修复情况,同时比较这两种细胞对丙烯酰胺的敏感性,将雄性昆明种小鼠一次性腹腔注射丙烯酰胺(50mg·kg-1(bw)),在暴露后第1、2、4、6、8、10、12d,分别对其睾丸组织细胞和外周血淋巴细胞DNA损伤进行彗星实验分析.结果表明,暴露结束后每个时间点小鼠睾丸组织细胞、外周血淋巴细胞DNA的迁移率均显著高于阴性对照组,随时间推移两种细胞DNA迁移距离逐渐降低,同一时间点睾丸组织细胞DNA损伤较外周血淋巴细胞DNA损伤更为严重,两者差异显著(p<0.05).以上结果表明,睾丸组织和外周血淋巴细胞可能是丙烯酰胺的作用位点;机体对丙烯酰胺造成的遗传损伤有一定的修复能力;与淋巴细胞相比,睾丸细胞对丙烯酰胺导致的遗传损伤更为敏感.