Characteristic Study of Ambient Air Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) Concentrations During Rainy and Non-Rainy Periods at a Traffic Site in Taiwan

This investigation studied the concentrations of ambient air total gaseous mercury (TGM) during the rainy periods at the Hung-Kuang traffic sampling site in central Taiwan from May 26 to June 16, 2014. The results were compared with those of a previous study for ambient air TGM during non-rainy daytime and nighttime periods at the Hung-Kuang traffic sampling site, which was conducted during March 21 to July 20, 2012. The observed mean concentration of ambient air TGM was 1.16 ng/m³ during the rainy periods at the Hung-Kuang traffic sampling site. The mean ambient air TGM concentrations were higher in the non-rainy sampling period in daytime than in the rainy sampling period from this study. The mean ratio of non-rainy sampling period in daytime to that of rainy sampling period for ambient air TGM were 3.15. Furthermore, the mean ambient air TGM concentrations were higher in the non-rainy sampling period in nighttime in than in the rainy sampling period for this study. The mean rations for non-rainy sampling period in nighttime to that of the rainy sampling period for ambient air TGM were 2.70. The results obtained in this study also revealed that the ambient air TGM concentrations during the rainy period had the lowest concentrations when compared with the other sampling sites in other world regions.     

Measurement of Particulate Bound Mercury,Gaseous Elemental Mercury,and Reactive Gaseous Mercury Concentrations by Using an Ambient Air Mercury Collection System

In this investigation, the concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) in ambient air were measured at the Hung Kuang (traffic) sampling site during September 27 to October 6, 2014. An ambient air mercury collection system (AAMCS) was utilized to measure simultaneously PBM, GEM, and RGM concentrations in ambient air. The results thus obtained demonstrate that the mean concentrations of PBM, GEM, and RGM were 38.57 ± 11.4 (pg/m³), 17.67 ± 5.56 (ng/m³) and 10.78 ± 2.8 (pg/m³), respectively, at this traffic-sampling site. The mean GEM/PBM and GEM/RGM concentration ratios were 458 and 1639, respectively. The results obtained herein demonstrate that AAMCS can be utilized to collect three phases of mercury simultaneously. The mean PBM, GEM, and RGM concentrations herein were compared with others found in Asia, America, Europe and Antarctica. The mean PBM, GEM, and RGM concentrations were found to be lowest in Asia and Antarctica. The mean PBM concentration in Europe was approximately eight times that in this investigation. The mean GEM and RGM concentrations in this study were 1.21 and 170 times those found in the United States.     

Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Water,Sediment, and Fish of the Songhua River,China

This study examined residual concentrations and associated ecological risks of the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) hexa- chlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) in water, sediment, and fish of the Songhua River in Zhaoyuan County, China. In June 2012, 10 water, 10 sediment, and 20 fish samples were collected. Residual concentrations of ΣHCH and ΣDDT ranged from 10.0–35.59 ng L^?1 (mean 28.03 ± 11.66 ng L^?1) and 5.12–39.66 ng L^?1 (mean 32.36 ± 11.58 ng L^?1) for water. Residual concentrations of ΣHCH and ΣDDT ranged from 0.52–3.00 ng g^?1 (mean 2.04 ± 0.73 ng g^?1) and 0.34–3.41 ng g^?1 (mean 2.38 ± 0.92 ng g^?1) for sediment. The ratios of α-HCH/γ-HCH were close to 1 at the majority of sampling points, indicating considerable new pollution from the use of lindane. The ratios of p,p′-DDE + p,p′-DDD/ΣDDT were less than 0.5, indicating recent inputs from DDT impurities in dicofol. All HCH and DDT isomers except for p,p′-DDD were detected in fish tissue samples, but the associated ecological risks were estimated to be below levels of concern. The study revealed a historical usage of OCPs in the Zhaoyuan section of the Songhua River and new OCP from the use of lindane and dicofol.     

Evaluation of an In Situ,On-Line Purging System for the Cone Penetrometer

Abstract

Materials that will be used to construct an in situ, on-line purging system for the cone penetrometer were evaluated. Transfer efficiencies for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through stainless steel, nickel, aluminum, and Teflon® tubings were determined using a gas-phase mixture of VOCs containing trichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, 1,1,1- trichloroethane, tetrachloroethene, hexane, benzene, toluene, and 1,2-dimethylbenzene. The water content of the gas stream had an insignificant effect on the quantitative transfer of VOCs through Teflon® tubing but was critical to efficiently transfer the compounds through metal tubing, particularly nickel. Transfer efficiencies for all eight analytes in moist gas streams through stainless steel were greater than 95%. Toluene, tetrachloroethene, and 1,2-dimethylbenzene were transferred with 93%, 81%, and 80% efficiency, respectively, when they were drawn through Teflon® PFA (perfluoroalkoxy) tubing. In general, the retention of the VOCs by Teflon® increases with decreasing aqueous solubility of the analyte. The efficiencies at which VOCs were purged from aqueous standards in Teflon® PFA, Type 304 stainless steel, and glass vessels were similar. Stainless steel was superior to nickel, aluminum, and the Teflon® polymers as a material for an in situ, on-line purging system for the cone penetrometer.     

中国193个城市规划区土壤微量元素污染与健康风险

随着城市化进程的加快,城市表层土壤微量元素含量发生了不同程度的变化,城市土壤污染所引发的环境问题进一步凸显.为了系统研究我国31个省（自治区、直辖市）193个地级以上城市规划区表层土壤13种微量元素的含量特征、污染水平和暴露风险,利用地累积指数（I_geo）和综合污染指数（IPI）对土壤微量元素的污染水平进行了评价,采用美国环保署（USEPA）推荐的健康风险评估方法量化了居民暴露于城市土壤的健康风险.研究结果显示：城市规划区表层土壤As、Be、Cd、Co、Cr、Cu、Hg、Ni、Pb、Se、Tl、V和Zn等13个元素含量中位值分别是9.25、2.14、0.174、12.4、68.4、28.2、0.095、27.7、31.1、0.29、0.61、82.7和82.2 mg·kg^-1,相比于城市土壤背景值,Cd、Hg和Se是含量变化比较显著的元素.I_geo值表明城市规划区表层土壤污染最严重的是Hg,其次是Se和Cd,污染程度介于无污染至中度污染之间,其他元素无污染.综合污染指数IPI_N显示：全国有22个城市规划区土壤已达到重度污染,16个城市达到中度污染,湖南省株洲市是全国土壤污染最严重的城市.健康风险评估结果表明：郴州市、黄石市、株洲市、湘潭市和龙岩市等5个城市规划区土壤暴露对未成年人具有潜在非致癌风险,其中土壤Pb摄入是引发风险的主要因素.建议在综合污染已达中度到重度污染的城市开展详查,摸清土壤污染状况及污染地块分布,建立污染地块清单和优先管控名录,实施污染调控和修复治理.     

未来升温1.5℃与2.0℃背景下中国水稻产量可能变化趋势

基于ISI-MIP的5个气候模式在4种RCP情景下模拟输出未来气候数据,筛选未来升温1.5℃和2.0℃的情景数据,依托CERES-Rice水稻模型,模拟升温1.5℃和2.0℃的背景下中国各区水稻产量变化趋势,综合分析未来气候变化特征与水稻产量之间的关系。结果表明:在1.5℃和2.0℃升温背景下,中国平均温度相对于基准时段分别升高1.19℃和1.87℃,平均降水量相对于基准时段分别增加3.07%和6.17%。1.5℃升温背景下中国水稻单产平均减幅7.49%,减产面积占水稻种植总面积的68.6%,严重减产面积占水稻种植总面积的10.3%,其中华南双季稻区单产减幅最大,而东北单季稻区单产增幅最大;2.0℃升温背景下中国水稻单产平均减幅12.02%,减产面积占水稻种植总面积的70.6%,严重减产面积占水稻种植总面积的18.7%,其中华南双季稻区单产减幅仍然最大,而西北单季稻区单产增幅最大。     

细河流域水污染现状分析与建议

本文分析了阜新细河流域水污染特点,提出了有针对性的治理建议,为保障流域水质达标及城市可持续发展提供参考。     

Is there a trade-off between households’ precautions,mitigations and public protection for flood risk?

This paper evaluates willingness-to-pay (WTP) for flood insurance and floodgate installation in Tainan, Taiwan, and finds that household flood precaution (observing the water level) has a minor effect in terms of increasing the WTP for flood insurance, rather than decreasing it. The reason for this is that people who have public flood protection nearby do not lower their WTP for floodgate and insurance, and those who live near the water source of floods and exhibit precautionary behavior have higher risk perceptions and intend to pay more. The adopted mitigation (having sandbags or other barriers) will not affect the intention to further mitigate or buy insurance. This also means that adverse selection in relation to flood insurance is not serious in the flood-prone area of Tainan. Households may be aware of the limitation of public flood protection though the precautionary behavior, and found that flood insurance can compensate for most of the flood damage.     

Tail loss compromises immunity in the many-lined skink, Eutropis multifasciata

Tail autotomy incurs energetic costs, and thus, a trade-off in resource allocation may lead to compromised immunity in lizards. We tested the hypothesis that tailless lizards will favor constitutive innate immunity responses over an energetically costly inflammatory response. The influence of fasting and colorful ornamentation was also investigated. We experimentally induced tail autotomy in the lizard Eutropis multifasciata and found that inflammation was suppressed by tail loss, but not further affected by fasting; the suppressive effect of colorful ornamentation was manifested only in males, but not in females. Constitutive innate immunity was not affected by any of these factors. As expected, only costly inflammation was compromised, and a less expensive constitutive innate immunity might be favored as a competent first-line defense during energetically demanding periods. After considering conventional trade-offs among tail regeneration and reproduction, further extending these studies to incorporate disease risk and how this influences escape responses to predators and future reproduction would make worthwhile studies.     

固定化条件对苯系物细胞传感器检测效果的影响

利用海藻酸钠作为包埋剂对苯系物细胞传感器Pseudomonas fluorescens A506(pTS)进行固定化处理,并对细胞浓度、固定化时间、投加量等检测因素进行了优化.固定化后的细胞与游离细胞对苯系污染物的检测效果进行对比.经过2 h固定化处理的细胞传感器,在检测时间1.5～6.0 h内,信号上升速度为游离细胞的2.26倍,信号最大值为游离细胞的2.23倍.固定化处理后的细胞生长缓慢,且浓度远低于游离细胞,说明了固定化处理后的单位细胞信号强度增加.同时,细胞浓度随着固定化时间的延长而降低.在影响因素方面,细胞浓度和固定化时间对于检测信号的影响较大.固定化后,对高浓度的苯系污染物有着更快的信号响应.