Which compounds contribute most to elevated airborne exposure and corresponding health risks in the Western Balkans?

A majority of ongoing monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is currently focused on chemicals emphasized in the Stockholm Convention. Quantitative detection of other substances (especially those with numerous anthropogenic sources such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) is, however, also needed since their concentrations are usually several orders of magnitude higher. A goal of this study was to determine how various groups of compounds contribute to total human health risks at the variety of sampling sites in the region of Western Balkan. Distribution of the risks between the gas and particulate phases was also addressed. Results showed that inhalation exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) does not represent a significant risk to humans, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) re-volatilized to the atmosphere from contaminated soils and buildings can pose a problem. PCB evaporation from primary sources (currently used PCB-filled transformers or non-adequate storage facilities) generally resulted in much higher atmospheric concentrations than evaporation from the secondary sources (soils at the sites of war destructions). A majority of the human health risks at the urban sites were associated with PAHs. Between 83 and 94% of the cumulative risk at such sites was assigned to chemicals sorbed to particles, and out of it, PAHs were responsible for 99%.     

汞在不同粒径大气颗粒物中的分布

采用DFG 1型五段分级采样装置及冷蒸汽原子荧光法 ,对北京市冬、春、夏和秋季不同粒径大气颗粒物 (分别为≤ 1 1μm ,1 1— 2 0 μm ,2 0— 3 3μm ,3 3— 7 0 μm和≥ 7 0 μm )中的汞进行分析 .结果表明 :北京大气颗粒物中汞的浓度在 0 6 0— 3 95ng·m-3 之间 ,冬季平均浓度为 2 85ng·m-3 ,远大于其它季节 ;大气颗粒物中的汞呈双峰分布 ,在≤ 1 1μm的细颗粒和粗粒径处各有一峰值 ;北京大气颗粒物中的汞主要分布在≤ 1 1μm的细颗粒中 ,不同粒径颗粒物中汞的分布随季节变化而变化 ,冬季各粒径颗粒物中汞的浓度比其它季节高 ;大气颗粒物中汞的质量中值粒径 (MMD )冬季为 0 71μm ,其它季节均大于1 0 μm ;北京大气颗粒物中的汞至少有 5 0 %可进入人体呼吸系统 ,且冬季最为严重     

丹东市大气颗粒物质量浓度变化特征及其与能见度的关系

利用2008年丹东沙尘暴监测站的ρ(PM₁₀₎,ρ(PM_2.5)和ρ(PM₁)监测资料,探讨了丹东市大气颗粒物质量浓度的变化特征及其与能见度的关系. 结果表明:由外来源经中长距离输送引发的沙尘中携带了大量的粗颗粒物,而细颗粒物所占比例相对较少;可吸入颗粒物质量浓度具有明显的季节变化特征,冬季最高,夏季最低,春季、秋季居中;丹东粗颗粒物质量浓度较低,但粗颗粒物中细颗粒物所占比例却非常高;颗粒物的粒径越小,其对能见度的影响就越大.      

基于活性污泥微生物冻后再生对废水基质降解效能的研究

采用高径比为12.5的序批式反应器(SBR)对冷冻的成熟好氧颗粒污泥（AGS）解冻驯化,研究母体颗粒冻后富集培养及其在番茄废水基质降解中的循环利用。结果表明：冻后恢复活性的污泥第60天全部颗粒化,平均粒径不小于0.45 mm;高通量测序结果显示,相较母体颗粒,该污泥中与颗粒化相关的变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)优势菌群富集,微生物丰度呈显著差异（P<0.05）;复合菌株对COD、NH3-N和PO3-4-P去除率分别为98.9%、82.1%和82.2%,可实现番茄废水的有效降解。     

Characteristics and mixing state of S-rich particles in haze episodes in Beijing

Direct individual analysis using Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with online observation was conducted to examine the S-rich particles in PM_2.5 of two typical polluted haze episodes in summer and winter from 2014 to 2015 in Beijing. Four major types of S-rich particles, including secondary CaSO₄ particles (mainly observed in summer), S-rich mineral particles (SRM), S-rich water droplets (SRW) and (C, O, S)-rich particles (COS) were identified.We found the different typical morphologies and element distributions of S-rich particles and considered that (C, O, S)-rich particles had two major mixing states in different seasons. On the basis of the S-rich particles’ relative abundances, S concentrations and their relationships with PM_2.5 as well as the seasonal comparison, we revealed that the S-participated formation degrees of SRM and SRW would enhance with increasing PM_2.5 concentration. Moreover, C-rich matter and sulfate had seasonally different but significant impacts on the formation of COS.

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正交与斜交旋转主成分分析法在气象因子影响细颗粒物研究中的应用

基于cost733模型及大量再分析资料、观测资料,对2013—2019年冬季海平面气压及近地面风场进行正交和斜交旋转主成分分析,讨论这两种分型方法及不同分型数量下我国天气形势、降水及细颗粒物（PM_2.5）的差异.结果表明,斜交旋转主成分分析法相比于正交方法,划分的天气形势更具代表性,其中,划分为4类天气形势最具代表性,即西伯利亚冷高压影响范围最广、出现频率最高的Type1;西伯利亚冷高压强度最弱、出现频率最低、重度污染站点比例最大、污染最重的Type2;京津冀等地容易出现锋面天气、降水强度最大、清洁站点比例最大、污染最轻的Type3;受东北部深厚冷低压影响、重污染较少的Type 4.     

黄山大气气溶胶新粒子生长特性观测分析

利用2012年9月22日~10月28日黄山地区大气气溶胶、二氧化硫和臭氧观测数据,结合气象数据,分析气溶胶新粒子的生成-增长特征.分析发现,在33个有效观测日中,有新粒子生成-增长的观测日占总数的18.2%,其中晴天的发生频率为37.5%,新粒子生成-增长都开始于晴天上午,与无新粒子观测日相比,太阳辐射量、风速、SO2及O3浓度较高,环境温度和相对湿度较低.气溶胶新粒子的增长具有由小及大的特点,核模态气溶胶粒子(10~20nm)数浓度最先增加,爱根核模态粒子(20~50nm)数浓度随着时间推移逐渐增大,但浓度峰值依次下降,平均增长率为3.58nm/h. SO2浓度先于核模态气溶胶数浓度到达峰值,其氧化后的产物H2SO4为新粒子的核化提供前体物,并且参与新粒子的增长过程,当SO2浓度较低时,不会发生新粒子生长事件.     

基于PMF模式的南京市大气细颗粒物源解析

为研究南京市大气细颗粒物(PM2.5)污染来源,分别在3个点位、4个季节开展了PM2.5环境样品的采集,共获得170个有效样本.对样本进行了化学成分分析,包括Al、Fe、Na、Mg、K、Ba、Li、Tl、Mn、Co、Ni、Cu、Zn、Sb、Pb、Cr、Ce、Na+、NH4+、Mg2+、Ca2+、SO42-、NO3-、Cl-、以及OC、EC,共计26种.首先采用OC/EC最小比值法估算出二次有机气溶胶(SOA)的含量;然后利用正矩阵因子分解法(PMF)对PM2.5的非SOA部分进行来源解析,共解析出6类因子:二次无机气溶胶(SIA)、燃煤、机动车排放、地面扬尘、冶金和其它源,贡献率分别25.0%、23.5%、20.4%、17.1%、3.0%和11.0%;最后基于南京市SO2、NOx、VOCs三种主要前体污染物的排放量,分别对SIA和SOA在一次来源中进行再分配.最终结果表明,南京市PM2.5主要来源为燃煤、机动车、扬尘、工业和其它源,其贡献率分别为29.6%、22.4%、14.6%、18.7%和14.7%.     

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs)-associated protobiofilm: A neglected contributor to biofouling during membrane filtration

• Bacteria could easily and quickly attached onto TEP to form protobiofilms. • TEP-protobiofilm facilitate the transport of bacteria to membrane surface. • More significant flux decline was observed in the presence of TEP-protobiofilms. • Membrane fouling shows higher sensitivity to protobiofilm not to bacteria level. Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) are a class of transparent gel-like polysaccharides, which have been widely detected in almost every kind of feed water to membrane systems, including freshwater, seawater and wastewater. Although TEP have been thought to be related to the membrane fouling, little information is currently available for their influential mechanisms and the pertinence to biofouling development. The present study, thus, aims to explore the impact of TEPs on biofouling development during ultrafiltration. TEP samples were inoculated with bacteria for several hours before filtration and the formation of “protobiofilm” (pre-colonized TEP by bacteria) was examined and its influence on biofouling was determined. It was observed that the bacteria can easily and quickly attach onto TEPs and form protobiofilms. Ultrafiltration experiments further revealed that TEP-protobiofilms served as carriers which facilitated and accelerated transport of bacteria to membrane surface, leading to rapid development of biofouling on the ultrafiltration membrane surfaces. Moreover, compared to the feed water containing independent bacteria and TEPs, more flux decline was observed with TEP-protobiofilms. Consequently, it appeared from this study that TEP-protobiofilms play a vital role in the development of membrane biofouling, but unfortunately, this phenomenon has been often overlooked in the literature. Obviously, these findings in turn may also challenge the current understanding of organic fouling and biofouling as membrane fouling caused by TEP-protobiofilm is a combination of both. It is expected that this study might promote further research in general membrane fouling mechanisms and the development of an effective mitigation strategy.     

Optimizing synthesis conditions of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) through aqueous reactivity assessment

Nanoscale iron particles (nZVI) is one of the most important engineered nanomaterials applied to environmental pollution control and abatement. Although a multitude of synthesis approaches have been proposed, a facile method to screen the reactivity of candidate nZVI materials produced using different methods or under varying synthesis conditions has yet been established. In this study, four reaction parameters were adjusted in the preparation of borohydride-reduced nZVI. The reductive properties of the resultant nanoparticles were assayed independently using two model aqueous contaminants, Cu(II) and nitrate. The results confirm that the reductive reactivity of nZVI is most sensitive to the initial concentration of iron precursor, borohydride feed rate, and the loading ratio of borohydride to ferric ion during particle synthesis. Solution mixing speed, in contrast, carries a relative small weight on the reactivity of nZVI. The two probing reactions (i.e., Cu(II) and nitrate reduction) are able to generate consistent and quantitative inference about the mass-normalized surface activity of nZVI. However, the nitrate assay is valid in dilute aqueous solutions only (50 mg·L⁻¹ or lower) due to accelerated deactivation of iron surface at elevated nitrate concentrations. Additional insights including the structural and chemical makeup of nZVI can be garnered from Cu(II) reduction assessments. The reactivity assays investigated in this study can facilitate screening of candidate materials or optimization of nZVI production parameters, which complement some of the more sophisticated but less chemically specific material characterization methods used in the nZVI research.