Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in breast milk of first-time Irish mothers: impact of the 2008 dioxin incident in Ireland

The 2008 dioxin incident in Ireland resulted in elevated concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Irish pork and pork products, due to the consumption of contaminated animal feed by pigs. In order to investigate any resulting impact on the Irish population, these contaminants were measured in pooled breast milk samples from 109 first-time mothers, collected in 2010. A comparison of the results with similar data from 2002 revealed generally lower concentrations of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in the 2010 samples, confirming the declining trend reported by many authors. Contaminant concentration levels for both 2002 and 2010 were generally slightly lower than those reported internationally, with a mean combined PCDD/F and PCB WHO-TEQ of 9.66 pg g⁻¹ fat, for an overall pooled sample of milk from 2010. An apparent slight increase in PCDFs was observed between 2002 and 2010 (from 2.73 pg WHO-TEQ g⁻¹ fat to 3.21 pg WHO-TEQ g⁻¹ fat), with the main contributory congener being 2,3,4,7,8-PentaCDF. While it cannot be totally discounted that the slight increase in 2,3,4,7,8-PentaCDF and in the overall PCDF WHO-TEQ in breast milk could be attributable to consumption of Irish pork during the 2008 incident, we consider that it is more likely that this was due to other factors, including the predominantly urban/industrial sampling locations for the 2010 samples, compared to 2002.     

Fe^3＋掺杂TiO2/凹凸棒复合材料的光催化性能

采用酸催化的溶胶-凝胶法制备了一系列Fe^3＋掺杂TiO2/凹凸棒（Fe^3＋-TiO2/ATP）复合光催化剂材料。在可见光条件下,以亚甲基蓝（MB）溶液的光催化降解反应,评价了样品的光催化性能,研究了TiO2负载量、Fe^3＋掺杂量和焙烧温度对复合材料光催化性能的影响。在单因素实验的基础上,采用正交实验设计（L25（53））优化了催化剂的制备条件。光催化实验结果表明,MB在复合材料上的光催化降解反应遵循Langmuir-Hinshelwood（L-H）动力学模型。正交实验结果表明,当TiO2负载量为15%、Fe^3＋掺杂量为0.5%和焙烧温度为550℃时,得到的复合材料对MB的光催化降解效率最佳,测得表观反应速率常数kapp为6.09×10^-3min^-1,反应4 h后MB的降解率（Dt）可达75.88%,相同实验条件下与P25（1.51×10^-3min^-1）相比较,反应速率提高了4.03倍,降解率提高了45.05%。另外,复合材料的沉降性能优于P25,易于分离,是一类有应用前景的复合光催化剂。敏世雄王芳魏立强王永生冯雷佟永纯韩玉琦     

Role of black carbon in the distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans in aged field-contaminated soils

Floodplain soils containing elevated levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were collected from several locations along the Tittabawassee River (Michigan, USA). The PCDD/F profiles of these soils exhibited distinct congener patterns consistent with byproducts from either chloralkali manufacturing or chlorophenols productions. Black carbon (BC) particles were isolated for the first time from floodplain soil impacted by PCDD/Fs. Petrographic analysis showed that BC particles, including coal, oxidized coal, metallurgical coke, depositional carbon, coal tar/pitch, cenosphere, and charcoal, comprised approximately 30% by volume of the organic fraction with size range of 250 μm-2000 μm from a typical floodplain soil. The BC particles with anthropogenic origin such as pitch and coke associated with the chloralkali production process served as both the source and subsequent transporter for the highly hydrophobic PCDD/Fs. These anthropogenic BC particles were enriched with high levels of PCDFs, containing approximately 1000-fold the concentration found in the bulk soil. The strong association of PCDD/Fs with anthropogenic BC directly impacts the physicochemical and biological availability thus the risk associated with these hydrophobic organochlorines in soils and sediments.     

Factors influencing on the bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in size-specific dust from air conditioner filters

Size-specific concentrations and bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in dust from air conditioner filters were measured, and the factors influencing the PBDE bioaccessibility were determined. Generally, the PBDE concentrations increased with decreasing dust particle size, and BDE209 (deca-BDE) was generally the predominant congener. The bioaccessibility ranged from 20.3% to 50.8% for tri- to hepta-BDEs, and from 5.1% to 13.9% for BDE209 in dust fractions of varied particle size. The bioaccessibility of most PBDE congeners decreased with increasing dust particle size. The way of being of PBDE (adsorbed to dust surface or incorporated into polymers) in dust significantly influenced the bioaccessibility. There was a significant negative correlation between the tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility and organic matter (OM) contents in dust. Furthermore, tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility increased with increasing polarity of OMs, while with decreasing aromaticity of OMs. The tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility significantly positively correlated with the surface areas and pore volumes of dust. Using multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that the OM contents and pore volumes of dust were the most important factors to influence the tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility and they could be used to estimate the bioaccessibility of tri- to hepta-BDEs according to the following equation: bioaccessibility (%) = 45.05 − 0.49 × OM% + 1.79 × pore volume. However, BDE209 bioaccessibility did not correlate to any of these factors.     

Matrine and oxymatrine in corroborant plant extracts and fertilizers: HPLC/MS-MS method development and single-laboratory validation

A reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC/MS-MS) has been developed and validated for detection of alkaloids matrine and oxymatrine in fertilizer with labeled enhancer plant defense activities. The analytical method was validated statistically. The results show a strong matrix effect, requiring quantification by standard addition method. The regression lines showed r² > 0.994. Recoveries ranging from 97 to 104% were obtained for the fortification level of 0.01% wt wt^?1 and the relative standard deviations ranged from 3 to 4% (n = 10). The limits of detection were below 0.0001% wt wt^?1, while the limits of quantification did not exceed 0.0004% wt wt^?1. The method is currently applied in ICQRF Laboratory of Catania on fertilized and corroborant plant extract collected in the Italian market in the frame of MIPAAF institutional quality control activity, with the aim to dectect these unpermitted active substances.     

Introduction: General versus specific measures and the special case of core self‐evaluations

This paper introduces a Journal of Organizational Behavior point/counterpoint exchange (this issue) that focuses on the appropriate level of aggregation primarily in the assessment of personality in general and core self‐evaluations (CSE) in particular. Gilad Chen reviews arguments for and against the higher‐order construct of CSE, offering a number of recommendations for strengthening it. Timothy Judge and John Kammeyer‐Mueller offer a defense of CSE, and then extend the discussion to the measurement of other constructs beyond the personality domain. Together these two papers provide important insights about the appropriate level of aggregation of individual measures, and situations in which higher‐order versus lower‐order measures might be preferred. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cs, Pu concentrations and the Pu/Pu atom ratio in a sediment core from the sub-aqueous delta of Yangtze River estuary

A sediment core collected from the sub-aqueous delta of the Yangtze River estuary was subjected to analyses of ¹³⁷Cs and plutonium (Pu) isotopes. The ¹³⁷Cs was measured using γ-spectrometry at the laboratories at the Nanjing University and Pu isotopes were determined with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), measurements made at the Australian National University. The results show considerable structure in the depth concentration profiles of the ¹³⁷Cs and ^239+240Pu. The shape of the vertical ¹³⁷Cs distribution in the sediment core was similar to that of the Pu. The maximum ¹³⁷Cs and ^239+240Pu concentrations were 16.21 ± 0.95 mBq/g and 0.716 ± 0.030 mBq/g, respectively, and appear at same depth. The average ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratio was 0.238 ± 0.007 in the sediment core, slightly higher than the average global fallout value. The changes in the ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the sediment core indicate the presence of at least two different Pu sources, i.e., global fallout and another source, most likely close-in fallout from the Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) in the Marshall Islands, and suggest the possibility that Pu isotopes are useful as a geochronological tool for coastal sediment studies. The ¹³⁷Cs and ^239+240Pu inventories were estimated to be 7100 ± 1200 Bq/m² and 407 ± 27 Bq/m², respectively. Approximately 40% of the ^239+240Pu inventory originated from the PPG close-in fallout and about 50% has derived from land-origin global fallout transported to the estuary by the river. This study confirms that AMS is a useful tool to measure ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratio and can provide valuable information on sedimentary processes in the coastal environment.     

Degassing of H/He, CFCs and SF6 by denitrification: Measurements and two-phase transport simulations

The production of N₂ gas by denitrification may lead to the appearance of a gas phase below the water table prohibiting the conservative transport of tracer gases required for groundwater dating. We used a two-phase flow and transport model (STOMP) to study the reliability of ³H/³He, CFCs and SF₆ as groundwater age tracers under agricultural land where denitrification causes degassing. We were able to reproduce the amount of degassing (R² = 69%), as well as the ³H (R² = 79%) and ³He (R² = 76%) concentrations observed in a ³H/³He data set using simple 2D models. We found that the TDG correction of the ³H/³He age overestimated the control ³He/³He age by 2.1 years, due to the accumulation of ³He in the gas phase. The total uncertainty of degassed ³H/³He ages of 6 years (± 2 σ) is due to the correction of degassed ³He using the TDG method, but also due to the travel time in the unsaturated zone and the diffusion of bomb peak ³He. CFCs appear to be subject to significant degradation in anoxic groundwater and SF₆ is highly susceptible to degassing. We conclude that ³H/³He is the most reliable method to date degassed groundwater and that two-phase flow models such as STOMP are useful tools to assist in the interpretation of degassed groundwater age tracer data.     

多孔镁铝复合氧化物对水溶液中Cr（VI）的吸附性能

摘要以镁盐、铝盐、纯碱和烧碱为原料制备了一种多孔镁铝复合氧化物（P—Mg3.1AlO4.6），其比表面积、平均孔径和总孔容分别为206．3m2／g、8．961nm和0．4208cm3／g。研究了这种多孑L材料对水溶液中cr（VI）的吸附性能，在25～45qC时，静态吸附量为82．32～141．7mg／g；当初始浓度100mg／L、流速5mL／min、床层高度10cm和pH=6时，半穿透时间、半穿透吸附量和饱和吸附量分别为406rain、49．28ing／g和51．30Ing／g；拟合参数及误差分析表明，cr（Ⅵ）在P—M敬。AIO4.6上的静态吸附过程符合Freundlich等温方程式和伪二级动力学方程，Yoon·Nelson模型能很好地预测cr（Ⅵ）在P—Mg3.1A104.6上的动态穿透曲线。     

基于状态监测的井喷风险动态安全评价

井喷是钻井作业引发的最严重事故之一.通过分析钻井作业过程各个环节,确定钻井过程的风险因素和指标因素,实时监测钻井作业各参数变化,利用模糊综合层次评价法计算出钻井过程井喷风险概率,实现井喷事故动态风险评价.给出了模糊综合评价法的具体步骤,基于该方法还开发了井喷动态安全评价软件,为钻井过程中钻井液参数和钻井工程参数的优选、调整提供理论依据,同时也为钻井过程的安全生产和管理提供了参考依据.