Distribution of environmentally sensitive elements in residential soils near a coal-fired power plant: Potential risks to ecology and children’s health

One hundred and twelve soil samples were collected from residential areas surrounding a coal-fired power plant at Huainan City, Anhui Province, China. The concentrations of environmentally sensitive elements (ESEs As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) in soil samples were determined, and their potential ecological and health risks were assessed. Mean concentrations of ESEs in the downwind soils of the power plant are relatively higher than those in the upwind soils, pointing to a potential ESEs input from coal combustion. The calculated ecological risk of ESEs in soils indicates a relatively low ecological risk. Hazard quotient (HQ) of ESEs in downwind soils is 1.5, suggesting a potential health risk for children. However, the carcinogenic risk values of ESEs in soils are within the acceptable non-hazardous range of 1E−06–1E−04.     

Biomonitoring of pyrethroid exposure among rural and urban populations in northern Poland

The aim of this study was to determine for the first time in Poland, levels of exposure to synthetic pyrethroids in preschool and school age children and their parents living in urban and rural areas. For this purpose concentrations of pyrethroid metabolites: 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), 2,2-dibromovinyl-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid (Br₂CA), cis-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (cis-Cl₂CA) and trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (trans-Cl₂CA) were determined in 374 urine samples using a validated GC–MS method.     

Estimation of the environmental risk posed by landfills using chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological testing of leachates

The leachates from 22 municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill sites in Southern Poland were characterized by evaluation of chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological parameters. Chemical analyses were mainly focused on the identification of the priority hazardous substances according to Directive on Priority Substances, 2008/105/EC (a daughter directive of the WFD) in leachates. As showed, only five substances (Cd, Hg, hexachlorobutadiene, pentachlorobenzene and PAHs) were detected in the leachates. The compounds tested were absent or present at very low concentrations. Among them, only PAHs were found in all samples in the range from 0.057 to 77.2 μg L⁻¹. The leachates were contaminated with bacteria, including aerobic, psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria, coliform and fecal coliforms, and spore-forming-bacteria, including Clostridium perfringens, and with filamentous fungi. From the analysis of specific microorganism groups (indicators of environmental pollution by pathogenic or opportunistic pathogenic organisms) it can be concluded that the landfill leachates showed sanitary and epidemiological hazard. In the ecotoxicological study, a battery of tests comprised of 5 bioassays, i.e. Microtox®, Spirotox, Rotoxkit F™, Thamnotoxkit F™ and Daphtoxkit F™ magna was applied. The leachate samples were classified as toxic in 13.6%, highly toxic in 54.6% and very highly toxic in 31.8%. The Spirotox test was the most sensitive bioassay used. The percentage of class weight score was very high - above 60%; these samples could definitely be considered seriously hazardous and acutely toxic to the fauna and microflora.No correlations were found between the toxicity values and chemical parameters. The toxicity of leachate samples cannot be explained by low levels of the priority pollutants. It seems that other kinds of xenobiotics present in the samples at subacute levels gave the high aggregate toxic effect.The chemical, ecotoxicological and microbiological parameters of the landfill leachates should be analyzed together to assess the environmental risk posed by landfill emissions.     

京杭运河苏州市区段大型底栖动物种群结构特征与评价

对京杭运河苏州市区段4个点位进行了底栖动物群落结构和多样性进行多年研究,并进行了水质评价。结果表明,底栖动物共12种,寡毛类的克拉泊水丝蚓为各点位的优势种;从时间尺度来看,S1点位的物种种类数量从2008年开始明显增加,软体类物种出现,种群密度也在增加,生物污染指数下降,水质明显改善;从空间尺度来看,京杭运河苏州市区段上游和中游物种种类数量要多于下游和老运河城区段,下游水质有所下降。     

城市污水处理厂建设程序中的环境影响评价研究

在介绍污水处理厂的基础建设程序及环境影响评价的发展概况的基础上,以京溪污水处理厂为例,指出城市规划部门在规划制定过程中,应加大环境影响评价工作的深度,以使污水厂的建设程序得以顺利开展。同时指出城市的卫生、地质、规划、国土、环保等职能部门在制定本部门的法规政策过程中,应发挥协调机制,在工程建设的相关方面达成共识,以确保污水处理厂等市政项目的建设顺利开展,促进城市更好的发展。     

Policy and Science Implications of the Framing and Qualities of Uncertainty in Risks: Toxic and Beneficial Fish from the Baltic Sea

Policy and research issues in the framing and qualities of uncertainties in risks are analyzed, based on the assessments of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) and other ingredients in Baltic Sea fish, a high-profile case of governance. Risks are framed broadly, to then focus on dioxins and beneficial fatty acids, fish consumption, human health, and science-management links. Hierarchies of uncertainty (data, model, decision rule, and epistemic) and ambiguity (of values) are used to identify issues of scientific and policy contestation and opportunities for resolving them. The associated complexity of risks is illustrated by risk–benefit analyses of fish consumption and by evaluations of guideline values, highlighting value contents and policy factors in presumably scientific decision criteria, and arguments used in multi-dimensional risk and benefit comparisons. These comparisons pose challenges to narrow assessments centered, for e.g., on toxicants or on food benefits, and to more many-sided and balanced risk communication and management. It is shown that structured and contextualized treatment of uncertainties and ambiguities in a reflexive approach can inform balances between wide and narrow focus, detail and generality, and evidence and precaution.     

基于"脱钩"模式的低碳城市评价

由于历史及现状等诸多因素,以二氧化碳减排绝对量为基础的低碳城市评价模式并不适用于中国;本研究从经济发展、物质消耗与污染物排放相互关系的视角,以"脱钩"模式为目标层,经济发展、碳排放、污染物排放与经济发展为准则层,CO2排放等8个具体指标为指标层建立低碳城市评价指标体系,定量描述经济发展过程中单位GDP污染物排放降低的态势,进而表征城市发展过程中的经济、资源、环境变化的历史趋势并反映城市低碳建设现状.针对沈阳市的案例研究表明,沈阳市2001年至2008年总体的生态效率与资源利用效率呈现逐渐提高的态势,沈阳市现阶段的低碳城市建设水平处于"相对脱钩"阶段,与目前中国经济宏观发展态势相符合.本研究表明,"脱钩"评价模式可以避免基于污染物总量的评价模式中忽略经济发展因素而产生的片面性,可以表征中国当前经济高速发展前提下的城市低碳建设水平,为目前的"低碳城市"评价方法提供有益尝试.     

Mind the gap in SEA: An institutional perspective on why assessment of synergies amongst climate change mitigation, adaptation and other policy areas are missing

This article takes its point of departure in two approaches to integrating climate change into Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Mitigation and adaptation, and in the fact that these, as well as the synergies between them and other policy areas, are needed as part of an integrated assessment and policy response. First, the article makes a review of how positive and negative synergies between a) climate change mitigation and adaptation and b) climate change and other environmental concerns are integrated into Danish SEA practice. Then, the article discusses the implications of not addressing synergies. Finally, the article explores institutional explanations as to why synergies are not addressed in SEA practice. A document analysis of 149 Danish SEA reports shows that only one report comprises the assessment of synergies between mitigation and adaptation, whilst 9,4% of the reports assess the synergies between climate change and other environmental concerns. The consequences of separation are both the risk of trade-offs and missed opportunities for enhancing positive synergies. In order to propose explanations for the lacking integration, the institutional background is analysed and discussed, mainly based on Scott's theory of institutions. The institutional analysis highlights a regulatory element, since the assessment of climate change synergies is underpinned by legislation, but not by guidance. This means that great focus is on normative elements such as the local interpretation of legislation and of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The analysis also focuses on how the fragmentation of the organisation in which climate change and SEA are embedded has bearings on both normative and cultural-cognitive elements. This makes the assessment of synergies challenging. The evidence gathered and presented in the article points to a need for developing the SEA process and methodology in Denmark with the aim to include climate change in the assessments in a more systematic and integrated manner.     

添加不同比例的石灰对污泥稳定化的模糊评价

在污泥处置策略中,污泥碱式干化被认同是一种安全可靠的处置方式。而我国由于大多采用较为原始的推送装置,不仅石灰消耗量大,而且污泥稳定化效果差,难以实现污泥性状的改善。利用自主研发的高效混合器,在脱水污泥中添加质量分数为5%、7%、10%、12%和15%的500目工业石灰后,分别测定添加后污泥的温度、pH、粪大肠菌值以及臭味强度的变化,并采用模糊数学法评价了添加不同比例的石灰对污泥的稳定化效果,结果表明:添加不同比例的工业用生石灰后,污泥的温度从原污泥的30℃分别升高到32.0、36.0、39.2、41.0和43.3℃;污泥中的pH从原污泥的6.5左右均升高到12以上;粪大肠菌值从原污泥的1.08×10-8 g/MPN均降为0.01 g/MPN以下;臭味强度从5级降为2级以下;污泥稳定化程度高,模糊综合评价结果都为一级。因此,添加5%的石灰即可实现污泥的稳定化。     

Effects of dimethoate on rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus using multigeneration toxicity tests

As important members of the zooplankton community and sources of food for fish, rotifers are used extensively in ecotoxicological research to assess the health of the environment and safety of compounds. However, most rotifer toxicity tests are only conducted using rotifer neonates derived from unexposed mothers, thus ignoring the potential transfer of contaminants from mother to offspring. To understand better the mother to offspring exposure, a multigenerational study was conducted using three successive generations (F₀, F₁ and F₂) of the common freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus to investigate the toxic effects of the widely used organophosphate pesticide, dimethoate (O, O-dimethyl S-methylcarbamoylmethyl phosphorodithioate). When the F₀ generation was exposed to five pesticide concentrations, the population growth rate (r) displayed symptoms of hormesis, characterized by the conversion of low-concentration stimulation to high-concentration inhibition. Despite this observation, the exposure to any given concentration of dimethoate reduced the population growth rates of the F₁ and F₂ generation rotifers. Significant differences existed between the F₀, F₁ and F₂ rotifers for the population growth rate under dimethoate stress: F₂ individuals were more sensitive than F₁, whereas the F₁ individuals were more sensitive than F₀. The results indicated that the parental exposure to a given toxic stress could result in increased sensitivity and decreased fitness in the offspring. This study illustrates the utility of multigenerational toxicity tests, which may better reflect and more accurately predict the effects of long-term pesticide exposure to aquatic organisms at the population level.