Characteristics of atmospheric particles and heavy metals in winter in Chang-Zhu-Tan city clusters, China

To understand the pollution characteristics of atmospheric particles and heavy metals in winter in Chang-Zhu-Tan city clusters, China, total suspended particulate(TSP) and PM10samples were collected in cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan from December 2011 to January 2012, and heavy metals of Cd, Pb, Cr, and As were analyzed. It shows that the average TSP concentration in Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan were(183 ± 73),(201 ± 84) and(190 ± 66) μg/m3respectively, and the average PM10 were(171 ± 82),(178 ± 65) and(179 ± 55) μg/m3respectively. The lowest TSP and PM10concentrations occurred at the background Shaping site of Changsha. The average ratio of ρ(PM10)/ρ(TSP) was 91.9%, ranging from 81.3% to 98.9%. Concerning heavy metals, in TSP samples, the concentration of Cr, As, Cd and Pb were 28.8–56.5, 18.1–76.3, 3.9–26.1 and 148.0–460.9 ng/m3, respectively, while in PM10samples, were 16.4–42.1, 15.5–67.9, 3.3–22.2 and 127.9–389.3 ng/m3, respectively. The enrichment factor of Cd was the highest, followed by Pb and As, while that of Cr was the lowest.     

光散射法与β射线衰减-光散射联用法颗粒物在线测量方法对比

为考察光散射法和β射线衰减-光散射联用法的适用性,以β射线衰减法颗粒物自动监测仪（BAM）为标准,于2016年2月4日-4月18日,在中国环境科学研究院利用β射线衰减-光散射联用法颗粒物自动监测仪（MP-CPM）与光散射法传感器对ρ（PM₁₀）和ρ（PM_2.5）测量结果进行了对比.结果表明:① MP-CPM与BAM测量ρ（PM₁₀）的结果具有较好的一致性,相关系数为0.92,平均相对偏差为0.04%;ρ（PM_2.5）结果一致性较差,相关系数为0.69,MP-CPM测量ρ（PM_2.5）整体较高于BAM,平均相对偏差为45.8%.② 光散射法传感器与BAM测量ρ（PM_2.5）结果一致性较好,相关系数为0.85,平均相对偏差为11.24%,但ρ（PM₁₀）远低于BAM,平均相对偏差为-44.64%.在特殊污染情景下,光散射法将因受到较大影响而严重错估颗粒物浓度.烟花燃放期间,MP-CPM和光散射法传感器严重低估颗粒物浓度,与BAM测量颗粒物浓度的平均相对偏差均低于-50%;沙尘污染过程中,MP-CPM严重高估ρ（PM_2.5）,与BAM测量ρ（PM_2.5）结果平均相对偏差为79.27%,光散射法传感器严重低估ρ（PM₁₀）,与BAM测量ρ（PM₁₀）结果平均相对偏差为-59.35%.研究显示,不同原理的仪器,在不同的使用场景下应该区别对待.      

Ambient volatile organic compounds pollution in China

Owing to rapid economic and industrial development, China has been suffering from degraded air quality and visibility. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone and hence photochemical smog. Some VOCs adversely affect human health. Therefore, VOCs have recently elicited public concern and given new impetus to scientific interest. China is now implementing a series of polices to control VOCs pollution. The key to formulating policy is understanding the ambient VOCs pollution status. This paper mainly analyzes the species, levels, sources, and spatial distributions of VOCs in ambient air. The results show that the concentrations of ambient VOCs in China are much higher than those of developed countries such as the United States and Japan, especial benzene, which exceeds available standards. At the same time, the ozone formation potential (OFP) and secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP) of various VOCs are calculated. Aromatics and alkenes have much higher OFPs, while aromatics have higher SOAFP. The OFPs of ambient VOCs in the cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Changchun are very high, and the SOAFP of ambient VOCs in the cities of Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Changchun are higher.     

Impact of injection system design on ISCO performance with permanganate--mathematical modeling results

In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) using permanganate (MnO(4)(-)) can be a very effective technique for remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents. However, many ISCO projects are less effective than desired because of poor delivery of the chemical reagents to the treatment zone. In this work, the numerical model RT3D was modified and applied to evaluate the effect of aquifer characteristics and injection system design on contact and treatment efficiency. MnO(4)(-) consumption was simulated assuming the natural oxidant demand (NOD) is composed of a fraction that reacts instantaneously and a fraction that slowly reacts following a 2nd order relationship where NOD consumption rate increases with increasing MnO(4)(-) concentration. MnO(4)(-) consumption by the contaminant was simulated as an instantaneous reaction. Simulation results indicate that the mass of permanganate and volume of water injected has the greatest impact on aquifer contact efficiency and contaminant treatment efficiency. Several small injection events are not expected to increase contact efficiency compared to a single large injection event, and can increase the amount of un-reacted MnO(4)(-) released down-gradient. High groundwater flow velocities can increase the fraction of aquifer contacted. Initial contaminant concentration and contaminant retardation factor have only a minor impact on volume contact efficiency. Aquifer heterogeneity can have both positive and negative impacts on remediation system performance, depending on the injection system design.     

中国大气超级站发展与展望：基于问卷调研的统计研究

大气环境综合观测研究站(简称大气超级站)是开展大气环境污染综合立体观测、进行大气重污染过程污染特征动态表征、深入分析大气污染成因的重要平台。了解中国当前不同地区大气超级站的建设和应用现状、存在的问题及发展需求,有利于科学指导和规范中国大气超级站的设计、建设、运维和应用,提高其在大气重污染过程应急管控和空气质量改善中的技术支撑能力。研究通过对国内60余个大气超级站进行问卷调研,综述了中国目前大气超级站的现状,并基于统计分析结果,对中国大气超级站发展提出建议。     

Effect of ambient-level gas-phase peroxides on foliar injury, growth, and net photosynthesis in Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus)

To investigate the effects of ambient-level gas-phase peroxides concurrent with O₃ on foliar injury, photosynthesis, and biomass in herbaceous plants, we exposed Japanese radish (Raphanus sativus) to clean air, 50 ppb O₃, 100 ppb O₃, and 2-3 ppb peroxides + 50 ppb O₃ in outdoor chambers. Compared with exposure to 100 ppb O₃, exposure to 2-3 ppb peroxides + 50 ppb O₃ induced greater damage in foliar injury, net photosynthetic rates and biomass; the pattern of foliar injury and the cause of net photosynthetic rate reduction also differed from those occurring with O₃ exposure alone. These results indicate for the first time that sub-ppb peroxides + 50 ppb O₃ can cause more severe damage to plants than 100 ppb O₃, and that not only O₃, but also peroxides, could be contributing to the herbaceous plant damage and forest decline observed in Japan's air-polluted urban and remote mountains areas.     

Microwave Process for Volatile Organic Compound Abatement

ABSTRACT

The CHA Corporation has completed the U.S. Air Force Phase II Small Business Innovation Research program to investigate the feasibility of using a novel microwave-based process for the removal and destruction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in effluents from noncombustion sources, such as paint booth ventilation streams. Removal of solvents by adsorption, followed by the regeneration of saturated granular activated carbon (GAC) by microwave energy, was achieved in a single fixed-bed reactor. Microwave regeneration of the fixed-bed-saturated carbon restored the original GAC adsorption capacity. After 20 adsorption/regeneration cycles, the adsorption capacity dropped from 13.5 g methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)/100 g GAC to 12.5 g MEK/100 g GAC. During microwave regeneration of the GAC fixed bed, the concentrated desorbed paint solvent was oxidized by passing the solvent mixture through a fixed bed of an oxidation catalyst mixed with silicon carbide in a microwave reactor. A 98% oxidation efficiency was consistently achieved from the oxidation of VOCs in the microwave catalytic reactor.     

Arsenic concentration in porewater of an alkaline coal ash disposal site: Roles of siderite precipitation/dissolution and soil cover

The geochemical behavior of As in porewaters of an alkaline coal ash disposal site was investigated using multilevel samplers. The disposal site was in operation from 1983 until 1994 and was covered with 0.3–0.5 m thick soils in 2001 when this study was initiated. Sequential extraction analyses and batch leaching experiments were also performed using the coal ash samples collected from the disposal site. The results suggest the important roles of siderite (FeCO₃) precipitation/dissolution and soil cover, which have been ignored previously. Arsenic levels in the porewater were very low (average of 10 μg L⁻¹) when the site was covered with soil due to coprecipitation with siderite. The soil cover enabled the creation of anoxic conditions, which raised the Fe concentration by the reductive dissolution of Fe-(hydr)oxides. Because of the high alkalinity generated from the alkaline coal ash, even a small increase in the Fe concentration (0.66 mg L⁻¹ on average) could cause siderite precipitation. When the soil cover was removed, however, an oxidizing condition was created and triggered the precipitation of dissolved Fe as (hydr)oxides. As a result, the dissolution of previously precipitated As-rich siderite caused higher As concentration in the porewater (average of 345 μg L⁻¹).     

中国城市空气质量分级管理策略探讨

本文在充分剖析我国现阶段城市环境空气质量及相关管理工作存在的主要问题的基础上,探讨了以改善城市空气质量兼顾城市群效应控制为重点的城市空气质量分级管理策略。研究提出,为适应新的污染特征和形势,国家应针对不同地区、不同污染来源特征、不同污染程度的各类城市实行分类指导和分级管理的思路。     

Reviews of emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in Asia

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in the atmosphere play important roles in the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in global scale and also in regional scale under some condition due to their large amount and relatively higher reactivity. In places with high plant cover in the tropics and in China where air pollution is serious, the effect of BVOCs on ozone and secondary organic aerosols is strong. The present research aims to provide a comprehensive review about the emission rate, emission inventory, research methods, the influencing factors of BVOCs emissions, as well as their impacts on atmospheric environment quality and human health in recent years in Asia based on the summary and analysis of literatures. It is suggested to use field direct measurement method to obtain the emission rate and model method to calculate the emission amount. Several recommendations are given for future investigation and policy development on BVOCs emission.