Health impacts of air pollution in China

•Impacts of air pollution on various body systems health in China were highlighted. •China’s actions to control air pollution and their effects were briefly introduced. •Challenges and perspectives of the health effects of air pollution are provided. The health effects of air pollution have attracted considerable attention in China. In this review, the status of air pollution in China is briefly presented. The impacts of air pollution on the health of the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the nervous system, the digestive system, the urinary system, pregnancy and life expectancy are highlighted. Additionally, China’s actions to control air pollution and their effects are briefly introduced. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of the health effects of air pollution are provided. We believe that this review will provide a promising perspective on the health impacts of air pollution in China, and further elicit more attention from governments and researchers worldwide.     

沈阳地区臭氧污染日时空变化特征及天气分型研究

利用2013—2019年沈阳地区11个国控监测站近地层臭氧(O_3)浓度监测数据和地面气象观测资料,分析了沈阳地区O_3污染日的O_3浓度时空分布规律,并对造成O_3污染日的天气系统进行了主观分型。结果表明:自2013年以来,以O_3为首要污染物的天数逐年增加,2017年达到研究期内的最高值,但2018—2019年略有下降。O_3浓度的日变化趋势呈现明显的单峰形,O_3-1 h在10:00—20:00明显高于其他时间段,最大浓度值出现在15:00,而在01:00—07:00则相对较低。从季节变化上看,沈阳地区O_3污染主要发生在6—7月,两个月的O_3污染日之和占全年O_3总污染日的比例高达51%。从O_3浓度空间分布上看,沈阳地区三环外监测站测得的O_3浓度明显高于三环内监测站,高浓度区域主要集中在东部和东北部,城市中心存在明显的低浓度区,南部和北部差别不大,但也明显高于城市中心。造成沈阳地区O_3污染的主要天气类型有4种:暖脊型、均压场型、高空槽型和副热带高压型。其中:暖脊型出现的频次最高,占总样本的49.1%;副热带高压型出现的次数最少,占总样本的7.7%。     

三峡库区笋溪河流域面源污染及其与土壤可蚀性k值的关系

研究三峡库区面源污染特征及其与水土流失的关系,可为库区氮磷污染和土壤侵蚀控制提供依据.选择三峡库区库尾笋溪河流域,在流域内分园地、林地和耕地3种土地利用类型共采集126个土壤样品,并在主干和支流采集52个水质样品.根据EPIC模型计算土壤可蚀性k值,分析流域内土壤可蚀性k值对面源污染的影响.结果表明,笋溪河流域面源污染主要是氮污染,总氮均值达1.37 mg/L,氮素的主要形态为硝态氮,占总氮的71.2%;总磷浓度为0.1 mg/L.流域内土壤可蚀性k值均值为0.040,随着土层加深土壤可蚀性k值呈上升趋势;林地土壤可蚀性k值显著低于园地和耕地.笋溪河流域总氮浓度与园地和耕地0-20 cm土壤可蚀性k值有关,硝态氮浓度与耕地0-40 cm土壤可蚀性k值有关.因此,笋溪河流域面源污染严重,主要来源是耕地和园地,应实行免耕、植物篱等措施,同时减少化肥施用,增加有机肥比例,以增加土壤抗侵蚀能力,进而控制流域水土流失和面源污染.(图6参37)     

2016—2017年武汉市城区大气PM2.5污染特征及来源解析

利用2016年1月至2017年9月湖北省环境监测中心站大气复合污染自动监测站的在线监测数据，对武汉市城区PM_2.5的污染特征及主要来源进行解析。结果表明，武汉市城区PM_2.5质量浓度呈现出明显的季节差异，季节变化规律为冬季>春季>秋季>夏季。水溶性离子的主要成分SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NH₄⁺占总离子质量浓度的82.0%。PM_2.5中阴离子相对阳离子较为亏损，颗粒整体呈碱性。夏季气态污染物的氧化程度较高且SO₂较NO₂氧化程度高。后向轨迹分析结果表明，区域传输是武汉市PM_2.5的一个重要来源，在4个典型重污染阶段，武汉市分别受到局地、东北、西北及西南方向气团传输的影响。PMF模型解析出武汉市PM_2.5五大主要来源及平均贡献率：扬尘22.0%、机动车排放27.7%、二次气溶胶21.6%、重油燃烧14.9%和生物质燃烧13.8%。     

郑州市土壤与绿色植物中汞的分布特征

汞污染具有生物积累性,因而得到社会广泛关注。研究监测和评估了郑州市城区土壤和绿色植物叶片中汞浓度、分布、污染水平等。研究发现郑州市主城区土壤总汞浓度为0. 150～0. 958 mg/kg,平均浓度为0. 448 mg/kg;郑州市主城区绿色植物叶片总汞浓度为0. 017～0. 249 mg/kg,平均浓度为0. 107 mg/kg;土壤和叶片中汞浓度按功能区排序为交通枢纽区工业区商业区行政区高教区住宅区。采用地累积指数法对郑州市80个土壤样品的汞污染水平进行评估,结果显示60%受到轻度污染,35%受到偏中度污染,5%受到中度污染。研究较为全面地分析了土壤汞污染的现状及浓度,为郑州市土壤汞污染防治提供参考。     

典型产业承接区土壤砷含量的空间分布特征及影响因素

本文以揭阳市为研究区域,采集了1330个表层土壤(0—20 cm)样品和331个深层土壤(150—200 cm)样品,利用富集因子法分析了表层土壤中As的污染状况,通过GIS空间分析技术以及单因素分析法探究了土壤As的空间分布特征以及影响因素.结果表明,研究区表层土壤As含量的均值为6.03 mg·kg^-1,低于该区土壤背景值(7.16 mg·kg^-1)及农用地土壤污染风险管控值(20 mg·kg^-1),大部分土壤为轻微污染和中度污染.揭阳市表层土壤As含量高值区分布于揭阳市东北部、中部和西南部地区,低值区分布于西北部和东南部地区.土壤类型、成土母质和土地利用类型是影响表层土壤As含量的重要因素,在不同土壤类型中,黄壤和赤红壤As含量相对较高;不同成土母质中,粉砂岩母质土壤As含量显著高于其他母质;在不同土地利用类型中,农用地土壤As含量最高.     

石家庄市春季大气颗粒物的铅污染特征

为了解石家庄市2016年春季大气颗粒物的铅污染特征及来源,利用单颗粒气溶胶质谱仪(SPAMS),分析了大气中含铅颗粒的化学成分。结果表明: 研究期间大气环境中含铅颗粒数浓度共出现11次跳跃式升高,跳跃时间段内石家庄均处于轻度污染过程。从成分分析来看,含铅颗粒分为纯铅颗粒、Pb与K(Pb-K)、OC(Pb-OC)、Cl(Pb-Cl)、混合颗粒等八大类。观测结果表明:Pb-K颗粒最多,占到含铅颗粒的84.4%；其次为纯铅颗粒,占比为13.0%。与石家庄市污染源谱库比对进行来源解析,得到Pb-K颗粒主要来自生活垃圾焚烧源, 纯铅颗粒主要来自工业源。结合石家庄市大气污染源排放清单和后向气流轨迹分析,推测含铅颗粒可能来自市区西南方向某区县的生活垃圾焚烧企业。     

Effect of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nicotine on the structure of Aβ42 protein

● B[a]P, nicotine and phenanthrene molecules altered the secondary structure of Aβ₄₂. ● β-content of the peptide was significantly enhanced in the presence of the PAHs. ● Nicotine made stable cluster with Aβ₄₂ peptide via hydrogen bonds. ● Phenanthrene due to its small size, interfered with the Aβ₄₂ monomer more strongly. Recent studies have correlated the chronic impact of ambient environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, either by using statistical data from various cities, or via tracking biomarkers during in-vivo experiments. Among different neurodegenerative disorders, PAHs are known to cause increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, related to the development of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide oligomers. However, the complex molecular interactions between peptide monomers and organic pollutants remains obscured. In this work, we performed an atomistic molecular dynamics study via GROMACS to investigate the structure of Aβ₄₂ peptide monomer in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene, nicotine, and phenanthrene. Interestingly the results revealed strong hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond based interactions between Aβ peptides and these environmental pollutants that resulted in the formation of stable intermolecular clusters. The strong interactions affected the secondary structure of the Aβ₄₂ peptide in the presence of the organic pollutants, with almost 50 % decrease in the α-helix and 2 %–10 % increase in the β-sheets of the peptide. Overall, the undergoing changes in the secondary structure of the peptide monomer in the presence of the pollutants under the study indicates an enhanced formation of Aβ peptide oligomers, and consequent progression of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Emerging applications of green coconut: A promising lignocellulosic biomass

Waste accumulation is a grave concern and becoming a transboundary challenge for environment. During Covid-19 pandemic, diverse type of waste were collected due to different practices employed in order to fight back the transmission rate of the virus. Covid-19 was proved to be capricious catastrophe of this 20th century and even not completely eradicated from the world. The havoc created by this imperceptible quick witted, pleomorphic deadly virus can't be ignored. Though a number of vaccines have been developed by the scientists but there is a fear of getting this virus again in our life. Medical studies prove that immunity drinks will help to reduce its reoccurrences. Coconut water is widely used among all drinks available globally. Its massive consumption created an incalculable pile of green coconut shells around the different corners of the world. This practice generating enormous problem of space acquisition for the environment. Both the environment and public health will benefit from an evaluation of quantity of coconut waste that is being thrown and its potential to generate value added products. With this context, present article has been planned to study different aspects like, coconut waste generation, its biological properties and environmental hazards associated with its accumulation. Additionally, this review illustrates, green technologies for production of different value added products from coconut waste.     

Five-wheel framework for system-based monitoring of heavy metal pollution in rivers

Sectorial approach for monitoring heavy metal pollution in rivers has failed to report realistic pollution status and associated ecological and human health risks. The increasing spread of heavy metals from different sources and emerging risks to human and environmental health call for reexamining heavy metal pollution monitoring frameworks. Also, the sources, spread, and load of heavy metals in the environment have changed significantly over time, requiring consequent modification in the monitoring frameworks. Therefore, studies on heavy metal monitoring in rivers conducted in the last decade were evaluated for experimental designs, research frameworks, and data presentations. Most studies (∼99%) (i) lacked inclusiveness of all environmental compartments; (ii) focused on “one pollutant – one/two compartment” or sometimes “one pollutant – one compartment – one effect” approach; and (iii) remained “data-rich but information poor.” An ecological approach with integrative system thinking is proposed to develop a holistic approach for monitoring river pollution. It is visualized that heavy metal monitoring, risk analyses, and water management must incorporate tracking pollutants in different environmental compartments of a river (water, sediment, and floodplain/bank soil) and consider correlating it with riverbank land use. The systems-based pollution monitoring and assessment studies will reveal the critical factors that drive heavy metals pollutant movement in ecosystems and associated potential risks to the environment, wildlife, and humans. Also, water quality and pollution indexing tools would help better communicate complex pollution data and associated risks among all stakeholders. Therefore, integrating systems approaches in scientific- and policy-based tools would help sustainably manage the health of rivers, wildlife, and humans.