How does eliminating mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining lead to achieving sustainable development goals?

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the principal anthropogenic activity that globally contributes to overloading our environment with mercury. Although the Minamata Convention, led by the United Nations, is a crucial instrument to eliminate its use progressively, novel approaches to accelerate this difficult transition are welcome. This article proposes a framework for policy-making or improvement, fostering the enforcement of mercury elimination through the lens of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the excluded artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their dependents. We move forward with a literature review of the Artisanal and Small Mining topic, taking each SDG as a unit of analysis. Understanding the problem as a puzzle of four sets of pieces, namely: (1) social, (2) environmental, (3) economic, and (4) institutional, the paper offers potential opportunities for the decision-makers and practitioners to accelerate the substitution of this heavy metal and develop sustainable futures for the ASGM communities. We conclude by proposing a pragmatic framework that synthesizes the means, actions, and ends to accelerate a sustainable transition.     

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。     

乙酰丙酮荧光法在线监测环境空气中的甲醛

我国现行环境空气中甲醛的标准测定方法普遍难以满足当前大气监测中对痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测需要。在乙酰丙酮分光光度法的基础上改进得到的乙酰丙酮荧光法具有更低的检出限和更高的灵敏度，适用于大气中痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测。基于乙酰丙酮荧光法设计了甲醛在线监测系统，并对其主要性能指标进行了评估测试。测试结果显示，该系统的吸收效率为98.9%~100.1%，检出限为0.045 4×10^-9，精密度为0.44%，线性误差为-0.55%，线性范围为0.0~80.0×10^-9，响应时间为282 s，单日零点漂移为-0.04×10^-9~1.33×10^-9，单日跨度漂移为-0.90×10^-9~3.45×10^-9。测试结果表明，其各项性能指标均能满足当前对大气环境中痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测需求。     

Effects of mercury graded doses on redox status,metallothionein levels and genotoxicity in the intestine of sea cucumber Holothuria forskali

Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous and a major environmental metal pollutant in the aquatic ecosystem. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of mercury graded doses exposure on oxidative stress, redox status, metallothionein levels and genotoxicity in the intestine of sea cucumber Holothuria forskali. Specimens were exposed for 96?h to three concentrations of Hg (40, 80 and 160?µg/L). Exposure of H. forskali to Hg promoted oxidative stress with an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PCO) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) levels. An increase of glutathione (GSH), vitamin C (ViteC) and non-protein thiols (NPSH) contents was also observed. Additionally, antioxidant activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased especially with the highest doses of Hg indicating a great defense of the antioxidant system. Our investigation revealed an increase in total Metallothionein (MT) content which was more pronounced at the sharpest concentrations of Hg. A significant decline of AChE activity was also observed. In the intestine of Hg-treated H. forskali genotoxicity was confirmed by DNA degradation.     

锌在不同磷源条件下对铜绿微囊藻生长与产毒的影响

针对磷和微量元素对藻类生长的共同作用,研究不同磷源条件下锌对藻细胞生长与产毒的影响。实验选用铜绿微囊藻为藻种,分别以无机磷磷酸氢二钾(K_2HPO_4)、小分子有机磷甘油磷酸钠(NaGly)和大分子有机磷卵磷脂(LEC)为磷源,研究不同锌(Zn~(2+))含量对藻细胞的藻密度、碱性磷酸酶活性(alkaline phosphatase activity,APA)以及胞内藻毒素(MC-LR)的影响。研究发现:以NaGly为磷源时微量元素锌对藻细胞生长的促进效果显著,而以K_2HPO_4或LEC为磷源时,锌含量的变化对藻细胞生长无显著影响。APA不仅与磷源有关而且与锌含量相关,以LEC为磷源时的APA显著高于以K_2HPO_4或NaGly为磷源时的APA,且锌含量越低APA越低,以K_2HPO_4为磷源时锌含量越低APA越高,而锌对以NaGly为磷源时的APA几乎没有影响。磷源与微量元素锌对藻细胞的产毒均产生影响,NaGly有利于藻毒素的产生; LEC不利于藻细胞的产毒,但锌含量越低藻细胞的产毒量越多。综上所述,磷源与微量元素锌共同作用对藻细胞的生长与产毒产生影响,小分子有机磷NaGly与锌的效果显著。     

重金属汞对海洋底栖动物毛蚶和紫贻贝毒性效应研究

本文基于我国近海典型底栖双壳类生物毛蚶、紫贻贝急性和慢性毒性效应实验数据，分析了重金属汞对受试生物体质量、体长及消化腺超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase, SOD)酶活力的影响，获取了无观察效应浓度(No Observed Effect Concentration, NOEC)，并以生存率为反应终点分析计算了重金属汞的非检测毒性效应浓度及半致死浓度。结果表明，各实验组SOD酶活力的组内方差与组间方差的差异整体上并不显著(P > 0.05)，实验周期内仅在个别时间处理组间存在显著性差异(P < 0.05)；实验周期内毛蚶和紫贻贝体质量、体长的组内方差与组间方差并没有显著性差异(P > 0.1)，体长及体质量不适合作为毒性效应的评价终点。重金属汞对毛蚶、紫贻贝的非检测毒性效应浓度分别为23.7 μg·L-1、87.8 μg·L-1，半致死浓度分别为683.4 μg·L-1、773.2 μg·L-1。     

基于T-Hg2+-T结构的Hg2+生物传感器研究进展

Hg²⁺不仅污染环境,还会引发多种疾病,危害人体健康.因此,实现对Hg²⁺的快速灵敏检测十分必要.传统的Hg²⁺检测方法存在一定的局限性,而基于T-Hg²⁺-T结构的汞离子生物传感器具有高特异性、高稳定性的优势,近些年得到广泛研究和应用.本文简要介绍了T-Hg²⁺-T结构的概念和特点,并从荧光型、比色型和电化学型3个方面综述了基于T-Hg²⁺-T结构的汞离子生物传感器的研究进展,对未来的发展前景进行了展望.     

Total and methyl mercury in small marine biota caught off the Coast of Chennai,India

Abstract

This study reports the concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury in sixteen families of marine biota caught off the coast of Kasimedu in Chennai, India, an important but understudied fish landing region. These included the commonly caught croakers, carangids, rays, goat fish, anchovies, crabs, and prawns. There was no correlation between total mercury or methyl mercury with fish length or mass. All concentrations were lower than the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India limits (total mercury = 500?μg/kg; methyl mercury = 250?μg/kg). Some values were above screening levels (total mercury >40?μg/kg wet weight) when considering possible adverse effects in predatory fish that consume the analyzed biota.

Abbreviations: dw: dry weight; MeHg: methyl mercury; THg: total mercury; ww: wet weight     

单芯铜线过电流故障电弧熔痕的微观特征研究*

为准确认定电气火灾中过电流故障，模拟4~7倍额定电流（Ie）条件下单芯铜导线过电流故障，利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）分析过电流故障电弧熔痕的组织特征，并结合Image-Pro Plus软件测定晶粒直径、周长和面积，探究金相组织的量化判据和变化规律。结果表明:当I＝4Ie时，过电流故障电弧熔痕的金相组织主要为方向性较强的树枝晶；当I＝5Ie，6Ie时，金相组织内树枝晶占比减小，胞状晶占比升高；当I＝7Ie时，方向性较弱的胞状晶占主导。随着电流增加，晶粒的平均直径、周长和面积均呈增长趋势。通过火灾案例分析可知，实验结果与现场的电弧熔痕组织特征基本相符，验证火灾事故原因为过电流故障。     

上海市公园绿地常见落叶树木叶片汞浓度时空特征及环境意义

植物叶片汞浓度与大气气态单质汞(GEM/Hg0)浓度的线性关系表明叶片汞浓度大小可用于指示植物生长区内GEM浓度的高低水平.通过分析上海市绿地公园(25座)中常见落叶树木樱花、水杉、法桐叶片汞浓度的时空变化特征,探究区域内GEM含量水平及分布特征.2017年5—10月对7座公园中这3种树木叶汞浓度进行连续监测,结果显示叶汞浓度与叶片生长时间呈显著线性正相关关系(P<0.01),表明叶片在生长期内不断吸收累积大气汞.而且在生长期内,3种树木叶汞浓度日累积速率(g·kg^-1·d^-1)具有相似的变化趋势,意味着不同树木叶汞的累积对外界环境的响应可能是一致的,除树种差异外.同年11月初,25座公园(包含上述7座)中樱花、水杉、法桐衰老叶片叶汞浓度为(54.2±12,31.8—76.7)μg·kg^-1、(42.0±9,23.5—67.9)μg·kg^-1、(36.1±11,21.4—60.3)μg·kg^-1(平均值,范围),有显著的种间差异(P<0.01),而在中心城区和郊区间无显著差异(P>0.05).空间插值分析结果初步表明衰老叶片叶汞浓度的空间梯度差异不大,且高值区域没有完全重合.这表明了利用衰老叶片叶汞浓度反映区域GEM浓度整体水平空间分布规律存在一定的不确定性,仍需进一步深入研究.