Risk assessment of trace elements in the stomach contents of Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins and Finless Porpoises in Hong Kong waters

The potential health risks due to inorganic substances, mainly metals, was evaluated for the two resident marine mammals in Hong Kong, the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) and the Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides). The stomachs from the carcasses of twelve stranded dolphins and fifteen stranded porpoises were collected and the contents examined. Concentrations of thirteen trace elements (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Se, V and Zn) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). An assessment of risks of adverse effects was undertaken using two toxicity guideline values, namely the Reference Dose (RfD), commonly used in human health risk assessment, and the Toxicity Reference Value (TRV), based on terrestrial mammal data. The levels of trace metals in stomach contents of dolphins and porpoises were found to be similar. Risk quotients (RQ) calculated for the trace elements showed that risks to the dolphins and porpoises were generally low and within safe limits using the values based on the TRV, which are less conservative than those based on the RfD values. Using the RfD-based values the risks associated with arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel and mercury were comparatively higher. The highest RQ was associated with arsenic, however, most of the arsenic in marine organisms should be in the non-toxic organic form, and thus the calculated risk is likely to be overestimated.     

“两山”实践成效评价指标体系构建与测算

将生态环保目标(“绿水青山”)和经济发展目标(“金山银山”)称为“两山”,客观、科学地评价“两山”成效,明晰制约“两山”转化的瓶颈,对于推动“两山”实践进程至关重要.在辨析“绿水青山”与“金山银山”内涵的基础上构建了“两山”实践成效评价指标体系,并以浙江省为例,对浙江省11个城市的“两山”实践成效进行了分析.结果表明:①2008—2017年,综合发展度与“两山”指数均呈波动上升趋势,综合发展程度对“两山”指数产生重要影响,浙江省11个城市间“两山”指数区域性差异明显.②浙江省11个城市间“绿水青山”指数与“金山银山”指数排名基本呈逆向变化特征,丽水市、衢州市等“绿水青山”指数排名靠前,但“金山银山”指数排名靠后.②根据“两山”指数的分布情况,浙江省11个城市可划分为“绿水青山”保护领先型、“金山银山”建设领先型、“两山”建设相对同步型3种类型.研究显示,尽管浙江省“两山”建设已步入第三阶段,但11个城市中“两山”建设差异较大,区域发展不均衡,建议各城市要因地制宜,适时调整政策,推进“两山”实践.      

Multi-objective, decision-based assessment of a water quality monitoring network in a river system

Water quality monitoring network design has historically tended to use experience, intuition and subjective judgement in locating monitoring stations. Better design procedures to optimize monitoring systems need to simultaneously identify significant planning objectives and consider a number of social, economic and environmental constraints. The consideration of multiple objectives may require further decision analysis to determine the preference weights associated with the objectives to aid in the decision-making process. This may require the application of an optimization study to extract such information from decision makers or experts and to evaluate the overall effectiveness of locating strategies. This paper assesses the optimal expansion and relocation strategies of a water quality monitoring network using a two-stage analysis. The first stage focuses on the information retrieval of preference weights with respect to the designated planning objectives. With the aid of a pre-emptive goal programming model, data analysis is applied to obtain the essential information from the questionnaire outputs. The second stage then utilizes a weighted multi-objective optimization approach to search for the optimal locating strategies of the monitoring stations in the river basin. Practical implementation is illustrated by a case study in the Kao-Ping River Basin, south Taiwan.     

Comparison of Two Manual Methods of Nitrogen Dioxide Determination in Ambient Air

Sodium arsenite (modified Jacobs and Hochheiser method; hereafter referred as SA), the most widely used manual monitoring method for determination of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) in ambient air, particularly in developing countries has been evaluated and compared with US EPA recommended equivalent method of TGS-ANSA (hereafter referred as ANSA). NO₂ concentrations generated from laboratory test atmosphere were analyzed by these two methods and were compared statistically. Laboratory evaluations showed that SA method has high sensitivity to different sampling conditions, which normally vary during actual field monitoring. Hence, correction factors for absorption efficiency were estimated for SA and ANSA methods. Absorption efficiency of NO₂ in SA method was found to be much lower (64%) as against the reported value of 82% at the method recommended sampling conditions, whereas for ANSA method, it was found 1.0 as against the reported value of 0.93. After applying derived correction factors, both the methods produced almost similar concentration values of NO₂.     

Emissions of gaseous and particulate pollutants in a port and harbour region in India

Ports can generate large quantity of pollutants in the atmosphere due to various activities like loading and unloading,transportation, and construction operations. Determination of the character and quantity of emissions from individual sources is an essential step in any project to control and minimize the emissions.In this study a detailed emission inventory of total suspendedparticulate matter (TSP), particulate matter less than 10 m(PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) for a port and harbour project near Mumbai is compiled. Results show that the total annual average contributions of TSP and PM₁₀ from all the port activitieswere 872 and 221 t yr^-1, respectively. Annual average emissions of gaseous pollutants SO₂ and NO_xwere 56 and 397 t yr^-1, respectively, calculatedby using emission factors for different port activities. The maximum TSP emission (419 t yr ^-1) was from paved roads, while the least (0.4 t yr^-1) was from bulk handling activity. The maximum PM₁₀ emission (123 t yr^-1) was from unpaved roads and minimum (0.2 t yr^-1) from bulk handling operations. Similarly the ratio of TSP and PM₁₀ emission was highest (5.18) from paved roads and least (2.17) from bulk handling operations. Regression relation was derivedfrom existing emission data of TSP and PM₁₀ from variousport activities. Good correlation was observed between TSP andPM₁₀ having regression coefficient >0.8.     

Soil properties and crop productivity as influenced by flyash incorporation in soil

Field experiments were carried out during 1996–97at Gulawathi, Muthiani and Salarpur Villages, IARI Farm, NewDelhi and NCPP Campus, Dadri to evaluate changes in soilcharacteristics and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.),mustard (Brassica juncea L.), lentil (Lence esculentaMoench.), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) byvarying amounts of flyash addition (up to 50t ha^-1) in soils atsowing/transplanting time of crops. Flyash addition in areasadjoining NCPP Thermal Power Plant, Dadri, Ghaziabad, U.P.ranged from 5–12 t ha^-1 yr^-1 in 1995–96. Shoot and root growthand yield of test crops at different locations after flyashincorporation resulted in beneficial effects of flyashaddition in most cases. The silt dominant texture of flyashimproved loamy sand to sandy loam textures of the surfacesoils at the farmers' fields. The increased growth in yield ofcrops with flyash incorporation was possibly due tomodifications in soil moisture retention and transmissioncharacteristics, bulk density, physico-chemical characterssuch as pH and EC and organic carbon content. The response offlyash addition in the soil on soil health and cropproductivity needs to be evaluated on long-term sustainableaspects.     

地下水污染

地下水是土壤里所含的天然水,也是人类最宝贵的自然资源之一。但是令人惊奇的是,人们过去没有对它所受到的污染引起足够的重视。1988年12月5～9日在英国的牛津举行的第150届英国科学促进协会上宣读了一篇论文,提供了许多国家地下水污染的情况。由英国地质测量部的约翰·马瑟发表的关于地下水污染的论文中指出,地下水除冰帽外,占地球上淡水资源的97%。许多国家的大量居民要靠地下水供应生活用水与农业灌溉用水。苏联人口的70%靠地下水生活;美国有一半以上人口用地下水作饮用水,97%的乡村居民全靠地下水生活,包括灌     

废水生物化学处理方法(一)

废水生物化学处理方法,是一种利用微生物的代谢作用除去废水中有机污染物的方法。废水生物化学处理方法,简称生化法或生物法。采用这种方法处理有机废水,关键在于提供有利于微生物生长、繁殖的环境,使微生物得到大量增殖,提高其氧化分解废水中有机污染物的效率。用生物化学处理方法处理有机废水,不仅适于处理呈溶解状态     

联合国环境和发展大会报道

联合国环境与发展大会将于1992年6月1～12日在巴西里约热内卢举行。出席这次大会的代表共达1万人。出席会议的代表有联合国秘书长以及160个联合国会员国的代表,其中包括国家首脑与政府首脑及其工作人员。出席会议的还有大批政府间组织与联合国组织的代表以及大约2000名特约记者和非政府组织的代表。出席这次