Freshwater alga Raphidocelis subcapitata undergoes metabolomic changes in response to electrostatic adhesion by micrometer-sized nylon 6 particles

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nylon powders are a type of microplastic (MP) used in personal care products such as cosmetics and sunscreens. To determine the effects of nylon...     

Removal of thiobencarb in aqueous solution by zero valent iron

A cost-effective method with zero valent iron (ZVI) powder was developed for the purification of thiobencarb (TB)-contaminated water. The removal treatment was performed in the batch system. A sample solution of 10 ml containing 10 microg ml(-1) of TB could be almost completely treated by 100mg of ZVI at 25 degrees C for 12h of treatment time. Since the formation of chloride ion in the aqueous solution during the treatment of TB was observed, the removal of TB with ZVI may contain two processes: reduction (degradation) and adsorption. Because the present treatment for TB is simple, easy handling and cheap, the developed technology with ZVI can contribute to the treatment of agricultural wastewaters.     

Vulnerability assessment of sea-level rise in Viti Levu, Fiji Islands

Fiji is expected to come under increasing pressure and risk from various threats resulting from climate change and sea-level rise (SLR). Fiji consists of 332 islands and thus has a predominant and large coastline. Viti Levu is the largest and most important of the islands, harboring Fiji’s capital city and most of the major towns concentrated around its coast. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the extent of possible sea-level rise using GIS, and to identify high-risk locations. Potential sea level rise was shown graphically as an output to determine where inundation or flooding would take place. This analysis allowed important areas facing risk to be highlighted for future action. Flooding/inundation can be classified into two kinds: ‘permanent inundation’, which is the result of sea-level rise with tide; and ‘temporary flooding’, also including occasional storm surge events. The inundated area was displayed under different projections and quantified. The results produced output maps showing the distribution of inundation/flooding around the island of Viti Levu as well as the extent of flooding. Six scenarios for sea-level rise were used (0.09, 0.18, 0.48, 0.50, 0.59, 0.88 m). Six scenarios for storm surge were used with return intervals of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 years. High risk and priority locations are identified as Fiji’s capital Suva, the major tourist center and arrival port of Nadi, and Fiji’s second city Lautoka. Future action, adaptation and response strategies in these identified locations must occur to reduce risk from climate change.     

低浓度臭氧在含钴盐硅胶上的吸附研究

常压下对含钴盐硅胶进行低浓度臭氧的吸附实验，吸附达到饱和后用氮气作为载气加热解吸。结果显示，含钴盐的硅胶对臭氧具有较强的吸附能力；臭氧解吸量随着解吸温度的上升而增加；吸附了臭氧的含钴硅胶粒子在常温(313．15K)下可在60min内不问断解吸出臭氧。     

Wastewater treatment with multilayer media of waste and natural indigenous materials

Wastewater treatment using waste materials (refuse concrete, waste paper and charcoal) and natural indigenous rocks (andesite, limestone, granite and nitrolite) in the form of multilayer media was investigated. The removal of suspended solids (SS), phosphate ion, nitrate ion, ammonium ion, toxic metals and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were evaluated for the multilayer wastewater treatment system. Effective removal of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead was demonstrated. SS and phosphate ion were removed with relatively high efficiency and the COD after treatment was lessened using certain combinations of media. The present wastewater treatment system is simple, convenient and low cost. Therefore, this method can be applied in small scale plants for wastewater treatment in local and nonexclusive areas.     

Do corals select zooxanthellae by alternative discharge?

Loss of zooxanthellae (dinoflagellate Symbiodinium) from corals will sometimes lead to mass mortality of corals. To detect and quantify Symbiodinium released from corals, we developed a zooxanthellae “trap” and a quantitative PCR (qPCR) system with Symbiodinium clades A–F-specific primer sets. The trap was attached to a branch or the surface of several wild stony corals, and the water samples within the traps, including released Symbiodinium, were subjected to qPCR. All tested corals released clade C Symbiodinium at estimates of ~5,900 cells h⁻¹ cm⁻² of coral surface. Although all tested Pocillopora eydouxi harboured both clades C and D, some of these colonies released only clade C or released a lesser amount of clade D than that in the tissues. Our Symbiodinium quantification system revealed that wild hermatypic corals constantly release Symbiodinium to the environment. Our result suggests that some corals may discharge certain clades of Symbiodinium alternatively.     

Spatial distribution and loading amounts of particle sorbed and dissolved perfluorinated compounds in the basin of Tokyo Bay

In this study, we analyzed over 30 types of PFCs, including precursors in both the dissolved phase and particle solid phase, in 50 samples of river water collected from throughout the Tokyo Bay basin. PFCs were detected in suspended solids (SSs) at levels ranging from <0.003-4.4 ng L(-1) (0.11-2470 ng g(-1) dry weight). The concentrations of PFCs in the SS were one to two order(s) of magnitude lower than those of PFCs in the dissolved phase. Relatively high levels of PFCs (total of 35 PFCs) in SS were observed in urbanized areas. The concentration of PFCAs, including PFOA and PFNA, were significantly correlated with the geographic index as artificial area (R(2) of the linear regression curve in a double logarithmic plot: 0.09-0.55). Conversely, PFOS and FOSA were significantly correlated with the arterial traffic area (R(2) in a double logarithmic plot: 0.29-0.55). Those spatial trends were similar to the trends in dissolved PFCs. We estimated the loading amount of PFCs into Tokyo Bay from six main rivers and found that more than 90% of the total PFCs reached Tokyo Bay in the dissolved phase. However, 40.0-83.5% of the long chain PFCAs (C12-C15), were transported as particle sorbed PFCs. Rain runoff events might increase the loading amount of PFCs in SS. Overall, the results presented herein indicate that greater attention should be given to PFCs, especially for longer chain PFCs in SS in addition to dissolved PFCs.     

PCBs,PBDEs and dioxin-related compounds in floor dust from an informal end-of-life vehicle recycling site in northern Vietnam: contamination levels and implications for human exposure

Floor dusts from Vietnamese end-of-life vehicle (ELV)-processing households were investigated to elucidate the contamination levels and exposure risk of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dioxin-related compounds (DRCs). The concentrations were in order of PBDEs (260–11,000, median 280 ng/g overall) > PCBs (19–2200, median 140 ng/g) > dioxin-like PCBs (8.8–450, median 22 ng/g) ? polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs, 2000–28,000, median 8500 pg/g) > polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs, 440–4100, median 1800 pg/g) > MoBPCDD/Fs (1.9–1200, median 250 pg/g). Concentrations of PCBs and DRCs were higher than those reported for Vietnamese urban houses, indicating ELV processing as a significant source of these contaminants. Higher concentrations of PCBs relative to PBDEs suggest the abundance of old electrical capacitors/transformers in ELVs. The PBDD/F and PCDD/F profiles were indicative of DecaBDE-containing materials and combustion sources, respectively. PBDFs, PCDFs and DL-PCBs were the most important dioxin-like toxic equivalent (TEQ) contributors. The estimated PCB and TEQ intake doses from dust ingestion approached or exceeded the reference doses for children living in some ELV-processing households, indicating potential health risk. More comprehensive risk assessment of the exposure to PCBs and DRCs is required for residents of informal ELV recycling sites.