Atmospheric BTEX concentrations in the vicinity of the crude oil refinery of the Baltic region

Among chemical industries, petroleum refineries have been identified as large emitters of a wide variety of pollutants. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) form an important group of aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) because of their role in the troposphere chemistry and the risk posed to human health. A very large crude oil refinery of the Baltic States (200,000 bbl/day) is situated in the northern, rural part of Lithuania, 10 km from the town of Ma?eikiai (Lithuania). The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine of atmospheric levels of BTEX in the region rural and urban parts at the vicinity of the crude oil refinery; and (2) to investigate the effect of meteorological parameters (wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure, humidity) on the concentrations measured. The averaged concentration of benzene varied from 2.12 ppbv in the rural areas to 2.75 ppbv in the urban areas where the traffic was determined to be a dominant source of BTEX emissions. Our study showed that concentration of benzene, as strictly regulated air pollutant by EU Directive 2008/50/EC, did not exceed the limit of 5 ppbv in the region in the vicinity of the crude oil refinery during the investigated period. No significant change in air quality in the vicinity of the oil refinery was discovered, however, an impact of the industry on the background air quality was detected. The T/B ratio (0.50-0.81) that was much lower than 2.0, identified other sources of pollution than traffic.     

南京及周边区域亚青期间大气监控预警走航观测研究

2013年8月,为了解亚青会期间南京及周边地区大气污染物的来源、时空分布和输送规律,江苏省环境监测中心联合中科院大气物理所等15家单位,开展了为期一个月的夏季联合观测,监测区域覆盖江苏沿江8市以及安徽部分地区。该次联合观测,江苏首次利用空气质量数值预报模式指导开展走航观测,实现了动静、水平与垂直相结合的立体式巡航观测,并初步揭示了现阶段江苏省大气污染主要特征,观测结果直接服务于亚青空气质量会商,为保障南京市空气质量提供技术支撑,同时为2014青奥会空气质量保障积累经验。     

南亚次大陆对中国大气传输影响及海螺沟背景站监测的指示效应

海螺沟背景站地处人烟稀少、远离工业带区域,颗粒物浓度水平与美国背景区域相当,通常情况下各项污染物浓度呈周期性缓慢变化,但通过实时自动监测发现,也有部分时段出现污染物浓度急剧升高的现象,对这种情况进行统计分析,2015年共有43 d因远距离传输导致背景站浓度急剧升高现象,其间PM_(2.5)平均质量浓度为19.4μg/m~3,比其年均质量浓度(8.3μg/m~3)高1倍多。通过对2015年背景站监测数据与年气象分析资料的联合分析,结合HSPLIT 4.8轨迹模式对污染物来源进行溯源,在海螺沟国家大气背景区域的200、3 700 m 2个高度都存在南亚次大陆向中国境内输送的气流路径。后向轨迹200 m高度聚类分析结果:海螺沟背景站PM_(2.5)监测值超"正常"浓度范围时段有84%的大气污染气团主要来自南亚次大陆方向,同时,常规6项其他监测项目的浓度水平也存在协同上升效应。     

Atmospheric depositional fluxes and sources apportionment of organochlorine pesticides in the Pearl River Delta region, South China

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have variously been phased out in agricultural activities, but they are still widely detected in air, water, and soil systems due to their recalcitrant nature in the environment. The purposes of this study were to assess potential OCP pollution via dry and wet deposition over the fast developing Pearl River Delta area with 41,700 km², where the main effort has been focused on emerging pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons and PM2.5. We quantified both the dry and wet deposition fluxes of 19 OCPs including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), endosulfans (Endos), and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). The results showed that each year about 67.4, 42.0, 15.0, and 8.07 kg of total OCPs, DDTs, Endos, and HCHs were returned to the ground, among which 11.7, 10.4, 0.84, and 0.16 kg were in the dry deposition forms. The large spatial variations in OCP deposition fluxes indicated that OCP pollution in the air is mainly influenced on local scales because evaporation from local soil is likely the major source of the phased out OCPs. Source analysis indicated that DDTs may be still in use as antifouling agent and/or dicofol, but Endos and HCHs were mainly derived from the residual of historical usage. The study suggests that the historical OCP pollutants are persistent at high levels in this area and should not be overlooked, while we tackle emerging pollutants.     

An overview of the acidification of lakes in Atlantic Canada

Analysis of water chemistry from a sample of lakes (1300) in Atlantic Canada has indicated that lakes in geologically sensitive portions of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland have been acidified due to the combined effects of natural organic acids and anthropogenically derived mineral acids. Principal component analysis of six measured variables (pH, Ca, Conductance, SO _inf4 ^sup* , Alkalinity, Colour) and one computed variable (Alk/Ca^*+Mg^*) for each province result in four components which retain at least 89% of the original variability. Cluster analysis of the four principal components resulted in 6 lake groups for New Brunswick and 8 groups for Nova Scotia and 7 groups for Newfoundland. Geographic ordination of these clusters indicates that there is good correspondence between cluster group and the underlying bedrock geology of the region.     

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity in the Arctic

The Canadian Arctic is characterized by a high variation in landform types and there are complex interactions between land, water and the atmosphere which dramatically affect the distribution of biota. Biodiversity depends upon the intensity, predictability and scale of these interactions. Observations, as well as predictions of large-scale climate models which include ocean circulation, reveal an anomalous cooling of northeastern Canada in recent decades, in contrast to the overall significant increase in average annual temperature in the Northern Hemisphere. Predictions from models are necessary to forecast the change in the treeline in the 21st century which may lead to a major loss of tundra. The rate of change in vegetation in response to climate change is poorly understood. The treeline in central Canada, for example, is showing infilling with trees, and in some locations, northerly movement of the boundary. The presence of sea ice in Hudson Bay and other coastal areas is a major factor affecting interactions between the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Loss of ice and therefore hunting of seals by polar bears will reduce bear and arctic fox populations within the region. In turn, this is likely to have significant effects on their herbivorous prey populations and forage plants. Further, the undersurface of sea ice is a major site for the growth of algae and marine invertebrates which in turn act as food for the marine food web. A rise in sea-level may flood coastal saltmarsh communities leading to changes in plant assemblages and a decline in foraging by geese and other consumers. The anomalous cooling in the eastern Arctic, primarily in late winter and early spring, has interrupted northern migration of breeding populations of geese and ducks and led to increased damage to vegetation in southern arctic saltmarshes as a result of foraging. It is likely that there has been a significant loss of invertebrates in those areas where the vegetation has been destroyed. Warming will have major effects on permafrost distribution and on ground-ice resulting in a major destabilization of slopes and slumping of soil, and disruption of tundra plant communities. Disruption of peat and moss surfaces lead to loss of insulation, an increase in active-layer depth and changes in drainage and plant assemblages. Increases of UV-B radiation will strongly affect vulnerable populations of both plants and animals. The indigenous peoples will face major changes in life style, edibility of food and health standards, if there is a significant warming trend. The great need is for information which is sensitive to the changes and will assist in developing an understanding of the complex interactions of the arctic biota, human populations and the physical environment.     

Extent of acidification in Southwestern Québec lakes

This paper presents the results from the first two areas covered by the statistically-oriented Québec Spatial Lake Acidity Monitoring Network (RESSALQ). It is used in combination with the existing LRTAP-Québec temporal network, the Québec precipitation sampling network (REPQ) and a dose-effect model (SIGMA/SLAM) in order to assess the global extent of damages related to acidity, to detect changes in water quality, and to measure the effects of wet sulphate deposition reduction and those of sulphate target loadings on lake acidity. Results obtained with this network were also used in combination with data issued from the Eastern Lake Survey, in order to establish the relative acidity and sensitivity status of lakes in Eastern North America. While Florida has the highest proportion of very acidic and very sensitive lakes, Québec has a higher overall proportion of sensitive and acidic lakes compared to other areas of the United States.     

A knowledge-based approach to regional acidification modelling

Data from over 2000 stations and knowledge from experts on atmospheric transport, soil geochemistry, lake chemistry, wetland processes and acidification modelling were assembled in an expert system. The data were grouped by aggregates of tertiary watersheds based on water chemistry knowledge. A set of expert rules was used to determine which of six existing models was most appropriate for a given set of data. Comparison of computed and observed alkalinity indicated median relative errors from 11.3–17.9%, with regression slopes ranging from 0.91–1.18 and regression coefficients between 0.82 and 0.99. The expert model performance was further confirmed with paleolimnological data and other independent sets of data. The sensitivity of the predicted alkalinity was illustrated by changing some of the rules. Given that the rules were acceptable by experts and produced reasonable agreement with observations, the knowledge-based system seemed a viable approach to the impact assessment of acidic deposition.     

淮南市大气颗粒物污染特征研究

2014年7月和2015年1月分别系统监测淮南市6个功能区夏、冬季大气颗粒物(TSP、PM10、PM2.5)质量浓度并分析其时空分布特征。结果表明:采矿区和工业区污染较严重;采矿区主要受采煤、运输等人为活动的影响,工业区受工业排放影响较大,商业区主要以汽车尾气排放为主,居民区和文教区则以燃煤排放为主;夏季颗粒物浓度日变化趋势均呈现两边凸中间凹的特征,峰值分别出现在7:00和18:00,谷值出现在13:00左右,而冬季变化趋势波动较大。     

中国海洋大气监测方案的设想

概述了国内外海洋大气环境监测的基本情况，提出了我国开展海洋大气环境监测的必要性，在我国开展海洋大气环境监测必须解决的几个新课题，并根据国家海洋局《海洋大气监测方案》（讨论稿）提出了我国开展海洋大气监测的设想。     

Recovery of benthic invertebrate communities from acidification in Killarney Park lakes

Using a reference-condition comparison, recovery of benthic invertebrate communities from acidification was assessed in three lakes in Killarney Wilderness Park approximately 40–60 km from the massive metal smelters in Sudbury, Canada. Test site analyses (TSAs) were used to compare the park lakes to 20 reference lakes near Dorset Ontario, 200 km to the east. An extension of a previous survey (1997–2001) of two sensitive mayfly species (Stenonema femoratum and Stenacron interpunctatum) was conducted in one of the lakes. TSA results indicate that the three Killarney lakes remain significantly different from reference condition due primarily to higher abundances of a few acid-tolerant families and the presence of some less abundant sensitive families. Colonization rates differ greatly between the two mayfly species presumably because of competition for available habitat. Overall, this study suggests that early colonizers will gain an advantage to out-compete subsequent arrivals, and these competitive interactions will delay the return of communities to reference condition.     

Analysis of Urban Atmospheric Pollution Data in the Bologna Area

Pollutant concentrations relative to the years 1993-1995 measured in the Bologna urban area by a network of automatic stations (S.A.R.A. Sistema Automatico di Rilevamento Ambientale) are analysed to estimate the typical behaviour of the pollutants, especially with regard to periodicities and meteorological dependencies and to attempt prediction for the pollutant daily concentration up to a few days using a statistically based model.The results obtained show the presence of a very significant weekly periodicity for all the analysed pollutants. A yearly periodicity has been found only for the primary pollutants analysed.The statistical prediction, using an ARMA model with meteorological variables as transfer functions, shows good predicting capabilities up to one day for carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) and up to two days for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).     

Drivers and evolution of episodic acidification at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA

Despite decades of research about episodic acidification in many regions of the world, the understanding of what controls the transient changes in stream water chemistry occurring during rain and snow melt events is still limited. Here, we use 20 years of hydrological and stream chemical data from the paired watershed study at Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM), USA to improve the understanding of the effects of acid deposition on the causes, drivers, and evolution of episodic acidification. The long-term experimental study at BBWM includes 18 years of chemical treatment of the West Bear Brook (WB) watershed with (NH₄)₂SO₄. East Bear Brook (EB) serves as reference. The treatment started in 1989 following a 2-year pretreatment period. We analyzed 212 hydrological episodes using an episode model that can separate and quantify individual drivers of the transient change in acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC) during hydrological events. The results suggest that 18 years of N and S addition have not affected the natural drivers of episodic acidification of base-cation dilution, marine sea salt episodes, or organic acidity during rain and snow melt events. The contribution of SO $_{4}^{2-}$ to the ANC decline in WB has been increasing linearly since the beginning of watershed treatment, while the role of NO $_{3}^{-}$ has remained relatively constant after an initial increase. This is contradictory to many previous shorter-term studies and illustrates the need for a more mechanistic understanding of the causes and drivers of episodic acidification during rain- and snow melt-driven hydrological events.     

颗粒物激光雷达在大气复合污染立体监测中的应用

针对由于局地污染、沙尘输入、外源性输入与局地污染物相互叠加所导致的3种灰霾污染发生过程,分别选取3个典型案例,采用颗粒物激光雷达对污染物的时空分布特征进行解析。研究发现,在局地污染发生时,污染物从地面开始垂直向上扩散,扩散高度约1 km。重度污染过程中,气溶胶的日均垂直消光系数随高度的变化背离指数衰减特征,800 m高度处出现消光系数的极大值层,极大值超过2.5 km-1,800 m以下消光系数近乎常数,约为0.3 km-1。这说明,重污染过程中,有一层较厚重的颗粒物分布,使近地面污染物在垂直方向的扩散能力减弱,形成积累效应,造成大面积空气混浊。当有外源性沙尘输入时,激光雷达能够清晰地监测到污染团输入的全过程。沙团突然出现在高空2~3 km。污染团退偏振度较大,超过0.3。随着沙尘粒子的重力沉降,沙团的轮廓在垂直方向上不断地增大。沙团的输入,导致近地面粗颗粒质量浓度的增加幅度明显大于细颗粒。在第3个案例中,激光雷达清晰地监测到高空1.8~3 km突然出现含有大量球形细颗粒的污染团,同时还发现此污染团与近地面的污染物有不同的演化特征。近地面污染物随时间垂直向上扩散,12:00左右扩散高度超过1.8 km。而高空的污染团逐渐沉降进入边界层内,与近地面扩散的污染物相互混合,共同导致本地的灰霾天气。综上所述,激光雷达可以清晰地捕获污染物的垂直结构特征,对不同的致霾过程进行立体解析,实现对大气复合污染的监测和机理研判。     

焦作市大气污染物特征和相关性分析

为研究焦作市大气污染特征及其相关性,对2015—2017年焦作市4个国控空气监测点位的监测数据进行统计分析。结果表明:2015—2017年城区环境空气污染SO_2、NO_2、CO、PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)浓度均呈逐年下降趋势;大气污染浓度季节变化特征明显,PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)、SO_2、NO_2、CO的浓度均为冬季最高、夏季最低,空气质量指数也在冬季达到最高值; O_3浓度则为夏季最高、冬季最低。2017年焦作市沙尘天气共计36 d,严重影响了环境空气中颗粒物的浓度。由PM_(2.5)与PM_(10)的比值说明大气颗粒物污染以PM_(2.5)为主。通过SPSS软件分析,SO_2、NO_2、CO、PM_(10)、PM_(2.5)浓度间呈两两正相关,O_3浓度与NO_2、CO呈负相关。     

Atmospheric Change and Biodiversity

Strategies to conserve biodiversity need to include the monitoring, modelling, adaptation and regulation of the composition of the atmosphere. Atmospheric issues include climate variability and extremes; climate change; stratospheric ozone depletion; acid deposition; photochemical pollution; suspended particulate matter; and hazardous air pollutants. Coarse filter and fine filter approaches have been used to understand the complexity of the interactions between the atmosphere and biodiversity. In the first approach, climate-based models, using GIS technology, helped create future biodiversity scenarios under a 2 × CO₂ atmosphere. In the second approach, the SI/MAB forest biodiversity monitoring protocols helped calibrate the climate-forest biodiversity baseline and, as global diagnostics, helped identify where the biodiversity was in equilibrium with the present climate. Forest climate monitoring, an enhancing protocol, was used in a co-location approach to define the thermal buffering capacity of forest ecosystems and their ability to reduce and ameliorate global climate variability, extremes and change.     

天津市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的分布特征

采用气相色谱-质谱仪(GC-MS)对天津市空气颗粒物中15种酞酸酯(PAEs)夏季和冬季的浓度进行了分析测定,研究了酞酸酯污染水平的季节变化,不同季节酞酸酯的功能区差异,15种酞酸酯在颗粒物中的分布特征,以及DBP和DEHP在夏冬两季中的污染特点,分析了产生上述结果的原因,基本说明了天津市空气颗粒物中酞酸酯的污染状况和特点。     

城市区域大气颗粒物的健康效应研究

从大气颗粒物的来源和转化、人体损伤及毒理学角度3个方面探讨了其对人体健康效应的影响。结果表明,次微米和纳米粒径级别的大气颗粒物及其化学组成能在最大程度上损伤人体机能。粒径不一的颗粒物有不同的沉积机制、沉积部位和沉积量,化学价态是重金属离子毒性大小的首要因子。从次微米级水平来研究颗粒物的毒性,才能为制定更为有效的大气颗粒物污染防治措施以及在研究大气颗粒物对人体损伤机理方面提供相应的科学依据。     

Environmental impact assessment in the association of southeast Asian Nations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has agreed that environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources are essential for sound economic development. The Environmental Impact Assessment is viewed as an important management tool and an ASEAN Experts Group on the Environment has been working for several years on a model especially adapted to the region and also on case studies of the implementation of EIA. Progress so far has been frustratingly slow due to misunderstanding, a lack of ecological data, inadequate trained manpower and institutional shortcomings for compliance. The author advocates collaboration on an ASEAN model for performing EIA as a means of accelerating acceptance and implementation. The concept of Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management is proposed as a prototype.