Heavy metals of the Tibetan top soils

Objective

Due to its high elevation, rare human activities and proximity to south Asia where industries are highly developed, it is required to investigate the fragile environment of the Tibetan Plateau. We are aiming to obtain the concentration level, source, spatial distribution, temporal variation and potential environmental risk of Tibetan soils.

Methods

A total of 128 surf ace soil samples were collected and analyzed f or V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb, and an additional 111 samples were analyzed f or Hg and total organic carbon. Concentration comparisons coupled with multivariate statistics were used to analysis the sources of elements of soils. We also carried out Risk assessment on the soils.

Results

Concentrations of Hg, Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb are slightly higher than those of the late 1970s. Concentrations of Cr and Ni are higher than averaged world background values. Tibetan soils present a high natural As concentration level.

Discussion

Anthropogenic sources may partly contribute to the elevated Hg, Cd and Pb concentrations. Cr and Ni are mainly originated from soil parent materials. Soil elements in Anduo and Qamdo regions may threaten the health of local people.

Conclusion

Heavy metal elements of Tibetan Plateau are mainly from the natural source. Arsenic present a high background level. Soil elements in Anduo and Qamdo regions may threaten the health of local people, which should be of concern to scientists and the government.     

Pesticide Modelling for a Small Catchment Using SWAT-2000

Pesticides in stream flow from the 142 ha Colworth catchment in Bedfordshire, UK were monitored from October 1999 to December 2000. About 47% of the catchment is tile-drained and different pesticides and cropping patterns have recently been evaluated in terms of their effect on nutrient and pesticide losses to the stream. The data from Colworth were used to test soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) 2000 predictions of pesticide concentrations at the catchment outlet. A sound model set-up to carry out pesticide modelling was created by means of hydrological modelling with proper simulation of crop growth and evapotranspiration. The pesticides terbuthylazine, terbutryn, cyanazine and bentazone were modelled. There was close agreement between SWAT-predicted pesticide concentration values and observations. Scenario trials were conducted to explore management options for reducing pesticide loads arriving at the catchment outlet. The results obtained indicate that SWAT can be used as a tool to understand pesticide behavior at the catchment scale.     

Hydroclimatic changes and drivers in the Sava River Catchment and comparison with Swedish catchments

In this study, we investigate long-term hydroclimatic changes and their possible relation to regional changes in climate, land-use and water-use over the twentieth century in the transboundary Sava River Catchment (SRC) in South Eastern Europe. In a hydropower dominated part of the SRC, unlike in an unregulated part, we find increase in average annual evapotranspiration and decrease in temporal runoff variability, which are not readily explainable by observed concurrent climate change in temperature and precipitation and may be more related to landscape-internal change drivers. Among the latter investigated here, results indicate hydropower developments as most closely related to the found hydroclimatic shifts, consistent with previous such indications in studies of Swedish hydropower catchments. Overall, the present results have quantitatively framed the recent history and present state of hydroclimate in the SRC, of relevance for water resources in several countries and for a majority of their populations. This provides a useful basis for further assessment of possible future hydroclimatic changes, under different scenarios of climate change and land/water-use developments in the region.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0641-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Mass balance of trichloroacetic acid in the soil top layer

Since the ban on the use of trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) as a herbicide in several countries, TCAA is still found ubiquitously in the environment. The presence of TCAA nowadays is suggested to originate mainly from the atmospheric degradation of tetrachloroethene. Our mass balance calculations indicate that this may be true for the presence of TCAA in the atmosphere. However, our mass balance calculations also provide tentative evidence for the formation of TCAA in soil. If our calculated production fluxes are realistic estimates, a very large source of TCAA in soil has been identified.     

Endocrine Disruptors in Mediterranean top marine predators

- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1065/espr2006.01.018 Background, Aims and Scope Man-made Endocrine Disruptors (EDs) range across all continents and oceans. Some geographic areas are potentially more threatened than others: one of these is the Mediterranean Sea. Levels of some xenobiotics are much higher here than in other seas and oceans. In this paper we review the final results of a project in which the hypothesis that Mediterranean top predator species (such as large pelagic fish and marine mammals) are potentially at risk due to EDs was investigated. Methods In a four-year survey on the Mediterranean population of swordfish (Xiphias gladius), the potential toxicological effects of organochlorine compounds (OCs) on specimens of swordfish and tuna fish (Thunnus thynnus thynnus), caught in the spawning seasons from 1999 to 2002 in the Straits of Messina, Sicily (Italy), were investigated using vitellogenin (Vtg), Zona radiata proteins (Zrp), and cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) activities (EROD, BPMO). Tissues (skin and blubber) were obtained from Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus, Delphinus delphis and Balaenoptera physalus from the western Ligurian Sea, between Corsica and the French-Italian coast, and Ionic Sea using biopsy darts launched with a crossbow. Benzo(á)pyrene monoxigenase (BPMO) activity was mesured in biopsies and cholrinated hydrocarbon levels were detected. Results and Discussion We illustrate the need to develop and apply sensitive methodological tools, such as biomarkers (Vitellogenin, Zona Radiata proteins and CYP1A activities) for evaluation of toxicological risk in Xiphias gladius and Thunnus thynnus thynnus), and nondestructive biomarkers (CYP1A activities and fibroblast cell culture in skin biopsy), for the hazard assessment of threatened marine mammals species (Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus, Delphinus delphis and Balaenoptera physalus) exposed to EDs. Conclusion The present research shows that: a) Vtg and Zrp can be used as diagnostic tools for fish stocks hazard assessment in the Mediterranean Sea; b) that CYP1A1 (BPMO) induction in cetaceans skin biopsy may be an early sign of exposure to EDs such as OCs and a potential alert for transgenerational effects. Recommendation and Outlook This research represents a warning signal of the potential reproductive alterations in marine top predators and suggest the need for continuous monitoring to avoid reductions in population and biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea.     

Reduction of Baltic Sea Nutrient Inputs and Allocation of Abatement Costs Within the Baltic Sea Catchment

The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) requires tools to simulate effects and costs of various nutrient abatement strategies. Hierarchically connected databases and models of the entire catchment have been created to allow decision makers to view scenarios via the decision support system NEST. Increased intensity in agriculture in transient countries would result in increased nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea, particularly from Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia. Nutrient retentions are high, which means that the nutrient reduction goals of 135 000 tons N and 15 000 tons P, as formulated in the BSAP from 2007, correspond to a reduction in nutrient loadings to watersheds by 675 000 tons N and 158 000 tons P. A cost-minimization model was used to allocate nutrient reductions to measures and countries where the costs for reducing loads are low. The minimum annual cost to meet BSAP basin targets is estimated to 4.7 billion €.     

How to bend down the environmental Kuznets curve: the significance of biomass energy

Sources of renewable energy have received wide attention in the literature because of serious threats to the environment. However, some renewable resources, including biomass energy role is debatable in the energy economics literature. This empirical work focuses to analyze the role of biomass energy in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions using the framework of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in Pakistan over the period from 1980 to 2015. The bound testing approach suggests there is cointegration among study variables. The study uses an auto-regressive distributed lag model (ARDL) with a structural break in the series. To summarize the findings of the study, it can be inferred that biomass energy increase CO₂ emissions. In addition, biomass energy helps to form a U-shaped relationship between income and CO₂ emissions that support the EKC hypothesis. Also, the feedback hypothesis is found between biomass energy and CO₂ emissions. The findings would guide policymaker with practical guidelines to formulate policies to utilize a high amount of biomass energy in a sustainable manner.

     

天然超细针状羽绒粒子对染料的吸附性能

采用超细粉体加工设备制备了天然超细针状羽绒粒子,考察其对模拟染料废水溶液中酸性大红3R、直接耐酸大红4BS、还原大红R的吸附性能,探讨了pH、吸附剂用量等因素对染料吸附的影响。实验结果表明,超细羽绒粒子是一种针状介孔吸附材料,具有连续的孔径分布和发达的孔结构。染料溶液pH为3.0,超细羽绒粒子用量5 g/L时吸附效果最好。对吸附数据进行Langmuir、Freundlich、Tempkin以及D-R吸附模型线性拟合,得出超细羽绒粒子对3种染料的吸附规律最符合Langmuir等温吸附方程,其理论最大吸附容量分别为137.55、108.11和87.72 mg/g。对吸附能计算发现,超细羽绒粒子对酸性大红3R、直接耐酸大红4BS以及还原大红R的吸附是化学吸附过程。研究表明,超细羽绒粒子是一种最具有应用潜力的吸附印染废水中有毒有机染料的高效吸附剂。     

Triclosan affects the microbial community in simulated sewage-drain-field soil and slows down xenobiotic degradation

Effects of the common antibacterial agent triclosan on microbial communities and degradation of domestic xenobiotics were studied in simulated sewage-drain-field soil. Cultivable microbial populations decreased 22-fold in the presence of 4 mg kg⁻¹ of triclosan, and triclosan-resistant Pseudomonas strains were strongly enriched. Exposure to triclosan also changed the general metabolic profile (Ecoplate substrate profiling) and the general profile (T-RFLP) of the microbial community. Triclosan degradation was slow at all concentrations tested (0.33-81 mg kg⁻¹) during 50-days of incubation. Mineralization experiments (¹⁴C-tracers) and chemical analyses (LC-MS/MS) showed that the persistence of a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) and a common analgesic (ibuprofen) increased with increasing triclosan concentrations (0.16-100 mg kg⁻¹). The largest effect was seen for LAS mineralization which was severely reduced by 0.16 mg kg⁻¹ of triclosan. Our findings indicate that environmentally realistic concentrations of triclosan may affect the efficiency of biodegradation in percolation systems.     

Performance enhancement of solar photovoltaic system for roof top garden

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The photovoltaic (PV) for irrigation system is an emerging technology to harness the solar energy. The performance of the PV modules depends on the...     

Estimating down deadwood from FIA forest inventory variables in Maine

Down deadwood (DDW) is a carbon component important in the function and structure of forest ecosystems, but estimating DDW is problematic because these data are not widely available in forest inventory databases. However, DDW data were collected on USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots during Maine's 1995 inventory. This study examines ways to predict DDW biomass from other FIA variables so that DDW could be estimated without tedious measurement. Our results include a regression model that predicts DDW as a function of stand size class, basal area of dead and cut trees, and dummy variables for forest type and forest industry ownership. We also found DDW similar to FIA's standing-tree mortality at a statewide scale.     

丁草胺与镉复合污染对土壤呼吸强度的影响

研究了除草剂丁草胺和重金属镉(Cd)复合污染对两种土壤呼吸强度的影响及其随时间的动态变化.结果表明,单一污染中,丁草胺和Cd对土壤呼吸强度的影响,随土样不同而异,随农药浓度及培养时间的变化而变化;复合污染中,两种土样的复合污染对土壤呼吸强度的影响存在明显的交互作用,与单一污染相比,对土壤呼吸强度的影响依次表现为:丁草胺＞Cd与丁草胺复合污染＞Cd.建立了丁草胺和Cd在不同浓度配比下对土壤呼吸强度影响的多元回归分析模型.     

Assessment of yield losses in tropical wheat using open top chambers

The present study deals with the evaluation of effects of ambient gaseous air pollution on wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. HUW-234) growing in a suburban area situated in eastern Gangetic plain of India, using open top chambers. Eight hourly air monitoring was conducted for ambient concentrations of SO₂, NO₂ and O₃ in filtered chambers (FCs), non-filtered chambers (NFCs) and open plots (OPs). Various morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters were assessed during different developmental stages and finally yield parameters were quantified at the time of harvest.Mean concentrations of SO₂, NO₂ and O₃ were 8.4, 39.9 and 40.1 ppb, respectively during the experiment in NFCs. Concentrations of SO₂, NO₂ and O₃ reduced by 74.6%, 84.7% and 90.4%, respectively in FCs as compared to NFCs. Plants grown in FCs showed higher photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm ratio as compared to the plants in NFCs and OPs. Lipid peroxidation, proline, total phenol and ascorbic acid contents and peroxidase activity were higher in plants grown in NFCs. There were improvements in morphological parameters of plants growing in FCs as compared to those in NFCs and OPs. Yield of plants also increased significantly in FCs as compared to those ventilated with ambient air (NFCs) or grown in OPs. During the vegetative phase, NO₂ concentrations were higher than O₃, but O₃ became dominant pollutant during the time of grain setting and filling. The study concludes that O₃ and NO₂ are the main air pollutants in the sub-urban areas causing significant yield reductions in tropical wheat plants.     

泰山顶与济南市大气臭氧浓度变化规律研究

利用2003年7月至9月在泰山顶和济南市3个月的臭氧（O3）自动连续监测数据,对两地O3浓度的频率分布、日变化和日际变化等特征进行对照分析。实验结果表明,泰山顶O3小时平均浓度频率分布比较集中,济南市O3小时平均浓度频率分布比较分散。泰山顶各月O3小时平均浓度的平均值和日均值均高于济南市;泰山顶O3小时平均浓度的最大值低于济南市,而O3小时平均浓度的最小值要高于济南市。泰山顶O3小时平均浓度日变化规律与济南市O3小时平均浓度日变化规律有很大差别,泰山顶O3小时平均浓度日变化很平缓,最大值与最小值相差不大,济南市O3小时平均浓度一般在中午和午后浓度较高,早晨和夜晚较低。     

上部开孔锥形散射器对滤筒脉冲清灰效果的影响

通过搭建脉冲喷吹实验台,实验研究喷嘴以及喷嘴下安装上部开孔锥形散射器的两种脉冲喷吹方式下沿滤筒长度方向上的侧壁压力分布特性。结果表明：只有喷嘴时,沿滤筒轴向方向至上向下的侧壁压力逐渐增大,下部压力大于上、中部;而在安装上部开孔锥形散射器的情况下,滤筒侧壁压力分布为中部压力略小于上部与下部,但上、中、下部压力相对均匀。在满足清灰要求条件下,安装上部开孔锥形散射器明显提高滤筒脉冲清灰均匀性,减小脉冲气流对底部的冲击,改善滤筒下部滤料破损的问题。     

聚乙烯醇/超细羽绒粒子共混膜的制备及其染料吸附动力学

为了改善并更好地研究聚乙烯醇的染料吸附性能,制备了不同超细羽绒粒子含量的聚乙烯醇/超细羽绒粒子共混膜,并将其用于对活性艳红X-3B染料的吸附。结果表明,随着超细羽绒粒子含量的增加,聚乙烯醇/超细羽绒粒子共混膜表面粗糙程度增大。当超细羽绒粒子的质量分数为27.8%时,K/S值最大,染料吸附性能最好,其吸附效果比纯聚乙烯醇膜提升约54.5%。动力学研究结果表明,伪二级动力学模型能更好地描述聚乙烯醇/超细羽绒粒子共混膜对染料的吸附。     

Concentrations of ethene and formaldehyde at a valley and a mountain top site in the Austrian Alps

Ethene and formaldehyde concentrations were measured at two forest sites (valley, mountain top) in the Achen Valley (Austrian Alps, Tyrol) during three campaigns in 2001 and 2002. During the June/July campaign mean concentrations of ethene were above 9 ppb_v at the valley station and 1.9 ppb_v at the mountain top site; lower ethene concentrations were observed at the valley site during the April (1.4 ppb_v) and the May campaign (3.1 ppb_v). As 9 ppb_v is the effect-related limiting value (= concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere, above which direct adverse effects on receptors may occur according to the present knowledge) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences for plants (1997) we found that ethene levels in valleys may come close to the limiting value. Formaldehyde concentrations were far below the effect-related limiting value of 16 ppb_v. On the basis of the actual knowledge, ethene could be relevant as a phytotoxic component in alpine valleys.     

苏州河上海市区段表层沉积物中多环芳烃的分布及特征

参照美国EPA8000系列方法、质量保证和质量控制,对苏州河上海市区段的表层沉积物中16种优控多环芳烃类有机物(PAHs)进行了分析.结果表明,苏州河上海市区段的表层沉积物均受到了很大程度的污染,其中处于市区中段的昌化路桥、西康路桥和长寿路桥断面的PAHs含量较高,处于黄浦江入口附近的四川路桥、河南路桥和福建路桥断面的含量较低.同时发现,近十几年来苏州河沉积物中的PAHs含量和成分发生了一定的变化,对其原因作了初步探讨.     

Does more voluntary environmental information disclosure cut down the cost of equity: heavy pollution industries in China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Examining the coexisting policies for mandatory and voluntary disclosure of environmental information, this paper focuses on the unique background for...     

High concern chemicals in top layer sediments of the northern Adriatic seabed as markers of old waste dumpings

The results are presented of a survey planned to assess the presence of high concern chemicals in sediments collected in a northern sector of the Adriatic sea neighboring the Venice lagoon. For the assessment, persistent marker chemicals were selected from the families of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorobiphenyls, polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), and chlorinated pesticides. Based on the chemical-specific concentrations and PCDD+PCDF profiles determined in the sediments analyzed, dumping zones appear to have existed approximately 5-6km away from lagoon shoreline. Contamination levels exceed the quality criteria established by the pertinent Italian national regulation at many sampling sites, eventually reflecting ("fingerprinting") industrial activities once performed in the industrial settlement of Porto Marghera within the Venice lagoon. In coastal samples, concentration levels appear to be lower than those determined at offshore sampling sites.