欧洲的恶臭污染法规及测试技术进展

欧洲城市中人口密度的增加导致了严重的恶臭污染,几百年来,各种有关恶臭污染的法规相继出台。在过去的30年中,恶臭测试方法有所发展,人们不再轻信环境健康工作者的主观判断,而是将恶臭测试推向定量化的轨道。根据恶臭排放测试,扩散模式以及恶臭标准(以定量恶臭性质的影响研究为基础,确定恶臭污染的可忍受程度),荷兰率先推动了恶臭量化管理趋势。恶臭标准根据各行业的恶臭污染的具体程度制定。嗅觉计测试臭气浓度是一项可靠的技术,目前已经写入欧洲标准(EN13725:2003),将嗅觉计测试法和日本的三点式比较臭袋法进行比较,发现结果具有显著的一致性。嗅辨员的严格筛选也是促成其一致性的关键因素。     

异味阈值与分子结构特征关系的研究进展

异味阈值和分子结构间的关系,受到阈值准确识别和嗅觉产生机制研究的制约,是一个非常复杂的问题.本文简要介绍了多元线性回归、拓扑指数、神经网络和分子生物学等几种研究异味阈值和分子结构关系的方法,探讨了目前存在的问题以及未来的发展趋势.     

访恶臭污染控制专家——邹克华

邹克华 1974年生,1999年毕业于天津大学化学工程专业,工学硕士,现为天津市环境保护科学研究院国家环境保护恶臭污染控制重点实验室常务副主任,正高级工程师,天津工业大学硕士生导师。研究方向为恶臭污染控制、环境标准、水污染控制、嗅觉测试仪器开发。     

页岩气压裂返排液的水生生态毒性效应研究

页岩气压裂作业过程产生大量压裂返排液,这类废液富含有毒且致癌的芳香烃、有毒金属和铀、钍、镭等放射性物质、石油类添加剂等,具有可生化性差和难处理的特点。这类废液若不经任何处理就进行排放,将给环境和人群健康带来潜在的危害和风险。目前尚不清楚它们的生态毒性效应。论文从涪陵页岩气开采基地采集了4口开采井(2号井、6号井-1、6号井-2和9号井)的压裂返排液,采用国家废水测试标准分析4种压裂返排液的水质理化指标,采用斜生栅藻(Scenedesmus obliquus)、大型溞(Daphnia magna)等标准毒性试验生物探究压裂返排液污染物体系的水生生态毒性效应,并研究水质理化指标与压裂返排液综合毒性的关系。结果表明,采集的所有压裂返排液样品均具备较大的水生生态毒性效应。以斜生栅藻的96 h的半数效应浓度(96 h-EC_(50))或大型溞的96 h的半数致死浓度(96 h-LC_(50))和毒性单位(TUa)为评价指标进行生态毒性分级,4个位点压裂返排液的生态毒性均为中毒及以上。压裂返排液的重金属、阴阳离子及有机物含量与其综合毒性的相关性结果表明,这些污染物成分与其藻类综合毒性无显著相关性。但Li、V、Cu、Ga、Rb、Ba等6种重金属及Na+、Cl-等2种阴阳离子对压裂返排液的溞类综合毒性有显著影响,影响程度依次为LiGaBaCl-VNa+RbCu。因此,在对压裂返排液进行处理时,这些与毒性相关的污染物是需要重点考虑的化学成分。     

美国恶臭污染管理及测试方法

介绍了美国目前的恶臭法规和政策问题。在最近几年中,恶臭标准化问题已经取得了令人瞩目的进展。在美国,大气和废物管理协会(A＆WMA)的EE-6恶臭委员会向美国试验与材料协会(ASTM)转交了关于美国试验与材料协会(ASTM)E-679-91方法的建议性替代方案。另外,该方案推荐对嗅觉计使用最小的流量速率3L/min。然而美国大量的恶臭实验室采用了接近20L/min流量速率的欧洲标准。作者提出疑问:美国标准中调整后的嗅觉测量法中采用较低的流量速率和测定值是否与欧洲标准中采用的较高的流量速率和较高的恶臭测定值存在矛盾呢?     

冷藏技术对发光细菌活性及毒性测试性能的影响

由于发光细菌的在线毒性监测技术受到了细菌生物活性稳定性保持问题的制约,探索一种脱脂牛奶菌悬液冷藏复苏方法,以提高发光细菌活性的保持时间。比较了明亮发光杆菌新鲜菌液冷藏、冻干粉菌悬液冷藏和脱脂牛奶菌悬液冷藏对发光细菌生物活性的影响,同时,比较了不同渗透压调节液对菌悬液急性毒性测试的灵敏度和稳定性的影响。结果表明,质量分数为25%的脱脂牛奶可提高发光细菌生物活性的稳定性,菌悬液冷藏7d后复苏,相对发光率仍可达92%。2%NaCl和10%蔗糖为渗透压调节液时,冷藏至第7天的发光细菌脱脂牛奶菌悬液对重金属毒性测试的灵敏度,与新鲜菌液基本相同,但添加蔗糖降低了其对有机物的测试灵敏度。利用发光细菌脱脂牛奶冷藏菌悬液对Zn~(2+)进行连续7d的毒性测试,EC_(50)的变异系数小于15%,结果稳定性良好。     

恶臭污染评价分级方法

恶臭污染的定量评价分级是评价恶臭污染状况的重要依据,但目前我国还没有成熟的恶臭污染分级标准.在分析了国外臭气强度标准的基础上,结合韦伯-费希纳公式,计算臭气浓度与臭气强度的对应值,以臭气强度的嗅觉感觉和丰富的实验经验为依据,将恶臭污染程度初步划分为5级,并对分级结果的科学性和合理性进行实验验证.     

河流水生态修复阈值界定指标体系初步构建

生态阈值存在于各种生态系统中,在查阅国内外相关文献的基础上,通过对生态阈值的理论研究及在森林、草原、湿地、湖泊和河流等方面实践应用进行总结分析,指出生态阈值在河流生态系统研究中的不足之处。针对在高污染负荷下修复退化的水生态系统中,开展生态修复阈值的研究寥寥无几,关于界定河流水生态修复阈值指标体系的研究尚未出现。通过分析阈值在河流水生态修复中的重要性,指出河流水生态修复阈值确定是退化水生态修复的基础,为区域针对性修复水体提供科学依据和决策支持,更是水环境管理发展的迫切需求。在此基础上,从新的角度探讨和提出河流水生态修复阈值概念。河流水生态修复阈值,是依据河流生态系统自然属性和河流功能以及区域社会经济发展的需求来界定退化到何种程度的水生态系统需要进行修复,退化现状程度大于此修复阈值,则需进行人工修复;退化现状程度小于修复阈值,则无需进行修复。通过对指标体系构建原则、筛选方法及阈值计算方法的总结,提出河流水生态修复阈值确定技术路线,采用频度分析法和理论分析法相结合,从影响河流修复的6大要素(物理结构、水文条件、水质状况、水生生物、河流功能和社会经济)初步构建了河流水生态修复阈值界定指标体系及阈值计算方法体系,为下一步河流水生态修复阈值指标体系的定量筛选与阈值计算奠定了基础。     

硫醇的嗅阈值与分子结构之间的关系

以恶臭污染物硫醇为研究对象,应用minitab软件选取两组描述符建立了两个不同的定量构效关系模型来反映硫醇的嗅阈值与分子结构之间的关系,模型一表明,分子的嗅阈值主要与巯基在分子中所处的环境有关,巯基所处的分子环境越复杂,嗅阈值越高;模型二表明,分子的嗅阈值主要与碳原子数有关,碳原子数越多,嗅阈值越小.经检验,该模型具有稳健性,计算值与实验值比较吻合,能够较好地根据硫醇的分子结构来预测其嗅阈值.对于未来研究硫醇对环境所带来的影响具有很好的参考作用.     

农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值确定方法的研究进展

农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值作为农用地土壤环境质量基准制定的重要依据,近年来随着多学科的共同发展,农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值的确定方法变得越来越完善,但目前对其的研究综述却鲜见报道。因此,文章综述了农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值的确定方法,详细阐述了点模型、概率模型以及经验模型中的代表方法在确定农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值方面的概念、原理、发展及应用,并深入探讨了各方法的适用情况和优缺点,系统分析了各方法在确定农用地土壤重金属生态安全阈值时的不确定性及影响因素,最后在前人的研究基础上提出了今后的主要发展方向,以期为我国农用地土壤环境质量标准的完善与细化及农用地土壤其他污染物生态安全阈值的确定提供参考依据。     

二元联合作用藻红外测试方法——以重金属为例

为检验二元联合作用藻红外测试方法的可行性,用Cu~(2+)、Fe3+、Mn~(2+)、Al3+、Cr3+、Hg~(2+)、Cd~(2+)、Pb~(2+)、Zn~(2+)进行了二元联合作用测试实验。结果显示:联合药液的参照浓度与单药液的参照浓度比为0.5:0.25的有15组二元组合,为2.0:1.0的有10组二元组合,为1.0:0.5的有11组二元组合;在9种重金属的36组二元联合作用测试结果中出现拮抗作用、相加作用、协同作用,表明联合作用类型表现出多样性;14组拮抗作用中单组的再现性为50%~100%、多组的再现性的出现率为93%、单组的重现性为67%~100%、多组的重现性的出现率为100%,21组相加作用中单组的再现性为50%~100%、多组的再现性的出现率为86%、单组的重现性为67%~100%、多组的重现性的出现率为100%,1组协同作用重现性67%;36组联合作用测试结果的再现性为50%~100%、再现性的出现率为86%,重现性为67%~100%、重现性的出现率为100%。上述分析可知,9种重金属的36种二元联合作用测试结果具有较好的多样性、再现性、重现性,表明测试条件、藻温测试方法、三指标评价法能够保证藻响应温差和藻响应药品评价结果的质量,参照浓度分析方法、联合作用评价方法能够控制联合作用分析结果的质量;藻响应的有毒有害物都存在敏感浓度,用参照浓度分析方法可分析出藻响应有毒有害物的参照浓度。因此,藻红外测试技术可以用于测试重金属、农药、有机药品、抗生素等的二元联合作用。     

Olfactory discrimination of age-specific hydrocarbons generates behavioral segregation in a honeybee colony

The functioning of a honeybee colony relies on the coordination of colony activities via inter-individual interactions. While the structure of this interaction network keeps the young individuals relatively isolated from the rest of the colony, there are two possible mechanisms that can generate this organizational immunity. A spatial segregation that restricts the young bees to the center of the colony can shield them with equal effectiveness as a behavioral segregation in which old bees choose to interact with young bees less frequently. We test the role of these two mechanisms by determining the interaction frequency between different age groups and testing their correlation with the olfactory sensitivity of different age groups to the cuticular odor of each other. Young bees were found to interact with bees of all age groups with equal frequency, which correlates with their lack of olfactory bias for any specific age, while old bees interacted more with other old bees, which correlates with their higher olfactory sensitivity toward the cuticular odor of old bees. The distribution of olfactory responsiveness was found to be positively skewed for old bees, which provides a mechanistic basis for the heterogeneous connectivity of the interaction network observed in an earlier study. As old bees are more likely to be responsible for introducing a potential disease into the colony from the outside and spreading it via the interaction network, these results suggest that behavioral segregation, mediated by olfactory discrimination, plays an important role in generating the organizational immunity within the honeybee colony.     

Sensory allometry, foraging task specialization and resource exploitation in honeybees

Insect societies are important models for evolutionary biology and sociobiology. The complexity of some eusocial insect societies appears to arise from self-organized task allocation and group cohesion. One of the best-supported models explaining self-organized task allocation in social insects is the response threshold model, which predicts specialization due to inter-individual variability in sensitivity to task-associated stimuli. The model explains foraging task specialization among honeybee workers, but the factors underlying the differences in individual sensitivity remain elusive. Here, we propose that in honeybees, sensory sensitivity correlates with individual differences in the number of sensory structures, as it does in solitary species. Examining European and Africanized honeybees, we introduce and test the hypothesis that body size and/or sensory allometry is associated with foraging task preferences and resource exploitation. We focus on common morphological measures and on the size and number of structures associated with olfactory sensitivity. We show that the number of olfactory sensilla is greater in pollen and water foragers, which are known to exhibit higher sensory sensitivity, compared to nectar foragers. These differences are independent of the distribution of size within a colony. Our data also suggest that body mass and number of olfactory sensilla correlate with the concentration of nectar gathered by workers, and with the size of pollen loads they carry. We conclude that sensory allometry, but not necessarily body size, is associated with resource exploitation in honeybees and that the differences in number of sensilla may underlie the observed differences in sensitivity between bees specialized on water, pollen and nectar collection.     

Effects of catalytic hydrogenation on coal liquids which exhibit microbial mutagenic activity

An interdisciplinary strategy is outlined for characterizing the disposition of bioactive (toxic, teratogenic, mutagenic, and/or carcinogenic) materials in coal‐derived hydrocarbon liquids during upgrading processing. Engineering input is required to select representative PDU and pilot‐scale samples and appropriate processing schemes and conditions for upgrading experiments to ensure reliable extrapolation of results to demonstration and commercial scale. Biology expertise is required to perform and interpret short‐term in vitro cellular assays and whole‐animal toxicity and carcinogenesis testing on raw and upgraded samples. Chemical separation and identification of active classes and components in the samples aid in interpreting bioactivity results and in quantifying effects of various upgrading processes and conditions. The end result will be a data base for reliably assessing and addressing potential occupational and environmental safety and health concerns associated with upgraded coal‐derived liquids.

An example of the value of this interdisciplinary approach is given by work performed on generically representative raw and hydrotreated SRC‐II gas oil samples. Biological and chemical characterization indicates significant loss of bioactivity during hydrotreatment, with one postulated mechanism being removal of primary amine groups from multi‐ring aromatic compounds.     

彗星试验检测区域水源有机污染致突变量(Study on Mutagenic Threshold of Organic Pollutants in Typical Water Area by Comet Assay)

采用彗星试验检测了区域水源有机污染对人血淋巴细胞的致突变性,探讨了水源风险的评价方法.结果表明:Cr(VI)对人外周血淋巴细胞有强的致突变作用,并具有明显的剂量-效应关系;Cr(VI)剂量的对数与人外周血淋巴细胞DNA损伤的程度呈线性相关.可以用Cr(VI)作为阳性参照物量化表征水中有机污染混合物对人血淋巴细胞的致突变性.现行《地表水环境质量标准》、《污水综合排放标准》中Cr(VI)的限值可以用于评价水体中有机污染对人体健康的风险.     

Coexistence between People and Elephants in African Savannas

Abstract: The decline in the range and numbers of elephants as a result of expanding human activity in Africa is recognized as one of the continent's more serious conservation problems. Understanding the relationship between human settlement patterns and elephant abundance is fundamental to predicting the viability of elephant populations. The prevailing model of human-elephant interaction predicts a negative linear relationship between rising human density and declining elephant density at a coarse (national or subcontinental) scale. Using observed elephant densities and human population data, we tested this prediction in a study area of 15,000 km² in northwestern Zimbabwe. The results did not fit a linear model. Elephant and human coexistence occurs at various levels of human density, up to a threshold of human density beyond which elephant populations disappear. This threshold seems to be related to a particular stage in the process of agriculturally transformed land becoming spatially dominant over the natural woodland that constitutes elephant habitat. Within the contexts of conservation and sustainable development in African savannas, investigating spatial relationships between elephant and human abundance should be a priority topic for future research.     

Further experiments on olfactory navigation and non-olfactory pilotage by homing pigeons

Summary Supplementary to a previous investigation (Wallraff and Neumann 1989), further experiments were conducted with homing pigeons that were either familiar of unfamiliar with the release area, and that had or lacked olfactory access to environmental odours. All four possible pairwise combinations of these factors were tested. The previous results were confirmed, showing that in an unfamiliar area olfactory inputs are necessary for home-related orientation, while in a familiar area both olfactory and non-olfactory information can be utilized and each is more or less redundant as long as the other kind of information is also available. The degree of redundancy of olfactory inputs varies, obviously depending on the pattern of individual local experience. Correspondence to: H.G. Wallraff     

Morphological and physiological studies on the olfactory organ of the striped eel catfish,Plotosus lineatus

The olfactory organ of the striped eel catfish,Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg), obtained off Kyushu Island, Japan, was examined both morphologically and electrophysiologically. The olfactory organ ofP. lineatus differs from that of most other catfishes, possessing a small olfactory rosette containing only relatively few lamellae, a well-developed olfactory ventilation sac used as the primary means of propelling water through the olfactory chamber, and olfactory sensory epithelia lying in discrete patches rather than continuously distributed across the lamellae. Although morphological differences in the olfactory organ betweenP. lineatus and other catfishes are significant, the physiological characteristics are remarkably similar. Response thresholds for amino acids (L-cysteine and L-glutamine) were ca. 10^–9 M, and the relative effectiveness of 16 amino-acid stimuli differed little from those reported for other catfishes.     

Differences in olfactory sensitivity and behavioral responses among honey bees bred for hygienic behavior

Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., bred for hygienic behavior uncap and remove diseased and mite-infested brood. We hypothesized that within a colony bred for hygienic behavior, there would be differences in olfactory sensitivity among bees of the same age. We predicted that bees that initiate the behavior by perforating and uncapping brood would have greater olfactory sensitivity to the odor of the diseased brood, and would be better able to discriminate between odors of healthy and diseased brood, compared to bees that complete the behavior by removing the uncapped brood from the cells. Electroantennogram recordings of 15- to 21-day-old bees from three colonies demonstrated that bees collected while uncapping dead brood had significantly greater olfactory sensitivity to all concentrations of diseased brood odor compared to bees collected while removing brood. Proboscis-extension reflex discrimination conditioning demonstrated that 15- to 21-day-old bees collected while uncapping discriminated significantly better and generalized significantly less between the odors of diseased and healthy brood compared to bees collected while removing, when the odor of diseased brood was rewarded, but not when the odor of healthy brood was rewarded. Bees collected while uncapping brood that had been pierced with a pin had significantly less olfactory sensitivity than bees collected while uncapping freeze-killed brood, most likely because the pierced brood had greater stimulus intensity. Initiation of hygienic behavior depends on the olfactory sensitivity of the bee and stimulus intensity of the abnormal brood. Differential olfactory sensitivity and responsiveness among hygienic bees could lead to the apparent partitioning of the behavior into uncapping and removing components.Communicated by R.F.A. Moritz     

大气气溶胶研究新动向

本文概述了近年大气气溶胶研究的四个主要方面:大气气溶胶的表征、大气化学过程与气候变化、健康效应等的概况.阐明了当今大气气溶胶研究的趋向,主要着重于PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)细颗粒(可吸入颗粒物或二次颗粒物)的物理化学特性与环境行为、生态效应,更重视气溶胶的非均相化学反应过程;其研究范围,从平流层向对流层发展,并密切结合气候变化、健康影响等有关的一些实际问题,进行深层次的综合性研究.大气气溶胶化学已成为当今大气化学研究最前沿的领域.