Chemical composition of burnt smell caused by accidental fires: environmental contaminants

The chemical composition of the odors typical of fires has recently been deciphered. Basically the constituents are mixtures of acetophenone, benzyl alcohol, hydroxylated derivatives of benzaldehyde, methoxylated and/or alkylated phenols and naphthalene. This finding makes it possible to develop objective, practical analytic measurement methods for the burnt smell as a contribution to improving fire damage assessment and remediation monitoring. With the aid of an artificially produced burnt smell and a panel of testers the odor detection threshold of a test mixture was determined olfactometrically to 2 μg m⁻³. Using a defined burnt-smell atmosphere in a test chamber, analytical methods with active sampling, the adsorbents XAD 7 and TENAX TA, and GC/MS measurement were then optimized and tested with a view to being able to carry out sensitive quantitative measurement of burnt smells. A further practical method with particular application to the qualitative characterization of this odor is based on the use of a new SPME (solid-phase microextraction) field sampler with DVB/CAR/PDMS (divinylbenzene/Carboxen™/polydimethylsiloxane) fibers.     

Assessment of risk to humans of bisphenol A in marine and freshwater fish from Pearl River Delta, China

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production-volume chemical used in the manufacture of a wide variety of consumer products. However it is also a ubiquitous contaminant that can interfere with endocrine systems of wildlife and humans. China is the “world factory” and the Pearl River Delta is the major manufacturing center and is consequently polluted. Concentrations of BPA in meats of marketable fish had not been previously reported for this region. In the study upon which we report here concentrations of BPA were determined in 20 common species of freshwater and marine fish, collected from markets in Hong Kong, SAR, China. A comprehensive analytical method based on SPE extraction and liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed, validated and applied. The method limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.5 and 1.25 ng g⁻¹ dw, respectively. BPA was detected in 19 species of fish at concentrations, ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 ng g⁻¹ ww. Average daily BPA intake per person ranged from 1.1 × 10² ng d⁻¹ for marine fish and 2.2 × 10² ng d⁻¹ for freshwater fish. Concentrations of BPA in fish from Hong Kong markets unlikely would be causing adverse population-level effects in humans.     

某石化企业三类成品油装载环节的有机污染物排放特征、环境影响及控制措施

石化行业的成品油装载环节是有机污染物的重点排放源,包括挥发性有机物(VOCs)和甲烷等。对我国某石化企业的汽油、航煤和柴油三类成品油在装载过程中外排的尾气进行了监测,并采用·OH损失速率和最大增量反应活性法,重点分析了装载过程中VOCs和甲烷的排放特征、大气反应活性及环境影响,并提出相关控制措施。结果表明,成品油装载环节外排的VOCs以烷烃为主。每吨成品油在装载过程中排放的VOCs强度达到2.2~36.4 g,其中汽油排放强度最高。丁烷、戊烷和己烷等C₄~C₆烃是主要烷烃组分;丙酮是含量最高含氧物质;丁烯、异戊二烯和戊烯是最主要的烯烃组分。这类VOCs具有较高大气光化学反应活性和臭氧生成潜势(OFP),大气活性与二甲苯活性相当。VOCs的OFP(即每克VOCs可产生的O₃质量)达到1.4~2.7 g·g⁻¹。航煤装载环节外排VOCs的反应活性与臭氧潜势高于汽油和柴油。装载环节外排VOCs的反应活性及臭氧生成潜势主要源于烷烃和烯烃组分,异戊烷、C₄~C₅烯烃和甲苯等是需优先控制的高活性物质。本研究可为石化企业从源头开展VOCs等有机污染物的精准管控提供参考。     

Determination of antibiotics in sewage from hospitals, nursery and slaughter house, wastewater treatment plant and source water in Chongqing region of Three Gorge Reservoir in China

Sewage samples from 4 hospitals, 1 nursery, 1 slaughter house, 1 wastewater treatment plant and 5 source water samples of Chongqing region of Three Gorge Reservoir were analyzed for macrolide, lincosamide, trimethoprim, fluorouinolone, sulfonamide and tetracycline antibiotics by online solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results showed that the concentration of ofloxacin (OFX) in hospital was the highest among all water environments ranged from 1.660 μg/L to 4.240 μg/L and norfloxacin (NOR, 0.136-1.620 μg/L), ciproflaxacin (CIP, ranged from 0.011 μg/L to 0.136 μg/L), trimethoprim (TMP, 0.061-0.174 μg/L) were commonly detected. Removal range of antibiotics in the wastewater treatment plant was 18-100% and the removal ratio of tylosin, oxytetracycline and tetracycline were 100%. Relatively higher removal efficiencies were observed for tylosin (TYL), oxytetracycline (OXY) and tetracycline (TET)(100%), while lower removal efficiencies were observed for Trimethoprim (TMP, 1%), Epi-iso-chlorotetracycline (EICIC, 18%) and Erythromycin-H₂O (ERY-H₂O, 24%). Antibiotics were removed more efficiently in primary treatment compared with those in secondary treatment.