Theoretical study of the dechlorination reaction pathways of octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

The dechlorination reaction pathways of 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) by the hydrogen atom are investigated by the density-functional theory B3PW91 method. The dechlorination reactions have large exothermicity and small activation energies. The activation energies (approximately 5 kcal/mol) of the sigma-complex formation due to the hydrogen addition are lower than those (approximately 9 kcal/mol) of the direct chlorine abstraction. It is suggested that the sigma-complex plays an important role in the reactions, although it has scarcely been shown in previous studies of the dechlorination of dioxins. The sigma-complex formation is favored at low temperatures and the chlorine abstraction is favored at high temperatures. Furthermore, it is found that the lateral positions have a marginal preference over the longitudinal positions. The dechlorination of OCDD by the hydrogen atom is thus not likely to result in a dominant formation of the laterally substituted toxic congeners.     

Photocatalytic and biodegradation treatments of paracetamol: investigation of the in vivo toxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Medicines and drugs consumption by all populations of the world can be expected to result in the contamination of the environment since 30–90%...     

An investigation of the assumptions of linear chemistry and superposition in LRTAP models

Most current LRTAP models assume a linear relationship between sulphur emissions and predicted acidic concentrations, as well as the ability to superpose concentrations from different emission sources. This paper uses a non-linear chemistry model and control scenarios of 50% reductions in S, N and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions to examine the validity of these two assumptions at various downwind receptors. The model predicts that a 50% reduction in S emissions will lead to a 60–65% reduction in SO₂ concentrations and a 25–40% reduction in H₂SO₄ concentrations, depending upon whether or not NO_x and/or HC emissions are reduced by 50% at the same time. The non-linearities in the model predictions are due to complex interactions between NO_x, HC, OH and HO₂. Even when there was non-linearity in the individual S species (SO₂ and SO₄), there was little non-linearity in total airborne S. Adding the results of independent model predictions for different sources (superposition) might introduce errors due to

• 1.(1) chemical interactions between the emissions from the various sources
• 2.(2) overestimates of physical processes such as mixing in of ambient air.

The model was also used to examine trends in regional air quality in eastern North Amierica.     

An experimental investigation of the effects of nitrogen deposition to Narthecium ossifragum

Narthecium ossifragum (L.) Hudson was subjected to artificial deposition events in three experiments. In the first, a laboratory experiment, 1.0 m nitrate significantly decreased the growth of Narthecium, and the shoot and root nitrogen content of the plants was increased in all enhanced nitrogen treatments. In the second experiment, solutes were applied in situ to a relatively unpolluted upland ombrotrophic mire at concentrations measured in cloud water at a polluted site in England. There was no effect on Narthecium tissue nitrogen concentration due to either ammonium or nitrate applied alone but the shoot nitrogen was significantly increased when the ammonium and nitrate were applied in combination. In the third experiment, a piece of upland ombrotrophic mire from a relatively unpolluted site in North Wales was transplanted to a polluted site in northern England. After two years both the shoots and roots of Narthecium present in the mire showed a higher nitrogen concentration in the transplant compared with the control. These data show that nitrogen supply in the southern Pennines is supra-optimal for Narthecium, which implies that in such situations it (and other species with a similar ecological strategy) would be out-competed by more vigorous species. The data from the field experiment at the relatively unpolluted site imply that even there, nitrogen supply is close to supra-optimal for Narthecium.     

An investigation of the pullout behaviors of tire strips embedded in tire-derived aggregate reinforced sand

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The recycling of scrap tires has become an important issue in the area of environmental protection in the past 20 years. In recent years, tire strips...     

Half-lives of tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta-, and octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in rats,monkeys, and humans--a critical review

The elimination half-lives (t1/2) in Sprague-Dawley rats for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), 1,2, 3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (PeCDD), 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (HxCDD), 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (HpCDD) and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) were estimated in long-term studies by Schlatter, Poiger and others. Furthermore, there are some published half-lives of TCDD in adult humans. The average half-life of TCDD in adult humans is approximately 2840 days, while in Sprague-Dawley rats the average t1/2 of TCDD is 19 days. The t1/2 of TCDD in humans is about 150 times that of rats. This factor was used to calculate the t1/2 values of the other polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) in humans from the rat data. Furthermore, the terminal t1/2 values of PCDDs in adult humans were calculated from the regression equation: logt1/2H = 1.34 logt1/2R + 1.25 which was recently established for 50 xenobiotics (t1/2H = terminal half-lives in days for humans, t1/2R = terminal half-lives in days for rats). The following terminal half-lives in adult humans were obtained: 12.6 years for 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 26-45 years for 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD, 80-102 years for 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD and ca. 112-132 years for OCDD. These half-lives of PCDDs are critically compared with measured t1/2 values of PCDDs and other persistent organic pollutants in rats, monkeys and humans.     

天然色素生产废水的生物处理研究

天然色素生产废水是一种色度大、难处理的高浓度有机废水，为了寻找该废水的有效处理方法，本文作者采用由升流式厌氧污泥床（UASB）、生物接触氧化、混凝吸附组成的废水处理工艺，对该废水进行了处理试验，结果表明，对稀释4倍的原水，当进水COD为14900mg／L左右时，UASB经过36h的水力停留时间，COD的去除率为58．2％～60．2％、出水色度为180～270倍，SS为119～126mg／L，pH值为6．5～6．8；UASB出水经过24h好氧生物接触氧化反应，COD的去除率超过90％，SS〈70mg／L；最终经过Ca（CIO）2氧化和煤渣吸附深度处理，脱色可至无色，出水COD为200mg／L以下。UASB-生物接触氧化-氧化吸附组合处理工艺处理该类天然色素生产废水是可行的。     

An investigation into the acid content of aerosols in the ambient air at the Taj Mahal, Agra

A chemical analysis of suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected near the world famous Taj Mahal monument at Agra has been carried out. SPM samples collected on glass fibre filters were analysed for water-soluble sulphate, nitrate, chloride and ammonium ions. The data were derived from over 200 samples (each of 24 h), collected continuously during the winter periods (October through to March) of 1984-1985 and 1985-1986. The SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) components are acidic in nature causing corrosion and effects on visibility, and so were studied in more detail. Mean values for SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) derived from two-year data are 7.2 microg m(-3) and 8.2 microg m(-3), respectively. The SO(4)(2-)/SO(2) and NO(3)(-)/NO(2) ratiosobserved indicate faster conversion of SO(2) to SO(4)(2-) than NO(2) to NO(3)(-), the maximum levels being in January. Thus, both SO(4)(2-) and NO(3)(-) results appear to offer more promising indices of air quality than do SPM data alone.     

An investigation of the impact of afforestation on stream-water chemistry in the Loch Dee catchment, SW Scotland

The impact of conifer afforestation on stream-water chemistry was investigated in the acidified catchment of Loch Dee, SW Scotland. Long-term trends in stream-water chemistry were evaluated during a period of forest growth from age 6 to 17 years. A significant increase was observed for pH (0.2 units) and a significant decline for aluminium (0.05 mg litre(-1)), sulphate (1.2 mg litre(-1)) and nitrate (0.02 mg litre(-1)) concentrations. The long-term decrease in stream-water acidity was ascribed to the marked reductions in sulphur depositions during the 1970s and early 1980s. There was no evidence that this response had been attenuated by afforestation, the improvements in stream-water chemistry being of a similar magnitude to those recorded in nearby moorland lochs and exceeding that in an adjacent moorland-catchment stream. The lack of a clear forest acidification effect is consistent with deposition-model estimates which show the increased scavenging of occult and dry deposition by the growing forest to be small at this site (相似文献   

An absorption model of the gas/aerosol partitioning involved in the formation of secondary organic aerosol

A partitioning model is developed to allow the modeling of the dynamics of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. The gas/aerosol partitioning is assumed to be governed by equilibrium partitioning into an absorptive, well-mixed liquid (or at least amorphous) organic matter (om) phase. The model is represented using a set of coupled linear equations. It may be especially applicable when photochemical smog is being formed in the summer. The model permits (indeed, it requires) partitioning of a given compound i to occur even when i is present at a level below its saturation vapor pressure. During early periods of SOA formation, to determine the partitioning for each compound of interest, the model must be solved iteratively for each time and location of interest. Iteration is required because the partitioning is assumed to be governed by mole fraction concentrations in the om phase, and because prior to solving the problem, one does not know the total number of mols of condensed compounds in the om phase. During later stages of SOA formation, if the amount and general composition of the SOA begin to become constant, the partitioning coefficient of each of the compounds will also stabilize, and an iterative solution will be less needed.     

An investigation of distributed lag models in the context of air pollution and mortality time series analysis

In particulate air pollution mortality time series studies, the particulate air pollution exposure measure used is typically the current day's or the previous day's air pollution concentration or a multi-day moving average air pollution concentration. Distributed lag models (DLMs) that allow for differential air pollution effects that are spread over multiple days are seen as an improvement over using a single- or multi-day moving average air pollution exposure measure. However, at the current time, the statistical properties of DLMs as a measure of air pollution exposure have not been investigated. In this paper, a simulation study is used to investigate the performance of DLMs as a measure of air pollution exposure in comparison with single- and multi-day moving average air pollution exposure measures under various forms for the true effect of air pollution on mortality. The simulation study shows that DLMs offer a more robust measure of the effect of air pollution on mortality and avoid the potential for a large negative bias compared with single- or multi-day moving average air pollution exposure measures. This is important information. In many U.S. cities, particulate air pollution concentrations are observed only once every six days, meaning it is often only possible to use single-day particulate air pollution exposure measures. The results from this paper will help quantify the magnitude of the negative bias that can result from using single-day exposure measures. The implications of this work for future air pollution mortality time series studies are discussed. The data used in this paper are concurrent daily time series of mortality, weather, and particulate air pollution from Cook County, IL, for the period 1987-1994.     

An investigation of anthraquinone dye biodegradation by immobilized Aspergillus flavus in fluidized bed bioreactor

Purpose

Biodegradation and biodecolorization of Drimarene blue K₂RL (anthraquinone) dye by a fungal isolate Aspergillus flavus SA2 was studied in lab-scale immobilized fluidized bed bioreactor (FBR) system.

Method

Fungus was immobilized on 0.2-mm sand particles. The reactor operation was carried out at room temperature and pH?5.0 in continuous flow mode with increasing concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500?mg?l^?1) of dye in simulated textile effluent on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, and 14th days. The reactors were run on fill, react, settle, and draw mode, with hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24?C72?h. Total run time for reactor operation was 17?days.

Results

The average overall biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and color removal in the FBR system were up to 85.57%, 84.70%, and 71.3%, respectively, with 50-mg?l^?1 initial dye concentration and HRT of 24?h. Reductions in BOD and COD levels along with color removal proved that the mechanism of biodecolorization and biodegradation occurred simultaneously. HPLC and LC?CMS analysis identified phthalic acid, benzoic acid, 1, 4-dihydroxyanthraquinone, 2,3-dihydro-9,10-dihydroxy-1,4-anthracenedione, and catechol as degradation products of Drimarene blue K₂RL dye. Phytotoxicity analysis of bioreactor treatments provided evidence for the production of less toxic metabolites in comparison to the parent dye.

Conclusion

The present fluidized bed bioreactor setup with indigenously isolated fungal strain in its immobilized form is efficiently able to convert the parent toxic dye into less toxic by-products.     

有机锡化合物降解机制的激光闪光光解研究

利用激光闪光光解技术进行了三苯基锡(TPT)与HNO2水溶液体系的355 nm紫外光光解研究,考察了其瞬态物种的生长和衰减等行为.瞬态吸收光谱分析结果表明,pH为1.5条件下,HNO2在355 nm紫外光照射下可产生羟基自由基(·OH),·OH与TPT的苯反应生成C6H6-OH加合物,其加合反应速率常数为3.3×109 L/(mol·s).     

房地产开发地铁振动达标距离研究

已建和待建的多条地铁线路穿过某房地产开发地块,为了防治地铁运行对建筑造成振动环境影响,需要设定建筑靠近地铁的最小达标距离,包括采取减振措施后的距离。通过现场系统实验监测结合数值模型分析,从工程实践的角度提出了上述距离。对于实验中观察到随距离出现振动局部放大以及进口与国产仪器监测结果不同的现象,佐证了有关学者的理论与实验分析,提出:(1)现有地铁环境影响评价报告常用的60m评价范围偏小,推荐可扩大至80~100m;(2)迫切需要新的振动环境标准发布,避免有关项目的环境管理要求偏低。     

An investigation of widespread ozone damage to the soybean crop in the upper Midwest determined from ground-based and satellite measurements

Elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone (O₃) are frequently measured over farmland regions in many parts of the world. While numerous experimental studies show that O₃ can significantly decrease crop productivity, independent verifications of yield losses at current ambient O₃ concentrations in rural locations are sparse. In this study, soybean crop yield data during a 5-year period over the Midwest of the United States were combined with ground and satellite O₃ measurements to provide evidence that yield losses on the order of 10% could be estimated through the use of a multiple linear regression model. Yield loss trends based on both conventional ground-based instrumentation and satellite-derived tropospheric O₃ measurements were statistically significant and were consistent with results obtained from open-top chamber experiments and an open-air experimental facility (SoyFACE, Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment) in central Illinois. Our analysis suggests that such losses are a relatively new phenomenon due to the increase in background tropospheric O₃ levels over recent decades. Extrapolation of these findings supports previous studies that estimate the global economic loss to the farming community of more than $10 billion annually.     

An investigation into long-distance health impacts of the 1996 eruption of Mt Ruapehu,New Zealand

During the June 1996 eruption of Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand, traces of fine particulate volcanic ash were observed in or near the cities of Hamilton and Auckland, 166–282 km from the volcano. Although no health impacts in these cities were attributed to the eruption, hospital records at both cities for the following month show the highest rates of respiratory mortality for the 1990s. Alternative explanations for this increase in respiratory mortality were investigated, including urban air pollution, adverse weather conditions and influenza. Comparable records from Wellington city, assumed to be outside the zone of ash dispersal, were used as a ‘control’. Our results suggest that at Hamilton, where non-volcanic factors can largely be eliminated as making a significant contribution, diffuse volcanic ashfall may have been an important factor in respiratory mortality during the weeks following the eruption. At Auckland, further away from the volcano but with a much larger population than Hamilton, a case for a weaker volcanic contribution can be made, but is more equivocal because of coincidentally high urban air pollution and cold, stable weather.These findings support the concept that diffuse fine volcanic ash poses a risk to respiratory health at greater distances from an eruption than is currently perceived. This is because the finest ‘respirable’ fraction of erupted material with potentially hazardous physico-chemical properties is likely to be ejected highest into the atmosphere and dispersed the greatest distance. If significant amounts reach large cities, then large numbers of individuals may be at risk, especially those already suffering poor respiratory health. This work has important implications for environmental health and hazard management in New Zealand and in other regions that may be susceptible to a similar volcanic threat.     

An investigation on the performance of lightweight mortar-based geopolymer containing high-volume LECA aggregate against high temperatures

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The influence of lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) on the physico-mechanical properties and microstructure of geopolymer mortar containing...     

The formation of solid solutions in surface layers: An important adsorption mechanism?

After a short presentation of the relevant thermodynamic theory for solid solutions, the equations used for the computation of mass transfers are presented as well as methods for their solution. Two simple test programs, solusol and solumix, were constructed for the calculation of equilibria involving non-ideal solid solutions, the last taking exsolution processes into account. In another minor program, solidsol, the formation of ideal solid solutions is considered, as well as the simultaneous speciation in the aqueous phase.Based on estimated mass transfers, the experimental evidence in favour of the interpretation of some adsorption phenomena as being due to the formation of “surface solutions” is presented and discussed.     

An investigation on the relationship between physicochemical characteristics of alumina-supported cobalt catalyst and its performance in dry reforming of methane

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study deals with the development of alumina-supported cobalt (Co/Al2O3) catalysts with remarkable performance in dry reforming of methane (DRM)...