Asbestos fibres introduce trace metals into streamwater and sediments

Based on a case study in the Sumas River, it is demonstrated that asbestos fibres, which were introduced by a massive landslide, have altered the water quality and sediment conditions in the downstream section of the river. Asbestos fibres, because of their small size, are readily transported and resuspended i in stream systems. Associated with the fibres are high quantities of Ni, Cr, Co and Mn which occur as contaminations and isomorphic substitutions in most asbestos materials. A direct link between discharge, asbestos fibre and Ni concentrations was demonstrated in the water. Trace metal values in the sediments decrease with distance from the point source but the concentrations 20 km downstream of the slide are still significantly higher than levels at a control station unaffected by the slide. Asbestos fibres leach in acid media, and Mg and trace metals are removed. The process and rates were illustrated on the basis of laboratory experiments using organic acids. Since the pH in the streamwater is decreasing from 8.4 to 7.1 in the downstream direction, trace metals release is of concern.     

Characterization of air manganese exposure estimates for residents in two Ohio towns

This study was conducted to derive receptor-specific outdoor exposure concentrations of total suspended particulate (TSP) and respirable (d_ae ≤ 10 µm) air manganese (air-Mn) for East Liverpool and Marietta (Ohio) in the absence of facility emissions data, but where long-term air measurements were available. Our “site-surface area emissions method” used U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) AERMOD (AMS/EPA Regulatory Model) dispersion model and air measurement data to estimate concentrations for residential receptor sites in the two communities. Modeled concentrations were used to create ratios between receptor points and calibrated using measured data from local air monitoring stations. Estimated outdoor air-Mn concentrations were derived for individual study subjects in both towns. The mean estimated long-term air-Mn exposure levels for total suspended particulate were 0.35 μg/m³ (geometric mean [GM]) and 0.88 μg/m³ (arithmetic mean [AM]) in East Liverpool (range: 0.014–6.32 μg/m³) and 0.17 μg/m³ (GM) and 0.21 μg/m³ (AM) in Marietta (range: 0.03–1.61 μg/m³). Modeled results compared well with averaged ambient air measurements from local air monitoring stations. Exposure to respirable Mn particulate matter (PM₁₀; PM <10 μm) was higher in Marietta residents.

Implications: Few available studies evaluate long-term health outcomes from inhalational manganese (Mn) exposure in residential populations, due in part to challenges in measuring individual exposures. Local long-term air measurements provide the means to calibrate models used in estimating long-term exposures. Furthermore, this combination of modeling and ambient air sampling can be used to derive receptor-specific exposure estimates even in the absence of source emissions data for use in human health outcome studies.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ambient air of Greek towns in relation to other atmospheric pollutants

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in the ambient air of six towns in N. Greece. This paper presents the variability of the particle-bound PAHs concentrations and the particle PAH content during the cold and the warm months. Correlations of total PAHs with other atmospheric pollutants were largely different among towns indicating that the relative contribution of emission sources is different in each location. In the warm months PAHs were significantly correlated with vehicular pollutants thus suggesting traffic as the major PAH emmitting source. The same was also deduced from the comparison of the ambient PAH profiles to the profiles of particular sources. The contribution of residential heating was significant in most towns during winter. Principal component analysis of the data did not result in a clear distinction between towns thus suggesting that all are influenced by similar source types. Finally, the risk associated with the inhallation of carcinogenic PAHs in each town was estimated and compared to the risk from more urbanized/industrialized sites in N. Greece.     

Monitored Asbestos Concentrations in Connecticut

An air asbestos survey was conducted between late 1974 and early 1977 to define the magnitude of the health hazard posed by airborne asbestos fibers in Connecticut prior to the promulgation of the State's proposed asbestos air quality standard (i.e., 30 ?g/m³ or 30,000 total asbestos fibers/m³, 30-day average). A newly developed low volume particulate sampler, which operates continuously for 30 days at an air sampling flow rate of 4 cfm, equipped with special membrane filters was used to collect ambient TSP samples for subsequent chrysotile asbestos electron microscopic determination by the Bat-telle-Columbus Laboratories and Walter C. McCrone Associates.

Approximately 40 monitoring sites were selected; ambient locations included "typical" urban sites removed from known stationary sources of asbestos emissions, rural-background sites, stations contiguous to 4 industrial users of asbestos (i.e., manufacturers of friction products, insulated wire and cable, ammunition and molding compounds), 3 toll plazas situated at various points along Interstate 95 and indoors at a swimming pool at the University of Connecticut (the ceiling over the pool was sprayed with an asbestos-containing insulating material). Ambient chrysotile asbestos levels removed from asbestos emission sources in both urban and rural locations were below 10 ?g/m³. However, asbestos concentrations above 30 ?g/m³ were measured near each of the industrial users of asbestos. Furthermore, asbestos levels adjacent to the toll plazas were also elevated (in the 10 ?g/m³ to 25 ?g/m³ range), implicating asbestos emissions from vehicle braking lining decomposition as a significant source of airborne asbestos fibers. Indoor air asbestos levels were below 1 ?g/m³ suggesting that the risk to public health associated with the deterioration of asbestos surface coatings applied indoors may not be as severe as previously thought.     

如何实现小城镇生活垃圾资源化

小城镇生活垃圾处理应重视资源化,但小城镇生活垃圾资源化面I临城镇规模、垃圾组分、经济、技术和市场等众多因素的制约。逐一分析这些制约因素并结合实例提出了小城镇生活垃圾资源化的三种实现模式,即纳管模式、组团模式和单建模式,探讨了三种模式的适用范围。     

小城镇污水处理厂污泥土壤化植物床的运行

随着我国污水处理率不断提高,污泥产量快速增加,污泥的资源化利用问题日益突出。针对这一问题,采用污泥土壤化植物床技术处理小城镇污水厂污泥。通过一个小试装置和4个中试单元,对植物床处理过程中的污泥泥质以及滤液水质变化进行了分析,研究比较了甜象草床、芦苇床、香蒲床对污泥的处理效果。研究表明,污泥土壤化植物床对投加到其中的污泥会产生一系列复杂作用,有助于污泥脱水和稳定化,同时能有效地对污泥渗滤液进行截流净化。     

fluoride concentrations in the ambient air

The body of the information presented in this paper is of general interest to those concerned with air quality. This paper reports data for ambient atmospheric concentrations of water-soluble fluorides determined in samples of suspended particulate matter collected on glass-fiber filters by the National Air Surveillance Network. Data for over 12,000 samples collected in calendar years 1966, 1967, and 1968 are examined. The purpose of the examination of the data is to give an estimation of current air quality with respect to fluoride content.

The samples are extracted with pure boiling water, and the fluoride concentration of the extracts measured using a fluoride-ion selective electrode. The data engendered are tabulated on an annual basis, and a table is presented summarizing the results. Comparative data will be presented showing the distribution of urban and non-urban stations that exhibit various specified fluoride levels. The results show that the fluoride content in the majority of the samples is below the minimum detectable amount of 0.05 µgF/m³. Conclusions that can be drawn include the observations that: few of the urban samples contain over 1.00 µg/m ³ of fluoride, very few of all samples exceeded 1.00 µ/m³ of fluoride, and no non-urban sample contained over 0.16 µg/m³ of fluoride. It was also concluded that only in rare instances would the fluoride concentrations at the sites sampled be in excess of published standards.     

Retrospective analysis of the age at death in two heavily polluted and two unpolluted Russian towns

Mean age at death during 1981-1999 was recorded in four small industrial towns located in the Kola Peninsula, north-western Russia. Two of these towns (Nikel and Monchegorsk) are heavily contaminated by sulphur dioxide and toxic metals (primarily Ni, Cu, Cd) emitted by large nickel-copper smelters; two other towns (Apatity and Polyarnye Zori) are nearly unpolluted. The results did not support the hypothesis that human life span is significantly shorter in the contaminated communities; moreover, mean age at death was lowest in Polyarnye Zori, the town not polluted by either sulfur dioxide or heavy metals but located close to the nuclear power plant. It seems that the impact of hazards other than pollution (both social and environmental), which are common for the populations of the investigated towns, shorten the life span so much that the contribution of pollutants to the decline in life expectancy cannot be detected. However, the relative importance of the life-shortening diseases associated with pollution may increase with the (expected) improvement of the quality of life.     

气动絮凝强化处理城镇污染河水

为减轻水体污染,缓解环境压力,对典型城镇污染河水进行气动絮凝实验研究。在设定的实验条件下,以某大学中水站格栅后生活污水稀释配制的水样来模拟典型城镇污染河水并作为实验研究对象,以无机高分子聚合物聚合氯化铁铝(PFAC)为絮凝剂,有机高分子聚合物聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)为助凝剂。在此基础上,以浊度、COD、总磷和溶解氧为测定指标,采用连续流的方式进行一系列实验研究。实验结果显示:采用微孔曝气头进行曝气,当混合阶段充气量及絮凝池第一格、第二格充气量分别为1.778 m3空气/m3处理污水量、1.444 m3空气/m3处理污水量和0.622 m3空气/m3处理污水量时,城镇污染河水中污染物的去除效果最佳。其浊度、COD、TP的去除率可分别达93.6%、68.6%和73.5%。此外,在处理效果良好的前提下,沉淀池出水口出水溶解氧含量均能保持在2.29 mg/L左右。     

Chemistry of organic traces in air VII: Bromo- and bromochloromethanes in air over the Atlantic Ocean

Polyhalomethanes (CHBrCl₂, CHBr₂Cl, CH₂Br₂, CHBr₃, CH₂J₂) have been detected in surfacewater of the North and South Atlantic, in air-samples collected in the lower marine and continental troposphere and in rain as well, collected in southern Germany. The biosynthesis of this compounds is investigated for two marine makroalgae, which were collected in the North and South Atlantic.     

The Sampling and Electron Microscopy of Asbestos Aerosol in Ambient Air By Means of Nuclepore Filters

Despite the fact that adverse health effects of asbestos have been known since shortly after the turn of the century,¹ there has been little progress in techniques for determining the mineral in the airborne state. This absence of sampling and analysis methods appears to derive from two main sources: (1) In the environments of the asbestos using industries, asbestos concentrations tend to be high relative to other particulate species, and especially compared with other fibrous species, making estimation of concentration by microscopy relatively easy. (2) The term "asbestos" describes a crystal habit, not a chemical compound; therefore there is no unique chemical property of asbestos that can be used as the basis for its measurement. Interestingly, there appears to be no basis for distinguishing the health effects of one type of asbestos over another;² the physiological response seems more dependent on crystal habit than on composition.     

长江流域丘陵与平原2类典型城镇面源污染来源解析

在长江流域丘陵城镇重庆永川区和平原城镇常州金坛区分别选取各含合流制和分流制2种排水体制的4个区域作为研究对象,监测雨天4个区域的河流、沿河排口和下垫面径流相关数据,分别采用河流质量守恒法、PMF模型和地表径流质量守恒法解析2类城镇4个区域面源对河流污染贡献、沿河排口污染来源贡献和各下垫面污染贡献。结果表明,城镇面源对4个研究区域内河流的5项水质指标 (SS、COD、NH₃-N、TN和TP) 均有一定程度的贡献,其贡献率与降雨等级、地区特征和排水体制有关;降雨期间,在2类城镇2种排水体制的沿河排口污染负荷来源中,地表径流是SS和COD负荷的主要来源,生活污水和管道沉积物是NH₃-N、TN和TP负荷的主要来源;受地形坡度和人口密度等因素影响,永川和金坛的主要产污下垫面不同,永川为小区道路,金坛为交通道路和屋顶。为提高上述研究区域面源污染的精细化管理,提出了针对性的控制措施。     

采用Design-Expert软件优化高频气力分选机风量配合设计

采用Design-Expert 7.1.3软件对高频气力分选机的3个风量进行试验方案设计和结果分析.结果表明:在其他操作条件一定的前提下,3个风量对分选效率的影响均为显著;采用Design-Expert 7.1.3软件对3个风量进行正交试验设计,可以有效分析3个风量对高频气力分选机分选效率的影响,并通过试验结果分析建立数学模型,最终得到满足试验要求的风量配合比,最优风量配合比为55∶60∶80.     

Man-made mineral fibres in homes caused by thermal insulation

In a pilot study the concentration levels of man-made mineral fibres in homes were investigated during a thermal insulation procedure in which glass or rock fibres were blown into the cavity wall. The concentration in the rooms during the insulation procedure varied between 5 × 10⁻³ and 25 × 10⁻³ lightmicroscopically detectable fibres cm⁻³, with peaks up to 65 × 10⁻³ fibres cm⁻³. The next day the concentration had been decreased to 10⁻³-10 × 10⁻³ fibres cm⁻³. The concentration of the electronmicroscopically detectable fibres during the insulation varied between 50 × 10⁻³ and 400 × 10⁻³ fibres cm⁻³. The next day the concentration in some houses was still above the level usually found in the ambient air in The Netherlands. It is likely that good ventilation during the next day would bring the indoor concentration to the outdoor level.     

Polynuclear aromatic compounds in the ambient air of Stockholm

The abundance of 15 polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAC) in the ambient air in Stockholm have been monitored over a period of four years. Correlation was made between the concentrations of PAC and other simultaneously measured parameters.