A Review of Personal/Portable Monitors and Samplers for Airborne Particles

A review of personal and portable particulate monitors and samplers for measuring and sampling airborne particulate matter is presented. These monitors and samplers are proving to be valuable tools for assessing individual exposure to environmental and occupationally generated particulates. The devices are characterized in terms of their sampling characteristics, their monitoring or measurement technique, their particle size separation (50% cut point) capabilities, their sampling flow rate, and their sampling duration per one battery charging cycle. All of the monitors and some of the samplers are commercially available. Commercial sources and originators (in the case of research devices) are made available.     

Sustainable household consumption and quality of life: the acceptability of sustainable consumption patterns and consumer policy strategies

A multidisciplinary computer-based field study among 393 Dutch households examined how people judge the 'social' sustainability (quality-of-life effects) of 'environmentally' sustainable household consumption patterns (less energy-use demanding) and associated policy options. The study revealed that about two-thirds of the households had to reduce their direct and indirect energy use within the next five years in order to move towards environmentally sustainable consumption patterns. The least sustainable consumption patterns were found among high-income groups and young couples. Overall, respondents did not believe that their quality of life will be affected as long as the necessary reduction of energy use stays below 30 gigajoules (24% of their total household energy use). Moreover, respondents were willing to accept almost all energy-saving policy measures. However, respondents did appear to be more willing to pay for sustaining their comfort, freedom and pleasure while reducing the environmental impact of their consumption than they were to give up some of their quality of life.     

粘土吸附剂在废水处理中的应用

粘土类矿物因具有独特的层状结构而表现出良好的吸附和离子交换性能 ,在废水处理中有广阔的应用前景。本文在介绍了膨润土、蒙脱土、凹凸棒土、硅藻土和海泡石等粘土矿物的结构和性质的基础上 ,对其作为吸附剂在废水处理中的应用研究情况进行了综述 ,并对其以后的发展进行了讨论     

微生物絮凝剂研究与应用进展

本文论述了微生物絮凝剂开发应用的必要性,介绍了微生物絮凝剂的种类和研究概况,分析了微生物絮凝剂的絮凝机理及其影响因素,列举了微生物絮凝剂的应用实例,认为今后微生物絮凝剂在环境污染治理中、特别是在回收废水中有益物质的过程中将占据重要地位。     

Carbon nanotubes as sorbents in the analysis of pesticides

With increasing public concerns for agrochemicals and their potential movement in the ecosystem, very sensitive, selective and precise methods for the analysis of pesticides are needed. Because these substances are present usually at trace levels, the extraction and preconcentration steps are so far essential for their detection. Discoveries of novel nanomaterials with unique properties have significant impact on their use also in extraction techniques. This overview reports the recent application of carbon nanotubes in the analysis of pesticides. The largest numbers of reported applications of carbon nanotubes concern their role as a sorbent materials in solid-phase extraction and microextraction techniques.     

Biochemical interaction of six OP delayed neurotoxicants with several neurotargets

Five organophosphorous insecticides: Leptophos, EPN, Cyanofenphos, trichloronate and salithion proved to cause irreversible ataxia not only to chicken but also to mice and sheep. TOCP was included as a reference. Cyanofenphos blocked the catecholamine B-receptor binding activity with 3H-norepinephrine at a level similar to that of the specific inhibitor propranolol in the mouse heart preparation. In the lamb heart preparation, the B-receptor was more sensitive to Leptophos, salithion and TOCP than to propranolol. The six compounds and their oxons were screened for their in-vitro inhibition to monamine oxidase (MAO), acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) and neurotoxic esterase (NTE) in the brain of either mouse, lamb or chicken. It is believed that their AChE inhibition stands for their acute toxicity, while NTE inhibition is responsible for their paralytic ataxia.     

Bacterial deposition in unsaturated porous media as related to surface properties

Transport of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis in silica sand under water-unsaturated conditions was investigated using column experiments. It was hypothesised that bacterial deposition was due to their interactions within the pore environment, which was a function of their surface physicochemical properties as well as pore water chemistry. Surface thermodynamic properties of these bacterial strains were measured independently by means of contact angle measurements under different water saturation conditions using variable lawn moisture contents. Bacterial interactions with the liquid-gas interface and the porous media were calculated based on their surface properties and were related to their transport observations.     

Insights into the structural and conformational requirements of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and metabolites as potential estrogens based on molecular docking

PBDEs and their metabolites are of concern due to their increasing concentrations in the environment and their toxic effects. Knowledge about the toxicological mechanisms of PBDEs and metabolites is urgently needed for further screening. The objective of the present study was to explore the structural and conformational requirements of PBDE compounds as human estrogen receptor alpha (hERα) agonists, and further screened out hERα agonists from PBDE compounds. Molecular docking and postdocking analysis were adopted to attain the aim. The obtained results revealed that PBDEs can be primarily screened for their estrogenicity using score values, hydrogen bonds interaction with amino acid residues Glu353 and/or Arg394 might be important for HO-PBDEs’ estrogenicity. For most MeO-PBDEs, hydrophobic interaction might be the key factor affecting their estrogenic activity. The current study suggested that molecular docking and postdocking analysis can serve as an efficient pre-screening technique for identifying potential estrogens.     

Biochemical interaction of six op delayed neurotoxicants with several neurotargets

Abstract

Five organophosphorous insecticides: Leptophos, EPN, Cyano‐fenphos, trichloronate and salithion proved to cause irreversible ataxia not only to chicken but also to mice and sheep. TOCP was included as a reference. Cyanofenphos blocked the catecholamine B‐receptor binding activity with ³H‐norepinephrine at a level similar to that of the specific inhibitor propranolol in the mouse heart preparation. In the lamb heart preparation, the B‐receptor was more sensitive to Leptophos, salithion and TOCP than to propranolol. The six compounds and their oxons were screened for their in‐vitro inhibition to monamine oxidase (MAO), acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) and neurotoxic esterase (NTE) in the brain of either mouse, lamb or chicken. It is believed that their AChE inhibition stands for their acute toxicity, while NTE inhibition is responsible for their paralytic ataxia.     

Biodegradability of organic nanoparticles in the aqueous environment

Synthetic nanoparticles have already been detected in the aquatic environment. Therefore, knowledge on their biodegradability is of utmost importance for risk assessment but such information is currently not available. Therefore, the biodegradability of fullerenes, single, double, multi-walled as well as COOH functionalized carbon nanotubes and cellulose and starch nanocrystals in aqueous environment has been investigated according to OECD standards. The biodegradability of starch and cellulose nanoparticles was also compared with the biodegradability of their macroscopic counterparts. Fullerenes and all carbon nanotubes did not biodegrade at all, while starch and cellulose nanoparticles biodegrade to similar levels as their macroscopic counterparts. However, neither comfortably met the criterion for ready biodegradability (60% after 28 days). The cellulose and starch nanoparticles were also found to degrade faster than their macroscopic counterparts due to their higher surface area. These findings are the first report of biodegradability of organic nanoparticles in the aquatic environment, an important accumulation environment for manmade compounds.     

Characterization of atmospheric dry deposition particulates in Kobe, Japan

The sources and character of individual metal and metalloid particles from atmospheric dry depositions in Kobe, Japan were investigated. Japan faces long-range pollutant transportation from northeastern Asia during winter and spring. Information regarding their properties and sources is useful for evaluating their affects on the environment and human health. Individual metal and metalloid particles that were collected for every 24 h on the plate, which was designed to reduce a local turbulence, were characterized for their composition, diameter, and deposition fluxes using a field emission scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Approximately 3,000 metal and metalloid particles were classified into 14 types based on their composition and further classified into four groups based on their distribution patterns. They are (A) Fe-O, Fe-Ba-Sb-Cu-S-Ti-O, Fe-Zn-O, Zn-O, Ni-O, and Mn-Fe-O; (B) Cu-Zn-O and Cu-Sn-O; (C) Pb-O, Sn-Sb-O, and Ag-O; (D) Pb-Zn-Cl-Si-S-O and Bi-Cl-O. From these data, this study suggests their sources as the Asian continent (Group A), local source (Group B), multiple sources (Group C), and incineration process (Group D). This study shows (1) the sources and character of individual metal and metalloid particles from short-term atmospheric depositions in Kobe, Japan and (2) application of individual particle analysis for atmospheric depositions.     

Balancing ecosystem function,services and disservices resulting from expanding goose populations

As goose populations increase in abundance, their influence on ecological processes is increasing. We review the evidence for key ecological functions of wild goose populations in Eurasia and North America, including aquatic invertebrate and plant propagule transport, nutrient deposition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the influence of goose populations on vegetation biomass, carbon storage and methane emission, species diversity and disease transmission. To estimate the implications of their growing abundance for humans, we explore how these functions contribute to the provision of ecosystem services and disservices. We assess the weight, extent and trends among such impacts, as well as the balance of their value to society. We examine key unresolved issues to enable a more balanced assessment of the economic costs or benefits of migratory geese along their flyways, including the spatial and temporal variation in services and their contrasting value to different user groups. Many ecological functions of geese are concluded to provide neither services nor disservices and, ecosystem disservices currently appear to outweigh services, although this varies between regions. We consider an improved quantification of ecosystem services and disservices, and how these vary along population flyways with respect to variation in valuing certain cultural services, and under different management scenarios aimed at reducing their disservices, essential for a more balanced management of goose populations.     

The adverse effects of injected functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (f-MWCNT) on in vivo neurosecretory brain cells of Jamaican field cricket,Gryllus assimilis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been increasingly more prevalent due to their use in product technology owing to their exceptional electrical and thermal...     

Nanoanalytics: history,concepts, and specificities

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This article deals with analytical chemistry devoted to nano-objects. A short review presents nano-objects, their singularity in relation to their...     

Effects of radiation exposure on brain health: a state of the art and new challenges

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Good brain health refers to a condition in which a person may fully realize their talents and improve their psychological, emotional, cognitive, and...     

Air quality in cabin environment of different passenger cars: effect of car usage,fuel type and ventilation/infiltration conditions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Despite that commuters spend only 5.5% of their time in cabin vehicles, their exposure to harmful air pollutants, originated from the vehicle itself,...     

珠江三角洲潮土和水稻土酸缓冲特性试验研究

珠江三角洲潮土和水稻土对不同种类的酸具有一定的缓冲性,不同种类的酸对不同类型土壤的酸化趋势不同。大旺水稻土对酸的敏感性强于龙山潮土,龙山潮土属于稍易受害的稍敏感土壤,大旺水稻土属于易受害的敏感土壤;同一土壤对酸的缓冲能力比对碱的缓冲能力强;不同种类的酸对土壤的敏感性不同,土壤对硝酸的敏感性强于对硫酸的敏感性;土壤加酸后酸缓冲曲线和土壤中铝释放曲线的交点可以作为衡量土壤对酸敏感性的指标,交点越低,敏感性越强;加酸后土壤中铝的释放可以用模型y=nx+k来预测。     

The atmospheric chemistry of sulphur and nitrogen in power station plumes

Emissions of sulphur and nitrogen compounds from power stations represent a significant fraction of the total emissions of these elements to the atmosphere. Understanding their subsequent chemical reactions in the atmosphere is of fundamental importance as without it, a quantitative assessment of their contribution to local and regional scale air pollution is not possible. Here the atmospheric chemistry of sulphur dioxide and the oxides of nitrogen, and their resultant likely behaviour in the plumes of power stations are reviewed.