A global assessment of chromium pollution using sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) as an indicator species

Chromium (Cr) is a well-known human carcinogen and a potential reproductive toxicant, but its contribution to ocean pollution is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to provide a global baseline for Cr as a marine pollutant using the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) as an indicator species. Biopsies were collected from free-ranging whales around the globe during the voyage of the research vessel The Odyssey. Total Cr levels were measured in 361 sperm whales collected from 16 regions around the globe detectable levels ranged from 0.9 to 122.6 μg Cr g tissue⁻¹ with a global mean of 8.8 ± 0.9 μg g⁻¹. Two whales had undetectable levels. The highest levels were found in sperm whales sampled in the waters near the Islands of Kiribati in the Pacific (mean = 44.3 ± 14.4) and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean (mean = 19.5 ± 5.4 μg g⁻¹). The lowest mean levels were found in whales near the Canary Islands (mean = 3.7 ± 0.8 μg g⁻¹) and off of the coast of Sri Lanka (mean = 3.3 ± 0.4 μg g⁻¹). The global mean Cr level in whale skin was 28-times higher than mean Cr skin levels in humans without occupational exposure. The whale levels were more similar to levels only observed previously in human lung tissue from workers who died of Cr-induced lung cancer. We conclude that Cr pollution in the marine environment is significant and that further study is urgently needed.     

Incorporating layer- and local-scale heterogeneities in numerical simulation of unsaturated flow and tracer transport

This study characterizes layer- and local-scale heterogeneities in hydraulic parameters (i.e., matrix permeability and porosity) and investigates the relative effect of layer- and local-scale heterogeneities on the uncertainty assessment of unsaturated flow and tracer transport in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, USA. The layer-scale heterogeneity is specific to hydrogeologic layers with layerwise properties, while the local-scale heterogeneity refers to the spatial variation of hydraulic properties within a layer. A Monte Carlo method is used to estimate mean, variance, and 5th, and 95th percentiles for the quantities of interest (e.g., matrix saturation and normalized cumulative mass arrival). Model simulations of unsaturated flow are evaluated by comparing the simulated and observed matrix saturations. Local-scale heterogeneity is examined by comparing the results of this study with those of the previous study that only considers layer-scale heterogeneity. We find that local-scale heterogeneity significantly increases predictive uncertainty in the percolation fluxes and tracer plumes, whereas the mean predictions are only slightly affected by the local-scale heterogeneity. The mean travel time of the conservative and reactive tracers to the water table in the early stage increases significantly due to the local-scale heterogeneity, while the influence of local-scale heterogeneity on travel time gradually decreases over time. Layer-scale heterogeneity is more important than local-scale heterogeneity for simulating overall tracer travel time, suggesting that it would be more cost-effective to reduce the layer-scale parameter uncertainty in order to reduce predictive uncertainty in tracer transport.     

Food chain transfer of cadmium and lead to cattle in a lead–zinc smelter in Guizhou, China

Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) are environmental pollutants. Environmental samples and bovine tissues were collected from the areas around a lead–zinc smelter in Guizhou, China for Cd, Pb, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) analysis. Cd in soil (10 mg/kg) and feed (6.6 mg/kg) from the polluted areas was 10 times higher than the Chinese Standards, resulting in higher Cd in bovine kidney (38 mg/kg) and liver (2.5 mg/kg). Pb in feed (132 mg/kg) from the polluted area was much higher than unpolluted areas, causing higher Pb levels in bovine tissues. Environmental Zn was elevated, but bovine tissue Zn was normal. Cu in bovine liver decreased with increased Cd and Pb. Metals in drinking water and in bovine muscle were within the Standard range. Thus, in the areas of this lead–zinc smelter, the environment has been contaminated with Cd and Pb, which has been transferred to cattle through the food chain.     

论绿色信贷政策实施效果的评估

“绿色信贷”是将环保调控手段通过金融杠杆来具体实现的一项环境经济政策。政策的实施效果需要通过一套科学有效的评估体系来保证。从绿色信贷政策实施效果评估制度的建立理念出发,对参与评估的主体、评估的程序、评估管理系统进行论证。     

Sensitivity and Uncertainty of Ground‐Water Discharge Estimates for Semiarid Shrublands1

Abstract: We proposed a step‐by‐step approach to quantify the sensitivity of ground‐water discharge by evapotranspiration (ET) to three categories of independent input variables. To illustrate the approach, we adopt a basic ground‐water discharge estimation model, in which the volume of ground water lost to ET was computed as the product of the ground‐water discharge rate and the associated area. The ground‐water discharge rate was assumed to equal the ET rate minus local precipitation. The objective of this study is to outline a step‐by‐step procedure to quantify the contributions from individual independent variable uncertainties to the uncertainty of total ground‐water discharge estimates; the independent variables include ET rates of individual ET units, areas associated with the ET units, and precipitation in each subbasin. The specific goal is to guide future characterization efforts by better targeting data collection for those variables most responsible for uncertainty in ground‐water discharge estimates. The influential independent variables to be included in the sensitivity analysis are first selected based on the physical characteristics and model structure. Both regression coefficients and standardized regression coefficients for the selected independent variables are calculated using the results from sampling‐based Monte Carlo simulations. Results illustrate that, while as many as 630 independent variables potentially contribute to the calculation of the total annual ground‐water discharge for the case study area, a selection of seven independent variables could be used to develop an accurate regression model, accounting for more than 96% of the total variance in ground‐water discharge. Results indicate that the variability of ET rate for moderately dense desert shrubland contributes to about 75% of the variance in the total ground‐water discharge estimates. These results point to a need to better quantify ET rates for moderately dense shrubland to reduce overall uncertainty in estimates of ground‐water discharge. While the approach proposed here uses a basic ground‐water discharge model taken from an earlier study, the procedure of quantifying uncertainty and sensitivity can be generalized to handle other types of environmental models involving large numbers of independent variables.     

石油化工废水处理技术新进展

针对石油化工废水处理领域目前尚存在的问题,介绍了有关石油化工废水处理的各种方法,阐述了物理化学处理技术、生物处理技术、生物法与物理化学法组合技术等方面的研究进展,指出难生物降解废水的处理是继续研发的重点.     

镰刀菌HJ01对对氯苯酚的降解特性

采用实验室分离的一株镰刀菌HJ01,以对氯苯酚(4-CP)为降解底物,以蔗糖为外加碳源,考察了蔗糖质量浓度、降解温度、初始pH对4-CP降解效果的影响,初步探讨了镰刀菌HJ01对4-CP的降解动力学和降解机理.实验结果表明:该菌株能以4-CP为惟一碳源和能源生长;在外加蔗糖为碳源,蔗糖质量浓度为3 g/L、降解温度为30℃、初始pH为8的条件下,50 mg/L4-CP能在6 d内被完全降解.以4-CP为惟一碳源和外加蔗糖下的降解动力学分别符合Haldane模型和一级动力学方程.     

固态排渣煤粉炉NOx产生浓度影响因素偏相关分析

利用第一次全国污染源普查“火力发电行业产排污系数核算”工作中现场监测得到的数据,首次采用偏相关分析的方法,对固态排渣煤粉炉中机组规模、空气过剩系数、煤中挥发分和发电负荷率等因素对NOx产生浓度的影响进行定性分析,结论：NOx产生浓度与前三种因素存在显著的相关。而与发电负荷率的关系受锅炉是否采用低氮燃烧技术的影响。空气过剩系数越大,煤的挥发分越高,NOx产生浓度越低;采用低氮燃烧装置的锅炉中,机组规模越大,产生的NOx越少,且对于同一锅炉来说,NOx产生浓度随着发电负荷率的升高而增大;未采用燃烧控制的锅炉中,机组规模越大,NOx产生浓度越高,且与发电负荷率不相关。根据分析结果,提出了控制燃煤电厂固态排渣煤粉炉NOx排放的优化措施和建议。     

应用AHP进行气体灭火系统的优选

在研究了CO2、FM-200(七氟丙烷)、烟烙尽(INERGEN)及气溶胶等气体灭火技术特点的基础上,通过对这4种灭火剂的灭火效率、安全性、环保性和经济性4项性能指标进行AHP综合分析,分析结果表明,气溶胶灭火系统是现阶段最具优势的哈龙替代物.