Migration of natural estrogens around a concentrated dairy-feeding operation

Concentrated animal feeding operations have been recognized as one of the most important contributors of natural estrogens which show significant endocrine-disrupting properties in aquatic environments. In this study, the concentrations of 17α-estradiol (17α-E2), 17β-estradiol (17β-E2), estrone (E1), and estriol (E3) in several matrices, including soils (surface and deep), sediments (surface and deep), and groundwaters, around a typical dairy farm were surveyed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Of the two farmlands, surface and subsurface sediments in waste lagoon and along effluent drainage drench, the concentrations of 17α-E2, 17β-E2, and E1 ranged from below detection limit to the highest level of 6.60 μg/kg, except that E3 was not detectable. Three estrogens of 17α-E2, 17β-E2, and E1 with the concentrations of 3.18-31.61 ng/L were observed in two groundwater samples. The results clearly demonstrated the vertical migration and horizontal transport of estrogens in the investigated area. Within 750-m distance, it was observed the attenuation of 17α-E2, 17β-E2, and E1 along the effluent route and the horizontal migration of estrogens was less than 1,350 m in this survey.     

抑制型电导-离子色谱法测定水中无机阴离子

采用抑制型电导-离子色谱法测定生活饮用水、污水和地表水中F-、Cl-、NO2-、Br-、NO3-、PO43-、SO42-等7种无机阴离子,对清洁水样过滤后直接测定,浑浊样品离心后取上清液过滤测定。F-在0.100 mg/L~1.20 mg/L范围内、其余6种阴离子在1.00 mg/L~12.0 mg/L范围内线性良好,方法检出限为0.031 mg/L~0.47 mg/L,水样平行测定的RSD为0.9%~1.8%,加标回收率为82.6%~110%。     

Baseline values for metals in soils on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica: the extent of anthropogenic pollution

Metal contents (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, and Zn) have been measured in 30 surface soils on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, yielding values (in milligrams kilogram(-1)) of 41.57-80.65 (Zn), 2.76-60.52 (Pb), 0.04-0.34 (Cd), 7.18-25.03 (Ni), 43,255-70,534 (Fe), 449-1,401 (Mn), 17.10-64.90 (Cr), 1,440-25,684 (Mg), 10,941-49,354 (Ca), 51.10-176.50 (Cu), 4,388-12,707 (Ti), 28,038-83,849 (Al), and for Hg (in nanograms gram(-1)) 0.01-0.06. Relative cumulative frequency analysis was used to determine the baseline values for the 13 metals. Compared with adjacent areas in Antarctica, Mg and Ni are significantly lower, but Cu is significantly higher than that of McMurdo Station. Enrichment factor analysis and the geo-accumulation index method were applied in order to determine the extent of anthropogenic contamination, and both show that Pb, Cd, and Hg have been significantly increased by human activities. Principal component analysis was used to identify the sources of metals in these soil samples.     

Characteristic, composition, and sources of TSP investigated by HRTEM/EDS and ESEM/EDS

Total suspended particle (TSP) collected at the fifth floor of House Dust in Hunan University, China, was analyzed in terms of microscopic morphology and chemical composition. The fine particles (50?nm-2?μm) in the TSP were analyzed by a high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer (HRTEM/EDS). Results showed that the particles were in shapes of plate, irregular and agglomerate. Based on EDS results, these fine particulate matter was primarily composed of Fe-rich (35.82-61.29%), Ca-rich (30.18-36.77%) and Si-rich (18.95-32.28%) particles. Other elements mainly including Mg (0.47-4.97%), Al (0.45-14.57%), S (0.45-4.73%), K (1.13-2.13%) and Zn (0.67-3.85%) were also observed. The sources analysis indicated that the HRTEM particles mainly originated from coal combustion, traffic emission, vehicles exhaust emission and fugitive soil or cement particulate matter. The coarse particles (4-50?μm) were detected by environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray detector (ESEM/EDS). Based on a simple algorithm, ESEM particles were categorized into five groups: C-bearing (46.15%, 67% and 86.98%), Si + Ca-bearing (21.48?+?11.80%, 16.51?+?10.81% and 16.32?+?10.62%), Si + Al-bearing (20.06?+?12.40%, 20.16?+?11.22% and 15.31?+?11.25%), Si-bearing (34.40%, 26.92% and 27.15%) particles and aggregates, most of which exhibit obvious crystalline structure, and these ESEM particles mainly derived from vehicles exhaust emission, coal combustion, soil, and biomass burning, while the aggregates are indicative of atmospheric reaction progress. HRTEM/EDS and ESEM/EDS are mutual complementary in analyzing the characteristic and determining the sources of TSP.     

Development of a multi-criteria index ranking system for urban runoff best management practices (BMPs) selection

Low impact development best management practices (LID-BMPs) are considered to be cost-effective measures for mitigating the water quantity and quality impact of urban runoff. Currently, there are many types of LID-BMPs, and each type has its own intrinsic technical and/or economical characteristics and limitations for implementation. The selection of the most appropriate BMP type(s) for a specific installation site is therefore a very important planning step. In the present study, a multi-criteria selection index system (MCIS) for LID-BMP planning was developed. The selection indexes include 12 first-level indices and 26 second-level indices which reflect the specific installation site characteristics pertaining to site suitability, runoff control performance, and economics of implementation. A mechanism for ranking the BMPs was devised. First, each individual second-level index was assigned a numeric value that was based on site characteristics and information on LID-BMPs. The quantified indices were normalized and then integrated to obtain the score for each of the first-level index. The final evaluation scores of each LID-BMP were then calculated based on the scores for the first-level indices. Finally, the appropriate BMP types for a specific installation site were determined according to the rank of the final evaluation scores. In order to facilitate the application of the MCIS BMP ranking system, the computational process has been coded into a software program, BMPSELEC. A case study demonstrating the MCIS methodology, using an LID-BMP implementation planning at a college campus in Foshan, Guangdong Province, is presented.     

The responses of the hepatosomatic index (HSI), 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus 1758) caged at a polluted site: implications for their use in environmental risk assessment

The present study investigates the response of three hepatic biomarkers in adult sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus 1758) caged at a wastewater outlet of an oil refinery with fish caged at a pristine site used as controls. The biomarkers that were investigated were the hepatosomatic index (HSI), 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity. In addition, we have measured the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and selected heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, copper and zinc) in sediment samples at the polluted site. Although the polluted site had high environmental levels of PAHs and heavy metals, there was no difference in hepatic EROD activity and HSI between fish caged at the polluted site and controls. On the other hand, GST activity was significantly lower in fish caged at the polluted site compared to controls. Our results point out that the studied biomarkers have limited use in environmental risk assessment studies, at least when caged adult sea bass is used as the sentinel species and complex toxicant mixtures are involved.     

Risk assessment of heavy metals in road and soil dusts within PM2.5, PM10 and PM100 fractions in Dongying city, Shandong Province, China

15 road and 14 soil dust samples were collected from an oilfield city, Dongying, from 11/2009-4/2010 and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb within PM(2.5), PM(10) and PM(100) fractions synchronously. Metal concentrations, sources and human health risk were studied. Results showed that both soil and road dust exhibited higher values for Mn and Zn and lower values for Co and Cd for the three fractions. Mass concentration ratios of PM(2.5)/PM(10) and PM(10)/PM(100) for metals in road and soil dust indicate that most of the heavy metals tend to concentrate in fine particles. Geoaccumulation index and enrichment factors analysis showed that Cu, Zn and Cd exhibited moderate or heavy contamination and significant enrichment, indicating the influence of anthropogenic sources. Vanadium, Cr, Mn and Co were mostly not enriched and were mainly influenced by crustal sources. For Ni, As and Pb, they ranged from not enriched to moderately enriched and were influenced by both crustal materials and anthropogenic sources. The conclusions were confirmed by multivariate analysis methods. Principle component analysis revealed that the major sources were vehicle emission, industrial activities, coal combustion, agricultural activities and crustal materials. The risk assessment results indicated that metal ingestion appeared to be the main exposure route followed by dermal contact. The most likely cause for cancer and other health risks are both the fine particles of soil and road dusts.     

Chemical compositions and sources of atmospheric PM10 in heating, non-heating and sand periods at a coal-based city in northeastern China

Mass concentrations and chemical components (18 elements, 9 ions, organic carbon [OC] and elemental carbon [EC]) in atmospheric PM(10) were measured at five sites in Fushun during heating, non-heating and sand periods in 2006-2007. PM(10) mass concentrations varied from 62.0 to 226.3 μg m(-3), with 21% of the total samples' mass concentrations exceeding the Chinese national secondary standard value of 150 μg m(-3), mainly concentrated in heating and sand periods. Crustal elements, trace elements, water-soluble ions, OC and EC represented 20-47%, 2-9%, 13-34%, 15-34% and 13-25% of the particulate matter mass concentrations, respectively. OC and crustal elements exhibited the highest mass percentages, at 27-34% and 30-47% during heating and sand period. Local agricultural residuals burning may contribute to EC and ion concentrations, as shown by ion temporal variation and OC and EC correlation analysis. Heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu and Mn) from coal combustion and industrial processes should be paid attention to in heating and sand periods. The anion/cation ratios exhibited their highest values for the background site with the influence of stationary sources on its upper wind direction during the sand period. Secondary organic carbon were 1.6-21.7, 1.5-23.0, 0.4-17.0, 0.2-33.0 and 0.2-21.1 μg m(-3), accounting for 20-77%, 44-88%, 4-77%, 8-69% and 4-73% of OC for the five sampling sites ZQ, DZ, XH, WH and SK, respectively. From the temporal and spatial variation analysis of major species, coal combustion, agricultural residual burning and industrial emission including dust re-suspended from raw material storage piles were important sources for atmospheric PM(10) in Fushun at heating, non-heating and sand periods, respectively. It was confirmed by principal component analysis that coal combustion, vehicle emission, industrial activities, soil dust, cement and construction dust and biomass burning were the main sources for PM(10) in this coal-based city.     

Determination of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in agricultural soils near a petrochemical complex in Guangzhou,China

The total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) pollution in regional agricultural soils was investigated. Seventy soil samples collected from surface layers (0–20 cm) and horizons of five selected pedons in the vicinity of a petrochemical complex in Guangzhou, China were analyzed, and the vertical variation and spatial variability of TPH were evaluated. The TPH concentration in top soils around the petrochemical complex ranged from 1,179.3 to 6,354.9 mg kg^− 1, with the average of 2,676.6 mg kg^− 1. Furthermore, significant differences between land-use types showed that the TPH concentration in top soils was strongly influenced by accidental spills. Both the TPH trends in pedons and the identified hot-spot areas also showed that the accidental explosions or burning accidents were mainly responsible for the pollution. The results reported here suggest that the regular monitoring and inspection shall be conducted for safety and to avoid or minimize the accidents, and the effective measures should be taken to remediate the contaminated areas and to assure that the important industrialization of Guangzhou area would not mean human health risks near the petrochemical complex.