Bronchial Rn dose survey for residences

The bronchial dosimeter for Rn progeny proposed by Yu and Guan in 1998 was employed to survey the bronchial dose from Rn progeny in 30 residences in Hong Kong. An average bronchial deposition fraction of Rn progeny was obtained as 0.0334, which gave an average dose conversion factor (DCF) of 8.5 mSv WLM-1. The mean values of potential alpha energy concentration (PAEC) deposited in the tracheobronchial region (PAECT-B), total PAEC in air (PAECT), annual effective dose (E), concentration of Rn gas (RC) and annual dose conversion factor (ADCF) for all the residential sites combined were 0.11 +/- 0.05, 3.1 +/- 1.4 mWL, 1.2 +/- 0.5 mSv yr-1, 23 +/- 10 Bq m-3 and 0.055 +/- 0.020 (mSv yr-1 per Bqm-3), respectively, with air-conditioned sites (AC sites) and non-AC sites having significantly different mean ADCF values. The indoor relative humidity affected PAECT and RC with high confidence levels (> 95%).     

粤港细粒子(PM2.5)污染导致能见度下降与灰霾天气形成的研究

为了研究珠三角地区细粒子气溶胶的环境效应,使用粤港地区长期气象资料和珠三角大气成分站网高分辨率资料,结合卫星遥感AOD结果,分析了珠三角地区由于细粒子(PM2.5)污染导致能见度下降与形成灰霾天气的长期变化趋势.结果表明,近年来珠江三角洲地区的气溶胶污染日趋严重,气溶胶云一年四季都可以出现,且长期稳定存在,重污染区位于珠江口以西的珠江三角洲西侧.灰霾天气主要出现在10月至次年4月.灰霾导致能见度恶化.自20世纪80年代初开始,该地区的能见度急剧恶化,灰霾天气显著增加,其中有3次大的波动,分别代表珠江三角洲经济发展相伴随的粗颗粒气溶胶污染、硫酸盐+粗颗粒气溶胶污染、光化学过程的细粒子+硫酸盐和粗颗粒气溶胶的复合污染时期.雾和轻雾造成的低能见度的长期变化趋势,没有由于人类活动影响或经济发展影响带来趋势性变化,其波动主要反映了气候波动固有的年际和年代际变化.珠江三角洲能见度的恶化主要与细粒子关系比较大,PM10有一半年份的年均值超过国家二级标准的年均值限值(70μg·m-3),而PM2.5年均值全部年份都超过国家二级标准的年均值限值(35μg·m-3),尤其是有些年份的年均值浓度超过标准限值的2倍,细粒子浓度甚高.另外,近年PM2.5占PM10的比重非常高,可达51%～79%,黑碳气溶胶浓度非常高,月均值达到5.0～9.1μg·m-3.和20余年前的资料相比较,细粒子在气溶胶中的比重有明显增加.因而在目前粤港地区的气溶胶污染中,主要是细粒子的污染,尤其是黑碳气溶胶污染严重.     

Profiles and removal efficiency of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by two different types of sewage treatment plants in Hong Kong

Sewage discharge could be a major source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in the coastal waters. Stonecutters Island and Shatin Sewage Treatment Works(SCISTW and STSTW)in Hong Kong, adopted chemically enhanced primary treatment and biological treatment,respectively. This study aimed at(1) determining the removal efficiencies of PAHs,(2) comparing the capabilities in removing PAHs, and(3) characterizing the profile of each individual PAHs, in the two sewage treatment plants(STPs). Quantification of 16 PAHs was conducted by a Gas Chromatography. The concentrations of total PAHs decreased gradually along the treatment processes(from 301 ± 255 and 307 ± 217 ng/L to 14.9 ± 12.1 and 63.3 ± 54.1 ng/L in STSTW and SCISTW, respectively). It was noted that STSTW was more capable in removing total PAHs than SCISTW with average total removal efficiency 94.4% ± 4.12% vs. 79.2% ± 7.48%(p 0.05). The removal of PAHs was probably due to sorption in particular matter, confirmed by the higher distribution coefficient of individual and total PAHs in solid samples(dewatered sludge contained92.5% and 74.7% of total PAHs in SCISTW and STSTW, respectively) than liquid samples(final effluent-total contained 7.53% and 25.3% of total PAHs in STSTW and SCISTW, respectively).Despite the impressive capability of STSTW and SCISTW in removing PAHs, there was still a considerable amount of total PAHs(1.85 and 39.3 kg/year, respectively for the two STPs) being discharged into Hong Kong coastal waters, which would be an environmental concern.