Humic acids enhance the microbially mediated release of sedimentary ferrous iron

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for many organisms, but high concentrations of iron can be toxic. The complex relation between iron, arsenic (As), bacteria, and organic matter in sediments and groundwater is still an issue of environmental concern. The present study addresses the effects of humic acids and microorganisms on the mobilization of iron in sediments from an arsenic-affected area, and the microbial diversity was analyzed. The results showed that the addition of 50, 100, and 500 mg/L humic acids enhanced ferrous iron (Fe(II)) release in a time-dependent and dose-dependent fashion under anaerobic conditions. A significant increase in the soluble Fe(II) concentrations occurred in the aqueous phases of the samples during the first 2 weeks, and aqueous Fe(II) reached its maximum concentrations after 8 weeks at the following Fe(II) concentrations: 28.95?±?1.16 mg/L (original non-sterilized sediments), 32.50?±?0.71 mg/L (50 mg/L humic acid-amended, non-sterilized sediments), 37.50?±?1.85 mg/L (100 mg/L humic acid-amended, non-sterilized sediments), and 39.00?±?0.43 mg/L (500 mg/L humic acid-amended, non-sterilized sediments). These results suggest that humic acids can further enhance the microbially mediated release of sedimentary iron under anaerobic conditions. By contrast, very insignificant amounts of iron release were observed from sterilized sediments (the abiotic controls), even with the supplementation of humic acids under anaerobic incubation. In addition, the As(III) release was increased from 50?±?10 μg/L (original non-sterilized sediments) to 110?±?45 μg/L (100 mg/L humic acid-amended, non-sterilized sediments) after 8 weeks of anaerobic incubation. Furthermore, a microbial community analysis indicated that the predominant class was changed from Alphaproteobacteria to Deltaproteobacteria, and clearly increased populations of Geobacter sp., Paludibacter sp., and Methylophaga sp. were found after adding humic acids along with the increased release of iron and arsenic. Our findings provide evidence that humic acids can enhance the microbially mediated release of sedimentary ferrous iron in an arsenic-affected area. It is thus suggested that the control of anthropogenic humic acid use and entry into the environment is important for preventing the subsequent iron contamination in groundwater.     

Resource allocation for mitigating regional air pollution–related mortality: A summertime case study for five cities in the United States

An important issue of regional air quality management is to allocate air quality management funds to maximize environmental and human health benefits. In this study, we use an innovative approach to tackle this air quality management issue. We develop an innovative resource allocation model that allows identification of air pollutant emission control strategies that maximize mortality avoidances subject to a resource constraint. We first present the development of the resource allocation model and then a case study to show how the model can be used to identify resource allocation strategies that maximize mortality avoidances for top five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) (i.e., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Philadelphia) in the continental United States collectively. Given budget constraints in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act assessment, the results of the case study suggest that controls of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and primary carbon (PC) emissions from EPA Regions 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9 would have significant health benefits for the five selected cities collectively. Around 30,800 air pollution–related mortalities could be avoided during the selected 2-week summertime episode for the five cities collectively if the budget could be allocated based on the results of the resource allocation model. Although only five U.S. cities during a 2-week episode are considered in the case study, the resource allocation model can be used by decision-makers to plan air pollution mitigation strategies to achieve the most significant health benefits for other seasons and more cities over a region or the continental U.S.Implications: Effective allocations of air quality management resources are challenging and complicated, and it is desired to have a tool that can help decision-makers better allocate the funds to maximize health benefits of air pollution mitigation. An innovative resource allocation model developed in this study can help decision-makers identify the best resource allocation strategies for multiple cities collectively. The results of a case study suggest that controls of primary carbon and sulfur dioxides emissions would achieve the most significant health benefits for five selected cities collectively.     

Biochemical study of retired pentachlorophenol workers with and without following dietary exposure to PCDD/Fs

Objectives

This is the first research study to compare among female, non-smoker workers: (a) the exposure to benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTXs) in urban air during work in the street (traffic policewomen, TP) vs. work in vehicles (police drivers, PD); (b) the exposure to BTXs in urban environments (in street and in car) vs. rural environments (roadwomen, RW); (c) the values of blood benzene, urinary trans, trans muconic acid (t,t-MA) and urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) in urban areas (in street and in car) vs. rural areas.

Methods

Passive personal samplings and data acquired using fixed monitoring stations located in different areas of the city were used to measure environmental and occupational exposure to BTXs during the work shift in 48 TP, 21 PD and 22 RW. In the same study subjects, blood benzene, t,t-MA and S-PMA were measured at the end of each work shift.

Results

Personal exposure of urban workers to benzene seemed to be higher than the exposure measured by the fixed monitoring stations. Personal exposure to benzene and toluene was (a) similar among TP and PD and (b) higher among urban workers compared to rural workers. Personal exposure to xylenes was (a) higher in TP than in PD and (b) higher among urban workers compared to rural workers. Blood benzene, t,t-MA and S-PMA levels were similar among TP and PD, although the blood benzene level was significantly higher in urban workers compared to rural workers. In urban workers, airborne benzene and blood benzene levels were significantly correlated.

Conclusions

Benzene is a human carcinogen, and BTXs are potential reproductive toxins at low dose exposures. Biological and environmental monitoring to assess exposure to BTXs represents a preliminary and necessary tool for the implementation of preventive measures for female subjects working in outdoor environments.     

风险偏好视角下地铁施工安全群体行为博弈研究

为了研究风险偏好对地铁项目施工阶段施工人员与安全管理人员行为决策的影响,将前景理论引入演化博弈建模及分析过程,构建区别于传统收益矩阵的前景安全效用价值感知矩阵,得到施工人员与安全管理人员在不同风险偏好下的最优策略。结合数值仿真研究得出:地铁施工安全群体凭借其个人风险偏好倾向于选择预期效用最大化决策,安全群体通过风险规避才能保证地铁项目施工阶段安全系统稳定。研究结果从完善安全管理奖惩制度、培养安全群体安全理念、转变传统安全风险管控观念3个方面为地铁项目施工提出了安全管理建议。     

基于案例推理的突发性环境污染事件应急预案系统

在分析了突发性环境污染事件应急需求的基础上,将基于案例推理(CBR)的人工智能技术引入到突发性环境污染事件应急预案系统(CBR-EERPS)的设计中,设计了CBR-EERPS系统的结构和功能模块,提出了基于框架的案例表示方法和基于HEOM的相似性度量方法,并对案例的适配方法、案例库学习、案例库管理进行了构思和探讨,最后阐述了该系统的运行和工作流程.     

盐度变化对SBR中硝化作用的动态影响研究

针对含氨氮废水,研究了逐步提高盐度（以氯离子浓度计）驯化活性污泥过程、淡水活性污泥受到一定盐度冲击过程以及经过30 000 mg Cl/L驯化后的活性污泥在盐度波动时对SBR反应器中亚硝化和硝酸化过程的影响。研究结果表明:在逐步提高盐度驯化的过程中,NH⁺₄-N的降解速率在盐度提高为15 000 mg Cl/L时先降低后升高,当盐度为25 000 mg Cl/L时,反应周期末有大量的NO^-₂-N累积,当盐度高达30 000 mg Cl/L时, NH⁺₄N的降解速率仍然维持在一定水平,这说明硝酸化过程比亚硝化过程更容易受到高盐度的抑制。而在冲击实验中,当淡水活性污泥受到20 000 mg Cl/L盐度冲击时,即使经过长时间的驯化后亚硝化过程仍然受到较大的抑制,且反应周期末有大量NO^-₂-N累积,当受到30 000 mg Cl/L盐度冲击时硝化作用几乎完全被抑制。经过30 000 mg Cl/L驯化后的活性污泥的硝化作用对盐度波动具有较强的适应性。     

纳米铁去除水中硝酸盐的动力学研究

实验中采用了液相还原法制备新型吸附剂纳米铁。在纳米铁低投放量的条件下,采用间歇实验,分别从初始硝酸盐浓度、溶液pH值和温度的不同外界条件下研究了纳米铁对硝酸盐的去除情况。实验结果表明,硝酸盐初始浓度对反应速率有影响,但对去除率影响不大;溶液pH值为2.0时纳米铁对硝酸盐的去除效果最好;随着温度的升高,纳米铁对硝酸盐的去除率有所增加。以t时刻已反应掉的硝酸盐浓度为切入点,提出拟二级动力学方程。进而确定不同温度下的反应速率常数k。实验中k在50℃时最大,为0.014 mg/（L·min）。反应活化能Ea为17.18 kJ/mol,该反应以质量传递为控制因素。溶液中性条件下硝酸盐氮的还原产物为氨氮。     

环境风险评价中氯气泄漏扩散的计算

根据HJ/T169-2004((建设项目环境风险评价技术导则>(简称<导则>),对某化工厂使用的液氯钢瓶的事故源进行分析.采用<导则>推荐的Cox和Carpenter稠密气体扩散模型,在氯气泄漏的初期,将其作为重气泄漏扩散进行计算,得到重气云团温度、半径、卷入空气质量和质量浓度随扩散时间的变化关系.计算结果与非重气扩散高斯模式的计算结果有较大差异.因此,对涉及氯气的项目进行环境风险评价时,应重视氯气作为重气泄漏扩散的环节.     

High variation of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs ratio in cooked food from the first total diet survey in Taiwan

This study determined the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in 240 individual food samples, belonging to 37 different foodstuffs in first total diet study (TDS) in Taiwan. The foods were collected from markets located in eight cities or counties around Taiwan. The food was cooked in a laboratory according to recipes typically used in Taiwan. In this study, PCDD/Fs were lower than the limits proposed by the European Union (EU) regulation for commercialized food, except for a notable PCDD/Fs level in ducks (3.660 pg WHO-TEQ/g, fat) obtained from central Taiwan. We hypothesize the duck meat might be probably polluted via emission of a fly ash recycling plant located near the duck farms. In addition to fish, most foods had high PCDD/Fs to dl-PCBs ratio. Needle fish and sea perch had relatively lower PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs levels compared with those in other fish. Data from this study can be utilized for further consideration about dietary intake.