Geochemistry and health risk assessment of arsenic exposure to street dust in the zinc smelting district, Northeast China

The aim of this study was to investigate arsenic (As) accumulation in street dust and health risk of population. The investigation concentrated on: a. pollution levels of As in street dust; b. spatial distribution of As in street dust; c. physicochemical properties analysis of street dust; and d. assessment of population health risk due to As exposure to street dust. As concentration in street dust ranged from 3.33 to 185.1?mg?kg^?1, with a mean of 33.10?mg?kg^?1, which was higher than the background value of Liaoning soil. As contamination level of the area closing to Huludao Zinc Plant (HZP) was highest. Spatial variation showed that the pollution center was close to HZP, formed radial distribution pattern and extended to the northeast and southwest of HZP. The pH and organic matter of street dust were both higher than the background values of soil in Liaoning. There was significantly negative correlation between As concentration and the pH. The mass percentages of particles 180?C100,?<100?C75,?<75?C63, and?<63???m were 29.8, 3.7, 21.3, and 4.2?%, respectively. The highest of As concentration was found in the smallest particle size (<63???m). As loadings in the particles of grain size 180?C100 and?<75?C63???m were higher than other particle fractions. Results of the risk assessment indicated that the highest risk was associated with the ingestion of street dust particles. Health risk for different use scenarios to human decreased in the order of HZP?>?Industrial district?>?School?>?Commercial center?>?Residential area. Around HZP, Hazard Index (HI) for children and cancer risk of As by street dust exposure exceeded the acceptable values. It indicated that there was a potential adverse effect on children health by As exposure to the street dust of Huludao.     

Toxic elements leaching in different soils affected by the spill from the aznalcollar pyrite mine (Sevilla,Spain)

A study has been made of the leaching of Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu, Tl and As in three representative soils of the zone affected by the spill from a pyrite mine in Aznalcollar (Sevilla, Spain) employing packed soil columns. According to the breakthrough and cumulative leaching curves, the relative mobilities of the different toxic elements in the columns are as follows: Tl > Cd > Zn > As > Cu > Pb. The results also show that the soils themselves have a good capacity for immobilizing the soluble fraction of the elements from the spilled mud, this capacity varying as follows: clayey soil with a high carbonate content > clayey soil with a moderate carbonate content > sandy‐clay loam soil with a low carbonate content. The results obtained in the work are a valuable contribution to the necessary assessment of the impact of the toxic spill on underground waters.     

Exposure of ground water to alachlor,atrazine and metolachlor in maize areas of ribatejo and oeste (Portugal)

In irrigated maize areas of an important Portuguese agricultural area, Ribatejo and Oeste Region, alachlor, atrazine and metolachlor were detected in ground water.

During the study performed from 1996 to 1998 atrazine was the herbicide that showed the highest frequency of detection. In the 177 ground water samples collected 62% were contaminated with atrazine, 30% with alachlor and 12% with metolachlor. All these herbicides were detected both in ground water for human consumption and for irrigation, in some cases above 0.1 ug/L. The maximum levels quantified were 13μg/L for alachlor, 30μg/L for atrazine and 56 μg/L for metolachlor.

Seasonal variation of residues in ground water it is also presented through several examples of studies performed during the period 1991–1999.     

An evidence of salinity impact on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fishes collected from the Messolonghi lagoon in Greece

The impact of salinity and water exchange rate on the accumulation of heavy metals in the benthic fish Zosterissesor ophiocephalus, collected from the shallow sublagoons Tholi and Paleopotamos, was studied. Both sublagoons are influenced by the intensive agricultural activity of the surrounding area in terms of the chemical substances’ drainage, and by the untreated sewage discharges of an urbanized area with Paleopotamos being affected in lesser extent. Paleopotamos is characterised by restricted water renovation, resulting to much higher salinity than Tholi. The bioaccumulation of the heavy metals studied (Manganese, Zinc and Copper), reveals differences among the metals with females showing higher values. Specimens from Paleopotamos showed statistically significant higher bioaccumulation of the heavy metals in both sexes, which is attributed to the extremely high salinity of this sublagoon.     

离子液体[C16mim]Cl对泥鳅的毒性效应

以泥鳅为受试动物,采用急性毒性、微核试验及酶活分析实验,研究了离子液体[C16mim]Cl对水生生物的生物毒性作用。急性实验表明:[C16mim]Cl对泥鳅有明显的毒性,其对泥鳅24、48和96h的LC50分别为2.533、1.763和1.379mg.L-1;微核实验表明:对照组红细胞微核率为0.5‰左右,而处理组红细胞微核率最高达到12.89‰,且各处理组均明显高于对照组(P<0.05);酶活分析实验表明:处理组血清的GPT和GOT活力均明显高于对照组,且随[C16mim]Cl浓度增高而呈现上升趋势。从以上结果可以得出:[C16mim]Cl对泥鳅具有显著的遗传毒性和生理毒性效应,因而推测其大量使用可能对水生生物及生态环境具有一定的毒害作用。     

Carbon sequestration of black locust forests in the Yellow River Delta region,China

The Yellow River Delta region in China is a land area of 1,200,000 ha with rich natural resources. Adverse environmental conditions, such as low rainfall and high salinity, promote the dominance of black locust trees for afforestation. With the increase of CO₂ in the atmosphere, this forest and others throughout the world have become valued for their ability to sequester and store carbon. Forests store carbon in aboveground biomass (i.e. trees), belowground biomass (i.e. roots), soils and standing litter crop (i.e. forest floor and coarse woody debris). There are well-developed methods to sample forest ecosystems, including tree inventories that are used to quantify carbon in aboveground tree biomass. Such inventories are used to estimate the types of roundwood products removed from the forest during harvesting. Based on standard plot inventories and stem analyses, carbon sequestration estimates of trees were 222.41 t ha^?1 for the Yellow River Delta region accounted for 67.12% of the whole forest. Similarly, carbon storage by herbaceous matter and soil was 0.50 and 50.34 t ha^?1, respectively. The results suggest that carbon sequestration in the forest ecosystem was performed by most of the forest, which plays an increasingly important role in sequestering carbon as the stand grows.     

胚胎期和哺乳期全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)暴露致大鼠学习记忆能力下降

为了探讨全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)的发育神经毒性,寻找PFOS发育神经毒性作用的敏感期,利用水迷宫和组织病理切片技术,研究了胚胎期和哺乳期暴露于PFOS后新生大鼠发育情况、学习记忆能力、抓力以及海马组织病理学改变。结果显示：PFOS导致仔鼠发育迟缓,睁眼期延迟。仔鼠出生后体重与对照组相比出现显著性降低。同一PFOS暴露浓度下,胚胎期暴露组体重低于哺乳期暴露组,抓力差异不显著。水迷宫实验结果显示,TT15(胚胎期和哺乳期均暴露于15 mg·L^-1 PFOS)和TC15(仅胚胎期暴露于15 mg·L^-1 PFOS)暴露组仔鼠逃避潜伏期显著高于对照组,且TC15暴露组仔鼠逃避潜伏期显著性高于CT15(仅哺乳期暴露于15 mg·L^-1 PFOS)暴露组。空间探索实验中,TT15暴露组仔鼠在目标象限的游泳时间显著性低于对照组,其他组无显著性差异。组织病理切片结果显示暴露组海马组织细胞数量减少,出现细胞凋亡现象。结果表明,PFOS造成仔鼠的发育延迟以及学习记忆能力下降的关键作用时期可能是胚胎期。     

微囊藻毒素对青菜生长的影响及其在生物体内的累积

蓝藻藻泥好氧堆肥腐熟后还田是其打捞后资源化利用的主要途径。堆肥后仍有一定数量的微囊藻毒素(microcystin,MC)残留,大量还田是否会对作物生长和人类健康产生安全风险尚不明确。将青菜(Brassica chinensis)暴露于不同MC含量的石英砂和菜地土壤,观测植株生长状况及体内MC含量,并观测不同含量的MC在菜地土壤中的降解速率。结果发现:砂培实验结束时,青菜成株的株高和生物量随着MC暴露浓度的增加而显著降低,而植株地上部MC的含量则显著增加。在MC浓度为0.386mg·kg-1的处理中,青菜地上部MC-LR(L为亮氨酸)和MC-RR(R为精氨酸)的浓度分别达到27.45μg·kg-1(鲜质量)和1.35μg·kg-1(鲜质量)。MC-LR和MC-RR在青菜地上部的富集系数都随着砂培基质中MC浓度的增加而显著降低,且前者显著高于后者。土培青菜生长过程中吸收和累积的MC数量显著小于砂培实验。MC在菜地土壤中降解56d后,MC-LR和MC-RR的降解率均达90%以上。按普通有机肥的一般用量(2.5kg·m-2)施用充分腐熟的蓝藻堆肥成品种植青菜,食用后每人每天摄入的MC含量远低于WHO制定的饮用水中MC的指导值。研究为评估现行蓝藻堆肥工艺中残留的MC对作物生长和生物安全风险提供了科学依据。     

印染废水处理过程及排放水对草履虫遗传毒性评价

草履虫作为指示生物评估印染废水处理过程及排放水的毒性效应。急性毒性结果显示,原水、厌氧工段印染废水、好氧工段印染废水对草履虫的半数致死浓度(24h-LC₅₀)分别为54%、41%、98%;遗传毒性结果显示,印染废水原水、经处理的排放水在6.25%、12.25%稀释梯度下对草履虫造成的DNA损伤较对照组呈显著升高(p<0.01),而排放水对草履虫的DNA损伤较原水无显著性差异;草履虫增殖速率结果显示,印染废水排放水50%稀释梯度下对草履虫增殖速率有抑制作用。暴露于印染废水排放水中10%的草履虫其游动行为发生改变。以上结果表明,印染废水在经过处理后,理化指标均达到国家印染废水行业排放标准,但排放水仍对草履虫产生急性毒性,且遗传毒性较原水没有显著降低。水生生物毒性测试能有效补充理化指标评价,为印染废水行业全面达标排放提供依据。     

Temporary site selection and decision‐making methods: a case study of Tehran,Iran

Decisions on selecting an appropriate site for temporary shelter used to be taken in a limited amount of time after a disaster. The need for a systematic method in this area inspired the MADM (multi‐attribute decision making) for complex disaster management decisions. This research proposes a model for appropriate and systematic site selection for temporary shelters, before an earthquake, using a geographical information system and MADM based on an earthquake damage assessment. After the effective criteria for site selection of temporary shelters are determined, the geographical layers of these criteria are prepared for Municipal District No.1 of Greater Tehran, the capital of Iran. Given these attributes and the required shelter area (415–610 hectares), 14 zones are proposed initially. Various MADM methods are used for the final selection. The mean of the aggregated ranking results are determined, and 10 of the 14 initial zones are ranked.