Distribution of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in the whole blood of typical meat animals

The concentrations and distribution of polychlorinated naphthalenes(PCNs) in the whole blood of eight typical terrestrial meat animals(chicken, duck, rabbit, pig, cattle, sheep,horse and donkey) consumed daily in our life were investigated. The total concentrations(on a liquid volume basis) of PCNs were in a range from 305 to 987 pg/L. Donkey blood contained the highest PCN concentrations. Mono-CNs were the dominant homolog group,accounting for 38%–71% PCNs. Apart from the mono-CNs and tri-CNs homolog groups, two hepta-CNs(mean: 9.5%) contributed most, followed by tetra-CNs(mean: 6.5%). The congeners CN1, 5/7, 24/14, 27/30, 52/60, 66/67, and 73 were the most abundant congeners or congener groups. The highest toxicity equivalencies(TEQs) were observed in cattle blood(117.4 fg TEQ/L) then chicken blood(117.1 fg TEQ/L). CN73 contributed 65% to total TEQs,followed by CN70(20%) and CN66/67(14%). The dietary intakes of PCNs were also estimated.Chicken meat, which forms the second largest component of meat product consumption in China, contributed most to the total TEQs(61%), followed by beef(27%) and pork(5.9%). The consumption of chicken might pose the highest risk from exposure to PCNs than other types of meat to populations who prefer to eat chicken meat.     

Multicriteria ranking of workplaces regarding working conditions in a mining company

Ranking of workplaces with respect to working conditions is very significant for each company. It indicates the positions where employees are most exposed to adverse effects resulting from the working environment, which endangers their health. This article presents the results obtained for 12 different production workplaces in the copper mining and smelting complex RTB Bor – ‘Veliki Krivelj’ open pit, based on six parameters measured regularly which defined the following working environment conditions: air temperature, light, noise, dustiness, chemical hazards and vibrations. The ranking of workplaces has been performed by PROMETHEE/GAIA. Additional optimization of workplaces is done by PROMETHEE V with the given limits related to maximum permitted values for working environment parameters. The obtained results indicate that the most difficult workplace is on the excavation location (excavator operator). This method can be successfully used for solving similar kinds of problems, in order to improve working conditions.     

Algal uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen in wastewater treatment plants

The algal uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) in the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic(A_2O)process was investigated in this study. Anaerobic, aerobic and effluent DON samples from two wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) were separated into hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions using a DAX-8 resin coupled with an anion exchange resin and a nanofiltration(NF)pretreatment. Hydrophilic DON accounted for 66.66%–88.74% of the entire DON for the two plants evaluated. After a 15-day incubation, 16.95%–91.75% DON was bioavailable for algal growth, and untreated samples exhibited higher DON bioavailability, with 52.83% DON average uptake rates, compared with the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions(45.53% and 44.40%, respectively) because the pretreatment caused the inorganic salt to be resistant to algae. Anaerobic untreated samples, hydrophilic fractions and hydrophobic fractions showed higher DON reduction rates and higher biomass accumulation compared with the other DON fractions due to the decomposition of resistant organics by anaerobic and anoxic bacteria.DON in aerobic and effluent samples of plant A was more bioavailable than that of plant B with usages of 27.49%–55.26% DON. DON bioavailability in the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic process decreased in the following order: anaerobic effluent aerobic. The DON contents were reduced after anaerobic treatment in the two plants. The EEM-PARAFAC model identified three DON components, including two humic acid-like substances and one protein-like substance in plant A and two protein-like substances and one humic acid-like substance in plant B.     

我国典型陆地生态系统固碳重要区范围界定

全球变暖已成为当今最主要的全球性环境问题之一,建立固碳重要区也是应对全球气候变化的重要途径之一.根据我国陆地生态系统现状以及固碳相关的最新研究结果和政府文件,以森林、草地生态系统为主要研究对象,采用GIS空间叠置分析方法,界定我国典型陆地生态系统固碳重要区(注:涉及“全国”的各要素范围均未包含港澳台地区)的空间范围.研究结果:固碳重要区评价指标体系包括生态系统碳储量、碳汇和固碳潜力3个核心因子,界定过程包括界定范围选择、固碳高值区识别、固碳重要区范围确定和分区命名等步骤.在全国尺度界定了森林、草地两大类共计20个固碳重要区,总面积285.6×104 km2.其中,森林生态系统固碳重要区主要分布在我国东北部、西南部的深山区和东南部的山地丘陵,草地生态系统固碳重要区主要分布在内蒙古高原中东部、新疆西北部山地和青藏高原东南部.固碳重要区面积占全国国土总面积的29.8%,所提供的NPP(净初级生产力)量占全国NPP总量的40.7%,固碳能力是全国平均水平的1.37倍.固碳重要区范围界定结果符合“以较小面积获取较大服务”原则,适于作为我国实现碳减排目标的优先保护区域.      

基于PLFA法分析亚硝氮、硝氮和氨氮对厌氧微生物细菌群落的影响

利用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)技术研究了亚硝氮、硝氮和氨氮在不同浓度水平下对中温厌氧颗粒污泥中厌氧细菌群落结构的影响.结果表明,高浓度亚硝氮(360 mg·L-1,以N计)、硝氮(300 mg·L-1,以N计)和氨氮(3000 mg·L-1,以N计)使系统COD去除率分别下降至3.49%、10.85%和71.53%,并使污泥表面主要细菌由杆菌变为球状菌;亚硝氮和硝氮引起厌氧细菌和革兰氏阳性菌的含量下降,氨氮引起革兰氏阴性菌的含量下降;PLFA香农-威尔多样性指数随着亚硝氮和硝氮浓度的升高从1.12分别下降至0.96和1.03,氨氮对PLFA香农-威尔多样性指数无明显影响.     

The analysis of influence of individual and environmental factors on 2-wheeled users’ injuries

Objective: Powered 2-wheeled motor vehicles (PTWs) are one of the most vulnerable categories of road users. Bearing that fact in mind, we have researched the effects of individual and environmental factors on the severity and type of injuries of PTW users. The aim was to recognize the circumstances that cause these accidents and take some preventive actions that would improve the level of road safety for PTWs.

Methods: In the period from 2001 to 2010, an analysis of 139 road accidents involving PTWs was made by the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering in Belgrade. The effects of both individual (age, gender, etc.) and environmental factors (place of an accident, time of day, etc.) on the cause of accidents and severity and type of injuries of PTWs are reported in this article. Analyses of these effects were conducted using logistic regression, chi-square tests, and Pearson's correlation.

Results: Factors such as categories of road users, pavement conditions, place of accident, age, and time of day have a statistically significant effect on PTW injuries, whereas other factors (gender, road type; that is, straight or curvy) do not. The article also defines the interdependence of the occurrence of particular injuries at certain speeds. The results show that if PTW users died of a head injury, these were usually concurrent with chest injuries, injuries to internal organs, and limb injuries.

Conclusions: It has been shown that there is a high degree of influence of individual factors on the occurrence of accidents involving 2-wheelers (PTWs/bicycles) but with no statistically significant relation. Establishing the existence of such conditionalities enables identifying and defining factors that have an impact on the occurrence of traffic accidents involving bicyclists or PTWs. Such a link between individual factors and the occurrence of accidents makes it possible for system managers to take appropriate actions aimed at certain categories of 2-wheelers in order to reduce casualties in a particular area. The analysis showed that most of the road factors do not have a statistically significant effect on either category of 2-wheeler. Namely, the logistic regression analysis showed that there is a statistically significant effect of the place of accident on the occurrence of accidents involving bicyclists.     

SO2及PM10污染频次分析方法的探讨

以梅州为例,对城区小区域内3个站点的SO₂及PM₁₀浓度进行统计,分析SO₂及PM₁₀浓度变化的发生偏离正常水平的时间分布情况,为大气污染防治工作提出决策支持建议。     

Controlling factors of phytoplankton seasonal succession in oligotrophic Mali Ston Bay (south-eastern Adriatic)

Fine spatial and temporal phytoplankton variability in Mali Ston Bay has been observed for the first time based on physicochemical properties and small herbivorous zooplankton. Extensive year-through research was conducted during 2002 at Usko station which is traditionally an area of intensive shellfish farming. The Neretva River inflow, submarine springs (“vruljas”) and precipitation are additional sources of nutrients in the bay. Temperature and salinity, combined with total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) were observed to be the most important environmental factors driving the succession of phytoplankton communities. Orthophosphate was a potential limiting factor for phytoplankton development. The nanophytoplankton abundances, as well as the microphytoplankton diatoms are controlled by herbivorous zooplankton grazing (‘top-down’ control) more than other groups of microphytoplankton. Nanophytoplankton dominated phytoplankton abundance and its most intensive development was recorded in winter and spring, while increase in microphytoplankton abundance occurred in spring and autumn. Diatoms dominated microphytoplankton abundance mostly in winter and autumn, while dinoflagellates dominated in spring and summer. Considering the number of taxa and abundance, dinoflagellates were the dominant microphytoplankton group during the year and were the main component of the spring blooms. At that time, in conditions of elevated temperature (>16 °C), decreased salinity (34–36) and increased concentrations of TIN, blooms of harmful dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum were recorded for the first time in the bay. The results showed a significant difference in environmental conditions, as well as in the annual phytoplankton succession and community structure, as compared with studies carried out more than 20 years ago in this area.     

Multi-scale spatial determinants of dissolved oxygen and nutrients in Qiantang River, China

This study employed spatial regression to analyze the determinants of dissolved oxygen (DO) and nutrients in the Qiantang River, China. Determinants of their spatial patterns in 1996 and 2003 as well as their dynamics during this time period were characterized at sub-basin and 500-m riparian buffer scales. Results indicated that the determinants differed by variable and by scale. Built-ups, farmland, water body, population density and gross domestic product were positive indicators for nutrient pollution and hypoxia, while distance to river source and forest were negative indicators. Higher slope variability indicates more DO and nutrients. In addition, built-up increases that were accelerated by population growth and economic development accounted for DO and nutrients dynamics to a large extent. This study highlighted that incorporation of spatial autocorrelation into regression was not only a methodological advantage but also a promising management tool.