Characterization of PM2.5-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Atlanta

Twenty-four hour PM_2.5 samples from a rural site, an urban site, and a suburban site (next to a major highway) in the metropolitan Atlanta area in December 2003 and June 2004 were analyzed for 19 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Extraction of the air samples was conducted using an accelerated solvent extraction method followed by isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry determination. Distinct seasonal variations were observed in total PAH concentration (i.e. significantly higher concentrations in December than in June). Mean concentrations for total particulate PAHs in December were 3.16, 4.13, and 3.40 ng m^?3 for the urban, suburban and rural sites, respectively, compared with 0.60, 0.74, and 0.24 ng m^?3 in June. Overall, the suburban site, which is impacted by a nearby major highway, had higher PAH concentration than did the urban site. Total PAH concentrations were found to be well correlated with PM_2.5, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) in both months (r² = 0.36–0.78, p < 0.05), although the slopes from the two months were different. PAHs represented on average 0.006% of total PM_2.5 mass and 0.017% of OC in June, compared with 0.033% of total PM_2.5 and 0.14% of OC in December. Total PAH concentrations were also correlated with potassium ion (r² = 0.39, p = 0.014) in December, but not in June, suggesting that in winter biomass burning can potentially be an important source for particulate PAH. Retene was found at a higher median air concentration at the rural site than at the urban and suburban sites—unlike the rest of the PAHs, which were found at lower levels at the rural site. Retene also had a larger seasonal difference and had the weakest correlation with the rest of the PAHs measured, suggesting that retene, in particular, might be associated with biomass burning.     

Impact of fungicides on active oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) exposed to ozone.

Two modern fungicides, a strobilurin, azoxystrobin (AZO), and a triazole, epoxiconazole (EPO), applied as foliar spray on spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Scarlett) 3 days prior to fumigation with injurious doses of ozone (150-250 ppb; 5 days; 7 h/day) induced a 50-60% protection against ozone injury on leaves. Fungicide treatments of barley plants at growth stage (GS) 32 significantly increased the total leaf soluble protein content. Additionally, activities of the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate-peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) were increased by both fungicides at maximal rates of 16, 75, 51 and 144%, respectively. Guiacol-peroxidase (POX) activity was elevated by 50-110% only in AZO treated plants, while this effect was lacking after treatments with EPO. This coincided with elevated levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) only in EPO and not in AZO treated plants. The enhancement of the plant antioxidative system by the two fungicides significantly and considerably reduced the level of superoxide (O2*-) in leaves. Fumigation of barley plants for 4 days with non-injurious ozone doses (120-150 ppb, 7 h/day) markedly and immediately stimulated O2*- accumulation in leaves, while H2O2 was increased only after the third day of fumigation. Therefore, O2*- itself or as precursor of even more toxic oxyradicals appears to be more indicative for ozone-induced leaf damage than H2O2. Ozone also induced significant increases in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POX and CAT) after 2 days of fumigation in fungicide untreated plants, while after 4 days of fumigation these enzymes declined to a level lower than in unfumigated plants, due to the oxidative degradation of leaf proteins. This is the first report demonstrating the marked enhancement of plant antioxidative enzymes and the enhanced scavenging of potentially harmful O2*- by fungicides as a mechanism of protecting plants against noxious oxidative stress from the environment. The antioxidant effect of modern fungicides widely used in intense cereal production in many countries represents an important factor when evaluating potential air pollution effects in agriculture.     

Effects of hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride addition combined with vermicomposting on maturity and bacterial diversity in the final vermicompost from the biochemical residue of kitchen waste

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A large amount of kitchen waste is produced all over the world. Biochemical disposal is an effective method for the reduction and safe utilization of...     

Well-designed environmental regulation and firm performance: Swedish evidence on the Porter hypothesis and the effect of regulatory time strategies

Using recent data on a cross-section of Swedish chemical and pulp and paper firms, this paper provides novel empirical insights into the Porter hypothesis. Well-designed environmental regulation can stimulate firms’ innovative capabilities, while at the same time generating innovation offsets that may both offset net compliance costs and yield a competitive edge over those firms that are not affected by such regulations. In doing so, we also test the alleged effectiveness of regulatory time strategies in stimulating innovation activities of regulated firms. We find evidence for the effectiveness of such well-designed regulations: announced rather than existing regulation induces innovation and some innovation offsets. Our results imply that empirical tests of the Porter hypothesis that do not account for its dynamic nature, and that do not measure well-designed regulations, might provide misleading conclusions as to its validity.     

Shared aggression concerns and organizational outcomes: The moderating role of resource constraints

Most research on workplace aggression focuses on the antecedents and consequences of aggression for individual workers. The current study examines how shared workplace aggression concerns relate to internal and external organizational outcomes. Drawing on the work stress, social identity, and social contagion literatures, we propose relationships between unit‐level aggression concerns and unit‐level measures of performance and employee attitudes in a public school sample (2989 employees; 163 schools). We also propose that these relationships differ depending on the resource context of the school. Consistent with our expectations, schools in which teachers had strong shared concerns about aggression also had poorer shared job attitudes and poorer student outcomes, as indicated by average standardized test scores at the school. The impact of shared concerns about aggression on school‐level standardized test scores was stronger for resource‐rich schools than for schools with fewer resources. The current study contributes to organizational research as it establishes that workplace aggression concerns have adverse consequences for the whole organization, not only for the individuals experiencing the events. Our findings demonstrate that employees' shared concerns about aggression have an impact on organizational outcomes and suggest a prevention‐focused approach to workplace aggression. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

广西百色植烟区土壤及烟株硼含量特征研究

为了科学补充烟田土壤硼元素,平衡土壤与烟株之间的硼营养,并最终改善烟叶品质,本研究选择广西百色靖西市壬庄乡史典村、化峒镇三友村及德保县燕峒乡那布村植烟区为研究对象,分析了烟株及其根系土壤的硼素含量特征。结果表明:(1)史典村土壤全量硼变化范围为35.23～90.47mg/kg,平均值为52.44±14.5mg/kg,处于中等水平;三友村变化范围为19.27～42.01mg/kg,平均值为28.26±6.72mg/kg,处于缺乏水平;那布村变化范围为84.28～130.71mg/kg,平均值为110.76±13.7mg/kg,处于丰富水平;(2)三块烟田上部烟叶硼含量处于适宜水平的占4.17%,其余均处于高含量水平;中部烟叶硼含量处于适宜水平的占20%,其余均处于高含量水平;三友村下部烟叶硼含量处于适宜水平的占60%,处于低水平及欠缺水平的占40%。三块烟田烟株的烟茎、上部及中部烟叶的钙硼比均低于1340,处于不缺硼状态;三友村下部烟叶钙硼比略高于1500,处于缺硼状态;(3)三块烟田烟株硼含量均为上部烟叶>中部烟叶>烟茎,两两之间具有显著性差异(P＜0.05),即硼在新生组织中含量较成熟组织高;(4)土壤pH与土壤硼含量及上部烟叶硼含量呈极显著负相关,与烟茎硼及中部烟叶硼含量呈显著负相关;上部烟叶硼含量与土壤硼含量呈极显著正相关,中部烟叶硼含量与土壤硼含量呈显著正相关,说明可在一定范围内改良土壤pH及调节土壤硼含量,以提升烤烟品质。     

Removal of inorganic colour pigments from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene by dissolution-based recycling

Reinserting thermoplastic industrial scrap materials back into the production process must be feasible and cost-effective. Unfortunately, many thermoplastic materials contain colour pigments that cause undesired colour effects and, therefore, have to be removed before recycling. The purpose of this study was to reduce the inorganic colour pigments titanium dioxide, chromium(III) oxide and iron(III) oxide from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Based on experiences with dissolution-based polymer recycling, the two methods for removing these colour pigments studied in this project were filtration and centrifugation. Multiple laboratory-scale experiments were performed with two solvent formulations, acetone and CreaSolv^? SB. Using the filtration method, both solvent formulations achieved reduction rates of 80% for titanium and iron and 90% for chromium. While similar reduction rates were obtained with high-speed laboratory-type centrifuges for acetone solutions, the results for CreaSolv^? SB solutions were considerably lower under the same experimental conditions. Increasing the temperature or centrifugation speed, however, will also increase the reduction rates. Thereby, CreaSolv^? SB solutions become suitable for industrial-scale processes. This is important because industrial processes based on CreaSolv^? SB solutions are significantly safer than acetone-based processes.     

基于可变集的地震灾害应急物资分配模型

为了减少地震灾害带来的巨大人员伤亡和财产损失,及时挽救生命、减轻灾害影响,应用可变集理论建立地震灾害应急物资分配模型。对影响地震应急物资分配的关键因素进行识别与分析,建立指标相对隶属度矩阵,利用模糊标度法确定指标权向量,应用可变集理论对灾区急需物资的紧迫程度进行优先级排序,进而确定物资分配方案,确定应急物资分配数量,从而弥补了以往模型决策效率低、决策过程复杂、决策结果客观性及准确性差等缺点,减少了因主观或片面的信息统计而产生的不必要的资源浪费。通过对汶川地震实例的分析,验证了该模型的实用性。