Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and risk for premature ovarian failure and reproductive hormones imbalance

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a typical class of persistent organic pollutants that is ubiquitous worldwide. Previous animal studies suggested that PAHs had adverse effects on female reproduction. However, the human data regarding relationship of PAHs exposure with women reproductive health, such as ovarian dysfunction, are scarce. In this case-control study, the associations of serum levels of PAHs with the risk of premature ovarian failure (POF) and reproductive hormones in Chinese women were investigated, with recruiting 157 POF patients and 217 healthy women. The serum levels of 12 types of PAHs, as well as reproductive hormones, including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and anti-mullerian hormone, were determined. In the logistic regression models, most individual PAH congeners showed significantly positive correlations with the risk of POF (p < 0.05), except for fluorine and pyrene. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), as the most carcinogenic PAH congener, was observed to be significantly positively associated with the risk of POF. After adjustment for age, body mass index, educational levels and household income, per one-unit increase in the log-transformed BaP concentration was significantly correlated with 2.191-fold increased risk of POF (OR = 2.191, 95%CI: 1.634–2.938, p < 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report an association between internal exposure levels of PAHs and the increased risk of POF in women.     

施用牛粪对As污染稻田水稻As吸收的影响

为探究牛粪施肥对污染稻田水稻As吸收的影响,采用盆栽培养试验研究了施加牛粪对土壤Fe和As的活性、水稻根表铁膜形成及籽粒As含量的影响。实验所用受高As矿山废水污染土壤(As:92. 3 mg/kg)施加10%～30%的牛粪,土壤溶解性有机碳含量增加8. 41～24. 5 mg/kg,土壤孔隙水pH提高0. 14～0. 59,土壤氧化还原电位降低93. 5～174 m V,与背景土(As:18. 1 mg/kg)变化趋势相同;施用牛粪还会活化土壤中的Fe和As,污染土壤Fe(II)、AO-Fe和HCl-As含量分别增加13. 5%～149%、35. 9%～90. 9%和70. 1%～181%,分别为背景土壤的0. 86～1. 66倍、1. 17～2. 15倍、4. 29～8. 91倍;施加牛粪能促进根表铁膜的形成,拔节期污染土壤和背景土壤水稻根表Fe分别是其对照的1. 56～1. 96倍和2. 09～3. 07倍,根表吸附As含量是其对照的3. 04～5. 18、3. 82～4. 08倍,根表附着Fe随牛粪的增加先增加后降低,至成熟期污染土壤水稻根表吸附Fe和As分别是背景土壤的1. 35～2. 91和8. 45～16. 6倍,根表As和Fe的物质量比为污染区(3. 49×10~(-3)～3. 55×10~(-3))背景区(4. 41×10~(-4)～6. 17×10~(-4));背景土壤施加牛粪后水稻籽粒As含量降低,最大降低36. 4%,而污染土壤水稻籽粒As含量增加,最大增加127%。牛粪对土壤As、Fe的活性及根表铁膜的形成都具有重要影响,会提高污染稻田籽粒中As的含量,含As矿山废水污染稻田应当谨慎施用牛粪。     

生物炭纳米复合材料去除环境中有机污染物研究进展

近年来,生物炭在环境修复、固碳、土壤改良等方面的得到广泛应用,与纳米材料联合制备的新型生物炭纳米复合材料使原生生物炭的比表面积、孔隙结构、官能团、催化降解能力等方面都有了较大改善,具有更好的可持续性和高效性,对环境中有机污染物具有良好的去除能力。本文介绍了生物炭纳米复合材料的不同制备工艺,重点阐述了生物炭纳米复合材料对不同环境介质中有机污染物的去除机理及应用,为后续生物炭纳米复合材料在环境修复应用的工程化和商业化提供理论依据和技术参考。     

非接触式清扫器在带式输送机中的应用

针对散料硫黄带式输送机胶带清扫效果差的问题,进行了改进试验研究,创新使用非接触式高压风吹清扫器,解决了胶带彻底清扫的同时延长了胶带寿命,实现输送系统安全、环保、平稳运行。     

Comparative study of carbonic anhydrase activity in waters among different geological eco-environments of Yangtze River basin and its ecological significance

This study provides the presence of carbonic anhydrase(CA) activity in waters of the Yangtze River basin, China, as well as the correlation of CA activity with HCO-3 concentration and CO_2 sink flux. Different degrees of CA activity could be detected in almost all of the water samples from different geological eco-environments in all four seasons. The CA activity of water samples from karst areas was significantly higher than from non-karst areas(PP3-concentration(r = 0.672, P2 sink flux(r = 0.602, P = 0.076) in karst areas. This suggests that CA in waters might have a promoting effect on carbon sinks for atmospheric CO_2 in karst river basins. In conditions of similar geological type, higher CA activity was generally detected in water samples taken from areas that exhibited better eco-environments, implying that the CA activity index of waters could be used as an indicator for monitoring ecological environments and protection of river basins. These findings suggest that the role of CA in waters in the karst carbon sink potential of river basins is worthy of further in-depth studies.     

Theoretical study on the formation mechanism of polychlorinated dibenzothiophenes/thianthrenes from 2-chlorothiophenol molecules

Homogeneous formation of polychlorinated dibenzothiophenes/thianthrenes(PCDT/TAs),sulfurated compounds analogous to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs), has been well-documented to occur via radical–radical coupling reactions from chlorinated thiophenol precursors. However, the current understanding of the formation mechanism of PCDT/TAs is exclusively limited to the inherent point of view that chlorothiophenoxy radicals act as the only required intermediates for PCDT/TAs. This study investigates reaction pathways for the formation of PCDT/TAs involving two new types of radical species, i.e., substituted phenyl radicals and substituted thiophenoxyl diradicals. Taking 2-chlorothiophenol(2-CTP) as a model compound for chlorothiophenols,we found that apart from the mostly discussed chlorothiophenoxy radicals, substituted phenyl radicals and substituted thiophenoxyl diradicals could also be readily formed via the reaction of 2-CTP with H radicals. Furthermore, direct self-and cross-coupling of these radicals can result in the formation of PCDT/TAs, including 1-monochlorothianthrene(1-MCTA), 1,6-dichlorothianthrene(1,6-DCTA), 4,6-dichlorodibenzothiophene(4,6-DCDT)and 1,6-dichlorodibenzothiophene(1,6-DCDT). The pathways proposed in this work are proven to be both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable. Particularly, comparisons were made between the formation mechanisms of sulfurated and oxygenated dioxin systems from an energetic point view, showing that replacing oxygen with sulfur atoms greatly reduces the activation barriers of the rate-controlling steps involved in the PCDT/TA formation processes compared with those involved for PCDD/Fs. The calculated results in this work may improve our understanding of the formation mechanism of PCDT/TAs from chlorothiophenol precursors and should be informative to environmental scientists.     

基于地理加权回归的NO2排放预测模型

为了探究影响NO2排放的交通相关因素,以交通分析小区为基本单位,提取了美国洛杉矶城市的人口特征、道路网络特征、交通状况等数据,采用地理加权回归模型(GWR)分析各交通相关因素对NO2排放的影响,从而建立交通小区NO2排放预测模型。结果表明,交通小区路网密度、交通小区机动车吸引量、通勤时间在30~60 min的工作人数与NO2的排放呈正相关,表明3种影响因素的增加会造成NO2排放的增加;而交通小区在家工作的人数、慢行交通(步行、自行车等绿色出行方式)吸引量与NO2的排放呈负相关,表明适当鼓励在家工作的新型办公方式、鼓励居民出行选择慢行交通,能有效减少交通小区NO2的排放。     

Temperature effect on photolysis decomposing of perfluorooctanoic acid

Perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA)is recalcitrant to degrade and mineralize.Here,the effect of temperature on the photolytic decomposition of PFOA was investigated.The decomposition of PFOA was enhanced from 34% to 99% in 60 min of exposure when the temperature was increased from 25 to 85°C under UV light(201–600 nm).The limited degree of decomposition at 25°C was due to low quantum yield,which was increased by a factor of 12 at 85°C.Under the imposed conditions,the defluorination ratio increased from 8% at 25°C to 50% at85°C in 60 min.Production of perfluorinated carboxylic acids(PFCAs,C7–C5),PFCAs(C4–C3)and TFA(trifluoroacetic acid,C2)accelerated and attained a maximum within 30 to 90 min at 85°C.However,these reactions did not occur at 25°C despite extended irradiation to180 min.PFOA was decomposed in a step-wise process by surrendering one CF2unit.In each cyclical process,increased temperature enhanced the quantum yields of irradiation and reactions between water molecules and intermediates radicals.The energy consumption for removing eachμmol of PFOA was reduced from 82.5 k J at 25°C to 10.9 k J at 85°C using photolysis.Photolysis coupled with heat achieved high rates of PFOA degradation and defluorination.     

Aerobic N2O emission for activated sludge acclimated under different aeration rates in the multiple anoxic and aerobic process

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas that can be emitted during biological nitrogen removal. N₂O emission was examined in a multiple anoxic and aerobic process at the aeration rates of 600 mL/min sequencing batch reactor (SBR_L) and 1200 mL/min (SBR_H). The nitrogen removal percentage was 89% in SBR_L and 71% in SBR_H, respectively. N₂O emission mainly occurred during the aerobic phase, and the N₂O emission factor was 10.1% in SBR_L and 2.3% in SBR_H, respectively. In all batch experiments, the N₂O emission potential was high in SBR_L compared with SBR_H. In SBR_L, with increasing aeration rates, the N₂O emission factor decreased during nitrification, while it increased during denitrification and simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). By contrast, in SBR_H the N₂O emission factor during nitrification, denitrification and SND was relatively low and changed little with increasing aeration rates. The microbial competition affected the N₂O emission during biological nitrogen removal.     

Effect of algal flocculation on dissolved organic matters using cationic starch modified soils

Modified soils(MSs) are being increasingly used as geo-engineering materials for the sedimentation removal of cyanobacterial blooms. Cationic starch(CS) has been tested as an effective soil modifier, but little is known about its potential impacts on the treated water.This study investigated dissolved organic matters in the bloom water after algal removal using cationic starch modified soils(CS-MSs). Results showed that the dissolved organic carbon(DOC) could be decreased by CS-MS flocculation and the use of higher charge density CS yielded a greater DOC reduction. When CS with the charge density of 0.052, 0.102 and0.293 meq/g were used, DOC was decreased from 3.4 to 3.0, 2.3 and 1.7 mg/L, respectively.The excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy and UV254 analysis indicated that CS-MS exhibits an ability to remove some soluble organics, which contributed to the DOC reduction. However, the use of low charge density CS posed a potential risk of DOC increase due to the high CS loading for effective algal removal. When CS with the charge density of 0.044 meq/g was used, DOC was increased from 3.4 to 3.9 mg/L. This study suggested, when CS-MS is used for cyanobacterial bloom removal, the content of dissolved organic matters in the treated water can be controlled by optimizing the charge density of CS. For the settled organic matters, other measures(e.g., capping treatments using oxygen loaded materials) should be jointly applied after algal flocculation.