Impact of a NO₂-regenerated diesel particulate filter on PAH and NPAH emissions from an EURO IV heavy duty engine

In this study the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their nitro-derivates (NPAH) from a modern heavy duty engine were analysed. Focus was on the effects of the aftertreatment system. It consisted of an oxidation catalyst coupled to a diesel particulate filter (DPF). In such systems the process of PAH and NPAH degradation may compete with the NPAH formation. Scope of the study was to explain to which extent modern DPF could support the formation of highly mutagenic NPAH by nitration of pre-existing PAH. It was found that the diesel trap reduced the total amount of PAH and NPAH emitted both at low load and high load. Nevertheless, at low load the lower temperatures and the higher NO(2) concentration furnished better conditions for PAH nitration while they were more adverse to NPAH degradation. These effects were NPAH-specific. For these reasons, some NPAH like 3-nitrophenanthrene were still efficiently degraded but others were newly formed. For instance emissions of the highly toxic 1-benzo(a)pyrene and 6-nitrobenzo(a)pyrene where increased by a factor 15 at low load and, even if in lower amount, were formed also at high load. The super-mutagen 1,6-dinitropyrene, which was not present in raw exhaust, could be found only after the DPF, indicating a new formation. In regard to emissions from the active regeneration mode, tremendous high emissions of 1-nitropyrene were reported. More accurate investigation of such a regeneration mode would be of great interest for the future.     

Rapid analysis of neonicotinoid insecticides in guttation drops of corn seedlings obtained from coated seeds

Regarding the hypothesis that neonicotinoid insecticides used for seed coating of agricultural crops - mainly corn, sunflower and seed rape - are related to the extensive death of honey bees, the phenomenon of corn seedling guttation has been recently considered as a possible route of exposure of bees to these systemic insecticides. In the present study, guttation drops of corn plants obtained from commercial seeds coated with thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid and fipronil have been analyzed by an optimized fast UHPLC-DAD procedure showing excellent detection limits and accuracy, both adequate for the purpose. The young plants grown both in pots - in greenhouse - and in open field from coated seeds, produced guttation solutions containing high levels of the neonicotinoid insecticides (up to 346 mg L(-1) for imidacloprid, 102 mg L(-1) for clothianidin and 146 mg L(-1) for thiamethoxam). These concentration levels may represent lethal doses for bees that use guttation drops as a source of water. The neonicotinoid concentrations in guttation drops progressively decrease during the first 10-15 days after the emergence of the plant from the soil. Otherwise fipronil, which is a non-systemic phenylpyrazole insecticide, was never detected into guttation drops. Current results confirm that the physiological fluids of the corn plant can effectively transfer neonicotinoid insecticides from the seed onto the surface of the leaves, where guttation drops may expose bees and other insects to elevated doses of neurotoxic insecticides.     

Design,Modelling and Assessment of Emission Scenarios Resulting from a Network of Wood Biomass Boilers

The use of wood biomass as a fuel for domestic and industrial heating systems allows for a reduction of CO₂ emissions at a global scale, but it may also result in worse local air quality conditions, due to their emissions of particulate matter. The aim of this study is to assess the actual trend of atmospheric pollution in a study area, assuming that all heating systems are replaced by small size biomass boilers linked to the buildings through district heating network. Ground level concentrations of particulate matter, emitted by different heating systems, are therefore evaluated through numerical simulations performed by means of an atmospheric dispersion model (Sirane). As a first step, we have compared the environmental impact of a woodchip boilers network with that given by the use of traditional heating systems, i.e. wood stoves and natural gas boilers. As a second step, we have analysed the impact of such a network taking into account different emission scenarios, related to different boilers operating conditions. Results show that the environmental performances of a woodchip boilers network can be optimized by combining it with other renewable sources of energy devoted to the supply of hot water. The adopted analysis methodology can be applied to other real or hypothetic punctual sources on the territory.     

Nitro-PAH formation studied by interacting artificially PAH-coated soot aerosol with NO2 in the temperature range of 295–523 K

Diesel particulate matter poses a threat to human health, and in particular nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) found within and on the surface of these particles. Although diesel particulate filters (DPFs) have been designed and implemented to reduce these and other harmful diesel emissions, the particle loaded filters may act as a reaction chamber for the enhanced production of NPAHs from the nitration of PAHs with NO₂.Focus is on the investigation of the heterogeneous reactions that occur on soot particles by exposing laboratory produced pyrene- or benzo(a)pyrene-coated spark discharge soot particles to varying concentrations of NO₂ and temperatures while following the formation of products over time. The sole nitration product that was observed throughout the experiments with pyrene-coated soot was 1-nitropyrene (1-NPYR), which increased linearly with reaction time for all NO₂ concentrations chosen (0.11, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 ppm, m m^?1). Resulting 1-NPYR formation rate increased exponentially with [NO₂]. Throughout the 3-h experiments less than 10% of pyrene has been converted to 1-NPYR and the partial reaction order with regard to [NO₂] was estimated to 1.52. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) was more reactive than pyrene. After 3 h reaction time almost 80% of the BaP has been converted to 6-NBaP.Highest 1-NPYR concentrations on particles were detected at 373 K, and at higher temperatures a considerable decrease in particulate 1-NPYR was observed. A similar trend was observed in a DPF simulation system (PM-Kat^®-like) with BaP-coated soot. In this case, highest 6-NBaP concentration on particles was detected at 423 K. Backed by corroborating results from separate gas/solid-phase partition experiments with 1-NPYR and 6-NBaP, it is likely that the newly formed 1-NPYR and 6-NBaP became transferred from particle to gas phase at higher temperatures. Results from this study confirm the presence of 1-NPYR and 6-NBaP in particulate and gas phase under conditions encountered in DPFs, especially when operated at low temperature situations of the aftertreatment system.     

Development and field validation of an indicator to assess the relative mobility and risk of pesticides in the Lourens River catchment,South Africa

A GIS based pesticide risk indicator that integrates exposure variables (i.e. pesticide application, geographic, physicochemical and crop data) and toxicity endpoints (using species sensitivity distributions) was developed to estimate the Predicted Relative Exposure (PREX) and Predicted Relative Risk (PRRI) of applied pesticides to aquatic ecosystem health in the Lourens River catchment, Western Cape, South Africa. Samples were collected weekly at five sites from the beginning of the spraying season (October) till the beginning of the rainy season (April) and were semi quantitatively analysed for relevant pesticides applied according to the local farmers spraying programme. Monitoring data indicate that physicochemical data obtained from international databases are reliable indicators of pesticide behaviour in the Western Cape of South Africa. Sensitivity analysis identified K_OC as the most important parameter influencing predictions of pesticide loading derived from runoff. A comparison to monitoring data showed that the PREX successfully identified hotspot sites, gave a reasonable estimation of the relative contamination potential of different pesticides at a site and identified important routes of exposure (i.e. runoff or spray drift) of different pesticides at different sites. All pesticides detected during a monitored runoff event, were indicated as being more associated with runoff than spray drift by the PREX. The PRRI identified azinphos-methyl and chlorpyrifos as high risk pesticides towards the aquatic ecosystem. These results contribute to providing increased confidence in the use of risk indicator applications and, in particular, could lead to improved utilisation of limited resources for monitoring and management in resource constrained countries.     

Exploring the multiplicity of soil–human interactions: organic carbon content,agro-forest landscapes and the Italian local communities

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment - Marine ecosystems provide many ecosystem goods and services. However, these ecosystems and the benefits they create for humans are subject to competing...     

Modelling Tracer Dispersion from Landfills

Several wind tunnel experiments of tracer dispersion from reduced-scale landfill models are presented in this paper. Different experimental set-ups, hot-wire anemometry, particle image velocimetry and tracer concentration measurements were used for the characterisation of flow and dispersion phenomena nearby the models. The main aim of these experiments is to build an extensive experimental data set useful for model validation purposes. To demonstrate the potentiality of the experimental data set, a validation exercise on several mathematical models was performed by means of a statistical technique. The experiments highlighted an increase in pollutant ground level concentrations immediately downwind from the landfill because of induced turbulence and mean flow deflection. This phenomenon turns out to be predominant for the dispersion process. Tests with a different set-up showed an important dependence of the dispersion phenomena from the landfill height and highlighted how complex orographic conditions downwind of the landfill do not affect significantly the dispersion behaviour. Validation exercises were useful for model calibration, improving code reliability, as well as evaluating performances. The Van Ulden model proved to give the most encouraging results.     

Armaments and ornaments in the rock sparrow: a possible dual utility of a carotenoid-based feather signal

Females often base their mating preferences on male sexual secondary traits that are used to settle contests among males. Such traits are likely to be honest indicators of male quality if they are constantly used during costly male–male agonistic interactions. Carotenoid signals have been shown to work as a handicap because they are costly to produce. However, the role of carotenoids as “honest” signals during male contests is less clear, and it is not known whether a carotenoid-based trait can serve in both male–male competition and female choice. In this study, we studied the dual function of a carotenoid feather ornament in the rock sparrow (Petronia petronia), a bird species in which both sexes have a yellow throat patch whose size positively correlates with phenotypic measures. First, we investigated, in a field study, whether the size of a male’s yellow patch correlates with his ability to acquire a territory. Second, we tested the signal function of the yellow patch in two male–male interaction in captivity experiments. Finally, we measured female preference for males differing in throat patch size in a mate choice experiment. Our experiments revealed that the size of a male’s throat patch positively correlated with the number of nest boxes he was able to defend. Moreover, in controlled conditions, males with relatively large yellow patches had earlier access to food than those with small patches. Also, in an experiment in which a dummy rock sparrow with an experimentally manipulated yellow patch was positioned near a feeder, latency to feed by focal birds positively correlated with dummy patch size. Lastly, in a dichotomous mate choice experiment, females showed a proximity preference for males whose patch was experimentally enlarged. Taken together, these results suggest that the same carotenoid feather signal may be used in both male–male competition and female choice in this passerine bird.     

安全分析和评价方法论

本文对系统安全分析和评价方法进行了讨论。对它们的特点作了介绍和比较。同时给出了选用方法的要点.     

Enrichment of fetal cells from maternal blood by high gradient magnetic cell sorting (double MACS) for PCR-based genetic analysis

For simple and effective isolation of fetal cells from peripheral maternal blood, we combined depletion of maternal cells and enrichment of fetal cells by high-gradient magnetic cell separation (MACS). First CD45⁺ and CD14⁺ cells were depleted from maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells by MACS. From the depleted fraction, CD71⁺ erythroid cells were enriched up to 80 per cent by MACS. This ‘double-MACS’ procedure yielded an average depletion rate of 780-fold and an average enrichment rate of 500-fold, with approximate recovery rates of 40–55 per cent. For paternity testing, cells from unseparated blood and the various fractions were analysed for polymorphism of the HLA-DQ-A1 locus and D1S80 locus by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In CD45⁻/CD71⁺ sorted cells from maternal blood, but not in unfractionated cells from maternal blood or CD45⁻/CD14⁻ cells, paternal alleles could be detected. In the CD45⁻/CD71⁺ fraction, the relative frequency of paternal alleles compared with maternal alleles ranged from 1 in 20 to 1 in 200 (determined by titration and depending on the quality of separation and biological variation). In 7 out of 11 cases, between weeks 12 and 25 of gestation, we could identify paternal alleles by PCR, either HLA-DQ-A1 or D1S80. This double-MACS procedure is simple, fast, efficient, and reliable for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.