Assessment of population exposure to particulate matter pollution in Chongqing, China

To determine the population exposure to PM(10) in Chongqing, China, we developed an indirect model by combining information on the time activity patterns of various demographic subgroups with estimates of the PM(10) concentrations in different microenvironments (MEs). The spatial and temporal variations of the exposure to PM(10) were illustrated in a geographical information system (GIS). The population weighted exposure (PWE) for the entire population was 229, 155 and 211 microg/m(3), respectively, in winter, summer and as the annual average. Indoor PM(10) level at home was the largest contributor to the PWE, especially for the rural areas where high pollution levels were found due to solid fuels burning. Elder people had higher PM(10) exposure than adults and youth, due to more time spent in indoor MEs. The highest health risk due to particulate was found in the city zone and northeast regions, suggesting that pollution abatement should be prioritized in these areas.     

Anaerobic degradation behavior of nonylphenol polyethoxylates in sludge

Anaerobic biodegradation behavior of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEOs) was investigated. Results showed that terminal electron acceptors, organic matters, initial concentration, and temperature had great influence on the anaerobic biodegradation of NPEOs. Anaerobic biodegradation of NPEOs could be enhanced by adding sulfate or nitrate while this process could be inhibited by adding organic matters. The maximum removal rate increased 1.24 microM d(-1) for each ten micromoles increase in initial concentration. The decrease in temperature caused a sharp decrease in the removal efficiency of NPEOs. The temperature coefficient (PHI) for the anaerobic biodegradation of NPEOs was 0.01 degrees C(-1). Nonylphenol (NP), the typical intermediate of NPEOs, could inhibit the anaerobic biodegradation of NPEOs only at high concentration. However, these environmental factors had no effect on the anaerobic biodegradation pathway of NPEOs. The accumulation of NP and short-chain NPEOs during NPEO biodegradation led to a significant increase in the estrogenic activity during the biodegradation period.     

Evaluation of municipal sewage treatment systems for pollutant removal efficiency by measuring levels of micropollutants

In order to evaluate the municipal sewage treatment systems used at Harbin municipal sewage treatment plant for their pollutant removal efficiency, raw sewage and effluent samples at different treatment stages from the sewage treatment systems were taken, priority pollutants (PPs) were identified and quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrograph (ICP-AES). The test results indicated that there were one hundred and fifty species of organic pollutants identified in the raw sewage sample, and only ten species of PPs in all the sewage samples. The levels of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) in the sewage samples were 0.779-0.111 microg l(-1), 1.977-0.022 microg l(-1), 6.411-2.194 microg l(-1) and 7.152-2.953microg l(-1), respectively, and most of these phthalate esters (PAEs) were removed through anaerobic/aerobic (A/O) process; The levels of alachlor, acetochlor, atrazine were 0.074-0.021 microg l(-1), 0.160-0.096 microg l(-1) and 0.238-0.184 microg l(-1), respectively, and the total removal efficiency of atrazine was poorest through the sewage treatment systems. The levels of Cu, Cr, Se, Hg, Ni and Zn were 0.0030-0.2327 mg l(-1). It is therefore concluded from these results that the sewage treatment systems were efficient in removing most of the organic and inorganic compounds in this study, and so, the discharged effluent could cause little of the secondary pollution of the aquatic environment.     

乳酸和复合脂肪酸抑制奶牛对环境污染的效果分析

将20头荷斯坦产奶奶牛随机分为对照组和试验Ⅰ～Ⅲ组,对照组饲喂全混日粮(TMR),试验Ⅰ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g复合脂肪酸,试验Ⅱ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g乳酸,试验Ⅲ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g复合脂肪酸/乳酸(质量比为1∶1),分析探讨了复合脂肪酸和乳酸对奶牛粪尿、氮、总磷排泄量和CH4释放量的影响.结果表明,相比对照组,试验Ⅲ组1头奶牛1年CH4释放量减少30.64 kg,粪尿、氮、总磷排泄量分别减少1.43 t、28.32 kg和2.36 kg,标准乳(FCM)提高3.28%.在奶牛饲料中添加乳酸和复合脂肪酸的混合酸,能有效抑制奶牛对土壤、水体及空气的污染,显著提高奶牛的生态效益和经济效益.     

Seasonal and spatial occurrence and distribution of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rural and urban areas of the North Chinese Plain

Passive air sampling (PAS) was employed to study the occurrence of gaseous and particle-bound PAHs in the North Chinese Plain. The averaged concentrations of gaseous and particle-bound PAHs were 485 ± 209 ng/m³ and 267 ± 161 ng/m³, respectively. The PAHs concentrations at urban sites were generally higher than those at rural ones with ratios <1.5 in spring, summer and fall, but differences between them were not significant for the wintertime and annually averaged concentrations. This urban-rural distribution pattern was related to the PAHs emission sources. PAHs spatial variation can be partially (49%) explained by emission with a simple linear regression method. Both the gaseous and particle-bound PAHs were highest in winter and lowest in summer, with winter/summer ratios of 1.8 and 8, respectively. Emission strength was the most important factor for the seasonality.     

Antioxidative response to Cd in a newly discovered cadmium hyperaccumulator, Arabis paniculata F

A hydroponic experiment was carried out to study the effect of cadmium (Cd) on growth, Cd accumulation, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and antioxidative enzymes in leaves and roots of Arabis paniculata F., a new Cd hyperaccumuator found in China. The results showed that 22-89 microM Cd in solution enhanced the growth of A. paniculata after three weeks, with 21-27% biomass increase compared to the control. Cd concentrations in shoots and roots increased with increasing Cd supply levels, and reached a maximum of 1662 and 8670 mg kg(-1) Cd dry weight at 178 microM Cd treatment, respectively. In roots, 22-89 microM Cd reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide (O(2)(-1)) and H(2)O(2) as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR). In leaves, the contents of MDA, O(2)(-1) and H(2)O(2) remained unaffected by 22-89 microM Cd, while 178 microM Cd treatment significantly increased the MDA content, 69.5% higher than that of the control; generally, the activities of SOD, catalase (CAT), GPX and APX showed an increasing pattern with increasing Cd supply levels. Our present work concluded that A. paniculata has a great capability of Cd tolerance and accumulation. Moderate Cd treatment (22-89 microM Cd) alleviated the oxidative stress in roots, while higher level of Cd addition (178 microM) could cause an increasing generation of ROS, which was effectively scavenged by the antioxidative system.     

Sedimentary record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Lake Erhai, Southwest China

The temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in a sediment core from Lake Erhal in Southwest China using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method.The total organic carbon (TOC) normalized total PAHs concentrations (sum of US Environmental Protection Agency proposed 16 priority PAHs) ranged from 31.9 to 269 μg/g dry weight (dw),and were characterized by a slowly increasing stage in the deeper sediments and a sharp increasing stage in the upper sediments.The PAHs in the sediments were dominated by low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs,suggesting that the primary source of PAHs was low- and moderate temperature combustion processes.However,both the significant increase in high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in the upper sediments and the vertical profile of diagnostic ratios pointed out a change in the sources of PAHs from low-temperature combustion to high-temperature combustion.The ecotoxicological assessment based on consensus-based sediment quality guidelines implied that potential adverse biological impacts were possible for benzo(ghi)perylenelene and most LMW PAHs.In addition,the total BaP equivalent quotient of seven carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BaA,CHr,BbF,BkF,BaP,DBA and INP) was 106.1 ng/g,according to the toxic equivalency factors.Although there was no great biological impact associated with the HMW PAlls,great attention should be paid to these PAH components based on their rapid increase in the upper sediments.     

Sequence of the main geochemical controls on the Cu and Zn fractions in the Yangtze River estuarine sediments

Metal speciation can provide sufficient information for environmental and geochemical researches. In this study, based on the speciation determination of Cu and Zn in the Yangtze Estuary sediments, roles of eight geochemical controls (i.e., total organic carbon (TOC), clay, Fe/Mn in five chemical fractions and salinity) are fully investigated and sequenced with correlation analysis (CA) and principal components analysis (PCA). Results show that TOC, clay and Fe/Mn oxides are key geochemical factors affecting the chemical speciation distributions of Cu and Zn in sediments, while the role of salinity appears to be more indirect effect. The influencing sequence generally follows the order: TOC>clay>Mn oxides>Fe oxides>salinity. Among the different fractions of Fe/Mn oxides, residual and total Fe content, and exchangeable and carbonate Mn exert the greatest influences, while exchangeable Fe and residual Mn show the poorest influences.