Using Si depletion in aerosol to identify the sources of crustal dust in two Chinese megacities

Depletion of Si in transported dust has been recognized for many years. It can be used to distinguish between transported and local dust in cities, although it rarely has been. Here we use the variations of the Si/Al ratio in 15 months of continuous PM_2.5 samples at Beijing (northern China) and Chongqing (southwestern China) to reveal the seasonal patterns of their dust sources. For both cities, peaks of concentration for Si and Al in PM_2.5 corresponded with minima of Si/Al, and could often be linked to pulsed air flow from deserts to the northwest. With significant depletion (up to 80%) and homogeneous distribution at urban and rural sites, Si/Al showed a clear seasonal evolution, which decreased from spring to summer, increased from fall to winter, and collapsed during Chinese Spring Festival, indicating the dominance of transported dust, local fugitive dust and firework influence, respectively. The low ratios implied that desert dust is a common source during spring at Chongqing, whereas its presence during cold season at Beijing was also more frequent than expected. Failing to recognize the depletion of Si may lead to an overestimate of desert dust by 15%–65% when using the average abundance of Al in crust (6%–8%), as in previous studies. The difference in Si/Al ratio between local and transported dust implies that >60% of the dust at Beijing came from outside the city during the springs of 2004–2006. This result can help resolve the contradictory findings on this topic that have been presented earlier.     

3种浮床植物系统对富营养化水体净化效果研究

研究了风车草(Cyperus alternifolius)、菖蒲(Acorus calamus)和富贵竹(Dracaena sanderiana)3种浮床植物系统对富营养化水体净化效果,试验共持续35 d。结果表明,在水温24～30℃条件下,风车草和菖蒲生长良好,生物量大,而富贵竹生长较差,生物量增加少;3种植物对NH_4~+-N的去除率分别为76.8%、85.5%和53.6%,对TN的去除率分别为69.1%、66.2%和54.4%,对TP的去除率分别为76.9%、84.6%和61.5%,对PO_4~(3-)-的去除率分别为91.7%、91.7%和75%,对真实色度有明显的去除效果;3种植物对氮磷和真实色度去除效果与对照之间均达到显著差异(P0.05),自然沉淀是浊度去除的主要原因,植物吸收同化作用是NH_4~+-N去除的主要途径,植物吸收是溶解性磷去除的主要途径。试验表明,风车草和菖蒲对富营养化水体中氮磷和真实色度有较好的去除效果,可作为富营养化水体治理的优良物种而推广使用。     

Assessing benzene-induced toxicity on wild type Euglena gracilis Z and its mutant strain SMZ

Benzene is a representative member of volatile organic compounds and has been widely used as an industrial solvent. Groundwater contamination of benzene may pose risks to human health and ecosystems. Detection of benzene in the groundwater using chemical analysis is expensive and time consuming. In addition, biological responses to environmental exposures are uninformative using such analysis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to employ a microorganism, Euglena gracilis (E. gracilis) as a putative model to monitor the contamination of benzene in groundwater. To this end, we examined the wild type of E. gracilis Z and its mutant form, SMZ in their growth rate, morphology, chlorophyll content, formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage in response to benzene exposure. The results showed that benzene inhibited cell growth in a dose response manner up to 48 h of exposure. SMZ showed a greater sensitivity compared to Z in response to benzene exposure. The difference was more evident at lower concentrations of benzene (0.005–5 μM) where growth inhibition occurred in SMZ but not in Z cells. We found that benzene induced morphological changes, formation of lipofuscin, and decreased chlorophyll content in Z strain in a dose response manner. No significant differences were found between the two strains in ROS formation and DNA damage by benzene at concentrations affecting cell growth. Based on these results, we conclude that E. gracilis cells were sensitive to benzene-induced toxicities for certain endpoints such as cell growth rate, morphological change, depletion of chlorophyll. Therefore, it is a potentially suitable model for monitoring the contamination of benzene and its effects in the groundwater.     

Fate of caffeine in mesocosms wetland planted with Scirpus validus

Uptake, accumulation and translocation of caffeine by Scirpus validus grown in hydroponic condition were investigated. The plants were cultivated in Hoagland’s nutrient solution spiked with caffeine at concentrations of 0.5–2.0 mg L^?1. The effect of photodegradation on caffeine elimination was determined in dark controls and proved to be negligible. Removal of caffeine in mesocosms without plants showed however that biodegradation could account for about 15–19% of the caffeine lost from solutions after 3 and 7 d. Plant uptake played a significant role in caffeine elimination. Caffeine was detected in both roots and shoots of S. validus. Root concentrations of caffeine were 0.1–6.1 μg g^?1, while the concentrations for shoots were 6.4–13.7 μg g^?1. A significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation between the concentration in the root and the initial concentrations in the nutrient solution was observed. The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of caffeine for roots ranged from 0.2 to 3.1, while BAFs for shoots ranged from 3.2 to 16.9. Translocation from roots to shoots was the major pathway of shoot accumulation. The fraction of caffeine in the roots as a percentage of the total caffeine mass in solution was limited to 0.2–4.4% throughout the whole experiment, while shoot uptake percentage ranged from 12% to 25% for caffeine at the initial concentration of 2.0 mg L^?1 to 50–62% for caffeine at the initial concentration of 0.5 mg L^?1. However, a marked decrease in the concentration of caffeine in the shoots between d-14 and d-21 suggests that caffeine may have been catabolized in the plant tissues subsequent to plant uptake and translocation.     

不同草皮构建的湖泊缓冲带对污染物的净化效果研究

选择宜兴地区常见的3种草皮百慕大(Cynodon dactylon)、白花三叶草(Trifolium repens)、高羊茅(Festuca arundinacea),利用自行设计的实验装置模拟构建草皮缓冲带,并模拟宜兴地区降雨时产生的汇流过程和雨量进行太湖缓冲带对陆域面源污染物的净化效果研究.结果表明,草皮缓冲带能有效地截留径流中的SS,3种草皮缓冲带的径流对SS的去除率为百慕大缓冲带＞三叶草缓冲带＞高羊茅缓冲带＞空白对照(不种植草皮的空白土壤),且沿程去除效果增强;草皮缓冲带的渗流对TN、NH3-N、TP净化效果均显著(p＜0.05)高于径流;3种草皮缓冲带在试验槽前0.9m处的污染物去除效果最为明显,湖泊缓冲带的宽度与其污染物截留效果呈正比;总体来说,草皮生物量与其构建的湖泊缓冲带的污染物去除率呈正相关,三叶草和百慕大有较大的地上生物量,其构建的缓冲带表现出较高的污染物去除率,而高羊茅的地上生物量相对较小,其构建的缓冲带污染物去除率也相对较低.     

PAFC对水体中持久性有机污染物PFOA的混凝效果

针对含全氟辛酸(PFOA)的工业废水及应对PFOA的污染突发事件,采用PAFC及其复配粘土矿物凹凸棒和沸石进行混凝实验,并对几个影响因素进行了考察。结果表明,在PAFC的最佳投加量10 mg/L时,PFOA和浊度的去除率分别达到70.25%和99.42%,PAFC混凝处理PFOA的效果优于PAC;pH值对PAFC去除PFOA有一定的影响,当pH大于6时有利于PFOA的去除;PFOA和浊度的去除率随原始浊度的增加而增加;活性炭、盐酸改性凹凸棒、盐酸改性沸石、CT-MAB改性的沸石复配PAFC均可提高PFOA的去除率;改性处理后的沸石应用于PFOA的处理中,有望降低处理成本。     

Spatial distribution of organochlorine contaminants in soil, sediment, and fish in Bikini and Enewetak Atolls of the Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean

Several nuclear tests were performed at Enewetak and Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958. The events at Bikini Atoll involved several ships that were tested for durability during nuclear explosions, and 24 vessels now rest on the bottom of the Bikini lagoon. Nine soil samples were collected from different areas on the two islands of the atoll, and eighteen sediment, nine fish, and one lobster were collected in the vicinity of the sunken ships. Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs) in these samples were analyzed using gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (GC/ITMS). The average recoveries ranged from 78% to 104% for the different PCB congeners. The limits of detection (LOD) for PCBs, PCTs, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin ranged 10-50 pg g⁻¹. Some fish from Enewetak contained PCBs at a concentration range of 37-137 ng g⁻¹, dry weight (dw), and most of the soils from Enewetak showed evidence of PCBs (22-392 ng g⁻¹ dw). Most of the Bikini lagoon sediment samples contained PCBs, and the highest was the one collected from around the Saratoga, an aircraft carrier (1555 ng g⁻¹ dw). Some of the fish samples, most of the soil samples, and only one of the sediment samples contained 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (DDE) and PCBs. In addition to PCBs, the soils from Enewetak Atoll contained PCTs. PCTs were not detected in the sediment samples from Bikini Atoll. The results suggest local pollution sources of PCBs, PCTs, and OCPs.     

Accumulation and maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) from Prince William Sound and the Bering Sea, Alaska

The western stock of the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in the northern Pacific Ocean has declined by approximately 80% over the past 30 years. This led to the listing of this sea lion population as an endangered species in 1997. Chemical pollution is a one of several contributing causes. In the present study, 145 individual PCBs were determined in tissues of male sea lions from Tatitlek (Prince William Sound) and St. Paul Island (Bering Sea), and placentae from the Aleutian Islands. PCBs 90/101, 118, and 153 were abundant in all the samples. The mean toxic equivalents (TEQ) were 2.6, 4.7 and 7.4 pg/g lw in the kidney, liver, and blubber samples, respectively. The mean TEQ in placentae was 8 pg/g lw. Total PCBs concentrations (2.6-7.9 μg/g lw) in livers of some males were within a range known to cause physiological effects. Further suggesting the possibility of adverse effects on this stock.     

江苏省污染减排与空气质量变化相关性分析

利用2000—2007年大气污染物排放量数据和同期环境空气质量监测数据,分析了江苏省主要大气污染物减排与环境空气质量变化的相关性。结果表明,近年来江苏省SO2排放量与环境空气中SO2浓度存在正相关,而烟尘和粉尘排放总量与空气中可吸入颗粒物的浓度呈现出弱的负相关关系。对江苏省经济发展和环境关系的进一步分析揭示,江苏省环境库兹涅茨曲线呈现出倒U型关系,表明江苏省已经进入经济环境双赢区间,但近年来政策对经济环境关系的影响突出。该研究对中国十二五环境管理政策的制定有着重要的参考意义。     

Bioconversion of dairy manure by black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) for biodiesel and sugar production

Modern dairies cause the accumulation of considerable quantity of dairy manure which is a potential hazard to the environment. Dairy manure can also act as a principal larval resource for many insects such as the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens. The black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are considered as a new biotechnology to convert dairy manure into biodiesel and sugar. BSFL are a common colonizer of large variety of decomposing organic material in temperate and tropical areas. Adults do not need to be fed, except to take water, and acquired enough nutrition during larval development for reproduction. Dairy manure treated by BSFL is an economical way in animal facilities. Grease could be extracted from BSFL by petroleum ether, and then be treated with a two-step method to produce biodiesel. The digested dairy manure was hydrolyzed into sugar. In this study, approximately 1248.6 g fresh dairy manure was converted into 273.4 g dry residue by 1200 BSFL in 21 days. Approximately 15.8 g of biodiesel was gained from 70.8 g dry BSFL, and 96.2 g sugar was obtained from the digested dairy manure. The residual dry BSFL after grease extraction can be used as protein feedstuff.