Ozone levels in Chongqing: a potential threat to crop plants commonly grown in the region?

Chongqing, a city with a population of >2.5 million, constitutes the biggest industrial and commercial centre in southwest China. Recent industrialization has led to an increasing air pollutant problem which is exacerbated by the topography and prevailing climate of the region. To date, interest has remained firmly focused on the levels of traditional air pollutants (sulphur dioxide [SO2], oxides of nitrogen [NOx], smoke and suspended particulate matter [SPM]), with little attention paid to photochemical oxidants such as ozone (O3). This paper reports the first assessment of ambient O3 levels in southwest China. Measurements were made in and around Chongqing using a combination of UV-absorption (at a site located in the northern sector of the city) and passive samplers (at 20 sites located in and around the city) between 1993 and 1996. The 7-h daily mean O3 concentrations ranged between 2 and 16 ppb (x10(9)) during the winter months, increasing to 18-41 ppb during the summer (June-August), when peak hourly mean O3 concentrations of 93 ppb were attained. Ozone exposures across the region commonly approached (or exceeded) UN-ECE and WHO short-term guidelines for the protection of crops. In addition, controlled chamber studies, in which 11 cultivars of Chinese crops commonly grown in the Chongqing region were screened for relative O3 sensitivity, indicated the potential for subtle effects on the growth of a number of crop plants, if ambient O3 levels continue to rise in the region. Employing ozone exposures somewhat higher than those experienced in the field, several cultivars of commonly grown Chinese cereal, vegetable and salad crops were found to be sensitive to O3 in terms of growth, but this was not always associated with the appearance of visible symptoms of injury and, in contrast to what was generally expected, only three species showed significant O3-induced reductions in root:shoot partitioning. There is a clear and urgent need for a comprehensive study of ambient air quality and its impact on crops and natural vegetation in this, as in other, rapidly developing regions of China.     

Soil solution dynamics of Cu and Zn in a Cu- and Zn-polluted soil as influenced by gamma-irradiation and Cu-Zn interaction

A pot experiment was conducted to study soil solution dynamics of Cu and Zn in a Cu/Zn-polluted soil as influenced by gamma-irradiation and Cu-Zn interaction. A slightly acid sandy loam was amended with Cu and Zn (as nitrates) either singly or in combination (100 mg Cu and 150 mg Zn kg(-1) soil) and was then gamma-irradiated (10 kGy). Unamended and unirradiated controls were included, and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Forrester) was grown for 50 days. Soil solution samples obtained using soil moisture samplers immediately before transplantation and every ten days thereafter were used directly for determination of Cu, Zn, pH and absorbance at 360 nm (A360). Cu and Zn concentrations in the solution of metal-polluted soil changed with time and were affected by gamma-irradiation and metal interaction. gamma-Irradiation raised soil solution Cu substantially but generally decreased soil solution Zn. These trends were consistent with increased dissolved organic matter (A360) and solution pH after gamma-irradiation. Combined addition of Cu and Zn usually gave higher soil solution concentrations of Cu or Zn compared with single addition of Cu or Zn in gamma-irradiated and non-irradiated soils, indicating an interaction between Cu and Zn. Cu would have been organically complexed and consequently maintained a relatively high concentration in the soil solution under higher pH conditions. Zn tends to occur mainly as free ion forms in the soil solution and is therefore sensitive to changes in pH. The extent to which gamma-irradiation and metal interaction affected solubility and bioavailability of Cu and Zn was a function of time during plant growth. Studies on soil solution metal dynamics provide very useful information for understanding metal mobility and bioavailability.     

Retention and distribution of heavy metals in mangrove soils receiving wastewater

The distribution and chemical fractionation of heavy metals retained in mangrove soils receiving wastewater were examined by soil column leaching experiments. The columns, filled with mangrove soils collected from two swamps in Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China, were irrigated three times a week for 150 days with synthetic wastewater containing 4 mg l(-1) Cu, 20 mg l(-1) Zn, 20 mg l(-1) Mn and 0.4 mg l(-1) Cd. Soil columns leached with artificial seawater (without any heavy metals) were used as the control. At the end of the leaching experiments, soil samples from each column were divided into five layers according to its depth viz. 0-1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10 and > 10 cm, and analyzed for total and extractable heavy metal content. The fractionation of heavy metals in the surface soil samples (0-1 cm) was investigated by the sequential extraction technique. In both types of mangrove soils, the surface layer (0-1 cm) of the columns receiving wastewater had significantly higher concentrations of total Cu, Cd, Mn and Zn than the control. Concentrations declined significantly with soil depth. The proportion of exchangeable heavy metals in soils receiving wastewater was significantly higher than that found in the control, about 30% of the total heavy metals accumulated in the soil masses of the treated columns were extracted by ammonium acetate at pH 4. The sequential extraction results show that in native mangrove soils (the soils without any treatment), the major portion of Cu, Zn, Mn and Cd was associated with the residual and precipitated fractions with very low concentrations in more labile phases. However, in mangrove soils receiving wastewater, a significantly higher percentage of Mn, Zn and Cd was found in the water-soluble and exchangeable fractions. Copper appeared to be more strongly adsorbed in mangrove soils than the other heavy metals. In general, heavy metal accumulation in the surface mangrove soils collected in Hong Kong was higher than those in the PRC, although the metals in the latter soil type were more strongly bound. These findings suggest that whether the heavy metal retained in managrove soils becomes a secondary source or a permanent sink would depend on the kinds of heavy metals and also the types of mangrove soils.     

Analysis of air toxics emission inventory: inhalation toxicity-based ranking

Air toxics emission inventories play an important role in air quality regulatory activities. Recently, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff compiled a comprehensive air toxics emission inventory for 1996. While acquiring data on the mass of emissions is a necessary first step, equally important is developing information on the potential toxicity of the emitted pollutants. To account for the toxicity of the pollutants in the emission inventory, inhalation health benchmarks for acute effects, chronic effects, and cancer were used to weight the mass of emissions. The 1996 Minnesota emissions inventory results were ranked by mass of emissions and by an index comprised of emissions divided by health benchmarks. The results show that six of eight pollutants ranked highest by toxicity were also the pollutants of concern indicated in environmental monitoring data and modeling data. Monitoring data and modeling results did not show high impacts of the other two pollutants that were identified by the toxicity-based emission ranking method. The biggest limitation in this method is the lack of health benchmark values for many pollutants. Despite uncertainties and limited information, this analysis provides useful information for further targeting pollutants and source categories for control.     

Comparison of PCDD and PCDF in flyash collected from muncipal incinerators of different countries

Flyash samples were collected from the electrostatic precipitators of seven municipal refuse incinerators of four different countries. Analytical results of PCDD and PCDF in these samples shows a very similar iosmer distribution pattern for all PCDD/PCDF although concentrations of PCDD and PCDF vary. These results imply that PCDD/PCDF were formed through the same mechanism in those incinerators regardless of garbage composition or incinerator design.     

An analytical method to determine Henry's law constant for selected volatile organic compounds at concentrations and temperatures corresponding to tap water use

Henry's law constants (H) are needed to model human exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in indoor air resulting from the use of tap water. This paper presents an experimental method to determine Hs for several common tap water pollutants at concentrations and temperatures used in household water. For 5 VOCs Henry's law constants were obtained simultaneously over the 25 degrees C to 45 degrees C temperature range, providing data on H beyond the currently available data (up to 35 degrees C). Henry's law constants were obtained as the ratio of equilibrium concentrations of VOCs in air and water, using simultaneous sampling from sealed bottles kept at constant temperatures. Air and water samples were concentrated by a purge-and-trap method, thermally desorbed from a Tenax trap, and analyzed with a gas chromatograph with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Experimental results agreed well with available literature data.     

Trends in concentration of ground-level ozone and meteorological conditions during high ozone episodes in the Kao-Ping Airshed, Taiwan

This work analyzes the variations in daily maximum 1-hr ozone (O3) concentrations and the long-term trends in annual means of hourly ambient concentrations of O3, nitrogen oxides (nitrous oxide + nitrogen dioxide), and nonmethane hydrocarbons in the three administrative regions of Kao-Ping airshed in southern Taiwan over a recent 8-yr period. The annual or monthly means of all maxima, most 95th percentiles, and some 90th percentiles of the daily maximum 1-hr O3 concentrations exceed the daily limit of 120 parts per billion by volume in all three regions, namely, Kao-hsiung City, Kso-hsiung County, and P'ing-tung County. The monthly means of daily maximum 1-hr O3 concentrations exhibit distinct seasonal variations, with a bimodal form with the maxima in autumn and late winter to the middle of spring and a minimum in summer. The long-term variations in the annual means of hourly O3 concentrations in the three regions exhibit increasing trends. These increases in O3 are associated with the decline in ambient concentrations of nitrogen oxides and nonmethane hydrocarbons. High O3 episodes occur most often in autumn and most rarely in summer. The seasonal mean mixing heights in descending order follow the order of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Meteorological parameters in autumn and winter indicate that the ground-level O3 tends to accumulate and trigger a high O3 episode on a warm day with sufficient sunlight and low wind in a high-pressure system, consistent with the low mixing heights in these two seasons.     

Role of loosely bound humic substances and humin in the bioavailability of phenanthrene aged in soil

A study was conducted to determine a possible role of loosely bound humic substances (i.e., humic and fulvic acids) in bioavailability of aged phenanthrene with time. In this study, long-term residence of phenanthrene in soil is defined as aging or sequestration, and the effect was determined by the declined bioavailability to bacteria of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with increased residence time. After 1, 7, and 100 days of aging of phenanthrene in Lima loam, about 90-93% of initial phenanthrene was recovered from the humin-mineral fraction of Lima loam whereas less than 12% was found in humic and fulvic acids of the same soil. Mineralization rates of phenanthrene aged in the humin-mineral fraction significantly decreased with time by the test bacterium P5-2. In terms of extents of mineralization, the difference with time was not appreciable, but still significant at P<0.05. Additional decreases in the rates and extents of mineralization were observed with the whole soil (i.e. Lima loam) to which phenanthrene had been aged. Data suggest that major sequestration sites for phenanthrene may reside in the humin-mineral fraction, and probably humic and fulvic acids may act as a physico-chemical barrier to bacterial degradation so that the compound's bioavailability may be limited.     

Remedial strategies for municipal solid waste management in China

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the current status and to identify the problems of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in China to determine appropriate remedial strategies. This is the second of two papers proposed on this topic. Major problems or difficulties identified in MSW management in China include MSW land, air, and water pollution, commingled collection, poor administration, shortage of funds, lack of facilities, and problems of training and public awareness. In order to solve these problems and to improve MSW management in China, remedial strategies in three areas are recommended: institutional reform, technology development, and legislation and administrative improvement. The primary principle involved in institutional reform is unifying legislative responsibilities into one body and developing a market mechanism for handling MSW. Composting, landfills, and incineration should be equally developed in accordance with China's needs. The feasibility of developing technology to handle MSW in China is discussed. Also recommended is the establishment of sound regulatory systems, including a service fee system, a source separation system, and a training program. China is presently undergoing economic and institutional reform at the national and local levels. Results of this study will provide useful information on MSW management in China.     

Chlorinated persistent organic pollutants in black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) from Hokkaido, Japan

Concentrations and patterns of several chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and biphenyls (PCBs) and DDTs, HCHs, CHLs and HCB were determined in black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) from breeding grounds in Hokkaido, Japan. Subcutaneous fat of five adult gulls was analyzed, which had different concentrations of target compounds, whereas gull eggs contained similar concentrations of target compounds. Similar congener profiles were found between adult gulls and eggs. The concentrations of non-ortho PCBs varied from 3.4 to 13.5 ng/g lipid weight (lw) in the fat of black-tailed gulls and from 2.4 to 7.4 ng/g lw in their eggs. 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs occurred at relatively lower concentrations than non-ortho PCB congeners in both adult gulls and eggs. The total TEQs (toxic equivalents, PCDD/Fs+ non-ortho PCB) ranged from 0.26 to 1.0 ng/g lw in adult gulls and ranged from 0.19 to 0.58 ng/g lw in eggs.