Sea salt concentrations across the European continent

The oceans are a major source for particles that play an important role in many atmospheric processes. In Europe sea salt may contribute significantly to particulate matter concentrations. We have compiled sodium concentration data as a tracer for sea salt for 89 sites in Europe to provide more insight in the distribution of sea salt across Europe. The annual average sea salt concentrations above land were estimated to range between 0.3 and almost 13 μg m^?3. Maximum concentrations are found at the Irish coast. At coastal sites along the Atlantic and North Sea coast concentrations tend to be around 5 μg m^?3. More inland locations up to about 300 km away from the coast tend to show concentrations between 2 and 5 μg m^?3, whereas sites further away from the coast are characterized by lower concentrations. An analysis of the representativity of the data with respect to a long term average showed that the long average is associated with a standard deviation of around 15%. The compilation of observations provides an improved overview of sea salt concentrations in Europe as well as an improved basis for model validation. Verification of the results of the LOTOS-EUROS model learned that the model represents well the spatial variability of the observed sea salt concentrations very well. However, the absolute concentrations are significantly overestimated due to large uncertainties in the emission and dry deposition parameterizations. Using the high explained variability in the gradients across Europe, the bias-corrected modelled distribution serves as a best estimate of the sea salt distribution across Europe for 2005.     

Estimation of economic costs of particulate air pollution from road transport in China

Valuation of health effects of air pollution is becoming a critical component of the performance of cost–benefit analysis of pollution control measures, which provides a basis for setting priorities for action. Beijing has focused on control of transport emission as vehicular emissions have recently become an important source of air pollution, particularly during Olympic games and Post-games. In this paper, we conducted an estimation of health effects and economic cost caused by road transport-related air pollution using an integrated assessment approach which utilizes air quality model, engineering, epidemiology, and economics. The results show that the total economic cost of health impacts due to air pollution contributed from transport in Beijing during 2004–2008 was 272, 297, 310, 323, 298 million US$ (mean value), respectively. The economic costs of road transport accounted for 0.52, 0.57, 0.60, 0.62, and 0.58% of annual Beijing GDP from 2004 to 2008. Average cost per vehicle and per ton of PM₁₀ emission from road transport can also be estimated as 106 US $/number and 3584 US $ t^?1, respectively. These findings illustrate that the impact of road transport contributed particulate air pollution on human health could be substantial in Beijing, whether in physical and economic terms. Therefore, some control measures to reduce transport emissions could lead to considerable economic benefit.     

苯胺-邻氨基酚共聚物对水中Hg(Ⅱ)吸附性能的研究

利用化学氧化法合成了苯胺-邻氨基苯酚的共聚物,并通过静态实验研究了材料对水中汞离子的吸附性能。研究结果表明,该共聚物对废水中汞离子有优异的去除效果,其吸附容量可达212.13 mg/g;吸附等温线符合Langmu ir单层吸附模型,动力学过程符合准二级动力学模型;溶液pH值对吸附影响不是很大,pH 5~10范围都有较好的吸附效果;氯离子易与汞离子形成水溶性更强的络合物,对共聚物的吸附有很大的抑制作用。     

活性炭吸附和脱附-等离子体氧化净化有机废气的研究

根据滑动弧放电等离子体适于降解高浓度有机物废气的特性,结合活性炭吸附法,提出了吸附器的吸附浓缩和热脱附-等离子体氧化净化有机废气的方法。在活性炭吸附过程中,最初2 h内甲苯净化率达到100%,随着时间的增加净化率下降;在热脱附滑动弧放电等离子体净化过程中,甲苯降解效率最高为97.3%。将滑动弧放电等离子体反应器出口气相产物收集进行FT-IR检测,发现放电后有CO2、CO、H2O和NO2产生,并分析了甲苯的降解机理。     

Variation of radiation level and radionuclide enrichment in high background area

Significantly high radiation level and radionuclide concentration along Quilon beach area of coastal Kerala have been reported by several investigators. Detailed gamma radiation level survey was carried out using a portable scintillometer. Detailed studies on radionuclides concentration in different environmental matrices of high background areas were undertaken in the coastal areas of Karunagapalli, Kayankulam, Chavara, Neendakara and Kollam to study the distribution and enrichment of the radionuclides in the region. The absorbed gamma dose rates in air in high background area are in the range 43-17,400 nGyh⁻¹. Gamma radiation level is found to be maximum at a distance of 20 m from the sea waterline in all beaches. The soil samples collected from different locations were analysed for primordial radionuclides by gamma spectrometry. The activity of primordial radionuclides was determined for the different size fractions of soil to study the enrichment pattern. The highest activity of ²³²Th and ²²⁶Ra was found to be enriched in 125-63 μ size fraction. The preferential accumulation of ⁴⁰K was found in <63 μ fraction. The minimum ²³²Th activity was 30.2 Bq kg⁻¹, found in 1000-500 μ particle size fraction at Kollam and maximum activity of 3250.4 Bq kg⁻¹ was observed in grains of size 125-63 μ at Neendakara. The lowest ²²⁶Ra activity observed was 33.9 Bq kg⁻¹ at Neendakara in grains of size 1000-500 μ and the highest activity observed was 482.6 Bq kg⁻¹ in grains of size 125-63 μ in Neendakara. The highest ⁴⁰K activity found was 1923 Bq kg⁻¹ in grains of size <63 μ for a sample collected from Neendakara. A good correlation was observed between computed dose and measured dose in air. The correlation between ²³²Th and ²²⁶Ra was also moderately high. The results of these investigations are presented and discussed in this paper.     

Distribution of radionuclides in the guano sediments of Xisha Islands, South China Sea and its implication

Several natural and anthropogenic radionuclides (²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra and ¹³⁷Cs) in guano-phosphatic coral sediments and pure guano particles collected from Ganquan, Guangjin, Jinqing and Jinyin Islands of the Xisha archipelago, South China Sea, were analyzed. The Constant Initial Concentration (CIC) model and the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model were applied for age calculation. The average supply rate of ²¹⁰Pb was 126 Bq m⁻² a⁻¹, very close to the flux of northern hemisphere average (125 Bq m⁻² a⁻¹). The activities of anthropogenic radionuclides in the sediments were very low, indicating that human nuclear tests did not notably impact this region. The main source of radionuclides in the sediments was from atmospheric precipitation, and the organic matter derived from plant and produced by nutrient-rich guano could further enhance them.     

Sustainable development in a natural resource rich economy: the case of Chile in 1985–2004

Searching for practical means to assessing economic growth’s sustainability, we extend a standard theoretical model to calculate “true” income measures for Chile, during the 1985–2004 period, and use estimates of natural capital depreciation to obtain genuine national saving measures. We found that, for the period, Chile’s economic growth was sustainable, even when approximately 2.5% of the income recorded by national accounts corresponded to depreciation of natural resources plus costs of atmospheric pollution. This performance can be partially explained by policies implemented to force fiscal responsibility and to assure wise public investment and expending during a natural resource driven growth. This evidence reinforces recent findings contradicting the natural resource curse, and the indirect negative effect of resource abundance over growth that would operate through the quality of institutions.     

Sea-level rise vulnerability in the countries of the Coral Triangle

Sea-level rise is a major threat facing the Coral Triangle countries in the twenty-first century. Assessments of vulnerability and adaptation that consider the interactions among natural and social systems are critical to identifying habitats and communities vulnerable to sea-level rise and for supporting the development of adaptation strategies. This paper presents such an assessment using the DIVA model and identifies vulnerable coastal regions and habitats in Coral Triangle countries at national and sub-national levels (administrative provinces). The following four main sea-level rise impacts are assessed in ecological, social and economic terms over the twenty-first century: (1) coastal wetland change, (2) increased coastal flooding, (3) increased coastal erosion, and (4) saltwater intrusion into estuaries and deltas. The results suggest that sea-level rise will significantly affect coastal regions and habitats in the Coral Triangle countries, but the impacts will differ across the region in terms of people flooded annually, coastal wetland change and loss, and damage and adaptation costs. Indonesia is projected to be most affected by coastal flooding, with nearly 5.9 million people expected to experience flooding annually in 2100 assuming no adaptation. However, if adaptation is considered, this number is significantly reduced. By the end of the century, coastal wetland loss is most significant for Indonesia in terms of total area lost, but the Solomon Islands are projected to experience the greatest relative loss of coastal wetlands. Damage costs associated with sea-level rise are highest in the Philippines (US $6.5 billion/year) and lowest in the Solomon Islands (US $70,000/year). Adaptation is estimated to reduce damage costs significantly, in particular for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia (between 68 and 99%). These results suggest that the impacts of sea-level rise are likely to be widespread in the region and adaptation measures must be broadly applied.     

Phytotoxicity of atrazine and alachlor in soil amended with sludge,manure and activated carbon

Abstract

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the influence of waste‐activated carbon (WAC), digested municipal sewage sludge (DMS), and animal manure on herbicidal activity of atrazine [2‐chloro‐4‐(ethylamino)‐6‐(isopropylamino)‐s‐trazine] and alachlor [2‐chloro‐2’,6'‐diethyl‐N‐(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] in a Plainfield sandy soil. Amendments generally reduced bioactivity against oat (Avena sativa L.) and Japanese millet (E. crus‐galli frumentacea). The extent to which herbicide phytotoxicity was inhibited depended upon the application rate and the kind of soil amendment. WAC, applied at the loading rate of 2.1 mt C/ha, showed a significant inhibitory effect on both herbicides. In DMS‐ and manure‐amended soil, the reduction of atrazine activity was not significant at the rate of 8.4 mt C/ha, but reduction of alachlor activity was significant at the rate of 4.2 mt C/ha. Despite inhibition of herbicidal activity, the ED₅₀ of atrazine and alachlor was below 2 ppm in most of the amendment treatments. Before adopting carbon‐rich waste amendments as management practices for controlling pesticide leaching in coarse‐textured soils, further studies are needed to characterize how alterations in sorption, leaching and degradation may affect herbicidal activity.     

Accumulation of mercury and its effect on antioxidant enzymes in brain,liver, and kidneys of mice

Abstract

The effect of mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) on the activities of catalase, Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and its effect on glutathione (GSH) content were evaluated in different organs (liver, kidneys, and brain) of mice after administration at 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg/day for 14 days. The uptake of mercury shows that the kidneys accumulated the highest levels of mercury compare to brain and liver. The enzyme levels varied in mercury treated organs compare to control. A dose dependent increase of antioxidant enzymes occurred in the liver and kidneys. The increase in enzyme activities correlated with highest mercury accumulation in the kidneys and liver. Mercury is known to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vivo and in vitro, therefore, it is likely that enzyme activities increased to scavenge ROS levels produced as a result of mercury accumulation. Glutathione content increased in liver and kidneys of mercury treated mice compare to control. The results showed that the highest oral dose of mercury significantly increased antioxidant enzymes in kidneys and liver. The increased antioxidant enzymes enhance the antioxidant potential of the organs to reduce oxidative stress.