Impact of meteorological condition changes on air quality and particulate chemical composition during the COVID-19 lockdown

Stringent quarantine measures during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown period (January 23, 2020 to March 15, 2020) have resulted in a distinct decrease in anthropogenic source emissions in North China Plain compared to the paralleled period of 2019. Particularly, 22.7% decrease in NO₂ and 3.0% increase of O₃ was observed in Tianjin, nonlinear relationship between O₃ generation and NO₂ implied that synergetic control of NO_x and VOCs is needed. Deteriorating meteorological condition during the COVID-19 lockdown obscured the actual PM_2.5 reduction. Fireworks transport in 2020 Spring Festival (SF) triggered regional haze pollution. PM_2.5 during the COVID-19 lockdown only reduced by 5.6% in Tianjin. Here we used the dispersion coefficient to normalize the measured PM_2.5 (DN-PM_2.5), aiming to eliminate the adverse meteorological impact and roughly estimate the actual PM_2.5 reduction, which reduced by 17.7% during the COVID-19 lockdown. In terms of PM_2.5 chemical composition, significant NO₃^? increase was observed during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, as a tracer of atmospheric oxidation capacity, odd oxygen (O_x = NO₂ + O₃) was observed to reduce during the COVID-19 lockdown, whereas relative humidity (RH), specific humidity and aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) were observed with noticeable enhancement. Nitrogen oxidation rate (NOR) was observed to increase at higher specific humidity and ALWC, especially in the haze episode occurred during 2020SF, high air humidity and obvious nitrate generation was observed. Anomalously enhanced air humidity may response for the nitrate increase during the COVID-19 lockdown period.     

Development of Hybrid Film Based on Carboxymethyl Chitosan-Gum Arabic Incorporated Citric Acid and Polyphenols from Cinnamomum camphora Seeds for Active Food Packaging

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan with gum Arabic (CG) based novel functional films containing Cinnamomum camphora seeds extract (CCSE) at varying...     

Developing “precise-acting” strategies for improving anaerobic methanogenesis of organic waste: Insights from the electron transfer system of syntrophic partners

Methanogenesis is the last step in anaerobic digestion, which is usually a rate-limiting step in the biological treatment of organic waste. The low methanogenesis efficiency (low methane production rate, low methane yield, low methane content) substantially limits the development of anaerobic digestion technology. Traditional pretreatment methods and bio-stimulation strategies have impacts on the entire anaerobic system and cannot directly enhance methanogenesis in a targeted manner, which was defined as “broad-acting” strategies in this perspective. Further, we discussed our opinion of methanogenesis process with insights from the electron transfer system of syntrophic partners and provided potential targeted enhancing strategy for high-efficiency electron transfer system. These “precise-acting” strategies are expected to achieve an efficient methanogenesis process and enhance the bio-energy recovery of organic waste.     

Highly efficient photocatalytic oxidation of antibiotic ciprofloxacin using TiO2@g-C3N4@biochar composite

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this present study, a novel indirect Z-scheme TiO2@g-C3N4@biochar (TiO2@g-C3N4@BC) composite photocatalyst was successfully fabricated and...     

Investigation of indole biodegradation by Cupriavidus sp. strain IDO with emphases on downstream biotransformation and indigo production

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Indole, as a typical N-heterocyclic aromatic pollutant, poses risks to living things; however, indole-biotransformation mechanisms remain...     

Assessing economic sustainability and ecological efficiency with genuine progress indicator: a case study of the Yangtze River Delta from 2000 to 2018

To achieve urban sustainability, it is critical to enhance the environment, economy, and society simultaneously. This study adopted the revised genuine progress indicator (GPI) and ecological footprint (EF) to evaluate the ecological efficiency and economic sustainability of the Yangtze River Delta from 2000 to 2018. Spatial analysis was utilized to identify spatial autocorrelation. A total of 27 cities were then partitioned through k-means cluster analysis. The results showed that GPI and ecological efficiency improved rapidly, but economic sustainability showed a downward trend. GPI and GDP had a high degree of spatial correlation, especially in Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou Metropolitan Area. However, no spatial correlation existed between GPI and EF. The city with high GEE can reach 3000 $/gha, indicating the city consumed 1 global hectare to create $3000 of genuine economic growth. Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Taizhou were cities with the highest level of economic sustainability and ecological efficiency. The spatiotemporal characteristics of economic sustainability and ecological efficiency revealed in this study will provide theoretical guidance for alleviating ecological pressure and promoting economic sustainable development.

     

The effects of air pollution on the lung cancer mortality in rural areas of eastern China: a multi-region study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recently, the burden of lung cancer (LC) has attracted global attention. Meanwhile, LC has become the leading cause of death in China. Many studies...     

预浓缩-GC/MS测定空气中的27种ODS和HFCs

优化预浓缩仪二级冷阱温度和柱温箱初始温度,建立了预浓缩-气相色谱 /质谱联用(GC/MS)技术测定空气中27种消耗臭氧层物(ODS)和氢氟烃(HFCs)的分析方法。结果表明,27种ODS和HFCs峰形良好,分离度较好,校准曲线相对响应因子标准偏差为1.7%~15.9%,方法检出限为0.016~0.172 μg/m³。空白加标样品连续测定6次的相对标准偏差为0.9%~13.4%,回收率为70.4%~116%。基体加标样品连续测定6次的相对标准偏差为1.0%~7.8%,回收率为94.3%~108%。实验楼周边的环境空气以及实验室内部工作环境空气均检出不同浓度的ODS和HFCs,该方法适用于空气中ODS和HFCs的测定。     

九洲江沉积物多环芳烃和抗生素的分布特征与风险评价

利用液相色谱-三重四级杆质谱法(HPLC-MS/MS)以及超高压液相色谱法(HPLC),于2018年1月对九洲江沉积物样品中31种抗生素和16种多环芳烃(PAHs)的分布特征进行研究并评价其生态风险。结果表明,九洲江沉积物检出20种抗生素,其中四环素类(TCs)抗生素质量分数最高,或因其在养殖业用量最大且易被沉积物吸附;滩面镇（S3点位）抗生素的总质量分数（52 ng/g）最高,与附近的滩面镇生猪养殖业发达,也与S3点位正好位于污水处理厂排口下游不远处有关;沉积物中共检出15种PAHs,温泉镇（S1点位）沉积物中PAHs的质量分数最高。沉积物中,4环PAHs占比最高,说明九洲江流域PAHs主要来源于煤和木柴的燃烧。生态风险评价结果表明,TCs抗生素处于高风险水平,且高风险点集中出现在滩面镇河段（S3点位）,需要采取措施减少TCs抗生素的使用;所有点位的PAHs的生态风险均为低风险,但有部分无安全剂量的PAHs组分被检出,对九洲江生态环境存在潜在威胁。     

pH值和曝气强度对铁还原预处理硝基苯废水效果的影响

从反应机理方面分析了pH值和曝气强度对铁还原预处理硝基苯废水的影响。研究表明:pH值对铁还原的影响明显,适当的曝气强度可有效提高铁还原预处理效果。综合考虑,最佳pH值范围为2~4,最佳曝气强度为1.50m3/(m2·h)。CODCr去除率达50%~60%,硝基苯去除率达90%以上,出水BOD5/CODCr由不到0.1提高至0.4以上。