PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs concentrations in breast milk from two areas in Korea: body burden of mothers and implications for feeding infants

We determined breast milk concentration of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 24 mothers living in Korea, and assessed the maternal body burden based on PCDDs/PCDFs and PCBs concentrations in breast milk and an infant intake rate through breast-feeding based on their concentration in breast milk. PCDDs/PCDFs and PCBs levels in breast milk from primipara mothers were found to be higher than those from multipara mothers. For total PCDDs/PCDFs TEQ level, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDD was the predominant congener, and the proportion of 2,3,7,8-TCDD was less than 3% of total PCDDs/PCDFs TEQ level. For PCBs TEQ level, PCB-126 was the predominant congener. Maternal body burden levels of PCDDs/PCDFs and PCBs based on their concentrations in breast milk were 268-622 TEQ ng. The daily dioxin intakes of mothers were predicted to be 0.78-2.18 TEQ pg/kg/day for PCDDs/PCDFs and 0.34-0.66 TEQ pg/kg/ day for PCBs. For the first year, the body burden of an infant was predicted to be 212 TEQ ng and the daily intake of an infant was predicted to be 85 TEQ pg/kg/day, assuming the mean dioxin-related compounds concentration (27.54 TEQ pg/g fat).     

Transport modeling of copper and cadmium with linear and nonlinear retardation factors

The predictive accuracy of using the one-dimensional advection–dispersion equation to evaluate the fate and transport of solute in a soil column is usually dependent on the proper determination of chemical retardation factors. Typically, the distribution coefficient (K_d) obtained by fitting the linear sorption isotherm has been extensively used to consider general geochemical reactions on solute transport in a low-concentration range. However, the linear distribution coefficient cannot be adequately utilized to describe the solute fate at a higher concentration level. This study employed the nonlinear equilibrium-controlled sorption parameters to determine the retardation factor used in column leaching experiments. Copper and cadmium transportation in a lateritic silty-clay soil column was examined. Through the explicit finite-difference calculations with a third-order total-variation-diminishing (TVD) numerical solution scheme, all results of the theoretical copper and cadmium breakthrough curves (BTCs) simulated by using the Freundlich nonlinear retardation factors revealed good agreement with the experimental observations.     

Indoor and outdoor air quality investigation at schools in Hong Kong

Five classrooms in Hong Kong (HK), air-conditioned or ceiling fans ventilated, were chosen for investigation of indoor and outdoor air quality. Parameters such as temperature, relative humidity (RH), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), respirable particulate matter (PM10), formaldehyde (HCHO), and total bacteria counts were monitored indoors and outdoors simultaneously. The average respirable particulate matter concentrations were higher than the HK Objective, and the maximum indoor PM10 level exceeded 1000 microg/m3. Indoor CO2 concentrations often exceeded 1000 microl/l in air-conditioning and ceiling fan classrooms, indicating inadequate ventilation. Maximum indoor CO2 level reached 5900 microl/l during class at the classroom with cooling tower ventilation. Increasing the rate of ventilation or implementation of breaks between classes is recommended to alleviate the high CO2 level. Other pollution parameters measured in this study complied with the standards. The two most important classroom air quality problems in Hong Kong were PM10 and CO2 levels.     

Simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxide/nitrogen dioxide/sulfur dioxide from gas streams by combined plasma scrubbing technology

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) [nitrogen oxide (NO) + nitrogen dioxide (NO2)] and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are removed individually in traditional air pollution control technologies. This study proposes a combined plasma scrubbing (CPS) system for simultaneous removal of SO2 and NOx. CPS consists of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and wet scrubbing in series. DBD is used to generate nonthermal plasmas for converting NO to NO2. The water-soluble NO2 then can be removed by wet scrubbing accompanied with SO2 removal. In this work, CPS was tested with simulated exhausts in the laboratory and with diesel-generator exhausts in the field. Experimental results indicate that DBD is very efficient in converting NO to NO2. More than 90% removal of NO, NOx, and SO2 can be simultaneously achieved with CPS. Both sodium sulfide (Na2S) and sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) scrubbing solutions are good for NO2 and SO2 absorption. Energy efficiencies for NOx and SO2 removal are 17 and 18 g/kWh, respectively. The technical feasibility of CPS for simultaneous removal of NO, NO2, and SO2 from gas streams is successfully demonstrated in this study. However, production of carbon monoxide as a side-product (approximately 100 ppm) is found and should be considered.     

铅锌尾矿砂污染下的岩溶土壤微生物群落碳源代谢特征

以广西阳朔思的村铅锌矿尾砂污染的水稻田、玉米地、柑橘园以及对照(旱地)土壤为研究对象,采用碳素利用法和18S rRNA变性梯度凝胶电泳技术探究岩溶区重金属污染下土壤微生物群落碳源代谢特征以及土壤真菌与土壤有机碳的交互关系.结果表明,广西阳朔思的村铅锌矿尾砂污染区土壤重金属总体含量(Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd)依次为:水稻田玉米地柑橘园对照;同时地累积综合指数显示该区重金属污染以Pb、Cd为主,其中Cd带来的环境风险最高.受Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd等重金属复合污染物影响,土壤微生物生物量碳、微生物熵和碳源代谢速率表现出随总体重金属质量分数增加而降低的变化规律,但土壤总有机碳质量分数却表现为:水稻田对照柑橘园或玉米地.DGGE结果进一步显示对照组土壤存在担子菌门多孔菌目Pycnoporus sp.ZW02.30,柑橘园和玉米地土壤存在镰刀菌属Fusarium solani和Fusarium oxysporum以及柑橘园土壤存在青霉属Penicillium decumbens.然而,上述参与淀粉、纤维素、半纤维素、木质素等糖类降解过程的真菌没有在水稻田土壤检出.加之,水稻田土壤微生物功能多样性指数和微生物熵最低而土壤有机碳质量分数最高,说明铅锌尾矿砂通过影响不同样地土壤微生物糖类代谢过程,进而调节土壤碳在微生物特别是真菌作用下的矿化速率.     

基于ICE-SSD联用的地下水中苯并[a]芘生态风险评价——以下辽河平原地下水为例

借鉴地表水生态风险评价框架,尝试构建地下水生态风险评价方法,以下辽河平原地下水为例,开展地下水中苯并[a]芘(BaP)的生态风险评价工作.通过开展示范区地下水生态系统特征分析,筛选出用于地下水生态风险评价的代表性物种,共计5门9科.基于种间关系模型(ICE),推导地下水代表性物种的毒性数据.选取日本三角涡虫作为地下水典型物种,模拟地下水条件开展急性毒性试验,测试结果与模型推导数据间具有较好的一致性,初步验证了模型推导数据的可靠性;同时将测试结果应用于模型数据的校正,以降低方法的不确定性.基于此,构建地下水生态系统物种敏感度曲线(SSD);参考EPA方法构建地表水生态系统SSD曲线;地下水生态系统和地表水生态系统对于BaP 5%物种有害浓度(HC5)值分别为0.11μg·L~(-1)和0.58μg·L~(-1),初步表明地下水物种对BaP胁迫更为敏感.结合下辽河平原区地下水中BaP的暴露浓度水平,开展地下水生态系统风险评价,结果表明:处于高风险水平(RQ1)的概率为0.61%,表明胁迫因子BaP对下辽河平原地下水生态系统影响有限.     

区域经济与环境协调发展的指标体系及定量评价方法研究

区域环境是区域经济持续发展的重要基础,区域经济是区域环境发展的前提和保证。两者的协调发展是区域可持续发展的必由之路。区域环境与经济协调发展的定量评价,是分析、评价经济与环境协调发展的重要工具。文章从经济发展对环境的影响和对社会的贡献程度出发建立了经济与环境协调发展评价指标体系,进而提出了区域经济与环境协调发展的定量评价方法,对区域经济与环境协调发展评价具有重要现实意义。     

铁碳微电解法预处理染料废水的研究

采用铁碳微电解法对颜料的实际生产废水进行降解研究。结果表明,pH值为3,铁碳比为1：2,反应时间120 min,曝气的条件下,染料废水的处理效果最好,色度去除达到80%以上,COD的去除率也超过50%以上,可生化性由0.21提高到0.43。     

饮用水消毒中一氯胺的衰减动力学研究

对饮用水消毒过程中一氯胺的衰减过程,采用二级反应速率模型对其衰减规律进行了非线性拟合;分别考察了pH值、温度、碳酸盐、溴离子、碘离子和天然有机物(NOM)浓度等水质参数变化对一氯胺衰减速率的影响.结果表明,pH值是影响一氯胺衰减速率的重要因素,pH<7.0时尤为明显;温度和碳酸盐对一氯胺的衰减速率均有明显影响;在pH=6.60时,随着溴离子浓度的增加一氯胺的衰减加快;在pH>7.60,0.1 mg/L的溴离子浓度对一氯胺的衰减影响不明显,碘离子对一氯胺的衰减影响较相同反应条件下溴离子的影响明显.此外,一氯胺衰减动力学模拟结果表明,采用二级动力学反应模型可以较好地拟合在卤素离子(Br-I、-)共存条件下的一氯胺衰减规律,对在沿海地区饮用水消毒工艺中不同条件下氯胺消毒剂浓度预测可以提供一定的理论和技术支持.     

低渗透性多孔介质室内弥散实验及弥散度求解研究

低渗透多孔介质在浅部含隔水层中分布广泛,是地下水污染物迁移的重要载体,然而其弥散度的取值目前研究还不足。针对此问题,以溴化钠为示踪剂开展了低渗透多孔介质的室内弥散实验研究,介质渗透系数为0．048 m/d,通过离子选择电极法测定溴离子浓度,并分别采用解析法和数值法进行了弥散度的求解,解析法和数值法求得的弥散度分别为0．0048 m 与0．0065 m,研究成果可以为低渗透多孔介质中污染物迁移预测提供弥散度值参考。