Increasing collaboration between China and India in the environmental sciences to foster global sustainability

As the two largest countries by population, China and India have pervasive effects on the ecosphere. Because of their human population size and long international boundary, they share biodiversity and the threats to it, as well as crops, pests and diseases. We ranked the two countries on a variety of environmental challenges and solutions, illustrating quantitatively their environmental footprint and the parallels between them regarding the threats to their human populations and biodiversity. Yet we show that China and India continue to have few co-authorships in environmental publications, even as their major funding for scientific research has expanded. An agenda for collaboration between China and India can start with the shared Himalaya, linking the countries’ scientists and institutions. A broader agenda can then be framed around environmental challenges that have regional patterns. Coordinated and collaborative research has the potential to improve the two countries’ environmental performance, with implications for global sustainability.     

Geochemical processes of mercury in Wujiangdu and Dongfeng reservoirs, Guizhou, China

The geochemical processes of mercury in Dongfeng (DF) and Wujiangdu (WJD) reservoirs, which were constructed in 1992 and 1979, respectively in Wujiang River, which is the upper branch of Yangtze River were investigated. One sampling site was chosen upriver of 1 km from the dam for each reservoir. Three sampling campaigns were conducted at these sampling sites in December 2003, April 2004 and July 2004, respectively. The distributions of different mercury species in the water column, sediment, and sediment pore water were studied. We found that the sediment is the net source of both inorganic and MeHg to the water column for both reservoirs. The MeHg diffusion fluxes in WJD reservoir at all sampling campaigns were significantly higher than those in DF reservoir. Our study demonstrated that the high primary productivity in the reservoir produced elevated organic matter content that would favor the methylmercury production in sediment.     

Environmental contamination of mercury from Hg-mining areas in Wuchuan, northeastern Guizhou, China

Total Hg and methyl-Hg were evaluated in mine wastes, soils, water, and vegetations from the Wuchuan Hg-mining areas, Guizhou, China. Mine wastes contain high total Hg concentrations, ranging from 79 to 710 microg g(-1), and methyl-Hg from 0.32 to 3.9 ng g(-1). Total Hg in soil samples range from 0.33 to 320 microg g(-1) and methyl-Hg from 0.69 to 20 ng g(-1). Vegetations present a high average total Hg concentration of 260 ng g(-1), which greatly exceeds the maximum Hg concentration of 20 ng g(-1) recommended by the Chinese National Standard Agency for food sources. The rice samples contain elevated methyl-Hg concentrations, ranging from 4.2 to 18 ng g(-1). Stream water collected from Hg-mining areas is also contaminated, containing Hg as high as 360 ng l(-1), and methyl-Hg reaches up to 5.7 ng l(-1). Data indicate heavy Hg-contaminations and significant conversion of methyl-Hg in the study areas.     

贵州省赫章县土法炼锌过程中汞的释放量初步研究

对赫章县铅锌矿石、冶炼矿渣、煤、煤渣中汞含量进行了测定．结果表明,矿石中汞含量与锌含量存在显的正相关关系．基于上述测定结果并运用质量平衡法则,计算出不同类型矿石原料在冶炼过程中向大气的释汞因子：硫化矿为每生产It的Zn向大气释放155g的Hg;氧化矿为每生产It的Zn向大气释放79g的Hg．结合上述释放因子,对赫章土法炼锌过程中汞释放量进行了估算。     

贵阳市秋冬季PM2.5中重金属污染特征、来源解析及健康风险评估

为掌握贵阳市大气PM_2.5中重金属的污染特征、潜在来源和健康危害,于2017年10月—2018年2月白天(08:00—19:00)、夜间(20:00—翌日07:00)连续采集秋、冬两季大气颗粒物PM_2.5样品(n=202),采用电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法,检测样品中10种重金属(Pb、Cd、Cr、As、Zn、Mn、Co、Ni、Cu和V)含量,分析其昼夜质量浓度特征及变化规律,运用PMF(正定矩阵因子分析)模型和HMHR(健康风险评价模型)分别探讨其来源及健康风险.结果表明:①秋、冬两季大气颗粒物ρ(PM_2.5)日均值分别为(53±18)(62±20)μg/m3,均低于GB 3095—2012《环境空气质量标准》二级标准(75 μg/m3);ρ(As)、ρ(Zn)和ρ(Mn)均呈冬季高于秋季的特征,其他元素变化不明显.②白天ρ(PM_2.5)为(61±20)μg/m3,稍高于夜间〔(58±24)μg/m3〕;ρ(Pb)白天低于夜间,ρ(Ni)、ρ(Mn)、ρ(Zn)和ρ(Cu)则白天高于夜间,其他元素昼夜质量浓度无明显差异.③PMF模型分析表明,交通污染、燃煤、工业冶金和土壤扬尘是采样期间10种重金属的主要来源,其贡献率分别为39%、37%、14%、10%.④HMHR结果表明,Cd和Mn对儿童存在非致癌风险,其他重金属元素对人群无非致癌风险.致癌元素As、Cr和Cd的致癌风险值介于4.3×10-6~4.4×10-5之间,对人群可能存在致癌风险;而Ni和Co的致癌风险值均低于可接受水平(10-6).研究显示,贵阳市秋、冬两季PM_2.5中重金属污染水平整体较低,交通污染和煤炭燃烧是其主要来源,重金属元素中Cd、Mn、As和Cr对人群存在一定的健康风险.      

贵阳市城区大气颗粒物PM_(2.5)的污染特征与季节变化规律

于2013年6月至2014年5月在贵阳市城区设置采样点,利用国产武汉天虹智能采样器连续一年采集大气颗粒物(PM2.5)样品共357个,采用HOBO U30气象仪同步记录气象数据。气象数据分析表明贵阳市春、秋和冬季均为东北风,夏季多南风且风速较大,全年以东北风为主。结合气象数据分析了贵阳市市区PM2.5污染特征并初步讨论其来源。结果表明:PM2.5日浓度范围为4~193μg/m3,平均值为70±33μg/m3,日超标率为46%。以季节来看,夏季PM2.5浓度最低,冬季最高,秋、春季次之。PM2.5主要来源于工业排放与燃煤污染。与国内其它城市研究相比,处于轻度污染水平。     

Environmental contamination of heavy metals from zinc smelting areas in Hezhang County, western Guizhou, China

Total heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) concentrations were evaluated in smelting waste, soil, crop and moss samples collected from the Hezhang artisanal zinc smelting areas, Guizhou, China. Soil samples from the cornfield near the smelting sites contained extremely high Cd (5.8-74 mg kg(-1)), Pb (60-14,000 mg kg(-1)) and Zn (260-16,000 mg kg(-1)) concentrations. Elevated heavy metal concentrations were also found in corn plants and total Pb (0.80-1.5 mg kg(-1)) and Cd (0.05-0.76 mg kg(-1)) concentrations in corn grain have totally or partially exceeded the national guidance limits for foodstuff. Thus, the soil-to-crop transfer of heavy metals might pose a potential health risk to the local residents. Similar to the high heavy metal levels in soil and corn, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations in moss samples collected from the smelting sites ranged from 10 to 110, 10 to 55, 26 to 51, 400 to 1200 and 330 to 1100 mg kg(-1), respectively, exhibiting a local spatial pattern of metals deposition from the atmosphere. Based on examination of Zn/Cd and Pb/Cd ratios of the analyzed samples, we have distinguished between the flue gas dust derived and smelting waste derived metals in different environmental compartments.     

Atmospheric mercury emission from artisanal mercury mining in Guizhou Province,Southwestern China

Mercury (Hg) mining is an important anthropogenic source of atmospheric Hg emissions. The Guizhou Province in Southwestern China is a region with extensive artisanal mercury mining (AMM), but little Hg emission data from this area is available. Using a mass balance method, we estimated emission factors from artisanal mercury mining in Wuchuan mercury mining area (WMMA) and Gouxi area (GX). Average emission factors were 18.2% in WMMA (ranging from 6.9% to 32.1%) and 9.8% in GX (ranging from 6.6% to 14.5%), respectively, which were 2.2–36.4 times higher than the literature values used to estimate Hg emission from Hg mining. Furthermore, the average Hg emission factor of AMM in WMMA was much higher than that in GX, indicating that double condensation processes practiced in GX resulted in higher recoveries and lower emission factors compared to single condensation process applied in WMMA. Atmospheric Hg emission was estimated to be 3.7–9.6 metric tons in 2004 for WMMA and 1.3–2.7 metric tons in 2006 for GX, indicating artisanal Hg mining was an important atmospheric Hg emission source in the study area.     

西南典型高原山地城市大气黑碳气溶胶污染特征及来源解析

利用大气细颗粒物采样仪器(青岛崂应2050型)和黑碳仪(SootScanTM Model OT21),于2016年5月至2017年4月对贵阳市城区大气黑碳进行了连续采样和监测.结果表明,大气黑炭的浓度为1.17～12.77 μg/m3,平均值为5.19±1.91 μg/m3,季节变化特征呈现为冬季＞秋季＞春季≈夏季.大...     

Mercury speciation and mobility in mine wastes from mercury mines in China

Mercury (Hg) speciation and mobility were determined in calcines and waste rocks collected from 9 Hg mines in China. Total Hg (THg) concentrations in the mine wastes varied widely in different Hg mines (with a range of 0.369 to 2,620 mg kg^?1). Cinnabar is the dominant form of Hg in the mine wastes. However, Hg²⁺ and Hg⁰ concentrations in the calcines were significantly higher than these in the waste rocks, which suggested the retorting can produce large amounts of by-product Hg compounds. The THg and Hg⁰ concentrations in certain mine wastes exceeded soil guidelines recommended by US Environmental Protection Agency; while total soluble Hg concentrations of leachates in certain mine wastes exceeded National Surface Water Quality Standard of China. Mine wastes are important Hg pollution sources to the aquatic ecosystem and atmosphere.