Toxicity of analytically cleaned pentabromodiphenylether after prolonged exposure in estuarine European flounder (Platichthys flesus), and partial life-cycle exposure in fresh water zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Residues of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), extensively applied as flame retardants, are widely spread in the aquatic environment and biota. The present study investigates effects of the environmentally relevant lower brominated diphenylethers in two fish species in vivo under controlled laboratory conditions. Euryhaline flounder (Platichthys flesus) and freshwater zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to a range of concentrations of a commercial pentabromodiphenylether mixture, DE-71. Chemical analysis of exposed fish showed a pattern of PBDE congeners that was very similar to that in wild fish. The resulting range included environmentally relevant, as well as higher levels. Animals were investigated histopathologically with emphasis on endocrine and reproductive organs. In zebrafish, hatching of embryos and larval development were assessed. Biochemical parameters were investigated in flounder as markers for suggested dioxin-like activity (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase=EROD), and activation of endogenous estrogen synthesis (gonad aromatase activity). Thyroid hormones were analyzed in plasma in both species. Benchmark analysis using internal PBDE concentrations showed a mild dose-dependent decrease of hepatic EROD and ovarian aromatase activities, and plasma thyroxin levels in flounder, and an increase of plasma thyroid hormone levels in zebrafish. These trends did not result in statistically significant differences from control fish, and major histopathological changes were not observed. Reproduction in zebrafish appeared to be the most sensitive parameter with statistically significantly reduced larval survival and non-significant indications for decreased egg production at internal levels that were more than 55 times the highest environmental recordings. The present results indicate limited risk for endocrine or reproductive effects of current environmental PBDE contamination in fish.     

Serum levels of organochlorine pesticides in healthy adults from five regions of Spain

The aim of this study was to measure of serum levels of p,p′-dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (p,p′-DDT), p,p′-dichlorodiphenyl dichlorethylene (p,p′-DDE), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in healthy adults in Spain. Furthermore, we also analyzed these levels according to dietary, other lifestyle factors and anthropometric characteristics. We measured the concentrations of such organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in serum samples collected during 1992–1996 from 953 subjects aged 35–64 years, they were residents of five Spanish regions, they were randomly selected from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. OCPs were determined by means of gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (GC-ECD). The most frequent compound found in serum was p,p′-DDE, present in 98% of the samples, followed by HCB and β-HCH, found in 89% and 77% of samples, respectively, while p,p′-DDT could be measured only in 26% of subjects. The geometric means of serum concentrations (ng/g lipid) were 822 for p,p′-DDE, 167 for β-HCH, and 379 for HCB. The concentrations of all OCPs were positively associated with age and body mass index, and decreased along the period of blood collection. No association was found between OCPs levels and dietary factors. The concentrations of p,p′-DDE and β-HCB were higher in Murcia, one of southern regions, most likely associated with intensive past use of pesticides related to agricultural practices, while higher levels of HCB were found in Navarra, located in the north, maybe due to industrial use rather than agricultural application.     

Deposition rates on smooth surfaces and coagulation of aerosol particles inside a test chamber

Because aerosol particle deposition is an important factor in indoor air quality, many empirical and theoretical studies have attempted to understand the process. In this study, we estimated the deposition rate of aerosol particles on smooth aluminum surfaces inside a test chamber. We investigated the influence of turbulent intensity due to ventilation and fan operation. We also investigated two important processes in particle deposition: turbophoresis, which is significant for micron particles, and coagulation, which is relevant to ultrafine particles (UFP diameter <0.1 μm) at high particle concentrations. Our analysis included semi-empirical estimates of the deposition rates that were compared to available deposition models and verified with simulations of an aerosol dynamics model. In agreement with previous studies, this study found that induced turbulent intensity greatly enhanced deposition rates of fine particles (FP diameter <1 μm). The deposition rate of FP was proportional to the ventilation rate, and it increased monotonically with fan speed. With our setup, turbophoresis was very important for coarse particles larger than 5 μm. The coagulation of aerosol particles was insignificant when the particle concentration was less than 10⁴ cm^?3 during fan operation. The model simulation results verified that the aerosol dynamics module incorporated in our Multi-Compartment and Size-Resolved Indoor Aerosol Model (MC-SIAM) was valid. The behavior of aerosol particles inside our chamber was similar to that found in real-life conditions with the same ventilation rates (0.018–0.39 h^?1) and similar air mixing modes. Therefore, our findings provide insight into indoor particle behavior.     

Seasonal and diurnal variations of ambient PM2.5 concentration in urban and rural environments in Beijing

Three years of measurement of PM_2.5 with 5-min time resolution was conducted from 2005 to 2007 in urban and rural environments in Beijing to study the seasonal and diurnal variations in PM_2.5 concentration. Pronounced seasonal variation was observed in the urban area, with the highest concentrations typically observed in the winter and the lowest concentrations generally found in the summer. In the rural area, the maximum in PM_2.5 concentration usually appeared during the spring, followed by a second maximum in the summer, while the minimum generally occurred in the winter. Significant diurnal variations in PM_2.5 concentration were observed in both urban and rural areas. In the urban area, the PM_2.5 concentration displays a bimodal pattern, with peaks between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and between 7:00 and 11:00 p.m. The minimum generally appears around noon. The morning peak is attributed to enhanced anthropogenic activity during rush hours. The decreases of boundary layer height and wind speed in the afternoon companying with increased source activity during the afternoon rush hour result in the highest PM_2.5 concentration during evening hours. In the rural area, the PM_2.5 concentration shows a unimodal pattern with a significant peak between 5:00 and 11:00 p.m.The seasonal and diurnal variations in PM_2.5 concentration in the urban area are mostly dominated by the seasonal and diurnal variability of boundary layer and source emissions. The year-to-year variability of rainfall also has an important influence on the seasonal variation of PM_2.5 in the urban area. The seasonal and diurnal wind patterns are more important factors for PM_2.5 variation in the rural area. Southerly winds carry pollutants emitted in southern urban areas northward and significantly enhance the PM_2.5 concentration level in the rural area.     

A comparison of Alpine emissions to forest soil and spruce needle loads for persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

The project MONARPOP analysed the concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in two important sink compartments, needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and forest soil from 40 remote Alpine forest sites in Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland.In the present study the load of PCDD/F, PCB, PBDE, PAH, HCB, HCH and DDT in the Alps calculated on the basis of measured data are compared with their estimated emissions in the Alpine region. It comes out that the masses of the studied pollutants stored in the forests are higher than the corresponding emissions in the Alpine area indicating that the Alps are a sink for POPs advected from surrounding areas. It is assumed that local emissions of PCDD/F and PAH deriving from biomass burning are probably underestimated and that the pool of these pollutants in the forests represents the accumulation over some decades.     

重庆典型岩溶区地下河表层沉积物OCPs初步研究

利用GC-ECD对重庆典型岩溶区地下河表层沉积物中19种有机氯农药进行分析,结果表明,研究区总有机氯农药浓度为4.73～286.03 ng/g,DDTs浓度为0.35～181.78 ng/g,HCHs浓度为nd～23.53 ng/g。与国内外其他河流表层沉积物有机氯农药相比为高,说明重庆典型岩溶区地下河已处于较高污染状态。统计DDE/DDD发现,除姜家溶洞外,其他取样点DDE/DDD均大于1,表明研究区DDT降解主要在好氧环境中进行。除靛水地下河,其他取样点表层沉积物(DDD+DDE)/DDT均大于0.5,表明这些地区近年来没有新的DDT类农药输入。     

轻型柴油车实际道路瞬时排放模拟研究

系统介绍了CMEM模型及其计算原理.以轻型柴油车为研究对象,给出了模型的主要输入参数,并计算了车辆在实际道路上的瞬时排放结果,并根据实测数据对模拟结果进行了验证.测试车辆的CO、THC、NOx和CO2排放因子为0.81、0.61、2.09和193 g·km-1,相同线路模拟所得的排放因子分别为0.75、0.47、2.47和212 g·km-1,相关系数分别达到0.69、0.69、0.75和0.72.通过模拟发现,轻型柴油车在实际道路微观区域内的排放水平随交通条件和行驶状态波动明显,采用CMEM模型能够较好地反映该车排放随行驶工况的瞬时变化趋势.应用CMEM模拟发现,改善典型交叉口区域的交通条件后,轻型柴油车在模拟区域内的CO、THC、NOx和CO2排放量分别削减了50%、47%、45%和44%,排放改善效果显著.从研究结果来看,利用微观尺度模型来分析混合车流在一些典型交通区域的瞬时排放变化是必要的,也是可行的,对于评价道路交通规划的环境效果具有一定的指导意义.     

某铬渣堆场周边土壤地下水Cr~(6+)污染特征研究

通过采集某铬渣堆场周边不同距离、深度的土壤和地下水样品,研究了铬渣堆场周边土壤、地下水中六价铬的分布特征和污染状况,通过数据分析确定了铬渣堆场周边受铬污染的地下水和土壤的范围及污染程度,判断污染边界,为后续场地污染治理提供了基础资料。结果表明:铬渣堆场周边土壤地下水已受到严重铬污染,必须尽快采取有效措施对其进行治理修复,以保证当地的农业生产和人体健康。     

New insights on the enhanced non-hydroxyl radical contribution under copper promoted TiO2/GO for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride

TiO₂/graphene oxide (GO) as photocatalyst in the photo-degradation of multitudinous pollutants has been extensively studied. But its low photocatalytic efficiency is attributed to the high band gap energy which lead to low light utilization. Cu-TiO₂/GO was synthesized via the impregnation methods to enhance the catalytic performance. The Cu-TiO₂/GO reaction rate constant for photo-degradation of pollutants (tetracycline hydrochloride, TC) was about 1.4 times that of TiO₂/GO. In 90 min, the removal ratio of Cu-TiO₂/GO for TC was 98%, and the maximum degradation ratio occurred at pH 5. After five cycles, the removal ratio of Cu-TiO₂/GO still exceeded 98%. UV–visible adsorption spectra of Cu-TiO₂/GO showed that its band gap was narrower than TiO₂/GO. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra test illustrated the generation rate of ?O₂^? and ?OH was higher in Cu-TiO₂/GO system than TiO₂/GO and TiO₂ system. The contribution sequence of oxidative species was ?O₂^? > holes (h⁺) > ?OH in both TiO₂/GO and Cu-TiO₂/GO system. Interestingly, the contribution of ?OH in Cu-TiO₂/GO was less than that in TiO₂/GO during the photo-degradation process. This phenomenon was attributed to the better adsorption performance of Cu-TiO₂/GO which could reduce the accessibility of TC to ?OH in liquid. The enhanced non?hydroxyl radical contribution could be attributed to that the more other active species or sites on (nearby) the surface of Cu-TiO₂/GO generated after doping Cu. These results provide a new perspective for the tradition metal-doped conventional catalysts to enhance the removal of organic pollutants in the environment.     

垃圾焚烧厂排放颗粒物组分粒径分布特征

本研究采用静电低压撞击器(ELPI)采集垃圾焚烧厂排放颗粒物,分析颗粒物中元素和碳组分,对其中OC、EC和重金属元素在14个粒径段的粒径特征进行分析,并建立了垃圾焚烧厂源PM_1、PM_(2.5)和PM_(10)的元素和碳组分成分谱,以期为精细化来源解析提供参考.结果表明,垃圾焚烧厂排放颗粒物的主要组分有Al、Si、S、Ca、Cr、Fe、OC和EC等(质量分数≥1%),其中OC和Ca的含量较高,在PM_(2.5)中的质量分数分别为10. 15%和12. 37%;重金属含量Cr Pb Zn Mn Cu Cd Ni,其中Cr和Pb在PM_(2.5)中的质量分数分别为1. 83%和0. 74%,Cr在PM_1中的质量分数达到3. 53%; OC在2. 39～3. 99μm和6. 68～9. 91μm这2个粒径段的含量达到峰值,分别占OC总含量的15. 02%和20. 45%,但在细颗粒物中的含量高于在粗颗粒物中的含量,EC在细颗粒物中的含量远高于在粗颗粒物中的含量,在0. 382～0. 613μm粒径段占14. 8%; Cr、Mn、Ni、Cu、Zn、Cd和Pb等重金属元素主要富集于细颗粒中.