Two-step harmless treatment of secondary aluminum dross (SAD) by vacuum distillation and alkaline roasting

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Secondary aluminum dross (SAD) is classified as hazardous waste by many countries in the world because it contains a large number of toxic and...     

Microfiber pollution: an ongoing major environmental issue related to the sustainable development of textile and clothing industry

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Textiles release microfibers to the environment during production, use, and at end-of-life disposal. There is a potentially large and growing risk to...     

Compartmentation and effects of lead (Pb) in the collembolan,Folsomia candida

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The impact of soil lead (Pb) pollution on survival, growth, and reproduction of the collembolan, Folsomia candida, and Pb compartmentation in its gut...     

Carbonization of waste PVC to develop porous carbon material without further activation

Efficient removal of chlorine from PVC achieved by two-stage heat-treatment (280 and 410 degrees C) provided chlorine-free isotropic pitch containing additive. The pitch was stabilized and carbonized into porous carbons with surface areas of approximately 300 m2/g. Resultant porous carbons showed three pore structures of supermicropore, micropore and mesopore. The generation of CO2 from the decomposition of the CaCO3 additive in waste PVC is responsible for the development of porous structures. The surface area of the carbonized product increased after the removal of CaO.     

CO2资源化利用的现状及前景

介绍了CO2分离捕集最新工艺——电化学法、膜法、化学循环燃烧法的研究进展。评述分析了CO2的各种资源化应用前景：CO2气体用作生物碳源、辅助注射成型剂及有机物（如氨基甲酸酯、表面活性剂）合成原料等;液态CO2用于人造金刚石、热泵干燥、超临界CO2萃取及固体干冰冷喷射清洗等。CO2作为一种潜在的丰富碳源,应不断研发其新的应用领域,加快其工业化应用。     

Temporal and spatial distributions of sediment total organic carbon in an estuary river

Understanding temporal and spatial distributions of naturally occurring total organic carbon (TOC) in sediments is critical because TOC is an important feature of surface water quality. This study investigated temporal and spatial distributions of sediment TOC and its relationships to sediment contaminants in the Cedar and Ortega Rivers, Florida, USA, using three-dimensional kriging analysis and field measurement. Analysis of field data showed that large temporal changes in sediment TOC concentrations occurred in the rivers, which reflected changes in the characteristics and magnitude of inputs into the rivers during approximately the last 100 yr. The average concentration of TOC in sediments from the Cedar and Ortega Rivers was 12.7% with a maximum of 22.6% and a minimum of 2.3%. In general, more TOC accumulated at the upper 1.0 m of the sediment in the southern part of the Ortega River although the TOC sedimentation varied with locations and depths. In contrast, high concentrations of sediment contaminants, that is, total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were found in sediments from the Cedar River. There was no correlation between TOC and PAHs or PCBs in these river sediments. This finding is in contradiction to some other studies which reported that the sorption of hydrocarbons is highly related to the organic matter content of sediments. This discrepancy occurred because of the differences in TOC and hydrocarbon source input locations. It was found that more TOC loaded into the southern part of the Ortega River, while almost all of the hydrocarbons entered into the Cedar River. This study suggested that the locations of their input sources as well as the land use patterns should also be considered when relating hydrocarbons to sediment TOC.     

Association of exposure to multiple metals with papillary thyroid cancer risk in China

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has inflicted huge threats to the health of mankind. Metal pollution could be a potential risk factor of PTC occurrence, but existing relevant epidemiological researches are limited. The current case-control study was designed to evaluate the relationships between exposure to multiple metals and the risk of PTC. A total of 262 histologically confirmed PTC cases were recruited. Age- and gender-matched controls were enrolled at the same time. Urine samples were used as biomarkers to reflect the levels of environmental exposure to 13 metals. Conditional logistic regression models were adopted to assess the potential association. Single-metal and multi-metal models were separately conducted to evaluate the impacts of single and co-exposure to 13 metals. The increased concentration of urinary Cd, Cu, Fe, and Pb quartiles was found significant correlated with PTC risk. We also found the decreased trends of urinary Se, Zn, and Mn quartiles with the ORs for PTC. These dose-response associations between Pb and PTC were observed in the single-metal model and remained significant in the multi-metal model (OR_25-50th=1.39, OR_50-75th=3.32, OR_>75th=7.62, p for trend <0.001). Our study suggested that PTC was positively associated with urinary levels of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and inversely associated with Se, Zn, and Mn. Targeted public health policies should be made to improve the environment and the recognition of potential risk factors. These findings need additional studies to confirm in other population.

     

人工园林大面积种植区土地利用/覆被变化对生态系统服务价值影响

近10a来由于经济利益的驱动,橡胶、茶园、咖啡和桉树等人工园林在云南省西南部西盟县大规模种植,使土地利用结构和布局发生了较大变化,影响了种植区的生态系统服务价值。以西盟县为研究对象,基于2000年、2005年和2010年的遥感影像解译的土地利用/覆被数据,参照"中国生态系统单位面积生态服务价值当量",修订了西盟县生态系统单位面积服务价值,结合敏感度分析,探讨了土地利用/覆被变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响。结果表明:(1)2000~2010年西盟县的耕地、园地、水域和乡镇用地面积增加,林地和草地面积减少,西南部的土地利用/覆盖类型相互转化主要表现在林地和耕地转化为园地,而东北部表现在林地转化为耕地;(2)从时间上看,生态系统服务价值呈减少趋势,10 a间净减少106.29×106元,林地的生态系统服务价值始终最高;(3)研究期内,只有食物生产服务有价值量的增加,其余生态系统服务的价值量均为不同程度的减少;(4)从空间上看,西盟县生态系统服务价值东北部和东南部高,西部、中部和东部低。力所乡生态系统服务价值有小幅度增加,其余乡镇均呈减少趋势。西盟县以经济利益为目的的发展模式给生态系统服务和可持续发展带来巨大压力,在一定程度上使区域整体生态效应下降。因此,西盟县的发展应该在保证生态系统稳定的前提下,适当发展园地,同时优化土地利用结构,在生态效益和经济利益之间,找到双赢的平衡点。