Metal contamination and solid phase partitioning of metals in urban roadside sediments

This study was undertaken to assess the anthropogenic impact on metal concentrations of urban roadside sediments (N = 633) in Seoul city, Korea and to estimate the potential mobility of selected metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, and Cd) using sequential extraction. Comparison of metal concentrations in roadside sediments with mean background values in sediments collected from first- or second-order streams in Korea shows that Zn, Cu and Pb are most affected by anthropogenic inputs. The 206Pb/207Pb ratios of roadside sediments (range = 1.1419-1.1681; mean 1.1576 +/- 0.0068) suggest that Pb is mainly derived from industrial sources rather than from leaded gasoline. A five-step sequential extraction of roadside sediments showed that Zn, Cd and to a lesser degree Ni occur predominantly in the carbonate bound fraction, while Pb is highest in the reducible fraction, Cu in the organic fraction, and Cr in the residual fraction. It was found that the concentrations in the readily available exchangeable fraction were generally low for most metals examined, except for Ni whose exchangeable fraction was appreciable (average 15.2%). Considering the proportion of metals bound to the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, the comparative mobility of metals probably decreases in the order of Zn > Ni > Cd > Pb > Cu > Cr. As potential changes of redox state and pH may remobilize the metals bound to carbonates, reducible, and/or organic matter, and may release and flush them through drain networks into streams, careful monitoring of environmental conditions appears to be very important. With respect to ecotoxicity, it is apparent the Zn and Cu pollution is of particular concern in Seoul city.     

Cytotoxicity and DNA damage of five organophosphorus pesticides mediated by oxidative stress in PC12 cells and protection by vitamin E

Previous studies have demonstrated that pesticides could induce cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in vivo and in vitro, and that oxidative stress may be an important factor involved. However, investigations comparing the capability of different organophosphorous (OP) compounds to induce cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress are limited. Hence, the aim of this paper was to access the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of five OPs or metabolites, Acephate (ACE), Methamidophos (MET), Chloramidophos (CHL), Malathion (MAT) and Malaoxon (MAO), and to clarify the role of oxidative stress, using PC12 cells. The results demonstrated that MET, MAT and MAO caused significant inhibition of cell viability and increased DNA damage in PC12 cells at 40 mg L^?1. MAO was more toxic than the other OPs. ACE, MET, MAT and MAO increased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and decreased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) at 20 mg L^?1 and 40 mg L^?1 to different degrees. Pre-treatment with vitamin E(600 μM)caused a significant attenuation in the cytotoxic and genotoxic effect; pre-treatment reversed subsequent OP-induced elevation of peroxidation products and the decline of anti-oxidant enzyme activities. These results indicate that oxidative damage is likely to be an initiating event that contributes to the OP-induced cytotoxicity.     

制备方法对MgAl水滑石衍生氧化物负载钯催化剂丙烷完全氧化活性的影响

以沉积沉淀法(DP)、浸渍法(IM)和共沉淀法(CP)制备MgAl水滑石衍生氧化物负载钯催化剂,用ICP、XRD、SEM、TEM、EDS、TPR以及比表面测定等手段对催化剂进行了表征.ICP和XRD数据表明用上述3种方法均可成功制备水滑石为前体载钯催化剂.SEM、TEM、EDS数据表明不同方法制备的样品具有不同的形貌以及钯在其中的分散度.综合各类表征数据可知Pd在催化剂中暴露的活性位是影响其活性的主要因素.     

大型蚤标志酶用于城市二级出水毒性的评价

大型蚤是一种国际公认的标准实验生物,广泛应用于污水、地表水等水质毒性检测。毒性水平较低的城市二级出水,对大型蚤往往无急性毒性效应,而具有慢性毒性效应,但慢性毒性检测周期过长,因此探索一种更灵敏的指标,实现快速检测,对于控制二级出水的水质风险具有重要意义。本研究考察了大型蚤在短期暴露于城市二级出水条件下,其体内乙酰胆碱酯酶、超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶、ATP酶、羧酸酯酶和碱性磷酸酯酶的酶活变化特征,从中筛选出对二级出水毒性响应灵敏的标志酶指标。实验结果表明,碱性磷酸酯酶、过氧化氢酶对二级出水毒性响应相对较灵敏,具有成为标志酶的潜力,研究结果为城市二级出水生物毒性评价方法优化提供新的思路。     

Energy,food, and land — The ecological traps of humankind

Humans’ superiority over all other organisms on earth rests on five main foundations: command of fire requiring fuel; controlled production of food and other biotic substances; utilization of metals and other non-living materials for construction and appliances; technically determined, urban-oriented living standard; economically and culturally regulated societal organization. The young discipline of ecology has revealed that the progress of civilization and technology attained, and being further pursued by humankind, and generally taken for granted and permanent, is leading into ecological traps. This metaphor circumscribes ecological situations where finite resources are being exhausted or rendered non-utilizable without a realistic prospect of restitution. Energy, food and land are the principal, closely interrelated traps; but the absolutely decisive resource in question is land whose increasing scarcity is totally underrated. Land is needed for fulfilling growing food demands, for producing renewable energy in the post-fossil and post-nuclear era, for maintaining other ecosystem services, for urban-industrial uses, transport, material extraction, refuse deposition, but also for leisure, recreation, and nature conservation. All these needs compete for land, food and non-food biomass production moreover for good soils that are scarcer than ever. We are preoccupied with fighting climate change and loss of biodiversity; but these are minor problems we could adapt to, albeit painfully, and their solution will fail if we are caught in the interrelated traps of energy, food, and land scarcity. Land and soils, finite and irreproducible resources, are the key issues we have to devote our work to, based on careful ecological information, planning and design for proper uses and purposes. The article concludes with a short reflection on economy and competition as general driving forces, and on the role and reputation of today’s ecology. Updated version of the keynote lecture presented at the EcoSummit 2007 in Beijing, China, May 24. The article is gratefully dedicated to the memory of my late colleague and friend Frank B. Golley.     

粘弹性阻尼减震结构研究与应用的新进展

系统总结了国内外粘弹性阻尼器及粘弹性阻尼减震结构研究与应用的进展情况。阐述了粘弹性阻尼材料和粘弹性阻尼器的耗能原理;对目前开发和研究的一些新型粘弹性阻尼器及其性能进行了介绍,同时概述了对保证结构安全性具有重大意义的粘弹性阻尼器的耐久性和耐火性问题,介绍了不同的粘弹性阻尼器计算模型;从结构试验的角度说明了粘弹性阻尼减震结构的特性,着重说明了粘弹性阻尼减震结构的分析方法和设计方法,列举了粘弹性阻尼器的工程应用实例。进而提出了今后粘弹性阻尼器应用于土木工程领域里应加强研究的一些问题。     

安徽电网环境现状调查及建议

简单介绍了安徽电网的基本概况,重点分析了具有代表性变电站和输电线路附近敏感区域的工频电场强度、工频磁场强度、无线电干扰、噪声等,全面评价安徽电网环境状况,指出存在的问题,并提出了相应的建议.     

Metal contamination of surface water,sediment and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tympanotonus fuscatus</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">radula</Emphasis> of Iko River and environmental impact due to Utapete gas flare station,Nigeria

Inter-seasonal studies on the trace metal load of surface water, sediment and Tympanotonus fuscatus var. radula of Iko River were conducted between 2003 and 2004. The impact of anthropogenic activities especially industrial effluent, petroleum related wastes, gas flare and episodic oil spills on the ecosystem are remarkable. Trace metals analyzed included cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn). Sediment particle size analysis revealed that they were characteristically psammitic and were predominantly of medium to fine grained sand (>73%), less of silt (<15%) and clay (<10%). These results correlated with low levels of trace elements such as Pb (0.03 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (0.22 ± 0.12 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (0.05 ± 0.03 mg kg⁻¹), Cu (0.04 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹) and Mn (0.23 ± 0.22 mg kg⁻¹) in the sediment samples. This observation is consistent with the scarcity of clayey materials known to be good scavengers for metallic and organic contaminants. Sediments indicated enhanced concentration of Fe, Ni and V, while other metal levels were relatively low. The concentrations of all the metals except Pb in surface water were within the permissible levels, suggesting that the petroleum contaminants had minimal effect on the state of pollution by trace metals in Iko River. Notably, the pollutant concentrations in the sediments were markedly higher than the corresponding concentrations in surface water and T. fuscatus tissues, and decreased with distance from point sources of pollution.     

Wastewater management in small- and medium-size enterprises: case studies

Wastewater management in small and medium-sized enterprises representing the chemical and food industries was investigated. The results showed that wastewater discharged from an ink-production factory was highly contaminated with organic pollutants. Anaerobic biological treatment followed by chemical coagulation using ferric chloride aided with lime proved to be very effective and produced an effluent that complied with national regulatory standard for wastewater discharge into public sewage network. Also, management of wastewater from a confectionery factory representing the food sector was carried out. Aerobic biological treatment using plastic-packed trickling filter proved to be an effective treatment method. However, application of in-plant control measures alleviated the requirement for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant. The applied pollution prevention and cleaner production measures involved good housekeeping, recovery of spent chocolate, modification of floor cleaning and installation of suction devices for the removal of sugar and starch powders. All improvement measures were documented by cost/benefit analysis.