A temporal trend study (1972-2008) of perfluorooctanesulfonate, perfluorohexanesulfonate, and perfluorooctanoate in pooled human milk samples from Stockholm, Sweden

The widespread presence of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), and perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS) in human general populations and their slow elimination profiles have led to renewed interest in understanding the potential human neonatal exposures of perfluoroalkyls (PFAs) from consumption of human milk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA in pooled human milk samples obtained in Sweden between 1972 and 2008 (a period representing the most significant period of PFA production) and to see whether the time trend of these analytes parallels that indicated in human serum. Chemical analysis of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA was performed on pooled Swedish human milk samples from 1972 to 2008 after methodological refinements. The 20 samples which formed the 2007 pool were also analyzed individually to evaluate sample variations. Analyses were performed by HPLC-MS/MS. Due to the complexities of the human milk matrix and the requirement to accurately quantitate low pg/mL concentrations, meticulous attention must be paid to background contamination if accurate results are to be obtained. PFOS was the predominant analyte present in the pools and all three analytes showed statistically significant increasing trends from 1972 to 2000, with concentrations reaching a plateau in the 1990s. PFOA and PFOS showed statistically significant decreasing trends during 2001-2008. At the end of the study, in 2008, the measured concentrations of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA in pooled human milk were 75 pg/mL, 14 pg/mL, and 74 pg/mL, respectively. The temporal concentration trends of PFOS, PFHxS, and PFOA observed in human milk are parallel to those reported in the general population serum concentrations.     

Neurotoxicity and transcriptome changes in embryonic zebrafish induced by halobenzoquinone exposure

Halobenzoquinones(HBQs) are emerging disinfection byproducts(DBPs) with a widespread presence in drinking water that exhibit much higher cytotoxicity than regulated DBPs. However, the developmental neurotoxicity of HBQs has not been studied in vivo. In this work, we studied the neurotoxicity of HBQs on zebrafish embryos, after exposure to varying concentrations(0-8 μmol/L) of three HBQs, 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone(2,5-DCBQ), 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone(2,6-DCBQ), and 2,5-dibromo-1,4-benzoqu...     

Uptake of metals by food plants grown on soils 10 years after biosolids application

Potentially hazardous trace elements such as Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni and Zn are expected to accumulate in biosolids–amended soil and remain in the soil for a long period of time. In this research, uptake of metals by food plants including cabbage, carrot, lettuce and tomato grown on soils 10 years after biosolids application was studied. All the five metals were significantly accumulated in the biosolids-amended soils. The accumulation of metal in soil did not result in significant increase in concentrations of Cu, Cr and Ni in the edible plant tissues. However, the Cd and Zn concentrations of the edible tissues of plants harvested from the biosolids receiving soils were significantly enhanced in comparison with those of the unaffected soils. The plant uptake under Greenfield sandy loam soil was generally higher than those under the Domino clayey loam soil. The metal concentration of edible plant tissue exhibited increasing trends with respect to the concentrations of the ambulated metals. The extents of the increases were plant species dependent. The indigenous soil metals were absorbed by the plants in much higher rates than those of the biosolids–receiving soils. It appeared that the plant uptake of the indigenous soil-borne metal and the added biosolids-borne metals are independent of one another and mathematically are additive.     

Natural and anthropogenic influences on heavy metals in airborne particles over the Korean Peninsula

Six monitoring stations were selected to characterize the variations in airborne concentrations of heavy metals in South Korea between 1999 and 2012. Three stations represented higher concentrations, and three represented lower concentrations. The heavy metals monitored at these stations include cadmium, chromium, copper, iron (Fe), lead, manganese (Mn), and nickel. During the study period, concentrations of heavy metals at many stations, including those around the Seoul metropolitan area, showed a decreasing trend. However, concentrations of Mn and Fe that are primarily of crustal origin increased at four of the six stations. Some stations were significantly affected by emissions from the local industrial complex (IC), and heavy metal concentrations at those stations were relatively high even in summer. Many heavy metal concentrations were higher in spring than in winter, but wintertime concentrations of Cr and Pb were higher at the stations representing lower concentrations due to the dominant influence of combustion emissions. At stations less affected by emissions from the IC, concentrations of Fe and Mn that are predominantly crustal in origin were higher in spring, when Asian dust (AD) events are most frequent. Although Mn concentrations were also high at stations within the steelmaking IC during AD periods, they were much higher during non-AD periods due to local emissions. Variations in heavy metal concentrations, which are heavily influenced by emissions from the IC, warrant individual analysis because their emission characteristics differ from those of typical cases.     

IS IT REALISTIC TO DEFINE A 100-YEAR DROUGHT FOR WATER MANAGEMENT?1

ABSTRACT: The concept of recurrence interval has been used for years in engineering designs. Can the same concept be applied to the drought analysis? This paper uses the plotting position method to define drought of various recurrence intervals based on stream-flow data. The method of truncation level was applied to the same data to examine the defined drought. Based on the method of truncation level, drought duration and its corresponding flow deficit were investigated. Eighteen flow gage stations from the Scioto River Basin in Ohio were selected for the study. The results show that flows of 100-year droughts using the plotting position method are practically nil. On the other hand, flows of droughts using the truncation method are gradually decreasing with an increase in truncation level, where flows of 95 percent are approximately equal to those of two-year droughts defined by the plotting position. It is also shown that there is a strung correlation between drought duration and deficit.     

四川彭县银厂沟峡谷自然景观成因初探

四川省彭县银厂沟峡谷全长21公里,峡谷和原始森林保存完整。时隐时现的“彩虹”出现于峡谷两岸的瀑布上。区内自然景观丰富多彩。本文根据旅游地质调查工作成果,对自然景观的成因作了初步探讨。     

杭州啤酒厂清洁生产示范工程回顾评价和追踪评价

通过对杭州啤酒厂清洁生产示范工程的回顾评价和追踪评价，不仅可再现以往的成果，而且可了解该示范工程的进一步发展情况，有利于对示范工程长期效益进行评估和示范工程的成败进行总结，因此，这是一项务实的制度。     

关于环境保护的可持续发展

阐述了可持续性发展的定义和内涵，介绍了可持续性发展概念产生的历史背景和该概念不断完善和补充的过程。并论述了经济增长、环境保护与可持续性发展的关系，最后，提出了实施可持续发展战略应注意的一些问题。     

Local circulation and aerosol water-soluble ions--a case study in Taiwan during Mei-yu season

The Mei-yu (plum rain) season is a short but important period when the weather changes from spring to summer in Taiwan. In this study, size-segregated aerosols were collected alternately at 5 sampling sites in northwestern Taiwan from June 16 to 24, 1994. For the first time in Taiwan, this study revealed the aerosol mass spectra and water-soluble ions in the Mei-yu season. For all samples, a bi-modal aerosol mass spectra was found with modal diameters at 3.2 and 0.32 microm, respectively. The aerosol samples were able to be divided into different groups to show their mass and ion spectra according to the calculated 5-hr backward air trajectory. The utilization of enrichment factors showed that aerosol Cl-, Na+, and Mg2+ for all sizes, and super-micron SO4(2-) were related to the sea. Both the scheme of "chlorine loss" (Ohta and Okita, 1990) and a multivariate analysis (Thurston and Spengler, 1985) for categorizing water-soluble ions showed that sea-salts were major contributors in the prevalence of a sea breeze. In contrast, the secondary salts were significant for land breeze and a mix of land-sea breeze. In conclusion, the influence of local circulation on the distribution of aerosol mass and ionic species was found to be prominent.     

三峡二期工程与湖北的机遇和挑战

１９９７年１１月１８日,三峡工程大江截流成功,标志着第一期工程结束、进入第二期工程实施阶段。长江三峡水利枢纽具有防洪、发电、航运和供水等巨大综合效益,是跨世纪特大型水利工程。它的建设,不仅对我国能源秘至整个经济布局产生极大的影响,而且对湖北长江经济带的形成与发展具有决定性的意义。