Design and characterization of human exposure to generated sulfate and soot particles in a pilot chamber study

A number of literatures have documented adverse health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), and secondary sulfate aerosol and black carbon may contribute to health impacts of PM_2.5 exposure. We designed an exposure system to generate sulfate and traffic soot particles, and assessed the feasibility of using it for human exposure assessment in a pilot human exposure study. In the designed exposure system, average mass concentrations of generated sulfate and soot particles were 74.19μg/m³ and 11.54μg/m³ in the chamber and did not vary significantly during two-hour human exposure sessions. The size ranges of generated sulfate were largely between 20 to 200 nm, whereas those of generated soot particles were in the size ranges of 50 to 200nm. Following two-hour exposure to generated sulfate and soot particles, we observed significant increases in fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) in young and health subjects. Building on established human exposure system and health response follow-up methods, future full-scale studies focusing on the effects of mixed particulates and individual PM_2.5 components would provide data in understanding the underpinning cardio-respiratory outcomes in relation to air pollution mixture exposure.

Implications: Controlled exposure is a useful design to measure the biological responses repeatedly following particulate exposures of target components and set exposure at target levels of health concerns. Our study provides rational and establishes method for future full-scale studies to focus on examining the effects of mixed particulates and individual PM_2.5 components.     

Chemometric approach to evaluate element distribution in muscle,liver and fish bone of roach (Rutilus rutilus), silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna) and crucian carp (Carassius carassius) from Swarzędzkie Lake (Poland) using ICP-MS and FIAS-CVAAS techniques

The content of elements in fish tissues and organs from Swarz?dzkie Lake was investigated in order to evaluate the possible risk associated with their consumption by animals as well as humans. Samples of muscle, liver and fish bone of three fish species; roach (Rutilus rutilus), silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna) and crucian carp (Carassius carassius) were collected from seine catches undertaken as part of the biomanipulation of Swarz?dzkie Lake. Element concentration (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with the exception of Hg where the flow injection analysis system cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (FIAS-CVAAS) was applied. The study indicated a large variation in the occurrence of the investigated elements in different parts of the fish body. The highest content of Al and Zn was stated in all fish organs for each fish species. The majority of the applied statistical and chemometric methods (e.g., PCA, CA) refer to roach since we had a large number of data for this species. The obtained results were assessed in terms of their accuracy and precision using certified reference material of Fish Muscle ERM BB422.     

Determinants of homeowners' attitudes to the installation of high-voltage overhead transmission lines

This article deals comprehensively with factors which influence attitudes to the placement of high-voltage overhead transmission lines (HVOTLs). It employs an analytical schema which links the initial stimulus of the power lines' proposal in an area to Background and Socio-economic independent variables and a set of mediating variables. From a survey of 600 residents in three different domiciliary settings in Queensland, Australia, results indicate an absence of positive attitudes and, at best, neutral ones to HVOTL placement. By multinomial logistic regression, the study probes the grounds behind negativity and extreme negativity, uncovering direct links between these attitudes and certain of the variables included in the analytical schema.     

铁铈钛复合氧化物催化剂的制备及其选择性催化还原NO的性能

采用共沉淀法制备了一种新型催化剂——铁铈钛复合氧化物催化剂,研究了Fe掺加量、体积空速以及H2O和SO2的加入对其选择性催化还原NO性能的影响;采用XRD和SEM等手段对催化剂的结构和形貌进行了表征。表征结果显示,Fe的掺加使催化剂表面的颗粒更均匀,提高了催化剂的分散度。实验结果表明：以Ce（NO3）3,Fe（NO3）3?9H2O,TiOSO4?2H2O为原料、按n（Ce）∶n（Fe）∶n（Ti）=0.2∶0.8∶1配比制得的Ce0.2Fe0.8TiOx为催化剂,在反应温度250 ℃、反应时间3 h、体积空速25 000 h-1的条件下,NO去除率为99.8%,N2选择性为100%;Fe的掺加显著提高了Ce0.2Fe0.8TiOx催化剂的抗H2O和SO2的能力。     

Industrial metabolism of chlorine: a case study of a chlor-alkali industrial chain

Substance flow analysis (SFA) is applied to a case study of chlorine metabolism in a chlor-alkali industrial chain. A chain-level SFA model is constructed, and eight indices are proposed to analyze and evaluate the metabolic status of elemental chlorine. The primary objectives of this study are to identify low-efficiency links in production processes and to find ways to improve the operational performance of the industrial chain. Five-year in-depth data collection and analysis revealed that system production efficiency and source efficiency continued increasing since 2008, i.e., when the chain was first formed, at average annual growth rates of 21.01 % and 1.01 %, respectively. In 2011, 64.15 % of the total chlorine input was transformed into final products. That is, as high as 98.50 % of the chlorine inputs were utilized when other by-products were counted. Chlorine loss occurred mostly in the form of chloride ions in wastewater, and the system loss rate was 0.54 %. The metabolic efficiency of chlorine in this case was high, and the chain system had minimal impact on the environment. However, from the perspectives of processing depth and economic output, the case study of a chlor-alkali industrial chain still requires expansion.     

UV–visible light-activated Ag-decorated,monodisperse TiO2 aggregates for treatment of the pharmaceutical oxytetracycline

Noble metal Ag-decorated, monodisperse TiO₂ aggregates were successfully synthesized by an ionic strength-assisted, simple sol–gel method and were used for the photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) under both UV and visible light (UV–visible light) irradiation. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD); UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM); transmission electron microscopy (TEM); high-resolution TEM (HR-TEM); micro-Raman, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS); and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results showed that the uniformity of TiO₂ aggregates was finely tuned by the sol–gel method, and Ag was well decorated on the monodisperse TiO₂ aggregates. The absorption of the samples in the visible light region increased with increasing Ag loading that was proportional to the amount of Ag precursor added in the solution over the tested concentration range. The Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (The BET) surface area slightly decreased with increasing Ag loading on the TiO₂ aggregates. Ag-decorated TiO₂ samples demonstrated enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of OTC under UV–visible light illumination compared to that of pure TiO₂. The sample containing 1.9 wt% Ag showed the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of OTC under both UV–visible light and visible light illumination. During the experiments, the detected Ag leaching for the best TiO₂-Ag photocatalyst was much lower than the National Secondary Drinking Water Regulation for Ag limit (0.1 mg L^?1) issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency.     

古运河(镇江段)沉积物酶活性及其与氮磷阴离子的相关性

以古运河镇江段为研究对象,研究了表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性、硝酸还原酶活性和亚硝酸还原酶活性的时空变化以及3种酶活性与河流表层沉积物中氮磷阴离子浓度及上覆水水质的相关性。结果表明,镇江古运河表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性、硝酸还原酶活性和亚硝酸还原酶活性具有显著的时间和区域性差异,枯水期(12月)各酶活性较高,分别介于0.29~0.32 mg/(g·24 h)、0.13~0.19 mg/(g·24 h)、3.05~5.21 mg/(g·24 h);丰水期(5月)各酶活性较低,变化范围分别为0.18~0.29 mg/(g·24 h)、0.08~0.14 mg/(g·24 h)、2.95~3.64 mg/(g·24 h)。冗余分析结果显示,古运河表层沉积物酶活性在枯水期差异较大,丰水期差异较小,各酶活性与其相关离子浓度呈显著正相关(P0.05),硝酸还原酶和亚硝酸还原酶与上覆水的水质呈正相关。3种酶活性可被作为判断古运河镇江段沉积物富营养化负荷的参考性指标,硝酸还原酶和亚硝酸还原酶还可作为评价古运河镇江段水质的参考性指标。     

基于SLEUTH模型的滇池流域城市扩展模拟分析

通过滇池流域1992～2010年城市扩张研究,发现城市建设用地增长主要表现为两种形态：一是边缘增长,表现为城市建成区范围不断扩大;二是道路影响增长,表现为环滇池道路两边新城市单元的产生。基于滇池流域城市扩展变化遥感数据,对SLEUTH城市扩展模型进行校准,模拟30 a间（2010～2040年）3种预案下的昆明城市扩展变化过程,并对模拟结果进行分析。3种模拟预测结果表明：任意管理预案下城市无序扩张,大量农林用地被城市建设用地占用,人口和城市建设用地呈现爆发式增长,滇池沿岸被城市包围,会对滇池水环境产生极大的压力;土地总量控制预案下城市的发展完全按照城市总体规划内容进行,没有考虑城市实际发展过程中的经济、人口等因素影响,没有达到滇池生态环境保护的需要;生态环境保护预案下,能相对有效控制建设用地,减少对农林用地、湿地的侵占,利于滇池环境保护。预测发现,从滇池流域水资源现状来看,即使实施了环境保护模式,人均水资源量仍处于“严重短缺”状态。需要通过调整昆明城镇体系和产业布局,降低城市首位度和人口;采取更为严格的空间管制策略,有效控制城市空间扩展,以减少对滇池流域的环境压力     

甲苯在典型土壤中的迁移性能

采用一维土柱装置模拟非水相液体(NAPLs)在我国两种典型土壤(北京潮土与湖南红壤)中的垂向迁移过程,以甲苯为例研究了其在两种土壤中的迁移性能;采用XRD技术测定土壤的矿物组成。实验结果表明,当潮土和红壤孔隙率均为45%时,甲苯在潮土中的迁移速率和最终迁移距离均显著高于在红壤中。甲苯在潮土中的阻滞系数(Rf=18.9)小于在红壤中(Rf=26.5),表明红壤对甲苯的吸附阻滞作用强于潮土。XRD表征结果显示,红壤中粒径小的黏粒含量较高,具有较多的黏土矿物,对甲苯具有更强的吸附阻滞能力,致使甲苯在红壤中垂向迁移速率小,最终迁移距离较短。     

SMBBR预处理发酵类制药废水

采用高活性反硝化菌DNF409作为菌种,以SDC-03型生物载体作为填料,通过特异性移动床生物膜反应器预处理发酵类制药废水。实验结果表明:在反应温度为22~26℃、DO为2~4 mg/L、污泥质量浓度为2 000 mg/L、水力停留时间为16 h的条件下,COD,NH3-N,TN,TP的平均去除率分别为72.45%,27.72%,18.54%,84.58%,BOD5/COD由0.17提高到0.38,废水的可生化性得到提高;出水经后续生化处理达到GB 21903—2008《发酵类制药工业水污染物排放标准》的排放要求。