Evaluation of genotoxic effects of benzene and its derivatives in workers of gas stations

The search for reliable biomarkers of human exposure to benzene and its derivatives is still subject of research. Many of the proposed biomarkers have limitations ranging from the low sensitivity to the wide variability of results. Thus, the aim of our study was to assess the frequencies of chromosomal abnormalities (CA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in workers of gas stations, with (cases, n?=?19) and without (local controls, n?=?6) risk of exposure to benzene and its derivatives, comparing them with the results from the general population (external controls, n?=?38). The blood dosages of benzene, toluene, and xylenes were measured in all participants. Blood solvent levels were compared with the findings obtained in cytogenetic evaluation and a research protocol which included data of the workplace, lifestyle, and health of the individuals. We did not detect the presence of benzene and its derivatives and did not find chromosomal damage that may be associated with the gas station activity in cases. Moreover, although we found an association of increased SCE and the working time in the local controls, the values found for SCE are within normal limits. Thus, our evaluation of SCE and CA reflected the levels of benzene and its derivatives observed in the blood. We believe, therefore, that SCE and CA may actually constitute possible tests for the evaluation of these exposures. However, we believe that further studies, including individuals at risk, are important to confirm this assertion.     

Mapping and quantifying habitat fragmentation in small coastal areas: a case study of three protected wetlands in Apulia (Italy)

In the Mediterranean Region, habitat loss and fragmentation severely affect coastal wetlands, due to the rapid expansion of anthropogenic activities that has occurred in the last decades. Landscape metrics are commonly used to define landscape patterns and to evaluate fragmentation processes. This investigation focuses on the performance of a set of landscape pattern indices within landscapes characterized by coastal environments and extent below 1,000 ha. The aim is to assess the degree of habitat fragmentation for the monitoring of protected areas and to learn whether values of landscape metrics can characterize fine-resolution landscape patterns. The study areas are three coastal wetlands belonging to the Natura 2000 network and sited on the Adriatic side of Apulia (Southern Italy). The Habitat Maps were derived from the Vegetation Maps generated integrating phytosociological relevés and Earth Observation data. In the three sites, a total of 16 habitat types were detected. A selected set of landscape metrics was applied in order to investigate their performance in assessing fragmentation and spatial patterns of habitats. The final results showed that the most significant landscape patterns are related to highly specialized habitat types closely linked to coastal environments. In interpreting the landscape patterns of these highly specialized habitats, some specific ecological factors were taken into account. The shape indices were the most useful in assessing the degree of fragmentation of habitat types that usually have elongated morphology along the shoreline or the coastal lagoons. In all the cases, to be meaningful, data obtained from the application of the selected indices were jointly assessed, especially at the class level.     

电站锅炉的压力管道管理和检验要求分析

电站锅炉的压力管道参数较高,存在着较大的安全风险,一旦发生事故,后果往往十分严重.电站锅炉的压力管道在按照"锅炉"或"压力管道"进行管理时,设计、制造、安装等阶段管理要求存在交叉或不清晰的情况.进行定期检验时,又有按锅炉范围内管道或工业管道(含动力管道)执行不同技术规范的情况.本文通过按"锅炉"和"压力管道"管理时执行...     

Towards the harmonization between National Forest Inventory and Forest Condition Monitoring. Consistency of plot allocation and effect of tree selection methods on sample statistics in Italy

In the frame of a process aiming at harmonizing National Forest Inventory (NFI) and ICP Forests Level I Forest Condition Monitoring (FCM) in Italy, we investigated (a) the long-term consistency between FCM sample points (a subsample of the first NFI, 1985, NFI_1) and recent forest area estimates (after the second NFI, 2005, NFI_2) and (b) the effect of tree selection method (tree-based or plot-based) on sample composition and defoliation statistics. The two investigations were carried out on 261 and 252 FCM sites, respectively. Results show that some individual forest categories (larch and stone pine, Norway spruce, other coniferous, beech, temperate oaks and cork oak forests) are over-represented and others (hornbeam and hophornbeam, other deciduous broadleaved and holm oak forests) are under-represented in the FCM sample. This is probably due to a change in forest cover, which has increased by 1,559,200 ha from 1985 to 2005. In case of shift from a tree-based to a plot-based selection method, 3,130 (46.7 %) of the original 6,703 sample trees will be abandoned, and 1,473 new trees will be selected. The balance between exclusion of former sample trees and inclusion of new ones will be particularly unfavourable for conifers (with only 16.4 % of excluded trees replaced by new ones) and less for deciduous broadleaves (with 63.5 % of excluded trees replaced). The total number of tree species surveyed will not be impacted, while the number of trees per species will, and the resulting (plot-based) sample composition will have a much larger frequency of deciduous broadleaved trees. The newly selected trees have—in general—smaller diameter at breast height (DBH) and defoliation scores. Given the larger rate of turnover, the deciduous broadleaved part of the sample will be more impacted. Our results suggest that both a revision of FCM network to account for forest area change and a plot-based approach to permit statistical inference and avoid bias in the tree sample composition in terms of DBH (and likely age and structure) are desirable in Italy. As the adoption of a plot-based approach will keep a large share of the trees formerly selected, direct tree-by-tree comparison will remain possible, thus limiting the impact on the time series comparability. In addition, the plot-based design will favour the integration with NFI_2.     

珠江河口沉积物Hg的分布与污染评价

利用Hg元素直测仪分析了珠江河口表层沉积物和柱状沉积物Hg的含量和背景值.沉积物Hg的背景值为(45.94～70.62)×10-9.表层沉积物Hg含量在(20.81～369.20)×10-9,平均为168.23×10-9,平面分布呈西部向东部和东南方向减少的趋势,其中,以西部浅滩沉积物Hg含量最高,富集程度最大.柱状沉积物Hg含量在(33.61～250.43)×10-9,平均含量150.49×10-9,垂直分布存在显著的地域差异,东滩沉积物Hg表现为上部富集,而西滩沉积物表现为均匀分布.地质累积指数法、潜在生态危害指数法和单因子污染指数法三种污染评价的结果表明,珠江河口表层沉积物的Hg污染区主要集中于西部浅滩,存在中等程度的Hg污染.     

基于拓展敏感性方法和ABCD模型的流域枯季径流归因分析

提出一种拓展径流敏感性分析方法,进行季尺度气候变化和人类活动对径流变化影响的定量评价。以径流变化二阶泰勒展开式中的混合偏导项作为气候变化与人类活动耦合作用的度量,从而分离出气候变化、人类活动及两者间耦合作用对径流影响的程度,并采用包含融雪模块的ABCD模型,计算土壤蓄水量和地下水储量变化量。以拉萨河为研究实例,结果表明:近60年来,气候变化是导致拉萨河枯季径流增加的主导因素,其次是人类活动和耦合作用项;气候变化导致枯季径流增加,人类活动及耦合作用项引起枯季径流不同程度的减少。     

Bardenpho镶嵌MBBR工艺用于北方某污水厂抗冲击性能

采用Bardenpho镶嵌MBBR工艺对北方某污水厂进行提标改造,考察了在进水有机物长期超标冲击情况下的运行效果。通过对该污水厂近一年的运行数据进行分析发现,在进水BOD和TN超标的情况下,出水TN、BOD、NH_4~+-N分别为(7.75±2.67)、(2.82±0.34)、(2.43±1.04) mg·L~(-1),稳定达到一级A标准,通过后缺氧区的设置,破除了回流比对TN去除的限制,使系统在进水TN超标的情况下同样能够稳定达标,TN去除率均值达到88%。硝化小试研究结果表明,在有机物冲击前后,悬浮载体的硝化速率没有受到影响,容积负荷分别为0.108 kg·(m3·d)~(-1)和0.109 kg·(m3·d)~(-1),而冲击后活性污泥的硝化速率则较冲击前降低了44%。通过对生化段沿程各功能区断面出水测定发现,好氧MBBR区对NH_4~+-N的去除率超过90%,保障了出水氨氮的稳定达标。微生物高通量测序结果显示,MBBR悬浮载体对硝化细菌的筛选和富集具有重要作用,悬浮载体上硝化菌含量是活性污泥的5倍,为MBBR的抗冲击性能提供了微观保证。采用Bardenpho镶嵌MBBR工艺进行提标改造后,系统抗冲击性能较强,运行效果稳定,适用于污水厂升级改造。     

Fe~0协同生物麦饭石的PRB系统井下原位处理煤矿酸性废水

针对煤矿酸性废水(AMD)具有污染组分多、危害程度严重、地面处理成本高等特点,以固定SRB污泥的生物麦饭石作为PRB活性填料,并添加Fe0构建生物-非生物协同去污的新型PRB井下原位修复系统,对AMD开展了连续动态、变负荷的模拟修复研究。实验结果表明,3个动态柱对p H均具有较强的调节能力,同时仅以麦饭石作为活性填料的PRB-3对Fe2+、Mn2+、NH3-N具有较好的去除效果,最大去除速率分别为45.77、9.23和12.10 mg/(L·d);以Fe0协同生物麦饭石的PRB-2在碳源充足时对SO2-4、Fe2+、Mn2+、NH3-N最高去除速率分别为552.29、57.64、14.51和7.05mg/(L·d),而相同条件下只以生物麦饭石作为活性填料的PRB-1对上述污染物的最高去除速率分别为446.62、57.20、10.87和3.53 mg/(L·d);应用PRB-2系统处理AMD不仅可以实现多种污染物的同步去除,还能实现无外加碳源的井下原位长效修复。     

The ChimERA project: coupling mechanistic exposure and effect models into an integrated platform for ecological risk assessment

Current techniques for the ecological risk assessment of chemical substances are often criticised for their lack of environmental realism, ecological relevance and methodological accuracy. ChimERA is a 3-year project (2013–2016), funded by Cefic’s Long Range Initiative (LRI) that aims to address some of these concerns by developing and testing mechanistic fate and effect models, and coupling of these models into one integrated platform for risk assessment. This paper discusses the backdrop against which this project was initiated and lists its objectives and planned methodology.     

Toxicity of five antidepressant drugs on embryo–larval development and metamorphosis success in the Pacific oyster,Crassostrea gigas

Unlike conventional pollutants, pharmaceutical residues are continuously discharged at low levels (low to mid ng l^?1 concentrations), which results in the chronic contamination of non-target organisms, but little is known about the effects of these residues. The purpose of this study was to provide the first assessment of the ecotoxicity of five antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs] fluoxetine and sertraline, tricyclic antidepressants [TCAs] clomipramine and amitriptyline, and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor [SNRI] duloxetine) at a wide range of concentrations from 0.1 to 100,000 μg l^?1 on two early life stages in the Pacific oyster. The toxicity was quantified in D-shaped larvae after 36 h of exposure, and in 21-day-old pediveliger larvae after 24 h of exposure using the percentage of normal larval development and the metamorphosis rate as endpoints, respectively. The embryotoxicity assays reported that the EC₅₀ values were within the same range of concentrations (67 to 192 μg l^?1) for all of the tested molecules. The metamorphosis tests revealed that the antidepressants can be ranked along an increasing severity gradient: clomipramine < amitriptyline < duloxetine ~ fluoxetine. Sertraline appeared to be the less toxic molecule on this endpoint; however, a different concentration range was used. The embryotoxicity test was more sensitive than the metamorphosis bioassay for three of the five molecules tested, but the latter test showed more practical benefits. Overall, the obtained toxicity values were at least 10,000-fold higher than the reported environmental concentrations.