Levels of perfluorochemicals in water samples from Catalonia,Spain: is drinking water a significant contribution to human exposure?

Background, aim, and scope  In recent years, due to a high persistence, biomagnification in food webs, presence in remote regions, and potential toxicity, perfluorochemicals (PFCs) have generated a considerable interest. The present study was aimed to determine the levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and other PFCs in drinking water (tap and bottled) and river water samples from Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain). Materials and methods  Municipal drinking (tap) water samples were collected from the four most populated towns in the Tarragona Province, whereas samples of bottled waters were purchased from supermarkets. River water samples were collected from the Ebro (two samples), Cortiella, and Francolí Rivers. After pretreatment, PFC analyses were performed by HPLC-MS. Quantification was done using the internal standard method, with recoveries between 68% and 118%. Results  In tap water, PFOS and PFOA levels ranged between 0.39 and 0.87 ng/L (0.78 and 1.74 pmol/L) and between 0.32 and 6.28 ng/L (0.77 and 15.2 pmol/L), respectively. PFHpA, PFHxS, and PFNA were also other detected PFCs. PFC levels were notably lower in bottled water, where PFOS could not be detected in any sample. Moreover, PFHpA, PFHxS, PFOA, PFNA, PFOS, PFOSA, and PFDA could be detected in the river water samples. PFOS and PFOA concentrations were between <0.24 and 5.88 ng/L (<0.48 and 11.8 pmol/L) and between <0.22 and 24.9 ng/L (<0.53 and 60.1 pmol/L), respectively. Discussion  Assuming a human water consumption of 2 L per day, the daily intake of PFOS and PFOA by the population of the area under evaluation was calculated (0.78–1.74 and 12.6 ng, respectively). It was found that drinking water might be a source of exposure to PFCs as important as the dietary intake of these pollutants. Conclusions  The contribution of drinking water (tap and bottled) to the human daily intake of various PFCs has been compared for the first time with data from dietary intake of these PFCs. It was noted that in certain cases, drinking water can be a source of exposure to PFCs as important as the dietary intake of these pollutants although the current concentrations were similar or lower than those reported in the literature for surface water samples from a number of regions and countries. Recommendations and perspectives  Further studies should be carried out in order to increase the knowledge of the role of drinking water in human exposure to PFCs.     

Acute toxic hazard evaluations of glyphosate herbicide on terrestrial vertebrates of the oregon coast range

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The degree to which dose responses of model organisms (lab rodents) can adequately predict dose responses of free-ranging wild mammals or amphibians is unknown, and the relative sensitivity of such species to body loading of a toxicant such as glyphosate is seldom reported. For relative effects of dosage, we compare sensitivity of nine wild vertebrate species to effects of high doses of glyphosate in Swiss-Webster laboratory mice both by gavage and by intraperitoneal injection. We also evaluate sublethal effects of herbicide exposure on behavior and reproductive success of one mammal and one amphibian species. METHODS: Comparisons of acute toxicity of glyphosate were made with intraperitoneal dosings of technical glyphosate isopropylamine salt to nine species of terrestrial vertebrates (five amphibians, four mammals) and compared with responses in Swiss-Webster laboratory mice. Animals collected from sites that had no recent herbicide application were allowed 7-14 days to equilibrate in captivity before treatment. RESULTS: Median lethal dose ranged from 800 to 1,340 mg kg(-1) in mammals, and 1,170 to >2,000 mg kg(-1) in amphibians, with Oregon vole being the most sensitive. White lab mice were in the middle of the mammalian range. Tailed frog, at >2,000 mg kg(-1) was the least sensitive. Calibration of IP sensitivity to oral administration by gavage indicated that roughly four times as much glyphosate must be administered to obtain a comparable estimate of lethality. Administration by gavage in highly concentrated solutions tended to cause physical injury, hence may prove less useful as a relative indicator of toxicity. When sublethal dosages were given to roughskin newts or chipmunks, mobility and use of cover appeared largely unaffected. DISCUSSION: Direct toxic effects of spraying glyphosate under normal forest management seem unlikely for the nine species examined. Nor could we detect significant indirect effects of exposure on behavior and use of cover features in two species. There may be effects on other aspects of the field biology of these animals, such as reproductive rates, which we did not investigate. Recent field data indicate that changes in habitat quality following herbicide application can result in high reproductive activity in species associated with the grasses and forbs that proliferate following field applications. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to field data on body burdens of wild mammals exposed after aerial application of glyphosate at maximum rates in forests, there seems to be a large margin of safety between dosages encountered and those causing either death or limitation of movement, foraging or shelter. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Margins of safety for small mammals and amphibians appear to be large under any probable exposure scenarios, however our results indicate high variability in responses among species. Uncertainty introduced into field studies from unknown sources of mortality (e.g, likely predation) must be considered when interpreting our results.     

三峡库区大宁河流域非点源污染研究

以大宁河流域巫溪水文站控制流域为研究对象,应用分布式非点源污染模型SWAT,利用实测流量、泥沙负荷及氮、磷负荷数据对模型进行了率定和验证,并模拟了大宁河流域的径流量和营养物质氮、磷的排放.结果表明,月平均流量在率定期和验证期的效率系数分别达到了0.93和0.62;泥沙负荷的效率系数分别为0.70和0.34;氨氮和总磷的效率系数分别达到了0.31和0.37.大宁河流域污染物质的排放存在着较大的空间差异,有机氮和有机磷的5年平均排放量区间分别为2.01～38.15和0.35～5.89 ks/(hm2·a),其中,流域西南部子流域的有机氮和有机磷平均排放量最大,分别为38.15和5.89 ks/(hm2·a),是大宁河流域污染物排放的最敏感区域.     

土壤柴油污染修复的抽气提取去除实验研究

为得到土壤气相抽提(SVE)去除柴油的优化条件,进行了一维土柱抽气提取去除柴油污染物的实验研究,研究不同初始含水率、不同抽气量对污染土壤中柴油去除率的影响及不同深度残留柴油的变化规律。结果表明：在本实验模拟的范围内,抽气量越大,SVE处理效果越好;初始含水率越低,处理效果越好;此外,不同深度去除率变化的规律基本上是随深度的增大而减小。实验结果可为土壤轻油污染实际治理提供实验数据基础。     

AB工艺污水厂冬季运行效果分析

对乌鲁木齐市某AB工艺污水厂冬季实际运行效果进行监测分析。结果表明：冬季水温降低不影响AB工艺对BOD₅的去除效果,BOD5的去除率平均达到88.8%,但COD和SS的去除效果下降;在A段氨氮去除率为35%,经过B段后,氨氮含量反又上升,去除率下降为7.8%左右;降低了A段除磷效果,去除率仅29%,B段则表现出稳定的除磷效果,出水总磷稳定在1.0 mg/L以下,AB工艺总磷去除率达到80%。     

试论生态文明建设中的环境保护

随着经济的发展,人们越来越清醒地认识到,以污染环境和破坏生态来换取一时经济繁荣的危害日益突出。正是这种清醒,推动人类文明进行着一场深刻的反思和变革,把追求人与自然的和谐相处,推上当今社会发展主旋律的位置,它预示着人类进入一个生态文明的新时代。生态文明是协调发展物质文明的保障者,是与时俱进的精神文明的塑造者,是日益完善的政治文明的体现者。因此,建设生态文明既是实现全面建设小康社会奋斗目标的内在需要,又是深入贯彻落实科学发展观的重要内容;建设生态文明,必须强化政策支撑,增加生态文明建设的内生动力;必须强化执法监督,增加生态文明建设的环保执行力;必须强化生态补偿能力,构建最具活力的绿色发展模式。     

可变模糊评价法在洪涝灾情评价中的应用

灾情评价实质上是一个模式识别问题.以往的灾情评价模型,虽解决了各单项指标灾情等级评估结果的不相容问题,但往往不能检验所给结果的准确性.基于可变模糊集理论,采用可变模糊评价模型可以科学、合理地确定样本指标对各级指标标准区间的相对隶属度和相对隶属函数,并且能够通过变换参数(α与P)变化模型进行评价.通过对多个评价结果进行比较分析,可以合理地确定出样本的评价等级.同时,由于该模型确定的灾级是连续的实数值,因而提高了灾情等级评价的灾级分辨率.最后将该方法应用于河南省洪涝灾情的综合评价中.应用实例表明,该模型计算简便,评价结果可信度高,可推广应用到其它灾情等级评估中.     

基于岩体质量指标Q分类系统的风险分析方法

基于岩体质量指标Q分类系统,应用Monte-Carlo模拟技术,研究了岩体质量风险分析方法。该方法视Q分类系统中各单因素取值为随机变量,建立了各单因素取值概率模型;通过对所建模型的抽样计算,可获取所评价岩体实际Q值小于设计所采用Q值的概率;通过对比分析Q值累计曲线和岩体质量分布图,可得到任意Q值对应的风险概率,查清岩体中可能出现的质量等级以及每个质量等级所占百分比的情况。本文研究成果已在青岛胶州湾海底隧道工程中得到应用,并获得良好效果。     

荆江分洪区1998年洪水转移调查分析

对荆江分洪区１９９８年洪水期间安全转移的调查表明,叶然有分洪预案,但实际转移时仍出现了相当程度的拥挤与混乱。完善分洪转移的组织与管理,已成为分洪区居民１９９８年转移后关注的焦点,分洪区居民普遍表现出对分洪洪水情不甚了解,通过各种方式开展有关洪水的宣伟,提高区内居民的防洪意识,是荆江分洪区未来防洪减灾的重点工作之一,由于是国家为保护更重要的地区而主动分洪。对分洪区历分洪蒙受的损失给预某种形式的补偿已     

Transport of Sr2+ and SrEDTA2- in partially-saturated and heterogeneous sediments

Strontium-90 has migrated deep into the unsaturated subsurface beneath leaking storage tanks in the Waste Management Areas (WMA) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Reservation. Faster than expected transport of contaminants in the vadose zone is typically attributed to either physical hydrologic processes such as development of preferential flow pathways, or to geochemical processes such as the formation of stable, anionic complexes with organic chelates, e.g., ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The goal of this paper is to determine whether hydrological processes in the Hanford sediments can influence the geochemistry of the system and hence control transport of Sr(2+) and SrEDTA(2-). The study used batch isotherms, saturated packed column experiments, and an unsaturated transport experiment in an undisturbed core. Isotherms and repacked column experiments suggested that the SrEDTA(2-) complex was unstable in the presence of Hanford sediments, resulting in dissociation and transport of Sr(2+) as a divalent cation. A decrease in sorption with increasing solid:solution ratio for Sr(2+) and SrEDTA(2-) suggested mineral dissolution resulted in competition for sorption sites and the formation of stable aqueous complexes. This was confirmed by detection of MgEDTA(2-), MnEDTA(2-), PbEDTA(2-), and unidentified Sr and Ca complexes. Displacement of Sr(2+) through a partially-saturated undisturbed core resulted in less retardation and more irreversible sorption than was observed in the saturated repacked columns, and model results suggested a significant reservoir (49%) of immobile water was present during transport through the heterogeneous layered sediments. The undisturbed core was subsequently disassembled along distinct bedding planes and subjected to sequential extractions. Strontium was unequally distributed between carbonates (49%), ion exchange sites (37%), and the oxide (14%) fraction. An inverse relationship between mass wetness and Sr suggested that sandy sediments of low water content constituted the immobile flow regime. Our results suggested that the sequestration of Sr(2+) in partially-saturated, heterogeneous sediments was most likely due to the formation of immobile water in drier regions having low hydraulic conductivities.