Risk assessment of potentially toxic element pollution in soils and rice (Oryza sativa) in a typical area of the Yangtze River Delta

Soil pollution with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) resulting from rapid industrial development has caused major concerns. Selected PTEs and their accumulation and distribution in soils and rice (Oryza sativa) collected from Changshu, east China, were analyzed to evaluate the potential health risk to the local population. The soils were primarily contaminated with Hg, followed by Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn. The concentrations of Pb, Hg, and Cd of 46, 32, and 1 rice samples exceeded their national maximum allowable levels in foods, respectively. Spatial distributions of total Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in soils shared similar geographical trends. The risk assessment of PTEs through rice consumption suggests that the concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Cd in some rice samples exceed their reference oral dose for adults and children. In general, there was no target hazard quotient value of any individual element that was greater than 1, but hazard index values for adults and children were 1.726 and 1.523, respectively.     

Assessing the impacts of current and future concentrations of surface ozone on crop yield with meta-analysis

Meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively assess the effects of rising ozone concentrations ([O₃]) on yield and yield components of major food crops: potato, barley, wheat, rice, bean and soybean in 406 experimental observations. Yield loss of the crops under current and future [O₃] was expressed relative to the yield under base [O₃] (≤26 ppb). With potato, current [O₃] (31–50 ppb) reduced the yield by 5.3%, and it reduced the yield of barley, wheat and rice by 8.9%, 9.7% and 17.5%, respectively. In bean and soybean, the yield losses were 19.0% and 7.7%, respectively. Compared with yield loss at current [O₃], future [O₃] (51–75 ppb) drove a further 10% loss in yield of soybean, wheat and rice, and 20% loss in bean. Mass of individual grain, seed, or tuber was often the major cause of the yield loss at current and future [O₃], whereas other yield components also contributed to the yield loss in some cases. No significant difference was found between the responses in crops grown in pots and those in the ground for any yield parameters. The ameliorating effect of elevated [CO₂] was significant in the yields of wheat and potato, and the individual grain weight in wheat exposed to future [O₃]. These findings confirm the rising [O₃] as a threat to food security for the growing global population in this century.     

Ozone risk assessment for agricultural crops in Europe: Further development of stomatal flux and flux–response relationships for European wheat and potato

Applications of a parameterised Jarvis-type multiplicative stomatal conductance model with data collated from open-top chamber experiments on field grown wheat and potato were used to derive relationships between relative yield and stomatal ozone uptake. The relationships were based on thirteen experiments from four European countries for wheat and seven experiments from four European countries for potato. The parameterisation of the conductance model was based both on an extensive literature review and primary data. Application of the stomatal conductance models to the open-top chamber experiments resulted in improved linear regressions between relative yield and ozone uptake compared to earlier stomatal conductance models, both for wheat (r²=0.83) and potato (r²=0.76). The improvement was largest for potato. The relationships with the highest correlation were obtained using a stomatal ozone flux threshold. For both wheat and potato the best performing exposure index was AF_st6 (accumulated stomatal flux of ozone above a flux rate threshold of 6 nmol ozone m⁻² projected sunlit leaf area, based on hourly values of ozone flux). The results demonstrate that flux-based models are now sufficiently well calibrated to be used with confidence to predict the effects of ozone on yield loss of major arable crops across Europe. Further studies, using innovations in stomatal conductance modelling and plant exposure experimentation, are needed if these models are to be further improved.     

Passive sampling: A cost-effective method for understanding antibiotic fate,behaviour and impact

The occurrence of antibiotics in the environment has raised much concern in recent years. Understanding their release, fate and behaviour in the environment is vital to assess potential risks. In this study, a novel passive water sampler – diffusion gradients in thin-films for organics (o-DGT) – was employed to assess the occurrence and removal of antibiotics in two waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) — one in China and the other in the United Kingdom (UK). Of the targeted compounds, 11 of 19 were detected in the Chinese WWTP (ND—200 ng/L) and 10 of 40 were found in the UK plant (ND—1380 ng/L). Florfenicol, lincomycin, ofloxacin and roxithromycin were most abundant in the Chinese WWTP (influent), while anhydrous erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim, ofloxacin and sulfapyridine were the most abundant in the UK influent samples. Estimated Chinese and UK consumption data are used to interpret the results. Neither of the WWTPs was very effective at removing antibiotics: ~ 40–50% (overall) was removed by the two plants, with the rest being discharged into the receiving rivers. This is the first study using o-DGT to assess the occurrence and removal of antibiotics in WWTPs. o-DGT is a useful, cost-effective tool to assess WWTP performance and can highlight the effectiveness of treatment steps, which can be applied to wastewater based epidemiology studies.     

富春江库区高温热浪变化特征及对藻类水华潜在影响研究

随着全球气候变暖,夏季高温热浪出现频次、强度和持续时间明显增加. 为探明气候变暖引起的夏季高温热浪对藻类水华及淡水生态系统的影响, 基于长期气象观测、高频浮标水温监测、藻华过程浮游植物生物量连续监测以及卫星遥感反演,分析了富春江库区夏季高温热浪长期变化特征以及2016年高温热浪对富春江水库藻类水华的影响过程. 结果表明:①1972—2020年近50年富春江水库呈现明显的区域增温,平均气温增速为0.35 ℃/(10 a),2016年达最高值(18.13 ℃);与此同时,高温热浪频次和天数也显著增加,且起始时间显著提前,结束时间显著推迟,2016年经历了近50年来较严重的高温热浪事件. ②野外实测和卫星遥感反演表明,2016年7—8月富春江水库暴发严重的藻类水华,库区叶绿素a浓度在8月19日达最高值〔(65.3±21.3) μg/L〕. ③因果分析显示,高温热浪引起的气温和水温增加、降水和风速减少以及热力分层强化等直接或者间接诱发和促进了浮游植物生物量累积及蓝藻水华形成. 研究显示,夏季高温热浪加剧了富春江水库藻类水华暴发,未来全球变暖背景下高温热浪频次和强度将继续增加,需开展高频同步监测和受控试验,深入揭示高温热浪对藻类水华形成的驱动机制.      

有机肥处理对旱地红壤细菌群落及玉米生产力的影响

为探明旱地红壤细菌群落特征及玉米生产力对不同有机肥处理的响应,基于自2002年设置在中国科学院鹰潭红壤生态实验站的有机培肥长期定位试验,采用Illumina高通量测序,研究不同有机肥（不施肥,M0;低量有机肥,M1;高量有机肥,M2;高量有机肥加石灰,M3）处理下土壤细菌群落多样性和结构以及玉米生产力的变化.结果发现,与M0相比,土壤pH、有机质（SOM）、全氮（TN）、全磷（TP）含量和玉米生产力在不同有机肥（M1、M2和M3）处理下均显著增加,其中M3处理的提升效果最佳.施用有机肥显著提高了土壤细菌群落的Shannon、Evenness、Chao1与ACE指数,重塑了细菌群落结构.基于随机森林模型分析,土壤性质中的pH和TP显著影响土壤细菌多样性,而pH、SOM、TP和TN对土壤细菌群落结构影响显著.相关性分析和结构方程模型分析表明,土壤TP和SOM可以通过改变土壤细菌多样性和群落组成间接影响玉米生产力.研究结果从指导我国南方红壤区农田合理施肥的角度,为农田土壤质量提高及耕地产能提升提供科学依据.     

太湖北部不同湖区春、夏季溶解性酸性多糖分布

为研究太湖dAPS(dissolved acidic polysaccharides,溶解性酸性多糖)的时空变化,探讨湖泊水体中dAPS对有机碳的贡献和重要性,于2012年春、夏季调查了太湖北部不同湖区(竺山湾、梅梁湾、贡湖湾、湖心区)水体中ρ(dAPS),分析了其时空变化特征及其与ρ(Chla)之间的关系,并探讨了不同湖湾中dAPS对DOC(溶解性有机碳)的贡献率. 结果表明,太湖北部水体中ρ(dAPS)春、夏季变化范围为3.02~9.93mg/L,平均值为(6.10±1.59) mg/L. 夏季太湖北部各湖区之间ρ(dAPS)没有显著性差异,春季梅梁湾中ρ(dAPS)显著高于湖心区(P<0.05),其他湖区并没有显著性差异. 春、夏两季ρ(dAPS)的最低值均出现在湖心区. 除贡湖湾外,夏季太湖北部各湖区ρ(dAPS)与ρ(Chla)都存在显著线性正相关,而春季各湖区则无显著线性关系. 这说明春、夏季dAPS的受控因素不一样,夏季ρ(dAPS)受藻类影响较大. 夏季各湖区dAPS对DOC的贡献率以贡湖湾最高,平均值高达46.7%±7.7%,春季则以梅梁湾的贡献率较高,平均值为68.6%±5.9%,这意味着dAPS在太湖水体有机碳循环中起着重要的作用.      

南京近50年冬季低温冰冻积雪事件的气候特征

应用南京逐日观测资料分析了南京低温、冰冻和积雪灾害的变化特征及其与区域气候变暖的联系,得到如下结论:①低温、冰冻、积雪事件都存在一定的年代际和年际的周期变化;冬季平均最低气温和极端最低气温具有相似的周期性特征;积雪深度的年代际尺度的周期特征明显,但是较小尺度的年际周期不明显;②近50年来南京的低温、冰冻、积雪事件呈现波动下降的趋势;③南京年均气温和低温、冰冻、积雪事件之间存在较强的相关性与区域气候变暖关系密切。     

Phytoremediation of the polluted Waigang River and general survey on variation of phytoplankton population

The Waigang River, a major tributary of the Qinhuai River system, has suffered from long-standing pollution because of lack of management. Restoration was commenced in April 2006 to reduce pollutants and improve water quality. Four ecological areas and ten surface carriers were constructed for the culture of plants (mainly water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)) for phytoremediation. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus, total nitrogen (TN), ammonia?Cnitrogen (NH₃?CN), water transparency, and variations in phytoplankton population were investigated to evaluate the effects of restoration. Over 36?months, TSS, COD, TN, and NH₃?CN levels decreased by 91.1, 55.3, 91.5, and 86.5?%, respectively. Transparency increased from 25?cm in 2006 to 165?cm in 2009. Improvements in water quality significantly enhanced the diversity of phytoplankton, which were harmed by pollution stress. Our results show that the water hyacinth and ryegrass cultured in the ecological areas and the surface carriers can be used to restore other heavily polluted rivers with conditions similar to those of the Waigang River, especially in the initial stages of restoration.     

冬季大黑汀水库沉积物-水界面氮磷赋存特征及交换通量

本文研究了大黑汀水库表层沉积物碳氮磷污染负荷及分布特征,利用Peeper （pore water equilibriums）技术获取沉积物-水界面氮磷剖面特征,分析大黑汀水库间隙水氮磷分布的空间差异;采集沉积物无扰动柱样用静态培养法对其水土界面氮磷交换速率进行估算.结果表明：沉积物中TN、TP和TOC的含量分别在729~5894mg/kg、1312~2439mg/kg和0.5%~5.6%之间,沉积物中氨氮（NH₄⁺-N）、硝酸盐氮（NO₃^--N）、亚硝酸盐氮（NO₂^--N）和活性磷（PO₄^3--P）含量分别在0.6~202.9、34.4~168.3、0.1~0.3和16.1~75.2mg/kg之间,主要表现为下游含量高于上游,空间分布特征明显;沉积物C/N表明该水库有机质主要来源于水体内部,与人类网箱养殖活动有关.间隙水中NH₄⁺-N和PO₄^3--P浓度远高于上覆水,表明大黑汀水库间隙水具有向上覆水体扩散营养盐的潜力.在垂直方向上间隙水中NH₄⁺-N浓度随深度的增加而变大,PO₄^3--P浓度具有在0~4cm快速增加,之后表现出逐渐降低的趋势.静态释放结果表明,沉积物-水界面NH₄⁺-N和PO₄^3--P的交换通量分别为3.5~110.5mg/（m²·d）和0.1~1.6mg/（m²·d）,NO₃^--N和NO₂^--N交换通量在-112.5~157.2mg/（m²·d）和0.04~0.94mg/（m²·d）之间.NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N和PO₄^3--P在下游表现出较高的释放速率.较高的沉积物内源负荷使得大黑汀水库沉积物具有较大的向上覆水释放营养盐的潜力,改善水库沉积物污染状况是治理大黑汀水库水体环境的必要之举.