Year-round observation of atmospheric inorganic aerosols in urban Beijing: Size distribution, source analysis, and reduction mechanism

To investigate particle characteristics and find an effective measure to control severe particle pollution, year-round observation of size-segregated inorganic aerosols was conducted in Beijing from January to December, 2016. The sampled atmospheric particles all presented bimodal size distribution at four pollution levels (clear, slight pollution, moderate pollution and severe pollution), and peak values appeared at the size range of 0.7-2.1 μm and >9.0 μm, respectively. As dominant particle compositions, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and NH₄⁺ in four pollution levels all showed significant peaks in fine mode, especially at the size range of 1.1-2.1 μm. Secondary inorganic aerosols accounted for about 67.6% (36.3% (secondary sulfates) + 31.3% (secondary nitrates)) of the total sources of fine particles in urban Beijing. Severe pollution of fine particles was mainly caused by the air masses transported from nearby western and southern areas, which are industrial and densely populated region, respectively. Sensitivity tests further revealed that the control measures focusing on ammonium emission reduction was the most effective for particle pollution mitigation, and fine particles all showed nonlinear responses after reducing ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate concentrations, with the fitting curves of y = -120.8x - 306.1x² + 290.2x³, y = -43.5x - 67.8x², and y = -25.8x - 110.4x² + 7.6x³, respectively (y and x present fine particle mass variation (μg/m³) and concentration reduction ratio (CRR)/100 (dimensionless)). Overall, our study presents useful information for understanding the characteristics of atmospheric inorganic aerosols in urban Beijing, as well as offers policy makers with effective measure for mitigating particle pollution.     

Evaluation of disinfection byproducts for their ability to affect mitochondrial function

In the race to deliver clean water to communities through potable water reuse, disinfection and water quality assessment are and will continue to be fundamental factors. There are over 700 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in water; evaluating each compound is practically impossible and very time consuming. A bioanalytical approach could be an answer to this challenge. In this work, the response of four major classes of DBPs toward mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and cytoplasmic adenosine triphosphate (C-ATP) was investigated with human carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Within 90 min of cell exposure, only the haloacetic acid (HAA) mixture caused a cytotoxic response as measured by C-ATP. All four groups (haloacetonitriles (HANs), trihalomethanes (THMs), nitrosamines (NOAs), and HAAs) responded well to ΔΨm, R² > 0.70. Based on the half-maximum concentration that evoked a 50% response in ΔΨm, the response gradient was HANs >> HAAs ∼ THM > NOAs. The inhibition of the ΔΨm by HANs is driven by dibromoacetonitrile (DBAN), while dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) did not cause a significant change in the ΔΨm at less than 2000 µM. A mixture of HANs exhibited an antagonistic behavior on the ΔΨm compared to individual compounds. If water samples are concentrated to increase HAN concentrations, especially DBAN, then ΔΨm could be used as a biomonitoring tool for DBP toxicity.     

The Rate of Soil Cover Recovery in Anthropogenically Disturbed Areas: An Example of Western Siberian Archaeological Landmarks

The soils formed on fortifications around the sites of ancient settlements 1500 and 2700 years old were studied in the Endyr archaeological landmarks (West Siberia, central taiga). It was shown that podzolic soils with morphological characteristics identical to those of the background soils were formed during these time periods. An attempt was made to estimate the characteristic times for some chemical characters. The greatest values of this parameter were about 8000 years.     

不同施肥措施对热带地区稻菜轮作体系土壤CH4和N2O排放的影响

研究稻菜轮作模式下土壤甲烷（CH₄）和氧化亚氮（N₂ O）排放对不同施肥措施的响应,对补充我国热带地区CH₄和N₂ O排放研究的不足具有重要的指导意义.在辣椒季设置4种施肥处理：磷钾肥（PK）、氮磷钾肥（NPK）、等氮条件下50%有机肥替代化肥（NPK+M）和100%有机肥替代（M）,水稻种植季未设置施肥处理,研究辣椒季不同施肥条件下CH₄和N₂ O的排放规律以及对早稻生长季水稻产量、CH₄和N₂ O排放的后续影响.采用密闭静态箱-气相色谱法测定稻菜轮作土壤CH₄和N₂ O,同时测定作物产量,并估算全球增温潜势（GWP）和温室气体排放强度（GHGI）.结果表明：①辣椒季和早稻季4种施肥处理下土壤CH₄的累积排放量分别为0.9~2.7 kg ·hm^-2和5.5~8.4 kg ·hm^-2,与NPK处理相比,辣椒季NPK+M和M处理CH₄累积排放量分别减少35.3%和7.6%;而早稻季NPK+M和M处理CH₄累积排放量均增加37.5%和55.1%,其中早稻季M处理达到显著水平.②辣椒季和早稻季4种施肥处理下N₂ O的累积排放量分别为0.5~3.0 kg ·hm^-2和0.3~0.5 kg ·hm^-2,相对NPK处理,辣椒季NPK+M和M处理降低33.7%和16.0%的N₂ O累积排放量,其中NPK+M处理达到显著差异,早稻季NPK+M处理N₂ O累积排放量降低23.5%,M处理却增加9.1%,但均未达到显著水平.③ 4种施肥处理下辣椒和早稻的产量分别为3055.6~37722.5 kg ·hm^-2和5850.9~6994.4 kg ·hm^-2,与NPK处理相比,NPK+M和M处理显著增加辣椒产量.各施肥处理GWP为508.0~1864.4 kg ·hm^-2,NPK+M和M处理相对NPK处理分别下降25.7%和5.7%,其中NPK+M处理达到显著差异.辣椒季各处理的GWP对总GWP的贡献率为69.2%~78.1%,N₂ O对总GWP的贡献率为77.3%~85.3%.辣椒季和早稻季GHGI分别为0.03~0.09 kg ·kg^-1和0.04~0.24 kg ·kg^-1,与NPK处理相比,辣椒季M和NPK+M处理使GHGI显著下降71.5%和54.7%,早稻季NPK+M和M处理GHGI值分别下降44.0%和20.8%,其中NPK+M处理达到显著差异.综合作物产量及温室气体减排效果考虑,化肥和有机肥配施（NPK+M）可推荐为海南稻菜轮作模式下一种最优的减排稳产的施肥措施.     

植物细胞对环境胁迫的适应性应答Ⅰ:水杨酸对大蒜培养细胞中超氧化物歧化酶的增效诱导

大蒜培养细胞对水杨酸的应答比对温度和水分胁迫的应答更为强烈，其主要特征是抗氧化酶类超氧化物歧化酶的大量生成，同时还观察到水杨酸对冷胁迫或热休克介导的酶诱导作用的强化．上述结果暗示着自由基的生成是环境胁迫作用于植物细胞的机制之一，水杨酸诱导产生的抗氧化活性高于冷胁迫或热休克．这表明化学胁迫可能以一种与物理胁迫不同的方式诱导超氧化物歧化酶同工酶的生成     

A conceptual framework: Redefining forest soil's critical acid loads under a changing climate

Federal agencies of several nations have or are currently developing guidelines for critical forest soil acid loads. These guidelines are used to establish regulations designed to maintain atmospheric acid inputs below levels shown to damage forests and streams. Traditionally, when the critical soil acid load exceeds the amount of acid that the ecosystem can absorb, it is believed to potentially impair forest health. The excess over the critical soil acid load is termed the exceedance, and the larger the exceedance, the greater the risk of ecosystem damage. This definition of critical soil acid load applies to exposure of the soil to a single, long-term pollutant (i.e., acidic deposition). However, ecosystems can be simultaneously under multiple ecosystem stresses and a single critical soil acid load level may not accurately reflect ecosystem health risk when subjected to multiple, episodic environmental stress. For example, the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina receive some of the highest rates of acidic deposition in the eastern United States, but these levels are considered to be below the critical acid load (CAL) that would cause forest damage. However, the area experienced a moderate three-year drought from 1999 to 2002, and in 2001 red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) trees in the area began to die in large numbers. The initial survey indicated that the affected trees were killed by the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm.). This insect is not normally successful at colonizing these tree species because the trees produce large amounts of oleoresin that exclude the boring beetles. Subsequent investigations revealed that long-term acid deposition may have altered red spruce forest structure and function. There is some evidence that elevated acid deposition (particularly nitrogen) reduced tree water uptake potential, oleoresin production, and caused the trees to become more susceptible to insect colonization during the drought period. While the ecosystem was not in exceedance of the CAL, long-term nitrogen deposition pre-disposed the forest to other ecological stress. In combination, insects, drought, and nitrogen ultimately combined to cause the observed forest mortality. If any one of these factors were not present, the trees would likely not have died. This paper presents a conceptual framework of the ecosystem consequences of these interactions as well as limited plot level data to support this concept. Future assessments of the use of CAL studies need to account for multiple stress impacts to better understand ecosystem response.     

Elimination kinetics of perfluorohexanoic acid in humans and comparison with mouse,rat and monkey

Major fluorinated chemical manufacturers have developed new short-chain per- and polyfluorinated substances with more favorable environmental, health and safety profiles. This study provides the first evaluation of the elimination half-life of perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) from the blood of humans. PFHxA biomonitoring data were obtained from a recently published study of professional ski wax technicians. These data were analyzed to provide estimates of the apparent half-life of PFHxA from humans, and comparisons were made with kinetic studies of PFHxA elimination from mice, rats and monkeys. The apparent elimination half-life of PFHxA in highly exposed humans ranged between 14 and 49 d with a geomean of 32 d. The half-lives of PFHxA in mice, rats, monkeys and humans were proportional to body weight with no differences observed between genders, indicating similar volumes of distribution and similar elimination mechanisms among mammalian species. Compared to long-chain perfluoroalkyl acid analogs, PFHxA is rapidly cleared from biota. The consistent weight-normalized elimination half-lives for PFHxA in mammalian species indicates that results obtained from animal models are suitable for establishment of PFHxA benchmark dose and reference dose hazard endpoints for use in human risk assessments.     

Antioxidants in Hot Pepper: Variation Among Accessions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pepper (Capsicum spp.) germplasm collection contains several thousand members or accessions. Many of these species and cultivars have not been analyzed for their concentrations of ascorbic acid, capsaicin, and total phenolic compounds, which are important antioxidants having a number of benefits for human health. The objective of this investigation was to select candidate accessions of hot pepper having high concentrations of ascorbic acid, capsaicin, free sugars, and total phenols for use as parents in breeding for these compounds. Seventeen accessions of pepper from the core Capsicum germplasm collection (four accessions of Capsicum chinense; five accessions of C. baccatum; six accessions of C. annuum; and two of C. frutescens) were field grown and their mature fruits were analyzed for their antioxidant composition. Concentrations of these compounds tended to be higher in C. chinense and C. baccatum, than in C. annuum and C. frutescens. Across all accessions the concentration of total phenols was correlated with ascorbic acid (r = 0.97) and free sugars (r = 0.80). Concentrations of total phenols (1.4, 1.3, and 1.3 mg g^?1 fruit) and ascorbic acid (1.6, 1.2, and 1.3 mg g^?1 fruit) were significantly greater in PI-633757, PI-387833, and PI-633754, respectively, compared to other accessions analyzed. Total capsaicinoids concentrations were greatest (1.3 mg g^?1 fruit) in PI-438622 and lowest (0.002 mg g^?1 fruit) in Grif-9320. The great variability within and among Capsicum species for these phytochemicals suggests that these selected accessions may be useful as parents in hybridization programs to produce fruits with value-added traits.     

江苏省开发区土地集约利用潜力研究

开发区是土地利用的重要方式，特别是在促进土地集约利用方面起到了良好的示范和辐射作用。本文基于江苏省开发区典型调查的基础上，分析和测算了全省开发区土地集约利用的理论潜力，并结合江苏省资源禀赋特点和经济发展的制约因素剖析了理论潜力实现的可能性及途径。结果表明，江苏省开发区2010年和2020年的土地集约利用理论潜力分别为261km^2和1069km^2；若能在劳动生产率和工业用地容积率等方面有所作为的话，江苏省开发区2010年和2020年的土地集约利用现实潜力将分别达210km^2和869km^2。这主要通过注重开发区投资主体的多元化、软硬件环境的不断完善和提高开发区的用地门槛来实现。