Insights into metals in individual fine particles from municipal solid waste using synchrotron radiation-based micro-analytical techniques

Excessive inter-contamination with heavy metals hampers the application of biological treatment products derived from mixed or mechanically-sorted municipal solid waste (MSW). In this study, we investigated fine particles of < 2 mm, which are small fractions in MSW but constitute a significant component of the total heavy metal content, using bulk detection techniques. A total of 17 individual fine particles were evaluated using synchrotron radiation-based micro-X-ray fluorescence and micro-X-ray diffraction. We also discussed the association, speciation and source apportionment of heavy metals. Metals were found to exist in a diffuse distribution with heterogeneous intensities and intense hot-spots of < 10 μm within the fine particles. Zn-Cu, Pb-Fe and Fe-Mn-Cr had significant correlations in terms of spatial distribution. The overlapped enrichment, spatial association, and the mineral phases of metals revealed the potential sources of fine particles from size-reduced waste fractions (such as scraps of organic wastes or ceramics) or from the importation of other particles. The diverse sources of heavy metal pollutants within the fine particles suggested that separate collection and treatment of the biodegradable waste fraction (such as food waste) is a preferable means of facilitating the beneficial utilization of the stabilized products.     

New insights into disruption of iron homeostasis by environmental pollutants

Among the numerous health conditions environmental pollutants can cause, chronic exposure to pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals has been shown to disturb a specific biological homeostatic process, the iron metabolism in human body. Disorders of iron metabolism are among the common diseases of humans and encompass a broad spectrum of diseases with different clinical manifestations, ranging from anemia to iron overload, and possibly to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hepcidin–ferroportin (FPN) signaling is one of the key mechanisms responsible for iron supply, utilization, recycling, and storage, and recent studies demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants including POPs and heavy metals could lead to disruption of the hepcidin–FPN axis along with disordered systemic iron homeostasis and diseases. This article introduces and highlights the accompanying review article by Drs. Xu and Liu in this journal, which elaborates in detail the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on iron metabolism, and the mechanisms responsible for these toxicological outcomes. It also points out the knowledge gaps still existing in this subject matter. Research that will fill these gaps will improve our understanding of the issue and provide useful information to prevent or treat diseases induced by environmental pollutants.     

基于云平台的重庆环境监察移动执法系统集成研究

通过分析重庆市环境监察现场执法业务应用需求,结合现有的信息化现状及信息技术发展趋势,设计了“一个平台、一个中心、两个体系”的系统总体架构,提出了“移动端防控、链路安全、内网和服务器防护”的网络传输和信息安全系统设计,采用VPN专网,有效解决了符合三级等保安全的移动设备的传输网络,采用虚拟化的云服务平台,研发了市－区两级的重庆市环境监察移动执法系统,并在市局、涪陵和九龙坡区试点应用,取得了很好的应用效果。     

纳米Ag粒子在我国主要类型土壤中的迁移转化过程与环境效应

随着纳米技术的快速发展,纳米材料进入环境并不断累积,因此开展纳米材料的环境安全性研究具有重要意义.纳米银(Ag NP)是目前应用最广泛的人工纳米材料之一.本课题组拟以Ag NP为研究对象,系统研究其在我国主要类型土壤中的迁移、转化过程及其生态环境效应;基于同步辐射技术、同位素技术和量子化学计算等方法,揭示Ag NP与土壤中主要矿物或有机质之间的相互作用规律;探明Ag NP对土壤中微生物、动物和植物的致毒过程及其作用机制;发展Ag NP在土壤中迁移的数学模型,预测其在土壤中的迁移、滞留通量进而评价其淋溶风险,为Ag NP的安全利用提供重要理论基础和技术支撑.     

Simulation of scenario characteristics of LPG tank explosion accident and its contribution to emergency planning: A case study

Leakage and explosion of hazardous chemicals during road transportation can cause serious building damage and casualties, and adoption of highly-efficient emergency rescue measures plays a critical role in reducing accidental hazards. Considering a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) transport tanker explosion accident that occurred in Wenling, Zhejiang Province, China on June 13, 2020 as example, this study proposes a risk assessment framework. This framework recreates the leakage and explosion of the accident process using FLACS v10.9, suggests plans for evacuation, describes the rescue areas of different levels, and explores the influence of environmental factors on the evacuation and rescue areas. The results show that simulated and predicted distributions of fuel vapour cloud concentration and explosion overpressure can provide a reference basis for rapid rescue activities; the characterization of the dynamic effects of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature with respect to the evacuation and rescue areas can be used as theoretical support for on-site adjustment of rescue forces. The role of obstacles can prevent the expansion of the evacuation areas under low wind-speed conditions, and the presence of highly congested obstacles determines the level of the rescue area. The results obtained are important for the risk analysis and the development of emergency rescue measures in case of explosion accidents associated with transportation of hazardous chemicals on high-hazard and high-sensitive road sections.     

Cultivar-dependent rhizobacteria community and cadmium accumulation in rice: Effects on cadmium availability in soils and iron-plaque formation

The association between the rhizospheric microbial community and Cd accumulation in rice is poorly understood. A field trial was conducted to investigate the different rhizobacterial communities of two rice cultivars with high Cd accumulation (HA) and low Cd accumulation (LA) at four growth stages. Results showed that the Cd content in the roots of the HA cultivar was 1.23 - 27.53 higher than that of the LA cultivar (0.08 - 10.5 µg/plant) at four stages. The LA cultivar had a significantly lower Cd availability in rhizosphere and a higher quantity of iron plaque (IP) on the root surface than the HA cultivar at four stages. This resulted in the reduction of Cd concentration in IPs and Cd translocation from IP-to-root. Microbial analysis indicated that the LA cultivar formed a distinct rhizobacterial community from the HA cultivar and had less α-diversity. The rhizosphere of the LA cultivar was enriched in specific bacterial taxa (e.g., Massilia and Bacillus) involved in Cd immobilization by phosphate precipitation and IP formation by iron oxidization. However, the rhizosphere in the HA cultivar assembled abundant sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (e.g., Sulfuricurvum) and iron reduction bacteria (Geobacter). They promoted Cd mobilization and reduced IP formation via the metal redox process. This study reveals a potential approach in which specific rhizobacteria decrease or increase Cd accumulation in rice on contaminated soil and provides a new perspective for secure rice production.     

Detoxification of ferrocyanide in asoil–plant system

The detoxification of iron cyanide in a soil–plant system was investigated to assess the total cyanide extracted from contaminated soil and allocated in the leaf tissue of willow trees(Salix caprea). They were grown in soil containing up to 1000 mg/kg dry weight(dw) of cyanide(CN),added as ~(15)N-labeled potassium ferrocyanide and prepared with a new method for synthesis of labeled iron cyanides. CN content and ~(15)N enrichment were monitored weekly over the exposure in leaf tissue of different age. The ~(15)N enrichment in the young and old leaf tissue reached up to 15.197‰ and 9063‰, respectively; it increased significantly over the exposure and with increasing exposure concentrations(p 0.05). Although the CN accumulation in the old leaf tissue was higher, compared to the young leaf tissue(p 0.05), the ~(15)N enrichment in the two tissue types did not differ statistically. This indicates a non-uniform CN accumulation but a uniform ~(15)N allocation throughout the leaf mass. Significant differences were detected between the measured CN content and the C~(15)N content, calculated from the ~(15)N enrichment(p 0.05), revealing a significant CN fraction within the leaf tissue, which could not be detected as ionic CN. The application of labeled iron CN clearly shows that CN is detoxified during uptake by the willows. However, these results do not exclude other detoxification pathways, not related to the trees. Still, they are strongly indicative of the central role the trees played in CN removal and detoxification under the experimental conditions.     

利用卫星资料估算我国西北地区直接辐射

在缺乏直接辐射、云量、日照时数等地面观测资料情况下,如何正确估算太阳直接辐射对太阳能合理开发利用有重要意义。利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料、EOS-AURA卫星和FY-2C气象卫星反演资料,采用一个改进的宽带辐射传输模型对我国西北5个地面辐射站点2006年和2007年直射日曝辐量进行了估算。模型首先在Bird模型基础上对晴空条件下的太阳直接辐射进行了计算,然后结合FY-2C气象卫星总云量和云类反演数据,引入了一个线性方程,对实际天气状况下的直射日曝辐量进行了计算。结果表明:5个站点模拟的直射日曝辐量与实测值均存在较好一致性,评价效率系数NSE介于0.68~0.8,而对月均直射日曝辐量的模拟结果则显示模型在4-10月的估算精度要高于11-3月结果。     

Ultrafine particle emission characteristics of diesel engine by on-board and test bench measurement

This study investigated the emission characteristics of ultrafine particles based on test bench and on-board measurements. The bench test results showed the ultrafine particle number concentration of the diesel engine to be in the range of (0.56-8.35) × 10⁸ cm^-3. The on-board measurement results illustrated that the ultrafine particles were strongly correlated with changes in real-world driving cycles. The particle number concentration was down to 2.0 × 10⁶ cm^-3 and 2.7 × 10⁷ cm^-3 under decelerating and idling operations and as high as 5.0 × 10⁸ cm^-3 under accelerating operation. It was also indicated that the particle number measured by the two methods increased with the growth of engine load at each engine speed in both cases. The particle number presented a "U" shaped distribution with changing speed at high engine load conditions, which implies that the particle number will reach its lowest level at medium engine speeds. The particle sizes of both measurements showed single mode distributions. The peak of particle size was located at about 50-80 nm in the accumulation mode particle range. Nucleation mode particles will significantly increase at low engine load operations like idling and decelerating caused by the high concentration of unburned organic compounds.     

2010年广州亚运会期间灰霾天气分析

使用广州地区气象资料,重点研究了 2010 年广州亚运会期间的灰霾天气特征. 结果发现,2010 年 11 月广州出现灰霾天气 5 d,较近年平均水平明显偏少,但 2008—2010 年的污染气象条件分析表明,2010 年的扩散条件较 2008 和 2009 年均较差,说明 2010 年广州亚运会前期的各项减排措施取得了明显成效. 作为对照,自 20 世纪 80 年代初开始,广州地区的能见度急剧恶化并导致灰霾天数增加,每年 10 月至次年 4 月的旱季灰霾天数较多,改革开放以来,每年 11 月份的灰霾天气大幅增加,并于 1994 和1999 年分别出现了最多的17 d. 2000 年以后,11 月份灰霾天气最多为 12 d,出现在 2005 年; 最少为 3 d,分别出现在 2002 和 2003 年. 广州市空气质量逐年恶化的趋势不容乐观,珠江三角洲复合型新型空气污染日趋严重的态势非常严峻; 且区域性特征明显,治理难度加大; 广州周边的佛山、清远、东莞、江门的灰霾天气都比广州多,对广州治理灰霾天气形成了压力. 因而 2010 年 11 月灰霾天气的明显减少,更说明区域联动、机动车单双号限行、重点工业污染源调控、严控垃圾秸秆焚烧等减排措施效果明显.