Environmental disaster,pollution and infant health: Evidence from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

In 2010 the Gulf Coast experienced the largest oil spill affecting U.S. waters in history. Evaporating crude oil and dispersant chemicals can cause major health problems. This paper examines the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on air quality and infant health outcomes. Using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) AirData, vital statistics data from National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and a difference-in-difference methodology, we find that the oil spill of 2010 increased concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO in affected coastal counties, increased incidence of low birth weight (<2500 g) and premature born infants (<37 weeks of gestation). Heterogeneity effects reveal more pronounced adverse infant health outcomes for black, Hispanic, less educated, unmarried, and younger mothers. Results are robust to a wide range of controls and robustness checks.     

Effects of stricter environmental regulations on resource development

This analysis seeks to understand whether changes in oil regulation brought about by the shale revolution have restricted the pace of drilling and production. This hypothesis is tested using data on North Dakota and Montana both before and after North Dakota increased regulations that raise fixed costs. Results generally find that the new regulations had no statistical impact on the pace of drilling and production, however it is found that smaller operators reduced their production and exited. These results are instructive for policymakers who weigh the loss of economic welfare against improved environmental quality when deciding on new regulations.     

Analysing household decision-making on oil palm cultivation in Thailand

This paper analyses the dynamics of land use via the perspectives, motivations and behaviours of local landowners looking at land-use change (through the landowner’s eyes) in the way that the landowners would prefer to do and not to do in various situations. The dynamics are explored in the context of an oil-palm-based biodiesel development in Thailand where the advent of oil palm (OP) has caused the loss of paddy areas. A sequential mixed-method strategy, including 10 in-depth interviews and 180 responses to a questionnaire survey, indicates that the likelihood of a landowner switching traditional land for OP cultivation is affected by a number of factors including age and education of the head of household, number of household farming labourers, amount and source of income, land size and land right. Moreover, the results indicate that success of switching land to OP cultivation was determined by factors influencing willingness and capacity to change. Willingness-related factors are relevant to outcome expectation and social networks and connections while capacity-related factors are relevant to finance, labour, capital, land rights and transportation.     

Toxicity evaluation of 10 oil gelling agents北大核心CSCD

Oil gelling agents are widely used in emergency response of marine oil spills. However, the biological toxicity of oil gelling agents is not well understood. This research aimed to evaluate the environmental safety of oil gelling agents used for rapid removal and cleanup of marine oil spills. We used luminescent bacteria (Acinetobacter sp. Tox2 and Acinetobacter sp. RecA) combined with exposure experiment using marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) juveniles to detect the acute toxicity and genotoxicity of 10 oil gelling agents. As a result, a certain level of acute toxicity was detected from the oil gelling agent FOA and GMN-01 (the toxicity equivalent to 0.067 mg/L and 0.084 mg/L of HgCl2, respectively), and a certain level of genotoxicity was detected from the oil gelling agent NORSOREX (the toxicity equivalent to 0.307 mg/L of MMC) by the luminescent bacteria test. However, no obvious acute toxicity or genotoxicity was detected from the above three oil gelling agents in fish-exposure experiments. Our results suggest that the 10 oil gelling agents have no obvious acute toxicity or genotoxicity to higher organisms (including marine medaka). The luminescent bacteria test is more sensitive in detecting biological toxicity of oil gelling agents. This study provides a reference for environmental safety evaluation of the oil gelling agents used in the cleaning up of the marine oil spills.     

Characterization and catabolic genes detection of three oil-degrading Rhodococcus spp.北大核心CSCD

Oil pollution is one of the major factors causing environmental deterioration. Bioremediation of oil contaminated environments by microorganisms attracts much research attention. This study aimed to screen efficient oil-degrading bacteria from oil contaminated soil and analyze their characteristics and catabolic genes. Oil-degrading bacteria were screened from oil contaminated soil in minimal medium containing crude oil and identified by morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Their growth and degradation characteristics were studied with ultraviolet spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis. The surfactant production was studied by adopting culture method. The major oil-degrading related genes were detected by t he PCR a mplification. As a result, t hree oil-degrading bacteria strains named KB1, 2182 and JC3-47 were isolated from the oil contaminated soil samples. The strains could use crude oil as the sole carbon source to degrade oil with a degrading rate of 41.02%, 32.26% and 55.90%, respectively, when cultured in minimal medium containing crude oil for 3 days. The bacteria were identified to belong to genus Rhodococcus. With 100% similarity of 16S rDNA sequences of the three strains with known ones of Rhodococcus, KB1 was preliminarily identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis, 2182 as Rhodococcus equi, and JC3-47 as Rhodococcus qingshengii. They grew well at 10-50 °C, with the initial pH of 3-9 and the NaCl concentration of 0-5%. The optimal temperature for bacterial growth was 35 °C, 35 °C and 30 °C respectively. KB1 and 2182 could grow at pH 2 and 9.0% of NaCl. The bacteria grew well in broth containing different organic substrates as sole carbon source, such as n-dodecane, n-octadecane, benzene, methylbenzene, xylene and naphthaline. KB1 and JC3-47 could grow well in broth containing pyrene. GC-MS analysis revealed that the bacteria could effectively degrade medium- and long-chain alkane components in crude oil. The bacteria produced biosurfactants and decreased the surface tension of the culture broth. They also showed adhesion activities to n-hexadecane. The oil-degrading related genes such as alkane monooxygenase, aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase and catechol dioxygenase genes were detected in all the three strains. Besides, biphenyl dioxygenase genes were detected in KB1 and 2182. The isolated Rhodococcus spp. strains could effectively degrade petroleum hydrocarbons with high adaptabilities to extreme environments such as high salt and low temperature. They are supposed to be applied broadly in the bioremediation of oil contaminated soil in such environments.     

海狗油脂肪乳对大鼠围产期毒性试验的研究

观察了海狗油脂肪乳对大鼠妊娠晚期、分娩期、哺乳期及胚胎和胎仔出生后生长发育、学习能力以及生殖能力的影响.于大鼠妊娠D15至哺乳D21,连续皮下注射给予250、500和1000mg·kg-1剂量的海狗油脂肪乳,同时设0.9%氯化钠注射液为对照组,观察各组大鼠和胎仔的生长、发育、生殖能力等项指标.结果表明:给药后F0代母鼠体重增长明显减慢,摄食量显著减少,未见生殖、胚胎毒性反应;F1代仔鼠的出生体重和哺乳期体重增长减慢,生理达标、新生反射等发育迟缓;停药后F1代大鼠的体重增长、摄食量、脏器系数、同笼交配率、妊娠率及胚胎发育全过程未见明显生殖、发育等毒性变化.由此结论,海狗油脂肪乳可使母鼠和F1代仔鼠体重增长缓慢,生理发育迟缓,但不影响F1代仔鼠器官发育、生殖能力以及停药后体重增长和摄食量.     

粉煤灰吸附处理炼油污水中石油类物质的应用研究

以炼油污水气浮后用于冲灰为目的,对粉煤灰吸附炼油污水中的石油类物质进行了初步研究,主要研究了水灰比、与油水的混合时间、静置沉淀时间等因素对粉煤灰吸附石油类效率的影响。研究表明,水灰比对粉煤灰吸附石油类效率的影响最显著。通过正交试验法,找出了粉煤灰处理炼油污水的最优工艺参数组合,为指导现场工作提供了理论依据。同时对粉煤灰吸附处理炼油污水中石油类的性能进行了研究,证实在常温状态下粉煤灰对石油类的吸附等温线符合Freundlich方程。     

Equilibrium study and kinetics of Cu removal from water by zeolite prepared from oil shale ash

Engineered zeolite was produced from oil shale ash by reaction with sodium hydroxide in a closed vessel reactor. This adsorbent was used for removal of copper ions from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacity was 504.6 mg Cu²⁺/g zeolite. Kinetic studies showed that the rate of adsorption of copper is increased with increasing the solution pH and temperature, quantity of the zeolite and agitation speed. The kinetic data were fitted to homogeneous micropore model and found that the mass transfer coefficient and diffusivity of the Cu²⁺ are directly affected by the kinetic parameters. The increase in solution concentration will decrease the mass transfer coefficient while diffusivity is increased.     

Ciprofloxacin adsorption from aqueous solution onto chemically prepared carbon from date palm leaflets

A chemically prepared carbon was synthesized from date palm leaflets via sulphuric acid carbonization at 160℃. Adsorption of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from aqueous solution was investigated in terms of time, pH, concentration, temperature and adsorbent status (wet and dry). The equilibrium time was found to be 48 hr. The adsorption rate was enhanced by raising the temperature for both adsorbents, with adsorption data fitting a pseudo second-order model well. The activation energy, E_a, was found to be 17 kJ/mol, indicating a diffusion-controlled, physical adsorption process. The maximum adsorption was found at initial pH 6. The wet adsorbent showed faster removal with higher uptake than the dry adsorbent, with increased performance as temperature increased (25-45℃). The equilibrium data were found to fit the Langmuir model better than the Freundlich model. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption mechanism is mainly related to cation exchange and hydrogen bonding.