Which compounds contribute most to elevated airborne exposure and corresponding health risks in the Western Balkans?

A majority of ongoing monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is currently focused on chemicals emphasized in the Stockholm Convention. Quantitative detection of other substances (especially those with numerous anthropogenic sources such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) is, however, also needed since their concentrations are usually several orders of magnitude higher. A goal of this study was to determine how various groups of compounds contribute to total human health risks at the variety of sampling sites in the region of Western Balkan. Distribution of the risks between the gas and particulate phases was also addressed. Results showed that inhalation exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) does not represent a significant risk to humans, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) re-volatilized to the atmosphere from contaminated soils and buildings can pose a problem. PCB evaporation from primary sources (currently used PCB-filled transformers or non-adequate storage facilities) generally resulted in much higher atmospheric concentrations than evaporation from the secondary sources (soils at the sites of war destructions). A majority of the human health risks at the urban sites were associated with PAHs. Between 83 and 94% of the cumulative risk at such sites was assigned to chemicals sorbed to particles, and out of it, PAHs were responsible for 99%.     

Changes in negative air ions concentration under different light intensities and development of a model to relate light intensity to directional change

The purpose of this research was to determine changes in negative air ion (NAI) concentrations produced by plants grown under different light intensities. NAI concentrations were observed and analyzed in an outdoor green space with five plant species (Aloe arborescens, Clivia miniata, Chlorophytum comosum, Opuntia brunnescens, Crassula portulacea) and A. arborescens was then grown under controlled-light conditions in an enclosed space for the subsequent light intensity experiment.     

Analysis of long-term changes in the dates of seasonal phenomena in plants and insects of the Il’men Reserve as related to climatic factors

The results of monitoring the dates of the onset of flowering and leaf budding in eight herbaceous and woody plant species and the first appearance of three insect species in the Il’men Reserve (1972–2005) were processed by means of regression and correlation analyses. No significant changes in test parameters were revealed in the majority of these species. Only two early spring plants, coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.) and goat willow (Salix caprea L.), showed a weak tendency toward earlier flowering in the 1980s and 1990s. This is explained primarily by the absence of any significant trends in spring and summer air temperatures in the study region over the observation period. On the other hand, interannual fluctuations in the dates of plant flowering and insect appearance were well manifested not only in early spring but also in late-spring species. These fluctuations proved to depend largely on spring temperatures: in years with early and warm springs, flowering and leaf budding in plants and the appearance of first individuals in insects were recorded on significantly earlier dates.     

Simulating the fate and transport of TCE from groundwater to indoor air

This work provides an exploratory analysis on the relative importance of various factors controlling the fate and transport of volatile organic contaminants (in this case, TCE) from a DNAPL source zone located below the water table and into the indoor air. The analysis is conducted using the multi-phase compositional model CompFlow Bio, with the base scenario problem geometry reminiscent of a field experiment conducted by Rivett [Rivett, M.O., (1995), Soil–gas signatures from volatile chlorinated solvents: Borden field experiments. Groundwater, 33(1), 84–98.] at the Borden aquifer where groundwater was observed to transport a contaminant plume a substantial distance without vertical mass transport of the contaminant across the capillary fringe and into the vadose zone. Results for the base scenario model indicate that the structure of the permeability field was largely responsible for deflecting the groundwater plume upward towards the capillary fringe, permitting aqueous phase diffusion to transport the TCE into the vadose zone. Alternative permeability realizations, generated as part of a Monte Carlo simulation process, at times deflected the groundwater plume downwards causing the extended thickness of the saturated zone to insulate the vadose zone from exposure to the TCE by upward diffusive transport. Comparison of attenuation coefficients calculated using the CompFlow Bio and Johnson and Ettinger [Johnson, P.C. and Ettinger, R.A., (1991), Heuristic model for predicting the intrusion rate of contaminant vapors into buildings. Environmental Science and Technology, 25, 1445–1452.] heuristic model exhibited fortuitous agreement for the base scenario problem geometry, with this agreement diverging for the alternative permeability realizations as well as when parameters such as the foundation slab fracture aperture, the indoor air pressure drop, the capillary fringe thickness, and the infiltration rate were varied over typical ranges.     

ABR反应器的两种快速启动方法对比

ABR反应器的启动是ABR反应器能否高效稳定运行的关键,其影响因素很多。为了更好地实现ABR反应器的启动,提出了通过2种不同启动方法的对比,即1^#反应器采用好氧预挂膜的方法,2^#反应器采用低负荷启动法,得出的结论为,好氧预挂膜启动法的启动时间短,COD去除率高,出水pH稳定,颗粒状污泥生长情况较好,是一种可推广的启动方法。     

微曝气Fenton氧化法处理模拟双酚A废水的效果及其生物验证

研究了微曝气Fenton氧化法关键工艺参数对模拟双酚A（BPA）废水处理效果的影响,并从活性污泥性质和污染物去除率两方面,采用膜生物反应器(membrane bioreactor, MBR)对微曝气Fenton氧化法的处理效果进行了实验验证,为实现BPA废水的生物处理奠定基础。结果表明,初始pH值、反应时间、H₂O₂/COD(质量浓度比)、H₂O₂/Fe²⁺ (摩尔浓度比)、反应温度及曝气量均对预处理效果有较大影响,在最佳条件下,COD去除率可达70%,BOD/COD值则由原废水的0.02提高到0.50以上。MBR处理上述出水的结果表明,经微曝气Fenton氧化处理BPA的废水,可较好地适应后续的生化处理。     

人工神经网络方法在拟建小区域环境质量评价中的应用

人工神经网络的评价方法用于小区域环境质量评价中,根据本地区特点因地制宜地选择环境质量参数,代入模型中进行环境质量评价及预测,对用于环境质量评价的BP人工神经网络模型进行了改进,即对网络模型的训练样本进行了扩充,从而提高了模型的抗干扰能力和准确性.将改进了的BP人工神经网络模型应用于四川省资阳市沱江二桥拟建项目小区域的大气、地表水环境质量评价中, 对该市小区域大气、地表水环境质量状况进行评价,评价结果表明,BP人工神经网络模型用于环境质量评价是可行的,且评价结论客观,评价模型普遍适用.     

Benzene Exposure Assessment at Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Levels. The French Contribution to the Life MACBETH Programme

Many VOC represent hazards to human health through chronic exposure. Recent European and world-wide legislation proposes limit values for ambient concentrations of these compounds. However, very little experimental data exists for true population exposure. In 1996, the European MACBETH initiative set out to measure population exposure to benzene in six European cities. This study details the French contribution to this program. Six campaigns were carried out, each comprising measurements at 100 outdoor sites and the participation of 50 non-smoking volunteers who wore personal samplers and had passive monitors installed in their homes. Iso-concentration maps were drawn for each campaign and the results showed that outdoor concentrations were significantly lower than indoors. Almost 75% of the volunteers were exposed to mean concentrations higher than the limit value of 5µgm³. It is demonstrated that personal exposure levels cannot be deduced simply by combining indoor and outdoor background concentrations. It is also shown that there is need for better knowledge of the contributions to overall exposure of outdoor microenvironments and the authors hope that future European directives will take this into account.     

环境空气中丙烯酸乙酯的气相色谱法测定

建立了环境空气中丙烯酸乙酯的TenaxGC吸附 -热解吸气相色谱测定方法。方法回收率为 87 3%～1 0 7 1 % ,变异系数为 5 3%～ 7 2 %。当采样体积为 2L时 ,检测限为 0 0 2mg/m3,具有采样时间短 ,不用任何溶剂等特点。     

学龄儿童肺功能水平影响因素的研究

用逐步回归分析方法对与室内、外空气污染和机体状况等有关的因素对广州市学龄儿童肺功能 (FVC、FEV1 、PEFR和 FEF2 5～ 75 )水平的影响进行研究。结果提示 ,影响肺功能水平的主要因素是内因 ,身高的影响最明显 ,呼吸系统疾病或症状发生与肺功能水平下降有关 ;室外空气污染使肺功能水平下降 ,SO2 、NOx 和 PM2 .5 的影响明显 ,PM2 .5 的影响明显大于 PM1 0 和 TSP;居室或厨房通风不良、家庭烹饪用不洁燃料对儿童肺功能的生长不利 ;被动吸烟对女性儿童肺功能有不利影响。对各种影响因素 ,PEFR和 FEF2 5～ 75 比 FVC和 FEV1 更为敏感