Effect of housing geometry on the performance of Chemcatcher passive sampler for the monitoring of hydrophobic organic pollutants in water

Passive sampling of pollutants in water has been gaining acceptance for environmental monitoring. Previously, an integrative passive sampler (the Chemcatcher) was developed and calibrated for the measurement of time weighted average concentrations of hydrophobic pollutants in water. Effects of physicochemical properties and environmental variables (water temperature and turbulence) on kinetic and thermodynamic parameters characterising the exchange of analytes between the sampler and water have been published. In this study, the effect of modification in sampler housing geometry on these calibration parameters was studied. The results obtained for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons show that reducing the depth of the cavity in the sampler body geometry increased the exchange kinetics by approximately twofold, whilst having no effect on the correlation between the uptake and offload kinetics of analytes. The use of performance reference compounds thus avoids the need for extensive re-calibration when the sampler body geometry is modified.     

Kosetice, Czech Republic--ten years of air pollution monitoring and four years of evaluating the origin of persistent organic pollutants

The regional observatory Kosetice is a central European background station. Unique continuous monitoring from 1988 on is held here. POP (persistent organic pollutant) concentration values of air samples from Kosetice taken between 1996 and 2005 were statistically processed. Values of Czech ambient air quality standards were not exceeded. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons reached two maxima, in 1996 and 2001-2002. Polychlorinated biphenyls concentrations reached the highest values in 1997 and 1998 and hexachlorocyclohexanes concentrations in 1998. DDTs, hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene were analysed as well. Long-range transport of pollutants between 2002 and 2005 was evaluated using the Potential Source Contribution Function hybrid receptor model. Indicated potential source areas of PCBs coincide with many well-known urban and industrialised areas, while the indicated potential source areas of HCHs and DDTs coincide with many agricultural and/or forested regions and the potential source areas of HCB comprise all land use types.     

Relationships between organic matter, black carbon and persistent organic pollutants in European background soils: Implications for sources and environmental fate

Black carbon (BC) and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of UK and Norwegian background soils were determined and their relationships with persistent organic pollutants (HCB, PAHs, PCBs, co-planar PCBs, PBDEs and PCDD/Fs) investigated by correlation and regression analyses, to assess their roles in influencing compound partitioning/retention in soils. The 52 soils used were high in TOC (range 54-460 mg/g (mean 256)), while BC only constituted 0.24-1.8% (0.88%) of the TOC. TOC was strongly correlated (p < 0.001) with HCB, PCBs, co-PCBs and PBDEs, but less so with PCDD/Fs (p < 0.05) and PAHs. TOC explained variability in soil content, as follows: HCB, 80%; PCBs, 44%; co-PCBs, 40%; PBDEs, 27%. BC also gave statistically significant correlations with PBDEs (p < 0.001), co-PCBs (p < 0.01) and PCBs, HCB, PCDD/F (p < 0.05); TOC and BC were correlated with each other (p < 0.01). Inferences are made about possible combustion-derived sources, atmospheric transport and air-surface exchange processes for these compounds.     

Competition between phenanthrene, chrysene, and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl for high-energy adsorption sites in a sediment

We determined the maximum amounts of added phenanthrene, chrysene, and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl sorbed onto high-energy adsorption sites in a sediment on bi-solute experiments. The bi-solute pairs were phenanthrene/chrysene and phenanthrene/2,5-dichlorobiphenyl. On the bi-solute sorption experiments, one solute was introduced and equilibrated with sediment prior to addition of the second solute. The values for the maximum amounts adsorbed onto high-energy sites revealed that, after equilibration of the first solute, still some high-energy sites could be occupied by the second solute. Phenanthrene, chrysene, and 2,5-dichlorobiphenyl seem to share about 30% of the accessible high-energy adsorption sites in the sediment employed.     

一种新型铋基光催化剂的合成及其可见光催化性能

采用水热法合成铋基光催化剂Bi4VO8Br,通过X-射线粉末衍射、扫描电镜等手段对其进行表征.选择甲基橙为目标降解物来评价不同条件下合成的Bi4VO8Br在可见光下的光催化活性,发现pH 3、反应时间15 h、反应温度160℃为材料水热合成的最佳条件.考察了Bi4VO8Br在可见光及紫外光下对几种农药和增塑剂的光催化降解性能,显示了Bi4VO8Br对不易光解的含苯环有机物的可见光高活性.五氯酚的光催化过程影响因素优化结果表明,可见光和紫外光分别照射120 min和20 min,其降解率分别达到97％和99％,Bi4VO8Br表面上活性基团的捕获即空穴的氧化作用是主要反应原理.     

长江口区域水体半挥发性有机污染物健康风险评价

近年来长江口区域水体的有机物污染日渐严重.主要应用美国环境保护局(USEPA)的健康风险评价方法,并对其进行了一定的修改和补充,对长江口区域水体半挥发性有机污染物的健康风险进行了初步评价.结果表明:长江口区域水体半挥发性有机污染物的非致癌风险指数均小于1,其中单环芳香族类的非致癌风险值均在10-3数量级,卤代烃类的风险值在10-4数量级,均偏高于其他类物质;各类物质的致癌风险指数均在10-4数量级以下,其中六氯苯、双(2-氯乙基)醚和咔唑的风险指数相对较高,在10-5数量级.根据USEPA的建议值,初步认为目前长江口区域水体中单一半挥发性有机污染物不会对人体产生明显的健康危害.由于缺少相关的研究资料,因此各种有机污染物的联合健康效应评价尚无法进行.      

土壤有机物污染控制标准制订的方法学研究

指出了中国现行土壤环境质量标准存在的问题.对日本和美国等发达国家的有机物污染土壤质量控制标准进行了分析.从土壤环境质量基准制订的方法学和污染控制标准的确定原则上,提出了制订中国土壤有机物污染控制标准的建议.     

底泥中营养物质及其他污染物释放机理综述

水体底泥(沉积物)污染,是世界范围内的一个重要环境问题.其污染物主要通过大气沉降、废水排放、水土流失、雨水淋溶与冲刷进入水体,最后沉积到底泥中并逐渐富集,使底泥受到严重污染.总结了底泥中氨氮、重金属的影响因素及释放机理,也指明了持久性有机污染物释放机理研究不足的现状,提出对其释放机理研究的重要性.     

重庆市大气污染物的空间统计分析

利用空间统计分析方法(spatial statistics analysis),借助GIS,分析了重庆市3种主要大气污染物TSP,SO₂和NO_x质量浓度在空间上的分布特点.研究表明,在"九五"期间和2002年2个时期,重庆市大气污染物在空间上均呈不均衡分布.整体上,SO₂的空间自相关性很强,属集中分布模式;TSP的空间自相关性较弱,属于随机分布模式;NO_x处于二者之间.局部相关性分析表明,大部分区县的大气污染物之间相关性较弱.此外,利用缓冲区和内插浓度表面法分析了2个时期的污染物质量浓度随离行政中心距离变化的趋势,发现ρ(TSP)和ρ(SO₂)在各地带内均有明显削减,而ρ(NO_x)削减不显著;ρ(SO₂)和ρ(NO_x)随距行政中心距离增大下降,但ρ(TSP)随距离增大而增加.3种污染物质量浓度都在离行政中心50～60 km的地带发生明显变化,由此得出目前重庆市大气污染物空间分布的特征距离为50～60km.