Photodegradation of quinestrol in waters and the transformation products by UV irradiation

Quinestrol is synthetic estrogen used in contraceptive and hormone replacement therapy and occasionally for treating breast cancer and prostate cancer. It can make its way into the environment through sewage discharge and waste disposal produced by human excretions. In this study, the photodegradation kinetics of quinestrol in various conditions was investigated by UV and solar irradiation. The affecting factors were studied including concentration of hydrogen peroxide, different water types, and the initial concentrations of quinestrol. Concurrently, the transformation products and presumed pathways of quinestrol in distilled water by UV irradiation were identified and proposed. The results showed that the degradation of quinestrol in both irradiation conditions followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. More rapid degradation was observed by UV irradiation (k = 0.018 min⁻¹) than solar irradiation (k = 0.004 h⁻¹), and the photodegradation rate of quinestrol depended on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, the initial concentration of quinestrol and water types. The transformation products of quinestrol in distilled water were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. When exposed to UV irradiation, quinestrol in aqueous solution was rapidly degraded, giving at least ten photodegradation products. The chemical structures of ten degradation products were identified on the basis of mass spectrum interpretation and literature data.     

Fenton 法降解抗生素磺胺间甲氧嘧啶钠

应用Fenton高级氧化技术降解水溶液中抗生素磺胺间甲氧嘧啶钠(SMMS),系统探讨了起始pH、CSMMS、CFe2+、CH2O2和温度等因素对SMMS降解效果的影响。结果表明:CSMMS=4.53 mg/L,pH=4.0,CH2O2=0.49 mmol/L,CFe2+=19.51μmol/L,T=25℃为最佳反应条件。在最佳条件下,87.4%的SMMS可以在120 min内降解。反应动力学研究表明Fenton氧化降解SMMS分为两个阶段,快速反应阶段和慢速反应阶段,并建立了两阶段动力学模型,模型拟合结果较好。研究结果为含有SMMS的污废水处理提供了基础数据和科学参考。     

Using LCA to evaluate impacts and resources conservation potential of composting: A case study of the Asti District in Italy

Separate collection of municipal solid waste has overcome the 50% threshold in the Asti District in northern Italy, nearly one-third being composed of household and green organic waste. In order to address present and future solutions, it becomes therefore fundamental to assess the environmental performances of the current management of organic waste from separate collection. A from-gate-to-cradle life cycle assessment (LCA) model has been developed by expanding system boundaries, in order to carry out the assessment in the context of the whole waste management streamline. The environmental performances of an existing aerobic plant were made available, based on field measured data, by paying attention to the role and contribution of waste management subsystems. The need for actual and reliable data on materials and energy input, as well as gross and net gains from materials recovery, including benefits arising from use of compost in farming activities, was probably the major drawback that had to be faced. The study integrated the findings of different investigations from the literature with field measured data in order to obtain a more comprehensive framework representative of the area under study. The results may help public administrators to better understand the suitability of using LCA tools when dealing with solid waste management strategies.     

Economies of scale in global iron-making

In this paper, we investigate the presence of economies of scale in the global iron-making industry for integrated steel plants, iron making being the first stage in the steel-making process. Iron making depends on basic commodities, such as iron ore, coke and various forms of energy, required in the operation of the blast furnace, which can be classified as essential inputs and used in fixed proportions to produce iron. A generalized Leontief cost function is estimated using panel data for 69 integrated plants, such a specification being appropriate for technologies with essential inputs that are used in fixed proportions in production. A significant scale effect is observed due to the existence of fixed costs and a linear dependence of the cost function on production. Under a simple linear cost function, a rough estimate of the breakeven scale of plant, where costs equal revenue, is 4.5 Mt per year. Competitiveness, as measured by the ratio of plant average cost per tonne to best practice cost per tonne, can be shown to be positively related to the scale of production as well as the cost of essential inputs. Therefore, low-cost producers are also often producers with low raw material costs and production levels below the estimated breakeven scale of operation. Labor costs, although significant, are comparatively less important as a driver towards low costs.     

硫酸含汞问题的追踪研究

以辽宁省最大的硫酸生产企业（辽西某锌厂）为研究对象,剖析了硫酸含汞问题的来源,论述了该厂原料、中间产品、最终产品、车间内外环境汞的污染状况。并论述了使用该厂硫酸的十大企业的中间产品、最终产品的含汞状况,给出了厂内外环境受汞污染的测定结果,研究表明含汞硫酸污染问题是急待解决的重要问题。     

水环境中药品和个人护理用品污染现状及研究进展

综述了当前国内外药品和个人护理用品(PPCPs)在地表水、地下水和饮用水中的污染现状,介绍了水环境中PPCPs污染的危害及其预测、调查与检测方法。提出了我国水环境中PPCPs污染未来的研究方向,包括改进水处理工艺,提高PPCPs的去除效率;提升分析技术水平,拓宽PPCPs的检测种类;深入研究PPCPs产生的环境效应,重视其职业暴露的污染与危害;建立水环境中PPCPs的预测制度及风险评价体系。     

Aflatoxin decomposition in various soils

Abstract

The persistence of aflatoxin in the soil environment could potentially result in a number of adverse environmental consequences. To determine the persistence of aflatoxin in soil, ¹⁴C‐labeled aflatoxin B₁, was added to silt loam, sandy loam, and silty clay loam soils and the subsequent release of ¹⁴CO₂ was determined. After 120 days of incubation, 8.1% of the original aflatoxin added to the silt loam soil was released as CO₂ ? Aflatoxin decomposition in the sandy loam soil proceeded more quickly than the other two soils for the first 20 days of incubation. After this time, the decomposition rate declined and by the end of the study, 4.9% of the aflatoxin was released as CO_2. Aflatoxin decomposition proceeded most slowly in the silty clay loam soil. Only 1.4% of aflatoxin added to the soil was released as CO₂ after 120 days incubation. To determine whether aflatoxin was bound to the silty clay loam soil, aflatoxin B₁ was added to this soil and incubated for 20 days. The soil was periodically extracted and the aflatoxin species present were determined using thin layer chromatographic (TLC) procedures. After one day of incubation, the degradation products, aflatoxins B₂ and G₂, were observed. It was also found that much of the aflatoxin extracted from the soil was not mobile with the TLC solvent system used. This indicated that a conjugate may have formed and thus may be responsible for the lack of aflatoxin decomposition.     

新疆乡镇企业经济与生态环境保护协调发展战略的探讨（二）

文中论述了新疆地区乡镇企业发展与生态环境有关的产业结构特点和分布,分地区、分行业计算了乡镇工业1985—1988年的“三废”污染和生态破坏状况,并对1995年和2000年“三废”污染控制数量及生态—经济规划指标作了综合评述。提出了新疆乡镇企业经济与生态环境保护协调发展战略的主要对策和建议。     

Energy and carbon balances of wood cascade chains

In this study we analyze the energy and carbon balances of various cascade chains for recovered wood lumber. Post-recovery options include reuse as lumber, reprocessing as particleboard, pulping to form paper products, and burning for energy recovery. We compare energy and carbon balances of chains of cascaded products to the balances of products obtained from virgin wood fiber or from non-wood material. We describe and quantify several mechanisms through which cascading can affect the energy and carbon balances: direct cascade effects due to different properties and logistics of virgin and recovered materials, substitution effects due to the reduced demand for non-wood materials when wood is cascaded, and land use effects due to alternative possible land uses when less timber harvest is needed because of wood cascading. In some analyses we assume the forest is a limiting resource, and in others we include a fixed amount of forest land from which biomass can be harvested for use as material or biofuel. Energy and carbon balances take into account manufacturing processes, recovery and transportation energy, material recovery losses, and forest processes. We find that land use effects have the greatest impact on energy and carbon balances, followed by substitution effects, while direct cascade effects are relatively minor.     

开发研制绿色化学产品

叙述绿色化学是一门从源头上彻底阻止污染的化学,简介了几种绿色化学产品及研究开发的进展。