Environmental health in minority and other underserved populations: Benign methods for identifying lead hazards at day care centres of New Orleans

This study tests the hypothesis that exterior sources of lead dust are more important than interior sources in the route of exposure of children. Benign field methods were used to distinguish between potential and actual lead exposure problems. Utilising hand wipe and surface wipe techniques, hand and environmental samples were obtained from selected day care centres at different locations within New Orleans. Previous research has shown that soil lead is determined by location within the city. Private and public day care centres were selected from inner and outer city areas to estimate the extent of hand lead exposure. To measure and identify the extent of environmental lead exposure, hand wipes were taken before and after playing outdoors. Results of preliminary findings show that outdoor lead dust is a more potent contaminant of hands than indoor lead dust. An association was found between the amount of lead on children's hands after playing outdoors and the lead content in the exterior dust and soil. Although two girls out of forty children had exceptionally high hand lead quantities after playing outdoors, in general, boys have higher hand lead levels than girls. The private inner-city day care centre had a severe contamination problem in its outdoor play area. By contrast, the outdoor play area of the public inner city day care centre is of such a high quality that the quantity of lead dust is independent of location in the city.     

南京住宅小区雨水回用方案技术经济分析

分析了南京城区雨水资源量和杂用水需求量的关系，通过示例，提出了住宅小区4种雨水回用方案，进行工程造价、雨水处理成本等方面的技术经济比较，结果方案3最优。     

A Geochemical Survey of Topsoil in the City of Oslo, Norway

The city of Oslo is situated centrally in the Oslo-graben, which is a Permian rift basin consisting of different kinds of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. In the summer of 1998, approximately 300 samples of surface soil (2–3cm) were taken systematically, 1km^–2. The investigated area covers about 500km². Samples were dissolved in 7M HNO₃ and analysed for 29 elements with ICP-AES, mercury with cold-vapour technique (CV-AAS) and arsenic and cadmium with a graphite furnace (GF-AAS). A factor analysis is frequently used to identify relationships among sets of interrelated variables. To describe the covariant relationships among the elements, a factor analysis has been completed. The first factor contains the elements Sc, Fe, Li, Co, Al, Cr, Be, K, Ni, V, Mg, Y, Ba, Zr, Mn and As (listed with decreasing communality). These elements are typical for the minerals in the area and most of these elements have a near normal distribution. Sources for this factor are probably geological. The second factor contains Cd, Hg, P, Zn, Cu, Ba and Pb. They have a log-normal distribution. Road traffic is probably one of the sources contributing to this factor. In Norway studded tyres are used frequently in the winter season which results in large amounts of road dust. Leaded petrol has been a major source for Pb but is not in use any more. Wear and tear of tyres and brakes contribute also to this factor. Other sources contributing to this factor are probably industry, rubbish incineration, crematoria and release of some of these elements from structural material by fire. Factors 3, 4 and 6 with elements such as Ca, Na, La, Ti and Sr probably have geological sources. They are associated with minerals like amphiboles, pyroxenes and feldspars and some of the elements are from sea aerosols. Factor 5 contains Mn, Cd, Zn, As and Pb. Manganese may be derived from many different sources such as rock weathering, windblown dust, agriculture and traffic. Since As and Mn are placed in both factor 1 and 5 they probably have both geological and anthropogenic sources. Concentrations of the elements in the second factor are much higher in the central parts of Oslo, than in the rest of Oslo. The median value of Hg in the centre is 0.48mgkg^–1, which is 8 times higher than that in the rest of the city. Also, the other elements have much higher levels in the centre. The industrial district north-east of the centre also has high values. The distribution of arsenic is regular throughout the whole city, but has a slightly higher level in the centre. Norm values for contaminated land used by the Norwegian authorities are 2mg As kg^–1 and 25mg Cr kg^–1. Of 297 samples, 61% contain more than 25mg Cr kg^–1 and 79% more than 3mg As kg^–1, which is the detection limit of the analysis. These samples will therefore be regarded as contaminated. Factor analysis places these elements in the geological factor. The Norm value of zinc is 150mgkg^–1, and 40% of the samples contain more than this. The Norm value of lead is 150mgkg^–1, and 35% of the samples contain. Road traffic is probably the major source for these elements.     

三峡工程淹没区文物古迹的价值评估(一)

文物价值是客观的,是文物本身固有的……依据三峡工程淹没区内文物古迹的特定地位,阐明了其文物价值,不应仅从现定文物级别下定论,还应立足于三峡地区本身的历史、文化及地理背景,从历史、艺术、科学等各方面去识别、评价。由于三峡工程淹没区内文物包罗万象,在对不同类型的文物进行价值评估时,其出发点、侧重点乃至整个价值评估体系,存在着一定的差异性,本文根据淹没区内建筑、石刻、古遗址以及古墓葬四大类分别进行了论述评价。     

ESTIMATING THE Q100 IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: A PRACTICAL PROBLEM IN FOREST HYDROLOGY1

ABSTRACT. Estimates of peak flows, with specified return periods, are needed in practice for the design of works that affect streams in forested areas. In the province of British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, the new Forest Practices Code specifies the 100-year instantaneous peak flow (Q100) for the design of bridges and culverts for stream crossings under forest roads; and many practitioners are engaged in making such estimates. The state of the art is still quite primitive, very similar to the state of urban hydrology 30 years ago, when popular estimating techniques were used with little consideration given to their applicability. Urban hydrology then evolved on a much more scientific basis, such that within about a 10-year period, standard approaches to design were developed. Forest hydrology should follow the same pattern, at least as far as estimating design flows is concerned. Popular present day design procedures include the rational method and other empirical approaches based on rainfall data, as use of the standard flood frequency approach is limited by the paucity of relevant flow data. Estimating procedures based on peak streamflow measurements and statistics are likely to evolve, and these will include distinctions for rain, snowmelt, and rain on snow floods. Guidelines will also be developed for selecting and applying appropriate procedures for particular areas.     

移动式絮凝-气浮集成系统研制及其在城市污染河湖治理中的应用

针对北京城市河湖的污染状况,论述了传统絮凝-气浮工艺在污染治理中的应用研究及以该工艺为基础的集成系统的开发.结果表明,该系统对TP、COD去除率分别达81%和75%.该系统的研制成功为城市河湖的污染治理开辟了新途径.     

Twenty-five years of biomonitoring lead in the Frankfurt/Main area

The present study is an example of the historical monitoring of heavy metals. The specific question it aims to explore is: to what extent has the lead content of selected organisms used for biomonitoring in Frankfurt/Main—one of the cities in Germany most heavily affected by automobile traffic—changed as a result of legislation on leaded gasoline?

Data on the lead content of the moss speciesBryum argenteum Hedw. from the years 1974, 1975 and 1978 and data on the lead content of the outer bark of the ash speciesFraxinus excelsior L. from 1973 served as the basis for the repeated measurements. Remeasurement was successful in 76.5% (i.e. 124 trees at 26 growth sites). The study produced the following results:

• ? As was expected, the lead content of the short-term accumulatorBryum argenteum Hedw. was distinctly lowered with a decreasing particulate lead concentration. However, the reduction factor varied greatly between the different growth sites.
• ? On the other hand, the lead content measured in the outer bark layers ofFraxinus excelsior L. has risen markedly during the past two decades. Whereas in 1973 nearly all trees examined displayed very low concentrations of lead (< 38 ppm), only 9.5% were still in this category in 1997 and nearly 30% exhibited high or even unacceptable lead concentrations (< 150 ppm → > 225 ppm). Various factors have to be taken into account to explain this increase. First of all, bark is a long-term accumulator for heavy metals like lead and its enrichment capacity could have increased as the surface becomes rougher over time. Furthermore, lead is most probably leached out of the bark to a lesser degree now than in the 1970s, owing to the reduced concentration of sulphuric acid in the rain. The dramatic growth of automobile traffic in the Frankfurt/Main area during the period covered by the study undoubtedly plays an important role as well.

     

美人蕉人工湿地对城市生活污水的净化研究

研究了在土壤、黄沙、粉煤灰3种基质不同组合中的美人蕉人工湿地对城市生活污水的净化效率,并探讨了流量对城市生活污水中各污染物去除效率的影响。研究结果表明:流量对美人蕉系统处理污水效果的影响较大,实验中3L/d流量处理效果较好,对污水的综合净化效率较高;基质装填顺序对TP、TN的去除率有一定影响,而对NH3-N的去除影响不大。美人蕉系统对生活污水中COD、NH3-N、TN、TP和浊度去除效果都较好,对NH3-N的去除率高达99%,美人蕉人工湿地对城市生活污水的净化能力强。     

Acute effects of chlorpyryphos-ethyl and secondary treated effluents on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in Carcinus maenas

The acute effects of commercial formulation of chlorpyrifos-ethyl (Dursban(r)) and the secondary treated industrial/urban effluent (STIUE) exposure on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activities in hepatopancreas and gills of Mediterranean crab Carcinus maenas were investigated. After 2 d of exposure to chlorpyriphos-ethyl, the AChE activity was inhibited in both organs at concentrations of 3.12 and 7.82 μg/L, whereas the BuChE was inhibited only at higher concentration 7.82 μg/L of commercial preparation Dursban(r). The exposure of crabs to Dursban(r) (3.12 μg/L) showed a significant decrement of AChE activity at 24 and 48 h, whereas the BuChE was inhibited only after 24 h and no inhibition for both enzymes was observed after 72 h. Moreover, a significant repression of AChE activity was observed in both organs of C. maenas exposed to 5% of STIUE. Our experiments indicated that the measurement of AChE activity in gills and hepatopancreas of C. meanas would be useful biomarker of organophosphorous (OP) and of neurotoxic effects of STIUE in Tunisia.     

上海中心城区苏州河沿岸排水系统降雨径流水文水质特性研究

为了解城市合流制管道系统降雨径流的水文水质变化过程与特征,于2007年7～9月对上海中心城区合流制排水系统(CSS)4类强度降雨(小雨、中雨、大雨和暴雨)的降雨量、径流量和污染浓度进行了同步连续监测与分析.结果表明,径流过程线滞后于降雨过程线约15～25 min,形态与降雨过程线相似,波动幅度低于降雨过程线.4类强度降雨的径流系数分别为：0.33、 0.62、 0.67和0.73.CSS基本存在30/30标准的降雨径流初始冲刷现象,污染物浓度过程线滞后于降雨过程线约30～40 min. 4类强度降雨径流的pH值和重金属Cu、Zn、Cr、Cd、Pb、Ni的事件平均浓度(EMC)均符合地表水环境质量标准Ⅴ类水要求,COD、BOD₅、NH⁺₄-N和TP的EMC的变化范围分别为225.0～544.1、 31.5～98.9、 8.9～44.2和1.98～3.52 mg·L^-1,平均分别超过Ⅴ类水标准9.3、 5.6、 11.7和6.1倍,接近国外城市CSS的平均污染水平.SS与COD、BOD₅、NH⁺₄-N和TP在P<0.01水平上均具有一定的正相关性(R为0.359～0.736),颗粒态有机类和营养类污染物的比例平均为70.21%.