Inorganic arsenic levels in baby rice are of concern

Inorganic arsenic is a chronic exposure carcinogen. Analysis of UK baby rice revealed a median inorganic arsenic content (n = 17) of 0.11 mg/kg. By plotting inorganic arsenic against total arsenic, it was found that inorganic concentrations increased linearly up to 0.25 mg/kg total arsenic, then plateaued at 0.16 mg/kg at higher total arsenic concentrations. Inorganic arsenic intake by babies (4-12 months) was considered with respect to current dietary ingestion regulations. It was found that 35% of the baby rice samples analysed would be illegal for sale in China which has regulatory limit of 0.15 mg/kg inorganic arsenic. EU and US food regulations on arsenic are non-existent. When baby inorganic arsenic intake from rice was considered, median consumption (expressed as μg/kg/d) was higher than drinking water maximum exposures predicted for adults in these regions when water intake was expressed on a bodyweight basis.     

Quaternary stratigraphy, sediment characteristics and geochemistry of arsenic-contaminated alluvial aquifers in the Ganges–Brahmaputra floodplain in central Bangladesh

This study focuses on the Quaternary stratigraphy, sediment composition, mineralogy, and geochemistry of arsenic (As)-contaminated alluvial aquifers in the Ganges–Brahmaputra floodplain in the central Bangladesh. Arsenic concentrations in 85 tubewells in Manikganj area, 70 km northwest of Dhaka City, range from 0.25 µg/L to 191 µg/L with a mean concentration of 33 µg/L. Groundwater is mainly Ca–HCO₃ type with high concentrations of dissolved As, Fe, and Mn, but low level of SO₄. The uppermost aquifer occurs between 10 m and 80 m below the surface that has a mean arsenic concentration of 35 µg/L. Deeper aquifer (> 100 m depth) has a mean arsenic concentration of 18 µg/L. Sediments in the upper aquifer are mostly gray to dark-gray, whereas sediments in the deep aquifer are mostly yellowing-gray to brown. Quartz, feldspar, mica, hornblende, garnet, kyanite, tourmaline, magnetite, ilmenite are the major minerals in sediments from both aquifers. Biotite and potassium feldspar are dominant in shallow aquifer, although plagioclase feldspar and garnet are abundant in deep aquifer sediments. Sediment composition suggests a mixed provenance with sediment supplies from both orogenic belts and cratons. High arsenic concentrations in sediments are found within the upper 50 m in drilled core samples. Statistical analysis shows that As, Fe, Mn, Ca, and P are strongly correlated in sediments. Concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Bi also show strong correlations with arsenic in the Manikganj sediment cores. Authigenic goethite concretions, possibly formed by bacteria, are found in the shallow sediments, which contain arsenic of a concentration as high as 8.8 mg/kg. High arsenic concentrations in aquifers are associated with fine-grained sediments that were derived mostly from the recycled orogens and relatively rapidly deposited mainly by meandering channels during the Early to Middle Holocene rising sea-level conditions.     

Arsenic accumulation by the aquatic fern Azolla: comparison of arsenate uptake, speciation and efflux by A. caroliniana and A. filiculoides

This study investigates As accumulation and tolerance of the aquatic fern Azolla. Fifty strains of Azolla showed a large variation in As accumulation. The highest- and lowest-accumulating ferns among the 50 strains were chosen for further investigations. Azolla caroliniana accumulated two times more As than Azolla filiculoides owing to a higher influx velocity for arsenate. A. filiculoides was more resistant to external arsenate due to a lower uptake. Both strains showed a similar degree of tolerance to internal As. Arsenate and arsenite were the dominant As species in both Azolla strains, with methlyated As species accounting for <5% of the total As. A. filiculoides had a higher proportion of arsenite than A. caroliniana. Both strains effluxed more arsenate than arsenite, and the amount of As efflux was proportional to the amount of As accumulation. The potential of growing Azolla in paddy fields to reduce As transfer from soil and water to rice should be further evaluated.     

外源硫酸盐对武汉南湖表层沉积物磷形态的作用

采用室内模拟实验,选取武汉市南湖表层沉积物及相应上覆水,研究了硫酸盐的输入对沉积物磷形态的影响.结果表明,硫酸盐输入水体后提高了沉积物磷的迁移活性,导致上覆水中总磷(TP)、溶解性正磷酸盐(SRP)含量升高,上升幅度随硫酸盐输入量的增加而增加.硫酸盐扩散到沉积物后,先是生成酸可挥发性硫(AVS),进而转变成铬还原硫.硫酸盐输入提高了沉积物pH值,而使Eh降低.沉积物不同磷形态对外源硫酸盐的响应有所差异,二钙磷(Ca2-P)含量随输入硫酸盐浓度的增加而增加,含量最高的铁磷(Fe-P)为800mg/kg左右,占总磷的51.4%~56.6%,受硫酸盐的影响极显著(P<0.01),在沉积物中含量降低而向上覆水中释放.上覆水中溶解性铁和TP、SRP均呈显著正相关.硫酸盐对沉积物中闭蓄态铁磷(O-Fe-P)也产生显著影响(P < 0.05),总体而言是促进其释放.     

Arsenic fractionation and contamination assessment in sediments of thirteen lakes from the East Plain and Yungui Plateau Ecoregions, China

Arsenic（As） fractions in the sediments of seven lakes from East Plain Ecoregion and six lakes from Yungui Plateau Ecoregion, China, were investigated. Results indicated that the total As concentrations in sediment samples of lakes of the East Plain Lake Ecoregion are higher than those of Yungui Plateau Lake Ecoregion. Residual As is the main fraction in sediment samples of lakes from both ecoregions, followed by reducible As and soluble or oxidizable As. The total As is correlated to oxidizable As and residual As in sediment samples from both lake ecoregions. As distribution in sediment samples of lakes of the East Plain Ecoregion appears to be affected by human activity, while the As origin mainly comes from natural sources in sediment samples of lakes in the Yungui Plateau Ecoregion. The potential ecological risk index and geoaccumulation index values suggest ＂low to moderate＂ risk degree and ＂unpolluted to moderately polluted＂ for As in the studied lake sediments.     

PO43-和柠檬酸对稀土元素在小麦体内积累和分异的影响

基于营养液培养,添加外源稀土和ICP-MS分析技术,研究了无机配体PO₄^3-(Pi)及有机配体柠檬酸(Cit)对小麦器官中稀土元素积累和分异的影响.结果表明,不同Pi水平对小麦根中的稀土总含量(∑REE)影响较小,但显著降低叶中∑REE含量;而不同Cit水平对小麦根、叶中∑REE含量都有明显降低作用.对照植物(无Pi、Cit添加)中,稀土元素在小麦根中具有中稀土(MREE)富集及M-型四重效应分布特征,叶中有重稀土(HREE)富集及W-型四重效应分布特征.不同Pi处理对四重效应无明显作用,但进一步加强HREE在小麦叶片中的富集.添加柠檬酸使对照植物根和叶中的分异有逐渐减弱的趋势,在高浓度处理时(Cit≥150μmol·L^-),小麦根和叶中出现轻稀土(LREE)富集.     

土壤中铜的形态及其转化

本文报告了使用连续提取方法研究加铜培育的黄棕壤、水稻土、红壤、砖红壤中铜的形态,并初步考察了土壤酸度、氧化还原状况等因素对铜形态的影响,对铜在不同矿物之间结合形态的转化进行了模拟。     

南京地区土壤沉积物中重金属形态研究

对南京地区４个环境单元－－公路干线，金属冶炼厂，大型生活垃圾场和江河滩涂土壤沉积物中重金属元素化学形态进行了分级提取实验研究。结果表明，有效态中，Ｃｕ以有机态为主，Ｐｂ以交换态为主，Ｃｏ、Ｍｎ以铁锰氧化物态为主，Ｆｅ、Ｎｉ有效态均小于其总量的１０％，并主要集中在铁锰氧化物态中，以大气为传播媒介的重金属人为叠加沉积（公路、工厂）其铁锰氧化物态含量相对较多，以水为传播媒介的重金属人为叠加沉积（垃圾场、     

Arsenic uptake and transport of Pteris vittata L. as influenced by phosphate and inorganic arsenic species under sand cu｜ture

In order to understand the similarity or difference of inorganic As species uptake and transport related to phosphorus in As-hyperaccumulator, uptake and transport of arsenate (As(Ⅴ)) and arsenite (As(Ⅲ)) were studied using Pteris vittata L. under sand culture. Higher concentrations of phosphate were found to inhibit accumulation of arsenate and arsenite in the fronds of P. vittata. The reduction in As accumulation was greater in old fronds than in young fronds, and relatively weak in root and rhizome. Moderate increases, from 0.05 to 0.3 mmol/L, in phosphate reduced uptake of As(Ⅲ) more than As(Ⅴ), while the reverse was observed at high concentrations of phosphate (≥ 1.0 mmol/L). Phosphate apparently reduced As transport and the proportion of As accumulated in fronds of P. vittata when As was supplied as As(Ⅴ). It may in part be due to competition between phosphorus and As(Ⅴ) during transport. In contrast, phosphate had a much smaller effect on As transport when the As was supplied as As(Ⅲ). Therefore, the results from present experiments indicates that a higher concentration of phosphate suppressed As accumulation and transport in P. vittata, especially in the fronds, when exposure to As(Ⅴ); but the suppression of phosphate to As transport in the root or rhizome may be insignificant when P. vittata when exposure to As(Ⅲ) under sand culture conditions. The finding will help to understand the interaction of P and As during their uptake process in P. vittata.     

北京市不同区位耕作土壤中重金属总量与形态分布特征

采集北京市不同区位(中心城区、近郊平原、远郊平原)的代表性耕作土壤-麦粒匹配样品23组,分析不同人类活动强度影响下耕作土壤中重金属(Cd、Cu、Zn、Pb)全量、赋存形态以及生物有效性,并探讨其来源差异与健康风险.结果表明:①频繁的交通活动与工业释放致使中心城区(Pb平均含量为35.59 mg·kg-1)土壤呈现出较为明显的Pb富集特征,而长期污水灌溉等农业活动导致了近郊平原局部土壤重金属的明显积累.②土壤中Cu、Zn和Pb主要以残余态(35%～75%)与有机结合态(23%～53%)形式存在,其次是铁锰氧化态(1%～19%),而碳酸盐结合态(n.d.～5%)与离子交换态(n.d.～2%)含量非常少.Pb、Zn和Cu的生物可利用性从中心城区到近郊平原、远郊平原逐渐下降,Cd则呈相反的趋势.近远郊土壤中Cd的离子交换态(13%～31%)与碳酸盐结合态(11%～27%)占有相当高的比例,在4种重金属中生物可利用性最高.③Cd与Zn在麦粒中的含量与土壤中金属的铁锰氧化态含量正相关(P<0.05,r为0.43～0.57);④种植于中心城区与近郊土壤上的小麦籽粒中部分Zn、Pb含量超出了WHO限值,对当地居民健康构成潜在风险.