溴添加对燃煤烟气汞形态转化的影响

在一维管式沉降炉燃烧试验装置上,以汞的氧化率为评价指标,进行了溴化物种类、添加浓度、添加方式等因素对燃煤烟气汞形态转化影响的实验研究.结果表明: 溴对汞的氧化起促进作用,汞氧化率在一定的范围快速增加,超过此范围缓慢增加.不同的煤质,不同的溴添加物,这个范围是不同的;综合考虑添加成本,操作难易程度以及汞的氧化率,添加同浓度的溴化物时,汞的氧化率由低到高的排列顺序依次是:HBr炉后< HBr炉前< CaBr2< NaBr.在本实验条件下,汞的氧化效果最佳的条件是,褐煤中添加200mg/kg溴化钠,汞的氧化率约72%;亚烟煤添加1000mg/kg溴化钠,汞的氧化率约83%.     

Fe掺杂TiO2催化剂制备及其光催化脱汞机理

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备Fe-TiO₂(Fe掺杂纳米二氧化钛)催化剂,通过XRD(X射线衍射仪)、SEM(扫描电镜)、EDX(能量色散X射线光谱仪)和UV-Vis谱对其形态、结构、组成和性质进行表征. 采用Fe-TiO₂催化剂脱除气态Hg0(元素汞),研究了该催化剂在紫外光和可见光下的脱汞效果,并考察了Fe3+的最佳掺杂比. 结果表明:在Fe-TiO₂光催化剂中,TiO₂以锐钛矿相形态存在,当Fe3+掺杂浓度〔以n(Fe)/n(Ti)计〕达到0.010时,所制备的Fe-TiO₂在紫外光和可见光下的脱汞率均达到最大,分别为54.76%和18.92%. 提出了Fe-TiO₂光催化脱汞的可能机制:Fe3+掺入TiO₂结构中,使TiO₂的导带与Fe3+的d轨道发生重叠,导致TiO₂能带变窄,从而扩展了可见光的响应范围;Fe3+在TiO₂中作为一个浅俘获阱,当其俘获光生电子以后,光生空穴能够继续扩散到TiO₂表面发生表面化学反应,生成具有强氧化性的超氧自由基O₂-和·OH,对Hg0进行氧化;当Fe3+掺杂浓度大于0.010时,由于过多的Fe3+成为了光生电子和光生空穴的俘获位,从而使俘获的电子-空穴对通过量子隧道效应复合的概率增加,同时,活性氧化物种O₂-和·OH相互消耗,抑制了光催化效率.      

汞在海洋浮游植物中的生物累积和毒性效应

浮游植物是海洋生态系统的主要初级生产者,同时作为食物也是许多水生生物摄取汞的主要途径。本文综述了近年来汞在海洋浮游植物中的最新研究进展,包括汞在浮游植物中的吸收、累积规律及其影响因素,汞对浮游植物的毒性效应(生长抑制、光合作用影响)以及生物的适应机制(汞的还原、螯合解毒、矿化固定等),最后对浮游植物中汞累积和毒性的未来研究方向进行了展望。     

陡河水库鱼体汞的生物积累初探

为了解陡河燃煤电厂大气汞释放对毗邻的陡河水库水生生态系统中鱼体汞含量、生物积累和放大等的影响,本研究采集陡河水库野生鱼、虾和螺蛳,分别测定了鱼样等生物样品中的总汞和甲基汞,并对部分代表性样品测定稳定碳氮同位素比值。鱼汞分布特征和δ13C‰和δ15N‰同位素比值分布特征显示:鱼体(鲜样)中总汞和甲基汞平均含量分别为56.4±26.7和15.5±8.4 ng·g-1,总汞含量最高的是杂食性的白条鱼为133 ng·g-1。不同食性的鱼体δ13C和δ15N稳定同位素值变化范围分别为-28.1‰~-24.4‰和12.0‰~16.1‰,Log10[Hg]与δ15N的线性相关斜率值为负值。以上结果表明:陡河水库鱼体汞总体偏低,没有发现高生物积累和生物放大,其主要原因在于陡河水库水环境中汞含量较低,且陡河水库靠近市区,过度捕捞使可以捕获的鱼样种类和数量偏少,且鱼龄较低。     

Determination of mercury and arsenic levels in fish caught in the Beheshtabad River,Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province,Iran

Mercury and arsenic pollution has been recognized as a potential environmental and public health problem for over 40 years. The major source of exposure to mercury for humans is the ingestion of fish. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the levels of mercury and arsenic in the muscles of four fish species caught in the Beheshtabad River and comparing the results with the maximum tolerance levels for mercury and arsenic. The samples of 90 fish were used for the determination of both the metals by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The results showed that the concentrations ranged from 1.5 to 3.8 µg kg^?1 for mercury and from 35 to 70 µg kg^?1 for arsenic, with means of 2.7 ± 0.5 and 57 ± 12 µg kg^?1, respectively. Both mean levels were lower than the threshold limits acceptable by WHO standards.     

Urinary level of homovanillic acid and mercury in autistic children

Catecholamines and their metabolites affect children's nervous system. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain. In the routine analysis for diagnostics of diseases, the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) is determined. Mercury is a neurotoxic agent and can cause different undesirable effects on the brain. In the present work a putative correlation between HVA, the main metabolite of dopamine, and mercury in urine of healthy and autistic children was studied. The level of HVA was higher in the urine of autistic children (14.5 ± 8.3 mg L^?1) compared to generally healthy children (4.4 ± 0.5 mg L^?1). The level of mercury in the urine of autistic children was lower (0.36 ± 0.24 µg L^?1) than in the urine of healthy children (2.1 ± 1.0 µg L^?1) showing that there is no correlation between HVA and mercury.     

The plausibility of a role for mercury in the etiology of autism: a cellular perspective

Autism is defined by a behavioral set of stereotypic and repetitious behavioral patterns in combination with social and communication deficits. There is emerging evidence supporting the hypothesis that autism may result from a combination of genetic susceptibility and exposure to environmental toxins at critical moments in development. Mercury (Hg) is recognized as a ubiquitous environmental neurotoxin and there is mounting evidence linking it to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Of course, the evidence is not derived from experimental trials with humans but rather from methods focusing on biomarkers of Hg damage, measurements of Hg exposure, epidemiological data, and animal studies. For ethical reasons, controlled Hg exposure in humans will never be conducted. Therefore, to properly evaluate the Hg-autism etiological hypothesis, it is essential to first establish the biological plausibility of the hypothesis. This review examines the plausibility of Hg as the primary etiological agent driving the cellular mechanisms by which Hg-induced neurotoxicity may result in the physiological attributes of autism. Key areas of focus include: (1) route and cellular mechanisms of Hg exposure in autism; (2) current research and examples of possible genetic variables that are linked to both Hg sensitivity and autism; (3) the role Hg may play as an environmental toxin fueling the oxidative stress found in autism; (4) role of mitochondrial dysfunction; and (5) possible role of Hg in abnormal neuroexcitory and excitotoxity that may play a role in the immune dysregulation found in autism. Future research directions that would assist in addressing the gaps in our knowledge are proposed.     

Mercury exposure through diet in pregnant women and women of childbearing age

The study examined the stage of clean-up of the Port Lavaca bay sites in Texas, which were polluted during the early 1990's by effluent containing mercury (Hg) from a chloralkali plant. In addition to Hg intoxication through environmental contaminations, human exposure through dietary fish and other seafoods occurred. Bacteria converts inorganic Hg to alkyl organic compounds and subsequently the metal crosses the blood brain barrier thus exerting adverse effects on the fetal developing nervous system. In order to conduct a survey of dietary Hg exposure, blood was collected from pregnant women and those of childbearing age at routine clinic visits at each of three centers in South Texas cities (Galveston, Texas City, Port Lavaca/Victoria, TX). A questionnaire sought dietary and lifestyle information including consumption, sources of fish and other seafoods. A significant number of subjects (119 out of 175, 68%) ate fish caught locally. The blood Hg concentrations (µg?L^?1) range varied with the location of the study centers: City of Galveston 2.6–62; Texas City 2.8–111.8; and the Port Lavaca areas 3.02–126.7. The concentrations of blood Hg was directly proportional to the number of fish meals consumed for each species considered. Mean blood Hg concentrations for no fish meals per week were: Port Lavaca 4.5 (N?=?3), Galveston 4.3 (N?=?3), Texas City 3.5 (N?=?10). For >3 fish meals per week, the mean blood Hg concentrations were: Port Lavaca, 48.0 (N?=?53), Galveston 29.1 (N?=?35), Texas City, 36.1 (N?=?31). Data show that residues of Hg were still present in 1994 despite the clean-up efforts.     

Liver and renal lesions in mercury-contaminated narwhals (Monodon monoceros) from North West Greenland

Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) from North West Greenland are known to bioaccumulate mercury (Hg) in tissues and internal organs. This is postulated to be a health concern and therefore studies were undertaken to conduct a screening study of Hg concentrations and histopathology of liver and renal tissues in a total of 12 specimens. The sample consisted of two sub-adults (one male, one female) and 10 adult (six males, four females) collected in Qaanaaq (Thule) 2010. In liver, Hg mean ± SD was 11.88 ± 10.47 μg/g ww (range: 0.39?31.8 μg/g ww) while the concentrations in kidneys were 1.85 ± 1.20 μg/g ww (range: 0.41?4.03 μg/g ww). There was no marked difference in Hg concentrations between males and females while sub-adults had significantly lower concentrations. The histological examinations of renal tissue showed glomerular capillary dilatation and basement membrane thickening, dilatation, and hyalinization of Bowman's space/capsule and tubular lesions with hyaline casts accompanied by interstitial fibrosis in the kidneys. In liver tissue, portal cell infiltrates and fibrosis, bile duct proliferation, lipid-filled Ito cells, and steatosis were found. There was no marked difference in histological prevalence between males and females and in Hg concentrations in individuals with or without lesions. Four of seven renal lesions and one liver lesion were found in the two sub-adult whales. Based upon these findings, as well as the nature of the lesions, evidence suggests that histopathological alterations were a result of age but that Hg might be an aggravating co-factor in development of renal lesions in particular.     

Mercury pollution in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh,India, and its health impacts

The Sonbhadra district in the Singrauli area of Uttar Pradesh, India, has many coal mines and thermal power plants and is a critically polluted area. Many residents of this area reported adverse health conditions which may be linked to metal pollution, especially of mercury investigated here.

In May 2012, samples of water (23), soil (7), blood, hair, and nails from persons showing adverse health conditions selected at random were collected and analyzed for total mercury by atomic absorption spectrometry.

Twenty percent drinking water samples contained mercury from 3 to 26 μg L^?1 (3–26 times the permissible limit). Soil samples had 0.5–10.1 mg kg^?1 Hg.

The average concentrations of mercury in human blood, hair, and nails were found to be 34 μg L^?1, 7.4 mg kg^?1, and 0.8 mg kg^?1, respectively. Mercury concentrations in the blood of these persons were 45 and 28 μg L^?1 on average in the case of men and women. This is much higher than the safe level of 5.8 μg L^?1 set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

It was concluded that all residents of Sonbhadra sampled could be suffering from mercury toxicity as the area is polluted by Hg released from the coal-fired thermal power plants.