Sediment organic matter and meiofauna community response to long-term fish-farm impact in the Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean)

Quantitative and qualitative changes in meiofauna community structure were investigated to assess the impact of a fish farm, which was operating continuously for 15 years (La Spezia Gulf, W Mediterranean). Sediment samples were collected in June, July, September, October 2000 and February 2001 for the analysis of phytopigments (chlorophyll-a and phaeopigments), the biochemical composition of organic matter (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) and related to meiofaunal parameters.

Sediment organic matter reached extremely high concentrations beneath the fish cages when compared to the control. Particularly lipids, carbohydrates and chlorophyll-a were significantly higher in fish-farm sediments. On a long-term basis meiofauna displayed adaptations in sediments beneath the cages resulting in an increase of density. Organic impact on meiofaunal community structure was evident in terms of an increase of the nematodes to copepods (Ne/Co) and nauplius to copepods (Na/Co) ratios in fish farm sediments. Cumaceans and kinorhynchs were encountered in control sediments, but disappeared in fish-farm samples. These data suggest that meiofauna is a sensitive tool for evaluating the effects of organic enrichment in fish farm impacted areas.     

Inorganic and methyl-mercury speciation in sediments of the Swarzędzkie Lake

Sediment samples were analysed for mercury and methylmercury content in different parts of the bottom sediment of Swarz ?dzkie Lake, which were influenced by different external pollution sources. The results of determination with two methods of mineralization using two separate media (HNO₃/H₂O₂ and HF) were compared. The accuracy of the studied methods was analysed using certified reference material IAEA 405 of river sediment. The recovery of mercury was satisfactory and ranged from 97.5 to 98.8%. Methylmercury compounds in the studied sediments were found in limited concentrations. Their concentrations ranged from 0.26 to 58.1 μg kg^?1, i.e. 1.0–7.4% of the total mercury content. The depth profile displayed high values of both total and methylmercury content at a depth of 10–20 cm, related to the heavy pollution of the lake in the 1980s. Canonical analysis displayed the relationship of both total mercury and methylmercury concentrations with organic matter and phosphorus content in bottom sediments.     

持久性有机污染物致胰岛素抵抗及其潜在病理机制

胰岛素抵抗综合症目前在全世界以惊人的速度增长,成为21世纪公共健康的严重挑战。多例流行病学调查结果已经显示持久性有机污染物与胰岛素抵抗的关联。胰岛素信号传递受损是胰岛素抵抗的本质原因。考察机制发现,可在机体脂肪组织中贮存积累的持久性有机污染物,如二噁英、多氯联苯、溴代阻燃剂、有机氯农药等,可干扰细胞内受体如环芳烃受体、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体、导致氧化损伤、线粒体功能障碍并通过慢性炎症介质TNFα的释放及其相关信号调控;进而可能阻扰胰岛素信号传递中关键蛋白InsR或IRS-1/2正常磷酸化,导致胰岛素抵抗。     

苏南快速城镇化区域典型河道入河污染物调查分析与估算

针对快速城镇化区域产业快速发展、人口高度密集与排水设施建设滞后间的突出矛盾,以苏州官渎里区域的典型重污染河道——官渎花园内河为研究对象,在分析区域排污特征的基础上,系统总结点污染源、面污染源和内污染源在该类区域的具体表现形式和影响因素,对各类污染物入河量进行调查测算.根据测算结果,官渎花园内河的CODcr、NH3-N、TN和TP年入河量分别为222.54、11.16、16.63和2.56t·a-1.对各污染源贡献率的分析结果表明,工业污染和生活污染为主要污染源,其次为降雨径流污染.在上述测算分析的基础上,结合苏南快速城镇化区域发展特点,提出了若干河道污染控制的对策与建议.     

珠海2019年秋季一次大气污染过程的特征、 成因及来源分析

2019年秋季在珠三角典型沿海城市珠海观测到一次中重度污染过程,本文对此次过程的污染特征、形成机制和来源进行了研究.通过 采集PM_2.5样品,分析了9种水溶性无机离子（WSIIs）、有机碳（OC）、元素碳（EC）和水溶性有机碳（WSOC）等化学组分的浓度水平和污染特征;进一步结合污染过程中的不利天气形势、72 h后向气流轨迹及PM_2.5的潜在源贡献因子（WPSCF）和浓度权重轨迹（WCWT）等方法分析了污染的形成机制和来源.结果表明,有机物（OM）是污染时期PM_2.5中增长最快的组分,其次是占WSIIs约82.46%的SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NH₄⁺（SNA）. NO₃^-/SO₄^2-均值为0.20,表明珠海以固定源污染为主;硫氧化率（SOR）均值为0.65,氮氧化率（NOR）均值为0.08,高温高湿的气象条件可能是 造成珠海比中国其他城市SOR偏高而NOR偏低的原因.在污染时段,二次有机碳（SOC）明显增加,WSOC/SOC随污染物的升高而降低并趋近于1,因此, 污染时期的WSOC可能主要是二次生成的.副高控制型、台风外围型和高压出海型等天气形势控制着整个珠三角地区时,不利于污染物的传输和扩散,使污染加剧.后向气流轨迹分析表明,污染时期的气团轨迹主要来自于高污染的内陆地区,这可能是造成此次污染形成的重要原因和来源.WPSCF和WCWT的高值区主要集中在江西、广东等内陆地区,因此,珠海在控制本地排放的同时,也应该关注上风向临近省市的污染排放.     

微塑料与有机污染物的相互作用研究进展

微塑料(粒径小于5 mm的塑料)作为海洋中一种新型的污染物正受到越来越多的关注。微塑料在全球多个海域均有检出,根据其来源分为原生微塑料和次生微塑料。原生微塑料由人工直接制造所得,常见于日常生活用品中;次生微塑料由大块塑料制品长期风化、磨损和光解形成。塑料自身含有多种有机添加剂,不断向环境中释放,污染海洋环境;微塑料表面还可吸附有机污染物,此吸附作用受两者的物理化学性质和环境条件影响,吸附污染物后的微塑料生物毒性增强。另外,聚合物复合光催化材料可加快有机污染物如染料的光降解反应速率,因而微塑料可能会促进有机污染物的光解。针对目前微塑料对有机物光降解的贡献、机理鲜见研究的问题,未来应加强以下3方面的研究:(1)微塑料对不同有机污染物光降解是否存在影响?(2)微塑料类型、尺寸以及反应条件对有机污染物光降解如何影响?(3)微塑料对有机污染物光降解影响的内在机制是什么?     

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.     

Microbial degradation of the benzonitrile herbicides dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil in soil and subsurface environments--insights into degradation pathways, persistent metabolites and involved degrader organisms

The benzonitriles dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil are important broad-spectrum or selective herbicides used in agriculture, orchards and public areas worldwide. The dichlobenil metabolite 2,6-dichlorobenzamide is the most frequently encountered groundwater contaminant in Denmark, which suggests that the environmental fate of these three structurally related benzonitrile herbicides should be addressed in detail. This review summarises the current knowledge on microbial degradation of dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil with particular focus on common features of degradation rates and pathways, accumulation of persistent metabolites and diversity of the involved degrader organisms.     

Changes of organic acid exudation and rhizosphere pH in rice plants under chromium stress.

The effect of chromium (Cr) stress on the changes of rhizosphere pH, organic acid exudation, and Cr accumulation in plants was studied using two rice genotypes differing in grain Cr accumulation. The results showed that rhizosphere pH increased with increasing level of Cr in the culture solution and with an extended time of Cr exposure. Among the six organic acids examined in this experiment, oxalic and malic acid contents were relatively higher, and had a significant positive correlation with the rhizosphere pH, indicating that they play an important role in changing rhizosphere pH. The Cr content in roots was significantly higher than that in stems and leaves. Cr accumulation in plants was significantly and positively correlated with rhizosphere pH, and the exudation of oxalic, malic and citric acids, suggesting that an increase in rhizosphere pH, and exudation of oxalic, malic and citric acid enhances Cr accumulation in rice plants.     

Sorption of native polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to black carbon and amended activated carbon in soil

Organic pollutants (e.g. polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)) strongly sorb to carbonaceous sorbents such as black carbon and activated carbon (BC and AC, respectively). For a creosote-contaminated soil (Sigma15PAH 5500 mg kg(dry weight(dw))(-1)) and an urban soil with moderate PAH content (Sigma15PAH 38 mg kg(dw)(-1)), total organic carbon-water distribution coefficients (K(TOC)) were up to a factor of 100 above values for amorphous (humic) organic carbon obtained by a frequently used Linear-Free-Energy Relationship. This increase could be explained by inclusion of BC (urban soil) or oil (creosote-contaminated soil) into the sorption model. AC is a manufactured sorbent for organic pollutants with similar strong sorption properties as the combustion by-product BC. AC has the potential to be used for in situ remediation of contaminated soils and sediments. The addition of small amounts of powdered AC (2%) to the moderately contaminated urban soil reduced the freely dissolved aqueous concentration of native PAH in soil/water suspensions up to 99%. For granulated AC amended to the urban soil, the reduction in freely dissolved concentrations was not as strong (median 64%), especially for the heavier PAH. This is probably due to blockage of the pore system of granulated AC resulting in AC deactivation by soil components. For powdered and granulated AC amended to the heavily contaminated creosote soil, median reductions were 63% and 4%, respectively, probably due to saturation of AC sorption sites by the high PAH concentrations and/or blockage of sorption sites and pores by oil.