Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds with two or more fused aromatic rings. They have a relatively low solubility in water, but are highly lipophilic. Most of the PAHs with low vapour pressure in the air are adsorbed on particles. When dissolved in water or adsorbed on particulate matter, PAHs can undergo photodecomposition when exposed to ultraviolet light from solar radiation. In the atmosphere, PAHs can react with pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, yielding diones, nitro- and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfonic acids, respectively. PAHs may also be degraded by some microorganisms in the soil. PAHs are widespread environmental contaminants resulting from incomplete combustion of organic materials. The occurrence is largely a result of anthropogenic emissions such as fossil fuel-burning, motor vehicle, waste incinerator, oil refining, coke and asphalt production, and aluminum production, etc. PAHs have received increased attention in recent years in air pollution studies because some of these compounds are highly carcinogenic or mutagenic. Eight PAHs (Car-PAHs) typically considered as possible carcinogens are: benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and benzo(g,h,i)perylene. In particular, benzo(a)pyrene has been identified as being highly carcinogenic. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated 16 unsubstituted PAHs (EPA-PAH) as priority pollutants. Thus, exposure assessments of PAHs in the developing world are important. The scope of this review will be to give an overview of PAH concentrations in various environmental samples and to discuss the advantages and limitations of applying these parameters in the assessment of environmental risks in ecosystems and human health. As it well known, there is an increasing trend to use the behavior of pollutants (i.e. bioaccumulation) as well as pollution-induced biological and biochemical effects on human organisms to evaluate or predict the impact of chemicals on ecosystems. Emphasis in this review will, therefore, be placed on the use of bioaccumulation and biomarker responses in air, soil, water and food, as monitoring tools for the assessment of the risks and hazards of PAH concentrations for the ecosystem, as well as on its limitations.     

High Cu and Cd pollution in sediments from Sisimiut, Greenland. Adsorption to organic matter and fine particles

High concentrations of Cu of up to 200 mg/kg, and Cd of up to 4.0 mg/kg, were found in sediments from the aquatic environment around Sisimiut, Greenland. These concentrations are four times higher than the limiting concentration where toxicological effects are expected. The pollution could be linked to human activities in Sisimiut, a link that have not been investigated previously in Greenland. Except from the most polluted samples there was good correlation between heavy metal concentration and organic matter. Also some relationship between fine fraction and heavy metal concentration was observed.     

Toxicity of octameric elemental sulphur in aquatic sediments

The proportions of elemental sulphur species in sediment from a contaminated area and a reference sediment sample were compared with the acute toxicity measured in short-term toxicity tests. Octameric elemental sulphur was separated into three operationally defined fractions. Here we show that octameric elemental sulphur contributes to the acute toxicity measured by bioluminescence inhibition. Our findings show that only a small part of extractable elemental sulphur was effective during exposure to the test organisms. A firmly bound fraction of sulphur was found in a contaminated sediment. This information has to be taken into account while interpreting the acute sediment toxicity.     

苏州河市郊段底泥中COD_(Cr)和NH_3-N的空间分布特征

对苏州河截流区外河段(城郊段)东大盈河口—北新泾,按河道形态,支流与城镇分布等因素,沿程采集24个底泥柱样,测定其不同部位不同深度底泥中COD_(Cr)和NH_3-N含量,分析COD_(Cr)和NH_3-N在沿程和垂向上的分布特征及其成因。结果表明,底泥中污染沿程分布呈不规则波状起伏,东大盈河、蕴藻浜、盐铁塘、封浜、华漕港、新槎浦等支流口,浮泥层中COD_(Cr)含量达2万mg/kg,超过背景值2—3倍,支流口下游200m范围内均较高;黄渡小支流口、华漕港支流口浮泥层中NH_3-H含量达250mg/kg,超过背景值3倍。在垂向分布上,底泥柱样都出现峰值分布,在某些弯道及支流口出现递减分布。底泥耗氧污染程度主要与支流及其排污量有关,其次是弯道凸岸处污染物易于沉积富集。这为苏州河市郊段环境综合治理、底泥疏浚和处置提供了科学依据。     

利用西湖淤泥进行低成本有机型基质栽培试验

以西湖淤泥为主要原料，配以砻糠灰、干鸡粪、菜籽饼等，组配低成本有机型基质，旨在合理开发利用西湖淤泥。处理Ⅰ(西湖淤泥 砻糠灰 干鸡粪)与处理Ⅱ(西湖淤泥 砻糠灰 菜籽饼)均有良好的理化性质，其孔隙度、有机质含量及N、P、K含量适宜樱桃番茄的生长。处理Ⅰ樱桃番茄早期营养生长及前期产量、总产量等方面与对照(泥炭 珍珠岩 泡沫粒)无显著性差异，果实中Vc含量显著高于对照。处理Ⅱ早期营养生长不如对照，但前期产量、总产量与对照无显著性差异，干物质、Vc含量与糖度显著高于对照。处理Ⅰ、处理Ⅱ的成本约为对照的1／2左右。     

Contaminated sediments and bioassay responses of three macroinvertebrates, the midge larva Chironomus riparius, the water louse Asellus aquaticus and the mayfly nymph Ephoron virgo

Bioassays are widely used to estimate ecological risks of contaminated sediments. We compared the results of three whole sediment bioassays, using the midge larva Chironomus riparius, the water louse Asellus aquaticus, and the mayfly nymph Ephoron virgo. We used sediments from sixteen locations in the Dutch Rhine-Meuse Delta that differed in level of contamination. Previously developed protocols for each bioassay were followed, which differed in sediment pretreatment, replication, and food availability. The Chironomus bioassay was conducted in situ, whereas the other two were conducted in the laboratory. The measured endpoints, survival and growth, were related to contaminant levels in the sediment and to food quantity in water and sediment.

Only the response of A. aquaticus in the bioassay was correlated with sediment contamination. Food availability in overlying water was much more important for C. riparius and E. virgo, thereby masking potential sediment contaminant effects. We conclude that growth of A. aquaticus was depressed by sediment contamination, whereas growth of E. virgo and C. riparius was stimulated by seston food quantity. We discuss that the trophic state of the ecosystem largely affects the ecological risks of contaminated sediments.     

海河干流、大沽排污河沉积物中有机氯农药的残留状况

调查了海河干流和大沽排污河沉积物中持久性有机氯杀虫剂(OCPs)的残留状况.在所选取的16个断面沉积物样品中均有大量HCHs、DDTs检出,表明海河和大沽排污河的DDT和HCH污染相当严重.海河沉积物中HCHs和DDTs总质量浓度分别为3.30～75.96、1.57～221.57 ng/g.大沽排污河沉积物中HCHs和DDTs的残留量分别为2.30～124.61、11.28～237.30ng/g.与国内外部分河流表层沉积物中HCHs、DDTs的含量相比,海河和大沽排污河沉积物中有机氯农药含量较高.最后根据两条河流沉积物中的OCPs的残留量,分析了其可能的污染源.     

松花江底泥沉积物中重金属释放影响因素的研究

以松花江哈尔滨段底泥沉积物为实验对象,研究松花江底泥沉积物中重金属的释放规律,使用循环槽(circulating flume)模拟松花江水力学条件,考察了重金属在上覆水和底泥中的沉积和释放。结果表明:松花江哈尔滨段底泥沉积物中重金属只有镉(Cd)超标,其它检测出重金属没有超标;随着温度升高,沉积物重金属溶出释放量也随之增加;重金属在酸性条件下的释放量明显高于碱性条件下的释放量;水体盐度升高,沉积物重金属的溶出释放也随之升高;水体扰动达到160 r/min时,重金属的释放达到最高值。     

Microbial bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in the sediments of Lake Shankou, Northeastern China

Dissolved organic nitrogen(DON)extracted from Lake Shankou sediments using KCl was isolated into hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions.The bioavailabilities of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions to three types of bacterial communities collected from sediments,activated sludge and compost products were examined.The DON recoveries obtained by DAX-8 and cation exchange resins treatment were 96.17% ± 1.58% and 98.14% ±0% for the samples obtained from N4 and N14 stations,respectively.After 25 days of incubation at 25°C,most DON(59% to 96%)was degraded.Hydrophilic DON exhibited a higher reduction rate than hydrophobic DON during the growth phase.Untreated wastewater from Changshuihe town was the main degradable DON source to station N4,and 93% of hydrophilic DON and 80% of hydrophobic DON were degraded.Station N14 received a large amount of refractory DON from forest soils and exhibited DON degradation rates of 82% and 71% for the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions,respectively.Amino acid contents and fluorescence intensities were also analyzed.Approximately 27% to 74% of amino acids were taken up by day 5,and their concentration gradually increased in the following days due to the decomposition of dissolved proteins.Parallel factor analysis resulted in identification of tryptophan-like proteins,tyrosine-like proteins and FA-like substances.During the growth phase,40%–51% of the tryptophan-like proteins were taken up by bacteria,and the accumulation of tyrosine-like proteins was attributed to the release of biotic substances.The concentration of the FA-like substances decreased due to microbial decomposition.     

滇池、洱海水及沉积物中重金属元素的行为

洱海水中重金属元素的含量不同,平均值以１０＾－９计算：Ｃｕ１．６,Ｐｂ０．５９,Ｚｎ９．８,Ｃｄ０．００９,Ｃｒ０．２４,水质较好;沉积物中每一样品同一元素的含量一般均趋于平均值,以１０＾－６计算：Ｃｕ１１１,Ｐｂ６０,Ｚｎ１２７,Ｃｄ０．５９１,Ｃｒ１３０。因此,洱海至今仍是一个较清洁的湖泊。滇池水质较差,内草海段水中重金属元素含量明显上升,以１０＾－９计算：Ｃｕ５．８,Ｐｂ０．５５,Ｚｎ３２,