Heavy metal contamination in the vicinity of an industrial area near Bucharest

BACKGROUND, AIMS AND SCOPE: Chromium enters into the aquatic environment as a result of effluent discharge from steel works, electroplating, leather tanning industries and chemical industries. As the Cr(VI) is very harmful to living organisms, it should be quickly removed from the environment when it happens to be contaminated. Therefore, the aim of this laboratory research was to develop a rapid, simple and adaptable solvent extraction system to quantitatively remove Cr(VI) from polluted waters. METHODS: Aqueous salt-solutions containing Cr(VI) as CrO4(2-) at ppm level (4-6 ppm) were prepared. Equal volumes (5 ml) of aqueous and organic (2-PrOH) phases were mixed in a 10 ml centrifuge tube for 15 min, centrifuged and separated. Concentrations of Cr(VI), in both the aqueous and organic phases, were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The effects of salt and acid concentrations, and phase-contact time on the extraction of Cr(VI) were investigated. In addition, the extraction of Cr(VI) was assessed in the presence of tetramethylammonium chloride (TMAC) in 2-PrOH phase. Effects of some other metals, (Cd(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II)), on the extraction of Cr(VI) were also investigated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The Cr(VI) at ppm level was extracted quantitatively by salting-out the homogeneous system of water and 2-propanol(2-PrOH) using chloride salts, namely CaCl2 or NaCl, under acidic chloride media. The extracted chemical species of Cr(VI) was confirmed to be the CrO3Cl-. The ion-pair complex extracted into the organic phase was rationalized as the solvated ion-pair complex of [2-PrOH2+, CrO3Cl-]. The complex was no longer stable. It implied the reaction between extracted species. Studies revealed that salts and acid directly participated in the formation of the above complex. Use of extracting agents (TMAC) didn't show any significant effect on the extraction of Cr(VI) under high salting-out conditions. There is no significant interference effect on the extraction of Cr(VI) by the presence of other metals. The Cr(VI) in the organic phase was back-extracted using an aqueous ammonia solution (1.6 mol dm(-3)) containing 3 mol dm(-3) NaCl. The extraction mechanism of Cr(VI) is also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Salting-out of homogeneous mixed solvent of 2-propanol can be employed to extract Cr(VI) quantitatively, as an ion-pair of [2-PrOH2+ * CrO3Cl-] solvated by 2-PrOH molecules. Then, the complex becomes 'solvent-like' and is readily separated into the organic phase. The increase of Cl- ion concentration in the aqueous phase favors the extraction. The 2-PrOH, salts and acid play important roles in the extraction process. There is no need to use an extracting agent at a high salting-out condition. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Chromium(VI) must be quickly removed before it enters into the natural cycle. As the 2-PrOH is water-miscible in any proportion, ion-pairing between 2-PrOH2+ and CrO3Cl- becomes very fast. As a result, Cr(VI) can easily be extracted. Therefore, the method is recommended as a simple, rapid and adaptable method to quickly separate Cr(VI) from aqueous samples.     

环境保护在学习实践科学发展观活动中的地位与作用——从环境哲学角度看学习实践科学发展观活动

环境保护是科学发展观的题中之意,科学发展观关于环境保护的论述,是党的环境保护理论的精髓。学习实践科学发展观活动,是一个哲学内涵非常丰富的课题,是十分难得的研究环境哲学的大好机遇。试点经验显示了环境保护在学习实践科学发展观活动中的重要作用。他们一方面在科学发展中通过转变发展方式,调整经济结构,解决环境难题;一方面坚持环境保护与经济发展并重,在保护环境中求发展,努力实现环境与经济“双赢”。其共性是,注重治本、注重生态、注重政策。深入学习实践科学发展观,关键在实践,要深入一线,深入调研,融人群众的实践,总结来自一线的新鲜经验。要适应新形势,了解新情况,解决新问题。在学习实践科学发展观活动中,不断提高落实科学发展观,在科学发展中,提高解决环境问题的能力,实现环境与发展、环境与经济的“双赢”。     

苏州污水处理厂污泥干化工艺方案的比选

污泥处理及其处置所面临的重要问题之一,就是如何对城市污水处理厂产生的污泥进行有效减容,尽量降低对外部能源的需求。文中在掌握国内外污泥干化主要工艺技术的基础上,针对某城市污水处理厂的污泥干化工程,拟对采用燃煤烟气干燥、污泥消化一干化一体化、太阳能热泵干燥等三种不同污泥干化工艺进行物料、能量工艺核算。并在此基础上,计算初期投资与15年的运行费用总和。通过对燃料价格、环保和安全等影响因素的研究,分析比较了五种供热系统,以太阳能热泵供热系统为最优,值得大力推广和应用。     

建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测应注意的问题

针对建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测中存在的问题,阐述了工况控制、总量监测、环境相容性等环节的技术要求和注意事项,并就与之相关的公众参与、监测人员的素质等问题展开了讨论。     

面向作物病害识别的高光谱波谱库设计与开发

自20世纪70年代以来,国内外波谱数据库发展迅速,但都存在着针对性不强的缺陷,不能满足我国现阶段遥感应用的需要。该文通过以小麦条锈病为案例的高光谱波谱库的设计与开发,实现了波谱查询、影像管理、用户管理、数据管理、反演模型等功能,可供其它面向病害识别的高光谱波谱库的建立参考。     

水动力条件下蓝藻水华生消的模拟实验研究与探讨

蓝藻水华是当今世界共同面临的重大水污染问题之一。通过室内模拟实验,在温度、光照、初始pH值和营养盐等基本条件相同的前提下模拟水流流速分别为10cm/s、20cm/s、30cm/s、40cm/s时铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)水华的产生与消亡过程,在10～40cm/s流速区间里藻类生长周期随流速增大而变长,藻类最大现存量在40cm/s流速下最大,在10cm/s流速下最小,流速为30cm/s时藻类比增率最大,较适合藻类生存,在整个水华暴发过程中水体氮磷营养浓度呈下降趋势,水体的pH、DO和Ec变化不大。     

迎接地震观测技术的新变革

回顾了地震观测技术发展的三个阶段及其特点。简要总结了随着这几个阶段的技术进步南京基准地震台观测技术的重要变革 ,并从记录地震事件数量、大地震速报作用和推动某些研究的深入等方面评估了由于这些技术进步所带来的地震台效能的提高。对目前地震观测技术从模拟观测向数字观测的转折时期 ,地震台如何尽快过渡 ,充分发挥效能提出了初步对策。     

Optical Resilience of the Paraíba do Sul River (Brazil) during a Toxic Spill of a Wood-Pulping Factory: The Cataguazes Accident

This study investigates the inherent optical properties (IOP) of a Brazilian river during a non-natural, anthropogenically mediated, toxic spill of a wood-pulping factory (the ‘Cataguazes accident’). The results indicated an outstanding transformation in the river water chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) pools. For instance, increases in CDOM absorption coefficients, a _CDOM (λ), which were averaged at specific spectral intervals, , ranged from 58-fold at the UV-B and UV-A ranges to 95-fold at the PAR range. As a result, the water color expressed as CDOM absorption at 440 nm, a _CDOM (440), varied from 4.16 to 365.03 m^-1. For S-coefficient, the variations ranged from ∼1.1 to 5.6-fold, respectively, at the 300–650 nm and UV-B range. The variability of S as a proxy of dissolved chromophores was thus clearly influenced by the spectral range used. Optical proportions were also investigated through the use of and S ratios at the UV-B, UV-A, and PAR ranges and, in the case of , also at the NIR range. This approach also showed clear variations between the water samples, likely reflecting changes in the composition of optically active substances in the river system. As a whole, the findings obtained here indicated that both the quantity and quality of the chromophoric material dissolved in the river water were greatly altered by the toxic spill. The changes in the optical properties of the river water, although extreme and likely with no parallel in the literature, were quite rapid as indicated by the optical resilience of the system. Overall, this study indicates that IOP might be thought, and possibly used, as a metric tool for monitoring the state of waters and aquatic ecosystems.     

Effect of selected organic and inorganic snow and cloud components on the photochemical generation of nitrite by nitrate irradiation

The effect of selected organic and inorganic compounds, present in snow and cloudwater was studied. Photolysis of solutions of nitrate to nitrite was carried out in the laboratory using a UVB light source. The photolysis and other reactions were then modelled. It is shown that formate, formaldehyde, methanesulphonate, and chloride to a lesser extent, can increase the initial formation rate of nitrite. The effect, particularly significant for formate and formaldehyde, is unlikely to be caused by scavenging of hydroxyl radicals. The experimental data obtained in this work suggest that possible causes are the reduction of nitrogen dioxide and nitrate by radical species formed on photooxidation of the organic compounds. Hydroxyl scavenging by organic and inorganic compounds would not affect the initial formation rate of nitrite, but would protect it from oxidation, therefore, increasing the concentration values reached at long irradiation times. The described processes can be relevant to cloudwater and the quasi-liquid layer on the surface of ice and snow, considering that in the polar regions irradiated snow layers are important sources of nitrous acid to the atmosphere. Formate and (at a lesser extent) formaldehyde are the compounds that play the major role in the described processes of nitrite/nitrous acid photoformation by initial rate enhancement and hydroxyl scavenging.     

Review of the effects of in-stream pipeline crossing construction on aquatic ecosystems and examination of Canadian methodologies for impact assessment

Pipeline crossing construction alters river and stream channels, hence may have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems. This review examines the effects of crossing construction on fish and fish habitat in rivers and streams, and recommends an approach to monitoring and assessment of impacts associated with these activities. Pipeline crossing construction is shown to not only compromise the integrity of the physical and chemical nature of fish habitat, but also to affect biological habitat (e.g., benthic invertebrates and invertebrate drift), and fish behavior and physiology. Indicators of effect include: water quality (total suspended solids TSS), physical habitat (substrate particle size, channel morphology), benthic invertebrate community structure and drift (abundance, species composition, diversity, standing crop), and fish behavior and physiology (hierarchy, feeding, respiration rate, loss of equilibrium, blood hematocrit and leukocrit levels, heart rate and stroke volume). The Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) approach, which is often applied in Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM), is recommended as a basis for impact assessment, as is consideration of site-specific sensitivities, assessment of significance, and cumulative effects.