Polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in dated environmental samples,and their connection to known sources

This article investigates available environmental data from measurements of the everywhere present contaminants polychlorinated dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F) in dated trends in sediment, soil and herbage from locales in Europe and North America. The PCDD/F data are examined in relation to potential major PCDD/F sources based on volume: wood and coal, example of natural combustion; pentachlorophenol (PnCP), example of chlorinated aro‐matics; and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pyrolysis, example of chlorinated aliphatic. Collected PCDD/F data of congener sums and 2, 3, 7, 8‐substituted congener (PCDD/F profiles) have been investigated with multivariate methods: principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares projection to latent structures model (PLS). The results show that PCDD/F data from 12 locales can be separated in one to three independent profiles. Normally one profile is related to the PCDD/F found in PnCP and another to combustion. A subtype of the ‘PnCP’ and ‘combustion’ profiles indicates PCDD/F contributions from PVC‐related combustions. The environmental profiles exhibit some differences from the suggested sources. The relatively unprotected PCDD/F related to PnCP is suggested to have passed photolytic and/or thermal dechlorinations. Lower‐chlorinated congeners in environmental profiles related to combustion appear to have been influenced by environmental distribution processes. PCDD/F data before industrial production of chlorinated organics have only limited similarity to PCDD/F in technical PnCP profiles; an average 4.6% of the PCDD/F is related to PnCP. This suggests that PnCP similarity in recent deposition profiles cannot be a result of environmental transformation. The average proportion of PnCP‐related PCDD/F profile in recent depositions is 35% with North America high (average 57%) and Europe low (average 24%).     

Temporal limitations in the use of potassium dichromate as a blood preservative for the analysis of organohalogenated contaminants including polybrominated diphenyl ethers,dioxins and PCBs

Previous studies described the use of potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇) to successfully preserve whole blood for up to 34 days at room temperature (20–22°C) for analysis of chlorinated dioxins, dibenzofurans and PCBs. Potassium dichromate has been successfully employed as a preservative for cows’ milk and in a World Health Organization study of human milk. The use of two 100?mg tablets in 40 to 100?mL of whole blood in anticoagulant was found to provide almost identical levels of dioxins, dibenzofurans, PCBs and lipids as found in frozen comparison blood at??70°C which is generally regarded as the gold standard for blood preservation. Potassium dichromate was found to be preferable to 20 and 40% ethyl alcohol for this preservation. This finding opens opportunities for preservation under field conditions in developing countries where neither electricity nor dry ice is available. Not having to use dry ice for shipping also allows more flexibility in the choice of commercial carriers for transporting blood to an analytical laboratory. It is recommended considering a number of compounds in addition to those studied in our first report and extending the time beyond 34 days in order to determine if longer storage might also be feasible. Data on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), as well as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are reported. For the present study 3 and 6 months were chosen in potassium dichromate at room temperature compared to freezing at ?70°C. Data indicate that these times exceed the limits of efficacy of potassium dichromate for whole blood preservation. This was attributed to degradation of the lipid component of the blood. Since dioxins and closely related structural analogues are traditionally reported as lipid normalized blood levels, this degradation of lipids provides erroneous results. Therefore, potassium dichromate is not recommended for long-term storage beyond 34 days at room temperature. It is planned to study the time period between one and three months and higher temperature preservation for shorter time periods, simulating conditions in tropical countries, to attempt to extend further the ease and convenience of chemical preservation of blood.     

Abstracts to forthcoming papers

Soil and sediments collected at a former chlor‐alkali plant in coastal Georgia (United States), revealed the presence of PCDF concentrations as great as 82.3 ng/g, dry wt. PCDF congener profile in soil was typical of “chlorine pattern”; with elevated proportions of OCDF and HpCDF. Concentrations of PCDFs declined gradually by 44‐fold at a distance of about 500 m along the contamination gradient. Of PCDDs/DFs, 2,3,7,8‐substituted PCDFs accounted for 94–98% of the TCDD‐like activity, which declined by 25‐fold, corresponding with the reduction of total PCDF concentrations. Concentrations of PCDDs in sediments were as great as 17 ng/g, with an elevated contribution from OCDD. The magnitude of decline in PCDD concentrations with distance from the source was less pronounced than that for PCDFs. PBDDs and PBDFs were not detected. Polybrominated biphenyl ether (PBBE) and monobromo‐heptachloro dibenzo‐p‐dioxins and dibenzofurans (PXDDs/DFs) were found, though, at low concentrations. Their spatial distribution was similar to those of PCDDs.     

二恶英类物质的生物检测方法

我国的食品卫生、环境安全和公共健康正受到二恶英污染的威胁。国内虽已建成或在建少数HRGC-HRMS二恶英检测实验室,但其检测能力十分有限。笔者介绍二恶英类化合物生物检测方法,对各分析方法的原理和应用进行了对比分析;重点探讨CALUX法,与HRGC-HRMS及其他生物法相比,认为CALUX法更适于对大批量样品二恶英含量的快速定量筛选,对于二恶英污染调查有广阔的应用前景;同时对我国开展二恶英类分析检测提出了建议和展望,为完善二恶英类物质检测分析体系提供了依据。     

电弧炉炼钢过程中二□英类的排放浓度和同类物分布

对国内某电弧炉炼钢设施的烟气和飞灰样品中二(噁)英类物质进行了采样分析.结果表明:炉内直接排烟和屋顶罩排烟烟气中的二(噁)英类毒性当量(TEQ)浓度平均值分别为0.13和0.17 ng/m3(均指I-TEQ当量);2种烟气的布袋飞灰中二(噁)英类毒性当量质量分数分别为7.5和55.0 ng/kg;PCDDs同类物的质量浓度随着氯取代数的增加而呈升高趋势,PCDFs实测质量浓度和毒性当量浓度均远大于PCDDs;排放分布特征表明,电弧炉炼钢设施排放的二(噁)英类生成机理应为从头合成反应.     

Fe3+、Ce3+掺杂TiO2光催化降解气相二苯并呋喃

以气相二苯并呋喃为研究对象,考察了在TiO2、Ce3+/TiO2和Fe3+/TiO2 3种不同光催化剂作用下,反应物初始浓度、湿度、气体循环速率和光强等因素对间歇式光催化反应速率的影响,并建立了估算和测定二苯并呋喃光催化反应常数和Langmuir吸附常数的数学模型和方法.结果表明,Fe3+和Ce3+掺杂修饰TiO2光催化剂后,提高了对二苯并呋喃的光催化降解活性,其中Fe3+/TiO2光催化活性最高;随着二苯并呋喃初始浓度的增大,其光催化降解速率也随之增大;适量的水蒸气存在可以促进二苯并呋喃的降解,但当水蒸气过量后,反而阻碍二苯并呋喃光催化降解;随着气体循环速率加快和光强的增大,二苯并呋喃光催化降解初始速率也随之增大;TiO2、Ce3+/TiO2和Fe3+/TiO2光催化降解二苯并呋喃反应速率常数k分别为34.54×10-5、36.23×10-5和37.95×10-4mg.(min.m2)-1.     

基于DFT的二英脂-水分配系数QSPR研究

基于密度泛函理论,利用多氯二苯并对二(噁)英(PCDDs)和多氯二苯并呋喃(PCDFs)几何构型全优化而得的量子化学和延伸计算参数:前线轨道能、熵、无迹四极矩、分子绝对硬度、电负性和亲电指数等,对两类化合物在(虹鳉)脂-水间的平衡分配性质进行了定量化模型研究,并由多元线性回归分析(MLR)建立了二次函数型的定量结构-性质相关关系(QSPR):lgKbw=5.343-0.001(S-125.480)2-0.355(ω-3.239)2 0.006(Qzz-2.950)2-22.728(η-2.365)2.结果表明,模型具有较高的拟合优度与稳健性,其决定系数和交叉验证相关系数分别为0.943和0.908,且模型的内外部预测性能理想,总体质量明显优于SOFA(solubility parameter for fate analysis)计算结果,可用于未知脂-水分配性质的预测; PCDD/Fs脂-水平衡分配(系数)主要与分子体积以及由电荷分布决定的芳烃分子间相互作用有关,也受潜在的生物转化和分子反应性的影响.     

废气处理工艺条件对二噁英类污染物排放浓度的影响

通过对医疗废物焚烧炉不同处理工艺条件下二噁英排放浓度的比较,揭示了降低二噁英排放的关键因素。控制合适的一燃室炉膛及二燃室炉膛温度,烟气在二燃室内停留时间不低于2 s,保证焚烧炉的含氧量在6%～10%之间,从而达到控制二噁英类前驱物的多相催化合成;减少由于积灰导致受热面积降低,延长烟气的降温时段,从而导致二噁英类污染物的二次合成;采用透气性好、过滤效率高、反吹及清灰后不改变孔隙的布袋及有效的活性碳脱除二噁英。     

Dioxins in the Venice lagoon

Venice is famous around the world for its uniqueness and architectural splendours, arts and the history of the “Serenissima Repubblica”, as it was known in the past, but few are aware that Venice economy is strongly dependent on the industrial activities based mainly on the adjacent Porto Marghera area. For many years, the lagoon that physically separates the city from the dry land has avoided association between the concern connected with the pollution derived from these industrial activities and the public perception of Venice. Since 1995, dioxins have appeared as a lagoon contaminant, and their presence, at such a level requiring immediate “in depth” studies and interventions, has been fully realized for decades.