Occurrence of persistent organic pollutants in sediments and biota from Portugal versus European incidence: A critical overview

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are widespread compounds, such as organohalogenated compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pesticides, which can be found in all types of environmental compartments. Their presence in the aquatic environment is a worldwide problem, with emphasis on sediments which act as depository and consequently as a source of hydrophobic, recalcitrant and harmful compounds. Besides, these pollutants might affect the reproduction and mortality of living organisms, diverging in their potential to bioaccumulate in tissues. The present paper aims to review the occurrence of POPs in sediments and biota from the coastal, estuarine and river areas of Portugal. The list of the studied compounds comprises organohalogenated compounds, PAHs, organometallic compounds, pesticides, sterols, fatty acids and pharmaceutical compounds. The contamination of sediments by various pollutants is presented, such as PAHs up to 7,350 ng g^?1 found in Sado estuary and polychlorinated biphenyls up to 62.2 ng g^?1 in the case of sediments collected in Ria de Aveiro. The occurrence of these persistent toxic substances in sediments demonstrates aquatic contamination from agricultural, industrial and urban discharges and the concern about the potential risks to aquatic organisms, wildlife and humans. In fact, several classes of POPs have also been found in biota, such as polychlorinated biphenyls up to 810.9 ng g^?1 in sentinel fish from the Douro River estuary and pesticides in bivalves from the Sado River estuary. The importance of further systematic research on sediments and biota is here highlighted to compare the contamination of these two reservoirs; to assess their spatial and temporal variation; and to determine other classes of POPs that were not investigated yet (e.g., industrial compounds, estrogens and many classes of pharmaceuticals).     

巢湖入湖河流沉积物中有机磷的形态分级研究简

为识别巢湖流域污染物的特征、来源及其沉积物有机磷各形态分布与富营养化的关系,测定了7条巢湖入湖河流沉积物中有机磷各形态的含量,分析不同污染类型入湖河流沉积物中有机磷各形态分布的差异及与其他因素间的相关性。研究发现,不同污染类型入湖河流沉积物中水土保持控制型河流沉积物中有机磷各组分的相对含量顺序为残渣态P_o >富里酸-P_o >HCl-P_o >胡敏酸-P_o >NaHCO₃-P_o,平均的相对比例为7.5：3.1：1.9：1.5：1.0,而城市污染控制型和面源污染控制型河流沉积物中有机磷各组分的相对含量顺序恰好相同,面源污染控制型河流沉积物P_o各形态含量低于城市污染控制型和水土保持控制型河流。中活性P_o和OM、TP、P_i、P_o、TN、NaHCO₃-P_i、NaOH-P_i呈正相关,非活性P_o与P_o、NaOH-P_i呈显著正相关关系,反映了中活性P_o很容易转化为生物可利用磷和非活性P_o,且非活性P_o仍然具有潜在的生物活性。     

古运河(镇江段)沉积物酶活性及其与氮磷阴离子的相关性

以古运河镇江段为研究对象,研究了表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性、硝酸还原酶活性和亚硝酸还原酶活性的时空变化以及3种酶活性与河流表层沉积物中氮磷阴离子浓度及上覆水水质的相关性。结果表明,镇江古运河表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性、硝酸还原酶活性和亚硝酸还原酶活性具有显著的时间和区域性差异,枯水期(12月)各酶活性较高,分别介于0.29~0.32 mg/(g·24 h)、0.13~0.19 mg/(g·24 h)、3.05~5.21 mg/(g·24 h);丰水期(5月)各酶活性较低,变化范围分别为0.18~0.29 mg/(g·24 h)、0.08~0.14 mg/(g·24 h)、2.95~3.64 mg/(g·24 h)。冗余分析结果显示,古运河表层沉积物酶活性在枯水期差异较大,丰水期差异较小,各酶活性与其相关离子浓度呈显著正相关(P0.05),硝酸还原酶和亚硝酸还原酶与上覆水的水质呈正相关。3种酶活性可被作为判断古运河镇江段沉积物富营养化负荷的参考性指标,硝酸还原酶和亚硝酸还原酶还可作为评价古运河镇江段水质的参考性指标。     

流域环境系统演化概念模型:山-河-湖-海互动及对全球变化的敏感响应--以长江为例

流域是一个复杂的环境系统。长江流域环境研究表明,山-河-湖-海互动是流域环境系统变化的实质,同时也是流域对全球变化响应最敏感、最直接的体现。地貌过程变化,水、沙等物理通量变化,C、P、N等化学通量变化是系统内各子系统之间联系的纽带,也是流域环境系统中最活跃的因子。以山-河-湖-海互动为核心的流域环境系统模型,主要包括：山、河、湖、海各系统之间的能量流与物质流的输入、迁移和输出理论,系统演化平衡理论和系统自组织、自反馈理论。     

应用地积累指数法评价南通市内河沉积物中重金属污染

对南通市51个沉积物样品中重金属Cu、Pb、Cr、Hg、As、Cd的质量浓度进行了测试,并用地积累指数法评价了河流沉积物的重金属污染。结果表明:南通市沉积物重金属基本上未受污染,只有元素As受到轻度污染。     

灌河口海域沉积物中PAHs的垂直分布及生态危害研究

2011年4月通过GC-MS检测和210Pb测年对灌河口海域沉积物(GHES)中的PAHs进行了分析,柱状沉积物中21种PAHs总浓度为21.0~209.0 ng/g,均值为88.1 ng/g,7种致癌PAHs浓度为7.0~90.0 ng/g,其中致癌剂苯并[a]芘浓度为ND~2.0 ng/g。PAHs浓度与沉积物中有机质含量呈低度正相关,与p H无明显相关性。源解析表明,近50年来GHES中的PAHs大部分来自煤和生物质燃烧。近50年来,总PAHs和16种优控PAHs浓度在波动中升高;近年来苊、苊烯、苯并[b]荧蒽、荧蒽、茚并[1,2,3-cd]芘的浓度增高,需查明来源。生态风险评价表明,GHES中以芴为主的负面生物毒性效应会偶尔发生。芴、苯并[b]荧蒽、苯并[k]荧蒽的浓度介于临界与偶然效应浓度值之间,应尽量减少对该海域沉积物的搅动,防止污染物再悬浮导致水体的二次污染。     

液相色谱-串联质谱法测定水体、沉积物及土壤中全氟化合物

建立了水、沉积物及土壤中13种全氟化合物(PFCs)的富集、净化、浓缩的前处理方法及快速液相色谱三重四级杆串联质谱的分析方法。9种全氟羧酸、2种典型全氟磺酸、2种磺酰铵衍生前体物的响应因子与质量浓度的线性关系良好。添加回收实验表明,13种全氟化合物在水、土壤和沉积物中的回收率为52.3%~119.3%,变异系数为2.3%~19.4%,方法检出限分别为0.015~0.472 ng/L、0.012~0.875 ng/g、0.004~0.743 ng/g。该法成功应用于实际样品的测定,沉积物和土壤中分别检测到3种和10种全氟化合物。     

往复流河道沉积物重金属的污染特征和风险评估

在往复流现象明显的蕰藻浜中下游河道选择16个采样点,分析研究沉积物性状以及Cr、Cu、Zn、Cd、Ni、Pb、Mn的含量以及分布情况。结果表明:蕰藻浜总体污染程度为中等,其中陈行桥、江杨北路桥以及淞港码头污染较严重。Cr、Cd、Pb、Ni、Cu、Zn和Mn的含量分别为24.0~357.0、0.06~0.69、20.0~85.4、18.2~132、14.2~136、84.6~685、472~1 086 mg/kg。通过分析发现,Pb、Ni、Cu、Zn和Cr总量都具有显著的相关性,很有可能来自同一外源污染,而中游河段的Mn主要来自于沉积物母质。河道两岸以往的工业与生活排污以及往复水流使得重金属污染物在沉积物中聚集是造成重金属污染的潜在原因。运用地累积指数法、潜在生态危害指数法、污染负荷指数3种风险评价法对沉积物重金属进行风险评估,总体来说,3种评价方法都表明Cu的污染程度较严重,Mn的污染较轻。其中地累积指数法结果显示,各重金属的污染顺序为CuZn≥CdPb≥CrNiMn,然而由于Cd本身生物毒性较高,对沉积物生态环境危害贡献率可达到60%;污染负荷指数评价结果发现蕰藻浜下游河段部分断面沉积物达到了极强污染程度,应当受到重视。     

Speciation of Heavy Metals in Floodplain and Flood Sediments: a Reconnaissance Survey of the Aire Valley, West Yorkshire, Great Britain

A five-step sequential extraction technique was used to determine the chemical association of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd), with major sedimentary phases (exchangeable, surface oxide and carbonate, Fe and Mn oxides, organic and residual metal ions), in samples from floodplain and recent flood sediments of the River Aire, West Yorkshire. Analysis indicates that metals Pb and Zn are primarily associated with the Fe and Mn oxides, Cu with the organic fraction and Cd with exchangeable and surface oxide and carbonate metal ions. Knowledge of the chemical speciation of heavy metals in river sediment, despite the procedure's inherent limitations, facilitates an understanding of their bioavailability, storage and remobilisation in floodplain and river channel environments.     

Seasonal variation and partition of trace metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, Cd and Pb) in surface sediments: relationship with physico-chemical variables of water from the Calabar River, South Eastern Nigeria

The seasonal variation and partition of trace metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd, Cr and Pb) in the surface sediments of the Calabar River are reported. Chemical partition of the metals in the sediments reveals that 2–30% of the total metal load was contributed by the non-detrital (acid-soluble) fraction, while fine-grained host minerals/compounds are the main carriers of the detrital (acid-insoluble) fraction (70–98%). Using multivariate statistical analysis, the seasonal fluctuations in the distribution of some of the metals show significant influence by physio-chemical changes (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity and conductivity) in the water column. Fe–Mn oxide grain coatings and sulphide materials have been identified as scavengers of some of the non-detrital and detrital trace metals in the sediments. On the basis of index of geoaccumulation (I-geo) and comparison with previous studies, the Calabar River surface sediments have been classified as unpolluted.