Semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in sediments and risk assessment in Huaihe River of China

The concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in sediments from Jiangsu reach of Huaihe River, China, were presented. The organic compounds were extracted by acetone： n-hexane using a Soxhlet apparatus and concentrations were performed using HP6890 gas chromatography coupled by FID and ECD detector. The total contents of 8 heavy metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry or cold-vapor/atomic absorption spectrometry were developed. 30 semivolatile organic compounds were detected, including substituted benzenes, phenols, phthalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, from 0.01 to 3.01 mg/kg. 16 organochlorine pesticides were almost detected and from 0.010 to 2.339 μg/kg. Concentrations of major metals were 50 mg/kg or less, mean level of mercury was only 0.055 mg/kg. Compared to sediment quality guidelines （SQGs）, concentrations of some semivolatilc organic compounds were high enough to cause possible toxic effects to living resources. The organochlorine pesticides presented relatively low, lower than threshold effect concentrations （TECs）, harmful effects on sediment-dwelling organisms were not expected. Chromium posed probable toxic effects to the living resources, other heavy metals had no threat temporarily according to SQGs.     

A Study of Sorptive Loss Patterns for Reduced Sulfur Compounds in the Use of the Bag Sampling Method

In this work, the basic properties of the bag sampling method were examined and characterized in terms of recovery rate with respect to four reduced sulfur compounds (RSC) including H₂S, CH₃SH, DMS, and DMDS. For this comparative study, two types of calibration approaches were performed to evaluate the relative RSC loss due to bag sampling. As a reference calibration tool, a syringe dilution (SD) method was applied. The working standards prepared by diluting the primary standard in a gas-tight syringe (as a mixing chamber) were injected to the GC/PFPD through a loop-injection system to yield a background calibration information. In contrast, the target calibration was performed based on a bag dilution (BD) method. To this end, working standards for multiple calibration points were prepared by two different bag types (Tedlar bag (TB) and polyester bag (PB)). These standards were then drawn by the same syringe and injected into the GC/PFPD via loop. On the basis of these comparative analyses, both absolute and relative differences in RSC recovery rates (RR) were evaluated (e.g., comparison of wall-loss effect). The results indicate that TB has a mean RR of 87% for the four RSC with their values ranging from 82 (CH₃SH) to 91% (DMDS). On the other hand, the results of PB generally exhibited slightly reduced RR with their mean values of 77% (range: 73% of H₂S to 83% of DMS). The results of this study generally suggest that the losses of RSC samples, while inevitable with the bag sampling method, exhibit certain patterns between different RSCs and between different grab sampling materials.     

Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative: Distribution and Effects of Contaminants

In response to a number of recommendations following the Northern Rivers Basin Studies (NRBS) contaminant program, the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative (NREI) focused considerable attention on assessing contaminants from specific sources including pulp mill effluents, atmospheric transport of mercury and the Alberta oil sands operations. NRBS identified a number of major contaminants of concern including polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins and furans, mercury and various hydrocarbons. Together, the NRBS and the NREI studies have demonstrated major declines in the levels of dioxins and furans over the last decade as pulp and paper mills have changed their process and treatment strategies in response to new Federal regulations. Polychlorinated biphenyls however, continue to be a concern for the region as their levels have not declined in fish and sediments over the course of these studies. Higher levels in sediments downstream of Grande Prairie and Hinton were identified, but the source of these contaminants remains unknown. Chlorinated pesticides were also investigated, and although toxaphene, DDT and other chlorinated organic pesticides were detected in fish tissue, they were present at very low levels. Studies on the oil sands industry in northern Alberta demonstrated limited impacts on the Athabasca River to date, although studies did identify slight to moderate impacts of natural oil seeps on fish and benthic communities in tributary streams. NREI studies also identified endocrine active compounds in the three pulp and paper mill effluents tested, but endocrine disruptive effects in wild fish were minimal. Municipal sewage effluents also contain endocrine active compounds and it is recommended that monitoring continue around these point sources.     

Short-term Distributions of Reduced Sulfur Compounds in the Ambient Air Surrounding a Large Landfill Facility

In order to explore the environmental behavior of reduced sulfur compounds (RSC) as malodorous components emitted from diverse source processes, the distribution characteristics of four sulfur (S) compounds - hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), methyl mercaptan (CH₃SH), dimethyl sulfide (DMS: (CH₃)₂S), and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS: (CH₃)₂S₂) – were investigated in a municipal landfill area. In the course of this study, their ambient concentration levels were measured during two time periods from 13 individual spots selected as a function of distance from the center of the landfill site. The results generally indicated the absolute dominance of H₂S over the other S compounds investigated (up to 5 km radius) such that their mean values were found as 1415 (H₂S), 148 (DMS), 20.6 (CH₃SH), and 14.4 ppt (DMDS). When our data were compared in terms of either varying distance from the source or relationship with meteorological conditions, the H₂S data sets were most evident to reflect the potential effects of strong source processes in the landfill environment, relative to other S gases (or to volatile organic compounds measured concurrently). The results of this study further indicated the relatively good correspondence between the measured H₂S concentration level and humans' intuitive sensory of odor and nuisance.     

Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment for Organic Compounds: Fuzzy Multicriteria Approach for Mexico City

This study was based on a groundwater vulnerability assessment approach implemented for the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA). The approach is based on a fuzzy multicriteria procedure integrated in a geographic information system. The approach combined the potential contaminant sources with the permeability of geological materials. Initially, contaminant sources were ranked by experts through the Analytic Hierarchy Process. An aggregated contaminant sources map layer was obtained through the simple additive weighting method, using a scalar multiplication of criteria weights and binary maps showing the location of each source. A permeability map layer was obtained through the reclassification of a geology map using the respective hydraulic conductivity values, followed by a linear normalization of these values against a compatible scale. A fuzzy logic procedure was then applied to transform and combine the two map layers, resulting in a groundwater vulnerability map layer of five classes: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. Results provided a more coherent assessment of the policy-making priorities considered when discussing the vulnerability of groundwater to organic compounds. The very high and high vulnerability areas covered a relatively small area (71 km² or 1.5% of the total study area), allowing the identification of the more critical locations. The advantage of a fuzzy logic procedure is that it enables the best possible use to be made of the information available regarding groundwater vulnerability in the MCMA.     

北京市大气和降雨中醛酮化合物的污染研究

2005年6月到2005年8月在北京市区采用2,4-二硝基苯肼HPLC法测定了大气和降水中的醛酮类化合物.结果表明,大气醛酮类化合物中以丙酮的浓度最高,其次是甲醛、乙醛和丙醛,浓度分别是22.14、19.51、17.18、3.85μg·m-3,这4种化合物占大气醛酮总量的84.7%.分析大气中醛酮化合物浓度,结果表明,北京醛酮化合物污染主要来自人为源,并且甲醛、乙醛和丙醛具有相似的源和汇.通过对比晴朗和多云天气条件对醛酮浓度日变化的影响可知,夏季光化学反应是大气中醛酮的重要源.夏季降雨对大气中醛酮化合物浓度影响明显,降雨前后大气中醛酮污染物浓度日变化的对比研究说明,湿沉降是大气中醛酮污染物的重要汇.同时检测出雨水中含11种醛酮化合物,其中甲醛浓度最高为166.3μg·L-1,乙醛浓度为43.63μg·L-1,丙酮浓度为34.33μg·L-1.     

气相色谱法测定废水中硝基化合物

建立了液液萃取—气相色谱测定硝基化合物的分析方法。用二氯甲烷萃取废水中的硝基化合物,毛细管色谱柱进行分离,用氢火焰检测器(FID)测定。由于2,4,6-三硝基苯甲酸水溶性强,有机试剂无法萃取,而2,4,6-三硝基苯甲酸受热能转化为1,3,5-三硝基苯,为此,对二氯甲烷萃取后的水样进行加热,再单独测定2,4,6-三硝基苯甲酸。结果表明,该方法简单、快速、准确可靠。     

7种化合物对新月藻的毒性效应及敏感度差异研究

以新月藻为受试生物,研究了阿特拉津、马拉硫磷、草甘膦、甲苯4种有机化合物和HgCl₂、NaAsO₂、K₂Cr₂O₇ 3种金属化合物对新月藻的毒性效应,探讨了新月藻对这些化合物的敏感度差异与特点及其机理,为这些物质的藻类急性毒性提供基础数据。结果表明,新月藻对阿特拉津、草甘膦、HgCl₂、NaAsO₂、K₂Cr₂O₇敏感度较高,而且响应大小与化合物浓度呈正相关趋势,对马拉硫磷和甲苯有一定响应,但随浓度变化趋势不明显;基于藻类光合作用的急性毒性检测方法,适用于检测可阻碍或抑制藻类光合作用中电子迁移、氧化还原、自由基等反应的毒物。     

动态顶空气相色谱法测定水中极性水溶性有机物

采用动态顶空气相色谱FID法测定水中乙醛、丙酮、甲醇、丙烯醛、丙烯腈、乙腈、吡啶等7种极性水溶性有机物,通过优化动态顶空条件,使该方法在0．157mg／L～7．92mg!L之间线性良好。方法检出限在0．008mg／L～0．048mg／L之间,空白水样的加标回收率为103％～111％,RSD为5．4％～8．7％。用该方法测定某制药企业排口污水和地表水,只有污水中甲醇、乙腈、吡啶有响应值。     

SPE-GC-ECD法测定水体中五种硝基苯类化合物

建立了固相萃取(SPE)-气相色谱-电子捕获检测器(GC-ECD)检测水中硝基苯类的方法。5种硝基苯类化合物的测定在一定浓度范围内线性关系良好,在高、中、低3种浓度水平下,被测物的回收率在71.6%～87.8%之间,测定结果的相对标准偏差在1.6%～9.3%之间。5种硝基苯类的方法检出限分别为0.15μg/L和0.015μg/L。结果表明,该方法适用于实际水样中硝基苯类的测定。