Cancer and Non-Cancer Health Risk from Eating Cassava Grown in Some Mining Communities in Ghana

Food crops such as cassava, cocoyam and other tuber crops grown in mining communities uptake toxic or hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, and cadmium, from the soil. Cassava is a stable food for Ghanaians. This study evaluated human health risk from eating cassava grown in some mining communities in Ghana such as Bogoso, Prestea, Tarkwa and Tamso, which are important mining towns in the Western Region of Ghana. The study evaluated cancer and non-cancer health effects from eating cassava grown in the study areas in accordance with US Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Assessment guidelines. The results of the study revealed the following: cancer health risk for Tamso, 0.098 (RME – Reasonable Maximum Exposure) and 0.082 (CTE – Central Tendency Exposure). This means that approximately 10 and 8 out of 100 resident adults are likely to suffer from cancer related cases by RME and CTE parameters respectively. For Prestea, we have 0.010 and 0.12, which also means that approximately 1 out of 100 and 10 resident adults out of 100 are also likely to suffer from cancer related diseases by RME and CTE parameters. The results of the study obtained were found to be above the acceptable cancer risk range of 1× 10⁻⁶ to 1× 10⁻⁴, i.e., 1 case of cancer out of 1 million or 100,000 people respectively.     

Spatial Patterns and Rankings of Contaminant Concentrations in Herring Gull Eggs from 15 Sites in the Great Lakes and Connecting Channels, 1998–2002

Mean values of eight contaminants in Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) eggs were calculated for 15 Great Lakes sites for the 5 year period 1998–2002. The sites were ranked according to the concentrations of each of seven compounds relative to fish flesh criteria for the protection of piscivorous wildlife, and a single overall rank of contamination was calculated for each site. Based on this weighted ranking scheme, we found that sum PCBs, dioxin and DDE contributed the most (60.2, 30.5% and 8.5%, respectively) to the overall rankings. The weighted ranking scheme showed that eggs from Channel-Shelter Island (Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron), Strachan Island (St. Lawrence River) and Gull Island (northern Lake Michigan) ranked as the three most contaminated sites, while Agawa Rocks (eastern Lake Superior), Chantry Island (southern Lake Huron) and Port Colborne (eastern Lake Erie) ranked as the three least contaminated sites. Two of the three most contaminated sites are Areas of Concern; none of the three least contaminated sites are Areas of Concern.     

Trace Element Concentrations and Bioindicator Responses in Tree Swallows from Northwestern Minnesota

Extremely high concentrations of cadmium (3.5 μg/g dry wgt.) and elevated concentrations of chromium (>10 μg/g dry wgt.) and mercury (1.6 μg/g dry wgt.) were reported in waterbird tissues at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern Minnesota in 1994. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were studied during 1998–2001 at three drainages into the Refuge, two pools on the Refuge, and at a nearby reference location to document whether high levels of contaminants were still present, and if so to quantify the source and severity of the contamination. Trace elements were measured in tree swallow eggs, livers, and diet. Reproductive success and bioindicator responses were monitored. In 2000, water was drawn down on Agassiz Pool, one of the main pools on the Refuge. This presented an opportunity to evaluate the response of trace element concentrations in the diet and tissues of tree swallows after reflooding. High concentrations of trace elements were not detected in swallow tissues, nor were there differences among locations. Less than 20% of swallow samples had detectable concentrations of cadmium or chromium. Mercury concentrations were low and averaged <0.25 μg/g dry wgt. in swallow tissues. Trace elements, including mercury, did not increase in tree swallows following the 2000 drawdown at Agassiz Pool. Hatching success and survival of nestlings to 12 days-of-age for tree swallows on the Refuge were similar to the national average and consistent with background trace element concentrations. Bioindicator measurements were within the normal ranges as well.     

Transaction costs and community-based natural resource management in Nepal

Transaction costs in community-based resource management are incurred by households attempting to enforce property right rules over common resources similar to those inherent in private property rights. Despite their importance, transaction costs of community-based management of common pool resources (CPRs) are often not incorporated into the economic analysis of participatory resource management. This paper examines the transaction costs incurred by forest users in community forestry (CF) based on a survey of 309 households belonging to eight different forest user groups (FUGs) in the mid hills of Nepal. The analysis reveals that the average 'poor' household incurred Nepalese rupees (NRS) 1265 in transaction costs annually, while wealthier 'rich' households incurred an average of NRS 2312 per year. Although richer households bear higher proportions of such costs, transaction costs for CF management as a percentage of resource appropriation costs are higher for poorer households (26%) than those of middle-wealth (24%) or rich households (14%). There are also village differences in the level of transaction costs. The results show that transaction costs are a major component of resource management costs and vary according to socio-economic status of resource users and characteristics of the community.     

贵州汞矿矿区不同位置土壤中总汞和甲基汞污染特征的研究

为了深入理解汞矿矿区土壤中总汞和甲基汞的污染特征,应用AAS、GC-CVAFS方法,分别对贵州万山、务川和滥木厂汞矿矿区不同位置土壤以及对照区土壤中的总汞(THg)和甲基汞(MeHg)进行了测定.结果表明,万山汞矿区土壤THg和MeHg含量范围分别为1.1～790 mg·kg^-1和0.19～15μg·kg^-1,务川汞矿区土壤THg和MeHg含量范围分别为0.33～317mg·kg^-1和0.41～20μg·kg^-1,滥木厂汞矿区土壤THg和MeHg含量范围分别为0.41～610 mg·kg^-1和0.70～8.8μg·kg^-1.对照区土壤汞含量明显低于矿区土壤,其THg和MeHg含量范围分别为0.14～1.2 mg·kg^-1和0.09～0.23μg·kg^-1;对照区土壤THg含量接近或稍高于全球背景土壤THg含量0.01～0.5 mg·kg^-1.研究表明,汞矿区稻田土壤具有较强的汞甲基化能力,其MeHg含量明显高于菜地和旱田土壤;万山汞矿区土壤汞污染程度明显高于滥木厂和务川汞矿区土壤汞污染.     

用水解酸化池-膜生物反应器处理活性艳红X-3B废水

采用水解酸化池-膜生物反应器处理含活性艳红X-3B的模拟废水,研究了水力停留时间（HRT）对水解酸化池废水处理效果的影响,考察了水解酸化池-膜生物反应器对废水的处理效果及膜生物反应器中污泥沉降性能对膜污染的影响。实验结果表明：水解酸化池HRT为16h时,废水的可生化性最好,挥发性脂肪酸质量浓度与COD比值为0．5;HRT为17h时,废水脱色率达69％,而COD的去除率受HRT影响较小;膜生物反应器主要起去除废水中COD的作用;水解酸化池-膜生物反应器处理后废水的脱色率和COD去除率分别为83％和97％;膜生物反应器中活性污泥沉降性能的变化直接影响膜污染的速率。     

郑州市土壤与绿色植物中汞的分布特征

汞污染具有生物积累性,因而得到社会广泛关注。研究监测和评估了郑州市城区土壤和绿色植物叶片中汞浓度、分布、污染水平等。研究发现郑州市主城区土壤总汞浓度为0. 150～0. 958 mg/kg,平均浓度为0. 448 mg/kg;郑州市主城区绿色植物叶片总汞浓度为0. 017～0. 249 mg/kg,平均浓度为0. 107 mg/kg;土壤和叶片中汞浓度按功能区排序为交通枢纽区工业区商业区行政区高教区住宅区。采用地累积指数法对郑州市80个土壤样品的汞污染水平进行评估,结果显示60%受到轻度污染,35%受到偏中度污染,5%受到中度污染。研究较为全面地分析了土壤汞污染的现状及浓度,为郑州市土壤汞污染防治提供参考。     

典型工业半焦的孔隙分形结构分析

工业半焦是一种具有复杂的微观孔隙拓扑结构的多孔物质.基于分形理论,引入分形维数对工业半焦不规则孔隙结构的粗糙、复杂程度进行了定量表征和描述.选取具有典型煤种和工艺代表性的工业半焦样品,用孔隙度分析仪对其孔隙结构特征进行了测量,并利用其测量数据进行了分形维数的分析计算.计算结果表明,工业半焦的孔隙结构符合分形特征,在样品颗粒尺寸为2.36～3.35mm的测量条件下,样品的分形维数在2.7982～2.9154之间,其可决系数在0.9157～0.9614之间;样品的分形维数与煤种和半焦热解工艺过程均有一定的关系.通过对工业半焦分形维数的计算分析,可以更加全面准确地了解其孔隙结构特征,以期为分析评价其吸附和活化潜力、制定恰当的活化工艺提供更加可靠的依据.     

潮间带沉积物/大气Hg的释放的模拟研究

研究了潮间带沉积物中的Hg向大气的释放,结果表明光照造成沉积物中的Hg快速向大气释放.光照8 h后,海泊河口和黄河口沉积物释放到大气中的Hg分别占58%和51%,其释放通量总体上遵循先升高后降低的规律,前者在13:00～14:00达到最大值2 830μg/(m2·h),后者在12:00～13:00达到最大值73μg/(m2·h);海泊河口沉积物Hg的释放通量与大气温度、沉积物温度和光照强度的相关系数分别为0.83(P＜0.05)、0.98(P＜0.01)和0.73(P＜0.05),黄河口沉积物Hg的释放通量与大气温度、沉积物温度和光照强度的相关系数分别为0.73(P＜0.05)、0.80(P＜0.05)和0.81(P＜0.01),温度、光照对沉积物Hg的释放有重要的影响.     

Topsoil organic carbon mineralization and CO2 evolution of three paddy soils from South China and the temperature dependence

Carbon mineralization and its response to climatic warming have been receiving global attention for the last decade. Although the virtual influence of temperature effect is still in great debate, little is known on the mineralization of organic carbon （SOC） of paddy soils of China under warming. SOC mineralization of three major types of China＇s paddy soils is studied through laboratory incubation for 114 d under soil moisture regime of 70% water holding capacity at 20℃ and 25℃ respectively. The carbon that mineralized as CO2 evolved was measured every day in the first 32 d and every two days in the following days. Carbon mineralized during the 114 d incubation ranged from 3.51 to 9.22 mg CO2-C/gC at 20℃ and from 4.24 to 11.35 mg CO2-C/gC at 25℃ respectively; and a mineralizable C pool in the range of 0.24 to 0.59 gC/kg, varying with different soils. The whole course of C mineralization in the 114 d incubation could be divided into three stages of varying rates, representing the three subpools of the total mineralizable C： very actively mineralized C at 1-23 d, actively tnineralized C at 24--74 d and a slowly mineralized pool with low and more or less stabilized C mineralization rate at 75-114 d. The calculated Q10 values ranged from 1.0 to 2.4, varying with the soil types and N status. Neither the total SOC pool nor the labile C pool could account for the total mineralization potential of the soils studied, despite a well correlation of labile C with the shortly and actively mineralized C, which were shown in sensitive response to soil warming. However, the portion of microbial C pool and the soil C/N ratio controlled the C mineralization and the temperature dependence. Therefore, C sequestration may not result in an increase of C mineralization proportionally. The relative control of C bioavailability and microbial metabolic activity on C mineralization with respect to stabilization of sequestered C in the paddy soils of China is to be further studied.