Outdoor Weathering Evaluation of Carbon-Black-Filled, Biodegradable Copolyester as Substitute for Traditionally Used, Carbon-Black-Filled, Nonbiodegradable, High-Density Polyethylene Mulch Films

Carbon-black-filled, biodegradable, copolyester mulch film (Eastar®, or EA, Tennessee Eastman, Kingsport, TN) and commercial carbon-black-filled, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mulch film were exposed for 12 weeks to commercial vegetable crop growing conditions by being placed directly on irrigated soil in the field of the University of Tennessee Alcoa Highway State Agriculture Experiment Station (Knoxville, TN) and by being placed on a plywood exposure rack as described by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Test Method 1435: Outdoor Weathering of Plastics. Mechanical properties and weather information were collected in order to evaluate the feasibility of using the newly developed biodegradable EA mulch film to replace the nonbiodegradable HDPE mulch film. Results indicate that the EA mulch film exhibited favorable tensile strength and elongation-at-break during outdoor exposure rack testing and outdoor, in-field, placed directly on the soil, exposure testing, suggesting biodegradable EA could be a substitute for the HDPE nonbiodegradable material.     

Large-scale risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in shoreline sediments from Saudi Arabia: Environmental legacy after twelve years of the Gulf war oil spill

A large-scale assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the 1991 Gulf War oil spill was performed for 2002-2003 sediment samples (n = 1679) collected from habitats along the shoreline of Saudi Arabia. Benthic sediment toxicity was characterized using the Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmark Toxic Unit approach for 43 PAHs (ESBTU_FCV,43). Samples were assigned to risk categories according to ESBTU_FCV,43 values: no-risk (≤1), low (>1-≤2), low-medium (>2-≤3), medium (>3-≤5) and high-risk (>5). Sixty seven percent of samples had ESBTU_FCV,43 > 1 indicating potential adverse ecological effects. Sediments from the 0-30 cm layer from tidal flats, and the >30-<60 cm layer from heavily oiled halophytes and mangroves had high frequency of high-risk samples. No-risk samples were characterized by chrysene enrichment and depletion of lighter molecular weight PAHs, while high-risk samples showed little oil weathering and PAH patterns similar to 1993 samples. North of Safaniya sediments were not likely to pose adverse ecological effects contrary to sediments south of Tanaqib. Landscape and geomorphology has played a role on the distribution and persistence in sediments of oil from the Gulf War.     

Watershed factors affecting stream acidification in the White Mountains of New Hampshire,USA

The streams tributary to acidic Cone Pond, pH 4.5–4.8, and circumneutral Black Pond, pH 5.3–6.4, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA, were monitored for a year. The watersheds of these two ponds were characterized in terms of geology and stream hydrology. Chemical gradients and patterns in rock weathering and groundwater discharge explain many of the differences in mineral content and acidity of the streams. The rocks of Black watershed produced an average of ten times the equivalent of basic cations as rocks from Cone watershed. This is on the same order as the difference in acidity of the two streams. Down-stream changes in stream chemistry follow differing patterns, but reflect the same principle of residence time and water path length controlling chemical evolution of streamwater. Watershed and aquatic managers may use these parameters in an inexpensive and simple assessment of the susceptibility of individual streams and ponds to acidification. A method is recommended to determine quickly the potential influence of bedrock type to aquatic chemistry.     

ACID PRECIPITATION AND WEATHERING BY ORGANIC ACIDS IN LABRAI)OR LAKE BASINS1

ABSTRACT: Thirty-five lakes in southern Labrador sampled in 1981 were resampled in 1989 and water chemistry values were compared between visits. Results showed higher pH, specific conductance, acid neutralization capacity, color, and base cations values in 1989, though sulfate, the ion most likely to reflect acid precipitation impacts, did not vary. The major ion changes measured were probably due to natural hydrological variations and not to changes in acid inputs. Results from the 1989 data showed a slight, but significant, decrease in water sulfate concentration trend from western to eastern Labrador, though most values, even in the western portion of the study area, fell close to the values considered “background” by Brakke et at. (1989). Base cation concentrations exceeded those which could be predicted from weathering by carbonic and bicarbonic acid. Assuming that little weathering is generated by acid precipitation in this region, the excess cations measured are probably a result of bedrock dissolution from organic acids generated by plant decomposition. Calculations showed that organic acid effect could be responsible for 9 to 52 percent of total weathering in the study basins.     

通过屋顶暴露方法模拟聚碳酸酯微塑料在长江水样的长期老化行为

由于较低的自然老化速率,微塑料在实际水体长期户外暴露过程中老化行为的数据仍较缺乏.通过聚碳酸酯（Polycarbonate,PC）微塑料在长江表层水样的18个月户外暴露试验以揭示自然老化过程对微塑料表面特征及对金属离子(Cr⁶⁺和Co²⁺)吸附行为的重要影响.结果显示,户外暴露改变了PC微塑料的理化性质,包括表面开裂、粒径降低、亲水性和熔点增加以及表面氧化（产生羰基和羟基）.同时,户外老化过程明显影响微塑料对金属离子的吸附行为.原始和低老化程度PC对金属离子的吸附主要通过物理作用控制,而高老化程度微塑料由于产生含氧功能团对金属离子的吸附主要由化学过程如络合和共价键等作用控制.并且,不同老化程度PC微塑料对Cr⁶⁺和Co²⁺的吸附性能不同.对于Cr⁶⁺,PC的吸附性能随其老化程度增加呈先升高后降低的趋势,然而对于Co²⁺,平衡吸附性能随老化程度增加呈增加的趋势.户外老化过程产生含氧官能团、破碎和开裂以及生物膜可能是影响吸附性能的主要因素.本研究证实了长期户外...     

车用高分子材料不同地区户外曝晒试验相关性研究

目的将3种高分子材料以及3种车用外饰材料分别投放在中国海南琼海和美国佛罗里达州2种典型湿热环境中进行户外曝晒试验,研究气候相似的2种地区的试验相关性。方法通过测试相同时间间隔下不同材料在2处试验场曝晒过程中的黄变程度,表征材料的老化现象。采用斯皮尔曼等级相关系数的统计方法,研究材料在2个地区相同时间节点的试验结果的相关性,并利用时间同轴的作图方法比较2个地区严酷度的差异。结果琼海与佛罗里达州2个地区在各个时间节点的相关系数接近于1,且在材料黄变方面呈现一定比例关系。结论琼海和佛罗里达州2个地区的试验结果呈现出较好的相关性,且严酷度比值约为琼海︰佛罗里达=1︰1.19。     

陕西绥德地区黄土-古土壤序列地球化学特征及其环境指示意义

黄土高原北部的绥德地区处于干旱-半干旱地区,对环境变化的响应十分敏感,通过对黄土-古土壤的研究对比可以探索该区的古环境气候特征、环境变化信息等相关问题.本文对绥德黄土-古土壤进行常量、微量、稀土元素测试分析,并与其他地区黄土的地球化学特征进行了对比.结果 表明:绥德地区黄土-古土壤的主要化学成分以SiO2、Al2O3、...     

海洋大气环境下磷钒系耐候钢腐蚀数据分析

本文通过大气环境暴露试验,研究了在青岛海洋大气环境中暴露10年5周期的4种磷钒系耐候钢的腐蚀规律。结果表明,四种耐候钢的腐蚀速率的关系为:10CrPV10CuPV10MoPV08PV,耐侯钢的耐蚀性与添加元素类别和添加量相关。平均腐蚀深度数据拟合结果表明,A值大小顺序为:10CrPV10CuPV10 MoPV08PV,而n值的顺序是:10CuPV10CrPV10MoPV08PV。     

湘西北黑色泥灰岩风化剖面重金属富集的地球化学机制

通过对湘西北地区黑色泥灰岩风化剖面（DM剖面）中Cr、Ni、Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb、Th、U 8种重金属元素地球化学特征的研究,并与区域上发育于黑色页岩的2条风化剖面的对比分析,初步揭示了黑色泥灰岩风化剖面中重金属富集的地球化学机制。结果表明：（1）与黑色页岩相比,黑色泥灰岩风化成土过程中重金属元素普遍呈现出低背景、高富集的地球化学特征。（2）黑色泥灰岩风化剖面的形成,是在基岩中碳酸盐快速溶蚀的基础上（基岩的酸溶相含量为78.57%）,由酸不溶相进一步演化的结果。在此过程中,对于无明显外源输入的元素Cr、Ni、Cu、Zn、Pb、Th、U,一方面,赋存在酸溶相的部分随碳酸盐的淋失而亏损甚至强烈亏损（其中Th相对惰性）;另一方面,残余在酸不溶相的部分因基岩中大量碳酸盐的淋失而显著富集,且随风化剖面的演化未显示出进一步的亏损。因此,这些元素在风化剖面中的富集是绝对（强烈）亏损和显著相对富集的综合结果。对于Cd,存在明显的外源输入,可能主要以水溶态形式带入并大量淀积在剖面下部。（3）在黑色泥灰岩风化剖面,有机质（OM）不是重金属元素的主要赋存介质,其对重金属元素地球化学行为的影响有限。（4）黑色泥灰岩发育的土壤中,Cu和Cd的平均含量分别为54.58 mg/kg和0.58 mg/kg,高于农用地土壤污染风险筛选值,特别是Cd,对土壤生态环境可能形成不利影响,应引起关注。     

燃煤型氟中毒区石煤氟的环境地球化学行为研究

通过对比典型剖面上的石煤及其风化发育的土壤的氟含量、流经石煤层的水与不经过石煤层的水的氟含量,研究石煤风化、淋溶时氟对土壤、地表水和农作物的影响。采集居民家中石煤、石煤燃后底灰、室内降尘、玉米、辣椒、水缸水和开水,分析其含氟量,研究石煤燃烧时氟的迁移富集机制。结果表明石煤的风化、淋溶虽导致土壤含氟量大幅升高但对地表水和新鲜粮食的含氟量无显著影响;石煤燃烧后释放出的氟污染室内玉米、辣椒和饮水,导致氟中毒流行。