Which compounds contribute most to elevated airborne exposure and corresponding health risks in the Western Balkans?

A majority of ongoing monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is currently focused on chemicals emphasized in the Stockholm Convention. Quantitative detection of other substances (especially those with numerous anthropogenic sources such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) is, however, also needed since their concentrations are usually several orders of magnitude higher. A goal of this study was to determine how various groups of compounds contribute to total human health risks at the variety of sampling sites in the region of Western Balkan. Distribution of the risks between the gas and particulate phases was also addressed. Results showed that inhalation exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) does not represent a significant risk to humans, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) re-volatilized to the atmosphere from contaminated soils and buildings can pose a problem. PCB evaporation from primary sources (currently used PCB-filled transformers or non-adequate storage facilities) generally resulted in much higher atmospheric concentrations than evaporation from the secondary sources (soils at the sites of war destructions). A majority of the human health risks at the urban sites were associated with PAHs. Between 83 and 94% of the cumulative risk at such sites was assigned to chemicals sorbed to particles, and out of it, PAHs were responsible for 99%.     

湿法净化黑烟中添加剂对炭黑沉降性能的影响

湿法净化黑烟中炭黑颗粒物的关键在于降低吸收液的表面张力并以高性能絮凝剂使其从溶液中絮凝、沉降以利于分离。选用十六烷基三甲基溴化胺(CTAB)为主要表面活性剂,使之与十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)和月桂醇聚氧乙烯(9)醚(AEO-9)进行复配实验,研究了复配液的表面张力,再向最低表面张力的复配表面活性剂溶液中投加絮凝剂聚合氯化铝(PAC)和聚丙烯酰胺(PAM),探讨絮凝剂的添加对黑烟颗粒沉降和絮凝的影响.实验结果表明:同时添加表面活性剂CTAB,SDBS和PAC,并使之浓度分别为0.5 mmol/L,0.4 mmol/L和200 mg/L时,炭黑颗粒的沉降效果最好,沉降率高达94%,且絮凝体较大,沉降时间仅为2 min。     

Determination of 10 particle-associated multiclass polar and semi-polar pesticides from small streams using accelerated solvent extraction

A new analytical method using accelerated solvent extraction was developed for the determination of 10 particle-associated polar and semipolar pesticides. In addition, six deuterated analogues of the target compounds were evaluated as internal standards. The method yielded acceptable accuracy (73–103% recovery) and precision (<25% relative standard deviation) for eight compounds. Using size exclusion chromatography (SEC) as cleanup step resulted in higher recoveries compared to solid phase extraction (SPE) cleanup.

Deuterated standards with 10 or more deuterium atoms performed well as internal standards concerning similar recovery and correlation with the target analytes.

The method was employed to extract particle-associated pesticides from 16 streams located in an area with intense agriculture in France. Acetochlor, pirimicarb, tebuconazole, fenpropidin, -endosulfan and chlorfenvinphos were detected at concentrations up to 1 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight. A comparison with aquatic toxicity data indicated potential risk to the benthic fauna exposed to these concentrations of pirimicarb, -endosulfan and chlorfenvinphos.

We suggest that the method presented here be used for the extraction and quantitation of particle-associated polar pesticides.     

空气中总悬浮颗粒物的X射线衍射定性分析研究

以天津市环境监测中心采集的空气中总悬浮颗粒物（ＴＳＰ）膜（９７１０１２号）为样品,使用日本理学Ｄ／ｍａｘＲＡＸ射线衍射仪对其进行化合物定性分析,并介绍样品的采集与制样方法、仪器测试条件。最后通过ＪＣＰＤＳＩＣＤＤ（国际粉末衍射数据中心）标准数据库检索出该样品所含的全部化合物     

乌鲁木齐市可吸入颗粒物水溶性离子特征及来源解析

采暖期时在乌鲁木齐市采集了环境空气中的可吸入颗粒物,对可吸入颗粒物质量浓度及8种水溶性离子的特征和来源进行了分析。结果表明,细粒子和粗粒子的月平均质量浓度分别是53.5～233.3μg/m3和38.9～60.9μg/m3;细粒子和粗粒子中水溶性离子主要由SO24-、NH4+和NO3-组成;粗粒子中NH4+与NO3-和SO24-的相关性分别是0.70和0.66,细粒子中NH4+与NO3-和SO24-的相关性分别是0.89和0.93,铵盐是乌鲁木齐可吸入颗粒物主要存在形式;煤烟尘是乌鲁木齐市采暖期可吸入颗粒物的主要来源。     

西宁市典型开放源颗粒物粒径组成特征分析

采用BT-9300S激光粒度仪分析了西宁市道路尘、扬尘、土壤尘、建筑尘4种典型开放源的粒径组成。结果表明,4种类型尘中大粒径颗粒物占主导地位,粒径大于10 μm颗粒占到全部颗粒的73.80%以上,可吸入颗粒物的含量仅占7.06%～26.20%;建筑尘的细颗粒物含量最高,粒径小于2.5、1 μm的颗粒含量分别为8.36%±4.25%、2.42%±1.02%;道路尘的细颗粒物含量最低,粒径小于2.5、1 μm的颗粒含量分别为2.30%±0.94%、0.73%±0.28%;4种类型尘的体积平均直径、面积平均直径、中位直径分别在37.70～87.99 μm、8.50～23.53 μm、28.95～74.98 μm之间,其中道路尘的3种粒径参数最大,建筑尘最小;开放源颗粒物的粒度分布曲线主要呈头长尾短的不对称单峰分布,累积频率曲线为两段式,存在较为明显的拐点。     

高含盐水样中悬浮物的准确测定

通过理论分析和大量实验工作，找出了现行国家标准的悬浮物测定方法在测定高含盐污水时的不足之处，并且提出了准确的测定方法。新方法不仅能很好地反映水样的实际状况，而且可以推广应用于各种复杂水样的悬浮物的测定。     

Deposition and Storage of Spheroidal Carbonaceous Fly-Ash Particles in European Mountain Lake Sediments and Catchment Soils

Spheroidal carbonaceous particles(SCPs) are produced only from high temperaturecombustion of fossil-fuels. In mountain lakesystems, they provide an unambiguous indicator ofatmospheric deposition. In order to comparedepositional fluxes of SCPs between mountainareas experiencing various pollutant regimes,intensive bulk deposition sampling was undertakenat five sites across Europe. Catchment soil coresand lake sediment cores were also taken at eachsite to compare SCP storage over the post-industrial period. Atmospheric, sediment and soilSCP data showed similar patterns. Highestcontamination was found in Scotland, Slovakia andSpain with the Austrian site intermediate and themid-Norwegian site least contaminated. A highproportion of accumulated SCPs were found to bestored in catchment soils at each site.Therefore, a significant increase in soilerosion, possibly as a result of future climatechange, could lead to the input of largequantities of catchment stored SCPs and, byimplication, other atmospherically depositedcontaminants to the lake ecosystem.     

Acute and chronic effects of clofibrate and clofibric acid on the enzymes acetylcholinesterase, lactate dehydrogenase and catalase of the mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki

The objective of this study was to investigate both acute and chronic effects of clofibrate and clofibric acid on the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and catalase (CAT) of the mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). AChE, commonly used as a biomarker of neurotoxicity, was determined in the total head. LDH, an important enzyme of anaerobic metabolism, was quantified in dorsal muscle, and CAT, enzyme which has been used as indicative parameter of peroxisome proliferation, was determined in the liver. Furthermore, alterations of body and liver weight were also determined, through the calculation of the ratios final body weight/initial body weight, liver weight/final body weight, liver weight/gills weight and liver weight/head weight. Acute exposure of G. holbrooki to both clofibrate and clofibric acid induced a decrease in liver CAT activity, an increase in muscle LDH activity, while no effects were observed on AChE activity. However, chronic exposure did not alter significantly the enzymatic activities, suggesting reduced or null effects over these pathways, relative to effects reported in other species. No effects were observed for the calculated ratios, except a significant weight reduction for males chronically exposed to clofibrate.     

Watershed scale assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus loadings in the Indian River Lagoon basin,Florida

There is a growing evidence that the ecological and biological integrity of the lagoon has declined during the last 50 years, probably due to the decline in water quality. Establishment of a watershed scale seagrass-based nutrient load assessment is the major aim of water quality management in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). Best estimate loadings incorporate wet and dry deposition, surface water, groundwater, sediment nutrient flux, and point source effluent discharge data. On the average, the IRL is receiving annual external loadings of 832, 645 and 94,476kg of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), respectively, from stormwater discharges and agricultural runoff. The average internal cycling of TN and TP from sediment deposits in the IRL was about 42,640kg TN and 1050kg TPyr(-1). Indirect evidence suggests that atmospheric deposition has played a role in the ongoing nutrient enrichment in the IRL. The estimated total atmospheric deposition of TN and TP was about 32,940 and 824kgyr(-1), while groundwater contribution was about 84,920 and 24,275kgyr(-1), respectively, to the surface waters of the IRL. The estimated annual contribution of point effluent discharge was about 60,408kg TN and 7248kg TP. In total, the IRL basin is receiving an annual loading of about 1,053,553kg TN and 127,873kg TP. With these results, it is clear that the current rate of nutrient loadings is causing a shift in the primary producers of the IRL from macrophyte to phytoplankton- or algal-based system. The goal is to reverse that shift, to attain and maintain a macrophyte-based estuarine system in the IRL.