Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations, compositions, sources, and associated carcinogenic risks to humans in farmland soils and riverine sediments from Guiyu, China

The concentrations of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) were measured in 23 farmland soil samples and 10 riverine sediment samples from Guiyu, China, and the carcinogenic risks associated with PAHs in the samples were evaluated. Guiyu is the largest electronic waste(EW) dismantling area globally, and has been well known for the primitive and crude manner in which EWs are disposed, such as by open burning and roasting. The total PAH concentrations were 56–567 ng/g in the soils and 181–3034 ng/g in the sediments.The Shanglian and Huamei districts were found to be more contaminated with PAHs than the north of Guiyu. The soils were relatively weakly contaminated but the sediments were more contaminated, and sediments in some river sections might cause carcinogenic risks to the groundwater system. The PAHs in the soils were derived from combustion sources,but the PAHs in the sediments were derived from both combustion and petroleum sources.     

Correlations between in situ denitrification activity and nir-gene abundances in pristine and impacted prairie streams

Denitrification is a process that reduces nitrogen levels in headwaters and other streams. We compared nirS and nirK abundances with the absolute rate of denitrification, the longitudinal coefficient of denitrification (i.e., K_den, which represents optimal denitrification rates at given environmental conditions), and water quality in seven prairie streams to determine if nir-gene abundances explain denitrification activity. Previous work showed that absolute rates of denitrification correlate with nitrate levels; however, no correlation has been found for denitrification efficiency, which we hypothesise might be related to gene abundances. Water-column nitrate and soluble-reactive phosphorus levels significantly correlated with absolute rates of denitrification, but nir-gene abundances did not. However, nirS and nirK abundances significantly correlated with K_den, as well as phosphorus, although no correlation was found between K_den and nitrate. These data confirm that absolute denitrification rates are controlled by nitrate load, but intrinsic denitrification efficiency is linked to nirS and nirK gene abundances.     

Sediment-water distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in Yangtze River Estuary

Analysis of Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) distribution in water and sediment in Yangtze River Estuary showed that the estuary was a sink for PFOS. Salinity was an important parameter in controlling the sediment-water interactions and the fate or transport of PFOS in the aquatic environment. As the salinity (S‰) increased from 0.18 to 3.31, the distribution coefficient (K_d) between sediment and water linearly increased from 0.76 to 4.70 L g⁻¹. The study suggests that PFOS may be carried with the river water and transported for long distances before it reaches to the sea and largely scavenged to the sediment in the estuaries due to the dramatic change in salinity.     

Mass balance modeling to elucidate historical and continuing sources of dioxin into an urban estuary

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (dioxins) are typically found in sediment, water and tissue as in the case of the Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay (HSC–UGB) in Texas studied in this research. While hydrodynamic and fate and transport models are important to understand dioxin distribution in the various media, it is difficult to assimilate modeling results into a decision framework without appropriate tools that can aid in the interpretation of the simulated data. This paper presents the development of a mass-balance modeling tool linked to RMA2 and WASP models of the HSC–UGB system for 2002–2005. The mass-balance tool was used to aggregate modeling results spatially and temporally and estimate the relative contribution of sediments to dioxin loading into the Channel in comparison to runoff, deposition, and permitted effluent discharges. The total sediment associated-dioxin load into the system calculated using the mass balance model was 2.34 × 10⁷ ng d⁻¹ (almost 86% of the toxic equivalent load), and the re-deposited load to the sediment from the water column was 1.48 × 10⁷ ng-TEQ d⁻¹, such that 8.6 × 10⁶ ng-TEQ d⁻¹ or approximately 69% of the average daily dioxin flux is transported between model segments as sediment. The external loads to the system contribute approximately 3.83 × 10⁶ ng-TEQ d⁻¹, a value that is an order of magnitude smaller when compared to the contribution from sediment. These findings point to the need for sediment remediation strategies that take into account the spatial locations within the system that serve as sediment sources to dioxin in the water column.     

Quantification of activated carbon contents in soils and sediments using chemothermal and wet oxidation methods

Activated carbon (AC) strongly sorbs organic pollutants and can be used for remediation of soils and sediments. A method for AC quantification is essential to monitor AC (re)distribution. Since AC is black carbon (BC), two methods for BC quantification were tested for AC mixed in different soils and sediments: i) chemothermal oxidation (CTO) at a range of temperatures and ii) wet-chemical oxidation with a potassium dichromate/sulfuric acid solution. For three soils, the amount of AC was accurately determined by CTO at 375 °C. For two sediments, however, much of the AC disappeared during combustion at 375 °C, which could probably be explained by catalytic effects by sediment constituents. CTO at lower temperatures (325-350 °C) was a feasible alternative for one of the sediments. Wet oxidation effectively functioned for AC quantification in sediments, with almost complete AC recovery (81-92%) and low remaining amounts of native organic carbon (5-16%).     

A Geochemical and Biological Basis for Marine Sediment Quality Guidelines

This document describes a basis for the establishment of marine sediment quality guidelines for regulatory applications. It outlines a geochemical basis for identifying potential anomalies in the presence of inorganic contaminants in marine sediments and a biological or ecotoxicological basis for determining concentrations unlikely to result in adverse biological effects. These approaches are discussed in an exploratory fashion. It is intended that both approaches could be combined in a manner that takes account of sedimentary nature and composition as a conceptual and practical approach to the establishment of guidelines for regulatory applications associated with the protection of the marine environment.     

GC × GC--A New Analytical Tool For Environmental Forensics

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography, GC 2 GC, is a new analytical tool with a tremendous capability to separate and identify organic compounds in complex environmental samples. GC 2 GC uses two different chromatography columns coupled serially by a modulator to produce a volatility by polarity separation and distribute compound peaks across a two-dimensional retention time plane. The two-dimensional separation produces an order of magnitude more resolved peaks than traditional GC methods. The grouping or ordering of the peaks in the GC 2 GC chromatogram facilitates the identification of unknown compounds and the comparison of complex environmental samples. When a mass spectrometer detector is used, each resolved GC 2 GC peak yields a single-component, interference-free mass spectrum that leads to accurate matching with mass spectral libraries. GC 2 GC examination of marine sediment extracts identified a wide variety of chemical contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls, p -nonylphenol isomers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzotriazoles, and the alkane, cycloalkane, alkylbenzene, alkylnaphthalene, and biomarker fractions of petroleum. The two-dimensional GC 2 GC chromatogram image permits rapid screening of the sediment extracts for these and other unknown contaminants.     

“生物有效性测量”与“全沉积物毒性识别评估(TIE)”联用有效识别出沉积物中主要致毒污染物

沉积物中污染物种类繁多,准确判断其中产生生物毒性的主要来源是个难点,本文作者先采用TIE法初步判断出主要致毒污染物为有机物和重金属(毒性描述阶段(相I)),传统的毒性单位分析结果显示Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn主要致毒重金属,而为氯氰菊酯、氯氟氰菊酯、溴氰菊酯和氟虫腈为主要致毒有机物中(毒性鉴定阶段(相II))。采用4步分级提取法和Tenax提取法分析了重金属和有机物的生物有效性。生物有效性毒性单位分析更加准确地锁定了毒性主要贡献重金属为Zn、Ni和Pb,毒性主要贡献有机物为氯氰菊酯、氯氟氰菊酯和氟虫腈。沉积物的稀释降低了重金属的毒性并使其毒性贡献鉴定变得复杂,生物有效性测量可以有效地提高TIE结果的准确性。
精选自Xiaoyi Yi, Huizhen Li, Ping Ma and Jing You. Identifying the causes of sediment-associated toxicity in urban waterways in South China: Incorporating bioavailabillity-based measurements into whole-sediment toxicity identification evaluation. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 34, Issue 8, pages 1744–1750, August 2015. DOI: 10.1002/etc.2970
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.2970/full     

Environmental threats to the Three Gorges Reservoir Region:Are mutagenic and genotoxic substances important?

<正>The Three Gorges Dam project(TGDP),with a total static investment of 95.46 billion RMB(US$10.97 billion)based on the 1993 price level,commenced in 1994 and was completed in 2012.The creation of the Three Gorges Reservoir following the completion of the TGDP had brought about significant changes to the Three Gorges Reservoir Region(TGRR),stretching from the town of Sandouping in Hubei Province to the Jiangjin District of Chongqing Municipality.The TGDP has led to progressive urbanization and industrialization of the TGRR,accompanied by increased shipping activities,greater     

Sulfide elimination by intermittent nitrate dosing in sewer sediments

The formation of hydrogen sulfide in biofilms and sediments in sewer systems can cause severe pipe corrosions and health hazards, and requires expensive programs for its prevention. The aim of this study is to propose a new control strategy and the optimal condition for sulfide elimination by intermittent nitrate dosing in sewer sediments. The study was carried out based on lab-scale experiments and batch tests using real sewer sediments. The intermittent nitrate dosing mode and the optimal control conditionwere investigated. The results indicated that the sulfide-intermittent-elimination strategy by nitrate dosing is advantageous for controlling sulfide accumulation in sewer sediment. The oxidation-reduction potential is a sensitive indicator parameter that can reflect the control effect and the minimum N/S (nitrate/sulfide) ratiowith slight excess nitrate is necessary for optimal conditions of efficient sulfide controlwith lower carbon source loss. The optimal control condition is feasible for the sulfide elimination in sewer systems.