Inter-species differences for polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in marine top predators from the Southern North Sea: Part 1. Accumulation patterns in harbour seals and harbour porpoises

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are two representative top predator species of the North Sea ecosystem. The median values of sum of 21 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and sum of 10 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were 23.1 μg/g lipid weight (lw) and 0.33 μg/g lw in blubber of harbour seals (n = 28) and 12.4 μg/g lw and 0.76 μg/g lw in blubber of harbour porpoises (n = 35), respectively. For both species, the highest PCB concentrations were observed in adult males indicating bioaccumulation. On the contrary, the highest PBDE concentrations were measured in juveniles, likely due to better-developed metabolic capacities with age in adults. A higher contribution of lower chlorinated and non-persistent congeners, such as CB 52, CB 95, CB 101, and CB 149, together with higher contributions of other PBDE congeners than BDE 47, indicated that harbour porpoises are unable to metabolize these compounds. Harbour seals showed a higher ability to metabolize PCBs and PBDEs.     

Polybrominated, polychlorinated and monobromo-polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in marine surface sediments from Hong Kong and Korea

In this study we investigated occurrences and distribution patterns of dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) such as polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), monobromo-polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (MoBPCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in marine surface sediments collected from the coastal waters of Hong Kong and Korea. In most sampling sites, concentrations of PCDDs were the highest, followed by DL-PCBs, PCDFs, PBDFs, PBDDs, MoBPCDDs and MoBPCDFs in this order. Levels of PBDD/Fs were generally 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than chlorinated analogues. Levels of PCDDs are higher than PCDFs in Hong Kong while levels of PBDFs are higher than PBDDs in Korea (p < 0.05). Report of PBDD/Fs and MoBPCDD/Fs in sediments from East Asian countries is novel and original. Environmental levels of PBDD/Fs are supposed to start increasing in accordance with rising production, use and disposal of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and recycling processes of e-waste in Asian developing countries.     

Sediment Quality Assessment in the Gulf of Gdańsk (Baltic Sea) Using Complementary Lines of Evidence

Sediments from Polish coastal environments were classified by a quality assessment approach that took into account trace metal and organic micropollutant concentrations, grain-size distribution, and organic carbon content. Generally, no benthic organisms were found at sites where sediments were classified as heavily polluted. However, areas characterized by a moderate contamination showed a variable composition of the benthic community and changing bioaccumulation patterns; therefore, no single species found in the Gulf of Gdańsk could be considered representative of the whole benthic environment. Although sediment monitoring must be considered a suitable tool to detect hot-spot pollution areas in coastal and inland waters, it should be complemented by bioaccumulation measurements to evaluate the actual risk posed by contaminants to benthic organisms. This “biological information” allows a better appreciation of the real benthic infaunal community exposure to chemicals and can usefully complement the existing sediment quality guidelines.     

Measurement of machinery safety level in the European market: A real case based on market surveillance data

This article aims to highlight the current status of compliance to Machinery Directive 98/37/EC (transposed to Spanish regulation as RD 56/1995, of 20th January) (a new directive numbered as 2006/42/EC [Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 may 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC (recast). OJ L157/24-86, 9.6.2006.], that recasts and replaced 98/37/ED directive and its amendments, came into force on 29 June 2006; it will not be applied until 29th December 2009. European Member States have a lead-time of two years to adopt and publish the national laws and regulations transposing the provisions of the new Directive into national law. Latest 10th October, Spain transposed Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC to national regulation as Real Decreto 1644/2008 [Real Decreto 1644/2008, de 10 de octubre, por el que se establecen las normas para la comercialización y puesta en servicio de las máquinas. BOE 246/2008, de 11 octubre 2008. Páginas 40995–41030]) of a particular family of machinery (hand-held, medium and small-size, deeply introduced in the market, of low-medium cost), that any user, professional or non-professional, can acquire as first-hand in any of the sales points (whether or not experts in these kind of products).At the same time, it emphasises the most significant shortcomings and non-conformities found, after analyzing the results of five consecutive Campaigns of Control of Industrial Products performed by one of the labs (placed in Spain) involved in the market surveillance European Program.     

Evaluation of cetacean exposure to organotin compounds in Brazilian waters through hepatic total tin concentrations

In Brazil, there is no restriction to the use of organotins (OTs). Previous investigations have shown that hepatic ∑Sn in cetaceans is predominantly organic. Hepatic ∑Sn concentrations were determined by GFAAS in 67 cetaceans (13 species) that stranded on Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Espirito Santo (ES) states. Concentrations (in ng/g wet wt.) of marine tucuxis (n = 20) from the highly contaminated Guanabara Bay (in RJ) varied from 1703 to 9638. Concentrations of three marine tucuxi foetuses and one newborn calf (all from Guanabara Bay) varied between 431 and 2107. Contrastingly, the maximum level among 19 oceanic dolphins was 346, and 15 out of these 19 specimens presented concentrations below detection limit. The levels of Sn in six marine tucuxis from a less contaminated area (ES) varied from below detection limit to 744. Comparing to the literature, coastal cetaceans from Brazil appear to be highly exposed to OTs.     

光催化氧化苯酚中间产物的分析与降解途径探讨

采用光催化氧化法降解苯酚溶液,利用液相色谱对苯酚及其中间产物进行了定性、定量分析。考察了投加H2O2对中间产物浓度变化的影响。根据中间产物的产生情况及浓度变化,推测了苯酚光催化降解的反应途径。     

Decomposition of alachlor by ozonation and its mechanism

Decomposition and corresponding mechanism of alachlor, an endocrine disruptor in water by ozonation were investigated. Results showed that alachlor could not be completely mineralized by ozone alone. Many intermediates and final products were formed during the process, including aromatic compounds, aliphatic carboxylic acids, and inorganic ions. In evoluting these products, some of them with weak polarity were qualitatively identified by GC-MS. The information of inorganic ions suggested that the dechlorination was the first and the fastest step in the ozonation of alachlor.     

饮用水中内分泌干扰物阿特拉津UV光氧化研究

采用单独紫外光氧化工艺去除饮用水中低浓度阿特拉津,研究了不同影响因素对阿特拉津降解效果的影响,并分析了阿特拉津的降解机理.结果表明:单独紫外光氧化对阿特拉津有很好的去除效果,在光强为205μW/cm²条件下,光解120min后,阿特拉津去除率为92.38%.阿特拉津的光解过程符合一级反应动力学模型.通过提高紫外照射光强,可以在短时间内提高阿特拉津的去除率.阿特拉津的初始浓度对光解反应基本没有影响.自来水中的有机物及多种离子的存在会降低阿特拉津的光解速率.紫外光氧化阿特拉津主要降解途径是脱氯反应,反应速率很快.羟基化产物(OHA)是主要的中间产物.OHA在紫外光作用下可以继续发生脱烷基反应,生成OHDIA和OHDEA,反应速率非常缓慢.反应液中pH值的变化与中间产物的形成过程有很好的相关性.     

MnO2吸附-氧化去除草甘膦的研究

草甘膦是一种被广泛使用的除草剂,天然矿物的吸附-氧化作用对草甘膦的降解具有重要影响.本文研究了草甘膦在MnO2表面的吸附-氧化行为,考察了草甘膦在MnO2表面的降解动力学,以及反应体系pH和共存阳离子对MnO2吸附-氧化降解草甘膦的影响,初步分析了草甘膦的降解产物和可能的降解途径.结果表明,MnO2可有效降解草甘膦,草甘膦在MnO2表面的降解符合表观准一级动力学模型,表观反应动力学常数随草甘膦浓度的增大而减小;酸性条件有利于MnO2对草甘膦的去除,共存Cu2+对MnO2去除草甘膦有明显的抑制作用;草甘膦的降解产物包括肌氨酸、氨基乙酸、羟基乙酸、甲酸和乙酸及PO3-4、NH+4和NO-3.     

基于虚拟样机的电子产品振动疲劳寿命评估方法

为研究随机振动对电子设备元器件寿命的影响,应用虚拟样机技术与随机振动疲劳模型,评估器件及电路板的随机振动疲劳寿命。重点介绍了基于虚拟的电子产品随机振动疲劳寿命的虚拟评估方法的具体流程,并以具体电路板为例进行了随机振动疲劳寿命分析。