Volatile metabolites from indoor molds grown on media containing wood constituents

Since volatile mold metabolites are used for the detection of mold growth in buildings, it was interesting to determine whether different indoor mold species show different affinity for the major components of wood, a common building material. Growth and volatile metabolites were studied when Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium chrysogenum, and P. palitans were grown on laboratory substrates containing the major wood constituents cellulose, xylan and lignin. Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) were characterized by thermal desorption/gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Growth and volatile metabolites varied considerably and there appeared to be complementary substrate specificities for P. chrysogenum, and P. palitans grown on cellulose and xylan. The failure of A. versicolor to produce characteristic MVOCs when grown on media containing wood constituents suggests that systems using volatile metabolites to detect microbial growth in buildings may be fundamentally unreliable for the detection of this species.     

Isotopic modelling of the significance of bacterial sulphate reduction for phenol attenuation in a contaminated aquifer

A Triassic sandstone aquifer polluted with a mixture of phenolic hydrocarbons has been investigated by means of high-resolution groundwater sampling. Samples taken at depth intervals of 1 m have revealed the presence of a diving pollutant plume with a sharply defined upper margin. Concentrations of pollutant phenols exceed 4 g/l in the plume core, rendering it sterile but towards the diluted upper margin evidence for bacterial sulphate reduction (BSR) has been obtained. Groundwaters have been analysed for both delta34S-SO4 and delta18O-SO4. Two reservoirs have been identified with distinct sulphate oxygen isotope ratios. Groundwater sulphate (delta18O-SO4 = 3-5/1000) outside the plume shows a simple linear mixing trend with an isotopically uniform pollutant sulphate reservoir (delta18O-SO4 = 10-12/1000) across the plume margin. The sulphur isotope ratios do not always obey a simple mixing relation, however, at one multilevel borehole, enrichment in 34SO4 at the plume margin is inversely correlated with sulphate concentration. This and the presence of 34S-depleted dissolved sulphide indicate that enrichment in 34SO4 is the result of bacterial sulphate reduction. Delta34S analysis of trace hydrogen sulphide within the plume yielded an isotope enrichment factor (epsilon) of -9.4/1000 for present-day bacterial sulphate reduction. This value agrees with a long-term estimate (-9.9/1000) obtained from a Rayleigh model of the sulphate reduction process. The model was also used to obtain an estimate of the pre-reduction sulphate concentration profile with depth. The difference between this and the present-day profiles then gave a mass balance for sulphate consumption. The organic carbon mineralisation that would account for this sulphate loss is shown to represent only 0.1/1000 of the phenol concentration in this region of the plume. Hence, the contribution of bacterial sulphate reduction to biodegradation has thus far been small. The highest total phenolic concentration (TPC) at which there is sulphur isotope evidence of bacterial sulphate reduction is 2000 mg/l. We suggest that above this concentration, the bactericidal properties of phenol render sulphate-reducing bacteria inactive. Dissolved sulphate trapped in the concentrated plume core will only be utilised by sulphate reducers when toxic phenols in the plume are diluted by dispersion during migration.     

Migration behavior of naturally occurring radionuclides at the Nopal I uranium deposit, Chihuahua, Mexico

Oxidation of pyrite at the Nopal I uranium deposit, Peña Blanca district, Chihuahua, Mexico has resulted in the formation of Fe-oxides/hydroxides. Anomalous U concentrations (i.e. several hundred to several thousand ppm) measured in goethite, hematite, and amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxides in a major fracture that crosscuts the deposit and the absence of U minerals in the fracture suggest that U was retained during secondary mineral growth or sorbed on mineral surfaces. Mobilization and transport of U away from the deposit is suggested by decreasing U concentrations in fracture-infilling materials and in goethite and hematite with distance from the deposit. Greater than unity ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios measured in fracture-infilling materials indicate relatively recent ( < 1 Ma) U uptake from fluids that carried excess ²³⁴U. Systematic decreases in ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios of fracture materials with distance from the deposit suggest a multistage mobilization process, such as remobilization of U from ²³⁴U-enriched infill minerals or differential or diminished transport of U-bearing solutions containing excess ²³⁴U.     

Distribution of endocrine disruptors in the Llobregat River basin (Catalonia, NE Spain)

The Llobregat basin is a Mediterranean fluvial system with major agricultural, urban and industrial impacts. We combined chemical quantification by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with electrospray interface (LC-ESI-MS) and the recombinant yeast assay (RYA) assays to estimate the loads of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) along the basin. Chemical analysis revealed maximum concentrations (at μg l⁻¹ level) of alkylphenols at the lower course of the Llobregat River, which correlated with high levels of estrogenic activity detected by RYA. Analysis by RYA and LC-ESI-MS of influent and effluent waters from four sewage treatment plants (STP) discharging into the basin showed the removal of 80–95% of EDCs by STP treatment. Chemical analysis data and RYA data showed a quasi-linear correlation, demonstrating the complementariness of both methods. Our data suggest that the concentrations of the analysed compounds were enough to explain the total estrogenicity of water and STP samples from the Llobregat basin.     

Airsolution液体在净化有机废气方面的应用

Airsoluton是一系列植物提取液复配而成的,这些植物提取液是含有气味的有机物,它们是从树、草和花等植物中提取的。这些有味的液体含有大量复杂的化合物,它们是绝大多数植物油的主要成分。本文根据Airsolution液体的氧化性,对处理含苯、甲苯和二甲苯的有机工业废气进行了净化研究,结果表明:Airsolution液体用于处理有机废气是可行的,处理后的苯、甲苯和二甲苯可实现达标排放。且该工艺具有运行费用低,投资少的特点。     

紫外光降解反应器去除氯苯气体模型的建立与应用

从光化学反应过程出发,基于线性光源球面辐射能量分布（LSSE）,以反应器内部空间的辐射能吸收密度、空塔停留时间、进口浓度等为主要参数,建立了气相环境中紫外光化学反应器去除氯苯的数学模型.结果表明,建立的模型能很好地模拟和预测紫外光化学反应器对氯苯气体的去除性能.氯苯气体的紫外光化学反应表现出一级反应动力学的特征.该模型包含了紫外光降解反应器设计的主要参数,同时被用于预测了反应器在不同进口浓度和不同空塔停留时间条件下的出口氯苯浓度,进而获得不同进口浓度达标排放所需要的最小空塔停留时间,为气相污染物的紫外光降解反应器的设计与运行提供了重要的理论指导.     

基于树种蓄积量的中国森林VOC排放估算

以中国森林优势树种为对象,应用《全国森林资源统计》提供的林分优势树种蓄积量资料和Guenther提出的光温影响模型,估算各优势树种的VOC排放量,建立了中国森林生态系统的VOC排放清单,并探讨了森林源VOC在不同时空和不同龄级林分中的分配规律.结果表明,中国森林VOC总排放量为8 565.76 Gg,其中异戊二烯5 689.38 Gg(66.42%),单萜烯1 343.95 Gg(15.69%),其他VOC 1 532.43 Gg(17.89%);不同树种的VOC排放量差异较大,栎类、云杉、马尾松等为主要贡献树种,贡献率分别为45.22%、6.34%和5.22%;西南和东北地区为中国森林VOC主要排放区域,云南、四川、黑龙江、吉林、陕西5省排放最多,分别占全国总量的15.09%、12.58%、10.35%、7.49%和7.37%;森林VOC排放存在非常强的季节性变化,夏季排放量最大,占全年的56.66%;不同龄级林分对VOC排放的贡献有所不同,中龄林贡献最多,占森林排放总量的38.84%.     

挥发性有机化合物及其二氧化钛光催化控制技术

介绍了挥发性有机化合物的来源、危害以及控制技术与措施,详细论述了纳米二氧化钛光催化控制技术的控制机理和应用现状。     

21世纪人口与资源环境可持续发展的概念和理论(待续)

论述了可持续发展概念的由来,从４个方面对可持续发展的理论进行了详细研究。指出可持续发展概念最本质的创新是改变过去人与自然的对立关系为和谐关系,中国将人口科学研究与可持续发展结合起来是跨世纪的国略。研究指出可持续发展的条件,揭示了人口、环境与发展变得和谐的现实可能性;判断可持续发展水平的高低,可由５个基本要素衡量,其社会应具备５个特征,以朝着更加均衡、和谐、互补的方向进化;指出可持续发展的中心矛盾是持续圈与行为圈的关系问题。     

A review of biomarker compounds as source indicators and tracers for air pollution

An overview of the application of organic geochemistry to the analysis of organic matter on aerosol particles is presented here. This organic matter is analyzed as solvent extractable bitumen/ lipids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The organic geochemical approach assesses the origin, the environmental history and the nature of secondary products of organic matter by using the data derived from specific molecular analyses. Evaluations of production and fluxes, with cross-correlations can thus be made by the application of the same separation and analytical procedures to samples from point source emissions and the ambient atmosphere. This will be illustrated here with typical examples from the ambient atmosphere (aerosol particles) and from emissions of biomass burning (smoke). Organic matter in aerosols is derived from two major sources and is admixed depending on the geographic relief of the air shed. These sources are biogenic detritus (e.g., plant wax, microbes, etc.) and anthropogenic particle emissions (e.g., oils, soot, synthetics, etc.). Both biogenic detritus and some of the anthropogenic particle emissions contain organic materials which have unique and distinguishable compound distribution patterns (C₁₄-C₄₀). Microbial and vascular plant lipids are the dominant biogenic residues and petroleum hydrocarbons, with lesser amounts of the pyrogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and synthetics (e.g., chlorinated compounds), are the major anthropogenic residues. Biomass combustion is another important primary source of particles injected into the global atmosphere. It contributes many trace substances which are reactants in atmospheric chemistry and soot paniculate matter with adsorbed biomarker compounds, most of which are unknown chemical structures. The injection of natural product organic compounds into smoke occurs primarily by direct volatilization/steam stripping and by thermal alteration based on combustion temperature. Although the molecular composition of organic matter in smoke particles is highly variable, the molecular tracers are generally still source specific. Retene has been utilized as a tracer for conifer smoke in urban aerosols, but is not always detectable. Dehydroabietic acid is generally more concentrated in the atmosphere from the same emission sources. Degradation products from biopolymers (e.g., levoglucosan from cellulose) are also excellent tracers. An overview of the biomarker compositions of biomass smoke types is presented here. Defining additional tracers of thermally-altered and directly-emitted natural products in smoke aids the assessment of the organic matter type and input from biomass combustion to aerosols. The precursor to product approach of compound characterization by organic geochemistry can be applied successfully to provide tracers for studying the chemistry and dispersion of ambient aerosols and smoke plumes. Presented at the 6th FECS Conference on Chemistry and the Environment, Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution, August 26–28, 1998, Copenhagen.