Method optimization to measure polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in soils of Bratislava, Slovakia

We modified an analytical method to determine polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in urban soils of Bratislava (Slovakia). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) introduced as a clean-up step for soil extracts substantially reduced matrix enhancements when PBDEs were measured with gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-MS). The resulting method proved to be accurate, precise, and showed low detection limits. The sum of 15 PBDE concentrations in surface horizons of Bratislava soils ranged from 87 to 627 pg g⁻¹. PBDE concentrations were mostly higher in surface than deeper horizons probably because of atmospheric deposition and lack of substantial vertical transport. Lower brominated PBDEs undergo more soil-atmosphere exchanges or are more scavenged and transferred with litter fall to the soil organic matter than higher brominated ones as suggested by the correlation between lower brominated PBDEs and soil organic C (C_org) concentrations.     

Enantioselectivity in environmental risk assessment of modern chiral pesticides

Chiral pesticides comprise a new and important class of environmental pollutants nowadays. With the development of industry, more and more chiral pesticides will be introduced into the market. But their enantioselective ecotoxicology is not clear. Currently used synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphates, acylanilides, phenoxypropanoic acids and imidazolinones often behave enantioselectively in agriculture use and they always pose unpredictable enantioselective ecological risks on non-target organisms or human. It is necessary to explore the enantioselective toxicology and ecological fate of these chiral pesticides in environmental risk assessment. The enantioselective toxicology and the fate of these currently widely used pesticides have been discussed in this review article.     

脱硫灰与钾矿石复合生产钾钙硅镁硫肥料研究

对脱硫灰与钾矿石复合生产钾钙硅镁硫肥的研究意义、反应原理、生产流程、环境安全性能以及施肥方法等进行了介绍和评估,并对其应用前景进行了展望。研究结果表明:利用脱硫灰与钾矿石复合生产钾钙硅镁硫肥在理论上可行;生产出的产品中硫酸钾的含量达10.34%～12.0%,枸溶氧化钙19.06%～32.28%,枸溶二氧化硅10.98%～14.46%,枸溶氧化镁1.46%～1.82%。产品的pH值从原脱硫灰的10.65下降到9.60。重金属含量低于农用粉煤灰国家标准,生产过程中不会产生SO2等有害气体污染。肥料的生产成本低于350元/t,该肥料不但可以增加土壤中钾、钙、硅、镁和硫等中微量元素的含量,而且可以提高或改善农作物的产量和品质。达到变废为宝,促进循环经济发展之目的。     

Fractionation of plutonium in environmental and bio-shielding concrete samples using dynamic sequential extraction

Fractionation of plutonium isotopes (²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu) in environmental samples (i.e. soil and sediment) and bio-shielding concrete from decommissioning of nuclear reactor were carried out by dynamic sequential extraction using an on-line sequential injection (SI) system combined with a specially designed extraction column. Plutonium in the fractions from the sequential extraction was separated by ion exchange chromatography and measured using alpha spectrometry. The analytical results show a higher mobility of plutonium in bio-shielding concrete, which means attention should be paid to the treatment and disposal of nuclear waste from decommissioning.     

Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China

To study the Pu concentration and isotope ratio distributions present in China, the ^239+240Pu total activities and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in core soil samples from Hubei Province in central China were investigated using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activities ranged from 0.019 to 0.502 mBq g⁻¹ and the ^239+240Pu inventories of 45 and ∼55 Bq m⁻² agree well with that expected from global fallout. The ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the soil ranged from 0.172 to 0.220. The ratios are similar to typical global fallout values. Hence, any close-in fallout contribution from the Chinese nuclear weapons tests, mainly conducted in the 1970s, must have either been negligible or had a similar ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu ratio to that of global fallout. The top 10 cm layer of the soil contributes ∼90% of the total inventory and the maximum concentrations appeared in the 2-4 cm or 4-6 cm layers. It is suggested that climatic conditions and organic content are the two main factors that affect the vertical migration of plutonium in soil.     

Characterization of plutonium in deep-sea sediments of the Sulu and South China Seas

Anthropogenic Pu isotopes are important geochemical tracers for sediment studies. Their distributions and sources in the water columns as well as the sediments of the North Pacific have been intensively studied; however, information about Pu in the Southeast Asian seas is limited. To study the isotopic composition of Pu, and thus to identify its sources, we collected sediment core samples in the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea during the KH-96-5 Cruise of the R/V Hakuho Maru. We analysed the activities of ^239+240Pu and the atom ratios of ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu using isotope dilution sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS). The ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the sediments of both areas (inventory weighted mean: 0.251 for the South China Sea and 0.280 for the Sulu Sea) were higher than the global fallout value (0.178 ± 0.019), suggesting the existence of Pu from the Pacific Proving Grounds in the North Pacific. Low inventories of ^239+240Pu in sediments were observed in the South China Sea (3.75 Bq/m²) and the Sulu Sea (1.38 Bq/m²). Most of the Pu input is still present in the water column. Scavenging and benthic mixing processes were considered to be the main processes controlling the distribution of Pu in the deep-sea sediments of both study areas.     

1949年以来中国环境与发展关系的演变

从IPAT方程出发,发现了环境影响随着经济发展或时间的演变依次遵循三个"倒U型"曲线规律,即环境影响强度的倒U型曲线、人均环境影响的倒U型曲线和环境影响总量的倒U型曲线。根据此规律,可以将该演化过程划分为四个阶段即:环境影响强度高峰前阶段、环境影响强度高峰到人均环境影响量高峰阶段、人均环境影响量高峰到环境影响总量高峰阶段以及环境影响总量稳定下降阶段。在环境演变的不同阶段,主要驱动力存在着明显的差异。在环境影响强度高峰前阶段,资源消耗或污染物排放增长更多地由资源或污染密集型技术进步驱动;在资源消耗或污染物强度高峰到人均资源消耗或污染物排放高峰阶段,主要由经济增长驱动;而在人均资源消耗或污染物排放高峰到资源消耗或污染物排放总量高峰阶段以及总量高峰以后的发展阶段,则主要由节约高效技术或污染减排技术进步来驱动。实证分析表明,中国目前环境与发展关系基本上处于经济增长主要驱动的环境影响强度高峰向人均环境影响高峰过渡阶段,这同时意味着中国要在短期内实现人均环境影响和环境影响总量高峰的跨越是异常困难的。     

自然资源、技术进步与环境库兹涅茨曲线

不可再生自然资源的约束和环境质量的不断恶化是经济可持续发展必须要面对的挑战。就环境问题而言,现实中一个特征事实是,在不同的收入水平下人们对环境质量的需求不同,只有当收入达到一定水平之后,人们才会注重生活质量的改善。基于现有研究,在考虑非再生自然资源的约束条件下,本研究将环境质量作为生产要素的一部分引入最优增长理论的分析框架,探讨了在环境污染和自然资源双重约束下的长期经济增长问题。在非再生自然资源和环境污染的双重约束下,本研究表明解决环境问题必须要采用的手段是促使技术进步的创新研发,因为技术进步是环境库兹涅茨曲线出现拐点的不可或缺的一个必要条件。在市场竞争的环境下,由于知识的非竞争性质使得研究部门的研究是次优的。因此,政府应当通过适当的财政政策和法制安排以激励私人投资者研究与开发新技术的积极性。     

Feasibility of vermicomposting dairy biosolids using a modified system to avoid earthworm mortality

Abstract

A laboratory study was conducted to examine the feasibility of vermicomposting dairy biosolids (dairy sludge), either alone or with either of the bulking agents ‐ cereal straw or wood shavings, using the epigeic earthworm ‐ Eisinea andrei. Earthworms added directly to these three substrates died within 48 hours. A system was developed to overcome the toxic effect of unprocessed dairy biosolids. The substrates were placed over a layer of vermicomposted sheep manure into which the earthworms were inoculated. Within two weeks, all earthworms were within the upper layer of substrate. Compared to sheep manure which is a favourable substrate for vermicomposting, the three substrates containing dairy biosolids were more effective in supporting earthworm growth and reproduction. The final products obtained after 63 days of vermicomposting had 39–53% less organic carbon than the initial substrates. Organic fractionation indicated that vermicomposting increased the stability of the materials to biological decomposition. The vermicomposts obtained from the three substrates with dairy biosolids had low heavy metal contents and electrical conductivities, and did not inhibit plant growth when compared with a commercial vermicompost in a bioassay.