Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor air in Turkey: Estimations of sources and exposure

The aim of the current study was to measure polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in eight indoor (In both kitchen and living room) air sampling locations using a passive sampling method for collection. Passive outdoor air samples were also collected from 3 of the same sampling locations as the indoor air sampling sites. Sampling was conducted in three seasons. The summer season, when windows are generally open, was between 18th July and 01st September, 2014; the autumn and winter seasons, when windows are mostly closed, was between 18^th October and 01^st December, 2014, and 01^st December, 2014, and 18^th January, 2015, respectively.

Average PAH concentrations in summer were 22 ± 21 ng/m³ and 17 ± 12 ng/m³ in the living room and kitchen, respectively, whereas living room and kitchen average PAH concentrations were 23 ± 16 ng/m³ and 20 ± 9 ng/m³, respectively, in autumn and 23 ± 13 ng/m³ and 23 ± 24 ng/m³, respectively, in winter. Outdoor air PAH concentrations in summer, autumn and winter were 7 ± 0.4 ng/m³, 22 ± 13 ng/m³ and 209 ± 33 ng/m³, respectively. An increase in outdoor PAH concentrations was measured in winter compared to the concentrations in summer and autumn, which paralleled the lower outdoor air temperature. However, PAH concentrations in the indoor environment vary according to the household characteristics and personal habits.     

环境监测现场采样质量控制的措施和建议

现阶段我国的环境问题越来越严重,监测环境也有着越来越重要的任务。监测环境的主要目的是使用有效监测方法获得环境信息,使用科学的方法服务于环境管理工作。但因为环境监测工作具有一定的复杂性,如果有一个环节出现问题,都会影响监测结果的准确性。现阶段,在实验室内部开展的质量控制工作取得了良好成果,但现场采样依旧存在着一定问题,这会在很大程度上影响监测结果的准确性。因此本文围绕环境监测现场中的质量控制进行讨论。     

农用地土壤环境监测现场采样、制备及注意事项

土壤环境对农业生产、人类健康和土壤资源的安全性具有重要而深远的影响,随着土壤农业资源的持续开发,土壤环境受到的农药、化肥、石油等污染日益恶化。阐述了农用地土壤环境监测现场采样和制备过程,同时提出了注意事项,并对土壤环境监测面临的问题提出对策与建议。     

Optimized determination of airborne tetracycline resistance genes in laboratory atmosphere

• Sampling parameters with high efficiency was determined. • Operational process to detect airborne ARGs was optimized. • Providing research basis to control airborne ARGs of a laboratory atmosphere Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been detected in various atmospheric environments. Airborne ARGs transmission presents the public health threat. However, it is very difficult to quantify airborne ARGs because of the limited availability of collectable airborne particulate matter and the low biological content of samples. In this study, an optimized protocol for collecting and detecting airborne ARGs was presented. Experimental results showed that recovery efficiency tended to increase initially and then declined over time, and a range of 550–780 copies/mm² of capture loading was recommended to ensure that the recovery efficiency is greater than 75%. As the cell walls were mechanically disrupted and nucleic acids were released, the buffer wash protects ARGs dissolution. Three ratios of buffer volume to membrane area in buffer wash were compared. The highest concentrations of airborne ARGs were detected with 1.4 µL/mm² buffer wash. Furthermore, the majority of the cells were disrupted by an ultrasonication pretreatment (5 min), allowing the efficiency ARGs detection of airborne samples. While, extending the ultrasonication can disrupt cell structures and gene sequence was broken down into fragments. Therefore, this study could provide a theoretical basis for the efficient filter collection of airborne ARGs in different environments. An optimized sampling method was proposed that the buffer wash was 1.4 µL/mm² and the ultrasonication duration was 5 min. The indoor airborne ARGs were examined in accordance with the improved protocol in two laboratories. The result demonstrated that airborne ARGs in an indoor laboratory atmosphere could pose the considerable health risk to inhabitants and we should pay attention to some complicated indoor air environment.     

大气磷干沉降采样方法对比分析

以四川农业大学成都校区为监测点,采用大气主动采样法(AA)、大气干表面法(ADS)及大气湿表面法(AWS)3种常用干沉降采集方法做大气磷干沉降通量对比试验。结果表明,3种采样方法获得的大气磷干沉降通量间具有显著的差异性及相关性(P0.05),三者间可以进行换算统一;AA法适用于较短采样周期的连续性监测研究,ADS法适用于较长采样周期(5 d)的监测研究,而AWS法更适用于在长采样周期(月)内选取一段时间作为干沉降监测的研究。     

Spatial concentration distributions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in Patras, Greece, in a winter period

An economic and quick methodology for performing a preliminary spatial assessment of a city air quality with the purpose to identify locations and zones susceptible to high pollution levels is proposed. A Patras case-study is selected, regarding the air pollutants of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x). A total number of 451 samples of short duration, of which 225 were randomly picked in morning rush hours and 226 within evening rush hours, were collected from 50 locations of the major Patras area during a year period, when peaks of primary air pollutants usually occur. Concentration measurements at prescribed locations used to statistically calculate spatial average concentrations approximating 1-h mean values with mean probable errors less than 25.9% for SO₂, NO and NO_x and less than 15.5% for NO₂. Then iso-concentration contour diagrams plotted indicate high pollution zones and possibly appropriate locations for continuous or random monitoring according to the European Community (EC) Directives. The 1-h mean concentrations were in good correlation to the corresponding traffic rates and useful relationships are given (0.54 ≤ r ≤ 0.63). In addition, comparisons with data available for other cities, as well as with the limit and guide values provided by the EC and the World Health Organization (WHO) were given. The present data could be useful for the design and optimization of a city network of stations for monitoring air quality, for environmental impact assessments, future reference and comparisons due to city development needs, as well as for validating dispersion models.     

Temporal Trends of Young-of-Year Fishes in Lake Erie and Comparison of Diel Sampling Periods

We explored temporal trends of young-of-year (YOY) fishes caught in bottom trawl hauls at an established offshore monitoring site in Lake Erie in fall during 1961–2001. Sampling was conducted during morning, afternoon, and night in each year. Catches per hour (CPH) of alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) YOY were relatively low and exhibited no temporal trend. This result was consistent with the species’ intolerance to Lake Erie’s adverse winter water temperatures. Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) YOY decreased sharply after 1991, which was consistent with recent oligotrophication of the lake. Following the establishment in 1979 and rapid increase of white perch (Morone americana) YOY, white bass (Morone chrysops) and freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) YOY decreased. Trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus) YOY decreased during 1986–1991, but recovered to previous levels during 1991–2001. The recovery coincided with the resurgence of mayflies (Ephemoptera) in the lake. CPH of spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) and emerald shiner (N. atherinoides) YOY exhibited no temporal trend between 1961 and the late 1970s to early 1980s. CPH of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) YOY decreased during 1961–1988, and walleye (Sander vitreum) YOY increased overall during the time series. These observations were consistent with published studies of adults in the region. CPH of 4 of the 10 species of YOY considered were greatest during night. CPH for walleye YOY was higher in the morning than in the afternoon, but there was no significant difference between night and morning abundances. The results suggest that (1) CPH of YOY fishes may be a useful monitoring tool for Lake Erie, and (2) offshore monitoring programs that do not include night sampling periods may underestimate recruitment for several common species.     

Sampling and Analysis of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) Traces in Indoor Atmosphere

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) are widely found in disinfectants used in hospitals. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) predominate in the disinfecting formulations. These compounds are strong irritants and can play a role in the induction of Occupational Asthma among the professionals of health and cleaning. In order to evaluate the potential health effect of these quaternary ammonium compounds to hospital employers, the development of an analytical method for their quantification in indoor air was developed. DDAC aerosols are trapped by adsorption on XAD-2 resin SKC tube. The air in hospital buildings was sampled using a constant debit Gillian pump at a flow of 1.0 l/min (+/-5%). Ion Chromatography (IC) was chosen for the analysis of DDAC especially for its high sensitivity and specificity. The Limit of Detection (LOD) by IC for DDAC is 0.56 mug/ml. Therefore the LOD of atmospheric DDAC is 28 microg/m(3) with an air volume of 100 l and a desorption volume of 5 ml. All DDAC air samples were lower than the LOD of the analytical method by IC. Under the standard conditions of use of the disinfecting solutions (Surfanios, Ampholysine Plus and Amphospray 41), the insignificant volatility of DDAC would not seem to be able to contaminate the indoor hospital atmosphere during the disinfection process. However, the DDAC can contaminate working atmospheres if it is put in suspension by aerosolisation.     

负载咪唑型离子液体硅胶吸附材料制备及应用研究

制备了3种取代咪唑键合的硅胶负载型离子液体(甲基咪唑-SIL、氨丙基咪唑-SIL及十二烷基咪唑-SIL),比较了其对水中双酚A(BPA)的吸附能力。在该研究的实验条件下,BPA在十二烷基咪唑-SIL与水溶液之间的分配系数K_d值高达(2.58±0.02)×10³ L/kg,氨丙基咪唑-SIL、甲基咪唑-SIL的K_d值也分别达到(2.26±0.28)×10、(2.71±0.16)×10 L/kg。采用甲醇为洗脱液,可以对十二烷基咪唑-SIL相中的BPA进行有效回收,2次洗脱的合并回收率为106.7%±4.8%。以十二烷基咪唑-SIL作为被动采样装置的接收相,对污水处理厂出水中BPA进行了被动采样监测应用的微宇宙实验研究。结果表明,在实验周期内,十二烷基咪唑-SIL被动采样器对水体中BPA的被动采集呈线性,其采集速率为0.33 L/d,与以HLB为接收相的商品化被动采样器接近,并且同HLB固相萃取填料相比,离子液体接收相对BPA的采集更具选择性,基质效应较小,可作为被动采样监测装置的理想接收相材料。     

固定源低浓度颗粒物监测技术现状与思考

简述了固定源颗粒物监测技术的国内外现状,建议从规范现有方法和研发新方法入手,对低浓度颗粒物监测方法加以研究和改进。