Analysis of gross alpha, gross beta activities and beryllium-7 concentrations in surface air: their variations and statistical prediction model

Measurement of gross α, gross β activities and cosmogenic beryllium-7 (⁷Be) concentrations were made both daily and weekly during the years 2001–2004 from samples of atmospheric aerosols filtered from the air at Tehran Nuclear Research Center (35 41′ N) and Zahedan (28 29′ N). Weekly aerosol samples collected with the high-volume air samplers on cellulose filters were used to determine the ⁷Be contents of samples, using a semiconductor gamma spectrometer. Airborne dust samples were collected daily on fiber glass filters and used to determine the gross β and gross α activities with automatic beta analyzer and a ZnS(Ag) counter, respectively. In this work, the concentration and meteorological data were used to determine models for gross α, gross β and ⁷Be. The air concentrations of gross β and gross α activities and ⁷Be concentrations displayed lognormal distributions during the study period. Both β and ⁷Be have maximum activity concentrations during warm mid-year months.     

Amplification of plasmid DNA bound on soil colloidal particles and clay minerals by the polymerase chain reaction

Polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to amplify a 600-base pair(bp)sequence of plasmid pGEX-2T DNA bound on soil colloidal particles from Brown soil(Alfisol)and Red soil(Ultisol),and three different minerals(goethite,kaolinite,montmorillonite). DNA bound on soil colloids,kaolinite,and montmorillonite was not amplified when the complexes were used directly but amplification occurred when the soil colloid or kaolinite-DNA complex was diluted,10- and 20-fold.The montmorillonite-DNA complex required at least 100-fold dilution before amplification could be detected.DNA bound on goethile was amplified irrespective of whether the complex was used directly,or diluted 10- and 20-fold.The amplification of mineral-bound plasmid DNA by PCR is,therefore,markedly influenced by the type and concentration of minerals used.This information is of fundamental importance to soil molecular microbial ecology with particular reference to monitoring the fate of genetically engineered microorganisms and their recombinant DNA in soil environments.     

Number concentration and size distributions of submicron particles in Jinan urban area： Characteristics in summer and winter

The aerosol number concentration and size distribution were measured with the newly developed Wide-range Particle Spectrometer in summer and winter of 2006 at the urban site of Jinan City.Here reported the characteristics of fine particles of the different observation seasons.Relative high number concentrations for the particles in the diameter range of 10-500 nm were observed in both seasons.It was found that the dominant number distributed in particle diameter smaller than 100 nm and the percentage over the number concentration of all air particles is much higher than what has been measured in other urban sites over the world.The number mean diameter in summer was much smaller than in winter,strongly suggesting the different origin of ultrafine particles in different seasons.That is, particles in ultrafine mode mainly came from nucleation and new particle formation in summer while from traffic emission in winter. The diurnal variation also supported this point.Number concentration in the diameter range of 10-200 nm got their peak values at noontime,well correlated with the mixing ratio of SO_2 and the intensity of solar radiation in summer.While in winter,those in the same diameter range showed the main peaks during the traffic hours happened in the morning and evening.     

Indoor Air Quality at Rural and Urban Sites in Pakistan

In the developing world, the vast majority of people rely on solid biomass fuels for cooking and heating which results in poor indoor air quality. The present study determined indoor air quality in some rural and urban areas of Pakistan. Measurements were made of particulate mass (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1), number concentration and bioaerosols in different micro environments. PM10 concentrations of up to 8,555 μg/m³ were observed inside the kitchens where biofuels were used as energy source. Cleaning and smoking was identified as a major source of indoor particulate pollution and concentrations of more than more than 2,000 μg/m³ were recorded in the living room during these activities. Indoor number concentrations in Lahore were typically greater than those observed outdoors in European cites. At a rural site the highest Colony Forming Units (CFUs) were in the 0.5 μm–2 μm size fraction, while at the urban location CFUs were dominant for 2 μm–16 μm. It was observed that CFUs(Colony Forming Units) counts were higher inside living rooms than kitchens. It is important to note that women and children were exposed to extremely high levels of particulates during cooking. Overall, indoor air quality in Pakistan was poor and there is a dire need to take a serious step to combat with it.     

Mass Load-Based Pollution Management of the Han River and Its Tributaries, Korea

Spatio-temporal variations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and total coliform (TC) in the Han River, Korea, were investigated in terms of concentration-based and mass loading-based approaches. Considering the river water quality criteria regulated by the Ministry of Environment in Korea, the tributaries linked to the mainstream of the Han River were found to be highly contaminated with respect to both BOD and TC and, in fact, most of the tributaries exceeded the maximum water quality criteria. To evaluate the pollution impact of tributaries on the mainstream, the monthly water quality monitoring data for six years (from 1995 to 2000) were collected from the Han River basin, and statistically analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results revealed that mass loading-based approach was superior to the concentration-based approach for effective Han River watershed management. Overall results supported that the mass loading-based approach associated with total maximum daily loads (TMDL) management would be a useful and suitable protocol in watershed management for improving the water quality of the Han River and protecting public health. Therefore, this study supporting TMDL management can be applicable to a wide array of contaminants and watershed settings in Korea.     

浅谈串联四极杆质谱（GC—QqQ-MS／MS）在土壤样品有机污染物分析中的应用

建立了ASE-GPC—GC-QqQ—MS／MS测定土壤中17种有机氯农药和19种多氯联苯以及MAE-SPE—GC-QqQ—MS／MS测定土壤中16种多环芳烃和18种邻苯二甲酸酯的方法。多环芳烃和邻苯二甲酸酯定量限在0．02～2．81μg／kg之间,有机氯农药和多氯联苯定量限在0．01～0．51μg/kg之间。样品加标浓度在5μg/kg时多环芳烃和邻苯二甲酸酯的平均回收率在66．6％～122．1％之间,相对标准偏差均小于20％;有机氯农药和多氯联苯平均回收率在79．6％～93．2％之间,相对标准偏差均小于15％。     

Analysis of accumulation, extractability, and metabolization of five different phenylarsenic compounds in plants by ion chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and by atomic emission spectroscopy

Phenylated arsenic compounds occur as highly toxic contaminants in former military areas where they were formed as degradation products of chemical warfare agents. Some phenylarsenic compounds such as roxarsone and aminophenylarsonic acids were applied as food additive and veterinary drugs in stock-breeding and therefore pose an environmental risk in agricultural used sites. Very few data exist in the literature concerning uptake and effects of phenylarsenic compounds in plants growing on contaminated soils. In this study, the accumulation, extractability, and metabolization of five different phenylarsenic compounds, phenylarsonic acid, p- and o-aminophenylarsonic acid, phenylarsine oxide, and 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid called roxarsone, by the terrestrial plant Tropaeolum majus were investigated. Ion chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to differentiate these arsenic compounds, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy was used for total arsenic quantification. All compounds considered were taken up by the roots and transferred to stalks, leaves, and flowers. The strongest accumulation was observed for unsubstituted phenylarsonic acid followed by its trivalent analogue phenylarsine oxide that was mostly oxidized in soil whereas the amino- or nitro- and hydroxy-substituted phenylarsonic acids were accumulated to a smaller degree.The highest extraction yield of 90% for ground leaf material was achieved by 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.7, in a two-step extraction with a total extraction time of 24 h. The extraction of higher amounts of arsenic (50–70% of total arsenic present in leaves depending on arsenic species application) from non-ground intact leaves with deionized water in comparison with the buffer (20–40% of total arsenic) is ascribed to osmotic effects. The arsenic species analysis revealed a cleavage of the amino groups from the phenyl ring for plants treated with aminophenylarsonic acids. A further important metabolic effect consisted in the production of inorganic arsenate and arsenite from the phenylated arsonic acid groups.     

Laboratory longitudinal diffusion tests: 1. Dimensionless formulations and validity of simplified solutions

To obtain reliable diffusion parameters for diffusion testing, multiple experiments should not only be cross-checked but the internal consistency of each experiment should also be verified. In the through- and in-diffusion tests with solution reservoirs, test interpretation of different phases often makes use of simplified analytical solutions. This study explores the feasibility of steady, quasi-steady, equilibrium and transient-state analyses using simplified analytical solutions with respect to (i) valid conditions for each analytical solution, (ii) potential error, and (iii) experimental time. For increased generality, a series of numerical analyses are performed using unified dimensionless parameters and the results are all related to dimensionless reservoir volume (DRV) which includes only the sorptive parameter as an unknown. This means the above factors can be investigated on the basis of the sorption properties of the testing material and/or tracer. The main findings are that steady, quasi-steady and equilibrium-state analyses are applicable when the tracer is not highly sorptive. However, quasi-steady and equilibrium-state analyses become inefficient or impractical compared to steady state analysis when the tracer is non-sorbing and material porosity is significantly low. Systematic and comprehensive reformulation of analytical models enables the comparison of experimental times between different test methods. The applicability and potential error of each test interpretation can also be studied. These can be applied in designing, performing, and interpreting diffusion experiments by deducing DRV from the available information for the target material and tracer, combined with the results of this study.     

可变电荷土壤和恒电荷土壤Cl-吸附特性的研究

对不同浓度KCl和不同pH下,3种可变电荷土壤和4种恒电荷土壤Cl-吸附量进行了测定。结果表明,土壤Cl-吸附量随平衡Cl-浓度C（e）增加而增大,恒电荷土壤呈线性,可变电荷土壤在添加Cl-0.5~5.0mmol/L下,符合Langmuir吸附等温式。同一浓度下的Cl-吸附量及其随浓度增加的速率均为砖红壤>红壤>赤红壤>黄棕壤>棕壤、暗棕壤和黑土,与这些土壤所带正电荷量顺序相一致。Langmuir方程K值较小且几种土壤差异不大。恒电荷土壤对Cl-的吸附量很小,在浓度较低时常出现负吸附,其吸附机理可能更多的是与K+吸附时的同时吸附。7种土壤Cl-吸附量均随pH增加而降低,但降低强度可变电荷土壤远大于恒电荷土壤。     

Temporal variations of airborne particles concentration in the Brussels environment

We report and analyze data on the PM10 fraction of airborne particles measured at five recording stations in the Brussels region from October 2002 till September 2003. These stations are representative of the various activity sectors of the Brussels urban area. The objective was the determination of the origin of the PM10 particles (particles up to 10 μm) that are recorded in that region in order to follow the EU directives concerning tolerance level of airborne particles concentration. In order to evaluate the impacts of local and external factors that inject solid particles in the atmosphere of Brussels we compared concentration data from working and not working (holidays) periods. Moreover, we also compared concentrations from periods of agricultural activity and rest in the Brabant provinces surrounding the Brussels region for various crop types. The results lead to the conclusion that the impact or urban traffic is rather limited while that of the agricultural activities is important. Moreover, there appears a clear-cut distinction between different types of crops.