Trace elements in particulate matter of ambient air at petroleum filling stations

Size segregated suspended particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM_10-2.5) in air at four major petroleum-filling stations in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, were monitored using double staged “Gent” stacked samplers to assess variations in mass loads and elemental concentrations of 25 elements. Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Cs, Ta, W, and Pb were determined in both fractions by external ion beam proton-induced X-ray emission technique. Enrichment factors and pollution indices were calculated and results revealed that most elements were anthropogenic in both fractions with concentrations exceeding the World Health Organization guideline standards.     

广东某铀废石堆周边土壤中铀污染特征及其环境有效性

铀（U）矿冶过程中产生了大量铀废石。通常认为其放射性核素含量低,大多沿山谷露天自然堆放,一般不对堆场做防渗漏处置,对铀废石可能产生的潜在环境影响尚未引起重视。以广东某花岗岩型铀矿山的一个废石堆周边土壤为研究对象,在废石堆上、下游方向分别采集了2条（即BP1和BP2,视作背景土壤,距离废石堆的距离分别为10和20 m）和3条土壤剖面（即WP1、WP2和WP3,视作潜在U污染土壤,距离废石堆的距离分别为50、100和180 m）。通过对剖面间U分布特征的对比,定量估算了受污染土壤中外源U的输入通量;结合逐级化学提取技术,分析了U在土壤剖面的赋存形态及其环境有效性。结果表明：1）铀废石堆对周边土壤产生了显著的放射性污染,废石堆下游方向由近及远的3条U污染剖面（WP1、WP2和WP3）中U平均质量分数比背景剖面分别富集了634.6、10和3.7倍,其外源U的平均输入通量分别为4840.36、86.72和20.46μg·g-1。距污染源（废石堆）愈近,土壤中外源U的输入通量愈大;2）在近源区,大量的外源U优先在土壤表层聚集,随着远离污染源,逐渐转变为优先在剖面的深部淀积;3）与U 污染剖面相比,背景剖面（BP2）的惰性态 U（晶质铁锰氧化物/氢氧化物结合态+残渣态）所占比例最大,活性态 U（可交换态（包括水溶态）+碳酸盐结合态）所占比例最小,说明U污染土壤的外源U输入更倾向于对活性态U的贡献,这是对植物影响最直接的部分。另外,距污染源由近及远,U污染土壤中活性态U所占比例增大,潜在活性态U（有机质结合态+无定形铁锰氧化物/氢氧化物结合态）所占比例降低;4）3条U污染剖面中,平均90%以上的U（活性态和潜在活性态）对生态系统构成了威胁。因此,铀废石堆对周边环境产生的风险应得到充分重视。本研究为开展铀矿冶地域的放射性环境影响评价和土壤修复提供了有益的参考。     

表观遗传学机制与空气污染的健康效应

空气污染是一个全球性的问题,并且具有深远的环境影响。暴露于空气污染会对人体健康产生许多不同的影响,理解空气污染的健康效应又是一个复杂命题,既要考虑不同类型的污染物同时也要考虑相关疾病的复杂性。然而越来越多的研究表明,表观遗传学在空气污染相关疾病的发生、发展中发挥着重要的作用。空气污染物可引起DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰和miRNA表达等表观遗传学改变,这种改变往往发生在疾病产生的早期,因此相关研究不仅可以了解疾病的发病机制,而且还为疾病早期诊断和预防筛选可能的标志物。本文综述了表观遗传学的几种修饰方式和空气污染物造成不良健康损伤机制的一些研究进展。     

铜-磺胺嘧啶复合胁迫对蔬菜种子发芽的急性毒性效应

研究了黄潮土中常用兽药磺胺嘧啶(SD)与重金属铜(Cu)单一及复合污染对小白菜和西红柿种子发芽(发芽率、根伸长、芽伸长)的影响,分析了土壤中药物浓度与作物生长抑制的剂量-效应关系及复合污染的毒性效应。结果表明,无论是在Cu或SD单一污染物作用下,根伸长和芽伸长抑制率与污染物浓度显著相关(P0.01),发芽抑制率与污染物浓度不相关(P0.05);污染物对根伸长及芽伸长的抑制高于对种子发芽的抑制;SD对2种作物的毒性效应明显强于Cu,SD对小白菜和西红柿根伸长的ID50(抑制率为50%时污染物浓度)分别为1.7和33.6 mg·kg~(-1),而Cu为273.6和457.7 mg·kg~(-1)。Cu-SD复合污染,对西红柿的根和芽伸长的拮抗作用显著(P0.01);但对小白菜来说,在低浓度Cu(100 mg·kg~(-1))作用下,二者的联合拮抗作用不显著(P0.05),随Cu的增加,拮抗作用显著(P0.01)。     

PBDEs的来源特征、环境分布及污染控制

多溴联苯醚(Polybrominated diphenyl ethers,PBDEs)生产应用、环境分布与生态风险之间的关系将如何影响我国的未来,具体涉及到工业、环境、健康、人类繁衍等的社会问题.由于PBDEs阻燃效率高,热稳定性好,价格便宜,作为添加剂被广泛应用在电子、电器、化工、交通、建材、纺织、石油等领域的阻燃产品中.PBDEs进入环境后迁移扩散并富集于沉积物和生物体内,进入人体后引起肝脏毒性、内分泌干扰、神经毒性和生育能力下降等而危害人类的健康.基于此,从生产应用、品种生产量、分子的物理化学特性以及毒性等的文献数据分析了PBDEs的来源特征与环境危害,分析这些性质对环境分布与污染控制的基础支持关系;从沉积物、水体、大气、水生生物、人体5个方面考察了PBDEs的环境本底浓度变化、分配关系、迁移规律、时间效应,分析了生产、应用与扩散的多因素影响关系,发现全球性PBDEs污染物蔓延的现象,沉积物是主要的归趋场所,室内空气中的浓度远高于室外,水中浓度较低,水生生物和人体均能富集PBDEs,通过饮食、母乳和呼吸摄入,可实现代际传播,污染的分布呈现介质与区域的不同特征;污染控制需要考虑点源技术与面源修复的联合,结合PBDEs的物理性质、分子结构及其化学特性,统计分析了微生物法、光化学降解法和零价铁还原法的原理及其有效性,根据PBDEs在产品中存在与分布的特点,提出收集-分离-富集-超临界催化还原和氧化毁毒的工艺,针对实际环境(以电子垃圾塑料和流域水体及沉积物为对象)中的PBDEs进行回收或处理,结合材料如催化剂的应用,从动力学和热力学方面提高PBDEs无害化的效率.最后,从生产管理、环境监测、风险评价、技术集成等方面提出了未来的努力方向.     

苏州地区水稻土重金属污染源解析及端元影响量化研究

利用国家土壤质量标准和当地背景值评价了苏州地区表层水稻土重金属(Pb、Cd、As、Hg、Cu、Zn、Ni、Cr)的污染(富集)状况.结果发现,苏州地区土壤Cd、Hg、As、Pb、Zn、Cu、Cr和Ni平均含量分别是0.23、0.23、9.14、35.36、103.36、35.75、77.12和33.18μg·g-1;除As外,其余7种重金属平均含量皆明显高于当地土壤背景值.通过与中国土壤环境质量标准(GB15618—1995)相比,发现苏州地区土壤中Cd和Hg是8种重金属中风险最高的.地质累积指数分析表明,苏州水稻土重金属Cd、Hg、Pb、Cu和Zn出现了污染,其中以Cd和Hg的污染程度最突出,约80%的土壤样品出现了Pb轻度污染.因子得分-多元回归法(PCS-MLR)估算表明,70%的土壤Cd来自与有色金属或磷有关的人为活动;土壤中约50%的Pb和72%的Hg源于大气沉降的贡献;土壤的Zn和Cu污染主要来自与有色金属或磷有关的人为活动,该端元对土壤Zn和Cu的影响率分别为53%和45%.     

雄黄矿区不同砷污染土壤中微生物群落结构及碳源利用特征

土壤砷污染是我国乃至世界范围内比较严重的环境问题.有关砷污染的生态毒理效应有很多研究,但对砷污染土壤中微生物群落的关注相对较少.本文以我国湖南省石门县雄黄矿地区长期砷污染土壤为例,采用PLFA及BIOLOG微平板技术考察了7个砷(As)污染程度不同的样点以及一个对照样点土壤微生物群落结构及碳源利用特征.结果发现,雄黄矿区存在多种重金属复合污染,除As含量较高以外,镉(Cd)和镍(Ni)的含量也超过了国家土壤环境质量三级标准.雄黄矿区土壤微生物的群落结构受到土壤有机碳(SOC)、有效磷(AP)、p H以及镁(Mg)、Cd、铁(Fe)、铜(Cu)含量的显著影响.各样点土壤微生物群落均以细菌为主,占微生物总量的71.54%~80.66%,真菌次之,放线菌最少.雄黄矿区土壤中的有效砷对微生物造成了较严重的胁迫.严重砷污染降低了微生物对于碳源利用的多样性以及均匀度.各样点微生物对于碳源的利用也表现出明显的差异.31种碳源中微生物利用较多的只有7类,分别属于糖类、胺类、羧酸类与多聚物,并且以糖类为主.     

New insights into disruption of iron homeostasis by environmental pollutants

Among the numerous health conditions environmental pollutants can cause, chronic exposure to pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals has been shown to disturb a specific biological homeostatic process, the iron metabolism in human body. Disorders of iron metabolism are among the common diseases of humans and encompass a broad spectrum of diseases with different clinical manifestations, ranging from anemia to iron overload, and possibly to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hepcidin–ferroportin (FPN) signaling is one of the key mechanisms responsible for iron supply, utilization, recycling, and storage, and recent studies demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants including POPs and heavy metals could lead to disruption of the hepcidin–FPN axis along with disordered systemic iron homeostasis and diseases. This article introduces and highlights the accompanying review article by Drs. Xu and Liu in this journal, which elaborates in detail the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on iron metabolism, and the mechanisms responsible for these toxicological outcomes. It also points out the knowledge gaps still existing in this subject matter. Research that will fill these gaps will improve our understanding of the issue and provide useful information to prevent or treat diseases induced by environmental pollutants.     

Pollution levels and characteristics of phthalate esters in indoor air in hospitals

The concentrations of phthalate esters(PAEs) in Chinese hospitals were investigated by simultaneously determining concentrations of gas- and particle-phase PAEs. PAEs were detected in two third-class first-grade hospitals, two second-class first-grade hospitals, and a community health service center. Hospital drugstores had the highest concentration(24.19 μg/m3), which was 1.54 times that of newly decorated houses. The second highest concentration was found in the transfusion rooms, averaging 21.89 μg/m3; this was followed by the concentrations of PAEs in the nurse's workstations, the wards, and the doctor's offices, with mean concentrations of 20.66, 20.0, and 16.92 μg/m3, respectively. The lowest concentrations were found in the hallways(16.30 μg/m3). Of the six different kinds of PAEs found, major pollutants included diethyl phthalates, dibutyl phthalates, butylbenzyl phthalates and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates, comprising more than 80% of all PAEs present.Meanwhile, a comparison between different wards showed that PAE concentrations in the maternity wards were 1.63 times higher than in the main wards. Based on known health hazards, our results suggest that the PAEs seriously influence the health of the pregnant women and babies; therefore, it is of great importance to take the phthalate concentrations in hospitals into consideration. In addition, hospital indoor air was more seriously contaminated than the air of newly decorated houses.     

噪声污染侵权责任中“噪声污染”的界定

判定是否承担噪声污染侵权责任首先是对噪声污染的概念的界定,现行法律对该概念的界定主要采用“超标+干扰”的主客观相结合要件,实践中出现了扰民但噪声不超标的情况,由于不符合“环境噪声污染”概念而难以得到救济.对噪声污染概念的重构需要考虑到行政法中和侵权法中该概念的不同,其蕴含的价值区别.参考国外立法并结合我国实际应将超过忍受限度作为对噪声污染概念界定的标准之一,在保护人身的同时将对财产的保护也纳入保护范围之内.在环境噪声污染侵权中,法院在适用法律裁判案件时,不应运用《环境噪声污染防治法》中关于环境噪声污染概念的界定.