New York City Environmental Justice Alliance Waterfront Justice Project

This paper reviews key challenges and opportunities addressed by the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance's (NYC-EJA) Waterfront Justice Project, a citywide campaign to promote climate resilience and sustainability in urban industrial waterfront communities of New York City. NYC-EJA is a non-profit membership-driven network linking grassroots organisations from low-income neighbourhoods and communities of colour in their struggle for environmental justice. The Waterfront Justice Project is documenting community vulnerability in the context of climate change impacts, sources of industrial pollution, and demographic and socio-economic trends. This campaign is enabling community-based organisations, environmental justice communities, city planners, local and state government agencies, local business-owners, and other stakeholders to work in partnership to achieve community resilience while advocating for local jobs and promoting best practices in pollution prevention. New York City's waterfront policies ease the siting and clustering of public infrastructure, water pollution control plants, waste transfer stations, energy facilities, and heavy manufacturing uses in six areas designated as Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas (SMIAs). The SMIAs are located in environmental justice communities, largely low-income communities and communities of colour, in the South Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. New York City's local waterfront land use and zoning policies create cumulative risk exposure not only to residents and workers in the host waterfront communities, but also, in the event of storm surge or sea-level rise, to neighbouring, upland communities.     

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.     

微波消解－ICP－MS法测定土壤中稀土元素的研究

建立了电感耦合等离子体质谱（ ICP－MS）测定土壤中稀土元素的分析方法。采用HNO3＋HF酸体系用微波消解对土壤样品进行处理,以混合内标（ In、Bi）校正基体干扰和信号漂移,用ICP－MS对其中的16种稀土元素进行了测定。在优化的实验条件下,16种稀土元素标准曲线的相关系数r＞0．9999,检出限为0.012 ng／ml～0.069 ng／ml,加标回收率为84.0％～110％,相对标准偏差（n＝6）RSD均小于3.5％。该方法可用于四种不同类型土壤中稀土元素含量的测定。     

基于两种样品前处理方法对比研究小冬克玛底冰川雪坑中痕量元素

通过对唐古拉山小冬克玛底冰川雪坑中非季风季节沉积的雪样分别进行酸化处理和消解处理后,利用高分辨扇形磁场等离子体质谱仪(ICP-SFMS)测试了样品中19种痕量元素(Ba、U、Sr、Rb、Tl、Mo、Cs、Pb、Sb、V、Cr、Mn、Fe、Co、Al、Cu、Ti、Li、As)的酸化浓度和总浓度.研究结果表明,痕量元素浓度的变化范围较大,元素Al的最大/最小浓度比为326(酸化浓度)和465(总浓度),元素Pb相应比值为27和48.雪冰中痕量元素的总浓度一般大于该元素的酸化浓度,其中,元素Pb、Fe、Sb、Ba、Al、Ti的酸化浓度占总浓度的平均比值分别为91%、76%、60%、52%、33%和21%.一般地,样品中不溶微粒含量越大,酸化浓度占总浓度的比值越小;不溶微粒含量越小,则相反.对痕量元素的富集系数(EF)分析表明,各元素总浓度EF均值小于酸化浓度EF均值,揭示了用酸化浓度计算EF存在对痕量元素人为来源影响的高估.人类排放是小冬克玛底冰川中痕量元素的来源之一,对于元素Mo和Sb,人类排放估计是主要来源.利用后向轨迹模型模拟出小冬克玛底冰川雪冰中痕量元素在非季风季节主要来源于青藏高原西部及中亚中东地区.     

Cytogenotoxicity and histopathological assessment of Lekki Lagoon and Ogun River in Synodontis clarias (Linnaeus, 1758)

The cytogenotoxicity and histopathological alterations induced by xenobiotics in Lekki Lagoon and Ogun River on Synodontis clarias were investigated. Fish from these water bodies and a fish farm (control) were examined for micronucleated, binucleated, and immature erythrocytes in both gill and peripheral blood. Also gill, liver, kidney, and ovary were processed for histopathology using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Concentrations of cadmium, zinc, lead and copper in the water were determined. There was significant (p < 0.05) increase in micronucleated, binucleated, and immature erythrocytes in both gill and peripheral blood of S. clarias from the lagoon and river compared to the reference site. Loss and disorganization of the primary and secondary lamellae, multifocal degeneration, hemorrhages, cellular infiltration, congestions, vacuolations, atresia, and necrosis were common lesions in the examined tissues of fish from the lagoon and river. Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu in water samples from the lagoon and river were higher than the reference site. Xenobiotics in Lekki Lagoon and Ogun River, mostly metals, induced deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and pathological damage in S. clarias.     

Contamination and vertical distribution of As,Cd, Cr,Cu, Pb,Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from tailings retention ponds

The contamination and vertical distribution of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Tl, and Zn in paddy soil irrigated with untreated leachate from the tailings retention pond were investigated. As, Cr, Cu, and Zn were slightly contaminated in the surface soil and hence their vertical distribution was not obvious. However, Cd and Pb were highly contaminated in the surface soil, while their concentrations decreased with depth, being negatively correlated with pH and positively with total organic matter. Tl was considerably contaminated in the surface soil and a V-shaped vertical distribution was observed where the concentration increased to a maximum at about 30 cm depth and decreased thereafter. The findings revealed that the regular irrigation with untreated leachate from the tailings retention ponds could cause considerable contamination of Cd, Pb, and Tl, and thus tailings should be stringently treated before disposal to minimize their potential environmental impacts on the surroundings.     

纳米氧化锌对大型溞肠道组织毒性效应及机理研究

研究了不同浓度纳米氧化锌（ZnONP）及其在水中释放的对应浓度的Zn²⁺溶液对大型溞（Daphnia magna）肠道组织显微和亚显微结构的影响,探讨了ZnONP对大型溞的肠道组织毒性效应特征和作用机理.结果表明,0.3 mg·L^-1-Zn²⁺组（Zn²⁺浓度0.170 mg·L^-1）和0.3 mg·L^-1 ZnONP溶液皆对大型溞的肠道造成损伤,主要导致大型溞中肠与直肠之间的连接处发生扭曲,其中ZnONP对肠道组织结构弯曲影响最为明显,0.3 mg·L^-1 ZnONP组引起大型溞个体最大肠道弯曲率高达42%.大型溞肠道组织HE染色结果显示,ZnONP暴露会造成大型溞肠道上皮组织断裂、胞间连接空泡化、纹状缘模糊及杯状细胞脱落等,而相对应浓度Zn²⁺组的毒性较弱.电子显微镜下对大型溞肠道组织亚显微结构观察发现,0.3 mg·L^-1 ZnONP处理组大型溞肠道上皮细胞组织出现微绒毛排列紊乱、脱落、溶解,上皮细胞松散,线粒体双层膜结构不完整,嵴溶解消失,核糖体增多等现象.0.3 mg·L^-1-Zn²⁺组大型溞肠道组织上皮细胞有损伤,但整体结构基本完整.从ZnONP和对应的Zn²⁺所产生的毒性效应特征和各组大型溞机体中Zn元素含量的测定分析,ZnONP对大型溞造成的肠道组织损伤不仅与其释放的Zn²⁺引起的毒性有关,更可能与大型溞对颗粒物摄取的方式或ZnONP在体内的积累量、排泄速率和作用的细胞器等有关.因此,ZnONP对肠道组织毒性效应产生的分子机制还需要 进一步研究.     

太湖流域1954~2006年气候变化及其演变趋势

用Mann Kendall统计检验方法对太湖流域6个气象站点1954~2006年降水、气温、相对湿度、日照时数的变化趋势和时空特征进行了分析，结果表明：50余年来太湖流域降水量呈较弱的增加趋势，冬季和夏季降水增加显著；空间变化趋势表现为北部地区降水量呈下降趋势，东南部地区呈上升趋势。年平均相对湿度表现为微弱的下降趋势，M K倾斜度值为 -099%/10 a；春、秋季相对湿度都显著减小，而夏季减小幅度较弱，冬季减小现象不显著。年平均气温呈现明显上升趋势，并表现出最低气温比最高气温增高趋势显著的特点，冬、春季增温显著；空间分布变化趋势为以平湖和溧阳为中心的两个地区上升趋势最小，以上海为中心地区上升幅度较大。年日照时数的下降趋势幅度较大，以溧阳为中心的西部地区最为明显，四个季节日照时数都呈减少的趋势；空间分布变化趋势表现为全流域呈减少趋势，由西向东减少幅度依次减小。气候变暖，降水将进一步增加，必然导致径流也呈增加趋势，在一定程度上加大了太湖流域洪涝灾害发生的可能性。分析成果有助于进一步研究气候变化对太湖流域水资源和防洪安全的影响，也将为太湖流域未来气候变化情景的构建提供科学依据。     

Impact of Invasive Cane Toads on Australian Birds

Abstract: The cane toad (Bufo marinus), a large, toxic, American anuran, was introduced to Australia in 1935. Populations of many of Australia's reptiles (snakes, varanid lizards, crocodiles) and carnivorous mammals (dasyurid marsupials) have declined because these predators are killed by the toad's powerful toxins. In contrast to these well‐studied species, little is known about the cane toads impacts on Australian birds. We reviewed published and unpublished data on behavioral interactions between Australian avian predators and cane toads and collated distributional and dietary information to identify avian taxa potentially at risk from cane toad invasion. Cane toads are sympatric with 172 frog‐eating bird species in Australia, and an additional 8 bird species overlap with the predicted future range of the toad. Although many bird species thus are potentially at risk, behavioral observations suggest the risk level is generally low. Despite occasional reports of Australian birds being killed when they ingest cane toads, most birds either ignore toads or survive the predation event. The apparently higher tolerance of Australian birds to toad toxins, compared with Australian reptiles and marsupials, may reflect genetic exchange between Australian birds and Asian populations that encounter other bufonid species regularly and hence have evolved the capacity to recognize or tolerate this toxic prey.     

EFFECTS OF MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER DISCHARGES ON AQUATIC COMMUNITIES,BOISE RWER,IDAHO1

ABSTRACT: Aquatic communities in the Boise River were examined from October 1987 to March 1988 to determine whether they were adversely affected by trace elements in effluents from two Boise wastewater treatment facilities. Trace-element concentrations in the Boise River were less than or near analytical-detection levels and were less than chronic toxicity criteria when detectable. Insect communities colonizing artificial substrates upstream and downstream from the wastewater treatment facilities were strongly associated, and coefficients of community loss indicated that effluents had benign enriching effects. The distributions of trace-element-intolerant mayflies indicated that trace-element concentrations in effluents did not adversely affect intolerant organisms in the Boise River. Condition factor of whitefish was significantly increased downstream from the Lander Street wastewater treatment facility and was significantly decreased downstream from the West Boise wastewater treatment facility.