Comparison of Nitrate Levels in Raw Water and Finished Water from Historical Monitoring Data on Iowa Municipal Drinking Water Supplies

Nitrate contamination of water sources is a concern where large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers are regularly applied to soils. Ingested nitrate from dietary sources and drinking water can be converted to nitrite and ultimately to N-nitroso compounds, many of which are known carcinogens. Epidemiologic studies of drinking water nitrate and cancer report mixed findings; a criticism is the use of nitrate concentrations from retrospective drinking water data to assign exposure levels. Residential point-of-use nitrate data are scarce; gaps in historical data for municipal supply finished water hamper exposure classification efforts. We used generalized linear regression models to estimate and compare historical raw water and finished water nitrate levels (1960s--1990s) in single source Iowa municipal supplies to determine whether raw water monitoring data could supplement finished water data to improve exposure assessment. Comparison of raw water and finished water samples (same sampling date) showed a significant difference in nitrate levels in municipalities using rivers; municipalities using other surface water or alluvial groundwater had no difference in nitrate levels. A regional aggregation of alluvial groundwater municipalities was constructed based on results from a previous study showing regional differences in nitrate contamination of private wells; results from this analysis were mixed, dependent upon region and decade. These analyses demonstrate using historical raw water nitrate monitoring data to supplement finished water data for exposure assessment is appropriate for individual Iowa municipal supplies using alluvial groundwater, lakes or reservoirs. Using alluvial raw water data on a regional basis is dependent on region and decade.     

Benzene Exposure Assessment at Indoor, Outdoor and Personal Levels. The French Contribution to the Life MACBETH Programme

Many VOC represent hazards to human health through chronic exposure. Recent European and world-wide legislation proposes limit values for ambient concentrations of these compounds. However, very little experimental data exists for true population exposure. In 1996, the European MACBETH initiative set out to measure population exposure to benzene in six European cities. This study details the French contribution to this program. Six campaigns were carried out, each comprising measurements at 100 outdoor sites and the participation of 50 non-smoking volunteers who wore personal samplers and had passive monitors installed in their homes. Iso-concentration maps were drawn for each campaign and the results showed that outdoor concentrations were significantly lower than indoors. Almost 75% of the volunteers were exposed to mean concentrations higher than the limit value of 5µgm³. It is demonstrated that personal exposure levels cannot be deduced simply by combining indoor and outdoor background concentrations. It is also shown that there is need for better knowledge of the contributions to overall exposure of outdoor microenvironments and the authors hope that future European directives will take this into account.     

新污染物环境暴露评估与调查监测总体要求

新污染物环境监测涉及新污染物识别、环境风险评估与管控成效评估等多个目标,科学的环境调查监测有助于最大程度支撑新污染物治理。分析了环境暴露评估对新污染物监测介质、监测尺度、监测数据质量及代表性等方面的要求,借鉴发达国家对新污染物的环境监测实践经验,提出了我国新污染物环境监测总体要求,主要包括：从筛查监测、评估监测和监督性监测3个层次开展监测,以发现问题、评估风险、监督成效。评估监测应包含污水处理厂活性污泥,排放源周边地表水、沉积物、大气、土壤、环境生物等介质,应符合局部尺度环境暴露评估对监测数据的要求,监测报告应包含足够的信息。     

Integrating Remote Sensing Approach with Pollution Monitoring Tools for Aquatic Ecosystem Risk Assessment and Managment: A Case Study of Lake Victoria(UGANDA)

Aquatic ecosystems around the world, lake, estuaries and coastal areas are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic pollutants through different sources such as agricultural, industrial and urban discharges, atmospheric deposition and terrestrial drainage. Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world and the largest tropical lake. Bordered by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, it provides a livelihood for millions of Africans in the region. However, the lake is under threat from eutrophication, a huge decline in the number of native fish species caused by several factors including loss of biodiversity, over fishing and pollution has been recently documented. Increasing usage of pesticides and insecticides in the adjacent agricultural areas as well as mercury contamination from processing of gold ore on the southern shores are currently considered among the most emergent phenomena of chemical contamination in the lake. By the application of globally consistent and comprehensive geospatial data-sets based on remote sensing integrated with information on heavy metals accumulation and insecticides exposure in native and alien fish populations, the present study aims at assessing the environmental risk associated to the contamination of the Lake Victoria water body on fish health, land cover distribution, biodiversity and the agricultural area surrounding the lake. By the elaboration of Landsat 7 TM data of November 2002 and Landsat 7 TM 1986 we have calculated the agriculture area which borders the Lake Victoria bay, which is an upland plain. This process has greatly enhanced nutrient loading to the soil, which is subsequently transported to the lake by rain or as dry fall. All the data has been insert in the Geographical information System (ARCGIS) to be upgraded and consulted. Heavy metals in fish fillets showed concentrations rather low except for mercury being higher than others as already described in previous investigations. In the same tissue, cholinesterases activity (ChE) as an indicator of insecticides exposure showed significant differences among fish species in both activity and sensitivity of selected inhibitor insecticides. This integrated approach aims at identifying and quantifying selected aquatic environmental issues which integrated with monitoring techniques such as contaminant concentrations and biological responses to insecticides exposure in fish populations will provide a scientific basis for aquatic zones management and assist in policy formulations at the national and international levels.     

Characterisation of Particulate Matter Sampled during a Study of Children's Personal Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter in a UK Urban Environment

The personal exposure of children aged 9 – 11 years to particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) was carried out between January and September 1997 in the London Borough of Barnet. Personal sampling along with home, garden and classroom microenvironmental monitoring was completed for all ten children. Each child was monitored for five days during winter, spring and summer. All children completed daily time activity diaries to provide information on any potential activities that could influence their exposure to particulate matter. Each evening a household activity questionnaire was also completed by the parents. Personal Environmental Monitors were used to sample personal exposure to PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. Harvard Impactors were used for the microenvironmental sampling of both size fractions. The children's mean personal exposure concentrations for PM₁₀ during winter, spring and summer were 72, 54 and 35 µg/m³ respectively and for PM_2.5 22, 17 and 18 µg/m³ respectively. In order to determine the potential sources of particulate matter, analysis of the Teflon filters has been undertaken. The physical characteristics of the particles have been identified using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The relationships between personal exposure concentrations and the different microenvironments will be discussed.     

中国化学品环境暴露评估领域的综合区划

大尺度空间(中国)化学品环境暴露多介质模型的建立需要先对空间做相应的区划.本文以ArcGIS软件为平台,通过有空间约束的聚类方法和水文分析方法相耦合,建立全国范围的综合分区.全国范围分为华南综合大区、华北综合大区、西北综合大区、华东综合大区、东北综合大区和西南综合大区6个综合大区.每个综合大区又分别包含了若干个综合小区...     

Exposure to inhaled THM: Comparison of continuous and event-specific exposure assessment for epidemiologic purposes

Trihalomethanes (THMs) (chloroform, bromoform, dibromochloromethane, and bromodichloromethane) are the most abundant by-products of chlorination. People are exposed to THMs through ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation. The objective of this study was to compare two methods for assessing THM inhalation: a direct method with personal monitors assessing continuous exposure and an indirect one with microenvironmental sampling and collection of time–activity data during the main event exposures: bathing, showering and swimming. This comparison was conducted to help plan a future epidemiologic study of the effects of THMs on the upper airways of children. 30 children aged from 4 to 10 years were included. They wore a 3M^™ 3520 organic vapor monitor for 7 days. We sampled air in their bathrooms (during baths or showers) and in the indoor swimming pools they visited and recorded their time–activity patterns. We used stainless steel tubes full of Tenax^® to collect air samples. All analyses were performed with Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Chloroform was the THM with the highest concentrations in the air of both bathrooms and indoor swimming pools. Its continuous and event exposure measurements were significantly correlated (r_s = 0.69 p < 0.001). Continuous exposures were higher than event exposures, suggesting that the event exposure method does not take into account some influential microenvironments. In an epidemiologic study, this might lead to random exposure misclassification, thus underestimation of the risk, and reduced statistical power. The continuous exposure method was difficult to implement because of its poor acceptability and the fragility of the personal monitors. These two points may also reduce the statistical power of an epidemiologic study. It would be useful to test the advantages and disadvantages of a second sample in the home or of modeling the baseline concentration of THM in the home to improve the event exposure method.     

2010年渤海海冰灾害特征分析

2010年中国遭遇到近30年来最严重的海冰冰情,因灾直接经济损失高达63.18亿元,占全年海洋灾害总经济损失的47.6%——海冰成为中国2010年海洋灾害中的主要灾种之一。基于区域灾害系统论,运用气象数据、MODIS图像和社会经济统计等资料,对2010年渤海海冰灾害的特征进行了初步分析。结果显示,以莱州湾结冰范围扩大为代表的渤海海冰分布变化是致灾因子区域危险性增大的主要特征,环渤海地区海水养殖面积和产量的增加是承灾体暴露性增大的主要特征,而总体灾情严重则是二者的综合结果。     

上海郊区家庭妇女PM2.5重金属组分暴露水平、来源与健康风险

为了解上海市郊区家庭妇女大气PM_(2.5)及重金属组分的呼吸暴露水平和潜在健康风险,于2017年2月至2018年6月使用SKC个体采样泵对松江区143位研究对象开展个体暴露监测,采用能量色散X射线荧光光谱法(ED-XRF)测定PM_(2.5)中13种无机元素的质量浓度.利用PMF源解析技术和美国环保署推荐的健康风险评价模型,对Ni、V、Cr、Mn、As和Pb的来源和暴露风险进行分析.结果表明,家庭主妇PM_(2.5)的年日均暴露浓度为40. 61μg·m-3,普遍高于周边环境监测站点的PM_(2.5)平均水平.Cr(Ⅵ)和As的致癌健康风险超过了可接受水平(10-6); V、Cr(Ⅵ)、Mn、Ni和As的非致癌风险处于安全水平,但5种元素的非致癌风险加和超出了安全阈值( 1). PM_(2.5)中10种无机元素(Al、Ti、V、Cr、Mn、Fe、Ni、Zn、As和Pb)的主要来源包括扬尘与室内源混合源(43. 8%)、工业冶炼尘(34. 6%)、燃煤(14. 5%)和燃油(7. 2%).根据源类的健康风险评价结果,应进一步加强工业冶炼和化石燃料燃烧综合防控.     

Chromium exhibits adverse effects at environmental relevant concentrations in chronic toxicity assay system of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Here we investigated whether the assay system (10-d) in Caenorhabditis elegans can be used to evaluate chronic toxicity of chromium (Cr(VI)) at environmental relevant concentrations ranging from 5.2 μg L⁻¹ to 260 μg L⁻¹. The results indicated that lethality, locomotion behavior as revealed by head thrash, body bend, and forward turn, metabolism as revealed by pumping rate and mean defecation cycle length, intestinal autofluorescence, and ROS production were severely altered in Cr chronically exposed nematodes at environmental relevant concentrations. The most surprising observations were that head thrash, body bend, intestinal autofluorescence, and ROS production in 13 μg L⁻¹ Cr exposed nematodes were significantly influenced. The observed adverse effects of Cr on survival, locomotion behavior, and metabolism were largely due to forming severe intestinal autofluorescence and ROS production. Therefore, our findings demonstrate the usefulness of chronic toxicity assay system in C. elegans in evaluating the chronic toxicity of toxicants at environmental relevant concentrations.