ARSENIC CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH RISK PERCEPTIONS IN A RURAL WESTERN U.S. AREA1

ABSTRACT: Churchill County, Nevada, has approximately 23,000 residents, among whom an estimated 13,500 relied on private wells for water supply in 2002. This study examined exposure to arsenic in water supplies among residents with private domestic wells and factors related to householder choice to consume tap water. It compared opinions and concerns about water quality with consumption habits and observed concentrations from tap water samples. The results from 351 households indicated that a majority (75 percent) of respondents consumed tap water and that a minority (38 percent) applied treatment. Approximately 66 percent of those who consumed tap water were exposed to concentrations of arsenic that exceeded 10 ppb. Water consumption was related to application of treatment. Among 98 respondents who were not at all concerned about the health effects of aqueous arsenic, 59 (60 percent) reported consuming tap water with concentrations of arsenic exceeding 10 ppb. Conversely, among 86 respondents who were highly concerned about arsenic, 33 (37 percent) consumed tap water with concentrations of arsenic exceeding 10 ppb. Results from a national sampling effort showed that 620 of 5,304 private wells sampled (11.7 percent) had arsenic concentrations above 10 ppb. The paradox of awareness of arsenic in water supplies coupled with consumption of aqueous arsenic in concentrations greater than 10 ppb may be common in other parts of the nation. Enhanced educational efforts, especially related to tap water sampling and explanations of efficacy of available treatment, may be useful means of reducing exposure through private water supplies.     

硫化亚铁处理含砷废水中砷的形态变化

本文对用硫化亚铁处理含砷废水时，在气相、液相和固相中砷的形态进行了研究结果表明，在气相中无ＡａＨ３，但在Ａｓ（Ｖ）废水的液相中有Ａｓ（Ｖ）和Ａｓ（Ⅲ）共同存在，在固相中有Ａｓ（０），ＦｅＡｓＯ４（ＦｅＡｓＯ３），Ａｓ２Ｓ３（Ａｓ２Ｓ５）和吸附砷，砷的形态变化表明，硫化亚铁处理含砷废水能取得良好的效果，是沉淀、沉淀转化、氧化还原、吸附共沉淀和中和五种反应共同作用的结果。     

酸性紫色水稻土颗粒有机质对镉的吸附特性

采集典型的酸性紫色水稻土（APPS）,从中分离出颗粒有机质（POM）,通过批量试验研究POM及其来源土壤Cd²⁺的吸附动力学、等温吸附和热力学特征,通过扫描电镜-能谱仪、傅里叶红外光谱仪等手段及吸附前后镉的形态变化的测定,研究了POM对Cd²⁺的吸附机制.结果表明：POM对Cd²⁺的亲和力远高于其来源土壤.POM及土壤对Cd²⁺的吸附动力学最优模型均为准二级动力学.Langmuir、Freundlich方程均能较好地描述其等温吸附特征,其中对POM,以Freundlich方程更优,表明POM对Cd²⁺的吸附属于多分子层的非均质吸附.吸附热力学参数△G^θ均小于0、△H^θ和△S^θ均大于0,表明吸附属于自发吸热过程.根据△H^θ值及解吸试验判定POM对Cd²⁺的吸附以化学吸附为主,土壤对Cd²⁺的吸附过程以物理吸附为主.吸附平衡后,土壤中可交换态镉比例提高,而POM中交换态和络合态镉比例增加.综上及吸附前后POM的表征结果说明,POM对Cd²⁺的吸附机制包括含氧官能团的络合、离子交换、阳离子-π键、沉淀作用和静电吸附.     

石灰对生物炭和腐殖酸阻控水稻Cd吸收的效应

采用田间试验,研究了石灰-生物炭和石灰-腐殖酸两种联合修复剂及其不同施用量对酸性土壤中稻米Cd含量、产量和品质的影响,并对不同处理修复效果进行综合评估.结果表明,两种联合修复剂能显著降低稻米Cd含量17.39%~45.96%,降低土壤有效Cd含量18.29%~29.88%,.生物炭、腐殖酸施用量分别为5000,6000kg/hm²时,稻米Cd的降低效果最佳.石灰-生物炭处理中,降低稻米Cd含量的主要因子为土壤pH和土壤有效Cd含量（P<0.05）,而石灰-腐殖酸处理则为土壤有机质含量与土壤有效Cd含量（P<0.05）.施加修复剂后稻米产量可达6637~7890kg/hm²,直链淀粉含量达到19.47%~27.26%;当腐殖酸施用量为7500kg/hm²时可使稻米产量提高10.97%,而石灰-生物炭处理对稻米产量无显著影响;采用层次分析法确定了稻米Cd含量、稻米产量、稻米品质和修复费用在修复效应评估中所占权重为0.608、0.150、0.102、0.140,综合评估结果显示土壤-水稻系统Cd阻控效应的联合修复技术为：在施用1200kg/hm²石灰的基础上同时施加6000kg/hm²腐殖酸.     

腐植酸中不同分子量组分与As(Ⅲ)的络合性能

采用超滤方法将腐植酸（HA）分成5个不同分子量组分,利用平衡透析法研究HA中不同分子量组分与As（III）的络合特征和作用机理,计算络合过程的条件分配系数、表观稳定常数.结果表明,腐植酸组分的分子量对HA与As（III）的络合过程有显著的影响,当分子量小于10kDa时,HA与As（III）络合能力明显强于其他条件.其中羧基和酚羟基在HA与砷络合中起重要作用,为主要络合位点.采用Scatchard分析和双位点配体模型对络合结果进行拟合,发现HA中不同分子量组分和As（III）的络合过程中均存在强和弱2种络合位点.     

基于铁锰泥的除砷吸附剂性能比较及吸附机理

为解决反冲洗铁锰泥粉末吸附剂（BSPA）使用后难以泥水分离问题,将除铁锰水厂生物滤池产生的反冲洗泥制成颗粒吸附剂（GA）和磁性粉末吸附剂（MPA）,并对BSPA、GA和MPA的除砷性能进行了比较,通过SEM、TED、XRD、BET、FTIR等技术对3种材料进行了表征,寻找3种吸附剂之间除砷性能差异的根源.结果表明,BSPA、GA和MPA对As （V）的最大吸附容量分别为40.980,5.048,8.694mg/g,改性后的吸附材料GA和MPA对砷的吸附能力下降.BSPA是一种以纤铁矿为主的无定形结构混合物,并混有针铁矿和结晶度差的水铁矿,GA的XRD图谱中出现石英晶体和少量赤铁矿晶体的衍射峰,而MPA的主要成分为结晶程度较高的磁赤铁矿.3种材料中均存在有利于吸附的含羟基官能团.BSPA、MPA和GA的比表面积分别为253.150,238.660,43.803m²/g.物相改变且结晶程度增加、表面羟基减少和比表面积降低是导致GA和MPA的砷吸附容量比BSPA低的主要因素.     

Laboratory and Field Assessment of Arsenic Testing Field Kits in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India

High concentrations of arsenic in ground waters in West Bengal and Bangladeshhave become a major cause for concern in recent years. Given the enormity and the severity of the problemof arsenic poisoning, a task of evaluating the commercially available arsenic detection field kits for their capabilities was undertaken. In the light of the findings, generic specificationswere recommended which could form the basis forindigenous manufacture of these kits in the arsenic affected countries. This article presents the results of the laboratory and fieldevaluation conducted in Bangladesh and West Bengalof five arsenic testing field kits. The salient features of the kits, their merits and limitationshave been brought out. Based on the criteria of kitdesign, quality of chemicals used, colourcomparator charts, detection range, time required for analysis, cost etc., a comparative ranking ofthe kits has been made to facilitate the choice of the kit to meet specific requirements.     

Competitive Retention of Lead and Cadmium on an Agricultural Soil

Lead and cadmium contamination of an agricultural soil has been studied using batch and column experiments. Thermodynamics of theretention phenomena may be represented by a Langmuir isotherm foran aqueous metal concentration up to 100 mg L^-1. First order kinetics with respect to the solid phase yield good predictabilityfor both batch and column experiments. Kinetics and thermodynamics of lead retention predominate over those ofcadmium. As a consequence, lead is preferentially retainedand can even displace sorbed cadmium. In the event of anspill involving both metals, cadmium would move further inthe soil and its aqueous concentration downstream could beeven higher than that of the influent solution, increasingpotential risks. A two-region model has been used to fit all the experimental results. Satisfactory predictions for column experiments are obtained with parameters which are consistent with those obtained for the batch experiments, for which sorption is described by a Langmuir isotherm including competitive retention.     

Cadmium and Lead Levels in Fish (Tilapia Nilotica) Tissues as Biological Indicator for Lake Water Pollution

Cadmium and lead were determined in different tissues (muscle,gill, stomach, intestine, liver, vertebral column and scales) of Tilapia nilotica from the High Dam Lake, Aswan (Egypt) to assess the lake water pollution with those toxic metals. Fish samples were chosen from different ages and weights to be analyzed along with samples of the aquatic plant(Najas armeta), sediment and lake water.The results showed that cadmium and lead concentrations were higher in fish scales and vertebral column than in the other parts of the fish. Cadmium and lead levels in High Dam lake water and fish (Tilapia nilotica) were a result of the pollution which uptakes from aquatic plants, sediments andgasoline containing lead that leaks from fishery boats. Tilapia nilotica fish was used as a good bio-assay indicator for the lake pollution with cadmium and lead. The fish musclesin this study were in the safety baseline levels for man consumption.     

Determination of arsenic in grain and soil by hydride nondispersive atomic fluorescence method

Quantity of trace arsenic in grain and soil was determined by hydride nondispersive atomic fluorescence method.Optimum conditions of measurement were selected in the experiment including the pH of the medium, reductive agent, the concentration and flowing velocity of KBH4, rate of carrier gas and atomized temperature. The reference sample of rice C was determined and the linear relationship of the calibration curve was plotted, indicating that the method was highly precise. In the experiment of recovery rate, the method was quite satisfactory.Based on the determination of hundreds of samples, it is proved that atomic fluorescence method is rapid, sensitive and low in interference. It is very efficient on determination of trace arsenic in soils and grains, especially in grains.