Specific Contributions of Politics,Economics, and Toxicology in Setting Socially Consensual Limit Values

/ Limit values are legal limits for the concentrations of substances in the environment. They must be agreed upon in a consensual procedure between science, economics/technology, and political forces. This is a crucial political precondition for their social acceptance. The arguments put forward to justify their expediency and numerical level are based not only on risk-benefit considerations but also on the aspect of the technical avoidability of direct and indirect exposure. The critical assessment of the direct benefit of specified exposures falls within the responsibility of economics/technology, whereas criteria for their potential adverse effects (direct and indirect) are provided by medicine/biochemistry and/or ecology. Within this concept, the avoidance of nonbeneficial-even if not openly adverse-exposure is the essential aim of environmental hygiene and should be promoted by politics/science. In general, society or segments thereof reject adverse, accept beneficial, and tolerate unavoidable exposure. Conflicts of interest arise when different groups of society simultaneously define a given exposure as being adverse, beneficial, and unavoidable. Therefore, from the viewpoint of society as a whole, an optimal exposure lies as far as reasonably achievable at a level lower than known or plausible adverse effect thresholds (as defined by toxicology or ecology). This optimal level of exposure must be determined using a transparent and, hence, public procedure.KEY WORDS: Legal limit values; Benefit threshold; Social acceptance; Social tolerability; Adverse effect threshold; Avoidable exposure; Tolerance threshold; Environmental hygiene     

辽宁省大型底栖无脊椎动物耐污值及水质评价

根据采自辽宁省河流、水库、湖泊及河口湿地水体的209个大型底栖无脊椎动物样本,以及文献记载数据,依据其系统发育、亲缘关系和相同栖息地环境等进行推算,确定了辽宁省大型底栖无脊椎动物耐污值332个。利用上述耐污值并结合BI指数法对辽河、浑河、太子河流域内20个采样点所获得的大型底栖无脊椎动物监测数据进行分析与评价,结果显示各河流上游段水质良好,中下游河段水质较差。     

Anticipated Performance Index of some tree species considered for green belt development in and around an urban area: a case study of Varanasi city, India

It is well established that trees help to reduce air pollution, and there is a growing impetus for green belt expansion in urban areas. Identification of suitable plant species for green belts is very important. In the present study, the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) of many plant species has been evaluated by analyzing important biochemical parameters. The Anticipated Performance Index (API) of these plant species was also calculated by considering their APTI values together with other socio-economic and biological parameters. Based on these two indices, the most suitable plant species for green belt development in urban areas were identified and recommended for long-term air pollution management.     

Germination,Growth, and Nodulation of Sesbania rostrata Grown in Pb/Zn Mine Tailings

Sesbania rostrata in pure and amended Pb/Zn tailings. About 90% of seeds of S. rostrata germinated in pure Pb/Zn tailings, which contained high concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd. Although seedling growth suffered from the adverse environment of Pb/Zn tailings, they became established on tailings stands, in the greenhouse, as well as on the actual tailings dam, and completed their life cycle in 4 months. Dry matter production and nitrogen accumulation was 3200 kg/ha and 69.4 kg/ha, respectively in the actual tailings dam. Applying inorganic fertilizer to Pb/Zn tailings led to no obvious improvement in growth and nodulation of S. rostrata, while tailings amended by river sediment or domestic refuse rich in organic matter improved the growth and nodulation of the species. Azorhizobium caulinodans survived and formed N-fixing stem and root nodules in S. rostrata grown in pure Pb/Zn tailings with a nodule biomass exceeding 300 mg fresh matter per plant.     

A/O工艺处理城市生活工业综合污水的耐受性研究

针对目前城市污水处理厂进水水质以生活污水为主转向以难生物处理的工业废水为主的现状,进行了A/O工艺的耐受性试验.结果表明:随着工业废水比例的增加,厌氧、好氧污泥活性都显著下降,厌氧污泥的耐受性较高;随着运行时间的延长,两类污泥的活性逐步得到不同程度的恢复;工业废水比例越高,活性恢复所需时间越长;两类污泥的协同代谢作用保证了出水效果.A/O工艺所能耐受的进水中制药废水、印染废水和生活污水的分配比(体积比)为3∶3∶4.     

海洲香薷种群微量金属元素的累积分布特征

分析了大冶铜绿山铜矿区海洲香薷种群几种微量金属元素的吸收累积和分布特征、生殖分配( RA)特征及植物与土壤元素的关系 ,并就该植物对铜等金属元素的耐受性进行了初步探讨。结果显示 ,该植物生长的土壤重金属元素含量很高 ,其中 Cu的含量 (平均 5 843μg/ g)是背景值的 2 0 0多倍。 Cu、Mn、Zn、Cd、Pb几种微量金属元素的含量 ,以 Cu最高 ,Cd最低。几种元素的大小顺序表现为 :Cu>Mn>Zn>Pb>Cd。不同元素在植物不同构件的含量为 :Cu,根 >花 >叶 >茎 ;Mn,叶 >根 >花 >茎 ;Zn,叶 >花 >茎 >根 ;Cd,叶 >花 >根 >茎 ;Pb,根 >叶 >茎 >花。这几种元素的 RA范围为 10 %～ 40 % ,平均为 2 4.97% ;生物量 RA为 2 6.5 %。植物铜元素与土壤显著正相关。海洲香薷对铜等金属具有很强的耐受性。     

Drag finishing of sensitive workpieces with fluidized abrasives

A new mass finishing technology, namely drag finishing of brass (Cu–30 wt.% Zn) rings with fluidized abrasives, is reported. A new equipment, which combines the typical features of the drag finishing machines to hold the workpiece with the moving abrasives of fluidized beds, was designed. The equipment was validated by performing several experimental tests varying rotary speed and processing time. The evolution of the surface morphology of the workpieces, their mass loss and dimensional accuracy after processing were assessed after each finishing step. The designed equipments allowed to finish with a high level of accuracy and in short time range the brass rings. Material removals and out-of-tolerances of the workpieces could be limited once the appropriate settings of the process were selected. Low energy requirements, lack of any residuals after processing and facile operations make the fluidized bed assisted drag finishing industrially sustainable and very promising in several manufacturing domains.     

Cadmium accumulation and tolerance of two castor cultivars in relation to antioxidant systems

To investigate the effects of Cd on tolerance and antioxidant activities of castor, two different castor（Ricinus communis L.） cultivars（Zibo No. 5 and Zibo No. 8） were used for a hydroponic experiment（0, 1 and 2 mg/L Cd） and a pot experiment using Cd-contaminated soil（34 mg/kg） with the addition of ethylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid（EDTA）. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the two cultivars with respect to Cd uptake in shoots（113–248 mg/kg for Zibo No. 5 and 130–288 mg/kg Zibo No. 8）, biomass tolerance indexes（64.9%–74.6% for Zibo No. 5 and 80.1%–90.9% for Zibo No. 8） in the hydroponic experiment and survival rates（0% for Zibo No. 5 and 100% for Zibo No. 8）determined by the addition of EDTA in the pot experiment, suggesting that Zibo No. 8 has higher tolerance than Zibo No. 5. Moreover, the castor cultivars have low bioconcentration factors（4.80% for Zibo No. 5 and 5.43% for Zibo No. 8） and low translocation factors（〈1%）.Consequently, Zibo No. 8 can participate in Cd phytostabilization in highly Cd-polluted areas. The results indicated that glutathione（GSH） as a non-enzymatic antioxidant, and antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase（SOD）, catalase（CAT） and guaiacol peroxidase（GPX）, were cultivar- and dose-dependent. The higher tolerance of Zibo No. 8compared with Zibo No. 5 can be attributed to the higher GSH levels in the root and higher GPX activity in the leaf.     

Tolerance, uptake and removal of nitrobenzene by a newly-found remediation species Mirabilis jalapa L

The growth, photosynthesis rate, and ultrastructure of Mirabilis jalapa L. as a newly-found remediation species under stress of nitrobenzene (NB) and its uptake and removal of NB by the plants were investigated. The results showed that M. jalapa plants could endure contaminated soils by lower than 10.0 mg NB kg⁻¹ because there was no decrease in the total length of the plant roots, the maximum length of the hypocotyle, the length of the first seminal root, the height of the shoots and the dry biomass of the seedlings as well as the photosynthesis rate of the plants compared with those in the control. In particular, the growth of the plants could be significantly (P < 0.01) enhanced by 0.1 mg NB kg⁻¹ under unautoclaved and autoclaved soils. Ultrastructural observations on leaf cells of the plants found that these cells had smooth, clean and continuous cell membranes and cell walls, indicating that there was no obvious damage by NB in comparison with those in the control. Although the absorption of NB in shoots and roots of M. jalapa was weak, plant-promoted biodegradation of NB was considerable and the dominant contribution in the removal of NB from contaminated soils, suggesting the feasibility of M. jalapa applied to phytoremediation of NB contaminated soils.     

Beneficial effect of saprobe and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth of Eucalyptus globulus co-cultured with Glycine max in soil contaminated with heavy metals

The effects of saprobe and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on growth, chlorophyll and N, P and K content of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. growing in soil contaminated by heavy metals in the presence or absence of Glycine max were investigated. Glomus mosseae and Glomus deserticola increased dry weight, shoot length, total N, P and K concentration and the quantity of chlorophyll in E. globulus shoots. The protection of Eucalyptus by AM fungi against the action of the heavy metals was more evident when this plant grew as an intercrop with soybean than as a monoculture. The presence of the saprobe fungi Fusarium concolor and Trichoderma koningii further enhanced shoot dry weight, N, P and K content of AM Eucalyptus. The co-inoculation of Eucalyptus with Glomus deserticola and T. koningii was more effective for Cd uptake. In addition, Glomus deserticola enhanced the amount of Pb absorbed by Eucalyptus plants. We showed that it is important to select the most efficient AM and saprobe fungi to stimulate plant growth in heavy-metal-contaminated soil and that the combination of both plays an important role in metal tolerance of Eucalyptus plants.