Contribution of precursor compounds to the release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs)

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs) are ubiquitous in sludge and water from waste water treatment plants, as a result of their incorporation in everyday products and industrial processes. In this study, we measured several classes of persistent PFASs,precursors, transformation intermediates, and newly identified PFASs in influent and effluent sewage water and sludge from three municipal waste water treatment plants in Sweden, sampled in 2015. For sludge, samples from 2012 and 2014 were analyzed as well.Levels of precursors in sludge exceeded those of perfluoroalkyl acids and sulfonic acids(PFCAs and PFSAs), in 2015 the sum of polyfluoroalkyl phosphoric acid esters(PAPs) were 15–20 ng/g dry weight, the sum of fluorotelomer sulfonic acids(FTSAs) was 0.8–1.3 ng/g,and the sum of perfluorooctane sulfonamides and ethanols ranged from non-detected to 3.2 ng/g. Persistent PFSAs and PFCAs were detected at 1.9–3.9 ng/g and 2.4–7.3 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The influence of precursor compounds was further demonstrated by an observed substantial increase for a majority of the persistent PFCAs and PFSAs in water after waste water treatment. Perfluorohexanoic acid(PFHxA), perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid(PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid(PFOS)had a net mass increase in all WWTPs, with mean values of 83%, 28%, 37% and 58%,respectively. The load of precursors and intermediates in influent water and sludge combined with net mass increase support the hypothesis that degradation of precursor compounds is a significant contributor to PFAS contamination in the environment.     

Conditions controlling the onset of breeding migration of the Japanese mountain stream frog, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rana sakuraii</Emphasis>

I studied the conditions controlling the timing of breeding migration of the Japanese mountain stream frog Rana sakuraii, an explosive breeder, over 9 years (1992, 1993 and 1999–2005). I analysed two factors: the daily cumulative temperature (DCT) during hibernation and the triggering temperature on the day of migration onset. Frogs hibernated in shallow running water in streams in December. A total of 53,155 breeding migrating adults were captured by traps. Every year, breeding migration was induced by a rise in daily maximum water temperature to about 5°C. However, its date was limited to 1 February at the earliest, and the onset needed a DCT (from 20 January, using 3°C as the threshold for daily effective temperature) of at least about 15°C. Earlier (e.g. in mid- or late January), even if the maximum temperature rose to 5–8°C, migration did not begin. Moreover, even in early February, if the maximum temperature rose to 5°C, if it had been too cold in January and the DCT was low, migration would not begin until mid- or late February. Thus, the earliest date of readiness for migration varied from 1 February to mid-February, depending on the winter DCT. Logistic regression analyses showed that both factors, the DCT and the daily temperature, were significant. I propose that in temperate-zone amphibian explosive breeders, both the passing of an essential number of days and an essential DCT during hibernation are prerequisites for the onset of breeding migration before the daily temperature rises to the threshold.     

基于神经网络方法的城市空气质量日报技术

运用神经网络方法,将城市空气质量状况与大气污染物对空气质量的损害程度相关联,采用了"基于大气污染损害率的API法"评价概念,模拟发布长春市空气质量日报,同时公布次要污染物,并与API法进行同时段比对实验与综合分析。     

The impact of heat waves on daily mortality in Belgrade (Serbia) during summer

In this paper, we are dealing with two extreme events in temperature and population – heat wave and mortality. Our aim is to assess the relation between high temperatures and daily mortality counts during the summer months in the period 2000–2010 in Belgrade (Serbia). In order to establish this connection, we used Poisson regression and two different measures of heat wave: Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) and apparent temperature (T _app). As mean daily temperature increases over 90th, 95th and 99th percentiles, average number of deaths increases for 15.3% (p?<?.01), 22.4% (p?<?.05) and 32.0% (insignificant for p?<?.1). We tested three different thresholds (90th, 95th, 99th) for WSDI and T _app in order to separate the hottest heat-wave episodes. On average, mortality is higher than expected for 13.4%, 16.7% and 28.3% (90th, 95th and 99th percentiles for WSDI) and 16.1%, 17.3% and 32.5% (90th, 95th and 99th percentiles for T _app). Estimated mortality excess with heat-wave indices is in accordance with regression output, meaning that WSDI and T _app are good tools for heat-wave identification. During the most severe episode in July 2007, absolute temperature maximum (43.6°C) and daily maximum mortality counts (94 dead) were recorded in the same day (24 July 2007).     

获取日均值的大气监测时段选择

利用数理统计方法，以污染物瞬时监测数据为基础数据，选用控制在一定置信度下最大允许误差的统计公式确定出样本容量，并采用模糊集合运算—优化组合选择法，确定出获取日均值的最佳监测时段．     

Preferential incubation positions for different sized eggs and their influence on incubation period and hatching asynchrony in Snares crested (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eudyptes robustus</Emphasis>) and yellow-eyed penguins (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Megadyptes antipodes</Emphasis>)

In crested penguins (Eudyptes spp.), second-laid eggs typically hatch before first eggs. Amongst a variety of factors that have been considered as mechanisms underlying this reversal, has been the idea that crested penguins can adjust the degree of hatching asynchrony by manipulating egg positions (i.e. placing the smaller first egg in the supposedly thermally disadvantaged anterior position) during incubation (termed Preferential Incubation Hypothesis). We tested this in the Snares crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus) and the closely related, but synchronously-hatching, yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). Snares crested penguins were more likely to place their first eggs, which are smaller than second eggs, in the anterior incubation position than were yellow-eyed penguins, which have a clutch of two similar-sized eggs. But when yellow-eyed penguins, a non-brood reducing species, were provided with an artificial size-dimorphic clutch, they also placed smaller eggs more frequently in the anterior position, suggesting that a general preference exists among penguins to place smaller eggs in the anterior position. Egg temperatures of small first eggs of Snares crested penguins were higher in the anterior than in the posterior position. Large first eggs in lesser size-dimorphic clutches experienced high temperature differences in relation to position, while small first eggs in greater size-dimorphic clutches were incubated at similar temperatures. In yellow-eyed penguins, large eggs within clutches generally had higher egg temperatures than small eggs. Incubation periods of second eggs declined with increasing egg size. Egg-size variation, rather than egg positioning behaviour, influenced hatching patterns in Snares crested penguins. In lesser size-dimorphic clutches, second eggs were more likely to hatch first while in greater size-dimorphic clutches, small first eggs were more likely to hatch at the same time or before the second eggs. This was similar in yellow-eyed penguins, where second eggs hatched earlier in clutches with large first eggs. Our data contradicts the Preferential Incubation Hypothesis and we conclude that this hypothesis is unlikely to explain the reversed hatching asynchrony in crested penguins.Communicated by C. Brown     

FeCl3改性MOFs在低温下对Hg0的吸附性能

为提高吸附剂对Hg0（零价汞）的吸附效率,利用MOFs（金属有机框架）材料发达的孔隙结构和高比表面积（1 997.010 0 m2/g）,采用FeCl₃溶液浸渍改性,制备了吸附剂FeCl₃@MIL-101（Cr）用于脱除Hg0.在小型固定床反应器上考察了浸渍浓度、反应温度、氧含量等对Hg0去除的影响.结果表明:FeCl₃@MIL-101（Cr）在进口ρ（Hg0）为2×10-3 mg/L,c（FeCl₃）为0.2 mol/L,反应温度60℃,气体流速400 mL/min,φ（O₂）为1%的条件下,吸附穿透时间长达62 h,相应的吸附容量为14.27 mg/g.在此基础上,进一步利用BET（比表面积测试）、SEM（扫描电镜）-EDX（能量色散X射线光谱）、XRD（X射线衍射）、XPS（X射线光电子能谱）等常用表征手段研究了改性前后吸附剂的物理化学特性,证明了吸附剂FeCl₃@MIL-101（Cr）吸附零价汞是物理吸附与化学吸附共同作用的结果,含氯官能团在吸附Hg0过程中也发挥了相当大的作用,并且氧气可促进其吸附效果.最后,分析了其吸附机理.研究显示,该种吸附剂在低温条件下具有较为优良的脱汞性能,应用前景良好.      

不同日摄氟量居民罹患氟斑釉的研究

人和动物体内的硬组织（牙齿、骨骼等）是氟化物作用的主要部位,严重者可引起氟骨症和氟斑釉,其中氟斑釉是慢性氟中毒的一项特异指标。通常日摄氟量高的居民其氟斑釉率和斑釉指标均增高。本文用日摄氟量作指标评价环境氟对居民牙齿的影响。研究结果揭示,当地居民的斑釉率和斑釉指数均与日摄氟量呈非常显著的正相关,r＝0.9084,P<0.01。     

Design and use of a time-sorting pitfall trap for predatory arthropods

An electronically-controlled time-sorting pitfall trap was designed which improves upon earlier models in having a 24-h rotation time, and in being capable of running continuously for at least one week without attention. Four prototypes were built, using readily available, inexpensive components, and used from June to October, 1995, to collect carabid beetles and linyphiid spiders in clover-undersown and weeded cabbages. The traps operated without malfunction during the hottest weather ever recorded in Aberdeen, when soil surface temperatures exceeded 40°C, and also during periods of torrential rain. Three spider and two carabid species dominated the catch, their nocturnal and diurnal patterns of activity being in general agreement with other published data. Some predators were apparently able to adapt to the contrasting vegetation in the two treatments, two species of Erigone spiders being nocturnal in weeded cabbages but tending to be diurnal in undersown crops.     

An unusual high ozone event over the North and Northeast China during the record-breaking summer in 2018

Under the background of global warming, the summer temperature of the North and Northeast China (NNEC) has significantly increased since 2017, which was accompanied by the aggravated ozone (O₃) pollution. In 2018, the NNEC experienced a record-breaking summer of the past 40 years. Influenced by the abnormal high temperatures, a regional ozone event occurred on 2-3 August, over 63% of 79 selected cities in the NNEC were exposed to O₃ pollution, and the maximum value of MDA8 O₃ reached 268 μg/m³. Observations indicated that ozone concentrations agree well with the maximum temperature at 2 meters (MT2M) over NNEC with a correlation coefficient of 0.69. During the pollution episode, strong downdraft in the local high (35°N-42.5°N, 112.5°E-132.5°E; LH) over the NNEC created the favourable meteorological conditions for O₃ formation. By analyzing the horizontal wind and wave activity fluxes (WAFs) at 200 hPa, we found that the LH formation was resulted from the Rossby wave propagation from upstream along the mid-latitude Asian jet. The split polar vortex intrusion further strengthened the amplitude of the Rossby wave and reinforced the LH. Moreover, a secondary circulation between Typhoon Jongdari and the LH contributed to the enhanced LH with strong subsidence. On the other hand, the stratospheric intrusions under the deep subsidence also contributed to the enhanced surface O₃. In this study, the deep-seated meteorological dynamical mechanisms contributing to the abnormal high temperatures were investigated, which can lead to a better understanding of the regional O₃ pollution over NNEC under the global-warming background.