Risks posed by trace organic contaminants in coastal sediments in the Pearl River Delta, China

Local marine environments in China's Pearl River Delta (PRD), the most rapidly developing region in one of the world's fastest growing economies, have been experiencing significant environmental stress during the past decades. This investigation was conducted to determine the status and trends of persistence organic pollutants (POPs) such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides and dioxin-related compounds in marine sediments collected from sixteen coastal stations in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in March 2003. Elevated concentrations of PAHs (94-4300 ng/g), PCBs (6.0-290 ng/g), PHCs (14-150 microg/g), and DDTs (1.4-600 ng/g) were detected in sediment samples. In addition, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-like activities in the sediment samples were estimated to range from 0.3 to 440 pg TCDD-EQ/g. Sediments collected from Xiashan contained the greatest concentrations of trace organic contaminations amongst all the sampling stations in the present study. The degree of trace organic contamination was, in general, more severe at stations situated along the west shores of the PRD than their counterparts in the east. A preliminary assessment was performed to examine the probable risks to the marine ecosystem due to POPs. The results showed that OC pesticide contamination in the PRD was particularly serious and might pose a threat to the health of the marine inhabitants.     

Time Trend of BHCs and DDTs in a Sedimentary Core in Macao Estuary, Southern China

BHCs and DDTs in a ²¹⁰Pb dated sedimentary core in Macao estuary were analysed with supercritical CO₂ extraction and GC-ECD. The concentrations of BHCs in the core sediment dated from 1962 ranged from trace level (相似文献   

Effect of natural restoration time of abandoned farmland on soil detachment by overland flow in the Loess Plateau of China

Vegetation restoration has significant effects on soil properties and vegetation cover and thus affects soil detachment by overland flow. Few studies have been conducted to evaluate this effect in the Loess Plateau where a Great Green Project was implemented in the past decade. This study was carried out to quantify the effects of age of abandoned farmland under natural vegetation restoration on soil detachment by overland flow and soil resistance to erosion as reflected by soil erodibility and critical shear stress. The undisturbed soil samples were collected from five abandoned farmlands with natural restoration age varying from 3 to 37 years. The samples were subjected to flow scouring in a 4.0 m long by 0.35 m wide hydraulic flume under six different shear stresses ranging from 5.60 to 18.15 Pa. The results showed that the measured soil detachment capacities in currently cultivated farmland were 24.1 to 35.4 times greater than those of the abandoned farmlands. For the abandoned farmlands, soil detachment capacities fluctuated greatly due to the complex effects of root density and biological crust thickness, and could be simulated well by flow shear stress and biological crust thickness with a power function (NSE = 0.851). Soil erodibility of abandoned farmlands decreased gradually with restoration age and reached a steady stage when restoration age was greater than 28 years. The critical shear stress of the natural abandoned farmlands declined when restoration age was less than 18 years and then increased due to the episodic influences of vegetation recovery and biological crust development. More studies in the Loess Plateau are necessary to quantify the relationship between soil detachment capacity and biological crust thickness for better understanding the mechanism of soil detachment under natural vegetation restoration. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

东非鲁武马盆地海底旋回坎沉积演化及控制因素

鲁武马盆地海底水道—朵体过渡带具有高波脊和深刻槽相间的旋回坎地貌.利用高品质的三维地震资料,借助多种地震解释技术,对水道—朵体过渡带内不同期次旋回坎的形态、尺度、移动方式开展细致描述,分析多期旋回坎演化规律.研究结果表明,鲁武马盆地海底水道—朵体过渡带内主要发育三期旋回坎,同一期次旋回坎内部地震反射连续性较差,同相轴以...     

Comparison of metal(loid) concentrations in water, sediments and fish from two large shallow lakes

Hulun Lake and Taihu Lake are both large shallow lakes in China. In summer and winter of 2009, water, sediments and fish samples were collected from the two lakes and the concentrations of metal(loids) were analyzed. The results demonstrated that aqueous concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) in Hulun Lake were significantly higher than those in Taihu Lake. Especially, the As concentrations (about 130 μg/L) in Hulun Lake dramatically exceeded the permissible level of drinking water. Compared with Taihu Lake, metal(loid) concentrations in the sediments of Hulun Lake were significantly lower, which might have less impacts on the metal exchanges between water and sediments. In contrast, concentrations of the measured metal(loids) (including As) in fish from Hulun Lake and Taihu Lake were comparable, suggesting that the dramatic difference in aqueous and sediment metal(loid) concentrations had less influence on the metal(loid) bioavailability. The higher concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and cations (e.g., Na⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺) in lake water might contribute to the reduced metal(loid) bioavailability to fish in Hulun Lake.     

Formation of one-dimensional composites of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine)s based on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces</Emphasis> for adsorption of hexavalent chromium

Here, a novel one-dimensional composite of poly(m-phenylenediamine)s coating on filamentous Streptomyces was successfully constructed via a controllable polymerization reaction. The synthesized composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Their adsorption isotherm and kinetics for aqueous hexavalent chromium were also systematically examined. The results of scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the obtained composites based on Streptomyces were showed a uniform and stable one-dimensional morphology with distinct core–shell configuration. Moreover, the Langmuir isotherm model (R ² > 0.96) and pseudo-second-order equation (R ² = 0.9996) described well the equilibrium adsorption behavior and kinetics of hexavalent chromium adsorption by the composites. In addition, bath adsorption experiments demonstrated the highest adsorption capacity of hexavalent chromium by the composites reached 320.03 mg g^?1 in an acid solution, which was 5.6 times as that of the pure Streptomyces filaments. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses suggested that the adsorption of hexavalent chromium by the composites possibly involved the protonation, redox, and chelation reactions. Therefore, a promising application of these composites in treating acid hexavalent chromium-contaminated wastewater is expectable.     

满洲里南部白音高老组流纹岩锆石U-Pb定年及岩石成因

满洲里南部白音高老组火山岩主要由流纹岩组成,含少量珍珠岩和流纹质凝灰岩。LA-ICPMS锆石U-Pb定年结果显示,流纹岩形成于141~139Ma的早白垩世早期。岩石地球化学研究表明,火山岩具有高硅富碱、贫钙镁和高FeO^T/MgO比值的特征; 稀土丰度总量较高(∑REE介于103×10^-6~488×10^-6),轻重稀土分馏明显［(La/ Yb)_N=4.12~30.94)］,Eu负异常显著(δEu=0.12~0.46); 微量元素以富集Rb、Th、U、K,强烈亏损Ba、Sr、P、Ti,中等亏损Nb、Ta和高Ga/Al值为特征,与A-型花岗岩特征相似。锆石¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf比值介于0.282785~0.282970之间,ε_Hf(t)值均为正值,介于3.78~9.98之间。流纹岩岩浆来源于斜长石稳定区玄武质下地壳物质的部分熔融,形成于非造山板内伸展构造环境。     

CMIP6土地利用模式比较计划(LUMIP)概况与评述

自然变化和人类活动已大大改变了土地覆盖格局,而土地利用/覆盖变化(Land Use and Land Cover Change, LULCC)反馈引起的气候要素的变化也不容忽视 [1-3].研究表明:LULCC对全球平均气候影响较小,但对区域/局地气候影响显著 [4-5].森林砍伐已经并将导致高纬度地区变冷和热带地区变...     

Atomic layer deposition surface functionalized biochar for adsorption of organic pollutants: improved hydrophilia and adsorption capacity

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) thin film coating was applied to improve the hydrophilia of biochar derived from black willow. 2 (2Al, 0.82 wt% Al₂O₃), 5 (5Al, 1.40 wt% Al₂O₃), and 10 (10Al, 2.36 wt% Al₂O₃) cycles of alumina ALD were applied. The biochars were characterized by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption and desorption, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The adsorbents were utilized for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from an aqueous solution to evaluate their adsorption capacities. The 5Al biochar showed the highest adsorption capacity, compared to the uncoated biochar and other Al₂O₃ coated biochars, due to its improved hydrophilia. The amount of MB adsorbed onto the 5Al biochar was almost three times that adsorbed onto the uncoated biochar during the first hour of adsorption experiments. Adsorption isotherms were modeled with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The data fit well with the Langmuir isotherm, and the maximum adsorption capacities were found to be 26.8 and 35.0 mg/g at 25 °C for the uncoated biochar and 5Al biochar, respectively. The adsorbed MB amount per square meter achieved 1.3 mg/m² onto the 5Al biochar, and it was twice the amount on the uncoated biochar. The experimental data were analyzed by pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics models of adsorption. The pseudo-second-order model better describes adsorption kinetic data for the uncoated biochar and 5Al biochar than the pseudo-first-order model does.     

Low-cost biochar derived from herbal residue: characterization and application for ciprofloxacin adsorption

Thermally carbonization biochar produced from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine waste (Astragalus mongholicus residue) was investigated for its performance in ciprofloxacin adsorption. Batch sorption experiments were conducted, and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analyses were employed to characterize the biochar. The results demonstrated that thermal activation process improves the adsorbent characteristics. Biochar produced at 800 °C had the best adsorption capacity, a better pore structure and the largest surface areas. The adsorption process fit well to a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The adsorption isothermal model results revealed that the adsorption process of ciprofloxacin is described better by the Freundlich isotherm and the type of adsorption is a chemical process. The maximum adsorption of ciprofloxacin occurred at pH 7. The present research demonstrated that A. mongholicus biochar might be an attractive and cost-effective adsorbent with good adsorption performance for removing ciprofloxacin from water solution.