Occurrence of microorganic pollutants in the atmosphere of Singapore during haze and non-haze periods

Microorganic pollutants such as polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs）, organochlorine pesticides （OCPs）, polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs） and total petroleum hydrocarbons （TPHs） are known to be present in urban ambient air. These organic compounds are prone to atmospheric transport and deposition over long distances, thus enabling them to accumulate even in regions remote from their sources. Deposition from the atmosphere can be via direct deposition and exchange with crops that may be directly or indirectly ingested by humans. It can also take place via wet and dry deposition and air-water exchange. Following their deposition, these microorganic pollutants tend to accumulate in soils, sediments and in human and ecological food chains. There are many reports in the literature on the atmospheric concentrations of microorganic pollutants, but there are few reports and data in Asia. This study was performed in Singapore to determine the relative amounts of persistent organic pollutants and TPHs in ambient aerosols. One of the important sources of these organic compounds in Southeast Asia is thought to be biomass burning （vegetation fires）. Hence, air sampling was conducted during both smoke haze and non-haze periods. The data obtained from this study will be presented and discussed.     

Heavy metals in freshly deposited sediments of the river Subernarekha, India: an example of lithogenic and anthropogenic effects

Heavy metal distribution patterns in river sediments aid in understanding the exogenic cycling of elements as well as in assessing the effect of anthropogenic influences. In India, the Subernarekha river flows over the Precambrian terrain of the Singhbhum craton in eastern India. The rocks are of an iron ore series and the primary rock types are schist and quartzite. One main tributary, the Kharkhai, flows through granite rocks and subsequently flows through the schist and quartzite layers. The Subernarekha flows through the East Singhbhum district, which is one of India’s industrialised areas known for ore mining, steel production, power generation, cement production and other related activities. Freshly deposited river sediments were collected upstream and downstream the industrial zone. Samples were collected from four locations and analysed in <63-μm sediment fraction for heavy metals including Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu by anodic stripping voltammetry. Enrichment of these elements over and above the local natural concentration level has been calculated and reported. Sediments of the present study are classified by Muller’s geo-accumulation index (I _geo) and vary from element to element and with climatic seasons. During pre-monsoon period the maximum I _geo value for Zn is moderately to highly polluted and for Cu and Pb is moderately polluted, respectively, based on the Muller’s standard. Anthropogenic, lithogenic or cumulative effects of both components are the main reasons for such variations in I _geo values. The basic igneous rock layer through which the river flows or a seasonal rivulet that joins with the main river may be the primary source for lithogenic components.     

Will the river Irtysh survive the year 2030? Impact of long-term unsuitable land use and water management of the upper stretch of the river catchment (North Kazakhstan)

The Irtysh river basin all the way from river spring in China across Kazakhstan as far as the Russian part of Siberia is among the most ecologically endangered and affected regions on our planet. The study provides a summary of the historical reasons for anthropological interventions in this area, which began with the construction of plants of the military—industrial complexes in the forties of the last century during World War II. These plants have a major share in extreme high concentrations of heavy metals in surface as well in groundwaters locally. The Semipalatinsk nuclear polygon plays a specific role as a source of contamination of local waters. The release of top secret data enabled us to gain knowledge about serious problems related to high radioactivity of groundwaters, which should spread uncontrollably through a system of secondary fissures activated by nuclear blasts. Another serious problem in this region is the quantitative aspect of contamination. Model simulations of water balance indicate that large industrial development in the spring area in China and continuously increasing water consumption in Kazakhstan may lead to desiccation of the lower stretch of this large river in Siberia during the summer months of 2030.     

Distribution of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and zinc in marine sediments in Hong Kong waters

Partitioning of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) in marine sediments collected from various sites in Hong Kong waters were determined using sequential extraction method. Sediments from Kellette Bank, located in Victoria Harbour, had higher metal concentrations especially Cu and Zn than most other sites. Slightly over 20% of total Cu and Cr existed as readily available forms in Peng Chau and Kellette Bank. At most sampling sites, over 15% of the Cu existed as the exchangeable form indicating that Cu could be readily released into the aqueous phase from sediments. A significantly higher percentage of Pb and Zn was associated with the three non-residual fractions. Hence, there is a greater environmental concern for remobilization of Pb and Zn compared with Cr. The high amount of residual Cd (>50%) and the relatively lower Cd content indicate that little environmental concern is warranted for the remobilization of Cd. Distribution of metals in sediments collected from different depth at Kellette Bank shows that metal concentrations decreased with profile depth. The levels of Pb and Zn associated with the two readily available fractions increased sharply in the surface sediment. These metals represented the pollutants, which were introduced into the area in the mid-eighties through early nineties as a result of rapid economic and industrial development in the territory. As significant portions of these metals were bound to the readily available phases in the surface sediments, metal remobilization could be a concern. An erratum to this article can be found at     

The place of individuals in the politics of scale

Conceptualizations and re-conceptualizations of scale have been powerful tools for explaining spatial processes that transcend traditionally-bounded territories. Examining the role of individuals within a politics of scale can do even more to explain multi-scalar conflicts. This paper does so by examining struggles over airport expansion in the US, showing how an understanding of the various roles of individuals in the politics of scale – as sites of multiple scales, as actors constituting other scales, and as scales in and of themselves – better explains multi-scalar conflicts and offers more opportunities for resolving them.     

Lead, zinc, and antimony contamination of the Rio Chilco-Rio Tupiza drainage system, Southern Bolivia

An intense, but localized rainfall event in February 2003, led to the severe erosion and failure of a tailings disposal impoundment at the Abarόa Antimony Mine in southern Bolivia. The failure released approximately 5,500 m³ of contaminated tailings into the Rio Chilco-Rio Tupiza drainage system. The impacts of the event on sediment quality are examined and compared to contamination resulting from historic mining operations in the headwaters of the basin. Of primary concern are contaminated floodplain soils located along downstream reaches of the Rio Tupiza which were found to contain lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and antimony (Sb) concentrations that locally exceed Canadian, German, and Dutch guidelines for agricultural use. Spatial patterns in sediment-borne trace metal concentrations, combined with Pb isotopic data, indicate that Pb, Zn, and Sb are derived from three tributary basins draining the Abarόa, Chilcobija, and Tatasi-Portugalete mining districts. Downstream of each tributary, geographical patterns in trace metal concentrations reflect local geomorphic changes throughout the drainage system. Trace metal concentrations within the Rio Chilco decrease rapidly downstream as a result of dilution by uncontaminated sediments and storage of metal enriched particles (e.g., sulfide minerals) in the channel bed as a result of ongoing aggradation. Storage in the floodplains is limited. These processes significantly reduced the dispersal and, thus, the relative environmental affects of tailings eroded from the Abarόa Mine during the 2003 flood. In contrast, storage of Pb, Zn, and Sb in floodplains along the Rio Tupiza is significant, the majority of which is derived from historic mining operations, particularly mining within the Tatasi-Portugalete district.     

Retrieval of stratospheric O3 and NO2 vertical profiles using zenith scattered light observations

Daily zenith scattered light intensity observations were carried out in the morning twilight hours using home-made UV-visible spectrometer over the tropical station Pune (18‡31′, 73‡51′) for the years 2000–2003. These observations are obtained in the spectral range 462–498 nm for the solar zenith angles (SZAs) varying from 87‡ to 91.5‡. An algorithm has been developed to retrieve vertical profiles of ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from ground-based measurements using the Chahine iteration method. This retrieval method has been checked using measured and recalculated slant column densities (SCDs) and they are found to be well matching. O₃ and NO₂ vertical profiles have been retrieved using a set of their air mass factors (AMFs) and SCDs measured over a range of 87–91.5‡ SZA during the morning. The vertical profiles obtained by this method are compared with Umkehr profiles and ozonesondes and they are found to be in good agreement. The bulk of the column density is found near layer 20–25 km. Daily total column densities (TCDs) of O₃ and NO₂ along with their stratospheric and tropospheric counterparts are derived using their vertical profiles for the period 2000–2003. The total column, stratospheric column and tropospheric column amounts of both trace gases are found to be maximum in summer and minimum in the winter season. Increasing trend is found in column density of NO₂ in stratospheric, tropospheric and surface layers, but no trend is observed in O₃ columns for above layers during the period 2000–2003     

Vertical distribution and water solubility of phosphorus and heavy metals in sediments of the St. Lucie Estuary, South Florida, USA

Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals and phosphorus in sediments impact water quality. There has been an increasing concern regarding fish health in the St. Lucie Estuary, which is related to increased inputs of nutrients and metals in recent decades. To investigate vertical changes of contaminants (P, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn) in sediments of the St. Lucie Estuary in South Florida, 117 layer samples from six of the 210 to 420 cm depth cores were analyzed for their total and water-soluble P and heavy metals, clay, total Fe, Al, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and pH. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used in two sets of analytical data (total and water-soluble contaminant concentrations) to document changes of contaminants in each core of sediments. The PCA of total contaminants and minerals resulted in two factors (principal components). The first and second factors accounted for 61.7 and 17.2 % of the total variation in all variables, and contrast indicators associated with contaminants of P, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn and accumulation of Fe and Al oxides, respectively. The first factor could be used for overall assessment of P and heavy metal contamination, and was higher in the upper 45–90 cm than the lower depths of each core. The concentrations of P and heavy metals in the surface layers of sediments significantly increased, as compared with those in the sediments deeper than 45–90 cm. The PCA of water-soluble contaminants developed two factors. The second factor (Cu–P) was higher in the upper than the lower depths of the sediment, whereas the highest score of the first factor (Cd–Co–Cr–Ni–Pb–Zn–Mn) occurred below 100 cm. The water-soluble Cu and P concentrations were mainly dependent on their total concentrations in the sediments, whereas the water-soluble Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn concentrations were mainly controlled by pH.     

Comparison of magnetic parameters with vehicular Br levels in urban roadside soils

Chemical methods are generally chosen to monitor soil pollution but magnetic measurements proved to yield additional information at low cost and less time consumption. In this investigation, the novel use of rapid and non-destructive magnetic measurements to characterize Br levels in Xuzhou (China) urban roadside soils was reported. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) was used to quantify Br in the soil samples. Data from 21 roadside soil samples confirm Br contamination, with a mean level of 4.36 mg kg⁻¹ and a range of 2.4–8.7 mg kg⁻¹. These values are higher than that of unpolluted soils in Xuzhou that averages 1.1 mg kg⁻¹. Hierarchical clustering analysis shows Br in Xuzhou roadside soils is mainly from road traffic. Clear correlations between Br levels and simple magnetic parameters [mass specific susceptibility (χ _LF), susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χ _ARM), saturation isothermal remanence (SIRM)] are observed. The present study shows that these three magnetic parameters can be used as a proxy for Br levels in Xuzhou urban roadside soils.     

北京市区春季燃烧源大气颗粒物的污染水平和影响因素

以大气中PM2.5和PM10为研究对象,于2005-03-13—25共7天的时间内,在中国地质大学(北京)测试楼顶、首钢焦化厂和首钢东门设立3个采样点进行采样监测。结果表明:PM2.5和PM10质量浓度的日变化呈现一定规律性,在不同时段PM2.5和PM10的质量浓度不尽相同,且变化较大,在特定时刻出现峰值,主要受污染源排放和气象因素的控制;PM2.5和PM10质量浓度随气温的升高而降低,这与高温有利于颗粒物扩散、低温容易形成逆温层有关;在一定的相对湿度范围内(以大气中水汽不发生重力沉降为界限),PM2.5和PM10质量浓度与相对湿度呈正相关关系;而当发生降水时,由于水滴的冲刷和附带作用,PM2.5和PM10质量浓度降低;PM2.5和PM10质量浓度与风级呈明显的负相关关系。通过北京市与国内8个省会城市的PM2.5和PM10质量浓度的对比,发现北京市PM2.5和PM10污染比较严重,PM2.5和PM10质量浓度分别超过了1996年中国制定的PM10排放标准和1997年美国EPA制定的PM2.5排放标准。