Persistent organic pollutants in water and surface sediments of Taihu Lake, China and risk assessment

Organic pollutants, especially persistent organic pollutants were examined in the water and surface sediments of Taihu Lake, China. Both 12 water and 12 sediment samples were collected over the lake. C-18 solid-phase extraction technique was applied to extract organic pollutants in collected water samples. Soxhlet extraction procedure was used to extract organic pollutants in sediment samples. The analysis was performed by GC-MS controlled by a Hewlett Packard chemstation. Two hundred and seventy-three kinds of organic chemicals in water were examined, 200 more than that detected in 1985; 188 kinds of chemicals in sediments were detected as well. Among them 21 kinds of chemicals belong to priority pollutants as well as 17 kinds to be the endocrine disruptors. The concentrations of the pollutants were more than 2 times higher than that in 1985. The possible source and relation to anthropogenic activity were discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

ANTHROPOGENIC ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN WATER AND SURFACE SEDIMENTS OF LARGE SHALLOW EUTROPHIC CHAOHU LAKE, CHINA

To characterize the contamination of anthropogenic organic contaminants in the aquatic environment of Chaohu Lake, China, 7 samples for both water and surface sediment were collected in the lake. Organic contaminants were extracted by solid phase extraction (SPE) and Soxhlet extraction from the water and surface sediment samples, respectively, and then analyzed by GC-MS. One hundred and twenty kinds of organic chemicals were detected in these samples including phenol, benzene series, benzaldehydes, ethanol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), sulfur compounds, alcoholic halides, amines, ketones, esters, alkenes and alkanes. Among them, 13 kinds of chemicals were identified as priority pollutants listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), such as phthalate esters (PAEs) and PAHs. Besides, the concentrations of 19 of PAEs and PAHs including, priority pollutants identified were also determined. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, the predominant component of the analyzed pollutants, was in the range from 72.34 ng g(-1) DW to 613.71 ng g(-1) DW, 14.80 ng L-1 to 47.05 ng L-1 in sediment and water, respectively. The results indicated that the northwest part of the lake was heavily polluted by domestic and industrial wastewater.

How polluted is the Yangtze River? Water quality downstream from the Three Gorges Dam

The concentrations of major anions and cations, nitrogen and phosphorus, dissolved and particulate trace elements, and organic pollutants were determined for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Changjiang) from below the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) to the mouth at Shanghai in November 2006. The concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) was constant at a low level of 6-8 mu gP/L, but the concentration of nitrate (NO3-) approximately doubled downstream and was closely correlated with K+. This translated to a daily load of well over 1000 It of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) at Datong. The average concentrations of dissolved Pb (0.078 +/- 0.023 mu g/L), Cd (0.024 +/- 0.009 mu g/L), Cr(0.57 +/- 0.09 mu g/L), Cu (1.9 +/- 0.7 mu g/L), and Ni (0.50 +/- 0.49 mu g/L) were comparable with those in other major world rivers, while As (3.3 +/- 1.3 mu g/L) and Zn (1.5 +/- 0.6 mu g/L) were higher by factors of 5.5 and 2.5, respectively. The trace element contents of suspended particles of As (31 +/- 28 mu g/g), Pb (83 +/- 34 mu g/g), and Ni (52 +/- 16 mu g/g) were close to maximum concentrations recommended for rivers by the European Community (EC). The average concentrations of Cd (2.6 +/- 1.6 mu g/g), Cr (185 +/- 102 mu g/g), Cu (115 +/- 106 mu g/g), and Zn (500 +/- 300 mu g/g) exceeded the EC standards by a factor of two, and Hg (4.4 +/- 4.7 mu g/g) by a factor of 4 to 5. Locally occurring peak concentrations exceed these values up to fourfold, among them the notorious elements As, Hg, and Tl. All dissolved and particulate trace element concentrations were higher than estimates made twenty years ago [Zhang, J., Geochemistry of trace metals from Chinese river/estuary systems: an overview. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 1995; 41: 631-658.]. The enormous loads of anthropogenic pollutants disposed to the river were diluted by the large water discharge of the Yangtze even during the lowest flow resulting in the relatively low concentration levels of trace elements and organic pollutants observed. We estimated loads of e.g. As, Pb and Ni to the East China Sea to be about 4600 kg As d(-1), 3000 kg Pb d(-1), and 2000 kg Ni d(-1). About 6000 t d(-1) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was delivered into the sea at the time of our cruise. We tested for 236 organic pollutants, and only the most infamous were found to be barely above detection limits. We estimated that the load of chlorinated compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and PAHs were between 500 and 3500 kg d(-1). We also detected eight herbicides entering the estuary with loads of 5-350 kg d(-1). The pollutant load, even when at low concentrations, are considerable and pose an increasing threat to the health of the East China Sea ecosystem. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biotransfer of persistent organic pollutants from a large site in China used for the disassembly of electronic and electrical waste

Samples of groundwater, river water, river sediment, paddy soil, rice seeds, hen eggs, fish, umbilical cord blood, and newborn meconium were collected from October 2002 to October 2003 near a large site in China used for the disassembly of obsolete transformers and other electronic or electrical waste. Six indicator PCB congeners, three non-ortho dioxin-like PCB congeners, and six organochlorine pesticides were determined in the samples by GC with electron capture detector. The results demonstrated that the local environment and edible foods had been seriously polluted by toxic PCBs and organochlorine pesticides. The actual daily intakes (ADIs) of these pollutants were estimated for local residents living in the area. The intake data showed that the contents of PCBs in these local residents were substantial, as the ADI estimates greatly exceed the reference doses set by the World Health Organization and the United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The presence of the indicator PCB congeners in the cord blood and the meconium samples, as well as significant correlations (r(2) > 0.80, p < 0.05) between these levels, suggests a potential biotransfer of these indicators from mothers to their newborns. This preliminary study showed that obsolete transformers and other electronic or electrical waste can be an important source for the emission of persistent organic pollutants into the local environment, such as through leakage, evaporation, runoff, and leaching. Contamination from this source appears to have reached the level considered to be a serious threat to environmental and human health around the disassembly site.

STUDIES ON THE PURIFICATION AND RECLAMATION OF WASTE-WATER FROM A MEDIUM-SIZED CITY BY AN INTEGRATED BIOLOGICAL POND SYSTEM

The feasibility of an inexpensive wastewater treatment system is evaluated in this study. An integrated biological pond system was operated for more than 3 years to purify the wastewater from a medium-sized city, Central China. The experiment was conducted in 3 phases with different treatment combinations for testing their purification efficiencies. The pond system was divided into 3 functional regions: influent purification, effluent upgrading and multi-utilization. These regions were further divided into several zones and subzones. Various kinds of aquatic organisms, including macrophytes, algae, microorganisms and zooplankton, were effectively cooperating in the wastewater treatment in this system. The system attained high reductions of BOD5, COD, TSS, TN, TP and other pollutants. The purification efficiencies of this system were higher than those of most traditional oxidation ponds or ordinary macrophyte ponds. The mutagenic effect and numbers of bacteria and viruses declined significantly during the process of purification. After the wastewater flowed through the upgrading zone, the concentrations of pollutants and algae evidently decreased. Plant harvesting did not yield dramatic effects on reductions of the main pollutants, though it did significantly affect the biomass productivity of the macrophytes. The effluent from this system could be utilized in irrigation and aquaculture. Some aquatic products were harvested from this system and some biomass was utilized for food, fertilizer, fodder and some other uses. The wastewater was reclaimed for various purposes.

Abatement of waste gases and water during the processes of semiconductor fabrication

The purpose of this article is to examine the methods and equipment for abating waste gases and water produced during the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices. Three separating methods and equipment are used to control three different groups of electronic wastes. The first group includes arsine and phosphine emitted during the processes of semiconductor materials manufacture. The abatement procedure for this group of pollutants consists of adding iodates, cupric and manganese salts to a multiple shower tower (MST) structure. The second group includes pollutants containing arsenic, phosphorus, HF, HCl, NO2, and SO3 emitted during the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices. The abatement procedure involves mixing oxidants and bases in an oval column with a separator in the middle. The third group consists of the ions of As, P and heavy metals contained in the waste water. The abatement procedure includes adding CaCO3 and ferric salts in a flocculation-sedimentation compact device equipment. Test results showed that all waste gases and water after the abatement procedures presented in this article passed the discharge standards set by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China.