Air Quality Assessment of Ubeji Community near Petroleum-Related Activities

The escalating global concern over air pollution requires rigorous investigations. This study assesses air quality near residential areas affected by petroleum-related activities in Ubeji Community, utilizing Aeroqual handheld mobile multi-gas monitors and air quality multi-meters. Air sampling occurred on three distinct days using multi-gas monitors and meters, covering parameters such as CO, NO2, CH4, NH3, VOCs, Particulate Matter, Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Air Quality Index. Soil and plant samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical and organic components. Air pollutant concentrations showed significant fluctuations. Carbon monoxide (CO) ranged from 0.00 to 3.22 ppm, NO2 from 0.00 to 0.10 ppm, CH4 from 4.00 to 2083 ppm, NH3 from 371 to 5086 ppm, and VOCs from 414 to 6135 ppm. Soil analysis revealed low total nitrogen, and undetected BTEX levels. Plant samples displayed a pH range of 7.72 to 9.45. CO concentrations, although below WHO limits, indicated potential vehicular and industrial influences. Fluctuations in NO2 and CH4 were linked to traffic, industrial activities, and gas flaring. NH3 levels suggested diverse pollution sources. The result in this study highlights the dynamic nature of air pollution in Ubeji community, emphasizing the urgent need for effective pollution control measures. Although CO concentrations were within limits, continuous monitoring is essential. Elevated NO2 levels gave information on the impact of industrial activities, while high CH4 concentrations may be associated with gas flaring and illegal refining. The study recommends comprehensive measures and collaborative efforts to address these complex issues, safeguarding both the environment and public health. This study shows the potential synergy between air quality sensors and plants for holistic environmental health assessments, offering valuable insights for environmental assessments and remediation endeavours. The findings call for stringent regulations and collaborative efforts to address air pollution in Ubeji community comprehensively.

Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in urban soils from southwest China

To identify the concentrations and sources of heavy metals, and to assess soil environmental quality, 63 soil samples were collected in Yibin City, Sichuan Province, China. Mean concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu were 10.55, 61.23, 138.88 and 56.35 mg/kg, respectively. As concentrations were comparable to background values, while Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations were higher than their corresponding background values. Industrial areas exhibited the highest concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu, while the lowest concentrations occurred in parks. Statistical analysis was performed and two cluster groups of metals were identified with Pb, Zn, and Cu in one group and As in the other. Spatial distribution maps indicated that Pb, Zn, and Cu were mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities, whereas As could be mainly accounted for by soil parent materials. Pollution index values of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu varied in the range of 0.24-1.93, 0.66-7.24, 0.42-4.19, and 0.62-5.25, with mean values of 0.86, 1.98, 1.61, and 1.78, respectively. The integrated pollution index （IPI） values of these metals varied from 0.82 to 3.54, with a mean of 1.6 and more than 90% of soil samples were moderately or highly contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of IPI showed that newer urban areas displayed relatively lower heavy metal contamination in comparison with older urban areas.

Pollution status and potential ecological risk assessment in the surface sediments of the Yellow River estuary

Based on the ＂Project 908＂ survey data in 2006--2007 on surface sediments of the sea area adjacent to the Yellow River estuary, the research was conducted on the concentration distribution characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments of the estuary, which show that the mean contents of seven heavy metals （Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, As） in the Yellow River estuary and its surrounding areas all comply with the Level-I of National Marine Sediments Quality Standard of China. Statistically significant correlation between the elements Cu-Cd, Pb-Cr and Cr-As in sediments indicates that the two heavy metals in each group may respectively have similar geochemical properties and sources. By using the Potential Ecological Risk Index （PERI） proposed by Hakanson, the assessment shows that the potential ecological risks in the estuary surface sediments are mainly attributed to Cd and Hg. The biological toxicity effects are assessed with the biological effects of concentration method, resulting in a conclusion that the adverse effects of As on organisms in the estuary marine environment occasionally occur, in contrast, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr and Hg will not generate adverse biological effects on a short and medium time scale.

A System of the Air Pollution Assessment for Mountain Area

The purpose of this paper is to create a system of air pollusion assessment for mountain area.3),(4)It could be used for any dimensional scale area.

Status, Distribution and Ecological Risk Assessment of Persistent Toxic Substances in Suburban Agricultural Soils in Hohhot City, North China

A total of 52 soil samples of Hohhot City were collected and four heavy metals and eight organochlorine pesticides were analyzed. The results showed that Cr, Cu, Zn, and Pb in soil were in range of 20.54 - 48.15 mg/kg, 40.10 - 94.60 mg/kg, 35.14 - 110.48 mg/kg, 38.86g - 245.36 mg/kg, with a mean value of 37.24 mg/kg, 60.76 mg/kg, 80.49 mg/kg, and 145.99 mg/kg, respectively. The high degree of variation of Pb, Zn, and Cu, reflected that the heavy metals were mainly interfered by human factors. The content values of ∑DDTs ranged from 5.01 ng/g to 105.08 ng/g with a mean of 36.94 ng/g, while the ∑HCHs ranged from 6.52 ng/g to 48.65 ng/g with an average of 23.29 ng/g, indicated that DDTs were highly used than HCHs in the study area. The relatively low α-HCH/γ-HCH ratio and relatively high o,p’-DDT/p,p’-DDT ratio indicated the application of lindane and dicofol on regional agricultural soil. The mean Igeo values was Pb (2.9) > Cu (1.5) > Cr (-0.31) > Zn (-0.35), revealing that the soil in Hohhot City was not polluted by Cr and Zn (Igeo 0), moderate polluted by Cu (1 Igeo 2), moderate to heavy pollution by Pb (2 Igeo 3). The range of potential ecological risk index of metals was from 35.02 to 132.96, indicating low to moderate potential ecological risk. HCHs in all soil samples were less than 50 ng/g, which could be considered as unpolluted, while DDTs in several samples were between 50 and 500 ng/g, which could be regarded as having low pollution.

The Pollution Character Analysis and Risk Assessment for Metals in Dust and PM_(10) around Road from China

INTRODUCTION In recent years, with the gradual improvement of road construction, the rapid increase of the number of motor vehicles, vehicle emissions and the current poor vehicle performance, poor vehicle maintenance, higher emission factor and so on, air pollution caused by the traffic issues becomes the focus of people attention. The harmful substances are gradually accumulated to atmosphere particles surrounding roads due to dust particles （soil dusts, road dusts, construction dusts）, coal emissions, industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, biomass burning, secondary particles, which has a certain harmful influence to the atmosphere, soil and plants surrounding roads.

Dynamic assessment of pollution risk of groundwater source area in Northern China

Based on the dynamic analysis and research of pollution risk of groundwater sources, this paper creates the dynamic assessment method of pollution risk of groundwater source area under the theory of "source-pathway-receptor", and applies this method to one typical fissure karst groundwater source area in northern China. Following the 30-year petroleum pollutant migration simulation and pollution risk assessment of groundwater source area, this study finds that the very high risk zone is mainly located in Q Petrochemical Company and the surrounding area and the area adjacent to River Z. Within this period of thirty years, the pollution risk of groundwater source area has showed a dynamic trend that features an inverted "V" shape. The ratio of very high risk zone to the total area will be 18.1%, 17.47% and 16.62% during the tenth year, the twentieth year and the thirtieth year separately, and will reach the highest level of 19.45% during the fifteenth year. Meanwhile, the vertical migration distance of pollutant centre concentration changed from the surface soil at the outset to the deepest point of about 250 meters underground during the tenth year. The results of this risk assessment indicate the dynamic feature of pollution risk. The dilution, degradation and migration of petroleum pollutants in groundwater system contribute to an ultimate decline in pollution risk.

The Content of Pb Element and Environmental Quality Assessment in Latosol of Hainan Island

[Objective] To research the content of Pb element in latosol of Hainan island and to assess its environmental quality.[Method] Samples were selected for lab analysis.27 samples from different landforms of Hainan Island were selected（the same place was sampled for three times） to analyze the content of Pb in latosol of Hainan Island,study the spatial distribution feature of this element in latosol from different places and evaluate the content of Pb element in latosol of Hainan Island by geo-accumulation index.[Result] The content of Pb generally stays at high level in latosol of Hainan Island;however,the mean content of Pb in east Hainan is lower than the mean value of west Hainan;vertically,the mean content of Pb shows descending order from hills,mountainous area to plain;the pollution assessment result showed that latosol of Hainan Island was hardly polluted by Pb element and only its content in the latosol from middle,south area stays at high level.[Conclusion] The research provided scientific reference for constructing a national tropical modern agricultural base in Hainan as well as controlling Pb pollution.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Sea Bed Sediment of the Bight of Bonny, Southern Atlantic Coast of Nigeria Using Index Model Analysis

The heavy metal contamination status of Bight of Bonny sea bed sediment was investigated. Sediment samples were collected from eleven locations grouped into three stations. The samples were analyzed to determine the heavy metals (Fe, Pb, Ni, Zn, Mn, Co, Cd, Cu, Cr) concentration using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Index model analyses, such as geo-accumulation index (I-geo), Enrichment factor (EF), and Pollution load index (PLI) were used for pollution assessment of sea bed sediment. The most predominant heavy metals in the upstream sediment were Fe;13.57 ± 1.838 mg/kg, cobalt;7.987 ± 3.550 mg/kg, and Ni;1.020 ± 0.802 mg/kg, midstream sediment were Fe;8.554 ± 3.010 mg/kg, Co;8.520 ± 4.00 mg/kg, and Ni;1.140 ± 0.879 mg/kg, while the downstream sediment result had Fe;11.12 ± 3.825 mg/kg, Co;7.275 ± 1.700 mg/kg, and Cd;1.025 ± 0.159 /kg. The I-geo results indicate that Cu, Mn, Pb, Cr, Fe, Zn, Ni, and Co were in their background concentrations while Cd had I-geo > 3 which implies a moderately or heavily polluted environment. The EF indicates metal enrichment from anthropogenic sources for Co, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Cr while Fe and Mn predicate biogenic origin. The PLI of the heavy metals in the three sample stations of sea bed sediment was found to be generally low (<1). The Enrichment Factor and geo-accumulation index strongly suggest the Bight of Bonny sea bed sediment contamination by Cd from anthropogenic sources.

Characteristics and Source Analysis of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in a Mining Area

It is of great significance to study the degree and source of soil heavy metal pollution in geological high background value area for remediation of local contaminated soil. The 0 - 20 cm topsoil was taken around the mining area, and the contents of Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, Hg, Cu and As in the soil were measured. Single-factor pollution index, Nemeiro comprehensive pollution index and potential ecological risk index were used to evaluate the degree of heavy metal pollution and ecological risk. Finally, multivariate statistical analysis was used to analyze the sources of soil heavy metals. The results show that the measured elements are polluted to different degrees, mainly due to the ecological environment problems caused by extensive mining development methods and inefficient utilization of resources. The key link is the release of pollutants at the source. Effectively blocking the release at the source can cut off the possibility of pollutants entering the food chain and the circulation of materials in the ecosystem. The results of potential ecological risk index showed that the potential ecological damage of seven heavy metals was ranked as follows: Cd (97.67) > Hg (68.97) > As (14.29) > Pb (11.55) > Ni (4.62) > Zn (1.61) > Cu (1.45) had a high ecological risk coefficient, and the potential comprehensive ecological risk index was 200.16 and the degree was medium. Principal component analysis shows that the sources of heavy metals are divided into Pb, Cd, As, Zn and Hg mainly from human activities such As mining, while Ni and Cu mainly come from soil parent materials, mining and agricultural activities.

Development and experience in the monitoring,assessment and control of environmentalpollutants in Hong Kong

The late start of environmental protection in Hong Kong was discussed in the light of problems encountered during the development of environmental protection legislation in Hong Kong for the past 20 years. The collaboration in monitoring and assessment of environmental pollutants between the University of Hong Kong and various governments were descrbed in parallel with the progress in environmental protection in Hong Kong. The developments of new analytical techniques for environmental monitoring and analysis is given and their application in environmental control described. The joint projects in assessment and control of environmental pollutants carried out in collaboration with local industries and other organizations within and without the university are given and discussed. The problems and possible solution facing Hong Kong in development control equipment for small scale industries are discussed and areas of development identified. The development and experience in the monitoring assessment and control of environmental pollutants in Hong Kong are summarized and areas of difficulties are illustrated.

Heavy metal(loid)s in fruit-growing soils of tropical Hainan Island in China:Pollution,ecological-health risks,spatial assessment,and source analyses

Hainan Island is the most important tropical fruit production area in China.In this study,372 soil samples and corresponding fruit and irrigation water samples were collected from Hainan orchards and analysed to determine the concentrations of six heavy metal(loid)s:Cd,Hg,As,Pb,Cr,and Cu.The pollution status,potential risks,possible sources,and spatial distribution patterns of soil heavy metal(loid)s were comprehensively investigated.The fruit and irrigation water samples had negligible amounts of heavy metal(loid)s,and the potential human health risk for fruit consumers was at a safe level.The heavy metal(loid)concentrations in most soil samples were lower than the national risk screening values.However,significant local accumulation of heavy metal(loid)s,especially Cd,Cr,and Cu,relative to their background values was observed.Moreover,the combined effects of the heavy metal(loid)s only led to a mild pollution level and low ecological risk throughout the study area.Noncarcinogenic risks were not observed among the local residents,and carcinogenic risks were within an acceptable range.The acidic soil in the study area increased the risk of soil Cd pollution,and organic matter affected the distribution of the tested metal(loid)s in the soil.Uncommon geogenic sources with high background values were the sources of Cr and Cu,anthropogenic activities primarily led to Cd,Pb,and As contamination,and a combination of anthropogenic and natural sources was responsible for Hg emissions.The research suggested that appropriate strategies must be implemented to track and reduce soil heavy metal contaminants in the northern and western region of the Hainan orchard area.The results can provide valuable information for policies on pollution prevention and management,the environment,and human health protection in the study region.

Spatial distribution and export of nutrients and metal elements in the subterranean estuary of Daya Bay

Subterranean estuaries(STE)are important seawater-groundwater mixing zones with complex biogeochemical processes,which play a vital role in the migration and transformation of dissolved materials.In this study,we first investigated the spatial distributions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN),dissolved inorganic phosphorous(DIP),dissolved inorganic silicon(DSi)and metal elements(As,Ba,Cr,Cu,Fe,Mn,Ni,Pb,and Zn)in STE including upper intertidal,seepage face and subtidal zones.We then estimated submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)and associated nutrient and metal element fluxes.From the generalized Darcy’s law method,SGD was estimated to be 30.13 cm/d,which was about 7 times larger than the inflow(4.16 cm/d).The nutrient and metal fluxes from SGD were estimated to be(5.33±4.99)mmol/(m^(2)·d)for DIN,(0.22±0.03)mmol/(m^(2)·d)for DIP,(16.20±2.05)mmol/(m^(2)·d)for DSi,(1325.06±99.10)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Fe,(143.41±25.13)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Mn,(304.06±81.07)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Zn,(140.21±13.33)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Cu,(84.49±2.94)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Pb,(37.38±5.51)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Ba,(27.88±3.89)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Cr,(10.10±6.33)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for Ni,and(6.25±3.45)μmol/(m^(2)·d)for As.The nutrient and metal fluxes from SGD were relatively higher than those from the inflow,suggesting that nearshore groundwater acted as the sources of nutrients and metal elements discharging into the sea.The environmental potential pollution of coastal seawater was evaluated by pollution factor index(Pi),comprehensive water quality index(CWQI),and ecological risk index(ERI).Pb mainly caused potential danger of nearshore environment with considerable contamination(Pi=5.78±0.19),heavy pollution(CWQI=4.09)and high ecological risk(ERI=18.00).This study contributed to better understanding the behavior of nutrients and metal elements and improving the sustainable management of STE under the pressure of anthropogenic activities and climate change.

The Application of Numerical Characteristics to the Distribution Characteristics of Copper in the Liao River, China

The aim of the present investigation was to research the distribution characteristics of copper in water and sediment of the Liao River, China. The concentrations of copper in water and sediment showed significant difference at different sampling stations. The distribution characteristics of copper in water and sediment were obtained by using discrete and continuous numerical characteristics. The results indicated that the average concentrations of copper in water and sediment decreased slightly after its accumulation. While the deviations of the concentrations of copper in water and sediment from the expectation increased significantly after its accumulation. The skewness distributions of the concentrations of copper in water and sediment did not change much before and after its accumulation. The kurtosis distributions of the concentrations of copper in water and sediment decreased significantly after its accumulation. Therefore, the precise distribution characteristics of copper in water and sediment were obtained through the combination of the discrete and continuous numerical characteristics. .

Distribution characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments and core sediments of the Shenzhen Bay in Guangdong Province,China

The concentration of zinc, chromium, cadmium, nickel, lead and copper was measured on both surface sediments and core sediments in the Shenzhen Bay. The average contents of all metals have exceeded the background values in the coastal zone of Guangdong Province. Cadmium is a heavy pollution matter which indicates a strong pollution level according to the ecological risk coefficient method. The ecological risk index of the whole area is 299 which belongs to middle and strong level. The area with strong pollution level is the near shore area closing to the inside of Shenzhen Bay, Shakou area is in the middle level while the weak pollution level occurs in Shenzhenhe Estuary according to ecological risk index. The four sediment cores can be divided into two parts based on lead-210 dating, sediments size analysis and economic development period in surrounding areas since 1950 with strong human intervention. The sediment size, deposition rate and human activities have positive relationship with the contents of heavy metals which directly impact the pollution level of heavy metals in sediments in Shenzhen Bay.

Preliminary Study of Groundwater Quality Using Hierarchical Classification Approaches for Contaminated Sites in Indigenous Communities Associated with Crude Oil Exploration Facilities in Rivers State, Nigeria

Background: Groundwater is an important source of water. Since the control and removal of pollution are expensive, it is essential to identify the possible sources of contamination and to correctly classify groundwater on the basis of its intrinsic and integrated vulnerability. Objectives: To group ground water chemical ions and heavy metals parameters into similar groups. Method: The investigation made use of standard analytical procedures. All sampling, conservation, transportation and analysis followed standard procedures described in APHA (2012). To prevent degradation of the organic substances, all obtained samples were transferred to the laboratory, while kept in an icebox. Results: Sampling records from the same area are generally assigned to the same cluster during hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The cluster diagram shows the grouping of the heavy metal in the study area during wet and dry seasons. It reveals that 5 distinct clusters were identified for wet season and 4 clusters were identified during dry season. Also, it reveals that 5 distinct clusters were identified for wet season and for dry season, 4 distinct clusters were identified. Conclusion: The findings of this study are significant for policymakers and agencies in terms of dealing with the issues identified to enhance sustainable livelihood practices in the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Therefore, decision-makers should take proper initiatives to get local people aware of the endangered zones before use, as drinking water is key to good health. Similarly, multinational oil companies will find it useful in their quest for viable social corporate responsibility and remediation plans in their respective host communities. The method proved to be a useful and objective tool for environmental planning.

Medium-term Air Quality Benchmarking for Ecosystem Monitoring and Sustainability Planning: Case Study Dallas County (U.S.A.) 2015 to 2020

Medium-term air quality assessment,benchmarking it to recent past data can usefully complement short-term air quality index data for monitoring purposes.By using daily and monthly averaged data,medium-term air quality benchmarking provides a distinctive perspective with which to monitor air quality for sustainability planning and ecosystem perspectives.By normalizing the data for individual air pollutants to a standard scale they can be more easily integrated to generate a daily combined local area benchmark(CLAB).The objectives of the study are to demonstrate that medium-term air quality benchmarking can be tailored to reflect local conditions by selecting the most relevant pollutants to incorporate in the CLAB indicator.Such a benchmark can provide an overall air quality assessment for areas of interest.A case study is presented for Dallas County(U.S.A.)applying the proposed method by benchmarking 2020 data for air pollutants to their trends established for 2015 to 2019.Six air pollutants considered are:ozone,carbon monoxide,nitrogen dioxide,sulfur dioxide,benzene and particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometres.These pollutants are assessed individually and in terms of CLAB,and their 2020 variations for Dallas County compared to daily trends established for years 2015 to 2019.Reductions in benzene and carbon monoxide during much of 2020 are clearly discernible compared to preceding years.The CLAB indicator shows clear seasonal trends for air quality for 2015 to 2019 with high pollution in winter and spring compared to other seasons that is strongly influenced by climatic variations with some anthropogenic inputs.Conducting CLAB analysis on an ongoing basis,using a relevant near-past time interval for benchmarking that covers several years,can reveal useful monthly,seasonal and annual trends in overall air quality.This type of medium-term,benchmarked air quality data analysis is well suited for ecosystem monitoring.

Terahertz assessment of the atmospheric pollution during the first-ever red alert period in Beijing

Haze or smog episodes, which are characterized by the presence of particulate matter at diameters less than 2.5 μm （PM2.5）, have attracted increasing attention during the past few decades [ 1 ]. PM2.5 has adverse effects on human respiratory health as well as on air visibility [2,3]. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei （BTH） region of China, haze has become especially serious in recent years because of industrial expansion and traffic-related emissions [4,5] （http：//news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-01/07/c_134987525.htm; http：// news.cenews.com.cn/html/2016-01/07/content_38614.htm）. To protect public health, the first-ever red alert for smog in China was issued by the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau （MEPB）,

Distribution,enrichment mechanism and risk assessment for fluoride in groundwater:a case study of Mihe-Weihe River Basin,China

Due to the unclear distribution characteristics and causes of fluoride in groundwater of Mihe-Weihe River Basin(China),there is a higher risk for the future development and utilization of groundwater.Therefore,based on the systematic sampling and analysis,the distribution features and enrichment mechanism for fluoride in groundwater were studied by the graphic method,hydrogeochemical modeling,the proportionality factor between conventional ions and factor analysis.The results show that the fluorine content in groundwater is generally on the high side,with a large area of medium-fluorine water(0.5–1.0 mg/L),and high-fluorine water is chiefly in the interfluvial lowlands and alluvial-marine plain,which mainly contains HCO_(3)·Cl-Na-and HCO_(3)^(-)Na-type water.The vertical zonation characteristics of the fluorine content decrease with increasing depth to the water table.The high flouride groundwater during the wet season is chiefly controlled by the weathering and dissolution of fluorine-containing minerals,as well as the influence of rock weathering,evaporation and concentration.The weak alkaline environment that is rich in sodium and poor in calcium during the dry season is the main reason for the enrichment of fluorine.Finally,an integrated assessment model is established using rough set theory and an improved matter element extension model,and the level of groundwater pollution caused by fluoride in the Mihe-Weihe River Basin during the wet and dry seasons in the Shandong Peninsula is defined to show the necessity for local management measures to reduce the potential risks caused by groundwater quality.