Application of Equilibrium Partitioning Approach to the Derivation of Sediment Quality Guidelines for Metals in Dianchi Lake

For the past 20 years, numerous studies have been carried out on the application of equilibrium partitioning approach （EqPA） for the derivation of sediment quality guidelines （SQGs）. However, for metals, few Equilibrium-partitioning- based numerical SQGs have been developed or are currently available because of the confounding factors mediating the bioavailability of metals. A study was conducted at Dianchi Lake, which is a heavily eutrophicated lake on the Yunnan- Guizhou Plateau, China with the focus on the measurement of partitioning coefficient （Kp） and SQGs derivation and normalization to acid volatile sulfide （AVS）, fine material, and organic carbon. Using new normalization methods, SQGs were formulated for seven metals including copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and arsenic in Dianchi Lake. In Dianchi Lake sediments, the fine material contributed 25.4%-36.0% to the SQG values, with the largest contribution to the SQG value of mercury; AVS contributed 2.9%-75.0% to the SQG values, with the largest contribution to the SQG value of cadmium. This indicated that the fine material and the AVS were the most important controlling factors to the bioavailability of mercury and caximium, respectively. The contribution of total organic carbon （TOC） to the SQG values of copper and leaxi was 3.8% and 7.1%, respectively, indicating that at relatively lower concentrations, the contribution of TOC was not significant. In addition to normalization methods, appropriate procedures for the application of EqPA including sample collection, storage, and analysis are also essential to improve the reliability of SQGs. The normalized Dianchi Lake SQGs were higher than most of the empirically based SQGs developed in North America, but lower than Hong Kong interim SQGs except for cadmium and arsenic. The differences could be attributed to the approaches used for derivation of SQGs and the water quality criteria adopted and the differences in the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments.

Toxicities and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Taihu Lake, China, based on sediment quality guidelines

The occurrence, toxicities, and ecological risks of five heavy metals（Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni） in the sediment of Taihu Lake were investigated in this study. To evaluate the toxicities caused by the heavy metals, the toxicities induced by organic contaminants and ammonia in the sediments were screened out with activated carbon and zeolite. The toxicities of heavy metals in sediments were tested with benthic invertebrates（tubificid and chironomid）.The correlations between toxicity of sediment and the sediment quality guidelines（SQGs）derived previously were evaluated. There were significant correlations（p 〈 0.0001） between the observed toxicities and the total risk quotients of the heavy metals based on SQGs,indicating that threshold effect level（TEL） and probable effect level（PEL） were reliable to predict the toxicities of heavy metals in the sediments of Taihu Lake. By contrast, the method based on acid volatile sulfides（AVS） and simultaneously extracted metals（SEM）,such as ∑SEM/AVS and ∑SEM-AVS, did not show correlations with the toxicities. Moreover,the predictive ability of SQGs was confirmed by a total predicting accuracy of 77%. Ecological risk assessment based on TELs and PELs showed that the contaminations of Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn in the sediments of Taihu Lake were at relatively low or medium levels. The risks caused by heavy metals in the sediments of northern bay of the lake, which received more wastewater discharge from upper stream, were higher than other area of the lake.

Water and Sediment Quality Assessment of a Multipurpose Reservoir in India

Malampuzha reservoir is a multipurpose reservoir in south India. Seven water samples and four sediment samples were studied for the physico-chemical and bacteriological nature of the Malampuzha reservoir water and sediments. Bacteriological analysis indicated the microbial contamination of the reservoir and the physico-chemical characteristics indicated that the water is non potable directly. Analysis of irrigational water quality by SAR, Kelly＇s ratio and SSP indicates that the reservoir water is suitable for irrigation. Heavy metal pollution of the sediments was evaluated based on Sediment Quality Guidelines （SQG）, Pollution Load Index （PLI） and degree of contamination （Cd） of soil in four stations. Principal Component Analysis （PCA） was done to find out the possible linear combination of the original variables of trace metals. Results of PCA showed that no collinearity existed among the studied metals. However, emphasis on the monitoring of Cu and Ni should be preferred because of its alarmingly higher contamination value.

Potential toxic risk of heavy metals from sediment of the Pearl River in South China

Based on the monitoring of five heavy metal elements in the surface sediments of the Pearl River in South China, potential toxicity of the heavy metals was assessed using consensus-based sediment quality guidelines （SQGs） method and geo-accumulation （Igeo） index method. The monitoring results showed the heavy metal concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with each other, demonstrating a common trend in variation of concentration in the surface sediments. The assessment using the consensus-based SQGs method showed the potential toxicity of Cu was the highest, and Cd was the lowest. The evaluation based on mean probable effect concentration （PEC） quotient showed the region was seriously polluted with high toxicity heavy metals. Correlation analysis revealed a significant and positive correlation between the mean PEC quotient and the average of Igeo with a correlation coefficient of 0.926 （n = 23, P 〈 0.01）. In conclusion, the consensus-based SQGs and mean PEC quotient are applicable to assess potential toxicity risks of heavy metals in freshwater sediments in the Pearl River.

Distribution and Ecological Risk Assessment of HCHs and DDTs in Surface Seawater and Sediment of the Mariculture Area of Jincheng Bay,China

The distribution of hexachloroeyclohexanes （HCHs） and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes （DDTs） in the surface sea- water and sediment of Jincheng Bay mariculture area were investigated in the present study. The concentration of total HCHs and DDTs ranged from 2.98 to 14.87ngL-l and were〈0.032ngL-1, respectively, in surface seawater, and ranged from 5.52 to 9.43 and from 4.11 to 6.72 ng g-l, respectively, in surface sediment. It was deduced from the composition profile of HCH isomers and DDT congeners that HCH residues derived from a mixture of technical-grade HCH and lindane whereas the DDT residues derived from technical-grade DDT and dicofol. Moreover, both HCH and DDT residues may mainly originate from historical inputs. The hazard quotient of α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH to marine species was 0.030, 0.157, 3.008 and 0.008, respectively. It was estimated that the overall probability of adverse biological effect from HCHs was less than 5%, indicating that its risk to seawater column spe- cies was low. The threshold effect concentration exceeding frequency of γ-HCH, p,p＇-DDD, p,p＇-DDE and p,p＇-DDT in sediment ranged from 8.3% to 100%, and the relative concentration of the HCH and DDT mixture exceeded their probable effect level in sediment. These findings indicated that the risk to marine benthos was high and potentially detrimental to the safety of aquatic prod- ucts, e.g., sea cucumber and benthic shellfish.

Assessment of Metals Concentration and Ecotoxicology of the Sediment Core of Rehri Creek, Karachi Coast, Pakistan

Trace metal concentrations were investigated in a recent sediment core collected from the Rehri Creek area of the Karachi coast, Sindh - Pakistan. The core was sliced horizontally at 2.5-cm intervals to determine grain size, sediment composition, pH, organic matter, and acid-leachable trace metals： cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc. The trace metals were analyzed by ICP. To separate anthropogenic from geogenic input, several approaches were made, including comparison with sediment quality guidelines--ecotoxicological sense of heavy metal contamination and classification by quantitative indexes. Grain-size analysis and sediment composition of core sample show a sandy nature with neutral pH. Elemental sequence （ES） of the trace metals is in the order of Zn （19.2-109.56 ppm） 〉 Si （66.46-101.71 ppm） 〉 Ba （12.05-26.86 ppm） 〉 As （8.18-17.36 ppm） 〉 Ni （4.2- 14.69 ppm） 〉 Cr （3.02-9.62 ppm） 〉 Pb （2.79-6.83 ppm） 〉 Cu （2.2-5.29 ppm） 〉 Co （0.9-2.05 ppm）. Thus it is likely that the area may face a serious threat of metal pollution with the present deposition rates unless stringent pollution control norms are adopted. The Sediment Geo-accumulation Index shows that there is no Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, or Fe pollution; however, the former index and the Pollution Load Index indicate arsenic pollution in the sediments.

Heavy Metals Concentration in Sediments of South Brittany Waters, France: An Ecological Risk Assessment Approach

Distribution patterns of selected heavy metals content in sediments from the Bay of Quiberon and Gulf of Morbihan were studied to understand the current heavy metals contamination due to urbanization and mariculture activities in the coastal area. Therefore, a survey was conducted and 196 sediments collected were characterized for heavy metals content using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) after mix acid digestion process. The distribution maps of the concentrations of the heavy metals studied were produced as an isopleth map based on data interpolation by the ArcGIS software application. The association with the adverse effects on aquatic organisms was determined by the classification of the sediment according to the sediment quality guidelines. Therefore, two approaches were employed namely: direct comparison with Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) by USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and comparison with other numerical SQGs, threshold effect level/probable effect level, and effect range low/effect range medium. In order to estimate the effect of multiple contaminations of heavy metals, the mean-ERM-quotient was calculated at each sampling point.

Assessing the Quality of the First Batch of Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Objective: To assess the quality of the first batch of Chinese evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument. Methods: Evidence-based CPGs in TCM supported by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO/WPRO) and whose development was organized by the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences were identified and manually retrieved. CPGs were assessed using the AGREE instrument, and the data in each CPG were analyzed in terms of the six domains in the AGREE instrument: scope and purpose, stakeholder involvement, rigor of development, clarity and presentation, applicability, and editorial independence. Results: Twenty-eight CPGs were identified, of which 26 were included in the study. The AGREE instrument rated the 26 CPGs in terms of the six domains. The assessment results showed the following average scores: for editorial independence, 84.16%; for rigor of development, 80.95%; for scope and purpose, 79.96%; for clarity and presentation, 70.88%; for stakeholder involvement, 61.28%; for applicability, the average score was only 27.09%. In summary, nine CPGs were rated as "strongly recommended", six as "recommended with provision or alternation", and 11 as "unsure". Conclusion: Most of the first batch of Chinese evidence-based CPGs in TCM had significant shortcomings in applicability. It is suggested that special attention be paid to enhancing the quality of applicability when developing evidence-based CPGs in TCM.

Quality Assessment of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Integrative Medicine in China:A Systematic Review

Objective： To assess the quality of integrative medicine clinical practice guidelines（CPGs） published before 2014. Methods： A systematic search of the scientific literature published before 2014 was conducted to select integrative medicine CPGs. Four major Chinese integrated databases and one guideline database were searched： the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database（CBM）, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI）, China Science and Technology Journal Database（VIP）, Wanfang Data, and the China Guideline Clearinghouse（CGC）. Four reviewers independently assessed the quality of the included guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation（AGREE） Ⅱ Instrument. Overall consensus among the reviewers was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient（ICC）. Results： A total of 41 guidelines published from 2003 to 2014 were included. The overall consensus among the reviewers was good [ICC： 0.928; 95% confidence interval（CI）： 0.920 to 0.935]. The scores on the 6 AGREE domains were： 17% for scope and purpose（range： 6% to 32%）, 11% for stakeholder involvement（range： 0 to 24%）, 10% for rigor of development（range： 3% to 22%）, 39% for clarity and presentation（range： 25% to 64%）, 11% for applicability（range： 4% to 24%）, and 1% for editorial independence（range： 0 to 15%）. Conclusions： The quality of integrative medicine CPGs was low, the development of integrative medicine CPGs should be guided by systematic methodology. More emphasis should be placed on multi-disciplinary guideline development groups, quality of evidence, management of funding and conflicts of interest, and guideline updates in the process of developing integrative medicine CPGs in China.

Integration of chemical and biological methods:A case study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution monitoring in Shandong Peninsula,China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs),as persistent toxic substances(PTS),have been widely monitored in coastal environment,including seawater and sediment.However,scientific monitoring methods,like ecological risk assessment and integrated biomarker response,still need massive researches to verify their availabilities.This study was performed in March,May,August and October of 2018 at eight sites,Yellow River estuary(S1),Guangli Port(S2),Xiaying(S3),Laizhou(S4),Inner Bay(S5),Outer Bay(S6),Hongdao(S7)and Hongshiya(S8)of Shandong Peninsula,China.The contents of 16 priority PAHs in local seawater and sediment were determined,by which ecological risk assessment risk quotient(RQ)for seawater and sediment quality guidelines(SQGs)were calculated to characterize the PAHs pollution.Meanwhile,multiple biomarkers in the digestive gland of clam Ruditapes philippinarum were measured to represent different biological endpoints,including ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase(EROD),glutathione S-transferase(GST),sulfotransferase(SULT),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and lipid peroxidation(LPO),by which integrated biomarker response(IBR)was calculated to provide a comprehensive assessment of environmental quality.Taken together,these results revealed the heaviest pollution at S2 as both PAHs concentrations and biomarkers responses reflected,and supported the integrated biomarker response as a useful tool for marine environmental monitoring,through its integration with SQGs.

An investigation of roof runoff during rain events at the Royal Military College of Canada and potential discharge to Lake Ontario

The Royal Military College of Canada, located on the north eastern shore of Lake Ontario, possesses an abundance of copper roofs and lacks surface water treatment prior to discharge into Lake Ontario. Rainwater, roof runoff and soil samples were collected and analyzed for copper and other parameters. Copper was consistently detected in runoff samples with average concentrations of 3200 ± 2100 μg/L. Multivariable linear regression analysis for a dependant copper runoff concentration yielded an adjusted R 2 value of 0.611, based on an independent variable model using minimum temperature, maximum temperature, total precipitation, and wind speed. Lake water samples taken in the vicinity of storm water outfalls draining areas with copper roofs ranged from 2.0 to 40 μg/L copper. Such data exceed the 2.0 μg/L Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life as outlined by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment （CCME）. Analysis of raw, filtered and digested forms suggested that the majority of copper present in runoff and lake water samples was in a dissolved form. The majority of soils taken in this study displayed copper concentrations below the 63 μg/g CCME residential/parkland land use limits. These findings suggested that ion exchange processes between runoff water and soil do not occur to a sufficient extent to elevate copper levels in soil. It may therefore be concluded that the eventual fate of copper, which is not discharged via storm water outfalls, is lost to the water table and Lake Ontario through the sub-soil.

COPD deaths attributable to ozone in 2019 and future projections using the WHO AQG 2021 in urban China

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is an epidemic in China.Ozone is a possible risk factor of COPD,with ozone concentrations increasing in China,despite air pollution mitigation measures that reduced particulate matter.The WHO Air Quality Guidelines(AQG)recommendations in 2021 are a turning point that formally recognizes the crucial role of indoor air pollution.We aimed to investigate the premature COPD deaths attributable to ozone in 2019,taking the WHO AQG 2021 level into account to determine the gap to bridge ozone control in China.First,we assessed ozone exposures initiated from indoor and outdoor sources by gender and age groups in 344 cities under four scenarios:2019 as a baseline,and outdoor ozone at WHO AQG 2021 level in 2019,2030,and 2050,respectively.Subsequently,we estimated COPD deaths attributable to ozone.The results show that the COPD deaths attributable to ozone are 77,737 in 2019,and 527,872,1355 if the outdoor ozone concentration is reduced to the WHO AQG 2021 level in 2019(counterfactual scenario),2030,and 2050,respectively in urban China.The indoor ozone sources only contribute to less than 5%of COPD deaths.A gap of 68.5μg/m3 for the highest seasonal ozone concentration should be bridged to meet the WHO AQG 2021 and avoid over 76 thousand(98%)COPD deaths in 2019 in urban China.