Assessment of pollution levels and human health risk of heavy metals in dust deposited on Yerevan＇s tree leaves (Armenia)

The total concentrations of Cd,As,Pb,Cr,Ni,Co,Zn,Cu,Ag,Hg,and Mo were determined in the atmospheric dust of the city of Yerevan by atomic absorption spectrometry(AAnalyst PE 800).Heavy metal pollution levels were evaluated by calculating geo-accumulation(I_(geo)) and summary pollution(Z_c) indices.Potential human health risk was assessed using the United States Environmental Protection agency's human health risk assessment model.The results show that mean contents of all elements tested except Ni and Cr were substantially higher than local geochemical background values.According to the I_(geo),Yerevan territory is strongly-to-extremely polluted by As,Ag,Hg,Mo,and Cd.The Z_c assessment indicated that very high pollution was detected in 36%of samples,high in 32%,average in 12%,and low in 20%.The health risk assessment revealed a noncarcinogenic risk(HI >1) for children at 13 samplings sites and for adults at one sampling site.For children the risk was due to elevated levels of Mo,Cd,Co,and As,while for adults,only Mo.Carcinogenic risk(>1:1,000,000) of As and Cr via ingestion pathway was observed in 25 and 14 samples,respectively.This study,therefore,is the base for further detailed investigations to organize problematic site remediation and risk reduction measures.

Determination of Harmful Elements and Analysis of Pollution Level in Lysimachia christinae

[Objectives]To detect content of Pb,Cd,Hg,As,Cu,Zn,and Cr in Lysimachia christinae,and to analyze the pollution level.[Methods]Seven kinds of elements in L.christinae were determined by Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and analyzed by single index and comprehensive index.[Results]The seven heavy metal elements showed good linearity in their respective concentration ranges.The recoveries of the samples were 84.5%-109.5%,and the RSD values were 2.30%-5.10%.Comparing the measured results of heavy metal elements with the limit values stipulated in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and other standards,the Cr element in 19 batches of samples exceeded the standard,and the Zn element in 7 batches of samples exceeded the standard.The exceeding rates were 100.0%and 36.8%,respectively;the content of other heavy metal elements did not exceed the standard.The order of individual index from large to small was Cr,Zn,Cd,Hg,Cu,As,and Pb,and the average comprehensive pollution level was mild pollution and above.[Conclusions]L.christinae was mainly polluted by Cr,followed by Zn;this study can provide basic data for drafting of the limit standard for heavy metal elements in L.christinae.

Horizontal distribution and levels of heavy metals in the biggest snowstorm in a century in Shenyang,China

The horizontal distribution and levels of heavy metals in the biggest snowstorm in Shenyang since 1904 were investigated by analyzing 4 metals (As,Cd,Pb,and Cu) in a series of ultraclean samples collected from 17 sites distributed in different regions of the Shenyang area,China.The results showed that the concentrations of all the 4 heavy metals in snow from the industrial regions were high,up to 7.3 (As),2.2 (Cd),850.0 (Pb),and 0.197-20.2 (Cu)μg/kg,respectively.In the suburb,in contrast,their concentration...

Responses of acrocarpous moss communities to heavy metal(Fe,Mn,Cd)and sulfur pollution in the Changgou carbonate manganese ore,SW China

Bryophyte communities have been widely used to monitor and assess heavy metal pollution in soil,air and water.However,the unique value of acrocarpous moss in monitoring environmental pollution and the harm of non-metallic sulfur to human health caused by carbonate manganese mining were seldom considered in previous studies.This study investigated the heavy metal and sulfur pollution level by soil and moss sample collection in Changgou manganese ore and its surrounding environment in the Zunyi area,Guizhou Province,China.By means of cluster analysis,diversity analysis,correlation analysis and redundancy analysis,the relationship between dominant moss communities and major pollutants were analyzed.The results showed that there were pollutants such as iron(Fe),manganese(Mn),cadmium(Cd),sulfur(S)and others in the 500 meters buffer zone centered on Changgou manganese ore.The ore sorting area and waste rock accumulation area were considered as the most seriously polluted,followed by the ore outlet area and ore transport line,at last the miners’living area and vegetable planting area were the least polluted.A total of 23 species of moss communities were identified in the Changgou manganese ore area,among which 9 were dominant,including Bryum blindii Bruch&Schimp.(Bry.bli),Weissia planifolia Dix(Wei.pla)-Bry.bli,Bryum caespiticium Hedw.(Bry.cae),Bryum pallescens Schleicher ex Schw?gr.(Bry.pal),Didymodon longicostatus X.J.Li et Iwats(Did.lon),Weissia brachycarpa(Nees&Hornsch.)Jur.(Wei.bra),Trichostomum brachydontium Bruch.(Tri.bra),Bryum argenteum Hedw.(Bry.arg)Wei.bra and Bryum algovicum Sendt.ex M?ll.Hal.(Bry.alg),all of which are from the acrocarp species.Bry.cae showed a strong tolerance to S,Did.lon to Fe,Bry.pal to Cd and Bry.bli to Mn.There was a significant correlation between the main polluting elements and the dominant bryophyte community(P<0.05),indicating a high biological indicator value.Together,our results can provide the scientific basis for soil pollution monitoring and human health risk assessment in carbonate manganese mining areas.

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in PM2.5 during Winter in the Suburb of Cangzhou, China

The heavy metals in atmospheric fine particles are of great concern to human health. To understand the pollution characteristics and health risks of heavy metals in particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) during winter in the suburb of Cangzhou, PM2.5 samples were collected with an intelligent medium-flow atmospheric particulate matter sampler from January to February 2019. The Fe, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn contents in PM2.5 were determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The sources and health risks of heavy metals in PM2.5 were analysed via the enrichment factor (EF) method and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) health risk assessment model. The results showed that the average PM2.5 concentration in the suburb of Cangzhou reached 71.6 μg/m3, ranging from 23.7 to 169.5 μg/m3. The exceeding standard rate was 29.4% during the sampling period. The PM2.5 concentration during the nighttime was higher than that during the daytime. The heavy metal concentrations in PM2.5 decreased in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb, and the Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn concentrations decreased in the order of clean days < pollution days < heavy pollution days. The Fe and Mn concentrations were higher during the daytime than those during the nighttime, while the Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were higher during the nighttime than those during the daytime. EF analysis revealed that Zn, Pb and Cu were significantly enriched, and Pb was highly enriched on heavy pollution days with increasing pollution degree. The enrichment level of heavy metals during the nighttime was higher than that during the daytime. Health risk assessment demonstrated that Mn posed non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children, following the sequence of clean days < pollution days < heavy pollution days. Pb posed a carcinogenic risk to adults on heavy pollution days. The study revealed that the pollution levels of heavy metals in PM2.5 in the suburb of Cangzhou were low, and Pb and Mn in PM2.5 posed certain health risks to the population.

The Significant Contribution of Small-Sized and Spherical Aerosol Particles to the Decreasing Trend in Total Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from 2003 to 2018

The optical and microphysical properties of aerosols remain one of the greatest uncertainties associated with evaluating the climate forcing attributed to aerosols.Although the trends in aerosol optical depth(AOD)at global and regional scales have been widely examined,little attention has been paid to the trends in type-dependent AODs related to aerosol particle properties.Here,using the aerosol optical component dataset from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer(MISR)instrument,we investigate decadal-scale trends in total aerosol loading as well as AODs for five aerosol components by particle size and morphology during 2003–2018 over land.Relationships between the total AOD(TAOD)trends and type-dependent AOD changes were examined,and the relative contribution of each type-dependent AOD to the overall TAOD trends was quantified.By dividing the TAOD values into four different aerosol pollution levels(APLs)with splits at 0.15,0.40,and 0.80,we further explored the relationships between TAOD changes and interannual variations in the frequency-of-occurrences(FoOs)of these APLs.Long-term trends in FoOs in the different APLs show that there was a significant improvement in air quality between 2003 and 2018 in most land areas,except South Asia,corresponding to a shift from lightly polluted to clean conditions.However,the effects of different APLs on TAOD changes are regionally dependent and their extent of correlation varied spatially.Moreover,we observed that the annual mean TAOD has decreased by 0.47%.a^(-1)over land since 2003(P<0.05).This significant reduction was mainly attributed to the continued reduction in small-sized(<0.7 mm diameter)AOD(SAOD)(-0.74%.a^(-1))and spherical AOD(SPAOD)(-0.46%.a^(-1)).Statistical analysis shows that SAOD and SPAOD respectively accounted for 57.5%and 89.6%of the TAOD,but contributed 82.6%and 90.4%of the trend in TAOD.Our study suggests that small-sized and spherical aerosols composed of sulfate,organic matter,and black carbon play a dominant role in determining interannual variability in land TAOD.

Influence of Sedum Spectabile on Cd Concentration in Soil and Runoff

To research how planting Sedum spectabile affects Cd loss, in this experiment, the impact of soil pollution level (low, medium, high), rainfall intensity (30, 60, 90 mm·h-1), and slope (6°, 12°, 18°, 24°) on Cd concentration in soil and runoff after planting Sedum spectabile are investigating using an indoor artificial rainfall simulation method. The results showed that: 1) The mean values of agricultural soils in the study area reached 38.52 and 1073.28 mg·kg-1 for Cd and Zn, respectively, which were 176.70 and 11.96 times higher than the background values of soil environment in southern Yunnan. 2) The decrease of total Cd in the soil after planting Sedum spectabile ranged from 17.52% to 31.09%, and the decrease of effective state Cd ranged from 14.36% to 21.81%. The higher the pollution level, the more significant the decrease of effective state Cd. 3) After 120 days of planting, the Cd concentration in runoff decreased between 22.40% and 89.23% compared to 15 days, with the more significant decrease in low Cd pollution, 90 mm·h-1 rainfall, medium Cd pollution, 30 mm·h-1 rainfall, and high Cd pollution, 90 mm·h-1, reaching 81.14% - 87.43%, 82.21% - 89.00%, and 37.57% - 89.23%. 4) The pollution level and rainfall intensity were significantly and positively correlated with Cd concentration in runoff at 15 and 120 days of planting Sedum spectabile, with correlation coefficients of 0.498, 0.641, and 0.435, 0.464. Research shows that planting Sedum spectabile can reduce the Cd concentration in soil and runoff, which is essential for the remediation of Cd-contaminated farmland.

Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases demonstration project:aerosol pollution and its seasonal peculiarities in primary schools of Vilnius

Background:The growing public health concern caused by non-communicable diseases in urban surroundings cannot be solved by health care alone;therefore a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory.This study aimed to evaluate the airborne aerosol pollution level in primary schools as possible factor influencing origin and course of the diseases in children.Methods:Seasonal aerosol particle number concentration(PNC)and mass concentration(PMC)were studied in the randomly selected eleven primary schools in the Lithuanian capital,Vilnius,as model of a middle-size Eastern European city.Total PNC in the size range from 0.01 to>1.0μm in diameter was measured using a condensation particle counter.Using an optical particle sizer,PNC was measured and PMC estimated for particles from 0.3 to 10.0μm.A descriptive statistics was used to estimate the aerosol pollution levels.Results:During all seasons,local cafeterias in the absence of ventilation were the main sources of the elevated levels of indoor PMC and PNC(up to 97,500 particles/cm3).The other sources of airborne particulates were the children’s activity during the lesson breaks with PMC up to 586μg/m3.Soft furniture,carpets in the classrooms and corridors were responsible for PMC up to 200μg/m3.Outdoor aerosol pollution(up to 18,170 particles/cm3)was higher for schools in city center.Elevated air pollution in classrooms also resulted from intermittent sources,such as construction work during classes(200-1000μg/m3)and petrol-powered lawn trimmers(up to 66,400 particles/cm3).Conclusion:The results of our survey show that even in a relatively low polluted region of Eastern Europe there are big differences in aerosol pollution within middle-sized city.Additional efforts are needed to improve air quality in schools:more frequent wet cleaning,monitoring the operation of ventilation systems,a ban on construction works during school year,on a use of sandblasting mechanisms in the neighborhood of schools.

Gravimetric analysis for PM_(2.5) mass concentration based on year-round monitoring at an urban site in Beijing

Daily PM_（2.5）（particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of below 2.5 μm） mass concentrations were measured by gravimetric analysis in Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences（CRAES）, in the northern part of the Beijing urban area, from December 2013 to April 2015. Two pairs of Teflon（T1/T2） and Quartz（Q1/Q2） samples were obtained, for a total number of 1352 valid filters. Results showed elevated pollution in Beijing,with an annual mean PM_（2.5）mass concentration of 102 μg/m^3. According to the calculated PM_（2.5）mass concentration, 50% of our sampling days were acceptable（PM_（2.5）〈 75 μg/m^3）, 30% had slight/medium pollution（75–150 μg/m^3）, and 7% had severe pollution（〉 250 μg/m^3）. Sampling interruption occurred frequently for the Teflon filter group（75%） in severe pollution periods,resulting in important data being missing. Further analysis showed that high PM_（2.5）combined with high relative humidity（RH） gave rise to the interruptions. The seasonal variation of PM_（2.5）was presented, with higher monthly average mass concentrations in winter（peak value in February, 422 μg/m^3）, and lower in summer（7 μg/m^3 in June）. From May to August, the typical summer period, least severe pollution events were observed, with high precipitation levels accelerating the process of wet deposition to remove PM_（2.5）. The case of February presented the most serious pollution, with monthly averaged PM_（2.5）of 181 μg/m^3 and 32% of days with severe pollution. The abundance of PM_（2.5）in winter could be related to increased coal consumption for heating needs.