Pollution sources identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of soils in Tianjin area, China

A total of 188 surface soil samples were collected from different types of utilization soils in Tianjin area. Factor analysis and scatter point surface tension spine function interpolation were used to analyze types and spatial distributions of PAH sources of surface soils in Tianjin area. The results showed that most pollution sources were mixed sources including coal burning and petroleum spill. Mixed sources occupied 56.12%, 58.96%, 46.45% and 59.50% in farmland of wastewater irrigation, common farmland, wild land and city greenbelt, respectively. Other pollution sources such as vehicle emission, biogenic conversion, wood burning and natural gas combustion were also significant. The spatial distributions of pollution sources were closely related to geographic location, geographic condition and living habit of indigenes. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Environmental and Socioeconomic Factors for Gastric Cancer in 14 Counties of the Huai River Basin from 2014 to 2018

To explore the potential relationship between environmental and socioeconomic factors and the risk of gastric cancer (GC) in the Huai River Basin, the GC incidence rate (GIR) and GC mortality rate (GMR) data from 2014 to 2018 in 14 counties of the Huai River Basin were collected from the Chinese Cancer Registration Annual Report. Environmental and socioeconomic parameters were collected through the Statistical Yearbook. The 14 counties were classified into three groups with low, moderate, and high risk of GC according to the point density of environmental factors (PDF) and index of socioeconomic factors (ISF). Significant differences in GIR and GMR were found among the counties with PDF (χ2 = 21.36, p < 0.01) and ISF (χ2 = 11.37, p < 0.05) levels. Meanwhile, significant differences in mortality rate were observed among counties with different PDF (χ2 = 11.25, p < 0.01) and ISF (χ2 = 18.74, p < 0.01), and the results showed that the ISF and PDF were increased while the GIR and GMR were decreased. Meanwhile, there was a lag effect between them, and we used two models to explore the lag effects between ISF, PDF and GIR and GMR; the coefficient influence between the ISF lag phase and GIR was −2.9768, and the coefficient influence between PDF and the lag phase on the GIR was −0.9332, and there were both significant impact when there was a probability of more than 95%. The results showed that the higher the ISF and PDF that lags in one stage, the more GIR was reduced, while the impact of the ISF and PDF on lag stage on mortality was not obvious. We used differential GMM to test the results, and also research results were relatively robust. Overall, GIR and GMR decreased with increasing point density of environmental factors and index of socioeconomic factors

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE AND HEALTH SECURITY IN CHINA

China has achieved impressive rapid development over the past 30 years. But China also faces the challenge of environmental change resulting from rapid economic growth and the attendant risks to human health. In this paper we described the environmental change and health risk in China from evident fluctuation of China’s climate, major changes in natural hydrological condition, raw materials and energy demand, changes of disease epidemic pattern related to climate change and ecosystem damage, new health risk raised by rapid urbanization and rural environmental quality degradation. The suggestion and countermeasures were discussed

The Spatiotemporal Distribution of Two Bacterial Indexes in a Small Tibetan Plateau Watershed

Microbial contamination is now more common than chemical contamination in Tibet, and water-borne microbes can cause a number of diseases that threaten public health. Thus, in order to clarify the spatiotemporal distribution of bacteria in small watersheds for which there is no data in Tibet, four sampling points were set up along an upstream-downstream transect of the Xincang River Basin. A total of 239 water samples were collected in 2014 and 2015, and their total constituent numbers of bacteria (TB) and coliforms (TC) were evaluated. The results of this study show that the microbial contamination of the Xincang River Basin is mild-to-moderate in terms of TB and TC contents, and that these concentrations vary significantly in different seasons. The results show that in summer, TB and TC concentrations and microbial contamination are almost at the same level in upstream, midstream, and downstream sections; however, in the other three seasons, microbial contamination in the downstream section is more serious than in the upstream and midstream sections. The data also demonstrates that concentrated precipitation and local contamination sources are important factors underlying increases in TB and TC concentrations during the summer months. The results of this study are likely to reflect the basic characteristics of small watersheds for which there is no data to some extent, and are thus of significant practical importance for protecting their ecological environments and promoting sustainable development

Public Awareness of Drinking Water Safety and Contamination Accidents: A Case Study in Hainan Province, China

To understand public awareness about drinking water safety and water contamination accidents in rural areas of China, two rural counties of Hainan Province were selected as pilot sites for investigation. We explored the degree of public satisfaction with drinking water quality, public trust of drinking water safety, and public awareness about drinking water problems and solutions. The results showed that 80.3% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of their drinking water. About 78.8% of respondents paid special attention or comparatively high attention to drinking water quality and contamination accidents, especially regarding potential damage to the human body and health, the influence scope, and the causes of accidents. A total 52.4% of respondents solved drinking water problems by themselves; few respondents complained to the health department or called the local telephone hotline. Age and sex did not play significant roles in the degree of public satisfaction with water quality or in the public perception of water pollution accidents; however, residents in rural areas within a drinking water quality monitoring network were more satisfied with their drinking water quality and more aware of drinking water contamination accidents than in areas outside of such a network. Respondents with higher education levels had greater awareness than those with lower education levels with respect to water quality and water pollution accidents

Effects of Urbanization on Rural Drinking Water Quality in Beijing, China

Urbanization is an inevitable trend in historical development, but eco-environmental problems, including drinking water safety, have gradually become more and more outstanding during the process of rural urbanization. Ten districts in rural areas of Beijing, China were selected to study the effects of urbanization on drinking water quality. The relation between the urbanization index and drinking water quality indicators were explored. The influence of the urbanization process on drinking water quality showed that housing construction, population urbanization, energy consumption, and industrialization during urban development were closely related to drinking water quality. The paired t-test showed the total electricity consumption, living electricity consumption, tertiary industry, and the GDP growth rate had boundary (p = 0.06) or significantly positive (p < 0.05) relations with the qualified rate of rural drinking water. The grey correlation analysis showed that the growth rates of the value-added of housing construction areas were the most important factor affecting comprehensive water quality of Beijing rural areas, followed by the growth rates of the value-added by secondary industry and total electricity consumption, and then the growth rates of the value-added by the tertiary industry and GDP. Urbanization had a significant impact on individual water quality indicators. The results of this study provided some supports for drinking water security in the face of urbanization

The Characerization and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in PM10 in Rural, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) samples in particles were collected with a PM10 sampler in rural areas of Beijing. PAH samples collected on quartz fiber filters were first extracted using dichloromethane with ultrasonic methods, and then were fractionated on an alumina-silica column. Finally, the aromatic and n-alkane fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and gas chromatography- combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The level of PAHs showed distinctly seasonal changes throughout the year, with the highest concentrations in January and lowest concentration in July. Σ16PAH concentrations ranged from 153.23 to 867.41 ng·m-3 in January, from 21.53 to 527.42 ng·m-3 in April, from 1.84 to 32.02 ng·m-3 in July, and from 14.86 to 114.81 ng·m-3 in November. Potential PAH emission sources were identified using normal alkane distribution analysis, positive matrix factorization, and compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis. The results revealed that vehicular emission was the major contributor, and it explained about 48.41% PAH source contribution. The petroleum source explaining 38.63% of the total PAHs was another major PAH source contributor. Coal combustion also was a major PAH contributor, totalling 30.45% of the contribution of PAHs in winter