Selective determination of rhodium and iridium in the urban environment using the catalytic method

The problem of studying the level of technogenic pollution of the environment with platinum group metals is attributed first to the release of platinum metals into the environment together with the exhaust gases of cars using afterburning catalysts containing Pt, Pd, Rh. The pharmaceutical, electronics and jewelry industries the waste of which contains PGMs also contribute to the pollution of the environment. A number of studies have shown the toxic effects of PGM on humans. The goal of the study is to obtain new information about the level of technogenic pollution of the environment with platinum group metals (such as water-washings from roads, bio-collector plants, roadside dust), which necessitates developing of the method for sample preparation and determination of rhodium and iridium. A technique of sample opening and determination of rhodium and iridium in environmental objects, water-washings from roads, bio-collector plants, roadside dust is proposed. To increase the selectivity of rhodium determination, the samples were treated with a mixture of concentrated perchloric acid and sodium periodate when heated to boiling, which provided more than 5-fold increase the rhodium signal. Moreover, the permissible excess of iridium and ruthenium was increased by 5 and 20 times, respectively, due to the conversion of other PGMs into catalytically inactive forms. The indicator reaction of sulfarsazen oxidation by periodate was used in the kinetic determination of rhodium and iridium. The correctness of the results obtained by the developed method was confirmed by the ETAAS method. The determined content of Rh and Ir: in roadside waters (μg/liter) up to 0.015 and 0.005; in collector plants (g/ton) up to 0.030 Rh and 0.022; in street dust (g/ton) up to 0.05 and 0.025, respectively. The standard deviation of the repeatability of the determination results does not exceed 0.07 (Rh) and 0.12 (Ir). The developed method of opening samples and determining rhodium and iridium in environmental objects provided a great bulk of information about the content of rhodium and iridium in water-flushes from Moscow roads, bio-collector plants, roadside dust, which correlate fairly well with the scarce data from other geographic regions available in the literature and our earlier results on rhodium content in dust. The developed technique made it possible to obtain data on the level of technical pollution of the environment with PGMs in places with different traffic density in Moscow.

Results of AAS-measurements of atmospheric deposition of copper and lead in the snow cover of Almaty agglomeration

The article presents the results of the study conducted on the territory of the Almaty agglomeration (AA) in the first half of 2019. During the expeditionary studies, sampling was carried out at 30 permanent points established taking into account the degree of anthropogenic load and sources of technogenic pollution. The content of trace elements (TE) in the snow was determined by a flame atomic absorption spectrometric method using an AA-7000 spectrophotometer with a hollow cathode lamp and with a nozzle burner operating on an acetylene-air mixture. The paper considers the amount of content of copper and lead in the snow, as well as the nature of their distribution over the study area. Calculations were carried out on the number of depositions of the TE in question per unit area over the territory of the agglomeration, with the allocation of zones experiencing the highest technogenic load.

Specific features of fat-soluble vitamins in the indigenous and administrative population of the Far North

In recent decades, interest in the study of the content of fat-soluble antioxidant vitamins among residents of the northern territories of Russia has not weakened, which is associated with the transformation of the diet in a harsh climate, a negative ecological situation resulting from the technogenic pollution of the biosphere with various toxicants, and urbanization of the environment. In recent decades, interest in the study of fat-soluble antioxidant vitamins among residents of the northern territories of Russia has not weakened, which is due to the transformation of the diet in a harsh climate, a negative environmental situation that arose as a result of technogenic pollution of the biosphere with various toxicants. Аim. Conduct a comparative analysis of the content vitamins A, D, E in indigenous and alien populations, living on the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Material and methods. The study involved 185 males of working age (31.3 ± 12.2 years), permanently residing in the territory of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The study participants were divided into 2 groups: the control group (97 representatives of the newcomer population) and the main group (88 people from the ethnic population: Nenets, Khanty). In all examined individuals, vitamins A and E were determined in the blood by the fluorometric method, and the concentration of hydroxyvitamin D – 25 (OH) D3 was determined using the chemiluminescent method. Results. In the course of a comparative analysis of the content of the studied vitamins in the blood, it was found that the average values of vitamin A in the newcomer population were in the range of optimal values, while the provision with vitamins D and E was 1.4 and 1.1 times lower than the minimum. permissible physiological values, respectively. The opposite picture was observed in the aboriginal population, who had a pronounced deficiency of only vitamin A. Conclusion. The results obtained indicate the presence of intergroup features in the content of fat-soluble vitamins in the body of the population of the Far North, which requires a corresponding correction of the diet and the development of a set of preventive measures aimed at improving the ecology of the environment.

Kerch Strait and Its Technogenic Pollution: Possibilities of Optical and Radar Remote Sensing

The possibilities of using satellite imagery of modern remote sensing satellites, both optical and radar, to study anthropogenic pollution and the state of the marine environment of the Kerch Strait are discussed. It is shown that satellite data and images allow one to quickly obtain practically complete information about a particular phenomenon and emergency situation in the strait.

Estimation of the Size Distribution of Suspended Particulate Matters in the Urban Atmospheric Surface Layer and Its Influence on Bronchopulmonary Pathology

The surface layer of the urban atmosphere significantly affects human health. Its quality depends on the level of air pollution. The aim was to determine the size distribution of suspended particulate matters (SPMs) in the atmospheric surface layer of Vladivostok city and to assess the response of the blood immune and metabolic parameters of the population with bronchopulmonary pathology. Sampling of SPMs was conducted in the continental zone of the city with a high level of technogenic pollution (138 samples) and the island part of the city with an insignificant level of technogenic pollution (132 samples). The SPM fractional composition was analyzed by laser granulometry. We examined patients with bronchopulmonary pathology living in a one-kilometer zone centered on sampling area for at least 5 years (continental territory—220 patients, island territory—176 patients). We calculated the D% index characterizing the integral response of the blood immune and metabolic parameters to the exposure of dust fractions. It was found that PM > 10 (mainly of a natural origin) predominate in the island zone with insignificant level of technogenic pollution. The PM10 fraction prevails in the area with a high level of technogenic pollution. The response of the immune and metabolic systems to the exposure to microparticles in population living in the marine and forest/park zone of the island indicates a health-improving effect of the area. Low values of D% were detected for the patients living in the area with a high air pollution level, indicating a pathogenic reaction of immune and prooxidant-oxidative systems.

ECOLOGICAL MONITORING OF TECHNOGENIC POLLUTION BY MORPHOMETRIC INDICES OF DOMINANT PLANTS

В статье рассматриваются проблемы индукции анатомо-морфологического строения растений разных жизненных форм при длительном хроническом воздействии ионизирующей радиации на территорию села Калачи Акмолинской области. Установлено, что в условиях радиоактивного заражения при повышении активности ионизирующего излучения у растений возникает ответная реакция, происходят изменения внутреннего строения вегетативных органов. Такие приспособительные признаки возникают под действием множества факторов окружающей среды, в том числе радиационного загрязнения. The article discusses the problems of induction of the anatomical and morphological structure of plants of different life forms under the long-term chronic effects of ionizing radiation in the territory of the village of Kalachi, Akmola region. It was found that under conditions of radioactive contamination with an increase in the activity of ionizing radiation, a response occurs in plants, changes occur in the internal structure of vegetative organs. Such adaptive signs arise under the influence of a set of environmental factors, including radiation pollution.

Spectral parameters of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seeds in technogenic conditions of urban environment

Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is an invasive species with high activity in alien flora of Ukraine. Invasive potential of plants in unfavorable ecological conditions is due to the presence of adaptive mechanisms. One of the criteria for the invasive potential of foreign plants is considered to be seed productivity. For plants of black locust note a high level of seed productivity. However, it remains to be seen what factors ensure the formation of viable seeds in extreme environments. Among the factors that ensure the formation of viable plant seeds, note the barrier function of the seed coat relative to biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The physiological role of this protective barrier is realized due to the specific properties and component composition of the surface tissues of seeds. Among the metabolites with protective properties localized in the seed coat, consider proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins), which are formed during the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds. To objectively assess changes in the accumulation of proanthocyanidins in the seed coat, it is necessary to use non-destructive methods, because the isolation of these compounds destroys their native polymer structure. The influence of technogenic pollution of Dnipro city on the reflectance, colorimetric and fluorescent characteristics of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seeds is investigated in the work. Mature seeds of black locust were collected at monitoring sites in the Botanical Garden of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (ecologically favorable zone) and at some points of linear roadside plantations of one of the main highways. It was found that the chronic effect of aerogenic pollutants on black locust plants caused an increased accumulation of proanthocyanidins in the seed coat, which may be due to changes in the biosynthesis of these compounds at the stage of oxidative polymerization of flavonoid subunits. Markers of this reaction of plants are the change of position and increase of intensity of maxima in the reflectance spectra of visible region, increase of value of dominant wavelength, decrease of conditional purity of color tone and colorimetric coefficients, increase of intensity of maxima in seed fluorescence spectra. The protective effect of these adaptive changes is associated with the strengthening of the barrier function of the seed coat to adverse environmental factors to maintain the viability of the seeds under the negative impact of technogenic pollution.

ACTIVITY AND ISOZYME COMPOSITION OF PEROXIDASE IN SCOTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) NEEDLES EFFECTED BY TECHNOGENIC EMISSIONS FROM VARIOUS ENTERPRISES AND VEHICLES

Background. The technogenic pollution leads to excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants which are highly reactive and toxic and cause damage to biomolecules. Plants have a complex antioxidant defense system that protects cells from the ROS and maintain homeostasis. The most important link this system is enzymes, in particular, peroxidase. It was of interest to determine the expression of the protective properties of one of the sensitive species of coniferous plants under the influence of technogenic emissions from various enterprises and vehicles. Purpose. Investigation the activity and isoenzyme composition of peroxidase in the needles of Pinus sylvestris L. under the influence of technogenic emissions of different compositions in the Baikal region. Materials and methods. The pine needles were collected on sample plots located near an aluminum plant, thermal power plant, chemical plant, coal mining enterprise, and the highway. The activity of soluble guaiacol-dependent peroxidases was defined by spectrophotometry in a reaction mixture with citrate-phosphate buffer, hydrogen peroxide, and guaiacol. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used for determination of peroxidase isoforms. Results. It was shown that an increase in the total guaiacol-dependent peroxidase activity ranged from 6 to 22 times in the pine needles in polluted areas. Maximum enzyme activity was found in needle samples collected near the aluminum smelter, whose emissions are characterized by large amounts of fluorides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The high variability of peroxidase isoform composition in Scots pine needles under industrial pollution was revealed. It was expressed in the emergence of new isoforms in the zone of fast-moving (Rf from 61 to 100) and medium-moving (Rf from 31 to 60) items. The maximum number of isoforms (nine) was found in pine needles near the aluminum smelter with only two ones detected in the background area. Conclusion. Peroxidase activity and the number of its newly formed isoforms can adequately reflect the degree of technogenic pollution and trees decline. The indicators can also be used in monitoring of coniferous forests condition.