Characterization of bacterial communities at heavy-metal-contaminated sites

The microbial community in soil samples from two long-term contaminated sites was characterized by using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. The two sites investigated contained high amounts of heavy metals and were located in the upper Silesia Industrial Region in southern Poland. The evaluation of the aerobic soil microbial population clearly demonstrated the presence of considerable numbers of viable, culturable bacteria at both sites. A high fraction of the bacterial population was able to grow in the presence of high amounts of metals, i.e. up to 10 mM Zn²⁺, 3 mM Pb²⁺ or 1 mM Cu²⁺. Site 1 contained significantly (P < 0.05) lower bacterial numbers growing in the presence of 10 mM Zn²⁺ than site 2, while the opposite was observed for bacteria tolerating 1 mM Cu²⁺. This coincided with the contents of these two metals at the two sites. Ecophysiological (EP) indices for copiotrophs (r-strategists) and oligotrophs (K-strategists) pointed to high bacterial diversity at both sites. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis indicated that Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria represent the physiologically active fraction of bacteria at the two sites. Shannon diversity (H′) indices for FISH-detected bacterial phylogenetic groups were not significantly different at the two sites.     

木粉/壳聚糖接枝丙烯酸-丙烯酰胺吸附树脂对二元重金属离子溶液中Pb2+的吸附

采用自制木粉/壳聚糖接枝丙烯酸-丙烯酰胺吸附树脂R1、R2、R3对二元金属离子Cu2 +/pb2和Zn2+/pb2+溶液中的吸附性能进行了较系统考察.pb2+离子溶液中存在竞争离子Cu2+、Zn2+时,随竞争离子浓度增加,3种吸附树脂R1、R2、R3对pb2+的吸附量明显下降,而竞争离子吸附量显著增加.二元溶液中各金属离子浓度相同时,3种树脂对竞争离子Cu2+、Zn2+的吸附量大于对pb2+的吸附量;各溶液中分别加入NaCl及NaNO3、尿素后,对pb2+离子的吸附量下降迅速.随吸附树脂用量增加,竞争离子Cu2+、Zn2+的吸附量逐渐减小,pb2+的吸附量在吸附树脂用量0.10 g/L(Zn2 +/pb2+溶液)或0.15 g/L(Cu2+/pb2+溶液)时出现最大值.溶液pH值对树脂吸附性能有显著影响.3.0＜pH＜5.O时,3种树脂对竞争离子和pb2+的吸附量快速增大;5＜ pH ＜9时,树脂对竞争离子和pb2+的吸附量基本不变;9＜pH＜ll时,树脂对pb2+的吸附量减小,而对竞争离子的吸附量或增大或减小.     

Simultaneous adsorption and degradation of Zn2+ and Cu2+ from wastewaters using nanoscale zero-valent iron impregnated with clays

Clays such as kaolin, bentonite and zeolite were evaluated as support material for nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) to simultaneously remove Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ from aqueous solution. Of the three supported nZVIs, bentonite-supported nZVI (B-nZVI) was most effective in the simultaneous removal of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ from a aqueous solution containing a 100 mg/l of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺, where 92.9 % Cu²⁺ and 58.3 % Zn²⁺ were removed. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) revealed that the aggregation of nZVI decreased as the proportion of bentonite increased due to the good dispersion of nZVI, while energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) demonstrated the deposition of copper and zinc on B-nZVI after B-nZVI reacted with Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺. A kinetics study indicated that removing Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ with B-nZVI accorded with the pseudo first-order model. These suggest that simultaneous adsorption of Cu²⁺and Zn²⁺ on bentonite and the degradation of Cu²⁺and Zn²⁺ by nZVI on the bentonite. However, Cu²⁺ removal by B-nZVI was reduced rather than adsorption, while Zn²⁺ removal was main adsorption. Finally, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺ and total Cr from various wastewaters were removed by B-nZVI, and reusability of B-nZVI with different treatment was tested, which demonstrates that B-nZVI is a potential material for the removal of heavy metals from wastewaters.     

Evaluation of three common alkaline agents for immobilization of multi-metals in a field-contaminated acidic soil

We investigated three common alkaline agents (NaOH, CaO, and Mg(OH)₂) for immobilization of four heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd) in a field-contaminated soil and elucidated the underpinning principles. NaOH caused the highest pH spike in the soil, while CaO and Mg(OH)₂ served as a longer-lasting source of OH^-. Amending the soil with CaO or Mg(OH)₂ at ≥0.1 mol as OH^- (kg·soil)^?1 for 24 h was able to immobilize all four metals, while NaOH failed. NaOH leached up to 3 times more organic carbon than CaO and Mg(OH)₂, resulting in elevated leachability of the metals. Column elution tests showed that amendments by CaO and Mg(OH)₂ lowered the leachable Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Cd²⁺ by 52–54%, 71–75%, 69–73%, and 68%, respectively, after 1440 pore volumes of elution. Sequential extraction revealed that the soil amendments converted the exchangeable fraction of the metals to the much less available forms. XRD and FTIR analyses indicated that formation of metal oxide precipitates and complexation with soil organic matter were responsible for the metals immobilization. Taken together the chemical cost, technical effectiveness, and environmental impact, CaO is the most suitable alkaline agent for remediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals.

     

Competitive biosorption of lead, cadmium, copper, and arsenic ions using algae

The present study aims to evaluate the competitive biosorption of lead, cadmium, copper, and arsenic ions by using native algae. A series of experiments were carried out in a batch reactor to obtain equilibrium data for adsorption of single, binary, ternary, and quaternary metal solutions. The biosorption of these metals is based on ion exchange mechanism accompanied by the release of light metals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Experimental parameters such as pH, initial metal concentrations, and temperature were studied. The optimum pH found for removal were 5 for Cd²⁺ and As³⁺ and 3 and 4 for Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺, respectively. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy analysis was used to find the effects of functional groups of algae in biosorption process. The results showed that Pb²⁺ made a greater change in the functional groups of algal biomass due to high affinity to this metal. An ion exchange model was found suitable for describing the biosorption process. The affinity constants sequence calculated for single system was K _Pb > K _Cu > K _Cd > K _As; these values reduced in binary, ternary, and quaternary systems. In addition, the experimental data showed that the biosorption of the four metals fitted well the pseudo-second-order kinetics model.     

电极-SBBR处理含铜有机污水

采用电极一SBBR系统去除Cu^2＋，考察了电流强度，IA竞争离子（阴离子SO4^2-、NO3^-、CL^-和阳离子Zn^2＋、Ph^2＋）、初始含Cu^2＋量及溶液pH值对除铜效除果的影响。结果表明，当电流强度为40mA时Cu^2＋去除率最高为98％。投加阴（SO4^2-、NO3^-、Cl^-）、阳（Zn^2＋、Pb^2＋）离子均会引起出水Cu^2＋浓度的增加，且Cl^-和Ph^2＋含量分别为45mg／L和30mg／L时对Cu^2＋去除的影响更为显著。进水Cu^2＋浓度为30mg／L时，Cu^2＋去除率最高为98．48％，当进水Cu^2＋≥70mg／L时，出水Cu^2＋浓度不能达标。酸性（pH4．0～4．5）与碱性（pH9．0～10．0）条件均不利于Cu^2＋的去除，且酸性条件的负面影响更显著．当pH为4．5～7．5时．Cu^2＋去除率最高为97．78％。     

Multi-component adsorption of copper,nickel and zinc from aqueous solutions onto activated carbon prepared from date stones

The removal of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions from their multi-component aqueous mixture by sorption on activated carbon prepared from date stones was investigated. In the batch tests, experimental parameters were studied, including solution pH, contact time, initial metal ions concentration, and temperature. Adsorption efficiency of the heavy metals was pH-dependent and the maximum adsorption was found to occur at around 5.5 for Cu, Zn, and Ni. The maximum sorption capacities calculated by applying the Langmuir isotherm were 18.68 mg/g for Cu, 16.12 mg/g for Ni, and 12.19 mg/g for Zn. The competitive adsorption studies showed that the adsorption affinity order of the three heavy metals was Cu²⁺?>?Ni²⁺?>?Zn²⁺. The test results using real wastewater indicated that the prepared activated carbon could be used as a cheap adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals in aqueous solutions.     

Differences in EDTA-assisted metal phytoextraction between metallicolous and non-metallicolous accessions of Rumex acetosa L.

Two common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) accessions, one from a Zn-Pb contaminated site (CS accession) and the other from an uncontaminated site (UCS accession), were hydroponically exposed to a mixture of heavy metals (Pb²⁺ + Zn²⁺ + Cd²⁺) with and without EDTA at an equimolar rate. The metallicolous CS accession showed a higher tolerance to metal treatment in the absence of the chelating agent, whereas the UCS accession was especially tolerant to EDTA treatment alone. Combination of metal and EDTA treatment resulted in a higher Pb accumulation in shoots of both accessions although plants hardly showed phytotoxic symptoms. Cd and Zn uptake was not augmented by EDTA addition to the polymetallic medium. Chelant-assisted Pb accumulation was 70% higher in the CS accession than in the UCS accession, despite the fact that the former accession evapotranspired less water than the UCS accession. These results support the existence of a non-selective apoplastic transport of metal chelates by R. acetosa roots, not related to transpiration stream.     

4种脂肪多胺修饰硅胶对铅离子的吸附

为了合成高效铅离子吸附剂,了解其对铅离子的吸附规律。采用(3-氯丙基)三甲氧基硅烷(CPTS)架桥法,以硅胶(SG)为载体,乙二胺(EDA)、二乙烯三胺(DETA)、三乙烯四胺(TETA)和四乙烯五胺(TEPA)为表面修饰剂,合成了4种胺化硅胶,测定了它们的红外光谱、热重等性质以及对Cu2+、Zn2+和Pb2+的吸附能力。结果表明,4种胺化硅胶对Pb2+的吸附量均大于Cu2+和Zn2+的吸附量,其中DETA修饰硅胶对Pb2+的吸附量较高。4种胺化硅胶对Pb2+的吸附过程较好地符合拟二级动力学模型以及Langmuir和Scatchart等温吸附热力学模型,其对Pb2+吸附的速率常数、饱和吸附量以及吸附位点数由大到小的顺序一致,均为SG-DETASG-TEPASG-EDASG-TETA。4种胺化硅胶对Pb2+的吸附速率和吸附量呈现"奇数胺"增强效应,亲和常数则依次减小。阐明了脂肪多胺修饰硅胶对Pb2+的吸附规律,并进一步讨论了Scatchart和Langmuir热力学模型的统一性。     

Adsorption and desorption of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol onto and from ash as affected by Ag+, Zn2+, and Al3+

Metal cations and organic pollutants mostly co-exist in the natural environment. However, their interactions in adsorption processes have yet to be adequately addressed. In the current study, the effect of inorganic cations with different charges (Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, and Al³⁺) on the adsorption and desorption of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) onto and from processed ash derived from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw was investigated. The adsorption and desorption of TCP were both nonlinear; the isotherm and kinetics curves fitted well using the Freundlich equation and a pseudo-second-order model, respectively. The presence of Ag⁺ promoted TCP adsorption, while Zn²⁺ and Al³⁺ reduced TCP adsorption onto ash. The desorption of TCP from ash showed obvious hysteresis, and the presence of Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, and Al³⁺ caused the desorption to be less hysteretic. The suppression of TCP adsorption by Zn²⁺ and Al³⁺ was ascribed to the partial overlapping of adsorption groups between TCP and metal ions. Al³⁺ had a stronger inhibition effect than that of Zn²⁺ due to its higher binding capacity and larger hydrated ionic radius than those of Zn²⁺. Enhanced adsorption of TCP onto ash by Ag⁺ was ascribed to its ability to reduce the competitive adsorption of water molecules on ash surface by replacing the original ions, such as Na⁺ and Ca²⁺, and compressing the hydrated ionic radius of these metal ions. In addition, Ag⁺ was able to bind with the aromatic organic compounds containing π-electrons, which resulted in a further increase of TCP adsorption by ash.     

Effect of Ca2+-ions on the absorption of Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+ and Zn2+ by humic substances

Distribution coefficients for the sorption of Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ by peat were determined as a function of the Ca²⁺-content of peat as well as of the Ca²⁺-concentration in the solution. The amount of heavy metal ions taken up was measured for Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ by atomic absorption spectrometry and for Pb²⁺ by using Pb-212 as a radioactive tracer.The results show that the distribution coefficients of the heavy metal ions increase, if one increases the initial ratio of the $\text{Ca}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{H}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{-}\text{ions}$ in the peat phase. The distribution coefficients for the heavy metal ions decrease, however, if - at constant initial Ca²⁺-content of the peat - the Ca²⁺-concentration of the solution is increased.     

重金属离子在钠基膨润土中的吸附特征与机理

膨润土是一种天然粘土矿物,比表面积大、吸附能力强。通过钠基膨润土对复合重金属离子Cu2+、Zn2+和Cd2+的竞争吸附实验研究,探讨了钠基膨润土对Cu2+、Zn2+和Cd2+的吸附特征。结果表明,钠基膨润土对Cu2+、Zn2+和Cd2+的吸附随离子浓度增加而增大。吸附具有选择性,Cu2+、Zn2+和Cd2+的吸附能力大小顺序为Cu2+>Zn2+>Cd2+。并通过XRD及IR等分析探讨了钠基膨润土的吸附机理主要表现为离子交换吸附。     

复合纳米材料对土壤重金属离子吸持固化的模拟研究

土壤中过量重金属离子可通过食物链和地表水系统危害人群健康。通过土柱淋溶模拟实验,研究了SiO2-Al2O3-Fe2O3等复合纳米材料对土壤溶液中Cu2+、Cd2+、Pb2+、Zn2+和Ni2+的吸持与固化特征。分别向重金属含量4倍于土壤二级标准(GB15618-1995)的土壤中添加0%、4%、6%和10%的复合纳米材料,分析不同深度土壤渗滤液以及土柱上栽培植物不同部位中重金属的含量。结果表明,碱性壤质土壤中重金属向下的迁移量很少;在含4%复合纳米材料土柱中,其吸持固化土壤溶液中63%的Cu、79%的Cd、68%的Pb、89%的Zn和76%的Ni;在含6%复合纳米材料土柱中,其吸持固化土壤溶液中82%的Cu、92%的Cd、76%的Pb、91%的Zn和88%的Ni;再增加土柱中复合纳米材料的含量,其吸持固化效果并不再显著增加。     

The impact of size on the fate and toxicity of nanoparticulate silver in aquatic systems

The increased use of silver nanomaterials presents a risk to aquatic systems due to the high toxicity of silver. The stability, dissolution rates and toxicity of citrate- and polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were investigated in synthetic freshwater and natural seawater media, with the effects of natural organic matter investigated in freshwater. When sterically stabilised by the large PVP molecules, AgNPs were more stable than when charge-stabilised using citrate, and were even relatively stable in seawater. In freshwater and seawater, citrate-coated AgNPs (Ag–Cit) had a faster rate of dissolution than PVP-coated AgNPs (Ag–PVP), while micron-sized silver exhibited the slowest dissolution rate. However, similar dissolved silver was measured for both AgNPs after 72 h in freshwater (500–600 μg L⁻¹) and seawater (1300–1500 μg L⁻¹), with higher concentrations in seawater attributed to chloride complexation. When determined on a mass basis, the 72-h IC50 (inhibitory concentration giving 50% reduction in algal growth rate) for Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Phaeodactylum tricornutum and the 48-h LC50 for Ceriodaphnia dubia exposure to Ag⁺ (1.1, 400 and 0.11 μg L⁻¹, respectively), Ag–Cit (3.0, 2380 and 0.15 μg L⁻¹, respectively) and Ag–PVP (19.5, 3690 and 2.0 μg L⁻¹, respectively) varied widely, with toxicity in the order Ag⁺ > Ag–Cit > Ag–PVP. Micron-sized silver treatments elicited much lower toxicity than ionic Ag⁺ or AgNP to P. subcapitata. However, when related to the dissolved silver released from the nanoparticles the toxicities were similar to ionic silver treatments. The presence of natural organic matter stabilised the particles and reduced toxicity in freshwater. These results indicate that dissolved silver was responsible for the toxicity and highlight the need to account for matrix components such as chloride and organic matter in natural waters that influence AgNP fate and mitigate toxicity.     

Silver-modified clinoptilolite for the removal of Escherichia coli and heavy metals from aqueous solutions

This paper investigates the potential of using the silver antibacterial properties combined with the metal ion exchange characteristics of silver-modified clinoptilolite to produce a treatment system capable of removing both contaminants from aqueous streams. The results have shown that silver-modified clinoptilolite is capable of completely eliminating Escherichia coli after 30-min contact time demonstrating its effectiveness as a disinfectant. Systems containing both E. coli and metals exhibited 100 % E. coli reduction after 15-min contact time and maximum metal adsorption removal efficiencies of 97, 98, and 99 % for Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Zn²⁺ respectively after 60 min; 0.182–0.266 mg/g of metal ions were adsorbed by the zeolites in the single- and mixed-metal-containing solutions. Nonmodified clinoptilolite showed no antibacterial properties. This study demonstrated that silver-modified clinoptilolite exhibited high disinfection and heavy metal removal efficiencies and consequently could provide an effective combined treatment system for the removal of E. coli and metals from contaminated water streams.     

Cu2+、Zn2+对生物脱氮系统的影响

Cu²⁺和Zn²⁺是污水处理工艺中经常遇到的金属离子。在驯化好的活性污泥系统中，研究了金属离子Cu²⁺和Zn²⁺在0～100 mg/L浓度下对活性污泥生物脱氮系统的影响。试验发现Cu²⁺＞5 mg/L、Zn²⁺＞30 mg/L时，对硝化过程具有明显的抑制作用，在同样浓度的试验条件下Cu²⁺对硝化过程的抑制作用比Zn²⁺大。Cu²⁺≤0.5 mg/L时对反硝化过程具有一定的促进作用，有助于提高TN的去除效果；Cu²⁺＞0.5 mg/L时，对反硝化产生抑制作用，随着浓度的增加，TN去除率逐渐下降。Zn²⁺不影响反硝化过程，仅在大于30 mg/L时，对硝化过程产生抑制作用。重金属Cu²⁺对生物脱氮系统的影响明显强于Zn²⁺。     

In vitro effects of various xenobiotics on Fusarium spp. strains isolated from cereals

This study aimed to determine the susceptibility of Fusarium spp. strains isolated from cereals to selected heavy metals, fungicides and silver nanoparticles. The experiments were conducted using 50 Fusarium strains belonging to five species: F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. oxysporum, F. sporotrichioides and F. avenaceum. The strains were found to be highly resistant to Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺. Medium resistance to Cu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ and low resistance to Cd²⁺ and Fe³⁺ was also observed. Among the tested fungicides, formulations containing azoxystrobin, prochloraz and tebuconazole proved to be the most effective in inhibiting the growth of fungi, as they affected fungal growth in each of the applied doses. Susceptibility of Fusarium spp. to nanosilver, demonstrated in this study, shows the legitimacy of using nanostructures as fungicidal agents. The results confirm high diversity of the analyzed fungal species in terms of susceptibility to the tested substances, and encourage to continue research on the resistance of Fusarium spp. to various fungicidal agents.     

Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater by a novel HEA/AMPS copolymer hydrogel: preparation, characterization, and mechanism

This study aims to synthesize 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic (AMPS) acid-based hydrogels by gamma radiation and to investigate their swelling behavior and heavy metal ion adsorption capabilities. The copolymer hydrogels prepared were characterized via scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectra, thermal gravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The research showed that the copolymer hydrogel was beneficial for permeation due to its porous structure. In addition, the experimental group A-2-d [70 % water volume ratio and (n (AMPS)/n (HEA))?=?1:1] was an optimal adsorbent. The optimal pH was 6.0 and the optimal temperature was 15 °C. Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Fe³+ achieved adsorption equilibriums within 24 h, whereas Cr³⁺ reached equilibrium in 5 h. Pb²+, Cd²⁺, Cr³⁺, and Fe³⁺ maximum load capacity was 1,000 mg L^?1, whereas the Cu²⁺ maximum capacity was 500 mg L^?1. The priority order in the multicomponent adsorption was Cr³⁺>Fe³⁺>Cu²⁺>Cd²⁺>Pb²⁺. The adsorption process of the HEA/AMPS copolymer hydrogel for the heavy metal ions was mainly due to chemisorption, and was only partly due to physisorption, according to the pseudo-second-order equation and Langmuir adsorption isotherm analyses. The HEA/AMPS copolymer hydrogel was confirmed to be an effective adsorbent for heavy metal ion adsorption.     

改性甘蔗渣对Cu2+和Zn2+的吸附机理

研究了均苯四甲酸二酐(PMDA)和乙二胺四乙酸二酐(EDTAD)改性甘蔗渣对重金属离子Cu2+和Zn2+的吸附性能,包括吸附动力学和吸附等温线。结果表明,改性后的甘蔗渣对重金属离子Cu2+和Zn2+的吸附容量有显著提高,对Cu2+和Zn2+吸附等温线均符合Langmuir方程,吸附为单分子层吸附。根据Langmuir方程,PMDA和EDTAD改性甘蔗渣对Cu2+的吸附量分别为60.21和33.45 mg/g,对Zn2+的吸附量分别是70.53和36.53 mg/g。两种改性甘蔗渣对两种金属离子的吸附在30 min内均可完成,用准二级吸附动力学方程模拟动力学过程得到较好的线性相关性。以EDTA溶液为洗脱剂对吸附Cu2+和Zn2+的改性甘蔗渣进行洗脱再生,再生的吸附剂可反复使用。     

Influence of liberated silver from silver nanoparticles on nitrification inhibition of Nitrosomonas europaea

The ecotoxicity of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) to wastewater biota, including ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), is gaining increasing interest as the number of products containing Ag-NPs continues to rise exponentially and they are expected to accumulate in wastewater treatment plants. This research demonstrated that the addition order of Ag-NP and the media constituents had a profound influence on the stability of the Ag-NP suspension and the corresponding repeatability of results and sensitivity of Nitrosomonas europaea. N. europaea, a model AOB, was found to be extremely sensitive to ionic silver (Ag⁺) and two sizes of Ag-NPs (20 and 80 nm). Ag⁺ exposures resulted in the highest level of toxicity with smaller Ag-NPs (20 nm) being more toxic than larger Ag-NPs (80 nm). The increased sensitivity of N. europaea to smaller Ag-NPs was caused by their higher rates of dissolved silver (dAg) release, via dissolution, due to a greater surface area to volume ratio. dAg was shown to be responsible for the vast majority of the observed Ag-NP toxicity, as determined by abiotic Ag-NP dissolution tests. For the sizes of Ag-NP studied (20 and 80 nm), there appears to be a negligible nanoparticle-specific toxicity. This was further supported by similarities in inhibition mechanisms between Ag⁺ and Ag-NP, with both causing decreases in AMO activity and destabilization of the outer-membrane of N. europaea. Finally, equal concentrations of total silver were found to be tightly associated to both Ag⁺ and Ag-NP-exposed cells despite Ag-NP concentrations being five times greater, by mass, than Ag⁺ concentrations.