Characteristics and recent trends of sulfur dioxide at urban, rural, and background sites in North China: Effectiveness of control measures

SO₂ measurements made in recent years at sites in Beijing and its surrounding areas are performed to study the variations and trends of surface SO₂ at different types of sites in Northern China. The overall average concentrations of SO₂ are (16.8 ± 13.1) ppb, (14.8 ± 9.4) ppb, and (7.5 ± 4.0) ppb at China Meteorological Administration (CMA, Beijing urban area), Gucheng (GCH, relatively polluted rural area, 110 km to the southwest of Beijing urban area), and Shangdianzi (SDZ, clean background area, 100 km to the northeast of Beijing urban area), respectively. The SO₂ levels in winter (heating season) are 4-6 folds higher than those in summer. There are highly significant correlations among the daily means of SO₂ at different sites, indicating regional characteristics of SO₂ pollution. Diurnal patterns of surface SO₂ at all sites have a common feature with a daytime peak, which is probably caused by the downward mixing and/or the advection transport of SO₂-richer air over the North China Plain. The concentrations of SO₂ at CMA and GCH show highly significant downward trends (-4.4 ppb/yr for CMA and -2.4 ppb/yr for GCH), while a less significant trend (-0.3 ppb/yr) is identified in the data from SDZ, reflecting the character of SDZ as a regional atmospheric background site in North China. The SO₂ concentrations of all three sites show a significant decrease from period before to after the control measures for the 2008 Olympic Games, suggesting that the SO₂ pollution control has long-term effectiveness and benefits. In the post-Olympics period, the mean concentrations of SO₂ at CMA, GCH, and SDZ are (14.3 ± 11.0) ppb, (12.1 ± 7.7) ppb, and (7.5 ± 4.0) ppb, respectively, with reductions of 26%, 36%, and 13%, respectively, compared to the levels before. Detailed analysis shows that the differences of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction were not the dominant factors for the significant differences of SO₂ between the pre-Olympics and post-Olympics periods. By extracting the data being more representative of local or regional characteristics, a reduction of up to 40% for SO₂ in polluted areas and a reduction of 20% for regional SO₂ are obtained for the effect of control measures implemented for the Olympic Games.     

Sewage sludge disintegration by high-pressure homogenization: A sludge disintegration model

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) technology was applied as a pretreatment to disintegrate sewage sludge. The effects of homogenization pressure, homogenization cycle number, and total solid content on sludge disintegration were investigated. The sludge disintegration degree (DDCOD), protein concentration, and polysaccharide concentration increased with the increase of homogenization pressure and homogenization cycle number, and decreased with the increase of sludge total solid (TS) content. The maximum DDCOD of 43.94% was achieved at 80 MPa with four homogenization cycles for a 9.58 g/L TS sludge sample. A HPH sludge disintegration model of DD_COD= kN^aP^b was established by multivariable linear regression to quantify the effects of homogenization parameters. The homogenization cycle exponent a and homogenization pressure exponent b were 0.4763 and 0.7324 respectively, showing that the effect of homogenization pressure (P) was more significant than that of homogenization cycle number (N). The value of the rate constant k decreased with the increase of sludge total solid content. The specific energy consumption increased with the increment of sludge disintegration efficiency. Lower specific energy consumption was required for higher total solid content sludge.     

Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of ozone addition to the double bonds of keto-limonene

The reaction mechanism of ozone (O₃) addition to the double bonds of gas phase keto-limonene was investigated using ab initio methods. Two different possibilities for O₃ addition to the double bond were considered and two corresponding van derWaals complexes (Complex 1 and Complex 2) were found for 1-endo and 2-endo. The rate constants were calculated using the transition state theory at the CCSD(T)/6-31G(d) + CF//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The high-pressure limit of the total rate constant at 298 K was 3.51 × 10^-16 cm³/(molecule sec), which was in a good agreement with the experimental data.     

Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas sp. JM2 isolated from active sewage sludge of chemical plant

It is important to screen strains that can decompose polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) completely and rapidly with good adaptability for bioremediation in a local area. A bacterial strain JM2, which uses phenanthrene as its sole carbon source, was isolated from the active sewage sludge from a chemical plant in Jilin, China and identified as Pseudomonas based on 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Although the optimal growth conditions were determined to be pH 6.0 and 37℃, JM2 showed a broad pH and temperature profile. At pH 4.5 and 9.3, JM2 could degrade more than 40% of fluorene and phenanthrene (50 mg/L each) within 4 days. In addition, when the temperature was as low as 4℃, JM2 could degrade up to 24% fluorene and 12% phenanthrene. This showed the potential for JM2 to be applied in bioremediation over winter or in cold regions. Moreover, a nutrient augmentation study showed that adding formate into media could promote PAH degradation, while the supplement of salicylate had an inhibitive effect. Furthermore, in a metabolic pathway study, salicylate, phthalic acid, and 9-fluorenone were detected during the degradation of fluorene or phenanthrene. In conclusion, Pseudomonas sp. JM2 is a high performance strain in the degradation of fluorene and phenanthrene under extreme pH and temperature conditions. It might be useful in the bioremediation of PAHs.     

金属离子对长期污染土壤中多环芳烃解吸的影响

研究了离子强度、不同金属离子对土壤中PAHs表观解吸水平的影响.根据Pearson原理计算了菲、荧蒽、芘和苯并[k]荧蒽等几种PAHs的碱性特征参数并据此分析了其酸碱性类型.结果表明:实验条件下,解吸液中离子强度并非影响土壤中PAHs解吸的控制要素;不同硬度酸性金属离子与PAHs之间的酸碱作用是影响土壤中PAHs解吸水平变化的关键.硬酸性金属离子Ba2+、Al3+、Ca2+对土壤中PAHs的解吸具有促进作用,软酸性离子Hg2+、Ag+则具有抑制作用,比较而言交界酸性金属离子Cu2+、Fe2+、Zn2+在提高土壤中PAHs解吸上作用更加明显.     

适于工业应用的TiO2纳米管的阳极氧化法制备

通过阳极氧化法制备了适于工业应用的大尺寸二氧化钛纳米管阵列.考察了电极形状和面积、氧化电压、氧化时间、预处理等因素对阳极氧化法制备二氧化钛纳米管阵列形貌的影响.结果显示,电极形状对纳米管的制备没有影响;阳极氧化前打磨与否对纳米管也没有影响;氧化电压、氧化时间和电极面积对纳米管的影响较大,只有在合适的电压和时间下才能制成纳米管阵列.电极面积影响电流密度,从而影响纳米管的形貌,试验中电极最大面积为360cm2.通过试验得出工业化制备二氧化钛纳米管阵列的最佳条件是电压20V,电解时间30min,反应前不用进行打磨.实验结果显示制成的纳米管阵列对强酸强碱的耐受力强,完全可以适应工业化废水的pH变化.     

再生条件对钾基CO_2吸附剂吸附性能的影响

通过固定床实验研究了再生条件对钾基CO2吸附剂吸附性能的影响。深入分析了再生温度和气氛对吸附穿透时间和饱和吸附量的影响。研究发现,当再生温度为200℃,N2气氛下再生时效果最佳,在此条件下再生后钾基CO2吸附剂循环性能良好,10次循环后仍然能有很好的吸附效果;再生气氛中有H2O或CO2时会影响再生反应的进行,不利于吸附剂的再生。     

未铺装道路扬尘排放特征研究

在未铺装道路下风向不同高度测量PM10浓度和风速风向,同时测量上风向PM10浓度,采用暴露高度浓度剖面法计算未铺装道路的扬尘排放量,同时现场记录通过车辆的类型、车速、车轮个数等信息,计算未铺装道路扬尘PM10排放因子。分别分析车辆类型、车辆重量、车轮个数、路面粉土含量、车辆行驶速度对排放因子的影响。结果表明,大货车的排放因子最大,为362 g(/km.辆),其次为小客车、小货车和机动三轮车,分别为112、105和67 g(/km.辆);随着车辆重量的增加排放因子增大并呈线形相关性;随着车辆平均车轮个数的增加排放因子增大并呈线形相关性;分别研究了大货车、小客车和小货车排放因子与车速的关系,随着车速的增加,3种类型车辆的排放因子都增大,并有较好的线形相关性;路面尘土中粉土含量增大,道路扬尘排放因子也增大,路面尘土湿度增加排放因子减小。     

袋式除尘器进气均布板结构参数对气流分布的影响分析

针对袋式除尘器的进气均布板主要结构参数对气流分布影响的问题,采用正交试验方法进行CFD模拟试验设计,并以气流速度相对均方根σ值作为气流均匀性的评价指标。研究结果给出了σ与板数n、板长L、挡板上端距灰斗顶部截面高度ΔH、挡板前后偏角θ及过滤风速v之间的函数关系式。表明适当增加n、增大ΔH和θ、减小L、降低v,可以提高进气流分布均匀程度,影响进气均匀分布程度的排序为L>θ>n>ΔH>ΔL。     

关于环境保护法律法规修订的新观点

为了保护人类健康不受恶劣环境的侵害,就必须对依法保护环境进行相关研究。提出了环境与健康是人类健康生存头等大事的观点,总结中国主要环境保护法律法规的不足,提出新的修订措施。提出6条保护环境的新法规建议供环境保护法修订时参考应用,主要包括:1)环境与健康及保护法规的宣传教育立法;2)医疗卫生机构设立环境医学防治学科立法;3)国家普及设立环境污染监测和预报系统立法;4)人民政府环境保护行政主管部门应扩展和延伸立法;5)国家在任何单位均应设立环境污染保护行政主管科室立法;6)国家设立外国在华企业环境保护行政主管部门立法。