Feasibility of biochar application on a landfill final cover—a review on balancing ecology and shallow slope stability

Due to the increasing concerns on global warming, scarce land for agriculture, and contamination impacts on human health, biochar application is being considered as one of the possible measures for carbon sequestration, promoting higher crop yield and contamination remediation. Significant amount of researches focusing on these three aspects have been conducted during recent years. Biochar as a soil amendment is effective in promoting plant performance and sustainability, by enhancing nutrient bioavailability, contaminants immobilization, and microbial activities. The features of biochar in changing soil physical and biochemical properties are essential in affecting the sustainability of an ecosystem. Most studies showed positive results and considered biochar application as an effective and promising measure for above-mentioned interests. Bio-engineered man-made filled slope and landfill slope increasingly draw the attention of geologists and geotechnical engineers. With increasing number of filled slopes, sustainability, low maintenance, and stability are the major concerns. Biochar as a soil amendment changes the key factors and parameters in ecology (plant development, soil microbial community, nutrient/contaminant cycling, etc.) and slope engineering (soil weight, internal friction angle and cohesion, etc.). This paper reviews the studies on the production, physical and biochemical properties of biochar and suggests the potential areas requiring study in balancing ecology and man-made filled slope and landfill cover engineering. Biochar-amended soil should be considered as a new type of soil in terms of soil mechanics. Biochar performance depends on soil and biochar type which imposes challenges to generalize the research outcomes. Aging process and ecotoxicity studies of biochar are strongly required.     

The use of food waste-based diets and Napier grass to culture grass carp: growth performance and contaminants contained in cultured fish

The present study used commercial feeds, food waste feeds, Napier grass, and mixed feeds (food waste feed to Napier grass ratio, 1:10) to feed grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). The results indicated that grass carp fed with food waste feeds and mix feeds achieved growth performance (based on specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio) that was similar to commercial feeds (p?>?0.05). Concentrations of metalloid/metals in food waste feeds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Napier grass were relatively higher than other types of fish feeds (p?<?0.05). However, most of the metalloid/metals and PAH levels in fish fed with four types of fish feeds were not significantly different (p?>?0.05). These findings show that food waste feeds are suitable for using in the production of fish feed and Napier grass can be served as supplemental feeds for grass carp, and hence reducing the production cost.     

水溶性有机物在土壤中的吸附及对Cu沉淀的抑制作用

通过室内序批试验研究了来自绿肥(GM)和猪粪(PM)的水溶性有机物(DOM)在潮土和红壤中的吸附行为以及来自绿肥和猪粪堆肥(PMC)的DOM对Cu在高pH下沉淀的影响.结果表明,当没有外源DOM加入时,潮土、红壤中存在DOM的净释放,分别为33.58mg·L^-1和17.17mg·L^-1.随外源DOM加入量的增加土壤净释放量减小,存在土壤对DOM的吸附作用.与绿肥DOM相比,土壤对猪粪DOM的吸附能力更强,m、K_d分别为0.424 1、2.946(红壤),0.284 6、1.58(潮土).比绿肥对应高出32.9%、57.1%(红壤),67%、93.7%(潮土).红壤由于Fe、Al、Mn等氧化物含量较高及低pH值,使其对DOM的亲和力比潮土强.试验结果还表明绿肥和猪粪堆肥DOM能够明显地抑制Cu的沉淀,在pH6～10范围内效果明显,其中Cu的沉淀率分别降低了43.6%(Cu+GM),22.6%(Cu+PMC).     

Laboratory experiments on waveform inversion of an internal solitary wave over a slope-shelf

Internal solitary waves (ISWs) have been detected in many parts of the world oceans, particularly over slope-shelf topography, on which signature of waveform inversion has been identified. The effects of these waves on engineering operations and ecological process have also been reported in the literature. This article reports the results of a series of numerical modeling and laboratory experiments on waveform evolution of a depression ISW in a nearly stratified two-layer fluid system, in which specific water depth ratios above the horizontal plateau of the trapezoidal obstacle were arranged to facilitate the occurrence of waveform inversion. Classifications of waveform instability (no instability, shear instability and overturning with breaking) on the slope are confirmed in the present laboratory study. Numerical results for waveform variation are also found in fair agreement with the laboratory measurements for cases without waveform inversion and minor internal breaking. Moreover, laboratory results revealed that the depth ratio of the stratified two-layer fluid above the plateau and the magnitude of the incident ISW were the two most important factors for promoting waveform inversion beyond a turning point, in addition to the requirement of a sufficient distance from the shoulder of the trapezoidal obstacle. These factors also influenced the outcome of the shoaling process, energy dissipation, internal wave breaking and turbulent mixing on the front slope, as well as the likelihood of waveform inversion on the horizontal plateau. Contrary to the common perception, it was also observed, at least from the results of the present laboratory experiments, that not all the incident ISWs of depression would produce waveform inversion on the plateau, where the upper layer was physical greater than the bottom layer, unless moderate incident wave was provided. The outcome might also be attributed to the limited distance from the shoulder onto the plateau in the present laboratory setup. However, once waveform inversion occurred on the plateau, it was found, among others, that: (1) the amplitude of the transmitted leading crest and trough might be as low as 30 and 20%, respectively, to the amplitude of the incident wave in depression; (2) the characteristic wavelength of the transmitted leading trough doubled while that of the crest was asymptotically one-half of the incident wavelength, despite the wide range variation in the depth ratios above the plateau; and (3) the transmitted potential wave energy of the leading crest contained 30% of the incident energy. Based on the results of present laboratory experiments, the range for the non-dimensional parameter α, which indicates the effect of nonlinearity and the promotion of waveform inversion on horizontal plateau, will be proposed.     

微生物利用食品废物合成聚羟基烷酸酯

为了降低聚羟基烷酸酯(PHAs)的生产成本,以麦芽、豆类、糖果、冰激凌、牛奶、芝麻油和食醋废物为底物,研究了产碱弧菌(Alcaligenes latus)、表皮匍萄球菌(Staphylococcus epidermidis)和活性污泥合成PHAs的工艺可行性和产物的物化性质.结果表明,通过两段式间歇补料发酵.3类微生物利用麦芽废物合成的聚羟基丁酸酯(PHB)产量最大,分别达细胞内含量的70.1%、16.0%和43.3%.A.latus适应食品废物开始细胞生长和PHAs合成的延迟短,在缺氮阶段合成PHB的产量、产率高.微好氧时,从芝麻油提取出的S.epidermidis可以合成分子量超过1×106的PHB.活性污泥可利用豆类废物合成聚羟基丁酸-羟基戊酸酯(PHBV)共聚物,其中羟基戊酸比例(HV%)占21%.多数食品废物适合合成具有不同物化性质的PHAs.PHAs产物的组分及物化性质受微生物种类、底物类型、发酵条件的影响.     

北京市城市街区PM10浓度日变化特征及其影响因子

为了解北京城市街区PM10浓度日变化特征及其影响因素,利用2003年10月BECAPEX(Beijing City Air Pollution Experiment)街道、街区及周边小区4个测点PM10浓度的对比观测试验资料和同期街道机动车流量、采样点附近自动气象站风速及探空资料进行了综合对比分析.通过天气诊断和统计学分析相结合,初步分析了北京市城区街道大气污染物PM10浓度日变化特征及机动车排放污染、气象条件对PM10浓度日变化的影响.结果表明,试验期间北京市城区街道PM10浓度日变化特征存在明显差异,交通源污染物PM10浓度日变化具有单峰与双峰型差异的特殊性.工作日PM10浓度日变化出现双峰,周末PM10浓度日变化仅有单峰出现; 交通污染源和气象条件对城市街区PM10浓度日变化特征的影响程度存在空间差异.离交通污染源较近的街区PM10浓度日变化受机动车排放污染的影响程度较大,而离交通源较远的小区PM10浓度受机动车排放污染的影响相对较小; 不稳定天气条件下交通污染源影响范围较小,在特定天气条件下,气象条件的影响强度可显著超过交通污染源的影响.     

基于氧猝灭的有机改性溶胶-凝胶微生物传感器测定BOD的研究

通过有机改性溶胶凝胶PVA包埋方法固定微生物菌株，以氧光化学传感器作为二次传感，制备了响应良好的光化学BOD微生物传感器．在此基础上，考察了微生物传感膜的活化浓度、温度、pH、无机盐及部分金属离子对传感器响应的影响．并对传感器的重现性、储存稳定性和线性范围进行了考察，实验结果表明BOD含量在0—100mg/L浓度范围内与传感器的荧光值成线性关系，传感膜的响应活性保持较好，具有较长的使用寿命和良好的稳定性．     

Food wastes as fish feeds for polyculture of low-trophic-level fish: bioaccumulation and health risk assessments of heavy metals in the cultured fish

The major purpose of this study was to use different types of food wastes which serve as the major sources of protein to replace the fish meal used in fish feeds to produce quality fish. Two types of food waste-based feed pellets FW A (with cereals) and FW B (with cereals and meat products) and the commercial feed Jinfeng® were used to culture fingerlings of three low-trophic-level fish species: bighead carp, grass carp, and mud carp (in the ratio of 1:3:1) for 1 year period in the Sha Tau Kok Organic Farm in Hong Kong. Heavy metal concentrations in all of the fish species fed with food waste pellets and commercial pellets in Sha Tau Kok fish ponds were all below the local and international maximum permissible levels in food. Health risk assessments indicated that human consumption of the fish fed with food waste feed pellets was safe for the Hong Kong residents. The present results revealed that recycling of food waste for cultivating low-trophic-level fish (mainly herbivores and detritus feeders) is feasible, and at the same time will ease the disposal pressure of food waste, a common problem of densely populated cities like Hong Kong.