Soil moisture determines the effectiveness of two urease inhibitors to decrease N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O emission

Among the mitigation strategies to prevent nitrogen (N) losses from ureic fertilizers, urease inhibitors (UIs) have been demonstrated to promote high N use efficiency by reducing ammonia (NH₃) volatilization. In the last few years, some field experiments have also shown its effectiveness in reducing nitrous oxide (N₂O) losses from fertilized soils under conditions of low soil moisture. An incubation experiment was carried out with the aim of assessing the main biotic mechanisms behind N₂O emissions once that the UIs N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamid (NBPT) and phenil phosphorodiamidate (PPDA) were applied with Urea (U) under different soil moisture conditions (40, 60 and 80 % water-filled pore space, WFPS). In the same study we tried to analyze to what extent soil WFPS regulates the effect of these inhibitors on N₂O emissions. The use of PPDA in our study allowed us to compare the effect of NBPT with that of another commercially available urease inhibitor, aiming to see if the results were inhibitor-specific or not. Based on the results from this experiment, a WFPS (i.e. 60 %) was chosen for a second study (i.e. mesocosm experiment) aiming to assess the efficiency of the UIs to indirectly affect N₂O emissions through influencing the pool of soil mineral N. The N₂O emissions at 40 % WFPS were almost negligible, being significantly lower from all fertilized treatments than that produced at 60 and 80 % WFPS. When compared to U alone, NBPT+U reduced the N₂O emissions at 60 % WFPS but had no effect at 80 % WFPS. The application of PPDA significantly increased the emissions with respect to U at 80 % WFPS whereas no significant effect was found at 60 %. At 80 % WFPS, denitrification was the main source of N₂O emissions for all treatments. In the mesocosm study, the application of NBPT+U was an effective strategy to reduce N₂O emissions (75 % reduction compared to U alone), due to a lower soil ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) content induced by the inhibitor. These results suggest that adequate management of the UI NBPT could provide, under certain soil conditions, an opportunity for mitigation of N₂O emissions from fertilized soils.     

Carbon mitigation potential of Indian steel industry

Steel dominates the global metal production accounting for 5 % of increase in Earth’s atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Today, India is the 4th largest producer of crude steel in the world. The sector contributes around 3 % to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) but adds 6.2 % to the national greenhouse gas (GHG) load. It accounts for 28.4% of the entire industry sector emissions, which are 23.9% of the country’s total emissions. Being a developing country, India is not obliged to cut its emissions under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), but gave voluntary commitment to reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 20–25 % from the 2005 level by 2020. This paper attempts to find out if the Indian steel sector can help the country in fulfilling this commitment. The sector reduced its CO₂ emissions per ton of steel produced by 58% from 1994 to 2007. The study generates six scenarios for future projections which show that the sector can reduce its emission intensity by 12.5 % to 63 %. But going by the conservative estimates, the sector can reduce emission intensity by 30 % to 53 %. However, actual emissions will go up significantly in every case.     

Using activated biochar for greenhouse gas mitigation and industrial water treatment

This study explored the feasibility of using residual biomass to both mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and remediate water contaminated by hydrocarbons. Using produced (process-affected) water from Canada’s oil sands operations as a case study, activated biochar (ACB) was found to have a higher affinity to organics than activated coal and removed 75 % of total organic carbon (TOC) from produced water in steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) operations or 90 % of the TOC from synthetic tailings (ST) water sample. Up to 6 Tg dry biomass year^?1 would be required to treat the waters associated with the 93?×?10⁶-m³ of bitumen recovered per year. Landfilling the spent ACB and flaring any biogas produced were estimated to provide a greater GHG benefit than the combustion of the biochar + organics for heat to offset natural gas demand. Net costs for the ACB were about 13.84?$?m^?3 bitumen for SAGD operations and 1.76?$?m^?3 bitumen for mining operations. The values for mining operations justify further work to create a value chain that will integrate bioprocesses into the fossil fuel industry.     

Layered sphere-shaped TiO2 capped with gold nanoparticles on structural defects and their catalysis of formaldehyde oxidation

We describe here a one-step method for the synthesis of Au/TiO₂ nanosphere materials, which were formed by layered deposition of multiple anatase TiO₂ nanosheets. The Au nanoparticles were stabilized by structural defects in each TiO₂ nanosheet, including crystal steps and edges, thereby fixing the Au–TiO₂ perimeter interface. Reactant transfer occurred along the gaps between these TiO₂ nanosheet layers and in contact with catalytically active sites at the Au–TiO₂ interface. The doped Au induced the formation of oxygen vacancies in the Au–TiO₂ interface. Such vacancies are essential for generating active oxygen species (*O⁻) on the TiO₂ surface and Ti^3 + ions in bulk TiO₂. These ions can then form Ti^3 +–O⁻–Ti^4 + species, which are known to enhance the catalytic activity of formaldehyde (HCHO) oxidation. These studies on structural and oxygen vacancy defects in Au/TiO₂ samples provide a theoretical foundation for the catalytic mechanism of HCHO oxidation on oxide-supported Au materials.     

Estimation of bioaccessibility and potential human health risk of mercury in Chinese patent medicines

Mercury(Hg), mainly in cinnabar species, has been used in medicine for thousands of years in China, and worldwide concern has been raised on its toxicity. In this work, the amount of bioaccessible mercury in 16 Chinese patent medicines(CPMs) was measured by using an in vitro simulated digestion system, consisting of simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, to investigate the bioavailability of mercury in CPMs and evaluate its potential risk to human health. Total mercury and mercury in the gastrointestinal extracts were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). The levels of total Hg in 16 CPMs ranged from not detected to 11.89 mg/g, with a mean value of 1.13 mg/g, while the extractable Hg ranged from not detected to 4.37 μg/g, with a mean value of 0.42 μg/g.Mercury bioaccessibility varied significantly in the investigated CPMs, depending on the ingredient. Compared to the CPMs without cinnabar(2.5%–30.9%), the percentage of mercury in the gastrointestinal supernatants for CPMs with cinnabar was quite a bit lower(0.037%). By comparing with the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives(FAO/WHO) safety guideline, the average daily intake dose(ADD) of Hg in the medicines was then calculated to access the risk of mercury to human health from taking CPMs.     

Comparison of using polyurethane foam passive samplers and tree bark samples from Western China to determine atmospheric organochlorine pesticide

Polyurethane foam(PUF)passive samplers were deployed and tree bark samples were collected at 15 sites across western China in 2013,and the organochlorine pesticide(OCP)concentrations in the samples were determined.Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its degradation products(collectively called DDTs),hexachlorocyclohexanes(HCHs),and hexachlorobenzene(HCB)were the dominant OCPs in the PUF samples and tree bark samples.The mean DDTs,HCHs and HCB concentrations were 33,22 and 18 ng/sample in the PUF samples,and 428,74,and 43 ng/(g lipid weight(lw))in the tree bark,respectively.The OCP concentrations in the air,calculated using PUF–air and tree-bark–air partitioning models,were of the same order of magnitude.Both sample types showed that relatively fresh inputs of DDT and HCHs to the environment have occurred in western China.Meanwhile,PUF passive samplers were compared with the use of tree bark samples as passive samplers.The OCP compositions in the PUF and tree bark samples were different.Only the relatively stable OCPs(such as HCB,β-HCH and p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloro-ethylene(DDE))were consistent in the PUF and tree bark samples.     

Regeneration of commercial selective catalyst reduction catalysts deactivated by Pb and other inorganic elements

The regeneration of commercial SCR(Selective Catalyst Reduction) catalysts deactivated by Pb and other elements was studied.The deactivated catalyst samples were prepared by chemical impregnation with mixed solution containing K_2SO_4,Na_2SO_4,CaSO_4,Pb(NO_3)_2and NH_4H_2PO_4.A novel method combining Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt(EDTA-2Na) and H_2SO_4solution(viz.catalysts treated by dilute EDTA-2Na and H_2SO_4 solution in sequence) was used to recover the activity of deactivated samples,and the effect was compared with single H_2SO_4,oxalic acid,acetic acid,EDTA or HNO_3 solutions.The surface structure,acidity and reducibility of samples were characterized by N_2adsorption–desorption,inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer(ICP-OES),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray fluorescence(XRF),H-2-temperature programmed section(H_2-TPR),NH3-temperature programmed desorption(NH3-TPD) and in situ DRIFTS.Impurities caused a decrease of specific surface area and surface reducibility,as well as Br?nsted acid sites,and therefore led to severe deactivation of the SCR catalyst.The use of an acid solution alone possibly eliminated the impurities on the deactivated catalyst to some extent,and also increased the specific surface area and Br?nsted acid sites and promoted the surface reducibility,thus recovered the activity partially.The combination of EDTA-2Na and H_2SO_4 could remove most of the impurities and improve the activity significantly.The removal of Pb should be an important factor for regeneration.Due to a high removal rate for Pb and other impurities,the combination of EDTA-2Na and H_2SO_4 solutions provided the best efficiency.     

Efficient removal of naphthalene-2-ol from aqueous solutions by solvent extraction

Naphthalene-2-ol is a typical biologically recalcitrant pollutant in dye wastewater.Solvent extraction of naphthalene-2-ol from aqueous solutions using mixed solvents was investigated.Various extractants and diluents were evaluated,and the effects of volume ratio of extractant to diluent,initial p H,initial concentration of naphthalene-2-ol in aqueous solution,extraction time,temperature,volume ratio of organic phase to aqueous phase(O/A),stirring rate and extraction stages,on extraction efficiency were examined separately.Regeneration and reuse of the spent extractant were also investigated.Results showed that tributyl phosphate(TBP) achieved 98% extraction efficiency for naphthalene-2-ol in a single stage extraction,the highest among the 12 extractants evaluated.Extraction efficiency was optimized when cyclohexane and n-octane were used as diluents.The solvent combination of 20% TBP,20% n-octanol and 60% cyclohexane(V/V) obtained the maximum extraction efficiency for naphthalene-2-ol,99.3%,within 20 min using three cross-current extraction stages under the following extraction conditions:O/A ratio of 1:1,initial p H of 3,25°C and stirring rate of 150 r/min.Recovery of mixed solvents was achieved by using 15%(W/W) Na OH solution at an O:A ratio of 1:1 and a contact time of 15 min.The mixed solvents achieved an extraction capacity for naphthalene-2-ol stably higher than90% during five cycles after regeneration.     

乌梁素海和岱海沉积物有机碳的形态特征

以富营养化类型不同的乌梁素海和岱海为对象,开展湖泊沉积物中有机碳的形态特征研究,对比分析了2个湖泊沉积物有机碳的形态特征及其差异性.结果表明,乌梁素海沉积物中总有机碳(TOC)含量范围为4.50～22.83 g·kg-1,平均11.80g·kg-1;重组碳(HFOC)含量范围为3.38～21.67 g·kg-1,平均1...     

石油钻井废水处理研究进展

本文简述了处理石油钻井废水的研究现状,综述了常用的处理方法并对各种方法适用的范围以及优势和不足进行了分析。