Biosorption of uranium by chemically modified Rhodotorula glutinis

The present paper reports the biosorption of uranium onto chemically modified yeast cells, Rhodotorula glutinis, in order to study the role played by various functional groups in the cell wall. Esterification of the carboxyl groups and methylation of the amino groups present in the cells were carried out by methanol and formaldehyde treatment, respectively. The uranium sorption capacity increased 31% for the methanol-treated biomass and 11% for the formaldehyde-treated biomass at an initial uranium concentration of 140 mg/L. The enhancement of uranium sorption capacity was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis, with amino and carboxyl groups were determined to be the important functional groups involved in uranium binding. The biosorption isotherms of uranium onto the raw and chemically modified biomass were also investigated with varying uranium concentrations. Langmuir and Freundlich models were well able to explain the sorption equilibrium data with satisfactory correlation coefficients higher than 0.9.     

基于“一证式”排污许可的点源环境管理制度整合研究

排污许可证制度作为污染源管理的一项基本制度,经过多年的探索实践,逐渐向一证管理的方向发展。以排污许可证制度为核心,统筹整合各项点源环境管理制度,可以实现对点源全周期的高效管理,对提升点源环境管理综合效能十分有效,也是当前排污许可证制度改革的重要内容。本文在对现有各项点源环境管理制度的执行局限进行详细分析的基础上,提出各项点源环境管理制度与基于"一证式"管理的排污许可证制度的衔接和整合方式,将排污许可证制度贯穿整个项目筹建期、建设及试运营期、正式运营期和停产修复期,把现有各项点源环境管理制度中对排污单位影响环境的开发、建设、经营等活动的管理要求通过排污许可证集中体现,强化排污单位持证排污、按证排污的法律要求,有效解决现有的其他点源环境管理制度仅作用于排污单位生存周期某一阶段的应用局限,全面改变现有点源环境管理制度各自为营的分散模式,重新构建了符合新时期环境保护工作需求的高效化、精细化点源环境管理制度体系。     

Physiological and biochemical responses of rice seeds to phosphine exposure during germination

Rice seeds (Tianyou, 3618) were used to examine the physiological and biochemical responses to phosphine exposure during germination. A control (0 mg m⁻³) and four concentrations of phosphine (1.4 mg m⁻³, 4.2 mg m⁻³, 7.0 mg m⁻³ and 13.9 mg m⁻³) were used to treat the rice seeds. Each treatment was applied for 90 min once per day for five days. The germination rate (GR); germination potential (GP); germination index (GI); antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT); and lipid peroxidation measured through via malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined as indicators of the physiological and biochemical responses of the rice seeds to phosphine exposure. These indicators were determined once per day for five days. The results indicated that the GR, GP and GI of the rice seeds markedly decreased after phosphine exposure. The changes in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes due to the phosphine exposure were also significant. The exposure lowered the CAT and SOD activities and increased POD activity in the treated rice seeds compared with controls. The MDA content exhibited a slow increase trend with the increase of phosphine concentration. These results suggest that phosphine has inhibitory effects on seed germination. In addition, phosphine exposure caused oxidative stress in the seeds. The antioxidant enzymes could play a pivotal role against oxidative injury. Overall, the effect of phosphine on rice seeds is different from what has been reported previously for insects and mammals.     

Efficient removal of uranium(VI) from aqueous systems by heat-treated carbon microspheres

In this study, uranium(VI) was successfully removed from aqueous solutions using heat-treated carbon microspheres based on a batch adsorption technique. Influence of the parameters, such as solution pH, contact time, initial uranium(VI) concentration, and temperature on the removal efficiency have been investigated in detail. The results reveal that the maximum adsorption capacity of the heat-treated carbon microspheres toward uranium(VI) is 92.08 mg g^?1, displaying a high efficiency for the removal of uranium(VI) from aqueous solution. The experimental data are analyzed using sorption kinetic models. It is revealed that the process obey the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, the determining step might be chemical sorption. The thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔH°, ΔS°, and ΔG° show that the process is endothermic and spontaneous. This work provides an efficient, fast, and convenient approach for the removal of uranium(VI) from aqueous solutions.     

Characterization of HCHs and DDTs in urban dustfall and prediction of soil burden in a metropolis-Beijing, China

The concentrations, spatial distribution and compositional patterns of extensively used hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) in urban dustfall in a metropolis-Beijing are presented in this paper. The potential sources are discussed and soil burdens are predicted based on the fluxes. The hotspots in commercial areas are identified by spatial distribution maps and the fractional value isomers indicates that dustfall in urban Beijing are affected by both current and historical usage of DDTs. It is worth noticing that there is possible application "dicofol-type of DDTs" in Beijing. The measured atmospheric deposition flux is 1.14×10(5) ng h(-1) m(-2) for HCHs and 1.47×10(5) ng h(-1) m(-2) for DDTs, respectively. However, when compared with atmospheric deposition flux, the volatilization flux estimated from concentrations in soils by fugacity model is significantly lower for HCHs (2.41 ng h(-1) m(-2)) and DDTs (0.07 ng h(-1) m(-2)). The net atmospheric flux to the soil suggests that the levels of HCHs and DDTs in soil are dominated by atmospheric deposition and the urban soil in Beijing would be a sink for HCHs and DDTs in the long term.     

Disproportionate variations in denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation across freshwater-oligohaline wetlands in Min River Estuary,Southeast China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Spatial and temporal variations in soil denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) across the freshwater-oligohaline wetlands in...     

Study on the stability of anaerobic digestion of food waste and the waste mushroom substrate based on SBR reactor and Netlogo simulation

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The combined anaerobic fermentation experiment of the waste mushroom substrate and food waste was carried out at 37 ± 1℃ in...     

Porous multifunctional phenylcarbamoylated-β-cyclodextrin polymers for rapid removal of aromatic organic pollutants

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, polymers containing a large number of benzene rings and multiple functional groups were designed to remove aromatic organic pollutants....     

Effect of high temperatures on the magnetic susceptibility of loess

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Coal fires refer to fires generated by the self-combustion of coal seams, which have a maximum temperature of 1000 °C. Such fires can...