Effects of metal cations on sorption-desorption of p-nitrophenol onto wheat ash

The mutual e ects of metal cations (Cu2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+) and p-nitrophenol (NP) on their adsorption desorption behavior onto wheat ash were studied. Results suggested that Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ diminished the adsorption and increased the desorption of NP remarkably, while Cd2+ had no such e ect. In contrast, NP diminished the adsorption of Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ onto ash, however, this suppression e ect depended on the initial concentrations of metal cations. NP had no e ect on Cd2+ adsorption on ash. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) studies suggested the following mechanisms responsible for the metal suppression e ect on NP adsorption: (1) large hydrated Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ shells occupied the surface of ash and prevent nonspecific adsorption of NP onto ash surface; (2) Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ may block the micropores of ash, resulting in decreased adsorption of NP; (3) complexation of Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+ was likely via carboxyl, hydroxylic and phenolic groups of wheat ash and these same groups may also react with NP during adsorption. As a “soft acid”, Cd2+ is less e cient in the complexation of oxygencontaining acid groups than Cu2+, Pb2+, and Zn2+. Thus, Cd2+ had no e ect on the adsorption of NP on wheat ash.     

Effects of Cu（Ⅱ） and humic acid on atrazine photodegradation

This work was designed to explore the characteristics of photodegradation of herbicides in the copper-polluted water body. The results showed that Cu(II) alone could induce a photo Fenton-like reaction to enhance the degradation of atrazine, in which hydroxyl radical ( OH) was a main active species. Humic acids restrained atrazine degradation, nevertheless, when introducing Cu(II), the photodegradation was accelerated, in which singlet oxygen (1O2) replaced OH acting as the prevailing species. A feasible mechanism for the photochemical process was also proposed, which is helpful for better understanding the environmental photochemistry of atrazine in the copper-polluted water.     

Remediation of copper polluted red soils with clay materials

Attapulgite and montmorillonite were utilized to remediate heavy metal polluted red soils in Guixi City, Jiangxi Province, China. The e ects of clay minerals on availability, chemical distribution, and biotoxicity of Cu and Zn were evaluated. The results provided a reference for the rational application of clay materials to remediate heavy metal contaminated soils. From the sorption experiment, the maximum adsorbed Cu2+ by attapulgite and montmorillonite was 1501 and 3741 mg/kg, respectively. After polluted red soil was amended with attapulgite or montmorillonite and cultured at 30 and 60 days, soil pH increased significantly compared to the control. An 8% increase in the amount of montmorillonite in soil and 30 days incubation decreased acid exchangeable Cu by 24.7% compared to the control red soil. Acid exchangeable Cu decreased with increasing amounts of attapulgite and montmorillonite, with best remediation e ect reached at a dose of 8%. Results also showed that the Cu poisoning e ect on earthworms was reduced with the addition of attapulgite and montmorillonite. Montmorillonite showed the best e ect, with the addition of a 2% dose the mortality of earthworms decreased from 60% to zero compared to the control. Our results indicated that the bioavailability of Cu in soils was reduced more e ectively with the application of montmorillonite than attapulgite.     

Carbonyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfide fluxes in an urban lawn and adjacent bare soil in Guangzhou, China

Carbonyl sulfide (COS) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) fluxes from an urban Cynodon dactylon lawn and adjacent bare soil were measured during April–July 2005 in Guangzhou, China. Both the lawn and bare soil acted as sinks for COS and sources for DMS. The mean fluxes of COS and DMS in the lawn (–19.27 and 18.16 pmol/(m2 sec), respectively) were significantly higher than those in the bare soil (–9.89 and 9.35 pmol/(m2 sec), respectively). Fluxes of COS and DMS in mowed lawn were also higher than those in bare soils. Both COS and DMS fluxes showed diurnal variation with detectable but much lower values in the nighttime than in the daytime. COS fluxes were related significantly to temperature and the optimal temperature for COS uptake was 29°C. While positive linear correlations were found between DMS fluxes and temperature. COS fluxes increased linearly with ambient COS mixing ratios, and had a compensation point of 336 ppt.     

Enhancement of thermophilic anaerobic digestion of thickened waste activated sludge by combined microwave and alkaline pretreatment

Pretreatment of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) by combined microwave and alkaline pretreatment (MAP) was studied to improve thermophilic anaerobic digestion efficiency. Uniform design was applied to determine the combination of target temperature (110–210°C), microwave holding time (1–51 min), and NaOH dose (0–2.5 g NaOH/g suspended solids (SS)) in terms of their effect on volatile suspended solids (VSS) solubilization. Maximum solubilization ratio (85.1%) of VSS was observed at 210°C with 0.2 g-NaOH/g-SS and 35 min holding time. The effects of 12 different pretreatment methods were investigated in 28 thermophilic batch reactors by monitoring cumulative methane production (CMP). Improvements in methane production in the TWAS were directly related to the microwave and alkaline pretreatment of the sludge. The highest CMP was a 27% improvement over the control. In spite of the increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand concentration and the decrease in dewaterability of digested sludge, a semi-continuous thermophilic reactor fed with pretreated TWAS without neutralization (at 170°C with 1 min holding time and 0.05 g NaOH/g SS) was stable and functioned well, with volatile solid (VS) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) reductions of 28% and 18%, respectively, which were higher than those of the control system. Additionally, methane yields (L@STP/g-CODadded, at standard temperature and pressure (STP) conditions of 0°C and 101.325 kPa) and (L@STP/g VSadded) increased by 17% and 13%, respectively, compared to the control reactor.     

Nitrogen cycle of a typical Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary

The nitrogen (N) biological cycle of the Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary was studied during 2008 to 2009. Results showed that soil N had significant seasonal fluctuations and vertical distribution. The N/P ratio (15.73±1.77) of S. salsa was less than 16, indicating that plant growth was limited by both N and P. The N absorption coefficient of S. salsa was very low (0.007), while the N utilization and cycle coefficients were high (0.824 and 0.331, respectively). The N turnover among compartments of S. salsa marsh showed that N uptake from aboveground parts and roots were 2.539 and 0.622 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground parts to roots and from roots to soil were 2.042 and 0.076 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground living bodies to litter was 0.497 g/m2, the annual N return from litter to soil was far less than 0.368 g/m2, and the net N mineralization in topsoil during the growing season was 0.033 g/m2. N was an important limiting factor in S. salsa marsh, and the ecosystem was classified as unstable and vulnerable. S. salsa was seemingly well adapted to the low-nutrient status and vulnerable habitat, and the nutrient enrichment due to N import from the Yellow River estuary would be a potential threat to the S. salsa marsh. Excessive nutrient loading might favor invasive species and induce severe long-term degradation of the ecosystem if human intervention measures were not taken. The N quantitative relationships determined in our study might provide a scientific basis for the establishment of effective measures.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alter the response of growth and nutrient uptake of snap bean（Phaseolus vulgaris L.） to O_3

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus mosseae on the responses to elevated O3 in growth and nutrition of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Guangzhouyuan) were investigated. Exposure was conducted in growth chambers by using three O3 concentrations (20 (CF), 80 (CFO1) and 120 nL/L (CFO2); 8 hr/day for 75 days). Results showed that elevated O3 slightly impacted overall mycorrhizal colonization, but significantly decreased the proportional frequency of hypha and increased the proportional frequency of spores and vesicles, suggesting that O3 had significant effects on mycorrhizal structure. Elevated O3 significantly decreased yield, dry mass and nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in both non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants. However, significant interactive effects were found in most variables due to that the reduction by O3 in the mycorrhizal plants was less than that in the non-mycorrhizal plants. Additionally, AMF increased the concentrations of N, P, Ca, and Mg in shoot and root. It can be concluded that AMF alleviated detrimental effects of increasing O3 on host plant through improving plant nutrition and growth.     

Source attributions of heavy metals in rice plant along highway in Eastern China

Air and soil pollution from traffic has been considered as a critical issue to crop production and food safety, however, few efforts have been paid on distinguish the source origin of traffic-related contaminants in rice plant along highway. Therefore, we investigated metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn and Cu) concentrations and stable Pb isotope ratios in rice plants exposed and unexposed to highway traffic pollution in Eastern China in 2008. Significant differences in metals concentrations between the exposed and unexposed plants existed in leaf for Pb, Cd and Zn, in stem only for Zn, and in grain for Pb and Cd. About 46% of Pb and 41% of Cd in the grain were attributed to the foliar uptake from atmosphere, and there were no obvious contribution of atmosphere to the accumulations of Cr, Zn and Cu in grain. Except for Zn, all of the heavy metals in stem were attributed to the root uptake from soil, although significant accumulations of Pb and Cd from atmosphere existed in leaf. This indicated that different processes existed in the subsequent translocation of foliar-absorbed heavy metals between rice organs. The distinct separation of stable Pb isotope ratios among rice grain, leaf, stem, soil and vehicle exhaust further provided evidences on the different pathways of heavy metal accumulation in rice plant. These results suggested that further more attentions should be paid to the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals from traffic emission when plan crop layout for food safety along highway.     

Methanotrophic community structure of aged refuse and its capability for methane bio-oxidation

Aged refuse from waste landfills closed for eight years was examined and found to contain rich methanotrophs capable of biooxidation for methane. Specially, community structure and methane oxidation capability of methanotrophs in the aged refuse were studied. The amount of methanotrophs ranged 61.97 103–632.91 103 cells/g (in dry basis) in aged refuse from Shanghai Laogang Landfill. Type I and II methanotrophs were found in the aged refuse in the presence of sterilized sewage sludge and only Type I methanotrophs were detected in the presence of nitrate minimal salt medium (NMS). The clone sequences of the pmoA gene obtained from the aged refuse were similar to the pmoA gene of Methylobacter, Methylocaldum, and Methylocystis, and two clones were distinct with known genera of Type I methanotrophs according to phylogenetic analysis. Aged refuse enriched with NMS was used for methane biological oxidation and over 93% conversions were obtained.     

Archaeal community structure along a gradient of petroleum contamination in saline-alkali soil

The impact of petroleum on archaeal community in salinealkali soils was investigated, which will expand the knowledge of the archaeal population involved in the natural attenuation of hydrocarbons in extreme environments.