Using Mediterranean shrubs for the phytoremediation of a soil impacted by pyritic wastes in Southern Spain: a field experiment

Re-vegetation is the main aim of ecological restoration projects, and in Mediterranean environments native plants are desirable to achieve successful restoration. In 1998, the burst of a tailings dam flooded the Guadiamar river valley downstream from Aznalcóllar (Southern Spain) with sludges that contained elevated concentrations of metals and metalloids, polluting soils and waters. A phytoremediation experiment to assess the potential use of native shrub species for the restoration of soils affected by the spillage was performed from 2005 to 2007, with soils divided into two groups: pH < 5 and pH > 5. Four native shrubs (Myrtus communis, Retama sphaerocarpa, Rosmarinus officinalis and Tamarix gallica) were planted and left to grow without intervention. Trace element concentrations in soils and plants, their extractability in soils, transfer factors and plant survival were used to identify the most-interesting species for phytoremediation. Total As was higher in soils with pH < 5. Ammonium sulphate-extractable zinc, copper, cadmium and aluminium concentrations were higher in very-acid soils, but arsenic was extracted more efficiently when soil pH was >5. Unlike As, which was either fixed by Fe oxides or retained as sulphide, the extractable metals showed significant relationships with the corresponding total soil metal concentration and inverse relationships with soil pH. T. gallica, R. officinalis and R. sphaerocarpa survived better in soils with pH > 5, while M. communis had better survival at pH < 5. R. sphaerocarpa showed the highest survival (30%) in all soils. Trace element transfer from soil to harvestable parts was low for all species and elements, and some species may have been able to decrease trace element availability in the soil. Our results suggest that R. sphaerocarpa is an adequate plant species for phytostabilising these soils, although more research is needed to address the self-sustainability of this remediation technique and the associated environmental changes.     

Derivation of correlations to evaluate the impact of retrofitted post-combustion CO2 capture processes on steam power plant performance

When integrating a post-combustion CO₂ capture process and CO₂ compression into a steam power plant, the three interface quantities heat, electricity and cooling duty must be satisfied by the power plant, leading to a loss in net efficiency. The heat duty shows to be the largest contributor to the overall net efficiency penalty of the power plant. Additional energy penalty results from the cooling and electric power duty of the capture and compression units.In this work, the dependency of the energy penalty on the quantity and quality of the heat duty is analyzed and quantified for a state-of-the-art hard coal fired power plant. Furthermore, the energy penalty attributed to the additional cooling and power duty is quantified. As a result correlations are provided which enable to predict the impact of the heat, cooling and electricity duty of post-combustion CO₂ capture processes on the net output of a steam power plant in a holistic approach.     

Microplastics removal strategies: A step toward finding the solution

• Physical, chemical and biological methods are explored for MPs removal. • Physical methods based on adsorption/filtration are mostly used for MPs removal. • Chemical methods of MPs removal work on coagulation and flocculation mechanism. • MBR technology has also shown the removal of MPs from water. • Global policy on plastic control is lacking. Microplastics are an emerging threat and a big challenge for the environment. The presence of microplastics (MPs) in water is life-threatening to diverse organisms of aquatic ecosystems. Hence, the scientific community is exploring deeper to find treatment and removal options of MPs. Various physical, chemical and biological methods are researched for MPs removal, among which few have shown good efficiency in the laboratory. These methods also have a few limitations in environmental conditions. Other than finding a suitable method, the creation of legal restrictions at a governmental level by imposing policies against MPs is still a daunting task in many countries. This review is an effort to place all effectual MP removal methods in one document to compare the mechanisms, efficiency, advantages, and disadvantages and find the best solution. Further, it also discusses the policies and regulations available in different countries to design an effective global policy. Efforts are also made to discuss the research gaps, recent advancements, and insights in the field.     

Recruitment and attrition of associated plants under a shading crop canopy: Model selection and calibration

Associated plant and animal diversity provides ecosystem services within crop production systems. The importance of the maintenance or restoration of diversity is therefore increasingly acknowledged. Here we study the population dynamics of associated annual plants (‘weeds’) during the growth of a crop in a season and introduce a minimal model to characterize the recruitment and attrition of the associated plants under the influence of shading by the crop. A mechanistically based, logistic, light interception model was parameterized with light interception measurements in two single crops (barley and rye) and in mixtures of these cereals with peas. Population dynamics data were collected for the annuals Papaver rhoeas, Centaurea cyanus, Chrysanthemum segetum, and Misopates orontium. A minimal population dynamics model was identified for each annual plant species, using system identification techniques as model selection and calibration.     

高浓度焦化废水处理工艺的研究

对焦化废水的微生物处理工艺进行改进,采取提高污泥浓度,增加曝气量,增加凝聚工艺等强化处理措施,提高了对高浓度焦化废水的处理效率,使废水达到国家排放标准。     

原沈阳冶炼厂主厂区土壤污染现状评价及污染治理措施

在对原沈阳冶炼厂主厂区土壤污染现状评价的基础上,提出了土壤重金属污染治理措施。     

The Interactive Effects of Fire and Diversity on Short-Term Responses of Ecosystem Processes in Experimental Mediterranean Grasslands

We conducted a field experiment using constructed communities to test whether species richness contributed to the maintenance of ecosystem processes under fire disturbance. We studied the effects of diversity components (i.e., species richness and species composition) upon productivity, structural traits of vegetation, decomposition rates, and soil nutrients between burnt and unburnt experimental Mediterranean grassland communities. Our results demonstrated that fire and species richness had interactive effects on aboveground biomass production and canopy structure components. Fire increased biomass production of the highest-richness communities. The effects of fire on aboveground biomass production at different levels of species richness were derived from changes in both vertical and horizontal canopy structure of the communities. The most species-rich communities appeared to be more resistant to fire in relation to species-poor ones, due to both compositional and richness effects. Interactive effects of fire and species richness were not important for belowground processes. Decomposition rates increased with species richness, related in part to increased levels of canopy structure traits. Fire increased soil nutrients and long-term decomposition rate. Our results provide evidence that composition within richness levels had often larger effects on the stability of aboveground ecosystem processes in the face of fire disturbance than species richness per se.     

论城市污水处理厂的建设与管理

论述了建设城市污水处理厂的必要性、污水处理厂的设计标准与边界条件．从各个不同的方面讨论了污水处理厂的环境影响和防治对策、环境经济效益和管理问题．     

城市污水的渠内处理技术研究

利用研制的６０Ｌ／ｈ污水的渠式动态模拟装置，研究城市污水的渠内处理技术。结果表明，此法比传统的城市污水处理方法能提高ＣＯＤｃｒ的脱除率约４％～５％，而工程建设费和运行管理费分别降低３０％～４０％和２５％～３０％。渠内处理适宜与自然净化结合进行，出水经植物净化１２～１５ｈ后，ＢＯＤ５进一步降低１８％以上。由此可见，城市污水渠内处理技术具有良好的应用前景。     

南岳森林群落生物多样性研究(Ⅱ)广济寺森林群落植物物种多样性测定

本文根据实地调查资料及其统计分析结果,选用了24个物种多样性指数公式,并采用重要值、株数或鲜重以及优势度或盖度等作为测度指标,对南岳广济寺森林群落植物物种多样性进行了研究。结果表明,南岳广济寺森林属落多样性较高,接近山地季雨林的水平;此外,不同测度指标对物种多样性指数计算值并无明显的规律性。