Formation of Soluble Complexes of Metals with Humic Acid and Its Environmental Significance

In order to investigate the role of functional groups present in humic acid(s) (HA) during complex formation, water soluble complexes between HA isolated from soil and metals (Pb, Ca, As, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Mg and Zn) were prepared and subjected to infrared (IR) spectroscopy. the IR data revealed the involvement of the - OH group of humic acid in complex formation with all metals except copper and arsenic, whereas the - COOH group of HA was found to be the preferred site of binding for all the metals. the significance of findings in relation to detoxification of environmental pollutants is discussed in this paper.     

Heavy metals and their source identification in particulate matter (PM2.5) in Isfahan City, Iran

The presence of heavy metals(HMs) in particulate matters(PMs) particularly fine particles such as PM_(2.5) poses potential risk to the health of human being. The purpose of this study was to analyze the contents of HMs in PM_(2.5) in the atmospheric monitoring stations in Isfahan city,Iran, in different seasons between March 2014 and March 2015 and their source identification using principle component analysis(PCA). The samples of PM_(2.5) were taken using a high volume sampler in 7 monitoring stations located throughout the city and industrial zones since March 2014 to March 2015. The HMs content of the samples was measured using ICP-MS.The results showed that the concentrations of As, Cd and Ni were in a range of 23–36, 1–12,and 5–76 ng/m~3 at all the stations which exceeded the US-EPA standards. Furthermore,the concentrations of Cr and Cu reached to 153 and 167 ng/m~3 in some stations which were also higher than the standard levels. Depending on the potential sources of HMs, their concentration in PM_(2.5) through the various seasons was different. PCA illustrated that the different potential sources of HMs in the atmosphere, showing that the most important sources of HMs originated from fossil fuel combustion, abrasion of vehicle tires, industrial activities(e.g., iron and steel industries) and dust storms. Management and control of air pollution of industrial plants and vehicles are suggested for decreasing the risk of the HMs in the region.     

不同物质对垃圾渗滤液中腐殖酸的吸附研究

垃圾渗滤液是一种有毒有害的高浓度有机废水，其中含大量腐殖酸。腐殖酸具有离子交换能力、吸附能力和脱除杂质能力，因此在很多方面有实用价值。活性碳、土壤、堆肥对废水中的有机物有一定的吸附能力。本文采用正交设计的方法，研究了活性碳、土壤、堆肥在不同温度，液／固，腐殖酸初始浓度的条件下对垃圾渗滤液中腐殖酸的吸附效果。实验结果表明：四种实验因素对吸附剂的吸附能力的影响程度为：吸附剂类型〉腐殖酸的初始浓度〉吸附反应温度〉液固比。在温度为25℃，液固比为50／0．5（mL/g），腐殖酸初始浓度为41．99（mg／L），吸附剂类型为活性碳时，腐殖酸吸附量最大，为40．86mg。同时分析了响应指标随因素的变化趋势。     

混凝工艺去除重金属-腐殖酸有效性研究

考查了混凝剂对腐殖酸(HA)和重金属镉的络合体的去除效果。通过与混凝剂分别对腐殖酸和镉的单一去除比较发现:混凝剂对络合体的去除提高了HA和镉的去除率。通过调节不同环境因素发现:增加混凝剂用量,HA的去除率会在达到峰值后不再增加,而镉的去除率会在达到峰值后有所下降;提高p H值会加快HA的去除达到峰值且提高镉的去除率;腐殖酸溶液初始浓度越高,腐殖酸和镉的最终去除率越高;离子强度越高,HA和镉的最终去除率越低。     

Impact of dissolved organic matter on the photolysis of the ionizable antibiotic norfloxacin

Norfloxacin (NOR), an ionizable antibiotic frequently used in the aquaculture industry, has aroused public concern due to its persistence, bacterial resistance, and environmental ubiquity. Therefore, we investigated the photolysis of different species of NOR and the impact of a ubiquitous component of natural water — dissolved organic matter (DOM), which has a special photochemical activity and normally acts as a sensitizer or inhibiter in the photolysis of diverse organics; furthermore, scavenging experiments combined with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) were performed to evaluate the transformation of NOR in water. The results demonstated that NOR underwent direct photolysis and self-sensitized photolysis via hydroxyl radical (·OH) and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) based on the scavenging experiments. In addition, DOM was found to influence the photolysis of different NOR species, and its impact was related to the concentration of DOM and type of NOR species. Photolysis of cationic NOR was photosensitized by DOM at low concentration, while zwitterionic and anionic NOR were photoinhibited by DOM, where quenching of UOH predominated according to EPR experiments, accompanied by possible participation of excited triplet-state NOR and ¹O₂. Photo-intermediate identification of different NOR species in solutions with/without DOM indicated that NOR underwent different photodegradation pathways including dechlorination, cleavage of the piperazine side chain and photooxidation, and DOM had little impact on the distribution but influenced the concentration evolution of photolysis intermediates. The results implied that for accurate ecological risk assessment of emerging ionizable pollutants, the impact of DOM on the environmental photochemical behavior of all dissociated species should not be ignored.     

北方泥炭地泥炭土矿化速率、温度敏感性及其影响因素研究

北方泥炭地是全球重要的碳汇,也是全球变暖最为敏感的区域之一.然而,由于泥炭地表层和亚表层泥炭土碳排放过程对全球变暖的响应过程及机制仍存在一定争议,目前对全球变暖背景下泥炭地碳排放的认识仍存在一定不足.本研究于2019年8月在大兴安岭满归泥炭地采集表层（0~10 cm）和亚表层（15~30 cm）泥炭土进行室内增温模拟有氧培养,测定其矿化速率、有机质性质和水解酶活性.结果表明,表层泥炭土矿化速率在5、15、25 ℃下培养时（（142.8±66.9）~（545.3±30.6）、（575.0±62.1）~（1843.0±547.4） 、（888.4±123.9）~（3646.7±167.9） μg·g^-1·d^-1）均 高于亚表层（（113.0±41.5）~（367.1±64.1）、（357.4±52.3）~（1122.1±218.8）、（697.1±38.1）~（2336.4±150.6） μg·g^-1·d^-1）,但表层和亚表层矿化作用的温度敏感性不具有显著差异;培养过程中,表层与亚表层泥炭土β-1,4-N-乙酰葡糖胺糖苷酶（NAG）活性存在显著差异,但β-1,4-葡萄糖苷酶（BG）和酸性磷酸酶（AP）活性相似;表层和亚表层泥炭土总有机碳（TOC）、总氮（TN）、碳氮比（C/N）及纤维素含量均存在显著差异.在具体有机质组成方面,亚表层泥炭土中芳香族的惰性有机质含量较多,而表层泥炭土中多糖类的活性有机质含量较高,且芳香族化合物与泥炭土矿化速率呈显著负相关.综上,本研究认为全球变暖对表层和亚表层泥炭土矿化作用的影响没有显著性差异,常见的NAG、BG和AP酶并不是引起亚表层泥炭土矿化速率较慢的原因,而亚表层泥炭土中含有更多的惰性有机质可能是导致亚表层泥炭土矿化速率较低的主要因素.     

Impact of pre-oxidation on the formation of byproducts in algae-laden water disinfection: Insights from fluorescent and molecular weight

Pre-oxidation has been reported to be an effective way to remove algal cells in water, but the released algal organic matter (AOM) could be oxidized and lead to the increment in disinfection by-product (DBP) formation. The relationship between pre-oxidation and AOM-derived DBP formation needs to be approached more precisely. This study compared the impact of four pre-oxidants, ozone (O₃), chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), on the formation of nitrogenous (N-) and carbonaceous (C-) DBPs in AOM chlorination. The characterization (fluorescent properties, molecular weight distribution and amino acids concentration) on AOM samples showed that the characterization properties variations after pre-oxidation were highly dependent on the oxidizing ability of oxidants. The disinfection experiments showed that O₃ increased DBP formation most significantly, which was consistent with the result of characterization properties variations. Then canonical correspondent analysis (CCA) and Pearson's correlation analysis were conducted based on the characterization data and DBP formation. CCA indicated that C-DBPs formation was highly dependent on fluorescent data. The formation of haloacetic acids (HAAs) had a positive correlation with aromatic protein-like component while trichloromethane (TCM) had a positive correlation with fulvic acid-like component. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that low molecular weight fractions were favorable to form N-DBPs. Therefore, characterization data could provide the advantages in the control of DBP formation, which further revealed that KMnO₄ and ClO₂ were better options for removing algal cells as well as limiting DBP formation.     

烟草烟雾对室内空气颗粒物浓度的影响

采用电称冲击低压系统(ELPI)将无烟室和吸烟室内的空气颗粒物(0.03～10.00 μm)分成12级,对其粒子数和质量浓度进行测定.结果表明,吸烟室PM0.03～10.00的日平均粒子数和质量浓度分别是无烟室的1.50、1.13倍.烟草烟雾对室内颗粒物粒子数的影响集中在0.03～1.00 μm粒径段;对室内颗粒物质量浓度的影响表现为双模态结构,峰值分别在0.20～0.70、5.00～8.20 μm粒径段.烟草烟雾颗粒物的粒子数和质量浓度随烟雾消散时间的增加而减少,粒径越小,减小的越明显;烟草烟雾颗粒物在室内消散缓慢,会在长时间内造成影响,应引起足够关注.     

Factors influencing on the bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in size-specific dust from air conditioner filters

Size-specific concentrations and bioaccessibility of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in dust from air conditioner filters were measured, and the factors influencing the PBDE bioaccessibility were determined. Generally, the PBDE concentrations increased with decreasing dust particle size, and BDE209 (deca-BDE) was generally the predominant congener. The bioaccessibility ranged from 20.3% to 50.8% for tri- to hepta-BDEs, and from 5.1% to 13.9% for BDE209 in dust fractions of varied particle size. The bioaccessibility of most PBDE congeners decreased with increasing dust particle size. The way of being of PBDE (adsorbed to dust surface or incorporated into polymers) in dust significantly influenced the bioaccessibility. There was a significant negative correlation between the tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility and organic matter (OM) contents in dust. Furthermore, tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility increased with increasing polarity of OMs, while with decreasing aromaticity of OMs. The tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility significantly positively correlated with the surface areas and pore volumes of dust. Using multiple linear regression analysis, it was found that the OM contents and pore volumes of dust were the most important factors to influence the tri- to hepta-BDE bioaccessibility and they could be used to estimate the bioaccessibility of tri- to hepta-BDEs according to the following equation: bioaccessibility (%) = 45.05 − 0.49 × OM% + 1.79 × pore volume. However, BDE209 bioaccessibility did not correlate to any of these factors.     

DOC removal paradigms in highly humic aquatic ecosystems

Background, aim, and scope  Dissolved humic substances (HS) usually comprise 50–80% of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aquatic ecosystems. From a trophic and biogeochemical perspective, HS has been considered to be highly refractory and is supposed to accumulate in the water. The upsurge of the microbial loop paradigm and the studies on HS photo-degradation into labile DOC gave rise to the belief that microbial processing of DOC should sustain aquatic food webs in humic waters. However, this has not been extensively supported by the literature, since most HS and their photo-products are often oxidized by microbes through respiration in most nutrient-poor humic waters. Here, we review basic concepts, classical studies, and recent data on bacterial and photo-degradation of DOC, comparing the rates of these processes in highly humic ecosystems and other aquatic ecosystems. Materials and methods  We based our review on classical and recent findings from the fields of biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, highlighting some odd results from highly humic Brazilian tropical lagoons, which can reach up to 160 mg C L⁻¹. Results and discussion  Highly humic tropical lagoons showed proportionally lower bacterial production rates and higher bacterial respiration rates (i.e., lower bacterial growth efficiency) than other lakes. Zooplankton showed similar δ¹³C to microalgae but not to humic DOC in these highly humic lagoons. Thus, the data reviewed here do not support the microbial loop as an efficient matter transfer pathway in highly humic ecosystems, where it is supposed to play its major role. In addition, we found that some tropical humic ecosystems presented the highest potential DOC photo-chemical mineralization (PM) rates reported in the literature, exceeding up to threefold the rates reported for temperate humic ecosystems. We propose that these atypically high PM rates are the result of a joint effect of the seasonal dynamics of allochthonous humic DOC input to these ecosystems and the high sunlight incidence throughout the year. The sunlight action on DOC is positive to microbial consumption in these highly humic lagoons, but little support is given to the enhancement of bacterial growth efficiency, since the labile photo-chemical products are mostly respired by microbes in the nutrient-poor humic waters. Conclusions  HS may be an important source of energy for aquatic bacteria in humic waters, but it is probably not as important as a substrate to bacterial growth and to aquatic food webs, since HS consumption is mostly channeled through microbial respiration. This especially seems to be the case of humic-rich, nutrient-poor ecosystems, where the microbial loop was supposed to play its major role. Highly humic ecosystems also present the highest PM rates reported in the literature. Finally, light and bacteria can cooperate in order to enhance total carbon degradation in highly humic aquatic ecosystems but with limited effects on aquatic food webs. Recommendations and perspectives  More detailed studies using C- and N-stable isotope techniques and modeling approaches are needed to better understand the actual importance of HS to carbon cycling in highly humic waters.