Decay profile and metabolic pathways of quinalphos in water, soil and plants

The widespread occurrence of pesticide residues in different agricultural and food commodities has raised concern among the environmentalists and food chemists. In order to keep a proper track of these materials, studies on their decay profiles in the various segments of ecosystem under varying environmental conditions are needed. In view of this, the metabolites of quinalphos in water and soil under controlled conditions and in plants, namely tomato and radish in field conditions have been analysed and possible pathways suggested. In order to follow the decay of the pesticide, an HPLC procedure has been developed. Studies conducted in water at different temperatures, pH and organic content reveal that the persistence of the pesticide decreases with the increase in all the three variables. In the three different types of soils studied, the effect of pH is more or less apparent on a similar line. On an average a faster decay is observed in the case of plants than in water and soil. The decay profiles in all these cases follow first order kinetics. The metabolites were identified by GC-MS. The investigations reflect that degradation occurs through hydrolysis, S-oxidation, dealkylation and thiono-thiol rearrangement. The pathways seem to be complex and different metabolites were observed with the change in the matrix. Quinalphos oxon, O-ethyl-O-quinoxalin-2-yl phosphoric acid, 2-hydroxy quinoxaline and quinoxaline-2-thiol were observed in all the matrices. Results further indicate that the metabolites, 2-hydroxy quinoxaline and oxon, which are more toxic than parent compound, persist for a longer time.     

Technologically enhanced 210Pb and 210Po in iron and steel industry

Iron and steel manufacture has been ranked as the largest industrial source of environmental contamination in the USA; the wastes generated in their production processes contain heavy elements that can be a source of contamination, and natural radionuclides that can produce an occupational and/or public radiological impact. In this work the potential occupational effective dose rate (μSv/y) due to inhalation in four integrated steel-making factories from Egypt has been evaluated, by assuming a well defined scenario and with basis in the ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po activity concentrations determined in ore and wastes collected in the aforementioned factories. Activity concentrations, in Bq/kg, of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po, and leachable Pb and Fe were measured using gamma-ray spectrometry based on HPGe detector, alpha particle spectrometry based on PIPS detector, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Levels of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po in the range of <DL-4238 and 1-5660 Bq/kg, respectively, were found. According to the assumed scenarios, the occupational exposures by inhalation are much lower than the recommended annual effective dose limit, although the environmental impact due to waste storage and/or use should be considered based on case by case evaluation.     

我国城乡环保一体化的制度建构:理念、原则与路径

近年来,我国"城市环境趋向好转,农村环境不断恶化"这种城乡环境二元趋势的凸现,提出了城乡环保一体化的客观要求."城市中心主义"环境法制以及我国农民实质自由的严重匮乏是我国产生城乡环境二元趋势的根本原因.一些地方所采取的仅仅局限于环保领域的城乡环保一体化措施,并不能从根本上扭转城乡环境二元趋势.城乡环保一体化实践需要以更为全面的制度建构为基础.城乡环保一体化的制度建构应树立理性、人本、自由等基本理念,应坚持整体推进、科学建构、多元参与等基本原则.城乡环保一体化的制度建构路径,首先是消除对农民的各种制度性歧视,实现城乡居民的权利平等;其次,在推动地方民主与法治建设,推进司法体制改革、建立司法审查制度的基础上,健全与完善农民权利实现的保障机制,保证农民的各项权利最终成为"可实际行使"的权利.最后,还要建立适应农村环境保护要求的环境法制.     

三峡库区小江回水区二氧化碳分压的时空变化特征分析

2009年9月～2010年4月在三峡库区与小江交汇的回水区的典型段面测量了该区域水体表层水和水体内部两部分水体中的有关物理化学参数，并利用这些水化学特征值通过水化学平衡模型计算出该区域水体CO2的分压。得出该区域水体中的CO2分压在一定时空范围内的变化特征。并对该区域有关水质参数与CO2的分压进行了相关性分析，得出其相关系数。指出了水体CO2分压与水体碳循环的关系。通过对三峡库区小江流域这一典型回水区域水体的CO2分压的分析研究，可望为三峡库区及其它同类型区域水体的二氧化碳分压研究提供一个分析案例，也为今后进一步从事水库温室效应的研究提供参考     

火电燃料消费过程对资源环境的影响评估

我国以化石能源为主要燃料的火电生产导致了严重的资源枯竭和环境污染问题，定量评估火电燃料消费对资源环境的影响是区域可持续发展研究的重要内容。在估算火电燃料燃烧及运输、生产过程中排放的主要大气污染物的基础上，利用成分法计算相应的生态足迹，定量评估火电燃料消费过程对资源环境的影响。结果表明：我国1 kW〖DK〗·h火电的燃料消费过程中排放的CO2、CH4、NOx、SO2、烟尘分别为107 kg、993×10-3 kg、646×10-3 kg、260×10-3 kg、202×10-2 kg；全国火电燃料消费占用的生态足迹由2000年的50 67444万hm2，增加到2007年的123 84208万hm2，年均增长1362％；CO2和NOx的生态足迹平均比重高达836％，是影响资源环境的主要因子，SO2、烟尘与CH4三者合计仅164%，对资源环境的冲击相对较小     

Ambio’s legacy on monitoring,impact, and management of acid rain: This article belongs to Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Acidification

Early studies published in Ambio showed large-scale acidification of lakes in southern Sweden and Norway from acid rain. These studies were important for delimiting various scientific issues and thus for eventually contributing to legislation, which reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and helped to mitigate this major environmental problem. Long-term studies and monitoring in Sweden and Norway and at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire helped guide this legislation in Europe and in the USA.     

Hydromorphological and socio-cultural assessment of urban rivers to promote nature-based solutions in Jarabacoa,Dominican Republic

In Latin America and the Caribbean, river restoration projects are increasing, but many lack strategic planning and monitoring. We tested the applicability of a rapid visual social–ecological stream assessment method for restoration planning, complemented by a citizen survey on perceptions and uses of blue and green infrastructure. We applied the method at three urban streams in Jarabacoa (Dominican Republic) to identify and prioritize preferred areas for nature-based solutions. The method provides spatially explicit information for strategic river restoration planning, and its efficiency makes it suitable for use in data-poor contexts. It identifies well-preserved, moderately altered, and critically impaired areas regarding their hydromorphological and socio-cultural conditions, as well as demands on green and blue infrastructure. The transferability of the method can be improved by defining reference states for assessing the hydromorphology of tropical rivers, refining socio-cultural parameters to better address river services and widespread urban challenges, and balancing trade-offs between ecological and social restoration goals.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01565-3.     

1株异养硝化-好氧反硝化细菌DK1的分离鉴定及其脱氮特性

从某反应器活性污泥中分离筛选出1株假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas sp.)细菌,命名为DK1,并对该菌进行脱氮特性研究.在以葡萄糖为碳源,C/N量比为5时,分别以NaNO_3和NaNO_2为氮源,二者的好氧反硝化速率为4.09 mg·(L·h)-1和4.43mg·(L·h)~(-1).以二者同时为氮源脱氮率为100%;此外,菌株DK1具有异养硝化性能,NH_4~+-N平均去除速率为2.32mg·(L·h)-1.缺氧时以NO_2~--N为氮源菌株DK1可将一系列梯度浓度NO_2~--N(约100~300 mg·L-1)在36 h内降为0.当NO_3~--N和NO_2~--N同时存在时,菌株DK1会优先利用NO_3~--N进行反硝化.同时该菌株还具有同步硝化反硝化(SND)性能,可同时去除NH_4~+-N、NO_2~--N或NH_4~+-N、NO_3~--N,30 h内脱氮率分别达95.06%和94.69%.相同时间内在NH_4~+-N、NO_2~--N和NO_3~--N三者均存在时,脱氮效果最佳,达100%.菌株DK1的高效SND及反硝化性能表明其在处理含氮废水方面有一定的潜力和应用价值.     

流态对生物添加强化硝化效果的影响

在15℃、相同氮负荷和添加强度条件下运行SBR和CSTR以对比分析两种典型流态(推流式和完全混合式)对硝化菌添加强化硝化效果的影响.结果表明,添加期间,SBR中氨氧化速率(AUR)和亚硝酸盐氧化速率(NUR)分别为添加前的2.34和2.39倍,停止添加后又分别降为添加前的2.01和1.78倍;添加期间CSTR中AUR和NUR分别为添加前的2.63和2.44倍,停止添加后又分别降为添加前的1.48和1.31倍.荧光原位杂交结果显示,添加期间,SBR中氨氧化菌(AOB)和亚硝酸盐氧化菌(NOB)的个数百分比分别为添加前的2.67和2.71倍,添加停止后,又分别降至原来的2.14和1.95倍;CSTR中AOB和NOB分别为添加前的2.91和1.77倍,但在添加停止后CSTR中AOB和NOB分别降至添加前的1.25和1.50倍.因此,硝化菌添加期间,两种流态的添加效果接近,但是在添加停止后,由于流态对硝化菌中K-决策者(Nitrosospira、Nitrospira)和r-决策者(Nitrosomonas europaea、Nitrobacter)的选择作用,添加的硝化菌在完全混合式条件下比推流式条件下更容易被系统淘汰.     

AAO工艺低氧条件下的运行及其模拟

利用厌氧-缺氧-好氧(AAO)工艺探讨了在好氧池低溶解氧(DO)浓度条件下的水质指标变化情况.结果表明,当好氧池DO浓度从2.00 mg·L~(-1)降低到1.00 mg·L~(-1)和0.50 mg·L~(-1)时,系统仍然具有良好的除磷脱氮效果,出水水质指标均满足我国《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB 18918-2002)中的一级A标准.在此基础上,基于Bio Win 4.1软件建立了AAO工艺的活性污泥模型,对模型参数进行了灵敏度分析,并利用动态模拟对模型参数中的聚磷菌吸收乙酸或丙酸的聚羟基烷酸(PHA)产率系数(YP/PHA,seq)、聚磷菌好氧氧化PHA的储磷率(YP/PHA,aerobic)、氨氧化菌的最大单位生长速率(μmax,A)和亚硝酸盐氧化菌的最大单位生长速率(μmax,N)进行了校验.此外,对系统的曝气能耗进行了模拟评估,结果表明,与好氧池DO浓度为2.00 mg·L~(-1)时相比,好氧池DO浓度为1.00 mg·L~(-1)和0.50 mg·L~(-1)时的空气流量可分别节省23.8%和38.1%,氧转移效率可分别提高7.2%和11.7%.