Characterization of aluminium-based water treatment residual for potential phosphorus removal in engineered wetlands

Aluminium-based water treatment residual (Al-WTR) is the most widely generated residual from water treatment facilities worldwide. It is regarded as a by-product of no reuse potential and landfilled. This study assessed Al-WTR as potential phosphate-removing substrate in engineered wetlands. Results indicate specific surface area ranged from 28.0 m² g⁻¹ to 41.4 m² g⁻¹. X-ray Diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopes all indicate Al-WTR is mainly composed of amorphous aluminium which influences its phosphorus (P) adsorption capacity. The pH and electrical conductivity ranged from 5.9 to 6.0 and 0.104 dS m⁻¹ to 0.140 dS m⁻¹ respectively, showing that it should support plant growth. Batch tests showed adsorption maxima of 31.9 mg P g⁻¹ and significant P removal was achieved in column tests. Overall, results showed that Al-WTR can be used for P removal in engineered wetlands and it carries the benefits of reuse of a by-product that promotes sustainability.     

Echolocation call design and limits on prey size: a case study using the aerial-hawking bat Nyctalus leisleri

The echolocation calls used by Nyctalus leisleri during search phase in open air space are between 9 and 14 ms long, with the peak energy between 24 and 28 kHz. The pulses are shallowly frequency-modulated with or without an initial steep frequency-modulated component. The diet consists primarily of small flies (Diptera), including many chironomids (wingspan 9–12 mm) and yellow dung flies (Scatophaga; wingspan 24 mm), but also of some larger insects such as dung beetles (Coleoptera; Scarabaeoidea), caddis-flies (Trichoptera) and moths (Lepidoptera). The echo target strength of some prey items was measured. Contrary to models based on standard targets such as spheres or disks, the echo strength of real insects was found to be virtually independent of the emitted frequency within the 20–100 kHz frequency range. A model was used to calculate probable detection distances of the prey by the bat. Using narrow-band calls of 13.7 ± 2.7 ms duration, a bat would detect the two smallest size classes of insect at greatest range using calls of 20 kHz. The results may therefore explain why many species of large and medium sized aerial-hawking bats use low-frequency calls and still eat mostly relatively small insects. The data and model challenges the assumption that small prey are unavailable to bats using low-frequency calls.     

Residual risk for cytogenetic abnormalities after prenatal diagnosis by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)

Results from conventional cytogenetic studies on 21 609 amniotic fluid specimens were analyzed retrospectively to determine the residual risk for a cytogenetic abnormality if interphase FISH, capable of only detecting aneuploidy for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y, was performed and did not reveal an abnormality. Detection rates (the probability of detecting a cytogenetic abnormality when an abnormality is present) and residual risks (the likelihood of a cytogenetic abnormality, in view of normal interphase FISH results) were calculated for the four major clinical indications for prenatal diagnosis (advanced maternal age, abnormal maternal serum screen indicating increased risk for trisomy 18 or trisomy 21, abnormal maternal serum screen indicating increased risk for neural tube defects and ultrasound abnormality). Differences in detection rates were observed to depend on clinical indication and presence or absence of ultrasound abnormalities. The detection rate ranged from 18.2 to 82.6% depending on the clinical indication. The detection rates of abnormalities significant to the pregnancy being evaluated (i.e. abnormalities excluding familial balanced rearrangements and familial markers) were between 28.6 and 86.4%. The presence of ultrasound abnormalities increased the detection rate from 72.2 to 92.5% for advanced maternal age and from 78.6 to 91.3% for abnormal maternal serum screen, indicating increased risk for trisomy 18 or trisomy 21. With regard to residual risk, the risk for a clinically significant abnormality decreased from 0.9–10.1%, prior to the interphase FISH assay, to a residual risk of 0.6–1.5% following a normal interphase FISH result in the 4 groups studied. Providing patients with detection rates and residual risks, most relevant to their situation (clinical indication and presence or absence of ultrasound abnormality) during counseling, could help them better understand the advantages and limitations of interphase FISH in their prenatal diagnostic evaluation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Size distributions of aerosol and water-soluble ions in Nanjing during a crop residual burning event

To investigate the impact on urban air pollution by crop residual burning outside Nanjing, aerosol concentration, pollution gas concentration, mass concentration, and water-soluble ion size distribution were observed during one event of November 4-9, 2010. Results show that the size distribution of aerosol concentration is bimodal on pollution days and normal days, with peak values at 60-70 and 200-300 nm, respectively. Aerosol concentration is 10⁴ cm^-3. nm^-1 on pollution days. The peak value of spectrum distribution of aerosol concentration on pollution days is 1.5-3.3 times higher than that on a normal day. Crop residual burning has a great impact on the concentration of fine particles. Diurnal variation of aerosol concentration is trimodal on pollution days and normal days, with peak values at 03:00, 09:00 and 19:00 local standard time. The first peak is impacted by meteorological elements, while the second and third peaks are due to human activities, such as rush hour traffic. Crop residual burning has the greatest impact on SO₂ concentration, followed by NO₂, O₃ is hardly affected. The impact of crop residual burning on fine particles (< 2.1 μm) is larger than on coarse particles (> 2.1 μm), thus ion concentration in fine particles is higher than that in coarse particles. Crop residual burning leads to similar increase in all ion components, thus it has a small impact on the water-soluble ions order. Crop residual burning has a strong impact on the size distribution of K⁺, Cl^-, Na⁺, and F^- and has a weak impact on the size distributions of NH₄⁺, Ca²⁺, NO₃^- and SO₄^2-.     

Fractionation of residual Al in natural water treatment from reservoir with poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC): Effect of OH/Al, Si/Al molar ratios and initial pH

An aluminum fractionation study was conducted for a surface reservoir water treatment to understand the performance of poly-aluminum-silicate-chloride (PASiC) in terms of the residual Al fractions as a function of initial pH. The coagulation performance expressed as turbidity and organic matter removal was established as supporting data. Some extra data were evaluated in terms of the residual Al ratio of the composite PASiC coagulant. The main residual Al sources were the Al fractions derived from the use of PASiC. The turbidity and organic matter removal ability was optimal at initial pH 6.00-7.00, while the concentrations of various residual Al species and the residual Al ratio of PASiC were minimal at an initial pH range of 7.00-8.00. Under the conditions of OH/Al molar ratio = 2.00 and Si/Al molar ratio = 0.05, PASiC had superior coagulation performance and comparatively low residual Al concentrations. The Al fraction in the composite PASiC coagulant seldom remained under such conditions. Experimental data also indicated that the suspended (filterable) Al fraction was the dominant species, and organic-bound or organo-Al complex Al was considered to be the major species of dissolved Al in water treated by PASiC coagulation. Additionally, the dissolved inorganic monomeric Al species dominated the dissolved monomeric Al fraction.     

原水性质对新型含Ca2+复合混凝剂混凝过程的影响

为了提高水处理效率,保证出水水质,需要开发新型高效混凝剂.本实验采用经过Ca2+改性的混凝剂针对不同水样进行混凝实验,考察了浊度、有机物去除、余铝和形成絮体性质.结果表明在纯颗粒物体系中,PACl(聚合氯化铝)和Al Cl3中加入的Ca2+对于浊度去除率无明显影响,在低投加量下能够有效降低沉后水中余铝浓度,Al Cl3做混凝剂,投加量0.10mmol·L~(-1)时,沉后水余铝浓度从0.15 mg·L~(-1)降低到0.10 mg·L~(-1).在腐殖酸体系中,混凝剂中的钙离子可明显降低腐殖酸分子的负电荷,降低沉后水余铝浓度以及增大絮体粒径.对于腐殖酸与蛋白质体系,当投加量为0.16 mmol·L~(-1)时,使用含有Ca2+的PACl做混凝剂时,钙离子的存在使得平衡时絮体粒径增加了大约50μm,可明显改善絮体的沉降性.碱性条件(pH=8.5)下改性混凝剂沉后水中DOC浓度降低0.2~0.6 mg·L~(-1),余铝降低0.4~0.7 mg·L~(-1).酸性条件(pH=5.5)下改性混凝剂沉后水DOC、余铝浓度无明显变化.     

可见光驱动微生物光电化学池处理剩余污泥同步产氢

氢气是一种理想的清洁能源.太阳能驱动的微生物光电化学池(Microbial photoelectrochemical cell, MPEC)因可同时实现废物处理与自发产氢而受到人们的关注.本文以剩余污泥为底物,构建了一种由无定型硫化钼改性硅纳米线(MoS_3/SiNWs)光阴极和生物阳极组成的MPEC系统,研究了3组MPEC在不同的酸性阴极液pH和外加电压条件下的产氢及污泥减量效果.研究结果表明,MPEC在阴极液pH为1和3的条件下均能在无外加电压下自发产氢;pH=1的MPEC-1实验中平均产氢速率为(0.66±0.02) mL·h~(-1),约是pH=3的MPEC-2实验平均产氢速率的1.5倍,但阴极过酸的条件限制了其实际应用; pH为3、外加0.2 V电压的MPEC-3与MPEC-2相比,产氢周期由15 h增加到40 h,平均产氢速率由(0.44±0.05) mL·h~(-1)提高到(0.52±0.04) mL·h~(-1),污泥TCOD、SCOD、TSS、VSS的降解率分别可达53.96%、70.18%、38.21%和61.76%.可见本文构建的MPEC系统是一种有前景的利用太阳能进行废物处理和资源化的新技术.     

农业灌溉用水经济价值及其影响因素——基于剩余价值法和陕西关中地区农户调研数据

灌溉水经济价值是农业用水定价的重要基础。根据陕西关中地区农户调研数据,采用剩余价值法计算得到小麦、玉米和苹果灌溉水经济价值均值分别为0.66 元/m³、0.84 元/m³、3.17 元/m³。以该结果作为水价调整上限与现状水价比较,小麦和玉米的水价上调空间介于0.24~0.71元/m³,苹果的水价调整空间介于2.72~3.04 元/m³之间。使用分位数模型对影响因素的研究发现：（1）仅在灌溉水经济价值较低时,农户和家庭特征以及土地分散程度有显著影响;（2）在灌溉水经济价值较高时,增强农户节水意识以及加入用水者协会将能有效提升灌溉用水经济价值;（3）粮食转为经济作物、进行农业水价综合改革在所有分位点上均呈显著正向影响。本文可为研究区域农业用水分类定价及改善用水效率提供参考。     

圆环巴西试验的抗拉强度建议公式

目的改进Hobbs公式得到的计算值普遍较大这一问题,提出圆环巴西试验的抗拉强度建议公式。方法对巴西试验圆环的应力解进行分析,并引用砂岩的试验数据验证。结果得到圆环巴西试验的抗拉强度建议公式,使用Hobbs公式得到的抗拉强度σTT比巴西圆盘试验σT大6倍以上,利用建议公式得到的抗拉强度σθ与巴西圆盘试验σT十分接近,误差不到1%。结论当圆环内外径比ρ在0.05到0.15的范围内时,该建议公式可很好地用来计算岩石类等脆性材料的抗拉强度。     

海滨核电建造期可剥涂层的临时防护性能研究

目的 考察可剥涂层在海洋大气环境下的大型工程建造中的临时防护作用。方法 对来自两个厂家的可剥涂层进行了为期12周的耐候性试验,对可剥涂层在不锈钢及碳钢/环氧两种基底上的可剥离性、防护性和氟氯残留量进行了测试。结果 两个厂家的涂层在外观、耐蚀性、附着力等方面的试验结果没有明显差异,涂层的剥离强度均低于0.05 kN/m,涂层剥离后不锈钢表面的氟氯离子残留量远低于15 ?g/dm2,试验周期内环氧漆色差变化较小。结论 两个厂家的可剥涂层在光泽、硬度和剥离强度等测试方面的结果上存在差异,但对环氧漆均有着较好的防护作用,试验期内剥离性良好,且无有害化学元素残留,具有较高的工程应用价值。