Inorganic nitrogen removal of toilet wastewater with an airlift external circulation membrane bioreactor

Removal of inorganic nitrogen (inorganic-N) from toilet wastewater, using a pilot-scale airlift external circulation membrane bioreactor (AEC-MBR) was studied. The results showed that the use of AEC-MBR with limited addition of alkaline reagents and volumetric loading rates of inorganic-N of 0.19-0.40 kg inorganic-N/(m3·d) helped achieve the desired nitrification and denitrification. Furthermore, the effects of pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) on inorganic-N removal were examined. Under the condition of MLSS at 1.56-2.35 g/L, BOD5/ammonia nitrogen (NH/-N) at 1.0, pH at 7.0-7.5, and DO at 1.0-2.0 mg/L, the removal efficiencies of NH4 -N and inorganic-N were 91.5% and 70.0%, respectively, in the AEC-MBR. The cost of addition of alkaline reagent was approximately 0.5-1.5 RMB yuan/m3, and the energy consumption was approximately 0.72 kWh/m3 at the flux of 8 L/(m2·h).     

Topsoil organic carbon mineralization and CO2 evolution of three paddy soils from South China and the temperature dependence

Carbon mineralization and its response to climatic warming have been receiving global attention for the last decade. Although the virtual influence of temperature effect is still in great debate, little is known on the mineralization of organic carbon （SOC） of paddy soils of China under warming. SOC mineralization of three major types of China＇s paddy soils is studied through laboratory incubation for 114 d under soil moisture regime of 70% water holding capacity at 20℃ and 25℃ respectively. The carbon that mineralized as CO2 evolved was measured every day in the first 32 d and every two days in the following days. Carbon mineralized during the 114 d incubation ranged from 3.51 to 9.22 mg CO2-C/gC at 20℃ and from 4.24 to 11.35 mg CO2-C/gC at 25℃ respectively; and a mineralizable C pool in the range of 0.24 to 0.59 gC/kg, varying with different soils. The whole course of C mineralization in the 114 d incubation could be divided into three stages of varying rates, representing the three subpools of the total mineralizable C： very actively mineralized C at 1-23 d, actively tnineralized C at 24--74 d and a slowly mineralized pool with low and more or less stabilized C mineralization rate at 75-114 d. The calculated Q10 values ranged from 1.0 to 2.4, varying with the soil types and N status. Neither the total SOC pool nor the labile C pool could account for the total mineralization potential of the soils studied, despite a well correlation of labile C with the shortly and actively mineralized C, which were shown in sensitive response to soil warming. However, the portion of microbial C pool and the soil C/N ratio controlled the C mineralization and the temperature dependence. Therefore, C sequestration may not result in an increase of C mineralization proportionally. The relative control of C bioavailability and microbial metabolic activity on C mineralization with respect to stabilization of sequestered C in the paddy soils of China is to be further studied.     

Distribution characteristics of dissolved organic carbon in annular wetland soil-water solutions through soil profiles in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

Overwhelming evidence reveals that concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） have increased in streams which brings negative environmental impacts. DOC in stream flow is mainly originated from soil-water solutions of watershed. Wetlands prove to be the most sensitive areas as an important DOC reserve between terrestrial and fluvial biogeosystems. This reported study was focused on the distribution characteristics and the controlling factors of DOC in soil-water solutions of annular wetland, i.e., a dishing wetland and a forest wetland together, in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results indicate that DOC concentrations in soilwater solutions decreased and then increased with increasing soil depth in the annular wetland. In the upper soil layers of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, DOC concentrations in soil-water solutions linearly increased from edge to center of the annular wetland （R^2 = 0.3122 and R^2 = 0.443）. The distribution variations were intimately linked to DOC production and utilization and DOC transport processes in annular wetland soil-water solutions. The concentrations of total organic carbon （TOC）, total carbon （TC） and Fe（II）, DOC mobility and continuous vertical and lateral flow affectext the distribution variations of DOC in soil-water solutions. The correlation coefficients between DOC concentrations and TOC, TC and Fe（II） were 0.974, 0.813 and 0.753 respectively. These distribution characteristics suggested a systematic response of the distribution variations of DOC in annular wetland soil-water solutions to the geometry of closed depressions on a scale of small catchments. However, the DOC in soil pore water of the annular wetland may be the potential source of DOC to stream flow on watershed scale. These observations also implied the fragmentation of wetland landscape could bring the spatial-temporal variations of DOC distribution and exports, which would bring negative environmental impacts in watersheds of the Sanjiang Plain.     

LCA of eucalyptus wood charcoal briquettes

This paper sets out to describe the environmental impact assessment for wood charcoal briquettes produced from eucalyptus wood in Brazil, with specific reference to those impacts associated with Global Warming Potential. To achieve that objective, the work was undertaken in accordance with ISO 14040 "Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework" which describes essential LCA characteristics and good practices. Charcoal briquettes are produced from two basic raw materials, charcoal fines and starch. The fines result from the production of charcoal from sustainably managed eucalyptus plantations. Starch is extracted from babaçu pulp in the Amazon region. Multi-output processes were allocated based on income from the different by-products. The results showed that more than 90% of incoming CO₂ was due to biomass production for charcoal, and the remainder to starch biomass production. Based on Brazilian data, as well as information provided by the GaBi4.3 database, it turned out that supplying the energy content of 1 kg of briquettes resulted in the sequestration of 3.9690 kg of CO₂, i.e. around 4 kg of CO₂ per kg of briquettes produced. CO₂ emissions throughout the briquette production process are totally compensated for by the environmental quality of the raw materials used.     

基于PPI的河段水体潜在污染研究

提出了一种预报河段水体潜在污染的方法——河段潜在污染指数法(riversection potential pollution index,R-PPI),并在北京市山区3个典型小流域进行应用.河流水体污染是我国目前最为突出的水环境问题,在治理工作开展前需要确定重点污染河段、区域和污染源,而基于河流水质监测的水质评价方法难以确定重点污染源.因此引入了潜在非点源污染指数(potential non-point pollution index,PNPI)法,进行了土地利用类型扩展、土地利用分类比对和土壤渗透性分级3个方面改进,得到潜在污染指数(potential pollution index,PPI),并在此基础上建立了河段潜在污染指数法.通过在3个小流域的应用研究可知,该方法具有所需监测资料少、操作简单、便于确定重点污染源、综合性强等特点,可为流域污染治理提供科学指导.     

无砾石微孔管地下渗滤系统试验研究

针对传统无砾石管式地下渗滤系统存在的处理性能差,渗滤通量低两个问题,通过去掉包裹织物,提高渗滤管开孔率、改变开孔方式,设计了无砾石微孔管地下渗滤系统。通过实验研究表明,无砾石微孔管地下渗滤系统对COD、氨氮的去除率比传统管式系统分别提高了10.8%、12.7%,总磷去除率并无显著差异,ORP值提高约85 mV,渗滤通量提高26.8%。在3.3 cm/d的水力负荷下,无砾石微孔管地下渗滤系统出水COD、氨氮、总磷平均浓度分别为19 mg/L,0.62 mg/L,0.048 mg/L。渗滤管下10 cm的土壤层去除了约70%的COD,80%的氨氮和91%的总磷,向下随着土壤深度的增加,单位厚度的土壤层去除的污染物量呈显著下降趋势。     

广州大气挥发性有机物的臭氧生成潜势及来源研究

2008年秋季在广州城区及其下风向沿海乡村地区采用活性炭吸附管采集大气挥发性有机化合物(VOC),应用二次热解吸-GC/MS联用技术测量56种VOC的大气浓度,研究在典型海陆风条件下VOC的组成特征和日变化规律,并采用臭氧最大增量及OH自由基反应活性两种方法估算了该地区各VOC的臭氧生成潜力,探讨了VOC优先控制物种及...     

三峡库区(重庆-宜昌段)沉积物中钒的污染特征及生态风险评价

为全面了解三峡库区(重庆—宜昌段)干支流沉积物中钒的含量水平、空间分布、赋存形态、污染程度,在三峡库区采集水体沉积物样品67个,测定了沉积物中钒的含量及其化学赋存形态,并采用地积累指数法和潜在生态危害指数法进行分析和评价.结果表明:1三峡库区研究区范围内沉积物中钒的含量范围为89.4~175.2 mg·kg-1,平均值为123.7 mg·kg-1,略高于长江沉积物背景值;2库区沉积物中钒的空间分布特征主要呈现库区干流含量大于支流,干流下游沉积物中钒含量高于上游;3沉积物中钒含量的极值点出现在较发达县(区)附近,考虑其来源可能是人为源汇入;4库区沉积物中钒的赋存形态主要以残渣态为主,所占质量分数为80%~89%,并与总量呈现显著正相关关系;5沉积物中钒污染程度较小,潜在环境危害影响较弱.     

Carbonyl emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicle exhaust in China and the contribution to ozone formation potential

Fifteen heavy-duty diesel vehicles were tested on chassis dynamometer by using typical heavy duty driving cycle and fuel economy cycle. The air from the exhaust was sampled by 2,4- dinitrophenyhydrazine cartridge and 23 carbonyl compounds were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. The average emission factor of carbonyls was 97.2 mg/km, higher than that of light-duty diesel vehicles and gasoline-powered vehicles. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone and propionaidehyde were the species with the highest emission factors. Main influencing factors for carbonyl emissions were vehicle type, average speed and regulated emission standard, and the impact of vehicle loading was not evident in this study. National emission of carbonyls from diesel vehicles exhaust was calculated for China, 2011, based on both vehicle miles traveled and fuel consumption. Carbonyl emission of diesel vehicle was estimated to be 45.8 Gg, and was comparable to gasolinepowered vehicles （58.4 Gg）. The emissions of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone were 12.6, 6.9, 3.8 Gg, respectively. The ozone formation potential of carbonyls from diesel vehicles exhaust was 537 mg O3/km, higher than 497 mg O3/km of none-methane hydrocarbons emitted from diesel vehicles.     

Effect of a high strength chemical industry wastewater on microbial community dynamics and mesophilic methane generation

A high strength chemical industry wastewater was assessed for its impact on anaerobic microbial com- munity dynamics and consequently mesophilic methane generation. Cumulative methane production was 251 mL/g total chemical oxygen demand removed at standard temperature and pressure at the end of 30 days experimental period with a highest recorded methane percentage of 80.6% of total biogas volume. Volatile fatty acids （VFAs） analysis revealed that acetic acid was the major intermediate VFAs produced with propionic acid accumulating over the experimental period. Quantitative analysis of microbial communities in the test and control groups with quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction highlighted that in the test group, Eubacteria （96.3%） was dominant in comparison with methanogens （3.7%）. The latter were dominated by Methanomicrobiales and Methanobacteriales while in test groups increased over the experimental period, reaching a maximum on day 30. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile was performed, targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Eubacteria and Archaea, with the DNA samples extracted at 3 different time points from the test groups. A phylogenetic tree was constructed for the sequences using the neighborhood joining method. The analysis revealed that the presence of organisms resembling Syntrophomonadaceae could have contributed to increased production of acetic and propionic acid intermediates while decrease of organisms resembling Pelotomaculum sp. could have most likely contributed to accumulation of propionic acid. This study suggested that the degradation of organic components within the high strength industrial wastewater is closely linked with the activity of certain niche microbial communities within eubacteria and methanogens.