Attenuation of lead leachability in shooting range soils using poultry waste amendments in combination with indigenous plant species

Chemical immobilization technology utilizing poultry waste (PW) along with a native plant (Panicum maximum Jacq.) application was assessed for the attenuation of downward Pb dissolution and modification of Pb speciation in solid and liquid phases in the soil. A large column study with and without plant and PW applications was conducted using a Pb contaminated soil collected from a shooting range area. The PW application reduced water-extractable Pb by about 43% of that of the treatment without the PW and plant applications (Control). The cumulative Pb amount in column leachates over 100d was increased by the PW amendment (0.32mg) compared to Control (0.27mg), but was reduced to 0.23mg by the combined use of plant and PW amendment. Sequential extraction analysis revealed that the Pb fractions of PW-amended soils were shifted to less soluble phases as indicated by an increased residual fraction (20%) and decreased exchangeable and carbonate fractions (22%) than those in the Control soil. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations demonstrated that predicted Pb(2+) activity was saturated with respect to cerussite in the Control soil and was supersaturated with respect to chloropyromorphite in the PW-amended soils. Our results suggest that the use of plant in combination with PW as a Pb immobilizing amendment attenuated downward Pb leaching and altered Pb species to more geochemically stable phases.     

Characterization of photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cell with a novel ruthenium complex having a bisdemethoxycurcumin as a ligand

The first example of a ruthenium sensitizer (TUS-22) having a natural dye, bisdemethoxycurcumin, as a ligand has been synthesized. The dye-sensitized solar cell based on this novel dye showed 5.8% conversion efficiency under AM 1.5 (100 mW/cm(2)) irradiation.     

Study of the Determination of the Ultimate Aerobic Biodegradability of Plastic Materials Under Controlled Composting Conditions

Several ISO standards for determining the ultimate aerobic/anaerobic biodegradability of plastic materials have been published. In particular, ISO 14855-1 is a common test method that measures evolved carbon dioxide using such methods as continuous infrared analysis, gas chromatography or titration and others (ISO 14855-1(2005.9)). This method is a small-scale test for determining the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials, where the amounts of compost inoculum and test sample in one tenth comparing with that of ISO 14855-1. This method is well versed in ISO/DIS 14855-2 which the carbon dioxide evolved from test vessel is determined by gravimetric analysis of carbon dioxide absorbent. The focus of this study is to elucidate statistically the results of round robin test by seven countries used MODA, which were various deviations among the experiments.     

滇池和洱海湖滨带水生植被状况与水质的关系研究

在滇池和洱海的湖滨带各设置了6个具有不同水生植被状况的采样点,于2010年8月-2011年5月对水温、pH、ORP、电导率、营养盐(总氮和总磷)、叶绿素a及3种DNA病毒等水质指标进行了现场或采样分析。结果表明,两湖泊中营养盐含量高的湖滨带(滇池草海和洱海沙坪湾),由于水生植物覆盖度高,湖水保持了叶绿素a含量低的状态。对洱海湖滨带的水质分析结果表明,洱海水质有较明显的季节性变化。分析表明,与水温相比,营养盐浓度可能是影响藻类生物量的更重要的因素。3种DNA病毒检测结果初步表明,水生植物不仅能控藻,而且对病毒也有抑制作用。     

Online measurements of low-volatile organic chlorine for dioxin monitoring at municipal waste incinerators

In this study, an automatic sampling device and an analysis device have been developed for the measurement of low-volatile organic chlorine (LVOCl) in flue gas. The concentrations of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls) have been estimated by online measurements of LVOCl at a municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) using these devices. The LVOCl concentration at the outlet of the selective catalyst reactor (SCR) of the MSWI increased momentarily up to 95 μg Cl m⁻³ during the startup period of the MSWI; subsequently, it gradually decreased to less than 1.0 μg Cl m⁻³ after 50 h from the start of waste feeding. The concentration of toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ)-Dioxins at the SCR outlet had a linear positive relationship with the LVOCl concentrations. Moreover, the level of TEQ-Dioxins concentration can be estimated by using this relationship with LVOCl. From our results, since the LVOCl concentrations in a flue gas can thus be automatically analyzed every hour by online measurements, the operators of an MSWI would be able to monitor approximate TEQ-Dioxin emissions on a daily basis.     

Simplified life cycle sustainability assessment of mangrove management: a case of plantation on wastelands in Thailand

Sustainable mangrove management needs to consider trade-offs between multiple benefits provided by mangrove ecosystems and to balance the conflicting objectives of various stakeholders. The aim of the present study is to assess the sustainability of mangrove management based on the life cycle approach. We examine two mangrove management systems in Thailand, namely, the strict preservation and charcoal production systems. The results show that the strict preservation system has an advantage over the charcoal production system from the environmental perspective (the net amount of CO₂ absorbed by mangroves) while the charcoal production is a more favorable system than strict preservation from the social perspective (the amount of employment created in local communities). On the other hand, it is difficult to say that both systems are sustainable from an economic aspect. The charcoal production system needs to develop improved management regimes for commercial charcoal production and requires financial assistance in the period when its net cash flows are negative. As solutions for these problems, the introduction of community forest management and the utilization of a fund for REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Developing Countries) can be proposed.     

A new index for evaluation of cadmium pollution in birds and mammals

The degree of cadmium (Cd) contamination in wildlife is often used as an indicator in the environmental monitoring of Cd poisoning. However, previous studies have not clarified the correlation between levels in wildlife and levels in the environment by comparing levels among different species of animals; therefore, assessing the level of pollution in this manner is not considered a reliably accurate indicator of levels in the environment. The aim of this study was to establish a new indicator for the non-polluted warm-blooded animals, one that is not species-dependent, which will facilitate using different species for Cd monitoring. First, the previous publications regarding Cd contents in wildlife, 27 reports in which Cd contents were represented as arithmetic means and described for both kidney and liver were selected. A regression line (CSRL) between Cd contents of kidney and that of liver was obtained in a high correlation coefficient (R ² = 0.943, P < 0.01). The mean values from land and waterfowl, terrestrial mammals, seabirds, marine mammals, and non-polluted humans were located on the line and aligned in order. CSRL might allow an accurate determination of whether an animal is polluted by Cd. CSRL was confirmed using well-established and widely recognized pollution models such as Itai-itai patients and Cd-exposed experimental animals. The Cd contents from these models were located in different positions relative to CSRL depending on the level of contamination. Thus, this new indicator determining the Cd-pollution status of animals would be useful for environmental monitoring.     

Effects of chemical composition of fly ash on efficiency of metal separation in ash-melting of municipal solid waste

In the process of metal separation by ash-melting, Fe and Cu in the incineration residue remain in the melting furnace as molten metal, whereas Pb and Zn in the residue are volatilized. This study investigated the effects of the chemical composition of incineration fly ash on the metal-separation efficiency of the ash-melting process. Incineration fly ash with different chemical compositions was melted with bottom ash in a lab-scale reactor, and the efficiency with which Pb and Zn were volatilized preventing the volatilization of Fe and Cu was evaluated. In addition, the behavior of these metals was simulated by thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Depending on the exhaust gas treatment system used in the incinerator, the relationships among Na, K, and Cl concentrations in the incineration fly ash differed, which affected the efficiency of the metal separation. The amounts of Fe and Cu volatilized decreased by the decrease in the molar ratio of Cl to Na and K in the ash, promoting metal separation. The thermodynamic simulation predicted that the chlorination volatilization of Fe and Cu was prevented by the decrease in the molar ratio, as mentioned before. By melting incineration fly ash with the low molar ratio in a non-oxidative atmosphere, most of the Pb and Zn in the ash were volatilized leaving behind Fe and Cu.     

Cadmium Contamination in Wild Birds as an Indicator of Environmental Pollution

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that has serioustoxicity in humans and animals and causes Itai-Itai disease.However, there is little available information on itscontamination in wildlife as an indicator of environmentalpollution. The Cd contents in the kidney and liver of 85 wildbirds from 9 different prefectures in Japan were investigated.The ranges of the Cd contents in the kidney and liver in allbirds were ND-174.4 and ND-21.2 g g^-1 dry wt.,respectively. The mean Cd contents were higher in theoil-contaminated birds than those in the non-contaminated ones.Furthermore, a strong correlation was obtained only between theCd contents in the kidney and those in the liver of theoil-contaminated seabirds and not in the other non-contaminatedones. These results suggest that wild birds reflect the levelof environmental contamination which should be monitored.