Excretion of manure-borne estrogens and androgens and their potential risk estimation in the Yangtze River Basin

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China, and the river basin spans one fifth of the area of the whole country. Based on statistical data, the excretion of manure-borne steroid hormones, including steroid estrogens(SEs) and steroid androgens(SAs), in 10 provinces of China within the region has been estimated. The potential environmental and ecological risk of manure-borne steroid estrogens to the surface water in this region was also assessed. The manure-borne SE and SA excretions in the 10 provinces and municipalities vary in the order: Sichuan Hunan Hubei Yunnan Jiangsu Anhui Jiangxi Chongqing Qinghai Shanghai. The highest increase of manure-borne SEs(1434.3 kg)and SAs(408.5 kg) was found in Hunan and Hubei provinces, respectively, and the total excretion in 2013 was 65% more than 15 years earlier in these two provinces. However, the emissions in Anhui and Shanghai decreased in this 15 year period of time. Swine urine,chicken feces, cattle urine, and laying hen feces were considered the dominant sources of manure-borne E1, βE2, αE2, and SAs, respectively. Although Jiangsu province did not have the largest excretion of manure-borne SEs, it had the highest level of predicted17β-estradiol equivalency(EEQs) value of 16.65 ng/L in surface water because of the limited surface water resources. According to the lowest observable effect level of 10 ng/L for17β-estradiol, the manure-borne SEs in Jiangsu province might potentially pose ecological risk to its wild aquatic organisms.     

Activated carbon coated palygorskite as adsorbent by activation and its adsorption for methylene blue

An activation process for developing the surface and porous structure of palygorskite/carbon(PG/C) nanocomposite using ZnC l2 as activating agent was investigated. The obtained activated PG/C was characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis(BET) techniques. The effects of activation conditions were examined,including activation temperature and impregnation ratio. With increased temperature and impregnation ratio, the collapse of the palygorskite crystal structure was found to accelerate and the carbon coated on the surface underwent further carbonization. XRD and SEM data confirmed that the palygorskite structure was destroyed and the carbon structure was developed during activation. The presence of the characteristic absorption peaks of C_C and C–H vibrations in the FTIR spectra suggested the occurrence of aromatization. The BET surface area improved by more than 11-fold(1201 m2/g for activated PG/C vs. 106 m2/g for PG/C) after activation, and the material appeared to be mainly microporous. The maximum adsorption capacity of methylene blue onto the activated PG/C reached 351 mg/g. The activated PG/C demonstrated better compressive strength than activated carbon without palygorskite clay.     

Diurnal and spatial variations of soil NOx fluxes in the northern steppe of China

NO_x emissions from biogenic sources in soils play a significant role in the gaseous loss of soil nitrogen and consequent changes in tropospheric chemistry. In order to investigate the characteristics of NO_x fluxes and factors influencing these fluxes in degraded sandy grasslands in northern China, diurnal and spatial variations of NO_x fluxes were measured in situ. A dynamic flux chamber method was used at eight sites with various vegetation coverages and soil types in the northern steppe of China in the summer season of 2010. Fluxes of NO_x from soils with plant covers were generally higher than those in the corresponding bare vegetation-free soils, indicating that the canopy plays an important role in the exchange of NO_x between soil and air. The fluxes of NO_x increased in the daytime, and decreased during the nighttime, with peak emissions occurring between 12:00 and 14:00. The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the diurnal variation of NO_x fluxes was positively correlated with soil temperature (P < 0.05) and negatively with soil moisture content (P < 0.05). Based on measurement over a season, the overall variation in NO_x flux was lower than that of soil nitrogen contents, suggesting that the gaseous loss of N fromthe grasslands of northern China was not a significant contributor to the high C/N in the northern steppe of China. The concentration of NO_x emitted from soils in the region did not exceed the 1-hr National Ambient Air Quality Standard (0.25 mg/m³).     

Pollution levels and characteristics of phthalate esters in indoor air of offices

The pollution status and characteristics of PAEs(phthalate esters) were investigated in indoor air of offices, and PAEs of both gas-phase and particulate-phase were detected in all the samples. The concentration(sum of the gas phase and the particulate phase) was4748.24 ng/m3, ranging between 3070.09 and 6700.14 ng/m3. Diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were the most abundant compounds, together accounting for 70% of the ∑ 6PAEs. Dividing the particulate-phase PAEs into four size ranges( 2.5, 2.5–5, 5–10, 10 μm), the result indicated that PAEs in PM2.5were the most abundant,with the proportion of 72.64%. In addition, the PAE concentration in PM2.5correlated significantly with the total particulate-phase PAEs(R2= 0.85). Thus, the amount of PAEs in PM2.5can be estimated from the total amount of particulate-phase PAEs using this proportion. In a comparison between the offices and a newly decorated study room, it was found that pollution characteristics were similar between these two places. Thus, it is implied that the PAE concentration decreased by 50% 2 yr after decorating.     

A review of measurement methods for peracetic acid (PAA)

• Physical and chemical properties and application of peracetic acid solution. • Determination method of high concentration peracetic acid. • Determination method of residual peracetic acid (low concentration). Peroxyacetic acid has been widely used in food, medical, and synthetic chemical fields for the past several decades. Recently, peroxyacetic acid has gradually become an effective alternative disinfectant in wastewater disinfection and has strong redox capacity for removing micro-pollutants from drinking water. However, commercial peroxyacetic acid solutions are primarily multi-component mixtures of peroxyacetic acid, acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and water. During the process of water treatment, peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) often coexist, which limits further investigation on the properties of peroxyacetic acid. Therefore, analytical methods need to achieve a certain level of selectivity, particularly when peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide coexist. This review summarizes the measurement and detection methods of peroxyacetic acid, comparing the principle, adaptability, and relative merits of these methods.     

含锌废物综合利用项目环境影响评价工程探索

工业生产的废物当中包含多种重金属,例如钢铁厂的粉尘当中就含有锌。含锌粉尘不仅会在高炉内循环和富集,影响高炉的运行,还会造成环境污染。基于此,本文主要分析含锌废物综合利用,对该项目进行环境评价,探讨有效的对策,以提高含锌废物综合利用的科学性,提高环境保护等级。     

A novel sigma coordinate system to simulate abrupt changes of underwater terrain in a hydrodynamic model: application to Lake Mead,USA

The sigma (SIG) coordinate system in ocean circulation simulation models results inevitably in horizontal pressure gradient error. This problem also emerges in models of deep lakes or reservoirs with the same characteristics of underwater terrain mutation. SIG coordinates reflect vertical relative stratification but cannot be used to calculate horizontal pressure gradient force in places with drastic topographic changes; this results in vertical water temperature and circulation errors. In deep lakes or reservoirs, differences in water density caused by the temperature difference between upper and lower water bodies is the primary cause of thermal stratification phenomena. Lake Mead was used as a case study on steep topography based on Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) model in this study. SIG coordinates result in close agreement between the calibrated temperature time series at the top and middle water layers, but disparity in the bottom water layer. The error emerges in the horizontal pressure gradient error due to the SIG coordinate transformation. Neither increasing the vertical resolution nor adjusting the horizontal viscosity coefficient resolve this error. We test the sigma-zed (SGZ) coordinate which combines Z coordinate and SIG coordinate as a replacement for the SIG coordinate to find that they effectively reduce the model’s runtime and simulation efficiency. The vertical temperature distribution in SGZ coordinate mode is more accurate than the distribution in SIG coordinate mode. The Navier-Stokes horizontal gradient and advection diffusion equation results under SIG coordinates are very sensitive to the pressure gradient. The replacement also enhances resolution near the thermocline, facilitates reclosing of the water bottom and the equal sigma surface, lends significant advantages in terms of vertical temperature in the simulation for local deep water with steep terrain, and shortens runtime for 0.14 h. SGZ mixed coordinates are recommended in the simulation of deep lakes or reservoirs wherein the underwater topography is large (with abundant continuous deep trenches or reefs).

     

榆林市某园区兰炭企业存在问题及解决对策

兰炭是榆林市的重要产业之一,但由于兰炭"粗放"的生产方式,对区域环境产生一定影响。为推进兰炭绿色健康发展,本文针对榆林市某园区内兰炭企业进行调研,了解该企业存在的主要问题,并提出相关建议。     

挥发性油藏回注气井控因素分析及措施

文章明确了挥发性油藏天然气回注井控的安全环保关键因素;量化了低渗挥发性油藏天然气回注注入能力,确定注入端各节点安全生产压力分布,攻关相关配套工艺设备,实现安全有效注入;开展室内实验和PVT相态拟合,分析注天然气后天然气和原油性质变化规律,创新非混相驱组分数值模拟参数优化方法,开展带人工压裂裂缝的组分数值模拟,精准确定压力场分布,降低计量及监测不准带来的安全隐患;明确注气井气窜影响因素,优化注采参数,抑制油井气窜,降低生产风险,实现井控安全情况下的天然气驱环保高效开发。     

Soil labile and recalcitrant carbon and nitrogen dynamics in relation to functional vegetation groups along precipitation gradients in secondary grasslands of South China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Soil labile and recalcitrant carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are strongly controlled by plant inputs and climatic conditions. However, the interrelation...