Evaluating the e ects of granular and membrane filtrations on chlorine demand in drinking water

In this study, chlorine decay experiments were conducted for the raw water from Nakdong River that is treated by Chilseo Water Treatment Plant (CWTP) situated in Haman, Korea as well as the e uents from sand and granular activated carbon (GAC) filters of CWTP and fitted using a chlorine decay model. The model estimated the fast and slow reacting nitrogenous as well as organic/inorganic compounds that were present in the water. It was found that the chlorine demand due to fast and slow reacting (FRA and SRA) organic/inorganic substances was not reduced significantly by sand as well as GAC filters. However, the treated e uents from those filters contained FRA and SRA that are less reactive and had small reaction rate constants. For the e uents from microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration the chlorine demand because FRA and SRA were further reduced but the reaction rate constants were larger compared to those of sand and GAC filter e uents. This has implications in the formation of disinfection by products (DBPs). If DBPs are assumed to form due to the interactions between chlorine and SRA, then it is possible that the DBP formation potential in the e uents from membrane filtrations could be higher than that in the e uents from granular media filters.     

“绿色革命”能够解决粮食危机吗？

粮食需求不断增加,农业生产却无法跟上它的脚步。2008年出现的粮食价格暴涨,在世界各地都相继引发粮食危机甚至是暴动。在这种背景下,世界是否会出现新一轮农业“绿色革命”呢？     

三峡库区水华优势藻类生长动力学的普适性研究

从蓝绿藻中选取绿藻门的普通小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris,CV藻)为研究对象,应用Monod方程考察氮、磷营养盐对CV藻生长的影响,分别计算出CV藻对TP、TN的半饱和常数KSP和KSN结果表明KSN>>KSP,说明TP对CV藻生长的影响明显大于TN.CV藻生长速率对磷质量浓度反应很灵敏:与空白值相比,在0.002 mg·L-1的低浓度下u就有提高,而浓度到0.2 mg.L-1时,u明显增大;但在0.000-0.050 mg·L-1氮浓度范围内u几乎没有变化.通过系统比较CV藻与优势蓝绿藻,甚至海水藻的生长动力学特征,探讨了CV藻与其它蓝绿藻的动力学普适性和共同性,证实这些藻类都具有非常类似的生长动力学和生态学特征.因此,推测CV藻生长动力学模型可以从整体上反映和代表库区优势蓝绿藻的生长行为.同时分析和归纳了蓝绿藻生长模型的相似性和规律性,得出三峡库区优势藻类生长行为存在普遍一致性的初步结论.     

Efficiency of white lupin in the removal of mercury from contaminated soils： Soil and hydroponic experiments

This study examined the ability of the white lupin to remove mercury (Hg) from a hydroponic system (Hg concentrations 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 μmol/L) and from soil in pots and lysimeters (total Hg concentration (19.2 ± 1.9) mg/kg availability 0.07%, and (28.9 ± 0.4) mg/kg availability 0.09%, respectively), and investigated the accumulation and distribution of Hg in different parts of the plant. White lupin roots efficiently took up Hg, but its translocation to the harvestable parts of the plant was low. The Hg concentration in the seeds posed no risk to human health according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, but the shoots should not be used as fodder for livestock, at least when unmixed with other fodder crops. The accumulation of Hg in the hydroponically-grown plants was linear over the concentration range tested. The amount of Hg retained in the roots, relative to the shoots, was almost constant irrespective of Hg dose (90%). In the soil experiments, Hg accumulation increased with exposure time and was the greater in the lysimeter than in the pot experiments. Although Hg removal was the greater in the hydroponic system, revealing the potential of the white lupin to extract Hg, bioaccumulation was the greatest in the lysimeter-grown plants; the latter system more likely reflects the true behaviour of white lupin in the field when Hg availability is a factor that limits Hg removal. The present results suggest that the white lupin could be used in long-term soil reclamation strategies that include the goal of profitable land use in Hg-polluted areas.     

Modelling sulphate-enhanced cadmium uptake by Zea mays from nutrient solution under conditions of constant free Cd2+ ion activity

A controlled hydroponic experiment was undertaken to investigate Cd uptake in relation to the activity of Cd species in solution other than the free ion (Cd²⁺) by maintaining a constant Cd²⁺ activity under variable SO₄₂⁻ and Cl⁻ concentrations exposed to maize (Zea mays var. Cameron) plants. The objectives of these experiments were: (1) to distinguish and quantify the different uptake rates of free and inorganic-complexed Cd from nutrient solution, and (2) to model the uptake of Cd by maize with a Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) in a system which facilitates the close examination of root characteristics. Results of the current experiments suggest that, in addition to the free ion, CdSO₄⁰ complexes are important factors in determining Cd uptake in nutrient solution by maize plants. Higher nominal SO₄²⁻ concentrations in solution generally resulted in a greater Cd accumulation by maize plants than predicted by the Cd²⁺ activity. A better integration of the complete dataset for the 3 harvest times (6, 9 and 11 days after treatment) was achieved by including consideration of both the duration of Cd exposure and especially the root surface area to express Cd uptake. Similarly, the fit of the BLM was also improved when taking into account exposure time and expressing uptake in terms of root morphological parameters.     

Modeling the e ects of constructed wetland on nonpoint source pollution control and reservoir water quality improvement

This article describes the integrated modeling approach for planning the size and the operation of constructed wetlands for maximizing retention of nonpoint source pollutant loads and reservoir water-quality improvement at a catchment scale. The experimental field-scale wetland systems (four sets, 0.88 ha each) have been in operation since 2002, where water depth was maintained at 30–50 cm and hydraulic loading rate was at 6.3–18.8 cm/day. The wetland system was found to be adequate for treating polluted stream water with stable removal e ciency even during the winter. The integrated modeling system (modified-BASINS) was applied to the Seokmoon estuarine reservoir watershed and calibrated with monitoring data from constructed wetland, stream, and reservoir. The calibrated integrated modeling system estimated that constructing wetlands on 0.5% (about 114 ha) of the watershed area at the mouth of reservoir could reduce 11.61% and 13.49% of total external nitrogen and phosphorus loads, respectively. It also might improve the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of the reservoir by 9.69% and 16.48%, respectively. The study suggested that about 0.1%–1.0% of the watershed area should be allocated for constructed wetland to meet specified water-quality standards for the estuarine reservoir at the polder area where land use planning is relatively less complicated.     

Enhanced and irreversible sorption of pesticide pyrimethanil by soil amended with biochars

Biochar derived from partial combustion of vegetation is ubiquitous and potentially effective in sequestration of environmental contaminants.Biochars were prepared by burning of red gum(Eucalyptus spp.) woodchips at 450 and 850°C(labeled as BC450 and BC850).These two biochars were found to possess markedly different properties in terms of surface area and porosity.Short-term equilibration tests(24 hr) were conducted to assess the sorption-desorption behavior of pyrimethanil in the soil amended with various amounts of biochar of each type,with a special focus on the desorption behavior of the sorbed pesticide through four times successive desorption by dilution.Sorption coefficient and isotherm nonlinearity of the amended soils progressively increased with the content of biochar in the soil.Biochar BC850 with higher surface area and microporosity showed a stronger effect on the reversibility of sorption pesticide.The soils amended with 5% BC450 and 1% BC850 had nearly the same sorption capacity for pyrimethanil;however,their desorption processes were very different with 13.65% and 1.49% of the sorbed pesticide being released,respectively.This study suggested that biochar in soil could be an important factor for immobilization of a pesticide and thus affecting its environment fate in soil.     

Characteristics of contaminants in water and sediment of a constructed wetland treating piggery wastewater e uent

Constructed wetland (CW) is the preferred means of controlling water quality because of its natural treatment mechanisms and function as a secondary or tertiary treatment unit. CW is increasingly applied in Korea for secondary e uent of livestock wastewater treatment. This study was conducted to recognize the characteristics of contaminants in the accumulated sediment at the bottom soil layer and to reduce the phosphorus release from sediments of the free water surface CW for the treatment of secondary piggery wastewater e uent from a livestock wastewater treatment facility. The results revealed that the dominant phosphorus existence types at near the inlet of the CW were non-apatite phosphorus (59%) and residual phosphorus (32%) suggesting that most of the particles of the influent are made up of inorganic materials and dead cells. Sediment accumulation is important when determining the long-term maintenance requirements over the lifetime of CW. Continuous monitoring will be performed for a further assessment of the CW system and design.     

Releases of phosphate fertilizer industry in the surrounding environment: Investigation on heavy metals and polonium-210 in soil

Distribution of Cu,Zn,Pb,Cr,Ni,Mn concentrations and the activity of polonium-210 in the surrounding area of a phosphate fertilizer industry located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea has been determined.Nineteen sampling sites were distributed around the industrial zone on a surface area of about 100,000 m2.Atomic absorption spectroscopy and Alpha spectroscopy were used to quantify the heavy elements and polonium-210,respectively.Investigation on a particle scale was conducted by TEM and SEM coupled to EDX and X-ray cartography to determine the nature of heavy elements carriers and their distribution.Heavy elements were mainly concentrated inside the particle size fraction 50 μm.Their levels decreased with distance increasing from the industry.According to the reference soil,enrichment factors were about 10,15,32 and 100 times for Zn,Pb,Cu,and Cr,respectively inside the particle size fraction 50 μm on the closest sites to the industry.The main contaminant sources were transport and storage of row materials and the free release of phosphogypsum waste.Heavy elements were entrapped inside agglomerates of sulfates,phosphates and iron oxihydroxides in a di used shape.Polonium-210 with an enrichment factor of about 56,showed the same behavior of the spatial distribution of the trace elements.     

Heavy metal phytoextraction by Sedum alfredii is affected by continual clipping and phosphorus fertilization amendment

Improving the efficacy of phytoextraction is critical for its successful application in metal contaminated soils. Mineral nutrition affects plant growth and metal absorption and subsequently the accumulation of heavy metal through hyper-accumulator plants. This study assessed the effects of di-hydrogen phosphates (KH₂PO₄, Ca(H₂PO₄)₂, NaH₂PO₄ and NH₄H₂PO₄) application at three levels (22, 88 and 352 mg P/kg soil) on Sedum alfredii growth and metal uptake by three consecutive harvests on aged and Zn/Cd combined contaminated paddy soil. The addition of phosphates (P) significantly increased the amount of Zn taken up by S. alfredii due to increased shoot Zn concentration and dry matter yield (DMY) (P<0.05). The highest phytoextraction of Zn and Cd was observed in KH₂PO₄ and NH₄H₂PO₄ treatment at 352 mg P/kg soil. The amount of Zn removed by phytoextraction increased in the order of 1st clipping<2nd clipping<3rd clipping, and for Cd extraction the order was 2nd clipping<1st clipping<3rd clipping. These results indicate that the application of P fertilizers coupled with multiple cuttings can enhance the removal of Zn and Cd from contaminated soils by S. alfredii, thus shortening the time needed for accomplishing remediation goals.