Changes in nitrogen budget and potential risk to the environment over 20 years(1990–2010) in the agroecosystems of the Haihe Basin,China

The nitrogen balance can serve as an indicator of the risk to the environment of nitrogen loss from agricultural land. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural nitrogen application and its potential threat to the environment of the Haihe Basin in China, we used a database of county-level agricultural statistics to calculate agricultural nitrogen input, output,surplus intensity, and use efficiency. Chemical fertilizer nitrogen input increased by 51.7% from1990 to 2000 and by 37.2% from 2000 to 2010, concomitant with increasing crop yields.Simultaneously, the nitrogen surplus intensity increased by 53.5% from 1990 to 2000 and by16.5% from 2000 to 2010, presenting a continuously increased environmental risk. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased from 0.46 in 1990 to 0.42 in 2000 and remained constant at 0.42 in 2010,partly due to fertilizer composition and type improvement. This level indicates that more than half of nitrogen inputs are lost in agroecosystems. Our results suggest that although the improvement in fertilizer composition and types has partially offset the decrease in nitrogen use efficiency, the environmental risk has still increased gradually over the past 20 years, along with the increase in crop yields and nitrogen application. It is important to achieve a better nitrogen balance through more effective management to significantly reduce the environmental risk,decrease nitrogen surplus intensity, and increase nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing crop yields.     

罗布泊“大耳朵”地区沉积物重金属含量及空间分布特征

以罗布泊"大耳朵"地区为研究区域,利用石墨炉原子吸收分光光度计(GF-990)和火焰原子吸收分光光度计(AAS-990)分析测试了沉积物中Pb、Cu、Ni和Mn元素的总量,并测定了沉积物中有机质的含量,运用SPSS软件分析了各重金属总量与有机质之间的相互关系。结果表明:罗布泊"大耳朵"地区盐壳层沉积物中Pb含量的变化范围在2.57~58.63 mg/kg,Cu含量的变化范围在6.33~39.65 mg/kg,Ni含量的变化范围在5.55~46.33 mg/kg,Mn含量的变化范围在46.33~1474.60 mg/kg;除Pb的垂直分布随着深度的增加其含量减少并趋于稳定外,重金属Cu、Ni和Mn的总量在各剖面垂直方向上大部分呈波折多峰行分布,分布趋势差异较大;重金属Pb、Cu、Ni和Mn与有机质都存在显著相关性。     

钦杭结合带加里东期榴闪岩超高压变质作用研究

对钦杭结合带首次发现的加里东期榴闪岩进行了详细的年代学、矿物学和变质作用研究。结果表明,榴闪岩的变质时代为454±4Ma,经历了早期角闪岩相进变质、中期榴辉岩相峰期变质和晚期角闪岩相退变质三个阶段,具顺时针P-T-t轨迹。早期角闪岩相进变质作用阶段的矿物共生组合为角闪石+斜长石+石英,温压条件分别为719℃~795℃和7.56Kpa~8.30Kpa;中期榴辉岩相峰期变质作用阶段的矿物共生组合为石榴子石+绿辉石(后期退变为透辉石+钠长石)±石英,温压条件分别为668℃~821℃和26.42Kpa~33.46Kpa;晚期角闪岩相退变质作用阶段的矿物共生组合为石榴子石+角闪岩+斜长石±石英(即榴闪岩),相应的温压条件分别为611℃~854℃和4.76Kpa~9.30Kpa。结合前人资料推断,区域内加里东期可能经历了榴辉岩相超高压变质→高温麻粒岩相退变质→角闪岩相退变质的演化过程。钦杭结合带首次厘定出加里东期超高压变质作用,表明华夏和扬子两大陆块碰撞拼合发生在加里东期。     

Flower-, wire-, and sheet-like MnO2-deposited diatomites: Highly efficient absorbents for the removal of Cr(VI)

Flower-, wire-, and sheet-like MnO₂-deposited diatomites have been prepared using a hydrothermal method with Mn(Ac)₂, KMnO₄ and/or MnSO₄ as Mn source and diatomite as support. Physical properties of the materials were characterized by means of numerous analytical techniques, and their behaviors in the adsorption of chromium(VI) were evaluated. It is shown that the MnO₂-deposited diatomite samples with different morphologies possessed high surface areas and abundant surface hydroxyl groups (especially the wire-like MnO₂/diatomite sample). The wire-like MnO₂/diatomite sample showed the best performance in the removal of Cr(VI), giving the maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of 101 mg/g.     

Flower-, wire-, and sheet-like MnO2-deposited diatomites: Highly efficient absorbents for the removal of Cr(VI)

Flower-, wire-, and sheet-like MnO₂-deposited diatomites have been prepared using a hydrothermal method with Mn(Ac)₂, KMnO₄ and/or MnSO₄ as Mn source and diatomite as support. Physical properties of the materials were characterized by means of numerous analytical techniques, and their behaviors in the adsorption of chromium(VI) were evaluated. It is shown that the MnO₂-deposited diatomite samples with different morphologies possessed high surface areas and abundant surface hydroxyl groups (especially the wire-like MnO₂/diatomite sample). Thewire-like MnO₂/diatomite sample showed the best performance in the removal of Cr(VI), giving the maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of 101 mg/g.     

Effects of different sludge disintegration methods on sludge moisture distribution and dewatering performance

A key step in sludge treatment is sludge dewatering. However, activated sludge is generally very difficult to be dewatered. Sludge dewatering performance is largely affected by the sludge moisture distribution. Sludge disintegration can destroy the sludge structure and cell wall, so as change the sludge floc structure and moisture distribution, thus affecting the dewatering performance of sludge. In this article, the disintegration methods were ultrasound treatment, K₂FeO₄ oxidation and KMnO₄ oxidation. The degree of disintegration (DD_COD), sludge moisture distribution and the final water content of sludge cake after centrifuging were measured. Results showed that three disintegration methods were all effective, and K₂FeO₄ oxidation was more efficient than KMnO₄ oxidation. The content of free water increased obviously with K₂FeO₄ and KMnO₄ oxidations, while it decreased with ultrasound treatment. The changes of free water and interstitial water were in the opposite trend. The content of bounding water decreased with K₂FeO₄ oxidation, and increased slightly with KMnO₄ oxidation, while it increased obviously with ultrasound treatment. The water content of sludge cake after centrifuging decreased with K₂FeO₄ oxidation, and did not changed with KMnO₄ oxidation, but increased obviously with ultrasound treatment. In summary, ultrasound treatment deteriorated the sludge dewaterability, while K₂FeO₄ and KMnO₄ oxidation improved the sludge dewaterability.     

Two-year measurements of surface ozone at Dangxiong, a remote highland site in the Tibetan Plateau

Measurements of surface O3 and carbon monoxide(CO) were made from September 2009 to August 2011 at Dangxiong(30.48°N, 91.10°E, 4187 m a.s.l.), a remote highland site in a southern valley of the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains in the Tibetan Plateau, China. The monthly mean O3 mixing ratio ranged from 29.1 to 51.4 ppb, with an average of 38.5 ppb, and the maximum value was observed in May. The average diurnal cycle of O3 concentration showed a minimum in early morning and a maximum in the afternoon, with a broader "high platform" from the late morning to the late afternoon, and resembled that of surface wind speed. The concentration of surface O3 was highly significantly correlated with tropospheric column O3 over the regions surrounding Dangxiong and with that of surface O3 observed at a site north of the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains, suggesting a good regional representativeness of surface O3 at Dangxiong. In the afternoon when stronger winds blew, surface air showed distinct features of free-atmospheric air, with higher O3, lower CO, and lower relative humidity(RH). The negative O3–CO and O3–RH correlations in most months indicate a significant influence of air masses from the free troposphere. Trajectory analysis suggests that air masses originating from the south of the site make a negative net contribution to surface O3 and a positive contribution to CO and humidity, and those from the northwest sector contribute conversely to the respective quantities.     

Removal of tetracycline from aqueous solution by a Fe3O4 incorporated PAN electrospun nanofiber mat

Pollution of antibiotics, a type of emerging contaminant, has become an issue of concern, due to their overuse in human and veterinary application, persistence in environment and great potential risk to human and animal health even at trace level. In this work, a novel adsorbent, Fe₃O₄ incorporated polyacrylonitrile nanofiber mat (Fe-NFM), was successfully fabricated via electrospinning and solvothermal method, targeting to remove tetracycline (TC), a typical class of antibiotics, from aqueous solution. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy were used to characterize the surface morphology and crystal structure of the Fe-NFM, and demonstrated that Fe-NFM was composed of continuous, randomly distributed uniform nanofibers with surface coating of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. A series of adsorption experiments were carried out to evaluate the removal efficiency of TC by the Fe-NFM. The pseudo-second-order kinetics model fitted better with the experimental data. The highest adsorption capacity was observed at initial solution pH 4 while relative high adsorption performance was obtained from initial solution pH 4 to 10. The adsorption of TC on Fe-NFM was a combination effect of both electrostatic interaction and complexation between TC and Fe-NFM. Freundlich isotherm model could better describe the adsorption isotherm. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated from Langmuir isotherm model was 315.31 mg/g. Compared to conventional nanoparticle adsorbents which have difficulties in downstream separation, the novel nanofiber mat can be simply installed as a modular compartment and easily separated from the aqueous medium, promising its huge potential in drinking and wastewater treatment for micro-pollutant removal.     

Research and application of kapok fiber as an absorbing material: A mini review

Kapok fiber corresponds to the seed hairs of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), and is a typical cellulosic fiber with the features of thin cell wall, large lumen, low density and hydrophobic- oleophilic properties. As a type of renewable natural plant fiber, kapok fiber is abundant, biocompatible and biodegradable, and its full exploration and potential application have received increasing attention in both academic and industrial fields. Based on the structure and properties of kapok fiber, this review provides a summary of recent research on kapok fiber including chemical and physical treatments, kapok fiber-based compositematerials, and the application of kapok fiber as an absorbent material for oils, metal ions, dyes, and sound, with special attention to its use as an oil-absorbing material, one predominant application of kapok fiber in the coming future.     

Experimental study of NO2 reduction in N2/Ar and O2/Ar mixtures by pulsed corona discharge

Non-thermal plasma technology has been regarded as a promising alternative technology for NOx removal. The understanding of NO2 reduction characteristics is extremely important since NO2 reduction could lower the total NO oxidation rate in the plasma atmosphere. In this study, NO2 reduction was experimentally investigated using a non-thermal plasma reactor driven by a pulsed power supply for different simulated gas compositions and operating parameters. The NO2 reduction was promoted by increasing the specific energy density （SED）, and the highest conversion rates were 33.7%, 42.1% and 25.7% for Ar, N2/Ar and O2/Ar, respectively. For a given SED, the NO2 conversion rate had the order N2/Ar 〉 Ar 〉 02/Ar. The highest energy yield of 3.31 g/kWh was obtained in N2/Ar plasma and decreased with increasing SED; the same trends were also found in the other two gas compositions. The conversion rate decreased with increasing initial NO2 concentration. Furthermore, the presence of N2 or O2 led to different reaction pathways for NO2 conversion due to the formation of different dominating reactive radicals.