Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs)-associated protobiofilm: A neglected contributor to biofouling during membrane filtration

• Bacteria could easily and quickly attached onto TEP to form protobiofilms. • TEP-protobiofilm facilitate the transport of bacteria to membrane surface. • More significant flux decline was observed in the presence of TEP-protobiofilms. • Membrane fouling shows higher sensitivity to protobiofilm not to bacteria level. Transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) are a class of transparent gel-like polysaccharides, which have been widely detected in almost every kind of feed water to membrane systems, including freshwater, seawater and wastewater. Although TEP have been thought to be related to the membrane fouling, little information is currently available for their influential mechanisms and the pertinence to biofouling development. The present study, thus, aims to explore the impact of TEPs on biofouling development during ultrafiltration. TEP samples were inoculated with bacteria for several hours before filtration and the formation of “protobiofilm” (pre-colonized TEP by bacteria) was examined and its influence on biofouling was determined. It was observed that the bacteria can easily and quickly attach onto TEPs and form protobiofilms. Ultrafiltration experiments further revealed that TEP-protobiofilms served as carriers which facilitated and accelerated transport of bacteria to membrane surface, leading to rapid development of biofouling on the ultrafiltration membrane surfaces. Moreover, compared to the feed water containing independent bacteria and TEPs, more flux decline was observed with TEP-protobiofilms. Consequently, it appeared from this study that TEP-protobiofilms play a vital role in the development of membrane biofouling, but unfortunately, this phenomenon has been often overlooked in the literature. Obviously, these findings in turn may also challenge the current understanding of organic fouling and biofouling as membrane fouling caused by TEP-protobiofilm is a combination of both. It is expected that this study might promote further research in general membrane fouling mechanisms and the development of an effective mitigation strategy.     

基于多时相遥感数据的典型区生态格局变化分析

利用1985、2000、2013年遥感影像提取的土地覆盖数据,通过景观格局指数、动态度计算、转移矩阵等,分析1985—2013年我国典型地区各类型生态系统景观格局及其动态变化特征、生态系统相互转化时空变化特征等,揭示1985—2013年生态环境格局变化的特点和规律:一级分类生态系统综合变化率,赣江、闽江、白龙江和岷江上游流域分别为4.7%、3.9%、3.3%和1.7%,生态系统变化强度1985—2000年较缓,2000—2013年更剧烈。1985—2013年典型区生态系统的主要转化方向具有持续性和双向性特征,岷江、白龙江和赣江上游流域退耕还林还草政策效果明显,出现较高比例的耕地转为森林和草地;面积占67.4%生态系统类型变化与耕地生态系统和人工表面生态系统变化有关;生态系统变化具有明显的区域差异,生态变化主要表现为沿主要河流谷地的线状延伸,主要城镇居民点附近生态系统类型变化较为突出,人类活动是典型地区生态系统类型格局变化的主要驱动力;典型区尤其是敏感区应加大退耕还林还草政策,减少人类经济活动,降低洪水泥石流灾害发生的概率和程度。     

Potential energy production from organic waste and its environmental and economic impacts at a tertiary institution in Palestine

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most well-known biomass resources that can be utilized to produce renewable energy. Numerous countries are plagued by the proliferation of waste, particularly organic waste that can be utilized for energy recovery. Palestine suffers from inefficient solid waste management, and only recently have a few projects focused on bioenergy production been implemented. Throughout the years, the city of Tulkarm experiences power outages which cause a challenge to the Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie campus in Tulkarm. Thus, the possibility of energy recovery from the organic portion in Palestine Technical University-Kadoorie was evaluated. The analysis of an economic impact included discussions of a number of economic aspects, including Levelized cost of energy, internal rate of return, present worth, annual worth, and payback period. On the other hand, a carbon dioxide savings analysis and gas emission were evaluated. The outcomes of the energy optimization demonstrated that the suggested system could supply the institution with an average of roughly 7 MWh of electrical energy. According to the economic study, this project offers 0.25 million dollars in present value, 0.144 million dollars in annual value, a 13 percent internal rate of return, a payback period of 6 years, and a levelized cost of energy of 0.11 dollars for each kWh generated. Additionally, the environmental assessment revealed that this system might reduce CO₂ emissions by around 8,343,778 tons. For effective waste management, energy recovery, and emission reduction, it is advised to implement anaerobic digestion technology.     

Toward sustainable use of natural resources: Nexus between resource rents,affluence, energy intensity and carbon emissions in developing and transition economies

Sustainable use of natural resources would entail ensuring that derived economic benefits today do not undermine the welfare of generations to come. On this basis, this study examines the nexus between natural resource rents and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions disaggregated into production and consumption-based (i.e., trade-adjusted) CO₂ emissions for a selected panel of 45 developing and transition economies over the period 1995–2017. The empirical model also incorporates the impacts of population, affluence, and energy intensity. The results show that affluence increases production-based CO₂ emissions by 1.407%, with the EKC's predicted inverted U-shaped curve only explaining consumption-based CO₂ emissions. Economic reliance on natural resource rents and energy intensification contribute 0.022% and 0.766%, respectively, to CO₂ emissions embedded in territorial production inventories and 0.035% and 0.583%, respectively, to CO₂ emissions embedded in consumption inventories. The bootstrap non-causality test shows that historical data on each variable has significant predictive power for future CO₂ emissions from both sources. The historical information about natural resource rents has significant predictive power over the future levels of affluence and energy intensity. Clearly, the results show that the environmental impact of natural resource rents is stronger when CO₂ emissions are adjusted for trade and varies among the countries, with Bangladesh, Guinea, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe among the most affected countries. Overall, this study provides motivation for policies to keep the use of natural resources within sustainable limits.     

基于环境监测实验室的高校实验室安全准入制度信息系统功能优化研究

梳理了高校实验室环境-安全-健康准入制度包含的管理内容,从人员管理、设备管理、试剂管理、实验环境管理角度进行了分析。根据现有实验室安全信息化系统运行情况,探讨了将实验室安全信息化系统与实验室信息化系统、设备管理信息化系统进行数据融合和功能优化的要点,重点分析了设备采购及管理系统、实验室安全教育与考试系统、实验室安全检查系统、试剂管理平台、实验室门禁管理系统在功能上的内在关联,从而通过试剂管理平台、实验室门禁控制系统、设备采购系统实现实验室环境-安全-健康准入制度的强制执行。研究发现,高校与环境监测实验室、院系实验室安全管理部门联合促进实验室安全信息化系统、实验室信息化系统、设备管理信息化系统的数据共享与功能升级,可以丰富实验室安全准入制度的内涵和管理手段,加强实验室安全准入制度的强制执行力,提高实验室安全管理效率。     

内陆核设施废液零排放方式探讨

液态放射性流出物是核设施运行的必然产物,滨海核设施向大海进行稀释排放处置,内陆核设施缺少稀释载体,采用自然蒸发空气载带方式将液体流出物通过气态途径向大气稀释排放是可行的替代方案,可以实现液态流出物的零排放。自然蒸发空气载带排放方案描述了工艺原理,提出了空气流速、空气温度、环境相对湿度、废水温度等与蒸发强度的关系,给出了一套自然蒸发载带排放装置的概念设计,分析了液态流出物转为气态途径排放对环境的影响,论证了采用自然蒸发空气载带方式实现内陆核设施液态流出物零排放目标的可行性。     

报废汽车拆解工艺的比对与研究

报废汽车具有良好的资源属性,处理企业选取合理的处理工艺对其进行处置,不仅能够提高经济效益,也可以有效保护生态环境。通过对当前报废汽车处理工艺技术进行分析比对,针对不同拆解企业提出相应的工艺选取建议,为产业发展提供帮助。     

新疆阿克苏地区平原区高砷地下水分布特征及富集因素分析

地下水砷污染是全球化环境问题.本文基于阿克苏地区平原区2017年75个地下水砷实测含量进行分析.结果表明,研究区地下水砷含量变化范围为ND—98.70μg·L^-1,平均值为9.42μg·L^-1,超标率达26.7%.水平方向上,高砷地下水主要集中在研究区的中部偏南一带;垂直方向上,山麓斜坡冲洪积砾质平原潜水区地下水砷含量平均值表现为深层潜水>浅层潜水,中下游河流冲积平原区承压水区地下水砷含量平均值表现为深层承压水>浅层承压水>潜水.采用绘制Piper三线图、Gibbs图、离子比例图等方法对研究区地下水砷的富集因素进行研究.结果表明,研究区地下水砷主要为自然来源;封闭的地质构造和造山带与河流等沉积环境相结合的水文地质条件有利于研究区地下水砷的富集;研究区高砷地下水水化学类型主要为HCO3·SO4-Na,还原性-弱碱性环境利于地下水砷富集;研究区地下水砷受强烈的蒸发浓缩作用进一步浓缩,同时地下水阴离子浓度增大加剧了地下水中阴离子与砷酸根、亚砷酸根之间的竞争吸附,利于地下水砷的富集.     

夏季渭河西安段溶解性有机质(DOM)的特征、分布及来源分析

通过紫外吸收光谱,三维荧光光谱结合平行因子分析(EEMs-PARAFAC)方法及主成分分析(PCA),研究了夏季渭河西安段水体中的溶解性有机质(DOM)的组成、来源,及其与水质指标的相关性.在研究区域共检出2种类别5个不同的DOM组分,分别为类腐殖质荧光组分C1、C2、C3、C5和1个类蛋白类荧光组分C4,5个组分具有同源性.对比分析光谱斜率S、SUVA₂₅₄、α355和DOC浓度,上游(S1—S5)和下游(S13—S17)各组分分子量和腐殖化程度接近但来源有所差异,中游(S6—S12、S18—S19)分子量和腐殖化程度最低;研究区域DOM和CDOM浓度值变化基本保持一致.通过三维光谱参数和主成分分析进行DOM源解析,内源贡献率为72.36%,外源贡献率为12.45%,累计方差贡献率为84.81%;污废水排放是组分C1、C4的主要来源,C2、C3、C5则来源于城市景观水体和湿地公园中微生物和浮游动植物的活动产生,TN与外源具有较好的相关性而TP与内源相关性较高.水质指标DO、DOC、COD、TN、TP与DOM组分有较强的相关性.在此基础上建立了多元线性回归方程,一定程度上能够利用荧光组分组成和特征反映渭河夏季的水质状况.