Changes in electrical generator cooling systems: Are they cost-effective sources of water now and under climate change?

In the United States, thermal power plant electrical generators (EGs) are large water diverters and consumptive users who need water for cooling. Retrofitting existing cooling systems to dry cooling and building new facilities with dry cooling can save water and reduce EG's vulnerability to drought. However, this can be an expensive source of water. We estimate that the cost of water saved by retrofitting cooling in existing EGs ranges from $0.04/m³ to $18/m³ depending on facility characteristics. Also water savings from building new EGs with dry cooling ranges in cost per unit water from $1.29/m³ to $2.24/m³. We compare costs with that for water development projects identified in the Texas State Water Plan. We find the water cost from converting to dry cooling is lower than many of the water development possibilities. We then estimate the impact of climate change on the cost of water saved, finding climate change can increase EG water use by up to 9.3% and lower the costs of water saved. Generally, it appears that water planners might consider cooling alterations as a cost competitive water development alternative whose cost would be further decreased by climate change.     

长三角地区跨区域合作创新对区域多样化的影响研究

区域多样化发展在提高生产力、促进就业以及稳定经济等方面发挥着重要作用.一直以来演化经济地理学框架下区域多样化发展中外部资源的作用被忽略,而跨区域合作创新是区域获取外部知识的重要途径之一.研究使用2000～2017年长三角地区41个城市的发明专利数据,对区域经济一体化特征显著的长三角地区多样化水平与合作创新进行测度,并实证检验区域内部与跨区域的合作创新在区域多样化进程中所发挥的作用.结果表明:(1)长三角地区各城市的相关与不相关多样化水平总体呈现逐渐上升并趋于稳定的趋势;(2)合作创新作为知识流动的重要载体,合作参与者大多位于长三角内,合作创新所产生的知识溢出往往发生在具有技术关联性的产业间,从而有助于促进长三角地区发展相关多样化,但对不相关多样化没有表现出显著影响;(3)合作创新中参与团队数量与区域相关与不相关多样性没有显著关系;(4)合作创新中跨区域合作比例越高,越能够促进区域相关与不相关多样化的发展.因此,在推动区域产业多样化的过程中应注重强化区域间的合作,借助外部力量引导区域产业发展.     

Research progress and hot spots of hydrothermal liquefaction for bio-oil production based on bibliometric analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass used HTL reaction under high temperature and pressure to produce bio-oil. This technology is considered as...     

Coupled electrochemical methods for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from wastewater: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Declining mineral resources, high fertilizer production cost and widespread eutrophication are calling for the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewaters...     

Temporal trends in agricultural water use and the relationships to hydroclimatic factors in the High Plains aquifer region

The High Plains aquifer (HPA) is the primary water source for agricultural irrigation in the US Great Plains. The water levels in many locations of the aquifer have declined steadily over the past several decades because the rate of water withdrawals exceeds recharge, which has been a serious concern to the water resources management in the region. We evaluated temporal trends and variations in agricultural water use and hydroclimatic variables including precipitation, air temperature, reference evapotranspiration, runoff, groundwater level, and terrestrial water storage across the HPA region for different periods from 1985 to 2020 at the grid, county, or region scale. The results showed that water withdrawals decreased from 21.3 km³/year in 1985 to 18.2 km³/year in 2015, while irrigated croplands increased from 71,928 km² in 1985 to 78,464 km² in 2015 in the entire HPA. The hydroclimatic time-series showed wetting trends in most of the northern HPA, but drying and warming trends in the southern region from 1985 to 2020. The groundwater level time-series indicated flat trends in the north, but significant declining in the central and southern HPA. Trends in irrigation water withdrawals and irrigation area across the HPA were controlled by the advancement of irrigation systems and technologies and the management of sustainable water use, but also were affected by dynamical changes in the hydroclimatic conditions.     

我国某铁路局2005-2014年行车事故分布规律分析

针对我国某铁路局行车事故多发情况,从事故等级分布、类型分布、原因分布、时间分布、空间分布等多个方面对2005-2014年1 784起铁路行车事故进行综合统计分析,得出了近10年该铁路局行车事故的分布规律.一般D类事故1 008起,占事故总数的85％,是铁路行车事故的绝对主要等级;延误事故1 059起,占事故总数的59.4％,是铁路行车事故的主要类型;设备原因行车事故1 185起,占事故总数的66.42％,是铁路行车事故的绝对主要原因.铁路行车事故在年、月、日、时上的高峰期分别为2006年(293起)、8月(180起)、周五和周天(267 +288起)、14:00-16:00(184起),分别占事故总数的16.4％、10.1％、31.1％、10.3％.车站铁路行车事故978起,占事故总数的54.8％;其中四等站事故最多为345起,占车站事故总数的35.3％,特等站事故次之为187起,占车站事故总数的19.1％.     

全氟辛烷磺酸盐(PFOS)对半滑舌鳎(Cynoglossus semilaevis)免疫相关基因表达的影响

为了解全氟辛烷磺酸盐(perfluorooctane sulfonate, PFOS)暴露对半滑舌鳎(Cynoglossus semilaevis)免疫功能的影响,在实验室条件下,运用RT-PCR方法分析了PFOS暴露对半滑舌鳎热休克蛋白hsp70、hsp90、C型凝集素(c-type lectin)和细胞色素c氧化酶(cytochrome c oxidase, cox)等4种免疫相关基因表达水平的影响。实验测定了上述4种基因在半滑舌鳎肝、鳃、肠及肌肉4种不同组织中随时间(0、24 h、48 h、96 h和7 d)的表达变化情况。结果表明,在4种组织中,hsp70基因的表达与对照相比为上调,其中,肝组织hsp70基因的表达量显著高于其他各组织,且表达高峰值的出现也早于其他各组织;hsp90基因在肝和鳃组织中表达量随时间不同而波动,在肠组织中表达上调,在肌肉中表达显著下调;c-type lectin基因表达量与对照组相比表达显著下调或无明显差异;cox基因在肝组织和肠组织中表达下调,在鳃和肌肉中表达上调。上述研究结果表明,PFOS能引起免疫相关基因的表达变化,对半滑舌鳎具有潜在的免疫毒性。肝组织中各免疫基因对PFOS胁迫的响应高于其他组织。本研究可为阐明全氟辛烷磺酸盐对半滑舌鳎的免疫毒性提供基础数据。     

Magnetotactic bacteria: Characteristics and environmental applications

• Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) synthesize magnetic nanoparticle within magnetosomes. • The morphologic and phylogenetic diversity of MTB were summarized. • Isolation and mass cultivation of MTB deserve extensive research for applications. • MTB can remove heavy metals, radionuclides, and organic pollutants from wastewater. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of Gram-negative prokaryotes that respond to the geomagnetic field. This unique property is attributed to the intracellular magnetosomes, which contains membrane-bound nanocrystals of magnetic iron minerals. This review summarizes the most recent advances in MTB, magnetosomes, and their potential applications especially the environmental pollutant control or remediation. The morphologic and phylogenetic diversity of MTB were first introduced, followed by a critical review of isolation and cultivation methods. Past research has devoted to optimize the factors, such as oxygen, carbon source, nitrogen source, nutrient broth, iron source, and mineral elements for the growth of MTB. Besides the applications of MTB in modern biological and medical fields, little attention was made on the environmental applications of MTB for wastewater treatment, which has been summarized in this review. For example, applications of MTB as adsorbents have resulted in a novel magnetic separation technology for removal of heavy metals or organic pollutants in wastewater. In addition, we summarized the current advance on pathogen removal and detection of endocrine disruptor which can inspire new insights toward sustainable engineering and practices. Finally, the new perspectives and possible directions for future studies are recommended, such as isolation of MTB, genetic modification of MTB for mass production and new environmental applications. The ultimate objective of this review is to promote the applications of MTB and magnetosomes in the environmental fields.     

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.