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.     

创新价值链视角下企业创新效率差异及影响因素分析——基于江苏省国家高新区企业的验证

中国经济新常态背景下,高新区企业创新增效提质是增强高新区创新能力的内生动力.从创新价值链视角出发,将企业创新过程分为技术开发阶段和经济转化阶段,运用两阶段DEA模型分别对2016年江苏省12个国家高新区、11个技术领域以及各高新区内不同技术类型企业的整体和分阶段创新效率进行测度,并构建Tobit回归模型探究每个阶段企业创新效率的影响因素.研究表明:(1)江苏省国家高新区整体创新效率有较大提升空间,其中技术开发效率表现优于经济转化效率.(2)高创新效率的技术领域集中在电子与信息、新材料等,生物医药、环境保护和光机电一体化等技术领域整体创新效率处于较低水平.(3)以各阶段创新效率均值为分界,划分创新资源利用的四种模式,大部分高新区企业处于高开发-低转化和低开发-高转化型模式,存在技术创新与经济转化联系不够紧密的现象.(4)资本投入水平、劳动力的“质”和“量”、政府支持力度对企业创新效率的影响存在明显的阶段差异性.最后,根据研究结果,从强化知识交流网络、集聚多元化人才、调整资源投入产出评估方式及采取扬优补短式效率提升路径四个方面给出提升高新区企业创新效率的政策建议.     

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...     

高燃速推进剂成型过程中的安全性分析

为研究高燃速推进剂成型过程中的安全性,根据配方组成和工艺条件,对其压伸过程的热点形成因素进行了理论分析,并采用热-结构耦合方法,选择有限元软件ABAQUS对其不同工艺条件下的压伸过程进行了建模分析。结果表明:在压伸过程中,物料在收缩段承受的压力最大,且温度变化显著。物料中残留的气泡是影响高燃速推进剂压伸成型过程安全性的主要因素。当物料中有残留气泡时,随压伸过程所加的载荷不同,气泡的最高温度会显著上升,载荷为15MPa时,气泡的最高温度可达139.3℃;载荷为20 MPa时,温度可达264.2℃。     

液液萃取-固相萃取-气质联用测定指甲中的多溴联苯醚与多氯联苯

利用液液萃取(LLE)与固相萃取法(SPE)提取和净化人体指甲中的多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)和多氯联苯(PCBs),经浓硫酸除脂后,利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)测定PBDEs和PCBs.对提取溶剂比例、净化柱类型(复合硅胶柱与固相萃取柱)、固相萃取条件(洗脱溶剂及体积)以及脂肪的去除方法进行了优化,加标回收率较前人基础上均有明显提高.加标回收试验结果显示,PBDEs和PCBs平均基质加标回收率分别为90%—110%和71%—102%,空白加标回收率分别为70%—110%和60%—100%之间,仪器检出限(IDL)分别为0.034—0.120μg·L~(-1)和0.032—0.392μg·L~(-1).本方法快速、简单、高效,能够满足指甲中PBDEs和PCBs的分析.同时本研究利用该方法对电子垃圾拆解地区居民的指甲样品进行测定,PBDEs和PCBs平均浓度分别为623 ng·g~(-1)和148 ng·g~(-1),BDE(-154、-153、-183、-209)和PCB(-8、-28、-52、-66、-101、-77、-118、-153、-187)在所有样品中均检出,女性指甲中PBDEs与PCBs的浓度普遍高于男性.     

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.     

铜陵某富硫尾矿库周边土壤重金属污染特征及风险评价

铜陵某尾矿库堆积大量富硫尾矿,为研究其氧化状况及对周边土壤的污染情况,在尾矿库和周边采集尾矿及土壤样品,测试分析尾矿及土壤样品典型重金属(Hg、As、Cr、Cd、Pb、Zn)含量和赋存形态,并基于单因子污染指数法和内梅罗综合污染指数法对土壤污染状况进行了评价。结果表明:(1)尾矿中Fe_2O_3平均占比达到38.08%(质量分数,下同),S平均占比达到5.34%;(2)尾矿库周边土壤中Cd、As、Zn、Hg严重超标,分别为《土壤环境质量农用地土壤污染风险管控标准(试行)》(GB 15618—2018)风险筛选值的6.3、3.7、1.8、1.5倍;(3)土壤中重金属主要以残渣态形式存在,但Cd、Hg、Zn的非残渣态平均占比均达到25%以上,生物有效性较高,对周边环境存在潜在危害;(4)两种污染指数法评价结果表明,尾矿库周边土壤以Cd、As、Zn污染为主,该富硫尾矿库已对周边环境造成重度污染。     

新型铁碳微电解填料制备与除磷性能评价

针对传统铁碳填料处理污水活性低的问题,通过均质化-碳化-成型工艺制备新型铁碳微电解填料,采用SEM-EDS、XRD等方法对制备填料进行了表征,探讨了新型填料除磷机理;同时,开展了填料制备条件优化及生活污水除磷性能评价研究。结果表明,新型填料(Fe-C)由于焦油经高温碳化处理可在海绵铁表面及内部孔道形成大量铁碳微原电池,提高了电化学反应速率,其磷脱除率显著高于传统填料(Fe/C);在焦油/铁比(Tar/Fe)为0.3、碳化温度为950℃、恒温时间为0 min、黏结剂质量分数为30%、900℃焙烧90 min条件下,制备的填料除磷性能最佳,除磷效率达98%,可实现含磷废水达标排放。