Soil-plant nitrogen isotope composition and nitrogen cycling after biochar applications

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Biochar has strong potential to improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency in both agricultural and horticultural systems. Biochar is usually co-applied with...     

Characteristics of Road Dust from Different Sampling Sites in Northern Taiwan

Abstract

Road dust contributes a large percentage of the atmosphere’s suspended particles in Taiwan. Three road dust samples were collected from downtown, electrical park, and freeway tunnel areas. A mechanical sieve separated the road dust in the initial stage. Particles >100 μm were 75%, 70%, and 60% (wt/wt), respectively, of the samples. Those particles <37 μm were resuspended in another mixing chamber and then collected by a Moudi particle sampler. The largest mass fraction of resuspended road dust was in the range of 1–10 μm. Ultrafine particles (<1 μm) composed 33.7, 17, and 7.4% of the particle samples (downtown, electrical park, and freeway tunnel, respectively). The road dust compositions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-atomic emissions spectroscopy and ICP-mass spectrometry. The highest concentration fraction contained more aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), and potassium than other elements in the road dust particle samples. Additionally, the sulfur (S) content in the road dust from the electrical park and freeway tunnel areas was 2.1 and 3.4 times the downtown area sample, respectively. The sulfur originated from the vehicle and boiler oil combustion and industrial manufacturing processes. Furthermore, zinc (Zn) concentration in the tunnel dust was 2.6 times that of the downtown and electrical park samples, which can be attributed to vehicle tire wear and tear. Resuspended road dusts (<10 μm) from the downtown and freeway tunnel areas were principally 2.5–10 μm Al, barium (Ba), Ca, copper (Cu), Fe, magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), antimony (Sb), and Zn, whereas arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) were predominant in the ultrafine particle samples (<1 μm). Al, Ba, and Ca are the typical soil elements in coarse particles; and As, and Cr and Ni are the typical fingerprint of oil combustion and vehicle engine abrasion in ultrafine particles. There was a special characteristic of resuspension road dust at electrical park, that is, many elements, including As, Ba, Ca, cadmium, Cr, Cu, Fe, manganese (Mn), Ni, lead (Pb), S, vanadium (V), and Zn, were major in ultrafine particles. These elements should be attributed to the special manufacturing processes of electric products.     

蒽醌类物质经多相类芬顿预处理前后对活性污泥特性的影响

以活性艳蓝与大黄酸为蒽醌类目标污染物,分析了其经多相类芬顿预处理前后的可生化性及对活性污泥胞外聚合物、胞内物质、脱氢酶活性、脲酶活性、微生物群落的影响.Zahn-Wellens试验表明,活性艳蓝与大黄酸不能被活性污泥有效降解,而经过多相类芬顿预处理后,其呼吸曲线均在内源呼吸线以上,去除率分别达到了84.44%和86.72%.加入蒽醌类污染物后,活性污泥胞外聚合物的三维荧光光谱中,酪氨酸蛋白的吸收峰强度降低,胞内物质的红外光谱中氨基峰变宽;而经多相类芬顿预处理后,对活性污泥特性的影响不明显.加入活性艳蓝与大黄酸后,活性污泥脲酶相对活性仍保持在80%以上,但脱氢酶活性出现了降低,特别是加入大黄酸后,相对活性仅为67.5%左右.同时活性污泥的微生物群落发生了变化,Gram Positive分别由原来的40.15%增大到了47.72%和45.78%,而Gram Negative分别由原来的39.57%减少到37%和37.15%.但加入预处理后的蒽醌类污染物,未对活性污泥的微生物群落造成明显影响.     

营养胁迫对薄叶双盖蕨叶绿素荧光特征的影响

喀斯特区石灰土多具有高钙、低磷的特性,从而限制了植物在该环境中的生存。为探讨厌钙植物不能在石灰土中生存的原因,以厌钙植物薄叶双盖蕨作为研究对象,以专性钙生植物柳叶蕨为对比物种,以Ca2+浓度、H2PO4-浓度为控制因子,测定分析各个水平下叶片叶绿素荧光参数特征。结果显示,Ca2+浓度胁迫下薄叶双盖蕨叶绿素荧光参数变化特征与柳叶蕨有较明显的区别,而H2PO4-浓度胁迫下二者的差异性不大;Ca2+因子对薄叶双盖蕨叶绿素荧光参数的负效应显著大于H2PO4-浓度,且各胁迫水平的影响差异显著;培养液Ca2+浓度过高会使薄叶双盖蕨的Fo、Fv′/Fm′、Fv/Fm、ETR、qP、NPQ、P等叶绿素荧光参数显著降低。结论,石灰土环境中Ca2+浓度较高会影响和抑制薄叶双盖蕨捕获及转化光能用于光化学反应的相关能力,限制了薄叶双盖蕨在石灰土上的生存。     

The growth response of Alternanthera philoxeroides in a simulated post-combustion emission with ultrahigh [CO2] and acidic pollutants

Although post-combustion emissions from power plants are a major source of air pollution, they contain excess CO₂ that could be used to fertilize commercial greenhouses and stimulate plant growth. We addressed the combined effects of ultrahigh [CO₂] and acidic pollutants in flue gas on the growth of Alternanthera philoxeroides. When acidic pollutants were excluded, the biomass yield of A. philoxeroides saturated near 2000 μmol mol⁻¹ [CO₂] with doubled biomass accumulation relative to the ambient control. The growth enhancement was maintained at 5000 μmol mol⁻¹ [CO₂], but declined when [CO₂] rose above 1%, in association with a strong photosynthetic inhibition. Although acidic components (SO₂ and NO₂) significantly offset the CO₂ enhancement, the aboveground yield increased considerably when the concentration of pollutants was moderate (200 times dilution). Our results indicate that using excess CO₂ from the power plant emissions to optimize growth in commercial green house could be viable.     

Characteristics of road dust from different sampling sites in northern Taiwan

Road dust contributes a large percentage of the atmosphere's suspended particles in Taiwan. Three road dust samples were collected from downtown, electrical park, and freeway tunnel areas. A mechanical sieve separated the road dust in the initial stage. Particles > 100 microm were 75%, 70%, and 60% (wt/wt), respectively, of the samples. Those particles < 37 microm were resuspended in another mixing chamber and then collected by a Moudi particle sampler. The largest mass fraction of resuspended road dust was in the range of 1-10 microm. Ultrafine particles (< 1 microm) composed 33.7, 17, and 7.4% of the particle samples (downtown, electrical park, and freeway tunnel, respectively). The road dust compositions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-atomic emissions spectroscopy and ICP-mass spectrometry. The highest concentration fraction contained more aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), and potassium than other elements in the road dust particle samples. Additionally, the sulfur (S) content in the road dust from the electrical park and freeway tunnel areas was 2.1 and 3.4 times the downtown area sample, respectively. The sulfur originated from the vehicle and boiler oil combustion and industrial manufacturing processes. Furthermore, zinc (Zn) concentration in the tunnel dust was 2.6 times that of the downtown and electrical park samples, which can be attributed to vehicle tire wear and tear. Resuspended road dusts (< 10 microm) from the downtown and freeway tunnel areas were principally 2.5-10 microm Al, barium (Ba), Ca, copper (Cu), Fe, magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), antimony (Sb), and Zn, whereas arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) were predominant in the ultrafine particle samples (< 1 microm). Al, Ba, and Ca are the typical soil elements in coarse particles; and As, and Cr and Ni are the typical fingerprint of oil combustion and vehicle engine abrasion in ultrafine particles. There was a special characteristic of resuspension road dust at electrical park, that is, many elements, including As, Ba, Ca, cadmium, Cr, Cu, Fe, manganese (Mn), Ni, lead (Pb), S, vanadium (V), and Zn, were major in ultrafine particles. These elements should be attributed to the special manufacturing processes of electric products.