Synthesis and biodegradation of poly(γ-butyrolactone-co-l-lactide)

Biodegradable polyesters were synthesized by ring-opening copolymerization of -butyrolactone (BL) and its derivatives withl-lactide (LLA). Although tetraphenyl tin was the main catalyst used, other organometallic catalysts were used as well.¹H and¹³C NMR spectra showed that poly(BL-co-LLA)s were statistical and that their number-average molecular weights were as high as 7×10⁴. The maximum BL content obtained from copolymerization BL/LLA was around 17%. TheT _m andT _g values of the copolymers showed a gradual depression with an increase in BL content. NoT _m was obtained for the copolymers containing more than 13 mol% BL. The biodegradability of the copolyesters was evaluated by enzymatic hydrolysis and nonenzymatic hydrolysis tests. The enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out at 37°C for 24 h using lipases fromRhizopus arrhizus andR. delemar. Hydrolyses by both lipases showed that an increase in BL content of the copolymer resulted in enhanced biodegradability. Nonenzymatic accelerated hydrolysis of copolymers at 70°C was found to increase proportionally to their exposure time. The hydrolysis rate of these copolymers was considerably faster than that of PLLA. The higher hydrolyzability was recorded for the BL-rich copolymers. The copolymerization of -methyl--butyrolactone (MBL) or -ethyl--butyrolactone (EBL) with LLA resulted in relatively LA-rich copolymers.     

Comparative experiment on treating digested piggery wastewater with a biofilm MBR and conventional MBR: simultaneous removal of nitrogen and antibiotics

A biofilm membrane bioreactor (BF-MBR) and a conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR) were parallelly operated for treating digested piggery wastewater. The removal performance of COD, TN, NH₄ ⁺-N, TP as well as antibiotics were simultaneously studied when the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was gradually shortened from 9 d to 1 d and when the ratio of influent COD to TN was changed. The results showed that the effluent quality in both reactors was poor and unstable at an influent COD/TN ratio of 1.0±0.2. The effluent quality was significantly improved as the influent COD/TN ratio was increased to 2.3±0.5. The averaged removal rates of COD, NH₄ ⁺-N, TN and TP were 92.1%, 97.1%, 35.6% and 54.2%, respectively, in the BF-MBR, significantly higher than the corresponding values of 91.7%, 90.9%, 17.4% and 31.9% in the MBR. Analysis of 11 typical veterinary antibiotics (from the tetracycline, sulfonamide, quinolone, and macrolide families) revealed that the BF-MBR removed more antibiotics than the MBR. Although the antibiotics removal decreased with a shortened HRT, high antibiotics removals of 86.8%, 80.2% and 45.3% were observed in the BF-MBR at HRTof 5–4 d, 3–2 d and 1 d, respectively, while the corresponding values were only 83.8%, 57.0% and 25.5% in the MBR. Moreover, the BF-MBR showed a 15% higher retention rate of antibiotics and consumed 40% less alkalinity than the MBR. Results above suggest that the BF-MBR was more suitable for digested piggery wastewater treatment.

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间歇曝气SBR与传统SBR处理养猪沼液的比较研究

采用间歇曝气序批式反应器(intermittently aerated sequencing batch reactor,IASBR)和传统序批式反应器(SBR)处理养猪沼液,研究进水中化学需氧量(COD)与总氮(TN)比值(COD/TN)和运行负荷对污染物去除效果的影响.结果表明,在进水COD/TN约为2.2、氨氮负荷为(0.12±0.04)kg·(m3·d)-1时,IASBR中的氨氮、TN和有机物去除率分别为97.2%±4.4%、81.5%±7.5%、88.5%±2.4%,优于SBR的78.3%±19.6%、79.8%±4.9%、86.6%±3.2%;当氨氮负荷提高至(0.18±0.02)kg·(m3·d)-1时,IASBR中的氨氮、TN和有机物去除率略有降低,分别为92.4%±7.3%、77.5%±5.3%、86.4%±2.2%,但仍然优于SBR中的相应去除率78.1%±15.4%、61.8%±11.2%、81.8%±5.6%.在氨氮负荷为(0.20±0.01)kg·(m3·d)-1下,提高进水COD/TN至约3.0,则IASBR和SBR的污染物去除能力较进水COD/TN为2.2时有显著提升,IASBR中氨氮、TN和有机物去除率分别达到99.6%±0.2%、91.5%±2.9%和92.0%±0.9%,仍然高于SBR的90.2%±1.4%、83.0%±1.9%、90.2%±0.5%.总体而言,相较SBR,IASBR对TN和氨氮的去除更高效、耐冲击负荷能力更强,因此对养猪沼液等低碳氮比的废水更为适用.     

新型磁性聚谷氨酸吸附剂对水中Pb2+的吸附去除

德岛大学安澤幹人首次利用γ-PGA在Fe3O4磁性纳米颗粒上进行涂层,制得了γ-聚谷氨酸-Fe3O4磁性纳米颗粒（PG-M）.本实验利用透射电镜以及扫描电镜对PG-M吸附剂的形貌进行了分析,发现PG-M与未涂层的Fe3 O4具有相似的形状以及大小,均为不规则的层状结构,且晶粒直径在120～320 nm之间;实验中针对性地对水溶液中Pb2＋进行了吸附探讨.在振荡实验中,通过主要参数的变化（pH值、吸附时间、竞争离子浓度、腐殖酸浓度）,得到如下结果：吸附最佳pH值为7.0;吸附量随着吸附时间的延长而增长,吸附平衡时间为45 min;Na＋对PG-M去除Pb2＋没有很强的干扰性,而Ca2＋则显示出一定的干扰作用;腐殖酸对吸附效果的影响是复杂的,表现为先增强吸附效果,随后降低吸附效果;最佳条件时Pb2＋的最大吸附量为93.3 mg/g.PG-M对Pb2＋的吸附均能较好地符合Freundlich和Langmuir等温吸附模型,其中Langmuir方程能更好地描述PG-M的吸附特征,说明PG-M在水溶液中对金属离子的吸附为单分子层吸附.PG-M吸附符合准二级动力学模型（r2〉0.99）.不同浓度的HCl和HNO3溶液的再生实验发现,0.1 mol/L的HCl溶液作为吸附再生液,可取得较好的再生效果.表明PG-M是可再生的,具有较好的经济性和可持续性.     

低温条件IASBR处理养猪沼液脱氮性能研究

以实际养猪沼液为研究对象,考察分步进水间歇曝气序批式生物反应器(IASBR)在低温条件下的脱氮性能.结果表明:IASBR反应器的硝化性能临界水温为10℃,水温低于10℃时硝化性能急剧下降,水温10℃以上时氨氮去除率达到90%以上,且水温15℃以上氨氮负荷极限可达到0.30 kg·m~(-3)·d~(-1);低碳氮比(COD/TN)1.7±0.3条件下,反硝化性能临界水温为20℃,20℃以上时TN去除率可保持在80%以上,最高达90%,20℃以下时脱氮效率明显降低,出现亚硝态氮积累现象.此外,IASBR反应器脱氮除磷效率高,温度对TOC和TP去除率的影响不敏感.不排泥条件下,进水COD/TN为3.1±0.4时,TN去除率高达90%以上,TOC和TP去除率分别高达83.6%±3.9%和58.5%±17.8%;随后COD/TN降低至1.7±0.3后,TN去除率仍高达80%以上,TOC和TP去除率仅略有降低分别为77.3%±4.6%、53.1%±10.1%.     

Accumulation and biological effects of metals in wild rats in mining areas of Zambia

The lead–zinc (Pb–Zn) mine in Kabwe City and the copper–cobalt (Cu–Co) mine in the Copperbelt Province are major mining areas in Zambia. To examine the effects of metal pollution on wildlife, wild black rats (Rattus rattus and Rattus tanezumi) were captured in Kabwe and Chingola (in the Copperbelt Province), and in Lusaka (a noncontaminated site). Wild black rats in Kabwe accumulated significantly higher concentrations of Pb and Cd in various organs than rats from Lusaka. In Chingola, significantly higher concentrations of Cu, Co, Pb, and Cd were accumulated in wild black rats than in rats from Lusaka. These results were in accordance with metal accumulation patterns in soil. From toxicological aspects, concentrations of Pb and Cd in rats were generally low. However, metallothionein-1 (MT-1) and metallothionein-2 (MT-2) mRNA expression levels in wild black rats from Kabwe were significantly higher than those in rats from Lusaka. A generalized linear model (GLM) showed that concentrations of Zn and Cu had positive effects on the MT-1 and MT-2 mRNA expression. These results suggest that wild black rats in Zambian mining sites were exposed to metals that accumulated in their organs, causing biological responses such as MT mRNA induction. GLM indicated that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA expression could be a marker for Cr exposure.     

Perfluorosulfonates and perfluorocarboxylates in snow and rain in Dalian,China

Samples of precipitation events (snow and rain) in Dalian, a typical coastal town in China, were analyzed for perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) and perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) to investigate atmospheric contamination by these compounds. In the snow event on December 16, 2006, samples were collected from 21 different sites and in another 6 precipitation events, samples were collected from a single location. Four PFSAs (C4, C6, C8, C10) and seven PFCAs (C6–12) were analyzed. Among the homologues, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) concentrations were the highest with a geometric mean (GM) of 145 ng/L (n = 21) during the snow event on December 16, 2006, followed by perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) with a GM of 24.7 ng/L (n = 21). Concentrations of perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) and perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA) were more than two orders of magnitude lower than that of PFOS. Other PFSAs and PFCAs were found to be below the limit of detection in all the samples. In other 6 precipitation events, PFSAs and PFCAs were detected approximately in the same order of magnitude in both snow and rain. The results indicate that wet deposition may be a potential transport mechanism of perfluorinated chemicals in the environment.     

Human intake of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin like PCBs in Japan, 2001 and 2002

PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin like PCBs (dioxin) surveillance results derived from regular environmental monitoring as well as other dioxin surveys by national and local governmental bodies in Japan were collected and analyzed. Several thousand data for air and soil in fiscal year 2001 (from 01/04/2001 to 31/03/2002) and 2002, water (from the sea, rivers and lakes), sediment (from the sea, rivers and lakes), ground water, aquatic organisms, purified water from water purification plants, raw water from water purification plants, human breast milk, and human blood in fiscal 2001, and total diet study (TDS) and various kinds of foodstuff in fiscal 1998-2002 were collected. Average human uptake of dioxin in Japan in fiscal 2001 was estimated at 1.68 pg-TEQ/kg-bw/day, while uptake in fiscal 2002 was estimated at 1.52 pg-TEQ/kg-bw/day. Diet accounted for more than 90% of the total intake. Contributions of inhalation and soil ingestion were relatively small. Age-group-specific contribution of various foodstuff to total dietary intake was also estimated. The estimates of intake through fish and shellfish accounted for approximately 45-70% of total dietary intake in each age group. Monte Carlo simulation was conducted, using the data of the air and soil concentrations in fiscal 2001 and the total diet study data in fiscal 1998-2001, in order to obtain information on the variability of dioxin intake; The estimated average, median, 5th percentile and 95th percentile of the intake distribution were 1.78, 1.69, 0.95 and 2.91 pg-TEQ/kg-bw/day, respectively. This study found that the average total intake estimates in Japan in both fiscal 2001 and 2002 were estimated to be below tolerable daily intake level (TDI) defined by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (i.e. 4 pg-TEQ/kg-bw/day). The 95th percentile of the dioxin intake distributions estimated with Monte Carlo simulation using the data of the air and soil concentrations in fiscal 2001 and TDS data in fiscal 1998-2001 was also below the Japanese TDI.     

Effect of unburned carbon on lead, zinc, and copper recovery from molten fly ash by chloride-induced volatilization

The present work focuses on investigation of the effective recovery of heavy metals from molten fly ash by applying chloride-induced volatilization. In particular, the effect of unburned carbon on the chloride-induced volatilization of lead, zinc, and copper from model and real molten fly ashes was investigated in the temperature range 873–1173 K under a N₂ atmosphere. As a result, almost 100% of lead and a significant proportion of zinc were volatilized from the real molten fly ash samples at 1173 K. In contrast, for the model fly ash, volatilization ratios of lead and zinc at 1173 K were only 85% and 25%, respectively. Further, the results of X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that PbO in molten fly ash was converted either to Pb₂OCl₂ or Pb by respective chlorination and reduction reactions. Meanwhile ZnO and CuO in the molten fly ash were reduced to Zn and Cu by reaction with unburned carbon. Subsequently, Pb, Zn, and Pb₂OCl₂ were volatilized, but Cu remained in the solid residue. Finally, the volatilization ratio of zinc increased with the addition of carbon, and more than 98% of zinc was volatilized at 1173 K from a fly ash with a carbon content of 20%.     

Onsets of schooling behavior and social transmission in chub mackerel Scomber japonicus

Grouping behavior has various types of antipredator functions. Some of these functions require social transmission of information, such as the many-eyes effect, whereas others do not, such as the dilution and confusion effects. Functions of grouping behavior would enhance with social transmission among group members. We investigated and compared the onsets of schooling behavior and social transmission of information in chub mackerel Scomber japonicus. Onset of schooling behavior was observed in rearing tanks by calculating the degree of parallel swimming. Onset of social transmission was examined by using visual cues from conspecifics. A group of five individuals was put in each of three experimental chambers from which they could see a group of conspecifics in the neighboring chamber. A weak electric stimulus was given to one of these chambers, and information transfer among individuals was observed. We found that social transmission by visual cues started on 30 days posthatching (25.1 mm in standard length), which was 2 weeks after the onset of schooling behavior. The late onset of social transmission relative to schooling behavior might be attributed to different predation pressure with development, or by underdevelopment of optic tectum, as the volume of the optic tectum did not increase just after the onset of schooling behavior.