活性污泥对水中低浓度无机汞和甲基汞的吸附特性

为研究活性污泥对汞的吸附特性,本研究以焦作市第一污水处理厂活性污泥为原料,制取干污泥作为吸附剂,开展了干污泥对水中低浓度(ng·L~(-1))无机汞和甲基汞的吸附动力学实验和等温吸附实验.吸附动力学实验结果表明,干污泥对无机汞的吸附表现为吸附量在前30 min急剧增加,30 min后缓慢增加直至平衡.干污泥对甲基汞的吸附速率远远快于无机汞,在1 min内基本达到吸附平衡状态.干污泥对无机汞和甲基汞的吸附过程均符合Pseudo-second Order模型,属于化学吸附过程.等温吸附实验结果表明,干污泥对无机汞和甲基汞的吸附量与平衡浓度呈近似线性关系,等温线与Henry方程拟合较好.干污泥对水中无机汞和甲基汞的去除率随着初始汞浓度的增加呈现上升趋势,达到一定浓度后趋于稳定.     

亚甲基蓝在缺氧活性污泥上的吸附平衡和动力学

为了考察缺氧活性污泥对染料的吸附性能和吸附机理,以缺氧活性污泥作为吸附剂,亚甲基蓝作为吸附质进行等温吸附试验。结果表明:亚甲基蓝在缺氧活性污泥上的吸附遵循准二级速率方程,吸附方式为化学吸附;吸附行为符合Langmuir和Redlich-Peterson吸附等温式,为单分子层吸附,理论最大吸附量9.25 mg/g;亚甲基蓝分子在污泥颗粒内扩散动力学曲线存在线性部分,说明吸附过程存在污泥颗粒微孔内扩散效应。     

改性泥炭对水溶液中铬的去除

为克服泥炭利用过程中存在的一些问题，对原泥炭进行了改性处理，并将改性后的泥炭与树脂结合以增强改性泥炭的机械强度。通过静态试验方法研究了改性泥炭对来自水溶液中的铬离子的吸附特性。结果表明：改性泥炭对水溶液中的铬的吸附等温过程符合Freundlich吸附等温方程，其吸附动力学符合准二级动力学方程。溶液的pH值对铬的去除产生显著的影响，在pH在1．5－3．0时，改性泥炭对6价铬的去除效果最好。     

NaOH改性落叶松锯木屑对活性染料的吸附性能

通过间歇式试验研究NaOH改性落叶松锯木屑对活性染料KN-B、K-2BP和KN-R的吸附脱色性能。结果表明,酸性条件下该改性木屑对3种染料均具有较好的脱色效果。在初始pH值为3时,3种染料的吸附脱色率均表现为随温度升高而逐渐降低,随改性木屑用量的增加而增加的趋势;而随染料初始浓度的增大,表现出先升高后降低的趋势。在初始pH值为3、温度为298 K条件下,3种染料在改性锯木屑上的等温吸附符合Langmuir吸附模型,KN-B、K-2BP和KN-R的最大饱和吸附量分别为22.32、10.47和14.93 mg.g-1,吸附自由能ΔG298 K分别为-12.61、-9.77和-14.45 kJ.mol-1,均为物理性自发吸附过程。试验条件下,KN-R、KN-B和K-2BP的吸附动力学均符合准二级动力学吸附方程,吸附速率常数依次减小。综合等温吸附和吸附动力学研究结果表明,3种染料的脱色效果以KN-R为最好,KN-B次之,K-2BP最差。     

水浮莲干体对甲基橙的吸附研究

研究了水浮莲干体对模拟染料废水中甲基橙(MO)的吸附行为,考察吸附时间、溶液初始pH值、水浮莲干体用量和MO初始质量浓度等因素对MO吸附的影响.结果表明,在MO溶液初始pH值为5.5、初始质量浓度为25 mg·L-1条件下,添加12.5g·L-1粒径为0.250～0.425 mm的水浮莲干体,于25℃条件下以120 r·min-1振荡吸附90 min后,MO吸附率可达72.1％.酸性环境有利于MO吸附;一定范围内,水浮莲干体用量的增加以及MO初始浓度的升高都会导致吸附率升高.水浮莲干体对MO的吸附过程更符合Freundlich吸附等温方程,Lagergren准二级动力学方程更适合模拟其吸附动力学行为.随温度升高,MO平衡吸附量呈减少趋势.水浮莲干体及浸出液中Cr、Ni、Cu、As、Cd和Pb含量远低于GB 5085.3-2007 《危险废物鉴别标准浸出毒性鉴别》中的限量值,因此将水浮莲干体作为新型吸附剂应用于染料废水处理,不会导致二次污染.     

好氧颗粒污泥对水溶液中酸性淡黄2G的生物吸附

利用好氧颗粒污泥对酸性淡黄2G溶液进行吸附脱色研究,考察了pH值、吸附剂用量、初始酸性淡黄2G的浓度、温度以及NaCl浓度对吸附过程的影响.实验结果表明,吸附过程对溶液pH值具有很高的依赖性,其最佳pH值为2.0.Temkin等温线在整个实验染料浓度范围内能够很好地描述吸附过程.吸附动力学符合准二级动力学模型.内部扩散和边界层扩散都可能影响生物吸附速率.热力学分析表明,吸附过程是一个自发的放热过程.采用FTIR分析的结果进一步揭示了颗粒污泥上官能团(如胺基、羧基和羟基等)可能是染料生物吸附的活跃结合位点.这些结果表明,好氧颗粒污泥可以作为吸附剂以去除水中的酸性淡黄2G。     

荔枝皮吸附孔雀绿的性能和机理

采用批量试验方法研究了荔枝皮对水中孔雀绿染料吸附的影响因素(吸附剂剂量、pH值和接触时间)、吸附等温线、吸附动力学和吸附热力学等,并探讨了其吸附机理。结果表明,荔枝皮和改性荔枝皮对孔雀绿的最佳吸附剂用量分别为4和2 g·L-1,最适pH值均为7.0,吸附平衡时间均为120 min;吸附过程均能用Langmuir和Freundlich等温线模型进行很好的描述,且均符合假二次动力学模型。荔枝皮和改性荔枝皮对孔雀绿的最大吸附量分别为72.46和169.49 mg·g-1。此外,吸附热力学试验结果表明,荔枝皮和改性荔枝皮对孔雀绿的吸附均属于自发吸热过程。     

改性硅藻土的制备、表征及其在富营养化水体除磷中的应用

利用吉林原土和FeCl3作为主要原料,制备应用于抑制湖泊富营养化的除磷材料—改性硅藻土,并利用物理吸附仪、扫描电镜、射线粉末衍射仪（XRD）等对改性硅藻土进行表征,此外,探讨了吸附时间、pH以及温度等对改性硅藻土除磷性能的影响。结果显示：（1）经改性后,硅藻土中Fe元素的含量有所增加,杂质含量则有所降低;微孔明显增多,孔径增大,表面负载一定量的颗粒物,粗糙度增大,比表面积较原硅藻土增大6倍。（2）在水体除磷应用中,当吸附时间达到20min时,吸附趋向平衡;在酸性条件下改性硅藻土的除磷效果好于碱性条件下的除磷效果;在25℃下改性硅藻土对磷的吸附能力较其他温度下强;（3）Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附方程都能较好地描述硅藻土对磷的等温吸附特征,用Freundlich吸附等温方程来描述改性硅藻土对水中磷的吸附更为准确。     

富磷污泥生物炭去除水中Pb(Ⅱ)的特性研究

以城市污水厂富磷剩余污泥为研究对象,考察高温热解制备生物炭吸附剂对水中Pb(Ⅱ)的去除效果.研究表明,随着热解温度升高,制备的生物炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附能力增强;在相同热解温度下,生污泥生物炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附能力比消化污泥生物炭大.采用700℃热解1 h制备生污泥生物炭以研究对Pb(Ⅱ)吸附的影响因素,结果显示:吸附180 min达到吸附平衡;富磷污泥生物炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的去除率随pH增加而升高;生物炭投加量增加,对Pb(Ⅱ)去除率上升,而单位吸附容量迅速减小.污泥生物炭对Pb(Ⅱ)的吸附符合准二级反应动力学,Langmuir模型比Freundlich模型能更好地拟合等温吸附线.在pH 5.0、吸附时间3 h、生物炭投加量20 g.L-1条件下,对Pb(Ⅱ)的最大吸附量为34.5 mg.g-1,表明富磷污泥生物炭可以作为一种廉价的吸附剂.     

活性污泥对重金属离子混合物的生物吸附

采用城市污水处理厂产生的活性污泥研究了影响污泥吸附Zn^2 ，Cu^2 和Cd^2 三种重金属离子的主要因素，在实验条件下，温度对污泥吸附重金属的影响并不显著，而体系Ph值和吸附时间等的影响较为重要，活性污泥对Cu^2 的吸附符合Langmuir模型，Zn^2 则与Freundlich模型的符合程度优于Langmuir模型，Cu^2 的吸附与两个模型的符合程度一致，另外，活性污泥对Cu^2 离子的吸附性能明显高于其他离子，但在实验中未发现不同金属离子之间存在明显吸附抑制或促进。     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation

Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza‐Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land‐use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon‐dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon‐based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development.     

Human Influence and Classical Biogeographic Predictors of Rare Species Occurrence

Biogeographic theory predicts that rare species occur more often in larger, less‐isolated habitat patches and suggests that patch size and connectivity are positive predictors of patch quality for conservation. However, in areas substantially modified by humans, rare species may be relegated to the most isolated patches. We used data from plant surveys of 81 meadow patches in the Georgia Basin of Canada and the United States to show that presence of threatened and endangered plants was positively predicted for patches that were isolated on small islands surrounded by ocean and for patches that were isolated by surrounding forest. Neither patch size nor connectivity were positive predictors of rare species occurrence. Thus, in our study area, human influence, presumably due to disturbance or introduction of competitive non‐native species, appears to have overwhelmed classical predictors of rare species distribution, such that greater patch isolation appeared to favor presence of rare species. We suggest conservation planners consider the potential advantages of protecting geographically isolated patches in human‐modified landscapes because such patches may represent the only habitats in which rare species are likely to persist. Influencia Humana y Predictores Biogeográficos Clásicos de la Ocurrencia de Especies Raras     

Seasonal dynamics of macro-algae in the South Lake of Tunis

The macro-algae communities observed in the south lake of Tunis are characterized by the predominance of nitrophilous algae which are in the order of biomass importance:Ulva, Cladophora andEnteromorpha. We have noted seasonal changes of alga distribution. The wind appears to be one of the most important factors influencing this distribution. The total biomass reaches a maximum in the spring. Rapid decomposition of the biomass leads to a severe ecological imbalance, resulting in crises of anoxia and fish death. A restoration project has already started. It aims at removal of contaminated muds and the introduction of a new circulation system. The main objectives of this work were to collect information on the distribution and biomass of the phytobenthic communities as a first step in the constitution of a database for further comparison.     

Patterns and biases of climate change threats in the IUCN Red List

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments rely on published data and expert inputs, and biases can be introduced where underlying definitions and concepts are ambiguous. Consideration of climate change threat is no exception, and recently numerous approaches to assessing the threat of climate change to species have been developed. We explored IUCN Red List assessments of amphibians and birds to determine whether species listed as threatened by climate change display distinct patterns in terms of habitat occupied and additional nonclimatic threats faced. We compared IUCN Red List data with a published data set of species’ biological and ecological traits believed to infer high vulnerability to climate change and determined whether distributions of climate change‐threatened species on the IUCN Red List concur with those of climate change‐threatened species identified with the trait‐based approach and whether species possessing these traits are more likely to have climate change listed as a threat on the IUCN Red List. Species in some ecosystems (e.g., grassland, shrubland) and subject to particular threats (e.g., invasive species) were more likely to have climate change as a listed threat. Geographical patterns of climate change‐threatened amphibians and birds on the IUCN Red List were incongruent with patterns of global species richness and patterns identified using trait‐based approaches. Certain traits were linked to increases or decreases in the likelihood of a species being threatened by climate change. Broad temperature tolerance of a species was consistently related to an increased likelihood of climate change threat, indicating counterintuitive relationships in IUCN assessments. To improve the robustness of species assessments of the vulnerability or extinction risk associated with climate change, we suggest IUCN adopt a more cohesive approach whereby specific traits highlighted by our results are considered in Red List assessments. To achieve this and to strengthen the climate change‐vulnerability assessments approach, it is necessary to identify and implement logical avenues for further research into traits that make species vulnerable to climate change (including population‐level threats).     

Parasitic wasps orient to green leaf volatiles

Summary Undamaged plants emit low levels of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), while caterpillar-damaged and artificially damaged plants emit relatively higher levels of certain GLVs. Female braconid parasitoids,Microplitis croceipes, oriented to both damaged plants and to individual GLVs in no-choice tests in a wind tunnel, but seldom oriented to undamaged plants. Female ichneumonid parasitoids,Netelia heroica, also oriented to individual GLVs in a wind tunnel. Males of both wasp species failed to orient to the GLVs. These data show that leaf-feeding caterpillars can cause the release of GLVs, and that parasitic wasps can respond to these odors by flying upwind (chemoanemotactic response), which brings the wasps to their caterpillar hosts. This supports the hypothesis that plants communicate with members of the third trophic level,i.e., plants under herbivore attack emit chemical signals that guide natural enemies of herbivores to sites of plant damage. In this interaction, the GLVs serve as tritrophic plant-to-parasitoid synomones. That parasitoids from two different wasp families oriented to GLVs suggests that the response may be widespread among the Hymenoptera.Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture