Short-term prediction of influent flow rate and ammonia concentration in municipal wastewater treatment plants

The prediction of the influent load is of great importance for the improvement of the control system to a large wastewater treatment plant. A systematic data analysis method is presented in this paper in order to estimate and predict the periodicity of the influent flow rate and ammonia （NH3） concentrations： 1） data filtering using wavelet decomposition and reconstruction; 2） typical cycle identification using power spectrum density analysis; 3） fitting and prediction model establishment based on an autoregressive model. To give meaningful information for feedforward control systems, predictions in different time scales are tested to compare the corresponding predicting accuracy. Considering the influence of the rainfalls, a linear fitting model is derived to estimate the relationship between flow rate trend and rain events. Measurements used to support coefficient fitting and model testing are acquired from two municipal wastewater treatment plants in China. The results show that 1） for both of the two plants, the periodicity affects the flow rate and NH3 concentrations in different cycles （especially cycles longer than 1 day）; 2） when the flow rate and NH3 concentrations present an obvious periodicity, the decreasing of prediction accuracy is not distinct with increasing of the prediction time scales; 3） the periodicity influence is larger than rainfalls; 4） the rainfalls will make the periodicity of flow rate less obvious in intensive rainy periods.     

Decontamination efficiency and root structure change in the plant-intercropping model in vertical-flow constructed wetlands

Subtropical climatic conditions can contribute to the death of the aerial parts of constructed wetland plants in winter. This presents a barrier to the widespread application of constructed wetland and is an issue that urgently needs to be solved. Three contrasting experi- ments, the plant-intercropping model （A）, the warm- seasonal plant model （B）, and the non-plant model （C）, were studied in terms of their efficiency in removing pollutants, and the change in root structure of plants in the plant-intercropping model within the vertical-flow con- structed wetlands. The results indicate that model A was able to solve the aforementioned problem. Overall, average removal rates of three pollutants （CODcr, total nitrogen （TN） and total phosphorous （TP）） using model A were significantly higher than those obtained using models B and C （P 〈 0.01）. Moreover, no significant differences in removal rates of the three pollutants were detected between A and B during the higher temperature part of the year （P〉 0.05）. Conversely, removal rates of the three pollutants were found to be significantly higher using model A than those observed using model B during the lower temperature part of the year （P 〈 0.01）. Furthermore, the morphologies and internal structures of plant roots further demonstrate that numerous white roots, whose distribution in soil was generally shallow, extend further under model A. The roots of these aquatic plants have an aerenchyma structure composed of parenchyma cells, therefore, roots of the cold-seasonal plants with major growth advantages used in A were capable of creating a more favorable vertical-flow constructed wetlands media- microenvironment. In conclusion, the plant-intercropping model （A） is more suitable for use in the cold environment experienced by constructed wetland during winter.     

Modeling agricultural non-point source pollution in a high-precipitation coastal area of China

Non-point source （NPS） pollution simulation in the high-precipitation coastal areas of China is difficult because varying annual typhoon incidence leads to highly contrasting rainfall patterns in dry years and wet years. An IMPULSE （Integrated Model of Non-point Sources Pollution Processes） based NPS model of the Changtan Reservoir watershed, which is a typical high-precipitation coastal area in China, was established based on the analysis of point and NPS pollution data, a digital elevation model, and data on land-use, soil, meteorology, economy, and agricultural management practice. Pre-processed pre-rain- fall soil moisture levels were introduced during the simulation to model the effects of typhoons on hydrology. Rainfall events were simulated sequentially through the year and the model was calibrated and verified using hydrological and water quality data. Accuracy of the simulated rainfall runoff and water quality in the Changtan watershed was found to be acceptable. The study showed that the NPS modeling system could be applied to the simulation and prediction ofNPS loadings in the Changtan Reservoir watershed.     

Fully integrated approach: an alternative solution of coupling a GIS and diffuse pollution models

As a tool for management, query, visualization and analysis of spatially referred information, GIS has been recognized as a method to aid the modeling of diffuse pollution and visualize the results in a spatial context. A common question in integrating diffuse pollution models and GIS is to choose a suitable coupling approach, in which the feature of diffuse pollution models should be taken into account. In this paper, we report on our experience in coupling a distributed diffuse pollution model with a GIS. A prototype of fully integrated system is developed in this paper. This system has high flexibility, extendibility and great data management efficiency. Differences in applicability of loose coupling, tight coupling and fully integrated approaches are addressed. It is concluded that the fully integrated approach can avoid tanglesome data exchange and routine execution and more robust than loose and tight coupling approaches and is suitable for distributed diffuse pollution modes.     

Inhibitory kinetics of β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by cadmium北大核心CSCD

Cadmium (Cd2+) pollution in an aquatic environment can negatively affect certain reproductive parameters of aquatic animals. β-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) is considered to play an important role in the fertilization process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Cd2+ on the activity of NAGase purified f rom the testis of Nile tilapia, toward contributing new knowledge on the breadth of negative effects of Cd2+ for Nile tilapia production. The kinetic method of substrate reaction was used for this assessment, and an inhibitory model was established to study the kinetics of NAGase under inhibition by Cd2+. The results showed that Cd2+ could reversibly inhibit the enzymatic activity of NAGase, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration was estimated to be 40.95 mmol/L. Cd2+ was found to be a competitive inhibitor of NAGase, and the inhibitory constant was determined to be 17.13 mmol/L. The microscopic rate constants of inactivation were also determined. Together, these findings demonstrate that Cd2+ is a reversible inhibitor that can competitively inhibit NAGase. These results may provide a theoretical foundation for further studies on the reproduction of tilapia. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Reuse of heavy metal-accumulating Cynondon dactylon in remediation of water contaminated by heavy metals

Phytoremediation technology is regarded as a simple and efficient way to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil. A reasonable disposal of metal hyperaccumulators is always and resource-saving. The a major issue in waste reuse heavy metal-accumulating Cynondon dactylon （L.） was investigated where heavy metals were desorbed by a facile acid-treatment. The result indicated that more than 90% of heavy metals （Zn, Pb and Cu） was extracted from Cynondon daetylon with 0.2 mmol· L^-1 HCl. The plant residue was used to adsorb heavy metals ions. The adsorption fitted the Langmuir isotherm model with the saturation adsorption capacity of 9.5 mg·g^-1 Zn^2＋, 36.2 mg·g^-1 Pb2＋ and 12.9 mg·g^-1 Cu^2＋, and the surface eomplexation and the backfilling of heavy metal imprinting cavities existed simultaneously during the adsorption. The treatment of wastewaters indicated that the plant residue exhibited a high removal rate of 97% for Cu. Also, the material could be recycled. The method offers a new disposal approach for heavy metal hyperaccumulator.     

Vanadium metabolism investigation using substance flow and scenario analysis

Vanadium is a vital strategic resource, and vanadium metabolism is an important part of the national socio-economic system of China. This study conducts accounting and scenario analysis on the life cycle of vanadium metabolism in China. Based on the character- istics of vanadium life cycle and substance flow analysis （SFA） framework, we present a quantitative evaluation of a static anthropogenic vanadium life cycle for the year 2010. Results show that anthropogenic vanadium consumption, stocks, and new domestic scrap are at 98.2, 21.2, and 4.1 kt, respectively; new scrap is usually discarded. The overall utilization ratio of vanadium is 32.2%. A large amount of vanadium is stockpiled into tailings, debris, slags, and other spent solids. A scenario analysis was conducted to analyze the future developmental trend of vanadium metabolism in China based on the SFA frame- work and the qualitative analysis of technology advance- ment and socio-economic development. The baseline year was set as 2010. Several indicators were proposed to simulate different scenarios from 2010 to 2030. The scenario analysis indicates that the next 20 years is a critical period for the vanadium industry in China. This paper discusses relevant policies that contribute to the improvement of sustainable vanadium utilization in China.     

Assessing the potential of crop residue recycling in China and technology options based on a bottom-up model

Crop residues are an important biomass, and are significant in the sustainable development of China. This paper uses the Grey-Markov modeling approach, the cost-benefit analysis method, and the constraint optimiza- tion method to establish the potential of crop residue recycling in China （CRRC） using a bottom-up analysis. Taking 2010 as the baseline year, the CRRC model is used to determine the quantity trends of crop residue resources, simulating the recycling potential and selecting key crop residue recycling technologies for operation between 2010 and 2030. The results illustrate that the total residue output from different crops will gradually increase to 1062 million tons in 2030. The proportion of crop residue for field burning is expected to decrease as a result of guidance and support from the government. Market mechanisms are also improving the development of the crop residue recycling industry. The economic benefit of crop residue recycling is expected to be worth 132 billion CNY in 2030 according to technology structure options. Key crop residue recycling technologies preferred such as liquefaction, amination, silo, co-firing straw power and composting will account for more than 85% of the total benefits.     

Seismic vulnerability assessment of water supply network in Tianjin,China

The water supply network （WSN） system is a critical element of civil infrastructure systems. Its complexity of operation and high number of components mean that all parts of the system cannot be simply assessed. Earthquakes are the most serious natural hazard to a WSN, and seismic risk assessment is essential to identify its vulnerability to different stages of damage and ensure the system safety. In this paper, using a WSN located in the airport area of Tianjin in northern China as a case study, a quantitative vulnerability assessment method was used to assess the damage that the water supply pipelines would suffer in an earthquake, and the finite element software ABAQUS and fuzzy mathematic theory were adopted to construct the assessment method. ABAQUS was applied to simulate the seismic damage to pipe segments and components of the WSN. Membership functions based on fuzzy theory were established to calculate the membership of the components in the system. However, to consider the vulnerability of the whole system, fuzzy cluster analysis was used to distinguish the importance of pipe segments and components. Finally, the vulnerability was quantified by these functions. The proposed methodology aims to assess the performance of WSNs based on pipe vulnerabilities that are simulated and calculated by the model and the mathematical method based on data of damage. In this study, a whole seismic vulnerability assessment method for a WSN was built, and these analyses are expected to provide necessary information for a mitigation plan in an earthquake disaster.     

A model of 90Sr distribution in the sea near Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in China

The impact on the environment ofradionuclide release from nuclear power plants has attracted increased attention, especially after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. Based on the mechanisms of adsorption/desorption at solid/liquid interfaces and a surface micromorphology model of sediments, a theoretical expression of the distribution coefficient Kd is derived. This coefficient has significant effects on the distribution of radionuclide in seawater, suspended sediment and seabed sediment. Kd is then used to simulate ^90Sr transport in the sea near the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant. The simulation results are compared with field measurements of tidal level, current velocity, suspended sediment concentration and ^90Sr concentrations in the same period. Overall, the simulated results agree well with the field measured data. Thus, the derived expression for Ka is capable of interpreting realistic adsorption/desorption processes. What＇s more, conclusion is drawn that about 40% ^90Sr released by Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant will be adsorbed by suspended sediment and 20% by seabed sediment, only about 40% ^90St will remain in the sea near Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in South China Sea.