Cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in Lake Taihu

<正>Lake Taihu is the third largest freshwater lake in China and serves as an important drinking water source for the local populace;however,decades of excessive nutrient loading fueled by anthropogenic activities have resulted in hypertrophic conditions,promoting the annual formation of nuisance phytoplankton blooms(Chen et al.,2003;Duan et al.,2009)     

Alteration of dominant cyanobacteria in different bloom periods caused by abiotic factors and species interactions

Freshwater cyanobacterial blooms have drawn public attention because they threaten the safety of water resources and human health worldwide. Heavy cyanobacterial blooms outbreak in Lake Taihu in summer annually and vanish in other months. To find out the factors impacting the cyanobacterial blooms, the present study measured the physicochemical parameters of water and investigated the composition of microbial community using the 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer amplicon sequencing in the months with or without bloom. The most interesting finding is that two major cyanobacteria, Planktothrix and Microcystis, dramatically alternated during a cyanobacterial bloom in 2016, which is less mentioned in previous studies. When the temperature of the water began increasing in July, Planktothrix appeared first and showed as a superior competitor for M. aeruginosa in NO₃^?-rich conditions. Microcystis became the dominant genus when the water temperature increased further in August. Laboratory experiments confirmed the influence of temperature and the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) form on the growth of Planktothrix and Microcystis in a co-culture system. Besides, species interactions between cyanobacteria and non-cyanobacterial microorganisms, especially the prokaryotes, also played a key role in the alteration of Planktothrix and Microcystis. The present study exhibited the alteration of two dominant cyanobacteria in the different bloom periods caused by the temperature, TDN forms as well as the species interactions. These results helped the better understanding of cyanobacterial blooms and the factors which contribute to them.     

扰动和加藻共同作用下太湖沉积物中形态磷变化规律

为了阐明反复扰动下,不同初始浓度藻对沉积物中各形态磷释放的影响.以太湖梅梁湾沉积物和上覆水作为研究材料,探讨了扰动和藻类共同作用下沉积物中各形态磷的变化规律.结果表明,无扰动状态下,NH4Cl-P和Res-P均有所降低,而Fe/Al-P和Ca-P则有所增加.其中,Ca-P随藻类初始浓度增加而增加,分别增加48%、66%、74%.但是,扰动状态下,NH4Cl-P和Res-P也明显降低.Fe/Al-P明显增加,其占总磷的百分比为66.2%(3组试验的平均值)高于不扰动状态(53.4%,3组试验的平均值);此外,Ca-P占总磷的百分比为24.1%(3组扰动试验的平均值)明显低于不扰动状态(33.0%,3组试验的平均值).这暗示了扰动和藻类共同作用下促进了Fe/Al-P的形成,而无扰动下藻类却促进了Ca-P的形成.     

Formation of sulfur oxide groups by SO2 and their roles in mercury adsorption on carbon-based materials

The presence of SO₂ display significant effect on the mercury (Hg) adsorption ability of carbon-based sorbent. Yet the adsorption and oxidation of SO₂ on carbon with oxygen group, as well as the roles of different sulfur oxide groups in Hg adsorption have heretofore been unclear. The formation of sulfur oxide groups by SO₂ and their effects on Hg adsorption on carbon was detailed examined by the density functional theory. The results show that SO₂ can be oxidized into SO₃ by oxygen group on carbon surface. Both C-SO₂ and C-SO₃ can improve Hg adsorption on carbon site, while the promotive effect of C-SO₂ is stronger than C-SO₃. Electron density difference analyses reveal that sulfur oxide groups enhance the charge transfer ability of surface unsaturated carbon atom, thereby improving Hg adsorption. The experimental results confirm that surface active groups formed by SO₂ adsorption is more active for Hg adsorption than the groups generated by SO₃.     

巢湖流域氮磷面源污染与水华空间分布遥感解析

基于遥感监测手段,分别应用DPeRS模型和MODIS水华提取方法对巢湖流域氮磷面源污染特征和巢湖水体水华爆发规律进行遥感像元尺度解析,结果表明: 2010年巢湖流域总氮产生量为1900.3t,入河量为846.5t;总磷为244.1t,入河量为76t.巢湖流域农业面源污染对氮素污染贡献最大,而水土流失则对磷面源污染贡献最大;综合巢湖流域氮磷面源污染和水华爆发的时空特征分析,明确氮磷面源污染与巢湖水华具有相关性,并且时间上水华爆发频率较氮磷面源污染具有先滞后后同步的特征,且面源污染负荷与水华爆发面积的相关系数为0.45;在空间上,面源污染负荷较大区域与水华爆发频度较高区域也有较好的匹配性;基于这种相关性,应用DPeRS模型对巢湖流域进行氮磷减排情景分析,结果表明在施肥量减少30%,农村生活垃圾处理率提高到60%,畜禽粪便处理率和城市垃圾处理率提高到80%的情况下,氮磷面源污染平均削减率可以达到50%.     

蓝藻暴发对巢湖表层沉积物氮磷及形态分布的影响

以巢湖表层沉积物及上覆水体为对象,于蓝藻暴发前(4月)和蓝藻暴发期(7月)采集水样及沉积物样品,分析了氮磷及其形态赋存特征,并探讨了沉积物氮磷及其形态与蓝藻暴发的关系.结果发现,蓝藻暴发时,巢湖表层沉积物总磷减少,总氮增加,同时削弱了磷在空间上分布的异质性.从氮磷形态来看,蓝藻暴发未造成巢湖表层沉积物氮形态(NH4+-N、NO3--N和Org-N)含量和比例的明显波动,但却造成了活性磷(弱吸附态磷和铁铝结合态磷之和)含量及比例的下降,钙结合态磷(Ca-P)以及有机磷(OP)含量及比例增加,生物有效性磷(AAP)的含量的减小.相关性分析表明,上覆水中叶绿素a(Chl-a)的浓度与铁铝结合态磷(Fe/Al-P)以及有机磷(OP)的含量显著相关(P<0.05),却与氮形态(铵态氮,硝态氮和有机氮)相关性不显著.巢湖沉积物磷(Fe/Al-P及AAP)对巢湖水体蓝藻暴发具有促进作用,而氮及其形态对蓝藻暴发作用较弱.     

Identification of unknown disinfection byproducts in drinking water produced from Taihu Lake source water

Although disinfection byproducts(DBPs) in drinking water have been suggested as a cancer causing factor, the causative compounds have not yet been clarified. In this study, we used liquid chromatography quadrupole-time-of-flight spectrometry(LC-QTOF MS) to identify the unknown disinfection byproducts(DBPs) in drinking water produced from Taihu Lake source water, which is known as a convergence point for the anthropogenic pollutants discharged from intensive industrial activities in the surroundi...     

Impacts of pollution heterogeneity on population exposure in dense urban areas using ultra-fine resolution air quality data

Traditional air quality data have a spatial resolution of 1 km or above, making it challenging to resolve detailed air pollution exposure in complex urban areas. Combining urban morphology, dynamic traffic emission, regional and local meteorology, physicochemical transformations in air quality models using big data fusion technology, an ultra-fine resolution modeling system was developed to provide air quality data down to street level. Based on one-year ultra-fine resolution data, this study investigated the effects of pollution heterogeneity on the individual and population exposure to particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and ozone (O₃) in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated and urbanized cities. Sharp fine-scale variabilities in air pollution were revealed within individual city blocks. Using traditional 1 km average to represent individual exposure resulted in a positively skewed deviation of up to 200% for high-end exposure individuals. Citizens were disproportionally affected by air pollution, with annual pollutant concentrations varied by factors of 2 to 5 among 452 District Council Constituency Areas (DCCAs) in Hong Kong, indicating great environmental inequities among the population. Unfavorable city planning resulted in a positive spatial coincidence between pollution and population, which increased public exposure to air pollutants by as large as 46% among districts in Hong Kong. Our results highlight the importance of ultra-fine pollutant data in quantifying the heterogeneity in pollution exposure in the dense urban area and the critical role of smart urban planning in reducing exposure inequities.     

Effects of reductive inorganics and NOM on the formation of chlorite in the chlorine dioxide disinfection of drinking water

Chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) disinfection usually does not produce halogenated disinfection by-products, but the formation of the inorganic by-product chlorite (ClO₂^–) is a serious consideration. In this study, the ClO₂^– formation rule in the ClO₂ disinfection of drinking water was investigated in the presence of three representative reductive inorganics and four natural organic matters (NOMs), respectively. Fe²⁺ and S^2– mainly reduced ClO₂ to ClO₂^– at low concentrations. When ClO₂ was consumed, the ClO₂^– would be further reduced by Fe²⁺ and S^2–, leading to the decrease of ClO₂^–. The reaction efficiency of Mn²⁺ with ClO₂ was lower than that of Fe²⁺ and S^2–. It might be the case that MnO₂ generated by the reaction between Mn²⁺ and ClO₂ had adsorption and catalytic oxidation on Mn²⁺. However, Mn²⁺ would not reduce ClO₂^–. Among the four NOMs, humic acid and fulvic acid reacted with ClO₂ actively, followed by bovine serum albumin, while sodium alginate had almost no reaction with ClO₂. The maximum ClO₂^– yields of reductive inorganics (70%) was higher than that of NOM (around 60%). The lower the concentration of reductive substances, the more ClO₂^– could be produced by per unit concentration of reductive substances. The results of the actual water samples showed that both reductive inorganics and NOM played an important role in the formation of ClO₂^– in disinfection.     

Biodegradable dissolved organic carbon shapes bacterial community structures and co-occurrence patterns in large eutrophic Lake Taihu

Interactions between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and bacteria are central in the biogeochemical cycles of aquatic ecosystems; however, the relative importance of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) compared with other environmental variables in structuring the bacterial communities needs further investigation. Here, we investigated bacterial communities, chromophoric DOM (CDOM) characteristics and physico-chemical parameters as well as examined BDOC via bioassay incubations in large eutrophic Lake Taihu, China, to explore the importance of BDOC for shaping bacterial community structures and co-occurrence patterns. We found that the proportion of BDOC (%BDOC) correlated significantly and positively with the DOC concentration and the index of the contribution of recent produced autochthonous CDOM (BIX). %BDOC, further correlated positively with the relative abundance of the tryptophan-like component and negatively with CDOM aromaticity, indicating that autochthonous production of protein-like CDOM was an important source of BDOC. The richness of the bacterial communities correlated negatively with %BDOC, indicating an enhanced number of species in the refractory DOC environments. %BDOC was identified as a significant stronger factor than DOC in shaping bacterial community composition and the co-occurrence network, suggesting that substrate biodegradability is more significant than DOC quantity determining the bacterial communities in a eutrophic lake. Environmental factors explained a larger proportion of the variation in the conditionally rare and abundant subcommunity than for the abundant and the rare bacterial subcommunities. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering bacteria with different abundance patterns and DOC biodegradability when studying the interactions between DOM and bacteria in eutrophic lakes.     

A SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of prioritised pharmaceuticals and EDCs with high environmental risk potential in freshwater

This work describes the development, optimisation and validation of an analytical method for the rapid determination of 17 priority pharmaceutical compounds and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Rather than studying compounds from the same therapeutic class, the analyses aimed to determine target compounds with the highest risk potential (with particular regard to Scotland), providing a tool for further monitoring in different water matrices. Prioritisation was based on a systematic environmental risk assessment approach, using consumption data; wastewater treatment removal efficiency; environmental occurrence; toxicological effects; and pre-existing regulatory indicators. This process highlighted 17 compounds across various therapeutic classes, which were then quantified, at environmentally relevant concentrations, by a single analytical methodology. Analytical determination was achieved using a single-step solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure followed by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The fully optimised method performed well for the majority of target compounds, with recoveries >71% for 15 of 17 analytes. The limits of quantification for most target analytes (14 of 17) ranged from 0.07 ng/L to 1.88 ng/L in river waters. The utility of this method was then demonstrated using real water samples associated with a rural hospital/setting. Eight compounds were targeted and detected, with the highest levels found for the analgesic, paracetamol (at up to 105,910 ng/L in the hospital discharge). This method offers a robust tool to monitor high priority pharmaceutical and EDC levels in various aqueous sample matrices.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a sediment core from Lake Taihu and their associations with sedimentary organic matter

Sediment core is the recorder of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutions and the associated sedimentary organic matter (SOM), acting as crucial supports for pollution control and environmental management. Here, the sedimentary records of PAHs and SOM in the past century in Lake Taihu, China, were reconstructed from a 50-cm sediment core. On the one hand, the presence of PAHs ranged from 8.99 to 199.2 ng/g. Vertically, PAHs declined with the depth increased, and the sedimentation history of PAHs was divided into two stages with a discontinuity at 20 cm depth. In composition, PAHs in the sediment core were dominated by three-ring PAHs (44.6% ± 9.1%, mean ± standard deviation), and were followed by four-ring (27.0% ± 3.3%), and five-ring (12.1% ± 4.0%) PAHs. In toxicity assessment, the sedimentary records of benzo[a]pyrene-based toxic equivalency were well described by an exponential model with R-square of 0.95, and the environmental background toxic value was identified as 1.62 ng/g. On the other hand, different components of SOM were successfully identified by n-alkane markers (p < 0.01) and the variations of SOM were well explained (84.6%). A discontinuity of SOM was recognized at 22 cm depth. Association study showed that the sedimentary PAHs were associated with both anthropogenic and biogenic SOM (p < 0.05) with explained variances for most individual PAHs of 60%. It indicated the vertical distributions of PAHs were driven by sedimentary SOM. Therefore, environmental processes such as biogenic factors should attract more attentions as well as PAH emissions to reduce the impacts of PAHs.     

Review on corrosion and corrosion scale formation upon unlined cast iron pipes in drinking water distribution systems

The qualified finished water from water treatment plants (WTPs) may become discolored and deteriorated during transportation in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs), which affected tap water quality seriously. This water stability problem often occurs due to pipe corrosion and the destabilization of corrosion scales. This paper provides a comprehensive review of pipe corrosion in DWDSs, including corrosion process, corrosion scale formation, influencing factors and monitoring technologies utilized in DWDSs. In terms of corrosion process, corrosion occurrence, development mechanisms, currently applied assays, and indices used to determine the corrosion possibility are summarized, as well as the chemical and bacterial influences. In terms of scale formation, explanations for the nature of corrosion and scale formation mechanisms are discussed and its typical multilayered structure is illustrated. Furthermore, the influences of water quality and microbial activity on scale transformation are comprehensively discussed. Corrosion-related bacteria at the genus level and their associated corrosion mechanism are also summarized. This review helps deepen the current understanding of pipe corrosion and scale formation in DWDSs, providing guidance for water supply utilities to ensure effective measures to maintain water quality stability and guarantee drinking water safety.     

Microbiological quality of roof tank water in an urban village in southeastern China

Urban villages are unique residential neighborhoods in urban areas in China. Roof tanks are their main form of water supply, and water quality deterioration might occur in this system because of poor hygienic conditions and maintenance. In this study, water samples were seasonally collected from an urban village to investigate the influence of roof tanks as an additional water storage device on the variation in the microbial community structure and pathogenic gene markers. Water stagnation in th...     

Transformation and migration of phosphorus in excess sludge reduction pretreatment by alkaline ferrate oxidation combined with anaerobic digestion

Recently,more and more attention has been paid to the strong oxidation ability of newly prepared potassium ferrate(NAPF) in sludge reduction process,but less attention has been paid to the change of phosphorus in this process.The feasibility of phosphorus migration and transformation during excess sludge reduction pretre atment using NAPF pre-oxidation combined with anaerobic digestion was investigated.After 70 mg/g suspended solids NAPF pretreatment and 16 days anaerobic digestion,the solid-phase volatile suspended solids decreased by 44.2%,and much organic matter had been released into the liquid-phase and then degraded during digestion by indigenous microorganisms.As the sludge pre-oxidation process was performed,solid-phase organic phosphorus and chemically combined phosphorus also released into the liquid-phase as PO_4~(3-),peaking at 100 mg/L.During anaerobic digestion,the Fe~(3+)in the liquid-phase was gradually reduced to Fe~(2+),and then formed Fe~(2+)-PO_4~(3-) compound crystals and re-migrated to the solid-phase.The concentration of PO_4~(3-) decreased to 17.08± 1.1 mg/L in the liquid-phase after anaerobic digestion.Finally,the phosphorus in the Fe~(2+)-PO_4~(3-) compound accounts for 80% of the total phosphorus in the solid-phase.A large number of vivianite crystals in sludge were observed.Therefore,this technology not only effectively reduces sludge,but also increases the proportion of PO_4~(3-)in the sludge in the form of Vivianite.     

Nano-selenium controlled cadmium accumulation and improved photosynthesis in indica rice cultivated in lead and cadmium combined paddy soils

Selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) are less toxic and more biocompatible than selenite or selenate. However, studies involving spraying with Se NPs for reducing accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in rice grains have been rarely reported as yet. Herein, indica rice seedlings cultivated in Cd+Pb-spiked paddy soils (denoted as positive control) were sprayed with Se NPs sols for four times from tillering to booting stage. Compared to positive control, 50–100 μmol/L Se NPs downregulated Cd transporters-related genes such as OsLCT1, OsHMA2 and OsCCX2 in leaves and OsLCT1, OsPCR1 and OsCCX2 genes in node I at filling stage. Meanwhile, Se-binding protein 1 was distinctly elevated, involving the repression of Cd and Pb transportation to rice grains. Se NPs also differentially improved RuBP carboxylase and chlorophylls especially some key genes and proteins involving photosynthetic system. Besides, 25–50 μmol/L Se NPs diminished reactive oxygen species overproduction from NADPH oxidases whereas boosted glutathione peroxidase, reducing protein carbonylation in rice seedlings. However, the antioxidant isozymes and oxidatively modified proteins were slightly rebounded at 100 μmol/L. Se contents were noticeably elevated and confirmed to exist as selenomethionine in the rice grains following all the treatments by Se NPs. Thus, the optimal dosage of Se NPs for foliar application is 50 μmol/L, which significantly decreased Cd accumulation, improved photosynthesis and Se enrichment whereas caused no distinct reduction of Pb in the grains. Thus, an appropriate dosage of Se NPs can be conducted to decrease Cd accumulation, improve photosynthesis, and organic Se contents in rice grains.     

Significant concurrent decrease in PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations in China during COVID-19 epidemic

The strict control measures and social lockdowns initiated to combat COVID-19 epidemic have had a notable impact on air pollutant concentrations. According to observation data obtained from the China National Environmental Monitoring Center, compared to levels in 2019, the average concentration of NO₂ in early 2020 during COVID-19 epidemic has decreased by 53%, 50%, and 30% in Wuhan city, Hubei Province (Wuhan excluded), and China (Hubei excluded), respectively. Simultaneously, PM_2.5 concentration has decreased by 35%, 29%, and 19% in Wuhan, Hubei (Wuhan excluded), and China (Hubei excluded), respectively. Less significant declines have also been found for SO₂ and CO concentrations. We also analyzed the temporal variation and spatial distribution of air pollutant concentrations in China during COVID-19 epidemic. The decreases in PM_2.5 and NO₂ concentrations showed relatively consistent temporal variation and spatial distribution. These results support control of NO_x to further reduce PM_2.5 pollution in China. The concurrent decrease in NO_x and PM_2.5 concentrations resulted in an increase of O₃ concentrations across China during COVID-19 epidemic, indicating that coordinated control of other pollutants is needed.