Enhanced adsorption of phosphate by loading nanosized ferric oxyhydroxide on anion resin

Ferric oxyhydroxide loaded anion exchanger （FOAE） hybrid adsorbent was prepared by loading nanosized ferric oxyhydroxide （FO） on anion exchanger resin for the removal of phosphate from wastewater. TEM and XRD analysis confirmed the existence of FO on FOAE. After FO loading, the adsorption capacity of the hybrid adsorbent increased from 38.70 to 51.52mg.g-1. Adsorption processes for both FOAE and anion resin were better fit to the pseudo first order model. Batch adsorption experiments revealed that higher temperature （313K）, higher initial phosphate concentration （50 mg.L-1） and lower solution pH （pH value of 2） would be more propitious to phosphate adsorption. Competition effect of coexisting anions on phosphate removal can be concluded as sulfate 〉 nitrate 〉 chloride. Freundlich isotherm model can describe the adsorption of phosphate on FOAE more accurately, which indicated the heterogeneous adsorption occurred on the inner-surface of FOAE.     

Holly (Ilex Aquifolium L.) As Zinc and Cadmium Accumulative Indicator in Biogeochemical Prospecting

The results of previous investigations in mineralized and sterile areas of Tuscany (Italy) appeared to point out the special aptitude of holly (Ilex aquifolium L.) in concentrating cadmium and zinc. in the present paper this behaviour has been verified in a mineralized area of Lombardy (Northern Italy).

Samples of leaves, twigs and barks from holly trees were collected, and metal contents (Zn, Cd, and Pb) have been determined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). for comparison, some samples of wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa L.) and soil were also analyzed.

The data obtained confirm a preferential cadmium and zinc accumulation by holly (up to 16 and 1400 μg g^-1 dry weight, respectively) also depending on different vegetal organs and vegetative stages of plants. Highest contents of lead have been recovered in the outer portion of bark.     

Factors affecting arsenic concentration in groundwater in West Bengal

Groundwater is the major source of drinking water for the population in Malda district, West Bengal. Holocene sediments from Himalayas have contaminated those places through the river Ganges and arsenic was found a potential groundwater contaminant. Field and laboratory experiments were attempted to identify the relationship between arsenic versus Eh of groundwater and content specific elements (As, Co, Mn, Fe, C and S) in different types of Holocene sediments on a freshly constructed wells. Arsenic versus Eh of groundwater and Holocene clay over Holocene sand were found performing a major role in the aquifers of arsenic affected areas.     

Biogeochemical properties and potential risk of shallow arsenic-rich sediment layers to groundwater quality in Western Bangladesh

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The arsenic-contaminated groundwater has attracted attention in much south and southeast Asian deltas, however, mainly on the deep aquifers. Here, arsenic...     

Biogeochemical zonation of sulfur during the discharge of groundwater to lake in desert plateau (Dakebo Lake,NW China)

As one of the important elements of controlling the redox system within the hyporheic and hypolentic zone, sulfur is involved in a series of complex biogeochemical processes such as carbon cycle, water acidification, formation of iron and manganese minerals, redox processes of trace metal elements and a series of important ecological processes. Previous studies on biogeochemistry of the hyporheic and hypolentic zones mostly concentrated on nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorus, heavy metals and other pollutants. Systematic study of biogeochemical behavior of sulfur and its main controlling factors within the lake hypolentic zone is very urgent and important. In this paper, a typical desert plateau lake, Dakebo Lake in northwestern China, was taken for example within which redox zonation and biogeochemical characteristics of sulfur affected by hydrodynamic conditions were studied based on not only traditional hydrochemical analysis, but also environmental isotope evidence. In the lake hypolentic zone of the study area, due to the different hydrodynamic conditions, vertical profile of sulfur species and environmental parameters differ at the two sites of the lake (western side and center). Reduction of sulfate, deposition and oxidation of sulfide, dissolution and precipitation of sulfur-bearing minerals occurred are responded well to Eh, dissolved oxygen, pH, organic carbon and microorganism according to which the lake hypolentic zone can be divided into reduced zone containing H₂S, reduced zone containing no H₂S, transition zone and oxidized zone. The results of this study provide valuable insights for understanding sulfur conversion processes and sulfur biogeochemical zonation within a lake hypolentic zone in an extreme plateau arid environment and for protecting the lake–wetland ecosystem in arid and semiarid regions.     

桑沟湾溶解态汞的生物地球化学行为

作为一种毒性极强的重金属元素,汞在海洋中可以通过海洋生物的呼吸、摄食和吸附等过程被利用,并在沿食物链传递的过程中不断富集,最终危害人类的健康。利用冷原子荧光光度法(CV-AFS)对2011年4月、8月、10月和2012年1月桑沟湾溶解态无机汞(DIHg)和溶解态有机汞(DOHg)的含量进行了测定。结果表明,桑沟湾四个季节DIHg的浓度范围分别为52~865、131~359、31~134和22~119 pmol·L-1,DOHg的浓度范围分别为37~214、52~635、21~98和未检出~51 pmol·L-1。桑沟湾DIHg和DOHg具有相似的分布特征,均呈现出从近岸向外海逐渐降低的趋势,有明显的季节变化。桑沟湾DIHg和DOHg的周日变化与潮汐呈现出较好的负相关关系,且存在明显的昼夜差异。影响桑沟湾DIHg和DOHg分布的主要因素包括河流和地下水的输入、大气的干湿沉降、与黄海的交换、活性气态汞(Hg0)在海-气界面的交换、表层水体发生的光化学还原反应以及养殖生物的清除等。通过初步计算,桑沟湾溶解态汞(TDHg)的存留时间约为(1.27±0.53)年,远远低于大洋。根据美国国家环境保护局汞的质量标准和我国地表水环境质量标准,桑沟湾没有明显的汞污染。但海产品体内富集的汞可能会带来潜在的生态危机和食品安全问题,需要相关部门加以重视,确保桑沟湾养殖产业的平衡发展。     

广东和海南红树林的生物地球化学特征

本文研究了广东和海南红树林的土壤,植物叶子和死地被物的化学成分以及它们之间的相互关系,并与相同地区的一些植物群落进行比较,从而探讨红树林的生物地球化学特征。结果表明,红树林的土壤和植物的某些化学成分含量较高,尤其是Na和Ca的含量较为突出。另外,虽然海岸带海水的pH＞8,土壤都呈酸性。红树林的养分利用率只有N较高,其余大多数元素都较低。红树林的生物吸收率和生物归还率通常也较低,但其大多数元素的生物分解率则较高。     

Investigation of As, Mn and Fe fixation inside the aquifer during groundwater exploitation in the experimental system imitated natural conditions

Water-dissolved oxygen was supplied into anaerobic aquifer , which oxidized Fe(II), Mn(II) and trivalent arsenic and changed them into undissolved solid matter through hydrolysis, precipitation, co-precipitation and adsorption processes. The experiment was carried out on the column imitated a bore core of anaerobic aquifer with water phase containing Fe(II), Mn(II), As(III) concentration of 45.12 mg/L, 14.52 mg/L, 219.4 μg/L, respectively and other ions similarly composition in groundwater. After 6 days of air supply, concentration of iron reduced to 0.38 mg/L, manganese to 0.4 mg/L, arsenic to 9.8 μg/L (equivalent 99.16% of iron, 97.25% of manganese and 95.53% of arsenic fixed), and for other ions, the concentration changed almost according to general principles. Ion phosphate and silicate strongly influenced on arsenic removal but supported iron and manganese precipitation from water phase. Based on the experimental results, new model of groundwater exploitation was proposed.     

Biogeochemical consequences of rapid microbial turnover and seasonal succession in soil

Soil microbial communities have the metabolic and genetic capability to adapt to changing environmental conditions on very short time scales. In this paper we combine biogeochemical and molecular approaches to reveal this potential, showing that microbial biomass can turn over on time scales of days to months in soil, resulting in a succession of microbial communities over the course of a year. This new understanding of the year-round turnover and succession of microbial communities allows us for the first time to propose a temporally explicit N cycle that provides mechanistic hypotheses to explain both the loss and retention of dissolved organic N (DON) and inorganic N (DIN) throughout the year in terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, our results strongly support the hypothesis that turnover of the microbial community is the largest source of DON and DIN for plant uptake during the plant growing season. While this model of microbial biogeochemistry is derived from observed dynamics in the alpine, we present several examples from other ecosystems to indicate that the general ideas of biogeochemical fluxes being linked to turnover and succession of microbial communities are applicable to a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems.     

Biogeochemical study of areas of sulphide mineralisation in eastern Thrace,Greece

The uptake of copper, lead and zinc by plants in several areas of sulphide mineralisation in eastern Thrace, Greece, has been studied. Two indicator plants for sulphide deposits in central Macedonia,Rumex acetosella L. andMinuartia verna (L.) Hiern, have not been found on Thracian soils high in sulphides. However, the widespread speciesHypericum perforatum L. andScleranthus perennis L. are tolerant of the elevated metal levels in these soils. AlthoughH. perforatum is not useful as a biogeochemical indicator, the levels of Cu, Pb and Zn inS. perennis were found to be strongly correlated with the corresponding concentrations in the soil.     

Fe and As geochemical self-removal dynamics in mineral waters: evidence from the Ferrarelle groundwater system (Riardo Plain,Southern Italy)

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - A theoretical pattern for Fe and As co-precipitation was tested directly in a groundwater natural system. Several monitoring wells were sampled to identify...     

Trace Metals in Marine Environment in Relation to the Study of Their Biogeochemical Cycle

Concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc are measured in the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea in relation to waste sources and the biogeochemical cycle. These concentrations were not significantly elevated in the abiotic components of the marine environment and it is concluded that they have a low residence time in these waters.     

Biogeochemical characterization of surface waters in the Aljustrel mining area (South Portugal)

Aljustrel mining area (South Portugal) is a part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt and encloses six sulfide mineral masses. This mine is classified of high environmental risk due to the large tailings’ volume and acid mine drainage (AMD)-affected waters generated by sulfides’ oxidation. The use of biological indicators (e.g., diatoms) revealed to be an important tool to address the degree of AMD contamination in waters. Multivariate analysis has been used as a relevant approach for the characterization of AMD processes. Cluster analysis was used to integrate the significant amount and diversity of variables (physicochemical and biological), discriminating the different types of waters, characterized by the high complexity occurring in this region. The distinction of two main marked phenomena was achieved: (1) the circumneutral-Na-Cl water type (sites DA, PF, BX, BF, RO, CB), expressing the geological contributions of the Cenozoic sediments of Sado river basin, with high diatom diversity (predominating brackish diatoms as Entomoneis alata); and (2) the acid–metal-sulfated water type (sites BM, JU, RJ, AA, MR, BE, PC, AF), reflecting both the AMD contamination and the dissolution of minerals (e.g., silicates) from the hosting rocks, potentiated by the extremely low pH. This last group of sites showed lower diatom diversity but with typical diatoms from acid- and metal-contaminated waters (e.g., Pinnularia aljustrelica). In addition to these two water types, this hierarchical classification method also allowed to distinguish individual cases in subclusters, for example, treated dams (DC, DD), with alkaline substances (lime/limestone), that changed the physicochemical dynamics of the contaminated waters.

     

Influence of groundwater recharge and well characteristics on dissolved arsenic concentrations in southeastern Michigan groundwater

Arsenic concentrations exceeding 10 μg/l, the United States maximum contaminant level and the World Health Organization guideline value, are frequently reported in groundwater from bedrock and unconsolidated aquifers of southeastern Michigan. Although arsenic-bearing minerals (including arsenian pyrite and oxide/hydroxide phases) have been identified in Marshall Sandstone bedrock of the Mississippian aquifer system and in tills of the unconsolidated aquifer system, mechanisms responsible for arsenic mobilization and subsequent transport in groundwater are equivocal. Recent evidence has begun to suggest that groundwater recharge and characteristics of well construction may affect arsenic mobilization and transport. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between dissolved arsenic concentrations, reported groundwater recharge rates, well construction characteristics, and geology in unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers. Results of multiple linear regression analyses indicate that arsenic contamination is more prevalent in bedrock wells that are cased in proximity to the bedrock-unconsolidated interface; no other factors were associated with arsenic contamination in water drawn from bedrock or unconsolidated aquifers. Conditions appropriate for arsenic mobilization may be found along the bedrock-unconsolidated interface, including changes in reduction/oxidation potential and enhanced biogeochemical activity because of differences between geologic strata. These results are valuable for understanding arsenic mobilization and guiding well construction practices in southeastern Michigan, and may also provide insights for other regions faced with groundwater arsenic contamination.     

Diurnal variation of nitrogen cycling in coastal,marine sediments

A closed chamber technique was developed to determine the emission of microbially produced N₂O from an estuarine sediment. A diurnal variation was observed; maximum emissions of 0.4 to 4.0 mol N₂O–N m^-2 h^-1 were recorded at night whereas the rates were low or even negative, -0.4 to 0.4 mol N₂O–N m^-2 h^-1, during the day. The bacterial denitrification located in the uppermost centimeter was apparently the major source of the emitted N₂O. The diurnal emission pattern was thus inversely related to the O₂ availability at the sediment surface; in the dark, the lack of O₂ production by benthic photosynthesis allowed the denitrification to occur closer to the sediment-water interface and was likely to enhance the release of N₂O to the water. The daily averages for the emission were about 40 mol N₂O–N m^-2 d^-1 for three investigation periods in autumn (November), winter (February) and spring (April), whereas no significant emission was recorded in the NO ₃ ^- -depleted sediment in early summer (June). In this estuary, the N₂O emissions from the sediment were significant contributions to the overall release of N₂O to the atmosphere.     

Arsenic and fluoride in the groundwater of Mexico

Concentrations of arsenic and fluoride above Mexican drinking water standards have been detected in aquifers of various areas of Mexico. This contamination has been found to be mainly caused by natural sources. However, the specific processes releasing these toxic elements into groundwater have been determined in a few zones only. Many studies, focused on arsenic-related health effects, have been performed at Comarca Lagunera in northern México. High concentrations of fluoride in water were also found in this area. The origin of the arsenic there is still controversial. Groundwater in active mining areas has been polluted by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Arsenic-rich minerals contaminate the fractured limestone aquifer at Zimapán, Central México. Tailings and deposits smelter-rich fumes polluted the shallow granular aquifer. Arsenic contamination has also been reported in the San Antonio-El Triunfo mining zone, southern Baja California, and Santa María de la Paz, in San Luis Potosí state. Even in the absence of mining activities, hydrogeochemistry and statistical techniques showed that arsenopyrite oxidation may also contaminate water, as in the case of the Independencia aquifer in the Mexican Altiplano. High concentrations of arsenic have also been detected in geothermal areas like Los Azufres, Los Humeros, and Acoculco. Prevalence of dental fluorosis was revealed by epidemiological studies in Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí states. Presence of fluoride in water results from dissolution of acid-volcanic rocks. In Mexico, groundwater supplies most drinking water. Current knowledge and the geology of Mexico indicate the need to include arsenic and fluoride determinations in groundwater on a routine basis, and to develop interdisciplinary studies to assess the contaminant's sources in all enriched areas.     

Studies on catalytic reduction of nitrate in groundwater

Catalytic reduction of nitrate in groundwater by sodium formate over the catalyst was investigated. Pd-Cu/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst was prepared by impregnation and characterized by brunauer-emmett-teller (BET), inductive coupled plasma (ICP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). It was found that total nitrogen was effectively removed from the nitrate solution (100 mg/L) and the removal efficiency was 87%. The catalytic activity was affected by pH, catalyst amount used, concentration of sodium formate, and initial concentration of nitrate. As sodium formate was used as reductant, precise control in the initial pH was needed. Excessively high or low initial pH (7.0 or 3.0) reduced catalytic activity. At initial pH of 4.5, catalytic activity was enhanced by reducing the amount of catalyst, while concentrations of sodium formate increased with a considerable decrease in N₂ selectivity. In which case, catalytic reduction followed the first order kinetics.     

河套灌区地下水氮污染状况

河套灌区浅层地下水氮浓度和地下水埋深的季节变化规律调查结果表明:3月地下水NO3--N和TN浓度显著高于5、7和9月,地下水埋深也比5月和7月深。不同类型的井水N浓度差异较大:农田与庭院的井水NO3--N浓度显著高于村庄附近的井水,而NH4+-N和TN则表现为庭院井水浓度显著高于农田和村庄。地下水氮形态以NO3--N为主,全年17.1%的水井地下水NO3--N浓度高于10 mg.L-1,最高达184.4 mg.L-1。在灌溉量和其他生产条件相同的情况下,沙壕渠试验站农场内施肥区井水NO3--N浓度[(17.55±15.02)mg.L-1]明显高于未施肥区[(7.67±4.48)mg.L-1],且65.5%的水样NO3--N浓度超过WHO规定的生活饮用水NO3--N浓度上限值(10 mg.L-1),而未施肥区仅有27.6%的水样超标。井水NO3--N的来源主要为农田氮肥与动物粪肥,当地地下水NO3--N污染已不容忽视。     

外源Mo降低As(III)和As(V)对水稻的毒性及As的积累

通过溶液培养试验,研究外源添加Mo对2种价态砷(As(III)和As(V))胁迫下水稻吸收积累Mo和As的影响。结果表明,这2种价态的As对水稻生长均有抑制作用,As(III)比As(V)对水稻毒害更明显,添加Mo可缓解As对水稻的毒害。As添加可影响水稻根系和茎叶对Mo的吸收积累,但是不同价态As对Mo积累量的影响不一致。同时,Mo的添加也可以显著地降低水稻根系和茎叶对2个价态As的吸收积累。在100 μmol?L^-1 As(III)处理下,添加0.1和0.5 mg?L^-1的Mo可导致水稻根系As积累量分别比对照处理降低38.8%和52.8%,茎叶As积累量分别降低5.1%和10.6%;当As(V)浓度为100 μmol?L^-1时,添加0.1和0.5 mg?L^-1的Mo可导致水稻根系As积累量分别比对照处理降低15.4%和62.4%,茎叶As积累量分别降低11.9%和23.7%。Mo的添加还能显著地降低2种价态As在水稻根系和茎叶中的富集系数。因此,通过施用适量的Mo肥可以用来防治农田As污染,降低As对人体健康的危害。