An improved and simple method for removal of arsenic from drinking water

<正>Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring element. The toxicity of arsenic is dependent on the specific arsenic species, and the concentration and duration of exposure to the arsenic species(Moe et al., 2016). Chronic human exposure to high concentrations of inorganic arsenic species has been associated with     

Use of Azotobacter sp.as an indicator to detect the toxicity of heavy metals in soils

A physiological strain of microorganism - Azotobacter sp. has been adopted as an indicator to detect the toxicity of heavy metals in soils. The concentration of heavy metals to which Azotobacter sp. was behaving initially to have the resistance to heavy metals is defined as the critical poisoning concentration. The method of physiological threshold adopted can have a quantitative determination with reproducible results. The determined critical poisoning concentration is basically consistent with the results of heavy metals and arsenic toxicities to the bacteria reported recently in literatures. Total 9 typical soils, including 6 zonal soils and 3 purple soils, in the whole country were determined for the toxicities of 5 heavy metals and arsenic to Azotobacter sp. that resulted in 48 critical poisoning concentrations.     

Determination of arsenic in air particulates and diesel exhaust particulates by spectrophotometry

A method was developed for the determination of trace arsenic by spectrophotometry. The proposed method is rapid, simple,and inexpensive. This method can be used for sensitive determination of trace arsenic in environmental samples and especially in air particulates. The results obtained by this method as a proposed method were compared with those obtained by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry as a popular reported method for the determination of arsenic and an excellent agreement was found between them. The method was also used for determination of arsenic associated with airborne particulate matter and diesel exhaust particulates.The results showed that considerable amount of arsenic are associated with diesel engine particulates. The variation in concentration of arsenic was also investigated. The atmospheric concentration of arsenic was different in different sampling stations was dependent to the traffic density.     

Effect of water regimes and organic matters on transport of arsenic in summer rice （Oryza sativa L.）

The arsenic contamination in soil-water-plant systems is a major concern of where, the groundwater is being contaminated with arsenic (above 0.01 mg/L) in the Indian subcontinent. The study was conducted with organic matter to find out the reducing e ect on arsenic load to rice (cv. Khitish). It was observed that intermittent ponding reduced arsenic uptake (23.33% in root, 13.84% in shoot and 19.84% in leaf) at panicle initiation stage, instead of continuous ponding. A decreasing trend of arsenic accumulation (root > straw > husk > whole grain > milled grain) was observed in di erent plant parts at harvest. Combined applications of lathyrus + vermicompost + poultry manure reduced arsenic transport in plant parts (root, straw, husk, whole grains and milled grain) which was significantly at par (p > 0.05) with chopped rice straw (5 tons/ha ) + lathyrus green manuring (5 tons/ha) in comparison to control and corresponding soils. A significant negative correlation of arsenic with phosphorus (grain P with arsenic in di erent parts R2= 0.627–0.726 at p > 0.01) was observed. Similarly, soil arsenic had a negative correlation with soil available phosphorus (R2 = 0.822 at p > 0.001) followed by soil nitrogen (R2= 0.762 at p > 0.01) and soil potassium (R2 = 0.626 at p > 0.01). Hence, e ective management of contaminated irrigation water along with organic matter could reduce the arsenic build up to plants and soil.     

Determination of total arsenic by photo-decomposition of organoarsenic compounds and hydride generation electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A method was developed for the determination of total arsenic concentration in less than ng/ml level by decomposition of organoarsenicals using photo -oxidation combined with in situ trapping of arsenic hydride on a palladium coated graphite tube with subsequent atomization and detection by AAS. The organoarsenicals include monomethylarsenic, dimethylarsenic, arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, o -aminobenzenarsenate and p -aminobenzenarsenate. The method is simple and sensitive. Detection limit was obtained from different arsenic compounds over the range from 0. 058 to 0.063 ng/ml as As (based on three times of the standard deviation of 10 blank measurements) and the relative standard deviations for ten replicate measurements were from 2.0 to 3.8%. The calibration curves of arsenic compounds including inorganic and organic arsenicals were linear over the range from 0.1 to 3.0 ng/ml as As. The recommended method has been applied to the determination of total arsenic in tap and lake water samples at ng/ml leve     

Arsenic retention and transport behavior in the presence of typical anionic and nonionic surfactants

The massive production and wide use of surfactants have resulted in a large amount of surfactant residuals being discharged into the environment,which could have an impact on arsenic behavior.In the present study,the influence of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate(SDBS) and nonionic surfactant polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ether(Triton X-100) on arsenic behavior was investigated in batch and column tests.The presence of SDBS and Triton X-100 reduced arsenic retention onto ferrihydrite(FH),enhanced arsenic transport through FH coated sand(FH-sand) columns and promoted arsenic release from the FH surface.With coexisting surfactants in solution,the equilibrium adsorbed amount of arsenic on FH decreased by up to 29.7% and the adsorption rate decreased by up to 52.3%.Pre-coating with surfactants caused a decrease in the adsorbed amount and adsorption rate of arsenic by up to 15.1% and 58.3%,respectively.Because of the adsorption attenuation caused by surfactants,breakthrough of As(Ⅴ) and As(Ⅲ) with SDBS in columns packed with FH-sand was 23.8% and 14.3%faster than that in those without SDBS,respectively.In columns packed with SDBS-coated FH-sand,transport of arsenic was enhanced to a greater extent.Breakthrough of As(Ⅴ) and As(Ⅲ) was 52.4% and 43.8% faster and the cumulative retention amount was 44.5% and 57.3% less than that in pure FH-sand column systems,respectively.Mobilization of arsenic by surfactants increased with the increase of the initial adsorbed amount of arsenic.The cumulative release amount of As(Ⅴ) and As(Ⅲ) from the packed column reached 10.8% and 36.0%,respectively.     

Competitive and cooperative adsorption of arsenate and citrate on goethite

The fate of arsenic in natural environments is influenced by adsorption onto metal (hydr)oxides. The extent of arsenic adsorption is strongly a ected by coexisting dissolved natural organic acids. Recently, some studies reported that there existed competitive adsorption between arsenate and citrate on goethite. Humic acid is known to interact strongly with arsenate by forming complexes in aqueous solution, hence it is necessary to undertake a comprehensive study of the adsorption of arsenate/citrate onto goethite in the presence of one another. The results showed that at the arsenate concentrations used in this study (0.006–0.27 mmol/L), citrate decreased arsenate adsorption at acidic pH but no e ect was observed at alkaline pH. In comparison, citrate adsorption was inhibited at acidic pH, but enhanced at alkaline pH by arsenate. This was probably due to the formation of complex between arsenate and citrate like the case of arsenate with humic acid. These results implied that the mechanism of the adsorption of arsenate and citrate onto goethite in the presence of one another involved not only competition for binding sites, but the cooperation between the two species at the watergoethite interface as well.     

Arsenic removal from groundwater by acclimated sludge under autohydrogenotrophic conditions

Arsenic in the environment is attracting increasing attention due to its chronic health effects. Although arsenite(As(III)) is generally more mobile and more toxic than arsenate(As(V)), reducing As(V) to As(III) may still be a means for decontamination, because As(III) can be removed from solution by precipitation with sulfide or by adsorption or complexation with other metal sulfides. The performance of As(V) bio-reduction under autohydrogenotrophic conditions was investigated with batch experiments. The results showed that As(V) reduction was a biochemical process while both acclimated sludge and hydrogen were essential. Most of the reduced arsenic remained in a soluble form, although 20% was removed with no addition of sulfate, while 82% was removed when sulfate was reduced to sulfide. The results demonstrated that the reduced arsenic was re-sequestered in the precipitates, probably as arsenic sulfides. Kinetic analysis showed that pseudo first-order kinetics described the bio-reduction process better than pseudo second-order. In particular, the influences of pH and temperature on As(V) reduction by acclimated sludge under autohydrogenotrophic conditions and total soluble As removal were examined. The reduction process was highly sensitive to both pH and temperature, with the optimum ranges of pH 6.5–7.0 and 30–40°C respectively. Furthermore, Arrhenius modeling results for the temperature effect indicated that the As(V) reduction trend was systematic. Total soluble As removal was consistent with the trend of As(V) reduction.     

Arsenic methylation by an arsenite S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase from Spirulina platensis

Arsenic-contaminated water is a serious hazard for human health. Plankton plays a critical role in the fate and toxicity of arsenic in water by accumulation and biotransformation.Spirulina platensis(S. platensis), a typical plankton, is often used as a supplement or feed for pharmacy and aquiculture, and may introduce arsenic into the food chain, resulting in a risk to human health. However, there are few studies about how S. platensis biotransforms arsenic. In this study, we investigated arsenic biotransformation by S. platensis. When exposed to arsenite(As(Ⅲ)), S. platensis accumulated arsenic up to 4.1 mg/kg dry weight.After exposure to As(Ⅲ), arsenate(As(Ⅴ)) was the predominant species making up 64% to86% of the total arsenic. Monomethylarsenate(MMA(Ⅴ)) and dimethylarsenate(DMA(Ⅴ))were also detected. An arsenite S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase from S. platensis(Sp Ars M) was identified and characterized. Sp Ars M showed low identity with other reported Ars M enzymes. The Escherichia coli AW3110 bearing Spars M gene resulted in As(Ⅲ) methylation and conferring resistance to As(Ⅲ). The in vitro assay showed that Sp Ars M exhibited As(Ⅲ) methylation activity. DMA(Ⅴ) and a small amount of MMA(Ⅴ) were detected in the reaction system within 0.5 hr. A truncated Sp Ars M derivative lacking the last 34 residues still had the ability to methylate As(Ⅲ). The three single mutants of Sp Ars M(C59S, C186 S, and C238S) abolished the capability of As(Ⅲ) methylation, suggesting the three cysteine residues are involved in catalysis. We propose that Sp Ars M is responsible for As methylation and detoxification of As(Ⅲ) and may contribute to As biogeochemistry.     

Arsenic biotransformation and an arsenite S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase in plankton

<正>Arsenic(As)is a well-recognized toxicant and carcinogen.Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic causes a range of human cancers(e.g.,skin,bladder,and lung)and increases the risk of developing diabetes,hypertension,and cardiovascular and neurological diseases.The prevalence of arsenic species and the severity of their health effects continue to drive and demand for extensive research(Carlin et al.,2016).     

A synopsis of the book Striking a balance: improvingstewardship of marine areas(by the U. S. National Research Council the operating arm of the U. S National Academiesof Science and Engineering)

Sustainable use of the planet will require a more robust regulatory and management framework for marine areas as advances in offshore technology and changes in market conditions lead to an increase in coastal populations and marine recreation and tourism. Although each area of the world presents unique problems, many principles of stewardship, which can appropriately modified, will serve well anywhere on the planet. The purpose of this brief synopsis is to share these principles ot stewardship with colleagues in China. This volume (Striking a balance: improving stewardship of marine areas) notes:" In addition to the governance problems created by multiple nonmarket uses of marine resources and maintaining access to them, existing systems have two fundamental problems first, fragmentation among federal and local agencies and second, not enough participation and coordination of interests at the local level"( p. 4 ). Although this book focuses on marine ecosystems associated with the United States coastline( such as the Gulf of maine/Massachusetts Bay, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/Florida Bay ecosystem, and the Southern California coast), the issues, the problems, and strategies should be, with minor adjustments, fully applicable anywhere in the world. The following general elements of the framework for improved governance and management of marine areas are given as recommendations(p. 5)[Comments given in brackets are those of the author].     

Function of arsATorf7orf8 of Bacillus sp. CDB3 in arsenic resistance

Bacillus sp. CDB3 isolated from an arsenic contaminated cattledip site possesses an uncommon arsenic resistance (ars) operon bearing eight genes in the order of arsRYCDATorf7orf8. We investigated the functions of arsA, arsT, orf7 and orf8 in arsenic resistance using a plasmid-based gene knockout approach in the ars genedeficient Escherichia coli strain AW3110. The CDB3 arsA genewas shown to play a significant role in resistance, suggesting that the encoded ArsA may couplewith the arsenite transporter, forming an ArsAY complex that can enhance arsenite extrusion efficiency. Thedisruption of either arsT or orf7was not observed to affect arsenic resistance in the heterologous E. coli host, but their involvement in arsenic resistance can not be excluded. The orf8 gene is predicted to encode a putativedual-specificity protein phosphatasewhich also shares certain homology to arsenate reductases. The function loss of orf8 resulted in a remarkabledecrease in resistance to arsenate, though not arsenite. To examine if this effectwasdue to the reduction of arsenate by orf8, the arsC genewithin the 8-gene operonwasdisrupted. The resulting abolishment of arsenate resistance suggests that the involvement of orf8 in arsenic resistance is not via reductase activity.     

Mobilization of arsenic from contaminated sediment by anionic and nonionic surfactants

The increasing manufacture of surfactants and their wide application in industry,agriculture and household detergents have resulted in large amounts of surfactant residuals being discharged into water and distributed into sediment. Surfactants have the potential to enhance arsenic mobility, leading to risks to the environment and even human beings. In this study, batch and column experiments were conducted to investigate arsenic mobilization from contaminated sediment by the commercial anionic surfactants sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate(SDBS), sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS), sodium laureth sulfate(AES)and nonionic surfactants phenyl-polyethylene glycol(Triton X-100) and polyethylene glycol sorbitan monooleate(Tween-80). The ability of surfactants to mobilize arsenic followed the order AES SDBS SDS ≈ Triton X-100 Tween 80. Arsenic mobilization by AES and Triton X-100 increased greatly with the increase of surfactant concentration and p H, while arsenic release by SDBS, SDS and Tween-80 slightly increased. The divalent ion Ca~(2+) caused greater reduction of arsenic mobilization than Na~+. Sequential extraction experiments showed that the main fraction of arsenic mobilized was the specifically adsorbed fraction. Solid phase extraction showed that arsenate(As(V)) was the main species mobilized by surfactants,accounting for 65.05%–77.68% of the total mobilized arsenic. The mobilization of arsenic was positively correlated with the mobilization of iron species. The main fraction of mobilized arsenic was the dissolved fraction, accounting for 70% of total mobilized arsenic.     

Effect of arsenic contaminated irrigation water on Lens culinaris L. and toxicity assessment using lux marked biosensor

Contamination of irrigation water represents a major constraint to Bangladesh agriculture, resulting in elevated levels in the terrestrial systems. Lux bacterial biosensor technology has previously been used to measure the toxicity of metals in various environmental matrices. While arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have their most significant effect on phosphorus uptake, but showed alleviated metal toxicity to the host plant. The study examined the effects of arsenic and inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus mosseae, on lentil (Lens culinaris L. cv. Titore). Plants were grown with and without arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculum for 9 weeks in a sand and terra-green mixture (50:50, V/V) and watered with five levels of arsenic (0, 1, 2, 5, 10 mg As/L arsenate). The results showed that arsenic addition above 1 mg/L significantly reduced percentage of mycorrhizal root infection. On further analysis a close relationship was established with the vegetative and reproductive properties of lentil (L. culinaris) plants compared to the percentage bioluminescence of the soil leachate. However, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculation reduced arsenic concentration in roots and shoots. Higher concentrations of arsenic (5, 10 mg As/L arsenate) reduced the mycorrhizal efficiency to increase phosphorus content and nitrogen fixation. Therefore, this study showed that increased concentration of arsenic in irrigation water had direct implications to the lentil (L. culinaris) plants overall performance. Moreover the use of bioassay demonstrated that mycorrhiza and clay particle reduced arsenic bioavailability in soil.     

A review on completing arsenic biogeochemical cycle：Microbial volatilization of arsines in environment

Arsenic （As） is ubiquitous in the environment in the carcinogenic inorganic forms, posing risks to human health in many parts of the world. Many microorganisms have evolved a series of mechanisms to cope with inorganic arsenic in their growth media such as transforming As compounds into volatile derivatives. Bio-volatilization of As has been suggested to play an important role in global As biogeochemical cycling, and can also be explored as a potential method for arsenic bioremediation. This review aims to provide an overview of the quality and quantity of As volatilization by fungi, bacteria, microalga and protozoans. Arsenic bio-volatilization is influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors that can be manipulated/elucidated for the purpose of As bioremediation. Since As bio- volatilization is a resurgent topic for both biogeochemistry and environmental health, our review serves as a concept paper for future research directions.     

Construction of WCB-11: A novel phiYFP arsenic-resistant whole-cell biosensor

The prediction and assessment of environmental pollution by arsenic are important preconditions of advocating environmental protection and human health risk assessment.A yellow fluorescent protein-based whole-cell biosensor for the detection of arsenite and arsenate was constructed and tested.An arsenic-resistant promoter and the regulatory gene arsR were obtained by PCR from the genome of Escherichia coli DH5α,and phiYFP was introduced into E.coli DH5α as a reporter gene to construct an arsenic-resistant whole-cell biosensor(WCB-11) in which phiYFP was expressed well for the first time.Experimental results demonstrated that the biosensor has a good response to arsenic and the expression of phiYFP.When strain WCB-11 was exposed to As 3+ and As 5+,the expression of yellow fluorescence was time-dependent and dose-dependent.This engineered construct is expected to become established as an inexpensive and convenient method for the detection of arsenic in the field.     

Removal of heavy metals and arsenic from a co-contaminated soil by sieving combined with washing process

Batch experiments were conducted with a heavy metals and arsenic co-contaminated soil from an abandoned mine to evaluate the feasibility of a remediation technology that combines sieving with soil washing.Leaching of the arsenic and heavy metals from the different particle size fractions was found to decrease in the order: 0.1,2–0.1,and 2 mm.With increased contact time,the concentration of heavy metals in the leachate was significantly decreased for small particles,probably because of adsorption by the clay soil component.For the different particle sizes,the removal efficiencies for Pb and Cd were75%–87%,and 61%–77% for Zn and Cu,although the extent of removal was decreased for As and Cr at 45%.The highest efficiency by washing for Pb,Cd,Zn,and As was from the soil particles 2 mm,although good metal removal efficiencies were also achieved in the small particle size fractions.Through SEM-EDS observations and correlation analysis,the leaching regularity of the heavy metals and arsenic was found to be closely related to Fe,Mn,and Ca contents of the soil fractions.The remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil by sieving combined with soil washing was proven to be efficient,and practical remediation parameters were also recommended.     

Abatement of waste gases and water during the processes of semiconductor fabrication

The purpose of this article is to examine the methods and equipment for abating waste gases and water produced during the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices. Three separating methods and equipment are used to control three different groups of electronic wastes. The first group includes arsine and phosphine emitted during the processes of semiconductor materials manufacture. The abatement procedure for this group of pollutants consists of adding iodates, cupric and manganese salts to a multiple shower tower ( MST ) structure. The second group includes pollutants containing arsenic, phosphorus, HF, HCI, NO2, and SO3 emitted during the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices. The abatement procedure involves mixing oxidants and bases in an oval column with a separator in the middle. The third group consists of the ions of As, P and heavy metals contained in the waste water. The abatement procedure includes adding CaCO3 and ferric salts in a flocculation-sedimentation compact device equipment. Test results showed that all waste gases and water after the abatement orocedures oresented in this article passed the discharge standards set by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China.     

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of diphenylarsenicals in two contrasting soils

Diphenylarsinic acid(DPAA) is formed during the leakage of aromatic arsenic chemical weapons in soils,is persistent in nature,and results in arsenic contamination in the field.The adsorption and desorption characteristics of DPAA were investigated in two typical Chinese soils,an Acrisol(a variable-charge soil) and a Phaeozem(a constant-charge soil).Their thermodynamics and some of the factors influencing them(i.e.,initial pH value,ionic strength and phosphate) were also evaluated using the batch method in order to understand the environmental fate of DPAA in soils.The results indicate that Acrisol had a stronger adsorption capacity for DPAA than Phaeozem.Soil DPAA adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process and the amount of DPAA adsorbed was affected significantly by variation in soil pH and phosphate.In contrast,soil organic matter and ionic strength had no significant effect on adsorption.This suggests that DPAA adsorption may be due to specific adsorption on soil mineral surfaces.Therefore,monitoring the fate of DPAA in soils is recommended in areas contaminated by leakage from chemical weapons.     

Effects of seasonal climatic variability on several toxic contaminants in urban lakes: Implications for the impacts of climate change

Climate change is supposed to have influences on water quality and ecosystem. However, only few studies have assessed the effect of climate change on environmental toxic contaminants in urban lakes. In this research, response of several toxic contaminants in twelve urban lakes in Beijing, China, to the seasonal variations in climatic factors was studied. Fluorides, volatile phenols, arsenic, selenium, and other water quality parameters were analyzed monthly from2009 to 2012. Multivariate statistical methods including principle component analysis, cluster analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed to study the relationship between contaminants and climatic factors including temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and sunshine duration. Fluoride and arsenic concentrations in most urban lakes exhibited a significant positive correlation with temperature/precipitation, which is mainly caused by rainfall induced diffuse pollution. A negative correlation was observed between volatile phenols and temperature/precipitation, and this could be explained by their enhanced volatilization and biodegradation rates caused by higher temperature. Selenium did not show a significant response to climatic factor variations, which was attributed to low selenium contents in the lakes and soils. Moreover, the response degrees of contaminants to climatic variations differ among lakes with different contamination levels. On average, temperature/precipitation contributed to 8%, 15%, and 12% of the variations in volatile phenols, arsenic, and fluorides,respectively. Beijing is undergoing increased temperature and heavy rainfall frequency during the past five decades. This study suggests that water quality related to fluoride and arsenic concentrations of most urban lakes in Beijing is becoming worse under this climate change trend.