不同水生植物腐解过程中有色可溶有机物(CDOM)的产生过程及微生物群落变化分析

通过对太湖的两种优势植物马来眼子菜(Potamogeton malaianus)和芦苇(Phragmites communis)进行室内腐解实验,利用紫外可见光谱和Illuminar高通量测序研究不同植物腐解过程中有色可溶有机物(CDOM)的产生情况及微生物群落变化。结果表明:马来眼子菜残体的去除率在2、10和30 d时均高于芦苇组。马来眼子菜组的溶解性有机碳(DOC)含量在第2天低于芦苇组,在第10天和第30天高于芦苇组。马来眼子菜组的CDOM相对浓度和其相对分子量在第2天高于芦苇组,在第10天和第30天低于芦苇组。初始水体中微生物分属34门、156纲,30天后,马来眼子菜和芦苇腐解液中的微生物多样性均降低了,分别分属23门和19门,以及95属和78属。两种植物在降解过程中,水体中降解难降解有机质类微生物逐渐占主要部分,如拟杆菌属(Bacteroides),密螺旋体属(Treponema),瘤胃微生物(Ruminococcaceae),此类微生物在芦苇降解组水体中的含量更多。     

喀斯特地区土壤水中溶解有机碳浓度对植被退化的响应

按退化程度在茂兰喀斯特地区选取的4种不同植被类型依次为原生性乔木森林、次生性乔灌混合林、灌木林、灌丛草坡,并对各植被退化系统中1a内的土壤水中溶解有机碳（DOC）浓度变化特征进行测试分析,并探讨其对不同退化程度的植被的响应特征。结果显示：（1）各种植被类型下土壤水DOC含量按月份均呈现出由低到高、再由高到低的变化趋势,在6月底出现峰值;（2）土壤水DOC含量对降雨量具有很好的响应关系;（3）土壤水DOC含量随植被退化程度的加剧而呈现出递增的趋势,即退化的植被系统中土壤水的DOC含量大于未退化的植被系统,说明未退化的土壤 植被系统比较稳定,不易受到外界因素的干扰,贮存能力大,流失少。研究结果表明对植被退化响应灵敏的土壤水DOC含量可以作为评价土壤和植被关联退化的一个有效指标。     

Evaluation of the aerobic biodegradation of trichloroethylene via response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the effect of additives for enhancing the aerobic biodegradation of trichloroethylene (TCE). The parameters investigated include the initial TCE concentration, addition of extra bacteria, use of toluene as an inducer and hydrogen peroxide as terminal electron acceptor (TEA). Without additive, degradation efficiencies of >or=80% were obtained for TCE concentrations<700 mg/L. According to the second-order polynomial RSM and biodegradation results, the use of toluene to induce enzyme production inhibited degradation at TCE concentrations<300 mg/L. The addition of hydrogen peroxide did improve the overall degradation efficiency but decreased the degradation rate. The RSM model for toluene, extra bacteria and TEA predicted that the best approach to optimize degradation of high TCE concentrations is to ensure adequate population in conjunction with supplemental TEA.     

三江源高寒草甸下溪流溶解性有机碳的季节性输移特征

溶解性有机碳（DOC）在生态系统中起着重要作用,但河流DOC输移动态及其对气候变化和多年冻土退化的响应还不清楚。对青藏高原三江源地区高寒草甸下8条小流域河流于2016年8月至2017年7月进行逐月采集水样,同步测定流量,在室内对DOC浓度进行分析,研究河流DOC浓度和输移通量的逐月变化规律以及对降雨和温度逐月变化的响应。结果表明：（1）DOC的年平均浓度介于4.05±1.20~6.55±2.86 mg·L-1之间,均值为5.30 mg·L-1;DOC平均浓度与流域内高寒沼泽草甸（ASM）覆盖面积比例呈显著线性负相关,而与高寒草甸（AM）呈显著线性正相关;此外,有多年冻土发育的流域内河流平均DOC浓度明显高于无多年冻土发育的流域。（2）DOC浓度随季节性气温的变化呈现较大的变异性,在-8~2℃气温回升的过程中,DOC平均浓度随气温的升高呈急剧上升的趋势,在随后2~13℃气温继续升高到最高的过程中,DOC平均浓度又急速降低,而在之后13~-8℃气温下降的过程中,DOC平均浓度呈一个缓慢降低的趋势,并在12月达到最低。（3）DOC平均输移通量也显示出较大的季节差异,其范围为0.006±0.000 5~3.01±0.74 kg·km-2·d-1,均值为1.12±0.81 kg·km-2·d-1;DOC输移通量与流域内平均径流量显著线性正相关,DOC的输移主要集中在春季融雪期和夏季丰雨期。气候变暖会导致多年冻土活动层厚度增加,因此,温度增加导致DOC输移增加的结果提示,气候变暖可能会增加青藏高原高寒草甸区河流对有机碳输移和释放。     

Simultaneous biological removal of endosulfan (alpha+beta) and nitrates from drinking waters using wheat straw as substrate

Nitrate and endosulfan (alpha+beta) removal was studied in an upflow biological denitrification reactor packed with wheat straw as carbon source and support particles for microorganisms. While almost complete nitrate elimination and between 65% and 70% endosulfan (alpha+beta) elimination occurred when the temperature was higher than 20 degrees C; below that value, nitrate removal efficiency decreased to about 10%. Nitrate, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and endosulfan (alpha+beta) removal efficiencies decreased considerably at 1500 microg/l endosulfan concentration in the batch experiments. Although a high removal efficiency was observed for endosulfan (alpha+beta) and nitrate in the biological denitrification continuous reactor, the effluent water could not be used for drinking purpose because of the unacceptable levels of endosulfan (alpha+beta), colour and dissolved organic content. During the continuous study, 23.4% of the initial weight of wheat straw was lost and 24 g was consumed per gram of nitrogen removed. The results of the continuous study showed that 21.3% of the endosulfan removal was achieved by adsorption onto the wheat straw and 68.2% of the endosulfan removal occurred by biological activity and the remaining portion was detected in the effluent water.     

贵州阿哈湖喀斯特小流域DOC输出特征

河流不仅是陆地碳循环的通道,也是碳交换的重要场所,而小流域更被认为是陆地碳循环的热点。为探究人类活动影响下喀斯特小流域溶解性有机碳(DOC)输出特征,于2017年6月～2018年5月对阿哈湖3条主要入湖小流域游鱼河、白岩河、金钟河河水主要理化特征和DOC含量进行分析,并计算流域DOC输出通量。研究期间游鱼河、白岩河、金钟河DOC含量分别为4.78±2.11、5.61±2.27、7.40±2.51 mg/L,输出通量分别为2.71、2.91、3.82 t/(km~2. a)。结果表明:(1)阿哈湖小流域河水DOC含量时空变化特征明显,与降雨、流域土地利用类型密切相关,人类外源输入对DOC有显著影响;(2)对比不同河流DOC输出特征发现,小流域通常具有更高的DOC输出通量,特别是受城市输出影响的中小流域,其河流碳过程在碳循环中的贡献可能被低估。     

Using the Q10 model to simulate E. coli survival in cowpats on grazing lands

Microbiological quality of surface waters can be affected by microbial load in runoff from grazing lands. This effect, with other factors, depends on the survival of microorganisms in animal waste deposited on pastures. Since temperature is a leading environmental parameter affecting survival, it indirectly impacts water microbial quality. The Q₁₀ model is widely used to predict the effect of temperature on rates of biological processes, including survival. Objectives of this work were to (i) evaluate the applicability of the Q₁₀ model to Escherichia coli inactivation in bovine manure deposited on grazing land (i.e., cowpats) and (ii) identify explanatory variables for the previously reported E. coli survival dynamics in cowpats. Data utilized in this study include published results on E. coli concentrations in natural and repacked cowpats from research conducted the U.S. (Virginia and Maryland), New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Inspection of the datasets led to conceptualizing E. coli survival (in cowpats) as a two-stage process, in which the initial stage was due to growth, inactivation or stationary state of the population and the second stage was the approximately first-order inactivation. Applying the Q₁₀ model to these datasets showed a remarkable similarity in inactivation rates, using the thermal time. The reference inactivation rate constant of 0.042 (thermal days)^− 1 at 20 °C gave a good approximation (R² = 0.88) of all inactivation stage data with Q₁₀ = 1.48. The reference inactivation rate constants in individual studies were no different from the one obtained by pooling all data (P < 0.05). The rate of logarithm of the E. coli concentration change during the first stage depended on temperature. Duration of the first stage, prior to the first-order inactivation stage and the initial concentration of E. coli in cowpats, could not be predicted from available data. Diet and age are probable factors affecting these two parameters however, until their environmental and management predictors are known, microbial water quality modeling must treat them as a stochastic source of uncertainty in simulation results.     

三峡水库消落带优势草本植物残体淹水后温室气体排放特征

三峡水库消落带淹水后植物腐烂分解，向水体释放碳、氮养分，可能导致二氧化碳（CO₂）、甲烷（CH ₄）和氧化亚氮（N₂O）等温室气体（GHGs）排放，消落带可能成为大气GHGs的排放源，但目前植物淹水腐解导致的GHGs排放还缺乏定量研究。选择三峡水库消落带优势草本植物狗牙根（Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers.）、水蓼（Polygonum hydropiper）、鬼针草（Bidens bipinnata Linn.）和苍耳（Xanthium sibiricum Patrin ex Widder.）的茎叶，开展为期120 d的室内浸泡模拟淹水实验，测定植物残体干重、上覆水的水化学指标和养分浓度并监测其动态变化，同时测定水-气界面GHGs排放速率，旨在查明消落带植物残体淹水后的GHGs排放过程和通量及其植物种间差异。结果表明:植物残体淹水初期（前15 d）干重下降较快，随后下降变缓，其中苍耳干重损失最大，狗牙根干重损失最小；植物残体淹水初期（前15 d）水-气界面的GHGs快速排放，淹水第4~7 d达到峰值，中后期（第30 d起）平稳排放，鬼针草和苍耳淹水后水-气界面GHGs排放速率显著高于狗牙根和水蓼（P<0.05），鬼针草和苍耳淹水后CO ₂和CH₄累积排放量显著高于狗牙根和水蓼，苍耳、鬼针草和水蓼淹水后N₂O累积排放量显著高于狗牙根，总体而言，狗牙根淹水后GHGs排放量最低；消落带优势草本植物残体淹水后的CO₂和CH ₄排放速率随上覆水的DOC浓度升高而增加， N₂O排放速率与上覆水的NO^-₃-N浓度具有正相关关系，受NO^-₃-N浓度驱动。同时，植物形态和其碳氮含量影响植物淹水分解速率、进而影响养分释放和GHGs排放。     

Applying mass transfer models for controlling organic compounds in ozonation process

Mass transfer plays a significant role in the ozonation process. The prediction models associated with the volumetric overall mass transfer coefficient (K_La) and initial fractional ozone absorption (FOA₀) during the ozonation process were developed through the use of dimensional analysis. It was found that the volumetric overall mass transfer coefficient is the function of diffusivity, agitation speed, and gas flow rate, and the parameters in the K_La equation are determined. Application of the prediction models for K_La and FOA₀ would yield information to choose the most practically feasible operating parameters. The removability of total organic carbon (TOC) can be estimated based on the mass balance relationship and kinetic expression of TOC oxidation, during continuous laboratory ozonation of humic acid solution. The reaction rate constant averaged 0.0291 L/mg·min. The developed model in combination with the mass transfer and reaction kinetics can be used successfully in forecasting the most efficient agitation speed to control the formation of organic compounds. Also, the critical value of ozone partial pressure to achieve the highest TOC removability can be determined through the use of the above developed model.     

赣江南昌段水化学特征及城区影响

为探究赣江南昌段水化学时空变化特征及南昌城区对赣江的影响,于2015年4月~2016年3月在赣江南昌段（赣江进入南昌城区前、城区中心及流经城区后的北支、中支和南支）进行月周期采样,分析水体中的化学离子（HCO-3、Cl-、SO2-4、NO-3、K+、Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+、NH+4）,重金属元素（Cr、Mn、Fe、Ni、Cu、Cd、Sb、Pb）以及溶解性有机碳（DOC）、总磷（TP）的分布特征及影响因素。结果表明：1）赣江南昌段总体水质在地表水源地标准限值内,水化学类型为HCO3-Ca型水,HCO-3、Cl-、SO2-4、NO-3、K+、Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+、NH+4、Mn和DOC含量在不同月份间的变化主要受流量影响,Cr、Fe、Ni、Cu、Cd、Sb、Pb和TP受流量影响较小。（2） 赣江南昌段污染程度为：南支污染最重,北支次之,中支、城区中心和入城区前的污染程度相近。TP、Cr、Ni、Cu、Sb、Pb在南支显著偏高,Mn在北支显著偏高。（3）TP、Ni、Cu、Pb受南昌城区影响显著,经城区后含量增加;DOC、Cd经城区后含量减小,但流经城郊农业区后增加;HCO-3、Cl-、NO-3、SO2-4、Na+、K+、Ca2+、Mg2+、NH+4、Cr、Fe、Mn、Sb受南昌城区影响不显著。 关键词： 赣江;南昌城区;水化学;时空变化     

Inhibition of seawater on bisphenol A (BPA) degradation by Fenton reagents

To investigate bisphenol-A (BPA) degradation in seawater using Fenton reagents, changes in the BPA recovery and in the concentration of BPA metabolite, BPA-o-quinone in the three water samples; BPA free deionizad water (control water), 3% aq. NaCl and seawater as a function of time after BPA fortification in the presence of radical oxygen species (ROS) at 20 degrees C were investigated. The BPA recoveries were lower in both 3% aq. NaCl and seawater than in the control water. The BPA recovery in aq. NaOCl decreased as a function of NaOCl concentration, indicating that BPA could be degraded by the potent radical ion (OCl-) at the concentration of above 2 microM. A BPA metabolite, BPA-o-quinone was formed in all the water samples after addition of ROS which was produced by Fenton reaction (reaction of 0.11 M H2O2 and 0.44 mM FeCl3.6H2O). These results indicated that BPA degradation could occur by an addition of ROS and further accelerated by the formation of OCl- in salt containing water samples. BPA recovery was the highest in seawater immediately after addition of Fenton reagents and the amount of BPA-o-quinone was very low, which suggests that seawater possesses an inhibitory system on BPA degradation. There was a positive correlation (p<0.01) between the fortified iron concentration and turbidity in seawater. Turbidity might be originated from iron-binding substances. Degradation threshold of BPA was observed when Fenton reaction was employed in seawater fortified with high amount of BPA. The present study suggested that iron trapping caused an inhibition on BPA degradation by Fenton reagents.     

Sidestream tobacco smoke constituents in indoor air modelled in an experimental chamber— Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Exposure to sidestream tobacco smoke is concerned with constituents in suspension in the indoor atmosphere. The natural dissipation of sidestream tobacco smoke has been investigated in a static atmosphere in a 10 m³ experimental chamber, and the rate of dissipation is expressed as T_0.5, the half-life of residence in the air. Respective T_0.5 of smoke components are calculated from the various sample data points, assuming a kinetic equation of the first-order process. Sidestream smoke has been generated by a smoking machine according to the Coresta standard protocol and then left to age over an 8-hour period, with subsequent sampling at defined time intervals. The experiments have been repeated over five days, and eight data point samples are obtained for each experiment. Besides nicotine, CO, and smoke particulate matter, interest has been focused on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The initial concentrations, C₀ for smoke particulate matter and nicotine (gas and particulate phases) are found to be 13.8 mg and 92 μg per cigarette per cubic meter, with T_0.5 being 2.6 and 2.1 hours, respectively. Low molecular-weight PAH have T_0.5 up to 20 hours, explainable only by their high concentrations in the gas phase, while the 3- to 7-ring PAH have T_0.5 of about 2 hours. The contribution of CO to ambient concentration is 91 mg per cigarette per cubic meter. The data can be useful in mathematical modellization studies regarding ventilation or exposure to sidestream smoke.     

Inhibition of microbial activity of activated sludge by ammonia in leachate

Leachate samples were collected from the West New Territory Landfill (WENT), Hong Kong, and characterized in the laboratory. The analytical results confirmed that it has a typical nature of aged leachate with a low BOD₅/COD ratio of 0.22 and a high strength of ammonia-nitrogen around 5 g/L. A lab-scale study was conducted to investigate the inhibition of microbial activity of the activated sludge. In the first test, glucose-based synthetic wastewater was used in two parallel reactors. The experimental results demonstrated that COD removal declined from 95.1 to 79.1% and the dehydrogenase activity of the sludge decreased from 11.04 to 4.22 μg TF/mg mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), when the ammonia-nitrogen concentration increased from 50 mg/L to 800 mg/L progressively. The remaining NH₃⁺-N residue in the treated wastewater increased from 0.58 mg/L to 649 mg/L extensively. In the second test, mixed wastewater samples containing glucose and raw leachate were fed into six parallel biological reactors and operated on batch mode. The experimental results showed COD removal decreased from 97.7 to 78.1% and the dehydrogenase activity decreased from 9.29 to 4.93 μg triphenyl formazon (TF)/mg MLSS, respectively, when the ammonia-nitrogen concentration increased within the same range. Microbial inhibition could also be substantiated by a decrease of specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) from 68 to 45 mg O₂/g MLSS. These results suggested leachate containing high-strength ammonia-nitrogen should be pretreated to an acceptable NH₄⁺-N level before it is fed into biological reactors.     

Effect of liming on the behaviour of (90)Sr and (137)Cs in a lake ecosystem

Liming of lakes is considered one possible remedial action to reduce the accumulation of radionuclides into fish in the case of a radiological accident. These responses were tested in field conditions in a small acidified lake that was divided into two parts: one limed with CaCO₃ and the other half left as an unlimed control. The transfer of ⁹⁰Sr from water into fish decreased on average by 50% during the first year after liming. However, at the same time the ⁹⁰Sr concentration in water increased, reaching a maximum within 6 months after liming. Approximately 50% more ⁹⁰Sr was detected in water in the limed part of the lake than on control side during the first year. ⁹⁰Sr was most probably released from the sediment as the Ca concentration and pH of the water increased. As a result of these two processes, which counterbalanced each other (increased release of ⁹⁰Sr into water from sediment and decreased transfer of ⁹⁰Sr from water into fish), the ⁹⁰Sr concentration in fish did not notably differ between the limed and control sides of the lake. Liming may only be suitable as a remedial action if carried out immediately after a radiological accident, before significant amounts of radionuclides have been deposited in lake sediments. In the case of ¹³⁷Cs, the effect of liming was less pronounced. ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration in water increased in the first year by 20% and uptake by fish decreased by 20%.     

Soil and soil water studies at the HUMEX site

Changes to natural organic compounds by acid deposition and subsequent effects on Al mobilization are not well understood. The HUMEX catchment-scale acidification experiment in western Norway offers a unique possibility for an integrated assessment of these interactions. In this report, the soil and soil water chemical data from the HUMEX site, from before and after the onset of experimental acidification, are used to characterize the catchment. Changes in soil water chemistry are discussed and controls on dissolved organic carbon are addressed in relation to Al mobilization. Decreases in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic Al fractions were found in soil water after the treatment started. These changes were related to an increase in soil water sulphate concentrations. The sulphate levels showed a significant increase (on a 95% level) in four of ten soil horizons while nitrate remained nearly unchanged. In organic soils, where the dissolved organic carbon content was high, the major control for monomeric aluminum concentration appeared to be the amount of exchangeable aluminum in the soil. In mineral soils, the gibbsite dissolution may govern inorganic Al concentrations in soil water, though substantial undersaturation was found when DOC was high.     

Characterisation of NOM by adsorption parameters and effective diffusivities

Adsorption equilibria were studied with RO isolates for both activated carbon and activated alumina. Maximum carbon loadings on the order of 65 mg/g DOC were obtained, while the maximum loadings of activated alumina were about 30 mg/g DOC. In the latter case the slope of the isotherms was generally steeper, indicating weaker adsorbabilities of some of the NOM compounds on the metal oxide adsorbent. Since NOM must be regarded as a multi-component system with respect to adsorption, the data were evaluated by the adsorption analysis procedure. The results were used for a theoretical comparison of NOM adsorption based on the same initial concentration of all samples. The method of colloidal titration was applied to the RO isolates in the range pH = 3–8. Poly-DADMAC was used as a cationic polymer, and a streaming current instrument was used for end point detection. The results which are termed anionic colloidal charge (ACC) values increase with increasing pH for pH = 3–6 while they are about constant for pH = 6–8. At the samples' original pH, the specific ACC values found range from 5.2 to 7.6 meq/g DOC. Mass transfer coefficients for NOM adsorption on granular activated carbon were determined for both RO and EVAP isolates, respectively. The data were used to derive effective diffusivities for each sample. The results differ by a factor of about 2 with the Maridalsvann sample having the highest and the Humex sample having the lowest diffusivity. Furthermore, the results for the EVAP isolates are in 8 of 9 cases higher than for the RO samples. Based on a comparison with known macromolecules, average molecular weight values were estimated to be on the order of 700–4800 Dalton.     

The rate of concentration of faecal coliforms in shellfish under different environmental conditions

As filter-feeding organisms, bivalves present a potential health hazard to consumers due to pathogens which may be present in the marine environment. The effects of temperature and concentration of faecal coliforms (FC) in seawater on the rate of concentration in mussels and oysters were studied in both field and experimental conditions. The rates of FC concentration in bivalves were high at the beginning of the experiments, when the initial concentrations of FC in bivalves were low, and decreased as the concentration in bivalves increased. At low initial concentrations of FC in bivalves, the rate of FC concentration increased with the concentration of FC in seawater and with changes of temperature toward optimum. As the concentration of FC in bivalves increased, the rate of FC concentration decreased more rapidly as the concentration of FC in seawater increased and as the temperature was closer to optimum. Maximum concentrations of FC observed in bivalves (level-off concentrations) were the highest at minimum temperature (at which rates of FC concentration were the lowest), whereas the concentration of FC in seawater had no effect on the level-off concentrations of FC in bivalves.     

Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters by immobilized microbial cells

Microorganisms capable of degrading di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) were immobilized by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and used for DBP degradation. The characteristics of DBP degradation by immobilized and free cells were investigated. The experimental results showed that the degradation rate of immobilized cells was higher than that of free cells. The optimal pH and temperature for DBP degradation were determined to be 7.0 and 25°C, respectively. The semi-continuous degradation test demonstrated that high-frequency feeding of low concentration (50 mg/L) was more favourable than low-frequency feeding of high concentration (150 mg/L) for DBP degradation. The main intermediates of DBP degradation by immobilized cells were identified using a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method. The results revealed the presence of monobutyl phthalate, phthalic acid, and protocatechuate. A tentative pathway for DBP degradation was proposed, which demonstrated that the metabolic mechanism of immobilized cells remained the same as that of the free cells.     

Two-dimensional numerical modeling of Sr transport in an unsaturated Chinese loess under artificial sprinkling

⁹⁰Sr is a fission byproduct of uranium and plutonium, and it presents a major health problem in the environment. A field test on the transport of various radionuclides including ⁹⁰Sr in an unsaturated Chinese loess was conducted under artificial rain conditions from July 1997 to August 2000. The vertical concentration distribution of ⁹⁰Sr displayed an unusual profile of double concentration peaks, which were separated by a thin (0.7 cm) source layer. In order to interpret the double-peak concentration profile, the transport of ³H and ⁹⁰Sr in the unsaturated Chinese loess under artificial sprinkling conditions was simulated using WATERM, a numerical code for simulating flow field, and NESOR, also a numerical code but for simulating nuclide migration. The models were able to adequately simulate the double-peak concentration profile. The observation suggested that the fine arenaceous quartz layer, though 0.7 cm thick, formed a capillary barrier together with the local loess, which prevented water from penetrating. A significant discrepancy was observed between the model-fitted distribution coefficient (K_d) of ⁹⁰Sr and that determined from independent laboratory experiments, which can be attributed to a number of factors such as the capillary barrier effect, solution-to-solid ratio and soil water content. Therefore, when the model is used for predictive purposes where K_d is used as an input parameter, K_d must be determined under well controlled conditions by taking into account these factors as well as the heterogeneity in the field.     

Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters by acclimated activated sludge

The microbial degradation by acclimated activated sludge of three phthalates, priority pollutants listed by both the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre and the U.S. EPA, i.e., dimethyl (DMP), di-n-butyl (DBP), and di-n-octyl (DOP) phthalate was investigated. The experimental results demonstrated that DMP and DBP with the shorter alkyl-side chain phthalic acid esters (PAEs) can be rapidly degraded—nearly 90% within 3 d for DMP and 8 d for DBP. However, the degradation rate of DOP was slow. The degradation of PAEs can be described by the first-order reaction model. The first-order rate constants (k₁) of three PAEs determined in this study can correlate with the corresponding second-order hydrolysis rate constants (K_OH).