Role of biologic components in a novel floating-bed combining Ipomoea aquatic,Corbicula fluminea and biofilm carrier media

A novel floating-bed incorporated with water spinach （Ipomoea aquatica）, Asiatic clam （Corbicula fluminea）, and carrier media supported biofilm was developed for eutrophic water purification. The contribu- tions of each biologic component to the removals of total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP） and Chl.a were examined. The nutrient removals due to the direct uptake by either water spinach or Asiatic clam were less than 10%, suggesting a negligible role of biologic assimilation and leaving the biofilm as the indispensable biologic compo- nent in the floating-bed. Chl.a was reduced mainly by Asiatic clams via filter-feeding. Meanwhile, the digestion and excretion of Asiatic clams benefited the proliferation of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria, resulting in the improvement of TN removal. In summary, the synergetic effects of water spinach, Asiatic clams and biofilms would promote the eutrophic water treatment performance of floating-bed in comparison with the conventional floating- bed with vegetation as the single biologic component.     

Bacterial community structure in waterlogged bamboo slips excavated from the Laoguanshan Han Dynasty Tomb of Chengdu北大核心CSCD

To investigate the bacterial community structure features of soak solutions used to preserve bamboo slips that were excavated from Han dynasty tomb located in Laoguanshan of Chengdu and to reveal the diversity of bacteria in these soak solutions, PCR-DGGE was employed. Subsequently, the major DGGE bands were excised and sequenced to analyze the phylogeny of bacteria. The richness (S), Shannon-Wiener index (H), and Simpson index (D) of deionized water (0#) without the soaked bamboo slips were higher than those of the other samples. Among the bamboo slip soak solution samples, there were significant differences in these indicators; the bacterial genetic diversity of sample 121# was the highest and that of sample 1# was the lowest. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that there were comparatively large differences among the samples, and the similarity between sample 1# and others was the lowest. Based on the sequence analysis, the major community of bacteria in soak solution were belonged to Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, including Cupriavidus, Aquabacterium, Comamonas, Albidiferax, Hyphomicrobiaceae, Azospirillum, Nevskia, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Sediminibacterium, and Propionibacterium, among which Cupriavidus of the β-Proteobacteria class was detected in all samples. The bacterial community structure of the soak solutions that were collected from different bamboo slips was quite complex and significantly different. The analysis of the main bacterial community revealed the potential bacteria species that may trigger the damage in bamboo slips; the result provided a reference to prevent waterlogged bamboo slips from microbial diseases in the future. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Occurrence of odor problems in drinking water of major cities across China

A comprehensive investigation into the occur-rence of odor problem at 111 drinking water treatment plants （DWTPs） in major cities across China was undertaken using both flavor profile analysis （FPA） and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. Eighty percent of source water samples exhibited odor problems, characterized by earthy/musty （41%） and swampy/septic （36%） odors, while the occurrence rate was lower （45%） in the finished water. Source water from rivers exhibited more pollution-origin odors, such as the swampy/septic odor, while that from lakes and reservoirs exhibited more algae- origin odors, such as earthy/musty odors. The occurrence rate of 2-methylisoborneol （2-MIB） in the surface source water samples was 75%, with 7% of samples containing 2- MIB concentrations of over 10 ng.L-1. The earthy/musty odor in the lake/reservoir water samples was mainly caused by 2-MIB （linear regression coefficient, R2= 0.69）, while the correlation between 2-MIB concentration and the earthy/musty odor intensity samples was weak （R2= 0.35） in the river-source water These results will be useful for the management of odor-quality problems in drinking water of China.     

Responses of bacterial strains isolated from drinking water environments to N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones and their analogs during biofilm formation

Often as a result ofbiofilm formation, drinking water distribution systems （DWDS） are regularly faced with the problem of microbial contamination. Quorum sensing （QS） systems play a marked role in the regulation of microbial biofilm formation; thus, inhibition of QS systems may provide a promising approach to biofilm formation control in DWDS. In the present study, 22 bacterial strains were isolated from drinking water-related environments. The following properties of the strains were investigated： bacterial biofilm formation capacity, QS signal molecule N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones （AHLs） production ability, and responses to AHLs and AHL analogs, 3-chloro-4-（dichloromethyl）-5-hydroxy-2（5H）- furanone （MX） and 2（5H）-furanone. Four AHLs were added to developed biofilms at dosages ranging from 0.1 nmol.L J to 100nmol.L1. As a result, the biofilm growth of more than 1/4 of the isolates, which included AHL producers and non-producers, were significantly promoted. Further, the biofilm biomasses were closely associated with respective AHLs concentrations. These results provided evidence to support the idea that AHLs play a definitive role in biofilm formation in many of the studied bacteria. Meanwhile, two AHLs analogs demon- strated unexpectedly minimal negative effects on biofilm formation. This suggested that, in order to find an applicable QS inhibition approach for biofilm control in DWDS, the testing and analysis of more analogs is needed.     

Distribution and habitat characteristics of fishes in the Pearl River Estuary北大核心CSCD

To explore the current situation and distribution of fish in the eight major estuaries of the Pearl River Estuary in China, acoustic detection and water quality monitoring were conducted in 2018. The results showed that almost living in eight major estuaries were juvenile, the proportion of strong echo was higher in winter, and Jiaomen and Modaomen Estuary were relatively rich in adult fish. In winter, the Humen, Jiaomen, and Yamen Estuary had a high density relatively, for 46.05 (± 50.30), 33.12 (± 93), and 32 (± 78) ind/103 m3, respectively. However, the fish densities of the Hengmen, Modaomen, and Hutiaomen estuaries were higher in summer at 55.72 (± 83.23), 37.52 (± 55) and 36 (± 99) ind/103 m3, respectively. Thus, fish are mainly concentrated in the flood tidal estuary in winter and in the ebb tidal estuary in summer. In addition, fish density was higher in flood tide than in ebb tide, and the strong echo proportion was lower. In winter, the key water quality factors affecting the biodiversity of estuary fish Shannon were chlorophyll a (P < 0.05), while what affected the fish density were turbidity and salinity (P < 0.05). This study showed that the Pearl River estuary was still the main habitat for juvenile fish. However, habitat variability is obvious; hence, it is important to flexibly carry out the delimitation of estuarine fish reserves and ecological restoration. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Irrigation quotas for high water use efficiency and economic water productivity of typical crops in Shiyang River Basin北大核心CSCD

Water consumption in agricultural activities is the main water use in inland oases in Northwest China. Research on water conservation in agriculture is of great significance to alleviate the conflict between the use of agricultural and ecological water and is of great importance to local farmers’ livelihoods. This study, based on traditional irrigation practices (flood irrigation and fixed irrigation frequency) of Minqin County in Shiyang River Basion, was designed to reveal the impacts of five irrigation quotas (1 800, 1 440, 1 080, 720, and 360 m3/hm2) on crop yield, biomass, irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), and economic water productivity (EWP) to determine the optimal irrigation for five crops and guide local irrigation practices. The results showed that: (1) Under the five irrigation quotas, IWUE of corn, with the highest of 12.27 kg/m3, was higher than the other four crops; (2) The average EWP of cotton with a 2-year-average of 8.0 yuan/m3 was higher than the other four crops. Thus, the economic output of cotton is the best under the same irrigation quota; (3) Considering the yield, IWUE, EWP, and biomass, corn was better than the other four typical crops; and (4) 1 080 m3/hm2 was the optimal irrigation quota for sunflower in local planting practices. In addition, 720 m3/hm2 was suitable for corn, pepper, wheat, and cotton as their irrigation quota. This study shows that reducing the amount of irrigation quota in the Shiyang River Basin can effectively improve local IWUE and EWP. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Changes in major factors affecting the ecosystem health of the Weihe River in Shaanxi Province, China

Maintenance of the ecosystem health of a river is of great importance for local sustainable development. On the basis of both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the influence of natural variations and human activities on the ecosystem function of the Weihe River, the changes in major factors affecting its ecosystem health are deter- mined, which include： 1） Deficiency of environment flow： since the 1960s, the incoming stream flow shows an obvious decreasing tendency. Even in the low flow period, 80% of the water in the stream is impounded by dams for agriculture irrigation in the Baoji district. As a result, the water flow maintained in the stream for environmental use is very limited. 2） Deterioration of water quality： the concentrations of typical pollutants like Chemical Oxygen Demand （COD） and NH3-N are higher than their maximum values of the Chinese environmental quality standard. Very few fish species can survive in the River. 3） Deformation of water channels： the continuous channel sedimentation has resulted in the decrease in stream gradient, shrinkage of riverbed and the decline in the capability for flood discharge. 4） Loss of riparian vegetation： most riparian land has been occupied by urban construction activities, which have caused the loss of riparian vegetation and biodiversity and further weakened flood control and water purification functions.     

Abundance and distribution of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in Tibetan and Yunnan plateau agricultural soils of China

As low oxygen and high ultraviolet （UV） exposure might significantly affect the microbial existence in plateau, it could lead to a specialized microbial community. To determine the abundance and distribution of ammonia-oxidizing archaea （AOA） in agricultural soil of plateau, seven soil samples were collected respectively from farmlands in Tibet and Yunnan cultivating the wheat, highland-barley, and colza, which are located at altitudes of 3200-3800 m above sea level. Quantitative PCR （q-PCR） and clone library targeting on amoA gene were used to quantify the abundances of AOA and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria （AOB）, and characterize the community structures of AOA in the samples. The number of AOA cells （9.34 × 10^7-2.32× 10^8 g^-1 soil） was 3.86-21.84 times greater than that of AOB cells （6.91 × 10^6-1.24 × 10^8 g^-1 soil） in most of the samples, except a soil sample cultivating highland- barley with an AOA/AOB ratio of 0.90. Based Kendall＇s correlation coefficient, no remarkable correlation between AOA abundance and the environmental factor was observed. Additionally, the diversities of AOA community were affected by total nitrogen and organic matter concentration in soils, suggesting that AOA was probably sensitive to several environmental factors, and could adjust its community structure to adapt to the environmental variation while maintaining its abundance.     

Relationship between herbaceous community distribution and soil environmental factors in the riparian zone of the Baiyangdian River Basin北大核心CSCD

Riparian zone vegetation is an important part of the riparian ecosystem and plays an important role in the riparian zone functioning. Herbs, which are one of the main types of riparian vegetation, are extremely sensitive to environmental changes and human activities and have become a hot spot of riparian vegetation research. In this study, the herbaceous communities of four representative rivers (Xiaoyi, Baohe, Fuhe, and Baigouyin River) entering Baiyangdian Lake in China were researched. The herbaceous species in their riparian zones were systematically investigated using the sample plot method. The Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’), Pielou evenness (J), and Patrick richness (R) indices were estimated to examine the species composition and diversity of the herb communities, following which redundancy analysis (RDA) was conducted. The relationship between species diversity, distribution patterns of herbaceous plant communities, and soil environmental factors in the riparian zone of the four rivers is discussed. (1) Eighty-three species of herbaceous plants belonging to 66 genera and 27 families in the riparian zone entering Baiyangdian Lake. Most herbaceous plants, including Poaceae, Compositae, and Chenopodiaceae, were weeds or associated plants. Riparian vegetation was greatly affected by human disturbance. (2) All the three estimated indices of the Xiaoyi, Baigouyin, and Fuhe rivers were better than those of the Baohe River. (3) The vegetation coverage and species diversity of riparian herbaceous communities were positively correlated with soil organic matter and water content but negatively correlated with pH, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Therefore, these communities are conducive to the restoration of vegetation and the stability of biodiversity in the riparian core area to reduce the disturbance of human activities and increase humidity. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Removal of non-point pollutants from bridge runoff by a hydrocyclone using natural water head

A hydrocyclone using natural water head provided by bridge was operated for the treatment of stormwater runoff. The hydrocyclone was automatically controlled using electronic valve which is connected to a pressure meter. Normally the hydrocyclone was open during dry days, but it was closed after the capture of the first flush. The results indicated that the average pressure and the flow rate were directly affected by the rainfall intensity. The pressure head was more than 2 m when the rainfall intensity was above 5mm·h^-1. The percentage volume of underflow with high solids concentration decreased as the pressure and flow rate increased, but the percentage volume of overflow with almost no solids showed the opposite behavior. The total suspended solids （TSS） concentration ratio between the overflow and inflow （TSSover/TSSin） decreased as a function of the operational pressure, while the corresponding ratio of underflow to inflow （TSSunaer/TSSi,） increased. The TSS separation efficiency was evaluated based on a mass balance. It ranged from 25% to 99% with the pressure head ranging from 1.4 to 9.7 m, and it was proportional to pressure and flow rate. Normally, the efficiency was more than 50% when the pressure was higher than 2 m. The analysis of the water budget indicated that around 13% of the total runoff was captured by the hydrocyclone as a first flush, and this runoff was separated as underflow and overflow with the respective percentage volumes of 29% and 71%. The pollutants budget was also examined based on a mass balance. The results showed that the percentage of TSS, chemical oxygen demand （COD）, total nitrogen （TN）, and total phosphorus （TP） in underflow were 73%, 59%, 7.6%, and 49%, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that the hydrocyclone worked well. It separated the first flush as solids-concentrated underflow and solids-absent overflow, and effectively reduced the runoff volume needing further treatment. Finally, four types of optional post treatment design are presented and compared.     

Dynamic characteristics of woody plant regeneration in karst secondary forests in central Guizhou北大核心CSCD

Based on community data (2012, 2020) of the Tianlong Mountain evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest plot in central Guizhou, China, the species composition, importance value index, diversity, and dynamic changes were estimated to explore the renewal and change characteristics of karst secondary forests. The results showed that: (1) the number of individual species in the investigated two hm2 plot encompassing 33 families and 55 genera, totaling 69 species decreased from 10 276 to 7837. Five families, 10 genera, and 18 species were newly added, while seven families, nine genera, and 11 species disappeared. The difference between the importance value indices of the species was obvious; that of Lithocarpus confinis (20.97–23.26) was much higher than that of other species. Except for some species, the overall inter-annual differences were not large, and the status of mesophytic and shaded species has increased. Life forms were dominated by small trees and shrubs or small trees, and the plant number density of different life forms is reduced. (2) The Margalef and Shannon-Wiener indices of shrubs were the largest, and the Pielou indices of shrubs or small trees were the largest. The composition of most life forms has increased; the diversity became richer; and the uniform distribution of individual species has increased, but the change was small. (3) With respect to the spatial distribution pattern, the species were generally clustered, and only a few were randomly distributed. The Cx, I, m*, CA, and G indices of the species were reduced, and those of some species were quite different. A tendency for aggregated distribution was observed over random distribution, but the aggregation degree of Lithocarpus sphaerocephala was still high. The PAI index of most species increased but was not obvious, whereas the K value changed irregularly. Overall, the species composition, importance value index, diversity, and spatial distribution pattern of the main species in this community have changed to some extent but without any significant fluctuations. L. sphaerocephala was still the dominant species in succession, and the species composition of the flora was stable. The restoration of vegetation and the development of the entire community are slow. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Performance of a hybrid anaerobic-contact oxidation biofilm baffled reactor for the treatment of decentralized molasses wastewater

A novel hybrid anaerobic-contact oxidation biofilm baffled reactor （HAOBR） was developed to simultaneously remove nitrogenous and carbonaceous organic pollutants from decentralized molasses wastewater in the study. The study was based on the inoculation of anaerobic granule sludge in anaerobic compartments and the installation of combination filler in aerobic compartments. The performance of reactor system was studied regarding the hydraulic retention time （HRT）, microbial characteristics and the gas water ratio （GWR）. When the HRT was 24h and the GWR was 20：1, total ammonia and chemical oxygen demand （COD） of the effluent were reduced by 99% and 91.8%, respectively. The reactor performed stably for treating decentralized molasses wastewater. The good performance of the reactor can be attributed to the high resistance of COD and hydraulic shock loads. In addition, the high solid retention time of contact oxidation biofilm contributed to stable performance of the reactor.     

Nitrogen pollution and source identification of urban ecosystem surface water in Beijing

Nitrogen contamination of surface water is a worldwide environmental problem with intensive agricul- ture and high population densities. We assessed the spatial and seasonal variation in concentrations of total nitrogen and different nitrogen species present in surface-water in Beijing, China. Also, chemical （NO3-N/C1-） and isotopic （615Nnitrate） indicators were used to identify nitrate sources. The results showed that, during 2009 and 2010, nitrate nitrogen concentrations ranged from 0.7 to 7.6 mg· L^-1, ammonium nitrogen from 0. I to 3.4 mg· L^-1, and total nitrogen from 2.4 to 17.0mg· L^-1. Inorganic nitrogen accounted for between 60 and 100% of total nitrogen at the ten monitoring sites. Nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and total nitrogen concentrations at the 2 downstream monitoring sites in south-eastern Beijing were significantly higher than those at the other eight upstream monitoring sites （P 〈 0.01）. Examination of seasonal variation showed that there was a significant inverse relationship between nitrate nitrogen concentrations and precipitation, and that nitrate nitrogen concentrations peaked in the dry seasons. The information given by the 15Nnitrate values and nitrate nitrogen concentrations, combined with the NO3-N/C1- ratio distribution, showed that domestic sewage was the major source of nitrate in Beijing. Methods to control and reduce sewage pollution are urgently needed to help manage surface water quality in Beijing.     

Assessment of temporal and spatial variations in water quality using multivariate statistical methods： a case study of the Xin＇anjiang River,China

This study evaluated the temporal and spatial variations of water quality data sets for the Xin＇anjiang River through the use of multivariate statistical techniques, including cluster analysis （CA）, discriminant analysis （DA）, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis （PCA）. The water samples, measured by ten parameters, were collected every month for three years （2008-2010） from eight sampling stations located along the river. The hierarchical CA classified the 12 months into three periods （First, Second and Third Period） and the eight sampling sites into three groups （Groups 1, 2 and 3） based on seasonal differences and various pollution levels caused by physicochemical properties and anthropogenic activ- ities. DA identified three significant parameters （tempera- ture, pH and E.coli） to distinguish temporal groups with close to 76% correct assignment. The DA also discovered five parameters （temperature, electricity conductivity, total nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus） for spatial variation analysis, with 80.56% correct assignment. The non-parametric correlation coefficient （Spear- man R） explained the relationship between the water quality parameters and the basin characteristics, and the GIS made the results visual and direct. The PCA identified four PCs for Groups 1 and 2, and three PCs for Group 3. These PCs captured 68.94%, 67.48% and 70.35% of the total variance of Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Although natural pollution affects the Xin＇anjiang River, the main sources of pollution included agricultural activities, industrial waste, and domestic wastewater.     

Genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of Squaliobarbus curriculus from the Pearl River based on mitochondrial D-loop sequences北大核心CSCD

Squaliobarbus curriculus is one of the most economically important edible freshwater fish in the Pearl River. To assess the level of genetic diversity and genetic variation of S. curriculus populations w ithin t he Pearl R iver, samples were collected from six geographical populations from six drainages. 978 base pairs of the D-loop sequence were obtained as a molecular marker. 106 haplotypes were defined among 170 S. curriculus individuals. Populations of S. curriculus in the Pearl River displayed a high haplotypic diversity index (h = 0.9820) and high nucleotide diversity index (π = 0.01353). T he results of genetic distance and genetic differentiation index show that genetic differentiation among S. curriculus populations is not significant. The neighbor-joining tree shows two clades. Clade A is composed of most haplotypes of S. curriculus. Clade B includes two private haplotypes from the Xijiang River. Haplotype network analysis is consistent with the results of genetic distance and genetic differentiation. The results of AMOVA analysis showed that most variation was found within populations (99.36%). Neutral test analysis explained that there was population expansion in the history of S. curriculus in the Pearl River. Xijiang River could be the center of origin, as supported by all the results. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Use of Biotic Community Structure as a Measure of Ecological Degradation

The benthic macroinvertebrate communities of two lotic aquatic habitats,namely,the Churni River(C-R)and the Jalangi River(J-R)were compared in this study.One lotic aquatic system(C-R)was polluted by organic pollutants due to discharge of unprocessed sewage water,while the other(J-R)was not affected by such pollution.Evaluations of various physico-chemical properties of water,sediment and different macroinvertebrate communities of the two tropical lotic systems were done in a period from January,2002 to December,2003.A long term temporal change in the macroinvertebrate communities was recorded due to increase in sediment rH value.Sediment redox potential affected by the anthropogenic activities was found to be an important factor for alteration of macroinvertebrate communities in these aquatic ecosystems.A positive correlation has been established between rH and Margalef index in this study.Potassium and the total count of coliform bacteria in water showed significantly higher values for the polluted Churni River than those for the Jalangi River.Fig 3,Tab 4,Ref 34     

Effects of stand density on understory species diversity and soil anti-scourability of Cupressus funebris plantation in Yunding Mountain,Sichuan, China北大核心CSCD

To protect the ecosystem of barren mountains, massive Cupressus funebris plantations were allowed in hilly areas of the central Sichuan Basin in the late 1980s. In recent years, Cupressus funebris plantations have faced problems such as biodiversity decline and soil erosion. To study the effects of different forest densities on understory species diversity and soil anti-scourability of Cupressus funebris plantations in Yunding Mountain, a typical sampling method was used to investigate the five different forest densities (1 100, 950, 800, 650, and 500 trees/hm2) and to analyze the correlation between the species diversity index, soil anti-scourability, and root index. In total, 176 species from 128 genera and 69 families were recorded in this area. The number of species in the herb layer was higher than that in the shrub layer. The species diversity index of the shrub layer first increased and then decreased with the decrease in stand density; and the species richness index D and Shannon–Wiener diversity index H showed peak values at a density of 650 trees/hm2. The species richness index D, Shannon–Wiener diversity index H, and Simpson dominance index H’ in the herb layer showed a bimodal trend of increasing, then decreasing, increasing again, and finally decreasing with the decrease in stand density; and the peak values were found at the densities of 650 and 950 trees/hm2. When soil anti-scourability decreased with stand density, it showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing, reaching a peak at a density of 650 trees/hm2. The positive correlation between the species richness index and soil anti-scourability was evident. Thus, 650 trees/hm2 is relatively more conducive to the stability of species diversity and soil anti-scourability in cypress plantations. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Simultaneous removal of arsenate and fluoride from water by AI-Fe （hydr）oxides

A1-Fe （hydr）oxides with different A1/Fe molar ratios （4：1, 1：1, 1：4, 0：1） were prepared using a co- precipitation method and were then employed for simultaneous removal of arsenate and fluoride. The 4A1 ： Fe was superior to other adsorbents for removal of arsenate and fluoride in the pH range of 5.0-9.0. The adsorption capacity of the A1-Fe （hydr）oxides for arsenate and fluoride at pH 6.50.3 increased with increasing A1 content in the adsorbents. The linear relationship between the amount of OH released from the adsorbent and the amount of arsenate or fluoride adsorbent by 4A1 ： Fe indicated that the adsorption of arsenate and fluoride by A1- Fe （hydr）oxides was realized primarily through quantita- tive ligand exchange. Moreover, there was a very good correlation between the surface hydroxyl group densities of A1-Fe （hydr）oxides and their adsorption capacities for arsenate or fluoride. The highest adsorption capacity for arsenate and fluoride by 4A1 ： Fe is mainly ascribed to its highest surface hydroxyl group density besides its largest pHpzc. The dosage of adsorbent necessary to remove arsenate and fluoride to meet the drinking water standard was mainly determined by the presence of fluoride since fluoride was generally present in groundwater at much higher concentration than arsenate.     

Intercalation assisted liquid phase production of disulfide zirconium nanosheets for efficient electrocatalytic dinitrogen reduction to ammonia

Disulfide zirconium(ZrS₂) is a two-dimensional(2D) transition metal disulfide and has given rise to extensive attention because of its distinctive electronic structure and properties.However,mass production of high quality of ZrS₂ nanosheets to realize their practical application remains a challenge.Here,we have successfully exfoliated the bulk ZrS₂ powder with the thickness of micron into single and few-layer nanosheets through liquid-phase exfoliation in N-meth...     

Microbial fuel cell with three-dimensional electrodes for domestic wastewater treatment and electricity generation北大核心CSCD

A single chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) with three-dimensional electrodes packed bed carbon felts was developed to treat domestic wastewater while simultaneously generating electricity. The influence of batch and continuous operation mode on treatment effectiveness and electricity production of the MFC was investigated to provide a reference for the application of the MFC. The MFC with a total working volume of 1 440 mL was operated in the fed-batch mode for 5 d repeatedly three times, and then shifted to the continuous mode. During the testing of the continuous mode, wastewater was continuously pumped into the anode compartment at a flow rate of approximately 0.2 mL/min, resulting in a hydraulic retention time of 5 d. During the batch test, the MFC obtained 91.1% chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 98.2% NH4 +-N removal, which accorded with the first criteria specified in the discharge standard of pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment plants in China (GB18918-2002). A maximum power density of 27.88 mW/m3 was achieved at a 51 Ω external resistor. During the continuous test, the COD removal efficiencies ranged from 83.2% to 97.4%. The concentration of NH4 +-N gradually decreased within 5 d and was then maintained below 9.45 mg/L, thus an enhanced removal performance of NH4 +-N was acquired. However, a low removal efficiency of total nitrogen was observed owing to the accumulation of NO3 --N in the effluent since day 11. Additionally, the MFC continually generated electricity with a maximum power density of 582.5 mW/m3 and average output voltage of 0.087 7 V during the stable period in the continuous operation mode. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing showed that Thauera sp., Saprospiraceae-UN sp., and OPB56-UN sp. were identified as dominant populations. The results suggested that the organic matter associated with power generation was constantly utilized by the microorganisms in the reactor, which caused an excellent electricity generation performance during the continuous test. Therefore, the continuous operation mode could improve the low output voltage phenomenon in the MFC. Thauera sp., as a type of nitrate-reducing bacteria, was enriched in the autotrophic denitrifying microbial communities; therefore, bio-enrichment with denitrifying bacteria such as Thauera sp. could decrease the concentration of NO3 --N in the effluent during the continuous operation mode, which is expected to be an innovation for improvement of wastewater treatment. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.