Potential of plant polyphenol oxidases in the decolorization and removal of textile and non-textile dyes

In this study an effort has been made to use plant polyphenol oxidases; potato （Solanum tuberosum） and brinjal （Solanum melongena）, for the treatment of various important dyes used in textile and other industries. The ammonium sulphate fractionated enzyme preparations were used to treat a number of dyes under various experimental conditions. Majority of the treated dyes were maximally decolorized at pH 3.0. Some of the dyes were quickly decolorized whereas others were marginally decolorized. The initial first hour was sufficient for the maximum decolorization of dyes. The rate of decolorization was quite slow on long treatment of dyes. Enhancement in the dye decolorization was noticed on increasing the concentration of enzymes. The complex mixtures of dyes were treated with both preparations of polyphenol oxidases in the buffers of varying pH values. Potato polyphenol oxidase was significantly more effective in decolorizing the dyes to higher extent as compared to the enzyme obtained from brinjal polyphenol oxidase. Decolorization of dyes and their mixtures, followed by the formation of an insoluble precipitate, which could be easily removed simply by centrifugation.     

Toxic effects of acetochlor, methamidophos and their combination on nifH gene in soil

Toxic effects of two agrochemicals on nifH gene in agricultural black soil were investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） and sequencing approaches in a microcosm experiment. Changes of soil nifH gene diversity and composition were examined following the application of acetochlor, methamidophos and their combination. Acetochlor reduced the nifH gene diversity （both in gene richness and diversity index values） and caused changes in the nifH gene composition. The effects of acetochlor on nifH gene were strengthened as the concentration of acetochlor increased. Cluster analysis of DGGE banding patterns showed that nifH gene composition which had been affected by low concentration of acetochlor （50 mg/kg） recovered firstly. Methamidophos reduced nifH gene richness that except at 4 weeks. The medium concentration of methamidophos （150 mg/kg） caused the most apparent changes in nifH gene diversity at the first week while the high concentration of methamidophos （250 mg/kg） produced prominent effects on nifH gene diversity in the following weeks. Cluster analysis showed that minimal changes of nifH gene composition were found at 1 week and maximal changes at 4 weeks. Toxic effects of acetochlor and methamidophos combination on nifH gene were also apparent. Different nifH genes （bands） responded differently to the impact of agrochemicals： four individual bands were eliminated by the application of the agrochemicals, five bands became predominant by the stimulation of the agrochemicals, and four bands showed strong resistance to the influence of the agrochemicals. Fifteen prominent bands were partially sequenced, yielding 15 different nifH sequences, which were used for phylogenetic reconstructions. All sequences were affiliated with the alpha- and beta-proteobacteria, showing higher similarity to eight different diazotrophic genera.     

Sorption of 1-naphthol by plant cuticular fractions

The contribution of aliphatic-rich plant biopolymer to sorption of hydrophobic organic compounds is significantly important because of their preservation and accumulation in the soil environment,but sorption mechanism is still not fully understood.In this study, sorption of 1-naphthol by plant cuticular fractions was examined to better understand the contributions of respective fraction.Toward this end,cuticular materials were isolated from the fruits of tomato by chemical method.The tomato cuticle sheet consisted of waxes (6.5 wt%),cuticular monomer (69.5 wt%),and polysaccharide (24.0 wt%).Isotherms of l-naphthol to the cuticular fractions were nonlinear (N value (0.82-0.90)) at the whole tested concentration ranges.The KodKow ratios for bulk cuticle (TC1),dewaxed cuticle (TC2),cutin (TC4),and desugared cuticle (TC5) were larger than unity,suggested that tomato bulk cuticle and cutin are much powerful solption medium.Sorption capability of cutin (TC4) was 2.4 times higher than the nonsaponifiable fraction (TC3).The 1-naphthol interactions with tomato cuticular materials were governed by both hydrophobic-type interactions and polar (H-bonding) interactions. Removal of the wax and polysaccharide materials from the bulk tomato cuticle caused a significant increase in the sorption ability of the cuticular material.There was a linear negative trend between K_(oc) values and the amount of polysaccharides or fraction's polarities ((N O)/C);while a linear positive relationship between K_(oc) values and the content of cutin monomer (linear R~2=0.993) was observed for present in the cuticular fractions.Predominant sorbent of the hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the plant cuticular fraction was the cutin monomer,contributing to 91.7% of the total sorption of tomato bulk cuticle.     

Preparations of TiO2 film coated on foam nickel substrate by sol-gel processes and its photocatalytic activity for degradation of acetaldehyde

Anatase TiO2 films were successfully prepared on foam nickel substrates by sol-gel technique using tetrabutyl titanate as precursor. The characteristics of the TiO2 films were investigated by XPS, XRD, FE-SEM, TEM and UV-Vis absorption spectra. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2 films were investigated by photocatalytic degradation reactions of gaseous acetaldehyde, an indoor pollutant, under ultraviolet light irradiation. It was found that Ni^2＋ doping into TiO2 films due to the foam nickel substrates resulted in the extension of absorption edges of TiO2 films from UV region to visible light region. The pre-heating for foam nickel substrates resulted in the formation of NiO layer, which prevented effectively the injection of photogenerated electrons from TiO2 films to metal nickel. The TiO2 films displayed high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of acetaldehyde, and were enhanced by calcining the substrates and coating TiO2 films repeatedly. The high activity was mainly attributed to the improvement of the characteristics of substrate surface and the increase of active sites on photocatalyst.     

Reaction mode between Si and Fe and evaluation of optimal species in poly-silicic-ferric coagulant

A kind of Fe-polysilicate polymer, poly-silicic-ferric （PSF） coagulant was prepared by co-polymerization （hydroxylation of mixture of Fe^3＋ and fresh polysilicic acid （PS））, in which PSF0.5, PSF1 or PSF3 denotes Si/Fe molar ratio of 0.5, 1 or 3, respectively. The effects of Si/Fe ratio and reaction time （co-polymerization time or aging time） on the reaction mode between Si and Fe were studies, and the optimal species of PSF was evaluated by pH change during the preparation of PSF and coagulation tests. The results showed that the characteristics of PSF are largely affected by both reaction time and Si/Fe ratio. PSF is found to be a essential complex of Si, Fe, and many other ions. The reaction mode between Si and Fe differs with various Si/Fe ratios. The pH of PSF0.5, PSF1 or PSF3 tended to be stable when reaction time is 10, 25 or 55 rain, respectively, which is almost consistent with the time reaching the relative stable morphology that is just the optimal species of higher coagulation efficiency. The optimal reaction time reaching optimal species can be evaluated by measuring the pH change during the polymerization process.     

汽车排气尾流中微粒分布及其变化特性的研究

根据微粒核化、凝并及凝结模型对汽车排气尾流中微粒分布的变化特性进行了分析.结果表明,微粒的核化增加了排气尾流中超细微粒的数量;微粒的凝并和凝结将改变排气尾流中的微粒分布.在核化、凝并及凝结过程同时存在时,核化对微粒分布的影响相对较小,微粒分布的变化主要受凝并和凝结的作用.在排气管出口处,微粒的核化、凝并及凝结过程比较剧烈,微粒分布变化较大;随着距排气管出口距离的增加,微粒演变逐渐减弱.研究工作可以为汽车排放控制策略的确定以及汽车微粒对人体健康影响的研究提供依据.     

Activated carbons derived from oil palm empty-fruit bunches： Application to environmental problems

Activated carbons derived from oil palm empty fruit bunches （EFB） were investigated to find the suitability of its application for removal of phenol in aqueous solution through adsorption process, Two types of activation namely; thermal activation at 300, 500 and 800℃and physical activation at 150℃ （boiling treatment） were used for the production of the activated carbons. A control （untreated EFB） was used to compare the adsorption capacity of the activated carbons produced from these processes. The results indicated that the activated carbon derived at the temperature of 800℃ showed maximum absorption capacity in the aqueous solution of phenol. Batch adsorption studies showed an equilibrium time of 6 h for the activated carbon at 800℃. It was observed that the adsorption capacity was higher at lower values of pH （2-3） and higher value of initial concentration of phenol （200-300 mg/L）. The equilibrium data fitted better with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm compared to the Langmuir. Kinetic studies of phenol adsorption onto activated carbons were also studied to evaluate the adsorption rate. The estimated cost for production of activated carbon from EFB was shown in lower price （USD 0.50/kg of activated carbon） compared the activated carbon from other sources and processes.     

Impact of fertilization on chestnut growth, N and P concentrations in runo water on degraded slope land in South China

Growing fruit trees on the slopes of rolling hills in South China was causing serious environmental problems because of heavy application of chemical fertilizers and soil erosion. Suitable sources of fertilizers and proper rates of applications were of key importance to both crop yields and environmental protection. In this article, the impact of four fertilizers, i.e., inorganic compound fertilizer, organic compound fertilizer, pig manure compost, and peanut cake （peanut oil pressing residue）, on chestnut （Castanea mollissima Blume） growth on a slope in South China, and on the total N and total P concentrations in runoff waters have been investigated during two years of study, with an orthogonal experimental design. Results show that the organic compound fertilizer and peanut cake promote the heights of young chestnut trees compared to the control. In addition, peanut cake increases single-fruit weights and organic compound fertilizer raises single-seed weights. All the fertilizers increased the concentrations of total N and total P in runoff waters, except for organic compound fertilizer, in the first year experiment. The observed mean concentrations of total N varied from 1.6 mg/L to 3.2 mg/L and P from 0.12 mg/L to 0.22 mg/L, which were increased with the amount of fertilizer applications, with no pattern of direct proportion. On the basis of these experiment results, organic compound fertilizer at 2 kg/tree and peanut cake at 1 kg/tree are recommended to maximize chestnut growth and minimize water pollution.     

Effects of humic acid coatings on phenanthrene sorption to black carbon

Black carbon (BC) can strongly adsorb hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs).The HOC sorption to coated BC could be attenuated in soil and sediment compared with that of the parent BC.To study the potential causes of the sorption attenuation,humic acid (HA) and BC were isolated.Phenanthrene (PHE) was selected as the representative of HOCs.BC was coated with the precipitated HA.The PHE sorption to the HA-coated BC was determined.The HA coatings on BC could result in the significant sorption attenuation of PHE to BC.The attenuation varied in different HA origin and was positively correlated to the aromaticity of HA.The attenuation could be explained by the direct competition between HA and PHE for the available sorption sites on BC and the reduction of the available sorption sites as a result of the pore blockage of BC caused by the HA coatings.Therefore,the HA coatings on BC was one potential cause of the attenuation of HOC sorption to BC in soil and sediment.     

基质对人工湿地污水蒸发量及净化能力的影响

选择5种常见的人工湿地基质(土、沙、沙+土、有机质+沙和有机质+沙+土),研究了不同基质对污水蒸发量及净化能力的影响.结果表明,不同基质对污水的蒸发量存在差异,其大小顺序为:(有机质+沙+土)>(有机质+沙)>沙>土>(沙+土);有机质+沙+土和有机质+沙2种基质的污水蒸发量显著高于其他基质(P<0.05)并与其温度比较高有关.5种基质的温度存在差异,有机质+沙+土的温度显著高于土和沙两种基质的温度(P<0.05),有机质+沙+土的温度比土的温度高2.2℃;相关分析显示,基质的污水蒸发量与高锰酸钾指数去除率和氨氮去除率呈正相关,其中与氨氮去除率呈显著正相关(P<0.05).基质加入有机质可增加基质的温度,提高基质的污水蒸发量,有利于提高基质对有机物和氮的去除效率.     

Organochlorine pesticides in soils under different land usage in the Taihu Lake region, China

A field study was conducted in the Taihu Lake region, China in 2004 to reveal the organochlorine pesticide concentrations in soils after the ban of these substances in the year 1983. Thirteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were analyzed in soils from paddy field, tree land and fallow land. Total organochlorine pesticide residues were higher in agricultural soils than in uncultivated fallow land soils. Among all the pesticides, ΣDDX (DDD, DDE and DDT) had the highest concentration for all the soil samples, ranging from 3.10 ng/g to 166.55 ng/g with a mean value of 57.04 ng/g and followed by ΣHCH, ranging from 0.73 ng/g to 60.97 ng/g with a mean value of 24.06 ng/g. Dieldrin, endrin, HCB and α-endosulfan were also found in soils with less than 15 ng/g. Ratios of p,p'-(DDD DDE)/DDT in soils under three land usages were: paddy field ＞ tree land ＞ fallow land, indicating that land usage inlfuenced the degradation of DDT in soils. Ratios of p,p'-(DDD DDE)/DDT ＞1, showing aged residues of DDTs in soils of the Taihu Lake region. The results were discussed with data from a former study that showed very low actual concentrations of HCH and DDT in soils in the Taihu Lake region, but according to the chemical half-lives and their concentrations in soils in 1980s, the concentration of DDT in soils seemed to be underestimated. In any case our data show that the ban on the use of HCH and DDT resulted in a tremendous reduction of these pesticide residues in soils, but there are still high amounts of pesticide residues in soils, which need more remediation processes.     

秸秆生物炭活化过硫酸盐氧化降解苯酚

以苯酚为目标污染物,高粱秸秆生物炭（S-BC）作为催化剂研究其活化过硫酸盐（PS）降解苯酚的效果.对影响降解的因素（包括PS浓度、S-BC质量浓度、初始pH值以及自由基清除剂）进行探讨,同时研究了生物炭的重复使用效果.研究结果表明,S-BC/PS体系对苯酚的去除率显著高于单一S-BC和PS体系.在n（PS）：n（phenol）为50：1,S-BC质量浓度为1.5g/L,pH值为11的条件下,15h内苯酚的去除率高达99.7%;自由基清除剂（叔丁醇（TBA）,甲醇（MeOH））测定·OH和SO₄^-·是苯酚降解的主要活性物种;S-BC重复使用4次时对苯酚的去除率仍能达到100%.综上所述,生物炭可作为一种高效催化剂活化过硫酸盐降解苯酚.     

Genotoxicity of drinking water treated with different disinfectants and effects of disinfection conditions detected by umu-test

The genotoxicity of drinking water treated with 6 disinfection methods and the effects of disinfection conditions were investigated using the umu-test. The pretreatment procedure of samples for the umu-test was optimized for drinking water analysis. The results of the umu-test were in good correlation with those of the Ames-test. The genotoxicity and production of haloacetic acids (HAAs) were the highest for chlorinated samples. UV + chloramination is the safest disinfection method from the aspects of genotoxicity, HAA production and inactivation effects. For chloramination, the effects of the mass ratio of Cl₂ to N of chloramine on genotoxicity were also studied. The changes of genotoxicity were different from those of HAA production, which implied that HAA production cannot represent the genotoxic potential of water. The genotoxicity per chlorine decay of chlorination and chloramination had similar trends, indicating that the reaction of organic matters and chlorine made a great contribution to the genotoxicity. The results of this study are of engineering significance for optimizing the operation of waterworks.     

Optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology for bioconversion of activated sludge by Penicillium corylophilum

The optimization of process parameters for the bioconversion of activated sludge by Penicillium corylophilum was investigated using response surface methodology （RSM）. The three parameters namely temperature of 33℃, agitation of 150 r/min, and pH of 5 were chosen as center point from the previous study of fungal treatment. The experimental data on chemical oxygen demand （COD） removal （%） were fitted into a quadratic polynomial model using multiple regression analysis. The optimum process conditions were determined by analyzing response surface three-dimensional surface plot and contour plot and by solving the regression model equation with Design Expert software. Box-Behnken design technique under RSM was used to optimize their interactions, which showed that an incubation temperature of 32.5℃, agitation of 105 r/min, and pH of 5.5 were the best conditions. Under these conditions, the maximum predicted yield of COD removal was 98.43%. These optimum conditions were used to evaluate the trail experiment, and the maximum yield of COD removal was recorded as 98.5%.     

纳米TiO2薄膜光催化降解2,4-二氯酚的动力学研究

以主波长为365nm的紫外光灯为光源，纳米TiO2薄膜为光催化剂，研究了2，4-二氯酚光催化降解的产物及Cl^-对2，4-二氯酚光催化反应动力学的影响，并进一步探讨了Cl对2，4-二氯酚光解影响的机理，2，4-二氯酚可以经光催化氧化被彻底矿化，结合外加Cl^-对2，4-二氯酚光催化降解的影响和L-H反应动力学分析，可以认为Cl^-对2，4-二氯酚光催化降解的抑制作用，是由于Cl^-与2，4-二氯酚在TiO2表面竞争同一活性位点所致。因此，当光催化反应进行到Cl^-在TiO2表面竞争性吸附较强时，在反应动力学方程中必须考虑Cl^-的竞争性作用。     

Single and joint stress of acetochlor and Pb on three agricultural crops in northeast China

In order to evaluate ecological risk of agrochemicals in agricultural environment, single and joint toxic effects of an important herbicide and a typical heavy metal on root elongation of crops were investigated. Seeds of the three crops including wheat （Triticum aestivum）, Chinese cabbage （Brassica pekimensis） and soybean （Glycine max） as the main crops in northeast China were exposed to acetochior as a herbicide and lead （Pb） as a heavy metal using the pot-culture method, and meadow brown soil as one of the main soils distributed in northeast China was applied in the investigation. The results indicated that the interactive effects of the two pollutants on root elongation of the three crops were very complicated although they had markedly significant （P〈0.01） linear interrelationships based on the regression analyses. When the concentration of added Pb^2＋ reached 200 mg/kg, acetochlor and Pb had an antagonistic effect on the inhibition of root elongation of the three crops. However, acetochlor and Pb had significantly （P〈0.05） synergic effects on the inhibition of root elongation when concentration of added Pb^2＋ was up to 1000 mg/kg. At the low concentration of added Pb, joint toxicity of acetochlor and Pb was more dependent on the concentration of Pb. Among the three crops, wheat was the most sensitive to the toxicity of Pb and Chinese cabbage was the most sensitive to the toxicity of acetochlor.     

Arsenic uptake by arbuscular mycorrhizal maize （Zea mays L.） grown in an arsenic-contaminated soil with added phosphorus

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus mosseae) and phosphorus (P) addition (100 mg/kg soil) on arsenic (As) uptake by maize plants (Zea mays L.) from an As-contaminated soil were examined in a glasshouse experiment.Non-mycorrhizal and zero-P addition controls were included.Plant biomass and concentrations and uptake of As,P,and other nutrients,AM colonization,root lengths,and hyphal length densities were determined.The results indicated that addition of P significantly inhibited root colonization and development of extraradical mycelium.Root length and dry weight both increased markedly with mycorrhizal colonization under the zero-P treatments,but shoot and root biomass of AM plants was depressed by P application.AM fungal inoculation decreased shoot As concentrations when no P was added,and shoot and root As concentrations of AM plants increased 2.6 and 1.4 times with P addition,respectively.Shoot and root uptake of P,Mn,Cu,and Zn increased,but shoot Fe uptake decreased by 44.6%,with inoculation, when P was added.P addition reduced shoot P,Fe,Mn,Cu,and Zn uptake of AM plants,but increased root Fe and Mn uptake of the nonmycorrhizal ones.AM colonization therefore appeared to enhance plant tolerance to As in low P soil,and have some potential for the phytostabilization of As-contaminated soil,however,P application may introduce additional environmental risk by increasing soil As mobility.     

Characterization of surface runoff from a subtropics urban catchment

Characteristics of surface runoff from a 0.14-km^2 urban catchment with separated sewer in Macau was investigated. Water quality measurements of surface runoff were carried out on five rainfall events during the period of August to November, 2005. Water quality parameters such as pH, turbidity, TSS, COD, TN, Zn, Pb, and Cu were analyzed. The results show that TN and COD are the major pollutants from surface runoff with mean concentration of 8.5 and 201.4 mg/L, both over 4-fold higher compared to the Class V surface water quality standard developed by China SEPA. Event mean concentration （EMC） for major pollutants showed considerable variations between rainfall events. The largest rainfall event with the longest length of antecedent dry weather period （ADWP） produced the highest EMC of TN, TSS and COD. From the pollutographs analysis, the peak concentration of TN precedes the peak runoff flow rate for all three rainfall events. The tendency of the concentration of TSS, turbidity and COD changing with runoff flow varies between rainfall events. The relationship between TSS and other parameters were analyzed to evaluate the efficiency of the physical treatment process to control the surface runoff in the urban catchment. Based on the correlation of parameters with TSS, high treatment efficiency of TSS, TN and COD was expected. The most significant event in term of first flush is the one with the strongest rainfall intensity and longest length of ADWP. TN always showed first flush phenomenon in all three rainfall events, which suggested that the surface runoff in the early stage of surface runoff should be dealt with for controlling TN losses during rainfall events.     

Single and joint effects of pesticides and mercury on soil urease

The influence of two pesticides including chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan and mercury （Hg） on urease activity in 4 soils （meadow burozem and phaeozem） was investigated. The soils were exposed to various concentrations of the two pesticides and Hg individually and simultaneously. Results showed that there was a close relationship between urease activity and organic matter content in soil. Chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan could both activate urease in the 4 soils. The maximum increment of urease activity by chlorimuronethyl was up to 14%-18%. There was almost an equal increase （up to 13%-21%） in the urease activity by furadan. On the contrary, Hg markedly inhibited soil urease activity. A logarithmic equation was used to describe the relationship （P〈0.05） between the concentration of Hg and the activity of soil urease in the 4 tested soils. Semi-effect dose （ED50） values by the stress of Hg based on the inhibition of soil urease in the 4 soils were 88, 5.5, 24 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, according to the calculation of the corresponding equations. The interactive effect of chlorimuron-ethyl or furadan with metal Hg on soil urease was mainly synergic at the highest tested concentrations.     

Decolorization of Blue CL-BR dye by AOPs using bleach wastewater as source of H2O2

This research was focused on the investigation of the efficacy of advanced oxidation processes (Fenton,ozonation and UV/H_2O_2) for decolorization of reactive azo dye (Blue CL-BR) using bleach wastewater as possible source of H_2O_2.All the experiments were performed on the laboratory scale set-up.The results showed that colour removal efficiencies by UV or bleach (H_2O_2) alone were not so efficient.Fenton process with bleach wastewater was found to be the most effective at process conditions such as pH of 3 and H_2O_2/Fe~(2 ) ratio of 24:1,resulting in 64% colour removal.Almost complete colour removal,i.e.,99% and 95% were achieved by UV/H_2O_2 and UVfoleach wastewater in 30 and 60 min,respectively.Ozonation proved an efficient method for decolorization of Blue CL-BR dye at alkaline pH.It was possible to achieve 98% colour removal with 30 min of ozonation at pH 9.The colour removal of dye was found to follow first order kinetics.