Degradation of sulfonamides during anaerobic composting of swine manure

Residual antibiotics in manure pose a potential threat to public and ecological health as a result of the application of manure from animals treated with antibiotics to land. The environmental fate of sulfonamides (SAs) in swine manure after composting and field application remains largely unknown. We studied the degradation of the antibiotics sulfadiazine (SD), sulfathiazole (ST), and sulfamethazine (SM2) during anaerobic composting. We tested the effects of temperature and antibiotic concentration on degradation rates. We also evaluated the changes in pH, moisture, and biological degradation material in manure spiked with SAs and in a control. Results showed that the 3 SAs decreased by between 52.31% and 90.30% in all 9 treatments following 14 days of anaerobic composting, and the highest removal efficiencies were observed at a temperature of 35°C and initial concentrations of 6.03, 6.48, and 6.32?µg/g of SD, ST, and SM2, respectively, which were degraded by 90.30%, 85.78%, and 75.18%. Removal efficiencies for all SAs correlated well with moisture and biological degradation material of the manure. These results indicate that composting may be a practical and effective way to reduce concentrations of these three SAs in swine manure prior to its land application.     

Nitrogen footprints: Regional realities and options to reduce nitrogen loss to the environment

Ambio - Nitrogen (N) management presents a sustainability dilemma: N is strongly linked to energy and food production, but excess reactive N causes environmental pollution. The N footprint is an...     

曝气扰动对泥水界面硝化-反硝化性能的影响

采用自制河道模拟装置,探讨了曝气扰动深度为10、15、25和35 cm时泥水界面硝化-反硝化的耦合性能,目的为曝气治理黑臭河道装置的优化实施和解决"氮超标"难题提供参考。结果表明,随扰动深度增加,泥水界面紊动程度呈现先下降后增加的趋势,其中泥水界面处扰动深度为10 cm时流态最激烈(Re为3 044),扰动深度为25 cm时流态最平缓(Re为1 713);与静止对照工况对比,曝气扰动促进了NH+4-N的硝化转化,4种曝气条件稳定时上覆水氨氮浓度都在0.50mg/L以下,表明曝气有利于对底泥释放氨氮的控制;复氧速率与硝化速率随扰动深度的增加而减小;从总氮的控制角度来看,曝气扰动深度为25 cm时最有利于硝化-反硝化作用的耦合,上覆水总氮削减率达到51.5%,泥水界面硝化率与反硝化率分别达到(41.6±3.1)%和(32.1±0.7)%。     

The addition of modified attapulgite reduces the emission of nitrous oxide and ammonia from aerobically composted chicken manure

The acceleration of the composting process and the improvement of compost quality have been explored by evaluating the efficacy of various additives, inoculating with specific microorganisms and the application of various biosurfactants. The magnesium-aluminum silicate attapulgite is a low-cost potential composting additive, but its effects on aerobic composting are unknown. This study investigated the effects of attapulgite application on compost production and quality during the aerobic composting of chicken manure. Addition of attapulgite significantly increased the temperature (p < 0.05) while it reduced compost total organic carbon (TOC) and seed germination indices (GIs) throughout the process. Its addition enhanced nitrate concentrations, promoted organic matter degradation, increased seed germination indices, and accelerated the composting process. Interestingly, attapulgite addition did not increase the population of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. These results suggest that attapulgite is a good additive for the composting industry.

Implications: We investigated the addition of two forms of attapulgite during aerobic composting of chicken manure to determine their effects under strict composting environmental parameter control. Our results provides primary evidence that attapulgite may have potential for application in the composting industry.

All treatments showed no increase within the first 15 days. However, emissions increased for all treatments within 15–45 days, reaching approximately 6300, 2000, and 4000 mg/m² from the control, artifactitious attapulgite, and raw attapulgite treatments, respectively.     

序批式气升环流反应器处理硝基苯废水

采用序批式气升环流反应器(SAR)处理硝基苯废水,研究了硝基苯浓度和COD/N对处理过程的影响,分析了缺氧段COD和硝基苯降解动力学。结果表明,硝基苯在缺氧段被还原为苯胺,而苯胺在好氧段得到快速降解。硝基苯与基质(葡萄糖-COD)最佳质量比为1∶35~1∶25,该条件下反应器对硝基苯和COD去除率分别可达99%~100%和92%~94%。由于受传质限制,进水需要维持106 mg/L的氨氮(葡萄糖-COD/N比值为100∶10)以满足缺氧段微生物对氨氮的营养需要。缺氧段COD的降解符合二级动力学,反应速率常数k2为2.7×10-4L·mg/h;硝基苯的降解符合一级动力学,反应速率常数k1为0.14 h-1。研究表明,序批式气升环流反应器可作为一种简单而有效的反应器用于处理硝基苯废水。     

Persistent organic pollutants in the atmosphere from urban and industrial environments in the Rhine Valley: PCBs, PCDD/Fs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzodioxin and furan (PCDD/F) concentrations in the atmosphere were analysed using passive air samplers (PAS) close to the Rhine River between France and Germany. Collectors were placed in industrial, urban, rural and remote areas (Vosges Mountains) between March 2009 and August 2010, and the mean PCB concentrations (sum of 22 congeners) were 3.3, 3.9, 4.1 and 1.4 ng?PAS^?1?day^?1, respectively. Two events during the sampling period were observed in April 2009 and February–March 2010 with the highest PCB concentrations found in the industrial area (19.6 ng?PAS^?1?day^?1). PCDD/F level were measured during these periods, and the maximum concentration observed was from 37.5 fg?WHO?PAS^?1?day^?1     

Nutrient retention in plant biomass and sediments from the salt marsh in Hangzhou Bay estuary, China

Nutrient load into the ocean can be retained during the process of plant uptake and sedimentation in marshes along the bay zone. Seasonal variations of biomass and nutrient concentration in three dominated plant assemblages and associated sediments were monitored in this study area to determine effects of salt marsh on nutrient retention. Results showed that plant aboveground biomass displayed a unimodal curve with nutrient concentration generally decreased from spring to winter. Belowground biomass was relatively low during the rapid growth period with nutrient concentration tending to decrease and then increase during this period. Plant total nitrogen (TN) pools are higher than total phosphorus (TP) pools, and both pools showed significant seasonal variations. Water purification coefficients (WPC) of nutrients by plant assimilation were 34.4/17.3, 19.3/24.0, and 5.14/6.04 t/(m² year) (TN/TP) for Phragmites australis, Spartina alterniflora, and Scirpus mariqueter, respectively. Overall, these results suggest that higher annual plant biomass and nutrient assimilation contribute to greater nutrient retention capacity and accumulation in sediments, thereby enabling reduced eutrophication in transitional waters.     

国内外餐饮垃圾的管理

餐饮垃圾高含水量和易腐等特性 ,使其成为一类特殊的固体垃圾。餐饮垃圾对于我国城市发展还是个新问题 ,国内外系统报道其管理和处理对策的文献也很少。在分析中 ,介绍了国内外餐饮垃圾的管理政策与治理技术 ,同时 ,针对我国目前现状 ,提出城市餐饮垃圾的管理和治理建议 ,为困扰我国众多城市的餐饮垃圾管理与治理决策提供参考     

Unanswered questions on the airborne transmission of COVID-19

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Policies and measures to control pandemics are often failing. While biological factors controlling transmission are usually well explored, little is known about...     

Field application of palladized iron for the dechlorination of trichloroethene

Palladized iron (Pd/Fe) has been tested under field conditions for the dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) in groundwater. Contaminated water was pumped from aquifers in Ohio (0.7– 1.5 mg/l TCE) and Missouri (2–9 mg/l TCE and 1,2-dichloroethene) and passed through columns of Pd/Fe. The experiments demonstrated that the dechlorination reaction occurs efficiently until the surface of the Pd/Fe becomes fouled. Regeneration of the surface with dilute (1M) hydrochloric acid is easily accomplished under laboratory conditions, but initially was unsuccessful in the field. Further experiments indicated, that reduced sulfur species, although not naturally present in the groundwater being treated, were permanently poisoning the palladium. Apparently, sulfur-reducing bacteria utilize the hydrogen produced by the Pd/Fe process and reduce the sulfate that is present. An anion exchange column was used to remove sulfate (20 mg/l) from groundwater at the Kansas City Plant in order to test this theory. Under these conditions, a column of Pd/Fe was repetitively regenerated for a 4-week period. A second column, not protected by sulfate removal, could not be regenerated. The results demonstrated that Pd/Fe could be used in a long-term field process if a material with more resistance to Fe and Pd losses is developed.