Risk assessment of Giardia from a full scale MBR sewage treatment plant caused by membrane integrity failure

Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are highly efficient at intercepting particles and microbes and have become an important technology for wastewater reclamation. However, many pathogens can accumulate in activated sludge due to the long residence time usually adopted in MBR, and thus may pose health risks when membrane integrity problems occur. This study presents data from a survey on the occurrence of water-borne Giardia pathogens in reclaimed water from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant with MBR experiencing membrane integrity failure, and assessed the associated risk for green space irrigation. Due to membrane integrity failure, the MBR effluent turbidity varied between 0.23 and 1.90 NTU over a period of eight months. Though this turbidity level still met reclaimed water quality standards (≤5 NTU), Giardia were detected at concentrations of 0.3 to 95 cysts/10 L, with a close correlation between effluent turbidity and Giardia concentration. All β-giardin gene sequences of Giardia in the WWTP influents were genotyped as Assemblages A and B, both of which are known to infect humans. An exponential dose-response model was applied to assess the risk of infection by Giardia. The risk in the MBR effluent with chlorination was 9.83 × 10^-3, higher than the acceptable annual risk of 1.0 × 10^-4. This study suggested that membrane integrity is very important for keeping a low pathogen level, and multiple barriers are needed to ensure the biological safety of MBR effluent.     

Predicted no-effect concentrations for mercury species and ecological risk assessment for mercury pollution in aquatic environment

Mercury(Hg) exists in different chemical forms presenting varied toxic potentials. It is necessary to explore an ecological risk assessment method for different mercury species in aquatic environment. The predicted no-effect concentrations(PNECs) for Hg(Ⅱ) and methyl mercury(Me Hg) in the aqueous phase, calculated using the species sensitivity distribution method and the assessment factor method, were 0.39 and 6.5 × 10-3μg/L, respectively. The partition theory of Hg between sediment and aqueous phases was considered, along with PNECs for the aqueous phase to conduct an ecological risk assessment for Hg in the sediment phase. Two case studies, one in China and one in the Western Black Sea, were conducted using these PNECs. The toxicity of mercury is heavily dependent on their forms,and their potential ecological risk should be respectively evaluated on the basis of mercury species.     

Mercury levels and estimated total daily intakes for children and adults from an electronic waste recycling area in Taizhou, China: Key role of rice and fish consumption

In order to assess the potential health risks of Hg pollution, total mercury (T–Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations were determined in air, dust, surface soil, crops, poultry, fish and human hair samples from an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling area in Taizhou, China. High concentrations of T–Hg and MeHg were found in these multiple matrices, and the mean concentration was 30.7 ng/m³ of T–Hg for atmosphere samples, 3.1 μg/g of T–Hg for soil, 37.6 μg/g of T–Hg for dust, 20.3 ng/g of MeHg for rice and 178.1 ng/g of MeHg for fish, suggesting that the e-waste recycling facility was a significant source of Hg. The inorganic Hg (I–Hg) levels (0.84 μg/g) in hair samples of e-waste workers were much higher than that in the reference samples. Pearson''s correlation coefficients showed that strong positive correlations (p < 0.01) between hair I–Hg and time staying in industrial area (r = 0.81) and between MeHg and fish consumption frequency (r = 0.91), imply that workers were mainly exposed to Hg vapor through long-time inhalation of contaminated air and dust, while other population mainly exposed to MeHg through high-frequency fish consumption. The estimated daily intakes of Hg showed that dietary intake was the major Hg exposure source, and Hg intakes from rice and fish were significantly higher than from any other foods. The estimated total daily intakes (TDIs) of MeHg for both children (696.8 ng/(kg·day)) and adults (381.3 ng/(kg·day)) greatly exceeded the dietary reference dose (RfD) of 230 ng/(kg·day), implying greater health risk for humans from Hg exposures around e-waste recycling facilities.     

Genomic analyses of metal resistance genes in three plant growth promoting bacteria of legume plants in Northwest mine tailings,China

To better understand the diversity of metal resistance genetic determinant from microbes that survived at metal tailings in northwest of China, a highly elevated level of heavy metal containing region, genomic analyses was conducted using genome sequence of three native metal-resistant plant growth promoting bacteria(PGPB). It shows that: Mesorhizobium amorphae CCNWGS0123 contains metal transporters from P-type ATPase, CDF(Cation Diffusion Facilitator), Hup E/Ure J and CHR(chromate ion transporter) family involved in copper, zinc, nickel as well as chromate resistance and homeostasis. Meanwhile, the putative Cop A/Cue O system is expected to mediate copper resistance in Sinorhizobium meliloti CCNWSX0020 while Znt A transporter, assisted with putative Czc D, determines zinc tolerance in Agrobacterium tumefaciens CCNWGS0286. The greenhouse experiment provides the consistent evidence of the plant growth promoting effects of these microbes on their hosts by nitrogen fixation and/or indoleacetic acid(IAA) secretion,indicating a potential in-site phytoremediation usage in the mining tailing regions of China.     

AERMOD和CALPUFF对沿海电厂烟气扩散模拟对比研究

使用《环境影响评价技术导则大气环境》(HJ2.2-2008)推荐的环境空气质量模式(AERMOD和CALPUFF)对海陆风日沿海电厂的烟气扩散进行了对比模拟研究。模拟结果表明:由于大电厂的烟气抬升高度较高,大电厂烟囱的有效高度往往会高于珠江口海陆风的厚度,因此该区域海陆风对大电厂烟气扩散的影响不大;在海陆风发生时,由于风向的垂直切变极大,在此种情况下,AERMOD模式对烟气扩散的模拟结果明显不合理;同时,2个模式模拟的落地浓度值在某些情况下可能会有较大的差距;在某些气象条件下,电厂烟气会扩散到非常远的地方,由于AERMOD模式模拟范围有限(50 km),因此不适用于此种情况下烟气扩散的模拟。根据以上研究结果,建议在沿海区域,针对重大污染源的大气环境影响评价尽量使用CALPUFF模式进行核算验证。     

反渗透深度处理乳品加工业二级处理废水试验研究

采用砂滤、活性炭吸附和反渗透组合工艺深度处理乳制品加工废水。深度处理后出水指标CODcr、TP和硬度分别达到10、1 mg以下和20 mg/L以下,经反渗透组合工艺深度处理后的乳制品加工废水可以达到锅炉补水,冷却循环水等水质要求。     

层次分析法在炼油储运系统中的运用

采用层次分析法建立了储运系统主要安全问题的层次分析法模型,并运用专业软件Yaaph计算得到了主要安全问题的影响程度(权重值),进而确定系统中的关键安全因素.     

T形横截面抗滑桩截面优化研究

目前工程中抗滑桩的设计多采用矩形横截面,但往往由于偏于保守设计而造成钢筋和混凝土一定程度的浪费.在工程上常用的矩形横截面抗滑桩基础上,进一步优化设计出了一种T形横截面的抗滑桩,与常规矩形横截面抗滑桩相比,T形横截面抗滑桩具有节省材料、能更合理布置钢筋和增强桩后土拱效应等优点.通过实例对两种横截面抗滑桩的抗弯刚度和内力进行计算与对比分析,结果表明:在同等横截面面积条件下,T形横截面抗滑桩的抗弯刚度会更大;在满足结构强度的情况下,T形横截面抗滑桩所受的内力要小于矩形横截面抗滑桩.     

富里酸在土壤环境中的吸附研究

富里酸在土壤中的吸附影响着土壤肥力和土壤环境,本文比较了不同pH、离子强度下,富里酸对土壤环境吸附性能的影响,探究了高岭土对富里酸的吸附条件.结果表明吸附在高岭土上的富里酸可以改变高岭土的结构,与高岭土空白样相比,复合体的结构更加分散.高岭土的不同组分对富里酸的吸附容量不同,对富里酸不同官能团的亲和性也存在明显差异.富里酸在高岭土上的吸附及有机污染物在土壤环境中的吸附作用,与烷基、芳香基团呈正相关.     

基于井口涌水量变化类型判断岩溶含水层厚度

针对含水相对均匀的溶洞-裂隙水含水岩组,为判断岩溶含水层厚度,通过对空气潜孔锤钻进工艺施工钻孔井口涌水量变化进行分析,结果发现:利用该工艺施工的钻孔井口涌水量一般会出现稳定型、降低型和增长型三种变化类型;井口涌水量变化类型反映了岩溶含水层是空间尺度上发育的垂向地下水系统,具有分层特征,其厚度与碳酸盐岩岩溶化程度的不均一性耦合,体现了碳酸盐岩岩体内不同空隙的发育规模、密度及其相互间的联系程度;明确了地下水埋深状况以及含水层的构成条件。故采用空气潜孔锤钻进工艺施工的钻孔,在非干孔情形下,可以利用井口涌水量的变化类型判断岩溶含水层厚度。