Apportioning aldehydes: Quantifying industrial sources of carbonyls

<正>In their recent Journal of Environmental Sciences publication,Wang and colleagues provide field evidence that industrial activities can contribute substantially to atmospheric carbonyl concentrations(Wang et al.,2015).These results may helpto explain underestimations of carbonyl emissions in currently available emission inventories,and highlight the need for an improved understanding of industrial sources of this class of compounds.In the atmosphere,carbonyl compounds photolyze to yield     

Microbial communities biostimulated by ethanol during uranium (VI) bioremediation in contaminated sediment as shown by stable isotope probing

Stable isotope probing (SIP) was used to identify microbes stimulated by ethanol addition in microcosms containing two sediments collected from the bioremediation test zone at the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge site, TN, USA. One sample was highly bioreduced with ethanol while another was less reduced. Microcosms with the respective sediments were amended with ¹³C labeled ethanol and incubated for 7 days for SIP. Ethanol was rapidly converted to acetate within 24 h accompanied with the reduction of nitrate and sulfate. The accumulation of acetate persisted beyond the 7 d period. Aqueous U did not decline in the microcosm with the reduced sediment due to desorption of U but continuously declined in the less reduced sample. Microbial growth and concomitant ¹³C-DNA production was detected when ethanol was exhausted and abundant acetate had accumulated in both microcosms. This coincided with U(VI) reduction in the less reduced sample. ¹³C originating from ethanol was ultimately utilized for growth, either directly or indirectly, by the dominant microbial community members within 7 days of incubation. The microbial community was comprised predominantly of known denitrifiers, sulfate-reducing bacteria and iron (III) reducing bacteria including Desulfovibrio, Sphingomonas, Ferribacterium, Rhodanobacter, Geothrix, Thiobacillus and others, including the known U(VI)-reducing bacteria Acidovorax, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, Geobacter and Desulfosporosinus. The findings suggest that ethanol biostimulates the U(VI)-reducing microbial community by first serving as an electron donor for nitrate, sulfate, iron (III) and U(VI) reduction, and acetate which then functions as electron donor for U(VI) reduction and carbon source for microbial growth.     

Effect of lime on speciation of heavy metals during composting of water hyacinth

Composting is attractive and inexpensive method for treatment and biomass disposal of water hyacinth. However, the major disadvantage of water hyacinth composting is the high content of heavy metals in the final compost. Addition of lime sludge significantly reduced most bioavailable fractions (exchangeable and carbonate) of heavy metals. Studies were carried on composting of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) with cattle manure and sawdust (6:3:1 ratio) and effects of addition of lime (1%, 2% and 3%) on heavy metal speciation were evaluated during 30 days of composting period. The Tessier sequential extraction method was employed to investigate the changes in speciation of heavy metals such as Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd) and Chromium (Cr) during water hyacinth composting. Effects of physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH and organic matter on speciation of heavy metals were also studied during the process. Results showed that, the total metal content was increased during the composting process. The higher reduction in bioavailability factor (BF) of Cu, Fe, Ni, Cd and Cr was observed in lime 2 treatment about 62.1%, 64.4%, 71.9%, 62.1% and 58.9% respectively; however higher reduction in BF of Zn and Pb was observed in lime 1 treatment during the composting process. Reducible and oxidizable fractions of Ni, Pb and Cd were not observed during the process. Addition of lime was very effective for reduction of bioavailability of heavy metals during composting of water hyacinth with cattle manure and sawdust.     

Predator-induced morphological defenses in marine zooplankton: a larval case study

While there are numerous reports of predator-induced morphological defenses for freshwater zooplankton, freshwater larvae, and benthic marine animals, a literature search revealed no reports of predator-induced morphological defenses for marine zooplankton. Rarity of predator-induced morphological defenses in marine zooplankton would imply a difference in predation risks compared to those experienced by freshwater organisms and benthic marine adults, whereas the presence of such plasticity in defenses would imply that risks are modified by developmental responses. This study reports a predator-induced change in defenses and vulnerability of a marine planktonic larva. Specifically, when reared in the presence of zoea larvae of Cancer spp., veliger larvae of the intertidal snail Littorina scutulata developed significantly smaller shell apertures and rounder shells than did cohort veligers reared in the absence of predator cues. Pairwise predation trials demonstrated that veligers reared with caged zoeas throughout development had greater survival than predator-naive veligers during short-term exposure to zoeas. The development of predator-induced morphological defenses by some marine larvae introduces a range of testable hypotheses on developmental plasticity that reduces vulnerability of planktonic larvae and other marine zooplankton to predators.     

2，2‘,4,4’和3，3‘,4,4’—四氯联苯（TCB）对小白鼠体外受精的影响

采用体外受精技术评价环境污染物2,2',4,4'-和3,3',4,4'-四氯联苯对小白鼠卵母细胞受精能力和2-细胞胚胎发育的毒性作用,实验结果表明：ρ（PCB）=0.1,1.0,10.0mg/mL的2,2',4,4'-和3,3',4,4'-四氯联苯均显著降低小白鼠卵母细胞的受精能力;ρ（PCB）=1.0,10.0mg/mL的2,2',4,4'-和3,3',4,4'-四氯联苯使卵母细胞的退人弦和2-细胞的畸形率显著增加;两种四氯联苯对小白鼠卵母细胞体外受精能力、退化率和2-细胞胚胎的畸形率无统计差异。     

Nitrogen oxides from waste incineration: control by selective non-catalytic reduction

An experimental study of the selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) process was carried out to determine the efficiency of NOx removal and NH3 mass balance, the NOx reducing reagent used. Experimental tests were conducted on a full-scale SNCR system installed in a hospital waste incineration plant. Anhydrous NH3 was injected at the boiler entrance for NOx removal. Ammonia was analyzed after each flue-gas treatment unit in order to establish its mass balance and NH3 slip in the stack gas was monitored as well. The effective fraction of NH3 for the thermal NOx reduction was calculated from measured values of injected and residual NH3. Results show that a NOx reduction efficiency in the range of 46.7-76.7% is possible at a NH3/NO molar ratio of 0.9-1.5. The fraction of NH3 used in NOx removal was found to decrease with rising NH3/NO molar ratio. The NH3 slip in the stack gas was very low, below permitted limits, even at the higher NH3 dosages used. No direct correlation was found between the NH3/NO molar ratio and the NH3 slip in the stack gas since the major part of the residual NH3 was converted into ammonium salts in the dry scrubbing reactor and subsequently collected in the fabric filter. Moreover, another fraction of NH3 was dissolved in the scrubbing liquor.     

Pesticides and PCBs in sediments and fish from the Salton Sea, California, USA

The Salton Sea, the largest manmade lake in California, is officially designated by the State of California as an agricultural drainage reservoir. The purpose of this study was to determine organochlorine and organophosphorous pesticides, as well as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in sediments and fish tissues in the Salton Sea and evaluate the relative ecological risk of these compounds. Sediment samples were taken during 2000-2001 and fish tissues (Tilapia mossambique, Cynoscion xanthulu) were collected in May 2001. All samples were analyzed for 12 chlorinated pesticides, 6 organophosphorus pesticides, and 55 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. SigmaDichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (SigmaDDT) and total PCB concentrations observed in sediments ranged from 10 to 40 and 116 to 304 ng/g dry wt, respectively. DDT/DDD ratios in sediments and fish tissues of the northern Sea in 2001 indicated recent DDT exposure. Lindane, dieldrin, dichlorodiphenylethane (DDE) and total PCB concentrations detected in sediments exceeded probable effect levels established for freshwater ecosystems, and pp-DDE and total PCB concentrations were higher than effect range-median values developed for marine and estuarine sediments. In fish liver, concentrations of endrin and SigmaDDT exceeded threshold effect level established for invertebrates. SigmaDDT concentrations detected in fish tissues were higher than threshold concentrations for the protection of wildlife consumers of aquatic biota. DDE concentrations in fish muscles tissues were above the 50 ng/g concentration threshold for the protection of predatory birds. Dimethoate, diazinon, malathion, chlorpyrifos, disulfoton varied from < or = 0.15 to 9.5 ng/g dry wt in sediments and from < or = 0.1 to 80.3 ng/g wet wt in fish tissues. Disulfoton was found in relatively high concentrations (up to 80.3 ng/g) in all organs from Tilapia and Corvina. These results demonstrate continued contamination of specific organochlorine compounds in sediments and resident fish species of the Salton Sea.     

Antimony distribution and environmental mobility at an historic antimony smelter site, New Zealand

A historic antimony smelter site at Endeavour Inlet, New Zealand has smelter residues with up to 17 wt.% antimony. Residues include coarse tailings (cm scale particles, poorly sorted), sand tailings (well sorted) and smelter slag (blocks up to 30 cm across). All of this material has oxidised to some degree over the ca. 100 years since the site was abandoned. Oxidation has resulted in acidification of the residues down to pH 2-5. Smelter slag contains pyrrhotite (FeS) and metallic antimony, and oxidation is restricted to surfaces only. The coarse tailings are the most oxidised, and few sulfide grains persist. Unoxidised sand tailings contain 10-20 vol.% stibnite (Sb2S3) containing up to 5% As, with subordinate arsenopyrite (FeAsS), and minor pyrite (FeS2). The sand tailings are variably oxidised on a scale of 2-10 cm, but original depositional layering is preserved during oxidation and formation of senarmontite (Sb2O3). Oxidation of sand tailings has resulted in localised mobility of both Sb and As on the cm scale, resulting in redistribution of these metalloids with iron oxyhydroxide around sand grain boundaries. Experiments demonstrate that Sb mobility decreases with time on a scale of days. Attenuation of both As and Sb occurs due to adsorption on to iron oxyhydroxides which are formed during oxidation of the smelter residues. There is no detectable loss of Sb or As from the smelter site into the adjacent river, <50 m away, which has elevated Sb (ca. 20 microg/l) and As (ca. 7 microg/l) from mineralised rocks upstream. Despite the high concentrations of Sb and As in the smelter residues, these metalloids are not being released into the environment.     

Photodegradation of azithromycin in various aqueous systems under simulated and natural solar radiation: kinetics and identification of photoproducts

This article describes the photolysis of azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic with reported occurrence in environmental waters, under simulated solar radiation. The photodegradation followed first-order reaction kinetics in five matrices examined. In HPLC water, the degradation rate was the slowest (half-life: 20 h), whereas in artificial freshwater supplemented with nitrate (5 mg L⁻¹) or humic acids (0.5 mg L⁻¹) the degradation of azithromycin was enhanced by factors of 5 and 16, respectively, which indicated the role of indirect photolysis involving the formation of highly reactive species. Following chromatographic separation on a UPLC system, the characterization of the transformation products was accomplished using high-resolution QqToF-MS analysis. The presence of seven photoproducts was observed and their formation was postulated to originate from (bis)-N-demethylation in the desosamine sugar, O-demethylation in the cladinose sugar, combinations thereof, as well as from hydrolytic cleavages of the desosamine and/or cladinose residue. Two of these photoproducts could also be detected in natural photodegradation process in river water which was spiked with azithromycin.