Arsenic, copper, and zinc contamination in soil and wheat during coal mining, with assessment of health risks for the inhabitants of Huaibei, China

Field studies were conducted to investigate arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) contamination in agricultural soils and wheat crops at two areas in Huaibei, China. Area A is in the proximity of Shuoli coal mine. In area B, three coal mines and a coal cleaning plant were distributed. The potential health risk of As, Cu, and Zn exposure to the local inhabitants through consumption of wheat grains was also estimated. The results showed that significantly higher (p?<?0.05) concentrations of As, Cu, and Zn were found in soils collected from area B than in those from area A. Arsenic concentrations in wheat sampled from area A were negatively correlated with the distance from the coal mine (p?<?0.001). Concentrations of Cu and Zn in wheat seedlings and grains collected from area B were significantly higher (p?<?0.05) than in those collected from area A, with the exception of Zn in wheat seedlings. Concentrations of Cu and Zn in most wheat grain samples were above the permissible limits of Cu and Zn in edible plants set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. The hazard index of aggregate risk through consumption of wheat grains was 2.3–2.4 for rural inhabitants and 1.4–1.5 for urban inhabitants. The average intake of inorganic As for rural inhabitants in Huaibei was above 10 μg day^?1. These findings indicated that the inhabitants around the coal mine are experiencing a significant potential health risk due to the consumption of locally grown wheat.     

Microbial degradation characteristics and kinetics of novel pyrimidynyloxybenzoic herbicide ZJ0273 by a newly isolated Bacillus sp. CY

ZJ0273 (propyl 4-(2-(4,6-demethoxy pyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzylamino)benzoate) is a novel herbicide developed in China for oilseed crop. Sixteen bacteria capable of utilizing ZJ0273 as the sole carbon source were isolated from soils. One of the isolates was designated as Bacillus sp. CY based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences. The present study aimed to investigate the ZJ0273 degradation characteristics and kinetics by Bacillus sp. CY which has the ability to utilize ZJ0273 as the sole source of carbon and energy under aerobic conditions. The optimum biodegradation temperature, pH, and ZJ0273 initial concentration were 20–40 °C, 5.0–9.0, and 50–400 mg/l, respectively. Strain CY degraded 65 % of ZJ0273 (initial concentration of 50 mg/l) during 30 days of incubation in basal mineral medium at pH 8.0 and 35 °C. DT50 (half-life value), k (degradation rate constant of ZJ0273), and R ² are 19.20 days, 0.0361 day^?1, and 0.9464, respectively.     

红斑体虫的污泥减量效果

为了实现红斑顠体虫捕食污泥减量化,对不同条件下红斑顠体虫的污泥减量效果进行实验研究。实验结果表明:红斑顠体虫的污泥减量速率随初始MLSS及温度的增大而增大,初始MLSS越高,污泥减量速率越大。污泥减量速率随红斑顠体虫密度变化率的增大而逐渐增大,当红斑顠体虫的密度增长率出现下降时,污泥减量速率也呈下降趋势。采用间歇曝气(12 h曝气,12 h停曝)方式,红斑顠体虫的污泥减量速率会显著下降。在污泥好氧消化时,红斑顠体虫能捕食污泥中的有机碎片和细菌,达到污泥稳定化的指标要求。     

Polyfluorinated compounds in the atmosphere along a cruise pathway from the Japan Sea to the Arctic Ocean

Neutral polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) were measured in high-volume air samples collected on board the research vessel Snow Dragon during the 4th Chinese National Arctic Expedition from the Japan Sea to the Arctic Ocean in 2010. Four volatile and semi-volatile PFASs (fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer acids (FTAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (FASAs), and sulfonamidoethanols (FASEs)) were analyzed respectively in the gas and particle phases. FTOHs were the dominant PFASs in the gas phase (61-358 pg m⁻³), followed by FTAs (5.2-47.9 pg m⁻³), FASEs (1.9-15.0 pg m⁻³), and FASAs (0.5-2.1 pg m⁻³). In the particle phase, the dominant PFAS class was FTOHs (1.0-9.9 pg m⁻³). The particle-associated fraction followed the general trend of FASEs > FASAs > FTOHs. Compared with other atmospheric PFAS measurements, the ranges of concentrations of ∑FTOH in this study were similar to those reported from Toronto, north America (urban), the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and northern Germany. Significant correlations between FASEs in the gas phase and ambient air temperature indicate that cold surfaces such as sea-ice, snowpack, and surface seawater influence atmospheric FASEs.     

沙雷氏菌发酵蓝藻生产蛋白酶

以富含蛋白质的蓝藻作有机氮源进行微生物发酵生产蛋白酶,为蓝藻的资源化利用提供一条新途径。采用单因素实验,研究了影响沙雷氏菌发酵蓝藻生产蛋白酶的培养基主要成分。结果发现,在实验范围内,沙雷氏菌发酵蓝藻生产蛋白酶的最佳碳源是蔗糖,最佳速效氮源是尿素,最佳金属离子(盐)是ZnSO4,最佳产酶促进剂是吐温80。在单因素实验中,发酵上清液的蛋白酶活最高可达到941 U/mL,而且发酵周期短,发酵培养18 h即可达到最高酶(活)值。     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in waterbird eggs of Hong Kong, China

Concentrations of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs were measured in 56 egg samples collected from waterbirds of different species (Great Egret, Little Egret, Night Heron and Chinese Pond Heron) from different regions of Hong Kong (Ho Sheung Heung, Mai Po Village and Mai Po Lung Village) during 2000 and 2006. Dominance of 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF indicates a signature associated with commercial usage of PCBs. Although no significant variations were observed within- and between-site in the levels of PCDD/Fs, coplanar PCBs and PBDEs, the concentrations of coplanar PCBs were much higher than PCDD/Fs. Similarity in composition profiles of PCDD/F and coplanar PCBs from different egretries is possibly associated with non-point sources of these contaminants to Hong Kong. Predominant accumulation of BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-100 suggested the penta-BDE technical mixtures usage in Hong Kong and its vicinity. Toxic equivalency and Monte Carlo simulation technique showed potential risks on waterbirds due to their exposure to PCDD/Fs.     

The behaviors and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a coking wastewater treatment plant

The occurrence, behaviors and fate of 18 PAHs were investigated in a coking wastewater treatment plant in Songshan coking plant, located in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province of China. It was found that the target compounds occurred widely in raw coking wastewater, treated effluent, sludge and gas samples. In raw coking wastewater, high molecular weight (MW) PAHs were the dominant compounds, while 3-6 ring PAHs predominated in the final effluent. The dominant compounds in gas samples were phenathrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, while they were fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo[k]fluoranthene for sludge. The process achieved over 97% removal for all the PAHs, 47-92% of eliminations of these target compounds in liquid phase were achieved in biological stage. Different behaviors of PAHs were observed in the primary tank, anaerobic tank, aerobic tank, hydrolytic tank and coagulation tank units, while heavier and lower ones were mainly removed in anaerobic tank and aerobic tanks, respectively. Regarding the fate of PAHs, calculated fractions of mass losses for low MW PAHs due to transformation and adsorption to sludge accounted for 15-50% and 24-49%, respectively, while the rest was less than 1%. For high MW PAHs, the mass losses were mainly due to adsorption to sludge and separation with tar (contributing 56-76% and 22-39%, respectively), and the removal through transformation was less.     

k-C＊模型的人工湿地模拟研究

采用自由表面流人工湿地,对广东省中山市某小区对应段的河涌进行生态修复改造。基于k-C＊模型的计算结果表明,在对现有河涌的面积的利用下,TP和NH4＋-N的去除效果受到限制。采用多因素正交实验对模型的计算结果进行实验验证和分析,研究了4种植物、4种基质,分别在2、4、6和8 d水力停留时间（HRT）下对TP和NH4＋-N的去除效果,得到影响TP和NH4＋-N去除效果的因素主次顺序分别为基质→植物→HRT和基质→HRT→植物;各因素的最佳水平条件分别为：风车草、颗粒活性炭、4 d（HRT）。在最佳水平条件下进行实验,结果表明,TP和NH4＋-N的浓度均可达到出水排放标准浓度指标。k-C＊模型的计算值总是比实验值偏高,但两者之间的误差在一个数量级范围内。     

A-A~2/O工艺脱氮实践运行效果及优化

A-A2/O工艺是预缺氧/厌氧/缺氧/好氧组成的生物脱氮除磷工艺,广州市某污水处理厂采用该工艺处理城市污水,具有同时去除有机物、脱氮除磷能力,但是TN去除率较低。分析了其TN去除率低的原因,并提出相应措施。该水厂针对本厂水质特征以及影响工艺脱氮性能的主要因素,优化了工艺控制参数,提高了TN去除率和TN达标保证率。     

低聚木糖作为调理剂对土壤微生物和酶的影响

针对集约化农业过量施入化肥农药等引起的土壤质量退化问题,采用造纸黒液废物提取的低聚木糖作为土壤调理剂。通过室内土壤培养,研究不同低聚木糖施用量(0.01%、0.05%、0.1%和0.2%)对土壤微生物数量和脲酶活性的影响。通过番茄盆栽实验,并设置添加0.1%商品生物有机肥处理作比较,研究不同低聚木糖施用量对土壤微生物量氮磷、脲酶和磷酸酶活性的影响。结果表明,低聚木糖可以提高土壤细菌、放线菌数量、土壤脲酶和磷酸酶活性。低聚木糖也显著增加番茄各生长期土壤微生物量碳和磷含量,其中开花期时低聚木糖的促进作用最为明显。所有剂量处理中,以0.05%的低聚木糖添加量处理效果最为明显,且该处理效果也优于添加0.1%生物有机肥处理。低聚木糖作为土壤调理剂,能显著提高土壤微生物数量和酶活性,改善土壤生态系统,提高土壤质量,在农业上具有广阔的应用前景。