介质阻挡放电等离子体分解CO2

温室效应导致全球变暖已成为全球性的环境问题之一.采用放电等离子体法转化CO2,不仅可消纳温室气体,缓解全球变暖的巨大影响,还可制备化工原料CO和O2.充分利用了C1(含1个碳原子的化合物分子)资源,对高频同轴式介质阻挡放电等离子体分解纯CO2进行了研究.结果发现:在采用不锈钢光滑内电极,放电间隙为2.0mm,注入功率为180W,气体流量为170mL/min的条件下,CO2转化率可达18.2%,CO和O2产率分别为10.1%和4.7%;增大注入功率,减小气体流量、选择合适的放电间隙和内电极形式,均有利于提高CO2转化率,获得更多的CO和O2.     

氢气还原海绵铁去除水体中硝酸盐的研究

利用小球烧结和氢气还原工艺制备了粒径1mm～5mm的多孔性球形海绵铁,对球形海绵铁去除水体中硝酸盐的效率及去除动力学进行了研究。结果表明:溶液初始pH值对硝酸盐去除效率的影响显著,初始pH值小于3时,硝酸盐的去除率随溶液初始pH的增加而逐渐降低;初始pH值大于3时,硝酸盐的去除率又随之升高。硝酸盐浓度低于10mgN/L时,硝酸盐去除率随着硝酸盐初始浓度的增加而增加,硝酸盐的残余量保持在0.4mgN/L左右;硝酸盐浓度高于20mgN/L时,硝酸盐的去除率随初始硝酸盐浓度的增加而略有降低。球形海绵铁去除硝酸盐为一级动力学反应,反应级数为0.970～1.378,表观反应速率常数为0.314h-1～0.536h-1。海绵铁还原硝酸盐的主要产物为氨氮,随着还原反应的进行,溶液pH值快速增加,氨氮以分子态氨的形式从水中逸出。进行归纳总结和对比,并以多环芳烃的提取为例列举了各方法的应用步骤,从而为其他环境样品其他有机物分析预处理提供参考。     

Optimization of Methods for Detecting Hepatitis A Virus in Food

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is currently recognized as an important human food borne pathogen, and it is one of the most resistant enteric RNA viruses, is highly infectious, and may lead to widespread outbreaks. The aim of this study was to optimize the methods to detect HAV from artificially contaminated food. To this end, strawberry and lettuce were experimentally contaminated with HAV suspension containing 6 × 10⁶ copies/ml. After contamination, HAV persistence and washing procedure were evaluated at 0, 1, 3, 7, and 9 days of storage. Five elution buffers (PBS (pH 7.4)/0.1% Tween80; 50 mM glycine/3% (wt/vol) beef extract (pH 9.5); PBS (pH 7, 4); 25 mM glycine/0.1 Tween80; and 1 M sodium bicarbonate) were used to elute the virus, and qualitative and quantitative PCR were used for HAV detection. HAV was detected by qualitative and quantitative PCR using any of the five elution buffers, but PBS was the most effective. Even after washing, HAV was detected up to 9 days after contamination by quantitative PCR. Quantitative PCR was more sensitive than qualitative PCR since samples containing viral load lower than 1.4 × 10³ copies/ml could not be detected by qualitative PCR. Quantitative PCR can be used for rapid detection of food borne viruses and will help in the monitoring and control of food borne disease.     

Sustainability assessment of a giant bamboo plantation in Brazil: exploring the influence of labour,time and space

Bamboo presents physical and mechanical characteristics, which turn it an alternative option for product development, replacing native or reforested wood. The sustainability assessment of a Dendrocalamus Giganteus species plantation in Brazil through the emergy methodology evidences a great weight of renewable (30% sej/sej) and human labour contributions (33% sej/sej). These contributions account for the great interface with environment and to the intensive work, respectively. The transformity value of bamboo production is 2.42E + 04 sej/J. The influence human labour has on the total emergy flow and on indicators is evaluated by taking into account different country locations (Brazil, Australia and China). Thus, a different transformity value for labour is assumed for each country. A ranking based on emergy sustainability index (ESI) values shows that bamboo production in China was the first placed, followed by Brazil and Australia (values of 1.18, 0.50 and 0.09, respectively). The insertion of indirect renewability embedded in labour results in the ranking modification, leading to plantation in Brazil in the first place, followed by the Australian and Chinese ones. The relative position of the bamboo systems is visualized in the ternary diagram expressed in terms of emergy. In an attempt to explore the relationship between sustainability and time, a graphic of ESI vs. global productivity is discussed in terms of a prospective evaluation. Indirect support areas of the bamboo production are calculated as a way to evaluate the sustainability-space relationship.     

Forest ecosystem development in post-mining landscapes: a case study of the Lusatian lignite district

The restoration of surface mining landscapes requires the (re)creation of ecosystems. In Lusatia (eastern Germany), large-scale open-cast lignite mining operations generated spoil dumps widely consisting of acidified, phytotoxic substrates. Amelioration and rehabilitation measures have been developed and applied to these substrates since the 1950s. However, it is still not clear whether these approaches are sustainable. This paper reports on collaborative research work into the ecological potential of forest ecosystem development on typical minesites in the Lusatian lignite district. At first sight, pine stands on minesites along a chronosequence comprising about 35 years did not show differences when compared with stands on non-mined sites of the general region. Furthermore, with some modification, conceptual models for flora and fauna succession in forest stands on non-mined sites seem to be applicable, at least for the early stages of forest ecosystem development. For example, soil organism abundance and activity at minesites had already reached levels typical of non-mined sites after about 20-30 years. In contrast, mine soils are very different from non-mined soils of the test region. Chemically, mine soil development is dominated by processes originating from pyrite oxidation. Geogenic, i.e. lignitic, soil organic carbon was shown to substitute for some functions of pedogenic soil organic matter. Rooting was hampered but not completely impeded in strongly acidified soil compartments. Roots and mycorrhizae are apparently able to make use of the characteristic heterogeneity of young mine soils. Considering these recent results and the knowledge accumulated during more than 30 years of research on minesite rehabilitation internationally, it can be stated that minesite restoration might be used as an ideal case study for forest ecosystem development starting at "point zero" on "terra nova".     

Body condition and immune response in wild zebra finches: effects of capture, confinement and captive-rearing

Behavioural ecologists attempt to predict fitness in birds from estimates of body condition and immune capacity. We investigated how the stresses associated with capture, confinement and captive-rearing of wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) affected different elements of the immune system and body condition. Wild birds had higher heterophil:lymphocyte ratios and total leucocyte counts than aviary birds, presumably an outcome of mounting specific resistance to pathogens, but this response diminished significantly within 10 days of confinement. Wild birds had lower phytohaemagglutinin-A (PHA) responses than their aviary-bred counterparts possibly because energetic costs limited a general resistance response. Wild birds were heavier and had higher haematocrits than their aviary counterparts, but had less fat, although just 10 days of captivity significantly increased fat levels. Measures of body condition were of limited use for predicting immune responsiveness. We conclude that the different elements of the immune system and body condition respond independently, and often unpredictably, to many ecological and behavioural stressors.