Effect of cold-temperature shock on nitrification.

Nitrification is known as the most temperature-sensitive step among the biological processes in wastewater treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature on nitrification, in the case of a sharp decrease of temperature, and to compare this effect with that of a gradual temperature decrease. It was found that a sudden temperature decrease affected nitrification much more than predicted. The immediate decrease of temperature by 10 degrees C led to a 20% larger decrease of specific nitrification rate than predicted by the temperature correction factor of 1.072. The change of nitrification rate resulting from a gradual temperature decrease was modeled correctly with the current default temperature correction factor of 1.072. It was concluded that the correction factor actually can be applied to a gradual temperature-change situation; however, in the case of a sudden temperature decrease, measures need to be taken to avoid nitrifier washout.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of propoxur in aqueous titanium dioxide suspensions

Abstract

The photocatalytic oxidation of propoxur, a nitrogen‐containing pesticide, has been investigated using aqueous TiO₂ suspensions as catalyst in this study. The operating variables considered in the study were initial pH, temperature, [H₂O₂] and TiO₂ loading. Results showed that 1 g/l of TiO₂ was the optimum dosage for oxidizing propoxur in this system. Hydrogen peroxide can increase the oxidation rate with increasing its initial concentration. There was no obvious difference in the rate of propoxur oxidation at the initial pH of 4, 6 and 9, and the final pHs of reaction solutions were around 5.5. However, propoxur degraded slower at initial pH 2, and the pH did not vary during the period of photocatalytic reaction. The photocatalytic oxidation of propoxur using TiO₂ suspensions as the photocatalyst was reaction‐controlled as indicated by the activation energy.     

Multiple organizational identification levels and the impact of perceived external prestige and communication climate

Earlier studies have shown that perceived external prestige and communication climate influence organizational identification. In this paper we present the results of a study of the influence of communication climate and perceived external prestige on organizational identification at various organizational levels of a regional police organization. In total, 314 respondents filled out a questionnaire on communication climate, perceived external prestige and organizational identification. The results of this study show that communication climate has the strongest link with employee identification when it concerns the identification with the daily work group and a weaker one with the organization as a whole. It also appears that perceived external prestige has a stronger influence on the identification with the organization as a whole than on the identification at the more concrete organizational levels (such as department or work group). This research offers reasons to presuppose that organizational identification and communication climate are multiple constructs. If management wishes to influence organizational identification through a bottom‐up process, it is wise to pay particular attention to the communication climate in the work groups. Influencing organizational identification with the organization as a whole is better conducted through perceived external prestige. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphology, molecular phylogeny and photosynthetic activity of the sacoglossan mollusc, Elysia nigrocapitata, from Korea

The morphology, external coloration as well as the life span of a kleptoplastic mollusc, Elysia nigrocapitata, was affected by its algal diet. Among algal diets, Chaetomorpha moniligera was the best for growth but not for animal longevity. TEM studies showed several distinctive layers composed of different cell types in sectioned parapodia. The chloroplast-containing digestive cells were located beneath the layer of vacuolated cells. The digestive cells contained 10–15 chloroplasts, in varying states of intactness, and several nuclei. Chloroplasts were not enclosed by any membranous structure in the host cytosol. Chlorophyll a fluorometry showed that the photosynthetic activity of kleptoplasts in E. nigrocapitata could be maintained for a long time only when animals were kept in the dark. The photosynthetic activity of kleptoplasts lasted 3–4 days when the animals were exposed to continuous illumination of 200 μmol photons m^?2 s^?1. These results suggested that the contribution of kleptoplasts to the survival of the animals might be minimal if the chloroplasts are not sequestered continuously. Cox I, 16S rDNA, and 28S rDNA sequence data have been obtained in order to phylogenetically place the new species of Elysia found in Korea.     

Organochlorine pesticides (HCHs and DDTs) in soils along the north coastal areas of the Bohai Sea,China

A systematic survey of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) including hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH and ΣHCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane metabolites (p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDD and ∑DDT) in soils along the north coastal areas of the Bohai Sea, China, has been lacking. In this study, 31 representative surface soil samples were collected along the north coastal and riverine areas of the Bohai Sea to characterise the potential for adverse effects of ∑HCH, ∑DDT and their individual isomers and transformation products. Concentrations of ΣHCH and ΣDDT in soils ranged from less than the limit of detection (1 ng · g^?1 dw (mean: 3.5 ng · g^?1 dw) and2 ng · g^?1 dw (mean: 1.7 × 10¹ ng · g^?1 dw), respectively. Compared with studies of OCPs in soils from other locations, concentrations of HCHs and DDTs observed in this study were moderate. Concentrations of OCPs observed in soils were generally less than proposed reference values. HCH residues were a mixture of historical technical HCH and current lindane sources. The pattern of DDTs was consistent with historical releases of technical DDTs. Selected soil physicochemical properties did not explain the sorption and/or partitioning of HCHs or DDTs.     

Variable flight initiation distance in incubating Eurasian curlew

Flight initiation distances (FIDs) of nesting birds approached by a predator likely reflect evolutionary stable strategies in which birds make trade-offs between adult survival and reproductive success. Here, we test if FID (a) had an impact on hatching success, (b) was adjusted to current conditions, and (c) was consistent for individual nests. All experiments were performed with a human approaching incubating Eurasian curlews Numenius arquata, a ground-nesting wader species under high egg predation pressure. Our results show that hatching success was higher in nests where the incubating parent left at intermediate FIDs compared to short and long ones, and that FID decreased with date and time of the evening. Further, FIDs from repeated approaches were not consistent within nests. We suggest that incubating Eurasian curlews follow a “surprise” strategy, where an element of randomness is superimposed on a context-adjusted norm to prevent predators from predicting their FID behaviour.     

Perfluorinated compounds in water and sediment from coastal regions of the northern Bohai Sea,China

Concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were measured in water and sediment from coastal Bohai Bay and surrounding rivers flowing into the bay. Of the 15 PFCs measured, PFOS and PFOA were detected with the greatest frequency. Concentrations in water ranged from<0.2 to 31 ng·L^?1 and<1.0 to 82 ng·L^?1 for PFOS and PFOA, respectively. Concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in sediments ranged from<0.1 to 2.0 ng·g^?1 dw and<0.1 to 0.5 ng·g^?1 dw, respectively. Concentrations of PFCs in Bohai Bay were less than those observed in other areas in Asia, but greater concentrations of ∑PFCs were observed in the Dalin River with concentrations increasing from upstream to downstream, and the greatest concentrations in sediment were observed in tidal flats. The ratio of ∑PFCs in sediment and water indicated that sediment could serve as a significant sink for PFUnA.     

Advanced treatment of oil recovery wastewater from polymer flooding by UV/H2O2/O3 and fine filtration

In order to purify oil recovery wastewater from polymer flooding （ORWPF） in tertiary oil recovery in oil fields, advanced treatment of UV/H2O2/O3 and fine filtration were investigated. The experimental results showed that polyacrylamide and oil remaining in ORWPF after the conventional treatment process could be effectively removed by UV/H2O2/O3 process. Fine filtration gave a high performance in eliminating suspended solids. The treated ORWPF can meet the quality requirement of the wastewater-bearing polymer injection in oilfield and be safely re-injected into oil reservoirs for oil recovery.     

Environmental indicators for communication of life cycle impact assessment results and their applications

Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) is performed to quantitatively evaluate all environmental impacts from products, systems, processes and services. However, LCIA does not always provide valuable information for choosing among alternatives with different specifications, functionalities and lifetimes. The objectives of this study are (1) to propose environmental indicators to evaluate environmental efficiency and value qualitatively and quantitatively on the basis of analogies to financial and economic indicators, and (2) to present the application of the indicators. Incremental evaluation using a reference is employed to obtain the environmental indicators. The environmental efficiency indicators are conceptually based on the ratios of reduced environmental burdens returned to environmental burdens required: environmental return on investment, environmental payback period and environmental internal rate of return. The environmental value indicator is the sum of all reduced and required environmental burdens: i.e., environmental net present value. All the environmental indicators can be used to compare and rank the environmental efficiencies or values of alternatives. The environmental efficiency indicators can be applied to a new environmental labeling. The concept of eco-efficiency labeling is developed by combining the environmental efficiency indicators with financial indicators. A case study is performed to illustrate the necessity and importance of the environmental indicators. These environmental indicators can help easily communicate LCIA results in the field of environmental management.