Enhancing the adsorption function of biochar by mechanochemical graphitization for organic pollutant removal

• Mechanochemical treatment reduced the calcination temperature for biochar synthesis. • Biochar is converted to graphite after mechanochemical treatment. • Biochar was reduced to nanoscale after mechanochemical treatment. Biochar (BC) has been extensively studied as adsorbent for the treatment of water pollution. Despite the distinct advantages, the high calcination temperature and low adsorption capacity of pristine BC limit its practical applications. Most of the former studies focused on the structure and/or surface modification to improve the adsorption capacity of BC. However, the harsh experiment conditions involved in the biochar modification limited the application in industrial level. Herein, we introduced mechanical treatment into BC preparation to reduce the calcination temperature and improve the adsorption capacity simultaneously. The results indicated that the calcination temperature was reduced and the adsorption capacity of the treated BC was improved after mechanochemical treatment. Characterization of the samples disclosed that BCs were graphitized with the particle size reduced to nanoscale after treatment. Adsorption tests indicated that the mechanochemically treated BCs showed much better removal performance of organic contaminants than that of pristine BCs. For instance, among four pristine BCs (BC600, BC700, BC800, and BC900), only BC900 has strong adsorption capacity for MB, while BC600 has low adsorption capacity (1.2 mg/g). By comparison, the adsorption capacity of MB increased greatly to 173.96 mg/g by BC600-500/1 (treated at 500 r/min for 1 hour). To optimize the mechanochemical treatment, the effects of rotation speed and agitation duration were also investigated.     

Discovery of emerging organic pollutants in the atmosphere through an omics approach

● We review the framework of discovering emerging pollutants through an omics approach. ● High-resolution MS can digitalize atmospheric samples to full-component data. ● Chemical features and databases can help to translate untargeted data to compounds. ● Biological effect-directed untargeted analyses consider both existence and toxicity. Ambient air pollution, containing numerous known and hitherto unknown compounds, is a major risk factor for public health. The discovery of harmful components is the prerequisite for pollution control; however, this raises a great challenge on recognizing previously unknown species. Here we systematically review the analytical techniques on air pollution in the framework of an omics approach, with a brief introduction on sample preparation and analysis, and in more detail, compounds prioritization and identification. Through high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS, typically coupled with chromatography), the complicated environmental matrix can be digitalized into “full-component” data. A key step to discover emerging compounds is the prioritization of compounds from massive data. Chemical fingerprints, suspect lists and biological effects are the most vital untargeted strategies for comprehensively screening critical and hazardous substances. Afterward, compressed data of compounds can be identified at various confidence levels according to exact mass and the derived molecular formula, MS libraries, and authentic standards. Such an omics approach on full-component data provides a paradigm for discovering emerging air pollutants; nonetheless, new technological advancements of instruments and databases are warranted for further tracking the environmental behaviors, hence to evaluate the health risk of key pollutants.     

中国台湾地区土壤及地下水污染整治管理与经验

中国台湾地区土壤及地下水污染整治基金管理会自2001年成立以来,不断完善管理架构和管理体系,发布相关领域的法律法规、行政规则和公告,有效运行污染整治基金的财务筹措和使用等经济管理机制。开展了一系列行之有效的预防、监测、调查、评估等管理工作,为污染场地的识别和筛选奠定了坚实的基础。对于污染场地的整治工作,采用标准和风险评估相结合的验收方式,推行场地可持续利用的绿色修复技术。重点研究台湾地区土壤及地下水污染整治工作的管理政策、模式和措施,总结相关经验,为中国土壤及地下水污染防治工作提供借鉴和参考。     

Interaction of nano-TiO2 with lysozyme: insights into the enzyme toxicity of nanosized particles

Background, aim, and scope  

Nanomaterials have been used increasingly in industrial production and daily life, but their human exposure may cause health risks. The interactions of nanomaterial with functional biomolecules are often applied as a precondition for its cytotoxicity and organ toxicity where various proteins have been investigated in the past years. In the present study, nano-TiO₂ was selected as the representative of nanomaterials and lysozyme as a representative for enzymes. By investigating their interaction by various instrumentations, the objective is to identify the action sites and types, estimate the effect on the enzyme structure and activity, and reveal the toxicity mechanism of nanomaterial.     

上海市机动车尾气VOCs组成及其化学反应活性

采用钢罐采样-气相色谱/质谱法,采集并分析了上海市主要交通干道和隧道废气样品中挥发性有机物(VOCs)的污染水平。分析结果表明,交通干道和隧道废气样品的总挥发性有机污染物(TVOC)质量浓度分别为(227.1±40.9)、(2209.9±1228.0)μg/m3;隧道废气样品中的TVOC浓度是交通干道平均浓度的4.3～15.2倍;交通干道废气样品中VOCs主要组分与隧道废气样品中VOCs主要组分非常类似,说明交通干道废气样品中VOCs主要来源于机动车尾气排放。交通干道废气样品中TVOC的.OH消耗速率为(17.21±4.49)s-1,延安东路隧道和打浦路隧道废气样品中TVOC的.OH消耗速率分别为(300.37±120.78)、(138.09±25.30)s-1,烯烃对TVOC的.OH消耗速率贡献最大,其对废气化学反应活性贡献率在70%以上。交通干道和隧道废气样品中关键活性组分是C2～C5的烯烃组分,这些组分也是机动车尾气中的特征污染物,因此可以判断机动车尾气是上海市大气化学反应活性的最大贡献者。     

短程硝化过程中NO-2-N高效富集的工艺条件实验研究

针对厌氧氨氧化工艺需要提供充足的亚硝酸盐氮为电子受体的问题,利用培养基对SBR中具有一定短程硝化功能的污泥进行富集培养,得到氨氧化菌和亚硝酸盐氧化菌的数量之比为104︰1,并研究了工艺条件对短程硝化的影响,结果表明,适合氨氧化菌生长的最佳温度为30℃、pH为7.5、nHCO^-₃/nNH⁺₄-N值为1。以适合氨氧化菌生长的最佳环境条件优化SBR,在进水氨氮浓度为250 mg/L时,氨氮的转化率达到90％以上,亚硝酸盐氮积累率维持在85％以上,反应器中氨氧化菌与亚硝酸盐氧化菌的数量之比为10³∶1,亚硝酸盐的高效积累为厌氧氨氧化工艺处理高氨废水的过程提供了稳定的电子受体。     

环境监测事业单位科研管理组织与构建

以江苏省环境监测中心科研管理为例,分析了江苏省现有条件下的环境监测事业单位科研性质和科研管理的主要模式、存在的弊端及今后发展,尝试通过对环境监测网络建设实施方案和地区规划的解读,寻找环境监测科研的研究方向和管理模式,紧密结合江苏省环境监测系统科研管理特点,提出科研管理方案设想和可实现的具体步骤。     

干旱定义述评

本文列举了干旱的几种定义,分析了它们之间的联系。认为干旱的各种定义各有侧重,相互补充,都有其存在的必要,试图统—干旱定义是不现实的。各学科在干旱研究上应加强相互协作与交流。     

基于河网水系变化的水灾危险性评价——以永定河流域京津段为例

城市化过程中不合理的土地利用导致河道填塞、河网缩减现象普遍，城市水灾增加。基于灾害系统思想，构建了基于河网水系变化的水灾危险性评价体系，并以永定河京津段为例进行了实证分析。结果表明：（1）近40年来研究区水系结构简单化趋势明显，河道长度减少了20．5％，条数减少了36．4％，水系调蓄能力下降，在同样的致灾强度下水灾危险性加大；（2）在假设暴雨重现期为50年的条件下，经济密度差异决定了水灾潜在危险区的空间格局，居民用地将成为水灾重度危险区；平原段水灾重度危险区占5．7％，中度危险区占33．1％，滨海段重度危险区占13．9％，中度危险区占26．8％。研究结果可为区域综合减灾、水灾预报提供依据。     

惠州农业土壤、灌溉水和农产品中有机氯农药的残留

用气相色谱法(GC-ECD)对惠州市51个农业土壤样品、12个灌溉水样品和21个农产品样品中的HCHs和DDTs残留量进行了测定.HCHs平均含量分别为土壤1.66μg/kg、灌溉水5.86ng/L、农产品24.74μg/kg;DDTs平均含量分别为土壤4.98μg/kg、灌溉水2.06ng/L、农产品41.72μg/kg,土壤中有机氯农药通过多种方式进入到水体及农产品中.从HCHs和DDTs异构体组成可以看出,环境中绝大多数农药残留是由于历史上使用造成的,个别地区可能还有新的污染输入.同其它地区相比,惠州农业土壤和灌溉水中的有机氯农药残留水平较低,但农产品尤其是蔬菜中DDTs富集程度较高.