A novel sequence batch membrane carbonation photobioreactor developed for microalgae cultivation

A novel SBM-C-PBR was constructed for microalgae cultivation. Membrane fouling was greatly mitigated by membrane carbonation. NH₄⁺ and P removal rates were around 80% in SBM-C-PBR. Biomass was completely retained by membrane. In this study, a novel sequence batch membrane carbonation photobioreactor was developed for microalgae cultivation. Herein, membrane module was endowed functions as microalgae retention and CO₂ carbonation. The results in the batch experiments expressed that the relatively optimal pore size of membranes was 30 nm, photosynthetically active radiation was 36 W/m² and the CO₂ concentration was 10% (v/v). In long-term cultivation, the microalgal concentration separately accumulated up to 1179.0 mg/L and 1296.4 mg/L in two periods. The concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids were increased about 23.2, 14.9 and 6.3 mg/L respectively in period I; meanwhile, the accumulation was about 25.0, 14.5, 6.6 mg/L respectively in the period II. Furthermore, the pH was kept about 5.5–7.5 due to intermittent carbonation mode, which was suitable for the growth of microalgae. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) was only increased by 0.19 and 0.16 bar in the end of periods I and II, respectively. The pure flux recovered to 75%–80% of the original value by only hydraulic cleaning. Scanning electron microscope images also illustrated that carbonation through membrane module could mitigate fouling levels greatly.     

Growth of Zostera japonica in different sediment habitats of the Yellow River estuary in China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The estuarine delta of the Yellow River is a region of strong land-ocean-human interactions that undergoes a unique evolutionary process. The delta is...     

In situ electron-induced reduction of NOx via CNTs activated by DBD at low temperature

• An in situ electron-induced deNO_x process with CNT activated by DBD was achieved. • Carbon atoms on CNT surface were verified to be excited by plasma in DBD-CNT system. • Reactions between NO_x and excited C result in synergistic effect of DBD-CNT system. In this study, a new in situ electron-induced process is presented with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a reduction agent activated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) for nitrogen oxide (NO_x) abatement at low temperature (<407 K). Compared with a single DBD system and a DBD system with activated carbon (DBD-AC), a DBD system with carbon nanotubes (DBD-CNT) showed a significant promotion of NO_x removal efficiency and N₂ selectivity. Although the O₂ content was 10%, the NO_x conversion and N₂ selectivity in the DBD-CNT system still reached 64.9% and 81.9% at a specific input energy (SIE) of 1424 J/L, and these values decreased to 16.8%, 31.9% and 43.2%, 62.3% in the single DBD system and the DBD-AC system, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to investigate surface changes in the CNTs after activation by DBD to explore the NO_x reduction abatement mechanism of this new process. Furthermore, the outlet gas components were also observed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to help reveal the NO_x reduction mechanism. Experimental results verified that carbon atoms excited by DBD and the structure of CNTs contributed to the synergistic activity of the DBD-CNT system. The new deNO_x process was accomplished through in situ heterogenetic reduction reactions between the NO_x and carbon atoms activated by the plasma on the CNTs. In addition, further results indicated that the new deNO_x process exhibited acceptable SO₂ tolerance and water resistance.     

The Relationship Between Exposure to Arsenic Concentrations in Drinking Water and the Development of Skin Lesions in Farmers from Inner Mongolia, China

Associations between the concentration of arsenic naturally occurring in drinking water and the development of skin lesions in people have been documented for some years at various locations around the world. Data on the exposure-response relationship between concentrations of arsenic in drinking water and prevalence of skin lesions in farmers from five locations in Inner Mongolia, China have been collected from the original publications and re-analysed together as a meta-study. The calculated data show a positive linear exposure-response relationship without a threshold. The reasons for this linear correlation are discussed and compared with the data from Xinjiang, another arsenism area located in a different geographical area of China. Here a different relationship was recorded that involved a threshold concentration before skin lesions developed. The significance of these two different exposure-response scenarios is discussed.     

Effects of Selenium Supplementation on Arsenism: An Intervention Trial in Inner Mongolia

This paper reports the effects of a placebo-controlled Se-enriched yeast supplementation trial, conducted for 14 months, on arsenism in adult farmers living in a rural community in Inner Mongolia, China. The farmers had been naturally exposed to elevated concentrations of As in drinking water from tube-wells since 1983 but changed to arsenic-free drinking water when the trial began in June 1996. Blood and hair Se and As concentrations were analysed pre-intervention and at the end of the 3rd, 9th and 14th month, while skin lesions were assessed pre-intervention, as well as at the end of the 14th month, using the Arsenism Clinical Criteria established by the Ministry of Health, China. As the trial was a voluntary one, a number of farmers did not routinely have their blood and hair samples taken for analysis. Consequently, the data have been analysed in two categories. Fifty-four farmers from the Se-group and 29 from the placebo-group who were sampled on each occasion were considered as one group, which has been compared with the second group comprising up to a total of 100 farmers in the Se-group and 86 in the placebo-group. Results calculated for those farmers who were sampled on each occasion, showed that at the end of the trial, blood and hair Se concentrations of the Se-group increased from 0.130 to 0.186 µg ml^–1 and from 0.431 to 0.502 µg g^–1, respectively, while those of the placebo-groups remained constant. Blood and hair As concentrations of the Se-group decreased from 0.051 to 0.015 µg ml^–1 and from 2.57 to 0.680 µg g^–1, respectively, a greater reduction than those in the placebo-group that went from 0.064 to 0.024 µg ml^–1 and from 2.62 to 1.25 µg g^–1, respectively. When the data from all patients were examined, the analytical trends were similar. An evaluation of skin lesions in the category who were sampled for hair and blood on each occasion showed that 41.2% of hyperkeratosis, 50.0% of depigmentation and 44.7% of pigmentation in the Se-group improved one or more degrees, while those in the placebo-group improved by only 7.1, 12.0 and 6.7%, respectively. A total of 61.1% of the adults in Se-group improved in one or more type of skin lesion, but only 17.2% improved in the placebo-group. Comparable results were obtained when all the data from both categories of farmers were examined. Results from the trial showed that Se supplementation was more effective for the improvement of adults who were affected by double or triple skin lesions. In the placebo-group, most of the severely affected adults improved in only one kind of skin lesion, but in the Se-group, more adults improved in two or three kinds of skin lesions. Although the trial was limited by its relatively small size, the results have provided some evidence of the usefulness of Se supplementation for people affected by arsenism.     

Arsenism Clinical Stages and their Relation with Hair Arsenic Concentration of Residents of Bayinmaodao Rural District, Inner Mongolia, China

The clinical skin lesions of arsenism in men and women in Bayinmaodao rural district in Inner Mongolia, Peoples Republic of China, have been examined by doctors, and their hair and drinking water samples analysed for arsenic by hydride generation and ICP-AES. Altogether 311 arsenism patients with a 15.53% prevalence rate for the district were recorded. The disease prevalence rate was positively related to population, age, and their exposure to elevated arsenic concentrations in the drinking water from 1983 when new wells were dug and drinking of surface water was abandoned. Hyperkeratosis was the most serious skin lesion with the highest occurrence rate, then depigmentation and pigmentation in decreasing order. With increasing severity of the disease, ranging from skin lesion with single hyperkeratosis 1° to hyperkeratosis 3° with depigmentation 3° and pigmentation 3°, the results showed that arsenic concentrations in head hair had increased. Arsenic concentrations in hair were positively correlated with the arsenic concentrations in drinking water obtained from local wells.     

白菜叶绿体DNA快速提取及分析

采用SDS-蛋白酶法提取了白菜的叶绿体DNA.琼脂糖电泳及紫外分光光度分析表明,所提取的叶绿体DNA质量高,除cpDNA主环外,在胞质雄性不育新种质及原不育系中还存在约1375bp和831bp的两条质粒分子.用所提取的叶绿体DNA作为模板进行RAPD扩增,获得了清晰的扩增图谱.该方法与传统的提取方法相比省时、高效、无污染.图2表1参14     

转sck单价基因和cry1Ac/sck双价基因水稻对二化螟的致死效应及中肠组织病理变化观察

室内采用离体叶片法研究了转sck单价基因抗虫水稻86AS1和转cry1Ac/sck双价基因抗虫水稻MSB不同生育期主茎顶叶对二化螟幼虫的杀虫效果.结果发现,不同生育期的MSB对二化螟初孵幼虫表现出了很强的毒杀效果,二化螟幼虫校正死亡率在扬花期前均达到90%以上;扬花期和灌浆期抗虫性有所下降,校正死亡率高于80%;成熟期校正死亡率在60%以上.在整个生育期,二化螟幼虫取食86AS1主茎顶叶的校正死亡率均未超过50%.MSB对二化螟幼虫的毒杀效果明显高于86AS1.采用透射电镜观察二化螟幼虫取食转cry1Ac/sck双价基因抗虫水稻和转sck单价基因抗虫水稻主茎顶叶后中肠组织的病理变化.结果发现,两种转基因水稻都能够引起二化螟幼虫中肠组织发生病理变化,但病变程度有明显差异.二化螟幼虫取食转cry1Ac/sck双价基因抗虫水稻3d,中肠组织受到严重破坏且病理变化明显;取食转sck单价基因抗虫水稻3d,幼虫中肠组织的病理变化却较缓慢.图2参10     

开发沸石矿用于农业的经济评价

我国沸石矿资源丰富。开发利用沸石矿于农业,可增产粮食400亿公斤,加上节约化肥和用作饲料添加剂等方面,年经济效益为496.25亿元。因此,开发利用沸石矿于农业具有重大的经济意义,从促进我国粮食生产上新台阶的角度考虑,则具有重大的战略意义。     

生物化学协同除磷研究

采用聚合硅酸铝和聚合硅酸铁两种混凝剂,比较了将混凝剂直接投加到反应器中和对生物反应器出水再进行混凝沉淀2种工艺的除磷效果,并对2种混凝剂的除磷效果进行了比较.结果表明:对于聚合硅酸铝,没有生物协同作用;对于聚合硅酸铁,投加量在40 mg/L以下时具有生物协同作用,30 mg/L时协同作用最明显;而且聚合硅酸铁的除磷效果好于聚合硅酸铝.