Comparing the Adoption of Contaminated Land Remediation Technologies in the United States,United Kingdom,and China

In many locations across the world, land contamination poses a serious threat to human health and the wider environment. For instance, a report published on April 17, 2014, revealed that China now has 16.1 percent of its land contaminated by various organic and inorganic contaminants, posing a range of challenges from human health risk to food security. The innovation and adoption of suitable remediation technologies is critical for solving land contamination issues. However, little is known about the pattern of remediation technology adoption, as well as its determining factors. This study uses a questionnaire survey in the United States, United Kingdom, and China to examine the spatial variation of remediation technology adoption. It further explores the temporal trend of remediation technology adoption using secondary data from the U.S. Superfund program. The study identified significant differences in remediation technology adoption among these countries, which are attributed to the different environmental, social, economic, and regulatory contexts. It is argued that the full implications of remediation technology adoption to sustainable development should be further studied, and policy instruments should be designed accordingly to promote those remediation technologies that align the best with long‐term sustainability. Technology developers may also use these implications to adjust their research and development priorities. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Annual input fluxes of heavy metals in agricultural soil of Hainan Island,China

The accumulation of heavy metals in farmland has become an important issue related to food security and environmental risk. The annual inputs of heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn) to agricultural soil for a full year in Hainan Island have been studied. Three fluxes through the cultivated horizon were considered: (1) atmospheric depositions, (2) fertilization, and (3) irrigation water. The corresponding samples were collected and analyzed on a large regional scale. The total input fluxes show obvious spatial variability among different regions. The inventory of heavy metal inputs to agricultural land demonstrates that agricultural soil is potentially at risk of heavy metal accumulation from irrigation water. The potential at risk of heavy metal accumulation from atmospheric deposition and fertilizer is relatively low compared to irrigation. The results indicate that Hg is the element of prior concern for agricultural soil, followed by Cd and As, and other heavy metal elements represent little threat to the environment in the study area. This work provides baseline information to develop policies to control and reduce toxic elements accumulated in agricultural soil.     

Annual input fluxes and source identification of trace elements in atmospheric deposition in Shanxi Basin: the largest coal base in China

Industrialization and urbanization have led to a great deterioration of air quality and provoked some serious environmental concerns. One hundred and five samples of atmospheric deposition were analyzed for their concentrations of 13 trace elements (As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Al, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Se, and Zn) in Shanxi Basin, which includes six isolate basins. The input fluxes of the trace elements in atmospheric deposition were observed and evaluated. Geostatistical analysis (EF, PCA, and CA ) were conducted to determine the spatial distribution, possible sources, and enrichment degrees of trace elements in atmospheric deposition. Fe/Al and K/Al also contribute to identify the sources of atmospheric deposition. The distribution of trace elements in atmospheric deposition was proved to be geographically restricted. The results show that As, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Se mainly come from coal combustion. Fe, Cu, Mn, Hg, and Co originate mainly from interactions between local polluted soils and blowing dust from other places, while the main source of Al, Cr, and Mo are the soil parent materials without pollution. This work provides baseline information to develop policies to control and reduce trace elements, especially toxic elements, from atmospheric deposition. Some exploratory analytical methods applied in this work are also worth considering in similar researches.     

Ni2＋对活性污泥活性及群落多样性的影响

通过检测活性污泥的电子传递体系活性以及生物多样性,研究Ni2＋对活性污泥微生物活性及群落多样性的影响。结果表明：与对照系统相比,5mg／L的Ni2＋对2,3,5-lriphenylteItrazoliumchloride（TTC．ETS）活性未产生显著的影响;但当Ni2＋的浓度进一步增大到10、20和40mg／L后,其对序批式反应器内活性污泥TTC—ETS活性的抑制率分别达到（36．794-11．14）％、（55．88±13．90）％和（70．97±6．78）％。低浓度Ni2＋．能增强活性污泥微生物对碳源的利用,但高于10mg／L的Ni2＋则显著抑制了活性污泥微生物对碳源的利用。各个SBR系统中微生物群落最常见的物种相近,物种丰富度和均一性则均有所不同,其中群落物种丰富度随着Ni2＋浓度的增加而逐渐减小。TTC—ETS活性、平均每孔颜色变化率、Shan—liOn指数和Simpson指数,与Ni2＋的胁迫浓度之间的显著相关性表明,它们均可有效地表征Ni2＋胁迫对活性污泥微生物活性及群落多样性的影响程度。     

Resilience: A New Consideration for Environmental Remediation in an Era of Climate Change

There has been a growing movement within the environmental industry to develop more sustainable approaches in environmental remediation. These have generally included carbon footprint analysis, life cycle assessment, and best management practices to reduce the overall net environmental, social, and economic impacts of investigation and remediation activities. One of the foundational reasons net environmental impacts are currently evaluated is to identify and, subsequently, reduce contributions to climate change, primarily greenhouse gas emissions. While this trend toward sustainability and reduction in impact to the global environment is both important and admirable, the approach to remediation design and long‐term planning now needs to evolve further to better incorporate climate resilience into sustainable remediation design and implementation: designing remediation solutions that account for the projected impacts of climate change, as well as have the capacity to adapt to changing conditions. As a global population, we are now beyond the point of being able to prevent climate change and instead need to plan for adapting to it. In remediation, the effects of climate change create both risks and opportunities which should be considered during remedial design and long‐term planning. Responsible parties may see the push for—and management of—these considerations through their internal corporate risk management. The authors of this paper propose a simple framework for climate adaptation and resilience evaluations and plan development for remediation projects. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

预酸化下营养剂添加量对生物沥浸处理洗毛废水的影响

洗毛废水是洗毛生产工艺排出的兼具高COD、高悬浮固体浓度、高色度、难固液分离等典型特征,且对环境存在潜在污染的一类工业废水。通过摇瓶实验,研究了预酸化条件下,生物沥浸技术对洗毛废水的处理效果。结果表明,当洗毛废水经预酸化至p H 5.5、营养剂浓度≥4 g/L、回流比例为1∶1的情况下,3个批次实验内复合菌群生物沥浸过程稳定,洗毛废水能够很好地完成生物沥浸过程。反应结束后体系p H稳定在3.0左右,COD去除率高达90%以上,色度由原来的1 875倍降到20倍,沉淀中油脂去除率高于65%,且比阻降低至原来的0.2%~0.3%。而在对照处理中,体系p H值稳定在8.0左右,COD去除率小于10%,油脂去除率不足10%,洗毛废水比阻仅降低20%。因此,采用预酸化及生物沥浸作用有利于洗毛废水酸化处理的连续运行并具有良好的应用前景。     

上流式厌氧污泥床反应器处理饮料废水

通过监测西安可口可乐饮料有限公司污水处理站的上流式厌氧污泥床(UASB)反应器,探讨饮料废水厌氧处理过程中COD去除率、沼气组分、氢分压、出水挥发性脂肪酸、产甲烷活性以及污泥形态。结果表明,UASB反应器对饮料废水中的COD去除率达到84.55%,产生的沼气中甲烷组分含量高达74.5%。反应器内的氢分压仅2.5 Pa,为水解发酵和产氢产乙酸过程创造了良好的条件。UASB反应器中污泥具有较高的产甲烷活性,以乙酸、丙酸和丁酸为基质时,最大比产甲烷活性分别为407.14、331.74和241.27 m L CH4/(g VSS·d)。UASB反应器中的污泥形态主要为絮状,甲烷菌中的优势菌为甲烷丝菌,同时存在少量甲烷杆菌。针对该厂UASB反应器中污泥的现状,提出了影响颗粒化的因素和控制措施,为后期的运行和管理提供了参考依据。     

Effects of suspended common-scale and nanoscale particles on the survival,growth and reproduction of Daphnia magna

Suspended particles are a natural component of aquatic ecosystems. This study provides a report on the survival, growth and reproduction of common-scale and nanoscale particles of Daphnia magna Straus exposed to five types of particles (i.e. KN (kaolinite), MN (montmorillonite), MNn (nanoscale MN), NP (natural particles), and NPn (nanoscale NP)). The results of the study show that the suspended particles elicited a dose-dependent toxicity in KN, MN and MNn, with the following toxicity pattern: MN > KN > MNn. On the contrary, NP and NPn did not show any harmful effects on the animals. Instead, NP and NPn, especially NPn, contributed to the survivorship of the animals. The animals were able to survive throughout the 21-day period of bioassays, and when the particle concentration reached 600 mg L⁻¹, they produced many neonates without any addition of food. This experimental results also indicated that the nanoscale particles were less toxic than the common-scale ones, both for MN and NP. Moreover, the results of the 21-day period of bioassays indicated that when the organisms were exposed to particles of different size scales, they showed different selection patterns for allocating resources. This may be due to the generation of different assimilation and digestion patterns.     

Spatial and seasonal variations of pesticide contamination in agricultural soils and crops sample from an intensive horticulture area of Hohhot, North-West China

The spatial variability and temporal trend in concentrations of the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), in soils and agricultural corps were investigated on an intensive horticulture area in Hohhot, North-West China, from 2008 to 2011. The most frequently found and abundant pesticides were the metabolites of DDT (p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT and p,p′-DDD). Total DDT concentrations ranged from ND (not detectable) to 507.41 ng/g and were higher than the concentration of total HCHs measured for the range of 4.84–281.44 ng/g. There were significantly positive correlations between the ∑DDT and ∑HCH concentrations (r ²>0.74) in soils, but no significant correlation was found between the concentrations of OCPs in soils and clay content while a relatively strong correlation was found between total OCP concentrations and total organic carbon (TOC). β-HCH was the main isomer of HCHs, and was detected in all samples; the maximum proportion of β-HCH compared to ∑HCHs (mean value 54%) was found, suggesting its persistence. The α/γ-HCH ratio was between 0.89 and 5.39, which signified the combined influence of technical HCHs and lindane. Low p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT in N1, N3 and N9 were found, reflecting the fresh input of DDTs, while the relatively high o,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT ratios indicated the agricultural application of dicofol. Ratios of DDT/(DDE+DDD) in soils do not indicate recent inputs of DDT into Hohhot farmland soil environment. Seasonal variations of OCPs featured higher concentrations in autumn and lower concentrations in spring. This was likely associated with their temperature-driven re-volatilization and application of dicofol in late spring.     

不同金属离子对Vc引发的小鼠肝匀浆自由基反应的影响

以小鼠肝匀浆脂质过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)的OD_532nm值(MDA-OD_532nm)作为测定自由基反应的间接指标,研究了Hg²⁺、Mn²⁺、Ni²⁺、Cd²⁺、Cr³⁺、SeO^2-₃等离子和As₂O₃水溶液在Vc引发自由基反应体系中的作用.结果表明:Cr³⁺与Mn²⁺具有显著的抑制作用;Hg²⁺、Cd²⁺与As₂O₃对自由基反应有促进作用;Ni²⁺、SeO^2-₃对Vc引发小鼠肝匀浆的自由基反应作用不明显.