The use of ultrasound-assisted anaerobic compost tea washing to remove poly-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzo-furans (PCDFs) from highly contaminated field soils

The remediation of dioxin-contaminated soil of a specific coastal area previously employed for the manufacture of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City has attracted much attention of researchers there. This work addresses the possibility of providing an effective and environmentally friendly option for removing PCDD/Fs from soil in that field. Soil screening/sieving was first conducted to assess particle distribution. Fine sand was observed to be the major component of the soil, accounting for more than 60% of the total mass. A combination of ultrasonification and mechanical double-blade agitation was used to facilitate the washing of the soil using the biosurfactant anaerobic compost tea. More than 85 and 95% of total removal efficiencies were achieved for moderately and highly contaminated soils after 6 and 10 washing cycles, respectively, under ambient temperature, a soil/liquid ratio 1:2.5, 700 rpm, and over a relatively short duration. These results were achieved through the collision and penetration effects of this combined treatment as well as PCDD/F partitioning between the particles and anaerobic compost tea. This study represents the first to report the use of anaerobic compost tea solvent to wash soil highly contaminated by dioxin. It was concluded that anaerobic compost tea, rich in non-toxic bio-surfactants (e.g., alcohols, humic acids), can be used to improve bioavailability and bioactivity of the soil making bio-attenuation and full remediation more efficient.     

Impairments of cadmium on vitellogenin accumulation in the hepatopancreas of freshwater crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sinopotamon henanense</Emphasis>

During ovary maturation of crabs, vitellogenin (Vg), a precursor molecule of vitellin (Vn) needed for embryogenesis, can be produced in large quantities in the hepatopancreas and then transported to the ovary by the hemolymph. In the present study, effects of Cd on Vg accumulation in the hepatopancreas and Vg transportation of the freshwater crab Sinopotamon henanense were investigated. We also studied the impacts of Cd on the mRNA expression of genes involved in energy metabolism, protein metabolism, and metallothionein (MT) and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. After Cd treatment, the Vg concentration and the Vg mRNA expression in the hepatopancreas were downregulated. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that the Vg level in the hepatopancreas correlated positively with those of the ovary and hemolymph (correlation coefficients 0.844 and 0.749, respectively), suggesting that the Vg transport from the hepatopancreas to the ovary can be impaired by Cd. The levels of carbohydrate and protein in the hepatopancreas of Cd-exposed crabs were decreased, and an inhibited protein metabolism was also observed. Energy production related isocitrate dehydrogenase and cytochrome C oxidase mRNA expressions, and MT and GSH synthesis increased after 10 days of Cd treatment and decreased after 20 days. Cd also caused a time-dependent upregulation of malondialdehyde. Our findings showed that Cd decreased Vg accumulation in the hepatopancreas due to partially excessive energy consumption and an activated defense system in the hepatopancreas, suggesting a possible regulatory mechanism in S. henanense which is the competitive advantage of energy reserves in metabolic Cd stress responses over the high-energy flux during vitellogenesis to ensure a continuous supply of metabolic energy. Moreover, the damage of Vg accumulation in the hepatopancreas caused by Cd could lead to an insufficient accumulation of Vn in the ovary and cause a retardation of oocyte development.     

Heavy metal (Cu,Cd, Pb,Cr) washing from river sediment using biosurfactant rhamnolipid

Heavy metal-contaminated sediments posed a serious threat to both human beings and environment. A biosurfactant, rhamnolipid, was employed as the washing agent to remove heavy metals in river sediment. Batch experiments were conducted to test the removal capability. The effects of rhamnolipid concentration, washing time, solution pH, and liquid/solid ratio were investigated. The speciation of heavy metals before and after washing in sediment was also analyzed. Heavy metal washing was favored at high concentration, long washing time, and high pH. In addition, the efficiency of washing was closely related to the original speciation of heavy metals in sediment. Rhamnolipid mainly targeted metals in exchangeable, carbonate-bound or Fe-Mn oxide-bound fractions. Overall, rhamnolipid biosurfactant as a washing agent could effectively remove heavy metals from sediment.

     

Characteristics of phosphorus components in surface sediments from a Chinese shallow eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu): new insights from chemical extraction and <Superscript>31</Superscript>P NMR spectroscopy

As a primary factor responsible for lake eutrophication, a deeper understanding of the phosphorus (P) composition and its turnover in sediment is urgently needed. In this study, P species in surface sediments from a Chinese large eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu) were characterized by traditional fractionation and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their contributions to the overlying water were also discussed. Fractionation results show that NaOH-P predominated in the algal-dominated zone, accounting for 60.1% to total P in Zhushan Bay. Whereas, refractory fractions including HCl-P and residual-P were the main P burial phases in the macrophyte-dominated zone, the center and lakeshore. Recovery rates of the total P and organic P were greatly improved by using a modified single-step extraction of NaOH-EDTA, ranging from 22.6 to 66.1% and from 15.0 to 54.0%. Ortho-P, monoester-P, and pyro-P are identified as the major P components in the NaOH-EDTA extracts by ³¹P NMR analysis. Trace amount of DNA-P appeared only in sediments from algal- and macrophyte-dominated zones, ascribing to its biological origin. The relative content of ortho-P is the highest in the algal-dominated zone, while the biogenic P including ester-P and pyro-P is the highest in the macrophyte-dominated zone. Moreover, ortho-P and pyro-P correlated positively with TP and chlorophyll a in the overlying water, whereas only significant relationships were found between monoester-P, biogenic P, and chlorophyll a. These discrepancies imply that inorganic P, mainly ortho-P, plays a vital role in sustaining the trophic level of water body and algal bloom, while biogenic P makes a minor contribution to phytoplankton growth. This conclusion was supported by the results of high proportion of biogenic P in algae, aquatic macrophytes, and suspended particulate from the published literature. This study has significant implication for better understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of endogenous P and its role in affecting lake eutrophication.     

De novo formation of dioxins from milled model fly ash

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash has been classified as hazardous waste and needs treatment in an environmentally safe manner....     

Field crops (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk. and Brassica chinensis L.) for phytoremediation of cadmium and nitrate co-contaminated soils via rotation with Sedum alfredii Hance

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phytoremediation coupled with crop rotation (PCC) is a feasible strategy for remediation of contaminated soil without interrupting crop production....     

基于Ap/Vp的双薄壁高墩刚构桥抗震性能研究

为了研究地震频谱特性对柔性桥梁抗震性能的影响,以正弦波为例推导了地震动能量与A_p/V_p的关系,基于能力需求比提出了桥梁抗震性能评估方法及计算公式。以某典型高墩连续刚构桥为工程背景,采用地震动参数A_p=0.4g的22条正弦波和7条实际地震记录,对比研究了桥梁纵、横向抗震性能随A_p/V_p的变化规律。结果表明:在地震动参数A_p相同的情况下,桥梁关键截面抗震能力需求比在纵、横桥向均随A_p/V_p的增大而呈现增长的规律,最大增幅超过12.92倍(正弦波)和2.31倍(实际波);按正弦波得到能力需求比普遍大于实际波,且随A_p/V_p增大而增大的规律更明显。研究发现将地震动参数A_p作为单一的抗震设计指标会导致桥梁抗震性能离散性很大,A_p/V_p可作为柔性桥梁抗震设计的补充指标。     

关天经济区农户农地流转行为研究

农地流转是现阶段实现农地规模经营的必经之路。本文基于关天经济区622份调查问卷,建立了农地流转的农户模型,利用Heckman两阶段模型研究了交易成本认知和农户禀赋对农户参与农地流转(转出)、农地流转率的影响。研究结果表明:(1)关天经济区农户参与农地流转的积极性不高,样本农户参与农地流转的仅为23%,农地流转率均值为11%;(2)流转价格了解程度、农地流转组织形式、农地流转合约期限和对外交通便利情况影响农户是否参与农地流转决策,而农地流转率仅受流转价格了解程度和农地流转契约形式影响;(3)劳动力和土地禀赋正向影响农户转出土地,农地流转率随农业生产能力增强而降低;(4)文化程度与农户是否参与农地流转、农地流转率呈现显著的负相关关系,与天水的农户相比,关中地区的农户更倾向于参与农地流转。因此,要促进农户参与农地流转、提升农地流转率,首先要加强农地流转政策的宣传力度,提高农户整体认知水平,增强农户农地流转政策的理解程度和接受能力;其次,深化农村土地产权改革,加快农地确权颁证,提升农户产权的稳定性和可预期性;再次,建立健全农地流转市场,完善市场在农地流转过程中的信号生成机制和传递功能,降低农地流转过程中的交易成本;第四,采取相应的激励政策提高农户土地、劳动力的利用程度,提升农户农业生产能力,避免农户在农地流转市场中的逆向选择行为;最后,建立有效的农地"经营权退出机制",将束缚在农业生产上的低效劳动力和土地释放出来,实现资源的最优化配置。     

Hydrothermal liquefaction phase behavior of microalgae & model compounds in fused silica capillary reactor

A fused silica capillary reactor combined with a heating/cooling stage, a microscope and a digital camera were used to investigate phase behavior during the hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae (Dunaliella tertiolecta) and model compounds, including soya protein and glycine, starch, glucose and xylose, stearic acid and palmitic acid. Bubbles were generated at 246°C and disappeared at 360°C upon heating when Dunaliella tertiolecta used as feedstocks. Moreover, liquid products were generated at 300°C upon heating and oily liquid products began to separate out at 250°C upon cooling. The phase behavior of soya protein was similar to that of the Dunaliella tertiolecta. Meanwhile, there only observed the bubbles generation during hydrothermal liquefaction of glycine. Heating the starch, glucose and xylose above 350°C generated black solids from carbonization. Stearic acid and palmitic acid only had the process of melting, dissolution, dispersion and precipitation.     

PCBs污染土壤的CaO诱导低温热处理脱氯研究

研究了低温热处理脱氯技术对废弃电容器封存点附近污染土壤中多氯联苯脱氯的效果,考察反应温度、反应时间及CaO添加比例对PCBs去除率、脱氯率的影响以及反应前后土壤中污染物的组分变化。实验土样中PCBs浓度为107.7 mg/g,属于罕见高浓度PCBs污染土壤。当反应温度为400℃、停留时间4h、CaO添加比例为10%,PCBs的去除率为87.7%,脱氯率为85.3%。土壤样品中五氯联苯和四氯联苯反应后含量降低或未检出,部分反应后样品检出一氯联苯和联苯,说明在CaO诱导PCBs低温热处理脱氯反应中存在逐步脱氯/加氢反应途径。