Mercury uptake and effects on growth in Jatropha curcas

The use of metal-accumulating plants for the phytoremediation of contaminated soils is gaining more attention. Mercury(Hg)-contaminated soils from historical gold mines represent a potential risk to human health and the environment. Therefore, Jatropha curcas plant, that has shown its tolerance to these environments, is a species of particular interest to implement phytoremediation techniques in gold mining sites. In this work, the behavior of J. curcas was assessed in different hydroponic cultures fortified with Hg at concentrations of 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μg Hg/mL(T5, T10, T20, T40 and T80, respectively). After exposure,plant growth, net photosynthesis, leaf area, and Hg accumulation were determined and variables such as net Hg uptake, effective Hg accumulation, translocation and bioaccumulation factors were calculated. Accumulation of Hg in root and leaf tissues increased with respect to the Hg concentrations in the hydroponic culture, with statistically significant differences(p 0.05) among treatments. Moreover, Hg concentration in roots was 7 and 12-fold higher in average than in plant leaves and shoots, respectively. Many effects were found in the development of plants, especially related with loss of biomass and leaf area,with significant growth inhibition related to control values( 50% with treatment T5).Moreover, percentage of inhibition was even higher( 60%) with same treatment for net photosynthesis. Finally, it should be highlighted that for T40 and T80 treatments, plant growth and photosynthesis were almost completely depleted(88%–95%).     

Advanced treatment of wet-spun acrylic fiber manufacturing wastewater using three-dimensional electrochemical oxidation

A three-dimensional electrochemical oxidation(3D-EC) reactor with introduction of activated carbon(AC) as particle micro-electrodes was applied for the advanced treatment of secondary wastewater effluent of a wet-spun acrylic fiber manufacturing plant. Under the optimized conditions(current density of 500 A/m~2, circulation rate of 5 mL/min, AC dosage of 50 g, and chloride concentration of 1.0 g/L), the average removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand(COD_(cr)), NH3–N, total organic carbon(TOC), and ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm(UV_(254)) of the 3D-EC reactor were 64.5%, 60.8%, 46.4%, and 64.8%, respectively; while the corresponding effluent concentrations of COD_(cr), NH_3–N, TOC, and UV_(254) were 76.6, 20.1, and42.5 mg/L, and 0.08 Abs/cm, respectively. The effluent concentration of COD_(cr) was less than 100 mg/L, which showed that the treated wastewater satisfied the demand of the integrated wastewater discharge standard(GB 8978-1996). The 3D-EC process remarkably improved the treatment efficiencies with synergistic effects for COD_(cr), NH_3–N, TOC, and UV_(254) during the stable stage of 44.5%, 38.8%, 27.2%, and 10.9%, respectively, as compared with the sum of the efficiencies of a two-dimensional electrochemical oxidation(2D-EC) reactor and an AC adsorption process, which was ascribed to the numerous micro-electrodes of AC in the 3D-EC reactor. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry(GC–MS) analysis revealed that electrochemical treatment did not generate more toxic organics, and it was proved that the increase in acute biotoxicity was caused primarily by the production of free chlorine.     

青霉素菌渣堆肥过程中青霉素钠降解菌的分离与鉴定

为了研究开发青霉素发酵菌渣堆肥资源化与无害化技术,采用传统的富集、分离、纯化等微生物学方法,在青霉素菌渣与猪粪混合堆肥过程中筛选出一株青霉素钠高效降解菌——PC-2,并对其进行形态表征和基于16S rRNA基因序列的微生物种属鉴定. 结果表明:菌株PC-2属螯合球菌属(Chelatococcus sp.),其能够利用青霉素钠为唯一碳源生长,但外加碳、氮源可显著提高菌株PC-2对青霉素钠的降解效率. 当葡萄糖为碳源、蛋白胨为氮源、菌株PC-2接种量为14%、pH为6~8时,菌株PC-2在37 ℃下振荡培养6 h,对初始ρ(青霉素钠)为400 mg/L的青霉素钠的降解率可达98%以上. 自堆肥过程中获取高效青霉素钠降解菌PC-2,预示着其在菌渣堆肥过程中的应用潜力,也有助于深入开展青霉素制药菌渣的安全有效与无害化处理处置方法的研究.      

中原经济区城市资源环境绩效指标体系构建与实证

为了识别城市或“相似群体”最重要的资源环境“短板”问题,以中原经济区31个城市为研究区域,选择水土资源、能源、环境质量和污染物排放及治理水平等4个方面共计33项指标,利用层次分析修正法确定指标权重,采用正向指标极大化、负向指标极小化、适中指标平均化的标准化方法对研究区域内各市资源环境绩效进行测算. 研究表明:①从资源环境绩效角度来看,中原经济区城市可分为“双高”超载型、农业型、“双低”超载型、资源型四大类. ②占中原经济区城市总数2/5的资源型城市,由于过度强调资源产出、忽视环境保护而成为经济区环境问题高发、资源环境矛盾较为突出的集中区域. ③在对4个Ⅰ级指标(资源利用效率、能源利用效率、环境质量指数、污染物排放及治理水平)设定均衡权重情况下,15个城市的能源利用效率居末位,10个城市的资源利用效率居末位,表明中原经济区提高资源环境绩效应率先在能源、资源利用效率领域实现突破. 所构建的资源环境绩效评估指标体系仍有待进一步优化,今后应加大对可再生资源能源利用、农村生态环境特别是农村土地重金属及有机物污染等问题的关注.      

Carbon footprint in corporate logistics operations in the food sector

Global warming is negatively affecting the environment of the planet. This situation has led to the development of international standards, such as the International Organisation for Standardization's DIS 14064‐1 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, both of which measure corporate carbon footprints. These standards provide guidelines that can be applied to different organizational sectors. However, these are not sufficient for controlling the reduction of carbon emissions, because although they propose the use of indicators, they do not explicitly define them. In addition, in the case of emissions from wastewater treatment, they only suggest that the emissions associated with this process be considered. In the present study, an eight‐step, unified methodology based on these two international standards is proposed, focusing on direct emissions. Moreover, the step‐by‐step to data collection, calculations, and the required indicators to control the emissions are defined. The first scope considers direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the company. Methane generation measurement from wastewater treatment has been included in the methodology within Scope 1, as it is the second most polluting gas after carbon dioxide, both of which give rise to global warming. The proposed methodology was tested as a case study in one of the most important companies in the food sector in Colombia.     

Transesterification of Caesalpinia eriostachys seed oil using heterogeneous and homogeneous basic catalysts

Caesalpinea eriostachys seed oil, as a source of triglycerides with potential application for biodiesel production in Mexico is introduced. Its lipid profile obtained by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed saturated and unsaturated glycerol esters as the constituents. Therefore, heterogeneous and homogeneous catalyzed transesterification reactions were assayed employing ZnAl hydrotalcites and KOH, as the catalysts, respectively. The transesterification reactions yielded 59% for Zn/Al(2), 79% for Zn/Al(4), and 90% for KOH, depicting typical behavior, as in biodiesel production data from literature, where Zn-Al hydrotalcites or KOH were assayed. The caloric, density, viscosity values, and fatty acid methyl esters profile from reaction products were concordant to EN 14214, suggesting C. eriostachys as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production.     

Somatic Coliphage Profiles of Produce and Environmental Samples from Farms in Northern México

Somatic coliphages were quantified in 459 produce and environmental samples from 11 farms in Northern Mexico to compare amounts of somatic coliphages among different types of fresh produce and environmental samples across the production steps on farms. Rinsates from cantaloupe melons, jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, and the hands of workers, soil, and water were collected during 2011–2012 at four successive steps on each farm, from the field before harvest through the packing facility, and assayed by FastPhage MPN Quanti-tray method. Cantaloupe farm samples contained more coliphages than jalapeño or tomato (p range <0.01–0.03). Across production steps, jalapeños had higher coliphage percentages before harvest than during packing (p = 0.03), while tomatoes had higher coliphage concentrations at packing than all preceding production steps (p range <0.01–0.02). These findings support the use of targeted produce-specific interventions at multiple points in the process of growing and packing produce to reduce the risk of enteric virus contamination and improve food safety during fruit and vegetable production.     

磁分离技术在水处理中的研究与应用进展

磁分离技术具有分离速率快、效率高、无二次污染、占地少、投资低、操作方便等优点,在水处理领域得到了越来越多的研究和应用,特别是随着超导高梯度磁分离技术以及磁分离器设计的进一步发展,其在水处理领域极具潜能.因此,本文通过文献调研,分析和总结了目前主要磁分离技术(例如,磁场直接应用、磁絮凝-磁分离、磁吸附-磁分离、磁催化-磁分离及磁分离耦合技术)在水处理领域的研究进展,介绍了近年来磁分离技术在国内水处理行业中的研究与实际工程应用推广现状,分析了磁分离技术应用于水处理领域的优势和当前应用中存在的限制,并对其未来发展方向进行了展望.虽然磁分离技术目前已经成为水处理领域一项广泛应用的分离技术,但在机理研究、特异性磁种制备、磁体技术与磁分离器设计、磁分离工艺优化及实际的工程应用推广上仍存在一定的滞后,需要进一步的开展研究工作.     

大数据时代政府环境治理路径创新

本文针对政府环境治理面临政府失灵、市场失灵和社会低效三个困境,提出运用大数据方法创新治理路径。政府应用大数据提高环境治理过程中的事前、事中和事后监管效能,创新监管模式提升环境治理能力,改善政府失灵困境;依托大数据完善市场化调节机制,激励企业环境行为市场化,构建企业环境信用评价体系,改变企业环境信息披露模式,弥补市场失灵;利用大数据增进公众环境意识,建设公开、透明、平权化的环境信息交互体系,重视环境信息的舆情引导,促进环保价值理念传播,改变公众参与低效现状。进而提出完善大数据治理平台、技术和体系,构建政府、企业、公众共同参与的立体化环境治理模式,提高环境治理的精准化、精细化和智能化水平。     

高速公路服务区污水生态土壤处理的基质配比研究

采用清水渗透、污水渗透、静态吸附、动态穿透和给水度等试验,确定了重庆地区高速公路服务区污水生态土壤处理系统中基质配比、水力负荷和湿干比.结果表明,根据选材容易、水力负荷大、除污能力强等原则,推荐重庆地区高速公路服务区污水生态土壤系统中处理层的配比基质为30.67%紫色土、61.33%河沙和8.00%煤渣混合基质,承托层为0.20 m厚的卵石与0.10 m厚的碎石.生态土壤处理系统总高度1.6 m,其中1.00、1.20、1.40、1.60 m处的水力负荷分别为0.344、 0.322、0.307、 0.298 m·d^-1.处理层的淹水时间1 d、落干时间1.5 d,即湿干比为1∶1.5.