Characterization of extracellular polymeric substances in the biofilms of typical bacteria by the sulfur K-edge XANES spectroscopy

A combined approach of physicochemical extraction and sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure（XANES） spectroscopy was applied to characterize the extracellular polymeric substances（EPS） of typical bacterial biofilms in this study. Physicochemical analysis showed variation of the contents of DNA,polysaccharide and protein in different fractions of EPS in different mediums. The sulfur K-edge XANES analysis yielded a variety of spectra.Spectral fitting of the XANES spectra utilizing a large set of model compounds showed that there was more reduced sulfur in both LB-EPS（loosely bound EPS） and TB-EPS（tightly bound EPS） of all the biofilms in LB medium than in R2 A medium. More oxidized sulfur was identified in LB-EPS than that in TB-EPS,suggesting different niches and physiological heterogeneity in the biofilms. Our results suggested that the sulfur K-edge XANES can be a useful tool to analyze the sulfur speciation in EPS of biofilms.     

共存氯苯类同系物对六氯苯厌氧降解活性的影响

微生物厌氧降解六氯苯已经成为国内外六氯苯污染土壤修复技术研发的前沿和热点.研究了在不同的初始pH值、反应温度及固液比等环境条件下,3种共存氯苯类同系物五氯苯、1,2,4,5-四氯苯、1,2,4-三氯苯对染料厂污染土壤中六氯苯厌氧降解活性的影响.结果表明,在降解过程中,共存氯苯类同系物的累积对六氯苯的厌氧降解产生了反馈抑制作用,影响了六氯苯的降解活性,且在不同的环境条件下,累积规律不同,反馈抑制作用不同.反应的初始pH值较低时,五氯苯的的反馈抑制作用更突出,反应的初始pH值较高时,1,2,4-三氯苯的反馈抑制作用更突出;常温下,五氯苯的反馈抑制作用更突出,较高温度下,1,2,4-三氯苯的反馈抑制作用更突出;固液比越小,五氯苯的反馈抑制作用越突出.因此,针对性地采取提高低氯苯类同系物降解活性的措施,降低共存低氯苯类同系物在六氯苯厌氧降解过程中的累积,不失为提高污染土壤中六氯苯降解率的一种好的选择.     

机动车排气检验机构的环境影响评价研究

机动车排气定期检验机构对周边环境质量的影响虽然不大,但由于大多处在闹市区,贴近敏感人群,其噪声与机动车尾气对市民的影响却不容忽视。通过环境影响评价,分析机动车排气定期检验机构的环境影响特点,并结合机动车排气定期检验业务流程,对机动车排气定期检验机构的整体规划与布局提出合理建议,对噪声与大气污染物排放提出有效控制措施,不仅可以有效控制机动车排气定期检验机构对周边大气环境质量的影响,也能有效减小噪声对周边市民日常生活的影响。     

上海降水中氢氧同位素特征及与ENSO的关系

基于收集2014年8月至2015年8月上海70个降水样品,分析上海降水同位素特征与温度、降水量的相关关系,分析不同时间尺度下降水中δ~(18)O、氘盈余与ENSO事件的联系.结果表明上海地区大气降水中δD与δ~(18)O冬春较高,夏秋较低.上海大气降水线方程截距和斜率比全球降水线方程偏小,可能是因为降水过程中受到不平衡的二次蒸发.在不同的时间尺度下,上海地区降水中δ~(18)O与气温和降水量具有不同的相关关系,冬季存在着较弱的温度效应,而全年呈现出较显著的降水量效应,受大气环流过程影响明显.取样期间,降水中δ~(18)O与d值(过量氘)清晰记录了La Ni1a向El Ni1o之间的过渡,拉尼娜期间,降水中δ~(18)O与d值偏负;El Ni1o期间,δ~(18)O与d值偏正.     

Applications of open-path Fourier transform infrared for identification of volatile organic compound pollution sources and characterization of source emission behaviors

An open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) system was set up for 3-day continuous line-averaged volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring in a paint manufacturing plant. Seven VOCs (toluene, m-xylene, p-xylene, styrene, methanol, acetone, and 2-butanone) were identified in the ambient environment. Daytime-only batch operation mode was well explained by the time-series concentration plots. Major sources of methanol, m-xylene, acetone, and 2-butanone were identified in the southeast direction where paint solvent manufacturing processes are located. However, an attempt to uncover sources of styrene was not successful because the method detection limit (MDL) of the OP-FTIR system was not sensitive enough to produce conclusive data. In the second scenario, the OP-FTIR system was set up in an industrial complex to distinguish the origins of several VOCs. Eight major VOCs were identified in the ambient environment. The pollutant detected wind-rose percentage plots that clearly showed that ethylene, propylene, 2-butanone, and toluene mainly originated from the tank storage area, whereas the source of n-butane was mainly from the butadiene manufacturing processes of the refinery plant, and ammonia was identified as an accompanying reduction product in the gasoline desulfuration process. Advantages of OP-FTIR include its ability to simultaneously and continuously analyze many compounds, and its long path length monitoring has also shown advantages in obtaining more comprehensive data than the traditional multiple, single-point monitoring methods.     

Surface functional characteristics (C, O, S) of waste tire-derived carbon black before and after steam activation

The effects of steam activation on the surface functional characteristics of waste tire-derived carbon black were investigated. Two carbon-based materials, powdered carbon black (PCB) and PCB-derived powdered activated carbon (PCB-PAC), were selected for this study. A stainless steel tubular oven was used to activate the PCB at an activation temperature of 900 degrees C and 1 atm using steam as an activating reagent. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was adopted to measure the surface composition and chemical structure of carbon surface. Various elemental spectra (C, O, and S) of each carbon sample were further deconvoluted by peak synthesis. Results showed that the surfaces of PCB and PCB-PAC consisted mainly of C-C and C-O. The PCB-PAC surface had a higher percentage of oxygenated functional groups (C=O and O-C=O) than PCB. The O1s spectra show that the oxygen detected on the PCB surface was mainly bonded to carbon (C-O), whereas the oxygen on the PCB-PAC surface could be bonded to hydrogen (O-H) and carbon (C-O). Sulfur on the surface of PCB consisted of 58.9 wt% zinc sulfide (ZnS) and 41.1 wt% S=C=S, whereas that on the surfaces of PCB-PAC consisted mainly of S=C=S. Furthermore, the increase of oxygen content from 9.6% (PCB) to 11.9% (PCB-PAC) resulted in the increase of the pH values of PCB-PAC after steam activation.     

Short-term effects of gaseous pollutants on cause-specific mortality in Wuhan, China

In Asia, limited studies have been published on the association between daily mortality and gaseous pollutants of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Our previous studies in Wuhan, China, demonstrated long-term air pollution effects. However, no study has been conducted to determine mortality effects of air pollution in this region. This study was to determine the acute mortality effects of the gaseous pollutants in Wuhan, a city with 7.5 million permanent residents during the period from 2000 to 2004. There are approximately 4.5 million residents in Wuhan who live in the city's core area of 201 km2, where air pollution levels are highest, and pollution ranges are wider than the majority of the cities in the published literature. We used the generalized additive model to analyze pollution, mortality, and covariate data. We found consistent NO2 effects on mortality with the strongest effects on the same day. Every 10-microg/m3 increase in NO2 daily concentration on the same day was associated with an increase in nonaccidental (1.43%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87-1.99%), cardiovascular (1.65%; 95% CI: 0.87-2.45%), stroke (1.49%; 95% CI: 0.56-2.43%), cardiac (1.77%; 95% CI: 0.44-3.12%), respiratory (2.23%; 95% CI: 0.52-3.96%), and cardiopulmonary mortality (1.60%; 95% CI: 0.85-2.35%). These effects were stronger among the elderly than among the young. Formal examination of exposure-response curves suggests no-threshold linear relationships between daily mortality and NO2, where the NO2 concentrations ranged from 19.2 to 127.4 microg/m3. SO2 and O3 were not associated with daily mortality. The exposure-response relationships demonstrated heterogeneity, with some curves showing nonlinear relationships for SO2 and O3. We conclude that there is consistent evidence of acute effects of NO2 on mortality and suggest that a no-threshold linear relationship exists between NO2 and mortality.     

Phosphorus Load Reduction Goals for Feitsui Reservoir Watershed, Taiwan

The present paper describes an effort for developing the total maximum daily load (TMDL) for phosphorus and a load reduction strategy for the Feitsui Reservoir in Northern Taiwan. BASINS model was employed to estimate watershed pollutant loads from nonpoint sources (NPS) in the Feitsui Reservoir watershed. The BASINS model was calibrated using field data collected during a 2-year sampling period and then used to compute watershed pollutant loadings into the Feitsui Reservoir. The simulated results indicate that the average annual total phosphorus (TP) loading into the reservoir is 18,910 kg/year, which consists of non-point source loading of 16,003 kg/year, and point source loading of 2,907 kg/year. The Vollenweider mass balance model was used next to determine the degree of eutrophication under current pollutant loading and the load reduction needed to keep the reservoir from being eutrophic. It was estimated that Feitsui Reservoir can becoming of the oligotrophic state if the average annual TP loading is reduced by 37% or more. The results provide the basis on which an integrated control action plan for both point and nonpoint sources of pollution in the watershed can be developed.     

Zinc and cadmium accumulation and tolerance in populations of Sedum alfredii

To investigate the variation of Zn and Cd accumulation and tolerance of Sedum alfredii (a newly reported Zn/Cd hyperaccumulator), field surveys and hydroponic experiments were conducted among three populations of this species: two originating from old Pb/Zn mines in Zhejiang (ZJ) and Hunan (HN) Provinces and one from a "clean" site in Guangdong (GD) Province, China. Under field conditions, up to 12,524 and 12,253 mg kg(-1) Zn, and 1400 and 97 mg kg(-1) Cd in shoots of ZJ and HN plants were recorded respectively. Under hydroponic conditions, ZJ and HN plants accumulated significantly higher Zn and Cd in their leaves and stems, and possessed significantly higher Zn and Cd tolerance than GD plants. Among the two contaminated populations, ZJ plants showed higher Cd tolerance and accumulation (in leaves) than HN plants. The present results indicate that significant differences in Zn and Cd accumulation and tolerance exist in populations of S. alfredii.     

企业环保信用评价的发展历史与现状思考

回顾了国内外企业环保信用评价发展历史,指出与国外相比,我国企业环保信用评价起步较晚,目前各地区评价标准主要以监管性指标和处罚决定为依据,其中以监管性指标评价较全面但操作繁琐,以处罚决定评价更为客观但对中小型企业监管力度较低。提出,我国企业环保信用评价体系还需要进一步优化,统一评价标准,完善动态评价机制,增强企业与责任人的关联,以促进社会信用体系向更为完备的方向发展。