Using biochar for remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants

Soil contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants has increasingly become a serious global environmental issue in recent years. Considerable efforts have been made to remediate contaminated soils. Biochar has a large surface area, and high capacity to adsorb heavy metals and organic pollutants. Biochar can potentially be used to reduce the bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals and organic pollutants in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. Biochar is typically an alkaline material which can increase soil pH and contribute to stabilization of heavy metals. Application of biochar for remediation of contaminated soils may provide a new solution to the soil pollution problem. This paper provides an overview on the impact of biochar on the environmental fate and mobility of heavy metals and organic pollutants in contaminated soils and its implication for remediation of contaminated soils. Further research directions are identified to ensure a safe and sustainable use of biochar as a soil amendment for remediation of contaminated soils.     

Selective removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution by adsorption on mangosteen peel

Mangosteen peel, rich in polyphenolic compounds, was used to prepare the adsorbent exhibiting highly selective adsorption for Cr(VI) over other metal ions such as Pb²⁺, Fe³⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cr³⁺ at the pH values of 1～4. The chemical modification method proposed by using calcium hydroxide is quite cost-effective and ecofriendly without using any toxic reagents or causing any secondary pollution. The adsorption isotherm results revealed that the adsorption of Cr(VI) on the gel fit well the Langmuir adsorption model, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) at pH levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 was evaluated to be 2.46, 2.44, 1.99, and 2.14 mol/kg, respectively. The adsorption mechanism for Cr(VI) on the saponified gel was verified to follow an esterifiaction reaction coupled with the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in which H⁺ plays a role of promoter. Thus, modified mangosteen peel gel has the prominent selectivity and low cost for Cr(VI) removal.     

Identification and quantitative detection of Legionella spp. in various aquatic environments by real-time PCR assay

In this study, a SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR was developed to quantify and detect the Legionella spp. in various environmental water samples. The water samples were taken from watershed, water treatment plant, and thermal spring area in Taiwan. Legionella was detected in 13.6 % (24/176), and the detection rate for river water, raw drinking water, and thermal spring water was 10, 21.4, and 16.6 %, respectively. Using real-time PCR, concentration of Legionella spp. in detected samples ranged between 9.75?×?10⁴ and 3.47?×?10⁵?cells/L in river water, 6.92?×?10⁴ and 4.29?×?10⁵?cells/L in raw drinking water, and 5.71?×?10⁴ and 2.12?×?10⁶?cells/L for thermal spring water samples. The identified species included Legionella pneumophila (20.8 %), Legionella jordanis (4.2 %), Legionella nautarum (4.2 %), Legionella sp. (4.2 %), and uncultured Legionella sp. (66.6 %). The presence of L. pneumophila in aquatic environments suggested a potential public health threat that must be further examined.     

Occurrence, possible sources, and temporal trends of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in water and sediment from the lower Yangtze River basin, Jiangsu and Shanghai areas of Eastern China

The concentrations, compositional profiles, and possible sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in water column and surface sediment samples from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River were investigated, and the potential risks posed by these chemicals were evaluated. Concentrations of the 17 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/PCDF in the water and sediment samples ranged from 0.45 to 10.0 pg TEQ/L (mean 2.34 pg TEQ/L) and from 0.31 to 51 pg TEQ/g dw (mean 5.25 pg TEQ/g dw), respectively. Water and sediments from the Nanjing–Nantong sections of the Yangtze River were found to have elevated PCDD/PCDF levels, and the PCDD/PCDF TEQ concentrations in 13 sediment samples exceeded the probable effect levels (PEL), above which adverse biological effects are likely. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that the principal PCDD/PCDF contamination source for the water and sediment was the production and use of pentachlorophenol (PCP) or sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP-Na). PCDD/PCDF concentrations were stable over time near the Yangtze River Estuary but had increased sharply in recent decades in the Nanjing–Nantong section, which will have been related to the growth in industrial activities and other anthropogenic PCDD/PCDF sources. Total organic carbon (TOC) and PCDD/PCDF concentrations correlated significantly (R?=?0.474, P?<?0.01), suggesting that TOC plays an important role in the transport and re-distribution of PCDD/PCDF in the Yangtze River basin.     

3种载体固定化菌藻共生系统脱氮除磷效果的对比

采用3种不同载体（海藻酸钠、聚乙烯醇、复合载体）,分别将小球藻和栅藻与活性污泥固定成菌藻共生系统,制成菌藻凝胶小球,单独菌、单独藻的凝胶小球,用于处理人工污水。结果表明,（1）复合载体固定的菌藻共生系统氮磷去除效果最好,PVA载体的脱氮除磷效果次于复合载体优于海藻酸钠;（2）固定化菌藻共生系统的脱氮除磷效果明显优于单独固定菌和单独固定藻,固定菌的效果较差;（3）3种载体包埋下的固定化小球藻的脱氮除磷效果均较相同载体固定化的栅藻效果好。     

废LCD面板有机材料水热资源化产乙酸

LCD面板主要由附着偏光片及液晶等有机材料的玻璃面板构成。有机材料的去除及资源化利用是废LCD面板处理的第一步。在水热条件下对废LCD面板进行了降解产酸研究。研究考察了反应温度、反应时间、氧化剂用量、水用量及pH值等对水热产乙酸产率及选择性的影响。通过正交实验确定了水热产乙酸的最佳操作条件：反应温度325℃,反应时间5min,氧化剂（30％H2O2）0．6mL,用水量2mL,近中性环境（pH6-6．5去离子水）。此条件下,乙酸产率及选择性分别为68．83％及70．56％。结果表明,以废LCD面板有机材料为原料,采用水热技术进行产乙酸反应,可实现其资源化再利用。     

木屑处置漏油事故的室内模拟

用锯木屑作为吸附材料,0#柴油为吸附对象进行室内模拟实验,研究了木屑对纯油、水中浮油的吸附以及吸油后的木屑在水中的漂浮性能;并以木屑粒径、木屑投加量、振荡频率、油膜厚度为研究指标,设计了5因素4水平的正交实验,考察了各因素对0#柴油的吸附量、去除率以及木屑漂浮率的影响并对优化条件进行了讨论。结果表明,在实验研究范围内,木屑对水中柴油的吸附速度极快,1min即可达到饱和,饱和吸附量为8．08g／g;木屑在水中漂浮性能良好,静态时经72h漂浮,漂浮率维持在92％左右;振荡频率为150r／min时,72h内漂浮率维持在68％以上;最佳吸油条件组合为吸附剂粒径10～20目,振荡频率120r／min,木屑投加量0．7g,油膜厚度1．65mm。     

昆明市污水排水系统产甲烷规律的模拟实验研究

通过对昆明市餐饮和居民生活污水厌氧模拟实验研究,初步探讨生活污水中CH4的产生规律,实验结果表明,在自然条件下,餐饮和居民生活污水中产生的甲烷浓度最大值分别为1.63 mg/L和3.82 mg/L。并且将COD、硫酸盐、硫化物、TN的浓度变化与甲烷浓度变化进行Pearson简单相关性分析,结果表明,1/COD、COD/硫酸盐和1/TN与甲烷在置信度为0.01时极显著相关,硫化物与甲烷在置信度为0.05时不相关;COD、硫酸盐和TN浓度的变化对生活污水中甲烷的产生起关键性作用。对居民生活污水中甲烷产生规律进行温度和pH控制分析研究,实验结果表明,生活污水在25~30℃时,24 h内甲烷产生量最大值为8.6494 mg/L,明显大于其他温度段的甲烷产生量;在pH为7~8之间时,甲烷的产生量在24 h内达到的最大值为3.0477 mg/L,明显高于其他pH控制段的甲烷产生量。     

城市生活垃圾焚烧处理过程中重金属迁移规律研究

通过采集厦门2个垃圾焚烧发电厂进厂垃圾、渗滤液、飞灰、炉渣和烟气样品,分析垃圾组成成分及各组分的重金属含量,结果表明,垃圾中以厨余、橡塑类和纸类为主,共占到垃圾干基的78．08％,重金属含量大小次序为Zn〉Cu〉Pb〉Cr〉Ni〉Cd〉Hg;垃圾渗滤液中除Zn外,其他金属的含量都较低,一厂渗滤液中重金属Ni、Zn迁移量较大,分别达到24．46％和8．52％。二厂渗滤液中重金属的迁移有相同的趋势,但含量相对较高。垃圾焚烧后其重金属主要分布在飞灰和废渣中,烟气中的含量非常少,不同金属的含量均有差别,这与金属的性质有很大关系;通过浸出毒性分析,飞灰中重金属酸溶态含量多,容易浸出,属于危险废物。同时,不同烟气处理工艺产生的飞灰的重金属浸出量有很大差别。     

Effects of rare earth elements on the distribution of mineral elements and heavy metals in horseradish

In order to investigate the effects of rare earth elements (REEs) on horseradish, the distribution of the mineral elements and heavy metals in different organs of horseradish have been studied by using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Meanwhile, three variable major parameters, namely the concentration of REEs, the type of REEs, and the growth stage of plant were chosen. The results indicated that the test REEs, Ce(III) and Tb(III), could be accumulated in leaves, stems and roots of horseradish. In addition, we found that the content of mineral elements was increased in horseradish treated with 20mgl(-1) of Ce(III), but not those with the 20mgl(-1) of Tb(III). Moreover, the content of mineral elements in horseradish was decreased with the increasing concentration of REEs (100, 300mgl(-1)). Furthermore, we found that there were the opposite effects on the content of the heavy metals in horseradish treated with REEs. Finally, we found that the effect of REEs on the accumulation of REEs, and the content of mineral elements or heavy metals of horseradish during vigorous growth stage, no matter positive or negative, was more obvious than that of the other growth stages. These results demonstrated that the distribution behaviors of mineral elements and heavy metals in horseradish can be affected by the type and concentration of REEs, and the growth period of plant.