Geostatistical analysis and risk assessment on soil total nitrogen and total soil phosphorus in the Dongting Lake plain area, China

Nonpoint-source pollution and water body eutrophication have become increasing concerns for scientists and policymakers. Nitrogen and phosphorus affect environmental pollution, especially lake eutrophication. To assess the environmental risk of soil total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) pollution, a typical ecological unit of Dongting Lake plain was selected as the experimental site. To verify the stationary of the data, a moving windows technique was adopted. Our results showed that Box-Cox transformation achieved normality in the data set and dampened the effect of outliers. The best theoretical model for semivariogram of TN and TP was a spherical model. The ordinary kriging estimates of TN and TP concentrations were mapped. The integrative comparisons of semivariogram parameters with different trends to the kriging prediction errors of TN and TP indicated that the two-order trend is preferable. Kriging SDs provided valuable information that will increase the accuracy of TN and TP mapping. The probability kriging method is useful to assess the risk of N and P pollution by providing the conditional probability of N and P concentrations exceeding the threshold concentrations of 3.2 and 1.05 g/kg, respectively. The probability distribution of TN and TP at different levels will be helpful to conduct risk assessment, optimize fertilization, and control the pollution of N and P.     

Water Hyacinth in China: A Sustainability Science-Based Management Framework

The invasion of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has resulted in enormous ecological and economic consequences worldwide. Although the spread of this weed in Africa, Australia, and North America has been well documented, its invasion in China is yet to be fully documented. Here we report that since its introduction about seven decades ago, water hyacinth has infested many water bodies across almost half of China’s territory, causing a decline of native biodiversity, alteration of ecosystem services, deterioration of aquatic environments, and spread of diseases affecting human health. Water hyacinth infestations have also led to enormous economic losses in China by impeding water flows, paralyzing navigation, and damaging irrigation and hydroelectricity facilities. To effectively control the rampage of water hyacinth in China, we propose a sustainability science-based management framework that explicitly incorporates principles from landscape ecology and Integrated Pest Management. This framework emphasizes multiple-scale long-term monitoring and research, integration among different control techniques, combination of control with utilization, and landscape-level adaptive management. Sustainability science represents a new, transdisciplinary paradigm that integrates scientific research, technological innovation, and socioeconomic development of particular regions. Our proposed management framework is aimed to broaden the currently dominant biological control-centered view in China and to illustrate how sustainability science can be used to guide the research and management of water hyacinth.     

地下水中氯代烃污染原位生物修复精细模拟研究

原位生物修复技术是修复地下水中挥发性氯代烃（VCHs）污染的重要手段之一.精细模拟修复过程是实现高效修复的关键.然而以往多数模拟VCHs修复过程的研究并未全面考虑VCHs自然衰减性质,势必会造成预测误差.因此,本研究针对当前VCHs原位生物修复模型的局限性,提出考虑VCHs自然衰减性质的原位生物修复Monod-Natural attenuation（M-Na）模型.该模型主要将自主开发的M-Na模型的源代码以用户自定义反应模块的形式嵌入到RT3D中.通过注入乳酸提供氢气进行原位生物修复含水层中四氯乙烯（PCE）污染,验证M-Na模型的精确性,并分析了修复过程参数变化（包括乳酸的注入浓度和速率）对修复效果的影响.算例分析结果表明,VCHs的自然衰减作用可以将修复产物乙烯（ETH）浓度提高10%左右,这在VCHs污染修复模拟过程中不可忽略;同时算例中乳酸的最佳注入浓度为30 mg·L^-1,最佳注入速率为200m³·d^-1.本研究成果有望为地下水VCHs污染原位生物修复精细模拟及高效修复提供模型参考.     

天津市减污降碳协同效应评估与预测

为评估和预测天津市减污降碳协同效应,采用减排量弹性系数法评估减污降碳协同效应,基于STIRPAT模型预测天津市“十四五”期间的减污降碳协同效应,并分情景预测天津市2026~2060年的减污降碳协同效应.结果表明：大气污染当量和温室气体的主要排放源均为工业源;2015~2017年天津市减污降碳协同效应系数范围为0.11~0.26,2013~2014年和2018~2020年天津市的减污降碳协同效应系数均小于0;天津市“十四五”期间减污降碳协同效应系数为0.06;各种情景下,2026~2060年天津市减污降碳协同效应系数均大于0.天津市2011~2020年减污降碳协同效应波动变化,“十四五”时期或可进入减污降碳协同增效阶段.天津市要在2026~2060年实现较高水平的减污降碳协同增效,就需要合理控制城镇化率、人口总数和地区生产总值,增加第三产业比重和高技术比重,持续降低能源强度.     

高海拔地区与低海拔地区污水处理系统中微生物群落特征分析对比

从污水处理系统中微生物群落结构特征分析入手,利用高通量基因测序技术对高海拔地区(西藏)与低海拔地区(无锡)生活污水处理厂污泥样品中的微生物群落结构进行分析和对比。结果表明:高海拔地区各样品的Simpson指数(0.993~0.994)和Shannon指数(8.388~8.668)均高于低海拔地区的数值,但实际处理效率却低于低海拔环境。高海拔地区样品中丰度最高的菌属为Haliangium和Ferruginibacter,丰度分别为6.5%~10.3%和5.6%~6.4%,与去除水中的生化需氧量相关,而在低海拔地区样品中丰度最高的菌属为Hyphomicrobium,丰度为7.8%~11.4%,与污水处理的脱氮功能相关。在低海拔地区,具有除磷功能的聚磷假丝酵母菌(Candidatus accumulibacter)的丰度值为1.3%,但是在高海拔地区的样品中却未检测到其存在, 而是由Tetrasphaera(丰度1.2%~1.6%)和黄杆菌(Flavobacterium,丰度0.57%~0.70%)替代。环境条件的主成分分析结果表明,与高海拔地区的菌属种类分布相关性最高的环境因素为TN浓度,其次为TP、NH₄+-N和DO浓度。高海拔环境下,COD和BOD₅对微生物菌落分布的影响明显低于低海拔环境。     

Ambient volatile organic compounds at a receptor site in the Pearl River Delta region: Variations, source apportionment and effects on ozone formation

We present the continuously measurements of volatile organic compounds（VOCs） at a receptor site（Wan Qing Sha, WQS） in the Pearl River Delta（PRD） region from September to November of 2017. The average mixing ratios of total VOCs（TVOCs） was 36.3 ± 27.9 ppbv with the dominant contribution from alkanes（55.5%）, followed by aromatics（33.3%）. The diurnal variation of TVOCs showed a strong photochemical consumption during daytime,resulting in the formation of ozone（O₃）. Five VOC sources were ...     

A novel approach to estimate and control denitrification performance in activated sludge systems with respirogram technology

Respirogram technology has been widely applied for aerobic process, however, the response of respirogram to anoxic denitrification is still unclear. To reveal such response may help to design a new method for the evaluation of the performance of denitrification. The size distribution of flocs measured at different denitrification moments demonstrated a clear expansion of flocs triggered by denitrification, during which higher specific endogenous and quasi-endogenous respiration rates (SOUR_e and SOUR_q) were also observed. Furthermore, SOUR_q increases exponentially with the specific denitrification rate (SDNR), suggesting that there should be a maximum SDNR in conventional activated sludge systems. Based on these findings, an index R_q/t, defined as the ratio of quasi-endogenous (OUR_q) to maximum respiration rate (OUR_t), is proposed to estimate the denitrification capacity that higher R_q/t indicates higher denitrification potential, which can be readily obtained without complex measurement or analysis, and it offers a novel and promising respirogram-based approach for denitrification estimation and control by taking measures to extend anoxic time to maintain its value at a high level within a certain range.     

Impact of pre-oxidation on the formation of byproducts in algae-laden water disinfection: Insights from fluorescent and molecular weight

Pre-oxidation has been reported to be an effective way to remove algal cells in water, but the released algal organic matter (AOM) could be oxidized and lead to the increment in disinfection by-product (DBP) formation. The relationship between pre-oxidation and AOM-derived DBP formation needs to be approached more precisely. This study compared the impact of four pre-oxidants, ozone (O₃), chlorine dioxide (ClO₂), potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), on the formation of nitrogenous (N-) and carbonaceous (C-) DBPs in AOM chlorination. The characterization (fluorescent properties, molecular weight distribution and amino acids concentration) on AOM samples showed that the characterization properties variations after pre-oxidation were highly dependent on the oxidizing ability of oxidants. The disinfection experiments showed that O₃ increased DBP formation most significantly, which was consistent with the result of characterization properties variations. Then canonical correspondent analysis (CCA) and Pearson's correlation analysis were conducted based on the characterization data and DBP formation. CCA indicated that C-DBPs formation was highly dependent on fluorescent data. The formation of haloacetic acids (HAAs) had a positive correlation with aromatic protein-like component while trichloromethane (TCM) had a positive correlation with fulvic acid-like component. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that low molecular weight fractions were favorable to form N-DBPs. Therefore, characterization data could provide the advantages in the control of DBP formation, which further revealed that KMnO₄ and ClO₂ were better options for removing algal cells as well as limiting DBP formation.     

Short-term inhalation exposure evaluations of airborne antibiotic resistance genes in environments

Antibiotic resistance is a sword of Damocles that hangs over humans. In regards to airborne antibiotic resistance genes (AARGs), critical knowledge gaps still exist in the identification of hotspots and quantification of exposure levels in different environments. Here, we have studied the profiles of AARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and bacterial communities in various atmospheric environments by high throughput qPCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We propose a new AARGs exposure dose calculation that uses short-term inhalation (STI). Swine farms and hospitals were high-risk areas where AARGs standardised abundance was more abundant than suburbs and urban areas. Additionally, resistance gene abundance in swine farm worker sputum was higher than that in healthy individuals in other environments. The correlation between AARGs with MGEs and bacteria was strong in suburbs but weak in livestock farms and hospitals. STI exposure analysis revealed that occupational intake of AARGs (via PM₁₀) in swine farms and hospitals were 110 and 29 times higher than in suburbs, were 1.5 × 10⁴, 5.6 × 10⁴ and 5.1 × 10² copies, i.e., 61.9%, 75.1% and 10.7% of the overall daily inhalation intake, respectively. Our study comprehensively compares environmental differences in AARGs to identify high-risk areas, and forwardly proposes the STI exposure dose of AARGs to guide risk assessment.     

The role of doped-Mn on enhancing arsenic removal by MgAl-LDHs

To meet the challenges posed by global arsenic water contamination, the MgAlMn-LDHs with extraordinary efficiency of arsenate removal was developed. In order to clarify the enhancement effect of the doped-Mn on the arsenate removal performance of the LDHs, the cluster models of the MgAlMn-LDHs and MgAl-LDHs were established and calculated by using density functional theory (DFT). The results shown that the doped-Mn can significantly change the electronic structure of the LDHs and improve its chemical activity. Compared with the MgAl-LDHs that without the doped-Mn, the HOMO-LUMO gap was smaller after doping. In addition, the -OH and Al on the laminates were also activated to improve the adsorption property of the LDHs. Besides, the doped-Mn existed as a novel active site. On the other hand, the MgAlMn-LDHs with the doped-Mn, the increased of the binding energy, as well as the decreased of the ion exchange energy of interlayer Cl⁻, making the ability to arsenate removal had been considerably elevated than the MgAl-LDHs. Furthermore, there is an obvious coordination covalent bond between arsenate and the laminates of the MgAlMn-LDHs that with the doped-Mn.