Algal uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen in wastewater treatment plants

The algal uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) in the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic(A_2O)process was investigated in this study. Anaerobic, aerobic and effluent DON samples from two wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) were separated into hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions using a DAX-8 resin coupled with an anion exchange resin and a nanofiltration(NF)pretreatment. Hydrophilic DON accounted for 66.66%–88.74% of the entire DON for the two plants evaluated. After a 15-day incubation, 16.95%–91.75% DON was bioavailable for algal growth, and untreated samples exhibited higher DON bioavailability, with 52.83% DON average uptake rates, compared with the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions(45.53% and 44.40%, respectively) because the pretreatment caused the inorganic salt to be resistant to algae. Anaerobic untreated samples, hydrophilic fractions and hydrophobic fractions showed higher DON reduction rates and higher biomass accumulation compared with the other DON fractions due to the decomposition of resistant organics by anaerobic and anoxic bacteria.DON in aerobic and effluent samples of plant A was more bioavailable than that of plant B with usages of 27.49%–55.26% DON. DON bioavailability in the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic process decreased in the following order: anaerobic effluent aerobic. The DON contents were reduced after anaerobic treatment in the two plants. The EEM-PARAFAC model identified three DON components, including two humic acid-like substances and one protein-like substance in plant A and two protein-like substances and one humic acid-like substance in plant B.     

过硫酸盐氧化与水泥固化稳定化协同修复苯胺污染土壤

为了快速高效地处理突发性事故造成的苯胺污染土壤,在水泥固化稳定化苯胺污染土壤时加入过硫酸盐和活性炭,评估固化稳定化产物中苯胺的浸出特征和降解机理. 结果表明:①过硫酸盐的加入可以快速有效地去除污染土壤中高浓度(10 g/kg)的苯胺,当反应时间为10 min、过硫酸盐添加量为1.0 eq(即过硫酸盐与土壤中苯胺的摩尔浓度比为1.0)时,处理后土壤中苯胺残留量为1 345 mg/kg;过硫酸盐添加量为2.0 eq时,苯胺残留量为43 mg/kg,反应时间对苯胺的去除效率影响不大,碱性条件有利于苯胺的降解. ②过硫酸盐-活性炭-水泥复合固化稳定化剂可以有效固化稳定化高浓度苯胺污染土壤,过硫酸盐的加入可以有效氧化土壤中的苯胺,是浸出液中ρ(苯胺)降低的主要因素;活性炭的加入可以进一步吸附残留的苯胺及降解产物,使浸出液中ρ(TOC)大幅降低;水泥水化产生的强碱性和温度升高有助于过硫酸盐对苯胺的氧化降解. ③苯胺氧化降解产物分析发现,偶氮苯、苯酚和联苯胺是苯胺的主要降解产物.      

添加CaO对燃煤重金属元素富集效果的影响

选取CaO作为吸附剂,探究了不同燃烧温度下添加CaO对重金属元素在燃煤灰渣中富集效果的影响规律。实验结果表明:添加CaO对重金属元素Cr未起到富集作用,而对Mn,Ni,Cu,Zn,As,Cd,Pb 7种重金属元素的富集效果显著;随燃烧温度的升高,CaO对各赋存形态的Mn,Ni,Cu,Zn,As的富集效果先变好而后变差,对各赋存形态的Cd和Pb的富集效果越来越好;CaO添加比(预处理后的CaO颗粒与预处理后的原煤的质量比)越大,CaO对Mn,Ni,Cu,Zn,As,Cd,Pb的富集效果越好,燃烧温度为850℃时的最佳CaO添加比为4%。     

Chemical characteristics of fine particles and their impact on visibility impairment in Shanghai based on a 1-year period observation

In this work, a one-year observation focusing on high time resolution characteristics of components in fine particles was conducted at an urban site in Shanghai. Contributions of different components on visibility impairment were also studied. Our research indicates that the major components of PM_2.5 in Shanghai are water-soluble inorganic ions and carbonaceous aerosol, accounting for about 60% and 30% respectively. Higher concentrations of sulfate (SO₄²⁻) and organic carbon (OC) in PM_2.5 occurred in fall and summer, while higher concentrations of nitrate (NO₃⁻) were observed in winter and spring. The mass concentrations of Cl⁻ and K⁺ were higher in winter. Moreover, NO₃⁻ increased significantly during PM_2.5 pollution episodes. The high values observed for the sulfate oxidizing rate (SOR), nitrate oxidizing rate (NOR) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) in OC indicate that photochemical reactions were quite active in Shanghai. The IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) formula was used in this study to investigate the contributions of individual PM_2.5 chemical components to the light extinction efficient in Shanghai. Both NH₄NO₃ and (NH₄)₂SO₄ had close relationships with visibility impairment in Shanghai. Our results show that the reduction of anthropogenic SO₂, NO_x and NH₃ would have a significant effect on the improvement of air quality and visibility in Shanghai.     

Expansion of Urban Space and Land Use Control in the Process of Urbanization: an Overview

Urban expansion brought by the rapid progress of urbanization has caused many problems in China. It is a significant issue to evaluate the extent of urban expansion and to make appropriate controls over the sprawl of urban areas. With a comparative study of international experiences, this article analyzed the mechanism and consequences of urban expansion, reviewed the typical planning and financial policies adopted by other countries for controlling urban sprawl, and discussed the suitable densities of urba...     

德尔菲法在归纳主要环境问题中的应用

尝试用德尔菲法归纳建德市的主要环境问题,对15位专家的2轮咨询结果进行统计分析,筛选出15个指标组合成10个主要环境问题,较好地反映了建德市的环境污染现状和变化趋势。     

Displacement as a predictor of functional impairment in tsunami‐exposed children

Thirty months after the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004, thousands of families in Aceh Province, Indonesia, remained in temporary barracks while sanitation conditions and non‐governmental organisation support deteriorated. This study sought to determine the factors associated with functional impairment in a sample of 138 displaced and non‐displaced Acehnese children. Using multivariate linear regression models, it was found that displacement distance was a consistent predictor of impairment using the Brief Impairment Scale. Exposure to tsunami‐related trauma markers was not significantly linked with impairment in the model. Paternal employment was a consistent protective factor for child functioning. These findings suggest that post‐disaster displacement and the subsequent familial economic disruption are significant predictors of impaired functioning in children's daily activities. Post‐disaster interventions should consider the disruption of familiar environments for families and children when relocating vulnerable populations to avoid deleterious impacts on children's functioning.     

Mercury in the Mediterranean. Part 2: processes and mass balance

Mass balance of contaminants can provide useful information on the processes that influence their concentrations in various environmental compartments. The most important sources, sinks and the equilibrium or non-equilibrium state of the contaminant in individual environmental compartments can also be identified. Using the latest mercury speciation data, the results of numerical models and the results of recent studies on mercury transport and transformation processes in the marine environment, we have re-evaluated the total mercury (HgT) mass balance in the Mediterranean Sea. New calculations have been performed employing three distinct marine layers: the surface layer, the thermocline and the deep sea. New transport mechanisms, deep water formation and density-driven sinking and upwelling, were included in the mass balance calculations. The most recent data have even enabled the calculation of an approximate methylmercury (MeHg) mass balance. HgT is well balanced in the entire Mediterranean, and the discrepancies between inputs and outputs in individual layers do not exceed 20 %. The MeHg balance shows larger discrepancies between gains and losses due to measurement uncertainties and gaps in our knowledge of Hg species transformation processes. Nonetheless, the main sources and sinks of HgT (deposition and evasion) and MeHg (fluxes from sediment, outflow through the Gibraltar Strait) are in accordance with previous studies on mercury in the Mediterranean Basin. Mercury in the Mediterranean fish harvest is the second largest MeHg sink; about 300 kg of this toxic substance is consumed annually with sea food.