Longitudinal analysis of bioaccumulative contaminants in freshwater fishes

The National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program (NCBP) was initiated in 1967 as a component of the National Pesticide Monitoring program. It consists of periodic collection of freshwater fish and other samples and the analysis of the concentrations of persistent environmental contaminants in these samples. For the analysis, the common approach has been to apply the mixed two-way ANOVA model to combined data. A main disadvantage of this method is that it cannot give a detailed temporal trend of the concentrations since the data are grouped. In this paper, we present an alternative approach that performs a longitudinal analysis of the information using random effects models. In the new approach, no grouping is needed and the data are treated as samples from continuous stochastic processes, which seems more appropriate than ANOVA for the problem.     

Climatic Controls on Watershed Reference Evapotranspiration Varied during 1961–2012 in Southern China

Reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) is an important hydrometeorological term widely used in understanding and projecting the hydrological effects of future climate and land use change. We conducted a case study in the Qinhuai River Basin that is dominated by a humid subtropical climate and mixed land uses in southern China. Long‐term (1961–2012) meteorological data were used to estimate ET_o by the FAO‐56 Penman–Monteith model. The individual contribution from each meteorological variable to the trend of ET_o was quantified. We found basin‐wide annual ET_o decreased significantly (p < 0.05) by 3.82 mm/yr during 1961–1987, due to decreased wind speed, solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and increased relative humidity (RH). However, due to the increased VPD and decreased RH, the ET_o increased significantly (p < 0.05) in spring, autumn, and annually at a rate of 2.55, 0.56, and 3.16 mm/yr during 1988–2012, respectively. The aerodynamic term was a dominant factor controlling ET_o variation in both two periods. We concluded the key climatic controls on ET_o have shifted as a result of global climate change during 1961–2012. The atmospheric demand, instead of air temperature alone, was a major control on ET_o. Models for accurately predicting ET_o and hydrological change under a changing climate must include VPD in the study region. The shifts of climatic control on the hydrological cycles should be considered in future water resource management in humid regions.     

The impact of UV treatment on microbial control and DBPs formation in full-scale drinking water systems in northern China

To manage potential microbial risks and meet increasingly strict drinking water health standards, UV treatment has attracted increasing attention for use in drinking water systems in China. However, the effects of UV treatment on microbial control and disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation in real municipal drinking water systems are poorly understood. Here, we collected water samples from three real drinking water systems in Beijing and Tianjin to investigate the impacts of UV treatment on microbial control and DBP formation. We employed heterotrophic plate count (HPC), flow cytometry (FCM), quantitative PCR analysis, and high-throughput sequencing to measure microorganisms in the samples. Different trends were observed between HPC and total cell count (measured by FCM), indicating that a single indicator could not reflect the real degree of biological re-growth in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs). A significant increase in the 16S rRNA gene concentration was observed when the UV system was stopped. Besides, the bacterial community composition was similar at the phylum level but differed markedly at the genera level among the three DWDSs. Some chlorine-resistant bacteria, including potential pathogens (e.g., Acinetobacter) showed a high relative abundance when the UV system was turned off. It can be concluded that UV treatment can mitigate microbial re-growth to some extent. Finally, UV treatment had a limited influence on the formation of DBPs, including trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and nitrogenated DBPs. The findings of this study may help to understand the performance of UV treatment in real drinking water systems.     

Carbon reduction potential and cost evaluation of different mitigation approaches in China's coal to olefin Industry

Coal-based olefin (CTO) industry as a complement of traditional petrochemical industry plays vital role in China's national economic development. However, high CO₂ emission in CTO industry is one of the fatal problems to hinder its development. In this work, the carbon emission and mitigation potentials by different reduction pathways are evaluated. The economic cost is analyzed and compared as well. According to the industry development plan, the carbon emissions from China's CTO industry will attain 189.43 million ton CO₂ (MtCO₂) and 314.11 MtCO₂ in 2020 and 2030, respectively. With the advanced technology level, the maximal carbon mitigation potential could be attained to 15.3% and 21.9% in 2020 and 2030. If the other optional mitigation ways are combined together, the carbon emission could further reduce to some extent. In general, the order of mitigation potential is followed as: feedstock alteration by natural gas > CO₂ hydrogenation with renewable electricity applied > CCS technology. The mitigation cost analysis indicates that on the basis of 2015 situation, the economic penalty for feedstock alteration is the lowest, ranged between 186 and 451 CNY/tCO₂, and the cost from CCS technology is ranged between 404 and 562 CNY/tCO₂, which is acceptable if the CO₂ enhanced oil recovery and carbon tax are considered. However, for the CO₂ hydrogenation technology, the cost is extremely high and there is almost no application possibility at present.     

Surface characterization of metal oxides-supported activated carbon fiber catalysts for simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide

The sol–gel method was used to synthesize a series of metal oxides-supported activated carbon fiber (ACF) and the simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis activity of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon disulfide (CS₂) at relatively low temperatures of 60°C was tested. The effects of preparation conditions on the catalyst properties were investigated, including the kinds and amount of metal oxides and calcination temperatures. The activity tests indicated that catalysts with 5 wt.% Ni after calcining at 400°C (Ni(5)/ACF(400)) had the best performance for the simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis of COS and CS₂. The surface and structure properties of prepared ACF were characterized by scanning electron microscope-energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), carbon dioxide-temperature programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD) and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared reflection (DRFTIR). And the metal cation defects were researched by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method. The characterization results showed that the supporting of Ni on the ACF made the ACF catalyst show alkaline and increased the specific surface area and the number of micropores, then improved catalytic hydrolysis activity. The DRFTIR results revealed that -OH species could facilitate the hydrolysis of COS and CS₂; -COO and -C–O species could facilitate the oxidation of catalytic hydrolysate H₂S. And the EPR results showed that high calcination temperature conditions provide more active reaction center for the COS and CS₂ adsorption.     

Linkage between water soluble organic matter and bacterial community in sediment from a shallow, eutrophic lake, Lake Chaohu, China

Lacustrine sediment played important roles in migration and transformation of its water soluble organic matter (WSOM), and the source and composition of WSOM would affect water trophic status and the fate of pollutants. However, we know little about the pathway of WSOM transformation and its driving bacterial communities in lacustrine sediment. In the present study, we investigated the spatial distribution patterns of sediment WSOM and its fluorescent fractions across Lake Chaohu using fluorescence spectroscopy, and explored WSOM compositional structure through our proposed calculated ratios. In addition, we also analyzed sediment bacterial community using Illumina sequencing technology, and probed the possible pathway of sediment WSOM transformation under the mediate of indigenous bacteria. Our results showed that the inflowing rivers affected the spatial distribution patterns of WSOM and its five fractions (including tyrosine-, tryptophan-, fulvic acid-, humic acid-like substances and soluble microbial productions), and sediment WSOM originated from fresh algae detritus or bacterial sources. In parallel, we also found that Proteobacteria (mainly γ-Proteobacteria and δ-Proteobacteria), Firmicutes (mainly Bacilli), Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes and Actinobacteria dominate sediment bacterial community. Furthermore, these dominant bacteria triggered sediment WSOM transformation, specifically, the humic acid-like substances could be converted into fulvic acid-like substances, and further degraded into aromatic protein-like and SMP substances. In addition, our proposed ratios (P-L:H-L, Ar-P:SMP and H-L ratio), as supplementary tool, were effective to reveal WSOM composition structure. These results figured out possible pathway of WSOM transformation, and revealed its microbial mechanism in lacustrine sediment.     

Estimation of Human Norovirus Infectivity from Environmental Water Samples by In Situ Capture RT-qPCR Method

Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are highly infectious viruses for which water is an important medium of transmission. In this study, we explored a new in situ capture RT-qPCR (ISC-RT-qPCR) methodology to estimate the infectivity of HuNoV in environmental water samples. This assay was based on capturing encapsidated HuNoV by viral receptors, followed by in situ amplification of the captured viral genomes by RT-qPCR. We demonstrated that the ISC-RT-qPCR did not capture and enable signal amplification of heat-denatured Tulane Virus (TV) and HuNoVs. We further demonstrated that the sensitivity of ISC-RT-qPCR was equal or better than that of conventional RT-qPCR procedures for the detection of HuNoV GI and GII. We then utilized the ISC-RT-qPCR to detect HuNoV in environmental water samples for comparison against that from a conventional RT-qPCR procedure. TV was used as a process control virus. While complete inhibition of TV genomic signal was observed in 27% of samples tested by RT-qPCR, no inhibition of TV genomic signal was observed by ISC-RT-qPCR. From 72 samples tested positive for HuNoV GI signal by RT-qPCR, only 20 (27.8%) of these samples tested positive by ISC-RT-qPCR, suggesting that 72.2% of RT-qPCR-positive samples were unlikely to be infectious. From 16 samples tested positive for HuNoV GII signal by RT-qPCR, only one of these samples tested positive by ISC-RT-qPCR. Five samples that had initially tested negative for HuNoV GII signal by RT-qPCR, was tested as positive by ISC-RT-qPCR. Overall, ISC-RT-qPCR method provided an alternative assay to estimate infectivity of HuNoV in environmental samples.     

京杭大运河(苏州段)内源磷形态分布及其对扰动的响应

以京杭大运河(苏州段)不同外源汇入断面的沉积物和上覆水为实验材料,研究了扰动条件下上覆水、沉积物中不同形态磷数量分布及形态转化过程.结果表明,污水厂尾水排放口处的沉积物内源磷更容易释放,且扰动期间上覆水中不同形态磷(TP、PP、DTP、DIP)均处于较高水平,明显高于风景区和居民区,此外,也归因于水丝蚓的生物扰动.但随着扰动次数的增加,上覆水中各形态磷含量呈降低趋势.扰动显著改变了上覆水中形态磷分布规律,DIP/DTP、DIP/TP及DIP/DTP比值呈降低趋势,并在第11 d以后趋于稳定,但在有水丝蚓扰动下,改变幅度变小.扰动导致沉积物中不同形态磷含量发生变化,NH_4Cl-P含量明显降低,Fe/Al-P明显增加,其中,污水厂尾水排放口沉积物中NH4Cl-P和Fe/Al-P的变化幅度最大.     

农村环境污染来源分析及监测研究——以杨庄村为例

农村环境污染源主体分散、隐蔽、排放随即、不确定,产生的污染物面广、量大、分散、成分杂、治理难度大。为科学合理地监测农村环境,首先对农村环境中如固体废物、环境空气、土壤、地表水、地下水及声环境污染的来源进行了分析;在此基础上根据污染源的类型、属性,针对性地提出了各种不同环境要素监测点位布设时需要考虑的问题;以西安市杨庄村为例开展土壤、环境空气、地下水饮用水监测,并对监测结果等进行分析评价。     

不同来源废水中TOC与COD相关性研究

对纺织染整、化工、制药、食品加工各行业生产废水及城镇污水厂处理设施出水中的TOC(自动仪器监测)与COD(实验室手工分析)测定值进行回归分析,并检验一元线性回归方程的显著性和有效性。结果表明,各行业生产废水中TOC与COD值均存在非常显著的相关性,且废水组成成分越单一稳定,其相关性越好,同行业废水中TOC与COD回归方程的斜率b较为接近。利用TOC自动在线监测值换算所得的COD值,准确性和稳定性高,能满足水质实时连续监测的需要。