Desorption of CO2, SO2, and NH3 in the vacuum evaporation of desulfurization wastewater

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Mechanical vapor compression and multi-effect evaporation have been widely used in achieving zero discharge of desulfurization wastewater as they are...     

Combined toxic impacts of thiamethoxam and four pesticides on the rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus)

To examine pesticide mixture toxicity to aqueous organisms, we assessed the single and combined toxicities of thiamethoxam and other four pesticides (chlorpyrifos, beta-cypermethrin, tetraconazole, and azoxystrobin) to the rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus). Data from 96-h semi-static toxicity assays of various developmental phases (embryonic, larval, juvenile, and adult phases) showed that beta-cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, and azoxystrobin had the highest toxicities to G. rarus, and their LC₅₀ values ranged from 0.0031 to 0.86 mg a.i. L^?1, from 0.016 to 6.38 mg a.i. L^?1, and from 0.39 to 1.08 mg a.i. L^?1, respectively. Tetraconazole displayed a comparatively high toxicity, and its LC₅₀ values ranged from 3.48 to 16.73 mg a.i. L^?1. By contrast, thiamethoxam exhibited the lowest toxic effect with LC₅₀ values ranging from 37.85 to 351.9 mg a.i. L^?1. Rare minnow larvae were more sensitive than embryos to all the pesticides tested. Our data showed that a pesticide mixture of thiamethoxam–tetraconazole elicited synergetic toxicity to G. rarus. Moreover, pesticide mixtures containing beta-cypermethrin in combination with chlorpyrifos or tetraconazole also had synergetic toxicities to fish. The majority of pesticides are presumed to have additive toxicity, while our data emphasized that the concurrent existence of some chemicals in the aqueous circumstance could cause synergetic toxic effect, leading to severe loss to the aqueous environments in comparison with their single toxicities. Thence, the synergetic impacts of chemical mixtures should be considered when assessing the ecological risk of chemicals.

     

Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs): a new cause for concern?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the increasingly serious pollution of plastics, biodegradable plastics (BDPs) have attracted attention as a new material that can replace...     

Effect of straw retention on carbon footprint under different cropping sequences in Northeast China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Inappropriate farm management practices can lead to increased agricultural inputs and changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, impacting...     

美国市政污水处理排放标准制定对中国的启示

在概述美国市政污水处理排放标准制度体系的基础上,介绍了其制定基于技术的排放限值和基于水质的排放限值的方法,阐述了其制定的科学性,并指出了中国市政污水处理排放标准中存在的相应问题。最后,根据美国制定排放标准限值的经验,对我国污水处理排放标准进行了思考,并提出了科学制定排放标准的方法和建议。     

Effects of Cu2+ and humic acids on degradation and fate of TBBPA in pure culture of Pseudomonas sp. strain CDT

Soil contamination with tetrabromobisphenol A(TBBPA) has caused great concerns;however, the presence of heavy metals and soil organic matter on the biodegradation of TBBPA is still unclear. We isolated Pseudomonas sp. strain CDT, a TBBPA-degrading bacterium, from activated sludge and incubated it with ~(14)C-labeled TBBPA for 87 days in the absence and presence of Cu~(2+)and humic acids(HA). TBBPA was degraded to organic-solvent extractable(59.4% ± 2.2%) and non-extractable(25.1% ± 1.3%) metabolites,mineralized to CO_2(4.8% ± 0.8%), and assimilated into cells(10.6% ± 0.9%) at the end of incubation. When Cu~(2+)was present, the transformation of extractable metabolites into non-extractable metabolites and mineralization were inhibited, possibly due to the toxicity of Cu~(2+)to cells. HA significantly inhibited both dissipation and mineralization of TBBPA and altered the fate of TBBPA in the culture by formation of HA-bound residues that amounted to 22.1% ± 3.7% of the transformed TBBPA. The inhibition from HA was attributed to adsorption of TBBPA and formation of bound residues with HA via reaction of reactive metabolites with HA molecules, which decreased bioavailability of TBBPA and metabolites in the culture. When Cu~(2+)and HA were both present, Cu~(2+)significantly promoted the HA inhibition on TBBPA dissipation but not on metabolite degradation. The results provide insights into individual and interactive effects of Cu~(2+)and soil organic matter on the biotransformation of TBBPA and indicate that soil organic matter plays an essential role in determining the fate of organic pollutants in soil and mitigating heavy metal toxicity.     

Bioavailability of wastewater derived dissolved organic nitrogen to green microalgae Selenastrum capricornutum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Chlorella vulgaris with/without presence of bacteria

Effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is problematic in nutrient sensitive surface waters and needs to be reduced to meet demanding total dissolved nitrogen discharge limits. Bioavailable DON (ABDON) is a portion of DON utilized by algae or algae + bacteria,while biodegradable DON (BDON) is a portion of DON decomposable by bacteria. ABDON and BDON in a two-stage trickling filter (TF) wastewater treatment plant was evaluated using three different microalgal species, Selenastrum capricornutum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris and mixed cultured bacteria. Results showed that up to 80% of DON was bioavailable to algae or algae + bacteria inoculum while up to 60% of DON was biodegradable in all the samples. Results showed that C. reinhardtii and C. vulgaris can be used as a test species the same as S. capricornutum since there were no significant differences among these three algae species based on their ability to remove nitrogen species.     

Quantifying public health benefits of environmental strategy of PM2.5 air quality management in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, China

In 2013,China issued "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan(Action Plan)" to improve air quality.To assess the benefits of this program in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH)region,where the density of population and emissions vary greatly,we simulated the air quality benefit based on Ben MAP to satisfy the Action Plan.In this study,we estimate PM_(2.5) concentration using Voronoi spatial interpolation method on a grid with a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km~2.Combined with the exposure-response function between PM_(2.5) concentration and health endpoints,health effects of PM_(2.5) exposure are analyzed.The economic loss is assessed by using the willingness to pay(WTP) method and human capital(HC) method.When the PM_(2.5) concentration falls by 25% in BTH and reached 60 μg/m~3 in Beijing,the avoiding deaths will be in the range of 3175 to 14051 based on different functions each year.Of the estimated mortality attributable to all causes,3117 annual deaths were due to lung cancer,1924 – 6318 annual deaths were due to cardiovascular,and343 – 1697 annual deaths were due to respiratory.Based on WTP,the estimated monetary values for the avoided cases of all cause mortality,cardiovascular mortality,respiratory mortality and lung cancer ranged from 1110 to 29632,673 to 13325,120 to 3579,1091 to 6574 million yuan,respectively.Based on HC,the corresponding values for the avoided cases of these four mortalities were 267 to 1178,161 to 529,29 to 143 and 261 million yuan,respectively.     

闲置厌氧氨氧化微生物的启动及微生物分析

文章以闲置12个月的厌氧氨氧化生物膜填料重新启动厌氧氨氧化反应器,并对反应器的活性恢复情况、脱氮效果和微生物菌群结构开展研究。实验结果表明:在启动的200 d逐渐将进水氨氮、亚硝态氮浓度从50 mg/L提高到70 mg/L,水力停留时间从12 h缩短到4 h,后期氨氮去除率达80%以上,亚硝酸盐去除率达95%。170~200 d的稳定期中,平均去除负荷0.71±0.15 kg/(m~3·d)。另外,通过高通量测序技术对反应器中微生物群落变化情况进行了系统分析。启动过程中填料中污泥微生物浮霉菌门Planctomyctes的相对丰度从13.7%增长到了36.0%,成为优势菌群。     

数显型电热板加热法在河流高锰酸盐指数应急监测中的应用研究

高锰酸盐指数常被作为地表水体受有机污染物和还原性无机物质污染程度的综合指标.采用数显型电热板加热法测定水中高锰酸盐指数,通过实验确定了加热时间和加热温度.并分别采用水浴法和电热板加热法对应急样品进行了高锰酸盐指数的测定,两种测定方法的比对研究结果表明,应急监测时采用数显型电热板加热法测定耗时更短,检测结果与国标法测定没有显著差异,是可行且有效的应急监测替代方法.