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.     

Parental phenols exposure and spontaneous abortion in Chinese population residing in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

Widespread use of phenols has led to ubiquitous exposure to phenols. In experimental animals, phenols increased resorptions, reduced live litter size and fetal body weights. However, there are limited epidemiological evidences of the relationships between exposure to phenols and pregnancy outcomes. We evaluated the associations between parental urinary levels of various phenols and spontaneous abortion in a Chinese population residing in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. A case-control study was conducted that included 70 case couples with medically unexplained spontaneous abortion and 180 control couples who did not have a history of spontaneous abortion and had at least one living child. Both parental urinary phenols were measured by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry including bisphenol A (BPA), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), 2,3,4-trichlorophenol (2,3,4-TCP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), 4-n-octylphenol (4-n-OP) and 4-n-nonylphenol (4-n-NP). Compared with the low exposure group, there was an increased risk of spontaneous abortion with high paternal urinary PCP concentration [odds ratio (OR) = 2.09, 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.05–4.14], and maternal exposure to 4-n-OP and alkylphenol(s) also significantly increased the risk of spontaneous abortion (OR = 2.21, 95% CI, 1.02–4.80; OR = 2.81, 95% CI, 1.39–5.65, respectively). Our study firstly provides the evidence that paternal PCP exposure, maternal 4-n-OP and alkylphenol(s) exposure are associated with spontaneous abortion in humans.     

Removal of sulfamethoxazole and sulfapyridine by carbon nanotubes in fixed-bed columns

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfapyridine (SPY), two representative sulfonamide antibiotics, have gained increasing attention because of the ecological risks these substances pose to plants, animals, and humans. This work systematically investigated the removal of SMX and SPY by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in fixed-bed columns under a broad range of conditions including: CNT incorporation method, solution pH, bed depth, adsorbent dosage, adsorbate initial concentration, and flow rate. Fixed-bed experiments showed that pH is a key factor that affects the adsorption capacity of antibiotics to CNTs. The Bed Depth Service Time model describes well the relationship between service time and bed depth and can be used to design appropriate column parameters. During fixed-bed regeneration, small amounts of SMX (3%) and SPY (9%) were irreversibly bonded to the CNT/sand porous media, thus reducing the column capacity for subsequent reuse from 67.9 to 50.4 mg g^?1 for SMX and from 91.9 to 72.9 mg g^?1 for SPY. The reduced column capacity resulted from the decrease in available adsorption sites and resulting repulsion (i.e., blocking) of incoming antibiotics from those previously adsorbed. Findings from this study demonstrate that fixed-bed columns packed with CNTs can be efficiently used and regenerated to remove antibiotics from water.     

Effect of chlorination and ultraviolet disinfection on tetA-mediated tetracycline resistance of Escherichia coli

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an emerging threat to public health during drinking water consumption and reclaimed water reuse. Several studies have shown that the proportions of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in waters may increase when exposed to low doses of UV light or chlorine. In this study, inactivation of tetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli and antibiotic-sensitive E. coli by UV disinfection and chlorination was compared to determine the tolerance of tetracycline-resistant E. coli to UV light and chlorine, and tetracycline resistance of a tetracycline-resistant E. coli population was studied under different doses of the disinfectants. Our results showed that relative to antibiotic-sensitive E. coli, tetracycline-resistant E. coli had the same tolerance to UV light and a potentially higher tolerance to chlorination. The mortality frequency distributions of tetracycline-resistant E. coli exposed to tetracycline were shifted by both chlorination and UV disinfection. When compared to the hemi-inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of tetracycline-resistant E. coli with no exposure to UV or chlorination, the IC₅₀ of tetracycline-resistant E. coli treated with tetracycline was 40% lower when inactivation by UV light or chlorination reached 3-log but was 1.18 times greater when inactivation by chlorination reached 4.3-log. Chlorination applied to drinking water or reclaimed water treatment may increase the risk of selection for highly tetracycline-resistant E. coli.     

基于核心企业视角的虚拟生态工业园构建分析

虚拟生态工业园(VEIP)是一种基于循环经济的新型的大循环生态工业组织形式,是对实体生态工业园的补充和扩展.而核心企业作为VEIP的组建者,是整个园区日常运营的信息指挥中枢,对VEIP的成功运营至关重要.分析了核心企业的内涵和应具备的特质,然后从核心企业的视角出发,给出了核心企业构建VEIP的一般流程,并阐述了核心企业在VEIP构建过程中的主要职能.     

基于BP人工神经网络的城市PM2.5浓度空间预测

针对PM2.5日均质量浓度,采用BP人工神经网络模型,预测研究区空气中PM2.5浓度的空间变异,通过与普通克里格(Ordinary Kriging)插值方法对比验证BP人工神经网络预测模型的精度.结果表明:BP人工神经网络预测模型下研究区检验样本点位置的PM2.5仿真浓度与观测浓度之间的均方差、平均绝对误差、平均相对偏差和相关系数分别为0.296 μg2/m6、0.412 μg/m3、1.650％和0.851;而与此同时,普通克里格插值方法下的对应结果分别为1.041 μg2/m6、0.689 μg/m3、11.910％、0.638.研究成果在肯定BP人工神经网络预测模型可用于揭示PM2.5浓度空间变异特征的同时,也证实了其相对于普通克里格插值方法在固定空间点位准确预测PM2.5浓度方面的优势.     

灵芝漆酶对直接蓝86的催化脱色性能

利用灵芝菌Ganoderma lucidum U-281漆酶对直接蓝86进行酶促氧化脱色,并对其降解机理进行了探讨。结果表明,染料-漆酶共反应体系在20～50℃及pH小于5.0范围内,直接蓝86均可脱色50%以上;漆酶对直接蓝86具有宽泛的浓度适应性,对300 mg/L的该染料仍具有耐受性。最优脱色工艺参数为温度40℃、pH 5.0、染料初始浓度200 mg/L、漆酶用量1 U/mL。在优化条件下,直接蓝863 h的脱色率达到54.54%,48 h脱色率达到91.54%。紫外-可见吸收光谱分析表明,漆酶的酶促氧化导致染料的分子结构产生了变化,是造成直接蓝86脱色的主要发生机制。     

高气速间歇式生物过滤去除高负荷H2S

采用生物过滤法,以鸡粪堆肥和PE混合物为填料,在高气速条件下间歇式处理高负荷H2S废气。空床停留时间为20、15、10、6.7和5 s时,入口浓度3 000 mg/m3下的平均去除率分别为100%、100%、96.5%、89.2%和90.5%。高气速EBRT为5 s时,高入口负荷2 147 g/(m3.h)时的去除负荷为2 023 g/(m3.h),去除率达94%。采用Michaelis-Ment-en模型进行生物降解宏观动力学研究,其中Ks为550 mg/m3,Vm为6.8×104g/(m3.d)。结果表明,在实验温度17～24℃,湿度30%～50%下,生物过滤法间歇式处理高气速高负荷H2S的去除性能好。     

厌氧活性污泥处理废水中的U(Ⅵ)

用人工驯养的厌氧污泥进行除铀实验,探讨了微生物投加量(VSS)、pH值、U(Ⅵ)初始浓度、外加电子供体和污泥重复利用等对污泥处理U(Ⅵ)的影响,并进行了相关机理分析。实验结果表明,在适当的pH范围内(5.2～6.6),厌氧污泥对铀保持较长时间的高效去除率;当以还原铁粉和无水乙醇作电子供体时,U(Ⅵ)去除率保持在95%以上的时间为未加电子供体时的2倍。U(Ⅵ)去除速度与VSS投加量成正比关系,U(Ⅵ)初始浓度对去除效果的影响不大,厌氧污泥可以长期使用。pH值的影响最关键,其次是外加电子供体。厌氧污泥除U(Ⅵ)机理为氧化还原和吸附的共同作用。     

响应面法优化聚丙烯酸/腐殖酸/累托石吸附剂的制备条件

以累托石、丙烯酸及腐殖酸为原料制备出能同时吸附重金属和多环芳烃的吸附剂聚丙烯酸/腐殖酸/累托石,采用响应面试验设计法优化吸附剂的制备条件。利用Design Expert软件,建立了预测吸附剂对Cd2+、菲吸附量的二次回归模型,对回归模型进行了方差分析,并确定了吸附剂的最佳制备条件。结果表明,二次回归模型能较好地模拟Cd2+、菲的吸附量与影响因子丙烯酸中和度、引发剂量和交联剂量之间的关系。各因子对Cd2+吸附量的影响次序为:交联剂量>引发剂量>丙烯酸中和度;对菲吸附量的影响次序为引发剂量>交联剂量>丙烯酸中和度。吸附剂的最佳制备条件为:累托石、丙烯酸和腐殖酸三者的质量比为65∶30∶5,丙烯酸中和度、引发剂量和交联剂量分别为75.16%、2.57%和0.44%。在此优化条件下制备的吸附剂对Cd2+和菲的吸附量分别为170.19 mg/g和7.36 mg/g。