On-going nitrification in chloraminated drinking water distribution system (DWDS) is conditioned by hydraulics and disinfection strategies

Within the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) using chloramine as disinfectant, nitrification caused by nitrifying bacteria is increasingly becoming a concern as it poses a great challenge for maintaining water quality. To investigate efficient control strategies, operational conditions including hydraulic regimes and disinfectant scenarios were controlled within a flow cell experimental facility. Two test phases were conducted to investigate the effects on the extent of nitrification of three flow rates (Q = 2, 6, and 10 L/min) and four disinfection scenarios (total Cl₂=1 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=3:1; total Cl₂=1 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=5:1; total Cl₂=5 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=3:1; and total Cl₂=5 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=5:1). Physico-chemical parameters and nitrification indicators were monitored during the tests. The characteristics of biofilm extracellular polymetric substance (EPS) were evaluated after the experiment. The main results from the study indicate that nitrification is affected by hydraulic conditions and the process tends to be severe when the fluid flow transforms from laminar to turbulent (2300<Re<4000). Increasing disinfectant concentration and optimizing Cl₂/NH₃-N mass ratio were found to inhibit nitrification to some extend when the system was running at turbulent condition (Q = 10 L/min, Re = 5535). EPS extracted from biofilm that was established at the flow rate of 6 L/min had greater carbohydrate/protein ratio. Furthermore, several nitrification indicators were evaluated for their prediction efficiency and the results suggest that the change of nitrite, together with total organic carbon (TOC) and turbidity can indicate nitrification potential efficiently.     

Coupling mechanism of activated carbon mixed with dust for flue gas desulfurization and denitrification

To clarify the effect of coking dust, sintering dust and fly ash on the activity of activated carbon for various industrial flue gas desulfurization and denitrification, the coupling mechanism of the mixed activated carbon and dust was investigated to provide theoretical reference for the stable operation. The results show that coking dust had 34% desulfurization efficiency and 10% denitrification efficiency; correspondingly, sintering dust and fly ash had no obvious desulfurization and denitrification activities. For the mixture of activated carbon and dust, the coking dust reduced the desulfurization and denitrification efficiencies by blocking the pores of activated carbon, and its inhibiting effect on activated carbon was larger than its own desulfurization and denitrification activity. The sintering dust also reduced the desulfurization efficiency on the activated carbon while enhancing the denitrification efficiency. Fly ash blocked the pores of activated carbon and reduced its reaction activity. The reaction activity of coking dust mainly came from the surface functional groups, similar to that of activated carbon. The reaction activity of sintering dust mainly came from the oxidative property of Fe₂O₃, which oxidized NO to NO₂ and promoted the fast selectively catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO to form N₂. Sintering dust was activated by the joint action of activated carbon, and both had a coupling function. Sintering dust enhanced the adsorption and oxidation of NO, and activated carbon further promoted the reduction of NO_x by NH₃; thus, the denitrification efficiency increased by 5%-7% on the activated carbon.     

Photodegradation of Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Trimer Acid under UV Irradiation

As a novel alternative to traditional perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), hexafluoroproplyene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) has been detected worldwide in surface water. Moreover, recent researches have demonstrated that HFPO-TA has stronger bioaccumulation potential and higher hepatotoxicity than PFOA. To treat these contaminants e.g. PFOA and PFOS, some photochemical techniques by adding exogenous substances had been reported. However, there is still no report for the behavior of HFPO-TA itself under direct UV irradiation. The current study investigated the photo-transformation of HFPO-TA under UV irradiation in aqueous solution. After 72 hr photoreaction, 75% degradation ratio and 25% defluorination ratio were achieved under ambient condition. Reducing active species, i.e., hydrated electrons and active hydrogen atoms, generated from water splitting played dominant roles in degradation of HFPO-TA, which was confirmed by different effects of reaction atmospheres and quenching experiments. A possible degradation pathway was proposed based on the products identification and theoretical calculations. In general, HFPO-TA would be transformed into shorter-chain PFASs, including hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), perfluoropropionic acid (PFA) and trifluoroacetate (TFA). This research provides basic information for HFPO-TA photodegradation process and is essential to develop novel remediation techniques for HFPO-TA and other alternatives with similar structures.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in benthos of the northern Bering Sea Shelf and Chukchi Sea Shelf

Eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in benthos collected onboard the ‘Snow Dragon’ in the Northern Bering Sea Shelf and Chukchi Sea Shelf during the 6^th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE 2014). Σ₁₈PAHs for all biota samples ranged from 34.2 to 128.1 ng/g dry weight (dw), with the highest concentration observed in fish muscle (Boreogadus saida) samples close to St. Lawrence Island. The PAH composition pattern was dominated by the presence of lighter 3 ring (57%) and 2 ring (28%) PAHs, indicating oil-related or petrogenic sources as important origins of PAH contamination. Concentrations of alkyl-PAHs (1-methylnaphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene) were lower than their parent PAH (naphthalene) in all biological tissue, and their percentage also decreased significantly (p<0.05) compared with those in the corresponding sediment. There were no significant relationships between PAH concentrations and trophic levels, which is possibly due to the combined results of the complex benthic foodweb in the subarctic/Arctic shelf region, as well as a low assimilation/effective metabolism for PAHs. According to toxic potency evaluation results from TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQs) and BaP-equivalent (BaPE) values, whelk (Neptunea heros) and starfish (Ctenodiscus crispatus) are two macroinvertebrate species showing relatively higher dioxin-like toxicity and carcinogenic risk.     

Particulate matter exchange between atmosphere and roads surfaces in urban areas

The deposition and the re-suspension of particulate matter (PM) in urban areas are the key processes that contribute not only to stormwater pollution, but also to air pollution. However, investigation of the deposition and the re-suspension of PM is challenging because of the difficulties in distinguishing between the resuspended and the deposited PM. This study created two Bayesian Networks (BN) models to explore the deposition and the re-suspension of PM as well as the important influential factors. The outcomes of BN modelling revealed that deposition and re-suspension of PM10 occurred under both, high-traffic and low-traffic conditions, and the re-suspension of PM2.5 occurred under low-traffic conditions. The deposition of PM10 under low-volume traffic condition is 1.6 times higher than under high-volume traffic condition, which is attributed to the decrease in PM10 caused by relatively higher turbulence under high-volume traffic conditions. PM10 is more easily resuspended from road surfaces compared to PM2.5 as the particles which larger than the thickness of the laminar airflow over the road surface are more easily removed from road surfaces. The increase in wind speed contributes to the increase in PM build-up by transporting particulates from roadside areas to the road surfaces and the airborne PM2.5 and PM10 increases with the increase in relative humidity. The study outcomes provide a step improvement in the understanding of the transfer processes of PM2.5 and PM10 between atmosphere and urban road surfaces, which in turn will contribute to the effective design of mitigation measures for urban stormwater and air pollution.     

Analytical methods and environmental processes of nanoplastics

The degradation of plastic debris may result in the generation of nanoplastics (NPs). Their high specific surface area for the sorption of organic pollutions and toxic heavy metals and possible transfer between organisms at different nutrient levels make the study of NPs an urgent priority. However, there is very limited understanding on the occurrence, distribution, abundant, and fate of NPs in the environment, partially due to the lack of suitable techniques for the separation and identification of NPs from complex environmental matrices. In this review, we first overviewed the state-of-the-art methods for the extraction, separation, identification and quantification of NPs in the environment. Some of them have been successfully applied for the field determination of NPs, while some are borrowed from the detection of microplastics or engineered nanomaterials. Then the possible fate and transport of NPs in the environment are thoroughly described. Although great efforts have been made during the recent years, large knowledge gaps still exist, such as the relatively high detection limit of existing method failing to detect ultralow masses of NPs in the environment, and spherical polystyrene NP models failing to represent the various compositions of NPs with different irregular shapes, which needs further investigation.     

某垃圾焚烧厂投产前后周边土壤二英类化合物的分布

为研究垃圾焚烧厂运行对周边土壤二英类化合物（PCDD/Fs）含量的影响,采集了珠三角地区某垃圾焚烧厂投产前和投产后周边土壤样品,分析研究了该垃圾焚烧厂运行对周边土壤中PCDD/Fs含量和组分的变化.结果表明:①2012年（投产前）珠三角地区某垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量较低,范围为163~591 ng/kg（毒性当量范围为0.198~0.863 ng I-TEQ/kg,I-TEQ为国际毒性当量因子折算的毒性当量值）;2017—2019年（投产后）周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量范围为151~1.75×103 ng/kg（毒性当量范围为0.812~3.88 ng I-TEQ/kg）,与其他研究相比处于较低的水平.②投产后,距该垃圾焚烧厂较近（1.5 km）的采样点（S1）土壤PCDD/Fs含量逐年增长,在较远（5.2 km）但人口较密集的采样点（S3）土壤PCDD/Fs含量整体较高,但呈逐年下降趋势.③投产后,土壤中的17种PCDD/Fs单体组分中,毒性当量贡献率最高的单体为八氯二苯并二英（OCDD）和2,3,4,7,8-五氯二苯并呋喃（2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF）,二者毒性当量贡献率范围为15.7%~45.4%.④在同一采样点土壤PCDD/Fs单体组分年间差异不明显,但同一年份不同采样点差异明显.研究显示,目前该垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量较低,但仍需要长期监测其可能带来的风险.      

武当山夏季颗粒物数浓度谱分布特征及气团来源影响研究

为研究大气边界层中上层大气颗粒物的数浓度谱分布特征及气团来源的影响,于2018年6月利用3080型SMPS粒径谱仪对武当山14.6~660 nm颗粒物数浓度谱进行观测,分析和探讨了其数浓度谱分布及日变化特征,并结合后向轨迹、潜在源贡献因子法（PSCF）与浓度权重轨迹分析法（CWT）探讨对武当山颗粒物数浓度影响较大的外源输送路径和贡献源区.结果表明:①武当山大气颗粒物主要以爱根模态为主,平均数浓度为2 500个/cm3,积聚模态、核膜态平均数浓度分别为2 265、359个/cm3,3种模态数浓度分别占总数浓度的48.79%、44.21%、7.01%.②在新粒子生成日,核膜态数浓度于10:00开始上升,11:00—17:00的核膜态数浓度相对较高,约2 000个/cm3.新粒子生成日ρ（SO₂）与ρ（O₃）的日变化趋势均与核模态数浓度较为相似,表明SO₂和O₃参与光化学反应后的产物（硫酸及有机物）有利于新粒子的生成与增长.新粒子生成日风速、温度均大于非新粒子生成日,但相对湿度较低.③在东部及局地气团影响下大气颗粒物主要以积聚模态为主,数浓度分别为2 311和2 596个/cm3;核模态、爱根模态数浓度在受西北气团影响时最大,数浓度分别为806和3 078个/cm3.④潜在源区分析表明,影响武当山积聚模态数浓度的主要源区为十堰市本地及襄阳市,二者贡献值在840个/cm3以上.研究显示,武当山颗粒物主要以爱根模态为主,颗粒物数浓度日变化主要受大气边界层发展及山谷风的影响,较高的ρ（SO₂）与ρ（O₃）以及高温、低湿及较大的风速均有利于新粒子的生成,周边城市的区域性传输对武当山颗粒物的影响较大.      

新冠肺炎疫情期间我国居民佩戴口罩防护行为研究

口罩作为阻隔病毒传染的物理方式之一,其能阻断病原体经飞沫传播,同时具有双向隔离保护作用.佩戴口罩对于公众防范新型冠状病毒（2019-nCoV）感染的风险和维持人体基本健康具有重要意义.为了解新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”）疫情期间我国居民佩戴口罩的行为模式特征,基于新冠肺炎疫情期间我国人群环境暴露行为模式调查,分析全国31个省（自治区、直辖市）居民在新冠肺炎疫情期间佩戴口罩的行为特征,并探讨不同潜在风险人群佩戴口罩行为模式的差异性.结果表明:①在新冠肺炎疫情期间,我国人群外出佩戴口罩的比例在99%以上,显著高于非疫情期间的口罩佩戴率（16.05%）,其中,医务人员以及与人群广泛接触群体的口罩佩戴率最高（100%）.②居民以仅佩戴医用外科口罩、仅佩戴一次性使用医用口罩以及佩戴医用外科口罩和一次性使用医用口罩3种模式为主,占31种口罩佩戴模式的60%以上.③新冠肺炎疫情期间,不同职业人群、不同所属人群以及不同疫情地区人群佩戴口罩的比例均存在显著差异.④新冠肺炎疫情期间,我国居民佩戴口罩的更换频次多为累计使用时长4 h更换一次和累计使用时长24 h更换一次.⑤人群外出佩戴口罩的比例随新冠肺炎疫情严重程度的升高而增加.尽管新冠肺炎疫情分布特征和管控措施存在差异,但居民佩戴口罩行为均表现良好,其中居住地不存在疑似病例的人群比居住地存在疑似病例的人群的口罩佩戴率更高,说明人群佩戴口罩行为与疫情的发展可能存在一定的相互作用.研究显示,新冠肺炎疫情期间我国人群佩戴口罩这一防护行为总体执行较好.      

2006-2017年四川盆地MODIS气溶胶光学厚度时空变化特征

四川盆地地形复杂、气候特殊,是我国颗粒物污染高发地.为探究四川盆地气溶胶分布和周期变化特征,深入认识气溶胶污染特性及其气候效应,结合卫星遥感探测方法,利用2006-2017年MODIS C006 3 km AOD（气溶胶光学厚度）产品,分析了四川盆地AOD的时空特征.结果表明:①MODIS AOD（MODIS数据反演的气溶胶光学厚度）与太阳光度计CE318观测的AOD、ρ（PM_2.5）、ρ（PM₁₀）线性相关系数分别为0.78、0.77、0.75,表明MODIS C006 3 km AOD产品适用于四川盆地颗粒物污染研究.②四川盆地AOD平均值范围为0.1~1.3,其中,成都平原和四川盆地东南部地区是AOD高值（AOD值>1.0）中心,四川盆地周边高海拔区AOD均小于0.3.③2006-2017年AOD年均值范围为0~2.5,整体呈"倒N型"曲线下降,其峰值和谷值分别出现在2013年和2017年;2013年AOD大于1.0的区域占四川盆地的34.1%,是12 a中颗粒物污染最重的一年;2017年AOD小于0.3的面积占57.1%.④AOD季节性变化呈春季最大、夏季次之、秋季最小的特征.⑤AOD月变化呈"双峰型"波动特征,AOD月均值范围为0~2.5,其中,2-5月AOD月均值均大于0.7,8月AOD月均值为0.6,11-12月AOD月均值均小于0.5.研究显示,四川盆地颗粒物污染防治应以成都平原城市群和四川省南部城市群为主,应重点控制细颗粒物排放,合理安排工业企业的周期性生产强度.