Drought-tolerant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptomyces pactum</Emphasis> Act12 assist phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated soil by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amaranthus hypochondriacus</Emphasis>: great potential application in arid/semi-arid areas

Microbe-assisted phytoremediation provides an effective approach to clean up heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, severe drought may affect the function of microbes in arid/semi-arid areas. Streptomyces pactum Act12 is a drought-tolerant soil actinomycete strain isolated from an extreme environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. In this study, pot experiments were conducted to assess the effect of Act12 on Cd tolerance, uptake, and accumulation in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) under water deficit. Inoculated plants had higher Cd concentrations (root 8.7–33.9 %; shoot 53.2–102.1 %) and uptake (root 19.9–95.3 %; shoot 110.6–170.1 %) than non-inoculated controls in Cd-treated soil. The translocation factor of Cd from roots to shoots was increased by 14.2–75 % in inoculated plants, while the bioconcentration factor of Cd in roots and shoots was increased by 10.2–64.4 and 53.9–114.8 %, respectively. Moreover, inoculation with Act12 increased plant height, root length, and shoot biomass of amaranth in Cd-treated soil compared to non-inoculated controls. Physiochemical analysis revealed that Act12 enhanced Cd tolerance in the plants by increasing glutathione, elevating superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, as well as reducing malondialdehyde content in the leaves. The drought-tolerant actinomycete strain Act12 can enhance the phytoremediation efficiency of amaranth for Cd-contaminated soils under water deficit, exhibiting potential for application in arid and semi-arid areas.     

Combination of biochar amendment and phytoremediation for hydrocarbon removal in petroleum-contaminated soil

Remediation of soils contaminated with petroleum is a challenging task. Four different bioremediation strategies, including natural attenuation, biochar amendment, phytoremediation with ryegrass, and a combination of biochar and ryegrass, were investigated with greenhouse pot experiments over a 90-day period. The results showed that planting ryegrass in soil can significantly improve the removal rate of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and the number of microorganisms. Within TPHs, the removal rate of total n-alkanes (45.83 %) was higher than that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (30.34 %). The amendment of biochar did not result in significant improvement of TPH removal. In contrast, it showed a clear negative impact on the growth of ryegrass and the removal of TPHs by ryegrass. The removal rate of TPHs was significantly lower after the amendment of biochar. The results indicated that planting ryegrass is an effective remediation strategy, while the amendment of biochar may not be suitable for the phytoremediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.     

Air toxics in Canada measured by the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program and their relation to ambient air quality guidelines

This study reports ambient concentrations of 63 air toxics that were measured in Canada by the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program over the period 2009–2013. Measured concentrations are compared with ambient air quality guidelines from Canadian jurisdictions, and compounds that exceeded guidelines are identified and discussed. Although this study does not assess risk or cumulative effects, air toxics that approached guidelines are also identified so that their potential contribution to ambient air toxics pollution can be considered. Eleven air toxics exceeded at least one guideline, and an additional 16 approached guidelines during the study period. Four compounds were measured using methods whose detection limits exceeded a guideline value, three of which could not be compared with guidelines, since they were not detected in any samples. The assessment of several metal(loid) concentrations is tentative, since they were measured only in fine particulate matter (PM) but compared with guidelines based on coarse or total PM. Improvements to sampling and analysis techniques for the latter compounds as well as for those whose methods are subject to known uncertainties would improve confidence in reported concentrations and their relation to applicable guidelines. Analysis of sampling strategies for all compounds found to exceed or approach guidelines would contribute to ensuring that their spatiotemporal coverage is adequate. Examination of the air toxics not measured by NAPS but having guidelines in Canadian jurisdictions or being included in other programs such as the U.S. National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) would contribute to ensuring that the full suite of pollutants relevant to ambient air quality in Canada is subject to adequate study. The results of this study can be applied to evaluating the effectiveness of toxic substances management in Canada.

Implications: Recent measurements of 63 air toxics in Canada by the National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program showed that 11 compounds exceeded daily or annual ambient air quality guidelines and that an additional 16 compounds approached such guidelines within an order of magnitude. The results of this study can be applied to evaluating the effectiveness of toxic substances management in Canada and to identifying compounds that merit further investigation.     

基于多元统计分析的渭河西咸段水质评价

基于2012年旱季和雨季的水质监测数据,采用主成分分析(PCA)和绝对主成分多元线性回归分析(APCS-MLR)方法对渭河西咸段水体的污染特征进行了综合评价。结果表明,2012年渭河西咸段水体主要以有机污染和富营养化污染为主,同时存在一定的As污染。总体上,研究水体旱季比雨季污染严重,旱季和雨季提取的主成分及大部分断面综合排名不同,说明降雨对水质产生一定的影响。渭河西咸段水体在皂河入渭之前的上游污染相对较轻,污染贡献以干流排污为主;对应的下游水质较差,皂河是其最大的污染源。     

应用地累积指数评价鞍山市夏季PM2.5中元素的污染

2014年夏季在鞍山市的6个站点进行了PM2.5的样品采集,对其载带的15种元素进行了检测。通过地累积指数、相关分析和聚类分析等方法分析了鞍山市夏季PM2.5中15种元素的污染来源。结果表明:Ca、Zn、Pb、Ni和Cd这5种元素的质量分数在各站点之间存在较大的差异;地累积指数结果显示,Cd为极强污染程度,可能的来源是钢铁冶炼和刹车及轮胎磨损,Pb和Zn污染程度在强污染以上,Pb可能的主要人为来源是钢铁冶炼和窖炉煤的燃烧,Zn可能主要来自钢铁冶炼和机动车,Cu、Ni、Cr和Ca中到强污染以下;聚类分析将中度污染及以上元素分为Zn-Cd-Pb,Ni-Cu-Cr和Ca 3类,分别指示钢铁冶炼、机动车尾气及刹车、轮胎磨损,建筑尘;相关性分析显示,Cr与Ni、Cu可能来自同一污染源,Zn、Cd和Pb可能来自同一种源。     

电絮凝-超滤除氟工艺参数优化研究

电絮凝-超滤(electrocoagulation-ultrafiltration,EC-UF)工艺在饮用水除氟方面具有良好的应用前景。研究了EC-UF除氟效果和膜污染过程,考察了电流密度、水力停留时间、初始pH、初始氟浓度对除氟效果和膜污染的影响。结果表明,在连续流下EC-UF工艺除氟效果良好,在电流密度30 A/m2、水力停留时间20 min、初始pH在6.0~7.0的最佳工艺条件下,氟的去除率达到80%以上。膜污染主要是由电解过程产生的铝絮凝剂与氟离子形成的颗粒物质导致。上述结果为EC-UF除氟工艺改进提供了参考和依据。     

酸碱改性对活性焦烧结烟气脱硫性能的影响

选取一定目数范围的活性焦,用3种酸(HCl、H2SO4和HNO3)、3种碱(KOH、NaOH和NH3·H2O)和酸碱两步(HNO3和KOH)对其进行改性处理,对比这几种方法改性的活性焦对烧结烟气的脱硫性能,实验结果表明,20~40目范围的活性焦脱硫性能最好;HCl改性活性焦的脱硫性能基本无变化,HNO3改性后有促进作用但作用不大,H2SO4改性反而降低了活性焦的脱硫活性;KOH和NaOH溶液改性活性焦对其脱硫性能有很大的提升作用,其中KOH改性效果更好,NH3·H2O改性基本无影响;先KOH后HNO3两步改性的活性焦效果最佳,并且能维持一定时间100%的脱硫效率。     

同步进出水SBR设备最佳进水方式流态模拟

借助流体计算软件Fluent对某同步进出水SBR设备4种不同进水位置以及3种进水孔排布分别进行流态模拟,根据模拟结果得到最佳的进水方式;同时在该进水方式下对进水流量为0.5、0.7、1.0、1.3和1.5 m3/h时反应器内的流态分布情况进行了数值模拟,最后通过示踪剂实验与模拟结果对比验证。对于实验用SBR(长×宽×高为2 m×2 m×1.2 m),进水流量1.0 m3/h是最佳进水流量,此时反应器内流态稳定,进水区域主要分布于反应器中下部以及远离堰口的池壁附近,死水区面积较小,冲击负荷适中,进水对出水水质影响较小;当进水流量小于1.0 m3/h时,进水主要分布于反应器池底,对角线方向以及远离进水端池壁附近3个区域且彼此相对独立,池内死水区面积较大;当进水流量大于1.0 m3/h时,进水冲击负荷过大,迅速形成短流,影响出水水质。