Anaerobic biodegradation of benzene series compounds by mixed cultures based on optional electronic acceptors

A series of batch experiments were performed using mixed bacterial consortia to investigate biodegradation performance of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and three xylene isomers （BTEX） under nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reducing conditions. The results showed that toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene and o-xylene could be degraded independently by the mixed cultures coupled to nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reduction. Under ferric iron reducing conditions the biodegradation of benzene and p-xylene could be occurred only in the presence of other alkylbenzenes. Alkylbenzenes can serve as the primary subs＇rates to stimulate the transformation of benzene and p-xylene under anaerobic conditions. Benzene and p-xylene are more toxic than toluene and ethylbenzene, under the three terminal electron acceptors conditions, the degradation rates decreased with toluene 〉 ethylbenzene 〉 m-xylene 〉 o-xylene〉 benzene 〉 p- xylene. Nitrate was a more favorable electron acceptor compared to sulfate and ferric iron. The ratio between sulfate consumed and the loss of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene was 4.44, 4.51, 4.42, 4.32, 4.37 and 4.23, respectively; the ratio between nitrate consumed and the loss of these substrates was 7.53, 6.24, 6.49, 7.28, 7.81, 7.61, respectively; the ratio between the consumption of ferric iron and the loss of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene was 17.99, 18.04, 18.07, 17.97, respectively.     

Pyrolysis and dehalogenation of plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE): A review

Plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) have been an important environmental problem because these plastics commonly contain toxic halogenated flame retardants which may cause serious environmental pollution, especially the formation of carcinogenic substances polybrominated dibenzo dioxins/furans (PBDD/Fs), during treat process of these plastics. Pyrolysis has been proposed as a viable processing route for recycling the organic compounds in WEEE plastics into fuels and chemical feedstock. However, dehalogenation procedures are also necessary during treat process, because the oils collected in single pyrolysis process may contain numerous halogenated organic compounds, which would detrimentally impact the reuse of these pyrolysis oils. Currently, dehalogenation has become a significant topic in recycling of WEEE plastics by pyrolysis. In order to fulfill the better resource utilization of the WEEE plastics, the compositions, characteristics and dehalogenation methods during the pyrolysis recycling process of WEEE plastics were reviewed in this paper. Dehalogenation and the decomposition or pyrolysis of WEEE plastics can be carried out simultaneously or successively. It could be ‘dehalogenating prior to pyrolysing plastics’, ‘performing dehalogenation and pyrolysis at the same time’ or ‘pyrolysing plastics first then upgrading pyrolysis oils’. The first strategy essentially is the two-stage pyrolysis with the release of halogen hydrides at low pyrolysis temperature region which is separate from the decomposition of polymer matrixes, thus obtaining halogenated free oil products. The second strategy is the most common method. Zeolite or other type of catalyst can be used in the pyrolysis process for removing organohalogens. The third strategy separate pyrolysis and dehalogenation of WEEE plastics, which can, to some degree, avoid the problem of oil value decline due to the use of catalyst, but obviously, this strategy may increase the cost of whole recycling process.     

Inducing pollution prevention adoption: effectiveness of the 33/50 voluntary environmental program

The Environmental Protection Agency has encouraged voluntary efforts at pollution prevention by facilities through participation in voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) such as the 33/50 program to reduce toxic releases. This paper examines the effectiveness of the 33/50 program in the adoption of pollution prevention practices and disentangles the effect of adoption from that of program participation on releases of 33/50 chemicals. Using facility-specific panel data and controlling for the endogeneity of program participation and pollution prevention adoption, we find that program participants were 38% more likely to adopt pollution prevention practices than non-participants. Program participants who adopted pollution prevention practices reduced their 33/50 releases by 52% compared to facilities that neither participated nor adopted pollution prevention. This indicates that VEPs that emphasize pollution prevention can play a complementary role in reducing toxic releases.     

A Comparison Study of Wheat Gluten Composites Filled with Dialdehyde Starch and Native Starch

Environmentally friendly green composites were prepared by blending Wheat gluten (WG) as matrix, dialdehyde starch (DAS) as filler and glycerol as plasticizer followed by compression molding of the mixture at 110 °C. The properties of the WG/DAS composite are compared with those of the WG/native wheat starch (NWS) composites. While tensile strength and strain at break decrease with increasing NWS content in the WG/NWS composites, a small content of DAS could improve tensile strength and strain at break simultaneously in the WG/DAS composites. The WG/DAS composites exhibit reduced moisture absorption in comparison with the WG/NEW composites. Formation of chemical bonding between DAS and WG is beneficial for the dispersion of DAS in the WG matrix and WG/DAS composites exhibit improved mechanical properties and reduced moisture absorption over the WG/NWS composites.     

江库连通条件下珠海市饮用水源水质分布特征及水资源调配措施

珠海市河流型和水库型饮用水源的补给来源均主要来自西江,其中水库型水源主要通过西江泵站调水的方式进行蓄水。利用聚类分析和判别分析对水源水质时空分布特征进行了分析,讨论水期变化和水源位置等因素对水源水质的影响,并通过水力停留时间计算和相关性分析,初步探讨了水资源调度及水力停留时间对水源水质的影响。结果表明：珠海市水源水质可分为西江上游河流型水源、西江下游河流型水源和水库型水源3类;水库型水源中的总磷、粪大肠菌群、硫化物、硝酸盐浓度低于河流型水源,其中,水库型水源、河流型水源中的总磷浓度分别为0.01~0.04、0.04~0.12 mg/L,硝酸盐浓度分别为0.006~1、0.100~2 mg/L;上游河流型水源受咸潮上溯影响较小,下游河流型水源枯水期硫酸盐及氯化物浓度显著上升,但丰水期水质与上游河流型水源差异较小。基于上述分析结果,提出水资源调配措施：1）通过延长水库水力停留时间,包括提高库容量较大水库利用率,调整水库与泵站的连通方式等,以发挥水库型水源营养盐自净功能。2）枯水期可发挥上游河流型水源咸潮抵御的功能优势,保障水源盐度达标,丰水期可发挥下游河流型水源供水成本较低的优势,加大其水源取水比例。3）优先选取总磷、硝酸盐浓度较低（如总磷浓度达到湖库型水源Ⅲ类标准限值）,且距离城区较近的泵站进行供水。通过上述措施的实施,提高水质因素在水资源调配中的作用,降低水资源调度对水源水质的冲击和水源水质超标风险。

     

砷污染农田的植物提取修复技术研究进展

由于粗放的矿物采冶方式,矿区大量的砷扩散到周边农田中,会导致农田土壤砷污染问题。部分地区的砷背景值高,部分地区在农业生产活动中使用含砷化肥、农药等,均会加剧农田砷污染问题。植物提取修复是一种利用超富集植物将土壤污染物吸收并转移到植物地上部,待植物成熟收割以整体移除污染物的方法。与其他砷污染农田土壤的修复技术相比,植物提取修复技术具有无二次污染的特点。该技术辅以合理的农艺措施,可使土壤砷污染减量,并实现边生产边修复的目标,应用潜力广泛。分析了砷污染土壤植物提取修复技术的原理与现状;重点探讨了近年来强化砷植物提取修复的方法,包括修复植物的种质创新、超富集植物与根际微生物联合作用和农艺措施优化等几个方面;最后展望了农田土壤砷污染修复技术的未来研究方向,以期为该技术的进一步发展提供参考。     

山羊粪污颗粒静态好氧堆肥过程的生物强化

对山羊粪便颗粒进行了理化表征,发现其外表致密内芯多孔的结构特点,且其总体C/N比为25.69~27.88,适合直接堆肥,提出采用生物接种破坏表层,强化堆肥进程的思路.研究结果表明,生物接种可以大大强化堆肥过程中的生化反应进程,缩短堆肥发酵周期.产物中N、P含量随着生物接种量的增加而增大.当以VT-1000菌剂按10 mL/kg干物质接种时,堆体温度在2 d内就达到50℃,在高温期50~60℃维持7 d以上,其堆肥腐熟后物料TN、TP分别增加0.70%和1.59%,其C/N<15,更趋于稳定化,且最终产物中粪大肠菌群数<3个/g,未检验出蛔虫卵,实现了无害化处理.     

两阶段固定化方法制备微囊藻球对Ni2+的去除效果

采用硼酸-硼砂两阶段固定化方法制备PVA-SA复合微囊藻球,综合考察了硼酸(H3BO4)、氯化钙(CaCl2)、硼砂(Na2B4O3·10H2O)、聚乙烯醇(PVA)和海藻酸钠(SA)等因素对藻球性能、固定化过程中PVA泄露及Ni2+去除效果等的影响。结果表明,在以上各因素水平分别为3.5%、2.0%、3.0%、9%和1%时,成球效果、藻球性能较好,固化过程中PVA泄露量较小,Ni2+去除效率较高。两阶段固定化方法可以成功解决PVA-SA包埋固定化技术存在的水溶胀性问题,为其实际运用提供了可能性。     

非平衡等离子体诱导催化剂吸附单质汞

采用非平衡等离子体诱导γ-Al2O3催化剂吸附单质汞,分析了等离子体与催化剂之间的相互作用。结果表明,在放电区域填充催化剂和在气流中加入单质汞均可降低放电的起始放电电压,这是因为放电区域填充催化剂使气体空间放电转变成表面的微放电。催化剂表面可以被等离子放电直接活化,使本身不能吸附单质汞的催化剂产生很强的吸附单质汞的能力。在放电能量密度约为19 J·L-1时,等离子体诱导催化剂吸附单质汞的效率可达94.1%。O2对等离子体诱导催化剂吸附Hg0有促进作用,随着O2浓度的提高,吸附效率随之提高。当气流中含有5% O2时,单质汞的吸附效率可达到98.5%,这是因为气流中存在O2时,经放电生成的等离子体中含有活性氧物种O3和O等,这些活性物质因具有氧化单质汞的能力而增强了单质汞的吸附。此外,催化剂表面O3的分解过程也是强化单质汞的吸附的原因。