Multifunctional rural transition along China’s Yangtze River Transect: Spatial differentiation and economic relevance

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To understand rural sustainability, it is necessary to scrutinize the relationship between rural transition and economic growth. The article uses...     

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...     

Mercury uptake by Paspalum distichum L. in relation to the mercury distribution pattern in rhizosphere soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Paspalum distichum L. was tested to evaluate their phytoremediation capacity for Hg contaminated soil through analyzing the dissipation of Hg in soil...     

Complexity of the relationship between 2D/3D urban morphology and the land surface temperature: a multiscale perspective

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Urban morphology is a crucial contributor to urban heat island (UHI) effects. However, few studies have explored the complex effect of 2D/3D urban...     

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...     

How air pollution lowers the domestic value-added ratio in exports: an empirical study of China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This paper analyzes the theoretical mechanism and transmission channel for the impact of air pollution on firms’ domestic value-added ratio...     

The trade-off between economic growth and environmental quality: does economic freedom asymmetric matter for Pakistan?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This empirical study investigates the dynamic effects of economic freedom on economic growth and air quality for Pakistan over the period...     

硫酸盐和Fe(Ⅱ)EDTA-NO/Fe(Ⅲ)EDTA厌氧还原过程特性及微生物群落分析

在生物法烟气脱硫技术(Bio-FGD)和络合吸收生物还原脱硝技术(BioDeNO_x)基础上,提出了生物结合络合吸收同步脱硫脱硝的工艺思路,该工艺利用加入Fe(Ⅱ)EDTA的碱性吸收液同时吸收烟气中的二氧化硫(SO_2)和一氧化氮(NO).本研究在厌氧反应器中实现烟气脱硫脱硝吸收产物硫酸盐和Fe(Ⅱ)EDTA-NO/Fe(Ⅲ)EDTA的同步去除.结果表明,水力停留时间为16 h,p H维持在7.0时,硫酸盐的平均去除率为95.16%,Fe(Ⅱ)EDTA-NO的平均去除率为96.61%.硫酸盐的还原产物主要以液相中硫离子和气相中硫化氢的形式存在,Fe(Ⅱ)EDTA-NO的最终还原产物为N2.反应运行的各个阶段均可实现Fe(Ⅲ)EDTA的还原,但还原率会随HRT降低而下降.第5阶段反应器中主要的硫酸盐还原菌为Desulfomicrobium,同时存在异养反硝化菌Pseudomonas与两种硫自养反硝化菌Sulfurimonas与Sulfurovum,并发现了两种具有还原单质硫功能的菌属Thermovirga与Mesotoga.     

Shifts in microbial community structure and diversity in a MBR combined with worm reactors treating synthetic wastewater

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH₃-N removal, membrane fouling, sludge characteristics and microbial community structure in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) coupled with worm reactors (SSBWR) were evaluated for 210 days. The obtained results were compared to those from a conventional MBR (C-MBR) operated in parallel. The results indicated that the combined MBR (S-MBR) achieved higher COD and NH₃-N removal efficiency, slower increase in membrane fouling, better sludge settleability and higher activities of the related enzymes in the activated sludge. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the microbial community structures in the C-MBR and the S-MBR. The microbial community structure in the S-MBR was more diverse than that in the C-MBR. Additionally, the slow-growing microbes such as Saprospiraceae, Actinomyces, Frankia, Clostridium, Comamonas, Pseudomonas, Dechloromonas and Flavobacterium were enriched in the S-MBR, further accounting for the sludge reduction, membrane fouling alleviation and wastewater treatment.     

Effect of oxide nanoparticles on the morphology and fluidity of phospholipid membranes and the role of hydrogen bonds

Engineered oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are widely applied in insulators, catalyzers, paints, cosmetic products, textiles and semiconductors. Their attachment on cell membrane may lead to cytotoxicity. The effects of Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, SiO₂, TiO₂ and ZnO NPs on membrane integrity and fluidity were studied using giant or small unilamellar vesicles in this study. Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ NPs disrupted the oppositely charged membrane, indicating the important role of electrostatic attraction. However, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂ and ZnO NPs did not cause serious membrane disruption as Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ NPs. Membrane fluidity was evaluated by the generalized polarity (GP) values of Laurdan fluorescent emission. SiO₂ NPs induce the membrane gelation of both positively and negatively charged membrane. Al₂O₃ and ZnO NPs induced the gelation of the oppositely charged membrane, but did not cause obvious membrane gelation to the like charged membrane. The phospholipid molecular structural changes after NP exposure were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. FT-IR spectra revealed the hydrogen bond formation between NPs and the carbonyl/phosphate groups of phospholipids. Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ NPs showed strongest evidence of hydrogen bonding on their FT-IR spectra. It was consistent with the microscopic observation and fluorescent data that Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ NPs caused more serious membrane disruption and gelation. This study on membrane damage provides further knowledge on the cytotoxicity of nanomaterials and the safety of NP application.