Preparation and coagulation efficiency of polyaluminium ferric silicate chloride composite coagulant from wastewater of high-purity graphite production

The aim of the present work was to produce a polyaluminium ferric silicate chloride (PAFSiC) coagulant from acidic and alkaline wastewater of purifying graphite by roasting, and subsequently to evaluate coagulation efficiency of the reagent by treating surface water from the Yellow River as well as municipal wastewater in comparison with the conventional coagulant polyaluminium chloride (PAC). The PAFSiC coagulant was prepared by co-polymerization. The effects of (Al+Fe)/Si molar ratio, OH/(Al+Fe) molar ratio (i.e., value), coagulant dosage and pH value of test suspension on the coagulation behavior of FAFSiC and the stability of the PAFSiC were also examined. Results showed that PAFSiC performed more efficiently than PAC in removing turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total phosphate (TP). The PAFSiC with a value of 2.0 and (Al+Fe)/Si ratio of 5 (PAFSiC 2.0/5) showed excellent coagulation effect for both turbidity and COD, while PAFSiC 1.0/5 was the best for TP. The optimum coagulation pH range of PAFSiC 2.0/5 was 5.0–9.0, slightly wider than that of PAC (6.0–8.0). The process can be easily incorporated into high-purity graphite production plants, thereby reducing wastewater pollution and producing a valuable coagulant.     

Modeling assessment for ammonium nitrogen recovery from wastewater by chemical precipitation

Chemical precipitation to form magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) is an effective technology for recovering ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N). In the present research, we investigated the thermodynamic modeling of the PHREEQC program for NH4 +-N recovery to evaluate the effect of reaction factors on MAP precipitation. The case study of NH4 +-N recovery from coking wastewater was conducted to provide a comparison. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to assist in understanding the relative significance of reaction factors and the interactive effects of solution conditions. Thermodynamic modeling indicated that the saturation index (SI) of MAP followed a polynomial function of pH. The SI of MAP increased logarithmically with the Mg2+/NH4 + molar ratio (Mg/N) and the initial NH4 +-N concentration (CN), respectively, while it decreased with an increase in Ca2+/NH4 + and CO3 2??/NH4 + molar ratios (Ca/N and CO3 2??/N), respectively. The trends for NH4 +-N removal at different pH and Mg/N levels were similar to the thermodynamic modeling predictions. The RSM analysis indicated that the factors including pH, Mg/N, CN, Ca/N, (Mg/N) (CO3 2??/N), (pH)2, (Mg/N)2, and (CN)2 were significant. Response surface plots were useful for understanding the interaction effects on NH4 +-N recovery.     

东胜区三台基水库水质细菌的鉴定

为了初步探索环境微生物的快速测定法,提升应对微生物污染突发事件的能力,本文运用美国BD公司的细菌鉴定系统对东胜区三台基水库水质细菌进行了鉴定。结果共鉴定出6种细菌,其可信度分别为95.7、99．1、94．3、98．7、98．5、和99．2。结果表明该系统快速、准确、可靠,可以作为环境微生物分类鉴定和微生物污染突发事件应急监测的依据。     

Molecular characterization and developmental expression patterns of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and their responsiveness to TR agonist and antagonist in Rana nigromaculata

Considering some advantages of Rana nigromaculata as an experimental species, we propose that this species, like Xenopus laevis, could be used to assay thyroid hormone（TH） signaling disrupting actions. To validate the utilizability of R. nigromaculata, we investigated the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to a TH receptor（TR） agonist（T3） and antagonist（amiodarone） by analyzing expression, based on characterizing TR cDNA and developmental expression patterns. With high levels of identity with the corresponding genes in X. laevis, both TRα and TRβ in R. nigromaculata exhibited roughly similar developmental expression patterns to those of X. laevis, in spite of some species-specific differences. Both TRα and TRβ expression had greater changes in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis. T3 exposure for 2 days induced more dramatic increases of TRβ expression in stage 27 than in stage34 tadpoles but not in stage 42 tadpoles, showing that the responsiveness of R. nigromaculata to TH decreased with development and disappeared at the onset of metamorphic climax.Corresponding to greater changes of TRβ expression in the liver and intestine than in the tail and brain during metamorphosis, the liver and intestine had higher responsiveness to exogenous T3 than the tail and brain. Amiodarone inhibited T3-induced TRβ expression. Our results show that R. nigromaculata can be used as a model species for assaying TH signaling disrupting actions by analyzing TRβ expression, and intestine tissues at stage 27 are ideal test materials due to high responsiveness and easy accessibility.     

清河流域水环境质量监测与评价研究

近年来,随着全球各地城市化和工业化进程的不断加快,以及人类对河流水生态系统资源的不合理、掠夺式利用,河流水生态系统遭到严重破坏,各地河流相继出现水质恶化、水文条件改变、物种多样性退化、生境条件恶劣等诸多问题。文章对辽河主要支流清河水生态系统的水质状况进行了研究,并于2012年6月,对清河流域22个监测断面水质状况进行了实地调查,对其水质状况进行了评价,结果表明:22个监测断面中,达到Ⅲ类水质断面的有8个,Ⅳ类7个,Ⅴ类1个,劣Ⅴ类6个。其中6个劣Ⅴ类断面分别因氟化物、氨氮、总磷浓度超标而为劣Ⅴ类。     

基于综合水质标识指数法的四川西充河水质评价

四川省西充河为严重污染河流,选取溶解氧(DO)、氨氮(NH+4-N)、五日生化需氧量(BOD5)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)5项指标年平均值,采用综合水质标识指数法,研究了西充河近10年水质状况随时间变化趋势及水污染特征。2003年至2010年水质级别为劣V类,2011年和2012年水质级别为Ⅳ类,水质标识指数Iwq从2003年的12.459逐渐降低到2012年的4.431。西充河近10年水质状况整体呈好转趋势,但未达到国家规定的Ⅲ级水质标准,水质标识指数Iwq结果表明该好转的速度较慢,西充河水质状况有较大的上升潜力和空间。总氮(TN)和氨氮(NH+4-N)为河流主要污染物,为了达到国家Ⅲ级水质标准,西充河的治理已刻不容缓。     

An estimated 400–800 million tons of prey are annually killed by the global spider community

Spiders have been suspected to be one of the most important groups of natural enemies of insects worldwide. To document the impact of the global spider community as insect predators, we present estimates of the biomass of annually killed insect prey. Our estimates assessed with two different methods suggest that the annual prey kill of the global spider community is in the range of 400–800 million metric tons (fresh weight), with insects and collembolans composing >90% of the captured prey. This equals approximately 1‰ of the global terrestrial net primary production. Spiders associated with forests and grasslands account for >95% of the annual prey kill of the global spider community, whereas spiders in other habitats are rather insignificant contributors over a full year. The spider communities associated with annual crops contribute less than 2% to the global annual prey kill. This, however, can be partly explained by the fact that annual crop fields are “disturbed habitats” with a low buildup of spider biomass and that agrobiont spiders often only kill prey over short time periods in a year. Our estimates are supported by the published results of exclusion experiments, showing that the number of herbivorous/detritivorous insects and collembolans increased significantly after spider removal from experimental plots. The presented estimates of the global annual prey kill and the relative contribution of spider predation in different biomes improve the general understanding of spider ecology and provide a first assessment of the global impact of this very important predator group.     

Insights into the role of age and social interactions on the sexual attractiveness of queens in an eusocial bee, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melipona flavolineata</Emphasis> (Apidae,Meliponini)

The attraction of sexual partners is a vital necessity among insects, and it involves conflict of interests and complex communication systems among male and female. In this study, we investigated the developing of sexual attractiveness in virgin queens (i.e., gynes) of Melipona flavolineata, an eusocial stingless bee. We followed the development of sexual attractiveness in 64 gynes, belonging to seven age classes (0, 3, 6, 9, 15, 18 days post-emergence), and we also evaluated the effect of different social interactions (such as competition between queens and interactions with workers) on the development of attractiveness in other 60 gynes. We used the number of males that tried to mate with a focal gyne as a representative variable of its sexual attractiveness. During the essays, each gyne was individually presented to 10 sexually mature males, and during 3 min, we counted the number of males that everted their genitalia in response to the presence of a gyne. Here, we show that M. flavolineata gynes are capable to (i) maintain their sexual attractiveness for long periods through adult life, (ii) they need a minimum social interaction to trigger the development of sexual attractiveness, and (iii) that gynes express this trait only within a social context. We conclude that the effective occurrence of matings is conditional on potential social interactions that gynes experienced before taking the nuptial flight, when they are still in the nest. These findings bring insights into the factors determining reproductive success in social insects.     

The first direct evidence of a Late Devonian coelacanth fish feeding on conodont animals

We describe the first known occurrence of a Devonian coelacanth specimen from the lower Famennian of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland, with a conodont element preserved in its digestive tract. A small spiral and phosphatic coprolite (fossil excrement) containing numerous conodont elements and other unrecognized remains was also found in the same deposits. The coprolite is tentatively attributed to the coelacanth. Although it is unclear whether the Late Devonian coelacanth from Poland was an active predator or a scavenger, these finds provide the first direct evidence of feeding on conodont animals by early coelacanth fish, and one of the few evidences of feeding on these animals known to date. It also expands our knowledge about the diet and trophic relations between the Paleozoic marine animals in general.