Distribution and relationship between antimicrobial resistance genes and heavy metals in surface sediments of Taihu Lake, China

Heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and other wastes released into the environment can significantly influence environmental antibiotic resistance. We investigated the occurrence of 22 antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs) and 10 heavy metal concentrations, and the relationship between ARGs and heavy metals in surface sediment from seven sites of Lake Taihu. The results showed significant correlations(p 0.05) between sediment ARG levels,especially for tetracycline and sulfonamides(e.g., tet(A), tet(D), tet(E), tet(O), sul1, sul2 and int-1) and specific heavy metals(Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Zn, among others) in the Lake. In the surface sediments, heavy metals showed an interaction with resistance genes, but the strength of interaction was diminished with increasing depth. For most of the heavy metals, the concentration of elements in the top sediments was higher than that in other depths.Tetracycline resistance genes(tet(A), tet(B), tet(D), tet(E) and tet(O), β-lactam resistance genes(SHV, TEM, CTX, OXA and OXY) and sulfonamide resistance genes(sulA, sul1, sul2, sul3 and int-1) were detected. They showed a trend which inferred a statistically significant increase followed by decreases in the relative abundance of these ARGs(normalized to 16 S rRNA genes) with increasing depth. This study revealed that tet(A), tet(O), TEM, OXY, int-1, sul1 and sul3 were widespread in surface sediments with high abundance, indicating that these genes deserve more attention in future work.     

Effects of tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium sulfate pretreatment on characteristics of sewage sludge

Recently, tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate(THPS) was found to play an important role in the sludge pretreatment process. However, the effects of THPS pretreatment on the characteristics of sewage sludge are still insufficiently understood.The properties of sludge after pretreatment with different concentrations of THPS were investigated in this study. The results showed that pH, dewatering ability, and particle size of sludge decreased with increase in THPS concentration. The volatile suspended solids(VSS) and total suspended solids(TSS) of sludge also decreased slightly with increase in THPS concentration. The specific oxygen uptake rate(SOUR) results suggested that lower THPS concentrations(≤ 1.87 mg/g VSS) enhanced the activity of sludge, but higher concentrations(≥ 1.87 mg/g VSS) inhibited it. Gram-negative bacteria with peritrichous flagellation(such as Pseudomonas, Escherichia, and Faecalibacterium) were extremely sensitive to THPS. The decrease in specific most probable numbers(MPNs) of pathogens(total coliforms and Escherichia coli) with the increase in THPS concentration also proved the sterilization ability of THPS in the sludge pretreatment process. Pretreatment of sludge with concentrations of THPS higher than 37.41 mg/g VSS would meet the pathogen requirements for land application of Class A biosolids.     

Facile synthesis of graphitic carbon-nitride supported antimony-doped tin oxide nanocomposite and its application for the adsorption of volatile organic compounds

Antimony-doped tin oxide(ATO) nanoparticles with an average size of ～ 6 nm were prepared by co-precipitation and subsequent heat treatment. Graphitic carbon nitride(g-CN)/ATO hybrid nanocomposite was designed by the combination of thermally synthesized g-CN and ATO nanoparticles by ultrasonication. The materials were characterized using N2 adsorption/desorption(BET), X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR). A mixture of five volatile organic compounds(VOCs, chloroform, benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene) was used to compare the adsorption capacity of the samples. The adsorption capacity of ATO nanoparticles was improved by the addition of g-CN. Experimental data showed that, among the five VOCs,chloroform was the least adsorbed, regardless of the samples. The g-CN/ATO showed nearly three times greater adsorption capacity for the VOC mixture than pure ATO. The unchanged efficiency of VOC adsorption during cyclic use demonstrated the completely reversible adsorption and desorption behavior of the nanocomposite at room conditions. This economically and environmentally friendly material can be a practical solution for outdoor and indoor VOC removal.     

Reuse of Fenton sludge as an iron source for NiFe2O4 synthesis and its application in the Fenton-based process

The potentially hazardous iron-containing sludge from the Fenton process requires proper treatment and disposal, which often results in high treatment cost. In this study, a novel method for the reuse of Fenton sludge as an iron source for the synthesis of nickel ferrite particles(NiFe_2O_4) is proposed. Through a co-precipitation method followed by sintering at 800°C, magnetic NiFe_2O_4 particles were successfully synthesized, which was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electronic microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. The synthesized NiFe_2O_4 could be used as an efficient catalyst in the heterogeneous Fenton process. In phenol degradation with H_2O_2 or NiFe_2O_4 alone, the phenol removal efficiencies within the reaction time of 330 min were as low as 5.9% ± 0.1% and 13.5% ±0.4%, respectively. However, in the presence of both NiFe_2O_4 and H_2O_2, phenol removal efficiency as high as 95% ± 3.4% could be achieved, indicating the excellent catalytic performance of NiFe_2O_4 in the heterogeneous Fenton process. Notably, a rapid electron exchange between_Ni II and_Fe III ions in the NiFe_2O_4 structure could be beneficial for the Fenton reaction. In addition, the magnetic catalyst was relatively stable, highly active and recoverable, and has potential applications in the Fenton process for organic pollutant removal.     

Template-free synthesis of inorganic hollow spheres at water/“water-brother”interfaces as Fenton-like reagents for water treatment

This paper reports a template-free method to synthesize a series of inorganic hollow spheres (IHSs) including Cu-1, Cu-2, Ni-1, Ni-2 based on mineralization reactions at water/“water-brother” interfaces. “Water-brother” was defined as a solvent which is miscible with water, such as ethanol and acetone. The water/“water-brother” interfaces are very different from water/oil interfaces. The “water-brother” solvent will usually form a homogenous phase with water. Interestingly, in our method, these interfaces can be formed, observed and utilized to synthesize hollow spheres. Utilizing the unique porous properties of the spheres, their potential application in water treatment was demonstrated by using Cu-1 IHSs as Fenton-like reagents for adsorption and decomposition of Congo Red from aqueous solution. The final adsorption equilibrium was achieved after 30 min with the maximum adsorption capacity of 86.1 mg/g, and 97.3% removal of the dye in 80 min after adsorption equilibrium. The IHSs can be reused as least 5 times after treatment by NaOH. This method is facile and suitable for large-scale production, and shows great potential for watertreatment.     

Toxicities and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Taihu Lake, China, based on sediment quality guidelines

The occurrence, toxicities, and ecological risks of five heavy metals(Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni) in the sediment of Taihu Lake were investigated in this study. To evaluate the toxicities caused by the heavy metals, the toxicities induced by organic contaminants and ammonia in the sediments were screened out with activated carbon and zeolite. The toxicities of heavy metals in sediments were tested with benthic invertebrates(tubificid and chironomid).The correlations between toxicity of sediment and the sediment quality guidelines(SQGs)derived previously were evaluated. There were significant correlations(p 0.0001) between the observed toxicities and the total risk quotients of the heavy metals based on SQGs,indicating that threshold effect level(TEL) and probable effect level(PEL) were reliable to predict the toxicities of heavy metals in the sediments of Taihu Lake. By contrast, the method based on acid volatile sulfides(AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals(SEM),such as ∑SEM/AVS and ∑SEM-AVS, did not show correlations with the toxicities. Moreover,the predictive ability of SQGs was confirmed by a total predicting accuracy of 77%. Ecological risk assessment based on TELs and PELs showed that the contaminations of Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn in the sediments of Taihu Lake were at relatively low or medium levels. The risks caused by heavy metals in the sediments of northern bay of the lake, which received more wastewater discharge from upper stream, were higher than other area of the lake.     

Mass balance-based regression modeling of Cd and Zn accumulation in urban soils of Beijing

Accumulation of heavy metals in urban soil can pose adverse impacts on public health and terrestrial ecosystems. We developed a mass balance-based regression model to simulate the heavy metal accumulation in urban soils as a function of time and to explore connections between metal concentration and urbanization processes. Concentrations of Cd and Zn in 68 residential soil samples in the urban area of Beijing were used. The background concentrations, the loss rates and the input fluxes of Cd and Zn in urban soils of Beijing during the last three decades were estimated using a regression of the time series of accumulations of the metals. Based on the regression estimates, we simulated the general trends of Cd and Zn accumulation in the soils from 1978 to 2078. The concentrations of Cd and Zn in urban soil generally increased with the population growth, vehicle use and coal consumption. The mean concentrations of Cd and Zn in urban soil of Beijing would increase by 3 fold over the next 70 years for the current development scenario. The mass balance-based regression approach, which is able to reconstruct the history data of urban soil pollution, provides fundamental information for urban planning and environmental management.     

面向制信息权的核污染扩散预警技术研究

以核电站核污染扩散预警技术为研究对象,基于环保指挥自动化系统C4ISRE,通过整合WRF、HYSPLIT、Unidata IDV、AGI STK、Arc GIS系统等构建核污染扩散单一合成图SIP(Single Integrated Picture),并通过SIP对核污染扩散进行详细分析,进而实现对核污染应急处置的制信息权。研究表明:当研究区实际的天气系统具备了本例模拟的气象特征时,即主体风向为局部区域东北风3~4级,局部区域西北风6~7级,发生与日本福岛核事故同样等级的事故,12个小时后,受影响的居民区主要为谢屯镇、炮台镇、李店镇、普兰店市、无名区1。其中,炮台镇的大部分区域浓度为10 Pbq,面积为2.66 km 2,东北方向部分区域浓度为100 Pbq,面积为0.03 km~2;普兰店市西南部区域浓度为10 Pbq,面积为8.00 km~2,东北部区域浓度为100 Pbq,面积为0.033 km 2;李店镇东北区域浓度为1 Pbq,面积为0.93km~2;无名区1南部区域浓度为1 Pbq,面积为4.50 km~2。     

某气田弹簧管压力表失效与汞腐蚀

目的针对某气田井口压力表发生刺漏的情况,分析压力表弹簧管发生刺漏的原因。方法采用无损检测渗透法、金相显微镜、扫描电子显微镜及其能谱分析仪的方法或设备,检查其内部结构和弹簧管表面损伤情况,对损伤部位进行观察与分析。结果弹簧管上有一穿透性的裂纹,以沿晶方式扩展,并在断口的晶粒夹杂处和表面检测到少量的汞元素和CO_2腐蚀产物。结论确定该压力表弹簧管发生刺漏是其材质Monel合金中的合金元素Al和Cu与天然气中的汞形成汞齐而发生了汞腐蚀导致开裂的。     

Visual Modflow模型在地下水污染模拟预测中的应用研究

选取中国东北部某地级市地下水源地补给区,研究地下水运动规律及水中所含污染物迁移转化规律,结合气象、水文、地质、水质等资料,在地下水水均衡计算的基础上,应用地下水有限差分软件Visual Modflow建立了地下水水流水质预测模型,并校正模型.提出的建议对研究区地下水多为战略用水,多属风险防控区,其次是需加强地下水环境准入,以生态红线标准管理,以及加快落实工业污染源、垃圾填埋场等污染防治责任.通过模型预测出未来一定时间段内的地下水流及水质变化情况,为当地政府提出地下水污染防治对策和措施提供了理论依据.