Effects of different types of biochar on the properties and reactivity of nano zero-valent iron in soil remediation

• Biochar enhanced the mobility and stability of zero-valent iron nanoparticles. • Particle performance was best when the BC:nZVI mass ratio was 1:1. • Bagasse-BC@nZVI removed 66.8% of BDE209. The addition of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) is a promising technology for the in situ remediation of soil. Unfortunately, the mobility and, consequently, the reactivity of nZVI particles in contaminated areas decrease due to their rapid aggregation. In this study, we determined how nZVI particles can be stabilized using different types of biochar (BC) as a support (BC@nZVI). In addition, we investigated the transport behavior of the synthesized BC@nZVI particles in a column filled with porous media and their effectiveness in the removal of BDE209 (decabromodiphenyl ether) from soil. The characterization results of N₂ Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyses, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that nZVI was successfully loaded into the BC. The sedimentation test results and the experimental breakthrough curves indicated that all of the BC@nZVI composites manifested better stability and mobility than did the bare-nZVI particles, and the transport capacity of the particles increased with increasing flow velocity and porous medium size. Furthermore, the maximum concentrations of the column effluent for bagasse–BC@nZVI (B–BC@nZVI) were 19%, 37% and 48% higher than those for rice straw–BC@nZVI (R–BC@nZVI), wood chips–BC@nZVI (W–BC@nZVI) and corn stalks–BC@nZVI (C–BC@nZVI), respectively. A similar order was found for the removal and debromination efficiency of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) by the aforementioned particles. Overall, the attachment of nZVI particles to BC significantly increased the reactivity, stability and mobility of B–BC@nZVI yielded, and nZVI the best performance.     

Effects of three biochars on copper immobilization and soil microbial communities in a metal-contaminated soil using a metallophyte and two agricultural plants

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Biochar (BC) is a porous, carbonaceous material produced by slow pyrolysis of biomass under oxygen-limited conditions. BC production has been attracting...     

轮虫在生态毒理学中的研究进展

轮虫是浮游动物中的重要类群,因具有生活周期短、对毒物的敏感性高、有两性生殖方式、易培养和实用性强等优势特征,已被用作生态毒理学实验中重要的模式生物,颇有研究前景。本文简介了轮虫作为受试生物的特点及其生活史,并从实验方法、污染物种类、测试指标等角度对近几十年来轮虫在生态毒理学中的应用现状、主要成果和最新进展作了概述,主要包括轮虫在常规毒性评价中的应用:急性毒性、慢性毒性以及对其行为的影响效应;综述了几类典型环境污染物,例如重金属、UV辐射、持久性有机污染物以及农药化合物的胁迫对轮虫的毒性效应,特别对目前存在的问题、研究热点及今后需要加强研究的方向进行了讨论和展望,以期为应用轮虫生态毒理学进行环境污染及风险评估提供参考。     

Sonication and grinding pre-treatments on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gelidium amansii</Emphasis> seaweed for the extraction and characterization of Agarose

Various pretreatments methods including sonication and grinding were performed on red seaweed Gelidium amansii for the subsequent extraction of agarose. The agarose products are usually extracted from agar powder products from seaweeds. In this study, the agarose was extracted using a direct polyethylene glycol (PEG) method without the need to first process the agar from seaweed. The agar extract was frozen then thawed and mixed directly with PEG solution to precipitate the agarose. The quality of agarose obtained was evaluated through physico-chemical properties analysis which includes spectral technique (FTIR), melting and boiling point, gel strength and sulfate content. These properties were compared with a non-pretreated sample and it was found that the addition of pretreatment steps improved the quality of agarose but gave a slightly lower yield. The gel strength of pretreated samples was much higher and the sulfate content was lower compared to non-pretreated samples. The best pretreatment method was sonication which gave gel strength of 742 g cm^-2 and sulfate content of 0.63%. The extraction of agarose can be further improved with the use of different neutralizing agents. Pretreating the seaweed shows potential in improving the quality of agarose from seaweed and can be applied for future extraction of the agarose.

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厌氧环境下美人蕉根表铁膜对重金属积累转运的影响

根表铁膜作为污染物进入植物体内的门户,对植物修复重金属污染底泥起着重要作用.有机物降解消耗DO导致的底泥厌氧环境会显著影响根表铁膜的形成,并改变重金属的生物地球化学特征,从而影响重金属污染底泥的植物修复效果.为了探讨底泥厌氧环境中植物根表铁膜对重金属积累和转运的影响,采用向底泥中投加蔗糖模拟底泥厌氧条件的方法,测定不同底泥厌氧水平下挺水植物美人蕉（Canna indica）的生物量、根表铁膜和植物组织内重金属的含量.结果表明:①底泥厌氧环境不利于美人蕉对Cd、Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn的吸收,随着厌氧程度的增加,美人蕉对重金属的吸收量逐渐减少.②底泥厌氧环境能促进根表铁膜的形成及其对Cr和Ni的富集,重度厌氧环境中根表铁膜的含量为（10.40±0.30）g/kg（以根干质量计）,但厌氧环境抑制了铁膜对Cd、Pb和Zn的富集.③底泥厌氧环境不利于Ni从根表铁膜转运至植物组织,但轻度厌氧环境能促进Cr和Zn从根表铁膜转运至根系,且底泥厌氧环境对Cd、Pb和Cu的迁移转运无显著影响.研究显示,底泥厌氧环境促进了植物根表铁膜的形成,根表铁膜对重金属积累和转运的影响因底泥厌氧水平和重金属元素种类不同而不同.      

铁硫改性生物炭去除水中的磷

磷元素向天然水体中的过度排放引发了严重环境问题.以吸附剂为技术核心的吸附法作为一种有效的除磷方法而受到研究人员的关注.本研究中,以壳聚糖、硫酸亚铁和硫化钠为改性剂研发的污泥生物炭对水中磷的去除效果良好.批次实验表明在最佳原料配比下,298 K时材料可吸附49.32 mg·g^-1的磷.此外,实验模拟表明材料对磷的吸附符合伪二级动力学和Langmuir模型;吸附速率主要受到孔隙内部三维扩散影响;吸附方式认定为物理化学吸附;吸附机制可概括为静电吸引、孔隙填充、表面化学沉淀、氢键结合和配位体效应.本研究证明了合成的材料是一种新型的高效除磷吸附剂,为吸附剂设计以及吸附机制的探讨提供借鉴.     

Pd/CeO2催化水中溴酸盐的加氢还原研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了CeO2载体,以浸渍法和沉积沉淀法制备了负载型催化剂Pd/CeO2.使用透射电镜(TEM)和Zeta电位仪对催化剂进行了表征.结果表明两种材料的等电点都在5.0左右; Pd颗粒在载体表面具有良好的分散性,且Pd负载量越高,Pd颗粒的粒径越大.采用Pd/CeO2催化剂催化溴酸盐加氢还原,发现在溴酸盐初始浓度为0.39mmol/L时,采用沉积沉淀法和浸渍法合成的Pd/CeO2催化剂反应50min后对溴酸盐的去除率分别为100%和71%,表明使用沉积沉淀法合成的催化剂具有较高的催化活性.改变催化剂用量,溴酸盐的催化还原速率不受传质阻力的影响,反应过程符合Langmuir–Hinshelwood模型,即催化还原反应由溴酸盐在催化剂表面的吸附控制.增加Pd的负载量,溴酸盐的还原速率增大.溶液pH值较低时,有利于对溴酸盐的催化还原.     

表面沉降对填埋场加速稳定化进程的宏观表征

基于生活垃圾填埋的室内模拟实验,通过4种不同工况下垃圾表面沉降规律的分析,研究了表面沉降对填埋场加速稳定化进程的指示作用.结果表明,垃圾稳定化进程中,表面沉降量S随时间相继呈线性、幂函数和双曲线分段变化,可在宏观上表征垃圾填埋场的稳定化进程及生物反应器填埋技术对稳定化进程的加速作用.在此基础上,将垃圾填埋场稳定化进程划分为3段:不稳定段,S27%.     

Receiver sex differences in visual response to dynamic motion signals in Sceloporus lizards

Visual signal properties often vary greatly between and within individuals in a variety of social contexts. While it is widely known that visual displays emitted by senders can exhibit great variation in efficacy and content, far less is understood whether and how receivers vary in the ability to respond to variability in signal properties, such as motion. Here, we tested for receiver sex differences in visual response latency to motion signals in Sceloporus undulatus lizards. We used a moving robotic lizard model as a visual stimulus to assay response latency in male and female lizards. We measured visual reaction times to slow and fast, up-and-down motions, characteristic of territorial and courtship male motion displays, respectively. We found sex differences in response latency to the two different displays. Specifically, male lizards were faster than females at responding to slow motion produced by the robotic lizard, while female lizards were faster than males at responding to fast motion. These results demonstrate that dynamic visual signals that vary temporally under different social contexts can differ in eliciting a visual response from each sex. Our study highlights that physical differences in dynamic and complex visual signals exhibited during different social contexts (i.e., territorial and courtship contexts) can closely match sex differences in visual responses.     

南四湖及主要入湖河流沉积物金属空间分布特征与污染评价

对南四湖湖区及其主要入湖河流表层沉积物中金属元素质量分数进行了测试分析. 结果表明,14种金属元素可分为3类组合:Ca和Sr为第Ⅰ组元素;Al,Fe,Na,K,Mg,Ni,V和Ti为第Ⅱ组元素;第Ⅲ组元素包括Zn,Cr,Cu和Pb. 其中,第Ⅰ组元素在独山湖区及微山湖区质量分数较高,与第Ⅱ组元素变化趋势相反,这2组元素主要为流域自然来源;第Ⅲ组元素在老运河、白马河上游、洸府河下游及入湖口沉积物中质量分数较高,可能受到人为污染的影响. 此外,其他表层沉积物中第Ⅱ组元素与第Ⅲ组元素质量分数具有相似的变化规律. 选取流域非耕作土壤样品作为背景,采用参比元素校正及沉积物富集系数法,对Zn,Cr,Cu和Pb等重金属元素的人为污染特征进行了定量评价. 结果显示:老运河沉积物中Cr和Pb的富集系数为3.7和3.9,具有中等程度的人为污染特征.Cu和Zn的富集系数达到16.6和22.0,具备重或严重的人为污染特征.Zn和Cu在洸府河下游及入湖口、白马河上游沉积物中的富集系数为2.0～7.1,具有中等或较重的人为污染特征.其余表层沉积物中Zn,Cr,Cu和Pb的富集系数均低于2.0,基本未受到人为污染的影响.