Coupled relationships among anammox, denitrification, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium along salinity gradients in a Chinese estuarine wetland

Salinization in estuarine wetlands significantly alters the balance between their nitrogen (N) removal and retention abilities but these processes have not yet been characterized effectively. In the present study, the potential rates of sediment denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) were mapped using N isotope tracing methods along salinity gradients across the Yellow River Delta wetland (YRDW) in China. The contribution of anammox to total dissimilatory N transformations in YRDW was merely 6.8%, whereas denitrification and DNRA contributed 52.3% and 40.9%, respectively. The potential rate of denitrification (5.82 μmol/kg/h) decreased significantly along salinity gradients and markedly exceeded DNRA potential rate (2.7 μmol/kg/h) in fresh wetlands, but was lower than that of DNRA in oligohaline wetlands (3.06 and 3.18 μmol/kg/h, respectively). Moreover, a significantly positive relationship between salinity and DNRA/denitrification was obeserved, indicating that increased salinity may favor DNRA over denitrification. Furthermore, total sulfur (TS) content and ratio of total organic carbon to total nitrogen (C/N) increased with the salinity gradient and showed evident positive relationships with the DNRA/denitrification ratio. In this study, we proved that increased salinization resulted in the dominance of DNRA over denitrification, possible through the addition of S and alteration of the C/N in estuarine wetlands, leading to increased N retention in estuarine wetlands during salinization, which would enhance the eutrophication potential within wetlands and in downstream ecosystems.     

A field study of the relationship between sulfide-bound metals and bioaccumulation by Limnodrilus sp. in a heavily polluted river

Acid volatile sulfide (AVS) has been regarded as an important factor controlling metal bioavailability in anoxic sediments, but its effect on metal accumulation under natural conditions is poorly understood. Here, a field study of the influence of AVS on metal accumulation by Limnodrilus sp. in a heavily polluted river is provided. Most of the study area was subject to anaerobic and strongly reducing conditions, and the concentration of trace metals in surface sediments was high, as were the concentration of AVS and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM; average AVS?=?20.3 μmol g^?1, average ∑SEM₅?=?9.42 μmol g^?1; ∑SEM₅ refers to the sum of SEM_Cd, SEM_Cu, SEM_Pb, SEM_Ni, and SEM_Zn). Only a few species and small quantities of benthic invertebrates were found, and Limnodrilus sp. was dominant. There was no correlation between trace metal accumulation and (SEM-AVS), and in stations where (SEM-AVS) <0, the absolute value of bioaccumulation was high (average ∑BIO₅?=?4.07 μmol g^?1; ∑BIO₅ refers to the sum of BIO_Cd, BIO_Cu, BIO_Pb, BIO_Ni, and BIO_Zn), indicating that there was no relationship between (SEM–AVS) and metal accumulation in Limnodrilus sp. This was likely because Limnodrilus sp. ingest sediment particles as their main food source, so pore water metals play a minor role in their bioaccumulation (BIO) of materials. However, ∑BIO₅ was significantly correlated with ∑SEM₅ (r?=?0.795, p?<?0.01), revealing that the large number of sulfide-bound metals (SEM) in sediments may play an important role in metal accumulation in Limnodrilus sp., which can assimilate sulfide-associated metals by the help of the digestive fluids in the digestive systems.     

孑遗植物四合木(Tetraena mongolica)迁地保护中的光合作用日变化特征与生理生态适应性

为了进一步廓清迁地保护条件下孑遗植物四合木(Tetraena mongolica)的光合生理生态适应性,在分析了瞬时光合效率的基础上,应用LI-6400光合作用测定系统测定了迁地保护试验区的四合木以及原生境伴生种白刺(Nitraria tangutorum)的光合作用日变化,并测定了其生长量。结果表明:四合木实生苗的生长南北冠幅大小依次为乌海四合木核心区实生苗(26.48cm×27.26 cm)鄂尔多斯实生苗(21.27 cm×21.75 cm)阿拉善实生苗(19.25 cm×18.27 cm)。在原生境地乌海四合木核心区种植的实生苗与阿拉善实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异(P≤0.01),与鄂尔多斯实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异(P≤0.05)。迁地保护条件下四合木生实生苗植株叶片光合速率Pn日变化均呈"双峰"曲线。不同试验区四合木光合作用日变化(Pn)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、气孔导度(Gs)和胞间CO2浓度(Ci)均表现出明显的分异。迁地保护四合木条件下原生境地栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率鄂尔多斯栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率阿拉善栽培的四合木实生苗。鉴此可以作进一步推论,孑遗濒危植物四合木从原生境地西鄂尔多斯核心区(乌海)东移进行迁地保护具有更高的生理生态适应性和生境适宜性。但完成"从种子到种子"进而实现"保存性和代表性",最终实现四合木迁地保护的"保持性和防止性",保持其遗传多样性和遗传稳定性,最终成功实现四合木的迁地保护仍有待作进一步探索和深入研究。     

Socioeconomic constraints on the technological choices in rural sewage treatment

Technological innovation is one of the potential engines to mitigate environmental pollution. However, the implementation of new technologies sometimes fails owing to socioeconomic constraints from different stakeholders. Thus, it is essential to analyze constraints of environmental technologies in order to build a pathway for their implementation. In this study, taking three technologies on rural sewage treatment in Hangzhou, China as a case study, i.e., wastewater treatment plant (WTP), constructed wetland (CW), and biogas system, we analyzed how socioeconomic constraints affect the technological choices. Results showed that socioeconomic constraints play a key role through changing the relative opportunity cost of inputs from government as compared to that of residents to deliver the public good—sewage treatment—under different economic levels. Economic level determines the technological choice, and the preferred sewage treatment technologies change from biogas system to CW and further to WTP along with the increase of economic level. Mismatch of technological choice and economic level results in failures of rural sewage treatment, e.g., the CW only work well in moderately developed regions in Hangzhou. This finding expands the environmental Kuznets law by introducing the coproduction theory into analysis (i.e., inputs from both government and residents are essential for the delivery of public goods and services such as good environmental quality). A match between technology and socioeconomic conditions is essential to the environmental governance.

     

矿山项目生态环境影响评价研究

以矿山项目生态环境影响评价特点为基点,对矿山项目生态环境影响评价的因子等进行简要论述,重点阐述了生态环境状况指数法、潜在生态危害指数法和景观指数法。     

基于熵权的扬州市生态环境质量模糊综合评价研究

为研究扬州市近几年的生态环境质量变化趋势,文章从自然、经济、社会的角度,建立生态环境质量评价指标体系,采用熵权法赋权、模糊综合评价法建立评价模型,对2007年-2011年的扬州市生态质量现状进行分析。结果表明：扬州市生态环境质量综合评价等级值由3.360 8增长到4.738 7,呈逐年上升的趋势。生态环境质量等级也由＂一般＂变为＂良好＂,总体属于中等偏上的水平。通过基于熵权的模糊综合评价法得到了比较切合实际的结果,可以为其他城市生态环境质量评价提供一定的参考。     

高岭土对淡水藻类的聚合氯化铝强化混凝去除技术研究

以温州市内桌一富营养化水体为研究对象,考察本地粘土矿物高岭土联合聚合氯化铝（PAC）混凝沉降工艺的除藻效能,并获得处理工艺的最佳条件,为恢复河流水体生态自净功能提供理论基础。试验结果表明,PAC最佳投加量为40mg／L;高岭土的最优投加方式为在混凝剂PAC前5rain投加;其最佳投加量为3g／L;最佳搅拌方式为200rpm搅拌4min;最佳静置时间为20min;在酸性或中性水体的处理效果尤佳。     

Differences of the oxidation process and secondary organic aerosol formation at low and high precursor concentrations

Current atmospheric quality models usually underestimate the level of ambient secondary organic aerosol(SOA), one of the possible reasons is that the precursors at different concentrations may undergo different oxidation processes and further affect SOA formation. Therefore, there is a need to perform more chamber studies to disclose the influence. In this work, SOA formation over a wide range of initial precursor concentrations(tens of ppb to hundreds of ppb levels) was investigated in a 30 m3 indoor smog chamber,and mainly through the analysis of multiple generations of VOCs detected from HR-To FPTRMS to expound the difference in the oxidation process between low and high precursor concentrations. Compared to high initial concentrations, gas-phase intermediates formed at low concentrations had a higher intensity by about one order of magnitude, and the lowvolatility compounds also had a higher formation potential due to the competition between semi-volatile intermediates and precursors with oxidants. In addition, the formed SOA was more oxidized with higher f44 value(0.14 ± 0.02) and more relevant to real atmosphere than that formed at high concentrations. This work should help to deeply understand SOA formation and improve the performance of air quality models for SOA simulation.     

Adsorption–desorption behavior of atrazine on agricultural soils in China

Adsorptionanddesorptionareimportantprocessesthataffectatrazinetransport,transformation,andbioavailabilityinsoils.Inthisstudy,theadsorption–desorptioncharacteristicsofatrazinein three soils (laterite, paddy soil and alluvial soil) were evaluated using the batch equilibrium method. The results showed that the kinetics of atrazine in soils was completed in two steps: a “fast” adsorption and a “slow” adsorption and could be well described by pseudo-second-order model.In addition,the adsorption equilibrium isotherms were nonlinear and were well fitted by Freundlich and Langmuir models. It was found that the adsorption data on laterite, and paddy soil were better fitted by the Freundlich model;as for alluvial soil,the Langmuir model described it better. The maximum atrazine sorption capacities ranked as follows: paddy soil > alluvial soil > laterite. Results of thermodynamic calculations indicated that atrazine adsorption on three tested soils was spontaneous and endothermic. The desorption data showed that negative hysteresis occurred. Furthermore, lower solution pH value was conducive to the adsorptionofatrazineinsoils.Theatrazineadsorptioninthesethreetestedsoilswascontrolled by physical adsorption, including partition and surface adsorption. At lower equilibrium concentration, the atrazine adsorption process in soils was dominated by surface adsorption;while with the increase of equilibrium concentration, partition was predominant.     

Modeling and predicting low-speed vehicle emissions as a function of driving kinematics

An instantaneous emission model was developed to model and predict the real driving emissions of the low-speed vehicles. The emission database used in the model was measured by using portable emission measurement system (PEMS) under actual traffic conditions in the rural area, and the characteristics of the emission data were determined in relation to the driving kinematics (speed and acceleration) of the low-speed vehicle. The input of the emission model is driving cycle, and the model requires instantaneous vehicle speed and acceleration levels as input variables and uses them to interpolate the pollutant emission rate maps to calculate the transient pollutant emission rates, which will be accumulated to calculate the total emissions released during the whole driving cycle. And the vehicle fuel consumption was determined through the carbon balance method. The model predicted the emissions and fuel consumption of an in-use low-speed vehicle type model, which agreed well with the measured data.