Carbonyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfide fluxes in an urban lawn and adjacent bare soil in Guangzhou, China

Carbonyl sulfide (COS) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS) fluxes from an urban Cynodon dactylon lawn and adjacent bare soil were measured during April–July 2005 in Guangzhou, China. Both the lawn and bare soil acted as sinks for COS and sources for DMS. The mean fluxes of COS and DMS in the lawn (–19.27 and 18.16 pmol/(m2 sec), respectively) were significantly higher than those in the bare soil (–9.89 and 9.35 pmol/(m2 sec), respectively). Fluxes of COS and DMS in mowed lawn were also higher than those in bare soils. Both COS and DMS fluxes showed diurnal variation with detectable but much lower values in the nighttime than in the daytime. COS fluxes were related significantly to temperature and the optimal temperature for COS uptake was 29°C. While positive linear correlations were found between DMS fluxes and temperature. COS fluxes increased linearly with ambient COS mixing ratios, and had a compensation point of 336 ppt.     

Enhancement of thermophilic anaerobic digestion of thickened waste activated sludge by combined microwave and alkaline pretreatment

Pretreatment of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) by combined microwave and alkaline pretreatment (MAP) was studied to improve thermophilic anaerobic digestion efficiency. Uniform design was applied to determine the combination of target temperature (110–210°C), microwave holding time (1–51 min), and NaOH dose (0–2.5 g NaOH/g suspended solids (SS)) in terms of their effect on volatile suspended solids (VSS) solubilization. Maximum solubilization ratio (85.1%) of VSS was observed at 210°C with 0.2 g-NaOH/g-SS and 35 min holding time. The effects of 12 different pretreatment methods were investigated in 28 thermophilic batch reactors by monitoring cumulative methane production (CMP). Improvements in methane production in the TWAS were directly related to the microwave and alkaline pretreatment of the sludge. The highest CMP was a 27% improvement over the control. In spite of the increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand concentration and the decrease in dewaterability of digested sludge, a semi-continuous thermophilic reactor fed with pretreated TWAS without neutralization (at 170°C with 1 min holding time and 0.05 g NaOH/g SS) was stable and functioned well, with volatile solid (VS) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) reductions of 28% and 18%, respectively, which were higher than those of the control system. Additionally, methane yields (L@STP/g-CODadded, at standard temperature and pressure (STP) conditions of 0°C and 101.325 kPa) and (L@STP/g VSadded) increased by 17% and 13%, respectively, compared to the control reactor.     

Nitrogen cycle of a typical Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary

The nitrogen (N) biological cycle of the Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary was studied during 2008 to 2009. Results showed that soil N had significant seasonal fluctuations and vertical distribution. The N/P ratio (15.73±1.77) of S. salsa was less than 16, indicating that plant growth was limited by both N and P. The N absorption coefficient of S. salsa was very low (0.007), while the N utilization and cycle coefficients were high (0.824 and 0.331, respectively). The N turnover among compartments of S. salsa marsh showed that N uptake from aboveground parts and roots were 2.539 and 0.622 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground parts to roots and from roots to soil were 2.042 and 0.076 g/m2, respectively. The N translocation from aboveground living bodies to litter was 0.497 g/m2, the annual N return from litter to soil was far less than 0.368 g/m2, and the net N mineralization in topsoil during the growing season was 0.033 g/m2. N was an important limiting factor in S. salsa marsh, and the ecosystem was classified as unstable and vulnerable. S. salsa was seemingly well adapted to the low-nutrient status and vulnerable habitat, and the nutrient enrichment due to N import from the Yellow River estuary would be a potential threat to the S. salsa marsh. Excessive nutrient loading might favor invasive species and induce severe long-term degradation of the ecosystem if human intervention measures were not taken. The N quantitative relationships determined in our study might provide a scientific basis for the establishment of effective measures.     

Chemical cleaning of fouled PVC membrane during ultrafiltration of algal-rich water

Cleaning of hollow-fibre polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane with di erent chemical reagents after ultrafiltration of algal-rich water was investigated. Among the tested cleaning reagents (NaOH, HCl, EDTA, and NaClO), 100 mg/L NaClO exhibited the best performance (88.4% 1.1%) in removing the irreversible fouling resistance. This might be attributed to the fact that NaClO could eliminate almost all the major foulants such as carbohydrate-like and protein-like materials on the membrane surface, as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. However, negligible irreversible resistance (1.5% 1.0%) was obtained when the membrane was cleaning by 500 mg/L NaOH for 1.0 hr, although the NaOH solution could also desorb a portion of the major foulants from the fouled PVC membrane. Scanning electronic microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses demonstrated that 500 mg/L NaOH could change the structure of the residual foulants on the membrane, making them more tightly attached to the membrane surface. This phenomenon might be responsible for the negligible membrane permeability restoration after NaOH cleaning. On the other hand, the microscopic analyses reflected that NaClO could e ectively remove the foulants accumulated on the membrane surface.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alter the response of growth and nutrient uptake of snap bean（Phaseolus vulgaris L.） to O_3

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Glomus mosseae on the responses to elevated O3 in growth and nutrition of snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Guangzhouyuan) were investigated. Exposure was conducted in growth chambers by using three O3 concentrations (20 (CF), 80 (CFO1) and 120 nL/L (CFO2); 8 hr/day for 75 days). Results showed that elevated O3 slightly impacted overall mycorrhizal colonization, but significantly decreased the proportional frequency of hypha and increased the proportional frequency of spores and vesicles, suggesting that O3 had significant effects on mycorrhizal structure. Elevated O3 significantly decreased yield, dry mass and nutrient contents (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in both non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal plants. However, significant interactive effects were found in most variables due to that the reduction by O3 in the mycorrhizal plants was less than that in the non-mycorrhizal plants. Additionally, AMF increased the concentrations of N, P, Ca, and Mg in shoot and root. It can be concluded that AMF alleviated detrimental effects of increasing O3 on host plant through improving plant nutrition and growth.     

Methanotrophic community structure of aged refuse and its capability for methane bio-oxidation

Aged refuse from waste landfills closed for eight years was examined and found to contain rich methanotrophs capable of biooxidation for methane. Specially, community structure and methane oxidation capability of methanotrophs in the aged refuse were studied. The amount of methanotrophs ranged 61.97 103–632.91 103 cells/g (in dry basis) in aged refuse from Shanghai Laogang Landfill. Type I and II methanotrophs were found in the aged refuse in the presence of sterilized sewage sludge and only Type I methanotrophs were detected in the presence of nitrate minimal salt medium (NMS). The clone sequences of the pmoA gene obtained from the aged refuse were similar to the pmoA gene of Methylobacter, Methylocaldum, and Methylocystis, and two clones were distinct with known genera of Type I methanotrophs according to phylogenetic analysis. Aged refuse enriched with NMS was used for methane biological oxidation and over 93% conversions were obtained.     

Archaeal community structure along a gradient of petroleum contamination in saline-alkali soil

The impact of petroleum on archaeal community in salinealkali soils was investigated, which will expand the knowledge of the archaeal population involved in the natural attenuation of hydrocarbons in extreme environments.     

Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period

Considerable variations may exist in CH4 emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir.     

Preparation and microwave absorbing properties of the core-nanoshell composite absorbers with the magnetic fly-ash hollow cenosphere as core

Electromagnetic (EM) wave pollution has become the chief physical pollution for environment. The core-nanoshell composite absorbers with magnetic fly-ash hollow cenosphere as core and nanocrystalline magnetic material as shell were prepared by high-energy ball milling. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and vector network analyzer (VNA) analysis indicated that perfect-crystalline nanomagnetic material coating was gotten with a particle size of 12 nm, being dried at 60°C for 2 hr and calcined at 400°C for 1 hr after ball milling. The exchange-coupling interaction happened between ferrite of cenosphere and soft magnet γ-Fe₂03 coating, it enhances magnetic loss of composite absorbers. In the frequency between 1 MHz and 1 GHz, the absorbing effectiveness of the core-nanoshell composite absorbers can achieve ?30 dB, it is better than single material and is consistent with requirements of the microwave absorbing material at the low-frequency absorption.