Geochemical processes of mercury in Wujiangdu and Dongfeng reservoirs, Guizhou, China

The geochemical processes of mercury in Dongfeng (DF) and Wujiangdu (WJD) reservoirs, which were constructed in 1992 and 1979, respectively in Wujiang River, which is the upper branch of Yangtze River were investigated. One sampling site was chosen upriver of 1 km from the dam for each reservoir. Three sampling campaigns were conducted at these sampling sites in December 2003, April 2004 and July 2004, respectively. The distributions of different mercury species in the water column, sediment, and sediment pore water were studied. We found that the sediment is the net source of both inorganic and MeHg to the water column for both reservoirs. The MeHg diffusion fluxes in WJD reservoir at all sampling campaigns were significantly higher than those in DF reservoir. Our study demonstrated that the high primary productivity in the reservoir produced elevated organic matter content that would favor the methylmercury production in sediment.     

Food chain transfer of cadmium and lead to cattle in a lead–zinc smelter in Guizhou, China

Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) are environmental pollutants. Environmental samples and bovine tissues were collected from the areas around a lead–zinc smelter in Guizhou, China for Cd, Pb, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) analysis. Cd in soil (10 mg/kg) and feed (6.6 mg/kg) from the polluted areas was 10 times higher than the Chinese Standards, resulting in higher Cd in bovine kidney (38 mg/kg) and liver (2.5 mg/kg). Pb in feed (132 mg/kg) from the polluted area was much higher than unpolluted areas, causing higher Pb levels in bovine tissues. Environmental Zn was elevated, but bovine tissue Zn was normal. Cu in bovine liver decreased with increased Cd and Pb. Metals in drinking water and in bovine muscle were within the Standard range. Thus, in the areas of this lead–zinc smelter, the environment has been contaminated with Cd and Pb, which has been transferred to cattle through the food chain.     

UASB反应器处理染料及印染废水的研究进展

综述了国内外UASB反应器处理染料及印染废水的研究概况.分析了UASB反应器处理废水存在的问题,并给出了相应的建议.展望了UASB反应器处理染料及印染废水的发展趋势,指出厌氧UASB-好氧法组合工艺是目前处理染料及印染废水的一种经济而有效的方法.     

SDG-based HAZOP analysis of operating mistakes for PVC process

As modern chemical plants are becoming more complex and bigger in scale, the associated chance of things going wrong is also increasing rapidly. Due to the flammable, explosive, toxic and corrosive nature of chemical process, any single accident may trigger a major catastrophe that brings tremendous environmental, social and economical loss. In order to prevent any accident from happening, hazard and operability (HAZOP) analysis has been brought in to monitor chemical process and provide early warning for signs of accident. However, most existing HAZOP is carried out manually, and there are always obstacles in terms of cost overrun and incompleteness of the analysis. To address the difficulties in current HAZOP method, this paper proposes a signed digraph (SDG)-based HAZOP analysis method. It is used to identify the most likely operating mistakes that may cause certain process variable deviating from its normal value, which is the main source of safety concern. A case study on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of SDG-based HAZOP analysis method in providing complete analysis result.     

Effects of an iron-silicon material,a synthetic zeolite and an alkaline clay on vegetable uptake of As and Cd from a polluted agricultural soil and proposed remediation mechanisms

Economic and highly effective methods of in situ remediation of Cd and As polluted farmland in mining areas are urgently needed. Pot experiments with Brassica chinensis L. were carried out to determine the effects of three soil amendments [a novel iron-silicon material (ISM), a synthetic zeolite (SZ) and an alkaline clay (AC)] on vegetable uptake of As and Cd. SEM–EDS and XRD analyses were used to investigate the remediation mechanisms involved. Amendment with ISM significantly reduced the concentrations of As and Cd in edible parts of B. chinensis (by 84–94 % and 38–87 %, respectively), to levels that met food safety regulations and was much lower than those achieved by SZ and AC. ISM also significantly increased fresh biomass by 169–1412 % and 436–731 % in two consecutive growing seasons, while SZ and AC did not significantly affect vegetable growth. Correlation analysis suggested that it was the mitigating effects of ISM on soil acidity and on As and Cd toxicity, rather than nutrient amelioration, that contributed to the improvement in plant growth. SEM–EDS analysis showed that ISM contained far more Ca, Fe and Mn than did SZ or AC, and XRD analysis showed that in the ISM these elements were primarily in the form of silicates, oxides and phosphates that had high capacities for chemisorption of metal(loid)s. After incubation with solutions containing 800 mg L^?1 AsO₄ ^2? or Cd²⁺, ISM bound distinctly higher levels of As (6.18 % in relative mass percent by EDS analysis) and Cd (7.21 % in relative mass percent by EDS analysis) compared to SZ and AC. XRD analysis also showed that ISM facilitated the precipitation of Cd²⁺ as silicates, phosphates and hydroxides, and that arsenate combined with Fe, Al, Ca and Mg to form insoluble arsenate compounds. These precipitation mechanisms were much more active in ISM than in SZ or AC. Due to the greater pH elevation caused by the abundant calcium silicate, chemisorption and precipitation mechanisms in ISM treatments could be further enhanced. That heavy metal(loid)s fixation mechanisms of ISM ensure the remediation more irreversible and more resilient to environmental changes. With appropriate application rate and proper nutrients supplement, the readily available and economic ISM is a very promising amendment for safe crop production on multi-metal(loids) polluted soils.     

Multiple copper adsorption and regeneration by zeolite 4A synthesized from bauxite tailings

Copper ions were first adsorbed by zeolite 4A synthesized from bauxite tailings, the desorption of Cu(II) using Na₂EDTA solutions was performed, and the recycling of zeolite 4A in adsorption and desorption was systematically investigated. It was observed that the Cu(II) removal efficiency was directly dependent on the initial pH value. The maximum removal efficiency of Cu(II) was 96.2% with zeolite 4A when the initial pH value was 5.0. Cu(II) was completely absorbed in the first 30 min. It was also observed that the desorption efficiency and zeolite recovery were highly dependent on the initial pH and concentration of Na₂EDTA in the solution. The desorption efficiency and percent of zeolite recovered were 73.6 and 85.9%, respectively, when the Na₂EDTA solution concentration was 0.05 mol L^?1 and the pH value was 8. The recovered zeolites were pure single phase and highly crystalline. After 3 cycles, the removal efficiency of Cu(II) was as high as 78.9%, and the zeolite recovery was 46.9%, indicating that the recovered zeolites have good adsorption capacity and can repeatedly absorb Cu(II).

     

Identification of priority pharmaceuticals in the water environment of China

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the trace-level contamination of pharmaceuticals in the water environment all over the world. Considering a large number of pharmaceuticals used, it is crucial to establish a priority list of pharmaceuticals that should be monitored and/or treated first. In the present study, we developed a ranking system based on the pharmaceutical consumption, removal performance in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and potential ecological effects, and applied to the situation of China. 39 pharmaceuticals, which had available consumption data and also been reported previously in the WWTPs of China, were selected as candidate pharmaceuticals. Among them, seventeen pharmaceuticals were considered as priority pharmaceuticals, out of which, erythromycin, diclofenac acid and ibuprofen, had the high priority. Compared with other literatures, we found that some pharmaceuticals given concerns to globally should also be included in the priority list in China; while some pharmaceuticals, not mentioned in other literatures, such as cefalexin, ketoconazole, should be also given prior consideration in China. Among all the therapeutic classes, antibiotics, which were grossly abused in China, contributed the most to the priority pharmaceuticals. However, priority antibiotics accounted for only 32% of candidate antibiotics, while 71% and 100% of the candidate anti-inflammatory and antilipidemic respectively were identified as the priority pharmaceuticals, indicating that antibiotics might be overanxiously considered in the previous studies on their behaviors in the WWTPs of China.     

Chlorinated and brominated organic contaminants in fish from Shanghai markets: a case study of human exposure

In the present study were two favorite edible fish species for local residents, i.e., mandarin fish and crawfish, collected from the Shanghai market and analyzed for selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs). Efforts were also made to identify the potential sources of these contaminants. Comparable concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and HBCDD were found in muscle tissue of mandarin fish from Guangdong (GDF), the Pearl River Delta and from Taihu Lake (TLF), the Yangtze River Delta. Levels of chlordanes, PCBs and PBDEs were about one magnitude lower in TLF compared to GDF. The concentrations of OCPs in the butter-like gland of the crawfish (CFB) were 2-5 times of those in the crawfish muscle (CFM) while concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs were comparable. The different patterns and levels of chlorinated and brominated organohalogen contaminants seen in mandarin fish from GDF and TLF indicates that different types of chemicals might be used in the two delta regions. The present study also shows a good correlation between the concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachloroanisol (PCA) in fish for the first time. Fish consumption limits based on chemical contaminants with non-carcinogenic effects were calculated. The estimated maximum daily consumption limit for GDF, TLF, CFM and CFB were 1.5, 2.6, 3.7 and 0.08 kg, respectively, indicating no significant risk regarding the persistent organic pollutants measured in the present study.     

一种活性污泥总DNA提取方法的优化

对3种活性污泥DNA提取方法———传统蛋白酶K-SDS-氯仿异戊醇法(CPSCI法)、液氮研磨法和脱腐处理法进行了对比,并针对CPSCI法从污泥量、保温时间、裂解方式及沉淀时间等4个方面进行了优化。结果表明,优化的蛋白酶K-氯仿-异戊醇法(OPSCI法)采用污泥量0.10 g、37℃静置10 min,加SDS常温旋涡振荡及异丙醇直接离心等条件可获得长度在23.1 kb左右的DNA,OD260nm/OD280nm为1.86,稀释10倍后即可进行16S rDNA PCR。该方法重复性好,提取得率高,纯度好,操作简便,为常规实验室开展活性污泥微生物多样性研究提供了帮助。     

高效氨氧化菌群富集、驯化及其动态变化规律分析

利用选择性培养基对氨氧化菌群进行了连续驯化,得到了氨氮去除效率稳定的氨氧化菌群。采用平板菌落计数法结合聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)技术考察了氨氧化菌群在连续传代过程中数量及群落结构的动态变化,并考察了pH值、碳源(HCO3-)浓度和氨氮浓度等因素对氨氧化菌群去除氨氮效率的影响。结果表明,通过连续驯化,氨氧化菌的比例由最初的1.8%提高到了31.3%。在碳源浓度为1.5 mg/L,NH4+-N初始浓度为200 mg/L,pH值为8的条件下,菌群对氨氮的去除率达99%以上。