Aqueous, solid and gaseous partitioning of selenium in an oxic sandy soil under different microbiological states

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of microorganisms on the behaviour of selenium in natural soil maintained under strictly aerobic conditions. Six-day batch experiments were performed with soils constrained to different microbiological states, either by sterilisation or by adding organic substrates. Selenium was added to the soil as selenite. The distribution of selenium in the gaseous, liquid and solid phases of the batch was measured. Selenium partitioning between the various solid phases was investigated by chemical sequential extractions. Active microorganisms played major effects on the distribution of selenium within the soil. On the one hand, microorganisms could promote selenium volatilisation (in relatively small amounts), leading to the spreading of selenium compounds outside the soil. On the other hand, microbial activities increased both amount of selenium retained by the soil and the strength of its retention (less exchangeable selenium), making selenium less susceptible to remobilisation.     

Plutonium isotopes in surface air of Prague in 1986–2006

Monitoring of ^239,240Pu in surface air of Prague started in 1986 in connection with the Chernobyl accident. Measurable activities of 10–28 μBq m⁻³ were found from 29 April 1986 to 5 May 1986. In the most of the monitoring periods of 1987–1996, activities of ^239,240Pu in air were not measurable. Positive values for ^239,240Pu and ²³⁸Pu in air could be obtained after installation of an aerosol sampler with higher flow-rate in 1997. Activity concentrations of ^239,240Pu and ²³⁸Pu in Prague air in the most of quarters of 1997–2006 were in the range 0.53–5.06 and <0.16–1.10 nBq m⁻³, respectively. Seasonal fluctuations can be found in content of ^239,240Pu in air. Activity ratios of ²³⁸Pu/^239,240Pu in air are higher than those in top soil, so it can be supposed that ²³⁸Pu is coming to air of Prague also from other sources than resuspension of fallout from atmospheric nuclear tests.     

Effects of ecological conditions on lipid composition of the liver and muscles in the daubed shanny, <Emphasis Type=Italic>Leptoclinus maculatus</Emphasis>

A comparative study on the lipid composition of the liver and muscles has been performed in daubed shanny caught in summer (July) in Arctic waters at three different sites (biotopes) along the north-western coast of Spitsbergen. In marine organisms living at high latitudes, lipids play an especially important role, primarily as reserve substances and as a factor influencing adaptation to severe environmental conditions. Since the ecology of daubed shanny is poorly known, the data obtained may be considered novel.     

Sulfate reduction in groundwater: characterization and applications for remediation

Sulfate is ubiquitous in groundwater, with both natural and anthropogenic sources. Sulfate reduction reactions play a significant role in mediating redox conditions and biogeochemical processes for subsurface systems. They also serve as the basis for innovative in situ methods for groundwater remediation. An overview of sulfate reduction in subsurface environments is provided, along with a brief discussion of characterization methods and applications for addressing acid mine drainage. We then focus on two innovative, in situ methods for remediating sulfate-contaminated groundwater, the use of zero-valent iron and the addition of electron-donor substrates. The advantages and limitations associated with the methods are discussed, with examples of prior applications.     

Optimum parameters for fault detection and diagnosis system of batch reaction using multiple neural networks

Batch process usually differs from the continuous process because of its time-varying variables and the process parameters. An early detection and isolation of faults in the process will help to reduce the process upsets and keep it safe and reliable. This paper discusses on the application of multi-layer perceptron neural network in detecting various faults in batch chemical reactor based on an esterification process that involves the reaction of ethanol and acetic acid catalyzed by sulfuric acid. A multi-layer feed forward neural network with double hidden layers has been used in the neural network architecture. The detection was based on the different patterns generated between normal and faulty conditions. An optimum network configuration was found when the network produced the minimal error with respect to the training, testing and data validation.     

Identification of Bacillus methylotrophicus and its application in preventing fly maggot production in the environment北大核心CSCD

This research aimed to screen Bacillus spp. to prevent the production of fly maggot on kitchen wastes from soil in the experimental bases of the South China Agricultural University. A nutrient-rich medium was used to isolate the Bacillus spp. with high temperature treatment. The seventeen Bacillus strains were obtained and assigned to three groups by using Insertion Sequence based PCR (IS-PCR) DNA fingerprinting patterns. The homology of the 16S rDNA gene was 100% between Group I and Bacillus methylotrophicus CBMB 205T, 99.61% between Group II and Bacillus aerophilus 28KT, and 99.87% between Group III and Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579T. The results of kitchen waste tests proved that the representative bacteria of Group I RF2 had the ability to prevent fly maggot production on kitchen wastes. Furthermore, the results of physiological and biochemical tests, carbon utilization tests, and antagonists against plant pathogen tests showed that the bacteria from Group I RF2 had the ability to decompose glucose into pyruvate and then decarboxylate pyruvate to diacetyl under alkaline conditions, convert ammonia to intracellular amino acids or other kinds of nitrogenous compounds, use many kinds of carbon source for self-growth, and be antagonistic against plant pathogenic rice sheath blight disease, banana fusarium wilt, and Fusarium oxysporum. Besides, the bacteria from RF2 could secret organic acids to dissolve insoluble phosphate [Ca3(PO4)2] for its own growth by decreasing the pH. Group I RF2 was a strong plant-promotion bacterium, and had good prospects of application for preventing fly maggot production on kitchen wastes. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Improving food security and safety through use of edible by-products from wild game

Game harvesting in South Africa generally leaves behind edible by-products, which could be a low-cost source of protein for poor people in rural areas. Seven professional and nine recreational hunters were interviewed, a game harvest and trophy hunt attended and literature reviewed, in order to describe the food value chain for game and ways in which edible by-products could be legally channelled into the human food chain, rather than being left in the field for scavengers. Practices of informal vendors (n = 51) were assessed using structured interviews, observation and microbiological analysis. In an experiment, inspected game by-products (shinbones from impala and springbok) were provided to eight informal traders for cooking at an informal market and microbiological analysis was done before and after preparation. The results showed that providing edible by-products to poor consumers appears to be culturally acceptable, affordable, accessible and safe. A crossover from formal to informal marketing is recommended as it would enhance traceability and safety of the product and minimise the risk of poaching. It is suggested that methods should be developed which make the distribution of edible by-products to vulnerable rural communities feasible.     

Phytoplankton-nutrient relationships in years with various water levels in the Pasłęka River in the vicinity of the hydroelectric power station (North-east Poland)

Relationships between abundance of basic net phytoplankton taxonomic groups (cyanobacteria, diatoms, and chlorophytes) and nutrient concentrations in water were studied on the Pas??ka River in years with varied water levels. In high water level conditions, large amounts of orthophosphates and total nitrogen from the catchment could favor development of cyanobacteria and chlorophytes. The species could be allochthonic. At low water levels, the factor stimulating phytoplankton development could be nutrients coming from mineralization of accumulated organic matter. The highest nutrient concentrations could favor diatom development. In such conditions, dominant taxa were autochthonic. In terms of numbers, F. capucina was dominant, and in terms of biomass—genus Spirogyra sp. It could come from plant periphyton inhabiting the concrete drops of the dam included in the river’s development in the vicinity of the hydroelectric power station.     

百草枯对巨桉人工幼林土壤细菌多样性的影响

为了解百草枯对土壤微生物多样性的影响过程和时效,在施加百草枯后第0、1、2、4、8、15、31d动态采集四川盆地典型巨桉人工幼林表层土壤,采用PCR-DGGE方法研究了细菌群落多样性特征.结果表明,施加百草枯后第1d土壤细菌丰富度显著降低,但在第2d明显增加,随后在第4d和第8d出现一个降低的过程,直至第15d降至最低点,在第31d又显著增加.施用百草枯后明显降低了土壤细菌群落Shannon-Wiener指数,但增加了Simpson指数,表明百草枯的施加可使部分细菌减少或丧失,土壤细菌群落结构表现出较高的优势度和较低的丰富度.通过对优势条带的克隆测序,鞘脂杆菌科(Sphingobacteriaceae)和酸杆菌纲(Acidobacteria)普遍存在于施加百草枯前后的不同阶段,而施加百草枯后第1d伯克氏菌目(Burkholderiales)和γ-变形菌纲(Gamma-proteobacteria)条带消失,随后均在第2、4和8d出现,但15d后伯克氏菌目、α-变形菌纲(Alpha-proteobacteria)和γ-变形菌纲条带消失,第31dγ-变形菌纲条带仍然缺失.这些结果为更清晰地认识百草枯对土壤微生物的影响提供了基础数据.     

Emission of ammonia from indoor concrete wall and assessment of human exposure

Addition of urea-based antifreeze admixtures during cement mixing can make it possible to produce concrete cement in construction of buildings in cold weather; this, however, has led to increasing indoor air pollution due to continuous transformation and emission from urea to gaseous ammonia in indoor concrete wall. It is believed that ammonia is harmful to human body and exposure to ammonia can cause some serious symptoms such as headaches, burns, and even permanent damage to the eyes and lungs. In order to understand the emission of ammonia from indoor concrete wall in civil building and assess the health risk of people living in these buildings, the experimental pieces of concrete wall were first prepared by concreting cement and urea-based antifreeze admixtures to simulate the indoor wall in civil building in this work. Then environmental chamber was adopted for studying the effect of temperature, relative humility and air exchange rate on emission of ammonia from experimental pieces of concrete wall. Also the field experiment was made at selected rooms in given civil buildings. Exposure and potential dose of adult and children exposed to indoor/outdoor ammonia in summer and in winter are calculated and evaluated by using Scenario Evaluation Approach. The results indicated that high air exchange rate leads to decreased ammonia concentration, and elevation of temperature causes increasing ammonia concentration and volatilizing rate in chamber. The complete emission of ammonia from the wall containing urea-based antifreeze admixtures needs more than 10 years in general. Ventilating or improving air exchange can play a significant role in reducing ammonia concentration in actual rooms in field experiments. Urea-based antifreeze admixtures in concrete wall can give rise to high exposure and potential dose, especially in summer. Generally, adults have a high potential dose than children, while children have personal average dose rate beyond adults in the same conditions.