Toward better understanding and feasibility of controlling greenhouse gas emissions from treatment of industrial wastewater with activated sludge

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been recognized as important sources for anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. The objective of the study was to thoroughly investigate a typical industrial WWTP in southern Taiwan in winter and summer which possesses the emission factors close to those reported values, with the analyses of emission factors, mass fluxes, fugacity, lab-scale in situ experiments, and impact assessment. The activated sludge was the important source in winter and summer, and nitrous oxide (N₂O) was the main contributor (e.g., 57 to 91 % of total GHG emission in a unit of kg carbon dioxide-equivalent/kg chemical oxygen demand). Albeit important for the GHGs in the atmosphere, the fractional contribution of the GHG emission to the carbon or nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment was negligible (e.g., less than 1.5 %). In comparison with the sludge concentration or retention time, adjusting the aeration rate was more effective to diminish the GHG emission in the activated sludge without significantly affecting the treated water quality. When the aeration rate in the activated sludge simulation was reduced by 75 %, the mass flux of N₂O could be diminished by up to 53 % (from 9.6 to 4.5 mg/m²-day). The total emission in the WWTP (including carbon dioxide, methane, and N₂O) would decrease by 46 % (from 0.67 to 0.36 kg CO₂-equiv/kg COD). However, the more important benefit of changing the aeration rate was lowering the energy consumption in operation of the WWTP, as the fractional contribution of pumping to the total emission from the WWTP ranged from 46 to 93 % within the range of the aeration rate tested. Under the circumstance in which reducing the burden of climate change is a global campaign, the findings provide insight regarding the GHG emission from treatment of industrial wastewater and the associated impact on the treatment performance and possible mitigation strategies by operational modifications.

     

Pollination ecology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eomecon chionantha</Emphasis> Hance (Papaveraceae), an endemic species in China

Eomecon chionantha Hance, the only species in the genus Eomecon, is an angiosperm species endemic to China. Here we investigated the pollination syndrome, pollinator generalization of E. chionantha. Our results showed that the individual flower longevity of E. chionantha was 3–5 days. The flowering phenology of E. chionantha can be divided into five phases. We found significant differences in the pollination efficiency of the different insects visiting E. chionantha with bees and flies being the most efficient pollinators. This, in addition to floral morphology and phenology, suggests that E. chionantha is generalized on bees and flies and possesses an outcrossing, partially self-compatible and pollinator-dependent breeding system.     

Effects of cadmium on forearm bone density after reduction of exposure for 10 years in a Chinese population

The main focus of this study was to evaluate long term effects of cadmium on forearm bone mineral density after stopping ingestion of cadmium-polluted rice for 10 years in a Chinese population. A total of 532 persons (338 women and 194 men), living in control, moderately and heavily polluted areas, were included in this study. The residents living in the polluted area ceased ingesting cadmium-polluted rice in 1996. All participants were require to answer a questionnaire and the bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the proximal radius and ulna. Samples of urine and blood were collected for determination of cadmium in urine (UCd) and blood (BCd).The BMD of subjects living in the heavily polluted area was significantly lower than that of those living in control area in both men and women (p < 0.01). For the people living in the moderately polluted area, only the women's BMD was greatly lower compared to that in the control area (p < 0.05). The BMD declined with the increasing BCd and UCd in both sexes, especially in the highest level (BCd > 5 µg/L, UCd > 10 µg/g crea) groups (p < 0.01). It was found that there were significant differences in the prevalence of osteoporosis among the different areas (χ² = 13.046, p = 0.0003) and different UCd groups (χ² = 4.511, p = 0.0337) in women, but not in men (χ² = 0.962, p = 0.3268; χ² = 1.906, p = 0.1675). But a significant difference exists in the prevalence of osteoporosis among different BCd groups in both genders (χ² = 9.304, p = 0.00229, in women; χ² = 4603, p = 0.0319, in men). This study suggested that cadmium could play a long-term role on bone and more attention should be paid to cadmium effects on bone metabolism after reduction of exposure.     

Pollution characterization and diurnal variation of PBDEs in the atmosphere of an E-waste dismantling region

Diurnal air samples were collected from the E-waste dismantling region Guiyu and the underwear industry region Chendian. This was the first report to present the diurnal variation of PBDEs in the atmosphere. The average concentrations of 11 PBDE congeners were 11,742 pg m⁻³ in the daytime, and 4830 pg m⁻³ at night in Guiyu, while the concentrations were lower in Chendian with 376 pg m⁻³ in the daytime, and 237 pg m⁻³ at night. BDE-209 accounted for 22% and 31.3% of the total PBDEs in Guiyu and Chendian, respectively. The diurnal variation trends of BDE-47, -99, -153, -183, and -209 were also analyzed in detail in the two regions.     

表面活性剂对多壁碳纳米管吸附Pb~(2+)的影响

多壁碳纳米管(MWNT)在吸附有毒气体和重金属离子方面具有极高的应用价值.针对MWNT对水溶液中Pb2+的净化吸附进行了研究,从吸附量,吸附速率、动力学角度考察了表面活性剂、Pb2+浓度对MWNT吸附Pb2+的影响.结果表明,司班-60、吐温-20、阿拉伯树胶等表面活性剂的加入,促进了MWNT在溶液中的分散,导致在Pb2+摩尔浓度为3～18 mmol/L的Lang-muir和Freundlich等温吸附方程中的吸附常数(K)变大,使得MWNT对Pb2+的吸附速率和平衡吸附量都得到提高;随着溶液中Pb2+浓度的增大,MWNT对其吸附量渐至饱和,随后由于Pb2+的位阻作用.吸附量下降;在这3种表面活性剂中,由于司班-60具有相对较小的分子量,其分散的MWNT在Pb2+摩尔浓度为14 mmol/L时,吸附量最大,为230 mg/g.     

GC/MS法测定润滑油基础油中多环芳烃

对润滑油基础油中多环芳烃的气相色谱/质谱(GC/MS)测定方法进行了研究,探讨了样品的提取,固相萃取柱净化等前处理方法,同时也对仪器测定条件进行了优化.结果表明,在检测润滑油基础油中多环芳烃时,经优化的GC/MS法的加标回收率和精密度均达到较满意的水平.     

Continuous measurement of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in suburban and remote areas of western China

Knowledge on atmospheric abundance of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is important in assessing the severity of photochemical pollution, and for understanding chemical transformation of reactive odd nitrogen and its impact on the budget of tropospheric ozone (O₃). In summer 2006, continuous measurements of PAN were made using an automatic GC–ECD analyzer with an on-line calibrator at a suburban site of Lanzhou (LZ) and a remote site of Mt. Waliguan (WLG) in western China, with concurrent measurements of O₃, total reactive nitrogen (NO_y) and carbon monoxide (CO). At LZ, several photochemical episodes were observed during the study, and the average mixing ratio of PAN (plus or minus standard deviation) was 0.76 (±0.89) ppbv with the maximum value of 9.13 ppbv, compared to an average value of 0.44 (±0.16) ppbv at remote WLG. The PAN mixing ratios in LZ exhibited strong diurnal variations with a maximum at noon, while enhanced concentrations of PAN were observed in the evening and a minimum in the afternoon at WLG. The daily O₃ and PAN concentration maxima showed a strong correlation (r² = 0.91) in LZ, with a regression slope (PAN/O₃) of 0.091 ppbv ppbv^?1. At WLG, six well-identified pollution plumes (lasting 2–8 h) were observed with elevated concentrations of PAN (and other trace gases), and analysis of backward particle release simulation shows that the high-PAN events at WLG were mostly associated with the transport of air masses that had passed over LZ.     

Single particle mass spectrometry of oxalic acid in ambient aerosols in Shanghai: Mixing state and formation mechanism

Oxalic acid in individual aerosol particles was measured using single particle aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) in the summer of 2007 in Shanghai, China. Oxalate was found in 3.4% of total particles with diameters in the range of 0.2 – 2.0 μm. Size, chemical composition and hourly temporal counts of single particles that contained oxalic acid were measured. The predominant types of oxalate-containing particles were characterized to distinguish the primary and secondary sources of oxalic acid. Biomass burning was revealed as a major primary source of oxalic acid which contributed more than 20% of the oxalate-containing particles. Evidences for two different formation pathways of oxalic acid were observed in our experiment. The number fraction of oxalate-containing particles correlated with that of sulfate particles and the changes of air parcel backward trajectories, suggesting that in-cloud processing played important roles in oxalic acid formation. The diurnal patterns of dust and sea salt particle counts fitted well with the ambient relative humidity variation, suggesting that heterogeneous reactions occurring in hydrated/deliquesced aerosols also contributed to the production of oxalic acid.     

An important pathway for ozonolysis of alpha-pinene and beta-pinene in aqueous phase and its atmospheric implications

The aqueous ozonolysis of α-pinene and β-pinene was conducted under simulated tropospheric conditions at different pHs and temperatures. Three kinds of products, peroxides, carbonyl compounds, and organic acids, were well characterized, and the detection of these products provides effective evidence for understanding the atmospheric aqueous reaction pathway. We have two interesting findings: (1) the unexpected formation of methacrolein (MACR), with a yield of ～40%, in the α-pinene–O₃ aqueous reaction indicates a potentially new SOA formation pathway, because MACR is one of the important precursors of SOA; and (2) the surprisingly high yields of H₂O₂, ～60% for the α-pinene–O₃ reaction and ～100% for the β-pinene–O₃ reaction, indicates that H₂O₂ can be a significant contributor to the origin and transformation of oxidants in the atmosphere, especially in the humid regions. Moreover, we have determined the rate constant for aqueous reaction between MACR and H₂O₂ in pH 2 to 7 and obtained its upper limit as 0.13 M L^?1 s^?1. A mechanism concerning the formation of the species mentioned above is proposed, and it differs from that in the gas-phase reaction. We suggest that water plays a key role in the mechanism, by participating in the reactions as a direct reactant and by removing the excess energy of intermediates formed in the reactions.     

Structure and thermal stability of toxic chromium(VI) species doped onto TiO2 powders through heat treatment

Chromium(VI)-containing sorbents in the form of sludge or solid residue from treatment processes are often landfilled or used as fill materials, therefore the long-term stability of metal binding is important. The reduction of Cr(VI)–Cr(III) through heat treatment may be a useful detoxification method. After heating at 500, 900, 1000, and 1100 °C for 4 h, the transformation of chemical states of chromium on 105 °C-dried, 7.9% Cr(VI)-doped TiO₂ powders was studied on the basis of surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra. It was shown that Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III) in the Cr(VI)-doped samples after heating within 500–900 °C. The present results also suggested that the chromium octahedral was bridged to the titanium tetrahedral and was incorporated in TiO₂ minerals formed after 1000 °C treatment.