Metabolites of the phenylurea herbicides chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron produced by the soil fungus Mortierella sp.

Phenylurea herbicides are used worldwide, and often pollute surface- and groundwater in concentrations exceeding the limit value for drinking water (0.1 μg l⁻¹). Bacteria degrade phenylurea herbicides by successive N-dealkylation to substituted aniline products. Little is known about the corresponding fungal pathways, however. We here report degradation of chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron by the soil fungus Mortierella sp. Gr4. Degradation was fastest with linuron and resulted in successively dealkylated metabolites and 3,4-dichloroaniline. A major new metabolite was detected that has not yet been fully identified. Thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that it is a non-aromatic diol. Degradation of isoproturon, chlorotoluron and diuron involved successive N-demethylation and, in the case of isoproturon and chlorotoluron, additional hydroxylation. A new hydroxylated isoproturon metabolite was detected. The study thus shows that the fungal pathways differ from the bacterial pathways and yield new metabolites of possible environmental concern.     

Studies of potential sources that contributed to atmospheric mercury in Toronto,Canada

This study identified sources of mercury (Hg) in downtown Toronto, Canada by analyzing gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), mercury associated with particles with sizes less than 2.5 microns (PHg < 2.5), and gaseous oxidized inorganic mercury (GOIM), commonly referred to as reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and air pollutants (CO, NO_x, O₃, PM_2.5, SO₂) concentrations between Dec 2003 and Nov 2004. The data were analyzed using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), ratio analysis, back trajectories, and correlation analyses. The analyses suggest industrial sources (chemical production, metal production, sewage treatment), rather than coal combustion, were the major contributors to measured Hg levels. Overlap in source profiles for the Hg sources listed in the Canadian National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI) and lack of source profiles for urban sources were the major limitations to positively identifying sources from the PMF and PCA factors. Correlation analyses revealed direct emissions were the sources of GOIM in spring, summer, and fall, and the occurrence of GEM oxidation by ozone in the summer. Elevated Hg events are attributed to emissions from urban sources near the sampling site, regional point sources, and photochemical processes involving ozone.     

SBR降解动力学研究

采用SBR工艺处理有机废水,在已有工艺条件下对生物降解动力学进行了研究,得出生物降解反应为一级反应。研究表明,用Monod公式能较好反映出有机物的降解规律,确定了其动力学参数V_max=14.6306 d^-1,K_s=83.2993 mg/L,得出SBR降解动力学模型为V=14.6306X·S/(83.2993+S)。利用以动力学为基础的动态模拟法优化SBR工艺,实验结果表明该方法合理可行,对SBR的设计与运行有一定的指导作用,可作为SBR反应器扩大实验和设计的依据。     

炭纤维载体固定床厌氧发酵启动运行效果实验

以开发高效率、抗冲击性能强的高浓度有机废水沼气发酵技术为目的,用传统的 UASB反应器作为对照,研究了以炭纤维为生物膜载体的固定床厌氧反应器的启动运行效果。反应器进口废水 COD 为 5 000 mg/L, 水力停留时间 (HRT) 由213 h 逐步缩短为35 h,进水有机容积负荷(OLR)由0.56 kg COD/ (m³·d)提到3.45 kg COD/(m³·d)。结果表明,固定床反应器厌氧发酵的效率比对照高,出水 pH 值也比对照稳定;运行到第 50 d 时,固定床厌氧反应器和对照的 COD去除率分别由第 7 d 的36.56%和33.58%上升到87.9%和62.6%;固定床厌氧反应器的容积比产气率最高为1.16 m³/(m³·d),累计产气量为415.59 L,而对照的容积比产气率最高值仅为0.31 m³ /(m³·d),累计产气量为 71.66 L,前者最高容积比产气率和累计产气量分别是后者的3.74倍和5.78倍。固定床厌氧反应器的启动速度、COD 去除率和产甲烷效率显著地高于对照反应器。     

负载壳聚糖膨润土的制备及其吸附性能的影响

以天然膨润土和壳聚糖为原料,制得一种新型水处理剂——负载壳聚糖膨润土,研究了制备条件对酸性大红印染废水处理效果的影响。实验表明,当壳聚糖的浓度为30 g/L、膨润土质量与壳聚糖溶液体积之比为0.7、浸泡时间80 min、微烘时间15 min时,壳聚糖改性膨润土对酸性大红印染废水的脱色率可达97%。对改性土进行比表面积测定、电镜扫描及X-射线衍射等结构特性分析,证明壳聚糖的引入改变了膨润土在水中的分散状态,增强了其对污染物的吸附和离子交换能力。     

固定化啤酒废酵母对Cr(VI)的吸附

用2%海藻酸钠与1%明胶混合作为包埋剂固定啤酒废酵母,研究固定化啤酒废酵母对Cr(Ⅳ)的吸附特性.结果表明,固定化啤酒废酵母吸附Cr(Ⅵ)受吸附时间、起始pH、固定化菌体浓度、cr(Ⅵ)起始浓度及共存离子等因素的影响.确定固定化啤酒废酵母对Cr(Ⅵ)最佳吸附条件为:pH 2,Cr(Ⅵ)起始浓度100 mg/L,固定化菌体浓度2 g/L,吸附90 min.此条件下Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附率可达96.8%.Pd2+等并存离子可抑制固定化啤酒废酵母对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附.用1 mol/L盐酸洗脱固定化啤酒废酵母所吸附的Cr(Ⅵ)3 h,解吸率为93.6%.     

壳聚糖复合絮凝剂处理造纸废水的实验研究

研究并考察了壳聚糖复合絮凝剂对造纸污水中COD和SS的絮凝效果,结果表明,当复合絮凝剂的配方和处理条件为：聚合硫酸铁（PFS）60 mg/L聚丙烯酰胺（PAM）2 mg/L壳聚糖（CTS）0.4 mg/L,pH为7.5时,其絮凝效果最佳,此时它对水中COD与SS的去除率分别达到57.4%和97.6%, 与传统絮凝剂PAC/PAM相比,COD与SS的去除率分别提高了10.1%和5.2%,药剂成本下降了21.1%,具有明显的经济效益与环境效益。     

Batch sorption dynamics and equilibrium for the removal of lead ions from aqueous phase using activated carbon developed from coffee residue activated with zinc chloride

Lignocellulosic materials are good precursors for the production of activated carbon. In this work, coffee residue has been used as raw material in the preparation of powder activated carbon by the method of chemical activation with zinc chloride for the sorption of Pb(II) from dilute aqueous solutions.The influence of impregnation ratio (ZnCl₂/coffee residue) on the physical and chemical properties of the prepared carbons was studied in order to optimize this parameter. The optimum experimental condition for preparing predominantly microporous activated carbons with high pore surface area (890 m²/g) and micropore volume (0.772 cm³/g) is an impregnation ratio of 100%. The developed activated carbon shows substantial capability to sorb lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions and for relative impregnation ratios of 75 and 100%, the maximum uptake is practically the same. Thus, 75% represents the optimal impregnation ratio.Batch experiments were conducted to study the effects of the main parameters such as contact time, initial concentration of Pb(II), solution pH, ionic strength and temperature. The maximum uptake of lead(II) at 25 °C was about 63 mg/g of adsorbent at pH 5.8, initial Pb(II) concentration of 10 mg/L, agitation speed of 200 rpm and ionic strength of 0.005 M. The kinetic data were fitted to the models of pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order, and follow closely the pseudo-second order model. Equilibrium sorption isotherms of Pb(II) were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The Freundlich model gives a better fit than the others.Results from this study suggest that activated carbon produced from coffee residue is an effective adsorbent for the removal of lead from aqueous solutions and that ZnCl₂ is a suitable activating agent for the preparation of high-porosity carbons.     

Application of lime and calcium hypochlorite in the dephenolisation and discolouration of olive mill wastewater

The application of hypochlorite for the removal of soluble COD, phenolic and polyphenolic like compounds, and other organic compounds responsible for the olive mill wastewater (OOWW) colour has been experimentally studied. After the OOWW filtration on a sand column, the effluent was subjected to a fast liming under optimal conditions. Lime application reduced polyphenols, COD and SS contents to half of their initial values but an important blackening of the treated OOWW was observed, especially when adding high concentrations of lime (10% (W/V) and 15% (W/V)).A second stage of treatment was applied using calcium hypochlorite. In this stage, removal of the studied compounds reached as much as 95% at higher concentrations, and particularly the colouring of OOWW which is generally difficult to eliminate was greatly reduced. The OOWW hypochloration acted through coagulation–flocculation and a rapid oxidation of the organic matter proceeded from the first 5 min. The kinetic study of the degradation of the waste polluting compounds from liming showed that Ca(ClO)₂ reacts similarly in the elimination of organic compounds, polyphenols, SS and colouration. The analysis of the organochloride compounds generated by the reaction between hypochlorite and the organic compounds showed that DDD, DDT and the heptachlor contents exceeded the values recommended by the International and European drinking water standards.     

From land cover change to land function dynamics: a major challenge to improve land characterization

Land cover change has always had a central role in land change science. This central role is largely the result of the possibilities to map and characterize land cover based on observations and remote sensing. This paper argues that more attention should be given to land use and land functions and linkages between these. Consideration of land functions that provide a wide range of goods and services makes more integrated assessments of land change possible. The increasing attention to multifunctional land use is another incentive to develop methods to assess changes in land functions. A number of methods to quantify and map the spatial extent of land use and land functions are discussed and the implications for modeling are identified based on recent model approaches in land change science. The mixed use of land cover, land use and land function in maps and models leads to inconsistencies in land change assessments. Explicit attention to the non-linear relations between land cover, land use and land function is essential to consistently address land change. New methods to map and quantify land function dynamics will enhance our ability to understand and model land system change and adequately inform policies and planning.