Interspecific competition effects on phosphorus accumulation by Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria natans

The competition between submersed plants has been recognized as an important factor influencing the structure of plant communities in shallow lakes. The ability of different species to take up and store nutrients from the surrounding ambience varies, and hence plant community structure might be expected to affect the cycling of nutrients in lake ecosystems. In this study, the uptake of phosphorus by Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria natans was studied and compared in monoculture and competitive mixed-culture plantings. Results showed that for both studied species the phosphorus concentrations of different tissues and of whole plants was unaffected by competition. However, the quantity of phosphorus accumulated by whole plants of H. verticillata was significantly higher in mixture culture than in monoculture, while that of V. natans was lower in the mixed culture. The results indicated that H. verticillata has a competitive advantage over V. natans, when the two species are grown in competition, and is able to accumulate a greater quantity of phosphorus.     

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.     

Source attributions of heavy metals in rice plant along highway in Eastern China

Air and soil pollution from traffic has been considered as a critical issue to crop production and food safety, however, few efforts have been paid on distinguish the source origin of traffic-related contaminants in rice plant along highway. Therefore, we investigated metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn and Cu) concentrations and stable Pb isotope ratios in rice plants exposed and unexposed to highway traffic pollution in Eastern China in 2008. Significant differences in metals concentrations between the exposed and unexposed plants existed in leaf for Pb, Cd and Zn, in stem only for Zn, and in grain for Pb and Cd. About 46% of Pb and 41% of Cd in the grain were attributed to the foliar uptake from atmosphere, and there were no obvious contribution of atmosphere to the accumulations of Cr, Zn and Cu in grain. Except for Zn, all of the heavy metals in stem were attributed to the root uptake from soil, although significant accumulations of Pb and Cd from atmosphere existed in leaf. This indicated that different processes existed in the subsequent translocation of foliar-absorbed heavy metals between rice organs. The distinct separation of stable Pb isotope ratios among rice grain, leaf, stem, soil and vehicle exhaust further provided evidences on the different pathways of heavy metal accumulation in rice plant. These results suggested that further more attentions should be paid to the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals from traffic emission when plan crop layout for food safety along highway.     

Modeling assessment for ammonium nitrogen recovery from wastewater by chemical precipitation

Chemical precipitation to form magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) is an effective technology for recovering ammonium nitrogen (NH4 +-N). In the present research, we investigated the thermodynamic modeling of the PHREEQC program for NH4 +-N recovery to evaluate the effect of reaction factors on MAP precipitation. The case study of NH4 +-N recovery from coking wastewater was conducted to provide a comparison. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to assist in understanding the relative significance of reaction factors and the interactive effects of solution conditions. Thermodynamic modeling indicated that the saturation index (SI) of MAP followed a polynomial function of pH. The SI of MAP increased logarithmically with the Mg2+/NH4 + molar ratio (Mg/N) and the initial NH4 +-N concentration (CN), respectively, while it decreased with an increase in Ca2+/NH4 + and CO3 2??/NH4 + molar ratios (Ca/N and CO3 2??/N), respectively. The trends for NH4 +-N removal at different pH and Mg/N levels were similar to the thermodynamic modeling predictions. The RSM analysis indicated that the factors including pH, Mg/N, CN, Ca/N, (Mg/N) (CO3 2??/N), (pH)2, (Mg/N)2, and (CN)2 were significant. Response surface plots were useful for understanding the interaction effects on NH4 +-N recovery.     

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.     

Sedimentary record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Lake Erhai, Southwest China

The temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in a sediment core from Lake Erhal in Southwest China using gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method.The total organic carbon (TOC) normalized total PAHs concentrations (sum of US Environmental Protection Agency proposed 16 priority PAHs) ranged from 31.9 to 269 μg/g dry weight (dw),and were characterized by a slowly increasing stage in the deeper sediments and a sharp increasing stage in the upper sediments.The PAHs in the sediments were dominated by low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs,suggesting that the primary source of PAHs was low- and moderate temperature combustion processes.However,both the significant increase in high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in the upper sediments and the vertical profile of diagnostic ratios pointed out a change in the sources of PAHs from low-temperature combustion to high-temperature combustion.The ecotoxicological assessment based on consensus-based sediment quality guidelines implied that potential adverse biological impacts were possible for benzo(ghi)perylenelene and most LMW PAHs.In addition,the total BaP equivalent quotient of seven carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BaA,CHr,BbF,BkF,BaP,DBA and INP) was 106.1 ng/g,according to the toxic equivalency factors.Although there was no great biological impact associated with the HMW PAlls,great attention should be paid to these PAH components based on their rapid increase in the upper sediments.     

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.     

Identification of odorous compounds in reclaimed water using FPA combined with sensory GC-MS

Odorous compounds in the influent of a reclaimed water treatment plant (RWTP), consisting of coagulation, sedimentation, continuous micro-filtration (CMF), and chlorination in succession, in a north China city, were identified by combining flavor profile analysis (FPA) with sensory gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The sewery/swampy/septic odor with an odor intensity of 6.4 was found to be the major odor group in the RWTP influent, and the existence of well-known odorant including dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, indole and skatole were confirmed using GC-MS. The result of a spiking test showed that the intensity (3.6) of the sewery/swampy/septic odor caused by these four chemicals contributed to over 50% of the odor intensity of the influent. The FPA intensity for sewery/swampy/septic odor in the RWTP effluent was 3.8, showing that the treatment process was not efficient for the removal of odorants, particularly indole and skatole.     

Roles of manganese oxides in degradation of phenol under UV-Vis irradiation: Adsorption, oxidation, and photocatalysis

The effect of crystal structure on photocatalytic activities of manganese oxides and underlying reaction mechanism were investigated.     

Visible light responsive N-F-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol

Visible light responsive N-F-codoped TiO₂ photocatalysts exhibit a higher catalytic activity than N-doped TiO₂ for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol due to the synergistic effect of nonmetal elements.