Assessment of sunflower germplasm for phytoremediation of lead-polluted soil and production of seed oil and seed meal for human and animal consumption

Phytoremediation is a valuable technology for mitigating soil contamination in agricultural lands, but phytoremediation without economic revenue is unfeasible for land owners and farmers. The use of crops with high biomass and bioenergy for phytoremediation is a unique strategy to derive supplementary benefits along with remediation activities. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a high-biomass crop that can be used for the phytoremediation of polluted lands with additional advantages (biomass and oil). In this study, 40 germplasms of sunflower were screened in field conditions for phytoremediation with the possibility for oil and meal production. The study was carried out to the physiological maturity stage. All studied germplasms mopped up substantial concentrations of Pb, with maximum amounts in shoot?>?root?>?seed respectively. The phytoextraction efficiency of the germplasm was assessed in terms of the Transfer factor (TF), Metal removal efficiency (MRE) and Metal extraction ratio (MER). Among all assessed criteria, GP.8585 was found to be most appropriate for restoring moderately Pb-contaminated soil accompanied with providing high biomass and high yield production. The Pb content in the oil of GP.8585 was below the Food safety standard of China, with 59.5% oleic acid and 32.1% linoleic acid. Moreover, amino acid analysis in meal illustrated significant differences among essential and non-essential amino acids. Glutamic acid was found in the highest percentage (22.4%), whereas cysteine in the lowest percentage (1.3%). Therefore, its efficient phytoextraction ability and good quality edible oil and meal production makes GP.8585 the most convenient sunflower germplasm for phytoremediation of moderately Pb-contaminated soil, with fringe benefits to farmers and landowners.     

石化企业液化石油气装卸系统存在的问题及治理

按照有关法规、标准,系统分析了目前部分石油化工企业液化石油气装车系统存在的一些主要共性问题,以及由此可能引发的泄漏和火灾爆炸事故,并有针对性提出了治理办法。     

Managed grassland alters soil N dynamics and N2O emissions in temperate steppe

Reclamation of degraded grasslands as managed grasslands has been increasingly accelerated in recent years in China. Land use change affects soil nitrogen(N) dynamics and nitrous oxide(N_2O) emissions. However, it remains unclear how large-scale grassland reclamation will impact the grassland ecosystem as a whole. Here, we investigated the effects of the conversion from native to managed grasslands on soil N dynamics and N_2O emissions by field experiments in Hulunber in northern China. Soil(0–10 cm), nitrate(NO_3~-),ammonium(NH_4~+), and microbial N were measured in plots in a temperate steppe(Leymus chinensis grassland) and two managed grasslands(Medicago sativa and Bromus inermis grasslands) in 2011 and 2012. The results showed conversion of L. chinensis grassland to M.sativa or B. inermis grasslands decreased concentrations of NO_3~–-N, but did not change NH_4~–N . Soil microbial N was slightly decreased by the conversion of L. chinensis grassland to M.sativa, but increased by the conversion to B. inermis. The conversion of L. chinensis grassland to M. sativa(i.e., a legume grass) increased N_2O emissions by 26.2%, while the conversion to the B. inermis(i.e., a non-legume grass) reduced N_2O emissions by 33.1%. The conversion from native to managed grasslands caused large created variations in soil NO?3~-+–N and NH_4~–N concentrations. Net N mineralization rates did not change significantly in growing season or vegetation type, but to net nitrification rate. These results provide evidence on how reclamation may impact the grassland ecosystem in terms of N dynamics and N_2O emissions.     

含铝酸性农药废水合成聚合硫酸铝混凝剂

采用农药三唑醇生产过程中产生的含铝酸性废水为原料,合成了聚合硫酸铝(PAS)液体混凝剂,并用于厂区污水站好氧池出水的混凝处理。考察了碱化剂用量、聚合温度、聚合时间等合成条件及PAS加入量、混凝pH等混凝条件对混凝效果的影响,并比较了PAS与商售聚合氯化铝(PAC)的混凝效果。实验结果表明:在n(碱化剂)∶n(硫酸铝)为2.1∶1、聚合温度为80℃、聚合时间为60 min的条件下,所得PAS液体混凝剂产品的w(Al2O3)为7.8%~9.0%,盐基度为45%~60%,pH为3.5~4.0,产量为0.75 t/t(以废水计);在PAS加入量为2.0 m L/L、混凝pH为10.0时,COD和SS的去除率则分别达到14.6%和83.0%;该PAS可替代厂区常规使用的商售PAC,日节约废水处理成本5 922元。     

基于UNMIX模型对大气降雨中水溶性离子来源解析

对洛杉矾2005年1月至2015年1月的降水数据进行了分析,并通过UNMIX模型对降水中的无机离子成分进行了来源解析.结果表明,洛杉矶降水的pH均值为4.84,表现为轻度污染的弱酸性水平;降水的污染来源主要有3个,分别是二次污染源(50％)、海洋传输源(43％)、燃煤源及生物质燃烧源(7％);降水中离子解析结果与洛杉矶地区细颗粒物污染来源解析结果有较好的一致性,表明在细颗粒物化学成分缺失的情况下,降水离子可在一定程度上反应污染来源解析.     

An empirical research on the determinants of Chinese college students’ carbon label cognition and interpersonal communication willingness

Carbon labels are innovative medium and tools for climate change communication and low-carbon marketing. This study aims at examining how college students are aware of low-carbon and carbon labels, whether they are more willing to communicate low-carbon ideas, and also the determinants affecting their interpersonal communication of carbon labels. The multiple regression analysis shows that Chinese college students’ willingness of interpersonal communication of carbon labels are significantly influenced by their awareness of climate change crisis, the perceived value of carbon labels, the consideration of product environmental attributes, the preferences of carbon labels, the household background, and their educational background. In response to these factors, this paper proposes, in a public perspective, the strategies to enhance the dissemination of carbon labels.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cochlodinium polykrikoides</Emphasis> blooms and clonal isolates from the northwest Atlantic coast cause rapid mortality in larvae of multiple bivalve species

Globally, many commercial bivalve populations have declined in recent decades. In addition to overharvesting and habitat loss, the increasing frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are likely to contribute to bivalve losses, particularly in cases where blooms negatively impact larval stages. This paper reports on the lethal effects of clonal cultures and blooms of Cochlodinium polykrikoides from the US Atlantic coast on the larvae of three species of commercially and ecologically valuable bivalves: the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), the bay scallop (Argopecten irradians), and the Northern quahog (hard clam; Mercenaria mercenaria). Both cultures and blooms of C. polykrikoides were highly toxic to all three species of bivalve larvae causing 80–100% mortality during 24- to 72-h exposures at concentrations of 1–2 × 10³ cells ml⁻¹. Toxicity was dependent on cell densities, growth stage of C. polykrikoides (i.e. cultures in exponential stage growth were more toxic than later stages), exposure time of larvae to cells (i.e. longer exposure caused higher mortality), the age of larvae (i.e. younger larvae were more sensitive), and the relative abundance of C. polykrikoides (i.e. the presence of other microalgae decreased toxicity). Free radical-scavenging enzymes (peroxidase and catalase) and the removal of C. polykrikoides cells (i.e. culture filtrate) significantly increased larval survival suggesting toxicity is maximized by contact with live cells and may involve labile toxins bound by these compounds including e.g. reactive oxygen species. The toxicity of C. polykrikoides to bivalve larvae was generally more severe than other HAB species (e.g. Karenia brevis, Karlodinium veneficum, Alexandrium tamarense, Prorocentrum minimum). Since the bivalves in this study spawn in the months when C. polykrikoides blooms on the east coast of North America, these results suggest that these blooms may have detrimental effects on efforts to restore these already diminished populations.     

Accelerated photo-transformation of 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153) in water by dissolved organic matter

The ubiquitous dissolved organic matter (DOM) has an important influence on transformation of organic contaminants through the production of reactive substances, such as ^?OH, ¹O₂, and ³DOM*. The photolysis of a higher chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener (2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl, PCB 153) under simulated sunlight in presence of humic acid (HA) was investigated. Degradation of PCB 153 was accelerated significantly by the addition of HA, with a rate constant of 0.0214, 0.0413, and 0.0358 h^?1 in the initial 18 h of irradiation in presence of 1, 5, and 20 mg/L HA, respectively. The main photodegradation products analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry were 4-hydroxy-2,2′,4′,5,5′-pentaCB and 2,4,5-trichlorobenzoic acid. Main reactive species involved were determined by the electron spin-resonance spectroscopy, including ¹O₂ and ^?OH. Special scavengers were added to elucidate the photolysis mechanisms. By using the specific scavengers, it turned out that ^?OH accounted for 29.3 % of the degradation, and the intra-DOM reactive species (¹O₂, ^?OH, and ³DOM*) accounted for 59.6 % of the degradation. Photo-transformation sensitized by DOM, which involves both aqueous and intra-DOM reactions of PCBs with reactive species, may be one of the most important mechanisms for natural attenuation of PCBs.     

关注法律责任《防震减灾法》解读

2．危害地震观测环境。地震前兆信息是弱信号信息，必须采用精密仪器设备来捕获地球物理场、地壳形变场、地应力场、地球化学场等的变化信息；同时．记录地震波的仪器也要求有足够的精确度，以便识别并分离出来自地球深部的更多信息，这就要求地震监测仪器本身具有很高的抗十扰能力，更重要的是在地震监测设施周围一定范围内不得有影响其工作效能的干扰源存在．     

Preparation of various thiol-functionalized carbon-based materials for enhanced removal of mercury from aqueous solution

In this work, biochar (BC), activated carbon (AC), and graphene oxide (GO) were thiol-functionalized using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-MPTS) (named as BCS, ACS, and GOS, respectively). BCS, ACS, and GOS were synthesized mainly via the interaction between hydrolyzed 3-MPTS and surface oxygen-containing functional groups (e.g., –OH, O–C=O, and C=O) and π-π interaction. The materials before and after modification were characterized and tested for mercury removal, including sorption kinetics and isotherms, the effects of adsorbent dosage, initial pH, and ionic strength. Pseudo-second-order sorption kinetic model (R² = 0.992~1.000) and Langmuir sorption isotherm model (R² = 0.964~0.998) fitted well with the sorption data of mercury. GOS had the most –SH groups with the largest adsorption capacity for Hg²⁺ and CH₃Hg⁺ (449.6 and 127.5 mg/g), followed by ACS (235.7 and 86.7 mg/g) and BCS (175.6 and 30.3 mg/g), which were much larger than GO (96.7 and 4.9 mg/g), AC (81.1 and 24.6 mg/g), and BC (95.6 and 9.4 mg/g). GOS and ACS showed stable mercury adsorption properties at a wide pH range (2~9) and ionic strength (0.01~0.1 mol/L). Mercury maybe removed by ligand exchange, surface complexation, and electrostatic attraction.