Recovery of zinc and lead from fly ash from ash-melting and gasification-melting processes of MSW--comparison and applicability of chemical leaching methods

Fly ash generated from MSW ash-melting and gasification-melting plants, known as Melting Furnace Fly Ash (MFA), contains considerable amounts of heavy metals such as Pb and Zn. These metals can be recovered using a smelting furnace after "pre-treatment" for removal of unnecessary elements such as Cl, Sn and Si. Chemical methods have been studied for pretreatment in the past. However, they have been discussed only with regard to treatment cost and the concentration of Pb and Zn recovered, but neither applicability to various types of MFA nor the environmental impact have been considered. In this study, acid, alkaline and ammonia/chloride leaching methods were compared from the standpoints of: (1) applicability to MFA, (2) concentration of Pb and Zn recovered, (3) treatment cost, and (4) environmental impact. Twenty-three samples of MFAs were collected and classified into 4 types based on element contents. A Pb and Zn recovery experiment was conducted for the representative MFA of those types. The results showed: (1) MFA from gasification-melting plants cannot be treated by chemical methods; (2) the other MFA can be treated to an acceptable quality by existing smelting furnaces; (3) only MFA from electric resistance ash-melting plants can be treated easily by the water washing method; and (4) alkaline and ammonia/chloride leaching methods were more effective than acid leaching.     

Trace element speciation in poultry litter

Trace elements are added to poultry feed for disease prevention and enhanced feed efficiency. High concentrations are found in poultry litter (PL), which raises concerns regarding trace element loading of soils. Trace metal cation solubility from PL may be enhanced by complexation with dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Mineralization of organo-As compounds may result in more toxic species such as As(III) and As(V). Speciation of these elements in PL leachates should assist in predicting their fate in soil. Elemental concentrations of 40 PL samples from the southeastern USA were determined. Water-soluble extractions (WSE) were fractionated into hydrophobic, anionic, and cationic species with solid-phase extraction columns. Arsenic speciation of seven As species, including the main As poultry feed additives, roxarsone (ROX; 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) and p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA; 4-aminophenylarsonic acid), was performed by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). Total As concentrations in the litter varied from 1 to 39 mg kg(-1), averaging 16 mg kg(-1). Mean total Cu, Ni, and Zn concentrations were 479, 11, and 373 mg kg(-1), respectively. Copper and Ni were relatively soluble (49 and 41% respectively) while only 6% of Zn was soluble. Arsenic was highly soluble with an average of 71% WSE. Roxarsone was the major As species in 50% of PL samples. However, the presence of As(V) as the major species in 50% of the PL samples indicates that mineralization of ROX had occurred. The high solubility of As from litter and its apparent ready mineralization to inorganic forms coupled with the large quantity of litter that is annually land-applied in the USA suggests a potential detrimental effect on soil and water quality in the long term.     

Major and trace elements of selected pedons in the USA

Few studies of soil geochemistry over large geographic areas exist, especially studies encompassing data from major pedogenic horizons that evaluate both native concentrations of elements and anthropogenically contaminated soils. In this study, pedons (n = 486) were analyzed for trace (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and major (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Si, Ti, Zr) elements, as well as other soil properties. The objectives were to (i) determine the concentration range of selected elements in a variety of U.S. soils with and without known anthropogenic additions, (ii) illustrate the association of elemental source and content by assessing trace elemental content for several selected pedons, and (iii) evaluate relationships among and between elements and other soil properties. Trace element concentrations in the non-anthropogenic dataset (NAD) were in the order Mn > (Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu) > (Pb, Co) > (Cd, Hg), with greatest mean total concentrations for the Andisol order. Geometric means by horizon indicate that trace elements are concentrated in surface and/or B horizons over C horizons. Median values for trace elements are significantly higher in surface horizons of the anthropogenic dataset (AD) over the NAD. Total Al, Fe, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic C, pH, and clay exhibit significant correlations (0.56, 0.74, 0.50, 0.31, 0.16, and 0.30, respectively) with total trace element concentrations of all horizons of the NAD. Manganese shows the best inter-element correlation (0.33) with these associated total concentrations. Total Fe has one of the strongest relationships, explaining 55 and 30% of the variation in total trace element concentrations for all horizons in the NAD and AD, respectively.     

Evaluating Infiltration Requirements for New Development Using Extreme Storm Transposition: A Case Study from Dane County,WI

Changes in land use and extreme rainfall trends can lead to increased flood vulnerability in many parts of the world, especially for urbanized watersheds. This study investigates the performance of existing stormwater management strategies for the Upper Yahara watershed in Dane County, WI to determine whether they are adequate to protect urban and suburban development from an extreme rainfall. Using extreme storm transposition, we model the performance of the stormwater infiltration practices required for new development under current county ordinances. We find during extreme rainfall the volume of post‐development runoff from impervious surfaces from a typical site would increase by over 55% over pre‐development conditions. We recommend the ordinance be strengthened to reduce vulnerability to flooding from future urban expansion and the likely increase in the magnitude and frequency of extreme storms.     

Spatiotemporal variability of wet atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina

Excessive nitrogen (N) loading to N-sensitive waters such as the Neuse River estuary (North Carolina) has been shown to promote changes in microbial and algal community composition and function (harmful algal blooms), hypoxia and anoxia, and fish kills. Previous studies have estimated that wet atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (WAD-N), as deposition of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN: NO3-, NH3/NH4+) and dissolved organic nitrogen, may contribute at least 15% of the total externally supplied or "new" N flux to the coastal waters of North Carolina. In a 3-yr study from June 1996 to June 1999, we calculated the weekly wet deposition of inorganic and organic N at eleven sites on a northwest-southeast transect in the watershed. The annual mean total (wet DIN + wet organics) WAD-N flux for the Neuse River watershed was calculated to be 956 mg N/m2/yr (15026 Mg N/yr). Seasonally, the spring (March-May) and summer (June-August) months contain the highest total weekly N deposition; this pattern appears to be driven by N concentration in precipitation. There is also spatial variability in WAD-N deposition; in general, the upper portion of the watershed receives the lowest annual deposition and the middle portion of the watershed receives the highest deposition. Based on a range of watershed N retention and in-stream riverine processing values, we estimate that this flux contributes approximately 24% of the total "new" N flux to the estuary.     

南海高温高压含CO2气井管柱腐蚀适用性评价

目的 明确南海高温高压含CO2气井管柱材料腐蚀适用性,指导现场管柱材料选择.方法 采用高温高压釜腐蚀实验仪器对井筒高温高压环境条件下不同材料腐蚀速率进行实验分析,并采用扫描电镜及能谱分析仪对腐蚀实验后试样腐蚀形貌进行分析,评价不同井筒环境下管柱材料腐蚀适用性.结果 150℃条件下,材料腐蚀速率随分压的增加而增大,同时随...     

水热变化对三峡水库消落带紫色土有机碳矿化的影响

通过野外采样和室内模拟培养试验,研究水热变化对三峡水库消落带紫色土有机碳(SOC)矿化的影响.试验共设3个培养温度(10、20和30℃)和4个水分梯度[40%田间持水量(WHC)、70%WHC、100%WHC和淹水].在66 d培养期内,SOC累积矿化量表现为100%WHC处理下的最大,但与淹水之间差异不显著(P0.05).10℃和20℃时,100%WHC和淹水下的SOC累积矿化量与70%WHC无明显差异,但要显著高于40%WHC,而30℃时100%WHC和淹水下的累积矿化量则要显著高于70%WHC和40%WHC(P0.05),这表明相较于70%WHC的水分处理,高水分(100%WHC和淹水)对SOC矿化无抑制效应甚至在高温(30℃)下有促进作用.在相同水分条件下,消落带紫色土SOC累积矿化量均随培养温度升高而增加.另外,方差分析可知,温度和水分均能显著影响消落带紫色土SOC的累积矿化量,且二者有明显交互效应(P0.05).双库一级矿化动力学模型拟合结果表明,水分和温度通过影响消落带紫色土易分解有机碳含量和难分解有机碳的矿化速率,致使各处理之间SOC累积矿化量存在差异,其中高温条件下水分影响最为突出.随着温度的升高,低水分(40%WHC)下消落带紫色土SOC矿化的温度敏感性显著下降,而在土壤含水量≥70%WHC下则无明显变化.     

Comparison of quartz sand, anthracite, shale and biological ceramsite for adsorptive removal of phosphorus from aqueous solution

The choice of substrates with high phosphorus adsorption capacity is vital for sustainable phosphorus removal from waste water in constructed wetlands. In this study, four substrates were used： quartz sand, anthracite, shale and biological ceramsite. These substrate samples were characterized by X- ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy studies for their mineral components （chemical components） and surface characteristics. The dynamic experimental results revealed the following ranking order for total phosphorus （TP） removal efficiency： anthracite 〉 biological ceramsite 〉 shale 〉 quartz sand. The adsorptive removal capacities for TP using anthracite, biological ceramsite, shale and quartz sand were 85.87, 81.44, 59.65, and 55.98 mg/kg, respectively. Phosphorus desorption was also studied to analyze the substrates＇ adsorption efficiency in wastewater treatment as well as the substrates＇ ability to be reused for treatment. It was noted that the removal performance for the different forms of phosphorus was dependent on the nature of the substrate and the adsorption mechanism. A comparative analysis showed that the removal of particulate phosphorus was much easier using shale. Whereas anthracite had the highest soluble reactive phosphorus （SRP） adsorptive capacity, biological ceramsite had the highest dissolved organic phosphorus （DOP） removal capacity. Phosphorus removal by shale and biological ceramsite was mainly through chemical adsorption, precipitation or biological adsorption. On the other hand, phosphorus removal through physical adsorption （electrostatic attraction or ion exchange） was dominant in anthracite and quartz sand.     

海水鱼类网箱养殖的环境效应及多营养层次的综合养殖

海水鱼类网箱养殖是世界主要渔业国家(如挪威、日本等)广泛开展的一种高密度、集约化的养鱼方式,这种养殖方式在给广大从业者带来巨大经济、社会效益的同时,对环境也造成了不可忽视的负面影响。开展多营养层次的综合养殖(IMTA)是缓解这一环境压力的有效途径,鱼类养殖过程中释放出的二氧化碳、氮、磷等物质,由无机提取单元(大型藻类)来吸收,粪便和残饵等微小颗粒则成为有机提取单元(滤食性贝类)的饵料,较大的颗粒物质沉到海底后,可以为腐食性单元(海参等)提供食物,通过这种养殖模式,最大限度地实现系统内营养物质的高效利用,在减轻养殖对环境压力的同时,使系统具有较高的容纳量和食物产出能力。