Effects of the type of sintering atmosphere on the chromium leachability of thermal-treated municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash

The sintering process offers an opportunity to combine detoxification and resource recovery for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator fly ash. However, the chromium (Cr) in the sintered fly ash becomes more readily leachable with increasing sintering time and temperature, thus posing severe threats to the environment and human health when the sintered ash is recycled or reused. This study investigated the enhanced leachability of fly ash containing Cr, by heating the chromium (III) oxide (Cr2O3)-spiked fly ash to 800 degrees C in atmospheres containing air, nitrogen gas (N2), and 5% H2 + 95% N2, respectively. The results indicated that trivalent chromium was converted to its soluble hexavalent form during sintering in the air atmosphere; whereas sintering in a nitrogen atmosphere significantly reduced the leachability of Cr due to lack of oxygen (O2) to oxidize. The effects of the sintering temperature on the total chromium content and the leaching concentration in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) extract are also discussed.     

Cement solidification of simulated off-gas condensates from vitrification of low-level nuclear waste solutions

Solidification in a cementitious matrix is a viable alternative for low-level nuclear waste management; it is therefore important to understand the behavior and properties of such wasteforms. We have examined the cementitious solidification of simulated off-gas waste streams resulting from the vitrification of low-level nuclear waste. Different possible methods for scrubbing the off-gasses from a vitrifier give rise to three possible types of waste compositions: acidic (from aqueous dissolution of volatile NOx and POx carried over from the vitrifier), basic (from neutralizing the former with sodium hydroxide), and fully carbonated (arising from a direct-combustion vitrifier). Six binder compositions were tested in which ordinary Portland cement was replaced at different proportions by fly ash and/or ground granulated blast furnace slag. A high solution to binder ratio of 1l/1 kg was used to minimize the volume of the wasteform and 10% attapulgite clay was added to all mixes to ensure that the fresh mix did not segregate prior to setting. The 28-day compressive strengths decreased when a high proportion of cement was replaced with fly ash, but were increased significantly when the cement was replaced with slag. The heats of hydration at early age for the various solids compositions decreased when cement was replaced with either fly ash or slag; however, for the fly ash mix the low heat was also associated with a significant decrease in compressive strength. High curing temperature (60 degrees C) or the use of extra-fine slag did not significantly affect the compressive strength. Recommendations for choice of binder formulations and treatment of off-gas condensates are discussed.     

优化施肥模式对我国热带地区水稻-豇豆轮作系统N2O和CH4排放的影响

选择海南典型的水稻-豇豆轮作系统进行氧化亚氮(N_2O)和甲烷(CH_4)排放的原位监测,探究不同施肥模式下该系统土壤温室气体排放特征.试验设当地常规施肥对照(CON)、优化施肥量(OPT)、有机无机配施(ORG)、缓控肥替代优化(SCOPT)及不施氮对照(CK)共5个处理,采用静态箱-气相色谱法监测整个种植季土壤N_2O和CH_4排放,并估算增温潜势(GWP)和温室气体排放强度(GHGI).结果表明,各处理水稻季N_2O累积排放量为0. 19～1. 37 kg·hm~(-2),相较于CON处理,优化施肥处理N_2O减排50%～86%;豇豆季N_2O累积排放量为1. 29～3. 55 kg·hm~(-2),除ORG增加14%,其他处理减排16%～59%.各处理水稻季CH_4累积排放量为4. 67～14. 23 kg·hm~(-2),CK、OPT和ORG处理分别较CON增加116%、22%和102%,而SCOPT减少了29%;豇豆季CH_4累积排放量为0. 03～0. 26 kg·hm~(-2),期间出现CH_4吸收.比较两个作物季和休闲期对农田土壤直接排放的温室气体GWP的贡献率,豇豆季在CH_4排放极低的情况下,仍有44. 7%～54. 5%的占比;两种温室气体比较中,N_2O对GWP的贡献率为66. 7%～77. 2%. SCOPT处理的GWP和两季作物GHGI均显著低于CON处理.3个优化施肥处理中,SCOPT的增产减排效果最显著,为最优的施肥方案.     

无剩余污泥A／O生物接触氧化法

Ａ／Ｏ系统在７０年代开发以来，广泛应用于城市污水处理，它具有同时去除废水中碳、氨、磷的特点。１９８５年上海石化．总厂涤纶厂首先将Ａ／Ｏ法用于石化行业废水处理中，并经过实践总结出一套完整的无剩余污泥Ａ／Ｏ生物接触氧化法处理流程。本流程操作管理方便，耐冲击，氮、磷、ＣＯＤ的去除率高、能耗低，并达到了无剩余污泥。     

城市不同类型高架快速路噪声影响

参照《城市快速路设计规程》(CJJ 129—2009)并用Cadna/A软件对3种类型的城市高架快速路进行声场模拟;对高架类型、道路限速、预测点噪声值三者进行方差分析并评判高架类型对预测点噪声值的影响程度。结果表明,高架声影区只对高度低于高架且与高架距离较近的预测点影响较大,地面道路对1~2层预测点的噪声值影响较大;双层分离式在1~8层表现出更强的噪声污染性,噪声最大值出现在第6层附近,单层分离式及整体式产生的噪声最大值所在楼层数随建筑物与高架之间距离的增大而升高,单层分离式对各楼层的噪声污染程度都较小。高架类型、道路限速对噪声值的影响显著,道路交通量的大小可以改变高架类型及道路限速对于预测点噪声的效应量大小。     

How does anti-corruption affect enterprise green innovation in China’s energy-intensive industries?

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Rampant corruption exists in China’s energy-intensive industries. However, we know little about the nexus of corruption and enterprise green innovation...     

Comparison of macroinvertebrate community structure in urban (Shenzhen City) streams with typical habitat characteristics北大核心CSCD

2020年12月在深圳市城市区域典型生境特征溪流——城市山区源头溪流金龟河、国家地质公园保护区入海溪流杨梅坑河与黑臭水体治理后溪流石溪河,开展底栖动物多样性与生境质量状况取样,通过多元统计分析探明各溪流底栖动物群落结构差异及其主要环境影响因子.结果表明:(1)金龟河底质异质性(SI)最高;杨梅坑河水质最好且流态异质性(Fr)最优,石溪河水质最差且底质异质性(Fr)最低.(2)共采集鉴定大型底栖动物118个分类单元,隶属于3门6纲14目87科.水生昆虫均占绝对优势,其中金龟河67属(81.7%),杨梅坑河62属(95.4%),石溪河12属(52.2%).金龟河中底栖动物Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、改进的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度均高于杨梅坑河与石溪河.(3)金龟河的主要功能摄食类群是滤食者(45.5%),杨梅坑河(38.3%)与石溪河(58.7%)的主要功能摄食类群均为收集者.(4)冗余分析(RDA)结果显示,氨氮、海拔、湿宽、水温、溶氧、底质异质性(SI)、电导率和流态异质性(Fr)为影响深圳市溪流的大型底栖动物群落结构的主要环境因子.研究表明:(1)深圳市的山区溪流可作为深圳市生物多样性保护的重点区域.(2)在城市溪流生态系统中,水环境化学因子并非为主要影响因子,生境多样性发挥了重要作用.(图6表3参43)     

Antibiotic resistance genes in manure-amended paddy soils across eastern China: Occurrence and influencing factors

• Manure fertilization resulted in antibiotic residues and increased metal contents. • The tet and sul genes were significantly enhanced with manure fertilization. • Soil physicochemical properties contributed to 12% of the variations in ARGs. • Soil metals and antibiotics co-select for ARGs. Pig manure, rich in antibiotics and metals, is widely applied in paddy fields as a soil conditioner, triggering the proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil. However, comprehensive studies on the effects of manure fertilization on the abundance of ARGs and their influencing factors are still insufficient. Here, pig manure and manure-amended and inorganic-amended soils were collected from 11 rice-cropping regions in eastern China, and the accumulation of antibiotics, metals, and ARGs was assessed simultaneously. The results showed that manure fertilization led to antibiotic residues and increased the metal content (i.e., Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr). Tetracycline and sulfonamide resistance genes (tetM, tetO, sul1, and sul2) were also significantly enhanced with manure fertilization. According to variance partitioning analysis, the most important factors that individually influenced ARGs were soil physicochemical properties, accounting for 12% of the variation. Significant correlations between soil nutrients and ARGs indicated that manure application enhanced the growth of resistant microorganisms by supplying more nutrients. Metals and antibiotics contributed 9% and 5% to the variations in ARGs, respectively. Their co-occurrence also increased the enrichment of ARGs, as their interactions accounted for 2% of the variation in ARGs. Interestingly, Cu was significantly related to most ARGs in the soil (r = 0.26–0.52, p<0.05). Sulfapyridine was significantly related to sul2, and tetracycline resistance genes were positively related to doxycycline. This study highlighted the risks of antibiotic and ARG accumulation with manure fertilization and shed light on the essential influencing factors of ARGs in paddy soils.     

Mechanistic insight into the biofilm formation and process performance of a passive aeration ditch (PAD) for decentralized wastewater treatment

• A Passive Aeration Ditch was developed to treat decentralized wastewater. • A model was developed to describe the process performance. • A high C/N ratio facilitates microbial growth but nitrification deteriorates. • A high salinity decreases both organic and nitrogen contaminants removal. Decentralized wastewater containing elevated salinity is an emerging threat to the local environment and sanitation in remote coastal communities. Regarding the cost and treatment efficiencies, we propose a passive aeration ditch (PAD) using non-woven polyester fabric as a feasible bubbleless aerator and biofilm carrier for wastewater treatment. Consideration has been first given to PAD’s efficacy in treating saline decentralized wastewater, and then to the impact of chemical oxygen demand-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and salinity on biofilm formation. A multispecies model incorporating the salinity effect has been developed to depict the system performance and predict the microbial community. Results showed that the PAD system had great capacity for pollutants removal. The biofilm thickness increased at a higher C/N ratio because of the boost of aerobic heterotrophs and denitrifying bacteria, which consequently improved the COD and total nitrogen removal. However, this led to the deterioration of ammonia removal. Moreover, while a higher salinity benefited the biofilm growth, the contaminant removal efficiencies decreased because the salinity inhibited the activity of aerobic heterotrophs and reduced the abundance of nitrifying bacteria inside the biofilm. Based on the model simulation, feed water with salinity below 2% and C/N ratio in a range of 1 to 3 forms a biofilm that can reach relatively high organic matter and ammonia removal. These findings not only show the feasibility of PAD in treatment of saline decentralized wastewater, but also offer a systematic strategy to predict and optimize the process performance.     

Product identification and toxicity change during oxidation of methotrexate by ferrate and permanganate in water

• Oxidation of methotrexate by high-valent metal-oxo species was first explored. • Fe(VI) presented a higher reactivity to MTX than Mn(VII) at pH 8.0. • Ketonization and cleavage of peptide bond were two initial reaction pathways. • Products of MTX were not genotoxic, neurotoxic, or endocrine-disrupting chemicals. • The less biodegradable products exhibited developmental and acute/chronic toxicity. Accompanying an annual increase in cancer incidence, the global use of anticancer drugs has remarkably increased with their worldwide environmental prevalence and ecological risks. In this study, the oxidation of methotrexate (MTX), a typical anticancer drug with ubiquitous occurrence and multi-endpoint toxicity, by ferrate(VI) (Fe(VI)) and permanganate (Mn(VII))) was investigated in water. Fe(VI) exhibited a higher reactivity with MTX (93.34 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) than Mn(VII) (3.01 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) at pH 8.0. The introduction of Cu(II) and Fe(III) at 1.0 mM improved the removal efficiency of 5.0 μM MTX by 100.0 μM Fe(VI) from 80% to 95% and 100% after 4 min, respectively. Seven oxidized products (OPs) were identified during oxidative treatments, while OP-191 and OP-205 were characterized as specific products for Fe(VI) oxidation. Initial ketonization of the L-glutamic acid moiety and cleavage of the peptide bond of MTX were proposed. Additionally, a multi-endpoint toxicity evaluation indicated no genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, or endocrine-disrupting effects of MTX and its OPs. Particularly, serious developmental toxicity in zebrafish larvae was observed in the treated MTX solutions. Based on the acute and chronic aquatic toxicity prediction, OP-190, OP-192, OP-206, and OP-208 were deemed toxic or very toxic compared to harmful MTX. Furthermore, the reduced biodegradability index from 0.15 (MTX) to −0.5 to −0.2 (OP-192, OP-206, and OP-468) indicated the formation of lower biodegradable OPs. Overall, this study suggests that Fe(VI) and Mn(VII) oxidation are promising treatments for remediating anticancer drug-contaminated water. However, the environmental risks associated with these treatments should be considered in the evaluation of water safety.