Enhancement of heavy metal accumulation by tissue specific co-expression of iaaM and ACC deaminase genes in plants

The aerobic riboflavin (Rf)-sensitized photodegradation of the endocrine disruptor 4,4'-isopropylidenebisphenol (bisphenol A, BPA), and of the related compounds 4,4'-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dibromophenol) and 4,4'-isopropylidenebis(2,6-dimethylphenol) has been studied in water and water-methanol mixtures through visible-light continuous photolysis, polarographic detection of oxygen uptake, stationary and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved near-IR phosphorescence detection and laser flash photolysis techniques. Bisphenols (BPs) quench excited singlet and triplet states of Rf, with rate constants close to the diffusion limit. BPs and dissolved molecular oxygen, employed in similar concentrations, competitively quench triplet excited Rf. As a consequence, superoxide radical anion and singlet molecular oxygen (O(2)((1)Delta(g))) are produced by electron- and energy-transfer processes, respectively, as demonstrated by auxiliary experiments employing selective quenchers of both oxidative species and the exclusive O(2)((1)Delta(g)) generator Rose Bengal. As a global result, the photodegradation of Rf is retarded, whereas BPs are degraded, mainly by an O(2)((1)Delta(g))-mediated mechanism, which constitutes a relatively efficient process in the case of BPA. Oxidation, dimerization and fragmentation products have been identified in the photooxidation of BPA. Results indicate that BPs in natural waters can undergo spontaneous photodegradation under environmental conditions in the presence of adequate photosensitizers.     

Sorption of polar and nonpolar organic contaminants by oil-contaminated soil

Sorption of nonpolar (phenanthrene and butylate) and polar (atrazine and diuron) organic chemicals to oil-contaminated soil was examined to investigate oil effects on sorption of organic chemicals and to derive oil–water distribution coefficients (K_oil). The resulting oil-contaminated soil–water distribution coefficients (K_d) for phenanthrene demonstrated sorption-enhancing effects at both lower and higher oil concentrations (C_oil) but sorption-reducing (competitive) effects at intermediate C_oil (approximately 1 g kg⁻¹). Rationalization of the different dominant effects was attempted in terms of the relative aliphatic carbon content which determines the accessibility of the aromatic cores to phenanthrene. Little or no competitive effect occurred for butylate because its sorption was dominated by partitioning. For atrazine and diuron, the changes in K_d at C_oil above approximately 1 g kg⁻¹ were negligible, indicating that the presently investigated oil has little or no effect on the two tested compounds even though the polarity of the oil is much less than soil organic matter (SOM). Therefore, specific interactions with the active groups (aromatic and polar domains) are dominantly responsible for the sorption of polar sorbates, and thus their sorption is controlled by available sorption sites. This study showed that the oil has the potential to be a dominant sorptive phase for nonpolar pollutants when compared to SOM, but hardly so for polar compounds. The results may aid in a better understanding of the role of the aliphatic and aromatic domains in sorption of nonpolar and polar organic pollutants.     

Seasonal temperatures have more influence than nitrogen fertilizer rates on cucumber yield and nitrogen uptake in a double cropping system

Two-year greenhouse cucumber experiments were conducted to investigate seasonal effects on fruit yield, dry matter allocation, and N uptake in a double-cropping system with different fertilizer management. Seasonal effects were much greater than fertilizer effects, and winter-spring (WS) cucumber attained higher fruit yields and N uptake than autumn-winter (AW) cucumber due to lower cumulative air temperatures during fruit maturation in the AW season. Fertilizer N application and apparent N loss under recommended N management (Nmr) decreased by 40-78% and 33-48% without yield loss compared to conventional N management (Nmt) over four growing seasons. However, there were no seasonal differences in N recommendations, taking into consideration seasonal differences in crop N demand, critical nutrient supply in the root zone and N mineralization rate.     

风险投资-"节能减排"新视角

近30年来,我国的改革开放取得了举世瞩目的成就,国民经济始终保持高速增长,目前已成为世界第四大经济体。然而我国经济的发展是以牺牲环境和资源为代价的,高能耗、高污染成为经济增长的副产品,而环境和资源制约极有可能成为我国持续高速发展的瓶颈。“十一五规划”提出,2006—2010期间单位GDP能耗降低20％左右、主要污染物排放总量减少10％的约束性指标。当前“节能减排”的形势十分严峻。本文分析了我国“节能减排”效果不甚理想的原因,认为发展风险投资是促进“节能减排”的方法之一,并给出相应的政策建议。     

A strategy for aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation under anaerobic conditions and the impacts of ethanol: a microcosm study

Increased use of ethanol-blended gasoline (gasohol) and its potential release into the subsurface have spurred interest in studying the biodegradation of and interactions between ethanol and gasoline components such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) in groundwater plumes. The preferred substrate status and the high biological oxygen demand (BOD) posed by ethanol and its biodegradation products suggests that anaerobic electron acceptors (EAs) will be required to support in situ bioremediation of BTEX. To develop a strategy for aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation and to understand the impacts of ethanol on BTEX biodegradation under strictly anaerobic conditions, a microcosm experiment was conducted using pristine aquifer sand and groundwater obtained from Canadian Forces Base Borden, Canada. The initial electron accepter pool included nitrate, sulfate and/or ferric iron. The microcosms typically contained 400 g of sediment, 600 approximately 800 ml of groundwater, and with differing EAs added, and were run under anaerobic conditions. Ethanol was added to some at concentrations of 500 and 5000 mg/L. Trends for biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons for the Borden aquifer material were first developed in the absence of ethanol, The results showed that indigenous microorganisms could degrade all aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX and trimethylbenzene isomers-TMB) under nitrate- and ferric iron-combined conditions, but not under sulfate-reducing conditions. Toluene, ethylbenzene and m/p-xylene were biodegraded under denitrifying conditions. However, the persistence of benzene indicated that enhancing denitrification alone was insufficient. Both benzene and o-xylene biodegraded significantly under iron-reducing conditions, but only after denitrification had removed other aromatics. For the trimethylbenzene isomers, 1,3,5-TMB biodegradation was found under denitrifying and then iron-reducing conditions. Biodegradation of 1,2,3-TMB or 1,2,4-TMB was slower under iron-reducing conditions. This study suggests that addition of excess ferric iron combined with limited nitrate has promise for in situ bioremediation of BTEX and TMB in the Borden aquifer and possibly for other sites contaminated by hydrocarbons. This study is the first to report 1,2,3-TMB biodegradation under strictly anaerobic condition. With the addition of 500 mg/L ethanol but without EA addition, ethanol and its main intermediate, acetate, were quickly biodegraded within 41 d with methane as a major product. Ethanol initially present at 5000 mg/L without EA addition declined slowly with the persistence of unidentified volatile fatty acids, likely propionate and butyrate, but less methane. In contrast, all ethanol disappeared with repeated additions of either nitrate or ferric iron, but acetate and unidentified intermediates persisted under iron-enhanced conditions. With the addition of 500 mg/L ethanol and nitrate, only minor toluene biodegradation was observed under denitrifying conditions and only after ethanol and acetate were utilized. The higher ethanol concentration (5000 mg/L) essentially shut down BTEX biodegradation likely due to high EA demand provided by ethanol and its intermediates. The negative findings for anaerobic BTEX biodegradation in the presence of ethanol and/or its biodegradation products are in contrast to recent research reported by Da Silva et al. [Da Silva, M.L.B., Ruiz-Aguilar, G.M.L., Alvarez, P.J.J., 2005. Enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX-ethanol mixtures in aquifer columns amended with sulfate, chelated ferric iron or nitrate. Biodegradation. 16, 105-114]. Our results suggest that the apparent conservation of high residual labile carbon as biodegradation products such as acetate makes natural attenuation of aromatics less effective, and makes subsequent addition of EAs to promote in situ BTEX biodegradation problematic.     

含锌多核聚铝絮凝剂的制备及形态特征

以AlCl3·6H2O和ZnCl2为原料,采用一次加碱法制备了一种新型的改性增效聚合铝类多核无机高分子絮凝剂聚合氯化铝锌(PAZC).通过Al-Ferron逐时络合比色法研究了碱化度(B),Al/Zn摩尔比及陈化时间对铝离子形态的影响.采用混凝实验比较PAZC、PAC的混凝效果.结果表明:在相同B值条件下,PAZC的Ala和Alc少于PAC的Ala和Alc,Alb形态多于PAC中Alb形态,并且PAC中Alb形态最高只有60%,而PAZC中Alb最高达到83%.PAZC具有pH适用范围宽,投药量少以及良好的储存性能.     

污水厂污泥一体化竖式强化渗滤浓缩自然干化与消化研究

针对目前国内污泥处理处置存在的问题,为实现污泥浓缩消化一体化,开发了污泥一体化强化渗滤浓缩自然干化与消化新工艺反应器,并进行了城市水厂污泥处理试验.结果表明,在有机负荷为0.8 kg VSS/(m3·d)、平均水力停留时间为8.3 d、污泥停留时间为120 d的条件下,污泥有机物去除率可达到44.4%,排泥含水率达到79.1%,污泥消化与浓缩过程起到了相互促进的作用.渗滤液须抽回至污水处理厂处理.