Effect of heat treatment on sorption of polar and nonpolar compounds to montmorillonites and soils

Batch sorption isotherms of 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, and tetracycline to organic-free montmorillonites and soils receiving heat treatment (375°C for 24 h) were compared with those to unheated sorbents. Sorption of the nonpolar 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene to soil was lowered after the removal of humus by heating, consistent with the mechanism of hydrophobic partition into organic matter. For 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, the enhanced sorption to heated soils was attributed to specific interactions with exchangeable cations facilitated by heating-induced irreversible partial dehydration of the clay interlayer. For tetracycline, an additional mechanism for sorption enhancement could be due to increased exposure of strong complexation sites on clay minerals after removal of the humic coating. These hypotheses were supported by the sorption data to heated and unheated Na-, K-, and Cs-saturated montmorillonites. The combustion method is commonly adopted to measure the content of black carbon in soils and sediments. However, findings from the present study indicate that combustion may greatly modify the structural properties of clay minerals, leading to misinterpreted sorption contributions of different soil components to sorption of polar or ionic compounds.     

Photodegradation of naproxen in water under simulated solar radiation: mechanism,kinetics, and toxicity variation

The main objective of this study was to investigate the degradation mechanism, the reaction kinetics, and the evolution of toxicity of naproxen in waters under simulated solar radiation. These criteria were investigated by conducting quenching experiments with reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxygen concentration experiments, and toxicity evaluations with Vibrio fischeri bacteria. The results indicated that the degradation of naproxen proceeds via pseudo first-order kinetics in all cases and that photodegradation included degradation by direct photolysis and by self-sensitization via ROS; the contribution rates of self-sensitized photodegradation were 1.4 %, 65.8 %, and 31.7 % via ·OH, ¹O₂ and O₂ ^??, respectively. Furthermore, the oxygen concentration experiments indicated that dissolved oxygen inhibited the direct photodegradation of naproxen, and the higher the oxygen content, the more pronounced the inhibitory effect. The toxicity evaluation illustrated that some of the intermediate products formed were more toxic than naproxen.     

Effect of Pseudomonas sp. HF-1 inoculum on construction of a bioaugmented system for tobacco wastewater treatment: analysis from quorum sensing

To better construct a bioaugmented system for tobacco wastewater treatment, activated sludge was inoculated with different concentrations of the nicotine-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp. HF-1. The results showed that inoculum concentrations of 0.55?±?0.01 and 1.10?±?0.03 mg/g (dry weight of strain HF-1/dry weight of activated sludge) were best to ensure strain HF-1 survival and successful bioaugmentation. The release pattern of autoinducer (AI) for quorum sensing in the bioaugmented system was also investigated. During the period of HF-1 inoculation, compared with failed bioaugmented systems, AI-2 was significantly increased in the successful systems, suggesting that AI-2-mediated bacterial communication played an important role in the colonization of HF-1. When inoculation of strain HF-1 was stopped, the amount of AI-2 decreased and leveled out in all systems. Notably, there was a greater than threefold increase of short-chain AHLs in failed bioaugmented systems, but no increase in successful ones, implying that the fluctuation of short-chain AHLs could be an indicator of the failure of bioaugmentation. Thus, AI-2-mediated quorum sensing could be implemented to facilitate HF-1 colonization.     

Reservoir Operation with Feedback in a Coupled Land Surface and Hydrologic Model: A Case Study of the Huai River Basin,China

Regarding emerging large‐scale reservoir operation models, reports of reservoir operation feedback for hydrologic modeling are rare, and little attention has been paid to flood control. An operation scheme considering multilevel flood control (MLFC) was first proposed in this study, but more reservoir information was needed. Thus, an alternative scheme was proposed that consisted of a modified version of the reservoir operation scheme in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Model (MSWAT scheme). These schemes were coupled to a land surface and hydrologic model system with feedback, i.e., a system in which reservoir operation can affect the subsequent simulation, and were investigated in the Huai River Basin. The results show reservoir storage and peak flow were generally overestimated by the original SWAT reservoir scheme (SWAT scheme). Compared with the SWAT scheme, the MSWAT scheme successfully reduced the simulated storage and peak flow at the reservoir stations. For the downstream stations, the streamflow simulations were improved at a significance level of 5%. The performances of the MSWAT and MLFC schemes at the reservoir stations were nearly equivalent. Importantly, reservoir operation feedback to hydrologic modeling was necessary because the reservoir operation effects could not be transferred downstream without it. The streamflow simulation of a reservoir station located on a flat plain was less sensitive to feedback than that of a mountain reservoir station.     

Uptake, translocation and metabolism of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in maize (Zea mays L.)

A hydroponic experiment was conducted in the present study to investigate and compare plant uptake, translocation and metabolism of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) of BDE-15, BDE-28 and BDE-47 and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) of PCB-15, PCB-28 and PCB-47 in maize. Root concentrations of BDE-15, BDE-28 and BDE-47 were consistently higher than PCB-15, PCB-28 and PCB-47, respectively. A significantly positive correlation was found between logRCF (root concentration factor) and logKow of these PBDEs and PCBs, suggesting a control role of their partitioning in plant uptake. The translocation factors (TFs, Cstem/Croot) of PBDEs were generally lower than those of PCBs of the same halogen-substitutions, demonstrating easier transport of PCBs than PBDEs. Metabolites mono-, di- and tri-BDEs and PCBs were detected, suggesting the existence of in vivo metabolism of PBDEs and PCBs in maize. Dehalogenation and rearrangement of halogen atoms were identified, and some similarities but also significant differences existed between the PBDEs and PCBs. PBDEs in maize were, in general, more susceptible to metabolism compared with PCBs of the same halogen-substitutions. This is the first comparative report on the uptake, translocation and metabolism of PBDEs and PCBs in plants.     

New insights into the sorption mechanism of cadmium on red mud

Effectiveness and mechanism of cadmium (Cd) sorption on original, acidified and ball milling nano-particle red muds were investigated using batch sorption experiments, sequential extraction analysis and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The maximum sorption capacity of Cd was 0.16, 0.19, and 0.21 mol/kg for the original, acidified, and nano-particle red muds at pH 6.5, respectively. Both acidification and ball-milling treatments significantly enhanced Cd sorption and facilitated transformation of Cd into less extractable fractions. The Cd L_III-edge XANES analysis indicated the formation of inner-sphere complexes of Cd similar to XCdOH (X represents surface groups on red mud) on the red mud surfaces although outer-sphere complexes of Cd were the primary species. This work shed light on the potential application of red mud to remediate Cd-contaminated soils and illustrated the promising tool of XANES spectroscopy for speciation of multicomponent systems of environmental relevance.     

Experiment and calculation of deposition velocity of suspended particles in storm drainage

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Deposition particles can lead to blockage, odor, and corrosion of pipes, and the deposition process of suspended particles is particularly...     

介孔碳吸附再生组合工艺处理难降解有机磷废水

以自制介孔碳（MC）为吸附剂,采用吸附—电-臭氧-UV再生组合工艺将难降解有机磷三（2-羧乙基）膦（TCEP）富集后转化为磷酸盐释放,为后续磷回收提供基础。运用TEM,SEM,XRD等技术对MC进行了表征。表征结果显示,MC为碳纳米线堆积有序介孔结构,比表面积为699.76 m²/g,可为有机磷提供吸附位点。在吸附温度为298 K、TCEP初始质量浓度为100 mg/L、吸附剂投加量为1 g/L的条件下,MC对TCEP的平衡吸附量为33.72 mg/g。利用电-臭氧-UV对MC进行再生,总磷释放率可达100%,并基本矿化为磷酸盐,再生效率显著高于臭氧、臭氧-H₂O₂、臭氧-UV等方法。     

典型石化企业排放有毒有害大气污染物人体健康风险评估

石化行业生产过程中会产生有毒有害大气污染物,并可能对人体健康产生危害。为贯彻落实《大气污染防治法》第七十八条中对有毒有害大气污染物(hazardous air pollutants,HAPs)实行风险管理,评估环境风险的要求,有必要开展石化企业排放HAPs的人体健康风险评估。本研究采用美国环境保护局(US EPA)发布的人体健康风险评估手册F部分吸入风险评估指南中的方法,推算出HAPs物质对人体健康的致癌风险值和非致癌风险值;通过CALPUFF模型模拟预测出典型石化企业HAPs物质扩散范围及空气中的浓度,并将模拟预测得到的污染物浓度与推算得到的风险值进行比较,进而表征园区内该企业排放HAPs对人体健康的风险。结果表明,基于最坏情况分析,该石化企业排放的HAPs致癌风险值为0.421μg·m-3,非致癌风险值为2.212μg·m-3,CALPUFF模拟预测空气中污染物浓度最大为0.62μg·m-3,且模型预测的月均浓度均未超过致癌和非致癌风险值,风险表征结果表明,该石化企业排放的HAPs物质对人体健康不存在致癌和非致癌风险。但本研究仅针对某石化企业开展人体健康风险评估,并不能代表石化行业排放有毒有害大气污染物对人体健康风险的整体水平。     

微塑料在土壤-地下水中的环境行为及其生态毒性研究进展

微塑料已成为一类新型污染物遍布全球各个角落,由此产生的环境问题日趋严峻。第二届联合国环境大会上将微塑料污染列为环境与生态科学研究领域的第二大科学问题。目前大多数研究集中在海洋环境方面,有关土壤-地下水系统中微塑料的环境行为及生态毒性相关研究还较为薄弱。本文基于大量文献调研,较系统地回顾梳理了有关土壤-地下水中微塑料的来源、迁移归趋及其生态毒理效应的研究成果,并对未来研究做出评述和展望,旨在促进土壤-地下水系统中微塑料污染的相关研究。