Atmospheric deposition of phthalate esters in a subtropical city

In Chinese cities, air pollution has become a serious and aggravating environmental problem undermining the sustainability of urban ecosystems and the quality of urban life. Bulk atmospheric deposition samples were collected two-weekly, from February 2007 to January 2008, at three representative areas, one suburban and two urbanized, in the subtropical city, Guangzhou, China, to assess the deposition fluxes and seasonal variations of phthalate esters (PAEs). Sixteen PAE congeners in bulk deposition samples were measured and the depositional fluxes of ∑₁₆PAEs ranged from 3.41 to 190 μg m^?2 day^?1, and were highly affected by local anthropogenic activities. The significant relationship between PAEs and particulate depositional fluxes (correlation coefficient R² = 0.72, P < 0.001) showed PAEs are associated primarily with particles. Temporal flux variations of PAEs were influenced by seasonal changes in meteorological parameters, and the deposition fluxes of PAEs were obviously higher in wet season than in dry season. Diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dominated the PAE pattern in bulk depositions, which is consistent with a high consumption of the plasticizer market in China. PAE profiles in bulk deposition showed similarities exhibited in both time and space, and a weak increase of high molecular weight PAE (HMW PAE) contribution in the wet season compared to those in the dry season. Average atmospheric deposition fluxes of PAEs in the present study were significantly higher than those from other studies, reflecting strong anthropogenic inputs as a consequence of rapid industrial and urban development in the region.     

Prediction of the adsorption capability onto activated carbon of a large data set of chemicals by local lazy regression method

Accurate quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models based on a large data set containing a total of 3483 organic compounds were developed to predict chemicals’ adsorption capability onto activated carbon in gas phrase. Both global multiple linear regression (MLR) method and local lazy regression (LLR) method were used to develop QSPR models. The results proved that LLR has prediction accuracy 10% higher than that of MLR model. By applying LLR method we can predict the test set (787 compounds) with Q²_ext of 0.900 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.129. The accurate model based on this large data set could be useful to predict adsorption property of new compounds since such model covers a highly diverse structural space.     

Decolorizing of lignin wastewater using the photochemical UV/TiO2 process

Studies on applying the photochemical UV/TiO2 oxidation process to treat the lignin-containing wastewater for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), color and reducing A254 (the absorption at the wavelength of 254 nm) have been carried out. The data obtained in this study demonstrate that the UV/TiO2 process is effective in oxidizing the lignin thus reducing the color and DOC of the wastewater treated. The combined UV/TiO2 treatment can achieve better removal of DOC and color than the UV treatment alone. Color removal, based on American Dye Manufacture Index (ADMI) measurement, is greater than 99% if the pH is maintained at 3.0 with the addition of 1 g l(-1) TiO2. When 10 g l(-1) TiO2 is applied, the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) value is reached to result in an 88% removal of both DOC and color. A model was developed based on the variation of ORP during the photochemical reaction to simulate the decoloring process. The proposed model can be used to predict the color removal efficiency of the UV/TiO2 process.     

pH对煤泥水絮凝沉降的影响

选择聚合氯化铝(PAC)/阴离子型聚丙烯酰胺(PHP)、氯化钙(CaCl2)/非离子型聚丙烯酰胺(NPAM)组合与NPAM、PHP、两性离子型聚丙烯酰胺(ZPAM)作为絮凝剂,在对道清选煤厂水采筛下原生煤泥和浮选尾矿的煤泥水进行组合药剂絮凝实验的基础上,考察了pH对煤泥水絮凝沉降的影响。实验结果表明,在不同的pH下,煤泥水的絮凝效果不同:在酸性条件下,宜单独使用有机高分子絮凝剂;在中性至碱性条件下,无机凝聚剂和有机絮凝剂联合使用效果较好。     

O3/BAF工艺系统中有机物生物降解数学模型

研究臭氧预氧化/曝气生物滤池（O₃/BAF）联合工艺深度处理实际城市污水二级出水过程中,后续BAF系统中有机物的生物降解数学模型。以有机底物浓度、填料层高度两个基本变量为控制条件,研究BAF的总体运行常数和填料特性常数,得出BAF有机物生物降解动力学方程为S_e/S₀=exp(－Kh/qSⁿ₀)。出水与进水COD浓度比值（S_e/S₀）的对数与反应器填料高度（h）之间可表达成一次函数关系。在不同的进水浓度（S₀）下,根据ln（S_e/S₀）~h和关系式m=K/qSⁿ₀,得到方程ln(q_m)=－nln(S₀)+lnK。BAF总体运行常数K和填料特性常数n分别为1.708和0.5063。该模型对BAF工艺有如下指导意义：可以根据设计流量、进水有机物浓度和出水浓度,初步确定BAF的尺寸（如横截面积、高度等）。     

厌氧消化过程中温度骤降对酸化活动抑制性的研究

对于厌氧消化过程的酸化阶段,反应器内温度的快速下降将对碳水化合物的分解和产酸活动产生明显抑制。当温度依次从30℃下降到25、20和15℃时,反应器内厌氧微生物数量呈缓慢减少趋势,受温度影响不大;但是,厌氧酸化过程却明显表现出受到每一次骤然降温的影响,其碳水化合物的平均去除率随温度骤降从92%依次降低为84%、72%和25%,且最低分别达到78%、52%和10%。研究还表明,随着温度的骤降,厌氧酸化活动将立即受到强烈抑制,并需要一定的时间来恢复以适应发酵温度的改变。     

氧化镁烟气脱硫反应特性研究

利用实验室规模的鼓泡式反应装置,对比了碳酸钙、氧化镁和氧化镁/硫酸镁脱硫剂的反应活性,证实脱硫液中高浓度硫酸镁的存在是保证镁法脱硫效率高于钙法的重要因素,并考察了硫酸镁浓度、脱硫剂(氧化镁)浓度、烟气量、SO2浓度和吸收液温度等因素对脱硫效率的影响。结果表明,脱硫反应可以根据pH分为2个不同阶段;反应过程中脱硫效率随着硫酸镁浓度的增加而显著升高;烟气量增加将会导致脱硫效率有所下降;入口SO2浓度升高,脱硫效率下降;氧化镁浓度、温度对脱硫效率影响不显著。结合实验现象进行推断,氧化镁脱硫的反应过程受SO2在气液两相界面的传质扩散和其水解产物在液相的扩散控制。     

直接驯化嗜盐菌处理高盐废水的研究

从大连旅顺盐场底泥中筛选出适合高盐度的嗜盐菌,在序批式间歇反应器(SBR)中对其进行3.5%(质量分数)盐度的驯化,污泥混合液悬浮固体(MLSS)平均质量浓度达600mg/L。污泥比耗氧速率(SOUR)测量结果显示,内源呼吸阶段污泥SOUR为10.36mg/(g.h),外源呼吸阶段污泥SOUR达到29.09mg/(g.h),表明所筛选的嗜盐菌培养的污泥具有较高活性。利用培养的污泥进行高盐模拟废水处理试验,结果表明,对盐度为3.5%、COD为240～340mg/L的高盐废水,在每周期12h、曝气量0.6L/min、污泥MLSS为600mg/L、污泥龄为18d条件下,COD去除率达95%以上,NH4+-N去除率达61%,TP去除率达55%。改变进水有机负荷对出水COD去除影响不大,该系统耐有机负荷冲击能力较强;盐度负荷的改变对COD的去除影响不大,而NH4+-N去除率有明显变化,在3.5%和5.0%的盐度下,NH4+-N去除率分别为61%和31%。     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from food salt samples processed by heat treatment in Korea

Eight samples of processed food salt collected from five plants in Korea were analyzed for 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) using liquid-liquid extraction, clean-up procedures, and high resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. The study included the analyses of two kinds of salt product sample: bamboo-salt and parched salt. The levels of toxic PCDD/Fs found in the salt product samples were extremely low: the results revealed TEQ levels ranging between the sub pg TEQ/g and sub fg TEQ/g. The differences in the TEQ values of toxic PCDD/F were observed between the salt product samples, which were treated with different frequency of baking using four different fuels (firewood, pine wood, pine resin, and indirect heating by gas) at temperatures from 300 to 2000 degrees C. In bamboo-salt samples, the concentrations and TEQ values of toxic PCDD/Fs ranged between 0.57-66 pg/g and 5.7x10(-5)-0.64 pg TEQ/g, respectively. PCDD/Fs levels in bamboo-salts baked by firewood were found to be higher than those baked by pinewood or pine resin. In parched salt samples, the concentrations and TEQ values of toxic PCDD/Fs ranged between 0.97-3.7 pg/g and 0.0097-0.017 pg TEQ/g, respectively. The data was discussed regarding the concentration and the distribution pattern of congeners.     

Progress in developing an ANN model for air pollution index forecast

An air pollution index (API) reporting system is introduced to selected cities of China for public communication on air quality data. Shanghai is the first city in China providing daily average API reports and forecasts. This paper describes the development of an artificial neural network (ANN) model for the API forecasting in Shanghai. It is a multiple layer perceptron (MLP) network, with meteorological forecasting data as the main input, to output the next day average API values. However, the initial version of the MLP model did not work well. To improve the model, a series of tests were conducted with respect to the training method and structure optimization. Based on the test results, the training algorithm was modified and a new model was built. The new model is now being used in Shanghai for API forecasting. Its performance is shown reasonably well in comparison with observation. The application of the old model was only weakly correlated with observation. In 1-year application, the correlation coefficients were 0.2314, 0.1022 and 0.1710 for TSP, SO₂ and NO_x, respectively. But for the new model, for over 8 months application, the correlation coefficients are raised to 0.6056, 0.6993 and 0.6300 for PM₁₀, SO₂, and NO₂. Further, the new algorithm does not rely on manpower intervention so that it is now being applied in several other Chinese cities with quite different meteorological conditions. The structure of the model and the application results are presented in this paper and also the problems to be further studied.