Estimation of autotrophic maximum specific growth rate constant--experience from the long-term operation of a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor system

The autotrophic maximum specific growth rate constant, muA,max, is the critical parameter for design and performance of nitrifying activated sludge systems. In literature reviews (i.e., Henze et al., 1987; Metcalf and Eddy, 1991), a wide range of muA,max values have been reported (0.25 to 3.0 days(-1)); however, recent data from several wastewater treatment plants across North America revealed that the estimated muA,max values remained in the narrow range 0.85 to 1.05 days(-1). In this study, long-term operation of a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor system was investigated for estimating this coefficient according to the low food-to-microorganism ratio bioassay and simulation methods, as recommended in the Water Environment Research Foundation (Alexandria, Virginia) report (Melcer et al., 2003). The estimated muA,max values using steady-state model calculations for four operating periods ranged from 0.83 to 0.99 day(-1). The International Water Association (London, United Kingdom) Activated Sludge Model No. 1 (ASM1) dynamic model simulations revealed that a single value of muA,max (1.2 days(-1)) could be used, despite variations in the measured specific nitrification rates. However, the average muA,max was gradually decreasing during the activated sludge chlorination tests, until it reached the value of 0.48 day(-1) at the dose of 5 mg chlorine/(g mixed liquor suspended solids x d). Significant discrepancies between the predicted XA/YA ratios were observed. In some cases, the ASM1 predictions were approximately two times higher than the steady-state model predictions. This implies that estimating this ratio from a complex activated sludge model and using it in simple steady-state model calculations should be accepted with great caution and requires further investigation.     

Environmental fate and behavior of silver nanoparticles in natural estuarine systems

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in many consumer products, whereas their environmental behaviors in natural aquatic systems remain unknown, especially in natural brackish media. Therefore, it is urgent to investigate the environmental fate of AgNPs in natural brackish waters. Here, we investigated the stability of citrate-coated AgNPs in natural brackish water collected from 6 different sites with distinct salinities in the Xinglinwan Reservoir, located in Xiamen City, southeast China. The obtained results showed that AgNP colloids remained stable in low-salinity waters, which was mainly determined by the effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) promoting the stability of the nanoparticles. However, the environmental fate of AgNPs in high-salinity waters was dominated by the salinity or ionic strength, especially the free ion concentrations of Cl^?, SO₄^2?, or S^2?, resulting in rapid sedimentation and dissolution. In addition, both DOM and salinity contributed to the environmental behavior of AgNPs in moderate-salinity waters, ultimately resulting in either colloidal stability or sedimentation. Overall, these results may reveal that AgNPs remain relatively stable for a long period in low-salinity natural waters, and that the stability might gradually decrease as AgNPs are transferred from freshwaters through brackish waters and eventually end up in seawater along the bay. Our findings also further indicate that the toxicity and potential risks of AgNPs may present more serious threats to the environment and organisms in natural freshwaters than in natural estuarine systems or seawater.     

气溶胶污染对地面太阳紫外辐射的影响

一、前言太阳光通过大气层时经过了各种影响因素的衰减后到达地面,其中臭氧分子吸收,气溶胶粒子吸收和散射的影响作用最为主要.当臭氧浓度或气溶胶粒子浓度改变时,到达地面的太阳紫外辐射量将改变.据观测,近二十年来,全球范围内臭氧总量已普遍减少了1％—3％.臭氧浓度的降低增加了地面紫外线B辐射(UV-B,280—320nm),从而将给地球生物带来一定的危害作用.尽管臭氧浓度减少对地面UV-B辐射增加的作用很大,但是大气中颗粒物含量的增     

改性膨润土对垃圾填埋场渗滤液吸附效果

通过制备不同组分改性膨润土,研究其对苯酚的吸附效果,结果表明,十六烷基三甲基溴化铵+十二烷基磺酸钠+硫酸铝-改性膨润土>十六烷基三甲基溴化铵+十二烷基磺酸钠-改性膨润土>十六烷基三甲基溴化铵-改性膨润土。通过改性膨润土对实际复杂组分渗滤液的吸附研究,结果表明,使用活性炭改性的膨润土吸附COD和NH4+-N最为理想,单位质量COD吸附量最高为26.8 mg/g,NH4+-N最高为3.92 mg/g,其中,COD最高去除率为77.3%,氨氮为28.9%;十六烷基三甲基溴化铵+十二烷基磺酸钠+硫酸铝-改性膨润土对COD和NH4+-N均有去除效果,两者对于渗滤液实际处理工程具有应用价值。     

低温降解苯胺高效菌群的筛选及特性研究

在低温下对吉林化工厂污水处理厂曝气池活性污泥、低温生活污水处理系统曝气池活性污泥、实验室菌种库保存的高效菌剂以及以上三者的混合样等4种样品进行了变温培养、驯化,筛选到一组低温降解苯胺高效菌群--吉化污泥.该菌群对苯胺初始浓度不高于800 mg/L驯化培养基中苯胺的降解率可以达到100%,当初始苯胺浓度升到1000 mg/L时,去除率也能保持在60%以上;菌胶团形成能力较强,菌胶团形成指数达到21.2%;并且在高岭土絮凝试验中表现出很强的生物絮凝能力.该菌群的生长温度范围为5-35℃,最适培养温度15℃,属于耐冷菌群.适合作为生物强化菌剂投加到低温苯胺类废水生物处理系统中,提高处理系统的净化能力.葡萄糖作为共代谢基质对低温苯胺生物降解有促进作用,而无机氮源作用不明显.     

Chemical speciation and phytoavailability of Zn, Cu, Ni and Cd in soil amended with fly ash-stabilized sewage sludge

A sequential extraction method was used to determine chemical forms of Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd in fly ash-stabilized sludge. A loamy acid soil amended with fly ash-stabilized sludge was used to grow corn under greenhouse conditions. Sewage sludge amended with coal fly ash can reduce the availability of Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd in the sludge. Increasing fly ash amendment rate significantly reduced DTPA-extractable Cu, Zn, Ni and Cd concentrations. Percentages of Cu, Zn and Ni in residual fraction increased with an increase in fly ash amendment rates. Majority of Cu was associated with organic form, but Zn and Ni were associated with Fe-Mn oxide and residual forms. Addition of ash-amended sludge to soil significantly increased dry mass of corn. With coal fly ash amendment rate increasing, concentrations of Zn and Cu in shoot tissues of corn decreased significantly, but concentrations of Cd and Ni did not change significantly. Significant correlations were found between concentrations of Cu and Zn in corn shoot and oxide and total Cu fractions, and all chemical fractions of Zn in fly ash-stabilized sludge, respectively. Hence, ash amendment significantly reduced the availability of heavy metals by chemical modification of their chemical speciation into less available forms.     

Prediction of soil organic partition coefficients by a soil leaching column chromatographic method

The soil organic partition coefficient (Koc) is one of the most important parameters to depict the transfer and fate of a chemical in the soil-water system. Predicting Koc by using a chromatographic technique has been developing into a convenient and low-cost method. In this paper, a soil leaching column chromatograpy (SLCC) method employing the soil column packed with reference soil GSE 17201 (obtained from Bayer Landwirtschaftszentrum, Monheim, Germany) and methanol-water eluents was developed to predict the Koc of hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs), over a log Koc range of 4.8 orders of magnitude, from their capacity factors. The capacity factor with water as an eluent (k'w) could be obtained by linearly extrapolating capacity factors in methanol-water eluents (k'w) with various volume fractions of methanol (symbol in text). The important effects of solute activity coefficients in water on k'w and Koc were illustrated. Hence, the correlation between log Koc and log k'w (and log k') exists in the soil. The correlation coefficient (r) of the log Koc vs. log k'w correlation for 58 apolar and polar compounds could reach 0.987, while the correlation coefficients of the log Koc -log k' correlations were no less than 0.968, with (symbol in text)ranging from 0 to 0.50. The smaller the (symbol in text), the higher the r. Therefore, it is recommended that the eluent of smaller (symbol in text), such as water, be used for accurately estimating Koc. Correspondingly, the r value of the log Koc -log k'w correlation on a reversed-phase Hypersil ODS (Thermo Hypersil, Kleinostheim, Germany) column was less than 0.940 for the same solutes. The SLCC method could provide a more reliable route to predict Koc indirectly from a correlation with k'w than the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) one.     

贵州近期的滑坡活动及防治对策

贵州是一个生态环境脆弱、滑坡灾害频繁的山区省份。在调查分析２３７个典型滑坡的基础上，阐述了贵州近期滑坡活动的主要类型、特征及分布规律，探讨了滑坡的形成条件和机理。指出人为工程活动和降雨条件是诱发贵州近期滑坡活动的主要因子，并据此提出了相应的防治对策。     

农村生态环境分区的数量化方法─—以鞍山市为例

运用聚类分析和地理信息系统相结合的方法，选择了１８个指标和７８个分区单元，将鞍山市农村生态环境划分成８个区，作出分布图，并分别给出了各分区的主要特征。     

城市小康社会安全指标体系设计

城市安全是我国小康社会安全的关键和重要组成部分 ,科学地设计城市小康社会的安全指标体系 ,对于定量地分析和认识城市安全的状况 ,科学地评价安全的社会价值有着现实的意义。笔者首先提出了安全小康社会的概念及其发展目标的体系和原则 ;然后结合我国的政府管理部门需要 ,定义了城市安全的 12大领域 ,并设计了指标体系 ,包括社会稳定、社会治安、公共场所安全、公共卫生、交通安全、生产安全、食品安全、减灾防灾、人口安全、环境安全、能源安全及宏观综合。每个具体指标都是在研究该安全领域具体现状的基础上 ,经过分析影响其安全状况的重要因素设计而成的。城市小康社会安全指标体系能够应用于评价城市的总体安全状况。