Study of metabolites from the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by bacterial consortium enriched from mangrove sediments

The PAH metabolites produced during degradation of fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene by a bacterial consortium enriched from mangrove sediments were analyzed using the on-fiber silylation solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combining with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method. Seventeen metabolites at trace levels were identified in different PAH degradation cultures based on the full scan mass spectra. In fluorene degradation cultures, 1-, 2-, 3- and 9-hydroxyfluorene, fluorenone, and phthalic acid were detected. In phenanthrene and pyrene degradation cultures, various common metabolites such as phenanthrene and pyrene dihydrodiols, mono-hydroxy phenanthrene, dihydroxy pyrene, lactone and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene, methyl ester, and phthalic acid were found. The detection of various common and novel metabolites demonstrates that SPME combining with GC–MS is a quick and convenient method for identification as well as monitoring the real time changes of metabolite concentrations throughout the degradation processes. The knowledge of PAH metabolic pathways and kinetics within indigenous bacterial consortium enriched from mangrove sediments contributes to enhance the bioremediation efficiency of PAH in real environment.     

Catalytic amination and dechlorination of para-nitrochlorobenzene (p-NCB) in water over palladium-iron bimetallic catalyst

Chemical treatment of para-nitrochlorobenzene (p-NCB) by palladium/iron (Pd/Fe) bimetallic particles represents one of the latest innovative technologies for the remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater. The amination and dechlorination reaction is believed to take place predominantly on the surface site of the Pd/Fe catalysts. The p-NCB was first transformed to p-chloroaniline (p-CAN) then quickly reduced to aniline. 100% of p-NCB was removed in 30 min when bimetallic Pd/Fe particles with 0.03% Pd at the Pd/Fe mass concentration of 3g 75 ml(-1) were used. The p-NCB removal efficiency and the subsequent dechlorination rate increased with the increase of bulk loading of palladium and Pd/Fe. As expected, p-NCB removal efficiency increased with temperature as well. In particular, the removal efficiency of p-NCB was measured to be 67%, 79%, 80%, 90% and 100% for reaction temperature 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 degrees C, respectively. Our results show that no other intermediates were generated besides Cl(-), p-CAN and aniline during the catalytic amination and dechlorination of p-NCB.     

Growth and photosynthetic responses of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to elevated levels of cadmium

Effects of cadmium (Cd) on the growth and photosynthesis of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa Kütz 854 were investigated. The growth was markedly inhibited when it was treated with 4 microM Cd. However, the biomass production was almost not influenced after a prolonged exposure at Cd concentrations < or = 2 microM. Chlorophyll content was more sensitive to Cd toxicity than phycobiliproteins at 0.5 microM Cd. However, the decrease of phycobiliproteins was larger than chlorophyll at the highest Cd concentration. A significant increase of F(v)/F(m) value was observed at Cd concentrations < or = 2 microM. On the other hand, when cells were treated with 4 microM Cd, F(v)/F(m) was significantly increased after 12 h of treatment but decreased after 48 h. The true photosynthesis was decreased with the increase of Cd concentration at 2 h. However, we noticed a recovery when the treatment was prolonged. After 48 h of exposure at the highest Cd concentration, photosynthetic oxygen evolution was markedly inhibited but dark respiration increased by 67%. Cellular Cd contents were augmented with the increase of Cd concentration. To our knowledge, we have demonstrated for the first time that the inhibitory site of Cd in M. aeruginosa is not located at the PSII or PSI level, but is probably situated on the ferredoxin/NADP(+)-oxidoreductase enzyme at the terminal of whole electron transport chain. We noticed also an increase of PSI activity, which is probably linked to the enhancement of cyclic electron transport around PSI. We can conclude that the increase of cyclic electron transport and dark respiration activities, and the decrease of phycobiliproteins might be adaptive mechanisms of M. aeruginosa 854 under high Cd conditions.     

"三大定律"警示基层安全管理工作

近两年来,频繁发生的"12·23重庆井喷"、"4·15重庆天原化工厂氯气泄漏"、"吉化11·13苯泄露事件"等等安全事故,让人触目惊心.从这些事故原因中,我们不难看到钻井作业卸掉"防喷阀"、危险化学品车辆押运员"逃逸"、化工厂职工现场"处置不当"等不安全状态(侥幸心理和麻痹大意思想)是导致这些事故发生的直接原因.我们安全管理人员在分析以上事故原因,吸取惨痛教训的同时,不能忽视事故发生的规律,并且应注重"安全管理三大定律"对基层安全管理和安全培训教育工作的启示.     

絮凝条件对絮体分形结构的影响

在85kg/m³的含沙高浊水中投加阳离子高分子聚合物,借助图像分析技术与沉降技术分析探讨了不同絮凝条件下泥沙絮凝形态学参数:絮体粒径、絮体有效质量密度、絮体自由沉速、浑液面沉速与上清液余浊等的变化规律.利用表征参数“分维”定量控制不同絮凝条件(如搅拌速率、搅拌时间、高分子浓度等)对含沙高浊水絮体结构分形特性的影响.实验证明,不合适的絮凝条件将导致絮体分形构造疏松脆弱,分维值低.絮凝条件合适时(快速絮凝强度为:r₁=300r/min,t₁=10s;慢速絮凝强度:r₂=120r/min,t₂=180s;CP浓度:0.1%),絮体分形结构处于最佳状态.该状态下的絮体具有粒径较大、沉速快、有效质量密度高、粒度分布均匀,分维值最高(D₃=2.16)的特点.而且,由静沉实验测得浑液面沉速高,上清液余浊也低.泥沙絮体分形结构达最佳时的混凝性能、沉降性能与结构密实性均较理想.     

反硝化生物膜对PBS表面形态及化学组分的影响

PBS是一种新型的可生物降解聚合物(BDPs),可以用做反硝化碳源和生物膜载体,去除饮用水源水中的硝酸盐.利用红外光谱和扫描电子显微镜对反硝化生物膜生长前后PBS颗粒表面形态、化学组成的变化进行了分析.结果表明,PBS仅在微生物作用下降解并为反硝化菌提供碳源.PBS颗粒可以在12 h内使进水中53 mg·L^-1的硝态氮降低到10 mg·L^-1以下(我国饮用水水质标准为:NO₃^--N<15 mg·L^-1).红外光谱表明,反硝化微生物附着生长后其PBS在2 925 cm^-1和2 850 cm^-1附近的吸收带以及3 200 cm^-1～3 410 cm^-1处峰值减弱,说明PBS材料中甲基、羟基官能团比例下降,而其它官能团没有发生明显的变化,PBS的主要单体组分淀粉和乙烯都可以被反硝化微生物用作碳源.扫描电子显微镜观察结果表明,反硝化生物膜附着生长后,PBS颗粒表面会出现空洞,扩大了生物膜生物附着生长的表面积,有利于形成致密的反硝化生物膜,对反硝化菌形成保护作用.     

Phytoremediation of Cadmium-Contaminated Soils by Rorippa globosa Using Two-Phase Planting (5 pp)

Background Phytoextraction of contaminated soils by heavy metals can provide a great promise of commercial development. Although there are more than 400 species of hyperaccumulators found in the world, phytoremediation technology is rarely applied in field practice for remedying contaminated soils, partially due to low biomass and long growth duration for most of discovered hyperaccumulating plants. In order to enhance the metal-removing efficiency in a year, the two-phase planting countermeasure of phytoextraction by harvesting anthesis biomass was investigated on the basis of the newly found Cd-hyperaccumulator Rorippa globosa (Turcz.) Thell. with 107.0 and 150.1 mg/kg of the Cd accumulation in stems and leaves, respectively, when soil Cd added was concentrated to 25.0 mg/kg. Methods The field pot-culture experiment was used to observe the distribution property of R. globosa aboveground biomass and to examine characteristics of accumulating Cd by the plant at different growth stages. The concentration of Cd in plants and soils was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Results and Discussion The results indicated that the total dry stem and leaf biomass of R. globosa harvested at the flowering phase was up to 92.3% of that at its full maturity and the concentration of Cd in stems and leaves harvested at the flowering phase was up to 73.8% and 87.7% of that at the mature phase, respectively. The Cd-removing ratio by shoots of R. globosa harvested at the flowering phase was up to 71.4% of that at the mature phase. It was also found, by observing the growth duration of R. globosa, that the frostless period at the experiment site was twice as long as the growth time from the seedling-transplanted phase to the flowering phase of the hyperaccumulator. Conclusion R. globosa could be transplanted into contaminated soils twice in one year by harvesting the hyperaccumulator at its flowering phase based on climatic conditions of the site and traits of the plant growth. In this sense, the extraction efficiency of Cd in shoots of R. globosa increased 42.8% compared to that of at its single maturity when the plant was transplanted into contaminated soils after it had been harvested at its flowering phase and the plant accumulated Cd from soil at the same extraction ratio at its second flowering phase. Thus, the method of anthesis biomass regulation by the two-phase planting is very significant to increase the Cd-removing efficiency by phytoremediation used in practice over the course of a year. Recommendation and Outlook As for some hyperaccumulators that the growth duration from the seedling-transplanted phase to the flowering phase are short and the concentrations of heavy metals accumulated in their shoots at the flowering phase are high, the efficiency of phytoremediation can greatly be improved using the method of the two-phase planting.     

How developing countries can engage in GHG reduction: a case study for China

It has been clearly recognized that future global climate change will limit the possibilities for sustainable development in China. To minimize these negative effects, as a practical strategy, we suggest that the Chinese government engage in international cooperation as a key contributor in the prevention of global warming. This suggestion results from numerical estimations of China’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends accompanied with economic growth up to 2100. The results show that China’s gross domestic product (GDP), measured in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), may overtake the sum of the GDPs of the United States and Canada in 2020. It is predicted that GDP per capita may reach US$20,000 and $80,000 in 2050 and 2100, respectively; meanwhile, CO₂ emissions in China will increase from 6.6 billion tons (in carbon equivalent units) in 1990 to 54.6 billion tons in 2100. This means that the global peak concentration of GHG cannot be practically reduced without significant contributions from China. For international cooperation in mitigating global climate change, we introduce a new option, “per-capita emission restricted by assigned amount,” as an accounting rule for GHG reduction. This baseline classifies global CO₂ reduction actions into three categories: compulsory reduction, self-imposed reduction, and voluntary reduction. We suggest that China contribute to world CO₂ reduction according to the following timetable: voluntary reduction until 2012, self-imposed reduction until 2020, and compulsory reduction from 2020. The simulation results also indicate that China can benefit from this strategy in terms of improvements in its domestic economy and environment, for instance, by reducing fossil fuel consumption and the emission of pollutants.

北京水危机反思

北京的水危机表现在三个方面：防汛、抗旱、防治水污染。但对北京而言,防汛需立足于抗旱。这是针对北京连续几年干旱,城市建设规模加大和北京防汛能力增强而提出的新概念。北京的防汛抗旱工作在预案与措施上做了大量工作,但我们发现,人们习惯应付简单的危机和简单的处理方法,定一套方法可以尘封若干年不动。可是世界在变,针对的     

撇油器的原理及性能

溢油回收装置的有效使用是降低和消除溢油污染的重要手段。比较了撇油器的各种原理、性能及操作条件。