A new apparatus to enhance the rate of gas hydrate formation: Application to capture of carbon dioxide

A new apparatus employing a modular, mechanically agitated gas-inducing crystallizer is used to demonstrate the capture of CO₂ via hydrate crystallization. The crystallizer enhances the contact of hydrate forming gases with water and thus the rate of hydrate crystallization increases. Flue gas (CO₂/N₂) and fuel gas (CO₂/H₂) mixtures were used to represent post- and precombustion capture. A comparison between the rates of hydrate formation in different crystallizers is presented by defining a metric called the normalized rate of hydrate formation. The gas uptake and the separation efficiency for the fuel and flue gas mixtures were found to be greater compared to the results obtained in a smaller scale stirred tank reactor (Kumar et al., 2009c, Linga et al., 2008). The gas uptake and CO₂ recovery for flue gas mixture in the presence of THF obtained in this work was higher than that reported in the literature with tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide and tetra-n-butyl ammonium fluoride (Fan et al., 2009, Li et al., 2009). Although hydrate crystallization is able to capture CO₂, the power required for mechanical agitation was found to be very significant. If the hydrate process is to be used industrially then hydrate crystallization must be carried out without mechanical agitation.     

秦皇岛沿海灾害性天气对自然环境的影响和预报

风暴潮天气是一种灾害性的自然现象。一般情况下,大于500 km的东到东北大风持续12个小时,且风速大于或等于6级,将在秦皇岛沿海形成风暴潮天气。通过分析引发风暴潮天气的动力条件,风暴潮与台风、温带气旋等天气系统相关联系,再根据天文、潮汐变化、台风、温带气旋24 h诊断预报,判断台风、温带气旋移动径,从而达到准确预报风暴潮天气之目的。分析表明:成灾风暴潮多发生在朔日和望日及其后的5天。     

Heavy metal and trace elements in riparian vegetation and macrophytes associated with lacustrine systems in Northern Patagonia Andean Range

Vegetation associated with lacustrine systems in Northern Patagonia was studied for heavy metal and trace element contents, regarding their elemental contribution to these aquatic ecosystems. The research focused on native species and exotic vascular plant Salix spp. potential for absorbing heavy metals and trace elements. The native species studied were riparian Amomyrtus luma, Austrocedrus chilensis, Chusquea culeou, Desfontainia fulgens, Escallonia rubra, Gaultheria mucronata, Lomatia hirsuta, Luma apiculata, Maytenus boaria, Myrceugenia exsucca, Nothofagus antarctica, Nothofagus dombeyi, Schinus patagonicus, and Weinmannia trichosperma, and macrophytes Hydrocotyle chamaemorus, Isöetes chubutiana, Galium sp., Myriophyllum quitense, Nitella sp. (algae), Potamogeton linguatus, Ranunculus sp., and Schoenoplectus californicus. Fresh leaves were analyzed as well as leaves decomposing within the aquatic bodies, collected from lakes Futalaufquen and Rivadavia (Los Alerces National Park), and lakes Moreno and Nahuel Huapi (Nahuel Huapi National Park). The elements studied were heavy metals Ag, As, Cd, Hg, and U, major elements Ca, K, and Fe, and trace elements Ba, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Hf, Na, Rb, Se, Sr, and Zn. Geochemical tracers La and Sm were also determined to evaluate contamination of the biological tissues by geological particulate (sediment, soil, dust) and to implement concentration corrections.     

基于隐含碳排放的碳减排目标研究

中国政府以2005年为基年提出了碳减排指标,确定各省碳减排基数对于明确各省碳减排责任具有重要意义.本文结合“十一五”期间节能指标分解过程中存在的问题,分析了省际贸易中隐含的碳排放对于确定各省碳减排基数的影响,并分别基于生产者负责原则和消费者负责原则计算了“十二五”期间各省碳减排基数.计算结果表明:①将工业部门拆分为23个部门能够更加充分反映省际贸易结构差异对于隐含碳排放计算的影响;②省际贸易中隐含碳排放不仅在各省间有较大差异而且呈现出从中西部地区调往东部地区的整体转移方向;③不同原则下各省碳减排基数计算结果存在较大差异,消费者负责原则更加真实地反映了各地区实际减排责任,避免了部分省份通过省际调进代替本省生产的方式实现碳减排目标.     

Combining bioaccumulation and coping mechanism to enhance long-term site-specific risk assessment for zinc susceptibility of bivalves

The purpose of this study is to conduct a long-term site-specific risk assessment for zinc (Zn) susceptibility of bivalves, green mussel Perna viridis and hard clam Ruditapes philippinarum, based on published experimental data by linking the biologically-based damage assessment model with the subcellular partitioning concept. A comprehensive risk modeling framework was developed to predict susceptibility probability of two bivalve species exposed to waterborne Zn. The results indicated that P. viridis accumulates more Zn toxicity, whereas both toxic potency and the recovery rate of Zn are higher for R. philippinarum. We found that negative linear correlations exist in elimination-recovery and elimination-detoxification relationships, whereas a positive linear correlation was observed in recovery-detoxification relationships for bivalves exposed to waterborne Zn. Simulation results showed that the spatial differences of susceptibility primarily resulted from the variation of waterborne Zn concentration under field conditions. We found that R. philippinarum is more susceptible of Zn than P. viridis under the same exposure condition. Results also suggested that Zn posed no significant susceptibility risk to two bivalve species in Taiwan. We suggested that these two species can be used to biomonitor the water quality on Taiwan coastal areas.     

Biofilm formation and microbial activity in a biofilter system in the presence of MTBE, ETBE and TAME

Emerging water contaminants derived from unleaded gasoline such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME), are in need of effective bioremediation technologies for restoring water resources. In order to design the conditions of a future groundwater bioremediating biofilter, this work assesses the potential use of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus M10, Rhodococcus ruber E10 and Gordonia amicalis T3 for the removal of MTBE, ETBE and TAME in consortia or as individual strains. Biofilm formation on an inert polyethylene support material was assessed with scanning electron microscopy, and consortia were also analysed with fluorescent in situ hybridisation to examine the relation between the strains. A. calcoaceticus M10 was the best coloniser, followed by G. amicalis T3, however, biofilm formation of pair consortia favoured consortium M10-E10 both in formation and activity. However, degradation batch studies determined that neither consortium exhibited higher degradation than individual strain degradation. The physiological state of the three strains was also determined through flow cytometry using propidium iodide and 3′-dihexylocarbocyanine iodide thus gathering information on their viability and activity with the three oxygenates since previous microbial counts revealed slow growth. Strain E10 was observed to have the highest physiological activity in the presence of MTBE, and strain M10 activity with TAME was only maintained for 24 h, thus we believe that biotransformation of MTBE occurs within the active periods established by the cytometry analyses. Viable cell counts and oxygenate removal were determined in the presence of the metabolites tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and tert-amyl alcohol (TAA), resulting in TBA biotransformation by M10 and E10, and TAA by M10. Our results show that A. calcoaceticus M10 and the consortium M10-E10 could be adequate inocula in MTBE and TAME bioremediating technologies.     

海门市城区二氧化氮污染物浓度呈上升趋势的调查与分析

通过调查海门市城区所有NOX和NO2排放源,从排放情况和NO2月浓度变化情况分析,得出了海门市城区NO2污染物浓度呈上升趋势的结果。     

格宾护岸填料类型对河道自净能力的影响

选择花岗岩块石、卵石和废建筑砌块3种材料作为格宾填料,研究不同填料在模拟河道中对河水水质净化效果的影响。结果表明,随着实验装置运行时间的延长,各填料对N、P营养盐及有机物的去除能力均有不同程度的提高;3种填料中,卵石相较于其他2种填料对NH3-N、TOC和DOC的去除能力保持在较高的水平,运行26 d后分别达65.26%、71.06%和78.06%;3种填料在实验装置运行初期对TP都有较好的去除效果,运行12 d后,花岗岩块石、卵石、废建筑砌块对TP的去除率分别达89.20%、91.05%和94.71%;卵石表面附着的微生物脂磷含量及脱氢酶活性分别为53.43 nmol P/cm3、10.67μg TF/(h.cm3),均显著高于其他2种填料(p<0.05),其表面较高的微生物量及酶活性有利于对氮素及有机物的去除。     

Toxic heavy metal contamination and risk assessment of street dust in small towns of Shanghai suburban area, China

The aims of this paper were to quantify the heavy metal concentrations in street dust of small towns in Shanghai suburban area compared with those in urban area, and examine their seasonal and spatial variations, and to assess their risks to water environment and local populations. Street dust samples were collected from three small towns and urban area in Shanghai in different seasons. Levels of heavy metals were determined by atomic adsorption spectrophotometer analyzer. The method of potential ecological risk index and the health risk assessment model were used to evaluate the potential risks to water bodies and local residents, respectively. The mean metal concentrations in street dust of small towns were far above soil background values but still lower than those in the urban area. No significant seasonal change was observed except for Cr, Ni, and Zn concentrations. Higher metal concentrations tended to be located in central area of towns and township roads. The integrated metal contamination was high and posed a strong potential ecological risk. Children had greater health risk than adults. The carcinogenic risk probabilities were under the acceptable level. The hazard index values to children were close to the safe level. Street dust from the studied area has been contaminated by heavy metals. The contamination of these elements is related more to the pollution source than seasonal change. The combination of the six metals may threaten the water environment and has non-cancer health risk to children, but not to adults.