Isolation,identification, and the degradation characteristics of a BDE-47 degrading strain北大核心CSCD

In an effort to remove BDE-47 residues from the environment, a bacterial strain that is capable of utilizing BDE-47 as the sole carbon source was isolated and screened from soil collected from an e-waste recycling area in Tianjin to analyze the degradation properties. The strain was preliminarily identified as Enterobacter sp. according to a 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. The strain degraded 35.8% of 525 μg/L of BDE-47 in 35 d when the initial concentration of bacteria was 7.1 × 105 cells/ mL. The product of the biodegradation of BDE-47 was BDE-28. The biodegradation of BDE-47 fit well with first-order kinetics, and its degradation kinetics was ln Ct = - 0.104t + 6.22. With the addition of an electron acceptor, such as Fe3+, SO4 2- and NO3 -, the BDE-47 degradation rate was significantly increased to 49.8%, 59.1%, and 67.3%, respectively. The above results revealed that the strain could degrade BDE-47, which is of importance in the application of environmental bioremediation of BDE-47. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Characteristics of culturable endophytic bacteria of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge with tumor roots北大核心CSCD

Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge with tumor roots was discovered, and the endophytic bacteria that were isolated from the tumor roots were purified and identified. This paper aimed to study the characteristics of endophytic bacteria. The CAS detection plate, Salkowski colorimetry, phosphate solubilizing circle, and molybdenum antimony spectrophotometry were used to analyze endophytic bacteria ability, which produced siderophores, secreted indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and dissolved phosphorus. Strains were isolated from the tumor roots through morphological and molecular identification, and they were named XSB1-XSB9, of which 6 strains belonged to Bacillus sp., 2 strains belonged to Brevibacillus sp., and 1 strain belonged to Pseudomonas sp. All 9 strains produced siderophores; strains XSB3, XSB4, XSB8, and XSB9 were extremely high yielding, and strains XSB5 and XSB6 were high yielding. The strains with high yields were XSB3, XSB4, XSB5, XSB6, XSB8, and XSB9 and accounted for 66.7% of the tested strains. Nine strains secreted IAA; the concentration of IAA secreted by the strains that contained tryptophan was between 15-50 mg/L, and the concentration of IAA secreted by the one strain without tryptophan was between 10-35 mg/L. The IAA ability of the XSB2, XSB3, XSB4, XSB5, and XSB9 strains were significantly different (P < 0.05) after adding tryptophan. These results indicate that the synthesis of IAA may be the tryptophan synthesis pathway where tryptophan is used as a precursor. All 9 strains had some ability to dissolve phosphorus. The concentration of phosphate in the solubilizing strains, XSB1, XSB2, XSB4, and XSB5, were significantly higher than that in the other strains (P < 0.01), and the concentration of phosphate solubilizing was between 50-90 mg/L; the ability to dissolve phosphate was increased by 19-29 times. The XSB4 and XSB5 strains, which produced siderophores, secreted IAA and had a strong capacity to dissolve phosphorus, may be candidate strains for promoting growth. This research provides the foundation for the development and utilization of rhizosphere microbes to understand the resistance mechanisms and cultivation level of X. sorbifolia. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Effects of a lead- and cadmium-resistant fungal strain on the absorption of heavy metals by Vetiveria zizanioides北大核心CSCD

A two-factor randomized complete block experiment was used to explore the remediation by a plant-microorganism combination on soils contaminated by lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). Factor A was the amount of fungi, for which four values were considered, namely, 0, 1, 3, and 5 g. Factor B was the level of contamination by lead and cadmium, for which six values were considered, namely, Cd0Pb0, Cd10Pb400, Cd20Pb600, Cd30Pb800, Cd50Pb1200, and Cd80Pb1800 (data in units of mg/ kg). The results showed that the resistant fungi promoted the growth of vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides). At weights of 1, 3, and 5 g, the resistant fungi increased the biomass of vetiver by 41.9%, 74.9%, and 71.7% respectively. The resistant fungi stimulated the absorption of lead and cadmium by both the aerial and underground parts of vetiver. In the presence of 80 mg/kg of Cd2+ and 1 800 mg/kg of Pb2+, the contents of lead in the aerial parts of vetiver were increased by 120.6%, 265.4%, and 242.9%, while the lead content in the underground parts were increased by 110.3%, 278.2%, and 266.2%, after the addition of 1 g, 3 g, and 5 g of fungi, respectively. The content of cadmium in the aerial parts increased by 113.2%, 238.3%, and 217.3%, while the content of cadmium in the underground parts increased by 103.1%, 298.8%, and 274.4%, after the addition of 1 g, 3 g, and 5 g of fungi, respectively. The addition of fungi strengthened the effect of V. zizanioides to remediate soils contaminated by lead and cadmium, and the remediation after the addition of 3 g of fungi was better than that after treatment with 1 g and 5 g of fungi. The combination of resistant fungi and the heavy metal enrichment plant, vetiver, under different concentrations of lead and cadmium showed that the fungi had a significant effect on the remediation of soils contaminated by lead and cadmium. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Characterization of subsoil heterogeneity, estimation of grain size distribution and hydraulic conductivity at the Krauthausen test site using Cone Penetration Test

A Cone Penetration Test (CPT) survey with a high spatial resolution was performed in order to investigate the stratigraphy as well as the spatial variability of various soil properties of the Krauthausen test site. Analyses of the CPT measurements showed the subsurface to be dominated by a planar layered structure. Variogram analysis of the various CPT parameters disclosed that within each layer the soil properties have an anisotropic spatial correlation structure. A correlation analysis of the measured CPT data and co-located grain size distributions from soil samples was performed. Since the correlation coefficients were greater equal to 0.7, a reliable empirical relationship between the data sets could be developed. Based on this empirical relationship grain size distributions were estimated at CPT locations. The statistical processing of estimated and measured grain size distributions with respect to their spatial correlation structure disclosed good agreement between the data sets. The estimated grain size distributions from CPT data were used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity in the aquifer. The results provide detailed information of the spatial heterogeneity of the hydraulic conductivity at Krauthausen test site. The validation of these results, using a prior investigation of hydraulic conductivity statistics, suggests the CPT a fast and inexpensive tool for the estimation of three dimensional hydraulic conductivity fields with sufficient accuracy.     

Relationship between atmospheric pollution processes and synoptic pressure patterns in northern China

The air pollution index (API) sequences in 10 cities in northern China and the synoptic pressure patterns during autumn and winter from 2002 to 2006 were analyzed with diagnostic and statistical methods. The results showed that the air qualities in northern China had a prominent correlation with the pressure systems. It revealed that (a) the increasing phase of API was associated with high pressure and the successive low pressure, (b) the preceding part of front (i.e. the retral part of low pressure) was associated with the maximum of API values during a cycle of air pollution process, (c) the pressure systems with high gradient led to the decrease of API, and (d) the synoptic pressure patterns and their evolvements were the main causes of regional air pollution processes. These relations can be used to analyze the variation characteristics and mechanism of regional atmosphere pollution process, and provide important basis for the qualitative prediction, control, and management of regional air pollution problems.     

Effects of a zeolite-selective catalytic reduction system on comprehensive emissions from a heavy-duty diesel engine

The effects of a zeolite urea-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system on a comprehensive spectrum of chemical species from diesel engine emissions were investigated in this study. Representative samples were collected with a newly developed source dilution sampling system after an aging process designed to simulate atmospheric dilution and cooling conditions. Samples were analyzed with established procedures and compared between the measurements taken from a baseline heavy-duty diesel engine and also from the same engine equipped with the exhaust aftertreatment system. The results have shown significant reductions for nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide, total hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organic carbon (OC) emissions. Additionally, less significant yet notable reductions were observed for particulate matter mass and metals emissions. Furthermore, the production of new species was not observed with the addition of the zeolite urea-SCR system joined with a downstream oxidation catalyst.     

Effects of suburban land use on phosphorus fractions and speciation in the Upper Peruque Creek, Eastern Missouri

This field study was conducted to explore the spatial and seasonal changes in total phosphorus and fraction distribution in relation to land uses. Water samples were collected biweekly at four sampling locations, which represented different potential phosphorus sources along the Upper Peruque Creek in Eastern Missouri. Total phosphorus concentrations of > 0.8 mg/L appeared sporadically at site 2, downstream of a small community, with an average of 0.82 +/- 0.14 mg/L in fall. Particulate phosphorus accounted for approximately 80% of total phosphorus at all sampling sites, except for site 2, where approximately 50 to 75% of dissolved phosphorus was often observed. Approximately 71 and 85% of total phosphorus in the sediment was in the form of iron (III) phosphate at the headwaters and downstream sites, respectively; 29 and 15% was in the form of phytic acid at the two sites. Land uses affect the total phosphorus concentration and alternate phosphorus fraction and speciation in the creek.     

Modelling feeding flow related shrinkage defects in aluminum castings

The process modelling of shape casting is geometrically complex and computationally very challenging. Besides the three-dimensional complex shapes with multiple domains, the defects of interest to industry arise as a consequence of the interaction amongst a range of phenomena. Conventionally, the key phenomena and defect prediction are modelled through empirical relations applied to the simulation results. Such approaches are neither comprehensive nor reliable. This paper presents a 3-D model that is capable of predicting the formation of shrinkage defects explicitly as a function of the interacting continuum phenomena, i.e. free surface flow, heat transfer, and solidification, in complex three-dimensional geometries which allows to identify the distinction between surface depression, surface connected cavities and internal cavities.The model solves the coupled macroscopic conservation equations for mass, momentum, and energy with a phase change during solidification. In the model, the volume deficit due to solidification can either be compensated by depression of the outside surface or by creating a cavity that initiates either on the surface or in the interior of the casting. The solidification morphology is taken into account by using a parameter, which depends on the fraction solid, in the momentum equation. By using an adapted free surface algorithm, it is suitable to predict surface connected defects: depressed surfaces and caved surfaces. A critical pressure serves as a criterion to open internal shrinkage cavities. The model does not need to search for connected zones to feed shrinkage, but the shrinkage distribution will automatically emerge from the continuity equation.This advanced shrinkage model has experimentally been validated successfully using two Al-Si alloys, a skin freezing eutectic alloy and a mushy freezing hypo-eutectic alloy.     

Pollution extents of organic substances from a coal gangue dump of Jiulong Coal Mine,China

This paper addresses the distribution and occurrence of harmful organic substances in coal gangue dump from Jiulong Coal Mine and its influence on the environment. The samples were taken from the coal gangue dump and coal waste water stream and analyzed by organic geochemical methods. The results indicate that the coal gangues contain abundant harmful organic substances like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The TOC and sulfur contents of the samples are much higher than those of the background sample except Sample JL7. The contents of organic bulk parameters are relatively high. Ten carcinogenic PAHs were identified and these harmful organic substances have influenced the surrounding area. Along the waste water stream, organic substances pollute at least 1,800 m far from the coal gangue dump.