The interception effect of heavy metals in different types of Chinese fir plantations

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The aim of this research is to investigate the interception effect of heavy metals, such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd)...     

Evidence for the involvement of Fe(IV) in water treatment by Fe(III)-activated sulfite

Water contamination by emerging organic pollutants is calling for advanced methods of remediation such as iron-activated sulfite-based advanced oxidation. Sulfate radical, SO₄^??, and hydroxyl radical, ^?OH, are the primary reactive intermediates formed in the Fe(III)/sulfite system, yet the possible involvement of Fe(IV) produced from Fe(II) and persulfates is unclear. Here we explored the role of Fe(IV) in the Fe(III)/sulfite system by methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) probe assay, electron paramagnetic resonance spectra analysis, alcohol scavenging experiment, and kinetic simulation. Results show that PMSO is partially transformed into methyl phenyl sulfone (PMSO₂), thus evidencing Fe(IV) formation. The remaining degradation of PMSO is due to SO₄^?? and ^?OH. The contribution of Fe(IV) versus free radicals is progressively promoted when the Fe(III)-sulfite reaction proceeds, with an upper limit of 80–90%. The contribution of Fe(IV) versus free radicals increases with Fe(III) and sulfite dosages, and decreases with increasing pH. Overall, our findings demonstrate the involvement of Fe(IV) in the Fe-catalyzed sulfite auto-oxidation process.

     

Antibiotic resistance genes in manure-amended paddy soils across eastern China: Occurrence and influencing factors

• Manure fertilization resulted in antibiotic residues and increased metal contents. • The tet and sul genes were significantly enhanced with manure fertilization. • Soil physicochemical properties contributed to 12% of the variations in ARGs. • Soil metals and antibiotics co-select for ARGs. Pig manure, rich in antibiotics and metals, is widely applied in paddy fields as a soil conditioner, triggering the proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil. However, comprehensive studies on the effects of manure fertilization on the abundance of ARGs and their influencing factors are still insufficient. Here, pig manure and manure-amended and inorganic-amended soils were collected from 11 rice-cropping regions in eastern China, and the accumulation of antibiotics, metals, and ARGs was assessed simultaneously. The results showed that manure fertilization led to antibiotic residues and increased the metal content (i.e., Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr). Tetracycline and sulfonamide resistance genes (tetM, tetO, sul1, and sul2) were also significantly enhanced with manure fertilization. According to variance partitioning analysis, the most important factors that individually influenced ARGs were soil physicochemical properties, accounting for 12% of the variation. Significant correlations between soil nutrients and ARGs indicated that manure application enhanced the growth of resistant microorganisms by supplying more nutrients. Metals and antibiotics contributed 9% and 5% to the variations in ARGs, respectively. Their co-occurrence also increased the enrichment of ARGs, as their interactions accounted for 2% of the variation in ARGs. Interestingly, Cu was significantly related to most ARGs in the soil (r = 0.26–0.52, p<0.05). Sulfapyridine was significantly related to sul2, and tetracycline resistance genes were positively related to doxycycline. This study highlighted the risks of antibiotic and ARG accumulation with manure fertilization and shed light on the essential influencing factors of ARGs in paddy soils.     

Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies between short-term exposure to ambient carbon monoxide and non-accidental,cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality in China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Although a growing number of original epidemiological studies imply a link between ambient pollution exposure and mortality risk, the findings...     

Disturbed boundaries extraction in coal–grain overlap areas with high groundwater levels using UAV-based visible and multispectral imagery

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With high groundwater levels, coal–grain overlap areas (CGOAs) are vulnerable to subsidence and water logging during mining activities, thereby...     

Fractionation analysis and risk assessment of potential toxic elements in reservoir sediments in central China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The pollution of potential toxic elements (PTEs) in the environment is a persistent issue and draws public attention constantly. However, there is no...     

Study on dust–gas coupling pollution law and selection of optimal purification distance of air duct during tunneling process

During the excavation of high gas mine, gas and dust often exist at the same time. In order to ensure that the gas concentration remains within a safe range and minimize the risk of workers’ pneumoconiosis, we simulated the interaction mechanism of airflow, gas, and dust, explored the pollution law of gas and dust, and obtained the optimal purification distance (L_p) by the CFD method. The reliability of the numerical simulation was verified by field measurements. Firstly, the properties of the gas and dust affected the structure of the airflow field. At the same time, the change in the airflow field affected the concentration distributions of the gas and dust. During the diffusion process, some high-risk regions in which the gas or dust concentrations exceeded 0.80% or 200 mg/m³, respectively, were discovered. Moreover, we have found that the airflow velocity in the top region of the tunnel and at the intersection corner between the cutting face and tunnel wall was the main factor affecting the purification effects. When L_p = 5–8 m, the gas concentration remained below 0.50%. When L_p = 6 m, the dust concentration reached a minimum of 287.5 mg/m³. Therefore, the optimal purification distance was determined to be 6 m; in which case, the gas and dust concentrations decreased by 32.84% and 47.02%, respectively.

     

Chemical and colloidal analyses of natural seep water collected from the exploratory studies facility inside Yucca Mountain,Nevada, USA

Yucca Mountain is being considered as a geological repository for the USA’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste. Numerous groundwater seeps appeared during March 2005 within the exploratory studies facility (ESF), a tunnel excavated in the mountain. Because of the relevance to radionuclide transport and unsaturated zone-modeling studies, we analyzed the seep samples for major anions and cations, rare earth elements, and colloids. Major ion species and elemental concentrations in seep samples reflect interaction of the water with the volcanic rock and secondary calcites. Elemental fractograms from flow-injection field-flow fractionation ICP–MS scans detected Br, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, I, Mg, Si, Sr, W, and U at void fractions, suggesting they may be present in the form of dissolved anions. Colloids approximately 10 nm in hydrodynamic diameter, possibly calcite, were also present in the seepage samples. Geochemical calculations indicate, however, these may be an artifact (not present in the groundwater) which arose because of loss of CO₂ during sample collection and storage.     

Biological hydrogen production from organic wastewater by dark fermentation in China: Overview and prospects

Biological hydrogen production by dark fermentation is an important part of biological hydrogen production technologies. China is a typical developing country that heavily relies on fossil fuels; thus, new, clean, and sustainable energy development turns quite urgent. It is delightful that Chinese government has already drawn up several H₂ development policies since 1990s and provided financial aid to launch some H₂ development projects. In this paper, the research status on dark fermentative hydrogen production in China was summarized and analyzed. Subsequently, several new findings and achievements, with some of which transformed into scale-up tests, were highlighted. Moreover, some prospecting coupling processes with dark fermentation of hydrogen production were also proposed to attract more research interests in the future.     

Seasonal variation of nitrogen and phosphorus in Xiaojiang River—A tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir

A yearlong monitoring program in the backwater area of Xiaojiang River (XBA) was launched in order to investigate the eutrophication of backwater areas in tributaries of the Yangtze River in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in China, starting after the impoundment water level of the TGR reached 156 m. From March 2007 to March 2008, the average concentration of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were (1553±484) μg·L^?1 and (62±31) μg·L^?1, respectively. The mean value of chlorophyll was (9.07±0.91) μg·L^?1. The trophic level of XBA was meso-eutrophic, while the general nutrient limitation was phosphorus. The results indicated that XBA has a strong ability to purify itself and has non-point source pollution from terrestrial runoff. The variation of TN/TP ratio was caused by a variation in TN rather than in TP when TN/TP < 22. N-fixation from cyanobacteria occurred and became an important process in overcoming the nitrogen deficit under a low TN/TP ratio. When TN/TP ? 22, the variation of TP affected the TN/TP ratio more significantly than TN. The increase of TP in XBA was caused mainly by particulate phosphorus, which could originate from a non-point source as adsorptive inorganic forms after heavy rainfall and surface runoff. An increase in the river’s flow could also contribute to an unstable environment for the growth of phytoplankton.