Di-n-butyl phthalate degrading endophytic bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. strain JR20 isolated from garlic chive and its colonization in a leafy vegetable

The bioconcentration and elimination of racemic benalaxyl (BX) in trout liver microsomes and in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were investigated to determine whether the fish can bioconcentrate and degrade this fungicide enantioselectively. Both enantiomers of BX were extracted with organic solvents and evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography. In the microsomes, BX degradation followed first-order kinetics, and the S?(+) enantiomer of BX was eliminated twice as rapidly as the R?(?) enantiomer, resulting in residues enriched for R?(?)?BX. In vivo experiment, chiral analysis showed an obvious selective bioconcentration of BX based on statistically altered enantiomer fractions (EFs) in the fish compared with the values in the water. The R?(?)?BX was initially preferentially bioconcentrated by rainbow trout and then dissipated more slowly than its antipode. The mean half-lives for individual enantiomers were calculated as 31.6 h for R?(?)?BX and 20.3 h for the S?(+)?form. The results of the study showed that the degradation of BX enantiomers was stereoselective in rainbow trout.     

Removal of SO2 and NOX from Stack Gas by Reaction with Calcium Hydroxide Solids

Previous workers have shown that simultaneous SO₂/NO_X removal can be obtained in a dry scrubbing system with Ca(OH)₂ promoted by an additive such as NaOH, and that fly ash and product recycle improve the reactivity of the solids toward SO₂. To test SO₂/NO_X removal with fly ash and product recycle, bench-scale experiments with a packed bed reactor were performed at bag filter conditions. The most reactive solid for NO_X removal was prepared by slurrying Ca(OH)₂ with fly ash, CaSO₃, and NaOH. The best conditions for NO_X removal were the greatest temperature (125°C) and greatest concentrations of SO₂ (1500 ppm) and O₂ (20 percent). At the best conditions, NO_X removed in 1 hour was 3-4 moles per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂, compared to 5-10 moles SO₂ removed per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂. The best SO₂ removal was obtained at the highest relative humidities/lowest temperatures (55% RH/ 65°C) with solids prepared by slurrying Ca(OH)₂ with fly ash and NaOH. At these conditions, SO₂ removed In 1 hour was 60-80 moles per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂, compared to 0.5 to 1 moles NO_X removed per 100 moles Ca(OH)₂.     

固态碳源去除地下水硝酸盐的模拟实验

选取了5种研究较少的固体材料,棉花、丝瓜络、甘蔗渣、可降解餐盒、木屑作为去除地下水硝酸盐的外加碳源。在锥形瓶中进行反硝化对比实验,研究了不同固态碳源下NO3--N、NO2--N、NH4+-N及pH的变化情况,分析了NO3--N及总氮的去除率。研究结果表明,反硝化过程中pH呈升高趋势,在6.9～8.5范围内浮动。可降解餐盒和丝瓜络相对于其他的固态碳源来说,对NO3--N和总氮有较高的去除率,但丝瓜络的总氮去除率明显低于可降解餐盒。可降解餐盒的硝酸盐去除率达到98.28%,总氮去除率达到93.48%。可降解餐盒能够有效地去除地下水硝酸盐,达到以废治废的效果,是经济有效的最佳固态碳源。     

气液混合脉冲放电体系中偶氮染料的脱色效果

为了深入探究水包气式气液混合脉冲放电体系中各参数对有机物降解效果的影响,建立了多针一板电极形式的气液混合脉冲放电等离子体体系,以典型的偶氮染料——酸性橙Ⅱ（A07）为目标物,考察该体系中影响染料脱色效果的关键因素。研究结果表明,气液混合脉冲放电体系中与脉冲电源输入功率有关的因素（脉冲电压峰值和脉冲频率）对A07脱色效果影响明显。随着脉冲电压峰值和脉冲频率的增加,A07溶液的脱色效率和相应的准一级降解动力学常数增加。在较高的脉冲电压峰值（30kV）和脉冲频率（75Hz）条件下,10mg／LA07溶液的脱色效率和准一级降解动力学常数分别达到r92．7％和3．50×10～／min。同时,研究证明酸性溶液条件较利于染料脱色。     

Formation of nitrogenous disinfection by-products from pre-chloramination

A sampling survey investigated the formation of nitrogenous disinfection by-products (N-DBPs) and carbonaceous DBPs (C-DBPs) from pre-chloramination, an increasingly common treatment strategy in China for regulated C-DBP control, followed by subsequent conventional water treatment processes, i.e., coagulation, sedimentation, and filtration. Dihalogenated N-DBPs typically peaked in the summer and early autumn with a relatively higher temperature, with the maximum levels of dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm), dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), bromochloroacetonitrile, dibromoacetonitrile and dichloroacetone at 1.8, 6.3, 6.0, 2.6 and 1.8 μg L⁻¹ in the finished water, respectively. Also, the levels of all the dichlorinated N-DBPs were correlated with the ratio of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to dissolved organic carbon, implying autochthonous DON played an essential role in the formation of these DBPs. In contrast, the yields of trihalogenated DBPs [chloroform (CF), trichloronitromethane (TCNM) and trichloroacetone (TCAce)] appeared not to be significantly affected by seasons. CF and DCAN were the dominant species in trihalomethanes (THMs) and dihaloacetonitriles (DHANs), respectively. Bromine was more readily incorporated into DHANs to form brominated DBPs than THMs during pre-chloramination. Although pre-chloramination can ensure the finished water to meet with the current Chinese THM regulatory limits, the increased levels of TCNM and TCAce may be a new water quality concern.     

Arsenite-oxidizing and arsenate-reducing bacteria associated with arsenic-rich groundwater in Taiwan

Drinking highly arsenic-contaminated groundwater is a likely cause of blackfoot disease in Taiwan, but microorganisms that potentially control arsenic mobility in the subsurface remain unstudied. The objective of this study was to investigate the relevant arsenite-oxidizing and arsenate-reducing microbial community that exists in highly arsenic-contaminated groundwater in Taiwan. We cultured and identified arsenic-transforming bacteria, analyzed arsenic resistance and transformation, and determined the presence of genetic markers for arsenic transformation. In total, 11 arsenic-transforming bacterial strains with different colony morphologies and varying arsenic transformation abilities were isolated, including 10 facultative anaerobic arsenate-reducing bacteria and one strictly aerobic arsenite-oxidizing bacterium. All of the isolates exhibited high levels of arsenic resistance with minimum inhibitory concentrations of arsenic ranging from 2 to 200 mM. Strain AR-11 was able to rapidly oxidize arsenite to arsenate at concentrations relevant to environmental groundwater samples without the addition of any electron donors or acceptors. We provide evidence that arsenic-reduction activity may be conferred by the ars operon(s) that were not amplified by the designed primers currently in use. The 16S rRNA sequence analysis grouped the isolates into the following genera: Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Psychrobacter, Vibrio, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, and Bosea. Among these genera, we present the first report of the genus Psychrobacter being involved in arsenic reduction. Our results further support the hypothesis that bacteria capable of either oxidizing arsenite or reducing arsenate coexist and are ubiquitous in arsenic-contaminated groundwater.     

Fate and distribution of nitrogen in soil and plants irrigated with landfill leachate

Landfill leachate contains a high concentration of ammoniacal substances which can be a potential supply of N for plants. A bioassay was conducted using seeds of Brassica chinensis and Lolium perenne to evaluate the phytotoxicity of the leachate sample. A soil column experiment was then carried out in a greenhouse to study the effect of leachate on plant growth. Two grasses (Paspalum notatum and Vetiver zizanioides) and two trees (Hibiscus tiliaceus and Litsea glutinosa) were irrigated with leachate at the EC50 levels for 12 weeks. Their growth performance and the distribution of N were examined and compared with columns applied with chemical fertilizer. With the exception of P. notatum, plants receiving leachate and fertilizer grew better than those receiving water alone. The growth of L. glutinosa and V. zizanioides with leachate irrigation did not differ significantly from plants treated with fertilizer. Leachate irrigation significantly increased the levels of NH_x-N in soil. Although NO_x-N was below 1 mg N L⁻¹ in the leachate sample, the soil NO_x-N content increased by 9-fold after leachate irrigation, possibly as a result of nitrification. Leachate irrigation at EC50 provided an N input of 1920 kg N ha⁻¹ over the experimental period, during which up to 1050 kg N ha⁻¹ was retained in the soil and biomass, depending on the type of vegetation. The amount of nutrient added seems to exceed beyond the assimilative capability. Practitioners should be aware of the possible consequence of N saturation when deciding the application rate if leachate irrigation is aimed for water reuse.     

Electrocatalytic biofilm reactor for effective and energy-efficient azo dye degradation: the synergistic effect of MnOx/Ti flow-through anode and biofilm on the cathode

● MnO _x /Ti flow-through anode was coupled with the biofilm-attached cathode in ECBR. ● ECBR was able to enhance the azo dye removal and reduce the energy consumption. ● Mn^IV=O generated on the electrified MnO _x /Ti anode catalyzed the azo dye oxidation. ● Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria on the cathode degraded azo dye intermediate products. ● Biodegradation of intermediate products was stimulated under the electric field. Dyeing wastewater treatment remains a challenge. Although effective, the in-series process using electrochemical oxidation as the pre- or post-treatment of biodegradation is long. This study proposes a compact dual-chamber electrocatalytic biofilm reactor (ECBR) to complete azo dye decolorization and mineralization in a single unit via anodic oxidation on a MnO_x/Ti flow-through anode followed by cathodic biodegradation on carbon felts. Compared with the electrocatalytic reactor with a stainless-steel cathode (ECR-SS) and the biofilm reactor (BR), the ECBR increased the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency by 24 % and 31 % (600 mg/L Acid Orange 7 as the feed, current of 6 mA), respectively. The COD removal efficiency of the ECBR was even higher than the sum of those of ECR-SS and BR. The ECBR also reduced the energy consumption (3.07 kWh/kg COD) by approximately half compared with ECR-SS. The advantages of the ECBR in azo dye removal were attributed to the synergistic effect of the MnO_x/Ti flow-through anode and cathodic biofilms. Catalyzed by Mn^IV=O generated on the MnO_x/Ti anode under a low applied current, azo dyes were oxidized and decolored. The intermediate products with improved biodegradability were further mineralized by the cathodic aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (non-electrochemically active) under the stimulation of the applied current. Taking advantage of the mutual interactions among the electricity, anode, and bacteria, this study provides a novel and compact process for the effective and energy-efficient treatment of azo dye wastewater.     

Official sources,news outlets,or search engines? Rumour validation on social media during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma

This study, based on data collected from a representative sample of adults in the United States, explores the social cognitive variables that motivated Americans to validate rumours on social media about Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, both of which struck in August/September 2017. The results indicate that risk perception and negative emotions are positively related to systematic processing of relevant risk information, and that systematic processing is significantly related to rumour validation through search engines such as Google. In contrast, trust in information about the hurricane is significantly related to validation through official sources, such as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and major news outlets such as The New York Times. Trust in information is also significantly related to systematic processing of risk information. The findings of this study suggest that ordinary citizens may be motivated to validate rumours on social media, which is an increasingly important issue in contemporary societies.     

上海崇明岛蔬菜地土壤重金属含量与生态风险预警评估

崇明3城镇蔬菜地土壤重金属的总体含量为Cu 29.2 mg·kg^-1、Pb 26.5 mg·kg^-1、Cr 79.4 mg·kg^-1、Zn 91.2 mg·kg^-1和Cd 0.222 mg·kg^-1.除Cd在城桥镇和陈家镇超过国家土壤一级标准(GB 15618-1995)外,其余均低于国家土壤一级标准,并且满足国家对绿色食品产地土壤重金属含量的要求(NY/T391-2000).与上海土壤背景值相比,Cu、Pb、Cr、Zn和Cd分别高出上海土壤背景值 24.3％、24.4％、22.9％、18.8％和65.7％.崇明3城镇蔬菜地土壤重金属生态风险预警评估得出,23个采样点中有3个样点属于中警,10个样点属于轻警,8个样点属于预警,1个样点属于无警,综合评估I_{ER＝1.562,为轻警.3城镇生态风险排序为堡镇（IER=1.799）>城桥镇（IER=1.636）>陈家镇（IER=1.368）,均属于轻警.}