A fractal derivative model to quantify bed-load transport along a heterogeneous sand bed

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Bed-load transport is a complex process exhibiting anomalous dynamics, which cannot be efficiently described using the traditional advection–diffusion...     

Biological conversion pathways of sulfate reduction ammonium oxidation in anammox consortia

• The SRAO phenomena tended to occur only under certain conditions. • High amount of biomass and non-anaerobic condition is requirement for SRAO. • Anammox bacteria cannot oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor. • AOB and AnAOB are mainly responsible for ammonium conversion. • Heterotrophic sulfate reduction mainly contributed to sulfate conversion. For over two decades, sulfate reduction with ammonium oxidation (SRAO) had been reported from laboratory experiments. SRAO was considered an autotrophic process mediated by anammox bacteria, in which ammonium as electron donor was oxidized by the electron acceptor sulfate. This process had been attributed to observed transformations of nitrogenous and sulfurous compounds in natural environments. Results obtained differed largely for the conversion mole ratios (ammonium/sulfate), and even the intermediate and final products of sulfate reduction. Thus, the hypothesis of biological conversion pathways of ammonium and sulfate in anammox consortia is implausible. In this study, continuous reactor experiments (with working volume of 3.8L) and batch tests were conducted under normal anaerobic (0.2≤DO<0.5 mg/L) / strict anaerobic (DO<0.2 mg/L) conditions with different biomass proportions to verify the SRAO phenomena and identify possible pathways behind substrate conversion. Key findings were that SRAO occurred only in cases of high amounts of inoculant biomass under normal anaerobic condition, while absent under strict anaerobic conditions for same anammox consortia. Mass balance and stoichiometry were checked based on experimental results and the thermodynamics proposed by previous studies were critically discussed. Thus anammox bacteria do not possess the ability to oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor and the assumed SRAO could, in fact, be a combination of aerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox and heterotrophic sulfate reduction processes.     

Enhanced debromination of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) by zero-valent zinc with ascorbic acid

• Highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 was achieved in the ZVZ/AA system. • BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA can be applied to a wide range of pH. • AA inhibits the formation of (hydr)oxide and accelerates the corrosion of ZVZ. • Reduction mechanism of BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA system was proposed. A new technique of zero-valent zinc coupled with ascorbic acid (ZVZ/AA) was developed and applied to debrominate the 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), which achieved high conversion and rapid debromination of BDE-47 to less- or non-toxic forms. The reaction conditions were optimized by the addition of 100 mg/L ZVZ particles and 3 mmol/L AA at original solution pH= 4.00 using the solvent of methanol/H₂O (v:v= 4:6), which could convert approximately 94% of 5 mg/L BDE-47 into lower-brominated diphenyl ethers within a 90 min at the ZVZ/AA system. The high debromination of BDE-47 was mainly attributed to the effect of AA that inhibits the formation of Zn(II)(hydr)oxide passivation layers and promotes the corrosion of ZVZ, which leads to increase the reactivity of ZVZ. Additionally, ion chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses revealed that bromine ion and lower-debromination diphenyl ethers formed during the reduction of BDE-47. Furthermore, based on the generation of the intermediates products, and its concentration changes over time, it was proposed that the dominant pathway for conversion of BDE-47 was sequential debromination and the final products were diphenyl ethers. These results suggested that the ZVZ/AA system has the potential for highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 from wastewater.     

In situ hydrothermal fabrication of visible light-driven g-C3N4/SrTiO3 composite for photocatalytic degradation of TC

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A series of g-C3N4/SrTiO3 (CN/SrTiO3) composites with the different mass ratio of g-C3N4 were prepared by facile in situ hydrothermal growth method,...     

Combined toxicity of imidacloprid,acetochlor, and tebuconazole to zebrafish ( Danio rerio ): acute toxicity and hepatotoxicity assessment

Compound pollution refers to two or more kinds of pollutants with different properties, a pollutant from different sources, or the simultaneous existence of two or more different types of pollutants in the same environment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the individual and combined toxicity of the insecticide imidacloprid (IMI), the herbicide acetochlor (ACT), and the fungicide tebuconazole (TBZ) to zebrafish. The acute toxicity test results showed that the 96-h LC50 values of IMI, ACT, and TBZ were 276.84 (259.62–294.35) mg active ingredient (a.i.) L−1, 1.52 (1.34–1.74) mg a.i. L−1, and 8.16 (7.7–8.6) mg a.i. L−1, respectively. The combinations of IMI, ACT, and TBZ with toxicity ratios of 1:2:2, 1:4:4, 2:4:1, and 4:1:4 displayed synergistic toxic effects on zebrafish, while the toxicity ratios of 1:1:1, 1:1:2, 2:1:2, 2:2:1, and 4:2:1 of IMI, ACT, and TBZ, respectively, exhibited antagonistic toxic effects on zebrafish. The following experiments were performed with a toxicity ratio of 1:4:4 (IMI:ACT:TBZ). The activities of four enzyme biomarkers related to oxidative stress in the liver, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were evaluated in each exposure group on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. Compared with those of the control group, the activities of CAT, SOD, and GST and the MDA content were significantly altered at different time points in the individual and combined exposure groups. Additionally, the activities of CAT, SOD, and GST and the MDA content were significantly altered in the combined group compared with those of the individual group after 14 days or 21 days of exposure. Therefore, it was confirmed that combined toxicity studies are indispensable in risk assessment.     

Impact of green credit on industrial structure in China: theoretical mechanism and empirical analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Chinese industrial structure is characterized by a large proportion of industries with high energy consumption and high pollution, such as coal,...     

武汉市生态系统服务功能对城市用地扩张的响应机理

针对当前生态系统服务功能对城市用地扩张过程响应机理研究的不足,以武汉市为例,定量计算区域重要生态系统服务功能价值,探究城市用地扩张过程对生态系统服务的影响机理。结果表明:(1)1990～2015年,除水文调节的价值在2000～2005年略有增长,其余生态系统服务功能价值均呈负增长,降幅最大的是食物供给;(2)人口增长带来的生态系统服务功能的需求压力远远大于城市用地扩张对生态系统服务的直接破坏;(3)城市用地扩张对食物供给的破坏程度最大,对水文调节能力的破坏程度次之,对生物多样性和土壤保持的破坏程度相对较低。武汉市在未来的城市用地扩张中,应禁止侵占水域和森林的面积,调整农田的侵占结构,提高建设用地集约利用水平。     

颗粒流冲击力研究现状及讨论∗

颗粒流包括滑坡、泥石流、碎屑流、雪崩等,通常对桥梁、公路、居民区具有较大危害。分析了颗粒流的运动过程及其侵蚀、堆积和爬高等特性;此外,对颗粒流冲击力计算模型及其野外观测结果进行阐述。结果表明:现有冲击力计算模型认为冲击力在结构全断面呈均匀分布,忽略了颗粒流的运动特性对冲击力的影响;大块石冲击力计算忽略了颗粒破碎和浆体垫层效应对冲击力的影响,造成巨大的计算误差;由于传统传感器的缺陷,现有野外观测结果也存在较大误差。对此本文提出野外观测需要通过引入或开发新式压力传感器以得到更准确的颗粒流冲击力大小及其分布形式,从而更精确的修正理论模型;理论计算模型研究工作需要考虑颗粒流浆体的垫层效应、流体与基底的相互作用及块石冲击破碎等对流体冲击力的影响,从而推导出更准确的冲击力计算模型,指导工程实际。     

基于电-力导纳型类比法电厂动力设备被动隔振机理分析

为分析单自由度弹簧被动隔振技术的隔振机理,采用电-力导纳型类比法求得阻尼系统振动方程。利用归一化处理方法考察了在不同频率比(z)和力学品质因子(Q_m)影响下,设备位移、速度、加速度的响应情况。分析发现,在z<1时,设备响应特性关系为位移>速度>加速度;在z>1时,设备响应特性关系为位移<速度<加速度;而当z=1时,设备响应特性关系为位移=速度=加速度,此时系统发生共振,且力学品质因素越大系统振动越剧烈;而当基础的干扰频率为系统固有频率的2 倍时,设备振动特性不受Q_m影响,且位移、速度和加速度传递比分别为1,2 ,2。该分析结果可为动力设备布置竖向弹簧隔振支座的隔振设计提供参考。     

Increasing collaboration between China and India in the environmental sciences to foster global sustainability

As the two largest countries by population, China and India have pervasive effects on the ecosphere. Because of their human population size and long international boundary, they share biodiversity and the threats to it, as well as crops, pests and diseases. We ranked the two countries on a variety of environmental challenges and solutions, illustrating quantitatively their environmental footprint and the parallels between them regarding the threats to their human populations and biodiversity. Yet we show that China and India continue to have few co-authorships in environmental publications, even as their major funding for scientific research has expanded. An agenda for collaboration between China and India can start with the shared Himalaya, linking the countries’ scientists and institutions. A broader agenda can then be framed around environmental challenges that have regional patterns. Coordinated and collaborative research has the potential to improve the two countries’ environmental performance, with implications for global sustainability.