Growth characteristics and nutrient removal capability of eco-ditch plants in mesocosm sediment receiving primary domestic wastewater

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Eco-ditches are being explored to maximize their capability of capturing pollutants and mitigate any harmful side effects in rivers. In this study,...     

Spatial variation and toxicity assessment for heavy metals in sediments of intertidal zone in a typical subtropical estuary (Min River) of China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Sediment samples were collected in five marshes (C1, Phragmites australis marsh; C2, P. australis and Cyperus malaccensis marsh; C3, C. malaccensis...     

Optimum ridge-to-furrow ratio in ridge-furrow mulching systems for improving water conservation in maize (Zea may L.) production

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Water-saving cultivation techniques have been attracting increased attention worldwide. Ridge-furrow mulching system (RFMS), as a prospective...     

Overview of surface measurements and spatial characterization of submicrometer particulate matter during the DISCOVER-AQ 2013 campaign in Houston,TX

The sources of submicrometer particulate matter (PM₁) remain poorly characterized in the industrialized city of Houston, TX. A mobile sampling approach was used to characterize PM₁ composition and concentration across Houston based on high-time-resolution measurements of nonrefractory PM₁ and trace gases during the DISCOVER-AQ Texas 2013 campaign. Two pollution zones with marked differences in PM₁ levels, character, and dynamics were established based on cluster analysis of organic aerosol mass loadings sampled at 16 sites. The highest PM₁ mass concentrations (average 11.6 ± 5.7 µg/m³) were observed to the northwest of Houston (zone 1), dominated by secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass likely driven by nighttime biogenic organonitrate formation. Zone 2, an industrial/urban area south/east of Houston, exhibited lower concentrations of PM₁ (average 4.4 ± 3.3 µg/m³), significant organic aerosol (OA) aging, and evidence of primary sulfate emissions. Diurnal patterns and backward-trajectory analyses enable the classification of airmass clusters characterized by distinct PM sources: biogenic SOA, photochemical aged SOA, and primary sulfate emissions from the Houston Ship Channel. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that secondary biogenic organonitrates primarily related with monoterpenes are predominant in zone 1 (accounting for 34% of the variability in the data set). The relevance of photochemical processes and industrial and traffic emission sources in zone 2 also is highlighted by PCA, which identifies three factors related with these processes/sources (~50% of the aerosol/trace gas concentration variability). PCA reveals a relatively minor contribution of isoprene to SOA formation in zone 1 and the absence of isoprene-derived aerosol in zone 2. The relevance of industrial amine emissions and the likely contribution of chloride-displaced sea salt aerosol to the observed variability in pollution levels in zone 2 also are captured by PCA.

Implications: This article describes an urban-scale mobile study to characterize spatial variations in submicrometer particulate matter (PM₁) in greater Houston. The data set indicates substantial spatial variations in PM₁ sources/chemistry and elucidates the importance of photochemistry and nighttime oxidant chemistry in producing secondary PM₁. These results emphasize the potential benefits of effective control strategies throughout the region, not only to reduce primary emissions of PM₁ from automobiles and industry but also to reduce the emissions of important secondary PM₁ precursors, including sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds. Such efforts also could aid in efforts to reduce mixing ratios of ozone.     

Fate of caffeine in mesocosms wetland planted with Scirpus validus

Uptake, accumulation and translocation of caffeine by Scirpus validus grown in hydroponic condition were investigated. The plants were cultivated in Hoagland’s nutrient solution spiked with caffeine at concentrations of 0.5–2.0 mg L^?1. The effect of photodegradation on caffeine elimination was determined in dark controls and proved to be negligible. Removal of caffeine in mesocosms without plants showed however that biodegradation could account for about 15–19% of the caffeine lost from solutions after 3 and 7 d. Plant uptake played a significant role in caffeine elimination. Caffeine was detected in both roots and shoots of S. validus. Root concentrations of caffeine were 0.1–6.1 μg g^?1, while the concentrations for shoots were 6.4–13.7 μg g^?1. A significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation between the concentration in the root and the initial concentrations in the nutrient solution was observed. The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of caffeine for roots ranged from 0.2 to 3.1, while BAFs for shoots ranged from 3.2 to 16.9. Translocation from roots to shoots was the major pathway of shoot accumulation. The fraction of caffeine in the roots as a percentage of the total caffeine mass in solution was limited to 0.2–4.4% throughout the whole experiment, while shoot uptake percentage ranged from 12% to 25% for caffeine at the initial concentration of 2.0 mg L^?1 to 50–62% for caffeine at the initial concentration of 0.5 mg L^?1. However, a marked decrease in the concentration of caffeine in the shoots between d-14 and d-21 suggests that caffeine may have been catabolized in the plant tissues subsequent to plant uptake and translocation.     

A novel use of anaerobically digested liquid swine manure to potentially control soybean cyst nematode

Experiments were carried out in two steps to determine the effect of anaerobically digested swine manure on soybean cyst nematode (SCN) egg control. In the first step, liquid swine manure underwent anaerobic digestion to search for the best digestion time for both volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺) enrichment. The results showed that about 17 and 28 days of incubation were needed, respectively, to reach the maximal levels of VFA and NH₄ ⁺ in the manure. In the second step, raw, VFA-enriched, and NH₄ ⁺-enriched manure were applied separately, at four different rates (25, 50, 100, and 200 mL/pot), to soil pots inoculated with nematode eggs in a greenhouse environment. Soil samples were collected 35 and 61 days after inoculation to determine the effect of such treated manure on SCN egg productivity. The data indicated that the SCN egg counts were inversely related to the manure application rates in a linear manner with correlation coefficients of 0.998, 0.967, and 0.900 for raw, NH₄ ⁺-enriched, and VFA-enriched manure for the 35-day samples. While no such relationships were found for the 61-day samples, implying that none of the treatments were still effective 61 days after application. At the four application rates, the VFA-enriched manure performed best in reducing SCN egg counts (by 18.1, 19.5, 34.3, and 18.6%) as compared to the raw manure treatment. In contrast, the NH₄ ⁺-enriched manure achieved mostly negative reductions. To achieve the best control of SCN egg growth, the VFA-enriched manure should be used and applied to soybean fields every 35 days.     

Characteristics and management of domestic waste in a rural area of the Tibetan Plateau

In the rural area of the Tibetan Plateau (RATP), the characteristics of domestic waste, people’s environmental awareness, people’s willingness to pay and their influence factors were firstly studied by questionnaires, field samplings and laboratory tests. The results showed that, in the RATP, the generation of domestic waste was 85 g?d-1 per capita and it was mainly composed of plastics, inert waste, kitchen waste, glass and paper. The waste bulk density, moisture content, ash, combustible and low calorific value were 65 kg?m-3, 19.25%, 44.90%, 35.85% and 10,520 kJ?kg-1 respectively. These characteristics are influenced by income sources and geographical position to some extent. Classified collection should be promoted widely on the household and the village basis. Compost, fermentation, landfill, bioreactor landfill and semi-aerobic landfill have been approved as effective techniques to treat domestic waste, except incineration. The distance of 50–800 m between each collection facility and the disposal fee of around $0.8 per month per household are suggested. For suburbs or large population villages, it’s better to treat domestic waste by the centralized way. But for the remote rural areas, a decentralized way is proposed. Significantly, the educational and economic influence should be considered into an effective domestic waste management program.

Implications:?The current situatio n of the environment in the rural areas of the Tibetan Plateau (RATP) was surveyed. There, the generation of organics and moisture of domestic waste were low but ash, recyclables, and combustibles were high. People’s knowledge of domestic waste was absent but their participation in management was strong. Based on the current situation, compost, fermentation, and landfill were effective but incineration was inappropriate. Also, a localized mini landfill for a cluster of villages and or settlements was the best method there.     

Measurement of Fine Particles in Diesel Emissions Using a Real-Time Aerosol Monitor

Abstract

A real-time monitoring methodology to determine diesel fine particles in diesel emissions has been evaluated. The range of particle size captured by the monitor was ～0.1 μm to 1 μm. DustTrak real-time monitors were connected to the dilution tunnel of the vehicle exhaust to measure the emissions during the vehicle tests under both dynamic and steady-state driving conditions, and concentration data were recorded every 5 sec. Test variation of the real-time monitoring among different test days was similar to that measured by traditional filter-based gravi-metric method, whereas the repeatability of the monitor data within the same-day tests was better than that of gravimetric method. Correlations between the two methods were established for different fuels tested on a single light duty vehicle. When the emissions from the reference fuel was used to convert the monitor’s response to diesel fuels, the levels determined by the real-time monitor were consistent with those measured by gravimetric method among different fuels tested. Use of the real-time monitor could provide information on the levels of fine particles that is more relevant to the public health than the total particles.     

膜生物反应器中生物膜的生长特性

实验采用经甲苯培养驯化而成的单一假单胞菌菌种,通过分析平板式生物膜反应器内,不同阶段假单胞细菌生物膜干重、厚度、活性生物量和生物种群分布的变化,研究生物膜特性与降解效率之间的关系。实验结果表明,在挂膜初期生物膜迅速生长,生物量以及生物膜干重增长很快,有利于甲苯及营养物质的传输,降解效率也快速提升。随着生物膜的生长,生物量及干重也逐步增加,厚度逐渐增加使传质阻力不断增大,生物膜上层微生物的有机底物供应不足,使生物膜上层结构稀疏,最终维持一个甲苯的总传输量与生化降解量的平衡,生物量的生长与衰亡也达到动态平衡,形成了一个较高且稳定的降解效率。