Removal of high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from contaminated soil by biodiesel

Solubilizing experiments were carried out to evaluate the ability of biodiesel to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from highly contaminated manufactured gas plant (MGP) and PAHs spiked soils with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and tween 80 as comparisons. Biodiesel displayed the highest solubilities of phenanthrene (420.7 mg·L^-1), pyrene (541.0 mg·L^-1), and benzo(a)pyrene (436.3 mg·L^-1). These corresponded to several fold increases relative to 10% HPCD and tween 80. Biodiesel showed a good efficiency for PAH removal from the spiked and MGP soils for both low molecular weight and high molecular weight PAHs at high concentrations. Biodiesel was the best agent for PAH removal from the spiked soils as compared with HPCD and tween 80; as over 77.9% of individual PAH were removed by biodiesel. Tween 80 also showed comparable capability with biodiesel for PAH solubilization at a concentration of 10% for the spiked soils. Biodiesel solubilized a wider range of PAHs as compared to HPCD and tween 80 for the MPG soils. At PAH concentrations of 229.6 and 996.9 mg·kg^-1, biodiesel showed obvious advantage over the 10% HPCD and tween 80, because it removed higher than 80% of total PAH. In this study, a significant difference between PAH removals from the spiked and field MGP soils was observed; PAH removals from the MGP soil by HPCD and tween 80 were much lower than those from the spiked soil. These results demonstrate that the potential for utilizing biodiesel for remediation of highly PAH-contaminated soil has been established.     

Beurteilung des Ozonrisikos für die Waldregionen Bayerns am Beispiel des Jahres 2002 und des Extremtrockenjahres 2003 auf der Basis der externen Ozonexposition und der internen Ozonaufnahme

Background, aim, and scope Increasing background concentrations of ground-level tropospheric ozone and more frequent and prolonged summer drought incidences due to climate change are supposed to increase the stress on Bavarian forests. For such scenarios growth reduction and yield losses are predicted. Sustainable forest management in Bavaria aims to significantly increase the proportion of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) because of its broad ecological amplitude. In our regional study different approaches for calculating ozone impact were used to estimate the risks for Bavarian forests in the average climatic, rather moist year 2002 and the extremely dry year 2003.Materials and methods Measurements were conducted for eleven forest ecosystem sites and two forest research sites representing typical Bavarian forest stands under different climatic conditions and situated in different altitudes. For risk assessment currently used approaches were applied either based on the calculation of the cumulative ozone exposure (external dose; MPOC maximal permitted ozone concentration; critical level AOT40_phen? accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 nl [O₃] l^–1, for the effective phenolgy of beech) or based on the calculation of the phytomedically relevant ozone flux into the stomata (internal dose, critical level AF_st>1,6, accumulated stomatal flux above a flux threshold of 1.6 nmol O₃?m^–2 PLA; PLA = projected leaf area). For calculations continuously recorded ozone concentrations and meteorological and phenological data from nearby rural open field background measuring stations from the national air pollution control and from forested sites were used. Additionally ozone induced leaf symptoms were assessed.Results The exposure-based indices AOT40_phen and MPOC as well as the flux-based index AF_st>1.6suggest that Bavarian forests are at risk from O₃ during a rather moist average year concerning climate conditions (2002) as well as in an extreme dry year (2003). Thus, growth reductions of 5?% are predicted when thresholds are exceeded. Threshold exceedance occurred in both years at all plots, mostly already at the beginning of the growing season and often even many times over. Ozone induced leaf symptoms could be detected only on a few plots in a very slight occurrence.Discussion The results for the applied critical level indices differed depending on climatic conditions during the growing seasons: Regarding exposure-based indices, the highest degree of threshold exceedance occurred in the dry year of 2003 at all plots; the flux-based approach indicated the highest stomatal ozone uptake and thus an increased risk at moist sites or during humid years, whereas the risk was decreasing at dry sites with prolonged water limitation. Hence, soil and accordingly plant water availability was the decisive factor for the flux-modelled internal ozone uptake via stomata. Drought and increased ozone impact can generate synergistic, but also antagonistic effects for forest trees. At water limited rather dry forest sites restricted transpiration and thus production, but concurrently lower ozone uptake and reduced risk for damage can be expected.Conclusions, recommendations, and perspectives For realistic site-specific risk assessment in forest stands the determination of the internal ozone dose via modeling flux based internal stomatal ozone uptake is more appropriate than the calculation of the external ozone dose. The predicted 5?% growth reductions are in discrepancy with the frequently observed increment increase during the last decades in forest stands. Comprehensive and significant statistical verification for ozone induced forest growth reduction as well as the systematic validation of thresholds for ozone in the field is still lacking. However, a multiplicity of different specific new and retrospective growth analysis data should allow closing the gap. Moreover, the determination of canopy transpiration with sap flow measurements is a novel approach to provide cause-effect related, site specific results for the effective internal ozone dose as well as for canopy water supply and consecutively for regional risk estimation. A further future objective is the refinement of O₃ flux modelling by further consideration of soil/water budget characteristics and the above mentioned improved estimations of crown and canopy transpiration. Further, the introduction of threshold ranges for forest trees in view of their specific regional climatic conditions and their validation in real forest stands is necessary for developing meaningful ozone risk predictions for forests.     

土壤中降解聚己内酯(PCL)微生物菌种的筛选及降解性能

为了获得土壤中能降解聚己内酯(PCL)的微生物并研究其降解效果,对陕西普通土壤中的细菌、真菌、霉菌和放线菌进行驯化、筛选,并分别对PCL进行生物降解,研究降解前后PCL质量损失、表面形态、结晶度三方面的变化,结果表明,在陕西普通土壤中存在能够降解PCL的细菌、真菌、放线菌,其中放线菌的降解能力最好,真菌中霉菌的降解能力相对较弱,部分细菌具有较好的降解能力.经生理生化实验鉴定:具有较强降解PCL的细菌为蜡状芽孢杆菌.经上述菌种侵蚀后的PCL球晶均受到一定程度的破坏,其结晶度都有所降低.     

土壤和沉积物中有机质对双酚A和17α-乙炔基雌二醇的吸附行为

研究了土壤和沉积物原始样品bulk及其有机质组分(非水解性有机质NHC、碳黑BC和腐殖酸HA)对17α-乙炔基雌二醇(EE2)和双酚A(BPA)的吸附行为.所有的吸附等温线都很好地拟合了Freundlich模型,除HA和bulk外,所有的吸附等温线都为显著的非线性(n值为0.46—0.76).对于EE2和BPA的吸附非线性因子n值都存在这样的关系:HA>NHC>BC.EE2以有机碳归一化的Freundlich吸附能力(lgKOC)有BC>NHC>bulk>HA的关系,说明有机质成熟度越高,对EE2或者BPA的吸附能力越高.在土壤和沉积物有机质SOM(NHC、BC和HA)对吸附BPA和EE2的贡献上,NHC、BC和HA对沉积物和土壤对BPA总吸附贡献上要明显弱于它们对EE2的贡献.除了内分泌干扰物(EDCs)的疏水性影响EE2和BPA的吸附能力的差异外,分子大小和带电子苯环数也影响它们的吸附能力差异.     

生态足迹核算方法及其应用研究进展

近年来,生态足迹作为可持续发展的有效度量工具之一,获得了广泛关注。在参阅相关文献的基础上,系统总结了生态足迹核算方法及其应用特点和趋势,结果表明,（1）在核算方法上尚存争议,目前主要的核算方法有3种：传统土地足迹法;能值足迹法;投入产出足迹法。（2）从静态足迹核算朝时间序列足迹分析和动态情景足迹预测演化。（3）尽管在各个尺度上都有应用,但生态足迹目前仅被看作是交流工具,用于决策分析的意义不大。拓展其在企业及其产品系统的应用,将是其应用价值体现的一个突破口。（4）生态足迹作为一系列指标的一部分时,发挥作用更大。（5）生态足迹应加强与现有核算体系（如GDP）的衔接,增加其被决策者接纳的可能性。     

BTEX在河流渗滤系统中的降解行为实验模拟研究

河流渗滤是一种自然净化过程,污染河水通过该过程在河流沉积层中发生各种物理、化学和生物作用,使得污染物浓度降低,河水水质得到净化,从而达到增加地下水开采量的目的。本项研究通过淋滤实验,利用自行设计的土柱实验装置和人工配制的淋滤液,模拟了BTEX污染河水在下渗通过河流渗滤系统的过程中发生的降解行为。实验历时48 d,获得了该过程中BTEX各组分和电子受体的质量浓度变化历时曲线,得出的结论包括：污染河水中的BTEX在通过河流渗滤系统时将发生两种环境行为—吸附和降解。其中,吸附作用对于BTEX的净化效果较为有限,当吸附达到饱和之后,在存在电子受体的情况下,BTEX能够发生厌氧微生物降解,降解作用能够更有效的去除BTEX污染物。其中去除效率最高的是间二甲苯,在以NO3-为电子受体的情况下平均去除率为85.5%,在以SO42-为电子受体的情况下平均去除率为82.4%,其次是乙苯、甲苯,去除率最差的是苯,在两种电子受体的系统中平均去除率分别为68.5%和63.5%。由于吸附作用的影响,微生物降解相对于BTEX浓度变化存在一个滞后期,BTEX各组分的土壤-水吸附分配系数Kd越大,总的降解效率也就越低。通过河流渗滤系统这一自然净化过程,可以有效地去除浓度较高的BTEX混合污染,各组分平均去除效率都超过了60%,最高去除率均超过了80%。对于持续不断入渗的污染河水,当土壤吸附达到饱和、微生物活性受到抑制,去除效率会大大降低,从而使BTEX穿透河流沉积层进入含水层,对地下水产生危害。     

2,4'-DDT对斑马鱼生长、繁殖力及卵黄蛋白原的影响

以斑马鱼体内卵黄蛋白原(Vtg)作为雌激素污染物的生物标志物,比较研究了不同浓度2,4'- DDT对成年斑马鱼生长、发育、繁殖以及体内Vtg含量的影响.结果表明,当水环境中ρ(2,4'- DDT)为2和10 μg·L-1时,斑马鱼产卵量和受精率与空白和溶剂对照组相比均显著下降(P＜0.05).当水环境中p(2,4'- DDT)为0.2、2和10μg·L-1时,斑马鱼肝脏指数与空白和溶剂对照组相比显著升高(P＜0.05);10 μg·L-12,4'- DDT处理组雄性斑马鱼体内Vtg含量显著高于空白和溶剂对照组(P＜0.05),而0.2、2和10 μg·L-1 2,4'-DDT处理组雌性斑马鱼体内Vtg含量均显著高于空白和溶剂对照组(P＜0.05),且随暴露浓度的增加而增大.SDS - PAGE检测及免疫印迹分析均显示雄鱼血液内出现Vtg特异条带,表明2,4'- DDT对斑马鱼具有雌激素效应.     

Environmental impact of historical harbour city Zadar (Croatia) on the composition of marine sediments and soils

Sediment samples and soils along the coast line of the Adriatic Sea were sampled along a transect near the coast line at Zadar/Croatia, ranging from north-western suburbs via the historical centre and the industrial area to south-east suburbs. The sediments were dominated by carbonates and clay minerals, and contaminations with Cd–Cu–Pb–Zn–TOC (total organic carbon) at the historical centre and the industrial site were detected, as well as P and Mo input at the mouth of a small creek, probably from agriculture. No trends between the composition of surface and subsurface sea sediments were seen. At the historic harbour site, total element concentrations versus grain size showed a minimum in the fine silt fraction for most of the elements analysed. The soil samples behind the shoreline were not carbonaceous, but dominated by Fe–Al– oxides, some contained high levels of Be–Cd–Cu–Sn–Zn. Surprisingly, high TOC values within the soils might be assigned to human impacts, not to humus. Contrary to data from street dust samples from Seoul city/Korea, which were measured within our laboratory at the same time, Pt–Ir–Au were at ambient levels due to the limited use of catalysts in cars in the Zadar area at the time of sampling.     

The role of black carbon as a catalyst for environmental redox transformation

Black carbon (BC) is an important class of geosorbents that control the fate and transport of organic pollutants in soil and sediment. We previously demonstrated a new role of BC as an electron transfer mediator in the abiotic reduction of nitroaromatic and nitramine compounds by Oh and Chiu (Environ Sci Technol 43:6983–6988, 2009). We proposed that BC can catalyze the reduction of nitro compounds because it contains microscopic graphitic (graphene) domains, which facilitate both sorption and electron transfer. In this study, we assessed the ability of different types of BC—graphite, activated carbon, and diesel soot—to mediate the reduction of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and 2,4-dibromophenol (DBP) by H₂S. All three types of BC enhanced DNT and DBP reduction. H₂S supported BC-mediated reduction, as was observed previously with a thiol reductant. The results suggest that BC may influence the fate of organic pollutants in reducing subsurface environments through redox transformation in addition to sorption.     

Distributional patterns of adult male loggerhead sea turtles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Caretta caretta</Emphasis>) in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral,Florida, USA during and after a major annual breeding aggregation

Satellite transmitters were attached to 25 reproductively active and four inactive adult male loggerhead sea turtles (86.6–107.0 cm SCLmin) captured from the Port Canaveral, FL, USA shipping channel to assess horizontal and vertical distributions. During the breeding period, male loggerheads aggregated (44% of 755 turtle days) in a 117.6 km² core area that encompassed the shipping channel. Median dive duration during the breeding period was 27 min (IQR = 15–42 min) and males spent 4% (IQR = 3–5%) of the time at the surface, with significantly shorter dives associated with reproductively active males. Migrant and resident males dispersed concurrently, with residents shifting > 30 km east across the continental shelf over a more protracted departure schedule than migrants. Dive duration and time spent at the surface increased through the fall. Cluster analysis revealed the strongest association for dive duration with sea state during and after the breeding period, with significantly longer dives during more turbulent conditions. In contrast, univariate associations with surface interval duration were not elucidated.