假单胞菌好氧降解四溴双酚A的特性

为了解四溴双酚A(TBBPA)的好氧降解特性,采用选择富集法从活性污泥中分离出一株能够高效降解四溴双酚A的菌株。根据其形态、生理生化特性及16S rDNA核苷酸序列分析,该菌株被鉴定为假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas sp.)。研究结果表明,该菌株可通过好氧共代谢方式实现四溴双酚A的降解,葡萄糖是四溴双酚A降解的最佳碳源,其最优降解条件为葡萄糖8 g/L,牛肉膏0.5 g/L,pH值为7.0,培养温度为35℃,摇床转速为150 r/min。在该条件下其生物降解过程符合一级动力学模型,6 d后的降解率高达95.6%。LC-MS结果表明,四溴双酚A在好氧降解过程中会生成异丙苯酚类物质。     

利用白云石石灰去除与回收污泥厌氧消化液中氮和磷

以白云石石灰为实验材料去除与回收污泥厌氧消化液中的氮磷,通过小试实验研究不同投药固液比S/L、初始pH值、反应温度、搅拌速度及反应时间对去除与回收氮磷效果的影响。实验结果表明,在最佳投药固液比S/L为300mg/L,最佳初始pH值范围为8.5~9.5,反应温度为25.0℃,搅拌速度为150 r/min,反应时间为24 h条件下,氨氮(NH+4-N)和磷(PO3-4-P)的去除率分别为37.26%和89.60%。利用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)对沉淀产物进行了表征,通过分析可知沉淀产物中含有磷酸铵镁(MAP),可实现废水中氮磷经济有效的回收。     

生物阴极式碳纸隔膜微生物燃料电池的反硝化和产电性能

为了探讨生物阴极式廉价隔膜微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)的基本性能,首先以生物反硝化作用为基础构建了生物阴极MFC,并进一步以涂布聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)的廉价碳纸代替昂贵的质子交换膜(PEM)构建碳纸隔膜生物阴极式MFC。研究结果显示,对于生物阴极式MFC,阴极室中最适宜反硝化细菌生长的NO-3-N浓度为99.2 mg/L,此时输出电压最高可达0.11 V,1 h内NO-3-N的去除率达到80.0%,COD去除率为62.8%;以涂PTFE的碳纸代替PEM的生物阴极式MFC与有PEM的MFC最高输出电压基本一致(均达到0.22 V,外阻500Ω),但碳纸隔膜MFC的产电更稳定。结果验证了廉价隔膜生物阴极式MFC的可行性,并为其应用于污水脱氮奠定基础。     

改性活性炭对水中铬离子(Ⅵ)的吸附性能

为了研究改性前后活性炭对水中铬离子(Ⅵ)的吸附效果,以磷酸活性炭(PAC)为原料,用10%硝酸改性得到硝酸改性活性炭(N-PAC)及直接蒸发法载铁改性得到载铁活性炭(Fe-PAC)。通过静态吸附研究表明,改性后活性炭对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附率有较大提高。在常温、自然pH条件下,0.2 g活性炭处理50 mL浓度为100 mg/L的含Cr(Ⅵ)溶液,N-PAC和Fe-PAC对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附率分别为79.21%和90.59%,都高于原PAC对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附率49.58%。pH从2.2升高到11.92,Fe-PAC对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附率从99.86%降低到14.77%,N-PAC则从99.86%降低到3.23%,PAC从97.05%降低到2.53%。温度从25℃升高到70℃,3种活性炭对Cr(Ⅵ)吸附率都有较大提高,都增加到98%以上。且吸附过程较符合Langmuir等温吸附模型。     

Enhanced degradation of ortho-nitrochlorobenzene by the combined system of zero-valent iron reduction and persulfate oxidation in soils

ortho-Nitrochlorobenzene (o-NCB) in soil poses significant health risks to human because of its persistence and high toxicity. The removal of o-NCB by both zero-valent iron (ZVI) and chemical oxidation (persulfate) was investigated by batch experiments. The o-NCB removal rate increases significantly from 15.1 to 97.3 % with an increase of iron dosage from 0.1 to 1.0 mmol g^?1. The o-NCB removal rate increases with the decrease of the initial solution pH, and a removal efficiency of 90.3 % is obtained at an initial pH value of 6.8 in this combined system. It is found that temperature and soil moisture could also increase the o-NCB removal rate. The o-NCB degradation rate increases from 83.9 to 96.2 % and from 41.5 to 82.4 % with an increase of temperature (15 to 35 °C) and soil moisture (0.25 to 1.50 mL g^?1), respectively. Compared to the persulfate oxidation system and ZVI system, the persulfate–iron system shows high o-NCB removal capacity. o-NCB removal rates of 41.5 and 62.4 % are obtained in both the persulfate oxidation system and the ZVI system, while the removal rate of o-NCB is 90.3 % in the persulfate–iron system.     

Quantifying interactions between propranolol and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from different sources using fluorescence spectroscopy

Beta blockers are widely used pharmaceuticals that have been detected in the environment. Interactions between beta blockers and dissolved organic matter (DOM) may mutually alter their environmental behaviors. To assess this potential, propranolol (PRO) was used as a model beta blocker to quantify the complexation with DOM from different sources using the fluorescence quenching titration method. The sources of studied DOM samples were identified by excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with fluorescence regional integration analysis. The results show that PRO intrinsic fluorescence was statically quenched by DOM addition. The resulting binding constants (log K _oc) ranged from 3.90 to 5.20, with the surface-water-filtered DOM samples claiming the lower log K _oc and HA having the highest log K _oc. Log K _oc is negatively correlated with the fluorescence index, biological index, and the percent fluorescence response (P _i,n) of protein-like region (P _I,n) and the P _i,n of microbial byproduct-like region (P _II,n) of DOM EEMs, while it is correlated positively with humification index and the P _i,n of UVC humic-like region (P _III,n). These results indicate that DOM samples from allochthonous materials rich in aromatic and humic-like components would strongly bind PRO in aquatic systems, and autochthonous DOM containing high protein-like components would bind PRO more weakly.     

Some technical issues in managing PCBs

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were important industrial chemicals featuring high thermal and chemical stability and low flammability. They were widely used as dielectric and thermal fluid in closed electro-technical applications (transformers, capacitors…) and also in numerous dispersive uses, ranking from auto-copying paper to sealant or coatings. During the 1960s, severe environmental consequences started becoming apparent. The stability of PCBs contributed to their persistence in the environment, their lipophilic character to bio-magnification. Fish-eating species seemed threatened in their existence. In Japan and in Taiwan, thousands of people consumed PCB-contaminated oil. The production of PCBs stopped completely during the 1980s. Usage could continue in closed applications only. In this paper, particular attention is given to two issues: the cleaning of PCB electric transformers and the potential impact of PCB-containing building materials. Other contributions will cover the management and treatment of PCB-contaminated soil, sludge or fly ash. The complete survey is being prepared by request of the Knowledge Center for Engineers and Professionals.     

A comparison of statistical methods for deriving freshwater quality criteria for the protection of aquatic organisms

Species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) are increasingly used in both ecological risk assessment and derivation of water quality criteria. However, there has been debate about the choice of an appropriate approach for derivation of water quality criteria based on SSDs because the various methods can generate different values. The objective of this study was to compare the differences among various methods. Data sets of acute toxicities of 12 substances to aquatic organisms, representing a range of classes with different modes of action, were studied. Nine typical statistical approaches, including parametric and nonparametric methods, were used to construct SSDs for 12 chemicals. Water quality criteria, expressed as hazardous concentration for 5 % of species (HC₅), were derived by use of several approaches. All approaches produced comparable results, and the data generated by the different approaches were significantly correlated. Variability among estimates of HC₅ of all inclusive species decreased with increasing sample size, and variability was similar among the statistical methods applied. Of the statistical methods selected, the bootstrap method represented the best-fitting model for all chemicals, while log-triangle and Weibull were the best models among the parametric methods evaluated. The bootstrap method was the primary choice to derive water quality criteria when data points are sufficient (more than 20). If the available data are few, all other methods should be constructed, and that which best describes the distribution of the data was selected.     

Ag/ZnO hollow sphere composites: reusable photocatalyst for photocatalytic degradation of 17α-ethinylestradiol

Characterizations of Ag/ZnO hollow sphere by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and UV–vis absorption spectra have been made after its synthesis. The results showed that the composite was hollow structure with diameters of about 1–4 μm. The samples synthesized were tested and identified as silver doped ZnO, which have extended and boosted the spectral absorption. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO hollow spheres was assessed using 17α-ethinylestradiol aqueous solution under UV irradiation. It has been observed that the 17α-ethinylestradiol absorption efficiency and degradation rate is higher for Ag/ZnO hollow spheres. As reusable photocatalysts, Ag/ZnO hollow spheres which could be easily separated from a suspension will facilitate their application in wastewater treatment with enhanced photostability.     

Major ionic compositions of fine particulate matter in an animal feeding operation facility and its vicinity

Animal feeding operations (AFOs) produce particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants. Investigation of the chemical composition of PM_2.5 inside and in the local vicinity of AFOs can help to understand the impact of the AFO emissions on ambient secondary PM formation. This study was conducted on a commercial egg production farm in North Carolina. Samples of PM_2.5 were collected from five stations, with one located in an egg production house and the other four located in the vicinity of the farm along four wind directions. The major ions of NH₄⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, SO₄^2?, Cl^?, and NO₃^? were analyzed using ion chromatography (IC). In the house, the mostly abundant ions were SO₄^2?, Cl^?, and K⁺. At ambient stations, SO₄^2?, and NH₄⁺ were the two most abundant ions. In the house, NH₄⁺, SO₄^2?, and NO₃^? accounted for only 10% of the PM_2.5 mass; at ambient locations, NH₄⁺, SO₄^2?, and NO₃^? accounted for 36–41% of the PM_2.5 mass. In the house, NH₄⁺ had small seasonal variations indicating that gas-phase NH₃ was not the only major force driving its gas–particle partitioning. At the ambient stations, NH₄⁺ had the highest concentrations in summer. In the house, K⁺, Na⁺, and Cl^? were highly correlated with each other. In ambient locations, SO₄^2? and NH₄⁺ had a strong correlation, whereas in the house, SO₄^2? and NH₄⁺ had a very weak correlation. Ambient temperature and solar radiation were positively correlated with NH₄⁺ and SO₄^2?. This study suggests that secondary PM formation inside the animal house was not an important source of PM_2.5. In the vicinity, NH₃ emissions had greater impact on PM_2.5 formation.

ImplicationsThe chemical composition of PM_2.5 inside and in the local vicinity of AFOs showed the impact of the AFO emissions on ambient secondary PM_2.5 formation, and the fate and transport of air pollutants associated with AFOs. The results may help to manage in-house animal facility air quality, and to develop regional air quality control strategies and policies, especially in animal agriculture-concentrated areas.