Evaluating anthropogenic N inputs to diverse lake basins: A case study of three Chinese lakes

The environmental degradation of lakes in China has become increasingly serious over the last 30 years and eutrophication resulting from enhanced nutrient inputs is considered a top threat. In this study, a quasi-mass balance method, net anthropogenic N inputs (NANI), was introduced to assess the human influence on N input into three typical Chinese lake basins. The resultant NANI exceeded 10 000 kg N km⁻² year⁻¹ for all three basins, and mineral fertilizers were generally the largest sources. However, rapid urbanization and shrinking agricultural production capability may significantly increase N inputs from food and feed imports. Higher percentages of NANI were observed to be exported at urban river outlets, suggesting the acceleration of NANI transfer to rivers by urbanization. Over the last decade, the N inputs have declined in the basins dominated by the fertilizer use but have increased in the basins dominated by the food and feed import. In the foreseeable future, urban areas may arise as new hotspots for nitrogen in China while fertilizer use may decline in importance in areas of high population density.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0638-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Toxicity of sediment cores from Yangtze River estuary to zebrafish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>) embryos

Toxicity evaluation is an important segment in sediment quality monitoring in order to protect aquatic organisms and human health. The purpose of this study is to assess the toxicity of sediments from three sediment cores in Yangtze River Estuary, China, using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo tests. Fertilized zebrafish eggs were exposed to both whole sediments and sediment organic extracts prepared from collected sediments, in order to provide a comprehensive and realistic insight into the bioavailable toxicity potential of the sediments. As end points, development parameters (mortality, hatching rate, and abnormality) in the developing embryos were recorded during the 96-h exposure. The results showed that some samples increased mortality, inhibited the hatching of embryos, and induced morphological abnormalities. The embryonic toxicities presented serrated changes and irregular distribution with depth, which may be related to hydrodynamic effect and unstable environmental input. However, lethal and sub-lethal effects were more significant at the sub-surface sediments (10～40 cm), which indicated that the pollution is more serious in recent decades.     

Past,present, and future use of phosphorus in Chinese agriculture and its influence on phosphorus losses

Large inputs of phosphorus (P) in chemical fertilizers and feed supplements since 1978 have improved soil P status in arable land in China, but have also created challenges by increasing P concentrations in manure and exacerbating water quality degradation. Arable land in China can be divided into five management zones based on soil P chemistry, with 15–92 % of arable land having lower P status than the agronomic optimum and 0.3–7.2 % having severe risks of P leaching losses. A scenario analysis of soil P budget and agronomic P demand during 2011–2030 highlighted the great pressure China faces in sustainable P management and the need for drastic changes in current practices. This includes new policies to reduce P supplementation of feed and improved P use efficiency by livestock and programs to expand the adoption of appropriate fertilization, soil conservation, and drainage management practices to minimize P losses.     

水体浊度对马来眼子菜和菹草生长的影响

研究了不同浊度(30、60和90 NTU)水体中,马来眼子菜及菹草的生长发育状况,并用水下饱和脉冲叶绿素荧光仪(Diving-PAM)测定其叶片荧光参数指标。结果表明,不同的浊度对马来眼子菜的叶片数及株高无显著影响,而对菹草的叶片数及株高生长速率有一定的影响。30 d胁迫下,浊度组马来眼子菜的最大光化学量子产量(maximum quantum yield,Fv/Fm)、光化学淬灭系数(photochemical quenching,q P)、非光化学淬灭系数(non-photochemical quenching,q N)、相对光合电子传递速率(electron transport rate,ETR)与对照组差异不显著(p>0.05),表明马来眼子菜对浑浊水体有较强的耐受能力;实验结束时,高浊度组(90 NTU)中,菹草Fv/Fm、q P、q N、ETR与对照组达到极显著差异(p<0.01),其余浊度组也相应受到影响,说明菹草的光系统II(PSII)受到破坏。该研究的成果可为沉水植物恢复研究与实践提供技术支撑。     

隔膜压滤机滤室最优空腔厚度

利用UG软件对隔膜压滤机滤室内流体进行三维建模,导入Gambit中进行网格划分及边界条件的设定,结合Fluent选用RNG k-ε湍流模型,采用多孔介质模型模拟隔膜压滤机滤室内固-液两相流分离,得到不同空腔厚度下滤室内流体的体积分数轮廓图、压强云图,得出滤饼含水率与空腔厚度大小的关系。实验结果表明,模拟和实验结果具有较好的一致性。在压滤机滤室空腔厚度为12 mm时,滤饼含水率为48%,每天污泥处理量为102 t,隔膜压滤机工作效率最高。     

改性SCAC催化臭氧氧化去除布洛芬效能与反应活性位点研究

采用不同的表面改性方法(去矿化处理、氧化改性、碱改性和还原改性)对污泥基活性炭(SCAC)进行处理,分别获得了表面金属含量低、碱位低、碱性官能团含量高及Lewis碱含量高的4种改性SCAC(SCAC-D、SCAC-S、SCAC-OH和SCAC-N),对比考察了改性前后SCAC催化臭氧氧化去除布洛芬(IBP)的效能,并探讨了SCAC催化臭氧氧化反应的主要活性位点。结果表明,5种SCAC催化活性顺序为:SCAC-N>SCAC-OH>SCAC>SCAC-S>SCAC-D;金属组分减少会直接影响SCAC的催化活性,碱位减少对其催化活性的影响相对较弱,说明SCAC表面较为丰富的金属组分是其催化臭氧氧化反应的主要活性位点;增加SCAC表面碱位(Lewis碱和碱性官能团),减少表面酸性官能团有助于提高其催化活性。     

电化学氧化法处理垃圾渗滤液纳滤浓缩液

实验利用电化学氧化法处理垃圾渗滤液纳滤浓缩液,以提高废水的可生化性。研究考察了水力停留时间、进水流量、循环流量、电流强度和原水氯离子浓度对有机物去除的影响。研究结果表明,电化学氧化法的最佳运行条件如下:水力停留时间为3 h,进水流量为1 m3/h,循环流量为15 m3/h,电流强度为420 A。在上述条件下,原水COD浓度从3 100mg/L降到1 311.3 mg/L,去除率达到57.7%,BOD/COD值由0.03提升至0.31。氯离子对电解有促进作用,但原水氯离子浓度超过5 000 mg/L,不需要外加工业盐。