The size distribution of airborne bacteria and human pathogenic bacteria in a commercial composting plant

•Bacterial concentrations from eight stages were 10⁴–10⁵copies/m³. •Diameter influenced clustering of bacterial and HPB lineages. •Dg of 8 HPB ranged from 2.42 to 5.09 μm in composting areas. •Dg of 8 HPB ranged from 3.70 to 8.96 μm in packaging areas. •HPB had high concentrations and small sizes in composting areas. Composting plants are regarded as one of the important sources of environmental bioaerosols. However, limitations in the size distribution of airborne bacteria have prevented our comprehensive understanding of their risk to human health and their dispersal behavior. In this study, different sizes of airborne bacteria were collected using an eight-stage impactor from a full-scale composting facility. Size-related abundance and communities of airborne bacteria as well as human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) were investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing coupled with droplet digital PCR. Our results indicate that the bacterial concentrations from the eight stages were approximately 10⁴–10⁵copies/m³. Although no statistical correlation was detected between the particle size and the Shannon index, the influence of size on bacterial lineages was observed in both composting and packaging areas. For airborne bacteria from different stages, the dominant phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, and the dominant genera was Bacillus. Seven out of eight HPB with a small geometric mean aerodynamic diameter had a high concentration in composting areas. Based on diameters of 2.42 to 5.09 μm, most HPB in the composting areas were expected to be deposited on the bronchus and secondary bronchus. However, in the packaging areas, the deposition of HPB (diameters 3.70 to 8.96 μm) occurred in the upper part of the respiratory tract. Our results on the size distribution, abundance, and diversity of these bacteria offer important information for the systematic evaluation of bacterial pathogenicity and the potential health impacts on workers in composting plants and the surrounding residents.     

气液相组合生物法净化低浓度甲醛废气研究

对生物膜填料塔 液相生物处理的组合系统净化低浓度甲醛废气进行实验研究,结果表明,组合系统对甲醛废气的净化效果明显优于单独生物膜填料塔净化系统,甲醛净化效率提高35%以上,甲醛生化去除量增大50%以上.动力学研究结果表明,甲醛在生物膜上的生化降解反应为慢速生化反应,需要采取强化甲醛液相生化降解反应、提高反应速率的措施,来提高废气中甲醛的生物净化效果.     

直接驯化嗜盐菌处理高盐废水的研究

从大连旅顺盐场底泥中筛选出适合高盐度的嗜盐菌,在序批式间歇反应器(SBR)中对其进行3.5%(质量分数)盐度的驯化,污泥混合液悬浮固体(MLSS)平均质量浓度达600mg/L。污泥比耗氧速率(SOUR)测量结果显示,内源呼吸阶段污泥SOUR为10.36mg/(g.h),外源呼吸阶段污泥SOUR达到29.09mg/(g.h),表明所筛选的嗜盐菌培养的污泥具有较高活性。利用培养的污泥进行高盐模拟废水处理试验,结果表明,对盐度为3.5%、COD为240～340mg/L的高盐废水,在每周期12h、曝气量0.6L/min、污泥MLSS为600mg/L、污泥龄为18d条件下,COD去除率达95%以上,NH4+-N去除率达61%,TP去除率达55%。改变进水有机负荷对出水COD去除影响不大,该系统耐有机负荷冲击能力较强;盐度负荷的改变对COD的去除影响不大,而NH4+-N去除率有明显变化,在3.5%和5.0%的盐度下,NH4+-N去除率分别为61%和31%。     

EDTA络合铜在无机柱撑膨润土上的吸附研究

利用天然膨润土、羟基铁和羟基铁铝柱撑膨润土,进行吸附EDTA络合铜离子(EDTA-Cu)的实验.研究了溶液中EDTA与Cu2 摩尔比、pH值、吸附时间对吸附过程的影响和吸附等温线的变化规律.结果表明,达到吸附平衡的时间为1 h;pH值对天然膨润土的吸附影响甚小,柱撑膨润土的最佳吸附pH在6～8之间;膨润土的分配系数随着溶液中EDTA与Cu2 的摩尔比的增加而减少,当摩尔比＞2后,分配系数趋于稳定;柱撑膨润土羟基吸附位的活性是决定吸附性能的关键因素;吸附过程符合Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附模型,吸附容量的大小和吸附作用强弱的顺序为:羟基铁铝膨润土＞羟基铁膨润土＞天然膨润土.     

悬挂链生物接触氧化工艺处理河道污水

采用悬挂链曝气式接触氧化工艺在3个时段内处理城市河道污水,通过采用磷脂法、TTC-脱氢酶活性法和MPN法研究载体表面生物膜特性,来验证装置的水质净化效果。结果表明,进水水质变化幅度较大的时段1内,水质对缺氧区和好氧区内生物膜量及活性有很大冲击,对污染物的去除效果影响不大,COD、NH+4-N、TN和TP的平均去除率分别达到75.9%、80.8%、64.6%和78.3%;进水水质稳定的时段2内,缺氧区和好氧区内生物膜量和活性要高于其他时段,COD、NH+4-N、TN和TP的平均去除率分别达到77.0%、80.6%、69.4%和55.3%;低温运行的时段3内,缺氧区和好氧区内生物膜量和活性都低于其他时段,水质净化效果明显下降,COD、NH+4-N、TN和TP的平均去除率分别为71.1%、68.5%、48.9%和46.6%。     

Nationwide monitoring of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in South Korea

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) were measured in ambient air samples collected from different parts of South Korea in 2008, and the measured levels were used for assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric PCDDFs and DL-PCBs in South Korea. The average concentrations of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs among the 37 sites were 28 fg I-TEQ m⁻³ (ND ∼ 617) and 1 fg WHO-TEQ m⁻³ (ND ∼ 0.016). Elevated atmospheric levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs observed at residential/industrial sites and in the north-west of Korea, indicated a potential contribution and impacts of anthropogenic sources of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs. These levels were similar or lower than those previously reported in other ambient air surveys. Average concentrations of PCDD/Fs showed small seasonal variations (ANOVA analysis, p = 0.144). The highest concentrations of PCDD/Fs were observed during winter, followed by spring, autumn and summer. Atmospheric PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs in South Korea rapidly decreased during the last 10 years (1998-2008), demonstrating the efficiency of stricter regulations and the application of best available technologies/best environmental practices at emission sources. Comparison of the congener profiles and principal component analysis showed that current atmospheric PCDD/Fs are mostly influenced by industrial sources and PCBs from old commercial PCB uses. Nationwide POPs monitoring will continue and allows an effective evaluation of the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on POPs.     

Fate and transformation of naphthylaminesulfonic azo dye Reactive Black 5 during wastewater treatment process

Certain aromatic amines generated by the decolorization of some azo dyes are not removed substantially by conventional anaerobic–aerobic biotreatment. These aromatic amines are potentially toxic and often released in the wastewater of industrial plants. In this study, the fate and transformation of the naphthylaminesulfonic azo dye Reactive Black 5 (RB5) during different phases of a sequencing batch reactor were investigated. The major products of RB5 decolorization during the anaerobic phase include 2-[(4-aminophenyl)sulfonyl]ethyl hydrogen sulfate (APSEHS) and 1-2-7-triamino-8-hydroxy-3-6-naphthalinedisulfate (TAHNDS). During the aerobic phase, APSEHS was hydrolyzed and produced 4-aminobenzenesulfonic acid, which was further degraded via dearomatization. TAHNDS was transformed rapidly via auto-oxidation into TAHNDS_DP-1 and TAHNDS_DP-2, which were not further removed by the activated sludge during the entire 30-day aerobic phase. In contrast, different behaviors of TAHNDS were observed during the anoxic phase. The transformation of TAHNDS was initiated either by deamination or desulfonation reaction. TAHNDS was then converted into 3,5-diamino-4-hydroxynaphthalene-2-sulfonic acid, which was subsequently removed via ring cleavage reaction under aerobic condition. In conclusion, complete degradation of TAHNDS by activated sludge occurs only during anoxic/aerobic processes instead of the conventional anaerobic/aerobic processes.     

海河干流、大沽排污河沉积物中有机氯农药的残留状况

调查了海河干流和大沽排污河沉积物中持久性有机氯杀虫剂(OCPs)的残留状况.在所选取的16个断面沉积物样品中均有大量HCHs、DDTs检出,表明海河和大沽排污河的DDT和HCH污染相当严重.海河沉积物中HCHs和DDTs总质量浓度分别为3.30～75.96、1.57～221.57 ng/g.大沽排污河沉积物中HCHs和DDTs的残留量分别为2.30～124.61、11.28～237.30ng/g.与国内外部分河流表层沉积物中HCHs、DDTs的含量相比,海河和大沽排污河沉积物中有机氯农药含量较高.最后根据两条河流沉积物中的OCPs的残留量,分析了其可能的污染源.     

Enhanced sludge solubilization by microbubble ozonation

A microbubble ozonation process for enhancing sludge solubilization was proposed and its performance was evaluated in comparison to a conventional ozone bubble contactor. Microbubbles are defined as bubbles with diameters less than several tens of micrometers. Previous studies have demonstrated that microbubbles could accelerate the formation of hydroxyl radicals and hence improve the ozonation of dyestuff wastewater. The results of this study showed that microbubble ozonation was effective in increasing ozone utilization and improving sludge solubilization. For a contact time of 80 min, an ozone utilization efficiency of more than 99% was obtained using the microbubble system, while it gradually decreased from 94% to 72% for the bubble contactor. The rate of microbial inactivation was obviously faster in the microbubble system. At an ozone dose of 0.02 g O₃ g⁻¹ TSS, about 80% of microorganisms were inactivated in the microbubble system, compared with about 50% inactivation for the bubble contactor. Compared to the bubble contactor, more than two times of COD and total nitrogen, and eight times of total phosphorus content were released from the sludge into the supernatant by using the microbubble system at the same ozone dosage. The application of microbubble technology in ozonation processes may provide an effective and low cost approach for sludge reduction.     

Factors influencing arsenic accumulation by Pteris vittata: a comparative field study at two sites

This study compared the factors influencing arsenic (As) accumulation by Pteris vittata at two sites, one containing As along with Au mineralization and the other containing Hg/Tl mineralization. The soils above these two sites contained high As concentrations (26.8-2955 mg kg(-1)). Although the As concentration, pH, soil cation exchange capacity and plant biomass differed significantly between the two sites, no differences were observed in the As concentrations in the fronds and roots, or the translocation factors, of P. vittata, suggesting that this species has consistent As hyperaccumulation properties in the field. The As concentration in the fronds was positively related to phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), but negatively related to calcium (Ca), at one site. This suggested that P, K and Ca influenced As accumulation by P. vittata in the field.