Efficient production of hydrogen peroxide in microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells coupled with thermolytic solutions

● Appreciable H₂O₂ production rate was achieved in MRCs utilizing NH₄HCO₃ solutions. ● Carbon black outperformed activated carbon as the catalyst for H₂O₂ production. ● The optimum carbon black loading for H₂O₂ production on air-cathode was 10 mg/cm². ● The optimum number of cell pairs was determined to be three. ● A maximum power density of 980 mW/m² was produced by MRCs with 5 cell pairs. H₂O₂ was produced at an appreciable rate in microbial reverse-electrodialysis cells (MRCs) coupled with thermolytic solutions, which can simultaneously capture waste heat as electrical energy. To determine the optimal cathode and membrane stack configurations for H₂O₂ production, different catalysts, catalyst loadings and numbers of membrane cell pairs were tested. Carbon black (CB) outperformed activated carbon (AC) for H₂O₂ production, although AC showed higher catalytic activity for oxygen reduction. The optimum CB loading was 10 mg/cm² in terms of both the H₂O₂ production rate and power production. The optimum number of cell pairs was determined to be three based on a tradeoff between H₂O₂ production and capital costs. A H₂O₂ production rate as high as 0.99 ± 0.10 mmol/(L·h) was achieved with 10 mg/cm² CB loading and 3 cell pairs, where the H₂O₂ recovery efficiency was 52 ± 2% and the maximum power density was 780 ± 37 mW/m². Increasing the number of cell pairs to five resulted in an increase in maximum power density (980 ± 21 mW/m²) but showed limited effects on H₂O₂ production. These results indicated that MRCs can be an efficient method for sustainable H₂O₂ production.     

Enhancement of extracellular Cr(VI) reduction for anammox recovery using hydrazine: performance,pathways, and mechanism

● N₂H₄ addition enhanced and recovered anammox performance under Cr(VI) stress. ● N₂H₄ accelerated electron transfer of Cr(VI) reduction for detoxification. ● N₂H₄ enhanced anammox metabolism for activity recovery from Cr(VI) inhibition. ● Extracellular Cr(VI) reduction to less toxic Cr(III) was the dominant mechanism. The hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) would frequently impose inhibition to anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process, hindering the efficiency of nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment. Hydrazine (N₂H₄), which is an intermediate product of anammox, participates in intracellular metabolism and extracellular Cr(VI) reduction. However, the roles of N₂H₄-induced intracellular metabolism and extracellular reduction in nitrogen removal under Cr(VI) stress remain unclear. The addition of 3.67 mg/L of N₂H₄ increased the anammox activity by 17%. As an intermediate, N₂H₄ enhanced anammox metabolism by increasing the heme c content and electron transfer system activity. As a reductant, N₂H₄ accelerated the reduction of c-Cyts-mediated extracellular Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(III). Extracellular Cr(III) accounts for 74% of the total Cr in a Cr(VI)-stressed anammox consortia. These findings highlight that N₂H₄-induced extracellular Cr(VI) reduction is the dominant mechanism for the survival of anammox consortia. We also found that N₂H₄ increased the production of extracellular polymeric substances to sequester excessive Cr(VI) and produced Cr(III). Taken together, the study findings suggest a potential strategy for enhancing nitrogen removal from ammonium-rich wastewater contaminated with Cr(VI).     

天山北坡经济带城市NO2污染的时空分布特征

基于2015—2020年近地面NO₂质量浓度数据和2019年哨兵-5P TROPOMI卫星探测的对流层NO₂柱浓度数据,采用相关性分析、趋势分析等方法探究新疆天山北坡经济带6个城市NO₂污染的时空分布特征。结果表明：（1）从年均值来看,天山北坡经济带NO₂质量浓度总体呈下降趋势,尤其2018—2020年下降明显。其中乌鲁木齐NO₂质量浓度值最高、博乐最低。（2）从季度均值和月均值来看,各城市NO₂质量浓度季节变化明显,其中夏季最低、冬季最高;月均值呈“中间低、两头高”的变化特征。（3）从日均值来看,各城市NO₂质量浓度大多呈现双峰型分布,分别出现在早上10:00和晚上23:00。（4）从空间分布来看,NO₂柱浓度高值区多分布在人口密集和工业发达的城市地区,尤其是乌鲁木齐、昌吉、五家渠、石河子污染最为严重。     

电生成Fenton试剂及其对十二烷基苯磺酸钠降解的研究

以电化学方法制备·OH ,并探讨了体系内的反应机理 ;电生成·OH对十二烷基苯磺酸钠 (dodecylben zenesul phonicacid (6 ) sodiumsalt ,DBS)水溶液有明显的降解效果 ,CODCr降解率 >85 % ;比较了处理前后DBS的红外光谱、UV、I V循环伏安曲线的变化。·OH可以将DBS中的烷基碳链断裂 ,并最终将其降解为H2 O和CO2 等无机小分子。     

黄河水体颗粒物对硝化过程的影响研究

针对黄河高含沙量的特点,通过模拟实验研究了颗粒物对氨氮硝化速率的影响.结果表明:颗粒物含量对水体的硝化速率存在着较显著的影响,颗粒物含量越高,硝化过程进行越快.其影响机制主要是:(1)水体颗粒物对氨氮存在吸附作用;(2)水体中颗粒物的含量影响体系氨化细菌、亚硝化细菌和硝化细菌的生长;(3)各种菌在固液两相生长规律不同.     

通信作业环境空气质量的测定及评价指标相关性

选择计算机终端室，通信机房，通信值班室３个典型作业环境，在设立室外对照点的情况下，现场测定ＣＯ２、ＣＯ、ＩＰ、细菌总数、空气离子、挥发性有机物（ＶＯＣｓ）等１０个指标。结果显示：上述指标在机主主作业环境内均得以检出，其中ＶＯＣｓ浓度较高据日均值和１ｄ的浓度变化趋势，各指标间存在一定的相关性，物品是空气离子与ＣＯ４、ＣＯ、ＶＯＣｓ、细菌总数、ＩＰ等具有正或负的相关性，可作为评价通信作业环境空气质量的     

Molecular characterization of microbial communities and quantification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium immunogenum</Emphasis> in metal removal fluids and their associated biofilms

A number of human health effects have been associated with exposure to metal removal fluids (MRFs). Multiple lines of research suggest that a newly identified organism, Mycobacterium immunogenum (MI), appears to have an etiologic role in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) in case of MRFs exposed workers. However, our knowledge of this organism, other possible causative agents (e.g., Pseudomonads), and the microbial ecology of MRFs in general, is limited. In this study, culture-based methods and small subunit ribosomal RNA gene clone library approach were used to characterize microbial communities in MRF bulk fluid and associated biofilm samples collected from fluid systems in an automobile engine plant. PCR amplification data using universal primers indicate that all samples had bacterial and fungal contaminated. Five among 15 samples formed colonies on the Mycobacteria agar 7H9 suggesting the likely presence of Mycobacteria in these five samples. This observation was confirmed with PCR amplification of 16S rRNA gene fragment using Mycobacteria specific primers. Two additional samples, Biofilm-1 and Biofilm-3, were positive in PCR amplification for Mycobacteria, yet no colonies formed on the 7H9 cultivation agar plates. Real-time PCR was used to quantify the abundance of M. immunogenum in these samples, and the data showed that the copies of M. immunogenum 16S rRNA gene in the samples ranges from 4.33?×?10⁴ copy/ml to 4.61?×?10⁷ copy/ml. Clone library analysis revealed that Paecilomyces sp. and Acremonium sp. and Acremonium-like were dominant fungi in MRF samples. Various bacterial species from the major phylum of proteobacteria were found and Pseudomonas is the dominant bacterial genus in these samples. Mycobacteria (more specifically MI) were found in all biofilm samples, including biofilms collected from inside the MRF systems and from adjacent environmental surfaces, suggesting that biofilms may play an important role in microbial ecology in MRFs. Biofilms may provide a shield or sheltered microenvironment for the growth and/or colonization of Mycobacteria in MRFs.     

Design and characterization of human exposure to generated sulfate and soot particles in a pilot chamber study

A number of literatures have documented adverse health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), and secondary sulfate aerosol and black carbon may contribute to health impacts of PM_2.5 exposure. We designed an exposure system to generate sulfate and traffic soot particles, and assessed the feasibility of using it for human exposure assessment in a pilot human exposure study. In the designed exposure system, average mass concentrations of generated sulfate and soot particles were 74.19μg/m³ and 11.54μg/m³ in the chamber and did not vary significantly during two-hour human exposure sessions. The size ranges of generated sulfate were largely between 20 to 200 nm, whereas those of generated soot particles were in the size ranges of 50 to 200nm. Following two-hour exposure to generated sulfate and soot particles, we observed significant increases in fractional exhaled NO (FeNO) in young and health subjects. Building on established human exposure system and health response follow-up methods, future full-scale studies focusing on the effects of mixed particulates and individual PM_2.5 components would provide data in understanding the underpinning cardio-respiratory outcomes in relation to air pollution mixture exposure.

Implications: Controlled exposure is a useful design to measure the biological responses repeatedly following particulate exposures of target components and set exposure at target levels of health concerns. Our study provides rational and establishes method for future full-scale studies to focus on examining the effects of mixed particulates and individual PM_2.5 components.     

China’s Grain for Green policy and farm dynamics: simulating household land-use responses

Analyzing the interaction between environmental policies and farmers’ responses to them is an important dimension to understand regional agro-ecosystem sustainability. We examine land-use outcomes of perhaps the largest government-planned rural reforestation program in the history of humankind, China’s “Grain for Green” (GFG) policy from 1999 to 2006. Specifically, we simulate household responses to the GFG policy in Western China’s Shaanxi Province, a region experiencing acute climate and land change-related environmental degradation. We develop a “farmer group decision-making model” to simulate the probability of land-use change. Elevation, slope, and farm household characteristics emerge as key factors influencing farmers’ land-use decisions and subsequent land-use patterns. Land reversion and abandonment in the study area have been significantly affected by the GFG program. Policy recommendations suggest potential avenues to enhance the effectiveness of the GFG program and to improve the efficient use of under-used farmland. Results may help inform the Chinese government as it crafts policy guiding a coupled rural migration and reforestation program of unprecedented scale.