Less attention paid to waterborne SARS-CoV-2 spreading in Beijing urban communities

• A survey on individual’s perception of SARS-CoV-2 transmission was conducted. • Waterborne transmission risks are far less perceived by individuals. • Precautions of preventing wastewater mediated transmission are implemented. • The precautions for wastewater transmission are less favored by the public. • Education level differs the most regarding to waterborne transmission perception. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in various environmental media. Community and individual-engaged precautions are recommended to stop or slow environmentally-mediated transmission. To better understand the individual’s awareness of and precaution to environmental dissemination of SARS-CoV-2, an online survey was conducted in Beijing during March 14–25, 2020. It is found that the waterborne (especially wastewater mediated) spreading routes are far less perceived by urban communities. The precautions for wastewater transmission are less favored by the public than airborne and solid waste mediated spreading routes. Such risk communication asymmetry in waterborne transmission will be further enlarged in places with fragile water system. Furthermore, education level is the most significant attribution (Sig.<0.05) that causes the difference of awareness and precautions of the waterborne transmission among the respondents, according to the variance analysis results. Our survey results emphasize the urgent need for evidence-based, multifactorial precautions for current and future outbreaks of COVID-19.     

Aerosol transmission,an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread: case study of a department-store cluster

• Aerosol transmission is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread. • Different outbreak sites have different epidemiologic feature. • SRAS-CoV-2 can exist for a long time in aerosol. • SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in diverse places. • Some environmental factors can impact SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol. Patients with COVID-19 have revealed a massive outbreak around the world, leading to widespread concerns in global scope. Figuring out the transmission route of COVID-19 is necessary to control further spread. We analyzed the data of 43 patients in Baodi Department Store (China) to supplement the transmission route and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in a cluster outbreak. Incubation median was estimated to endure 5.95 days (2–13 days). Almost 76.3% of patients sought medical attention immediately upon illness onset. The median period of illness onset to hospitalization and confirmation were 3.96 days (0–14) and 5.58 days (1–21), respectively. Patients with different cluster case could demonstrate unique epidemiological characteristics due to the particularity of outbreak sites. SRAS-CoV-2 can be released into the surrounding air through patient’s respiratory tract activities, and can exist for a long time for long-distance transportation. SRAS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in aerosol in different sites, including isolation ward, general ward, outdoor, toilet, hallway, and crowded public area. Environmental factors influencing were analyzed and indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 transportation in aerosol was dependent on temperature, air humidity, ventilation rate and inactivating chemicals (ozone) content. As for the infection route of case numbers 2 to 6, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20 and 23, we believe that aerosol transmission played a significant role in analyzing their exposure history and environmental conditions in Baodi Department Store. Aerosol transmission could occur in some cluster cases when the environmental factors are suitable, and it is an indispensable route of COVID-19 spread.     

Influence of pore structure on biologically activated carbon performance and biofilm microbial characteristics

• Pore structure affects biologically activated carbon performance. • Pore structure determines organic matter (OM) removal mechanism. • Microbial community structure is related to pore structure and OM removal. Optimizing the characteristics of granular activated carbon (GAC) can improve the performance of biologically activated carbon (BAC) filters, and iodine value has always been the principal index for GAC selection. However, in this study, among three types of GAC treating the same humic acid-contaminated water, one had an iodine value 35% lower than the other two, but the dissolved organic carbon removal efficiency of its BAC was less than 5% away from the others. Iodine value was found to influence the removal of different organic fractions instead of the total removal efficiency. Based on the removal and biological characteristics, two possible mechanisms of organic matter removal during steady-state were suggested. For GAC with poor micropore volume and iodine value, high molecular weight substances (3500–9000 Da) were removed mainly through degradation by microorganisms, and the biodegraded organics (soluble microbial by-products,<3500 Da) were released because of the low adsorption capacity of activated carbon. For GAC with higher micropore volume and iodine value, organics with low molecular weight (<3500 Da) were more easily removed, first being adsorbed by micropores and then biodegraded by the biofilm. The biomass was determined by the pore volume with pore diameters greater than 100 μm, but did not correspond to the removal efficiency. Nevertheless, the microbial community structure was coordinate with both the pore structure and the organic removal characteristics. The findings provide a theoretical basis for selecting GAC for the BAC process based on its pore structure.     

Exogenously applied oxalic acid assists in the phytoremediation of Mn by Polygonum pubescens Blume cultivated in three Mn-contaminated soils

• The OA supply significantly increased the water-extractable Mn in all soils. • All OA supply levels promoted plant growth in unexplored soil. • Low OA supply level promoted plant growth in explored and tailing soils. • OA amendment increased the Mn concentrations and total Mn in P. pubescens. • P. pubescens experienced less Mn stress in unexplored soil than in the other two soils. The current study evaluated the effects of oxalic acid (OA) application on the growth and Mn phytoremediation efficiency of Polygonum pubescens Blume cultivated in three different manganese (Mn)-contaminated soils sampled from an unexplored area (US), an explored area (ES) and a tailing area (TS) of the Ertang Mn mine, South China. The supplied levels of OA were 0 (control), 1 (low level), 3 (medium level), and 9 (high level) mmol/kg, referred to as CK, OA1, OA3 and OA9, respectively. The results revealed that the average water-extractable Mn concentrations US, ES and TS amended with OA increased by 214.13, 363.77 and 266.85%, respectively. All OA supply levels increased plant growth and Mn concentrations in US. The low OA supply level increased plant growth in ES and TS; however, contrasting results were found for the medium and high OA supply levels. Plant Mn concentrations and total Mn increased in ES and TS in response to all OA supply levels. Total Mn in the aerial parts increased by 81.18, 44.17 and 83.17% in US, ES and TS, respectively; the corresponding percentages for the whole plants were 81.53, 108.98 and 77.91%, respectively. The rate of ·O₂⁻ production and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations increased in response to OA amendment, especially the medium and high OA supply levels in ES and TS. In general, antioxidant enzymes might play a vital role in alleviating Mn stress in plants cultivated in US, while non-enzymatic antioxidants might be the main factor for plants cultivated in ES and TS.     

氮添加影响下新疆天山雪岭云杉林土壤酶活性及其与环境因子的相关性

氮沉降可能影响森林土壤性状及代谢活性,为进一步了解氮沉降下森林土壤生化过程与生境相互作用机制,探究天山雪岭云杉林土壤酶活性及土壤环境因子对氮沉降的响应特征,本文以天山雪岭云杉森林土壤为研究对象,采用氮沉降梯度法开展施氮试验,分析不同施氮水平下土壤酶活性与土壤环境因子的特征,并结合冗余分析方法讨论了土壤酶活性与土壤环境因子的相关性.结果表明：①土壤酶活性均随施氮量增加表现出先上升后降低的趋势,除土壤酸性磷酸酶外,其余均在低氮处理下达到最大值.②外源氮添加导致土壤pH值降低,低氮或中氮处理后土壤电导率、土壤有机碳、土壤铵态氮、土壤铵态氮、土壤全磷和土壤C/N含量升高,土壤N/P呈现不规律下降.③土壤酶及其与土壤环境因子相关性分析结果显示,土壤含水量、土壤有机碳、土壤铵态氮、土壤全磷和土壤C/N均与土壤酶活性呈显著相关性,其中仅土壤C/N与土壤酶活性呈显著负相关,其余各项环境因子与土壤酶均呈极显著正相关;土壤pH值及土壤N/P与土壤酶活性无显著相关性.新疆天山雪岭云杉在施氮背景下,影响土壤酶活性的重要因子为土壤有机碳和土壤铵态氮.     

会仙岩溶湿地地下水主要离子特征及成因分析

以我国最大的低海拔岩溶湿地会仙岩溶湿地为研究区,对该区丰水期、平水期和枯水期共采集的27组地下水样品中常规离子进行检测和分析,在分析会仙岩溶湿地地下水主要离子化学特征和不同时期变化基础上,运用单指标污染标准指数法对不同时期地下水进行污染评价,利用多元统计、Gibbs模型和离子比例关系识别地下水主要离子成因.结果表明,研究区内岩溶地下水主要为弱碱性淡水,Ca²⁺和HCO₃^-为优势离子.不同时期地下水主要离子总浓度顺序为：平水期 > 丰水期 > 枯水期,枯水期水质优于丰水期和平水期.地下水中K⁺和NO₃^-主要受含水层空间分布差异影响,Mg²⁺、SO₄^2-、NO₂^-、NH₄⁺和TDS受时空尺度综合作用,Na⁺、Ca²⁺、HCO₃^-和Cl^-为水体中较稳定离子.受碳酸盐岩控制,丰水期、平水期和枯水期地下水化学类型具有高度一致性,HCO₃-Ca水占比分别为77.78%、77.78%和88.89%.地下水主要受SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NO₂^-污染,NO₃^-出现极严重程度污染样点,SO₄^2-在丰水期和平水期出现较重污染样点.地下水化学组分主要受水岩作用控制,Ca²⁺和HCO₃^-主要来源于方解石风化溶解,少量水点受白云岩、白云质灰岩及硫铁矿控制导致Mg²⁺和SO₄^2-浓度偏高,K⁺、Na⁺、SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和Cl^-部分来源于大气降水,Na⁺和Cl^-部分来源于当地居民生活,K⁺与种植施用的钾肥相关,NO₃^-主要来源是化学肥料.     

石盘丘小流域不同土地利用方式下土壤氮磷流失形态及通量

为了解三峡库区小流域不同土地利用方式下土壤氮、磷流失特征,为农业非点源污染防控提供科学依据;采用田间试验的方法,研究了三峡库区石盘丘小流域水田、旱坡地、林地、柑橘园和菜地这5种土地利用方式下地表径流不同形态氮、磷流失浓度与通量的特征.结果表明：全氮流失通量的顺序为水田[17.73 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 柑橘园[4.86 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 旱坡地[4.33 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 菜地[4.00 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 林地[2.41 kg·（hm²·a）^-1];全磷流失通量的顺序为菜地[4.97 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 柑橘园[1.87 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 水田[0.93 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 林地[0.27 kg·（hm²·a）^-1] > 旱坡地[0.19 kg·（hm²·a）^-1];5种土地利用方式下氮、磷流失主要集中在降雨频繁的4~5月,占全年氮、磷流失总负荷的53.80%~96.52%和56.03%~87.78%;氮流失主要以硝态氮（16.16%~52.70%）的形态流失,全氮流失通量与径流量呈现出显著正相关关系（R²=0.9826）;在菜地中颗粒磷是磷流失的主要形态（83.30%）,但在其他土地利用方式中表现不显著.不同土地利用方式下不同形态氮、磷流失存在显著差异,其中菜地应针对强降雨情况下颗粒磷流失的问题采取措施,水田应避免在降雨集中时期施肥;科学施肥和合理地土地利用方式配置是治理小流域农业非点源污染的重要途径.     

北京地区第五阶段在用轻型车OBD监测频率的特征分析

随机采集北京地区200辆满足第5阶段排放标准在用车的车载诊断系统（OBD）的IUPR（OBD监测频率）数据,测试了4种典型车系的在用车在实际道路行驶工况下IUPR各监测项的特征分布,并和NEDC工况下的实验结果进行对比.结果表明：采集数据车辆的OBD系统均能实现对催化器和氧传感器的监控,对EGR和次级氧传感器的监控也可分别达到74%和91%;在用车平均点火循环3.9次才能满足一次目前IUPR的监测条件;各监测项IUPR均值均远大于国五标准限值0.10,但各IUPR监测值分布存在差异,催化转化器和氧传感器的达标率均为92%;实验室NEDC模拟工况基本能实现对各车系机动车尾气排放控制的监测,但4条实际道路测试结果则表明不同车系IUPR监测项分子+1的差异较大;拥堵路况的低速工况下OBD系统难以实现对车辆尾气排放控制系统各监测项的有效监测.因此,需结合北京实际路况进一步完善在用车辆OBD系统的监测条件,实现对北京在用车尾气排放控制系统的有效监控.     

低磷浓度下鸟粪石结晶成粒及反应器流态模拟

为扩大鸟粪石(MAP)结晶成粒技术的应用范围,对低磷浓度下MAP成粒最优条件进行了研究.试验得出该技术应用的磷浓度应大于50mg/L,并在此基础上研究得到低磷浓度条件下MAP结晶成粒的最佳条件:pH 9.0,磷氮物质的量比1:8.此时生成的MAP平均粒径为0.56mm,总体积生长率为4.95cm³/h,纯度可达99.9%.为进一步优化流化床反应器中MAP成粒条件,利用CFD商用软件(Fluent 6.3)对反应器流态进行了模拟.结果表明:MAP流化床反应器的生长区能够形成明显的自下而上的水力分级,截面流速也较为均匀,有利于颗粒的生成,但沉淀区和进水区存在死区、涡流等不利条件.因此,有必要改进生长区和沉淀区的连接方式以及进水管的分布,以获得更为优质的MAP颗粒.     

Effects of freshwater leaching on potential bioavailability of heavy metals in tidal flat soils

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Leaching experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of desalination levels and sediment depths on potential bioavailability of heavy metal (Cd,...