Geochemical characteristics of surficial sediments in a tropical estuary, south-west India

Geochemical characteristics of surficial sediments in the Panangad region of Cochin estuary, the largest brackish-water humid ecosystem in the south-west coast of India, were analysed. Temporal variations in nutrient stoichiometry, seasonal characteristics of redox elements Fe and S, and the phosphorus geochemistry were employed for the purpose. The stoichiometric analysis pointed towards autochthonous origin of organic matter, possibility of nitrogen limitation, and allochthonous modification of redox conditions. Seasonal variations were not statistically significant for all the geochemical parameters, whereas significant spatial variations were observed with lower values at sandy stations, suggesting that the texture of the sediments is the main factor influencing the sediment geochemistry. Significant inter-relations between the geochemical parameters also suggest a common control mechanism. Based on these geochemical characteristics, the study region can be effectively categorized into two distinct zones, viz. (1) erosion and transportation and (2) deposition zones.     

Deep chlorophyll maximum distribution in the central Tyrrhenian Sea described by a towed undulating vehicle

The towed undulating vehicle (TUV), named SARAGO, was used for two fine-scale surveys between the Italian and the Sardinian coasts during the Astraea 2 cruise (6-7 and 26-27 September 1995), studying the deep chlorophyll maximum distribution. SARAGO sections identify a sub-surface doming with higher chlorophyll a and primary production concentrations in the upwelling area of a cyclonic gyre region, detected by sea-surface temperature images. In the first section, the cyclone presents a double doming, in density and salinity, with shallower and concentrated patches of chlorophyll a for about 2 miles. Twenty days later, the second section shows that the gyre changes shape and extension, showing a single doming with higher primary production and chlorophyll a concentrations, distributed over a large area of about 40 nautical miles. SARAGO allows analysis of this high-variability phenomenon (cyclonic gyre) and allows concentrated patches (2 nm) to be identified, thus proving the importance of TUVs in the study of mesoscale processes.     

不同碳源模式下酵母菌PNY2013同步脱氮除磷的应用研究

针对首次分离得到的一株具有同步脱氮除磷新功能的热带假丝酵母（Candida tropicalis） PNY2013,通过生理及动力学特征,连续流运行操作及其在含糖类工业废水中的应用3个环节,探讨了不同碳源模式下PNY2013同步脱氮除磷的特性.结果表明：PNY2013以葡萄糖、乙醇及乙酸为唯一碳源时均生长良好,其最大比增长速率μ_max分别为0.1327、0.1252及0.1115 h^-1,其同步脱氮除磷率分别可达100%、80%、100%（NH₄⁺-N）及93%、95%、98%（PO₄^3--P）.3种碳源下PNY2013同步脱氮除磷的最佳条件基本接近为：温度30℃,pH=8.0,溶解氧0~2 mg·L^-1,C/N=200∶5左右.PNY2013同步脱氮除磷的长期连续运行条件下的实验进一步表明,以葡萄糖为碳源条件下,进水NH₄⁺-N及PO₄^3--P浓度分别达400及80 mg·L^-1时,两者去除率均接近100%.与这种超强能力相比,以乙醇及乙酸为碳源条件下,进水NH₄⁺-N及PO₄^3--P浓度分别达100及20 mg·L^-1时,两者的去除率也可达60%~80%（NH₄⁺-N）及40%（PO₄^3--P）,显示出相当的同步脱氮除磷能力.在以模拟制糖废水、淀粉加工废水、啤酒废水、味精废水这4种典型含糖工业废水为碳源条件下,除淀粉加工废水外PNY2013均能有效去除COD、NH₄⁺-N和PO₄^3--P,其中,制糖、啤酒、制药废水中的COD去除率分别可达40%、89%、96%,NH₄⁺-N去除率分别为85%、94%、76%,PO₄^3--P去除率均为90%.即使在40000 mg·L^-1（制糖）及12500 mg·L^-1（啤酒）的高COD条件下,PNY2013也均具有稳定的NH₄⁺-N和PO₄^3--P去除效果,显示出良好的同步脱氮除磷应用前景.     

废塑料再生过程废水中微塑料去除模拟试验

微塑料是一种存在于不同环境介质中的新兴污染物,主要来源于废弃塑料制品,其存在污染范围广、潜在环境污染大的问题.废塑料再生企业生产废水中微塑料浓度远高于其他类型废水,对其生产废水中的微塑料进行处理具有重要的环境意义.模拟废塑料再生过程的生产废水并进行微塑料去除的絮凝沉淀试验,研究絮凝剂投加量、pH、水力快速搅拌条件的单因素和正交试验对废水中微塑料去除率及其各因素作用的影响.结果表明:①当PAC (聚合氯化铝)投加量为10 mL,PAM (聚丙烯酰胺)投加量为7 mL,pH为9,水力快速搅拌条件为100 r/min下维持40 s再200 r/min下维持40 s时,微塑料的总去除率最高,达91%.②PAC投加量是影响微塑料去除效果的主要因素,其次是pH.③微塑料的去除率与其本身的密度有关,密度大的ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene,丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯)去除率最高,密度小的PE (polyethylene,聚乙烯)去除率最低.④不同粒径区间的微塑料去除率区别较大,粒径小(0.1~0.25 mm)的微塑料去除效果最好.研究显示,通过控制PAC和PAM的投加量、pH和水力搅拌速率等条件,能够有效将废水中的微塑料通过絮凝沉淀的方法去除,从而达到净化含微塑料生产废水的目的.      

基于土壤重金属特征的绿色食品产地环境评价——以重庆(江津)现代农业园区为例

以重庆市江津区现代农业园区内4种农用地类型的653个表层土样为研究对象,测定土壤重金属元素含量.依据绿色食品产地环境相关标准,采用重金属污染指数法对标准中所涉及的Cu、Cr、Cd、Hg、As和Pb共6种重金属元素开展土壤环境质量评价和潜在生态风险评价,并结合用地类型确定绿色农产品生产的适宜性土壤分区.结果表明：除元素Cu、Cr和As外,其他元素的平均含量均高于重庆市土壤背景值;除元素As和Hg外,其他元素的平均含量均高于我国土壤背景值.土壤重金属元素Cu、Cr、Cd、Hg、As和Pb的平均浓度均达到《绿色食品产地环境质量》标准要求,但Cd污染已处于安全警戒线内,应高度警惕和严格监管园区内该元素的污染.水田、旱地和果园的土壤环境均以尚清洁为主,其他园地的土壤环境以轻度污染水平为主.部分水田存在一定程度的Pb污染（轻度）、Hg污染（中度）和Cd污染（中度）,旱地存在一定程度的Hg污染（中度）和Cd污染（中度）,果园和其他园地的土壤存在一定程度的Cd的轻、中度污染.全区符合《绿色食品产地环境质量》标准要求的土壤面积为12.47km²,占农用地总面积的63.64%,旱地、果园、水田和其他园地中符合该标准的面积分别占各自总面积的84.83%、68.07%、56.51%和42.09%.4种用地类型的土壤环境生态风险水平均以低等为主,共占研究区总面积的74.70%.Cd和Hg在园区表层土壤重金属生态风险评估中占有较大的贡献率,应列为优先控制污染元素并对其生态效应开展进一步研究.     

不同基质生物炭对厌氧处理餐厨垃圾效能及微生态的影响

探究了剩余污泥（SS）、餐厨垃圾（FW）、玉米芯（CC）、甘蔗渣（BG）4种不同基质生物炭对厌氧生物处理餐厨垃圾效能的影响,对厌氧污泥的关键酶活性、微生物群落分布以及代谢途径等微生态进行了分析.结果表明,厌氧反应器分别加入4种生物炭后,COD平均去除率分别提高了29.49%、23.16%、29.42%、40.32%;傅里叶红外分析表明,投加SS生物炭组出水中羟基、酰胺基以及C-O-C伸缩振动峰减弱.4个厌氧反应器中厌氧污泥的乙酸激酶活性分别为0.40,0.42,0.96,0.98 μmol/g,表明投加CC与BG生物炭促进了餐厨垃圾的厌氧水解酸化过程;厌氧污泥胞外聚合物的蛋白质/多糖之比分别为0.415、0.56、1.89、2.8,投加CC、BG生物炭提高了污泥的稳定性.4个厌氧反应器中拟杆菌门、变形菌门、厚壁菌门为主要菌群,投加BG生物炭促进了变形菌门与厚壁菌门的生长;对于古细菌而言,甲烷杆菌属与甲烷丝菌属为优势种群,SS组的甲烷杆菌属丰度最高（53.48%）,而BG组中甲烷丝菌属丰度最高（42.72%）.KEGG功能分析表明古菌及细菌均以碳水化合物代谢、氨基酸代谢为主;而投加BG与SS生物炭后,微生物膜运输水平得到了提高.     

我国饲料粮区域产消平衡特征及政策启示

我国饲料粮消耗量大且增长迅速,已经成为我国粮食安全的首要影响因素,准确判断我国饲料粮的区域产消平衡特征对农业相关政策的制订具有重要的现实意义。论文在详细分析各省区不同畜牧产品粮食转化系数的基础上,对区域饲料粮的产消平衡状态及其原因进行了研究。结果显示：1）近年来我国饲料粮消费量快速上升,由2000年的21 730万t增长到2015年的30 549万t,15 a间增长了8 819万t。2）2015年生猪饲料粮消耗量最大,比例达到了44.4%,占据了我国饲料消耗总量的半壁江山。其次为禽蛋与禽肉消耗,消费占比分别为15.8%与12.7%;牛肉、羊肉、牛奶与水产品的饲料粮消费量比例均在5%~9%之间。3）2015年全国饲料粮总计短缺4 276万t,区域上呈现“北余南缺”的格局,东北黑龙江、吉林、内蒙古三省（区）成为我国最重要的饲料粮供应区域。从粮食转换系数与饲养结构来看,“北粮南运”现象是粮食资源的合理配置。论文提出三点政策建议：1）转变消费结构,增加牛肉与牛奶的消费量;2）推动“以粮为纲”向“粮经饲”三元种植结构转变;3）充分利用国际市场,从全球视角保护粮食安全。     

Mercury flows in large-scale gold production and implications for Hg pollution control

Large-scale gold production(LSGP) is one of the five convention-related atmospheric mercury(Hg) emission sources in the Minamata Convention on Mercury. However, field experiments on Hg flows of the whole process of LSGP are limited. To identify the atmospheric Hg emission points and understand Hg emission characteristics of LSGP, Hg flows in two gold smelters were studied. Overall atmospheric Hg emissions accounted for 10%–17% of total Hg outputs and the Hg emission factors for all processes were 7.6–9.6 kg/ton. There were three dominant atmospheric Hg emission points in the studied gold smelters, including the exhaust gas of the roasting process, exhaust gas from the environmental fog collection stack and exhaust gas from the converter of the refining process. Atmospheric Hg emissions from the roasting process only accounted for 16%–29% of total emissions and the rest were emitted from the refining process. The overall Hg speciation profile(gaseous elemental Hg/gaseous oxidized Hg/particulate-bound Hg) for LSGP was 34.1/57.1/8.8. The dominant Hg output byproducts included waste acid, sulfuric acid and cyanide leaching residue. Total Hg outputs from these three byproducts were 80% in smelter A and 84% in smelter B. Our study indicated that previous atmospheric Hg emissions from large-scale gold production might have been overestimated.Hg emission control in LSGP is not especially urgent in China compared to other significant emission sources(e.g., cement plants). Instead, LSGP is a potential Hg release source due to the high Hg output proportions to acid and sludge.     

Production,respiration and net ecosystem metabolism in U.S. estuaries

Primary production, respiration, and net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) are useful indicators of ecosystem level trophic conditions within estuaries. In this study, dissolved oxygen data collected every half hour between January 1996 to December 1998 by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Wide Monitoring Program were used to calculate primary production, respiration, and net ecosystem metabolism. Data from two sites at each of 14 Reserves were analyzed. On average, three quarters of the data available could be used to calculate metabolic rates. Data from two of the Reserves were used to evaluate the assumption of homogeneity of water masses moving past the oxygen sensor. Temperature was the single most important factor controlling metabolic rates at individual sites, although salinity was also important at about half the sites. On an annual basis, respiration exceeded gross primary production demonstrating that all but 4 of the 28 sites were heterotrophic.     

Extractive Spectrofluorometric Determination of Quinalphos Using Fluorescein in Environmental Samples

A simple, sensitive, convenient and low cost spectrofluorometric technique for determination of quinalphos is described. Quinalphos is decomposed with sodium ethoxide. Resultant sodium diethyl thiophosphate (Na-DETP) is extracted with a cationic fluorescein as ion pair complex into 1-chloro-2-nitrobenzene. The fluorescence of the ion pair, fluorescein-DETP is measured at 530 nm after excitation at 490 nm. This technique is applicable for the determination of quinalphos in water, food grains and vegetable samples up to ng level with Amberlite XAD-4.