Feasibility of honeycomb monolith supported sugar catalyst to produce biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD)

Carbon coated monolith was prepared by sucrose solution 65 wt.% via dip-coating method. Sulfonation of incomplete carbonized carbon coated monolith was carried out in order to synthesize solid acid catalyst. The textural structure characteristics of the solid acid catalyst demonstrated a low surface area and pore volume. Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), a by-product of palm oil refineries, was utilized as oil source in biodiesel production. The esterification reaction subjected to different reaction conditions was performed by using the sulfonated carbon coated monolith as heterogeneous catalyst. The sulfonation process had been performed by using vapour of concentrated H₂SO₄ that was much easier and efficient than liquid phase sulfonation. Total acidity value of carbon coated monolith was measured for unsulfonated sample (0.5 mmol/g) and sulfonated sample (4.2 mmol/g). The effect of methanol/oil ratio, catalyst amount and reaction time were examined. The maximum methyl ester content was 89% at the optimum condition, i.e. methanol/oil molar ratio (15:1), catalyst amount (2.5 wt.% with respect to PFAD), reaction time (240 min) and temperature 80 °C. The sugar catalyst supported on the honeycomb monolith showed comparable reactivity compared with the sugar catalyst powder. However, the catalyst reusability studies showed decrease in FFA% conversion from 95.3% to 68.8% after four cycles as well as the total acidity of catalyst dropped from the value 4.2 to 3.1 mmol/g during these cycles. This might be likely due to the leaching out of SO₃H group from the sulfonated carbon coated monolith surface. The leaching of active species reached a plateau state after fourth cycle.     

Analysis of the Trend and Seasonal Cycle of Carbon Monoxide Concentrations in an Urban Area (4 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Air quality is an field of major concern in large cities. This problem has led administrations to introduce plans and regulations to reduce pollutant emissions. The analysis of variations in the concentration of pollutants is useful when evaluating the effectiveness of these plans. However, such an analysis cannot be undertaken using standard statistical techniques, due to the fact that concentrations of atmospheric pollutants often exhibit a lack of normality and are autocorrelated. On the other hand, if long-term trends of any pollutant’s emissions are to be detected, meteorological effects must be removed from the time series analysed, due to their strong masking effects. Materials and Methods The application of statistical methods to analyse temporal variations is illustrated using monthly carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations observed at an urban site. The sampling site is located at a street intersection in central Valencia (Spain) with a high traffic density. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain. It is a typical Mediterranean city in terms of its urban structure and climatology. The sampling site started operation in January 1994 and monitored CO ground level concentrations until February 2002. Its geographic coordinates are W0°22′52″ N39°28′05″ and its altitude is 11 m. Two nonparametric trend tests are applied. One of these is robust against serial correlation with regards to the false rejection rate, when observations have a strong persistence or when the sample size per month is small. A nonparametric analysis of the homogeneity of trends between seasons is also discussed. A multiple linear regression model is used with the transformed data, including the effect of meteorological variables. The method of generalized least squares is applied to estimate the model parameters to take into account the serial dependence of the residuals of this model. This study also assesses temporal changes using the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter. The KZ filter has been shown to be an effective way to remove the influence of meteorological conditions on O₃ and PM to examine underlying trends. Results The nonparametric tests indicate a decreasing, significant trend in the sampled site. The application of the linear model yields a significant decrease every twelve months of 15.8% for the average monthly CO concentration. The 95% confidence interval for the trend ranges from 13.9% to 17.7%. The seasonal cycle also provides significant results. There are no differences in trends throughout the months. The percentage of CO variance explained by the linear model is 90.3%. The KZ filter separates out long, short-term and seasonal variations in the CO series. The estimated, significant, long-term trend every year results in 10.3% with this method. The 95% confidence interval ranges from 8.8% to 11.9%. This approach explains 89.9% of the CO temporal variations. Discussion The differences between the linear model and KZ filter trend estimations are due to the fact that the KZ filter performs the analysis on the smoothed data rather than the original data. In the KZ filter trend estimation, the effect of meteorological conditions has been removed. The CO short-term componentis attributable to weather and short-term fluctuations in emissions. There is a significant seasonal cycle. This component is a result of changes in the traffic, the yearly meteorological cycle and the interactions between these two factors. There are peaks during the autumn and winter months, which have more traffic density in the sampled site. There is a minimum during the month of August, reflecting the very low level of vehicle emissions which is a direct consequence of the holiday period. Conclusions The significant, decreasing trend implies to a certain extent that the urban environment in the area is improving. This trend results from changes in overall emissions, pollutant transport, climate, policy and economics. It is also due to the effect of introducing reformulated gasoline. The additives enable vehicles to burn fuel with a higher air/fuel ratio, thereby lowering the emission of CO. The KZ filter has been the most effective method to separate the CO series components and to obtain an estimate of the long-term trend due to changes in emissions, removing the effect of meteorological conditions. Recommendations and Perspectives Air quality managers and policy-makers must understand the link between climate and pollutants to select optimal pollutant reduction strategies and avoid exceeding emission directives. This paper analyses eight years of ambient CO data at a site with a high traffic density, and provides results that are useful for decision-making. The assessment of long-term changes in air pollutants to evaluate reduction strategies has to be done while taking into account meteorological variability     

Fluctuations of Population Size and Structure in the Northern Mole Vole: Preliminary Analysis

Long-term stationary studies on the ecology of the northern mole vole (Ellobius talpinus Pall.), performed by the mark–recapture method from 1985 to 1997, have provided original data on population dynamics and structure. The analysis shows that, to reveal cyclic fluctuations of population size in this species, the period of three years should be taken as a unit of time for estimating the duration of one phase. The 12-year population cycle in E. talpinus has four distinct phases: an increase, a peak, a decline, and a minimum. At each phase, the population is characterized by certain features of family structure, age composition, birth and death rates, and the composition of migrants.     

模拟土壤淋洗废液中重金属的选择性去除与淋洗液的回收研究

土壤淋洗废液中污染物的选择性去除是实现淋洗液回收的关键.本文以硫化钠（Na₂S）、乙基黄原酸钾（PEX）、二甲基二硫代氨基甲酸钠（DTC）作为重金属沉淀剂处理电子垃圾污染土壤模拟淋洗废液,在筛选出Na₂S作为理想重金属沉淀剂的基础上,研究初始pH值、反应温度、沉淀剂浓度等因素对Na₂S分离络合态重金属的影响,并通过软件模拟和产物表征等方式推测反应机理.结果表明：Na₂S对柠檬酸络合态重金属的分离顺序依次为Cu、Pb、Cd,符合硫化物溶度积原则;反应温度、初始pH值对Na₂S处理络合态重金属无显著影响,重金属去除率均保持在90%以上,柠檬酸的回收率约为95%;Visual MINTEQ模拟结果显示,S^2-投加前液相中重金属主要以H₂CA^-、HCA^2-和CA^3-结合形式存在,S^2-投加后液相中重金属则以HS^-和S^2-结合形式存在;扫描电镜及能谱（SEM-EDS）表明,S^2-与金属阳离子按物质的量比1：1生成硫化物沉淀物,沉淀主要呈团聚、成簇和圆片状存在;X射线衍射（XRD）分析结果表明,沉淀产物中存在CuS、CdS、PbS和CuPbS₂.本研究结果可为化学沉淀法处理重金属污染土壤淋洗废液提供技术参考.     

The study of biological activity of transformation products of diclofenac and its interaction with chlorogenic acid

In the present work we compared the biological activity of DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF as molecules of most biodegradation pathways of DCF and selected transformation products (2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid; 2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and 2,6-dichloroaniline) which are produced during AOPs, such as ozonation and UV/H₂O₂. We also examined the interaction of DCF with chlorogenic acid (CGA). CGA is commonly used in human diet and entering the environment along with waste mainly from the processing and brewing of coffee and it can be toxic for microorganisms included in activated sludge. In the present experiment the evaluation of following parameters was performed: E. coli K-12 cells viability, growth inhibition of E. coli K-12 culture, LC₅₀ and mortality of Chironomus aprilinus, genotoxicity, sodA promoter induction and ROS generation. In addition the reactivity of E. coli SM recA:luxCDABE biosensor strain in wastewater matrices was measured. The results showed the influence of DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF on E. coli K-12 cells viability and bacteria growth, comparable to AOPs by-products. The highest toxicity was observed for selected, tested AOPs by-products, in comparison to the DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF. Genotoxicity assay indicated that 2,6-dichloroaniline (AOPs by-product) had the highest toxic effect. The oxidative stress assays revealed that the highest level of ROS generation and sodA promoter induction were obtained for DCF, 4′-OHDCF and 5-OHDCF, compared to other tested compounds. We have also found that there is an interaction between chlorogenic acid and DCF, which resulted in increased toxicity of the mixture of the both compounds to E. coli K-12, comparable to parent chemicals. The strongest response of E. coli SM biosensor strain with recA:luxCDABE genetic construct in filtered treated wastewaters, comparable to control sample was noticed. It indicates, that E. coli SM recA:luxCDABE biosensor strains is a good tool for bacteria monitoring in wastewater environment. Due to toxicity and biological activity of tested DCF transformation products, there is a need to use additional wastewater treatment systems for wastewater contaminated with pharmaceutical residues.     

石灰对生物炭和腐殖酸阻控水稻Cd吸收的效应

采用田间试验,研究了石灰-生物炭和石灰-腐殖酸两种联合修复剂及其不同施用量对酸性土壤中稻米Cd含量、产量和品质的影响,并对不同处理修复效果进行综合评估.结果表明,两种联合修复剂能显著降低稻米Cd含量17.39%~45.96%,降低土壤有效Cd含量18.29%~29.88%,.生物炭、腐殖酸施用量分别为5000,6000kg/hm²时,稻米Cd的降低效果最佳.石灰-生物炭处理中,降低稻米Cd含量的主要因子为土壤pH和土壤有效Cd含量（P<0.05）,而石灰-腐殖酸处理则为土壤有机质含量与土壤有效Cd含量（P<0.05）.施加修复剂后稻米产量可达6637~7890kg/hm²,直链淀粉含量达到19.47%~27.26%;当腐殖酸施用量为7500kg/hm²时可使稻米产量提高10.97%,而石灰-生物炭处理对稻米产量无显著影响;采用层次分析法确定了稻米Cd含量、稻米产量、稻米品质和修复费用在修复效应评估中所占权重为0.608、0.150、0.102、0.140,综合评估结果显示土壤-水稻系统Cd阻控效应的联合修复技术为：在施用1200kg/hm²石灰的基础上同时施加6000kg/hm²腐殖酸.     

大兴安岭5种乔木树种燃烧释放PM2.5中水溶性元素特性

采用自主设计的生物质燃烧实验装置,在不同燃烧状态（明燃、阴燃）下,对大兴安岭林区5种典型乔木树种的不同部位（枝、叶、皮）燃烧释放PM_2.5中的水溶性元素特性进行研究.结果显示,不同树种间PM_2.5的排放因子差异显著,排放范围为（2.408±0.854）~（9.227±1.172）g/kg.5种乔木树种燃烧释放PM_2.5中主要检测到Mg、Ca、K等16 种元素,其中Ca、K、Zn、Mg 4种元素的排放因子明显大于其它元素.不同树种间元素排放因子差异较大,针叶树的排放因子一般高于阔叶树.除Cd元素外,不同器官间排放的元素总量无明显差异.不同树种不同器官燃烧释放PM_2.5中水溶性元素的占比顺序较为一致,其中Ca、K、Zn和Mg 4种元素的排放因子在枝、叶、皮中均较高.此外,燃烧状态对元素排放特征影响较大,Li、Mg、Ca等7种元素的排放因子均表现为明燃显著高于阴燃.     

氧基氯化铁非均相活化过一硫酸盐降解金橙Ⅱ

采用部分热分解法制备了氧基氯化铁（FeOCl）,用于活化过一硫酸盐（PMS）降解难降解偶氮染料金橙Ⅱ（AO7）.利用X射线光电子能谱分析（XPS）、扫描电镜（SEM）和X射线衍射光谱（XRD）对其进行了表征;通过实验评估FeOCl/PMS体系对AO7的降解效果并分析了影响AO7去除率的各种因素.结果表明：FeOCl活化PMS降解AO7效果良好,矿化率达44%.在中性条件下,当FeOCl投加量50mg/L、PMS浓度1.0mmol/L、AO7浓度0.05mmol/L时,AO7可在30min内完全降解.随PMS投加量、FeOCl投加量、Cl^-浓度和反应初始pH值的增大,AO7的脱色效果提高.FeOCl还具有良好的重复利用性.此外,通过自由基淬灭实验、EPR测试和XPS分析了反应的主要活性物种和反应机理：由PMS活化产生的SO₄^-·和·OH对污染物进行降解,其中主要活性物种为SO₄^-·.     

腐植酸中不同分子量组分与As(Ⅲ)的络合性能

采用超滤方法将腐植酸（HA）分成5个不同分子量组分,利用平衡透析法研究HA中不同分子量组分与As（III）的络合特征和作用机理,计算络合过程的条件分配系数、表观稳定常数.结果表明,腐植酸组分的分子量对HA与As（III）的络合过程有显著的影响,当分子量小于10kDa时,HA与As（III）络合能力明显强于其他条件.其中羧基和酚羟基在HA与砷络合中起重要作用,为主要络合位点.采用Scatchard分析和双位点配体模型对络合结果进行拟合,发现HA中不同分子量组分和As（III）的络合过程中均存在强和弱2种络合位点.     

Effect of Humic Acid on the Bioavailability of γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane in Marsilea Minuta (L.)

Effect of various concentrations of humic acid (0.2 to 1%) on thebioavailability of -HCH in vegetative clones of theaquatic fern Marsilea minuta was studied in a staticexperimental bioassay system on different photoperiods. Additionof humic acid showed the reduction in the bioavailability of-HCH in all the photoperiods (72 hr light to 144 hrlight) at the interval of 16 hr light (L) and 8 hr dark (D) inboth aerial and submerged portion as compared to controlindicating its protective role in toxicity.