Effects of Smoke Emissions from a Charcoal Kiln on the Functioning of Forest Soil Systems: A Microcosm Study

Long-term charcoal production in small private charcoal kilns (CK) in Eastern Bieszczady Mts. (SE Poland) can cause local smoke contamination of the ambient forest environment. Responses of model soil systems, contaminated or not contaminated by CK smoke, to contrasting combinations of hydrothermic regimes were compared in laboratory microcosms (respiration of soil community, decomposition rate of soil organic matter and cotton stripes, herb seeds germination were studied). The majority of the obtained data show a markedly higher level of soil biological activity in the CK versus the control series. In some cases CK and control soil systems show different patterns of reactions to the tested combinations of microclimate regime. These phenomena should at least partly be attributed to the effects of CK pollution.     

Effects of molecular weight and concentration of carboxymethyl cellulose on morphology of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as prepared with one-step wet chemical method

Nano-sized apatite particles (nAP) synthesized with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) have shown great application potentials in in situ heavy metal remediation. However, differences in CMC’s properties effects on the size of nAP produced are not well understood. In this paper, two types of CMC, with respective molecular weights (MW) of ～120000 and ～240000 Dalton or respective polymerization degrees of 500 (CMC-500) and 1050 (CMC-1050), were studied in a concentration range of 0.05%–0.5% (w/w) for nAP synthesis. Morphology of the particles was characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results showed that 0.05% CMC-500 solution gave an average particle size of 148.7±134.9 nm, 0.25% CMC-500 solution produced particles of 21.8±20.4 nm, and, 0.5% CMC-500 solution contained particles of 15.8±7.7 nm. In comparison, 0.05% CMC-1050 solution produced nanoparticles of 6.8±3.2 nm, 0.25% CMC-1050 produced smaller nAP of 4.3±3.2 nm, and 0.5% CMC-1050 synthesized the smallest nanoparticles in this study, with an average diameter of 3.0±2.1 nm. Chemical composition of the products was identified with X-ray diffraction (XRD) as pure hydroxyapatite. Interactions between nAP and CMC were discussed with help of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATRFTIR) spectroscopic data. This study showed that CMC at higher concentration as well as higher MW facilitated to produce finer nanoparticles, showing that nAP size could be manipulated by selecting appropriate CMC MW and/or applying appropriate CMC concentration.     

高效纤维素分解菌在蔬菜-花卉秸秆联合好氧堆肥中的应用

以滇池流域典型的蔬菜废物和花卉秸秆为堆肥原料,以本实验室筛选、保存的17株纤维素降解菌和1株购买的产黄纤维单胞菌(Cellulomonas Flavigena)为复合接种剂,对不同接种条件和控温条件下的联合堆肥中试进行了研究.实验结果表明,在一次发酵的初始阶段,以体积分数0.5%的接种量向堆肥中接种纤维素降解复合菌剂可有效提高发酵过程堆料中纤维素降解菌的种群密度,并使其迅速成为优势菌群,尤其是当堆体处于控温55℃的工况条件时,其菌群密度可保持在3.84×10⁹～1.80×10¹⁰CFU/g;在二次发酵的初始阶段,以体积分数1%的接种量接种,可有效提高二次发酵阶段堆温的回升.对堆料中木质素和纤维素含量以及堆肥终产物的粒径分布指标--过筛率的检测表明,接种的复合纤维素降解菌可有效地降解堆料中的木质纤维素,接种处理中纤维素的降解率比不接种处理高23.64%,接种处理堆肥终产物的过筛率(2.0 cm)比不接种处理高18.28%.研究表明,用纤维素降解复合菌剂进行二次接种二次发酵,能够有效地促进蔬菜-花卉秸秆联合好氧堆肥中物料的纤维素组分的降解,达到加快堆肥进程,提高堆肥品质的目的.     

纸板碳化电极提高生物电化学系统产电效率微生物机理研究

采用Solexa高通量测序技术和蛋白定量方法,分析了碳化纤维素纸板制备的层状波纹碳(LCC)电极与石墨板(GP)电极在生物电化学系统运行过程形成的生物膜微生物群落结构和生物量差异.结果表明,LCC电极良好的生物电化学性能不仅取决于其良好的导电性能,还与其表面生物膜微生物群落结构有关;LCC电极表面生物膜微生物量高,且对产电微生物的富集效果好.LCC电极与GP电极表面生物膜分别得到16S rRNA基因V3区优化序列12643条和12837条,经97%相似度归并后获得的OTUs数量分别为2786和3130;α多样性分析显示,GP电极生物膜微生物多样性相对更丰富.Proteobacteria、Firmicutes和Bacteroidetes在两种电极生物膜中含量最为丰富,这3个门细菌序列数分别占总序列数的76%(LCC)和85%(GP).在属分类水平上,LCC电极生物膜由383个属的细菌构成,而GP电极生物膜则有456个属.深入分析电极生物膜微生物群落结构有助于进一步认识LCC电极提高生物电化学系统产电效率的机理.     

一株发酵纤维素产丁酸菌及其代谢动力学特性

为开发降解纤维素产丁酸菌的种子资源,从牛粪、猪粪堆肥、玉米地土壤和腐木混合物的富集样品中分离得到一株厌氧降解纤维素产丁酸菌.该菌株细胞呈杆状,长7.1~9.1μm,直径1.2μm左右,经鉴定为丁酸梭菌(Clostridium butyricum),命名为C. Butyricum DCB.在35℃条件下,菌株DCB在纤维二糖液体培养基中的最大比生长速率为0.6536h^-1,世代时间为1.06h,纤维二糖降解速率为0.1g/(L·h),丁酸生成速率为0.06g/(L·h).该菌株利用纤维素发酵产丁酸的转化率高达0.23g/g,具有良好的开发前景.     

再生纤维素膜的微生物降解

采用田间掩埋、平皿培养和ＣＯ２释放试验分别测试了再生纤维素膜的生物降解性。试验结果表明：膜的失重随掩埋时间而增加;不同试验菌株对膜有不贩降解活性,其顺序为木霉Ｔ－３１１〉黑曲霉Ａ－３０５〉青霉Ｐ－３０７;掩埋或用菌株Ｔ－３１１接种４２ｄ后,膜的生物降解率可超过７０％;在膜的微生物降解过程中,失重、菌株在膜表面的可见生长和ＣＯ２释放分别是膜不同降解程度的表征,彼此既相关又有区别。     

Nanocomposites of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals

Nanocrystals were prepared by acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose microfibrils. These were topochemically trimethylsilylated, in an attempt to reduce their hydrophilicity. Composites were made by dispersing either native or silylated crystals in cellulose acetatebutyrate matrixes and solution casting of the dispersions. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The composites were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The unmodified cellulose crystals exhibited better reinforcement characteristics than the trimethylsilated crystals.     

On Assessing Decomposition Rates of Plant Debris and Standard Cellulose Samples in Tundra Communities

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

Polymer Mineralization in Soils: Effects of Cold Storage on Microbial Populations and Biodegradation Potential

Soil retrieval, processing and storage procedures can have a profound effect on soil microorganisms. In particular, changes in soil microbial populations may adversely affect the biological activity of a soil and drastically alter the soil's potential to mineralize added substrates. The effects of cold storage on the biodegradation of a series of test polymers was investigated using two soils—a synthetic soil mix (SM-L8) and a field soil (Bridgehampton silt loam) from Rhode Island (RI-1). Biodegradation tests were conducted using freshly prepared/collected soil and again following storage at 4°C for 3 to 8 months. Prior to each biodegradation test, the soils were incubated at 60% water-holding capacity (WHC) and 25°C to rejuvenate the microbial populations; the soils were incubated for periods of 48 h (freshly collected soil) or 25 days (soils stored at 4°C). Soil microbial populations were assessed by enumerating different segments of the population on agar plates containing different selective media. Mineralization of the test polymers (cellulose, poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, and starch acetate, d.s. 1.5) was monitored using standard respirometric techniques. Our results demonstrated that cold storage had a generally negative effect on the soil microbial populations themselves but that its effect on the capacity of the soil microorganisms to degrade the test polymers varied between soils and polymer type. Whereas cold storage resulted in dramatic shifts in the community structure of the soil microbial populations, substantial restoration of these populations was possible by first conditioning the soils at 60% WHC and ambient temperatures for 25 days. Likewise, although the effects of cold storage on polymer mineralization varied with the test polymer and soil, these effects could be largely offset by including an initial 25-day stabilization period in the test.