Biological conversion pathways of sulfate reduction ammonium oxidation in anammox consortia

• The SRAO phenomena tended to occur only under certain conditions. • High amount of biomass and non-anaerobic condition is requirement for SRAO. • Anammox bacteria cannot oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor. • AOB and AnAOB are mainly responsible for ammonium conversion. • Heterotrophic sulfate reduction mainly contributed to sulfate conversion. For over two decades, sulfate reduction with ammonium oxidation (SRAO) had been reported from laboratory experiments. SRAO was considered an autotrophic process mediated by anammox bacteria, in which ammonium as electron donor was oxidized by the electron acceptor sulfate. This process had been attributed to observed transformations of nitrogenous and sulfurous compounds in natural environments. Results obtained differed largely for the conversion mole ratios (ammonium/sulfate), and even the intermediate and final products of sulfate reduction. Thus, the hypothesis of biological conversion pathways of ammonium and sulfate in anammox consortia is implausible. In this study, continuous reactor experiments (with working volume of 3.8L) and batch tests were conducted under normal anaerobic (0.2≤DO<0.5 mg/L) / strict anaerobic (DO<0.2 mg/L) conditions with different biomass proportions to verify the SRAO phenomena and identify possible pathways behind substrate conversion. Key findings were that SRAO occurred only in cases of high amounts of inoculant biomass under normal anaerobic condition, while absent under strict anaerobic conditions for same anammox consortia. Mass balance and stoichiometry were checked based on experimental results and the thermodynamics proposed by previous studies were critically discussed. Thus anammox bacteria do not possess the ability to oxidize ammonium with sulfate as electron acceptor and the assumed SRAO could, in fact, be a combination of aerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox and heterotrophic sulfate reduction processes.     

Enhanced debromination of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) by zero-valent zinc with ascorbic acid

• Highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 was achieved in the ZVZ/AA system. • BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA can be applied to a wide range of pH. • AA inhibits the formation of (hydr)oxide and accelerates the corrosion of ZVZ. • Reduction mechanism of BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA system was proposed. A new technique of zero-valent zinc coupled with ascorbic acid (ZVZ/AA) was developed and applied to debrominate the 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), which achieved high conversion and rapid debromination of BDE-47 to less- or non-toxic forms. The reaction conditions were optimized by the addition of 100 mg/L ZVZ particles and 3 mmol/L AA at original solution pH= 4.00 using the solvent of methanol/H₂O (v:v= 4:6), which could convert approximately 94% of 5 mg/L BDE-47 into lower-brominated diphenyl ethers within a 90 min at the ZVZ/AA system. The high debromination of BDE-47 was mainly attributed to the effect of AA that inhibits the formation of Zn(II)(hydr)oxide passivation layers and promotes the corrosion of ZVZ, which leads to increase the reactivity of ZVZ. Additionally, ion chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses revealed that bromine ion and lower-debromination diphenyl ethers formed during the reduction of BDE-47. Furthermore, based on the generation of the intermediates products, and its concentration changes over time, it was proposed that the dominant pathway for conversion of BDE-47 was sequential debromination and the final products were diphenyl ethers. These results suggested that the ZVZ/AA system has the potential for highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 from wastewater.     

Degradation of polyacrylamide (PAM) and methane production by mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion: Effect of temperature and concentration

• PAM degradation in thermophilic AD in comparison with mesophilic AD. • PAM degradation and its impact on thermophilic and mesophilic AD. • Enhanced methane yield in presence of PAM during thermophilic and mesophilic AD. • PAM degradation and microbial community analysis in thermophilic and mesophilic AD. Polyacrylamide (PAM) is generally employed in wastewater treatment processes such as sludge dewatering and therefore exists in the sludge. Furthermore, it degrades slowly and can deteriorate methane yield during anaerobic digestion (AD). The impact or fate of PAM in AD under thermophilic conditions is still unclear. This study mainly focuses on PAM degradation and enhanced methane production from PAM-added sludge during 15 days of thermophilic (55°C) AD compared to mesophilic (35°C) AD. Sludge and PAM dose from 10 to 50 g/kg TSS were used. The results showed that PAM degraded by 76% to 78% with acrylamide (AM) content of 0.2 to 3.3 mg/L in thermophilic AD. However, it degraded only 27% to 30% with AM content of 0.5 to 7.2 mg/L in mesophilic AD. The methane yield was almost 230 to 238.4 mL/g VSS on the 8th day in thermophilic AD but was 115.2 to 128.6 mL/g VSS in mesophilic AD. Mechanism investigation revealed that thermophilic AD with continuous stirring not only enhanced PAM degradation but also boosted the organics release from the sludge with added PAM and gave higher methane yield than mesophilic AD.     

砒砂岩区不同留茬高度及坡向下沙棘根系分形特征

为提高内蒙古砒砂岩区沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides)人工林根系的生长能力,对东(E)、南(S)、西(W)、北(N)不同坡向沙棘植株进行了距地表0、10、15、20 cm(即a、b、c、d)留茬高度处理,而根系分形特征是植物根系构型应对环境异质性的表型可塑性,为反映沙棘根系对不同坡向不同留茬生长环境的适应...     

Survivor needs or logistical convenience? Factors shaping decisions to deliver relief to earthquake‐affected communities,Pakistan 2005–06

In Bureaucratizing the Good Samaritan , Waters (2001) argues that bureaucratic rationality distracts humanitarian agencies from the needs of the people they are supposed to assist, in favour of other values that their institutional frameworks dictate. We test his claim by investigating the response to the Pakistan 2005 earthquake. One of us (Dittemore) worked with the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre in the theatre, managing a relief cargo shipment database. The response, known as 'Operation Winter Race', was hampered by extreme logistical challenges, but ultimately succeeded in averting a second disaster resulting from cold and starvation. We use statistical models to probe whether survivor needs significantly guided decisions to deliver relief to affected communities. Needs assessments remained incomplete and incoherent. We measure needs through proxy indicators and integrate them, on a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform, with logistics and relief delivery data. We find that, despite strong logistics effects, needs orientations were significant. However, the strength of decision factors varies between commodity types (food versus clothing and shelter versus reconstruction materials) as well as over the different phases of the response. This study confirms Thomas's observation that logistics databases are rich 'repositories of data that can be analyzed to provide post-event learning' (Thomas, 2003, p. 4). This article is an invitation for others to engage in creative humanitarian data management.     

人工园林大面积种植区土地利用/覆被变化对生态系统服务价值影响

近10a来由于经济利益的驱动,橡胶、茶园、咖啡和桉树等人工园林在云南省西南部西盟县大规模种植,使土地利用结构和布局发生了较大变化,影响了种植区的生态系统服务价值。以西盟县为研究对象,基于2000年、2005年和2010年的遥感影像解译的土地利用/覆被数据,参照"中国生态系统单位面积生态服务价值当量",修订了西盟县生态系统单位面积服务价值,结合敏感度分析,探讨了土地利用/覆被变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响。结果表明:(1)2000~2010年西盟县的耕地、园地、水域和乡镇用地面积增加,林地和草地面积减少,西南部的土地利用/覆盖类型相互转化主要表现在林地和耕地转化为园地,而东北部表现在林地转化为耕地;(2)从时间上看,生态系统服务价值呈减少趋势,10 a间净减少106.29×106元,林地的生态系统服务价值始终最高;(3)研究期内,只有食物生产服务有价值量的增加,其余生态系统服务的价值量均为不同程度的减少;(4)从空间上看,西盟县生态系统服务价值东北部和东南部高,西部、中部和东部低。力所乡生态系统服务价值有小幅度增加,其余乡镇均呈减少趋势。西盟县以经济利益为目的的发展模式给生态系统服务和可持续发展带来巨大压力,在一定程度上使区域整体生态效应下降。因此,西盟县的发展应该在保证生态系统稳定的前提下,适当发展园地,同时优化土地利用结构,在生态效益和经济利益之间,找到双赢的平衡点。     

鄱阳湖水位-淹水面积关系不确定性的分析

湖泊淹水范围的时空变化特征往往决定了湖泊湿地的景观结构和功能。鄱阳湖是我国最大淡水湖,水位和淹水范围的季节变化悬殊,鄱阳湖淹水特征对研究鄱阳湖湿地生态系统的结构与功能都具有显著意义,过去很多研究关注鄱阳湖水位-淹水面积关系,不同的研究者得到的水位-淹水面积关系各有差异,表现出一定的不确定性。利用多时相的卫星遥感影像提取的鄱阳湖水面面积的基础上,结合鄱阳湖长时间序列的水位观测资料,探讨鄱阳湖水位-淹水面积关系不确定的原因。研究结果表明:(1)尽管鄱阳湖水面面积与水位表现分段线性关系,但在相同水位条件下,鄱阳湖水面面积表现出较大的不确定性;(2)鄱阳湖水位表现南高北低的空间异质性格局,随着水位增加,鄱阳湖水位的空间异质性降低,并且水面坡降具有季相性,相同水位下退水期的水面坡降大于涨水期的水面坡降;(3)受洲滩地形和"堑秋湖"渔业方式的影响,相同水位下退水期出露洲滩中子湖泊的水面范围大于涨水期中子湖泊水面范围;(4)此外,鄱阳湖采砂显著改变采沙场的湖盆地形,从而改变低水位下的主要采沙场的淹水范围。综上所述,鄱阳湖水位-淹水面积关系的不确定性除了受湖盆地形、"五河"来水、长江顶托等自然原因,还有采砂和堑秋湖渔业方式等人类活动的原因。     

新中国60年来农业多功能性演变的研究

农业多功能性是近年来国际可持续发展研究与政府闻谈判磋商的热点问题.科学地认识农业多功能性及其演变趋势,对于新时期中国可持续发展战略的制定与实施具有重要意义.鉴于此,该文通过对相关文献和调研资料的整理,从农业的产品生产功能、经济社会功能、生态环境功能、文化休闲功能4个方面.对建国60年来农业多功能性演变的基本趋势进行了初步研究.结果表明,农业产品生产功能在波折中不断提高,而地域之间呈此消彼长现象,总的趋势是农产品生产由南方向北方、由东部向西部转移;农业的经济功能已经大大弱化,但就业和社会保障功能依然极为重要;农业对生态环境的影响,总体来看负面效应要大于正面效应;农业文化传承功能呈全面衰落趋势,但旅游功能则在近年来大为增强.依据这一研究结果,该文进一步探讨了增强我国农业多功能性的政策措施.     

页岩气开发对生态环境影响评价模型

针对页岩气特殊的开发方式及环评难度比常规气大的特点,运用"压力-状态-响应"框架模型,建立了页岩气开发对生态环境影响的评价指标体系。引入曲线投影的方式,并将投影寻踪方法和动态聚类方法相结合,提出了曲线投影寻踪动态聚类的定量评价方法;基于样本各指标的曲线投影和动态聚类方法寻找最佳投影方向,并建立相应的生态环境影响评价优化模型。结合全局最优经验指导和信息素交流,采用改进的蚁群算法对优化模型进行求解。该算法维持蚁群的多样性,且收敛性较好,同时也避免出现局部最优。对四川省威远页岩气区块进行了实例分析,结果表明:2010年、2011年和2014年的环评属于差类(4级),2012年和2013年的环评属于中类(3级),其中植被覆盖率、空气质量优良率、地表水质达标率、废水排放量、公众对环境的满意度、二氧化硫排放量和废水排放量达标率等指标对生态环境评价的影响较大。在页岩气开发初期,由于开发技术落后,再加上环保投资不高,环保意识不强,造成生态环境问题较为严重。随着学习借鉴美国的经验,及页岩气的开发技术进一步提高,加上国家对生态环境保护的重视,威远页岩气区块生态环境恶化得到有效的遏制。但开发时间越长,开采难度越大,将会产生更多更大的生态环境问题。分析结果与威远页岩气开发区域的实际情况相符,为页岩气气田生态环境影响评价奠定了科学基础。投影寻踪动态聚类方法具有无需设定参数、操作简单、客观等优点,是页岩气开发对生态环境影响评价的一种新方法。     

庐山不同森林植被类型土壤碳库管理指数评价

土壤碳库管理指数(CPMI)是表征土壤碳库变化的一个重要量化指标,能够反映土壤的碳库变化和碳库质量。选取庐山8种森林植被类型土壤为研究对象,对其土壤有机碳库特征及碳库管理指数进行系统研究。结论表明:(1)土壤有机碳(SOC)主要分布于0~20 cm土层中,随着土层深度增加,不同森林植被类型下SOC含量急剧下降;在0~60 cm土层中,不同森林植被类型下SOC含量的平均值排序为:马尾松林常绿阔叶林灌丛针阔混交林常绿-落叶混交林黄山松林落叶阔叶林竹林。(2)不同森林植被类型下活性有机碳(ASOC)含量为0.24~0.57 g·kg–1,总有机碳(TOC)含量为9.72~14.74 g·kg–1,土壤碳库指数(CPI)为1.63~2.48,碳库活度(A)为0.019~0.062,碳库活度指数(AI)为0.388~1.265。不同森林植被类型下ASOC含量排序:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林竹林马尾松林;不同森林植被类型下ASOC/TOC(%)排序:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林竹林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林马尾松林;不同森林植被类型下CPMI排序为:落叶阔叶林黄山松林常绿-落叶阔叶混交林灌丛针阔混交林常绿阔叶林竹林马尾松林。