Effects of biofilm growth on flow and transport through a glass parallel plate fracture

The effects of biofilm growth on flow and solute transport through a sandblasted glass parallel plate fracture was investigated. The fracture was inoculated using soil microorganisms. Glucose, oxygen and other nutrients were supplied to support growth. The biomass initially formed discrete clusters attached to the glass surfaces, but over time formed a continuous biofilm. From dye tracer tests conducted during biofilm growth, it was observed that channels and low-permeability zones dominated transport. The hydraulic conductivity of the fracture showed a sigmoidal decrease with time. The hydraulic conductivity was reduced by a factor of 0.033, from 18 to 0.6 cm/s, corresponding to a 72% decrease in the hydraulic aperture, from 500 to 140 microm. In contrast, the mass balance aperture, determined from fluoride tracer tests, remained relatively constant, indicating that the impact of biomass growth on effective fracture porosity was much less than the effect on hydraulic conductivity. Analyses of pre-biofilm tracer tests revealed that both Taylor dispersion and macrodispersion were influencing transport. During biofilm growth, only macrodispersion was dominant. The macrodispersion coefficient alpha(macro) was found to increase logarithmically with hydraulic conductivity reduction.     

Development of a continuously stirred flow cell for investigating sorption mass transfer

This paper introduces a new reversible-flow design for a continuously stirred reactor used to study sorption mass transfer in soil and solvent systems. The stirred reactor has potential advantages over conventional packed column or batch reactors because it isolates intraparticle sorption rate limitations from advective-dispersive transport, yet allows changes to flux through the reactor for analysis of sorption kinetics under dynamic conditions. Previously, stirred reactors have often failed due to clogging of sediment on the effluent frit. The reverse-flow backwashing design allows longer life and higher confidence in maintaining mixed conditions than previous designs. Mass transfer 'rate coefficients estimated from stirred and column experiments are compared; both techniques produced results consistent with a published correlation. The data also show that fitted sorption mass transfer coefficients can be strongly dependent on the choice of equilibrium partition coefficient (i.e. batch or first-moment derived values), and that the conventional two-site sorption kinetics model fails to accurately predict sorption mass transfer in the presence of changing solvent velocity through the reactor.     

Mobilizing environmental sentiment through the media

ABSTRACT

Recent research into the best ways to mobilize people to act on climate change suggests that careful, and relatively positive, emotional framing is critical. However, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) need to not only mobilize publics, but also attract media coverage. If the media prefers negativity or is skeptical of ENGOs’ emotive appeals, are ENGOs’ emotional frames damaging their ability to gain media attention? Quantitative sentiment analysis is used to identify emotional framing in a targeted case study of 350.org’s public press releases and their subsequent media coverage. The results suggest that appropriate emotional frames for mobilization are not necessarily detrimental to gaining media attention, and that ENGO press releases influence media coverage, when they are used. Several concrete suggestions emerge for how ENGOs might use press releases more effectively, if they seek to influence the media’s emotional tone on climate change.     

Surfactant enhanced recovery of tetrachloroethylene from a porous medium containing low permeability lenses. 1. Experimental studies

A matrix of batch, column and two-dimensional (2-D) box experiments was conducted to investigate the coupled effects of rate-limited solubilization and layering on the entrapment and subsequent recovery of a representative dense NAPL, tetrachloroethylene (PCE), during surfactant flushing. Batch experiments were performed to determine the equilibrium solubilization capacity of the surfactant, polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), and to measure fluid viscosity, density and interfacial tension. Results of one-dimensional column studies indicated that micellar solubilization of residual PCE was rate-limited at Darcy velocities ranging from 0.8 to 8.2 cm/h and during periods of flow interruption. Effluent concentration data were used to develop effective mass transfer coefficient (Ke) expressions that were dependent upon the Darcy velocity and duration of flow interruption. To simulate subsurface heterogeneity, 2-D boxes were packed with layers of F-70 Ottawa sand and Wurtsmith aquifer material within 20-30 mesh Ottawa sand. A 4% Tween 80 solution was then flushed through PCE-contaminated boxes at several flow velocities, with periods of flow interruption. Effluent concentration data and visual observations indicated that both rate-limited solubilization and pooling of PCE above the fine layers reduced PCE recovery to levels below those anticipated from batch and column measurements. These experimental results demonstrate the potential impact of both mass transfer limitations and subsurface layering on the recovery of PCE during surfactant enhanced aquifer remediation.     

A triple-continuum approach for modeling flow and transport processes in fractured rock

This paper presents a triple-continuum conceptual model for simulating flow and transport processes in fractured rock. Field data collected from the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, a repository site of high-level nuclear waste, show a large number of small-scale fractures. The effect of these small fractures has not been considered in previous modeling investigations within the context of a continuum approach. A new triple-continuum model (consisting of matrix, small-fracture, and large-fracture continua) has been developed to investigate the effect of these small fractures. This paper derives the model formulation and discusses the basic triple-continuum behavior of flow and transport processes under different conditions, using both analytical solutions and numerical approaches. The simulation results from the site-scale model of the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain indicate that these small fractures may have an important effect on radionuclide transport within the mountain.     

影响大气汞化学过程的敏感因子分析

为了分析汞在大气中的化学行为,在一个化学模式中加入汞的气相、气液平衡和液相反应,模拟大气汞及其化合物的演变规律,并分析了气象因子(云、光解率、温度)和化学因子(气态O3、H2O2、HO2、OH和气态零价汞Hg0(g))的初始体积分数对各形态汞及其化合物浓度和Hg0(g)转化率的影响.模拟结果表明,在中等大气污染条件下,Hg0(g)的每小时平均转化率为2.91%.敏感性试验结果表明,云量、光解率、温度、O3和Hg0(g)的初始体积分数对不同形态汞的影响较为显著.云量的增加、光解率的增加、臭氧初始体积分数的升高,各形态汞的平衡时间缩短,除气态氧化汞和一价汞离子外,其他形态汞的平衡浓度均会降低,Hg0(g)的转化率增加.温度增加将抑制Hg0(g)的转化.Hg0(g)的初始体积分数增加,各形态汞的浓度升高,但其平均转化率没有显著变化.不同因子对汞化学过程的相对作用对区域或全球大气汞的环境模拟具有指导意义.     

动态渗透压力法研究水处理滤料的润湿性

润湿性是水处理滤料的一个十分重要的表面性质.以Washburn方程为原理,用动态渗透压力法研究了无烟煤、铝矾土陶瓷及磁铁矿滤料的亲油亲水润湿性.实验结果表明,方法的重现性较好,误差在10%以内.当滤料的粒径范围在0.6～0.9mm之间时.以该法测得无烟煤、铝矾土陶瓷及磁铁矿滤料的亲油亲水比(LHR)值依次为2.511、1.748和1.317,说明无烟煤滤料的亲油性最好,铝矾土陶瓷次之,而磁铁矿的亲油性最差.XPS和FTIR分析结果表明,无烟煤、铝矾土陶瓷及磁铁矿滤料润湿性差别主要归因于其表面化学结构的不同.     

钙基脱硫剂孔隙网络动态生成特性

钙基脱硫剂孔隙结构特性直接影响到脱硫效果及脱硫剂的利用率,对其空间网络特性的描述将有助于分析SO2的扩散及反应特性. 在石灰石分解动力学和烧结机理的基础上,结合固体分解的成核机理,运用Monte-Carlo 方法,建立了脱硫剂孔隙网络的动态生成模型,对钙基脱硫剂分解形成的孔隙结构进行了动态模拟,并对生成孔结构的分形特性进行研究.结果表明,运用动态生成模型,可以给出石灰石分解形成的CaO内部孔隙的微观空间结构,且模拟生成的孔隙网络的分形维数与实验测定值基本吻合.     

填料型A2/O工艺污水处理及反硝化除磷效能

填料型A~2/O工艺是在A~2/O工艺的基础上通过向厌氧池、缺氧池、好氧池中投加醛化纤维式组合填料,将传统活性污泥法与生物膜法相结合组成一套脱氮除磷的新系统,文章对填料型A~2/O工艺与传统A~2/O工艺处理生活污水的效果进行了对比研究,以及对该复合式工艺在不同硝化液回流比下反硝化除磷能力进行了分析.研究结果表明,相同条件下,填料型A~2/O工艺对生活污水的处理效果要优于传统A~2/O工艺,分别使COD和氨氮的去除率达到92.5%和93.1%.试验通过增加硝化液回流比的措施使得反硝化聚磷菌在填料上富集程度增大,当硝化液回流比为300%时,缺氧池的NO-3-N浓度为3.03 mg·L~(-1),吸磷量最大为26.28 mg·L~(-1),胞内聚合物PHB代谢活性最好,利用率最高为1.32 g·g~(-1)·L~(-1).体现了填料型A~2/O工艺具有显著的反硝化除磷效果.     

低渗透性多孔介质室内弥散实验及弥散度求解研究

低渗透多孔介质在浅部含隔水层中分布广泛,是地下水污染物迁移的重要载体,然而其弥散度的取值目前研究还不足。针对此问题,以溴化钠为示踪剂开展了低渗透多孔介质的室内弥散实验研究,介质渗透系数为0．048 m/d,通过离子选择电极法测定溴离子浓度,并分别采用解析法和数值法进行了弥散度的求解,解析法和数值法求得的弥散度分别为0．0048 m 与0．0065 m,研究成果可以为低渗透多孔介质中污染物迁移预测提供弥散度值参考。