Nitrogen leaching and acidification during 19 years of NH₄NO₃ additions to a coniferous-forested catchment at Gårdsjön, Sweden (NITREX)

The role of nitrogen (N) in acidification of soil and water has become relatively more important as the deposition of sulphur has decreased. Starting in 1991, we have conducted a whole-catchment experiment with N addition at Gårdsjön, Sweden, to investigate the risk of N saturation. We have added 41 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ as NH₄NO₃ to the ambient 9 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in fortnightly doses by means of sprinkling system. The fraction of input N lost to runoff has increased from 0% to 10%. Increased concentrations of NO₃ in runoff partially offset the decreasing concentrations of SO₄ and slowed ecosystem recovery from acid deposition. From 1990-2002, about 5% of the total N input went to runoff, 44% to biomass, and the remaining 51% to soil. The soil N pool increased by 5%. N deposition enhanced carbon (C) sequestration at a mean C/N ratio of 42-59 g g⁻¹.     

SO2 gas adsorption by modified kaolin clays: influence of previous heating and time acid treatments

Modified kaolin clays were used as adsorbents for SO(2) gas adsorptions. The clays were heated up to 900 °C previous to acid treatments with 0.5 N sulfuric acid solutions at boiling temperature during different times up to 1440 min. Equilibrium adsorption at 25 °C and 0.1 MPa was carried out by using a volumetric apparatus. The samples were characterized by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction and infrared analysis. The heating of the clays followed by acid treatment improved the adsorption capacity of the kaolin clays. The presence of amorphous silica and hydroxyl in the final products improved SO(2) adsorption capacity. Better properties for SO(2) adsorption were found in kaolin rich in not well ordered kaolinite clay mineral.     

Metal and oxalate contamination in a suburban watershed in the greater Toronto area: the benefits of combining acid leach and selective extraction procedures

Environmentally available concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr and Ni in soils and sediments from a small suburban catchment, obtained using an acid leach procedure, are compared to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment lowest effect level (LEL) and severe effect levels (SEL) and to Provincial sediment quality guidelines (PSQG's). These data are then compared to the bioavailability, potential bioavailability and non-bioavailability of the same metals, plus oxalate concentration, identified using a selective extraction procedure. This combination of techniques enhanced analytical interpretation with respect to metal mobility and potential metal contamination. Selective extraction highlighted the presence of oxalate as a potential contaminant, especially in poorly drained valley floor deposits (33,633 mg kg(-1) and 26,284 mg kg(-1)) and lakeshore sediments (27,095 mg kg(-1) and 13,729 mg kg(-1)). These levels are considerably in excess of those previously documented in a similar study from Rio de Janeiro, where contamination of urban sediment by sewage is a recognised environmental problem, and could possibly be used both as an indicator of similar contamination and the identification of those areas that warrant further investigation.     

Joint influence of surfactants and humic matter on PAH solubility. Are mixed micelles formed?

Mobilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by surfactants, present at contaminated sites or deliberately introduced for remediation purposes, is inevitably associated with the influence of humic substances, which are ubiquitous in natural systems. Therefore, the solubilizing effects of anthropogenic and natural amphiphiles must be considered in their combined action since synergistic or antagonistic effects may be expected, for instance, as a consequence of mixed micellization.

In this paper, solubilization of ¹⁴C-labeled pyrene in single-component and mixed solutions of surfactants and humic acid (coal-derived) was investigated up to the micellar concentration range. At low concentrations, antagonistic effects were observed for systems with cationic as well as anionic surfactants. Solubility enhancements in the presence of humic acid were canceled on addition of a cationic surfactant (DTAB) since charge compensation at humic colloids entailed precipitation. Solubility was also found to be decreased in the presence of an anionic surfactant (SDS), which was attributed to a competitive effect in respect of pyrene–humic interaction. This explanation is based on octanol–water partitioning experiments with radiolabeled humic acid, yielding evidence of different interaction modes between humic colloids and cationic/anionic surfactants. At higher concentrations, the effects of humic acid and SDS were found to be additive. Thus, a formation of mixed micelles is very unlikely, which was confirmed by size exclusion chromatography of mixed systems. It can be concluded that remediation measures on the basis of micellar solubilization are not significantly affected by the presence of natural amphiphilic compounds.     

临安大气本底站酸雨污染变化特征与影响因素分析

利用临安大气本底站酸雨观测数据,研究临安大气本底站降水pH,酸雨发生频率的时间分布特征、变化趋势及其影响因素;借助后向轨迹分析法分析输送形势对临安大气本底站酸雨的影响。研究表明:最近6年间临安大气本底站降水pH各月均值均小于4.5,均达到强酸雨的程度;临安大气本底站的酸雨发生频率表现为夏季低、秋季高;1985—2009年临安大气本底站降水的年均pH全部达到酸雨程度。根据Daniel趋势检验,临安大气本底站年均降水pH总体上呈逐年下降的趋势。风速越小,酸雨出现频率就越高;降水pH受降水量的影响较大。临安大气本底站的酸雨与降水前的大气中SO2浓度存在负相关的关系。根据气团的来向与酸雨污染程度的关系分析,临安大气本底站的酸雨污染受到其北部地区和浙西地区的酸雨气体物输送的影响较大。临安大气本底站的酸雨污染特征已由原来的硫酸型转为硫酸型与硝酸型并重。     

活性炭/过一硫酸盐降解水中金橙Ⅱ:活性炭的循环利用

研究了常温常压下颗粒状活性炭(GAC)与过一硫酸盐(PMS)联合体系降解水中金橙Ⅱ时GAC可循环利用的问题.实验发现,本体系中GAC可以重复使用,循环4次后GAC的催化活性只降低了4.6%.说明该体系具有较好的GAC再生能力,氧化剂的用量越大再生能力越强.在GAC催化PMS降解金橙Ⅱ的过程中,PMS可能会氧化GAC的表面,使得GAC的催化能力得以加强.同时发现该体系中仅是GAC的催化能力得到很好的再生,而吸附能力并没有得到再生.当GAC几乎失去吸附能力时,催化能力仍几乎能保持不变.当PMS与金橙Ⅱ的物质的量之比为20∶1时,连续流实验进行10 d,GAC的催化活性仍未减弱,GAC的使用寿命较长.该体系具有很好的实际应用潜力.     

用灰色系统理论GM(1,1)建立大气降水中酸雨pH值的预测模型

本文用灰色系统理论GM(1,1)建立了大气降水中pH值的预测模型。经三种不同方法检验。对我市1990—1993年大气降水中酸雨pH值进行了预测,结果令人满意。     

石灰—硫酸亚铁法处理高浓度砷和氟酸性废水试验研究

采用二级石灰－硫酸亚铁法处理砷和氟浓度分别高达１１０ｍｇ／Ｌ和６５０ｍｇ／Ｌ以上的酸性废水。当一、二级控制条件分别为ｐＨ９．５和９．０、Ｆｅ／Ａｓ比为２．５和１５时，一级砷和氟去除率分别可达９９．５％和９４％，二级出口砷和氟残余浓度分别可低至０．１ｍｇ／Ｌ和１３．８ｍｇ／Ｌ，Ｃｕ、Ｚｎ和Ｐｂ等重金属离子均达检不出水平。     

酸雨形成机制及其影响因素的探讨

本文概述了酸雨的形成机制及影响酸雨酸度的因素。重点探讨了致碱物质，如气体氨、含有Ca^2 、Mg^2 的碱性粒子以及海盐氯循环对酸雨的缓冲作用。     

Acid-forming emissions in Alberta,Canada

The sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from all sources in Alberta, Canada, during 1982 amounted to 488,297 and 353,511 tonnes, respectively. During this year deposition of wet sulphate from all stations in the province, 8 kg ha^–1 yr^–1, compares well with the five-year average (1978–1982) value of 10 kg ha^–1 yr^–1. These measurements are about one-half of the wet sulphate deposition criteria of 20 kg ha^–1 yr^–1 established for protecting the moderately sensitive aquatic ecosystem in eastern Canada. Due to dry, cold, continental climate conditions of Alberta, dry sulphate or sulphur deposition is equally or more important than wet deposition. No effects of the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants (LRTAP) on the ecosystems in Alberta have been observed to date. Atmospheric deposition target loadings of SO₄ ^–2, NO₃ ^–, and H⁺ for Alberta and western Canadian environmental conditions should be developed to protect the highly sensitive ecosystems. Some future research and monitoring priorities for Alberta and western Canada are outlined.