A critical review of the influence of effluent irrigation on the fate of pesticides in soil

The impact of effluent irrigation on the transformation and mobility of organic contaminants is poorly understood. The objectives of this review paper are: (i) to discuss the fundamental processes influencing the transformation and transport of pesticides in soil; (ii) to present a critical analysis of the impact of effluent irrigation on the transformation and transport of pesticides in soils; (iii) to suggest research areas that need attention. Effluent irrigation affects the fate of pesticides through its direct effect on the transformation and transport of pesticides that are already present at the irrigation sites, and its indirect effect on soil properties that are important in controlling the transformation and transport of organic contaminants. It has often been noticed that the effluent-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) facilitates the movement of soil-borne pesticides by forming soluble pesticide complexes, and enhances their biodegradation by providing energy sources for the microorganisms that are involved in pesticide degradation. However, the results of field and laboratory experiments that examined the effect of effluent irrigation on the fate of pesticides are inconsistent; in some cases reduced mobility resulting from enhanced pesticide sorption has been observed, but enhanced pesticide mobility has also been reported. The inconsistency may be related to the inherent spatial variability of soil properties and/or the heterogeneity of effluent quality. For example, effluents vary in the nature and concentration of DOM that play a vital role in the degradation, sorption and transport behaviour of pesticides. Similarly, they vary in the concentrations of solvents and surfactants that have been shown to impact sorption and transport of organic contaminants. Field-based investigations on the impact of effluent irrigation on pesticide fate coupled with an accurate characterisation of the effluent are urgently required to assess the long-term risk associated with effluent irrigation in relation to pesticide transformation and transport.     

Impact of carbon-based nutrient enhancement on biofiltration performance for drinking water treatment

Incorporation of a carbon-based nutrient enhancement strategy for drinking water biofiltration is an attractive option, especially for source waters which contain recalcitrant organics. This study compared biofilters that were operated in parallel and individually enhanced with amino acids (including alanine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan), inulin, and sucrose to increase biomass concentration and promote biodegradation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the source water, including disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors. Biomass activity was characterized by measuring adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption, and through the use of laccase and esterase enzyme assays. Performance was evaluated in terms of headloss, turbidity, pH, DOC, UV₂₅₄, and DBP formation potential (DBP FP). The introduction of carbon-based nutrients significantly increased biomass activity, where ATP values peaked at 976?ng/g of filter media, 853?ng/g, and 513?ng/g for amino acids, inulin, and sucrose-spiked biofilters, respectively, while a non-spiked control only reached 104?ng/g. DO utilization by the enhanced biofilters was significantly higher than the control, with a strong correlation between ATP and DO uptake observed for all filters (R²?>?0.74). Laccase and esterase enzyme activities of enhanced biofilters were also elevated (p?> 0.05), suggesting greater biodegradation potential. Operational parameters such as headloss development and turbidity control were not impaired by carbon supplementation strategies or an increase in biomass concentration and activity. However, the enhancement strategy did not provide improvement in terms of source water carbon removal (DOC and UV₂₅₄) or DBP FP when treated filters were compared to a control.     

长江河口溶解态重金属的分布和行为

通过1999年春、夏季对长江口的现场观测,探讨了该处溶解态重金属（Cu、Pb、Cd）在潮汐等水动力因素作用下的分布行为,研究发现：溶解态Cu、Pb和Cd在长江口呈现出非保守行为。低盐度区溶解态Cu、Cd呈现出除去行为,Pb呈现出添加行为,较高盐度区则恰好相反。溶解态重金属含量枯水期比丰水期高,枯水期总体表现为大潮高于小潮,丰水期溶解态Cd也是大潮高于小潮,Cu、Pb则大致表现出小潮高于大潮。通过资料对比,发现近20年来溶解态Cu、Cd和Pb均有不同程度的增加。长江径流量和输沙量的减少,将对上海沿岸水域生态环境产生影响。     

The migration and transformation of dissolved organic matter during the freezing processes of water

This study investigated the partitioning behavior of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in liquid and ice phases, as well as the changes in the optical properties and chlorine reactivity of DOM during the freezing processes of water. DOM was rejected from the ice phase and accumulated in the remaining liquid phase during water freezing. Moreover, the decrease in freezing temperature, as well as the increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of feed water, caused an increase in DOM captured in the ice phase. The ultraviolet-absorbing compounds, trihalomethane precursors, as well as fulvic acid- and humic acid-like fluorescent materials, were more liable to be to be rejected from the ice phase and were more easily retained in the unfrozen liquid phase during water freezing, as compared with organics (on average) that comprise DOC. In addition, it was also found a higher accumulation of these organics in the unfrozen liquid phase during water freezing at higher temperature. The freeze/thaw processes altered the quantity, optical properties, and chlorine reactivity of DOM. The decrease in ultraviolet light at 254 nm as well as the production of aromatic protein- and soluble microbial byproduct-like fluorescent materials in DOM due to freeze/thaw were consistently observed. On the other hand, the changes in DOC, trihalomethane formation potential, and fulvic acid- and humic acid-like fluorescence caused by freeze/thaw varied significantly between samples.     

Defect-enhanced photocatalytic removal of dimethylarsinic acid over mixed-phase mesoporous TiO2

Much attention has been paid to the pollutant dimethylarsenic acid(DMA),because of its high toxicity even at very low doses.Although TiO_2 photocatalytic oxidation(PCO) is one of the few effective methods for treating DMA-containing water,the efficient decomposition of DMA and simultaneous removal of toxic arsenic species remains a significant but challenging task.Here,defective mesoporous TiO_2 with mixed-phase structure was synthesized and used as both photocatalyst and adsorbent for DMA removal.Due to the reduced band-gap and enhanced separation of photogenerated charge carriers, the oxygen-deficient TiO_2 nanostructures exhibited 4.2 times higher PCO efficiency than commercial TiO_2(P25).More importantly,the high surface area of the mesoporous TiO_2 provided sufficient active sites for in-situ adsorption and reaction,resulting in the efficient removal of as-formed As(V).Combining the experimental and characterization results,the different roles of reactive species during PCO reactions were clarified.In the presence of hole(h~+) as the dominant oxidation species,DMA was demethylated and transformed into MMA.Thereafter,MMA was subsequently reduced to As(Ⅲ) by photo-generated electrons.Superoxide radicals(O_2~(·-)) played a significant role in oxidizing As(Ⅲ) into As(Ⅴ),which was finally adsorptively removed by the mesoporous TiO_2.     

Concentration, sources and wet deposition of dissolved nitrogen and organic carbon in the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain during monsoon

Precipitation represents an important phenomenon for carbon and nitrogen deposition. Here, the concentrations and fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) with their potential sources were analyzed in wet precipitation during summer monsoon from the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), important but neglected area. The volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentration of DOC and TDN were 687.04 and 1210.23 µg/L, respectively. Similarly, the VWM concentration of major ions were in a sequence of NH₄⁺ > Ca²⁺ > SO₄^2- > Na⁺ > K⁺ > NO₃^? > Cl^? > Mg²⁺ > F^? > NO₂^?, suggesting NH₄⁺ and Ca²⁺ from agricultural activities and crustal dust played a vital role in precipitation chemistry. Moreover, the wet deposition flux of DOC and TDN were 9.95 and 17.06 kg/(ha?year), respectively. The wet deposition flux of inorganic nitrogen species such as NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^?-N were 14.31 and 0.47 kg/(ha?year), respectively, demonstrating the strong influence of emission sources and precipitation volume. Source attribution from different analysis suggested the influence of biomass burning on DOC and anthropogenic activities (agriculture, animal husbandry) on nitrogenous species. The air-mass back trajectory analysis indicated the influence of air masses originating from the Bay of Bengal, which possibly carried marine and anthropogenic pollutants along with the biomass burning emissions to the sampling site. This study bridges the data gap in the less studied part of the northern IGP region and provides new information for policy makers to deal with pollution control.     

Comparison of different valent iron on anaerobic sludge digestion: Focusing on oxidation reduction potential,dissolved organic nitrogen and microbial community

• ORP value from −278.71 to −379.80 mV showed indiscernible effects on methane yield. • Fe(II) and Fe(III) promoted more degradation of proteins and amino acids than Fe⁰. • The highest enrichment of Geobacter was noted in samples added with Fe⁰. • Cysteine was accumulated during iron enhanced anaerobic sludge digestion. • Both iron content and valence were important for methane production. This study compared effects of three different valent iron (Fe⁰, Fe(II) and Fe(III)) on enhanced anaerobic sludge digestion, focusing on the changes of oxidation reduction potential (ORP), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and microbial community. Under the same iron dose in range of 0−160 mg/L after an incubation period of 30 days (d), the maximum methane production rate of sludge samples dosed with respective Fe⁰, Fe(II) and Fe(III) at the same concentration showed indiscernible differences at each iron dose, regardless of the different iron valence. Moreover, their behavior in changes of ORP, DON and microbial community was different: (1) the addition of Fe⁰ made the ORP of sludge more negative, and the addition of Fe(II) and Fe(III) made the ORP of sludge less negative. However, whether being more or less negative, the changes of ORP may show unobservable effects on methane yield when it ranged from −278.71 to −379.80 mV; (2) the degradation of dissolved organic nitrogen, particularly proteins, was less efficient in sludge samples dosed with Fe⁰ compared with those dosed with Fe(II) and Fe(III) after an incubation period of 30 d. At the same dose of 160 mg/L iron, more cysteine was noted in sludge samples dosed with Fe(II) (30.74 mg/L) and Fe(III) (27.92 mg/L) compared with that dosed with Fe⁰ (21.75 mg/L); (3) Fe⁰ particularly promoted the enrichment of Geobacter, and it was 6 times higher than those in sludge samples dosed with Fe(II) and Fe(III) at the same dose of 160 mg/L iron.     

Spatial analysis for spring bloom and nutrient limitation in Xiangxi bay of three Gorges Reservoir

The spatial and temporal dynamics of physical variables, inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton chlorophyll a were investigated in Xiangxi Bay from 23 Feb. to 28 Apr. every six days, including one daily sampling site and one bidaily sampling site. The concentrations of nutrient variables showed ranges of 0.02–3.20 mg/L for dissolved silicate (Si); 0.06–2.40 mg/L for DIN (NH₄N + NO₂N + NO₃N); 0.03–0.56 mg/L for PO₄P and 0.22–193.37 μg/L for chlorophyll a, respectively. The concentration of chlorophyll a and inorganic nutrients were interpolated using GIS techniques. The results indicated that the spring bloom was occurred twice in space during the whole monitoring period (The first one: 26 Feb.–23 Mar.; the second one: 23 Mar.–28 Apr.). The concentration of DIN was always high in the mouth of Xiangxi Bay, and PO₄P was high in the upstream of Xiangxi Bay during the whole bloom period. Si seems no obvious difference in space in the beginning of the spring bloom, but showed high heterogeneity in space and time with the development of spring bloom. By comparing the interpolated maps of chlorophyll a and inorganic variables, obvious consumptions of Si and DIN were found when the bloom status was serious. However, no obvious depletion of PO₄P was found. Spatial regression analysis could explained most variation of Chl-a except at the begin of the first and second bloom. The result indicated that Si was the factor limiting Chl-a in space before achieved the max area of hypertrophic in the first and second bloom period. When Si was obviously exhausted, DIN became the factor limiting the Chl-a in space. Daily and bidaily monitoring of Site A and B, representing for high DIN: PO₄P ratio and low DIN:PO₄P ratio, indicated that the concentration of Si was decreased with times at both site A and B, and the dramatically drop of DIN was found in the end monitoring at site B. Multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that Si was the most important factor affect the development of spring bloom both at site A and B in time series.     

Safety parameters for oxygen-enriched flames

The utilization of low-quality gaseous fuel from biomass gasification and the abundance of oxygen-rich streams obtained as a by-product of nitrogen-air separation by membrane technology has incentivized the development of sustainable oxygen-enriched combustion technologies in the last decades. However, a dearth of experimental and numerical analysis addressing the reactivity and safety aspects of these mixtures at initial low temperatures can be observed in the current literature.In this work, the heat flux burner was adopted for the measurement of the laminar burning velocity of methane in oxygen enriched air at different equivalence ratios. Results were compared with numerical data obtained by means of detailed kinetic mechanisms developed at the University of Bologna and the Gas Research Institute (GriMech3.0). Simplified correlations for the estimation of the laminar burning velocity with respect to the oxygen content at any equivalence ratio were developed, tested and evaluated.An elemental reaction-based function was found appropriate for the estimation of the overall reactivity of the investigated mixtures. Besides, numerical analyses were performed to characterize the flame structures in terms of temperature and product distribution under several initial conditions. These results gave further insights into the reaction mechanisms of gaseous fuels in the case of oxygen-enriched air, highlighting potential bottlenecks for kinetic model refinements. Eventually, relevant safety parameters were estimated, in particular the flammability range of the fuel/oxidant mixture, in terms of lower and upper flammability limits.     

Evidence of temperature-controlled dissolved inorganic nitrogen distribution in a shallow lake

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) plays an important role in aquatic ecosystems as an available source of nitrogen (N). Despite recent advances in our understanding of the effects of climate change on DIN in coastal waters, shallow high-latitude lakes exposed to large seasonal temperature differences have received limited research attention. Therefore, in the present study, Baiyangdian Lake (BYDL) was selected as the study area, as a typical high latitude shallow lake in North China. Based on water and sediment samples collected in spring, summer and winter seasons, DIN accumulation in sedimentary pore water and DIN diffusion fluxes at the sediment-water interface were quantified under different temperature conditions. Correlation analysis was used to establish the effects of temperature on DIN concentration and diffusion in different media. Results show that the diffusion of DIN at the lake sediment-water interface exhibited a strongly positive relationship with temperature, suggesting that high temperature conditions lead to greater DIN release from sediments. Cold temperatures cause DIN accumulation in sedimentary pore water, providing sufficient substrate for N-related bacteria in the sediment under cold temperature conditions. Temperature controls the vertical distribution of DIN by affecting its migratory diffusion and transformation at the sediment-water interface. These findings are valuable for understanding the impact of climate change on the distribution of N in inland shallow lakes, especially in high latitude shallow lakes subjected to large seasonal temperature differences throughout the year.