Application of an early warning indicator and CaO to maximize the time–space-yield of an completely mixed waste digester using rape seed oil as co-substrate

In order to increase the organic loading rate (OLR) and hereby the performance of biogas plants an early warning indicator (EWI-VFA/Ca) was applied in a laboratory-scale biogas digester to control process stability and to steer additive dosing. As soon as the EWI-VFA/Ca indicated the change from stable to instable process conditions, calcium oxide was charged as a countermeasure to raise the pH and to bind long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) by formation of aggregates. An interval of eight days between two increases of the OLR, which corresponded to 38% of the hydraulic residence time (HRT), was sufficient for process adaptation. An OLR increase by a factor of three within six weeks was successfully used for biogas production. The OLR was increased to 9.5 kg volatile solids (VS) m^?3 d^?1 with up to 87% of fat. The high loading rates affected neither the microbial community negatively nor the biogas production process. Despite the increase of the organic load to high rates, methane production yielded almost its optimum, amounting to 0.9 m³ (kg VS)^?1. Beneath several uncharacterized members of the phylum Firmicutes mostly belonging to the family Clostridiaceae, a Syntrophomonas-like organism was identified that is known to live in a syntrophic relationship to methanogenic archaea. Within the methanogenic group, microorganisms affiliated to Methanosarcina, Methanoculleus and Methanobacterium dominated the community.     

Determination of C(5)-C(12) perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids in river water samples in the Czech Republic by GC-MS after SPE preconcentration

A method employing solid phase extraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with negative chemical ionization has been developed for determination of ultratrace concentrations of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids in river water. The effects of the experimental parameters, such as the pH, additions of NaCl and an ion-pairing agent (tetraethylammonium bromide) and the kind of the elution agent, on the efficiency of the test acid extraction have been studied. The analyte extraction recoveries and the limits of detection and determination have been found. The method developed has been tested on determinations of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids in the waters of the two largest Czech rivers, Vltava and Labe (Elbe). The best extraction results have been attained without any alteration of the sample pH, with an addition of tetrabutylammonium bromide (a concentration of 50 μg mL⁻¹ in the sample) and using methanol as the elution agent. Under these conditions, the recoveries of the test acids in the spiked real samples are within ranges from 60% to 104% and 53% to 111% for analyte concentration levels of 1.40 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.14 ng mL⁻¹, respectively, depending on the lengths of the perfluorinated chains of the acids. In general, the recovery decreases with increasing length of this chain. The method developed exhibits very low limits of detection and determination and the results are fully comparable with those obtained when using more expensive HPLC-MS/MS instrumentation. Typical values amount to tenths to tens of pg mL⁻¹ and units to one hundred pg mL⁻¹ for the limits of detection and determination, respectively; the measuring sensitivity increases with increasing length of the analyte chain. The analyzes of real samples from the Vltava and Elbe rivers have demonstrated that the results obtained are similar to the values published for contamination of the Elbe and other rivers in western and central Europe. The concentrations determined are of the order of units to tens of pg mL⁻¹ and the C₈-C₁₀ acids occur most often.     

Volatile organic compounds at swine facilities: A critical review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are regulated aerial pollutants that have environmental and health concerns. Swine operations produce and emit a complex mixture of VOCs with a wide range of molecular weights and a variety of physicochemical properties. Significant progress has been made in this area since the first experiment on VOCs at a swine facility in the early 1960s. A total of 47 research institutions in 15 North American, European, and Asian countries contributed to an increasing number of scientific publications. Nearly half of the research papers were published by U.S. institutions.Investigated major VOC sources included air inside swine barns, in headspaces of manure storages and composts, in open atmosphere above swine wastewater, and surrounding swine farms. They also included liquid swine manure and wastewater, and dusts inside and outside swine barns. Most of the sample analyses have been focusing on identification of VOC compounds and their relationship with odors. More than 500 VOCs have been identified. About 60% and 10% of the studies contributed to the quantification of VOC concentrations and emissions, respectively. The largest numbers of VOC compounds with reported concentrations in a single experimental study were 82 in air, 36 in manure, and 34 in dust samples.The relatively abundant VOC compounds that were quantified in at least two independent studies included acetic acid, butanoic acid (butyric acid), dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, iso-valeric, p-cresol, propionic acid, skatole, trimethyl amine, and valeric acid in air. They included acetic acid, p-cresol, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, indole, phenol, propionic acid, iso-valeric acid, and skatole in manure. In dust samples, they were acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, p-cresol, hexanal, and decanal. Swine facility VOCs were preferentially bound to smaller-size dusts.Identification and quantification of VOCs were restricted by using instruments based on gas Chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) with different detectors most of which require time-consuming procedures to obtain results. Various methodologies and technologies in sampling, sample preparation, and sample analysis have been used. Only four publications reported using GC based analyzers and PTR-MS (proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry) that allowed continuous VOC measurement. Because of this, the majority of experimental studies were only performed on limited numbers of air, manure, or dust samples. Many aerial VOCs had concentrations that were too low to be identified by the GC peaks.Although VOCs emitted from swine facilities have environmental concerns, only a few studies investigated VOC emission rates, which ranged from 3.0 to 176.5 mg d⁻¹ kg⁻¹ pig at swine finishing barns and from 2.3 to 45.2 g d⁻¹ m⁻² at manure storages. Similar to the other pollutants, spatial and temporal variations of aerial VOC concentrations and emissions existed and were significantly affected by manure management systems, barn structural designs, and ventilation rates.Scientific research in this area has been mainly driven by odor nuisance, instead of environment or health concerns. Compared with other aerial pollutants in animal agriculture, the current scientific knowledge about VOCs at swine facilities is still very limited and far from sufficient to develop reliable emission factors.     

不同浓度硒处理对彩叶草铅胁迫的EDXS和XRD分析

以彩叶草（ColeusblumeiBenth．）为材料,用营养液培养方法,研究了不同浓度硒（se）处理对浓度为1．0mmol·L-1Pb2＋胁迫下彩叶草根、叶的形貌变化及其组分形态等变化,从光谱学角度初步探讨了硒对重金属铅毒害的缓解机制。结果表明：铅胁迫下的彩叶草根系c、K、ca含量减少,O、Mg、Al、Si、Fe、Pb含量增加,叶片中的C、Mg、Al、si、K、Ca、Fe含量减少,O、Cl含量增加。铅胁迫下硒处理的彩叶草根元素种类及其元素含量均发生了明显变化;根中晶体情况及其晶相也发生了相应变化。     

高活性自由基在烟气脱硫脱硝中的应用

从高活性自由基强氧化性的新视角,分析了几种基于不同自由基反应的燃煤电厂烟气脱硫、脱硝工艺,详细介绍了它们的反应机理、研究现状、应用以及最新进展,并分析了这些技术的优缺点,最后对其发展前景作了展望。     

内源电子受体对剩余污泥释磷行为的影响

采用生物脱氮除磷工艺中剩余活性污泥所含硝化细菌处理生产废水的新型硝化工艺,将生产废水中所含氨氮转化为硝酸盐,获得一种从污水处理工艺中产生的内源电子受体。研究内源电子受体的产生特征及其用于抑制富磷剩余污泥在重力浓缩过程中磷的释放特征。结果表明:(1)采用剩余污泥处理生产废水工艺用于产生内源电子受体时,最佳曝气时间为24 h,可将液相中氨氮由41.20 mg/L降为0.19 mg/L;同时,硝酸盐由1.14 mg/L升高至32.62 mg/L,可作为一种潜在的内源电子受体用于抑制重力浓缩过程中剩余活性污泥释磷;(2)当内源电子受体硝酸盐浓度为36.16 mg/L时,经后续的重力浓缩(24 h)后,回流液中磷浓度为44.87 mg/L,与浓缩池上清液直接回流(100%回流并积累)相比,磷积累量降低了65.44%;同时,硝酸盐氮在这一过程中发生反硝化,由36.16 mg/L降至4.84 mg/L。同时,与生产废水直接回流(100%回流并积累)相比,该新型工艺引起氨氮积累量仅为17.68%。上述结果表明:采用内源电子受体,不仅可以有效降低生物脱氮除磷工艺中生产废水回流而引起的磷积累量,而且可同步减少氨氮的循环积累量。     

不同电子受体对聚磷菌吸磷性能的影响研究

采用人工配水,在厌氧/好氧交替运行的序批式活性污泥反应器(SBR)中,富集了全菌数量80%以上的聚磷菌(Candi-datus Accumulibacter Phosphates)。以此为基础,研究了O2及不同浓度NO3--N、NO2--N对聚磷菌吸磷的影响。结果表明,在一定的条件下,聚磷菌可以NO3--N和NO2--N为电子受体进行缺氧吸磷;NO3--N浓度对聚磷菌的吸磷速率影响很小;聚磷菌可以低质量浓度NO2--N(≤40mg/L)为电子受体,但不能以高质量浓度NO2--N(≥80mg/L)为电子受体,而且高浓度NO2--N对聚磷菌吸磷产生抑制甚至对细菌本身存在毒害;NO2--N为电子受体时,其抑制浓度和污泥本身以及外界条件都存在很大的关系,各个研究结论不尽相同,其影响过程有待进一步的探讨。     

水体中常见无机阳离子对TiO_2薄膜光催化还原Cr(Ⅵ)的影响

选择了6种水体中常见的阳离子(Na+、Mg2+、Ca2+、Al3+、Cu2+、Ni2+),分别考查了其对TiO2薄膜光催化还原Cr(Ⅵ)的影响;从光吸收、无机离子本身的性质对光生电子的捕获及传递等讨论了上述离子影响TiO2薄膜光催化还原Cr(Ⅵ)的反应速率的原因。结果表明:由于其不能捕获光生电子,Na+、Mg2+、Ca2+本身对TiO2薄膜光催化还原Cr(Ⅵ)的反应速率影响不大;Al3+吸引电子能力较强,成为光生电子和Cr(Ⅵ)之间的桥梁,促进了Cr(Ⅵ)的还原;浓度为1 mmmol/L时,Cu2+显著地促进了Cr(Ⅵ)的光催化还原,其主要原因是Cu2+捕获光生电子的能力很强,起到了催化剂的作用,而浓度大于10 mmol/L时,Cu2+形成单质Cu以及对紫外光的吸收都使促进作用降低;Ni2+未充满的d轨道具有获得并传递光生电子的能力,也促进了Cr(Ⅵ)的还原;在浓度同为1mmol/L时,对Cr(Ⅵ)光催化还原的促进作用依次为:Cu2+Al3+Ni2+Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+。     

磷对降低土壤中铅的生物有效性的X-衍射及电镜分析

通过盆栽实验,对不同磷化合物处理的铅污染土壤和植物分别进行X-衍射(XRD)、能谱扫描电镜(SEM-EDS)及能谱透射电镜(TEM-EDS)分析.结果显示,不同磷化合物处理土样的X-衍射图在0.288 nm、0.296 nm及0.321 nm处有明显衍射峰生成,以SSP5、HA5及HASSP2处理土样的X-衍射谱图中生成的衍射峰比较明显,而PR5处理的衍射峰相对较弱,其原因可能与磷矿粉的弱溶解特性有关.这显示了土壤经不同磷化合物处理后,土壤中新生成了较多的磷酸铅及Ca-Pb磷酸铅盐的沉淀,不同程度地降低了土壤中铅的迁移和转化特性.对植株根系的SEM分析结果表明,土壤中加入不同的磷化合物处理后,磷酸铅类化合物在植株根表细胞有明显的晶体沉淀物.对植物根细胞的透射电镜分析结果发现,在不同磷处理土壤中,铅以不同的磷酸盐化合物的形式沉淀在植物的细胞壁及细胞间隙,从而有效地阻止了铅离子向原生质细胞及植物中柱内的迁移,不同程度地降低了污染土壤中铅的蓄积毒性.     

电子显微镜分析聚硅酸金属盐复合絮凝剂的形貌

向聚硅酸中分别引入铝盐、铁盐和硼砂,制得聚硅酸金属盐复合絮凝剂,用电子显微镜观察分析它们的形貌.结果发现:聚硅酸金属盐复合絮凝剂的形貌均为枝杈状聚集态,并带有分形特征,完全不同于聚硅酸的球形或椭圆形.与聚铝、聚合铝铁相比,聚集体的枝杈变粗,枝杈密度变高,同时沿中心核分形密度改变.这说明向聚硅酸中引入铝盐、铁盐及硼砂后,带正电的铝离子、铁离子及其水解产物与聚硅酸、硼酸分子相互作用和影响,改变了硅酸的聚合速度及聚合物的形貌,生成了新的聚合度更大的产物.