Fast preparation of the seawater accommodated fraction of heavy fuel oil by sonication

The seawater accommodated fraction (SWAF) of oil is widely used for the assessment of its toxicity. However, its preparation in the laboratory is time consuming, and results from different authors are difficult to compare as preparation methods vary. Here we describe a simple and fast set up, using sonication, to produce reproducible SWAF in the laboratory. The system was tested on heavy fuel oil placed on seawater at different salinity and temperature conditions. Maximum dissolution of the oil was achieved after 24 h, independently of both seawater salinity and temperature. Our findings are discussed in relation to the fate of the oil from the deep spill of the Prestige tanker. Changes in temperature in the open ocean are bound to have larger impact in the concentration of the SWAF than the corresponding values of sea water salinity. We anticipate that in this type of incident the highest SWAF, as the oil reaches the sea surface, should be expected in the warmest and less saline waters of the water column.     

Long-term thermophilic mono-digestion of rendering wastes and co-digestion with potato pulp

In this study, mono-digestion of rendering wastes and co-digestion of rendering wastes with potato pulp were studied for the first time in continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) experiments at 55 °C. Rendering wastes have high protein and lipid contents and are considered good substrates for methane production. However, accumulation of digestion intermediate products viz., volatile fatty acids (VFAs), long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₄-N and/or free NH₃) can cause process imbalance during the digestion. Mono-digestion of rendering wastes at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.5 kg volatile solids (VS)/m³ d and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 50 d was unstable and resulted in methane yields of 450 dm³/kg VS_fed. On the other hand, co-digestion of rendering wastes with potato pulp (60% wet weight, WW) at the same OLR and HRT improved the process stability and increased methane yields (500–680 dm³/kg VS_fed). Thus, it can be concluded that co-digestion of rendering wastes with potato pulp could improve the process stability and methane yields from these difficult to treat industrial waste materials.     

Effects of two sludge application on fractionation and phytotoxicity of zinc and copper in the soil

The potential harm of heavy metals is a primary concern in application of sludge to the agricultural land. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of two sludges on fractionation of Zn and Cu in soil and their phytotoxicity to pakchoi. The loamy soil was mixed with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% (by weight) of digested sewage sludge (SS) and composted sludge (SC). The additions of both sludges caused a significant raise in all fractions, resulting in that exchangeable (EXCH) and organic bound (OM) became predominance of Zn and organic bound Cu occupied the largest portion. There was more available amount of Zn and Cu in SS treatments than SC treatments. During the pot experiment, the concentration of Zn in EXCH, carbonate (CAR) and OM and Cu in EXCH and OM fractions decreased in all treatments, so their bioavailability reduced. Germination rate and plant biomass decreased when the addition rate was high and the best yield appeared in 20% mixtures at the harvest of pakchoi. The two sludges increased tissue contents of Zn and Cu especially in the SS treatments. Zn in pakchoi was not only in relationship to ΔEXCH and ΔCAR forms but also in ΔOM forms in the sludge-soil mixtures. Tissue content of Cu in pakchoi grown on SC-soils could not be predicted by ΔEXCH. These correlation rates between Zn and Cu accumulation in pakchoi and variation of different fractions increased with time, which might indicate that sludges represented stronger impacts on the plant in long-term land application.     

三峡工程蓄水运用对长江口径流来沙的影响

三峡工程蓄水运用后,下游来沙量大大减少,直接影响长江口的径流来沙量。依据实测资料,统计计算了宜昌、大通及中间水文站各粒径组泥沙多年平均输沙量。考虑到沿程冲淤变化及区间支流来沙,建立了上下游水文站各粒径组泥沙输沙量之间的对应关系,初步探讨了宜昌和大通两站不同粒径组泥沙输沙量之间的关系。在此基础上,根据一维数学模型的计算结果,分析了三峡工程蓄水后宜昌站各粒径组泥沙的来沙量的减少及大通站各粒径组泥沙输沙量相应的变化。结果表明：在输沙总量上,大通站输沙量中的70％来自宜昌上游河道,其余的则来自区间的补充;如果考虑不同粒径组,则细颗粒对上游来沙的依赖程度高于中等粒径泥沙,三峡建库后,在不考虑沿程冲刷恢复的条件下,宜昌上游来沙量减少了71.7%,通过大通站的输沙量较建库前减少了40％;其中细颗粒减少的程度低于中等粒径颗粒。     

温度对污泥焚烧残渣中重金属形态分布及残渣综合毒性的影响

通过实验考察了干污泥在固定床焚烧炉中停留20 min,温度分别为500 ℃、700 ℃和900 ℃的焚烧残渣中重金属(Cr、Cu、Ni、Zn、Pb、Cd)的残留特性及形态分布规律.在实验温度范围内,重金属的残留率因元素和焚烧温度而异,Cu的残留率最高在80%以上,Cd的最低,900 ℃时仅为3.4%;焚烧残渣中各重金属在稳定态的分布比例均较干污泥中有显著提高.提出了用于重金属毒性定量分析的指标--重金属综合毒性指数,并采用该指数对污泥和残渣中重金属的综合毒性进行了评价.结果显示,单位质量污泥焚烧后的各残渣中重金属综合毒性均较干污泥小且随焚烧温度升高而降低,焚烧能够实现一定程度的无害化; 并且,单位质量残渣中重金属的综合毒性也随焚烧温度的升高而降低.     

东北地区近50年农作物生长季干旱趋势研究

采用Penman-Monteith模型计算了东北三省72个台站1960-2008年生长季的潜在蒸散量,进而计算了潜在蒸散量与降水量的比值,得到各站生长季干燥度。东北三省1960-2008年生长季干燥度总体上表现出从西南向东北方向逐渐减小的变化特征,大值区位于辽西地区,小值区位于黑龙江省北部。东北区生长季降水量与潜在蒸散量相当;东北南部生长季略干,东北北部较为湿润。东北地区生长季干燥度近50年增加趋势通过显著性检验;东北地区干燥度序列在1996年发生了突变。东北三省1973年以来干旱绝收面积、成灾面积占旱作农作物播种面积比例的增加趋势均通过了显著性检验。以1996年为分界点,1997-2007年成灾面积、绝收面积占旱作农作物播种面积比例分别是1973-1996年均值的1.99倍和5.58倍,上升幅度非常明显。从而证明了采用Penman-Monteith模型得到的干燥度公式来评价东北地区生长季干旱是符合实际的。     

Elemental analysis of the edible fruit of Carpobrotus dimidiatus (from Kwazulu-Natal,South Africa) and the influence of soil quality on its elemental uptake

Abstract

Carpobrotus dimidiatus is an indigenous South African medicinal plant species from the Aizoaceae family that bears edible fruit that is consumed for nutritional value. In this study, the elemental distribution in C. dimidiatus fruit and growth soil from fifteen sites in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) was determined along with soil pH, soil organic matter and cation exchange capacity, to assess for nutritional value and the effect of soil quality on elemental uptake. The results showed elemental concentrations in fruit to be in decreasing order of Ca (6235–32755?mg kg^?1) > Mg (2250–5262?mg kg^?1) > Fe?>?Mn?>?Zn (20.9–50.6?mg kg^?1) > Cu (3.83–20.6?mg kg^?1) > Pb?>?Cr?>?Cd?>?As?～?Co?～?Ni?～?Se and no potential health risk due to metal toxicity from average consumption. For sites that had high levels of Cd and Pb, bioaccumulation occurred from atmospheric deposition. Concentrations of elements in soil were found to be in decreasing order of Fe (1059–63747?mg kg^?1) > Ca (1048–41475?mg kg^?1) > Mg?>?Mn (9.76–174?mg kg^?1) > Cr (1.55–135?mg kg^?1) > Zn (0.76–58.2?mg kg^?1) > Se?>?Cu?>?Ni?>?Pb?>?Co?>?As?～?Cd with no evidence of heavy metal contamination. This study revealed that the plant inherently controlled uptake of essential elements according to physiological needs and that the concentrations of essential elements in the fruit could contribute positively to the diet.     

Comprehensive quality assessment of municipal organic waste composts produced by different preparation methods

In the first part of this work, the effect of municipal organic waste (MOW) composts on plant growth was evaluated in a greenhouse trial. The treatments included soil amended with 14 different composts (prepared by shredding, adding wood shavings, cocomposting with biosolids or vermicomposting), an inorganically fertilized soil, and a control soil. All of the treatments significantly increased plant growth compared to the control, and yields of three of the amended treatments were as high as that of the inorganic fertilizer treatment. When comparing differently prepared composts to the conventional compost, it was found that cocomposting MOW with biosolids was the method which most positively influenced yields (26-41% yield increases). In the second part of this work, we evaluated the effects of the different preparation methods on compost quality, using a multivariate approach. Three main quality aspects were considered collectively in a principal component analysis: organic matter and nutrient concentrations, degradability and capacity to mineralize these nutrients, and plant growth. The model was restricted to the first and second components (PC1 and PC1) which accounted for 94% of data variance. On the resulting factorial plane, four groups were distinguished. Each of the groups was compared to the reference compost to determine quality increases or decreases. Based on this analysis, it was found that cocomposting MOW with biosolids produced the highest quality products (higher total nutrient and OM concentration, nutrient mineralization potential, and plant growth). Addition of wood shavings increased OM concentration, but reduced quality in terms of the other aspects studied. Shredding was only effective to increase product quality when it was not combined with other methods, whereas vermicomposting only increased quality when MOW was not mixed with biosolids.     

Diffusive gradient in thin FILMS (DGT) compared with soil solution and labile uranium fraction for predicting uranium bioavailability to ryegrass

The usefulness of uranium concentration in soil solution or recovered by selective extraction as unequivocal bioavailability indices for uranium uptake by plants is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to test if the uranium concentration measured by the diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) technique is a relevant substitute for plant uranium availability in comparison to uranium concentration in the soil solution or uranium recovered by ammonium acetate. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. var. Melvina) is grown in greenhouse on a range of uranium spiked soils. The DGT-recovered uranium concentration (C_DGT) was correlated with uranium concentration in the soil solution or with uranium recovered by ammonium acetate extraction. Plant uptake was better predicted by the summed soil solution concentrations of UO₂²⁺, uranyl carbonate complexes and UO₂PO₄⁻. The DGT technique did not provide significant advantages over conventional methods to predict uranium uptake by plants.     

Interaction of DNA with aromatic hydrocarbons fraction in atmospheric particulates of Xigu District of Lanzhou, China

Voluminously epidemiological studies show that the relationships exist between the air pollution and human health and cancer. Aromatic hydrocarbons(AHs)in air form a large class of organic pollutants,which are widely in environment and many of them are known to be carcinogenic and/or mutagenic and contribute to ambient air pollution.In the past decades,bioassays mainly have been used to evaluate the toxicity of chemical mixtures in atmospheric particulates or aqueous environment.However,it is well known that the covalent complexes formed by carcinogens with DNA may be exert negative results in bioassay.So the main aim of this paper is to develop an evaluation method of toxicity effects of chemical mixtures in atmospheric particulates from chemical standpoint.In this study,the in vitro interaction of the AHs with DNA was investigated by absorption,fluorescence and resonance light scattering (RLS)spectroscopic techniques.The results showed that the AHs in the atmospheric particulates could combine with calf thymus DNA(ctDNA)and herring sperm DNA(hsDNA)without being activated or metabolized by organism,respectively.Intercalation may be present in the mechanism of interaction.The binding constants of the AHs with ctDNA and hsDNA were 2.5×10~2 and 2.0×10~3, respectively,which indicated that the interaction of the AHs with hsDNA is stronger than that with ctDNA.In addition,the relationships of dose-effect between the total mole concentration of chemical components and the ability of binding ctDNA and hsDNA were confirmed.This research made it possible to study the toxicity effects of chemical mixtures in atmospheric particulates by chemical method.It is believed that the composition and contents of unknown AHs and the interaction of DNA with AHs in atmospheric particulates of Xigu District of Lanzhou City,China are first reported in the past twenty years.