Effect of culture conditions on the formation of struvite by Myxococcus xanthus

The amount of struvite (MgNH₄PO₄·6H₂O) produced by Myxococcus xanthus as well as the culture parameter values (pH, total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen) were dependent on the culture medium used. Struvite formation started during the exponential phase and the maximum concentration was observed at the beginning of stationary growth phase. The addition of each medium component to the liquid culture influenced the amount of crystal produced. This amount did not depend on the pH increase during the culture period. The moment of the bacterial growth phase, at which each medium component was added, influenced the struvite formation.     

DIN Retention‐Transport Through Four Hydrologically Connected Zones in a Headwater Catchment of the Upper Mississippi River1

Abstract: Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) retention‐transport through a headwater catchment was synthesized from studies encompassing four distinct hydrologic zones of the Shingobee River Headwaters near the origin of the Mississippi River. The hydrologic zones included: (1) hillslope ground water (ridge to bankside riparian); (2) alluvial riparian ground water; (3) ground water discharged through subchannel sediments (hyporheic zone); and (4) channel surface water. During subsurface hillslope transport through Zone 1, DIN, primarily nitrate, decreased from ～3 mg‐N/l to <0.1 mg‐N/l. Ambient seasonal nitrate:chloride ratios in hillslope flow paths indicated both dilution and biotic processing caused nitrate loss. Biologically available organic carbon controlled biotic nitrate retention during hillslope transport. In the alluvial riparian zone (Zone 2) biologically available organic carbon controlled nitrate depletion although processing of both ambient and amended nitrate was faster during the summer than winter. In the hyporheic zone (Zone 3) and stream surface water (Zone 4) DIN retention was primarily controlled by temperature. Perfusion core studies using hyporheic sediment indicated sufficient organic carbon in bed sediments to retain ground water DIN via coupled nitrification‐denitrification. Numerical simulations of seasonal hyporheic sediment nitrification‐denitrification rates from perfusion cores adequately predicted surface water ammonium but not nitrate when compared to 5 years of monthly field data (1989‐93). Mass balance studies in stream surface water indicated proportionally higher summer than winter N retention. Watershed DIN retention was effective during summer under the current land use of intermittently grazed pasture. However, more intensive land use such as row crop agriculture would decrease nitrate retention efficiency and increase loads to surface water. Understanding DIN retention capacity throughout the system, including special channel features such as sloughs, wetlands and floodplains that provide surface water‐ground water connectivity, will be required to develop effective nitrate management strategies.     

Managing forest ecosystem services for hydropower production

In many countries, hydropower development is rapidly becoming a focus of green growth policies. This represents a significant opportunity for ecosystem services-based land management that integrates environmental and development goals to benefit the hydropower sector and support economic growth. In this study, we present an approach for targeting ecosystem-provision investment in hydropower catchments coupled with hydrologic modeling to quantify the benefits of soil and water conservation activities. We demonstrate the application of this approach in five hydropower facility catchments in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The results show that there is a high potential for targeted soil and water conservation to increase sediment retention services that benefit hydropower facilities (up to a 44% reduction in sediment transported from uplands into streams), although this benefit is distributed non-uniformly across catchments and levels of investment. The extent to which services can be improved is strongly driven by current land use and management practices that impact how and where conservation activities can be located. Iterative use of the method described here, in a process of stakeholder engagement and capacity-building, enables policy makers to determine the optimal mix of land management strategies and budget allocation to maximize service improvements that support hydropower production.     

Elevated CO2 facilitates C and N accumulation in a rice paddy ecosystem

Elevated CO2 can stimulate wetland carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) exports through gaseous and dissolved pathways, however, the consequent influences on the C and N pools are still not fully known. Therefore, we set up a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment in a paddy field in Eastern China. After five year fumigation, we studied C and N in the plant–water–soil system. The results showed:(1) elevated CO2 stimulated rice aboveground biomass and N accumulations by 19.1% and 12.5%, respectively.(2) Elevated CO2 significantly increased paddy soil TOC and TN contents by 12.5% and 15.5%, respectively in the 0–15 cm layer, and22.7% and 26.0% in the 15–30 cm soil layer.(3) Averaged across the rice growing period,elevated CO2 greatly increased TOC and TN contents in the surface water by 7.6% and 11.4%,respectively.(4) The TOC/TN ratio and natural δ15N value in the surface soil showed a decreasing trend under elevated CO2. The above results indicate that elevated CO2 can benefit C and N accumulation in paddy fields. Given the similarity between the paddies and natural wetlands, our results also suggest a great potential for long-term C and N accumulation in natural wetlands under future climate patterns.     

Toluene decomposition performance and NOx by-product formation during a DBD-catalyst process

Characteristics of toluene decomposition and formation of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by-products were investigated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor with/without catalyst at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Four kinds of metal oxides, i.e., manganese oxide (MnOx), iron oxide (FeOx), cobalt oxide (CoOx) and copper oxide (CuO), supported on Al₂O₃/nickel foam, were used as catalysts. It was found that introducing catalysts could improve toluene removal efficiency, promote decomposition of by-product ozone and enhance CO₂ selectivity. In addition, NOx was suppressed with the decrease of specific energy density (SED) and the increase of humidity, gas flow rate and toluene concentration, or catalyst introduction. Among the four kinds of catalysts, the CuO catalyst showed the best performance in NOx suppression. The MnOx catalyst exhibited the lowest concentration of O₃ and highest CO₂ selectivity but the highest concentration of NOx. A possible pathway for NOx production in DBD was discussed. The contributions of oxygen active species and hydroxyl radicals are dominant in NOx suppression.     

污泥龄对低氧丝状菌活性污泥微膨胀系统的影响

为了研究污泥龄(SRT)对低氧丝状菌活性污泥微膨胀系统的影响,采用序批式间歇反应器(SBR)进行试验,分别按照厌氧/好氧和单级好氧的方式运行,考察了不同SRT下丝状菌污泥微膨胀系统的沉降性、脱氮除磷过程以及污泥特性的变化.结果表明,在好氧水力停留时间充分的条件下,低氧环境不但不会影响丝状菌微膨胀污泥的硝化进程,而且还有助于同步硝化反硝化(SND)、单级好氧除磷的发生.厌氧/好氧运行时,SRT与活性污泥的比硝化速率、比释磷速率和比吸磷速率成反比,与SND率和污泥的含磷量成正比.单级好氧运行时,减小SRT对硝化过程影响不大,但是有助于改善除磷效果.活性污泥的比耗氧速率(SOUR)、胞外聚合物(EPS)中多糖与蛋白质含量的比值、以及粘度都与SRT成反比.适当地减小SRT可以改善丝状菌微膨胀污泥的沉降性.厌氧/好氧运行时,厌氧段微氧环境易引发过度丝状菌污泥膨胀;单级好氧运行时,SRT过低会造成污泥黏性骤增而引发黏性污泥膨胀.     

The impact of humanitarian context conditions and individual characteristics on aid worker retention

High employee turnover rates constitute a major challenge to effective aid provision. This study examines how features of humanitarian work and aid workers’ individual characteristics affect retention within one humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland. The study extends existing research by providing new theoretical explanations of employment opportunities and constraints and by engaging in the first large‐scale quantitative analysis of aid worker retention. Using a database of field staff (N=1,955), a logistic regression is performed of the likelihood of reenlistment after a first mission. The findings demonstrate that only 40 per cent of employees reenlist for a second mission with MSF Holland, and that workplace location and security situation, age, and gender have no significant effect. Individuals are less likely to reenlist if they returned early from the first mission for a personal reason, are in a relationship, are medical doctors, or if they come from highly developed countries. The paper reflects on the findings in the light of policy.     

孑遗植物四合木(Tetraenamongolica)迁地保护中的光合作用日变化特征与生理生态适应性

为了进一步廓清迁地保护条件下孑遗植物四合木（Tetraena mongolica）的光合生理生态适应性,在分析了瞬时光合效率的基础上,应用LI-6400光合作用测定系统测定了迁地保护试验区的四合木以及原生境伴生种白刺（Nitraria tangutorum）的光合作用日变化,并测定了其生长量。结果表明：四合木实生苗的生长南北冠幅大小依次为乌海四合木核心区实生苗（26.48 cm×27.26 cm）>鄂尔多斯实生苗（21.27 cm×21.75 cm）>阿拉善实生苗（19.25 cm×18.27 cm）。在原生境地乌海四合木核心区种植的实生苗与阿拉善实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.01）,与鄂尔多斯实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.05）。迁地保护条件下四合木生实生苗植株叶片光合速率Pn日变化均呈“双峰”曲线。不同试验区四合木光合作用日变化（Pn）、蒸腾速率（Tr）、气孔导度（Gs）和胞间 CO2浓度（Ci）均表现出明显的分异。迁地保护四合木条件下原生境地栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>鄂尔多斯栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>阿拉善栽培的四合木实生苗。鉴此可以作进一步推论,孑遗濒危植物四合木从原生境地西鄂尔多斯核心区（乌海）东移进行迁地保护具有更高的生理生态适应性和生境适宜性。但完成“从种子到种子”进而实现“保存性和代表性”,最终实现四合木迁地保护的“保持性和防止性”,保持其遗传多样性和遗传稳定性,最终成功实现四合木的迁地保护仍有待作进一步探索和深入研究。     

Controlling cyanobacterial blooms by managing nutrient ratio and limitation in a large hypereutrophic lake: Lake Taihu, China

Excessive nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading of aquatic ecosystems is a leading cause of eutrophication and harmful algal blooms worldwide, and reducing nutrient levels in water has been a primary management objective. To provide a rational protection strategy and predict future trends of eutrophication in eutrophic lakes, we need to understand the relationships between nutrient ratios and nutrient limitations. We conducted a set of outdoor bioassays at the shore of Lake Taihu. It showed that N only additions induced phytoplankton growth but adding only P did not. Combined N plus P additions promoted higher phytoplankton biomass than N only additions, which suggested that both N and P were deficient for maximum phytoplankton growth in this lake (TN:TP = 18.9). When nutrients are present at less than 7.75-13.95 mg/L TN and 0.41-0.74 mg/L TP, the deficiency of either N or P or both limits the growth of phytoplankton. N limitation then takes place when the TN:TP ratio is less than 21.5-24.7 (TDN:TDP was 34.2-44.3), and P limitation occurs above this. Therefore, according to this ratio, controlling N when N limitation exists and controlling P when P deficiency is present will prevent algal blooms effectively in the short term. But for the long term, a persistent dual nutrient (N and P) management strategy is necessary.     

Changes in nitrogen budget and potential risk to the environment over 20 years (1990–2010) in the agroecosystems of the Haihe Basin,China

The nitrogen balance can serve as an indicator of the risk to the environment of nitrogen loss from agricultural land. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural nitrogen application and its potential threat to the environment of the Haihe Basin in China, we used a database of county-level agricultural statistics to calculate agricultural nitrogen input, output, surplus intensity, and use efficiency. Chemical fertilizer nitrogen input increased by 51.7% from 1990 to 2000 and by 37.2% from 2000 to 2010, concomitant with increasing crop yields. Simultaneously, the nitrogen surplus intensity increased by 53.5% from 1990 to 2000 and by 16.5% from 2000 to 2010, presenting a continuously increased environmental risk. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased from 0.46 in 1990 to 0.42 in 2000 and remained constant at 0.42 in 2010, partly due to fertilizer composition and type improvement. This level indicates that more than half of nitrogen inputs are lost in agroecosystems. Our results suggest that although the improvement in fertilizer composition and types has partially offset the decrease in nitrogen use efficiency, the environmental risk has still increased gradually over the past 20 years, along with the increase in crop yields and nitrogen application. It is important to achieve a better nitrogen balance through more effective management to significantly reduce the environmental risk, decrease nitrogen surplus intensity, and increase nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing crop yields.