The representation of cyanobacteria life cycle processes in aquatic ecosystem models

Two simplified versions of a numerical life cycle model for diazotrophic cyanobacteria (of the order Nostocales) are developed and evaluated. Both consider two-life cycle stages, one growing, nitrogen-fixing stage and one stage that combines the resting, germinating and vegetative stages. The versions differ in the vertical resolution of the non-diazotrophic stage: version 1 collects the biomass in one layer at the bottom, version 2 considers sinking and rising of biomass explicitly. The results of the two versions are compared with a complex cyanobacteria life cycle model which describes four different life cycle stages each with two internal quotas for energy and nitrogen. The two simplified approaches show a good agreement with respect to the main characteristics of cyanobacteria dynamics (timing and duration of blooms, magnitude of nitrogen fixation, interannual variability). Our model study shows that both simplified approaches are suitable to be implemented into three-dimensional coastal or lake models.     

Nitrogen-retaining property of compost in an aerobic thermophilic composting reactor for the sanitary disposal of human feces

Aerobic composting is a method for the sanitary disposal of human feces as is used in bio-toilet systems. As the products of composting can be utilized as a fertilizer, it would be beneficial if the composting conditions could be more precisely controlled for the retention of fecal nitrogen as long as possible in the compost. In this study, batch experiments were conducted using a closed aerobic thermophilic composting reactor with sawdust as the bulk matrix to simulate the condition of a bio-toilet for the sanitary disposal of human feces. Attention was paid to the characteristics of nitrogen transformation. Under the controlled conditions of temperature at 60°C, moisture content at 60%,anda continuous air supply, more than 70% fecal organic removal was obtained, while merely 17% fecal nitrogen loss was observed over a two-week composting period. The nitrogen loss was found to occur mainly in the first 24 h with the rapid depletion of inorganic nitrogen but with an almost unchanged organic nitrogen content. The fecal NH₄-N which was the main component of the inorganic nitrogen ( > 90%) decreased rapidly in the first day, decreased at a slower rate over the following days, and finally disappeared entirely. The depletion of NH₄-N was accompanied by the accumulation of NH₃ gas in the ammonia absorber connected to the reactor. A mass balance between the exhausted NH₃ gas and the fecal NH₄-N content in the first 24 hours indicated that the conversion of ammonium into gaseous ammonia was the main reason for nitrogen loss. Thermophilic composting could be considered as a way to keep a high organic nitrogen content in the compost for better utilization as a fertilizer.     

Deposition and Retention of Ultrafine Aerosol Particles in the Human Respiratory System. Normal and Pathological Cases

The particle number concentration in ambient air is dominated by nanometersized particles. Recent epidemiological studies report an association between the presence of nanoparticles in inhaled air at the workplace and acute morbidity and even mortality in the elderly. A theoretical model of deposition of 20 nm particles in the human alveolus was formulated. Gas flow structure and deposition rate were calculated for alveoli with different elastic properties of lung tissue. Data obtained in the paper show increased convective effects and diffusional rate of deposition of nanoparticles for alveoli with higher stiffness of the alveolar wall. The retention of deposited particles is also higher in these pathological alveoli. Results of our calculations indicate a possibility of existence of a positive loop of coupling in deposition and retention of nanoparticles in the lung with pathological changes.     

河岸缓冲区氮素截留研究进展

河岸缓冲区对氮素的有效截留以阻止其进入河流已得到广泛的认可,是美国资源局所认可的一种最佳管理措施。总结河岸缓冲区中氮素截留的主要机制、影响因素及缓冲区的管理原则。最主要截留机制为反硝化作用与植物吸收,相应的最主要影响因素是缓冲区的水文特征。为达到较好的氮素截留效率,必须重建退化的缓冲区、保护缓冲区的完整性与不受干扰,并与其他流域管理措施相结合。     

Evaluation of nitrogen retention and microbial populations in poultry litter treated with chemical, biological or adsorbent amendments

Poultry litter is a valuable nutrient source for crop production. Successful management to reduce ammonia and its harmful side-effects on poultry and the environment can be aided by the use of litter amendments. In this study, three acidifiers, two biological treatments, one chemical urease inhibitor and two adsorber amendments were added to poultry litter. Chemical, physical and microbiological properties of the litters were assessed at the beginning and the end of the experiment. Application of litter amendments consistently reduced organic N loss (0-15%) as compared to unamended litter (20%). Acidifiers reduced nitrogen loss through both chemical and microbiological processes. Adsorbent amendments (water treatment residuals and chitosan) reduced nitrogen loss and concentrations of ammonia-producing bacteria and fungi. The use of efficient, cost-effective litter amendments to maximum agronomic, environmental and financial benefits is essential for the future of sustainable poultry production.     

Modelling above- and below-ground mass loss and N dynamics in wooden dowels (LIDET) placed across North and Central America biomes at the decadal time scale

This article focuses on modelling above and below-ground mass loss and nitrogen (N) dynamics based on the wooden dowels (Gonystylus bancanus [Miq.] Kurz) of the decadal Long-term Intersite Decomposition Experiment (LIDET) data. These dowels were placed at 27 locations across North and Central America, involving tropical, temperate and boreal forests, grasslands, wetlands and the tundra. The dowel, inserted vertically into the soil with one half remaining exposed to the air, revealed fast mass and N losses under warm to humid conditions, and slow losses under wet as well as cold to dry conditions. The model formulation, referred to as the Wood Decomposition Model, or WDM, related these losses to (i) mean annual precipitation, mean monthly January and July air temperatures, and (ii) mean annual actual evapotranspiration (AET) at each location. The resulting calibrations conformed well to the time-in-field averages for mass remaining by location: R² = 0.83 and 0.90 for the lower and upper parts, respectively. These values dropped, respectively, to 0.41 and 0.55 for the N concentrations, and to 0.28 and 0.43 for N remaining. These reductions likely refer to error propagation and to as yet unresolved variations in N transference into and out of the wood specific to each individual dowel location. Recalibrating the model parameters by ecosystem type reduced the R² values for actual versus best-fitted mass loss by about 0.15. Doing the same without location- or ecosystem-specific adjustments reduced the R² values further, by about 0.3.     

Modelling N mineralization from green manure and farmyard manure from a laboratory incubation study

Predicting N mineralization from organic manures like farmyard manure (FYM) is more difficult than from fresh organic materials like crop residues, as the manures vary greatly in composition. A laboratory incubation experiment was carried out for 98 days at 30 °C under aerobic conditions to study the effects on N dynamics of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium, Jacquin) and FYM application to soil at 5 and 10 g kg⁻¹. Application of Gliricidia induced N mineralization from the start of incubation period, with the amount of N mineralized increasing with rate of application. In contrast, application of FYM resulted in immobilization of mineral N in soil, irrespective of the rate of application. The initial net immobilization from FYM was limited by availability of N in the soil for the higher rate of application.We used the APSIM SoilN module to simulate these contrasting patterns of mineralization of N from Gliricidia and from FYM. The prediction of N mineralized from Gliricidia was better than FYM. The default model parameters specify that the fresh organic matter pools (FPOOL1, FPOOL2 and FPOOL3) have the same C:N ratio and this assumption was ineffective in predicting N mineralized from FYM. The predictive ability of the model improved when this default assumption was modified based on the size of the individual pools (FPOOL1, FPOOL2 and FPOOL3), and the pool's C:N ratios. The modelling efficiency, a measure of goodness of fit between the simulated and observed data, improved markedly for the modified model. The discrepancy between the modelled and observed data was a tendency for the model to underestimate the rate of re-mineralization at the lower rate of application of FYM in the later part of incubation. Unfortunately the appropriate modification to the size and C:N ratios of the FPOOLs could not be determined on the basis of chemical analysis alone. Thus, a true predictive application of the model to a new FYM material is not yet possible.     

Four kinds of capping materials for controlling phosphorus and nitrogen release from contaminated sediment using a static simulation experiment

• Lanthanum modified bentonite (LMB) can effectively absorb phosphorus (P). • Water treatment plant sludge (WTPS) capping is effective for controlling P release. •Aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (Al-PIA) is an efficient P control material. •The P adsorbed by WTPS and Al-PIA is mainly in the form of NAIP. We determined the effects of quartz sand (QS), water treatment plant sludge (WTPS), aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (Al-PIA), and lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) thin-layer capping on controlling phosphorus and nitrogen release from the sediment, using a static simulation experiment. The sediment in the experiment was sampled from Yundang Lagoon (Xiamen, Fujian Province, China), which is a eutrophic waterbody. The total phosphorus (TP), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and total organic carbon (TOC) levels in the overlying water were measured at regular intervals, and the changes of different P forms in WTPS, Al-PIA, and sediment of each system were analyzed before and after the test. The average TP reduction rates of LMB, Al-PIA, WTPS, and QS were 94.82, 92.14, 86.88, and 10.68%, respectively, when the release strength of sediment TP was 2.26–9.19 mg/(m²·d) and the capping strength of the materials was 2 kg/m². Thin-layer capping of LMB, WTPS, and Al-PIA could effectively control P release from the sediment (P<0.05). However, thin-layer capping of LMB, Al-PIA, and QS did not significantly reduce the release of ammonium N and organic matter (P > 0.05). Based on our results, LMB, Al-PIA, and WTPS thin-layer capping promoted the migration and transformation of easily released P in sediment. The P adsorbed by WTPS and Al-PIA mainly occurred in the form of NAIP.     

Semi-closed synthesis of nitrogen and oxygen Co-doped mesoporous carbon for selective aqueous oxidation

Heteroatom-doped meso/micro-porous carbon materials are conventionally produced by harsh carbonization under an inert atmosphere involving specific precursors, hard/soft templates, and heteroatom-containing agents. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of N and O co-doped meso/micro-porous carbon (NOMC) by template-free carbonization of a small-molecule precursor in a semi-closed system. The semi-closed carbonizaiton process yields hydrophilic NOMCs with large surface area in a high yield. The porous structure as well as the elemental composition of NOMCs can be modulated by changing the holding time at a particular temperature. NOMCs as metal-free heterogeneous catalysts can selectively oxidize benzyl alcohol and its derivatives into aldehydes/ketones with>85％conversion in aqueous solution, which is much higher than that of the control sample obtained in tube furnace (21％conversion), mainly due to their high N content, high percentage of pyridinic N, and large surface area. The presence of O-containing moieties also helps to improve the hydrophilicity and dispersion ability of catalysts and thus facilitates the mass transfer process during aqueous oxidation. The NOMC catalysts also dispayed excellent activity for a wide range of substrates with a selectivity of>99％.     

高原生境不同水力停留时间下A2/O工艺活性污泥微生物代谢机制研究

在高原生境下构建不同水力停留时间(HRT)运行工况的A²/O系统,结合水质分析及对好氧池活性污泥的16S rRNA基因测序,对微生物优势菌属功能和代谢途径进行研究。结果表明:高原生境下HRT为26.25 h时A²/O工艺处理效果总体最好,微生物优势菌属代谢功能以有机物降解、反硝化脱氮和聚磷菌除磷为主,代谢途径以碳氮磷代谢为主;在高原生境下,应对外界环境变化的细菌双组分调节功能(ko02020)丰度较大,该代谢途径在适应环境变化中有显著作用,是高原生境下的优势代谢途径;微生物细胞中rpoE基因丰度偏大,为微生物适应高原环境提供了保障。HRT为26.25 h时微生物功能基因总丰度最大,可见26.25 h是高原生境下A²/O工艺最佳HRT运行工况。