Impact evaluation of agrotechnologies in watersheds

The special project RAISA (Advanced Researches for Innovation in Agricultural Systems) of the National Research Council of Italy concerns the development of new methodologies for the study and evaluation of the impact of agrotechnologies on the environment. In the project, several trans-disciplinary Units have worked together since 1990. The aim of the project is to define systems, using tools such as remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems, for decision making support in land planning and land use management, with particular attention to groudwater table pollution. The fundamental steps for evaluation of the impact of agrotechnologies on the Po river watershed, 75,000 km² in northern Italy, and Tevere (Tiber) river watershed, 17.169 km² in Central Italy are described here. The study concerns particular areas located in the western part of the Po River plain, where flooded rice is the main crop, and in the central plain of the Tevere basin where the risk of water pollution is considerable, due to small and medium sized swine breeding farms. The aspects considered were water pollution due to mineral nitrogen used to fertilize the rice crop and the nitrogen contained in the waste water from pig farms. For the Po river basin the methodology developed was based on the integration of satellite remote sensing images, and the available cartography, such as topographic and thematic maps, together with the hydrological and the toxicological data of the chemical fertilizers employed, summarized in maps of the groundwater table pollution hazard. A simpler evaluation was obtained in the Tevere river basin: the thematic layers were crossed in bi-directional matrices and the result merged with the map of the territorial distributionof the swine. In both cases the selected information was integrated and processed in Integrated sub-basin scale. The GISs led to the development of a user-friendly system for formalizing our knowledge of the degree of pollution hazard in simple and readable maps.Research supported by National Research Council of Italy, Special Project RAISA, sub-project N. 1 Paper N.     

氮氧化物生态环境中的转化及危害

在对氮氧化物污染引起奶牛亚硝酸中毒事件的调查基础上，通过室内模拟实验研究氮氧化物的转化过程及测定方法，探讨氮氧化物的生态环境中的转化规律，分析其危害途径和机理，研究表明氮氧化物中的二氧化氮遇水迅速反应生成硝酸和亚硝酸，而对生态环境和人畜产生危害。     

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides over a modified silicoaluminophosphate commercial zeolite

Nitrogen oxides(NO_x:NO,NO_2)are a concern due to their adverse health effects.Diesel engine transport sector is the major emitter of NO_x.The regulations have been strengthened and to comply with them,one of the two methods commonly used is the selective catalytic reduction of NO_xby NH_3(NH_3-SCR),NH_3being supplied by the in-situ hydrolysis of urea.Efficiency and durability of the catalyst for this process are highly required.Durability is evaluated by hydrothermal treatment of the catalysts at temperature above 800°C.In this study,very active catalysts for the NH_3-SCR of NO_xwere prepared by using a silicoaluminophosphate commercial zeolite as copper host structure.Characterizations by X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia(NH_3-TPD)showed that this commercial zeolite was hydrothermally stable up to 850°C and,was able to retain some structural properties up to950°C.After hydrothermal treatment at 850°C,the NO_xreduction efficiency into NH_3-SCR depends on the copper content.The catalyst with a copper content of 1.25 wt.%was the most active.The difference in activity was much more important when using NO than the fast NO/NO_2reaction mixture.     

Density functional and experimental study of NO/O2 on zigzag char

In this paper, quantum chemistry computation (density functional theory) of multi-air-staged combustion was investigated in combination with experiment. It was found that the presence of oxygen in the combustion environment has a great influence on the surface chemistry of coal char. In the reaction pathway, the ring-opening reaction happens first, and is followed by NO adsorption. Afterwards, the ring-closure reaction takes place, leaving the nitrogen atom trapped in the inner char molecule. This reaction route effectively inhibits NO formation and achieves the aim of controlling NO emissions. In the staged combustion experiments, the consumption of O₂/NO was accompanied by an increase in the CO₂ concentration. The quantum chemistry computation successfully interprets the recent experimental trends displayed in multi-air-staged combustion.     

稳定化飞灰填埋场渗滤液产量预测

以南方某稳定化飞灰填埋场为研究对象,通过钻孔获取了新鲜、1、3、6和11个月等5个龄期的试样,并在实验室开展了颗粒分析、含水量、持水量等测试.不均匀系数Cu > 5,曲率系数Cc<1,属于级配不良土,容易形成优势流通道.含水量介于18.6%~46.4%之间,随埋深的增大而减小,随龄期的增长而增大.持水量介于15.0%~52.4%之间,随上覆应力的增大而减小,随龄期的增长而增大,由此建立了持水量计算模型.对于相同龄期和埋深的稳定化飞灰,其含水量要低于持水量2.6%~13.7%,这表明稳定化飞灰整体上未达到持水量状态,由此推测底部导排层收集到的渗滤液主要由雨水入渗后经过稳定化飞灰体内优势通道而进入导排层.在此基础上,建立了考虑填埋进程、降雨入渗量、优势流通道、稳定化飞灰产/吸水量等因素的填埋场渗滤液产量预测模型,并利用现场记录数据对模型进行了参数率定.模型分析结果表明,填埋场开始运营后的9个月内,渗滤液主要来源于降雨入渗量和运输车辆冲洗水量,分别占比约48%和52%.当稳定化飞灰体内优势流通道占总孔隙的比例从0%增至20%,导排层收集到的渗滤液量占渗滤液总收集量的比例从0增至34.1%.因此,建议对稳定化飞灰进行充分压实后再填埋,以减少优势流现象的发生,同时改用节水型车辆冲洗装置,最终降低渗滤液总产量.上述研究成果能够为我国类似稳定化飞灰填埋场中导排系统、调节池等的设计提供重要参考.     

英国城市污水营养物（氮和磷）去除技术研究进展

欧共体“都市污水处理指令”使得英国大部分城市污水必须进行除磷脱氮处理。为此，英国水处理公司已经完成了营养物去除技术研究和开发计划。本文回顾了英国污水营养物去除的历史经验和近期的研究进展。     

Adapting regional eutrophication targets for surface waters—influence of the EU Water Framework Directive, national policy and climate change

Large amounts of waterborne nutrients are major problems for society since they can cause harmful algal blooms in surface water bodies. Consequently, there are a variety of national and international guidelines, e.g. Swedish National Environmental Quality Objectives and the EU Water Framework Directive, which include targets to be achieved within a certain time frame. This paper uses the example of a large Swedish lake to show that national and international targets must be adapted to the local situations. Despite decreasing nutrient concentrations, cyanobacterial blooms in the lake have increased over recent years. We found that these blooms coincide with depleted nitrate–nitrogen concentrations and increased water temperatures. We propose a simple model with water temperature, nitrate–nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations as input variables as a basis for formulation of regional eutrophication targets. Political decisions should be preceded by open discussion between policymakers and scientists to differentiate between real knowledge, assumptions or feelings. For optimal results, recommendations for reducing nutrient load should consider all sources, including urban stormwater and wastewater from rural houses, and should be founded on a balanced reduction in emissions of algae-available nutrients. In addition, climate change calls for more effective environmental policy to protect surface water resources.     

Peroxymonosulfate activation by Fe-N-S co-doped tremella-like carbocatalyst for degradation of bisphenol A: Synergistic effect of pyridine N, Fe-Nx, thiophene S

Bisphenol A (BPA) has received increasing attention due to its long-term industrial application and persistence in environmental pollution. Iron-based carbon catalyst activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) shows a good prospect for effective elimination of recalcitrant contaminants in water. Herein, considering the problem about the leaching of iron ions and the optimization of heteroatoms doping, the iron, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped tremella-like carbon catalyst (Fe-NS@C) was rationally designed using very little iron, S-C₃N₄ and low-cost chitosan (CS) via the impregnation-calcination method. The as-prepared Fe-NS@C exhibited excellent performance for complete removal of BPA (20 mg/L) by activating PMS with the high kinetic constant (1.492 min⁻¹) in 15 min. Besides, the Fe-NS@C/PMS system not only possessed wide pH adaptation and high resistance to environmental interference, but also maintained an excellent degradation efficiency on different pollutants. Impressively, increased S-C₃N₄ doping amount modulated the contents of different N species in Fe-NS@C, and the catalytic activity of Fe-NS@C-1-x was visibly enhanced with increasing S-C₃N₄ contents, verifying pyridine N and Fe-N_x as main active sites in the system. Meanwhile, thiophene sulfur (C-S-C) as active sites played an auxiliary role. Furthermore, quenching experiment, EPR analysis and electrochemical test proved that surface-bound radicals (^·OH and SO₄^⋅−) and non-radical pathways worked in the BPA degradation (the former played a dominant role). Finally, possible BPA degradation route were proposed. This work provided a promising way to synthesize the novel Fe, N and S co-doping carbon catalyst for degrading organic pollutants with low metal leaching and high catalytic ability.     

超声热效应下型煤中气体解吸规律实验研究

为了研究超声热效应对于气体解吸的影响规律,利用自行研制的具备施加超声功能的吸附解吸装置,对吸附饱和氮气的型煤试件开展超声热效应下的气体解吸试验。利用试验数据,拟合出了不同氮气压力下超声热效应作用过程中温度变化方程,解吸量方程及解吸速率方程。同时,对解吸量方程和解吸速率方程进行了试验数据验证。结果表明:超声热效应作用能够有效地提高型煤试样的温度,提高氮气的解吸130.9%-145.8%。验证结果相对误差集中在5%以内,拟合方程能够反映出超声热效应作用过程中解吸量及解吸速率的变化情况。