The rise of glyphosate and new opportunities for biosentinel early‐warning studies

Glyphosate has become the most commonly used herbicide worldwide and is reputedly environmentally benign, nontoxic, and safe for use near wildlife and humans. However, studies indicate its toxicity is underestimated and its persistence in the environment is greater than once thought. Its actions as a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor indicate its potential to act in similar ways to persistent organic pollutants such as the organochlorines dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and dioxin. Exposure to glyphosate and glyphosate‐based herbicides for both wildlife and people is likely to be chronic and at sublethal levels, with multiple and ongoing exposure events occurring in urban and agricultural landscapes. Despite this, there has been little research on the impact of glyphosate on wildlife populations, and existing studies appear in the agricultural, toxicology, and water‐chemistry literature that may have limited visibility among wildlife biologists. These studies clearly demonstrate a link between chronic exposure and neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, cell damage, and immune suppression. There is a strong case for the recognition of glyphosate as an emerging organic contaminant and substantial potential exists for collaborative research among ecologists, toxicologists, and chemists to quantify the impact of glyphosate on wildlife and to evaluate the role of biosentinel species in a preemptive move to mitigate downstream impacts on people. There is scope to develop a decision framework to aid the choice of species to biomonitor and analysis methods based on the target contaminant, spatial and temporal extent of contamination, and perceived risk. Birds in particular offer considerable potential in this role because they span agricultural and urban environments, coastal, inland, and wetland ecosystems where glyphosate residues are known to be present.     

Effects of particle thermal characteristics on flame microstructures during dust explosions of three long-chain monobasic alcohols in a half-closed chamber

To reveal clearly the effects of particle thermal characteristics on flame microstructures during organic dust explosions, three long-chain monobasic alcohols, solid at room temperature and similar in physical-chemical properties, were chosen to conduct experiments in a half-closed chamber. In the experiments, the dust materials were dispersed into the chamber by air to form dust clouds and the hybrids were ignited by an electrical spark. A high-speed optical schlieren system was used to record the flame propagation behaviors. A fine thermocouple and an ion current probe were respectively used to measure the flame temperature profile and the reaction behaviors of the combustion zone. Based on the experimental results, combustion behaviors and flame microstructures in dust clouds with different thermal characteristics were analyzed in detail. As a result, it was found that the dust flame surfaces were completely covered by cellular structures that significantly increased the flame frontal areas. Flame propagated more quickly and the number of the cellular cells increased as increasing the volatility of the particles. On the contrary, maximum temperature and the thickness of the preheated zone decreased as increasing the volatility of the particles. According to the ion current profile, the particles in the preheat zone were pyrolyzed to intermediate radicals and the radicals' fraction in the higher volatile dust flame was higher than that in the lower volatile dust flame.     

两种有机锌络合物处理棉花的霉变及热解行为研究

棉花是纺织业的重要原料,是人民群众生活不可或缺的必需品,同时也是我国进出口重要的商品。研究如何安全有效地进行棉花的储备具有十分重要的现实意义。棉纤维本身含有脂肪、蜡质和果胶等适合微生物生长繁殖的营养物质。在棉花储备中,高的回潮率会加速微生物的繁殖,进而产生热量。热量的累积会引起温度升高以及棉花霉变,不利于棉花的安全有效储存。因此,通过静电吸附法将安全无毒的有机锌络合物附着在棉纤维表面,研究表明,相同条件下,处理棉的霉变状况明显得到抑制。加速发霉条件下,未处理棉的相对于白纸的平均色差值为28.10,而双乙酸锌以及苯甲酸锌防霉处理棉的色差值分别为5.16和5.86,下降了81.6%和79.1%。自然发霉条件下,双乙酸锌以及苯甲酸锌防霉处理棉的色差值分别下降了53.8%和50.7%。同时研究了纯棉以及处理棉氮气下的热分解动力学,相比于未处理棉,双乙酸锌防霉处理后活化能下降了15.8%,而苯甲酸锌防霉处理后活化能下降了10.9%。此外,利用实时红外和热重红外联用技术得到了样品在热解过程中固相以及气相的裂解产物的红外谱图,发现防霉处理能一定程度上抑制棉花热解。     

Co-treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in sludge digesters. An analysis of the relationship among bio-methane generation,process stability and digestate phytotoxicity

The co-digestion of a variable amount of fruit and vegetable waste in a waste mixed sludge digester was investigated using a pilot scale apparatus. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.8 kg VS/m³ day. The hydraulic retention time was reduced from 14 days to about 10 days. Specific bio-methane production increased from about 90 NL/kg VS to the maximum value of about 430 NL/kg VS when OLR was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.1 kg VS/m³ day. A higher OLR caused an excessive reduction in the hydraulic retention time, enhancing microorganism wash out. Process stability evaluated by the total volatile fatty acids concentration (mg/l) to the alkalinity buffer capacity (eq. mg/l CaCO₃) ratio (i.e. FOS/TAC) criterion was <0.1 indicating high stability for OLR <2.46 kg VS/m³ day. For higher OLR, FOS/TAC increased rapidly. Residual phytotoxicty of the digestate evaluated by the germination index (GI) (%) was quite constant for OLR < 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, which is lower than the 60% limit, indicating an acceptable toxicity level for crops. For OLR > 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, GI decreased rapidly. This corresponding trend between FOS/TAC and GI was further investigated by the definition of the GI ratio (GIR) parameter. Comparison between GIR and FOS/TAC suggests that GI could be a suitable criterion for evaluating process stability.     

Production costs and operative margins in electric energy generation from biogas. Full-scale case studies in Italy

The purpose of this study was to observe the economic sustainability of three different biogas full scale plants, fed with different organic matrices: energy crops (EC), manure, agro-industrial (Plants B and C) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) (Plant A). The plants were observed for one year and total annual biomass feeding, biomass composition and biomass cost (€ Mg^?1), initial investment cost and plant electric power production were registered. The unit costs of biogas and electric energy (€ Sm^?3_biogas, € kW h^?1_EE) were differently distributed, depending on the type of feed and plant. Plant A showed high management/maintenance cost for OFMSW treatment (0.155 € Sm^?3_biogas, 45% of total cost), Plant B suffered high cost for EC supply (0.130 € Sm^?3_biogas, 49% of total cost) and Plant C showed higher impact on the total costs because of the depreciation charge (0.146 € Sm^?3_biogas, 41% of total costs). The breakeven point for the tariff of electric energy, calculated for the different cases, resulted in the range 120–170 € MW h^?1_EE, depending on fed materials and plant scale. EC had great impact on biomass supply costs and should be reduced, in favor of organic waste and residues; plant scale still heavily influences the production costs. The EU States should drive incentives in dependence of these factors, to further develop this still promising sector.     

不同絮凝剂对活性污泥特性及除污效能的影响研究

为了研究絮凝剂对污泥特性及除污效能的作用结果,考察了SBR反应器中投加聚合氯化铝(PAC)、聚合硫酸铁(PFS)和阳离子聚丙烯酰胺(CPAM)对污泥特性及COD、NH_4~+-N和TP去除效果的影响。结果表明:投加10 mg/L PAC会导致活性污泥沉降性能变差,降低了微生物对污染物质的分解能力;投加0.1 mg/L CPAM和10 mg/L PFS能够改善活性污泥菌胶团和絮体结构,使得活性污泥的吸附效能和沉降性增强。     

On the effect of Fe(III) on proliferation of Microcystis aeruginosa at high nitrate and low chlorophyll condition

The impact of Fe concentrations on the growth of Microcystisaeruginosa in aquatic systems under high nitrate and low chlorophyll conditions was studied. The responses of cell density, total and cell chlorophyll-a intracellular Fe content and organic elemental composition of M. aeruginosa to different concentration gradients of Fe(III) in the solutions were analysed. The results showed that the proliferation speeds of M. aeruginosa were: (1) decelerated when the Fe(III) concentration was lower than 50 μg/L in the solutions, (2) promoted and positively related to the increase of Fe(III) concentration from 100 to 500 μg/L in the solutions over the experimental period, and (3) promoted in the early stage but decelerated in later stages by excess adsorption of Fe by cells when the Fe(III) concentration was higher than 500 μg/L in the solutions. The maximum cell density, total and cell chlorophyll-a were all observed at 500 μg Fe(III)/L concentration. The organic elemental composition of M. aeruginosa was also affected by the concentration of Fe(III) in the solutions, and the molecular formula of M. aeruginosa should be expressed as C_7–7.5H₁₄O_0.8–1.3N_3.5–5 according to the functions for different Fe(III) concentrations. Cell carbon and oxygen content appeared to increase slightly, while cell nitrogen content appeared to decrease as Fe(III) concentrations increased from 100 to 500 μg/L in the solutions. This was attributed to the competition of photosynthesis and nitrogen adsorption under varying cell Fe content.     

电晕放电辐射信号的特征提取和模式识别方法研究

目的研究电晕放电辐射信号的特征提取和模式识别方法。方法在分析信号特征提取方法的基础上,对实测的电晕放电辐射信号特征提取,利用概率神经网络开展电晕放电辐射信号目标识别,检验特征提取的有效性。结果以奇异值作为输入特征量的PNN在整体上效果更优,稳定性好,对两类不同放电辐射信号的正确识别率均可达到80%以上,并且当输入特征量个数达到10个时,对实测样本的正确识别率均达到了最高值。电晕放电的正确识别率为96.7%,火花放电的正确识别率为93.3%。结论该方法能基本满足实际放电信号的识别应用。     

三峡前置库汉丰湖试运行年水体水质现状及控制效果评估

三峡汉丰湖是世界范围较罕见的专为减弱消落带影响而修建的前置库,也是中国最大城市人工湖体,自汉丰湖试运行后,山水林田湖生态效益及建设宜居城市的社会效益显著.本文以三峡汉丰湖为研究对象,对汉丰湖试运行年支流来水及湖体断面进行水文、水质分层监测,包括水文参数(v、H等)、物理参数(T、pH、SD、DO、TSS等)、化学参数(高锰酸盐指数、Chl-a、TN、DN、NO_3~--N、NH_4~+-N、NO_2~--N、TP、DP、SRP等)共17个指标.监测结果表明:1 2月、10月等开始泄水蓄水时期水质较差,南河支流来水断面水质最差,调节坝出水断面最好;2汉丰湖水体总体呈轻度富营养化,主要污染指标为DN、TN、NO_3~--N、TP;3汉丰湖在试运行年对水体富营养化控制效果显著,Chl-a年平均消减率57.73%,高锰酸盐指数年平均消减率28.12%,SRP、TP、TN、TSS、NO_2~--N、DN、DP等年平均消减率20.15%~22.81%,NH_4~+-N、NO_3~--N等年平均消减率16.92%~18.74%,水体年平均富营养化指数降低15.74%.研究表明,1~3月、10~12月高水位湖泊形态试运行期间对各水质指标消减率高于5~8月河流形态时期,汉丰湖试运行良好,对水体富营养化控制效果显著,可消减三峡入库水体污染物浓度.