Analysis of floc morphology in a continuous-flow flocculation and sedimentation reactor

The floc morphology was investigated in a continuous-flow reactor, in order to understand the evolution of flocs in practical flocculation and sedimentation processes in water utilities. Kaolin-humic acid suspension was used as the test water, and polyaluminum chloride was chosen as the coagulant. An in-situ recognition system was applied to analyze the floc size, boundary fractal dimension, and eccentricity ratios. Particle numbers and turbidity were also determined in the sedimentation stage. At a coagulant dose of 1 mg/L as Al, the average floc size increased from 62 to 78 μm and the boundary fractal dimension was around 1.14, suggesting that flocs were compact and continuously grew during the entire flocculation process. However, with the dose increased to 5 mg/L, the average floc size decreased and stabilized at around 65 μm, with the fractal dimension of 1.20. It can be concluded that the excess coagulant doses resulted in the formation of chain-shaped, lower density, and more branched structure flocs, thereby restricting flocs' further growth in the subsequent flocculation. Floc morphology analysis suggested that charge neutralization dominated in the initial flocculation stage, then the bridge and sweep mechanisms were dominant in the subsequent flocculation. In addition, compared with the traditional inclined plate settler, a novel V-shaped plate settler introduced in this study had an advantage in small size floc(less than 5 μm) removal. The V-shaped region could promote aggregate restructuring and re-flocculation; therefore, the V-shaped plate settler provides an alternative method for sedimentation.     

User behaviour, best practice and the risks of non-target exposure associated with anticoagulant rodenticide use

Usage of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) is an integral component of modern agriculture and is essential for the control of commensal rodent populations. However, the extensive deployment of ARs has led to widespread exposure of a range of non-target predatory birds and mammals to some compounds, in particular the second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs). As a result, there has been considerable effort placed into devising voluntary best practice guidelines that increase the efficacy of rodent control and reduce the risk of non-target exposure. Currently, there is limited published information on actual practice amongst users or implementation of best practice. We assessed the behaviour of a typical group of users using an on-farm questionnaire survey. Most baited for rodents every year using SGARs. Most respondents were apparently aware of the risks of non-target exposure and adhered to some of the best practice recommendations but total compliance was rare. Our questionnaire revealed that users of first generation anticoagulant rodenticides rarely protected or checked bait stations, and so took little effort to prevent primary exposure of non-targets. Users almost never searched for and removed poisoned carcasses and many baited for prolonged periods or permanently. These factors are all likely to enhance the likelihood of primary and secondary exposure of non-target species.     

对转压气机三维掠动叶优化设计

为探索三维掠动叶降低对转压气机二次流损失的潜力,进一步提高对转压气机气动性能,基于近似函数与遗传算法,针对某对转压气机双排转子在整机环境下进行三维掠动叶优化设计,并对优化前后流场进行对比分析。优化成功的得到了双排“S”形掠动叶,结果表明:三维掠动叶有效改善了双排动叶吸力面径向二次流,减小了吸力面低速区,提高了对转压气机性能,优化工况点整机效率提高0.6%,全工况范围内效率均有所提高；三维掠动叶提高对转压气机效率的根本原因是其对径向负荷分配的重新调整,将叶展下方流动较差区域负荷移至叶展上方,改善流场的同时保证对转压气机负荷不变。      

Characterizing oxygenated volatile organic compounds and their sources in rural atmospheres in China

Oxygenated volatile organic compounds(OVOCs) are important precursors and products of atmospheric secondary pollution. The sources of OVOCs, however, are still quite uncertain,especially in the atmosphere with much pollution in China. To study the sources of OVOCs in rural atmospheres, a proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry(PTR-MS) was deployed at a northern rural site(WD) and a southern rural site(YMK) in China during the summer of 2014 and 2016, respectively. The continuous observation showed that the mean concentration of TVOCs(totally 17 VOCs) measured at WD(52.4 ppbv) was far higher than that at YMK(11.1 ppbv), and the OVOCs were the most abundant at both the two sites. The diurnal variations showed that local sources of OVOCs were still prominent at WD, while regional transport influenced YMK much. The photochemical age-based parameterization method was then used to quantitatively apportion the sources of ambient OVOCs. The anthropogenic primary sources at WD and YMK contributed less(2%–16%) to each OVOC species. At both the sites, the atmospheric background had a dominant contribution(～ 50%) to acetone and formic acid, while the anthropogenic secondary formation was the main source(～ 40%) of methanol and MEK. For acetaldehyde and acetic acid, the biogenic sources were their largest source(～ 40%) at WD, while the background(39%) and anthropogenic secondary formation(42%) were their largest sources at YMK, respectively. This study reveals the complexity of sources of OVOCs in China, which urgently needs explored further.     

Atmospheric photochemistry and secondary aerosol formation of urban air in Lyon, France

Photochemical aging of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere is an important source of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). To evaluate the formation potential of SOA at an urban site in Lyon (France), an outdoor experiment using a Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) oxidation flow reactor (OFR) was conducted throughout entire days during January-February 2017. Diurnal variation of SOA formations and their correlation with OH radical exposure (OHexp), ambient pollutants (VOCs and particulate matters, PM), Relative Humidity (RH), and temperature were explored in this study. Ambient urban air was exposed to high concentration of OH radicals with OHexp in range of (0.2–1.2)×10¹² molecule/(cm³?sec), corresponding to several days to weeks of equivalent atmospheric photochemical aging. The results informed that urban air at Lyon has high potency to contribute to SOA, and these SOA productions were favored from OH radical photochemical oxidation rather than via ozonolysis. Maximum SOA formation (36 µg/m³) was obtained at OHexp of about 7.4 × 10¹¹molecule/(cm³?sec), equivalent to approximately 5 days of atmospheric oxidation. The correlation between SOA formation and ambient environment conditions (RH & temperature, VOCs and PM) was observed. It was the first time to estimate SOA formation potential from ambient air over a long period in urban environment of Lyon.     

Spatial distribution of health risks for residents located close to solvent-consuming industrial VOC emission sources

Emissions derived from the consumption of organic solvents have been proven to be the primary industrial source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In conjunction with epidemiologic studies, water-based paints (WBPs) and solvent-based paints (SBPs) were selected as representatives of newly developed solvents and traditional solvents, respectively, to simulate the effects of consuming solvents emitted during industrial production. And non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to residents near emission sources were studied in detail. The results showed that the spatial distribution of health risks varied with meteorological conditions and type of emission source, and the prevailing wind direction strongly affected the distribution range and shape of the influenced area. The areas of influence maximized on heavy-polluting days for both WBP and SBP emission sources with the total span reaching 804 m and 16 km, respectively; meanwhile, the areas of influence for carcinogenic risk resulting from WBP emission sources were 1.2 and 2.3 times greater than those measured on fine and rainy days, respectively, and 1.8 and 2.9 times greater for SBP emission sources. Compared with WBPs, the total spans of negatively influenced regions resulting from SBP emission sources were 10.4, 12.5 and 19.9 times greater on fine, rainy and heavy-polluting days, respectively. Therefore, carcinogenic risk was the dominant health threat for populations residing close to solvent-consuming industrial emission sources. The findings suggest that newly developed solvents are capable of significantly reducing consequent health threats, nevertheless, they could still pose occasional threats to nearby residents under specific meteorological conditions.     

Insights into measurements of water-soluble ions in PM2.5 and their gaseous precursors in Beijing

To better understand the characteristics and transformation mechanisms of secondary inorganic aerosols, hourly mass concentrations of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in PM_2.5 and their gaseous precursors were measured online from 2016 to 2018 at an urban site in Beijing. Seasonal and diurnal variations in water-soluble ions and gaseous precursors were discussed and their gas-particle conversion and partitioning were also examined, some related parameters were characterized. The (TNH₃) _Rich was also defined to describe the variations of the excess NH₃ in different seasons. In addition, a sensitivity test was carried out by using ISORROPIA II to outline the driving factors of gas-particle partitioning. In Beijing, the relative contribution of nitrate to PM_2.5 has increased markedly in recent years, especially under polluted conditions. In the four seasons, only a small portion of NO₂ in the atmosphere was converted into total nitrate (TNO₃)_, and more than 80% of TNO₃ occurred in the form of nitrate due to the abundant ammonia. The concentration of total ammonia (TNH₃) was much higher than that required to neutralize acid gases, and most of the TNH₃ occurred as gaseous NH₃. The nitrous acid (HONO) concentration was highly correlated with NH₃ concentration and had increased significantly in Beijing compared with previous studies. The total chloride (TCl) was the highest in winter, and ε(Cl^?) was more sensitive to variations in the ambient temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) than ε(NO₃^?).     

A survey on heavy metal concentrations in residential neighborhoods: The influence of secondary water supply systems

Water quality deterioration often occurs in secondary water supply systems (SWSSs), and increased heavy metal concentrations can be a serious problem. In this survey, twelve residential neighborhoods were selected to investigate the influence of SWSSs on the seasonal changes in heavy metal concentrations from input water to tank and tap water. The concentrations of nine evaluated heavy metals in all groups of water samples were found to be far below the specified standard levels in China. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Zn increased significantly from the input water samples to the tank and tap water samples in spring and summer (p < 0.05), especially for the water samples that had been stagnant for a long time. Negative correlations were found between most of the heavy metals and residual chlorine (Fe, Cu, Zn, and As, r = -0.186 to -0.519, p < 0.05). In particular, a high negative correlation was observed between Fe and residual chlorine (r = -0.489 to -0.519, p < 0.01) in spring and summer. Fe and Mn displayed positive correlations with turbidity (r = 0.672 and 0.328, respectively; p < 0.05). In addition, Cr and As were found to be positively associated with some nutrients (NO₃⁻, TN, and SO₄²⁻; r = 0.420-0.786, p < 0.01). The material of the storage tanks had little influence on the difference in heavy metal concentrations. Overall, this survey illustrated that SWSSs may pose a chronic threat to water quality and could provide useful information for practitioners.     

元江流域干热河谷草地植物群落结构特征与相似性分析

选择元江干热河谷典型草地群落,采用标准样地调查法,对流域上、中、下游干热河谷草地植物群落的分布特征、群落结构、种群习性等特征开展研究,结果表明：（1）元江流域上游祥云和中下游红河干热河谷草地群落中出现的植物种类最多,元江流域干热河谷草地植物群落是以灌木为主、多年生草本为辅的结构类型。（2）元江流域干热河谷草地群落中,扭黄茅（Heteropogon contortus）为优势种群,次优种群随流域环境的改变而不同。（3）元江流域干热河谷草地植物群落之间的相似性系数均在0.00～0.25之间,处于极不相似水平,种群的扩散受流域河谷通道作用影响较小。（4）种群的扩散和定居受海拔高度的影响,随着海拔高度的变化,植物群落的组成也发生变化,形成不同的群落结构。     

Screening of the marine actinomycetes with anti-complement activity and isolation of the active fractions北大核心CSCD

Studies on anti-complement agents are essential for the development of drugs to treat various diseases caused by excessive or abnormal activation of the complement system. However, studies on microbial-derived anti-complement agents are still very limited. The anti-complement activities of 42 marine-derived actinomycete strains isolated from the sediment samples collected from Xinghai Bay in Dalian were studied using the hemolysis method. In addition, the active fractions of the strain Streptomyces sp. DUT11 were separated by C18 and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and the active compounds with anti-complement activity were identified. Streptomyces strains S187, M5, S088, M8, S063, DUT11 and MD16 showed good anti-complement activities upon being cultured in TSB medium, with the strain DUT11 showing the best anti-complement activity among these strains. When different fermentation media were tested, the highest anti-complement activity of DUT11 was observed in M33 fermentation medium. The anti-complement activity was 56.5% for the extract of supernatant and 60.8% for the extract of mycelia, respectively. Furthermore, three compounds with anti-complement activity were obtained from the active components, which were identified as 3-indolecarboxylic acid (1), p-hydroxy benzoic acid (2) and 2-pyrrolecarboxylic acid (3). These results demonstrated that marine-derived streptomycetes can be employed to produce active compounds with anti-complement activity. This study presents a new alternative for the utilization of marine actinomycetes and provides a basis for the exploration of new anti-complement agents. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.