Microbial communities biostimulated by ethanol during uranium (VI) bioremediation in contaminated sediment as shown by stable isotope probing

Stable isotope probing (SIP) was used to identify microbes stimulated by ethanol addition in microcosms containing two sediments collected from the bioremediation test zone at the US Department of Energy Oak Ridge site, TN, USA. One sample was highly bioreduced with ethanol while another was less reduced. Microcosms with the respective sediments were amended with ¹³C labeled ethanol and incubated for 7 days for SIP. Ethanol was rapidly converted to acetate within 24 h accompanied with the reduction of nitrate and sulfate. The accumulation of acetate persisted beyond the 7 d period. Aqueous U did not decline in the microcosm with the reduced sediment due to desorption of U but continuously declined in the less reduced sample. Microbial growth and concomitant ¹³C-DNA production was detected when ethanol was exhausted and abundant acetate had accumulated in both microcosms. This coincided with U(VI) reduction in the less reduced sample. ¹³C originating from ethanol was ultimately utilized for growth, either directly or indirectly, by the dominant microbial community members within 7 days of incubation. The microbial community was comprised predominantly of known denitrifiers, sulfate-reducing bacteria and iron (III) reducing bacteria including Desulfovibrio, Sphingomonas, Ferribacterium, Rhodanobacter, Geothrix, Thiobacillus and others, including the known U(VI)-reducing bacteria Acidovorax, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, Geobacter and Desulfosporosinus. The findings suggest that ethanol biostimulates the U(VI)-reducing microbial community by first serving as an electron donor for nitrate, sulfate, iron (III) and U(VI) reduction, and acetate which then functions as electron donor for U(VI) reduction and carbon source for microbial growth.     

贵州万山汞矿地区耐汞野生植物研究

在贵州万山地区废弃汞矿堆和矿山附近,受长期高剂量汞暴露的影响经过的自然选择,该地区出现了一些能耐受汞毒性的生态型植物。对汞耐受及汞富集植物的筛选对于汞污染土壤的植物修复具有一定的现实意义。通过对万山梅子溪地区汞污染土壤及汞耐受植物采样调查发现,该区域采样土壤中汞的含量均在50 mg·kg-1以上,达到重度汞污染水平。对该地区野生植物的采样分析发现,蔷薇科植物悬钩子不仅数量较多,单株植物生物量较大,表现出很强的耐汞毒性的能力,而且植株内可以很大程度地富集汞,在其植株中汞的含量可达20 mg·kg-1左右,属于汞富集植物,另外发现野蒿对汞也具有较强的富集能力,其植株中汞的含量可达10 mg·kg-1以上。该类型植物的发现将为植物的汞耐受以及汞富集机理研究提供新的素材,为汞污染土壤的植物修复技术提供新的植物类型,也为进一步开发汞污染土壤处理技术提供了一种可能。     

Determination of natural and artificial radionuclide materials in the Ma’assel used in hubbly-bubbly (Shisha) in Jordan

In the last decade the habit of smoking the hubbly-bubbly has increased sharply in many regions, including Europe, North America and Australia. Jordan is considered as having one of the highest consumptions of hubbly-bubbly in the world with respect to the general population. Our investigation was initiated due to the increasing trend of cancer cases in the last 10 years. The aim of this study was to determine the radioactive content in tobacco products available in the Jordanian market together with the related supplies. This study showed that all 13 samples investigated contained one or more radionuclides, from ²¹⁰Pb, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸U, and ²²⁶Ra. Most of the samples contained natural potassium ⁴⁰K and uranium ²³⁸U, lead ²¹⁰Pb was found in three samples, while radium ²²⁶Ra was present only in one sample. Five samples contained the anthropogenic ¹³⁷Cs. The estimated daily intake of U was found in the range between 4.4 and 115.8?µg per day (0.05–1.43 Becquerel (Bq) per day ²³⁸U), with geometric mean of 17.3?µg per day (0.2?Bq per day ²³⁸U). The geometric mean of U daily intake found represents 25% of the reference dose (RfD) value, where the highest determined U content represents 165% of the RfD value. This study demonstrated that a water vessel of hubbly-bubbly trapped less than 1.5% of the total U in Ma’assel samples. It is misleading to the public to indicate that a water vessel serves as an active filter for toxic and radiotoxic elements.     

Uranium quantification in groundwater and health risk from its ingestion in Haryana,India

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element which may cause toxicological or radiological hazards to the public if present in drinking water. This study reports the quantification of uranium in groundwater of major towns of the district Fatehabad, Haryana, India. Uranium concentrations ranged between 0.3 and 48 μg L^?1. In 22% of the groundwater samples, uranium concentrations were higher than the World Health Organization maximum permissible limit of 30 µg L^?1. The radiological dose for males was found to be in the range of 4.8?×?10^?4–7.1?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1 and for females 3.5?×?10^?4–5.2?×?10^?2 mSv y^?1. The results showed that due to the ingestion of groundwater in the study area, radiological cancer risk is in the range of 9.1?×?10^?7–1.3?×?10^?4, lower than the risk limit. Uranium ingestion from groundwater varied from 0.02 to 3.5 µg kg^?1 day^?1, which is within acceptable limit.     

某铀尾矿库地震和渗流耦合作用下稳定性研究

为了研究某铀尾矿库在不同工况下渗流流态和安全系数,以南方某铀尾矿库为对象,耦合GEO-Studio软件中SLOPE/W和SEEP/W模块,并利用极限平衡理论模拟研究了不同工况下坝体渗流流态和安全系数。结果表明:水流主要通过尾粉土层流过尾矿坝,使水力坡降主要集中在初期坝坡前底部;随着水位上升,坝体中水力等势线越来越稀疏,同时尾矿坝3个渗流截面流速加大; 6~9度地震烈度激励下,尾矿坝安全系数维持在1.23~0.91之间,不能满足规程要求。建议初期坝坡坝底埋设排水管,减小水流对初期坝压力,同时对尾矿坝,特别是尾粉土层进行灌浆加固,提高尾矿坝稳定性。     

海拉尔盆地地下水铀的分布特征及富集规律

通过采集海拉尔盆地地表水样品12件,地下水样品67件,运用Durov图、等值线图和铀形态计算理论,结合数理统计方法,分析研究区域地下水铀的分布特征和赋存形态,结果表明:海拉尔盆地赫尔洪德凹陷地区主要为HCO₃-Ca·Na型,蹉岗隆起、乌尔逊凹陷和贝尔凹陷地区主要为Cl-Na型和HCO₃-Na型,巴彦山隆起地区主要为HCO₃-Na型,红旗牧场和新宝力格凹陷主要为Cl-Na型.研究区域铀的分布范围为17~425μg/L,平均值为80μg/L,标准偏差为70μg/L,引发了区域地源性地下水铀污染问题.地下水中以UO₂(CO₃)₃^4-和UO₂(CO₃)₂^2-的主要形式存在,与Eh表现的氧化还原环境具有一致性,其中呼伦贝尔湖东南部属于地下水铀成矿有利区域.潜在铀成矿范围属于重碳酸铀酰占优势的HCO₃型含铀地下水,铀酰碳酸盐复合物应占主导地位,铀的溶解与HCO₃^-的增加有关,地下水中的铀存在参与碳酸盐岩和硫酸盐岩的混合溶滤作用的可能性,UO₂(CO₃)₃^4-、UO₂(CO₃)₂^2-、U₄O₉和沥青铀矿等处于饱和状态,总Fe和(Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺)浓度较低,各种水化学指标对铀富集具有指示意义,因此可将其视为潜在铀源的参考依据.     

华南东部主要铀矿区居民室内外氡浓度研究

对华南东部6个铀矿区居民室内外空气氡浓度及其变化规律进行了研究。矿区废渣和坑道口释放出来的氡气对周围大气形成了氡污染,特别是在矿区周围0.5～1.5 km的范围内的污染严重。但是空气中的这种氡污染随离矿区的距离增大而迅速减弱。矿区周围居民室内氡的浓度高,是广东省室内氡浓度平均值的10倍左右。在进行调查的190个居室中,有45个(23%)居室室内氡浓度超过美国环境保护局制定的148 Bq/m3室内氡浓度的上限值。居室中氡浓度的升高,除了受矿区释放出来的氡污染外,更主要是因本地区属高本底辐射区,房基下的土壤、岩石和建筑材料中的铀、镭等放射性元素的含量高,其放射性衰变产生的氡释放出来进入室内。      

膨胀石墨对U(VI)的吸附特性

高温加热可膨胀石墨制得膨胀石墨,用于去除溶液中的U(VI)。通过静态吸附实验,研究了初始pH、吸附剂投加量、U(VI)初始浓度、温度以及吸附时间对膨胀石墨吸附U(VI)效果的影响。实验结果表明,膨胀石墨吸附U(VI)的最佳pH为6.5,在温度为30℃,投加量为2.0 g/L,U(VI)初始质量浓度为10 mg/L时,对U(VI)的去除率达到98.08%,反应在4 h达到平衡。Langmuir等温吸附模型和准二级动力学模型较好地拟合了吸附过程,30℃时饱和吸附量为27.03 mg/g;热力学分析表明,膨胀石墨对U(VI)的吸附是自发的放热反应。比表面积测试、扫描电镜、X射线能谱与傅里叶红外光谱分析结果表明,膨胀石墨对U(VI)的吸附以物理吸附为主,表面官能团起辅助作用。解吸实验证明,膨胀石墨是可重复利用的吸附剂。     

纳米零价铁对铀尾矿库土壤中铀形态分布及固定效果的影响

针对纳米零价铁(nZVI)对铀尾矿库土壤中铀形态分布和U(Ⅵ)固定效果影响问题,采用逐级化学提取、毒性浸出(TCLP)和磁性分离实验,利用SEM-EDS和XRD对nZVI固定前后的铀尾矿土壤进行表征;研究了nZVI在不同投加量和pH条件下,对尾矿库土壤固定前后铀的形态分布和固定效果的影响,并对nZVI的固定机理进行了探讨。结果表明：当nZVI的投加量为8%、pH为5时,土壤中U(Ⅵ)的固定效果最好,固定后土壤中铀的毒性浸出值仅为13.98%;对经过nZVI处理后的铀尾矿土壤进行磁性分离发现,磁性和非磁性土壤重量占比分别为32.87%和67.13%,其铀含量分别达到55.05%和44.95%,说明nZVI对土壤中的U(Ⅵ)有较好的富集作用。nZVI对铀尾矿库土壤中的U(Ⅵ)有较好的原位固定和富集效果,并能减少土壤中铀的析出。     

8种植物对铀和镉的富集特性

研究8种植物在铀镉复合污染土壤条件下的吸收、富集和转运特性具有重要意义。在每千克土中施用铀、镉的浓度分别为150、15 mg·kg-1,采用主成分分析法对植物富集特性进行综合性评价。结果表明：白皮菜铀镉综合评价值最高,地上部、地下部、单株铀镉总含量、单株铀镉总积累量均最大,分别为90.03 mg·kg-1DW（干质量）、477.00 mg·kg-1DW、150.26 mg·kg-1DW和1 168.52 μg;花椰菜铀综合评价值最高,地上部、地下部铀含量分别为42.16、444.83 mg·kg-1DW,单株铀积累量达到255.42 μg;南瓜综合评价最低,单株铀镉积累量仅为58.47 μg;供试植物地上部铀含量均显著小于地下部铀含量,转运系数均小于1,根系是植物富集铀镉的主要器官。