Transport of simazine in unsaturated sandy soil and predictions of its leaching under hypothetical field conditions

The potential contamination of groundwater by herbicides is often controlled by processes in the vadose zone, through which herbicides travel before entering groundwater. In the vadose zone, both physical and chemical processes affect the fate and transport of herbicides, therefore it is important to represent these processes by mathematical models to predict contaminant movement. To simulate the movement of simazine, a herbicide commonly used in Chilean vineyards, batch and miscible displacement column experiments were performed on a disturbed sandy soil to quantify the primary parameters and processes of simazine transport. Chloride (Cl(-)) was used as a non-reactive tracer, and simazine as the reactive tracer. The Hydrus-1D model was used to estimate the parameters by inversion from the breakthrough curves of the columns and to evaluate the potential groundwater contamination in a sandy soil from the Casablanca Valley, Chile. The two-site, chemical non-equilibrium model was observed to best represent the experimental results of the miscible displacement experiments in laboratory soil columns. Predictions of transport under hypothetical field conditions using the same soil from the column experiments were made for 40 years by applying herbicide during the first 20 years, and then halting the application and considering different rates of groundwater recharge. For recharge rates smaller than 84 mm year(-1), the predicted concentration of simazine at a depth of 1 m is below the U.S. EPA's maximum contaminant levels (4 microg L(-1)). After eight years of application at a groundwater recharge rate of 180 mm year(-1) (approximately 50% of the annual rainfall), simazine was found to reach the groundwater (located at 1 m depth) at a higher concentration (more than 40 microg L(-1)) than the existing guidelines in the USA and Europe.     

Bacteria transport and deposition under unsaturated conditions: the role of the matrix grain size and the bacteria surface protein

Unsaturated (80% water saturated) packed column experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of grain size distribution and bacteria surface macromolecules on bacteria (Rhodococcus rhodochrous) transport and deposition mechanisms. Three sizes of silica sands were used in these transport experiments, and their median grain sizes were 607, 567, and 330 microm. The amount of retained bacteria increased with decreasing sand size, and most of the deposited bacteria were found adjacent to the column inlet. The deposition profiles were not consistent with predictions based on classical filtration theory. The experimental data could be accurately characterized using a mathematical model that accounted for first-order attachment, detachment, and time and depth-dependent straining processes. Visual observations of the bacteria deposition as well as mathematical modelling indicated that straining was the dominant mechanism of deposition in these sands (78-99.6% of the deposited bacteria), which may have been enhanced due to the tendency of this bacterium to form aggregates. An additional unsaturated experiment was conducted to better deduce the role of bacteria surface macromolecules on attachment and straining processes. In this case, the bacteria surface was treated using a proteolitic enzyme. This technique was assessed by examining the Fourier-transform infrared spectrum and hydrophobicity of untreated and enzyme treated cells. Both of these analytical procedures demonstrated that this enzymatic treatment removed the surface proteins and/or associated macromolecules. Transport and modelling studies conducted with the enzyme treated bacteria, revealed a decrease in attachment, but that straining was not significantly affected by this treatment.     

Modeling Acidification Recovery on Threatened Ecosystems: Application to the Evaluation of the Gothenburg Protocol in France

To evaluate the acid deposition reduction negotiated for 2010 within the UNECE LRTAP Gothenburg Protocol, sulphur and nitrogen deposition time-series (1880–2100) were compared to critical loads of acidity on five French ecosystems: Massif Central basalt (site 1) and granite (2); Paris Bassin tertiary sands (3); Vosges mountains sandstone (4) and Landes eolian sands (5). The SAFE model was used to estimate the response of soil solution pH and ratio to the deposition scenario. Among the five sites, critical loads were exceeded in the past at sites 3, 4 and 5. Sites 3 and 4 were still expected to exceed in 2010, the Protocol year. Further reduction of atmospheric deposition, mainly nitrogen, would be needed to achieve recovery on these ecosystems. At sites 3, 4 and 5, the delay between the critical load exceedance and the violation of the critical chemical criterion was estimated to be 10 to 30 years in the top soil and 50 to 90 years in the deeper soil. At site 5, a recovery was expected in the top soil in 2010 with a time lag of 10 years. Unexpectedly, soil pH continued to decrease after 1980 in the deeper soil at sites 2 and 5. This time lag indicated that acidification moved down the soil profile as a consequence of slow base cation depletion by ion exchange. This delayed response of the soil solution was the result of the combination of weathering rates and vegetation uptake but also of the relative ratio between base cation deposition and acid compounds.     

How Plants Cope with Foreign Compounds. Translocation of xenobiotic glutathione conjugates in roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare) (9 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Numerous herbicides and xenobiotic organic pollutants are detoxified in plants to glutathione conjugates. Following this enzyme catalyzed reaction, xenobiotic GS-conjugates are thought to be compartmentalized in the vacuole of plant cells. In the present study, evidence is presented for long range transport of these conjugates in plants, rather than storage in the vacuole. To our knowledge this is the first report about the unidirectional long range transport of xenobiotic conjugates in plants and the exudation of a glutathione conjugate from the root tips. This could mean that plants possess an excretion system for unwanted compounds which give them similar advantages as animals. Materials and Methods: Barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Cherie) were grown in Petri dishes soaked with tap water in the greenhouse. - Fluorescence Microscopy. Monobromo- and Monochlorobimane, two model xenobiotics that are conjugated rapidly in plant cells with glutathione, hereby forming fluorescent metabolites, were used as markers for our experiments. Their transport in the root could be followed sensitively with very good temporal and spatial resolution. Roots of barley seedlings were cut under water and the end at which xenobiotics were applied was fixed in an aperture with a thin latex foil and transferred into a drop of water on a cover slide. The cover slide was fixed in a measuring chamber on the stage of an inverse fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Axiovert 100). - Spectrometric enzyme assay. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was determined in the protein extracts following established methods. Aliquots of the enzyme extract were incubated with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), or monochlorobimane. Controls lacking enzyme or GSH were measured. - Pitman chamber experiments. Ten days old barley plants or detached roots were inserted into special incubation chambers, either complete with tips or decapitated, as well as 10 days old barley plants without root tips. Compartment A was filled with a transport medium and GSH conjugate or L-cysteine conjugate. Compartments B and C contained sugar free media. Samples were taken from the root tip containing compartment C and the amount of conjugate transported was determined spectro-photometrically. Results: The transport in roots is unidirectional towards the root tips and leads to exsudation of the conjugates at rates between 20 and 200 nmol min-1. The microscopic studies have been complemented by transport studies in small root chambers and spectroscopic quantification of dinitrobenzene-conjugates. The latter experiments confirm the microscopic studies. Furthermore it was shown that glutathione conjugates are transported at higher rates than cysteine conjugates, despite of their higher molecular weights. This observation points to the existence of glutathione specific carriers and a specific role of glutathione in the root. Discussion: It can be assumed that long distance transport of glutathione conjugates within the plant proceeds like GSH or amino acid transport in both, phloem and xylem. The high velocity of this translocation of the GS-X is indicative of an active transport. For free glutathione, a rapid transport-system is essential because an accumulation of GSH in the root tip inhibits further uptake of sulfur. Taking into account that all described MRP transporters and also the GSH plasmalemma ATPases have side activities for glutathione derivatives and conjugates, co-transport of these xenobiotic metabolites seems credible. - On the other hand, when GS-B was applied to the root tips from the outside, no significant uptake was observed. Thus it can be concluded that only those conjugates can be transported in the xylem which are formed inside the root apex. Having left the root once, there seems to be no return into the root vessels, probably because of a lack of inward directed transporters. Conclusions: Plants seem to possess the capability to store glutathione conjugates in the vacuole, but under certain conditions, these metabolites might also undergo long range transport, predominantly into the plant root. The transport seems dependent on specific carriers and is unidirectional, this means that xenobiotic conjugates from the rhizosphere are not taken up again. The exudation of xenobiotic metabolites offers an opportunity to avoid the accumulation of such compounds in the plant. Recommendations and Perspectives: The role of glutathione and glutathione related metabolites in the rhizosphere has not been studied in any detail, and only scattered data are available on interactions between the plant root and rhizosphere bacteria that encounter such conjugates. The final fate of these compounds in the root zone has also not been addressed so far. It will be interesting to study effects of the exuded metabolites on the biology of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi.     

Contaminant degradation in physically and chemically heterogeneous aquifers

This paper examines the importance of the correlation between hydraulic conductivity (K) and degradation rate constant (k) during the transport of reactive contaminants in heterogeneous aquifers. We simulated reactive transport in an ensemble of two-dimensional heterogeneous aquifers. Two sets of transport simulations were conducted: one in which a perfect positive correlation was assumed between ln(K) and ln(k), and one in which a perfect negative correlation was assumed. We found that the sign of the correlation has important consequences for the contaminant transport. Qualitatively, a negative correlation leads to significantly more pronounced "fingering" of the contaminant plume than does a positive correlation, with potentially important consequences for downgradient receptors. Quantitatively, the expected behavior (as quantified by the contaminant mass remaining in the aquifer) is statistically different between the positive and negative cases: on average, more contaminant mass persists when K and k are negatively correlated. Also, the negative correlation leads to more variability between realizations of the ensemble, whereas a positive correlation induces relatively little variability between realizations. We discuss the implications of these findings for the management of contaminated aquifers.     

新疆大气颗粒物的时空分布特征

基于2015年新疆12个城市的PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)地面监测数据,并结合同期气象观测数据,分析了新疆PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)质量浓度的时空分布特征及其与气象要素的关联性。结果表明:新疆大气颗粒物年均质量浓度呈现南高北低特征,南疆各城市的年均PM_(10)质量浓度为150～262μg/m~3,年均PM_(2.5)质量浓度为50～118μg/m~3。北疆各城市的质量浓度相对较低,年均PM_(10)质量浓度为28～139μg/m~3,年均PM_(2.5)质量浓度为13～74μg/m~3。从时间变化来看,在春季和夏季,新疆以粗颗粒物污染为主,冬季以细颗粒物污染为主。此外,在南疆各城市3月PM_(10)质量浓度突然大幅升高与相对湿度明显下降、风速增大直接相关,沙尘天气是导致该区域春季高PM_(10)质量浓度的重要原因。     

交通限行对大气颗粒物及PM2.5中二NFDA1英的影响

为了研究北京大气颗粒物和二NFDA1英(PCDD/Fs)的污染状况以及评估交通限行对大气颗粒物和PCDD/Fs的影响。利用同位素稀释高分辨率气相色谱/高分辨率质谱(HRGC/HRMS)联用法和USEPA 1613B 标准方法,以中国地质大学(北京)东门为采样点,采集大气PM_2.5、PM₁₀、TSP样品,对北京市交通限行期间以及交通限行前后等不同交通状况下颗粒物浓度及大气PM_2.5中17种2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs污染特征进行了监测。结果表明,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、TSP的日均质量浓度在交通限行前分别为126、202、304 μg/m³,限行期间分别为39、78、93 μg/m³,限行结束后分别为79、126 μg/m³。PM_2.5中17种PCDD/Fs的质量浓度(毒性浓度)3个时段分别为1 804 fg/m³(70 fg I-TEQ/m³)、252 fg/m³ (9 fg I-TEQ/m³)和1 196 fg/m³ (48 fg I-TEQ/m³)。北京市交通限行期间颗粒物浓度和二 NFDA1 英浓度显著低于交通限行前后,交通源减排措施的实施是大气颗粒物和二 NFDA1英污染水平降低的主要原因,从减排效果看,交通源减排措施对大气细颗粒物(PM_2.5)的控制效果明显好于大气粗颗粒物。     

2016—2017年武汉市城区大气PM2.5污染特征及来源解析

利用2016年1月至2017年9月湖北省环境监测中心站大气复合污染自动监测站的在线监测数据,对武汉市城区PM_2.5的污染特征及主要来源进行解析。结果表明,武汉市城区PM_2.5质量浓度呈现出明显的季节差异,季节变化规律为冬季>春季>秋季>夏季。水溶性离子的主要成分SO₄^2-、NO₃^-和NH₄⁺占总离子质量浓度的82.0%。PM_2.5中阴离子相对阳离子较为亏损,颗粒整体呈碱性。夏季气态污染物的氧化程度较高且SO₂较NO₂氧化程度高。后向轨迹分析结果表明,区域传输是武汉市PM_2.5的一个重要来源,在4个典型重污染阶段,武汉市分别受到局地、东北、西北及西南方向气团传输的影响。PMF模型解析出武汉市PM_2.5五大主要来源及平均贡献率：扬尘22.0%、机动车排放27.7%、二次气溶胶21.6%、重油燃烧14.9%和生物质燃烧13.8%。     

微生物-光-电化学耦合技术降解污染物和回收能源的研究进展

微生物电化学技术能同时实现污染物去除和能量回收,但存在污染物去除种类有限及产能效率低的局限,近几年将可再生的太阳能引入微生物电化学技术的微生物-光-电化学耦合技术应运而生。本文简要介绍了微生物-光-电化学耦合技术的发展背景和研究现状,对该技术现有的耦合形式进行分类,并对各种形式的耦合机理进行详细的阐释,最后对其未来的发展进行了展望。     

基于铁路客运的中国城市可达性及类型研究

为探究铁路网络时空压缩效应对城市可达性的影响,基于2009年和2014年铁路列车时刻表数据,结合传统数理统计方法及空间分析方法,对中国地级以上城市可达性及其格局演变进行深入分析。结果表明:(1)铁路客运的数量和类型上均有较大变化,特别是始发列车及动车组的大幅增加及高铁的开通运行,中国城市可达性得到一定程度提升,但城市可达性改善地域差异性显著。(2)北上广三大核心城市在城市可达性等级体系中第一层级地位稳固,交通区位条件的差异使得城市可达性等级体系产生一定变化。(3)中国城市可达性绝对及相对差距均呈现出不断扩大趋势,列车停靠数量的极化效应显著、新增加的高速客运更多地向高等级中心城市集聚,铁路基础设施的建设正在重塑中国生产力格局。(4)从城市功能属性及规模属性视角,以始发列车和停靠列车中位数为临界值,将中国城市划分为高规模高功能、高规模低功能、低规模高功能、低规模低功能等4种类型,并依次分析城市分布特征及成因,为铁路客运的合理配置及交通网络优化布局提供参考。