Treatment of wastewater from red and tropical fruit wine production by zeolite anaerobic fluidized bed reactor

A study of the anaerobic treatment of wastewaters derived from red (RWWW) and tropical fruit wine (TFWWW) production was carried out in four laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactors with natural zeolite as bacterial support. These reactors operated at mesophilic temperature (35°C). Reactors R1 and R2 contained Chilean natural zeolite, while reactors R3 and R4 used Cuban natural zeolite as microorganism support. In addition, reactors R1 and R3 processed RWWW, while reactors R2 and R4 used TFWWW as substrate. The biomass concentration attached to zeolites in the four reactors studied was found to be in the range of 44–46 g volatile solids (VS)/L after 90 days of operation time. Both types of zeolites can be used indistinctly in the fluidized bed reactors achieving more than 80%–86% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals for organic loading rates (OLR) of up to at least 20 g COD/L d. pH values remained within the optimal range for anaerobic microorganisms for OLR values of up to 20 and 22 g COD/L d for RWWW and TFWWW, respectively. Toxicity and inhibition levels were observed at an OLR of 20 g COD/L d in reactors R1 and R3 while processing RWWW, whereas the aforementioned inhibitory phenomena were not observed at an OLR of 24 g COD/L d in R2 and R4, treating TFWWW as a consequence of the lower phenolic compound content present in this substrate. The volatile fatty acid (VFA) levels were always lower in reactors processing TFWWW (R2 and R4) and these values (< 400 mg/L, as acetic acid) were lower than the suggested limits for digester failure. The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) was twice as high in reactors R2 and R4 than in R1 and R3 after 120 days of operation when all reactors operated at an OLR of 20 g COD/L d.     

Adsorption of chlorpyrifos,penconazole and metalaxyl from aqueous solution by modified clays

Sorption of three pesticides (chlorpyrifos, metalaxyl and penconazole) has been measured on a commercial clay montmorillonite and on the same mineral modified with either of two cationic-surfactant micelles. Both micelle–clay complexes, commercial names Cloisite 20A and Cloisite 30B, showed a good capacity to sorb all three pesticides from water, whereas their sorption on the natural montmorillonite was not described by an isotherm. Modelling sorption on both micelle–clay complexes showed that the Freundlich sorption constant (K _F) was higher for chlorpyrifos on Cloisite 20A (K _F = 7.76) than on Cloisite 30B (K _F = 5.91), whereas the sorption of metalaxyl was stronger on Cloisite 30B (K _F = 1.07) than on Cloisite 20A (K _F = 0.57). Moreover the micelle–clay complex Cloisite 20A also showed a good affinity for penconazole, the maximum quantity adsorbed (q _m) of 6.33 mg g^?1 being 45% more than that on Cloisite 30B. Single-batch adsorption of each pesticide onto both micelle–clay complexes was studied using the Freundlich isotherm for chlorpyrifos and metalaxyl and the Langmuir isotherm for penconazole. The Cloisite 20A micelle–clay complex was predicted to require 23% less adsorbent to treat certain volumes of wastewater containing 30 mg L^?1 chlorpyrifos, 43% more to treat metalaxyl similarly and 57% less to treat penconazole compared with Cloisite 30B.     

Changes in TcpA gene frequency explain 2,4,6-trichlorophenol degradation in mesocosms

Soils are often polluted by chlorophenols in timber production areas in the northern hemisphere. The tcpA gene encodes the first step of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (246-TCP) degradation. We tested tcpA gene frequency in three natural pristine soils with different 246-TCP degradation capacity. Gene tcpA frequency increased more in spiked than non-spiked 10-L pails containing coniferous humus soil with high degradation capacity, in contrast to soils where degradation was slower. As the soil in each mesocosm originated from a spatially separate field plot, changes in tcpA gene frequency affected 246-TCP degradation over a range of soil origins. This indicates that the abundance of and changes in tcpA gene frequency could be utilized in estimating the efficacy of natural attenuation and biostimulation treatments in controlled conditions.     

A theoretical overview of the relationship between the resource curse and genuine savings as an indicator for “weak” sustainability

This paper shows the strong relation between the factors that lead to the resource curse (RC) and factors that lead to a decline of genuine savings (GS). There is substantial empirical evidence that economies that rely predominantly on their natural resources are also characterized by slower economic growth. This so‐called RC is commonly traced back to the fact that natural resources' generate rents that are independent of a country's economic performance, which can lead to suboptimal reinvestments of this consumed natural capital. We argue that the factors responsible for the RC also have a negative effect on GS, a concept that measures “weak” sustainable development by considering reinvestment of natural capital rents in physical and human capital. We discuss whether the RC hampers possibilities for resource abundant countries to obtain sufficiently high rates of GS, and find indeed many reasons why resource‐dependent countries have problems achieving positive GS rates. We survey both areas of research, emphasizing the influence of the exogenous and endogenous determinants of economic growth, which are usually used to theoretically and empirically explain the RC on the three different forms of capital considered by GS. We specify why most countries suffering from the RC have negative GS rates and explain in detail where the linkages are. This overview could help with potential advancements in the explanation of GS through the inclusion of RC effects.     

汽车危险报警开关气候老化性能研究

针对汽车危险报警开关的气候老化性能展开研究,分别采用整车自然暴露试验技术和人工加速老化试验技术,对汽车危险报警开关的老化性能进行研究,结果显示该汽车危险报警开关表面严重变色,表明其耐气候老化性能较差;对造成汽车危险报警开关因气候老化严重变色的原因进行具体分析,提出具体的措施实施整改,并对整改后的危险报警开关耐老化性能进行验证分析,结果表明经过整改后的危险报警开关耐气候老化性能有了很大的提高。     

高含硫天然气勘探开发潜在危害分析与防范

川东北地区大型天然气矿藏中硫化氢含量较高,且带有高剧毒性和高腐蚀性,勘探开发难度较大。同时气田所处区域的岩土条件十分脆弱,洪涝、大风、冰雹等气候灾害经常发生,易引发泥石流、滑坡,形成地质灾害。另外气田所在地人口密度大,给勘探开发设施布局和居民安全带来很大困难。文章通过对川东北地区天然气勘探、开发过程中存在的潜在危害进行详细分析,提出风险防范技术与对策,以供参考。     

Is Urban Stream Restoration Worth It?1

Kenney, Melissa A., Peter R. Wilcock, Benjamin F. Hobbs, Nicholas E. Flores, and Daniela C. Martínez, 2012. Is Urban Stream Restoration Worth It? Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(3): 603-615. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00635.x Abstract: Public investment in urban stream restoration is growing, yet little has been done to quantify whether its benefits outweigh its cost. The most common drivers of urban stream projects are water quality improvement and infrastructure protection, although recreational and aesthetic benefits are often important community goals. We use standard economic methods to show that these contributions of restoration can be quantified and compared to costs. The approach is demonstrated with a case study in Baltimore, Maryland, a city with a legal mandate to reduce its pollutant load. Typical urban stream restoration costs of US$500-1,200 per foot are larger than the cost of the least expensive alternatives for management of nitrogen loads from stormwater (here, detention ponds, equivalent to $30-120 per foot of restored stream) and for protecting infrastructure (rip-rap armoring of streambanks, at $0-120 per foot). However, the higher costs of stream restoration can in some cases be justified by its aesthetic and recreational benefits, valued using a contingent valuation survey at $560-1,100 per foot. We do not intend to provide a definitive answer regarding the worth of stream restoration, but demonstrate that questions of worth can be asked and answered. Broader application of economic analysis would provide a defensible basis for understanding restoration benefits and for making restoration decisions.     

Bioherbicidal activity of terpenes and phenylpropenes against Echinochloa crus-galli

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate the herbicidal activity of twelve natural compounds belonging to monoterpenes, phenylpropenes, and sesquiterpenes against Echinochloa crus-galli under laboratory and glasshouse conditions. Experiments were conducted to determine the impact of different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8?mM) of these compounds on the seed germination and root and shoot growth of barnyard grass. trans-Cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and thymol caused the highest impact on barnyard grass reducing its seed germination and shoot growth. p-Cymene (EC₅₀ = 0.22?mM) and trans-cinnamaldehyde (EC₅₀ = 0.34?mM) were the most potent compounds in limiting the root growth of the E. crus-galli. In a post-emergent experiment, thymol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, farnesol, and nerolidol significantly reduced the shoot growth, fresh and dry weight of two-leaf stage barnyard grass after 2 days of the foliar treatment with the concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0%. These compounds induced severe visible injury symptoms where trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, farnesol and nerolidol showed a complete weed control at 1.0 and 2.0%. These compounds were successfully formulated as emulsifiable concentrates and showed higher herbicidal activities against barnyard grass. Altogether, our data showed that trans-cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, thymol, farnesol, and nerolidol can be developed as novel bioherbicides for managing E. crus-galli.     

石油类污染物自然衰减能力现场试验验证研究

在北京地区某加油站开展的前期石油类污染物自然衰减现场试验的基础上,进一步开展了验证试验,结果表明本次试验得到的挥发性有机物(VOCs)变化趋势及O2、CO2含量沿土壤深度分布和前期试验结果呈现相同的规律,说明基于自然衰减法设计实施的加油站现场试验检测分析结果可靠,试验方法具有合理性、可操作性及可重复性.进一步的理论分析对前期试验结果进行了验证,得出以下结论:(1)通过氧平衡和碳平衡计算对加油站土壤内的自然衰减方式进行评价,验证了该加油站地下土壤中实际发生的微生物降解既有需氧降解也有厌氧降解;(2)利用有机物的一级衰减模型对该污染现场土壤中石油类污染物的降解速率和半衰期进行计算表明,2次试验计算得到的石油类污染物的半衰期基本一致,该污染现场石油类污染物的半衰期为50 d左右;(3)在此基础上,对该加油站包气带土壤的自然衰减能力和环境质量进行评价,2次试验结果均表明该污染现场在自然衰减的作用下已经不存在环境风险.     

极端气候事件的灾后适应能力研究——以水稻为例

本研究以水稻种植业为例,基于1985-2008年中国水稻主产区的面板数据,实证分析了中国极端气候事件灾后适应能力的机制及绩效。结论表明:西南、华中、华东地区在极端气候事件灾后,并没有将农业产业结构向养殖业调整,相反,种植业在政府扶持与创新激励下反而恢复生产甚至进一步扩张。特别对于西南等经济相对欠发达地区而言,较强的灾后适应能力,往往是农业生产机会成本较低的作用结果,同样由于此原因,华东地区在水灾之后却出现了劳动力转移现象。现阶段,灾后适应能力较多的表现为微观层面的农户响应行为,此种民间调控机制必然有其局限性,政府部门应加大投入力度,通过水利工程建设、气象灾害预警体系构建、标准化农田建设、良种补贴等方式引领粮食主产区应对气象灾害。