Effect of struvite and organic acids on immobilization of copper and zinc in contaminated bio-retention filter media

Few studies have been carried out to connect nutrient recovery as struvite from wastewater and sustainable utilization of the recovered struvite for copper and zinc immobilization in contaminated soil. This study revealed the effect of struvite on Cu and Zn immobilization in contaminated bio-retention soil in the presence of commonly exuded plant organic acids. The research hypothesis was that the presence of both struvite and organic acids may influence the immobilization of Cu and Zn in soil. The outcome of this research confirmed that more than 99% of Cu and Zn was immobilized in bio-retention filter media by struvite application. Water-soluble Cu and Zn concentrations of struvite treated soil were less than 1.83 and 0.86 mg/kg respectively, and these concentrations were significantly lower compared to the total Cu and Zn content of 747.05 mg/kg in the contaminated soil. Application of struvite to Cu- and Zn-contaminated soil resulted in formation of compounds similar to zinc phosphate tetrahydrate (Zn₃(PO₄)₂?4H₂O) and amorphous Cu and Zn phases. Struvite was effective in heavy metal remediation in acidic soil regardless of the presence of Ca impurities in struvite and the presence of plant organic acids in soil. Overall, this study revealed that struvite recovered from wastewater treatment plants has potential for use as an amendment for heavy metal remediation in contaminated bio-retention soil.     

基于边介数的省域生态廊道构建方法优化

我国城市建设和生态保护工作均对土地资源有大量需求,二者之间的矛盾在经济优先发展区表现尤为明显.为了有效地改善生态环境,管控土地利用并引导其变化发展,需要建设具备不可替代特征的省域生态廊道.最小累积阻力模型（minimum cumulative resistance,MCR）是识别生态廊道最常用、有效的模型,但在应用于省域尺度时,MCR模型识别的潜在廊道路由存在冗余的问题.因此,通过引入网络科学中的边介数指数（edge-betweenness）对MCR模型进行优化,计算潜在廊道路由的边介数指数值,选取出其中最为重要和简明的结构来连通生态源地,即提取潜在路由中的骨干路由（backbone route）和关键战略点（key strategic point）作为不可替代的结构来指导省域生态廊道建设.将优化后的MCR模型应用于广东省,构建了全长5 493 km的省域生态廊道,其中包含生态源地20处,关键战略点11个,骨干生态廊道29条.骨干路由与关键战略点构成的不可替代省域生态廊道（irreplaceable provincial corridor）能够实现"廊道数量和占地面积最少、连通性基本不变"的目标.研究显示,边介数能够对潜在路由进行优化筛选,识别出维护省域生态安全的关键结构;不可替代生态廊道能够指导省域生态规划和土地空间的发展利用,并为更高水平的生态安全环境提供了演进的基础;同时也为土地资源紧张的地区提供了建设生态廊道的参考与依据.      

On-going nitrification in chloraminated drinking water distribution system (DWDS) is conditioned by hydraulics and disinfection strategies

Within the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) using chloramine as disinfectant, nitrification caused by nitrifying bacteria is increasingly becoming a concern as it poses a great challenge for maintaining water quality. To investigate efficient control strategies, operational conditions including hydraulic regimes and disinfectant scenarios were controlled within a flow cell experimental facility. Two test phases were conducted to investigate the effects on the extent of nitrification of three flow rates (Q = 2, 6, and 10 L/min) and four disinfection scenarios (total Cl₂=1 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=3:1; total Cl₂=1 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=5:1; total Cl₂=5 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=3:1; and total Cl₂=5 mg/L, Cl₂/NH₃-N=5:1). Physico-chemical parameters and nitrification indicators were monitored during the tests. The characteristics of biofilm extracellular polymetric substance (EPS) were evaluated after the experiment. The main results from the study indicate that nitrification is affected by hydraulic conditions and the process tends to be severe when the fluid flow transforms from laminar to turbulent (2300<Re<4000). Increasing disinfectant concentration and optimizing Cl₂/NH₃-N mass ratio were found to inhibit nitrification to some extend when the system was running at turbulent condition (Q = 10 L/min, Re = 5535). EPS extracted from biofilm that was established at the flow rate of 6 L/min had greater carbohydrate/protein ratio. Furthermore, several nitrification indicators were evaluated for their prediction efficiency and the results suggest that the change of nitrite, together with total organic carbon (TOC) and turbidity can indicate nitrification potential efficiently.     

Chemical characteristics of road dust PM2.5 fraction in oasis cities at the margin of Tarim Basin

In order to understand the compositions characteristics of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) fraction in road dust (RD_2.5) of oasis cities on the edge of Tarim Basin, 30 road dust (RD) samples were collected in Kashi, Cele, and Yutian in the spring, 2018, and RD_2.5 was collected using the resuspension approach. Eight water-soluble ions, 39 trace elements and 8 fractions of carbon-containing species in PM_2.5 were analyzed. Ca²⁺ and Ca were the most abundant ions and elements in RD_2.5 (7.1% and 9.5%). Cl^- in RD_2.5 was affected not only by attributed to saline-alkali soils in oasis cities of the Tarim Basin and dust from Taklimakan Desert but also by human activities. Moreover, the organic carbon/elemental carbon (OC/EC) ratio indicated that carbon components in RD_2.5 in Cele town mainly come from fossil fuel combustion, while those in Yutian and Kashi mainly come from biomass combustion. It is noteworthy that high Ca in RD_2.5 was seriously affected by anthropogenic emissions, and high Na and K contents in RD_2.5 could be derived from soil and desert dust. It was estimated that Cd, Tl, Sn and Cr were emitted from anthropogenic emissions using the enrichment factor. The coefficients of divergence (COD) result indicated that the influence of local emission on road dust emission is greater than that of long-distance transmission. This study is the first time to comprehensively analyze the chemical characteristics of road dust in oasis cities, and the results provides the sources of road dust at the margin of Tarim Basin.     

Sources, distribution, and risk assessment of organochlorine pesticides in Nairobi City, Kenya

The distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in air and surface waters were monitored in Nairobi City using triolein-filled semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs). The SPMDs were extracted by dialysis using n-hexane, followed by cleanup by adsorption chromatography on silica gel cartridges. Sample analysis was done by GC-ECD and confirmed by GC–MS. Separation of means was achieved by analysis of variance, followed by pair-wise comparison using the t-test (p≤ 0.05). The total OCPs ranged between 0.018 – 1.277 ng/m³ in the air and <LOD – 1391.000 ng/m³ in surface waters. Based on the results, the means of Industrial Area, Dandora and Kibera were not significantly different (p≤ 0.05), but were higher (p≤ 0.05) than those of City square and Ngong’ Forest. The results revealed non-significant (p≤ 0.05) contribution of long-range transport to OCP pollution in Nairobi City. This indicated possible presence of point sources of environmental OCPs in the city. The water-air fugacity ratios indicated that volatilization and deposition played an important role in the spatial distribution of OCPs in Nairobi City. This indicated that contaminated surface waters could be major sources of human exposure to OCPs, through volatilization. The incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) determined from inhalation of atmospheric OCPs were 2.3745  ×  10^?13 – 1.6845  ×  10^?11 (adult) and 5.5404  ×  10^?13 – 3.9306  ×  10^?11 (child) in the order: Dandora > Kibera > Industrial Area > City Square > Ngong’ Forest. However, these were lower than the USEPA acceptable risks, 10^?6 – 10^?4. This study concluded that atmospheric OCPs did not pose significant cancer risks to the residents.     

Particulate matter exchange between atmosphere and roads surfaces in urban areas

The deposition and the re-suspension of particulate matter (PM) in urban areas are the key processes that contribute not only to stormwater pollution, but also to air pollution. However, investigation of the deposition and the re-suspension of PM is challenging because of the difficulties in distinguishing between the resuspended and the deposited PM. This study created two Bayesian Networks (BN) models to explore the deposition and the re-suspension of PM as well as the important influential factors. The outcomes of BN modelling revealed that deposition and re-suspension of PM10 occurred under both, high-traffic and low-traffic conditions, and the re-suspension of PM2.5 occurred under low-traffic conditions. The deposition of PM10 under low-volume traffic condition is 1.6 times higher than under high-volume traffic condition, which is attributed to the decrease in PM10 caused by relatively higher turbulence under high-volume traffic conditions. PM10 is more easily resuspended from road surfaces compared to PM2.5 as the particles which larger than the thickness of the laminar airflow over the road surface are more easily removed from road surfaces. The increase in wind speed contributes to the increase in PM build-up by transporting particulates from roadside areas to the road surfaces and the airborne PM2.5 and PM10 increases with the increase in relative humidity. The study outcomes provide a step improvement in the understanding of the transfer processes of PM2.5 and PM10 between atmosphere and urban road surfaces, which in turn will contribute to the effective design of mitigation measures for urban stormwater and air pollution.     

Reviews of emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in Asia

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in the atmosphere play important roles in the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in global scale and also in regional scale under some condition due to their large amount and relatively higher reactivity. In places with high plant cover in the tropics and in China where air pollution is serious, the effect of BVOCs on ozone and secondary organic aerosols is strong. The present research aims to provide a comprehensive review about the emission rate, emission inventory, research methods, the influencing factors of BVOCs emissions, as well as their impacts on atmospheric environment quality and human health in recent years in Asia based on the summary and analysis of literatures. It is suggested to use field direct measurement method to obtain the emission rate and model method to calculate the emission amount. Several recommendations are given for future investigation and policy development on BVOCs emission.     

某垃圾焚烧厂投产前后周边土壤二英类化合物的分布

为研究垃圾焚烧厂运行对周边土壤二英类化合物（PCDD/Fs）含量的影响,采集了珠三角地区某垃圾焚烧厂投产前和投产后周边土壤样品,分析研究了该垃圾焚烧厂运行对周边土壤中PCDD/Fs含量和组分的变化.结果表明:①2012年（投产前）珠三角地区某垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量较低,范围为163~591 ng/kg（毒性当量范围为0.198~0.863 ng I-TEQ/kg,I-TEQ为国际毒性当量因子折算的毒性当量值）;2017—2019年（投产后）周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量范围为151~1.75×103 ng/kg（毒性当量范围为0.812~3.88 ng I-TEQ/kg）,与其他研究相比处于较低的水平.②投产后,距该垃圾焚烧厂较近（1.5 km）的采样点（S1）土壤PCDD/Fs含量逐年增长,在较远（5.2 km）但人口较密集的采样点（S3）土壤PCDD/Fs含量整体较高,但呈逐年下降趋势.③投产后,土壤中的17种PCDD/Fs单体组分中,毒性当量贡献率最高的单体为八氯二苯并二英（OCDD）和2,3,4,7,8-五氯二苯并呋喃（2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF）,二者毒性当量贡献率范围为15.7%~45.4%.④在同一采样点土壤PCDD/Fs单体组分年间差异不明显,但同一年份不同采样点差异明显.研究显示,目前该垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量较低,但仍需要长期监测其可能带来的风险.      

外加氮源影响下铁铝氧化物在土壤氮素转化中的作用

土壤中铁铝氧化物在团聚体稳定性和有机碳吸附方面具有重要作用,而氮添加对土壤氮循环影响的变化也可能与其有关,但是目前尚缺乏在氮循环方面的研究.为了探究铁铝氧化物在土壤氮素转化中的作用,选择福建省建瓯罗浮栲森林土壤为研究对象,采用选择性溶提技术准备不同的土壤——未经处理（T1）的土壤和去除游离态铁铝氧化物（T2）土壤、去除非晶质铁铝氧化物（T3）土壤、去除络合态铁铝氧化物（T4）土壤,在这些土壤中添加不同形态氮（40 mg/kg）——丙氨酸（氨基酸态氮,AA）、硫酸铵（铵态氮,AN）、硝酸钠（硝态氮,NAN）和亚硝酸钠（亚硝态氮,NIN）,进行室内培养试验,分析氮含量变化和氮素转化情况.结果表明:①与CK处理相比,AA和AN处理均增加了T1土壤中w（NH₄+-N）,NAN处理增加了w（NO₃--N）,但低于添加量,表明添加氨基酸和铵态氮均会促进氮矿化,添加硝态氮会增加NO₃--N的固定且抑制其硝化.②在CK处理下,与T1土壤相比,T2和T4土壤中w（NH₄+-N）、w（NO₃--N）和w（氨基酸）均降低,但T3土壤中w（NH₄+-N）和w（氨基酸）增加、w（NO₃--N）降低,表明土壤中游离态氧化铁铝和络合态氧化铁铝的存在有助于氮素矿化,非晶质氧化铁铝有助于硝化.③在不同氮处理下,各土壤的氮含量及其转化速率与CK处理规律相似.与CK处理相比,各氮处理均未显著增加T2和T4土壤中w（NH₄+-N）,且AA和AN处理均未影响T2、T3和T4土壤中w（NO₃--N）和w（氨基酸）.结果显示,氮添加并没有改变铁铝氧化物的作用,其中,矿化和氨化作用均表现为游离氧化铁铝>络合氧化铁铝>非晶质氧化铁铝,硝化作用表现为非晶质氧化铁铝>游离氧化铁铝>络合态氧化铁铝.因此,土壤铁铝氧化物的不同存在状态应该是调节氮素转化的重要土壤条件.      

餐厨垃圾生物有机肥对贫瘠黄褐土改良的研究

为了阐明餐厨垃圾生物有机肥改良贫瘠土壤的作用机制,以贫瘠黄褐土为研究对象,通过不施肥、长期（>5 a）施用化肥、中长期（5 a）施用少量餐厨垃圾生物有机肥和短期（1 a）施用大量餐厨垃圾生物有机肥4种施肥方式,分别记为CK组、CF组、LOF-5组和MOF-1组,对比分析不同施肥方式对土壤OM（有机质）、活性有机碳、营养元素和团聚体等的影响.结果表明:①施用餐厨垃圾生物有机肥可显著提高土壤OM、活性有机碳含量,其中,MOF-1组提高效果最显著,与CK组相比,w（OM）可提高173.29%,w（ROC）（ROC为易氧化有机碳）增加了39.17%,w（POC）（POC为颗粒有机碳）和w（DOC）（DOC为可溶性有机碳）分别是CK组的13.85和10.32倍.②中长期（5 a）施用少量餐厨垃圾生物有机肥可增加土壤中较大粒径团聚体的占比,且更有利于提高土壤团粒结构的稳定性,LOF-5组>2 mm粒级的团聚体占比是CK组的4.68倍;与CK组相比,LOF-5组MWD（平均重量直径）增加了100.00%,GMD（几何平均直径）增加了82.98%,>0.25 mm水稳定性团聚体质量占比（DR_0.25）增加了27.20%.③中长期（5 a）施用少量餐厨垃圾生物有机肥可增加土壤中w（TN）（TN为全氮）和w（AN）（AN为速效氮）,与CK组相比,LOF-5组w（TN）和w（AN）分别增加了77.42%和20.82%.施用餐厨垃圾有机肥也可同时增加土壤中w（AP）（AP为速效磷）和w（AK）（AK为速效钾）,MOF-1组增加效果较佳,w（AP）和w（AK）分别是CK组的9.43和3.39倍.研究显示,中长期（5 a）施用少量餐厨垃圾生物有机肥可提升土壤固碳能力,提高土壤养分利用的有效性,从而提升耕地土壤质量,减少化肥施用量,是我国贫瘠黄褐土改良的有效施肥模式.