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.     

A model of 90Sr distribution in the sea near Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in China

The impact on the environment ofradionuclide release from nuclear power plants has attracted increased attention, especially after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. Based on the mechanisms of adsorption/desorption at solid/liquid interfaces and a surface micromorphology model of sediments, a theoretical expression of the distribution coefficient Kd is derived. This coefficient has significant effects on the distribution of radionuclide in seawater, suspended sediment and seabed sediment. Kd is then used to simulate ^90Sr transport in the sea near the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant. The simulation results are compared with field measurements of tidal level, current velocity, suspended sediment concentration and ^90Sr concentrations in the same period. Overall, the simulated results agree well with the field measured data. Thus, the derived expression for Ka is capable of interpreting realistic adsorption/desorption processes. What＇s more, conclusion is drawn that about 40% ^90Sr released by Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant will be adsorbed by suspended sediment and 20% by seabed sediment, only about 40% ^90St will remain in the sea near Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in South China Sea.     

Mixing-controlled biodegradation in a toluene plume--results from two-dimensional laboratory experiments

Various abiotic and biotic processes such as sorption, dilution, and degradation are known to affect the fate of organic contaminants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons in saturated porous media. Reactive transport modeling of such plumes indicates that the biodegradation of organic pollutants is, in many cases, controlled by mixing and therefore occurs locally at the plume's fringes, where electron donors and electron-acceptors mix. Herein, we aim to test whether this hypothesis can be verified by experimental results obtained from aerobic and anaerobic degradation experiments in two-dimensional sediment microcosms. Toluene was selected as a model compound for oxidizable contaminants. The two-dimensional microcosm was filled with quartz sand and operated under controlled flow conditions simulating a contaminant plume in otherwise uncontaminated groundwater. Aerobic degradation of toluene by Pseudomonas putida mt-2 reduced a continuous 8.7 mg L(-1) toluene concentration by 35% over a transport distance of 78 cm in 15.5 h. In comparison, under similar conditions Aromatoleum aromaticum strain EbN1 degraded 98% of the toluene infiltrated using nitrate (68.5+/-6.2 mg L(-1)) as electron acceptor. A major part of the biodegradation activity was located at the plume fringes and the slope of the electron-acceptor gradient was steeper during periods of active biodegradation. The distribution of toluene and the significant overlap of nitrate at the plume's fringe indicate that biokinetic and/or microscale transport processes may constitute additional limiting factors. Experimental data is corroborated with results from a reactive transport model using double Monod kinetics. The outcome of the study shows that in order to simulate degradation in contaminant plumes, detailed data sets are required to test the applicability of models. These will have to deal with the incorporation of existing parameters coding for substrate conversion kinetics and microbial growth.     

Inverse modeling of multicomponent reactive transport through single and dual porosity media

Compacted bentonite is foreseen as buffer material for high-level radioactive waste in deep geological repositories because it provides hydraulic isolation, chemical stability, and radionuclide sorption. A wide range of laboratory tests were performed within the framework of FEBEX (Full-scale Engineered Barrier EXperiment) project to characterize buffer properties and develop numerical models for FEBEX bentonite. Here we present inverse single and dual-continuum multicomponent reactive transport models of a long-term permeation test performed on a 2.5 cm long sample of FEBEX bentonite. Initial saline bentonite porewater was flushed with 5.5 pore volumes of fresh granitic water. Water flux and chemical composition of effluent waters were monitored during almost 4 years. The model accounts for solute advection and diffusion and geochemical reactions such as aqueous complexation, acid-base, cation exchange, protonation/deprotonation by surface complexation and dissolution/precipitation of calcite, chalcedony and gypsum. All of these processes are assumed at local equilibrium. Similar to previous studies of bentonite porewater chemistry on batch systems which attest the relevance of protonation/deprotonation on buffering pH, our results confirm that protonation/deprotonation is a key process in maintaining a stable pH under dynamic transport conditions. Breakthrough curves of reactive species are more sensitive to initial porewater concentration than to effective diffusion coefficient. Optimum estimates of initial porewater chemistry of saturated compacted FEBEX bentonite are obtained by solving the inverse problem of multicomponent reactive transport. While the single-continuum model reproduces the trends of measured data for most chemical species, it fails to match properly the long tails of most breakthrough curves. Such limitation is overcome by resorting to a dual-continuum reactive transport model.     

纳米Ag粒子在我国主要类型土壤中的迁移转化过程与环境效应

随着纳米技术的快速发展,纳米材料进入环境并不断累积,因此开展纳米材料的环境安全性研究具有重要意义.纳米银(Ag NP)是目前应用最广泛的人工纳米材料之一.本课题组拟以Ag NP为研究对象,系统研究其在我国主要类型土壤中的迁移、转化过程及其生态环境效应;基于同步辐射技术、同位素技术和量子化学计算等方法,揭示Ag NP与土壤中主要矿物或有机质之间的相互作用规律;探明Ag NP对土壤中微生物、动物和植物的致毒过程及其作用机制;发展Ag NP在土壤中迁移的数学模型,预测其在土壤中的迁移、滞留通量进而评价其淋溶风险,为Ag NP的安全利用提供重要理论基础和技术支撑.     

冻融作用对土壤磷素迁移转化影响研究进展

磷素是生态系统中重要的生源要素之一,其在土壤中的丰缺变化制约着植物的生长状况,寒冷地区土壤的结构与理化性质常年受到冻结和融化的周期性影响,而冻融作用又强烈的影响着土壤磷的迁移转化途径,磷的生物地球化学行为是生态系统初级生产力的决定因素之一。系统的归纳分析了近年来国内外关于土壤吸附作用、土壤含水率以及土壤生物对磷素迁移转化过程影响的研究报道,主要研究结论认为：（1）冻融循环导致土壤颗粒粒径变小以及铁铝化合物形态改变,进而影响了磷在冻融土壤上的吸附行为;（2）土壤水在冻融作用下的固液相转换改变了土壤浸提液中磷的含量,而土壤含水率的高低与磷在土壤中的汇聚和释放存在密切关系;（3）土壤微生物和植物体内的磷在冻融过程中成为土壤中有机磷的主要来源之一。众多研究结果显示,同一制约因素在冻融作用驱动下对土壤磷的影响效果各不相同,这是因为冻融过程中土壤成分、水分含量、冻融时间、循环次数、植被类型和微生物状况等条件共同影响着磷的迁移转化行为,众多相互关联的因子产生的综合效应导致磷在冻融土壤中的迁移转化行为各异。总结分析当前的研究成果,提出冻融作用对土壤磷的影响应在土壤景观尺度、研究方法和手段、预防和治理措施方面进行深入的研究和探索。     

Transport of Sewage Sludge in a Mixed Water Column

Abstract

Sewage sludge from four publicly-owned treatment works was sampled and characterized in terms of parameters affecting transport at the 106-mile deep ocean disposal site as part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's site monitoring programme. Samples from treatment plants in Passaic Valley, Rahway, and Elizabeth, New Jersey and New York City were characterized in terms of dynamic size distribution, suspended solids and density. the transport characteristics of sludge particles were measured using a 2 metre computer-interfaced laboratory settling column. Experiments were conducted at constant salinity (35 ppt) while varying hydrodynamic mixing, sludge type and concentration using a modified factorial experimental design. Hydrodynamic power dissipation was varied so that the vertical dispersion and rms fluid shear rate ranged between 0-6 cm²S^?1 and 0-30s^?1 respectively. Results indicate that at least 80% of suspended sludge particles will eventually settle under mixed conditions. the average settling velocities ranged between 0.05-4.05 × 10^-3 cm ^s-1. Shear rates above 15 s^?1 inhibited sludge settling due to aggregate breakup and boundary effects, but at a lower shear rate, differential settling and fluid shear were the dominant transport mechanisms. Sludge dilution (1/500-1/5000) had a limited effect on the settling rate. Results from this study can be used to calibrate particle transport models to determine the fate of sludge disposed at an ocean disposal site.     

非饱和土壤渗透系数空间不确定性对溶质运移的影响

包气带渗透系数的不确定性是影响非饱和带溶质运移的主要因素。应用贝叶斯方法对非饱和土壤渗透系数进行前处理,使用Monte-Carlo方法模拟其空间不确定性,并通过HYDRUS-1D模型对溶质运移进行数值模拟,研究包气带渗透系数的空间不确定性对溶质运移的影响。结果表明,由于包气带渗透性的不确定性使得溶质浓度分布呈现明显的不确定性,包气带内不同点的浓度值相差很大。与忽略包气带土性参数空间不确定性的模拟结果相对比,考虑包气带渗透系数不确定性的模拟结果与实际情况更加接近,更具合理性和科学性。同时,根据模拟结果,对实际工作中进行地下水数值模拟时溶质初始浓度输入值的确定提出相应建议。     

土壤中石油污染物微生物修复动力学和机理初探

以正十六烷为代表污染物, 研究2种微生物对烷烃的反应动力学方程, 以及正十六烷的摄取和运输机理;确定吸附摄取和运输对整个代谢过程的影响.结果表明, 降解菌对正十六烷均有一定的运输富集能力;2株菌对正十六烷的运输过程存在很大差别, DQ01对正十六烷的运输呈缓慢趋势, 而DQ02对正十六烷的主动运输过程是比较快的.菌体对正十六烷的吸附和运输过程对于正十六烷的降解速度影响较小, 限制污染物降解速率和程度的关键可能是降解过程.     

基于熵权模糊综合评价的铁路危险货物运输预警

为保证危险货物铁路运输安全,基于铁路交通灾害预警管理理论,就危险货物铁路运输提出预警管理方法和建议.首先大量参阅危险货物铁路运输事故案例,结合安全系统工程理论,构建危险货物铁路运输预警系统指标体系.然后针对模糊综合评价权重难以确定的问题,为避免权重主观性过强,利用基于熵权模糊综合评价法对危险货物铁路运输安全进行评价.结合实例试算,结果表明:基于熵权模糊综合评价法的结果同原用评价法的结果基本一致.最后探讨铁路危险货物运输的定性预控措施.