New microbial electrosynthesis system for methane production from carbon dioxide coupled with oxidation of sulfide to sulfate

Microbial electrosynthesis system (MES) is a promising method that can use carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, to produce methane which acts as an energy source, without using organic substances. However, this bioelectrical reduction reaction can proceed at a certain high applied voltage when coupled with water oxidation in the anode coated with metallic catalyst. When coupled with the oxidation of HS^– to SO₄²⁻, methane production is thermodynamically more feasible, thus implying its production at a considerably lower applied voltage. In this study, we demonstrated the possibility of electrotrophic methane production coupled with HS^– oxidation in a cost-effective bioanode chamber in the MES without organic substrates at a low applied voltage of 0.2 V. In addition, microbial community analyses of biomass enriched in the bioanode and biocathode were used to reveal the most probable pathway for methane production from HS^– oxidation. In the bioanode, electroautotrophic SO₄²⁻ production accompanied with electron donation to the electrode is performed mainly by the following two steps: first, incomplete sulfide oxidation to sulfur cycle intermediates (SCI) is performed; then the produced SCI are disproportionated to HS^– and SO₄²⁻. In the biocathode, methane is produced mainly via H₂ and acetate by electron-accepting syntrophic bacteria, homoacetogens, and acetoclastic archaea. Here, a new eco-friendly MES with biological H₂S removal is established.     

不同合成条件对ZnAl-LDHs覆膜改性生物陶粒除磷效果的影响

采用3种Zn~(2+)/Al~(.+)金属浓度比的ZnCl_2和AlCl_3溶液,在两个不同pH值条件下,利用水热-共沉淀法对生物陶粒基质进行层状双金属氢氧化物(LDHs)覆膜改性.将生成的不同类型ZnAl-LDHs覆膜改性基质与原始生物陶粒基质分别填充于实验柱中,构建模拟垂直流人工湿地小试系统;对改性前后的7种基质进行磷素净化效果、等温吸附实验和解吸附实验研究,通过实验数据结合主成分分析,探讨ZnAl-LDHs覆膜改性生物陶粒除磷效果提升的影响因素.结果表明,pH=11的ZnAl-LDHs改性方式对磷素净化效果具有更为明显的提升功能;其中ZnAl-LDHs(pH=11,1∶1)改性生物陶粒基质相比于原始基质,对TP、TDP、SRP平均去除率的增幅超过70%,其最大理论吸附量达到原始生物陶粒的3倍.合成ZnAl-LDHs时的pH值和Zn~(2+)/Al~(3+)金属浓度比对改性生物陶粒的结构形态与覆膜效果有着不同程度的影响,其中合成时的pH值是ZnAlLDHs覆膜改性生物陶粒除磷效果的主要影响因素.通过合理调控制备ZnAl-LDHs覆膜改性生物陶粒时的pH值及Zn~(2+)/Al~(3+)金属浓度比,可以达到有效提高ZnAl-LDHs覆膜改性生物陶粒除磷效果的目的.     

Characterizing food waste substrates for co-digestion through biochemical methane potential (BMP) experiments

Co-digestion of food waste with dairy manure is increasingly utilized to increase energy production and make anaerobic digestion more affordable; however, there is a lack of information on appropriate co-digestion substrates. In this study, biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were conducted to determine the suitability of four food waste substrates (meatball, chicken, cranberry and ice cream processing wastes) for co-digestion with flushed dairy manure at a ratio of 3.2% food waste and 96.8% manure (by volume), which equated to 14.7% (ice-cream) to 80.7% (chicken) of the VS being attributed to the food waste. All treatments led to increases in methane production, ranging from a 67.0% increase (ice cream waste) to a 2940% increase (chicken processing waste) compared to digesting manure alone, demonstrating the large potential methane production of food waste additions compared to relatively low methane production potential of the flushed dairy manure, even if the overall quantity of food waste added was minimal.     

人工湿地中基质与植物对污染物去除效率的影响

针对太湖五里湖富营养化水体,采用中试规模的人工湿地现场实验开展了不同基质、不同植物的污染物去除效果研究。基质采用炉渣和沸石2种,在一个湿地池种植单一植物茭白,另一个湿地池种植鸢尾＋菖蒲混合植物,同时构建了无植物的对照组湿地。研究表明：（1）在运行初期,沸石和炉渣2种基质对TN、TP的去除率差异为12.5%和12.6%,吸附饱和后,2种基质对TN和TP的去除率差异缩小为3.2%和6.1%,从长期运行来看,炉渣和沸石2种基质在人工湿地中的去除效率差异将减小;（2）茭白单一植物湿地对污染物的去除率与鸢尾＋菖蒲混合植物湿地对污染物的去除率两者之间差异不大;（3）人工湿地种植植物后对TN、TP的去除率比无植物状态时分别高出13.6%和19.5%,植物在人工湿地中对污染物的去除发挥了重要作用;（4）在本试验条件下,茭白吸收所去除的氮数量为湿地氮总去除量的8.95%,茭白吸收去除磷的数量为湿地磷总去除量的20.16%,在人工湿地中,茭白吸收对磷的去除效率比对氮的去除效率高。     

Anaerobic biodegradation of benzene series compounds by mixed cultures based on optional electronic acceptors

A series of batch experiments were performed using mixed bacterial consortia to investigate biodegradation performance of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and three xylene isomers （BTEX） under nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reducing conditions. The results showed that toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene and o-xylene could be degraded independently by the mixed cultures coupled to nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron reduction. Under ferric iron reducing conditions the biodegradation of benzene and p-xylene could be occurred only in the presence of other alkylbenzenes. Alkylbenzenes can serve as the primary subs＇rates to stimulate the transformation of benzene and p-xylene under anaerobic conditions. Benzene and p-xylene are more toxic than toluene and ethylbenzene, under the three terminal electron acceptors conditions, the degradation rates decreased with toluene 〉 ethylbenzene 〉 m-xylene 〉 o-xylene〉 benzene 〉 p- xylene. Nitrate was a more favorable electron acceptor compared to sulfate and ferric iron. The ratio between sulfate consumed and the loss of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene was 4.44, 4.51, 4.42, 4.32, 4.37 and 4.23, respectively; the ratio between nitrate consumed and the loss of these substrates was 7.53, 6.24, 6.49, 7.28, 7.81, 7.61, respectively; the ratio between the consumption of ferric iron and the loss of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene was 17.99, 18.04, 18.07, 17.97, respectively.     

Specificity of Life Conditions for Commercial Invertebrates on Artificial Substrates in the Eutrophicated Amur Bay,the Sea of Japan

The consequences of anthropogenic impact on the water area of Amur Bay (the Sea of Japan) near Vladivostok include the eutrophication of coastal waters and littering with various objects used as artificial substrates, which protect sedentary animals from predators and contribute to the survival of their larvae. An indicator of eutrophication, the diatom Skeletonema costatum accounting for 81–96% of the total abundance of phytoplankton (Stonik and Selina, 1995), is consumed mainly by barnacles and the Pacific oyster. Thus, these animals gain an advantage in the colonization of artificial substrates. The results of the study suggest that eutrophication will lead to changes in the structure of the marine community.     

沸石在环境保护中的新应用

本综述了沸石在控制环境中亚硝胺污染,净化处理废水以及沸石在农业生产和其他环境保护领域中应用的新进展。沸石是香烟添加剂的首选材料,能使侧流烟气中的亚硝胺减少一半,主流烟气中减少约70％,减轻吸烟和被动吸烟的污染危害。沸石的净化作用源于其对亚硝胺特殊的催化和吸附作用。香烟燃烧所产生的亚硝胺如果在高温下接触沸石,将被催化裂解;如果亚硝胺在较低温度下接触沸石,也会被沸石吸附而不再污染环境。沸石的特殊吸附功能使之成为缓释肥料的重要组成部分。沸石和高分子材料组装、分散之后,能制成调控植物根苗附近小环境水含量的功能性复合材料。     

MDAT-IAT同步脱氮除磷工艺活性污泥在不同基质中的厌氧释磷特性研究

对改进型MDATIAT(ModifiedDemandedAerationTankIntermittentAerationTank)同步脱氮除磷工艺中活性污泥在不同基质下的厌氧释磷特性进行了研究.在葡萄糖、甲酸钠、乙酸钠和丙酸钠4种单一基质中,活性污泥厌氧释磷量分别为1.58、3.55、3.04和1.86mg·L-1;释磷速率分别达到0.02、0.05、0.15和0.10mg·L-1·min-1.另外,在葡萄糖、甲酸钠、乙酸钠和丙酸钠组成的混合基质中的活性污泥厌氧释磷试验结果表明,混合基质中活性污泥释磷量和释磷速率均大于4种单一基质中的释磷量和释磷速率,分别达到8.51mg·L-1和0.31mg·L-1·min-1.     

Applications of magnetic nanoparticles in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of environmental pollutants

Environmental pollution, a major problem worldwide, poses considerable threat to human health and ecological environment. Efficient and reliable detection technologies, which focus on the appearance of emerging environmental and trace pollutants, are urgently needed. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS) has become an attractive analytical tool for sensing trace targets in environmental field because of its inherent molecular fingerprint specificity and high sensitivity. In this review, we focused on the recent developments in the integration of magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) with SERS for facilitating sensitive detection of environmental pollutants. An overview and classification of different types of MNPs for SERS detection were initially provided, enabling us to categorize the huge amount of literature that was available in the interdisciplinary research field of MNPs based SERS technology. Then, the basic working principles and applications of MNPs in SERS detection were presented. Subsequently, the detection technologies integrating MNPs with SERS that eventually were used for the detection of various environmental pollutions were reviewed. Finally, the advantages of MNP-basedSERS detection technology for environmental pollutants were concluded, and the current challenges and future outlook of this technology in practical applications were highlighted. The application of the MNPsbasedSERS techniques for environmental analysis will be significantly advanced with the great progresses of the nanotechnologies, optics, and materials.     

Life cycle assessment of hot mix asphalt and zeolite-based warm mix asphalt with reclaimed asphalt pavement

A comprehensive life cycle assessment of asphalt pavements was conducted including hot mix asphalt (HMA), warm mix asphalt (WMA) with the addition of synthetic zeolites, and asphalt mixes with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). The environmental impacts associated with energy consumption and air emissions were assessed, as well as other environmental impacts resulting from the extraction and processing of minerals, binders and chemical additives; asphalt production; transportation of materials; asphalt paving; road traffic on the pavement; land use; dismantling of the pavement at the end-of-life and its landfill disposal or recycling. Monte Carlo simulations were also conducted to take into account the variability of critical input parameters. Taking into account the entire life cycle, the impacts of zeolite-based WMA pavements were almost equal to the impacts of HMA pavements with the same RAP content. The reduction in the impacts of WMA resulting from the lowering of the manufacturing temperature was offset by the greater impacts of the materials used, especially the impacts of the synthetic zeolites. Moreover, by comparing asphalt mixes with different RAP contents, it was shown that the impacts of asphalt mixes were significantly reduced when RAP was added. All endpoint impacts as well as climate change, fossil depletion and total cumulative energy demand were decreased by 13–14% by adding 15% RAP. A key advantage of WMA is the potentially greater use of RAP. Thus, the decrease in the impacts achieved by adding large amounts of RAP to WMA could turn these asphalt mixes into a good alternative to HMA in environmental terms.