Algal uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen in wastewater treatment plants

The algal uptake of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) in the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic(A_2O)process was investigated in this study. Anaerobic, aerobic and effluent DON samples from two wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) were separated into hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions using a DAX-8 resin coupled with an anion exchange resin and a nanofiltration(NF)pretreatment. Hydrophilic DON accounted for 66.66%–88.74% of the entire DON for the two plants evaluated. After a 15-day incubation, 16.95%–91.75% DON was bioavailable for algal growth, and untreated samples exhibited higher DON bioavailability, with 52.83% DON average uptake rates, compared with the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions(45.53% and 44.40%, respectively) because the pretreatment caused the inorganic salt to be resistant to algae. Anaerobic untreated samples, hydrophilic fractions and hydrophobic fractions showed higher DON reduction rates and higher biomass accumulation compared with the other DON fractions due to the decomposition of resistant organics by anaerobic and anoxic bacteria.DON in aerobic and effluent samples of plant A was more bioavailable than that of plant B with usages of 27.49%–55.26% DON. DON bioavailability in the anaerobic–anoxic–oxic process decreased in the following order: anaerobic effluent aerobic. The DON contents were reduced after anaerobic treatment in the two plants. The EEM-PARAFAC model identified three DON components, including two humic acid-like substances and one protein-like substance in plant A and two protein-like substances and one humic acid-like substance in plant B.     

净水厂应对水源地突发苯胺污染处理能力研究

通过对粉末活性炭(PAC)的改性研究提高净水厂对苯胺突发污染的应急能力。以松花江水源地为实验用水,以苯胺污染为研究对象,采用PAC吸附工艺对净水厂应对苯胺突发污染的能力进行了系统研究。结果表明,由于原水中NOM存在的竞争吸附作用,当苯胺超标5倍时,需要PAC投加量130 mg/L才能使出水达标,但对出水浊度产生不利影响;经KOH改性的PAC,在不影响出水浊度的投加量为80 mg/L时就能处理超标5倍的苯胺。     

Past and Present Effectiveness of Protected Areas for Conservation of Naturally and Anthropogenically Rare Plant Species

Abstract:  The Global Strategy of Plant Conservation states that at least 60% of threatened plant species should be within protected areas. This goal has been met in some regions with long traditions of plant protection. We used gap analysis to explore how particular groups of species of conservation interest, representing different types of natural or anthropogenic rarity, have been covered by protected areas on a national scale in Estonia during the last 100 years. Species-accumulation curves indicated that plant species that are naturally rare (restricted global or local distribution, always small populations, or very rare habitat requirements) needed almost twice as many protected areas to reach the 60% target as plant species that are rare owing to lack of suitable management (species depending on grassland management, moderate forest disturbances, extensive traditional agriculture, or species potentially threatened by collecting). Temporal analysis of the establishment of protected areas suggested that grouping plant species according to the predominant cause of rarity accurately reflected the history of conservation decision making. Species found in very rare habitats have previously received special conservation attention; species dependent on traditional extensive agriculture have been largely ignored until recently. Legislative initiative and new nature-protection schemes (e.g., Natura 2000, network of protected areas in the European Union) have had a positive influence on all species groups. Consequently, the species groups needing similar action for their conservation are sensitive indicators of the effectiveness of protected-area networks. Different species groups, however, may not be uniformly conserved within protected areas, and all species groups should fulfill the target of 60% coverage within protected areas.     

Effect of copper and cadmium on carbon assimilation and uptake of metals by algae

Two species of blue green algae Spirulina platensis and Anacystis nidulans grown in artificial aqueous media were treated with Cu and Cd in concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10 ppm to study carbon assimilation and Chlorophyll (Chl) A content. The species were treated with concentrations of 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 ppm to study the uptake of metals with exposure time. Carbon assimilation and Chl A content showed responses proportional to the concentration in the general form y = K + n ln C, where C is the concentration of metal in ppm, while in case of uptake the relation was y = KC”; (where C is the molar concentration x 10^‐6 of the metal). The n values in case of uptake was found to be < 1 indicating a non‐Langmuir type of sorption. The concentration factors of metals decreased with metal concentration in the medium.     

Evaluation of soil characteristics potentially affecting arsenic concentration in paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Paddy rice may contribute considerably to the human intake of As. The knowledge of soil characteristics affecting the As content of the rice plant enables the development of agricultural measures for controlling As uptake.During field surveys in 2004 and 2006, plant samples from 68 fields (Italy, Po-area) revealed markedly differing As concentration in polished rice. The soil factors total As_{(aqua regia)}, pH, grain size fractions, total C, plant available P_(CAL), poorly crystalline Fe_(oxal.) and plant available Si_(Na-acetate) content that potentially affect As content of rice were determined.A multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant positive influence of the total As_{(aqua regia)} and plant available P_(CAL) content and a negative influence of the poorly crystalline Fe_(oxal.) content of the soil on the As content in polished rice and rice straw.Si concentration in rice straw varied widely and was negatively related to As content in straw and polished rice.     

几种植物根亚细胞中菲的分配

以菲为多环芳烃(PAHs)代表物,采用温室水培试验方法,研究了黑麦草、苏丹草、墨西哥玉米、高羊茅、三叶草等5种植物根亚细胞中菲的分配作用.结果表明,经144h培养,随着培养液中菲平衡浓度由0.056mg·L-1增至0.39mg·L-1,黑麦草根、细胞壁、细胞器中菲的含量分别从26.85、20.01和36.19mg·kg-1增大到56.91、49.54和59.77mg·kg-1,富集系数则分别由357.14、479.49和649.25L·kg-1降低到145.92、127.04和153.26L·kg-1.黑麦草根及亚细胞组分中菲的含量大小为细胞器根细胞壁,其中细胞器中菲含量要比细胞壁高21%～163%.水中菲的起始浓度均为1mg·L-1时,144h后,供试5种植物根细胞器中菲的含量(48.64～145.2mg·kg-1)均大于细胞壁(15.86～74.49mg·L-1).5种植物根亚细胞中菲分配的比例大小顺序为细胞器细胞壁可溶部分;其中,根内46%～53%和31%～40%的菲分别分布在细胞器和细胞壁中.     

Genomic analyses of metal resistance genes in three plant growth promoting bacteria of legume plants in Northwest mine tailings, China

To better understand the diversity of metal resistance genetic determinant from microbes that survived atmetal tailings in northwest of China, a highly elevated level of heavymetal containing region, genomic analyses was conducted using genome sequence of three native metal-resistant plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB). It shows that: Mesorhizobium amorphae CCNWGS0123 contains metal transporters from P-type ATPase, CDF (Cation Diffusion Facilitator), HupE/UreJ and CHR (chromate ion transporter) family involved in copper, zinc, nickel as well as chromate resistance and homeostasis. Meanwhile, the putative CopA/CueO system is expected to mediate copper resistance in Sinorhizobium meliloti CCNWSX0020 while ZntA transporter, assisted with putative CzcD, determines zinc tolerance in Agrobacterium tumefaciens CCNWGS0286. The greenhouse experiment provides the consistent evidence of the plant growth promoting effects of these microbes on their hosts by nitrogen fixation and/or indoleacetic acid (IAA) secretion, indicating a potential in-site phytoremediation usage in themining tailing regions of China.     

O3浓度升高对南方城市绿化树种氮素的影响

近地层臭氧(O3)浓度升高会降低树木的光合速率,抑制Rubisco酶的活性,势必会间接影响树木N素的吸收与分配.本研究利用开顶式气室研究过滤大气(CF,<20 nL·L-1)与O3浓度升高(E-O3,约150 nL·L-1)对10种南方城市常用绿化树种幼苗N素吸收和分配的影响.结果表明,与CF相比,E-O3使枫香叶生物量和马褂木茎生物量分别显著降低了20.9%和21.4%,使枫香和马褂木的根生物量显著降低了24.2%和32.5%.O3对被测树种茎中N素含量影响显著,而对叶和根中N素含量无显著影响.O3对被测树种整株树N素吸收总量(Ntu)、叶片N素吸收量及根的N素吸收量存在显著影响,而对茎N素吸收量无显著影响.与CF相比,E-O3使马褂木与木荷的Ntu分别显著降低了28.4%与22.7%,而使舟山新木姜子Ntu显著增加了15.5%.O3浓度升高对各树种N素吸收量在各器官中的分配无显著影响.     

Comparison of biochemical characteristics between PAO and DPAO sludges

A successful enhanced biological phosphorus removal(EBPR) was observed in both anaerobicaerobic sequencing batch reactor(An-Ox SBR) to induce growth of phosphorus accumulating organism(PAO) and anaerobic-anoxic(An-Ax) SBR to induce growth of denitrifying PAO(DPAO).Although the EBPR performance of An-Ox SBR was higher by 11.3% than that of An-Ax SBR,specific phosphorus release rates in the An-Ax SBR(22.8 ± 3.5 mg P/(g VSS·hr)) and the An-Ox SBR(22.4 ± 4.8 mg P/(g VSS·hr)) were similar. Specific phosphorus uptake rates under anoxic and aerobic conditions were 26.3 ± 4.8 mg P/(g VSS·hr)(An-Ax SBR) and 25.6 ± 2.8 mg P/(g VSS·hr)(An-Ox SBR), respectively, which were also similar. In addition, an analysis of relationship of poly-β-hydroxyalkanoates(PHA) synthesized under anaerobic conditions with phosphorous release(Preleased/PHAsynthesized) and of PHA utilized under anoxic and aerobic conditions with phosphorous uptake(Puptaked/PHAutilized) verified that biological activities of EBPR per unit biomass between DPAO and PAO were similar. An analysis of the specific denitrification rate of DPAO showed that NO-3-N can be denitrified at a rate that does not substantially differ from that of an ordinary denitrifier without additional consumption of organic carbon when the PHA stored inside the cell under anaerobic conditions is sufficiently secured.