Biosorption of Cr(III) from aqueous solution by freeze-dried activated sludge: Equilibrium,kinetic and thermodynamic studies

Batch biosorption experiments were conducted to remove Cr(III) from aqueous solutions using activated sludge from a sewage treatment plant. An investigation was conducted on the effects of the initial pH, contact time, temperature, and initial Cr(III) concentration in the biosorption process. The results revealed that the activated sludge exhibited the highest Cr(III) uptake capacity (120 mg·g⁻¹) at 45°C, initial pH of 4, and initial Cr(III) concentration of 100 mg·L⁻¹. The biosorption results obtained at various temperatures showed that the biosorption pattern accurately followed the Langmuir model. The calculated thermodynamic parameters, ΔG^o (−0.8– −4.58 kJ·mol⁻¹), ΔH^o (15.6–44.4 kJ·mol⁻¹), and ΔS^o (0.06–0.15 kJ·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹) clearly indicated that the biosorption process was feasible, spontaneous, endothermic, and physical. The pseudo first-order and second-order kinetic models were adopted to describe the experimental data, which revealed that the Cr(III) biosorption process conformed to the second-order rate expression and the biosorption rate constants decreased with increasing Cr(III) concentration. The analysis of the values of biosorption activation energy (E_a = −7 kJ·mol⁻¹) and the intra-particle diffusion model demonstrated that Cr(III) biosorption was film-diffusion-controlled.     

Assessing citizen contributions to butterfly monitoring in two large cities

Citizen science may be especially effective in urban landscapes due to the large pool of potential volunteers. However, there have been few evaluations of the contributions of citizen scientists to knowledge of biological communities in and around cities. To assess the effectiveness of citizen scientists' monitoring of species in urban areas, we compared butterfly data collected over 10 years in Chicago, Illinois (U.S.A.), and New York City, New York (U.S.A.). The dates, locations, and methods of data collection in Chicago were standardized, whereas data from New York were collected at any location at any time. For each city, we evaluated whether the number of observers, observation days (days on which observations were reported), and sampling locations were associated with the reported proportion of the estimated regional pool of butterfly species. We also compared the number of volunteers, duration of volunteer involvement, and consistency of sampling efforts at individual locations within each city over time. From 2001 to 2010, there were 73 volunteers in Chicago and 89 in New York. During this period, volunteers observed 86% and 89% of the estimated number of butterfly species present in Chicago and New York, respectively. Volunteers in New York reported a greater proportion of the estimated pool of butterfly species per year. In addition, more species were observed per volunteer and observation day in New York, largely due to the unrestricted sampling season in New York. Chicago volunteers were active for more years and monitored individual locations more consistently over time than volunteers in New York. Differences in monitoring protocol--especially length of sampling season and selection protocol for monitoring locations--influenced the relationship between species accrual and sampling effort, which suggests these factors are important in volunteer-based species-monitoring programs.     

民用燃料燃烧排放PM2.5和PM10中碳组分排放因子对比

在实验室中模拟民用燃料在家庭炉灶中的燃烧,应用稀释通道系统采集颗粒物,获得玉米秸秆、薪柴、蜂窝煤和块煤四种常用民用燃料燃烧排放PM10,PM2.5及载带碳组分的排放因子.结果表明,民用燃料燃烧排放的颗粒物以细颗粒为主, PM2.5占PM10的70%~90%.颗粒物排放因子最大的为块煤,其PM2.5和PM10的排放因子分别为9.837和11.929g/kg,分别是蜂窝煤的12.6和13.7倍;玉米秸秆和薪柴PM2.5和PM10的排放因子稍低于块煤,为7.359~10.444g/kg.4种燃料燃烧OC排放因子块煤最高,其在PM2.5和PM10中分别为5.29和5.19g/kg.薪柴燃烧EC的排放因子最高,其在PM2.5和PM10 中的排放因子分别为1.065和1.126g/kg.块煤两种粒径上EC的排放因子略低于薪柴.蜂窝煤EC的排放因子最低,比薪柴低300倍左右,玉米秸秆EC的排放因子也要比薪柴低10倍左右.碳组分是块煤,秸秆,薪柴排放颗粒物的主要成分,其含量在40%~60%之间,该值比蜂窝煤高3倍.四种燃料对应的OC/EC比值差异很大,薪柴和块煤燃烧排放颗粒该值为3~6,秸秆和蜂窝煤燃烧排放颗粒其值高达30~50.     

二维平流扩散模型下的集合卡尔曼滤波模拟同化研究

为提高环境数值预报水平,构建了一个针对污染物扩散的模拟数据同化系统。采用集合卡尔曼滤波方法对二维平流扩散模型的状态变量进行了实时校正,实现污染物浓度的实时模拟预报,完成了敏感性实验中集合数目变化、观测方差变化和同化窗口长度变化研究。比较考察观测点位置与污染源距离不同时的预报效果,探讨了优化条件下的同化策略,提出一种根据距离远近动态调节卡尔曼增益权重的方法。在集合数目较小时,可降低计算代价,得到优化的同化效果。     

农户对高产农业技术扩散的生态环境影响感知实证

农民生态环境感知对促进农民自觉环境保护行为和农村两型社会建设具有重要作用。通过对湖南省洞庭湖湿地水稻主产区6个乡镇的调查,将农户生态影响感知具体化为土壤、水源、身体健康和水稻4个方面的感知,借助定量分析建立了农户综合环境感知指数,研究农民对以化学农业为代表的高产农业技术扩散的生态环境影响感知,并运用Tobit模型探讨了影响农户生态影响感知的主要因素。结果表明:农民已经意识到以石化农业为代表的高产农业技术扩散带来的不利影响,尽管他们的意识还只限于一些看得见的因素如土壤肥力、捕鱼量和健康问题,对于看不见的影响的感知还很薄弱。以化学农业为代表的高产农业技术采用的水平和持续时间直接决定了人们对于不利影响的感知。提高收入水平与教育水平、强化农业技术推广能提升农民生态环境感知,而农田水利基础设施建设和土壤肥力对农户环境感知有复杂的影响关系。     

不同排海方式城市尾水微生物扩散规律

尾水中含有大量病原菌,回用或排入自然水体后会对人群健康和生态安全构成威胁.为了探究不同排海方式对微生物扩散规律的影响,本研究利用高通量测序技术对春季污水处理厂尾水细菌群落结构、优势菌群、典型致病菌及其随扩散距离的变化进行研究.结果发现,先排河后排海的尾水物种更加丰富,分布在58个菌纲,相对丰度大于1%的细菌有32种,而直接排海的尾水中仅有41个菌纲,相对丰度大于1%的细菌有28种.相对于直排过程,间排方式微生物群落结构相对丰度更高,说明尾水的直接排海使得微生物更易扩散.同一污水处理厂优势菌门所占比例随着扩散距离的增大整体呈下降趋势,蓝藻菌门(Cyanobacteria)等由于在自然水体中的高浓度出现随扩散距离增大整体上升的趋势.两个系统的优势菌门都属于变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)及厚壁菌门(Firmicutes),纲、种水平重合度较低,但整体来讲排污口附近微生物多样性及丰度远高于海水(空白样品),且污水处理相关菌种丰度较高.另外,尾水中存在一定量的致病菌和条件致病菌,其中Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis、Pseudomonas anguilliseptica致病性极强,扩散后相对丰度仍然很高,且弓形杆菌属(Arcobacter spp.)与人类和动物的腹泻、菌血症等疾病密切相关.因此,尾水排放过程中应对这几种细菌重点监测.     

Which compounds contribute most to elevated airborne exposure and corresponding health risks in the Western Balkans?

A majority of ongoing monitoring of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is currently focused on chemicals emphasized in the Stockholm Convention. Quantitative detection of other substances (especially those with numerous anthropogenic sources such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) is, however, also needed since their concentrations are usually several orders of magnitude higher. A goal of this study was to determine how various groups of compounds contribute to total human health risks at the variety of sampling sites in the region of Western Balkan. Distribution of the risks between the gas and particulate phases was also addressed. Results showed that inhalation exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) does not represent a significant risk to humans, while polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) re-volatilized to the atmosphere from contaminated soils and buildings can pose a problem. PCB evaporation from primary sources (currently used PCB-filled transformers or non-adequate storage facilities) generally resulted in much higher atmospheric concentrations than evaporation from the secondary sources (soils at the sites of war destructions). A majority of the human health risks at the urban sites were associated with PAHs. Between 83 and 94% of the cumulative risk at such sites was assigned to chemicals sorbed to particles, and out of it, PAHs were responsible for 99%.     

A soil sampling intercomparison exercise for the ALMERA network

Soil sampling and analysis for radionuclides after an accidental or routine release is a key factor for the dose calculation to members of the public, and for the establishment of possible countermeasures. The IAEA organized for selected laboratories of the ALMERA (Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity) network a Soil Sampling Intercomparison Exercise (IAEA/SIE/01) with the objective of comparing soil sampling procedures used by different laboratories. The ALMERA network is a world-wide network of analytical laboratories located in IAEA member states capable of providing reliable and timely analysis of environmental samples in the event of an accidental or intentional release of radioactivity. Ten ALMERA laboratories were selected to participate in the sampling exercise. The soil sampling intercomparison exercise took place in November 2005 in an agricultural area qualified as a “reference site”, aimed at assessing the uncertainties associated with soil sampling in agricultural, semi-natural, urban and contaminated environments and suitable for performing sampling intercomparison. In this paper, the laboratories sampling performance were evaluated.     

机动车尾气污染物NO_X在主干道水平、垂直方向上的浓度分布规律初探

对南海市主干道汽车尾气污染物ＮＯｘ 在水平、垂直方向上的扩散分布进行初步探究。结果表明,ＮＯｘ 在水平、垂直方向上的扩散呈现一定的规律。并且交通、风、气温、光照是影响ＮＯｘ 浓度分布的重要因素。     

雾对大气污染物迁移扩散的影响

从雾形成和发展过程中热力和动力特征的变化,分析了大气污染物在雾天气下的迁移扩散和清除过程。表明,在某些情况下,雾对污染物有明显的清除作用,在某些情况下,雾可以造成地面高浓度污染。