Effects of glucose on the decolorization of Reactive Black 5 by yeast isolates

The cometabolic roles of glucose were investigated in decolorization of an azo dye, Reactive Black 5, by yeast isolates, Debaryomyces polymorphus and Candida tropicalis. The results indicated that the dye degradation by the two yeasts was highly associated with the yeast growth process and glucose presence in the medium. Color removal of 200 mg dye/L was increased from 76.4% to 92.7% within 60 h to 100% within 18-24 h with the increase of glucose from 5 to 10 g/L, although the activity of manganese dependent peroxidase （MnP） decreased by 2-8 times in this case. Hydrogen peroxide of 233.3 μg/L was detected in 6 h in D. polymorphus culture. The cometabolic functions of glucose and hydrogen peroxide could be also confirmed by the further color removals of 95.8% or 78,9% in the second cycle of decolorization tests in which 7 g glucose/L or 250 μg H202/L was superadded respectively together with 200 mg dye/L.     

Hydraulic management of a soil moisture controlled SDI wastewater dispersal system in an Alabama Black Belt soil

Rural areas represent approximately 95% of the 14000 km(2) Alabama Black Belt, an area of widespread Vertisols dominated by clayey, smectitic, shrink-swell soils. These soils are unsuitable for conventional onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) which are nevertheless widely used in this region. In order to provide an alternative wastewater dosing system, an experimental field moisture controlled subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system was designed and installed as a field trial. The experimental system that integrates a seasonal cropping system was evaluated for two years on a 500-m(2) Houston clay site in west central Alabama from August 2006 to June 2008. The SDI system was designed to start hydraulic dosing only when field moisture was below field capacity. Hydraulic dosing rates fluctuated as expected with higher dosing rates during warm seasons with near zero or zero dosing rates during cold seasons. Lower hydraulic dosing in winter creates the need for at least a two-month waste storage structure which is an insurmountable challenge for rural homeowners. An estimated 30% of dosed water percolated below 45-cm depth during the first summer which included a 30-year historic drought. This massive volume of percolation was presumably the result of preferential flow stimulated by dry weather clay soil cracking. Although water percolation is necessary for OWTS, this massive water percolation loss indicated that this experimental system is not able to effective control soil moisture within its monitoring zone as designed. Overall findings of this study indicated that soil moisture controlled SDI wastewater dosing is not suitable as a standalone system in these Vertisols. However, the experimental soil moisture control system functioned as designed, demonstrating that soil moisture controlled SDI wastewater dosing may find application as a supplement to other wastewater disposal methods that can function during cold seasons.     

Low levels of toxic elements in Dead Sea black mud and mud-derived cosmetic products

Natural muds used as or in cosmetics may expose consumers to toxic metals and elements via absorption through the skin, inhalation of the dried product, or ingestion (by children). Despite the extensive therapeutic and cosmetic use of the Dead Sea muds, there apparently has been no assessment of the levels of such toxic elements as Pb, As, or Cd in the mud and mud-based products. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis of eight toxic elements in samples collected from three black mud deposits (Lisan Marl, Pleistocene age) on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea in Jordan revealed no special enrichment of toxic elements in the mud. A similar analysis of 16 different commercial Dead Sea mud cosmetics, including packaged mud, likewise revealed no toxic elements at elevated levels of concern. From a toxic element standpoint, the Dead Sea black muds and derivative products appear to be safe for the consumer. Whatever the therapeutic benefits of the mud, our comparison of the elemental fingerprints of the consumer products with those of the field samples revealed one disturbing aspect: Dead Sea black mud should not be a significant component of such items as hand creams, body lotions, shampoo, and moisturizer.     

Sorption of polar and nonpolar aromatic compounds to four surface soils of eastern China

Improved predictions on the fate of organic pollutants in surface environments require a better understanding of the underlying sorption mechanisms that control their uptake by soils. In this study, we monitored sorption of nine aromatic compounds with varying physicochemical properties (hydrophobicity, electron-donor/acceptor ability and polarity), including two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, two chlorobenzenes, two nitroaromatic compounds, dichlobenil, carbaryl and 2,4-dichlorophenol in aqueous suspension of four surface soils of eastern China. The tested soils were characterized with respect to organic carbon (OC) content, black carbon content, mineralogy, morphology and size fraction to assess the role of the diverse soil characteristics in sorption. The results of this study show that not only the solute hydrophobicity and the OC content of soil are important to the retention of organic pollutants, but also the solute molecular structure and the soil nature.     

Relationships between organic matter, black carbon and persistent organic pollutants in European background soils: Implications for sources and environmental fate

Black carbon (BC) and total organic carbon (TOC) contents of UK and Norwegian background soils were determined and their relationships with persistent organic pollutants (HCB, PAHs, PCBs, co-planar PCBs, PBDEs and PCDD/Fs) investigated by correlation and regression analyses, to assess their roles in influencing compound partitioning/retention in soils. The 52 soils used were high in TOC (range 54-460 mg/g (mean 256)), while BC only constituted 0.24-1.8% (0.88%) of the TOC. TOC was strongly correlated (p < 0.001) with HCB, PCBs, co-PCBs and PBDEs, but less so with PCDD/Fs (p < 0.05) and PAHs. TOC explained variability in soil content, as follows: HCB, 80%; PCBs, 44%; co-PCBs, 40%; PBDEs, 27%. BC also gave statistically significant correlations with PBDEs (p < 0.001), co-PCBs (p < 0.01) and PCBs, HCB, PCDD/F (p < 0.05); TOC and BC were correlated with each other (p < 0.01). Inferences are made about possible combustion-derived sources, atmospheric transport and air-surface exchange processes for these compounds.     

农村混合生活污水排放特征及其处理工艺研究

针对农村生活污水污染问题已成为影响我国农村水环境的主要因素以及目前黑灰分离收集处理与现状不相符合,本文对崇明县某村的污水排放特征以及水量水质进行调研,并对硝化预处理系统结合人工湿地反硝化以及脱氮预处理结合人工湿地深度处理两种运行模式进行了深入探讨并分析了其去除机理,结果显示,硝化预处理系统结合人工湿地反硝化由于后续反硝化需要投加大量碳源从经济管理方面而言变得不可行;脱氮预处理结合人工湿地深度处理在预处理系统以进水3h、曝气2h、沉淀0.5h、排水0.5h、气水比40∶1的模式运行、人工湿地水力停留时间为48h条件下出水可满足《城镇污水处理厂污染物排放标准》(GB18918-2002)的二级要求,且因氨氮指标的降低大幅缩短了人工湿地的水力停留时间而减小占地面积。     

中国页岩气开发过程环境管理现状与对策分析研究

中国页岩气资源储量丰富,随着页岩气商业勘探开发的不断推进,引发的生态环境问题日益突出.从页岩气开采工艺来看,开发对水、大气、土壤及生态地质环境等都有一定的影响.此外,中国页岩气开发过程中还存在法规标准体系不健全、监管机制缺乏、环境准入机制不明等问题.因此,针对页岩气开发所带来的环境风险,亟需完善法律法规与标准体系、严格监督管理、制定开发环境规划.同时,建设环保示范工程,加大环保科研投入,降低页岩气开发的环境影响,实现页岩气开发的绿色可持续发展.     

Comparison of quartz sand, anthracite, shale and biological ceramsite for adsorptive removal of phosphorus from aqueous solution

The choice of substrates with high phosphorus adsorption capacity is vital for sustainable phosphorus removal from waste water in constructed wetlands. In this study, four substrates were used： quartz sand, anthracite, shale and biological ceramsite. These substrate samples were characterized by X- ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy studies for their mineral components （chemical components） and surface characteristics. The dynamic experimental results revealed the following ranking order for total phosphorus （TP） removal efficiency： anthracite 〉 biological ceramsite 〉 shale 〉 quartz sand. The adsorptive removal capacities for TP using anthracite, biological ceramsite, shale and quartz sand were 85.87, 81.44, 59.65, and 55.98 mg/kg, respectively. Phosphorus desorption was also studied to analyze the substrates＇ adsorption efficiency in wastewater treatment as well as the substrates＇ ability to be reused for treatment. It was noted that the removal performance for the different forms of phosphorus was dependent on the nature of the substrate and the adsorption mechanism. A comparative analysis showed that the removal of particulate phosphorus was much easier using shale. Whereas anthracite had the highest soluble reactive phosphorus （SRP） adsorptive capacity, biological ceramsite had the highest dissolved organic phosphorus （DOP） removal capacity. Phosphorus removal by shale and biological ceramsite was mainly through chemical adsorption, precipitation or biological adsorption. On the other hand, phosphorus removal through physical adsorption （electrostatic attraction or ion exchange） was dominant in anthracite and quartz sand.     

黔北下志留统龙马溪组黑色泥岩沉积环境及页岩气成藏条件

下志留统龙马溪组发育黑色泥岩,分布在贵州北部。为阐明其沉积环境和页岩气成藏条件,研究分析了沉积特征和地球化学特征。泥岩具粉砂泥质结构或泥质结构,岩层多为薄层,普遍具水平层理,含浸染状黄铁矿颗粒,表明沉积水动力弱、沉积速率较低。泥岩的Mo、V、U的富集系数都大于1,Ce异常的平均值为-0.033,特定元素比值(V/Cr、Ni/Co、V/(V+Ni)和Ce/La)都显示泥岩形成于缺氧环境。总体上,龙马溪组黑色泥岩的沉积环境为水体较深、沉积速率较低、呈缺氧还原状态。龙马溪组黑色泥岩的TOC含量在2.78%～4.36%之间,平均值为3.79%;镜质体反射率(R_o)在1.88%～2.16%之间,平均值为1.99%,反映有机质已达成熟-过成熟的干气阶段;有效厚度在10～100 m之间,脆性矿物含量一般在20%～30%之间,埋深大概在0～3 500 m。地层厚度从南至北逐渐增大,其余参数各剖面相似。因此,具有页岩气资源潜力的区域大致在桐梓-绥阳以北地区。这些特征综合表明龙马溪组黑色泥岩具备形成页岩气藏的良好条件,存在较高的页岩气资源潜力。     

黑色岩系中贵金属富集层的成因:来自固定铵的佐证

对湘黔地区（遵义、大庸）下寒武统牛蹄塘组黑色岩系的部分样品进行了Au、Ag、PGE、固定铵的分析，综合前人的资料进行了数据的对比和讨论，首次应用其中的固定铵来讨论了贵金属富集层的成因。