西南喀斯特区域生态环境敏感性评价及其空间分布

西南喀斯特区域生态环境本身的脆弱性再加上不合理的人类活动的影响,生态环境问题突出,识别易发生生态环境问题的区域,为西南喀斯特地区生态环境保护和恢复提供科学依据十分必要。在ArcGIS支持下,选取影响西南喀斯特区生态环境的4个敏感性因子（水土流失、石漠化、酸雨及生境生物多样性）作为评价因子,采用层次分析法和综合指标法,评价西南喀斯特区域生态环境敏感性程度及空间分布情况。结果表明：西南喀斯特地区水土流失、石漠化、酸雨敏感性很高,前二者的中度敏感以上区域均占西南喀斯特区域总面积的60%以上,酸雨中度敏感以上区域达50%以上;生境生物多样性敏感性相对较低,不敏感区占西南喀斯特区总面积的40%。西南喀斯特区生态环境综合敏感度极高,中度敏感以上区域占整个研究区总面积的80%以上,不敏感和轻度敏感区主要分布在湘中南、鄂东南、广西中部喀斯特峰林平原区及云南、贵州山间盆地及河谷地区。地质背景、地形及气候是西南喀斯特区域生态环境敏感性的主导因素     

污泥用量对生活垃圾堆肥氮素转化与损失的影响

为了探讨生活垃圾堆肥的氮素损失问题,对生活垃圾（A组）、污泥和生活垃圾混合B组（w/w=1∶6）、C组（w/w=1∶4）组等3组物料进行高温好氧堆肥,研究污泥用量对生活垃圾堆肥化过程中温度、pH值、各氮素转化与损失的影响。结果表明：投加污泥会影响生活垃圾的通风性能,减慢物料的升温速率,延长堆肥周期。污泥用量对生活垃圾堆...     

Effects of municipal solid waste compost and mineral fertilizer amendments on soil properties and heavy metals distribution in maize plants (Zea mays L.)

Soil amendments based on crop nutrient requirements are considered a beneficial management practice. A greenhouse experiment with maize seeds (Zea mays L.) was conducted to assess the inputs of metals to agricultural land from soil amendments. Maize seeds were exposed to a municipal solid waste (MSW) compost (50 Mg ha⁻¹) and NPK fertilizer (33 g plant⁻¹) amendments considering N plant requirement until the harvesting stage with the following objectives: (1) determine the accumulation of total and available metals in soil and (2) know the uptake and ability of translocation of metals from roots to different plant parts, and their effect on biomass production. The results showed that MSW compost increased Cu, Pb and Zn in soil, while NPK fertilizer increased Cd and Ni, but decreased Hg concentration in soil. The root system acted as a barrier for Cr, Ni, Pb and Hg, so metal uptake and translocation were lower in aerial plant parts. Biomass production was significantly enhanced in both MSW and NPK fertilizer-amended soils (17%), but also provoked slight increases of metals and their bioavailability in soil. The highest metal concentrations were observed in roots, but there were no significant differences between plants growing in amended soil and the control soil. Important differences were found for aerial plant parts as regards metal accumulation, whereas metal levels in grains were negligible in all the treatments.     

Non-biological inhibition-based sensing (NIBS) demonstrated for the detection of toxic arsenic compounds

This work demonstrates the success of a recently developed technique in chemical amplification, non-biological inhibition-based sensing (NIBS), for the detection of toxic arsenic compounds. Screening for toxic arsenic compounds is especially important due to their prevalence in wastewater and water sources. The detection method presented in this work amplifies the chemical response of toxic arsenic compounds by developing a sensor chemistry where the analyte inhibits, rather than enhances, the rate of a catalytic reaction. This technique mimics the work done with enzyme inhibition; however, using non-biological molecules allows for selective detection without the shelf-life issue associated with biological molecules. Using NIBS we find that we can enhance the sensitivity of the system by two orders of magnitude with no apparent loss in selectivity. This work demonstrates the versatility of NIBS, showing that the technique can be of general use for the detection of toxic compounds.     

Heavy metal removal and cyanide destruction in the metal plating industry: an integrated approach from egypt

Wastewater produced from a metal plating is a major environmental problem. Industrial auditing revealed that the main source of pollution mainly originated from rinsing water. The characterization of final effluent showed that it is highly contaminated with hazardous heavy metals and cyanide. The concentration of copper, hexavalent chromium, nickel, and cyanide in the rinsing water of metal plating department was 14.8, 40.9, 13.3, and 19 mg/l, respectively. The concentration of cyanide and zinc from the galvanizing department reached 60 and 80 mg/l. The remediation scheme included the application of in-plant control measures via changing the rinsing process followed by the destruction of cyanide and reduction of hexavalent chromium bearing wastes. The pretreated wastes were then mixed with other industrial wastes prior to a combined chemical coagulation-sedimentation using lime and/or lime in combination with ferric chloride. The results indicated that, after applying the waste minimization measures alone at the source, prior to final treatment of industrial waste, removal rates of cyanide, copper, nickel, and chromium concentrations were 23.2%, 14.9%, 32.3%, and 55.3%, respectively in the rinse water from metal plating department. Furthermore, the removal rates of cyanide and zinc in the galvanizing department reached 59.7% and 24.3. The integrated control measures and treatment scheme led to more than 99% removal of copper, nickel, chromium, and zinc, while the complete removal of cyanide was achieved in the final effluent.     

Zinc distribution in soils amended with different kinds of sewage sludge

Sewage sludge (SS) can be applied to cropland to supply and recycle nutrients and organic carbon. Potentially toxic elements in the sludge, however, are of environmental concern. This study evaluates the changes in chemical speciation of Zn in three representative pristine soils of the Pampas Region, Argentina, measured with sequential extraction over a one-year period. Pure SS or SS containing 30% (DM) of its own incineration ash (AS) was applied to the soils at an application rate of 150Mgha(-1). Zn was sequentially fractionated into exchangeable, organically bound, inorganic and residual fractions. The application of the SS and AS amendments significantly increased Zn concentration in all soil fractions at each sampling date. At day 1, Zn was mainly found in the residual fraction. A year after the application of the amendments, redistribution towards the inorganic fraction was observed (41-76% of total Zn content). Zn found in exchangeable and inorganic fractions depended on soil pH rather than on the type of soil used. A negative and significant correlation was found between exchangeable Zn concentrations and soil pH (r=0.94), and a positive and significant correlation between inorganic Zn concentrations and soil pH (r=0.92). For each amended soil and sampling date, no significant differences were observed between SS or AS treatments for the exchangeable fraction. Moreover, the use of AS did not cause significant differences in Zn concentration in the other soil fractions compared to SS. Based on these results, land spreading of AS may be similar to SS diaposal in terms of Zn mobility.     

Separation and recovery of carbon dioxide by a membrane flash process

A novel process for carbon dioxide (CO₂) separation, which was named a membrane flash process, was developed to realize an energy-saving technology and to substitute it for a conventional regenerator. The electric energy for CO₂ recovery in a membrane flash process using aluminum oxide and diethanolamine was lower than the thermal energy of the conventional chemical absorption process. Flashing at elevated temperature by the low temperature energy significantly reduced the electric energy and required much less membrane area. This process has potentiality of low cost capture of CO₂ when the low temperature energy, which is not available for other purposes, can be utilized to elevate flashing temperature.     

Studying soil organic matter using 13C CP-MAS NMR: the effect of soil chemical pre-treatments on spectra quality and representativity

¹³C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy is a technique that has proved to be useful in studying soil organic matter (SOM). Nevertheless, NMR spectra exhibit a weak signal and have very low resolution due to: the low natural abundance of ¹³C (1.1 % of C) in SOM, the generally low SOM content of soils, and the presence of paramagnetic impurities. This paper studies the effects of soil chemical pre-treatments on ¹³CP-MAS NMR spectra quality and spectra representativity i.e. soil C mass balance.

After chemical pre-treatment to increase total organic carbon (TOC) content and C/Fe ratio, eight soils characterized by different levels of organic carbon content and C/Fe ratios were studied using ¹³CP-MAS NMR. Moreover, where chemical treatments were not applicable due to high carbon losses, the number of ¹³CP-MAS NMR scans was increased in order to obtain satisfactory spectra.

Results show that chemical pre-treatment of soils with C/Fe > 1 caused high C losses. Bulk soils were therefore studied by increasing the number of ¹³CP-MAS NMR scans. Acceptable spectra were obtained from 8K scans (1K = 1024 transient). On the other hand, even when a large number of scan (32K) are used, soil with C/Fe < 1 cannot be studied. As these soils are characterized by low C losses after HCl treatments (range of 2.9–25.4%), a pre-treatment of at least 1.39 mol l⁻¹ HCl removes excess Fe and at the same time increases C/Fe ratio resulting in 32K scans providing good spectra.     

One-dimensional model for biogeochemical interactions and permeability reduction in soils during leachate permeation

This paper uses the findings from a column study to develop a reactive model for exploring the interactions occurring in leachate-contaminated soils. The changes occurring in the concentrations of acetic acid, sulphate, suspended and attached biomass, Fe(II), Mn(II), calcium, carbonate ions, and pH in the column are assessed. The mathematical model considers geochemical equilibrium, kinetic biodegradation, precipitation-dissolution reactions, bacterial and substrate transport, and permeability reduction arising from bacterial growth and gas production. A two-step sequential operator splitting method is used to solve the coupled transport and biogeochemical reaction equations. The model gives satisfactory fits to experimental data and the simulations show that the transport of metals in soil is controlled by multiple competing biotic and abiotic reactions. These findings suggest that bioaccumulation and gas formation, compared to chemical precipitation, have a larger influence on hydraulic conductivity reduction.