Anaerobic biodegradation of PAHs in mangrove sediment with amendment of NaHCO3

Mangrove sediment is unique in chemical and biological properties. Many of them suffer polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon(PAH) contamination. However, the study on PAH biological remediation for mangrove sediment is deficient. Enriched PAH-degrading microbial consortium and electron acceptor amendment are considered as two effective measures. Compared to other electron acceptors, the study on CO2, which is used by methanogens, is still seldom. This study investigated the effect of Na HCO3 amendment on the anaerobic biodegradation of four mixed PAHs, namely fluorene(Fl), phenanthrene(Phe),fluoranthene(Flua) and pyrene(Pyr), with or without enriched PAH-degrading microbial consortium in mangrove sediment slurry. The trends of various parameters, including PAH concentrations, microbial population size, electron-transport system activities, electron acceptor and anaerobic gas production were monitored. The results revealed that the inoculation of enriched PAH-degrading consortium had a significant effect with half lives shortened by 7–13 days for 3-ring PAHs and 11–24 days for 4-ring PAHs. While Na HCO3 amendment did not have a significant effect on the biodegradation of PAHs and other parameters, except that CO2 gas in the headspace of experimental flasks was increased.One of the possible reasons is that mangrove sediment contains high concentrations of other electron acceptors which are easier to be utilized by anaerobic bacteria, the other one is that the anaerobes in mangrove sediment can produce enough CO2 gas even without adding Na HCO3.     

Enhancing the Engagement of U.S. Private Foundations with Conservation Science

Abstract: Funding for conservation is limited, and its investment for maximum conservation gain can likely be enhanced through the application of relevant science. Many donor institutions support and use science to pursue conservation goals, but their activities remain relatively unfamiliar to the conservation‐science community. We examined the priorities and practices of U.S.‐based private foundations that support biodiversity conservation. We surveyed 50 donor members of the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD) to address three questions: (1) What support do CGBD members provide for conservation science? (2) How do CGBD members use conservation science in their grant making and strategic thinking? (3) How do CGBD members obtain information about conservation science? The 38 donor institutions that responded to the survey made $340 million in grants for conservation in 2005, including $62 million for conservation science. Individual foundations varied substantially in the proportion of conservation funds allocated to science. Foundations also varied in the ways and degree to which they used conservation science to guide their grant making. Respondents found it “somewhat difficult” to stay informed about conservation science relevant to their work, reporting that they accessed conservation science information mainly through their grantees. Many funders reported concerns about the strategic utility of funding conservation science to achieve conservation gains. To increase investment by private foundations in conservation science, funders, researchers, and conservation practitioners need to jointly identify when and how new scientific knowledge will lower barriers to conservation gains. We envision an evolving relationship between funders and conservation scientists that emphasizes primary research and synthesis motivated by (1) applicability, (2) human‐ecosystem interactions, (3) active engagement among scientists and decision makers, and (4) broader communication of relevant scientific information.     

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

<正>Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment,Print ISSN 1004-2857,Online ISSN 2325-4262,Volume 11,2013.Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment(www.tandfonline.com/tpre)is a peer-reviewed journal published in March,June,September,and December by TaylorFrancis,4 Park Square,Milton Park,Abingdon,Oxon,OX14 4RN,UK.     

Feasibility assessment of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket treatment of sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater

The UASB system successfully treated sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater. High concentration sulfate of this wastewater was the main refractory factor. UASB recovery performance after a few days of inflow arrest was studied. The optimal UASB operating conditions for practical application were determined. Treatment of sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater is a big challenge. In this study, a series of anaerobic evaluation tests on pharmaceutical wastewater from different operating units was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion, and the results indicated that the key refractory factor for anaerobic treatment of this wastewater was the high sulfate concentration. A laboratory-scale up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was operated for 195 days to investigate the effects of the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD), organic loading rate (OLR), and COD/SO₄^2? ratio on the biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole in pharmaceutical wastewater and the process performance. The electron flow indicated that methanogenesis was still the dominant reaction although sulfidogenesis was enhanced with a stepwise decrease in the influent COD/SO₄^2? ratio. For the treated sulfamethoxazole pharmaceutical wastewater, a COD of 4983 mg/L (diluted by 50%), OLR of 2.5 kg COD/(m³·d), and COD/SO₄^2? ratio of more than 5 were suitable for practical applications. The recovery performance indicated that the system could resume operation quickly even if production was halted for a few days.     

Performance and recent improvement in microbial fuel cells for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal: A review

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have become a promising technology for wastewater treatment accompanying electricity generation. Carbon and nitrogen removal can be achieved by utilizing the electron transfer between the anode and cathode in an MFC. However, large-scale power production and high removal efficiency must be achieved at a low cost to make MFCs practical and economically competitive in the future. This article reviews the principles, feasibility and bottlenecks of MFCs for simultaneous carbon and nitrogen removal, the recent advances and prospective strategies for performance improvement, as well as the involved microbes and electron transfer mechanisms.     

短程反硝化聚磷的反硝化特征研究

研究了温度、pH值、电子供体种类及电子受体种类对反硝化的影响。试验结果表明，（1）在相同试验条件下。亚硝酸型反硝化与硝酸型反硝化的速率与硝态氮的浓度有关。在温度为25℃、pH为7的条件下，基质浓度〈300mg／L时短程反硝化速率较快；基质浓度≥300mg／L时，以NO3^-为基质的反硝化速率较大。（2）具有大量碳源储存物（PHB）的细菌可实现快速的内源性反硝化脱氮，而处于饥饿状态的细菌的内源性反硝化效率极低。     

顶空-气相色谱法测定水中溴乙烷

建立了顶空-气相色谱法测定环境中不同基质水样中溴乙烷的方法,分别考察了顶空平衡温度、平衡时间、离子强度对溴乙烷富集的影响,从而确定最佳方法参数。结果表明,溴乙烷在0. 10~10. 0μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数(r)为0. 999 0,检出限为0. 012μg/L,测定下限为0. 048μg/L,加标回收率为86. 7%~104. 7%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为2. 9%~4. 8%。该方法准确度和精密度高、检出限低,能够满足环境中不同基质水样中溴乙烷的检测要求。     

Reduction of sampling and analytical errors for electron microscopic analysis of atmospheric aerosols

Electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (EM/EDS) can be used to determine the elemental composition of individual particles. However, the accuracy with which atmospheric particle compositions can be quantitatively determined is not well understood. In this work we explore sources of sampling and analytical bias and methods of reducing bias. Sulfuric acid [H₂SO₄] and ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄] particles were collected on beryllium, silicon, and carbon substrates with similar deposition densities. While [(NH₄)₂SO₄] particles were observed on all substrates, [H₂SO₄] and ammonia-treated [H₂SO₄] particles could not be found on beryllium substrates. Interactions between the substrate and sulfuric acid particles are implicated. When measured with EM/EDS, [H₂SO₄] particles exposed to ammonia overnight were found having lower beam damage rates (0.000 ± 0.002 fraction s⁻¹) than those without any treatment (0.023 ± 0.006 fraction s⁻¹) For laboratory-generated [C₁₀H₆(SO₃Na)₂] particles, the composition determined using the experimental k-factors evaluated from independent particle standards of similar composition and size shows an error less than 20% for all constituents, while greater than 78% errors were found when k-factors were calculated from the theory. This study suggests (1) that sulfate beam damage can be reduced by exposure of atmospheric particle samples to ammonia before analysis, (2) that beryllium is not a suitable substrate for atmospheric particle analysis, and (3) calibration (k-factor determination) using particle standards of similar size and composition to particles present in the atmosphere shows promise as a way of improving the accuracy of quantitative EM analysis.     

强电场电离放电脱硫研究

窄脉冲电晕放电等离子体中电子平均能量低于3eV,没有解决SO2氧化和铵盐回收率难题，强电离放电的电子平均能量达到10eV，有效解决热化学脱硫的SO2氧化和铵盐回收率问题。铵盐回收率达到88％以上，放电能耗低于9Wh/Nm^3。为烟气脱硫提供一项低成本有效的新方法。