Trimethylbenzoic acids as metabolite signatures in the biogeochemical evolution of an aquifer contaminated with jet fuel hydrocarbons

Evolution of trimethylbenzoic acids in the KC-135 aquifer at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB), Oscoda, MI was examined to determine the functionality of trimethylbenzoic acids as key metabolite signatures in the biogeochemical evolution of an aquifer contaminated with JP-4 fuel hydrocarbons. Changes in the composition of trimethylbenzoic acids and the distribution and concentration profiles exhibited by 2,4,6- and 2,3,5-trimethylbenzoic acids temporally and between multilevel wells reflect processes indicative of an actively evolving contaminant plume. The concentration levels of trimethylbenzoic acids were 3-10 orders higher than their tetramethylbenzene precursors, a condition attributed to slow metabolite turnover under sulfidogenic conditions. The observed degradation of tetramethylbenzenes into trimethylbenzoic acids obviates the use of these alkylbenzenes as non-labile tracers for other degradable aromatic hydrocarbons, but provides rare field evidence on the range of high molecular weight alkylbenzenes and isomeric assemblages amenable to anaerobic degradation in situ. The coupling of actual tetramethylbenzene loss with trimethylbenzoic acid production and the general decline in the concentrations of these compounds demonstrate the role of microbially mediated processes in the natural attenuation of hydrocarbons and may be a key indicator in the overall rate of hydrocarbon degradation and the biogeochemical evolution of the KC-135 aquifer.     

低温等离子体净化尾气中的颗粒相多环芳烃

利用低温等离子体（NTP）净化车用柴油机尾气中的颗粒相多环芳烃（PAHs）,基于电晕放电的原理,设计了NTP发生装置。使用色谱质谱联用仪分析经过NTP净化前后柴油机尾气中颗粒相多环芳烃的含量,观察NTP对颗粒相多环芳烃的净化效果。结果表明,颗粒相小分子量PAHs除菲、蒽外,其他4种多环芳烃的含量显著增加,其中萘、苊变化率达1 130.4%和758.57%;大分子量PAHs除苯并（ghi）芘外,多环芳烃的含量降低达80%以上;NTP对柴油机尾气中颗粒相多环芳烃含量及毒性当量的净化率分别达58.4%和82.8%。     

纳米铁对微生物燃料电池启动的影响

设置3组不同阳极底物的微生物燃料电池（microbial fuel cell,MFC）：无添加污泥（对照组）、含化学合成零价纳米铁的污泥（c-nZVI组）和含绿色合成零价纳米铁的污泥（g-nZVI组）,拟探究不同来源零价纳米铁（nZVI）对MFC启动的影响。3组MFC经由5个周期启动,实验结果表明,在c-nZVI组和g-nZVI组的启功阶段,高浓度的绿色合成零价纳米铁和化学合成零价纳米铁均对MFC的输出电压产生抑制作用,当MFC成功启动后,零价纳米铁对MFC的输出电压影响不明显。此外,COD去除率、SEM和电化学表征数据表明,绿色合成零价纳米铁相比于化学合成零价纳米铁在电极表面富集程度、对电极表面性质改变以及产电菌活性的抑制作用更弱。     

EuroBionet: a pan-European biomonitoring network for urban air quality assessment

EuroBionet, the 'European Network for the Assessment of Air Quality by the Use of Bioindicator Plants', is an EU-funded cooperative project currently consisting of public authorities and scientific institutes from 12 cities in 8 countries. In 2000, the bioindicator plants tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3), poplar (Populus nigra 'Brandaris'), spiderwort (Tradescantia sp. clone 4430), Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum italicum) and curly kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) were exposed to ambient air at 90 monitoring sites according to standardised methods. Visible injuries and growth parameters were assessed and the accumulation of toxic substances in leaves determined. The exposure of tobacco resulted in a gradient with low levels of ozone-induced foliar injury in N and NW Europe, and medium to high values in the southern and central regions. The results of heavy metal and sulphur analyses in rye grass samples generally showed low to very low sulphur and low to medium heavy metal concentrations in leaves. In some cities, however, local hot spots of heavy metal contamination were detected. Analyses of the PAH contents in curly kale leaves gave low to medium values, with locally elevated levels at traffic-exposed sites.     

Measurements of peroxyacyl nitrates (PANS) in Mexico City: implications for megacity air quality impacts on regional scales

Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs) were measured using gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC/ECD) in north central Mexico City during February–March of 1997. Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) was observed to exceed 30 ppb during five days of the study, with peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN) and peroxybutryl nitrate (PBN) reaching 6 and 1 ppb maximum, respectively. Levels of total PANs typically exceeded 10 ppb during the period of measurement and showed a very strong diurnal variation with PANs maximum during the early afternoon and falling to less than 0.1 ppb during the evening hours. These levels of PANs are the highest reported values in North America (and the world) for an urban center, since levels of approximately 30 ppb were reported during the late 1970s in the Los Angeles area (South Coast Air Basin, Tuazon et al., 1978). Hydrocarbon measurements indicate that the levels of olefins, specifically butenes are significant in Mexico City. A time series taken of source indicator hydrocarbons taken before and during a Mexican National Holiday with reduced automobile traffic clearly show that mobile sources of butenes are as important as liquefied petroleum gas. Observations of 10–40 ppb C methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) are consistent with MTBE/gasoline fuel usage as a source of isobutene and formaldehyde. Both these reactive species can lead to increased oxidant and PAN formation. The strong diurnal profiles of PANs are consistent with regional clearing of the Mexico City air basin on a daily basis. Estimates are given using a simple box model calculation for a number of key primary and secondary pollutant emissions from this megacity on an annual basis. These calculations indicate that megacities can be important sources of both primary and secondary pollutants, and that PANs produced in megacity environments are likely to contribute strongly to regional scale ozone and aerosol productions during long range transport.     

Effects of compression ratio,swirl augmentation techniques and ethanol addition on the combustion of CNG–biodiesel in a dual-fuel engine

The diminishing resources and continuously increasing cost of petroleum in association with their alarming pollution levels from diesel engines has led to an interest in finding alternative fuels to diesel. Emission control and engine efficiency are two of the most important parameters in current engine design. The impending introduction of emission standards such as Euro IV and Euro V has forced research towards developing new technologies for combating engine emissions. This paper examines the effects of compression ratio, swirl augmentation techniques and ethanol addition on the combustion of compressed natural gas (CNG) blended with Honge oil methyl esters (HOME) in a dual fuel engine. The present results show that the combustion of HOME and 15% ethanol blend with CNG induction in a dual-fuel engine operated in optimized parameters at an injection timing of 27° Before Top Dead Centre and a compression ratio of 17.5 resulted in acceptable combustion emissions and improved brake thermal efficiencies. The implementation of swirl augmentation techniques increased brake thermal efficiencies (BTEs) and considerably reduced combustion emissions such as smoke, HC, CO and NO_x. The addition of ethanol also increased BTEs. However, at more than 15% of ethanol in HOME, NO_x emissions increased dramatically.     

碳布负载的Co3O4纳米片阵列阳极对微生物燃料电池产电性能的影响

微生物燃料电池（MFCs）是一种在处理废水的同时产生电能的新型装置,阳极作为产电微生物富集、电子产生和传递的区域对提高MFCs的性能具有至关重要的作用。以碳布负载的四氧化三钴多孔纳米片阵列(Co₃O₄/CC)作为阳极,探究了可调控的纳米片孔缺陷对MFCs产电性能的影响。结果表明：Co₃O₄/CC阳极的产电性能显著优于碳布,且正比于Co₃O₄纳米片的孔隙率;液固界面处的电荷传递电阻(R_ct)由729.20 Ω降至43.48 Ω,所获得的最大功率密度由1275 mW·m⁻²增加至1547 mW·m⁻²。本研究开发了一种孔结构可控的金属氧化物负载碳布策略,所制备的高性能阳极材料可为MFCs的性能提升提供参考。     

基于碳数分段法的石油烃污染土壤异位热脱附工艺的优化

针对石油烃污染土壤成分复杂、污染严重、修复难度高的问题,采用适用性广、效率高且去除彻底的异位热脱附技术修复石油烃污染土壤。利用碳数分段法及室内模拟实验,探究在热脱附过程中的土壤粒径、含水率和有机质对石油烃及各组分热解吸效率的影响;另外,还采用响应面法对各影响因素进行了优化,以获得异位热脱附修复石油烃污染土壤的最优工艺参数。结果表明,当污染土壤粒径高于1 mm时,石油烃脱附效率均可达90%以上,且粒径越大土壤颗粒中石油烃去除率越高。其中,润滑油段(ORO, C28~C40)组分的脱附效率随粒径变化最为明显。当土壤含水率为15%、脱附时间为50 min时,石油烃脱附效率最大为52.63%。另外,土壤中有机质含量越低,越利于石油烃的脱除,且高温(400~500 ℃)条件下可基本消除土壤中高含量有机质(3.82%)对石油烃脱除的阻碍作用。响应面优化实验得到的最佳工艺参数条件为,粒径2 mm、有机质含量1.44%、含水率为17.68%,在此条件下的石油烃脱附去除效率可达65.32%。该研究结果可为热脱附技术在石油烃污染场地的实际应用提供参考。     

熟石灰强化热脱附修复重质石油污染土壤

针对热脱附技术修复石油污染土壤存在能耗高的问题,采用添加Ca(OH)₂实现在相对较低的温度下强化热脱附重质石油污染土壤,以降低能耗。通过室内模拟实验,研究了热脱附温度、停留时间和Ca(OH)₂添加量对重质石油污染土壤中总石油烃(total petroleum hydrocarbon, TPH)去除率的影响。结果表明,当热脱附温度为400 ℃、停留时间为30 min、加入1% Ca(OH)₂时,石油污染土壤中TPH的去除率相比无Ca(OH)₂热脱附的土壤提高了23.6%;土壤中饱和烃、芳香烃、胶质和沥青质的去除率分别增加了17.3%、29.3%、18.1%和46.7%,对沥青质的去除效果最佳。Ca(OH)₂能够降低热反应活化能且增加活性位点是其显著促进土壤中重质石油烃的热脱附去除的主要原因。Ca(OH)₂强化热脱附后土壤粘性降低,分散性增强,粒径变小,且在表面生成一层类焦炭的物质。该研究结果可为热脱附技术在石油污染土壤修复中的应用提供参考。     

In situ sequential treatment of a mixed contaminant plume

Groundwater plumes often contain a mixture of contaminants that cannot easily be remediated in situ using a single technology. The purpose of this research was to evaluate an in situ treatment sequence for the control of a mixed organic plume (chlorinated ethenes and petroleum hydrocarbons) within a Funnel-and-Gate. A shallow plume located in the unconfined aquifer at Alameda Point, CA, was found to contain up to 218,000 μg/l of cis-1,2 dichloroethene (cDCE), 16,000 μg/l of vinyl chloride (VC) and <1000 μg/l of 1,1 dichloroethene (1,1 DCE), trans-1,2 dichloroethene (trans-1,2 DCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). Total benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) concentrations were <10,000 μg/l. Contaminated groundwater was funneled into a gate, 3.0 m wide, 4.5 m long and 6.0 m deep (keyed into the underlying aquitard) where treatment occurred. The initial gate segment consisted of granular iron, for the reductive dechlorination of the higher chlorinated ethenes. The second segment, the biosparge zone, promoted aerobic biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and any remaining lesser-chlorinated compounds, stimulated by dissolved oxygen (DO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) additions via an in situ sparge system (CO₂ was used to neutralize the high pH produced from reactions in the iron wall). Groundwater was drawn through the gate by pumping two wells located at the sealed, downgradient, end. Over a 4-month period an estimated 1350 g of cDCE flowed into the treatment gate and the iron wall removed 1230 g, or 91% of the mass. The influent mass of VC was 572 g and the iron wall removed 535 g, corresponding to 94% mass removal. The other chlorinated ethenes had significantly lower influent masses (3 to 108 g) and the iron wall removed the majority of the mass resulting in >96% mass removal for any of the compounds. In spite of these high removal percentages, laboratory column tests indicated that at these levels of chlorinated contaminants, surface saturation of the iron grains likely contributed to lower than expected reaction rates. In the biosparge zone, mass removal of cDCE appeared to occur predominantly by biodegradation (65%) with volatilization (35%) being an important secondary process. The dominant removal process for VC was volatilization (70%) although significant biodegradation was also indicated (30%). Laboratory microcosm results confirmed the potential for aerobic biodegradation of cDCE and VC. When average influent field concentrations for cDCE and VC were 220,000 and 46,000 μg/l, respectively, the sequential treatment unit removed 99.6% of the total mass and when the influent concentrations decreased to 26,000 and 19,000 μg/l for cDCE and VC, respectively, >99.9% removal within the treatment gate was attained. BTEX compounds were found to be significantly retarded in the iron treatment zone. Although they did eventually break through the granular iron, and into the gravel transition zone, none of these compounds was detected in the biosparge zone. No noticeable interferences between the anaerobic (reductive) and aerobic parts of the system occurred during testing. The results of this experiment show that in situ treatment sequences are viable, although further work is needed to optimize performance.