Ubiquity of bisphenol A in the atmosphere

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a suspected endocrine disruptor in the environment. However, little is known about its distribution and transport in the atmosphere. Here, the concentrations of BPA in the atmospheric aerosols from urban, rural, marine, and the polar regions were measured using solvent extraction/derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry technique. The concentrations of BPA (1-17,400 pg m⁻³) ranged over 4 orders of magnitude in the world with a declining trend from the continent (except for the Antarctica) to remote sites. A positive correlation was found between BPA and 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene, a tracer for plastic burning, in urban regions, indicating that the open burning of plastics in domestic waste should be a significant emission source of atmospheric BPA. Our results suggest that the ubiquity of BPA in the atmosphere may raise a requirement for the evaluation of health effects of BPA in order to control its emission sources, for example, from plastic burning.     

Hierarchical eco-restoration: A systematical approach to removal of COD and dissolved nutrients from an intensive agricultural area

A systematical approach based on hierarchical eco-restoration system for the simultaneous removal of COD and dissolved nutrients was proposed and applied in a complex residential-cropland area in Kunming, China from August 2006 to August 2008, where the self-purifying capacity of the agricultural ecosystem had been lost. The system includes four main parts: (1) fertilizer management and agricultural structure optimization, (2) nutrients reuse, (3) wastewater treatment, and (4) catchment restoration. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies were 90% for COD, 93% for ammonia, 94% for nitrate and 71% for total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) when the hierarchical eco-restoration agricultural system was in a relatively steady-state condition. The emergence of 14 species of macrophytes and 4 species of zoobenthos indicated that the growth conditions for the plankton were improved. The results demonstrated that this promising and environmentally benign hierarchical eco-restoration system could decrease the output of nutrients and reduce downstream eutrophication risk.     

Effects of organic matter on phosphorus release kinetics in different trophic lake sediments and application of transition state theory

Sediments have a significant influence on the overlying water, and phosphorus (P) release from sediments is an important source for the lake eutrophication, particularly in shallow ones. In this study, effects of organic matter on P release from sediments in different trophic lakes from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, China, were investigated, and the release kinetics of different P fractions at different temperature were studied. The results show that the release kinetics of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) were similar for the studied sediments, the release rate increased rapidly in the initial hours, and it increased gradually after 10h. The release kinetics of SRP, DOP and DTP followed the Power Function model. SRP was the major fraction among the released DTP, while DOP was an important fraction in the heavily polluted sediments. Organic matter restricted the SRP and DTP release while it promoted the DOP release. Both DOP and SRP release processes were endothermic. The thermodynamic properties in the P release kinetics were calculated and discussed.     

Life Cycle Considerations for Improving Sustainability Assessments in Seafood Awareness Campaigns

It is widely accepted that improving the sustainability of seafood production requires efforts to reverse declines in global fisheries due to overfishing and to reduce the impacts to host ecosystems from fishing and aquaculture production technologies. Reflective of on-going dialogue amongst participants in an international research project applying Life Cycle Assessment to better understand and manage global salmon production systems, we argue here that such efforts must also address the wider range of biophysical, ecological, and socioeconomic impacts stemming from the material and energetic throughput associated with these industries. This is of particular relevance given the interconnectivity of global environmental change, ocean health, and the viability of seafood production in both fisheries and aquaculture. Although the growing popularity of numerous ecolabeling, certification, and consumer education programs may be making headway in influencing Western consumer perceptions of the relative sustainability of alternative seafood products, we also posit that the efficacy of these initiatives in furthering sustainability objectives is compromised by the use of incomplete criteria. An emerging body of Life Cycle Assessment research of fisheries and aquaculture provides valuable insights into the biophysical dimensions of environmental performance in alternative seafood production and consumption systems, and should be used to inform a more holistic approach to labeling, certifying, and educating for sustainability in seafood production. More research, however, must be undertaken to develop novel techniques for incorporating other critical dimensions, in particular, socioeconomic considerations, into our sustainability decision-making.     

Laboratory study highlights the key influences of stormwater sediment thickness and bioturbation by tubificid worms on dynamics of nutrients and pollutants in stormwater retention systems

In urban area, the accumulation of polluted stormwater sediments (SWS) in retention ponds may be a source of dissolved pollutants and nutrients for the aquatic ecosystems. Our objective was to quantify the influence of the thickness of SWS layer and the occurrence of tubificid worms on organic matter processing (O(2) uptake and fluxes of NH(4)(+), NO(3)(-), PO(4)(3-), and dissolved organic carbon between sediment and water), releases of 17 PAHs and 4 heavy metals, and microbial characteristics. Results showed that oxidation of SWS organic matter (O(2) and NO(3)(-) uptakes) and releases of nutrients were significantly increased by the quantity of accumulated SWS and the worm bioturbation. Releases of acenaphtene and naphthalene from sediments were significantly increased by the thickness of the SWS layer. In contrast, tubificid worms did not promote the mobilization of pollutants. In conclusion, biological activities and stormwater sediment characteristics need to be assessed to quantify the fate of pollutants and nutrients in stormwater retention ponds.     

重金属Zn对猪粪堆肥过程中微生物群落的影响

利用Biolog微平板技术,对不同浓度重金属Zn影响下堆料微生物群落多样性进行了研究.结果表明,较低浓度Zn处理（Zn含量分别为0mg.kg-1,300mg.kg-1,600mg.kg-1,900mg.kg-1）的堆料升温快,在高温期持续时间长,并达到无害化处理,堆料微生物中起分异作用的碳源主要为多聚物类和糖类.重金属...     

生物炭介导鸡粪厌氧消化性能研究

为探究生物炭介导的鸡粪厌氧消化产甲烷的较优添加比例,在发酵温度[（35±1）℃]、接种率30%的条件下,进行了以鸡粪为底物,生物炭为外源添加剂的厌氧消化试验,研究生物炭不同添加量（20%、15%、10%、5%和不添加）对鸡粪厌氧消化产气特性的影响,确定了生物炭介导的鸡粪厌氧消化的较优添加比例;同时,用扫描电子显微镜对厌氧消化前后生物炭颗粒和附着在生物炭颗粒上的微生物进行了观察.结果表明：生物炭的添加提高了鸡粪单位VS产甲烷量,添加20%、15%、10%和5%生物炭的处理鸡粪VS产甲烷量分别为223mL/g、228mL/g、230mL/g和281mL/g,均高于对照组的202mL/g;添加生物炭提高了产气中的甲烷含量,降低了二氧化碳和硫化氢含量,提高了沼气品质;电镜扫描结果表明,厌氧消化后生物炭表面及内部附着了大量厌氧微生物,主要为杆菌、微粒菌和球菌;本研究中,生物炭介导鸡粪厌氧消化最优的添加比例约为5%.     

生物沥浸法去除猪粪中重金属和提高其脱水性能研究

采用复合嗜酸性硫杆菌,通过摇瓶试验研究了不同Fe2+添加量下生物沥浸对含固率为3%的猪粪中重金属的去除和脱水性能的影响.同时,考察了不间处理的pH、氧化还原电位(ORP)、Fe2+、Fe3+、总Fe、Cu、Zn、比阻和毛细吸水时间(CST)的变化.结果表明,采用生物沥浸技术能有效地去除猪粪中的重金属,随着Fe2+添加量...     

Roles of membrane and organic fouling layers on the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals in microfiltration

To understand the adsorption behavior of endocrine disrupting chemicals(EDCs) is important for enhancing the treatment performance and preventing potential secondary pollution caused by EDCs desorption in a microfiltration system. The dynamic adsorption of four representative EDCs, namely estriol(E3), 17β-estradiol(E2), 17α-ethynylestradiol(EE2), and 4-nonylphenol(4-NP) in a microfiltration system was investigated using the Thomas' model.The product of the equilibrium constant and the total adsorption capacity of the membrane,Ka, for E3, E2, EE2, and 4-NP were 4.91, 9.78, 15.6, and 826, respectively, strongly correlating with the compound octanol–water partition coefficient(KOW). Adsorption appeared to be enhanced when organic fouling formed on the surface of membrane, indicating the role of an additional adsorption column for EDCs acted by a fouling layer in microfiltration. Results of a comparison between the Ka values for clean membrane and fouled membrane illustrated that the significant contribution made by fouling layers may be attributed to the foulant layer's hydrophobicity(in the case of calcium humate layer) and thickness(in the case of calcium alginate layer). This study provided a novel perspective to quantitatively analyze the dynamic adsorption behavior of trace pollutants in membrane process.     

畜禽粪便有机肥中Cu、Zn在水稻土中的有效性动态变化和形态归趋

通过温室土壤培养试验,研究了不同畜禽粪便有机肥中Cu、Zn在水稻土中有效性动态变化过程和形态归趋,为科学评价畜禽粪便有机肥中重金属进入稻田后的生态风险提供理论依据.试验结果表明,施用畜禽粪便有机肥12个月后,水稻土p H提高了0.4~0.9.施用鸡粪降低了水稻土中有效态Cu含量,而猪粪的施用增加了水稻土中有效态Cu含量.水稻土中有效态Zn含量随畜禽粪便有机肥施用量的增加而增加.与重金属无机盐相比,鸡粪处理中Cu的有效性低于等量无机盐处理,猪粪处理中Cu、Zn和鸡粪处理中Zn的有效性与等量无机盐处理相同.形态归趋过程研究结果表明,畜禽粪便有机肥带入到水稻土中Cu、Zn的量较低时,Cu在有机质结合态中有显著的积累,Zn则在碳酸盐结合态中有显著的积累;带入的Cu、Zn的量较高时,Cu、Zn在各个形态中均有积累;无机盐带入水稻土的Cu、Zn在交换态、碳酸盐结合态、铁锰氧化物结合态和有机结合态中均有积累.畜禽粪便有机肥带入的Cu、Zn积累在有机结合态中的量与等量无机盐处理无显著差异.培养12个月时,有机肥处理的交换态Cu含量均显著高于等量无机盐处理,表明畜禽粪便有机肥中Cu的潜在有效性更高.