Phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in tropical coastal soils I. selection of promising woody plants

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: This glasshouse study is aimed at evaluating tropical plants for phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated saline sandy subsurface soils. Tropical plants were selected for their ability to tolerate high salinity and remove No. 2 diesel fuel in coastal topsoil prior to further investigation of the phytoremediation feasibility in deep contaminated soils. The residual petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminant at the John Rogers Tank Farm site, a former petroleum storage facility, at Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii, is located in a coastal area. It lies below a layer of silt in the subsurface, in loamy sand characterized by moderate salinity and high pH. Little is known regarding the ability of tropical plants to remediate petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated subsurface soil in Hawaiian and other Pacific Island ecosystems although suitable plants have been identified and utilized for bioremediation in surface soil or marine sediments. METHODS: The experiments were conducted in long narrow pots under glasshouse conditions in two phases. A preliminary experiment was done with nine tropical plants: kiawe (Prosopis pallida), milo (Thespesia populnea), common ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia), kou (Cordia subcordata), tropical coral tree (Erythrina variegata), false sandalwood (Myoporum sandwicense), beach naupaka (Scaevola sericea), oleander (Nerium oleander), and buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). These plants were screened for resistance to high salinity treatment (2% NaCl) and two diesel fuel levels (5 and 10 g No. 2 diesel fuel/kg soil) in separate treatments. Plants that showed good tolerance of both factors were further evaluated in a second phase for their efficacy in the phytoremediation of diesel-fuel petroleum hydrocarbons under moderate salinity treatment (1% NaCl). RESULTS: Tropical coral tree and buffelgrass were susceptible to either 2% NaCl or diesel fuel at 10 g/kg soil, but tolerant of diesel fuel at 5 g/kg soil. Kiawe, milo, kou, common ironwood, N. oleander, beach naupaka and false sandalwood were tolerant of high salinity (2% NaCl) or high diesel fuel level (10 g/kg soil). These seven plants were also tolerant of the combined adverse effects of a moderate salinity (1% NaCl) and 10 g diesel fuel/kg soil. Three trees, kiawe, milo and kou significantly accelerated the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil spiked with 10 g diesel fuel/kg soil under a moderate salinity treatment (1% NaCl). CONCLUSION: Thus the tropical woody plants, kiawe, milo and kou showed potential for use in phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in coastal tropical soils. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Two fast growing trees, milo and kou, appeared promising for further phytoremediation evaluation in experiments that simulate the soil profile at the field site.     

Rapid measurement of indoor mass-transfer coefficients

Indoor air pollutant concentrations can be influenced by how rapidly species are transported to and from surfaces. Consequently, a greater understanding of indoor transport phenomena to surfaces improves estimates of human exposure to indoor air pollutants. Here, we introduce two methods of rapidly and directly measuring species fluxes at indoor surfaces, allowing us to evaluate the transport-limited deposition velocity, v_t (a mass-transfer coefficient). The deposition velocity sensor (DeVS) method employs a small microbalance coated with a pure hydrocarbon, preferably octadecane. We quantify flux (or evaporation rate) of the hydrocarbon into a room by observing the rate of mass loss on the microbalance. The transport-limited deposition velocity, v_t,octadecane, is then obtained by combining the flux with the vapor pressure of the hydrocarbon. Simultaneously, v_t,ozone is quantified using the deposition velocity of ozone (DeVO) method, which acts as a standard to calibrate and evaluate DeVS. Specifically, DeVO evaluates ozone transport to surfaces by quantifying the conversion by ozone of nitrite to nitrate on a glass fiber filter. Simultaneous laboratory chamber experiments demonstrates that v_t for octadecane and ozone are strongly correlated, with the values for ozone 1.5 times greater than that for octadecane. In an office experiments, the DeVS method responds within minutes to step changes in conditions such as occupancy, activities and ventilation. At present, the results are in order-of-magnitude agreement with predicted indoor mass-transfer coefficients.     

Accumulation of Hg(II) by microbial biofilms on suspended particulate matter

Accumulation of Hg(II) by microbial biofilms on suspended particulate matter     

外秦淮河生态护坡挺水植物适应性试验研究

针对外秦淮河的污染状况,采用挺水植物菖蒲和狭叶香蒲进行试验,对外秦淮河的污染水质进行净化;同时进行两种挺水植物在外秦淮河当前水质下的耐淹没性试验.通过试验研究得出,在深秋季节,虽然菖蒲和狭叶香蒲两种植物已经处于生长周期的最后阶段,但是对外秦淮河污染水质仍然有较好的净化效果,对TP、TN、氨氮等的去除率能达到80%以上,对CODMn的去除率偏低.而且通过净化和耐淹试验中两种植物的对比,菖蒲比狭叶香蒲更能适应外秦淮河的水质状况.     

冲裁模刃口尺寸及公差的自动标注与修改

根据冲裁模刃口尺寸及公差的确定原则和计算公式 ,提出了切实可行的人机交互式的自动标注和修改冲裁模刃口尺寸及公差的方法     

UV-US-O3联用处理高浓度有机废水的研究

本研究利用UV-US-O3联用处理废水.结果表明,UV-US-O3联用的处理效果大大高于单一紫外、单一臭氧及单一超声波处理的去除效率之和,UV-US-O3联用具有极好的协同效应.另外,本研究还考察了pH值、臭氧流量、超声波声能密度、处理时间的变化对处理效果的影响.     

Impacts of meteorology and precursor emission change on O3 variation in Tianjin, China from 2015 to 2021

Deterioration of surface ozone (O₃) pollution in Northern China over the past few years received much attention. For many cities, it is still under debate whether the trend of surface O₃ variation is driven by meteorology or the change in precursors emissions. In this work, a time series decomposition method (Seasonal-Trend decomposition procedure based on Loess (STL)) and random forest (RF) algorithm were utilized to quantify the meteorological impacts on the recorded O₃ trend and identify the key meteorological factors affecting O₃ pollution in Tianjin, the biggest coastal port city in Northern China. After “removing” the meteorological fluctuations from the observed O₃ time series, we found that variation of O₃ in Tianjin was largely driven by the changes in precursors emissions. The meteorology was unfavorable for O₃ pollution in period of 2015-2016, and turned out to be favorable during 2017-2021. Specifically, meteorology contributed 9.3 µg/m³ O₃ (13%) in 2019, together with the increase in precursors emissions, making 2019 to be the worst year of O₃ pollution since 2015. Since then, the favorable effects of meteorology on O₃ pollution tended to be weaker. Temperature was the most important factor affecting O₃ level, followed by air humidity in O₃ pollution season. In the midday of summer days, O₃ pollution frequently exceeded the standard level (>160 µg/m³) at a combined condition with relative humidity in 40%-50% and temperature > 31°C. Both the temperature and the dryness of the atmosphere need to be subtly considered for summer O₃ forecasting.     

无菌水葫芦的降酚和耐酚性能的研究

干重为0.2～0.3g的无菌水葫芦在各种酚浓度中(10、100、150、200、360、800μg/ml)的5日降解率可达20％～40％,即使在高浓度中植株很快死亡,但仍有降解能力;一定时间内的吸酚量随初始浓度不同而不同,有一定正相关;干重为0.2～0.3g的无菌水葫芦耐酚阈值为100～150μg/ml,高出此浓度植株很快死亡。     

Detrimental role of residual surface acid ions on ozone decomposition over Ce-modified γ-MnO2 under humid conditions

In the study,the catalyst precursors of Ce-modified γ-MnO_2 were washed with deionized water until the pH value of the supernatant was 1,2,4 and 7,and the obtained catalysts were named accordingly.Under space velocity of 300,000 hr~(-1),the ozone conversion over the pH=7 catalyst under dry conditions and relative humidity of 65% over a period of 6 hr was 100% and 96%,respectively.However,the ozone decomposition activity of the pH=2 and 4 catalysts distinctly decreased under relative humidity of 65% compared to that under dry conditions.Detailed physical and chemical characterization demonstrated that the residual sulfate ions on the pH=2 and 4 catalysts decreased their hydrophobicity and then restrained humid ozone decomposition activity.The pH=2 and 4 catalysts had inferior resistance to high space velocity under dry conditions,because the residual sulfate ion on their surface reduced their adsorption capacity for ozone molecules and increased their apparent activation energies,which was proved by temperature programmed desorption of O_2 and kinetic experiments.Long-term activity testing,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations revealed that there were two kinds of oxygen vacancies on the manganese dioxide catalysts,one of which more easily adsorbed oxygen species and then became deactivated.This study revealed the detrimental effect of surface acid ions on the activity of catalysts under humid and dry atmospheres,and provided guidance for the development of highly efficient catalysts for ozone decomposition.     

Vertical distribution of volatile organic compounds conducted by tethered balloon in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region of China

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as precursors of ozone and secondary organic aerosols can cause adverse effects on the environment and human health. However, knowledge of the VOC vertical profile in the lower troposphere of major Chinese cities is poorly understood. In this study, tethered balloon flights were conducted over the juncture of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in China during the winter of 2016. Thirty-six vertical air samples were collected on selected heavy and light pollution days at altitudes of 50-1000 meters above ground level. On average, the concentration of total VOCs (TVOCs) at 50-100 m was 4.9 times higher than at 900-1000 m (46.9 ppbV vs. 8.0 ppbV). TVOC concentrations changed rapidly from altitudes of 50-100 to 401-500 m, with an average decrease of 72%. With further altitude increase, the TVOC concentration gradually decreased. The xylene/benzene ratios of 34/36 air samples were lower than 1.1, and the benzene/toluene ratios of 34/36 samples were higher than 0.4, indicating the occurrence of aged air mass during the sampling period. Alkenes contributed most in terms of both OH loss rate (39%-71%) and ozone formation potential (40%-72%), followed by aromatics (6%-38%). Finally, the main factors affecting the vertical distributions of VOCs were local source emission and negative dispersion conditions on polluted days. These data could advance our scientific understanding of VOC vertical distribution.