Effects of vermiculite on the growth process of submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis and sediment microecological environment

Ecological restoration is one of the hot technologies for the reconstruction of eutrophic lake ecosystems in which the restoration and propagation of submerged plants is the key and difficult step. In this paper, the effect of vermiculite on the growth process of Vallisneria spiralis and sediment microenvironment were investigated, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the application of vermiculite in aquatic ecological restoration. Results of growth indexes demonstrated that 5% and 10% vermiculite treatment groups statistically promote the growth of Vallisneria spiralis compared to the control. Meanwhile, the results of ecophysiological indexes showed that photosynthetic pigment, soluble sugar content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity of 5% and 10% group were increased compared with the control while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited the opposite result (p < 0.05), which illustrated that vermiculite can improve the resistance of plants and delay the aging process of Vallisneria spiralis. In addition, result of PCA (Principal Component Analysis) demonstrated 5% and 10% group has improved the sediment physical conditions and create more ecological niche for microorganisms directly, and then promoted the growth of plants. The dissolution results showed that vermiculite can dissolve the constant and trace elements needed for plant growth. Furthermore, the addition of vermiculite increased the diversity of microorganisms in the sediments, and promoted the increase of plant growth-promoting bacteria and phosphorus-degrading bacteria. This study could provide a technique reference for the further application of vermiculite in the field of ecological restoration.     

Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) probe for effectively sampling of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in waters and sediments

The passive sampling technique, diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) has attracted increasing interests as an in-situ sampler for organic contaminants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). However, its effectiveness has been questioned because of the small effective sampling area (3.1 cm²). In this study, we developed a DGT probe for rapid sampling of eight PFAS in waters and applied it to a water-sediment system. It has a much larger sampling area (27 cm²) and as a result lower method quantification limits (0.15 – 0.21 ng/L for one-day deployment and 0.02 – 0.03 ng/L for one-week deployment) and much higher (by > 10 factors) sampling rate (100 mL/day) compared to the standard DGT (piston configuration). The sampler could linearly accumulate PFAS from wastewater, was sensitive enough even for a 24 hr deployment with performance comparable to grab sampling (500 mL). The DGT probe provided homogeneous sampling performance along the large exposure area. The use of the probe to investigate distributions of dissolved PFAS around the sediment-water interface was demonstrated. This work, for the first time, demonstrated that the DGT probe is a promising monitoring tool for trace levels of PFAS and a research tool for studying their distribution, migration, and fate in aquatic environments including the sediment-water interface.     

NaOH改性鱼骨粉材料对Cd(II)的吸附

以鱼骨粉（FBM）为原料,利用NaOH处理制备高性能改性鱼骨粉材料（FBM_T）,通过比表面积仪（BET）、X射线衍射仪（XRD）、傅里叶红外光谱（FTIR）、扫描电镜-光电子能谱（SEM-EDS）、透射电镜（TEM）等手段对吸附前后材料形貌、孔结构、功能基团进行表征分析.结果表明,与FBM相比,FBM_T出现一定数目中孔和大孔,具备了高孔容和平均孔径,分别增加68.57%和24.69%.FBM_T材料表面-OH、C=O和PO₄^3-等官能团含量增加,显示出一定的缓冲性能.FBM和FBM_T对Cd（Ⅱ）的吸附经历快速的分配和慢速的吸附两个阶段,符合准二级动力学模型,相关系数R²分别达到0.8635及0.9480.Langmuir模型较好地拟合FBM和FBM_T对Cd（Ⅱ）的等温吸附过程,对Cd（Ⅱ）饱和吸附量由改性前的9.28mg/g增至改性后的22.47mg/g,对应的吸附强度K_F值也随之增加.分离因子0 < R_L < 1表明Cd（Ⅱ）的去除过程为有利吸附.功能材料与Cd（Ⅱ）的作用机理主要包括阳离子专性吸附、静电吸附、离子交换、表面络合及沉淀作用.以上研究为鱼骨粉修复Cd污染提供一种经济有效的方法.     

Assessing the capacity of biochar to stabilize copper and lead in contaminated sediments using chemical and extraction methods

Because of its high adsorption capacity, biochar has been used to stabilize metals when remediating contaminated soils; to date, however, it has seldom been used to remediate contaminated sediment. A biochar was used as a stabilization agent to remediate Cu- and Pb-contaminated sediments, collected from three locations in or close to Beijing. The sediments were mixed with a palm sawdust gasified biochar at a range of weight ratios (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) and incubated for 10, 30, or 60?days. The performance of the different treatments and the heavy metal fractions in the sediments were assessed using four extraction methods, including diffusive gradients in thin films, the porewater concentration, a sequential extraction, and the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. The results showed that biochar could enhance the stability of heavy metals in contaminated sediments. The degree of stability increased as both the dose of biochar and the incubation time increased. The sediment pH and the morphology of the metal crystals adsorbed onto the biochar changed as the contact time increased. Our results showed that adsorption, metal crystallization, and the pH were the main controls on the stabilization of metals in contaminated sediment by biochar.     

Distribution of methylsiloxanes in benthic mollusks from the Chinese Bohai Sea

Methylsiloxanes are a class of silicone compounds that have been widely used in various industrial processes and personal care products for several decades. This study investigated the spatial distribution of three cyclic methylsiloxanes (D4–D6) and twelve linear methylsiloxanes (L5–L16) in mollusks collected from seven cities along the Bohai Sea. D4–D6 (df?=?71%–81%) and L8–L16 (df?=?32%–40%) were frequently detectable in the mollusk samples, while L5–L7 were not found in any mollusk samples. Cyclic methylsiloxanes (D4–D6) were found in mollusks with the mean concentrations of 15.7?±?12.3?ng/g ww for D4, 24.6?±?15.8?ng/g ww for D5 and 34.0?±?23.0?ng/g ww for D6. Among the seven sampling cities, the cyclic methylsiloxanes were predominant in mollusks, with the total cyclic methylsiloxanes (sum of D4–D6, ∑ CMS) accounting for 74.2%–80.7% of the total methylsiloxanes. ∑ CMS along the coastline demonstrated a clear gradient, with the highest concentrations in mollusks at the sampling sites located in the western part of the Bohai Sea and the lowest concentrations in mollusks from cities located in the eastern part of the Bohai Sea. The biota-sediment accumulation factors for cyclic methylsiloxanes (D4–D6) and linear methylsiloxanes (L8–L16) were estimated as 0.42?±?0.06–0.53?±?0.06 and 0.13?±?0.03–0.19?±?0.05, respectively.     

水热炭对水土环境中重金属铅的固持

以纯米糠为前体制备水热炭,通过扫描电子显微镜、傅里叶红外光谱仪和元素分析仪等手段表征其物理化学性质;研究时间、p H、Pb~(2+)初始浓度等因素对其吸附Pb~(2+)的影响,以及其对污染土壤中Pb存在形态的影响。结果表明,纯米糠水热炭表面呈现多孔和网状结构,且含有丰富的表面含氧官能团,对溶液中Pb~(2+)有很强的吸附作用,p H=5时吸附效果最好,吸附24 h基本达到平衡。当Pb~(2+)初始浓度为80 mg/L,水热炭投加量为0.75 g/L时,水热炭对Pb~(2+)的吸附量可达72.44 mg/g。将水热炭投加到Pb污染土壤中,能有效降低弱酸提取态Pb含量,提高残渣态Pb含量,使Pb向更加稳定的状态转化。     

Bioaccumulation and effects of sediment-associated gold- and graphene oxide nanoparticles on Tubifex tubifex

With the development of nanotechnology,gold(Au) and graphene oxide(GO) nanoparticles have been widely used in various fields,resulting in an increased release of these particles into the environment.The released nanoparticles may eventually accumulate in sediment,causing possible ecotoxicological effects to benthic invertebrates.However,the impact of Au-NPs and GO-NPs on the cosmopolitan oligochaete,Tubifex tubifex,in sediment exposure is not known.Mortality,behavioral impact(GO-NP and Au-NP) and uptake(only Au-NP) of sediment-associated Au-NPs(4.9±0.14 nm) and GO-NPs(116±0.05 nm) to T.tubifex were assessed in a number of 5-day exposure experiments.The results showed that the applied Au-NP concentrations(10 and 60 μg Au/g dry weight sediment) had no adverse effect on T.tubifex survival,while Au bioaccumulation increased with exposure concentration.In the case of GO-NPs,no mortality of T.tubifex was observed at a concentration range of 20 and180 μg GO/g dry weight sediment,whereas burrowing activity was significantly reduced at 20 and 180 μg GO/g dry weight sediment.Our results suggest that Au-NPs at 60 μg Au/g or GO-NPs at 20 and 180 μg GO/g were detected by T.tubifex as toxicants during short-term exposures.     

Toxicities and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Taihu Lake, China, based on sediment quality guidelines

The occurrence, toxicities, and ecological risks of five heavy metals(Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni) in the sediment of Taihu Lake were investigated in this study. To evaluate the toxicities caused by the heavy metals, the toxicities induced by organic contaminants and ammonia in the sediments were screened out with activated carbon and zeolite. The toxicities of heavy metals in sediments were tested with benthic invertebrates(tubificid and chironomid).The correlations between toxicity of sediment and the sediment quality guidelines(SQGs)derived previously were evaluated. There were significant correlations(p 0.0001) between the observed toxicities and the total risk quotients of the heavy metals based on SQGs,indicating that threshold effect level(TEL) and probable effect level(PEL) were reliable to predict the toxicities of heavy metals in the sediments of Taihu Lake. By contrast, the method based on acid volatile sulfides(AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals(SEM),such as ∑SEM/AVS and ∑SEM-AVS, did not show correlations with the toxicities. Moreover,the predictive ability of SQGs was confirmed by a total predicting accuracy of 77%. Ecological risk assessment based on TELs and PELs showed that the contaminations of Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn in the sediments of Taihu Lake were at relatively low or medium levels. The risks caused by heavy metals in the sediments of northern bay of the lake, which received more wastewater discharge from upper stream, were higher than other area of the lake.     

地下水污染风险评价中污染源荷载量化方法的对比分析

地下水污染风险评价是地下水资源保护和地下水污染防治区划的重要基础,其评价体系通常由污染源荷载、地下水脆弱性和地下水价值3个要素构成.由于污染源荷载量化方法的差异,必然存在对污染源基础信息的需求差异,以及对最终评价结果的影响未知等问题.为探讨污染源荷载量化方法对地下水污染风险评价的影响,本文选择具有代表性的评分指数法和定量指数法,以滹沱河冲洪积扇中尺度研究区为例,分别进行污染源荷载量化,耦合叠加相同的地下水脆弱性、地下水价值要素,进行地下水污染风险评价,并作对比分析.结果表明,两种方法得出的污染源荷载量化结果存在较大差异,风险评价的最终结果在风险数值特征及风险级别的空间分布上差异也比较显著,说明污染源荷载量化方法的选择对风险评价结果有重要影响;评分指数法适用于基础信息精度较低的大尺度评价区,方法简单,评价结果可靠性程度略低,定量指数法适用于基础信息精度高的中小尺度评价区,方法略复杂,但评价结果可靠性更高,反映出评价区的尺度效应对方法的选择有重要影响.     

Metal contamination in sediments of the western Bohai Bay and adjacent estuaries, China

Twelve sediment cores were collected in July 2007 in open waters of western Bohai Bay, the Port of Tianjin, and the adjacent estuaries of the Haihe and Yongding Rivers. While overall concentrations of trace metals at incremental depths in these cores met the Marine Sediment Quality (GB18668-2002) criteria of China, the magnitude of both metal enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation indices (I(geo)) suggested that pollution with Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn was occurring in the estuaries and Port. Risk analysis also suggested that Ag and Ni concentrations were sufficiently elevated as to cause adverse biological effects in the study area. Although metal concentrations in western Bohai Bay were of less concern, a positive relationship between EF values and excess (210)Pb activity for several metals suggested that their concentrations were increasing over time.