The ecological effects of trichloroacetic acid in the environment

Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) is a member of the family of compounds known as chloroacetic acids, which includes mono-, di- and trichloroacetic acid. The significant property these compounds share is that they are all phytotoxic. TCAA once was widely used as a potent herbicide. However, long after TCAA's use as a herbicide was discontinued, its presence is still detected in the environment in various compartments. Methods for quantifying TCAA in aqueous and solid samples are summarized. Concentrations in various environmental compartments are presented, with a discussion of the possible formation of TCAA through natural processes. Concentrations of TCAA found to be toxic to aquatic and terrestrial organisms in laboratory and field studies were compiled and used to estimate risk quotients for soil and surface waters. TCAA levels in most water bodies not directly affected by point sources appear to be well below toxicity levels for the most sensitive aquatic organisms. Given the phytotoxicity of TCAA, aquatic plants and phytoplankton would be the aquatic species to monitor for potential effects. Given the concentrations of TCAA measured in various soils, there appears to be a risk to terrestrial organisms. Soil uptake of TCAA by plants has been shown to be rapid. Also, combined uptake of TCAA from soil and directly from the atmosphere has been shown. Therefore, risk quotients derived from soil exposure may underestimate the risk TCAA poses to plants. Moreover, TCE and TCA have been shown to be taken up by plants and converted to TCAA, thus leading to an additional exposure route. Mono- and di-chloroacetic acids can co-occur with TCAA in the atmosphere and soil and are more phytotoxic than TCAA. The cumulative effects of TCAA and compounds with similar toxic effects found in air and soil must be considered in subsequent terrestrial ecosystem risk assessments.     

Formation of Soluble Complexes of Metals with Humic Acid and Its Environmental Significance

In order to investigate the role of functional groups present in humic acid(s) (HA) during complex formation, water soluble complexes between HA isolated from soil and metals (Pb, Ca, As, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Mg and Zn) were prepared and subjected to infrared (IR) spectroscopy. the IR data revealed the involvement of the - OH group of humic acid in complex formation with all metals except copper and arsenic, whereas the - COOH group of HA was found to be the preferred site of binding for all the metals. the significance of findings in relation to detoxification of environmental pollutants is discussed in this paper.     

滤料粒径对BAF小尺度下流场形态及挂膜速度的影响

为探讨颗粒粒径对曝气生物滤池(BAF)运行效果的影响,采用数值模拟和实验研究方法分析了滤料粒径对曝气生物滤池流场形态及挂膜速度的作用机理.选用5个颗粒尺寸结构空间作为计算区域,利用Fluent软件对相同颗粒间隙、不同颗粒粒径下BAF小尺度下的流场形态进行模拟分析,并通过对3种粒径下流线图、速度矢量图、压力分布及湍流强度变化的对比分析,发现颗粒粒径为3 mm时流场形态最好,最有利于气水混合及氧传质的进行.同时,为验证模拟结果的正确性,对同种材质、相同运行条件下3种不同颗粒粒径进行挂膜速度对比,通过考察挂膜启动28 d的COD去除率变化及污泥生物量的对比分析,发现颗粒粒径为3 mm时,运行最为稳定,系统运行第16 d时就达到了80%的COD去除效率.     

电活性生物膜阳极构建及其对2，4，6-三氯酚同步降解和产电

为实现氯酚（CPs）的高效降解和资源化利用,探究微生物燃料电池（MFC）体系优势功能菌,揭示生物降解路径.接种、驯化长春市南郊污水处理厂的厌氧活性污泥,获得生物膜阳极以构筑MFC-2,4,6-TCP体系,基于扫描电子电镜（SEM）、16S rRNA分析测序方法,考察生物膜阳极微生物的附着情况和优势菌种,基于电化学阻抗（EIS）、循环伏安（CV）和线性扫描伏安（LSV）等电化学分析手段,表征生物阳极的电化学性能和氧化还原能力.结果表明,生物膜阳极微生物种类丰富,其中Geobacter和Acinetobacter分别为MFC-2,4,6-TCP体系产电和降解驯化期的优势功能菌,体系最大输出电压可达0.55 V,最大功率密度为428.65 mW·m-2,对2,4,6-TCP的降解和矿化率可达97.5%和85.4%.随着MFC循环次数的增加,微生物代谢途径多样化,产电菌逐渐演替为协同菌,且优势功能菌对2,4,6-TCP降解的中间产物（环己醇）,其毒性远低于氯酚或苯酚,更利于被微生物利用.该结果可为氯酚废水的实际处理提供新策略和技术参考.     

3种填料A.ferrooxidans挂膜效果及对模拟酸性矿山废水中Fe2+生物矿化能力比较

氧化亚铁硫杆菌（A.ferrooxidans）介导的生物矿化方法可促使酸性矿山废水（Acid Mine Drainage,AMD）中Fe离子向次生铁矿物转变. 采用固定化的方式来提高A.ferrooxidans密度有助于强化Fe²⁺的生物矿化能力.选取流化床19孔填料、弹性填料、悬浮球填料作为挂膜对象, 通过多批次的连续培养来考察3种填料的A.ferrooxidans挂膜能力及稳定挂膜所需周期,继而比较3种挂膜填料对模拟AMD中Fe²⁺的生物矿化能力,并估算A.ferrooxidans有效生物量.结果表明,3种填料（5.00 g）的A.ferrooxidans挂膜能力依次为弹性填料（1.76 g）＞流化床19孔填料（0.90 g）＞悬浮球填料（0.78 g）（干重）,且挂膜启动至稳定状态至少需要4批次.X射线衍射分析（X-ray diffraction,XRD）表明,3种填料表面 含矿生物膜均为施氏矿物和黄钾铁矾的混合物.以游离态A.ferrooxidans的Fe²⁺氧化速率作为参比,估算出流化床19孔填料、弹性填料、悬浮球填料生物膜中A.ferrooxidans有效生物量依次为1.67×10⁸、8.52×10⁸、1.92×10⁸ cells·g^-1 （干基）.研究还发现,等同Fe²⁺生物氧化速率下, A.ferrooxidans挂膜填料比游离态A.ferrooxidans具有更强的AMD矿化驱动能力.     

A/O-MBBR工艺处理生活污水性能及菌群结构

采用设计规模为100m³/d的一体化缺/好氧-移动床生物膜反应器(A/O-MBBR)处理实际生活污水,通过265d的中试研究考察了该工艺在多因素扰动下的除碳和脱氮性能,并对不同运行阶段微生物群落结构的动态变化进行了研究.结果表明,一体化A/O-MBBR系统具有良好的COD去除效果和脱氮性能.当好氧池溶解氧(DO)浓度和进水碳氮比(COD/N)分别为2.5~3.5mg/L和(7.9±2.0)时,COD、NH₄⁺-N和TN去除率分别达到(93.3±5.4)%、(99.1±0.6)%和(67.9±10.5)%.Proteobacteria、Bacteroidetes和Chloroflexi在不同运行时期均有较高的相对丰度,保证了有机物的高效去除.A/O-MBBR系统脱氮功能菌在运行初期主要分布于活性污泥中,且相对丰度较低.长期运行后,生物膜与活性污泥中均同时检出大量硝化菌和反硝化菌.其中,相对丰度最高的硝化菌为Nitrospira,主要分布于生物膜上(19.48%~28.05%).反硝化菌则以Thauera、Terrimonas和Dokdonella等为主.     

深圳市工业区VOCs污染特征与臭氧生成敏感性

于2020年9~10月在深圳北部典型工业区开展在线观测以分析该地VOCs污染状况,并使用基于观测的模型(OBM)研究臭氧生成敏感性.观测期间VOCs的总浓度为48.5×10^-9,浓度水平上烷烃>含氧有机物(OVOCs)>卤代烃>芳香烃>烯烃>乙炔>乙腈.臭氧生成潜势(OFP)为320μg/m³,其中芳香烃、OVOCs以及烷烃贡献最大,这3类物种OFP贡献总和超过90%.乙烯与苯呈现“两峰一谷”的日变化特征,主要受到机动车排放的贡献.相对增量反应性(RIR)分析表明,削减人为源VOCs对控制当地臭氧生成最为有效,当中又应优先控制芳香烃;经典动力学曲线(EKMA)分析表明该片区臭氧生成处于过渡区,在开展VOCs区域联防联控的同时,需要在当地进行有力的NOx控制以强化该地区臭氧污染长期管控.     

Enhanced metronidazole removal by binary-species photoelectrogenic biofilm of microaglae and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria

High efficient removal of antibiotics during nutriments recovery for biomass production poses a major technical challenge for photosynthetic microbial biofilm-based wastewater treatment since antibiotics are always co-exist with nutriments in wastewater and resist biodegradation due to their strong biotoxicity and recalcitrance. In this study, we make a first attempt to enhance metronidazole (MNZ) removal from wastewater using electrochemistry-activated binary-species photosynthetic biofilm of Rhodopseudomonas Palustris (R. Palustris) and Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) by cultivating them under different applied potentials. The results showed that application of external potentials of -0.3, 0 and 0.2 V led to 11, 33 and 26-fold acceleration in MNZ removal, respectively, as compared to that of potential free. The extent of enhancement in MNZ removal was positively correlated to the intensities of photosynthetic current produced under different externally applied potentials. The binary-species photoelectrogenic biofilm exhibited 18 and 6-fold higher MNZ removal rate than that of single-species of C. vulgaris and R. Palustris, respectively, due to the enhanced metabolic interaction between them. Application of an external potential of 0V significantly promoted the accumulation of tryptophan and tyrosine-like compounds as well as humic acid in extracellular polymeric substance, whose concentrations were 7.4, 7.1 and 2.0-fold higher than those produced at potential free, contributing to accelerated adsorption and reductive and photosensitive degradation of MNZ.     

Biofilm-overproducing Bacillus subtilis B12ΔYwcc decreases Cd uptake in Chinese cabbage through increasing Cd-immobilizing related gene abundance and root surface colonization

Biofilm-producing bacteria can decrease Cd uptake in vegetables, but mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly characterized. In this study, two mutant strains B12ΔYwcc and B12ΔSlrR were constructed from a biofilm-producing Bacillus subtilis strain B12. Then, the impacts of strain B12 and its high biofilm-producing mutant strain B12ΔYwcc and low biofilm-producing mutant strain B12ΔSlrR on Cd availability and uptake in Chinese cabbage and the related mechanisms were investigated in the Cd-polluted soil. Strain B12 and its mutants B12ΔYwcc and B12ΔSlrR increased the dry biomasses of edible tissues by 54%–130% compared with the controls. Strain B12 and its mutant B12ΔYwcc reduced the soil available Cd content by 36%–50% and root and edible tissue Cd contents by 23%–50% compared with the controls. Furthermore, the mutant strain B12ΔYwcc reduced the edible tissue Cd content by 40% and increased the polysaccharide content by 23%, invertase activity by 139%, and gene copies of the cumA by 4.5-fold, epsA by 7.1-fold, and cadA by 4.3-fold, which were involved in Cd adsorption in the rhizosphere soils, respectively, compared with strain B12. The polysaccharide content and cumA, epsA, and cadA gene copy numbers showed significantly reverse correlations with the available Cd content. Notably, the mutant strain B12ΔYwcc showed better ability to colonize the vegetable root surface than strain B12. These findings demonstrated that the biofilm-overproducing mutant strain B12ΔYwcc increased the polysaccharide production and Cd-immobilizing related cumA, epsA, and cadA gene copies, resulting in lower Cd availability and accumulation in Chinese cabbage in the Cd-polluted soil.     

Year-round observation of atmospheric inorganic aerosols in urban Beijing: Size distribution, source analysis, and reduction mechanism

To investigate particle characteristics and find an effective measure to control severe particle pollution, year-round observation of size-segregated inorganic aerosols was conducted in Beijing from January to December, 2016. The sampled atmospheric particles all presented bimodal size distribution at four pollution levels (clear, slight pollution, moderate pollution and severe pollution), and peak values appeared at the size range of 0.7-2.1 μm and >9.0 μm, respectively. As dominant particle compositions, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, and NH₄⁺ in four pollution levels all showed significant peaks in fine mode, especially at the size range of 1.1-2.1 μm. Secondary inorganic aerosols accounted for about 67.6% (36.3% (secondary sulfates) + 31.3% (secondary nitrates)) of the total sources of fine particles in urban Beijing. Severe pollution of fine particles was mainly caused by the air masses transported from nearby western and southern areas, which are industrial and densely populated region, respectively. Sensitivity tests further revealed that the control measures focusing on ammonium emission reduction was the most effective for particle pollution mitigation, and fine particles all showed nonlinear responses after reducing ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate concentrations, with the fitting curves of y = -120.8x - 306.1x² + 290.2x³, y = -43.5x - 67.8x², and y = -25.8x - 110.4x² + 7.6x³, respectively (y and x present fine particle mass variation (μg/m³) and concentration reduction ratio (CRR)/100 (dimensionless)). Overall, our study presents useful information for understanding the characteristics of atmospheric inorganic aerosols in urban Beijing, as well as offers policy makers with effective measure for mitigating particle pollution.