Evaluation of Existing and Modified Wetland Equations in the SWAT Model

The ability to accurately simulate flow and nutrient removal in treatment wetlands within an agricultural, watershed‐scale model is needed to develop effective plans for meeting nutrient reduction goals associated with protection of drinking water supplies and reduction of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. The objectives of this study were to incorporate new equations for wetland hydrology and nutrient removal in Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), compare model performance using original and improved equations, and evaluate the ramifications of errors in watershed and tile drain simulation on prediction of NO₃‐N dynamics in wetlands. The modified equations produced Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency values of 0.88 to 0.99 for daily NO₃‐N load predictions, and percent bias values generally less than 6%. However, statistical improvement over the original equations was marginal and both old and new equations provided accurate simulations. The new equations reduce the model's dependence on detailed monitoring data and hydrologic calibration. Additionally, the modified equations increase SWAT's versatility by incorporating a weir equation and an irreducible nutrient concentration and temperature coefficient. Model improvements enhance the utility of SWAT for simulating flow and nutrients in wetlands and other impoundments, although performance is limited by the accuracy of inflow and NO₃‐N predictions from the contributing watershed. Editor's note : This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.     

硝酸盐对反硝化除磷过程的影响分析

在厌氧/缺氧间歇反应器内考察了硝酸盐进水浓度及进水方式对反硝化除磷过程的影响。结果表明：在缺氧阶段,反硝化除磷菌(DPBs)可将硝酸盐转化为亚硝酸盐,当硝酸盐浓度较低时,DPBs以亚硝酸盐为电子受体吸磷。进水COD浓度为220 mg/L,正磷浓度为6.8 mg/L,硝酸盐初始浓度为26 mg/L时,系统达到最佳脱氮除磷效果,期间亚硝酸盐浓度积累至10.71 mg/L。采用连续流投加硝酸盐的方式更利于氮磷的高效去除。     

零价铁-反硝化菌在地下水硝酸盐污染修复中的应用

综述了应用零价铁-反硝化菌复合体系去除地下水中硝酸盐氮污染的研究进展.脱氮技术主要包括物理化学法、化学还原法和生物反硝化法,但单独使用任何一种方法都无法得到令人满意的处理效果.以零价铁在水中厌氧腐蚀所释放的氯气供给微生物进行反硝化,可以同时解决这两种技术单独使用时所存在的弊端.在此复合体系中,主要反应包括产氨、析氢和反硝化,降低脱氮产物中的氨氮比例就要减少产氨反应的发生几率.此外,使用纳米铁代替零价铁和反硝化细菌复合,可以大大提高脱氮反应速率.然而,该技术的研究在国内外尚处于起步阶段,在反应机理、产物控制、条件优化等方面都存在不足,还需要深入研究.     

双室微生物燃料电池处理硝酸盐废水

基于双室微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC),针对阴极分别接种活性污泥(A-MFC)和反硝化细菌(D-MFC),研究其产电情况和硝酸盐废水去除效果。结果表明,在产电的同时都可有效去除废水中的硝酸盐污染物。在外接电阻100Ω的情况下,2种MFC均具有良好的产电性能,A-MFC和D-MFC达到的最大输出电压分别为119.6 mV和117.2mV,最大功率密度分别为23.40 mW/m2和26.63 mW/m2;同时两者在阴极室的平均反硝化速率分别为1.86 mg/(L.d)和2.19 mg/(L.d),阳极室的平均COD去除率分别为81.9%和82.4%。另外,通过扫描电镜观察可知,A-MFC和D-MFC阴极碳布表面形貌存在差异,并且阳极与阴极碳布表面形貌差异显著。     

青萍(Lemna minor L.)对氮磷的吸收特征

以西部地区优势浮萍品种青萍为实验对象,研究了青萍对不同浓度硝态氮和磷酸盐的吸收特征。结果表明,硝态氮浓度在1～10 mg/L范围内,青萍对硝态氮有较好的吸收效果,M-M方程可以较好地描述硝态氮浓度与青萍对硝态氮的吸收速率之间的关系,通过M-M方程拟合得到青萍对硝态氮的最大吸收速率为0.1167 mg/(g FW.h),亲和力常数为6.9274。磷酸盐浓度在0.1～1.0 mg/L范围内,青萍对磷酸盐也有较好的吸收效果,二次多项式回归可以较好地描述青萍吸收速率与磷酸盐浓度的关系,回归方程得到青萍对磷酸盐的最大吸收速率为0.0193 mg/(g FW.h),对应磷酸盐浓度为0.6 mg/L。     

The silvering process of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) influences PAH metabolite concentrations in bile fluid: consequences for monitoring

The stock of the catadromous European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) continues to decline and there is growing evidence that poor health status due to contaminants might be a key element in this decrease. Organic contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) belong to the major threats to yellow eel in their growth habitat and their metabolites are detectable in the bile. Starting the silvering process eels undergo physiological and morphological changes including cessation of feeding and downstream migration back to their spawning grounds. Reduced feed intake results in a diminishment of bile production and induces accumulation of e.g. PAH-metabolites in bile. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to demonstrate the impact of silvering on biliary PAH metabolite concentrations and to utilize normalization procedures to overcome silvering related accumulation effects of PAH-metabolites in eel bile. We investigated the hydroxyl-metabolites of pyrene (1-OH Pyr) and phenantrene (1-OH Phen) in the bile of different maturation stages of eels (silvering index I-V) from nine German rivers. We detected increasing absolute PAH metabolite levels in bile during the silvering process. The highest rise could be observed at the transition from pre migration stage III to the migrating stage IV, suggesting the onset of cessation of feeding at this stage. A cessation bias in PAH metabolite measurement could be diminished by normalization of absolute values against bile pigments (A₃₈₀, biliverdin). In conclusion, we demonstrated the impact of silvering on PAH metabolite concentrations in eel bile and present suitable normalization procedures to overcome silvering related accumulation effects. Thus, for a future eel monitoring we recommend (1) to regularly monitor PAH metabolites in bile, (2) to determine silvering index of eel and (3) to normalize PAH metabolite values in bile based on maturation/silvering stages. The knowledge of the silvering stage is mandatory for an unbiased evaluation of PAH contamination of European eel towards an international harmonized eel monitoring program.     

Characterization of silver release from commercially available functional (nano)textiles

Silver, both in the nano as well as in other forms, is used in many applications including antimicrobial textiles. Washing of such textiles has already been identified as an important process that results in the release of silver into wastewater. This study thus investigated the release of silver from eight different commercially available silver-textiles during a washing and rinsing cycle. The silver released was size-fractionated and characterized using electron microscopy. In addition, the antimicrobial functionality of the textiles was tested before and after washing. Three of the textiles contained nanosized silver (labeled or confirmed by manufacturers’ information), another used a metallic silver wire and four contained silver in undeclared form. The initial silver content of the textiles was between 1.5 and 2925 mg Ag/kg. Only four of the investigated textiles leached detectable amounts of silver, of which 34-80% was in the form of particles larger than 450 nm. Microscopic analysis of the particles released in the washing solutions identified Ti/Si-AgCl nanocomposites, AgCl nanoparticles, large AgCl particles, nanosilver sulfide and metallic nano-Ag, respectively. The nanoparticles were mainly found in highly agglomerated form. The identified nanotextiles showed the highest antimicrobial activity, whereas some of the other textiles, e.g. the one with a silver wire and the one with the lowest silver content, did not reduce the growth of bacteria at all. The results show that different silver textiles release different forms of silver during washing and that among the textiles investigated AgCl was the most frequently observed chemical form in the washwater.     

Antibacterial behavior of silver-modified clinoptilolite-heulandite rich tuff on coliform microorganisms from wastewater in a column system

The water disinfecting behavior of silver-modified clinoptilolite–heulandite rich tuff (ZSAg) as an antibacterial agent against coliform microorganisms from water in a continuous mode was investigated. Silver recovery from the disinfected effluents by the sodium-modified clinoptilolite–heulandite rich tuff (ZSNa) was also considered. Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and total coliform microorganisms, as indicators of microbiological contamination of water, were chosen to achieve the disinfection of synthetic wastewater or municipal wastewater. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻) ions were added to the synthetic wastewater as an interfering chemical species on the disinfection processes. The antibacterial activity of the ZSAg as a bactericide was measured by the coliform concentration as evaluated by the APHA method. The amount of silver in the disinfected effluents was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The inactivation of the ZSAg was calculated from the breakthrough curves based on the model reported by Gupta et al. It was found that when the silver concentration in the effluent is less than 0.6 μg/mL, the bacterial survival percentage increased and the volume of disinfected water diminished. The total silver amounts found in the effluent at the end of the disinfection processes varied depending on the water treated (synthetic or municipal wastewater). The presence of NH₄⁺ ions in synthetic wastewater influent notably improved the disinfected water volume (zero NVC/100 mL), in comparison to the disinfection of the same influent without NH₄⁺ ions. A contrary water disinfection behavior was observed in the presence of Cl⁻ ions. The silver recovery does not depend on the mass of the sodium zeolitic bed according with the wastewater to be treated (synthetic or municipal wastewater) and the presence of NH₄⁺ or Cl⁻ ions in the influent also influenced the silver recovery from wastewater. The ZSNa did not have antibacterial activity. Therefore the amount of bactericide agent (silver-modified natural zeolite), coliform microorganisms from water (E. coli or consort of coliform microorganisms) as well as the water quality (synthetic wastewater or municipal wastewater) influenced both the disinfection process and the silver recovery in a column system.     

Agricultural Chemicals in the Alluvial Aquifer of a Typical County of the Arkansas Delta

Statistical methods and a Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to investigate potential indicators of ground water vulnerability to agricultural chemical contamination in a representative area of the Mississippi River alluvial aquifer. A total of 47 wells were sampled for analysis of nitrate, phosphorus, potassium, and 13 pesticides commonly-used in the area. Ten soil and hydrogeologic variables and five ground water vulnerability indices were examined to explain the variations of chemical concentrations. The results showed that no individual soil or hydrogeologic variables or their linear combinations could explain more than 25% of the variation of the chemical concentrations. A quadratic response surface model with the values of confining unit thickness, slope, soil permeability, depth to ground water, and recharge rate accounted for 62% of the variation of nitrate, 43% of P, and 83% of K, suggesting that the interactions among soil and hydrogeologic variables were significant. Observed trends of decreasing nitrate and P concentrations with increasing well depth and/or depth to ground water seemed to correlate with carbonate equilibrium in the aquifer and more reduced environment with depth. In view of uncertainties involved, it was recognized that the limitations associated with input data resolution used in GIS and the formulation of leaching indices limited their use for predicting ground water vulnerability. Misuse of pesticides could be another factor that would complicate the relationships between pesticide concentrations and the vulnerability indices.     

Land Cover Changes as a Result of Environmental Restrictions on Nitrate Leaching in Dairy Farming

Nitrate leaching forms an important environmental problem because it causes pollution of groundwater and surface water, and adds to already problematic eutrophication. This study analyses the impact of reductions in nitrate leaching on land cover decisions of dairy farms, of which the activities make an important contribution to nitrate leaching. As the level of nitrate leaching depends on groundwater depth as well as on the supply of nitrogen, spatial variation in groundwater levels will cause a spatial variation in land cover under restrictions on nitrate leaching. A non-linear partial optimisation model for the economic and ecological aspects of the problem were used to show how land cover and dairy farms' financial balances change when nitrate losses are reduced. The model is spatially explicit, and describes nitrate leakage and yields of maize and grass as a function of groundwater depth, including the effects of various grazing systems. The model analyses the decisions of a risk neutral agent who minimises costs under the following constraints: (i) production, feed requirements and mass balances for fodder; (ii) constraints for nitrate leaching. Economic costs are attributed to increased costs of fodder and processing of manure when nitrate restrictions are tightened. An important result of the study is the variation in compliance costs and land cover for maize and grass production brought about by spatial variation in groundwater depth. While the effects are negligible for some shallow groundwater classes, it is extremely difficult in other classes – if not impossible – to obtain the EU standard of maximum admissible losses of 34 kg N ha^–1 at low costs. The study shows an important reduction in land cover by maize.