Effect of an organic amendment on availability and bio-accessibility of some metals in soils of urban recreational areas

A composted biosolid from wastewater treatment was added to soils of two public parks of Sevilla, and successive samples were taken during one year. In one of the parks, a second addition of biosolid was carried out after the first year. The soil contents in metals (pseudo-total) and their plant-available and oral bio-accessible fractions were significantly altered when the soils were amended with biosolid. Increase of the bio-accessible metal contents represents a deterioration of the environmental quality of recreational areas, where hand-to-mouth transfer of pollutants to children is likely to occur, although part of the metals added might be leached by rainfall or irrigation. The limits established in several countries for metal contents of soils in recreational areas are often exceeded after application of the biosolid. A careful study of the metal contents of recycled wastes is thus recommended before being used for green area maintenance.     

江苏辐射沙洲潮间带风电场对海洋水动力场的影响分析

为了分析潮间带风电场对海洋水动力条件的影响,建立和验证了江苏辐射沙洲潮间带风电场工程二维潮流数学模型,根据风电场区的地形条件对模型范围及网格划分进行了探讨,分析风电场实施前后水动力条件的变化.结果表明:模型计算值与实测值拟合较好·建立的二维潮流数学模型计算结果合理、可信,可用来预测风电场建设对附近海域水动力条件的影响;...     

农地整理对农户农地固定资本投入的影响研究

农地整理是政府农村公共投入的一种,农户的农地固定资本投入是农户的私人投资,研究农地整理对农户农地固定资本投入的投入效应将为农地整理的有效实施和促进农业机械化提供理论依据。在理论分析的基础上,基于农户调查数据,分别运用Tobit和Logit模型,分析了农地整理变量对农户农地固定资本投入的现状和意愿的影响。研究结果表明:农户对农地整理的满意程度对农户农地固定资本投入有正向影响;农户参与农地整理的意愿对农户农地固定资本投入意愿有正向作用;农地整理对农户农地固定资本投入的意愿比农户农地固定资本投入现状影响更为明显。因此,需要提高农地整理的质量,确保农地整理的实施;应该完善农户参与农地整理的机制,提高农户参与农地整理项目的意识和程度,充分保障农民权益;在农地整理项目实施的基础上,应该进一步克服农业机械化的障碍,从而推动农户发展农业机械化。     

排污补贴视角下的养殖户环保投资影响因素研究——基于沪、苏、浙生猪养殖户的调查分析

随着畜牧业的发展,畜牧业污染问题日益突出。解决污染问题的关键是增强养殖户参与,鼓励他们自发进行环保投资,而政府补贴对于具有外部性的生产投资活动均具有刺激作用。为了量化分析影响农户环保投资行为的各因素的作用程度,特别是政府补贴的激烈效果,本文运用调查结合实证的研究方法,在农户模型的分析框架上,以沪、苏、浙地区394户生猪养殖户的调查数据为基础,应用有序logit模型验证排污补贴、养殖户生产经营特征、环保需求特征对养殖户环保投资的作用。研究表明除了政府补贴会刺激养殖户的环保投资外,养殖规模对环保投资有激励作用,而养殖年限却会抑制环保投资。养殖户的个人特征,对污染的认知及参与污染治理的意愿也对环保投资水平有正的影响,但作用效果不明显。在此基础上,本文提出了合理制定和推进排污补贴政策,以"离牧补助"等形式促使养殖规模和环保要求不符的养殖户退出养殖业,加大畜牧业污染危害的宣传力度以及政府加强对污染处理技术的研发投资,从而降低处理成本等政策建议。     

The effects of soil and Trifolium repens (white clover) on the fate of estrogen

In this study, we investigated the behavior of estrogens in the rhizosphere of white clover (Trifolium repens, clover hereafter) with two different pot tests, using soil and agar as growth media. In a pot test using agar spiked with estrogen, the estrogen concentration in the agar with clover decreased to non-detectable levels within one month, while in the agar without clover, 60% of initially added estrogen remained after one month. The half-lives of estrone (E1) and 17β -estradiol (E2) in the agar with clover were 2.4–3.8 and 13.2 d, respectively. The dissipation of E1 followed first-order rate law, while that of E2 fitted a zero-order reaction, indicating that they had different mechanisms of dissipation from agar. In the soil pot test, the behavior of E1 and E2 was not influenced by clover. An initial rapid decrease in the amount of estrogen extracted by methanol/acetic acid was followed by persistence for 1–3 months, regardless of presence of clover. Moreover, in three weeks E1 and E2 were only partly degraded by microbes extracted from the soil used in the pot test. In this study, abiotic degradation of estrogens and sorption of estrogen to soil, rather than the effects of soil microbes and clover, contributed to the initial rapid dissipation of estrogens in the soil. However, the results of the agar pot test suggested that vegetation such as clover may significantly contribute to removal of estrogens when estrogens in aqueous phase are discharged with surface runoff and preferential flow after heavy rain in agricultural fields, or when present in soils with low estrogen sorptivity.     

推流式反应器厌氧消化浮萍和猪粪混合物

使用带隔板的推流式反应器(体积约为4 m3),对浮萍与猪粪(干重比1:1,湿重比7:1)的混合物、猪粪进行为期50 d的中温厌氧消化产气性能比较研究,结果表明,在有机负荷为3.5 g(VS)/(L·d)时,浮萍与猪粪(干重比1:1,湿重比7:1)混合物的VS产气率为0.31 L/g,COD转化率为63.2％,反应器容积产气率为1.00 m3/(m3·d);猪粪的VS产气率为0.28 L/g,COD转化率为57.1％,反应器容积产气率为0.71m3/(m3·d).进料COD和SS的平均浓度分别为19.19 g/L和14.28 g/L,推流式反应器对其平均去除率分别为59.7％和68.7％.由此说明,带隔板的推流式厌氧反应器对浮萍和猪粪的混合物有较好的厌氧消化能力,浮萍与猪粪混合物的厌氧消化性能优于猪粪.     

Assessment of oxidative stress due to exposure to pesticides in plasma and urine of traditional limited-resource farm workers: Formation of the DNA-adduct 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine (8-OHdG)

The objective of this study was to assess the risk of genotoxicity caused due to oxidative stress using plasma and urinary levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in farm workers for six months during a growing season. Blood and urine samples were collected once a month for six months (June to November 2003) from farm workers (n = 15) and urban unexposed controls (n = 10). Plasma and urinary levels of 8-OHdG were evaluated by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. There was no significant difference in the urinary levels of 8-OHdG between the farm workers and the control group, but there was an approximately four-fold increase in mean values of plasma 8-OHdG levels in the farm worker group (P ≤ 0.05).     

Median lethal concentration of formaldehyde and its genotoxic potential in bullfrog tadpoles (Lithobates catesbeianus)

In order to avoid that contaminated frog farms animals escaping in the environment and become potential vector of emergent diseases, studies with disinfection protocol are strictly necessary. The formaldehyde is one of the compounds tested in fungal disinfection protocols and also used in aquaculture. This study aimed to determine the median lethal concentration (LC_50–96h) of formaldehyde in bullfrog tadpoles and to evaluate the possible genotoxic effects in acute exposition. Accordingly, the animals were exposed to formaldehyde in the concentrations of 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 mg L^?1, and after 96 h blood samples were drawn for the micronucleus (MN) test. The LC_50–96h was 10.53 mg L^?1, and the MN frequency increased in proportion to the formaldehyde concentrations, with an estimated frequency in the negative control being 1.35 MN/individual. We concluded that formaldehyde is genotoxic to tadpoles of bullfrogs in the tested concentrations, and the choice of this chemical should be contemplated before its use in animals in captivity.     

Land application of tylosin and chlortetracycline swine manure: Impacts to soil nutrients and soil microbial community structure

The land application of aged chortetracycle (CTC) and tylosin-containing swine manure was investigated to determine associated impacts to soil microbial respiration, nutrient (phosphorus, ammonium, nitrate) cycling, and soil microbial community structure under laboratory conditions. Two silty clay loam soils common to southeastern South Dakota were used. Aerobic soil respiration results using batch reactors containing a soil-manure mixture showed that interactions between soil, native soil microbial populations, and antimicrobials influenced CO₂ generation. The aged tylosin treatment resulted in the greatest degree of CO₂ inhibition, while the aged CTC treatment was similar to the no-antimicrobial treatment. For soil columns in which manure was applied at a one-time agronomic loading rate, there was no significant difference in soil-P behavior between either aged CTC or tylosin and the no-antimicrobial treatment. For soil-nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate), the aged CTC treatment resulted in rapid ammonium accumulation at the deeper 40cm soil column depth, while nitrate production was minimal. The aged CTC treatment microbial community structure was different than the no-antimicrobial treatment, where amines/amide and carbohydrate chemical guilds utilization profile were low. The aged tylosin treatment also resulted in ammonium accumulation at 40 cm column depth, however nitrate accumulation also occurred concurrently at 10 cm. The microbial community structure for the aged tylosin was also significantly different than the no-antimicrobial treatment, with a higher degree of amines/amides and carbohydrate chemical guild utilization compared to the no-antimicrobial treatment. Study results suggest that land application of CTC and tylosin-containing manure appears to fundamentally change microbial-mediated nitrogen behavior within soil A horizons.     

Developing an anaerobic digester with external Zeolite filled column for enhancing methane production from swine manure – A feasibility study

ABSTRACT

Development of digesters with an external zeolite column facilitates the convenient removal of the zeolite with TAN, without disturbing the continuous anaerobic digestion process. A digester with an inside zeolite bed (In-Zeo) and digester without adding zeolite (No-Zeo) were employed to compare the process performance with digester with external zeolite column (EX-Zeo). The cumulative, CH₄ yields were 5% and 15% greater in the EX-Zeo, and the In-Zeo digesters respectively compared to the No-Zeo digesters. Also, the % VS reduction was 49%, 55% and 41%, respectively in the Ex-Zeo, In-Zeo and No-Zeo digesters. The results indicated that treatment with 7% zeolite during anaerobic digestion has the potential to improve biodegradation of swine manure. The addition of zeolite appeared to reduce TAN from the digestate, thereby enhancing the CH₄ yield. Zeolite could be used either internally or externally to enhance CH₄ production through anaerobic digestion of swine manure.