A strategy for aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation under anaerobic conditions and the impacts of ethanol: a microcosm study

Increased use of ethanol-blended gasoline (gasohol) and its potential release into the subsurface have spurred interest in studying the biodegradation of and interactions between ethanol and gasoline components such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) in groundwater plumes. The preferred substrate status and the high biological oxygen demand (BOD) posed by ethanol and its biodegradation products suggests that anaerobic electron acceptors (EAs) will be required to support in situ bioremediation of BTEX. To develop a strategy for aromatic hydrocarbon bioremediation and to understand the impacts of ethanol on BTEX biodegradation under strictly anaerobic conditions, a microcosm experiment was conducted using pristine aquifer sand and groundwater obtained from Canadian Forces Base Borden, Canada. The initial electron accepter pool included nitrate, sulfate and/or ferric iron. The microcosms typically contained 400 g of sediment, 600 approximately 800 ml of groundwater, and with differing EAs added, and were run under anaerobic conditions. Ethanol was added to some at concentrations of 500 and 5000 mg/L. Trends for biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons for the Borden aquifer material were first developed in the absence of ethanol, The results showed that indigenous microorganisms could degrade all aromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX and trimethylbenzene isomers-TMB) under nitrate- and ferric iron-combined conditions, but not under sulfate-reducing conditions. Toluene, ethylbenzene and m/p-xylene were biodegraded under denitrifying conditions. However, the persistence of benzene indicated that enhancing denitrification alone was insufficient. Both benzene and o-xylene biodegraded significantly under iron-reducing conditions, but only after denitrification had removed other aromatics. For the trimethylbenzene isomers, 1,3,5-TMB biodegradation was found under denitrifying and then iron-reducing conditions. Biodegradation of 1,2,3-TMB or 1,2,4-TMB was slower under iron-reducing conditions. This study suggests that addition of excess ferric iron combined with limited nitrate has promise for in situ bioremediation of BTEX and TMB in the Borden aquifer and possibly for other sites contaminated by hydrocarbons. This study is the first to report 1,2,3-TMB biodegradation under strictly anaerobic condition. With the addition of 500 mg/L ethanol but without EA addition, ethanol and its main intermediate, acetate, were quickly biodegraded within 41 d with methane as a major product. Ethanol initially present at 5000 mg/L without EA addition declined slowly with the persistence of unidentified volatile fatty acids, likely propionate and butyrate, but less methane. In contrast, all ethanol disappeared with repeated additions of either nitrate or ferric iron, but acetate and unidentified intermediates persisted under iron-enhanced conditions. With the addition of 500 mg/L ethanol and nitrate, only minor toluene biodegradation was observed under denitrifying conditions and only after ethanol and acetate were utilized. The higher ethanol concentration (5000 mg/L) essentially shut down BTEX biodegradation likely due to high EA demand provided by ethanol and its intermediates. The negative findings for anaerobic BTEX biodegradation in the presence of ethanol and/or its biodegradation products are in contrast to recent research reported by Da Silva et al. [Da Silva, M.L.B., Ruiz-Aguilar, G.M.L., Alvarez, P.J.J., 2005. Enhanced anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX-ethanol mixtures in aquifer columns amended with sulfate, chelated ferric iron or nitrate. Biodegradation. 16, 105-114]. Our results suggest that the apparent conservation of high residual labile carbon as biodegradation products such as acetate makes natural attenuation of aromatics less effective, and makes subsequent addition of EAs to promote in situ BTEX biodegradation problematic.     

A comparison of the low frequency electrical signatures of iron oxide versus calcite precipitation in granular zero valent iron columns

Geophysical methods have been proposed as technologies for non-invasively monitoring geochemical alteration in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). We conducted column experiments to investigate the effect of mineralogy on the electrical signatures resulting from iron corrosion and mineral precipitation in Fe0 columns using (a) Na2SO4, and (b) NaHCO3 plus CaCl2 mixture, solutions. At the influent interface where the reactions were most severe, a contrasting time-lapse electrical response was observed between the two columns. Solid phase analysis confirmed the formation of corrosion halos and increased mineralogical complexity in the corroded sections of the columns compared to the minimal/non-corroded sections. We attribute the contrasting time-lapse signatures to the differences in the electrical properties of the mineral phases formed within the two columns. While newly precipitated/transformed polarizable and semi-conductive iron oxides (mostly magnetite and green rust) increase the polarization and conductivity of the sulfate column, the decrease of both parameters in the bicarbonate column is attributed to the precipitation of non-polarizable and non-conductive calcite. Our results show that precipitate mineralogy is an important factor influencing the electrical properties of the corroded iron cores and must be considered if electrical geophysical methods are to be developed to monitor PRB barrier corrosion processes in situ.     

EDTA-2Na/Fe(Ⅱ)对自养生物体系下硝酸盐还原过程的影响

采用厌氧序批式生物膜反应器(ASBBR),以固定浓度的硝酸盐和硫酸亚铁为基质,按不同梯度条件添加EDTA-2Na,进行长时间的培养驯化,研究铁盐脱氮的启动过程,同时探究不同EDTA-2Na/Fe(Ⅱ)对铁自养反硝化过程以及硝酸盐异化还原为铵(DNRA)的影响.结果表明:经过65d的培养驯化,反应器成功稳定运行.当EDTA-2Na/Fe(Ⅱ)<1.50时,反应器只进行铁自养反硝化过程,NO₃^--N去除率最高仅为71.70%;当EDTA-2Na/Fe(Ⅱ)≥1.50时,反应器同时进行铁自养反硝化与DNRA过程,NO₃^--N去除率最高为99.70%.值得注意的是,在EDTA-2Na/Fe(Ⅱ)=1.50时,铁自养反硝化速率达到最大值1.63mg/(L·h)的同时,DNRA的产氨量也达到最大值9.75mg/L.Visual MINTEQ模拟结果表明:EDTA-2Na与Fe(Ⅱ)的摩尔比会影响进水中EDTA-2Na与Fe(Ⅱ)的存在形态,物质的量比越大,FeEDTA^2-度越高,Fe...     

果树缺铁矫正新技术—高渗液注射法

本文概述了植物的铁素营养、果材缺铁黄化病的诊断治疗方法，论述了高涌液注射法矫治果树缺铁黄化病的理论、假说、树木微型注射器、克黄灵高渗液、树干穴位注射法、树干穴位插管法及其应用前景。     

铁屑还原－鼓风氧化－石灰凝沉法脱除硫酸生产废水中的砷

比较了硫酸生产废水的几种除砷方法，认为铁屑还原－鼓风氧化－石灰凝沉工艺是可行的，此法具有处理量大、处理效果好、运行费用低等优点。     

我国废钢铁资源的可持续利用政策

本文概述了我国废钢铁资源回收利用的现状以及钢铁工业对废钢铁资源的需求现状，用三种不同的模型预测了未来钢铁工业的发展对废钢铁资源的需求，提出了废钢铁资源可持续利用存在的问题和政策建议。     

Fe^0对饮用水中砷的去除效率及影响因素

研究零价铁（Fe^0）的除砷效果,试验考察了Fe^0投加量、接触时间、pH值、DO浓度、温度、腐殖质、竞争性阴离子（SO4^2-,NO^3-,SiO2^3-,H2PO3^-,HCO3^-）对Fe^0除砷效率的影响。结果表明,Fe^0（80目）投加量为2g/L,接触时间180min,pH值为6.5,DO值6.5mg/L的条件下,对质量浓度为1mg/L的含砷水样,Fe^0对As（Ⅴ）的去除率高达96.5%,而对As（Ⅲ）的去除率只有75.8%。降低水样pH值或提高DO可显著提高Fe^0的除砷效率,温度对Fe^0除砷影响不大,水体中的腐殖质、磷酸盐、硅酸盐的存在会由于竞争性吸附而导致Fe^0除砷效率下降。采用Fe^0颗粒去除饮用水中的砷高效、经济,具有良好的应用前景。实际应用中,对于DO值较低的地下含As水,可通过充氧提高Fe^0除As效率。当水体中腐殖质、磷酸盐或硅酸盐浓度较高时,应考虑采取相应的预处理措施。     

THE IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEAVY METALS IN BOTTOM SEDIMENTS OF THE SADDLE RIVER1

ABSTRACT: A three-year study has been conducted on a 4.6 mile stretch of the Saddle River near Lodi, New Jersey. The primary objectives of this investigation were (1) to provide baseline information on the concentration and distribution of heavy metals in bottom sediments of the Saddle River; (2) to qualitatively evaluate which parameters affect this distribution; and (3) to determine the effect of urbanization on the concentration and distribution of these materials. Significant enrichments of several heavy metals were observed in bottom sediments of the lower Saddle River near Lodi, New Jersey, as compared to the upper Saddle River. Attempts to correlate metal concentrations in bottom sediments with chemical-oxygen demand were not successful in demonstrating a relationship between these two factors. Metal concentrations were found to be strongly dependent upon particle size. In general, metal concentrations in bottom sediments increased with decreasing partical diameter. However, metals enrichment was observed to be considerably greater in the larger sediment fractions studied (>420μ) than the smaller sediment fractions as one proceeded downstream through the urban area. Since the larger sediment fractions are least effected by scour and transport they may best reflect the effect of urbanization on the distribution of heavy metals over an extended period of time at a given location.     

EFFECTS OF CHELATED IRON ON THE GROWTH OF TWO SPECIES OF VALLISNERIA1

ABSTRACT: Iron, added as (Fe-EDTA)^-, was found stimulatory to V. spiralis at a concentration of 0.05 ppm. (Fe-EDTA)^- had no effect upon growth of V. neotropicalis as measured by changes in dissolved oxygen and dry weight. Results are compared with those derived from similar studies with Hydrilla verticillata and Egeria densa. The implications of lake drawdown and aeration are discussed.     

Discussion of Chicgoua Noubactep on “Removal of thiobencarb in aqueous solution by zero valent iron” by Md. Nurul Amin et al. [Chemosphere 70 (3) (2008) 511–515]

The following comments are proposed to clarify some related issues on the use of zero valent iron micrometric particles for the treatment of a thiobencarb pesticide solution published in a recent article by Nurul Amin et al., [Nurul Amin Md., Kaneco, S., Kato, T., Katsumata, H., Susuki, T., Otha, K., 2008. Removal of thiobencarb in aqueous solution by zero valent iron. Chemosphere 70 (3), 511–515], and discussed later by Chicgoua Noubactep.