Effect of intermittent aeration mode on nitrogen concentration in the water column and sediment pore water of aquaculture ponds

Nitrogen in pond sediments is a major water quality concern and can impact the productivity of aquaculture. Dissolved oxygen is an important factor for improving water quality and boosting fish growth in aquaculture ponds, and plays an important role in the conversion of ammonium-nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) to nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂^?-N) and eventually nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃^?-N). A central goal of the study was to identify the best aeration method and strategy for improving water quality in aquaculture ponds. We conducted an experiment with six tanks, each with a different aeration mode to simulate the behavior of aquaculture ponds. The results show that a 36 hr aeration interval (T_c = 36 hr: 36 hr) and no aeration resulted in high concentrations of NH₄⁺-N in the water column. Using a 12 hr interval time (T_c = 12 hr: 12 hr) resulted in higher NO₂^?-N and NO₃^?-N concentrations than any other aeration mode. Results from an 8 hr interval time (T_c = 8 hr: 8 hr) and 24 hr interval time (T_c = 24 hr: 24 hr) were comparable with those of continuous aeration, and had the benefit of being in use for only half of the time, consequently reducing energy consumption.     

多径流出口水稻田非点源污染试验研究及验证

为验证一种水稻田非点源污染原位观测方法的准确性和适应性,以北京市上庄镇某试验水稻田为例,应用原位观测方法分别在水稻田进水口附近（4#观测点）和出水口附近（2#观测点）安装水位计观测稻田水深,利用同步观测的降雨数据以及田内5个采样点定期采集的水质数据,进行非点源污染试验研究,探究基于同一块水稻田不同位置的水深观测数据是否对该方法的应用产生影响.结果表明:①晒田期间,由于4#观测点处于相对低洼的位置,其水深数据显示4 d的无水期,与实际晒田时间相符,而2#观测点水深数据显示10 d无水.②基于2#、4#观测点水深数据得到总蒸散发和渗漏损失、总径流量以及灌溉量的相对偏差分别为1.3%、1.0%、1.8%;应用原位观测方法估算出该水稻田的灌溉量在2 620~2 710 m3之间.③基于2#、4#观测点水深得到的TN、NH₄+-N、NO₃--N、TP、COD_Cr输出系数的相对偏差在0.8%~8.0%之间.研究显示:水位计安装位置对原位观测方法应用的影响不大,且主要体现在晒田期的水深观测,建议将水位计安装在稻田相对低洼处,以确保能够完整地监测水稻生长季的水深变化;应用该方法能准确识别水稻田的径流量和灌溉量,对具有多个径流出口的水稻田非点源污染试验具有较好的准确性和适应性.      

2016~2017年长荡湖流域河湖系统营养盐时空分布机制分析

以江苏省常州市长荡湖流域河湖系统为研究对象,基于野外监测与室内分析,探讨了水体氮、磷等营养盐的时空分布特征及其影响因素.结果表明,2016~2017年长荡湖流域河湖系统氮、磷污染突出,河流TN、NO₃^--N、NH₄⁺-N、TP和Chla平均质量浓度和高锰酸盐指数分别为（3.70±0.76）mg ·L^-1、（1.81±0.42）mg ·L^-1、（1.03±0.61）mg ·L^-1、（0.38±0.31）mg ·L^-1、（25.74±37.00）μg ·L^-1和（6.35±0.81）mg ·L^-1.河流总氮污染季节差异明显,表现为冬、春季劣于夏、秋季,河流总磷污染表现为秋、冬季劣于春、夏季,空间差异表现为北 > 西北 > 南 > 东部,河流处于中~高度富营养化状态.湖区TN、NO₃^--N、NH₄⁺-N、TP和Chla平均质量浓度和高锰酸盐指数分别为（2.25±0.94）mg ·L^-1、（0.98±0.47）mg ·L^-1、（0.19±0.14）mg ·L^-1、（0.11±0.03）mg ·L^-1、（18.71±8.76）μg ·L^-1和（4.59±1.09）mg ·L^-1,氮、磷质量浓度均超过Ⅲ类水标准,在空间上表现为从西部向东、南部降低的趋势,湖区处于轻~中度富营养状态.丹金溧漕河、通济河与薛埠河等河流是长荡湖流域河湖水系的主要污染物输送通道,丹金溧漕河干流输送氮、磷年通量最大,约为通济河和薛埠河年通量总和的10~12倍.长荡湖流域河流氮、磷污染同时受到农业面源污染物流失与城镇污水排放的影响.土地利用方式转变和大气沉降是导致长荡湖流域河湖系统氮、磷污染加剧的重要驱动因素.     

Distribution and contamination of metals and biogenic elements in sediments from Zhifu Bay of the Yellow Sea, China

Metals and biogenic elements were analyzed from surface sediments of sixteen stations and a 32 cm core collected from Zhifu Bay in July 2009. High concentrations of biogenic silica (BSi) reflected the high diatom productivity in the Bay. Meanwhile, total organic carbon (TOC) in Zhifu Bay was mainly from terrestrial sources. All metals were lower than the marine sediment quality guidelines. Based on the vertical profiles of biogenic elements, there was a clear increase of TOC, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphate (TP) between 1985 and 2000. TN concentrations decreased after the start of the operation of the sewage treatment plant in 1998; however TOC and BSi remained at high levels. Metal concentrations showed a general increase from the bottom to the top of the core. Most anthropogenic metals reached a maximum during 1996 and 2000, and decreased after the startup of the sewage plant; however, they have increased again recently. The results from correlation analysis and principal component analysis show that industrial pollution is the main source of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contamination in Zhifu Bay, and Yantai Port and ship transportation also contribute a lot to Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb pollution.     

Temporal and spatial changes of microbial community in an industrial effluent receiving area in Hangzhou Bay

Anthropogenic activities usually contaminate water environments, and have led to the eutrophication of many estuaries and shifts in microbial communities. In this study, the temporal and spatial changes of the microbial community in an industrial effluent receiving area in Hangzhou Bay were investigated by 454 pyrosequencing. The bacterial community showed higher richness and biodiversity than the archaeal community in all sediments. Proteobacteria dominated in the bacterial communities of all the samples; Marine_Group_Ⅰ and Methanomicrobia were the two dominant archaeal classes in the effluent receiving area. PCoA and AMOVA revealed strong seasonal but minor spatial changes in both bacterial and archaeal communities in the sediments. The seasonal changes of the bacterial community were less significant than those of the archaeal community, which mainly consisted of fluctuations in abundance of a large proportion of longstanding species rather than the appearance and disappearance of major archaeal species. Temperature was found to positively correlate with the dominant bacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and negatively correlate with the dominant archaea,Marine_Group_Ⅰ; and might be the primary driving force for the seasonal variation of the microbial community.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations, compositions, sources, and associated carcinogenic risks to humans in farmland soils and riverine sediments from Guiyu, China

The concentrations of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) were measured in 23 farmland soil samples and 10 riverine sediment samples from Guiyu, China, and the carcinogenic risks associated with PAHs in the samples were evaluated. Guiyu is the largest electronic waste(EW) dismantling area globally, and has been well known for the primitive and crude manner in which EWs are disposed, such as by open burning and roasting. The total PAH concentrations were 56–567 ng/g in the soils and 181–3034 ng/g in the sediments.The Shanglian and Huamei districts were found to be more contaminated with PAHs than the north of Guiyu. The soils were relatively weakly contaminated but the sediments were more contaminated, and sediments in some river sections might cause carcinogenic risks to the groundwater system. The PAHs in the soils were derived from combustion sources,but the PAHs in the sediments were derived from both combustion and petroleum sources.     

Correlations between in situ denitrification activity and nir-gene abundances in pristine and impacted prairie streams

Denitrification is a process that reduces nitrogen levels in headwaters and other streams. We compared nirS and nirK abundances with the absolute rate of denitrification, the longitudinal coefficient of denitrification (i.e., K_den, which represents optimal denitrification rates at given environmental conditions), and water quality in seven prairie streams to determine if nir-gene abundances explain denitrification activity. Previous work showed that absolute rates of denitrification correlate with nitrate levels; however, no correlation has been found for denitrification efficiency, which we hypothesise might be related to gene abundances. Water-column nitrate and soluble-reactive phosphorus levels significantly correlated with absolute rates of denitrification, but nir-gene abundances did not. However, nirS and nirK abundances significantly correlated with K_den, as well as phosphorus, although no correlation was found between K_den and nitrate. These data confirm that absolute denitrification rates are controlled by nitrate load, but intrinsic denitrification efficiency is linked to nirS and nirK gene abundances.     

Sediment-water distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in Yangtze River Estuary

Analysis of Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) distribution in water and sediment in Yangtze River Estuary showed that the estuary was a sink for PFOS. Salinity was an important parameter in controlling the sediment-water interactions and the fate or transport of PFOS in the aquatic environment. As the salinity (S‰) increased from 0.18 to 3.31, the distribution coefficient (K_d) between sediment and water linearly increased from 0.76 to 4.70 L g⁻¹. The study suggests that PFOS may be carried with the river water and transported for long distances before it reaches to the sea and largely scavenged to the sediment in the estuaries due to the dramatic change in salinity.     

Mass balance modeling to elucidate historical and continuing sources of dioxin into an urban estuary

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (dioxins) are typically found in sediment, water and tissue as in the case of the Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay (HSC–UGB) in Texas studied in this research. While hydrodynamic and fate and transport models are important to understand dioxin distribution in the various media, it is difficult to assimilate modeling results into a decision framework without appropriate tools that can aid in the interpretation of the simulated data. This paper presents the development of a mass-balance modeling tool linked to RMA2 and WASP models of the HSC–UGB system for 2002–2005. The mass-balance tool was used to aggregate modeling results spatially and temporally and estimate the relative contribution of sediments to dioxin loading into the Channel in comparison to runoff, deposition, and permitted effluent discharges. The total sediment associated-dioxin load into the system calculated using the mass balance model was 2.34 × 10⁷ ng d⁻¹ (almost 86% of the toxic equivalent load), and the re-deposited load to the sediment from the water column was 1.48 × 10⁷ ng-TEQ d⁻¹, such that 8.6 × 10⁶ ng-TEQ d⁻¹ or approximately 69% of the average daily dioxin flux is transported between model segments as sediment. The external loads to the system contribute approximately 3.83 × 10⁶ ng-TEQ d⁻¹, a value that is an order of magnitude smaller when compared to the contribution from sediment. These findings point to the need for sediment remediation strategies that take into account the spatial locations within the system that serve as sediment sources to dioxin in the water column.     

Quantification of activated carbon contents in soils and sediments using chemothermal and wet oxidation methods

Activated carbon (AC) strongly sorbs organic pollutants and can be used for remediation of soils and sediments. A method for AC quantification is essential to monitor AC (re)distribution. Since AC is black carbon (BC), two methods for BC quantification were tested for AC mixed in different soils and sediments: i) chemothermal oxidation (CTO) at a range of temperatures and ii) wet-chemical oxidation with a potassium dichromate/sulfuric acid solution. For three soils, the amount of AC was accurately determined by CTO at 375 °C. For two sediments, however, much of the AC disappeared during combustion at 375 °C, which could probably be explained by catalytic effects by sediment constituents. CTO at lower temperatures (325-350 °C) was a feasible alternative for one of the sediments. Wet oxidation effectively functioned for AC quantification in sediments, with almost complete AC recovery (81-92%) and low remaining amounts of native organic carbon (5-16%).