Ambio’s legacy on monitoring,impact, and management of acid rain: This article belongs to Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Acidification

Early studies published in Ambio showed large-scale acidification of lakes in southern Sweden and Norway from acid rain. These studies were important for delimiting various scientific issues and thus for eventually contributing to legislation, which reduced emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and helped to mitigate this major environmental problem. Long-term studies and monitoring in Sweden and Norway and at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire helped guide this legislation in Europe and in the USA.     

Using a process-based model to understand dynamics of Chinese agricultural and water technology development from 8000 bc to 1911 ad

Advancements in technology are inextricably bound to our society and the natural environment. However, how the development process of a technology system interacts with both remains unclear. We propose a process model to understand the complex dynamics among technology, society, and the environment via seven interactive elements: technologies, actors, receiving bodies, natural contexts, social contexts, temporal–spatial contexts, and outcomes. The model was applied to agricultural and water technology development in China from 8000 bc to 1911 ad. Our findings show that these elements did not play equally important roles in different periods of the development in ancient China, with social contexts most dominating during the earlier periods and both social and environmental concerns arising towards the later periods. The proposed model, by identifying the elements in the technology development that should be strengthened, can act as an analysis device to assist in reconfiguring a more sustainable socio-technological system.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01424-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

义乌市分质供水系统水质变化分析

为探究义乌市分质供水系统中水质及有机物的变化特征,分季度调研了3个水厂沿程水质的变化,并采用光谱技术与高分辨率质谱分析了处理工艺对溶解性有机质的去除效果。水质调研结果表明,传统工艺(混凝沉淀-砂滤)对总磷和氨氮的去除率分别达到80%与50%以上,但对水体中的总氮与总溶解性有机碳的去除效果差。双膜法(超滤-反渗透)全面优于传统工艺,可以将营养盐和有机物的浓度降至极低的水平(去除率>90%)。三维荧光结合平行因子分析结果表明,混凝沉淀仅对地表水中陆源腐殖质组分有明显的去除,对类蛋白质组分的去除效果较差。高分辨率质谱的检测结果表明,混凝对木质素、单宁及稠环芳烃等物质有较好的去除效果。在混凝前增设曝气生物滤池并在混凝过程中添加粉末活性炭,能强化工艺对类蛋白质组分和腐殖质组分的去除效果。本研究结果可为水处理工艺优化提供理论依据。     

混凝-超滤工艺处理饮用水厂滤池反冲洗水和排泥水的效能

为探究饮用水厂滤池反冲洗水和排泥水的直接回用和处理后回用对水厂的影响及两类水处理过程中的差异,采用了污染负荷计算、实验室混凝小试和现场混凝-超滤中试装置对两类生产废水分别进行了研究。溶解性有机碳(dissolved organic carbon,DOC)、氨氮 (NH₄⁺-N)、Al³⁺和全氟类化合物(perfluorinated compounds,PFASs)的污染负荷计算结果表明生产废水直接回用会为水厂带来一定的额外负荷,其中排泥水和反冲洗水分别对PFASs和Al³⁺负荷贡献较大;通过对小试中浊度,UV₂₅₄以及5种荧光组分去除效果的对比,反冲洗水的混凝效果稍好于排泥水,同时10 mg·L⁻¹的聚合氯化铝为最佳混凝剂方案;在中试过程中,两类水中的浊度、有机物、Al³⁺和PFASs均可被有效去除,出水差异较小,但反冲洗水中的亲水性和小分子有机物使得其去除效果低于排泥水。总体来说,经过处理之后,两类生产废水均可回用,回用可有效减少废水排放量,提高水厂水资源利用率。     

生物质利用方式对富营养水体中碳氮磷含量及其比例的影响

生物质常被添加至富营养水体中以调节碳氮比(C/N),促进脱氮,但不清楚生物质的粒径和投加方式对富营养水体中营养物质浓度和比例的影响。通过机械粉碎制得20~40、40~80、80~160目稻壳颗粒,并选取直接投加和无纺布包裹投加2种投加形式,以不添加稻壳或无纺布包裹砖块作为对照组。以超纯水为水样研究不同粒径和投加方式下稻壳的3 d碳氮磷释放特性;以成都市府河下游河段水样为研究对象,考察了不同粒径和投加方式下稻壳的21 d静态脱氮特性。结果表明,在超纯水中,稻壳释放出COD_Mn(5.5~16.5 mg·L⁻¹)、TP(0.18~0.45 mg·L⁻¹)、TN(0.39~0.95 mg·L⁻¹)、COD_Mn/TN(8.5~19.7)、COD_Mn/TP(27.9~37.5),前四者均呈现出80~160目>40~80目>20~40目的规律,仅COD_Mn和COD_Mn/TN呈现直接投加>无纺布包裹投加的规律。在静态脱氮实验中,21 d后,添加了稻壳的水样COD_Mn含量由28.1 mg上升至71.7~143.0 mg,TP含量由1.2 mg下降至0.2~0.5 mg,COD_Mn/TN由0.9上升至8.5~16.5,COD_Mn/TP由24.2上升至170以上,这4个参数的变化情况与稻壳的碳氮磷释放规律相同;TN含量由30.04 mg下降至7.64~8.68 mg,低于对照组(13.2~13.9 mg),但粒径和投加方式仅对实验初期水中氮的存在形态有影响。粒径决定稻壳的比表面积,投加方式决定稻壳的间隙,并影响微生物的附着效果,进而影响稻壳的碳氮磷释放效果。在实际应用时可根据情况,采用不同的生物质粒径和投加方式,以调节水中营养物质浓度和比例。     

A PCE groundwater plume discharging to a river: influence of the streambed and near-river zone on contaminant distributions

An investigation of a tetrachloroethene (PCE) groundwater plume originating at a dry cleaning facility on a sand aquifer and discharging to a river showed that the near-river zone strongly modified the distribution, concentration, and composition of the plume prior to discharging into the surface water. The plume, streambed concentration, and hydrogeology were extensively characterized using the Waterloo profiler, mini-profiler, conventional and driveable multilevel samplers (MLS), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys, streambed temperature mapping (to identify discharge zones), drivepoint piezometers, and soil coring and testing. The plume observed in the shallow streambed deposits was significantly different from what would have been predicted based on the characteristics of the upgradient plume. Spatial and temporal variations in the plume entering the near-river zone contributed to the complex contaminant distribution observed in the streambed where concentrations varied by factors of 100 to 5000 over lateral distances of less than 1 to 3.5 m. Low hydraulic conductivity semi-confining deposits and geological heterogeneities at depth below the streambed controlled the pattern of groundwater discharge through the streambed and influenced where the plume discharged into the river (even causing the plume to spread out over the full width of the streambed at some locations). The most important effect of the near-river zone on the plume was the extensive anaerobic biodegradation that occurred in the top 2.5 m of the streambed, even though essentially no biodegradation of the PCE plume was observed in the upgradient aquifer. Approximately 54% of the area of the plume in the streambed consisted solely of PCE transformation products, primarily cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). High concentrations in the interstitial water of the streambed did not correspond to high groundwater-discharge zones, but instead occurred in low discharge zones and are likely sorbed or retarded remnants of past high-concentration plume discharges. The high-concentration areas (up to 5529 microg/l of total volatile organics) in the streambed are of ecological concern and represent potential adverse exposure locations for benthic and hyporheic zone aquatic life, but the effect of these exposures on the overall health of the river has yet to be determined. Even if the upgradient source of PCE is remediated and additional PCE is prevented from reaching the streambed, the high-concentration deposits in the streambed will likely take decades to hundreds of years to flush completely clean under natural conditions because these areas have low vertical groundwater flow velocities and high retardation factors. Despite high concentrations of contaminants in the streambed, PCE was detected in the surface water only rarely due to rapid dilution in the river and no cDCE or VC was detected. Neither the sampling of surface water nor the sampling of the groundwater from the aquifer immediately adjacent to the river gave an accurate indication of the high concentrations of PCE biodegradation products present in the streambed. Sampling of the interstitial water of the shallow streambed deposits is necessary to accurately characterize the nature of plumes discharging to rivers.     

饮用水中硝酸根的催化还原研究进展

由于化肥的过度使用 ,造成地下水中硝酸盐的污染日益严重。饮用水中高浓度的硝酸盐对人类健康会产生极大的威胁。本文综述了催化还原脱除水中硝酸根的研究进展和现状 ,并对其发展趋势进行了简单的论述。     

Comparison of an assay for Dehalococcoides DNA and a microcosm study in predicting reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in the field

The study aims to compare the detection of 16S rRNA gene of Dehalococcoides species and the microcosm study for biotransformation in predicting reductive dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes in ground water at hazardous waste sites. A total of 72 ground water samples were collected from 12 PCE or TCE contaminated sites in the United States. The samples were analyzed and used to construct microcosms in the laboratory. The results showed that the presence of Dehalococcoides DNA was well associated with dechlorination to ethene in the field. Nearly half of the wells where Dehalococcoides DNA was detected had ethene as a dechlorination end product. In comparison, for ground water samples of 16 wells where ethene was detected, ethene was produced in 11 of the corresponding microcosms. For most microcosms, during two years of incubation, dechlorination was less extensive than that observed in the field.     

东江流域水污染控制与水生态系统恢复技术与综合示范

归纳了水专项东江项目2008—2013年的主要研究成果:针对保护优质水源的国家需求,选择典型的东江流域开展前瞻性的水污染控制技术研发并进行工程示范,创建了由常规水质指标实时在线化,痕量污染物控制指标识别筛选全流域优化,生物毒性指标甄别多属性全程化等成套技术构成的水源流域水质风险识别技术体系;由各类工艺废水脱毒减害,同质污水区域集中强化处理,排水持续净化等成套技术构成的水环境风险控制工程技术体系;由水生物链各物种生长状况评级,生境恢复和物种受损关键环节恢复等成套技术构成的生态健康维护技术体系。集成以上3个技术体系形成成套的流域水环境风险控制技术体系集。基于上述技术创新提出了“控制风险、维护生态、保水甘甜、发展持续”的水源流域管理创新总体策略。研发的技术体系与策略在东江流域的示范与应用,实现了东江主干流水质常年优于Ⅱ类的污染控制目标。     

电化学水处理技术研究进展

电化学方法可以通过电子的定向转移与精确调控,强化环境界面过程的速率和效率,其在水处理与资源化中体现出非凡的特点和优势,成为破解水危机和水污染的重要技术手段。近10年来,电化学水处理与资源化技术发展取得了长足的进步,正在向电极高效、工艺耦合、低碳绿色转变,未来将进一步聚焦功能电极材料设计、高效反应器与组合工艺开发、资源能源的定向转移与回收等重要方向。为深入研究电化学水处理与资源化技术机理,进一步探讨电化学方法在实际工程中的广泛应用,在重点关注电化学应用基础研究和前沿技术的基础上,分别对电絮凝、电氧化、电还原、电渗析/反向电渗析和电吸附技术的研究进展进行了回顾,并对电化学水处理与资源化技术发展进行了总结和展望。