Resource utilization of drinking water treatment aluminum sludge in green cementing materials:Hydration characteristics and hydration kinetics

As a byproduct of water treatment,drinking water treatment aluminum sludge(DWTAS)has challenges related to imperfect treatment and disposal,which has caused potential harm to human health and the environment.In this paper,heat treatment DWTAS as a supplement cementitious material was used to prepare a green cementing material.The results show that the 800℃ is considered as the optimum heat treatment temperature for DWTAS.DWTAS-800℃ is fully activated after thermal decomposition to form incompletely crystallized highly active γ-Al2O3 and active SiO2.The addition of DWTAS promoted the formation of ettringite and C-(A)-S-H gel,which could make up for the low early compres-sive strength of cementing materials to a certain extent.When cured for 90 days,the com-pressive strength of the mortar with 30％ DWTAS-800℃ reached 44.86 MPa.The dynamic process was well simulated by Krstulovic-Dabic hydration kinetics model.This study pro-vided a methodology for the fabrication of environmentally friendly and cost-effective com-pound cementitious materials and proposed a\"waste-to-resource\"strategy for the sustain-able management of typical solid wastes.     

Prenatal prednisone exposure disturbs fetal kidney development and its characteristics

Prednisone is a synthetic glucocorticoid that is commonly used in both human and vet-erinary medication.Now,it is also recognized as an emerging environmental contaminant.Pregnant women may be exposed to prednisone actively or passively through multiple path-ways and cause developmental toxicity to the fetus.However,the impact of prenatal pred-nisone exposure(PPE)on fetal kidney development remains unclear.In this study,pregnant mice were administered prednisone intragastrically during full-term pregnancy with differ-ent doses(0.25,0.5,or 1 mg/(kg.day)),or at the dose of 1 mg/(kg·day)in different gestational days(GD)(GD0-9,GD10-18,or GD0-18).The pregnant mice were euthanized on GD18.HE staining revealed fetal kidney dysplasia,with an enlarged glomerular Bowman's capsule space and a reduced capillary network in the PPE groups.The expression of the podocyte and the mesangial cell marker genes was significantly reduced in the PPE groups.However,overall gene expression in renal tubules and collecting ducts were markedly increased.All of the above effects were more pronounced in high-dose,full-term pregnancy,and female fetuses.Studies on the mechanism of the female fetal kidney have revealed that PPE re-duced the expression of Six2,increased the expression of Hnf1β,Hnf4α,and Wnt9b,and inhibited the expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor(GDNF)and Notch sig-naling pathways.In conclusion,this study demonstrated that there is a sex difference in the developmental toxicity of PPE to the fetal kidney,and the time effect is manifested as full-term pregnancy＞early pregnancy＞mid-late pregnancy.     

Application of micrometeorological approaches to measure methane exchange in a dry paddy field in the western coast of Korea

The exchange processes of CH₄ were investigated in a paddy field in the Hari area of Kang Hwa Island over an 8 day period in late April 2002. The quantification of CH₄ fluxes was made under dry field condition of early spring by concurrently measuring its concentrations (at the two heights of 1 and 5 m) and the relevant micrometeorological parameters. To help elucidate the factors determining the mobilization characteristics of CH₄, the results of our measurement data were examined using a number of approaches. The results of the trajectory analysis indicated that its concentration changed very sensitively with the influence of different source types, as seen from the air mass movement patterns. The concentrations and fluxes of methane, when examined over this short-term scale, showed moderately strong patterns across 24 h period in which higher values tend to occur during morning or evening. The overall results of our field measurements suggest that CH₄ exchange processes in the paddy area proceeded in a fairly complicated manner. The study area behaved as a net source of CH₄ to the atmosphere with a net daily emission rate of 3.6 mg m⁻² despite the fact that downward deposition was observed more frequently than upward emission.     

Seasonal variations of monoterpene emissions from coniferous trees of different ages in Korea

Seasonal variations of emission rates and compositions from coniferous species were measured under controlled conditions using a vegetation enclosure method. Total emission rates and compositions of monoterpene compounds from young and adult trees in different seasons were compared.

It was found that the total emission rates and the components of monoterpene varied significantly with tree species, age, and season. Total emissions from C. japonica and P. koraiensis were higher for older trees than for younger trees; however, significantly higher emissions were found from younger trees for C. obtusa. Higher monoterpene emission rates from each plant were found in spring and summer compared with autumn and winter emissions.     

Identification of relevant micropollutants in Austrian municipal wastewater and their behaviour during wastewater treatment

The European Union has defined environmental quality standards (EQSs) for surface waters for priority substances and several other pollutants. Furthermore national EQSs for several chemicals are valid in Austria. The study investigated the occurrence of these compounds in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. In a first screening of 15 WWTPs relevant substances were identified, which subsequently were monitored in 9 WWTPs over 1 year (every 2 months). Out of 77 substances or groups of substances (including more than 90 substances) 13 were identified as potentially relevant in respect to water pollution and subjected to the monitoring, whereas most other compounds were detected in concentrations far below the respective EQS for surface waters and therefore not further considered. The preselected 13 compounds for monitoring were cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), diuron, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), di(ethyl-hydroxyl)phthalate (DEHP), tributyltin compounds (TBT), nonylphenoles (NP), adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) and the complexing agents ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as well as nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA). In the effluents of WWTPs the concentrations of the priority substances Cd, NP, TBT and diuron frequently exceeded the respective EQS, whereas the concentrations for DEHP and Ni were below the respective EQS. The effluent concentrations for AOX, EDTA, NTA, Cu, Se and Zn frequently are in the range or above the Austrian EQS for surface waters. Besides diuron and EDTA all compounds are removed at least partially during wastewater treatment and for most substances the removal via the excess sludge is the major removal pathway. For the 13 compounds which were monitored in WWTP effluents population equivalent specific discharges were calculated. Since for many compounds no or only few information is available, these population equivalent specific discharges can be used to assess emissions from municipal WWTPs to surface waters as well as to make a first assessment of the impact of a discharge on surface waters chemical status. Comparing discharges and river pollution on a load basis, the influence of diffuse sources becomes obvious and therefore should also be taken into consideration in river management.     

PCDD/F enviromental impact from municipal solid waste bio-drying plant

The present work indentifies some environmental and health impacts of a municipal solid waste bio-drying plant taking into account the PCDD/F release into the atmosphere, its concentration at ground level and its deposition. Four scenarios are presented for the process air treatment and management: biofilter or regenerative thermal oxidation treatment, at two different heights. A Gaussian dispersion model, AERMOD, was used in order to model the dispersion and deposition of the PCDD/F emissions into the atmosphere. Considerations on health risk, from different exposure pathways are presented using an original approach. The case of biofilter at ground level resulted the most critical, depending on the low dispersion of the pollutants. Suggestions on technical solutions for the optimization of the impact are presented.     

暂存库填埋调质污泥的压缩与固结特性

污泥暂存库区面临减量增容的严峻问题。由于暂存库中的污泥已经发生了较大程度的降解,其固结性质与新鲜污泥相比已发生了较大的变化,可直接影响到原位处理效果,故选用FeCl₃和芬顿试剂对上海某污泥暂存库区的长期填埋污泥进行了调质改性,并对调质后污泥的固结压缩特性进行了研究。结果表明：经药剂调质后污泥的排水固结时间大大缩短,在初始低固结应力水平时压缩量较大,在后期高固结应力水平下沉降量较小;在初始低固结应力水平下,调质污泥的固结系数在10⁻³ cm²·s⁻¹数量级范围内变化;添加FeCl₃的实验组对应的C_v,max=2.91×10⁻³ cm²·s⁻¹,芬顿调质实验组对应的C_v,max=9.88×10⁻³ cm²·s⁻¹。渗透系数受固结应力影响较大,当FeCl₃的掺量为40%时,初级固结应力下样品的渗透系数k=4.439×10⁻⁶ cm·s⁻¹;在400 kPa固结应力作用下,渗透系数减小为3.796×10⁻⁸ cm·s⁻¹;经芬顿试剂调质的污泥在初级固结应力下,渗透系数k=6.48×10⁻⁶ cm·s⁻¹;在400 kPa下,渗透系数k=9.94×10⁻⁸ cm·s⁻¹。以上结果对现场污泥真空固结法处理有一定的指导意义。     

广东某大型城市生活垃圾焚烧厂9种重金属的迁移特征

采集广东某大型城市生活垃圾焚烧厂一期(WI-A)和二期(WI-B)的进厂垃圾、渗滤液、飞灰、底渣和烟气样品,分析了各样品中砷、镉、钴、铬、铜、汞、镍、铅、锌共9种重金属含量,研究重金属的迁移特征。结果显示,9种重金属呈现4类不同的迁移特征,钴、铜、镍、铬主要迁移至底渣中,锌、砷、铅主要迁移至底渣和飞灰中,镉主要迁移至飞灰中,汞主要迁移至飞灰和烟气中。活性炭吸附和布袋除尘器的组合对除汞以外的重金属治理效果明显。WI-A和WI-B垃圾中的汞分别约有28%、37%随烟气排到环境中。     

Pollution characteristics of 23 veterinary antibiotics in livestock manure and manure-amended soils in Jiangsu province,China

The aim of this study was to investigate the pollution characteristics of typical veterinary antibiotics in manure and soil of livestock farms in Jiangsu province. This investigation employed solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). A total of 53 manure and 50 amended soil samples from 16 livestock farms in Jiangsu province were collected for analysis. In the manure samples, the highest detected frequencies and concentrations were those of tetracyclines (TCs, 54.1 ± 5775.6 μgkg^?1), followed by fluoroquinolones (FQs, 8.4 ± 435.6 μgkg^?1), sulphonamides (SAs, 3.2 ± 5.2 μgkg^?1) and macrolides (MACs, 0.4 ± 110.5 μgkg^?1). Statistical analysis was used to illuminate the pollution characteristics of 23 veterinary antibiotics for various animal types and different regions in Jiangsu province. The results showed that the pollution level in cow manure was relatively lower compared with pig and chicken manure due to the relative restriction of medication. Furthermore, contamination was serious in amended soil from chicken farms. The pollution level in manure among different regions was higher to the south and north compared with the centre of the region. The same outcome was found for soil. Antibiotic residues in organic fertilizer were also investigated in this study. We found that although the detected concentration was lower in organic fertilizer than in fresh manure, detection frequencies (10–90%) were high, especially for roxithromycin (90%) in MACs (30–90%). This finding suggests attention should be paid to the pollution levels in organic fertilizer. This study is the first extensive investigation of the occurrence and distribution of many kinds of typical veterinary antibiotics in manure and soil from livestock farms of Jiangsu province. This investigation systematically assesses veterinary antibiotics usage and related emissions in southeast China.