The influence of sewage sludge properties on sludge-borne metal availability

With the advent of more stringent controls on wastewater treatment, sewage sludge production in Europe and many parts of the world is increasing. With this increase comes the problem of sludge disposal, and recycling to land arguably offers an economically and environmentally sustainable option. However, a major limitation of sewage sludge reuse is the potential release of heavy metals from the sludge and heavy metal accumulation to toxic levels in topsoils. The properties of the sludge play a crucial role in determining the initial release and subsequent availability of heavy metals in amended soils. Bioavailable forms of heavy metals in recently amended soils are most likely to be those that are bioavailable in the sewage sludge. In this paper, published research on the importance of sewage sludge characteristics on metal release and bioavailability will be reviewed and contrasted with original research. A selection of sludges from around Australia has been collected for this purpose. Through the use of incubation studies, isotope dilution techniques, ion-selective electrode measurements and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, the importance of a range of sludge properties on heavy metal behaviour in sludges and sludge-amended soils is addressed.     

Reducing plant uptake of PAHs by cationic surfactant-enhanced soil retention

Reducing the transfer of contaminants from soils to plants is a promising approach to produce safe agricultural products grown on contaminated soils. In this study, 0-400 mg/kg cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) and dodecylpyridinium bromide (DDPB) were separately utilized to enhance the sorption of PAHs onto soils, thereby reducing the transfer of PAHs from soil to soil solution and subsequently to plants. Concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene in vegetables grown in contaminated soils treated with the cationic surfactants were lower than those grown in the surfactant-free control. The maximum reductions of phenanthrene and pyrene were 66% and 51% for chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.), 62% and 71% for cabbage (Brassica campestris L.), and 34% and 53% for lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), respectively. Considering the impacts of cationic surfactants on plant growth and soil microbial activity, CTMAB was more appropriate to employ, and the most effective dose was 100-200 mg/kg.     

Reduction of Baltic Sea Nutrient Inputs and Allocation of Abatement Costs Within the Baltic Sea Catchment

The Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) requires tools to simulate effects and costs of various nutrient abatement strategies. Hierarchically connected databases and models of the entire catchment have been created to allow decision makers to view scenarios via the decision support system NEST. Increased intensity in agriculture in transient countries would result in increased nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea, particularly from Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia. Nutrient retentions are high, which means that the nutrient reduction goals of 135 000 tons N and 15 000 tons P, as formulated in the BSAP from 2007, correspond to a reduction in nutrient loadings to watersheds by 675 000 tons N and 158 000 tons P. A cost-minimization model was used to allocate nutrient reductions to measures and countries where the costs for reducing loads are low. The minimum annual cost to meet BSAP basin targets is estimated to 4.7 billion €.     

Sorption-Desorption of Atrazine and Diuron in Soils from Southern Brazil

The objective of this study was to investigate the behavior of sorption and desorption of the herbicides atrazine (6-chloro-N ²-ethyl-N ⁴-isopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) and diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyleurea] in soil samples from a typical lithosequence located in the municipality of Mamborê (PR), southern Brazil. Five concentrations of ¹⁴C-atrazine and ¹⁴C-diuron were used for both herbicides (0.48, 0.96, 1.92, 3.84, and 7.69 mg L^?1). Sorption of both herbicides correlated positively with the organic carbon and clay content of the soil samples. Sorption isotherms were well described by the Freundlich model. The slope values of the isotherm (N) ranged from 0.84 to 0.90 (atrazine) and from 0.75 to 0.79 (diuron) for the lithosequence samples. Sorption of diuron was high regardless of the soil texture or the concentration added. The desorption isotherms for atrazine and diuron showed good fit to the Freundlich equation (R ² ≥ 0,87). Atrazine slope values for the desorption isotherms were similar for the different concentrations and were much lower than those observed for the sorption isotherms. Significant hysteresis was observed in the herbicide desorption. When the two herbicides were compared, it was found that diuron (N = 0.06–0.22) presented more pronounced hysteresis than atrazine. The results showed that, quantitatively, a greater atrazine fraction applied to these soils remains available to be leached in the soil profile, as compared to diuron.     

Sorption Kinetics of Atrazine and Diuron in Soils from Southern Brazil

Abstract

Sorption kinetics of atrazine and diuron was evaluated in soil samples from a typical landscape in Paraná. Samples were collected (0–20 cm) in a no-tillage area from Mamborê, PR, which has been cultivated under a crop rotation for the last six years. Six sampling points of the slope were selected to represent a wide range of soil chemical and physical properties found in this area. Radiolabeled tracers (¹⁴C-atrazine and ¹⁴C-diuron) were used and the radioactivity was detected by liquid scintillation counting (LSC). Sorption was accomplished for increasing equilibration periods (0.5, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h). Kinetics data fitted adequately well to Elovich equation, providing evidences that soil reaction occurs in two distinct stages: a fast, initial one followed by a slower one. During the fast phase, 34–42 and 71–79% of total atrazine and diuron applied were sorbed to soil samples. No important differences were found among combinations of soil and herbicide sorption during the slow phase. The unrealistic conditions under batch experiments should be overestimating sorption in the fast phase and underestimating diffusion in the slow phase. Sorption of both herbicides was positively correlated to organic carbon and clay contents of soils, but atrazine was much less sorbed than diuron, showing its higher potential to contaminate groundwater, specially in sandy, low organic carbon soils.     

SBR生物反应器出水溶解态有机物性质特点研究

研究中考察了SBR生物反应器处理实际生活污水过程中,反应器内部溶解性有机物的变化情况,重点分析了污泥龄对于SBR反应器出水溶解态有机物性质特点的影响.研究结果表明,生物降解过程中,以分子量650Da、1700Da和2000Da为代表的腐殖质类有机物逐渐积累,小分子量有机物(<200Da)逐渐转化为具有中间分子量(500...     

Modelling the migration of contaminants through variably saturated dual-porosity, dual-permeability chalk

In the Hesbaye region in Belgium, tracer tests performed in variably saturated fissured chalk rocks presented very contrasting results in terms of transit times, according to artificially controlled water recharge conditions prevailing during the experiments. Under intense recharge conditions, tracers migrated across the partially or fully saturated fissure network, at high velocity in accordance with the high hydraulic conductivity and low effective porosity (fracture porosity). At the same time, a portion of the tracer was temporarily retarded in the almost immobile water located in the matrix. Under natural infiltration conditions, the fissure network remained inactive. Tracers migrated downward through the matrix, at low velocity in relation with the low hydraulic conductivity and the large porosity of the matrix. Based on these observations, Brouyère et al. (2004a) [Brouyère, S., Dassargues, A., Hallet, V., 2004a. Migration of contaminants through the unsaturated zone overlying the Hesbaye chalky aquifer in Belgium: a field investigation, J. Contam. Hydrol., 72 (1-4), 135-164, doi: 10.1016/j.conhyd.2003.10.009] proposed a conceptual model in order to explain the migration of solutes in variably saturated, dual-porosity, dual-permeability chalk. Here, mathematical and numerical modelling of tracer and contaminant migration in variably saturated fissured chalk is presented, considering the aforementioned conceptual model. A new mathematical formulation is proposed to represent the unsaturated properties of the fissured chalk in a more dynamic and appropriate way. At the same time, the rock water content is partitioned between mobile and immobile water phases, as a function of the water saturation of the chalk rock. The groundwater flow and contaminant transport in the variably saturated chalk is solved using the control volume finite element method. Modelling the field tracer experiments performed in the variably saturated chalk shows the adequacy and usefulness of the new conceptual, mathematical and numerical model.     

Flow and transport characteristics at an Epinephelus guttatus (red hind grouper) spawning aggregation site in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands)

This study characterizes the flow field at a spawning site located at the shelf break of a Caribbean island for the Epinephelus guttatus (red hind grouper) in relation to this species spawning events. In order to understand the oceanographic dynamics targeted by the fishes, current measurements were profiled throughout the water column for almost a year at the spawning site. The characteristics of the flow field and its evolution after spawning were investigated by using a numerical ocean model that resolved the observed tide and simulated the island scale flow where passive, neutrally buoyant virtual particles were released for 10 days to trace the flow pathways.Observed currents during the spawning period revealed that the flow was vertically sheared, to the south and weakest at the bottom, and to the west or east at the surface. The tidal analysis revealed that the flow at the time of spawning was directed across and on-shelf, although weaker close to the bottom. The model showed that the initial on-shelf transport was counteracted by the bottom flow directed to the shelf break, where virtual particles were entrained by the downwelling flow. A significant percent of particles resided less than two hundred meters deep, in the vicinity of the chlorophyll maximum and returned to the shelf break, close to the release location within 8-10 days. This journey was largely controlled by the timing between downwelling at the spawning site and upwelling further east at the shelf break, which was driven by the coupling between wind and tide induced vertical movements at the shelf break and deeper. The release location, vertical rotation of its flow field, and its transport properties were shown to be relatively resilient to the passage of transient sub-mesoscale eddies as well as to acute mesoscale flow reversals, suggesting that physical retention is maximized in the area surrounding the spawning site.     

Consequences of changed wetness on riverine nitrogen – human impact on retention vs. natural climatic variability

The HBV-N model was used for a scenario analysis of changes in nitrogen retention and transport caused by alterations of wetness due to land drainage, lowering of lakes, building of dams and climatic variability in a river basin in south-central Sweden (1885–1994). In general, dams were situated in locations more favourable for retention, compared to the lowered lakes. Rather modest conversions of water bodies only changed nitrogen transport by about 3%. The 180-times-larger increase of (mainly) tile-drained agricultural land had, according to simulations, increased the nitrogen transport by 17%, due to reduced retention. However, compared to human-induced alteration of the landscape N retention, the choice of 10-year periods of climatological data had the overriding effect on the calculated nitrogen transport. Weather-induced variations resulted in a 13% difference in nitrogen retention between various 10-year periods. When the model was driven by climatological data from the driest 10-year period (1905–1914), the estimated average annual load was only half of that obtained with climatological data from the wettest 10-year period (1975–1984). Electronic Publication     

带翼斜板设备处理石油污水的研究

在多层斜极分离设备的斜板下方安装一系列与料板垂直的翼板，构成了带翼斜板设备。把该设备用于石油污水的脱油处理，研究发现其具有较高的脱油效率和脱油深度。在进口含油浓度介于200～600mg／L之间，停留时间27.6min，平均脱油效率可达93．8％，出口平均含油浓度为1．8mg／L，粒径大于40μm的油滴基本均可脱除。文中还对进口含油浓度在300～400mg／L之间的出口含油浓度与表面负荷率的关系进行了论述。