[Sorption Characteristics of Phenanthrene and 1, 1-Dichloroethene onto Reed Straw Biochar in Aquatic Solutions].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sorption characteristics of phenanthrene (PHE) and 1, 1-dichloroethene (1, 1-DCE) onto reed straw biochar at 500 degrees C in aquatic solutions. The sorption mechanisms and effects of solution pH and biochar mass on sorption intensity were discussed. The results showed that the time required to reach sorption equilibrium was 60 min and 480 min for PHE and 1, 1-DCE, respectively, with maximum removal rates of 81, 87% and 90.18%. The sorption kinetics of both PHE and 1, 1-DCE fitted the pseudo-second-order model well, but the pseudo-second-order reaction rate of PHE was higher than that of 1, 1-DCE. Furthermore, the sorption processes were controlled by both membrane diffusion and intra-particle diffusion, and the latter was found to be the rate-controlling step. Sorption isotherms of the two organic pollutants fitted well with the Freundlich equation, and the sorption affinity of 1, 1-DCE onto biochar was greater than that of PHE. The total sorption mechanism of biochar was the combination of partition and adsorption, and dominated by adsorption. The adsorption capacity of 1, 1-DCE was greater than that of PHE, but its partition capacity was much smaller, indicating that pollutants' molecular volume and relative polarity would mainly affect the total sorption. Analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated that oxygen- and hydrogen-containing functional groups and pi--pi interaction were important for PHE and 1, 1-DCE sorption onto biochar. The solution pH value had no significant effect on the sorption intensity of PHE and 1, 1-DCE, however, with biochar mass increasing from 5 mg to 50 mg, the equilibrium sorption amount of PHE and 1, 1-DCE decreased by 6.78 times and 2.18 times, and the removal rate increased by 20.21% and 15.78%, respectively.

Characterization of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons and Environmental Variables in a Shallow Groundwater in Shanghai Using Kriging Interpolation and Multifactorial Analysis.

CAHs, as a cleaning solvent, widely contaminated shallow groundwater with the development of manufacturing in China's Yangtze River Delta. This study focused on the distribution of CAHs, and correlations between CAHs and environmental variables in a shallow groundwater in Shanghai, using kriging interpolation and multifactorial analysis. The results showed that the overall CAHs plume area (above DIV) was approximately 9,000 m(2) and located in the 2-4 m underground, DNAPL was accumulated at an area of approximately 1,400 m(2) and located in the 6-8m sandy silt layer on the top of the muddy silty clay. Heatmap of PPC for CAHs and environmental variables showed that the correlation between "Fe(2+)" and most CAHs such as "1,1,1-TCA", "1,1-DCA", "1,1-DCE" and "%TCA" were significantly positive (p<0.001), but "%CA" and/or "%VC" was not, and "Cl-" was significantly positive correlated with "1,1-DCA" and "1,1-DCE" (p<0.001). The PCA demonstrated that the relative proportions of CAHs in groundwater were mostly controlled by the sources and the natural attenuation. In conclusion, the combination of geographical and chemometrics was helpful to establishing an aerial perspective of CAHs and identifying reasons for the accumulation of toxic dechlorination intermediates, and could become a useful tool for characterizing contaminated sites in general.

Natural attenuation model and biodegradation for 1,1,1-trichloroethane contaminant in shallow groundwater.

Natural attenuation is an effective and feasible technology for controlling groundwater contamination. This study investigated the potential effectiveness and mechanisms of natural attenuation of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) contaminants in shallow groundwater in Shanghai by using a column simulation experiment, reactive transport model, and 16S rRNA gene clone library. The results indicated that the majority of the contaminant mass was present at 2-6 m in depth, the contaminated area was approximately 1000 m × 1000 m, and natural attenuation processes were occurring at the site. The effluent breakthrough curves from the column experiments demonstrated that the effectiveness of TCA natural attenuation in the groundwater accorded with the advection-dispersion-reaction equation. The kinetic parameter of adsorption and biotic dehydrochlorination of TCA was 0.068 m(3)/kg and 0.0045 d(-1). The contamination plume was predicted to diminish and the maximum concentration of TCA decreased to 280 µg/L. The bacterial community during TCA degradation in groundwater belonged to Trichococcus, Geobacteraceae, Geobacter, Mucilaginibacter, and Arthrobacter.

[Stabilization and long-term effect of chromium contaminated soil].

Short-term (3 d and 28 d) and long-term (1 a) stabilization effects of Cr contaminated soil were investigated through nature curing, using four amendments including ferrous sulfide, ferrous sulfate, zero-valent iron and sodium dithionite. The results indicated that ferrous sulfide and zero-valent iron were not helpful for the stabilization of Cr(VI) when directly used because of their poor solubility and immobility. Ferrous sulfate could effectively and rapidly decrease total leaching Cr and Cr(VI) content. The stabilization effect was further promoted by the generation of iron hydroxides after long-term curing. Sodium dithionite also had positive effect on soil stabilization. Appropriate addition ratio of the two chemicals could help maintain the soil pH in range of 6-8.

Effects of electrokinetic treatment of contaminated sludge on migration and transformation of Cd, Ni and Zn in various bonding states.

This study assesses the effect of electrokinetic processes on the migration and bonding states of various heavy metals in municipal sludge. The transformation and migration are discussed through the examination of sludge characteristics and distribution of Cd, Zn and Ni after electrokinetic treatments. The migration and distribution of the contaminants after the electrokinetic treatments were determined for each sludge sample by sequential extraction. The noticeable changes on the average speciation fractions of Cd, Zn and Ni were observed that oxidizable heavy metals increased and reducible fraction decreased due to the application of voltage. Bivariate correlation analysis indicated that the amounts of different bonding states of Zn and Ni were significantly correlated (P<0.05) with durations and resistance. The oxidizable Zn was negatively correlated with exchangeable and reducible Zn. Moreover, reducible Zn had a close negative relationship with residual Zn. The bonding state of Ni was significantly related to the durations of electrokinetic processes, indicating the existing of mutual transformation between different speciation fractions over time. The analysis also indicated that the exchangeable Cd showed a close negative relationship with reducible Cd (P<0.01), whereas the reducible Cd was negatively related to residual Cd (P<0.05).

[Stabilization of heavy metals in sewage sludge by using a ferrous iron].

The stabilization of heavy metals in sewage sludge using a ferrous iron is investigated through leaching test and fractionation analysis. The results showed that FeSO4 x 7H2O was not helpful to stabilize the heavy metals in the sludge when used individually since it reduced the pH value of sludge. The pH value dropped significantly from 6.5 to 4.4, and leaching coefficients of Zinc (Zn) and Nickel (Ni) raised, respectively, to 363.3% and 118.3% when FeSO4 x 7H2O was added individually at a ratio of 5%. However, it maintained the pH value within a slight alkaline range and the leaching coefficients of heavy metals reduced significantly when combined with Ca(OH)2 as an auxiliary agent. The pH value of sludge kept to 8.4 and leaching coefficients of Zn and Ni were reduced to 11.5% and 24.1%, for example, when 15% FeSO4 x 7H2O and 7.5% Ca(OH)2 were added together into the sludge. Besides, when Ca(OH)2 was used individually, the pH value of the sludge raised highly although the heavy metals were stabilized effectively. Under same pH value, combined addition of FeSO4 x 7H2O and Ca(OH)2 promoted the stabilization of heavy metals had a better effect than individual use of Ca(OH)2. The fractionation analysis revealed that the stable species of Zn, Cu and Pb were increased, and the instable species of Ni, Cr and Cd were also raised.

[Effect of desilication treatment using silicate bacteria on the bioleaching efficiency of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash].

One silicate bacteria strain SDB6 with good performance in silicon removal was isolated and screened from soil. Based on the morphological, physiological, biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, SDB6 was identified as Bacillus mucilaginosus strain. The effects of nitrogen source, pH, temperature, rotate speed and medium volume on the growth of SDB6 were investigated. The above factors were optimized using the orthogonal design. The optimized condition was described as follows: 10 g/L yeast, 250 mL flask with 50 mL culture medium, pH 7.5, 30 degrees C, 180 r/min. The bioleaching of un-desilicated and desilicated fly ash using the adapted Aspergillus niger AS 3.879M strain was carried out for 20d. The results indicated that the metal extraction yield in bioleaching increased obviously with desilication treatment comparing to that without desilication treatment. The extraction yield of Cu, Mn, Cr, Zn and Fe from desilicated fly ash was 31%, 75%, 60%, 60% and 48%, respectively. The total metals extraction yield of desilicated fly ash increased to 50%. The TCLP results of the fly ash after bioleaching indicated that the leaching toxicities of the treated fly ash were far lower than the regulated levels of China and permitted to the further landfill or reuse.

[Application of solidification technology in ecological protection of rural riverbank].

A self-developed binder was used for the solidification of construction refuse piles and whole soil matrix, and a technology of this solidification combining with grass-planting was adopted to ecologically protect the rural riverbanks at Tianshan Village of Shanghai. This technology and other ecological engineering techniques were also employed to reconstruct the ecological environment of a sewage pond at the Village. The results showed that the solidified piles had an anti-compression strength of up to 7.3 MPa, with good hydraulic permeability, fast hardening rate, and low drying shrinkage, which met the requirements for ecological safety. The solidified stakes could be used at a low temperature of above -18 degrees C with addition of certain anti-freezing agents. The riverbank underpinned with the solidified stakes had higher anti-compressive strength, higher ability of anti-soil erosion, and better hydraulic permeability; and its soil had the similar moisture content to bare riverbank soil, with no detrimental effects on the root growth of planted grass. After soil solidification, the shearing strength of the riverbank increased by 50 times, and its soil loss was only 5% of the bare riverbank. In the first 10 days after adopting this technology, parts of Cynodon dactylon roots on the surface of solidified soil matrix began to extend into soil; after one month, 60% of the roots penetrated into deeper soil layer; and 11 months later, the grass roots completely grew in-depth in the soil. The combination of our solidification technique with vegetation reconstruction satisfied the requirements of both stabilizing riverbank and improving riparian habitat.

[Movement-adsorption and its mechanism of Cd in soil under combining effects of electrokinetics and a new type of bamboo charcoal].

The characteristics of migration and its influencing factor of cadmium in sandy loam soil by uniform electrokinetics as well as the adsorption property by a new material-bamboo charcoal were investigated through bench-scale experiments, and the feasibility of using electrokinetic technique combined with the newly developed bamboo charcoal for remediation of cadmium contaminated soils was analyzed as well. The results show that the bamboo charcoal is good adsorption material which has comparably strong adsorption effect on Cd, bearing potential in future use, which could be simulated by both Freundlich and Langmuir models (R2 > 0.96). The migration rates of cadmium in sandy loam were high up to 0. 6786 - 0.6875cm/h under an electric gradient of 1.0V/cm, depending upon the concentration of cadmium and the distribution of electric field density. Electrokinetics effectively transported the heavy metal in the soil. In the new electrokinetic tech combining the bamboo charcoal with the same electric gradient above under the polarity reversal period of 48 hours, the cadmium in the soil could be wiped off with high efficiency (removal efficiency 79.6% in 12 days) and the pH together with water content could be well retained. The electric current in the process changed periodically according to the reversal. As a new technique, the electrokinetic movement-bamboo charcoal adsorption holds high potential in future use.

[Movement and transformation of nitrate in soil by non-uniform electrokinetics].

Movement and accumulation of nitrate in soil and groundwater has become a serious threat in many cities and agricultural areas. At the same time, application of nitrate as bacterial nitrogenous nutrient in the in-situ bioremediation of some organics-polluted sites is often required. Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the feasibility of using non-uniform electrokinetics (NUEK) to control the movement of nitrate in unsaturated soil-water system. A natural soil taken from woodland was used as experimental soil. Three electrokinetic processes were tested in bench-scale cells at a constant potential gradient of 1.0 V/cm: unidirectional NUEK, NUEK with periodic polarity-reversal, and conventional uniform electrokinetic (UEK). The tests showed that NUEK drove NO3- through the experimental soil at a rate of 13.5-20 cm/d depending upon the concentration of NO3- and the distribution of electric field density. Compared with UEK, NUEK process more effectively concentrated and retained NO3- close to the anode. Moreover, NUEK process maintained soil characteristics and consumed much less electric energy. Reversal the polarity of NUEK weakened the concentration of NO3- to electrodes, but it stimulated the transformation of NO3- to NO2- and further lowered the electric energy consumption.