Assessing the Natural Source Zone Depletion of a Petroleum-Contaminated Clayey Soil Site in Southern China Combining Concentration Gradient Method and Metagenomics.

Natural source zone depletion (NSZD) is the main process of LNAPL (Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid) removal under natural conditions. The NSZD rates assessed ranged from 0.55 to 11.55 kg·m-2·a-1 (kilograms per square meter per year) in previous studies. However, most of these data were obtained from sandy sites, with few clayey sites. To gain knowledge of NSZD in clayey soil sites, the study assessed the NSZD of a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated clayey soil site in China, combining the concentration gradient method with metagenomic sequencing technology. The results show that the abundance of methane-producing key enzyme mcrA gene in the source zone was more abundant than in background areas, which suggests that there was methanogenesis, the key process of NSZD. The concentration gradients of oxygen and carbon dioxide existed only in shallow soil (<0.7 m), which suggests that there was a thin methane oxidation zone in the shallow zone. The calculated NSZD rates range from 0.23 to 1.15 kg·m-2·a-1, which fall within the moderate range compared to previous NSZD sites. This study expands the knowledge of NSZD in clayey soil and enriches the attenuation rate data for contaminated sites, which is of significant importance in managing petroleum contaminants.

Metagenomic analysis revealed highly diverse carbon fixation microorganisms in a petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer.

As one of the ultimate products of hydrocarbon biodegradation, inorganic carbon always be used to evaluate hydrocarbon biodegradation rates in petroleum-hydrocarbon-contaminated (PHC) aquifers. The evaluation method was challenged because of the existence of carbon fixation microorganisms, which may uptake inorganic carbons and consequently cause the biodegradation rates to be underestimated. We wonder if there are carbon fixation microorganisms in PHC aquifers. Although an extremely limited number of carbon fixation microorganisms in PHC sites have been studied in previous studies, the vast majority of microorganisms that participate in carbon fixation have not been systematically identified. To systematically reveal carbon fixation microorganisms and their survival environmental conditions, high-throughput metagenomic sequencing technologies, which are characterized by culture-independent, unbiased, and comprehensive methods for the detection and taxonomic characterization of microorganisms, were introduced to analyze the groundwater samples collected from a PHC aquifer. Results showed that 1041 genera were annotated as carbon fixation microorganisms, which accounted for 49% of the total number of genera in the PHC aquifer. Carbon fixation genes involved in Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB), 3-hydroxy propionate (3HP), reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA), and Wood-Ljungdahl (WL) cycles accounted for 2%, 41%, 34%, and 23% of the total carbon fixation genes, respectively, and 3HP, rTCA, and WL can be deemed as the dominant carbon fixation pathways. Most of the identified carbon fixation microorganisms are potential hydrocarbon biodegraders, and the most abundant carbon fixation microorganisms, such as Microbacterium, Novosphingobium, and Reyranella, were just the most abundant microorganisms in the aquifer system. It's deduced that most of the microorganisms in the aquifer were facultative autotrophic, and undertaking the dual responsibilities of degrading hydrocarbons to inorganic carbon and uptaking inorganic carbon to biomass.

The impact of environmental factors on the transport and survival of pathogens in agricultural soils from karst areas of Yunnan province, China: Laboratory column simulated leaching experiments.

Introduction: Groundwater is considered the best candidate for drinking water supply in the karst area. The groundwater water resources, however, are vulnerable to pathogenic microorganism contamination because of the typically thin soil layers overlying aquifers and the high permeability of the aquifer host rock, resulting in short residence times and low natural attenuation capacities. Until now, little attention has been paid to the critical environmental factors affecting the pathogenic microorganism contamination in soil-groundwater systems in the karst area. Methods: In the study, orthogonality column experiments with controlling ambient temperatures, pH values of inlet water, and soil porosities were carried out to investigate the transport and lifespan of pathogenic microorganisms in the leachate of agricultural soils in the karst area of Yunnan province, China. The pathogenic indicators, i.e., total bacteria count (TBC) and total coliforms count (TCC), and hydrochemical parameters, i.e., pH and permanganate index (CODMn) in the leaching water, were systematically monitored. Results and Discussion: The results showed that bacteria including coliforms can survive for prolonged periods of time in karst soils. The soils overlying the karst rocks were unable to impede the bacteria from seeping into the groundwater. The soils, in turn, likely served as both reservoirs and incubators for pathogenic bacteria. The ambient temperature was the most predominant influential factor affecting both TBC and TCC. The bacteria concentrations were proportional to the temperature in the leachate. Therefore, more attention should be paid to temperature variations in protecting the water supply, particularly in the high-temperature period, such as during the summer months.

Using Compound Specific Isotope Analysis to decipher the 1,2,3-trichloropropane-to-Allyl chloride transformation by groundwater microbial communities.

1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), a refractory contaminant, can be reductive dehalogenated to allyl chloride (AC) by microorganisms, which has been shown a potential in situ bioremediation (ISB) strategy for TCP remediation in groundwater. In practice, however, it is hard to monitor the bioreduction extent because the TCP concentrations may also be decreased by non-biodegradation processes. Compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) can be promising in determining the extent of degradation by quantifying the isotope enrichment factors (ε) of relevant degradation mechanisms. To date, no CSIA study has been reported on TCP degradation. In this study, a novel TCP-to-AC transformation enrichment culture (dominated by Azotobacter, Parabacteroides, Fusibacter, Hydrogenophaga, Trichococcus Desulfovibrio, etc) in the absence of the already identified TCP anaerobic reductive dechlorinating microorganisms (e.g., Dehalogenimonas) was derived from a chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer. A TCP degradation experiment was carried out by adding yeast extract to produce hydrogen as an electron donor. The TCP-to-AC transformation was found to conform to zero-order conversion kinetics with the rate constant 11 ± 0.34 µmol L-1 d-1 during the main biodegradation stage. The bulk carbon isotope enrichment factor (εbulk) of the TCP-to-AC transformation was firstly evaluated as -5.2 ± 0.1‰. This study for the first time characterized the carbon isotope fractionations during TCP biodegradation using a novel enrichment culture, which would provide a promising tool for the incorporation of ISB for TCP removal in the future.

Incorporating the Soil Gas Gradient Method and Functional Genes to Assess the Natural Source Zone Depletion at a Petroleum-Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Site of a Purification Plant in Northwest China.

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that natural source zone depletion (NSZD) in the vadose zone accounts for the majority (90%~99%) of the natural attenuation of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL). Until now, 0.05 to 12 kg/a.m2 NSZD rates at tens of petroleum LNAPL source zones have been determined in the middle or late evolution stage of LNAPL release, in which limited volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and methane (CH4) were detected. NSZD rates are normally estimated by the gradient method, yet the associated functional microbial activity remains poorly investigated. Herein, the NSZD at an LNAPL-releasing site was studied using both soil gas gradient methods quantifying the O2, CO2, CH4, and VOCs concentrations and molecular biology methods quantifying the abundance of the pmoA and mcrA genes. The results showed that the methanogenesis rates were around 4 to 40 kg/a.m2. The values were greater than the rates calculated by the sum of CH4 escaping (0.3~1.2 kg/a.m2) and O2 consuming (3~13 kg/a.m2) or CO2 generating rates (2~4 kg/a.m2), suggesting that the generated CH4 was oxidized but not thoroughly to CO2. The functional gene quantification also supported the indication of this process. Therefore, the NSZD rates at the site roughly equaled the methanogenesis rates (4~40 kg/a.m2), which were greater than most of the previously studied sites with a 90th percentile value of 4 kg/a.m2. The study extended the current knowledge of the NSZD and has significant implications for LNAPL remediation management.

Welfare Implications of Border Carbon Adjustments on the Trade of Harvested Wood Products.

Border carbon adjustments (BCAs) are designed to regulate carbon emissions and reduce carbon leakage. Thus far, BCAs are mainly applied to imported carbon-intensive products. On the other hand, harvested wood products (HWPs) are the extension of forest carbon stocks, whose changes affect a country's carbon stock level. Nonetheless, the trade of HWPs also raises the problem of carbon leakage when their carbon stocks are exported, which can be partially solved by applying export BCAs. We construct a two-stage game model to analyze the strategy changes of the government and forestry companies under BCAs: the first stage is output competition in a Cournot game similar to the trade of HWPs between New Zealand and China; the second stage is the setting of the tax rate of BCAs by the country. We use the inverse solution method to derive the results of the game. Our results find that the government imposes BCAs on exports of HWPs when the carbon stock value exceeds a threshold. Moreover, the export BCAs on HWPs can effectively reduce the amount of HWPs exported. The results also show that BCAs diminish forestry exporters' revenues and consumer surplus while having no significant detrimental impact on a country's welfare. BCAs help include carbon stock values into HWPs' prices and reduce carbon leakage, which is beneficial for climate change. Thus, exporting countries can maintain their welfare by implementing BCAs, and the forestry companies can respond by improving product quality, enhancing product uniqueness, and reducing production costs.

Insights into Biodegradation Related Metabolism in an Abnormally Low Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) Petroleum-Contaminated Aquifer by Metagenomics Analysis.

In petroleum-contaminated aquifers, biodegradation is always associated with various types of microbial metabolism. It can be classified as autotrophic (such as methanogenic and other carbon fixation) and heterotrophic (such as nitrate/sulfate reduction and hydrocarbon consumption) metabolism. For each metabolic type, there are several key genes encoding the reaction enzymes, which can be identified by metagenomics analysis. Based on this principle, in an abnormally low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) petroleum-contaminated aquifer in North China, nine groundwater samples were collected along the groundwater flow, and metagenomics analysis was used to discover biodegradation related metabolism by key genes. The major new finding is that autotrophic metabolism was revealed, and, more usefully, we attempt to explain the reasons for abnormally low DIC. The results show that the methanogenesis gene, Mcr, was undetected but more carbon fixation genes than nitrate reduction and sulfate genes were found. This suggests that there may be a considerable number of autotrophic microorganisms that cause the phenomenon of low concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon in contaminated areas. The metagenomics data also revealed that most heterotrophic, sulfate, and nitrate reduction genes in the aquifer were assimilatory sulfate and dissimilatory nitrate reduction genes. Although there was limited dissolved oxygen, aerobic degrading genes AlkB and Cdo were more abundant than anaerobic degrading genes AssA and BssA. The metagenomics information can enrich our microorganic knowledge about petroleum-contaminated aquifers and provide basic data for further bioremediation.

[Microbial Community Distributions in Soils of an Oil Exploitation Site].

To design a reasonable and effective remediation scheme for soil in contaminated sites, it is necessary to understand the microbial communities in the soil. Samples were collected at different depths (0 cm to 400 cm) in four locations: one that was persistently contaminated and near an oil well, one that was historically contaminated in the middle of the site, one in a mud pit, and one in farmland. High-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of 16S rRNA in these samples was performed. In addition to physico-chemical properties of the soil, the α-diversity, species composition, and differences in species between groups of microorganisms were analyzed, and a principal coordinate analysis and canonical correlation analysis were conducted. Results showed that oil and salt contents in soils were the dominant factors affecting microbial community structure. Hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms were abundant in oil-contaminated soils, whereas halophilic hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms were present in soils with high salt contents. Therefore, hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms might be useful in remediation of oil-contaminated sites.

Phase-locked array of quantum cascade lasers with an integrated Talbot cavity.

We show a phase-locked array of three quantum cascade lasers with an integrated Talbot cavity at one side of the laser array. The coupling scheme is called diffraction coupling. By controlling the length of Talbot to be a quarter of Talbot distance (Zt/4), in-phase mode operation can be selected. The in-phase operation shows great modal stability under different injection currents, from the threshold current to the full power current. The far-field radiation pattern of the in-phase operation contains three lobes, one central maximum lobe and two side lobes. The interval between adjacent lobes is about 10.5°. The output power is about 1.5 times that of a single-ridge laser. Further studies should be taken to achieve better beam performance and reduce optical losses brought by the integrated Talbot cavity.

A pH- and Temperature-Responsive Magnetic Composite Adsorbent for Targeted Removal of Nonylphenol.

A pH- and temperature-responsive magnetic adsorbent [poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted chitosan/Fe3O4 composite particles, CN-MCP], was synthesized for the removal of the endocrine-disrupting chemical nonylphenol. According to the structural characteristics (changeable surface-charge and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties) of the targeted contaminant, CN-MCP was designed owning special structure (pH- and temperature-responsiveness for the changeable surface-charge and adjustable hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties, respectively). Compared to chitosan magnetic composite particles without grafting modification (CS-MCP) and several other reported adsorbents, CN-MCP exhibited relatively high adsorption capacity for nonylphenol under corresponding optimal conditions (123 mg/g at pH 9 and 20 °C; 116 mg/g at pH 5 and 40 °C). Meanwhile, high selectivity of the novel adsorbent in selective adsorption of nonylphenol from bisolute solution of nonylphenol and phenol was found. Effects of grafting ratio of the grafted polymer branches and coexisting inorganic salts on the adsorption were systematically investigated. Moreover, CN-MCP demonstrated desired reusability during 20 times of adsorption-desorption recycling. The high adsorption capacity, high selectivity, and desired reusability aforementioned revealed the significant application potential of CN-MCP in the removal of NP. On the basis of the adsorption behaviors, isotherms equilibrium, thermodynamics and kinetics studies, and instrumental analyses including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, BET specific surface area, zeta potential, and static water contact angle measurements, distinct adsorption mechanisms were found under various conditions: charge attraction between CN-MCP and the contaminant, as well as binding between polymeric branches of CN-MCP and nonyls, contributed to the adsorption at pH 9 and 20 °C; whereas hydrophobic interaction between CN-MCP and nonylphenol played a dominant role at pH 5 and 40 °C. The current study provided a strategy for the structural design of adsorbents according to the features of targeted emerging contaminants, and the continuity of the work was discussed and proposed.

Effect of the aqueous extract of xiao-ban-xia-tang on gastric emptying in mice.

Gastric emptying effect of the aqueous extract of xiao-ban-xia-tang (XBXT) was investigated in mice. Mice with food deprived for 18 hours were orally administered a certain amount of test meal (ca. 0.8 g) equaling 0.8 ml in volume. The percentage of 0.8 g test meal remaining in the stomach after 20 minutes was estimated. It was shown that XBXT significantly antagonized dopamine- (0.56 mg/kg, i.p.), not atropine- (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), induced gastric emptying inhibition. It also significantly restored metoclopramide-induced (8 mg/kg, p.o.) propulsion and potentiated methylneostigmine-induced (2 mg/kg, p.o.) gastric emptying enhancement. The aqueous extract of Pinellia ternata, but not that of Zingiber officinale showed an inhibitory activity on gastric emptying. The present results suggest that XBXT possesses a regulative effect on gastric motility.