High lipid content and productivity of microalgae cultivating under elevated carbon dioxide

This study examined the cell growth rate, lipid contents, lipid productivity, chlorophyll a concentration, and carbon dioxide tolerance of Chlorella vulgaris under various cultivation conditions. The pH, concentration of carbon dioxide in media, and light intensity variables were manipulated to obtain high lipid productivity. The optimum conditions were at pH 7.0, 2,930 lux, and 30 % carbon dioxide. Biomass concentration reached 1,288, 1,130, and 1,083 mg L^?1 at 15, 30, and 50 % CO₂ after 6 days, respectively, implying that this strain has appreciable tolerance to carbon dioxide. The highest concentration of chlorophyll a occurred at 2,930 lux and decreased with increasing light intensity gradually. The maximum specific growth rate was 3.25 day^?1 based on the dry weight and 4.63 day^?1 based on the cell number. The lipid content (45.68 %) and lipid productivity (86.03 mg day^?1 L^?1) obtained in this study are higher than reported values in literatures. Hence, C. vulgaris is a good candidate for subsequent research in biodiesel production under elevated carbon dioxide concentration by microalgae.     

Investigating soil thermodynamic parameters of the active layer on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The soil thermodynamic parameters, including thermal conductivity, diffusivity and volumetric capacity within the active layer on the northern Tibetan Plateau, were calculated using the measured data of soil temperature gradient, heat flux, and moisture at four stations from October 2003 to September 2004. The results showed that the soil thermodynamic parameters exhibited clear seasonal fluctuation. The thermal conductivity and diffusivity in summer and autumn at Beiluhe, Kexinling, and Tongtianhe were larger than those in winter. The volumetric thermal capacity causes an opposite change; it was larger in autumn and winter than in summer. In spring, the soil thermal conductivity at the Kekexili station was larger than that in summer. Generally, fine-grained soils and lower saturation degrees in the topsoil might be a reason for the lower soil thermal conductivity in winter. For a given soil, soil moisture was the main factor influencing the thermodynamic parameters. The unfrozen water content that existed in frozen soils greatly affected the soil thermal conductivity, whose contribution rate was estimated to be 55 %. The thermodynamic parameters of frozen soils could be expressed as a function of soil temperature, volumetric ice content and soil salinity, while for the unfrozen ground the soil moisture content is the dominant factor for those thermal parameters. As for the soil thermal diffusivity, there exists a critical value of soil moisture content. When the soil moisture content becomes less than a critical value, the soil thermal diffusivity increases as the soil moisture content rises.     

Microbiological degradation of phenol using two co-aggregating bacterial strains

Phenol biodegradation in an aerobic batch reactor was investigated using mixed two co-aggregating strains (Flavobacterium sp. and Acetobacter sp.). Response surface methodology by the Box–Behnken model was used to evaluate the optimal cell growth and phenol degradation conditions. The optimum temperature, pH value and inoculum size were found to be 33 °C, 6.06 and 13 %, respectively. In the conditions, phenol degradation rate and biomass were predicted to be 96.97 % and 410.78 mg/L within the range examined, respectively. Less toxic acetaldehyde, ethanol and acetic ether were identified as main intermediate products from the degraded samples using GC–MS. Substrate inhibition was calculated from experimental biomass growth and phenol degradation parameters using the Haldane equation. Kinetic parameters derived from nonlinear regression with correlation factors (R ²) were 0.9682 for phenol degradation and 0.9594 for biomass growth, respectively. The phenol concentration to avoid substrate inhibition was 278.17 mg/L.     

Field experiments and numerical simulations of whirlpool foundation pit dewatering

A whirlpool foundation pit is a small-diameter, deep circular pit. Because of its depth and small diameter, a large drawdown is required, and a limited number of wells can be installed inside the pit. During excavation, partially penetrating wells inside and outside the foundation pit have to be installed to lower the water level when the aquifer is too thick. However, partially penetrating wells near partially penetrating curtains cannot be treated by analytical methods. Therefore, it is necessary to use numerical methods to predict dewatering during excavation. Field experiments were performed on whirlpool foundation pit 1880 of Baosteel Group, Shanghai, China, to obtain pumping rates and drawdown, pumping with a single well and two wells in the confined aquifer. The results indicate that the drawdown inside the pit induced by pumping wells outside the foundation pit was small, whereas it was large for pumping wells inside the pit. The pumping wells inside and outside the pit had to be combined to lower the water level. A three-dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate the dewatering process. The hydraulic conductivities of the confined aquifers were inversed by using the pumping tests. Operation schedules were simulated with the corrected model for different combinations of wells inside and outside the pit. The results suggest that different schedules and operation conditions affect drawdown. The monitored results during dewatering indicate that the simulation and field measurements were in agreement. The results can be applied to similar situations.     

Accumulation and ecological effects of soil heavy metals in conventional and organic greenhouse vegetable production systems in Nanjing,China

The spatial variability of soil heavy metals in conventional and organic greenhouse vegetable production (CGVP and OGVP) systems can reveal the influence of different farming activities on their accumulation and plant uptake. This provides important basic data for soil utilization and pollution risk assessment. Based on horizontal and vertical spatial analysis, this paper presents the spatial variability and accumulation of soil heavy metals. The effects on plant uptake and factors influencing heavy metal accumulation are presented using the two typical greenhouse vegetable sites in Nanjing City, China as examples. Results showed that different greenhouse vegetable production systems had their own dominant heavy metal accumulation, specifically, Hg and Pb in CGVP system and Cd in OGVP system. The spatial analysis showed that horizontally, distribution of soil properties and heavy metal concentrations in the two sites showed decreases from specific regions to the periphery for organic matter (OM), Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn in CGVP and OM, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn in OGVP. Vertically, soil properties and heavy metals mainly vary in the topsoil. The key factor for the accumulation was excess fertilizer input. Variation of soil properties and the accumulation of soil heavy metals significantly influenced heavy metal uptake by plants. However, accumulation risk varied according to different heavy metals and different plant species. Environmental management of these two kinds of production systems should pay more attention to fertilizer application, plant selection, and soil properties.     

Variable temperature and moisture conditions in Yungang Grottoes,China, and their impacts on ancient sculptures

Deterioration of grottoes induced by the negative impacts of the variable temperature and moisture conditions has been an important issue in the conservation of heritage sites in China. In this case study, the spatial distributions and varying patterns of moisture and temperature in the caves of Yungang Grottoes, China, were investigated. The relative air humidity was approximately 100 % in the deep zone of the unsaturated surrounding rocks of the grottoes where the temperature remained almost steady at around 9.4 °C. However, the indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and rock surface temperature in the caves varied significantly because of the active exchange of the air with the outside atmosphere. The condensation water appeared on cave walls in the summer when the dew point in the air was higher than the rock surface temperature. Preliminary assessments with a special collection device indicated that the thickness of the transient condensation water could reach 0.03–0.10 mm on the back wall of a cave. The occurrence of this condensation water is expected to worsen salt deterioration of the sculptures in the grottoes. As revealed by long-term observations, a wooden building in front of a cave can weaken the indoor air temperature fluctuation and reduce the condensation water, and consequently, prevent the negative effects of the microclimate for the sculptures.     

中国地热研究的进展与展望(1995～2014)

地热是主要地球物理场之一,地热能是地球的本土能源。李四光在20世纪60年代开创了我国地热科学。到90年代,学科体系基本建立。在过去20年里,我国地热研究得到了进一步深化和拓展。本文从大地热流、岩石圈热结构、地热系统、油气盆地地热、矿山地热、天然气水合物以及气候变化等方面回顾地热研究代表性的创新进展,并对深层地热、海洋地热、环境地热等研究方向作了展望。本文认为,过去20年我国地热研究成果丰硕,国际影响力得到提高,未来发展势头强劲。在经历了由浅入深,从今到古的成长之后,地热研究还将不断拓展领域,为我国地球科学,特别是能源与环境安全做出更大贡献。     

桐柏山L构造岩的构造特征与形成环境探讨

桐柏山太白顶、殷店和天河口一带,发育有大量的L构造岩,拉伸线理极其发育,面理较弱,线理产状向南东东倾伏,倾伏角为1°～20°。桐柏山L构造岩具有以下主要特征：在三维空间上,L构造岩强烈发育杆状构造,这种“杆”状构造是由大量沿X轴方向定向排列连在一起的椭球体矿物构成的,其变形机制主要为石英的颗粒边界迁移和长石的位错蠕变,形成的平均压力为0.59GPa,平均温度为550 ℃～600 ℃,形成于中-高温-中压环境,变质相为高绿片岩相到低角闪岩相,形成深度大致在15～20 km,属于中地壳的产物。L构造岩在桐柏山的发现可能反映了桐柏山造山带中桐柏杂岩岩块相对两侧榴辉岩岩片具有近东西向挤出构造的特征。     

卫星热红外遥感技术在火山区地热探测中的应用——以内蒙古锡林郭勒火山区为例

能源的全球性短缺以及全球环境问题的日益加剧,使得绿色新能源的研究与开发成为当今世界许多国家的一项重要任务。地热资源作为其中一员其重要性日益凸显。在地热资源的勘查中,传统的地质和地球物理勘探投入高、难度大,而遥感技术具有经济、高效、覆盖范围广等优势,已逐渐成为地热资源探测与调查的一种新技术手段。地热能开发的首选地区往往是新生代火山活动区,因其在相对较小的深度内就能获得很高的温度。本文综述了国内外利用遥感技术探测火山地热的发展历史和研究现状,介绍了这项技术在美国黄石公园、日本阿苏火山以及我国长白山火山和腾冲火山的应用。同时选取内蒙古锡林郭勒盟新生代火山活动构造区作为实例,利用美国NASA陆地卫星Landsat-7 ETM+第6波段的红外遥感数据反演了研究区的地表温度,结合ETM+7-4-1波段组合影像的地质构造解译结果以及其它相关资料对研究区地表温度分布进行了分析。结果表明,区内红外遥感地表温度异常区多位于北东东与北西向构造的交汇处或与环形构造密切相关。本文圈定了7个地表温度异常区作为这一地区下一步地热资源勘查的远景区。     

Experimental Investigation on the Basic Law of Hydraulic Fracturing After Water Pressure Control Blasting

Because of the advantages of integrating water pressure blasting and hydraulic fracturing, the use of hydraulic fracturing after water pressure control blasting is a method that is used to fully transform the structure of a coal-rock mass by increasing the number and range of hydraulic cracks. An experiment to study hydraulic fracturing after water pressure blasting on cement mortar samples (300 × 300 × 300 mm³) was conducted using a large-sized true triaxial hydraulic fracturing experimental system. A traditional hydraulic fracturing experiment was also performed for comparison. The experimental results show that water pressure blasting produces many blasting cracks, and follow-up hydraulic fracturing forces blasting cracks to propagate further and to form numerous multidirectional hydraulic cracks. Four macroscopic main hydraulic cracks in total were noted along the borehole axial and radial directions on the sample surfaces. Axial and radial main failure planes induced by macroscopic main hydraulic cracks split the sample into three big parts. Meanwhile, numerous local hydraulic cracks were formed on the main failure planes, in different directions and of different types. Local hydraulic cracks are mainly of three types: local hydraulic crack bands, local branched hydraulic cracks, and axial layered cracks. Because local hydraulic cracks produce multiple local layered failure planes and lamellar ruptures inside the sample, the integrity of the sample decreases greatly. The formation and propagation process of many multidirectional hydraulic cracks is affected by a combination of water pressure blasting, water pressure of fracturing, and the stress field of the surrounding rock. To a certain degree, the stress field of surrounding rock guides the formation and propagation process of the blasting crack and the follow-up hydraulic crack. Following hydraulic fracturing that has been conducted after water pressure blasting, the integrity of the sample is found to be far lower than after traditional hydraulic fracturing; moreover, both the water injection volume and water injection pressure for hydraulic fracturing after water pressure blasting are much higher than they are for traditional hydraulic fracturing.