Degradation of Microbes for the Crude Oil Contaminants

Production and storage-transportation of crude oil can not only give rise to soil pollution but also destroy ecological environment. Degradation of microbes for oily soil was studied with the instnunent, Geofina Hydrocarbon Meter (GHM), by experimental analysis qualitatively and quantitatively in the paper. Analytical result showed that the crude oil could be considerably degraded by eating-oil microbes in oily soil and the number of eating-oil microbes increased while the working hours of oil-well rising. As a result, contaminated oil could be degraded more quickly by a lot of eating-oil microbes in the soil. At the same time, the degradation rate of contaminated oil increased gradually as the time went on. In addition, amount of gaseous component in the oily soil samples increased with degraded time and the microbes could selectively consume contaminated oil strongly, so biedegradation might alleviate the degree of contamination and destruction to the soil and environment in the process of oil product     

A Consistent Soil Fatigue Framework Based on the Number of Equivalent Cycles

Cyclic soil degradation and hardening affects soil stiffness and strength, and is linked to an increase or decrease in the mean effective confining stress due to void ratio or pore pressure changes. This change of state can be explicitly modeled by using effective stress methods, or implicitly modeled using total stress methods. In the latter, this is achieved by using empirical functions based on the number of loading cycles that are derived from constant-amplitude stress or strain laboratory tests. To suite generalized loading conditions, these functions must be extrapolated to variable-amplitude loading. This falls under the general class of a fatigue-based problem. The main focus of this paper is to present a generalized consistent soil fatigue formulation for soils under cyclic loading. The paper then goes on to discuss the implementation of various cyclic soil degradation and hardening models reported in the literature, and highlights their important underlying assumptions, capabilities and limitations.     

Evaluation of alkene degradation in the detailed tropospheric chemistry mechanism, MCM v3, using environmental chamber data

The representation of alkene degradation in version 3 of the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM v3) has been evaluated, using environmental chamber data on the photo-oxidation of ethene, propene, 1-butene and 1-hexene in the presence of NO_x, from up to five chambers at the Statewide Air Pollution Research Center (SAPRC) at the University of California. As part of this evaluation, it was necessary to include a representation of the reactions of the alkenes with O(³P), which are significant under chamber conditions but generally insignificant under atmospheric conditions. The simulations for the ethene and propene systems, in particular, were found to be sensitive to the branching ratios assigned to molecular and free radical forming pathways of the O(³P) reactions, with the extent of radical formation required for proper fitting of the model to the chamber data being substantially lower than the reported consensus. With this constraint, the MCM v3 mechanisms for ethene and propene generally performed well. The sensitivity of the simulations to the parameters applied to a series of other radical sources and sink reactions (radical formation from the alkene ozonolysis reactions and product carbonyl photolysis; radical removal from the reaction of OH with NO₂ and β-hydroxynitrate formation) were also considered, and the implications of these results are discussed. Evaluation of the MCM v3 1-butene and 1-hexene degradation mechanisms, using a more limited dataset from only one chamber, was found to be inconclusive. The results of sensitivity studies demonstrate that it is impossible to reconcile the simulated and observed formation of ozone in these systems for ranges of parameter values which can currently be justified on the basis of the literature. As a result of this work, gaps and uncertainties in the kinetic, mechanistic and chamber database are identified and discussed, in relation to both tropospheric chemistry and chemistry important under chamber conditions which may compromise the evaluation procedure, and recommendations are made for future experimental studies. Throughout the study, the performance of the MCM v3 chemistry was also simultaneously compared with that of the corresponding chemistry in the SAPRC-99 mechanism, which was developed and optimized in conjunction with the chamber datasets.     

Long-term modification of Arctic lake ecosystems: Reference condition, degradation under toxic impacts and recovery (case study Imandra Lakes, Russia)

In this study, published data on Lake Imandra, north-west Russia, have been synthesised to investigate trends in lake contamination and recovery due to changing inputs of heavy metals and nutrients over time. Records of water chemistry, phytoplankton, zooplankton and fish communities have been used to determine the status of aquatic ecosystem health in three distinct phases of Lake Imandra's recent history. Firstly, background (reference) conditions within the lake have been established to determine lake conditions prior to anthropogenic influences. Secondly, a period of ecosystem degradation due to anthropogenic inputs of toxic metals and nutrients has been described. Finally, evidence of lake recovery due to recent decreases of toxic metals and nutrients has been explored. Pollution of Lake Imandra began in the 1930s, reaching a peak in the 1980s. Increases in heavy metal and nutrient inputs transformed the typical Arctic ecosystem. During the contamination phase, there was a decrease in Arctic species and in biodiversity. During the last 10 years, pollution has decreased and the lake has been recolonised by Arctic water species. Ecosystem recovery is indicated by a change of predominant species, an increase in the individual mass of organisms and an increase in the biodiversity index of plankton communities. In accordance with Odum's ecosystem succession theory, this paper demonstrates that the ecosystem has transformed to a more stable condition with new defining parameters. This illustrates that the recovery of Arctic ecosystems towards pre-industrial reference conditions after a reduction in anthropogenic stresses occur, although a complete return to background conditions may not be achievable. Having determined the status of current ecosystem health within Lake Imandra, the effect of global warming on the recovery process is discussed. Climate warming in Arctic regions is likely to move the ecosystem towards a predominance of eurybiontic species in the community structure. These organisms have the ability to tolerate a wider range of environmental conditions than typical Arctic inhabitants and will gain advantages in development. This indicates that the full recovery of Arctic ecosystems in a warming climate may not be possible.     

How landscapes change: Integration of spatial patterns and human processes in temperate landscapes of southern Chile

A comprehensive understanding of the patterns that occur as human processes transform landscapes is necessary for sustainable development. We provide new evidence on how landscapes change by analysing the spatial patterns of human processes in three forest landscapes in southern Chile at different states of alteration (40%-90% of old-growth forest loss). Three phases of landscape alteration are distinguished. In Phase I (40%-65% of old-growth forest loss), deforestation rates are < 1% yr⁻¹, forests are increasingly degraded, and clearance for pastureland is concentrated on deeper soils. In Phase II (65%-80%), deforestation reaches its maximum rate of 1-1.5% yr⁻¹, with clearance for pastureland being the main human process, creating a landscape dominated by disturbed forest and shrubland. In this phase, clearance for pastureland is the primary driver of change, with pastures expanding onto poorer soils in more spatially aggregated patterns. In Phase III (80%-90%), deforestation rates are again relatively low (<1% yr⁻¹) and forest regrowth is observed on marginal lands. During this phase, clearance is the dominant process and pastureland is the main land cover. As a forest landscape is transformed, the extent and intensity of human processes vary according to the existing state of landscape alteration, resulting in distinctive landscape patterns in each phase. A relationship between spatial patterns of land cover and human-related processes has been identified along the gradient of landscape alteration. This integrative framework can potentially provide insights into the patterns and processes of dynamic landscapes in other areas subjected to intensifying human use.     

海洋浮游植物分解和代谢产物中高分子有机物的紫外、红外和1H-核磁共振光谱特征

用GDX 102树脂从海洋浮游植物三角褐指藻(Phaeodactylum tricornutum)的分解产物和代谢产物中分离提取腐植类物质(DHS,EHS)及乙醇可溶物(DES,EES),用¹H-NMR,IR和UV光谱进行结构分析,并同海水中腐植质(HS)和乙醇可溶物(ES)做了比较。结果表明,DHS,EHS和HS都以高支链烷烃、碳水化合物和氨基酸结构为主要组分,另有少量芳烃和杂环化合物。它们的化学结构很相似,说明DHS和EHS是海水腐植质的重要来源。     

Degradation and Transformation of Aquatic Humic Substances by Laccase-producing Fungi Cladosporium cladosporioides and Polyporus versicolor

A phenoloxidase-producing fungus – Cladosporium cladosporioides – was isolated from water of a bog lake. At high concentrations of carbon (333 mM) and nitrogen (12 mM), the fungus demonstrated the formation of a laccase and a high ligninolytic activity. After addition of riverine or groundwater humic substances into culture media (ca. 1 mg mL^–1), the fungus showed the ability of degrading (utilizing) of about 60% of these substances. However, the exact quantification of the degree of degradation was difficult because of adsorption of humic matter on fungal mycelium. Reisolated humic substances were lower in aromatic and higher in aliphatic structures. A crude enzyme from the C. cladosporioides culture showed only low activity in decolorizing humic substances, whereas decolorization up to 50% was observed when using a laccase preparation from Polyporus versicolor, and especially in the presence of a redox mediator.