A tracer study in an Alaskan gravel beach and its implications on the persistence of the Exxon Valdez oil

Despite great efforts including bioremediation, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spills persist in many gravel beaches in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA. To explore this mystery, a lithium tracer study was conducted along two transects on one of these beaches. The tracer injections and transports were successfully simulated using the 2-dimensional numerical model MARUN. The tracer stayed much longer in the oil-persisting, right transect (facing landwand) than in the clean, left transect. If the tracer is approximately regarded as oils, oils in the upper layer would have more opportunities to enter the lower layer in the right transect than in the left one. This may qualitatively explain the oil persistence within the right transect. When the tracer is regarded as nutrients, the long stay of nutrients within the right transect implies that the oil persistence along the right transect was not due to the lack of nutrients during the bioremediation.     

日本鳗鲡(Anguilla japonica)精养殖水体生物膜原位修复低碳养殖技术的研究

采用水体中设置弹性填料对比实验的方法,在12口聚乙烯水槽实施淡水精养殖日本鳗鲡,进行对鳗鲡精养殖水体生物膜原位修复节水增效效果、机理及应用前景的研究。结果表明,在207天的养殖期间,生物膜原位修复技术应用处理组的平均日换水率仅1.2%,比对照组显著节水减排74%(P0.01);处理组的主要水质因子pH、DO、TAN、NO2-N、NO3-N、COD等浓度均符合相关的渔业水质标准;处理组的起捕尾重、产量、生长速度分别比对照组高106%(P0.2)、108%(P0.2)和220%(P0.15),饲料系数低于对照组38.4%(P0.1)。此外,处理组弹性填料设置的适宜密度为填料占水体体积的10%。因此,精养殖水体生物膜原位修复技术,具有节水、减排与节能效果显著,投资与运行成本低,环保、低碳、安全,操作简便、易推广等优点。该革新性的生态工程低碳养殖技术对推动我国水产养殖发展方式从高耗费资源型向资源节约与环境友好型转变将产生重大影响。     

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons in anoxic marine sediments: Consequences on the speciation of heavy metals

We investigated the effects of biostimulation and bioagumentation strategies applied to harbor sediments displaying reducing conditions and high concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. We compared the microbial efficiency of hydrocarbon removal from sediments maintained for 60 days in anoxic conditions and inoculated with acetate, sulfate-reducing bacterial strains and acetate and sulfate-reducing bacteria. All treatments determined a significant increase in the microbial growth and significant decreases of hydrocarbon contents and of redox potential values. The addition of sulfate-reducing bacterial strains to the sediment was the most efficient treatment for the hydrocarbon removal. In all experiments, significant changes of the heavy metals’ phase repartition were observed. The results reported here suggest that the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in anoxic marine sediments may be enhanced by stimulating microbial anaerobic metabolism, but care should be applied to monitor the potential changes in the mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals induced by bio-treatments.     

Hazardous Heavy Metal Distribution in Dahuofang Catchment,Fushun, Liaoning,an Important Industry City in China: A Case Study

Located in Liaoning Province, one of the traditional heavy industrial areas in China, Dahuofang Reservoir provides drinking water for nearly 30 000 000 citizens, as well as industrial and agricultural water for dozens of several cities and rural areas. The distribution of hazardous heavy metals is described in several types of soil, crops, and in different industrial or mining areas and main sewage irrigation areas. Five possible reasons that may cause the pollution are analyzed and listed. Also we provide some pragmatic suggestions for the remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils.     

Diffusional losses of amended anaerobic electron acceptors in sediment field microcosms

Hudson River sediment microcosms from Piles Creek (PC), Piermont Marsh (PM), and Iona Island (II) were amended with ∼100 mM nitrate or sulfate to stimulate anaerobic bioremediation. Nitrate and sulfate decreased over two years of field incubation and the fraction of these losses due to diffusion to the water column was predicted using Fick’s law. Apparent diffusion (D_app) values of 1-4 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹ predicted the majority of loss/gain from/to the sediments by 700 d, but not at all times. Effective diffusion (D_eff) values predicted by the porosity function (D_eff = D_mol ε^4/3) were larger than those observed in the field, and field data indicates a cube power relationship: D_eff = D_mol ε³. D_app greatly increased in surficial layers at PM and PC in year two, suggesting that bioadvection caused by bioturbating organisms had occurred. The effects of bioturbation on transport to/from the sediments are modeled, and results can be applied to various sediment treatment scenarios such as capping.     

Biodegradation of Herbicide Propanil and Its Subproduct 3,4‐Dichloroaniline in Water

The rational use of pesticides generates an impact which is normally reversed and eliminated by the environment itself. However, the indiscriminate use of pesticides makes its natural degradation rhythm difficult, prolonging their presence in the soil for a great deal of time. Aiming towards a decrease in the environmental impact of pesticides, soil microorganisms capable of degrading pesticides, such as propanil, were investigated. An Enterobacter cloacae strain, isolated from rice field soil, was exposed to the herbicide propanil alone and in a mixture containing also bentazone, clomazone, quinclorac, and 2,4‐D. This bacterium was able to eliminate 100% of the applied propanil in 28 days. Propanil degradation in the 5‐herbicide mixture was much lower than that of individual pesticide degradation. The aeration of the system helped to degrade propanil and its subproduct 3,4‐dichloroaniline much faster. LC with UV detection was used to determine the remaining concentrations of the herbicides and their subproducts.