Flame Propagation Through Concentration Gradient

The experiment was carried out in homogeneous propane-air mixture and in several concentration gradient of mixture. Igniter is put on the upper side of the combustion chamber In concentration gradient experiment, fixture was ignited from lean side. An experimental study was conducted in a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber has glass windows for optical measurements at any side. For the measurement of distribution of fuel concentration, infrared absorption method using 3.39μm He-Ne laser was used, and for the observation of propagating flame, Schlieren method was employed. As a measurement result of flame propagation velocity and flammable limit, for a mixture of an identical local equivalence ratio, flame propagation velocity in concentration gradient is faster than that in homogeneous mixture, and rich flammable limit in concentration gradient shows a tendency to be higher than that in homogeneous mixture.

Biochar reduces uptake and accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in winter wheat on a PAH-contaminated soil

For years, biochar has been successfully used for the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in contaminated soils, not only for improving their removal from soil but also for reducing their uptake by crops. However, the underlying mechanism of biochar application reducing PAH uptake and accumulation in winter wheat remains unclear. Pot trials were conducted on a PAH-contaminated soil amended with bamboo biochar, coconut shell biochar,and maize straw biochar(MSB) for an entire growth period of winter wheat. Compared with no biochar control(CK), application of the three types of biochar significantly(P < 0.01) reduced grain PAH concentration, total equivalent concentration(TEC), and incremental lifetime cancer risk(ILCR), indicating that biochar application, especially MSB, reduced the risk of exposure to PAHs in wheat grain. Furthermore, all three types of biochar significantly(P < 0.05)reduced PAH uptake and accumulation in wheat roots and stems, probably because biochar application enhanced the degradation of PAHs in the rhizosphere soil. Compared with CK, application of the three types of biochar significantly(P < 0.05) reduced the concentration of PAHs in the rhizosphere soil by15.9%–33.7%. It was found that the degradation rate of high-molecular-weight(HMW) PAHs(5-and 6-ring PAHs) was significantly(P < 0.05) higher than that of low-molecular-weight(LMW) PAHs(2–4-ring PAHs) regardless of the type of biochar used. Additionally, all three types of biochar significantly increased the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial phyla and genera in soil. Redundancy and correlation analyses also showed that there was a strong correlation between the removal rate of PAHs and dominant bacteria in the rhizosphere soil. This study indicated that biochar effectively reduced the health risk from dietary exposure to PAHs in wheat grains by increasing the abundance of bacteria related to PAH degradation, promoting the biodegradation of PAHs in the rhizosphere soil, and consequently reducing PAH uptake by wheat.