Pollution source identification methods and remediation technologies of groundwater: A review

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water.Groundwater pollution severely endangers drinking water safety and sustainable social development.In the case of groundwater pollution,the top priority is to identify pollution sources,and accurate information on pollution sources is the premise of efficient remediation.Then,an appropriate pollution remediation scheme should be developed according to information on pollution sources,site conditions,and economic costs.The methods for identifying pollution sources mainly include geophysical exploration,geochemistry,isotopic tracing,and numerical modeling.Among these identification methods,only the numerical modeling can recognize various information on pollution sources,while other methods can only identify a certain aspect of pollution sources.The remediation technologies of groundwater can be divided into in-situ and ex-situ remediation technologies according to the remediation location.The in-situ remediation technologies enjoy low costs and a wide remediation range,but their remediation performance is prone to be affected by environmental conditions and cause secondary pollution.The ex-situ remediation technologies boast high remediation efficiency,high processing capacity,and high treatment concentration but suffer high costs.Different methods for pollution source identification and remediation technologies are applicable to different conditions.To achieve the expected identification and remediation results,it is feasible to combine several methods and technologies according to the actual hydrogeological conditions of contaminated sites and the nature of pollutants.Additionally,detailed knowledge about the hydrogeological conditions and stratigraphic structure of the contaminated site is the basis of all work regardless of the adopted identification methods or remediation technologies.

Isotope Tracing and Prospecting Assessment of Gold-Silver Deposits in Zhejiang Province

Three different types of gold and silver deposits in Zhejiang Province(Huangshan gold deposit, Zhilingtou gold-silver deposit and Haoshi silver deposit) showmarked differences in lead and strontium isotopic composition, suggesting three differentsources and geneses of these deposits. The Huangshan gold deposit features low initial Srisotope ratios and low μ values or low content of radiogenic Pb and its ore-forming materialscame primarily from the upper mantle; the Zhilingtou gold-silver deposit shows high initial Srisotope ratios and high μ values or high content of radiogenic Pb and the ore-forming materialswere derived mainly from the upper crust; and the Haoshi silver deposit has its Pb and Srisotope ratios between the above two cases with the ore-forming materials stemming from boththe mantle and the crust. The characteristic Pb isotopic composition may serve as an indicatorfor prospecting for different types of ore deposits.

Tracing technique of stable ^（15）N isotope： an application in study of mariculture

Using Na15NO3 and 15NH4Cl as tracer, we studied the transfer of 15N along the food chain composed oforganisms such as Platymonas subcordiformis, Artemia salina, Penaeus penicillatus and Liza carinatus . The abundanceand atomic percentage of 15N in each organism, as well as the transfer of 15N among different biological phases weremeasured. Results show that, in the nutrient transfer from low level to high level along the md chain in the mediaof 15NH4Cl, the transfer rate of Artemia salina→Liza carinatus exceeded 3% and was higher than that in Na15NO3; the accumulation of 15N in the bodies of Liza carinatus with 15NH4Cl as media was also higher than that withNa 15NO3 as media.

Distribution and Migration Patterns of Lead in Atmosphere-tea System by Isotopic Tracing Method

With low concentration of stable lead isotope as the tracer, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS）, the lead absorption of tea plants as well as the distribution and migration pattern of lead in plants under different pH environments and spraying introduction of lead sources were studied through pot trial. The results showed that tea plants were very sensitive to atmospheric lead source pollution; atmospheric lead source pollution had a tendency of moving up to the top （bud） ; low pH conditions enhanced lead absorption of plants and promoted upward migration of lead in plants. The experimental method is closer to the actual situation that plants are exposed to low concentration pollution, and could distinguish experimentally introduced lead source from environmentally introduced lead source.

Isotopic tracing of ore-forming source materials for Dexing porphyry copper deposit of Jiangxi, China

Dexing copper deposit is the biggest porphyry copper deposit in China. By researching isotopes of C,Si and Cu from the samples of Tongchang and Fujiawu ore-field, the authors found that δ13CPDB values of siderite were close to the δ13CPDB value of original magma; δ30Si values of the samples at the ore-forming stage were close to the δ30Si value range of magma, δ30Si values of partial samples were far away from it; Cu isotopic compositions of massive chalcopyrite formed at the early ore-forming stage are higher than that of veinal chalcopyrite formed at the later ore-forming stage. The results show that ore-forming materials were mainly derived from the porphyry body, and part of them were from wall rock materials.

Impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle flux and mitochondrial aerobic respiration during isoproterenol induced myocardial ischemia is rescued by bilobalide

There is an urgent need to elucidate the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia(MI)and potential drug treatments.Here,the anti-MI mechanism and material basis of Ginkgo biloba L.extract(GBE)were studied from the perspective of energy metabolism flux regulation.Metabolic flux analysis(MFA)was performed to investigate energy metabolism flux disorder and the regulatory nodes of GBE components in isoproterenol(ISO)-induced ischemia-like cardiomyocytes.It showed that[U-13 C]glucose derived m+2 isotopologues from the upstream tricarboxylic acid(TCA)cycle metabolites were markedly accumulated in ISO-injured cardiomyocytes,but the opposite was seen for the downstream metabolites,while their total cellular concentrations were increased.This indicates a blockage of carbon flow from glycolysis and enhanced anaplerosis from other carbon sources.A Seahorse test was used to screen for GBE components with regulatory effects on mitochondrial aerobic respiratory dysfunction.It showed that bilobalide protected against impaired mitochondrial aerobic respiration.MFA also showed that bilobalide significantly modulated the TCA cycle flux,reduced abnormal metabolite accumulation,and balanced the demand of different carbon sources.Western blotting and PCR analysis showed that bilobalide decreased the enhanced expression of key metabolic enzymes in injured cells.Bilobalide’s efficacy was verified by in vivo experiments in rats.This is the first report to show that bilobalide,the active ingredient of GBE,protects against MI by rescuing impaired TCA cycle flux.This provides a new mechanism and potential drug treatment for MI.It also shows the potential of MFA/Seahorse combination as a powerful strategy for pharmacological research on herbal medicine.

Spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing reveal CNS drug targets

Deconvolution of potential drug targets of the central nervous system(CNS)is particularly challenging because of the complicated structure and function of the brain.Here,a spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing strategy was proposed and demonstrated to be powerful for deconvoluting and localizing potential targets of CNS drugs by using ambient mass spectrometry imaging.This strategy can map various substances including exogenous drugs,isotopically labeled metabolites,and various types of endogenous metabolites in the brain tissue sections to illustrate their microregional distribution pattern in the brain and locate drug action-related metabolic nodes and pathways.The strategy revealed that the sedative-hypnotic drug candidate YZG-331 was prominently distributed in the pineal gland and entered the thalamus and hypothalamus in relatively small amounts,and can increase glutamate decarboxylase activity to elevateγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)levels in the hypothalamus,agonize organic cation transporter 3 to release extracellular histamine into peripheral circulation.These findings emphasize the promising capability of spatiotemporally resolved metabolomics and isotope tracing to help elucidate the multiple targets and the mechanisms of action of CNS drugs.

Advances on the Responses of Root Dynamics to Increased Atmospheric CO_(2) and Global Climate Change

Plant roots dynamics responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration, increased temperature and changed precipitation can be a key link between plant growth and long-term changes in soil organic matter and ecosystem carbon balance. This paper reviews some experiments and hypotheses developed in this area, which mainly include plant fine roots growth, root turnover, root respiration and other root dynamics responses to elevated CO2 and global climate change. Some recent new methods of studying root systems were also discussed and summarized. It holds herein that the assemblage of information about root turnover patterns, root respiration and other dynamic responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 and global climatic change can help to better understand and explore some new research areas. In this paper, some research challenges in the plant root responses to the elevated CO2 and other environmental factors during global climate change were also demonstrated.

Determination of 137Cs reference inventories in a large-scale region： A case study in the central-eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau

In isotope 137 Cs tracing studies, it is a premise to determine suitable 137 Cs reference inventory（CRI） plots and the CRI values. Owing to the heterogeneous spatial distribution of 137 Cs deposition in the ground and diverse, or even irregular, operations in sampling and testing procedures, CRI determination is usually faced with many difficulties and uncertainties. In addition, more difficulties occur in an investigation of a large-scale region because of time constraints and measurement cost limitations. In this study, traditional CRI acquiring methods were summarized first, and then a new complex scheme was established, involving seven core steps and coupling the model estimate and sample measurement. The above CRI determination methodology was implemented in the central-eastern Inner Mongolia Plateau. The case study results showed that the CRI in the dark chestnut soil sub-region, located in the east and south of Xing＇an City, exhibited 2447 Bq·m–2; the CRI in the aeolian sandy soil sub-region, positioned in the south central Tongliao City and central Chifeng City, showed 2430 Bq·m–2; the CRI in the sandy chernozem soil sub-region, situated in the northwestern Chifeng City, presented 2384 Bq·m–2; and the CRI in the chestnut soil sub-region, in the southern Xilin Gol City, was 2368 Bq·m–2. The newly proposed CRI determination scheme was proved effective, and the determined CRI plots and CRI values were convincing. The methodology offered a framework for 137 Cs tracing studies in large-scale regions or long-distance transects.

Chemical characteristics and Pb isotopic compositions of PM2.5 in Nanchang, China

In mid-September 2013, PM2.5 samples were collected at six sites in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, to quantify nine water-soluble ions （Ca2＋, Mg2＋, K＋, Na＋, NH4＋, SO42-, Cl-, F , NO3 ）, 29 trace elements （Ba, Zn, Pb, Ni, Mo, Cr, Cu, Sr, Sb, Rb, Cd, Bi, Zr, V, Ga, Li, Y, Nb, W, Cs, Tl, Sc, Co, U, Hf, In, Re, Be, and Ta）, and to characterize Pb isotopic ratios （^207pb/^206pb, ^208pb/^206pb, and ^207pb/^204pb） for identifying the main source（s） of Pb. The results showed that the average daily PM2.5 concentration （53.16 ± 24.17） Dg/m3 was within the secondary level of the Chinese ambient air quality standard. The combined concentrations of SO42-, NH4＋, and NO3- to total measured water-soluble ion concentrations in PM2.5 ranged from 79.40% to 95.18%, indicating that anthropogenic sources were significant. Coal combustion and vehicle emissions were both contributors to PM2.5 based on the NO3-/SO4^2- ratios. Wushu School experienced the lowest concentrations of PM2.s and most trace elements among the six sampling sites. Enrichment factor results showed that TI, Cr, In, Cu, Zn, Pb, Bi, Ni, Sb, and Cd in PM2.5 were affected by anthropogenic activities. Cluster analysis suggested that Cd, Sb, Pb, Re, Zn, Bi, Cs, Tl, Ga, and In were possibly related to coal combustion and vehicle exhaust, while Ni, Nb, Cr, and Mo may have originated from metal smelting. Pb isotopic tracing showed that coal dust, cement dust, road dust and construction dust were the major Pb sources in PM2.5 in Nanchang. Combined, these sources contributed an average of 72.51% of the Pb measured, while vehicle exhaust accounted for 27.49% of Pb based on results from a binary Pb isotope mixed model,

Current dilemma in photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction:real solar fuel production or false positive outcomings?

Solar driven carbon dioxide(CO_(2))recycling into hydrocarbon fuels using semiconductor photocatalysts offers an ideal energy conversion pathway to solve both the energy crisis and environmental degradation problems.However,the ubiquitous presence of carbonaceous contaminants in photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction system and the inferior yields of hydrocarbon fuels raise serious concerns about the reliability of the reported experimental results.Here in this perspective,we focus on the accurate assessment of the CO_(2) reduction products,systemically discuss the possible sources of errors in the product quantification,elaborate the common mistakes spread in the analysis of reaction products obtained in 13CO_(2) labelling experiments,and further propose reliable protocols for reporting the results of these isotopic tracing experiments.Moreover,the challenges and cautions in the precise measurement of O_(2) evolution rate are also depicted,and the amplification of the concentration of O_(2) in photoreactors well above the limit of detection is still demonstrated to be the most effective solution to this troublesome issue.We hope the viewpoints raised in this paper will help to assessment the reliability of the reported data in future,and also benefit the beginners that intend to dive in the photocatalytic CO_(2) reduction area.