Potential for carbon sequestration in reclaimed mine soil on reforested surface mining areas in Poland

Reclaimed mine soils (RMS) which develop on post-mining sites play significant role in Carbon sequestration in new ecosystems, especially in local range on areas disturbed by human activity. This study presents the potential for Carbon sequestration in RMS developing on 3 post sur- face mining areas in Poland (Central Europe) reforested with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L). Research was conducted on waste heaps and quarry which accompany open cast lignite, sul- fur, and sand mining. Control plots were arrang- ed in managed pine forests on natural sites in the surrounding area. The results shows high Carbon accumulation in RMS, estimated on 16.77 Mg?ha-1 in poor (oligotrofic) soils on Quaternary sands on sand quarry and up to 65.03 Mg?ha-1 on external waste heap after Sulfur sur- face mining exploitation on Quaternary sands mixed with Tertiary clays. These results were very similar to natural forest soils on control plots. Potential rate of Carbon sequestration in RMS was estimated on 0.73 (on the poorest sa- ndy soils on quarry) to 2.17 Mg?ha-1?yr-1 (on potentially abundant sandy-clayish soils on Sulfur waste heap), and 5.26 Mg?ha-1?yr-1 (on Tertiary sands substrate soils on lignite mining waste heap). In conslusion the average Carbon accu- mulation in RMS was estimated on 41 Mg?ha-1 and Carbon sequestration rate was 1.45 Mg? ha-1?yr-1. According to the result of this study and range of post-mining areas reclaimed to forestry in Poland (ca 15000 ha) total Carbon accumulation in RMS was estimated on 615 × 103 Mg and potential Carbon sequestration rate in new ecosystems on 21.75 × 103 Mg?ha-1?yr-1. However, the main factors affecting Carbon sequestration and protection in RMS under tree stand were substrate, percentage of clay and silt sized fraction, in order to formulate guidelines for sustainable management of post-mining ec- osystem, further study must be continue for be- tter understanding.

Selective adsorption of tetracycline by β-CD-immobilized sodium alginate aerogel coupled with ultrafiltration for reclaimed water

In this work,a novel composite material based on β-cyclodextrin-immobilized sodium alginate aerogel(β-CD/NaAlg) was developed utilizing cross-linker of epichlorohydrin and applied as an adsorbent to remove tetracycline antibiotics from reclaimed wastewater.A series of characterizations were utilized to confirm the successful synthesis of the adsorbent and this β-CD/NaAlg presented a three-dimensional network at the nanoscale or microscale.Under optimal conditions(pH=4,t=8 h,β-CD:NaAlg=9,adsorbent dosage = 1.5 g·L-1),the maximum removal rate of β-CD/NaAlg to tetracycline was 70%.The adsorption behavior of tetracycline on β-CD/NaAlg conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model(R2=0.9977) and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model(R^(2)=0.9993).Moreover,the adsorbent still removed 55.3% of tetracycline after five cycles.Specially,the adsorbent was integrated with ultrafiltration to adsorb tetracycline antibiotics from simulated reclaimed wastewater,and the removal rate of tetracycline reached 78.9% within 2 h.The existence of Cr(Ⅵ) had a negligible impact on tetracycline removal,while the presence of humic acid exhibited a promoting effect.The possible adsorption mechanisms were also elucidated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory analysis.In summary,β-CD/NaAlg represents an environmentally friendly,efficient,and sustainable adsorbent for removing tetracycline antibiotics from reclaimed water.

Estimation of carbon sequestration in reclaimed coalmine degraded land dominated by Albizia lebbeck, Dalbergia sissoo and Bambusa arundinacea plantation： a case study from Jharia Coalfields, India

Reclaimed mined lands provide an excellent opportunity to sequester carbon and combat global warming. Carbon sequestration on reclaimed sites depend on age of reclamation, composition of species, geomining conditions （soil characteristics） and prevailing climate. The aims of the present study were to calculate carbon （C）--stock of biomass of 4 years old plantation （dominated by Albizia lebbeck, Dalbergia sissoo and Bambusa arundinacea）, understorey vegetation and litter, soil organic carbon in reclaimed minesoil （RMS） and compare with reference forest site. Allometric equation was used for the estimation of biomass C stock and found 13.0 Mg C ha i （A lebbeck 7.8 Mg C ha-I, D sissoo 3.5 Mg C ha-l and B. arundincea 1.2 Mg C ha-l）, while stock of understorey vegetation was 0.98 Mg C ha-~. In RMS, C stock was 16.3 Mg C ha-1, out of which inorganic C contributed 1.7 g kg-l （8 % of total soil C）, Coal C 8.7 g kg^-1 （43 % of total soil C） and biogenic C 9.8 g kg^-1 （49 % of total soil C）. Total C stock in reclaimed site was calculated as 30.3 Mg C ha^-1（equivalent to 111 Mg CO2 ha-b. The study concluded that （i） coal C is responsible for overestimation of C stock in RMS （ii） Maximun C stock stored in aboveground biomass component and （iii） reclaimed mined lands will take approximately 17 years to reach the level of C stock of reference forest site in dry tropical climate.

Performance evaluation and chemical property analysis of RWMA binders with 100% artificial reclaimed asphalt

The performance evaluation and chemical property analysis of the recycled warm mix asphalt （RWMA） binders containing 100% artificial reclaimed asphalt （ RA） are presented, and the combined effects of different percentages of the rejuvenator and warm mix additive （WMA） additives on RWMA binders are analyzed through laboratory tests. Three types of WMA additives ad one commercial rejuvenator named GST were selected to restore the artificial RA. The laboratory performace tests including the penetration test, softening test ad rotary, viscosity （RV） test were carried out. In addition, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） test was performed to explore the chemical property of RWMA binders. The results of the performance tests indicate that the rejuvenator GST has the ability to restore the artificial RA; choosing the optimum content of WMA additives and rejuvenator is the key to restoring 100% artificial RA, since the combined effects of them play an important role in determining the basic laboratory performance of RWMA binders. The FTIR tests show that the process of recycling mainly adjusts the chemical component of aged asphalt and no remarkable change is observed in the FTI1R spectra of RWMA binders in terms of chemical functional groups with the introduction of WMA additives.

Impacts of Irrigation with Reclaimed Water on Endophytic Bacteria in Chinese Cabbage in Urumqi City

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of agricultural irri- gation with reclaimed water in Urumqi City. [Method] Chinese cabbages were used as experimental materials and irrigated with control water, 50% reclaimed water and 100% reclaimed water, and then the number of endophytic bacteria in Chinese cab- bages was measured. [Result] Using 50% reclaimed water, the fresh weight of Chi- nese cabbage was improved by 68.94%; however, with the deepening internalization of exogenous microorganism internalization, the total number of endophytic bacteria and coliform flock in Chinese cabbages treated with 50% reclaimed water was sig- nificantly higher than the other two treatment groups （P〈0.05）. [Conclusion] Re- claimed water enhances both the weight of Chinese cabbage and the number of endophytic bacteria, which is unsuitable for irrigation of edible crops such as Chi- nese cabbage. Strengthening disinfection during the process of sewerage treatment could solve this problem.

Effect of heavy metals on soil microbial activity and diversity in a reclaimed mining wasteland of red soil area

The microbial biomass, basal respiration and substrate utilization pattern in copper mining wasteland of red soil area, southern China, were investigated. The results indicated that soil microflora were obviously different compared with that of the non-mine soil. Microbial biomass and basal respiration were negatively affected by the elevated heavy metal levels. Two important microbial ecophysiological parameters, namely, the ratio of microbial biomass C（ Cmic ）/organic C（ Corg ） and metabolic quotient（qCO2 ） were closely correlated to heavy metal stress. There was a significant decrease in the Cmic/Corg ratio and an increase in the metabolic quotient with increasing metal concentration. Multivariate analysis of Biolog data for sole carbon source utilization pattern demonstrated that heavy metal pollution had a significant impact on microbial community structure and functional diversity. All the results showed that soil microbiological parameters had great potential to become the early sensitive, effective and liable indicators of the stresses or perturbations in soils of mining ecosystems.

Plant Diversity Performance After Natural Restoration in Reclaimed Deyeuxia angustifolia Wetland

Deyeuxia angustifolia wetlands were widely distributed in the Sanjiang Plain in Northeast China. Due to strong demand for food production, large-area wetlands were reclaimed to farmlands, which threatened regional ecological security greatly. Since the 21 th century, returning farmlands to wetlands was widely adopted for natural restoration in the Sangjiang Plain. As the first reflection of wetland restoration, vegetation succession of restored D. angustifolia wetlands should be fully assessed. In this study, vegetation investigation was carried out in three restored D. angustifolia wetlands with 5, 8 and 12 yr restoration, respectively. Meanwhile, a natural D. angustifolia wetland was selected as reference wetland. Results showed that community composition changed greatly and there was visible community succession. Community dominant species changed from composite to gramineae as restoration time increasing.At first, weeds community appeared in the restored wetlands, especially the xerophytes developed to the pioneer species rapidly. And then, mesophytes and wetland species became the dominant species in the restored wetlands. Finally, wetland species, especially D. angustifolia, occupied the dominant position of restored community. Shannon-wiener index(H) and Simpson index(D) both decreased to close to natural D. angustifolia wetlands. Compared with natural D. angustifolia wetland, species composition and diversity in restored wetlands were more complex and higher. As restoration time increasing, there were not significant differences between community characteristics of restored wetlands and natural wetland. All these suggested that vegetation in reclaimed D. angustifolia wetland could be restored naturally, but its restored period is 10 yr at least. From another angle, it is important to protect current natural wetlands.

Effects of reclaimed water irrigation and nitrogen fertilization on the chemical properties and microbial community of soil

The ecological effect of reclaimed water irrigation and fertilizer application on the soil environment is receiving more attention.Soil microbial activity and nitrogen（N）levels are important indicators of the effect of reclaimed water irrigation on environment.This study evaluated soil physicochemical properties and microbial community structure in soils irrigated with reclaimed water and receiving varied amounts of N fertilizer.The results indicated that the reclaimed water irrigation increased soil electrical conductivity（EC）and soil water content（SWC）.The N treatment has highly significant effect on the ACE,Chao,Shannon（H）and Coverage indices.Based on a 16S ribosomal RNA（16S rRNA）sequence analysis,the Proteobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes and Bacteroidetes were more abundant in soil irrigated with reclaimed water than in soil irrigated with clean water.Stronger clustering of microbial communities using either clean or reclaimed water for irrigation indicated that the type of irrigation water may have a greater influence on the structure of soil microbial community than N fertilizer treatment.Based on a canonical correspondence analysis（CCA）between the species of soil microbes and the chemical properties of the soil,which indicated that nitrate N（NO3-–-N）and total phosphorus（TP）had significant impact on abundance of Verrucomicrobia and Gemmatimonadetes,meanwhile the p H and organic matter（OM）had impact on abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria significantly.It was beneficial to the improvement of soil bacterial activity and fertility under 120 mg kg^-1 N with reclaimed water irrigation.

Heavy metal pollution and potential ecological risk in reclaimed soils in Huainan mining area

In order to determine the environmental quality condition of reclaimed soils inHuainan mining area, soil samples were collected from three representative mines, suchas Panyi Mine, Xinzhuangzi Mine and Datong Mine.The total concentration of Cd, Hg, Cu,Pb and As in the samples were analyzed.The potential ecological risk was used to evaluatethe heavy metals pollution.The investigation reveals that the reclaimed soils are contaminatedto a certain degree and the trace elements in coal gangue transferred to thesurface soil.The order of potential ecological risk is Cd>Hg>Cu>Pb>As; the pollution degreeof each sampling site is arranged in the following order: Xinzhuangzi Mine>DatongMine>Panyi Mine, and the multiform of heavy metals of potential ecological risk index is at357.35～484.62.

Biofilm structure and its influence on clogging in drip irrigation emitters distributing reclaimed wastewater

Using reclaimed wastewater for crop irrigation is a practical alternative to discharge wastewater treatment plant effluents into surface waters.However,biofouling has been identified as a major contributor to emitter clogging in drip irrigation systems distributing reclaimed wastewater.Little is known about the biofilm structure and its influence on clogging in the drip emitter flow path.This study was first to investigate the microbial characteristics of mature biofilms present in the emitters and the effect of flow path structures on the biofilm microbial communities.The analysis of biofilm matrix structure using a scanning electron microscopy（SEM） revealed that particles in the matrix of the biofilm coupled extracellular polysaccharides（EPS） and formed sediment in the emitter flow path.Analysis of biofilm mass including protein,polysaccharide,and phospholipid fatty acids（PLFAs） showed that emitter flow path style influenced biofilm community structure and diversity.The correlations of biofilm biomass and discharge reduction after 360 h irrigation were computed and suggest that PFLAs provide the best correlation coeffcient.Comparatively,the emitter with the unsymmetrical dentate structure and shorter flow path（Emitter C） had the best anti-clogging capability.By optimizing the dentate structure,the internal flow pattern within the flow path could be enhanced as an important method to control the biofilm within emitter flow path.This study established electron microscope techniques and biochemical microbial analysis methods that may provide a framework for future emitter biofilm studies.

Soil erosion and soil properties in reclaimed forestland of loess hilly region

Based on data observed from 1989 to 1998 in the Ziwuling survey station, changes of soil erosion and soil physico-mechanical properties were studied after forestland reclamation. When the man-induced factors changed the eco-environment by reclaiming forestlands, the intensity of man-made soil erosion in reclaimed lands was 1,000 times more than that of natural erosion in forestlands. From the analysis of soil physical and mechanical properties, the clay content and physical clay content decreased 2.74% and 3.01% respectively, and the >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content decreased 58.7%, the soil unit weight increased and the soil shear strength decreased, all of which were easier to cause soil erosion. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content was the greatest influencing factor on soil erosion, the partial correlated coefficient was 0.9728, and then were soil coarse grain and soil shear strength, the partial correlated coefficients being 0.8879 and 0.6020 respectively. The relationships between the >0.25 mm water stable aggregate content, the soil sheer strength and the soil erosion intensity were analyzed, which showed that the first and seventh years were the turning years of the soil erosion intensity after the forestland reclamation. The degenerative eroded soil and eco-environment formed the peculiar erosion environment, which aggravated the soil erosion rapidly.

Countermeasures of Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater for Safety of Agricultural Use in China

China is facing a severe water resource crisis, and the shortage of water for agricultural consumption is a prominent problem. Irrigation with reclaimed municipal wastewater that can reach the agricultural recycling standards is an important way to deal with water shortage in agricultural production. Owing to the complex sources of municipal wastewater, there are multifarious pollutants in municipal wastewater. Improper use of wastewater can cause potential risks to agoenvironment, agricultural products safety, and human health. This article deals with the current situation and the development prospects of reclaimed wastewater for agricultural use in China and abroad; the potential risks to human health and environmental pollution from the reclaimed municipal wastewater for agricultural reuse are also discussed. And some countermeasures and advices of reclaimed municipal wastewater for safety of agricultural reuse are provided.

Spatial-temporal variance of reclamation soil physical and chemical character in opencast mine region

In order to study the effects of soil compaction, and soil physical and chemicalcharacteristics after land reclamation, selected lands that were reclaimed after 1, 2, 3, 4,and 5 a, respectively, in the Majiata Mine of the Shendong Open Pit; tested the effects ofsoil compaction; and collected soil samples from 5 different depths, which are 0-7.62,7.62-15.24, 15.24-22.86, 22.86-30.48, and 30.48-38.10 cm, respectively. The resultsshow that: Land reclamation leads to soil compaction. The lowest effect of soil compaction is in the top layer and the highest one at the depth of 20-30 cm; The bulk density of reclaimed soil is higher than that of undisturbed soil; this declines with the reclamation and nearly reaches the level of undisturbed soil after 5-year reclamation;The content of reclaimed soil nutrients is lower than that of undisturbed soil. The lowest one is inthe soil dumping site, which reaches the level of undisturbed soil after 5-year reclamation;The pH value of reclaimed soil is lower than that of undisturbed soil. The highest one isin the soil dumping site; this declines with the reclamation.

Effects of Microbial Inoculums on Soil Enzyme Activity and Microbial Diversity in a Reclaimed Mining Area

Through a pot experiment, effects of various microbial inoculums on soil microbial diversity and enzyme activity in a typical reclaimed mining area in Shanxi Province were discussed based on quantitative analysis of PLFA, soil urease, phosphatase and sucrase activity. The results showed that the application of microbial inoculums increased microorganism quantity in rhizosphere of rape by 2.3% -66.4%, and quantities of bac- teria, gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the treatments with microbial inoculums were significantly higher than the contrast （P 〈0.05）, while there was no obvious change in protist quantity. In comparison with the contrast, the application of various mi- crobial inoculums also improved soil urease, sucrase and phosphatase activity by 4.2% - 61.4%, 18.0% - 32.5% and 64.2% - 199.0% respec- tively. It indicated that the application of microbial inoculums can improve soil microbial diversity and enzyme activity, so it is an effective way to sl^eed UP ecoloQical restoration of soil.

Adsorption and desorption of Cd in reclaimed soil under the influence of humic acid:characteristics and mechanisms

Exogenous humus can change the content and migration activity of cadmium(Cd)in soil.Humic acid(HA)is an important soluble humus component in soil.In order to explore the relationship between cadmium pollution mechanism and ecological environment of humic acid in reclaimed soil,the characteristics of humic acid adsorbing cadmium in alkaline conditions were studied.This study employed reclaimed soil from the Huainan mining area,China.The adsorption and desorption characteristics as well as influence mechanisms on the heavy metal cadmium(Cd)were explored under the influence of HA.The results show that:(1)When Cd concentration was low(0.2–10 mg/L),HA had little effect on Cd adsorption and desorption in reclaimed soil.When the Cd concentration was high(15–80 mg/L),HA had a great influence on the adsorption and desorption of Cd in reclaimed soil.The addition of HA can inhibit the adsorption of Cd by reclaimed soil and effectively improve the desorption capacity of Cd by reclaimed soil.(2)The kinetic curves of Cd adsorption and desorption of reclaimed soil with added HA show that both processes(adsorption and desorption)include two stages:rapid reaction and slow reaction.The adsorption of Cd by reclaimed soil under the influence of HA was 18.18%lower than that of normal reclaimed soil,and the increase of Cd desorption was 50.29%.(3)The factors affecting the adsorption and desorption of Cd in the soil were analyzed with gray theory,and their importance can be ordered as follows:Cd concentration>HA concentration>pH>temperature.Considering the influence of HA,a multi-factor coupling function model of adsorption and desorption of Cd in soil is established.This model provides theoretical guidance for the scientific prediction and evaluation of Cd environmental pollution risks in soil and will be useful for developing a new solution for engineering remediation of high concentration Cd contaminated soil.

Evaluation of reclaimed asphalt pavement binder stiffness without extraction and recovery

A new testing procedure to estimate the low-temperature stiffness of the reclaimed asphalt pavement （RAP） binder was developed. In the testing procedure, the SuperpaveTM Bending Beam Rheometer （BBR） with special modifications and binder blending charts by Asphalt Institute were utilized. Modifications involved the development of a new kind of sample mold and different testing parameters were made to BBR testing procedure to capture the theological properties of bitumen mortars produced by mixing fresh binder with fine RAP materials or RAP aggregate. The stiffness relationship between binder and bitumen mortar was established based on the BBR test results. The blended binder stiffness in bitumen RAP mortar was estimated from the RAP mortar stiffness based on the binder-mortar relationship. And finally, the RAP binder stiffness was estimated from the blended binder and fresh binder stiffness based on the blending charts by Asphalt Institute. The results indicate that the new procedure can capture the rheological properties of bitumen mortar and can be used to estimate the low temperature stiffness of RAP binder without binder extraction and/or any chemical treatments.

ECO-ENVIRONMENT CHANGE AND SOIL EROSION PROCESS IN THE RECLAIMED FORESTLAND OF THE LOESS PLATEAU

Serious soil erosion has made the eco-environment fragile in the Loess Plateau. Based on the 10-year data observed from 1989 to 1998 in the Ziwuling Survey Station in loess hilly region, the eco-environment change and soil erosion process in reclaimed forestland were studied in this paper. The results showed that the intensity of man-made soil erosion caused by forestland reclamation was 1000 times more than that of the natural erosion. From the analysis of soil physical and mechanical properties, in the 10th year after forestland was reclaimed, the clay content and physical clay content decreased 2.74 percentage point and 3.01 percentage point respectively, the >0.25mm waterstable aggregate content decreased 31.59 percentage point, the soil bulk density increased and soil shear strength decreased, all of which were easier to cause soil erosion. The correlation analysis showed that >0.25mm waterstable aggregate content was the key factor affecting soil erosion, and the secondary factors were soil coarse grain and soil shear strength. The relation between the >0.25mm waterstable aggregate content, the soil sheer strength and the soil erosion intensity were analyzed, which showed that the first year and the seventh erosion year were the turn years of the soil erosion intensity after the forestland was reclaimed, revealed that the change of eco-environment was the main cause to accelerate soil erosion, and the worse environment caused soil erosion to be serious rapidly.

Land Management Effects on Carbon Sequestration and Soil Properties in Reclaimed Farmland of Eastern Ohio, USA

Reclaimed mined soils (RMSs) could restore soil quality and ecosystem productivity while sequestering C and off-setting some of C emissions associated with coal utilization. The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage and pasture management on soil physical properties, soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) in RMSs managed for agricultural use in eastern Ohio. Soil bulk density (ρb) of the top 50 cm ranged from 1.11 to 1.93 Mg·m-3. The ρb of the RMSs was significantly more than that of the undisturbed soils. Water stable aggregates (WSA) and mean weight diameter (MWD) of the 0 - 10 cm soil layer were significantly lower under reclaimed conventional tillage (RCT) than reclaimed no tillage (RNT) and reclaimed pasture (RP), probably due to tillage-induced disturbance. The SOC pool of the top 50 cm layer was 64.2, 66.5, 75.4, 86.1 and 101.1 Mg·C·ha-1 for undisturbed pasture (Und P), RNT, RCT, RP and undisturbed hardwood forest (Und HWF), respectively (LSD = 7.7 Mg·ha-1). The RMSs under pasture accumulated SOC at higher rates than RMSs under cropland. Reclaimed pasture land use increased SOC pool by 14% or 0.5 Mg·ha-1·yr-1 and 30% or 0.9 Mg·ha-1·yr-1 relative to RNT and RCT land uses, respectively. Our data indicated that RMSs under forest and pastures had higher SOC sequestration rates than RMSs under arable land use, probably due to disturbances associated with farm operations. The MBC of the RMSs were generally lower than those of the undisturbed sites. The disturbances associated with mining and reclamation reduced the MBC by 39, 53 and 21% under RCT, RNT and RP compared to the undisturbed forest and pasture sites. However, the amount of mineralizable C was not significantly different among land disturbances or land uses.

Study of Wastewater Advanced Treatment and Reclaimed Water Reuse for a Large General Hospital

A combined process of biological aerated filter,fiber ball filter and chlorine dioxide disinfection was used to treat effluent of primary hospital wastewater in Jinan.Its treatment capacity was designed as 400m^3/d based on the reclaimed water demand of the large general hospital.The quality of the effluent can meet the requirements of the Reuse of Urban Recycling Water——Water Quality Standard for Urban Miscellaneous Water Consumption(GB/T18920-2002).The project has less site area,low investment and operation cost and high automatic control level,so it can provide scientific references for design and operation of similar projects.

Impact of artificial waterfall using reclaimed water to VOCs and its health risk assessment

To study the impact of an artificial waterfall using reclaimed water on volatile organic compounds （VOCs） in air, air samples around the waterfall sight and over the CASS pond of a wastewater treatment plant were collected and VOCs were analyzed by MC-MS with USEPA Method TO-14. The total volatile organic compounds （TOVCs） concentration of a background sample is 2112 μg/m^3, and the sample over the CASS pond has a TVOC concentration of 1858μg/m^3. The TVOC concentrations of air samples within 10 m of the artificial waterfall are between 3216 μg/m^3 and 6362 μg/m^3, which are 1.52 - 3.0 times that of the background sample. The VOCs in air sample impacted by reclaimed water or waste water exhibit a relatively high proportion of toluene but low proportion of benzene. B/T/E/X （ Benzene/Toluene/Ethylbenzene/Xylene ） ratio of the air sample around the artificial water fall is（O. 36/11.78/1/1.10）. Health risk assessment （HRA） was done with the USEPA four-step approach. The result indicates that the artificial waterfall using reclaimed water indeed leads to the increase of human risk value. The total risk value of the sample around the waterfall is 2. 8 - 1.6 times that of the background sample. However, the total risk value of the air sample around the waterfall （2. 8 × 10^-6 ） for common people is still lower,compared to the acceptable public risk level（ 10^-5 ）. For occupational workers of the wastewater treatment plant, the sum of lifetime non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk values （ 1.26 × 10^ -5 ） is higher than that of the acceptable public risk level.