Application of hydrochemistry and strontium isotope for understanding the hydrochemical characteristics and genesis of strontium-rich groundwater in karst area,Gongcheng County,Southwest China

Understanding the hydrochemical characteristics and genesis mechanisms of strontium-rich groundwater is pivotal for supporting the exploitation and utilization of natural strontium-rich groundwater.In this research,27 groundwater samples were collected.By analyzing major ion chemistry and strontium isotope data,and considering the hydrogeological context,various analytical approaches,including multivariate statistics,ion ratios,and isotopes,were used to reveal the characteristics and genesis mechanisms of strontium-rich groundwater in the study area.The findings indicate that the predominant hydrochemical type of groundwater is HCO_(3)-Ca,with Ca^(2+)and HCO_(3)^(-)as the primary cations and anions.The hydrochemistry of the strontium-rich groundwater is predominantly influenced by rock weathering processes.A combination of factors,including ion exchange,and anthropogenic activities,shapes the compositional characteristics of the groundwater in the region.The dissolution of calcite due to weathering emerges as the principal source of strontium in the groundwater.While ion exchange processes are not conducive to strontium enrichment in groundwater,their effect is relatively limited.The impact of human activities on the groundwater is minor.

Application of Online Solid-phase Extraction Technology in the Field of Environmental Analysis

For purpose of purification and enrichment, environmental samples usually need to be pretreated before analysis because of low concentration of residual organic matters. Solid-phase extraction （SPE） is one of the frequently used methods of pretreatment. This article introduces the methodological principle and flow channel of SPE as well as the categories of frequently used small extraction column, analyzes the application of online SPE technology in environmental analysis, generalizes the advantages of online SPE and sets forth its developmental trend.

Derivation and validation of soil total and extractable cadmium criteria for safe vegetable production

Determining the appropriate soil cadmium(Cd)criteria for vegetable production is important for ensuring that the Cd concentrations of the vegetables meet food safety standards.The soil extractable Cd criteria for vegetable production are also essential for both food safety and environmental management,especially in areas with a high natural background level.In the present study,soil total and extractable Cd criteria were derived using the approach of species sensitivity distribution integrated with soil aging and bioavailability as affected by soil properties.A dataset of 90 vegetable species planted in different soils was compiled by screening the published in literature in five bibliographic databases using designated search strings.The empirical soil-plant transfer model was applied to normalize the bioaccumulation data.After normalization,the intra-species variability was reduced by 18.3 to 84.4%.The soil Cd concentration that would protect 95%(HC_(5))of the species was estimated by species sensitivity distribution curves that were fitted by the Burr III function.The soil Cd criteria derived from the added approach for risk assessment were proposed as continuous criteria based on a combination of organic carbon and pH in the soil.Criteria for total Cd and EDTA-extractable Cd in the soil ranged from 0.23 to 0.61 mg kg^(-1)and from 0.09 to 0.25 mg kg^(-1),respectively.Field experimental data were used to validate the applicability and validity of these criteria.Most of the predicted HC5 values in the field experimental sites were below the 1:1 line.These results provide a scientific basis for soil Cd criteria for vegetable production that will ensure food safety.

Potential toxic risk of heavy metals from sediment of the Pearl River in South China

Based on the monitoring of five heavy metal elements in the surface sediments of the Pearl River in South China, potential toxicity of the heavy metals was assessed using consensus-based sediment quality guidelines （SQGs） method and geo-accumulation （Igeo） index method. The monitoring results showed the heavy metal concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with each other, demonstrating a common trend in variation of concentration in the surface sediments. The assessment using the consensus-based SQGs method showed the potential toxicity of Cu was the highest, and Cd was the lowest. The evaluation based on mean probable effect concentration （PEC） quotient showed the region was seriously polluted with high toxicity heavy metals. Correlation analysis revealed a significant and positive correlation between the mean PEC quotient and the average of Igeo with a correlation coefficient of 0.926 （n = 23, P 〈 0.01）. In conclusion, the consensus-based SQGs and mean PEC quotient are applicable to assess potential toxicity risks of heavy metals in freshwater sediments in the Pearl River.

Impact of livelihood diversification of rural households on their ecological footprint in agro-pastoral areas of northern China

Human-environment relationship is a focus of academic researches and an understanding of the rela- tionship is important for making effective policies and decisions. In this study, based on rural household survey data of Taibus Banner, Duolun county and Zhengxiangbai Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China, we identified the impact of livelihood diversification on ecosystems in these agro-pastoral areas by using the ecological footprint theory and methodology together with the one-way analysis of variance （ANOVA） and correlation analysis methods. In 2011, the total ecological footprint of consumption （EFC） was 0.665 g hm2, and the total ecological footprint of production （EFP） was 2.045 g hm2, which was more than three times the EFC. The ecological footprint of arable land consumption （EFAC） accounted for a large proportion of the EFC, and the ecological footprint of grassland production （EFGP） occupied a large proportion of the EFP. Both the ecological footprint of grassland consumption （EFGC） and EFGP had a significant positive correlation with the income, indicating that income was mainly depended on livestock production and the households with higher incomes consumed more livestock prod- ucts. The full-time farming households （FTFHs） had the highest EFP, ecological footprint of arable land production （EFAP）, EFGP and EFGC, followed by the part-time farming households （PTFHs） and non-farming households （NFHs）, which indicated that part-time farming and non-farming employment reduced the occupancy and con- sumption of rural households on local ecosystems and natural resources to some extent. When farming households engaged in livestock rearing, both the EFAP and EFAC became smaller, while the EFP, EFC, EFGC and EFGP increased significantly. The differences in ecological footprints among different household groups should be taken into account when making ecosystem conservation policies. Encouraging the laborers who have the advantages of participating in non-farming employment to move out of the rural areas and increasing the diversification of liveli- hoods of rural households are important in reducing the environmental pressures and improving the welfare of households in the study area. Moreover, grassland should be utilized more effectively in the future.

Application of Box-Behnken Design in Optimization of Allelopathic Effects of Potamogeton Pectinatus Against Microcystis Aeruginosa

Allelopathic effects of submerged macrophytes against algae are affected by many environmental factors which can only be measured one by one by traditional methods. Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology was used to optimize three environmental factors （temperature, light intensity and total dissolved solids） of allelopathic effects of Potarnogeton pectinatus against Microcystis aeruginosa at the same time. By solving the regression equation and analyzing the response surface contour plots, the optimal conditions of the relatively inhibitory rate of Microcystis aeruginosa were that the temperature was 23℃, the light intensity was 2 700 lx and the total dissolved solids were 4 415 mg/L. Under these conditions, the optimal value of relatively inhibitory rate of Microcystis aeruginosa was 81.9%. According to validation experiments, the results of analysis indicated that the experimental values fitted well with the predicted ones.

Carbon storage of a subtropical forest ecosystem: a case study of the Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve in south-eastern China

The carbon cycle of forest ecosystems plays a key role in regulating CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Research on carbon storage estimation of forest ecosystems has become a major research topic. However, carbon budgets of subtropical forest ecosystems have received little attention. Reports of soil carbon storage and topographic heterogeneity of carbon storage are limited. This study focused on the Jinggang Mountain National Nature Reserve as an example of a mid-subtropical forest and evaluated soil and vegetation carbon storage by field sampling combined with GIS, RS and GPS technology. We classified the forest into nine forest types using ALOS high-resolution remote sensing images. The evergreen broad-leaved forest has the largest area, occupying 26.5% of the total area, followed by coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests and warm temperate coniferous forest, occupying 24.2 and 22.9%, respectively. The vegetation and soil carbon storage of the whole forest ecosystem were 1,692,344 and 5,514,707 t, with a carbon density of 7.4 and 24.2 kg/m^2, respectively, which suggests that the ecosystem has great carbon storage capacity. The topographic heterogeneity of the carbon storage was also analysed. The largest vegetation storage and soil storage is at 700–800 and 1000–1100 m, respectively. The vegetation carbon storage is highest in the southeast, south and southwest.

Relationships between tree-ring cell features of Pinus koraiensis and climate factors in the Changbai Mountains,Northeastern China

Anatomical characteristics have been proven useful for extracting climatic signals. To examine the climatic signals recorded by tree-ring cell features in the Changbai Mountains, we measured cell number and cell lumen diameter, in addition to ring widths, of Korean pine （Pinus koraiensis） tree rings at sites of varied elevation, and we developed chronologies of cell number （CN）, mean lumen diameter （MLD）, maximum lumen diameter （MAXLD） and tree-ring width （TRW）. The chronologies were correlated with climatic factors monthly mean tem- perature and the sum of precipitation. As shown by our analysis, the cell parameter chronologies were suitable for dendroclimatology studies. CN and TRW shared relatively similar climatic signals which differed from MLD and MAXLD, and growth-climate relationships were elevation- dependent, as shown by the following findings： （1） at each elevation, MLD and MAXLD recorded different monthly climatic signals from those recorded by TRW for the same climatic factors; and （2） MLD and MAXLD recorded cli- matic factors that were absent middle elevations. Cell lumen effective archive for improving for this study area. from TRW at lower and diameter proved to be an the climate reconstruction

Decomposition Analysis of Sectoral Energy Use in Beijing (1981-2005) Using the LMDI Method

This paper aims to identify the main driving force for changes of total primary energy consumption in Beijing during the period of 1981-2005.Sectoral energy use was investigated when regional economic structure changed significantly.The changes of total primary energy consumption in Beijing are decomposed into production effects,structural effects and intensity effects using the additive version of the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method.Aggregate decomposition analysis showed that the major contributor of total effect was made by the production effect fol- lowed by the intensity effect,and the structural effect was rela- tively insignificant.The total and production effects were all posi- tive.In contrast,the structural effect and intensity effect were all negative.Sectoral decomposition investigation indicated that the most effective way to slow down the growth rate of total primary energy consumption (TPEC) was to reduce the production of the energy-intensive industrial sectors and improving industrial en- ergy intensity.The results show that in this period,Beijing's economy has undergone a transformation from an industrial to a service economy.However,the structures of sectoral energy use have not been changed yet,and energy demand should be in- creasing until the energy-intensive industrial production to be reduced and energy intensity of the region reaches a peak.As sequence energy consumption data of sub-sectors are not available, only the fundamental three sectors are considered:agriculture, industry and service.However,further decomposition into secon- dary and tertiary sectors is definitely needed for detailed investi- gations.

Determination of organic carbon in soils and sediments in an automatic method

Our automatic digestion device is applied in determining the quantity of organic carbon in the soils/sediments. Its operation process is simple. The reaction conditions are optimized; the complex pretreatments are automated; and a great number of samples can be analyzed at the same time. Comparison shows that the experiment using the device is safer and easier. The correlation coefficiency is greater than 0.999, indicating a good linear relationship. The relative standard deviations of three different concentrations are less than 5%. Standard addition recoveries of high and low concentration range between 94.7% and 100% and between 91.7% and 105% respectively. Method determination limitation(MDL) of this method meets the practical requirements. The device in this paper supports a compositive SOC determination method. Its advantages include improved time and labor efficiency, and accuracy. The device is widely used in the studies of agricultural science, carbon cycle, climate change and environmental protection.

Purification and utilization of garlic processing wastewater in lotus pond wetlands

Based on the experiments of utilization of garlic processing wastewater in a lotus pond, this study demonstrates that lotus pond wetlands have a remarkable ability to remove organic pollutants and decrease chemical oxygen demand （CODCr）, biochemical oxygen demand （BOD5）, and suspended substances （SS） in garlic processing wastewater. Results also show evident effects of lotus roots on absorption of NH3-N. The pH value in a lotus pond with wastewater discharged was relatively stable. The water quality in the lotus pond reached the class Ⅱ emission standard, according to the Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard （GB8978-1996）, seven days after pretreated garlic processing wastewater had been discharged into the lotus pond. Garlic processing wastewater irrigation does not produce pollution in the pond sediment and has no negative effect on the growth of lotus roots. Due to utilization of garlic processing wastewater, the output of lotus roots increased by 3.0% to 8.3%, and the quality of lotus roots was improved. Therefore, better purification and utilization results can be achieved.

Nano-silica particles enhanced adsorption and recognition of lysozyme on imprinted polymers gels

Molecular imprinting technology has a great potential to be used in protein separation and purification. In this work, lysozyme imprinted polyacrylamide gel was prepared with silica particles as a sacrificial template to generate macro-porosity for fast adsorption. The adsorption equilibrium time and adsorption capacity were 9 h and 56 mg/g respectively, which was 2 h less and 2.3-fold more than polymers without the sacrificial template. In order to test molecular imprinting polymers （MIPs） ＇ selectivity, bovine serum albumin （BSA） was chosen as interferent for binary adsorption tests. In addition, the adsorption selectivity was further investigated using different molar ratios of lysozyme to BSA with fixed total concentration of proteins, as well as using various total concentra- tions of proteins with an equimolar ratio of lysozyme to BSA. It has been proven that the total con- centration of proteins should be larger than 1.5 × 10^-7 mol/mL, when the molar ratio of BSA to Lyz is 1： 1, in order to effectively separate Lyz from the binary protein mixture. The macro-porous lyso- zyme molecularly imprinted polymers have less adsorption time, larger adsorption capacity, and bet- ter imprinting effect.

Degradation of atrazine and changes in soil biological indices throughout dendroremediation using poplars

Dendroremediation,a novel strategy for cleaning up contaminants from the environment by using special woody plant species and microbes,is a popular phytoremediation approach.It is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method that is being increasingly adopted.Poplar species(Populus L.)have been suggested for use in remediation because of their characteristics of high biomass production,fast growth,and potential for removing pollutants.Our environment is often contaminated by toxic substances produced by human activities,and remediation of contamination is therefore a global issue.Atrazine is one of the most widely used herbicides in China.In the present study,‘I-69/55’poplar(P.deltoides cv.‘I-69/55’)and hybrid poplar(Populus deltoides×nigra,DN34)grown in pots were assayed for their ability to remediate atrazine-contaminated soils.The degradation dynamics of atrazine were assessed with a high-performance liquid chromatography system using materials from a greenhouse with different rhizosphere environments.We studied the dynamic variation in microbes and microbial biomass carbon to elucidate the rhizosphere effects and mechanism of remediation of atrazine-contaminated soil by poplar.Our four treatments included a control with uncontaminated soil without a tree,atrazine pollution without a tree,atrazine pollution with‘I-69/55’poplar,and atrazine pollution with hybrid poplar.Hybrid poplar showed potential for remediation of atrazine-contaminated soil,and the degradation of atrazine in the rhizosphere was faster than that in non-rhizosphere soil.Atrazine significantly inhibited bacteria growth in nonrhizosphere soil.The high concentration of bacteria in the hybrid poplar rhizosphere might be key to atrazine degradation.Trends of change among fungi and actinomyces did not correspond to trends in atrazine degradation throughout the trial period.Further research is needed to predict the effects of atrazine on cultivable microorganisms in various soils.Atrazine had significant inhibitory effects on microbial biomass carbon in non-rhizosphere soil,and the rhizosphere environment of poplars enhanced the recovery of microbial biomass carbon.The potential for hybrid poplar as a dendroremediation material needs further study.

Changes in foliar nitrogen resorption of Phyllostachys edulis with culm development

Leaf nitrogen resorption is very important to Phyllostachys edulis development because the withdrawn nitrogen can help newly emerging and growing culms.However, few studies have focused on the ontogenetic changes in leaf nitrogen resorption of P. edulis. Here, we examined the variability in mature leaf nitrogen concentrations(Nm), nitrogen resorption efficiency(NRE) and proficiency(NRP or Ns) and leaf-level nitrogen use efficiency(NUE) of the current-, 3 rd-and 5 th-year culms in P.edulis stands under extensive management. Analyses of variance and correlation indicated that patterns of Nm,NRP, NRE and NUE were markedly affected by culm age and leaf nitrogen status. Nm, Nsand NRE were significant higher in younger(current-year) culms with 1-year lifespan leaves, while NUE was markedly higher in older(3 rd-or 5 th-year) culms with 2-year lifespan leaves. Significant linear correlations between Nmand NRP, NRE and NUE,Nmand NUE, Nsand NRE were found for each culm age,and Nmwas significantly positively correlated to NRE for all culms pooled. Higher proficiency in older culms led to higher NUE and lower NRE, these relationships can be modulated by Nm, which in turn, is restrained by leaf N availability and acquisition. Our results revealed that at the intraspecific level, P. edulis can adjust its leaf NRE, NRP,and leaf-level NUE in concert with culm development.Understanding nitrogen resorption characteristics and NUE of P. edulis can help decision-makers design appropriate deforestation strategies and achieve precise N fertilization for sustainable bamboo forest management.

Interaction effect of micro-and macro-organic on the biogeochemical function of the sediment and aquatic interface

Constructed stormwater infiltration basins have been broad applied in urban areas in terms of stormwater disposal and compensation of reduced groundwater recharge. However, stormwater derived from sediments accumulating in infiltration beds may act as a source of dissolved contaminants for groundwater. Concentrations of DO, NO3-N, NO2^--N, NH4^＋-N and PO4^3--P were monitored at multiple depth with time. The results showed that the occurrence of denitrificarion was restrained by sediments in term of no invertebrates. Under the conditions of invertebrates inoculated, the concentrations of DO, NO^3--N, NO2^＋-N, NH4^＋-N and PO4^3＋-P varied respectively with time and the occurrence of nitrification and mobilizing nitrate in the sediment. It is concluded that there exist the invertebrate activities such as building tubes and galleries and excreting faecal pellet which may increase water dispersion and enhance accessibility of nutrient, and stimulate microbial process effected in the sediment. Besides, the natural death and rot of worms were also found to be important factors of the invertebrate activities.

Development and characterization of a functional microbial consortium for crude oil degradation

Crude oil-degrading microbial consortia were enriched from three oil-contaminated sites to achieve the efficient biodegradation of crude oil,especially its refractory residues.The gravimetric method was used to analyze the degradation efficiency of the enriched consortia and changes in the fractions of the crude oil.The effects of changes in environmental factors were also studied to determine the optimal oil-reducing conditions and assess the dominant bacteria of the mixed flora.Results show that all three consortia exhibit reliable crude oil-biodegradation abilities and that their mixture results in biodegradation rate are as high as(48.0±3.5)%over 30 d of incubation.The consortium mixture can degrade 11.1%of the refractory resins,79.7%of the saturated hydrocarbons,and 45.7%of the aromatics in crude oil.Neutral pH,an incubation temperature of 30℃,and low mineral salt concentrations(0.8%to 4.0%)are optimal for crude oil biodegradation.The dominant genera in the consortium mixture include Pseudomonas,Stenotrophomonas,Brucella,Serratia,Brevundimonas,and Achromobacter.The richness and diversity of the microbial community in the consortium remain stable during crude oil degradation.Therefore,microbial enrichment from multiple sources may be performed to construct a mixed consortium for crude oil pollution bioremediation.

Analysis about the Characteristics and Formation Mechanism of a Serious Pollution Event in Beijing in October 2014

In this paper, atmospheric environmental background, weather conditions and formation mechanism of one typical air pollution episode in Beijing during October 6th -12th, 2014 were investigated by combining observed data with numerical model CAMx. Results showed that the occurrence of heavy air pollution resulted mainly from stable atmospheric conditions regionally or locally. Observed heavy pollution episodes were characterized by a stagnant atmospheric structure with average wind speed of 1.56 m/s, high humidity of 83.13%, large inversion strength of 3.42℃（3/100 m which were disadvantageous to the dispersal of air pollutants. The air pollution episode during October 8th -11th was the most serious with daily average PM2.5 concentration of 264 μg/ms in Beijing, and heavily polluted land area at Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei districts was about 2 × 10^5 km2. Model research showed that regional transmission contributions to the receptor sites in Beijing were between 61% -69% dudng 8th -11th, and regional transportation played a more important role in this serious air pollution episode. Key words Serious pollution incident; Formation mechanism; Regional transportation; Inversion layer; Beijing; PM2.5

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in PM2.5 during Winter in the Suburb of Cangzhou, China

The heavy metals in atmospheric fine particles are of great concern to human health. To understand the pollution characteristics and health risks of heavy metals in particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) during winter in the suburb of Cangzhou, PM2.5 samples were collected with an intelligent medium-flow atmospheric particulate matter sampler from January to February 2019. The Fe, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn contents in PM2.5 were determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The sources and health risks of heavy metals in PM2.5 were analysed via the enrichment factor (EF) method and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) health risk assessment model. The results showed that the average PM2.5 concentration in the suburb of Cangzhou reached 71.6 μg/m3, ranging from 23.7 to 169.5 μg/m3. The exceeding standard rate was 29.4% during the sampling period. The PM2.5 concentration during the nighttime was higher than that during the daytime. The heavy metal concentrations in PM2.5 decreased in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb, and the Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn concentrations decreased in the order of clean days < pollution days < heavy pollution days. The Fe and Mn concentrations were higher during the daytime than those during the nighttime, while the Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were higher during the nighttime than those during the daytime. EF analysis revealed that Zn, Pb and Cu were significantly enriched, and Pb was highly enriched on heavy pollution days with increasing pollution degree. The enrichment level of heavy metals during the nighttime was higher than that during the daytime. Health risk assessment demonstrated that Mn posed non-carcinogenic risks to both adults and children, following the sequence of clean days < pollution days < heavy pollution days. Pb posed a carcinogenic risk to adults on heavy pollution days. The study revealed that the pollution levels of heavy metals in PM2.5 in the suburb of Cangzhou were low, and Pb and Mn in PM2.5 posed certain health risks to the population.

Nitrogen Removal Efficiency of the Reclaimed Water by Land Treatment System

[Objective] The research aimed to study nitrogen removal effect of the land treatment process on reclaimed water. [Method] By using land treatment system, reclaimed water which reached one-level A standard was conducted advanced processing, and nitrogen removal efficiency of the effluent was inspected. [ Result] There was a positive correlation between organic matter content of the soil medium and nitrogen removal effect. With appropriate soil medium, TN and NH3-N could obtain the removal efficiency of more than 90% and 75% respectively, and they could be removed at 30 and 10 cm height of soil medium respectively with land treatment system to treat reclaimed water. [ Conclusion ] The research provid- ed theoretical basis for application of the land treatment system into nitrogen removal of the reclaimed water.

Exploring the heavy air pollution in Beijing in the fourth quarter of 2015： assessment of environmental benefits for red alerts

In recent years, Beijing has experienced severeair pollution which has caused widespread public concern.Compared to the same period in 2014, the first threequarters of 2015 exhibited significantly improved airquality. However, the air quality sharply declined in thefourth quarter of 2015, especially in November andDecember. During that time, Beijing issued the first redalert for severe air pollution in history. In total, 2 red alerts,3 orange alerts, 3 yellow alerts, and 3 blue alerts wereissued based on the adoption of relatively temporaryemergency control measures to mitigate air pollution. Thisstudy explored the reasons for these variations in airquality and assessed the effectiveness of emergency alertsin addressing severe air pollution. A synthetic analysis ofemission variations and meteorological conditions wasperformed to better understand these extreme air pollutionepisodes in the fourth quarter of 2015. The results showedthat compared to those in the same period in 2014, thedaily average emissions of air pollutants decreased in thefourth quarter of 2015. However, the emission levels ofprimary pollutants were still relatively high, which was themain intrinsic cause of haze episodes, and unfavorablemeteorological conditions represented important externalfactors. Emergency control measures for heavy airpollution were implemented during this red alert period,decreasing the emissions of primary air pollutants byapproximately 36% and the PMa.5 concentration by 11%-21%.