Advanced Materials Research Vols. 356-360

Abstract: Like bacteria, fungi play an important role in the composting process as major decomposers of organic substances. As only a small fraction of the fungi present in composting can be cultured because conventional microbiological techniques limited information on the composition of fungal communities in composting. Molecular methods are expected to give a more realistic view of species richness and distribution. For this purpose, we selected universal PCR primer set that allow the specific amplification of fungal 18S-ribosomal-DNA (rDNA) sequences. DNA was extracted from composting samples, and 18S rDNA genes were amplified by EF4/Fung5 (0.6kb) and EF4/NS₂-GC (0.4kb). DGGE analysis of the fungal community in the composting of a microcosm experiment was carried out after amplification of total DNA with both primer pairs. Clear banding patterns were obtained with amplified production. 13 different bands excised from the DGGE gel were sequenced and compared with genbank. Sequencing showed that some could not be cultured; some were efficient cellulose-degrading strains. The results showed that diversity and composition of the fungal community in the composting can be analyzed by the combination of 18S rDNA PCR amplification and DGGE.

Abstract: Pyrolysis characteristics and kinetics of polyurethane insulation materials from waste refrigerators were investigated using TG-FTIR technique under N2 atmosphere. Results showed that the whole thermal process could be divided into three stages and the main pyrolysis occurred in 260-600°C. The distribution activation energy model (DAEM) was applied to analyze the pyrolysis kinetics. The estimated activation energies ranged from 122.8 to 188 kJ/mol and the pre-exponential factors k0 varied from 108 to 1013 s-1. The composition of evolved gas included CFC-11, CO2, CH4, CO, NH3, HCN and some organic compounds, the evolution characteristics of main gas products had also been discussed.

Abstract: At present, there are still a number of global population faces food crisis in the background of food security. Many developing countries are fighting the food crisis in a different way in particular. Food security is related to our life, the rapid development of our countries, and formulates long-term development strategy of national. This paper has established the evaluation index system of food security in state farms of Heilongjiang province from six aspects.

Abstract: Recycling of waste plastics (WP) denotes an effectual method to dispose the post-consumer products for possible alternative way to obtain new materials with good properties. With this aim the influences of WP and maleic anhydride (MA) grafted WPs (MA-g-WP) were investigated as the bitumen modifiers for paving applications. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis established the effective grafting of MA with the waste plastic (WP). Polymer modified bitumen (PMB) binders were analyzed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OP) in an effort to characterize the bitumen/modifier interphase morphology. The conventional rheological tests such as penetration test, softening point, and ductility results indicate that the degree of polymer modifications are function of the nature of modifier, bitumen–modifier compatibility, and modifier concentration. It has also been confirmed that the morphology observed by SEM and optical microscopy revealed the compatibility between MA-g-WP and bitumen, and the storage stability of binder was improved significantly compared with WP modified bitumen (WPMB) binders. Consequently, the use of grafted modifier with polar site can be considered as a suitable alternation for modification of binder in pavement by expecting their chances for better performance during service.

Abstract: Tow plug flow reactors were operated with municipal wastewater according to reversed A²/O process. The only difference was in sludge return ratio. Despite that more VFAs were consumed by denitrification, phosphate removal was enhanced rather than impaired by a higher sludge return ratio of 300%. It seems that higher phosphate removal can be achieved even more nitrate was reduced which means more carbon source consumption. This is contradictory with the well accepted enhanced biological phosphate removal (EBPR) theory, which regards sufficient volatile fatty acids in the wastewater as the indispensable premise. With less phosphate was released in the anaerobic zones, the final phosphate concentration in the effluent was lower when higher sludge return ratio was applied. The results indicated that neither carbon source nor phosphate release can directly determine phosphate uptake ability.

Abstract: Rural sanitary pollution has become the major source of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants flowing into China's Taihu Lake region. The treatment process of rural sanitary sewage should be consistent with the economic and social development in rural areas as well as the natural and geographical conditions. Biological and ecological treatment combination processes should include biological treatment unit and ecological processing unit. The biological treatment unit can achieve the degradation of organic matter and the inorganic treatment of nitrogen and phosphorus, while and ecological processing unit functions as the advanced treatment and resource utilization of nitrogen and phosphorus. Demonstration projects demonstrate that the combination processes can effectively remove organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus, performing with low processing costs, simple operation and maintenance and suitable for application and popularization in rural areas.

Abstract: Climate change and global warming issues have thrown new challenges for the economic development. Carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂) are on the global agenda with regard to the climate change. This trend has led to renewed strategies in many sectors. The paper shifts the perspective of life-cycle assessment (LCA) in terms of the CO₂ emission from the conventional entire product life cycle emphasis to the manufacturing processes. Based on hybrid analysis an approach to the emission calculation in manufacturing phase is developed. This approach helps the industry companies identify the emission reduction potentials in manufacturing, by focusing on the resource and energy flows and the emission intensities in manufacturing processes, therefore contributes to the LCA.

Abstract: Anilofos is the organophosphorus herbicide widely used in China. However, little is known on the processes governing the environmental fate of anilofos in soils and its environmental risk for groundwater. Several environmental fate studies were performed concerning the degradation, sorption, photolysis and mobility of anilofos in soils. The degradation of anilofos in three Chinese soil samples followed first-order kinetics, with half-lives between 64.2 d-161.2 d. The adsorption coefficient (K_F) values for the three soils were 10.67 (loam), 31.29 (clay) and 11.63 (sand). No notable photolysis of anilofos occurred on soil surface. Leaching tests, performed in manually packed soil glass-plate, indicated that anilofos moved very slowly on the three types of soil thin layer. Thus, the leaching behavior of anilofos coincided well with the results of the batch sorption and degradation experiments. The data generated from this study could be helpful for risk assessment studies of the pesticide in the environment.

Abstract: This paper forecast alkali capacity demand for energy and CO₂ let in China through scene analysis by NICE model .As the major downstream industries of alkali production industry are building materials and paper, pharmaceutical, chemical industry, and a large part of these are glass, paper and chemical industry. So we choose glass, paper, soap, cloth as the base demand of the main relevant factors, using SPSS15.0: the future demand for caustic soda is strong linear relationship of glass and paper; the demand for soda ash is strong linear relationship of glass and soap.The results show that alkali capacity of China will reduce, the demand for energy and CO₂ let will be also reduced in 2010.

Abstract: The aim of the study undertaken at Mt. Elgon National Park was to determine the chemical composition and variation of some mineral elements in saltlicks utilized by elephants in Mt. Elgon National Park. Laboratory analysis was done for individual identification and determination of the concentration for sodium potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. Rock samples were processed using Double Acid Technique. The elephants of Mt. Elgon have been engaging in earth eating behaviour. regular visits to saltlicks located in caves is as a result of some of the mineral elements such as sodium potassium and calcium. The park management could overcome the problem of elephants entering the saltlicks by having sodium and potassium mineral supplement policy for the park.