Advanced Materials Research Vols. 726-731

Abstract: This study aims to obtain an overview of trace elements concentrations in rocks, soils and plants from Puxiong lead-zinc mining area in Yunnan, China, and analyze the connection as well. Concentrations of Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, As, Sb, Hg, Sn, Ni and Sr among soils, rocks and three dominant plants in mining area, transition area and background were measured. Ratio parameter, bioconcentration factors (BF) and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationship between these elements in different feature. The results indicate that rocks, soils and plants samples are all characterized by high concentrations of Pb, Zn and other associated elements in Puxiong lead-zinc mining area. Geochemistry of trace elements concentrations from rocks to soils, then to plants presents obvious characters of inheritance and variability. Whats more, three dominant plants are same in high concentration of Mn and low concentration of Cd, Hg, Co, but are huge different in bio-concentration factors.

Abstract: Eupatoriurn odoratum aerial parts were extracted with ligarine and the volatile constituents isolated were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Volatile constituents were isolated from the ground aerial parts of E. odoratum by ligarine extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). As a result, a total of fifteen compounds represented all of the extract were identified, amongst nine of fifteen compounds were sesquiterpenes. Esters and sesquiterpenes were found to compose three major chemotype accounted for 58.58% and 30.80% of the constituents, respectively. The main components was demonstrated to be dibutyl phthalate (39.73%), 11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid, methyl ester (13.20%), (S)-spiro [4.nona-1,6-diene (6.80%), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis (2-methylpropyl) ester (5.65%) and cis-Z-α-bisabolene epoxide (5.56%). In addition, some pharmaceutical components such as α-cadinol and germacrene D were discovered. Antioxidant activity of the extract was assessed by the free radical scavenging (DPPH). The study offers theoretic basis for pharmaceutical utilization of the medicinal plant E. odoratum.

Abstract: In this paper, the toxic effect of the dye wastewater on Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated. The DNA damage of the dye on P. chrysosporium was analyzed using the AFLP method. Comparing with that in the control, the percent polymorphism under different concentrations of the dye increased, from 17.54% to 53.49%. In addition, the result of UPGMA (un-weighted pair group method of arithmetic means) dendrogram showed that the Simple Matching Coefficient (SM) was decreased with an increase in the concentrations of dyes. Results suggested that the dyes have toxic effect on P. chrysosporium at molecular level as environmental pollutants.

Abstract: Both Eubacteria and Archaea community diversity and dynamicity were studied during PCP-degrading micro-aerobic granular sludge cultivation using 16S rDNA ribosomal RNA approach. Main bands of DGGE were compared with sequences. The results showed that Eubacteria and Archaea community were closely related to uncultured microorganisms. There were aerobic, micro-aerobic and anaerobic bacterium in micro-aerobic granular sludge simultaneously. After granular sludge was domesticated by PCP, the dominant Eubacteria and Archaea for PCP degradation were related to Proteobacteria, Sphingomonas, Methanogenic bacterium and so on.

Abstract: Effluents from potato starch industry possess a high load of starchy materials. The treatment of such wastewater by conventional activated sludge processes consumes a lot of energy, resulting in high treatment costs. A plant growth promoting bacterium (PGPB) Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain A3 was isolated from soil. The isolate A3 performed a good capacity of promoting tea plant growth, which indicated that the strain can be used as a nonchemical alternative biofertilizer. In this study, we investigated the carbon and nutrient rich industrial processing effluents of potato starch wastewater (PW) as substrate for the cultivation of the biofertilizer strain A3. The isolate A3 can grow well using PW as the culture medium. The maximum yield of 2.2×10⁹ CFU/ml of the isolate A3 was reached in 24 h at 36 °C, pH 7.5 using the SW as substrate. In conclusion, it is feasible to develop a hybrid biotechnological process, integrating the production of environmental friendly biofertilizer with treatment of intractable wastewater.

Abstract: O-cresol and its isomers are one of the major pollutants to water environment. In this study, a highly effective o-cresol-degradation strain was isolated from the activated sludge of a petrochemical sewage treatment. Based on its morphology, physiological characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, it was identified as Pseudomonas sp. The optimal operating temperature, initial pH and rotary shaker speed for the strain to degrade o-cresol were experimentally determined to be 30°C,pH 6.5~8.0 and 150~200 rpm, respectively. Substrate scope experiment showed that the strain can degrade o-cresols other isomers and phenol. The degradation kinetics of the strain can be described by competitive substrate inhibition model with a maximum specific degradation rate of 0.055h^-1. Furthermore, the bioaugmentation of the strain in the refinery wastewater to degrade o-cresol was investigated. The result showed that the strain is able to survive in refinery wastewater with high concentration of o-cresol and remove it efficiently.

Abstract: A field experiment with six treatments was conducted from Apr. 2006 to Nov. 2008 to study the Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in soil and the effect on the plant uptake after a three years application with using different organic fertilizer. The six treatments were (1)Control (with no manure input), (2)Cattle compost, (3)Biogas residua, (4)Chicken compost (with low level input), (5)Chicken compost (with middle level input), (6)Chicken compost (with high level input). The treatments (2), (3) and (5) had the same total N input. The results showed that the soil ETPA-Cd from manured treatments had increased trend compared with the control after 3 years. The celery which was the last crop during the whole cropping history of the manured treatments (except Biogas residua) had higher Cd content compared with the control, and celery of the chicken compost with high level input had highest Cd content than others. There was a significant relationship (r=0.92^**) between the soil Cd content and the celery Cd content. However the soil Cd limitation laws in some countries seem to be strict than the celery Cd limitation law under this soil condition.

Abstract: 33 species Chinese cabbage sold in local market were seeded and growth on Cd polluted (Cd 0.65-9.0 mg/kg) soil in the old irrigation area, Shenyang, P.R.China. The harvested Chinese cabbages were collected for analysis of Cd content, soluble protein and soluble sugar, respectively. Results showed that the Cd content in edible parts of varieties Chinese cabbage does not exceed, partly exceed and all out of the allowed standard of 0.2 mg/kg fresh weight Cd, as the soil Cd contents were in the range of 0.65-1.8 mg/kg, 1.81-4.17 mg/kg and 4.18 to 5.3 mg/kg. Soil Cd content has a positive correlation with Cd content in the edible part of all varieties of Chinese cabbage. And soluble sugar and soluble protein showed increased trend as soil cd increase. According to above results, we concluded that the products of Chinese cabbage is relatively safety in quality if growth in soil with Cd content from 0.65 to 1.81 mg/kg , and appropriate screening of low Cd uptake species for Chinese cabbage is necessary as soil Cd content was from 1.81-4.17 mg/kg, to insure the safety of agricultural products , and suitable remediation technology should be used as soil Cd content was from 4.18-5.3 an till 9.0 mg/kg, in order to reduce the food-chains transportation risk brought by Cd accumulated in Chinese cabbage.

Abstract: In this study, the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to specifically detect the seeded bacteria Pseudomonas sp and Bacillus subtilis in the BEAC filter. For evaluating the cooperative interaction between the seeded bacteria, Lotka-Volterra model was introduced to calculate the data gained from FISH results. The parameter α measures how much species Pseudomonas sp. inhibits species Bacillus subtiliss growth, and β measures how much species Bacillus subtilis inhibits species Pseudomonas sp..α=0.0063<K₁/K₂ and β=0.73<K₂/K₁ in the top section of the BEAC filter.α=-0.13<K₁/K₂ and β=0.41<K₂/K₁ in the middle section of the BEAC filter.α=0.66<K₁/K₂ and β=0.30<K₂/K₁ in the bottom section of the BEAC filter. The seeded bacteria Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus subtilis could coexist in the BEAC filter. The bio-enhanced technology used here is a promising approach to introduce and maintain the seeded bacteria.

Abstract: The analytical conditions of a purge and trap (PT) instrument have been optimized for determination of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in wastewater. The optimal purging pressure to purge VCM from wastewater was 10 kPa for a constant time of 10 minute at 30 °C purging temperature. The detection limit of VCM in wastewater is 0.5 μg/L. The reproducibility of replicate samples lies within 6.5%. The prominent feature of this method is the cheap cost of VCM standards and samples preparation. The fast and convenient system has been successfully employed for the determination of VCM in wastewater with good resolution and high recoveries.