Biodegradation behavior of natural organic matter (NOM) in a biological aerated filter (BAF) as a pretreatment for ultrafiltration (UF) of river water

In this study, biodegradation of natural organic matter (NOM) in a biological aerated filter (BAF) as pretreatment of UF treating river water was investigated. Photometric measurement, three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and liquid chromatography with online organic carbon detector (LC-OCD) were used to investigate the fate of NOM fractions in the BAF + UF process. Results showed that the BAF process could effectively remove particles and parts of dissolved organic matter, which led to a lower NOM loading in the UF system, but different NOM fractions showed different biodegradation potentials. Further biodegradation batch experiments confirmed this observation and identified that polysaccharides and proteins (quantified using photometric methods) contained a large proportion of readily biodegradable matter while humic substances were mainly composed of inert organic substances. According to EEM measurements, it is evident that protein-like substances were more readily eliminated by microorganisms than humic-like substances. LC-OCD data also supported the phenomena that the polysaccharides and large-size proteins were more degradable than humic substances.     

陆地生态系统中水溶性有机质的环境效应

目前水溶性有机质（Dissolved Organic Matter)已逐步成为陆地生态系统中的一个研究热点。系统地评述了陆地生态系统中DOM的组成特点及其环境效应。尽管关于陆地生态系统中DOM的研究还不完善,至今对其性质,组成和分类方法等问题看法不一,但现有结果已经表明DOM是一种十分活跃的重要化学组分,它对陆地生态系统中污染物质的溶解,吸附,解吸,吸收,迁移和生物毒性,微生物活动以及土壤形成过程等均有显著的影响。影响DOM在地生态系统中的环境效应的主要因素包括：DOM与污染物的络合作用,污染物溶解／沉淀作用,土壤对DOM的吸附作用,土壤质地,酸碱缓冲作用等。     

Electricity generation from dissolved organic matter in polluted lake water using a microbial fuel cell (MFC)

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) was explored as a pretreatment method to remove dissolved organic matter (DOM) from polluted lake water and simultaneously generate electricity. After the MFC treatment, the total organic carbon concentration in the raw lake water was reduced by 50%, the physicochemical nature of DOMs was substantially altered. Protein-like substances in lake water were utilized as a major substrate for the MFC, while humic-like substances were refractory to the biodegradation. A further investigation into the bovine serum albumin utilization in an MFC confirms that the electricity generation was closely associated with the removal of protein-like substrates. Toxicity assessment by Salmonella typhimurium Sal94 indicates that the genotoxic agents in the polluted lake water were almost completely removed after the MFC treatment. This approach of coupling microbially-catalyzed electricity generation with DOM removal may offer a potential avenue for energy-efficient bioremediation of lake water.     

The disruption of Daphnia magna sodium metabolism by humic substances: mechanism of action and effect of humic substance source

Humic substances have important functions in aquatic systems. While these roles are primarily indirect, influencing the physicochemical environment, recent evidence suggests these materials may also have direct biological actions. This study investigated the mechanism by which humic substances perturb sodium metabolism in a freshwater invertebrate, the water flea Daphnia magna. Aldrich humic acid (AHA) stimulated the maximal rate of whole-body sodium influx (Jmax) when experimental pH was 6 and water calcium content was 0.5 mM. This effect persisted at pH 8 and 1 mM calcium but not at pH 8 in the absence of calcium. An indirect action of AHA on apical transporter activity was proposed to explain this effect. At pH 4 AHA promoted a linear sodium uptake kinetic relationship, attributed to altered membrane permeability due to enhanced membrane binding of humic substances at low pH. In contrast, a real-world natural organic matter sample had no consistent action on sodium influx, suggesting that impacts on sodium metabolism may be limited to commercially available humic materials. These findings question the applicability of commercially available humic substances for laboratory investigations and have significant implications for the study of environmental metal toxicity.     

Effect of biomass adaptation to biodegradation of dissolved organic carbon in water

In the present study the time of adaptation of fixed biomass for biodegradation of natural organic matter was investigated. The experiments were done in columns that are usually used for rapid determination of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC). The biomass was adapted to samples with different concentrations of organic substances before measurements by pumping water to be investigated through the columns for several days. The time of adaptation was dependent on the initial concentration of the organic matter in the water sample. The adaptation time increased from 6 to 24 h with increase of concentration of acetate solution from 2 to 10 mg/l, thus adaptation rate decreased simultaneously from 0.28 to 0.11 min⁻¹. In natural water samples with the initial concentration in the range from 4.61–10.82 mg/l of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) the maximal adaptation time was less than 24 h. During the adaptation period the increase in reproducibility and decrease in the standard deviation was observed. The study showed that adaptation of column to the different concentration of organic matter in water sample is necessary in order to decrease the bias in BDOC measurements when using columns tests.     

Evaluation of the properties of potassium ferrate used for water purification by luminescence bioassay

Characteristics of four natural water samples from urban and rural areas and the efficiency of a new purifying agent, potassium ferrate K₂FeO₄, were studied by bacterial luminescence bioassay for 30 minutes. It was revealed that two samples of water from the urban areas are toxic, while the other two samples (one from urban and one from rural environment) are nontoxic. Numerous data obtained on the increase in toxicity index with time allow reasonable conclusions to be made about the chemical nature of substances present in the test water samples. Toxic natural water samples were likely to contain heavy metals and were well purified using potassium ferrate, including via their adsorption. In nontoxic natural water samples, toxic complexes with organic compounds present in water could form at the addition of potassium ferrate. The obtained data call for further studying the properties of potassium ferrate complexes with organic compounds. Bacterial luminescence bioassay is a promising method for the rapid assessment of properties of various water sources (their integral toxicity and presumable chemical composition) and new reagents for their purification (effective concentrations, bactericidal properties, and mechanisms of interacting with heavy metals and organic substances in water).     

The effect of forty years of continuous corn cropping on soil organic matter characteristics

Changes in humus and some of the major extractable components of soil organic matter were examined, following forty years of conventionally tilled continuous corn cropping compared with those of an adjacent untilled native grassland soil. Results indicate that long-term continuous cropping caused a significant reduction in the content of alkali extractable and water soluble carbon, as well as in the phenolic and chloroform extractable compounds, while no differences in volatile acids and n-hexane extractable substances were found. On the basis of organic C, corn cropping led to a relative enrichement of phenolic compounds, volatile acids and substances extractable by Na₄P₂O₇, but it did not affect the substances extractable by water. Except for the humification ratio (HR), the humification parameters, such as humification degree (HD), the extracted humic and fulvic acids, the C_HA/C_FA ratio and the humification index (HI) revealed a higher degree of humification of the organic matter in native grassland than in the continuous corn cropping system. IR spectra of n-hexane, chloroform, alkaline and water extracts failed to show significant differences between sites under native grassland and sites under continuous corn.     

城市黑臭水体形成机理与评价方法研究进展

黑臭水体是水体污染的一种极端现象.造成黑臭水体的主要污染源包括有机污染物、底泥再悬浮以及水体热污染,城市水循环条件不足是引起黑臭水体的水动力学因素.从黑臭形成化学机理看,致黑物质主要包括悬浮物、Fe、S元素及其化合物FeS;致臭物质主要包括H₂S、NH₃等小分子气体以及硫醚类(VOSCs)、乔司脒和2-二甲基异莰醇等化合物.本文重点从黑臭评价指标、黑臭指数法、多元线性回归模型以及综合评价法4个方面对黑臭水体评价方法进行对比与总结,并对未来城市黑臭水体研究进行展望,旨在进一步明确城市黑臭水体判别技术,为城市水环境治理和水生态维护提供依据.     

Growth of Bacteria in Inorganic Medium at Different Levels of Airborne Organic Substances

Invasion rates of airborne organic substances into sterile mineral medium were compared by using flasks closed with cotton stoppers, silicone stoppers, and screw caps with Teflon gaskets. The resulting increases of dissolved organic carbon were 0.5, 0.2, and 0 mg/liter per week, respectively. The compounds supported the growth of lake water bacteria and a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Growth rates were correlated to the permeability of the stoppers used. The measured input of organic carbon in the sterile mineral medium is considered to be a minimum value for the actual contribution of organic compounds by the air. Multiplication rates of the bacteria suggest that the organisms prevent the escape of volatile organic substances from the medium by rapid utilization. The steady nutrient supply through the air should be considered in growth experiments with bacteria at low concentrations of nutrients.     

High levels of mutagenic activity in chlorinated drinking water in Finland

The organic extract from the drinking water of Kuopio, Eastern Finland, turned out to be highly mutagenic in the Ames test. The direct mutagenic activities of the acid/neutral fractions of 48 drinking water samples were on an average 1700 net revertants/l in strain TA100. The highest activities were more than 6000 net revertants/l, and one drinking water sample exceeded 10 000 net revertants/l. The drinking water of Kuopio is produced from lake water which has a relatively high content of humic substances. Water processing involved two chlorination phases. The organic constituents of the water samples were isolated either by continuous liquid-liquid extraction or by absorption on XAD 8 resin.     

Degradation of Macromolecular Organic Compounds in a Tropical Lagoon (Ciénaga Grande,Colombia) and its Ecological Significance

Primary production and decomposition of organic substances were investigated in a tropical lagoon during the rainy season. Production and mineralization were measured using the oxygen method. Total bacteria numbers and biomasses were estimated with epifluorescence microscopy, and the enzymatic degradation capacity of model substrates was determined photometrically. These parameters were measured in the water and sediment of the lagoon itself and also in its effluents and incoming waters. The aim of the study was to determine the sites of highest microbial activity in the lagoon and to compare its activity with other coastal water bodies. Since the shallow water lagoon contains a large amount of particulate matter, it was of special interest to study the degradation of this material and its influence on the microbial population. It was found that up to 14 % of the bacteria colonized the particles and that 62 % of the respiration originated in the particle fraction >8 μm. Highest exoenzymatic activities were measured in the sediment and water of the mangrove belt. It is concluded that decomposition and conditioning of particulate organic matter play dominant roles in the recycling of organic carbon in the lagoon.     

Uranium sorption onto natural sediments within a small stream in central Japan

In this study, we surveyed the uranium (U) load in stream water within a humid forest in Japan, and clarified the fact that changes in U load depended on the amount of sediment accumulated behind dams constructed along the stream. To elucidate the relationship between U and the accumulated sediments, we conducted U sorption experiments in the laboratory using stream water and sampled sediments. The chemistry of the stream water was analyzed in the field for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and temperature, as well as laboratory analyses via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We determined the amount of organic material, amorphous material, and total U contents in the sediments. Following the sorption experiments, we analyzed the pH and U concentrations in experimental solutions and determined the distribution coefficients of U for the sediments. The logarithm value of the distribution coefficients of U for amorphous material shows a positive correlation with pH, while the logarithm value of the distribution coefficients of U for organic material is independent of pH (4.7–6.9). Although the logarithm value of the distribution coefficient of U for amorphous material was 0.1–0.5 units larger than the value for organic material, U was effectively removed from the stream water by sorption onto organic material (humic substances and decomposing leaves), because the amount of organic material exceeded that of amorphous material.     

Oxidative degradation of dibenzylsulfide]

Dibenzylsulfid (DBS) as a model of the organic sulfur compounds in crude oil was converted by a mixed culture (containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa) into several water soluble organic substances. Whereas these compounds are detectable with DC- and IR-spectroscopic techniques, benzylmercaptoacetic acid (BMA) was the only isolated product of DBS utilization. Efficiency of degradation, respectively, accumulation of BMA were dependent on aeration and pH-regulation.     

新型杀菌剂在造纸生产流程中的中试研究

造纸白水中的可溶性有机物以及造纸系统的pH值、温度等环境条件都极其有利于微生物生长。当白水中的微生物含量大于10~8CFU/mL,造纸系统就会产生腐浆,进而引起断纸、洞眼等问题。因此造纸系统要使用杀菌剂抑制微生物生长。本研究采用两种新型杀菌剂分别进行了实验室和中试抑菌试验,结果表明在两种杀菌剂协同作用下,造纸系统没有明显的腐浆产生。     

Labile and Recalcitrant Organic Matter Utilization by River Biofilm Under Increasing Water Temperature

Microbial biofilms in rivers contribute to the decomposition of the available organic matter which typically shows changes in composition and bioavailability due to their origin, seasonality, and watershed characteristics. In the context of global warming, enhanced biofilm organic matter decomposition would be expected but this effect could be specific when either a labile or a recalcitrant organic matter source would be available. A laboratory experiment was performed to mimic the effect of the predicted increase in river water temperature (+4?°C above an ambient temperature) on the microbial biofilm under differential organic matter sources. The biofilm microbial community responded to higher water temperature by increasing bacterial cell number, respiratory activity (electron transport system) and microbial extracellular enzymes (extracellular enzyme activity). At higher temperature, the phenol oxidase enzyme explained a large fraction of respiratory activity variation suggesting an enhanced microbial use of degradation products from humic substances. The decomposition of hemicellulose (β-xylosidase activity) seemed to be also favored by warmer conditions. However, at ambient temperature, the enzymes highly responsible for respiration activity variation were β-glucosidase and leu-aminopeptidase, suggesting an enhanced microbial use of polysaccharides and peptides degradation products. The addition of labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC; dipeptide plus cellobiose) caused a further augmentation of heterotrophic biomass and respiratory activity. The changes in the fluorescence index and the ratio Abs(250)/total DOC indicated that higher temperature accelerated the rates of DOC degradation. The experiment showed that the more bioavailable organic matter was rapidly cycled irrespective of higher temperature while degradation of recalcitrant substances was enhanced by warming. Thus, pulses of carbon at higher water temperature might have consequences for DOC processing.     

Mechanisms of alkaline buffering by peat and quantitative estimation of its buffering capacity

The alkaline buffering capacity of humic substances in persistent organic materials such as peats has been utilized for remediation of alkaline soils. The purposes of the present study were to reveal the mechanism of alkaline buffering and to quantify the alkaline buffering capacity of humic substances contained in three peat samples obtained from Hokkaido, Canada, and Sri Lanka. Acidic functional groups in humic acid and fulvic acid extracted from the three natural peats were quantified by alkalimetric titration and pK distribution analyses of the titration curves. The results indicate that the inherent degree of humification of the organic matter can be identified from the pK distribution, which showed that the humic substances in peats contained diprotic acids. The present study also showed that the ratios of amounts of deprotonation to organic carbon content, as well as the organic carbon content, were needed for quantification of the pH buffering capacity. Moreover, the study showed that the composition of the peat from Sri Lanka was different from those of other peats and that it is a effective organic material for buffering under alkaline conditions.     

桦褐孔菌活性物质的提取工艺及体外抗糖尿病活性

对桦褐孔菌活性物质的提取工艺及其体外抗糖尿病活性进行研究。桦褐孔菌子实体用乙醇浸提后,乙醇粗提物用不同有机溶剂萃取,醇提残渣再以热水浸提,用标准曲线法测定活性组分中活性成分的含量,并检测活性物质对羟基自由基(·OH)、超氧阴离子自由基(O2-·)的清除效果以及对关键糖代谢酶α-淀粉酶、α-葡萄糖苷酶的抑制作用。结果表明:4种活性组分(乙酸乙酯相、正丁醇相、水相和粗多糖)对羟基自由基(·OH)和超氧阴离子自由基(O2-·)都有较强的清除作用,其中乙酸乙酯组分的活性最高,乙醇粗提物萃取组分对α-淀粉酶有抑制活性,而粗多糖对α-葡萄糖苷酶有抑制作用;桦褐孔菌具有抗氧化和抗糖尿病活性,其活性与活性物质种类及其含量具有相关性。     

Chemical and biological changes during composting of different organic wastes and assessment of compost maturity

Changes in organic C, total N, C:N ratio, activities of cellulase, xylanase and protease, and microbial population were determined during composting of different organic wastes such as mixture of sugarcane trash and cattle dung, press mud, poultry waste and water hyacinth biomass. There were losses of N in poultry waste and water hyacinth with the effect an initial increase in C:N ratio was observed which decreased later on due to decomposition. The activities of cellulase, xylanase and protease were maximum between 30 and 60 days of composting in various wastes. Similar trend was observed with respect to mesophilic bacterial and fungal population. Various quality parameters like C:N ratio, water soluble C (WSC), CO(2) evolution and level of humic substances were compared after 90 day composting. There was statistically significant correlation between C:N ratio and CO(2) evolution, WSC and humic substances. Significant correlation between CO(2) evolved and level of humic substances was also observed. The study shows that no single parameter can be taken as an index of compost maturity. However, C:N ratio and CO(2) evolved from finished compost can be taken as the most reliable indices of compost maturity.