Jiancai Deng

Distribution characteristics and toxicity assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Lake Chaohu, China

The concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Ni were measured in surface and core sediments to determine their distribution characteristics and toxicity in the sediments of Lake Chaohu. The results revealed that metal concentrations in the surface sediments had a tendency to increase from the estuarine mouth to the lake center. The distribution characteristics of the five target metals were similar along the sediment profiles at each site. Principal component analysis revealed that all of the measured variables were loaded in the same component, indicating that there was a strong relationship among these measured variables, which was confirmed by the correlation analysis. Two sets of sediment quality guidelines (SQGs): simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) and acid volatile sulfides (AVS) models (including ∑SEM/AVS, ∑SEM–AVS, and ∑SEM–AVS/ foc) and threshold effect level and probable effect level values were used to predict the sediment toxicity. Comparison of the results obtained using these two sets of SQGs revealed that only a small portion of the entire set was identical, while the majority of the results were different and sometimes completely contradictory. These contradictory results would cause a great deal of trouble for environment managers. More accurate and universal SQGs must be developed for environmental researchers and local environmental managers and regulators.

Residual Characteristics of Organochlorine Pesticides in Lou Soils with Different Fertilization Modes

ABSTRACT Soil samples with three fertilization treatments (no fertilizer, corn straw and farm manure) collected from a Lou soil (Eum-orthic Anthrosol classfied using Chinese Soil Taxonomy) in northwestern China were analysed for residual levels and their characteristics of organochlorine pesticides (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, δ-HCH, HCB, o, p′-DDT, p, p′-DDT, o, p′-DDE, p, p′-DDE, p, p′-DDD, α-endosulfan, dieldrin and endrin). Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were detected in all soil samples except δ-HCH and their total concentrations ranged from 159.31 ± 9.00 to 179.77 ± 2.58 ng g −1 with an order of HCHs > DDTs > (dieldrin + endrin) > HCB > α-endosulfan. Among all the compounds, γ-HCH had the highest concentration followed by p, p′-DDE. The residual levels of HCH isomers and DDT as well as their metabolites in soil with different fertilization treatments were in the order of γ-HCH > β-HCH ≈ α-HCH > δ-HCH and p, p′-DDE > p, p′-DDT > o, p′-DDT > p, p′-DDD ≈ o, p′-DDE, respectively. DDE/DDT ratios ranged from 1.59 ± 0.13 to 3.35 ± 0.16 and endrin/dieldrin ratios from 1.40 ± 0.06 to 9.20 ± 4.05, both indicating no new occurrence of these pesticides in these soils, while α-HCH/γ-HCH ratios of 0.04 indicated a new input of lindane (almost pure γ-HCH) in the past several years. The farm manure treatments showed lower DDT residues than samples without fertilizer. Also addition of corn straw and farm manure increased soil organic matter content and decreased the soil pH which could retard the degradation of DDT in the soil.

Continuous time random walk model better describes the tailing of atrazine transport in soil

Contaminant transport in soils is complicated and involves some physical and chemical nonequilibrium processes. In this research, the soil column displacement experiments of Cl(-) and atrazine under different flow velocities were carried out. The data sets of Cl(-) transport in sandy loam fitted to the convection dispersion equation (CDE) and the two-region model (TRM) indicated that the effects of physical nonequilibrium process produced by immobile water on the breakthrough curves (BTCs) of Cl(-) and atrazine transport through the repacking soil columns were negligible. The two-site model (TSM) and the continuous time random walk (CTRW) were also used to fit atrazine transport behavior at the flow rate of 19.86 cm h(-1). The CTRW convincingly captured the full evolution of atrazine BTC in the soil column, especially for the part of long tailing. However, the TSM failed to characterize the tailing of atrazine BTC in the soil column. The calculated fraction of equilibrium sorption sites, F, ranging from 0.78 to 0.80 for all flow rates suggested the contribution of nonequilibrium sorption sites to the asymmetry of atrazine BTCs. Furthermore, the data sets for the flow rates of 6.68 cm h(-1) and 32.81 cm h(-1) were predicted by the TSM and the CTRW. As to the flow rate of 6.68 cm h(-1), the CTRW predicted the entire BTC of atrazine transport better than the TSM did. For the flow rate of 32.81 cm h(-1), the CTRW characterized the late part of the tail better, while the TSM failed to predict the tailings of atrazine BTC.

Sulfur-containing amino acid methionine as the precursor of volatile organic sulfur compounds in algea-induced black bloom

After the application of methionine, a progressive and significant increase occurred in five volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs): methanethiol (MeSH), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) and dimethyl tetrasulfide (DMTeS). Even in the untreated control without a methionine addition, methionine and its catabolites (VOSCs, mainly DMDS) were found in considerable amounts that were high enough to account for the waters offensive odor. However, blackening only occurred in two methionine-amended treatments. The VOSCs production was observed to precede black color development, and the reaching of a peak value for total VOSCs was often followed by water blackening. The presence of glucose stimulated the degradation of methionine while postponing the occurrence of the black color and inhibiting the production of VOSCs. In addition, DMDS was found to be the most abundant species produced after the addition of methionine alone, and DMTeS appeared to be the most important compound produced after the addition of methionine+glucose. These results suggest that methionine acted as an important precursor of the VOSCs in lakes suffering from algea-induced black bloom. The existence of glucose may change the transformation pathway of methionine into VOSCs to form larger molecular weight compounds, such as DMTS and DMTeS.

Quantifying hysteresis of atrazine desorption from a sandy loam soil

Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of initial atrazine concentrations and consecutive desorption steps on the desorption characteristics of atrazine from a sandy loam soil. As initial atrazine concentration increased, the average percentage of atrazine desorption on the sandy loam soil ranged gradually from 23.1% to 38.5% after five consecutive desorption steps. The values of the Freundlich capacity parameter, k(des), derived from the initial concentration and time-dependent desorption isotherm were consistently higher than those associated with sorption. The opposite trend was observed only for the values of nonlinear parameter, n(des), from the initial concentration-dependent desorption isotherms. Atrazine hydrolysis to hydroxyatrazine and bound residue formation were mainly responsible for the observed hysteresis in its sorption and desorption isotherms. For the initial concentration-dependent desorption isotherms, as initial atrazine concentration increased, the values of hysteretic coefficients omega and lamda decreased, and eta values increased. However, the relationships between initial atrazine concentration and hysteretic coefficients were not pronounced for omega, eta, or lamda. For the time-dependent desorption isotherms, lamda and eta values increased as the atrazine desorption step proceeded. The correlation between hysteretic coefficient and desorption step was highly significant for lamda (P < 0.0001), but not for eta.

Variation in the Efficiency of Nutrient Removal in a Pilot-Scale Natural Wetland

This two-year study focused on mechanisms of nutrient removal efficiency and variation in this efficiency in a pilot-scale natural wetland with different macrophyte species. Effects of plant harvesting and the differences among plant species (Ceratophyllum demersum, Nelumbo nucifera, Zizania latifolia, Hemarthria sibirica, Phragmites communis, and Typha orientalis) were investigated. Results show that the mean retention of total nitrogen (N), total dissolved N, ammonia N, nitrite N, total phosphorus (P), total dissolved P, and phosphate P in the second year was generally lower than that found in the first year. Harvest of above-ground macrophytes had a beneficial effect on retention capacity, especially for total dissolved N and ammonia N, whereas an increase in nutrient concentration was observed in zones that were not harvested. The total N removal efficiency had a positive relationship with inflow loading. A mixture of Z. latifolia and T. orientalis demonstrated the best potential for both N and P retention.

Atrazine adsorption behavior on a fluvo-aquic soil as influenced by contact periods

Abstract A batch experiment was performed to investigate nonequilibrium adsorption behavior of atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylami-no-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine) on a fluvo-aquic soil. The amount of atrazine sorbed increased with increasing adsorption contact periods. For a range of initial atrazine concentrations, the percentage of atrazine sorbed within 24 h ranged from 24% to 77% of the observed total amount sorbed for the longest contact period; when adsorption contact periods were more than 72 h, the deviations in curves fitted using a nonlinear Freundlich equation gradually became less. The op- posite trend was observed for the atrazine concentrations in solution. The effect of adsorption contact periods on atrazine adsorption behavior was evaluated by interpreting the temporal variations in linear and nonlinear Freundlich equation parameters obtained from the phase-distribution relationships. As the adsorption contact period increased, the nonlinear Freundlich capacity coeffcient kf showed a significant linear increase (r2 = 0:9063, P

The effects of water depth on the growth and reproduction of Potamogeton crispus in an in situ experiment

Aims Water level is one of the most important determinants of the distribution and composition of submersed aquatic vegetation in shallow lakes. Without changes in nutrient loading, large-scale declines in submerged macrophytes in shallow lakes are largely attributed to strong external or internal forces, including changes in water level. As a winter-active submerged macrophyte, Potamogeton crispus has important functions in aquatic ecosystem. The objectives of our study were to reveal the effects of water depths on the germination, growth, reproduction and morphological changes of P. crispus under natural environmental conditions; identify the optimum water depth range for colonization of P. crispus; and predict the succession course for P. crispus in Lake Taihu. Methods A long-term in situ experiment was performed to study the effects of water depth on the growth and morphology of P. crispus across the entire life cycle. Plants were grown in the improved cross type of rhizotrons for 30 weeks at three different water depths (60, 120 and 200 cm) in Dongtaihu Bay of Lake Taihu. We measured the plant height, root length, the length and width of leaves and counted the numbers of leaves, ramets, turion spikes and roots of each plant on each observation day during the experiment. Important Findings Water depths ranging from 60 to 120 cm were favourable for aboveground vegetation growth, root tissue growth and the reproductive ability of P. crispus. At water depth of 200 cm or beyond, the distribution of P. crispus will be limited in the following year because of the lack of turion formation and the severe inhibition of ramet production. The relationship between above-ground biomass and growth time at three different water depths fits a logistic growth curve well (P < 0.001). The rapid growth and distribution with high density of P. crispus at water depth near 60 cm during the reproductive stage is not favourable for growth of other submerged species. So a continuous water depth of ~60–120 cm is the optimum growth depth range for the conservation and restoration of P. crispus in Lake Taihu. In addition, the morphological parameters values acquired can replace or provide the ranges for the value of GmaxSB (the maximum growth rate of submerged plants, in the unit of d−1) obtained via calibration in the control equations of submerged plant growth in the Eco-Taihu model, which is a three-dimensional ecological model of Lake Taihu.

A new collector for in situ pore water sampling in wetland sediment

Currently available pore water samplers generally do not allow continuous monitoring of temporal variations in pore water composition. Therefore, a new type of pore water collector was designed and constructed. These collectors were constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials, including PVC tubing with one end sealed and another end topped with a removable PVC screw-cap. A row of holes was drilled 10 cm from the sealed end of each collector. These new collectors were deployed in different layers of the sediment in a constructed wetland in Lake Taihu, China, to reveal variations in the nutrient composition of pore water with high spatial and temporal resolution. Specifically, the collectors were driven into the sediment, and the pore water flowed into the tubing via gravity. The pore water was then sampled from the PVC tubing using a portable vacuum pump, and then was taken to the lab within 20 min for analysis of the dissolved oxygen (DO) and nutrient concentration. The DO concentration of the pore water was below the detection limit for all samples, indicating that the pore water was probably not influenced by the air and that the water in the collector tube was representative of the pore water. These findings suggest that the collector is capable of measuring the temporal and spatial variations in the nutrient concentrations in pore water. Furthermore, the inexpensive material, ease of construction, minimal disturbance to the sediment and applicability for wetland sediments are advantages of the collector presented here compared with traditional pore water sampling techniques.