Insights into the subsurface transport of As(V) and Se(VI) in produced water from hydraulic fracturing using soil samples from Qingshankou Formation, Songliao Basin, China

Chen, Season S.,Sun, Yuqing,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Graham, Nigel J.D.,Ok, Yong Sik,Feng, Yujie,Li, Xiang-Dong Elsevier 2017 Environmental pollution Vol.223 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Produced water is a type of wastewater generated from hydraulic fracturing, which may pose a risk to the environment and humans due to its high ionic strength and the presence of elevated concentrations of metals/metalloids that exceed maximum contamination levels. The mobilization of As(V) and Se(VI) in produced water and selected soils from Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin in China were investigated using column experiments and synthetic produced water whose quality was representative of waters arising at different times after well creation. Temporal effects of produced water on metal/metalloid transport and sorption/desorption were investigated by using HYDRUS-1D transport modelling. Rapid breakthrough and long tailings of As(V) and Se(VI) transport were observed in Day 1 and Day 14 solutions, but were reduced in Day 90 solution probably due to the elevated ionic strength. The influence of produced water on the hydrogeological conditions (i.e., change between equilibrium and non-equilibrium transport) was evidenced by the change of tracer breakthrough curves before and after the leaching of produced water. This possibly resulted from the sorption of polyacrylamide (PAM (-CH<SUB>2</SUB>CHCONH<SUB>2</SUB>-)<SUB>n</SUB>) onto soil surfaces, through its use as a friction reducer in fracturing solutions. The sorption was found to be reversible in this study. Minimal amounts of sorbed As(V) were desorbed whereas the majority of sorbed Se(VI) was readily leached out, to an extent which varied with the composition of the produced water. These results showed that the mobilization of As(V) and Se(VI) in soil largely depended on the solution pH and ionic strength. Understanding the differences in metal/metalloid transport in produced water is important for proper risk management.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Earlier breakthrough of metals with increasing ionic strength of flowback solutions. </LI> <LI> Two-region physical non-equilibrium model provided a good fit of metal transport. </LI> <LI> Less non-equilibrium transport in Day 14 and Day 90 than Day 1 flowback solutions. </LI> <LI> Tracer tests indicated reversible change of transport channels due to leaching. </LI> <LI> Sorption/desorption of As(V) and Se(VI) was both pH- and ionic strength-dependent. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Zero-valent iron for the abatement of arsenate and selenate from flowback water of hydraulic fracturing

Sun, Yuqing,Chen, Season S.,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Graham, Nigel J.D.,Ok, Yong Sik,Feng, Yujie,Li, Xiang-Dong Elsevier 2017 CHEMOSPHERE - Vol.167 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Zero-valent iron (ZVI) was tested for the removal of 150 μg L<SUP>−1</SUP> As(V) and 350 μg L<SUP>−1</SUP> Se(VI) in high-salinity (ionic strength 0.35–4.10 M) flowback water of hydraulic fracturing. Over 90% As(V) and Se(VI) was removed by 2.5 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> ZVI in Day-14 flowback water up to 96-h reaction, with the remaining concentration below the maximum contaminant level for As(V) and criterion continuous concentration for Se(VI) recommended by US EPA. The kinetics of As(V) and Se(VI) removal followed a pseudo-second-order rate expression with the observed rates of 4.51 × 10<SUP>−2</SUP>–4.91 × 10<SUP>−1</SUP> and 3.48 × 10<SUP>−2</SUP>–6.58 × 10<SUP>−1</SUP> h<SUP>−1</SUP> (with 0.5–10 g L<SUP>−1</SUP> ZVI), respectively. The results showed that Se(VI) removal significantly decreased with increasing ionic strength, while As(V) removal showed little variation. Common competing anions (nitrate, bicarbonate, silicate, and phosphate), present in shallow groundwater and stormwater, caused marginal Se(VI) desorption (2.42 ± 0.13%) and undetectable As(V) desorption from ZVI. The competition between As(V) and Se(VI) for ZVI removal depended on the initial molar ratio and surface sites, which occurred when the Se(VI) concentration was higher than the As(V) concentration in this study. The characterization of As(V)- and Se(VI)-loaded ZVI by X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis revealed that ZVI gradually converted to magnetite/maghemite corrosion products with lepidocrocite in flowback water over 30 days. Similar corrosion compositions were confirmed in aerobic and anaerobic conditions regardless of the molar ratio of As(V) to Se(VI). The high reactivity and stability of ZVI showed its suitability for <I>in-situ</I> prevention of As(V) and Se(VI) migration due to accidental leakage, spillage, or overflow of flowback water.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> As(V) and Se(VI) in high-salinity flowback water was effectively removed by ZVI. </LI> <LI> As(V) removal was less susceptible to ionic strength variations than Se(V). </LI> <LI> Competing anions in groundwater and stormwater caused insignificant desorption. </LI> <LI> As(V) and Se(VI) competition depended on their molar ratio and ZVI surface sites. </LI> <LI> Surface characteristics of ZVI were unaffected by molar ratio and dissolved oxygen. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Gyral net: A new representation of cortical folding organization

Chen, Hanbo,Li, Yujie,Ge, Fangfei,Li, Gang,Shen, Dinggang,Liu, Tianming Elsevier 2017 Medical image analysis Vol.42 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>One distinct feature of the cerebral cortex is its convex (gyri) and concave (sulci) folding patterns. Due to the remarkable complexity and variability of gyral/sulcal shapes, it has been challenging to quantitatively model their organization patterns. Inspired by the observation that the lines of gyral crests can form a connected graph on each brain hemisphere, we propose a new representation of cortical gyri/sulci organization pattern – gyral net, which models cortical architecture from a graph perspective, starting with nodes and edges obtained from the reconstructed cortical surfaces. A novel computational framework is developed to efficiently and automatically construct gyral nets from surface meshes, and four measurements are devised to quantify the folding patterns. Using an MRI dataset for autism study as a test bed, we identified reduced local connectivity cost and increased curviness of gyral net bilaterally on the parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe in autistic patients. Additionally, we found that the cortical thickness and the gyral straightness of gyral joints are higher than the rest of gyral crest regions. The proposed representation offers a new tool for a comprehensive and reliable characterization of the cortical folding organization. This novel computational framework will enable large-scale analyses of cortical folding patterns in the future.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> A new representation of cortical gyri/sulci organization pattern. </LI> <LI> A novel framework to efficiently and automatically construct gyral net from mesh surface. </LI> <LI> A new tool for a comprehensive and reliable characterization of the cortical folding organization. </LI> <LI> Enable large-scale cortical folding pattern analyses in the future. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>Illustration of the concept of gyral net and gyral joint. (a) Reconstructed cortical surface color-coded by gyral altitude. (b) Extracted gyral net. (c) Zoom in view of the circled area in (b). In this paper, we propose a new representation of cortical gyri/sulci organization pattern – gyral net, which models cortical architecture from a graph perspective, starting with nodes and edges obtained from the surface reconstructions.</P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Potential impact of flowback water from hydraulic fracturing on agricultural soil quality: Metal/metalloid bioaccessibility, Microtox bioassay, and enzyme activities

Chen, Season S.,Sun, Yuqing,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Graham, Nigel J.D.,Ok, Yong Sik,Feng, Yujie,Li, Xiang-Dong Elsevier 2017 The Science of the total environment Vol.579 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Hydraulic fracturing has advanced the development of shale gas extraction, while inadvertent spills of flowback water may pose a risk to the surrounding environment due to its high salt content, metals/metalloids (As, Se, Fe and Sr), and organic additives. This study investigated the potential impact of flowback water on four representative soils from shale gas regions in Northeast China using synthetic flowback solutions. The compositions of the solutions were representative of flowback water arising at different stages after fracturing well establishment. The effects of solution composition of flowback water on soil ecosystem were assessed in terms of metal mobility and bioaccessibility, as well as biological endpoints using Microtox bioassay (<I>Vibrio fischeri</I>) and enzyme activity tests. After one-month artificial aging of the soils with various flowback solutions, the mobility and bioaccessibility of As(V) and Se(VI) decreased as the ionic strength of the flowback solutions increased. The results inferred a stronger binding affinity of As(V) and Se(VI) with the soils. Nevertheless, the soil toxicity to <I>Vibrio fischeri</I> only presented a moderate increase after aging, while dehydrogenase and phosphomonoesterase activities were significantly suppressed with increasing ionic strength of flowback solutions. On the contrary, polyacrylamide in the flowback solutions led to higher dehydrogenase activity. These results indicated that soil enzyme activities were sensitive to the composition of flowback solutions. A preliminary human health risk assessment related to As(V) suggested a low level of cancer risk through exposure via ingestion, while holistic assessment of environmental implications is required.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> High ionic strength of flowback water reduced mobility of metalloids. </LI> <LI> Relatively high bioaccessibility of metalloids in spite of low mobility </LI> <LI> Soil toxicity moderately increased after 1-month aging with flowback water. </LI> <LI> Soil dehydrogenase activity was affected by PAM in flowback water. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Nanoscale zero-valent iron for metal/metalloid removal from model hydraulic fracturing wastewater

Sun, Yuqing,Lei, Cheng,Khan, Eakalak,Chen, Season S.,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Ok, Yong Sik,Lin, Daohui,Feng, Yujie,Li, Xiang-dong Elsevier 2017 CHEMOSPHERE - Vol.176 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was tested for the removal of Cu(II), Zn(II), Cr(VI), and As(V) in model saline wastewaters from hydraulic fracturing. Increasing ionic strength (<I>I</I>) from 0.35 to 4.10 M (Day-1 to Day-90 wastewaters) increased Cu(II) removal (25.4–80.0%), inhibited Zn(II) removal (58.7–42.9%), slightly increased and then reduced Cr(VI) removal (65.7–44.1%), and almost unaffected As(V) removal (66.7–75.1%) by 8-h reaction with nZVI at 1–2 g L<SUP>−1</SUP>. The removal kinetics conformed to pseudo-second-order model, and increasing <I>I</I> decreased the surface area-normalized rate coefficient (<I>k</I> <SUB> <I>sa</I> </SUB>) of Cu(II) and Cr(VI), probably because agglomeration of nZVI in saline wastewaters restricted diffusion of metal(loid)s to active surface sites. Increasing <I>I</I> induced severe Fe dissolution from 0.37 to 0.77% in DIW to 4.87–13.0% in Day-90 wastewater; and Fe dissolution showed a significant positive correlation with Cu(II) removal. With surface stabilization by alginate and polyvinyl alcohol, the performance of entrapped nZVI in Day-90 wastewater was improved for Zn(II) and Cr(VI), and Fe dissolution was restrained (3.20–7.36%). The X-ray spectroscopic analysis and chemical speciation modelling demonstrated that the difference in removal trends from Day-1 to Day-90 wastewaters was attributed to: (i) distinctive removal mechanisms of Cu(II) and Cr(VI) (adsorption, (co-)precipitation, and reduction), compared to Zn(II) (adsorption) and As(V) (bidentate inner-sphere complexation); and (ii) changes in solution speciation (e.g., from Zn<SUP>2+</SUP> to ZnCl<SUB>3</SUB> <SUP>−</SUP> and ZnCl<SUB>4</SUB> <SUP>2−</SUP>; from CrO<SUB>4</SUB> <SUP>2−</SUP> to CaCrO<SUB>4</SUB> complex). Bare nZVI was susceptible to variations in wastewater chemistry while entrapped nZVI was more stable and environmentally benign, which could be used to remove metals/metalloids before subsequent treatment for reuse/disposal.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> nZVI could remove Cu(II), Zn(II), Cr(VI), and As(V) from fracturing wastewaters. </LI> <LI> High salinity enhanced Fe dissolution and reduced removal rates except Cu(II). </LI> <LI> nZVI entrapment mitigated Fe dissolution and improved metal(loid) removal. </LI> <LI> Removal efficiency varied with interaction mechanisms and solution speciation. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Aging effects on chemical transformation and metal(loid) removal by entrapped nanoscale zero-valent iron for hydraulic fracturing wastewater treatment

Sun, Yuqing,Lei, Cheng,Khan, Eakalak,Chen, Season S.,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Ok, Yong Sik,Lin, Daohui,Feng, Yujie,Li, Xiang-dong Elsevier 2018 Science of the Total Environment Vol.615 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>In this study, alginate and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-alginate entrapped nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was tested for structural evolution, chemical transformation, and metals/metalloids removal (Cu(II), Cr(VI), Zn(II), and As(V)) after 1–2month passivation in model saline wastewaters from hydraulic fracturing. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed successful prevention of Fe<SUP>0</SUP> corrosion by polymeric entrapment. Increasing ionic strength (<I>I</I>) from 0 to 4.10M (deionized water to Day-90 fracturing wastewater (FWW)) with prolonged aging time induced chemical instability of alginate due to dissociation of carboxyl groups and competition for hydrogen bonding with nZVI, which caused high Na (7.17%) and total organic carbon (24.6%) dissolution from PVA-alginate entrapped nZVI after 2-month immersion in Day-90 FWW. Compared to freshly-made beads, 2-month aging of PVA-alginate entrapped nZVI in Day-90 FWW promoted Cu(II) and Cr(VI) uptake in terms of the highest removal efficiency (84.2% and 70.8%), pseudo-second-order surface area-normalized rate coefficient <I>k</I> <SUB> <I>sa</I> </SUB> (2.09×10<SUP>−1</SUP> Lm<SUP>−2</SUP> h<SUP>−1</SUP> and 1.84×10<SUP>−1</SUP> Lm<SUP>−2</SUP> h<SUP>−1</SUP>), and Fe dissolution after 8-h reaction (13.9% and 8.45%). However, the same conditions inhibited Zn(II) and As(V) sequestration in terms of the lowest removal efficiency (31.2% and 39.8%) by PVA-alginate nZVI and <I>k</I> <SUB> <I>sa</I> </SUB> (4.74×10<SUP>−2</SUP> Lm<SUP>−2</SUP> h<SUP>−1</SUP> and 6.15×10<SUP>−2</SUP> Lm<SUP>−2</SUP> h<SUP>−1</SUP>) by alginate nZVI. The X-ray spectroscopic analysis and chemical speciation modelling demonstrated that the difference in metals/metalloids removal by entrapped nZVI after aging was attributed to distinctive removal mechanisms: (i) enhanced Cu(II) and Cr(VI) removal by nZVI reduction with accelerated electron transfer after pronounced dissolution of non-conductive polymeric immobilization matrix; (ii) suppressed Zn(II) and As(V) removal by nZVI adsorption due to restrained mass transfer after blockage of surface-active micropores. Entrapped nZVI was chemically fragile and should be properly stored and regularly replaced for good performance.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> nZVI entrapment successfully prevented Fe<SUP>0</SUP> corrosion in fracturing wastewaters. </LI> <LI> Entrapped nZVI was chemically fragile due to dissolution of Na and TOC. </LI> <LI> nZVI passivation promoted Cu(II) and Cr(VI) but inhibited Zn(II) and As(V) removal. </LI> <LI> Effects of nZVI aging on removal efficiency depended on interaction mechanisms. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Removal of chlorinated organic solvents from hydraulic fracturing wastewater by bare and entrapped nanoscale zero-valent iron

Lei, Cheng,Sun, Yuqing,Khan, Eakalak,Chen, Season S.,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Graham, Nigel J.D.,Ok, Yong Sik,Yang, Xin,Lin, Daohui,Feng, Yujie,Li, Xiang-Dong Elsevier 2018 CHEMOSPHERE - Vol.196 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>With the increasing application of hydraulic fracturing, it is urgent to develop an effective and economically feasible method to treat the large volumes of fracturing wastewater. In this study, bare and entrapped nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) were introduced for the removal of carbon tetrachloride (CT) and 1,1,2-trichloroethane (TCA) in model high-salinity fracturing wastewater. With increasing ionic strength (<I>I</I>) from Day-1 (<I>I</I> = 0.35 M) to Day-90 (<I>I</I> = 4.10 M) wastewaters, bare nZVI presented significantly lower removal efficiency of CT (from 53.5% to 38.7%) and 1,1,2-TCA (from 71.1% to 21.7%) and underwent more serious Fe dissolution from 1.31 ± 1.19% in Day-1 to 5.79 ± 0.32% in Day-90 wastewater. Particle aggregation induced by high ionic strength was primarily responsible for the lowered performance of nZVI due to less available reactive sites on nZVI surface. The immobilization of nZVI in alginate with/without polyvinyl alcohol provided resistance to particle aggregation and contributed to the superior performance of entrapped nZVI in Day-90 wastewater for 1,1,2-TCA removal (62.6–72.3%), which also mitigated Fe dissolution (4.00–4.69%). Both adsorption (by polymer matrix) and reduction (by immobilized nZVI) were involved in the 1,1,2-TCA removal by entrapped nZVI. However, after 1-month immersion in synthetic fracturing wastewater, a marked drop in the reactivity of entrapped nZVI for 1,1,2-TCA removal from Day-90 wastewater was observed with significant release of Na and total organic carbon. In summary, bare nZVI was sensitive to the nature of the fracturing wastewater, while the use of environmentally benign entrapped nZVI was more promising for wastewater treatment.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Increasing ionic strength decreased nZVI reactivity and increased Fe dissolution. </LI> <LI> Entrapping nZVI in polymer matrix improved reactivity and limited Fe dissolution. </LI> <LI> Entrapped nZVI removed model chlorinated organic via both adsorption and reduction. </LI> <LI> Aging process was mitigated by polymer matrix but still inhibited nZVI reactivity. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

<i>OsASR5</i> enhances drought tolerance through a stomatal closure pathway associated with ABA and H ₂ O ₂ signalling in rice

Li, Jinjie,Li, Yang,Yin, Zhigang,Jiang, Jihong,Zhang, Minghui,Guo, Xiao,Ye, Zhujia,Zhao, Yan,Xiong, Haiyan,Zhang, Zhanying,Shao, Yujie,Jiang, Conghui,Zhang, Hongliang,An, Gynheung,Paek, Nam‐,Cho John Wiley and Sons Inc. 2017 Plant biotechnology journal Vol.15 No.2

<P><B>Summary</B></P><P>Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that directly implicate plant growth and crop productivity. Although many genes in response to drought stress have been identified, genetic improvement to drought resistance especially in food crops is showing relatively slow progress worldwide. Here, we reported the isolation of <I>abscisic acid</I>,<I> stress</I> and <I>ripening</I> (<I>ASR</I>) genes from upland rice variety, IRAT109 (<I>Oryza sativa</I> L. ssp. <I>japonica</I>), and demonstrated that overexpression of <I>OsASR5</I> enhanced osmotic tolerance in <I>Escherichia coli</I> and drought tolerance in <I>Arabidopsis</I> and rice by regulating leaf water status under drought stress conditions. Moreover, overexpression of <I>OsASR5</I> in rice increased endogenous ABA level and showed hypersensitive to exogenous ABA treatment at both germination and postgermination stages. The production of H<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>2</SUB>, a second messenger for the induction of stomatal closure in response to ABA, was activated in overexpression plants under drought stress conditions, consequently, increased stomatal closure and decreased stomatal conductance. In contrast, the loss‐of‐function mutant, <I>osasr5</I>, showed sensitivity to drought stress with lower relative water content under drought stress conditions. Further studies demonstrated that OsASR5 functioned as chaperone‐like protein and interacted with stress‐related HSP40 and 2OG‐Fe (II) oxygenase domain containing proteins in yeast and plants. Taken together, we suggest that <I>OsASR5</I> plays multiple roles in response to drought stress by regulating ABA biosynthesis, promoting stomatal closure, as well as acting as chaperone‐like protein that possibly prevents drought stress‐related proteins from inactivation.</P>

Model test and numerical simulation on the bearing mechanism of tunnel-type anchorage

Li, Yujie,Luo, Rong,Zhang, Qihua,Xiao, Guoqiang,Zhou, Liming,Zhang, Yuting Techno-Press 2017 Geomechanics & engineering Vol.12 No.1

The bearing mechanism of tunnel-type anchorage (TTA) for suspension bridges is studied. Model tests are conducted using different shapes of plug bodies, which are circular column shape and circular truncated cone shape. The results show that the plug body of the latter shape possesses much larger bearing capacity, namely 4.48 times at elastic deformation stage and 4.54 times at failure stage compared to the former shape. Numerical simulation is then conducted to understand the mechanical and structural responses of plug body and surrounding rock mass. The mechanical parameters of the surrounding rock mass are firstly back-analyzed based on the monitoring data. The calculation laws of deformation and equivalent plastic strain show that the numerical simulation results are rational and provide subsequent mechanism analysis with an established basis. Afterwards, the bearing mechanism of TTA is studied. It is concluded that the plug body of circular truncated cone shape is able to take advantage of the material strength of the surrounding rock mass, which greatly enhances its bearing capacity. The ultimate bearing capacity of TTA, therefore, is concluded to be determined by the material strength of surrounding rock mass. Finally, recommendations for TTA design are proposed and discussed.

An Estimation Method (EM) of Generalized Displacement of Points of Interest (POIs) Using Critical Modes

Yujie Li,Yu Zhu,Ming Zhang,Xin Li,Leijie Wang 한국정밀공학회 2021 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.22 No.3

More lightweight structure and higher control bandwidth are highly desirable in next-generation motion stages, satisfying the continuously increasing requirements in throughput and accuracy. However, these lead to more severe flexible deformation, causing that the estimation accuracy of the generalized displacements of a point of interest (POI) cannot be guaranteed under the rigid-body assumption. In this paper, a method for estimating the generalized displacement of the POI using critical modes is proposed. This method can realize a more accurate estimation under the limited measurement points. In this method, since the number of measurement points is limited, the selection criterion of the critical modes is firstly proposed for the over-actuator system; then, with regard to the estimation accuracy, the influences of the measurement layout and the residual modes on the estimation matrix are analyzed mathematically, and a performance measure is proposed for evaluating this method from the perspective of system control. In the verification section, the validity of the estimation method is demonstrated through numerical simulation and an experiment on a representative but straightforward case using a plate structure.