Biological Activity in a Heavily Organohalogen-Contaminated River Sediment (8 pp)

Background, Aims and Scope Sediments of the Spittelwasser creek are highly polluted with organic compounds and heavy metals due to the discharge of untreated waste waters from the industrial region of Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany over the course of more than one century. However, relatively few data have been published about the chloroorganic contamination of the sediment. This paper reports on the content of different (chloro)organic compounds with special emphasis on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F), and chlorobenzenes. Existing concepts for the remediation of Spittelwasser sediment include the investigation of natural attenuation processes, which largely depend on the presence of an intact microbial food web. In order to gain more insight in terms of biological activity, we analyzed the capacity of sediment microflora to degrade organic matter by measuring the activities of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes involved in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur. Furthermore, the detection of physiologically active bacteria in the sediment, particularly of those known for their capability to reductively dehalogenate organochlorine compounds, illustrates the potential for intrinsic bioremediation processes. Methods PCDD/F and chlorobenzenes were analyzed by gas chromatography(GC)/mass spectrometry and GC/flame ionization detection, respectively. The activities of hydrolytic enzymes were determined from freshly sampled sediment layers using 4-methylumbelliferyl (MUF) or 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-conjugated model compounds and kinetic fluorescence measurements. Physiologically active bacteria from different sediment layers were microscopically visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Specific bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing. Results and Discussion The PCDD/F congener profile was dominated by dibenzofurans. In addition, the presence of specific tetra and pentachlorinated dibenzofurans supported the assumption that extensive magnesium production was one possible source for the high contamination. A range of other chloroorganic compounds, including several isomers of chlorobenzenes, hexachlorocyclohexane and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (p-chloro-phenyl)ethane (DDT), was present in the sediment. Activities of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes showed a strong decrease in those sediment layers that were characterized by high contents of absorbable organic halogen (AOX), indicating disturbed organic matter decay. Interestingly, an abnormal increase of cellulolytic enzyme activities below the organochlorine-rich layers was observed, possibly caused by residual cellulose from discharges of sulfite pulping wastes. FISH revealed physiologically active bacteria in most sediment layers from the surface down to the depth of about 60 cm, including members of Desulfitobacterium (D.) and Sulfurospirillum. The presence of D. dehalogenans was confirmed by its partial 16S rRNA gene sequence. Conclusions Results of chemical sediment analyses demonstrated high loads of organochlorine compounds, particularly of PCDD/F. Several years after stopping the waste water discharge to Spittelwasser creek, this sediment remains a main source for pollution of the downstream river system by way of the ongoing mobilization of sediment during high floods. As indicated by our enzyme activity measurements, the decomposition potential for organic matter is low in organochlorine-rich sediment layers. In contrast, the comparably higher enzyme activities in less organochlorine-polluted sediment layers as well as the presence of physiologically active bacteria suggest a considerable potential for natural attenuation. Recommendations and Perspectives From our data we strongly recommend to explore the degradative capacity of sediment microorganisms and the limits for in situ activity towards specific sediment pollutants in more detail. This will give a sound basis for the integration of bioremediation approaches into general concepts to reduce the risk that permanently radiates from this highly contaminated sediment. Submission Editor: Dr. Henner Hollert (Henner.Hollert@urz.uniheidelberg.de)     

Prenatal diagnosis of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency in a family with a previous fatal case of sudden unexpected death in childhood

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency is a potentially fatal inherited disease with a carrier frequency of approximately 1:100 in most Caucasian populations. The disease is implicated in sudden unexpected death in childhood. A prevalent disease-causing point mutation (A985G) in the MCAD gene has been characterized, thus rendering diagnosis easy in the majority of cases. Since the clinical spectrum of MCAD deficiency ranges from death in the first days of life to an asymptomatic life, there are probably other genetic factors—in addition to MCAD mutations—involved in the expression of the disease. Thus, families who have experienced the death of a child from MCAD deficiency might have an increased risk of a seriously affected subsequent child. In such a family we have therefore performed a prenatal diagnosis on a chorionic villus sample by a highly specific and sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the G985 mutation. The analysis was positive and resulted in abortion. We verified the diagnosis by direct analysis on blood spots and other tissue material from the aborted fetus and from family members.     

西部煤矿建设项目土地资源影响量化评价研究

以煤矿建设项目对土地资源影响的特点和规律为基础,满足该类项目环境影响评价要求为指导,以陕西省黄陵建庄矿区建北矿井及选煤厂新建项目为例,介绍西部煤矿建设项目土地资源影响量化评价的方法与思路,是西部煤矿项目土地资源影响评价深化的一种研究,有利于协调煤炭资源开发与土地资源保护问题.     

拉伸加载下老化复合固体推进剂的损伤演化定量分析

目的 定量分析老化对拉伸加载下复合固体推进剂细观损伤演化的影响规律。方法 开展不同老化时间（0、32、74、98 d）下三组元端羟基聚丁二烯（HTPB）复合固体推进剂的热加速老化试验,以及老化后推进剂的微型哑铃形试验件在不同拉伸应变水平（0、5%、10%、20%、40%、50%）下的微CT扫描观测试验,并对扫描重构图像进行定量分析,获得老化对推进剂细观损伤演化的影响规律。结果 随拉伸应变增加,老化前后推进剂微CT图像的灰度均方差、平均孔隙率和图像的分形维数均呈非线性增加趋势,图像的灰度均值呈非线性减小趋势。在较低应变水平（<10%）下,上述参数受老化时间的影响不显著,但随拉伸应变增加（≥10%）和老化时间增长,灰度均方差、平均孔隙率、孔隙率增量和分形维数的数值整体增高,而灰度均值随老化时间的增长而降低,且不同老化时间下,分形维数与平均孔隙率之间存在正线性关系。结论 重构得到微CT图像的灰度均值、平均孔隙率和分形维数可作为表征参数,用于定量分析老化复合固体推进剂在拉伸载荷下的细观损伤和损伤的动态演化规律,推进剂的初始损伤和小应变下的损伤程度受老化的影响较弱,而老化时间对推进剂细观损...     

聚糖原菌富集实验及其内源过程探究

细胞衰减是微生物内源过程的一个重要组成部分,可分为由细胞死亡引起的数量衰减和由细胞活性降低引起的活性衰减两部分.通过挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）吸收速率(VFAUR)测定、荧光原位杂交技术（FISH）以及LIVE/DEAD细胞染色技术,研究了富集聚糖原菌（GAOs）在序批式反应器（SBR）系统中好氧环境下的衰减特征.结果表明,当T=30℃、进料中m(COD)∶m(P)=100时,SBR系统中GAOs富集比例达94%.测定和计算表明,SBR富集系统中GAOs衰减速率和死亡速率分别为0.132 d^-1和0.034 d^-1,其数量衰减和活性衰减占其细胞总衰减比例分别为26%和74%.可见,GAOs数量衰减只占其细胞总衰减中很小一部分,而绝大部分衰减由活性衰减所引起.     

3,4-二氯苯胺与取代芳烃联合毒性的定量构效关系研究

采用细菌生长抑制实验测定了取代芳烃及其混合物对长江水中混合细菌的急性毒性,得到17种单一化合物的半数抑制浓度(IC50)及22组混合物的半数抑制浓度(IC50mix).采用毒性单位法和混合毒性指数法对联合毒性效应进行了定性评价,3,4-二氯苯胺与胺类化合物的联合效应以简单相加或部分相加作用为主,而3,4-二氯苯胺与酚类化合物的联合效应则多表现为协同作用.以化合物的辛醇/水分配系数(lgP)和分子最低空轨道能(ELUMO)为结构描述符,分别建立了单一毒性和联合毒性的定量构效关系(QSAR)模型.所得模型对极性麻醉型化合物和反应性化合物的毒性都具有较强的预测能力,不仅能预测3,4-二氯苯胺与取代芳烃不同配比的二元混合物的联合毒性,也能预测三元和四元混合物的联合毒性.     

Sulfur speciation and bioaccumulation in camphor tree leaves as atmospheric sulfur indicator analyzed by synchrotron radiation XRF and XANES

Analyzing and understanding the effects of ambient pollution on plants is getting more and more attention as a topic of environmental biology.A method based on synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy was established to analyze the sulfur concentration and speciation in mature camphor tree leaves (CTLs),which were sampled from 5 local fields in Shanghai,China.Annual SO2 concentration,SO42-concentration in atmospheric particulate,SO42-and sulfur concentration in soil were also analyzed to explore the relationship between ambient sulfur sources and the sulfur nutrient cycling in CTLs.Total sulfur concentration in mature camphor tree leaves was 766-1704 mg/kg.The mainly detected sulfur states and their corresponding compounds were +6 (sulfate,include inorganic sulfate and organic sulfate),+5.2 (sulfonate),+2.2 (suloxides),+0.6 (thiols and thiothers),+0.2 (organic sulfides).Total sulfur concentration was strongly correlated with sulfate proportion with a linear correlation coefficient up to 0.977,which suggested that sulfur accumulated in CTLs as sulfate form.Reduced sulfur compounds (organic sulfides,thiols,thioethers,sulfoxide and sulfonate) assimilation was sufficed to meet the nutrient requirement for growth at a balanced level around 526 mg/kg.The sulfate accumulation mainly caused by atmospheric sulfur pollution such as SO2 and airborne sulfate particulate instead of soil contamination.From urban to suburb place,sulfate in mature CTLs decreased as the atmospheric sulfur pollution reduced,but a dramatic increase presented near the seashore,where the marine sulfate emission and maritime activity pollution were significant.The sulfur concentration and speciation in mature CTLs effectively represented the long-term biological accumulation of atmospheric sulfur pollution in local environment.     

辽河流域与英国中部河湖水体中溶解有机质的荧光特性

运用三维荧光光谱技术对辽河流域和英国中部水体中溶解有机质(DOM)的荧光光谱特性进行了分析.结果表明,辽河流域各研究水体中DOM包含4种荧光组分,即类色氨酸、类酪氨酸、可见光区和紫外光区类腐殖质,通过对荧光特性定量指标的分析可知,辽河流域各研究断面水体中类腐殖质物质内源作用大于陆源,DOM具有较强的新近自生源,各河流水体中DOM腐殖化程度顺序为:浑河中游海城河中游蒲河下游太子河下游.相比之下,英国河湖中,除了River Tame含有以上4种荧光组分外,其它水体中均没有发现类酪氨酸荧光物质,甚至在River Tern中仅含有类腐殖质荧光物质,河湖中DOM含有较少的新近自生源组分,以陆源影响为主.另外,辽河流域水体中类蛋白与类腐殖质荧光峰强度比值大于英国各河流水体的平均值.由此可以推断,辽河流域各研究断面大量污染物的输入,是造成其严重内源污染的主要原因,从而使水体中DOM含量增加,英国各河流断面其DOM主要来自于水体本身存在的大量微生物和浮游植物的代谢活动以及土壤有机质经雨水的冲刷流入水体的贡献.     

Determination of ammonium on an integrated microchip with LED-induced fluorescence detection

A simply fabricated microfluidic device integrated with a fluorescence detection system has been developed for on-line determination of ammonium in aqueous samples. A 365-nm light-emitting diode (LED) as an excitation source and a minor band pass filter were mounted into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microchip for the purpose of miniaturization of the entire analytical system. The ammonium sample reacted with o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) on-chip with sodium sulfite as reducing reagent to produce a fluorescent isoindole derivative, which can emit fluorescence signal at about 425 nm when excited at 365 nm. Effects of pH, flow rate of solutions, concentrations of OPA-reagent, phosphate and sulfite salt were investigated. The calibration curve of ammonium in the range of 0.018-1.8 μupg/mL showed a good linear relationship with R² = 0.9985, and the detection limit was (S/N = 3) 3.6 × 10^-4 μupg/mL. The relative standard deviation was 2.8% (n = 11) by calculating at 0.18 μupg/mL ammonium for repeated detection. The system was applied to determine the ammonium concentration in rain and river waters, even extent to other analytes fluorescence detection by the presented device.     

畜禽养殖中沙门氏菌污染的PCR快速检测

针对畜禽养殖是造成农村水环境生物性污染的主要原因,指出用常规生化检测技术耗时长、效率低,不能满足环境管理的要求：应用PCR技术检测沙门氏菌,特异性高、敏感性强、耗时短,与常规分离鉴定方法比较,完全符合实验证明,PCR技术可很好的应用于沙门氏菌污染的调查与监测。