Stabilization of Cd-, Pb-, Cu- and Zn-contaminated calcareous agricultural soil using red mud: a field experiment

Red mud (RM) was used to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. Experiments with two different dosages of RM added to soils were carried out in this study. It was found that soil pH increased 0.3 and 0.5 unit with the dosage of 3 and 5% (wt%), respectively. At the dosage of 5%, the highest stabilization efficiencies for Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn reached 67.95, 64.21, 43.73 and 63.73%, respectively. The addition of RM obviously transferred Cd from the exchangeable fraction to the residual fraction. Meanwhile, in comparison with the control (no RM added), it reduced 24.38, 49.20, 19.42 and 8.89% of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn in wheat grains at the RM addition dosage of 5%, respectively. At the same time, the yield of wheat grains increased 17.81 and 24.66% at the RM addition dosage of 3 and 5%, respectively. Finally, the addition of RM did not change the soil bacterial community. These results indicate that RM has a great potential in stabilizing heavy metals in calcareous agricultural soils.

     

Entomotoxic effect of silicon dioxide nanoparticles on Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) under laboratory conditions

The use of higher dosage and repeated applications of conventional pesticides have led to the rapid development of insect resistance to pesticide and adverse effects on human health and environment. Accordingly, researchers are prompted to identify an alternative entomotoxic agent for crop protection. Nanocides are being considered as alternatives to conventional insecticides because they are expected to lessen the application rate and reduce the chances of resistance development in pests. In this study, we evaluated the entomotoxic effects of nanosilica on larvae of Plutella xylostella, in a laboratory by using dust spray, larva dipping, leaf dipping, and solution spray methods. Dust treatment showed a more highly significant effect than the other three treatments. The mortality percentage increased up to 58% and 85% at 24 and 72 h after treatment, respectively, when nanosilica was applied at a rate of 1 mg cm^?2. In all four bioassays, mortality rate increased with both increased time after nanosilica exposure and increased concentration. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images showed that larval death was due to desiccation, body wall abrasion, and spiracle blockage. These results suggested that nanosilica can be an alternative to conventional pesticides if dust formulation would be properly used.     

Mycelial culture of wild Inonotus hispidus parasitizing the jujube tree and the cultivation conditions of its fruit body on rice medium北大核心CSCD

Inonotus hispidus is a kind of rare medicinal fungus, and its natural resources are very scarce. Currently, the artificial cultivation technology of I. hispidus is not completely developed, and this reflects on its extremely low biological conversion rate and long cultivation period. In order to improve the bioconversion rate and shorten the production cycle of I. hispidus, we first analyzed the mycelia culture conditions of the collected I. hispidus, and then we further explore the method of domesticated cultivation of its fruiting body in rice medium. During the process of mycelial culture, the suitable temperature, pH, carbon source, and nitrogen source for mycelial growth were selected using the mycelial growth rate as index. During the domesticated cultivation of the fruiting body, the suitable culture medium for its growth was selected using the bioconversion rate as index. Screening results of mycelial culture conditions showed that the optimal culture conditions for the growth of mycelium of the wild I. hispidus were: temperature of 25 °C, initial pH of 6.0, glucose as the carbon source, and yeast extract powder as the source of nitrogen. The results of the domesticated cultivation showed that the biotransformation rate of I. hispidus was higher when using rice as the main medium substrate. The optimal cultivation conditions were: a 0.2% yeast extract content in the nutrient solution, a 1:1.6 ratio of rice to nutrient solution, and a 4 mL inoculum of the liquid strain. Under these conditions, it took about 4 days for the mycelium to grow over the cultivation medium. The time required for the differentiation of the primordium to form fruit bodies was about 20 days, and the bioconversion rate reached 28.70% ± 5.05%. The results of this study indicate the feasibility of using rice as the main substrate for the cultivation of I. hispidus, and it also provide new insights for the finding of new cultivation substrates for other rare medicinal fungi. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Effects of different endogenous fungi on the mass loss and nutrient content of leaf litter of Cunninghamia lanceolata北大核心CSCD

To explore the role of endophytic fungi in the decomposition of litter, the endophytic fungi Penicillium sp. strain CG2 (A), Fusarium flavum strain AY13 (B), and Talaromyces strain AJ14 (C) of Cunninghamia lanceolata were added to experimental pots in different forms (mycelium, sterilized fermentation broth, single fungus, and mixed fungi), and a control treatment (CK) was set up (no fungi added). At 10, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after litter decomposition, a study on the decomposition dynamics of C. lanceolata litter under different treatments was performed. The results showed that the rate of leaf mass loss was the highest in the sterilized fermentation broth treatment A after 120 days, and that there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between the mycelium treatment AC and the control treatment after 60 days (23.97% higher than the control group). On day 60, the litter carbon content from the mycelium treatment A was significantly different from that of the control (P < 0.05), showing a 16.74% lower value, whereas the litter carbon content of the mycelium treatment B was 21.13% lower than that of the control after 90 days. The nitrogen content of the litters of most mycelium and sterilized fermentation broth treatments was increased compared to that of the control group; there was significant difference (P < 0.05) between the sterilized fermentation broth treatment A and the control (P < 0.05), with a 17.05% higher value than that of the control. Similar to nitrogen, the litter phosphorus content also increased; there was a statistically significant difference between the mycelium treatment A and the control group, with treatment A showing a 46.67% higher value than the control group. The potassium content was 28% lower than that of the control group under the sterilized fermentation broth treatment C, a result that was significantly different from that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment for 90 days, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen was the lowest under the treatments with the mycelium A and the mycelium B, with values 25.54% and 25.11% lower than that of the control group, respectively, and a statistically significant difference from that of the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of carbon to phosphorus was the lowest under the treatment with mycelium A after 60 days, and the result was significantly different from that of the control (P < 0.05), with a 43.05% lower value than the control. Thus, the three endophytic fungi had different effects on the mass loss rate and nutrient content of the litter. The Penicillium sp. strain CG2 (A) had statistically significant effects on the mass loss and nutrient content of leaf litter, which was within the range of fungi fertilizer reference values for the breeding of C. lanceolata. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Interspecific association among main plant species in the unstable slope with high-frequency debris flow北大核心CSCD

To determine the characteristics of vegetation community structure and the relationship between species in the frequent watersheds of debris flow in fragile ecological environments, based on sample survey and 2 × 2 joint table techniques, we used analysis of variance test, χ2 test, Jaccard index, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test to study the main plant species correlations in the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone of the unstable slope. The analysis of variance test showed that all 45 species pairs had a significant negative correlation in the stable zone and instable zone, whereas there was no significant negative correlation in the deposit zone, which showed that the species had an independent distribution trend. The results from the different tests showed that there were 1 pair, 4 pairs, and 4 pairs from the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone, respectively, which had significant interspecific association under the χ2 test and the ratios of positive correlation pairs to negative correlation pairs were 0.55, 0.67, and 0.67 in the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone, respectively. There were 8 pairs, 5 pairs, and 5 pairs from the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone, respectively, which had significant interspecific association from the Pearson correlation analysis test, and the ratios of positive correlation pairs to negative correlation pairs were 0.36, 0.45, and 0.45 in the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone, respectively. There were 10 pairs, 6 pairs, and 9 pairs from the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone, respectively, which had significant interspecific association from the Spearman's rank correlation analysis test and the ratios of positive correlation pairs to negative correlation pairs were 0.5, 0.55, and 0.6 in the stable zone, instable zone, and deposit zone, respectively. The three test results showed general similarities but there were some differences. Most species pairs did not reach a significant level in the three zones and the number of negatively related species was more than the number of positively related species. In brief, this loose interspecific relationship indicates that the entire plant community was not stable, and the interspecific relationships among species are susceptible to environmental interference in the ecologically fragile areas of the debris flow basin. Therefore, rational selection and configuration of species should be applied to promote community structure development and ecological environmental improvement in vegetation restoration process areas with high-frequency debris flow. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

磺胺类抗生素对不同革兰氏阴性菌的毒物兴奋效应研究

抗生素滥用所导致的环境问题日益受到人们的关注,抗生素在环境中常以低剂量的形式暴露,生物体在低浓度的抗生素作用下通常会表现出毒物兴奋效应(hormesis)。因此,研究抗生素的hormesis,对抗生素的生态风险评价极其重要。为了研究抗生素的hormesis,本文选取4种磺胺类抗生素为研究对象,观测了不同浓度培养基下磺胺对大肠杆菌能否产生hormesis。结果表明,磺胺对大肠杆菌在原倍和0.8倍浓度的培养基下不产生hormesis,在0.6和0.4倍浓度的培养基下产生hormesis;并且,结合我们之前对另一种革兰氏阴性菌——费氏弧菌hormesis的研究可知,对于具有不同群体感应系统的2种革兰氏阴性菌,都存在hormesis,磺胺可以通过作用群体感应系统使革兰氏阴性菌产生hormesis,只是hormesis的大小不同。上述研究结果为抗生素的生态风险评价提供了依据,为hormesis的相关研究提供了参考。     

磺胺类化合物对大肠杆菌突变QSAR预测模型初探

抗生素被广泛应用于医疗、农业和畜牧业等领域,但是长期滥用会促进细菌的突变作用。本文以大肠杆菌(E.coli)为受试生物,测定了10种磺胺类抗生素(SAs)单一暴露时对E.coli的突变效应,采用物化参数Ebinding(抗生素与其靶蛋白的相互作用能力)与突变效应参数lgRC0-2(最高可观测突变促进效应浓度)或lgRCmax(突变促进率最大值对应的浓度),建立了突变效应的QSAR模型,并采用雷达图进行验证。结果表明,lgRC0-2与Ebinding模型和lgRCmax与Ebinding、DMG(偶极矩)模型的拟合系数R2分别是0.888、0.873,即lgRC0-2或lgRCmax与Ebinding相关性均较好,可能由于磺胺类化合物(SAs)会作用于叶酸合成通路,影响嘌呤、嘧啶碱基的合成,从而对E.coli的突变具有促进效应,且雷达图验证表明,上述2个模型均具有良好的内部预测能力。本研究有望为抗生素使用带来的生态风险评价以及药物设计提供相关指导。     

上海市土壤氟含量风险管控限值探讨

受工业活动影响,上海市典型工业区表层土壤氟中位值普遍高于"七五"背景值。针对工业企业场地土壤氟化物高值现象,目前仍缺乏相关的管理标准体系,且基于总量的评估分析方法已无法满足日益增长的精细化管理需求。详细梳理了国内外氟化物相关标准体系,并对上海市土壤氟限值进行了探讨。基于上海市典型工业场地特征参数计算得到的土壤氟化物筛选值高于上海市土壤"七五"背景值,与上海市工业场地调查得到的土壤氟化物高值基本持平;第一类、第二类用地的氟化物筛选建议值分别为1 980、10 000 mg/kg。与氟化物相比,水溶态氟化物是影响作物体内氟含量的重要因素,且在淋溶等作用下会对地下水安全构成威胁。考虑到水溶态氟化物的环境行为与风险,建议针对农田土壤开展水溶性氟化物含量限值研究。     

乙酰丙酮荧光法在线监测环境空气中的甲醛

我国现行环境空气中甲醛的标准测定方法普遍难以满足当前大气监测中对痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测需要。在乙酰丙酮分光光度法的基础上改进得到的乙酰丙酮荧光法具有更低的检出限和更高的灵敏度,适用于大气中痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测。基于乙酰丙酮荧光法设计了甲醛在线监测系统,并对其主要性能指标进行了评估测试。测试结果显示,该系统的吸收效率为98.9%~100.1%,检出限为0.045 4×10^-9,精密度为0.44%,线性误差为-0.55%,线性范围为0.0~80.0×10^-9,响应时间为282 s,单日零点漂移为-0.04×10^-9~1.33×10^-9,单日跨度漂移为-0.90×10^-9~3.45×10^-9。测试结果表明,其各项性能指标均能满足当前对大气环境中痕量浓度水平甲醛的监测需求。