Dietary exposure to di-isobutyl phthalate increases urinary 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine level and affects reproductive function in adult male mice

Phthalates are a large family of ubiquitous environmental pollutants suspected of being endocrine disruptors. Epidemiological studies have associated phthalate metabolites with decreased reproductive parameters and linked phthalate exposure with the level of urinary 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine(5mdC, a product of methylated DNA). In this study, adult male mice were exposed to 450 mg di-isobutyl phthalate(DiBP)/(kg·day) via dietary exposure for 28 days. Mono-isobutyl phthalate(Mi BP, the urinary metabolite) and reproductive function parameters were determined. The levels of 5mdC and 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxycytidine(5hmdC) were measured in urine to evaluate if their contents were also altered by DiBP exposure in this animal model. Results showed that DiBP exposure led to a significant increase in the urinary 5mdC level and significant decreases in sperm concentration and motility in the epididymis, accompanied with reduced testosterone levels and downregulation of the P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme(P450scc) gene in the mice testes. Our findings indicated that exposure to DiBP increased the urinary 5mdC levels,which supported our recent epidemiological study about the associations of urinary 5mdC with phthalate exposure in the male human population. In addition, DiBP exposure impaired male reproductive function, possibly by disturbing testosterone levels; P450scc might be a major steroidogenic enzyme targeted by DiBP or other phthalates.     

利用EROD生物测试法快速筛选二噁类化合物

环境样品采集于湖北省鸭儿湖地区。每一样品分作两份,一份用于高分辨色质联用多离子检测法测定,另一份样品的提取液经多层色谱净化后再用7－乙氧基－异吩　唑酮－脱乙基酶（EROD）活力诱导法进行生物测试。PCDDs/PCDF＿s和PCB＿s总的TCDD毒性等价指数（TEQ＿s）最高,分别为1090ng/kg和996ng/kg。说明湖中二　　类化合物来源于附近化工厂有机氯生产排放的污水。同时,周围农田中发现的二　　类化合物数量少得多。这些化合物可能是来自于污水灌溉或大气尘降。在本研究中,EROD生物测试法具有良好的剂量效应关系,适合于对环境样品中的二　　类化合物进行快速定量筛选,而HRGC/HRMS－MID对生物测试所获得的数据作了进一步确认。     

Two-step fast microwave-assisted pyrolysis of biomass for bio-oil production using microwave absorbent and HZSM-5 catalyst

A novel technology of two-step fast microwave-assisted pyrolysis(f MAP) of corn stover for bio-oil production was investigated in the presence of microwave absorbent(Si C) and HZSM-5catalyst. Effects of f MAP temperature and catalyst-to-biomass ratio on bio-oil yield and chemical components were examined. The results showed that this technology, employing microwave, microwave absorbent and HZSM-5 catalyst, was effective and promising for biomass fast pyrolysis. The f MAP temperature of 500°C was considered the optimum condition for maximum yield and best quality of bio-oil. Besides, the bio-oil yield decreased linearly and the chemical components in bio-oil were improved sequentially with the increase of catalyst-to-biomass ratio from 1:100 to 1:20. The elemental compositions of bio-char were also determined. Additionally, compared to one-step f MAP process, two-step f MAP could promote the bio-oil quality with a smaller catalyst-to-biomass ratio.     

Volatile organic compound emissions from straw-amended agricultural soils and their relations to bacterial communities: A laboratory study

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate volatile organic compound(VOC) emissions from agricultural soil amended with wheat straw and their associations with bacterial communities for a period of 66 days under non-flooded and flooded conditions. The results indicated that ethene, propene, ethanol, i-propanol, 2-butanol, acetaldehyde, acetone,2-butanone, 2-pentanone and acetophenone were the 10 most abundant VOCs, making up over 90% of the total VOCs released under the two water conditions. The mean emission of total VOCs from the amended soils under the non-flooded condition(5924 ng C/(kg·hr)) was significantly higher than that under the flooded condition(2211 ng C/(kg·hr)). One "peak emission window" appeared at days 0–44 or 4–44, and over 95% of the VOC emissions occurred during the first month under the two water conditions. Bacterial community analysis using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE) showed that a relative increase of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and γ-Proteobacteria but a relative decrease of Acidobacteria with time were observed after straw amendments under the two water conditions. Cluster analysis revealed that the soil bacterial communities changed greatly with incubation time, which was in line with the variation of the VOC emissions over the experimental period. Most of the above top 10 VOCs correlated positively with the predominant bacterial species of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia but correlated negatively with the dominant bacterial species of Actinobacteria under the two water conditions. These results suggested that bacterial communities might play an important role in VOC emissions from straw-amended agricultural soils.     

Removal of 2-ClBP from soil–water system using activated carbon supported nanoscale zerovalent iron

We explored the feasibility and removal mechanism of removing 2-chlorobiphenyl(2-Cl BP)from soil–water system using granular activated carbon(GAC) impregnated with nanoscale zerovalent iron(reactive activated carbon or RAC).The RAC samples were successfully synthesized by the liquid precipitation method.The mesoporous GAC based RAC with low iron content(1.32%) exhibited higher 2-Cl BP removal efficiency(54.6%) in the water phase.The result of Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetic model implied that the different molecular structures between 2-Cl BP and trichloroethylene(TCE) resulted in more difference in dechlorination reaction rates on RAC than adsorption capacities.Compared to removing2-Cl BP in the water phase,RAC removed the 2-Cl BP more slowly in the soil phase due to the significant external mass transfer resistance.However,in the soil phase,a better removal capacity of RAC was observed than its base GAC because the chemical dechlorination played a more important role in total removal process for 2-Cl BP.This important result verified the effectiveness of RAC for removing 2-Cl BP in the soil phase.Although reducing the total RAC removal rate of 2-Cl BP,soil organic matter(SOM),especially the soft carbon,also served as an electron transfer medium to promote the dechlorination of 2-Cl BP in the long term.     

Vegetation changes in Conservation Reserve Program lands in interior Alaska

Over 14 million hectares of erosion prone cropland in the United States has been converted into grasslands through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, however, studies of the effects of CRP enrollment on plant communities and subsequent plant succession are largely lacking. In Delta Junction, Alaska plant communities in CRP fields are transitioning from grasslands to shrub dominated plant communities, which are resulting in compliance problems with program regulations that state “fields must be maintained in a condition that permits easy conversion to cropland”. To determine plant succession and how previous land management and soils might influence the transition, we measured plant populations in 20 CRP fields throughout Delta Junction using modified-Whittaker plots. These data were combined with data on current management practices, previous farming history, soils, soil properties, diversity indices, and time since land was cleared and analyzed with nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination to determine factors that influence plant succession. Time in the CRP was the only factor consistently influencing plant succession. As time in the CRP increased, the planted introduced grasses brome grass (Bromus inermis) and red fescue (Festuca rubra) and the native pteridophyte (Equisetum arvense) decreased, whereas a native grass (Calamigrostis canadensis), five native forb, two native shrub, and three native tree species increased. Plant diversity increased at a rate of more than 2 species per 1000 m² per year. Regression analyses of plant species and plant groups using time in the CRP as the dependent variable resulted in the identification of outlier CRP fields with significantly more or less than expected covers of vegetation. All fields with these outliers had reasonable explanations for the differences in cover that were unrelated to the overall rate of plant succession. Current management practices will result in incompliant fields and different management practices that result in woody vegetation control is key to maintaining CRP fields in compliance.     

完善北京市地方水环境标准体系的总体思路

随着国家水环境标准思路的改变,北京市水环境标准也应进行相应的修订。在分析北京市水环境标准现状的基础上,指出了目前标准体系存在的主要问题。根据北京市水环境标准需求,提出了完善北京市水环境标准体系的总体思路,涉及工业、城镇污水处理厂、医疗机构等方面。标准体系完善对降低污染物排放、改善北京市水环境质量起着重要的作用,对未来北京市水环境标准体系的规划起着很好的参考意义。     

2008年黑龙江省环境状况及发展趋势分析

黑龙江省生态环境状况良好,野生动植物栖息和生长的环境逐步改善。主要污染物化学需氧量和二氧化硫排放量继续呈下降趋势。城市空气质量良好,处于全国中上游水平,城市噪声污染较轻。松花江水质稳中趋好,为轻度污染,部分支流水质明显改善,出境水质达标的频率大幅增加。     

强化生物絮凝＋生物接触氧化除磷效果分析

通过单因素试验研究了强化生物絮凝＋生物接触氧化组合式一体化工艺对城市污水悬浮物SS、化学需氧量COD、氨氮NH3-N、总氮TN、总磷TP的去除效能和机理。试验结果表明：在组合工艺的较优运行条件下,装置对SS、COD、NH3-N、TN、TP的平均去除率分别为88．7％、89．3％、87．9％、73．4％、58．8％。组合工艺对污染物的总体去除效果良好,且稳定可靠,其中生物絮凝吸附段对总磷的去除率为32．4％,生物接触氧化段对总磷的去除率为39．1％,并对装置的除磷效果进行了分析。     

乙二胺四乙酸项目环境风险评价实例分析与探讨

环境风险评价是环境影响评价领域的一个新课题,20世纪80年代以来,发达国家就将环境风险评价纳入环境管理的范畴,环境风险评价已成为可能发生事故危险的建设项目环境影响评价中重要而不可缺少的组成部分。由于乙二胺四乙酸生产所用原料都具有一定毒害特性,故对具有发生潜在事故风险的乙二胺四乙酸建设项目,其潜在风险事故发生的可能性及其影响后果在环境风险评价中均应得到反映。本文以某拟建乙二胺四乙酸项目为例,分析乙二胺四乙酸项目环境风险评价。