Influence of Agricultural Antibiotics and 17β-Estradiol on the Microbial Community of Soil

Agricultural pharmaceuticals are a major environmental concern because of their hazardous effects on human and wildlife. This study analyzed phospholipid ester-linked fatty acids (PLFAs) and quinones to investigate the effects of a steroid (17β-estradiol) and agricultural antibiotics (chlortetracycline and tylosin) on soil microbes in the laboratory. Two different types of soil were used: Sequatchie loam (0.8% organic matter) and LaDelle silt loam (9.2% organic matter). The soils were spiked with 17β-estradiol and antibiotics, alone or in combination. In Sequatchie loam, 17β-estradiol significantly increased the microbial biomass, especially the biomarkers for beta proteobacteria (16:1ω7c, 18:1ω7c, Cy17:0, and UQ-8). The coexistence of antibiotics decreased the stimulatory effect of 17β-estradiol on the microbial community. In LaDelle silt loam, there were no significant differences in total microbial biomass and their microbial community structure among the treatments. Overall, 17β-estradiol changed the microbial community of soil and the presence of antibiotics nullified the effect of 17β-estradiol. However, the effects of 17β-estradiol and antibiotics on soil microbes were sensitive to the soil properties, as seen in the LaDelle silt loam.     

Impact and Dynamics of Disease in Species Threatened by the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Abstract:  Estimating disease-associated mortality and transmission processes is difficult in free-ranging wildlife but important for understanding disease impacts and dynamics and for informing management decisions. In a capture–mark–recapture study, we used a PCR-based diagnostic test in combination with multistate models to provide the first estimates of disease-associated mortality and detection, infection, and recovery rates for frogs endemically infected with the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the pandemic amphibian disease chytridiomycosis. We found that endemic chytridiomycosis was associated with a substantial reduction (approximately 38%) in apparent monthly survival of the threatened rainforest treefrog Litoria pearsoniana despite a long period of coexistence (approximately 30 years); detection rate was not influenced by disease status; improved recovery and reduced infection rates correlated with decreased prevalence, which occurred when temperatures increased; and incorporating changes in individuals' infection status through time with multistate models increased effect size and support (98.6% vs. 71% of total support) for the presence of disease-associated mortality when compared with a Cormack–Jolly–Seber model in which infection status was restricted to the time of first capture. Our results indicate that amphibian populations can face significant ongoing pressure from chytridiomycosis long after epidemics associated with initial Bd invasions subside, an important consideration for the long-term conservation of many amphibian species worldwide. Our findings also improve confidence in estimates of disease prevalence in wild amphibians and provide a general framework for estimating parameters in epidemiological models for chytridiomycosis, an important step toward better understanding and management of this disease.     

珠海空气中可吸入颗粒物(PM10)的时空变化特征

选取2000年6月-2001年5月珠海空气中PM10的观测数据,分析其在3个监测点(香洲、前山和吉大)的时空演变特征.结果表明,珠海PM10的年均质量浓度为40 μg/m\+3(校正后为52 μg/m\+3),低于国家PM10的二级质量标准,与国内外其他城市相比,珠海PM10相对较低,表明珠海的大气颗粒物污染轻微.2001年4月14,15日珠海PM10日均值显著增高,达到92,127 μg/m\+3,对比香港及北方粉尘源区的颗粒物浓度及气团轨迹分析结果可知,珠海也受到了北方沙尘暴的影响.3个站点的PM10月均质量浓度变化主要表现为夏、秋季低,冬、春季高.珠海市大气PM10的日变化形式以白天高、夜晚低为主.      

Decomposition of aqueous chlorinated contaminants by UV irradiation with H2O2

In the present study, the decomposition rates of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) in water by the ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation alone and H₂O₂/UV were experimentally investigated. The detailed experimental studies have been conducted for examining treatment capacities of the two different ultraviolet light sources (low and medium pressure Hg arc) in H₂O₂/UV processes. The low or medium UV lamp alone resulted in a 60%–90% decomposition of 2,4-DCP while a slight addition of H₂O₂ resulted in a drastic enhancement of the 2,4-DCP decomposition rate. The decomposition rate of 2,4-DCP with the medium pressure UV lamp alone was about 3–6 times greater than the low pressure UV lamp alone. In the direct photolysis of aqueous CCl₄, the medium pressure UV lamp had advantage over the low pressure UV lamp because the molar extinction coefficient of CCl₄ at shorter wavelength (210–220 nm) is about 20 to 50 times higher than that at 254 nm. However, adding H₂O₂ to the medium pressure UV lamp system rendered a negative oxidation rate because H₂O₂ acted as a UV absorber being competitive with CCl₄ due to negligible reaction between CCl₄ and OH radicals. The results from the present study indicated significant influence of the photochemical properties of the target contaminants on the photochemical treatment characteristics for designing cost-effective UV-based degradation of toxic contaminants.     

UASB反应器中厌氧氨氧化污泥的种群分析

利用变性梯度凝胶电泳、克隆和实时PCR等分子生物学技术对2个厌氧氨氧化反应器中的微生物进行了初步研究.变性梯度凝胶电泳结果表明,尽管2个反应器的接种污泥不同,但经过1年多的连续运行,二者的微生物种群结构基本相同;Planctomycete克隆结果表明,相似的15个序列(>99%)与已报道的3个属的厌氧氨氧化菌的序列均有较大距离(<92%),而与具有厌氧氨氧化功能的KSU-1序列有97%的相似,amoA基因克隆结果表明,反应器中的部分好氧氨氧化菌属于β-Proteobacteria中具有厌氧氨氧化活性的Nitrosomonas;实时PCR结果表明,厌氧氨氧化细菌占细菌总量的27%~29%,好氧氨氧化菌约为5%.     

生物炭在新疆棉田的应用效果研究

农业是新疆经济和社会的基础,维系着全疆广大农牧民的生计,也关系到民族团结、边疆稳定和各族人民生活水平。寻求新技术提高绿洲农业生产力是新时期新疆经济和社会发展的要求。我们将小麦秸秆生物炭应用于喀什绿洲的灌淤土,研究了其对土壤pH和土壤水分的影响以及对棉花生长和产量的促进作用。结果显示,10%生物炭施用量可以倍增田间持水量,并提高土壤pH值0.36。但后一作用会随土壤灌溉和淋滤作用的增加而降低;在混合施用方式下,生物炭显著提高棉花产量,5%的施用量提高皮棉产量26%。这种增产效果产生的原因是生物炭的施用增加了土壤的营养成分和供水能力,从而增强了植株的株高、果枝数和单株铃数等。但条施方式对棉花的增产效果不显著,其施用过程会伤及作物根系和/或纯生物炭的高碱性影响植株的生理作用,从而造成棉株的枯萎、迟滞作物的生长。上述结果表明生物炭技术是提高绿洲农业生产力很有潜力的一条途径,但施用方式是一个很重要的影响因素。本研究结果不仅可以直接指导新疆绿洲的棉花生产,还可以为我国北方广大干旱区农业生产和管理提供借鉴。     

南京城市交通甲烷排放特征

城市交通是CH_4等温室气体的重要排放源,而CH_4排放的观测研究是定量分析城市碳排放的基础.本项研究考虑城市交通的周变化和日变化特点,于2014年10月17日、18日、20日、23日每日5个时段在南京市主城区三条交通主干道上和2015年9月11日的早晚时段在南京长江隧道内,观测大气CH_4和CO_2浓度,分析交通CH_4排放特征及其影响因素.结果表明:1南京城区交通主干道的CH_4平均浓度均大于背景大气CH_4浓度.受交通车流量的影响,ΔCH_4浓度的空间差异显著.ΔCH_4浓度的日变化呈现倒"W"型,在交通早晚高峰时出现峰值.2由于隧道内"活塞风"的作用,长江隧道内的CH_4浓度从入口到出口逐渐增大,出入口浓度差在0.21×10-6~0.38×10-6(摩尔分数,下同)之间.3大气CH_4浓度与CO_2浓度之间线性相关.交通主干道上的ΔCH_4∶ΔCO_2值平均为0.009 1;隧道内的ΔCH_4∶ΔCO_2值仅为0.000 47~0.001 4.4影响南京城区道路大气ΔCH_4浓度和ΔCH_4∶ΔCO_2值的主要因素分别是车流量和天然气车占车流量的比例.     

无排泥条件下的膜-生物反应器系统处理焦化废水可行性研究

小试规模浸没式厌氧/缺氧/好氧-膜-生物反应器(A1/A2/O-MBR)系统用于处理实际焦化废水,在无排泥条件下连续运行160 d.考察了长期运行条件下系统对不同污染物的去除性能,并通过亲疏水组分分离和三维荧光光谱法,对进出水焦化废水中溶解性有机物(DOMs)特征进行分析.结果表明,A1/A2/O-MBR系统能稳定去除88.0%±1.6%的COD,99.9%的挥发酚,99.4%±0.2%的浊度和98.3%±1.9%的NH4+-N,相应的平均出水浓度分别为249 mg/L±44 mg/L、0.18 mg/L±0.05 mg/L、1.0NTU±0.2 NTU和4.1 mg/L±4.3 mg/L;最大TN去除率可达到74.9%.在系统160 d运行过程中,MLVSS/MLSS维持在90.2%±1.0%,没有出现无机物的积累;污泥的表观产率(MLVSS/COD)逐渐降低并最终稳定在0.035 kg/kg.在焦化废水DOMs的疏水酸性、疏水中性、疏水碱性和亲水物4种组分中,疏水酸性物是进出水中最主要的溶解性有机碳(DOC)和色度组分,分别占进出水总DOC的70%和67%,总色度的75%和76%.三维荧光光谱分析表明腐殖质类物质是系统出水中残留的主要难降解有机物和致色物质.     

Effects of low temperature on aluminum(Ⅲ) hydrolysis: theoretical and experimental studies

In this study, the effects of low temperature on aluminum(III) (Al) hydrolysis were examined both theoretically and experimentally by constructing a solubility diagram for amorphous aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3(am)) and a distribution diagram of hydrolyzed Al species. Firstly, thermodynamic data of Al species at 4℃ were calculated from that at 25℃. A well confirmed polymeric Al species, AlO4Al12(OH)247 (Al13), was involved in building the diagrams and, correspondingly, the non-linear simultaneous equations with 13 degrees were resolved. Secondly, polarized Zeeman atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and ferron-based spectrophotometry were applied for constructing the practical diagrams. The results show that a decrease of temperature from 25 to 4℃ caused the Al(OH)3(am) boundary on the solubility diagram to shift toward the alkaline side by about 1.0 pH unit and the minimum solubility of Al(OH)3(am) to reduce by 1.0 log unit. The distribution diagram indicates that the monomeric Al, Al13, and solid-phase Al(OH)3 were alternately the predominant species with the increase of pH value during Al hydrolysis. At 25℃, Al13 was the dominant species in a pH range of 4.0 to 4.5, whereas at 4℃, Al13 was the leading species in a pH range spaced from 4.5 to 6.3. The predominant species changed from the monomeric Al to the solid-phase Al(OH)3 over the range of 1.8 pH units at 4℃ in comparison with the range of 0.5 pH unit at 25℃.     

Aerobic granulation of pure bacterial strain Bacillus thuringiensis

The objective of this study is to cultivate aerobic granules by pure bacterial strain, Bacillus thuringiensis, in a sequencing batch reactor. Stable granules sized 2.0–2.2 mm were formed in the reactor after a five-week cultivation. These granules exhibited excellent settling attributes, and degraded phenol at rates of 1.49 and 1.19 g phenol/(g VSS?d) at 250 and 1500 mg/L of phenol concentration, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscopic test results show that Bacillus thuringiensis was distributed over the initial small aggregates, and the outer edge of the granule was away from the core regime in the following stage.