Dynamic nano-Ag colloids cytotoxicity to and accumulation by Escherichia coli: Effects of Fe3+, ionic strength and humic acid

Released Ag ions or/and Ag particles are believed to contribute to the cytotoxicity of Ag nanomaterials, and thus, the cytotoxicity and mechanism of Ag nanomaterials should be dynamic in water due to unfixed Ag particle:Ag⁺ ratios. Our recent research found that the cytotoxicity of PVP-Ag nanoparticles is attributable to Ag particles alone in 3 hr bioassays, and shifts to both Ag particles and released Ag⁺ in 48 hr bioassays. Herein, as a continued study, the cytotoxicity and accumulation of 50 and 100 nm Ag colloids in Escherichia coli were determined dynamically. The cytotoxicity and mechanisms of nano-Ag colloids are dynamic throughout exposure and are derived from both Ag ions and particles. Ag accumulation by E. coli is derived mainly from extracellular Ag particles during the initial 12 hr of exposure, and thereafter mainly from intracellular Ag ions. Fe³⁺ accelerates the oxidative dissolution of nano-Ag colloids, which results in decreasing amounts of Ag particles and particle-related toxicity. Na⁺ stabilizes nano-Ag colloids, thereby decreasing the bioavailability of Ag particles and particle-related toxicity. Humic acid (HA) binds Ag⁺ to form Ag⁺-HA, decreasing ion-related toxicity and binding to the E. coli surface, decreasing particle-related toxicity. HA in complex conditions showed a stronger relative contribution to toxicity and accumulation than Na⁺ or Fe³⁺. The results highlighted the cytotoxicity and mechanism of nano-Ag colloids are dynamic and affected by environmental factors, and therefore exposure duration and water chemistry should be seriously considered in environmental and health risk assessments.     

杭州湾北岸36种挥发性有机物污染特征及来源解析

为研究杭州湾北岸VOCs（挥发性有机物）的浓度水平、组成特征、反应活性和潜在来源,采用GC-FID在线监测系统对杭州湾北岸环境大气中的36种VOCs开展了为期1 a（2017年12月-2018年11月）的连续观测,采用LOH（VOCs的·OH消耗速率）和OFP（O₃生成潜势）2种方法估算了大气VOCs的反应活性,并利用PMF（正定矩阵因子分解）和CPF（条件概率函数）模型分析其来源.结果表明:①φ（VOCs）小时平均值在冬季（26.47×10-9）最高,夏季（9.76×10-9）最低;全年φ（VOCs）小时平均值为21.24×10-9,其中烷烃、烯烃+炔烃、芳香烃、卤代烃的贡献率分别为33.24%、34.13%、15.63%、17.00%;φ（烷烃）、φ（芳香烃）和φ（卤代烃）呈较明显的昼夜变化特征,φ（烯烃）和φ（炔烃）无明显昼夜变化趋势.②大气VOCs的总LOH和OFP分别为9.39 s-1和220.57 μg/m3,KOH（·OH反应速率常数）和MIR（最大增量反应活性）系数的平均值分别为17.34×10-12 cm3/（molecule·s）和3.31;KOH和MIR系数的平均值分别与间/对-二甲苯的KOH和乙苯的MIR系数接近,表明大气VOCs的化学反应活性较强;VOCs关键活性物种为异戊二烯、乙烯、丙烯、甲苯、二甲苯和顺-2-丁烯.③特征物种相关性分析表明,杭州湾北岸大气存在老化现象,异戊烷和正戊烷受煤燃烧源影响较大,二甲苯和乙苯受溶剂排放源影响较大,甲苯和苯除受机动车尾气影响外,还受其他排放源影响.④PMF和CPF模型来源分析表明,大气VOCs主要来自石化工业源、燃料挥发源、生物质燃烧和煤燃烧源、机动车排放源和溶剂使用源,其中,机动车排放源主要来自西北方向,其他源主要来自西北、西和西南方向.研究显示,杭州湾北岸大气VOCs来源复杂,受周边工业区的影响较大.      

Potential of secondary aerosol formation from Chinese gasoline engine exhaust

Light-duty gasoline vehicles have drawn public attention in China due to their significant primary emissions of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds(VOCs). However,little information on secondary aerosol formation from exhaust for Chinese vehicles and fuel conditions is available. In this study, chamber experiments were conducted to quantify the potential of secondary aerosol formation from the exhaust of a port fuel injection gasoline engine. The engine and fuel used are common in the Chinese market, and the fuel satisfies the China V gasoline fuel standard. Substantial secondary aerosol formation was observed during a 4–5 hr simulation, which was estimated to represent more than 10 days of equivalent atmospheric photo-oxidation in Beijing. As a consequence, the extreme case secondary organic aerosol(SOA) production was 426 ± 85 mg/kg-fuel, with high levels of precursors and OH exposure. The low hygroscopicity of the aerosols formed inside the chamber suggests that SOA was the dominant chemical composition. Fourteen percent of SOA measured in the chamber experiments could be explained through the oxidation of speciated single-ring aromatics. Unspeciated precursors, such as intermediate-volatility organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds, might be significant for SOA formation from gasoline VOCs. We concluded that reductions of emissions of aerosol precursor gases from vehicles are essential to mediate pollution in China.     

好氧颗粒污泥对有机物吸附类型的研究

为探索好氧颗粒污泥对有机物的去除机制,进行好氧颗粒污泥对有机物的吸附性能及吸附类型研究,在实验室条件下,采用动态吸附方式,利用SBAR反应器分析好氧颗粒污泥对有机物的去除情况。结果表明,好氧颗粒污泥存在初期吸附作用,最佳吸附时间为30~45 min,COD去处率60%;通过对失活前后好氧颗粒污泥对有机物吸附性能测定以及红外光谱分析,探究好氧颗粒污泥对有机物的吸附类型,表明好氧颗粒污泥对有机物的吸附是一个包含生物吸附和化学吸附的复杂过程。     

Population structure and sex-change in the coral-inhabiting snailCoralliophila violacea at Hsiao-Liuchiu,Taiwan

Surveys of the coral-inhabiting snailCoralliophila violacea (Lamarck) (=C. neritoidea Kiener) were made on shallow fringing reefs (<8 m deep) around Hsiao-Liuchiu, Taiwan, between July and October 1990. The snails were aggregated into patches on the surface of massive poritid coral colonies. Coral colonies >40 cm in diameter were more likely to bear patches of snails than smaller colonies, and also to have more snails. The coralliophilids ranged from 5 to 30 mm in aperture length. The sex ratio of the population was biased toward males (539:279), with only a few small individuals of indistinguishable sex. Snails between 6 and 10 mm were all males, while most snails with aperture lengths 20 mm were females. Judging from the distinct size ranges of males and females within patches and from the observed degeneration of the penis, the snails may have changed sex from male to female with increasing size. Sex-change may occur across a wide size range (10 to 20 mm). The correlation of smallest female size and largest male size among patches indicates that snail size at sex-change is peculiar to each individual patch. Those females in patches with a single female (but many males) were significantly smaller than females in multiple-female patches. It is likely that in the absence of females males change sex at a smaller size, whereas in the presence of large females males delay sexchange until they have reached a larger size. The plasticity of size at sex-change may be adaptive and a result of natural selection at the individual level.     

Dry aerial fallout of organochlorine insecticide residues in Delhi, India

Monitoring of airborne dust in Delhi during May to July 1985 revealed residues of DDT varying from 1.3 to 7.14 ng mg(-1) (4.06-22.31 ng m(-2) day(-1)) with an average of 3.32 ng mg(-1) (10.38 ng m(-2) day(-1)), and HCH which ranged from 0.46 to 2.35 ng mg(-1) (1.44-7.34 ng m(-2) day(-1)) with a mean of 1.16 ng mg(-1) (3.63 ng m(-2) day(-1)). The concentration of total DDT was almost 3 times greater than that of HCH.     

Impact of repeated application on the binding and persistence of [14C]-DDT and [14C]-HCH in a tropical soil

An Indian sandy loam soil was initially treated with 1 kg a.i. ha(-1) of either [(14)C]-p,p'-DDT or [(14)C]-gamma-HCH during winter. DDT concentration after 30 days declined to 75.3%, which included 2.1% soil-bound residues. After 150 days, DDT levels further decreased to 42.4% with a concomitant increase in bound residues amounting to 5.9%. Identical treatment with HCH caused the residue levels to be reduced to 67.4 and 23.6%, after 30 and 150 days, respectively. During this period, the soil-bound residues of HCH increased from 5.2 to 12.8%. Repeat application to pre-treated soils in summer and subsequent field exposure for 30 days reduced the concentration of DDT to 52.1% and that of HCH to 42.4% of the total concentration following the second treatment. In parallel control experiments, which received only a single treatment, DDT levels declined to 61.3%, while HCH slumped to 45.3%, indicating a slower dissipation rate than in the corresponding repeated treatments. In repeat experiments, the soil-bound residues of DDT and HCH showed only a 1.07 to 1.08-fold increase in 30 days, as compared to three to ten-times increase in the control experiments. The results amply demonstrate that pre-treatment of tropical soils with DDT or HCH enhances their rate of dissipation and significantly reduce the formation of their soil-bound residues.     

Effect of methyl mercuric chloride treatment on haematological characteristics and erythrocyte morphology of Swiss mice

Effects of methyl mercuric chloride (MMC) on the blood parameters of Swiss mice (Mus musculus) were studied. The mice received an initial dose of MMC (24 mg kg(-1) body wt) as intraperitoneal injection followed by a second similar dose on the 14th day of the first dose administration. Significant (p < or = 0.001) decreases in haemoglobin content, red blood cell (RBC) count and haematocrit value were observed in the MMC injected mice when compared to the control mice. The effect of the second dose was severe, after which no significant recovery in the values of these parameters was observed. The result also showed a high degree of mercury accumulation in the blood of the MMC exposed mice. Interesting features were marked in the erythrocyte morphology of the exposed mice. An initial shrinkage followed by swelling of the cells was observed after each injection. The outline of the exposed cells was irregular with beak like or small finger like projections. Rupturing and disintegration of the erythrocyte membrane, leading to erythrolysis, were also noticed.     

Effect of shore position and environmental metal levels on body metal burdens in the barnacle, Elminius modestus

Body (thorax and prosoma) weight, shell growth, and Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ca levels were measured in artificially settled Elminius modestus over a 14-month period following transfer to high, mid and low tide positions in the uncontaminated Menai Strait and two mid tide sites within a Zn and Cu polluted bay on the North West coast of Anglesey. Barnacles showed higher mortality and slower growth at the upper shore position than at any other site. There was no evidence of Zn and Cu regulation by the bodies or shells, and both seemed to reflect environmental levels. Body metal levels were lowest in early winter and the highest second year values were found in January (Zn), March (Cu, Fe) or May (Ca). Higher shore barnacles contained larger concentrations of Zn than mid or low tide animals. Differences in feeding activity and the amount of testes may account for these variations. Reciprocal transplants between polluted and 'clean' sites indicate that body Cu and Zn accumulation and loss was very rapid. Spatial and temporal changes in shell metal levels closely mirror that of the body.     

A Variance Estimator for Constrained Estimates of Change in Relative Categorical Frequencies

Consistent estimators of change and state becomes an issue when sample data come from a mix of permanent and temporary observation units. A joint maximum likelihood estimator of state and change creates estimates of state that depend on antecedent viz. posterior survey results and may differ from estimates of state derived from a single-date analysis of the sample data. A constrained estimator of change in relative categorical frequencies that eliminates this potential inconsistency is proposed and a model based estimator of their sampling variance is developed. The performance of the constrained estimator is quantified against six criteria and a joint maximum likelihood estimator in simulated sampling from 15 populations with three combinations of permanent and temporary samples, four to six categorical class attributes, and constant size between sampling dates. Bias of the constrained estimators was negligible but larger than for joint maximum likelihood estimators. Mean absolute deviations and variances of constrained estimators were generally at par with the joint estimators. Constrained estimators of root mean square errors and achieved coverage of nominal confidence intervals of constrained estimators were occasionally better. A generalized variance function for the constrained estimates of change is provided as a computational shortcut.