Phenol tolerance, changes of antioxidative enzymes and cellular damage in transgenic tobacco hairy roots colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Phytoremediation has been recognized as a cheap and eco-friendly technology which could be used for the remediation of organic pollutants, such as phenolic compounds. Besides, the extent to which plants react to environmental pollution might depend on rhizosphere processes such as mycorrhizal symbiosis. In the present work, phenol tolerance of transgenic tobacco hairy roots (HR), namely TPX1, colonized with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) was studied. However, the question is whether AMF symbiosis can moderate adverse effects of phenol to the plant tissues. Thus, the antioxidative response as well as parameters of oxidative damage, like malondialdehyde (MDA) content, were determined. Antioxidative enzymes such as peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase were higher in TPX1 HR colonized with AMF, compared to wild type HR colonized by AMF, in the presence of increasing concentrations of the pollutant. Besides, MDA levels remained unaltered in TPX1 HR associated with AMF treated with the xenobiotic. These results, suggested that this culture could tolerate phenol and moreover, it has an efficient protective mechanism against phenol-induced oxidative damage, which is of great importance in the selection of species with remediation capacities. Thus, transgenic HR colonized with AMF could be considered as an interesting model system to study different processes which play a key role in the phytoremediation of organic pollutants.     

某化学工业园区重点行业企业VOCs污染问题初探

针对某化工园区重点行业企业挥发性有机物(VOCs)污染问题,通过对其中50家企业的原料、设备、数据调查以及现场考察,总结其VOCs的使用种类与数量、治理设备与排放情况。对一些典型VOCs排放企业分析,提出针对性减污措施。根据化工园区的VOCs特点与危害性,提出管理、控制、治理等方面的建议。     

家具制造企业密集区空气中VOCs污染状况及健康风险评价

采用Tenax管吸附-热脱附-气相色谱法测定家具制造企业密集区空气中挥发性有机物(VOCs),并应用美国国家环保局(USEPA)的健康风险评价模型评估其对周边人群的影响。结果表明,家具制造企业密集区总VOCs的质量浓度为0.931 mg/m3,11种目标物中乙酸乙酯、丙酮和乙酸丁酯所占比例较高,分别占总VOCs的20.2%、10.7%和9.1%。该区总VOCs的累积非致癌风险指数为3.47×10-7,低于1,不会对人体产生明显的非致癌健康危害;其累积致癌风险指数为2.49×10-5,是可接受致癌风险值(1.0×10-6)的25倍,可能对人群存在致癌影响。     

Performance of a biogas upgrading process based on alkali absorption with regeneration using air pollution control residues

This work analyzes the performance of an innovative biogas upgrading method, Alkali absorption with Regeneration (AwR) that employs industrial residues and allows to permanently store the separated CO₂. This process consists in a first stage in which CO₂ is removed from the biogas by means of chemical absorption with KOH or NaOH solutions followed by a second stage in which the spent absorption solution is contacted with waste incineration Air Pollution Control (APC) residues. The latter reaction leads to the regeneration of the alkali reagent in the solution and to the precipitation of calcium carbonate and hence allows to reuse the regenerated solution in the absorption process and to permanently store the separated CO₂ in solid form. In addition, the final solid product is characterized by an improved environmental behavior compared to the untreated residues. In this paper the results obtained by AwR tests carried out in purposely designed demonstrative units installed in a landfill site are presented and discussed with the aim of verifying the feasibility of this process at pilot-scale and of identifying the conditions that allow to achieve all of the goals targeted by the proposed treatment. Specifically, the CO₂ removal efficiency achieved in the absorption stage, the yield of alkali regeneration and CO₂ uptake resulting for the regeneration stage, as well as the leaching behavior of the solid product are analyzed as a function of the type and concentration of the alkali reagent employed for the absorption reaction.     

Errant corporations, diffuse responsibilities, and the environment: ethical issues in the Orica case study

The papers in this volume deal with various aspects of the HCB legacy at the Orica plant at Botany. Whether explicitly or implicitly, they are concerned with questions of ethics; with the just distribution of burdens and benefits; with just processes for disposing of dangerous industrial waste; and with a just custodianship of the Botany environment. These ethical issues illustrate the difficulty of securing corporate accountability, and the elusiveness of responsibility within organisations. This paper reflects on some of the issues for ethics raised by the Orica case and their significance for corporate ethics.     

Regeneration of spent organoclays after the sorption of organic pollutants: A review

Clay minerals modified with organic ions, also known as organoclays, have found applications in a wide range of organic pollution control fields because of their excellent sorption capacity towards organic pollutants. Regeneration of the spent organoclays after the sorption of organic pollutants is of great importance during their application in pollution control. In this review, the reported methods for the regeneration of the spent organoclays are summarized, including biological degradation, photo-assisted oxidation, chemical extraction/desorption, supercritical extraction, thermal desorption, et al. The characteristics and applications of these methods are briefly described. It shows that most of these methods have been developed for regenerating spent organoclays from wastewater treatment. The biological regeneration method, as an in situ, low cost and easy-operating method, is applicable for regenerating spent organoclays not only from wastewater treatment, but also from soil and groundwater remediation.     

Comparison of heavy metal loads in stormwater runoff from major and minor urban roads using pollutant yield rating curves

Trace metal export by stormwater runoff from a major road and local street in urban Sydney, Australia, is compared using pollutant yield rating curves derived from intensive sampling data. The event loads of copper, lead and zinc are well approximated by logarithmic relationships with respect to total event discharge owing to the reliable appearance of a first flush in pollutant mass loading from urban roads. Comparisons of the yield rating curves for these three metals show that copper and zinc export rates from the local street are comparable with that of the major road, while lead export from the local street is much higher, despite a 45-fold difference in traffic volume. The yield rating curve approach allows problematic environmental data to be presented in a simple yet meaningful manner with less information loss.     

Oil Contamination in Ogoniland, Niger Delta

The study shows extensive oil contamination of rivers, creeks, and ground waters in Ogoniland, Nigeria. The levels found in the more contaminated sites are high enough to cause severe impacts on the ecosystem and human health: extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPHs) (>10-C40) in surface waters up to 7420 μg L⁻¹, drinking water wells show up to 42 200 μg L⁻¹, and benzene up to 9000 μg L⁻¹, more than 900 times the WHO guidelines. EPH concentrations in sediments were up to 17 900 mg kg⁻¹. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations reached 8.0 mg kg⁻¹, in the most contaminated sites. The contamination has killed large areas of mangroves. Although the natural conditions for degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons are favorable with high temperatures and relatively high rainfall, the recovery of contaminated areas is prevented due to the chronic character of the contamination. Oil spills of varying magnitude originates from facilities and pipelines; leaks from aging, dilapidated, and abandoned infrastructure; and from spills during transport and artisanal refining of stolen oil under very primitive conditions.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-013-0412-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Speciation of Trace Metals in Coastal Sediments of El-Mex Bay South Mediterranean Sea–West of Alexandria (Egypt)

Sediments of El-Mex Bay estuary on the southern Mediterranean Sea have been analyzed for trace metals after sediment fractionation by sequential leaching. A sequential extraction procedure was applied to identify forms of Mn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn and Fe. The five steps of the sequential extraction procedure partitioned metals into: CH₃COONH₄ extractable (F1); NaOAC carbonate extractable (F2); NH₂OH.HCl/CH₃COOH reducible extractable (F3); H₂O₂–HNO₃ organic extractable (F4) and NHO₃/HClO₄/HF acid soluble residue (F5). Extracted concentrations of trace metals analyzed after all five steps, were found to be (μg/g) for Mn: 1930.2, Cu: 165.3, Cd: 60.9, Cr: 386.3, Zn: 2351.3 and Fe: 10895. Most of elements were found in reducible fraction except Fe found in acid soluble residue, characterizing stable compounds in sediments. Labile (non-residual) fractions of trace elements (sum of the first four fractions) were analyzed because they are more bioavailable than the residual amount. Correlation analysis was used to understand and visualize the associations between the labile fractions of trace metals and certain forms, since Fe-and Mn-oxides play an important role in trace metals sorption within aquatic systems, especially within El-Mex Bay sediments that characterized by varying metal bioavailability.     

中美两国选择不同时间开始减排二氧化碳的模拟研究

气候保护是一个国际性问题,气候保护政策的有效实施,离不开世界各国的共同努力.中国和美国作为世界上主要的两个碳排放大国,对世界气候保护进程具有重要的影响.本文通过建立一个多国气候保护宏观动态经济模拟系统,模拟中美两国在不同时期开始减排对世界主要国家经济和全球气候变化的影响.模拟发现,在研究中国减排进入时间的问题时,相对不减排情况,中国在讨论的五个情景里参与减排都会给中国的经济带来损失,而且越早参与减排,GDP损失的越多.世界其他国家都从中国的减排方案中获得了利益.和讨论的中国进入方案相似,美国实施减排政策与不实施减排政策相比,本国的累积GDP会损失,而世界其他国家累积GDP会增加.从对世界温度的影响来看,两国实施减排与不实施减排的影响程度较为接近.从对全球累积GDP的影响来看,美国的减排政策对全球GDP的影响要大于中国的减排政策对全球GDP的影晌.