BIOAVAILABILITY OF CALCIUM FROM SWEETPOTATO AND SOY FLOUR SUPPLEMENTED DIETS IN HAMSTERS

The bioavailability of calcium from two varieties of sweetpotatoes and supplementation of sweetpotatoes with soy flour was investigated in hamsters using plasma calcium concentration and femur calcium content as indicators. Five different diets were fed to five groups of animals for 28 days. There was no significant difference in plasma calcium concentrations of hamsters in all the diet groups. However, the femur calcium content of hamsters with transgenic sweetpotato flour (TSPF) and parent nontransgenic (from which transgenic was produced) sweetpotato flour (NTSPF) diets was significantly higher than that of the transgenic sweetotato flour supplemented with soy flour (TSPF+SF) and parent nontransgenic sweetpotato flour supplemented with soy flour (NTSPF+SF) diets. The relative bioavailability of calcium from the control (100%), TSPF+SF (30%), NTSPF+SF (23%), TSPF (57%) and NTSPF (46%) indicated that sweetpotatoes could be the better source of calcium, however, supplementation with soy flour might reduce the bioavailability of calcium.     

有机污染胁迫对人工湿地中浮萍抗氧化系统的影响

湿地植物在处理高负荷有机废水时会受到不同程度的氧化胁迫。本研究基于对浮萍的有机污染胁迫模拟系统,通过对浮萍脂质过氧化和抗氧化防御系统的监测与分析,研究了浮萍对有机污染胁迫的耐受能力及胁迫去除后浮萍的恢复规律。结果表明,浮萍对有机污染胁迫具有较高的耐受性,在胁迫去除后,具有一定的恢复能力。在COD小于400mg/L时,浮萍并未受到氧化胁迫;当COD达到800 mg/L时,浮萍体内ROS含量上升,细胞膜脂过氧化加剧,但抗氧化酶活性升高,抗氧化物质含量增加,浮萍可保持生长,胁迫去除后,抗氧化防御系统可恢复到对照水平;当COD过高（≥1 000mg/L）,ROS急剧上升,抗氧化防御系统遭受破坏,造成不可逆伤害,胁迫去除后不能恢复正常生长。     

Polarity effect of pulsed corona discharge for the oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury

The effect of polarity on the oxidation of Hg⁰ was examined in the presence of O₂ via a pulsed corona discharge (PCD). The experimental result showed no difference in the energy yield of Hg⁰ oxidation at both positive and negative PCDs (∼8 μg Hg W h⁻¹ at following conditions: total flow rate = 2 L min⁻¹ (Hg⁰ = 50 μg N m⁻³, O₂ = 10%, and N₂ balance), temperature = 150 °C, and specific energy density = 5-15 W h N m⁻³). This suggests that the positive PCD process used to control gaseous air pollutants may play an essential key role in Hg⁰ oxidation because it consumes enough energy (∼15 W h N m⁻³) but an electrical precipitator could not because it consumes less energy (∼0.3 W h N m⁻³) to oxidize Hg⁰.     

Effects of compositional heterogeneity and nanoporosity of raw and treated biomass-generated soot on adsorption and absorption of organic contaminants

A biomass-generated soot was sequentially treated by HCl-HF solution, organic solvent, and oxidative acid to remove ash, extractable native organic matter (EOM), and amorphous carbon. The compositional heterogeneity and nano-structure of the untreated and treated soot samples were characterized by elemental analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, BET-N₂ surface area, and electron microscopic analysis. Sorption properties of polar and nonpolar organic pollutants onto the soot samples were compared, and individual contributions of adsorption and absorption were quantified. The sorption isotherms for raw sample were practically linear, while were nonlinear for the pretreated-soot. The removal of EOM enhanced adsorption and reduced absorption, indicating that EOM served as a partitioning phase and simultaneously masked the adsorptive sites. By drastic-oxidation, the outer amorphous carbon and the inner disordered core of the soot particles were completely removed, and a fullerene-like nanoporous structure (aromatic shell) was created, which promoted additional π-π interaction between phenanthrene and the soot.     

Acetylcholinesterase activity in the terrestrial snail Xeropicta derbentina transplanted in apple orchards with different pesticide management strategies

Apple orchards are highly manipulated crops in which large amounts of pesticides are used. Some of these pesticides lack target specificity and can cause adverse effects in non-target organisms. In order to evaluate the environmental risk of these products, the use of transplanted sentinel organisms avoids side-effects from past events and facilitate comparison of multiple sites in a short time. We released specimens of the terrestrial snail Xeropicta derbentina in each 5 of two kinds of apple orchards with either conventional or organic management strategies plus in a single abandoned orchard. After one month, individuals were retrieved in order to measure acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Mean values of AChE activity were significantly reduced in all conventional apple orchards compared to the others. Results show that the measurement of biomarkers such as AChE inhibition in transplated X. derbentina could be useful in the environmental risk assessment of post-authorized pesticides.     

Variability of dust iron solubility in atmospheric waters: Investigation of the role of oxalate organic complexation

Atmospheric dust deposition is a major external iron source for remote surface ocean waters. Organic complexation is known to play a role in the dissolution of iron-containing minerals. In this paper, we present our study on the effect of oxalate on dust iron solubility in simulated rainwater. Our results reveal that the solubility of iron carried by analogs of different African dusts varies with the dust source. Our experiments indicate a positive linear correlation between iron solubility and oxalate concentration. Soluble iron (SFe) increases from 0.0025(±0.0005)% to 0.26(±0.01)% of total iron, considering all dust sources and with oxalate concentrations ranging from 0 to 8 μM. These results show that the observed variability of iron solubility in aerosols collected over the Atlantic Ocean is, at least partly, due to an increase in dust iron solubility, with the presence of oxalate complexation, rather than to the presence of more soluble anthropogenic iron. Considering the mineralogical composition of those particles, experiments with pure minerals (hematite, goethite and illite) were performed to study the dissolution process. We found that oxalate promotes the solubility of iron contained in clay and hence confirmed that more than 95% of SFe from soil dust is provided by clay (illite). This experimental work enables us to establish a parameterization of iron solubility in dust as a function of oxalate concentration and based on the individual iron solubility of pure iron-bearing minerals usually present in dust particles. Finally, our results emphasize that oxalate contributes to iron solubility on the same order of magnitude as the acid processes. Organic complexation appears to be a process that increases iron solubility and likely enhances the bioavailability of iron from dust.     

服务江苏环保,投身污染减排——论省环科院在江苏省污染减排中的作用

文中从江苏省环科院的职能出发,阐述了省环科院在江苏省污染减排工作中的地位和作用,指出省环科院应在污染减排工作中做出更大贡献。     

基于博弈论的非点源污染控制模型探讨

随着对工业和城市生活污水等点源污染治理能力的不断增强,农业非点源污染对水质环境的影响日益凸现.相对于点源污染,非点源污染发生的不确定时间、不确定途径、不确定量等特点给治理政策的制定带来很大难度.本文从著名的公地悲剧现象出发,着力从市场博弈及政府监督博弈两个模型分析非点源污染制造者之间的博弈格局,并提出以“集体表现”的形式对非点源污染进行管理和控制.市场博弈模型中以一定的排污削减目标为前提,确定以成本最优的原则进行点源-非点源排污权交易是可行且有效率的;而政府监督博弈模型的结果显示:合理的环境补贴和惩罚机制、政府对自身声誉及公众形象的重视及维护对非点源污染治理起正向促进作用.     

Impacts of Upstream Building Width and Upwind Building Arrangements on Airflow and Pollutant Dispersion in a Street Canyon

A two-dimensional numerical model for evaluating the wind flow and pollutant dispersion within a street canyon was first developed using the FLUENT code, which was then validated against a wind tunnel experiment. Then, the effects of the upstream building width and upwind building arrangement on the airflow and pollutant dispersion inside an isolated street canyon were investigated numerically. The numerical results revealed that: (1) the in-canyon vortex center shifts downwards as the upstream building width increases; (2) the recirculation zone covers the entire upstream building roof for the cases when W/H = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 (W is the upstream building width and H is the building height), whereas the flow reattaches the upstream building roof for the cases when W/H = 2.5 and 3.0; (3) when the upstream building width is shorter than the critical width W_C (= 2H), an increase in the upstream building width leads to an increase in the pollution level on the leeward wall of the canyon and a decrease in the roof-level concentrations at the upstream building; (4) when the upstream building width is longer than the critical width, the roof-level concentrations at the upstream building are negligibly small and the pollution level on the leeward wall of the canyon is almost unaffected by a further increase in the upstream building width; (5) when the buildings are placed upwind of the canyon, the flow attaches the upstream building roof and, therefore, almost none of the pollutants are distributed on the upstream building roof; and (6) the pollution levels inside the canyon and on the downstream building roof increase significantly with the number of upwind buildings.