Assays of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and co-contaminated heavy metals in the transgenic Arabidopsis plants carrying the recombinant guinea pig aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated β-glucuronidase reporter gene expression system

The transgenic Arabidopsis plant XgD2V11-6 carrying the recombinant guinea pig (g) aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene expression system was examined for assay of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and co-contaminated heavy metals. When the transgenic Arabidopsis plants were treated with PCB126 (toxic equivalency factor; TEF: 0.1) and PCB169 (TEF: 0.03), the GUS activity of the whole plants was increased significantly. After treatment with PCB80 (TEF: 0), the GUS activity was nearly the same level as that treated with 0.1% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as a vehicle control. After exposure to a 1:1 mixture of PCB126 and PCB169, the GUS activity was increased additively. However, after exposure to a mixture of PCB126 and PCB80, the GUS activity was lower than that of the treatment with PCB126 alone. Thus, PCB80 seemed to be an antagonist towards AhR. When the transgenic plants were treated with each of the heavy metals Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb together with PCB126, Cd and Pb increased the PCB126-induced GUS activity. On the other hand, Fe, Cu and Zn did not affect the PCB126-induced GUS activity. In the presence of the biosurfactant mannosylerythritol lipid-B (MEL-B) and the carrier protein bovine serum albumin (BSA), the PCB126-induced GUS activity was increased, but the Cd-assisted PCB126-induced GUS activity was not affected. Thus, MEL-B and BSA seemed to increase uptake and transport of PCB126, respectively.     

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls in effluent from a large municipal wastewater treatment plant: Potential for bioremediation?

This study involved an evaluation of the potential for bioremediation of polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) in the effluent from a large municipal wastewater treatment plant. It was focused on the presence of PCBs in two types of effluents: the continuous effluent present during dry weather conditions and the intermittently present effluent that was present during wet weather due to incoming stormwater. The annual discharge of PCBs for both types of effluent was calculated based on a five-year dataset(2011–2015). In addition, the toxicity and bioremediation potential of the PCBs in the effluent were also assessed. It was found that the continuous effluent was responsible for the majority of the discharged PCB into the receiving river(1821 g for five years), while the intermittent effluent contributed 260 g over the five years.The average number of chlorine per biphenyl for the detected PCB congeners showed a 19%difference between the two types of effluent, which indicated a potential for organohalide respiration of PCBs during the continuous treatment. This was further supported by a high level of tri-, tetra-and penta-chlorinated congeners accounting for 75% of the anaerobically respired PCBs. Potential for aerobic degradation and thus biomineralization of PCBs was identified for both effluents. Furthermore, toxicity of 12 dioxin-like PCBs showed that normal operation of the wastewater reduced the toxicity throughout the wastewater treatment plant.     

可渗透反应墙对地下水中多氯联苯的处理

以还原铁粉、铸铁粉、铸铁粉与活性炭的混合物为可渗透反应墙(PRB)的主要反应介质,设计了三种反应体系,处理多氯联苯PCBs(1242)污染的地下水.在有效孔隙率为60%-65%,水力停留时间为12-14.4h的条件下,考察其对污染物的去除效果.结果显示:三个反应体系中,pH值从6.83分别升高到10.66,9.40和8.50;氧化还原电位从81mV分别降到-30mV,-18mV和12mV;PCBs(1242)的去除率分别为91.0%,93.9%,94.5%.     

甲醇溶液中多氯联苯的微波降解

采用微波降解多氯联苯，对影响多氯联苯降解率的反应温度、反应时间、搅拌方式、试剂加入量等因素进行了考察和优化，结果表明：在反应温度为50℃、反应时间为10min、充分搅拌的条件下，溶液中多氯联苯的降解率可达99．999％。经初步分析确定，多氯联苯的降解产物为无毒的烃类、碳、氯离子和水等物质。     

衡山大气中PCBs的浓度水平及来源分析

为研究我国高山地区大气中多氯联苯(PCBs)的含量情况,于2009年4月~5月在衡山气象站采集了气相及颗粒相样品.以气相色谱法测得该地区大气中7种指示性PCB(Indicator-PCBs)的平均浓度为180.51pg/m3,含量最多的为PCB52.与国外高山站点相比,衡山的PCBs含量处于较高水平.通过后推气流轨迹分析了气流来向对PCBs含量的影响,结果显示,来自北方的气流携带较多的PCBs.主因子分析的结果表明,该地区PCBs的来源可以归结为3类,分别为:国外的PCBs产品;焚烧炉排放、造纸漂白等工业生产过程以及国产的变压器油等PCBs产品;含PCBs的油漆添加剂等.     

多氯联苯暴露对食蚊鱼CYP19ɑ 和VTGɑ 基因的表达及骨骼形态雄性化的影响

应用食蚊鱼细胞色素P450芳香化酶基因(CYP19%)和卵黄蛋白原基因(VTG%)m RNA转录水平为指标,研究微量多氯联苯(PCBs)长时间暴露对成年雌性食蚊鱼CYP19%基因和VTG%基因表达的影响,并评价其对雌性食蚊鱼产生的形态雄性化效应。采用静水暴露实验模式,分别设置0.08、0.4、2和10μg·L-1PCBs浓度,并设置对照组和平行组,定量测定14 d和28 d性腺CYP19%和肝脏VTG%m RNA表达水平的变化,以及对椎体脉棘发育的影响。暴露实验结果显示:1各PCBs浓度组(0.08、0.4、2和10μg·L-1PCBs)暴露均能抑制食蚊鱼CYP19%和VTG基因的表达,表明PCBs对食蚊鱼VTG%基因的抑制远大于对食蚊鱼CYP19%基因的抑制;20.4μg·L-1PCBs暴露显著地降低了食蚊鱼第15椎体脉棘的长度并降低第15、16椎体脉棘的L/D值,显示食蚊鱼出现骨骼形态雄性化,表明一定浓度的PCBs暴露会表现出抗雌激素效应。     

多氯联苯污染土壤热脱附预处理过程干化及排放特性研究

利用桨叶式干化实验装置对多氯联苯(PCBs)污染土壤热脱附预处理过程的干化特性进行了研究,结果表明干化温度和搅拌速率的提高均有助于加速干化速率;水分的内部扩散是PCBs污染土壤干化速率的主要影响因素.文章还结合高分辨色谱/质谱联用仪研究了PCBs污染土壤预处理过程中多氯联苯的排放特性,结果显示干化温度升高会促进4氯代到7氯代联苯的释放,并且会增加气相PCBs毒性当量(TEQ) 以及PCBs总量排放百分率.考虑安全和干化效果,干化温度选择在200 ℃以下为宜.     

Volatile organic compounds at swine facilities: A critical review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are regulated aerial pollutants that have environmental and health concerns. Swine operations produce and emit a complex mixture of VOCs with a wide range of molecular weights and a variety of physicochemical properties. Significant progress has been made in this area since the first experiment on VOCs at a swine facility in the early 1960s. A total of 47 research institutions in 15 North American, European, and Asian countries contributed to an increasing number of scientific publications. Nearly half of the research papers were published by U.S. institutions.Investigated major VOC sources included air inside swine barns, in headspaces of manure storages and composts, in open atmosphere above swine wastewater, and surrounding swine farms. They also included liquid swine manure and wastewater, and dusts inside and outside swine barns. Most of the sample analyses have been focusing on identification of VOC compounds and their relationship with odors. More than 500 VOCs have been identified. About 60% and 10% of the studies contributed to the quantification of VOC concentrations and emissions, respectively. The largest numbers of VOC compounds with reported concentrations in a single experimental study were 82 in air, 36 in manure, and 34 in dust samples.The relatively abundant VOC compounds that were quantified in at least two independent studies included acetic acid, butanoic acid (butyric acid), dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, iso-valeric, p-cresol, propionic acid, skatole, trimethyl amine, and valeric acid in air. They included acetic acid, p-cresol, iso-butyric acid, butyric acid, indole, phenol, propionic acid, iso-valeric acid, and skatole in manure. In dust samples, they were acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, p-cresol, hexanal, and decanal. Swine facility VOCs were preferentially bound to smaller-size dusts.Identification and quantification of VOCs were restricted by using instruments based on gas Chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) with different detectors most of which require time-consuming procedures to obtain results. Various methodologies and technologies in sampling, sample preparation, and sample analysis have been used. Only four publications reported using GC based analyzers and PTR-MS (proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry) that allowed continuous VOC measurement. Because of this, the majority of experimental studies were only performed on limited numbers of air, manure, or dust samples. Many aerial VOCs had concentrations that were too low to be identified by the GC peaks.Although VOCs emitted from swine facilities have environmental concerns, only a few studies investigated VOC emission rates, which ranged from 3.0 to 176.5 mg d⁻¹ kg⁻¹ pig at swine finishing barns and from 2.3 to 45.2 g d⁻¹ m⁻² at manure storages. Similar to the other pollutants, spatial and temporal variations of aerial VOC concentrations and emissions existed and were significantly affected by manure management systems, barn structural designs, and ventilation rates.Scientific research in this area has been mainly driven by odor nuisance, instead of environment or health concerns. Compared with other aerial pollutants in animal agriculture, the current scientific knowledge about VOCs at swine facilities is still very limited and far from sufficient to develop reliable emission factors.     

Linking empirical estimates of body burden of environmental chemicals and wellness using NHANES data

Biomonitoring of industrial chemicals in human tissues and fluids has shown that all people carry a “body burden” of synthetic chemicals. Although measurement of an environmental chemical in a person's tissues/fluids is an indication of exposure, it does not necessarily mean the exposure concentration is sufficient to cause an adverse effect. Since humans are exposed to multiple chemicals, there may be a combination effect (e.g., additive, synergistic) associated with low-level exposures to multiple classes of contaminants, which may impact a variety of organ systems. The objective of this research is to link measures of body burden of environmental chemicals and a “holistic” measure of wellness. The approach is demonstrated using biomonitoring data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Forty-two chemicals were selected for analysis based on their detection levels. Six biological pathway-specific indices were evaluated using groups of chemicals associated with each pathway. Five of the six pathways were negatively associated with wellness. Three non-zero interaction terms were detected which may provide empirical evidence of crosstalk across pathways. The approach identified five of the 42 chemicals from a variety of classes (metals, pesticides, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) as accounting for 71% of the weight linking body burden to wellness. Significant interactions were detected indicating the effect of smoking is exacerbated by body burden of environmental chemicals. Use of a holistic index on both sides of the exposure-health equation is a novel and promising empirical “systems biology” approach to risk evaluation of complex environmental exposures.     

TiO_2膜光催化降解4,4’-二溴联苯的研究

研究了负载于玻璃上的同定化催化剂TiO2膜光催化降解水中4,4'-二溴联苯(4,4'-DBB)的效果,考察了溶液pH值和4,4'-DBB初始浓度等对TiO2膜光催化降解4,4'-DBB的影响,探讨了降解机理.结果表明.TiO2膜光催化降解水中4,4'-DBB的效果良好,紫外光照射8 b,初始浓度为4 mg/L的4,4'-DBB的降解率高达94%,降解速率随着4,4'-DBB初始浓度的增大而下降.在溶液pH=1时,4,4'-DBB的降解效率最高.超声的加入使降解反应的速率加快.经拟合发现4,4'-DBB的降解符合拟一级反应规律,并推导出动力学方程.