Reed beds receiving industrial sludge containing nitroaromatic compounds

Goal, Scope and Background Sweden has prohibited the deposition of organic waste since January, 2005. Since 1 million tons of sludge is produced every year in Sweden and the capacity for incineration does not fill the demands, other methods of sludge management have to be introduced to a larger degree. One common method in the USA and parts of Europe is the use of wetlands to treat wastewater and sewage sludge. The capacity of reed beds to affect the toxicity of a complex mixture of nitroaromatics in sludge, however, is not fully elucidated. In this study, an industrial sludge containing explosives and pharmaceutical residues was therefore treated in artificial reed beds and the change in toxicity was studied. Nitroaromatic compounds, which are the main ingredients of many pharmaceuticals and explosives, are well known to cause cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Recently performed studies have also showed that embryos of zebrafish (Danio rerio) are sensitive to nitroaromatic compounds. Therefore, we tested the sludge passing through constructed wetlands in order to detect any changes in levels of embryotoxicity, genotoxicity and dioxin-like activity (AhR-agonists). We also compared unplanted and planted systems in order to examine the impact of the root system on the fate of the toxicants. Methods An industrial sludge containing a complex mixture of nitroaromatics was added daily to small-scale constructed wetlands (vertical flow), both unplanted and planted with Phragmites australis. Sludge with an average dry weight of 1.25%, was added with an average hydraulic loading rate of 1.2 L/day. Outgoing water was collected daily and stored at −20°C. The artificial wetland sediment was Soxhlet extracted, followed by clean-up with multi-layer silica, or extracted by ultrasonic treatment, yielding one organic extract and one water extract of the same sample. Genotoxicity of the extracts was measured according to the ISO protocol for the umu-C genotoxicity assay (ISO/TC 147/SC 5/WG9 N8), using Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 as test organism. Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity were studied using the fish egg assay with zebrafish (Danio rerio) and the dioxin-like activity was measured using the DR-CALUX assay. Chemical analyses of nitroaromatic compounds were performed using Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) and GC-MS. Results Organic extracts of the bed material showed toxic potential in all three toxicity tests after two years of sludge loading. There was a difference between the planted and the unplanted beds, where the toxicity of organic extracts overall was higher in the bed material from the planted beds. The higher toxicity of the planted beds could have been caused by the higher levels of total carbon in the planted beds, which binds organic toxicants, and by enrichment caused by lower volumes of outgoing water from the planted beds. Discussion Developmental disorders were observed in zebrafish exposed directly in contact to bed material from unplanted beds, but not in fish exposed to bed material from planted beds. Hatching rates were slightly lower in zebrafish exposed to outgoing water from unplanted beds than in embryos exposed to outgoing water from planted beds. Genotoxicity in the outgoing water was below detection limit for both planted and unplanted beds. Most of the added toxicants via the sludge were unaccounted for in the outgoing water, suggesting that the beds had toxicant removal potential, although the mechanisms behind this remain unknown. Conclusions During the experimental period, the beds received a sludge volume (dry weight) of around three times their own volume. In spite of this, the toxicity in the bed material was lower than in the sludge. Thus, the beds were probably able to actually decrease the toxicity of the added, sludge-associated toxicants. When testing the acetone extracts of the bed material, the planted bed showed a higher toxicity than the unplanted beds in all three toxicity tests. The toxicity of water extracts from the unplanted beds, detected by the fish egg assay, were higher than the water extracts from the planted beds. No genotoxicity was detected in outgoing water from either planted or unplanted beds. All this together indicates that the planted reed beds retained semi-lipophilic acetone-soluble toxic compounds from the sludge better than the unplanted beds, which tended to leak out more of the water soluble toxic compounds in the outgoing water. The compounds identified by SPME/GC in the outgoing water were not in sufficient concentrations to have caused induction in the genotoxicity test. Recommendations and Perspectives This study has pointed out the benefits of using constructed wetlands receiving an industrial sludge containing a complex mixture of nitroaromatics to reduce toxicity in the outgoing water. The water from planted, constructed wetlands could therefore be directed to a recipient without further cleaning. The bed material should be investigated over a longer period of time in order to evaluate potential accumulation and leakage prior to proper usage or storage. The plants should be investigated in order to examine uptake and possible release when the plant biomass is degraded. This article has been developed on the basis of a presentation given at the Annual meeting of SETAC Europe German Language Branch 2004 in Aachen. ESS-Submission Editor: Dr. Ludek Blaha (blaha@recetox.muni.cz)     

二氧化硫对大鼠肺泡巨噬细胞DNA的损伤作用

运用单细胞凝胶电泳技术(又称彗星实验)研究了SO2动式吸入对雄性Wistar大鼠肺泡巨噬细胞DNA的损伤作用。结果表明，在SO2浓度为28．6，57．3，114．4ms／m^3的动式吸入染毒条件下，雄性大鼠肺泡巨噬细胞DNA拖尾长度分别为7．59，12．39，21．22μm，表明SO2可引起大鼠肺泡巨噬细胞DNA损伤，且随SO2吸入浓度的增加而加剧，呈明确的剂量效应关系，这意味着SO2具有引起哺乳动物肺泡巨噬细胞DNA突变的潜在危险，会造成机体的非特异性吞噬功能和抗肿瘤免疫监视作用的损伤。     

新型淡水发光菌(Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.——Q67)应用于环境样品毒性测试的初步研究

研究表明，新型淡水发光菌（Ｖｉｂｒｉｏｑｉｎｇｈａｉｅｎｓｉｓｓｐ．———Ｑ６７）作为环境样品毒性检验的指标生物具有快速简便的优点．对重金属污染物毒性检验比以往Ｔ３发光菌具有更高的灵敏度，对鱼体进行的感染实验未发现明显病理改变．     

潮汐对江水致突变性的影响

对某潮汐河流从下游至上游共设A、B、C、D、E五个采样点,用Ames试验、双微核试验及单细胞凝胶电泳试验(彗星试验)检测涨潮和落潮时江水中有机污染物的致突变性.结果表明,Ames试验各采样点样品都有致突变性,且从上游至下游逐渐增强;对TA98加S9致突变性增加;双微核试验、彗星试验检测出染色体及DNA损伤剂,并以A点作用最强.涨潮时各点致突变强度较落潮时强.     

The chemical and biogenotoxic characterization of organic xenobiotics in aquatic sediment materials 1. The application and comparison of chemically non-specific and biogenotoxic methods

The aim of this work was to evaluate the Ames assay and mixed function oxidase (MFO)-Induct Test used in parallel with chemical group tests (ECD fingerprint and PAH estimation) for the characterization of the organic pollution of water sediment materials. Sediment materials were collected from “clean” and relatively heavily polluted locations in the Middle Adriatic Sea, and from some locations in continental Croatia polluted with wastewaters from different enterprises. Characterization of the organic extracts of the sediment materials investigated was performed chemically using UV spectrofluorometry for the determination polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and gas chromatography for the determination of volatile EC detector sensitive materials. Genotoxic analysis of the extracts was performed using the MFO-Induct Test and mutagenicity testing using the Standard Plate Incorporation Test as described by Maron and Ames with Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. Measurement of the BaPMO enzyme activity in the livers of carp treated i.p. with total extracts of the sediment investigated confirmed that the methanol extracts generally contained more inducing matter than the petroleum ether extracts. Ames assay showed that for all the samples following the elimination of the sulfur, there was an increase in the number of revertants in comparison to the control number, which indicates that the samples contained mutagenic substances. The larger doses of extracts generally demonstrated cytotoxicity, as evidenced by a reduced number of spontaneous revertants in the Salmonella/Microsome Test. Investigation of the correlation of the chemical parameters with the biological parameter showed that the induction of BaPMO exhibited a statistically significant correlation with the level of the ECD fingerprint of the petroleum ether sediment extract.     

蚯蚓体腔细胞彗星试验检测阿散酸在泥浆体系中降解前后的遗传毒性变化

配制不同浓度的阿散酸标准液,与某养猪场附近的表层土壤混合形成泥浆系统,放在摇床上连续培养30d.在第0、1、2、3、4周取出适量降解液,分别用分光光度法测定阿散酸的降解率;用彗星试验检测降解液对赤子爱胜蚓体腔细胞DNA的损伤.结果表明,阿散酸低浓度时在泥浆体系中能被较快降解,500mg/L的降解率达到了25%;蚯蚓体腔细胞彗星试验表明,所有降解液均具有遗传毒性,可导致蚯蚓体腔细胞DNA明显损伤,与对照相比具有显著性差异(P<0.05).图1表1参17     

11种取代酚类内分泌干扰活性的初步筛选与评价

通过聚蔗糖-泛影葡胺密度梯度离心法，从鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)外周血中分离出淋巴细胞，体外培养24h，用MTT法测试双酚类、联苯酚类、二酚类、烷基单酚类和取代酚类等几类可疑环境内分泌干扰物对淋巴细胞增殖的影响．结果表明，双酚类、联苯酚类和烷基单酚类物质对鲫鱼淋巴细胞的增殖具有低浓度促进，高浓度抑制的作用．二酚类物质对鲫鱼淋巴细胞的增殖具有促进作用．取代酚类对鲫鱼淋巴细胞的增殖无明显作用．该结果表明，此方法可以对环境内分泌干扰物进行初步筛选，同时发现环境内分泌干扰物对淋巴细胞增殖的效应与物质的化学结构具有一定相关性。     

环境蛋白组学及污染物分子毒性检测技术

环境蛋白组学是蛋白组学与环境科学交叉融合的新兴学科,研究污染环境与蛋白组之间的相互作用规律与检测技术方法.环境蛋白组学的发展,取决于双向凝胶电泳、质谱、蛋白质芯片和生物信息学等技术的完善与应用.综述环境蛋白组学的主流技术,介绍环境蛋白组学技术在污染物分子毒性检测中的应用,探索污染物与蛋白组之间的相互作用机理,是人体与环境健康科技发展的起步过程.     

鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)卵黄蛋白原的ELISA检测

采用Sephadex G-200柱层析从鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)成熟鱼卵中提取卵黄脂磷蛋白并制备抗卵黄脂磷蛋白抗血清.用DEAE-cellulose阴离子交换层析和Sephacryl S-300分子筛凝胶层析相结合的两步层析从经17b-雌二醇诱导的雌鱼血浆中提纯卵黄蛋白原.免疫印迹反应显示卵黄脂磷蛋白和卵黄蛋白原都与抗卵黄脂磷蛋白抗血清有特异的反应.以抗卵黄脂磷蛋白抗血清作为抗体,卵黄蛋白原作为竞争抗原建立了间接竞争法酶联免疫吸附反应(ELISA)方法来检测雄鱼血液中卵黄蛋白原含量.该方法可测的最低浓度为7.8ng/mL,工作范围为0.39~25mg/mL,批内和批间误差分别为6.5%和7.5%.