Mercury accumulation in soils and plants in the Almadén mining district, Spain: one of the most contaminated sites on Earth

Although mercury (Hg) mining in the Almadén district ceased in May 2002, the consequences of 2000 years of mining in the district has resulted in the dissemination of Hg into the surrounding environment where it poses an evident risk to biota and human health. This risk needs to be properly evaluated. The uptake of Hg has been found to be plant-specific. To establish the different manners in which plants absorb Hg, we carried out a survey of Hg levels in the soils and plants in the most representative habitats of this Mediterranean area and found that the Hg concentrations varied greatly and were dependent on the sample being tested (0.13–2,695 μg g⁻¹ Hg). For example, the root samples had concentrations ranging from 0.06 (Oenanthe crocata, Rumex induratus) to 1095 (Polypogon monspeliensis) μg g⁻¹ Hg, while in the leaf samples, the range was from 0.16 (Cyperus longus) to 1278 (Polypogon monspeliensis) μg g⁻¹ Hg. There are four well-differentiated patterns of Hg uptake: (1) the rate of uptake is constant, independent of Hg concentration in the soil (e.g., Pistacia lentiscus, Quercus rotundifolia); (2) after an initial linear relationship between uptake and soil concentration, no further increase in Hg_plant is observed (e.g., Asparagus acutifolius, Cistus ladanifer); (3) no increase in uptake is recorded until a threshold is surpassed, and thereafter a linear relationship between Hg_plant and Hg_soil is established (e.g., Rumex bucephalophorus, Cistus crispus); (4) there is no relationship between Hg_plant and Hg_soil (e.g., Oenanthe crocata and Cistus monspeliensis). Overall, the Hg concentrations found in plants from the Almadén district clearly reflect the importance of contamination processes throughout the study region.     

单壁纳米碳管对大鼠主动脉内皮细胞损伤作用的研究

为了探索单壁纳米碳管(SWCNT)能否引起血管内皮细胞损伤及其可能的损伤机制,将大鼠主动脉血管内皮细胞暴露于不同浓度的SWCNT水溶液中(0.8、1.6、3.12、6.25、12.5、25、50、100、200μg·mL-1)中染毒,染毒不同时间后测定细胞存活率、细胞内LDH和GSH含量并进行综合分析.结果表明,随着SWCNT染毒浓度和染毒时间的上升,大鼠主动脉血管内皮细胞存活率逐渐下降,死亡率逐渐上升;细胞内LDH在SWCNT染毒浓度为0￣100μg·mL-1范围内其释放随染毒剂量的增加而逐渐上升,在200μg·mL-1剂量组,其释放有所减弱;而细胞内GSH在SWCNT染毒浓度为0￣200μg·mL-1范围内其含量随染毒剂量的增加而逐渐下降.以上结果说明,SWCNT可致血管内皮细胞损伤,其机制可能为氧化损伤途径.     

条带开采下沉系数计算与优化设计的神经网络模型

在综合分析条带开采地表下沉系数影响因素的基础上,采用神经网络方法建立了条带开采地表下沉系数的计算模型。模型以国内外成功的条带开采实例为学习训练样本和测试样本,对模型的计算结果与实测值进行了对比分析,分析结果表明,该模型的计算值更接近于实测值。在上述研究的基础上,在给定条带开采采出率的条件下,以条带开采的地表下沉系数最小为原则,运用该模型实现了对条带开采尺寸的优化设计。该研究的成果,为条带开采地表下沉系数的理论计算及条带开采尺寸的优化设计探索出了一种新的方法。     

低剂量镉诱导细胞氧化损伤的机理研究

镉是一种有毒重金属,能诱导酿酒酵母的氧化损伤.为了研究低剂量镉诱导细胞氧化损伤的作用,通过有葡萄糖和无葡萄糖的酵母培养基,用浓度2 μmol/L和10 μmol/L的CdCl2染毒酿酒酵母10 h后,统计酿酒酵母细胞的存活率,并用HPLC-EC法测定酿酒酵母线粒体DNA中8-OH-dG/105dG比值.结果表明:无葡萄糖条件下,10μmol/L的CdCl2染毒时酿酒酵母对Cd2 的耐受性比有葡萄糖时明显高(P＜0.01),而且线粒体DNA氧化损伤程度也明显低(P＜0 01);但2 μmol/L的CdCl2染毒时,酿酒酵母对Cd2 的耐受性和线粒体DNA氧化损伤程度与有葡萄糖条件下相比差异不显著(P＞0.05).因此,本文认为低浓度Cr主要对酿酒酵母细胞质中蛋白造成氧化损伤,浓度升高时则对线粒体DNA也产生氧化损伤.     

镉引起蚕豆(Vicia faba)叶片DNA损伤和细胞凋亡研究

以蚕豆为研究对象,采用碱性、半碱性和中性彗星实验方法研究Cd对植物DNA的损伤,同时还采用DAPI染色法从细胞形态学入手研究Cd诱导的蚕豆叶片的细胞凋亡.用3种彗星实验研究Cd处理蚕豆叶片DNA损伤,结果表明Cd能够引起蚕豆叶片DNA损伤,但是不同Cd浓度引起DNA损伤的种类不同:5mg·L^-1Cd处理主要引起单链DNA损伤和碱性不稳定位点的形成;10mg·L^-1Cd处理时开始检测到DNA双链断裂;20mg·L^-1Cd处理下,各种类型的DNA损伤均明显增加,且DNA双链断裂尤其明显.DAPI染色法通过细胞形态学变化来检测蚕豆叶片细胞凋亡的结果表明,蚕豆叶片细胞在Cd处理下发生凋亡的过程与DNA损伤过程有很大的相关性.结果表明,Cd是一种基因毒性物质,同时证明Cd引起的DNA损伤是引起细胞发生凋亡的机制之一.     

广州市酸沉降对材料破坏的经济损失估算

大气中的酸性物质对材料的破坏是酸沉降经济损失中的重要部分。简要说明了材料损失的计算方法,并以2001年为基准年,选择了广州市作为代表性城市,运用材料损伤函数和材料使用寿命公式对建筑材料及自行车的经济损失进行了估算,使酸沉降的破坏作用达到定量化。     

Quantifying progress toward a conservation assessment for all plants

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) set an ambitious target to achieve a conservation assessment for all known plant species by 2020. We consolidated digitally available plant conservation assessments and reconciled their scientific names and assessment status to predefined standards to provide a quantitative measure of progress toward this target. The 241,919 plant conservation assessments generated represent 111,824 accepted land plant species (vascular plants and bryophytes, not algae). At least 73,081 and up to 90,321 species have been assessed at the global scale, representing 21–26% of known plant species. Of these plant species, at least 27,148 and up to 32,542 are threatened. Eighty plant families, including some of the largest, such as Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, and Rubiaceae, are underassessed and should be the focus of assessment effort if the GSPC target is to be met by 2020. Our data set is accessible online (ThreatSearch) and is a baseline that can be used to directly support other GSPC targets and plant conservation action. Although around one‐quarter of a million plant assessments have been compiled, the majority of plants are still unassessed. The challenge now is to build on this progress and redouble efforts to document conservation status of unassessed plants to better inform conservation decisions and conserve the most threatened species.     

Monitoring of environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a large group of organic compounds with two or more fused aromatic rings. They have a relatively low solubility in water, but are highly lipophilic. Most of the PAHs with low vapour pressure in the air are adsorbed on particles. When dissolved in water or adsorbed on particulate matter, PAHs can undergo photodecomposition when exposed to ultraviolet light from solar radiation. In the atmosphere, PAHs can react with pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, yielding diones, nitro- and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfonic acids, respectively. PAHs may also be degraded by some microorganisms in the soil. PAHs are widespread environmental contaminants resulting from incomplete combustion of organic materials. The occurrence is largely a result of anthropogenic emissions such as fossil fuel-burning, motor vehicle, waste incinerator, oil refining, coke and asphalt production, and aluminum production, etc. PAHs have received increased attention in recent years in air pollution studies because some of these compounds are highly carcinogenic or mutagenic. Eight PAHs (Car-PAHs) typically considered as possible carcinogens are: benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene and benzo(g,h,i)perylene. In particular, benzo(a)pyrene has been identified as being highly carcinogenic. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated 16 unsubstituted PAHs (EPA-PAH) as priority pollutants. Thus, exposure assessments of PAHs in the developing world are important. The scope of this review will be to give an overview of PAH concentrations in various environmental samples and to discuss the advantages and limitations of applying these parameters in the assessment of environmental risks in ecosystems and human health. As it well known, there is an increasing trend to use the behavior of pollutants (i.e. bioaccumulation) as well as pollution-induced biological and biochemical effects on human organisms to evaluate or predict the impact of chemicals on ecosystems. Emphasis in this review will, therefore, be placed on the use of bioaccumulation and biomarker responses in air, soil, water and food, as monitoring tools for the assessment of the risks and hazards of PAH concentrations for the ecosystem, as well as on its limitations.     

Damage to Cauliflower Coral by Monofilament Fishing Lines in Hawaii

Abstract:  Many fishing methods and gear types used in coral reefs cause physical damage to the reef substratum. Only recently have monofilament fishing lines been recognized as a cause of coral damage and death. We assessed the extent of damage caused by monofilament fishing lines to the cauliflower coral (  Pocillopora meandrina ) colonies in fished and adjacent unfished zones at seven sites in the main Hawaiian islands. We examined coral colonies for the presence or absence of fishing line and for the degree of damage (dead, no live coral surface; damaged, some dead coral surface; or intact, no dead coral surface) in nine 25-m² grids. The mean proportion of colonies entangled with fishing lines in fished zones ranged from 0.18 to 0.44. The mean proportion of dead or damaged colonies was higher in fished than adjacent unfished zones, and there was a positive linear relationship between the proportion of colonies entangled with fishing lines and the proportion of dead or damaged colonies. These results indicate that monofilament fishing lines have a negative impact on the health and survival of P. meandrina colonies. Because tourism and related recreational fishing activities are expanding rapidly in many tropical states and nations, we recommend that the degrading effects of fishing lines on corals be considered in the design and management of tourism development.     

SO2衍生物对蚕豆根尖细胞不同分裂阶段的遗传损伤

研究SO2体内衍生物-亚硫酸钠和亚硫酸氢钠混合液[c(Na2SO3):c(NaHSO3)=3:1]对蚕豆根尖细胞不同分裂时期的遗传损伤效应；结果表明：SO2衍生物（c=0.17-15.0mmolL^-1)诱发蚕豆根尖细胞遗传损伤在细胞分裂的不同阶段有不同的表现形式。间期异常主要是微核和核芽，分裂期异常包括微核，染色体断片，粘连及滞后等，研究结果表明：SO2衍生物处理组蚕豆根尖中，间期微核细胞数，分裂期具有染色体断裂，粘连或滞后的细胞数均明显多于对照组，而且易于观察分析，可以作为环境监测指标。