Physicochemical substance properties as indicators for unreliable exposure in microplate-based bioassays

In the last years many efforts were made to transform standardized algal test protocols into low-cost microplate assays. While advantages were pointed out frequently, limitations are not systematically addressed, thus hindering a widespread utilisation. In this study a group of organic substances with a wide distribution of volatility (log K_AW from −6.53 to −2.13) and lipophilicity (log K_OW from 1.26 to 4.92) was investigated with respect to the influence of these physicochemical properties on their algal toxicity in different assays. Therefore the EC₅₀ values were determined with a microplate assay based on ISO 8692 protocol and the results were compared with those of an established algal growth inhibition test conducted in air tight glass vessels. Using the ratio of the EC₅₀ values, a clear connection between biological response and volatility as well as lipophilicity of test substances could be detected. Chemicals with a log K_OW higher than 3 or a Henry coefficient log K_AW higher than −4 were identified as less effective in the microplate assay than in the comparative assay. The loss in nominal concentration due to physicochemical properties could be shown to contribute to this using HPLC analysis. Consequently, when using microplate assay’s one should be aware that lipophilic and volatile chemicals might be underestimated in their toxicity, which could be indicated from evaluating related physicochemical properties modelled from structural information prior to an experimental investigation.     

电厂循环冷却水处理方案试验

实验研究了阻垢剂HEDP、EDTMPS、PBTCA、DTPMPA、ATMP、PAPEMP在电厂循环水中的应用.通过实验筛选出具有良好处理功效的复合配方:ATMP6mg/L、DTPMPA 4 mg/L、PBTCA 3 mg/L,相应的阻垢率达到92.42%.该复合配方在阻垢性能方面存在协同效应,使得复配处理剂具有良好的阻垢效果.     

Spectral tests of randomness for spatial point patterns

We develop a spectral framework for testing the hypothesis of complete spatial randomness (CSR) for a spatial point pattern. Five formal tests based on the periodogram (sample spectrum) proposed in Mugglestone (1990) are considered. A simulation study is used to evaluate and compare the power of the tests against clustered, regular and inhomogeneous alternatives to CSR. A subset of the tests is shown to be uniformly more powerful than the others against the alternatives considered. The spectral tests are also compared with three widely used space-domain tests that are based on the mean nearest-neighbor distance, the reduced second-order moment function (K-function), and a bivariate Cramér-von Mises statistic. The test based on the scaled cumulative R-spectrum is more powerful than the space-domain tests for detecting clustered alternatives to CSR, especially when the number of events is small.     

挺水植物化感作用抑制藻类生长的机理与应用

根据国内外挺水植物化感作用抑制藻类的研究,对菖蒲等15科20种挺水植物化感抑制水华鱼腥藻等18种水华藻类的作用予以评述;归纳了挺水植物化感作用在影响藻细胞亚显微结构、酶体系活性、呼吸作用、光合作用、细胞膜和细胞内小分子物质的含量等6方面的抑制藻类生长的机理;对移植栽种植物共培养、从植物中提取化感物质和直接施加化感物质等3种类型抑制藻类的应用方式进行概述;结合当前中国水华频发、抑藻和除藻任务繁重的现状,指出存在的主要问题并提出今后研究和应用化感作用抑制藻类的展望。     

自催化法合成聚天冬氨酸

以马来酸酐和乙酸铵为原料,在微波条件下用自催化法合成了聚天冬氨酸（PASP）。通过正交实验确定了最佳合成条件：n（乙酸铵）：n（马来酸酐）=1．2,微波功率为1200W,反应时间为10min。在最佳合成条件下,PASP的收率为91．6％,PASP的黏均相对分子质量约为1．5×10^4。经红外光谱表征和核磁共振氢谱测试结果表明,PASP的各种主要官能团表现明显。当Ca^2＋质量浓度为250mg／L、PASP加入量为3mg／L时,PASP的阻垢率达到95％,表明PASP具有较好的阻垢性能。     

Characterization of the toxic effects of cadmium and 3.5-dichlorophenol on nitrifying activity and mortality in biologically activated sludge systems—effect of low temperature

Background, aims, and scope  Sometimes, urban wastewaters convey a more or less significant part of toxic products from industries or the craft industry. Nitrifying activity can be affected by these substances, implying higher ammonia concentrations in the outlet effluent and contributing to toxicity for the aquatic environment. Moreover, the more stringently treated wastewater standards now require a reliable treatment for nitrogen. One of the key issues is the identification of the inhibition behavior of nitrifying bacteria facing a toxic substance. This new understanding could then finally be integrated into models in order to represent and to optimize wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) operation in cases involving ‘toxic scenarios’. Materials and methods  The toxic substances studied in this work, cadmium and 3.5-dichlorophenol (3.5-DCP), are representative of chemical substances commonly found in municipal sewage and industrial effluents and symbolize two different contaminant groups. The effects of Cd and 3.5-DCP on nitrification kinetics have been investigated using respirometry techniques. Results  IC50 values determination gives concentrations of 3.1 mg/L for 3.5-DCP and 45.8 mg/L for Cd at 21 ± 1°C. The variation to low temperature seems to have no real effect on IC50 for DCP, but induces a decrease of cadmium IC50 to 27.5 mg/L at 14°C. Finally, specific respirometric tests have been carried out in order to determine the potential effect of these toxic substances on the nitrifying decay rate b _a . No significant effect has been noticed for Cd, whereas the presence of 3.5-DCP (at IC50 concentration) induced a dramatic increase of b _a at 20°C. The same behavior has been confirmed by experiments performed in winter periods with a sludge temperature around 12°C. Discussion  The target substances have different modes of action on activity and mortality, notably due to the abilities of the contaminant to be precipitated, accumulated, or even to be progressively degraded. Studies realized at low temperature confirmed this assumption, and put in evidence the effect of temperature on toxic substances capable of being biosorbed. However, the change in the sludge sample characteristics can be pointed out as a problem in the investigation of the temperature effect on nitrification inhibition, as biosorption, bioaccumulation, and predation are directly linked to the sludge characteristics (VSS concentration, temperature) and the plant operating conditions (loading rates, sludge age, etc.). Conclusions  This work brings new understandings concerning the action mode of these specific contaminants on nitrifying bacteria and, in particular, on the role of temperature. The experiments lead to the determination of the IC50 values for both toxic substances on biological nitrification. The inhibition mechanisms of Cd and 3.5-DCP on nitrifying activity have been simply represented by a non-competitive inhibition model. Recommendations and perspectives  Other experiments carried out in a continuous lab-scale pilot plant should be done with a proper control of the operating conditions and of the sludge characteristics in order to better understand the mechanisms of nitrification inhibition for each contaminant. Finally, these first results show that toxic substances can have an effect on the growth rate but also on the decay rate, depending on the characteristics of the toxic substance and the sludge. This eventual double effect would imply different strategies of WWTP operation according to the behavior of the contaminant on the bacteria.     

不同状态下包气带除氮及阻止氮污染能力的实验研究

通过土柱模拟实验方法对包气带三种状态下，即天然自净、分别向包气带介质中注入营养以及人工培殖的高效脱氮菌，阻止氮污染及除氮能力进行了研究与评价。结果发现向包气带介质中注入人工培殖的高效脱氮菌这种状态具有很强的除氮和阻止氮污染的能力，进而给出了该种状态下细菌脱氮反应动力学模型。为实施利用包气带进行污水除氮和控制面源氮源污提供了科学依据。     

石化厂皂化废水的厌氧处理

石化厂以氯醇法生产环氧乙烷过程中排出的皂化废水有机物含量高、含盐量高,并呈强碱性.废水中的物质对厌氧微生物产生强烈的抑制.本工艺通过预处理,减轻了抑制程度.采用厌氧工艺作为主要处理工艺,在水力停留时间≥4天,有机容积负荷COD_(Cr)小于2.0kg/m~3·d的条件下,取得了较好的厌氧处理效果.补充好氧接触氧化法作后处理,出水水质满足排放要求.     

生物降解三氯乙烯的研究及其进展

三氯乙烯（ＴＣＥ）的大规模使用，已使其成为地表水、地下水中分布最广泛的污染物之一。ＴＣＥ在环境中具有持久性，对生物的毒作用很强并具有致癌性，引起各国的普遍重视。该文综述了近年来生物降解转化ＴＣＥ的研究及其进展，由于ＴＣＥ生物降解过程中共代谢物的竞争性抑制和ＴＣＥ代谢毒性，使ＴＣＥ的降解受到很大限制，但通过创造和保持适当的环境条件，可ＴＣＥ降解取得很好的效果。     

遮光法控藻的中试研究

进行了遮光法控制富营养化水池中藻类的中试研究.结果显示,9d试验后,叶绿素a浓度、COD、浊度、DO分别由遮光前的130.5p,g·L-1、30.9mg.L-1、20.0NTU、12.0mg·L-1下降至处理后的24.8ttg·L-1、1.7mg·L-1、5.4NTU、3.1mg·L-1,TP、TN浓度则变化不明显.表明遮光处理能够在营养盐浓度变化不大的状况下大幅度削减藻类生物量;遮光ld后,105cm处的叶绿素a浓度、COD、浊度都较水面表层浓度高,显示遮光之后藻类出现了沉降的现象;遮光2d后.水深30cm以下的净生产量都为负值,显示遮光显著抑制了藻类的光合产氧速率,并促使藻类消亡.