Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: Monitoring metal content and toxicity of soil runoff and groundwater

The aim of the present work is the assessment of metal toxicity in runoff, in their contaminated soils and in the groundwater sampled from two mining areas in the region of Marrakech using a microbial bioassay MetPLATE™. This bioassay is based on the specific inhibition of the β-galactosidase enzyme of a mutant strain of Escherichia coli, by the metallic pollutants. The stream waters from all sampling stations in the two mines were all very toxic and displayed percent enzyme inhibition exceeding 87% except SWA₄ and SWB₁ stations in mine C. Their high concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) confirm the acute toxicity shown by MetPLATE. The pH of stream waters from mine B and C varied between 2.1 and 6.2 and was probably responsible for metal mobilization, suggesting a problem of acid mine drainage in these mining areas. The bioassay MetPLATE™ was also applied to mine tailings and to soils contaminated by the acidic waters. The results show that the high toxicity of these soils and tailings was mainly due to the relatively concentration of soluble Zn and Cu. The use of MetPLATE™ in groundwater toxicity testing shows that, most of the samples exhibited low metal toxicity (2.7–45.5% inhibition) except GW3 of the mine B (95.3% inhibition during the wet season and 82.9% inhibition during the dry season). This high toxicity is attributed to the higher than usual concentrations of Cu (189 μg Cu l⁻¹) and Zn (1505 μg Zn l⁻¹). These results show the potential risk of the contamination of different ecosystems situated to the vicinity of these two metalliferous sites. The general trend observed was an increase in metal toxicity measured by the MetPLATE with increasing total and mobile metal concentrations in the studied matrices. Therefore, the MetPLATE bioassay is a reliable and fast bioassay to estimate the metals toxicity in the aquatic and solids samples.     

Health risks of residential wood heat

The resurgence in the use of wood in the United States for residential heating has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in deaths and injuries from residential fires. Toxic materials present in woodsmoke also appear to present a significant public health hazard. As a result of these factors, production of residential wood heat can be up to two orders of magnitude more hazardous than generation of an equivalent amount of electric energy at a coal-fired power plant. Proper care in installation and operation of wood stoves, as well as technological innovations that control wood-stove emissions, can greatly reduce the health and safety hazards of residential heating with wood.     

Challenges in assessing the toxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to marine organisms: a case study on the acute toxicity of pyrene to the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.)

The acute toxicity (96 h) of pyrene (PY) to European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax) juveniles assessed in a semi-static bioassay (SSB) with medium renewal at each 12 h, and in a static bioassay (SB) without medium renewal was compared in laboratorial conditions (water PY concentrations: 0.07-10 mg L⁻¹). Main findings in the SSB that assessed mainly the toxicity of PY and its metabolites were: increased levels of bile PY metabolites in good agreement with the profile of lipid peroxidation levels (LPO) in exposed fish relating PY exposure and oxidative damage; increased levels of PY-type compounds in the brain indicating their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier; increased levels of these substances in liver and muscle which are edible tissues for humans thus raising concern on potential adverse effects on consumers of fish from PY contaminated areas; a significant inhibition of glutathione S-transferase activity suggesting its involvement in PY detoxication as toxicant scavenger; finally, an almost complete impairment of the swimming velocity at all the PY concentrations linking sub-individual to higher population level effects. In the SB, where the overall toxicity of PY, its metabolites and environmental degradation products was evaluated, 19% and 79% of PY decay in test media was found at 12 and 96 h, respectively. In general, the effects were similar to those of SSB but with significant effects being induced at higher PY concentrations indicating that the parental compound is more toxic than its environmental degradation products. The other main differences relatively to the SSB were: increased levels of PY-type substances in the liver suggesting more accumulation in this organ. Therefore, these findings highlight the need of carefully considering experimental design options when assessing the toxicity of readily degradable substances to marine fish, and stress the importance of taking into consideration the toxicity of environmental degradation products in addition to toxic effects of the parental substance and its metabolites for marine ecological risk assessment.     

底泥中重金属毒性的室内孔隙水分析技术

根据孔隙水中重金属的浓度可以判定底泥中重金属的毒性但获得真正的底泥孔隙水十分困难。本文提供了一套简便易行的室内原状孔隙水取样技术，将碳化硅砂芯埋入底泥，添加表层水并静置９０ｄ，通过渗滤获得孔隙水，测定孔隙水中重的浓度，所得结果与微生态系统暴露试验中生物指示的重金属的毒性大小相吻合，与生物积累重金属的浓度显著正相关。     

Integrated catalytic wet air oxidation and aerobic biological treatment in a municipal WWTP of a high-strength o-cresol wastewater

This study examines the feasibility of coupling a Catalytic Wet Air Oxidation (CWAO), with activated carbon (AC) as catalyst, and an aerobic biological treatment to treat a high-strength o-cresol wastewater. Two goals are pursued: (a) To determine the effect of the main AC/CWAO intermediates on the activated sludge of a municipal WasteWater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and (b) To demonstrate the feasibility of coupling the AC/CWAO effluent as a part of the influent of a municipal WWTP. In a previous study, a high-strength o-cresol wastewater was treated by AC/CWAO aiming to establish the distribution of intermediates and the biodegradability enhancement. In this work, the biodegradability, toxicity and inhibition of the most relevant intermediates detected in the AC/CWAO effluent were determined by respirometry. Also, the results of a pilot scale municipal WWTP study for an integrated AC/CWAO-aerobic biological treatment of this effluent are presented. The biodegradation parameters (i.e. maximum oxygen uptake rate and oxygen consumption) of main AC/CWAO intermediates allowed the classification of the intermediates into readily biodegradable, inert or toxic/inhibitory compounds. This detailed study, allowed to understand the biodegradability enhancement exhibited by an AC/CWAO effluent and to achieve a successful strategy for coupling the AC/CWAO step with an aerobic biological treatment for a high-strength o-cresol wastewater. Using 30%, as COD, of AC/CWAO effluent in the inlet to the pilot scale WWTP, the integrated AC/CWAO-biological treatment achieved a 98% of total COD removal and, particularly, a 91% of AC/CWAO effluent COD removal without any undesirable effect on the biomass.     

Growth, photosynthetic and respiratory responses to sub-lethal copper concentrations in Scenedesmus incrassatulus (Chlorophyceae)

In the present paper we investigated the effects of sub-lethal concentrations of Cu²⁺ in the growth and metabolism of Scenedesmus incrassatulus. We found that the effect of Cu²⁺ on growth, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) and metabolism do not follow the same pattern. Photosynthesis was more sensitive than respiration. The analysis of chlorophyll a fluorescence transient shows that the effect of sub-lethal Cu²⁺ concentration in vivo, causes a reduction of the active PSII reaction centers and the primary charge separation, decreasing the quantum yield of PSII, the electron transport rate and the photosynthetic O₂ evolution. The order of sensitivity found was: Growth > photosynthetic pigments content = photosynthetic O₂ evolution > photosynthetic electron transport > respiration. The uncoupled relationship between growth and metabolism is discussed.     

石墨烯是促进还是抑制嗜酸性氧化亚铁硫杆菌生长?

尽管石墨烯以其独特的光学、电学、力学特性在各大领域都具有广阔的应用前景,但其工业化使用后在环境当中的行为,特别是遗留下的石墨烯对生态系统的毒性研究则鲜见报道.因此,本文以嗜酸性氧化亚铁硫杆菌(Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans)为目标微生物,探讨不同浓度(1、10、50 mg·L-1)石墨烯对Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans的毒性效应.结果表明,石墨烯对Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans的生长有明显抑制作用,且抑制作用随着石墨烯浓度的降低而增强.在石墨烯投加量为1 mg·L-1时,培养48 h后菌株的生长量OD420达到最大值0.045,低于空白组的0.163;并且其可溶性蛋白含量也达到最大值1.546 mg·L-1,低于空白组的3.789 mg·L-1.不同浓度石墨烯对体系p H和ORP均存在不同程度的影响,低浓度下的石墨烯影响最为显著.此外,通过扫描电镜(SEM)和荧光显微镜分析,进一步证实Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans能在高浓度的石墨烯上生长,而低浓度的石墨烯则会对细胞膜造成损伤,它极其尖锐的边缘是细菌失活的有效机制.因此,石墨烯的毒性具有剂量效应,这一结果可为石墨烯合理利用及评价其生态毒性提供理论依据.     

超高压工程电缆绝缘油对海洋生物的生态毒性效应

随着超高压联网工程建设项目不断增多,取得巨大经济效益的同时,其电缆安全性日益受到关注。采用标准实验方法,研究电缆绝缘油对8种占据不同生态位的海洋生物(费氏弧菌(Vibrio fischeri)、牟氏角毛藻(Chaetoceros mueleri)、卤虫(Artemia sp.)、蒙古裸腹溞(Moina mongolica)、凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)、裸项栉鰕虎鱼(Ctenogobius gymnauchen)、双齿围沙蚕(Perinereis aibuhitensis)、菲律宾蛤仔(Ruditapes philippinarum))的急性毒性,同时进行了电缆绝缘油对裸项栉鰕虎鱼14 d延长毒性实验和电缆绝缘油对蒙古裸腹溞的慢性毒性。结果表明,电缆绝缘油在50%饱和溶解浓度下未对费氏弧菌产生明显的发光抑制作用;对牟氏角毛藻、凡纳滨对虾、裸项栉鰕虎鱼、双齿围沙蚕和菲律宾蛤仔等5种生物未表现出急性毒性影响,其LC50均大于饱和浓度;对卤虫的96 h-LC50为17.07%,LOEC为12.5%,NOEC为6.25%;对蒙古裸腹溞96 h-LC50为29.75%,LOEC为25.0%,NOEC为12.5%;电缆绝缘油对卤虫和蒙古裸腹溞有剧毒。对裸项栉鰕虎鱼成鱼14 d延长毒性LC50大于500 000 mg·L~(-1);对蒙古裸腹溞母溞存活数的NOEC为625μg·L~(-1),LOEC为1 250μg·L~(-1);对母溞存活期的NOEC为312μg·L~(-1),LOEC为625μg·L~(-1);对产胎数的NOEC为625μg·L~(-1),LOEC为1 250μg·L~(-1);对产幼溞数的NOEC为625μg·L~(-1),LOEC为1 250μg·L~(-1)。     

四氯丙烯对稀有鮈鲫的急性毒性及安全浓度评价

采用半静态试验方式测试了四氯丙烯对稀有鮈鲫(Gobiocypris rarus)的急性毒性,试验浓度分别设定为0.25 mg·L~(-1)、0.30mg·L~(-1)、0.36 mg·L~(-1)、0.42 mg·L~(-1)、0.50 mg·L~(-1)和0.60 mg·L~(-1),同时进行空白对照(试验用水)和分散剂对照(体积分数为0.006%的吐温-80水溶液)试验。采用气相色谱法对试验溶液进行浓度分析,实测浓度分别为0.19 mg·L~(-1)、0.25 mg·L~(-1)、0.34 mg·L~(-1)、0.40 mg·L~(-1)、0.51 mg·L~(-1)和0.64 mg·L~(-1),试验结果以实测浓度表示和统计。结果表明:四氯丙烯致稀有鮈鲫无死亡发生(EC0)的最高浓度为0.25 mg·L~(-1),导致稀有鮈鲫100%死亡(EC100)的最低浓度为0.51 mg·L~(-1)。根据实测浓度,用SPSS(17.0)概率单位法求得四氯丙烯对稀有鮈鲫的半数致死浓度96 h-LC50为0.347 mg·L~(-1),95%置信区间为0.328 mg·L~(-1)~0.361 mg·L~(-1)。     

Effect of commercial pesticides on plant growth-promoting activities of Burkholderia sp. strain L2 isolated from rhizosphere of Lycopersicon esculentum cultivated in agricultural soil

The in vitro study was carried out to examine the toxicity of four commercially used pesticides (phorate, mancozeb, chlorpyrifos, and endosulfan) at the recommended dose (1X) and higher field doses (1.5X, 2X, 2.5X, and 3X) on plant growth-promoting activities of Burkholderia sp. strain L2, isolated from pesticide-treated rhizosphere of Lycopersicon esculentum. At the recommended dose, level of toxicity of all the pesticides to phosphate solubilization activity and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production was less detrimental as compared to exceeding doses. At maximum dose rate of each pesticide, the percentage decrease in phosphate solubilization and IAA production over control was found in order of chlorpyrifos < mancozeb < endosulfan < phorate. Present study proves that Burkholderia sp. strain L2 could be used as a potential microbial inoculant in the agricultural soil having persistent pesticide residues.