Biosafety assessment of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in acutely exposed nematode Caenorhabditis elegans with mutations of genes required for oxidative stress or stress response

We used Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate whether acute exposure to TiO₂-NPs at the concentration of 20 μg L⁻¹ reflecting predicted environmental relevant concentration and 25 mg L⁻¹ reflecting concentration in food can cause toxicity on nematodes with mutations of susceptible genes. Among examined mutants associated with oxidative stress and stress response, we found that genes of sod-2, sod-3, mtl-2, and hsp-16.48 might be susceptible for TiO₂-NPs toxicity. Mutations of these genes altered functions of both possible primary and secondary targeted organs in nematodes exposed to 25 mg L⁻¹ of TiO₂-NPs for 24-h. Mutations of these genes caused similar expression patterns of genes required for oxidative stress in TiO₂-NPs exposed mutant nematodes, implying their similar mechanisms to form the susceptible property. Nevertheless, acute exposure to 20 μg L⁻¹ of TiO₂-NPs for 24-h and 25 mg L⁻¹ of TiO₂-NPs for 0.48-h or 5.71-h did not influence functions of both possible primary and secondary targeted organs in sod-2, sod-3, mtl-2, and hsp-16.48 mutants. Therefore, our results suggest the relatively safe property of acute exposure to TiO₂-NPs with certain durations at predicted environmental relevant concentrations or concentrations comparable to those in food in nematodes with mutations of some susceptible genes.     

Neurotoxicological evaluation of microcystin-LR exposure at environmental relevant concentrations on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Previous studies have not examined the adverse effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) at environmental relevant concentrations on the development and functions of nervous system. The neurotoxic effects of MC-LR exposure on neurotransmitter systems were investigated in Caenorhabditis elegans. After exposing L1 larvae to 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μg?l^?1 of MC-LR for 8 and 24 h, the adverse effects on GABAergic, cholinergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic neurons were examined. The expression levels of genes required for development and functions of GABAergic neurons were further investigated. Body bend frequency and head thrash frequency decreased significantly after MC-LR exposure for 8 h at concentrations more than 1 μg?l^?1 and after MC-LR exposure for 24 h at concentrations more than 0.1 μg?l^?1. Loss of GABAergic neurons increased significantly in a dose-dependent manner after MC-LR exposure at concentrations more than 0.1 μg?l^?1. In contrast, no obvious neuronal losses or morphologic changes were observed in cholinergic, serotonergic, dopaminergic, and glutamatergic neurons in MC-LR-exposed nematodes. Quantitative real-time PCR assay further showed that expression levels of unc-30, unc-46, unc-47, and exp-1 genes required for development and function of GABAergic neurons decreased significantly in nematodes exposed to MC-LR at concentrations more than 0.1 or 1 μg?l^?1. MC-LR at environmental relevant concentrations caused neurobehavioral defects, which may be largely due to the neuronal loss and the alterations of expression level of genes required for GABAergic neurotransmitter system in C. elegans.     

合肥盾构地表沉降和土压力变化模型试验

盾构开挖穿越不同性质的土体时,地表沉降规律和土压力变化规律均会发生改变。以合肥地铁盾构施工为背景,采用合肥地区典型砂土和黏工作为试验材料进行模型试验,探究盾构开挖情况下两种土质的地表沉降和土压力变化规律。结果表明:与黏土相比,砂土对开挖扰动更加敏感。开挖后砂土的沉降和土压力变化较快,土体在更短的时间内恢复稳定,同时砂土模型中相邻沉降测点测得的沉降值相差较大,最终的沉降槽起伏明显。而黏土的沉降和土压力变化较慢,最终的沉降槽较平缓。对两种土质还均有如下试验结果:开挖阶段的沉降值占总沉降值的比例基本相同,四个阶段中土压力减小速度和沉降速度呈现相似的规律,最大沉降值出现在先开挖侧而最大沉降速度出现在后开挖侧。     

Influence factors of multicomponent mixtures containing reactive chemicals and their joint effects

Organic chemicals usually coexist as a mixture in the environment, and the mixture toxicity of organic chemicals has received increased attention. However, research regarding the joint effects of reactive chemicals is lacking. In this study, we examined two kinds of reactive chemicals, cyanogenic toxicants and aldehydes and determined their joint effects on Photobacterium phosphoreum. Three factors were found to influence the joint effects of multicomponent mixtures containing reactive chemicals, including the number of components, the dominating components and the toxic ratios. With an increased number of components, the synergistic or antagonistic effects (interactions) will weaken to the additive effects (non-interactions) if the added component cannot yield a much stronger joint effect with an existing component. Contrarily, the joint effect of the mixture may become stronger instead of weaker if the added components can yield a much stronger joint effect than the existing joint effect of the multicomponent mixture. The components that yield the strongest interactions in their binary mixture can be considered the dominating components. These components contribute more to the interactions of multicomponent mixtures than other components. Moreover, the toxic ratios also influence the joint effects of the mixtures. This study provides an insight into what are the main factors and how they influence the joint effects of multicomponent mixtures containing reactive chemicals, and thus, the findings are beneficial to the study of mixture toxicology.     

活性污泥法处理炼油碱渣废水

采用活性污泥法对某炼油厂预处理后的碱渣废水进行了处理。以目标废水为碳源对活性污泥进行了成功驯化,然后用驯化后的活性污泥对炼油碱渣废水进行净化处理,以降低其COD(化学需要氧量)值。实验结果表明,活性污泥生化处理对炼油碱渣废水的COD值具有较高的降低作用。在水力停留时间为24 h的条件下,COD的平均去除率可达76%,容积负荷为0.7 kg COD/(m3·d)左右,运行10 d后,COD总去除率可达74%左右,出水水质达到国家三级排放标准(GB 8978-1996)。     

共面多氯联苯抗体的制备及其用表面等离子共振方法检测的应用研究

根据文献方法获得抗共面多氯联苯(Co-PCBs)的重组抗体的轻链、重链基因序列,并用柔性连接肽(Gly4Ser)3进行连接.然后将获得的重组抗体基因序列通过克隆、表达、纯化、复性等手段得到纯度大于95%的Co-PCBs抗体.最后将Co-PCBs抗体组装到金膜表面,制备成检测用的蛋白芯片,并应用表面等离子共振技术(SPR)对共面多氯联苯中的PCB126进行了检测.结果显示,得到的Co-PCBs抗体特异性强,而且SPR检测方法测定PCB126的检测限为5×10-4pg·L-1,达到环境中Co-PCBs的超痕量检测水平要求.整个检测过程方便快捷、样品用量少、灵敏度高,可为环境中多氯联苯的实时检测研究提供指导.     

倾斜荷载下裙式吸力基础抗拔承载力模型试验研究∗

开展室内模型试验,研究倾斜荷载作用下裙式吸力基础的承载特性。探讨基础裙结构尺寸、加载角度、加载速度等因素对倾斜荷载作用下裙式吸力基础荷载?位移关系曲线以及抗拔承载力的影响,研究加载过程中主桶和裙结构内吸力变化规律。试验结果表明：倾斜荷载作用下,裙式吸力基础抗拔承载力随着裙宽和裙高的增大逐渐增大,随着加载速度的增大逐渐增大。另外,随着荷载作用方向与水平方向角度的不断增大,裙式吸力基础抗拔承载力有所降低,主桶和裙内吸力均增大。     

Enhanced nickel removal and synchronous bioelectricity generation based on substrate types in microbial fuel cell coupled with constructed wetland: performance and microbial response

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, an attempt was made to clarify the impact of substrates on the microbial fuel cell coupled with constructed wetland (CW-MFC) towards...     

柿粉树脂的制备及其吸附Cu2+和Pb2+的效应

以柿粉为原料通过甲醛交联固化制备出柿粉树脂(PPR);利用傅里叶红外光谱(FT-IR)、Zeta电位、热变性温度、比表面积等对其进行表征,并探讨其吸附Cu2+和Pb2+的效应。结果表明,(1)PPR对Cu2+和Pb2+的吸附效果显著高于柿粉与活性炭;(2)p H值对吸附平衡影响较大,最佳p H值范围为5.0~6.0;(3)PPR对Cu2+和Pb2+的吸附在180 min内可达到吸附平衡,提高吸附温度可提高吸附速率,其吸附动力学数据可用拟二级速率方程良好拟合;(4)提高金属离子初始浓度可增加平衡吸附量,Freundlich和Langmuir方程可分别拟合PPR对Cu2+(R2>0.98)和Pb2+(R2>0.99)的吸附等温线;(5)PPR(2.0 g/L)可吸附混合重金属溶液中83.73%的Cu2+和98.63%的Pb2+;(6)PPR可循环使用5次以上;(7)PPR对Cu2+与Pb2+的吸附效应可能是静电吸附与配位反应共同作用的结果。该研究结果表明,PPR是一种有应用前景的处理含重金属废水的备选材料。