Emerging applications of green coconut: A promising lignocellulosic biomass

Waste accumulation is a grave concern and becoming a transboundary challenge for environment. During Covid-19 pandemic, diverse type of waste were collected due to different practices employed in order to fight back the transmission rate of the virus. Covid-19 was proved to be capricious catastrophe of this 20th century and even not completely eradicated from the world. The havoc created by this imperceptible quick witted, pleomorphic deadly virus can't be ignored. Though a number of vaccines have been developed by the scientists but there is a fear of getting this virus again in our life. Medical studies prove that immunity drinks will help to reduce its reoccurrences. Coconut water is widely used among all drinks available globally. Its massive consumption created an incalculable pile of green coconut shells around the different corners of the world. This practice generating enormous problem of space acquisition for the environment. Both the environment and public health will benefit from an evaluation of quantity of coconut waste that is being thrown and its potential to generate value added products. With this context, present article has been planned to study different aspects like, coconut waste generation, its biological properties and environmental hazards associated with its accumulation. Additionally, this review illustrates, green technologies for production of different value added products from coconut waste.     

镉和乙草胺复合污染对玉米生理特性的影响

采用盆栽试验,研究了镉与乙草胺复合污染对玉米幼苗MDA含量和抗氧化酶活性的影响。结果表明,镉单独处理,低浓度下MDA的含量变化不大,当镉浓度大于30 mg/kg时,MDA的含量急剧上升;超氧化物歧化酶SOD、CAT在浓度为30 mg/kg时活性达到最高,之后随浓度的增大,其活性逐渐降低;POD的活性随着镉浓度的增大逐渐升高,且100 mg/kg时达到最高。镉与乙草胺复合处理,低镉浓度下MDA的含量与对照组CK相比差异显著,处理浓度越大,MDA含量越高;SOD、CAT的活性变化趋势与单镉处理时相类似,但变化幅度更加明显;POD的活性则随着浓度的增大继续升高。镉与乙草胺复合处理对玉米幼苗的毒害程度要大于单镉处理,并且施加乙草胺的浓度越大,玉米受毒害程度越深。     

土壤四环素污染对小白菜幼苗生长发育的生态毒性

采用土培盆栽试验模拟研究了土壤四环素污染对小白菜幼苗生长发育的生态毒性.结果表明,1～100 mg/kg四环素暴露促进了小白菜的茎伸长,但抑制了小白菜的根伸长和鲜重.100 mg/kg四环素处理28 d后,小白菜根长抑制率达到36.0%,鲜重抑制率达到34.6%.随着四环素暴露时间的延长,100 mg/kg四环素处理的...     

Physiological responses and detoxific mechanisms to Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd in young seedlings of Paulownia fortunei

Paulownia fortunei has been successfully used in the phytoremediation of many Pb/Zn mine tailings. However, seed germination and young seedlings of P. fortunei rarely occurred in these mine tailings. The physiological responses and detoxific mechanisms of P. fortunei young seedling to Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd stress were investigated. The germinated rate, shoot length, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in leaves of young seedlings had a great reduction under Zn and Cu treatments, but had little decrease under Pb and Cd treatments. The production rate of O₂^•−, H₂O₂ and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents significantly increased in response to added Zn and Cu indicating great oxidative stress for young seedlings, but they had no significant change to added Pb and Cd. Young seedlings had effective detoxific mechanism to Pb and Cd, as antioxidant enzymes activities, phytochelatins (PCs-SH) and proline contents increased with increasing rates of added Pb and Cd. However, young seedlings had un-effective detoxific mechanisms to Zn and Cu stress. Results revealed the heavy metals (such as Cu) that present at low concentrations in mine tailings may be major constraint for the survival of young seedlings.     

Carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere and precipitation of the Nam Co region, central Tibet

A continuous air and precipitation sampling for carbonaceous particles was conducted in a field observatory beside Nam Co, Central Tibetan Plateau during July of 2006 through January of 2007. Organic carbon (OC) was the dominant composition of the carbonaceous particles both in the atmosphere (1660 ng/m³) and precipitation (476 ng/g) in this area, while the average elemental carbon (BC) concentrations in the atmosphere and precipitation were only 82 ng/m³ and 8 ng/g, respectively. Very high OC/BC ratio suggested local secondary organic carbon could be a dominant contribution to OC over the Nam Co region, while BC could be mainly originated from Southern Asia, as indicated by trajectory analysis and aerosol optical depth. Comparison between the BC concentrations measured in Lhasa, those at “Nepal Climate Observatory at Pyramid (NCO-P)” site on the southern slope of the Himalayas, and Nam Co suggested BC in the Nam Co region reflected a background with weak anthropogenic disturbances and the emissions from Lhasa might have little impact on the atmospheric environment here, while the pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Basin of Southern Asia could be transported to the Nam Co region by both the summer monsoon and the westerly.     

土霉素对小麦种子发芽与幼苗生长发育的生态毒性

研究了土霉素对小麦种子发芽以及早期幼苗生长发育的生态毒性效应.结果表明,土霉素对小麦种子芽长及根长的抑制效应显著(p<0.01),而且它们之间具有良好的剂量-效应关系.根据线性回归方程得出土霉素对小麦种子芽长和根长的半抑制浓度为65.5 mg/L和34.7 mg/L.然而,土霉素对小麦种子的发芽率并没有显著的影响.研究还表明,0.15~2.4 mg/L土霉素暴露21 d后,小麦叶片中的叶绿素含量降低了35.6%~47.3%,叶片及根部的可溶性蛋白含量也均呈显著下降趋势.暴露7 d后,0.15~2.4 mg/L土霉素对小麦叶片和根部SOD与POD活性的抑制效应不显著,但随着暴露时间的延长,土霉素对小麦的SOD与POD酶活性抑制率显著下降;2.4 mg/L土霉素暴露21 d后,小麦根部的SOD活性下降72.3%,说明土霉素对小麦幼苗体内的抗氧化系统具有破坏作用.该实验结果显示,低浓度土霉素长期暴露对小麦幼苗的生长发育具有不良的生态毒性效应.     

铜锈环棱螺对镉污染沉积物慢性胁迫的生物标志物响应

沉积物毒性测试是评价水生态系统中沉积物污染生态风险的重要手段.建立合适的毒性测试生物是进行沉积物毒性测试的基本前提.铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)在我国淡水水体中分布广泛,具有重要的生态价值.本研究将实验室培养的铜锈环棱螺暴露于不同含量的镉加标沉积物中28d,以评价该物种在镉污染沉积物慢性胁迫下生物标志物响应的敏感性.结果表明,除了谷胱甘肽(GSH)相对不敏感外,壳长增长率、肝胰脏超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)、以及肝胰脏和肾脏中的金属硫蛋白(MT)均表现出相对较高的敏感性,可用作重金属污染沉积物慢性胁迫的有效生物标志物.尤其是肝胰脏SOD和CAT可以用作指示低水平镉污染沉积物长期污染胁迫下的敏感生物标志物.此外,该物种的实验室培养和毒性测试操作容易进行,可以考虑将铜锈环棱螺作为我国淡水沉积物毒性评价的候选物种.     

玉米幼苗对镉、菲单一与复合污染的生理生化响应

通过室内盆栽实验研究了玉米幼苗在镉、菲污染胁迫14 d后的生理生化响应,并探讨了镉、菲单一与复合污染对玉米幼苗的毒性效应及其致毒机制.结果表明,单一镉(0～50 mg/kg)污染时,镉处理对玉米幼苗地上部分和根系生物量以及可溶性蛋白都无显著影响;随镉处理浓度的增加,玉米幼苗叶片SOD酶活性表现为先增加后降低的趋势,而P...     

大气臭氧浓度增加对湿地松幼苗的影响

采用开顶式气室(open top chambers,OTCs)装置,研究O<,3>浓度增加(E-O<,3>约150 nL·L<'-1>)对湿地松幼苗的影响,包括伤害症状、植株生长、针叶光合色素含量、气体交换速率与叶绿素荧光、丙二醛(MDA)以及主要抗氧化剂含量变化.经过E-O<,3>处理一个生长季后(AOT40值为38...     

Effect of chromium on accumulation and antioxidants in Cucumis utillissimus L.: Response under enhanced bioavailability condition

This study compares the accumulation of Cr(VI) and biochemical changes (total chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, malondialdehyde (MDA) and cysteine contents) and roles of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) in tolerance to metal induced stress in Cucumis utillissimus L. grown in Cr contaminated soil (CS) with garden soil (GS). Furthermore, Cr bioavailability was enhanced by ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) addition to the soil to forecast the plant’s accumulation pattern at elevated Cr environment. Accumulation of Cr in the leaves of the plant increased with increase in substrate metals concentration. It further increased with the addition of EDTA by 1437% and 487% in GS and CS, respectively at the highest treatment level. The lipid peroxidation increased proportionately with increase in Cr accumulation in the leaves. All the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX and APX) and the level of cysteine increased with dose dependant manner. SOD and cysteine were observed to be higher in the GS than in CS, but APX and GPX were found to be higher in CS than in GS. The increase in GPX and APX activities with the increase in Cr concentration could be assumed that these two enzymes have a major role in the defense mechanism towards stress induced by Cr in C. utillissimus.