Mitochondrial toxicity and in vitro biological effects of ambient PM2.5 from an urban site in China

Abstract

The roles of PM_2.5-induced mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress on mast cell degranulation were examined in vitro. Mast cells were treated with suspensions of PM_2.5 in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium at concentrations from 25 to 200?mg/L in the absence or presence of 10?mmol/L N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Biological effects and mitochondrial function were assessed by determining cell viability, β-hexosaminidase release, interleukin-4 secretion, reactive oxygen species generation, adenosine triphosphate production, potential alteration of mitochondrial membrane, and activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I and III. Exposure of mast cells to PM_2.5 induced reduction of adenosine triphosphate production, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibition of the activity of complex III. Co-treatment of mast cells exposed to PM_2.5 with N-acetyl-L-cysteine attenuated cytotoxicity and the production of reactive oxygen species, and decreased the release of β-hexosaminidase and interleukin-4. Evidently, PM_2.5-induced oxidative stress plays an essential role in mitochondrial toxicity and mast cell activation.     

高含盐废水脱盐处理技术研究进展

综述了几种常见的高含盐废水脱盐处理技术的发展历程、工艺原理、优缺点及目前的研究进展，分析了热分离、膜分离、电渗析、离子交换、电吸附、微生物脱盐等方法的优缺点，展望了未来废水脱盐工艺的发展方向。指出：脱盐方法将根据各类水体的水质特点更加精细化；多种脱盐技术联合应用也是今后废水脱盐的发展方向。     

Review: recent advances in biogas purifying technologies

Biomethane production through biogas upgrading is a promising renewable energy for some industries which could be part of the equilibrium needed with fossil fuels consumption to achieve a sustainable society. This paper presents a comprehensive list of biogas upgrading technologies focused on carbon dioxide removal as well as recent advances reported by researcher with wide expertise in this topic. Additionally, an extensive costs–performance comparison among the technologies studied is discussed. Among the different alternatives, chemical scrubbing stood out to achieve high biomethane purities while cryogenic technologies proved to be effective against methane losses. Regarding the different costs, water scrubbing and membrane separation seem to be the most affordable techniques.     

The ethics of genetic engineering and gene drives in conservation

The ethical issues associated with using genetic engineering and gene drives in conservation are typically described as consisting of risk assessment and management, public engagement and acceptance, opportunity costs, risk and benefit distributions, and oversight. These are important, but the ethical concerns extend beyond them because the use of genetic engineering has the potential to significantly alter the practices, concepts, and value commitments of conservation. I sought to elucidate the broader set of ethical issues connected with a potential genetic engineering turn in conservation and provide an approach to ethical analysis of novel conservation technologies. The primary rationales offered in support of using genetic engineering and gene drives in conservation are efficiency and necessity for achieving conservation goals. The instrumentalist ethical perspective associated with these rationales involves assessing novel technologies as a means to accomplish desired ends. For powerful emerging technologies the instrumentalist perspective needs to be complemented by a form-of-life perspective frequently applied in the philosophy of technology. The form-of-life perspective involves considering how novel technologies restructure the activities into which they are introduced. When the form-of-life perspective is applied to creative genetic engineering in conservation, it brings into focus a set of ethical issues, such as those associated with power, meaning, relationships, and values, that are not captured by the instrumentalist perspective. It also illuminates why the use of gene drives in conservation is so ethically and philosophically interesting.     

污水处理移动床生物膜反应器悬浮载体研究进展

介绍了移动床生物膜反应器(MBBR)中悬浮载体的种类和特性,讨论了对其性能的影响因素,总结了当前悬浮载体改性技术及性能评价的方法,并对后续研究提出了建议。     

膨润土吸附水中有机污染物的应用进展

论述了膨润土的吸附机理,介绍了膨润土的物理及化学改性方法及其对有机染料废水,焦化废水,烟草废水,煤泥水,含酚类、石油烃类、抗生素废水及微污染水等的处理效果。针对膨润土作为环保吸附剂存在的问题指出了今后的研究方向:1)将研究成果应用于实际废水;2)研究环境友好且效果好的改性工艺及材料;3)研究新的吸附剂制备形式;4)加大膨润土在废气处理上的研究力度;5)研制吸附效果更佳且能处理复杂成分污水的新型复合吸附剂。     

Metabolic uncoupler, 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide addition for sludge reduction and fouling control in a gravity-driven membrane bioreactor

• Effects of metabolic uncoupler TCS on the performances of GDMBR were evaluated. • Sludge EPS reduced and transformed into dissolved SMP when TCS was added. • Appropriate TCS increased the permeability and reduced cake layer fouling. • High dosage aggravated fouling due to compact cake layer with low bio-activity. The gravity-driven membrane bioreactor (MBR)system is promising for decentralized sewage treatment because of its low energy consumption and maintenance requirements. However, the growing sludge not only increases membrane fouling, but also augments operational complexities (sludge discharge). We added the metabolic uncoupler 3,3′,4′,5-tetrachlorosalicylanilide (TCS) to the system to deal with the mentioned issues. Based on the results, TCS addition effectively decreased sludge ATP and sludge yield (reduced by 50%). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS; proteins and polysaccharides) decreased with the addition of TCS and were transformed into dissolved soluble microbial products (SMPs) in the bulk solution, leading to the break of sludge flocs into small fragments. Permeability was increased by more than two times, reaching 60–70 L/m²/h bar when 10–30 mg/L TCS were added, because of the reduced suspended sludge and the formation of a thin cake layer with low EPS levels. Resistance analyses confirmed that appropriate dosages of TCS primarily decreased the cake layer and hydraulically reversible resistances. Permeability decreased at high dosage (50 mg/L) due to the release of excess sludge fragments and SMP into the supernatant, with a thin but more compact fouling layer with low bioactivity developing on the membrane surface, causing higher cake layer and pore blocking resistances. Our study provides a fundamental understanding of how a metabolic uncoupler affects the sludge and bio-fouling layers at different dosages, with practical relevance for in situ sludge reduction and membrane fouling alleviation in MBR systems.     

T型氧化沟工艺处理低碳源生活污水的效果研究

详细介绍了T型氧化沟工艺的特征,并考察研究了该工艺处理低碳源生活污水的长期运行效果。研究结果表明,工艺出水COD、BOD5、NH3-N、TN和TP年平均浓度分别为13.9、3.8、0.91、18.80和1.67 mg/L,去除率分别为88.99%、94.37%、96.74%、37.57%和41.58%,均能达到相应的排放标准。由于T型氧化沟中以好氧环境为主,缺乏厌氧和缺氧环境以及进水的BOD5/TN值低,工艺对有机物及NH3-N的去除效果较好,但TN和TP去除效果较低。提出了加强工艺脱氮除磷的措施,为同类型污水处理厂改造提供参考。     

聚合物/表面活性剂二元体系对油水界面性质的影响

文章应用界面张力仪、Zeta电位仪和表面黏弹性仪测定了聚合物、表面活性剂及其二元复合体系的质量浓度对油水界面性质的影响,并应用透射电镜观察了采出液的液膜结构。结果表明,随着聚合物质量浓度的增加,油水界面的界面剪切黏度值和界面张力值增大,颗粒表面Zeta电位的绝对值增大;随着表面活性剂质量浓度的增加,油水界面的界面剪切黏度变化幅度很小,但界面张力显著减小,颗粒表面Zeta电位绝对值增大;聚合物与表面活性剂复合能够形成稳定的聚合体,具有较大的界面剪切黏度值,较小的界面张力和较高的Zeta电位值;体系中聚合物、表面活性剂及水中悬浮物形成了类似"晶体"结构。     

厌氧微网反应器处理生活污水膜污染物研究

采用涤纶网加工的微网膜组件与厌氧反应器结合构成厌氧微网生物反应器用于处理城市生活污水。在不同反应器形式和水力停留时间条件下反应器稳定运行了144 d。研究结果表明完全搅拌反应器在膜通量12 L/(m2.h)条件下跨膜压差变化较小,整体出水水质高于无搅拌式反应器。通过膜面SS含量测定、粒径和三维荧光光谱分析等方法对膜面污染物进行了系统分析。无搅拌式AnFBR随着停留时间的延长,膜面污染物的SS减少,粒径减小;完全搅拌式AnFBR膜面污染物的SS最少,粒径最小。三位荧光分析表明SMP主要有2个类蛋白质荧光峰A和B,中心位置(Ex/Em)分别位于230~235/335~350 nm及280~290/330~355 nm,EPS样品中除了峰A和峰B外还有2个峰,峰C位置(Ex/Em)在340~350/435~445 nm,与类富里酸物质有关,峰D位于420~440/465~515 nm,与类腐殖酸物质有关。