Effect of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nicotine on the structure of Aβ42 protein

● B[a]P, nicotine and phenanthrene molecules altered the secondary structure of Aβ₄₂. ● β-content of the peptide was significantly enhanced in the presence of the PAHs. ● Nicotine made stable cluster with Aβ₄₂ peptide via hydrogen bonds. ● Phenanthrene due to its small size, interfered with the Aβ₄₂ monomer more strongly. Recent studies have correlated the chronic impact of ambient environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, either by using statistical data from various cities, or via tracking biomarkers during in-vivo experiments. Among different neurodegenerative disorders, PAHs are known to cause increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, related to the development of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide oligomers. However, the complex molecular interactions between peptide monomers and organic pollutants remains obscured. In this work, we performed an atomistic molecular dynamics study via GROMACS to investigate the structure of Aβ₄₂ peptide monomer in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene, nicotine, and phenanthrene. Interestingly the results revealed strong hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond based interactions between Aβ peptides and these environmental pollutants that resulted in the formation of stable intermolecular clusters. The strong interactions affected the secondary structure of the Aβ₄₂ peptide in the presence of the organic pollutants, with almost 50 % decrease in the α-helix and 2 %–10 % increase in the β-sheets of the peptide. Overall, the undergoing changes in the secondary structure of the peptide monomer in the presence of the pollutants under the study indicates an enhanced formation of Aβ peptide oligomers, and consequent progression of Alzheimer’s disease.     

气相色谱-串联质谱法测定沉积物中多环芳烃

采用ASE法提取沉积物中16种多环芳烃,以固相萃取法净化提取液,用气相色谱-串联质谱法测定。通过优化测定条件,使方法在5.00μg/L~1 600μg/L范围内线性良好,方法检出限为0.15μg/kg~0.66μg/kg。空白石英砂的加标回收率为61.9%~121%,7次测定结果的RSD为2.6%~11.1%。     

液液萃取-气相色谱法测定水质可萃取性石油烃C10~C40

建立了以环己烷为萃取剂、气相色谱法(氢火焰离子化检测器,FID)测定水质样品中可萃取性石油烃(C_(10)～C_(40))的分析方法。以正构烷烃混合标准溶液为定性和定量校准标准,以色谱峰面积总和与混合标准溶液总浓度建立校准曲线进行外标法定量。方法检出限为0.01 mg/L,经验证方法精密度和准确度良好。同时,分别以气相色谱法和红外光度法测定了地表水、污水处理厂出水、海水和化工废水等实际样品,对比实验结果表明,在可萃取性石油烃C_(10)～C_(40)的碳数范围内,气相色谱法的测试结果与红外光度法无明显差异,有较好的可比性。     

灌河口表层土壤多环芳烃污染调查

为了解灌河口工业区表层土壤中多环芳烃的污染水平及健康风险。于2017年4月份在灌河口化工园区、火力发电厂和钢铁工业园区采集30个表层土壤样品,利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)对16种优控ω(PAH)进行了检测。结果表明,30个采样点16种PAH的ω(T-PAHs)总为1 212.8~12 264.5 ng/g,平均值为3 504.8 ng/g。其中单体PAH以Fl为主,平均比例高达19.4%,其次为Pyr(16.7%)和B[a]P(9.6%)。单体PAH相关性分析表明了污染物来源的一致性,主要来源于本地工业区原油、生物质和煤的燃烧过程。根据加拿大土壤环境质量标准,灌河口工业区87%的土壤PAHs污染超过了安全值,存在潜在的生态风险。     

岩溶环境对多环芳烃迁移转化的影响

从水文地质条件、地貌环境和地球化学环境等3个方面,综述了岩溶环境对多环芳烃(PAHs)迁移转化的影响。针对研究现状及存在的不足,提出了未来可能的研究趋势,包括不同气候条件下发育的岩溶系统的对比研究、不同气候条件和不同岩溶系统快速流和慢速流对PAHs迁移的贡献、碳酸盐岩与PAHs相互作用的机理,以及有机质对PAHs迁移行为的影响。     

深圳大运会期间大气中多环芳烃的特征及消减情况研究

深圳大运会期间,利用大流量主动采样器对深圳市5个点位进行大气样品采集,检测其气相及颗粒相中总的多环芳烃(PAHs)浓度以及与2010年夏季的监测数据进行比较,研究PAHs通过各种空气质量保障措施实施后的消减情况.结果表明,大运期间5个点位∑PAHs变化范围为15.80~62.09ng/m3,平均值30.77ng/m3,与2010年夏季相比,PAHs平均消减28%;大运期间PAHs单体中均以3~4环为主,平均占总浓度的88%;通过特征分子比值法推断大运期间机动车尾气排放是PAHs的主要来源,但是柴油车尾气排放和燃煤电厂废气排放的贡献比率增加;大运期间∑BaPeq比2010年夏季降低36%,BaP浓度以及∑BaPeq浓度都低于我国环境空气中对BaP的限值标准;呼吸致癌风险评价表明,大运期间为每百万人致癌3.8例,2010年夏季为每百万人致癌7.3例,致癌风险下降48%.     

吐纳麝香长期暴露下蚯蚓体内金属硫蛋白和谷胱甘肽变化

吐纳麝香(AHTN)作为人工合成麝香中多环麝香的典型代表,具有挥发性、易生物富集等特性,由于其在环境中的浓度日益升高,呈现出一定的生物效应,可能对生态系统的稳态存在着潜在的威胁,为探讨上述课题,试验通过采用自然土壤法以赤子爱胜蚓(Eiseniafetida)作为试验动物,首次研究测定蚯蚓在AHTN的长期暴露条件下,其体内金属硫蛋白和谷胱甘肽含量的变化。试验结果得出低浓度的AHTN能够抑制机体内金属硫蛋白和谷胱甘肽的生成,使得金属硫蛋白和谷胱甘肽的含量显著减少,在一定浓度范围内的AHTN对机体无明显不利影响,而高浓度的AHTN能够诱导机体内金属硫蛋白和谷胱甘肽的生成,使得金属硫蛋白和谷胱甘肽的含量显著增多(P<0.05),从而对土壤环境存在着潜在的生态风险。     

西安表土中多环芳烃的污染特征及其来源解析

通过2008年采集西安不同功能区表层土壤样品,运用GC/MS质谱联用仪对美国EPA优控的16种多环芳烃(PAHs)进行定性、定量分析,来探讨西安表层土壤种多环芳烃的污染特征及其来源。结果表明,16种PAHs均被检出,西安表土中ΣPAHs浓度范围为125~9 057 ng/g,平均值为2 727 ng/g,主要以4~6环PAHs为主,共占总量的69%。PAHs的空间分布规律为:工业区>文教区>绿化区>郊区>农村。应用特征比值判断法可知,西安表土中PAHs主要是煤的不完全燃烧和机动车尾气排放所产生的混合源污染。借鉴国外土壤污染标准可知西安城区表土污染较为严重。     

Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Pseudomonas sp. JM2 isolated from active sewage sludge of chemical plant

It is important to screen strains that can decompose polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) completely and rapidly with good adaptability for bioremediation in a local area. A bacterial strain JM2, which uses phenanthrene as its sole carbon source, was isolated from the active sewage sludge from a chemical plant in Jilin, China and identified as Pseudomonas based on 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Although the optimal growth conditions were determined to be pH 6.0 and 37℃, JM2 showed a broad pH and temperature profile. At pH 4.5 and 9.3, JM2 could degrade more than 40% of fluorene and phenanthrene (50 mg/L each) within 4 days. In addition, when the temperature was as low as 4℃, JM2 could degrade up to 24% fluorene and 12% phenanthrene. This showed the potential for JM2 to be applied in bioremediation over winter or in cold regions. Moreover, a nutrient augmentation study showed that adding formate into media could promote PAH degradation, while the supplement of salicylate had an inhibitive effect. Furthermore, in a metabolic pathway study, salicylate, phthalic acid, and 9-fluorenone were detected during the degradation of fluorene or phenanthrene. In conclusion, Pseudomonas sp. JM2 is a high performance strain in the degradation of fluorene and phenanthrene under extreme pH and temperature conditions. It might be useful in the bioremediation of PAHs.     

太湖水体多环芳烃生态风险的空间分布

以太湖梅梁湾、贡湖湾和胥口湾水体多环芳烃(PAHs)含量水平为基础,通过物种敏感度分布曲线计算三湖湾水体PAHs对水生生物的潜在危害比例,以此表征PAHs对太湖三湖湾水体的生态风险,并对其空间分布特征进行讨论.结果表明:PAHs对太湖三湖湾水体的生态风险大小依次是:Flua(1.1641%),Phe(0.2206%),Pyr(0.1633%),BaP(0.0175%),Ant(0.0021%),Flu(0.0005%), Ace(0.0000%),∑7PAH的联合生态风险(3.0954%)大于单体PAHs的生态风险. Ant, BaP和∑7PAH对梅梁湾(0.0209%,0.1237%和4.1018%)的生态风险显著高于贡湖湾(0.0023%,0.0085%,3.0414%)和胥口湾(0.0002%,0.0015%,2.3899%)(P0.05);Flu和Phe对胥口湾(0.0004%,0.1553%)的生态风险显著低于梅梁湾(0.0011%,0.2999%)和贡湖湾(0.0009%,0.2681%)(P0.05);Pyr和Flua对梅梁湾(0.3268%,1.7156%),贡湖湾(0.1697%,1.2386%)和胥口湾(0.1044%,0.8339%)水生生物的生态风险具有显著性差异(P<0.05).空间分布表明:梅梁湾西北部PAHs的生态风险最大,贡湖湾北部次之,胥口湾最小.