Long-term study of heavy metal pollution in the northern Hangzhou Bay of China: temporal and spatial distribution,contamination evaluation,and potential ecological risk

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Coastal ecosystem is vulnerable to heavy metal contamination. The northern Hangzhou Bay is under intensifying impact of anthropogenic activities. To...     

An updated scheme of imposex for<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Cantharus cecillei</Emphasis> (Gastropoda: Buccinidae) and a new mechanism leading to the sterilization of imposex-affected females

The morphological expressions of imposex in gastropods have been classified into seven stages (S₀–S₆) with three types (a, b and c). This typical imposex scheme, however, fails to cover some new findings such as specimens with the proximal vas deferens section passing by the vaginal opening (VDSP) and aborted egg capsules. In the present study, Cantharus cecillei was sampled from the coastal waters of China from May to November in 2003. This species showed all the morphological expressions in the typical imposex scheme with the exception of S_1b and S_2b. In addition, specimens with VDSP occurred in all stages other than stage 4, and were documented for the first time with scanning electron micrographs or in histological sections. Besides VDSP, which was observed exteriorly, excrescent tissue, e.g. the vas deferens, also originated in the ventral channel or the inner wall of the pallial oviduct was extruded. Based on these new findings, the typical imposex scheme was modified to obtain one valid for C. cecillei. Types a*, b* and c* were added as new types corresponding to types a, b and c, respectively. S_4* was also rearranged to correspond to S₄; S_4*, thus, no longer represented the end of imposex development. The updated scheme was not only valid for describing diverse expressions of imposex development in C. cecillei and Nassarius reticulatus, but could also be generalized to define various forms of VDSP in other species. Histological observation indicated that egg capsules would be blocked by the tissues of the vas deferens section or the extrusion of the pallial oviduct wall. This new mechanism, leading to the sterilization of imposex-affected females, was first conclusively revealed and described in the present scheme.Communicated by T. Ikeda, Hakodate     

Unexpected phenotypes of malformations induced in Xenopus tropicalis embryos by combined exposure to triphenyltin and 9-cis-retinoic acid

Xenopus tropicalis embryos were exposed for 48 hr to the mixtures of 5 g Sn/L triphenyltin(TPT), which is a well-known endocrine disruptor, and 0.25–5 g/L 9-cis retinoic acid(9c-RA), which is the natural ligand of retinoid X receptor. The phenotypes induced by combined exposure were more variable than those resulting from single exposure to either TPT or 9c-RA. The prominent phenotypes included underdeveloped head structures, abnormal eyes, narrow fins, enlarged proctodaeum, etc. Especially, combined exposure induced unexpected notochord malformations, which ranged from small swellings of the surface of the tails to the extension and extrusion of notochord out of the posterior tails. Compared with the 5 g Sn/L TPT-treated group, the index of fin deficiency was not affected, and the index of axis deficiency was significantly increased with increasing RA concentrations in the mixtures. Our results suggest that combined exposure to TPT and 9c-RA induced not only more variable phenotypes of malformations than exposure to single compound but also some new and unexpected phenotypes.     

安徽繁昌滑坡群形成机理及稳定性分析

安徽繁昌滑坡群为沿江高速公路施工诱发的工程滑坡,滑坡群形成主要受区域地质构造背景、物质组成、地形地貌、结构面特征、岩体风化程度等诸多地质环境条件控制,作为大型土质堆积体滑坡群在长江沿江丘陵地区比较少见,就其成因背景、形成机理及稳定性进行论证分析,并对其进行分级分区,有针对性的提出了该滑坡群的治理方案。     

Bioaccumulation, depuration and oxidative stress in fish Carassius auratus under phenanthrene exposure

In this study, laboratory experiment was carried out to determine phenanthrene bioaccumulation, depuration in whole fish and oxidative stress in the liver of freshwater fish Carassius auratus. Fish were exposed to 0.05 mg/l phenanthrene for different periods, while one control group was designated for each exposure group. Some fish after 7 days of exposure were transferred to diluted water. The concentrations of phenanthrene in fish were analyzed by HPLC. Twenty-four hours after the exposure, reactive oxygen species (ROS) were trapped by phenyl-tert-butylnitrone and detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) were also determined. The concentrations of phenanthrene in fish increased rapidly shortly after the start of the exposure, reached a maximum level at the 2 days, and then it declined quickly to low-level-steady state. The elimination process of phenanthrene could be divided into two periods-a fast elimination period following a slower loss period. The elimination curve could be fitted mathematically as the sum of two exponential functions according to two-compartment model: C(t)=2.72e(-1.065t) + 0.68e(-0.0364t). The PBN-radical adducts were detected in fish liver samples following the exposure 24h. The hyperfine splitting constants for the PBN-radical adducts were aN = 13.5 G, aH = 1.77 G and g value was 2.0058, which were consistent with those of PBN/()OH. The results indicated that the hydroxyl radical was probably significantly induced during the exposure of phenanthrene, as compared to the control group. The changes of activities of the antioxidant enzymes also were observed. In addition, after fish were removed from phenanthrene exposure, the recovery status of these antioxidant indices was explored. These results clearly indicated phenanthrene could be accumulated in fish and similar redox cyclings were produced, resulting in the changes of the activities of the antioxidant enzymes and the production of ROS with the oxidative stress.     

Effects of clotrimazole and amiodarone on early development of amphibian (Xenopus tropicalis)

Pharmaceuticals have been recognized as a continuing threat to environmental stability. Few experimental data are available for the effects of clotrimazole and amiodarone on the ecological environment. An acute test with embryos and a chronic test with larvae of amphibian (Xenopus tropicalis) were thus conducted to determine the influence of clotrimazole or amiodarone on early amphibian development. In acute test, % survival and the body length were numerically decreased by both pharmaceuticals treatments compared to control. In chronic test, the cumulative mortality was 22.2% with 0.1?µg?L^?1 clotrimazole treatment and 21.7% with 1?µg?L^?1 amiodarone. The whole body length and the biomass were significantly decreased and developmental stages significantly delayed by both pharmaceuticals. The results of our study suggest that clotrimazole exerted adverse effects on larvae of X. tropicalis at environmentally relevant concentrations.     

云南省地质灾害精细化气象风险预警模型优化研究

以怒江州为例,采用区域加密自动气象站降水资料优化云南省目前业务应用的地质灾害气象风险预警模型,并根据灾情点的地理信息对地质灾害风险区划进行了更新。研究表明,怒江州降水型地质灾害以连续性降水导致的灾害为主,受到短期强降水的激发,并且地质灾害区域性分布明显。用2015年地质灾害实例对优化后的预警模型的预报效果进行检验,发现优化后的预警模型能有效降低原预警模型中高风险预警等级的空报率,提高风险预警的空间分辨率,使得预警服务效果更具备针对性。     

Histological observation on unique phenotypes of malformation induced in Xenopus tropicalis larvae by tributyltin

Tributyltin (TBT), a biocide used in antifouling paints, has shown strong teratogenic effects on Xenopus tropicalis embryos at environmentally relevant concentrations. X. tropicalis embryos were exposed to 50, 100 and 200 ng/L tributyltin chloride for 72 hr. The histological changes were further observed on abnormal eyes, enlarged trunks, enlarged proctodaeums and absence of fins induced by TBT. The lens and the retinal layers of abnormal eyes were slightly or barely differentiated, and that the pigment epithelium was neither continuous nor smooth. The abdomens were full of undifferentiated gut tissue with yolk-rich inclusions in the tadpoles with enlarged trunks. The proctodaeums formed a bump-like or columnar structure. The mass of yolk-rich cells occupied the lumen, blocked the opening and even turned inside out of the proctodaeum. Both the ventral and dorsal fins in trunks and tails became narrow or even disappeared totally. Our results suggest that great changes of histology took place corresponding to the unique phenotypes. The gut tissue was poorly differentiated, which led to the failed elongation of the guts and subsequently the enlarged trunks. The enlarged proctodaeums were due to the undifferentiation of inner layer, the expansion of outer epidermal part and the absence of fins around them. In brief, the histological observations provided insights into the reason of the unique external malformations in some degree.     

云南省山洪地质灾害气象预报预警方法研究

通过分析云南省2000-2011年116个县站共计1 101次山洪地质灾害个例和近12年的逐日降水数据,探讨山洪地质灾害与降水之间的关系,并提出适用于本省的山洪地质灾害气象预报预警的方法。研究表明云南省的山洪地质灾害时间变化与降水的时间变化吻合,灾害主要集中在雨季(5-10月)发生,并在主汛期出现峰值;灾害的空间分布具有西多东少、西北多东南少的特征,在滇南和滇西南山洪地质灾害总次数的高中心的分布与强降水日数中心值的空间分布基本一致。经过计算116个县站各次个例的日综合雨量,分析得出各县站诱发山洪地质灾害的临界雨量,并对临界雨量分级定出各县站山洪地质灾害气象预报预警的5个风险等级,在2012年的山洪地质灾害气象预报预警业务中取得良好效果。     

热带爪蟾(Xenopus tropicalis)胚胎在生态毒理学中的应用前景

首先介绍了热带爪蟾(Xenopus tropicalis)作为新的模式动物的发展过程以及热带爪蟾基因组学方面的研究进展,概述了非洲爪蟾(X.laevis)胚胎在生态毒理学中的应用。在此基础上,详细讨论了热带爪蟾胚胎在污染物致毒效应和作用机理、毒理学理论和环境样品生态毒性检测等方面的应用现状和前景。最后,简要介绍了目前国内外有关热带爪蟾网站、书籍和养殖等方面的信息资源。