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.     

高炉瓦斯泥综合利用技术述评

瓦斯泥是高炉副产物,因其中富含锌,直接用于烧结会增加高炉锌负荷。在分析了瓦斯泥的矿物特征的基础上,综述了选矿法、化学浸出法、直接还原法等几种瓦斯泥有价成分的回收利用方法。选矿法根据碳、锌、铁的性质及赋存状态的差异分离各物质,具有工艺简单、成本低的优点,但分离不彻底、回收率低;化学浸出法使锌进入溶液而其他矿物不溶或微溶,分离效果较好,但处理量小,后续处理难度大;直接还原法是在高温下使瓦斯泥中的金属还原,锌蒸发后进入烟气,最终可得到含氧化锌较高的烟尘和含金属铁的脱锌瓦斯泥,该法适应性强、处理量大、分离效果好,是目前应用较为广泛的瓦斯泥处理方法,但其设备投资大。     

Comprehensive utilization of residues of Magnolia officinalis based on fiber characteristics

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The traditional Chinese medicinal plant Magnolia officinalis has a wide range of applications; including more than 200 kinds of patented Chinese...     

Taxonomic and functional variations in the microbial community during the upgrade process of a full-scale landfill leachate treatment plant – from conventional to partial nitrification-denitrification

• Upgrade process was investigated in a full-scale landfill leachate treatment plant. • The optimization of DO can technically achieve the shift from CND to PND process. • Nitrosomonas was mainly responsible for ammonium oxidation in PND system. • An obviously enrichment of Thauera was found in the PND process. • Enhanced metabolic potentials on organics was found during the process update. Because of the low access to biodegradable organic substances used for denitrification, the partial nitrification-denitrification process has been considered as a low-cost, sustainable alternative for landfill leachate treatment. In this study, the process upgrade from conventional to partial nitrification-denitrification was comprehensively investigated in a full-scale landfill leachate treatment plant (LLTP). The partial nitrification-denitrification system was successfully achieved through the optimizing dissolved oxygen and the external carbon source, with effluent nitrogen concentrations lower than 150 mg/L. Moreover, the upgrading process facilitated the enrichment of Nitrosomonas (abundance increased from 0.4% to 3.3%), which was also evidenced by increased abundance of amoA/B/C genes carried by Nitrosomonas. Although Nitrospira (accounting for 0.1%–0.6%) was found to stably exist in the reactor tank, considerable nitrite accumulation occurred in the reactor (reaching 98.8 mg/L), indicating high-efficiency of the partial nitrification process. Moreover, the abundance of Thauera, the dominant denitrifying bacteria responsible for nitrite reduction, gradually increased from 0.60% to 5.52% during the upgrade process. This process caused great changes in the microbial community, inducing continuous succession of heterotrophic bacteria accompanied by enhanced metabolic potentials toward organic substances. The results obtained in this study advanced our understanding of the operation of a partial nitrification-denitrification system and provided a technical case for the upgrade of currently existing full-scale LLTPs.     

农村变电站生活污水处理现状与探讨

我国大部分变电站位于农村地区,因无接入城市污水管网条件,农村变电站生活污水需就地处理后达标排放。变电站生活污水存在水量少、时变化系数大等特点,现有处理工艺不能正常运行或无法达标排放。本文借鉴农村生活污水处理技术,提出了生物组合法处理对策,可为变电站生活污水处理提供参考。     

液态聚合氯化铝铁深度除磷的优化研究

以北京市生活废水为研究对象,考察了液态聚合氯化铝铁及与聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)协同作用下除磷效果及其影响因素。结果表明,液态聚合氯化铝铁与PAM复合作用时对除磷效果有一定的提高,明确了PAM的最佳投加量、最佳搅拌强度、最佳搅拌时间和pH,并得出了影响混凝效果因素的主次顺序为:pH值搅拌时间搅拌强度投加量。     

Shellac-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for removal of cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solution

This study describes a new effective adsorbent for cadmium removal from aqueous solution synthesized by coating a shellac layer, a natural biodegradable and renewable resin with abundant hydroxyl and carboxylic groups, on the surface of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) imaging showed shellac-coated magnetic nanoparticle (SCMN) adsorbents had a core-shell structure with a core of 20 nm and shell of 5 nm. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic analysis suggested the occurrence of reaction between carboxyl groups on the SCMN adsorbent surface and cadmium ions in aqueous solution. Kinetic data were well described by pseudo second-order model and adsorption isotherms were fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich models with maximum adsorption capacity of 18.80 mg/g. SCMN adsorbents provided a favorable adsorption capacity under high salinity conditions, and cadmium could easily be desorbed using mild organic acid solutions at low concentration.     

Photodegradation of amoxicillin by catalyzed Fe3+/H2O2 process

Three oxidation processes of UV-Fe³⁺(EDTA)/H₂O₂ (UV: ultraviolet light; EDTA: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), UV-Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ and Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ were simultaneously investigated for the degradation of amoxicillin at pH 7.0. The results indicated that, 100% amoxicillin degradation and 81.9% chemical oxygen demand (COD_Cr) removal could be achieved in the UV-Fe³⁺ (EDTA)/H₂O₂ process. The treatment efficiency of amoxicillin and COD_Cr removal were found to decrease to 59.0% and 43.0% in the UV-Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ process; 39.6% and 31.3% in the Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ process. Moreover, the results of biodegradability (biological oxygen demand (BOD₅)/COD_Cr ratio) revealed that the UV-Fe³⁺ (EDTA)/H₂O₂ process was a promising strategy to degrade amoxicillin as the biodegradability of the effluent was improved to 0.45, compared with the cases of UV-Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ (0.25) and Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ (0.10) processes. Therefore, it could be deduced that EDTA and UV light performed synergetic catalytic effect on the Fe³⁺/H₂O₂ process, enhancing the treatment efficiency. The degradation mechanisms were also investigated via UV-Vis spectra, and high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectra. The degradation pathway of amoxicillin was further proposed.     

Ammonia volatilization and availability of Cu, Zn induced by applications of urea with and without coating in soils

Ammonia volatilization and the distribution of Cu and Zn were investigated in two types of soil treated with coated and uncoated urea. The rate of ammonia volatilization in two weeks after fertilizing with coated urea was 8% in soil 1 (soil derived from river alluvial deposits in Dongting Lake Plain) and 5.15% in soil 2 (red soil derived from quaternary red clay), about half the rates observed when fertilizing with common urea, implying that the hydrolysis speed of the coated urea was lower than for common urea, and that the coated urea can increase nitrogen use efficacy. As for the availability of Cu and Zn, their concentrations decreased in the first week after fertilization, and then increased, which was contrary to the effect of treatment on soil pH. For example, when the pH was 7.99, there was 0.79 mg/kg exchangeable Cu and 0.85 mg/kg exchangeable Zn in the soil derived from river alluvial deposits in Dongting Lake Plain. However, the concentrations of exchangeable Cu and Zn were generally lower for the common urea treatments than those with the coated urea because the peak pH for the common urea treatment was greater. The concentrations of these elements correlated well with pH in the range 4-8 in second order polynomial fits.     

Distribution of heavy metals in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, Southern China: Implications for sources and historical changes

The distribution of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd and As) in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary was investigated. The spatial distribution of heavy metals displayed a decreasing pattern from the turbidity maxima to both upstream and downstream of the estuary, which suggested that suspended sediments played an important role in the trace metal distribution in the Pearl River Estuary. In addition, metal concentrations were higher in the west part of the estuary which received most of the pollutants from the Pearl River. In the sediment cores, fluxes of heavy metals were consistent with a predominant anthropogenic input in the period 1970-1990. From the mid-1990s to the 2000s, there was a significant decline in heavy metal pollution. The observed decline has shown the result of pollution control in the Pearl River Delta. However, it is noteworthy that the metal concentrations in the most recent sediment still remained considerably high. Taken together, the enrichment of heavy metals in sediments was largely controlled by anthropogenic pollution.