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%。     

天津市地表水体与沉积物中7种高关注酚类化合物的污染特征与生态风险分析

为探究地表水体与沉积物中酚类化合物的污染分布特征和生态风险,选择天津市3个水源地与6条主要河流,采集了26个地表水样与6个沉积物样品,利用固相萃取与超声萃取、高效液相色谱-串联质谱法(HPLC-MS/MS)测定了水样及沉积物中1-萘酚(1-naphthol)、壬基酚(nonylphenol, NP)、双酚A(bisphenol A, BPA)、2-苯基苯酚(biphenyl-2-ol)、3,4-二氯酚(3,4-dichlorophenol)、四溴双酚A(tetrabromobisphenol A, TBBPA)和对叔丁基苯酚(p-tert-butylphenol, PTBP)等7种高关注酚类化合物的浓度水平,并应用物种敏感性分布(species sensitivity distribution, SSD)法和熵值法(ecological risk quotient, RQ)评估7种酚类化合物水环境和沉积物的生态风险。结果表明,地表水样中7种酚类化合物均全部检出;其中壬基酚的检出浓度最高,其次为四溴双酚A、对叔丁基苯酚、1-萘酚、2-苯基苯酚、3,4-二氯酚和双酚A。沉积物中酚类化合物的污染分布规律与水样相似,除双酚A外的目标物全部检出。其中,壬基酚浓度比其他物质浓度高2个数量级。风险评估结果显示,壬基酚对水环境与沉积物存在不可接受的风险;而四溴双酚A、对叔丁基苯酚、1-萘酚、2-苯基苯酚、3,4-二氯酚和双酚A则对环境具有较低风险或者存在一定的风险。     

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。     

桂林市城区大气VOCs污染特征及对O3和SOA的生成潜势

对桂林市城区大气中挥发性有机物(VOCs)的污染特征,以及VOCs对臭氧(O3)和二次有机气溶胶(SOA)的生成潜势进行了研究。结果显示,研究期间,共检出VOCs物种78种,平均体积分数为21.32×10-9,表现为芳香烃(67.82%)烷烃(19.56%)卤代烃(7.50%)烯烃(2.86%)含氧挥发性有机物(1.41%)。VOCs体积分数空间分布呈现市中心和下风向郊区两个高值区。通过苯与甲苯的浓度比值发现,林科所VOCs主要来自交通源和生物源,师专甲山校区VOCs主要是来自交通源,其余测点VOCs主要来自交通源、工业源和外来传输源。分析乙苯和间/对二甲苯的浓度比值发现,电子科大尧山校区气团光化学年龄较大,光化学反应活性相对较强烈;旅游学院、华侨旅游经开区、大埠中心校气团光化学年龄较小,光化学反应活性相对较弱。VOCs对O3生成潜势最大的为芳香烃(93.81%),其次是烷烃(7.22%)和烯烃(4.75%);对SOA生成潜势最大的为芳香烃(97.45%),其次是烷烃(2.55%)。     

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。     

Precursors and potential sources of ground-level ozone in suburban Shanghai

• Air masses from Zhejiang Province is the major source of O₃ in suburban Shanghai. • O₃ formation was in VOC-sensitive regime in rural Shanghai. • O₃ formation was most sensitive to propylene in rural Shanghai. A high level of ozone (O₃) is frequently observed in the suburbs of Shanghai, the reason for this high level remains unclear. To obtain a detailed insight on the high level of O₃ during summer in Shanghai, O₃ and its precursors were measured at a suburban site in Shanghai from July 1, 2016 to July 31, 2016. Using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model and concentration weighted trajectories (CWT), we found that Zhejiang province was the main potential source of O₃ in suburban Shanghai. When the sampling site was controlled by south-western winds exceeding 2 m/s, the O₃-rich air masses from upwind regions (such as Zhejiang province) could be transported to the suburban Shanghai. The propylene-equivalent concentration (PEC) and ozone formation potential (OFP) were further calculated for each VOC species, and the results suggested that propylene, (m+p)-xylene, and toluene played dominant roles in O₃ formation. The Ozone Isopleth Plotting Research (OZIPR) model was used to reveal the impact of O₃ precursors on O₃ formation, and 4 base-cases were selected to adjust the model simulation. An average disparity of 18.20% was achieved between the simulated and observed O₃ concentrations. The O₃ isopleth diagram illustrated that O₃ formation in July 2016 was in VOC-sensitive regime, although the VOC/NO_x ratio was greater than 20. By introducing sensitivity (S), a sensitivity analysis was performed for O₃ formation. We found that O₃ formation was sensitive to propylene, (m+p)-xylene, o-xylene and toluene. The results provide theoretical support for O₃ pollution treatment in Shanghai.     

秦皇岛市重点工业企业VOCs排放及分布特征

工业企业挥发性有机物(VOCs)污染排放对大气环境影响日益突出,工业源VOCs污染防治成为环境保护的重点工作。为进一步提高秦皇岛市工业源挥发性有机物(VOCs)治理的科学性、针对性和有效性,对2019年秦皇岛市重点排污企业VOCs的排污量、区域分布、排放行业等进行了详细调查分析:秦皇岛市重点工业源VOCs排放总量为6875.83t,排放量最大的区域是秦皇岛经济技术开发区,占比51.1%;排放量最大的行业是交通运输设备制造业,占总排放量的33.5%;溶剂使用源的排放量最大,占比52.3%。     

辽宁省典型城市空气中挥发性有机物健康风险评价

美国综合风险评估系统（IRIS）提供了污染物的参考剂量（RFD）和污染物参考浓度（RfC）的相关数据,但某些化合物的RFD和RfC数据不全,造成了风险评价的困难,基于RFD的风险评价很难确定污染物由呼吸系统的准确摄入量。应用SPSS软件剖析了RFD和RfC的相关性,提出了以RfC为基础的风险评价体系,与RFD评价结果对比表明：基于RfC的风险评价更能准确反映VOCs污染的风险。尝试应用RFD和RfC值对沈阳、鞍山、抚顺、葫芦岛四个城市空气中VOCs进行非致癌健康风险评价。     

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。