Effect of agrochemicals on earthworms

This review describes the toxic effects of agrochemicals on earthworms. Carbamates are described as extremely toxic to earthworms in comparison to organophosphorus insecticides. Some pesticides have drastic effect on the nervous system of the earthworm. Earthworm can accumulate heavy metals from the soil in higher levels than any other animal. Mercury is twenty times more toxic than chromium.     

Humic substances as surfactants

Humic substances from soils and sediments can be defined as surface active substances based on the surface tension measurements. Although there are several micellar structural models of humic substances currently available, few studies evaluating humic substances as surfactants have been conducted to date. Therefore, we evaluated the ability of humic substances and their derivatives to influence surface tension. We found that the ability of a humic substance to influence the surface tension of a solution depends on its origin. Many industrially produced humic materials exerted little or no impact on surface tension, whereas humic substances isolated from natural environments (water, soil, peat, sediments, sludge from wastewater treatment facilities) exerted a large impact on surface tension. These findings indicate that the modification of humic substances can enable their use as surfactants. In addition, these findings indicate that solutions of humic substances and their derivatives can be used to increase the solubility of organic compounds.     

环境中六溴环十二烷的修复技术研究进展

六溴环十二烷（hexabromocyclododecane,HBCD）是一种非芳香的溴代环烷烃,作为阻燃剂被广泛应用于塑料、泡沫、纤维、纺织品、电子产品及其他有机材料中,也可以作为聚乙烯、聚碳酸酯、不饱和聚酯等塑料的阻燃添加剂。HBCD作为一种持久性有机污染物,能够在环境中长期积累、迁移和转化,对人类和环境构成潜在的的危害。随着全球 HBCD 用量的增加,HBCD造成的水体及土壤的污染也越来越严重,因此环境中HBCD修复技术的研究也日益成为各个国家和地区研究的热点之一。文章综述了近年来国内外关于 HBCD 的去除或降解技术,包括物理修复、化学修复和生物修复,同时阐述了各个修复方法的原理、条件及优缺点。重点介绍了光降解和微生物降解这两种修复方法：光降解是一种利用光照和催化剂使水体中 HBCD 发生降解的修复方法,该方法去除效率高、清洁环保,但发生条件高,并且成本较高;微生物降解是指利用环境中的某种微生物来实现HBCD降解的,HBCD在厌氧条件下的降解效率明显高于好氧的条件,微生物降解具有不产生二次污染、降解彻底等优点,但相关研究还很少,发展还不成熟。目前开展 HBCD 植物修复研究的报道也很少,因此探讨利用植物修复HBCD的研究应该成为今后此类工作的研究重点之一。关于未来HBCD修复研究的方向,作者认为光降解和微生物降解仍然是 HBCD 修复的主要研究重点;还可以尝试采用两种或两种以上的修复方法联用以达到满意的修复效果;另外,微生物共代谢等修复方法也是今后发展的主要方向。     

Advances in the study of directed evolution for cellulases

If cellulose can be effectively hydrolyzed into glucose by cellulase, the production costs of hydrogen, ethanol or other chemicals from cellulosic materials will be greatly decreased, and economically viable production of biohydrogen and bioethanol will become feasible. Cellulose is degraded into glucoses by multi-component enzyme systems. Nowadays cellulases are widely used in brewing, food, bioenergy, fodder, textiles, paper, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection and other industries. However, existing cellulases have several problems that limit their wider applications, including the low turnover number for solid cellulosic materials, and low stability in adapting to various application conditions. For example, high temperature, low pH, and so on. Application of directed evolution technology may be one of the most effective ways for improving the characteristics of cellulases. This paper presents a brief review of the cellulose hydrolysis mechanism by cellulase, advances in cellulases (endoglucanase and β-glucosidase) improvement by directed evolution for several characteristics (for instance, thermal stability, pH adaptability and enzyme activity), limitations of directed evolution for cellulases, and the outlook for directed evolution for cellulase.     

镉造成心血管损害毒性机制的研究进展

镉是一种极易在人体内蓄积的有毒元素,长期的生物蓄积和生物放大,会对机体产生一系列的损伤,其中,对心血管系统的损伤包括易造成动脉硬化、高血压和心肌病等.本文将镉在心血管损伤方面的毒作用的研究进展进行了总结,包括镉对心血管的氧化损伤,对心血管粘附因子的破坏,对心血管内皮细胞的功能和DNA损伤修复机制的破坏,以及对心血管内皮...     

Ultraviolet-H2O2 oxidation of surfactants

This paper describes a study of the treatment of surfactant synthetic solutions by chemical and photolytic oxidation. Synthetic solutions of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) are treated in this work as this is a model compound commonly used in the formulation of detergents, with a great presence in urban and industrial waste-waters. The application of ultraviolet (UV) radiation combined with hydrogen peroxide to oxidize linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) is shown to be suitable as a primary oxidation step since conversions of about 50% of the original compounds are achieved in the most favorable cases. Initially, the influence of the operating variables on the degradation levels is analyzed in this work. A kinetic model that considers the contributions of both direct photolysis and radical attack is also worked out. Direct photolysis is performed to determine the quantum yield in the single photodecomposition reaction. In addition, the rate constant of the reaction between hydroxyl radicals and linear alkylbenzene sulfonates in the oxidizing system H₂O₂/UV is determined for different operational conditions. Finally, the contribution of each oxidation pathway is quantified, resulting in a higher contribution of the radical reaction than of photolysis in all cases.     

生态安全研究进展

在广泛调研现有生态安全研究成果基础上 ,从生态安全的概念、特性、国内外研究现状、研究意义和研究方法方面 ,对生态安全研究进行了评述     

Synthesis of nanoiron by microemulsion with Span/Tween as mixed surfactants for reduction of nitrate in water

Denitrification of nitrate in groundwater using iron nanoparticles has received increasing interest in recent years. In order to fabricate iron nanoparticles with homogeneously spherical shape and narrow size distribution, a simple and “green” method was developed to synthesize iron nanoparticles. The conventional microemulsion methods were modified by applying Span 80 and Tween 60 as mixed surfactants. The maximum content of water in the Water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion and its appropriate forming conditions were found, and then the microemulsion system consisting of saturated Fe²⁺ solution was used to synthesize α-Fe ultrafine particles by redox reaction. The nanoparticles were characterized by using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the average diameter of the particle is about 80–90 nm. The chemical activity of the obtained iron nanoparticles was studied by the denitrification experiment of nitrate. The results show that under the experimental conditions, iron removed most of the 80 mg/L nitrate within 30 min. The mass balance of nitrate reduction with nanoscale Fe indicates that endproducts are mainly ammonia. Two possible reaction pathways for nitrate reduction by nanoscale iron particles have been proposed in this work.     

河流营养物参照状态的建立方法研究进展

建立营养物参照状态是河流水污染控制的关键问题之一。系统论述了参照状态的各种内涵,重点分析了国外建立河流营养物参照状态的各种方法及优缺点,并分析了其在中国的适用性。最后,提出了河流营养物参照状态的进一步研究的重点。参照状态根据允许人类活动影响的程度可有多种含义:最小干扰状态、历史状态、最少干扰状态和最佳可达成状态。其中,最少干扰状态和最佳可达成状态在现实管理中具有一定程度的可操作性。参照河流百分比法是建立营养物参照状态的首选方法,但中国水环境污染形势严峻,参照点变得越来越少。当参照点不存在时,一般河流百分比法是参照河流百分比法的替代方法,然而一般河流百分比法和参照河流百分比法的匹配性关系并不完全保持一致。由于栖息地退化等因素对生物完整性的影响程度可能比营养物浓度更大,生物响应法在实际应用中是非常困难的。流域模型法虽然有众多优点,但是数据要求较高,并且常用流域模型的机理与中国有较大差距,在中国应用的结果具有较大的不确定性。综合考虑中国水环境污染现状和数据要求,以多元线性回归模型为代表的简易模型方法在中国应有最大的适用性。然而,环境因素与营养物质间的关系往往都是非线性的,今后应着重研究建立河流营养物参照状态的多元非线性回归模型方法。此外,还应加强季风河流营养物参照状态的季节性差异与年际差异研究,并在全国层面上根据自然因素划分适当规模的生态区,分区确定各生态区的河流营养物参照状态。     

表面活性剂洗脱污染土壤中多氯联苯(PCBs)的研究与应用

多氯联苯(PCBs)为一类在环境中广泛分布且难以降解的持久性有机污染物。利用表面活性剂亲油和亲水的两亲特性．将多氯联苯从土壤中洗脱出来，从而修复受污染土壤是当前环境研究的热点之一。文章综述了近年来国内外使用表面活性剂溶液修复多氯联苯污染土壤的研究进展。表面活性剂对土壤中多氯联苯的洗脱作用主要是：(1)表面活性剂通过减小液一固之间的表面张力，将阻塞在土壤孔隙中的多氯联苯分散到溶液中来；(2)表面活性剂通过形成胶束，促使多氯联苯从土壤中重新分配到疏水的胶束核中。洗脱效果与表面活性剂种类、性质、质量浓度及土壤成份有关，通常非离子型表面活性剂效果较好，对多氯联苯的洗脱可达86％。含多氯联苯洗脱液可利用生物降解、紫外光照射及焚烧等方法进行后续处理。     

Detection or trace levels of polyethylene glycol ether surfactants in biological tissues

This paper reports the development and application of an analytical method in which both polyethylene glycol ethers or polyethylene glycols are converted into ethylene dibromide via treatment with concentrated hydrobromic acid/glacial acetic acid (1:1) at 150°C for 3 hours. This method can detect <1 ppm of the surfactant in biological tissues, however, the practical utility of the technique is dependent on the solvent and reagent purities and the various cleanup methods which include base hydrolysis, high pressure liquid chromatography and Florisil or acidified Florisil column chromatography.     

Advances of manganese-oxides-based catalysts for indoor formaldehyde removal

Formaldehyde(HCHO) has been identified as one of the most common indoor pollutions nowadays. Manganese oxides(MnO_x) are considered to be a promising catalytic material used in indoor HCHO oxidation removal due to their high catalytic activity, low-cost, and environmentally friendly. In this paper, the progress in developing MnO_x-based catalysts for HCHO removal is comprehensively reviewed for exploring the mechanisms of catalytic oxidation and catalytic deactivation. The ca...     

人体肠道耐药基因组的研究进展

人类肠道菌群是耐药基因(antibiotic resistance genes,ARGs)的"储存库",且与人体健康密切相关。目前,抗生素的滥用严重,进一步加剧了耐药基因的传播和扩散。细菌耐药问题严重影响人体健康、食品安全和生态安全,携带耐药基因的致病菌对临床治疗造成巨大威胁。本文结合国内外研究进展,在总结人体肠道耐药基因组研究方法的基础上,探讨了肠道耐药基因的组成、来源、传播和进化,并对未来研究进行了展望,旨在促进公众对肠道耐药基因的认知,并为抗生素的合理使用提供理论支持。     

环境毒理学研究进展

综述了近年来环境毒理学的研究进展,内容包括:环境污染物对机体的影响及其环境行为、环境污染物及其转化物的毒性和评估方法、实验室模式生物、生物标志物以及环境毒理学在其他相关学科中的应用等.此外,还对环境化学品管理和安全性评价、Hormesis(兴奋效应)现象、遗传毒性致癌物的危险度评价、室内环境毒理学分析与研究等热点问题进...     

Advances in LID BMPs research and practice for urban runoff control in China

China is at present experiencing a very rapid urbanization process, which has brought a number of adverse impacts upon the water environment. In particular, urban runoff quantity and quality control have emerged as one of the key concerns for municipal officials. One of the strategies being considered is the use of a Low Impact Development type of Best Management Practices (LID BMPs) for urban storm water runoff quantity and quality control. In this paper, the situation surrounding urban runoff control in China is reviewed first. Then the conventional strategy and technologies for the construction and management of urban drainage systems are discussed, while exploring their inherent dilemmas. The LID BMPs are then introduced to control urban runoff in the context of urban sustainable water systems. After the comprehensive analysis of the various LID BMPs, the advances in LID BMPs research and practice for urban runoff control in China are investigated and summarized. At last, the difficulties of implementing LID BMPs in China are discussed, and a direction for the future is proposed.     

Transport of antibiotic resistance plasmids in porous media and the influence of surfactants

Transport of engineered antibiotic resistance plasmids in porous media has been reported to potentially cause significant spreading of antibiotic resistance in the environment. In this work, transport of an indigenous resistance plasmid pK5 in porous media was investigated through packed column experiments. At identical ionic strengths in CaCl₂ solutions, the breakthroughs of pK5 from soil columns were very close to those from quartz sand columns, indicating that transport of pK5 in quartz sand and soil was similar. A similarity in transport behavior was also found between pK5 and an engineered plasmid pBR322 that has approximately the same number of base pairs as pK5. The influence of surfactants, a major group of constituents in soil solutions, was examined using an engineered plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/myc-His A. The impact of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was negligible at concentrations up to 200 mg·L^–1. Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant, was found to significantly enhance plasmid adsorption at high concentrations. However, at environmentally relevant concentrations (<1 mg·L^–1), the effect of this surfactant was also minimal. The negligible impact of surfactants and the similarity between the transport of engineered and indigenous plasmids indicate that under environmentally relevant conditions, indigenous plasmids in soil also have the potential to transport over long distances and lead to the spreading of antibiotic resistance.

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Controlling microbiological interfacial behaviors of hydrophobic organic compounds by surfactants in biodegradation process

Bioremediation of hydrophobic organic compounds （HOCs） contanlinated soils involves several physicochemical and microbiological interracial processes among the soil-water-microorganism interfaces. The participation of surfactants facilitates the mass transport of HOCs in both the physicochemical and microbiological interfaces by reducing the interfacial tension. The effects and underlying mechanisms of surfactants on the physi-cochemical desorption of soil-sorbed HOCs have been widely studied. This paper reviewed the progress made in understanding the effects of surfactant on microbiological interlhcial transport of HOCs and the underlying mechanisms, which is vital for a better understanding and control of the mass transfer of HOCs in the biodegradation process. In summary, surfactants affect the microbiological interfacial behaviors of HOCs during three consecutive processes： the soil solution-microorganism sorption, the transmembrane process, and the intracellular metabolism. Surfactant could promote cell sorption of HOCs depending on the compatibility of surfactant hydrophile hydrophilic balance （HLB） with cell surface properties; while the dose ratio between surfactant and biologic mass （membrane lipids） determined the transmembrane processes. Although surfactants cannot easily directly affect the intracellular enzymatic metabolism of HOCs due to the steric hindrace, the presence of surfactants can indirectly enhanced the metabolism by increasing the substrate concentrations.