Chemical characteristics and sources of water-soluble organic aerosol in southwest suburb of Beijing

PM_2.5 filter sampling and components measurement were conducted in autumn and winter from 2014 to 2015 at a suburban site (referred herein as “LLH site”) located in the southwest of Beijing. The offline aerosol mass spectrometry (offline-AMS) analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF) were applied for measurement and source apportionment of water-soluble organic aerosol (WSOA). Organic aerosol (OA) always dominated PM_2.5 during the sampling period, especially in winter. WSOA pollution was serious during the polluted period both in autumn (31.1 µg/m³) and winter (31.9 µg/m³), while WSOA accounted for 54.4% of OA during the polluted period in autumn, much more than that (21.3%) in winter. The oxidation degree of WSOA at LLH site was at a high level (oxygen-to-carbon ratio, O/C=0.91) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) contributed more mass ratio of WSOA than primary organic aerosol (POA) during the whole observation period. In winter, coal combustion OA (CCOA) was a stable source of OA and on average accounted for 25.1% of WSOA. In autumn, biomass burning OA (BBOA) from household combustion contributed 38.3% of WSOA during polluted period. In addition to oxygenated OA (OOA), aqueous-oxygenated OA (aq-OOA) was identified as an important factor of SOA. During heavy pollution period, the mass proportion of aq-OOA to WSOA increased significantly, implying the significant SOA formation through aqueous-phase process. The result of this study highlights the concentration on controlling the residential coal and biomass burning, as well as the research needs on aqueous chemistry in OA formation.     

Chemical compositions of PM2.5 aerosol during haze periods in the mountainous city of Yong'an, China

Haze phenomena were found to have an increasing tendency in recent years in Yong'an, a mountainous industrial city located in the center part of Fujian Province, China. Atmospheric fine particles (PM_2.5) in the urban area during haze periods in three seasons (spring, autumn and winter) from 2007 to 2008 were collected, and the mass concentrations and chemical compositions (seventeen elements, water soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) and carbonaceous species) of PM_2.5 were determined. PM_2.5 mass concentrations did not show a distinct difference among the three seasons. The carbonaceous species organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) constituted up to 19.2%-30.4% of the PM_2.5 mass during sampling periods, while WSIIs made up 25.3%-52.5% of the PM_2.5 mass. The major ions in PM_2.5 were SO₄^2-, NO₃^- and NH₄⁺, while the major elements were Si, K, Pb, Zn, Ca and Al. The experimental results (from data based on three haze periods with a 10-day sampling length for each period) showed that the crustal element species was the most abundant component of PM_2.5 in spring, and the secondary ions species (SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, NH₄⁺, etc.) was the most abundant component in PM_2.5 in autumn and winter. This indicated that dust was the primary pollution source for PM_2.5 in spring and combustion and traffic emissions could be the main pollution sources for PM_2.5 in autumn and winter. Generally, coal combustion and traffic emissions were considered to be the most prominent pollution sources for this city on haze days.     

Chemical characterization and source identification of PM2.5 in Luoyang after the clean air actions

Luoyang is a typical heavy industrial city in China, with a coal-dominated energy structure and serious air pollution. Following the implementation of the clean air actions, the physicochemical characteristics and sources of PM_2.5 have changed. A comprehensive study of PM_2.5 was conducted from October 16, 2019 to January 23, 2020 to evaluate the effectiveness of previous control measures and further to provide theory basis for more effective policies in the future. Results showed that the aerosol pollution in Luoyang in autumn and winter is still serious with the average concentration of 91.1 μg/m³, although a large reduction (46.9%) since 2014. With the contribution of nitrate increased from 12.5% to 25.1% and sulfate decreased from 16.7% to 11.2%, aerosol pollution has changed from sulfate-dominate to nitrate-dominate. High NO₃⁻/SO₄²⁻ ratio and the increasing of NO₃⁻/SO₄²⁻ ratio with the aggravation of pollution indicating vehicle exhaust playing an increasingly important role in PM_2.5 pollution in Luoyang, especially in the haze processes. Secondary inorganic ions contributed significantly to the enhancement of PM_2.5 during the pollution period. The high value of Cl⁻/Na⁺ and EC concentration indicate coal combustion in Luoyang is still serious. The top three contributor sources were secondary inorganic aerosols (33.3%), coal combustion (13.6%), and industrial emissions (13.4%). Close-range transport from the western and northeastern directions were more important factors in air pollution in Luoyang during the sampling period. It is necessary to strengthen the control of coal combustion and reduce vehicle emissions in future policies.     

Pollution levels, composition characteristics and sources of atmospheric PM2.5 in a rural area of the North China Plain during winter

The pollution levels, composition characteristics and sources of atmospheric PM_2.5 were investigated based on field measurement at a rural site in the North China Plain (NCP) from pre-heating period to heating period in winter of 2017. The hourly average concentrations of PM_2.5 frequently exceeded 150 µg/m³ and even achieved 400 µg/m³, indicating that the PM_2.5 pollution was still very serious despite the implementation of stricter control measures in the rural area. Compared with the pre-heating period, the mean concentrations of organic carbon (OC), element carbon (EC) and chlorine ion (Cl^?) during the heating period increased by 20.8%, 36.6% and 38.8%, accompanying with increments of their proportions in PM_2.5 from 37.5%, 9.8% and 5.5% to 42.9%, 12.7% and 7.2%, respectively. The significant increase of both their concentrations and proportions during the heating period was mainly ascribed to the residential coal combustion. The proportions of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium respectively increased from 9.9%, 10.9% and 9.0% in nighttime to 13.8%, 16.2% and 11.1% in daytime, implying that the daytime photochemical reactions made remarkable contributions to the secondary inorganic aerosols. The simulation results from WRF-Chem revealed that the emission of residential coal combustion in the rural area was underestimated by the current emission inventory. Six sources identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF) based on the measurement were residential coal combustion, secondary formation of inorganic aerosols, biomass burning, vehicle emission and raising dust, contributing to atmospheric PM_2.5 of 40.5%, 21.2%, 16.4%, 10.8%, 8.6% and 2.5%, respectively.     

Modeling study on the roles of the deposition and transport of PM2.5 in air quality changes over central-eastern China

The role of PM_2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 µm) deposition in air quality changes over China remains unclear. By using the three-year (2013, 2015, and 2017) simulation results of the WRF/CUACE v1.0 model from a previous work (Zhang et al., 2021), a non-linear relationship between the deposition of PM_2.5 and anthropogenic emissions over central-eastern China in cold seasons as well as in different life stages of haze events was unraveled. PM_2.5 deposition is spatially distributed differently from PM_2.5 concentrations and anthropogenic emissions over China. The North China Plain (NCP) is typically characterized by higher anthropogenic emissions compared to southern China, such as the middle-low reaches of Yangtze River (MLYR), which includes parts of the Yangtze River Delta and the Midwest. However, PM_2.5 deposition in the NCP is significantly lower than that in the MLYR region, suggesting that in addition to meteorology and emissions, lower deposition is another important factor in the increase in haze levels. Regional transport of pollution in central-eastern China acts as a moderator of pollution levels in different regions, for example by bringing pollution from the NCP to the MLYR region in cold seasons. It was found that in typical haze events the deposition flux of PM_2.5 during the removal stages is substantially higher than that in accumulation stages, with most of the PM_2.5 being transported southward and deposited to the MLYR and Sichuan Basin region, corresponding to a latitude range of about 24°N-31°N.     

Source apportionment of PM2.5 and visibility in Jinan, China

Atmospheric extinction is impacted by the chemical composition of particles. To better understand the chemical composition of PM_2.5 (particles with diameters of less than 2.5 μm) and its relationship with extinction, one-month sampling campaigns were carried out in four different seasons from 2013 to 2014 in Jinan, China. The seasonal average concentrations of PM_2.5 were 120.9 (autumn), 156.6 (winter), 102.5 (spring), and 111.8 μg/m³ (summer). The reconstructed PM_2.5 chemical composition showed that sulfate, nitrate, chlorine salt, organic matter (OM), mineral dust, elemental carbon (EC) and others accounted for 25%, 14%, 2%, 24%, 22%, 3% and 10%, respectively. The relationship between the chemical composition of PM_2.5 and visibility was reconstructed by the IMPROVE method, and ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, OM and EC dominated the visibility. Seven main sources were resolved for PM_2.5, including secondary particles, coal combustion, biomass burning, industry, motor vehicle exhaust, soil dust and cooking, which accounted for 37%, 21%, 13%, 13%, 12%, 3% and 1%, respectively. The contributions of different sources to visibility were similar to those to PM_2.5. With increasing severity of air pollution, the contributions of secondary particles and coal combustion increased, while the contribution of motor vehicle exhaust decreased. The results showed that coal combustion and biomass burning were still the main sources of air pollution in Jinan.     

Aerosol light absorption in a coastal city in Southeast China: Temporal variations and implications for brown carbon

Light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols including black carbon(BC) and brown carbon(BrC)play significant roles in atmospheric radiative properties. One-year measurements of aerosol light absorption at multi-wavelength were continuously conducted in Xiamen,southeast of China in 2014 to determine the light absorption properties including absorption coefficients(σabs) and absorption ?ngstr?m exponent(AAE) in the coastal city.Light absorptions of BC and BrC with their contributions to total light absorption were further quantified. Mean σabsat 370 nm and 880 nm were 56.6 ± 34.3 and 16.5 ± 11.2 Mm-1,respectively. σabspresented a double-peaks diurnal pattern with the maximum in the morning and the minimum in the afternoon. σabswas low in warm seasons and high in cold seasons. AAE ranged from 0.26 to 2.58 with the annual mean of 1.46, implying that both fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning influenced aerosol optical properties. σabsof BrC at 370 nm was 24.0 ± 5.7 Mm-1, contributing 42% to the total absorption. The highest AAE(1.52 ± 0.02) and largest BrC contributions(47% ± 4%) in winter suggested the significant influence of biomass burning on aerosol light absorption. Long-distance air masses passing through North China Plain and the Yangtze River Delta led to high AAE and BrC contributions. High AAE value of 1.46 in July indicated that long-range transport of the air pollutants from intense biomass burning in Southeast Asia would affect aerosol light absorption in Southeast China. The study will improve the understanding of light absorption properties of aerosols and the optical impacts of BrC in China.     

Chemical characteristics and source apportionment of PM2.5 in a petrochemical city: Implications for primary and secondary carbonaceous component

To study the pollution features and underlying mechanism of PM_2.5 in Luoyang, a typical developing urban site in the central plain of China, 303 PM_2.5 samples were collected from April 16 to December 29, 2015 to analyze the elements, water soluble inorganic ions, organic carbon and elemental carbon. The annual mean concentration of PM_2.5 was 142.3 μg/m³, and 75% of the daily PM_2.5 concentrations exceeded the 75 μg/m³. The secondary inorganic ions, organic matter and mineral dust were the most abundant species, accounting for 39.6%, 19.2% and 9.3% of the total mass concentration, respectively. But the major chemical components showed clear seasonal dependence. SO₄^2? was most abundant specie in spring and summer, which related to intensive photochemical reaction under high O₃ concentration. In contrast, the secondary organic carbon and ammonium while primary organic carbon and ammonium significantly contributed to haze formation in autumn and winter, respectively. This indicated that the collaboration effect of secondary inorganic aerosols and carbonaceous matters result in heavy haze in autumn and winter. Six main sources were identified by positive matrix factorization model: industrial emission, combustion sources, traffic emission, mineral dust, oil combustion and secondary sulfate, with the annual contribution of 24%, 20%, 24%, 4%, 5% and 23%, respectively. The potential source contribution function analysis pointed that the contribution of the local and short-range regional transportation had significant impact. This result highlighted that local primary carbonaceous and precursor of secondary carbonaceous mitigation would be key to reduce PM_2.5 and O₃ during heavy haze episodes in winter and autumn.     

Study of aerosol characteristics and sources using MAX-DOAS measurement during haze at an urban site in the Fenwei Plain

Atmospheric aerosols have effects on atmospheric radiation assessments, global climate change, local air quality and visibility. In particular, aerosols are more likely transformed and accumulated in winter. In this paper, we used the Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) instrument to study the characteristics of aerosol type and contributions of PM_2.5 chemical components to aerosol extinction (AE), vertical distribution of aerosols, and source. From December 30, 2018 to January 27, 2019, we conducted MAX-DOAS observations on Sanmenxia. The proportion of PM_2.5 to PM₁₀ was 69.48%–95.39%, indicating that the aerosol particles were mainly fine particles. By analyzing the ion data and modifying Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) method, we found that nitrate was the largest contributor to AE, accounting for 31.51%, 28.98%, and 27.95% of AE on heavily polluted, polluted, and clean days, respectively. NH₄⁺, OC, and SO₄^2? were also major contributors to AE. The near-surface aerosol extinction retrieved from MAX-DOAS measurement the PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations measured by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) have the same trend in vertical distribution. AE increased about 3 times from surface to 500 m. With the backward trajectory of the air mass during the haze, we also found that the continuous heavy pollution was mainly caused by transport of polluted air from the northeast, then followed by local industrial emissions and other sources of emissions under continuous and steady weather conditions.     

Experimental study on the space charge properties in haze events

In recent years, haze has posed a serious threat to the global climate change, ecological balance and human health. In this study, the laboratory experiments and field observations were performed and a possible charging mechanism was proposed to investigate the space charge properties in haze events. The laboratory experiments showed that the charge polarity of primary aerosol is determined by species of combustion fuels while the magnitude is dependent on the combustion completeness. The field observations revealed that the space charge of atmosphere aerosol in haze events differs from that of fair weather and is closely related to PM_2.5 concentration when Relative Humidity (RH)?<?60%, with 1 to 2 orders of magnitude less than the case when RH?≥?60%. The analysis of equivalent charge-to-mass ratio (ECTM) suggested that in haze events the space charge is governed by primary aerosol emitted by combustion of fossil fuel in a low relative humidity, whereas it is manipulated by the secondary chemical reaction of atmosphere aerosol in a high relative humidity. And we can identify the main pollutants in haze events according to the polarity of atmosphere aerosol and quickly take measures when RH?<?60%. Accordingly, the dust-haze of RH?<?80% can be divided into dry-dust-haze when RH?<?60% and wet-dust-haze when 60%?≤?RH?<?80%. Our study firstly elucidated the space charge properties of atmosphere aerosol in haze events and can provide a new perspective for the prevention and control of air pollution.     

Toxic effects of acetochlor, methamidophos and their combination on nifH gene in soil

Toxic effects of two agrochemicals on nifH gene in agricultural black soil were investigated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE） and sequencing approaches in a microcosm experiment. Changes of soil nifH gene diversity and composition were examined following the application of acetochlor, methamidophos and their combination. Acetochlor reduced the nifH gene diversity （both in gene richness and diversity index values） and caused changes in the nifH gene composition. The effects of acetochlor on nifH gene were strengthened as the concentration of acetochlor increased. Cluster analysis of DGGE banding patterns showed that nifH gene composition which had been affected by low concentration of acetochlor （50 mg/kg） recovered firstly. Methamidophos reduced nifH gene richness that except at 4 weeks. The medium concentration of methamidophos （150 mg/kg） caused the most apparent changes in nifH gene diversity at the first week while the high concentration of methamidophos （250 mg/kg） produced prominent effects on nifH gene diversity in the following weeks. Cluster analysis showed that minimal changes of nifH gene composition were found at 1 week and maximal changes at 4 weeks. Toxic effects of acetochlor and methamidophos combination on nifH gene were also apparent. Different nifH genes （bands） responded differently to the impact of agrochemicals： four individual bands were eliminated by the application of the agrochemicals, five bands became predominant by the stimulation of the agrochemicals, and four bands showed strong resistance to the influence of the agrochemicals. Fifteen prominent bands were partially sequenced, yielding 15 different nifH sequences, which were used for phylogenetic reconstructions. All sequences were affiliated with the alpha- and beta-proteobacteria, showing higher similarity to eight different diazotrophic genera.     

Arsenic uptake by arbuscular mycorrhizal maize （Zea mays L.） grown in an arsenic-contaminated soil with added phosphorus

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus mosseae) and phosphorus (P) addition (100 mg/kg soil) on arsenic (As) uptake by maize plants (Zea mays L.) from an As-contaminated soil were examined in a glasshouse experiment.Non-mycorrhizal and zero-P addition controls were included.Plant biomass and concentrations and uptake of As,P,and other nutrients,AM colonization,root lengths,and hyphal length densities were determined.The results indicated that addition of P significantly inhibited root colonization and development of extraradical mycelium.Root length and dry weight both increased markedly with mycorrhizal colonization under the zero-P treatments,but shoot and root biomass of AM plants was depressed by P application.AM fungal inoculation decreased shoot As concentrations when no P was added,and shoot and root As concentrations of AM plants increased 2.6 and 1.4 times with P addition,respectively.Shoot and root uptake of P,Mn,Cu,and Zn increased,but shoot Fe uptake decreased by 44.6%,with inoculation, when P was added.P addition reduced shoot P,Fe,Mn,Cu,and Zn uptake of AM plants,but increased root Fe and Mn uptake of the nonmycorrhizal ones.AM colonization therefore appeared to enhance plant tolerance to As in low P soil,and have some potential for the phytostabilization of As-contaminated soil,however,P application may introduce additional environmental risk by increasing soil As mobility.     

Degradation of metabolites accumulated of benzo[a]pyrene by coupling Penicillium Chrysogenum with KMnO4

Several main metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene （BaP） formed by Penicillium chrysogenum, Benzo[a]pyrene-1,6-quinone （BP 1,6- quinone）, trans-7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrobenzo[a]pyrene （BP 7,8-diol）, 3-hydroxybenzo[a]pyrene （3-OHBP）, were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. The three metabolites were liable to be accumulated and were hardly further metabolized because of their toxicity to microorganisms. However, their further degradation was essential for the complete degradation of BaP. To enhance their degradation, two methods, degradation by coupling Penicillium chrysogenum with KMnO4 and degradation only by Penicillium chrysogenum, were compared; Meanwhile, the parameters of degradation in the superior method were optimized. The results showed that （1） the method of coupling Penicillium chrysogenum with KMnO4 was better and was the first method to be used in the degradation of BaP and its metabolites; （2） the metabolite, BP 1,6-quinone was the most liable to be accumulated in pure cultures; （3） the effect of degradation was the best when the concentration of KMnO4 in the cultures was 0.01% （w/v）, concentration of the three compounds was 5 mg/L and pH was 6.2. Based on the experimental results, a novel concept with regard to the bioremediation of BaP-contaminated environment was discussed, considering the influence on environmental toxicity of the accumulated metabolites.     

Impact of atrazine and nitrogen fertilizers on the sorption of chlorotoluron in soil and model sorbents

Sorption of chlorotoluron in ammonium sulfate, urea and atrazine multi-solutes system was investigated by batch experiments. The results showed application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil could affect the behavior of chlorotoluron. At the same concentration of N, sorption of chlorotoluron decreased as the concentration of atrazine increased on the day 0 and 6 in soil, respectively. The sorption of chlorotoluron increased from 0 to 6 d when soils were preincubated with deionized water, ammonium sulfate and urea solution for 6 d. That indicated incubation time was one of the most important factors for the sorption of chlorotoluron in nitrogen fertilizers treatments. The individual sorption isotherms of chlorotoluron in rubbery polymer and silica were strictly linear in single solute system, but there were competition sorption between pesticides or between pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers. That indicated the sorption taken place by concurrent solid-phase dissolution mechanism and sorption on the interface of water-organic matter or water-mineral matter.     

Potential of plant polyphenol oxidases in the decolorization and removal of textile and non-textile dyes

In this study an effort has been made to use plant polyphenol oxidases; potato （Solanum tuberosum） and brinjal （Solanum melongena）, for the treatment of various important dyes used in textile and other industries. The ammonium sulphate fractionated enzyme preparations were used to treat a number of dyes under various experimental conditions. Majority of the treated dyes were maximally decolorized at pH 3.0. Some of the dyes were quickly decolorized whereas others were marginally decolorized. The initial first hour was sufficient for the maximum decolorization of dyes. The rate of decolorization was quite slow on long treatment of dyes. Enhancement in the dye decolorization was noticed on increasing the concentration of enzymes. The complex mixtures of dyes were treated with both preparations of polyphenol oxidases in the buffers of varying pH values. Potato polyphenol oxidase was significantly more effective in decolorizing the dyes to higher extent as compared to the enzyme obtained from brinjal polyphenol oxidase. Decolorization of dyes and their mixtures, followed by the formation of an insoluble precipitate, which could be easily removed simply by centrifugation.     

Effects of two sludge application on fractionation and phytotoxicity of zinc and copper in the soil

The potential harm of heavy metals is a primary concern in application of sludge to the agricultural land. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of two sludges on fractionation of Zn and Cu in soil and their phytotoxicity to pakchoi. The loamy soil was mixed with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% (by weight) of digested sewage sludge (SS) and composted sludge (SC). The additions of both sludges caused a significant raise in all fractions, resulting in that exchangeable (EXCH) and organic bound (OM) became predominance of Zn and organic bound Cu occupied the largest portion. There was more available amount of Zn and Cu in SS treatments than SC treatments. During the pot experiment, the concentration of Zn in EXCH, carbonate (CAR) and OM and Cu in EXCH and OM fractions decreased in all treatments, so their bioavailability reduced. Germination rate and plant biomass decreased when the addition rate was high and the best yield appeared in 20% mixtures at the harvest of pakchoi. The two sludges increased tissue contents of Zn and Cu especially in the SS treatments. Zn in pakchoi was not only in relationship to ΔEXCH and ΔCAR forms but also in ΔOM forms in the sludge-soil mixtures. Tissue content of Cu in pakchoi grown on SC-soils could not be predicted by ΔEXCH. These correlation rates between Zn and Cu accumulation in pakchoi and variation of different fractions increased with time, which might indicate that sludges represented stronger impacts on the plant in long-term land application.     

Intraspecific differences in effects of co-contamination of cadmium and

A hydroponic experiment was carried out to study intraspecific differences in the effects of different concentrations of cadmium (Cd)(0-10 mg/L) and arsenate (As(V)) (0-8 mg/L) on the growth parameters and accumulation of Cd and As in six wheat varieties Jing-9428, Duokang-1, Jingdong-11, Jing-411, Jingdong-8 and Zhongmai-8. The endpoints of wheat seedlings, including seed germination,biomass, root length and shoot height, decreased with increasing the Cd and As concentrations. Significant differences in seed germination, biomass, root length, shoot height and the accumulation of Cd and As were observed between the treatments and among the varieties (p ＜ 0.05). The lethal dosage 50% were about 20, 80, 60, 60, 80 and 20 mg As/L for Jing-9428, Duokang-1, Jingdong-11,Jing-411, Jingdong-8 and Zhongmai-8, respectively, and the corresponding values for Cd were about 30, 80, 20, 40, 60 and 10 mg Cd/L, respectively. Among the six varieties, Duokang-1 was found to be the most resistant to Cd and As toxicity, and Zhongmai-8 was the most sensitive to Cd and As co-contamination. The resistance of the six varieties was found dependant on the seedling uptake of Cd and As. Duokang-1 was the most suitable for cultivation in Cd and As co-contaminated soils.     

Removal of heavy metals from sewage sludge by low costing chemical method and recycling in agriculture

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Isolation and preliminary characterization of a 3-chlorobenzoate degrading bacteria

A study was conducted to compare the diversity of 2-, 3-, and 4-chlorobenzoate degraders in two pristine soils and one contaminated sewage sludge. These samples contained strikingly different populations of mono-chlorobenzoate degraders. Although fewer cultures were isolated in the uncontaminated soils than contaminated one, the ability of microbial populations to mineralize chlorobenzoate was widespread. The 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate degraders were more diverse than the 2-chlorobenzoate degraders. One of the strains isolated from the sewage sludge was obtained. Based on its phenotype, chemotaxonomic properties and 16S rRNA gene, the organism S-7 was classified as Rhodococcus erythropolis. The strain can grow at temperature from 4 to 37℃. It can utilize several （halo）aromatic compounds. Moreover, strain S-7 can grow and use 3-chlorobenzoate as sole carbon source in a temperatures range of 10-30℃ with stoichiometric release of chloride ions. The psychrotolerant ability was significant for bioremediation in low temperature regions. Catechol and chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase activities were present in cell free extracts of the strain, but no （chloro）catechol 2,3- dioxygenase activities was detected. Spectral conversion assays with extracts from R. erythropolis S-7 showed accumulation of a compound with a similar UV spectrum as chloro-cis,cis-muconate from 3-chlorobenzoate. On the basis of these results, we proposed that S-7 degraded 3-chlorobenzoate through the modified ortho-cleave pathway.     

Single and joint effects of pesticides and mercury on soil urease

The influence of two pesticides including chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan and mercury （Hg） on urease activity in 4 soils （meadow burozem and phaeozem） was investigated. The soils were exposed to various concentrations of the two pesticides and Hg individually and simultaneously. Results showed that there was a close relationship between urease activity and organic matter content in soil. Chlorimuron-ethyl and furadan could both activate urease in the 4 soils. The maximum increment of urease activity by chlorimuronethyl was up to 14%-18%. There was almost an equal increase （up to 13%-21%） in the urease activity by furadan. On the contrary, Hg markedly inhibited soil urease activity. A logarithmic equation was used to describe the relationship （P〈0.05） between the concentration of Hg and the activity of soil urease in the 4 tested soils. Semi-effect dose （ED50） values by the stress of Hg based on the inhibition of soil urease in the 4 soils were 88, 5.5, 24 and 20 mg/kg, respectively, according to the calculation of the corresponding equations. The interactive effect of chlorimuron-ethyl or furadan with metal Hg on soil urease was mainly synergic at the highest tested concentrations.