Chemical constituents of one endophytic fungus isolated from Cordyceps sinensis北大核心CSCD

The study focused on the analysis of the chemical constituents of ethyl acetate extracts of Penicillium herquei, an endophyte of Cordyceps sinensis. The compounds were isolated and purified by chromatographic procedures and identified on the basis of spectral methods. Eleven compounds were identified: 2′,4′-dihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethylacetophenone (1), vanillin (2), 3-oxo-α-ionone (3), 3,3,5-trimethyl-4-(3-oxo-1-butenyl)cyclohexan-1-one (4), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (5), p-hydroxyacetophenone (6), methyl p-hydroxyphenylacetate (7), cyclo-(Pro-Ile) (8), cyclo-(Pro-Val) (9), 4-methoxyphenylacetic acid (10), and cyclo-(4-methyl-Pro-Val) (11). Benzaldehydes, ionones, and cyclodipeptides are the major metabolites of the P. herquei from C. sinensis. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Effects of planting density on the microclimate of rice population with different panicle-types and its yield components北大核心CSCD

Split-plot field experiments, with variety as the main plot, were designed to analyze the microclimate and character of R498 (curved panicle) and R499 (erect panicle) varieties of rice during the full heading day and on the 20th day after full heading. The planting densities assigned to the subplots were 0.23 m (line spacing) × 0.12 m (hole spacing), 0.27 m × 0.14 m, 0.33 m × 0.17 m, 0.38 m × 0.20 m, and 0.40 m × 0.21 m. The results showed that for all the planting densities, the maximum temperature of R499 increased by 1.52 ℃ on an average during the full heading stage, but decreased by 0.66 ℃ on the 20th day after full heading, in comparison to those of R498. The mean daily light intensities of R498 and R499 in sparse planting (0.38 m × 0.20 m, 0.40 m × 0.21 m) were higher than those of other planting density treatments during the full heading stage, being 43.56% and 16.22% higher, respectively, than that of the lowest daily light intensity. The daily light intensity of R498 was hindered by close planting (0.23 m × 0.12 m, 0.27 m × 0.14 m) while that of R499 was inhibited by sparse planting on the 20th day after the full heading stage. The rates of decrease of vertical light intensity of R498 and R499 in sparse planting were the highest among all the planting density treatments, their rates of decrease being 97.96% and 92.56%, respectively, during the full heading stage, and 94.81% and 91.10%, respectively, on the 20th day after the full heading stage. When the planting density was decreased, the variability of plant height, tiller number, and panicle curvature were greater for R499 than those of R498. The rates of incidence of sheath blight for R498 and R499 in the planting specification of 0.38 m × 0.20 m were 66.67% and 68.89%, respectively, which was the most serious among all the planting density treatments. On increasing the effective spike number and panicle weight, both R498 and R499 produced the highest yields with the planting specification of 0.27 m × 0.14 m, among all the planting density treatments. Even when the density was excessively reduced, the value of yield components did not increase any further. Thus, it is better to plant rice with curved panicles (R498) in a reasonable planting density (neither too close nor too sparse), and to plant rice with erect panicles in a reasonably close planting density. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Multistep conversion of cresols by phenol hydroxylase and 2,3-dihydroxy-biphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase

A mulfistep conversion system composed of phenol hydroxylase （PHrND） and 2,3-dihydroxy-biphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase （BphCLA_4） was used to synthesize methylcatechols and semialdehydes from o- and m-cresol for the first time. Docking studies displayed by PyMOL predicted that cresols and methylcatechols could be theoretically transformed by this multistep conversion system~ High performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry （HPLC-MS） analysis also indicated that the products formed from multistep conversion were the corresponding 3-methylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, 2- hydroxy-3-methyl-6-oxohexa-2,4-dienoic acid （2- hydroxy-3-methyl-ODA） and 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-6-oxo- hexa-2,4-dienoic acid （2-hydroxy-5-methyl-ODA）. The optimal cell concentrations of the recombinant E. coli strain BL21 （DE3） expressing phenol hydroxylase （PHrND） and 2,3-dihydroxy-biphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase （BphCLA_4） and pH for the multistep conversion of o- and m-cresol were 4.0 （g-L-1 cell dry weight） and pH 8.0, respectively. For the first step conversion, the formation rate of 3- methylcatechol （0.29μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1cell dry weight） from o-cresol was similarly with that ofmethylca- techols （0.28 μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1 cell dry weight） from m-cresol by strain PHrND. For the second step conversion, strain BphCLA_4 showed higher formation rate （0.83 μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1 cell dry weight） for 2-hydroxy-3-methyl- ODA and 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-ODA from m-cresol, which was 1.1-fold higher than that for 2-hydroxy-3-methyl- ODA （0.77 μmol·L-1·min-1·mg-1. mglcell dry weight） from ocresol. The present study suggested the potential application of the multistep conversion system for the production of chemical synthons and high-value products.     

The oligopeptides production by the feather-degrading bacterium Bacillus methylotrophicus H0北大核心CSCD

Due to the high nutritive value of oligopeptides and the waste of feather resources, this study aimed at screening efficient strains of bacteria able to rapidly degrade feathers and produce large quantities of value-added oligopeptides. In order to assess the potential yield of oligopeptides, the promising strain H0 was selected from 16 feather-degrading microorganisms. To identify the strain, we analyzed the morphological and physiological characteristics of different strains, and carried out a gene sequence analysis of their 16S rRNAs. A single factor experiment was used to promote feather degradation and oligopeptide production, and the characteristics of the oligopeptides produced were also analyzed by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The strain was identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus. The optimal initial pH and temperature for oligopeptide production were 11 and 40 °C, respectively. After 72 h of fermentation under these optimal conditions, the feathers were almost completely degraded, with a 38.19% of oligopeptides (accounting for 67.53% of the total soluble peptides) and a 11.11% of free amino acids produced. LC-MS/MS analysis indicated that the oligopeptides were mainly short peptides containing 5-10 amino acids, with a molecular mass (Mr) of less than 1 300. Moreover, the peptides were abundant in branched-chain amino acids, that might be responsible for the antioxidant property of the feather hydrolysate. Our results demonstrate the great capability of B. methylotrophicus H0 in feather degradation and oligopeptide production. This research provides a high-quality microorganism resource, and the scientific basis for the development of feather-derived oligopeptide products. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Occurrence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals concern in sewage plant effluent

The purpose of this study was to give a worldwide overview of the concentrations of typical estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals （EDCs） in the effluent of sewage plants and then compare the concentra- tion distribution of the estrogenic EDCs in ten countries based on the survey data of the estrogenic EDCs research. The concentrations of three main categories （totally eight kinds） of estrogenic EDCs including steroidal estrogens （estrone （El）, estradiol （E2）, estriol （E3） and 17a- ethynylestradiol （EE2））, phenolic compounds （nonylphe- nol （NP） and bisphenol A （BPA）） and phthalate esters （dibutyl phthalate （DBP） and dibutyl phthalate （2- ethylhexyl） phthalate （DEHP）） in the effluents of sewage plants reported in major international journals over the past decade were collected. The statistics showed that the concentration distributions of eight kinds of EDCs were in the range of ng·L^-1 to μg·L^-1. The concentrations of steroidal estrogens mainly ranged within 50.00 ng. L-1, and the median concentrations of El, E2, E3 and EE2 were 11.00, 3.68, 4.90 and 1.00 ng·L^-1, respectively. Phenolic compounds and phthalate esters were found at pg. L-1 level （some individual values were at the high level of 40.00 μg·L^-1）. The median concentrations of BPA, NP, DBP and DEHP were 0.06, 0.55, 0.07 and 0.88 μg·L^-1, respectively. The concentrations of phenolic compounds and phthalate esters in the effluents were higher than that of steroids estrogens. The analysis of the concentration in various ten countries showed that steroids estrogens, phenolic compounds and phthalate esters in sewage plant effluents were detected with high concentration in Canada, Spain and China, respectively.     

Characterization and catabolic genes detection of three oil-degrading Rhodococcus spp.北大核心CSCD

Oil pollution is one of the major factors causing environmental deterioration. Bioremediation of oil contaminated environments by microorganisms attracts much research attention. This study aimed to screen efficient oil-degrading bacteria from oil contaminated soil and analyze their characteristics and catabolic genes. Oil-degrading bacteria were screened from oil contaminated soil in minimal medium containing crude oil and identified by morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. Their growth and degradation characteristics were studied with ultraviolet spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis. The surfactant production was studied by adopting culture method. The major oil-degrading related genes were detected by t he PCR a mplification. As a result, t hree oil-degrading bacteria strains named KB1, 2182 and JC3-47 were isolated from the oil contaminated soil samples. The strains could use crude oil as the sole carbon source to degrade oil with a degrading rate of 41.02%, 32.26% and 55.90%, respectively, when cultured in minimal medium containing crude oil for 3 days. The bacteria were identified to belong to genus Rhodococcus. With 100% similarity of 16S rDNA sequences of the three strains with known ones of Rhodococcus, KB1 was preliminarily identified as Rhodococcus erythropolis, 2182 as Rhodococcus equi, and JC3-47 as Rhodococcus qingshengii. They grew well at 10-50 °C, with the initial pH of 3-9 and the NaCl concentration of 0-5%. The optimal temperature for bacterial growth was 35 °C, 35 °C and 30 °C respectively. KB1 and 2182 could grow at pH 2 and 9.0% of NaCl. The bacteria grew well in broth containing different organic substrates as sole carbon source, such as n-dodecane, n-octadecane, benzene, methylbenzene, xylene and naphthaline. KB1 and JC3-47 could grow well in broth containing pyrene. GC-MS analysis revealed that the bacteria could effectively degrade medium- and long-chain alkane components in crude oil. The bacteria produced biosurfactants and decreased the surface tension of the culture broth. They also showed adhesion activities to n-hexadecane. The oil-degrading related genes such as alkane monooxygenase, aromatic-ring-hydroxylating dioxygenase and catechol dioxygenase genes were detected in all the three strains. Besides, biphenyl dioxygenase genes were detected in KB1 and 2182. The isolated Rhodococcus spp. strains could effectively degrade petroleum hydrocarbons with high adaptabilities to extreme environments such as high salt and low temperature. They are supposed to be applied broadly in the bioremediation of oil contaminated soil in such environments.     

Quantity and activity of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria and their contribution to ammonia oxidation in farmland soil of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau北大核心CSCD

Ammonia oxidation, the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, is mainly performed by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, the activities of AOA and AOB in soil and their relative contribution to ammonia oxidation are unclear, and whether there is a significant correlation between the quantity of AOA and AOB and the ammonia oxidation rate is also controversial. In this study, quantitative PCR combined with acetylene (C2H2) and 1-octyne inhibition methods were used to determine the quantity and activity of AOA and AOB in wheat, highland barley, and oilseed rape soils in Nyingchi, Lhatse, Sangzhuzi, and Sangri counties on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The results showed that the quantity of AOB ((2.34 ± 0.84) ×105 - (2.65 ± 1.07) ×106 copies g-1 dry soil) was significantly higher than that of AOA ((0.20 ± 0.10) ×104 - (4.02 ± 0.39) ×104 copies g-1 dry soil) in all the soil samples. Soil pH was the key factor affecting the quantity of AOB, and the total phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen in soil were the key factors affecting the quantity of AOA. The rates of ammonia oxidation in the farmland soils of Lhatse (2.42 ± 0.73 mg kg-1 d-1) and Sangzhuzi (3.24 ± 1.15 mg kg-1 d-1) were significantly higher than those in the soils of Nyingchi (1.17 ± 0.43 mg kg-1 d-1) and Sangri counties (0.88 ± 0.57 mg kg-1 d-1). The rates of ammonia oxidation in the farmland soils of Lhatse and Sangzhuzi were dominated by AOB, while those in the farmland soils of Nyingchi and Sangri counties were dominated by AOA. For crops, the ammonia oxidation rates of wheat and oilseed rape soils in all four regions were significantly higher than those of highland barley soil, whereas the activity of AOA and AOB was not influenced by crops. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus was the key factor influencing AOA activity, whereas soil pH and total carbon were the main factors influencing AOB activity. Additionally, the quantities of AOA and AOB were not significantly correlated with the total ammonia oxidation rates and AOA and AOB activity. Overall, our study suggests that both AOA and AOB play important roles in ammonia oxidation in farmland soils of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Moreover, it is unreliable to predict the activity of AOA and AOB and their relative contribution to ammonia oxidation directly based on their number of amoA genes, and the activity of AOA and AOB should be directly and accurately measured. These results are important for understanding ammonia nitrogen removal processes, slowing nitrate loss, and reducing the emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide in the farmland ecosystem of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Assessment of temporal and spatial variations in water quality using multivariate statistical methods： a case study of the Xin＇anjiang River,China

This study evaluated the temporal and spatial variations of water quality data sets for the Xin＇anjiang River through the use of multivariate statistical techniques, including cluster analysis （CA）, discriminant analysis （DA）, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis （PCA）. The water samples, measured by ten parameters, were collected every month for three years （2008-2010） from eight sampling stations located along the river. The hierarchical CA classified the 12 months into three periods （First, Second and Third Period） and the eight sampling sites into three groups （Groups 1, 2 and 3） based on seasonal differences and various pollution levels caused by physicochemical properties and anthropogenic activ- ities. DA identified three significant parameters （tempera- ture, pH and E.coli） to distinguish temporal groups with close to 76% correct assignment. The DA also discovered five parameters （temperature, electricity conductivity, total nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus） for spatial variation analysis, with 80.56% correct assignment. The non-parametric correlation coefficient （Spear- man R） explained the relationship between the water quality parameters and the basin characteristics, and the GIS made the results visual and direct. The PCA identified four PCs for Groups 1 and 2, and three PCs for Group 3. These PCs captured 68.94%, 67.48% and 70.35% of the total variance of Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Although natural pollution affects the Xin＇anjiang River, the main sources of pollution included agricultural activities, industrial waste, and domestic wastewater.     

Phase transition behavior of elastin-like polypeptides oligomerized with the Foldon domain北大核心CSCD

To investigate the underlying mechanism of the unique phase transition behavior of SpyCatcher-ELPs40 (C-E) and the influence of the oligomerization domain on the phase transition of C-E, we constructed a non-covalent three-armed star oligomerization of C-E-F and E-F by fusing the Foldon (F) domain with SpyCatcher-ELPs40 (C-E) and ELPs40 (E). Results showed that the phase transition temperature of ELPs40 fused with Foldon was higher than that of ELPs120, whereas it was lower than those of ELPs40 and the SpyTag/SpyCatcher-mediated covalent three-armed elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). This proved that the topology of ELPs could affect their phase transition behaviors. The phase transition temperature of C-E-F was 28.8 ℃ and 35.6 ℃ higher than those of C-E and ELPs40, respectively, although C-E-F had a similar sequence with C-E and ELPs40. When the concentration of NaCl was 0.8 mol/L, the differences in the phase transition temperatures were 41.2 ℃ and 47.1, respectively. We could only observe the phase transition of C-E-F in the Na2CO3 solution with high concentration (≥ 0.7 mol/ L); however, the phase transition could be clearly detected in the Na2SO4 solution, even when the concentration of Na2SO4 was very low. This result was obviously inconsistent with the Hofmeister series. This is the first report of non-linear ELPs that has shown this unique phase transition behavior. The possible reason was related to the charges distributed on the solvent accessible surface and the oligomeric state of C-E-F triggered by the Foldon domain. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Identification of Tsuga Germplasm by Morphological Characters and RAPD Markers

Germplasm collection is important to preserve and maximize genetic diversity for germplasm conservation. Tsuga dumosa （ D. Don） Eichler in Engler ＆ Prantl. and T. chinensis var. forrestii （Downie） Silba germplasm was collected from three localities in China： Mt. Yulong, Wenfeng Temple and Mt. Dishiergu, Yunnan Province. Accessions were identified based on morphological characters and RAPD markers. The shapes of the apices and margins of needles were examined, and the length and width of needles, cones and seeds from accessions of mature plants were used to compare the morphological differences and to identify the germplasm. Molecular markers generated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） were also used to characterize the taxa. Although the clustering based on RAPD markers was inconsistent with the morphological characters of the needles, based on the overall morphological characters and on RAPD markers, the accessions from Mt. Yulong and Wenfeng Temple were identified as T. chinertsis var. forrestii, and those from Mt. Dishiergu identified as T. dumosa. Taxonomic identification of the accessions was made based on morphology and by RAPD markers concurred. The results indicate that the shapes of the apices and margins of needles particularly from young plants could not be used as a possible key to identify T. dumosa and T. chinertsis var. forrestii. Fig 6, Tab 3, Ref24     

Enhanced dewatering characteristics of waste activated sludge with Fenton pretreatment: effectiveness and statistical optimization

In this work, the enhanced dewaterabing characteristics of waste activated sludge using Fenton pretreatment was investigated in terms of effectiveness and statistical optimization. Response surface method （RSM） and central composite design （CCD） were applied to evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of important operational parameters, i.e., H202 concentrations, Fe2＋ concentrations and initial pH values. A significant quadratic polynomial model was obtained （R2= 0.9189） with capillary suction time （CST） reduction efficiency as the response. Numerical optimization based on desirability function was carried out. The optimum values for H202, Fe2, and initial pH were found to be 178 mg-g-1 VSS （volatile suspended solids）, 211mg.gI VSS and 3.8, respectively, at which CST reduction efficiency of 98.25% could be achieved. This complied well with those predicted by the established polynomial model. The results indicate that Fenton pretreatment is an effective technique for advanced waste activated sludge dewatering. The enhancement of sludge dewaterability by Fenton＇s reagent lies in the migration of sludge bound water due to the disintegration of sludge flocs and microbial cells lysis.     

Distribution and habitat characteristics of fishes in the Pearl River Estuary北大核心CSCD

To explore the current situation and distribution of fish in the eight major estuaries of the Pearl River Estuary in China, acoustic detection and water quality monitoring were conducted in 2018. The results showed that almost living in eight major estuaries were juvenile, the proportion of strong echo was higher in winter, and Jiaomen and Modaomen Estuary were relatively rich in adult fish. In winter, the Humen, Jiaomen, and Yamen Estuary had a high density relatively, for 46.05 (± 50.30), 33.12 (± 93), and 32 (± 78) ind/103 m3, respectively. However, the fish densities of the Hengmen, Modaomen, and Hutiaomen estuaries were higher in summer at 55.72 (± 83.23), 37.52 (± 55) and 36 (± 99) ind/103 m3, respectively. Thus, fish are mainly concentrated in the flood tidal estuary in winter and in the ebb tidal estuary in summer. In addition, fish density was higher in flood tide than in ebb tide, and the strong echo proportion was lower. In winter, the key water quality factors affecting the biodiversity of estuary fish Shannon were chlorophyll a (P < 0.05), while what affected the fish density were turbidity and salinity (P < 0.05). This study showed that the Pearl River estuary was still the main habitat for juvenile fish. However, habitat variability is obvious; hence, it is important to flexibly carry out the delimitation of estuarine fish reserves and ecological restoration. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Effects of soil warming and nitrogen deposition on leaf and soil stoichiometric characteristics of Cunninghamia lanceolata saplings北大核心CSCD

Warming and nitrogen deposition directly or indirectly affect the plant-soil element cycle under global change. To examine the effects of warming and nitrogen deposition on leaf and soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) contents, and their stoichiometric ratios in Cunninghamia lanceolata saplings, four types of treatments were assigned: control (CT), warming (W, + 4 ºC), nitrogen deposition (N, 40 kg ha-1 a-1), and warming + nitrogen deposition (WN) treatments. The results showed that: (1) compared with CT, W treatment significantly decreased leaf P content by 54.54% and increased leaf C/P and N/P by 85.26% and 83.39%, respectively; WN treatment significantly decreased leaf C content and P content by 1.99% and 51.03%, respectively, but increased the leaf C/P by 68.01% with no significant differences in leaf N content among treatments. The leaf N/P ratio of each treatment was less than 10, but that of the W and WN treatments were closer to 10 than that of the CT treatment. Meanwhile, W and WN treatments significantly increased tree height. (2) No significant differences were observed in soil total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents among treatments. Compared with CT, W treatment significantly decreased soil C/N by 4.09%, while neither W nor WN treatment affected soil C/P and N/P. W treatment increased the available soil content compared to CT treatment. (3) The correlation analysis showed that leaf N content was significantly negatively correlated with soil C/N in the CT treatment; in the W treatment leaf N content and N/P were significantly positively correlated with soil TN and TP content, respectively. Leaf N content was significantly negatively correlated with soil TC and TN in the N treatment, and leaf contents had no significant correlation with soil C, N, and P contents or their stoichiometric characteristics in the WN treatment. This study showed that N limitation still exists in C. lanceolata saplings. Warming and the interaction between warming and nitrogen deposition could alleviate N limitation and promote the growth of C. lanceolata. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Seasonal and interannual variation of soil respiration in four vegetation types in the loess hilly region北大核心CSCD

Soit carbon (C) stock is the largest C pool in terrestrial ecosystems, and the emission of CO2 through soil respiration contributes to the majority of soil C expenditure and atmospheric C. Soil respiration is also one of the major processes controlling the C budget of terrestrial ecosystems. A slight change in soil CO2 emission might cause drastic variations in global C balance. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the characteristics of soil respiration of soils growing different types of vegetation over a long period, and determine its relationship with variables such as soil temperature and moisture. The rate of soil respiration was measured each month in the growing seasons (from April to October) of 2011, 2013, and 2014 using the Li-8100 CO2 flux measurement system in the central Loess Plateau. Four types of vegetation (Quercus liaotungensis, Platycladus orientalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, and a natural shrub) were chosen for the periodical measurements. A permanent sample plot was established for each type of vegetation, and five polyvinyl chloride (PVC) collars were placed in each plot for the measurements. The temperature and water content of the soil in the upper 12 cm near the collar were measured using a digital soil temperature probe and a TDR 200 soil moisture meter at the same time when the soil respiration was measured. The soil respiration rates were fitted to the soil temperature and moisture with an exponential function, power function, linear function, and an equation combining the two variables. The results showed that: (1) the seasonal variation in the rates of soil respiration in the soils growing the four types of vegetation were almost the same, and were lower in the earlier period and then increased to high levels in the middle and later periods; (2) the rates of soil respiration in the same month varied with the type of vegetation grown, and were in the descending order: Q. liaotungensis > P. orientalis > shrub > R. pseudoacacia; (3) the average values of the rates of soil respiration in 2011, 2013, and 2014 were 2.77, 3.48, and 5.08 μmol m-2 s-1, respectively. The variation in soil respiration was higher across the three years than the variation for the types of vegetation grown; and (4) the rate of soil respiration was positively correlated to soil temperature and moisture for all the types of vegetation. A better fit was obtained by using the equation that included both the variables, soil temperature and moisture, than by an equation that included a single factor. Our results suggested that both seasonal and inter-annual variations of soil respiration occurred in the soils growing the four types of vegetation in the region. The temperature and water content of soils are the major regulating factors, and soil respiration in the Loess Plateau is more greatly affected by environment factors than by the type of vegetation. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Evolution of soil fertility and nitrogen/phosphorus leaching risk in protected agriculture of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau北大核心CSCD

Understanding changes in soil fertility and soil environmental risks in protected agriculture with high irrigation and fertilizer inputs are of great significance for ecological protection. In this study, soil samples in the plow layer were collected from greenhouses >100 acres in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau after different durations of planting time (either ≤ 3, 3-5, 5-10, or 10-20 years) to assess the changing pattern of soil fertility indicators and the potential leaching risk of nitrogen and phosphorus. The results showed that soil organic matter (OM) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in protected agriculture were 17.1 and 1.3 g/kg, respectively, which suggests moderate content levels. Meanwhile, soil alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (Olsen-P), and available potassium (AK) contents were 160.9, 72.0, and 191.2 mg/kg, respectively, which suggests abundant content levels. As the number of planting years increased, the contents of soil OM, TN, AN, and Olsen-P increased significantly, especially after 10 years, with 41.6%, 44.2%, 26.5%, and 67.4% increases, respectively, compared to ≤ 3 years. As seen, Olsen-P had the most marked increase. In contrast, soil AK and pH decreased with planting years, and soil AK after 5 years decreased by 32% compared to ≤ 3 years. Moreover, the soil pH value in 3-5 years decreased by 2.3% compared to that of ≤ 3 years. The leaching risk of soil nitrogen and phosphorus was intensified after 10-20 years, and the probability of leaching was 0.74 and 0.84, respectively. This study indicated that, in protected agriculture, soil OM, AN, and Olsen-P contents improved, accompanied by a high risk of N and P loss, and AK and soil pH values decreased. It is recommended that the input of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers should be controlled, and the input of potassium fertilizer should be increased for more than 10 years of facility cultivation. This study provides a scientific basis for the rational fertilization of agricultural facilities. The findings indicate that after facility planting for 10-20 years, soil organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus significantly increased, yet the leaching risk of nitrogen and phosphorus increased as well, suggesting that the input of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer should be controlled. After 3-5 years of planting, soil AK and pH values decreased significantly, implicating that potassium and organic fertilizer should be supplemented in a timely manner. © 2022 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Remediation of soil heavily polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls using a low-temperature plasma technique

Polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs） were removed by low-temperature plasma technique （dielectric barrier discharge） from heavily polluted soil and their intermediate products were analyzed. The removal rate ranged from 40.1 to 84.6% by different treatments, and they were also influenced significantly （P 〈 0.01） by soil particle-size, electric power, gas flow rate and reaction time. The optimal reaction conditions of PCB removal from the soil were obtained experimentally when soil particle-size, electrical power, flow rate and reaction time were 5-10mm, 21w, 120mL. rain and 90rain, respectively. However, decreasing electrical power, flow rate and reaction time to 18 w, 60 mL. min- and 60 min respectively were also acceptable in view of the cost of remediation. This technique was characterized by the additional advantage of thorough oxidation of PCBs in the soil, with no formation of intermediate products after reaction. The technique therefore shows some promise for application in the remediation of soils contaminated with persistent organic pollutants in brown field sites in urban areas.     

High specificity detection of Pb2+ ions by p-SCN-Bz-DTPA immunogen and p-NH2-Bn-DTPA coating antigen

Only one bifunctional metal-chelator was used to prepare immunogen and coating antigen in all of the previous researches. However, the antibody-specific recognition to the spacer arm of the bifunctional metal- chelator might lower the specificity of heavy metal ions immunoassay. Two different bifunctional metal-chelators were adopted to prepare the immunogen and coating antigen respectively in our study to avoid this problem. The conjugates of keyhole limpet hemocyanin （KLH） and p-SCN-Bz-DTPA-Pb were used as immunogen, whereas the conjugates of bovine sentrn albumin （BSA） and p- NH2-Bn-DTPA-Pb were used as coating antigen. Poly- clonal antibodies specific to DTPA-Pb chelates were obtained from rabbits. Indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to detect Pb^2＋ ion solutions prepared by Pb^2＋ standard solution and ultrapure water. In the mixing microplate, DTPA and Pb2＋ ions formed chelates and combined with specific anti- bodies. After incubation, the DTPA-Pb and the antibodies complex were added into the wells of the reaction microplate. The reaction microplate was coated by the conjugates ofBSA andp-NH2-DTPA-Pb, which competed for the specific antibodies. The result signals presented a good sigmoid curve when the Pb^2＋ concentration ranges from 0.01 to 100mg·L^-1 The IC50 of the indirect competitive ELISA is 0.23±0.04mg·L^-1 Pb2＋ ion. The cross-reaction with Cd^2＋, Cu^2＋, Fe^2＋, Mn^2＋, Zn^2＋, and other divalent ions were less than 5%.     

Assessment of heavy metal pollution and health risks in a main river in Huayuan County,Xiangxi, Hunan Province北大核心CSCD

To study heavy metal pollution and assess the health risk of river water in Huayuan County, Xiangxi, Hunan Province, 11 water samples were collected from the Huayuan River and Brother Rivers in August and December 2016. Heavy metal (Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Ni) concentrations were determined from the samples. The health risk assessment model recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was applied to assess the health risk of heavy metals in the main surface waters of Huayuan County. The results indicated that the concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Ni) of surface water in the research area were 2.57 × 10-3, 4.66 × 10-4, 1.65 × 10-3, 6.27 × 10-4, 0.19, and 8.50 × 10-4 mg/L, respectively. The health risk of surface waters with heavy metals was high. Therefore, the chemical carcinogenic substance (Cr) health risk index was five or six times higher than that of chemical non-carcinogens (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni). The average health risk indices of non-carcinogenic substances were in the order Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni. The correlation and principal component analysis of surface water showed that the six heavy metal elements were composed of three main components in the main surface waters of the county. The first principal component was comprised of Fe and Ni (33.28%), which was mainly from internal pollution. The second component was comprised of Cu and Cr (26.98%), which was primarily due to industrial waste water, rainwater leaching mineral waste produced by heavy metal mining, and smelting enterprises. The third component, resulting from geochemical pollution, was Zn (17.10%). The health risk indices triggered by heavy metal in surface waters was high. Heavy metal pollutants in the research area need to be controlled in the order Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.