Role of nitric oxide in the genotoxic response to chronic microcystin-LR exposure in human-hamster hybrid cells

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is the most abundant and toxic microcystin congener and has been classified as a potential human carcinogen (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying the genotoxic effects of MC-LR during chronic exposure are still poorly understood. In the present study, human-hamster hybrid (A_L) cells were exposed to MC-LR for varying lengths of time to investigate the role of nitrogen radicals in MC-LR-induced genotoxicity. The mutagenic potential at the CD59 locus was more than 2-fold higher (p < 0.01) in A_L cells exposed to a cytotoxic concentration (1 μmol/L) of MC-LR for 30 days than in untreated control cells, which was consistent with the formation of micronucleus. MC-LR caused a dose-dependent increase in nitric oxide (NO) production in treated cells. Moreover, this was blocked by concurrent treatment with the NO synthase inhibitor N^G-methyl-_L-arginine (L-NMMA), which suppressed MC-LRinduced mutations as well. The survival of mitochondrial DNA-depleted (ρ⁰) A_L cells was markedly decreased by MC-LR treatment compared to that in A_L cells, while the CD59 mutant fraction was unaltered. These results provided clear evidence that the genotoxicity associated with chronic MC-LR exposure in mammalian cells was mediated by NO and might be considered as a basis for the development of therapeutics that prevent carcinogenesis.     

Quantification of viable bacteria in wastewater treatment plants by using propidium monoazide combined with quantitative PCR (PMA-qPCR)

The detection of viable bacteria in wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) is very important for public health, as WWTPs are a medium with a high potential for waterborne disease transmission. The aim of this study was to use propidium monoazide(PMA) combined with the quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PMA-qPCR) to selectively detect and quantify viable bacteria cells in full-scale WWTPs in China. PMA was added to the concentrated WWTP samples at a final concentration of 100 μmol/L and the samples were incubated in the dark for 5 min, and then lighted for 4 min prior to DNA extraction and qPCR with specific primers for Escherichia coli and Enterococci, respectively. The results showed that PMA treatment removed more than 99% of DNA from non-viable cells in all the WWTP samples, while matrices in sludge samples markedly reduced the effectiveness of PMA treatment. Compared to qPCR, PMA-qPCR results were similar and highly linearly correlated to those obtained by culture assay, indicating that DNA from non-viable cells present in WWTP samples can be eliminated by PMA treatment, and that PMA-qPCR is a reliable method for detection of viable bacteria in environmental samples. This study demonstrated that PMA-qPCR is a rapid and selective detection method for viable bacteria in WWTP samples, and that WWTPs have an obvious function in removing both viable and non-viable bacteria. The results proved that PMA-qPCR is a promising detection method that has a high potential for application as a complementary method to the standard culture-based method in the future.     

Aging-independent and size-dependent genotoxic response induced by titanium dioxide nanoparticles in mammalian cells

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles(TiO_2 NPs) are subjected to various transformation processes(chemical, physical and biological processes) in the environment, potentially affecting their bioavailability and toxic properties. However, the size variation of TiO_2 NPs during aging process and subsequent effects in mammalian cells are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to illustrate the adverse effects of TiO_2 NPs in different sizes(5, 15 and 100 nm) during aging process on human-hamster hybrid(A_L) cells. There was an aging-time dependent enhancement of average hydrodynamic size in TiO_2 NPs stock suspensions. The cytotoxicity of fresh TiO_2 NPs increased in a size-dependent manner; in contrast, their genotoxicity decreased with the increasing sizes of NPs. No significant toxicity difference was observed in cells exposed to either fresh or 60 day-aged TiO_2 NPs. Both Fresh and aged TiO_2 NPs efficiently induced mitochondrial dysfunction and activated Caspase-3/7 in a size-dependent manner.Using mitochondrial-DNA deficient(ρ~0) ALcells, we further discovered that mitochondrial dysfunction made significant contribution to the size-dependent toxicity induced by TiO_2 NPs during the aging process. Taken together, our data indicated that TiO_2 NPs could significantly induced the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in an aging time-independent and size-dependent manner, which were triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction. Our study suggested the necessity to include size as an additional parameter for the cautious monitoring of TiO_2 NPs disposal before entering the environment.     

Allium cepa root tip assay in assessment of toxicity of magnesium oxide nanoparticles and microparticles

Allium cepa bioassay had been used from decades for the assessment of toxicants and their harmful effects on environment as well as human health. Magnesium oxide(MgO) particles are being utilized in different fields. However, reports on the adverse effects of MgO nanoparticles on the environment and mankind are scarce. Hence, the toxicity of MgO particles is of concern because of their increased utilization. In the current study, A. cepa was used as an indicator to assess the toxicological efficiency of MgO nano-and microparticles(NPs and MPs) at a range of exposure concentrations(12.5, 25, 50, and100 μg/m L). The toxicity was evaluated by using various bioassays on A. cepa root tip cells such as comet assay, oxidative stress and their uptake/internalization profile. Results indicated a dose dependent increase in chromosomal aberrations and decrease in mitotic index(MI) when compared to control cells and the effect was more significant for NPs than MPs(at p 0.05). Comet analysis revealed that the Deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA) damage in terms of percent tail DNA ranged from 6.8–30.1 over 12.5–100 μg/m L concentrations of MgO NPs and was found to be significant at the exposed concentrations. A significant increase in generation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals was observed in accordance with the lipid peroxidation profile in both MgO NPs and MPs treated plants when compared with control. In conclusion, this investigation revealed that MgO NPs exposure exhibited greater toxicity on A. cepa than MPs.     

Characterisation of acute toxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress posed by textile effluent on zebrafish

Textile industries are important sources of toxic discharges and contribute enormously to water deterioration, while little attention has been paid to the toxicity of textile effluents in discharge regulation. Bioassays with zebrafish were employed to evaluate the toxicity of wastewater samples collected from different stages at a textile factory and sewage treatment plants (STPs). Physico-chemical parameters, acute toxicity, genotoxicity and oxidative stress biomarkers were analyzed. The wastewater samples from bleaching, rinsing and soaping of the textile factory exhibited high acute toxicity and genotoxicity. The coexisting components of dye compounds, as assistants and oxidants, seemed to cause some effect on the toxic response. After treatment employing the anoxic-oxic (A/O) process in STPs, the color and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) were reduced by 40% and 84%, respectively, falling within the criteria of the Chinese Sewage Discharge Standard. In contrast, increases in acute toxicity and genotoxicity were observed in the anaerobic tank, indicating the formation of toxic intermediates. The genotoxicity of the effluent of the STP was not significantly different from that of the influent, suggesting the wastewater treatment processes were not effective in removing the genotoxicity of the dye wastewater. Results indicated that the effluent contains pro-oxidants since the activities of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total anti-oxidation capacity (T-AOC) were all elevated. In addition, decreases in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S transferase (GST) activities observed can be interpreted as a cytotoxicity sign due to an over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results of the present study suggest that the STPs were not capable of reducing the toxicity of wastewater sufficiently. Further treatment is needed to remove the potential risks posed by textile effluent to ecosystems and human health, and employing a toxicity index is necessary for discharge regulation.     

Assessing pre/post-weaning neurobehavioral development for perinatal exposure to low doses of methylmercury

Fetuses and neonates are known to be high-risk groups for Methylmercury(MeHg)exposure.MeHg can be transferred to the fetus through the placenta and to newborn offspring through breast milk.The aim of the present study was to investigate the neurotoxic effects of low doses of MeHg(1 and 5 μg/m L in drinking water) administration,from gestational day 1 to postnatal day(PND) 21,on the neurobehavioral development of rats.The results showed that the no-observed-effect level of MeHg is somewhere in the range of 1–4 μg/mL.Neurobehavioral development analysis revealed a delayed appearance of cliff drop and negative geotaxis reflexes in the 5 μg/mL MeHg exposure group.Developmental exposure to MeHg affected locomotor activity functions for the females,but not for the males,implying that the female pups were more vulnerable than the male pups.All pups exposed to 5 μg/mL of MeHg showed a significant deficit in motor coordination in the rotarod test compared with controls,and the highest accumulated concentrations of Hg were found in the cerebellum,followed by the hippocampus and cerebral cortex,indicating that the cerebellum is a possible target for MeHg toxicity.We demonstrated adverse effects of developmental exposure to MeHg associated with tissue concentrations very close to the current human body burden of this persistent and bioaccumulative compound.     

Formation and cytotoxicity of a new disinfection by-product (DBP) phenazine by chloramination of water containing diphenylamine

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water have caused worldwide concern due to their potential carcinogenic effects. The formation of phenazine from diphenylamine (DPhA) chloramination was studied and its cytotoxicities for two human cancer cells were also investigated. Phenazine was detected synchronously with the consumption of DPhA by chloramination, which further confirmed that the new DBP phenazine can be produced along with N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA) from DPhA chloramination. The formation of phenazine had a maximum molar yield with solution pH increasing from 5.0 to 9.0, with phenazine as the main product for DPhA chloramination at lower pH, but higher pH favored the formation of NDPhA. Thus, solution pH is the key factor in controlling the formation of phenazine and NDPhA. Both the initial DPhA and chloramine concentrations did not show a significant effect on the molar yields of phenazine, although increasing the chloramine concentration could speed up the reaction rate of DPhA with chloramines. The cytotoxicity assays showed that phenazine had significant cell-specific toxicity towards T24 (bladder cancer cell lines) and HepG2 (hepatic tumor cell lines) cells with IC50 values of 0.50 and 2.04 mmol/L, respectively, and T24 cells being more sensitive to phenazine than HepG2 cells. The IC50 values of phenazine, DPhA, and NDPhA for T24 cells were of the same order of magnitude and the cytotoxicity of phenazine for T24 cells was slightly lower than that of NDPhA (IC50, 0.16 mmol/L), suggesting that phenazine in drinking water may have an adverse effect on human health.     

Evaluation of genotoxicity of combined soil pollution by cadmium and phenanthrene on earthworm

The DNA-damaging effects of the combined pollution of heavy metal and organic contamination on earthworms were evaluated by single cell gel electrophoresis （SCGE） assay. Earthworms Eisenia andrei were exposed to single or combined test compounds in different doses of cadmium （Cd） 5, 10, 50 mg/kg and phenanthrene （Phe） 0.5, 2.5, 12.5 mg/kg with a treatment of 14 d. In SCGE assay, isolated coelomcytes and electrophoresis were employed to determine DNA damage degree after a 14-d treatment by test compounds. The results showed that there was a significant statistical difference between earthworms treated with Cd combined Phe with them treated alone with Cd or Phe. The Olive tail moment （OTM） of SCGE assay using earthworm coelomcytes appears to be a sensitive biomarker for evaluating exposure to genotoxic compounds. These tests also revealed that the interaction between Cd and Phe to DNA damaging effects was negative, and was strongly dependent on the concentration of pollution. This study corresponds to exploratory phase in order to reveal interaction effects of heavy metal and organic contamination on earthworms and then to set up more in-depth analysis to increase progressively the understanding of the genotoxicity mechanisms involved.     

Case study approach to modeling historical disinfection by-product exposure in Iowa drinking waters

In the 1980 s, a case–control epidemiologic study was conducted in Iowa(USA) to analyze the association between exposure to disinfection by-products(DBPs) and bladder cancer risk. Trihalomethanes(THMs), the most commonly measured and dominant class of DBPs in drinking water, served as a primary metric and surrogate for the full DBP mixture.Average THM exposure was calculated, based on rough estimates of past levels in Iowa. To reduce misclassification, a follow-up study was undertaken to improve estimates of past THM levels and to re-evaluate their association with cancer risk. In addition, the risk associated with haloacetic acids, another class of DBPs, was examined. In the original analysis, surface water treatment plants were assigned one of two possible THM levels depending on the point of chlorination. The re-assessment considered each utility treating surface or groundwater on a case-by-case basis. Multiple treatment/disinfection scenarios and water quality parameters were considered with actual DBP measurements to develop estimates of past levels. The highest annual average THM level in the re-analysis was156 μg/L compared to 74 μg/L for the original analysis. This allowed the analysis of subjects exposed at higher levels( 96 μg/L). The re-analysis established a new approach, based on case studies and an understanding of the water quality and operational parameters that impact DBP formation, for determining historical exposure.     

中国典型城市机动车排放演变趋势

选择中国12个典型城市建立1990~2009年机动车排放清单,分析各城市机动车排放历史演变趋势.结果显示,1990~2009年,研究各城市CO、VOCs、NOx和PM排放因子分别降低57%~81%、53%~78%、22%~74%和31%~76%.20年间,各城市CO和VOCs排放量总体在2000年后陆续达到增长峰值后开始下降,总量分别增长1.0倍和1.4倍;NOx和PM排放量总体保持持续增长,分别增长3.2倍和3.3倍.各城市汽油车是CO和VOCs排放主要贡献源,LDA-G、MDTB-G和HDTB-G对各城市机动车CO和VOCs排放的贡献和分别为约70%~90%和约50%~85%,其中LDA-G的排放贡献明显提高.LDA-G、MDTB-G、MDTB-D和HDTB-D贡献了80%~90%的NOx排放,其中MDTB-D和HDTB-D的排放贡献率从平均57.8%上升为72.7%.对于PM,MDTB-D和HDTB-D占排放的70%~90%.此外,部分城市摩托车排放的贡献不容忽视.     

国外保护矿业环境的矿业立法择优

勘探尤其是开采对环境的污染和破坏是比较典型的,为此,世界绝大多数国家制订了独立于矿产资源法的《矿业法》,从立法资源上保证保护矿业环境的法律构建.国外《矿业法》以源头控制、全过程控制、无过错和合力等立法原则,贯通于行政特许权授予为主并综合运用矿业主体激励、市场力量、公众参与等其他管理方式之中,构建成立体性保护矿业环境的法律制度.国外矿业法择优显得我国取代《矿业法》的《矿产资源法》关于矿业环境保护的规定过分“吝啬“.     

小兴安岭泥炭藓沼泽生态系统中的汞

研究了小兴安岭汤旺河流域中的泥炭、土壤和植物样品的汞,泥炭地总汞的平均含量为65.8～186.6ng/g;高于黑龙江土壤A层汞平均含量,也高于美国佛罗里达大沼泽国家公园和瑞典Birkeness湿地的含量.甲基汞平均含量为0.16～1.86ng/g;约占总汞的0.2%～1.4%,泥炭地总汞最高浓度出现在5～10cm深处,为186.6ng/g,甲基汞最高浓度出现在10～15cm处,为1.86ng/g,均随深度增加而减少.甲基汞含量与总汞没有很强的相关性(P=0.05,r=0.28)     

鸭绿江口潮滩沉积物间隙水中的营养盐

通过对鸭绿江口潮滩区2个采样点采集的柱状样分析、培养实验,测定了沉积物间隙水中的营养盐和沉积物中的S^2-结果表明,鸭绿江口潮滩区沉积物间隙水中的NO₃^-含量平均值为3.0μmol/L,垂直分布变化不大.PO₄^3-和SiO₃^2-的含量范围分别为0.8～70.4μmol/L,111.6～1054.3μmol/L,且两者垂直变化类似,随沉积物深度的增加先增加后下降.沉积物中硫化物的分布是随深度增加,含量升高.鸭绿江口潮滩区沉积物Eh、pH的测定结果显示,在13cm以下,Eh降为负值,沉积物还原性逐渐增强.而pH自上而下变化不大.由分子扩散公式计算结果表明,鸭绿江口潮滩区营养盐均由沉积物向上覆水扩散.     

我国四个港湾疏浚物石油污染

文中叙述了１９８８￣１９９０年间，我国４个港湾－大连湾、天津港、深圳湾及珠江河段各疏浚区疏浚物中油类污染调查及分布状况。文中介绍了站位布设原则，样品采集、样品处理、分析测试方法。进行了沾污疏浚物油类出溶出实验，认为油类溶出实验是估价疏浚物油类污染的程度的重要手段。讨论了４港湾疏浚物油类污染水平。大连湾海域疏浚物石油污染明显，珠江河段，深圳湾及天津港疏浚物稍受影响，基本上是清洁的。     

上海城郊夏季大气VOCs在臭氧生成中的作用

为研究上海市夏季臭氧高发季节大气VOCs在臭氧生成中作用,选取2018年5～8月大气臭氧较高的时段,在淀山湖科学观测研究站对103种挥发性有机物、臭氧和氮氧化物等环境污染物进行观测.结果表明,上海臭氧高发季节大气平均φ(VOCs)为32.7×10-9,羰基化合物是VOCs的主要组分,所占质量分数达35.0％.羰基化合物...     

瑞丽城区一氧化碳污染的现状

经监测，瑞丽市城区街道空气中一氧化碳的日平均浓度己超过国家二级标准，其主要来源是汽车尾气排放，而且其浓度与汽车流量呈线性正相关。主导风与街道斜交，在街道峡谷内形成旋涡流场，使ＣＯ向背风面扩散并沿街道输送，导致局部测点浓度过高。目前控制ＣＯ浓度宜限制尾气超标汽车入城并合理分流入城汽车。     

深圳市夏季臭氧污染研究

以2009年8月为例分析了深圳市夏季臭氧污染情况及污染气象特征,基于二维空气质量模式对臭氧污染控制进行数值模拟. 结果表明:深圳市８月各监测点均存在臭氧超标现象,污染形势严峻;副热带高压控制和热带气旋外围下沉气流是造成夏季出现高浓度臭氧的主要天气过程,此时大气边界层混合层高度在500～800 m,且近地面风速约在5 ms以内,不利于污染物扩散;臭氧的生成受前体物挥发性有机物(VOC)和氮氧化物(NO_x)排放的共同影响,其中VOC排放的影响较大,深圳市臭氧控制应以降低VOC排放量为重点,模拟得出对VOC和NO_x按25∶1～40∶1的比例协同减排可有效降低臭氧污染.      

中国海洋生态毒理学的研究进展

论述了海洋生态毒理学研究在中国的发展现状,结论为:污染物生物作用过程的研究主要进行了污染物在生物体内的累积与排放,在海洋食物链中的转移和潜在放大作用以及生物转化和生物降解方面的工作。污染物对海洋生物的影响,在急性毒性、慢性毒性方面进行了大量研究,另外对致畸和致突变现象以及海洋生物致毒和解毒的机制也进行了探讨。      

我国企业信息化建设中角色关系的思考

我国企业信息化建设中存在三类角色分别是企业、管理咨询公司和信息化产品开发商,他们各有优势和不足.只有三方面互相影响、互相促进、改变三者之间的"挤压关系",建立新的服务、协作、监督关系,企业信息化才能顺利进行.本文通过对这三类角色各自特点的分析和比较,深刻的思考了在我国企业信息化建设中这些角色之间的关系.