Plant steroid hormones produced under Ni stress are involved in the regulation of metal uptake and oxidative stress in Brassica juncea L

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are involved in the amelioration of various biotic and abiotic stresses. With an aim to explore the role of BRs under heavy metal stress, plants of Brassica juncea L. were grown in pots. The plants were subjected to various concentrations of Nickel metal (0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mM) and harvested on 60th day in order to observe the expression of these hormones. The isolated BRs from the leaves of Brassica plants characterized by GC-MS include 24-Epibrassinolide (24-EBL), Castasterone, Dolicholide and Typhasterole. The effect of isolated 24-EBL was studied on Ni metal uptake and antioxidative defense system in 60 d old plants of Brassica. It was observed that 24-EBL significantly increased the activities of stress ameliorating enzymes and lowered the metal uptake in plants. This is the first report in B. juncea L. plants showing the expression of BRs under metal treatments and effect of the isolated 24-EBL on metal uptake and in oxidative stress management.     

Legal Framework for Biosphere Reserves as Learning Sites for Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of Ukraine and Sweden

The Biosphere Reserve (BR) concept aims at encouraging sustainable development (SD) towards sustainability on the ground by promoting three core functions: conservation, development, and logistic support. Sweden and Ukraine exemplify the diverse governance contexts that BRs need to cope with. We assessed how the BR concept and its core functions are captured in national legislations. The results show that the core functions are in different ways reflected in legal documents in both countries. While in Ukraine the BR concept is incorporated into legislation, in Sweden the concept is used as a soft law. In Ukraine managers desired stronger legal enforcement, while in Sweden managers avoided emphasis on legislation when collaborating with local stakeholders. Hence, BR implementation have adapted to different political cultures by development of diverse approaches. We conclude that a stronger legal support might not be needed for BRs, rather SD needs to be recognized as an integrated place-based process at multiple levels.     

炼铝废渣的综合利用试验

铝灰掺入混凝土后将引起体积膨胀强度下降,故不适用于混凝土。但含一定量的铝灰,石灰和统砂的混合材料一种优质的路用材料,用铝灰制成的水处理剂对印染废水,制革废水均有较好的去除效果。     

Evidence for the Stepwise Behavioral Response Model (SBRM): the effects of Carbamate Pesticides on medaka (Oryzias latipes) in an online monitoring system

The Stepwise Behavioral Response Model (SBRM), which is a conceptual model, postulated that an organism displays a time-dependent sequence of compensatory Stepwise Behavioral Response (SBR) during exposure to pollutants above their respective thresholds of resistance. In order to prove the model, in this study, the behavioral responses (BRs) of medaka (Oryzias latipes) in the exposure of Arprocarb (A), Carbofuran (C) and Methomyl (M) were analyzed in an online monitoring system (OMS). The Self-Organizing Map (SOM) was utilized for patterning the obtained behavioral data in 0.1 TU (Toxic Unit), 1 TU, 2 TU, 5 TU, 10 TU and 20 TU treatments with control. Some differences among different Carbamate Pesticides (CPs) were observed in different concentrations and the profiles of behavior strength (BS) on SOM were variable depending upon levels of concentration. The time of the first significant decrease of BS (SD-BS) was in inverse ratio to the CP concentrations. Movement behavior showed by medaka mainly included No effect, Stimulation, Acclimation, Adjustment (Readjustment) and Toxic effect, which proved SBRM as a time-dependence model based on the time series BS data. Meanwhile, it was found that SBRM showed evident stress-dependence. Therefore, it was concluded that medaka SBR was both stress-dependent and time-dependent, which supported and developed SBRM, and data mining by SOM could be efficiently used to illustrate the behavioral processes and to monitor toxic chemicals in the environment.     

Virus inactivation during coagulation with aluminum coagulants

We used the bacteriophages Qβ and MS2 to determine whether viruses are inactivated by aluminum coagulants during the coagulation process. We performed batch coagulation and filtration experiments with virus-containing solutions. After filtering the supernatant of the coagulated solution through a membrane with a pore size of 50 nm, we measured the virus concentration by both the plaque forming unit (PFU) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The virus concentration determined by the PFU method, which determines the infectious virus concentration, was always lower than that determined by the PCR-based method, which determines total virus concentration, regardless of infectivity. This discrepancy can be explained by the formation of aggregates consisting of several virus particles or by the inactivation of viruses in the coagulation process. The former possibility can be discounted because (i) aggregates of several virus particles would not pass through the 50-nm pores of the filtration membrane, and (ii) our particle size measurements revealed that the virus particles in the membrane filtrate were monodispersed. These observations clearly showed that non-infectious Qβ particles were present in the membrane filtrate after the coagulation process with aluminum coagulants. We subsequently revealed that the viruses lost their infectivity after being mixed with hydrolyzing aluminum species during the coagulation process.     

煤矸石中氧化铝溶出的实验研究

煤矸石是主要的煤系固废,其中氧化铝的含量占到25%左右,又是一种可以利用的资源.本实验以山西潞安煤矿的煤矸石为原料,采用正交试验的方法,研究了盐酸作为酸浸介质浸取煤矸石中氧化铝.主要影响因素为煅烧温度、酸量、固液比及酸浸时间,最佳工艺条件为:煅烧温度为650℃,酸量为225mL(按照煤矸石中氧化铝和盐酸反应的摩尔比为1:6计)、固液比为1:3、酸浸时间为3 h,单因素重复试验结果和正交实验的结果相符,在最佳条件下,氧化铝的溶出实验验证结果表明,三氧化二铝溶出率为71.49%.本研究对实现煤矸石的资源化综合利用具有重要的意义.     

Hydrolysis and heat treatment of aluminum dust.

Aluminum dust is a toxic and hazardous byproduct of Al remelting. The present research was performed to characterize and evaluate its behavior in water. The materials obtained by hydrolysis were also characterized, and the gases generated during the process were qualitatively analyzed. The effects of hydrolysis reaction time and temperature on the dust were also explored. The hydrolysis of Al dust is an exothermic reaction that gave rise to a solid composed of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, and spinel (MgAl2O4). Most of the CH4, NH3, and SH2 gases generated were emitted immediately upon the start of the reaction, though their production continued for a long time. This slow reaction, which was moderately accelerated by temperature, led to the formation of a material less reactive than the untreated dust. On the other hand, heat treatment of the dust gave rise to an inert material composed of spinel, alumina, and magnesium and aluminum silicates.     

Responses of earthworm to aluminum toxicity in latosol

Excess aluminum (Al) in soils due to acid rain leaching is toxic to water resources and harmful to soil organisms and plants. This study investigated adverse impacts of Al levels upon earthworms (Eisenia fetida) from the latosol (acidic red soil). Laboratory experiments were performed to examine the survival and avoidance of earthworms from high Al concentrations and investigate the response of earthworms upon Al toxicity at seven different Al concentrations that ranged from 0 to 300 mg kg^?1 over a 28-day period. Our study showed that the rate of the earthworm survival was 100 % within the first 7 days and decreased as time elapsed, especially for the Al concentrations at 200 and 300 mg kg^?1. A very good linear correlation existed between the earthworm avoidance and the soil Al concentration. There was no Al toxicity to earthworms with the Al concentration ≤50 mg kg^?1, and the toxicity started with the Al concentration ≥100 mg kg^?1. Low Al concentration (i.e., <50 mg kg^?1) enhanced the growth of the earthworms, while high Al concentration (>100 mg kg^?1) retarded the growth of the earthworms. The weight of earthworms and the uptake of Al by earthworms increased with the Al concentrations from 0 to 50 mg kg^?1 and decreased with the Al concentrations from 50 to 300 mg kg^?1. The protein content in the earthworms decreased with the Al concentrations from 0 to 100 mg kg^?1 and increased from 100 to 300 mg kg^?1. In contrast, the catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the earthworms increased with the Al concentrations from 0 to 100 mg kg^?1 and decreased from 100 to 300 mg kg^?1. The highest CAT and SOD activities and lowest protein content were found at the Al concentration of 100 mg kg^?1. Results suggest that a high level of Al content in latosol was harmful to earthworms.     

Immobilization of aluminum with mucilage secreted by root cap and root border cells is related to aluminum resistance in Glycine max L

The root cap and root border cells (RBCs) of most plant species produced pectinaceous mucilage, which can bind metal cations. In order to evaluate the potential role of root mucilage on aluminum (Al) resistance, two soybean cultivars differing in Al resistance were aeroponic cultured, the effects of Al on root mucilage secretion, root growth, contents of mucilage-bound Al and root tip Al, and the capability of mucilage to bind Al were investigated. Increasing Al concentration and exposure time significantly enhanced mucilage excretion from both root caps and RBCs, decreased RBCs viability and relative root elongation except roots exposed to 400 μM Al for 48 h in Al-resistant cultivar. Removal of root mucilage from root tips resulted in a more severe inhibition of root elongation. Of the total Al accumulated in root, mucilage accounted 48–72 and 12–27 %, while root tip accounted 22–52 and 73–88 % in Al-resistant and Al-sensitive cultivars, respectively. A ²⁷Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the Al-adsorbed mucilage showed Al tightly bound to mucilage. Higher capacity to exclude Al in Al-resistant soybean cultivar is related to the immobilization and detoxification of Al by the mucilage secreted from root cap and RBCs.     

The effects of aluminum and other metals on amphibians

This review discusses the effects of aluminum and other metals associated with acidification on amphibians. The majority of research has centered around aluminum although some information is available regarding copper, cadmium, iron, zinc and lead. The major habitat types in which amphibians live and breed are listed and the mechanisms by which these habitats may become acidified and contaminated with metals are discussed. Three lines of investigation into acid and metal toxicity are reviewed in detail: (1) field surveys of water chemistry, (2) laboratory toxicity tests, (3) field studies which include in situ toxicity tests, and surveys of amphibian distribution and survival relative to water chemistry. As a result of recent information from each of these three lines of research, it appears that aluminum toxicity is an extremely complex phenomenon which is influenced by the hardness, pH, DOC of the water, and the developmental stage and species of amphibian.     

多核复合聚铝絮凝剂对水体残留铝的影响

采用分别添加金属离子Fe~(3+)和Zn~(2+)的方法制备多核复合型絮凝剂聚合氯化铝铁(PAFC)和聚合氯化铝锌(PAZC),并与市售聚合氯化铝(PAC)比较处理高岭土模拟水样后出水残留铝浓度,得出复合絮凝剂具有更低的出水余铝量及更宽的pH适用范围以及更低的投加量。达到85%COD去除率,PAZC、PAFC和PAC用量分别为5、10和20 mg/L;处理后出水残余铝量分别为0.04、0.09和0.14 mg/L;处理成本分别为0.020、0.028和0.048元/t。     

碱式硫酸铝溶液吸收二氧化硫

为了探讨碱式硫酸铝对二氧化硫的吸收效果,对所需试剂硫酸铝和碳酸钙的适宜比例（碱度）,以及碱式硫酸铝能稳定存在的铝量范围等进行了研究,测定了不同铝量和碱度的碱式硫酸铝对二氧化硫的吸收量以及pH值,并分析每种吸收液的饱和吸收量,最后将其与乙二胺/磷酸溶液的吸收情况进行对比。结果表明,碱度为40%时,铝量要保持在70 g/L以下才能在加热时不产生沉淀,吸收过程pH由4.5左右一直下降到2.0左右保持稳定,饱和吸收时间控制在140~160 min为宜,较为理想的方案是铝量32 g/L,碱度35%。     

Mutagenicity of ambient air pollutants collected near aluminum industries

Mutagenicity has been tested in air samples collected in the summer and in the winter near four Norwegian aluminum plants. The samples were separated into a particulate and a volatile fraction and tested for mutagenicity by a quantitative reversion assay which showed that the suspended particles were clearly mutagenic. The volatile part of the air pollutants were cytotoxic to the bacteria and showed only marginal mutagenicity. The particulate fractions were tested more extensively in the Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test, in two laboratories, using the strains TA 98 and TA 100 with and without enzymatic activation (S9). The mutagenicity was relatively high compared to particulate fractions from other areas with industry and dense traffic. The highest mutagenicity was found in TA 100 with enzymatic activation and the lowest in TA 100 without S9. The mutagenicity was influenced by wind speed and direction during sampling. The mutagenic activity was also determined in the nitroreductase deficient strains TA 98NR and TA 98/1.8DNP. A larger reduction in the activity was found compared to samples from other areas, thus indicating a difference in the sample composition.     

Phytoplankton succession during acidification with and without increasing aluminum levels

An in situ mesocosm experiment was performed to investigate the role of aluminum in controlling phytoplankton community succession during lake acidification. Large (2000 liter) mesocosms were suspended in mesotrophic East Twin Lake, Ohio, USA. Duplicates were either untreated controls (pH 8.8), acidified to pH 4.5 over 23 days, or acidified and spiked with 200 microg/liter Al in incremental additions. Filamentous blue greens, diatoms and other chrysophytes became extinct in both acid treatments, but declined most rapidly where Al levels were also increased. The large desmid Closterium and the filamentous chlorophyte Mougoetia became dominant in the Acid treatment. In the Acid + Al treatment, these algae also became dominant, but the species with greatest biomass was the dinoflagellate Peridinium inconspicuum. Acidification (with or without added Al) also resulted in a significant shift in the algal size spectrum to larger (> 20 microm) cells.     

两种不同形态的铝盐混凝剂的吸附电中和特征

通过吸附历时过程,饱和吸附量,吸附过程Ｎａ＾＋离子交换释放,絮凝前后高岭土微粒的ζ电位测定等实验考察ＡｌＣｌ３（ＡＣ）和聚合铝两种不同形态的铝盐对高岭土悬浮水样的吸附电中和特征,并探讨了其作用机理。     

高铁铝矾土制备聚合氯化铝铁及其在污水处理中的应用研究

利用含铁的低品位铝矾土为主要原料,添加适量铝酸钙粉,制备出絮凝剂聚合氯化铝铁.制备方法为酸溶两步法.对影响聚合铝铁制备的因素,如盐酸浓度、盐酸用量、温度和铝酸钙粉用量等进行了系统研究,得到了制备聚合铝铁的优化条件,同时将该絮凝剂用于实际工业污水的处理.研究结果表明:制备的絮凝剂絮凝效果明显优于一些传统的絮凝剂;不仅具有去浊性能好、沉降快的优点,而且具有原料易得,制备成本低的优势.     

前处理残余铝对曝气池活性污泥的影响规律研究

从活性污泥的絮凝特点、有机物与 NH 4-N 的微生物代谢过程等方面探讨前处理残余铝对曝气池活性污泥的影响规律.结果显示,随着进水Al3 浓度的不断增加,污泥瞬时沉降速度明显增加,而对污泥沉降比影响不大.Al3 对COD去除率基本上没有影响,而对废水中 NH 4-N 氧化过程的影响却非常明显,随着活性污泥中Al3 的逐渐增加, NH 4-N 去除率出现了先升后降的变化趋势. NH 4-N 去除率下降的趋势与Al3 对微生物细胞膜电解质透性的影响规律呈负相关关系,说明Al3 对氨氧化微生物种群的干扰作用最强.     

高铁铝矾土制备聚合氯化铝铁及其在污水处理中的应用研究

利用含铁的低品位铝矾土为主要原料,添加适量铝酸钙粉,制备出絮凝剂聚合氯化铝铁.制备方法为酸溶两步法.对影响聚合铝铁制备的因素,如盐酸浓度、盐酸用量、温度和铝酸钙粉用量等进行了系统研究,得到了制备聚合铝铁的优化条件,同时将该絮凝剂用于实际工业污水的处理.研究结果表明：制备的絮凝剂絮凝效果明显优于一些传统的絮凝剂;不仅具有去浊性能好、沉降快的优点,而且具有原料易得,制备成本低的优势.