Formation of mutagens by photochemical reaction of biphenyl in nitrate aqueous solution

Biphenyl was found to be converted to mutagenic compounds by UV irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp in nitrate aqueous solution under neutral conditions. The mutagenicity of the reaction mixture increased in proportion to the nitrate ion concentration. The most mutagenic product was dinitro dihydroxy biphenyl, and the main products in this reaction were 2-hydroxy-3-nitrobiphenyl and 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobiphenyl.     

Formation of mutagens by photolysis of amino acids in neutral aqueous solution containing nitrite or nitrate ion

Nine amino acids, i.e., alanine, threonine, cysteine, glutamic acid, arginine, proline, tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine, were irradiated with UV light in water containing nitrite or nitrate ion under neutral conditions. The mutagenicities of the ether extracts and the residual water layers of the reaction mixtures were assayed with and without S-9 mix using $\text{Salmonella typhimurium}$ TA98 and TA100. Three aromatic amino acids, tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine, were found to give direct-acting and frameshift mutagens by irradiation in aqueous nitrite solution. Among them, the ether extract of tryptophan exhibited the strongest mutagenicity toward TA98. In the case of irradiation in aqueous nitrate solution, only the ether extract of tryptophan exhibited weak mutagenicity toward TA98 without S-9 mix. The effects of nitrite concentration, irradiation time and pH on mutagen formation from tryptophan and some characteristics of the produced mutagens were examined.     

Detection of mutagens in unconcentrated and concentrated drinking water supplies before and after treatment using a microscale fluctuation test

The aim of this work was to study three different concentration methods coupled with the microscale fluctuation test for routine screening of different drinking water supplies before and after treatment. Unconcentrated samples were also tested. The results showed the formation of direct-acting mutagens in drinking water from surface sources after chlorination.     

Effects of the antidepressant mianserin in zebrafish: molecular markers of endocrine disruption

Due to their environmental occurrence and intrinsic biological activity, human pharmaceuticals have received increasing attention from environmental and health agencies. Of particular, ecotoxicological concern are drugs that affect nervous- and endocrine-systems. Zebrafish genome-wide oligo arrays are used to collect mechanistic information on mianserin-induced changes in gene expression in zebrafish. Gene expression analysis in brain and gonad tissue clearly demonstrated the estrogenic activity of mianserin and its potency to disrupt normal endocrine (estrogenic) signaling, based on induction of molecular biomarkers of estrogenicity (e.g., vitellogenin1 and zona pellucida proteins). The possible mechanism underlying this estrogenic activity of mianserin is disturbance of the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis by direct interference of mianserin with the serotonergic and adrenergic systems in the brain of zebrafish. Taking into account the importance of the HPG-axis, and considering the concept of 'critical window of exposure', our results reveal the importance for more elaborate testing of endocrine disruptive effects of aquatic antidepressants at different lifestages and during longer exposure periods (e.g., life cycle studies). Although there is a low concordance between the gene expression results in this study and previous cDNA microarray hybridizations, the global mechanistic expression patterns are similar in both platforms. This argues in favor of pathway-driven analysis of gene expression results compared to gene-per-gene analysis.     

分子生物技术在环境工程微生物领域中的应用

目前分子生物技术发展日新月异,已渗透到各相关学科。本文综述了分子生物技术的基本原理与方法,及其在环境工程微生物领域的应用。讨论了分子生物技术在环境工程微生物的检测应用及在污泥、生物膜、底泥和土壤等微生物种群的多样性分析方面,以及环境工程菌的挑选和培养等方面的研究成果及其巨大研究前景,对该技术在环境工程领域的应用与发展提出了一些见解。     

Photochemical alteration of the molecular weight of dissolved organic matter

Molecular weight (MW) is a key control on the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of dissolved organic mater (DOM). This study investigated the effect of photooxidation on the average MW of DOM by exposing DOM of diverse origins to simulated solar radiation at varying levels of dissolved oxygen and under different incident light wavelength regimes. During irradiation, high-molecular-weight fractions were destroyed and low-molecular-weight constituents were formed. The average MW decreased with irradiation time in all treatments in a manner that can be described by a quasi-exponential function, which suggests that solar radiation is incapable of completely mineralizing DOM even after prolonged exposure. Increasing the oxygen concentration accelerated the MW reduction while the removal of oxygen strongly suppressed this process. The fractional contributions from UV-B, UV-A, and visible radiations to full-spectrum photoinduced MW reduction varied considerably among the DOM samples examined, ranging from 19% to 60%, 17% to 36%, and 15% to 46%, respectively. The MW changes in time-series irradiations were inversely correlated with the ratio of the absorbance at 250 nm to that at 365 nm (i.e., the E₂/E₃ quotient). Photoinduced MW reduction was accompanied by a decrease of polydispersity, which is indicative of a reduced DOM heterogeneity.     

Unravelling the molecular mechanism of mutagenic factors impacting human health

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental mutagens are chemical and physical substances in the environment that has a potential to induce a wide range of mutations and generate...     

环境污染物的分子毒理机制研究进展

以分子生物学技术为基础研究污染物的毒理机制．从分子水平揭示了污染物毒作用的本质。综述了国内外分子毒理机制的研究进展。详细阐述了毒理芯片、单细胞凝胶电泳等分子生物学技术应用与毒理学研究中的特点、应用前景以及存在的问题。提出了分子毒理机制今后的研究方向。     

NaY沸石分子筛在VOCs处理中的应用

为深入研究分子筛吸附VOCs的性能,采用固定床动态吸附法,对NaY分子筛吸附3种典型VOCs的性能进行了探究,考察了吸附温度、湿度、进气浓度和吸附质物理性质对吸附容量的影响,并探讨了NaY分子筛的循环使用性能;通过Yoon-Nelson模型,从吸附动力学角度,对单组分VOCs吸附穿透曲线进行了拟合。结果表明：NaY分子筛对3种VOCs的吸附饱和时间分别为丙酮355 min,邻二甲苯320 min,乙酸乙酯220 min;相对应的平衡吸附容量分别为丙酮176 mg·g⁻¹,邻二甲苯196 mg·g⁻¹,乙酸乙酯185 mg·g⁻¹。NaY分子筛对VOCs吸附能力排序为邻二甲苯>乙酸乙酯>丙酮。温度由303 K升至328 K时,3种VOCs吸附容量均分别下降,邻二甲苯下降3.66%,乙酸乙酯下降2.87%,丙酮下降10.0%;VOCs相对湿度为30%时,吸附容量显著降低;进气浓度为660 mg·m⁻³时,出现吸附交叉的现象;NaY分子筛具有较好的循环使用性;吸附容量与沸点、分子质量存在正相关关系;3种VOCs在NaY分子筛固定床的吸附速率排序为乙酸乙酯>邻二甲苯>丙酮。Yoon-Nelson模型能够较好地模拟NaY分子筛吸附不同VOCs的过程,为分子筛的工业应用提供了参考。     

Biochemical and molecular studies on declining and decline-resistant spruce in the north-east of France

In declining forests of the Vosges mountains (northeast of France), we previously observed that the yellowing of spruce (Picea abies L. cv. Karsten) needles was associated with impairment of the free radical scavenging capacity of the cells and coincided with chronic exposure to ozone. Chloroplasts of yellow needles were characterized by an abnormal accumulation of photosystem II (PSII) D1-protein in the thylakoids. Further experiments carried out on declining and decline-resistant individual spruce trees characterized in previous studies showed that needle yellowing was associated with impairment of the overall anti-oxidative defense in both the cytosol and the chloroplasts. Both enzymic (peroxidases) and non-enzymic (carotenoids) oxidant scavengers were shown to be affected in the declining spruce. PSII D1-protein accumulation seemed to result from a stabilization of the polypeptide, which led us to hypothesize that oxidative processes might interfere with the specific degradation of this protein in declining spruce, with destructive consequences for the photosystems.     

生物强化系统微生物分子诊断技术的应用及新发展

现代分子生物技术的飞速发展及其在环境研究领域的应用,为生物强化技术的研究和发展提供了新方法和新思路.本文从生物强化系统特异微生物检测及定量化技术、生物强化系统微生物群落结构组成及动态演替规律研究、生物强化作用机制的分子生物学解析、生物强化菌的基因工程构建、生物强化系统微生物的安全释放及控制技术几方面,对生物强化系统微生物分子诊断技术的应用和发展作了较为全面的综述.     

生物强化系统微生物分子诊断技术的应用及新发展

现代分子生物技术的飞速发展及其在环境研究领域的应用，为生物强化技术的研究和发展提供了新方法和新思路。本文从生物强化系统特异微生物检测及定量化技术、生物强化系统微生物群落结构组成及动态演替规律研究、生物强化作用机制的分子生物学解析、生物强化菌的基因工程构建、生物强化系统微生物的安全释放及控制技术几方面，对生物强化系统微生物分子诊断技术的应用和发展作了较为全面的综述。     

Actinide geochemistry: From the molecular level to the real system

Geochemical processes leading to either mobilization or retention of radionuclides in an aquifer system are significantly influenced by their interaction with rock, sediment and colloid surfaces. Therefore, a sound safety assessment of nuclear waste disposal requires the elucidation and quantification of those processes. State-of-the-art analytical techniques as e.g. laser- and X-ray spectroscopy are increasingly applied to study solid–liquid interface reactions to obtain molecular level speciation insight.We have studied the sorption of trivalent lanthanides and actinides onto aluminium oxides, hydroxides and purified clay minerals by the time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray-absorption spectroscopy. Chemical constitution and structure of surface bound actinides are proposed based on spectroscopic information. Open questions still remain with regard to the exact nature of mineral surface ligands and the mineral/water interface. Similarities of spectroscopic data obtained for M(III) sorbed onto γ-alumina, and clay minerals suggest the formation of very comparable inner-sphere surface complexes such as S–O–An(III)(OH)_x^(2 − x)(H₂O)_5 − x at pH > 5. Those speciation data are found consistent with those predicted by surface complexation modelling. The applicability of data obtained for pure mineral phases to actinide sorption onto heterogeneously composed natural clay rock is examined by experiments and by geochemical modelling. Good agreement of experiment and model calculations is found for U(VI) and trivalent actinide/lanthanide sorption to natural clay rock. The agreement of spectroscopy, geochemical modelling and batch experiments with natural rock samples and purified minerals increases the reliability in model predictions.The assessment of colloid borne actinide migration observed in various laboratory and field studies calls for detailed information on actinide–colloid interaction. Kinetic stabilization of colloid bound actinides can be due to inclusion into inorganic colloid matrix or by macromolecular rearrangement in case of organic, humic/fulvic like colloids. Only a combination of spectroscopy, microscopy and classical batch sorption experiments can help to elucidate the actinide–colloid interaction mechanisms and thus contribute to the assessment of colloids for radionuclide migration.     

Interlaboratory analysis of high molecular weight organochlorines in ambient air

High volume air samples were collected in Boston, MA, and Columbia, SC using a glass fiber filter — polyurethane foam trap, and the pooled sample extracts from each location were distributed among nine laboratories for organochlorine analysis. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were reported by all laboratories, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 26–39 % for total PCB. The total PCB concentration in Boston was 7.1 ng m⁻³, compared to 4.4 ng m⁻³ in Columbia. Other organochlorines identified by three or more laboratories included hexachlorobenzene and the pesticides DDT, DDE, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, hexachlorocyclohexane, and polychloroterpenes. RSDs for most pesticides ranged from 35–75% and as high as 116% for polychloroterpenes (quantified as toxaphene). In general, pesticide levels were an order of magnitude higher in Columbia than in Boston.     

Humic complexes of diethyl phthalate: molecular modelling of the sorption process

The sorption mechanisms and complex formation between humic acid (HA) and a successively increasing number of diethyl phthalate (DEP) molecules have been studied theoretically using molecular mechanics, the number (n) of DEP molecules being varied from 1 to 30. The energy components of the single HA x nDEP complexes have been used as explanatory variables in a principal component analysis for exploring the presence of similarities/dissimilarities in the energetic properties of the individual xenobiotic complexes. The sorption can be explained in terms of a two-step mechanism. Absorption takes place as long as the host humic acid structure offers (a) enough internal docking space and (b) favorable interactions (energy release) with the guest molecule. This takes place for up to 7 DEP molecules. Further increase in the number to 30 DEP molecules will, due to the lack of free available internal voids, lead to surface controlled adsorption. The two-step sorption process apparently results in (a) a linear increase in energy gain by DEP bonds, and similarly (b) a constant incremental rise in molecular properties of the complexes such as volume and surface area. Three outstanding observations emerge: (1) Structural features at the atomic level (nanochemistry), such as partial atomic charges and high aromaticity of the humic acid, are observed to be dominating the intermolecular interactions in the complexes at the specific sorption sites. (2) Torsional relief and favorable changes in bonding energy also prevail for the growing complex. The latter indicates both the structural flexibility of the HA host and the stabilizing effect of DEP on the complex, by filling of the voids within the HA molecule. (3) The intermolecular forces are described mainly by hydrogen bonds (electrostatic energy) and interactions between dipole-dipole, such as carboxylic functions and uncharged moieties such as aromatic rings (van der Waals energy).     

Prediction of the bioconcentration factor of PCBs in fish using the molecular connectivity index and fragment constant models.

Models based on molecular connectivity index (MCI) and fragment constant (FC) method were developed for prediction of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) for polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in fish. The mean residuals for the MCI and FC models were 0.195 and 0.223 log units, respectively. The two models were then compared in terms of their mean residuals. In addition to the chlorine atom substitution number, other important structural features exhibiting a significant influence on the BCFs of PCB congeners were discussed and incorporated to the models. These features include the degree of the ortho-substitution, the presence of chlorine pairs in the three- and five- positions, and the crowding of chlorine atoms on the phenyl ring.     

Advances in multiplex molecular detection technologies for harmful algae

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - As the eutrophication of natural water bodies becomes more and more serious, the frequency of outbreaks of harmful algal blooms (HABs) mainly formed...     

Cellular and molecular damage of Phanerochaete chrysosporium by the oxidation hair dyes

Introduction

The toxic effect of the oxidation hair dyes on Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated by exposure of this fungus in a nitrogen-limited culture medium to various concentrations of the oxidation hair dyes.

Results

The results showed that both the size and the dry weight of the mycelial pellets of P. chrysosporium could be reduced when the concentration of the oxidation hair dyes was higher than 300?mg/L. By using the AFLP analysis and the UPGMA dendrogram, the DNA damage of P. chrysosporium by the oxidation hair dyes was also detected. Comparing with that in the control, the percent polymorphism under different concentrations of the oxidation hair dyes increased. In the meantime, the DNA similarity was decreased, which meant that the DNA damage was aggravated with an increase in the concentrations of the oxidation hair dyes.

Conclusion

Thus, as an environmental pollutant, the oxidation hair dyes have a toxic effect on P. chrysosporium at both cellular and molecular levels.