The risks of sulfur addition on cadmium accumulation in paddy rice under different water-management conditions

Recently, the application of sulfur (S) has been recommended to control the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in rice in contaminated paddy soil. However, the effects of exogenous S on Cd transfer in paddy rice systems under different water-management practices have not been systematically investigated. Pot experiments were performed to monitor the composition of soil pore water and the Cd accumulation in iron plaque and rice tissue were compared under different S (0 and 200 mg/kg Na₂SO₄) and water (continuous and discontinuous flooding) treatments. Sulfur application significantly increased Cd concentrations in soil pore water under discontinuous flooding conditions, but slightly reduced them under continuous flooding. Moreover, the oxidation/reduction potential (Eh) was the most critical factor that affected the Cd levels. When the Eh exceeded −42.5 mV, S became the second critical factor, and excessive S application promoted Cd dissolution. In addition, S addition elevated the Cd levels in iron plaque and reduced the Cd transfer from the iron plaque to rice roots. In rice, S addition inhibited Cd transfer from the rice roots to the straw; thus, more Cd was stored in the rice roots. Nevertheless, additional S application increased the Cd content in the rice grains by 72% under discontinuous flooding, although this effect was mitigated by continued flooding. Under simulated practical water management conditions, S addition increased the risk of Cd contamination in rice, suggesting that S application should be reconsidered as a paddy fertilization strategy.     

Cultivar-dependent rhizobacteria community and cadmium accumulation in rice: Effects on cadmium availability in soils and iron-plaque formation

The association between the rhizospheric microbial community and Cd accumulation in rice is poorly understood. A field trial was conducted to investigate the different rhizobacterial communities of two rice cultivars with high Cd accumulation (HA) and low Cd accumulation (LA) at four growth stages. Results showed that the Cd content in the roots of the HA cultivar was 1.23 - 27.53 higher than that of the LA cultivar (0.08 - 10.5 µg/plant) at four stages. The LA cultivar had a significantly lower Cd availability in rhizosphere and a higher quantity of iron plaque (IP) on the root surface than the HA cultivar at four stages. This resulted in the reduction of Cd concentration in IPs and Cd translocation from IP-to-root. Microbial analysis indicated that the LA cultivar formed a distinct rhizobacterial community from the HA cultivar and had less α-diversity. The rhizosphere of the LA cultivar was enriched in specific bacterial taxa (e.g., Massilia and Bacillus) involved in Cd immobilization by phosphate precipitation and IP formation by iron oxidization. However, the rhizosphere in the HA cultivar assembled abundant sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (e.g., Sulfuricurvum) and iron reduction bacteria (Geobacter). They promoted Cd mobilization and reduced IP formation via the metal redox process. This study reveals a potential approach in which specific rhizobacteria decrease or increase Cd accumulation in rice on contaminated soil and provides a new perspective for secure rice production.     

New mechanism of FA in composted sludge inducing Cu fixation on Albite in open-pit mine soil

Fulvic acid (FA), typical organic matter derived from humification process in composted sludge, possesses the potential to remediate mine soils contaminated by heavy metals. To understand the cooper (Cu) immobilizing process in open-pit mine soil induced by FA, changes of Cu speciation in mixture of open-pit mine soil and composted sludge was tracked over 180 days. It was observed that the organic-bound and residual fraction of Cu increased dramatically with the corresponding decrease of Fe/Mn oxide-bound Cu in the first 60 days, then the organic-bound fraction decreased to about its initial proportion during 60-120 days, while residual fraction still increased, and the proportion of residual Cu accounted for over 85% and became stable after 120 days. To reveal the mechanism of FA inducing Cu fixation on Albite which is the main phase of soil primary ore, two groups of Cu adsorption experiments with and without FA were designed. With the addition of FA, the adsorption capacity of Cu by Albite increased by 1.55 times and the content of residual Cu in Albite increased by 7.7 times. It was found that the Cu absorbed in smaller Albite particle induced by FA formed a secondary mineral——Chrysocolla, causing increase of residual fraction of Cu. These results revealed the mechanism: FA was absorbed on the surface of Albite after complexing with Cu ions in the solution, and then it induced Cu into the interlayer and pore channels of Albite. The Cu in the Albite was immobilized by forming Chrysocolla finally.     

Effects of fulvic acid and humic acid on aluminum speciation in drinking water

This article focused on the influences of fulvic acid and humic acid on aluminum speciation in drinking water. Factors including the concentration of residual chlorine and pH value had been concerned. Aluminum species investigated in the experiments included inorganic mononuclear, organic mononuclear, mononuclear, polymer, soluble, and suspended forms. It was found that the e ects of fulvic acid and humic acid on aluminum speciation depended mainly on their molecular weight. Fulvic acid with molecular weight less than 5000 Dalton had little influence on aluminum speciation; while fulvic acid with molecular weight larger than 5000 Dalton and humic acid would increase the concentration of soluble aluminum significantly even at concentration below 0.5 mg/L (calculated as TOC). Aluminum species, in the present of fulvic acid with molecular weight larger than 5000 Dalton and humic acid, were more stable than that in the present of fluvic acid with molecular mass less than 5000 Dalton, and varied little with reaction time. Within pH range 6.5–7.5, soluble aluminum increased notably in water with organic matter. As the concentration of residual chlorine increased, the e ects of fulvic acid and humic acid became weak. The reactions between humic acid, fulvic acid with large molecular weight, and aluminum were considered to be a multi-dentate coordination process. With the consideration of aluminum bioavailability, reducing the concentration of fulvic acid and humic acid and keeping the pH value among 6.5–7.5 were recommended during drinking water treatment.     

Metagenomic insights into responses of microbial population and key functional genes to fulvic acid during partial nitritation

The long-term impact of fulvic acid (FA) on partial nitritation (PN) system was initially examined in this study. The obtained results revealed that the FA lower than 50 mg/L had negligible effect on the nitrite accumulation rate (NAR nearly 100%) and ammonium removal rate (ARR 56.85%), while FA over 50 mg/L decreased ARR from 56.85% to 0.7%. Sludge characteristics analysis found that appropriate FA (<50 mg/L) exposure promoted the settling performance and granulation of PN sludge by removing Bacteroidetes and accumulating Chloroflexi. The analysis of metagenomics suggested that the presence of limited FA (0-50 mg/L) stimulated the generation of NADH, which favors the denitrification and nitrite reduction. The negative impact of FA on the PN system could be divided into two stages. Initially, limited FA (50-120 mg/L) was decomposed by Anaerolineae to stimulate the growth and propagation of heterotrophic bacteria (Thauera). Increasing heterotrophs competed with AOB (Nitrosomonas) for dissolved oxygen, causing AOB to be eliminated and ARR to declined. Subsequently, when FA dosage was over 120 mg/L, Anaerolineae were inhibited and heterotrophic bacteria reduced, resulting in the abundance of AOB recovered. Nevertheless, the ammonium transformation pathway was suppressed because genes amoABC and hao were obviously reduced, leading to the deterioration of reactor performance. Overall, these results provide theoretical guidance for the practical application of PN for the treatment of FA-containing sewage.     

Coating zirconium oxide-nanocomposite with humic acid for recovery of mercury and chromium in hazardous waste of chemical oxygen demand test

Hazardous waste of chemical oxygen demand (COD) test (HW_COD) is one of the most common laboratory wastewaters, containing large amounts of H₂SO₄ and highly toxic Cr³⁺ and Hg²⁺. Current treatment methods suffered from incomplete removal of Cr³⁺ and high-cost. Herein, a humic acid-coated zirconium oxide-resin nanocomposite (HA-HZO-201) was fabricated for efficient recovery of Cr³⁺ and Hg²⁺ in HW_COD. The synthesized HA-HZO-201 shows excellent tolerance to wide pH range (1–5) and high salinity (3.5 mol/L NaCl), as well as adsorption capacity for Cr³⁺ (37.5 mg/g) and Hg²⁺ (121.3 mg/g). After treating with HA-HZO-201 by using a fixed-bed adsorption procedure, the final Cr³⁺ and Hg²⁺ concentrations in HW_COD decreased to 0.28 and 0.02 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the HA-HZO-201 can be regenerated by desorption and recovery of Cr³⁺ and Hg²⁺ using HNO₃ and thiourea as eluents, respectively. After 5 cycles of adsorption/desorption, the removal efficiencies still reach up to 86.0% for Cr³⁺ and 89.7% for Hg²⁺, indicating an excellent regeneration of HA-HZO-201. We hope this work open new opportunities for treatment of HW_COD with high-efficiency and low-cost.     

The effects of different electrode materials on seed germination of Solanum nigrum L. and its Cd accumulation in soil

The effects of different electrode on Solanum nigrum L.seed germination were determined.The result showe d that germination percentage(GP) of seeds in treatment T2(titanium electrode) was 26.6% higher than in control(CK,without electric field).High potassium and calcium concentrations were beneficial for seed enzymatic activity in treatment T2,which could partly explain the increase in GP.Cd accumulation(μg/pot) in S.nigrum treated with any electric field was significantly higher(p<0.05) than...     

Role of the rhizosphere of a flooding-tolerant herb in promoting mercury methylation in water-level fluctuation zones

The water-level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) has been considered as a hotspot for mercury (Hg) methylation. Flooding-tolerant herbs are gradually acclimated to this water-land ecotone, tending to form substantial root systems for improving erosion resistance. Accompanying rhizosphere microzone plays crucial but unclear roles in methylmercury (MeHg) formation in the WLFZ. Thus, we conducted this study in the WLFZ of the Three Gorges Reservoir, to explore effects of the rhizosphere of a dominant flooding-tolerant herb (bermudagrass) on MeHg production. The elevated Hg and MeHg in rhizosphere soils suggest that the rhizosphere environment provides favorable conditions for Hg accumulation and methylation. The increased bioavailable Hg and microbial activity in the rhizosphere probably serve as important factors driving MeHg formation in the presence of bermudagrass. Simultaneously, the rhizosphere environments changed the richness, diversity, and distribution of hgcA-containing microorganisms. Here, a typical iron-reducing bacterium (Geobacteraceae) has been screened, however, the majority of hgcA genes detected in rhizosphere, near-, and non-rhizosphere soils of the WLFZ were unclassified. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the elevated MeHg production as related to microbial processes in the rhizosphere of perennial herbs in the WLFZ, with general implications for Hg cycling in other ecosystems with water-level fluctuations.     

Generation of low-cadmium rice germplasms via knockout of OsLCD using CRISPR/Cas9

The OsLCD gene, which has been implicated in cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice, might be a useful target for CRISPR/Cas9 editing. However, the effects of OsLCD gene editing on Cd accumulation, plant growth, and yield traits remain unknown. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate oslcd single mutants from indica and japonica rice cultivars. We also generated osnramp5 single mutants and oslcd osnramp5 double mutants in the indica background. When grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soils, all oslcd single mutants accumulated less Cd than the wild types (WTs). Consistent with this, oslcd single mutants grown in Cd-contaminated hydroponic culture accumulated significantly less Cd in the shoots as compared to WTs. This decrease in accumulation probably resulted from the reduction of Cd translocation under Cd stress. Oxidative damage also decreased, and plant growth increased in all oslcd single mutant seedlings as compared to WTs in the presence of Cd. Plant growth and most yield traits, as well essential element concentrations in rice seedling shoots, brown rice, and rice straw, were similar between oslcd single mutants and WTs. In the presence of Cd, Cd concentrations in the brown rice and shoots of oslcd osnramp5 double mutants were significantly decreased compared with WTs as well as osnramp single mutants. Our results suggested that OsLCD knockout may reduce Cd accumulation alone or in combination with other knockout mutations in a variety of rice genotypes; unlike OsNramp5 mutations, OsLCD knockout did not reduce essential element contents. Therefore, OsLCD knockout might be used to generate low-Cd rice germplasms.     

Sulfur-driven methylmercury production in paddies continues following soil oxidation

Methylmercury (MeHg) production in paddy soils and its accumulation in rice raise global concerns since rice consumption has been identified as an important pathway of human exposure to MeHg. Sulfur (S) amendment via fertilization has been reported to facilitate Hg methylation in paddy soils under anaerobic conditions, while the dynamic of S-amendment induced MeHg production in soils with increasing redox potential remains unclear. This critical gap hinders a comprehensive understanding of Hg biogeochemistry in rice paddy system which is characterized by the fluctuation of redox potential. Here, we conducted soil incubation experiments to explore MeHg production in slow-oxidizing paddy soils amended with different species of S and doses of sulfate. Results show that the elevated redox potential (1) increased MeHg concentrations by 10.9%−35.2%, which were mainly attributed to the re-oxidation of other S species to sulfate and thus the elevated abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria, and (2) increased MeHg phytoavailability by up to 75% due to the reductions in acid volatile sulfide (AVS) that strongly binds MeHg in soils. Results obtained from this study call for attention to the increased MeHg production and phytoavailability in paddy soils under elevated redox potentials due to water management, which might aggravate the MeHg production induced by S fertilization and thus enhance MeHg accumulation in rice.     

堆肥腐熟前后胡敏酸与富里酸的还原容量比较

采集腐熟前后的堆肥样品并提取和纯化出腐殖质(胡敏酸:HA;富里酸:FA),分别以柠檬酸铁(FeCit)和Fe(NO3)3作电子受体,测定了HA和FA的还原容量(RC).结果表明:以FeCit作为电子受体时,与未腐熟堆肥样品相比,腐熟后筛分样品HA的RC值增大,从22.85mmol e-/molC增大到26.84mmol e-/molC,而其对应FA的RC值减少,由37.67mmol e-/molC降低为33.68mmol e-/molC;对于两种不同形态的电子受体,以 FeCit为电子受体测定得到的RC值高于以Fe(NO3)3为电子受体测定得到的RC值;相对于本底还原容量,HA和FA经微生物还原后其RC值降低,降低幅度与微生物种类有关.结合紫外-可见光谱和三维荧光光谱分析发现,堆肥HA和FA的还原能力与其中类富里酸物质含量和醌基浓度成正相关,而与其本身的芳化度和分子量呈负相关.     

不同源胡敏酸对磺胺嘧啶紫外光降解的影响及作用机制

研究了紫外光照条件下不同来源的胡敏酸（HA）,包括标准品胡敏酸（SPHA）、水稻土胡敏酸（SDHA）、泥炭土胡敏酸（NTHA）和落叶覆盖地胡敏酸（LYHA）对抗生素磺胺嘧啶（SDZ）光降解的影响以及主要活性物种对其光降解效能的贡献.结果表明：SDZ在纯水中及与HA共存条件下,其光降解过程均符合一级动力学模型,且HA对SDZ的光降解具有促进作用,其促进效果从大到小为SPHA > SDHA > NTHA > LYHA.通过羟基自由基（·OH）和单线态氧（¹O₂）淬灭实验发现,不同来源HA产生·OH和¹O₂的能力具有一定差异性.同等背景条件下,SPHA产生的·OH量相对较多,其对SDZ光降解的贡献率（26.97%）最大,而LYHA贡献相对较小（9.33%）.同时,¹O₂对SDZ光降解起主导作用,其降解贡献率为41.33%~51.95%.     

Sorption of tylosin and sulfamethazine on solid humic acid

Tylosin(TYL) and sulfamethazine(SMT) are ionizable and polar antimicrobial compounds,which have seeped into the environment in substantial amounts via fertilizing land with manure or sewage. Sorption of TYL and SMT onto humic acid(HA) may affect their environmental fate. In this study, the sorption of TYL and SMT on HA at different conditions(pH, ionic strength) was investigated. All sorption isotherms fitted well to the Henry and Freundlich models and they were highly nonlinear with values of n between 0.5 and 0.8, which suggested that the HA had high heterogeneity. The sorption of TYL and SMT on HA decreased with increasing p H(2.0–7.5), implying that the primary sorption mechanism could be due to cation exchange interactions between TYL~+/SMT~+ species and the functional groups of HA.Increasing ionic strength resulted in a considerable reduction in the K_d values of TYL and SMT,hinting that interactions between H bonds and π–π EDA might be an important factor in the sorption of TYL and SMT on HA. Results of Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) and ~13C-nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) analysis further demonstrated that carboxyl groups and O-alkyl structures in the HA could interact with TYL and SMT via ionic interactions and H bonds,respectively. Overall, this work gives new insights into the mechanisms of sorption of TYL and SMT on HA and hence aids us in assessing the environmental risk of TYL and SMT under diverse conditions.     

不同腐殖酸物质对土壤中汞的固定作用及植物吸收的影响

通过盆栽试验研究了不同腐殖酸物质对土壤有机结合态汞、全汞含量及土壤汞生物有效性的影响.结果表明,不同供试腐殖酸物质可以显著增加土壤中有机结合态汞和残留在土壤中汞的含量,降低土壤中汞的挥发量,从而有效降低土壤汞的生物有效性.与加入HgCl2但不施加腐殖酸物质的对照CK2相比,添加腐殖酸钠、提纯后的煤基腐殖酸、土壤腐殖酸、氨化风化煤、风化煤、褐煤、泥炭的处理中油菜对土壤中汞的吸收量分别降低了73.62%、71.11%、63.39%、40.05%、33.61%、22.26%、5.66%.     

胡敏酸对不同矿物结合汞的还原作用

采用扩散吸收法探讨了胡敏酸对不同矿物结合态汞的还原作用及光照的影响.结果表明:两种胡敏酸(TJ和SH)对碳酸钙、氧化锰和赤铁矿结合态汞均具有明显的还原作用,还原动力学过程表现为先递增后渐趋平稳,可用双常数方程、Elovich方程和指数方程拟合;还原容量与吸持矿物类型有关,平均还原率大小为:CaCO3-Hg(0.67%)>Fe2O3-Hg(0.42%)>MnO2-Hg(0.19%);光照对胡敏酸还原矿物结合态汞具有强化效应,以CaCO3-Hg和Fe2O3-Hg光强化效果最明显,平均还原率较遮光时高出0.10%以上;两种胡敏酸(SH和TJ)对矿物结合态汞的还原能力存在差异(P<0.1),遮光条件下SH的还原能力均高于TJ,而光照条件下TJ对CaCO3-Hg的还原能力大于SH,对MnO2-Hg的还原则无显著差异,意味着SH的光敏性低于TJ,可能与不同胡敏酸氧化还原活性基团含量和芳香化程度(E4/E6)不同有关.     

巴松措表层沉积物中腐殖酸与富里酸的特性

采用紫外吸收光谱和GC-MS扫描解析,对西藏东南部湖泊巴松措表层沉积物中的腐殖酸和富里酸特性进行研究.结果表明,巴松措表层沉积物中腐殖酸和富里酸的紫外吸光度在200~400nm间较400~800nm间明显增加,富里酸在270nm附近出现弱而钝的双肩吸收,表明其中存在芳香环结构.腐殖酸和富里酸在254nm处的吸光度普遍偏低,表明其中难降解有机物的含量较低.通过紫外吸收特征值（A₄₆₅/A₆₆₅）分析得出,巴松措表层沉积物腐殖酸和富里酸的腐殖化程度较低.在人类活动频繁的区域,腐殖酸和富里酸的腐殖化程度相对于其他区域较高.根据GC-MS扫描解析,匹配度较高物质的分子式为C₁₅H₂₄,分子量为204,其结构中都含有芳香环,且含有脂肪链、不饱和烃、甲基、亚甲基、异丙基、环丙烷、己烷和萘等结构,均属于芳香族化合物,与紫外吸收光谱的分析结果一致.匹配度较高的物质推断属于类色氨酸.     

Effects of iodoacetic acid drinking water disinfection byproduct on the gut microbiota and its metabolism in rats

Iodoacetic acid(IAA) is an unregulated disinfection byproduct in drinking water and has been shown to exert cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, tumorigenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. However, the effects of IAA on gut microbiota and its metabolism are still unknown, especially the association between gut microbiota and the metabolism and toxicity of IAA. In this study, female and male Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to IAA at 0 and 16 mg/kg bw/day daily for 8 weeks by oral gavage....     

Assessing the factors impacting the bioaccessibility of mercury (Hg) in rice consumption by an in-vitro method

Mercury (Hg) in rice is drawing mounting concern since methylmercury (MeHg) was found capable of accumulating in rice. In-vitro bioaccessibility is a feasible and reliable method to assess the health effects of Hg in rice and has been utilized in a number of studies. This study was done to investigate the impact of cultivar, planting location, and cooking on the total mercury (THg) and MeHg bioaccessibility of rice, for which multiple statistical analysis methods were used to analyze the significance of their effects. The THg concentrations of rice samples taken from non-Hg contaminated areas of China were all below 15 ng/g and their MeHg concentrations were below 2 ng/g. Cooking could significantly reduce the MeHg bioaccessibility of rice because the MeHg was mainly combined with protein and the protein will be denatured during the cooking process, and then the denatured MeHg is difficult to be dissolved into the liquid phase. Indica- and japonica-type rice cultivars did not show significant differentiation in either the concentration of Hg or its bioaccessibility. However, the glutinous rice type differed significantly from the above rice types, and it showed greater bioaccessibility of THg and MeHg due to its distinct protein contents and starch properties. Planting location can affect the Hg concentration in rice and THg bioaccessibility but has a limited impact on MeHg bioaccessibility. Based on these results, two macro factors (rice cultivar, planting location) are presumed to impact Hg bioaccessibility by how they affect micro factors (i.e., Hg forms).     

Studies on relationships between air pollutants and allergenicity of Humulus Scandens pollen collected from different areas of Shanghai

Pollen pollution and allergy are becoming prominent issues in China.However,few studies on pollinosis have been reported.As an allergen in the atmosphere,allergenic Humulus scandens pollen was collected from four districts of Shanghai,including Wusong(WS),Jiading(KD),Xujiahui(XJH) and Songjiang(SJ).The mass concentrations of SO₂,NO₂,O₃,PM₁₀,and PM_2.5(particulate matter with air dynamic diameter less than 10 and 2.5 um,respectively) near the ...