Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in peroxynitrite/Fe(III) porphyrin system

The peroxynitrite/porphyrin biomimetic system was established to investigate the effects of peroxynitrite on benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) metabolism. Three model systems consisting of different iron porphyrins were compared, and the results showed that the peroxynitrite/T(p-Cl)PPFeCl system was the highest catalytic efficiency in the metabolism of B[a]P. We analyzed the B[a]P metabolites produced from this system by RP-HPLC method and firstly identified the formation of nitrobenzo[a]pyrenes which are the special metabolites of B[a]P induced by peroxynitrite.     

Metabolism of benzo[a]pyrene in peroxynitrite/Fe（Ⅲ） porphyrin system

The peroxynitrite/porphyrin biomimetic system was established to investigate the effects of peroxynitrite on benzo[a]pyrene （B[a]P） metabolism. Three model systems consisting of different iron porphyrins were compared, and the results showed that the peroxynitdte/T（p-Cl）PPFeCl system was the highest catalytic efficiency in the metabolism of B [a]P. We analyzed the B [a]P metabolites produced from this system by RP-HPLC method and firstly identified the formation of nitrobenzo[a]pyrenes which are the special metabolites of B [a]P induced by peroxynitrite.     

Antimony speciation in the environment: Recent advances in understanding the biogeochemical processes and ecological effects

Antimony(Sb) is a toxic metalloid, and its pollution has become a global environmental problem as a result of its extensive use and corresponding Sb-mining activities. The toxicity and mobility of Sb strongly depend on its chemical speciation. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the biogeochemical processes(including emission, distribution,speciation, redox, metabolism and toxicity) that trigger the mobilization and transformation of Sb from pollution sources to the surrounding environment. Natural phenomena such as weathering, biological activity and volcanic activity, together with anthropogenic inputs, are responsible for the emission of Sb into the environment. Sb emitted in the environment can adsorb and undergo redox reactions on organic or inorganic environmental media, thus changing its existing form and exerting toxic effects on the ecosystem. This review is based on a careful and systematic collection of the latest papers during 2010–2017 and our research results, and it illustrates the fate and ecological effects of Sb in the environment.     

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....     

Studies on metabolism of 2-naphthylamine and its activation mechanism

2-naphthylamine was incubated with induced rat liver microsome S9 preparation and the metabolites were separated through HPLC. The following products were identified: 2-amino-5-naphthol, 2-amino-6-naphthol, 2-amino-7-naphthol and 2-amino-8-naphthol. The yields of these four metabolites are varying in quantity, and the relative contents of 2-amino-8-, -5-, -6- and -7-naphthol are 52.6%, 28.5%, 14.0% and 4.9% respectively. These results are consistent with the quantitative HMO calculation and inference based upon Di-region theory, i.e., the metabolisms of aryl amines on extra-ring (assigned the ring without the substituent of amino group) are through the epoxidation and then NIH shift, but are not the direct hydroxylation in the formation of phenols. It is shown that both the amino group and the carbon atoms on the extra-ring play duality roles of activation and detoxification in metabolism.     

Effects of lanthanum（Ⅲ） on nitrogen metabolism of soybean seedlings under elevated UV-B radiation

The hydroponic culture experiments of soybean bean seedlings were conducted to investigate the effect of lanthanum(La)on nitrogen metabolism under two different levels of elevated UV-B radiation(UV-B,280-320 nm).The whole process of nitrogen metabolism involves uptake and transport of nitrate,nitrate assimilation,ammonium assimilation,amino acid biosynthesis,and protein synthesis. Compared with the control,UV-B radiation with the intensity of low level 0.15 W/m~2 and high level 0.45 W/m~2 significantly affected the whole nitrogen metabolism in soybean seedlings(p<0.05).It restricted uptake and transport of NO_3~-,inhibited activity of some key nitrogen-metabolism-related enzymes,such as:nitrate reductase(NR)to the nitrate reduction,glutamine systhetase(GS)and glutamine synthase(GOGAT)to the ammonia assimilation,while it increased the content of free amino acids and decreased that of soluble protein as well.The damage effect of high level of UV-B radiation on nitrogen metabolism was greater than that of low level. And UV-B radiation promoted the activity of the anti-adversity enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase(GDH),which reduced the toxicity of excess ammonia in plant.After pretreatment with the optimum concentration of La(20 mg/L),La could increase the activity of NR, GS,GOGAT,and GDH,and ammonia assimilation,but decrease nitrate and ammonia accumulation.In conclusion,La could relieve the damage effect of UV-B radiation on plant by regulating nitrogen metabolism process,and its alleviating effect under low level was better than that under the high one.     

Approaches to municipal wastewater irrigation and environmental protection

To reuse the water and nutrient resources from ecological point of view the goals, criteria and constraint conditions of the scientifically municipal wastewater irrigation are discussed as well as the practice in major municipal wastewater irrigation areas in China is introduced, of which particularly the effects of municipal water irrigation mixing with oil refinery wastewater on the agricultural ecosystem are studied and described. It has been revealed that benzo(a)pyrene in various parts of paddy crop is attributed to air pollution, water-soil pollution and biosynthesis of plant. Of exogenous contributions of benzo(a)pyrene in paddy shoot system under natural condition, the dominant factor is the air pollution, whereas the water-soil factor is considered to be secondary. Therefore, it is mostly urgent to control the air pollution source of benzo(a)pyrene, to which the edible parts of various green plants are exposed directly.     

Effect of methyl tert-butyl ether on adipogenesis and glucose metabolism in vitro and in vivo

Methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE), as a widely used gasoline additive, is suspected of being environmentally toxic. MTBE accumulates mainly in adipose tissue, but its effect on obesity or obesity-related metabolic disorders has not been well understood yet. Therefore, we examined the effect of MTBE on the adipose function and the related metabolic processes with both 3T3-L1 cell line and C57 BL/6 J mice model. We found that exposure to MTBE at the environmental relevant concentration(100 μmol/L) could significantly induce differentiation of preadipocyte and disturb insulin-stimulated glucose uptake of mature adipocyte.The in vivo observation in male mice showed a positive correlation of visceral white adipose tissue(vWAT) expansion and cell size increase with MTBE treatment in 14 weeks. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests demonstrated that MTBE at 1000 μg/(kg·day)disturbed the systemic glucose metabolism in a gender-specific manner, which might be partly attributed to the alterations of gut microbiota community at genus level with respect to Akkermansia, Clostridium XlVb, and Megamonas. In summary, our study characterized the effect of MTBE on adipose tissue function and glucose homeostasis in vitro and in vivo, and revealed that systemic disorders of the glucose metabolism might be modulated by the related gut microbiota.     

Environmental impacts of a large-scale incinerator with mixed MSW of high water content from a LCA perspective

Large-scale incinerators are applied widely as a result of the heavy burden of municipal solid waste(MSW) generated, while strong opposition is arising from the public living nearby. A large-scale working incineration plant of 1500 ton/day was chosen for evaluation using life cycle assessment. It was found that the corresponding human toxicity impacts via soil(HTs), human toxicity impacts via water(HTw) and human toxicity impacts via air(HTa)categories are 0.213, 2.171, and 0.012 personal equivalents(PE), and global warming(GW100)and nutrient enrichment(NE) impacts are 0.002 and 0.001 PE per ton of waste burned for this plant. Heavy metals in flue gas, such as Hg and Pb, are the two dominant contributors to the toxicity impact categories, and energy recovery could reduce the GW100 and NE greatly. The corresponding HTs, HTw and HTa decrease to 0.087, 0.911 and 0.008 PE, and GW100 turns into savings of- 0.007 PE due to the increase of the heating value from 3935 to5811 k J/kg, if a trommel screener of 40 mm mesh size is used to pre-separate MSW. MSW sorting and the reduction of water content by physical pressure might be two promising pre-treatment methods to improve the combustion performance, and the application of stricter standards for leachate discharge and the flue gas purification process are two critical factors for improvement of the environmental profile identified in this work.     

Degradation of sulfonamides and formation of trihalomethanes by chlorination after pre-oxidation with Fe(Ⅵ)

Sulfonamides are used in human therapy,animal husbandry and agriculture but are not easily biodegradable,and are often detected in surface water.Sulfamethazine(SMZ) and sulfadiazine(SDZ) are two widely used sulfonamide antibiotics that are used heavily in agriculture.In this study,they were degraded in an aqueous system by chlorination after pre-oxidation with ferrate(VI)(FeVIO42-,Fe(VI)),an environmentally friendly oxidation technique that has been shown to be effective in degrading various organics.The kinetics of the degradation were determined as a function of Fe(VI)(0–1.5 mg/L),free chlorine(0–1.8 mg/L) and temperature(15–35°C).According to the experimental results,SMZ chlorination followed second-order kinetics with increasing Fe(VI) dosage,and the effect of the initial free chlorine concentration on the reaction kinetics with pre-oxidation by Fe(VI) fitted a pseudo-first order model.The rate constants of SDZ and SMZ chlorination at different temperatures were related to the Arrhenius equation.Fe(VI) could reduce the levels of THMs formed and the toxicity of the sulfonamide degradation systems with Fe(VI) doses of 0.5–1.5 mg/L,which provides a reference for ensuring water quality in drinking water systems.     

Role of inflammatory lipid and fatty acid metabolic abnormalities induced by plastic additives exposure in childhood asthma

Lipid metabolism play an essential role in occurrence and development of asthma, and it can be disturbed by phthalate esters(PAEs) and organophosphate fame retardants(OPFRs).As a chronic infammatory respiratory disease, the occurrence risk of childhood asthma is increased by PAEs and OPFRs exposure, but it remains not entirely clear how PAEs and OPFRs contribute the onset and progress of the disease. We have profiled the serum levels of PAEs and OPFRs congeners by liquid chromatography coupled w...     

Microbial community characterization, activity analysis and purifying efficiency in a biofilter process

The growth and metabolism of microbial communities on biologically activated carbon(BAC) play a crucial role in the purification of drinking water.To gain insight into the growth and metabolic characteristics of microbial communities and the efficiency of drinking water treatment in a BAC filter,we analyzed the heterotrophic plate count(HPC),phospholipid,dehydrogenase,metabolic function and water quality parameters during start-up and steady-state periods.In the start-up process of the filter with natural biofilm colonization,the variation in heterotrophic plate count levels was S-curved.The total phospholipid level was very low during the first 5 days and reached a maximum value after 40 days in the filter.The activity of dehydrogenase gradually increased during the first 30 days and then reached a plateau.The functional diversity of the microbial community in the filter increased,and then reached a relatively stable level by day 40.After an initial decrease,which was followed by an increase,the removal rate of NH4+-N and COD Mn became stable and was 80% and 28%,respectively,by day 40.The consumption rate of dissolved oxygen reached a steady level after 29 days,and remained at 18%.At the steady operation state,the levels of HPC,phospholipid,dehydrogenase activity and carbon source utilization had no significant differences after 6 months compared to levels measured on day 40.The filter was shown to be effective in removing NH4+-N,NO2--N,COD Mn,UV 254,biodegradable dissolved organic carbon and trace organic pollutants from the influent.Our results suggest that understanding changes in the growth and metabolism of microorganisms in BAC filter could help to improve the efficiency of biological treatment of drinking water.     

Seasonal variation and size distribution of biogenic secondary organic aerosols at urban and continental background sites of China

Size-resolved biogenic secondary organic aerosols(BSOA) derived from isoprene and monoterpene photooxidation in Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau(a continental background site) and five cities of China were measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(GC/MS). Concentrations of the determined BSOA are higher in the cities than in the background and are also higher in summer than in winter. Moreover, strong positive correlations(R2= 0.44–0.90) between BSOA and sulfate were found at the six sites,suggesting that anthropogenic pollution(i.e., sulfate) could enhance SOA formation,because sulfate provides a surface favorable for acid-catalyzed formation of BSOA. Size distribution measurements showed that most of the determined SOA tracers are enriched in the fine mode( 3.3 μm) except for cis-pinic and cis-pinonic acids, both presented a comparable mass in the fine and coarse( 3.3 μm) modes, respectively. Mass ratio of oxidation products derived from isoprene to those from monoterpene in the five urban regions during summer are much less than those in Qinghai Lake region. In addition, in the five urban regions relative abundances of monoterpene oxidation products to SOA are much higher than those of isoprene. Such phenomena suggest that BSOA derived from monoterpenes are more abundant than those from isoprene in Chinese urban areas.     

Estrogenic activities of two synthetic pyrethroids and their metabolites

Synthetic pyrethroids(SPs) are among the most common pesticides in current use,and so far,several SPs have been assessed for their potential estrogenicities by various methods.Previous studies have shown that the estrogenicities partly come from their metabolites.Although considerable information is available with respect to the metabolism and environmental degradation of SPs,little is known about the estrogenicities of the metabolites.In this study,permethrin(PM) and β-cypermethrin(CP),as well as their metabolites(3-phenoxybenzoic alcohol(PBCOH),3-phenoxybenzaldehyde(PBCHO) and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid(PBCOOH) were evaluated for their estrogenic activities in the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line.In the MCF-7 cell proliferation assay,PM and CP exhibited significant estrogenic activities at 10-7 mol/L,comparable to 17β-estradiol(E2 ) of 10-9 mol/L,with the relative proliferative effect ratios of 55.4% and 56.3%,respectively.The real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) results confirmed the estrogenicities of PM and CP with significant alteration of pS2 and ERα mRNA levels observed at 10-6 mol/L.For the three major metabolites,PBCOH and PBCOOH exhibited estrogenic activities in all assays,while no significant estrogenic responses was observed for PBCHO compared to the vehicle control.In particular,PBCOH had even slightly stronger estrogenic activity than its parent compounds,indicating that metabolism may be one of the reasons for the estrogenicities of the SPs.Given the widespread use of SPs,the toxicological effects of parent compounds and their metabolites should be taken into consideration in the risk assessment of SPs.     

Water solubility enhancements of PAHs by sodium castor oil sulfonate microemulsions

Water solubility enhancements of naphthalene( Naph), phenantherene(Phen) and pyrene(Py) in sodium castor oil sulfonate(SCOS) microemulsions were evaluated. The apparent solubilities of PAHs are linearly propertional to the concentrations of SCOS microemulsion, and the enhancement extent by SCOS solutions is greater than that by ordinary surfactants on the basis of weight solubilization ratio(WSR). ThelogKcm values of Naph, Phen, and Py are 3.13, 4.44 and 5.01 respectively, which are about the same as the logKow values. At 5000 mg/L of SCOS conccentration, the apparent solubilities are 8.80, 121, and 674 times as the intrinsic solubilities for Naph, Phen, and Py. The effects of inorganic ions and temperature on the solubilization of solutes are also investigated. The solubilization is improved with a moderate addition of Ca^2 , Na^ , NH4^ and the mixture of Na^ , K^ , Ca^2 , Mg^2 and NH4^ . WSR values are enhanced by 22.0% for Naph,23.4% for Phen, and 24.6% for Py with temperature increasing by 5~C. The results indicated that SCOS microemulsions improve the performance of the surfactant-enhanced remediation(SER) of soil, by increasing solubilities of organic pollutants and reducing the level of surfactant pollution and remediation expenses.     

Determination of dissolved selenium species in environmental samples

This article reports on the technique for the determination of selenium at ppt level and the procedure for the speciation of dissolved selenium in the environmental samples. By combining the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a fluorescent detector (FLD), this technique permits the determination of selenium at 0.001 μg/L for Se(IV) and 0.005 μg/L for Se(VI) and the total concentration of selenium for a sample volume of 20 ml. In the speciation procedure, Se(IV) is firstly determined based on the selectivity of 2, 4 - diaminonaphthalene (DAN), the Se (VI) and the total element concentration are determined after reduced to Se(IV) by boiling in 4 mol/L HCl and by digesting in HNO3-HClO4 mixture, respectively. Discussions are given on the relationship between selenium speciation in waters and soil water extract and solution pH, EH and total organic carbon concentration (TOC).     

Determination of the effective density and fractal dimension of PM emissions from an aircraft auxiliary power unit

Gas turbine particulate matter (PM) emissions contribute to air quality degradation and are dangerous to both human health and the environment. Currently, PM mass concentrations determined from gravimetric measurements are the default parameter for gas turbine emissions compliance with PM regulations. The measurement of particle size however, is of significant interest due to its specific effects on health and climate science. The mass concentration can be determined from the number-size distribution measurement but requires the experimental evaluation of effective density of a number of particles to establish the power-law relationship. In this study, the effective density of PM emissions from an aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) with petroleum diesel, conventional aviation fuel (Jet A-1) and a multicomponent surrogate fuel (Banner NP 1014) as combusting fuels have been compared. An experimental configuration consisting of a Differential Mobility Analyzer, a Centrifugal Particle Mass Analyzer and a Condensation Particle Counter (DMA-CPMA-CPC) was deployed for this purpose. Overall, a decrease in the effective density (220–1900 km? 3) with an increase in the particle size was observed and found to depend on the engine operating condition and the type of fuel undergoing combustion. There was a change in the trend of the effective densities between the PM emissions generated from the fuels burnt and the engine operating conditions with increasing particle size.     

PM2.5 exposure induces age-dependent hepatic lipid metabolism disorder in female mice

Particulate matter exposure has been described to elevate the risk of lung and cardiovascular diseases.An increasing number of recent studies have indicated positive correlations between PM_(2.5)(the fraction of airborne particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than2.5 μm) exposure and the risk of liver diseases.However,research on the effects of PM_(2.5)exposure on liver fat synthesis,secretion,and clearance mechanisms under normal diet conditions is limited,and whether these effects are age-dependent is largely unknown.Female C57BL/6 mice at different ages(4 weeks(4 w),4 months(4 m),and 10 months(10 m))were treated with 3 mg/kg body weight of PM_(2.5) every other day for 4 weeks.Subsequently,the ultrastructural changes of liver,the expression of genes involved in oxidative damage and lipid metabolism in the liver were examined.Observation of hepatic ultrastructure showed more and larger lipid droplets in the livers of 4-week-old and 10-month-old mice exposed to PM_(2.5).Further analysis showed that PM_(2.5) exposure increased the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis,but decreased the expression of genes involved in lipid transport and catabolism in the livers of 10-month-old mice.Our findings suggest that exposure to PM_(2.5) disrupts the normal metabolism of liver lipids and induces lipid accumulation in the liver of female mice in an age-dependent manner,with older mice being more susceptible to PM_(2.5).     

Alterations of endogenous metabolites in urine of rats exposed to decabromodiphenyl ether using metabonomic approaches

There is large usage of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） especially for decabromodiphenyl ether （BDE-209, Deca-BDE） in controlling the risks of fire. The toxicological effects of PBDEs are worth being concerned about. Female SD rats were daily gavaged with BDE-209 ether at the dose of 100 mg/kg for 20 days. Histological observation was performed for the screening of the target organs for BDE-209 exposure. The distribution and metabolism of PBDEs in the exposed main organs were evidenced by HRGC-HRMS. Alterations of the endogenous metabolite concentrations in urine were investigated using metabonomic approaches based on IH NMR spectrum. Histopathological changes including serious edema in kidney, hepatocellular spotty necrosis and perivasculitis in liver indicated that BDE-209 caused potential influences on endogenous metabolism in the exposed liver and the kidney. BDE-209 was found to be highly accumulated in lipid, ovary, kidney and liver after 20 days＇ exposure. Occurrence of other lower brominated PBDEs in the rats demonstrated that reductive debromination process happened in vivo. Hydroxylated and methoxylated-BDEs, as metabolism products, were also detected in the rat tissues. A total of 12 different endogenous metabolites showed obvious alterations in urine from the exposed rats, indicating the disturbance of the corresponding internal biochemical processes induced by BDE-209 exposure. These findings in vivo suggested the potential health risk might be of concern due to the toxicological effects of BDE-209 as a ubiquitous compound in the environment.