Understanding the role of nano-TiO2 on the toxicity of Pb on C. dubia through modeling–Is it additive or synergistic?

• A two-compartment model is able to quantify the effect of nano-TiO₂ on Pb toxicity. • Nano-TiO₂ reduces Pb tolerance level and increased the killing rate for C. dubia. • Thus, nano-TiO₂ synergistically enhances Pb toxicity. • Algae reduce Pb transfer rate to the body tissue and the killing rate. Nano-TiO₂ can remarkably increase lead (Pb) toxicity in aquatic organisms. However, the mechanism of this toxicity, additive or synergistic, is not well understood. To explore this mechanism, we inspected the role of nano-TiO₂ in the toxicity of Pb on Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia), a model water flea species typically used for ecotoxicity studies. The effect of algae, a diet for aquatic organisms, on the effect of this binary mixture was also investigated. A two-compartment toxicokinetic (TK)-toxicodynamic (TD) modeling approach was used to quantify the Pb toxicity under these complex conditions and to develop critical parameters for understanding the mechanism of toxicity. This two-compartment modeling approach adequately described the Pb accumulation in the gut and in the rest of the body tissue under different nano-TiO₂ concentrations, with and without algae, and predicted the toxicity response of C. dubia. It indicated that increasing the nano-TiO₂ concentration reduced the Pb tolerance level and concurrently increased the killing rate constant of C. dubia. Therefore, nano-TiO₂ synergistically enhanced Pb toxicity. Algae remarkably reduced the toxicity of this binary mixture through reducing the Pb transfer rate to the body tissue and the killing rate, although it did not affect the Pb tolerance level. This two-compartment modeling approach is useful in understanding the role of nanoparticles when assessing the overall toxicity of nanoparticles and other toxic elements in the environment.     

Occurrence of PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in the Tonghui River of Beijing, China

Tonghui River, a typical river in Beijing, People's Republic of China, was studied for its water and sediment quality, by determining the levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 18 organochlorine pesticides in water and sediment samples. Total PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in water varied from 192.5 to 2651 ng/l, 31.58-344.9 ng/l and 134.9-3788 ng/l, respectively. The total PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in surficial sediments were 127-928 ng/g, 0.78-8.47 ng/g and 1.79-13.98 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The results showed that the concentration of these selected organic pollutants in sediment was higher than those in surface water. It may be due to the fact that organic hydrophobic pollutants tend to stay in the sediments. The PAHs were dominated by 2-, 3-ring components in water samples and by 3- and 4-ring compounds in sediment. For organochlorines, alpha-HCH, delta-HCH, Heptachlor, Endosulfan II, DDT are the major organochlorine pesticides in water while Heptachlor, Dieldrin and DDE composed of 95% of total organochlorine pesticides in sediment. For HCHs (HCHs=alpha-HCH+beta-HCH+gamma-HCH+delta-HCH), the predominance of alpha-HCH of total HCHs were clearly observed in water and sediment. PCB18, PCB31 and PCB52 were predominant in water, on average these compounds collectively accounted for 67% of total PCBs. But in sediment, the predominant compounds were PCB28, PCB31 and PCB153, which accounted for 71% of total PCBs in sediment. The levels of micro pollutants in our study areas were compared with other studies.     

Reactions of compost-derived humic substances with lead, copper, cadmium, and zinc

Thermodynamic stability constants of the formation of complexes from the reactions of humic substances with various metals are usually used as parameters to judge the reactivities of both humic substances and metals. However, in calculating the thermodynamic stability constants, complicated processes for the acquisition of activities of components in reactions are absolutely inevitable. In this study, we investigated the average conditional concentration quotients of the complexes formed from the reaction of metals with humic substances and the relations of these quotients to thermodynamic stability constants. The characterized humic substances including HA (MW>1,000), FA (MW>1,000), and FA (MW<1,000) extracted from a swine compost were prepared to react with Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn at 25 degrees C and at pH 4.00 and 6.50. Reactions of HA (MW>1,000), FA (MW>1,000), and FA (MW<1,000) with the four metals were carried out at 1:0.1, 1:0.5, 1:1, 1:5, and 1:10 ligand:metal stoichiometry. The concentrations of the free ions of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn in the reaction systems of metal-HA suspensions and metal-FA solutions were measured by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The sequence of the average conditional concentration quotients of the formed complexes from the reaction of humic substances with metals was FA(MW<1,000)>FA(MW>1,000)>HA(MW>1,000), showing the relative reactivities of the fractions of swine compost-derived humic substances. The sequence of reacting metals with humic substances was Pb>Cu>Cd>Zn, which is in good agreement with the sequence reported by judging the thermodynamic stability constants. The average conditional concentration quotients of the formed complexes from the reaction of humic substances with metals were thus useful parameters that can be directly related to thermodynamic stability constants and other parameters.     

有机固体废物堆肥化处理的微生物学机理研究

由于符合持续发展的理念 ,利用微生物技术处理有机固体废物越来越受到人们的重视 ,其核心问题则是木质纤维素的生物降解。随着园林废物等高木质纤维素含量的城市生活垃圾的不断增加 ,以及对农业固体废物和食品工业废物再利用的需要 ,这一领域的研究取得了很大的进展。在研究中 ,针对好氧堆肥和厌氧发酵 2项主要的微生物处理技术 ,对其优势微生物菌群、不同降解底物和微生物降解动力学方面的最新研究进展进行了回顾和总结 ,并对环境微生物制剂的应用以及有机固体废物的微生物处理技术的发展做了合理的展望。     

重金属污染土壤植物修复及进展

土壤污染是当今面临的一个重要环境问题。常规的土壤污染物理化学治理技术 ,如客土换土法、冲洗法、热处理、固化、玻璃化、动电修复法等 ,由于其技术要求高或经济成本高昂 ,对土壤结构的扰动破坏较严重 ,因而 ,大规模推广应用存在较大问题。重金属超累积植物的不断发现 ,使人们认识到有可能利用植物于土壤污染的治理修复。自 2 0世纪 90年代起 ,植物修复成为环境污染治理研究领域的一个前沿性课题。研究表明 ,通过植物的吸收、挥发、根滤、稳定等作用 ,可以净化土壤或水体中金属污染物 ,达到净化环境的目的。近 10年来 ,在超累积植物的找寻培育、植物根际微生物共存体系研究、植物对重金属的耐忍性、超量吸收及其解毒机制以及植物修复的工艺技术方面已有不少研究 ,并取得长足的进展 ,现代分子生物学的发展以及基因工程技术的应用有可能使植物修复技术取得根本性的突破。     

剩余污泥对活性黑KN-B的吸附性能

用剩余污泥对活性黑KN-B进行吸附研究,考察了pH、吸附时间、温度、盐类和污泥量等对活性黑KN-B吸附的影响.结果表明,剩余污泥对活性黑KN-B的吸附是一个快速过程,吸附时间可控制在30 min;其吸附过程可以用准二级动力学模型进行描述和预测;温度对污泥吸附活性黑KN-B产生的影响较小;其吸附等温线,25℃、35℃时与Freundlich方程拟合良好,45℃时则可以由Langmuir方程更好地描述.未调pH的剩余污泥,对pH≤2的废水中活性黑KN-B吸附性能良好;剩余污泥pH为1时,对pH＜12的废水中活性黑KN-B均可有效吸附;氯化钠浓度低于500 mg/L或氯化钠和硫酸钠的混合盐浓度低于100 mg/L时,有利于吸附;氯化钠浓度高于500 mg/L、混合盐浓度高于100 mg/L或单独加入硫酸钠后,随盐浓度的增加,吸附量呈下降趋势.     

In vitro biotransformation of PBDEs by root crude enzyme extracts: Potential role of nitrate reductase (NaR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in their debromination

In order to investigate the enzyme transformation of PBDEs and to track the key enzymes involved in PBDE degradation in plants, in vivo exposure of plants of ryegrass, pumpkin and maize and in vitro exposure of their root crude enzyme extracts to PBDEs were conducted. Degradation of PBDEs in the root crude enzyme solutions fit well with the first order kinetics (R² = 0.52–0.97, P < 0.05), and higher PBDEs degraded faster than the lower ones. PBDEs could be transformed to lower brominated PBDEs and hydroxylated-PBDEs by the root crude enzyme extracts with debromination as the main pathway which contributed over 90% of PBDE depletion. In vitro and in vivo exposure to PBDEs produced similar responses in root enzyme activities of which the nitroreductase (NaR) and glutathione-transferase (GST) activities decreased significantly, while the peroxidase, catalase and cytochrome P-450 activities had no significant changes. Furthermore, higher enzyme concentrations of NaR and GST led to higher PBDE debromination rates, and the time-dependent activities of NaR and GST in the root crude enzyme extracts were similar to the trends of PBDE depletion. All these results suggest that NaR and GST were the key enzymes responsible for PBDE degradation. This conclusion was further confirmed by the in vitro debromination of PBDEs with the commercial pure NaR and GST.     

潜流人工湿地水力学特性及工程设计

以净化低污染水体的潜流人工湿地水力学特性工程设计为重点,系统开展了室内外实验研究,并利用Peelet数分析了水平潜流人工湿地碎石床渗流返混程度。结果表明,潜流人工湿地集水花管孔口出流计算、基质填料内渗流计算、碎石床平均水力停留时间计算可分别借鉴薄壁孔口恒定淹没出流、线性或非线性渗流、活塞流理论;但受工程实际条件及运行淤堵等影响,工程实测结果均小于理论计算值。基于室内外实验成果,提出一套包括集配水系统水力计算、填料内渗流计算、平均水力停留时间计算在内的潜流人工湿地水力学特性计算方法和参数选择,可为人工湿地技术的工程设计提供借鉴。     

铜氰溶液的电子束辐照降解

研究了铜氰溶液中总氰初始浓度、pH、铜浓度等对总氰降解效率的影响,比较了KCN溶液和铜氰溶液的总氰降解率,初步推断了铜氰溶液在辐照过程中的降解机制.实验结果表明,在同样的辐照剂量下,随着总氰初始浓度的增加,总氰降解率降低,相应的总氰降解G值增大;铜浓度越低,总氰降解率越高;pH越小的铜氰溶液总氰降解率越高.电子束辐照KCN溶液和铜氰溶液的总氰降解反应属于表观一级反应.在相同的辐照剂量下,KCN溶液的总氰降解率比铜氰溶液要高得多.铜氰溶液的电子束辐照降解过程非常复杂,主要是铜氰络合离子逐步离解出的CN-与·OH的反应.     

A real-time,dynamic early-warning model based on uncertainty analysis and risk assessment for sudden water pollution accidents

A real-time, dynamic, early-warning model (EP-risk model) is proposed to cope with sudden water quality pollution accidents affecting downstream areas with raw-water intakes (denoted as EPs). The EP-risk model outputs the risk level of water pollution at the EP by calculating the likelihood of pollution and evaluating the impact of pollution. A generalized form of the EP-risk model for river pollution accidents based on Monte Carlo simulation, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, and the risk matrix method is proposed. The likelihood of water pollution at the EP is calculated by the Monte Carlo method, which is used for uncertainty analysis of pollutants’ transport in rivers. The impact of water pollution at the EP is evaluated by expert knowledge and the results of Monte Carlo simulation based on the analytic hierarchy process. The final risk level of water pollution at the EP is determined by the risk matrix method. A case study of the proposed method is illustrated with a phenol spill accident in China.