Degradation of pyrene by immobilized microorganisms in saline-alkaline soil

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is very difficult in saline-alkaline soil due to the inhibition of microbial growth under saline-alkaline stress. The microorganisms that can most effectively degrade PAHs were screened by introducing microorganisms immobilized on farm byproducts and assessing the validity of the immobilizing technique for PAHs degradation in pyrene-contaminated saline-alkaline soil. Among the microorganisms examined, it was found that Mycobacterium sp. B2 is the best, and can degrade 82.2% and 83.2% of pyrene for free and immobilized cells after 30 days of incubation. The immobilization technique could increase the degradation of pyrene significantly, especially for fungi. The degradation of pyrene by the immobilized microorganisms Mucor sp. F2, fungal consortium MF and co-cultures of MB+MF was increased by 161.7% (P < 0.05), 60.1% (P < 0.05) and 59.6% (P < 0.05) after 30 days, respectively, when compared with free F2, MF and MB+MF. Scanning electron micrographs of the immobilized microstructure proved the positive effects of the immobilized microbial technique on pyrene remediation in saline-alkaline soil, as the interspace of the carrier material structure was relatively large, providing enough space for cell growth. Co-cultures of different bacterial and fungal species showed different abilities to degrade PAHs. The present study suggests that Mycobacterium sp. B2 can be employed for in situ bioremediation of PAHs in saline-alkaline soil, and immobilization of fungi on farm byproducts and nutrients as carriers will enhance fungus PAH-degradation ability in saline-alkaline soil.     

Advanced treatment of wet-spun acrylic fiber manufacturing wastewater using three-dimensional electrochemical oxidation

A three-dimensional electrochemical oxidation(3D-EC) reactor with introduction of activated carbon(AC) as particle micro-electrodes was applied for the advanced treatment of secondary wastewater effluent of a wet-spun acrylic fiber manufacturing plant. Under the optimized conditions(current density of 500 A/m~2, circulation rate of 5 mL/min, AC dosage of 50 g, and chloride concentration of 1.0 g/L), the average removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand(COD_(cr)), NH3–N, total organic carbon(TOC), and ultraviolet absorption at 254 nm(UV_(254)) of the 3D-EC reactor were 64.5%, 60.8%, 46.4%, and 64.8%, respectively; while the corresponding effluent concentrations of COD_(cr), NH_3–N, TOC, and UV_(254) were 76.6, 20.1, and42.5 mg/L, and 0.08 Abs/cm, respectively. The effluent concentration of COD_(cr) was less than 100 mg/L, which showed that the treated wastewater satisfied the demand of the integrated wastewater discharge standard(GB 8978-1996). The 3D-EC process remarkably improved the treatment efficiencies with synergistic effects for COD_(cr), NH_3–N, TOC, and UV_(254) during the stable stage of 44.5%, 38.8%, 27.2%, and 10.9%, respectively, as compared with the sum of the efficiencies of a two-dimensional electrochemical oxidation(2D-EC) reactor and an AC adsorption process, which was ascribed to the numerous micro-electrodes of AC in the 3D-EC reactor. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry(GC–MS) analysis revealed that electrochemical treatment did not generate more toxic organics, and it was proved that the increase in acute biotoxicity was caused primarily by the production of free chlorine.     

兰州市大气飘尘中致突变物变化规律的研究

本研究对兰州市不同污染区(石油化工为主、燃煤、商业及农村)在不同季节时的大气飘尘,作了对比采样.飘尘样品用溶剂抽提法提取后,用化学萃取法分离为五个有机物馏分.用毛细色谱-质谱-计算机联用系统进行了定性分析,并用毛细管色谱法进行了部分定量分析.用Ames试验(用TA1537、TA98和TA100三株菌.加与不加S-1)对其致突变活性进行了研究.并对有机致突变物在不同污染区、不同季节的变化规律及其来源进行了初步探讨.     

两类藻毒素聚酮合成酶遗传相似性及其二级结构预测分析

研究微囊藻毒素聚酮合成酶、节球藻毒素聚酮合成酶之间的遗传关联性,并对其二级结构进行预测分析.应用聚合酶链反应得到2株蓝绿藻的毒素聚酮合成酶(PKS)基因,并进行基因序列分析.从GenBank中提取产微囊藻毒素、产节球藻毒素藻株的相应基因序列,利用DNAStar和phylip软件分析目的基因一致性及2类藻毒素PKS的进化情况.采用Garnier-Robson法、Karplus-Schulz法预测项圈藻株202A1/35、节球藻株NSOR10PKS蛋白片段的二级结构,Kyte-doolittle法分析蛋白的亲水性,Emini法预测蛋白质的表面可能性.结果表明,2类藻毒素PKS目的基因的相似性非常高;项圈藻属、念珠藻属的微囊藻毒素PKS与节球藻毒素PKS的进化关系较近;2种藻毒素PKS分析片段二级结构具有较大的相似性,其亲水性与表面可能性区域等特征也极为相似.     

滤纸法测定膨胀土总吸力试验及基质吸力预测研究

采用滤纸法测定膨胀土体吸力时,滤纸与土体表面距离不同所测得的滤纸含水率也不一样,获得的总吸力亦不相同。为此采用滤纸法开展了不同距离下的膨胀土总吸力测定试验,获得了不同距离条件下滤纸含水率的变化规律。干密度较小时,滤纸含水率随距离的增大呈现"减小-增大-减小"的规律;干密度较大时,滤纸含水率随距离的增大逐渐减小,最终趋于稳定。距离为3cm时所测得的吸力离散程度较小,可作为测定土体总吸力的标准距离。根据总吸力-距离关系式,通过引入伪基质吸力的概念,计算得到伪基质吸力,并与相应的真基质吸力进行比较。结果表明:不同干密度及含水率下的膨胀土真基质吸力与伪基质吸力之间存在良好的线性关系。此法可为测定现场土体基质吸力提供新的思路。     

超声前处理强化活性炭吸附活性艳红X-3B染料废水

探究了超声前处理活性艳红X-3B染料废水强化活性炭吸附降解性能及不同超声参数的影响规律,包括超声功率和超声时间。研究结果表明,超声前处理活性艳红X-3B染料废水可通过空化效应使有机大分子裂解为小分子易于被活性炭吸附,同时可强化其到活性炭微孔中传输,提高了活性炭吸附降解性能,最佳超声功率为320 W。浓度越高,所需超声时间越长,当超声达到一定时间后,继续超声不会影响染料分子的吸附。超声前处理虽然不会改变吸附平衡时间,但可有效增加活性炭处理活性艳红X-3B染料废水的饱和吸附量。     

含酸油脱水影响因素及处理技术研究进展

文章在介绍油田含酸油来源的基础上,详细阐述了国内外关于影响含酸油脱水因素的研究进展,分析表明:含酸油pH值在6~8范围外,原油脱水率均小于85%;不同酸对原油脱水影响不同,其影响程度一般为残酸土酸盐酸;原油中酸化淤渣越多,油水界面膜稳定性越高,酸化油脱水难度越大;酸化油中亲水固体颗粒趋向于水包油型乳状液,亲油固体颗粒趋向于油包水型乳状液,固体颗粒的粒径越小,形成乳状液越稳定;酸化油中胶质、沥青质越高,油水乳状液相对越稳定。最后综述了中和预处理法、水洗法、化学破乳法、超声波辅助法以及联合破乳法对含酸油有效的破乳方法,介绍了这几种破乳方法的适用范围,并建议处理含酸油时,应先弄清影响含酸油脱水的主要因素,采用合适的脱水方法,提高含酸油脱水效率。     

Using long-term data for a reintroduced population to empirically estimate future consequences of inbreeding

Inbreeding depression is an important long-term threat to reintroduced populations. However, the strength of inbreeding depression is difficult to estimate in wild populations because pedigree data are inevitably incomplete and because good data are needed on survival and reproduction. Predicting future population consequences is especially difficult because this also requires projecting future inbreeding levels and their impacts on long-term population dynamics, which are subject to many uncertainties. We illustrate how such projections can be derived through Bayesian state-space modeling methods based on a 26-year data set for North Island Robins (Petroica longipes) reintroduced to Tiritiri Matangi Island in 1992. We used pedigree data to model increases in the average inbreeding level (F ) over time based on kinship of possible breeding pairs and to estimate empirically N_e/N (effective/census population size). We used multiple imputation to model the unknown components of inbreeding coefficients, which allowed us to estimate effects of inbreeding on survival for all 1458 birds in the data set while modeling density dependence and environmental stochasticity. This modeling indicated that inbreeding reduced juvenile survival (1.83 lethal equivalents [SE 0.81]) and may have reduced subsequent adult survival (0.44 lethal equivalents [0.81]) but had no apparent effect on numbers of fledglings produced. Average inbreeding level increased to 0.10 (SE 0.001) as the population grew from 33 (0.3) to 160 (6) individuals over the 25 years, giving a ratio of 0.56 (0.01). Based on a model that also incorporated habitat regeneration, the population was projected to reach a maximum of 331–1144 birds (median 726) in 2130, then to begin a slow decline. Without inbreeding, the population would be expected stabilize at 887–1465 birds (median 1131). Such analysis, therefore, makes it possible to empirically derive the information needed for rational decisions about inbreeding management while accounting for multiple sources of uncertainty.     

Quantifying the squeezing or stretching of fisheries as they adapt to displacement by marine reserves

The designation of no‐take marine reserves involves social and economic concerns due to the resulting displacement of fishing effort, when fishing rights are removed from those who traditionally fished within an area. Displacement can influence the functioning of the fishery and success of the reserve, yet levels of displacement are seldom quantified after reserve implementation and very rarely before that. We devised a simple analytical framework based on set theory to facilitate reserve placement. Implementation of the framework requires maps of fishing grounds, fishing effort, or catch per unit effort for at least 2 years. The framework quantifies the level of conflict that a reserve designation might cause in the fishing sector due to displacement and the opportunities to offset the conflict through fisher spatial mobility (i.e., ability of fishers to fish elsewhere). We also considered how the outputs of the framework can be used to identify targeted management interventions for each fishery. We applied the method in Honduras, where the largest marine protected area in Central America is being placed, for which spatial data on fishing effort were available for 6 fisheries over 3 years. The proposed closure had a greater negative impact on the shrimp and lobster scuba fisheries, which concentrated respectively 28% and 18% of their effort inside the reserve. These fisheries could not accommodate the displacement within existing fishing grounds. Both would be forced to stretch into new fishing grounds, which are available but are of unknown quality. These stakeholders will likely require compensation to offset costly exploratory fishing or to travel to fishing grounds farther away from port.     

Characterizing the Width of Amphibian Movements During Postbreeding Migration

Habitat linkages can help maintain connectivity of animal populations in developed landscapes. However, the lack of empirical data on the width of lateral movements (i.e., the zigzagging of individuals as they move from one point to point another) makes determining the width of such linkages challenging. We used radiotracking data from wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in a managed forest in Maine (U.S.A.) to characterize movement patterns of populations and thus inform planning for the width of wildlife corridors. For each individual, we calculated the polar coordinates of all locations, estimated the vector sum of the polar coordinates, and measured the distance from each location to the vector sum. By fitting a Gaussian distribution over a histogram of these distances, we created a population‐level probability density function and estimated the 50th and 95th percentiles to determine the width of lateral movement as individuals progressed from the pond to upland habitat. For spotted salamanders 50% of lateral movements were ≤13 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤39 m wide. For wood frogs, 50% of lateral movements were ≤17 m wide and 95% of movements were ≤ 51 m wide. For both species, those individuals that traveled the farthest from the pond also displayed the greatest lateral movement. Our results serve as a foundation for spatially explicit conservation planning for pond‐breeding amphibians in areas undergoing development. Our technique can also be applied to movement data from other taxa to aid in designing habitat linkages. Caracterización de la Amplitud de Movimiento de Anfibios durante la Migración Pos‐Reproducción