Epigenetic effect of long-term bisphenol A exposure on human breast adenocarcinoma cells

In this research, epigenetic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were analyzed. Genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression were analyzed in MCF-7 cells exposed to BPA (10^?5 and 10^?6 mol/L for 5 weeks). No significant changes in the global level of 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine and 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxycytidine were observed. DNA methylation profiling analysis indicated that BPA exposure resulted in the hypermethylation of FOXK2, LKB1, LMX1A and CUGBP2 and the hypomethylation of PTPRN2, TRIM27, BCAS3 and ZNF423. Decreased expression of apoptosis genes (P38 and BCL2L1) and increased expression of chemokine (Cxcl2 and ccl20) were detected. Changes of these genes were speculated to affect the ERα-related cell growth as well as cell apoptosis.     

High zinc removal from water and soil using struvite-supported diatomite obtained by nitrogen and phosphate recovery from wastewater

Zinc is known as an essential element of human life. However, excessive zinc discharge into water and soil causes water pollution, leading to serious health issues such as septicemia, meningitis and iron-deficiency anemia. Here, a novel material made of struvite-supported diatomite was obtained from eutrophic water treated by mesoporous MgO-modified diatomite. This material was applied for zinc remediation in aqueous solutions and contaminated soils to test the reuse of P-containing products. Struvite-supported diatomite was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results show that the maximum removal efficiency of Zn(II) from wastewater streams reached 90.54% at an initial pH of 5 and struvite-supported diatomite dosage of 0.3 g/L. Moreover, the X-ray diffraction patterns of precipitates after Zn(II) sorption show that the combination between zinc and the phosphate group played a key role for zinc removal in solution. For Zn-contaminated soils amended with 10% struvite-supported diatomite, available Zn decreased by 65.38% and acid soluble Zn decreased by 56.9% after 56 days.     

High CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> adsorption by amino-modified bio-spherical cellulose nanofibres aerogels

Climate change has become increasingly serious due to the greenhouse effect. It is therefore necessary to control the content of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, using, for instance, CO₂-adsorbing materials. Here, we synthesized ultra-lightweight and spherical cellulose nanofibres aerogels by a suspension titration method using an efficient amination process. These functional materials with high porosity, higher than 96.54%, and three-dimensional network structure, were prepared by freeze-drying spherical cellulose nanofibres hydrogel. Their maximum CO₂ adsorption capacity reaches 1.78 mmol/g, and they show excellent regeneration, of more than 10 cycles. This synthesis of bioaerogels represents a new method for the preparation of bio-CO₂ adsorbents.     

Hydrodynamics and contaminant transport on a degraded bed at a 90-degree channel confluence

Channel confluences at which two channels merge have an important effect on momentum exchange and contaminant diffusion in both natural rivers and artificial canals. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model, which is based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equations and Reynolds Stress Turbulence model, is applied to simulate and compare flow patterns and contaminant transport processes for different bed morphologies. The results clearly show that the distribution of contaminant concentrations is mainly controlled by the shear layer and two counter-rotating helical cells, which in turn are affected by the discharge ratio and the bed morphology. As the discharge ratio increases, the shear flow moves to the outer bank and the counter-clockwise tributary helical cell caused by flow deflection is enlarged, leading the mixing happens near the outer bank and the mixing layer distorted. The bed morphology can induce shrinkage of the separation zone and increase of the clockwise main channel helical cell, which is initiated by the interaction between the tributary helical cell and the main channel flow and strengthened by the deep scour hole. The bed morphology can also affect the distortion direction of the mixing layer. Both a large discharge ratio and the bed morphology could lead to an increase in mixing intensity.     

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。     

Inverse uncertainty characteristics of pollution source identification for river chemical spill incidents by stochastic analysis

Identifying source information after river chemical spill occurrences is critical for emergency responses. However, the inverse uncertainty characteristics of this kind of pollution source inversion problem have not yet been clearly elucidated. To fill this gap, stochastic analysis approaches, including a regional sensitivity analysis method, identifiability plot and perturbation methods, were employed to conduct an empirical investigation on generic inverse uncertainty characteristics under a well-accepted uncertainty analysis framework. Case studies based on field tracer experiments and synthetic numerical tracer experiments revealed several new rules. For example, the release load can be most easily inverted, and the source location is responsible for the largest uncertainty among the source parameters. The diffusion and convection processes are more sensitive than the dilution and pollutant attenuation processes to the optimization of objective functions in terms of structural uncertainty. The differences among the different objective functions are smaller for instantaneous release than for continuous release cases. Small monitoring errors affect the inversion results only slightly, which can be ignored in practice. Interestingly, the estimated values of the release location and time negatively deviate from the real values, and the extent is positively correlated with the relative size of the mixing zone to the objective river reach. These new findings improve decision making in emergency responses to sudden water pollution and guide the monitoring network design.

Open image in new window

     

水文变异条件下潦河生态流量计算研究

气候变化和高强度人类活动改变了流域的自然水文循环过程,导致水文序列出现变异,严重影响了流域水文生态系统的稳定性.目前,基于水文变异条件下的河道内生态流量计算已成为当前变化环境下生态水文学研究的热点问题之一.以江西鄱阳湖西北部的潦河为例,采用水文时间序列变异检验方法分析径流变异性及成因,应用水文模型对水文变异后的径流进行还原,以Kolmogorov-Smirnov（K-S）、Anderson Darling（A-D）和概率点据相关系数（PPCC）3种检验法确定月径流的最优概率分布函数,进而提出水文变异条件下最适宜的潦河生态流量计算方法.结果表明:①潦河万家埠站径流在1972年发生水文变异,突变点后流域年径流增加了12%,降水量的增加和蒸发量的减少是其主要驱动要素.②采用分布式时变增益模型（DTVGM）对径流进行还原,率定期和验证期的相关系数和Nash-Sutchliffe效率系数均大于0.78,径流模拟值和实测值拟合程度较高,表明基于DTVGM进行径流还原是可行的.③基于还原后的径流,对5种概率分布函数进行拟合优度综合检验,确定逐月最优分布函数,并估算月河道生态流量.与Tennant法、最枯月平均流量法、7Q10法等方法比较,基于最优分布函数的生态流量结果更具确定性与合理性.在气候变化和人类活动引起径流变异的背景下,考虑水文变异的河道内生态需水计算方法能够更科学地体现水文变异对生态需水过程的影响,研究结果可为潦河流域水生态保护和水资源管理提供数据支撑,也可为变化环境下水资源规划和配置提供科学依据.      

太湖流域安吉县城绿地系统水生态服务功能

论文对太湖流域上游区域安吉县城绿地系统的水生态服务功能进行了系统研究。在资料收集和实地调查的基础上,研究将安吉绿地分为居住区及单位附属绿地、公园绿地、道路绿地和防护绿地。研究表明安吉县城绿地系统具有明显的减少地表径流和净化水质的水生态功能。2008年,安吉县城绿地系统共减少地表径流400.3×10⁴ m³;削减雨水径流污染物COD 16.0 t、TN 7.91 t、NH₄-N 0.22 t和TP 0.29 t。绿地系统的水生态服务功能与绿地面积以及植被组成相关,在安吉县城绿地系统中,总截留降水和去除污染物最多的为居住区及单位附属绿地,其次为公园绿地、道路绿地和防护绿地。     

贵州省六冲关流域大气沉降和地表水化学特征

对比贵州六冲关森林小流域1992─1994年和2001─2005年2个时期穿透水沉降(TF)和地表水的化学组成,以分析大气沉降对森林小流域生物地球化学过程的影响. 结果表明:2001─2004年硫沉降量较1992─1994年有显著下降,但自2005年起硫沉降量又显著增加. 六冲关流域无机氮(尤其是NH₄+-N)沉降量较历史时期显著增加,说明贵阳市大气污染正在由硫酸型向硫酸-硝酸混合型过渡. 长期的大气沉降导致地表水中SO₄2-和NO₃-等阴离子质量浓度的增加,加剧了Ca,Mg和K等营养元素的流失,使地表水的酸中和能力在2002年为负值. 长期观测发现,地表水酸中和能力与穿透水中Ca和Mg的沉降通量密切相关,说明大气沉降已经对六冲关流域的相关生物地球化学过程造成了潜在的影响.      

基于生态承载力的成都产业空间布局研究

以成都市的20个行政区县为基本评价单元进行生态承载力评价,在此基础上进行产业空间布局研究. 结果表明:成都市的生态承载力空间分布存在明显差异,呈从山区—丘陵—平原依次递增、从流域源头—末端依次递增的规律. 根据不同单元生态承载力的空间和阈值差异,将成都产业空间布局划分为4个类型区,即重点发展区、引导发展区、限制发展区和保护发展区;针对不同类型区的特征,制订产业准入门槛、产业规模和产业发展方向等产业发展调控策略.