Exposure to difenoconazole inhibits reproductive ability in male marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Difenoconazole(DFZ) is a triazole fungicide which has been detected in the aquatic environment, including estuaries and embayments. However, few studies addressing the reproductive toxicity and transgenerational effects of DFZ on marine fishes are available.The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of DFZ on male marine medaka(Oryzias melastigma). After exposure of the embryo to 1, 10, 100 and 1000 ng/L DFZ for180 days, the gonadosomatic index was significantly decreased in the 1000 ng/L treatment.The number of sperm was reduced while the abundances of spermatocytes and spermatogonia in the testes were increased in all the treatments. The m RNA levels of salmontype gnrh(sgnrh), the luteinizing hormone(lhβ) and the follicle-stimulating hormone(fshβ)genes in the brain all exhibited a significant down-regulation, the expression of androgen receptors(arα and arβ) was decreased and that of estrogen receptor β and cytochrome P450 aromatase(cyp19 B) was increased in the testes. The expression levels of cyp19 A and cyp19 B were increased in the liver. The decrease of ars m RNA levels might be one of the reasons causing the reduction of sperm. The down-regulation of sgnrh, lhβ and fshβ m RNA levels suggested that DFZ might impact the spermatogenesis via the brain–pituitary–gonad pathway. The decrease of the fertilization success, the hatch ability and the swim-up success in the F1 generation indicated that DFZ pollution at environmental levels might cause a decrease of wild fish populations.     

Effects of tourmaline on nitrogen removal performance and biofilm structures in the sequencing batch biofilm reactor

The effects of tourmaline on nitrogen removal performance and biofilm structures were comparatively investigated in two identical laboratory-scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors(SBBRs)(denoted SBBR1 and SBBR2) at different nitrogen loading rates(NLRs) varying from(0.24 ± 0.01) to(1.26 ± 0.02) g N/(L·day). SBBR1 was operated in parallel with SBBR2, but SBBR1 was filled with polyurethane foam loaded tourmaline(TPU) carriers and another(SBBR2) filled with polyurethane foam(PU) carriers. Results obtained from this study showed that the excellent and stable performance of SBBR1 was obtained. Ammonia nitrogen removal and total nitrogen removal were higher in SBBR1 than that in SBBR2 with increase of NLR. At an NLR of(0.24 ± 0.01) g N/(L·day), the majority of the spherical and elliptical bacteria were surrounded by the extracellular polymeric substance(EPS) and bacillus or filamentous bacteria in two SBBRs biofilms. When NLR increased to(1.26 ± 0.02) g N/(L·day), the clusters were more obvious in the SBBR1 biofilm than that in the SBBR2 biofilm. Bacteria in SBBR1 were inclined to synthesis more EPS, and the formed EPS could protect the bacteria from free ammonia(FA) under extreme condition NLR(1.26 ± 0.02) g N/(L·day). The results of polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the microbial community similarity in SBBR2 decreased more obviously than that in SBBR1 with the increase of NLR, which the microbial community in SBBR1 was relatively stable.     

Inhibitive effects of chlortetracycline on performance of the nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process and strategies for recovery

The short-and long-term effects of chlortetracycline(CTC) on the nitritation-anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox) process were evaluated. The half maximal inhibitory concentration of CTC in the batch tests of the nitritation-anammox process was 278.91 mg/L at an exposure time of 12 hr. The long-term effects of CTC on the process were examined in a continuous-flow nitritation-anammox reactor. Within 14 days, the nitrogen removal rate significantly decreased from 0.61 to 0.25 kg N/m~3/day with 60 mg/L CTC in the influent.The performance suppressed by CTC barely recovered, even after CTC was removed from the influent. Furthermore, the inhibition of CTC also reduced the relative abundance of ammonium oxidizing bacteria(AOB) and anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria(An AOB)in the reactor, resulting in both a decreased amount of and an imbalance between AOB and An AOB. When fresh anammox sludge was reseeded into the nitritation-anammox reactor,the nitrogen removal rate recovered to 0.09 ± 0.03 kg N/m~3/day.     

芦苇制浆废水的生态工程处理

本文主要讨论了生态工程处理芦苇制浆中段废水的工艺流程及其主要组成部分稳定塘和苇田的设计参。通过对工程预期处理效果和生态经济效益分析，认为在可供利用的大片苇田，运用生态工程处理纸浆废水，不仅可以达到控制污染的目的，而且可以取得较好的生态经济效益。     

城市可持续发展评价的分指数及综合指数公式

在指标按特征分类的基础上，提出了城市可持续发展评价分类指标的分指数公式和多类别组合的综合指数公式。应用遗传算法对公式中的参数进行优化，得到简单而适用的城市可持续发展评价模型。模型应用于全国“七五”，“八五”可持续发展评价结果与实际分析结果一致。该模型具有可比性强，通用性好和简单，实用的特点。     

南岳森林群落生物多样性研究(Ⅳ)上封寺森林群落学特征

根据实地考察及其研究结果,南岳上封寺森林群落是一种尚未报道过的新类型,即长叶石栎+多脉青冈-尾叶山茶-求米草群丛(Association ofLithocarpus henryi+ Cyclobalanopsis multinervis—Camellia cauaata—Oplismeatus undulatifolius)。该群落内有维管束植物44科、64属、73种;其属的区系性质是以温带性质占多数,温带、热带性质成分各计53.45％和46.55％;种的区系成分以华夏、东亚和华东-华中三种分布类型为主,分别占总数的25.35％、22.53％和12.68％,群落区系具有明显的华东-华中区系的过渡交汇性质。在群落中,木本植物和草本植物各占73.87％和26.03％,其中草本植物中,多年生占20.55％。该群落明显分为乔、灌、草三层,其中乔木层又可分为二个亚层,它是典型的中亚热带东部常绿阔叶林北部植被地理亚带中的常绿阔叶林。在群落演替过程中,它仍将保持常绿阔叶林性质,但其优势种可能会被尾叶山茶、多脉青冈取代。     

Characterization of top phase oil obtained from co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and poplar sawdust

To research the impact of adding sawdust on top phase oil, a sewage sludge and poplar sawdust co-pyrolysis experiment was performed in a fixed bed. Gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS) was used to analyze the component distribution of top phase oil. Higher heating value, viscosity, water content, and pH of the top phase oil product were determined. The highest top phase oil yield (5.13 wt%) was obtained from the mixture containing 15 % poplar sawdust, while the highest oil yield (16.51 wt%) was obtained from 20 % poplar sawdust. Top phase oil collected from the 15 % mixture also has the largest amount of aliphatics and the highest higher heating value (28.6 MJ/kg). Possible reaction pathways were proposed to explain the increase in the types of phenols present in the top phase oil as the proportion of poplar sawdust used in the mixture increased. It can be concluded that synergetic reactions occurred during co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and poplar sawdust. The results indicate that the high ash content of the sewage sludge may be responsible for the characteristic change in the top phase oil obtained from the mixtures containing different proportions of sewage sludge and poplar sawdust. Consequently, co-pyrolysis of the mixture containing 15 % poplar sawdust can increase the yield and the higher heating value of top phase oil.     

Preparation,characterization, and Cd(II) sorption of/on cysteine-montmorillonite composites synthesized at various pH

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Montmorillonite-cysteine could be used as the immobilizer, detector, and detoxifier of heavy metals. To further the understanding and the application,...     

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an excellent vertebrate model for the development,reproductive, cardiovascular,and neural and ocular development toxicity study of hazardous chemicals

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the past decades, the type of chemicals has gradually increased all over the world, and many of these chemicals may have a potentially toxic effect...     

A two-compartment exposure device for foliar uptake study

An airtight two-chamber exposure devise was designed for investigating foliar uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by plants. The upper and the bottom chambers of the device were air-tightly separated by an aluminum foil and the plant aerial tissues and roots were exposed in the two chambers, respectively. The device was tested using maize exposed to several PAH species. Positive correlations between air and aerial tissue concentrations of the exposed PAH species were revealed. PAHs spiking in the culture solution had no influence on the leaf concentrations.