Characteristics of fungal flora in onion farmlands with potential link to human mycotic keratitis

Acquisition of mycotic keratitis has been linked to agricultural activities. Although fungi were identified in injured eyes, data derived directly from farmlands are limited. Following five cases of fungal corneal ulcers in onion harvesters in the monsoon area of Taiwan, the present study further determined fungi genera and their concentrations in onion crops and surface soils of onion farmlands. In total, 52, 100 and 100 samples of soils, onion leaves and bulb scales, respectively, were collected from three monsoon and one non-monsoon farmlands. Fungal colonies were counted and microscopically examined after incubation at 25°C for 4–7 days on malt extract agar with 40?g?mL^?1 chloramphenicol. Results showed the peak fungi levels were mostly observed at harvest time. Among keratitis-related fungi, Aspergillus predominated in soils as well as in onion bulb scales, while Alternaria in onion leaves. Cladosporium was also prevalent in soils, onion leaves and scales. Other keratitis-related fungi included Acremonium, Curvalaria, Fusarium, Mycelia, Penicillium, Rhizoctonia and Rhizopus. The present study provides an exposure link between onion harvesters and presence of keratitis-related fungi from onion crops and soils, which may account for mycotic ocular infection via hand-to-eye contact and airborne transmission during the monsoon season.     

Screening for acute ocular toxicity of commercialized products of cartap,an insecticide,and correlation to blood concentrations in rabbits

Cartap is an insecticide known to produce contraction and damage to mouse and rabbit diaphragms, and plays a pivotal role in respiratory paralysis and mortality in rabbits. The aim of this study was conducted to screen for the toxic properties and blood concentrations of commercialized cartap products in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Five granular formulations (GRs) with different concentrations (4, 6, 6.5, 6.66 or 10%) and seven water-soluble powders (SPs, 50%) of commercialized cartap products were chosen to study toxicity following ocular instillation. Furthermore, ocular instillation (5, 12.5, 25 or 50 mg kg^?1) and oral administration (25 mg kg^?1) of the technical material (TC) cartap was also performed to compare blood concentration changes in rabbits. There was no death or eye irritation with all GR products; however, soluble powder (SP) products produced severe toxicity and mortality in rabbits. The blood concentration of TC cartap in rabbits started to increase from 2 min and reached peak levels at 7–9 min after ocular instillation in a dose-related pattern. For comparison of the blood distribution of cartap via different administration routes, oral exposure exhibited a higher absorption of cartap than ocular instillation. It was suggested that the commercialized GR products of cartap were safe but 50% SP products were highly toxic to rabbits following ocular exposure. This study provides valuable data to screen for potential acute toxicity of cartap to farmers and animals in the field.     

Determination of three endocrine disrupting chemicals,triclosan, 4-n-nonylphenol,and di-n-butyl phthalate using stir bar sorptive extraction in samples of different matrices

Three endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), triclosan (TCS), 4-n-nonylphenol (4-n-NP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) were determined using stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) along with high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detection (HPLC/DAD). Benzyl butyl phthalate was used as an internal standard. The targeted analytes could be rapidly determined with limits of quantification (LOQ) ranging from 4.1 (DBP), 10 (TCS), to 34 (4-n-NP)?µg?L^?1 in real samples such as bottled waters, personal care products, soaps, lotions, and urine. The results show that the developed analytical scheme is solvent-saving, efficient, and capable of fast screening samples for these common EDCs.     

Arsenic species in the well water and sediments of the blackfoot disease area in Taiwan

The blackfoot disease (BFD) observed in southwestern Taiwan is due to drinking high arsenic concentrations in well water. This paper presents some results concerning the distributions of arsenic species in water and sediments collected in the BFD (well, river and coastal) area and the background (lake and ocean) area for comparison. The results show that the concentrations of arsenate (870 ± 26 ug/L) and arsenite (70.2 ± 2.6 ug/ L) in well waters, and the contents of arsenic (1640 ug/g) with high percentage of easily reducible (Fe and Mn oxides, 91.7%) and exchangeable and carbonate (4.6%) phases in well sediments were much higher than those in river, lake and coastal samples. Low arsenic (3.46–31.8 ug/g) with high percentages (73.8–97.3%) of detritus and minerals phase with low percentages (0.4–9.8%) of total carbonate and exchangeable phases were found in the river and coastal samples in the BFD area as well as the lake and ocean samples in background area. It might suggest that the higher concentrations of toxic As(III) in well water and arsenic with higher values of easily reducible, carbonate and exchangeable phases in the well sediments, combined with the higher values of dissolved organic carbon, humic and fulvic acids and aromatic carbon as well as the higher fluorescence indensity in the well water are the key factors to cause the BFD in Taiwan.     

杭州无车日大气细颗粒物化学组成形成机制及光学特性

在世界无车日期间对PM2.5化学组分、光学参数及气态污染物进行同步监测,评估机动车尾气排放对杭州市细颗粒物污染及能见度的影响.结果表明:管制期间NO2、NOx、CO和PM2.5浓度分别为45.0, 50.8, 1119, 85.8μg/m3,比平日分别下降了17.5%、23.3%、20.6%和32.6%.管制期间PM2.5中OC、EC和二次无机组分浓度为8.58, 4.29, 25.95μg/m3,比管制前下降了13.8%、12.6%和15.7%,管制后则达到20.24, 10.85, 27.39μg/m3,上升了136.0%、152.7%和5.5%.管制期间较高的NO3-/PM2.5和NOR(0.15)表明PM2.5的形成更多受二次无机转化影响,管制后PM2.5中上升的OC、EC比例和较低的NOR(0.07)则说明PM2.5主要来自机动车排放的碳质组分的贡献.硫酸盐、硝酸盐、有机气溶胶和EC是最主要的消光组分,共解释了总消光系数的74.0%~89.7%.管制后,机动车排放的有机物和EC消光比例达到26.6%和24.6%,大气消光系数则达到438.7Mm-1,比管制期间上升了60.5%,表明机动车污染排放已成为影响杭州大气细颗粒物污染和能见度下降的重要因素.     

Geochemistry and health risk assessment of arsenic exposure to street dust in the zinc smelting district, Northeast China

The aim of this study was to investigate arsenic (As) accumulation in street dust and health risk of population. The investigation concentrated on: a. pollution levels of As in street dust; b. spatial distribution of As in street dust; c. physicochemical properties analysis of street dust; and d. assessment of population health risk due to As exposure to street dust. As concentration in street dust ranged from 3.33 to 185.1?mg?kg^?1, with a mean of 33.10?mg?kg^?1, which was higher than the background value of Liaoning soil. As contamination level of the area closing to Huludao Zinc Plant (HZP) was highest. Spatial variation showed that the pollution center was close to HZP, formed radial distribution pattern and extended to the northeast and southwest of HZP. The pH and organic matter of street dust were both higher than the background values of soil in Liaoning. There was significantly negative correlation between As concentration and the pH. The mass percentages of particles 180?C100,?<100?C75,?<75?C63, and?<63???m were 29.8, 3.7, 21.3, and 4.2?%, respectively. The highest of As concentration was found in the smallest particle size (<63???m). As loadings in the particles of grain size 180?C100 and?<75?C63???m were higher than other particle fractions. Results of the risk assessment indicated that the highest risk was associated with the ingestion of street dust particles. Health risk for different use scenarios to human decreased in the order of HZP?>?Industrial district?>?School?>?Commercial center?>?Residential area. Around HZP, Hazard Index (HI) for children and cancer risk of As by street dust exposure exceeded the acceptable values. It indicated that there was a potential adverse effect on children health by As exposure to the street dust of Huludao.     

离子液体[C16mim]Cl对泥鳅的毒性效应

以泥鳅为受试动物,采用急性毒性、微核试验及酶活分析实验,研究了离子液体[C16mim]Cl对水生生物的生物毒性作用。急性实验表明:[C16mim]Cl对泥鳅有明显的毒性,其对泥鳅24、48和96h的LC50分别为2.533、1.763和1.379mg.L-1;微核实验表明:对照组红细胞微核率为0.5‰左右,而处理组红细胞微核率最高达到12.89‰,且各处理组均明显高于对照组(P<0.05);酶活分析实验表明:处理组血清的GPT和GOT活力均明显高于对照组,且随[C16mim]Cl浓度增高而呈现上升趋势。从以上结果可以得出:[C16mim]Cl对泥鳅具有显著的遗传毒性和生理毒性效应,因而推测其大量使用可能对水生生物及生态环境具有一定的毒害作用。     

微囊藻毒素对青菜生长的影响及其在生物体内的累积

蓝藻藻泥好氧堆肥腐熟后还田是其打捞后资源化利用的主要途径。堆肥后仍有一定数量的微囊藻毒素(microcystin,MC)残留,大量还田是否会对作物生长和人类健康产生安全风险尚不明确。将青菜(Brassica chinensis)暴露于不同MC含量的石英砂和菜地土壤,观测植株生长状况及体内MC含量,并观测不同含量的MC在菜地土壤中的降解速率。结果发现:砂培实验结束时,青菜成株的株高和生物量随着MC暴露浓度的增加而显著降低,而植株地上部MC的含量则显著增加。在MC浓度为0.386mg·kg-1的处理中,青菜地上部MC-LR(L为亮氨酸)和MC-RR(R为精氨酸)的浓度分别达到27.45μg·kg-1(鲜质量)和1.35μg·kg-1(鲜质量)。MC-LR和MC-RR在青菜地上部的富集系数都随着砂培基质中MC浓度的增加而显著降低,且前者显著高于后者。土培青菜生长过程中吸收和累积的MC数量显著小于砂培实验。MC在菜地土壤中降解56d后,MC-LR和MC-RR的降解率均达90%以上。按普通有机肥的一般用量(2.5kg·m-2)施用充分腐熟的蓝藻堆肥成品种植青菜,食用后每人每天摄入的MC含量远低于WHO制定的饮用水中MC的指导值。研究为评估现行蓝藻堆肥工艺中残留的MC对作物生长和生物安全风险提供了科学依据。     

Fenton试剂氧化降解紫丁香醇的研究

在自制的圆柱型双层玻璃反应器中,以木素类模型物紫丁香醇(SL)为目标化合物,考察Fenton试剂对紫丁香醇的降解效果,研究溶液的pH值、H2O2的用量、Fe2+的用量、紫丁香醇溶液初始浓度、反应时间、紫外光照射等因素对紫丁香醇降解的影响。实验结果表明:在室温条件下,当体系pH值为3.0时,加入两倍理论用量的H2O2,Fe2+与H2 O2的物质的量之比为1︰50,反应60 min后,50 mg/L的紫丁香醇的去除率可达87.5%;当体系中引入紫外光后,Fenton试剂的氧化性明显增加,反应速度显著加快,30 min后紫丁香醇可完全矿化。     

Arsenic-induced health crisis in peri-urban Moyna and Ardebok villages, West Bengal, India: an exposure assessment study

Drinking of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwater has adverse effects on health of millions of people worldwide. This study aimed to determine the degree of severity of As exposure from drinking water in peri-urban Moyna and Ardebok villages, West Bengal, India. Arsenic concentrations in hair, nail and urine samp les of the individuals were determined. Arsenical dermatosis, keratosis and melanosis were investigated through medical evaluation. We have evaluated the association between As exposure from drinking water, and keratosis and melanosis outcomes. The results showed that 82.7?% of the sampled tube wells contain As concentrations above 10?μg/L, while 57.7?% contain As concentrations above 50?μg/L. The hair, nail and urine As concentrations were positively correlated with As concentrations in drinking water. In our study population, we observed a strong association between As concentrations ranging 51-99?μg/L and keratosis and melanosis outcomes, although the probability decreases at higher concentration ranges perhaps due to switching away from the use of As-contaminated tube wells for drinking and cooking purposes. High As concentrations in hair, nail and urine were observed to be associated with the age of the study population. The level of As concentrations in hair, nail and urine samples of the study population indicated the degree of severity of As exposure in the study region.