21世纪可替代脊椎动物进行生态毒性测试的方法：过去二十年的发展和现状综述

替代脊椎动物进行化学物质和污染物危害评估的方法已成为越来越重要的需求。现在首先要考虑的是当启动一个脊椎动物生态毒性测试,必须确保不必要的脊椎动物生物的使用尽可能最小化。对于一些监管目的,脊椎动物的使用对环境风险评估(ERA)已经被禁止,而在其他情况下生物测试的数量已经大大减少了,或者测试程序严格精简了。然而,想要获得能够完全替代脊椎动物提供环境危害数据的方法仍有很长的路要走。动物替代品的发展不仅仅是基于道德的考虑,也可以降低执行脊椎动物生态毒性测试的成本以及在某些情况下能够提供更好的信息旨在改进环境风险评估。本文集中综述了在过去的几十年里生态毒性评估替代方法所发生的重大的进展。
精选自Adam Lillicrap, Scott Belanger, Natalie Burden, David Du Pasquier, Michelle R. Embry, Marlies Halder, Mark A. Lampi, Lucy Lee, Teresa Norberg-King, Barnett A. Rattner, Kristin Schirmer, Paul Thomas. Alternative approaches to vertebrate ecotoxicity tests in the 21st century: a review of developments over the last two decades and current status. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 35, Issue 11, pages 2637–2646, November 2016. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3603
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.3603/full
     

Numerical modelling of horizontal sediment-laden jets

Sediment-laden turbulent flows are commonly encountered in natural and engineered environments. It is well known that turbulence generates fluctuations to the particle motion, resulting in modulation of the particle settling velocity. A novel stochastic particle tracking model is developed to predict the particle settling out and deposition from a sediment-laden jet. Particle velocity fluctuations in the jet flow are modelled from a Lagrangian velocity autocorrelation function that incorporates the physical mechanism leading to a reduction of settling velocity. The model is first applied to study the settling velocity modulation in a homogeneous turbulence field. Consistent with basic experiments using grid-generated turbulence and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations, the model predicts that the apparent settling velocity can be reduced by as much as 30 % of the stillwater settling velocity. Using analytical solution for the jet mean flow and semi-empirical RMS turbulent velocity fluctuation and dissipation rate profiles derived from CFD predictions, model predictions of the sediment deposition and cross-sectional concentration profiles of horizontal sediment-laden jets are in excellent agreement with data. Unlike CFD calculations of sediment fall out and deposition from a jet flow, the present method does not require any a priori adjustment of particle settling velocity.     

Design and use of group-specific primers and probes for real-time quantitative PCR

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has gained popularity as a technique to detect and quantify a specific group of target microorganisms from various environmental samples including soil, water, sediments, and sludge. Although qPCR is a very useful technique for nucleic acid quantification, accurately quantifying the target microbial group strongly depends on the quality of the primer and probe used. Many aspects of conducting qPCR assays have become increasingly routine and automated; however, one of the most important aspects, designing and selecting primer and probe sets, is often a somewhat arcane process. In many cases, failed or non-specific amplification can be attributed to improperly designed primer-probe sets. This paper is intended to provide guidelines and general principles for designing group-specific primers and probes for qPCR assays. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these guidelines by reviewing the use of qPCR to study anaerobic processes and biologic nutrient removal processes. qPCR assays using group-specific primers and probes designed with this method, have been used to successfully quantify 16S ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid (16S rRNA) gene copy numbers from target methanogenic and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in various laboratory- and full-scale biologic processes. Researchers with a good command of primer and probe design can use qPCR as a valuable tool to study biodiversity and to develop more efficient control strategies for biologic processes.     

Effects of repeated pesticide exposure on the peripheral and central nervous systems

This study was designed to compare organic farmers (comparison group) and pesticide-using farmers (pesticide group) in terms of neurobehavioral performance and sensorimotor function. The subjects were recruited in October 2004 from Chungnam Province and the neighboring Jeolla Province in western South Korea. Psychological assessment was carried out using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Bender Gestalt test. Neuroselective sensory nerve conduction threshold was measured at both left and right middle fingers by using an electrodiagnostic device to determine current perception thresholds (CPTs). Three independent CPT measurements were obtained from each test site by using sinusoidal stimuli at three frequencies. CPT testing showed no difference between the two groups. No significant differences were found in the large myelinated (2000?Hz stimulation; cutaneous touch, pressure), small myelinated (250?Hz stimulation; mechanoreceptive, pressure, temperature, fast pain) and small unmyelinated (5?Hz stimulation; polymodal nociceptive, temperature, slow pain, postganglionic sympathetic) C-fibers. Furthermore, there was no difference found between the pesticide and comparison groups in psychological variables, including intelligence quotient, orientation, memory, calculation, similarities, visual sensitivity, and psychomotor speed. In conclusion, chronic pesticide exposure has no apparent effect on either the peripheral or central nervous system in Korean farmers.     

Gliding arc plasma processing for decomposition of chloroform

The decomposition of chloroform (CHCl₃) diluted in air was studied. The experiment was carried out by using a gliding arc plasma. Different values of initial concentrations of chloroform, total gas flow rates, and input power frequencies have been used to investigate this effects on the conversion reaction products both qualitatively and quantitatively. Experimental results indicate that the maximum conversion of chloroform was 97% at a total gas flow rate of 180?L?h^?1 containing 1% chloroform. Using air as carrier gas, decomposition of CHCl₃ produces CCl₄, CO₂, CO, and Cl₂ as the main products. Small amounts of HCl and COCl₂ are also detected. Liquid products were also produced.     

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.     

Pah characteristics in ambient air within a steel industrial complex

Ambient air samples at ten sites in an iron and steel industrial complex were collected from June to December for analyzing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sixteen species of PAH components in air samples were identified. The results indicate that both gaseous phase and particle‐bound PAHs at the top of the cokemaking plants are unusually high. The profiles of particle‐bound PAHs indicate that the predominant species at the top of, the coke oven batteries are those of high molecular weight components. The major components of particle‐bound PAHs at sampling sites near the fenceline, however, include the medium molecular weight components. The PAH profiles of air samples within the industrial complex show a strong similarity to those of cokemaking plant samples. The concentrations and the specific content of benzo(a)pyrene in the iron and steel industrial complex are higher than those values measured in urban area, petrochemical industry park, and open‐air burning area.     

Control of chlorinated aromatic compounds from a municipal solid waste incinerator using limestone addition

In this study, limestone powder was directly added to synthetic MSW, which was fed into a small‐scale fluidized bed incinerator. The concentration of CBzs and CPs in the flue gas were measured before and after a secondary combustion air injection. Finally, the PCDDs and PCDFs concentrations were also measured in the flue gas after the secondary combustion zone. The CaCO₃ added to synthetic MSW not only controls HCl in the flue gas, but suppresses the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds like CBzs, CPs, PCDDs, and PCDFs. The main mechanisms to control the formation of chlorinated aromatic compounds was more likely related to the suppression of catalytic capability of flyash than the HCl reduction in the flue gas. However, the NO concentration was increased by catalytic reaction of limestone in the fluidized bed.     

Crediting uncertain ecosystem services in a market

The margin of safety (MOS) approach is an increasingly prevalent tool for ensuring the integrity of market-based programs for providing ecosystem services. Over-crediting is reduced by setting aside mean estimates of uncertain services in favor of a more conservative estimate. Like many environmental policy problems, ecosystem service markets involve the aggregation of uncertainty over multiple scales, e.g. from landowners to market intermediaries to the overall market. We examine how the MOS instrument affects, and is affected by, an ecosystem services market. We show that the common bottom-up approach of imposing risk preferences at a local, disaggregated level—held over from earlier development in the context of toxics and command and control-style health risk regulation—leads to several unintended consequences. Furthermore, discounting landowner services can actually increase their profits, conditional on the elasticity of credit demand. We illustrate theoretical insights with an empirical application to greenhouse gas offset crediting in agriculture.