Effects of freshwater leaching on potential bioavailability of heavy metals in tidal flat soils

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Leaching experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of desalination levels and sediment depths on potential bioavailability of heavy metal (Cd,...     

Cellular damage of plant pathogenic fungi by antifungal compounds produced by Bacillus spp. isolates

The use of microorganisms as biological control agents (BCAs) has become an effective alternative to chemical means of controlling plant pathogens. The antagonistic and inhibitory activity of 71 Bacillus spp. strains, which were isolated from different Mexican sites, were tested against several phytopathogen fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium avenaceum, Bipolaris spp. and Alternaria spp. From the antagonism study, the strain ELI149 showed a marked inhibition of growth against all tested fungi; therefore crude metabolites from this strain were extracted using ethyl acetate and amberlite resin and probed against the same fungi as well as strains of Mucor sp., Penicillium spp. and Paecilomyces spp. The results indicated that amberlite was more suitable for extraction of secondary metabolites with antifungal activity. Finally, observation of cell damage in the tested pathogenic fungi showed marked morphological changes on reproductive structures in all tested fungi indicating that antibiosis was the mechanism of the antagonistic effect. These results suggest that metabolites from the Bacillus strains have a wide spectrum of antibiotic activities, which can be used as biocontrol agents for controlling fungal plant diseases of agricultural importance.     

个人护理用品(PCPs)的生态毒性和处理工艺效果研究进展

个人护理用品的大量使用导致其生产量和排放量也日渐增加,会不可避免地进入环境,对生态环境和人体健康产生影响。本文归纳整理了个人护理用品的分类,总结了其中代表化合物对水生生物的生态毒性研究现状,分析比较了主要废水处理工艺技术对个人护理用品的去除效果,为今后对这类物质的生态毒性和处理工艺研究提供参考。     

左氧氟沙星在蒙脱石存在条件下对大肠杆菌的毒性效应

采用批实验研究了蒙脱石对左氧氟沙星的吸附机理及对左氧氟沙星抗菌作用的影响。结果表明,中性条件下存在培养基时,左氧氟沙星在蒙脱石上前2 h即达到吸附平衡,吸附等温线符合Langmuir吸附方程,吸附率达90%以上;蒙脱石吸附左氧氟沙星存在阳离子交换作用、氢键作用、疏水作用、阳离子键桥作用、静电吸附作用等物理化学过程;蒙脱石本身不具有抑菌、杀菌活性,且由于蒙脱石增大了微生物附着的比表面积,在特定情况下可以促进微生物的生长;扣除其对微生物生长的促进作用后,蒙脱石吸附左氧氟沙星降低了后者的毒性效应,其抑菌率降低约25%。上述结果为进一步研究抗生素在环境中的毒理效应提供了基础依据。     

运动对2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并二恶英急性暴露大鼠肝脏抗氧化能力的影响

观察8周中等强度游泳运动对2,3,7,8-四氯二苯并二恶英(2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin,2,3,7,8-TCDD)急性暴露大鼠肝脏氧化应激的影响。以8周龄雄性Sprague Dawley大鼠为研究对象,将大鼠随机分为玉米油静养组(NC组)、玉米油运动组(EC组)、TCDD静养组(NT)和TCDD运动组(ET组)。将TCDD溶于玉米油中,NT和ET组大鼠按照10μg·kg-1(以单位体重计)腹腔注射TCDD,NC和EC组大鼠注射等量玉米油。正式实验开始后,EC和ET组大鼠进行运动(尾部负重5%游泳30min),每周运动5 d,共8周,NC和NT组大鼠不进行任何运动干预。8周后,称重并宰杀大鼠,收集血清和肝组织样本,待测血清天门冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)的活性;肝组织丙二醛(MDA)含量,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)以及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)的活性。将数据进行多因素方差分析,结果表明,染毒可升高大鼠血清AST的活性,增加肝脏MDA的含量,降低肝脏SOD、CAT和GSH-Px的活性;运动可降低大鼠肝脏GSH-Px的活性;染毒后运动可减少肝脏MDA的含量,升高肝脏SOD、CAT和GSH-Px的活性。研究表明,TCDD急性暴露可导致大鼠肝细胞功能受损,导致大鼠肝脏发生氧化应激。8周有氧运动改善TCDD急性暴露诱导的肝细胞损伤,改善肝脏氧化应激,这可能是运动改善TCDD肝毒性的机制之一。     

内质网应激介导的凋亡在PBDE-47致大鼠海马损伤中的作用

为了明确内质网应激(endoplasmic reticulum stress,ERS)介导的凋亡在2,2’,4,4’-四溴联苯醚(2,2’,4,4’-tetrabromodiphenylether,PBDE-47)致大鼠神经毒性中的作用,在脑发育的突增期(出生第10天),分别用0 mg·kg~(-1)、1 mg·kg~(-1)、5 mg·kg~(-1)和10mg·kg~(-1)PBDE-47进行单次灌胃染毒,并从出生第8天开始每天给予150 mg·kg~(-1)ERS抑制剂4-苯基丁酸(phenylbutyric acid,PBA),持续3周。仔鼠出生第8周末,从对照组、10 mg·kg~(-1)PBDE-47处理组、150 mg·kg~(-1)PBA处理组和150 mg·kg~(-1)PBA+10mg·kg~(-1)PBDE处理组中随机选取8只大鼠进行水迷宫实验。然后将所有动物断头处死,分离大鼠海马组织,观察其海马组织形态学改变、测定ERS标志分子(GRP78、IRE1和CHOP)和凋亡相关蛋白Cyt c的表达水平。结果显示,10 mg·kg~(-1)PBDE-47处理可导致雌性大鼠海马CA4区细胞排列紊乱、锥形神经细胞数量减少甚至消失,尼氏小体数量减少,大鼠逃避潜伏期延长(P0.05)。5和10 mg·kg~(-1)PBDE-47处理可显著上调ERS相关蛋白IRE1和CHOP的表达水平(P0.05),并明显增强海马组织凋亡相关蛋白Cyt c的表达。PBA干预可明显降低PBDE-47诱导的IRE1和CHOP以及Cyt c蛋白的表达水平,提示PBDE-47可通过ERS介导凋亡,导致大鼠海马组织损伤,从而影响大鼠学习记忆功能。     

小麦根系菲与磷吸收及转运的相互作用

作物根系对多环芳烃(PAHs)与磷吸收及转运之间的相互作用研究对农产品的安全生产和PAHs污染环境植物修复的强化具有重要意义。为此,本文以菲为PAHs的代表,采用水培试验研究了不同磷、菲水平下小麦根系菲、磷吸收及其转运的效果,旨在揭示植物根系吸收PAHs与磷素的相互作用。结果表明,在0~1 200μmol·L~(-1)磷浓度范围内,小麦根系、茎叶菲含量在低磷浓度(10μmol·L~(-1))时最高,分别为36.87 mg·kg~(-1)和2.07 mg·kg~(-1);磷含量总体呈现随磷处理浓度的升高而增大的趋势;成对数据t-检验显示无论加菲与否,根系、茎叶磷含量无显著性差异(P0.05)。磷可促进菲从根部向地上部转运,而菲对磷转运没有显著性影响。在低磷浓度下(10μmol·L~(-1)),随着菲浓度的升高,小麦根系、茎叶菲含量呈现显著升高趋势(P0.05)。磷、菲共存处理介质pH升高幅度大于单一处理。     

Simple model of sludge thickening process in secondary settlers

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), a secondary settler acts as a clarifier, sludge thickener, and sludge storage tank during peak flows and therefore plays an important role in the performance of the activated sludge process. Sludge thickening occurs in the lower portions of secondary clarifiers during their operation. In this study, by detecting the hindered zone from the complete thickening process of activated sludge, a simple model for the sludge thickening velocity, u _s = aX ^b (a = 0.9925SSVI _3.5, b = 3.541ln(SSVI _3.5)+12.973), describing the potential and performance of activated sludge thickening in the hindered zone was developed. However, sludge thickening in the compression zone was not studied because sludge in the compression zone showed limited thickening. This empirical model was developed using batch settling data obtained from four WWTPs and validated using measured data from a fifth WWTP to better study sludge thickening. To explore different sludge settling and thickening mechanisms, the curves of sludge thickening and sludge settling were compared. Finally, it was found that several factors including temperature, stirring, initial depth, and polymer conditioning can lead to highly concentrated return sludge and biomass in a biologic reactor.     

Key features of new particle formation events at background sites in China and their influence on cloud condensation nuclei

New particle formation (NPF) event at multi rural sites in China Identifying the characteristics of NPF event Comparing NPF event between clean and polluted conditions Quantifying contribution to the cloud condensation nuclei Implication of climate and air quality Long-term continuous measurements of particle number size distributions with mobility diameter sizes ranging from 3 to 800 nm were performed to study new particle formation (NPF) events at Shangdianzi (SDZ), Mt. Tai (TS), and Lin’an (LAN) stations representing the background atmospheric conditions in the North China Plain (NCP), Central East China (CEC), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) regions, respectively. The mean formation rate of 3-nm particles was 6.3, 3.7, and 5.8 cm⁻³·s⁻¹, and the mean particle growth rate was 3.6, 6.0, and 6.2 nm·h⁻¹ at SDZ, TS, and LAN, respectively. The NPF event characteristics at the three sites indicate that there may be a stronger source of low volatile vapors and higher condensational sink of pre-existing particles in the YRD region. The formation rate of NPF events at these sites, as well as the condensation sink, is approximately 10 times higher than some results reported at rural/urban sites in western countries. However, the growth rates appear to be 1–2 times higher. Approximately 12%–17% of all NPF events with nucleated particles grow to a climate-relevant size (>50 nm). These kinds of NPF events were normally observed with higher growth rate than the other NPF cases. Generally, the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration can be enhanced by approximately a factor of 2–6 on these event days. The mean value of the enhancement factor is lowest at LAN (2–3) and highest at SDZ (~4). NPF events have also been found to have greater impact on CCN production in China at the regional scale than in the other background sites worldwide.