Characterization of hard- and softwood biochars pyrolyzed at high temperature

A wide range of waste biomass/waste wood feedstocks abundantly available at mine sites provide the opportunity to produce biochars for cost-effective improvement of mine tailings and contaminated land at metal mines. In the present study, soft- and hardwood biochars derived from pine and jarrah woods at high temperature (700 °C) were characterized for their physiochemical properties including chemical components, electrical conductivity, pH, zeta potential, cation-exchange capacity (CEC), alkalinity, BET surface area and surface morphology. Evaluating and comparing these characteristics with available data from the literature have affirmed the strong dictation of precursor type on the physiochemical properties of the biochars. The pine and jarrah wood feedstocks are mainly different in their proportions of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, resulting in biochars with heterogeneous physiochemical properties. The hardwood jarrah biochar exhibits much higher microporosity, alkalinity and electrostatic capacity than the softwood pine. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis also show a good correlation between CEC–BET–alkalinity, and alkalinity–ash content. These comprehensive characterization and analysis results on biochars’ properties from feedstocks of hardwood (from forest land clearance at mine construction) and waste pine wood (from mining operations) will provide a good guide for tailoring biochar functionalities for remediating metal mine tailings. The relatively inert high-temperature biochars can be stored for a long term at mine closure after decades of operations.     

BP-4的模拟生物降解特性研究

为研究紫外吸收剂2-羟基-4-甲氧基二苯甲酮-5-磺酸(BP-4)的最大生物降解能力,采用欧洲经济合作与发展组织(OECD)生物降解测试标准方法——303A模拟试验-污水好氧处理:活性污泥单元法,建立并进行了城市污水处理厂曝气池环境模拟试验。研究结果表明:在单一新鲜活性污泥作为接种物条件下,BP-4在第47天达到降解稳定期,溶解性有机碳(DOC)去除率平均值为36.90%±5.68%(n=18)。在以10种不同来源混合接种物条件下,BP-4在第41天达到降解稳定期,去除率平均值为33.11%±4.87%(n=17)。研究结果表明BP-4在环境中的降解能力有限,在本模拟方法试验条件下只能部分降解。     

双酚A及其类似物对斑马鱼胚胎及幼鱼的毒性效应

为探讨双酚A及其类似物对鱼类早期生长发育的毒性效应,研究了双酚A及其7种类似物对斑马鱼胚胎及仔鱼的毒性效应。通过对胚胎的孵化率、心率、仔鱼体长等指标进行测定分析,结果显示:(1)双酚A及其7种类似物都可使斑马鱼胚胎出现心包水肿、卵黄囊肿、脊柱弯曲和尾部弯曲等症状。(2)综合考虑斑马鱼78 hpf胚胎心率、120 hpf胚胎孵化率及7 dpf仔鱼体长抑制率等指标,8种受试物中双酚P(BPP)的毒性最大,其次是双酚AP(BPAP)、双酚AF(BPAF)、双酚Z(BPZ),然后是双酚A(BPA)、双酚B(BPB)、双酚F(BPF),双酚S(BPS)的毒性最小,每种受试物的浓度与受精卵的孵化率、仔鱼心率呈明显负相关关系,与体长抑制率呈明显正相关关系。8种受试物毒性与辛醇-水分配系数(log K_(OW))呈正相关关系,log K_(OW)越大毒性则越大。     

二元联合作用藻红外测试方法——以重金属为例

为检验二元联合作用藻红外测试方法的可行性,用Cu~(2+)、Fe3+、Mn~(2+)、Al3+、Cr3+、Hg~(2+)、Cd~(2+)、Pb~(2+)、Zn~(2+)进行了二元联合作用测试实验。结果显示:联合药液的参照浓度与单药液的参照浓度比为0.5:0.25的有15组二元组合,为2.0:1.0的有10组二元组合,为1.0:0.5的有11组二元组合;在9种重金属的36组二元联合作用测试结果中出现拮抗作用、相加作用、协同作用,表明联合作用类型表现出多样性;14组拮抗作用中单组的再现性为50%~100%、多组的再现性的出现率为93%、单组的重现性为67%~100%、多组的重现性的出现率为100%,21组相加作用中单组的再现性为50%~100%、多组的再现性的出现率为86%、单组的重现性为67%~100%、多组的重现性的出现率为100%,1组协同作用重现性67%;36组联合作用测试结果的再现性为50%~100%、再现性的出现率为86%,重现性为67%~100%、重现性的出现率为100%。上述分析可知,9种重金属的36种二元联合作用测试结果具有较好的多样性、再现性、重现性,表明测试条件、藻温测试方法、三指标评价法能够保证藻响应温差和藻响应药品评价结果的质量,参照浓度分析方法、联合作用评价方法能够控制联合作用分析结果的质量;藻响应的有毒有害物都存在敏感浓度,用参照浓度分析方法可分析出藻响应有毒有害物的参照浓度。因此,藻红外测试技术可以用于测试重金属、农药、有机药品、抗生素等的二元联合作用。     

中国典型河湖水体铅的水生生物安全基准与生态风险评价

采用物种敏感度排序法(SSR)对我国铅的淡水水生生物安全基准进行推导,并以太湖为例进行了流域水生生物安全基准推导。对于难以获得的本土生物毒性数据,开展了相应的毒性试验。获得了我国国家与太湖流域铅的水生生物安全基准值,基准最大浓度(CMC)分别为63.92、104.26μg·L-1,基准连续浓度(CCC)分别为1.21、4.06μg·L-1。同时,对我国主要河流以及太湖流域进行了铅的生态风险评价,联合概率曲线法显示影响5%水生生物种类的概率分别为66.22%和43.19%,熵值法则显示中国主要河流存在较大的铅暴露风险,因此,我国铅的潜在生态风险较大,主要河流与太湖流域存在铅污染问题。     

基于统计方法的辽东湾沉积物中多环芳烃来源特征分析

为研究辽东湾表层沉积物中多环芳烃(PAHs)的来源特征,2014年5月采集了20个辽东湾海域表层沉积物样品,并利用气相色谱质谱联用仪对优先控制的16种PAHs进行测定,采用聚类分析、主成分分析-多元线性回归分析、异构体比值3种统计方法对辽东湾表层沉积物中PAHs来源特征进行了研究。结果表明,辽东湾表层沉积物中PAHs含量范围88.5~199.3 ng·g-1,平均值为(126.3±35.3)ng·g-1,其中,萘、菲和荧蒽是PAHs优势组分。通过统计分析结果表明,辽东湾北部表层沉积物中PAHs含量低于西南部,沉积物中PAHs的来源包括石油燃烧来源、煤炭、木材等生物质燃烧来源和石油来源,其中燃烧来源是主要来源,煤炭、木材等生物质燃烧来源占49.9%,石油燃烧来源和石油来源占50.1%。     

Role of membrane and compound properties in affecting the rejection of pharmaceuticals by different RO/NF membranes

This study was conducted to assess the merits and limitations of various high-pressure membranes, tight nanofiltration (NF) membranes in particular, for the removal of trace organic compounds (TrOCs). The performance of a low-pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) membrane (ESPA1), a tight NF membrane (NF90) and two loose NF membranes (HL and NF270) was compared for the rejection of 23 different pharmaceuticals (PhACs). Efforts were also devoted to understand the effect of adsorption on the rejection performance of each membrane. Difference in hydrogen bond formation potential (HFP) was taken into consideration. Results showed that NF90 performed similarly to ESPA1 with mean rejection higher than 95%. NF270 outperformed HL in terms of both water permeability and PhAC rejection higher than 90%. Electrostatic effects were more significant in PhAC rejection by loose NF membranes than tight NF and LPRO membranes. The adverse effect of adsorption on rejection by HL and ESPA1 was more substantial than NF270 and NF90, which could not be simply explained by the difference in membrane surface hydrophobicity, selective layer thickness or pore size. The HL membrane had a lower rejection of PhACs of higher hydrophobicity (log D>0) and higher HFP (>0.02). Nevertheless, the effects of PhAC hydrophobicity and HFP on rejection by ESPA1 could not be discerned. Poor rejection of certain PhACs could generally be explained by aspects of steric hindrance, electrostatic interactions and adsorption. High-pressure membranes like NF90 and NF270 have a high promise in TrOC removal from contaminated water.

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Toxicity models of metal mixtures established on the basis of “additivity” and “interactions”

Observed effects of metal mixtures on animals and plants often differ from the estimates, which are commonly calculated by adding up the biological responses of individual metals. This difference from additivity is commonly referred to as being a consequence of specific interactions between metals. The science of how to quantify metal interactions and whether to include them in risk assessment models is in its infancy. This review summarizes the existing predictive tools for evaluating the combined toxicity of metals present in mixtures and indicates the advantages and disadvantages of each method. We intend to provide eco-toxicologists with background information on how to make good use of the tools and how to advance the methods for assessing toxicity of metal mixtures. It is concluded that statistically significant deviations from additivity are not necessarily biologically relevant. Incorporation of interactions between metals in a model does not on forehand mean that the model is more accurate than a model developed based on additivity only. It is recommended to first use a relatively simple method for effect prediction of uninvestigated metal mixtures. To improve the reliability of toxicity modeling for metal mixtures, further efforts should focus on balancing the relationship between the significance of statistics and the biological meaning, and unraveling the toxicity mechanisms of metals and their mixtures.

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3种杀菌剂及其复配剂对斑马鱼的急性毒性

采用"半静态法"测定了3种农药及其复配剂对斑马鱼的24 h、48 h、72 h和96 h急性毒性,根据我国《化学农药环境安全评价实验准则》中毒性等级划分标准来划分它们对斑马鱼的毒性等级,发现35%精甲霜灵悬浮种衣剂的24 h、48 h、72 h和96 h-LC_(50)均超过10 a.i.mg·L~(-1),属"低毒"级,而25 g·L~(-1)咯菌腈悬浮种衣剂的24 h、48 h、72 h和96 h-LC_(50)分别为0.704 mg·L~(-1)、0.514 mg·L~(-1)、0.424 mg·L~(-1)、0.262 mg·L~(-1),根据0.100 a.i.mg·L~(-1)LC_(50)(96 h)≤1.00 a.i.mg·L~(-1)划分,属"高毒"级,80%嘧菌酯水分散粒剂的24 h、48 h、72 h和96 h-LC_(50)分别为9.803 mg·L~(-1)、5.175 mg·L~(-1)、4.328 mg·L~(-1)、2.326 mg·L~(-1),根据1.00 a.i.mg·L~(-1)LC_(50)(96 h)≤10.00 a.i.mg·L~(-1)划分,属于"中毒"级。11%精甲霜灵-咯菌腈-嘧菌酯悬浮种衣剂的24 h、48 h、72 h和96 h-LC_(50)分别为2.267 mg·L~(-1)、2.073 mg·L~(-1)、1.620 mg·L~(-1)、1.280 mg·L~(-1),根据1.00 a.i.mg·L~(-1)LC_(50)(96 h)≤10.00 a.i.mg·L~(-1)划分,属于"中毒",虽然11%精甲霜灵-咯菌腈-嘧菌酯悬浮种衣剂和80%嘧菌酯水分散粒剂同属"中毒",但比较具体数值,发现11%精甲霜灵-咯菌腈-嘧菌酯悬浮种衣剂毒性相对更大,原因是其中含有"高毒"的咯菌腈。     

三氯卡班可以影响肾小管上皮细胞的屏障功能

三氯卡班(TCC)是一种被广泛应用于个人护理用品中的广谱型亲脂性杀菌剂,已在多种环境介质和生物体中检出。因其潜在的环境蓄积、生物累积和生物毒性效应,日益受到学者们的关注。借助TCC对NRK-52E(大鼠肾小管上皮细胞)的毒性暴露实验,通过检测细胞活力、以及与跨膜电阻和紧密连接相关的连接黏附分子1(JAM~(-1),junctional adhesion molecule 1)的蛋白表达水平,研究了TCC潜在的肾脏毒性效应。结果显示,10μmol·L~(-1)TCC处理48 h时培养细胞呈现不规则的集落;10μmol·L~(-1)和20μmol·L~(-1)TCC处理NRK-52E 24 h、48 h和72 h后可以显著抑制细胞生长;3.57μmol·L~(-1)TCC(生长抑制的48 hIC20)处理NRK-52E 48 h可以显著抑制细胞间紧密连接蛋白JAM~(-1)的表达量,并降低跨膜电阻,影响肾脏的屏障功能。本研究的结果能够为进一步揭示TCC对动物的毒害机制、评估其对动物的健康风险提供数据支持。