Tributyltin causes abnormal development in embryos of medaka, Oryzias latipes

We examined the effects of tributyltin (TBT) on embryonic development, hatching success and sexual differentiation in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Embryos (within 8h after fertilization) were exposed to TBT in ovo via nanoinjection at concentrations of 0 (control), 0.16, 0.80, 3.96, 19.2 and 82.1 ng/egg. Embryonic survival, development and hatching were observed. Hatched fry were reared until 60 days when they sexually matured, and sexual differentiation was also examined by accordance of genetic and phenotypic sex, based on existence of DMY (a male determining gene in medaka) and secondary sex characteristics. As results, TBT caused a concentration-dependent mortality and impaired the embryonic development. However, no masculinization was detected at 60 dph medaka adults. Lowest observed effective concentration for inducing abnormal embryonic development was estimated to 0.16 ng/egg (ca. 160 ng/g egg).     

Seasonal changes of CO(2), CH(4) and N(2)O fluxes in relation to land-use change in tropical peatlands located in coastal area of South Kalimantan

Tropical peatland could be a source of greenhouse gases emission because it contains large amounts of soil carbon and nitrogen. However these emissions are strongly influenced by soil moisture conditions. Tropical climate is characterized typically by wet and dry seasons. Seasonal changes in the emission of carbon dioxide (CO(2)), methane (CH(4)) and nitrous oxide (N(2)O) were investigated over a year at three sites (secondary forest, paddy field and upland field) in the tropical peatland in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The amount of these gases emitted from the fields varied widely according to the seasonal pattern of precipitation, especially methane emission rates were positively correlated with precipitation. Converting from secondary forest peatland to paddy field tended to increase annual emissions of CO(2) and CH(4) to the atmosphere (from 1.2 to 1.5 kg CO(2)-C m(-2)y(-1) and from 1.2 to 1.9 g CH(4)-C m(-2)y(-1)), while changing land-use from secondary forest to upland tended to decrease these gases emissions (from 1.2 to 1.0 kg CO(2)-C m(-2)y(-1) and from 1.2 to 0.6 g CH(4)-C m(-2)y(-1)), but no clear trend was observed for N(2)O which kept negative value as annual rates at three sites.     

Conducting Polyaniline and Biofuel Cell

Structure design of a photosynthetic-based biofuel cell and the fabrication processes to make it have been explored and developed. Novel nanostructure and modified polyaniline have been used to enhance the performance of the biofuel cell. The mechanism of the electron transfer process and the electrocatalysis of polyaniline have been investigated. Photosynthetic-based biofuel cells with a mA/cm² current density have been demonstrated.     

Species-specific and female host-biased ectophoresy in the roundworm Caenorhabditis japonica

Caenorhabditis japonica is a bacteriophagous nematode species that was discovered on the semi-social burrower bug, Parastrachia japonensis, which demonstrates egg-guarding and provisioning behaviors. To understand the life history of C. japonica in relation to P. japonensis, we demonstrated the specificity of this association and fluctuations in nematode number on the insect throughout the year. C. japonica dauer larvae (DL), larvae in a nonfeeding diapause stage, were predominantly found as clumps on the adult female insects but rarely found on the male insects in all populations examined. This female-biased association was consistent throughout the year, but after the nymphs hatched, nematodes were not detected on the mother insects showing provisioning behavior. DL appeared on the nymphs, and the number of DL on the newly emerged female insects gradually increased thereafter. C. japonica has never been detected on other invertebrates collected from the P. japonensis habitat thus far. Our data suggest that the life cycles of C. japonica and P. japonensis are synchronized.     

硅促进水稻种子萌发及缓解幼苗砷毒性的效应研究

通过As~(Ⅲ)胁迫下水稻种子的发芽试验和幼苗毒性试验,研究了外源硅对水稻种子发芽率、幼苗生长的影响及其缓解幼苗砷毒性的效应。外源硅的2种处理方式为种子萌发时添加外源硅(Si1)和采用硅处理液浸种(Si2)。结果表明,发芽时介质中As浓度达到10 mg·L~(-1)时显著抑制水稻种子萌发(P0.05),发芽率仅为80%,但是Si1和Si2处理下发芽率则提高到97%和100%,这说明外源硅可促进砷胁迫下水稻种子萌发;砷浓度≥5 mg·L~(-1)时,Si1和Si2处理均可提高水稻的相对幼苗高度和根耐性指数,提高幅度分别为6.00%~16.8%和57.9%~77.0%、7.10%~23.5%和54.2%~61.2%,并且降低了水稻幼苗砷含量,降低幅度分别为17.8%~21.4%和31.0%~49.1%。这说明外源硅处理可促进砷胁迫下水稻幼苗的生长;不同砷浓度处理与水稻芽长、根长及幼苗干重之间存在"S"型的剂量-效应关系,且外源硅显著提高了相应的EC50,缓解了砷对水稻幼苗生长的毒性。综上所述,砷胁迫下水稻种子萌发时添加外源硅或采用硅处理液浸种均可促进水稻种子萌发和幼苗生长,并降低了幼苗砷累积和缓解砷对水稻幼苗的毒性。     

一体式A/O摇动床工艺处理石化废水

针对国内许多石油化工废水处理工艺中氨氮降解效果差的问题,采用新型Biofringe填料设计一体式A/O摇动床工艺,对反应器的操作参数和去除效果进行了试验.结果表明:水力停留时间对氨氮去除负荷的影响较大,在水力停留时间为20.8 h,回流比为3.5时,COD的去除率可以达到90%以上,NH3-N的去除率可以达到95%以上,TN的去除率可以达到70%以上.通过一年多的小试,反应器具有动力消耗低,抗冲击能力强,操作稳定等特点,为进一步在石油化工废水处理中的应用提供了实验依据.     

Residence time effects on phase transformation of nanosilver in reduced soils

Residence time effects on phase transformation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) (15–50 nm, with and without polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coating) were investigated in reducing soils using experimental geochemistry and synchrotron-based x-ray techniques. After 30 days of anaerobic incubation, a substantial fraction of PVP-coated AgNPs (15 nm) were transformed into Ag₂S and or humic acid (HA) complexed Ag(I), whereas only the HA fraction was dominant in uncoated AgNPs (50 nm). Several investigations recently reported that sulfidation of AgNPs to Ag₂S was the predominant mechanism controlling the fate of AgNP in soil–water environments. However, this investigation showed each AgNP underwent particle-specific chemical transformations to different end compounds after 30 days. Considering the small contribution of Ag(I) dissolution from all AgNPs (less than 5 %), we concluded that changes in solid-state chemical speciation of sorbed AgNPs was promoted by particle-specific interactions of NPs in soil chemical constituents, suggesting a critical role of soil absorbents in predicting the fate of AgNPs in terrestrial environments.     

草灌混播在边坡绿化防护中的应用

边坡绿化防护是对人工开挖建设形成的各种坡面进行生态修复以及防止水土流失的一项重要措施。草、灌木混播应用于边坡防护与修复,较之于单一的草被措施,更有利于形成立体的、多样的植被结构,对边坡的稳定和美化有更好的效果。     

皮革废水混凝处理实验研究

采用混凝剂对皮革废水进行混凝处理。对3种无机混凝剂和一种有机混凝剂进行了筛选,研究了pH值和投药量对废水中SS、COD、铬和色度等污染物去除效果的影响。结果表明,当pH值在酸性和中性时,效果不明显;当pH值为碱性时,效果显著。硫酸亚铁、硫酸亚铁+PAM和聚合氯化铝(PAC)+PAM 3种混凝剂组合具有良好的混凝效果,在合适的pH值和投药量下,SS和COD的去除率分别达到80%和30%以上,铬和色度的去除率分别达到95%和50%以上。且硫酸亚铁混凝效果好,成本低,适合小型皮革企业需求。     

State of mixture of atmospheric submicrometer black carbon particles and its effect on particulate light absorption

The state of mixture of light-absorbing carbonaceous particles was investigated in relation to light absorption properties using electron microscopic examinations, black carbon (BC) analyses of quartz filter by thermal/optical reflectance (TOR) method, measurements with two continuous light-absorbing photometers at a suburban site of Tsukuba, about 60 km northeast of Tokyo. The volume fraction of water-soluble material (?) in individual particles is important for assessing particulate light-absorbing and/or scattering of atmospheric aerosols. The values of ? in BC particles were evaluated by electron micrographs before and after dialysis (extraction) of water-soluble material. The mass absorption coefficient (MAC in units of m² g^?1) tended to increase with increasing the average ? in BC particles with the radius range of 0.05–0.5 μm. Thus, our results indicate that coatings of water-soluble material around BC particles can enhance the absorption of solar radiation. Moreover, the single scattering albedo (SSA) will increase because a large amount of coating material will scatter more light.