Comprehensive characterization of indoor airborne bacterial profile

This is the first detailed characterization of the airborne bacterial profiles in indoor environments. Two restaurants were selected for this study. Fifteen genera of bacteria were isolated from each restaurant and identified by three different bacterial identification systems including MIDI, Biolog and Riboprinter®. The dominant bacteria of both restaurants were Gram-positive bacteria in which Micrococcus and Bacillus species were the most abundant. Most bacteria identified were representative species of skin and respiratory tract of human, and soil. Although the bacterial levels in these two restaurants were below the limit of the Hong Kong Indoor Air Quality Objective (HKIAQO) Level 1 standard (i.e., < 500 cfu/m³), the majority of these bacteria were opportunistic pathogens. These results suggested that the identity of airborne bacteria should also be included in the IAQ to ensure there is a safety guideline for the public.     

Distribution of PBDEs in air particles from an electronic waste recycling site compared with Guangzhou and Hong Kong, South China

Air samples of total suspended particles (TSP, particles less than 30-60 microm), and particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) were collected simultaneously at Guiyu (an electronic waste recycling site), three urban sites in Hong Kong and two urban sites in Guangzhou, South China from 16 August to 17 September 2004. Twenty-two PBDE congeners (BDE-3, -7, -15, -17, -28, -49, -71, -47, -66, -77, -100, -119, -99, -85, -126, -154, -153, -138, -156, -184, -183, -191) in TSP and PM(2.5) were measured. The results showed that the overall average concentrations of TSP and PM(2.5) collected at Guiyu were 124 and 62.1 microg m(-3), respectively. The monthly concentrations of the sum of 22 BDE congeners contained in TSP and PM(2.5) at Guiyu were 21.5 and 16.6 ng m(-3), with 74.5 and 84.3%, contributed by nine congeners (BDE-28, -47, -66, -100, -99, -154, -153, -183 and -191 respectively). This pattern was similar to Tsuen Wan site of Hong Kong. Two urban sites of Guangzhou had the same congener pattern, but were different from Yuen Long and Hok Tsui sites of Hong Kong. The results also showed that the amount of mono to penta brominated congeners, which are more toxic, accounted for 79.4-95.6% of Sigma(22)PBDEs from all sites. All congeners tested in Guiyu were up to 58-691 times higher than the other urban sites and more than 100 times higher than other studies reported elsewhere. The higher concentration in the air was due to heating or opening burning of electronic waste since PBDEs are formed when plastics containing brominated flame retardants are heated.     

Toxicological effects involved in risk assessment of rare earth lanthanum on roots of Vicia faba L. seedlings

Combined chemical analyses and biological measurements were utilized to investigate potential toxicological effects and possible mechanisms involved in risk assessment of rare earth elements (REEs) on Vicia faba L. seedlings, which were hydroponically cultivated and exposed to various concentrations of lanthanum (La) for 15 days. The results showed that La contents in both the solution and roots increased with the increase of extraneous La, contributing to hormetic dose responses of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and endoprotease (EP) isozymes activities, and HSP 70 production enhanced at low doses but suppressed at higher doses of La. These physiological responses constituted antioxidant and detoxification systems against La-induced oxidative stress. The elevated La levels also contributed to oxidatively modified proteins, which were most responsible for subsequent cell death and growth retardation of the roots. By combination of hormetic and traditional threshold dose levels, the threshold dose range was deduced to be 108-195 μg La/g dry weight in the roots, corresponding to 0.90-3.12 mg/L of soluble La in the culture solution. It suggests that persistent applications of REEs may lead to potential ecological risk in the environment.     

Silicon-mediated enhancement of cadmium tolerance in maize (Zea mays L.) grown in cadmium contaminated soil

Pot experiments were performed to study the alleviative effects of exogenous silicon (Si) on cadmium (Cd) phytotoxicity in maize grown in an acid soil experimentally contaminated with Cd. Five treatments were investigated in the first trial consisting of a control (neither Cd nor Si added), Cd added at 20 or 40 mg kg(-1) Cd without or with Si added at 400 mg kg(-1) Si. A following-up trial was conducted with almost the same treatments as in the first trial except that Si was incorporated at 50 mg kg(-1) Si. The results showed that Cd treatment significantly decreased shoot and root dry weight, while addition of Si at both levels significantly enhanced biomass. Addition of Si at 400 mg kg(-1) Si significantly increased soil pH but decreased soil Cd availability, thus reducing Cd concentration in the shoots and roots and total Cd in the shoots. Moreover, more Cd was found to be in the form of specific adsorbed or Fe-Mn oxides-bound fraction in the Si-amended soil. In contrast, soil pH, available Cd and Cd forms were unaffected by addition of Si at 50 mg kg(-1) Si, but shoot Cd concentration in the Si-amended Cd treatments significantly decreased at both Cd levels used compared to the non-Si-amended Cd treatments. Total Cd in the shoots and roots was considerably and significantly higher in the Si-amended Cd treatments than in the non-Si-amended Cd treatments. The xylem sap significantly increased but Cd concentration in the xylem sap significantly decreased in the Si-amended Cd treatments compared with the non-Si-amended Cd treatments irrespective of Cd and Si levels used. The results suggest that Si-enhanced tolerance to Cd can be attributed not only to Cd immobilization caused by silicate-induced pH rise in the soils but also to Si-mediated detoxification of Cd in the plants.     

The cadmium adsorption capacity of contaminated marine sediments from Hong Kong

The binding capacity of Cd to the sediment particles determines the potential of Cd release from the sediments. An experiment was performed to evaluate the adsorption of Cd by contaminated sediments collected from three different locations in Hong Kong, i.e. Kwun Tong, North Point and Nam Tam Wan, having different degrees of pollution. Langmuir and Freundlich equations were used to evaluate the adsorption of Cd by the sediments. Adsorption isotherms obtained from the Freudlich and Langmuir equations were generally linear and the adsorption of Cd by the sediments was significantly correlated with the adsorption maximum and binding energy constant of the Langmuir equation, and equilibrium partition constant of the Freundlich equation. All sediments had a high Cd adsorption capacity and the highly organic contaminated sediments from Kwun Tong had the highest adsorption capacity of 24,272 mg kg^‐1 at pH8. The adsorption of Cd for all sediments increased with a rise in pH of the equilibrium solution and the total organic carbon content of the sediments. Therefore, a change in the sediment chemical equilibrium is likely to reduce the binding capacity.     

Algal purification of pretreated landfill Leachate

The efficiency of microalgae in removing various pollutants in landfill leachate after pretreatment by free stripping or air stripping was tested by a laboratory batch system. The results showed that Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus sp. had similar removal efficiencies with regard to ammoniacal‐nitrogen, oxidized‐nitrogen, orthophosphate and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The COD removal by algal treatment was better in Junk Bay (JB) leachate than in Gin Drinkers’ Bay (GDB) leachate (14–21% and 0.4–7% respectively). No significant difference (P > 0.05) was found in removing other nutrients including ammoniacal‐nitrogen, oxidized‐nitrogen and orthophosphate between leachate from the two landfills, regardless of the pretreatment used. The removal efficiencies of ammoniacal‐nitrogen and phosphorus were found to be higher in air‐stripped leachate than in free‐stripped one. Removal of ammoniacal‐nitrogen and phosphorus in air‐stripped leachate was 30% and 87% respectively. Poor removal of ammoniacal‐nitrogen was probably due to a deficiency in phosphorus (high N : P ratio) for algal growth in leachate. The two‐stage leachate treatment (ammonia stripping followed by algal purification) resulted in overall reduction of COD (38–51%), ammoniacal‐nitrogen (72–96%) and orthophosphate (79–96%).     

Arsenic concentration in rice, fish, meat and vegetables in Cambodia: a preliminary risk assessment

To assess arsenic contaminations and its possible adverse health effects, food samples were collected from Kandal, Kratie and Kampong Cham in Cambodia. The highest and the lowest concentrations were observed in fish (mean 2,832 ng g^?1, ww) collected from Kandal province and cattle stomach (1.86 ± 1.10 ng g^?1, ww) collected from Kratie, respectively. The daily intake of arsenic via food consumption was 604, 9.70 and 136 μg day^?1 in Kandal, Kratie and Kampong Cham, respectively. The arsenic dietary intake in Kandal ranked No. 1 among all the 17 compared countries or regions. Fish consumption contributed the greatest proportion of total arsenic daily intake in Kandal (about 63.0 %) and Kampong Cham (about 69.8 %). It is revealed to be a much more important exposure pathway than drinking water for residents in Kampong Cham. The results of risk assessment suggested that the residents in Cambodia, particularly for people in Kandal province, suffer high public health risks due to consuming arsenic-contaminated food.     

Strategic male signalling effort in a desert-dwelling fish

Males often use elaborate courtship displays to attract females for mating. Much attention, in this regard, has been focused on trying to understand the causes and consequences of signal variation among males. Far less, by contrast, is known about within-individual variation in signal expression and, in particular, the extent to which males may be able to strategically adjust their signalling output to try to maximise their reproductive returns. Here, we experimentally investigated male courtship effort in a fish, the Australian desert goby, Chlamydogobius eremius. When offered a simultaneous choice between a large and a small female, male gobies spent significantly more time associating with, and courting, the former, probably because larger females are also more fecund. Male signalling patterns were also investigated under a sequential choice scenario, with females presented one at a time. When first offered a female, male courtship was not affected by female size. However, males adjusted their courtship effort towards a second female depending on the size of the female encountered previously. In particular, males that were first offered a large female significantly reduced their courtship effort when presented with a subsequent, smaller, female. Our findings suggest that males may be able to respond adaptively to differences in female quality, and strategically adjust their signalling effort accordingly.     

Microbial responses to combined oxidation and catalysis treatment of 1,4-dioxane and co-contaminants in groundwater and soil

Post-treatment impacts of a novel combined hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) oxidation and WO_x/ZrO₂ catalysis used for the removal of 1,4-dioxane and chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) contaminants were investigated in soil and groundwater microbial community. This treatment train removed ~90% 1,4-dioxane regardless of initial concentrations of 1,4-dioxane and CVOCs. The Illumina Miseq platform and bioinformatics were used to study the changes to microbial community structure. This approach determined that dynamic shifts of microbiomes were associated with conditions specific to treatments as well as 1,4-dioxane and CVOCs mixtures. The biodiversity was observed to decrease only after oxidation under conditions that included high levels of 1,4-dioxane and CVOCs, but increased when 1,4-dioxane was present without CVOCs. WO_x/ZrO₂ catalysis reduced biodiversity across all conditions. Taxonomic classification demonstrated oxidative tolerance for members of the genera Massilia and Rhodococcus, while catalyst tolerance was observed for members of the genera Sphingomonas and Devosia. Linear discriminant analysis effect size was a useful statistical tool to highlight representative microbes, while the multidimensional analysis elucidated the separation of microbiomes under the low 1,4-dioxane-only condition from all other conditions containing CVOCs, as well as the differences of microbial population among original, post-oxidation, and post-catalysis states. The results of this study enhance our understanding of microbial community responses to a promising chemical treatment train, and the metagenomic analysis will help practitioners predict the microbial community status during the post-treatment period, which may have consequences for long-term management strategies that include additional biodegradation treatment or natural attenuation.

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