湿地基质及阴极面积对人工湿地型微生物燃料电池去除偶氮染料同步产电的影响

本研究采用人工湿地型微生物燃料电池处理偶氮染料X-3B,实现降解偶氮染料同步产电的效果.为了构建性能最优的人工湿地型微生物燃料电池(CW-MFC)系统,本研究主要从湿地基质和阴极面积两个方面研究系统构型对去除X-3B同步产电的影响,提高系统性能.研究表明以粒径10 mm、孔隙率30%的小石子作为湿地基质构造的CW-MFC系统微生物生物量最大,去除X-3B效果最好,脱色率高达92.70%,但其产电性能最差.较小的粒径和孔隙率使底层微生物生物量增加,促进X-3B的去除,但随着湿地基质粒径和孔隙率的减小,导致阴阳极营养物质不足,系统传质阻力增加,抑制了系统产电性能.X-3B的去除效果随着阴极面积的增加而提高直到阴极面积为594 cm~2时取得最大脱色率99.41%.当阴极面积继续增加时,CW-MFC系统产电性能上升趋势趋于平缓,X-3B去除效果呈现下降趋势,这是因为阴极反应过快导致更多的阳极电子输送到阴极用于产生电流,与X-3B发生反应的电子减少,阳极成为提高CW-MFC系统性能的限制因素.     

吴哥窟——人间最美的建筑

以雕刻和建筑艺术闻名于世的吴哥文化,是柬埔寨文化乃至世界历史发展上的一个高峰,因此,探访吴哥窟成为当今许多国内外旅游文化人士的梦想,笔者不久前有幸来到柬埔寨,来到吴哥。与中国的万里长城、埃及的金字塔和印度尼西亚的婆罗浮屠并称为东方世界四大奇迹之一的吴哥古迹,位于柬埔寨暹粒省金边湖北面,它包括吴哥主城和吴哥窟古刹,大小奇特的建筑物共有600多座,分布在45平方公里的丛林中,或许没有人想到,这么精致、辉煌的建筑群落,这个世界古代文明璀璨的瑰宝,曾经湮没在荒革中达400年之久。     

纸船明烛照天烧——沪郊血吸虫病防治纪念章

血吸虫病是一种古老的传染疾病,是人类几千年无法醒来的恶梦,是死神讲述的最惨痛的人间悲剧。新中国成立后,打响了这场现代医学最艰苦的战役,人类与瘟神之间进行着一场无声的较量。1949年,人民解放军以摧枯拉朽之势打过长江,很快解放了上海。为了解放台湾,南下的解放军大批下河学游     

怀念逝去的小生命

在你甜甜的睡梦中 有没有你漂亮的玩具？ 在大地抖动的瞬间, 你是否感觉在摇篮里？     

Responses of alkaline phosphatase activity to wind-driven waves in a large, shallow lake: Implications for phosphorus availability and algal blooms

Phosphorus is a vital nutrient for algal growth, thus, a better understanding of phosphorus availability is essential to mitigate harmful algal blooms in lakes. Wind waves are a ubiquitous characteristic of lake ecosystems. However, its effects on the cycling of organic phosphorus and its usage by phytoplankton remain poorly elucidated in shallow eutrophic lakes. A mesocosm experiment was carried out to investigate the responses of alkaline phosphatase activity fractions to wind waves in large, shallow, eutrophic Lake Taihu. Results showed that wind-driven waves induced the release of alkaline phosphatase and phosphorus from the sediment, and dramatically enhanced phytoplanktonic alkaline phosphatase activity. However, compared to the calm conditions, bacterial and dissolved alkaline phosphatase activity decreased in wind-wave conditions. Consistently, the gene copies of Microcystis phoX increased but bacterial phoX decreased under wind-wave conditions. The ecological effects of these waves on phosphorus and phytoplankton likely accelerated the biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus and promoted phytoplankton production in Lake Taihu. This study provides an improved current understanding of phosphorus availability and the phosphorus strategies of plankton in shallow, eutrophic lakes.     

U and Th in some brown coals of Serbia and Montenegro and their environmental impact

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: The objective of this paper is to determine and compare the concentrations of U and Th in soft to hard brown (lignite to sub-bituminous) coals of Serbia and Montenegro. It also presents comparison of the obtained data on U and Th concentrations with the published data on coals located in some other countries of the world. Almost the whole coal production of Serbia and Montenegro is used as feed coals for combustion in thermal power plants. METHODS: Channel samples from open pit and underground mines and core samples were collected for hard and soft brown coals. For the analysis the samples were decomposed using microwave technique. Obtained solutions containing U and Th were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) using NIST standards. RESULTS: Concentration of U from the investigated basins and the corresponding mine fields ranges within 0.60-70.10 mg/kg, 0.65-3.20 mg/kg, 0.95-6.59 mg/kg, 1.20-6.05 mg/kg, 0.80-6.66 mg/kg, 0.18-89.90 mg/kg, 0.19-4.14 mg/kg, and 0.28-3.52 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. Concentration of Th ranges within 0.20-2.60 mg/kg, 0.84-6.57 mg/kg, 1.48-6.48 mg/kg, 0.12-2.71 mg/kg, 0.13-4.95 mg/kg, 0.14-3.48 mg/kg, 0.29-3.56 mg/kg, and 0.17-1.89 mg/kg for the Kostolac, Kolubara, Krepoljin, Sjenica, Soko Banja, Bogovina East field, Senje-Resavica and Pljevlja basins, respectively. DISCUSSION: Brown coal from Senje-Resavica, Kolubara, Kostolac and Pljevlja is characterized by low U concentration. Coals form the Krepoljin, Soko Banja and Sjenica basins have slightly higher U concentrations than the mentioned group. The highest concentration of U is characteristic for the coal from the Bogovina East field. Concentration of Th in coals from Serbia and Montenegro has proved to be low. Out of all investigated coal basins, only the coal from the Krepoljin and Kolubara basins has high concentration of Th. The hydrothermally altered rocks of the Timok dacite-andesite complex, representing the basement of the Bogovina basin, could be a potential source of U, especially at the bottom part of the Lower seam of the Bogovina East field. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that brown coals in Serbia and Montenegro (soft to hard brown coals or lignite to sub-bituminous) contain low levels of U (5.30 mg/kg, average value and 2.10 mg/kg geometric mean value) and Th (1.80 mg/kg, average value and 1.12 mg/kg geometric mean value). There are some obvious differences in concentration of U and Th in coals from different basins in Serbia and Montenegro. The approximate value for U and Th release mainly from power plants was 644.33 t and 983.46 t, respectively within the period 1965-2000 for the studied mines in Serbia, and 23.76 t and 15.05 t for the Potrlica mine (Montenegro) within the period 1965-1997. RECOMMENDATIONS: The coals in Serbia and Montenegro show no identifiable unfavourable impact on the surrounding environment, due to low natural radioactive concentration of U and Th, but further investigations concerning human health should be performed. PERSPECTIVES: Preliminary research revealed that in some Serbian coals (and, particularly, parts of the coal seam) U and Th content are rather high. Such coals should be carefully studied, as well as U and Th concentrations in ash, fly ash, waste disposals, nearby soil and ground water. Further studies should include determination of the radioactivity of all these products, and estimation of possible health impact.     

Effect of herbicides on glutathione S-transferases in the earthworm, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eisenia fetida</Emphasis>

AIM AND BACKGROUND: Earthworms have been studied as a readily available, easily maintainable and cheap test species for assessing chemical pollution, and may be an alternative to in vivo rodent bioassays. The current investigation aims to characterize detoxification enzymes in Eisenia fetida and stress response against two herbicides with different modes of action, namely, fenoxaprop and metolachlor. METHODS: Herbicides were applied to soil containing earthworms. Animals were then collected, sacrificed and shock-frozen. Extracted protein was analyzed for glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity using CDNB (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene), DCNB (1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene), pNBC (p-nitrobenzylchloride), PNOBC (p-nitrobenz-o-ylchloride) and selected herbicides. GST isoenzymes were partially purified by affinity chromatography and molecular weights were estimated by SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: In E. fetida protein extracts, GST activity towards model compounds ranked as CDNB>DCNB>PNBOC>PNBC. Fluorodifen was not conjugated at all, but fenoxaprop and metolachlor were conjugated at low rates. Furthermore, the GST isoenzyme pattern changed during the incubation with herbicides, either due to stress or as a defense reaction. After incubation with monochlorobimane, a strong fluorescence of the intestinal tract and the intersegments was observed, indicating organ-specific GST induction. DISCUSSION: According to the author's knowledge, here, for the first time, evidence is presented that E. fetida GST are also capable of conjugating a wider range of xenobiotic substrates. Different forms of GST were observed and changes in GST isoforms due to the herbicide treatment were also noticed. GST conjugation rates varied between different herbicides used in this experiment. It might be assumed that herbicides may well be detoxified by earthworms, to a certain extent, but that they are also potent stress factors influencing the detoxification system of the animal. High doses or long exposure might lead to deleterious effects on earthworms and limit their survival rate. The use of the animals as bioindicators for herbicides and herbicide residues seems very promising, but is surely influenced by the lack of detoxification for some compounds. CONCLUSIONS: Conjugation of several xenobiotics with model substances and herbicides is proven in the earthworm E. fetida. However, E. fetida has only limited capabilities of detoxifying herbicidal compounds. Different isoforms of GST were involved and altered in their activity after treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The accumulation of GS-conjugates and their determination via fluorescence microscopy is a quick and secure, additional marker for exposure that should be further developed to complement existing biotests. The described methods and endpoints might help to understand the complex reaction of earthworms towards herbicides and lead to an adapted test methodology.     

Humic substances

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Freshwater bodies which chemistry is dominated by dissolved humic substances (HS) seem to be the major type on Earth, due to huge non-calcareous geological formations in the Northern Hemisphere and in the tropics. Based on the paradigm of the inertness of being organic, direct interactions of dissolved HS with freshwater organisms are mostly neglected. However, dissolved organic carbon, the majority of which being HS, are natural environmental chemicals and should therefore directly interact with organisms. Major results that widened our perspective on humic substance ecology come from experiments with the compost nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, which behaved contradictorily to textbook knowledge and provoked an in-depth re-consideration of some paradigms. APPROACH: To overcome old paradigms on HS and their potential interactions with organisms, we reviewed recent international literature, as well as 'grey' literature. We also include results from own ongoing studies. RESULTS: This review focuses on direct interactions of dissolved HS with freshwater organisms and disregards indirect effects, such as under-water light quenching. Instead we show with some macrophyte and algal species that HS adversely interfere with photosynthesis and growth, whereby closely related algal species show different response patterns. In addition to this, HS suppress cyanobacteria more than eukaryotic algae. Quinones in the HS appear to be the effective structure. Furthermore, HS can modulate the offspring numbers in the nematode C. elegans and cause feminization of fish and amphibians--they possess hormone-like properties. The ecological consequences of this potential remain obscure at present. HS also have the potential to act as chemical attractants as shown with C. elegans and exert a mild chemical stress upon aquatic organisms in many ways: induction of molecular chaperons (stress proteins), induction and modulation of biotransformation and anti-oxidant enzymes. Furthermore, they produce an oxidative stress with lipidperoxidation as one clear symptom or even stress defense strategy. Stronger chemical stresses by HS may even lead to teratogenic effects as shown with fish embryos; all physiological responses to HS-mediated stress require energy, which were compensated on the expense of yolk as shown with zebra fish embryos. One Finnish field survey supports the view of a strong chemical stress, as the weight yield in fish species decreases with increasing HS content in the lakes. DISCUSSION: HS exert a variety of stress symptoms in aquatic and compost organisms. According to current paradigms of ecotoxicology, these symptoms have to be considered adverse, because their compensation consumes energy which is deducted from the main metabolism. However, the nematode C. elegans looks actively for such stressful environments, and this behavior is only understandable in the light of new paradigms of aging mechanisms, particularly the Green Theory of Aging. In this respect, we discuss the mild HS-mediated stress to aquatic and compost organisms. New empirical findings with HS themselves and HS building blocks appear to be consistent with this emerging paradigm and show that the individual lifespan may be expanded. At present the ecological consequences of these findings remain obscure. However, a multiple-stress resistance may be acquired which improves the individual fitness in a fluctuating environment. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that dissolved HS have to be considered abiotic ecological driving forces, somewhat less obvious than temperature, nutrients, or light. PERSPECTIVES: The understanding of the ecological control by dissolved humic substances is still fragmentary and needs to be studied in more details.     

醇胺溶液吸收与解吸CO2的研究

在温度333K、常压条件下,在羟乙基乙二胺(AEE)总量一定的溶液中,研究了不同浓度AEE对CO2的吸收性能;在总胺质量分数为40%的溶液中,研究了不同配比的AEE N-甲基二乙醇胺(MDEA)对CO2的吸收性能.考察了吸收过程中吸收速率、吸收量、吸收时间、AEE浓度以及吸收液温度的相互关系.控制解吸过程温度为393K,考察了CO2解吸量与解吸时间的关系.实验表明,适当降低AEE浓度有利于充分发挥AEE溶液的CO2吸收性能;在MDEA溶液中加入适量AEE,可以明显提高CO2的吸收与解吸性能;其中质量分数为20?E 20%MDEA的复合溶液在CO2吸收与解吸过程中表现出良好的实际操作性.     

不同加碱量下爆破制浆的源强试验研究

为了解爆破制浆的排污情况和废水处理的可行性,以烧碱和石灰作投加药剂,进行了不同加碱量条件下爆破制浆产生源强的试验研究,以确定最佳的加碱量和适宜的黑液提取率.研究表明,在加碱量相同的情况下,采用常规爆破浆样,浆样性能较好;在保持吨粗干浆产生的COD一致时,投加价格低廉的石灰,既能降低生产成本,又便于后续的废水处理;工程调试运行结果表明,控制吨粗干浆的石灰投加量为25～30 kg时,黑液提取率超过80%,最终出水COD<100 mg/L.