Cornmeal-induced resistance to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin in enterococci

Triclosan is used as an antibacterial agent in household items and personal care products. Since this compound is found in maternal milk of humans and bodies of wild animals, there is growing concern among some consumer groups and scientific community that triclosan is adverse for humans and wild animals. In order to estimate adverse actions of triclosan, the effects of triclosan on intracellular Zn²⁺ concentration and cellular thiol content were studied in rat thymocytes by the use of flow cytometer with appropriate fluorescent probes. Triclosan at 1-3 μM (sublethal concentrations) increased the intensity of FluoZin-3 fluorescence (intracellular Zn²⁺ concentration) and decreased the intensity of 5-chloromethylfluorescein (5-CMF) fluorescence (cellular thiol content). Negative correlation (r = −0.985) between triclosan-induced changes in FluoZin-3 and 5-CMF fluorescences was found. Removal of external Zn²⁺ did not significantly affect the triclosan-induced augmentation of FluoZin-3 fluorescence, suggesting an intracellular Zn²⁺ release by triclosan. These actions of triclosan were similar to those of H₂O₂ and triclosan significantly potentiated the cytotoxicity of H₂O₂. Therefore, the results may suggest that triclosan at sublethal concentrations induces oxidative stress that decreases cellular thiol content, resulting in an increase in intracellular Zn²⁺ concentration by Zn²⁺ release from intracellular store(s). Since recent studies show many physiological roles of intracellular Zn²⁺ in cellular functions, the triclosan-induced disturbance of cellular Zn²⁺ homeostasis may induce adverse actions on the cells.     

Historical change of mercury pollution in remote Yongle archipelago, South China Sea

We collected three ornithogenic coral sand sedimentary profiles from Jinyin Island, Jinqing Island and Guangjin Island of Yongle archipelago, South China Sea and reconstructed the deposition flux of anthropogenic Hg over the past 700 years in the study area. On the whole, the anthropogenic Hg flux is relatively low; it remained at a low level before the Industrial Revolution with a small peak at about 1450-1550 AD, which may record the enhanced metallurgy activity in Ming Dynasty of China. During the 20th century, the deposition flux of anthropogenic Hg increased rapidly, but two troughs occurred during the periods around 1940s and 1970s, corresponding to the economic depression caused by World War II, Civil War in China (1945-1949), and the Culture Revolution (1966-1976) in China. Since the 1970s the deposition flux of anthropogenic Hg has been persistently increasing, apparently the result of fast economic development in East and Southeast Asia countries around South China Sea.     

Effect of factors on decolorization of azo dye methyl orange by oxone/natural sunlight in aqueous solution

Purpose  

The oxone process for azo dye decolorization has drawbacks such as difficulties with reuse, risks of secondary pollution, and high costs associated with UV irradiation. This study aims to explore the use of oxone for decolorization in the absence of catalyst and under natural sunlight conditions (i.e., oxone/natural sunlight system) and evaluate the impacts of operating parameters (reagent dosage, initial methyl orange (MO) concentration, and initial pH) and coexisting substances (humic acid, NO₃⁻, metal ions) on the system’s decolorization efficiency.     

Arsenic accumulation and speciation in the submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum L.

Introduction

Ceratophyllum demersum L. is a widespread submerged macrophyte in aquatic environments.

Methods

Simulation experiments were conducted in the laboratory to investigate arsenic (As) accumulation, speciation, and efflux of C. demersum exposed to arsenate and arsenite solutions.

Results

Plant shoots showed a significant accumulation of As with a maximum of 862 and 963???g?As?g^?1 dry weight after 4?days of exposure to 10???M arsenate and arsenite, respectively. Regardless of whether arsenate or arsenite was supplied to the plants, arsenite was the predominant species in plant shoots. Furthermore, a dramatically higher influx rate of arsenate compared with arsenite was observed in C. demersum exposed to As solutions without the addition of phosphate (P). Arsenate uptake was considerably inhibited by P in this study, suggesting that arsenate is taken up by C. demersum via the phosphate transporters. However, arsenite uptake was unaffected by P and markedly reduced in the presence of glycerol and antimonite (Sb), indicating arsenite shares the aquaporin transport pathway. In addition, C. demersum rapidly reduces arsenate to arsenite in the shoot of the plant and extrudes most of them (>60?%) to the external solutions. The efflux of arsenite was much higher than that of arsenate; the former is supposed to be both active and passive processes, and the latter through passive leakage.

Conclusion

C. demersum is a strong As accumulator and an interesting model plant to study As uptake and metabolism due to the lack of a root-to-shoot translocation barrier.     

铁炭微电解工艺处理采油废水的研究

随着采油废水产生量的逐渐增大以及排放标准的日益严格,寻找一种经济、高效的处理方法显得十分必要。采用铁炭微电解技术对冀东油田采油废水进行了处理。考察了铁屑粒径、pH值、Fe/C质量比和反应时间对COD去除率的影响并设计了正交实验,结果表明,影响微电解工艺的因素主次关系为:pH>Fe/C质量比>反应时间,在最佳条件pH=5,Fe/C质量比为7∶1,反应时间50 min下,原水COD由170 mg/L降至95.6 mg/L,去除率达43.85%,出水满足国家二级排放标准。     

菱镁矿尾矿制备高活性MgO的性能表征

菱镁矿尾矿经预处理后,在一定条件下制备高活性MgO。使用热重-差热分析仪,分析菱镁矿尾矿的分解温度,应用X射线衍射、SEM分析不同煅烧温度、保温时间对MgO晶体结构的影响,并根据Scherrer公式计算MgO晶粒的尺寸。通过电导率仪测定MgO水化电导率,分析不同条件下的MgO活性,探讨煅烧温度、保温时间、颗粒细度与MgO活性之间的关系。结果发现:煅烧温度在1 050℃,保温时间60 min时,菱镁尾矿完全分解,MgO活性最佳;煅烧温度越高,保温时间越长,MgO的活性越差;MgO颗粒细度越小,活性越高。     

基于Monte-Carlo方法的静电除尘器除尘效率

针对经典除尘效率未考虑诸多随机因素影响的问题,提出了基于Monte-Carlo方法的效率分析模型,并通过实验数据验证其可靠性。通过该模型分析了粒径大小、电场气流速度、电晕电压、两极间距、粒子浓度等因素对收尘效率的影响规律,结果表明:基于Monte-Carlo方法的仿真结果精度更高,能有效预测静电除尘器的收尘效率,对于改进静电除尘器设计具有一定的理论意义和实用价值。     

陶瓷印花废水处理的混凝剂及工艺条件

采用混凝剂聚合氯化铝（PAC）、聚丙烯酰胺（PAM）、聚合硫酸铁（PFS）对陶瓷印花废水进行混凝沉降处理,监测水样的吸光度、浊度、悬浮物,以脱色率、浊度去除率、悬浮物去除率评价混凝处理的效果。结果表明：PAC是陶瓷印花废水沉降处理的理想混凝剂;水样的吸光度、浊度、悬浮物随混凝剂用量增大和沉降时间延长而呈降低趋势,而脱色率、浊度去除率、悬浮物去除率随混凝剂和沉降时间的增大呈增大的趋势;PAC投加量为20mg／L,沉降时间约为24h,水样脱色率达到90．0％,而当PAC投加量达到100mg／L,沉降时间约为4h,陶瓷印花水的脱色率可达到96．0％。证明了药剂用量的增加与沉降时间的延长对混凝过程具有增效作用。     

茅草添加与温度变化对餐厨垃圾厌氧水解产酸的影响

比较了茅草添加在温度变化条件下对餐厨垃圾厌氧水解过程小分子有机酸产量的影响,提出一种新型餐厨垃圾的资源化方式。研究结果显示,餐厨垃圾在55℃条件下厌氧水解主要产物为乳酸,达到25．7g／L,其干物质转化率可以达到32．1％（gTS）,而餐厨＋茅草处理在同样条件下的乳酸产量为20．1g／L,干物质转化率为25．1％。温度下降为37℃后继续进行的的厌氧水解,得到的主要产物是乙酸、丙酸和丁酸,餐厨处理和餐厨＋茅草处理这两者的峰值分别为6．5、2．8、8．0和6．1g／L、2．7g／L和5．9g／L。结果显示茅草添加可以在一定程度上调节水解产物的比例,而温度变化可以调控小分子有机酸的产量。本研究结果表明,厌氧水解是一种有潜力的小分子有机酸生产与餐厨垃圾资源化处理途径。     

天然膨润土还原吸附Cr（Ⅵ）

以天然膨润土为吸附剂,还原吸附处理含Cr（Ⅵ）模拟废水。实验结果表明：以（NH₄）₂FeSO₄为还原剂吸附效果最佳;在还原剂加入量为理论值的0.8倍、膨润土加入量为6 g/L、吸附时间为30 min、吸附温度为30 ℃、初始Cr（Ⅵ）质量浓度为1 mg/L的条件下,Cr（Ⅵ）去除率可达99.6%,处理后模拟废水中总铬质量浓度低至0.003 mg/L。天然膨润土对Cr（Ⅵ）的还原吸附符合准二级动力学模型及Freundlich等温吸附模型。