Occurrence of PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in the Tonghui River of Beijing, China

Tonghui River, a typical river in Beijing, People's Republic of China, was studied for its water and sediment quality, by determining the levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 18 organochlorine pesticides in water and sediment samples. Total PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in water varied from 192.5 to 2651 ng/l, 31.58-344.9 ng/l and 134.9-3788 ng/l, respectively. The total PAHs, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides concentrations in surficial sediments were 127-928 ng/g, 0.78-8.47 ng/g and 1.79-13.98 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The results showed that the concentration of these selected organic pollutants in sediment was higher than those in surface water. It may be due to the fact that organic hydrophobic pollutants tend to stay in the sediments. The PAHs were dominated by 2-, 3-ring components in water samples and by 3- and 4-ring compounds in sediment. For organochlorines, alpha-HCH, delta-HCH, Heptachlor, Endosulfan II, DDT are the major organochlorine pesticides in water while Heptachlor, Dieldrin and DDE composed of 95% of total organochlorine pesticides in sediment. For HCHs (HCHs=alpha-HCH+beta-HCH+gamma-HCH+delta-HCH), the predominance of alpha-HCH of total HCHs were clearly observed in water and sediment. PCB18, PCB31 and PCB52 were predominant in water, on average these compounds collectively accounted for 67% of total PCBs. But in sediment, the predominant compounds were PCB28, PCB31 and PCB153, which accounted for 71% of total PCBs in sediment. The levels of micro pollutants in our study areas were compared with other studies.     

大气气溶胶含碳物质基本特征综述

准确界定了气溶胶含碳物质,特别是有机碳和元素碳的基本概念,指出了元素碳与黑碳的异同,总结了有机碳和元素碳的排放源,以及二次有机碳的经验公式.阐述了有机碳、元素碳对全球气候、大气化学过程及人体健康带来的危害及机理.归纳了气溶胶中有机碳、元素碳组分的空间分布特征、时间变化特征.概述了国内气溶胶有机碳、元素碳的研究状况,指出国内相关研究重点和趋势.     

巢湖蓝藻酸提取液提高玉米秸秆的酶解效率

资源化利用是避免富营养化水体打捞得到的蓝藻二次污染的有效方法途径。本研究以巢湖蓝藻为例,利用稀硫酸处理得到酸提取液并将其用于玉米秸秆的酶解过程。以主要成分还原糖和蛋白质的提取量为目标,优化了稀硫酸处理条件(处理时间、温度和硫酸浓度)。结果表明,从巢湖蓝藻提取还原糖的效率随着处理温度和硫酸浓度的升高而升高。在处理温度为125℃,处理时间为2 h,稀硫酸浓度为5%时,提取的还原糖最多为(152.8±12.6)mg/g。稀硫酸处理条件对蛋白质的提取效果影响并不显著。在处理温度为105℃,处理时间为1 h,稀硫酸浓度为5%时,最大提取量为(1.55±0.00)mg/g。提取的藻液中和后可以用于玉米秸秆的酶解过程,同对照相比酶解效率能够提升10%左右。结果表明,藻液中的小分子物质和钙离子是主要的作用组分,推测其和木质素表面官能团结合,从而降低了木质素对纤维素酶的非再生吸附。     

Effects of repeated pesticide exposure on the peripheral and central nervous systems

This study was designed to compare organic farmers (comparison group) and pesticide-using farmers (pesticide group) in terms of neurobehavioral performance and sensorimotor function. The subjects were recruited in October 2004 from Chungnam Province and the neighboring Jeolla Province in western South Korea. Psychological assessment was carried out using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the Mini-Mental State Examination, and the Bender Gestalt test. Neuroselective sensory nerve conduction threshold was measured at both left and right middle fingers by using an electrodiagnostic device to determine current perception thresholds (CPTs). Three independent CPT measurements were obtained from each test site by using sinusoidal stimuli at three frequencies. CPT testing showed no difference between the two groups. No significant differences were found in the large myelinated (2000?Hz stimulation; cutaneous touch, pressure), small myelinated (250?Hz stimulation; mechanoreceptive, pressure, temperature, fast pain) and small unmyelinated (5?Hz stimulation; polymodal nociceptive, temperature, slow pain, postganglionic sympathetic) C-fibers. Furthermore, there was no difference found between the pesticide and comparison groups in psychological variables, including intelligence quotient, orientation, memory, calculation, similarities, visual sensitivity, and psychomotor speed. In conclusion, chronic pesticide exposure has no apparent effect on either the peripheral or central nervous system in Korean farmers.     

The estimation of bioconcentration factors of aromatic hydrocarbons by high‐performance liquid chromatography

The determination of Bioconcentration Factors (BCF) via HPLC capacity factors (k') has been studied, including the effect of column type and mobile phase composition on the correlation between log BCF and log k’. Values of BCF correlate well with the phenylsilica column capacity factors. The phenylsilica column followed by C18 column give better correlations than either C8 or C2 column. The use of HPLC with phenylsilica as stationary phase and methanol‐water as mobile phase in the prediction of BCF can be at least as good or better than the use of n‐octanol/water partitioning system. There are no significant differences in the correlations between log k’ and log BCF with the changes of methanol concentration in the mobile phase, and it seems that a high proportion of methanol in the eluent is required to obtain good results.     

Mercury pollution in a mining area of Guizhou,China: Fluxes over contaminated surfaces and concentrations in air,biological and geological samples

A dynamic flux chamber has been used to estimate fluxes of mercury over different types of surfaces in an abandoned open‐cut mine of Tongren prefecture, Guizhou province, China during spring and summer of 1996. The highest fluxes were obtained over cinnabar slag and contaminated soils, whereas the emissions above cinnabar ore were substantially lower. These fluxes was scaled up to estimate the contribution of mercury emissions to air from mercury wastes, compared to anthropogenic activities in the province of Guizhou, China. Atmospheric mercury concentrations measured were enhanced in the mining area (<1.3 μg m^‐3) compared to regional background sites (1.8–5.1 ng m^‐3). The spreading of mercury was estimated by using biological and geological samples. Moss bags have been employed to estimate long‐time dry‐ and wet‐deposition to this area.     

Determination and QSPR analysis of log Kow and log Koc for fluorine containing benzene derivatives

Octanol‐water partition coefficients (Kow) and soil organic carbon sorption coefficients (Koc) were determined for 14 fluorinated benzene derivatives. Quantitative structure‐property relationships were developed using molecular connectivity indices and quantum chemical parameters to analyze the most significant factors influencing these physico‐chemical properties of the compounds. The substitution by F in benzene derivatives has greater influence on Koc than on Kow.     

利用甘油脱水酶基因构建产3-羟基丙醛工程菌及其表达比较

3-羟基丙醛(3-HPA)是一种重要的化工产品,可由甘油经甘油脱水酶作用后生成.为获得产3-HPA基因工程菌,在已构建含甘油脱水酶基因及其激活因子大亚基质粒pEtac-dhaB-gdrA的基础上,构建了包含小亚基gdrB激活因子的重组质粒pEtac-dhaB-gdrA-gdrB.利用大肠杆菌通用tac启动子将该质粒在不同Escherichia coli BL21、DH5a及JM109中进行表达.阳性转化子经IPTG诱导后,提取总RNA,以cDNA为模板进行RT-PCR发现,目标基因在不同宿主都能较好转录.SDS-PAGE、酶活测定和3-HPA浓度测定结果表明,目标蛋白表达存在差异;酶活分别为4.7(±0.44)、3.5(±0.95)、8.1(±0.66)U/mg;发酵液中3-HPA的含量分别为0.012(±0.0044)、0.014(±0.003)、0.375(±0.018)g L-1,重组E.coli JM109/pEtac-dhaB-gdrA-gdrB具有较好的甘油脱水酶基因表达和产3-HPA性能.该基因工程菌与克雷伯氏菌(Klebsiella pneumoniae)相比,发酵副产物明显较少,有利于后期提取,为生产3-HPA提供了一条新思路.     

The abatement of major pollutants in air and water by environmental catalysis

This review reports the research progress in the abatement of major pollutants in air and water by environmental catalysis. For air pollution control, the selective catalytic reduction of NO _x (SCR) by ammonia and hydrocarbons on metal oxide and zeolite catalysts are reviewed and discussed, as is the removal of Hg from flue gas by catalysis. The oxidation of Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by photo- and thermal-catalysis for indoor air quality improvement is reviewed. For wastewater treatment, the catalytic elimination of inorganic and organic pollutants in wastewater is presented. In addition, the mechanism for the procedure of abatement of air and water pollutants by catalysis is discussed in this review. Finally, a research orientation on environment catalysis for the treatment of air pollutants and wastewater is proposed.