New insights into disruption of iron homeostasis by environmental pollutants

Among the numerous health conditions environmental pollutants can cause, chronic exposure to pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals has been shown to disturb a specific biological homeostatic process, the iron metabolism in human body. Disorders of iron metabolism are among the common diseases of humans and encompass a broad spectrum of diseases with different clinical manifestations, ranging from anemia to iron overload, and possibly to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hepcidin–ferroportin (FPN) signaling is one of the key mechanisms responsible for iron supply, utilization, recycling, and storage, and recent studies demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants including POPs and heavy metals could lead to disruption of the hepcidin–FPN axis along with disordered systemic iron homeostasis and diseases. This article introduces and highlights the accompanying review article by Drs. Xu and Liu in this journal, which elaborates in detail the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on iron metabolism, and the mechanisms responsible for these toxicological outcomes. It also points out the knowledge gaps still existing in this subject matter. Research that will fill these gaps will improve our understanding of the issue and provide useful information to prevent or treat diseases induced by environmental pollutants.     

Heterogeneous oxidation of SO2 by O3-aged black carbon and its dithiothreitol oxidative potential

Ozone (O₃) is an important atmospheric oxidant. Black carbon (BC) particles released into the atmosphere undergo an aging process via O₃ oxidation. O₃-aged BC particles may change their uptake ability toward trace reducing gases such as SO₂ in the atmosphere, leading to different environmental and health effects. In this paper, the heterogeneous reaction process between O₃-aged BC and SO₂ was explored via in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Combined with ion chromatography (IC), DRIFTS was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the sulfate product. The results showed that O₃-aged BC had stronger SO₂ oxidation ability than fresh BC, and the reactive species/sites generated on the surface had an important role in the oxidation of SO₂. Relative humidity or 254 nm UV (ultraviolet) light illumination enhanced the oxidation uptake of SO₂ on O₃-aged BC. The oxidation potentials of the BC particles were detected via dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The DTT activity over BC was decreased in the process of SO₂ reduction, with the consumption of oxidative active sites.     

雅鲁河呼伦贝尔段大型底栖动物群落结构特征及水质生物学评价

在呼伦贝尔市境内雅鲁河流域设置12个点位采集大型底栖动物进行调查研究并对水质状况进行生物学评价。共采集到底栖动物24种,隶属于8目22科,其中水生昆虫19种,占总数79.2%,各点位种类不丰富。各点位优势种不同,但基本都以对水质敏感类群和中等耐污类群为主。各点位密度和生物量差异较大,底栖动物平均密度为89~493ind/m2,平均生物量为0.42~11.69g/m2。调查区域大型底栖动物以集食者和捕食者种类较多,分别为6种;各功能摄食类群分布受空间资源位的限制。Shannon-Wiener多样性指数评价结果为上游点位水质为轻-中污染型,下游点位水质为中-重污染型,BI指数评价结果显示除南大河水质为中度污染外,其余点位水质均为清洁。     

Research on whole life cycle carbon emission model of typical buildings

Based on the theory of life cycle assessment (LCA), this article analyzes the influence factors on carbon emissions from residential buildings. In the article, the life cycle of residential buildings has been divided into five stages: building materials production period, construction period, operation and maintenance period, demolition period, and solid waste recycle and disposal period. Based on this definition, the authors provide a theoretical model to calculate carbon emissions of residential building life cycle. In particular, the factor of human activities was introduced in the calculation of carbon emissions from the buildings. Furthermore, the authors put forward a model for calculation with the unit of carbon emissions for per-capita living space.     

Leaching-induced migration and compositional form change of Cu,Zn, and Cd from sludge to loess

Land utilization of sewage sludge has become one of the major issues in environmental mitigation in China. This is particularly important in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China. Sludge enriched with organic matter and nutrients might effectively help to resolve the problems of silty loess soils as evidenced by porosity defect, structural alterations and absence of fertility. After sludge flows into the loess, irrigation water contains heavy metals that leach and migrate into sludge and consequently related human health risks may occur that raise concerns; and this situation needs to be rectified. The characteristics of the vertical migration and composition form change of Cu, Zn, and Cd from composted sludge to loess, and corresponding influencing factors, were investigated by performing a soil column simulation test under the leaching treatment of a one-year irrigation water capacity. Results demonstrated that: (1) composted sludge significantly improved loess fertility, and irrigation leaching transported only a small quantity of organic matter in sludge in the plough layer; (2) although some of the Cu, Zn, and Cd in composted sludge migrated to and concentrated in the middle and upper layers of the soil column during leaching, these metals were mostly retained in the plough layer; and (3) after the leaching treatment of the one-year irrigation water capacity, the compositions of Cu, Zn, and Cd (particularly Cu and Zn) in both plough layer and loess began to stabilize with low concentrations in the exudate. These findings confirmed the applicability of composted sludge in loess regions. This study provided a new insight into the sludge reuse in alkaline soils in arid and semi-arid region.     

农业土地利用转变对土壤团聚体组成及碳、氮含量的影响

为探究农业土地利用转变对土壤团聚体组成、稳定性及有机碳（SOC）、全氮（TN）含量变化的影响,选取玉米地、玉米地转变为姜地、稻田和稻田转变为姜地4种农业土地利用类型为研究对象,对土壤水稳性团聚体的组成、稳定性及SOC、TN含量进行测定与分析.结果表明： ①玉米地转变为姜地后,>0.25 mm粒级的大团聚体减少21.48%（p<0.01）,>0.25 mm稳定性团聚体的含量（DR_0.25）显著降低53.39%;稻田转变为姜地后,大团聚体差异不显著,<0.053 mm粒级的粉黏团聚体增加8.93%（p<0.01）;冗余分析和相关分析表明,土壤含水量是团聚体组成和 稳定性的重要影响因素;②玉米地转变为姜地后,0.25~1 mm粒级团聚体中SOC、TN含量分别减少52.68%、50.98%,粉黏团聚体（<0.053 mm）中SOC和TN含量增加约2倍（p<0.01）;稻田转变为姜地后,>0.25 mm的大团聚体和0.053~0.25 mm的微团聚体中的SOC、TN含量均减少（p<0.05）,其中,大团聚体碳氮比与团聚体组成和稳定性存在相关关系（p<0.05）;③所有处理均为大团聚体SOC、TN贡献率最高,转变后的姜地较玉米地、稻田的土壤粉黏团聚体的SOC、TN贡献率显著增加,尤其是较玉米地的粉黏团聚体SOC、TN贡献率增加3倍（p<0.01）;④平均质量 直径（MWD）和几何平均直径（GMD）与大团聚体的SOC、TN含量呈显著正相关（p<0.05）,分形维数（D）与MWD及1~2 mm粒级大团聚体的SOC、TN含量呈显著负相关（p<0.01）,DR_0.25与大团聚体的SOC、TN含量呈显著正相关（p<0.01）.总体上,玉米地和稻田两种用地转变为姜地后,土壤团聚体的组成发生较大变化,团聚体稳定性变化虽不显著,但大团聚体中SOC、TN含量降低,粉黏团聚体中SOC、TN含量增加.本研究的开展对农田科学管理和可持续生产具有重要的指导意义.     

河西地区草地建设的现实思考

本文介绍了河西草地资源的空间分布与不同等级面积统计 ,客观地分析了草地“三化”的主导诱因在不同区域上的差异表现 ,突出了河西地区整体荒漠化的严峻现实。并进一步从生态恢复的规律要求、草地独特的生态环境效益、草地建设的相对低成本 ,及草产业的广阔市场前景等方面 ,阐述了河西进行草地建设的现实意义 ,提出了一些独到的见解     

鄱阳湖典型湿地土壤-植物系统重金属沿湖向富集及迁移转换特征分析

特殊的水文节律导致鄱阳湖形成面积较大的周期性环湖消落带,大量的营养物质和污染物极易在消落带中发生沉积,选择鄱阳湖典型河口型消落带,沿湖向按照不同植被类型设置采样断面,采集土壤-沉积物和优势植物样品(不同组织),分析不同时空下土壤/沉积物和优势植物体中重金属(Cr、 Ni、 Cu、 Zn、 As、 Cd、 Sb和Pb)的含量特征及富集水平,并进一步分析土壤-植物系统中重金属的迁移转换特征,揭示鄱阳湖典型消落带土壤-植物系统重金属迁移转换的影响因素.结果表明,消落带土壤/沉积物重金属含量沿湖向表现为明显的分布规律,呈现为先升高后降低的分布特征,即季节性淹水带土壤/沉积物是重金属富集的主要地带,Cu、 Pb和Sb在土壤/沉积物中的富集水平较高,其中Cu和Sb为显著富集(EF>5);潜在生态风险结果表明季节性淹水带总体处于轻度生态危害水平(70≤RI<140),显著高于淹水带和未淹水带.消落带沿湖向带状分布的优势植物体中重金属含量并未表现出显著的空间分布特征,但表现为显著的季节差异,生长季(4月)优势植物体内重金属具有较高的含量水平,重金属不同介质和组织的分配大体遵循基质>根...     

长三角区域人为源活性挥发性有机物高分辨率排放清单

基于长三角区域41个城市本地实测,结合美国EPA的SPECIATE 4.4数据库,建立了长三角区域人为源活性挥发性有机物(VOCs)高分辨率排放清单,分析了区域内VOCs的排放特征和组分构成;计算了VOCs的臭氧生成潜势(OFP)和二次有机气溶胶生成潜势(SOAP).结果表明,2017年,长三角区域人为源VOCs排放总量为4.9×10⁶ t,其中工艺过程源、工业溶剂使用源、移动源、生活源、储运源、农业源和废弃物处理源排放贡献分别为：34.3%、27.1%、19.5%、9.7%、6.1%、2.5%和0.4%.芳香烃和烷烃是VOCs的主要种类,均各占长三角VOCs排放总量的25%.工艺过程源、工业溶剂使用源、移动源和生活源OFP贡献率分别为38.3%、21.5%、16.4%和13.2%,SOAP贡献率分别为26.2%、34.1%、18.1%和17.9%,与VOCs排放量的主要贡献源基本一致.各城市VOCs重点排放行业存在较大差异,重点城市群以石化化工和装备制造为主,区域北部则以木材家具等涂装行业为主.计算表明,丙烯、间/对-二甲苯和乙烯是臭氧主要贡献源;甲苯、1,2,...