Dioxin-like activity in environmental and human samples from Greenland and Denmark

Dioxins and dioxin-like (DL) compounds are some of the most toxic chemicals being highly persistent in the environment. The toxicological effects of dioxins are mediated via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Compounds of diverse structure and lipophility can bind and activate AhR. The AhR transactivation bioassay is utilized in an array of projects to study the AhR-mediated activities of individual chemicals and mixtures and for epidemiological purposes.This review summarizes a series of studies regarding the DL-activity of single compounds and complex compound mixtures in the environment and humans.We found that some pesticides, plasticizers and phytoestrogens can activate the AhR, and the combined effect of compounds with no or weak AhR potency cannot be ignored.The significant DL-activity in the wastewater effluent indicates the treatment is not sufficient to prevent contamination of surface waters with dioxins. Our results from human studies suggest that the serum DL-activity reflect the complex mixture of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Greenlandic Inuit had lower serum DL-activity level compared to Europeans, probably due to long distance from the dioxin sources and UV degradation of the high potent dioxin and/or the inhibitory effect of the high level of non-DL POPs. Selective bioaccumulation of PCBs in the food chain may contribute to the negative correlation between serum POPs and DL-activity observed in Greenlandic Inuit.Hence the AhR transactivation bioassay provides a cost-effective and integrated screening tool for measurement of the DL-activity in human, environmental and commercial samples.     

Formation pathways of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in sediments contaminated with PCBs during the thermal desorption process

Thermal desorption has attracted considerable interest as a remediation technology for the removal of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from contaminated soils and sediments. Although several research groups have confirmed that polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are formed from PCBs during the thermal desorption of sediments contaminated with PCB, the formation pathways remain poorly understood. Herein, thermal desorption has been used to develop a greater understanding of the formation pathways of PCDFs from sediments contaminated with PCBs. PCB decomposition experiments of sediments contaminated with PCBs were performed over 5 min at 450 °C with a gas composition of 10% O(2)/90% N(2), either in the absence (Run 1) or presence (Run 2-4) of one of three different (13)C(12)-labeled PCB individual standards. The results of Run 1 showed that 99.96% of PCBs and 98.40% of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) in the treated sediments had decomposed, whereas the concentration levels of PCDFs had increased by a factor of 31. The addition of different (13)C(12)-labeled PCBs to the sediment sample yielded different (13)C(12)-PCDFs isomer patterns, with formation pathways including loss of ortho-Cl(2), loss of HCl involving a 2,3-chlorine shift, loss of ortho-H(2) and dechlorination.     

Reducing ammonia emissions from laying-hen houses through dietary manipulation

Feed additives can change the microbiological environment of the animal digestive track, nutrient composition of feces, and its gaseous emissions. This 2-yr field study involving commercial laying-hen houses in central Iowa was conducted to assess the effects of feeding diets containing EcoCal and corn-dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) on ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions. Three high-rise layer houses (256,600 W-36 hens per house) received standard industry diet (Control), a diet containing 7% EcoCal (EcoCal) or a diet containing 10% DDGS (DDGS). Gaseous emissions were continuously monitored during the period of December 2007 to December 2009, covering the full production cycle. The 24-month test results revealed that mean NH3 emission rates were 0.58 +/- 0.05, 0.82 +/- 0.04, and 0.96 +/- 0.05 g/hen/day for the EcoCal, DDGS, and Control diet, respectively. Namely, compared to the Control diet, the EcoCal and DDGS diets reduced NH3 emission by an average of 39.2% and 14.3%, respectively. The concurrent H2S emission rates were 5.39 +/- 0.46, 1.91 +/- 0.13, and 1.79 +/- 0.16 mg/ hen/day for the EcoCal, DDGS, and Control diet, respectively. CO2 emission rates were similar for the three diets, 87.3 +/- 1.37, 87.4 +/- 1.26, and 89.6 +/- 1.6 g/hen/day for EcoCal, DDGS, and Control, respectively (P = 0.45). The DDGS and EcoCal houses tended to emit less CH4 than the Control house (0.16 and 0.12 vs. 0.20 g/hen/day) during the monitored summer season. The efficacy of NH3 emission reduction by the EcoCal diet decreased with increasing outside temperature, varying from 72.2% in February 2009 to -7.10% in September 2008. Manure of the EcoCal diet contained 68% higher ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and 4.7 times higher sulfur content than that of the Control diet. Manure pH values were 8.0, 8.9, and 9.3 for EcoCal, DDGS, and Control diets, respectively. This extensive field study verifies that dietary manipulation provides a viable means to reduce NH3 emissions from modern laying-hen houses.     

以羟胺为底物的自养脱氮微量热研究

羟胺（NH₂OH）是单级自养脱氮系统物质转化的重要中间产物。从稳定运行（氨氮去除率维持90%以上,总氮去除率维持在80%以上）的单级自养脱氮工艺（SBBR）取活性污泥放入量热池,加入不同浓度N-NH₂OH（40～200 mg/L）进行量热实验研究。结果表明,用Boltzmann模型可以很好地表达量热值与NH₂OH浓度的关系,超过一定浓度的羟胺会抑制微生物活性,自营养脱氮过程的产热增量降低。     

复合型絮凝剂处理景观水体

利用以生物絮凝剂(1 g/L MBF-28)与化学絮凝剂(5 g/L PAC)复配后的复合絮凝剂CBF28C处理景观水体,考虑了复配比、投加量、pH和投加顺序对处理景观水的影响。实验结果表明:对于反应体系为100 mL景观水体,当MBF-28与PAC溶液复配体积比为3∶1,反应体系pH为7.0,1 mL 1%CaCl2作助凝剂,1.5 mL CBF28C时,其絮凝效果最好,其COD,色度,TN,TP的去除率分别为90.7%,54.1%、46.6%和51.5%。最佳水力条件为:快速320 r/min,快搅时间45 s,慢速80 r/min,慢搅时间100 s。并且得出了前10 min内絮凝率的反应关系方程式。     

石油污染土壤的生物修复室内模拟实验研究

在实验室模拟的条件下,利用从克拉玛依的石油污染土壤中筛选出的4株高效降解菌,以石油烃降解率、脱氢酶活性、呼吸强度、微生物量碳氮和土壤毒性作为评价指标,研究不加生物菌剂不翻耕、不加生物菌剂翻耕、加生物菌剂不翻耕、加生物菌剂翻耕、加固定化菌剂不翻耕和加固定化菌剂翻耕6种不同实验条件对石油污染土壤修复的效果。结果表明,在63 d的修复过程中,加固定化菌剂翻耕实验F组的石油去除率达到了78.7%,比不加生物菌剂不翻耕实验A组的石油去除率提高了49.5%。随着土壤毒性逐渐降低,玉米(Zea mays L.)和赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)可以在F组土壤中良好的生长,达到了修复的效果。     

一株产絮酵母菌废菌体对Cd2+的吸附特性

将一株产絮酵母菌(编号B-02号)发酵后的废菌体制成生物吸附剂,研究该生物吸附剂对废水中Cd2+的生物吸附特性。结果表明:(1)pH值对Cd2+会产生较大的影响,偏酸性(pH=4～6)条件利于吸附;该吸附剂对Cd2+吸附速率较快,8～10 min就可达到吸附平衡;(2)吸附剂的吸附动力学符合二级动力学模型,吸附Cd2+的实验数据对Langmuir等温式的拟合情况良好,吸附剂吸附Cd2+的最大吸附量为70.752 mg/g。用0.5 mol/L HNO3对吸附Cd2+的酵母菌进行解吸,解吸率可达89.7%。     

玉米深加工废水的混凝实验

在室温条件下,分别选用聚合氯化铝(PAC)、聚合氯化铝铁(PAFC)及三氯化铁(FeCl3)对玉米深加工废水进行混凝实验。综合考虑各种混凝剂对磷、COD以及SS的去除效果,最终选取PAC作为混凝剂。采用PAC和聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)作为复合混凝剂,对其去除效果做进一步研究,并确定了最佳投加量及pH值。实验结果表明,在PAC投加量25mg/L,PAM投加量0.5 mg/L,pH为8条件下,混凝效果最佳。磷、COD、SS去除率可分别达到90.1%、53.3%和88.2%,对应的出水质量浓度分别为0.41、26.8和2 mg/L。     

微波修复原油污染土壤的均匀设计实验

采用均匀设计实验方法,研究了微波修复原油污染土壤时原油去除率与微波能耗、含水率和含炭率等因素的关系,并应用MATLAB编程拟合出经验公式。结果分析表明:微波能耗在0～288 kJ范围内,污染土壤的原油去除率随微波能耗线性增加;在含水率为6%、含炭率为4%、微波能耗从0增加到288 kJ时,原油去除率从0%增加至92.3%;含炭率在0%～4%范围内原油去除率与含炭率成线性关系,在微波能耗为288 kJ、含水率为6%、含炭率从0%增加到4%时,原油去除率从12.3%增加至92.3%;原油去除率与含水率成二次曲线关系且开口向下,微波修复原油污染土壤的最佳含水率为6.6%。研究结果对微波修复原油污染土壤技术的优化提供了有价值的参考。     

基于GCM_CB模型的土壤重金属污染评价

灰色聚类法已经运用于土壤重金属污染评价中,然而此法在确定聚类权重时仅考虑重金属浓度,忽略了衡量重金属毒性强弱的重要指标生物毒性指数。为了更客观和准确地反映土壤重金属的污染程度,将生物毒性指数引入到聚类指标权重中,构建GCM_CB(grey clustering method_concentration and biotoxicity)土壤重金属污染评价模型。通过对华东某地区的10个区域土壤重金属污染进行分析评价,并与常用评价方法对比研究,表明:其多数样点的评价结果基本一致,但针对样品4和样品9中的元素Hg,因其强毒性,使得评价等级由I级定为II级,从而提高了评价方法的灵敏度,更加符合该区域的实际土壤污染情况。