Effect of graphene oxide exposure on intestinal Wnt signaling in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Exposure to engineered nanomaterials(ENMs), such as graphene oxide(GO), can potentially induce the response of various molecular signaling pathways, which can mediate the protective function or the toxicity induction.Wnt signaling pathway is conserved evolutionarily in organisms.Using Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo assay model, we investigated the effect of GO exposure on intestinal Wnt signaling.In the intestine, GO exposure dysregulated Frizzled receptor MOM-5, Disheveled protein DSH-2, GSK-3(a component of APC complex), and two β-catenin proteins(BAR-1 and HMP-2), which mediated the induction of GO toxicity.In GO exposed nematodes, a Hox protein EGL-5 acted as a downstream target of BAR-1, and fatty acid transport ACS-22 acted as a downstream target of HMP-2.Functional analysis on HMP-2 and ACS-22 suggested that the dysregulation of these two proteins provides an important basis for the observed deficit in functional state of intestinal barrier.Our results imply the association of dysregulation in physiological and functional states of intestinal barrier with toxicity induction of GO in organisms.     

Cytotoxicity of the soluble and insoluble fractions of atmospheric fine particulate matter

Inhaled atmospheric fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)) includes soluble and insoluble fractions,and each fraction can interact with cells and cause adverse effects.PM_(2.5) samples were collected in Jinan,China,and the soluble and insoluble fractions were separated.According to physiochemical characterization,the soluble fraction mainly contains watersoluble ions and organic acids,and the insoluble fraction mainly contains kaolinite,calcium carbonate and some organic carbon.The interaction between PM_(2.5) and model cell membranes was examined with a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation(QCM-D) to quantify PM_(2.5) attachment on membranes and membrane disruption.The cytotoxicity of the total PM_(2.5) and the soluble and insoluble fractions,was investigated.Negatively charged PM_(2.5) can adhere to the positively charged membranes and disrupt them.PM_(2.5)also adheres to negatively charged membranes but does not cause membrane rupture.Therefore,electrostatic repulsion does not prevent PM_(2.5) attachment,but electrostatic attraction induces remarkable membrane rupture.The human lung epithelial cell line A549 was used for cytotoxicity assessment.The detected membrane leakage,cellular swelling and blebbing indicated a cell necrosis process.Moreover,the insoluble PM_(2.5) fraction caused a higher cell mortality and more serious cell membrane damage than the soluble fraction.The levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS) enhanced by the two fractions were not significantly different.The findings provide more information to better understand the mechanism of PM_(2.5) cytotoxicity and the effect of PM_(2.5) solubility on cytotoxicity.     

An investigation of changes in water quality throughout the drinking water production/distribution chain using toxicological and fluorescence analyses

Changes in water quality from source water to finished water and tap water at two conventional drinking water treatment plants(DWTPs) were monitored.Beside the routine water quality testing,Caenorhabditis elegans-based toxicity assays and the fluorescence excitation–emission matrices technique were also applied.Both DWTPs supplied drinking water that met government standards.Under current test conditions,both the investigated finished water and tap water samples exhibited stronger lethal,genotoxic and reprotoxic potential than the relative source water sample,and the tap water sample was more lethal but tended to be less genotoxic than the corresponding finished water sample.Meanwhile,the nearly complete removal of tryptophan-like substances and newly generated tyrosine-like substances were observed after the treatment of drinking water,and humic-like substances were identified in the tap water.Based on these findings,toxic pollutants,including genotoxic/reproductive toxicants,are produced in the drinking water treatment and/or distribution processes.Moreover,further studies are needed to clarify the potentially important roles of tyrosine-like and humic-like substances in mediating drinking water toxicity and to identify the potential sources of these contaminants.Additionally,tryptophan-like fluorescence may be adopted as a useful parameter to monitor the treatment performance of DWTPs.Our observations provided insights into the importance of utilizing biotoxicity assays and fluorescence spectroscopy as tools to complement the routine evaluation of drinking water.     

Density functional theory (DFT) studies of vanadium-titanium based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts

Based on density functional theory (DFT) and basic structure models, the chemical reactions on the surface of vanadium-titanium based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) denitrification catalysts were summarized. Reasonable structural models (non-periodic and periodic structural models) are the basis of density functional calculations. A periodic structure model was more appropriate to represent the catalyst surface, and its theoretical calculation results were more comparable with the experimental results than a non-periodic model. It is generally believed that the SCR mechanism where NH₃ and NO react to produce N₂ and H₂O follows an Eley-Rideal type mechanism. NH₂NO was found to be an important intermediate in the SCR reaction, with multiple production routes. Simultaneously, the effects of H₂O, SO₂ and metal on SCR catalysts were also summarized.     

Metabolomic modulations in a freshwater microbial community exposed to the fungicide azoxystrobin

An effective broad-spectrum fungicide, azoxystrobin (AZ), has been widely detected in aquatic ecosystems, potentially affecting the growth of aquatic microorganisms. In the present study, the eukaryotic alga Monoraphidium sp. and the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena sp. were exposed to AZ for 7 days. Our results showed that 0.2–0.5 mg/L concentrations of AZ slightly inhibited the growth of Monoraphidium sp. but stimulated Pseudanabaena sp. growth. Meanwhile, AZ treatment effectively increased the secretion of total organic carbon (TOC) in the culture media of the two species, and this phenomenon was also found in a freshwater microcosm experiment (containing the natural microbial community). We attempted to assess the effect of AZ on the function of aquatic microbial communities through metabolomic analysis and further explore the potential risks of this compound. The metabonomic profiles of the microcosm indicated that the most varied metabolites after AZ treatment were related to the citrate cycle (TCA), fatty acid biosynthesis and purine metabolism. We thereby inferred that the microbial community increased extracellular secretions by adjusting metabolic pathways, which might be a stress response to reduce AZ toxicity. Our results provide an important theoretical basis for further study of fungicide stress responses in aquatic microcosm microbial communities, as well as a good start for further explorations of AZ detoxification mechanisms, which will be valuable for the evaluation of AZ environmental risk.     

Analytical methods and environmental processes of nanoplastics

The degradation of plastic debris may result in the generation of nanoplastics (NPs). Their high specific surface area for the sorption of organic pollutions and toxic heavy metals and possible transfer between organisms at different nutrient levels make the study of NPs an urgent priority. However, there is very limited understanding on the occurrence, distribution, abundant, and fate of NPs in the environment, partially due to the lack of suitable techniques for the separation and identification of NPs from complex environmental matrices. In this review, we first overviewed the state-of-the-art methods for the extraction, separation, identification and quantification of NPs in the environment. Some of them have been successfully applied for the field determination of NPs, while some are borrowed from the detection of microplastics or engineered nanomaterials. Then the possible fate and transport of NPs in the environment are thoroughly described. Although great efforts have been made during the recent years, large knowledge gaps still exist, such as the relatively high detection limit of existing method failing to detect ultralow masses of NPs in the environment, and spherical polystyrene NP models failing to represent the various compositions of NPs with different irregular shapes, which needs further investigation.     

某垃圾焚烧厂投产前后周边土壤二英类化合物的分布

为研究垃圾焚烧厂运行对周边土壤二英类化合物（PCDD/Fs）含量的影响,采集了珠三角地区某垃圾焚烧厂投产前和投产后周边土壤样品,分析研究了该垃圾焚烧厂运行对周边土壤中PCDD/Fs含量和组分的变化.结果表明:①2012年（投产前）珠三角地区某垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量较低,范围为163~591 ng/kg（毒性当量范围为0.198~0.863 ng I-TEQ/kg,I-TEQ为国际毒性当量因子折算的毒性当量值）;2017—2019年（投产后）周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量范围为151~1.75×103 ng/kg（毒性当量范围为0.812~3.88 ng I-TEQ/kg）,与其他研究相比处于较低的水平.②投产后,距该垃圾焚烧厂较近（1.5 km）的采样点（S1）土壤PCDD/Fs含量逐年增长,在较远（5.2 km）但人口较密集的采样点（S3）土壤PCDD/Fs含量整体较高,但呈逐年下降趋势.③投产后,土壤中的17种PCDD/Fs单体组分中,毒性当量贡献率最高的单体为八氯二苯并二英（OCDD）和2,3,4,7,8-五氯二苯并呋喃（2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF）,二者毒性当量贡献率范围为15.7%~45.4%.④在同一采样点土壤PCDD/Fs单体组分年间差异不明显,但同一年份不同采样点差异明显.研究显示,目前该垃圾焚烧厂周边土壤PCDD/Fs含量较低,但仍需要长期监测其可能带来的风险.      

闽江河口养虾塘养殖期和非养殖期CO2通量变化特征

为揭示河口区陆基养虾塘从养殖期到非养殖期一年间的CO₂通量变化,以福建省闽江河口鳝鱼滩陆基养虾塘为研究对象,于2016年5月-2017年3月采用悬浮箱/静态箱-气相色谱法对养虾塘养殖期水-大气界面和非养殖期沉积物-大气界面白天CO₂垂直通量进行原位观测.结果表明:①养虾塘在整个研究期间CO₂通量变化范围为-62.87~162.81 mg/（m2·h）,平均值为（42.66±18.12）mg/（m2·h）,总体上表现为大气CO₂的释放源,且呈非养殖期CO₂通量平均值[（78.51±16.61）mg/（m2·h）]显著高于养殖期[（17.98±18.26）mg/（m2·h）]的特征.②养殖期间,养虾塘CO₂通量呈"排放-吸收"交替变化的特征,而非养殖期养虾塘一直是大气CO₂的净排放源.③养虾塘养殖期CO₂通量时间变化特征主要受到ρ（DOC）（DOC为总溶解有机碳）、ρ（SO₄2-）、ρ（Cl-）、盐度、pH、ρ（Chla）（Chla为叶绿素a）的影响,其中,pH和ρ（SO₄2-）是其主要影响因子,而ρ（TDN）（TDN为总溶解氮）、ρ（TDP）（TDP为总溶解磷）、ρ（SO₄2-）对非养殖期CO₂通量时间变化影响较大.研究显示,滨海陆基养殖塘是大气CO₂的重要来源,其排放通量多低于河流、水库等水生生态系统,但高于湖泊生态系统;养殖塘CO₂通量受人为影响明显,其较高的变异性与养殖生物、饲料投放以及浮游藻类有关.      

基于底栖动物的松花江流域不同地形分区水质指标阈值研究

为全面了解松花江流域不同地形分区内底栖动物群落对水质指标的响应规律,识别不同分区水质指标指示物种的差异,于2016—2018年对松花江流域97个采样点的水质指标〔EC、ρ（DO）、ρ（COD_Mn）、ρ（NH₃-N）、ρ（TN）、ρ（TP）〕和大型底栖动物群落进行调查分析,采用临界指示物种分析法（threshold indicator taxa analysis,TITAN）分别探讨松花江流域山区、丘陵区和平原区水质指标的生态阈值,当污染物浓度超过负响应阈值时敏感种密度降低,当超过正响应阈值时耐受种也会受到明显影响,底栖动物群落结构会发生显著变化.将TITAN法所得的负响应阈值作为触发底栖动物群落发生变化的最低值,正响应阈值为底栖动物群落的耐受极限值.结果表明:①松花江流域水质指标在不同地形分区内的阈值不同,除ρ（DO）和ρ（COD_Mn）外,其他指标负响应阈值均表现为山区 < 丘陵区 < 平原区,ρ（DO）则表现相反,ρ（COD_Mn）在丘陵区出现最高阈值（5.46 mg/L）、山区出现最低阈值（4.01 mg/L）.除ρ（DO）以外,其他指标的正响应阈值均呈山区 < 丘陵区 < 平原区的趋势,ρ（DO）正响应阈值的变化趋势则与之相反.②松花江流域内超过50%的采样点水质指标值均超过其负响应阈值,超出正响应阈值的采样点比例在6%~40%之间,说明流域受到一定的干扰,但干扰程度不严重.③同一物种在不同地形分区内对水体理化指标的指示方向可能相反.萝卜螺属在丘陵区为ρ（NH₃-N）的正响应指示物种,在平原区则转变为负响应指示物种;短沟蜷属在丘陵区为ρ（TN）和ρ（TP）的正响应物种,在平原区则转变为负响应物种.研究显示,大型底栖动物群落结构的分布特征是影响水质指标阈值指示物种识别的主要原因,而不同分区的自然地理状况、栖境状况和水质状况则是造成大型底栖动物群落结构分布差异的主要因素.      

长沙市近郊莲花镇土壤重金属生态风险评价

选择长沙市近郊的莲花镇作为研究对象,采集了镇域范围内54个土壤样品,运用综合的生态风险评价方法对Hg、Cd、As、Pb、Cr 5种土壤重金属元素污染程度及对人体的健康危害程度进行评价。结果表明:1)5种重金属元素的污染程度排序为Cd > Hg > Pb > As > Cr,Cd呈现重度污染;Cd和Pb空间变异显著,其来源受人为干扰程度高。2)5种重金属元素的潜在生态危害排序为Cd > Hg > As > Pb > Cr,Cd和Hg处于强生态危害程度,是研究区域土壤重金属污染的主要因子;研究区域综合潜在生态风险达到强生态危害等级。3)"手-口"摄入是土壤重金属暴露的主要途径,儿童的非致癌暴露剂量远大于成人。5种重金属对儿童和成人所产生的非致癌风险商和非致癌风险指数均<1,不存在非致癌健康风险。4)Cr的致癌风险指数>10-4,具有极高的致癌风险;Cd和As的致癌风险指数为10-6~10-4,处于可以接受的风险范围。Cr、As的污染有不断加剧的趋势,成为影响人体健康的主要因子,应引起关注。