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.     

The OH-induced degradation mechanism of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) with two forms in the water: a DFT comparison

The initial degradation mechanisms of OH and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) including molecular form and anionic form are studied at the MPWB1K/6-311+G(3df, 2p)//MPWB1K/6-31+G(d, p) level. Possible reaction pathways of H-atom abstraction and OH addition are considered in detail. By result comparison analysis, it is found that the reaction mechanisms for OH and two forms of MCPA are different, and most reactions for anionic MCPA are easier than those for molecular MCPA. For H-atom abstraction reactions, the calculated energies show that OH abstracting H-atom from -CH₃ group of molecular MCPA is the most kinetically favorable process; the potential energy surface for anionic MCPA indicates that H-atom in -CH₂ group is slightly easier to be abstracted than that in -CH₃ group. For OH addition reactions, the addition of OH to the C1 site is the initial step for molecular MCPA and the predominant product is 4-chloro-2-methylphenol (denoted P3), while the C4 site is the most reactive site for anionic MCPA and the primary product results from the hydroxylation of the aromatic ring, which is in good agreement with the experimental observation. In additional, results from PCM calculations show that most reactions in water phase are more kinetically favorable than those in gas phase, though the mechanisms discussed above will not be changed.     

Toxicological effect of MPA-CdSe QDs exposure on zebrafish embryo and larvae

Cadmium selenium (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals that hold wide range of applications and substantial production volumes. Due to unique composition and nanoscale properties, their potential toxicity to aquatic organisms has increasingly gained a great amount of interest. However, the impact of CdSe QDs exposure on zebrafish embryo and larvae remains almost unknown. Therefore, the lab study was performed to determine the developmental and behavioral toxicities to zebrafish under continuous exposure to low level CdSe QDs (0.05-31.25 mg L⁻¹) coated with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). The results showed MPA-CdSe exposure from embryo to larvae stage affected overall fitness. Our findings for the first time revealed that: (1) The 120 h LC₅₀ of MPA-CdSe for zebrafish was 1.98 mg L⁻¹; (2) embryos exposed to MPA-CdSe resulted in malformations incidence and lower hatch rate; (3) abnormal vascular of FLI-1 transgenic zebrafish larvae appeared after exposure to MPA-CdSe including vascular junction, bifurcation, crossing and particle appearance; (4) larvae behavior assessment showed during MPA-CdSe exposure a rapid transition from light-to-dark elicited a similar, brief burst and a higher basal swimming rate; (5) MPA-CdSe induced embryos cell apoptosis in the head and tail region. Results of the observations provide a basic understanding of MPA-CdSe toxicity to aquatic organisms and suggest the need for additional research to identify the toxicological mechanism.     

Influence of Suwannee River humic acid on particle properties and toxicity of silver nanoparticles

Adsorption of natural organic matter (NOM) on nanoparticles can have dramatic impacts on particle dispersion resulting in altered fate and transport as well as bioavailability and toxicity. In this study, the adsorption of Suwannee River humic acid (SRHA) on silver nanoparticles (nano-Ag) was determined and showed a Langmuir adsorption at pH 7 with an adsorption maximum of 28.6 mg g⁻¹ nano-Ag. It was also revealed that addition of <10 mg L⁻¹ total organic carbon (TOC) increased the total Ag content suspended in the aquatic system, likely due to increased dispersion. Total silver content decreased with concentrations of NOM greater than 10 mg TOC L⁻¹ indicating an increase in nanoparticle agglomeration and settling above this concentration. However, SRHA did not have any significant effect on the equilibrium concentration of ionic Ag dissolved in solution. Exposure of Daphnia to nano-Ag particles (50 μg L⁻¹ and pH 7) produced a linear decrease in toxicity with increasing NOM. These results clearly indicate the importance of water chemistry on the fate and toxicity of nanoparticulates.     

Identification of priority pharmaceuticals in the water environment of China

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the trace-level contamination of pharmaceuticals in the water environment all over the world. Considering a large number of pharmaceuticals used, it is crucial to establish a priority list of pharmaceuticals that should be monitored and/or treated first. In the present study, we developed a ranking system based on the pharmaceutical consumption, removal performance in the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and potential ecological effects, and applied to the situation of China. 39 pharmaceuticals, which had available consumption data and also been reported previously in the WWTPs of China, were selected as candidate pharmaceuticals. Among them, seventeen pharmaceuticals were considered as priority pharmaceuticals, out of which, erythromycin, diclofenac acid and ibuprofen, had the high priority. Compared with other literatures, we found that some pharmaceuticals given concerns to globally should also be included in the priority list in China; while some pharmaceuticals, not mentioned in other literatures, such as cefalexin, ketoconazole, should be also given prior consideration in China. Among all the therapeutic classes, antibiotics, which were grossly abused in China, contributed the most to the priority pharmaceuticals. However, priority antibiotics accounted for only 32% of candidate antibiotics, while 71% and 100% of the candidate anti-inflammatory and antilipidemic respectively were identified as the priority pharmaceuticals, indicating that antibiotics might be overanxiously considered in the previous studies on their behaviors in the WWTPs of China.     

Evaluation of effects of exposure time on aquatic toxicity with zooplanktons using a reduced life expectancy model

Traditionally in toxicological studies time is not studied as quantifiable variable but as a fixed endpoint. The Reduced Life Expectancy (RLE) model which relates exposure time and exposure concentration with lethal toxic effects was tested previously using fish data. In this current paper the effects of exposure time on aquatic toxicity with zooplanktons and various toxicants were evaluated using the RLE model based on ambient exposure concentration. The model was evaluated by plotting ln LT₅₀ against LC₅₀ using toxicity data with zooplanktons from the literature for metal, metalloid and organic compounds. Most of the experimental data sets can be satisfactorily correlated by use of the RLE model, but deviations occurred for some data sets. Those data sets were satisfactorily fitted by a two stage RLE model. This model was based on two phases: one in the peripheral system and other in the central system. Both the single and two stage RLE model support the hypothesis that toxicity is time dependent and decreases in a systematic way with increasing exposure time. A calculated normal life expectancy (NLT) can be obtained from the single stage model and is in accord with reported NLT but those obtained from the two stage RLE model are in excellent agreement.     

Persistence of repeated triadimefon application and its impact on soil microbial functional diversity

The effects of repeated applications of the fungicide triadimefon in agricultural soil on the microbial functional diversity of the soil and on the persistence of the fungicide in the soil were investigated under laboratory conditions. The degradation half-lives of triadimefon at the recommended dosage, simulated by a first-order kinetic model, were 23.90, 22.95, and 21.52 days for the first, second, and third applications, respectively. Throughout this study, no significant inhibition of the Shannon-Wiener index (H') was observed. However, the Simpson index (1/D) and the McIntosh index (U) were obviously reduced (p ≤ 0.05) during the initial 3 days after the first triadimefon application and thereafter, gradually recovered to or exceeded the level of the control soil. A similar trend in variation but with a faster recovery in the 1/D and U was observed after the second and third triadimefon applications, respectively. Taken together, the above results indicate that the repeated application of triadimefon enhanced the degradation rate of the fungicide and the recovery rate of the soil microbial functional diversity. It is concluded that repeated triadimefon applications in soil have a transient or temporary inhibitory effect on soil microbial communities.     

Biodegradation of high molecular weight PAHs using isolated yeast mixtures: application of meta-genomic methods for community structure analyses

Bioaugmentation for the removal of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from wastewater using bacteria and yeasts is considered environment-friendly and a cost-effective technique. The effectiveness of this biodegradation system depends on the stability of inoculated microorganisms and the availability of nutrients. This study is aimed to investigate the removal of high molecular weight (HMW)-PAHs from biologically treated produced water using different biological systems. Three systems, inoculated with activated sludge (AS), the mixture of five yeast strains (MY), and the mixture of AS and the five yeast strains (SY), respectively, were constructed, and their performance for the removal of HMW-PAHs was compared over 10 weeks. The effluent of the biologically treated produced water from an oilfield was used as the influent after chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene were spiked as HMW-PAHs. Polymerase chain reaction-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques were used to examine the changes in the structures and abundances of the bacterial and yeast communities in these three systems. Only SY and MY systems were capable to remove chrysene (90.7 % and 98.5 %, respectively) and benzo(a)pyrene (80.7 % and 95.2 %, respectively). PCR-DGGE analysis confirmed that all of the five yeast strains inoculated remained in the SY and MY systems, while FISH results showed that the relative abundance of yeast in the SY and MY systems (10.6 % to 21.9 %, respectively) were significantly higher than AS system (2.3 % to 7.8 %, respectively). The relative abundances of the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) indicated that the copy number ratios of benzene ring cleavage gene C23O in the yeast amended systems were much higher than that in the AS system. In this study, all of the three systems were effective in removing the low molecular weight (LMW)-PAHs, while HMW-PAHs including chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene were efficiently removed by MY and SY systems, not by AS system. The high HMW-PAHs removal in the MY and SY bioaugmentation systems possibly attributed to the inoculation of the mixed yeast culture. By combining the PCR-DGGE results with the FISH analyses, it was found that yeast probably consisting mainly of the five inoculated strains inhabited in the two bioaugmentation systems as a dominant population. The relatively higher performance of the SY system might be attributed to the suspended growth type which permitted a more efficient contact between microbial cells and contaminants. The bioaugmentation systems (SY and MY) were successfully established by inoculating with five nonindigenous yeast strains and demonstrated high performance in removal of HMW-PAHs.     

Characteristics of precipitation chemistry at Lushan Mountain, East China: 1992–2009

Introduction

Trends in precipitation pH and conductivity during 1992?C2009, and in ionic compositions from January 2007 to June 2009, are reported from Lushan Mountain, one of the highest mountains in mid-east China. Annual mean pH was in the range of 4.35?C5.01 and showed a statistically very significant (P?P?Results and discussions Over the period of study, Lushan Mountain received more rainfall in spring and summer. The pH values varied seasonally with winter minima. The winter multiyear seasonal mean pH was 4.35. The corresponding summer value was 4.88. SO ₄ ^2? and NO ₃ ^? were the main anions, and NH ₄ ⁺ and Ca²⁺ the main cations. The anion to cation ratio was 0.8?C1.0, and that of [SO ₄ ^2? ] to [NO ₃ ^? ] was 2.4-3.0, much lower than that of the 1980s. However, sulfuric acid was still the main acid present. The ratio of [NH ₄ ⁺ ] to [Ca²⁺] was about 1.0, suggesting that these two alkaline substances provided close acid neutralizing capacity. The ratio of [Cl^?] to [Na⁺] was about 0.67, somewhat lower than that of natural precipitation.

Conclusions

Ionic composition varied seasonally and was closely correlated to the amounts of rainfall and pollution. Trajectory analyses showed that the trajectories to Lushan Mountain could be classified in six clusters and trajectories originating from the South Sea and the areas surrounding Lushan Mountain had the greatest impacts on precipitation chemistry.     

Harvesting of Chlorella sp. using hollow fiber ultrafiltration

Introduction

The suitability of the application of ultrafiltration (UF) to harvest Chlorella sp. from the culture medium was examined. We investigated the effects of two improved UF system, forward air?Cwater flushing and backwash with permeate, on the concentration process.

Materials and methods

Backwash with permeate was selected as an optimization of the improved UF system, which was more effective for permeate flux recovery. Moreover, the hollow fiber UF system by adding periodical backwash with permeate was examined for Chlorella sp. harvesting.

Results and discussion

It was found that Chlorella sp. could be concentrated with high recovery in a lab-scale experiment. An overall algal biomass recovery of above 90% was achieved when the volume concentration factor was 10. For an original biomass of 1.3?±?0.05?g/L, 1?min backwash followed by 20?min forward concentrating was more effective, which resulted in a recovery of 94% and a high average flux of 30.3?L/m²/h. In addition, the algal recovery was highly correlated to the volume concentration factor and the initial biomass. A high concentration factor or a high initial biomass resulted in a low biomass recovery.