Changes in plasma thyroid hormones and cortisol levels in crucian carp (Carassius auratus) exposed to the extracted microcystins

The endocrine response of crucian carp injected intraperitoneally with extracted microcystins (MC) was investigated in this study. Fish were injected intraperitoneally either with 0.75% NaCl (control) and Microcystis extract corresponding to 150 and 600 microg microcystins per kg body weight. The plasma levels of triiodothyronine (T(3)), thyroxine (T(4)), free triiodothyronine (FT(3)), free thyroxine (FT(4)), and cortisol were determined at 0, 1, 3, 12, 24, and 48h post-administration of MC-containing extract. Treated fish displayed abnormal behaviors, such as a startle response and disoriented swimming, as well as changes in ventilation rates. Plasma cortisol concentrations of fish in both dose groups significantly increased after administration of extracted MC and remained high throughout the experiment, which suggested that MC elicited a stress response in treated fish. The profiles of cortisol changes in treated fish appeared to be dose dependent, indicating that fish in the high dose group experienced greater MC-induced disturbance. Mortality occurred after 12h in the high dose group. Plasma levels of T(4), T(3), FT(4), and FT(3) did not vary significantly between the control fish. In contrast to this, fish exposed to MC-containing extract showed significant declines in T(3), FT(4), and FT(3) levels in a dose-dependent manner throughout the experiment. Plasma T(4) levels, however, did not vary significantly in the low dose group, whereas they decreased significantly at 48h post injection in the high dose group. This study demonstrates that administration of microcystins-containing extract causes a stress response and reduces the plasma levels of thyroid hormones in crucian carp. These results illustrate that microcystins exerted potent effects on the endocrine system of crucian carp, through activating their hypothalamus-pituitary- interrenal axis and disturbing thyroid function.     

Sorption of polar and nonpolar organic contaminants by oil-contaminated soil

Sorption of nonpolar (phenanthrene and butylate) and polar (atrazine and diuron) organic chemicals to oil-contaminated soil was examined to investigate oil effects on sorption of organic chemicals and to derive oil–water distribution coefficients (K_oil). The resulting oil-contaminated soil–water distribution coefficients (K_d) for phenanthrene demonstrated sorption-enhancing effects at both lower and higher oil concentrations (C_oil) but sorption-reducing (competitive) effects at intermediate C_oil (approximately 1 g kg⁻¹). Rationalization of the different dominant effects was attempted in terms of the relative aliphatic carbon content which determines the accessibility of the aromatic cores to phenanthrene. Little or no competitive effect occurred for butylate because its sorption was dominated by partitioning. For atrazine and diuron, the changes in K_d at C_oil above approximately 1 g kg⁻¹ were negligible, indicating that the presently investigated oil has little or no effect on the two tested compounds even though the polarity of the oil is much less than soil organic matter (SOM). Therefore, specific interactions with the active groups (aromatic and polar domains) are dominantly responsible for the sorption of polar sorbates, and thus their sorption is controlled by available sorption sites. This study showed that the oil has the potential to be a dominant sorptive phase for nonpolar pollutants when compared to SOM, but hardly so for polar compounds. The results may aid in a better understanding of the role of the aliphatic and aromatic domains in sorption of nonpolar and polar organic pollutants.     

The importance of differentiating urban and rural phenomena in examining the unequal distribution of locally desirable land

Previous research addressing the unequal distribution of locally desirable land (LDL) has mainly ignored their associated environments (i.e., rural or urban). However, this study proposed a new framework that treats rural and urban regions separately. In rural areas, the LDLs included all public lands. In urbanized areas, the LDLs were defined as green open spaces. Potential inequities in the distribution of LDL were assessed with respect to socioeconomic characteristics of residents in the State of Georgia. Using US Census Bureau Data (2000), Census Block Groups (CBGs) adjacent to LDLs were compared to CBGs outside of LDLs on four socioeconomic variables (per capita income, occupation, education, and race) in urban, suburban and rural environments. Results showed that CBGs adjacent to LDLs were composed of statistically significant upper-class communities containing fewer blue-collar workers, more whites, and higher income and higher educated people in rural, suburban and urban areas.     

Cadmium stress alters gene expression of DNA mismatch repair related genes in Arabidopsis seedlings

Cadmium (Cd) is a non essential element, and is a widespread environmental pollutant. Exposure to Cd can result in a variety of adverse health effects in plant and humans. In the current study, Arabidopsis seedlings were used as a bio-indicator of Cd pollution. Seedlings were grown on MS media containing 0-6.0 mg L(-1) Cd for 18 days, and the gene expression patterns were used to link increased Cd exposure with progressive biological effects. Reduction of total soluble protein content in shoots of the Arabidopsis seedlings occurred with increase in Cd concentrations. For the gene expression patterns, seven genes known to be involved in cell division and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system were investigated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and normalized using 18S rRNA gene expression. Expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen 2 (atPCNA 2), MutS 3 homolog (atMSH 3) and MutL1 homolog (atMLH1) genes in shoots of Arabidopsis was strongly induced by exposure to 0.75 mg L(-1) Cd, but were repressed by other Cd concentrations whereas exposure to 0.75-6 mg L(-1) of Cd resulted in a decreased expression of atPCNA1, atMSH 2, 6 and 7 genes independently of any observable biological effects, including survival, fresh weight and chlorophyll level of shoots. This work demonstrated that specific gene expression changes could serve as useful molecular biomarkers indicative of Cd exposure and related biological effects.     

Mixing-controlled biodegradation in a toluene plume--results from two-dimensional laboratory experiments

Various abiotic and biotic processes such as sorption, dilution, and degradation are known to affect the fate of organic contaminants, such as petroleum hydrocarbons in saturated porous media. Reactive transport modeling of such plumes indicates that the biodegradation of organic pollutants is, in many cases, controlled by mixing and therefore occurs locally at the plume's fringes, where electron donors and electron-acceptors mix. Herein, we aim to test whether this hypothesis can be verified by experimental results obtained from aerobic and anaerobic degradation experiments in two-dimensional sediment microcosms. Toluene was selected as a model compound for oxidizable contaminants. The two-dimensional microcosm was filled with quartz sand and operated under controlled flow conditions simulating a contaminant plume in otherwise uncontaminated groundwater. Aerobic degradation of toluene by Pseudomonas putida mt-2 reduced a continuous 8.7 mg L(-1) toluene concentration by 35% over a transport distance of 78 cm in 15.5 h. In comparison, under similar conditions Aromatoleum aromaticum strain EbN1 degraded 98% of the toluene infiltrated using nitrate (68.5+/-6.2 mg L(-1)) as electron acceptor. A major part of the biodegradation activity was located at the plume fringes and the slope of the electron-acceptor gradient was steeper during periods of active biodegradation. The distribution of toluene and the significant overlap of nitrate at the plume's fringe indicate that biokinetic and/or microscale transport processes may constitute additional limiting factors. Experimental data is corroborated with results from a reactive transport model using double Monod kinetics. The outcome of the study shows that in order to simulate degradation in contaminant plumes, detailed data sets are required to test the applicability of models. These will have to deal with the incorporation of existing parameters coding for substrate conversion kinetics and microbial growth.     

Laboratory longitudinal diffusion tests: 2. Parameter estimation by inverse analysis

This study focuses on the verification of test interpretations for different state analyses of diffusion experiments. Part 1 of this study identified that steady, quasi-steady and equilibrium state analyses for the through- and in-diffusion tests with solution reservoirs are generally feasible where the tracer is not highly sorptive. In Part 2 we investigate parameter identifiability in transient-state analysis of reservoir concentration variation using a numerical approach. For increased generality, the analytical models, objective functions and Jacobian matrix necessary for inverse analysis of transient-state data are reformulated using unified dimensionless parameters. In these dimensionless forms, the number of unknown parameters is reduced and a single dimensionless parameter represents the sorption property. The dimensionless objective functions are evaluated for individual test methods and parameter identifiability is discussed in relation to the sorption property. The effects of multiple minima and measurement error on parameter identifiability are also investigated. The main findings are that inverse problems for inlet and outlet reservoir concentration analyses are generally unstable and well-posed, respectively. Where the tracer is sorptive, the inverse problem for the inlet reservoir concentration analysis may have multiple minima. When insufficient measurement data is collected, multiple solutions may result and this should be taken into consideration when inversely analyzing data including that of inlet reservoir concentration. Verification of test interpretation by cross-checking different state analyses is feasible where the tracer is not highly sorptive. In an actual experiment, test interpretation validity is demonstrated through consistency between theory and practice for different state analyses.     

应用陶粒过滤-陶瓷膜组合对止咳糖浆制药废水深度处理的试验研究

止咳精浆制药废水经生物接触氧化一体化废水处理装置处理后,其出水中COD、BOD和氨氮等主要污染物质均不能达标排放.在实验室中采用陶粒过滤-陶瓷膜组合对经一体化处理装置处理后的制药废水进行深度处理,在陶粒柱反应器选用粒径为1～2 mm的陶粒滤料,陶瓷膜反应器选用孔径为2～3/μm陶瓷膜的条件下对水样进行测试.废水经陶粒过滤-陶瓷膜组合处理后,其BOD、COD、SS和氨氮指标均可稳定达标排放.     

西安市地面沉降成因机理中的若干问题探讨

针对西安市区的地质环境和地面沉降特征,总结国内外与此相关的研究成果,重点从土层渗流与变形特性、地面沉降和地裂缝的关系、下部地层压密与地面变形关系以及开采地热资源对地面沉降的影响等几个方面分析西安市区地面沉降研究的现状及存在的问题,并针对这些问题提出了几点建议.     

基于响应绩效的重大事故应急预案编制技术研究

重大事故应急预案是保证企业应急救援工作快速、高效地开展的关键。应急预案的响应绩效是预案对于预防事故发生和控制事故恶化的实际效果,基于响应绩效的重大事故应急预案编制方法就是将绩效作为核心的思想融入编制的各环节。围绕预案的编制原则、文件要素和编制流程对方法进行介绍,并进一步详细阐述了基于响应绩效的预案编制要点,从而保证预案的完整性、逻辑性、可操作性和指导性四方面的响应绩效要求。