Use of headspace SPME-GC-MS for the analysis of the volatiles produced by indoor molds grown on different substrates

An automated headspace solid phase microextraction method followed by GC-MS analysis was used to evaluate and compare the in vitro production of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) on malt extract agar, plasterboard and wallpaper. Five fungal strains were isolated from the walls of water-damaged houses and identified. In addition, four other common molds were studied. In general, MVOC production was the highest on malt extract agar. On this synthetic medium, molds typically produced 2-methylpropanol, 2-methylbutanol and 3-methylbutanol. On wallpaper, mainly 2-ethylhexanol, methyl 2-ethylhexanoate and compounds of the C8-complex such as 1-octene-3-ol, 3-octanone, 3-octanol and 1,3-octadiene were detected. The detection of 2-ethylhexanol and methyl 2-ethylhexanoate indicates an enhanced degradation of the substrate by most fungi. For growth on plasterboard, no typical metabolites were detected. Despite these metabolite differences on malt extract agar, wallpaper and plasterboard, some molds also produced specific compounds independently of the used substrate, such as trichodiene from Fusarium sporotrichioides and aristolochene from Penicillium roqueforti. Therefore, these metabolites can be used as markers for the identification and maybe also mycotoxin production of these molds. All five investigated Penicillium spp. in this study were able to produce two specific diterpenes, which were not produced by the other species studied. These two compounds, which remain unidentified until now, therefore seem specific for Penicillium spp. and are potentially interesting for the monitoring of this fungal genus. Further experiments will be performed with other Penicillium spp. to study the possibility that these two compounds are specific for this group of molds.     

Assessment of dissolved heavy metal in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent sea, China

The purpose of this paper is to determine the concentrations of dissolved heavy metals namely mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) and to investigate the relationships between nutrients (nitrate-nitrogen and phosphate) and dissolved heavy metals. For this purpose, the concentrations of dissolved heavy metals were measured through 51 voyages form 1984 to 2006 in the Yangtze river estuary and its adjacent sea. Results analysis showed that dissolved heavy metals were not the main pollutants in the Yangtze river estuary, and the main source of heavy metal contamination was industrial wastewater from terrestrial pollution during the past 20 years. Heavy metal values showed significant abundance in the south branch of the Yangtze River estuary and Hangzhou Bay. In addition, Pb showed negative correlation with nutrients, while the positive correlations between Hg, Cd, and nutrients were shown. The obtained molar ratios, $\Delta \mbox{Cd}/\Delta \mbox{N} = 1.68 \times 10^{-5}$ and $\Delta \mbox{Cd}/\Delta \mbox{P} = 1.66 \times 10^{-4}$ , are close to those in plankton, showing the biogeochemical behavior and process of dissolved cadmium.     

Assessment of toxic heavy metals in urban lake sediments as related to urban stressor and bioavailability

Aquatic pollution pose a serious challenge to the scientific community worldwide, since lakes or reservoirs find multifarious use and most often their water is used for drinking, bathing, irrigation, and aquaculture. Nine metals and several physicochemical parameters, from four sampling sites in a tropical lake receiving the discharges from a thermal power plant, a coal mine, and a chlor-alkali industry, were studied from 2004 to 2005. Pertaining to metal pollution, the site most polluted with heavy metals was Belwadah, i.e., waters and sediments had the highest concentration of all the metals examined. The reference site was characterized by the presence of low concentrations of metals in waters and sediments. Following the water quality monitoring, 2-month field phytoremediation experiments were conducted using large enclosures at the discharge point of different polluted sites of the lake. During field phytoremediation experiments using aquatic macrophytes, marked percentage reduction in metals concentrations were recorded. The percentage decrease for different metals was in the range of 25% to 67.90% at Belwadah (with Eichhornia crassipes and Lemna minor), 25% to 77.14% at Dongia nala (with E. crassipes, L. minor and Azolla pinnata), and 25% to 71.42% at Ash pond site of G.B. Pant Sagar (with L. minor and A. pinnata). Preliminary studies of polluted sites are useful for improved microcosm design and for the systematic extrapolation of information from experimental ecosystems to natural ecosystems.     

Construction of a chemical ranking system of soil pollution substances for screening of priority soil contaminants in Korea

The Korean government recently proposed expanding the number of soil-quality standards to 30 by 2015. The objectives of our study were to construct a reasonable protocol for screening priority soil contaminants for inclusion in the planned soil quality standard expansion. The chemical ranking system of soil pollution substances (CROSS) was first developed to serve as an analytical tool in chemical scoring and ranking of possible soil pollution substances. CROSS incorporates important parameters commonly used in several previous chemical ranking and scoring systems and the new soil pollution parameters. CROSS uses soil-related parameters in its algorithm, including information related to the soil environment, such as soil ecotoxicological data, the soil toxic release inventory (TRI), and soil partitioning coefficients. Soil TRI and monitoring data were incorporated as local specific parameters. In addition, CROSS scores the transportability of chemicals in soil because soil contamination may result in groundwater contamination. Dermal toxicity was used in CROSS only to consider contact with soil. CROSS uses a certainty score to incorporate data uncertainty. CROSS scores the importance of each candidate substance and assigns rankings on the basis of total scores. Cadmium was the most highly ranked. Generally, metals were ranked higher than other substances. Pentachlorophenol, phenol, dieldrin, and methyl tert-butyl ether were ranked the highest among chlorinated compounds, aromatic compounds, pesticides, and others, respectively. The priority substance list generated from CROSS will be used in selecting substances for possible inclusion in the Korean soil quality standard expansion; it will also provide important information for designing a soil-environment management scheme.     

运用证据权重与确定性系数合成模型进行钉螺-环境因子的空间关系研究

钉螺是血吸虫唯一中间宿主,研究钉螺与孳生环境因子的空间关系对采取有效的查螺、灭螺措施有重要的科学和社会价值。以鄱阳湖恒湖农场茶叶港草洲为研究对象,应用证据权重法与确定性系数法合成模型研究植物南荻、苔草、藜蒿、土壤温度、土壤湿度、导电率、海拔高程7个证据因子与"钉螺出现与否"的空间关系。结果表明:研究区内一定范围内高程的增加易于钉螺孳生;钉螺在湿度相对较大(大于0.35%(m~3/m~3))的环境中分布较少;苔草丰度过大(高于4 368 cm~3/m2)过小(低于1 457 cm~3/m2)都不利于钉螺孳生;钉螺较易孳生在南荻丰度较大(高于2 745 cm~3/m2)的区域;电导率较高(高于0.07 m S/cm)区域钉螺较少;土壤温度在16~20℃范围利于钉螺孳生。在模型预测结果图中,占研究区总面积13.7%的极高易发区的较小范围内预测到82%的钉螺空间分布,评价曲线的曲线下面积高达88.7%,说明模型的预测成功率很高,表明该模型适合研究区域钉螺孳生与其影响因子之间的空间关系。     

Human ecological effects of tropical storms in the coastal area of Ky Anh (Ha Tinh,Vietnam)

Vietnam is prone to tropical storms. Climate change effects contribute to sea level rise, floods, progression of the low water line and coastal erosion. This paper inventories the perception of local people, assesses and values main aspects of the livelihood damage caused by the tropical storms of the period 2008–2013 in three coastal communes of the Ky Anh District of the Ha Tinh Province in Central Vietnam. The communes were selected because the location of their coastal line is perpendicular to the storm itself, which made them prone to damage. The effects of increasingly extreme weather conditions on three communities in an area most affected by storms and floods on the local residents and their responses to these changing environmental conditions are analyzed and assessed. The results of questionnaires completed by randomly selected local inhabitants of these communes show that storms and related hazards such as flood, sea level rise and heavy rain are perceived as the most impacting climate change intensified phenomena on agriculture and aquaculture, livestock, household property and income. Opinions and measured data provided by the commune and district authorities allow estimating the total direct cost of the tropical storm at 1.56 million $US (The used conversion rate VND/$US is 21,730 when the research was conducted in 2014) during the period 2008–2013. The long-term costs of adaptation and social impact measures will be significantly higher. Details of the monetary figures allow identifying the physical and natural capital of the area as being most affected by the storm. Trend and cost analysis show that the total financial support for hazard prevention and management during 2014–2019 is estimated at 1.19 up to 1.32 million $US. Local stakeholders indicate that climate change adaptation should not be limited to technical measures such as strengthening dikes, but also should target planting protection forests and mangroves and land use planning. Financial support for the relocation policy, stakeholder involvement and integrating climate change adaptation in both the socioeconomic development master plan and local land use planning are also of importance.     

草莓蚜虫防治用药对蜜蜂的急性毒性与风险评价

为明确草莓蚜虫防治用药对蜜蜂的影响,按照《化学农药环境安全评价试验准则》和《化学品测试方法》要求测定了20%啶虫脒SP、10%氟啶虫酰胺WG和22%氟啶虫胺腈SC对意大利蜜蜂(Apis mellifera L.)的急性毒性,并采用危害商值(HQ)法进行了风险评价。急性毒性结果显示:20%啶虫脒SP、10%氟啶虫酰胺WG和22%氟啶虫胺腈SC对蜜蜂的急性经口毒性试验结果(48 h-LD50值)分别为4.47μg a.i.·蜂~(-1)、11.2μg a.i.·蜂~(-1)和0.0601μg a.i.·蜂~(-1),对蜜蜂的急性接触毒性试验结果(48 hLD50值)分别为11.0μg a.i.·蜂~(-1)、13.9μg a.i.·蜂~(-1)和0.643μg a.i.·蜂~(-1)。按《化学农药环境安全评价试验准则》中毒性等级划分标准,20%啶虫脒SP、10%氟啶虫酰胺WG和22%氟啶虫胺腈SC对蜜蜂的毒性等级分别为中毒、低毒和高毒。风险评价结果表明,22%氟啶虫胺腈SC对蜜蜂存在中等风险(HQ值为1 622),20%啶虫脒SP和10%氟啶虫酰胺WG对蜜蜂的风险为低风险,其HQ值分别为40.3和6.70。因此,草莓生产中可优先选用10%氟啶虫酰胺WG来防治蚜虫,20%啶虫脒SP次之。而使用22%氟啶虫胺腈SC时,应注意采取措施降低其对蜜蜂的毒性风险,以免造成危害。     

有机氯农药硫丹的生殖毒性及其机制研究进展

硫丹作为一种广谱有机氯农药,在农业区域周边的土壤和水体中都存在较高残留,2011年被斯德哥尔摩公约列入持久性有机污染物(POPs)名单。硫丹已被证实对神经系统、心血管系统、肝、肾等具有毒性作用,关于其生殖毒性的研究很多,但潜在机制尚不完全清楚。本文总结了硫丹导致的不同动物的生殖毒性,并从生殖器官和生殖细胞损伤、氧化应激以及DNA损伤、生殖细胞周期阻滞及细胞凋亡等方面,对近年来硫丹生殖毒性及其作用机制研究进展进行综述,并对其中存在的问题进行讨论,以期有助于深入了解硫丹的毒性效应。     

不同测试方法评估48%毒死蜱乳油对玉米田施药者的人体暴露风险

本研究选取3种不同暴露环境,分别为玉米株高达到施药者膝盖左右(暴露环境1)、达到施药者腰部左右(暴露环境2)和高于施药者身高(暴露环境3),采用手动背负式喷雾器,在这3种暴露环境中施喷48%毒死蜱乳油(EC,稀释500倍),通过贴片法和全身整体测试法(whole body dosimetry,WBD)分析了施药者农药皮肤暴露量(dermal exposure,DE)。依据试验结果,发现在暴露环境1和2中,2种测试方法的农药潜在皮肤暴露量(potential dermal exposure,PDE)无显著性差异,但在暴露环境3中,2种测试方法的PDE之间存在显著性差异(LSD0.05=57.9);对施药者的主要暴露部位进行分析,发现在暴露环境1和暴露环境2中2种测试方法的暴露部位类似,但在暴露环境3中显示,贴片法为手部,全身测试法为上半身(头、颈、前胸、后背及手臂)。使用全身测试法测定PDE同时测定直接皮肤暴露量(actual dermal exposure,ADE),并利用ADE和PDE计算外穿防护服(运动服)渗透率的结果,3种暴露环境分别为4.69%、5.19%和5.54%,比通常假设的防护服或工作服的10%渗透率小。     

相变溶剂捕集CO2技术的研究进展

化学溶剂吸收法是目前应用最广泛的燃烧后CO₂捕集技术。介绍了化学溶剂吸收法的基本原理,综述了化学溶剂吸收法的研究现状,比较分析了几种常用CO₂吸收剂的优缺点。重点阐述了两类新型相变吸收剂（液-液相变溶剂和液-固相变溶剂）的研究进展。指出：新型相变溶剂是理想的CO₂吸收剂,用其捕集CO₂可有效降低吸收剂的再生能耗;相变溶剂吸收CO₂的传质反应动力学以及不同类型相变溶剂的挥发和降解特性应作为今后该领域的研究重点。