Urinary analysis reveals high Alternaria mycotoxins exposure in the general population from Beijing, China

Alternaria mycotoxins are of concern due to its adverse health effect, they affect various cereal crops and grain-based food along with modified forms that contribute to overall exposure. This study aimed to determine the frequency and level of exposure to Alternaria mycotoxins (tenuazonic acid, TeA; alternariol, AOH; alternariol monomethyl ether, AME; tentoxin, TEN; and altenuene, ALT) in human urine from Beijing adults. A total of 2212 urine samples were collected and analyzed for five mycotoxins using LC–ESI–MS/MS. More than 98% of the samples had at least one Alternaria mycotoxin detected. Among the mycotoxins, AME had the highest detection rate (96.0%), followed by TeA (70.5%). The calculated average daily intake values of AME (12.5 ng/kg b.w.) was 5 times the TTC value (2.5 ng/kg b.w.) set by the EFSA, indicating the potential health risks associated with mycotoxins. Immediate attention and subsequent actions should be taken to identify the sources of mycotoxins and the corresponding exposure pathways to humans in the investigated regions.     

Effects of co-exposure to lead and manganese on learning and memory deficits

Lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) are common neurotoxins. However, individuals are subject to co-exposures in real life, and it is therefore important to study these metals in combination. Weaning Sprague-Dawley rats were given ad libitum access to drinking water solutions containing Pb (100 mg/L), Mn (2.5 mg/mL) or a mixture, and each treatment had its own minocycline (50 mg/(kg•day)) supplement group. The results showed a significant difference in spatial memory and induction levels of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in all exposure groups when compared with controls. The combined-exposure group exhibited the most pronounced effect when compared with each of the single-metal exposure groups. Microglia displayed activation at day 3 after exposure alone or in combination, while astrocytes showed activation at day 5, accompanied by decreased expression levels of GLAST, GLT-1, and GS. Furthermore, the levels of glutamate in the synaptic cleft increased significantly. When microglial activation was inhibited by minocycline, the activation of astrocytes and the expression of GLAST, GLT-1, and GS were both reversed. In addition, upon minocycline treatment, hippocampal LTP impairment and cognitive injury were significantly alleviated in each of the exposure groups. These results suggest that combined exposure to Pb and Mn can cause greater effects on cognition and synaptic plasticity when compared to single-metal exposure groups. The reason may involve abnormal activation of microglia leading to excessive regulation of astrocytes, resulting in glutamate reuptake dysfunction in astrocytes and leading to perturbed cognition and synaptic plasticity.     

Evaluation of offline sampling for atmospheric C3-C11 non-methane hydrocarbons

The concentration variation of C3-C11 non-methane hydrocarbons(NMHCs) collected in several types of commercial flexible bags and adsorption tubes was systematically investigated using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector(GC-FID) system. The percentage loss of each NMHC in the polyvinyl fluoride(PVF) bags was less than 5% during a 7-hr storage period; significant NMHCs loss was detected in aluminum foil composite film and fluorinated ethylene propylene bags. The thermal desorption effic...     

Removal of refractory organics and heavy metals in landfill leachate concentrate by peroxi-coagulation process

Landfill leachate is a complex effluent and it is difficult to deal with. Electrochemical methods have been considered as a promising alternative technology for treatment of landfill leachate with refractory organic contaminants and heavy metals. Peroxi-coagulation (PC) process with iron anode and modified graphite felt cathode was developed for efficient landfill leachate concentrate treatment. Compared to electro-Fenton (EF) and electrocoagulation (EC) processes, the PC process was more cost-effective due to the combined action of ^•OH oxidation and iron hydroxides coagulation. A maximal TOC removal of 77.2% ± 1.4% was obtained after 360 min at initial pH = 5.0 and current density of 10 mA/cm². After the PC process, concentrations of all seven heavy metals in the final effluents were below the allowable emission limits given by the present regulatory standards. The method preference for heavy metal removal was PC > EC > EF. Based on the three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with regional integration analysis during the PC treatment, the florescence peaks of both humic acids and fulvic acids disappeared after treatment for 360 min. Decreasing trends were observed in the fluorescent regional standard volumes for aromatic protein I (31.4%), aromatic protein II (63.7%), fulvic acid-like (69.5%), soluble microbial by-product-like (75%) and humic acid-like regions (76.3%). The results indicate that comparing to the EF and EC process, the PC process provide a promising and more cost-effective alternative for the treatment of landfill leachate concentrate.     

Effectiveness of Disinfectants Suitable for Inactivating SARS-CoV-2 at Cold-Chain Temperature

Food and Environmental Virology - To prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in cold-chain transportation in China, we developed specific cryogenic disinfectants. Carrier tests were performed against...     

地质高背景区外源污染叠加条件下大白菜对Cd、Pb、Zn累积途径探究

黔西北是喀斯特重金属地质高背景区,受历史上土法炼锌影响,区域内大气降尘重金属含量高,土壤污染严重.为探究叶菜类蔬菜重金属的累积途径,以大白菜为供试作物,选择Cd、 Pb和Zn含量一致的地质高背景土壤和锌冶炼污染土壤,在锌粉厂污染区和无污染对照区进行盆栽试验,研究露天、覆膜和大棚栽培条件下大白菜重金属含量、富集系数(BCF)和转运系数(TF).结果表明,污染区和对照区大白菜ω(Cd)范围分别在0.10～1.01 mg·kg^-1和0.10～0.91 mg·kg^-1,ω(Pb)为0.31～0.62 mg·kg^-1和0.23～0.37 mg·kg^-1,ω(Zn)为7.50～32.74 mg·kg^-1和4.88～21.79 mg·kg^-1,总体上污染区重金属含量偏高,在地质高背景土壤上种植的大白菜,Cd和Pb基本达到国家食品安全标准限值的要求.受大气沉降的影响,污染区大白菜Pb和Zn含量显著高于对照区,Cd差异不明显.污染土壤弱酸溶态Cd、 Pb和Zn占比分别为48...     

Cu2O@ZnO复合光催化剂对难生物降解有机物的光降解

通过改进的浸渍-还原-空气氧化法成功制备了Cu₂O@ZnO复合光催化剂,考察Cu₂O@ZnO对对硝基苯酚（PNP）和聚丙烯酰胺（PAM）2种不同化学结构污染物的光催化效果,同时探究了催化剂的稳定性和降解机制.结果表明,在模拟太阳光照射下,当铜锌物质的量比为0.15时,Cu₂O@ZnO复合光催化剂具有最佳的光催化降解性能,其中对硝基苯酚的光催化降解率为98.2%,聚丙烯酰胺光催化降解率为99.7%.基于X射线衍射（XRD）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、光致发光（PL）光谱、紫外-可见（UV-Vis）吸收光谱等表征手段可以推断,Cu₂O和ZnO形成Ⅱ型异质结,有效地抑制光生电子空穴对的复合.自由基捕获实验指出超氧自由基和空穴为主要活性物种,经过4次循环使用后光催化剂仍具有很高的光催化性能.     

环境因子对腐殖酸诱导双氯芬酸光降解的影响

采用腐殖酸(HA)作为溶解有机质的代表物,考察了HA浓度、p H、离子强度和溶解氧等环境因子对HA诱导双氯芬酸(DCF)光降解的影响。结果表明:DCF在纯水和HA溶液中的光化学降解过程均服从一级动力学规律。与DCF纯水溶液相比,当HA浓度由0增至5. 0 mg C/L时,DCF光降解速率增大,但当HA浓度高于5. 0 mg C/L时,DCF的光降解过程受到抑制。在环境浓度水平(5. 0 mg C/L)下,HA对DCF光降解的诱导作用随DCF初始浓度增大而逐渐减弱。同时,HA对DCF光降解的诱导作用还受到多种水环境因子的影响,其随p H增大先减弱后增强,随离子强度增大而增强,随溶解氧浓度增大而减弱。研究结果可为环境水体中药物的归趋预测及生态风险评价提供依据。     

三峡库区澎溪河流域消落带土壤有机磷生物有效性研究

选取了澎溪河流域六个点位消落带土壤和岸边土壤,以NaOH-EDTA提取土壤中有机磷,并采用酶水解技术表征有机磷生物有效性。结果表明：①消落带土壤NaOH-EDTA提取液中总磷含量为74.55～140.54 mg/kg,无机磷含量为49.91～104.23 mg/kg,有机磷含量为14.61～36.31 mg/kg。消落带土壤有机磷含量低于岸边土壤。②消落带土壤有机磷中总可酶解有机磷（EHP）含量均值为6.23 mg/kg,占土壤有机磷含量的26.7%。消落带土壤EHP含量与有机磷含量呈极显著正相关（n=6,p<0.01）。③消落带土壤EHP含量、活性单酯磷含量与土壤有机质含量呈显著正相关（n=6,p<0.01）,土壤有机质含量是影响有机磷生物有效性的重要因素。④消落带土壤与岸边土壤EHP组分特征相同,含量由高到低依次为类植酸磷、活性单酯磷、二酯磷,但消落带土壤EHP含量显著低于岸边土壤。周期性的干湿交替会造成消落带土壤有机磷向库区水体释放,消落带土壤有机磷地球化学循环对库区水体的潜在影响不容忽视。     

表面活性剂对地表水中微生物的毒性效应

研究了甜菜碱和石油磺酸盐表面活性剂对地表水中微生物的数量和代谢活性的影响,并基于菌群16S rRNA基因的高通量测序,比较分析了表面活性剂作用前后微生物群落结构的变化.结果表明,两种表面活性剂胁迫下微生物的生长活性均遵循低浓度促进、高浓度抑制的作用规律,表现出明显的浓度依赖性.与空白组相比,在1.5g/L的表面活性剂的作用下,微生物数量、蛋白质含量以及脱氢酶的活性均明显降低,且同浓度下的甜菜碱表现出更高的生物毒性;菌群多样性分析发现,肠杆菌属（Enterobacter）以高于75%的比例成为所有样本中的优势菌属,从各组来看石油磺酸盐可有效提高肠杆菌属（Enterobacter）的相对丰度,对假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas）和根瘤菌属（Rhizobium）抑制作用显著;而甜菜碱则可明显增加假单胞菌属（Pseudomonas）和寡养单胞菌属（Stenotrophomonas）的菌属比例,抑制肠杆菌属（Enterobacter）和根瘤菌属（Rhizobium）的繁殖;通过表面活性剂与纯种菌的作用发现,表面活性剂可通过扰乱细菌的生长周期、破坏细胞膜结构来干扰细胞的正常生理功能,从而使其活性降低甚至死亡.