Comparative cytotoxicity of fourteen trivalent and pentavalent arsenic species determined using real-time cell sensing

The occurrence of a large number of diverse arsenic species in the environment and in biological systems makes it important to compare their relative toxicity. The toxicity of arsenic species has been examined in various cell lines using different assays, making comparison difficult. We report real-time cell sensing of two human cell lines to examine the cytotoxicity of fourteen arsenic species: arsenite(As~Ⅲ), monomethylarsonous acid(MMA~Ⅲ) originating from the oxide and iodide forms, dimethylarsinous acid(DMA~Ⅲ), dimethylarsinic glutathione(DMAG~Ⅲ), phenylarsine oxide(PAO~Ⅲ), arsenate(AsV), monomethylarsonic acid(MMA~Ⅴ), dimethylarsinic acid(DMA~Ⅴ),monomethyltrithioarsonate(MMTTA~Ⅴ), dimethylmonothioarsinate(DMMTA~Ⅴ),dimethyldithioarsinate(DMDTA~Ⅴ), 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid(Roxarsone, Rox),and 4-aminobenzenearsenic acid(p-arsanilic acid, p-ASA). Cellular responses were measured in real time for 72 hr in human lung(A549) and bladder(T24) cells. IC50 values for the arsenicals were determined continuously over the exposure time, giving rise to IC50 histograms and unique cell response profiles. Arsenic accumulation and speciation were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). On the basis of the 24-hr IC50 values, the relative cytotoxicity of the tested arsenicals was in the following decreasing order: PAO~Ⅲ? MMA~Ⅲ≥ DMA~Ⅲ≥ DMAG~Ⅲ≈ DMMTA~Ⅴ≥ As~Ⅲ? MMTTA~Ⅴ AsV DMDTA~ⅤDMA~Ⅴ MMA~Ⅴ≥ Rox ≥ p-ASA. Stepwise shapes of cell response profiles for DMA~Ⅲ, DMAG~Ⅲ,and DMMTA~Ⅴcoincided with the conversion of these arsenicals to the less toxic pentavalent DMA~Ⅴ. Dynamic monitoring of real-time cellular responses to fourteen arsenicals provided useful information for comparison of their relative cytotoxicity.     

迪庆藏族自治州生态经济能值分析

运用能值分析的方法,对迪庆藏族自治州生态经济的主要能值指标做了定量研究,并与其它地区的有关指标进行了比较研究,以此为迪庆藏区资源开发和可持续发展提出了政策建议.     

分岔管道阻塞条件下对瓦斯爆炸压力影响的试验研究

为了进一步探究瓦斯爆炸压力的传播特性,搭建拱形60°单分岔管道瓦斯爆炸试验平台.在支管道内分别增加阻塞率为20％、40％、60％的拱形环状阻塞板,阻塞率为40％的矩形和圆形通道阻塞板.监测不同位置处测点的压力变化,研究瓦斯爆炸时拱形单分叉管道内测点的压力峰值变化特性,定性分析阻塞板对分叉前管道内不同测点最大压力的影响.结果表明:随距离增加,管道内的测点最大压力呈先增大后减小的变化趋势;在没有阻塞板的条件下,传播管道内瓦斯爆炸的最大压力出现在8 250 mm处,且大于增加拱形环状阻塞板条件下8 250 mm处的压力峰值;随拱形环状阻塞板阻塞率增加,8 250 mm处的最大压力呈现先增加后减小的变化趋势,阻塞率为20％～40％时,8 250 mm处测得的压力峰值变化较小;对比阻塞率60％时与没有阻塞板条件下最大压力,4号测点压力减小40％以上;在支管增加阻塞板,阻碍了管道泄压,在管道11 250 mm、12 200 mm处的压力峰值均大于没有阻塞板条件下压力峰值;圆形通道阻塞板和矩形阻塞板条件下管道内最大压力出现在6 750 mm处;阻塞率为40％时,矩形阻塞板对瓦斯爆炸管道内最大压力的减小最明显.     

How application of agricultural waste can enhance soil health in soils acidified by tea cultivation: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Tea is one of the world’s most consumed beverages and an important crop of many developing countries. Intensive tea cultivation has negative impacts on soil...     

In Situ Compatibilization of Isotactic Polypropylene and High-Density Polyethylene by a Melt Cobranching Reaction

Incompatible polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are difficult to separate in mixed recycling streams such as waste plastic packaging, which makes polyolefin mixtures unsuitable for high-quality products. In this work, based on the free radical branching reaction, a co-branching reaction of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends was carried out in the presence of the peroxide, free radical regulator and multifunctional acrylate monomer, and a star-like long-chain branching (LCB) copolymer was obtained. The effect of in situ compatibilization on the structures and mechanical properties of iPP/HDPE was investigated, and the compatibilization mechanism was discussed. Results showed that the mechanical properties of the modified blends were largely improved, and efficient in-situ compatibilization of iPP and HDPE could be taken place in a wide process window. Moreover, the sizes of the dispersed phase in the modified blends were clearly decreased, and the interfacial thickness increased. Compared with the pure iPP/HDPE blend, the initial crystallization temperature of iPP in the modified iPP/HDPE blend was increased, and long branched chains of the LCB copolymers were physically entangled with the chemical identical homopolymers or even participated in the crystallization of iPP and HDPE. Thanks to the in situ compatibilization strategy, the compatibility of iPP/HDPE was significantly improved.

     

Consumer Choice and Farmers’ Markets

The increasing popularity of local food consumption can be attributed to the heightened awareness of food safety concerns, carbon emissions produced from food transportation, and an understanding of how large corporations’ obtain their food supplies. Although there is increasing discussion on both the local and organic food movement independently, there is not a wide availability of literature examining the motivations and perceptions of consumers with regard to farmers’ markets. Issues such as perceptions about what type of food consumers are purchasing at markets, nor the main motivations for frequenting such establishments are discussed. Therefore the purpose of this study was to determine consumer motivations, benefits, and perceptions of farmers’ markets. Using the case study location of Toronto, Canada, this study surveyed 300 participants during the fall of 2011. Findings indicated that the main purpose for visiting famers’ markets is not solely to fulfill grocery needs. Quality of products offered and the ability to support the local community were the primary motivators to visit the markets.     

石羊河流域降水稳定同位素变化的区域差异

为了了解干旱内陆河流域降水稳定同位素变化过程及其影响因素,基于石羊河流域荒漠区、绿洲区和山区8个站点2013年7月至2014年7月,497个降水样品氢氧稳定同位素数据及相应气象数据,研究了石羊河流域降水稳定同位素的时空变化、环境效应以及降水水汽来源.结果显示：石羊河流域局地大气水线斜率和截距表现出夏低冬高的变化趋势;降水稳定同位素表现出夏高冬低的变化趋势,从荒漠区、绿洲区到山区,稳定同位素值随海拔升高而降低,海拔效应为-0.22‰/100m,这是温度效应的另一种体现;流域降水稳定同位素表现出显著的温度效应,温度效应为0.43‰/℃,在天气尺度下受季风水汽和降水淋洗过程的影响表现出降水量效应;流域降水来源主要受西风水汽控制,夏季也会会受到季风水汽影响,冬季也受到极地气团影响.     

Adsorption of microcystins by carbon nanotubes

The production of cyanobacterial toxins microcystins (MCs) by cyanobacterial bloom which may promote the growth of tumor in human liver is a growing environmental problem worldwide. In this paper, the adsorption of MC-RR and LR, which were extracted from cyanobacterial cells in Dianchi Lake in China, by carbon nanotubes (CNTs), wood-based activated carbon (ACs) and clays were investigated. Compared with ACs and clay materials of sepiolite, kaolinite and talc tested, CNTs were found to have a strong ability in the adsorption of MCs. At the concentrations of 21.5 mg l(-1) MC-RR and 9.6 mg l(-1) MC-LR in 50 mmol phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0), the adsorption amounts of MCs by CNTs with the range of outside diameter from 2 to 10nm were 14.8 and 5.9 mg g(-1), which were about four times higher than those by other adsorbents tested. It was shown that with the decrease of CNTs outside diameters from 60 to 2 nm, the adsorption amount of MCs was apparently increased, however the size of CNTs particles formed in solution declined. This result implies that the size of CNTs tube pore that is fit for the molecular dimension of MCs plays a dominant role. Furthermore the specific surface area of CNTs was also found to be a factor in the adsorption of MCs. The results suggested that the selection of suitable size of CNTs as a kind of adsorbent is very important in the efficient eliminating MCs from drinking water in future.     

La0.8Ce0.2CoO3/Al2O3对油烟的催化净化

将稀土金属La、Ce和过渡金属Co按照一定的比例采用浸渍法负载在γ-Al2O3载体上制备成La0.8Ce0.2CoO3/Al2O3催化剂,用X-射线衍射仪和扫描电镜对催化剂负载层的表面形态、晶相结构和粒径大小进行了表征,并用正交实验法考察了其对油烟的催化净化效果。结果表明,当负载量30%、焙烧温度800℃、催化温度300℃、烟气流量10L/min时催化剂对油烟的净化效果最佳,净化效果可达88%,催化剂对油烟的催化具有较好的低温高活性。     

石笋有机质碳同位素组成研究的进展与挑战

洞穴石笋因其精准的定年和蕴含的多种代用指标,已成为古气候和古环境变化研究的重要载体之一。在石笋研究的多种代用指标中,碳酸盐碳同位素由于受到多重因素的影响,应用其重建过去环境变化历史一直局限在少数几个研究地点。洞穴上覆土壤有机质是洞穴石笋中有机质的重要来源,除此之外,洞穴原位产生的微生物及基岩中的有机质也有贡献。由于主要继承了地表植被和土壤有机质的同位素组成,石笋有机质碳同位素组成的时间序列能够很好地指示地表植被的演变及土壤过程的变化。本文对石笋有机质碳同位素组成的研究现状进行了综述,介绍了最新建立的石笋有机质碳同位素组成分析方法,并指出应用这一指标研究环境变化需要解决的关键问题和未来面临的挑战。