非活体生物质对水中活性艳红X-3B的吸附研究

研究了4种非活体生物质(米酒糟、花生壳、柚子皮、稻草秸秆)对模拟废水中活性艳红X-3B的吸附条件及吸附机理。结果表明,活性艳红X-3B初始浓度为100 mg/L、pH为1.0~2.0、吸附剂浓度为10 mg/L时,4种吸附剂对活性艳红X-3B的吸附率可达到80%。吸附在60 min左右达平衡后最大吸附量的顺序为:米酒糟(58.8 mg/g)花生壳(28.0mg/g)柚子皮(23.6 mg/g)稻草秸秆(19.5 mg/g)。在达最大吸附率时,米酒糟的用量可减少一半、pH范围可宽为1.0~6.0,且吸附量是另三者的2倍以上。综合比较,米酒糟具有较强的吸附废水中活性艳红X-3B的能力,可作为废水中活性染料的吸附剂使用。而花生壳、柚子皮和稻草秸秆的吸附能力相对较弱,不是理想的吸附材料。数学模型模拟表明,米酒糟和柚子皮的吸附过程更符合Freundlich方程,而花生壳和稻草秸秆更符合Langmuir方程;动力学研究表明4种吸附剂的吸附拟合更符合拟二级动力学方程。     

Non-target effect of organic insecticides: effect of two plant extracts on soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activities in soil

Efficacious botanical derivatives can provide an alternative to synthetic pesticides for organic farming systems. However, there is lack of information regarding the side effects of organic pesticides on key soil ecological processes. In this study, we investigated the effects of aqueous extracts from Urginea maritima and Euphorbia myrsinites exhibiting translaminar and systemic activity against pests on microbial biomass and enzymatic activities in soil. Two grams of plant material was extracted with 100 ml of water and then diluted 1:100, 2:100, and 4:100 with distilled water. Diluted plant extracts were applied around hypocotyl of tomato by soil drench. The effect of both plant extracts on microbial biomass C, amount of total N and organic C, and enzymatic activity in soil was significant. After the last application, the highest microbial biomass C was determined in the lowest U. maritima concentration (U 1:100). Soils treated with the highest concentration of U. maritima (U 4:100) had always lower SMBC content than control soil. All concentrations of E. myrsinites decreased microbial biomass C by 18% to 27% compared to the control. Total nitrogen and organic carbon decreased in soils without (control) and with treated U. maritima extract from first application to last application. Phosphatase, urease, and β-glucosidase activities were monitored in plant extract-treated soils. Except U. maritima 1:100 treatments of second and fourth applications, the other treatments of plant extracts negatively affected enzymatic activity in soil. U. maritima and E. myrsinites plant extracts exhibited different effects on soil microbial biomass and activity, probably because of their different chemical contents.     

Assessment of groundwater pollution in West Delhi, India using geostatistical approach

The exploration, exploitation, and unscientific management of groundwater resources in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, India have posed a serious threat of reduction in quantity and deterioration of quality. The objective of the study is to determine the groundwater quality and to assess the risk of groundwater pollution at Najafgarh, NCT of Delhi. The groundwater quality parameters were analyzed from the existing wells of the Najafgarh and the thematic maps were generated using geostatistical concepts. Ordinary kriging and indicator kriging methods were used as geostatistical approach for preparation of thematic maps of the groundwater quality parameters such as bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, electrical conductivity (EC), magnesium, nitrate, sodium, and sulphate with concentrations equal or greater than their respective groundwater pollution cutoff value. Experimental semivariogram values were fitted well in spherical model for the water quality parameters, such as bicarbonate, chloride, EC, magnesium, sodium, and sulphate and in exponential model for calcium and nitrate. The thematic maps of all the groundwater quality parameters exhibited an increasing trend of pollution from the northern and western part of the study area towards the southern and eastern part. The concentration was highest at the southernmost part of the study area but it could not reflect correctly the groundwater pollution status. The indicator kriging method is useful to assess the risk of groundwater pollution by giving the conditional probability of concentrations of different chemical parameters exceeding their cutoff values. Thus, risk assessment of groundwater pollution is useful for proper management of groundwater resources and minimizing the pollution threat.     

Biodiversity of brackish water amphipods (crustacean) in two estuaries, southeast coast of India

The present study about the gammarid amphipods of Vellar and Uppanar estuaries was performed during two seasons (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, 2005–2006), respectively, in nine habitats: five in the Vellar estuary and four in the Uppanar estuary. Amphipod samples were collected from sediments, oyster beds, seaweeds, sea grass, and mangroves. A total of 29 species of gammarid amphipods were collected in each area. The surface water temperature ranged from 16°C to 26°C, the salinity from 20 to 32 psu, and the pH between 7.5 and 8.3. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 5.3 to 7.8 ml/l. The maximum abundance of amphipods was observed during the pre-monsoon (July to September) in Vellar mangrove, and it was minimum during the pre-monsoon in Uppanar sea grass. It was found that several physicochemical factors, such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and the substrate have a marked effect on the distribution and the relative abundance of amphipods. The ranges of species diversity, richness, dominance, and evenness in the Vellar and Uppanar estuaries were 1.58–4.15, 1.82–5.29, 0–0.11, and 0.96–1, respectively. Using multivariate analyses, in each estuary, it was possible to identify different communities of amphipod species according to their habitats.     

镉诱导长江华溪蟹肝胰腺细胞凋亡研究

应用显微与亚显微技术和琼脂糖凝胶电泳方法,研究了不同浓度Cd2+(0、7.25、14.50、29.00、58.00和116.00mg·L-1)处理不同时间(24、48、72和96h)对长江华溪蟹(Sinopotamon yangtsekiense)肝胰腺细胞凋亡的影响.结果显示,29.00mg·L-1Cd2+处理48h,光镜下肝胰腺细胞凋亡主要表现为染色质不规则凝聚、固缩和边集;58.00mg·L-1Cd2+处理72h,细胞核碎裂,形成凋亡小体;116mg·L-1Cd2+处理96h,出现坏死细胞;电镜下48h和72h处理组肝胰腺细胞呈现典型的细胞凋亡特征,与光镜检测结果一致,具体表现为核边集、核膜折叠、核裂解形成凋亡小体.琼脂糖凝胶电泳图谱中48和72h处理组出现凋亡细胞所特有的DNA梯状条带,58.00mg·L-1Cd2+处理72h后条带尤为清晰.随着Cd2+浓度的增加和处理时间的延长,肝胰腺中凋亡细胞所占比例呈现先升后降的趋势,凋亡指数的变化表现出显著的剂量和时间效应关系.研究表明,镉能够诱导长江华溪蟹肝胰腺出现细胞凋亡.细胞凋亡的检测及凋亡指数的变化能够灵敏地反映出镉对水生动物的胁迫程度及毒性大小,可作为水生态环境镉污染的生物评估指标.     

Use of native mosses as biomonitors of heavy metals and nitrogen deposition in the surroundings of two steel works

A biomonitoring survey using the moss species Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. was conducted in the surroundings of two steel plants located in the North of Spain. Levels of V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, Pb and N were determined. Very high concentrations in the areas of study were detected when compared to nearby unaffected regions. Similar trends were observed for all the elements in the differently orientated transects, showing an appreciable influence of the NW prevailing winds of the region in the dispersion of pollutants, as well as a clear decreasing gradient in the concentrations of metals in mosses within a distance of 1500 meters from the facilities. A differentiation between the elements emitted by the chimney as result of the industrial activity (V, Cr, Ni, Cu and As) and those with a high presence in steel slag deposits (Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) was observed. The range of contamination was also established by means of the Contamination Factor, indicating a category 4 out of 6 categories, which shows the high levels reported in the areas of study. A different dynamic was registered for nitrogen regarding the rest of the heavy metals analysed except for Hg, probably due to the elevated volatility and mobility of both elements, as well as their high persistence in the atmosphere.     

Constitutional tolerance to heavy metals of a fiber crop, ramie (Boehmeria nivea), and its potential usage

It is observed that ramie (Boehmeria nivea), an economic fiber crop, can establish and colonize metal-contaminated sites in China. Metal tolerance and accumulation by ramie originating from 13 metal-contaminated and 4 “clean” sites in China were compared under field and hydroponic conditions. All selected populations and germplasms displayed good growth performance under diverse metal-contaminated habitats; while growth responses, metal accumulation and tolerance were similar among the 8 populations and 2 germplasms when exposed to solutions containing elevated As, Cd, Pb, or Zn in the laboratory. These revealed that ramie possesses a certain degree of constitutional metal tolerance. To our knowledge, this is the first report of constitutional metal tolerance possessed by a fiber crop. Ramie can be considered as a good candidate for both fiber production and phytoremediation of sites contaminated by multi-metals, as it accumulates relative low metal concentrations, but possesses both high biomass and high economic value.     

Large-scale risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in shoreline sediments from Saudi Arabia: Environmental legacy after twelve years of the Gulf war oil spill

A large-scale assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the 1991 Gulf War oil spill was performed for 2002-2003 sediment samples (n = 1679) collected from habitats along the shoreline of Saudi Arabia. Benthic sediment toxicity was characterized using the Equilibrium Partitioning Sediment Benchmark Toxic Unit approach for 43 PAHs (ESBTU_FCV,43). Samples were assigned to risk categories according to ESBTU_FCV,43 values: no-risk (≤1), low (>1-≤2), low-medium (>2-≤3), medium (>3-≤5) and high-risk (>5). Sixty seven percent of samples had ESBTU_FCV,43 > 1 indicating potential adverse ecological effects. Sediments from the 0-30 cm layer from tidal flats, and the >30-<60 cm layer from heavily oiled halophytes and mangroves had high frequency of high-risk samples. No-risk samples were characterized by chrysene enrichment and depletion of lighter molecular weight PAHs, while high-risk samples showed little oil weathering and PAH patterns similar to 1993 samples. North of Safaniya sediments were not likely to pose adverse ecological effects contrary to sediments south of Tanaqib. Landscape and geomorphology has played a role on the distribution and persistence in sediments of oil from the Gulf War.