Microbial mediated arsenic biotransformation in wetlands

Arsenic (As) is a pervasive environmental toxin and carcinogenic metalloid. It ranks at the top of the US priority List of Hazardous Substances and causes worldwide human health problems. Wetlands, including natural and artificial ecosystems (i.e. paddy soils) are highly susceptible to As enrichment; acting not only as repositories for water but a host of other elemental/chemical moieties. While macroscale processes (physical and geological) supply As to wetlands, it is the micro-scale biogeochemistry that regulates the fluxes of As and other trace elements from the semi-terrestrial to neighboring plant/aquatic/atmospheric compartments. Among these fine-scale events, microbial mediated As biotransformations contribute most to the element’s changing forms, acting as the ‘switch’ in defining a wetland as either a source or sink of As. Much of our understanding of these important microbial catalyzed reactions follows relatively recent scientific discoveries. Here we document some of these key advances, with focuses on the implications that wetlands and their microbial mediated transformation pathways have on the global As cycle, the chemistries of microbial mediated As oxidation, reduction and methylation, and future research priorities areas.

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Environment polluting conventional chemical control compared to an environmentally friendly IPM approach for control of diamondback moth, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plutella xylostella</Emphasis> (L.), in China: a review

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, is recognized as a widely distributed destructive insect pest of Brassica worldwide. The management of this pest is a serious issue, and an estimated annual cost of its management has reached approximately US$4 billion. Despite the fact that chemicals are a serious threat to the environment, lots of chemicals are applied for controlling various insect pests especially P. xylostella. An overreliance on chemical control has not only led to the evolution of resistance to insecticides and to a reduction of natural enemies but also has polluted various components of water, air, and soil ecosystem. In the present scenario, there is a need to implement an environmentally friendly integrated pest management (IPM) approach with new management tactics (microbial control, biological control, cultural control, mating disruption, insecticide rotation strategies, and plant resistance) for an alternative to chemical control. The IPM approach is not only economically beneficial but also reduces the environmental and health risks. The present review synthesizes published information on the insecticide resistance against P. xylostella and emphasizes on adopting an alternative environmentally friendly IPM approach for controlling P. xylostella in China.     

Application of phosphate solubilizing bacteria in immobilization of Pb and Cd in soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present study, heavy metal (HM)-tolerant phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were isolated and their performance during the remediation of Pb...     

Spatial variation and toxicity assessment for heavy metals in sediments of intertidal zone in a typical subtropical estuary (Min River) of China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Sediment samples were collected in five marshes (C1, Phragmites australis marsh; C2, P. australis and Cyperus malaccensis marsh; C3, C. malaccensis...     

Growth characteristics and nutrient removal capability of eco-ditch plants in mesocosm sediment receiving primary domestic wastewater

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Eco-ditches are being explored to maximize their capability of capturing pollutants and mitigate any harmful side effects in rivers. In this study,...     

Atrazine contamination in agricultural soils from the Yangtze River Delta of China and associated health risks

Atrazine is one of the most widely applied and persistent herbicides in the world. In view of limited information on the regional contamination of atrazine in soils in China, this study investigated the spatial distribution and environmental impacts of atrazine in agricultural soils collected from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) as an illustrative analysis of rapidly developing regions in the country. The results showed that the concentrations of atrazine in the YRD agricultural soils ranged from <1.0 to 113 ng/g dry weight, with a mean of 5.7 ng/g, and a detection rate of 57.7 % in soils. Pesticide factory might be a major source for the elevated levels of atrazine in Zhejiang Province. The contamination of atrazine was closely associated with land use types. The concentrations and detection rates of atrazine were higher in corn fields and mulberry fields than in rice paddy fields. There was no significant difference in compositions of soil microbial phospholipids fatty acids among the areas with different atrazine levels. Positive relationship (R = 0.417, p < 0.05, n = 30) was observed between atrazine and total microbial biomass. However, other factors, such as soil type and land management practice, might have stronger influences on soil microbial communities. Human health risks via exposure to atrazine in soils were estimated according to the methods recommended by the US EPA. Atrazine by itself in all the soil samples imposed very low carcinogenic risks (<10^?6) and minimal non-cancer risks (hazard index <1) to adults and children.     

Producing biodiesel from waste animal oil by modified ZnO

Biodiesel produced by transesterification of waste animal oil is a promising green fuel in the future. ZnO-Al₂O₃ and ZnO/Zn₂Al composition oxides were prepared by co-precipitation method and impregnation method, respectively. The above catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer--Emmett--Teller (BET) and CO₂ adsorption and temperature-programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD) and show that the high activity for the catalyst is attributed to its high alkalinity. The reaction parameters were optimized and the results show that the transesterification ratio of waste animal oil can reach 98.7% with 10% ZnO/Zn₂Al catalyst after 2 h. Moreover, 10%ZnO/Zn₂Al compound oxides can be active for the successive cycles. The glycerol as a predominant by-product after transesterification is of high purity with high use value.     

复合钙基固硫添加剂对煤固硫与燃烧的影响

利用程序升温燃烧反应技术,考察了高岭土复合的Ca O、Fe2O3-Ca O、Co O-Ca O添加剂对无烟煤的燃烧以及固硫的影响。实验发现,这些添加物质对煤的裂解产物的燃烧都具有促进作用,除了Fe2O3-Ca O-高岭土复合添加剂对煤焦的燃烧有一定阻碍作用之外,其余都具有对煤焦燃烧的促进作用,尤以Co O-Ca O-高岭土复合添加剂的效果最为显著。高岭土复合的硫酸钙本应具有较高的热稳定性,但受到高温下煤焦与CO的还原而分解,所以添加对煤焦具有明显催化燃烧作用的氧化钴,因减少了还原性气氛,稳定了硫酸钙产物而促进了固硫。     

兰坪铅锌矿区不同污染梯度下优势植物的重金属累积特征

对兰坪铅锌矿区污染程度不同的3个样地(云南松林、魁蒿群落和马桑灌丛)进行植被调查,选择其中9种共有的自然生长的优势草本植物为研究对象,测定了土壤及植物体的重金属含量。结果显示,3个样地土壤Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn等4种重金属含量均表现为马桑灌丛>魁蒿群落>云南松林;植物体内重金属积累呈现出随着土壤污染程度增加而增加的趋势;所选择的9种植物均不符合超富集植物的标准,依据不同的耐性机制将9种植物分为3类,野棉花能较强吸收土壤中重金属,并转移到地上部分,属于富集型植物;西南金丝梅、倒提壶、长籽柳叶菜、魁蒿、翻白叶和四脉金茅吸收的重金属主要积累在根部,属于根部囤积型植物;尼泊尔蓼和中华山蓼体内重金属含量较低,属于规避型植物。讨论了利用这些植物进行矿山治理。