尼克酰胺与核黄素提高红串红球菌USTB-03对4,6-二甲基二苯并噻吩脱硫活性研究

主要考察了尼克酰胺和核黄素提高红串红球菌USTB-03对4,6-二甲基二苯并噻吩(4,6-DMDBT)脱硫活性的效应。研究结果表明,在培养基中添加初始浓度为10 mmol/L的尼克酰胺,脱硫比活性由原来302.4 mmol 4,6-DMDBT/(kg细胞干重·h)增加到476.4 mmol 4,6-DMDBT/(kg细胞干重·h),提高了57.5%。添加初始浓度为25μmol/L的核黄素,脱硫比活性增加到了465.8 mmol 4,6-DMDBT/(kg细胞干重·h),提高了54%。无论是采用微量的尼克酰胺或核黄素都可以大幅度提高红串红球菌USTB-03对4,6-DMDBT的脱硫活性,在此研究领域尚未发现有研究报道。尼克酰胺和核黄素分别是NAD和FMN的主要成分,可以促进脱硫关键辅酶FMNH_2的生物合成,因此,大幅度提高了红串红球菌USTB-03对4,6-DMDBT的脱硫活性。     

皮革废水混凝处理实验研究

采用混凝剂对皮革废水进行混凝处理。对3种无机混凝剂和一种有机混凝剂进行了筛选,研究了pH值和投药量对废水中SS、COD、铬和色度等污染物去除效果的影响。结果表明,当pH值在酸性和中性时,效果不明显;当pH值为碱性时,效果显著。硫酸亚铁、硫酸亚铁+PAM和聚合氯化铝(PAC)+PAM 3种混凝剂组合具有良好的混凝效果,在合适的pH值和投药量下,SS和COD的去除率分别达到80%和30%以上,铬和色度的去除率分别达到95%和50%以上。且硫酸亚铁混凝效果好,成本低,适合小型皮革企业需求。     

Measuring Sustainability Based Upon Various Perspectives: A Case Study of a Hill Station in Southeast Asia

A hill station is a town or city situated in mountain regions in the tropics founded during the western colonization in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Hill stations have moderate temperatures, and are known for their relatively good natural environments, which generate valuable ecosystem services that benefit the local population. However, rapid urbanization threatens the sustainability of these areas. This study evaluates the sustainability of the urbanization process of Baguio City, a hill station city in Southeast Asia and the summer capital of the Philippines, by determining the relationship between its velocity of urbanization and velocity of urban sustainability based upon various perspectives. From an equal weight perspective (of the triple bottom line of sustainability components, namely environmental, social, and economic) and a pro-economic perspective, the results revealed that the urbanization of Baguio City has been moving toward a “sustainable urbanization.” However, from the environmental and eco-sustainable human development perspectives, the results indicated that it has been moving toward an “unsustainable urbanization.” The paper discusses the implications of the findings for the planning of sustainable development for Baguio City, including some critical challenges in sustainability assessment and the applicability of the framework used for future sustainability assessments of the other hill stations in Southeast Asia.     

Tributyltin causes abnormal development in embryos of medaka, Oryzias latipes

We examined the effects of tributyltin (TBT) on embryonic development, hatching success and sexual differentiation in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Embryos (within 8h after fertilization) were exposed to TBT in ovo via nanoinjection at concentrations of 0 (control), 0.16, 0.80, 3.96, 19.2 and 82.1 ng/egg. Embryonic survival, development and hatching were observed. Hatched fry were reared until 60 days when they sexually matured, and sexual differentiation was also examined by accordance of genetic and phenotypic sex, based on existence of DMY (a male determining gene in medaka) and secondary sex characteristics. As results, TBT caused a concentration-dependent mortality and impaired the embryonic development. However, no masculinization was detected at 60 dph medaka adults. Lowest observed effective concentration for inducing abnormal embryonic development was estimated to 0.16 ng/egg (ca. 160 ng/g egg).     

Unusual arsenic speciation in sea anemones

Nine species of sea anemones (Anthopleura asiatica, Actinia equina, Actinodendron arboreum, Phymanthus loligo, Entacmaea actinostoloides, Stichodactyla gigantea, S. haddoni, S. mertensii and Metridium senile) contained arsenic in the range of 1.6-7.0microg As g(-1) (wet mass basis). Irrespective of the species, water-soluble arsenic compounds accounted for more than 80% of the total arsenic. Analysis of water-soluble arsenic compounds by LC/ESI-MS revealed that four arsenicals, arsenobetaine (AB), trimethylarsoniopropionate, arsenocholine (AC) and tetramethylarsonium ion (TEMA), are contained in most species but arsenate, methylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid and trimethylarsine oxide are absent in all species. Interestingly, compositional patterns of the four arsenicals greatly differed from species to species. Only three species (S. gigantea, S. haddoni and M. senile) contained AB at the highest proportions, similar to the majority of marine animals. However, the remaining six species showed unusual compositional patterns of arsenic compounds; AC was most predominant in A. arboreum and P. loligo and TEMA in A. asiatica, A. equina, E. actinostoloides and S. mertensii. On the whole, high proportions (24.6-87.1% of the water-soluble arsenic) of TEMA appear to be a peculiar characteristic of many species of sea anemones. Thus, sea anemones are an important animal group in the arsenic cycling, especially in that they may be donors of TEMA to predators.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins,polychlorinated dibenzofurans and non-ortho,mono-ortho chlorine substituted biphenyls in Japanese human liver and adipose tissue

We measured PCDDs/DFs levels in Japanese human livers and adipose tissues in 1999, and TEQ were calculated with WHO TEF. The mean total levels of PCDDs/DFs in livers and adipose tissues were 57 pg TEQ/g on a lipid basis and 49 pg TEQ/g on a lipid basis, respectively. 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, OCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF, 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDF and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF concentrations in livers considerably differed from those in 1989 (p < 0.05). The mean non-ortho-chlorine substituted biphenyls levels showed 20 pg TEQ/g on a lipid basis and 17 pg TEQ/g on a lipid basis in livers and adipose tissues, respectively. In livers, the mean of 3,3',4,4'-TCB concentrations was 131 pg/g on a lipid basis, and 7.7-fold higher than that in 1989. The mean total mono-ortho-chlorine substituted biphenyls level was 13.0 pg TEQ/g on a lipid basis in livers and 21.6 pg TEQ/g on a lipid basis in adipose tissues. 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB and 3,3',4,4',5,5'-HxCB levels decreased in adipose tissues, and 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB level only decreased in livers. PCDDs, PCDFs, and mono- and non-ortho-chlorine substituted biphenyls levels may have decreased in livers and adipose tissues because of a governmental policy on dioxins discharge for the decade. Then, we estimated the correlations of PCDDs, PCDFs and the related compound levels between livers and adipose tissues. The correlative PCDDs congeners may have had a similar behavior to that between liver and adipose tissue. On the contrary, most PCDFs isomers may have different behavior between liver and adipose tissue, while 2',3,4,4',5-PeCB (IUPAC No. 123) may also have a different behavior between liver and adipose tissue.     

Transformation of diphenylarsinic acid in agricultural soils

We investigated the transformation and fate of diphenylarsinic acid (DPAA) during incubation in two types of soils (Entisol and Andisol) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Under anaerobic conditions only, DPAA was transformed into methyldiphenylarsine oxide by methylation. Under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, DPAA was degraded to phenylarsonic acid by dephenylation, and phenylarsonic acid was subsequently methylated to form methylphenylarsinic acid and dimethylphenylarsine oxide. The degradation of DPAA in the Andisol was less extensive than in the Entisol. In autoclaved soil under anaerobic conditions, DPAA underwent little degradation during the 24-wk incubation. In unautoclaved soils, the concentration of DPAA in soil clearly decreased after 24 wk of incubation, indicating that DPAA degradation was driven by microbial activity.     

Evaluation of chemical stability of heavy metals in industrial waste slag by infrared spectroscopy

Our aim was to clarify the chemical bonding type and stability of heavy metals in industrial waste slag (IWS) by using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The chemical composition of the IWS sample used in this study was an Al/Si ratio of 0.50 with Fe, Pb, and other minor heavy metals present. The IR peak position of the Si-OSi( M) band (M: Al, Pb, or Fe) was lower for IWS (971 cm⁻¹) than for synthetic Si-Al glass with an Al/Si ratio of 0.5 (1029 cm⁻¹). This implies the formation of covalent Si-O-Pb and Si-O-Fe bonds in the IWS, which caused a shift in the peak position toward a lower wavenumber. FT-IR spectra of synthetic Si-Al-Pb and Si-Al-Fe glasses with various Pb/Si and Fe/Si ratios with a constant Al/Si ratio of 0.5 showed that the peak position of the Si-O-Si(M) band continuously shifted toward lower wavenumbers with increasing Pb/Si and Fe/Si ratios. This suggests that covalent Si-O-Pb and Si-O-Fe bonds are formed in IWS. The comparison of peak positions of the Si-O-Si(M) band between IWS and Si-Al-Fe glass indicated that not only Pb but also other minor heavy metals such as Cu and Cr were included by covalent bonds into the structure of IWS. Therefore, we concluded that most of the heavy metals in IWS formed covalent Si-O-M bodings and were chemically stable.     

N2O Emissions at Solid Waste Disposal Sites in Osaka City

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a trace gas contributing to stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming. Although a large quantity of information exists about N₂O emissions from various ecosystems, this study was initiated to demonstrate the features of N₂O emissions from sea-based waste disposal sites in Osaka City in relation to CH₄ emissions.

Average N₂O emissions at an active landfill (S-Site) were several times higher than those at a closed landfill (N Site). Average CH₄ emissions were also much greater at the S-Site. Regarding the nature of N₂O emissions, remarkable emissions often were observed with aerobic waste layers at the N-Site, suggesting almost inversely related N₂O emissions with CH₄ production at the N-Site. However, at the S-Site a few exceptionally high N₂O emissions were noted in cases of high CH₄ emissions.     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and related compounds: The blood levels of young Japanese women

We investigated PCDDs and related compounds in the blood of young Japanese women, approximately 20 years of age, who had not yet had children, and discussed how the TEQ level of PCDDs and related compounds in their blood may affect the next generation. Means of total TEQ levels were 0.063 pg/g for whole blood basis and 21 pg/g for lipid basis. TEQ of PCDDs, PCDFs and coplanar PCBs accounted for about 43, 34 and 23% of the total TEQ in the whole blood basis, respectively. In the lipid basis, their values were about 44, 34 and 22%, respectively. Previously, we investigated PCDDs and related compounds levels in mother's breast milk, lymphocyte subpopulation and thyroid function of their children, and found negative correlations between the TEQ level of PCDDs and related compounds and CD4+/CD8+, and/or the TEQ level of PCDDs and related compounds and the T₄ level in 36 mothers and children. Of these cases, the average age was approximately 28 years. PCDDs and related compounds may be related to immunopathy, such as atopic dermatitis. The effects of PCDDs and related compounds on babies of young Japanese women are important and must be further evaluated.