Pressurized liquid extraction of six tetracyclines from agricultural soils

Veterinary antibiotics used in agriculture can be introduced into the environment through land application of animal manure, accumulating in soils and groundwaters and posing a significant risk to human health and animal well-being. As the analysis of tetracyclines in soil is challenging due to their strong interaction with soil minerals and organic carbon, the objective of this study was to develop a reliable and reproducible method for quantitative analysis of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline, and their respective metabolites in soils. A method based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with in-cell clean-up was developed for the extraction of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline and four likely metabolites from a set of four soils. Optimized conditions included a cell size of 22?mL, soil loading of 5?g, pH of 8.0, methanol:water ratio of 3:1, 50?°C, and two cycles. Soil extracts were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (MS). Recoveries of seven tetracyclines from soil ranged from 41% to 110%. The limits of detection for tetracyclines were 0.08–0.3 µg g^?1 soil, and intra- and inter-day variation ranged from 0.12–0.34%. The proposed PLE method is suitable for quantification of tetracyclines in agricultural soils at typical concentrations expected in contaminated environments.     

Evaluation of photolysis and hydrolysis of pyraclostrobin in aqueous solutions and its degradation products in paddy water

This study evaluated the hydrolysis and photolysis kinetics of pyraclostrobin in an aqueous solution using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection and identified the resulting metabolites of pyraclostrobin by hydrolysis and photolysis in paddy water using high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography. The effect of solution pH, metal ions and surfactants on the hydrolysis of pyraclostrobin was explored. The hydrolysis half-lives of pyraclostrobin were 23.1–115.5?days and were stable in buffer solution at pH 5.0. The degradation rate of pyraclostrobin in an aqueous solution under sunlight was slower than that under UV photolysis reaction. The half-lives of pyraclostrobin in a buffer solution at pH 5.0, 7.0, 9.0 and in paddy water were less than 12?h under the two light irradiation types. The metabolites of the two processes were identified and compared to further understand the mechanisms underlying hydrolysis and photolysis of pyraclostrobin in natural water. The extracted ions obtained from paddy water were automatically annotated by Compound Discoverer software with manual confirmation of their fragments. Two metabolites were detected and identified in the pyraclostrobin hydrolysis, whereas three metabolites were detected and identified in the photolysis in paddy water.     

Determination of the residue dynamics and dietary risk of thiamethoxam and its metabolite clothianidin in citrus and soil by LC-MS/MS

A modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method was developed for the determination of thiamethoxam and its metabolite clothianidin in citrus (including the whole citrus, peel and pulp) and soil samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The sample was extracted with acetonitrile and purified with octadecylsilane. The detection limits of both compounds were 0.0001–0.0002?mg kg^–1, while the limit of quantification of thiamethoxam was 0.002?mg kg^–1 and the limit of quantitation of metabolites was 0.001?mg kg^–1. The recovery was 70.37%–109.76%, with inter-day relative standard deviations (RSD) (n?=?15) values ≤9.46% for the two compounds in the four matrices. The degradation curve of thiamethoxam in whole citrus and soil was plotted using the first-order kinetic model. The half-life of the whole citrus was 1.9–6.2?days, and the half-life of the soil was 3.9–4.2?days. The terminal residue of thiamethoxam (the sum of thiamethoxam and clothianidin, expressed as thiamethoxam) was found to be concentrated on the peel. The final residual amount of thiamethoxam in the edible portion (pulp) was less than 0.061?mg kg^–1. The risk quotient values were all below 1, indicating that thiamethoxam as a citrus insecticide does not pose a health risk to humans at the recommended dosage.     

Potential of microalgae as biopesticides to contribute to sustainable agriculture and environmental development

The loss of yields from agricultural production due to the presence of pests has been treated over the years with synthetic pesticides, but the use of these substances negatively affects the environment and presents health risks for consumers and animals. The development of agroecological systems using biopesticides represents a safe alternative that contributes to the reduction of agrochemical use and sustainable agriculture. Microalgae are able to biosynthesize a number of metabolites with potential biopesticidal action and can be considered potential biological agents for the control of harmful organisms to soils and plants. The present work aims to provide a critical perspective on the consequences of using synthetic pesticides, offering as an alternative the biopesticides obtained from microalgal biomass, which can be used together with the implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural systems.     

In situ chemical oxidation: Lessons learned at multiple sites

This paper compiles a detailed set of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) lessons learned pertaining to design, execution, and safety based on global experiences over the last 20 years. While the benefits of a “correct” application are known (e.g., cost effectiveness, speed, permanence of treatment), history also provides examples of a variety of “incorrect” applications. These provide an opportunity to highlight recurring themes that resulted in failures. ISCO is, and will continue to provide, an important remedial tool for site remediation, particularly as a component of a multifaceted approach for addressing large and complex sites. Future success, however, requires an objective understanding of both the benefits and the limitations of the technology. The ability to learn from the mistakes of the past provides an opportunity to eliminate, or at least minimize, them in the future. Over the last 25 years of ISCO application, process understanding and knowledge have improved and evolved. This paper combines a thorough discussion of lessons learned through decades of ISCO implementation throughout all aspects of ISCO projects with an analysis of changes to the ISCO remediation market. By discussing the interplay of these two themes and providing recommendations from collective lessons learned, we hope to improve the future of safe, cost‐effective, and successful applications of ISCO.     

城市污水生物处理系统中微生物酶的活性及其分布

通过水解模式底物进行分光光度测定的方法,研究了城市污水生物处理系统中微生物酶的活性.选取亮氨酸氨基肽酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、碱性磷酸酶和脂酶等胞外酶进行分析,结果发现4种胞外酶的平均活性在31.O～88.5 μmol/(L·h),其中76.9%～94.8%的酶活性分布在活性污泥中,说明绝大部分胞外酶是与细胞相连或固定在细胞外多聚絮体基质里.混合水样和出水水样中的DOC几乎相等,而各胞外酶与DOC不存在任何显著的相关关系.增加NO3-浓度可提高亮氨酸氨基肽酶和β-葡萄糖苷酶的活性,但对碱性磷酸酶和脂酶却有明显的抑制作用.     

A scenario-based study on information flow and collaboration patterns in disaster management

Disaster management (DM) is a continuous, highly collaborative process involving governments, DM organisations, responders, the construction sector, and the general public. Most research approaches to DM include the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support the collaboration process rather than the creation of a collaboration process to provide information flows and patterns. An Intelligent Disaster Collaboration System (IDCS) is introduced in this paper as a conceptual model to integrate ICT into DM and the mitigation process and to enhance collaboration. The framework is applicable to the collaboration process at the local, regional and national levels. Within this context, the deployment of ICT tools in DM is explored and scenario-based case studies on flooding and terrorism—examples of natural and human-induced disasters, respectively—are presented. Conclusions are drawn regarding the differences found in collaboration patterns and ICT used during natural and human-induced disasters and the differences between currently available ICT and proposed ICT.     

面包酵母菌对Pb2+和Cd2+单双重金属离子体系的吸附效果

为了探讨灭活面包酵母菌对Pb2+、Cd2+的单、双重金属离子体系(以下简称双离子体系)的吸附效果及影响机制,选择灭活面包酵母菌为吸附剂,对Pb2+、Cd2+的单离子体系和Pb2+-Cd2+双离子体系吸附动力学过程和等温吸附效果进行研究.结果表明,不同离子体系中,在相同初始浓度情况下,面包酵母菌对Pb2+的吸附量总是大于对Cd2+的吸附量.试验条件下,面包酵母菌对Pb2+、Cd2+的单离子体系和Pb2+-Cd2+双离子体系等温吸附符合Langmuir模型,最大吸附量qmax分别为0.414 9 mmol/g、0.346 8 mmol/g和0.488 5 mmol/g.SEM/EDS分析表明,Pb2+、Cd2+被吸附到菌体上,造成菌体变形或出现破裂,并使内部物质外泄,这可能是吸附进行一定时间后出现二次吸附过程的主要原因.灭活面包酵母对Pb2+和Cd2+具有良好的吸附效果,对Pb2+-Cd2+双离子体系的吸附,离子间的点位竞争和联合毒性作用是影响体系总体吸附效果的重要因素.     

An input-output balance study for PCBs in humans

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) input-output balance studies were performed on five male volunteers, aged between 24 and 30, for periods of 8-14 days in 1998. Dietary exposure was quantified by the duplicate meals method and varied between 220 and 460 ng of sigmaPCB (sum of 20 congeners) per day for each of the five individuals over the study period. Dietary intake was dominated by congeners 118, 138, 153 and 180. Average faecal outputs for the five volunteers were 50-290 ng of sigmaPCB (sum of 20 congeners) per day for each of the five individuals over the same period and was dominated by the same four congeners. Whilst the total PCB fluxes were therefore into the body (i.e., accumulation), important differences were noted for different individual congeners. PCBs 44, 47, 49, 52, 60, 66, 101, 105, 110, 118, 149, 151 and 183 all showed net absorption for all five volunteers. Some congeners showed a net absorption in some of the individuals but net excretion in others, as seen by other workers. These congeners (PCBs 138, 153, 180, 187 and 194) are all higher chlorinated congeners and lack meta-para-vicinal hydrogen atoms. There were differences in the net absorption/excretion between individuals, which appeared to be a function of body fat index (BFI). The volunteers with the lowest BFIs showed net excretion for the greatest number of congeners, whilst the individual with the highest BFI was a net absorber of all the congeners studied. The problems in determining and interpreting absorption efficiency values for use in quantitative exposure assessments are discussed. Various factors that influence net absorption of PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants are identified. These include compound properties (including susceptibility to metabolism), the individual's fat status and balance, exposure history and diet.