Effect of herbicides on glutathione S-transferases in the earthworm, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eisenia fetida</Emphasis>

AIM AND BACKGROUND: Earthworms have been studied as a readily available, easily maintainable and cheap test species for assessing chemical pollution, and may be an alternative to in vivo rodent bioassays. The current investigation aims to characterize detoxification enzymes in Eisenia fetida and stress response against two herbicides with different modes of action, namely, fenoxaprop and metolachlor. METHODS: Herbicides were applied to soil containing earthworms. Animals were then collected, sacrificed and shock-frozen. Extracted protein was analyzed for glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity using CDNB (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene), DCNB (1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene), pNBC (p-nitrobenzylchloride), PNOBC (p-nitrobenz-o-ylchloride) and selected herbicides. GST isoenzymes were partially purified by affinity chromatography and molecular weights were estimated by SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: In E. fetida protein extracts, GST activity towards model compounds ranked as CDNB>DCNB>PNBOC>PNBC. Fluorodifen was not conjugated at all, but fenoxaprop and metolachlor were conjugated at low rates. Furthermore, the GST isoenzyme pattern changed during the incubation with herbicides, either due to stress or as a defense reaction. After incubation with monochlorobimane, a strong fluorescence of the intestinal tract and the intersegments was observed, indicating organ-specific GST induction. DISCUSSION: According to the author's knowledge, here, for the first time, evidence is presented that E. fetida GST are also capable of conjugating a wider range of xenobiotic substrates. Different forms of GST were observed and changes in GST isoforms due to the herbicide treatment were also noticed. GST conjugation rates varied between different herbicides used in this experiment. It might be assumed that herbicides may well be detoxified by earthworms, to a certain extent, but that they are also potent stress factors influencing the detoxification system of the animal. High doses or long exposure might lead to deleterious effects on earthworms and limit their survival rate. The use of the animals as bioindicators for herbicides and herbicide residues seems very promising, but is surely influenced by the lack of detoxification for some compounds. CONCLUSIONS: Conjugation of several xenobiotics with model substances and herbicides is proven in the earthworm E. fetida. However, E. fetida has only limited capabilities of detoxifying herbicidal compounds. Different isoforms of GST were involved and altered in their activity after treatment. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: The accumulation of GS-conjugates and their determination via fluorescence microscopy is a quick and secure, additional marker for exposure that should be further developed to complement existing biotests. The described methods and endpoints might help to understand the complex reaction of earthworms towards herbicides and lead to an adapted test methodology.     

Humic substances

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Freshwater bodies which chemistry is dominated by dissolved humic substances (HS) seem to be the major type on Earth, due to huge non-calcareous geological formations in the Northern Hemisphere and in the tropics. Based on the paradigm of the inertness of being organic, direct interactions of dissolved HS with freshwater organisms are mostly neglected. However, dissolved organic carbon, the majority of which being HS, are natural environmental chemicals and should therefore directly interact with organisms. Major results that widened our perspective on humic substance ecology come from experiments with the compost nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, which behaved contradictorily to textbook knowledge and provoked an in-depth re-consideration of some paradigms. APPROACH: To overcome old paradigms on HS and their potential interactions with organisms, we reviewed recent international literature, as well as 'grey' literature. We also include results from own ongoing studies. RESULTS: This review focuses on direct interactions of dissolved HS with freshwater organisms and disregards indirect effects, such as under-water light quenching. Instead we show with some macrophyte and algal species that HS adversely interfere with photosynthesis and growth, whereby closely related algal species show different response patterns. In addition to this, HS suppress cyanobacteria more than eukaryotic algae. Quinones in the HS appear to be the effective structure. Furthermore, HS can modulate the offspring numbers in the nematode C. elegans and cause feminization of fish and amphibians--they possess hormone-like properties. The ecological consequences of this potential remain obscure at present. HS also have the potential to act as chemical attractants as shown with C. elegans and exert a mild chemical stress upon aquatic organisms in many ways: induction of molecular chaperons (stress proteins), induction and modulation of biotransformation and anti-oxidant enzymes. Furthermore, they produce an oxidative stress with lipidperoxidation as one clear symptom or even stress defense strategy. Stronger chemical stresses by HS may even lead to teratogenic effects as shown with fish embryos; all physiological responses to HS-mediated stress require energy, which were compensated on the expense of yolk as shown with zebra fish embryos. One Finnish field survey supports the view of a strong chemical stress, as the weight yield in fish species decreases with increasing HS content in the lakes. DISCUSSION: HS exert a variety of stress symptoms in aquatic and compost organisms. According to current paradigms of ecotoxicology, these symptoms have to be considered adverse, because their compensation consumes energy which is deducted from the main metabolism. However, the nematode C. elegans looks actively for such stressful environments, and this behavior is only understandable in the light of new paradigms of aging mechanisms, particularly the Green Theory of Aging. In this respect, we discuss the mild HS-mediated stress to aquatic and compost organisms. New empirical findings with HS themselves and HS building blocks appear to be consistent with this emerging paradigm and show that the individual lifespan may be expanded. At present the ecological consequences of these findings remain obscure. However, a multiple-stress resistance may be acquired which improves the individual fitness in a fluctuating environment. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that dissolved HS have to be considered abiotic ecological driving forces, somewhat less obvious than temperature, nutrients, or light. PERSPECTIVES: The understanding of the ecological control by dissolved humic substances is still fragmentary and needs to be studied in more details.     

序批式反应器生物强化处理苯酚废水的研究

将4株高效苯酚分解菌湿菌体分3批投加于序批式反应器(SBR),对活性污泥进行生物强化试验,分析活性污泥状态与性能变化,测定生物强化后对苯酚的降解能力.结果表明,随着生物强化过程的进行,沉降性能改善,污泥颗粒化趋势明显;生物强化后,活性污泥对苯酚降解能力、降解速率及对苯酚的耐受性明显提高:苯酚质量浓度为730～960mg/L时,苯酚完全降解时间可由正常的6h缩短至2h;6h内可完全降解苯酚的质量浓度由原来的880mg/L提高到2080mg/L,处理能力提高了1.36倍;当进水苯酚质量浓度增加到2400mg/L时,6h内污泥对苯酚的降解率仍达到60.1%.     

无污泥持留序批式预处理反应器渗滤液预处理的正交试验研究

以黑石子垃圾填埋场渗滤液强化预处理-生物接触氧化为依托,针对其处理效果的局限性,研究无污泥持留序批式预处理(WSIP)反应器正交试验,旨在优化运行参数,提高低温期间渗滤液处理效果.实验表明,COD、NH 4-N、TN去除率较高,出水可生化性较好;优化碳氮质量比,为后续好氧微生物降解创造条件;曝气时间、HRT、进水磷浓度、序批周期对NH 4-N、TN去除效果影响显著;低温期间,获得较好出水水质的最佳运行参数为曝气时间9h、HRT4d、进水磷质量浓度50mg/L、序批周期6h.     

四氯乙烯污染对小麦幼苗抗氧化酶系的影响

通过室内模拟试验,采用愈创木酚法、高锰酸钾滴定法、氮蓝四唑法分别测定了四氯乙烯(PCE)污染小麦幼苗的过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)等抗氧化物酶系,研究了PCE污染对植物生物学指标的影响,以评价土壤PCE污染的生态毒性效应,为土壤性质的变化趋势提供依据.结果表明,PCE浓度较低时,POD、SOD活性被激活,表现出明显的抗氧化能力,但PCE浓度过高时则抑制POD和SOD的活性诱导作用;小麦幼苗中CAT活性只有在PCE为0.10mg/kg时被激活,其他浓度时CAT活性均受到抑制;随着时间的延长,POD、CAT的活性均呈激活态势,而SOD活性在PCE浓度较低时呈降低趋势,在PCE浓度较高时,SOD活性升高.     

黄铁矿焙烧过程中铊析出影响因素及其烧渣中重金属的相态分布研究

通过模拟硫酸厂的沸腾焙烧炉,考察了黄铁矿焙烧过程中铊(T1)析出的影响因素.并通过分级提取法考察了黄铁矿烧渣中重金属的相态分布.结果表明,T1释放率随焙烧温度的升高而增加,随停留时间的增长而增加;当O2流量在20～300 mL/mi.范围变化时,T1释放率先增后减.环境中备受关注的重金属(如Pb、Cd、Cr等)在黄铁矿烧渣中以Pb为主,各相态Pb的总量达到1 429.20 μg/g,且黄铁矿烧渣中的重金属(除Cu和Sr外)主要是以分布于硅酸盐矿物相中的残余态形式存在,因此在环境中不易迁移释放.尽管黄铁矿烧渣中的重金属(除Cu和Sr外)不是以非残余态分布为主,但非残余态重金属的总量也不少,因此黄铁矿烧渣在环境中的潜在污染风险应当引起重视.     

上流式多级厌氧反应器中厌氧颗粒污泥特性研究

高品质厌氧颗粒污泥是厌氧反应器实现高效、稳定运行的关键和基础.在实现上流式多级厌氧反应器(UMAR)处理木薯变性淀粉废水高效运行的基础上,对厌氧颗粒污泥的浓度分布、粒径分布、沉降速度、产甲垸活性,辅酶F420和生物相等作进一步的研究.根据在实验工艺条件下培养得到的厌氧颗粒污泥的性能,探讨厌氧颗粒污泥的可能形成机制.     

废水产氢产酸/同型产乙酸耦合产酸条件优化

为了更好地发挥产氢产酸/同型产乙酸耦合系统在废水厌氧发酵生产乙酸方面的优势,有必要寻找一种简单有效的方法以获得该系统产酸的优化条件.利用经过加热处理并活化的厌氧污泥作种泥,以模拟废水中的葡萄糖为底物,针对发酵时间、底物浓度、种泥浓度、初始pH进行4因素10水平均匀设计实验,得到了乙酸生产指标与产酸条件之间关系的回归方程;也得到了以高乙酸产量为主要目标导向同时兼顾高乙酸产率和高乙酸生产强度目标的优化条件;优化条件实验乙酸浓度比均匀设计中最高乙酸浓度提高20%左右.研究表明,将均匀设计应用于废水产氢产酸/同型产乙酸耦合产酸条件优化,可以避免盲目性,迅速获得满意结果.     

脱硫除雾器冲洗喷嘴冲洗特性试验研究

以湿法烟气脱硫工艺中常用的除雾器冲洗喷嘴为研究对象,加工了不同喷嘴芯旋度和排放口倒角半径的喷嘴。经过大量试验,系统地研究了冲洗喷嘴的冲洗流量、扩散角和均匀度的变化规律。研究结果表明,当喷嘴芯旋度为30°,排放口倒角半径在3．5 mm左右时,其冲洗效果较好。     

聚硅硫酸铝的形貌结构和絮凝机理

以工业水玻璃、工业硫酸铝为原料制得聚硅硫酸铝(PASS)复合絮凝剂,采用电子显微镜观察了不同,nAl/n(Si)的PASS的形貌,借助倒置式生物显微镜分析了PASS所形成絮体的形貌并用激光粒度分析仪对絮体粒度分布进行了测定,通过红外光谱和X-射线衍射研究了PASS中铝与聚硅酸的相互作用情况,考察了模拟江水中胶体颗粒物和PASS水解物的Zeta电位随pH值的变化,在此基础上探讨分析了PASS的絮凝机理和絮凝过程.结果发现:nAl/n(Si)对PASS的形貌有较大影响,絮体粒度分布的数据印证了该结果;红外光谱图表明PASS中有Si-O-Al振动峰出现,峰强度随nAl/n(Si)减小而增大;X-射线衍射图证实了聚硅硫酸铝不是晶体,而是铝水解产物与聚硅酸共同作用形成的无定型聚合物;吸附架桥及粘结卷裹作用是PASS絮凝时的主导作用.