Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) alone could negatively impact the environment and human health. However, their role in the presence of other toxic substances is not well understood. The toxicity of nano-Al(2)O(3), inorganic As(V), and a combination of both was examined with C. dubia as the model organisms. Bare nano-Al(2)O(3) particles exhibited partial mortality at concentrations of greater than 200mg/L. When As(V) was also present, a significant amount of As(V) was accumulated on the nano-Al(2)O(3) surface, and the calculated LC(50) of As(V) in the presence of nano-Al(2)O(3) was lower than that it was without the nano-Al(2)O(3). The adsorption of As(V) on the nano-Al(2)O(3) surface and the uptake of nano-Al(2)O(3) by C. dubia were both verified. Therefore, the uptake of As(V)-loaded nano-Al(2)O(3) was a major reason for the enhanced toxic effect. 相似文献
The high incidences of waterborne diseases are frequently associated with diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC). DEC may pose a health risk to people who contact surface water for recreation or domestic use. However, there is no published report on the monitoring of DEC in drinking water sources in Taiwan. In this study, the occurrence of DEC genes in raw water for water treatment plants in Taiwan was investigated.
Method
Raw water samples were taken from water treatment plants adjacent to the Kaoping River in southern Taiwan. Each water sample was treated with membrane filtration followed by DNA extraction from the concentrate and concentrate enrichment, respectively. The target genes for various DEC strains of genes were identified, including enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC).
Results
Among 55 water samples analyzed, DEC genes were detected in 16 (29.1%) samples. Strain-specific genes for EAEC, EHEC, EIEC, and EPEC were found in the percentages of 3.6%, 10.9%, 9.1%, and 9.1%, respectively. The specific gene for ETEC is not detected in the study. By looking at the presence/absence of specific genes and water sample characteristics, water temperature was found to differ significantly between samples with and without EHEC gene. In addition, pH levels differed significantly for EHEC and EPEC presence/absence genes, and turbidity was significantly different for water with and without EPEC genes.
Conclusion
DEC genes were detected in 29.1% of the raw water samples in the study location. The potential health threat may be increased if the treatment efficiencies are not properly maintained. Routine monitoring of DEC in drinking water sources should be considered. 相似文献
The purposes of this research are to quantify the concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, As, Pb, Cd, and Hg) in the water and fish tissues of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the upper Mekong River and to thereby elucidate the potential dietary health risks from fish consumption of local residents. Surface water and fish tissues (gill, muscle, liver, and intestine) from four representative sample areas (influence by a cascade of four dams) along the river were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations. Results revealed that the levels of heavy metals in fish were tissue-dependent. The highest Cu and As levels were found in the liver; the highest Zn and Pb levels occurred in the intestine, and the highest Hg level was found in the muscle. The total target hazard quotient (THQ) value for residents is > 1 for long-term fish consumption, and local residents are, therefore, exposed to a significant health risk. Results from the current study provide an overall understanding of the spatial and tissue distribution of heavy metals in water and fish body along the upper Mekong River under the influence of cascade dams and highlight the potential health risk of As for the local residents of long-term fish consumption.
This study investigated the soil nematode community structure along the Yellow River in the Lanzhou area of China, and analyzed
the impact of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the nematode community.
Soil samples from five locations (named A–E), which were chosen for soil analysis, showed significant differences in their
heavy metal content (p < 0.01), as well as in the variety of nematodes (up to 41 genera) and families (up to 20) that were present. The different
samples also differed significantly in the total PAH content (p < 0.05), as well as the six types of PAH present. Sites A–C showed the most severe contamination with heavy metals and PAHs;
these sites had the lowest abundance of fungivores and omnivore/predators, but the proportion of bacteriovores was the highest
(p < 0.05). Site E, in contrast, showed only minor pollution with heavy metals and PAHs, and it contained the highest abundance
of plant parasites (p < 0.05). Several nematode ecological indicators were found to correlate with concentration of soil pollutants at all the
sites tested: the maturity index (MI, in addition to plant parasites), plant parasite index (PPI), ΣMI (including all the
soil nematodes), Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′′), and Wasilewska index (WI). Disturbance to the soil environment was more severe when MI, ΣMI, and H′ values were lower. The results of the study show that the abundance and structure of the soil nematode communities in the
sampling locations were strongly influenced by levels of heavy metals and PAHs in the soil. They also show that the diversity
index H′ and the maturity index can be valuable tools for assessing the impact of pollutants on nematodes. 相似文献
As part of a comprehensive environmental management system, many countries establish emission control targets for mass emissions of a pollutant. Such targets are often the key objective of an environmental policy, such as an emission trading program. In China, however, it is more than just an objective of one particular policy; it has become a concept that has influenced many national environmental policies and activities. The objective of this article is to review the implementation of the total emission c... 相似文献