Potential toxicity of amphenicol antibiotic: binding of chloramphenicol to human serum albumin

Antibiotics are widely used in daily life but their abuse has posed a potential threat to human health. To evaluate the toxicity of chloramphenicol (CAP) at the protein level, the interaction between CAP and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by fluorescence, Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and molecular docking methods. Fluorescence data revealed that the fluorescence quenching of HSA by CAP was the result of the formation of CAP–HSA complex, and the binding constant was determined to be 3.196?×?10⁴ L mol^?1 at 310 K. The thermodynamic determination indicated that the interaction was driven by enthalpy change and entropy change together, where the multiple hydrogen bonds (CAP and the residues Arg 222 and His 242 of HSA) and van der Waals forces were the dominant binding force. The site marker competition revealed that CAP bound into sub-domain IIA of HSA. The binding of CAP induced the drastic reduction in α-helix conformation and the significant enhancement in β-sheet conformation of HSA. Molecular docking study further confirmed the binding mode obtained by experimental study. This work provides a new quantitative evaluation method for antibiotics to cause the protein damage.     

Effect of temperature and particle size on the thermal desorption of PCBs from contaminated soil

Thermal desorption is widely used for remediation of soil contaminated with volatiles, such as solvents and distillates. In this study, a soil contaminated with semivolatile polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was sampled at an interim storage point for waste PCB transformers and heated to temperatures from 300 to 600 °C in a flow of nitrogen to investigate the effect of temperature and particle size on thermal desorption. Two size fractions were tested: coarse soil of 420–841 μm and fine soil with particles <250 μm. A PCB removal efficiency of 98.0 % was attained after 1 h of thermal treatment at 600 °C. The residual amount of PCBs in this soil decreased with rising thermal treatment temperature while the amount transferred to the gas phase increased up to 550 °C; at 600 °C, destruction of PCBs became more obvious. At low temperature, the thermally treated soil still had a similar PCB homologue distribution as raw soil, indicating thermal desorption as a main mechanism in removal. Dechlorination and decomposition increasingly occurred at high temperature, since shifts in average chlorination level were observed, from 3.34 in the raw soil to 2.75 in soil treated at 600 °C. Fine soil particles showed higher removal efficiency and destruction efficiency than coarse particles, suggesting that desorption from coarse particles is influenced by mass transfer.     

Probing the distribution and contamination levels of 10 trace metal/metalloids in soils near a Pb/Zn smelter in Middle China

The horizontal and vertical distribution patterns and contamination status of ten trace metal/metalloids (Ag, Bi, Co, Cr, Ge, In, Ni, Sb, Sn, Tl) in soils around one of the largest Chinese Pb–Zn smelter in Zhuzhou City, Central China, were revealed. Different soil samples were collected from 11 areas, including ten agricultural areas and one city park area, with a total of 83 surface soil samples and six soil cores obtained. Trace metal/metalloids were determined by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry after digestion by an acid mixture of HF and HNO₃. The results showed that Ag, Bi, In, Sb, Sn, and Tl contents decreased both with the distance to the Pb–Zn smelter as well as the soil depth, hinting that these elements were mainly originated from the Pb–Zn smelting operations and were introduced into soils through atmospheric deposition. Soil Ge was influenced by the smelter at a less extent, while the distributions of Co, Cr, and Ni were roughly even among most sampling sites and soil depths, suggesting that they were primarily derived from natural sources. The contamination status, as revealed by the geo-accumulation index (I _geo), indicated that In and Ag were the most enriched elements, followed by Sb, Bi, and Sn. In general, Cr, Tl, Co, Ni, and Ge were of an uncontaminated status.     

Direct N2O decomposition over La2NiO4-based perovskite-type oxides

Direct decomposition of N₂O by perovskite-structure catalysts including La₂NiO₄, LaSrNiO₄, and La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ was investigated. The catalysts were prepared by the Pechini method and characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), BET, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and O₂-TPD. Experimental results indicate that the properties of La₂NiO₄ are significantly improved by partially substituting La with Sr and Ce. N₂O decomposition efficiencies achieved with LaSrNiO₄ and La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ are 44 and 36%, respectively, at 400ºC. As the temperature was increased to 600ºC, N₂O decomposition efficiency achieved with LaSrNiO₄ and La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ reached 100% at an inlet N₂O concentration of 1,000 ppm, while the space velocity was fixed at 8,000 hr^?1. In addition, effects of various parameters including oxygen, water vapor, and space velocity were also explored. The results indicate that N₂O decomposition efficiencies achieved with LaSrNiO₄ and La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ are not significantly affected as space velocity is increased from 8,000 to 20,000 hr^?1, while La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ shows better tolerance for O₂ and H₂O_(g). On the other hand, N₂ yield with LaSrNiO₄ as catalyst can be significantly improved by doping Ce. At a gas hour space velocity of 8,000 hr^?1, and a temperature of 600ºC, high N₂O decomposition efficiency and N₂ yield were maintained throughout the durability test of 60 hr, indicating the long-term stability of La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ for N₂O decomposition.

Implications:Nitrous oxide (N₂O) not only has a high global warming potential (GWP₁₀₀ = 310), but also potentially destroys ozone in the stratosphere. Pervoskite-type catalysts including La₂NiO₄, LaSrNiO₄, and La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ are applied for direct N₂O decomposition. The results show that N₂O decomposition can be enhanced as Sr and Ce are doped into La₂NiO₄. At 600ºC, N₂O decomposition efficiencies achieved with LaSrNiO₄ and La_0.7Ce_0.3SrNiO₄ reach 100%, demonstrating high activity and good potential for direct N₂O decomposition. Effects of O₂ and H₂O_(g) contents on catalytic activities are also evaluated and discussed.     

Effects of water-emulsified fuel on a diesel engine generator’s thermal efficiency and exhaust

Water-emulsified diesel has proven itself as a technically sufficient improvement fuel to improve diesel engine fuel combustion emissions and engine performance. However, it has seldom been used in light-duty diesel engines. Therefore, this paper focuses on an investigation into the thermal efficiency and pollution emission analysis of a light-duty diesel engine generator fueled with different water content emulsified diesel fuels (WD, including WD-0, WD-5, WD-10, and WD-15). In this study, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide were analyzed by a vehicle emission gas analyzer, and the particle size and number concentration were measured by an electrical low-pressure impactor. In addition, engine loading and fuel consumption were also measured to calculate the thermal efficiency. Measurement results suggested that water-emulsified diesel was useful to improve the thermal efficiency and the exhaust emission of a diesel engine. Obviously, the thermal efficiency was increased about 1.2 to 19.9%. In addition, water-emulsified diesel leads to a significant reduction of nitric oxide emission (less by about 18.3 to 45.4%). However, the particle number concentration emission might be increased if the loading of the generator becomes lower than or equal to 1800 W. In addition, exhaust particle size distributions were shifted toward larger particles at high loading. The consequence of this research proposed that the water-emulsified diesel was useful to improve the engine performance and some of exhaust emissions, especially the NO emission reduction.

Implications:The accumulated test results provide a good basis to resolve the corresponding pollutants emitted from a light-duty diesel engine generator. By measuring and analyzing transforms of exhaust pollutant from this engine generator, the effects of water-emulsified diesel fuel and loading on emission characteristics might be more clear. Understanding reduction of pollutant emissions during the use of water-emulsified diesel helps improve the effectiveness of the testing program. The analyzed consequences provide useful information to the government for setting policies to curb pollutant emissions from a light-duty diesel engine generator more effectively.     

活性炭纤维负载TiO2催化剂的制备及其电催化性能

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了活性炭纤维负载TiO₂催化剂（TiO₂/ACF）,并通过SEM和XRD等手段对TiO₂/ACF进行了表征。以邻苯二甲酸二甲酯（DMP）为目标降解物,考察了催化材料的电催化活性。实验结果表明：在反应温度为25 ℃、初始DMP质量浓度为100.0 mg/L、电解质Na₂SO₄质量浓度为100 mg/L、电流密度为62.5 mA/cm²、电极板间距为4 cm的条件下,经过40 min的降解,DMP质量浓度为1.8 mg/L,DMP去除率为98.2%;TiO₂/ACF在反应过程中可以原位再生,经6次重复使用后仍保持很高的催化活性,对DMP的去除率仍达90%以上。     

磷酸微波活化多孔生物质炭对亚甲基蓝的吸附特性

以甘蔗渣为原料,采用微波辅助H3PO4活化法制备富含含氧酸官能团的中孔生物质炭。通过扫描电子显微镜SEM、傅立叶变换红外光谱FT-IR等技术对生物质炭物理化学性质进行表征,并通过静态实验法,探讨炭样对亚甲基蓝的吸附行为及热力学性质。结果表明,H3PO4活化制备蔗渣生物质炭的适宜条件为浸渍比1：1,烘干时间10h,活化功率900W,活化时间22min,在此条件下制得的生物质炭得率为39．2％,碘值为817mg／g,亚甲基蓝值为229mg／g,为国家一级品标准的1．7倍。红外光谱分析表明,炭样表面以羟基、羰基、羧基等酸性官能团为主。静态吸附实验表明,Freundlich方程与Redlich—Peterson方程能较好地描述等温吸附行为,表现为优惠吸附。热力学研究表明,吸附吉布斯自由能（△G0）〈0,说明吸附反应是自发过程,而吸附标准焓变（△H0）〉70KJ／mol,表明亚甲基蓝在制备炭样上的吸附是吸热反应,升温有利于吸附,且化学反应在吸附过程中发挥了重要作用。     

电催化氧化处理除草剂异噁草酮废水的效能

为有效处理含异噁草酮除草剂废水,以Sb掺杂Ti／SnO2电极为阳极,不锈钢板为阴极,采用电催化氧化技术对异噁草酮废水进行降解,研究了不同影响因素对异噁草酮去除率的影响,并分析了异噁草酮的降解效果。结果表明,当异噁草酮初始浓度为100mg／L、电流密度为20mA／cm2、电解质投加量为0．10mol／L,反应120min后,异噁草酮去除率达到94％,此时TOC去除率为57．9％,能耗为25kWh／m2,且废水的可生化性能显著提高。     

一种包埋微生物复合填料的制备及性能评价

采用包埋法制备出一种复合生物填料,测其各项理化性质,并以NO。模拟废气验证其脱硝性能。填料主要由碳酸钙、牛粪堆肥腐殖质、菌剂载体、水泥、轻质珍珠岩、立体网状纤维及脱硝功能微生物等复合而成,粒径书12mm×20mm,自然堆积密度（471±0．8）kg／m2,持水量（49±1．3）％,比表面积3．91m2／g,平均机械强度（427．3±0．2）N,pH为10．5-0．2。填料能长期在潮湿环境中保持良好的粘结强度,并具有营养缓释及pH缓冲能力。包埋脱硝功能微生物复合填料中初期微生物数量5．3×10^5 CFU／g,运行60d后微生物数量达到8．6×10 8 CFU／g,闲置停运30d微生物有所减少,但重启后净化效率基本不变。当进气负荷低于I878mg／（13m3·h）,气体停留时间为14．47s时,BF,的去除率高达93．15％。     

基于CA-MAS的水域总有机碳扩散模拟研究

当前水环境污染扩散研究一般基于普通数值模型模拟,忽略了水污染扩散微观驱动力的影响。为能更真实地反映其动态扩散过程,针对水域总有机碳(TOC)扩散机理,基于CA和MAS技术,将影响TOC扩散的自然和社会经济因素抽象为微观的水流Agent、风速Agent、径流量Agent、污水排放口Agent、人工管理Agent以及农业生产地Agent,将研究水域抽象为CA元胞空间,建立了CA-MAS水域总有机碳扩散模型,对水域总有机碳的动态演化过程进行模拟,并以武汉理工大学鉴湖水域作为实验区域,借助NetLogo仿真平台完成了模型的实现与验证。模拟结果表明,该模型基本能够反映水体总有机碳的扩散规律,可以为水环境污染控制提供参考。