Application of phosphate solubilizing bacteria in immobilization of Pb and Cd in soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In the present study, heavy metal (HM)-tolerant phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were isolated and their performance during the remediation of Pb...     

Effects of an iron-silicon material,a synthetic zeolite and an alkaline clay on vegetable uptake of As and Cd from a polluted agricultural soil and proposed remediation mechanisms

Economic and highly effective methods of in situ remediation of Cd and As polluted farmland in mining areas are urgently needed. Pot experiments with Brassica chinensis L. were carried out to determine the effects of three soil amendments [a novel iron-silicon material (ISM), a synthetic zeolite (SZ) and an alkaline clay (AC)] on vegetable uptake of As and Cd. SEM–EDS and XRD analyses were used to investigate the remediation mechanisms involved. Amendment with ISM significantly reduced the concentrations of As and Cd in edible parts of B. chinensis (by 84–94 % and 38–87 %, respectively), to levels that met food safety regulations and was much lower than those achieved by SZ and AC. ISM also significantly increased fresh biomass by 169–1412 % and 436–731 % in two consecutive growing seasons, while SZ and AC did not significantly affect vegetable growth. Correlation analysis suggested that it was the mitigating effects of ISM on soil acidity and on As and Cd toxicity, rather than nutrient amelioration, that contributed to the improvement in plant growth. SEM–EDS analysis showed that ISM contained far more Ca, Fe and Mn than did SZ or AC, and XRD analysis showed that in the ISM these elements were primarily in the form of silicates, oxides and phosphates that had high capacities for chemisorption of metal(loid)s. After incubation with solutions containing 800 mg L^?1 AsO₄ ^2? or Cd²⁺, ISM bound distinctly higher levels of As (6.18 % in relative mass percent by EDS analysis) and Cd (7.21 % in relative mass percent by EDS analysis) compared to SZ and AC. XRD analysis also showed that ISM facilitated the precipitation of Cd²⁺ as silicates, phosphates and hydroxides, and that arsenate combined with Fe, Al, Ca and Mg to form insoluble arsenate compounds. These precipitation mechanisms were much more active in ISM than in SZ or AC. Due to the greater pH elevation caused by the abundant calcium silicate, chemisorption and precipitation mechanisms in ISM treatments could be further enhanced. That heavy metal(loid)s fixation mechanisms of ISM ensure the remediation more irreversible and more resilient to environmental changes. With appropriate application rate and proper nutrients supplement, the readily available and economic ISM is a very promising amendment for safe crop production on multi-metal(loids) polluted soils.     

以水鸟保育为目标的水稻田构建技术及效果评估

海岸带自然湿地具有重要的水鸟保育价值。近年来,大规模的海岸带围垦造成了海岸带自然湿地的消失和质量退化,导致水鸟栖息地面积和质量的急剧下降,严重降低了水鸟的保育效果。海岸带自然湿地围垦后,部分转化为水鸟保育效果较差的工业模式水稻田。提升水稻田的水鸟保育效果,关键在于改善水稻田的构建技术。根据海岸带水稻田的种植管理模式和水鸟的生境选择特点,提出了一种以水鸟保育为目标的水稻田构建技术,以生态工程手段提升水稻田的水鸟保育效果。该技术的核心内容为在水稻田中构建水池单元,并设置生境小岛等功能组件,建立水稻田复合生态系统,实现多种种植和养殖。在满足水稻田生产管理需要的同时,为水鸟提供丰富的食物和适宜的多样性栖息场所。为验证该技术的水鸟保育效果,2013年夏季在崇明东滩依此技术构建了10 hm~2水稻试验田。2013年秋季至2014年春季,对比工业模式水稻田,各选取总面积10 hm~2的调查样方,开展一个完整年度的水鸟群落调查,每个季度调查5次,共计15次水鸟调查。水稻试验田共记录到水鸟34种,平均密度为41.87±6.62只/hm~2;工业模式水稻田共记录到水鸟12种,平均密度为2.08±0.45只/hm~2,水稻试验田的水鸟种类和密度均显著高于工业模式水稻田。结果表明,水稻田构建技术能够显著增加水稻田的水鸟种类和数量,提升水稻田的水鸟保育效果,从而弥补海岸带自然湿地缺失对水鸟造成的影响。水稻田构建技术可以为海岸带水稻田的水鸟保育工作提供了科学依据,同时为海岸带受损湿地的修复和水鸟栖息地的优化改造提供了参考案例。     

我国畜禽集约化养殖环境压力及国外环境治理的启示

集约化养殖是我国畜禽产业发展的必然趋势,但畜禽集约化养殖带来的环境污染也日益严重。通过测算近10 a来的全国畜禽养殖废弃物产生总量及废弃物中氮、磷养分的排放总量,以欧盟畜禽耕地承载负荷为标准,建立畜禽粪便土地负荷警报值等级,分析得出我国全国及各区域畜禽养殖的环境压力:从近5 a全国层面看,以氮养分测算的耕地负载警报值在0.7左右,且2009~2011年的警报值已经超过07,畜禽氮养分的耕地负荷已经开始对环境产生污染威胁;而以磷肥测算的耕地负载警报值已经超过1,对环境造成了较严重的污染威胁。从2010年具体区域情况看,以氮养分测算的耕地负载警报值超过07的达到17个省份,其中河南、湖南、广东、四川污染较严重,北京的畜禽养殖氮养分环境污染已经到严重的程度;以磷养份测算的耕地负载警报值已有21个省份超过1,北京和广东的耕地负载警报值已接近3,磷养分的环境污染已很严重。最后,探讨了发达国家畜禽养殖环境压力及环境治理措施对我国的启示     

丙烯酸酯类高吸油树脂的合成及其吸附性能

采用悬浮聚合法,以甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)和丙烯酸丁酯(BA)为单体、二乙烯苯(DVB)为交联剂、过氧化苯甲酰(BPO)为引发剂,合成了一种丙烯酸酯类高吸油树脂。实验结果表明,在m(MMA)∶m(BA)=0.5、DVB加入量为0.8%、BPO加入量为1.2%的最佳条件下,树脂对氯仿的吸油率可达30.6 g/g,对氯仿、柴油、甲苯、废机油、花生油、丙酮等有机溶剂和油品的保油率可达90.0%以上。     

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.     

膜吸收法净化低浓度甲醛和氨气简

基于膜吸收技术自制双层平板式膜吸收器,搭建净化低浓度甲醛和氨气污染模拟系统,考察不同膜结构参数、进气流量、吸收剂流量等因素对其净化效果的影响。结果表明,聚偏氟乙烯PVDF对低浓度甲醛和氨气的净化效率高于聚四氟乙烯PTFE。对同一材质膜,随着膜孔隙率的增大,甲醛和氨气的净化率呈上升趋势。随着进气流量的增加,甲醛和氨气的净化效率降低;而吸收剂流量对其净化效率影响不大。对于所有实验条件,平均膜孔径为0.22 μm的PVDF 4^#在进气流量u_g=120 L/h时,甲醛和氨气的净化效率最高,分别达94.7%和96.3%。     

Characterization of residue from leached cathode ray tube funnel glass: reutilization as white carbon black

Cathode ray tube (CRT) funnel glass remains an urgent environmental problem and is composed mainly of lead oxide and silicon oxide. In this research, the residue could be obtained from 2 h to 500 rpm activated CRT funnel glass after extracting lead via acid leaching under the conditions of HNO₃ concentration 1.0 mol/L, leaching temperature 95 °C and leaching time 1 h. In order to reutilize the residue, its physico-chemical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that the residue was an amorphous superfine powder with approximately 93 wt% silica oxide and specific surface area of more than 170 m²/g. It can be reutilized as white carbon black.     

Aquatic predicted no-effect concentration for three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and probabilistic ecological risk assessment in Liaodong Bay of the Bohai Sea, China

Predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) is often used in ecological risk assessment to determine low-risk concentrations for chemicals. In the present study, native marine species were selected for toxicity testing. The PNECs for three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), specifically phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were derived from chronic and acute toxicity data with log-normal statistical methods. The achieved PNECs for Phe, Pyr, and BaP were 2.33, 1.09, and 0.011 μg/L, respectively. In Jinzhou Bay and the Shuangtaizi River Estuary of Liaodong Bay in the Bohai Sea, China, the surface water concentrations of the three PAHs were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Based on two probabilistic ecological risk assessment (PERA) methods, namely probabilistic risk quotient and joint probability curve, the potential risk of Phe, Pyr, and BaP in Jinzhou Bay and Shuangtaizi River Estuary was assessed. The same order of ecological risk (BaP > Phe > Pyr) was found by both models. Our study considered regional characteristics of marine biota during the calculation of PNECs, and the PERA methods provided probabilities of potential ecological risks of chemicals. Within the study area, further research on BaP is required due to its high potential ecological risk.     

Quantifying interactions between propranolol and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from different sources using fluorescence spectroscopy

Beta blockers are widely used pharmaceuticals that have been detected in the environment. Interactions between beta blockers and dissolved organic matter (DOM) may mutually alter their environmental behaviors. To assess this potential, propranolol (PRO) was used as a model beta blocker to quantify the complexation with DOM from different sources using the fluorescence quenching titration method. The sources of studied DOM samples were identified by excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with fluorescence regional integration analysis. The results show that PRO intrinsic fluorescence was statically quenched by DOM addition. The resulting binding constants (log K _oc) ranged from 3.90 to 5.20, with the surface-water-filtered DOM samples claiming the lower log K _oc and HA having the highest log K _oc. Log K _oc is negatively correlated with the fluorescence index, biological index, and the percent fluorescence response (P _i,n) of protein-like region (P _I,n) and the P _i,n of microbial byproduct-like region (P _II,n) of DOM EEMs, while it is correlated positively with humification index and the P _i,n of UVC humic-like region (P _III,n). These results indicate that DOM samples from allochthonous materials rich in aromatic and humic-like components would strongly bind PRO in aquatic systems, and autochthonous DOM containing high protein-like components would bind PRO more weakly.