A review of toxicity and mechanisms of individual and mixtures of heavy metals in the environment

The rational for the study was to review the literature on the toxicity and corresponding mechanisms associated with lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As), individually and as mixtures, in the environment. Heavy metals are ubiquitous and generally persist in the environment, enabling them to biomagnify in the food chain. Living systems most often interact with a cocktail of heavy metals in the environment. Heavy metal exposure to biological systems may lead to oxidation stress which may induce DNA damage, protein modification, lipid peroxidation, and others. In this review, the major mechanism associated with toxicities of individual metals was the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, toxicities were expressed through depletion of glutathione and bonding to sulfhydryl groups of proteins. Interestingly, a metal like Pb becomes toxic to organisms through the depletion of antioxidants while Cd indirectly generates ROS by its ability to replace iron and copper. ROS generated through exposure to arsenic were associated with many modes of action, and heavy metal mixtures were found to have varied effects on organisms. Many models based on concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) have been introduced to help predict toxicities and mechanisms associated with metal mixtures. An integrated model which combines CA and IA was further proposed for evaluating toxicities of non-interactive mixtures. In cases where there are molecular interactions, the toxicogenomic approach was used to predict toxicities. The high-throughput toxicogenomics combines studies in genetics, genome-scale expression, cell and tissue expression, metabolite profiling, and bioinformatics.     

Starch/polyvinyl alcohol blended materials used as solid carbon source for tertiary denitrification of secondary effluent

Starch/polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） blended materials for using as a solid carbon source （SCS） were prepared by blending PVA and gelatinized starch in an aqueous solution system, in which PVA served as framework material and starch as carbon source. The optimization of starch content and temperature effects were investigated. It was indicated that higher denitrification efficiency could be achieved with more starch in the materials. The average specific denitrification rates were 0.93, 0.66, 0.37 and 0.36 mg/（g·day） corresponding to starch content of 70%, 60%, 40% and 30% respectively at 37℃. The denitrification rates increased when operating temperature was raised from 23℃ to 30℃ and then 37℃. The mechanism of carbon release was analyzed incorporating the experimental results of abiotic release in deionized water. The organic carbon was mainly hydrolyzed by microbes, and the biological release efficiencies were at the range of 89.2% to 96.0%. A long-term experiment with a continuous flow reactor with SCS material containing 70% starch was conducted to gain some experience for practical application. When the influent nitrate concentration was in the range of 35.2 to 39.1 mg/L, hydraulic retention time of 4 hr, and operating temperature of 30℃, a nitrogen removal efficiency up to 94.6% and denitrification rate of 0.217 kg/（m3.day） was achieved. The starch-based materials developed in this study can be used as a solid carbon source for tertiary nitrogen removal from secondary effluent.     

粤北某矿横石河流域周围土壤重金属预测与生态风险预警评估

以粤北某矿横石河流域周围表层土壤2010年和2013年两批区域调查数据为基础,对其土壤中重金属含量变化趋势进行预测,并进行生态风险预警评估。结果显示,3年间土壤中Cd、Cu、Pb、Zn等元素含量降低明显,现累积速率分别为-0.001、2.88、3.71和3.11mg/(kg·a),相对累积速率以Cd最快,Zn、Cu、Pb次之;生态风险预警评估显示凉桥村和水楼下村的生态风险达到重警,上坝村为轻警。在无突变情景下,根据现累积速率预测了未来30年内的生态环境质量变化,并提出建议。     

不同干扰方式对内蒙古典型草原土壤有机碳和全氮的影响

为准确把握草原生态保护与修复工程的实施效果,并为北方草地生态保护和优化管理提供有效的科学支持,选择内蒙古典型草原退牧还草工程区为研究对象,采用野外成对取样(围栏内-围栏外)与室内分析相结合的方法,研究了休牧、补播和自由放牧3种人为干扰方式对土壤容重、含水量、有机碳和全氮含量的影响。结果表明:在0~30 cm土层,随深度的增加,不同干扰方式对各指标的影响不同,但总体上草原土壤含水量、有机碳和全氮含量表现为补播﹥休牧﹥自由放牧(P0.05);土壤容重为自由放牧休牧补播(P0.05)。随土层深度增加,除土壤容重无显著变化外(P0.05),土壤有机碳和全氮含量均呈现显著下降(P0.05);土壤含水量则相反,其中,补播处理降幅最小,自由放牧处理降幅最大。0~30 cm各土层土壤容重与土壤含水量、土壤有机碳和全氮含量都成极显著负相关关系(P0.000 1),而土壤含水量、有机碳和全氮3项指标间相互成显著正相关关系(P0.000 1)。综上所述,不同干扰方式对草地土壤理化性状有明显影响,自由放牧加速了草地土壤有机碳和全氮的损失,而补播和休牧对遏制草地退化、恢复草地功能起到了积极的作用。     

望峰岗选煤厂煤泥水深度净化的实验室研究

根据当前环境保护的要求，对望峰岗选煤厂的煤泥水进行深度净化试验，通过实验室试验进一步指导该厂工业性试验，以达到控制污水排放的目的．     

基于区域背景——斑块状态的矿业城市资源型生态关键地段识别

资源型生态关键地段对于维护和控制区域生态系统安全具有重要意义,对矿业城市资源型生态关键地段进行识别是量化矿业城市生态风险、保障生态可持续发展的有效途径。构建区域背景与斑块状态相结合的识别体系,从宏观上对次级行政区区域背景进行生态关键度分级;通过计算斑块的矿业活动指数、斑块生态脆弱度和生态损失度,从微观上反映斑块的生态关键度。应用Arc GIS空间叠加分析功能,将大冶市资源型关键地段分为原生型、损益型和扰动型,分别占总面积的36.83%,19.45%,43.72%。结果表明,基于BSM的资源型关键地段识别是分析区域生态现状的有效方法,对矿业城市生态环境治理和生态用地规划具有重要参考价值。     

加强企业劳动防护用品的管理

简述了劳动防护用品的分类,强调了当前管理和使用中存在的问题,提出了加强管理的对策和建议。     

粉末活性炭-A/O工艺处理尼龙66生产废水

采用粉末活性炭-A／O生物脱氮工艺对尼龙66生产废水进行处理，对投加与不投加粉末活性炭两种情况下该工艺的生产运行数据进行了汇总和整理。实验结果表明：在废水水量及污染物浓度增加的条件下，通过投加PAC，使系统对废水COD的去除率从85．7％提高到90．9％，NH3-N去除率由51．06％提高到67．66％，出水COD和NH3-N质量浓度分别达到112．53mg／L和19．51mg／L，均低于国家二级排放标准，解决了企业面临的处理废水不达标的问题。     

饱和水介质在超声作用下氡析出规律研究

本文采用自行设计的氡析出实验装置,开展了不同功率超声作用下的饱和水介质氡析出实验,研究铀矿石破裂前超声声发射与岩石氡异常规律。实验结果显示:超声作用对氡析出有明显影响,且随着超声功率的增加而增大,呈线性趋势。但随着实验时间的推移,氡析出逐渐恢复实验初始水平,超声作用结束30 min后,饱和水试块的氡析出能力相对初始时并没有显著的变化。实验结论为铀矿开采过程中氡的防护提供了理论依据。