Estimation of bioaccessibility and potential human health risk of mercury in Chinese patent medicines

Mercury(Hg), mainly in cinnabar species, has been used in medicine for thousands of years in China, and worldwide concern has been raised on its toxicity. In this work, the amount of bioaccessible mercury in 16 Chinese patent medicines(CPMs) was measured by using an in vitro simulated digestion system, consisting of simulated gastric and intestinal fluid, to investigate the bioavailability of mercury in CPMs and evaluate its potential risk to human health. Total mercury and mercury in the gastrointestinal extracts were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). The levels of total Hg in 16 CPMs ranged from not detected to 11.89 mg/g, with a mean value of 1.13 mg/g, while the extractable Hg ranged from not detected to 4.37 μg/g, with a mean value of 0.42 μg/g.Mercury bioaccessibility varied significantly in the investigated CPMs, depending on the ingredient. Compared to the CPMs without cinnabar(2.5%–30.9%), the percentage of mercury in the gastrointestinal supernatants for CPMs with cinnabar was quite a bit lower(0.037%). By comparing with the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives(FAO/WHO) safety guideline, the average daily intake dose(ADD) of Hg in the medicines was then calculated to access the risk of mercury to human health from taking CPMs.     

Fungal diversity in major oil-shale mines in China

As an insufficiently utilized energy resource,oil shale is conducive to the formation of characteristic microbial communities due to its special geological origins.However,little is known about fungal diversity in oil shale.Polymerase chain reaction cloning was used to construct the fungal ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid internal transcribed spacer(r DNA ITS)clone libraries of Huadian Mine in Jilin Province,Maoming Mine in Guangdong Province,and Fushun Mine in Liaoning Province.Pure culture and molecular identification were applied for the isolation of cultivable fungi in fresh oil shale of each mine.Results of clone libraries indicated that each mine had over 50% Ascomycota(58.4%–98.9%)and 1.1%–13.5%unidentified fungi.Fushun Mine and Huadian Mine had 5.9% and 28.1% Basidiomycota,respectively.Huadian Mine showed the highest fungal diversity,followed by Fushun Mine and Maoming Mine.Jaccard indexes showed that the similarities between any two of three fungal communities at the genus level were very low,indicating that fungi in each mine developed independently during the long geological adaptation and formed a community composition fitting the environment.In the fresh oil-shale samples of the three mines,cultivable fungal phyla were consistent with the results of clone libraries.Fifteen genera and several unidentified fungi were identified as Ascomycota and Basidiomycota using pure culture.Penicillium was the only genus found in all three mines.These findings contributed to gaining a clear understanding of current fungal resources in major oil-shale mines in China and provided useful information for relevant studies on isolation of indigenous fungi carrying functional genes from oil shale.     

Comparison of using polyurethane foam passive samplers and tree bark samples from Western China to determine atmospheric organochlorine pesticide

Polyurethane foam(PUF)passive samplers were deployed and tree bark samples were collected at 15 sites across western China in 2013,and the organochlorine pesticide(OCP)concentrations in the samples were determined.Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its degradation products(collectively called DDTs),hexachlorocyclohexanes(HCHs),and hexachlorobenzene(HCB)were the dominant OCPs in the PUF samples and tree bark samples.The mean DDTs,HCHs and HCB concentrations were 33,22 and 18 ng/sample in the PUF samples,and 428,74,and 43 ng/(g lipid weight(lw))in the tree bark,respectively.The OCP concentrations in the air,calculated using PUF–air and tree-bark–air partitioning models,were of the same order of magnitude.Both sample types showed that relatively fresh inputs of DDT and HCHs to the environment have occurred in western China.Meanwhile,PUF passive samplers were compared with the use of tree bark samples as passive samplers.The OCP compositions in the PUF and tree bark samples were different.Only the relatively stable OCPs(such as HCB,β-HCH and p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloro-ethylene(DDE))were consistent in the PUF and tree bark samples.     

Regeneration of commercial selective catalyst reduction catalysts deactivated by Pb and other inorganic elements

The regeneration of commercial SCR(Selective Catalyst Reduction) catalysts deactivated by Pb and other elements was studied.The deactivated catalyst samples were prepared by chemical impregnation with mixed solution containing K_2SO_4,Na_2SO_4,CaSO_4,Pb(NO_3)_2and NH_4H_2PO_4.A novel method combining Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt(EDTA-2Na) and H_2SO_4solution(viz.catalysts treated by dilute EDTA-2Na and H_2SO_4 solution in sequence) was used to recover the activity of deactivated samples,and the effect was compared with single H_2SO_4,oxalic acid,acetic acid,EDTA or HNO_3 solutions.The surface structure,acidity and reducibility of samples were characterized by N_2adsorption–desorption,inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer(ICP-OES),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray fluorescence(XRF),H-2-temperature programmed section(H_2-TPR),NH3-temperature programmed desorption(NH3-TPD) and in situ DRIFTS.Impurities caused a decrease of specific surface area and surface reducibility,as well as Br?nsted acid sites,and therefore led to severe deactivation of the SCR catalyst.The use of an acid solution alone possibly eliminated the impurities on the deactivated catalyst to some extent,and also increased the specific surface area and Br?nsted acid sites and promoted the surface reducibility,thus recovered the activity partially.The combination of EDTA-2Na and H_2SO_4 could remove most of the impurities and improve the activity significantly.The removal of Pb should be an important factor for regeneration.Due to a high removal rate for Pb and other impurities,the combination of EDTA-2Na and H_2SO_4 solutions provided the best efficiency.     

航海雷达溢油信息采集分析模型

首先阐述了航海雷达海杂波图像溢油提取分析的工作原理和国内外研究现状,基于SPx、OpenCV、Matlab等软件技术和HPx航海雷达信号采集卡,提出溢油数据采集分析工作流程和软硬件架构体系,实现航海雷达溢油信息采集分析模型,并结合大连716溢油事件的实际案例进行验证。该模型在保证航海雷达原有导航避碰功能的基础上,进行原始信号转换,同步实现海上溢油监测,为海上溢油监测预警、溢油轨迹回推、溢油应急处置等工作提供数据基础。     

乌梁素海和岱海沉积物有机碳的形态特征

以富营养化类型不同的乌梁素海和岱海为对象,开展湖泊沉积物中有机碳的形态特征研究,对比分析了2个湖泊沉积物有机碳的形态特征及其差异性.结果表明,乌梁素海沉积物中总有机碳(TOC)含量范围为4.50～22.83 g·kg-1,平均11.80g·kg-1;重组碳(HFOC)含量范围为3.38～21.67 g·kg-1,平均1...     

石油污染土壤物化修复前后生物毒性效应

采用作物种子的发芽率作为生态指标对石油污染土壤进行毒性分析,并以蚯蚓为实验生物,研究了石油污染物的生物效应及其对土壤生态系统的影响.结果表明,不同的作物种子对石油污染表现出不同的耐受性,对照清洁土壤,大多数作物种子的萌发都明显受到石油污染的抑制,其中受石油污染影响最严重的是黄豆、蚕豆、玉米.相比之下,在不同石油污染水平下绿豆具有较高的耐受性,且种子发芽率均在90%以上.蚯蚓在受到污染胁迫时,在生理水平上会发生明显的变化,进而影响其存活和生长能力,实验观测到随着石油污染加重蚯蚓存活时间显著下降.在高污染水平石油污染的土壤中(石油污染水平>30 000 mg.kg-1),蚯蚓的耐性降低,仅可以存活5 d左右,说明石油烃对蚯蚓的毒性较大,主要是因为蚯蚓直接与石油接触导致其中毒脱水而死亡.处理后油田污染土,即使在污染水平很低(≈30 mg.kg-1)的情况下,蚯蚓存活时间依然很短(3 d左右),是因为经过石油醚处理过的土壤,其营养物质也随着石油而被处理掉,而土壤中有机质等营养物对蚯蚓的生存具有很大影响.     

石油钻井废水处理研究进展

本文简述了处理石油钻井废水的研究现状,综述了常用的处理方法并对各种方法适用的范围以及优势和不足进行了分析。     

顶空-气相色谱法测定水质中的丙酮和丁酮

本文建立顶空-气相色谱法测定水和废水中的丙酮和丁酮的方法,水样测定结果的相对偏差小于5.0%,加标回收率在91%～103%之间,最低检出浓度0.006 mg.L-1。该方法简便,灵敏度更高,重现性好,线性范围宽,精密度和准确度满意,尤其是避免了消耗大量有机试剂,避免二次污染。旨在为实验分析人员提供技术参考依据。     

区域PTS海洋环境风险评价研究进展

目前,各种环境污染物严重威胁人类健康和生态系统,开展持久性有毒物质(PTS)的环境风险评价已成为当前环境领域的研究热点.本研究从区域尺度着手,简要介绍了在三种海洋介质(水体、沉积物以及生物体)中PTS的环境风险评价方法,包括:常用的风险商值法(如:PEC/PNEC比值法,Hakanson生态风险指数法、毒性效应区间低、...