Genotoxicity of two novel pesticides for the earthworm, Eisenia fetida

In this paper, several studies were conducted to evaluate the genotoxicity of two pesticides, Imidacloprid and RH-5849, for earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Earthworms were exposed in different exposure systems to evaluate their acute toxicity and the genotoxicity of the two pesticides was evaluated by using the method of sperm deformity assessment, micronucleus test of root tip cells in Vicia faba, a mouse bone-marrow micronucleus test, and comet assay. LC(50) (interpolated concentration at which 50% mortality of test population occurs) for earthworms varied in different exposure systems. The results indicated that Imidacloprid was consistently more toxic than RH-5849 in all exposure systems. In this study, sperm deformity test was used to detect the potential adverse influences of pesticides on the reproduction of earthworms. The results demonstrated that significant induction of sperm deformity (p<0.01) and a dose-effect relationship displayed at Imidacloprid concentrations higher than 0.5 mg/kg dry soil. However, the sperm deformity frequency of groups exposed to RH-5849 did not show significant difference (p>0.05) from the control until the dose reached 100 mg/kg dry soil. The results of the V. faba micronucleus tests showed that micronuclei frequency of the exposed group did not show significant difference (p>0.05) from the control until the concentration of Imidacloprid and RH-5849 reached 100 mg/ml. The results of the mouse bone-marrow micronuclei test also indicate that two pesticides did not show significant effects (p>0.05) on the micronuclei frequency in mice bone-marrow cells until the dose reached 100 mg/kg for Imidacloprid and 300 mg/kg for RH-5849 (2/3 LD(50)). Although no genotoxicity was detected by using the micronucleus tests, the results of the comet assay showed that the two pesticides induce significant DNA damage (p<0.01) in earthworms and dose-effect relationships were displayed. The 'earthworm comet assay' is a rapid and sensitive way to screen chemicals or terrestrial environments for their DNA-damaging properties.     

Application of nanoparticle tracking analysis for characterising the fate of engineered nanoparticles in sediment-water systems

Novel applications of nanotechnology may lead to the release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), which result in concerns over their potential environmental hazardous impact. It is essential for the research workers to be able to quantitatively characterise ENPs in the environment and subsequently to assist the risk assessment of the ENPs. This study hence explored the application of nanoparticle tracking system (NTA) to quantitatively describe the behaviour of the ENPs in natural sediment-water systems. The NTA allows the measurement of both particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size distribution (PSD) of the ENPs. The developed NTA method was applied to a range of gold and magnetite ENPs with a selection of surface properties. The results showed that the positively-charged ENPs interacted more strongly with the sediment than neutral and negatively-charged ENPs. It was also found that the citrate coated Au ENPs had a higher distribution percentage (53%) than 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid coated Au ENPs (20%) and citrate coated magnetite ENPs (21%). The principles of the electrostatic interactions between hard (and soft) acids and bases (HSAB) are used to explain such behaviours; the hard base coating (i.e. citrate ions) will interact more strongly with hard acid (i.e. magnetite) than soft acid (i.e. gold). The results indicate that NTA is a complementary method to existing approaches to characterise the fate and behaviour of ENPs in natural sediment.     

衡阳丰乐五号西瓜空心畸形事件调查及气候影响分析

2009年6月衡阳丰乐五号西瓜出现空心、畸形现象,果农经济损失惨重。经相关部门多次调查发现,5月下旬持续低温阴雨天气是造成该事件发生的主要原因,栽培管理不当导致灾损进一步发展。历史数据分析表明,衡阳5月低温天气发生频率为67.57%,主要出现在上旬后期—中旬前期。进入新世纪以后,低温发生频率减少,强度减弱。对西瓜提前栽种似乎更加有利,但由此所带来的风险更大,为了保险起见,应大力推进设施栽培,采用小拱架双膜覆盖等栽培技术。     

生物修复技术在白海面黑臭河涌治理中的应用

利用人工曝气、水体生物修复和河道生态恢复等技术,对广州市白海面黑臭水体进行治理。结果表明,在污水进水流量3000～4000m^3／d的条件下,通过生物治理,消除了水体黑臭现象,从上游到下游,水色由暗黄逐步转为黄、黄绿;在上游不断流入污水情况下,CODcr除去率达55％以上,NH3-N除去率为35％,TP除去率达25％以上。本研究为城市黑臭河道,特别是暂时无法截污的城郊河道的治理和养护提供了一套切实可行的方法。     

流域水电开发环境影响后评价实践与思考

环境影响后评价必将是未来环境影响评价领导另一新的研究课题,而目前尚未出台相关规范导则。本文根据流域环境影响后评价的工作实践,明确提出开展流域梯级水电开发环境影响后评价的理论框架和评价思路,供国内重点流域梯级水电开发开展环境影响后评价提供经验和参考。     

浅析县级环境监测站的污染状况及防治措施

针对目前中国县级环境监测站存在的污染种类及危害,阐明环境监测站是一种不容忽视的污染源,其污染物种类多样、成分复杂、毒害较大,并针对不同的污染提出相应的治理办法,提出对县级环境监测站加强污染防治,推行绿色实验室。     

水环境承载力方法研究

文章给出水环境承载力概念,以及对现有的水环境承载力研究方法进行分析,提出基于水量水质相关法的水环境承载力计算模型,并对其进行实证研究。结果表明,将水量水质相关法应用于水环境承载力的研究,具有建模方便、直观简单的特点,为水环境承载力研究提供了一种新途径。     

Organochlorine compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediment from Baiyangdian Lake, North China： Concentrations, sources profiles and potential risk

Organochlorine pesticides(OCPs),polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs),and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) were determined in nineteen surface sediment samples collected from Baiyangdian Lake and its inflowing river(Fuhe River) in North China.Total concentrations of OCPs,PCBs and PAHs in sediments ranged from 5.4 to 707.6 ng/g,2.3 to 197.8 ng/g,and 101.3 to 6360.5 ng/g,respectively.The levels of contaminants in Fuhe River were significantly higher than those in Baiyandian Lake.For hexachlorocyclohexane(HCHs) and dichlorodiphenytrichloroethanes(DDTs),α-HCH and p,p-DDT were predominant isomers;while for PCBs,PCB 28/31,PCB 40/103,PCB 60,PCB 101,and PCB 118 were predominant congeners.Possible sources derived from historical usage for OCPs and incomplete combustion fuel,wood,and coal and exhaustion of boats or cars for PAHs.Risk assessment of sediment indicated that sediments in Fuhe River were likely to pose potential biological adverse impact.     

Shrinkage and fragmentation of grasslands in the West Songnen Plain,China

In the past century, especially the past five decades, the grasslands of the West Songnen Plain, Northeast China, were rapidly converted into croplands and salinized wasteland, and experienced a fragmentation process that is still ongoing. Almost no information is available on the spatial-temporal changes of grasslands in this area. In this study, grassland cover change, agricultural reclamation and salinized wasteland expansion were investigated during the past five decades. Grassland fragmentation was studied based on four landscape metrics. The grassland cover change was detected from a time series of topographic maps from 1954, satellite images of Landsat TM in 1986, 1995, and 2000 using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). In addition, the land use changes were analyzed using a transition matrix of land use types, while the driving forces were explored according to climatic changes and socioeconomic developments. The results indicated a significant decrease in grassland area. Of the 1 418 945 ha of native grassland in 1954, approximately 64% was removed by 2000, while the number of patches (NP) increased from 865 to 2035 and the mean patch size (MPS) decreased from 1640 ha to 252 ha. During the whole study period, the average annual decrease rate of grassland was 34 894 ha/year. Cropland and salinized wasteland were the two main land use types into which grassland converted. During the past decades, obvious climatic changes occurred, which supplied a favorable potential environment for agricultural development but damaged grassland productivity. On the other hand, population, GDP and livestock number increased significantly as grassland quality decreased. According to the results, the shrinkage and fragmentation of grasslands may well be explained by socioeconomic development and aided by changing climatic conditions.     

微波协同氧化预处理垃圾渗滤液NF膜滤浓缩液研究

针对城市生活垃圾填埋场垃圾渗滤液NF膜处理后产生的浓缩液处理难问题,采用微波协同氧化技术对其进行预处理,探讨了pH值、预反应时间、药剂用量、微波反应时间等因素对浓缩液CODcr及色度去除率的影响.结果表明:当pH=4,预反应时间60 min,药剂用量1g/l、微波反应时间3 min时,CODcr、色度的去除率分别为71.2%,80%.预处理后的出水CODcr及色度指标达到垃圾渗滤液现有生化处理系统的进水要求.