Splenocyte apoptotic pathway in mice following oral exposure to cerium trichloride

With their widespread application in agriculture, industry, culture, medicine, and daily life, lanthanide compounds are being brought into the ecological environment and human body through food chains. It is important to know the acute and chronic effects of lanthanides on the environment, nature balance, and the human body after their entry into bodies and the environment. Lanthanides have been demonstrated to cause spleen apoptosis and decreased immunity of mice, but very little is known about the molecular aspects of these mechanism. In order to understand the spleen apoptotic mechanism induced by intragastric administration of 2, 10 and 20 mg kg(-1) body weight CeCl(3) for consecutive 60 d, we investigated the cerium accumulation, apoptosis, the expression levels of the apoptosis-related cytokines into apoptosis-related genes and proteins. The results demonstrated that cerium had obvious accumulation in the mouse spleen, leading to the significant increase of the spleen indices and splenocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, CeCl(3) could effectively activate caspase-3 and -9, decrease the Bcl-2 the levels of gene and protein, and increase the levels of Bax, and cytochrome c genes and their protein expressions, and promote reactive oxygen species production. It implied CeCl(3)-induced apoptosis in the mouse spleen via intrinsic pathway. Our findings suggest the need for great caution to handle the lanthanides for workers and consumers.     

PBDD/F impurities in some commercial deca-BDE

The study presented the concentrations and distributions of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polybrominated dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) as impurities in some commercial decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE) mixtures that were produced by several manufacturers. The total concentrations of 12 2,3,7,8-substituted tetra- to octa-BDD/F congeners were found to be in the range of 3.4-13.6 (mean 7.8) μg/g, averagely accounting for 99% of total PBDD/Fs. OBDF was the prevailing congener, followed by 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpBDF. In addition, OBDD and 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxBDF were also obviously detectable. The total concentrations of PBDD/Fs varied both between the manufacturers and between the lots. On the basis of the global demand for the commercial DBDE in 2001, the annual potential emissions of PBDD/Fs were calculated coarsely to be 0.43 (range: 0.21-0.78) tons. The major dioxin congeners, OBDF and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpBDF, presenting in DBDE, were estimated to be formed from BDE-209, BDE-206, and/or BDE-207 via an intra-molecular elimination of Br₂/HBr.     

The behaviors and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a coking wastewater treatment plant

The occurrence, behaviors and fate of 18 PAHs were investigated in a coking wastewater treatment plant in Songshan coking plant, located in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province of China. It was found that the target compounds occurred widely in raw coking wastewater, treated effluent, sludge and gas samples. In raw coking wastewater, high molecular weight (MW) PAHs were the dominant compounds, while 3-6 ring PAHs predominated in the final effluent. The dominant compounds in gas samples were phenathrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, while they were fluoranthene, pyrene, chrysene and benzo[k]fluoranthene for sludge. The process achieved over 97% removal for all the PAHs, 47-92% of eliminations of these target compounds in liquid phase were achieved in biological stage. Different behaviors of PAHs were observed in the primary tank, anaerobic tank, aerobic tank, hydrolytic tank and coagulation tank units, while heavier and lower ones were mainly removed in anaerobic tank and aerobic tanks, respectively. Regarding the fate of PAHs, calculated fractions of mass losses for low MW PAHs due to transformation and adsorption to sludge accounted for 15-50% and 24-49%, respectively, while the rest was less than 1%. For high MW PAHs, the mass losses were mainly due to adsorption to sludge and separation with tar (contributing 56-76% and 22-39%, respectively), and the removal through transformation was less.     

Arsenic, copper, and zinc contamination in soil and wheat during coal mining, with assessment of health risks for the inhabitants of Huaibei, China

Field studies were conducted to investigate arsenic (As), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) contamination in agricultural soils and wheat crops at two areas in Huaibei, China. Area A is in the proximity of Shuoli coal mine. In area B, three coal mines and a coal cleaning plant were distributed. The potential health risk of As, Cu, and Zn exposure to the local inhabitants through consumption of wheat grains was also estimated. The results showed that significantly higher (p?<?0.05) concentrations of As, Cu, and Zn were found in soils collected from area B than in those from area A. Arsenic concentrations in wheat sampled from area A were negatively correlated with the distance from the coal mine (p?<?0.001). Concentrations of Cu and Zn in wheat seedlings and grains collected from area B were significantly higher (p?<?0.05) than in those collected from area A, with the exception of Zn in wheat seedlings. Concentrations of Cu and Zn in most wheat grain samples were above the permissible limits of Cu and Zn in edible plants set by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization. The hazard index of aggregate risk through consumption of wheat grains was 2.3–2.4 for rural inhabitants and 1.4–1.5 for urban inhabitants. The average intake of inorganic As for rural inhabitants in Huaibei was above 10 μg day^?1. These findings indicated that the inhabitants around the coal mine are experiencing a significant potential health risk due to the consumption of locally grown wheat.     

Microbial degradation characteristics and kinetics of novel pyrimidynyloxybenzoic herbicide ZJ0273 by a newly isolated Bacillus sp. CY

ZJ0273 (propyl 4-(2-(4,6-demethoxy pyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzylamino)benzoate) is a novel herbicide developed in China for oilseed crop. Sixteen bacteria capable of utilizing ZJ0273 as the sole carbon source were isolated from soils. One of the isolates was designated as Bacillus sp. CY based on its physiological and biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences. The present study aimed to investigate the ZJ0273 degradation characteristics and kinetics by Bacillus sp. CY which has the ability to utilize ZJ0273 as the sole source of carbon and energy under aerobic conditions. The optimum biodegradation temperature, pH, and ZJ0273 initial concentration were 20–40 °C, 5.0–9.0, and 50–400 mg/l, respectively. Strain CY degraded 65 % of ZJ0273 (initial concentration of 50 mg/l) during 30 days of incubation in basal mineral medium at pH 8.0 and 35 °C. DT50 (half-life value), k (degradation rate constant of ZJ0273), and R ² are 19.20 days, 0.0361 day^?1, and 0.9464, respectively.     

桂林会仙湿地沉积物中磷形态及分布特征

沉积物中磷的含量及其形态是影响水体营养化进程的重要因素,对研究湿地水体富营养化具有重要意义。应用蒋柏藩等石灰性土壤无机磷提取方法,调查了桂林会仙岩溶湿地5个典型区域柱状沉积物中的磷形态分布、垂向上的变化特征,分析了各形态磷之前的相关性。结果表明,桂林会仙湿地柱状沉积物中w(TP)为161.14~555.48 mg/kg,活性较高的Ca2-P(5.27~51.45 mg/kg)、Ca8-P(7.76~37.57 mg/kg)均较低。沉积物中的磷以Ca-P(42.92%)为主,Ca-P中的Ca10-P所占比例较高(>70.3%),导致内源磷不易释放,有利于减缓桂林会仙湿地水体富营养化进程。在空间分布上,Ca2-P、Ca8-P、Al-P、Fe-P与TP分布趋势相似,从沉积物表层至底层逐渐降低并趋于稳定。Pearson相关系数表明,TP与总氮(TN)、有机质(OM)、Ca2-P、Ca8-P、Al-P、Fe-P极显著相关,与Ca10-P显著相关。     

十溴联苯醚环境修复技术的研究进展

介绍了溴代阻燃剂十溴联苯醚（BDE-209）环境修复技术的研究进展。从光降解、零价铁降解、生物降解3个方面对BDE-209的降解机理和降解后的产物进行了介绍。BDE-209经光照、厌氧微生物、零价铁的脱溴作用后,降解成低溴代联苯醚产物;好氧微生物利用低溴代联苯醚作为生长碳源,将其在酶的作用下开环降解,进入三羧酸循环或彻底分解成CO₂和H₂O。提出应采用多种方法协同作用,更有效地降解多溴联苯醚化合物。     

不同挂膜方式生物滴滤塔处理含H2S恶臭气体

采用菌剂挂膜,活性污泥挂膜和自然挂膜3种不同方式形成生物滴滤塔,考察挂膜方式对生物滴滤塔去除H2s恶臭气体的影响。结果表明,当进气H2S浓度为5mg／m3时,菌剂挂膜、活性污泥挂膜、自然挂膜形成的生物滴滤塔出气H2s浓度分别为15．7～17．4、11．6～14．8和15．0～15．9μg／m3;塔内压降分别为3—4mm水柱、6mm水柱和4—5mm水柱;喷淋后滤出液中硫酸根的浓度分别为14、22和17mg／L,硫的转化率分别为45％、60％和50％。当进气H2S浓度增大至7mg／m3时,3个塔经过7d的调整后,均能达到稳定状态,稳定后3个塔中出气H2s浓度和压降基本没变,喷淋后滤出液中硫酸根浓度依次增大至25、31和30mg／L左右。采用活性污泥挂膜形成的生物滴滤塔处理H2s的能力比菌剂挂膜和自然挂膜的高。     

染料厂污染土壤中六氯苯的水淹法厌氧降解

以乙酸为碳源,采用正交实验的方法,探讨了水淹法厌氧降解某染料厂污染土壤中六氯苯的效果,研究考察了初始pH、反应温度和固液比3个环境因素对六氯苯降解率的影响,确定了六氯苯最佳的厌氧降解条件。结果表明,初始pH对土壤中六氯苯的降解率影响最大。在初始pH为5,反应温度为45℃,固液比为1∶1的最佳反应条件下,六氯苯的降解率最高达到52.56%。     

长江中游城市群综合发展水平时空分异研究

区域可持续发展理念已被社会各界所接收,并逐步深入到社会发展计划及区域政策制定中。以区域差异分析为基础的区域格局优化是促进区域发展的核心内容。从经济发展、资源利用、环境保护、人口与公共服务和科技创新等5个方面选取23个指标,构建其监测评估指标体系综合分析长江中游城市群综合发展水平时空格局演变,有助于认清长江中游城市群综合发展格局形成的过程,出现的问题及产生的原因,从而制定相应的区域调控政策,这对于促进长江中游城市群内部区域之间协调发展及推进中部崛起战略具有重要的现实意义。基于2005年和2011年长江中游城市群37个地级市的统计数据,借助SPSS、GIS软件,采用全局主成分分析法评价分析其综合发展水平及时空分异,并对其成因进行分析。结果表明：区域综合发展分值有所提升,但增长潜力仍然很大;发展水平差异显著,且两极分化趋势明显;整体呈现出以武汉和长沙为中心,以南昌、合肥为副中心发展格局,但中心城市带动作用较弱,制约各城市群发展的因素各异。因此,未来长江中游城市群应努力提升区域经济发展总量的同时,转变经济产业结构,加强企业创新能力,寻求新的经济增长点。与此同时,应加大基础设施尤其是道路交通的投资强度;充分利用已有的地理区位及资源、科技人才优势发展第二、三产业,提高经济发展中资源的利用效率,降低能耗,保护环境;除此之外,还应加强区域宏观调控,注重城乡统筹发展,协调、平衡区域内部均衡发展,缩小区域之间及内部差异,促进技术转移和优势互补