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.     

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.     

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%。     

发酵类抗生素废水处理工艺及运行效果

介绍了内蒙古某抗生素废水处理厂的处理工艺流程、处理单元类型及其详细设计参数,通过对该污水处理厂半年内运行效果的调研,分析评价该污水处理系统的处理效果及出水指标;该水厂工艺流程对COD、TOC、氨氮、总氮、总磷、BOD和急性毒性的平均去除率分别为96.52%、95.83%、50.24%、55.20%、62.05%、98.52%和99.14%,COD、氨氮、总氮、总磷出水水质分别为477、438、556.7和7.69 mg/L,达到排放到城区下水道要求,园区内所有废水汇集到园区污水处理厂进行集中深度处理达标后排放水体。通过对该水厂工艺的介绍和水质分析,为我国抗生素生产企业面临的废水处理工艺类型选择及工程改造升级提供一定参考。     

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.     

湖南2008/2011年两次低温雨雪冰冻灾害成因与影响对比分析

针对2008年1月13日-2月2日和2011年1月1-23日两次低温雨雪冰冻过程,从天气学成因、对交通、电力影响情况和特点等方面进行综合对比分析,揭示了两次过程的强度和造成灾情差异的原因,并提出了如何进一步防御和减轻极端天气气候事件灾害的能力,为暴雪冰冻灾害防御提供经验和依据。     

基于GIS和组合赋权法的农村生态功能适宜性评价及管制分区

在村级土地利用规划过程中进行生态功能适宜性评价,以了解农村生态质量状况、明确农村生态功能适宜程度及空间分布,为村级土地利用规划中土地利用方向的确定和空间布局的划分提供科学的生态适宜依据,从而更好地协调农村发展建设和生态环境保护的关系有着至关重要的作用。以岩南村为例,开展了农村生态功能适宜性评价及应用研究。以高分辨率航空影像为数据源,从地形条件、土壤资源、生物资源、水资源、人类干扰5个方面建立了评价指标体系;利用组合赋权法确定各评价因子的权重值,构建了生态功能适宜性评价模型;以栅格为评价单元,在GIS支持下,对岩南村进行生态功能适宜性评价。并根据评价结果划分了生态功能适宜等级,制定了分区管制措施,提出了土地利用建议,旨在为岩南村土地利用规划提供指导     

Plasma versus Thermal Effects in Flue Gas NOx Reduction Using Ammonia Radical Injection

Abstract

A plasma-assisted ammonia injection technique was previously demonstrated as having the potential to remove NO_x from combustion flue gases at SCR-comparable levels without the use of catalysts. However, these demonstrations did not prove the advantage of plasma assistance because they did not explicitly account for enhanced radical production by bulk thermal heating. An experiment using hot ammonia injection was performed to separate this thermal effect from the effect of radical production via interaction with a plasma. Under excess air conditions, results show that a thermal effect does provide improved NO_x reduction, but not to the level achieved with the use of a plasma source. However, heating the injection gases provides only a minor improvement in NO_x reduction at NH₃/NO_x ratios and temperatures typical of commercial cold SNCR applications. The plasma effect in ammonia radical injection was also found to be significant, accounting for an additional 15% to 35% of absolute NO_x reduction beyond any thermal benefit at typical excess air conditions. The ammonia radical injection technique continues to show promise as an effective NO_x reduction alternative.     

Properties of Pyrolytic Chars and Activated Carbons Derived from Pilot-Scale Pyrolysis of Used Tires

Abstract

Used tires were pyrolyzed in a pilot-scale quasi-inert rotary kiln. Influences of variables, such as time, temperature, and agent flow, on the activation of obtained char were subsequently investigated in a laboratory-scale fixed bed. Meso-porous pores are found to be dominant in the pore structures of raw char. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surfaces of activated chars increased linearly with carbon burnoff. The carbon burnoff of tire char achieved by carbon dioxide (CO₂) under otherwise identical conditions was on average 75% of that achieved by steam, but their BET surfaces are almost the same. The proper activation greatly improved the aqueous adsorption of raw char, especially for small molecular adsorbates, for example, phenol from 6 to 51 mg/g. With increasing burnoff, phenol adsorption exhibited a first-stage linear increase followed by a rapid drop after 30% burnoff. Similarly, iodine adsorption first increased linearly, but it held as the burnoff exceeded 40%, which implied that the reduction of iodine adsorption due to decreasing micro-pores was partially made up by increasing mesopores. Both raw chars and activated chars showed appreciable adsorption capacity of methylene-blue comparable with that of commercial carbons. Thus, tire-derived activated carbons can be used as an excellent mesoporous adsorbent for larger molecular species.     

Impacts of invasive plants on ecosystems in natural reserves in Jiangsu of China

To estimate the impacts of invasive plants on ecosystems, a survey has been conducted in three sites including both buffer zones and core zones. 13, 19 species are found in the Yuntai Mountain and Longchi Mountain natural reserve respectively, and 23 in the Purple Mountain Natural Park. Altogether 25 species belonging to 12 families, the majority of which are native to North America, some of them have set up stable reproducible populations. Among them, Solidago canadensis is found in Longchi Mountain and Purple Mountain. Communities of Galinsoga parviflora, Gynura crepidioides, Ageratum conyzoides, and Ambrosia artemisiifolia pose a serious threat to local biodiversity.