Biochemical responses in armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi) after short-term exposure to diesel oil,pure biodiesel and biodiesel blends

Biodiesel fuel is gradually replacing petroleum-based diesel oil use. Despite the biodiesel being considered friendlier to the environment, little is known about its effects in aquatic organisms. In this work we evaluated whether biodiesel exposure can affect oxidative stress parameters and biotransformation enzymes in armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi, Loricariidae), a South American endemic species. Thus, fish were exposed for 2 and 7 d to 0.01 mL L⁻¹ and 0.1 mL L⁻¹ of pure diesel, pure biodiesel (B100) and blends of diesel with 5% (B5) and 20% (B20) biodiesel. Lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) levels and the activities of the enzymes glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were measured in liver and gills. Also, DNA damage (8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine) levels in gills and 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity in liver were assessed. Pure diesel, B5 and B20 blends changed most of the enzymes tested and in some cases, B5 and B20 induced a higher enzyme activity than pure diesel. Antioxidant system activation in P. anisitsi was effective to counteract reactive oxygen species effects, since DNA damage and lipid peroxidation levels were maintained at basal levels after all treatments. However, fish gills exposed to B20 and B100 presented increased lipid peroxidation. Despite biodiesel being more biodegradable fuel that emits less greenhouse gases, the increased lipid peroxidation showed that biofuel and its blends also represent hazards to aquatic biota.     

混凝-微气泡气浮法处理含藻废水的研究

采用日本菊池环保株式会社生产的新型TCRI-17微气泡气浮装置混凝气浮处理北京某富营养化景观水体的含藻废水,其结果表明,当混凝剂用量分别为PAC 40 mg/L和PAM 2 mg/L,混凝2 min, 气浮2 min时,SS和COD去除率分别达到98.4%和85.7%。与混凝沉降相比,可减少PAC用量1/3,且节省处理时间。由于微小气泡停留时间长,气浮效率高,且有增加水中溶解氧的作用,可促进水体的净化,具有较强的技术优势。     

Indirect identification of an unstable intermediate in γ-HCH degradation by Pseudomonas paucimobilis UT26

While a postulated intermediate, 1,3,4,5-tetrachlorocyclohexa-1,4-diene(1,4-TCDN), is one of the key-compounds in γ-hexachlorocyclohexane(γ-HCH) degradation by Pseudomonas paucimobilis UT26(UT26), it has neither been isolated nor identified yet. Thus, an indirect identification was attempted to demonstrate its existence by a chemical oxidation of the microbial degradation products in situ.

1,2,4,5-Tetrachlorobenzene(1,2,4,5-TeCB) was newly produced by the chemical oxidation with hydrogen peroxide under iron(II) of W medium containing degradation products in situ of γ-1,3,4,5,6-pentachlorocyclohexene(γ-PCCH) by Escherichia coli MV1184(E. coli) which possesses the dehydrochlorinating activity of UT26. The chemical oxidation required the preceding enzymatic reactions to γ-PCCH by E. coli for the production of 1,2,4,5-TeCB. In facts, 1,2,4,5-TeCB was not produced from γ-PCCH by either of the chemical or enzymatic reaction alone.

Considering these results and the fact that hydrogen peroxide is known to dehydrogenate chemical compounds, it was concluded that 1,2,4,5-TeCB was produced directly from the unstable intermediate, 1,4-TCDN, on yielded from γ-PCCH by an enzymatic dehydrochlorination.     

Vitrification Process for Treatment of Sewage Sludge and Incineration Ash

ABSTRACT

Vitrification processes, in which the operating temperature is higher than the melting point of the silica compounds contained in sewage sludge that turns into slag, are studied in this paper. The dried sludge and the incineration ash are injected into a furnace with auxiliary fuel and flux. The flux is the material used to control basicity of the ash content. Crushed limestone is used as the flux in this test. Almost all ashes in the sludge are vitrificated into slag. The flow of molten slag from the tap is smooth. After the slag is treated, it can be used as wall tile, interlocking tile, insulating material, and slag wool. This technology conforms to resource recycling.     

Study of the life history of Capitella capitata (Polychaeta: Capitellidae) in Amakusa,South Japan including a comparison with other geographical regions

The life history of Capitella capitata (Fabricius), occurring in Amakusa, South Japan, was studied in detail through field investigations and laboratory experiments. The important life-history characteristics of this species in the present study area are described and compared with those reported in previous studies from various geographic regions. Though some life-history characteristics (extended breeding season throughout almost the whole year, parental brooding habit, and early maturation) are common to all localities, the reproductive mode, larval developmental pattern and morphology are very distinct among the worms from various localities. C. capitata showing these considerable geographical variations should not be treated as a single species. It is suggested that C. capitata, originally defined on the basis of morphological features of adult worms, needs to be subdivided into several species, subspecies, or biological races.     

Application of coal ash to environmental improvement: Transformation into zeolite, potassium fertilizer, and FGD absorbent

The rapid increase in population and economic growth have led to an increase in energy demand. Coal reserves are distributed worldwide, and coal is now known to be the most stable and available energy source. However, utilization of coal as an energy source involves the generation of a great amount of coal ash, and the recycling rate of the ash is rather low. Coal ash is mainly used in civil construction materials, and there is a limit to the demand for coal ash by construction industries: therefore, the increasing amount of coal ash will be a serious problem in the near future. Different applications should be considered. In this paper, three environmentally-friendly methods for coal ash recycling are described. Firstly, alkali treatment can transform coal ash to zeolite, which is used in deodorant and for wastewater treatment and soil improvement. Secondly, potassium silicate fertilizer is produced from coal ash and has a higher retentivity in the soil than that of conventional fertilizers. Thirdly, emission of sulfur dioxide is controlled by flue gas desulfurization using coal ash. It is considered that environmentally-friendly use of coal ash is important from the viewpoints of energy, economy, and environmental strategy in order to realize the concept of sustainable development.     

Photodecomposition of humic acid and natural organic matter in swamp water using a TiO2-coated ceramic foam filter: Potential for the formation of disinfection byproducts

This paper reports on the photodecomposition of aqueous humic acid (HA) by a TiO₂-coated ceramic foam filter (TCF) reactor and on the potential for the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) upon chlorination of the photocatalytically treated solutions. This photocatalytic reactor can also be applied to the removal of natural organic matter (NOM) in swamp waters. The proposed photocatalytic reaction system was operated as per standardized methodologies. First, the ability of the TCF to decompose HA (a representative compound of NOM) was evaluated from the changes in the total organic carbon (TOC) and UV₂₅₄ with the reaction time. Remarkably, TOC removal and UV₂₅₄ values ranging from 44% to 61% and from 60% to 83%, respectively, were achieved. The potential for the formation of DBPs (total trihalomethane and total haloacetic acid) by chlorination of the phototreated solution was strongly dependent on the TOC removal and UV₂₅₄ values in the solution. The degree of photodecomposition of NOMs in the swamp water samples and the DBP formation potential showed similar trends as in the case of the standard solutions containing HA. The method used in this study could be effectively used to evaluate the efficiency of TCF for reducing HA and NOM, while suppressing the formation of DBP products.     

Captive Bears in Human–Animal Welfare Conflict: A Case Study of Bile Extraction on Asia’s Bear Farms

Bear bile has long been used in the Asian traditional pharmacopoeia. Bear farming first started in China ~30 years ago in terms of reducing the number of poached bears and ensuring the supply of bear bile. Approximately 13,000 bears are today captivated on Asia’s bear farms: their teeth are broken and the claws are also pulled out for the sake of human safety; the bears are imprisoned in squeeze cages for years; and a catheter is daily inserted into a bear’s gall bladder or a tube is implanted inside its body in order to collect the dripped bile—captive bears moan in severe pain whenever the bile is extracted. When the bears cannot produce sufficient bile, they are often left to die of starvation. It must be impossible to justify the bile extraction from living bears because (1) medicinal/herbal alternatives are similar to bear bile; (2) there is no evidence to suggest that bear farming has any beneficial effects on wild bear populations; and (3) ethical problems lie not only in the painful bile extraction but also the whole lifecycle of captive bears. In conclusion, human welfare (health care) based on traditional medicine is upheld by sacrificing bear welfare. Since a trial calculation suggests that it is economically unfeasible to keep a proper balance between bear welfare and the traditional pharmacopeia, the cultivation of herbal alternatives seems to be a possible solution to phase out bear faming and maintain the practice of traditional medicine in Asia.     

Importance of picocyanobacteria biomass (unicellular,blue-green algae) in the phytoplankton population of the coastal waters off Japan

Picocyanobacteria, which specifically excited the phycobilin pigments by green light, were numerically counted under an epifluorescence microscope in the Kuroshio and the Oyashio between 1 and 9 July 1983, and in coastal waters between 10 and 12 August 1983 off Japan. The fluorescence, and the various morphological and chemical characters of the picocyanobacteria were evaluated by using monospecific strains isolated from the study area. Plasma volume determined on the epifluorescence microscopic photographs was converted into cellular organic carbon using a relation obtained from the isolates. Percentages of the picocyanobacteria biomass in terms of cellular carbon ranged between 8.3 to 79.4% of the total picophytoplankton (<3 m), and between 4.7 to 46.4% of the total phytoplankton. The larger percentages of the picocyanobacteria occurred consistently in low chlorophyll waters.