Effect of acute exposure to PFOA on mouse liver cells in vivo and in vitro

Increasingly, epidemiological evidences indicate chemosynthetic perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an environmental pollutant, induces potential adverse effect on human health after long-term exposure. However, less study has been performed for assessment of acute effect of PFOA exposure on metabolic homeostasis. In experimental designs, PFOA-exposed liver cells in vivo and in vitro were used to discuss underlying mechanism related to PFOA-induced metabolic dysfunction. In serological tests, PFOA-exposed mice showed increased treads of liver functional enzymes in alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and total bilirubin (T-BIL), trypsinase, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and insulin, while blood glucose, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and glucagon levels were reduced. In histocytological observations, PFOA-exposed liver showed visible cytoplasmic vesicles, and intact pancreatic islets were observed in PFOA-exposed pancreas. Additionally, increased insulin-positive cells and reduced glucagon-positive cells were detected in PFOA-exposed islets. As shown in immunoassays, PFOA-exposed liver resulted in elevations of cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36)-labeled cells and CD36 protein. In mouse liver cell study, PFOA-exposed cells showed increased cell apoptotic count, and increased phosphorylated levels of Bcl-2 and Bad in the cells. Furthermore, PFOA-exposed liver cells exhibited elevations of CD36-labeled cells and CD36 protein. Taken together, the present data demonstrate that acute exposure to PFOA-impaired liver function is associated with inducting CD36 expression and apoptosis, as well as disrupting key hormones in the pancreas.     

Triclocarban: UV photolysis,wastewater disinfection,and ecotoxicity assessment using molecular biomarkers

Triclocarban (TCC) is an antibacterial agent found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP). It is potentially bioaccumulative and an endocrine disruptor, being classified as a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC). In normal uses, approximately 96% of the used TCC can be washed down the drain going into the sewer system and eventually enter in the aquatic environment. UV photolysis can be used to photodegrade TCC and ecotoxicity assays could indicate the photodegradation efficiency, since the enormous structural diversity of photoproducts and their low concentrations do not always allow to identify and quantify them. In this work, the TCC was efficiently degraded by UVC direct photolysis and the ecotoxicity of the UV-treated mixtures was investigated. Bioassays indicates that Daphnia similis (48 h EC₅₀ = 0.044 μM) was more sensitive to TCC than Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (72 h IC₅₀ = 1.01 μM). TCC and its photoproducts caused significant effects on Eisenia andrei biochemical responses (catalase and glutathione-S-transferase); 48 h was a critical exposure time, since GST reached the highest activity values. UVC reduced the TCC toxic effect after 120 min. Furthermore, TCC was photodegraded in domestic wastewater which was simultaneously disinfected for total coliform bacterial (TCB) (360 min) and Escherichia coli (60 min).

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Graphical abstract TCC degradation and ecotoxicological assessment

     

Cancer risk from gaseous carbonyl compounds in indoor environment generated from household coal combustion in Xuanwei,China

Airborne carbonyls were characterized from emitted indoor coal combustion. Samples were collected in Xuanwei (Yunnan Province), a region in China with a high rate of lung cancer. Eleven of 19 types of samples (58%) demonstrated formaldehyde concentrations higher than the World Health Organization exposure limit (a 30-min average of 100 μg m^?3). Different positive significant correlations between glyoxal/methylglyoxal and formaldehyde/acetaldehyde concentrations were observed, suggesting possible different characteristics in emissions between two pairs of carbonyl compounds. A sample in the highest inhalation risk shows 29.2 times higher risk than the lowest sample, suggesting different coal sampling locations could contribute to the variation of inhalation risk. Inhabitants in Xuanwei also tend to spend more time cooking and more days per year indoors than the national average. The calculated cancer risk ranged from 2.2–63 × 10^?5, which shows 13 types of samples at high-risk level. Cumulative effect in combination with different carbonyls could have contributed to the additive actual inhalation cancer risk. There is a need to explicitly address the health effects of environmentally relevant doses, considering life-long exposure in indoor dwellings.     

Hexabromocyclododecanes in soils and plants from a plastic waste treatment area in North China: occurrence,diastereomer- and enantiomer-specific profiles,and metabolization

Plastic waste is a source of organic contaminants such as hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs). HBCDs have been found to cause developmental and reproductive toxicity; it is important to investigate the occurrence and metabolization of HBCDs in the soil environments with plastic waste contamination. This work analyzed HBCDs and their metabolites in soil and plant samples collected from Xinle and Dingzhou—the major plastic waste recycling centers in North China. Results showed that total HBCD concentrations in soils followed the order: plastic waste treatment site (11.0–624 ng/g) > roadside (2.96–85.4 ng/g) ≥ farmland (8.69–55.5 ng/g). HBCDs were detected in all the plant samples with total concentrations ranging from 3.47 to 23.4 ng/g. γ-HBCD was the dominant congener in soils, while α-HBCD was preferentially accumulated in plants. Compositions of HBCD isomers in soils and plants were significantly different (P < 0.05) among sampling sites and among plant species. HBCDs in farmland soil and all plant samples exhibited high enantio-selectivity based on the enantiomeric fractions (EFs). Furthermore, metabolites of pentabromocyclododecenes (PBCDEs) were frequently identified in soils, and mono-OH-HBCDs were the most common ones in plants. This study for the first time provides evidences of HBCD contamination in the soil-plant system caused by plastic waste, their stereo-selectivity, and metabolization behavior, improving our understanding of the environmental behavior and fate of HBCDs.     

A Two-Stage Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm for MPPT of Partially Shaded PV Arrays

The power-voltage (P-V) characteristic curves of a PV array are nonlinear and have multiple peaks under partially shaded conditions (PSCs). This paper proposes a novel maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method for a PV system with reduced steady-state oscillation based on a two-stage particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The grouping method of the shuffled frog leaping algorithm (SFLA) is incorporated in the basic PSO algorithm (PSO-SFLA), ensuring fast and accurate searching of the global extremum. An adaptive speed factor is also introduced into the improved PSO to further enhance its convergence speed. Test results show that the proposed method converges in less than half the time taken by the conventional PSO method, and the power is improved by 33% under the worst PSCs, which confirms the superiority of the proposed method over the standard PSO algorithm in terms of tracking speed and steady-state oscillations under different PSCs.     

Hydrothermal liquefaction phase behavior of microalgae & model compounds in fused silica capillary reactor

A fused silica capillary reactor combined with a heating/cooling stage, a microscope and a digital camera were used to investigate phase behavior during the hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae (Dunaliella tertiolecta) and model compounds, including soya protein and glycine, starch, glucose and xylose, stearic acid and palmitic acid. Bubbles were generated at 246°C and disappeared at 360°C upon heating when Dunaliella tertiolecta used as feedstocks. Moreover, liquid products were generated at 300°C upon heating and oily liquid products began to separate out at 250°C upon cooling. The phase behavior of soya protein was similar to that of the Dunaliella tertiolecta. Meanwhile, there only observed the bubbles generation during hydrothermal liquefaction of glycine. Heating the starch, glucose and xylose above 350°C generated black solids from carbonization. Stearic acid and palmitic acid only had the process of melting, dissolution, dispersion and precipitation.     

兰坪铅锌矿区不同污染梯度下优势植物的重金属累积特征

对兰坪铅锌矿区污染程度不同的3个样地(云南松林、魁蒿群落和马桑灌丛)进行植被调查,选择其中9种共有的自然生长的优势草本植物为研究对象,测定了土壤及植物体的重金属含量。结果显示,3个样地土壤Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn等4种重金属含量均表现为马桑灌丛>魁蒿群落>云南松林;植物体内重金属积累呈现出随着土壤污染程度增加而增加的趋势;所选择的9种植物均不符合超富集植物的标准,依据不同的耐性机制将9种植物分为3类,野棉花能较强吸收土壤中重金属,并转移到地上部分,属于富集型植物;西南金丝梅、倒提壶、长籽柳叶菜、魁蒿、翻白叶和四脉金茅吸收的重金属主要积累在根部,属于根部囤积型植物;尼泊尔蓼和中华山蓼体内重金属含量较低,属于规避型植物。讨论了利用这些植物进行矿山治理。     

RPB-O3/H2O2法处理硝基苯模拟废水

在超重力场中,研究了硝基苯模拟废水的臭氧/双氧水(O3/H2O2)法处理效果,考察了超重力因子β、H2O2浓度、初始p H、液体流量及处理时间等因素对硝基苯去除率的影响。结果表明,硝基苯去除率随超重力因子β和处理时间的增加而增大,而随H2O2浓度、初始p H和液体流量的增加呈先增大后降低的趋势。当硝基苯初始浓度300 mg/L,工艺条件β=80、p H=10.0、臭氧质量浓度约为40 mg/L、H2O2浓度为4.9 mmol/L、液体流量为120 L/h时,循环处理35 min硝基苯去除率可达96.7%。处理时间60 min后,废水中硝基苯含量1.4 mg/L,COD为39 mg/L,达国家一级排放标准(GB 8978-1996)。在此条件下,硝基苯的降解过程符合准一级反应动力学。     

煤粉炉掺烧干化污泥的污染物排放研究

结合某电厂420 t/h四角煤粉炉掺烧污泥项目的实验室分析测试,了解煤粉掺烧不同含水率不同比例的干化污泥条件下烟气中污染物和灰渣中重金属的排放特性。结果表明,在实验研究配比和燃烧的条件下,大部分重金属元素Pb、Cu、Cr和Ni残留在灰渣中,Zn、Cd部分残留在灰渣中,As、Hg和Se等易挥发元素释放到烟气中,在灰渣中的含量很小。掺烧污泥后,灰渣中的重金属含量较单烧单煤都有了一定幅度的升高,Zn的含量是单煤的2倍,其余重金属是单煤的1.1~1.2倍。3种不同的掺混比例之间的污染气体排放浓度基本相似。烟气中主要污染物及重金属浓度可以满足现行国家标准。与单烧单煤相比,CO、HCl以及其他有机气体排放浓度基本相同;NH3的排放浓度较单煤有所升高;SO2、NOx和CO2排放浓度略有降低;飞灰浓度有所升高。烟气中的重金属,Hg含量升高了30%,Pb含量约为单煤的4.3~4.8倍。以上研究结果可为环保达标和飞灰利用提供基础数据。     

Dioxin-like activity in sediments from Tai Lake, China determined by use of the H4IIE-luc bioassay and quantification of individual AhR agonists

Deterioration of the general ecosystem and specifically quality of the water in Tai Lake (Ch: Taihu), the third largest freshwater in China, is of great concern. However, knowledge on status and trends of dioxin-like compounds in Tai Lake was limited. This study investigated AhR-mediated potency and quantified potential aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists in sediments from four regions (Meiliang Bay, Zhushan Lake, Lake Center, Corner of Zhushan Lake, and Meiliang Bay) of Tai Lake by use of the in vitro H4IIE-luc, cell-based, transactivation, reporter gene assay, and instrumental analysis. Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (Bio-TEQs) in sediments ranged from less than the limit of detection to 114.5 pg/g, dry weight, which indicated that organic extracts of sediments exhibited significant AhR-mediated potencies. Results of the potency balance analysis demonstrated that acid-labile, dioxin-like compounds represented a greater proportion of concentrations of Bio-TEQs in sediments from Tai Lake. Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents calculated as the sum of the product of concentrations of individual congeners and their respective relative potencies (Chem-TEQs) based on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and/or polychlorinated biphenyls represented no more than 10 % of the total concentrations of Bio-TEQs.