Effect of chromium on accumulation and antioxidants in Cucumis utillissimus L.: Response under enhanced bioavailability condition

This study compares the accumulation of Cr(VI) and biochemical changes (total chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, malondialdehyde (MDA) and cysteine contents) and roles of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) in tolerance to metal induced stress in Cucumis utillissimus L. grown in Cr contaminated soil (CS) with garden soil (GS). Furthermore, Cr bioavailability was enhanced by ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) addition to the soil to forecast the plant’s accumulation pattern at elevated Cr environment. Accumulation of Cr in the leaves of the plant increased with increase in substrate metals concentration. It further increased with the addition of EDTA by 1437% and 487% in GS and CS, respectively at the highest treatment level. The lipid peroxidation increased proportionately with increase in Cr accumulation in the leaves. All the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX and APX) and the level of cysteine increased with dose dependant manner. SOD and cysteine were observed to be higher in the GS than in CS, but APX and GPX were found to be higher in CS than in GS. The increase in GPX and APX activities with the increase in Cr concentration could be assumed that these two enzymes have a major role in the defense mechanism towards stress induced by Cr in C. utillissimus.     

Methanotrophic community structure of aged refuse and its capability for methane bio-oxidation

Aged refuse from waste landfills closed for eight years was examined and found to contain rich methanotrophs capable of biooxidation for methane. Specially, community structure and methane oxidation capability of methanotrophs in the aged refuse were studied. The amount of methanotrophs ranged 61.97 103–632.91 103 cells/g (in dry basis) in aged refuse from Shanghai Laogang Landfill. Type I and II methanotrophs were found in the aged refuse in the presence of sterilized sewage sludge and only Type I methanotrophs were detected in the presence of nitrate minimal salt medium (NMS). The clone sequences of the pmoA gene obtained from the aged refuse were similar to the pmoA gene of Methylobacter, Methylocaldum, and Methylocystis, and two clones were distinct with known genera of Type I methanotrophs according to phylogenetic analysis. Aged refuse enriched with NMS was used for methane biological oxidation and over 93% conversions were obtained.     

福禄吉祥与生物安全

再过十来天就是春节了!受几千年传统文化的影响,中国人过年总爱与吉祥、如意和福禄之类的祝福挂钩。文玩市场应该说是许多人在春节前乃至春节期间十分乐意光顾的地方。但最近有媒体报道说,在北京的文玩市场,一直以来很受顾客青睐的手捻儿葫芦(寓意福禄)几乎全是美国品种。     

响应面法优化复合微生物吸附剂对低浓度Cr3+的吸附

根据已有4种微生物吸附剂的吸附基团存在的差异特征,将其复配成复合吸附剂,借助统计学方法研究其对低ρ(Cr3+)废水的吸附性能.在单因素试验基础上,利用P-B(Plackett-Burman)法筛选出吸附过程4个主要影响因素分别为pH,初始ρ(Cr3+)及微生物吸附剂XB和TQ的投加量,应用最陡爬坡试验接近主要因素最优水平,采用Box-Behnken试验设计和响应面分析得到对低浓度Cr3+吸附过程的二阶模型.结果表明,最优吸附条件为pH 4.0,初始ρ(Cr3+)为4.86mg/L,XB和TQ的投加量分别为0.20和0.13 g/L,实际吸附率达到87.54%,与理论预测值(87.68%)接近,且高出单一吸附剂吸附率7.79%～17.35%.FT-IR扫描显示,复合微生物吸附剂性能提高与表面基团增多有关.通过响应面分析法优化复合微生物吸附,吸附性能明显提高.     

英国可替代能源及节能

人类正面临着严重的石油短缺,因此正在努力减少化石燃料的使用以抑制温室气体排放所造成的全球变暖趋势。在此紧要关头,风能、太阳能、生物燃料等可替代能源就显示出了重要性。由于目前西欧正逐渐成为世界上人口最稠密的地区之一,这使得西欧在推行替代能源的过程中面临     

为了下一代——索尼(中国)企业社会责任报告2010(环境部分)

概况随着全球经济一体化的推进和全球气候变暖趋势逐渐明显,索尼(中国)在履行社会责任、实施可持续发展过程中,在生态环境保护、社区和谐稳定、消费者及其他利益相关群体权益保护等诸多方面不断强化并完善各项举措,收到了良好的效果。索尼集团于2010年4月提出"环境零负荷"的目标,即计划到2050年,在企业运营行为和产品使用周期中,将对环境的负荷降低至零。作为集团中的一员,索尼(中国)在致力于为人们提供更多新颖、时尚的高科技产品同时,也在对产品研     

2030年能源展望与节能(上)

可替代能源21世纪的第一个10年刚刚走完,是时候来回顾世界在能源领域里所取得的成就并展望未来之路。特别是,在面对预期的环境恶化和气候变化情况下,全球气候政策应当作出怎样的调整以应对可能出现的自然灾害?正如气候学家和环境学家在10年前所警告的那样:"我们的地球正在升温"。如果我们不摆脱对化石能源的依赖并且发展可代替能源,到2030年,地球的温度将继续升高2摄氏度。     

王蒙说《红楼梦》：林妹妹为何越来越不合群

说不尽的《红楼梦》。痴迷其中。流三生三世的辛酸泪,解独一无二的红楼梦。从胡适、蔡元培,到俞平伯、周汝昌,再到今天的王蒙、刘心武,     

站在“十二五”的起跑线上

2011年第一、二期《环境经济》杂志的封面文章——《“十一五”：环境与经济走向高度融合》,从多角度全面地阐述了我国“十一五”期间所取得的经济结构得到进一步优化升级、经济发展质量得到不断提升、环境与经济开始步入科学发展的轨道等成就,让我们在感叹于“十一五”期间一系列斐然的成就之余,对于“十二五”也有着更高的期冀。     

七成人对食品没安全感是民生考题

1月1日,《求是》主办的《小康》杂志和清华大学媒介调查实验室发布《2010-2011消费者食品安全信心报告》。该报告内容显示,近七成人对中国的食品安全状况感到“没有安全感”。