Growth Inhibition by Nitrocompounds of Selected Uric Acid-Utilizing Microorganisms Isolated from Poultry Manure

The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the potential ability of nitrocompounds to reduce ammonia volatilization by inhibiting uric acid–utilizing microorganisms. Experiment I was conducted to evaluate the effects of nitrocompounds on the growth of uric acid–utilizing microorganisms isolated from poultry manure during six-hour incubation. There were five treatments: (1) control, (2) 50 mM nitroethane, (3) 50 mM nitroethanol, (4) 50 mM nitropropanol, and (5) 50 mM nitropropionic acid. Optical density values of nitrocompounds were significantly lower than that of control at two, four, and six hours. Plate counts of uric acid–utilizing microorganisms after six-hour incubation exhibited that nitrocompounds greatly reduced the growth of these microorganisms except for the nitroethane (P < 0.05). The nitropropanol and nitropropionic acid treatments showed significantly higher inhibitory effects compared to the nitroethanol. Experiments II and III were conducted to evaluate inhibitory effects of nitrocompounds on growth of uric acid–utilizing microorganisms compared to non-nitrocompounds such as ethanol, propanol, and propionic acid. Experiments II and III consisted of seven treatments: (1) control, (2) nitroethanol, (3) nitropropanol, (4) nitropropionic acid, (5) ethanol, (6) propanol, and (7) propionic acid. The incubation times of Experiments II and III were 6 and 24 h, respectively. The nitrocompounds were significantly more successful in inhibiting growth of uric acid–utilizing microorganisms compared to those non-nitrocompounds. These results suggest that nitrocompounds exhibit potential to reduce ammonia volatilization in poultry manure by inhibiting growth of uric acid–utilizing microorganisms.     

Antioxidants in Capsicum chinense: Variation among countries of origin

The main objective of this investigation was to evaluate fruits of C. chinense accessions for their concentration of β -carotene, ascorbic acid, and phenols for use as parents in breeding for these phytochemicals. Mature fruits of 63 accessions of C. chinense originally acquired from Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and the United States were analyzed for their chemical composition. Fruits of C. chinense accessions PI-152452 (Brazil) and PI-360726 (Ecuador) contained the greatest concentrations of ascorbic acid (1.2 and 1.1 mg g^?1 fresh fruit, respectively), while PI-438648 (Mexico) contained the greatest concentration of total phenols content (349 μ g g^?1 fresh fruit) among the other 63 accessions tested. Accession PI-355817 from Ecuador contained the greatest concentrations of β -carotene (8 mg g^?1fresh fruit). These accessions were identified as potential candidates for mass production of antioxidants with health-promoting properties.     

Assessment of imidacloprid toxicity on reproductive organ system of adult male rats

In the current study it was aimed to investigate the toxicity of low doses of imidacloprid (IMI) on the reproductive organ systems of adult male rats. The treatment groups received 0.5 (IMI-0.5), 2 (IMI-2) or 8 mg IMI/kg body weight by oral gavage (IMI-8) for three months. The deterioration in sperm motility in IMI-8 group and epidydimal sperm concentration in IMI-2 and IMI-8 groups and abnormality in sperm morphology in IMI-8 were significant. The levels of testosterone (T) and GSH decreased significantly in group IMI-8 compared to the control group. Upon treatment with IMI, apoptotic index increased significantly only in germ cells of the seminiferous tubules of IMI-8 group when compared to control. Fragmentation was striking in the seminal DNA from the IMI-8 group, but it was much less obvious in the IMI-2 one. IMI exposure resulted in elevation of all fatty acids analyzed, but the increases were significant only in stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidonic acids. The ratios of 20:4/20:3 and 20:4/18:2 were decreased and 16:1n-9/16:0 ratio was increased. In conclusion, the present animal experiments revealed that the treatment with IMI at NOAEL dose-levels caused deterioration in sperm parameters, decreased T level, increased apoptosis of germ cells, seminal DNA fragmentation, the depletion of antioxidants and change in disturbance of fatty acid composition. All these changes indicate the suppression of testicular function.     

萃取净化电镀含镉废水

研究了二壬基萘磺酸(DNNSA)形成的微乳液从模拟含镉废水中萃取镉离子的工艺条件。分别考察了相体积比(O/A)、萃取时间、温度及萃取剂浓度对废水中镉离子萃取的影响。结果表明,萃取平衡时间为10 mim,降低温度及增加萃取剂浓度均有利于萃取。紫外光谱证实当DNNSA萃取镉时,所形成萃合物对萘环的结构无影响,且不会破坏微乳相的结构;分子荧光光谱表明镉离子对配体DNNSA有荧光猝灭作用。     

PAFC对水体中持久性有机污染物PFOA的混凝效果

针对含全氟辛酸(PFOA)的工业废水及应对PFOA的污染突发事件,采用PAFC及其复配粘土矿物凹凸棒和沸石进行混凝实验,并对几个影响因素进行了考察。结果表明,在PAFC的最佳投加量10 mg/L时,PFOA和浊度的去除率分别达到70.25%和99.42%,PAFC混凝处理PFOA的效果优于PAC;pH值对PAFC去除PFOA有一定的影响,当pH大于6时有利于PFOA的去除;PFOA和浊度的去除率随原始浊度的增加而增加;活性炭、盐酸改性凹凸棒、盐酸改性沸石、CT-MAB改性的沸石复配PAFC均可提高PFOA的去除率;改性处理后的沸石应用于PFOA的处理中,有望降低处理成本。     

柠檬酸对褐土中DTPA提取态铜、镉含量及对紫花苜蓿吸收铜、镉的影响

为了阐述有机酸对土壤中重金属生物有效性的影响,通过盆栽实验,研究了Cu、Cd复合污染下柠檬酸对褐土中二乙基三胺五乙酸(DTPA)提取态铜和镉含量的影响,并探讨了柠檬酸对植物吸收铜、镉的影响。结果表明,土壤中DT-PA-Cu含量随柠檬酸添加量的增加而减小,添加高浓度铜(Cu 1 000)处理中,DTPA-Cu含量减小更明显。在添加低铜浓度(Cu600)处理下,柠檬酸添加量为2和12 mmol/kg时,土壤DTPA-Cu含量随土壤镉含量的增加而增加,而柠檬酸含量为5mmol/kg时,DTPA-Cu含量在低镉处理(Cd 1)时含量最低。紫花苜蓿中铜含量随柠檬酸添加量的增加明显降低。土壤中DTPA-Cd含量随柠檬酸添加量的增加而减小,且随铜添加量的增加而降低。紫花苜蓿中的镉含量随柠檬酸添加量的增加先增加后减小;在相同柠檬酸添加量处理时,紫花苜蓿中镉的含量随镉含量的增加而增加;在低镉处理下,铜的加入对较低柠檬酸浓度时紫花苜蓿镉含量影响不明显,但柠檬酸浓度为12 mmol/kg时,紫花苜蓿中镉含量随铜添加量的增加而明显增加。     

微型测定法测定白醋中的总酸度

利用微型滴定法测定白醋中的总酸度,并对常量实验和微型实验的测定结果进行了比较分析。结果两种方法无显著性差异,F检验、t检验均在允许范围内,微型实验的准确度和精密度均达到常量实验的测定水平,完全满足化学分析要求,并且有效地节省了实验试剂,大大降低了实验成本。     

辉县市城区环境空气质量现状及污染防治对策

对辉县市城区2006—2011年间环境空气质量监测数据进行了评价,并对城区污染物浓度时空变化进行了分析。结果表明,辉县市城区大气污染主要表现为可吸入颗粒物污染严重,主要是能源结构不合理、锅炉废气污染严重、城区道路保洁方式落后等原因造成的,由此提出了合理规划城市布局、减少结构性污染等对策。     

Plant steroid hormones produced under Ni stress are involved in the regulation of metal uptake and oxidative stress in Brassica juncea L

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are involved in the amelioration of various biotic and abiotic stresses. With an aim to explore the role of BRs under heavy metal stress, plants of Brassica juncea L. were grown in pots. The plants were subjected to various concentrations of Nickel metal (0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mM) and harvested on 60th day in order to observe the expression of these hormones. The isolated BRs from the leaves of Brassica plants characterized by GC-MS include 24-Epibrassinolide (24-EBL), Castasterone, Dolicholide and Typhasterole. The effect of isolated 24-EBL was studied on Ni metal uptake and antioxidative defense system in 60 d old plants of Brassica. It was observed that 24-EBL significantly increased the activities of stress ameliorating enzymes and lowered the metal uptake in plants. This is the first report in B. juncea L. plants showing the expression of BRs under metal treatments and effect of the isolated 24-EBL on metal uptake and in oxidative stress management.     

The structure of the fire fighting foam surfactant Forafac®1157 and its biological and photolytic transformation products

For several decades, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has widely been used as a fluorinated surfactant in aqueous film forming foams used as hydrocarbon fuel fire extinguishers. Due to concerns regarding its environmental persistence and toxicological effects, PFOS has recently been replaced by novel fluorinated surfactants such as Forafac®1157, developed by the DuPont company. The major component of Forafac®1157 is a 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkylbetaine (6:2 FTAB), and a link between the trade name and the exact chemical structure is presented here to the scientific community for the first time. In the present work, the structure of the 6:2 FTAB was elucidated by ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Moreover, its major metabolites from blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) and its photolytic transformation products were identified. Contrary to what has earlier been observed for PFOS, the 6:2 FTAB was extensively metabolized by blue mussel and turbot exposed to Forafac®1157. The major metabolite was a deacetylated betaine species, from which mono- and di-demethylated metabolites also were formed. Another abundant metabolite was the 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide. In another experiment, Forafac®1157 was subjected to UV-light induced photolysis. The experimental conditions aimed to simulate Arctic conditions and the deacetylated species was again the primary transformation product of 6:2 FTAB. A 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide was also formed along with a non-identified transformation product. The environmental presence of most of the metabolites and transformation products was qualitatively demonstrated by analysis of soil samples taken in close proximity to an airport fire training facility.