In situ formation of bimetallic FeNi nanoparticles on sand through green technology: Application for tetracycline removal

• In situ preparation of FeNi nanoparticles on the sand via green synthesis approach. • Removal of tetracycline using GS-FeNi in batch and column study. • Both reductive degradation and sorption played crucial role the process. • Reusability of GS-FeNi showed about 77.39±4.3% removal on 4th cycle. • TC by-products after interaction showed less toxic as compared with TC. In this study, FeNi nanoparticles were green synthesized using Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel extract, and these nanoparticles were also formed in situ over quartz sand (GS-FeNi) for removal of tetracycline (TC). Under the optimized operating conditions, (GS-FeNi concentration: 1.5% w/v; concentration of TC: 20 mg/L; interaction period: 180 min), 99±0.2% TC removal was achieved in the batch reactor. The removal capacity was 181±1 mg/g. A detailed characterization of the sorbent and the solution before and after the interaction revealed that the removal mechanism(s) involved both the sorption and degradation of TC. The reusability of reactant was assessed for four cycles of operation, and 77±4% of TC removal was obtained in the cycle. To judge the environmental sustainability of the process, residual toxicity assay of the interacted TC solution was performed with indicator bacteria (Bacillus and Pseudomonas) and algae (Chlorella sp.), which confirmed a substantial decrease in the toxicity. The continuous column studies were undertaken in the packed bed reactors using GS-FeNi. Employing the optimized conditions, quite high removal efficiency (978±5 mg/g) was obtained in the columns. The application of GS-FeNi for antibiotic removal was further evaluated in lake water, tap water, and ground water spiked with TC, and the removal capacity achieved was found to be 781±5, 712±5, and 687±3 mg/g, respectively. This work can pave the way for treatment of antibiotics and other pollutants in the reactors using novel green composites prepared from fruit wastes.     

Predicting molybdenum toxicity to higher plants: Estimation of toxicity threshold values

Four plant species (oilseed rape, Brassica napus L.; red clover, Trifolium pratense L.; ryegrass, Lolium perenne L.; and tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum L.) were tested on ten soils varying widely in soil properties to assess molybdenum (Mo) toxicity. A larger range (66-fold-609-fold) of added Mo concentrations resulting in 50% inhibition of yield (ED₅₀) was found among soils than among plant species (2-fold-38-fold), which illustrated that the soils differed widely in the expression of Mo toxicity. Toxicity thresholds based on soil solution Mo narrowed the variation among soils compared to thresholds based on added Mo concentrations. We conclude that plant bioavailability of Mo in soil depends on Mo solubility, but this alone did not decrease the variability in observed toxicity enough to be used in risk assessment and that other soil properties influencing Mo toxicity to plants need to be considered.     

采油用油田化学剂对鱼类的急性毒性实验研究

以白鲢鱼为实验生物,采用半静态实验方法,研究了几种油田化学剂的半致死浓度和安全浓度。研究表明:防膨剂、杀菌剂K、杀菌剂L、清蜡剂、四氟硼酸、酸化缓蚀剂、阻垢剂、阻垢缓蚀剂、缓蚀阻垢剂和破乳剂的96h半致死浓度LC50值分别为0.68、1.6、9.3、25、123、510、620、3240、4570、7410mg/L。根据化学物质对鱼类毒性物质分级标准,防膨剂属于剧毒物质;杀菌剂K、杀菌剂L和清蜡剂属于高毒物质;四氟硼酸、酸化缓蚀剂和阻垢剂属于中毒物质;阻垢缓蚀剂、缓蚀阻垢剂和破乳剂属于低毒物质。这几种油田化学剂的安全浓度为0.068～741mg/L。此研究可为评价油田化学剂对水生生物的影响,制定废水排放浓度标准提供依据。     

基于元素毒性赋值的模糊数学环境质量评价

利用模糊数学方法,根据元素毒性的大小进行权重赋值,对成都经济区近地表大气尘进行地球化学环境质量评价。结果显示：不同城市中,成都、乐山、眉山的大气环境质量较好,处于一级清洁级别;眉山、雅安的大气环境质量处于二级安全级别;德阳的大气环境质量已经处于三级警戒级。不同地区中,绵阳和眉山的大气环境质量较好,处于一级清洁级别;德阳和雅安处于二级安全级别,成都和乐山处于三级警戒级.     

甲苯对UASB反应器中溶解性微生物产物的影响

以乙酸钠为外加碳源,考察了UASB反应器内甲苯对可溶性微生物产物（SMP）的影响。实验结果表明：低质量浓度（20~70 mg/L）的甲苯对微生物有刺激作用,使得污泥增殖速率变小,SMP的质量浓度也逐渐减少,经过一段时间的驯化后,系统COD和TOC的去除率分别达到93%和94%以上,下降趋势较小;较高质量浓度（70~200 mg/L）的甲苯对微生物有抑制作用,污泥活性下降,反应器运行状况开始恶化,SMP的质量浓度也逐渐增大,经过一段时间的驯化后,系统COD和TOC的去除率分别维持在81%和83%以上;当甲苯质量浓度超过200 mg/L时,表现为污泥活性严重下降,对COD的去除效果极差。     

镍渣的重金属浸出特性

在分析镍渣的矿物相组成和重金属元素含量的基础上,鉴定了镍渣样品的浸出毒性,并考察了pH、液固比和浸出时间等条件对镍渣样中铬、铅、铜和锌等重金属浸出特性的影响。结果表明,镍渣中的重金属总量约为渣样的0.9%,且铬、铜和锌的含量较高,需进行安全管理。实验所用镍渣样品为第Ⅰ类一般工业固体废物。在强酸条件下镍渣中重金属浸出浓度较大,pH3后浸出浓度显著降低;液固比40 L/kg时,镍渣中重金属不断溶出,液固比40 L/kg后,浸出达到饱和,浸出浓度趋于平衡;随着浸出时间的增加,重金属离子的浸出浓度先增加后减少,但由于各重金属性质不同,各重金属达到最大浸出浓度的时间不同。     

A biology-based dynamic approach for the reconciliation of acute and chronic toxicity tests: application to Daphnia magna

There is the need to integrate existing toxicity data in a coherent framework for extending their domain of applicability as well as their extrapolation potential. This integration would also reduce time and cost-consuming aspects of these tests and reduce animal usage. In this work, based on data extracted from literature, we have assessed the advantages that a dynamic biology-toxicant fate coupled model for Daphnia magna could provide when assessing toxicity data, in particular, the possibility to obtain from short-term (acute) toxicity test long-term (chronic) toxicity values taking into account the inherent variability of D. magna populations and the multiple sources of data. The results show that this approach overcomes some of the limitations of existing toxicity tests and that the prediction errors are considerably reduced when compared with the factor from 2 to 5 obtained using acute-to-chronic ratios.     

Evaluation on the toxicity of ionic liquid mixture with antagonism and synergism to Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a fascinating group of new chemicals with the potential to replace the classical volatile organic solvents, stimulating many applications in chemical industry. In case ILs are released to the environment, possible combined toxicity should be taken into account and it is, however, often neglected up to now. In this paper, therefore, the concentration-response curves (CRCs) of four groups of IL mixtures with various mixture ratios to Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 were determined using the microplate toxicity analysis and were compared to the CRCs predicted by an additive reference model, the concentration addition (CA) or independent action (IA), to identify the toxicity interaction. It is showed that most of the IL mixture rays displayed the classical addition while the remaining rays exhibited antagonism or synergism. Moreover, it is found that the pEC₅₀ values of the mixture rays exhibiting antagonism or synergism are well correlated with the mixture ratio of a certain IL therein.     

Determination of lipid peroxidation and cytotoxicity in calcium, magnesium, titanium and hectorite (SHCa-1) suspensions

This paper reports data on the relative ability of CaO, CaCl₂, MgO, MgCl₂, TiO₂, and hectorite (SHCa-1) to induce oxidative stress (as determined by lipid peroxidation, LP) in biological matrices. The effectiveness of structural (oxide form) versus soluble Ca and Mg to induce LP is compared. An assessment on cytotoxicity as affected by soluble and structural Ca, Mg, TiO₂ and SHCa-1 is also addressed. LP was screened and monitored using the Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS). The extent of TBARS production was found to vary with the type and initial concentration of the soluble or structural cation, Ca or Mg respectively. Obtained results showed higher magnitude values for the latter set of experiments. In the presence of TiO₂ no significant TBARS production was detected pointing out a negligible effect of TiO₂ on LP. At solid concentrations ca. 100 ppm, CaO appears to be more effective than SHCa-1 to induce LP. By contrast at ca. 25 ppm, MgO appears to be more effective than the clay mineral. The SHCa-1 LP-inducing activity has been proven to closely relate to structural Ca. The prevalence of mechanisms that may induce LP but not cytotoxicity (as determined by cell growth inhibition) was also addressed. Results on cell growth inhibition as affected by soluble and structural Ca, Mg, TiO₂ and hectorite provide evidence to support that structural Ca or Mg brings about significantly higher variations than soluble Ca.     

Estrogen receptor mediated activity in bankside groundwater, with flood suspended particulate matter and floodplain soil - an approach combining tracer substance, bioassay and target analysis

Bankside groundwater is widely used as drinking water resource and, therefore, contamination has to be avoided. In the European Union groundwater protection is explicit subject to Water Framework Directive. While groundwater pollution may originate from different sources, this study investigated on impacts via flood events.Groundwater was sampled with increasing distance to the river Rhine near Karlsruhe, Germany. Samples were HPLC-MS-MS analyzed for the river contaminant carbamazepine to indicate river water infiltration, giving permanent presence in 250 m distance to the river (14-47 μg L⁻¹). Following a flood event, concentrations of about 16-20 μg L⁻¹ could also be detected in a distance of 750 m to the river. Furthermore, estrogenic activity as determined with the Yeast Estrogen Screen assay was determined to increase up to a 17β-ethinylestradiol equivalent concentration (E-EQ) = 2.9 ng L⁻¹ near the river, while activity was initially measured following the flood with up to E-EQ = 2.6 ng L⁻¹ in 750 m distance. Detections were delayed with increasing distance to the river indicating river water expansion into the aquifer.Flood suspended matter and floodplain soil were fractionated and analyzed for estrogenic activity in parallel giving up to 1.4 ng g⁻¹ and up to 0.7 ng g⁻¹, respectively. Target analysis focusing on known estrogenic active substances only explained <1% of measured activities.Nevertheless, river water infiltration was shown deep into bankside groundwater, thus, impacting groundwater quality. Therefore, flood events have to be in the focus when aiming for groundwater and drinking water protection as well as for implementation of Water Framework Directive.