Effects of TiO2 nanoparticles on the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrrhiza: Evaluation of growth parameters, pigment contents and antioxidant enzyme activities

Plants are essential components of all ecosystems and play a critical role in environmental fate of nanoparticles. However, the toxicological impacts of nanoparticles on plants are not well documented. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) are produced worldwide in large quantities for a wide range of purposes. In the present study, the uptake of TiO₂-NPs by the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrrhiza and the consequent effects on the plant were evaluated. Initially, structural and morphological characteristics of the used TiO₂-NPs were determined using XRD, SEM, TEM and BET techniques. As a result, an anatase structure with the average crystalline size of 8nm was confirmed for the synthesized TiO₂-NPs. Subsequently, entrance of TiO₂-NP_S to plant roots was verified by fluorescence microscopic images. Activity of a number of antioxidant enzymes, as well as, changes in growth parameters and photosynthetic pigment contents as physiological indices were assessed to investigate the effects of TiO₂-NPs on S. polyrrhiza. The increasing concentration of TiO₂-NPs led to the significant decrease in all of the growth parameters and changes in antioxidant enzyme activities. The activity of superoxide dismutase enhanced significantly by the increasing concentration of TiO₂-NPs. Enhancement of superoxide dismutase activity could be explained as promoting antioxidant system to scavenging the reactive oxygen species. In contrast, the activity of peroxidase was notably decreased in the treated plants. Reduced peroxidase activity could be attributed to either direct effect of these particles on the molecular structure of the enzyme or plant defense system damage due to reactive oxygen species.     

UV-B辐射增强对芦苇生长及生理特性的影响

在UV-B辐射增强条件下,以芦苇为材料,研究了不同辐射梯度对芦苇生长及生理特性的影响.结果表明:与自然光照相比,UV-B辐射增强可显著降低芦苇植株高度、比叶面积、生物量,且高强度辐射处理的影响大于低强度辐射,随辐射时间延长,生物量分配有向地下部分转移的趋势;与自然光照相比,UV-B辐射增强可显著增加芦苇叶片丙二醛(MDA)含量、抗氧化酶活性(SOD、CAT、GR、APX)、抗氧化物质含量(GSH、As A),且随辐射强度增大,MDA含量、酶活性、抗氧化物质含量增强程度加剧,但随辐射时间延长,高辐射处理下,GR酶活显著低于对照,GSH也表现出相应的趋势;UV-B辐射增强条件下,类胡萝卜素含量显著降低,而类黄酮含量较对照组却显著升高,且高强度辐射处理对芦苇叶片紫外吸收物质的影响大于低强度辐射.     

Enzyme extraction by ultrasound from sludge flocs

Enzymes play essential roles in the biological processes of sludge treatment. In this article, the ultrasound method to extract enzymes from sludge flocs was presented. Results showed that using ultrasound method at 20 kHz could extract more types of enzymes than that ultrasound at 40 kHz and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) methods. The optimum parameters of ultrasound extraction at 20 kHz were duration of 10 min and power of 480 W. Under the condition, ultrasound could break the cells and extract both the extracellular and intercellular enzymes. Ultrasound power was apparently more susceptive to enzyme extraction than duration, suggesting that the control of power during ultrasound extraction was more important than that of duration. The Pearson correlation analysis between enzyme activities and cation contents revealed that the different types of enzymes had distinct cation binding characteristics.     

Physiological responses and detoxific mechanisms to Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd in young seedlings of Paulownia fortunei

Paulownia fortunei has been successfully used in the phytoremediation of many Pb/Zn mine tailings. However, seed germination and young seedlings of P. fortunei rarely occurred in these mine tailings. The physiological responses and detoxific mechanisms of P. fortunei young seedling to Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd stress were investigated. The germinated rate, shoot length, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in leaves of young seedlings had a great reduction under Zn and Cu treatments, but had little decrease under Pb and Cd treatments. The production rate of O₂^•−, H₂O₂ and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents significantly increased in response to added Zn and Cu indicating great oxidative stress for young seedlings, but they had no significant change to added Pb and Cd. Young seedlings had effective detoxific mechanism to Pb and Cd, as antioxidant enzymes activities, phytochelatins (PCs-SH) and proline contents increased with increasing rates of added Pb and Cd. However, young seedlings had un-effective detoxific mechanisms to Zn and Cu stress. Results revealed the heavy metals (such as Cu) that present at low concentrations in mine tailings may be major constraint for the survival of young seedlings.     

Carbonaceous particles in the atmosphere and precipitation of the Nam Co region, central Tibet

A continuous air and precipitation sampling for carbonaceous particles was conducted in a field observatory beside Nam Co, Central Tibetan Plateau during July of 2006 through January of 2007. Organic carbon (OC) was the dominant composition of the carbonaceous particles both in the atmosphere (1660 ng/m³) and precipitation (476 ng/g) in this area, while the average elemental carbon (BC) concentrations in the atmosphere and precipitation were only 82 ng/m³ and 8 ng/g, respectively. Very high OC/BC ratio suggested local secondary organic carbon could be a dominant contribution to OC over the Nam Co region, while BC could be mainly originated from Southern Asia, as indicated by trajectory analysis and aerosol optical depth. Comparison between the BC concentrations measured in Lhasa, those at “Nepal Climate Observatory at Pyramid (NCO-P)” site on the southern slope of the Himalayas, and Nam Co suggested BC in the Nam Co region reflected a background with weak anthropogenic disturbances and the emissions from Lhasa might have little impact on the atmospheric environment here, while the pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Basin of Southern Asia could be transported to the Nam Co region by both the summer monsoon and the westerly.     

铜锈环棱螺对镉污染沉积物慢性胁迫的生物标志物响应

沉积物毒性测试是评价水生态系统中沉积物污染生态风险的重要手段.建立合适的毒性测试生物是进行沉积物毒性测试的基本前提.铜锈环棱螺(Bellamya aeruginosa)在我国淡水水体中分布广泛,具有重要的生态价值.本研究将实验室培养的铜锈环棱螺暴露于不同含量的镉加标沉积物中28d,以评价该物种在镉污染沉积物慢性胁迫下生物标志物响应的敏感性.结果表明,除了谷胱甘肽(GSH)相对不敏感外,壳长增长率、肝胰脏超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)、以及肝胰脏和肾脏中的金属硫蛋白(MT)均表现出相对较高的敏感性,可用作重金属污染沉积物慢性胁迫的有效生物标志物.尤其是肝胰脏SOD和CAT可以用作指示低水平镉污染沉积物长期污染胁迫下的敏感生物标志物.此外,该物种的实验室培养和毒性测试操作容易进行,可以考虑将铜锈环棱螺作为我国淡水沉积物毒性评价的候选物种.     

胞外酶对堆肥中微生物群落演替的影响

研究了添加黄孢原毛平革菌胞外酶对农业废物堆肥中木质纤维素降解及微生物群落演替的影响.结果表明,堆肥初期,胞外酶对微生物生长具有抑制作用,且随堆肥时间的延长逐渐减弱;堆肥后期,胞外酶可提高微生物群落的多样性和均匀性,并促进木质素和半纤维素的大量降解.醌指纹数据显示,胞外酶并未引起新的优势醌的出现,进入高温期后,以MK-7为主要醌类的微生物作为优势菌群,且这种优势一直存在;堆肥后期胞外酶对甲基萘醌影响较大,可促进长链甲基萘醌的出现.主成分分析表明,胞外酶对醌种类演替的影响主要作用在3d和40d,这与非相似性指数结果一致,并使真菌在整个体系中影响力加大.     

玉米幼苗对镉、菲单一与复合污染的生理生化响应

通过室内盆栽实验研究了玉米幼苗在镉、菲污染胁迫14 d后的生理生化响应,并探讨了镉、菲单一与复合污染对玉米幼苗的毒性效应及其致毒机制.结果表明,单一镉(0～50 mg/kg)污染时,镉处理对玉米幼苗地上部分和根系生物量以及可溶性蛋白都无显著影响;随镉处理浓度的增加,玉米幼苗叶片SOD酶活性表现为先增加后降低的趋势,而P...     

卤代酚类物质对抗氧化酶活性的影响研究及构效分析

选取 7种卤代酚类化合物 ,在对鲤科金鱼进行 4 8h急性毒性试验的基础上 ,同时主要研究受试化合物对金鱼肝脏细胞中超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT)和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶 (GSH PX)活性的变化 ,并对急性毒性进行定量结构 活性相关 (QSAR)分析 .结果表明 ,半致死浓度的对数值与化合物分子的辛醇 水分配系数 (Kow)、最低空轨道能 (Elumo)有较好的相关性 .在实验浓度下 ,7种化合物对金鱼肝脏 3种抗氧化酶活性有显著影响 ,随着浓度的升高基本呈现先激活后抑制的趋势 ,因此金鱼肝脏中SOD、CAT和GSH PX的活性作为水生生物在水环境中受到污染胁迫的大分子水平的生物标志物具有一定可行性     

Monitoring of soil biochemical quality parameters under greenhouse spinach cultivation through animal waste recycling

Under the intensive agricultural system, direct application of animal slurries to soils can provide a sustainable disposal of these wastes by inducing positive changes in soil quality and fertility. However, how animal wastes quantitatively affect the key nutrients (C, N, P and S) transforming soil enzymes is not clearly known. A greenhouse spinach cultivation study demonstrated that pig slurry, either in raw (RS) or processed (aerobically aged) (PS) form, significantly (p?β-glucosidase (23–39%), urease (59–103%), nitrate reductase (73–103%) and dehydrogenase (27–72%)) and microbial growth in soil as compared to the unamended control. However, it did not significantly (p?>?.05) alter the aryl sulphatase enzyme activity. Slurry applications also significantly improved the macro (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe) uptake by spinach plant and hence the yield (2.9–3.38 times higher than control). Similarly, compared to chemical fertilisers the application of pig slurries improved soil biological and biochemical parameters as well as plant nutrients uptake. This study demonstrated the closing of global energy and nutrient cycles through land application of animal wastes without compromising the crop yield.