Identification of Odor Causing Compounds in a Commercial Dairy Farm

The odorous air emissions from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), such as swine, poultry and dairy farms, are increasingly raising community complaints. Odorous emissions can result in health damages, psychological discomforts and adverse aesthetic effects in the community. However, these emissions are not well characterized up to now due to the lack of legislation, the limitations in sampling and instrumentation techniques, and the complexity of the emissions themselves. This study is aimed at the development of a high volume sampler and sorbent assembly to identify the odor causing compounds from a diary CAFO. The sorbent was custom designed to target the potential compounds that may exist in a dairy farm and was validated in laboratory with a synthetic odor from the swine manure. The actual samples at the diary farm were collected in spring and summer of 2005. The sorbents were solvent extracted and individual odor compounds were identified using GC–MS (gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy). The data obtained indicated that high volume sampling can shorten the sampling time from days to within 4 h. Both volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) have been identified from the dairy farm, such as phenol, methylphenol, 4-ethyl phenol, indole, methyl indole, benzyl alcohol, hexanoic acid, valeric acid and iso-valeric acid, together with some nitrogen containing compounds that have not been reported before.     

石墨烯纳米材料对哺乳动物的毒性及其作用机制

石墨烯是一种应用广泛的新兴非金属纳米材料,具有独特的电学机械性能、超大的比表面积以及潜在的生物相容性,在材料、电子、能源、光学以及生物医学等领域得到广泛应用。与此同时,石墨烯的环境行为和生物毒性也随之引起日益广泛的关注。本文通过对石墨烯纳米材料的动物毒性、细胞毒性、毒性影响因素和毒性机制等相关研究进展进行总结。石墨烯纳米材料可通过气管滴注、吸入、静脉注射、腹腔注射以及口服等方式进入体内,通过机械屏障、血脑屏障和血液胎盘屏障等积累在肺、肝、脾等部位引起急性或者慢性损伤;目前有关石墨烯毒性机制的研究主要集中于线粒体损伤、DNA损伤、炎性反应、凋亡等终点及氧化应激参与的复杂信号通路,不同石墨烯纳米材料的浓度、尺寸、表面结构和官能团等对石墨烯的生物毒性影响不同。鉴于当前该领域研究的局限性,对石墨烯纳米材料生物毒性研究的发展方向进行了展望,进而为石墨烯材料的安全应用提供理论借鉴和实践参考。     

Differential blood counting in fish as a non-destructive biomarker of water contamination exposure

Differential white blood cell counting was performed on blood from the fish species Oreochromis niloticus and was used as an in situ indicator of the species’ exposure to contamination. Ten young fish were collected in an area influenced by the discharge of effluents and from a fish farm (control group). The fish were anesthetized and caudal puncture was used to collect the blood. Differential white blood cell counting was performed, as well as the counting of total leukocytes and thrombocytes (in 2000 cells). Physicochemical parameters of the water from both sites were analyzed. The water from the polluted area was found to have high conductivity and low levels of dissolved oxygen, factors that indicate poor environmental quality. Fish collected from the polluted site presented higher percentages of eosinophils and monocytes and fewer thrombocytes because of exposure to pollution and hypoxic conditions. The differential white blood cell count represents a suitable biomarker of environmental health and provides a tool for biomonitoring water quality.     

Flow‐Biology Relationships Based on Fish Habitat Guilds in North Carolina

The health of freshwater biota is dependent on streamflow, yet identification of the flow regimes required to maintain ecological integrity remains challenging to states in the United States seeking to establish ecological flows. We tested the relationship between decreases in streamflow and Shannon‐Weaver diversity index of fish species for four flow‐based habitat guilds: riffle, riffle‐run, pool‐run, and pool in North Carolina. We found species that prefer shallow habitats, such as riffles and riffle‐runs were the most sensitive to decreases in streamflow; whereas no significant relationships were found for pool or pool‐run species. The sensitivity to decreases in streamflow was greatest during summer and fall, when streams are naturally lower. When all fish habitat guilds were included in the assessment of flow‐biology relationships, there were no significant relationships to decreases in streamflow. As the sensitivity of fish to reductions in streamflow is not constant across habitat guilds, combining all fish species together for flow‐biology analyses may greatly underestimate the response of fish species to decreases in flow and should be acknowledged when establishing ecological flows.     

Producing biodiesel from waste animal oil by modified ZnO

Biodiesel produced by transesterification of waste animal oil is a promising green fuel in the future. ZnO-Al₂O₃ and ZnO/Zn₂Al composition oxides were prepared by co-precipitation method and impregnation method, respectively. The above catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer--Emmett--Teller (BET) and CO₂ adsorption and temperature-programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD) and show that the high activity for the catalyst is attributed to its high alkalinity. The reaction parameters were optimized and the results show that the transesterification ratio of waste animal oil can reach 98.7% with 10% ZnO/Zn₂Al catalyst after 2 h. Moreover, 10%ZnO/Zn₂Al compound oxides can be active for the successive cycles. The glycerol as a predominant by-product after transesterification is of high purity with high use value.     

Acute and chronic toxicity of organophosphate monocrotophos to Daphnia magna

The acute and chronic toxicity of monocrotophos (MCP), the binary joint toxicity of MCP and bifenthrin (BF), and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) to Daphnia magna (D. magna) was evaluated. The 24 h-median effective concentration (24 h-EC₅₀) and 48 h-median lethal concentration (48 h-LC₅₀) of MCP towards D. magna were 161 and 388 μ g/L, respectively. In addition, the lowest-observed effective concentration (LOEC) and non-observed effective concentration (NOEC) of MCP to D. magna were 10 and 5 μ g/L, respectively. Furthermore, the chronic value (ChV) of MCP against D. magna was 7 μ g/L and the acute chronic ratio (ACR) was 55. The number of offspring per female and the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) were identified as the parameters that were most sensitive to MCP. In addition, toxic unit (TU) analysis was employed to evaluate the joint toxicities. The calculated TU_mix values of binary equitoxic mixtures of MCP + BF and MCP + SDBS were 1.47 and 1.63, respectively, which suggests that both equitoxic mixtures exert a limited antagonistic effect. The results of this study revealed that the toxic threshold of MCP towards D. magna is higher than its reported highest residue (4 μ g/L) in the ordinary aquatic environment, and that concurrent exposure to BF or SDBS may exert a slight antagonistic effect.     

Levels and risk assessment of chemical contaminants in byproducts for animal feed in Denmark

With aim to provide information on chemical contaminants in byproducts in animal feed, the data from an official control by the Danish Plant Directorate during 1998–2009, were reviewed and several samples of citrus pulp and dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) were additionally collected for analysis and risk assessment. The levels of contaminants in the samples from the official control were below maximum limits from EU regulations with only a few exceptions in the following groups; dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) in fish-containing byproducts and dioxins in vegetable and animal fat, hydrogen cyanide in linseed, and cadmium in sunflowers. The levels of pesticides and mycotoxins in the additionally collected samples were below maximum limits. Enniatin B (ENN B) was present in all DDGS samples. The hypothetical cases of carry-over of contamination from these byproducts were designed assuming total absorption and accumulation of the ingested contaminant in meat and milk and high exposure (a byproduct formed 15–20% of the feed ration depending on the species). The risk assessment was refined based on literature data on metabolism in relevant animal species. Risk assessment of contaminants in byproducts is generally based on a worst-case approach, as data on carry-over of a contaminant are sparse. This may lead to erroneous estimation of health hazards. The presence of ENN B in all samples of DDGS indicates that potential impact of this emerging mycotoxin on feed and food safety deserves attention. A challenge for the future is to fill up gaps in toxicological databases and improve models for carry-over of contaminants.     

浅析规模化畜禽集中养殖环境污染现状及防治对策——以安居区玉丰镇为例

通过实地调查取样分析,结果表明:玉丰镇鸡头寺村和金龟村规模化畜禽集中养殖实际出栏量是土地环境容量1.3倍,土壤中含锌、铜、锰、砷量分别为163.05mg/kg、156.00mg/kg、101.13mg/kg和9.19mg/kg,已造成土壤污染,农田灌溉用水化学需氧量超标准限值503%,地下水和大气受到一定程度的污染。     

欧美等发达国家水环境监测方法体系

分别简述了美国、欧盟和日本等发达国家或组织水环境监测方法体系发展历程,分析了其各自水环境监测方法体系特点。对中国水环境监测方法体系的制定与实施提出了建议。