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.     

海南新村湾海菖蒲TN和TP含量时空变化及其对营养负荷的响应

以海南新村湾海草床优势种之一的海菖蒲(Enhalus acoroides)为研究对象,于2005年7月、10月和2006年1月,分3个季度对网箱养殖区、中间过渡区和对照区海菖蒲不同组织的TN、TP含量的时空变化特征进行了研究,初步探讨了其对营养负荷的响应。结果表明:(1)新村湾海水和沉积物间隙水DIN含量,呈现出网箱养殖区中间过渡区对照区的显著趋势。(2)海菖蒲根、茎和叶在3个季度中的TN含量范围分别为:0.576%~1.544%、0.803%~2.480%和1.796%~3.200%;TP含量分别为:0.053%~0.175%、0.073%~0.197%和0.183%~0.413%。(3)海菖蒲不同组织TN、TP含量,均显示叶茎根的显著趋势;海菖蒲不同组织TN含量呈现秋、冬季夏季的趋势,TP含量随季节变化趋势各有不同。(4)海菖蒲根和叶的TN含量,有由网箱养殖区向对照区递减的趋势,与其所在样区海水和沉积物间隙水DIN含量呈显著正相关;海菖蒲TP含量,普遍显示出网箱养殖区比中间过渡区和对照区显著大的趋势,但与海水和间隙水PO4-P的含量没有明显的关系。(5)N/P计算结果表明,新村湾海菖蒲的生长主要受N的限制。     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定地下水中锰的不确定度评定

本文对电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定地下水中锰含量的不确定度进行了评定,标准曲线采用双误差拟合法,建立了不确定度评定模型,对测定地下水样品中锰含量的不确定度作了评估。     

香烟烟雾水溶物对小鼠卵母细胞体外减数分裂的影响

采用小鼠卵母细胞体外培养的方法研究了香烟烟雾水溶物对小鼠卵母细胞减数分裂的影响,以检查吸烟对生殖过程的影响。香烟烟雾水溶物可抑制卵母细胞排出第一极体,而不影响生发泡破裂。香烟烟雾水溶物抑制极体排出是由于破坏了细胞内的微丝或微管,使有丝分裂器不能向细胞边缘移动,并抑制了胞质分裂,形成两倍体的卵子。结果表明,吸烟对卵母细胞的减数分裂成熟有破坏作用。     

儿童在道路行驶中的安全与防护——加拿大新的儿童汽车座椅法规与测试方法

本文主要介绍加拿大新的《机动车辆约束系统和加高座椅安全法规》（SOR/2011-16）的相关内容,同时对儿童汽车座椅的研究与测试方法也进行了详细描述,以对我国相关行业提供借鉴。     

高校环境专业实验教学存在的问题及对策

实验教学在高校环境专业教学工作中发挥着越来越重要的作用。通过对高校环境专业实验教学的现状和所存在的问题进行分析,提出了优化实验教学内容、改进实验教学方法和考核方式等改进措施,以提高高校环境专业实验教学水平。     

安徽茶园土壤氟在茶树体内的富集与转运特征

研究了安徽宣城、六安和合肥茶区不同茶园土壤氟含量及在茶树体内的富集与转运特征,探讨了茶树根际和非根际土壤氟的有效性特征及其在茶树体内的累积规律.结果表明,安徽省典型茶园表层土壤全氟含量为：六安黄棕壤（319.7 mg.kg^-1）〉宣城黄红壤（316.6 mg.kg^-1）〉合肥黄褐土（311.3 mg.kg^-1）,...     

Predicting the contents of BTEX and MTBE for the three types of tollbooth at a highway toll station via the direct and indirect approaches

This study was set out to assess the contents of five volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including BTEX (the acronym for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) and methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), in three types of tollbooth (including the car lane/ticket-collecting, car lane/cash-collecting, and bus/truck lane tollbooths) at a highway toll station via the direct and indirect approaches. For the direct approach, VOC samples were collected from the breathing zone of booth attendants at all selected tollbooths during the three workshifts. For samples collected during the dayshift, we found VOC contents of BTEX and MTBE in both the car lane/ticket-collecting (=6.23, 21.93, 3.24, 8.56, and 5.63 ppb, respectively) and car lane/cash-collecting tollbooths (=5.98, 21.71, 3.25, 8.59, and 6.04 ppb, respectively) were quite comparable, but both were significantly higher than that in the bus/truck lane tollbooth (=3.13, 13.91, 2.05, 4.52, and 2.70 ppb, respectively). The same pattern can also be found for the other two workshifts. For the indirect approach, we conducted multivariate regression analyses to predict VOC contents for any given type of tollbooth by using the four independent variables of the vehicle flowrate, wind speed, relative humidity, and air temperature. We found that, except the vehicle flowrate, the other three factors did not have a significant effect on VOC contents in the three types of tollbooth. In addition, the magnitudes of the effect of the vehicle flowrate on VOC contents for the three types of tollbooth were: car lane/cash-collecting>bus/truck lane>car lane/ticket-collecting. All regression results yielded R²-values in the range of 0.41−0.74 indicating that the developed indirect approach was able to predict VOC contents for three types of tollbooth.     

Concentrations of Potentially Toxic Metals in Urban Soils of Seville: Relationship with Different Land Uses

Fifty-two samples of surface soils were taken in the urban area of Seville, to assess the possible influence of different land uses on their metal contents and their relationship with several soil properties. The samples corresponded to five categories or land uses: agricultural, parks, ornamental gardens, riverbanks, and roadsides. Sequential extraction of metal according to the procedure proposed by the former Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) was carried out, and pseudo-total (aqua regia soluble) metal contents were determined. Lower organic C, total N and available P and K contents were found in riverbank samples, probably due to the lack of manuring of those sites, left in a natural status. In contrast, significantly higher electrical conductivity was found in those sites, due to the tidal influence of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Other land uses did not show significant differences in the general properties. Concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn, both aqua-regia soluble and sequentially extracted, were clearly higher in soils from ornamental gardens, whereas the concentrations in the riverbank samples were slightly lower than the other categories. In contrast, other metals (Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni) were uniformly distributed throughout all land uses. A strong statistical association is found among the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn and organic C, suggesting that the larger contents of these metals in ornamental gardens are partly due to organic amendments added to those sites more frequently than to other kinds of sites. Considering the conclusions of previous studies, heavy traffic can also contribute to those `urban’ metals in urban soils. Periodic monitoring of the concentrations of urban metals in busy city centres and of the quality of amendments added to soils of recreational areas are recommended.     

施用城市污泥对杨树土壤化学特性及金属含量的影响

采用温室盆栽方法,研究城市污泥对杨树土壤化学特性、金属含量的影响。实验设置6个处理：4个不同用量的污泥处理：30（S1）、60（S2）、90（S3）和120 t.hm-2（S4）,以及对照（Control：不施加污泥和肥料）和无机复合肥处理（F：1.5 t.hm-2）。结果表明,施用污泥后,土壤有机质、全氮及全磷均提高,且随污泥施用量的增加而增加。S1~S4处理的土壤有机质、全氮及全磷较Control处理分别提高了32.50%~52.05%、32.00%~95.30%及75.43%~236.25%;较F处理分别提高了47.60%~69.37%、35.04%~99.70%及77.10%~239.46%。但污泥施用降低土壤pH和全钾质量分数,土壤pH较Control和F处理分别下降了0.11~0.42和0.01~0.32,但仍呈弱碱性;土壤全钾质量分数较Control和F处理分别降低了1.65%~21.51%和1.19%~21.14%。随污泥施用量的增加,土壤Cu、Zn、Ca和Na质量分数呈增加趋势,而Mn、Fe、Al、Mg质量分数呈降低趋势,其中Cu和Zn增加明显,并较Control处理分别增加了31.89%~104.36%和38.93%~358.02%,较F处理分别增加了23.10%~90.75%和37.88%~354.55%。总体而言,污泥施用于杨树后,可明显改善土壤的化学特性,但污泥施用量越大,土壤重金属Cu和Zn的质量分数残留越多。