Evaluation of food chain transfer of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and human risk assessment

There has been recent concern regarding the possibility of antibiotics entering the aquatic food chain and impacting human consumers. This work reports experimental results of the bioconcentration of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) by the Asian watermeal plant (Wolffia globosa Hartog & Plas) and bioaccumulation of OTC in watermeal and water by the seven-striped carp (Probarbus jullieni). They show, for the first time, the extent to which OTC is able to transfer from water to plant to fish and enter the food chain. The mean bioconcentration factor (dry weight basis) with watermeal was 1.28 × 10³ L kg⁻¹. Separate experiments were undertaken to characterize accumulation of OTC by carp from water and watermeal. These showed the latter pathway to be dominant under the conditions employed. The bioconcentration and biomagnification factors for these processes were 1.75 L kg⁻¹ and 2 × 10⁻⁴ kg g⁻¹ respectively. Using an aqueous concentration range of 0.34–3.0 μg L⁻¹, hazard quotients for human consumption of contaminated fish of 1.3 × 10⁻² to 1.15 × 10⁻¹ were derived.     

Quantification of the interactions between Ca,Hg and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of sludge

The interactions between metals (Ca²⁺ and Hg²⁺) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extracted from the aerobic and anaerobic sludge in wastewater treatment reactors were investigated using a combination of zeta potential measurement and 3-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Results show that Ca²⁺ had no substantial effects on the EEM fluorescence spectra of the EPS, but their zeta potentials increased with the increasing Ca²⁺ dosage. However, Hg²⁺ had a significant effect on the EEM fluorescence spectra of the EPS, while their zeta potentials seemed not to be affected by the dose of Hg²⁺. The interactions between Hg²⁺ and EPS were elucidated using the fluorescence quenching with PARAFAC analysis, while the interactions between Ca²⁺ and EPS were evaluated by the zeta potential technique. The binding constants for Hg²⁺ and EPS were two orders of magnitude higher than those for Ca²⁺ and EPS, suggesting that the binding mechanisms between Ca²⁺ and EPS were different from those between Hg²⁺ and EPS. The results might be useful for understanding the roles of EPS in bacterial self-protection against heavy metals and the aggregate formation mechanisms through ionic bridging interactions.     

Residues of persistent organic pollutants in frequently-consumed vegetables and assessment of human health risk based on consumption of vegetables in Huizhou,South China

Concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 16 phthalate esters (PAEs), eight organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 17 frequently-consumed varieties of vegetables collected from 48 sites in Huizhou were measured. Concentrations of PAHs and PAEs of leafy vegetables were higher than those of gourd and fruit vegetables but it was the opposite for OCPs and PCBs. A questionnaire of 450 local residents on vegetable consumption showed that the total vegetable ingested rates of females and males were 278.80 g person⁻¹ d⁻¹ and 282.92 g person⁻¹ d⁻¹, respectively. The weight-specific daily intakes of pollutants by females were higher than those by males because of differences in body weight. Twenty-seven pollutants were used to assess the potential risk to human health by calculating target hazard quotient (THQ) values. Results showed that the risk to females was higher than for males. OCPs were the major contributors to the risk for both females and males. The main risks were from consumption of eggplant, Chinese lettuce and luffa and were significantly related to the contents of di-nonyl phthalate, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, γ-hexachlorocyclohexane, p,p-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and p,p-dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethane in vegetables. Although the THQ values induced by individual pollutants were relatively low, the total THQ values induced by 27 pollutants were above 1 in some administrative regions of Huizhou, which might give cause for concern.     

Green manure plants for remediation of soils polluted by metals and metalloids: Ecotoxicity and human bioavailability assessment

Borage, white mustard and phacelia, green manure plants currently used in agriculture to improve soil properties were cultivated for 10 wk on various polluted soils with metal(loid) concentrations representative of urban brownfields or polluted kitchen gardens. Metal(loid) bioavailability and ecotoxicity were measured in relation to soil characteristics before and after treatment. All the plants efficiently grow on the various polluted soils. But borage and mustard only are able to modify the soil characteristics and metal(loid) impact: soil respiration increased while ecotoxicity, bioaccessible lead and total metal(loid) quantities in soils can be decreased respectively by phytostabilization and phytoextraction mechanisms. These two plants could therefore be used for urban polluted soil refunctionalization. However, plant efficiency to improve soil quality strongly depends on soil characteristics.     

Molecular docking: A potential tool to aid ecotoxicity testing in environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals

A cocktail of human pharmaceuticals pollute aquatic environments and there is considerable scientific uncertainty about the effects that this may have on aquatic organisms. Human drug target proteins can be highly conserved in non target species suggesting that similar modes of action (MoA) may occur. The aim of this work was to explore whether molecular docking offers a potential tool to predict the effects of pharmaceutical compounds on non target organisms. Three highly prescribed drugs, diclofenac, ibuprofen and levonorgestrel which regularly pollute freshwater environments were used as examples. Their primary drug targets are cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and progesterone receptor (PR). Molecular docking experiments were performed using these drugs and their primary drug target homologues for Danio rerio, Salmo salar, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Xenopus tropicalis, Xenopus laevis and Daphnia pulex. The results show that fish and frog COX2 enzymes are likely to bind diclofenac and ibuprofen in the same way as humans but that D. pulex would not. Binding will probably lead to inhibition of COX function and reduced prostaglandin production. Levonorgestrel was found to bind in the same binding pocket of the progesterone receptor in frogs and fish as the human form. This suggests implications for the fecundity of fish and frogs which are exposed to levonorgestrel. Chronic ecotoxicological effects of these drugs reported in the literature support these findings. Molecular docking may provide a valuable tool for ecotoxicity tests by guiding selection of test species and incorporating the MoA of drugs for relevant chronic test end points in environmental risk assessments.     

Development and application of LC–APCI–MS method for biomonitoring of animal and human exposure to imidacloprid

Imidacloprid (IMI) is a relatively new neuro-active neonicotinoid insecticide and nowadays one of the largest selling insecticides worldwide. In the present study a LC–APCI–MS based method was developed and validated for the quantification of imidacloprid and its main metabolite 6-chloronicotinic acid (6-CINA) in urine and hair specimens. The method was tested in biomonitoring of intentionally exposed animals and subsequently applied for biomonitoring of Cretan urban and rural population.     

养殖固体废物在硝酸和磷酸溶液中的水解特性

养殖固体废物掺杂磷肥工艺中养殖固体废物与酸的反应直接影响其有机组成。以鸡粪为研究对象,采用L16(45)正交试验研究了鸡粪粒径、酸浓度、鸡粪与酸溶液质量比、反应温度和反应时间对鸡粪在硝酸和磷酸溶液中水解过程的影响。结果表明,硝酸溶液中影响因素显著性依次为鸡粪与硝酸质量比、反应时间、硝酸浓度、鸡粪粒径、反应温度,最优工艺条件为鸡粪粒径0.20mm、硝酸质量分数15%、鸡粪与硝酸质量比0.2∶1.0、反应温度95℃、反应时间4h;在磷酸溶液中影响因素显著性依次为鸡粪与磷酸质量比、反应温度、鸡粪粒径、磷酸浓度、反应时间,鸡粪水解率与反应温度间呈正相关关系,最优工艺条件为鸡粪粒径0.40mm、磷酸质量分数60%、鸡粪与磷酸质量比0.1∶1.0、反应温度95℃、反应时间8h。鸡粪比表面积及其单位质量耗酸量、美拉德反应是制约鸡粪在硝酸和磷酸中水解反应的内因。研究结果为养殖固体废物掺杂有机磷肥的研发和推广提供了理论基础。     

离子交换法选择性回收污泥厌氧消化液中的磷

为探讨高效选择性回收污泥厌氧消化液中磷的离子交换方法,采用静态实验和动态实验研究了4种阴离子交换树脂（D213、D202、D301和DSQ）的磷回收性能,筛选了适合富磷污泥厌氧消化液选择性磷回收的高交换容量树脂。实验结果表明,D213、D202、D301和DSQ 4种树脂对正磷浓度为70 mg/L的厌氧消化液进行动态处理时,其最大穿透体积分别为3、7、17和90 BV;DSQ树脂磷交换容量远高于其他3种树脂,达到6 860 mg P/L湿树脂,是目前报道的高磷交换容量树脂的3~4倍;DSQ树脂能有效地抵抗厌氧消化液中有机质和硫酸根等阴离子的干扰;用NaOH溶液再生DSQ树脂并回收磷,磷洗脱率超过96%,洗脱液是高浓度含磷液,可作为磷矿石的优质替代品。研究表明,DSQ树脂是一种高效选择性分离磷的树脂,适用于污泥厌氧消化液的磷回收。     

3种载体固定化菌藻共生系统脱氮除磷效果的对比

采用3种不同载体（海藻酸钠、聚乙烯醇、复合载体）,分别将小球藻和栅藻与活性污泥固定成菌藻共生系统,制成菌藻凝胶小球,单独菌、单独藻的凝胶小球,用于处理人工污水。结果表明,（1）复合载体固定的菌藻共生系统氮磷去除效果最好,PVA载体的脱氮除磷效果次于复合载体优于海藻酸钠;（2）固定化菌藻共生系统的脱氮除磷效果明显优于单独固定菌和单独固定藻,固定菌的效果较差;（3）3种载体包埋下的固定化小球藻的脱氮除磷效果均较相同载体固定化的栅藻效果好。