Uptake of radionuclides and stable elements from paddy soil to rice: a review

The critical paths for radionuclides and the critical foods in Asian countries differ from those in Western countries because agricultural products and diets are different. Consequently, safety assessments for Asian countries must consider rice as a critical food. As most rice is produced under flooded conditions, the uptake of radionuclides by rice is affected by soil conditions. In this report, we summarize radionuclide and stable element soil-to-plant transfer factors (TFs) for rice. Field observation results for fallout ¹³⁷Cs and stable Cs TFs indicated that while fallout ¹³⁷Cs had higher TF than stable Cs over several decades, the GM (geometric mean) values were similar with the GM of TF value for ¹³⁷Cs being 3.6 × 10⁻³ and that for stable Cs being 2.5 × 10⁻³. Although there are some limitations to the use of TF for stable elements under some circumstances, these values can be used to evaluate long-term transfer of long-lived radionuclides in the environment. The compiled data showed that TF values were higher in brown rice than in white rice because distribution patterns for elements were different in the bran and white parts of rice grains.     

香溪河流域不同介质中碳、氮、磷的分布特征及相关性研究

为了解香溪河流域碳、氮、磷的分布情况及水、陆生态系统中这些生源要素间的相互关系,对流域内河岸带土壤、河流水体及沉积物中总有机碳(TOC)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)含量进行调查,分析它们在流域内的分布特点,探讨各要素在3种介质间的相关性及随河流级别的变化规律。研究发现,超过60%的样点土壤中TOC、TN含量处于"较丰富"或"丰富"等级,耕地附近样点的TOC、TN和磷矿区附近样点的TP普遍偏高。河流水体及沉积物中各要素的含量都与土壤中的含量紧密相关,但水、陆介质间TP的相关性较TOC、TN强。低级别河流样点土壤中TOC、TN、C/P、N/P值和沉积物中C/P及N/P值整体较高级别河流样点高。结果表明:以磷矿开发和农业施肥为代表的人类活动,对香溪河流域内生源要素的含量及分布产生了显著影响;水体中P元素含量与陆源关系最强,在水体污染控制中应予以重视。     

重大危险源安全监管基础数据标准化研究

重大危险源安全监管必须依靠信息化技术,但我国缺乏相关的标准规范,各级安全监管信息系统互不兼容,形成信息孤岛。本文研究了重大危险源安全监管信息系统标准化建设的内容和需求,提出目前最急迫的是数据标准类规范。通过对安全监管政务的工作流程和内容的分析,应用全程一体化精细建模方法基于重大危险源政务模型提取了基础数据元,并研究了基础数据元与基于XML的数据交换规范的编制。     

Elemental Contamination of Rainwater by Airborne Dust in Tamale Township Area of the Northern Region of Ghana

Rainwater samples were collected from Tamale town in the 1997 and 1998 rainy seasons. During this period road construction in the Tamale area resulted in the generation of suspended dust in the atmosphere. Analysis of the samples for major ions showed elevated levels of Cl^–. Ion ratios with Cl^– (Na⁺/Cl^–, K⁺/Cl^–, Ca²⁺/Cl^–/Cl^– Mg²⁺/Cl^– and SO₄ ^2–/Cl^–) in rainwater samples were higher than the corresponding ratios in seawater. Some samples also showed elevated concentrations of Fe, Mn, Al and Zn, all of which except Zn showed a correlation with the dry periods between rainfall events. Consequently, it was concluded that dust generated from lateritic soils was probably the major cause of the increase in concentration of these metals. Aluminium and Fe concentrations were observed to be higher than the World Health Organization drinking water guide limits.     

排水对三江平原沼泽湿地土壤中化学元素的影响

以三江平原沼泽湿地生态试验站为研究基地 ,选择典型采样点 ,对排水沟土壤、沼泽土壤、沼泽化草甸土壤 (共有 6个采样点 ,2 8个样品 )进行测试 ,分析土样中主要离子 (HCO3- 、Cl- 、NO3- 、SO4 2 - 、Ca2 +、Mg2 +、K+、Na+)含量、重金属 (铁、锰、锌、铜 )含量、营养元素含量、有机质含量以及土壤pH值 ,研究沼泽排水对沼泽土壤中的化学元素含量的影响。研究结果表明 ,排水使沼泽土壤丧失大量的化学元素     

矿质营养对荔枝裂果率的影响

通过对糯米糍荔枝叶片、果皮、土壤中矿质元素含量的研究,探讨矿质营养对荔枝裂果率的影响。初步探明糯米糍荔枝叶片中的钙、镁、硼含量,果皮中的氮钾比,以及土壤中的N/K比、有机质、交换性钙含量影响其裂果率。     

Metals in biomass

Background, Aim and Scope

Metal ions generally share the ability/tendency of interacting with biological material by forming complexes, except possibly for the heavy alkali metals K, Rb and Cs. This is unrelated to the metals being either essential for sustaining life and its reproduction, apparently insignificant for biology, although perhaps undergoing bioconcentration or even being outright toxic, even at low admission levels. Yet, those different kinds of metal-biomass interactions should in some way depend on properties describing coordination chemistries of these very metals. Nevertheless, both ubiquitously essential metals and others sometimes used in biology should share these properties in numeric terms, since it can be anticipated that they will be distinguished from nonessential and/or toxic ones. These features noted above include bioconcentration, the involvement of metal ions such as Zn, Mg, Cu, Fe, etc. in biocatalysis as crucial components of metalloenzymes and the introduction of a certain set of essential metals common to (almost) all living beings (K, Mg, Mo, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn), which occurred probably very early in biological evolution by ‘natural selection of the chemical elements’ (more exactly speaking, of the metallomes).

Materials and Methods

The approach is semiempirical and consists of three consecutive steps: 1) derivation of a regression equation which links complex stability data of different complexes containing the same metal ion to electrochemical data pertinent to the (replaced) ligands, thus describing properties of metal ions in complexes, 2) a graphical representation of the properties-two typical numbers c and x for each metal ion-in some map across the c/x-space, which additionally contains information about biological functions of these metal ions, i.e. whether they are essential in general (e.g. Mg, Mn, Zn) or, for a few organisms of various kinds (e.g. Cd, V), not essential (e.g. rare earth element ions) or even generally highly toxic (Hg, U). It is hypothesized that, if coordination properties of metals control their biological ‘feasibility’ in some way, this should show up in the mappings (one each for mono and bidentate-bonding ligands). 3) eventually, the regression equation produced in step 1) is inverted to calculate complex stabilities pertinent to biological systems: 3a) complex stabilities are mapped for ligands delivered to soil (-water) by green plants (e.g. citrate, malate) and fungi and, compared to their unlike selectivities and demands of metal use (photosynthesis taking place or not), 3b) the evolution of the metallome during late chemical evolution is reconstructed.

Results

These maps show some ‘window of essentiality’, a small, contrived range/area of c and x parameters in which essential metal ions gather almost exclusively. c and x thus control the possibility of a metal ion becoming essential by their influencing details of metal-substrate or (in cases of catalytic activities) metal-product interactions. Exceptions are not known to be involved in biocatalysis anyhow.

Discussion

Effects of ligands secreted, e.g. from tree roots or agaric mycelia to the soil on the respective modes (selectivities) of metal bioconcentration can be calculated by the equation giving complex stability constants, with obvious ramifications for a thorough, systematic interpretation of biomonitoring data. Eventually, alterations of C, N and P-compounds during chemical evolution are investigated — which converted CH₄ or CO₂, N₂ and other non-ligands to amino acids, etc., for example, with the latter behaving as efficient chelating ligands: Did they cause metal ions to accumulate in what was going to become biological matter and was there a selectivity, a positive bias in favour of nowessential metals (see above) in this process? Though there was no complete selectivity of this kind, neither a RNA world in which early ribozymes effected most of biocatalysis, nor a paleoatmosphere containing substantial amounts of CO could have paved the way to the present biochemistry and metallomes.

Conclusions

This way of reasoning provides a causal account for abundance distributions described earlier in the Biological System of Elements (BSE; Markert 1994, Fränzle &; Markert 2000, 2002). There is a pronounced change from chemical evolution, where but few transformations depended on metal ion catalysis to biology.

Recommendations and Perspectives

The application of this numerical approach can be used for modified, weighted evaluation of biomonitoring analytical data, likewise for the prediction of bioconcentration hazards due to a manifold of metal ions, including organometallic ones. This is relevant in ecotoxicology and biomonitoring. In combining apoproteins or peptides synthesized from scratch for purposes of catalysing certain transformations, the map and numerical approaches might prove useful for the selection of central ions which are even more efficient than the ‘natural’ ones, like for Co²⁺ in many Zn enzymes.

     

Assessment of Groundwater Quality in a Structurally Deformed Granitic Terrain in Hyderabad, India

Geochemical study of groundwater from a structurally deformed granitic terrain near Hyderabad (India) was carried out to understand and evaluate the hydrogeochemical processes and quality of groundwater. Several trace elements (Fe, Mn, Be, Al, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb, U) along with major ions and minor elements were precisely estimated in shallow and drilled wells to know the suitability of water for drinking and irrigation purposes. Analytical data shows that pH and major ion chemistry in dug wells and bore wells do not vary significantly, while some trace elements (Fe, Mn, Al, Be, Co, Pb, U and Zn) vary in dug wells and bore wells, which can be attributed to differential mineral weathering and dissolution/precipitation reactions along fractures/joints. Although the water is not potable, it was found to be suitable for irrigation with little danger in the development of harmful level of exchangeable sodium. It is inferred that the chemical composition of the groundwater in this region is likely to have its origin from silicate weathering reactions and dissolution/precipitation processes supported by rainfall and groundwater flow.     

生物强化技术及其在废水生物处理中的应用

生物强化技术广泛应用于废水生物处理中,而竞争力和适应性强的高效菌株筛选是生物强化技术的决定性因素.论述了利用具有代谢性能的可移动基因片段强化、基因工程菌强化和常规微生物学手段分离菌株的生物强化技术,并阐述了生物强化技术在废水生物处理过程中去除难降解有机物,去除过量的氮、磷等营养物质,维持生物系统稳定性中的应用.     

Metal accumulation by three Tilapia spp. from some Egyptian inland waters

Five trace metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cd) were determined in different tissues and organs (muscle, liver, brain, gills, gonads and intestines) of some Tilapia spp. (Oreochromis spp. and Sarotherodon galilaues) collected from two Egyptian Lakes (Edku and Mariut, exposed to different types of pollutants), El-Umum Drain, and from the fishing farm El-Nozha Hydrodrome. Our results indicate that metal accumulation in different organs vary considerably between the same and among different Tilapia spp. There is a preferential accumulation of metals by different organs. Liver is a target organ for Cu accumulation, whereas the brain and flesh tissues clearly accumulate more levels of Zn than the other studied elements. Amongst the studied elements, Cd concentrations in the different organs are the lowest. It was found that edible parts of Tilapia spp. collected from Lake Mariut accumulate the highest levels of the studied elements (Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu for S. galilaues and Cd for Oreochromis niloticus), compared with those in the other studied areas. In general, the levels of Cd (0.0-0.11 ppm), Cu (0.25-1.85 ppm) and Zn (3.58-8.46 ppm) in the edible parts of studied fish cannot be considered as hazardous levels.