Comparison of growth and lipid accumulation properties of two oleaginous microalgae under different nutrient conditions

This study compared the growth and lipid accumulation properties of two oleaginous microalgae, namely, Scenedesmus sp. LX1 and Chlorella sp. HQ, under different nutrient conditions. Both algal species obtained the highest biomass, lipid content and lipid yield under low-nutrient conditions （mBGll medium）. The biomass, lipid content and lipid yield of Scenedesmus sp. LX1 were 0.42g·L^-1, 22.5% and 93.8mg·L^-1, respectively. These values were relatively higher than those of Chlorella sp. HQ （0.30g·L^-1, 17.1% and 51.3mg·L^-1, respectively）. These algae were then cultivated in an SE medium that contained more nutrients; as a result, the biomass and lipid yield of Scenedesmus sp. LX1 reduced more significantly than those of Chlorella sp. HQ. Opposite results were observed in lipid and triacylglycerols （TAGs） contents. The cell sizes of both algal species under low-nutrient conditions were larger than those under high-nutrient conditions. Chlorella sp. HQ cells did not aggregate, but Scenedesmus sp. LX1 cells flocculated easily, particularly under low-nutrient conditions. In summary, low-nutrient conditions favour the growth and lipid production of both algae, but Scenedesmus sp. LX1 outperforms Chlorella sp. HQ.     

Study of sorptive properties of trap systems for selective enrichment of volatile organic compounds from tobacco smoke samples

There is a dearth of data on the consumer product concentrations of iron, lead, and nickel for accurate comparison to be made. The levels of these elements were determined in 85 samples of six different classes of personal care products commonly used in Nigeria using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results of the analysis showed that the range of the mean concentrations of Fe was 0.485–1.108 ppm, Pb ND–0.163 ppm, and Ni ND-0.160 ppm. The analytical data have demonstrated that the selected consumer products are possible sources of iron, lead, and nickel exposure. Users can be exposed to these metals directly through dermal contact or inhalation. The regulations relating to cosmetic products give no limit values for heavy metals in cosmetic products, hence, it was difficult to establish if the values obtained in this study are safe or not. Prolonged use of soaps, creams, and detergent containing these elements may pose threat to human health and the environment. This could be responsible for various skin diseases such as allergic skin, follicular and pigmentary disorders, which are common among the users (exposed groups) of these products in Nigeria. A body of evidence has presented a rare example of systemic allergic dermatitis caused by topical application of a mercury-containing cosmetic to the upper lip of a 32-year-old Turkish patient.     

Producing Cu-loaded algae for feeding experiments: effects of copper on Parachlorella kessleri

Microalgae require several essential metals for optimum growth, which at elevated concentrations may interfere with biochemical and physiological processes, one of them being copper (Cu). The aim of this study is to raise Cu-loaded Parachlorella kessleri as feed for mussels. In order to spike the algae with Cu without lowering their nutritional quality, it is important to know the highest Cu-concentration at which the main parameters remain unaffected, especially in respect to proteins and polysaccharides. The dependence of growth rate, biomass, chlorophyll-a and -b, pheophytin-a, protein, and polysaccharide contents on Cu concentrations are determined. The tests show that P. kessleri is largely unchanged in its nutritional value when exposed to Cu at levels of up to 6?µmol?L^?1. Above 10?µmol?L^?1, toxic effects become obvious, with chlorophyll contents and growth rate being the most sensitive indicators.     

Behaviour of pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen in peanut field soil: effects on soil biological and biochemical activities

A field experiment was conducted to study the dissipation kinetics of herbicides pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen in black soil of peanut field at half recommended rate (HRE), recommended rate and double recommended rate as well as to assess their effects on soil microbial parameters and enzymatic activities. In addition, their role in the transformations and availability of some plant nutrients like nitrogen transformation (through ammonification and nitrification processes) and availability of phosphorous were also studied. Incorporation of these herbicides was found to stimulate the activity of soil microbial biomass carbon, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysing activity, alkaline phosphatase and ammonification rates, while dehydrogenase activity, acid phosphatase, nitrification rate and available phosphorous was adversely affected. However, urease remains almost unchanged except for little stimulation at later stages. Dissipation of pendimethalin and oxy?uorfen followed first-order reaction kinetics with half-life (T_1/2) of 13.7–20.1 and 21.5–27.4 days, respectively. Residues of both herbicides persisted up to 60 days in the soil at all the doses except 45 days for pendimethalin at HRE.     

Phosphorous cycling and biogeochemistry in a Venezuelan-flooded savanna

In 1970, a programme of land recuperation started in Venezuelan savannas, strongly affected by the seasonality of precipitation; therefore, a network of dykes has been built to alleviate the floods and retain water throughout the dry period. Under the dyked system, the environment has been altered, allowing a change in the herbaceous vegetation towards aquatic species and an increase in primary production. It is assumed that a considerable quantity of nutrients is lost from the ecosystem through the floodgates, a situation that could be worsened with the climate change. This contribution describes the atmospheric input and total output in stream run-off of phosphorous (P) in a flooded savanna. Internal pools of the biogeochemical cycle of P associated with terrestrial compartments are described. In the flooded savanna, a large amount of P is immobilised (29.6?kg?ha^?1) in their above ground biomass by grasses, and in soil microbial biomass. The P budget was nearly balanced, as measured losses were cancelled out by the inputs in rainfall. Soils act as a sink, retaining P coming either from precipitation or from desorption/mineralisation processes. That interruption can be maximised, and losses of P and other nutrients can be minimised with an adequate management of the floodgate.     

Relationships between nutrients and macroalgal biomass in a brazilian coastal lagoon: the impact of a lock construction

The Piratininga Lagoon is a coastal, choked, and brackish ecosystem in SE Brazil, where uncontrolled discharge of domestic sewage led to eutrophication, increasing massive proliferation of benthic macroalgae, and decrease of the lagoon mean depth. In 1992, a dam was constructed by the local Municipality at its tidal channel aiming at stabilising its water level. Main physico-chemical parameters, together with macroalgae biomass, nutrient concentrations in the water column, particulate organic carbon, and chlorophyll a were recorded monthly at 4 sampling stations within the Piratininga lagoon from April 1994 to April 1995. The data, compared with “before-lock” existing studies, show that nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations significantly increased after the lock construction. Based on the functioning of the ecosystem, we propose to harvest the algal mats before their decomposition period in order to partly remove the nutrient stocks from the lagoon and the future ecosystem modelling to predict the impact of natural and anthropogenic eutrophication.     

The effect of imazethapyr on soil microbes in soybean fields in northeast China

Large quantities of herbicides are used on agricultural soils, but the effects of herbicides on the structure of the soil microbial community have not been well investigated. In this study, soil from three soybean fields was investigated. The herbicide imazethapyr was applied in one year to soil 1 and in two sequential years to soil 2. Control soil received no imazethapyr. Microbial biomass and community structure were characterised using chloroform fumigation–extraction and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) determination. The imazethapyr residue was 1.62 μ g·kg^?1 in soil 1 and 1.79 μ g·kg^?1 in soil 2. The microbial biomass carbon and total PLFAs for soil 2 were much higher than for the other soils. PLFA profiles showed that fatty acids for Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as total bacteria and total fungi in soil 2 were higher than in other samples. Principal component analysis of the PLFAs showed that the structure of the microbial community differed substantially among the three different soybean field soils. Application of the herbicide imazethapyr to soybean fields clearly changed the soil microbial biomass and shifted the structure of the microbial community.     

模拟氮沉降对木荷人工幼林地土壤氮素、碳素和微生物量垂直分布的影响

以NH4NO3作为氮源,对广州东北郊木荷（Schima superba）人工幼林地进行模拟氮沉降处理,共设置3个氮沉降水平,分别为N0（N：0 g·m-2·a-1）、N5（N：5 g·m-2·a-1）以及N10（N：10 g·m-2·a-1）,每月进行喷施。在连续施氮22个月（当月当次施氮5天后）对土壤氮素（硝氮、氨氮、总氮）、碳素（总碳）以及微生物量（脂磷）在0~60 cm土层中的垂直分布进行研究。结果显示：在3个氮沉降水平下,随着土层加深,pH呈现出下降的趋势,氮沉降存在加剧土壤酸化的风险;在N0、N5、N10水平下,土壤全氮和总碳的垂直分布趋势大体一致,随着土层加深,其含量下降,但在深层土壤（40~60 cm）中,施氮与对照比较,总碳呈现一定的增加趋势;除40~50 cm土层,N5、N10水平下的硝态氮含量在各个深度土壤中都表现为比对照组要高,氮沉降导致土壤一定程度上硝态氮的积累;在浅层土壤（0~20 cm）中,铵态氮水平较低并且其含量明显低于对照组,而在较深的土层中铵态氮有较多的积累,说明存在污染地下水的风险;N5和N10水平下,无机氮比例（无机氮含量与总氮含量之比）在各个深度土壤中总体高于N0水平;用脂磷含量表征土壤微生物含量,结果表明外加氮源对微生物含量有显著性影响,在N5、N10水平下,微生物含量在30~40 cm土层中出现峰值。     

黄土丘陵区生物结皮对土壤物理属性的影响

生物结皮在干旱、半干旱地区广泛发育。迄今,有关生物结皮发育过程中土壤物理属性的响应仍不明确。论文采用野外调查与室内分析相结合的方法,定量研究不同生物量生物结皮对土壤物理属性的影响。结果表明:①生物结皮的发育能够细化土壤,当生物结皮由初期藻结皮演替至60%~80%苔藓结皮时(5等级),生物结皮层粗砂粒含量降低了86%;②随着生物结皮生物量的增加,生物结皮层土壤容重和硬度较初期分别降低了15%和68%,田间持水量和孔隙度分别增加了36%和14%;生物结皮层粘结力是下层土壤的6~7倍;③生物结皮的发育对土壤物理属性的影响与生物量有关,当苔藓生物量达2.91±0.12 g/dm²时,其土壤物理属性基本稳定。研究结果为揭示生物结皮抗侵蚀机理提供了科学参考。     

大型水生植物混合腐解对入湖河口水质的影响及适宜生物量研究

为探究水生植物腐解释放的营养盐在泥-水-植物系统中迁移规律以及冬春季衰亡期大型水生植物的最适生物量,在塑料通风大棚内,开展不同梯度生物量下多种水生植物混合腐解试验.选择冬季蠡湖-陆典桥浜河口区的水生植物为研究对象,根据实际收割规律,设定腐解试验的生物量依次为除根部以外总生物量的0%、20%、40%、60%、80%、100%,于2018年12月25日开展试验,共150 d.结果表明:①与恒温室内条件相比,近自然条件下多种混合水生植物腐解的前2个阶段具有长时性和持续性.②水生植物腐解致使含C、N、P元素的指标在0~30 d内快速升高,70 d左右达到峰值,100 d后缓慢降低直至稳定,整个变化过程持续近120 d,但植物茎叶未彻底分解,多数沉积在底泥表面.③泥-水-植物系统中,试验初期底泥以释放营养盐为主,30 d后以吸附为主;相关性分析表明,茎叶生物量与水体和底泥中养分浓度均呈正相关.研究显示,与其他试验组相比,收割后水生植物生物量剩余20%时更有利于入湖河口水质的改善.