Environmental fate of pesticides used in Australian viticulture IV. Aqueous stability of dithianon

Dithianon formulations are unstable in slightly basic aqueous solutions (pH 9, 20°C, t _½ = 5.6 h) but relatively stable in neutral or acidic solution (pH 4,20°C, t _½ = 6443 h). To ensure the efficacy of this fungicide it is important to prepare the spray mix fresh with neutral or slightly acidic water. Dithianon is unstable towards natural sunlight in the solid and aqueous phase, with half‐lives of approximately 68 and 42 days, respectively. Thermal hydrolysis does not seem to be the preferred degradation pathway when aqueous solutions are heated by the South Australian summer sun. The major aqueous phase photodegradation product has been identified as 2,3‐dihydro‐1,4‐dithiaanthraquinone. These results strongly suggest that should dithianon be accidentally released into basic Australian waters then it is likely to be rapidly chemically hydrolysed and pose little long term environmental threat. However, dithianon is only slowly chemically and photo‐lytically hydrolysed in neutral and acidic waters, and in this case accidentally release may pose a significant short term environmental threat.     

黄浦江水源地沉积物重金属潜在生态风险评价

为了解黄浦江上游饮用水源地沉积物中重金属的污染特征,对黄浦江干流和主要支流15个采样点的Hg、Cd、Pb、Cu和Zn含量进行检测,并对其生态风险进行评价.相比环境背景中位值,在15个样品中5种重金属含量都存在一定比例的超标现象,其中,Cd和Hg的污染相对明显;相比背景最大值,仅有Cu和Cd含量超标.采用潜在生态风险指数法和污染负荷指数法进行评价,所得出的生态风险等级均为无污染～中等污染水平,急水港近苏沪交界处、淀峰大桥、大蒸港沪浙交界处、大蒸港泖洋河交汇处、园泄泾以及五厍东一号河交界处区域生态风险较高,Cd和Hg是研究区域生态风险的主导因子.值得注意的是,黄浦江支流大蒸港和园泄泾的生态风险整体高于黄浦江干流.总体而言,黄浦江上游水源地表层沉积物中重金属污染仍处于中等以下水平.     

东北典型湖库水体对铜绿微囊藻荧光特性的影响

为考察东北典型湖库水体对铜绿微囊藻(Microcystic aeruginosa)生长过程中IDOM(细胞内溶解性有机物)荧光特性的影响,在镜泊湖、兴凯湖、五大连池、松花湖和大伙房水库5个典型湖库,共10个采样点采集水样,用于铜绿微囊藻的培养,利用EEM(三维荧光光谱)技术,结合三维荧光FRI(区域体积积分)开展IDOM荧光特性的聚类分析. 结果表明:铜绿微囊藻中IDOM的主要荧光特征峰为类蛋白荧光峰(峰S和峰T),峰S荧光强度高于峰T;对IDOM的三维荧光光谱分为5个区(Ⅰ～Ⅴ区)进行区域体积积分,荧光响应值比例(P_Ⅰ+Ⅱ,n和P_Ⅳ,n)总体上呈互补趋势;Ф_T,n(总区域体积积分)表现为镜泊湖>五大连池>兴凯湖>松花湖>大伙房水库,第16天镜泊湖的Ф_T,n最大,平均值为9.76×10-5 AU·nm2/(mg/L);大伙房水库的Ф_T,n最小,平均值为3.72×10-5 AU·nm2/(mg/L). 聚类分析将10个采样点分成3类. HJ1、HJ2采样点为类别1;HX1、LD1、JS1、LD2采样点为类别2;HX2、JS2、HW2、HW1采样点为类别3,其中,类别1(镜泊湖)水体较类别2和类别3水体更适宜铜绿微囊藻的生长.      

综采放顶煤工作面过地质构造时架前冒顶控制技术探讨

综采放顶煤工作面遇到地质构造时冒顶频繁,控顶困难,严重影响采煤工作面的安全生产和经济效益。通过对工作面架前冒顶原因进行深入分析及对工作面遇地质构造时架前冒顶防治进行不断探索,在技术和管理上形成了一整套切实可行的管理方法,在遇地质构造期间,通过采用有效手段便可保证综放支架安全通过地质构造。以伯方煤矿二盘区3207工作面工程实际为例,运用具体技术和管理措施,使工作面安全通过地质构造断层。该方法可为类似构造煤层的安全开采提供参考。     

Maternal transfer of mercury to the developing embryo/fetus: is there a safe level?

Mercury (Hg) exposure is ubiquitous in modern society via vaccines, fish/crustacea, dental amalgam, food, water, and the atmosphere. This article examines Hg exposure in the context of primary exposure to pregnant women and secondary exposure experienced by their unborn babies. Babies in utero are particularly at risk of higher Hg exposure than adults (on a dose/weight basis through maternal Hg transfer via the placenta), and are more susceptible to adverse effects from mercury and its biologically active compounds. It is, therefore, critical that regulatory advisories around maximum safe Hg exposures account for pregnant women and secondary exposure that children in utero experience. This study focused on standardized embryonic and fetal Hg exposures via primary exposure to the pregnant mother of two common Hg sources (dietary fish and parenteral vaccines). Data demonstrated that Hg exposures, particularly during the first trimester of pregnancy, at well-established dose/weight ratios produced severe damage to humans including death. In light of research suggestive of a mercuric risk factor for childhood conditions such as tic disorders, cerebral palsy, and autism, it is essential that Hg advisories account for secondary prenatal human exposures.     

Ligand-less in situ surfactant-based solid phase extraction for preconcentration of silver from natural water samples prior to its determination by atomic absorption spectroscopy

A simple and rapid ligand-less in situ surfactant-based solid phase extraction method for preconcentration of silver from water samples is developed. In this method, a cationic surfactant containing a proper alkyl group (n-dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide) is dissolved in the aqueous sample and then a proper ion-pairing agent (ClO₄^?) is added. Due to the interaction between surfactant and ion-pairing agent, solid particles are formed and used for adsorption of silver carbonate. After centrifugation, the sediment is dissolved in 2.0 mL 1 M HNO₃ in ethanol and then aspirated directly into the flame atomic absorption spectrometer. Variables affecting the extraction efficiencies such as pH, concentrations of surfactant and CO₃^2?, ion pair concentration, and extraction time, are optimized. Under such conditions, the calibration curve is linear from 3 to 700 μg L^?1. Detection limit is 1.1 μg L^?1 with an enrichment factor of 37. The relative standard deviation for eight replicate measurements of 100 μg L^?1 is 2.1%. The method has been applied for the determination of silver in water samples.     

Alkylation of metals and the activity of metal‐alkyls†

The biochemical basis for resistance to metal ion toxicity is emerging though it is complicated by the different resistance mechanisms. Several strategies for resistance to toxic metal ions have been identified:

1. The development of energy driven efflux pumps which keep toxic element levels low in the interior of the cell. Such mechanisms have been described for Cd(II) and As(V).

2. Oxidation (e.g. AsO^2‐ to AsO₄ ^3‐) or reduction (e.g. Hg²⁺ to Hg⁰) can enzymatically and intracellularly convert a more toxic form of an element to a less toxic form.

3. The biosynthesis of intracellular polymers which serve as traps for the removal of metal ions from solution such as traps have been described for cadmium, calcium, nickel and copper.

4. The binding of metal ions to cell surfaces.

5. The precipitation of insoluble metal complexes (e.g. metal sulfides and metal oxides) at cell surfaces.

6. Biomethylation and transport through cell‐membranes by diffusion controlled processes.

In this short review I shall discuss the implications of biomethylation as a detoxification mechanism for microorganisms as well as for certain higher organisms.     

Effects of a phycotoxin,okadaic acid,on oyster heart cell survival

Okadaic acid (OA) is a dinoflagellate toxin which accumulates in shellfish producing diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans. It was found that OA is a highly selective inhibitor of protein phosphatase types 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) which produces a marked increase in phosphorylation of several proteins, including p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. The cytotoxicity attributed to OA and the effects on p38 MAP kinase and calcium current were examined in the oyster Crassostrea gigas in this study. Data showed that p38 MAP kinase is strongly expressed in oyster heart and that OA bioaccumulated in cultured heart cells. Hence the effects of OA was tested in vitro and in vivo on oysters. OA was found to (i) exert a positive chronotropic effect on cultured atrial cardiomyocytes which is related to an increase in calcium current via PKC as shown by patch clamp measurements, (ii) produce an activation/phosphorylation of MAP kinase as shown by Westernblot while the non-phosphorylated p38 remained constant during treatment, (iii) did not induce a pro-apoptotic effect. Data suggest that OA may also stimulate the anti-apoptotic pathway by phosphatase inhibition.     

A sustainable development metric based on youth

Nearly two decades ago, the World Bank declared achieving sustained and equitable development to be the greatest challenge facing the human race. In this article, an index of youth investment (IYI) is proposed to highlight children and the intergenerational dimension of sustainable development. The index incorporates quality-adjusted measures for child health and education. Comparisons with two complementary indicators of sustainable development, the human development index (HDI) and the adjusted net saving rate (AS), are made. A cross-section of 34 nations for 2006 is used as an illustration. A discussion of policies for promoting sustainable development through investing in children concludes the article.     

梯度薄膜扩散技术(DGT)与传统化学方法评估黑麦草吸收Cd的对比

为研究不同方法评估黑麦草吸收Cd的效果,采集了16个不同理化性质实际Cd污染土壤,盆栽试验种植黑麦草,采用梯度薄膜扩散技术(DGT)测定黑麦草根际土Cd的生物有效性,并与离心法采集土壤溶液、乙酸(HAc)和乙二胺四乙酸二钠(EDTANa2)3种传统提取方法所提取土壤有效态Cd含量进行比较,研究其与黑麦草地上部和地下部Cd含量的相关关系.结果表明,DGT提取的土壤有效态Cd含量与黑麦草中Cd含量的相关性显著高于化学提取法.运用多元统计分析研究土壤pH、阳离子交换量(CEC)、有机质(OM)和土壤颗粒组成等理化指标的影响,提取出两种主成分因子,建立了多元回归模型.第一主成分与OM和黏粒(clay)之间呈显著相关,定义为土壤中影响重金属生物有效性的"有机指标",第二主成分则与土壤pH和CEC相关程度较高,定义为土壤中影响重金属生物有效性的"无机指标".研究表明,第二主成分显著影响了3种化学方法构建的预测模型,而DGT技术综合了两种主成分对土壤有效态Cd含量的影响,所构建的模型几乎不受土壤基本理化性质的影响,说明DGT分析法是一种预测黑麦草吸收Cd的较好方法.