Research progress of disinfection and disinfection by-products in China

Disinfection is an indispensable water treatment process for killing harmful pathogens and protecting human health. However, the disinfection has caused significant public concern due to the formation of toxic disinfection by-products(DBPs). Lots of studies on disinfection and DBPs have been performed in the world since 1974. Although related studies in China started in1980 s, a great progress has been achieved during the last three decades. Therefore, this review summarized the main achievements on disinfection and DPBs studies in China, which included:(1) the occurrence of DBPs in water of China,(2) the identification and detection methods of DBPs,(3) the formation mechanisms of DBPs during disinfection process,(4) the toxicological effects and epidemiological surveys of DBPs,(5) the control and management countermeasures of DBPs in water disinfection, and(6) the challenges and chances of DBPs studies in future. It is expected that this review would provide useful information and reference for optimizing disinfection process, reducing DBPs formation and protecting human health.     

Horizontal and vertical gene transfer drive sediment antibiotic resistome in an urban lagoon system

Rapid urbanization has resulted in pervasive occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban aquatic ecosystems. However, limited information is available concerning the ARG profiles and the forces responsible for their assembly in urban landscape lagoon systems. Here, we employed high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) to characterize the spatial variations of ARGs in surface and core sediments of Yundang Lagoon, China. The results indicated that the average richness and absolute abundance of ARGs were 11 and 53 times higher in the lagoon sediments as compared to pristine reference Tibetan lake sediments, highlighting the role of anthropogenic activities in ARG pollution. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that various anaerobic prokaryotic genera belonging to Alpha-, Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Euryarchaeota, Firmicutes and Synergistetes were the potential hosts of ARGs. The partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) analysis revealed positive and negative indirect effects of physicochemical factors and heavy metals on the lagoon ARG profiles, via biotic factors, respectively. The horizontal (mediated by mobile genetic elements) and vertical (mediated by prokaryotic communities) gene transfer may directly contribute the most to drive the abundance and composition of ARGs, respectively. Furthermore, the neutral community model demonstrated that the assembly of sediment ARG communities was jointly governed by deterministic and stochastic processes. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the diversity and distribution of ARGs in the benthic habitat of urban lagoon systems and underlying mechanisms for the spread and proliferation of ARGs.     

Analysis of rider and child pillion passenger kinematics along with injury mechanisms during motorcycle crash

Abstract

Objective: Traffic fatalities among motorcycle users are intolerably high in Thailand. They account for 73% of the total number of road fatalities. Children are also among these victims. To improve countermeasures and design of protection equipment, understanding the biomechanics of motorcycle users under impact conditions is necessary. The objective of this work is to analyze the overall kinematics and injuries sustained by riders and child pillion passengers in various accident configurations.

Methods: Motorcycle accident data were analyzed. Common accident scenarios and impact parameters were identified. Two numerical approaches were employed. The multibody model was validated with a motorcycle crash test and used to generate possible accident cases for various impact conditions specified to cover all common accident scenarios. Specific impact conditions were selected for detailed finite element analysis. The finite element simulations of motorcycle-to-car collisions were conducted to provide insight into kinematics and injury mechanisms.

Results: Global kinematics found when the motorcycle’s front wheel impacts a car (config-MC) highlighted the translation motion of both the rider and passenger toward the impact position. The rider’s trunk impacted the handlebar and the head either impacted the car or missed. The hood constituted the highest head impact occurrence for this configuration. The child mostly impacted the rider’s back. Different kinematics were found when car impacted the lateral side of the motorcycle (config-CM). Upper bodies of both rider and child were laterally projected toward the car front. The windshield constituted the highest proportion of head impacts. The hood and A-pillar recorded a moderate proportion. The rider in finite element simulations with config-MC experienced high rib stress, lung strain, and pressure beyond the injury limit. A high head injury criterion was observed when the head hit the car. However, the simulation with config-CM exhibited high lower extremities stress and lung pressure in both occupants. Hyperextension of the rider’s neck was observed. The cumulative strain damage measure of the child’s brain was higher than the threshold for diffuse axonal injury (DAI).

Conclusions: This study revealed 2 kinematics patterns and injury mechanisms. Simulations with config-MC manifested a high risk of head and thorax injury to the rider but a low risk of severe injury to the child. Thorax injury to the rider due to handlebar impact was only found in simulations with config-MC. However, a high risk of skull, lower extremity, brain, and neck injuries were more pronounced for cases with config-CM. A high risk of DAI was also noticed for the child. In simulations with config-CM the child exhibited a higher risk of severe injury.     

二氧化氯灭活水中隐孢子虫的影响因素及机理研究

以荧光活体染色法研究了ClO2浓度、灭活时间、浊度、pH值、温度、有机物含量等,对ClO2灭活隐孢子虫效果的影响,并利用扫描电镜和蛋白质实验初步探究了灭活机理.结果显示,当pH7.0,水温为25℃,浊度为1NTU时,投加3mg/L ClO2经过120min,可以达到最适消毒效果(存活率小于1%),隐孢子虫的灭活率与ClO2投加浓度、作用时间成非线性正相关.浊度是影响ClO2灭活隐孢子虫的主要因素,浊度越低,灭活效果越佳;水温(较)低,灭活效果稍差;酸性较于碱性更适宜ClO2灭活隐孢子虫;可溶性有机物一定程度上影响ClO2的灭活效果.扫描电镜和蛋白试验表明,ClO2主要破坏其细胞表面结构,从而引起隐孢子虫死亡.     

·OH自由基介导2,4-二氯酚光降解机理及产物毒性变化特征的理论研究

由于2,4-二氯酚(2,4-dichlorophenol,简称2,4-DCP)具有"三致"作用及潜在的生态风险,其光化学降解机理及产物的生态毒理效应目前成为人们关注的焦点。本研究采用理论化学计算手段,系统阐明了2,4-DCP在水环境中·OH介导的间接光化学转化机理、动力学和转化产物的生态毒性变化特征。结果表明2,4-DCP很容易被·OH氧化降解,其降解主要通过·OH-加成和H-迁移路径进行。在低温条件下·OH-加成路径将占主导,主要形成4,6-二氯苯-1,3-二酚;而当温度超过313 K时,·OH提取酚羟基上的氢原子为主要降解途径,主要形成2-氯苯-对苯醌。尤其在活性物种浓度较低的高温环境中,H-迁移路径有可能生成二噁英。计算毒理学结果表明:H-迁移产物的水生毒性超过·OH-加成产物,甚至超出母体2,4-DCP一个毒性等级。因此,我们建议在以后的环境监测以及风险评估过程中,关注2,4-DCP及其转化产物特别是H-迁移路径的转化产物的生态毒理学问题。     

纳米材料对鼠科动物的生殖毒性及致毒机理

纳米材料是近几年应用越来越多的一种新型材料,因此国内外科研单位对其毒性的研究也逐年增加。但是目前对鼠科动物生殖毒性及其机理的了解还相对较少,亟需大量研究填补此领域的空白。本文主要从亲代和子代2个方面阐述了纳米材料对鼠科动物的生殖毒性,从不同生物水平等方面概述了纳米材料对亲子两代鼠科动物的损伤效应及可能的机制。最后,试探性地提出了今后在纳米材料领域对鼠科动物生殖毒性的研究重点。     

Humic substances. Part III. sorptive interactions with environmental chemicals†

The formation of covalent binding to DNA of a carcinogen is now widely accepted to represent a classical mechanism of tumour induction in mammals. This mechanism does not operate with metals since no covalent binding of these agents to DNA does occur. Nevertheless, somatic mutations as typical consequences of DNA‐damage have been reported to be induced by metals in various model systems. Beside DNA‐alkylation such damages can be caused by changes in the conformation of DNA or in the fidelity of DNA‐repair. The activity of the repair enzymes DNA‐polymerases is indeed impaired by many metal ions at least in vitro. It is not yet established whether these mechanisms are also important in the intact mammalian organism. Much evidence has accumulated during the last years that a disturbance of the balance of cations and especially metal ions represents another possible mechanism of tumour induction. The tumours found with high doses of chelating agents such as nitrilo‐triacetic acid (NTA) have to be discussed in this context. Since most—if not—all of the speculative mechanisms of metal carcinogenesis resemble classical pharmacological reactions the existence of a threshold level is likely. So metal carcinogenesis will not be a problem of the environmental contamination at trace levels but a problem of occupational medicine.     

Absorption and retention of polydimethylsiloxanes (silicones) in fish: Preliminary experiments†

Hydrophobicity and bioaccumulation potential of linear and cyclic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) oligomers were estimated by reversed‐phase liquid chromatography and feeding experiments with guppies (Poecilia reticulata). PDMS concentrations in fish were determined by capillary column gas chromatography and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. In contrast to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), only very small amounts of PDMS were retained by the fish after six weeks feeding.     

甲草胺热裂解气相色谱-质谱分析

甲草胺是一种广泛用于农作物上的酰胺类除草剂.本文利用裂解气相色谱与质谱联用(Py-GC-MS)研究了甲草胺在热裂解温度200℃、400℃、600℃、800℃下的降解产物和热降解机理.实验结果表明,共有60种裂解产物被分离鉴定,随着温度的升高甲草胺显著分解,当裂解温度超过600℃时,大量的芳烃类、喹啉类、吲哚类化合物在高温裂解中产生,温度越高他们的相对含量也越高.基于对裂解产物的定性和它们含量的变化提出了甲草胺的热降解机理.     

多氨基树脂的制备表征及其对水中酚类化合物的吸附机制

通过沉淀聚合法制备了三交联型的聚马来酸酐树脂(Polymaleic anhydride resin,PMAR),然后氨化接枝得到系列衍生的多氨基树脂,并采用红外光谱(FTIR)、Zeta电位、元素分析、扫描电镜(SEM)和N₂吸附/解吸(BET)等手段对其进行了表征.对系列多氨基树脂的吸附性能进行比较发现,该系列树脂对4-硝基苯酚(4-NP)的吸附能力随氨基数量的增加而增加,其中以氨基数最多的四亚甲基五胺修饰的聚马来酸酐树脂PMAR-VA吸附性能最好.在各种酚类化合物中,PMAR-VA树脂对4-NP具有较高的选择性.同时,研究了树脂投加量、溶液pH、离子强度等因素对水中4-N吸附性能的影响,并对吸附过程进行了吸附动力学模拟,发现吸附过程符合拟二级动力学模型.Langmuir等温吸附模型可以很好地描述PMAR-VA对溶液中4-NP的吸附过程,最大吸附量为77.1 mg·g^-1(pH=6.0和25 ℃).吸附热力学结果表明,4-NP在PMAR-VA上的吸附是一个自发的物理吸附过程,其吸附机制主要为静电吸引和氢键.脱附再生实验发现,0.2 mol·L^-1 NaOH溶液脱附效果最优.经5次循环再生使用,PMAR-VA树脂的吸附性能没有明显下降.