Biochemical effects of some organo‐phosphorus insecticides on new targets in white rats

Abstract

The three S‐n‐propyl phosphates and phosphothioates: RH 218, profenofos and prothiophos were compared with fenitrothion in their potential as inhibitors of rat liver and brain AChE. Fenitrothion was more potent as an inhibitor than the three S‐n‐propyl derivatives. Incubation of hepatic protein enhanced ChE inhibition in brain in the case of fenitrothion, while it reduced the inhibitory effect of the S‐n‐propyl derivatives. On the other hand, the four organophosphorus esters caused hypoglycemia in both male and female rats and also reduced their blood urea with different degrees.     

Watershed management and the Web

Watershed analysis and watershed management are developing as tools of integrated ecological and economic study. They also assist decision-making at the regional scale. The new technology and thinking offered by the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web is highly complementary to some of the goals of watershed analysis. Services delivered by the Web are open, interactive, fast, spatially distributed, hierarchical and flexible. The Web offers the ability to display information creatively, to interact with that information and to change and modify it remotely. In this way the Internet provides a much-needed opportunity to deliver scientific findings and information to stakeholders and to link stakeholders together providing for collective decision-making. The benefits fall into two major categories: methodological and educational. Methodologically the approach furthers the watershed management concept, offering an avenue for practical implementation of watershed management principles. For educational purposes the Web is a source of data and insight serving a variety of needs at all levels. We use the Patuxent River case study to illustrate the web-based approach to watershed management. A watershed scale simulation model is built for the Patuxent area and it serves as a core for watershed management design based on web applications. It integrates the knowledge available for the Patuxent area in a comprehensive and systematic format, and provides a conceptual basis for understanding the performance of the watershed as a system. Moreover, the extensive data collection and conceptualisation required within the framework of the modeling effort stimulates close contact with the environmental management community. This is further enhanced by offering access to the modeling results and the data sets over the Web. Additional web applications and links are provided to increase awareness and involvement of stakeholders in the watershed management process. We argue that it is not the amount and quality of information that is crucial for the success of watershed management, but how well the information is disseminated, shared and used by the stakeholders. In this respect the Web offers a wealth of opportunities for the decision-making process, but still to be answered are the questions at what scale and how widely will the Web be accepted as a management tool, and how can watershed management benefit from web applications.     

Effect of environmental forcing on the fate of nutrients, dissolved organic matter and heavy metals released by a coastal wastewater pipeline

Discharges of nutrients, urea, dissolved organic matter and heavy metals by a sewage underwater pipeline are analysed in comparison to environmental conditions in a shallow coastal zone. Variable thermo-haline stratifications of the water column and currents in upper (2.62-34.97 cm s^-1) and deeper (0.83-10.91 cm s^-1) layers drive vertical diffusion and lateral transport of wastewaters. Loads of reactive phosphorus (0.13 tons d^-1) and ammonium (1.62 tons d^-1) by the pipeline are not negligible compared to the major river loads in the gulf. High concentrations of urea (≤11.51 μmol N dm^-3) were found in the area of wastewater release. Ammonium uptake (6.14-534 nmol N dm^-3 h^-1) strongly exceeded nitrate uptake (0.19-138 nmol N dm^-3 h^-1), indicating that discharges of ammonium by the pipeline are actively assimilated by plankton community even at low levels of light. Distribution of Zn (≤27.7 ppb), Cu (≤25.6 ppb), Cd (≤0.80 ppb) and Pb (≤13.5 ppb) in the water column and the measurement of their complex-forming capacity in seawater did not indicate a persistent perturbation of the pelagic environment due to heavy metals.     

Heavy-metal adsorption by non-living biomass

The adsorption of some heavy metals onto the walls of harvested, washed, and dried non-living biomass cells of different Pseudomonas strains was studied at optimum experimental conditions using a simplified single component system. The Langmuir adsorption model was found to be a suitable approach to describe the system via multi-step processes. Isotherms measured at 30.0°C and pH 5.5 with [M]_total = 10-100 mM for tight, reversible Cr⁶⁺(aq), Ni²⁺(aq), Cu²⁺(aq) and Cd²⁺(aq) binding by the cell walls of the investigated biomass fit the Langmuir model and give the pH-independent stoichiometric site capacities ν_i and equilibrium constants K_i for metal binding at specific biomass sites i = A, B, C, and D. Tight binding sites A, B, and D of the non-living biomass are occupied by Cr^VI, sites A and C by Ni^II, sites A and D by Cd^II, and only site B by Cu^II. It is concluded that ν_i is a stoichiometric parameter that is independent of the magnitude of K_i for binding site i and that the studied heavy metals selectively and tightly bind at different biomass sites.     

土地资源利用保护与农业生态建设

本文阐述了国内外土地后备资源现状及存在问题,解剖了土壤肥力演化机制和土壤资源保护的关系,介绍了我国生态农业建设的研究进展,指出了今后的主攻方向。     

城市发展质量的综合评价--以江苏省13个省辖市为例

在城市发展质量评价指标体系构建的基础上,依据一定的规则确定各评价指标的目标值,根据综合评价方法,对江苏省13个省辖市2000-2002年各城市发展质量进行综合分析.提出测算城市质量系统间协调发展程度的一般计量模型,根据此模型及城市发展质量综合评价的结论,分别研究了13个城市在近三年的城市化进程中,城市质量系统发展的协调性.     

A GFP-based bacterial biosensor with chromosomally integrated sensing cassette for quantitative detection of Hg(II) in environment

A mercury biosensor was constructed by integrating biosensor genetic elements into E. coli JM109 chromosome in a single copy number, using the attP/attB recombination mechanism of λphage. The genetic elements used include a regulatory protein gene (merR) along with operator/promoter (O/P) derived from the mercury resistance operon from pDU1358 plasmid of Serratia marcescens. The expression of reporter gene gfp is also controlled by merR/O/P. Integration of the construct into the chromosome was done to increase the stability and precision of the biosensor. This biosensor could detect Hg(II) ions in the concentration range of 100-1700 nmol/L, and manifest the result as the expression of GFP. The GFP expression was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) for each concentration of inducing Hg(II) ions in the detection range, which reduces the chances of misinterpretation of results. A model using regression method was also derived for the quantification of the concentration of Hg(II) in water samples.     

pH-dependent leaching behaviour and other performance properties of cement-treated mixed contaminated soil

Portland cement has been widely used for stabilisation/solidification (S/S) treatment of contaminated soils. However, there is a dearth of literature on pH-dependent leaching of contaminants from cement-treated soils. This study investigates the leachability of Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) from a mixed contaminated soil. A sandy soil was spiked with 3000 mg/kg each of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn, and 10,000 mg/kg of diesel, and treated with ordinary Portland cement (CEM I). Four different binder dosages, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (m/m) and different water contents ranging from 13%-19% dry weight were used in order to find a safe operating envelope for the treatment process. The pH-dependent leaching behaviour of the treated soil was monitored over an 84-day period using a 3-point acid neutralisation capacity (ANC) test. The monolithic leaching test was also conducted. Geotechnical properties such as unconfined compressive strength (UCS), hydraulic conductivity and porosity were assessed over time. The treated soils recorded lower leachate concentrations of Ni and Zn compared to the untreated soil at the same pH depending on binder dosage. The binder had problems with Pb stabilisation and TPH leachability was independent of pH and binder dosage. The hydraulic conductivity of the mixes was generally of the order, 10^-8 m/sec, while the porosity ranged from 26%-44%. The results of selected performance properties are compared with regulatory limits and the range of operating variables that lead to acceptable performance described.     

丽江盆地地表-地下水的水化学特征及其控制因素

2008年11月～2009年10月在丽江盆地-玉龙雪山地区采集白水河、三束河、哥吉河、束河河水及流域内地下水样品,使用离子色谱法分析了样品主要阴阳离子含量,研究了岩溶地区地表及地下水体的水化学特征、季节变化及其控制因素.结果表明,研究区水体均呈现弱碱性,主要离子组成以Ca2+和HCO3-为主,分别占阳离子和阴离子总量的54.8%和92.4%;不同季节河水的离子浓度差别较大,季风期离子浓度仅为西风期离子浓度的80%左右,表明季风期丰沛的大气降水输入对河水离子特征有较为显著的影响;河水离子浓度普遍低于盆地地下水主要阴阳离子浓度;河水和地下水的无机离子浓度都呈现出从高海拔到低海拔离子含量递增的规律.碳酸盐的风化溶解作用是水体离子的主要来源,季风期降水对水体的离子特征也有一定的影响,人类活动对人类聚居区部分天然水体已造成轻度污染.     

萘降解菌MQ合成靛蓝的研究

利用萘降解菌(丛毛单胞菌)MQ完整细胞对吲哚进行转化合成靛蓝,结果表明菌株MQ具有较好的靛蓝合成能力,靛蓝产量在4h左右即达到稳定.薄层色谱和高效液相色谱分析结果表明,合成的蓝色产物为靛蓝.考察了反应温度及摇床转速对靛蓝合成的影响,结果表明最适温度和转速分别为25℃和150r·min-1.随后,采用表面响应法确定了菌株MQ合成靛蓝的最优条件:菌株接种量OD6602.16,吲哚浓度200.55mg·L-1,pH=6.91.在最优条件下,菌株MQ合成靛蓝的产量为53.05mg·L-1,比初始条件下的产量提高了179%.