Mercury exposure in the freshwater tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

Mercury (Hg) can be strongly accumulated and biomagnified along aquatic food chain, but the exposure pathway remains little studied. In this study, we quantified the uptake and elimination of both inorganic mercury [as Hg(II)] and methylmercury (as MeHg) in an important farmed freshwater fish, the tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, using ²⁰³Hg radiotracer technique. The dissolved uptake rates of both mercury species increased linearly with Hg concentration (tested at ng/L levels), and the uptake rate constant of MeHg was 4 times higher than that of Hg(II). Dissolved uptake of mercury was highly dependent on the water pH and dissolved organic carbon concentration. The dietborne assimilation efficiency of MeHg was 3.7-7.2 times higher than that of Hg(II), while the efflux rate constant of MeHg was 7.1 times lower. The biokinetic modeling results showed that MeHg was the greater contributor to the overall mercury bioaccumulation and dietary exposure was the predominant pathway.     

Characterization of the first step involved in enzymatic pathway for microcystin-RR biodegraded by Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05

Enzymes encoded by genes biodegrading microcystins (MCs) can help reveal the function of genes and biodegradation pathway of MCs. Here the first and important gene (USTB-05-A, 1,008 bp) involved in biodegradation of microcystin-RR (MC-RR) was cloned from Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 and firstly expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with an expression vector of pGEX4T-1 successfully. The nucleotide sequences of cloned USTB-05-A possessed 92.5% homology to that of mlA reported in Sphingomonas sp. strain ACM-3962. The deduced amino acid sequences containing the cleavage sites of 26th (alanine) and 27th (leucine) showed 83% identical to that of MlrA. The cell-free extract (CE) of recombinant E. coli BL21 (DE3) containing USTB-05-A had high activity for biodegrading MC-RR. Initial MC-RR of 40 mg L⁻¹ was completely biodegraded under total protein of 350 mg L⁻¹ within 0.25 h. A product derived from MC-RR appeared distinctly with the decrease of MC-RR peak on the profile of HPLC. The product (m/z 1056.5) had molecular weight of 18 higher than that of MC-RR (m/z 1038.7). The findings provided the positive evidences that biodegradation of MC-RR began with the breakage of cyclic MC-RR and then it was converted to linear MC-RR as the first product catalyzed by first enzyme of Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05.     

Decomposition of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl with iron supported on an activated carbon from an ion-exchange resin

An activated carbon (AC) containing a high concentration (374 mg g⁻¹) of Fe was prepared by carbonization of an ion-exchange resin. To examine its chemical reactivity as a catalyst to decompose 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153), the decomposition parameters of temperature and time were varied under air or N₂. Decomposition at 350 °C was achieved within 15 min under air and 30 min under N₂, and the efficiency of PCB-153 decomposition was 99.7% and 98.0%, respectively. An analysis of inorganic chloride ions revealed that PCB-153 was mineralized effectively during the decomposition. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume of the AC were measured to assess the adsorption capacity before and after the decomposition. The differences between decomposition under air and N₂ reflected the differences in the BET surface and pore volume measurements. A decomposition pathway was postulated, and the reactive characteristics of chlorine atoms loaded on the benzene rings followed the order of para > meta > ortho, which agrees with the calculated results from a density functional theory study.     

可持续发展视角下的中央商务区低碳发展路径和策略探讨

随着城市建设的不断推进,中央商务区(CBD)的可持续发展受到越来越多关注。随着全球气候变化的日益加剧,低碳CBD作为一种新型的CBD发展模式被提出。基于国内外已有的CBD建设研究,以可持续发展理念为指引,在解析CBD发展历程的基础上,探究了中国CBD低碳建设的路径和策略。CBD的碳排放特征分析表明,"低碳CBD"的发展路径必须将低碳理念贯彻到规划期、建设期及运营期等各个阶段,坚持全生命周期的低碳管理。最后,从量化低碳目标、创新低碳政策和持续改进地管理低碳建设3个方面提出了低碳CBD的发展策略。     

高级氧化技术处理水中人工甜味剂的研究进展

介绍了几个国家在地表水、污水处理厂进出水等水环境中检测出的人工甜味剂的含量,简介了人工甜味剂对人体的危害,综述了基于臭氧氧化和紫外光照射的高级氧化技术处理水中人工甜味剂的研究进展,剖析了人工甜味剂的降解产物和降解路径以及在降解过程中的矿化效果和毒性变化,对后续的研究方向进行了展望。     

Effects of growth substrate on triclosan biodegradation potential of oxygenase-expressing bacteria

Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent, an endocrine disrupting compound, and an emerging contaminant in the environment. This is the first study investigating triclosan biodegradation potential of four oxygenase-expressing bacteria: Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, Mycobacterium vaccae JOB5, Rhodococcus ruber ENV425, and Burkholderia xenovorans LB400. B. xenovorans LB400 and R. ruber ENV425 were unable to degrade triclosan. Propane-grown M. vaccae JOB5 can completely degrade triclosan (5 mg L⁻¹). R. jostii RHA1 grown on biphenyl, propane, and LB medium with dicyclopropylketone (DCPK), an alkane monooxygenase inducer, was able to degrade the added triclosan (5 mg L⁻¹) to different extents. Incomplete degradation of triclosan by RHA1 is probably due to triclosan product toxicity. The highest triclosan transformation capacity (T_c, defined as the amount of triclosan degraded/the number of cells inactivated; 5.63 × 10⁻³ ng triclosan/16S rRNA gene copies) was observed for biphenyl-grown RHA1 and the lowest T_c (0.20 × 10⁻³ ng-triclosan/16S rRNA gene copies) was observed for propane-grown RHA1. No triclosan degradation metabolites were detected during triclosan degradation by propane- and LB + DCPK-grown RHA1. When using biphenyl-grown RHA1 for degradation, four chlorinated metabolites (2,4-dichlorophenol, monohydroxy-triclosan, dihydroxy-triclosan, and 2-chlorohydroquinone (a new triclosan metabolite)) were detected. Based on the detected metabolites, a meta-cleavage pathway was proposed for triclosan degradation.     

Distribution pathways of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in a soil-plant-air system. A case study with Cynara scolymus L. and Erica sp. plants grown in a contaminated site

This study focuses on the main routes of distribution and accumulation of different hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (mainly α-, β-, γ- and δ-HCH) in a soil-plant-air system. A field assay was carried out with two plant species, Cynara scolymus L. and Erica sp., which were planted either: (i) directly in the HCH-contaminated soil; or (ii) in pots filled with uncontaminated soil, which were placed in the HCH-contaminated soil. Both plant species accumulated HCH in their tissues, with relatively higher accumulation in above-ground biomass than in roots. The β-HCH isomer was the main isomer in all plant tissues. Adsorption of HCH by the roots from contaminated soil (soil → root pathway) and adsorption through the aerial biomass from either the surrounding air, following volatilization of the contaminant (soil → air → shoot pathway), and/or contact with air-suspended particles contaminated with HCH (soil particles → shoot pathway) were the main mechanisms of accumulation. These results may have important implications for the use of plants for reducing the transfer of contaminants via the atmosphere.     

京津冀及周边地区采暖季PM2.5化学组分变化特征

利用京津冀及周边地区大气污染综合立体监测网,在京津冀大气污染传输通道城市（“2+26”城市）开展了PM_2.5及其化学组分长期连续观测,并对数据进行深入分析.结果表明:①2017年、2018年和2019年采暖季“2+26”城市PM_2.5浓度平均值分别为（84±62）（95±63）和（80±61）μg/m3,达到了京津冀及周边地区2019—2020年秋冬季PM_2.5平均浓度同比下降4%的目标;与PM_2.5浓度变化相似,其主要化学组分——有机物（OM）浓度最大值出现在2018年采暖季,但二次无机盐（硝酸盐、硫酸盐和铵盐）浓度呈逐年上升趋势,而元素碳、氯盐、地壳物质和微量元素浓度均呈逐年下降趋势.②OM、硝酸盐、硫酸盐、铵盐、地壳物质、元素碳、氯盐和微量元素浓度空间分布存在明显差异.受污染物排放、气象条件以及地形因素的共同影响,PM_2.5及其化学组分浓度高值区主要出现在太行山传输通道城市（保定市、石家庄市、邢台市、邯郸市、安阳市和新乡市）.③不同空气质量状况下,“2+26”城市PM_2.5化学组分浓度年际变化相似,即随空气污染的加重,硝酸盐、硫酸盐和铵盐占PM_2.5的比例均上升,而OM占比下降.研究显示,采暖季“2+26”城市空气质量总体得到改善,但需进一步加强对PM_2.5中二次组分的科学管控.      

一株拟除虫菊酯农药降解菌的分离鉴定及其降解特性与途径

采用富集培养法,从拟除虫菊酯农药厂废水排放口的活性污泥中分离到1株菊酯农药高效降解菌P-01.经形态、生理生化特征及16S rDNA序列分析,初步鉴定其为无色杆菌属（Achromobacter sp.）.响应曲面法优化菌株P-01的降解条件,其降解最优条件为31.4℃、初始pH7.6和接种量0.4g·L-1,在此条件下...