Biosafety principles for GMOs in the context of sustainable development

If genetically modified organisms are to contribute to welfare they must be considered in the context of sustainable development. Biosafety implies considering the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainable development. These dimensions can be interpreted through the principles of precaution, polluter pays and public participation. In this article, these key biosafety principles are operationalised and ways of implementing them in society are discussed. A comparison is made between the principles and the present EU law for deliberate release of GMOs. It is concluded that several improvements in EU policy are necessary to ensure sustainable development really is promoted.     

A review of spatial and temporal assessment of PFOS and PFOA contamination in China

The current state of concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in China is presented. While products that are known to degrade to either PFOS or PFOA have been used in China, concentrations in environmental media have been reported to be relatively low across China. Greater concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were observed in southern and eastern China than in other areas of China. Concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were relatively great in the Huangpu River, with concentrations of 20.5 ng l^?1 and 1590 ng l^?1, respectively. Surface waters of Dongguan and Shanghai were more contaminated by PFOS and PFOA than that of other cities. Dongguan was the only city in China in which PFOS value in surface water exceeded the water quality criterion, while PFOA concentration in Shanghai was 152 ng l^?1. Similar to other contaminants, point-source pollution was also the common pattern of PFOS and PFOA contamination. Concentrations of PFOS in human blood in China were relatively greater in China than other countries, with drinking water contamination given as the most likely source. Concentrations of PFOS in human blood have increased from the 1980s to the 2000s, while such a trend was not observed for PFOA.     

Environmetrical interpretation of analytical data of marine organisms from the black sea

The environmetrical analysis of the benthic organisms data set from a Black sea region has revealed new information concerning the chemical content and the bioindicating abilities of polychaeta (Melina palmata), Crustacea (Aspendopsis ostroumovi) and molluscs (Mytilus gallo‐provincialis). The application of various multivariate statistical approaches like cluster and principal component analysis, linear regression and partial least square modeling, source apportioning makes it possible to understand in a better way the properties of the benthic organism as collectors of pollutants in a total and a more specific mode. It is shown that heavily polluted coastal zones are indicated in the same way by all benthic species but some specificity could be detected when moderately polluted zones are considered. In this case polychaeta accumulated preferably Co, Cr, Cu and Pb Crustacea ‐ As, Cd and Ni and molluscs ‐ Zn to a limited extent.

PCA identified three latent factors (“anthropogenic flotation”;, “anthropogenic galvanic”; and “naturally occurring") which explain about 65% of the total variance of the system and determine the data set structure. The source apportioning on the absolute principal component scores proved that none of the metals is quantitatively linked with only one anthropogenic or natural source.

The linear regression and PLS models have indicated that a reliable prognosis of the pollution on some naturally occurring chemical components (e.g. linear regression on Zn for Cr and Ni) or combination of them (PLS modeling on Mn/Zn or on Mn/Zn/Fe for the rest of the pollutants) could be achieved.     

典型氯酚类化合物对水生生物的毒性研究进展

氯酚类化合物(CPs)是一类广泛存在于水环境中的有机污染物。这类化合物具有环境稳定性、生物累积性和生物毒性,因而其在水环境中的生态毒理效应一直是人们关注的焦点。在水体中存在最普遍的酚类化合物主要有2,4-二氯酚(2,4-DCP),2,4,6-三氯酚(2,4,6-TCP)和五氯酚(PCP)。本文对近几年来这3种典型氯酚类化合物的水生态毒理学研究进行了总结,主要包括它们对水生生物的急性毒性、氧化损伤、发育毒性、内分泌干扰、遗传毒性、致癌性、免疫毒性、细胞毒性以及复合毒性的效应和机制,同时对目前存在的问题和进一步的研究方向进行了讨论和展望。     

应用物种敏感性分布评估重金属对海洋生物的生态风险

应用生态风险评价中的物种敏感性分布(species sensitivity distributions,SSD)方法构建了8种常见重金属元素(As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Hg、Mn、Pb、Zn)对海洋生物的SSD曲线。在此基础上计算了8种重金属对海洋生物的5%危害浓度(HC5)及其不同暴露浓度对海洋生物的潜在影响比例(PAF),比较了海洋脊椎动物和无脊椎动物对8种重金属的敏感性以及不同重金属的急性生态风险。结果表明,重金属对甲壳类的生态风险均比鱼类大。8种重金属元素对所研究的海洋生物全部物种的HC5值的排序为Pb>Mn>Zn>Cr>Cu>Hg>Cd>As。暴露浓度小于10μg·L-1时,Cr和Hg的生态风险差异不大。在10μg·L-1的暴露浓度下,As、Cd、Cu和Hg均使全部物种中超过10%的生物受到影响。随着浓度升高,不同重金属的生态风险有不同幅度的增大,当浓度达到1000μg·L-1时,分别有82.49%、87.31%和85.90%的物种受到As、Cu和Hg的损害。不同生物的敏感性顺序会随重金属的浓度范围发生变化。     

多杀菌素、阿维菌素乳油和高效氯氰菊酯3种农药对环境生物的安全性评价

防治同一类病虫害的农药种类很多,在保证药效的前提下,选择对施药环境中其他生物安全的农药是非常必要的。通过毒性试验,比较了25 g·L^-1多杀菌素悬浮剂、1.8%阿维菌素乳油和4.5%高效氯氰菊酯水乳剂对环境生物蜜蜂、家蚕、赤眼蜂、大型溞和斑马鱼的风险。结果表明,25 g·L^-1多杀菌素悬浮剂对蜜蜂为高毒,对家蚕为剧毒,对赤眼蜂为高风险,对斑马鱼和大型溞为低毒;1.8%阿维菌素乳油对蜜蜂为高毒,对家蚕为剧毒,对赤眼蜂为高风险,对斑马鱼和大型溞为剧毒;4.5%高效氯氰菊酯水乳剂对蜜蜂为高毒,对家蚕为剧毒,对赤眼蜂为高风险,对斑马鱼和大型溞为剧毒。3种农药对家蚕、蜜蜂、赤眼蜂均为高风险,但与阿维菌素和高效氯氰菊酯相比多杀菌素对水生生物更安全。     

水质基准两栖类受试生物筛选

两栖动物是水生生态系统的重要生物群落,是水生生物基准的重要保护对象. 参照美国水生生物基准技术指南,搜集、筛选了12种本土代表性两栖动物的生物毒性数据,通过毒性数据分析,筛选出对两栖动物毒性最大的污染物,主要包括农药、重金属和杀虫剂三大类,以及4属基准研究受试生物. 在4属(5种)受试生物中,黑眶蟾蜍对硝酸银的累积概率为15%,六趾蛙对马拉硫磷的累积概率为1%,牛蛙对五氯酚的累积概率为8%,棘胸蛙对丙溴磷的累积概率为27%,虎纹蛙对硫丹的累积概率为29%. 结果表明:蛙属(六趾蛙)对农药、蛙属(牛蛙)对杀虫剂、蟾蜍属(黑框蟾蜍)对重金属均为敏感物种,虎纹蛙属(虎纹蛙)对农药、棘蛙属(棘胸蛙)对杀虫剂均为较敏感物种. 这4属(5种)两栖动物可以作为相关污染物的水质基准研究的受试物种.      

Short-term effect of temperature variation on the competition between PAOs and GAOs during acclimation period of an EBPR system

Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) processes was used to investigate the impact of the temperature shock on the competition between phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) in start-up stage. During the 34 days operation, SBR was set with temperature variation(0–5 d, 22±1°C; 6–13 d, 29±1°C; 14–34 d, 14±1°C). PAOs and GAOs were analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and intracellular polyphosphate granules were stained by Neisser-stain. The results showed that the influence of temperature shock on PAOs’ abundance was more serious than that on GAOs in the enriching process. Under sudden and substantially temperature variation, from 22±1°C to 29±1°C and then to 14±1°C, the domination of PAOs was deteriorated. After temperature shock, PAOs’ competitive advantages at low temperature that concluded in other study did not appear in our study. As mesophilic, GAOs (indicated by Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria) were more temperature adaptive and better grew and took the domination at 14±1°C in the end. In the competition process, organisms of tetrad forming organisms (TFOs)-like shape which were considered as typical GAOs, were observed. With the evidence of poly-P granules containing by Neisser-straining and result of FISH, these organisms of TFOs-like shape were better to be assumed as adaption state or a special self-protecting shape of PAOs.     

物种敏感度分布的非参数核密度估计模型

针对目前物种敏感度分布参数方法建模所存在的缺点,首次提出基于非参数核密度估计方法的物种敏感度分布模型,并提出相应的最优窗宽和检验方法。选用无机汞作为案例研究对象,利用非参数核密度估计方法和3种传统参数模型分别推导了保护我国水生生物的无机汞的急性水质基准值。结果表明,非参数核密度估计方法在推导无机汞水质基准中的稳健性和精确度都大大优于传统参数模型,能够更好地构建物种敏感度分布曲线。该方法的提出丰富了水质基准的理论方法学,为更好地保护水生生物提供了有力的支撑。     

新烟碱类杀虫剂对非靶标生物毒性效应的研究进展

新烟碱类杀虫剂是目前全球市场占有率最高的一类杀虫剂,它们选择性作用于昆虫烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体,以往普遍认为其对非靶标生物毒性较低。然而,越来越多的证据表明,新烟碱类杀虫剂的暴露会对非靶标生物造成负面影响。本文综述了新烟碱类杀虫剂对水生生物、非靶标昆虫、鸟类和哺乳动物等多种非靶标生物的毒性,以及对人类健康的影响。新烟碱类杀虫剂对各类生物均具有急性致死毒性,但不同物种之间半数致死浓度(LC_(50))或半数致死剂量(LD_(50))差别较大,由低至高依次为昆虫(0.01～2.38 mg·L~(-1),3.7～81 ng·bee~(-1))、甲壳动物(0.59～37.75 mg·L~(-1))、鱼类(1.2～241 mg·L~(-1))、鸟类(15～>2 000 mg·kg~(-1))和哺乳动物(82～>5 000 mg·kg~(-1))。新烟碱类杀虫剂对非靶标生物的亚致死毒性表现在降低繁殖力和生长速度、降低活动性、影响神经系统、扰乱代谢平衡、损伤DNA等。总体上看,吡虫啉的毒性最高,呋虫胺和烯啶虫胺的毒性较低。啶虫脒、噻虫啉、噻虫嗪和噻虫胺的毒性大小顺序随物种不同而不同。对于水生生物和非靶标昆虫,噻虫啉和噻虫胺的毒性较高,而对于鸟类和哺乳动物,啶虫脒的毒性较高。最后针对现有研究的不足,提出了今后的研究方向,以期为该类杀虫剂的风险评估和合理施用提供科学依据。