Long-term effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of silver nanoparticles on microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and functional genes involved in the nitrogen cycle of loamy soil

The increasing production and use of engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNP) in industry and private households are leading to increased concentrations of AgNP in the environment. An ecological risk assessment of AgNP is needed, but it requires understanding the long term effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of AgNP on the soil microbiome. Hence, the aim of this study was to reveal the long-term effects of AgNP on soil microorganisms. The study was conducted as a laboratory incubation experiment over a period of one year using a loamy soil and AgNP concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1?mg?AgNP/kg soil. The short term effects of AgNP were, in general, limited. However, after one year of exposure to 0.01?mg?AgNP/kg, there were significant negative effects on soil microbial biomass (quantified by extractable DNA; p?=?0.000) and bacterial ammonia oxidizers (quantified by amoA gene copy numbers; p?=?0.009). Furthermore, the tested AgNP concentrations significantly decreased the soil microbial biomass, the leucine aminopeptidase activity (quantified by substrate turnover; p?=?0.014), and the abundance of nitrogen fixing microorganisms (quantified by nifH gene copy numbers; p?=?0.001). The results of the positive control with AgNO3 revealed predominantly stronger effects due to Ag⁺ ion release. Thus, the increasing toxicity of AgNP during the test period may reflect the long-term release of Ag⁺ ions. Nevertheless, even very low concentrations of AgNP caused disadvantages for the microbial soil community, especially for nitrogen cycling, and our results confirmed the risks of releasing AgNP into the environment.     

Microbiological characteristics in a zero-valent iron reactive barrier

Zero-valent iron (Fe⁰)-based permeable reactive barriertreatment has been generating great interest for passivegroundwater remediation, yet few studies have paid particularattention to the microbial activity and characteristics withinand in the vicinity of the Fe⁰-barrier matrix. The presentstudy was undertaken to evaluate the microbial population andcommunity composition in the reducing zone of influence byFe⁰ corrosion in the barrier at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plantsite. Both phospholipid fatty acids and DNA analyses were usedto determine the total microbial population and microbialfunctional groups, including sulfate-reducing bacteria,denitrifying bacteria, and methanogens, in groundwater andsoil/iron core samples. A diverse microbial community wasidentified in the strongly reducing Fe⁰ environment despitea relatively high pH condition within the Fe⁰ barrier (up topH 10). In comparison with those found in the backgroundsoil/groundwater samples, the enhanced microbial populationranged from 1 to 3 orders of magnitude and appeared to increase from upgradient of the barrier to downgradient soil. Inaddition, microbial community composition appeared to change overtime, and the bacterial types of microorganismsincreased consistently as the barrier aged. DNA analysisindicated the presence of sulfate-reducing and denitrifyingbacteria in the barrier and its surrounding soil. However, theactivity of methanogens was found to be relatively low,presumably as a result of the competition by sulfate/metal-reducing bacteria and denitrifying bacteria because of the unlimited availability of sulfate and nitrate in the site groundwater. Results of this study provide evidenceof a diverse microbial population within and in the vicinity ofthe iron barrier, although the important roles of microbial activity, either beneficially or detrimentally, on the longevityand enduring efficiency of the Fe⁰ barriers are yet to be evaluated.     

How and why is Aquatic Quality Changing at Nahanni National Park Reserve, nwt, Canada?

Nahanni National Park Reserve is located at southwestern NWT-Yukon border. One of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites, Nahanni lies within Taiga Cordillera and Taiga Shield Ecozones. Base and precious metal mining occurred upstream of Nahanni prior to park establishment. Nahanni waters, sediments, fish, and caribou have naturally elevated metals levels. Baseline water, sediment and fish tissue quality data were collected and analyzed throughout Nahanni during 1988–91 and 1992–97. These two programs characterized how aquatic quality variables are naturally varying in space and time, affected by geology, stream flow, seasonality, and extreme meteorological and geological events. Possible anthropogenic causes of aquatic quality change were examined. Measured values were compared to existing Guidelines and site-specific objectives were established.     

Assessment of the Heavy Metal Pollution Effects on the Soil Respiration in the Baix Llobregat (Catalonia, NE Spain)

A main goal of investigations is to determine could a soilrespiration be an indicator of the soil pollution. In this case a measured levelof the soil oxygen consumption depends of its pollution. It alsomeans that the pollution reduces biological processes in edaphon.Investigated soil samples were taken from polluted andnon-polluted places in the Baix Llobregat near Barcelona (Catalonia, NE Spain). Soil samples were taken from the top ofsoil (0–5 cm) without a litter. Soil analysis were done, determining percentage shares of coarsefragments, coarse sand, fine sand, coarse silt, fine silt, clay,CaCO₃, organic matter as well as water pH and conductivityCE (1:5 [mS cm^-1]). Also were determined (in mg kg^-1)quantities of heavy metals, as Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Cr, Ni, V, Cu, Cd, Pb.The soil respiration was investigated in temperatures15 and 30 °C and with controlled humidity.The respiration in 30 °C is number of times greater thenin 15 °C both for polluted and non-polluted soils.Particularly high coefficients of correlation between the soilrespiration and soil pollution in polluted soils were obtainedfor Pb: r = 0.75 in 15 °C and r = 0.98 in30 °C; for Ba: 0.90 and 0.57; for V: 0.99 and 0.81. In non-polluted soils highest correlation coefficients are for Pb: r = 0.70 in 15 °C; Fe: 0.60 and 0.72; Al: 0.68 and0.64; Mn: 0.51 and 0.66; Ba: 0.63 and 0.61; Cr: 0.94 and0.70; Ni: 0.64 and 0.65; Cu: 0.69 and 0.48; as well as V: 0.62in 15 °C; and Cd: 0.69 in 15 °C.This way the soil respiration could be a good indicator of the soil pollution.     

A Metamodeling Approach for Integrated Assessment of Air Quality Policies

A method is proposed to build integrated models (also called Metamodels) aimed at quantifying the economic efficiency of air quality policies. This Metamodeling approach is based on the coupling of two complementary models, that operate at different scales in space and time, and which represent the economic and the physical and chemical processes, respectively. The joint consideration of the physico-chemical and techno-economic structure of the pollution control problems permits a comprehensive evaluation of air pollution abatement strategies. The motivating pollution control problems include urban-regional air quality management through efficient energy and traffic control policies. A pilot study, exploiting data collected in the Geneva canton (Switzerland), is used to demonstrate the potential of the approach.     

Promotive effect of pyridine on indole degradation by activated sludge under anoxic conditions

Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the promotive effect of pyridine on indole degradation under denitrifying conditions. The seed sludge was obtained from a local coal-coking wastewater treatment facility and was acclimated in the laboratory. Indole and pyridine were supplemented to the synthetic wastewater at different ratios. The optimum ratio of chemical oxygen demand (COD) to nitrate (C/N) was 8.4–8.9 for both denitrification and indole and pyridine degradation. At a temperature of 28°C and pH of 7.0–7.5, the nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was in the best state. The addition of pyridine could promote NRA and the degradation of indole. When the initial concentration of indole was 150 mg/L, the concentration ratio of indole to pyridine was in the range of 1–10. Under optimum C/N conditions, the degradation of indole could be described with pseudo-zero-order kinetics. There was no accumulation of nitrite during the reaction. When the concentration ratio of pyridine to indole was less than 0.25 with an increase in the pyridine proportion, there were more significant augment rates for NRA and the degradation of indole than the situation when the concentration ratio was more than 0.25. __________ Translated from Environmental Science, 2006, 27(2): 300–304 [译自: 环境科学]     

Quantitative structure - activity study on the reductivedehalogenation potency of the halogenated aromatics

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Au/ZnO催化剂的表征及常温常湿 条件下CO氧化性能研究

常温下考察了焙烧温度、金含量及水分对Au/ZnO催化剂上CO氧化性能的影响 ,并在常湿条件下考察了ZnO上CO氧化活性同温度的关系。结果表明 ,金的存在极大地提高了催化剂CO的氧化活性。另外焙烧温度和金含量对Au/ZnO催化剂的活性和稳定性均有较大影响 ,在常温常湿条件下 ,2 4 0℃焙烧的 2 %Au/ZnO催化剂 ,可连续反应 1 750h保持CO完全转化。XRD结果表明 ,锌的化学状态对催化剂的稳定性有较大的影响 ,氧化锌较碳酸锌表现出较高的稳定性。     

海洋现代沉积速率~（210）Pb－~（210）Bi法的射线测定研究

本文主要介绍了用~（２１０）Ｐｂ─~（２１０）Ｂｉ法测定海洋现代沉积速率和数据处理方法的研究。该方法测定的结果与~（２１０）Ｐｂ─~（２１０）Ｐｏ法和阴离子交换－ＥＤＴＡ纯化－硫酸钡镭沉淀－α计数法（简称~（２２６）Ｒａ法）以及厦门大学海洋系经研究改进的分离、纯化~（２１０）Ｐｂ的离子交换法的测定结果相当吻合。     

Mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium mutants of the dust organic extract and its five fractions derived from an aluminum electrolytic plant

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