How Plants Cope with Foreign Compounds. Translocation of xenobiotic glutathione conjugates in roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare) (9 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Numerous herbicides and xenobiotic organic pollutants are detoxified in plants to glutathione conjugates. Following this enzyme catalyzed reaction, xenobiotic GS-conjugates are thought to be compartmentalized in the vacuole of plant cells. In the present study, evidence is presented for long range transport of these conjugates in plants, rather than storage in the vacuole. To our knowledge this is the first report about the unidirectional long range transport of xenobiotic conjugates in plants and the exudation of a glutathione conjugate from the root tips. This could mean that plants possess an excretion system for unwanted compounds which give them similar advantages as animals. Materials and Methods: Barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Cherie) were grown in Petri dishes soaked with tap water in the greenhouse. - Fluorescence Microscopy. Monobromo- and Monochlorobimane, two model xenobiotics that are conjugated rapidly in plant cells with glutathione, hereby forming fluorescent metabolites, were used as markers for our experiments. Their transport in the root could be followed sensitively with very good temporal and spatial resolution. Roots of barley seedlings were cut under water and the end at which xenobiotics were applied was fixed in an aperture with a thin latex foil and transferred into a drop of water on a cover slide. The cover slide was fixed in a measuring chamber on the stage of an inverse fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Axiovert 100). - Spectrometric enzyme assay. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was determined in the protein extracts following established methods. Aliquots of the enzyme extract were incubated with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), or monochlorobimane. Controls lacking enzyme or GSH were measured. - Pitman chamber experiments. Ten days old barley plants or detached roots were inserted into special incubation chambers, either complete with tips or decapitated, as well as 10 days old barley plants without root tips. Compartment A was filled with a transport medium and GSH conjugate or L-cysteine conjugate. Compartments B and C contained sugar free media. Samples were taken from the root tip containing compartment C and the amount of conjugate transported was determined spectro-photometrically. Results: The transport in roots is unidirectional towards the root tips and leads to exsudation of the conjugates at rates between 20 and 200 nmol min-1. The microscopic studies have been complemented by transport studies in small root chambers and spectroscopic quantification of dinitrobenzene-conjugates. The latter experiments confirm the microscopic studies. Furthermore it was shown that glutathione conjugates are transported at higher rates than cysteine conjugates, despite of their higher molecular weights. This observation points to the existence of glutathione specific carriers and a specific role of glutathione in the root. Discussion: It can be assumed that long distance transport of glutathione conjugates within the plant proceeds like GSH or amino acid transport in both, phloem and xylem. The high velocity of this translocation of the GS-X is indicative of an active transport. For free glutathione, a rapid transport-system is essential because an accumulation of GSH in the root tip inhibits further uptake of sulfur. Taking into account that all described MRP transporters and also the GSH plasmalemma ATPases have side activities for glutathione derivatives and conjugates, co-transport of these xenobiotic metabolites seems credible. - On the other hand, when GS-B was applied to the root tips from the outside, no significant uptake was observed. Thus it can be concluded that only those conjugates can be transported in the xylem which are formed inside the root apex. Having left the root once, there seems to be no return into the root vessels, probably because of a lack of inward directed transporters. Conclusions: Plants seem to possess the capability to store glutathione conjugates in the vacuole, but under certain conditions, these metabolites might also undergo long range transport, predominantly into the plant root. The transport seems dependent on specific carriers and is unidirectional, this means that xenobiotic conjugates from the rhizosphere are not taken up again. The exudation of xenobiotic metabolites offers an opportunity to avoid the accumulation of such compounds in the plant. Recommendations and Perspectives: The role of glutathione and glutathione related metabolites in the rhizosphere has not been studied in any detail, and only scattered data are available on interactions between the plant root and rhizosphere bacteria that encounter such conjugates. The final fate of these compounds in the root zone has also not been addressed so far. It will be interesting to study effects of the exuded metabolites on the biology of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi.     

Contaminant degradation in physically and chemically heterogeneous aquifers

This paper examines the importance of the correlation between hydraulic conductivity (K) and degradation rate constant (k) during the transport of reactive contaminants in heterogeneous aquifers. We simulated reactive transport in an ensemble of two-dimensional heterogeneous aquifers. Two sets of transport simulations were conducted: one in which a perfect positive correlation was assumed between ln(K) and ln(k), and one in which a perfect negative correlation was assumed. We found that the sign of the correlation has important consequences for the contaminant transport. Qualitatively, a negative correlation leads to significantly more pronounced "fingering" of the contaminant plume than does a positive correlation, with potentially important consequences for downgradient receptors. Quantitatively, the expected behavior (as quantified by the contaminant mass remaining in the aquifer) is statistically different between the positive and negative cases: on average, more contaminant mass persists when K and k are negatively correlated. Also, the negative correlation leads to more variability between realizations of the ensemble, whereas a positive correlation induces relatively little variability between realizations. We discuss the implications of these findings for the management of contaminated aquifers.     

上海城区交通干道黑碳污染调查

采用设置在上海市中心城区交通主干道旁空气质量自动监测站2018年1—12月的观测数据,分析黑碳气溶胶(BC)污染特征及其与PM_(2.5)、SO_2、NO_x、CO、O_3、苯、甲苯、乙苯、二甲苯和气象参数的相关性。结果表明,观测期间内,BC小时均值为(3 038±22) ng/m~3,ρ(BC)在ρ(PM_(2. 5))中占比为(11. 48±0. 12)%。日内ρ(BC)变化呈双峰型,各月份之间ρ(BC)变化不大。ρ(BC)与风速呈负相关,与PM_(2. 5)、NO_x、CO、苯、甲苯、乙苯和二甲苯呈正相关。     

基于风险的危险品道路运输安全容量研究

为了确定危险品道路运输安全容量,保障危险品道路运输安全,基于风险理念,使用对比研究方法,提出危险品道路运输个人风险基准,建立改进的危险品道路运输定量风险评估模型。结合提出的风险基准,提出危险品运输安全容量确定方法,解决了单一类别和多种类别危险品运输安全容量确定问题。研究结果表明:在某城市化工集聚区的实例应用该方法,能够大幅度降低危险品道路运输潜在生命损失,有助于保障危险品道路运输安全。     

微生物-光-电化学耦合技术降解污染物和回收能源的研究进展

微生物电化学技术能同时实现污染物去除和能量回收,但存在污染物去除种类有限及产能效率低的局限,近几年将可再生的太阳能引入微生物电化学技术的微生物-光-电化学耦合技术应运而生。本文简要介绍了微生物-光-电化学耦合技术的发展背景和研究现状,对该技术现有的耦合形式进行分类,并对各种形式的耦合机理进行详细的阐释,最后对其未来的发展进行了展望。     

基于铁路客运的中国城市可达性及类型研究

为探究铁路网络时空压缩效应对城市可达性的影响,基于2009年和2014年铁路列车时刻表数据,结合传统数理统计方法及空间分析方法,对中国地级以上城市可达性及其格局演变进行深入分析。结果表明:(1)铁路客运的数量和类型上均有较大变化,特别是始发列车及动车组的大幅增加及高铁的开通运行,中国城市可达性得到一定程度提升,但城市可达性改善地域差异性显著。(2)北上广三大核心城市在城市可达性等级体系中第一层级地位稳固,交通区位条件的差异使得城市可达性等级体系产生一定变化。(3)中国城市可达性绝对及相对差距均呈现出不断扩大趋势,列车停靠数量的极化效应显著、新增加的高速客运更多地向高等级中心城市集聚,铁路基础设施的建设正在重塑中国生产力格局。(4)从城市功能属性及规模属性视角,以始发列车和停靠列车中位数为临界值,将中国城市划分为高规模高功能、高规模低功能、低规模高功能、低规模低功能等4种类型,并依次分析城市分布特征及成因,为铁路客运的合理配置及交通网络优化布局提供参考。     

非饱和土壤渗透系数空间不确定性对溶质运移的影响

包气带渗透系数的不确定性是影响非饱和带溶质运移的主要因素。应用贝叶斯方法对非饱和土壤渗透系数进行前处理,使用Monte-Carlo方法模拟其空间不确定性,并通过HYDRUS-1D模型对溶质运移进行数值模拟,研究包气带渗透系数的空间不确定性对溶质运移的影响。结果表明,由于包气带渗透性的不确定性使得溶质浓度分布呈现明显的不确定性,包气带内不同点的浓度值相差很大。与忽略包气带土性参数空间不确定性的模拟结果相对比,考虑包气带渗透系数不确定性的模拟结果与实际情况更加接近,更具合理性和科学性。同时,根据模拟结果,对实际工作中进行地下水数值模拟时溶质初始浓度输入值的确定提出相应建议。     

环境空气自动监测车仪器路况试验分析

利用环境空气自动监测车对辖区内空气自动站进行巡检及应急监测中,越来越显示其灵活、可移动的优势,但在长距离行驶后是否因路况影响仪器的正常运行,对监测车仪器能否达到监测质量控制对仪器性能指标的要求,成为最为关心的问题,作者在各级路况开展了系统试验。通过试验得出,路况对监测车仪器影响不大,性能指标可以满足要求。     

废旧电容器存放点多氯联苯的污染特征

采用气相色谱-电子捕获检测器测定废旧电容器存放地点附近的土壤和植物中多氯联苯(PCBs)的含量.分析了羊茅草(Festuca.L)的叶和根中PCBs的变化,应用多元线性回归方法定量判别了PCBs污染类型,进而探讨了PCBs的分布特征.结果表明,存放点PCBs污染水平较高,污染类型与Aroclor 1248相似.随着离污染点距离的增加,PCBs浓度急剧下降.污染类型逐步偏离Aroclor 1248,二氯和三氯联苯的百分比升高,四氯和五氯联苯下降.表现出水相和气相传输的作用,在一般情况下,水相传输起主导作用.另外,PCBs在羊茅草的叶和根中浓度的比值有上升的趋势.这种变化趋势和PCBs大气传输过程相关联,大气传输的贡献随着距离的增加PCBs浓度水平逐步下降而逐步显现.     

施工工地出口附近道路交通扬尘排放特征研究

为了量化施工工地附近社会道路因施工运输车辆带泥及遗撒造成的二次交通扬尘,对4个典型工地出口2个方向社会道路尘负荷进行了采样分析,根据AP-42交通扬尘排放模型,计算和分析了工地出口附近道路交通扬尘排放特征.结果表明,工地出口附近道路尘负荷高于正常道路,随着距离工地出口长度的增加,尘负荷逐渐减小;工地出口2个方向共400 m道路上交通扬尘PM₁₀排放因子为正常道路的2～10倍,因施工增加的排放量相当于422～3?800 m正常道路排放.根据以上结果,结合2002年北京市施工工地时空分布数据,经计算得出,2002年北京市城八区工地出口形成的二次扬尘相当于增加了道路总长度的59%.