Modeling toxic endpoints for improving human health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – parent compounds and simple mixtures

Risk assessments for mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are problematic due to the lack of available potency and toxicity data on individual compounds and mixtures. This article examines the toxicity of parent compounds and designed mixtures of PAH in order to bridge the gap between component assessment and mixture assessment for this class of ubiquitous compounds. The objective for this study was to test seven parent PAH compounds and four PAH mixtures in a set of three bioassays to evaluate the toxicity of parent compound PAH and binary mixtures of PAH. PAH and mixtures were examined in the Salmonella/microsome mutagenicity assay, a Gap Junction Intercellular Communication assay, and the 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase assay. These assays were chosen for their ability to measure specific toxic endpoints related to the carcinogenic process (i.e. initiation, promotion, and progression). Two compounds similar in structure, benzo(a) pyrene (BAP) and benzanthracene, consistently produced positive results in all three bioassays. Conversely, a linear PAH, anthracene, produced negative results in all three bioassays. An antagonistic response was observed for the mixtures in all three bioassays. Chemical structure was important in explaining the observed responses. Using chemical structure–activity relationships with the steps of the carcinogenic process may be used to improve estimates of toxicity for compounds and mixtures for human health risk assessments.     

有机氯类农药在残留剂量下联合诱导乳腺癌MCF-7细胞增殖的机制研究

有机氯类农药为已确定的环境雌激素,易在体内蓄积产生慢性毒性危害人体健康。选择单一存在时无明显雌激素效应的残留剂量进行联合试验,观察联合作用后雌激素效应的增减。选取乳腺癌MCF-7细胞作为研究对象,对残留剂量下六氯苯(HCB)、β-六六六(β-BHC)和p,p’-滴滴涕(p,p’-DDT)联合后的雌激素效应机制进行了研究。首先,运用MTT法观察3种有机氯类农药残留剂量下单独和联合作用对MCF-7细胞生长的影响;然后,运用流式细胞仪测定有机氯类农药联合对MCF-7细胞周期的影响;之后,采用Western Blot法测定有机氯类农药联合后ERα、ERβ、ERK1/2、p-ERK1/2、Ki67、c-Myc和Cyclin D1蛋白表达的变化。结果显示,β-BHC+p,p’-DDT组、HCB+β-BHC+p,p’-DDT组作用24 h后细胞增殖率为115.0%、120.1%,作用48 h后增殖率为121.2%、126.3%,其他联合组与对照相比未发生明显变化;β-BHC+p,p’-DDT组、HCB+β-BHC+p,p’-DDT组中MCF-7细胞的G1期细胞比例下降,S期细胞比例上升,细胞呈高增殖状态;β-BHC+p,p’-DDT组、HCB+β-BHC+p,p’-DDT组和雌二醇(E2)组作用48 h后,均降低ERα的蛋白表达,升高ERβ的蛋白表达,促进p-ERK1/2、Ki67、Cyclin D1和c-Myc的蛋白表达。研究表明,在单一作用时不具有雌激素效应的残留剂量下,仅β-BHC+p,p’-DDT联合组和HCB+β-BHC+p,p’-DDT联合组具有明显雌激素效应,其效应机制为经雌激素受体途径,激活ERβ蛋白表达,抑制ERα蛋白表达,促进p-ERK1/2、Ki67、c-Myc和Cyclin D1等相关蛋白的表达。     

COLIWAVE a simulation model for survival of E. coli O157:H7 in dairy manure and manure-amended soil

A simulation model was developed to investigate the relative effects of temperature, oxygen concentration, substrate content and competition by autochthonous microbial community on the oscillatory behaviour and survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in manure and manure-amended soil. The overall decline in E. coli O157:H7 was primarily determined by competition with autochthonous copiotrophic bacteria simulated by an inter-specific competition term according to Lotka-Volterra. Oscillations of bacterial populations were attained by the relationships between relative growth and death rates with readily available substrate content. The model contains a logistic and exponential relation of relative growth and death rates, respectively, of E. coli O157:H7 and copiotrophic bacteria with temperature, resulting in optimum curves for net growth rates similar to the curves reported in the literature. The model has been both calibrated and validated on experimental data. The model was used to perform sensitivity analysis and to evaluate different manure and soil management scenarios in terms of survival of E. coli O157:H7. The relative effects of changes in temperature on simulated survival time of E. coli O157:H7 were more pronounced than changes in oxygen condition. Testing manure storage scenarios with realistic data revealed that manure stored in a heap that was turned every week resulted in almost 70% reduction of E. coli O157:H7 survival compared to unturned manure. At the surface of a heap with unturned manure, simulated survival time was the longest (2.4 times longer than inside the same heap). The simulation model provides a new approach to investigating dynamic changes of invasive microorganisms in natural substrates such as manure or manure-amended soil.     

高浓度六价铬的两种测定方法比较

比较分析了饮用水及污水中高浓度六价铬的两种测定方法.实验结果表明,硫酸亚铁铵滴定法适合于高浓度六价铬废水中总铬的测定,重铬酸钾法适合于直接测定高浓度六价铬含量.     

磷酸铵镁沉淀法预处理7-ACA综合废水试验研究

采用磷酸铵镁(MAP)沉淀法对高氨氮7-ACA综合废水进行了预处理试验研究,以Na2HPO4和MgCl2.6H2O作为沉淀剂,探讨了初始反应pH值、n(Mg2+):n(PO43-)/:n(NH4+)投配比及反应时间等因素对氨氮去除效果的影响。结合结晶物SEM分析,确定预处理的最佳工艺条件为:初始反应pH 9.0、n(Mg2+):n(PO43-):n(NH4+)投配比1.0:1.1:1和反应时间20 min。平行试验结果表明,在最佳工艺条件下,当进水氨氮浓度为1 020~1 190 mg/L时,处理后出水氨氮浓度为小于150.0 mg/L,氨氮去除率在85.0%以上,残磷量小于40.0 mg/L,为7-ACA综合废水的后续生化处理创造了有利条件。     

基于CP对污水处理厂综合评价指标体系的研究

基于国内的清洁生产(CP)评价指标,以污水处理厂为研究对象,将生命周期评价(LCA)作为指导思想,从环境、经济、资源、人类健康、技术性能5个方面选取了全球变暖、固体废弃物、占地面积、运行稳定情况等22个指标,按3个层次构建了污水处理厂的综合评价指标体系。该指标体系的建立为污水处理厂的综合评价提供了决策依据。     

1株转座子插入突变菌株TB34的筛选及产氢分析

以分离自红树林污泥的厌氧发酵产氢细菌Pantoea agglomerans BH18为出发菌株,利用转座子Tn7构建突变体文库.通过卡那霉素抗性筛选与PCR扩增,鉴定转座子插入突变菌株.通过初筛和复筛,获得1株突变菌TB34,其产氢量较野生菌株明显提高.在初始pH为7.0和葡萄糖浓度10 g.L-1的海水培养条件下,产氢量(H2/葡萄糖)为(2.04±0.04)mol.mol-1,相比野生菌株产氢量提高43%.经过5次连续传代培养,突变菌株TB34表现出稳定的产氢特性.测定突变菌株TB34在不同碳源培养条件下的产氢量.结果表明,突变菌株TB34和野生菌株BH18都能利用蔗糖、葡萄糖和果糖发酵产氢.与野生菌株BH18不同,突变菌株TB34在以木糖为底物培养条件下仍能够发酵产氢,产氢量(H2/木糖)为(1.34±0.09)mol.mol-1,扩大了底物利用范围.     

Social capital and food security in post-conflict rural Lira District,northern Uganda

While a strong relationship has been established between social capital and food security in the research literature, it is uncertain whether this holds in post-conflict situations. This study examines associations between social capital and food security in post-conflict Lira District, northern Uganda. Since factors affecting food security are complex, we explored the roles of households' characteristics in food security outcomes. Data were collected from March to July 2011 through face-to-face interviews with 221 heads of household in rural Lira. Using multinomial logistic regression, a strong positive association was identified between social capital and household food security. The study also found significant associations of food security with sex, education of household head, amount of cultivated land, and farm and home possessions. The results of this analysis can aid the design of food security programmes that empower poor people while targeting the most vulnerable groups, thereby promoting sustainable development in post-conflict communities.     

蛋白质组学技术在环境内分泌干扰物分析上应用

为了探讨蛋白质组学技术在环境雌激素分析上的应用,用浓度为3.7×10-9mol/L的17β-雌二醇(E2)处理MCF-7细胞2或3天后进行双向电泳,对比不同的蛋白质提取、染色方法,利用光密度扫描仪将电泳图像数字化,并使用PDQuest软件进行图像分析,以观察雌激素诱导下的蛋白质表达图谱。结果表明,在蛋白质的提取上,冻融法比超声裂解法更有效;在蛋白质染色上,银染法比考马斯亮蓝染色法能得到更多可显示的蛋白质斑点。用E2处理72h后的MCF-7细胞,可检测到40个下调蛋白和5个上调蛋白。该蛋白质表达模式的改变提示了环境雌激素诱导下的特异性蛋白质表达图谱变化。本研究为分析雌激素类内分泌干扰物的内在作用机制提供了一种新的可行方法,也为建立其高通量筛选方法提供了新的思路。     

DEHP、DBP内分泌干扰活性的实验研究

利用MCF-7细胞增殖实验、细胞周期分析、细胞雌激素受体水平测定和断乳大鼠子宫增重实验探讨了邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯(DEHP)和邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)内分泌干扰活性及其可能的作用机制.结果表明,DEHP和DBP可诱导MCF-7细胞增殖、细胞内雌激素受体水平增高,对细胞周期无明显影响,DEHP不引起断乳大鼠子宫增重.推断DEHP和DBP可能并不是通过模拟雌激素而是引起体内天然激素受体水平改变等其他机制影响机体内分泌系统.