MBR与A／O工艺处理低温高盐废水的对比试验研究

就MBR和A／O工艺对高盐废水（50％海水）进行处理效果试验研究,比较了氨氮及总氮去除率随温度的变化情况。试验结果表明：低温条件下MBR与A／O工艺经过长期驯化能够稳定运行且获得较高的去除率;随温度从25qC降低到15℃、9℃、5℃时,MBR工艺的COD去除率从81．6％变化到79％、81．1％、82．7％,A／O工艺的COD去除率从67．9％变化到66．6％、65．5％、78．4％。MBR工艺的氨氮去除率从75％变化到68．3％、57．8％、54．6％,A／O工艺的氨氮去除率从70．4％变化到55．9％、49．2％、48．9％,可见COD受温度变化的影响要比氨氮受温度变化的影响小,但经过一段时间的驯化之后,去除效果逐渐变好,并且MBR工艺比A／O工艺受温度变化的冲击要小,处理效果也相对较好。     

两种咪唑氯盐类离子液体对水稻幼苗根部的毒性效应

按照毒性试验标准方法研究了1-癸基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐([DMIM]Cl)、1-十二烷基-3-甲基咪唑氯盐([C12MIM]Cl)对水稻幼苗生长的影响,测定了水稻根的半数抑制浓度(IC50-5d)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性、过氧化物酶(POD)活性、水稻根部丙二醛(MDA)含量及对水稻根系的生理影响.结果表明:两种离子液体(ILs)对水稻幼苗根部生长均具有抑制作用,随着浓度的增大抑制率增加,[DMIM]Cl和[C12MIM]Cl的根长IC50-5d分别为0.10 mg·L-1和0.054 mg·L-1,水稻幼苗根部对两种ILs均有氧化应激反应,在[DMIM]Cl和[C12MIM]Cl处理下,3种抗氧化酶活性均受到严重抑制,丙二醛(MDA)含量升高,加剧了水稻幼苗根部细胞膜脂质过氧化作用.[DMIM]Cl和[C12MIM]Cl处理导致根系活力降低,根系质膜透性增大.     

Ecological consequences of forest elephant declines for Afrotropical forests

Poaching is rapidly extirpating African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) from most of their historical range, leaving vast areas of elephant‐free tropical forest. Elephants are ecological engineers that create and maintain forest habitat; thus, their loss will have large consequences for the composition and structure of Afrotropical forests. Through a comprehensive literature review, we evaluated the roles of forest elephants in seed dispersal, nutrient recycling, and herbivory and physical damage to predict the cascading ecological effects of their population declines. Loss of seed dispersal by elephants will favor tree species dispersed abiotically and by smaller dispersal agents, and tree species composition will depend on the downstream effects of changes in elephant nutrient cycling and browsing. Loss of trampling and herbivory of seedlings and saplings will result in high tree density with release from browsing pressures. Diminished seed dispersal by elephants and high stem density are likely to reduce the recruitment of large trees and thus increase homogeneity of forest structure and decrease carbon stocks. The loss of ecological services by forest elephants likely means Central African forests will be more like Neotropical forests, from which megafauna were extirpated thousands of years ago. Without intervention, as much as 96% of Central African forests will have modified species composition and structure as elephants are compressed into remaining protected areas. Stopping elephant poaching is an urgent first step to mitigating these effects, but long‐term conservation will require land‐use planning that incorporates elephant habitat into forested landscapes that are being rapidly transformed by industrial agriculture and logging.     

Effects to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) on the mollusk Unio ravoisieri under laboratory exposure

To understand acute toxicity and oxidative stress of perfluorinated compounds in the freshwater ecosystems, we exposed freshwater mussels (Unio ravoisieri) to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), over a range of concentrations from 10 to 100?mg/L, in a laboratory experiment. Lethal concentration (LC50) was of about 65.9?mg/L after 96?h of exposure. The oxidative stress was assessed in gill and digestive gland of the freshwater mussels after 7 days of exposure to different nominal PFOS concentrations (C1=?2?mg/L, C2?=?6?mg/L and C3=?10?mg/L). C1 and C2 increased significantly (p?<?.05) the superoxide dismutase activity in both tissues compared, while the highest C3 decreased the enzyme activity. This implements an unfavourable response that highlights the excess of reactive oxygen species produced after contamination. The Catalase activity was also increased by about 40.05% and 66.63%, respectively, in gill and digestive gland after exposure to C3. The Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was increased in both gill and digestive gland in a concentration-dependent pattern. In contrast, the contamination of U. ravoisieri by PFOS did not affect the acetylcholinesterase activity in both organs (p?>?.005). These results provided information on potential biomarkers that could be effectively applied for the monitoring of freshwater ecosystem using indicator species such as U. ravoisieri.     

Photostabilization of the botanical insecticide azadirachtin in the presence of lecithin as UV protectant

Abstract

The phytochemical insecticide, azadirachtin (AZ), undergoes UV‐induced photodegradation. Using the isomer AZ‐A as a standard, its photochemical stability was studied with and without adding lecithin surfactant as a UV protectant. Standard solutions of pure AZ‐A and Margosan‐O^® were prepared in methanol‐hexane with (AZ‐A:lecithin, 1:2 by weight) and without lecithin, applied separately onto glass plates and maple (Acer L.) foliage and exposed to radiant energy under controlled conditions. Noticeable photostabilization of AZ‐A was achieved in the samples containing lecithin compared to AZ‐A samples without the lecithin additive. First‐order kinetic evaluation of the data showed that the DTy₅₀ (half‐life) and C (rate constant) values for AZ‐A with and without lecithin on glass plates were 5.68 d and 0.122, and 5.42 d and 0.128, respectively. The corresponding values for the Margosan‐0 formulation were 7.37 d and 0.094, and 6.24 d and 0.111. The DT₅₀ and C values for the pure AZ‐A on maple foliage with and without lecithin were 8.77 d and 0.079, and 6.54 d and 0.106, respectively. The corresponding values for the Margosan‐0 formulation on foliage were 8.35 d and 0.083, and 7.45 d and 0.093. The kinetic data gave quantitative information regarding the photostabilization of AZ‐A in the presence of lecithin. Good UV protection can only be achieved if the additive has the matching X_max of AZ‐A. The mechanism of photostabilization of AZ‐A in the presence of lecithin was due to either energy transfer from the excited AZ‐A to lecithin and/or competitive absorption of UV photons by the latter.     

Simultaneous determination of acidic pesticides in vegetables and fruits by liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and efficient method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 73 multi-class acidic pesticides, such as phenoxy acid and sulfonylurea herbicides, in vegetables and fruits. The sample preparation procedure was carefully optimized for the efficient removal of co-extracted matrix components. The method involves extraction of acidic pesticides with acetonitrile containing hydrochloric acid, removal of water from crude extract by salting out, and sequential cleanup by octadecylsilyl silica gel and silica gel columns. For samples containing high amounts of pigments, such as spinach, additional cleanup using a graphitized carbon column was performed prior to liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis. Recovery tests were performed for five times for each sample of cabbage, spinach, potato, eggplant, orange, and apple fortified at 0.01 mg kg?1. Out of the 73 tested pesticides, 70 for cabbage, 67 for spinach, 69 for potato, 67 for eggplant, 64 for orange, and 70 for apple were within the range of 70–120%, with relative standard deviations below 25%. Nitenpyram and pyrasulfotole showed low recoveries for all the samples tested, probably due to low recoveries from silica gel column. The developed method effectively removed co-extracted matrix components and was highly selective, with no interfering peaks found in the chromatograms of blank samples. The overall results indicate that the developed method is suitable for the quantitative analysis of acidic pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits.     

Application of a LC–MS/MS method for multi-mycotoxin analysis in infant formula and milk-based products for young children commercialized in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT

An analytical method based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was validated and applied for the analysis of aflatoxin M₁ (AFM₁), ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in infant formula and milk-based products for young children commercialized in Brazil. A total of 38 samples were evaluated, including 12 infant formula, 14 follow-on formula and 12 samples of milk-based products. AFM₁ was detected in 12 (32%) samples, and seven (18%) samples contained AFM₁ levels above the method limit of quantification in a concentration range between 0.013 and 0.067 ng mL^?1 (0.026 ± 0.019). Two samples of milk-based products exceeded the maximum level (ML) fixed by the European Union for AFM₁ in baby foods, however, all samples were in agreement with the levels established by the Brazilian regulation. OTA and DON were not detected in any of the analyzed samples.     

Evaluation of pressurized liquid extraction for the determination of neonicotinoid pesticides in green onion

Abstract

A pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method was presented for the determination of six neonicotinoid pesticides, acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and thiamethoxam in green onion. The critical parameters of PLE, e.g. extraction solvent, temperature, pressure, number of cycles, and static extraction time, were optimized by test on the spiked green onion with six neonicotinoids and the incurred green onion applied with four commercial neonicotinoid insecticide formulations (acetamiprid, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam). As a result, the recoveries of six neonicotinoids obtained by one cycle PLE with acetonitrile at 140?°C and 50?bar for 10?min were 94.7–99.5%. These results were acceptable according to the validation guideline for testing method of agricultural chemicals in food by Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare in Japan. PLE was also validated by the test on the incurred green onion. The analytical values of four neonicotinoids obtained by PLE were good agreement with those obtained by solid–liquid extraction with homogenizer, which is employed for Japanese official method for the analysis of pesticide residues in food (the ratios of analytical values obtained by PLE to those obtained by solid–liquid extraction were 99.7–101.2%). These results indicate that PLE is applicable for the determination of neonicotinoids in green onion.     

Polyaniline nanofibers: acute toxicity and teratogenic effect on Rhinella arenarum embryos

The fate and effect of nanomaterials in the environment is of paramount importance towards the technological application of the materials. This work shows the ecotoxicological potential of polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers in the larvae Rhinella arenarum by means of AMPHITOX test. Acute toxicity of PANI nanofibers towards embryos of the common South American toad R. arenarum (Anura: bufonidae) was evaluated in the premetamorphosis (stage 25) larvae. The exposure of R. arenarum larvae to at dose of 150, 250 and 400 mg L⁻¹ resulted in 100% viability within 96 h exposure. The embryos at 2-4 blastomers stage (early life stage teratogenic test) revealed that embryos were not killed and no teratogenic effects were observed when embryos were incubated with PANI nanofibers (150 and 250 mg L⁻¹), while only a growth retardation of embryos was induced at levels of 250 mg PANI nanofibers L⁻¹. On the other hand, at 400 mg L⁻¹ concentration, a reduction in the body length of larvae and tail malformation was observed. This results suggest that a concentration-dependent toxicity is operative, typified by phenotypes that had abnormal body axes. The presence of PANI nanofibers in gut contents and its excretion by larval stages of R. arenarum was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy.     

Photocatalytic decomposition of crotamiton over aqueous TiO(2) suspensions: determination of intermediates and the reaction pathway

The photocatalytic degradation of crotamiton in aqueous solution using TiO₂ was investigated. To investigate the effect of initial pH, the photodegradation behaviors of three types of pharmaceuticals were compared (crotamiton, clofibric acid, sulfamethoxazole). The degradation rates of crotamiton in the pH range 3-9 were nearly equal, but those of clofibric acid and sulfamethoxazole were affected by pH. At pH > 6.5, TiO₂ particles, clofibric acid and sulfamethoxazole had negative charge, therefore, the repulsive force between TiO₂ particles and anionic pharmaceuticals occurred and a low reaction rate at high pH was observed. The effect of UV intensity and TiO₂ concentration on photodegradation efficiency was also investigated. Linear and logarithmical relationships between UV intensity, TiO₂ concentration and the reaction rate constant were confirmed. Furthermore, the structures of photodegradation intermediates formed concomitantly with the disappearance of crotamiton were estimated. Seven intermediates were characterized by LC/MS/MS analyses, and it was assumed that the photocatalytic degradation of crotamiton was initiated by the attack of electrophilic hydroxyl radicals on aromatic rings and alkyl chains.