Passive sampling of PAHs in indoor air in Nepal

PAHs were sampled in ten homes in the Makwanpur region, Nepal. SPMDs and moss bags (Sphagnum girgensohnii) were used as passive samplers. Soot particles on the SPMD surfaces were also analyzed for PAHs. The overall PAH concentrations in SPMDs were significantly higher than those in moss bags. Total PAH mean concentrations of ten houses were 535μg/g lipid for SPMDs and 7.2 μg/g moss (dw) for moss bags. Ratios of phenanthrene/anthracene in indoor SPMDs and particulate matter varied from 2.9 to 3.5 and ratios of fluoranthene/pyrene varied from 1.1 to 1.4. The values for moss bags were respectively 1.7–3.6 and 0.8–2.4. These ratios indicate that the PAHs are from combustion origin. The PAH concentrations in ambient air were estimated as B(a)P TEQs and they were 17–64 times higher than acceptable limit for Finnish community air. Based on PAH levels in the gas phase (SPMD) we may expect PAHs to have an impact on respiratory disease prevalence in Nepalese villages. Both of the sampling methods were feasible in the difficult conditions under which the study was performed.     

Effects of ellagic acid on arylamine N‐acetyltransferase activity in human colon tumor cells

The inhibition of arylamine N‐acetyltransferase (NAT) activity by ellagic acid was determined in a human colon tumor (adenocarcinoma) cell line. Two assay systems were performed, one with cellular cytosols (9000g supernatant), the other with intact colon tumor cell suspensions. The NAT activity in a human colon tumor cell line was inhibited by ellagic acid in a dose‐dependent manner in both types of examined systems: i.e. the greater the concentration of ellagic acid in the reaction, the greater the inhibition of NAT activities in both systems. The data also indicated that ellagic acid decreased the apparent K _m and V _max of NAT enzymes from human colon tumor cells in both the systems examined. This report is the first demonstration which showed ellagic acid affect human colon tumor cell NAT activity.     

大肠杆菌与水体中U(Ⅵ)的作用行为和产物研究

通过批次吸附实验及介观和谱学等表征方法,研究了大肠杆菌(E.coli)粉末对水体中U(Ⅵ)的富集行为和吸附模型,并对其作用产物进行了详细分析.结果表明:大肠杆菌对初始浓度为50mg/L U(Ⅵ)溶液(pH＝5)的吸附容量可达到276.89mg/g.Langmuir等温模型和准二级动力学方程能较好的描述其吸附过程. FTIR、SEM-EDS、XRD分析结果表明:在与水体中U(VI)作用后,大肠杆菌表面检测出UO₂²⁺的红外特征峰(876.16cm^-1)和U的能谱吸收峰(结合能=2.4~4.4keV).UO₂²⁺主要与菌体表面的烷基、氨基、羧基、分子间氢键发生作用,重点与PO₂-、P(OH)₂、PO₄^3-以及PO₃^-等含P基团进行络合配位,最终产物以CaU(PO₄)₂、Ca(UO₂)₂(PO₄)₂·xH₂O、NaUO₂(PO₃)₃等铀的磷酸盐形式存在.     

羟基化多溴联苯醚(OH-PBDEs)在小鼠肝脏微粒体的体外代谢及对CYP450酶活性的影响

羟基化多溴联苯醚(OH-PBDEs)是一类具有内分泌干扰效应的酚类化合物,生物毒性要高于母体多溴联苯醚(PBDEs),研究OH-PBDEs的体外代谢行为对于理解其在生物体内的富集转化具有重要意义。以小鼠肝脏微粒体作为研究对象,考察了3-OH-BDE-47、5-OH-BDE-47、6-OH-BDE-47和2’-OH-BDE-68在小鼠肝脏中的体外代谢,并分别研究了浓度为0.1、0.2、0.4、0.6、1.0μmol·L-1条件下4种OH-PBDEs对细胞色素P450酶系中7-乙氧基香豆素-O-脱乙基酶(ECOD)、7-乙氧基异吩唑酮-O-脱乙基酶(EROD)和苯胺4-羟基化酶(ANH)活性的影响。结果表明,4种OH-PBDEs在小鼠肝脏微粒体中均能够快速代谢,代谢率分别为80%(3-OH-BDE-47)、42%(5-OH-BDE-47)、86%(6-OH-BDE-47)和63%(2’-OH-BDE-68)。实验所设OH-PBDEs各浓度对微粒体的ECOD活性无显著性抑制作用,但对EROD的活性均表现出相同的显著抑制作用;4种OH-PBDEs表现出不同的ANH活性影响,即3-OH-BDE-47对ANH活性具有抑制作用,5-OH-BDE-47具有诱导作用,而6-OH-BDE-47和2’-OH-BDE-68对ANH活性无显著性影响。     

Modeling forest floor contribution to phosphorus supply to maritime pine seedlings in two-layered forest soils

The quantitative contribution of the forest floor to P nutrition of maritime pine seedlings was experimentally determined by Jonard et al. (2009) in a greenhouse experiment using the radio-isotopic labeling. To extend the results of the experiment on a known mineral soil, a modeling approach was developed to predict P uptake of maritime pine seedlings growing in a mineral soil covered with a forest floor layer. The classical nutrient uptake model based on the diffusion/mass-flow theory was extended to take into account mineralization of P in dead organic matter, microbial P immobilization and re-mineralization and P leaching. In addition, the buffer power characterizing the P retention properties of the mineral soil was allowed to vary with time and with the P-ion concentration in solution. To account for increasing root competition with time, a moving boundary approach was implemented. According to the model, the forest floor contributed most of the P supply to the seedlings (99.3% after 130 days). Predicted P uptake was consistent with observed P uptake and modeling efficiency was 0.97. The uptake model was then used to evaluate the impact of the P retention properties of the mineral soil on the contribution of the forest floor to P uptake. Simulations showed that the contribution of the forest floor was much lower in the quasi non-reactive soil (45.7%) but rapidly increased with soil P reactivity.     

Austal 2000应用于国内“烟塔合一”类项目大气影响评价

简述了德国"烟塔合一"类大气污染扩散模式,以及相关模式Austal 2000的应用方法,修正了气象参数以适合本地化应用。以天津某电厂为实例,将Austal 2000模式"烟塔合一"和烟囱排烟方式的计算结果进行了对比分析。结果表明,在进行本地化修改后,Austal 2000模式适用于国内有关项目大气预测评价,但从环境影响角度考虑,"烟塔合一"相对于高烟囱排放方式没有明显优势,应用时需慎重。     

Effects of land use on phosphorus loss in the hilly area of the Loess Plateau, China

The hilly area of Loess Plateau has some of the highest soil erosion rates in the world, and serious soil erosion causes great losses of plant nutrients. As the most common land use in Loess Plateau, slope farmland contributed most of the erosion soils. This study was designed to examine the effects of land use and slope angle of farmland on phosphorus (P) loss in the hilly area of loess plateau. Farmland (FR), barrenland (BR), and four forest treantment (seabuckthorn+ poplar (SP), immature seabuckthorn (IS), mature seabuckthorn (MS), immature Chinese pine (ICP)) were the types of land use; 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 degrees were the slope angles of FR that were compared. The results showed a larger proportion of P loss occurred in erosion soil fraction of FR, ICP, ICP, and the five slope treatments of FR; in SP, IS, and MS, P loss was primarily through runoff. FR produced more P loss than SP, IS, ICP, BR, and MS. 20∼30 degrees may be the slope ranges for P loss of FR; FR in this ranges would loss more P with soil erosion. SP, IS, and MS were reasonable land uses for their less runoff, soil loss, and P loss. Farmlands over 15 degrees should be abandoned or reforested for it would produce more runoff, soil loss, and P loss.     

Avian Mortality at Oil Pits in the United States: A Review of the Problem and Efforts for Its Solution

Oil production operations produce waste fluids that may be stored in pits, open tanks, and other sites accessible to wildlife. Birds visit these fluid-filled pits and tanks (“oil pits”), which often resemble water sources, and may become trapped and die. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has a program to reduce these impacts by locating problem pits, documenting mortality of protected wildlife species, and seeking cleanup or corrective action at problem pits with the help of state and federal agencies regulating the oil industry. Species identification and verification of protected status for birds recovered from oil pits are performed at the USFWS National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory. From 1992 to 2005, a minimum of 2060 individual birds were identified from remains recovered from oil pits, representing 172 species from 44 families. The taxonomic and ecological diversity of these birds indicates that oil pits pose a threat to virtually all species of birds that encounter them. Ninety-two percent of identified bird remains belonged to protected species. Most remains identified at the Forensics Laboratory were from passerines, particularly ground-foraging species. Based on Forensics Laboratory and USFWS field data, oil pits currently cause the deaths of 500,000–1 million birds per year. Although law enforcement and industry efforts have produced genuine progress on this issue, oil pits remain a significant source of mortality for birds in the United States.     

Ozone risk assessment for plants: central role of metabolism-dependent changes in reducing power

The combination of stomatal-dependent ozone flux and total ascorbate level is currently presented as a correct indicator for determining the degree of sensitivity of plants to ozone. However, the large changes in carbon metabolism could play a central role in the strategy of the foliar cells in response to chronic ozone exposure, participating in the supply of reducing power and carbon skeletons for repair and detoxification, and modifying the stomatal mode of functioning. To reinforce the accuracy of the definition of the threshold for ozone risk assessment, it is proposed to also consider the redox pool (NAD(P)H), the ratio between carboxylases and the water use efficiency as indicators of the differential ozone tolerance of plants.     

Interactive effects of nitrogen deposition and fire on plant and soil chemistry in an alpine heathland

The response of alpine heathland vegetation and soil chemistry to N additions of 0, 10, 20 and 50 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in combination with simulated accidental fire (+/−) was monitored over a 5-year period. N addition caused rapid and significant increases in plant tissue N content and N:P and N:K of Calluna vulgaris, suggesting increasing phosphorus and potassium limitation of growth. Soil C:N declined significantly with N addition, indicating N saturation and increasing likelihood of N leakage. Fire further decreased soil C:N and reduced potential for sequestration of additional N. This study shows that alpine heathlands, which occupy the headwaters of many rivers, have limited potential to retain deposited N and may rapidly become N saturated, leaking N into downstream communities and surface waters.