Lead toxicity, defense strategies and associated indicative biomarkers in Talinum triangulare grown hydroponically

Talinum species have been used to investigate a variety of environmental problems for e.g. determination of metal pollution index and total petroleum hydrocarbons in roadside soils, stabilization and reclamation of heavy metals (HMs) in dump sites, removal of HMs from storm water-runoff and green roof leachates. Species of Talinum are popular leaf vegetables having nutrient antinutrient properties. In this study, Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd (Ceylon spinach) grown hydroponically were exposed to different concentrations of lead (Pb) (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mM) to investigate the biomarkers of toxicity and tolerance mechanisms. Relative water content, cell death, photosynthetic pigments, sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG), anthocyanins, α-tocopherol, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) glutathione (GSH and GSSG) and elemental analysis have been investigated. The results showed that Pb in roots and shoots gradually increased as the function of Pb exposure; however Pb concentration in leaves was below detectable level. Chlorophylls and SQDG contents increased at 0.25 mM of Pb treatment in comparison to control at all treated durations, thereafter decreased. Levels of carotenoid, anthocyanins, α-tocopherol, and lipid peroxidation increased in Pb treated plants compared to control. Water content, cells death and elemental analysis suggested the damage of transport system interfering with nutrient transport causing cell death. The present study also explained that Pb imposed indirect oxidative stress in leaves is characterized by decreases in GSH/GSSG ratio with increased doses of Pb treatment. Lead-induced oxidative stress was alleviated by carotenoids, anthocyanins, α-tocopherol and glutathione suggesting that these defense responses as potential biomarkers for detecting Pb toxicity.     

Assessment of aquatic experimental versus predicted and extrapolated chronic toxicity data of four structural analogues

The present study was developed to assess the chronic toxicity predictions and extrapolations for a set of chlorinated anilines (aniline (AN), 4-chloroaniline (CA), 3,5-dichloroaniline (DCA) and 2,3,4-trichloroaniline (TCA)). Daphnia magna 21 d chronic experimental data was compared to the chronic toxicity predictions made by the US EPA ECOSAR QSAR tools and to acute-to-chronic extrapolations. Additionally, Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSDs) were constructed to assess the chronic toxicity variability among different species and to investigate the acute versus chronic toxicity in a multi-species context.Since chlorinated anilines are structural analogues with a designated polar narcotic mode of action, similar toxicity responses were assumed. However, rather large interchemical and interspecies differences in toxicity were observed. Compared to the other three test compounds, TCA exposure had a significantly larger impact on growth and reproduction of D. magna. Furthermore, this study illustrated that QSARs or a fixed ACR are not able to account for these interchemical and interspecies differences. Consequently, ECOSAR was found to be inadequate to predict the chronic toxicity of the anilines and the use of a fixed ACR (of 10) led to under of certain species. The experimental ACRs determined in D. magna were substantially different among the four aromatic amines (ACR of 32 for AN, 16.9 for CA, 5.7 for DCA and 60.8 for TCA). Furthermore, the SSDs illustrated that Danio rerio was rather insensitive to AN in comparison to another fish species, Phimphales promelas. It was therefore suggested that available toxicity data should be used in an integrative multi-species way, rather than using individual-based toxicity extrapolations. In this way, a relevant overview of the differences in species sensitivity is given, which in turn can serve as the basis for acute to chronic extrapolations.     

Ecotoxicity of nanosized TiO2. Review of in vivo data

This report presents an exhaustive literature review of data on the effect of nanoparticulate TiO₂ on algae, higher plants, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates and freshwater fish. The aim, to identify the biologically important characteristics of the nanoparticles that have most biological significance, was unsuccessful, no discernable correlation between primary particle size and toxic effect being apparent. Secondary particle size and particle surface area may be relevant to biological potential of nanoparticles, but insufficient confirmatory data exist. The nanotoxicity data from thirteen studies fail to reveal the characteristics actually responsible for their biological reactivity because reported nanotoxicity studies rarely carry information on the physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles tested. A number of practical measures are suggested which should support the generation of reliable QSAR models and so overcome this data inadequacy.     

1H NMR-based metabolomics of time-dependent responses of Eisenia fetida to sub-lethal phenanthrene exposure

¹H NMR-based metabolomics was used to examine the response of the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene over time. Earthworms were exposed to 0.025 mg/cm² of phenanthrene (1/64th of the LC₅₀) via contact tests over four days. Earthworm tissues were extracted using a mixture of chloroform, methanol and water, resulting in polar and non-polar fractions that were analyzed by ¹H NMR after one, two, three and four days. NMR-based metabolomic analyses revealed heightened E. fetida responses with longer phenanthrene exposure times. Amino acids alanine and glutamate, the sugar maltose, the lipids cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine emerged as potential indicators of phenanthrene exposure. The conversion of succinate to fumarate in the Krebs cycle was also interrupted by phenanthrene. Therefore, this study shows that NMR-based metabolomics is a powerful tool for elucidating time-dependent relationships in addition to the mode of toxicity of phenanthrene in earthworm exposure studies.     

环境暴露致秀丽线虫衰老毒性及相关作用机制研究进展

衰老作为一个重要的评价终点,目前已经广泛应用于秀丽线虫环境暴露评价以及相关毒理学研究.系统总结了各种金属以及有机污染物暴露所致秀丽线虫衰老毒性;分析了胰岛素信号、应激反应与氧化应激、线粒体呼吸链、金属硫蛋白、金属诱导胁迫响应蛋白NUMR-1和NUMR-2等在环境暴露致秀丽线虫衰老毒性形成中的重要调控功能;指出了代谢变化...     

O3／UV预处理磺酰脲类除草剂生产废水的研究

采用O3／UV工艺预处理磺酰脲类除草剂生产废水,考察了初始pH值、臭氧投量、叔丁醇投加等因素对废水处理效果的影响,并初步探讨了该工艺处理废水的反应机理。实验结果表明,在废水初始pH为13．59和臭氧投量为65．08mg／min的条件下,预处理80min后废水COD去除率达63．47％,BOD5／COD由0．03提高至0．56,EC50从11％提高至55％。随着叔丁醇浓度的增加,废水COD去除率明显降低,证明该反应体系有·OH存在;体系中加入MnO2后废水COD去除率下降了16％,氧化效率明显下降,证明该反应体系内中间产物HO2O在O3／UV降解有机废水过程中起到了重要的作用。     

畜禽养殖污水中高效氨氮降解菌的筛选、鉴定及生长条件研究

从养殖污水中分离纯化得到1株高效氨氮降解菌,对其进行形态特征、生理生化、16S rDNA序列分析以及最佳生长条件研究,并将菌株投入养殖污水降解污水中的氨氮。结果表明：AN4菌株在NH4＋-N初始质量浓度为50 mg/L的条件下,24 h内的氨氮降解率为92.5%;初步鉴定该菌株为苍白杆菌属（Ochrobactrum sp.）,菌株的16S rDNA序列在Gen-Bank的登录号为GU345782;AN4菌株在装液量为60.64 mL,pH为7.06,葡萄糖为6.0 g/L的条件下培养,菌株的降解率可以达到94.28%;菌株对养殖污水中氨氮的降解率为12.3%。苍白杆菌菌属能够降畜禽养殖污水中的氨氮还未见报道,AN4菌株的筛选获得为生物降解养殖污水中的氨氮又提供了一种新型菌株。     

Metribuzin impairs the unicell-colony transformation in the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus

Active growth is a prerequisite for the formation of grazing-protective, mostly eight-celled colonies by the ubiquitous green alga Scenedesmus in response to chemical cues from zooplankton. Colonies can also be evoked by chemically quite similar manmade anionic surfactants, such as FFD-6. In this study, it was hypothesized that growth-inhibiting concentrations of the herbicide metribuzin impair the ability of Scenedesmus obliquus to form colonies in response to the surfactant morphogen FFD-6. The results confirmed that the formation of colonies in S. obliquus was hampered by metribuzin. EC₅₀ values of metribuzin for colony inhibition (approximately 11 μg L⁻¹) were similar to those for growth and photosynthesis inhibition (12-25 μg metribuzin L⁻¹). In the absence of the colony-inducing surfactant FFD-6, S. obliquus populations were comprised of 92% unicells, having on average 1.2 cells per colony at all tested metribuzin concentrations (0-100 μg L⁻¹). In contrast, in the presence of FFD-6 and at low metribuzin concentrations (0 and 5 μg L⁻¹), S. obliquus had more than five cells per colony with a high portion of eight-celled colonies. However, increasing concentrations of metribuzin decreased the number of colonies in the FFD-6-exposed populations and caused them to remain mostly unicellular at the highest concentrations (50 and 100 μg L⁻¹). This study revealed that metribuzin impeded growth and by doing so, also obstructed the possibility for unicellular Scenedesmus to form colonies. Consequently, an increase in mortality of Scenedesmus from grazing is expected.     

中国城镇化与土地集约利用关系的动态计量分析

在测度城镇化与土地集约利用的基础上,运用动态计量经济模型探讨城镇化与土地集约利用的相互作用。研究结果表明：（1）城镇化与土地集约利用均为一阶单整序列;（2）城镇化与土地集约利用之间存在长期均衡关系,但短期内却存在失衡,短期波动向长期均衡趋近的调整幅度达到18.98%;（3）城镇化是土地集约利用的Granger原因,而反向关系得不到实证支持;（4）土地集约利用对来自城镇化的冲击响应强烈,城镇化的冲击对土地集约利用的解释水平达到了90%,而城镇化对来自土地集约利用的冲击响应较弱,土地集约利用的冲击对城镇化的解释水平仅为3%。因此,应采取长期而非短期的策略,有序推进城镇化进程,加强土地利用监督管理,不断提高土地资源集约利用水平     

环境规制和农业科技进步的关系分析——基于波特假说的研究

波特假说主要从动态的角度论证了环境规制和农业科技进步之间的正向变亿关系.而在安徽省1990 -2008年的农业生产数据的基础上,选择合适的环境规制和农业科技进步的指标变量,运用Johansen协整分析方法验证了安徽省农业生产中的环境规制和农业科技进步的关系也符合这一假说,Granger因果关系检验说明了安徽省环境规制是农业科技进步产生的原因,脉冲响应分析和方差分析则更深入地从定量的角度分析了环境规制对农业科技进步影响滞后的趋势和影响程度.由实证分析可以看出,只是从静态角度来分析,环境规制是不利于农业的科技进步的;但从长期效益来看,环境规制有利于农业的科技进步.因此,在农业生态环境恶化的形势下,严格对农业废弃物的排放限制,制定较严格的农产品生产标准和产品质量标准,提高农民的环境意识和科技意识,通过强化环境规制来促使农业生产者提高农业生产技术,提高农产品品质和产品的市场竞争力就显得尤为重要.