Use of sensitive methods for detection of DNA damage on human lymphocytes exposed to p,p′-DDT: Comet assay and new criteria for scoring micronucleus test

Wide distribution, stability and long persistence in the environment of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), probably the best-known and most useful insecticide in the world, imposes the need for further examination of the effect of this chemical on human health and especially on the human genome. In this study, peripheral blood human lymphocytes from a healthy donor were exposed to 0.025 mg/L concentration of p,p′-DDT at different time periods (1, 2, 24 and 48 h). For the assessment of genotoxic effect, the new criteria for scoring micronucleus test and alkaline comet assay were used. Both methods showed that p,p′-DDT induces DNA damage in low concentration used in this research. Results of micronucleus test showed a statistically significant (p < 0.05) genotoxic effect of p,p′-DDT on human lymphocytes compared with corresponding control and a different exposure time. A comet assay also showed increased DNA damage caused in p,p′-DDT-exposed human lymphocytes than in corresponding control cells for the tail length. Results obtained by measuring the level of DNA migration and incidence of micronuclei (MN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) and nuclear buds (NBUDs) indicate the sensitivity of these tests and their application in detection of primary genome damage after long-term exposure to establish the effect of p,p′-DDT on human genome.     

Behavior of bensulfuron-methyl in an agricultural alkaline soil

A field experiment to determine the available bensulfuron-methyl (BSM) in the upper soil layer was conducted in an agricultural area in the South of Spain. To facilitate herbicide analysis, two application rates were employed, 200 g ha^?1 and 5 kg ha^?1. Samples of upper soil and soil solution were collected. Soil solution was sampled by means of metallic samplers, placed at a depth of 35 cm. In the plots receiving the lower dose ceramic suction, porous cups were also installed. Results from soil solution samples showed that the maximum BSM concentration was found after 8-10 days for the high irrigation supply (945 mm) and after 18-25 days for the lower irrigation regime (405 mm). The mathematical model FOCUSPELMO 1.1.1 was applied to interpret the data obtained in the field experiments. In general, there was a reasonable agreement between experimental and simulated data for soil samples, although the model did not acceptably predict herbicide concentrations in water soil samples. Ceramic cups sampled a higher soil water volume and more frequently than did the metallic samplers. However some variable results were attributed to preferential flow.     

The effects of soil and Trifolium repens (white clover) on the fate of estrogen

In this study, we investigated the behavior of estrogens in the rhizosphere of white clover (Trifolium repens, clover hereafter) with two different pot tests, using soil and agar as growth media. In a pot test using agar spiked with estrogen, the estrogen concentration in the agar with clover decreased to non-detectable levels within one month, while in the agar without clover, 60% of initially added estrogen remained after one month. The half-lives of estrone (E1) and 17β -estradiol (E2) in the agar with clover were 2.4–3.8 and 13.2 d, respectively. The dissipation of E1 followed first-order rate law, while that of E2 fitted a zero-order reaction, indicating that they had different mechanisms of dissipation from agar. In the soil pot test, the behavior of E1 and E2 was not influenced by clover. An initial rapid decrease in the amount of estrogen extracted by methanol/acetic acid was followed by persistence for 1–3 months, regardless of presence of clover. Moreover, in three weeks E1 and E2 were only partly degraded by microbes extracted from the soil used in the pot test. In this study, abiotic degradation of estrogens and sorption of estrogen to soil, rather than the effects of soil microbes and clover, contributed to the initial rapid dissipation of estrogens in the soil. However, the results of the agar pot test suggested that vegetation such as clover may significantly contribute to removal of estrogens when estrogens in aqueous phase are discharged with surface runoff and preferential flow after heavy rain in agricultural fields, or when present in soils with low estrogen sorptivity.     

柠檬酸浸出土壤中铜、锌的优化设计

以某工业废弃地土壤为供试材料,采用批次实验方法,研究了柠檬酸对重金属Cu、Zn的浸出效果。并在单因素实验基础上,探讨不同pH值、柠檬酸浓度、固液比和浸提时间等对浸出效果的影响,进而对实验条件进行正交优化组合,确定优化工艺参数为：pH值为3.2,柠檬酸浓度为0.4 mol/L,壤土固液比为1/10,土壤中Cu、Zn接近平衡的时间分别为1 h和1.5 h。结果表明,在此条件下,对这2种金属来说,Cu较Zn易释放,Cu、Zn的最大浸出率分别为74.8%和65.3%。柠檬酸浸提前后,土壤中有机质含量下降范围为0.61%~3.16%。单从土壤有机质含量来看,柠檬酸对土壤质量影响较小,具有较好的应用前景。     

膨化预处理玉米秸秆的还原糖酶解工艺

应用膨化技术对玉米秸秆进行预处理.在单因素实验基础上,以还原糖转化率为影响值设计正交实验,研究温度、pH、液固比、酶浓度及酶解时间五因素对纤维素酶解过程的影响.得出玉米秸秆糖化酶解最佳工艺条件为:温度48℃,pH 4.5,液固比8:1,酶浓度36.0 U/g,酶解时间25 h;在此工艺条件下还原糖转化率达到28.98％.扫描电镜表征对比观察可看出,膨化后玉米秸秆纤维素酶解充分;结合红外光谱对各组分特征基团分析表明,膨化后的玉米秸秆酶解的纤维素基团特征峰变化更为明显.     

国产脱硝催化剂在国电长源荆州电厂2×300MW机组上的应用

随着新火电厂大气污染物排放标准的出台,NOx排放标准提高,现有的脱硝技术难以满足要求,需要增加后端烟气脱硝处理技术.选择性催化还原法是较成熟的烟气脱硝技术,催化剂是SCR技术的核心.针对国内某催化剂在国电长源荆州电厂的应用情况,详细描述了催化剂的设计选型过程.运行结果表明,该催化剂完全可以满足长源荆州电厂的性能要求,说明国产脱硝催化剂的设计选型、生产以及运行等技术能力已达到要求.     

The distribution of 4-nonylphenol in marine organisms of North American Pacific Coast estuaries

One of the chemical breakdown products of nonylphenol ethoxylates, 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), accumulates in organisms and is of concern as an environmental pollutant due to its endocrine disrupting effects. We measured 4-NP levels in the seawater, sediment, and twelve organisms within the California estuary, Morro Bay, and examined biomagnification of 4-NP using stable isotope abundances (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) to quantify trophic position. 4-NP concentrations in organisms from Morro Bay included 25000 ± 8600 ng g⁻¹ lw in liver of California sea lion, 14000 ± 5600 ng g⁻¹ lw in liver of harbor porpoise, 138000 ± 55000 ng g⁻¹ lw in liver of sea otters, 15700 ± 3600 ng g⁻¹ lw in liver of seabirds, 36100 ± 6100 ng g⁻¹ lw in arrow goby fish, 62800 ± 28400 ng g⁻¹ lw in oysters, and 12700 ± 1300 ng g⁻¹ lw in mussels. 4-NP levels generally showed a pattern of trophic dilution among organisms in Morro Bay, with exceptions of biomagnification observed between three trophic links: mussel to sea otter (BMF 10.9), oyster to sea otter (BMF 2.2), and arrow goby to staghorn sculpin (BMF 2.7). Our examination of other west coast estuaries of USA and Canada revealed that mean 4-NP concentrations in gobies and mussels from Morro Bay were significantly higher than those from a more urbanized estuary, San Francisco Bay (goby: 11100 ± 3800 ng g⁻¹ lw) and from a remote estuary, Bamfield Inlet, Canada (goby: 9000 ± 900 ng g⁻¹ lw, mussel: 6100 ± 700 ng g⁻¹ lw). Relative to other estuaries worldwide, 4-NP levels in seawater (0.42 ± 0.16 μg L⁻¹) and sediment (53 ± 14 ng g⁻¹ dw) of Morro Bay are low, but gobies and oysters have higher 4-NP levels than comparable fauna.     

Soil pollution assessment and identification of hyperaccumulating plants in chromated copper arsenate (CCA) contaminated sites, Korea

In recent decades, heavy metal contamination in soil adjacent to chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood has received increasing attention. This study was conducted to determine the pollution level (PL) based on the concentrations of Cr, Cu and As in soils and to evaluate the remediative capacity of native plant species grown in the CCA contaminated site, Gangwon Province, Korea. The pollution index (PI), integrated pollution index (IPI), bioaccumulation factors (BAF_shoots and BAF_roots) and translocation factor (TF) were determined to ensure soil contamination and phytoremediation availability. The 19 soil samples from 10 locations possibly contaminated with Cr, Cu and As were collected. The concentrations of Cr, Cu and As in the soil samples ranged from 50.56-94.13 mg kg⁻¹, 27.78-120.83 mg kg⁻¹, and 0.13-9.43 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Generally, the metal concentrations decreased as the distance between the CCA-treated wood structure and sampling point increased. For investigating phytoremediative capacity, the 19 native plant species were also collected in the same area with soil samples. Our results showed that only one plant species of Iris ensata, which presented the highest accumulations of Cr (1120 mg kg⁻¹) in its shoot, was identified as a hyperaccumulator. Moreover, the relatively higher values of BAF_shoot (3.23-22.10) were observed for Typha orientalis, Iris ensata and Scirpus radicans Schk, suggesting that these plant species might be applicable for selective metal extraction from the soils. For phytostabilization, the 15 plant species with BAF_root values > 1 and TF values < 1 were suitable; however, Typha orientalis was the best for Cr.     

Phytoremediation Potential of Aquatic Macrophyte, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Azolla</Emphasis>

Aquatic macrophytes play an important role in the structural and functional aspects of aquatic ecosystems by altering water movement regimes, providing shelter to fish and aquatic invertebrates, serving as a food source, and altering water quality by regulating oxygen balance, nutrient cycles, and accumulating heavy metals. The ability to hyperaccumulate heavy metals makes them interesting research candidates, especially for the treatment of industrial effluents and sewage waste water. The use of aquatic macrophytes, such as Azolla with hyper accumulating ability is known to be an environmentally friendly option to restore polluted aquatic resources. The present review highlights the phytoaccumulation potential of macrophytes with emphasis on utilization of Azolla as a promising candidate for phytoremediation. The impact of uptake of heavy metals on morphology and metabolic processes of Azolla has also been discussed for a better understanding and utilization of this symbiotic association in the field of phytoremediation.     

Bioaccumulation, depuration and biotransformation of 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether in crucian carp (Carassius auratus)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are extensively used as a class of flame retardants and have become ubiquitous environmental pollutants. Significant biotransformation of some PBDEs via reductive debromination has been observed. However, little is known about the fate of lower brominated BDEs in fish. In this study, the tissue distribution, excretion, depuration and biotransformation of 4,4′-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE 15) were investigated in crucian carp (Carassius auratus) which were exposed to spiked water solution at different concentrations for 50 d, followed by a 14-d depuration period. Bioaccumulation parameters were calculated and the results showed that BDE 15 was mainly concentrated in the gill and liver. In particular, five biotransformation products of BDE 15 in carp were identified using GC-MS/MS. Besides two debrominated metabolites, three of the metabolites were mono-OH-BDE 15, diOH-BDE 15 and bromophenol. Our results unequivocally suggested that BDE 15 oxidation did occur via the formation of hydroxylated (OH-) metabolites in crucian carp exposed in vivo. These findings will be useful for determination of the metabolic pathways of PBDEs in freshwater fish, especially about their oxidation metabolism.