苯并芘对稀有鮈鲫的内分泌干扰效应研究

为评价典型有机污染物对长江三峡库区上游特有珍稀鱼类的环境风险,本实验以稀有鮈鲫为对象,研究了低剂量多环芳烃(PAHs)暴露而引起的内分泌干扰效应.将成年稀有鮈鲫暴露于不同浓度(0、0.1、0.3、1.0和3.0μg·L-1)的苯并芘(Ba P)中28 d,测定了体质系数、性激素含量、下丘脑-垂体-性腺(HPG)轴和肝脏中与繁殖相关基因的表达.结果显示:在雌鱼中,Ba P暴露后,睾酮(T)的含量显著升高,雌二醇(E2)的水平显著下降并改变了T/E2的比值;在雄鱼中,T和E2的含量都显著下降.雌雄鱼性激素的改变可能与类固醇合成相关基因(Cyp17、Cyp19a)表达量的改变有关.Ba P暴露显著抑制了雌雄鱼肝脏中卵黄蛋白原(VTG)基因的表达.以上检测到的激素或者基因表达的改变主要发生在高剂量(3.0μg·L-1)Ba P暴露下,而长江上游库区水体中多环芳烃含量较低(100 ng·L-1),因此推测,库区存在的多环芳烃不会对三峡库区上游水体中的鱼类产生内分泌干扰效应.     

“引江济太”过程中塑化剂类污染物的输入特征和环境健康风险评价

为了解"引江济太"过程中塑化剂类污染物对贡湖的输入特征,于2013年8月对14个采样点的7种邻苯二甲酸酯类化合物(PAEs)的浓度进行采样分析,并通过美国环保署(USEPA)推荐的方法,对其环境风险进行评价.结果表明:各采样点邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)和邻苯二甲酸二环己酯(DCHP)均有检出,除采样点10、11和12外,邻苯二甲酸二乙酯(DEP)也有检出,其余4种均未检出,长江引水经望虞河进入贡湖后,DEP、DBP和DCHP浓度均有不同程度的降低,且其最高浓度均出现在望虞河长江引水处(采样点1),说明在引水过程中长江水对望虞河有明显的PAEs输入,而贡湖锡东水厂DEP浓度高于贡湖其他采样点,南泉水厂DBP和DCHP浓度高于贡湖其他采样点,金墅湾水厂PAEs浓度总体处于较低水平.环境健康风险评价结果显示:DEP的最大非致癌风险值为3.91×10-8a~(-1),未超过国际组织规定范围,而DBP的最大非致癌风险值为1.17×10-5a~(-1),超过英国皇家协会RS规定的1×10-6a~(-1),但均对人体无明显非致癌危害.     

绿洲边缘新月形沙丘表层沉积物粒度与重金属分布特征

本文以乌兰布和沙漠绿洲边缘工业化城市乌海市下风向典型新月形沙丘为研究对象,分析了新月形沙丘各部位0~10 cm沙物质、沙丘前50 m处大气降尘的粒度及重金属元素变化特征,探讨了重金属物质的来源及其与粒径的相关性,评价了重金属的潜在生态风险.结果表明:沙丘各部位沉积物粒度均以细砂为主,较对照沙丘极细砂含量增高而中砂含量减少.而降尘主要以极细砂、粉粒为主,降尘在沙丘表面的沉降堆积使沙丘表层沙物质细化.沙丘与降尘的重金属含量均为FeMnCrZnCu;Mn、Cu、Zn、Cr含量均高于背景值且发生富集.Mn、Zn含量在空间分布上呈中等变异;Fe、Cu含量在空间分布上为高度变异.Mn、Zn、Cu含量与细颗粒含量呈显著正相关,Zn、Cu含量与中砂含量呈负相关,Fe含量与细砂和中砂含量均呈负相关.Cu、Zn、Cr为人为污染因子,Mn、Fe为自然源因子,但Cr、Mn、Fe又受到自然地质背景和人类活动的共同控制.乌海市下风向新月形沙丘属于低生态风险状态,为轻度污染,需加强废气的治理控制以防重金属污染的进一步加深.     

我国生物质气化发电行业综合风险评价

针对我国生物质气化发电行业的现状,总结诸多风险的影响因素,建立了我国生物质气化发电行业综合风险评价体系。该评价体系主要包括5个一级风险影响因素:市场风险、技术风险、安全风险、管理风险、环境风险,每个一级影响因素包括4个二级风险影响因素。由层次分析法获得各个一级影响因素和二级影响因素的权重值,根据所构建的评价集和评分标准,结合模糊综合评价法对我国生物质气化发电行业现状的综合风险等级做定量定性分析。综合风险评价研究结果表明,生物质气化发电行业处于"较高"的风险等级,与实际情况相符。综合风险评价体系的构建合理,所建立的评价方法以及相应对策分析可为决策者提供参考依据。     

Cu(II), Fe(III) and Mn(II) combinations as environmental stress factors have distinguishing effects on Enterococcus hirae

Pollution by various heavy metals as environmental stress factors might affect bacteria. It was established that iron (Fe(III)), manganese (Mn(II)) and copper (Cu(II)) ion combinations caused effects on Enterococcus hirae that differed from the sum of the effects when the metals were added separately. It was shown that the Cu²⁺-Fe³⁺ combination decreased the growth and ATPase activity of membrane vesicles of wild-type E. hirae ATCC9790 and atpD mutant (with defective F_oF₁-ATPase) MS116. Addition of Mn²⁺-Fe³⁺ combinations within the same concentration range had no effects on growth compared to control (without heavy metals). ATPase activity was increased in the presence of Mn²⁺-Fe³⁺, while together with 0.2 mmol/L N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), ATPase activity was decreased compared to control (when only 0.2 mmol/L DCCD was present). These results indicate that heavy metals ion combinations probably affect the FOF1-ATPase, leading to conformational changes. Moreover the action may be direct or be mediated by environment redox potential. The effects observed when Fe³⁺ was added separately disappeared in both cases, which might be a result of competing processes between Fe³⁺ and other heavy metals. These findings are novel and improve the understanding of heavy metals ions effects on bacteria, and could be applied for regulation of stress response patterns in the environment.     

Changes in nitrogen budget and potential risk to the environment over 20 years (1990–2010) in the agroecosystems of the Haihe Basin,China

The nitrogen balance can serve as an indicator of the risk to the environment of nitrogen loss from agricultural land. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural nitrogen application and its potential threat to the environment of the Haihe Basin in China, we used a database of county-level agricultural statistics to calculate agricultural nitrogen input, output, surplus intensity, and use efficiency. Chemical fertilizer nitrogen input increased by 51.7% from 1990 to 2000 and by 37.2% from 2000 to 2010, concomitant with increasing crop yields. Simultaneously, the nitrogen surplus intensity increased by 53.5% from 1990 to 2000 and by 16.5% from 2000 to 2010, presenting a continuously increased environmental risk. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased from 0.46 in 1990 to 0.42 in 2000 and remained constant at 0.42 in 2010, partly due to fertilizer composition and type improvement. This level indicates that more than half of nitrogen inputs are lost in agroecosystems. Our results suggest that although the improvement in fertilizer composition and types has partially offset the decrease in nitrogen use efficiency, the environmental risk has still increased gradually over the past 20 years, along with the increase in crop yields and nitrogen application. It is important to achieve a better nitrogen balance through more effective management to significantly reduce the environmental risk, decrease nitrogen surplus intensity, and increase nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing crop yields.     

Cu(II), Fe(III) and Mn(II) combinations as environmental stress factors have distinguishing effects on Enterococcus hirae

Pollution by various heavy metals as environmental stress factors might affect bacteria. It was established that iron (Fe(III)), manganese (Mn(II)) and copper (Cu(II)) ion combinations caused effects on Enterococcus hirae that differed from the sum of the effects when the metals were added separately. It was shown that the Cu^2 +–Fe^3 + combination decreased the growth and ATPase activity of membrane vesicles of wild-type E. hirae ATCC9790 and atpD mutant (with defective F_oF₁-ATPase) MS116. Addition of Mn^2 +–Fe^3 + combinations within the same concentration range had no effects on growth compared to control (without heavy metals). ATPase activity was increased in the presence of Mn^2 +–Fe^3 +, while together with 0.2 mmol/L N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), ATPase activity was decreased compared to control (when only 0.2 mmol/L DCCD was present). These results indicate that heavy metals ion combinations probably affect the F_OF₁-ATPase, leading to conformational changes. Moreover the action may be direct or be mediated by environment redox potential. The effects observed when Fe^3 + was added separately disappeared in both cases, which might be a result of competing processes between Fe^3 + and other heavy metals. These findings are novel and improve the understanding of heavy metals ions effects on bacteria, and could be applied for regulation of stress response patterns in the environment.     

Predicted no-effect concentrations for mercury species and ecological risk assessment for mercury pollution in aquatic environment

Mercury(Hg) exists in different chemical forms presenting varied toxic potentials. It is necessary to explore an ecological risk assessment method for different mercury species in aquatic environment. The predicted no-effect concentrations(PNECs) for Hg(Ⅱ) and methyl mercury(Me Hg) in the aqueous phase, calculated using the species sensitivity distribution method and the assessment factor method, were 0.39 and 6.5 × 10-3μg/L, respectively. The partition theory of Hg between sediment and aqueous phases was considered, along with PNECs for the aqueous phase to conduct an ecological risk assessment for Hg in the sediment phase. Two case studies, one in China and one in the Western Black Sea, were conducted using these PNECs. The toxicity of mercury is heavily dependent on their forms,and their potential ecological risk should be respectively evaluated on the basis of mercury species.     

Cu(Ⅱ), Fe(Ⅲ) and Mn(Ⅱ) combinations as environmental stress factors have distinguishing effects on Enterococcus hirae

Pollution by various heavy metals as environmental stress factors might affect bacteria. It was established that iron(Fe(Ⅲ)), manganese(Mn(Ⅱ)) and copper(Cu(Ⅱ)) ion combinations caused effects on Enterococcus hirae that differed from the sum of the effects when the metals were added separately. It was shown that the Cu2+–Fe3+combination decreased the growth and ATPase activity of membrane vesicles of wild-type E. hirae ATCC9790 and atp D mutant(with defective FoF1-ATPase) MS116. Addition of Mn2+–Fe3+combinations within the same concentration range had no effects on growth compared to control(without heavy metals). ATPase activity was increased in the presence of Mn2+–Fe3+, while together with0.2 mmol/L N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide(DCCD), ATPase activity was decreased compared to control(when only 0.2 mmol/L DCCD was present). These results indicate that heavy metals ion combinations probably affect the FOF1-ATPase, leading to conformational changes. Moreover the action may be direct or be mediated by environment redox potential.The effects observed when Fe3+was added separately disappeared in both cases, which might be a result of competing processes between Fe3+and other heavy metals. These findings are novel and improve the understanding of heavy metals ions effects on bacteria,and could be applied for regulation of stress response patterns in the environment.     

New insights into disruption of iron homeostasis by environmental pollutants

Among the numerous health conditions environmental pollutants can cause, chronic exposure to pollutants including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals has been shown to disturb a specific biological homeostatic process, the iron metabolism in human body. Disorders of iron metabolism are among the common diseases of humans and encompass a broad spectrum of diseases with different clinical manifestations, ranging from anemia to iron overload, and possibly to neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hepcidin–ferroportin (FPN) signaling is one of the key mechanisms responsible for iron supply, utilization, recycling, and storage, and recent studies demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants including POPs and heavy metals could lead to disruption of the hepcidin–FPN axis along with disordered systemic iron homeostasis and diseases. This article introduces and highlights the accompanying review article by Drs. Xu and Liu in this journal, which elaborates in detail the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on iron metabolism, and the mechanisms responsible for these toxicological outcomes. It also points out the knowledge gaps still existing in this subject matter. Research that will fill these gaps will improve our understanding of the issue and provide useful information to prevent or treat diseases induced by environmental pollutants.