Simultaneous size characterization and mass quantification of the in vivo core-biocorona structure and dissolved species of silver nanoparticles

Size characterization of silver nanoparticles with biomolecule corona(AgNP@BCs) and mass quantification of various silver species in organisms are essential for understanding the in vivo transformation of Ag NPs. Herein, we report a versatile method that allows simultaneous determination of the size of AgNP@BCs and mass concentration of various silver species in rat liver. Both particulate and ionic silver were extracted in their original forms from the organs by alkaline digestion, and analyzed by size exclusion chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(SEC-ICP-MS). While the silver mass concentrations were quantified by ICP-MS with a detection limit of 0.1 μg/g, the effective diameter of AgNP@BCs was determined based on the retention time in SEC separation with size discrimination of 0.6-3.3 nm. More importantly, we found that the BC thickness of AgNP@BCs is core size independent, and a linear correlation was found between the effective diameter and core diameter of AgNP@BCs in extracted tissues, which was used to calibrate the core diameter with standard deviations in the range of 0.2-1.1 nm. The utility of this strategy was demonstrated through application to rat livers in vivo. Our method is powerful for investigating the transformation mechanism of Ag NPs in vivo.     

Chemical characterization of fine and ultrafine PM, direct and indirect genotoxicity of PM and their organic extracts on pulmonary cells

Particulate matter in ambient air constitutes a complex mixture of fine and ultrafine particles composed of various chemical compounds including metals, ions, and organics. A multidisciplinary approach was developed by studying physico-chemical characteristics and mechanisms involved in the toxicity of particulate atmospheric pollution. PM_(0.3–2.5) and PM_(2.5) including ultrafine particles were sampled in Dunkerque, a French industrialized seaside city. PM samples were characterized from a chemical and toxicological point of view. Physicochemical characterization evidenced that PM_(2.5) comes from several sources: natural ones, such as soil resuspension and marine sea-salt emissions, as well as anthropogenic ones, such as shipping traffic, road traffic, and industrial activities. Human BEAS-2 B lung cells were exposed to PM_(0.3–2.5), or to the Extractable Organic Matter(EOM) of PM_(0.3–2.5) and PM_(2.5). These exposures induced several mechanisms of action implied in the genotoxicity, such as oxidative DNA adducts and DNA Damage Response. The toxicity of PM-EOM was higher for the sample including the ultrafine fraction(PM_(2.5)) containing also higher concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These results evidenced the major role of organic compounds in the toxicity of PM.     

气候环境实验室降/扬雪环境表征方法分析

针对国内目前尚未开展过民机整机级实验室降/扬雪试验、对适航关注的降/扬雪环境参数不明确等问题,分析了气候环境实验室降/扬雪环境表征方法。首先从与降/扬雪相关的气象标准、环境试验标准、适航符合性验证方法和国外民机相关试验资料这四个方面着手收集了与降/扬雪环境相关的文献,分析提炼出了10个可对降/扬雪环境进行表征的方法。然后以民机降/扬雪环境下的适航符合性验证要求为基础,结合上述提炼出的10个表征方法,分析确定采用温度、能见度、总含水量、风速和雪密度对气候环境实验室降/扬雪环境进行表征,研究得到的降/扬雪环境表征方法可为将来在气候环境实验室内开展民机降/扬雪试验提供参考。     

A Landscape Approach for Detecting and Evaluating Change in a Semi-Arid Environment

Vegetation change in the American West has been a subject of concern throughout the twentieth century. Although many of the changes have been recorded qualitatively through the use of comparative photography and historical reports, little quantitative information has been available on the regional or watershed scale. It is currently possible to measure change over large areas and determine trends in ecological and hydrological condition using advanced space-based technologies. Specifically, this process is being tested in a community-based watershed in southeast Arizona and northeast Sonora, Mexico using a system of landscape pattern measurements derived from satellite remote sensing, spatial statistics, process modeling, and geographic information systems technology. These technologies provide the basis for developing landscape composition and pattern indicators as sensitive measures of large-scale environmental change and thus may provide an effective and economical method for evaluating watershed condition related to disturbance from human and natural stresses. The project utilizes the database from the North American Landscape Characterization (NALC) project which incorporates triplicate Landsat Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) imagery from the early 1970s, mid 1980s, and the 1990s. Landscape composition and pattern metrics have been generated from digital land cover maps derived from the NALC images and compared across a nearly 20-year period. Results about changes in land cover for the study period indicate that extensive, highly connected grassland and desertscrub areas are the most vulnerable ecosystems to fragmentation and actual loss due to encroachment of xerophytic mesquite woodland. In the study period, grasslands and desertscrub not only decreased in extent but also became more fragmented. That is, the number of grassland and desertscrub patches increased and their average patch sizes decreased. In stark contrast, the mesquite woodland patches increased in size, number, and connectivity. These changes have important impact for the hydrology of the region, since the energy and water balance characteristics for these cover types are significantly different. The process demonstrates a simple procedure to document changes and determine ecosystem vulnerabilities through the use of change detection and indicator development, especially in regard to traditional degradation processes that have occurred throughout the western rangelands involving changes of vegetative cover and acceleration of water and wind erosion.     

区域环境风险评价与风险管理及其在工程项目上的应用

论述区域环境风险评价的发展趋势，评价内容，程序和方法，探讨区域环境风险评价和风险管理的相互关系，给出岷江紫坪铺水库库区应用实例。     

Certainties and uncertainties of land cover statistics in China

Vegetation or land cover maps have been made directly or indirectly available for the entire territory of China. The certainties and uncertainties d land cover statistics were analyzed by comparing three data sources: China‘ s Vegetation Map, IGPB DISCover, and University of Maryland Product. Great similarities in the statistics of 7 aggregated land cover types were found among the three data sources, particularly between the two global land cover maps. The per-pixel agreement between any 2 of 3 maps was between 38.0%--51.4% ; the per-pixel agreement among all three maps was only 27.1%. Certainties were found in regions where vegetation types are typical and human land use practice is relatively homogenous; the uncertainties occurred to either vegetation transition zones or regions where land cover types and land use practice are relatively diversified. Systematic and multidisciplinacy efforts are necessary to promote accurate mapping of nationwide land cover types in China. Intensive efforts should be made in regions where uncertainties of land cover information are found.     

Dissolved metal ion removal by online hollow fiber ultrafiltration for enhanced size characterization of metal-containing nanoparticles with single-particle ICP-MS

Single particle-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) is a powerful tool for size-characterization of metal-containing nanoparticles (MCNs) at environmentally relevant concentrations, however, coexisting dissolved metal ions greatly interfere with the accuracy of particle size analysis. The purpose of this study is to develop an online technique that couples hollow fiber ultrafiltration (HFUF) with SP-ICP-MS to improve the accuracy and size detection limit of MCNs by removing metal ions from suspensions of MCNs. Through systematic optimization of conditions including the type and concentration of surfactant and complexing agent, carrier pH, and ion cleaning time, HFUF completely removes metal ions but retains the MCNs in suspension. The optimal conditions include using a mixture of 0.05 vol.% FL-70 and 0.5 mmol/L Na₂S₂O₃ (pH = 8.0) as the carrier and 4 min as the ion cleaning time. At these conditions, HFUF-SP-ICP-MS accurately determines the sizes of MCNs, and the results agree with the size distribution determined by transmission electron microscopy, even when metal ions also are present in the sample. In addition, reducing the ionic background through HFUF also lowers the particle size detection limit with SP-ICP-MS (e.g., from 28.3 to 14.2 nm for gold nanoparticles). This size-based ion-removal principle provided by HFUF is suitable for both cations (e.g., Ag⁺) and anions (e.g., AuCl₄⁻) and thus has good versatility compared to ion exchange purification and promising prospects for the removal of salts and macromolecules before single particle analysis.     

城市生活垃圾焚烧炉渣的性质及其环境影响评价

通过对上海市江桥生活垃圾焚烧发电厂的炉渣性质分析,测定其气味分子为喹啉基及异硫氰基衍生物,炉渣的镉、锌、镍等3种重金属含量分别为8.0,2 432.9,216.7 mg/kg,不能达到国家土壤环境质量标准,其重金属溶出浓度不能达到国家地表水环境质量标准;据此对炉渣进行环境影响评价,并分析了炉渣资源化的可行性。     

小麦内切多聚半乳糖醛酸酶抑制蛋白的部分性质研究

报导了小麦ＰＧＩＰ的部分性质，小麦ＰＧＩＰ是一种糖蛋白，含糖量６．８９％，对热不稳定，等电点为９．１和９．４，它抑制ｅｎｄｏ－ＰＧ的最适ｇＨ是４．０￣５．５，测定了ＰＧＩＰ亚基的氨基酸组成，ｐＨ、离子强度和温度对ＰＧＩＰ活性的影响。     

油田土壤中脱除有机硫菌株的分离与鉴定

从中原油田采集的土壤样品中分离得到有脱除有机硫(二苯并噻吩)能力的菌株ZYX。该菌株为革兰氏染色阳性,无运动性,专性需氧,固体培养基上菌落为浅黄色、圆形、湿润、有光泽、边缘整齐,培养2d后平均直径为1.5mm,在液体培养基中有明显的杆-球状生长周期。对该菌株的16SrDNA的全序列测序,并进行DNA同源性分析,发现它与与Arthrobactersp.P2的同源性为99.53%,其主要形态及生理生化特征也与Arthrobacter属相符。实验表明,最佳生长所需的DBT浓度是0.01g·L-1,最适pH值为7.0,最佳碳源和氮源分别为甘油和谷氨酰氨。