Nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2)-induced changes affecting Cu2+-mediated alterations in bacterium Bacillus subtilis and α-amylase

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles possess the potential to coexist with Copper (Cu²⁺) in soil. The individual and combined toxicity of these two chemicals was evaluated using the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, a known soil model bacterium. Cu²⁺ (6.25–50?µg?mL^?1) alone produced toxicity to bacteria as evidenced by the decreased cell viability and deceased α-amylase production. The addition of TiO₂ (50?mg?mL^?1) enhanced the Cu²⁺-induced decrease in cell viability but elevated amylase activity. TiO₂ did not markedly affect the growth rate and lag period. A primary cause of TiO₂ increasing Cu²⁺ toxicity is presumed to be associated with hydroxyl radical formation, while increased amylase activity is considered to arise from Cu²⁺ facilitating TiO₂ degradation ability.     

Effects of three different nanoparticles on bioaccumulation,oxidative stress,osmoregulatory, and immune responses of Carcinus aestuarii

Abstract

In this study, the toxicity of CuO (40?nm), α-Al₂O₃ (40?nm), and α-Fe₂O₃ (20–40?nm) nanoparticles was comparatively investigated on Carcinus aestuarii. Crabs were semi-statically exposed to 1?mg/L of each for 14?days and their accumulation and distribution in tissue and hemolymph, potential oxidative stress mechanism, total hemocyte counts and types, and the osmoregulatory and ionoregulatory responses were determined. The tissue distribution of CuO nanoparticles was hepatopancreas?>?hemolymph?≥?gill?> muscle, for α-Fe₂O₃ gill?>?hepatopancreas?>?muscle?> hemolymph, and for α-Al₂O₃ gill?>?muscle?≥?hemolymph?> hepatopancreas. While α-Al₂O₃ and α-Fe₂O₃ NPs, induced lipid peroxidation and changes in antioxidant enzyme activity in the hepatopancreas tissue, the oxidative damage caused by the CuO nanoparticles was minimal. All three nanoparticles, copper in particular, elicit osmoregulatory and ionoregulatory toxicity at this concentration, due to the inhibition of Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase activity in the gill and depletion of hemolymph and carcass ion concentrations.     

焦化厂多环芳烃污染场地的环境评价实证研究

通过实地调查某焦化厂污染场地污染现状,结果表明：该场地土壤和地下水以多环芳烃（PAHs）有机类污染为主,土壤中苯并（仅）芘和多环芳烃污染以1．5m以内表层土污染为主,随着深度的增加浓度逐渐降低,弱透水层表现出良好的阻隔作用。沿着地下水流动方向,地下水中多环芳烃浓度逐渐降低,经过约400m的迁移,由17296μg／L降至111μg/L;苯并（α）芘经过200m的迁移,由18．3μg／L降至0,地下水流动导致污染物在包气带横向扩散。1号孔、3号孔和4号孔所在地表层土壤中苯并（α）芘的单个污染物的致癌风险分别为0．0278、0．0209和1．496,远远超出可接受水平,因此上述孔位所在地附近表层土壤需重点治理。     

栉孔扇贝内参基因稳定性研究

合适的内参基因对准确定量目标基因表达水平非常重要。利用实时定量聚合酶链式反应(RT-qPCR)分析了不同发育阶段和雌激素暴露条件下栉孔扇贝性腺组织中β-actin、β-TUB、EF-lα、18SrRNA和GAPDH5个内参基因的表达水平,并利用RefFinder软件对其表达稳定性进行了分析。结果表明:在所考察的内参基因中,EF-lα在栉孔扇贝不同发育阶段和雌激素暴露下的表达均最为稳定,可作为定量目标基因表达水平的内参基因之一。     

用于有机磷农药残留检测酯酶的筛选

利用农药对酯酶活力的抑制反应,测定了不同浓度的敌敌畏对游离的不同动物肝脏酯酶的酶活性。实验采用从动物肝脏中提取的粗酶液在水解后与显色剂固兰B盐作用,用分光光度计测定其在595nm处的吸光度。结果表明,猪肝中α-乙酸萘酯酶(α-NA Esterase)的活力较高,且对较低浓度的敌敌畏也有较好的灵敏度。鸡肝和鸭肝α-乙酸萘酯酶对敌敌畏浓度变化不是很明显。     

Biodegradation of 2-naphthol and its metabolites by coupling Aspergillus niger with Bacillus subtilis

To explore biodegradation of 2-naphthol and its metabolites accumulated in wastewater treatment, a series of bio-degradation experiments were conducted. Two main metabolites of 2-naphthol, 1,2-naphthalene-diol and 1,2-naphthoquinone, were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography with standards. Combining fungus Aspergillus niger with bacterium Bacillus subtilis in the treatment enhanced 2-naphthol degradation e ciency, lowered the accumulation of the two toxic metabolites. There were two main phases during the degradation process by the kinetic analysis: 2-naphthol was first partly degraded by the fungus, producing labile and easily accumulated metabolites, and then the metabolites were mainly degraded by the bacterium, attested by the degradation processes of 1,2-naphthalene-diol and 1,2-naphthoquinone as sole source of carbon and energy. Sodium succinate, as a co-metabolic substrate, was the most suitable compound for the continuous degradation. The optimum concentration of 2-naphthol was 50 mg/L. The overall 2-naphthol degradation rate was 92%, and the CODCr removal rate was 80% on day 10. These results indicated that high degradation rate of 2-naphthol should not be considered as the sole desirable criterion for the bioremediation of 2-naphtholcontaminated soils/wastewater.     

Elevated atmospheric CO2 and drought effects on leaf gas exchange properties of barley

Atmospheric CO₂ concentration (C_a) is rising, predicted to cause global warming, and alter precipitation patterns. During 1994, spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Alexis) was grown in a strip-split-plot experimental design to determine the effects that the main plot C_a treatments [A: Ambient at 370 μmol (CO₂) mol⁻¹; E: Enriched with free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) at ∼550 μmol (CO₂) mol⁻¹] had on several gas exchange properties of fully expanded sunlit primary leaves. The interacting strip-split-plot irrigation treatments were Dry or Wet [50% (D) or 100% (W) replacement of potential evapotranspiration] at ample nitrogen (261 kg N ha⁻¹) and phosphorous (29 kg P ha⁻¹) fertility. Elevated C_a facilitated drought avoidance by reducing stomatal conductance (g_s) by 34% that conserved water and enabled stomata to remain open for a longer period into a drought. This resulted in a 28% reduction in drought-induced midafternoon depression in net assimilation rate (A). Elevated C_a increased A by 37% under Dry and 23% under Wet. Any reduction in A under Wet conditions occurred because of nonstomatal limitations, whereas under Dry it occurred because of stomatal limitations. Elevated C_a increased the diurnal integral of A (A′) that resulted in an increase in the seasonal-long integral of A′ (A″) for barley leaves by 12% (P = 0.14) under both Dry and Wet - 650, 730, 905 and 1020 ± 65 g (C) m⁻² y⁻¹ for AD, ED, AW and EW treatments, respectively. Elevated C_a increased season-long average dry weight (DW_S; crown, shoots) by 14% (P = 0.02), whereas deficit irrigation reduced DW_S by 7% (P = 0.06), although these values may have been affected by a short but severe pea aphid [Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)] infestation. Hence, an elevated-C_a-based improvement in gas exchange properties enhanced growth of a barley crop.