Protonated acetone ion chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry for real-time measurement of atmospheric ammonia

Ammonia (NH₃) is ubiquitous in the atmosphere, it can affect the formation of secondary aerosols and particulate matter, and cause soil eutrophication through sedimentation. Currently, the use of radioactive primary reagent ion source and the humidity interference on the sensitivity and stability are the two major issues faced by chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) in the analysis of atmospheric ammonia. In this work, a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) Kr lamp was used to replace the radioactive source, and acetone was ionized under atmospheric pressure to obtain protonated acetone reagent ions to ionize ammonia. The ionization source is designed as a separated three-zone structure, and even 90 vol.% high-humidity samples can still be directly analyzed with a sensitivity of sub-ppbv. A signal normalization processing method was designed, and with this new method, the quantitative relative standard deviation (RSD) of the instrument was decreased from 17.5% to 9.1%, and the coefficient of determination was increased from 0.8340 to 0.9856. The humidity correction parameters of the instrument were calculated from different humidity, and the ammonia concentrations obtained under different humidity were converted to its concentration under zero humidity condition with these correction parameters. The analytical time for a single sample is only 60 sec, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 8.59 pptv (signal-to-noise ratio S/N = 3). The ambient measurement made in Qingdao, China, in January 2021 with this newly designed CIMS, showed that the concentration of ammonia ranged from 1 to 130 ppbv.     

Determining heavy metals in spent compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and their waste management challenges: Some strategies for improving current conditions

From environmental viewpoint, the most important advantage of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is reduction of green house gas emissions. But their significant disadvantage is disposal of spent lamps because of containing a few milligrams of toxic metals, especially mercury and lead. For a successful implementation of any waste management plan, availability of sufficient and accurate information on quantities and compositions of the generated waste and current management conditions is a fundamental prerequisite. In this study, CFLs were selected among 20 different brands in Iran. Content of heavy metals including mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic and chromium was determined by inductive coupled plasma (ICP). Two cities, Tehran and Tabriz, were selected for assessing the current waste management condition of CFLs. The study found that waste generation amount of CFLs in the country was about 159.80, 183.82 and 153.75 million per year in 2010, 2011 and 2012, respectively. Waste generation rate of CFLs in Iran was determined to be 2.05 per person in 2012. The average amount of mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic and chromium was 0.417, 2.33, 0.064, 0.056 and 0.012 mg per lamp, respectively. Currently, waste of CFLs is disposed by municipal waste stream in waste landfills. For improving the current conditions, we propose by considering the successful experience of extended producer responsibility (EPR) in other electronic waste management. The EPR program with advanced recycling fee (ARF) is implemented for collecting and then recycling CFLs. For encouraging consumers to take the spent CFLs back at the end of the products’ useful life, a proportion of ARF (for example, 50%) can be refunded. On the other hand, the government and Environmental Protection Agency should support and encourage recycling companies of CFLs both technically and financially in the first place.     

中国粮食支持政策该向何处去?--来自商品储备模型量化政策评估的证据

粮食安全是社会稳定、经济发展和国家安全的重要基础,粮食支持政策是粮食安全国家战略的核心抓手。过去以托市收储为主要特征的粮食支持政策曾经有效提高了农民种粮积极性和粮食供应能力,但国内市场矛盾累积和多边贸易争端加剧将托市收储推到改革关口。在改革窗口期,跳出国内研究以经验判断、逻辑推演的传统,采用国际农业政策分析中普遍使用的量化评估方法,精确考察和预测粮食支持手段的政策效应,具有迫切必要性、理论和现实意义。基于此,借鉴Wright&William经典商品储备模型(Commodity Storage Model)分析框架,构建一个考虑社会福利动态最优的小麦市场模型,对调低托市价格/取消托市、实行生产者补贴、“托市+生产者补贴”双层政策和补贴私人储备四种改革措施进行了数值优化和模拟分析,从市场稳定、农民保护、粮食安全、财政成本和黄箱限制五维评价指标,详细刻画不同改革措施的改革效果和政策空间后发现:①取消托市、降低托市价格和补贴生产者均会不同程度冲击市场稳定、农民收益和粮食安全。②“托市+生产者补贴”能够以黄箱限制内的成本达到可观的增产增收效果,私人储备补贴高效率与低效果并存。③托市政策具有优良的稳市效果,双层政策则在产量、收入支撑上效果突出。这意味着不应贸然取消托市,改革取向也不应囿于非此即彼式的政策抉择,而应建立多层次粮食支持体系,收缩托市范围并将其后置,增加生产者补贴力度,适度引入私人民间收储以强化效果、降低成本、培育市场,从而在粮食安全保障能力不削弱的前提下,进一步释放市场活力、降低多边贸易争端风险。     

不同氨氮填加量下沉水植物对沉积物DOM荧光特性的影响

采用三维荧光光谱技术,模拟研究了不同氨氮添加量(0,100,200和400 mg/kg)下沉水植物对湖泊沉积物DOM(溶解性有机质)荧光特性的影响.结果表明:不同氨氮添加量下,沉水植物的存在明显增强沉积物DOM荧光强度,其中对类蛋白质和类氨基酸组分荧光强度影响较大(荧光强度分别增大了20%～77%和27%～56%);而对类腐殖酸和类富里酸组分影响相对较小(荧光强度分别增大了5%～25%和21%～29%). 添加氨氮可增强沉水植物对沉积物DOM荧光强度影响的程度,当添加量为100 mg/kg时,沉水植物生长最旺盛,沉积物DOM中类蛋白质和类氨基酸组分荧光强度增幅最大(分别约77%和56%);即外源氨氮通过增加沉积物蛋白质和氨基酸含量增强了沉积物有机氮的生物有效性;而在其他添加量下,DOM各荧光组分强度增幅不大,即适当添加外源氨氮,可通过促进沉水植物生长增加沉积物中蛋白质和氨基酸等含量,从而提高沉积物有机氮的生物有效性.      

钻井液及其组分对中肋骨条藻的毒性效应（Toxic Effects of Water-Based Drilling Fluid and Its Components on Skeletonema costatum）

为探讨钻井液及其组分的毒性效应,采用荧光技术研究了一种水基钻井液WBF及其7种主要组分(HXJ、PAC141、KPAM、PolyAL、XC、PolyA、Mud)对海洋微藻中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)的毒性作用,以未加入WBF或其组分的中肋骨条藻的叶绿素荧光强度为参照,计算得到钻井液及其组分对中肋骨条藻不同时间的EC50值.结果表明:WBF的7种单组分中,PolyA对中肋骨条藻的96h EC50=2×103mg·L-1,为有毒组分,PolyAL的96h EC50=3×104mg·L-1,为低毒组分,其余5种组分无毒;WBF的有毒和低毒组分复配时其毒性与作用时间有关,PolyA与PolyAL在24h之内表现为协同作用,之后主要表现为拮抗作用;WBF的毒性主要取决于其有毒组分,而低毒和无毒组分对钻井液的毒性有协同增强作用.     

神经网络法应用于酚类化合物对青海弧菌毒性的预测

青海弧菌对有毒酚类化合物具有强烈的敏感性,为建立酚类衍生物对青海弧菌毒性的定量结构-活性相关性(QSAR)模型,分析了16种酚类衍生物的分子结构与对青海弧菌毒性之间的相关关系,计算了酚类衍生物的分子连接性指数和分子形状指数,并优化筛选了分子连接性指数的1阶路径指数(~1χ)和分子形状指数的2阶特征指数(K_2)及1阶和2阶指数乘积值(K_4),用这3种指数与对青海弧菌的毒性进行多元回归分析,多元回归方程的决定系数R~2=0.971。为进一步提高预测精度,将这3种分子结构参数作为神经网络的输入变量,毒性值作为输出变量,采用3:2:1的网络结构,通过反向传播(BP)神经网络法获得满意的QSAR预测模型,总的相关系数r为0.996,计算得到的毒性预测值与实验值较为吻合,平均相对误差仅为1.98%,结果表明该模型具有良好的预测酚类衍生物毒性的能力,可以看出神经网络方法对酚类化合物发光菌毒性预测比多元线性回归方法的统计学意义更加明显。     

MUCT短程硝化和反硝化除磷系统中Candidatus Accu- mulibacter的代谢活性和菌群结构

采用实现亚硝酸型硝化的MUCT工艺处理低C/N实际生活污水,在短程硝化的基础上实现反硝化除磷.研究短程硝化建立与破坏过程中,亚硝酸盐积累率的变化对系统除磷性能及Candidatus Accumulibacter菌群结构的影响.结果表明:MUCT除磷以反硝化除磷为主,平均反硝化除磷率高达88%.磷去除率与亚硝酸盐积累率具有很好的正相关性.短程硝化阶段磷的平均去除率比全程硝化阶段高30%以上,证明了亚硝酸盐更适合作为低C/N比污水反硝化除磷的电子受体.以多聚磷酸盐激酶基因(ppk1)作为遗传标记,采用实时荧光定量PCR方法考察不同亚硝酸盐积累率下Accumulibacter的丰度、各主要进化分支的菌群结构和相对丰度.当系统处于全程硝化状态时,存在少量以硝酸盐为电子受体的Acc-I型反硝化聚磷菌,低于总Accumulibacter的5%;当系统进入短程硝化状态后,Acc-I逐渐消失.运行期间以亚硝酸盐作为电子受体进行反硝化除磷的Acc-IID始终是优势聚磷菌,达到总Accumulibacter的92%以上,甚至接近100%,保证了亚硝酸型反硝化除磷的稳定运行,亚硝酸盐浓度是影响其丰度变化的重要因素.     

温榆河中硝化和反硝化基因的Real-time PCR定量

以温榆河为研究对象,采用real-time PCR研究了温榆河不同断面水样和沉积物样品中TB(总细菌)、硝化和反硝化(nosZ和narG)基因数量的变化. 水样中TB基因数量在丰水期为1.05×109~7.38×1011 copies/L,枯水期为1.06×109~2.69×1012 copies/L;氨氧化细菌(AOB)基因数量在丰水期和枯水期分别为nd(未检出)~4.11×108和nd~1.15×109 copies/L. nosZ和narG基因数量在丰水期分别为nd~2.37×108和3.61×108~1.13×1010 copies/L,枯水期分别为2.0×106~3.04×109和nd~1.39×1010copies/L. 枯水期沉积物样品中TB基因数量为1.35×109~7.32×1010 copies/g,nosZ基因数量为nd~1.06×107 copies/g,narG基因数量为1.99×107~1.02×108 copies/g. 枯水期TB基因数量略高于丰水期,枯水期水样中ρ(NH₄+-N)较高导致其AOB基因数量要远高于丰水期,nosZ和narG基因数量并没有明显的水期变化. 相关分析表明,沉积物样品中微生物基因数量与水样中微生物基因数量不相关,而是水质变化长期作用的结果. 冗余度分析表明,丰水期和枯水期水样中影响微生物基因数量的主要环境因子不同,丰水期微生物基因数量是温度、ρ(COD_Cr)、ρ(NH₄+-N)、ρ(NO₂--N)、ρ(NO₃--N)等共同作用的结果,而温度和ρ(COD_Cr)对枯水期微生物基因数量影响显著.      

Human serum paraoxonase gene polymorphisms and association with chronic symptoms of pesticide toxicity in Indian farmers

The association between PON1 (serum paraoxonase) genotype and symptoms of pesticide toxicity was examined in a total of 268 farm workers in Andhra Pradesh, India. Approximately 140 of the farm workers who did not report at least two of the symptoms of chronic toxicity, such as abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, fatigue, tremors of fingers, numbness, or limb weakness were categorized as controls. The remaining 128 farmers showed 2 or more of the above symptoms. All the farm workers were genotyped for polymorphisms of PON1 gene at amino acid positions 55 (exon 3) and 192 (exon 6). A decrease in the percentage of high-activity genotypes at both L55M and Q192R was observed in the farm workers reporting symptoms of pesticide toxicity. When combined genotype distribution at both exons was analyzed, a marked increase in the percentage of low-activity genotypes LLQQ, LMQQ, MMQQ, and MMQR was also observed in symptomatic farmers compared to controls. Age, working years, smoking, duration of exposure, and alcoholism were not statistically significant when compared to symptoms of chronic toxicity. Our findings suggest that L55M and Q192R gene polymorphisms influence the variable susceptibility of farmers to pesticide; and thus may be considered a useful biomarker of genetic susceptibility in assessing an individual's risk of pesticide exposures.