EuroBionet: a pan-European biomonitoring network for urban air quality assessment

EuroBionet, the 'European Network for the Assessment of Air Quality by the Use of Bioindicator Plants', is an EU-funded cooperative project currently consisting of public authorities and scientific institutes from 12 cities in 8 countries. In 2000, the bioindicator plants tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum Bel W3), poplar (Populus nigra 'Brandaris'), spiderwort (Tradescantia sp. clone 4430), Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum italicum) and curly kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) were exposed to ambient air at 90 monitoring sites according to standardised methods. Visible injuries and growth parameters were assessed and the accumulation of toxic substances in leaves determined. The exposure of tobacco resulted in a gradient with low levels of ozone-induced foliar injury in N and NW Europe, and medium to high values in the southern and central regions. The results of heavy metal and sulphur analyses in rye grass samples generally showed low to very low sulphur and low to medium heavy metal concentrations in leaves. In some cities, however, local hot spots of heavy metal contamination were detected. Analyses of the PAH contents in curly kale leaves gave low to medium values, with locally elevated levels at traffic-exposed sites.     

施用生物炭对土壤Cd形态转化及烤烟吸收Cd的影响

采用盆栽试验模拟Cd污染土壤,研究施用烟秆炭(0、10、20 g·kg~(-1))对土壤pH、有机质含量、土壤Cd形态分布及烤烟Cd含量和Cd累积量的影响.结果表明:随着生育期的延长,土壤pH和有机质含量均呈现升高的趋势.在同一Cd污染水平下,土壤pH和有机质含量均随生物炭施用量的增加而升高.随生物炭施用量的增加,土壤有效态Cd和可交换态Cd含量显著降低,土壤碳酸盐结合态Cd、铁锰氧化物结合态Cd、有机结合态Cd和残渣态Cd含量升高.移栽后30 d,处理G2T2和G2T1的土壤有效态Cd含量的降幅分别达到45.59%和24.56%.外源添加Cd的土壤中,土壤pH和有机质含量均与土壤有效态Cd和可交换态Cd含量呈显著负相关关系(p0.01),与土壤碳酸盐结合态Cd、铁锰氧化物结合态Cd和有机结合态Cd含量呈显著正相关关系(p0.01).在Cd污染土壤上,施用生物炭能明显降低烟株各部位Cd含量,烟株各部位干物质积累量随生物炭施用量的增加显著升高,烟株各部位Cd累积量和总Cd累积量随生物炭施用量的增加呈降低的趋势.由此说明,在Cd污染的土壤上施用生物炭能够使土壤中可被植物吸收利用的有效态Cd转化为潜在的无效态Cd,从而达到修复土壤并减轻作物受Cd毒害的目的.     

模拟酸雨对烤烟叶片光合特性和叶绿素荧光参数的影响

以烤烟为供试材料,采用土培盆栽的方法研究了不同pH值的模拟酸雨(pH5.6、pH4.5、pH4.0、pH3.5、pH3.0、pH2.5、pH2.0)对烤烟叶片叶绿素含量、气体交换和叶绿素荧光参数的影响.结果表明:pH≥3.5处理的轻度酸雨对烤烟Chl.a含量影响不大,但pH≤3.5处理烤烟叶片Chl.b和总叶绿素含量显著下降.pH≤2.5模拟酸雨使烤烟叶片净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Ls)、胞间CO2浓度(Ci)、叶面饱和蒸气压力亏缺(VPD)显著降低,使烤烟叶片的气孔限制值(Ls)和潜在水分利用效率(WUEi)显著升高,模拟酸雨使pH2.0处理烤烟叶片的蒸腾速率(Tr)和pH2.5处理的瞬时水分利用效率(WUE)显著降低.pH≥3.5处理的光合有效量子产量(EQY)、光合电子传递速率(ETR)和光化学猝灭(qP)与对照差异不大,但pH≤3.0处理明显降低;烤烟叶片的非光化学猝灭呈先升高后降低趋势,pH≥3.5处理的非光化学猝灭(NPQ)明显高于pH≤3.0处理.     

Study of sorptive properties of trap systems for selective enrichment of volatile organic compounds from tobacco smoke samples

There is a dearth of data on the consumer product concentrations of iron, lead, and nickel for accurate comparison to be made. The levels of these elements were determined in 85 samples of six different classes of personal care products commonly used in Nigeria using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results of the analysis showed that the range of the mean concentrations of Fe was 0.485–1.108 ppm, Pb ND–0.163 ppm, and Ni ND-0.160 ppm. The analytical data have demonstrated that the selected consumer products are possible sources of iron, lead, and nickel exposure. Users can be exposed to these metals directly through dermal contact or inhalation. The regulations relating to cosmetic products give no limit values for heavy metals in cosmetic products, hence, it was difficult to establish if the values obtained in this study are safe or not. Prolonged use of soaps, creams, and detergent containing these elements may pose threat to human health and the environment. This could be responsible for various skin diseases such as allergic skin, follicular and pigmentary disorders, which are common among the users (exposed groups) of these products in Nigeria. A body of evidence has presented a rare example of systemic allergic dermatitis caused by topical application of a mercury-containing cosmetic to the upper lip of a 32-year-old Turkish patient.     

Determination of natural and artificial radionuclide materials in the Ma’assel used in hubbly-bubbly (Shisha) in Jordan

In the last decade the habit of smoking the hubbly-bubbly has increased sharply in many regions, including Europe, North America and Australia. Jordan is considered as having one of the highest consumptions of hubbly-bubbly in the world with respect to the general population. Our investigation was initiated due to the increasing trend of cancer cases in the last 10 years. The aim of this study was to determine the radioactive content in tobacco products available in the Jordanian market together with the related supplies. This study showed that all 13 samples investigated contained one or more radionuclides, from ²¹⁰Pb, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸U, and ²²⁶Ra. Most of the samples contained natural potassium ⁴⁰K and uranium ²³⁸U, lead ²¹⁰Pb was found in three samples, while radium ²²⁶Ra was present only in one sample. Five samples contained the anthropogenic ¹³⁷Cs. The estimated daily intake of U was found in the range between 4.4 and 115.8?µg per day (0.05–1.43 Becquerel (Bq) per day ²³⁸U), with geometric mean of 17.3?µg per day (0.2?Bq per day ²³⁸U). The geometric mean of U daily intake found represents 25% of the reference dose (RfD) value, where the highest determined U content represents 165% of the RfD value. This study demonstrated that a water vessel of hubbly-bubbly trapped less than 1.5% of the total U in Ma’assel samples. It is misleading to the public to indicate that a water vessel serves as an active filter for toxic and radiotoxic elements.     

Indoor air pollution: A review∗

Relationships between toxicities of substituted aromatic hydrocarbons to Daphnia magna and to Fathead minnows or Photobacterium phosphoreum were studied based on structure‐activity equations we established. Good relationships between toxicities of chemicals to Daphnia magna and to Fathead minnows, Photobacterium phosphoreum were found for a wide range of chemicals. The toxicity data of fish can be predicted by the toxicity data of Daphnia magna or Photobacterium phosphoreum. It is probable that the toxicities of chemicals to the three organisms are similar.     

烟叶的燃烧和着火特性的研究

用锥型量热计研究了三种烟叶在暴露于不同辐射热通量下的燃烧特性。实验结果表明,在较低的辐射热通量下,烟叶的燃烧过程主要是以阴燃为主,;在较高的热通量下,烟叶先发生着火燃烧,再转为阴燃。     

微囊藻毒素-RR对烟草细胞活力及营养生理的影响

采用0.1,1.0,10.0μg/mL的微囊藻毒素-RR(MC-RR)处理烟草BY-2悬浮细胞,测定了细胞活力、细胞内蛋白质含量、可溶性糖含量、硝态氮含量及总磷含量,并且检测了酸性磷酸酶(ACP)的活力变化情况.结果表明,中、高浓度毒素处理细胞2d后,细胞活力及蛋白质含量与对照相比均显著下降.高浓度MC-RR处理降低了胞内可溶性糖的含量,暴露2d后仅为对照的45.57%;低浓度MC-RR处理在后期增加了胞内可溶性糖含量.高浓度毒素处理细胞4d后,细胞内硝态氮含量显著低于对照;中、低浓度毒素处理细胞7d后降低了胞内硝态氮含量.3组毒素处理均降低了胞内总磷含量,到实验结束时,低、中、高浓度处理组的胞内磷含量分别为对照的74.98%、76.47%和84.00%.3组处理组ACP活力与对照相比呈现先降低后升高的趋势.     

干扰烟草GA 20-氧化酶siRNA植物表达载体的构建及矮化烟草的产生

根据烟草(Nicotiana tabacum)GA 20-氧化酶基因序列,设计2对分别含有特定酶切位点的特异引物,以烟草基因组DNA为模板,扩增目的基因(约250 bp)片段.将正、反向目的片段分别插入中间载体的内含子两侧.再经BamH I和Sac I双酶切回收约700 bp的目的片段,插入到双元载体质粒p2355中,成功构建了含GA 20-氧化酶基因片段的反向重复序列植物表达载体p23700,其转录产物能形成发夹RNA(hpRNA),产生小分子干扰RNA,干扰目的基因的表达.将p23700质粒导入根癌农杆菌EHA105中并转化烟草叶片细胞,经选择分化培养,获得表型矮化的转基因烟草.图4参14     

商陆和烟草对锰胁迫的抗氧化响应研究

研究植物的重金属累积能力对于植物修复和植物冶金意义重大.Mn超累积植物商陆(Phytolacca americana L.)的耐性/累积机制至今还不清楚,为了研究商陆在Mn胁迫下的抗氧化酶作用,将萌发6周的商陆和烟草幼苗分别放入1 mmol·L~(-1)或3 mmol·L~(-1)的1/2 Hoagland营养液处理4 d,实验表明商陆叶片光合速率降低幅度显著低于烟草,而烟草MDA含量和电解质渗漏量增加幅度大于商陆.如1 mmol·L~(-1) Mn处理4 d后,与对照相比,商陆和烟草的光合速率分别降低13.3%和75.5%;烟草MDA含量和电解质渗漏量分别增加347.3%和120.1%,而商陆的MDA含量和电解质渗漏量没有明显增加,表明Mn胁迫对超累积植物引起的氧化损伤明显低于非累积植物.随着Mn处理浓度的提高和时间的延长,2种植物叶片SOD和POD活性均迅速增加,其中商陆SOD活性的增加幅度大于烟草;另外,商陆CAT活性持续上升,而烟草CAT活性显著下降.如在1 mmol·L~(-1) Mn处理下,商陆SOD、POD和CAT活性分别提高161.1%、 111.3%和17.5%;烟草SOD和POD提高55.5%和206.0%,而CAT下降15.6%,表明商陆的抗氧化酶,特别是CAT,能够有效地清除Mn毒产生的自由基.这些结果说明抗氧化酶的抗氧化能力是重金属累积植物商陆的Mn耐性机制之一.