Monitoring aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation by functional marker genes

The development of biological treatment technologies for contaminated environments requires tools for obtaining direct information about the biodegradation of specific contaminants. The potential of functional gene array analysis to monitor changes in the amount of functional marker genes as indicators of contaminant biodegradation was investigated. A prototype functional gene array was developed for targeting key functions in the biodegradation of naphthalene, toluene and xylenes. Internal standard probe based normalization was introduced to facilitate comparison across multiple samples. Coupled with one-colour hybridization, the signal normalization improved the consistency among replicate hybridizations resulting in better discrimination for the differences in the amount of target DNA. During the naphthalene biodegradation in a PAH-contaminated soil slurry microcosm, the normalized hybridization signals in naphthalene catabolic gene probes were in good agreement with the amount of naphthalene-degradation genes and the production of 14CO2. Gene arrays provide efficient means for monitoring of contaminant biodegradation in the environment.     

Measurement of the biodegradation of starch-based materials by enzymatic methods and composting

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of in vitro enzymatic methods for assaying the biodegradability of new starch-based biopolymers. The materials studied included commercial starch-based materials and thermoplastic starch films prepared by extrusion from glycerol and native potato starch, native barley starch, or crosslinked amylomaize starch. Enzymatic hydrolysis was performed using excessBacillus licheniformis -amylase andAspergillus niger glucoamylase at 37°C and 80°C. The degree of degradation was determined by measuring the dissolved carbohydrates and the weight loss of the samples. Biodegradation was also determined by incubating the samples in a compost environment and measuring the weight loss after composting. The results indicated that the enzymatic method is a rapid means of obtaining preliminary information about the biodegradability of starch-based materials. Other methods are needed to investigate more accurately the extent of biodegradability, especially in the case of complex materials in which starch is blended with other polymers.     

Stable relatedness structure of the large-colony swarm-founding wasp Polybia paulista

In social-insect colonies, cooperation among nestmates is generally stabilized by their high genetic similarity. Thus, fitness gained through cooperation drops quickly as the number of reproductive females (queens) increases. In this respect, wasps of the tribe Epiponini have attracted special attention, because the colonies have tens, or even hundreds of queens. It has been empirically or genetically confirmed that relatedness within nestmates can be elevated by a mechanism known as cyclical monogyny, under which new queens are produced only after the number of old queens is reduced to one. Another likely factor that can increase relatedness within nestmates under polygyny is comb partitioning by queens. If queens concentrate their egg laying on one or a subset of the available combs, then workers may be able to rear closer relatives by focusing their work on the comb where they emerged. Using microsatellite markers, we tested the hypotheses of cyclical monogyny and comb partitioning by queens increasing relatedness within nestmates under polygyny in the large-colony epiponine wasp, Polybia paulista. There were no significant differences between relatedness within combs and between combs, and thus we ruled out the possibility that each queen partitions reproduction between combs. However, as cyclical monogyny predicts, a lower effective number of queens contributed to queen production than to worker production. Cyclical monogyny explained well the observed smaller effective number of queens for new queens than that for workers, but failed to explain the stable relatedness values throughout colony cycles.Communicated by L. Keller     

Biodegradation of polylactide in aerobic and anaerobic thermophilic conditions

Biodegradable polymers are designed to resist a number of environmental factors during use, but to be biodegradable under disposal conditions. The biodegradation of polylactide (PLLA) was studied at different elevated temperatures in both aerobic and anaerobic, aquatic and solid state conditions. In the aerobic aquatic headspace test the mineralisation of PLLA was very slow at room temperature, but faster under thermophilic conditions. The clear effect of temperature on the biodegradability of PLLA in the aquatic tests indicates that its polymer structure has to be hydrolysed before microorganisms can utilise it as a nutrient source. At similar elevated temperatures, the biodegradation of PLLA was much faster in anaerobic solid state conditions than in aerobic aquatic conditions. The behaviour of PLLA in the natural composting process was similar to that in the aquatic biodegradation tests, biodegradation starting only after the beginning of the thermophilic phase. These results indicate that PLLA can be considered as a compostable material, being stable during use at mesophilic temperatures, but degrading rapidly during waste disposal in compost or anaerobic treatment facilities.     

Biotests for environmental quality assessment of composted sewage sludge

The quality of sewage sludge-based products, such as composts and growth media, is affected by the contamination of sewage sludge with, potentially, hundreds of different substances. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve the reliable environmental quality assessment of sewage sludge-based products solely based on chemical analysis. In the present work, we demonstrate the use of the kinetic luminescent bacteria test (ISO 21338) to evaluate acute toxicity and the Vitotox? test to monitor genotoxicity of sewage sludge and composted sewages sludge. In addition, endocrine-disrupting and dioxin-like activity was studied using yeast-cell-based assays. The relative contribution of industrial waste water treated at the Waste Water Treatment Plants led to elevated concentrations of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/F) in sewage sludge. The effect of elevated amounts of organic contaminants could also be identified with biotests able to demonstrate higher acute toxicity, genotoxicity, and potential for endocrine-disruptive properties. Additional extraction steps in kinetic luminescent bacteria test with DMSO and hexane increased the level of toxicity detected. Composting in a pilot-scale efficiently reduced the amounts of linear alkylbenzensulphonates (LASs), nonylphenols and nonylphenolethoxylates (NPE/NPs) and PAH with relative removal efficiencies of 84%, 61% and 56%. In addition, decrease in acute toxicity, genotoxicity and endocrorine-disrupting and dioxin-like activity during composting could be detected. However, the biotests did have limitations in accessing the ecotoxicity of test media rich with organic matter, such as sewage sludge and compost, and effects of sample characteristics on biotest organisms must be acknowledged. The compost matrix itself, however, which contained a high amount of nutrients, bark, and peat, reduced the sensitivity of the genotoxicity tests and yeast bioreporter assays.     

Performance and Environmental Impact of Biodegradable Films in Agriculture: A Field Study on Protected Cultivation

The performance, the degradability in soil and the environmental impact of biodegradable starch-based soil mulching and low tunnel films were assessed by means of field and laboratory tests. The lifetime of the biodegradable mulches was 9 months and of the biodegradable low-tunnel films 6 months. The radiometric properties of the biodegradable films influenced positively the microclimate: air temperature under the biodegradable low tunnel films was 2 °C higher than under the low density polyethylene films, resulting in an up to 20% higher yield of strawberries. At the end of the cultivation period, the biodegradable mulches were broken up and buried in the field soil together with the plant residues. One year after burial, less than 4% of the initial weight of the biodegradable film was found in the soil. According to ecotoxicity tests, the kinetic luminescent bacteria test with Vibrio fischeri and the Enchytraeus albidus ISO/CD 16387 reproduction potential, there was no evidence of ecotoxicity in the soil during the biodegradation process. Furthermore, there was no change in the diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the soil determined on the basis of the appearance of amoA gene diversity in denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.     

铁路灾害线路通过能力损失评估模型

针对目前铁路抗灾减灾的实际需要 ,阐述了铁路灾害间接经济损失评估的重要性 ,论证了铁路灾害线路通过能力损失是铁路灾害间接经济损失的主要部分 ,并提出了铁路灾害线路通过能力损失的评估模型     

An overview of methods for biodegradability testing of biopolymers and packaging materials

This paper gives an overview of the methods used at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) for the biodegradability testing of solid polymers and packaging materials. Biodegradability of each polymer included in the packaging material should be separately tested. Aquatic aerobic and anaerobic tests and, in specific cases, enzymatic tests are used for screening purposes. The application of aquatic aerobic tests—an automated Sturm test (OECD 301B; ASTM D5209) and a VTT headspace test as well as an anaerobic test (ASTM D5210)—is discussed. Three composting tests and their applications are summarized. These tests are regarded as important because they can be used to simulate the biodegradability under real-life conditions. Several tests are needed to determine the fate of the polymer under real conditions and to study its biodegradability in different environments. The time needed for complete biodegradation of polymers in nature is impossible to predict with laboratory tests and should be studiedin vivo.According to the lecture given in Sweden at the Royal Institute of Technology, at a workshop on polymers from renewable resources and their degradation, November 10–11, 1994.     

活性污泥中需氧量的研究现状及供氧系统的节能技术

叙述了国内外活性污泥法中需氧量的研究过程及微孔曝气系统的节能技术，对微孔曝气器与穿孔曝管进行对比，证实前者较后者节电４４％．