UV-photooxidation as pretreatment step in inorganic analysis of environmental samples

Many laboratories deal with the determination of heavy metals, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. The first step in chemical analysis is a proper preparation of the investigated samples. The presence of organic substances can cause problems in many analytical methods. This paper describes the application of UV irradiation as a method of destruction of organic matter in the investigated samples.

Stress Resistance and Disease Resistance in Seaweeds:The Role of Reactive Oxygen Metabolism

It has become clear that the last 15-20 years that the immediate effect of a wide range of environmental stresses,and of infection,on vascular plants is to increase the information of reactive oxygen species(ROS) and to impose oxidative stress on the cells.Since 1994,sufficient examples similar responses in a broad range of marine macroalgae have been decribed to show that reactive oxygen metabolism also underlies the mechanisms by which seaweeds respond(and become resistant) to stress and infection.Desiccation,freezing,low temperatures,high light,ultraviolet radiation,and heavy metals all tend to result in a gradual and continued buildup of ROS because photosynthesis is inhibited and excess energy results in the formation of singlet oxygen.The response to other stresses (infection or oligosaccharides which signal that infection is occurring,mechanical stress,hyperosmotic shock) is quite different-a more rapid and intence,but short-lived production of ROS ,discribed as an "oxidative burst"-which is attributed to activation of NADPHoxidases in the plasma membrane.Seaweed species that are able to survive such stresses or resist infection have the capacity to remove the ROS through a high cellular content of antioxidant compounds,or a high activity of antioxidant enzymes.

重金属对小麦根干重和在不同培肥条件下对土壤铵态氮的影响

笔者的研究目的在于了解土壤重金属污染对小麦根部生长发育的影响以及在不同培肥条件下土壤重金属的生物活性的变化情况。通过盆栽试验研究了重金属铬、镉和铅三种重金属对小麦根重的影响,利用室内培养试验研究了氮磷化肥、氮磷化肥+低秸、氮磷化肥+中秸、氮磷化肥+高秸、氮磷肥+厩肥、氮磷肥+低秸(休闲田)以及无肥对照区等7种不同培肥条件下重金属铬、镉和铅对土壤铵态氮含量的影响。研究结果表明,重金属铬对小麦的根重影响较大,这3种重金属的复合污染对小麦根重的影响要比单因素条件下的影响要明显;在不同肥料条件下重金属对土壤环境内的铵态氮的影响作用存在差异,氮磷肥料条件下,重金属对土壤铵态氮的抑制作用明显增强;氮磷+低秸(休闲田)条件下,重金属铬、镉与铅对土壤铵态氮的抑制性显著降低,铵态氮总量基本影响较小。通过研究表明,不同培肥条件能够影响土壤重金属的生物活性,可以通过控制土壤培肥条件达到降低土壤重金属生物活性,减轻对重金属污染土壤的程度。

污泥的农林处置与利用

Three problems of disposal and utilization of sludge are necessary to be solved by applying it in agriculture and forestry:①The possoblity of heavy metals in sludge causing second pollution to soil and crops.②The potential effect of pathogens on the environment.③Groundwater pollution caused by high N and P concentration.The aiteratures on the above three problems home and abroad were summarized in this paper.

Effects of soil pH and organic matter on distribution of thorium fractions in soil contaminated by rare-earth industries

The labilities of thorium fractions including mobility and bioavailability vary significantly with soil properties. The effects of soil pH and soil organic matter on the distribution and transfer of thorium fractions defined by a sequential extraction procedure were investigated. Decrease of soil pH could enhance the phytoavailability and the potential availability of thorium in soil. Increase of organic matter reduced the phytoavailability of thorium, but enhanced the potential availability of it.

Determination of Cd2+ and Pb2+ on glassy carbon electrode modified by electrochemical reduction of aromatic diazonium salts

Carbon modified by the reduction of aromatic diazonium derivatives was first used as electrode for the electrochemical stripping analysis of heavy metals. As a model, the glassy carbon electrode was modified with benzoic acid by electrochemical reduction of diazobenzoic acid, and the resulting modified electrodes were used for determination of Cd2+ and Pb2+. The anodic peak currents of cadmium and lead at the benzoic acid-modified glassy carbon electrode are 7.2 and 6 times of that at the bare glassy carbon electrode. A linear response was observed for Pb2+ and Cd2+ in the range of 0.5-50 mu g/l.

High-sensitivity determination of lead and cadmium based on the Nafion-graphene composite film

Graphene nanosheets, dispersed in Nafion (Nafion-G) solution, were used in combination with in situ plated bismuth film electrode for fabricating the enhanced electrochemical sensing platform to determine the lead (Pb2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The electrochemical properties of the composite film modified glassy carbon electrode were investigated. It is found that the prepared Nafion-G composite film not only exhibited improved sensitivity for the metal ion detections, but also alleviated the interferences due to the synergistic effect of graphene nanosheets and Nafion. The linear calibration curves ranged from 0.5 mu g L-1 to 50 mu g L-1 for Pb2+ and 1.5 mu g L-1 to 30 mu g L-1 for Cd2+. respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) were estimated to be around 0.02 mu g L-1 for Pb2+ and Cd2+. The practical application of the proposed method was verified in the water sample determination.

Evaluation of a sequential extraction for the speciation of thorium in soils from Baotou area, Inner Mongolia

Sequential extraction procedures were widely applied for speciation of radioactive elements. In this study, the sequential extraction procedure developed by Martinez-Aguirre was employed for quantification of different chemical forms of thorium in the soil. The total amount of thorium in contaminated soil was much higher by four-fold than the local background value. The soil properties affect the amount of thoriurn and distribution of fractions in contaminated soil. Results showed that the proportion of thorium in soils from Baotou was found as the residual fraction (F5 + F6) > absorbed fraction (F3), coprecipitated fraction (F4) > carbonates fraction (172) and exchangeable fraction (F1) that could be available to plants. The recovery, calculated by ratio of the sum of the six fractions to the pseudo-total content of thorium, was in the range from 96% to 110%. A comparison was carried out between the sequential extraction and the single extraction to evaluate the selectivity of the extractants. It was found that the amount of thorium of absorbed fraction (H) was higher in the single extraction than that estimated in the sequential extraction, possibly duo to transform of the labile form. While for non-residual fraction analysis, the single extraction scheme was a desirable alternative to the sequential extraction procedure.

Synergistic extraction of rare earths by mixture of bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid and Sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid

Synergistic extraction of trivalent rare earths (RE=Sc, Y, La, Gd, Yb) from hydrochloride medium using mixture of bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid (HL, Cyanex272) and Sec-nonylphenoxy acetic acid (HA, CA-100) in n-heptane has been studied. The synergistic enhancement coefficients were observed for La (1.30), Gd (1.97), Y (3.59), Yb (8.21) and Sc (14.41). The results indicated yttrium was extracted into n-heptane as YH(5)A(4)L(4) mixed species instead of Y(HL2)(3), Y(OH)(2)A(HA)(3) which were extracted by Cyanex272 and CA-100, respectively. A cation exchange mechanism was proposed and further clarified by IR spectra. The equilibrium constants, formation constants and thermodynamic functions such as Delta G, Delta H and Delta S were determined. The Cyanex272 + CA-100 system not only enhanced the extraction efficiency of RE but also improved the selectivities significantly. The mutual separation factors of these ions suggested the mixture system would be of practical value in extraction and separation of rare earths.

The extraction of rare earths using mixtures of acidic phosphorus-based reagents or their thio-analogues

The solvent extraction of rare earths from chloride solution has been investigated using mixtures of 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-(2-ethylhexyl) ester (HEHEHP, P507) and organophosphorus acids [di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HDEHP, P204), isopropylphosphonic acid 1-hexyl-4-ethylocryl ester (HHEOIPP), bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid (Cyanex 272), bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)monothiophosphinic acid (Cyanex 302), and bis(2,4,4-trimethypentyl)dithiophosphinic acid (Cyanex 301)]. Results show that the extractability of the selected extractants for rare earths decreases in the order: HEHEHP/HDEHP > HEHEHP/Cyanex 301 > HEHEHP/HHEOIPP > HEHEHP/Cyanex 302 > HEHEHP/Cyanex 272. A possible explanation of the different extractabilities is given based on the structure of the extractants. Furthermore, the possibilities of the separation of adjacent rare earths with these mixtures were investigated according to the extractabilities; the results show the possibility of separating the rare earths.

Alteration of metallothionein mRNA in bay scallop Argopecten irradians under cadmium exposure and bacteria challenge

Metallothionein (MT) is a superfamily of cysteine-rich proteins contributing to metal metabolism, detoxification of heavy metals, and immune response such as protecting against ionizing radiation and antioxidant defense. A metallothionein (designated AiMT2) gene was identified and cloned from bay scallop, Argopecten irradians. The full length cDNA of AiMT2 consisted of an open reading frame (ORF) of 333 bp encoding a protein of 110 amino acids. with nine characteristic Cys-X-Cys, five Cys-X-X-Cys, five Cys-X-X-X-Cys and two Cys-Cys motif arrangements and a conserved structural pattern Cys-x-Cys-x(3)-Cys-Tyr-x(3)Cys-x-Cys-x(3)-Cys-x-Cys-Arg at the C-terminus. The cloned ANT showed about 50% identity in the deduced amino acid sequence with previously published MT sequences of mussels and oysters. The conserved structural pattern and the close phylogenetic relationship of AiMT2 shared with MTs from other mollusc especially bivalves indicated that AiMT2 was a new member of molluscan MT family. The mRNA transcripts in hemolymph of AiMT2 under cadmium (Cd) exposure and bacteria challenge were examined by real-time RT-PCR. The mRNA expression of AiMT2 was up-regulated to 3.99-fold at 2 h after Listonella anguillarum challenge, and increased drastically to 66.12-fold and 126.96-fold at 16 and 32 h post-challenge respectively. Cadmium ion exposure could induce the expression of AiMT2, and the expression level increased 2.56-fold and 6.91-fold in hemolymph respectively after a 10-day exposure of 100 mu g L-1 and 200 mu g L-1 CdCl2. The sensitivity of AiMT2 to bacteria challenge and cadmium stress indicated it was a new Cd-dependent MT in bay scallop and also regulated by an immune challenge. The changes in the expression of AiMT2 could be used as an indicator of exposure to metals in pollution monitoring programs and oxidative stress, and bay scallop as a potential sentinel organism for the cadmium contamination in aquatic environment. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of heat shock protein 90 gene in the haemocytes of Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone contributing to the folding, maintenance of structural integrity and proper regulation of a subset of cytosolic proteins. The full-length cDNA of Zhikong scallop Chlamysfarreri HSP90 (designated CfHSP90) was cloned by EST and rapid RACE techniques. It was of 2710 bp, including an open reading frame (ORF) of 2181 bp encoding a polypeptide of 726 amino acids with all the five HSP90 family signatures. BLAST analysis revealed that the CfHSP90 gene shared high similarity with other known HSP90 genes. Fluorescent real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the expression pattern of CfHSP90 mRNA in haemocytes of scallops exposed to Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ for 10 and 20 days, respectively. All the three heavy metals could induce CfHSP90 expression. There was a clear dose-dependent expression pattern of CfHSP90 after heavy metals exposure for 10 days or 20 days. Different concentrations of the same metal resulted in different effects on CfHSP90 expression. The results indicated that CfHSP90 responded to various heavy metal stresses with a dose-dependent expression pattern as well as exposure time effect, and could be used as a molecular biomarker in a heavy metal polluted environment. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

南黄海重金属的演变特征及控制因素

本文以南黄海1997～2006年10年表层海水和沉积物中重金属为主要研究对象，同时结合对生态环境信息的综合分析，系统探讨了海水和沉积物中重金属的生物地球化学特征、影响控制因素、演变趋势，并对海域生态风险进行了评估，获得了以下一系列新的结果和认识： 1．系统获得了南黄海海水和沉积物中重金属的地球化学分布模式，揭示了影响和控制其生物地球化学特征的因素 南黄海表层海水中重金属As、Cd、Cu、Hg、Pb、Zn的平均浓度分别为2.33、0.078、1.41、0.0036、0.37、6.21 μg/L，低于其它中国近海海水，而高于水交换较好的深海；表层海水重金属的分布模式（除Pb外）表现为在离岸较远的南黄海中部地区其含量较低，而近岸海区则普遍含量较高，区域分布呈现“高Cd-Cu-Hg-Zn区”，“高Pb-Cu-Zn区”以及“高Pb区”三个地球化学分区。 南黄海表层沉积物中重金属比邻近海域沉积物中的浓度低，南黄海重金属主要受沉积物粒度控制，即在细粒度高的南黄海中部区域重金属（除As外）的含量较高，粗粒度的近岸区则较低，区域分布呈现“高Cd-Cu-Pb-Zn区”，“高Hg低As-Cu-Zn区”以及“高As低Cd-Hg-Zn区”三个地球化学分区。 人类活动已经显著影响了南黄海海水中重金属的含量水平，重金属分布是径流、大气沉降、pH、盐度和重金属自身性质等各种影响因子耦合的结果。沉积物重金属的富集因子Pb>As>Hg>Cd>Zn>Cr>Cu，其中Pb和As主要来自人为污染排放，污染状况相对较重，Cr和Cu几乎没有受到人为污染的影响。沉积物的粒度是控制表层沉积物重金属分布的最主要因素，次要的因素包括沉积物有机质的含量、沉积速率以及重金属存在形态等。 2．首次获得了南黄海海水和沉积物中重金属的演变趋势 近10年来南黄海表层海水中，Zn呈上升趋势，As、Cd、Cu、Pb基本稳定变化不大，而Hg则呈略下降趋势。Zn的线性上升趋势明显，在近岸水域和中央水域中其浓度和公元年的统计关系分别为y=0.9524x+0.0034（R=0.97）和y=0.8622x+0.0299（R=0.95）（其中y为Zn的浓度，x为年度，取1997～2004）。近10年沉积物中重金属年际变化较小，浓度变化在多年均值的±（10%～30%）之间变动。As、Cd、Cu、Hg、Pb、Zn的均值变化范围分别为7.17±1.70、0.108±0.024、17.61±1.65、0.024±0.008、18.44±4.26、70.53±5.73 mg/kg，除了Hg随公元年呈较好的线性增加（y=0.0033x-6.50，R=0.75）外，其它重金属未显现出有明显的演变趋势。 近百年来，南黄海重金属的变化可分为3个阶段，20世纪60年代以前，20世纪60年代至90年代，及20世纪90年代至今。第一个阶段的60年可以看作是南黄海未明显受人类活动影响的一个时期，该段时期内明显的特征是重金属含量的变化受径流输入不均等多种因素影响，变化规律性不强；第二阶段是南黄海近岸工农业迅猛发展的阶段，由近岸传输到这一海域的重金属量增加，南黄海沉积物重金属浓度增加，沉积物质量有下降的趋势，这一阶段是人类活动影响南黄海最为明显的一个阶段；第三个阶段是20世纪90年代至今，南黄海沉积物重金属浓度呈降低趋势，与中韩两国减排及治污措施有关。近几年，南黄海沉积物的环境质量较20世纪末期有了较明显的改善。 3. 初步阐明了南黄海重金属的环境污染危害和潜在生态风险 采用潜在生态危害指数法和地积累指数等方法对南黄海沉积环境进行分析，结果表明，中等重金属污染程度海区占研究海区面积的38.7%，中等生态风险的区域则占了研究海区面积77.8%，但均未发现沉积物中的重金属与生物量的分布有明显的关系，总体表明，南黄海沉积物中的重金的污染状况及生态风险较低，南黄海沉积物质量良好。