Comparative temporal ecotoxicological study in a river basin influenced by petrochemical industries

An approach was developed to evaluate ecotoxicological effects in river basins impacted by anthropic industrial discharges. Genotoxicity was the first level of evaluation of the river water, but when cytotoxicity was associated with genotoxic effects, our research group added chronic assays allowing the assessment of the ontogenic cycle in environmental diagnosis. The genotoxicity of river water sampled during two periods was compared using the microscreen phage-induction and Salmonella/microsome assays. The study assessed the ability of these assays to diagnose environmental quality in an area where petrochemical impacts occur. The study was performed at six sampling sites using the Salmonella/microsome assay for 10 sampling periods and the microscreen phage-induction assay for 15 samplings. The percentage of mutagenic activity was higher at the sites sampled in front of the petrochemical complex in both periods, but there were more significant mutagenic responses in the first assessment. However, comparing the percentages of samples with mutagenic and cytotoxic activity observed during the two periods it becomes clear that there are more cytotoxic samples during the second period throughout the area studied. The genotoxic activity analyzed by the microscreen phage-induction assay was constant in the second period. Chronic toxicity studies with the microcrustacean Daphnia magna confirm the toxic effects observed. The mortality of individuals was higher at the site most influenced by the petrochemical complex, followed by the station located upstream from this area, while the formation of ephippial eggs was uniform at all stations. The rise in the toxic potential of the region detected by cytotoxic and chronic toxicity may interfere and probably impair the use of the Salmonella/microsome assay to determine the potential of the area, showing the importance of assay association to evaluate potentially contaminated areas.     

铬渣无害化综合利用的实践

本文根据国内铬渣无害化处理及综合利用的成熟工艺,针对某化工企业遗留的2.3万t铬渣,杂质含量高且成分复杂的特点,采用多种方法结合的思路,较为经济的解决了遗留渣的处理处置问题。并为该企业今后的新渣治理提供了可行方法。对周边环境的保护意义重大。     

偶氮染料废水的水生植物-电解联合净化效应研究

结合电解处理技术和植物修复技术理论,建立了植物-电解联合净化系统,并用于对混合偶氮染料溶液的处理实验。结果表明,偶氮染料废水经植物-电解联合净化后水质更加稳定,脱色率和COD去除率最高分别可达98.7%和85%;出水微生物抑制率和生物抗过氧化能力显著降低,出水苯二胺和芳香胺类物质残留最大削减量分别为81.25%和99.17%。     

制冷剂替代物安全性评价现状和研究课题

制冷剂的安全性至关重要，国际组织、学术团体和政府部门都制定了相应的标准。随着制冷剂尤其是绿色环保制冷剂的发展和实际应用的要求，这些标准也作了相应的补充和修订。综合介绍了有关标准和近年来对制冷剂安全性提出的新的要求和规定以及有关的研究课题。     

Toxicity of the 13 priority pollutant metals to Vibrio fisheri in the Microtox chronic toxicity test

The Microtox Acute Toxicity Test has been successfully used to measure the toxicity of metals and other pollutants at high concentrations (ppm) in selected environmental samples. However, metals and other toxicants are often found in much lower concentrations (ppb) in many municipal wastewaters and receiving waters. In order to assess the toxicity of these pollutants in these samples, a more sensitive toxicity assay is needed. The Microtox chronic toxicity test has been developed to measure the sublethal effect of toxicants over multiple generations of the test species, Vibrio fisheri. In this study, the toxicity of the 13 priority pollutant metals [i.e. As, Se, Cd, Cr (III and VI), Cu, Pb, Sb, Ag, Tl, Zn, Be, Hg and Ni] to V. fisheri was evaluated using the Microtox chronic toxicity test. In this test, the inhibitory concentration (IC), lowest observable effect concentration (LOEC), and no observable effect concentration (NOEC) were obtained after 22-h of incubation at 27+/-1 degrees C, by comparing the light output of the control to that of the test sample. Among the 13 priority pollutant metals, beryllium (Be) was found to be the most toxic in the test (LOEC=0.742-1.49 microg/l) while thallium (Tl) was the least toxic (LOEC=3840-15300 microg/l). The LOECs for copper (as Cu) and lead (Pb) in reagent (ASTM Type I) water were 6.78-13.6 microg/l and 626-1251 microg/l, respectively. The toxicity of copper sulfate (as Cu) in reagent water was shown and significantly reduced with the addition of natural organic matter (fulvic acid) or EDTA to the sample. The LOEC values for the 13 priority pollutant metals in this test were comparable to or lower than those reported for commonly used aquatic toxicity tests, such as the Ceriodaphnia dubia assay.     

Long-term effects of treated domestic wastewater on brown trout

A 12-month bioassay was conducted to determine the effects of unchlorinated, treated, domestic wastewater on survival, growth, swimming performance, and gill tissue of brown trout (Salmo trutta). Ammonia was the toxicant of concern, because the facility's effluent periodically exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recommended criterion. Juvenile brown trout (initial weight = 2 g), which were exposed to six concentrations (0–37%) of effluent, were fed a restricted ration, so that growth rates were similar to those of wild stream residents. At the highest effluent concentration, monthly mean concentrations of un-ionized ammonia ranged from 0.004 to 0.055 mg l⁻¹ NH₃---N (at. wt = 14); these concentrations exceeded the EPA criterion of 0.016 mg l⁻¹ about 40% of the time. There were no significant effects of effluent concentration on survival, growth, or swimming performance of brown trout, but the degree of damage to gills was directly related to effluent concentration.     

A comparison of toxicity tests conducted in the laboratory and in experimental ponds using cadmium and the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Acute toxicity tests were conducted in the laboratory with fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to determine the 96-h LC₅₀ of cadmium under three conditions: (1) in laboratory water, (2) in water from experimental ponds, and (3) in pond water underlain by sediment. Cadmium was then applied at doses equivalent to the estimated LC₅₀ values to 0.07-ha ponds containing caged fathead minnows. A cadmium ion selective electrode, ultrafiltration, and equilibrium calculations were used to determine cadmium speciation, and several water quality characteristics were measured to correlate differences in mortality between test systems (laboratory and field) with observed differences in water quality. The LC₅₀ estimates (mg l⁻¹) for the bioassays were 4.39 for the laboratory water, 3.52 for the pond water with sediment, and 2.91 for the pond water. Concentrations of Cd²⁺ decreased and those of cadmium in the particulate (> 1.2 μm) and 300,000 mol. wt (0.018–1.2 μm) fractions increased over the 96-h; cadmium in these fractions was believed to consist of colloidal sized CdCO₃ precipitates. Concentrations of Cd²⁺ decreased at different rates between test systems, regulated by the degree of CdCO₃(s) supersaturation which in turn depended on pH and total metal concentrations. Differences in toxicity in the laboratory tests were attributed to differences in water hardness and Cd²⁺ concentrations. Mortality of fathead minnows was low (0–10%) during the 96-h test period in the ponds due to the higher pH, which produced supersaturated conditions resulting in the rapid formation of nontoxic CdCO₃ precipitates and a more rapid decrease in Cd²⁺ concentrations as compared to the laboratory bioassays.     

Using a battery of bioassays, benthic phytoplankton and the AUSRIVAS method to monitor long-term coal tar contaminated sediment in the Cache la Poudre River, Colorado

This survey provides information on sediment toxicity and structural characteristics of the macroinvertebrates and benthic phytoplankton at 10 locations in the Cache la Poudre River after long-term exposure to coal tar residue. The application of the Australian river bioassessment system (AUSRIVAS) as well as a biotest battery was used to evaluate the river ‘health’ condition. Coal tar is a dense nonaqueous-phase liquid of significant environmental concern due to its toxicity and persistence in the subsurface. Organisms like Selenastrum capricornutum, Daphnia magna and Chironomus tentans, representing different complexities in the biosphere, were selected as test systems for ecotoxicological studies. The results obtained in this study indicate that a biotest battery, macroinvertebrate and benthic phytoplankton communities are in principle suitable biological tools for evaluation of toxic oil and coal-derived substances in long-term contaminated river sediment.     

柔性聚氨酯泡沫燃烧产物毒性评估

介绍了对弹性聚氨酯泡沫燃烧产物毒性的相关研究,并对其是否能用于毒性危害分析进行了评估。研究显示,暴露到聚氨酯燃烧产物中的人会导致中毒。窒息气体氮气有效剂量法能有效预测受害人因暴露于聚氨酯燃烧产物而导致的行为能力丧失情况。同时,也证明有效剂量法不能正确预测聚氨酯阴燃时情况。该方法不适用于热分解。研究发现,目前很多经验方法具有很大的局限性,对毒性危害研究造成了很多负面的影响。烟气粒子携带毒物的吸入和传播以及化学合成复杂的毒物,研究和考虑得很少。因此,很有必要对复杂毒性有机体的火灾燃烧产物进行更深入的物理和化学分析研究以及动物模型研究。     

A panel of stress-responsive luminous bacteria for the detection of selected classes of toxicants

A panel of bacteria, each genetically engineered to respond by increased luminescence to a different type of environmental stress, is presented. Members of the panel were shown to be sensitive to several groups of chemicals including phenols, halomethanes and several oxidants. The increase in light emission depended upon toxicant concentration and could, thus, be used to calculate a characteristic value, EC₂₀₀, designating the sample concentration causing a two-fold luminescence induction. In almost all cases, EC₂₀₀ values were lower than the corresponding Microtox™ EC₅₀ values, indicating a generally higher sensitivity. One of the panel members, DPD2794, a designated DNA-damage sensor, responded within 2 h to the presence of genotoxicants, including metabolically activated nitropropane. It is suggested that these or similarly constructed strains can be used for the rapid and sensitive detection of potentially toxic and genotoxic pollutants and that the concept of genetically engineering a panel of microbial toxicity sensors can readily be implemented for environmental monitoring.