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With the intensification of industrial development and urbanization, soil pollution is increasingly prominent. Therefore, the potential adverse effects caused by industrial activities need to be investigated. In this study, nine soil samples were collected from the industrial district of Nanjing, China, and the heavy metal concentrations were analyzed. Ambient severity of health (ASI) and ambient severity of ecology (ASII) caused by heavy metals in soil extracts were also evaluated via the multi-media environmental goals (MEG). The environmental risk assessment model was used to assess the health risk of soil extracts. The toxicity of soil extracts was diagnosed for wheat and Vicia faba. The results indicate that the contents of heavy metals were significantly different among the nine soil samples and mass concentration of heavy metals were as followed: Pb > Mn > As > Zn > Cd. Except for CK and S9, the total health impact of all sampling sites were greater than 1. Also, the total ecological hazard degrees of the five heavy metals were all greater than 1, which showed that the soil extracts were harmful to human health and ecological environment. According to the risk characterization model, the carcinogen risk of soil extracts was 1 to 10 orders of magnitude higher than that of non-carcinogens. Drinking water intake was the most direct and primary exposure route. In addition, the ecotoxicological results indicated that with the increase of heavy metal concentration, the activity of amylase (AMS) decreased, while the activity of peroxide (POD) increased, indicating that the soil extracts were toxic to V. faba. The micronucleus rates of V. faba root tips in the sampling soils were significantly higher compared with the control group, reflecting the higher genotoxicity. Our study provides theoretical support for the evaluation of potential health and ecological risks in this industrial district.

Antimony (Sb) pollution in the water environment caused by the large-scale mining of Sb ore and the wide use of Sb-containing products seriously endangers human health and poses a great threat to the ecological environment. Coagulation is one of the most cost-effective technologies for Sb pollution control in water/wastewater treatment and has been widely used. However, a comprehensive understanding of Sb pollution control by coagulation, from fundamental research to practical applications, is lacking. In this work, based on the current status of Sb pollution in the water environment, a critical review of the Sb removal performance and mechanism by coagulation and related combined processes was carried out. The influencing factors of Sb removal performance by coagulation are introduced in detail. The internal mechanisms and improvement strategies of Sb removal by oxidation/reduction-coagulation and coagulation-membrane filtration technologies are emphasized. Moreover, given the development of Sb-removing coagulants and the resource utilization of Sb-containing sludge, future perspectives of coagulation for Sb removal are discussed. As the first review in this field, this work will illuminate avenues of basic research and practical applications for Sb and Sb-like pollution control in water/wastewater treatment.

With the intensification of industrial development and urbanization, soil pollution is increasingly prominent. Therefore, the potential adverse effects caused by industrial activities need to be investigated. In this study, nine soil samples were collected from the industrial district of Nanjing, China, and the heavy metal concentrations were analyzed. Ambient severity of health (ASI) and ambient severity of ecology (ASII) caused by heavy metals in soil extracts were also evaluated via the multi-media environmental goals (MEG). The environmental risk assessment model was used to assess the health risk of soil extracts. The toxicity of soil extracts was diagnosed for wheat and Vicia faba. The results indicate that the contents of heavy metals were significantly different among the nine soil samples and mass concentration of heavy metals were as followed: Pb Mn As Zn Cd. Except for CK and S9, the total health impact of all sampling sites were greater than 1. Also, the total ecological hazard degrees of the five heavy metals were all greater than 1, which showed that the soil extracts were harmful to human health and ecological environment. According to the risk characterization model, the carcinogen risk of soil extracts was 1 to 10 orders of magnitude higher than that of non-carcinogens. Drinking water intake was the most direct and primary exposure route. In addition, the ecotoxicological results indicated that with the increase of heavy metal concentration, the activity of amylase (AMS) decreased, while the activity of peroxide (POD) increased, indicating that the soil extracts were toxic to V. faba. The micronucleus rates of V. faba root tips in the sampling soils were significantly higher compared with the control group, reflecting the higher genotoxicity. Our study provides theoretical support for the evaluation of potential health and ecological risks in this industrial district.

Soil pollution due to the activities of industrial parks, is becoming an increasingly serious issue, particularly throughout China. Therefore, it is essential to explore the soil pollution characteristics and its ecotoxicological effects on model species, such as higher plant species, in typical industrial areas. In this study, concentrations of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined in the soil collected from 10 sampling sites at a chemical industry park in Nanjing, China. The pollution index was used to assess the heavy metal pollution level of soils, while the hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk index (RI) were calculated to assess the human health risk of soil PAHs. In addition, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was used as the model species to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of polluted soil in pot experiments. Results showed that the content of heavy metals and PAHs varied greatly in soil samples, among which the heavy metal pollution at S1, S2 and S3 was the most serious. The health risk assessment of PAHs indicated that non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic values for all soil samples were below the threshold levels. Statistical analysis of the correlation between contaminated soil and toxic effects in wheat found that the significance values of regression equations were all less than 0.05 for chlorophyll content, peroxidase (POD) and amylase (AMS) activity. This indicates that the chlorophyll content, POD and AMS activity in wheat leaves could be suitable biomarkers for evaluation of the combined toxicity of multiple pollutants. This study provides a reference for future research on the risk assessment of soil containing multiple pollutants from industrial chemical parks.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) draw growing concern about characterizing the potential risk on environmental health due to its wide usage and distribution. Two typical types of organophosphate esters (OPEs): tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) were selected to evaluate toxicity of OPEs to the soil organism like earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Histopathological examination (H&E), oxidative stress, DNA damage and RT-qPCR was used to identify the effects and potential mechanism of their toxicity. Hameatoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that intestinal cells suffered serious damage, and the observed up-regulation of chitinase and cathepsin L in mRNA levels confirmed it. Both TCEP and TCP significantly increased the DNA damage when the concentrations exceeded 1 mg/kg (p < 0.01), and a dose-response relationship was observed. In addition, TCEP and TCP also changed the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and expression of genes associated with neurotoxic effects in earthworms even under exposure to low OPEs concentration (0.1 mg/kg). Moreover, genes associated with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) and carrier protein further demonstrated that highest concentration of TCEP (10 mg/kg) may have an overloading impact on the cholinergic system of E. fetida. Integrated Biological Response index (IBRv2) showed that TCEP exerted stronger toxicity than TCP under the same concentrations. We deduced that the observed intestinal damage, oxidative stress and neurotoxic effect might be the primary mechanisms of TCEP and TCP toxicity. This study provides insight into the toxicological effects of OPEs on earthworm model, and may be useful for risk assessment of OPEs on soil ecosystems.

Aquaculture has attracted significant attention as an environmental gateway to the development of antibiotic resistance. The industry of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis contributes significantly to the freshwater aquaculture industry in China. However, the situation of antibiotic resistance in the E. sinensis aquaculture environment is not known. In this study, high-throughput sequencing based metagenomic approaches were used to comprehensively investigate the structure of bacterial communities, the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), as well as mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in three E. sinensis aquaculture ponds in Jiangsu Province, China. The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes in water samples and Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Verrucomicrobia, and Bacteroidetes in sediment samples. Bacitracin and multidrug were predominant ARG types in water and sediment samples, respectively. There was a significant correlation between MGEs and ARGs. In particular, plasmids were the most abundant MGEs and strongly correlated with ARGs. This is the first study of antibiotic resistome that uses metagenomic approaches in the E. sinensis aquaculture environment. The results indicate that the opportunistic pathogens may acquire ARGs via horizontal gene transfer, intensifying the potential risk to human health.

Dechlorane Plus (DP), a chlorinated flame retardant, has been widely detected in environmental matrices, especially in sediment and soil. DP has characteristics similar to persistent organic pollutants. However, no toxicity data of DP on terrestrial invertebrate are available. In this study, earthworms Eisenia fetida were exposed to 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 mg/kg DP for 14 days. Lethality, oxidative stress and damage, neurotoxicity, and transcriptomic profiles of E. fetida were assessed on day 7 and day 14 of exposure. Results showed that the acute toxicity of DP was very low. However, DP exposure induced an increase in the oxidative stress markers malonaldehyde (MDA) and 8-Hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and altered acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities. High throughput sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis showed that DP exposure significantly altered gene expression and pathways related to antioxidant enzymes, stress responses, neurological dysfunctions, calcium binding, and signal transduction. The results from different toxicological endpoints indicate that DP toxicity on the earthworm is primarily through oxidative damage and neurotoxicity. Based on these results, we deduce that changes in oxidative stress and neurotoxicity might be the primary mechanisms of DP toxicity. This study provides insight into the toxicological effects of DP on earthworm model, and may be useful for risk assessment of DP on soil ecosystems.

In this study, the adsorption kinetics of sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP-Na) onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was determined and acute toxicity tests were performed to evaluate the toxicity of MWCNTs and PCP-Na on the earthworm Eisenia fetida in artificial soil samples, and then the toxicities of their mixture were investigated using soil avoidance test and comet assay. The results of the acute toxicity test showed that no mortality was observed for MWCNTs concentration up to 1000 mg kg−1. The earthworms suffered DNA damage in soils amended with MWCNTs at 50 mg kg−1 in a natural soil, despite of the fact that no significant (p > 0.05) avoidance had occurred at this level of MWCNTs in artificial soil. The LC50 values of PCP-Na for the 7-d and 14-d were 176.0 and 71.1 mg kg−1, respectively. PCP-Na at the concentration of 35.6 mg kg−1 in soil induced behavior toxicity in avoidance test, and genetic toxicity could be determined at a relatively low concentration (1.4 mg kg−1). The avoidance assay revealed a synergetic effect of the two chemicals on E. fetida, regardless of whether these compounds were both added separately or after the adsorption of PCP-Na to the MWCNTs. The two exposure methods showed no differences on the combined toxicity of MWCNTs and PCP-Na when low concentrations of the chemicals were used. Comet assay is not a suitable method for evaluation of combined toxicity of the two chemicals in this study, because exposure to PCP-Na at high dosages could induce lower values of the parameters compared with the lower dosages.

This paper's survey of the pollution of the Wujin'gang River is important because it is one of the main rivers flowing into Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu in eastern China. Trace metals (TMs) in this paper are described according to their pollution index (P i). Cluster analysis and correlation analysis are utilized for group sites and to assess co-contamination. Toxicity effect analysis was conducted using individual sediment quality guideline quotients (SQGQs) and mean SQGQs. The results showed that sediment from the Wujin'gang River basin was affected by nutrients, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are an essential contamination source for both Meiliang Bay and Zhushan Bay of Lake Taihu. The discharge of TMs has significant correlations to total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP); however, no significant correlations were observed between the content of PAHs and TMs. Toxicity effect results show that sediment in the Wujin'gang River basin threatens sediment-dwelling organisms. The harmful effect was mainly caused by heavy metals especially Cd, Cr, Ni, and Cu. Sediment dredging is an effective way to control pollution from internal rivers especially for the pollution of TN and heavy metals in the Wujin'gang River basin.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicological responses of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) induced by field-contaminated, metal-polluted soils. Biochemical responses and DNA damage of earthworm exposed to two multi-metal-contaminated soils in a steel industry park and a natural reference soil in Zijin Mountain for 2, 7, 14, and 28 days were studied. Results showed that three enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and cellulase, in earthworm in metal-contaminated soils were significantly different from those of the reference soil. Cellulase and AChE were more sensitive than SOD to soil contamination. The Olive tail moment of the comet assay after 2-day exposure increased 56.5 and 552.0 % in two contaminated soils, respectively, compared to the reference soil. Our findings show that cellulase and DNA damage levels can be used as potential biomarkers for exposure of earthworm to metal-polluted soils.

As a standard testing organism in soil ecosystems, the earthworm Eisenia fetida has been used widely in toxicity studies. However, tests at the individual level are time- and animal-consuming, with limited sensitivity. Earthworm coelomocytes are important for the assimilation and elimination of exogenous compounds and play a key role in the processes of phagocytosis and inflammation. In this study, we explored an optimal condition to culture coelomocytes of E. fetida in vitro and investigated the cytotoxicity of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and sodium pentachlorophenol (PCP-Na) using coelomocytes via evaluating lethal toxicity, oxidative stress, membrane damage, and DNA damage. The results showed that coelomocytes can be successfully cultured in vitro in primary under the RPMI-1640 medium with 2-4×104 cells/well (1-2×105 cells/mL) in 96-well plates at 25°C without CO2. Both MWCNTs and PCP-Na could cause oxidative damage and produce ROS, an evidence for lipid peroxidation with MDA generation and SOD and CAT activity inhibition at high stress. The two chemicals could separately damage the cell membrane structure, increasing permeability and inhibiting mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). In addition, our results indicate that PCP-Na may be adsorbed onto MWCNTs and its toxicity on earthworm was accordingly alleviated, while a synergetic effect was revealed when PCP-Na and MWCNTs were added separately. In summary, coelomocyte toxicity in in vitro analysis is a sensitive method for detecting the adverse effects of carbon nanotubes combined with various pollutants.

Ecotoxicity of nanoparticles has received growing attention in recent years. This study investigated the influence of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) on earthworm Eisenia fetida. The experiment was performed with five test groups: control (without Ag-NP), 10 nm Ag-NP groups (20, 100 or 500 mg kg−1) and positive control (787 mg kg−1 AgNO3). After 14-day acute exposure, activities of various enzymes, including glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), acid phosphatase (AP), and Na+, K+-ATPase were determined. Effects of Ag-NP with different sizes (10 and 80 nm) were also tested. Data showed that the activity of GR was significantly lower at 500 mg kg−1. The activities of AP and Na+, K+-ATPase were inhibited following the increase of Ag-NP concentration. When treated with Ag-NP with different sizes, activities of AP and Na+, K+-ATPase of the 10 nm group were significantly lower than the control group, but those of the 80 nm group were similar to the control group. Data indicate that Ag-NP may...

As the application of millimeter waves for civilian and military use increases, the possibility of overexposure to millimeter waves will also increase. This paper attempts to evaluate stress reactions evoked by 35 GHz millimeter waves. The stress reactions in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were quantitatively studied by analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) changes induced by overexposure to 35 GHz millimeter waves. The relative changes in average energy of the EEG and its wavelet decompositions were used for extracting the stress reaction indicators. Incident average power densities (IAPDs) of 35 GHz millimeter waves from 0.5 W cm(-2) to 7.5 W cm(-2) were employed to investigate the relation between irradiation dose and the stress reactions in the rats. Different stress reaction periods evoked by irradiation were quantitatively evaluated by EEG results. The results illustrate that stress reactions are more intense during the first part of the irradiation than during the later part. The skin temperature increase produced by millimeter wave irradiation is the principle reason for stress reactions and skin injuries. As expected, at the higher levels of irradiation, the reaction time decreases and the reaction intensity increases.

The acute and sub-chronic toxicities of cyanobacterial extract from Taihu Lake (PR China) on mouse (Mus musculus) were investigated in this study via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Increases in liver/body weight ratios and pathological changes in mouse liver showed adverse effects at the organ level. Images from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that abnormal membrane structure occurred and that the organelles were damaged severely in the cells of liver and testis. The high dose group received i.p. injection of 12 mg lyophilized algae cells/kg body weight. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased significantly in the livers of this group, along with a significant decrease in catalase (CAT) activity. These results revealed the existence of obvious oxidative stress. Comet assay results also suggested a dose-dependent relationship between DNA damage in hepatocytes/testicular cells and the amount of bloom extract administered to the mice. There was a significant increase in DNA damage compared to the control group and the genotoxicity of the cyanobacterial bloom to testicular cells was higher than in hepatocytes.

Measurement of the organic compounds found in western Taihu Lake and evaluation of the ambient severity (AS) of the water using multimedia environmental goals (MEG) was conducted. The comet assay and the antioxidant enzyme approach were used to test the potential toxicity of water samples on the microalgae Euglena gracilis. Total concentrations of 25 organic pollutants in samples from two sites were 6.700 and 14.655 μg/l, respectively, with a calculated total ambient severity (TAS) of less than 1 and therefore minimal risk to human and ecological health. Organic extracts from the samples at these two sites was found to induce dose-dependent DNA damage on microalgae cells. DNA damage together with changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities indicated that the potential pollutant toxicity was far higher at one of the two sites than at the other site. The comet assay combined with the activities of antioxidant enzymes may be of value as a biomarker for presence of organic pollutants in drinking water sources.

Genotoxicity of crude cyanobacteria extracts (CBE) from blooms in Taihu Lake, China toward common carp (Cyprinus carpio) was measured. The primary extracellular product was determined by HPLC to be Microcystin-LR (MC-LR, L for leucine and R for arginine) with an average concentration of 2.4 × 10(2) μg MC g(-1) dry weight of cyanobacteria. Acute toxicity to carp, expressed as the 72-h LC(50,) was 53 mg, dw cyanobacteria L(-1). Genotoxicity, as determined by the micronucleus (MN) and comet assays were both dose- and time-depended. Deformities of cellular organelles in liver and gill were observed by use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that MC-LR from cyanobacteria from Taihu Lake could induce genotoxic response and tissue-level morphological changes in common carp.

Earthworms are the dominant soil biomass of many terrestrial ecosystems and markedly influence the physico-chemical and biological properties of soil; however, little is known about the effects of earthworm activities on the environmental behavior of micropollutants in soil. We studied the sorption and desorption of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol on geophagous earthworm (anecic Metaphire guillelmi) casts of various aging times and on the parent soil. The casts were characteristic of lower pH and higher content of fine particles (silt and clay) than the parent soil. The sorption of the chlorophenols on the soil and casts were well fitted to linear isotherms, with sorption capacity in the order of pentachlorophenol > 2,4-dichlorophenol > 2,4,6-trichlorophenol. The sorption on the cast with different aging time was quite similar and was higher than on the parent soil. The sorption on the soil did not change between pH 7.07 of the soil and pH 6.76 of the casts. The desorption hysteresis of the chlorophenols on the soil and casts was compound specific and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol showed the highest hysteresis. The higher sorption capacity of the casts was not owing to the lowered pH of the casts, but mainly to the higher fine particles in the casts and the possible changes of nature of the soil organic matter through the earthworm gut passage. Our results indicate that geophagous earthworms may change sorption behavior and thus the bioavailability and transport of chlorophenols in soil. Earthworm effects should be considered when evaluating the environmental behavior and risk of organic pollutants in the ecosystems where earthworms are abundant.

Nanoparticles (NPs) of TiO2 and ZnO are receiving increasing attention due to their widespread applications. To evaluate their toxicities to the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) in soil, artificial soil systems containing distilled water, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 or 5.0 g kg−1 of NPs were prepared and earthworms were exposed for 7 days. Contents of Zn and Ti in earthworm, activities of antioxidant enzymes, DNA damage to earthworm, activity of cellulase and damage to mitochondria of gut cells were investigated after acute toxicity test. The results from response of the antioxidant system combined with DNA damage endpoint (comet assay) indicated that TiO2 and ZnO NPs could induce significant damage to earthworms when doses were greater than 1.0 g kg−1. We found that Ti and Zn, especially Zn, were bioaccumulated, and that mitochondria were damaged at the highest dose in soil (5.0 g kg−1). The activity of cellulase was significantly inhibited when organisms were exposed to 5.0 g kg−1 of ZnO NPs. Our study demonstrates that both TiO2 and ZnO NPs exert harmful effects to E. fetida when their levels are higher than 1.0 g kg−1 in soil and that toxicity of ZnO NPs was higher than TiO2.

Extracellular proteomic expressions of two fusant strains were analyzed to observe their abilities to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the source of drinking water from Yangtze River. The extracellular proteomes for the hybrid strains, Fhhh and Xhhh, and one of their parental strain Phanerochaete chrysosporium were measured by the two-dimensional electrophoresis and MS/MS. The similarity of proteome expression was 34.7% between Fhhh and P. chrysosporium and that was 28.6% between Xhhh and P. chrysosporium. PAHs degeneration performance for Fhhh, Xhhh and the native bacterium NJ2007 was studied by biological activated carbon reactor. The specific degradation rate of Fhhh for PAHs was 3.05 x 10(-5) day(-1) which was significantly higher than that of the NJ2007 and Xhhh (P0.05). The results indicate that the fusant strain could not express the same proteome as that of its parental strain but could degrade PAHs in the source water with higher efficiency.

The potential toxicities of organic pollutants in the drinking water source at Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu were investigated by comet assay and antioxidant enzyme approach on microalgae Euglena gracilis. The organic extracts of the water samples could induce DNA damage on microalgae cells. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed at groups of 0.3×, 3× and 10× concentrations compared with the control and a solvent control (DMSO). The organic extracts also affected antioxidant enzyme activity and induced lipid peroxidation in the microalga. In the high dose group, there was an obvious increase in SOD content (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the concentrated organics from water sample extracts have adversary effects on E. gracilis and could possibly damage the ecosystem.

There are rising concerns about the hazardous effects of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) on the environment in China. Biochemical and comet assays were conducted on the earthworm Eisenia fetida, a suitable bio-indicator organism for evaluating soil pollution after exposure to two heavy metals, Cd and Pb. Protein content increased at low Cd concentrations (p < 0.05) and decreased at the highest concentration of 10 mg kg−1, compared to control (p < 0.05). Pb showed an inhibitory effect on protein content at low concentrations but demonstrated no significant effect at higher concentrations. There were no significant differences between control and treated groups at the doses of 1 and 10 mg kg−1 Cd while at a dose of 0.1 mg kg−1 Cd the cellulase activity was significantly increased compared to control. Cellulase activities of Pb-treated E. fetida increased in a dose dependent fashion. Results of the comet assay indicated toxicant induced DNA damage. Cd exposure caused significant differences between control and treatment groups (ANOVA, p < 0.05, p < 0.01) and a positive dose-response profile. As for Pb treatment, there were no significant differences between the groups treated with 50 and 500 mg kg−1 of Pb and the control. Results showed that DNA damage from Cd was more serious than that from Pb. And this indicated that the earthworm was more sensitive to the effects of Cd.

Accurate prediction of root water uptake under salinity stress contributes to efficient water management in arid and semiarid lands. We present a cost-effective and reliable method to determine parameter values in a widely used macroscopic root water uptake model. We conducted column experiments using soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in a greenhouse. Six columns with one plant each were used: three were under salinity stress, the others provided potential transpiration. Three time-domain reflectometry probes were inserted into each of the three columns to observe water content and electrical conductivity. In the daytime, the soil surface was covered to prevent evaporation. Weight of the columns was manually measured to obtain daily transpiration. After the stress period, root density distributions were obtained by dismantling the columns. Two parameter values were inversely determined by minimizing the sum of square difference between observed and calculated daily transpiration rates. Water uptake at each depth and time was calculated by substituting linearly interpolated osmotic potential into a stress response function. Optimized daily transpiration agreed well with the observations. In Addition, deviation in the three optimized response functions was small at low-to-moderate stress, indicating the reliability of the method.

Dechlorane Plus (DP), similar to persistent organic pollutants, has been widely detected in environmental matrices, especially in sediment and soil. In this study, earthworms Eisenia fetida were exposed to 0.1, 0.5, 6.25 and 12.5 mg kg(-1) DP for 28 d. Lethality, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity and cellulase of E. fetida were assessed to investigate ecotoxicological effects of DP after long-term exposure. Results showed that the direct toxicity of DP was very low. However, death rate, as well as SOD activity, together with changes in activities of CAT, GSH-Px, and GSH levels, indicating that oxidative stress may play a significant role in DP exposure. In addition, DP also changes the AChE and cellulase activity of earthworms even under low DP concentration after long-term exposure. Moreover, comet assay results showed that DP exposure increased the levels of tDNA significantly (p < 0.05) even in the lowest treatment (0.1 mg kg(-1) DP). Combined with the results of enzyme activity, oxidative damage and comet assay, it can be suggested that earthworms experience more stress of DP during long-time exposure. This study provides insight into the toxicological effects of DP on earthworm model, and may be useful for risk assessment of DP on soil ecosystems.

The kinetic parameters and the purification rates of the hybrid cell Foaz in soybean processing wastewater (SPW) were measured through a shaking reaction and in two automatic regulated control stable fermentation systems (ARCSFS). The maximum specific growth rate of Foaz was 0.576 h‐1, higher than that of one of its parental strains Rhodobacter sphaeroides P9479 and lower than that of another parental strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y9407. The BOD5 removal rate of Foaz in the No. 1 system was 61.3%, higher than those of both its parental strains when the influent BOD5 concentration was 4600 mg/L. The results of this study suggest that the hybrid Foaz has a better capacity of the degradation of organic pollutants in SPW than its parental strains and it may be applicable to the treatment of high concentration organic wastewater.

Fish is consumed as a common food by humans due to its nutritional and therapeutic benefits. However, they can accumulate toxic chemicals (such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants) from water and food chain. Very few studies have been investigated on heavy metal contents in fish from Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. In order to study heavy metals levels in fish from aquaculture farms and evaluate the risk that human consume fish in this area, we collected four types of aquaculture fish species (6 big-head carps, 5 grass carps, 5 carps and 5 tilapias) from fisheries around Lhasa city in this study. 9 heavy metals (Cr, As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ba, Co, Mn and V) in different tissues of fish were determined by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Cr, Ba, Co, Mn and V could easily accumulate in the gill, and Cu was detected in the hearts of all the fishes. Toxic metal (As, Cd and Pb) contents were higher in the liver than those in other tissues, heavy metal levels were the lowest in the muscle among all tissues. Most of heavy metal concentrations in the tilapia tissues were higher than those in other fish tissues, especially arsenic. Arsenic content in the tilapia samples was ~2–4 times higher than the maximum levels (MLs) of contaminants in the national standard, and other metals were all lower than the MLs. Compared the estimated daily intake of heavy metals through fish consumption with tolerable daily intakes recommended by FAO, the metals daily intake of As, Cd and Pb from fish consumption might not pose serious health risk to the local inhabitants. It is therefore necessary to determine the dose level for human, which is considered to be taken daily over a lifetime without adverse effects.

Organ coefficients (including kidney, testis, liver and spleen coefficient) and abnormal sperm rate were used in our study to reflect the exposure to the Yangzte River water. The concentrations of total dissolved metals and semi-volatile organic compounds in tap and source water were measured by ICP-OES and GC–MS, respectively. After mice were fed with purified water (CK), Nanjing tap water (NJT) and Nanjing source water (NJS) for 90 day, the individual and organs (including kidney, testis, liver and spleen) of each mouse were weighted. And abnormal sperm types (such as hook less, banana-like form, amorphous, folded and two tails) were determined by microscope. The results showed that significant differences of liver coefficient between experimental group (NJT, NJS) and control group (CK) were observed; furthermore liver coefficient is positive correlation with the concentrations of total dissolved metals. However, no significant differences of abnormal sperm rates between experimental group (NJT, NJS) and control group (CK) were noted. So liver coefficient might be more sensitive than other organ coefficients to reflect the exposure to tap water and source water, while abnormal sperm rate could not be used to reveal the exposure to them.

The microalga Euglena was selected as a bioindicator for determining genotoxicity potencies of organic pollutants in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake, Jiangsu, China among seasons in 2008. Several methods, including the comet assay to determine breaks in DNA and quantification of antioxidant enzymes were applied to characterize genotoxic effects of organic extracts of water from Taihu Lake on the flagellated, microalga Euglena gracilis. Contents of photosynthetic pigments, including Chl a, Chl b and carotenoid pigments were inversely proportion to concentrations of organic extracts to which E. gracilis was exposed. Organic extracts of Taihu Lake water also affected activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) of E. gracilis. There were no statistically significant differences in SOD activities among seasons except in June but significant differences in POD activities were observed among all seasons. The metrics of DNA fragmentation in the alkaline unwinding assay (Comet assay), olive tail moment (OTM) and tail moment (TM), used as measurement endpoints during the genotoxicity assay were both greater when E. gracilis was exposed to organic of water collected from Taihu Lake among four seasons. It is indicated that the comet assay was useful for determining effects of constituents of organic extracts of water on E. gracilis and this assay was effective as an early warning to organic pollutants.

The semi-volatile organic compounds in Lhasa River were determined qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography method with mass spectrometric detection. Total concentrations of 23 organic pollutants in samples from five sites ranged from 1.56 to 2.78 μg/L. The average concentrations for ΣPAEs, ΣPAHs and ΣBTEXs obtained in this study were 1.53, 0.33 and 0.51 μg/L, respectively. Moreover, the results of analysis of variable showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) among the sites for levels of ΣPAHs, ΣPAEs and ΣBTEXs. Cluster analysis was applied to detect spatial similarity for grouping of sites under the monitoring network. The results indicated that the five sites in this study could be divided into two significant groups, i.e. low and high pollutant groups. Health risk assessment was conducted by multimedia environmental goals (MEG), risk quotient (RQ) for each pollutant and hazard quotient (HQ) approach from USA ecological risk assessment (ERA) for screening stage. Calculated both total ambient severity and RQ were less than 1 and therefore minimal risk to human and ecological health. For analysis results of HQ, whether for the ingestion exposure or dermal adsorption pathway were all less than 1, the results also agreed with the RQ model and MEG model for evaluating the potential for adverse health effects due to exposure semi-volatile organic compounds from surface water. Therefore, SVOCs in Lhasa River posed little or no threat to the health of local consumers and ecological environment.

Water from the Liuxihe Reservoir (a source of drinking water for Guangzhou City, P. R. China) was analyzed for semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and the results were used for a potential health impact assessment and genotoxicity test with the microalgae Euglena gracilis. The SVOCs were tested using USEPA Method 525.2, and the health risk assessment was conducted at a screening level using the hazard quotient (HQ) approach. Alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was used to evaluate DNA damage and determine the genotoxicity of the source water. The concentrations of the SVOCs in Liuxihe Reservoir were very low and phthalic acid esters were the main SVOCs present. The mean HQ values of pollutants were all less than one, indicating no risk. However, the lifetime carcinogenic risks (LCRs) were found to be close to the threshold of 1.00E−5. The results show that the water in the Liuxihe Reservoir might pose a potential carcinogenic risk to local residents. The highly concentrated extracts of the water samples could induce DNA damage in the microalgal cells and a dose–effect relationship was identified. These results showed that Liuxihe Reservoir water, as a source of drinking water, could pose a potential LCR to local consumers.

The high surface area of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) tends to adsorb a large variety of toxic chemicals, which may enhance the toxicity of both MWCNTs and chemicals to organisms. In order to evaluate the combined toxicity of nonylphenol (NP) and MWCNTs to the earthworm Eisenia fetida in soil, artificial soil systems containing distilled water, 0.1 g kg(-1) MWCNTs, 1 g kg(-1) MWCNTs, 1 g kg(-1) MWCNTs absorbed 5 mg kg(-1) NP, and 10 mg kg(-1) NP alone were prepared and exposed to earthworms for 7 days. Antioxidative responses, and activities of cellulase, Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase (TChE) as well as DNA damage were chosen as toxicological endpoints. The results showed that 1 g kg(-1) MWCNTs adsorbed 5 mg kg(-1) NP from the soil which caused much more adverse effects on the earthworms than each chemical alone, evident from the responses of cellulase, Na(+), K(+)-ATPase and comet assay. This study indicated that MWCNTs facilitated the bioavailability of NP to the earthworm and increased the harmful effects of NP.

Laboratory experiments were undertaken to relate biomarker responses to the toxicities of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and sodium pentachlorophenate (PCP-Na), both individually and combined. The acute toxicities of MWCNTs and PCP-Na on earthworm Eisenia fetida were studied through different exposure methods (filter paper contact test, immersion contact test, and artificial soil contact test). Enzyme activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the earthworm E. fetida exposed to MWCNTs and PCP-Na in filter paper contact test, both individually and under combined exposure, were determined. After exposure, PCP-Na induced observable acute toxicity while the MWCNTs induced slight toxicity. Interestingly the earthworms exposed to the mixture of MWCNTs and PCP-Na demonstrated different expression of enzymatic biomarkers from those exposed to MWCNTs or PCP-Na alone. Our results indicated that the toxicity of PCP-Na on E. fetida may be alleviated by the appearance of MWCNTs for all exposure methods except for immersion contact test.

Removing arsenic (As) from drinking water is widely dependent on iron (Fe)-based coagulation/flocculation techniques. However, little is known about the influence of Fe precipitant on As toxicity. In this present study, the influence of Fe on As toxicity was determined at systems biology level by in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro study based on HepG2 cell line found that Fe increased the As toxicity on cell viability and DNA damage, indicating the synergetic toxic effects. However, when the Fe and As were simultaneously exposed to mice by drinking water for 90 days, the results showed that Fe reduced the changes of hepatic transcriptomic profiles and serum and urine metabolic profiles caused by As exposure, showing the antagonistic toxic effects. The antagonistic effects might be because Fe reduced As bioavailability and accumulation, which was verified by As and Fe levels in feces and liver. The results of this study indicate that Fe precipitant can influence the As toxicity. The interactions between As and Fe and their bioavailability might play important roles in the As toxicity. When assessing the safety of As in drinking water, it is necessary to fully consider the combined effects of As and Fe.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) effluent was sampled from three MSG mills and 21 metal elements were measured with a inductively coupled plasma (ICP) Spectrometer. The total metal concentration of each MSG wastewater sample was 19192, 3190 and 3161 mg/L respectively. Compared with the water quality standard issued by the Chinese Government and the World Health Organization (WHO), some values were found to exceed the standards. The 24hr‐LC50, 48hr‐LC50, 72hr‐LC50 and 96hr‐LC50 to the fish Ctenopharyngodon idellus were 6.9%, 3.2%, 2.5% and 1.4% MSG wastewater individually. The specific growth rate for photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides was inhibited by the metals in MSG wastewater. Therefor the MSG wastewater should not be discharged into drinking, irrigation and fishery water systems, moreover it cannot be treated by general biological processes efficiently. How to develop an effective biotechnique for the utilization of organic pollutants in MSG effluent will also be discussed in this p...

In this paper, we investigate the location optimization for opportunistic cooperative networks under Rayleigh fading channels. We study both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) and derive the closed-form solution for the optimal location. It is interesting to find that the optimal relay location is identical for either DF or AF, and it is related to the power configuration of nodes and the pathloss exponent. Simulation and numerical results prove that the analysis is validated, and with location optimization, the minimal outage probability can be obtained.

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates and pesticides in water of Wujin river inflow into Taihu Lake, were detected for assessment of risk to human health. SVOCs were tested with Method 525.2 established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and health risk assessment (HRA) was conducted by the hazard quotient (HQ) approach from US HRA for screening stage. The results for the liquid–solid extraction of water sample measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed that three of the tested twenty-three semi-volatile organic contaminants posed potential health risk and the concentrations of 2,4-dinitrotoluene, di-n-butyl phthalate, chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene was 0.736, 15.201, 0.307, and 0.334 μg/l, respectively. SVOCs in the Wujin river water might induce risk to environmental health of Taihu Lake as a source of drinking water.

The aim of this article is to elucidate the mechanism by which eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) acts against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced effects. The prevalence of micronuclei, the extent of lipid peroxidation, and the status of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in both liver and serum of mice were used as intermediate biomarkers of chemoprotection. Lipid peroxidation and associated compromised antioxidant defenses (CAT and GPX) in CP treated mice were observed in the liver, serum, and were accompanied by increased prevalence of micronuclei in bone marrow. The number of MN was significantly different (p < 0.01) between the groups treated with CP (group III, IV, V, VI) and the solvent control (group II) (3.2 ± 0.7‰). There was a dose-dependent reduction in formation CP induced micronuclei by treatment with 100, 200, or 300 mg EPA/kg BW mice. Activities of SOD, CAT, and extent of lipid peroxidation were statistically different in liver cells of mice exposed to EPA only with CP compared with the CP group (group III). The present findings imply that EPA may be a potential antigenotoxic, antioxidant and chemopreventive agent and could be used as an adjuvant in chemotherapeutic applications.

Degradation of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) existing in the Yangtze River, used as source water for Nanjing City, China, was investigated with functional strains. The removal rates of BaP were 37.5, 20.8 and 70.8% for the three strains of the native bacterium NJ, and the two functional strains of Xhhh and Fhhh, respectively. The Fhhh specific degradation rate of BaP was 3.02 x 10(-6) day(-1), which was 1.9-fold of the rate with NJ and 3.7-fold of the rate with Xhhh. The concentrations of BaP in the source water, tap water and Fhhh reactor effluent were 8.3-, 7.6-, and 2.4-fold of that of the oral carcinogenicity unit risk. The results suggest that the functional strain Fhhh could be used for the reduction of BaP concentrations in source water and hence reduction of carcinogenic risk.

The effects of the Yangtze River source of drinking water on metabolites of mouse (Mus musculus) were implemented to observe the environmental health issue of the water by use of the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabonomics. All the sampled mice were treated for 90 days. There were 20 organic pollutants discovered in the water with total concentration of 9.41 microg/l. The NMR spectra for the sampled mice were different at delta2.06, delta2.24 and delta5.22. The concentrations of alanine, glycoprotein, acetone and trimethylamine-N-oxide in the source water group mice were decreased but that of creatinine and glucose were increased, which indicated that hepatotoxicity and kidney dysfunction occurred. There were six parameters for the source water group mice were different or extremely different from that of the control group. And these metabolites are responsible for separation of the data along PC1 and PC2 which may be used as biomarkers to indicate the source water pollution. The results indicate that 1H NMR-based metabonomic approach is a useful technique to test toxicity of xenobiotics on metabolites for observation of the environmental health issue of source water.

The toxicological tests of the Yangtze River source of drinking water on the reproductive system of male mice (Mus musculus) were conducted in order to protect human and environmental health. The mice were fed with the source water for 90-day and their body weights and relative organ weights were not significantly altered. The results of flow cytometry analysis showed that the relative percentage of the primary spermatocytes (4C) increased significantly, however, significant depletion was observed in the relative percentage of elongated spermatid (HC). These alterations in different germ cell populations were reflected in the various germ cell ratios. The ratio of 1C:4C showed declines while the ratio of 4C:2C increased and the percentage of abnormal sperm increased significantly. There were obvious testicular histopathology distinguishes observed in expansion of interstitial space and reduction in the number and size of Leydig cells. The data demonstrated that the source of drinking water from Yangtze River had actual toxicity on male mice reproductive system and suggested that the source water pollution should be controlled for protection of human health.

Production of nanoparticles by precipitation is a relatively simple process but the control of product particle size distribution is difficult. In this paper, nanosize barium sulfate ( BaSO 4) particles are prepared with dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) in ethanol–water reaction system at room temperature. The BaSO4 nanoparticles are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The results indicated that the average diameter of spherical BaSO4 is about 46 nm modified with 5 wt.% DBSA, which have good dispersion in the presence of a certain concentration NH3 ⋅ H2O . It suggests that the high dispersion is attributed to presence of a thin layer of barium alkyl sulfate, which is formed and coated onto the surface of BaSO4 particles during the reaction process. The thin films on the surface of the BaSO4 effectively modified the surface and properties, which also control the particle size and morphology.