标准差标准化方法修正的PBBs多效应3D-QSAR模型及其在环境友好性分子修饰中的应用

构建了标准差标准化方法修正的兼具多溴联苯(PBBs)分子红外振动强度、 生物富集性和毒性3种效应的CoMFA模型, 分析了PBBs分子力场对其综合值的影响, 确定取代位点, 并进行兼具易红外光谱检出、 低生物富集性和毒性特征的PBB分子修饰(以PBB-153为例). 研究结果表明, 构建的CoMFA模型对PBBs分子的红外振动强度、 生物富集性和毒性3种效应综合值具有较好的预测和拟合能力, 且具有较好的稳定性, 静电场和立体场的贡献率分别为59.9%和40.1%. 根据模型三维等势图选择正电性高于Br原子的5种取代基团对目标分子PBB-153进行单、 双取代, 筛选出6个3种效应综合值上升的PBB-153衍生物. PBBs衍生物分子单效应计算或预测结果验证表明所构建的兼具PBBs分子红外振动强度、 生物富集性和毒性3种效应综合值的CoMFA模型可以有效应用于PBBs分子的修饰. 设计的PBB-153衍生物分子具有较好的稳定性, 同时阻燃性与目标分子相当, 环境持久性及迁移性方面优于目标分子. 2D-QSAR模型表明, PBBs分子的偶极矩、 最负电荷及邻位Br原子数对其红外振动强度、 生物富集性和毒性单效应和综合值影响趋势一致.     

铁基水处理材料除砷技术的研究进展

自然环境中的砷污染问题被认为是全球最严重的环境威胁之一,人类长期暴露于含砷饮用水环境中会引起各种疾病的发生,因此,开发经济有效的除砷技术一直是砷污染治理领域的研究热点。铁基水处理材料由于其对砷的良好亲和力、表面反应活性强、价廉易制、便于回收等特点,一直备受关注。本文综述了近年来不同铁基水处理材料如铁(氢)氧化物、纳米零价铁、铁基多金属氧化物复合材料除砷技术的研究进展,论述了铁基水处理材料对水相中砷去除的影响因素及机理;同时,对影响铁基水处理材料砷解吸的因素和毒性评估研究进行了总结;指出了目前铁基水处理材料砷污染去除技术研究中存在的主要问题,并对水相砷污染去除技术研究中值得关注的重要发展方向进行了展望。     

Acute and sub-acute toxicological evaluation of the alcoholic leaf and root extracts of Clerodendrum infortunatum L.

Leaf and root extracts of Clerodendrum infortunatum L. have been reported to show anthelmintic efficacy on a cestode parasite Raillietina tetragona. Its leaf showed no toxicity at 1000 mg/kg body weight but root toxicity study was not known. Therefore, our study is to test both leaf and root extracts at 2000 and 3000 mg/kg body weight concentration given orally for 15 days in four groups of Swiss albino mice, keeping another set as control (without plant extract). Weight and behaviour of mice were recorded daily. Feeding, movement pattern were normal in all treatments as that of control. Though body weight increase, there was no change in the relative organ weight. Biochemical and haematological studies revealed no significant change from control and no alteration in histopathological study of liver and kidney from that of control. The plant extracts thus shown to be safe for consumption.     

How to confirm identified toxicants in effect-directed analysis

Due to the production and use of a multitude of chemicals in modern society, waters, sediments, soils and biota may be contaminated with numerous known and unknown chemicals that may cause adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Effect-directed analysis (EDA), combining biotesting, fractionation and chemical analysis, helps to identify hazardous compounds in complex environmental mixtures. Confirmation of tentatively identified toxicants will help to avoid artefacts and to establish reliable cause–effect relationships. A tiered approach to confirmation is suggested in the present paper. The first tier focuses on the analytical confirmation of tentatively identified structures. If straightforward confirmation with neat standards for GC–MS or LC–MS is not available, it is suggested that a lines-of-evidence approach is used that combines spectral library information with computer-based structure generation and prediction of retention behaviour in different chromatographic systems using quantitative structure–retention relationships (QSRR). In the second tier, the identified toxicants need to be confirmed as being the cause of the measured effects. Candidate components of toxic fractions may be selected based, for example, on structural alerts. Quantitative effect confirmation is based on joint effect models. Joint effect prediction on the basis of full concentration–response plots and careful selection of the appropriate model are suggested as a means to improve confirmation quality. Confirmation according to the Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) concept of the US EPA and novel tools of hazard identification help to confirm the relevance of identified compounds to populations and communities under realistic exposure conditions. Promising tools include bioavailability-directed extraction and dosing techniques, biomarker approaches and the concept of pollution-induced community tolerance (PICT). Figure Toxicity confirmation in EDA as a tiered approach     

Characterisation of the steady state tube furnace (ISO TS 19700) for fire toxicity assessment

The steady state tube furnace (Purser furnace, ISO TS 19700) has been developed specifically to replicate the generation of toxic products from real fires under different fire conditions on a bench-scale. Steady state burning is achieved by driving the sample into a furnace of increasing heat flux at a fixed rate and recording the product yields over a steady state period in the middle of the run. The furnace, sample, and effluent dilution chamber temperature profiles are presented to characterise the conditions in the apparatus. The distribution of smoke in the mixing chamber has been investigated to demonstrate the efficiency of mixing in the effluent dilution chamber. The heat flux applied to the sample at various points through the furnace has been measured, showing that conditions vary from those typical of pre-flaming to fully developed fires. An initial investigation of the repeatability and interlaboratory reproducibility has been undertaken, showing acceptable low levels of uncertainty in the toxic product yields.     

“Alternative medical therapy” use among singers: Prevalence and implications for the medical care of the singer

Singers are extremely conscious of health problems that affect their voices and well-being and often take an active role in seeking care for these problems. They frequently seek treatment from providers or with modalities considered “alternative” to traditional medical care. A survey of singers was completed to elucidate their attitudes and practices regarding “alternative modalities” of medical care. Frequently singers will self-medicate or take advice from people not well versed in the special needs of a professional voice user. They will fail to share this information with the physician when seeking “traditional” medical care. These practices may predispose the singer to suboptimal or even dangerous care. These results are discussed, as well as the implications for the medical physician treating the singer. The possible detrimental pharmacologic effects of “natural therapies” widely used by singers are presented, with special attention to the particular concerns for the professional singer     

A Comparative Toxicity Study of TiO2 Nanoparticles in Suspension and Adherent Culture Under the Dark Condition

The present study focused on the different acute toxicity of TiO₂ nanoparticles(TiO₂ NPs) towards the bacteria in suspension culture and adherent culture under the dark conditions. The study investigated the bacteria toxicity with TiO₂ NPs at different concentrations(1—2000 mg/L), sizes(10 nm, 35 nm) and specific surface areas in unit volume solution(0—224 m²/L) characterized by the cell viability, extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) release and biofilm formation. The bacteria in adherent culture was found to be more resistant against the toxicity of TiO₂ NPs compared to that in suspension culture. An NP dose and surface area dependent(rather than the size) bacterial viability was observed in suspension culture, specifically the surface area positively correlated with the toxicity of TiO₂ NPs. The size of TiO₂ NPs, however, played a more critical role in toxicity of TiO₂ NPs in adherent culture. Therefore, the surface area dependent toxicity of TiO₂ NPs is a comprehensive parameter describing the dose and size dependent toxicity of TiO₂ NPs. The electron microscopic(SEM, TEM, EDX) observations suggested the EPS release and biofilm formation, during aggregation of TiO₂ NPs on the bacteria after 12 h cultivation in adherent culture under the dark condition. A possible toxic mechanism could be that “effective surface areas” that directly contact with the bacterial membrane greatly contributed to the toxicity of TiO₂ NPs in both suspension culture and adherent culture. Therefore, as for the possible resistance mechanism, EPS secretion and subsequent biofilm formation may protect the bacteria against the toxicity of TiO₂ NPs.     

Sarcoglycosides A – C,New O‐Glycosylglycerol Derivatives from the South China Sea Soft Coral Sarcophyton infundibuliforme

Chemical examination of the soft coral Sarcophyton infundibuliforme collected from the South China Sea resulted in the isolation of the three new O‐glycosylglycerol derivatives sarcoglycosides A–C ( 1 – 3 ), together with two known compounds, chimyl alcohol ( 4 ) and hexadecanol ( 5 ). Their structures were elucidated by combined spectral and chemical methods. All the compounds showed moderate toxicity to brine shrimps Artemia salina.     

An optical biosensor for dichlovos using stacked sol-gel films containing acetylcholinesterase and a lipophilic chromoionophore

An optical biosensor consisting of a chromoionophore (ETH5294) (CM) doped sol-gel film interfaced with another sol-gel film immobilized with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was employed to detect the insecticide dichlorvos. The main advantage of this optical biosensor is the use of a sol-gel layer with immobilized CM that possesses lipophilic property. The highly lipophilic nature of the CM and its compatibility with the sol-gel matrix has prevented leaching, which is frequently a problem in optical sensor construction based on pH indicator dyes. The immobilization of the indicator and enzyme was simple and need no chemical modification. The CM layer is pH sensitive and detects the pH changes of the acetylcholine chloride (AChCl) substrate when hydrolyzed by AChE layer deposited above. In the absence of the AChE layer, the pH response of the CM layer is linear from pH 6 to 8 (R² = 0.98, n = 3) and it showed no leaching of the lipophilic chromoionophore. When the AChE layer is deposited on top, the optical biosensor responds to AChCl with a linear dynamic range of 40-90 mM AChCl (R² = 0.984, n = 6). The response time of the biosensor is 12 min. Based on the optimum incubation time of 15 min, a linear calibration curve of dichlorvos against the percentage inhibition of AChE was obtained from 0.5 to 7 mg/L of dichlorvos (17-85% inhibition, R² = 0.991, n = 9). The detection limit for dichlorvos was 0.5 mg/L. The results of the analysis of 1.7-6.0 mg/L of dichlorvos using this optical biosensor agreed well with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detection method.     

Toxicity of Nanoscale CuO and ZnO to Daphnia magna

The potential effects of nanoscale CuO(nCuO),nanoscale ZnO(nZnO)and their mixtures on Daphnia magna were investigated,including 48-h acute toxicity and 21-d chronic toxicity tests as well as a feeding ...